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Annie Lennox: Nostalgia

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Island Records
Released: 2014.09.30
Time:
 42:30
Category: Soul Jazz
Producer(s): Annie Lennox, Mike Stevens
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.annielennox.com
Appears with: Eurhytmics
Purchase date: 2015
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Memphis in June (Paul Francis Webster, Hoagy Carmichael) - 2:47
[2] Georgia on My Mind (Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell) - 3:55
[3] I Put a Spell on You (Screamin' Jay Hawkins) - 3:32
[4] Summertime (George Gershwin) - 5:12
[5] I Cover The Waterfront (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) - 2:59
[6] Strange Fruit (Abel Meeropol) - 3:46
[7] God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog, Jr.) - 3:03
[8] You Belong to Me (Chilton Price, Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart) - 3:22
[9] September in the Rain (Harry Warren, Al Dubin) - 2:53
[10] I Can Dream, Can't I? (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal) - 2:56
[11] The Nearness of You (Carmichael, Ned Washington) - 2:32
[12] Mood Indigo (Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard) - 5:34

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Annie Lennox - Creative Director, Fender Rhodes, Flute, Percussion, Piano, Producer, Quotation Author, String Arrangements, Vocals

Richard Brook - Percussion
Chris Hill - Double Bass, Bass Guitar
Mike Stevens - Accordion, Engineer, Guitar, Harmonica, Keyboards, Hammond Organ, Producer, Programming, String Arrangements, Vibraphone
Neal Wilkinson - Drums

Ivan Hussey - Cello
Nichol Thomson - Trombone
Simon Finch - Trumpet
Urban Soul Orchestra - Strings
Stephen Hussey - Orchestration, Viola, Violin

Cameron Craig - Engineer
Mandy Parnell - Mastering
Gavin Taylor - Art Direction, Design
Robert Sebree - Photography, Post Production

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Annie Lennox’s left-turn foray into jazz and pop standards starts promisingly enough. After a dreamy snippet of composer Sammy Fain singing from 1930, Lennox sinks her teeth into the unabashed romance of “Memphis in June,” followed by “Georgia on My Mind.” She and co-producer Mike Stevens keep the production mostly clean and warm, though the song selection is sometimes curious. “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child,” both associated with Billie Holiday, are bold choices, but Lennox is out of her depth as she tries to burrow deep into their pathos. She fares better on “I Put a Spell on You,” whose depravity suits her guttural rendition; she sounds almost as deranged as Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, who made it famous. The latter half of “Nostalgia” sags. Blame the strings: They coat “The Nearness of You” and “You Belong to Me” in saccharine goo that saps the soul from Lennox’s voice. Her singing, by the way, is resolutely fine from start to stop, muscular and knowing on “Summertime” and then soft and satiny on “September in the Rain.” It turns out Lennox’s idea of nostalgia still sounds pretty fresh.

James Reed - October 28, 2014
© 2015 Boston Globe



Rod Stewart’s mega-successful Great American Songbook series has become something of a blueprint for musicians at a crossroads – donning a metaphorical black tie and settling into the nostalgic glow of pre-rock music standards. As the former Eurythmics star points out, Nostalgia may be just that for most of her listeners, but this sideways skip into jazz and blues is new for her. Still, exemplary a singer as Lennox is, it would take something truly extraordinary to bring something to Gershwin and Carmichael classics that Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald didn’t. Lennox can’t hope to approach the anguish or disgust of Billie Holiday’s original Strange Fruit, so why even try, unless you’re going to totally reinvent the song like the Cocteau Twins did? Lennox is at her best when she sounds most involved, and her beautiful takes on Georgia on My Mind, God Bless the Child and You Belong to Me are full of poignancy and yearning.

Dave Simpson, 23 October 2014
© 2015 Guardian News and Media



Twenty-two years ago Annie Lennox released her first solo album Diva, a recording that successfully forged a disparate identity from the work she had created with Dave Stewart, as one half of ‘80s synth-pop duo Eurythmics. The album concluded with the 1930s tune “Keep Young and Beautiful”, a tart, tongue-in-cheek ode to staying trim and attractive. With lyrics as overtly ironic as the album’s title, the effervescent song might have seemed a jarring ending to the record, but it has remained to this day a guilty pleasure. Each subsequent solo album has unveiled different layers of Lennox’s fascinating personality, yet there was always something intriguing about that satirical closing track that lingered on long after Diva had ended. It hinted at something more, beyond the guitar and synth-laden landscapes she had previously explored.

Following her 2010 holiday collection A Christmas Cornucopia, Lennox has decided to step upon the stage of a smokey supper club and record an entire album of jazz and blues songs from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. Nostalgia is yet another curve ball in a career full of them. Whether the record was the product of writer’s block, a self-indulgent detour or an intense labor of love, matters little at this point. Annie Lennox has earned the right to do whatever she wants. Nostalgia is by and large a success, albeit one that plays it a bit too safe.

As of late, Lennox’s focus has pivoted towards philanthropy and political activism, which in turn, has overshadowed her musical persona. From recent interviews in the press about feminism and the over-sexualization of female performers, to social media statements on Scottish independence, she has provoked discussions and courted controversy. These opinions have often been misquoted, distorted, and taken completely out of context, prompting a frustrated Lennox to publicly declare that this album might be her very last. She has criticized the mass media, raised awareness for HIV and AIDS, examined the woes of our “celebrity-driven” culture, and been an outspoken proponent of women’s rights. It is undeniably refreshing to hear a public figure articulate her thoughts on a variety of crucial issues in such an intelligent and thought-provoking manner. Lennox has lent her voice to others who do not have one. It is a voice that sings, even when there is no melody. This is an artist who truly understands the blues, which is why the song choice of Nostalgia is often puzzling.

Listening to her latest album and hearing the delightfully brassy version of Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo”, it’s hard not to wish she’d done an entire recording of gritty blues covers instead of pleasantly tasteful, orchestral interpretations of standards like “Summertime”, “Georgia on My Mind” and “God Bless the Child”. Similar to “Keep Young and Beautiful”, the track juts out from its surroundings, like a red-headed child in a sea of brunettes. Everything on Nostalgia is impeccably sung, but Lennox appears to be holding back on multiples occasions, and it is on this final track that she sounds like she is kicking off her heels and truly having fun.

Accompanying herself at the piano and Fender Rhodes, Lennox sounds confident throughout, yet seldom does that formidable instrument truly blossom and display the full extent of its beauty. Time and touring have dimmed the brilliance of her upper register, but regardless, it has aged rather well. The mid-tempo pace of the record slows down the momentum and the sameness becomes a bit tedious three-quarters of the way though, screaming for more lively song choices to be scattered amidst the ballads. A lack of variety in tempo aside, there is much to admire here.

Nostalgia features songs made popular by the likes of Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holliday and Jo Stafford. “I Put A Spell on You” is bewitchingly delicious, fleshing out the seething rage of a narrator who is now holding the reins, and “September in the Rain” is elegantly simple, unadorned with the excessive, syrupy strings so common on the Great American Songbook recordings made by other artists. The accordion that accompanies “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” is charming, except for the use of an electric piano substituted for the real thing. The percussion that enters around the two minute mark, briefly recalls some of the arrangements on Bryan Ferry’s terrific standards album As Time Goes By. One wishes she had taken a similar route as Ferry and crafted a record that fully explored the joyous sound of the era as well.

Her versions of, “Memphis in June”, “Strange Fruit” (Lennox plays flute on the track) and “The Nearness of You” are quite stunning, delivered with a stark, emotional honesty that few of her peers possess. The tasteful vibraphone, brushed percussion and muted trumpet on “I Cover the Waterfront” transport her voice to another time. It is a lovely moment, but once again, something seems a bit off. There is nothing particularly fresh or revelatory about these arrangements, even with Lennox at the mic. Nostalgia is music perfect for enjoying a cup of coffee and an omelet in the morning hours, while slowly waking to the world. Rarely does it command the full attention of the listener and oftentimes it borders on background music, something that Lennox never intended.

Which brings us back to “Mood Indigo”. There’s a lithe, playful spirit about her interpretation that is sorely missing from the majority of the album as a whole, a record that is perfectly enjoyable without really challenging Lennox or her audience’s expectations. Soulful doesn’t always equate interesting. The sultry closing track makes one wish that everything preceding it were infinitely more raw, bluesy, or at least as spellbinding as her version of Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” from the 1992 tribute album Red Hot + Blue. The arrangements of Nostalgia rarely burn red hot, which in turn diffuses Lennox’s powerful delivery.

She has recently stated that she quit writing songs because she was finally happy. It is disheartening to think that the inspirational fuel for her creativity was being miserable throughout all these years. Everyone deserves a little happiness in their lives and Annie Lennox is no different. When she officially retires, that glorious instrument will be sorely missed. If Nostalgia is her last recording, as she has intimated, it’s still one hell of an elegant swan song.

Ryan Lathan 7 November 2014
© 1999-2015 PopMatters.com



Annie Lennox's 2014 covers collection, Nostalgia, finds the former Eurythmics vocalist soulfully interpreting various pop, jazz, and R&B standards. In many ways, Nostalgia works as a companion piece to her similarly inventive 2010 album, the holiday-themed Christmas Cornucopia. As with that album, Lennox eschews predictability by picking an unexpected set of songs and producing them with detailed care. While Nostalgia certainly fits nicely next to any number of other standards albums by veteran pop stars, it does nothing to diminish Lennox's distinctive style. On the contrary, working with producer Mike Stevens, Lennox has crafted an album that brings to mind the sophisticated, contemporary sound of her original studio releases while allowing her to revel in the grand popular song tradition. Moving between evocative piano accompaniment, orchestral numbers, moody synthesizer arrangements, and even some rollicking small-group swing, Lennox takes a theatrical -- yet always personal -- approach to each song, finding endlessly interesting juxtapositions and stylistic combinations to explore. She references Miles Davis' plaintive take on the Porgy and Bess classic "Summertime," tenderly evinces a combination of Billie Holiday and Sade on "Strange Fruit," and draws on both Aretha Franklin and Screamin' Jay Hawkins for "I Put a Spell on You." Elsewhere, tracks like "I Cover the Waterfront" and "Mood Indigo" bring to mind similar recordings from Carole King and Bryan Ferry. Ultimately, even without Nostalgia's impeccable production, in the end it's Lennox's burnished, resonant vocals that steal the focus here, and just like the songs she's picked, their beauty will likely stand the test of time.

Matt Collar - All Music Guide



"Sweet Dreams" diva digs into standards, shows off that voice. Annie Lennox's ongoing evolution from New Wave ruler into U.K. queen of blue-eyed soul isn't exactly surprising – her magnificent voice has always had an R&B foundation, on display in this orchestral set of jazz and blues standards. "Summertime," "Strange Fruit" and "God Bless the Child" show reverence and impeccable technique yet not quite enough signature to transcend mere impressiveness. Standouts: the Andrews Sisters' "I Can Dream, Can't I?" playfully set to a cha-cha groove, and Ellington's "Mood Indigo," with barrel-house brass and raw, if measured, blues hollers. "C'mon, play that thing!" Lennox goads a horn player. One might say the same to her.

Will Hermes - October 21, 2014
RollingStone.com



Annie Lennox previewed her fifth studio album Nostalgia — sixth if you count her Christmas LP! — at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles last night (August 12). Producer Don Was introduced the project with a cute anecdote about working with the former Eurythmics frontwoman before playing the set’s first six songs for assorted press and industry types. She then hit the stage for an adorable Q&A.

It’s something of an understatement to call the collection of standards a departure from Annie’s usual oeuvre. The 59-year-old puts her own inimitable spin on classic tracks like “Memphis In June”, “Georgia On My Mind”, “Summertime”, “I Put A Spell On You”, “I Cover The Waterfront” and “Strange Fruit”. She breathes new life into the much-covered gems with perhaps the best vocal performance of her long and varied career. (The haunting arrangements also helped).
Almost as entertaining as the music was the post-listening party chit chat. Annie spoke eloquently on topics as diverse as feminism, the British flag and Facebook. She also talked about getting older in an increasingly youth-driven industry, quipping: “I don’t wanna twerk but I want to be relevant.” Ironically, the pop icon’s intelligent and emotion-packed music packs a heavier punch, now more than ever.

There are no details about the release date or the full tracklist of Nostalgia but they can’t be too far off. Don Was hinted that the LP would be released on vinyl first but there is no official confirmation.

Are you excited for the return of Annie? Have your say in the comments below.

Mike Wass / August 13, 2014
www.idolator.com



On Nostalgia, Annie Lennox pays tribute to some of the greatest artists of the 20th century – including Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Billie Holiday and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – and interprets compositions that have moved her, stripping them down to their emotional and musical core and making them her own. This beautiful deluxe package (created by Lennox herself and exclusive to Amazon) includes a 36-page bound book with photos and detailed notes on the songs created and lyrics as well as a DVD that features Annie discussing the album and a video of Lennox performing “I Put A Spell On You” live. "To have been given the opportunity to record these classic, timeless songs on such a significant label as Blue Note, representing 75 years of legendary jazz history, is truly a privilege for me," said Annie Lennox.

Amazon.com



Nostalgia is the sixth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox, released on 30 September 2014 by Island Records. It is Lennox's first album in four years, and her third album of covers. The album consists of cover versions of compositions from the Great American Songbook; researched and learned by Lennox as she studied archival footage uploaded to YouTube.

Nostalgia debuted at number ten on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 32,000 copies, earning Lennox her third US top ten solo album, as well as her first-ever number-one album on both Billboard '​s Jazz Albums and Traditional Jazz Albums charts. The album debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Lennox's fifth UK top ten solo album. Nostalgia peaked inside the top ten in Austria, Canada, Italy and Switzerland. The album was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 57th Grammy Awards.

On 15 August 2014, Lennox published a blog post on her official website announcing the upcoming release of Nostalgia. She stated that the album would initially be released on vinyl LP format on 30 September 2014 as a three-week vinyl exclusive. Nostalgia was previewed to a small audience at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles on 12 August 2014.

The album has met with generally favourable reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 68 out of 100 based on 8 reviews. Mojo gave the album a positive review, stating it was "Straight and true, without a trace of rear-view-mirror sentimentality." Mike Wass of Idolator wrote that Lennox "breathes new life into the much-covered gems with perhaps the best vocal performance of her long and varied career," noting the assistance given by the "haunting arrangements". He stated that it would be an understatement to call the album "a departure from Annie's usual oeuvre," and that Lennox "puts her own inimitable spin" on the tracks. In a mixed review, The Guardian stated "Lennox can't hope to approach the anguish or disgust of Billie Holiday's original "Strange Fruit", so why even try, unless you're going to totally reinvent the song like the Cocteau Twins did? Lennox is at her best when she sounds most involved, and her beautiful takes on "Georgia on My Mind", "God Bless the Child" and "You Belong to Me" are full of poignancy and yearning."

Lennox has explained that she does not plan to tour as extensively as she did in support of her album Songs of Mass Destruction (2007). She told Billboard, "at this point in time, less is more for me. I'm more about quality than quantity, and I think this is quite a niche place to be." The lead single "I Put a Spell On You" received its first radio play on 15 September 2014 by Ken Bruce on BBC Radio 2.

Wikipedia.org
 

 L y r i c s


MEMPHIS IN JUNE

(Sweet one
Fairer than the flowers
Never will I meet one
Sweeter than you
Would you turn away
Or could you
Really every care
If I'd ever dare
To say "I love you")

Memphis in June
A shady veranda
Under a Sunday blue sky
Memphis in June
And cousin Amanda's
Making a blueberry pie

I can hear the clock inside
A-ticking and a-tocking
Everything is peacefully dandy
I can see your granny
'cross the street still a-rocking
Watching the neighbors go by

Memphis in June
With sweet oleander
Blowing perfume in the air
Up jumps the moon
To make it that much grander
It's paradise, brother take my advice
Nothing's half as nice as
Memphis in June

(Sweet one
Fairer than the flowers
Never will I meet one
Sweeter than you...)


GEORGIA ON MY MIND

Georgia, Georgia
The whole day through (the whole day through)
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)

I'm say Georgia, Georgia
A song of you (a song of you)
Comes as sweet and clear
As moonlight through the pines

Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you

I said Georgia, oh Georgia
No peace I find (peace I find)
Just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)

Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you

Woah, Georgia, Georgia
No peace, no peace I find
Just an old, sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind (Georgia on my mind)

I said just an old sweet song
Keeps Georgia on my mind


I PUT A SPELL ON YOU

I put a spell on you
'Cause you're mine

You better stop the things you do
I ain't lyin'
No I ain't lyin'

You know I can't stand it
You're runnin' around
You know better daddy
I can't stand it 'cause you put me down
Yeah, Yeah

I put a spell on you
Because you're mine
You're mine

I love ya
I love you
I love you
I love you anyhow
And I don't care
If you don't want me
I'm yours right now

You hear me
I put a spell on you
Because you're mine


SUMMERTIME

Summertime, and the living is easy
Fish are jumping and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush little baby, Don't you cry

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But 'til that morning, there ain't nothing can harm you
With Daddy and Mammy standing by

Summertime, and the living is easy
Fish are jumping and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush little baby, Don't you cry

One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But 'til that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
With Daddy and Mammy standing by


I COVER THE WATERFRONT

Away from the city that hurts and mocks
I'm standing alone by the desolate docks
In the still and the chill of the night
I see the horizon, the great unknown
My heart has an ache its as heavy as stone
Will the dawn coming on make it light?

I cover the waterfront;
I'm watching the sea
Will the one I love be coming back to me?

I cover the waterfront;
In search of my love
And I'm covered by a starless sky above

Here am I patiently waiting, hoping and longing
Oh, how I yearn!
Where are you?
Are you forgetting?
Do you remember?
Will you return?

I cover the waterfront
I'm watching the sea
For the one I love must soon come back to me
All alone
Please come back to me


STRANGE FRUIT

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop


GOD BLESS THE CHILD

Them that's got shall have
Them that's not shall lose
So the Bible says and it still is news
Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own, that's got his own

Yes the strong get smart
While the weak ones fade
Empty pockets don't ever make the grade
Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own, that's got his own

Money, you've got lots of friends
They're crowding around your door
But when you're gone and spending ends
They don't come no more
Rich relations give crusts of bread and such
You can help yourself, but don't take too much
Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own, that's got his own

Money you've got lots of friends
They're crowding around your door
But when you're gone and spending ends
They don't come no more
Rich relations give crusts of bread and such
You can help yourself, but don't take too much
Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own, that's got his own

Here just don't worry about nothing cause he's got his own
Yes, he's got his own


YOU BELONG TO ME

I know you belong to somebody new
But tonight you belong to me

Although you belong
To somebody else
Tonight you belong to me
Although we're apart
You're part of my heart
And tonight you belong to me

Way down by the stream
How sweet it will seem
Once more just to dream
In the moonlight
My honey I know
With the dawn
That you will be gone
But tonight you belong to me

Way down, way down along the stream
How very, very sweet it will seem
Once more just to dream
In the silvery moonlight
My honey I know
With the dawn
That you will be gone
But tonight you belong to me
Just to little ol me


SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

The leaves of brown came tumbling down
Remember, in September, in the rain
The sun went out just like a dying amber
That September in the rain

To every word of love I heard you whisper
The raindrops seemed to play our sweet refrain
Though spring is here, to me it's still September
That September in the rain

To every word of love I heard you whisper
The raindrops seemed to play our sweet refrain
Though spring is here, to me it is still September
That September in the rain
That September that brought the pain
That September in the rain


I CAN DREAM, CAN'T I?

I can see
No matter how near you'll be
You'll never belong to me
But I can dream, can't I
Can't I pretend
That I'm locked in the bend
Of your embrace
For dreams are just like wine
And I am drunk with mine

I'm aware
My heart is a sad affair
There's much disillusion there
But I can dream, can't I
Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I

Can't I adore you
Although we are oceans apart
I can't make you open your heart
But I can dream, can't I


THE NEARNESS OF YOU

It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's just the nearness of you

It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It's just the nearness of you

When I'm in your arms
And I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true

I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night
The nearness of you


MOOD INDIGO

You ain't been blue; no, no, no
You ain't been blue
Till you've had that mood indigo
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I sit and sigh, "Go 'long blues"

Always get that mood indigo
Since my baby said goodbye
In the evenin' when lights are low
I'm so lonesome I could cry

'Cause there's nobody who cares about me
I'm just a soul who's
Bluer than blue can be
When I get that mood indigo
I could lay me down and die

 M P 3   S a m p l e s


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