Annie Lennox, Diva: The 25th Anniversary Track-by-Track

I wasn't a big fan of the Eurythmics as a kid. I missed the whole '80s new wave thing, having not started listening to pop music until 1987, at which time its synth-drenched melodies had faded in popularity. Of course, I knew "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," but only years after it had been a major hit.

So I was taking a bit of a risk in the early summer of 1992 when I purchased Annie Lennox's album Diva, her solo debut which was released around this time 25 years ago. I'd heard "Why" on the radio and fell in love with it. It was beautiful and different than other pop tunes at the time, and I was intrigued.

Needless to say, Diva quickly became one of my favorite albums. In fact, for many years it was my top choice (today, I'd say it's among a handful of favorites, but I don't have one favorite album right now). Although the album wasn't a major hit--it debuted at #33 on the Billboard 200 albums chart the last week of May and peaked at #23 in early August--it was highly acclaimed, eventually snagging a coveted nomination for the Album of the Year Grammy Award. Although Lennox lost that honor to fellow Brit Eric Clapton and his Unplugged set, she did snag the Brit Award album of the year trophy.

Twenty-five years later, I'm still enchanted with Lennox's solo debut. It's a gorgeously produced album consisting of ten tracks (eleven if you count the CD bonus track). A modern mix of acoustic and synthetic instruments were used to create the set's atmospheric melodies which, despite their considerable depth of sound, never threaten to overwhelm Lennox's authoritative vocals. The sound is definitely soulful and more adult than her Eurythmics work. I wouldn't call these "love songs" necessarily, but they are songs about love and its myriad emotions. It's a concept album about a woman--the "diva"--who has achieved success but feels incomplete.

While the music can certainly stand on its own, Diva is really a visual album as well (more than two decades before Beyoncé did a similar thing with Beyoncé and Lemonade). Videos for seven of the album's tracks were put out at the same time as the album (released on VHS), while additional videos were shot for "Walking on Broken Glass," "Precious" and "Little Bird" when they were released as singles (only "Stay by Me" never received a video). All of the videos were shot by Sophie Muller, who previously shot many Eurythmics videos, and has worked with an enviable roster of mostly female pop stars, including Gwen Stefani, Rihanna and Lily Allen.

Let's take a closer look at the songs.

1. Why

"Why" has long been my favorite track on Diva and for good reason. The plaintive tune about a troubled love affair that is about to reach its conclusion, is a gorgeous swirl of synthesizer chords, piano and guitar. Lennox's emotional vocal alternates between recognition that the relationship is trouble and yet still wanting to give it one last shot. "Why" was released as the first single in both the U.S. and U.K., peaking at #34 and #5 respectively. The song's music video shows Lennox gazing into a dressing-room mirror as she puts on her makeup and costume to become the "diva" for a photo shoot as depicted on the album's cover. Listening to this song brings back many memories for me, the best of which are the times I spent in the summer of 1992 at our Oregon beach house listening to this pretty much nonstop. Best line: "I may be mad, I may be blind, I may be viciously unkind, but I can still read what you're thinking."

2. Walking on Broken Glass

Whereas "Why's," instrumentation is mostly synthetic, Lennox ups the piano and strings on "Walking on Broken Glass," the album's most upbeat tune--at least musically. Lyrically, it's even darker than "Why," its wounded, heartbroken protagonist pleading with a lover to come back, even though their relationship was stormy. This second single was the album's biggest hit in the U.S., peaking at #14 (in Britain, it was the third single, reaching #8). I like this song, although it's never been a standout for me on the album. I prefer the album's moodier tunes. Best line: "'Cause if you want to hurt me, you're doing really well my dear."

3. Precious

Like the previous songs, "Precious" continues to explore a thematic contrast of hardship and salvation, only in this case, instead her emotions are directed toward a child--presumably her daughter Lola, who was born in 1990. "Precious" feels to me like the closest Lennox comes to her old Eurythmics sound on Diva. Awash with synthesizer chords and effects, "Precious" is another very upbeat track, albeit with a darker sound than "Walking on Broken Glass." This was the second single in the U.K., peaking at #23. It was not released as a single in the U.S. The single version is slightly remixed and shortened from the album version. Both versions contain a wonderful horn solo during the middle eight. Best line: "Precious little angel don't you worry, don't you cry; when this bad old world has crumbled, I'll be standing at your side.

4. Legend in My Living Room

This is a song that wasn't a standout for me at the time I bought the album, but has become a definite favorite in recent years. I think it's the sexiest song on Diva: I love the deep synthesizer chords that begin the song. The melody builds slowly from there, eventually reaching its muscular climax during the middle eight. The song, about the struggles that come from pursuing success in the entertainment industry, is one the album's best dramatic moments. Best line: "But I've shed my tears in bitter drops until the thorn three bloomed, to take the spiky fruit to crown myself the queen of doom."

5. Cold

"Cold" is one of Diva's gentlest-sounding songs, closing the first half of the album like a cooling kiss, even if the song, in typical fashion for the album, wrestles with its own share of demons. It's a song about love and longing filled with gorgeous lyrical imagery that's a perfect match for its serene, synth-heavy arrangement. "Cold" was released as the album's fourth single in the U.K., where it peaked at #26; it was not released as a single in the U.S. The single version is slightly longer, with an additional intro used in the video, but is otherwise indistinguishable from the album cue. Best line (best line on the whole album): "Dying is easy; it's living that scares me to death."

6. Money Can't Buy It

After cooling off with "Cold," Diva's second half kicks the tempo back up with this slinky mid-tempo offering. The theme isn't a new one--money won't buy you happiness--but Lennox pulls it off in this slinky package that, like "Legend in my Living Room," builds its sound to a big middle-eight climax. Best line: "I got diamonds--you heard about those--I got so many that I can't close my safe at night in the dark, lying awake in a sick dream."

7. Little Bird

Lennox speeds the Tempo up to Diva's fastest stomp on "Little Bird," a song about wishing you could escape your demons but realizing instead that you must find the strength to face them. It's a stylish affair that got a particularly glam music video in which Lennox struts around in top-hot and cane as the emcee in a cabaret featuring Annie lookalikes dressed in costumes from her Eurythmics era and some of the preceding Diva videos. The track was remixed for its video and single release, and I actually prefer the single version, which has extra musical flourishes and vocals that I think enhance the track nicely (it's available as the "(C3 Answers)" version from iTunes). "Little Bird" peaked at #49 in the U.S., where it was the album's third single, and #3 in Britain, where it was the album's fifth (and final) release. Best line: "I walk along the city streets so dark with rage and fear; And I wish that I could be that bird and fly away from here."

8. Primitive

"Primitive" is another quiet moment for the album and an intimate one about being with a lover and feeling like everything else just fades away. Although there isn't a bad song on the album, this has always been my least favorite. I basically consider its gauzy, vaguely Egyptian melody as "downtime" between the stomping "Little Bird" and the emotionally hefty "Stay By Me." Best line: "Sweetheart, the sun has set all red and primitive above our heads."

9. Stay by Me

For 25 years, I've wondered this: why wasn't "Stay by Me" released as a single? It's an absolutely epic track, an immediate standout when I first heard Diva that still resonates with me as one of my favorite songs on the album. It never even got a video; at the time, I thought that was a clue that it was planned as a future single (since "Walking on Broken Glass" and "Little Bird" likewise did not have videos at first), but alas, it didn't happen. "Stay by Me" begins with a trilling piano before its gentle beat and layered instrumentation kick in. The vocal in this song is very slow but also quite assured. It's another love song, one that expresses quite a bit of vulnerability. Best line: "Please take these lips...even if I have been kissed a million times."

10. The Gift

"The Gift" is the final lovely ribbon on this package, beautifully scored with keyboards and synthesizers over a deep, plodding beat. The video brings back the diva from "Why" and sends her out in the streets of Venice to pose with pictures with passersby. Best line: "I need to go outside, I need to leave the smoke, 'cause I can't go on living in the same sick joke."

Other tracks of the era

Keep Young and Beautiful

"Keep Young and Beautiful" is a bonus track included on the CD and digital versions of the album. Scratches and noise overly the song like its being played from an old vinyl disc. The song itself a sprightly, shortened remake of a 1930s song by Eddie Cantor with some lyrics revised. It's very different from the rest of the songs on Diva; fun, but not essential.

Step by Step

Whitney Houston fans will recognize this one, since the singer remade the song 4 years later with new lyrics and released it as the second single from The Preacher's Wife soundtrack. It was included as a bonus track  on the Japanese version of the album and released as a B-side with "Precious" in the U.K. The Lennox version of the song is mellower than the buoyant Houston version, but definitely similar in tone.

Love Song for a Vampire

This quiet but dramatic song was recorded for the 1992 film "Dram Stoker's Dracula," and released as a double-A-side in the U.K. and a B-side in the U.S. with "Little Bird." The ballad is appropriately haunting with a lovely synth-driven melody.

Best Albums of 2012

As regular readers of this blog know, I've basically moved on from writing about pop music to writing full-force about cooking and restaurants on Cook In / Dine Out. But I didn't want the year to go by without sharing my list of the best albums of 2012. I may not be writing about music, but it's still part of my life.

1. Taylor Swift - Red. Not what I expected would top my list, but it's a work of undeniably great country pop songs, creating a mix of sounds that still adhere cohesively into an album. Swift's greatest work yet, showing the consistency of her last album, Speak Now, with the pop hooks of her 2008 Grammy Album of the Year-winning Fearless. Essential: "I Knew You Were Trouble," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "Red."

2. Saint Etienne - Words and Music by Saint Etienne. I'd never listened to Saint Etienne before, but I fell hard for the British indie-dance group's eighth album, the year's best work of dance pop. Essential:  "Over the Border," "I've Got Your Music," "Popular."

3. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange. Ocean's mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra, made my list last year, when I said he was tipped to break out as a major star this year. Couldn't have been more right about that--Ocean's success is one of the year's biggest music stories. His background almost overshadows the soulful beauty of this R&B debut that deftly mixes old-school sensibility with modern electronic production. Essential: "Thinkin Bout You," "Super Rich Kids," "Lost."

4. Jessie Ware - Devotion. British singer Ware's Devotion offers up gorgeous electronic pop. A stunning debut that sounds best after the sun goes down. Essential: "Wildest Moments," "Running," "Sweet Talk."

5. Jack White - Blunderbuss. White Stripes are over, but Jack White continues to make great music. This solo work, nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy, is as close as we've gotten to a White Stripes album as good as Elephant. Essential: "Missing Pieces," "Hypocritical Kiss"

6. The XX - Coexist. I devoured The XX's 2009 self-titled debut (I listed it as #4 on my 2009 recap, but, in retrospect, it deserved #1). This follow-up is almost as good, residing in similar slinky, minimalist synth territory. Essential: "Reunion," "Fiction."

7. Mumford & Sons - Babel. The British folk rockers' second album managed to cement their status as one of the world's hottest bands, a unlikely status for sure, but certainly deserved after the success of their first album. Similar to and probably just as good as Sigh No More. Essential: "I Will Wait," "Hopeless Wanderer."

8. Rihanna - Unapologetic. Rihanna's seventh (!) album is markedly better than her disappointing Talk That Talk and more consistent even than her 2010 hit Loud. Basically, it resurrects the dark themes from Rated R and wraps them around a mash-up of pop stylings a la Loud or Good Girl Gone Bad. Essential: "Loveeeeeee Song," "Stay."

9. Maccabees - Given to the Wild. Although it's the third album from the British rock group, the atmospheric Given to the Wild is something of a breakthrough for the group. Essential: "Ayla," "Pelican."

10. Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox. Mars avoids the sophomore slump with this naughty but still lovable second album, kissed with touches of Motown, disco and even The Police. A worthy successor to Doo-Wops and Hooligans. Essential: "Locked Out of Heaven," "Moonshine."

11. Beach House - Bloom. Baltimore "dream pop" group's fourth album is lovely and lush. Let it float you away. Essential: "Myth."

12. Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire. It's been awhile since I bought an Alicia Keys album. This, her fifth, shows Keys is still the classiest act in R&B. It's tempting just to listen to her beautiful piano intro over-and-over, but then you'd miss her singing, which seems to only get better. Essential: "Girl on Fire."

13. Daughn Gibson - All Hell. A little bit country, a little bit rock & roll and a lot of darkness is a good way to describe Gibson's haunting solo debut. Essential: "A Young Girl's World."

14. Pink - The Truth About Love. Now onto her sixth album, Pink continues to prove she's one of pop music's most consistent, if not under-appreciated, talents. Essential: "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)."

15. Fun. - Some Nights. This indie pop group made a big splash this year with their energetic second album. Essential: "We Are Young."

16. Scissor Sisters - Magic Hour. "Let's Have a Kiki" may have become a gay dance club anthem this year, but it's only one reason to love the fourth album from this just-outside-the-mainstream pop group. Essential: "Only the Horses."

17. Maroon 5 - Overexposed. Maroon 5 looked to be on the way out (or at least down) after their third album, Hands All Over, initially failed to generate a major hit. Then came The Voice, "Moves Like Jagger," and this album's massive first single, "Payphone," (and it's even bigger follow-up, "One More Night") and the band is hotter than they've ever been. A true pop music comeback story. Essential: "One More Night."

18. Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again. This soulful debut from the BBC Sounds of 2012 winner reaches back to the '70s for its lush, gentle melodies. Essential: "I'm Getting Ready."

19. Emeli Sandé - Our Version of Events. Another retro-soul album, but totally different from Kiwanuka's. I like her best when she throws a little trip-hop in the mix, like "Heaven," which plays like a sequel to Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy." Essential: "Next to Me."

