See also: Click the header to read the full review Lennox winds up tour with sold-out SF show "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" and "No More I Love Yous," while both excellent on record, became dynamic, theatrical pieces on stage as quirky Lennox played out her own internal drama... Of course Lennnox sang "Sweet Dreams," a massive Eurythmics hit from 1983, but the distant, electronic feel of the original was replaced by the voice of a vital, impassioned woman, who, all on her own, has the power to make adults in their 30s and 40s scream like they were teenagers." Lennox bares her old-school soul. She plays diva in Orpheum show "When Lennox closed the night with 'Why,' a scathing chronicle of love gone wrong from 'Diva,' she managed to turn it into a declaration of endurance without changing a word. 'These are the contents of my head/ And these are the years that we have spent/ And this is what they represent,' she decreed in a crescendo that sent tremors through the sound system. For Lennox, the past is alive and undeniable, but so is she, and she's moving on with the survival instincts of a born diva. " "Before a packed and rather humid crowd of the faithful, