FEATURE:
Vinyl Corner
Annie Lennox - Diva
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I have covered a lot of albums…
IN THIS PHOTO: Annie Lennox in 1992/PHOTO CREDIT: Francesco Scavullo
for Vinyl Corner, but I have not tackled Annie Lennox’s debut solo album, Diva, yet. I would recommend people grab it on vinyl if they can, as I really love Diva. I was raised around a lot of music, and I became aware of Eurythmics from a young age. Not only did the songcraft and quality of the music capture me: the stunning and peerless voice of Annie Lennox took the music beyond the realm of the ordinary. I think Diva is an album I first encountered when it came out. Diva reached number-one when it was released, and it was also a success in the U.S. It won the Album of the Year at the BRIT Awards in 1993, and you only need to listen to the opening two songs of Diva to realise why it was so successful – which I shall come to in a bit. After Eurythmics split in 1990, Annie Lennox briefly stepped away from the industry, but she did work on her debut solo album with producer Stephen Lipson in 1991. Whether you were part of a band or duo, it is strange stepping away from that and working on your own. If you are used to writing with another person, going alone is not necessarily natural and easy. Lennox penned many of Diva’s tracks alone and, whilst some critics feel the punch and extra ears of Dave Stewart would have added another layer to Diva, I think the album is terrific as it is, and it was intended to sound different to a Eurythmics album.
I often wonder if the two opening tracks from Diva are in the right place. We open with the sumptuous and gorgeous Why, before moving to Walking on Broken Glass. I feel the distinct and instant introduction of Walking on Broken Glass would have got Diva off to a flyer, but one cannot quibble too much! These two enormous singles – Why reached number five in the U.K. in March 1992; Walking on Broken Glass got to number eight in the U.K. in September 1992 -, ensure that Diva grabs you right away. The third track, Precious, was also a successful single – it made the top-thirty in June 1992. The sheer variation of Diva makes it such an interesting and utilitarian album. Whether you prefer a more stately or romantic Lennox, or edge towards rockier numbers, there is something for everyone on Diva! For anyone who felt that Eurythmics was a Dave Stewart project where Annie Lennox was merely singing the songs would have that notion dispelled on Diva. Lennox proved how amazing a songwriter she is, and that icy-yet-yearning voice enters new territories. I think there were some who were sceptical whether Lennox could go solo and cope without Dave Stewart – outlined in some of the reviews at the time -, but Diva got a lot of praise in 1992 – and it has managed to speak to critics years after its release.
In 2011, this is what AllMusic wrote:
“Those expecting Annie Lennox to come out full-guns-blazing for her solo debut, Diva, with the high energy electro-Europop-meets-American- R&B of her Eurythmics work may have to wind their pacemakers down a notch. The enigmatic vocalist who made a career toying with different notions of gender plays on the concept of fame here -- Lennox dresses up in the persona of a solitary Diva trapped by counterfeit glory. The framework offers an effective stage for Lennox's husky voice, showcasing her as much more of a chanteuse than in the past. But the music is strangely muted and understated. In fact, the album almost works best as one integrated mood piece rather than a collection of individual songs. While Lennox succeeds in carving out a personality distinct from her Eurythmics days with Diva, one can't help but crave a shot of former partner Dave Stewart's musical muscle”.
I concede that Diva is a little lopsided when it comes to arranging the hits in the order. I think the strongest moments can be found on the first side, but that is not to say the second side of Diva lacks clout and standouts – Little Bird, and Stay by Me are terrific tracks! In their review, this is what SLANT had to say:
“The first album Lennox released after the Eurythmics called it quits, Diva's relative quietude is reflective of a woman in full awareness—if not complete control—of the occasional ostentation of her emotional whims. It's musically analogous to All About Eve's ferocious Margo Channing during those rare moments when she's alone and contemplating the social consequences of her violent temper. It speaks exactly what she (Margo, Annie, every woman…) wished she could convey, but the music underneath most of the album's tracks is filled with the rumbling turbulence that betrays her best intentions.
Practically speaking, the music video for Lennox's baroque dance hit "Walking On Broken Glass" harnesses this stress to a T. Dressed in Amadeus boudoir finery (not to be confused with the Vegas headdress crowning Lennox on the album's disingenuously gaudy cover), the clip's heroine finds her flirtations ignored until she gets her paramour alone in her chambers. He mistakenly reads her interest as sexual heat and, outraged, she casts him away, banging her fist against the wall in synchronization to the song's rimshots. "Every one of us was made to suffer," she reasons. "Every one of us was made to weep." One of the most brilliant singles of the era, "Walking On Broken Glass" and its video cast a suspicious eye on the deliberate façade-maintenance of modern pop by playing up the same mixed signals that equips Diva with its power.
Elsewhere on the album, the brooding "Legend In My Living Room" seems to address the false hopes Lennox experienced early in her career from the promises of fame, fortune, and ultimately self-definition (i.e. the notion that she would find her soul in her image), while the lyrics to "Primitive" ("Wipe your tears and let the salt stains dry") almost seem to address Lennox's performance in Amos Gitai's Birth of the Golem, in which she personified the creature born of clay (another role played, another legend in her screening room).
Ultimately, the album (well, the CD version of it, anyway) lands on its soft shoes with an incongruous cover of the 1930s MGM showtune "Keep Young And Beautiful," which ends the introspection on a note of carefree self-parody. As befitting any diva, Lennox isn't above a little bit of self-deprecation, but Diva glides with a rich, feminine dignity that stands tall in pop history”.
You only need to look at Diva’s cover to realise that Lennox meant business! The image is arresting, and Lennox seems determined, but there is a note of vulnerability and wonder. All of this comes through on an amazing solo debut album. If you have not heard the album, then make sure you get a hold of it and experience something truly spectacular! I really love Annie Lennox’s solo work, and I think she made the biggest impact on her debut. There is so much treasure on Diva, and I like the deeper cuts in addition to the singles like Walking on Broken Glass. From Legend in My Living Room, to The Gift, Diva has so many exceptional songs that showcases Lennox’s writing gift – she wrote eight of the ten tracks on her own. If you need an album recommendation for the week ahead, I would definitely point you in the direction of this classic from…
ONE of the all-time musical greats.