20. Escort - Escort. I wouldn't call this "retro" or "new disco," it's just plain disco, so faithfully does it reproduce the sound of dance music from 1978-1980. Essential: "Caméleon Chameleon."

21. Christopher Guglick - Earth Shaker. if you like piano-based singer-songwriter pop, here's a name you should become familiar with. He's not big yet, but just wait. I think bigger things are on the way (Guglick is reportedly working on a dance pop album for 2013--can't wait). Essential: "Hold on Tight."

22. Twin Shadow - Confess. The new wave revival may be rather long in the tooth at this point, but Twin Shadow's Confess makes a case for keeping it around just a little bit longer. Essential: "Five Seconds."

23. Madonna - MDNA. Madonna makes me list, but considering that most of her other albums would have topped the equivalent lists for their release years means this album was a disappointment, lacking the consistency and creativity she's known for. Nonetheless, there are some gems here, including the ballad "Masterpiece," which would have sounded at home on 1995's Something to Remember. Essential: "Girl Gone Wild."

24. Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society. Jazz musician Esperanza Spalding won the Best New Artist Grammy in 2011 and followed it with this, her fourth album. Essential: "Black Gold."

25. Robbie Williams - Take the Crown. Reinvigorated by fatherhood and the recent Take That reunion, Williams continues to prove he's one of pop music's singular voices. Take the Crown is more synth-driven than his other albums and continues to show his typically good hear for a pop hook. Essential: "Candy."

Best of 2011: Albums

1. Adele - 21. This year, Adele's 21 proved resolutely that the pop album is not dead. That a young woman from Britain can release an album to near universal acclaim and appeal is really something, recalling the great pop albums of the '80s. In an era where tastes are sliced, diced, dissected, genred and market-tested to death, it's nice to know we can still all come together around something that we all like because it's just that good. Best: Someone Like You.

2. Lady Gaga - Born This Way. Lady Gaga is basically the polar opposite of Adele, but I have plenty of space for her and her dazzling third album in my year-end top 10. Born This Way was funkier and more ambitious than The Fame or Fame Monster, ultimately proving to be her best and most cohesive work yet. Even if the singles aren't all hitting #1 anymore, she's still got the touch. Best: Born This Way.

3. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake. This was the critics' favorite album of 2011, but don't let that stop you from enjoying it too. History buffs will appreciate Harvey's historical references to specific World War I battles. Music fans will just enjoy her eclectic mix of sounds and clever lyrics. Best: The Glorious Land.

4. The Strokes - Angles. This is the one album among my favorites that I'm surprised to see missing from most other year-end lists. I thought Angles, The Strokes' fourth album, was a winning return to form form the band many consider the most "important" of the '00s indie rockers, putting in some of their trademark simple arrangements but also exploring new wave and other territory. Best: Machu Picchu.

5. Foster the People - Torches. I'll give Torches the award for the year's best debut. Foster the People--aka this year's MGMT--dominated pop radio this fall with "Pumped Up Kicks," but their lively debut has lots of other gems from the indie band. I'm surprised they haven't scored a follow-up hit yet. Best: Helena Beat.

6. Will Young - Echoes. Here's one I'm not surprised isn't on a lot of year-end lists, but it's a shame, for Will Young turned out another fine pop album with Echoes, employing producer Richard X to give his love-spurned pop songs a pleasing electronic veneer. Best: Jealousy.


7. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto. Coldplay continue to earn their keep on this fifth album. Although at times it feels that Chris Martin & company are too eager to please, they still churn out their brand of pop/rock uplift effectively. Best: Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall.


8. Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials. On their second outing, Florence Welch & co. rocked out with even bolder and better songs than on their 2009 debut Lungs, with a larger than life sound that proves everything and the kitchen sink can be a god thing. Best: Shake It Out.


9. The Weekend - House of Balloons/Thursday/Echoes of Silence. The modern R&B mix tape became a staple of 2011, as artists too cool for things like labels, albums and selling their music, took to the internet to give us free tastes of their remakes, remixes and original songs. The Weekend's House of Balloons was the best of that set, but his follow-up Thursday was interesting too, and although I'm just starting to enjoy his third set, Echoes of Silence, it's clear already that it ranks up with the other two. Best: What You Need.

10. Beyoncé - 4. With I Am...Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé proved she could put out a blockbuster two-disc concept album that stocked radio with hits and earned her critical acclaim at the same time. With her fourth album, 4, she didn't have to prove anything, freeing her to buck the electro trend and put out a mostly acoustic set ranging from the manic "Countdown" to the Prince-worthy "1+1." Although it didn't sell as well, it showed a great deal of artistry and continued growth. Best: Countdown.

11. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light. Along with Adele and Lady Gaga, this is one of three albums released this year nominated for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Although some said it was a surprise, I thought it was totally deserving, representing a solid set of muscular guitar-rock. Best: These Days.

12. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead. Gotta love a good indie band from my hometown, especially when they start the year off with putting out a great album like this. When I reviewed this album, I said they reminded me of a folksier, more backwater R.E.M. Best: Down by the Water.

13. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy. This was my first exposure to American musician St. Vincent, who put out this highly compelling set of eclectic and deftly produced tunes. Best: Chloe in the Afternoon.



14. James Blake - James Blake. Another important trend this year was dubstep, which, frankly, I still have trouble identifying, but apparently this was one example. Whatever you want to call it, I thought it was crafty, soulful electronic that recalled both The XX and Bon Iver. Best: The Wilhelm Scream.

15. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes. Joining the long line of Swedish pop tradition (Abba, Roxette, Ace of Base, Max Martin, Robyn) this year was Lykke Li, whose lo-fi production style was, in many ways, the antithesis of the usual Nordic gloss, but still with an ear for a good pop tune. Best: Sadness Is a Blessing.

16. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. Sure, Oasis split last year, but they all kept making music. You'll find the rest of the gang further down this list. Both were very good, but I felt that Noel Gallagher's songwriting skills meant that his album was just a little bit better. Best: If I Had a Gun...

17. Take That - Progressed. Take That's album Progress was one of my favorite albums of 2010. In fact, it's one of my favorite pop albums of all time. This follow-up EP was a welcome second helping of that album's greatness. Best: When We Were Young.



18. Amy Winehouse - Lioness: Hidden Treasures. Posthumous releases should always be viewed with suspicion, but thankfully this one manages to be an appropriate tribute to an amazing singer gone before her time. Her modern take on '60s soul remains one of pop music's most interesting tricks in recent years. Best: Our Day Will Come.

19. Jessie J - Who You Are. Jessie J received so much hype that it would be hard for the singer to live up to it. And yes, her album wasn't "all that," but it was still pretty decent pop from the strutting "Do It Like a Dude" to the affecting title track. She's got a lot of people in her corner. Album #2 could be even more interesting. Best: Who You Are.

20. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow. Like Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, The Civil Wars achieves a beautiful alchemy with the tried-and-true formula of a male/female vocal harmony over a lovelorn folksy sound. And then they kicked up their heels with the album's title track. Moving and fun. Best: Poison & Wine.

21. The Black Keys - El Camino. These southern-influenced blues rockers from Ohio shifted their sound more toward classic rock & roll for this seventh album. More and more they sound less like the stopgap for The White Stripes' absence and more like that duo's worthy successor. Best: Dead and Gone.


22. Ed Sheeran - +. I didn't get around to reviewing this album, since I only recently got it (consider it a 4/5 rating). Although I wasn't initially sold on Sheeran via "The A Team," in the end, I was ultimately won over by his acoustic-leaning pop debut, particularly its more upbeat tracks. Best: Lego House.

23. Radiohead - The King of Limbs. That Radiohead's eighth album is more of an exercise in sounds than in songs means this album won't be for everyone, but for those who like Kid A and Amnesiac because of that, then should be up your alley. Best: Bloom.


24. Kasabian - Velociraptor!. Fourth album by British rockers Kasabian finds them mining familiar '60s territory but with a bolder take than on their last album. Best: Days Are Forgotten.



25. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys. For their seventh album, these indie rockers from Bellingham, Washington, make their sound lighter and more modern than their recent works. Hints of Arcade Fire permeate the buoyant title track with its deep mix of strings, piano, guitar, bass and drums. Best: Codes and Keys.

26. Bon Iver - Bon Iver. The last thing Wisconsinite folk singer Justin Vernon probably thought when he released his 2008 debut, For Emma, Forever Ago, was that a few years later he'd be a major influence in alternative rock music. Even Kanye West got into him. On this second Bon Iver album, he gets a little more adventurous and manages to still please, even despite the deafening hype. Best: Towers.

27. Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX - We're New Here. Serving as an effective stopgap before the hotly anticipated second album from The XX, its member Jamie XX remixed nearly every track from the late soul and jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron, reinterpreting his quirky, final spoken-word album into a satisfying dose of late-night electronica. Best: The Crutch.

28. Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra. Singer Frank Ocean has been tipped to be a major breakout star next year. This year, however, he's already racked up a lot of acclaim for his self-released mix tape, a winning mix of original songs and remakes where he sings over popular songs with his own new lyrics. Best: Strawberry Swing.

29. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues. Like Bon Iver, this is another indie act that achieved significant acclaim with its folksy debut and followed it up this year with a second album of similarly great material. Title track "Helplessness Blues" proves that, like Mumford & Sons have shown, folk music doesn't equate always with slow and quiet. Best: Helplessness Blues.

30. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'. Retro R&B is a trend right now for sure, but with so many great examples of it, like this eclectic set from Raphael Saadiq, I'm not ready for it to end. Stone Rollin' is an eclectic, decade-jumping work with a of heart and soul. Best: Go to Hell.


31. Wilco - The Whole Love. Wilco's eighth album delivers much of the same from the band as what we've heard before--accomplished alt. rock with influences from country and '70s rock. But it's the dynamite 7-minute opener, which dabbles a bit in Radiohead Kid A electronica and delivers a 2-minute guitar solo, that makes this album worthwhile. Best: Art of Almost.

32. The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You. Although "this year's MGMT" ended up being Foster the People, New Zealand's The Naked and Famous auditioned for the role with this lively, at times moody debut of new wave revival pop. Best: Young Gun.


33. Kanye West & Jay-Z - Watch the Throne. Two kings of rap show they can effectively share the throne with this collaboration, one of the year's most hotly anticipated albums. As you'd expect, modesty is rarely displayed on this album chock full of ego and big-name guests (including two acts named above). Best: Why I Love You.

34. Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding. One fourth of the former Oasis is up at #16 and the rest are here at #34. It might sound corny to say these albums sound like brothers, except for the fact that they literally are made by brothers, so its fitting. Oasis fans should find solace in the fact that both albums are pretty great, with this being the bolder and more upbeat of the two. Best: If I Had a Gun...

35. Rihanna - Talk That Talk. Another year, another Rihanna album. On her sixth outing, the Barbadian singer continued global chart domination with her most risque work yet, continuing to churn out frothy dance pop and laid back island-inspired grooves. Best: We Found Love.

36. Britney Spears - Femme Fatale. Britney got her career back on track with 2008's Circus and she continued her hit streak this year with this unabashedly frothy dance pop album. She slowed down a bit for the album's final track, "Criminal," and that proved to be interesting too. Best: Till the World Ends.

37. Katy B - On a Mission. Those needing a lesson on contemporary dance music styles could do worse than listen to Katy B's debut album, on which she explores a variety of contemporary and (recently) retro dance styles, including dubstep, garage and drum 'n' bass. Best: Lights On.

38. Real Estate - Days. On Days, Brooklyn-based Real Estate's second album, the band churns out mellow and melodic rock. They don't produce much in the way of variety, but have a pleasant sound--the kind of music that's a nice soundtrack to a sunny Sunday afternoon. Best: Green Aisles.

39. Washed Out - Within and Without. Washed Out wears its influences on its sleeves--its ambient electronica evokes names like Moby and Chemical Brothers. Another "chill" album that lives up to that nickname. Best: Eyes Be Closed.


40. Glee: The Music Presents - The Warblers. With The Warblers release, Glee came as close as it may ever come to putting out a proper album, since the group, which is really actor/singer Darren Criss and Tufts University's male singing group The Beelzebubs, sing all these songs a cappella, effectively imitating a bevy of instruments. Best: Teenage Dream.

Worst Album of the Year

Moby - Destroyed. I supposed it's unlikely this is actually the worst album of the year. Hopefully I never had a chance to hear that. Still, I was awfully disappointed by this bland release, which only recycled his old sounds.

Mix Tapes of 2011

Gather 'round kids. Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time, back in the '80s and early '90s, kids like you had total control over their music.

"Oh C'mon," you might chortle. "You gotta be kidding. Y'all could only buy whatever was on tape or CD and you had to go to the store...and pay...a lot." Well yes, this is true. The options were fewer. And yes, today there are a myriad of ways you can slice and dice your music collection, creating, uploading, sharing and downloading playlists via iTunes, Genius, Spotify, Facebook, MySpace, Pandora, Last.FM, etc., etc., (Bit Torrent, shhhh...), etc.

These services provide an amazing amount of convenience and options. But what you may not be aware of, or just choose to ignore, is that all of those things are corporate products, and by using them, you're agreeing, in essence, to allow them to use you. To monitor, track and profile you to improve their services, to market to you, and sometimes to sell information about you to third parties.

I'm getting off track. Anyway, back in good ol' days, it wasn't like that. If you wanted to create a mix of songs and share it with friends it was nobody's business but yours, and it was super simple. Any 8 year-old could do it. All you needed was a a dual cassette player with a radio and you were all set.

Of course, I'm talking about the mix tape. That magical piece of media that millions of youths (and adults) assembled in the complete privacy of their own homes and either shared with friends or kept for their own enjoyment. Just like an iTunes playlist, you could drop in any song you already owned or even copy one off the radio. Unlike an iTunes playlist, neither Apple nor any other corporate entity could find out what you were up to. It was all you. You could assemble your own greatest hits collections, build a mix tape with a particular theme (songs made up of girls' names, for example), or just tape new songs off the radio that you didn't yet own (a no-no, but since you weren't getting perfect digital copies like you can today, no one really cared).

I had quite a few mix tapes, mostly recorded onto TDK SA-90, which was my favorite brand, since its higher quality meant that it sounded better for non-radio copying. And 90 minutes was the perfect length too, allowing you to fit about 10 songs on each side.

In recent years, the mix tape is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance, although in a significantly different form. The term is being used to describe collections of songs, often by new artists, that are more than EP but not quite an album, often containing remakes, remixes and lack of unifying concept that would signify an album.

Many of the year's most exciting "mix tapes" are by R&B artists doing exciting work that's far from the mainstream David Guetta/JR Rotem sound that's all over pop radio today. The nice thing about all three of these is that you can download them for free and not illegally, as they're intended to be free. How novel.

Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra (4/5). The year-end accolades keep piling up for Frank Ocean and his self-released debut, the mix tape Nostalgia, Ultra. The melodies are easy to recognize: Coldplay, Radiohead, MGMT. But listen to the lyrics and you'll notice they've been mostly re-written. "Spaceships are lifting off of a dying world; millions are left behind while the sky burns," he sings over what would normally be the instrumental middle 8 of Coldplay's Viva la Vida hit "Strawberry Swing," put a much darker spin on the uplifting song. Original track "Novocane," a Tricky Stewart production, is smooth, horny R&B, while "We All Try" is even smoother and "Lovecrimes," during which the unmistakable sounds of sex can be heard, even hornier. The lovelorn, autotuned vocals on "There Will Be Tears" reminds me of Bon Iver. The interludes are clever too: "Bitches talkin'" features what the title says--a few women wondering who Radiohead is while Radiohead's Kid A track "Optimistic" plays briefly. Best of all, Ocean nods to the cassette origin of the mix tape, with the sound effects of tapes being played, stopped, rewound, turned over, etc. during several interludes. Best: Strawberry Swing, Novocane, There Will Be Tears, American Wedding.

The Weeknd - Thursday (4/5). I already reviewed The Weeknd's first 2011 mix tape, House of Balloons, which I thought was really good. Although Thursday isn't quite as great, it's pretty similar. Like Ocean, The Weeknd churns out modern, electronic-flecked R&B. He's horny too, such as on "Lonely Star." Baby, I could fuck you right" he offers on the downbeat piano tune. I'm sure the girls are lining up, even if he might be a jerk (he's certainly not coming off as a nice guy on these mix tapes). "Life of the Party" is a nice change of pace, pulsing with an insistence swagger and a harsher arrangement. It feels very '90s, bringing to mind Lords of Acid with a slower tempo (I imagine The Weeknd loves the Sliver Soundtrack). "Thursday" has a nice vibe, both cool and cold, owing to its slow tempo and processed sound. Fellow Canadian and superstar rapper Drake shows up on "The Zone," a highlight of hollow beats and tinkling keys. Things get really dark on "The Birds, Part 2," during which Tesfaye sings about who gives him all her pills and ends up on the floor. Best: The Zone, Life of the Party, Rolling Stone.

Album Reviews

The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow (4/5). Folk duo The Civil Wars' debut album, Barton Hollow, has drawn comparisons to the folk duo of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, stars of the charming musical Once and the recent documentary The Swell Season. It's easy to see why, as the album exudes a similar warm, acoustic sound and male/female vocal harmonies. Most of the album is slower songs, climaxing with the brilliantly beautiful "Poison and Wine," although they do also let their hair down on the toe-tapping title track. Best: Poison and Wine, Barton Hollow, I've Got a Friend, 20 Years.


Wilco - The Whole Love (4/5). Wilco begins their eight album, The Whole Love, with a real knockout of an opening song: a 7-minute epic that begins like Radiohead with beats and electronic blurts that are eventually drowned out by a tuning mass of strings before the song proper begins. "Art of Almost" is quite brilliant. It concludes with a satisfying 2 minutes and 30 seconds of guitar solo. While the rest of The Whole Love lacks that level of ambition, it doesn't lack for quality. Much of it floats around them doing what they do best--alternative rock with tinges of country and '70s rock influences on songs that are alternately bouncy and upbeat or slower. "I Might" and "Standing O" exude a similar retro feel, while "Dawned on Me" rolls along over a prominent bass line with a tune that sounds an awful lot like Supergrass' "Alright." I tend to like these more than the slower songs, although I do like the somber acoustic guitar of "Black Moon." Overall, I don't think it's as consistent as Sky Blue Sky, but I do think it's better than their last album. Best: Art of Almost, I Might, Dawned on Me, Black Moon.

Album Reviews

St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (4/5).

On her third album, Strange Mercy, St. Vincent paints her emotions on the surface and fills in her canvas with a range of sounds that can be airy and ethereal or heavy and raspy--sometimes both at that same time. "Chloe in the Afternoon" has a beautiful arrangement composed of cacophonous elements that resolve under the bass synths of the chorus and then vanish, replaced by gentle electric guitar. "Cruel" is bouncier, bursting with retro synths but also light, airy choruses. "Cheerleader" and "Surgeon" approximate Goldfrapp, with the former throwing out a bold synth-draped verse garnished with electronic flourishes and the latter repeating a airy refrain reminiscent of John Barry's James Bond theme for You Only Live Twice. She rocks out harder on "Northern Lights," sounding more like Liz Phair, on which she sings "it's a champagne year full of sober months," setting up later track "Champagne Year," one of the albums slower cuts, along with the art-rock title cut (although that picks up toward the end). "Dilettante" shows a bit of swagger, with a loud, raspy guitar cutting incisively into the groovy melody. It concludes with a lush brush of keyboard and piano. "Year of the Tiger" completes the picture, but leaves some spaces unfilled with its mysterious lyrics about "living in fear in the year of the tiger," (the period ending last February, according to the Chinese calendar). Best: Chloe in the Afternoon, Cruel, Cheerleader, Surgeon.

Black Keys - El Camino (4/5).

On their seventh album, The Black Keys continue to churn out tight, minimalist songs with a rugged feel, although this time their faster, harder tempos push them away from blues-rock and more toward a classic rock & roll sound. It's apparent from the start with "Lonely Boy" pulsing along its racing guitar melody and the harder drum and bass of "Dead and Gone." Other kicky tracks include "Money Maker," with its cool use of talk box, "Run Right Back," which charges along a staccato bass line and "Nova Baby," which nicely uses the new female trio of backup singers. Producer Danger Mouse (Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley, Broken Bells), who was responsible for the group's fifth album and their last album's big hit, "Tighten Up," returns to work the controls on the entirety of this release, an influence you can hear on the retro instrumentation of tracks like "Gold on the Ceiling," through which the prominent guitar and bass overlay the less obvious keyboards and hand claps. Subtler "Sister" has them too, along with a darker melody. "Little Black Submarines" starts out as a ballad but transforms into a loud rocker halfway through. Best: Dead and Gone, Lonely Boy, Little Black Submarines, Gold on the Ceiling, Nova Baby.

Real Estate - Days (3.5/5).

On Days, Brooklyn-based Real Estate's second album, the band churns out mellow and melodic rock, the kind of music that's a nice soundtrack to a sunny Sunday afternoon. The vocals are delivered somewhere just above a hush and never louder, the guitars play continuously but never threaten to rock out and distort. Because the songs sound so much alike, it's hard to pick standouts, although the dual guitar arrangement of "Green Aisles," makes it a strong contender, as does the sweetness and slightly faster tempo of "It's Real" and the brighter sound of "Wonder Years." Instrumental passages are long and, in the case of "Kinder Blumen," constitute the entire track. Best: Green Aisles, It's Real.

Amy Winehouse - Lioness: Hidden Treasures (4/5).

After last year's disappointing Michael, I'm suspicious of posthumous releases. Made by definition without the artist's input, it's easy for such an album to feel undercooked and lacking a continuous thread that would define the work as an album and not just a collection of leftovers. Thankfully, Lioness actually manages to feel rather cohesive, making it a touching coda to Amy Winehouse's brief by vibrant pop music career. That it lacks the gusto of her 2006 masterpiece Back to Black is fitting: it's emphasis on slower songs plays up the album as a memorial and tribute. Because Winehouse sounded so comfortable in her soulful retro '60s mode, the remakes of actual '60s songs like "Our Day Will Come" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" sit comfortably alongside new songs written in a '60s-inspired mode like the breezy "Between the Cheats." Several of the tracks are alternate versions previously songs. Particularly interesting is "Tears Dry," which recasts the boisterous Back to Black single as a rueful ballad with a gorgeous strings arrangement. The album closes with a 2009 recording of "A Song for You," on which Winehouse sounds quite fragile--she was, after all, in quite a bit of trouble at that time. Nonetheless, her beauty and talent shine through. In the end, she may have been overcome by her demons, but songs like this leave a lasting impression of her beauty. Best: Our Day Will Come, Tears Dry, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, A Song for You, Between the Cheats.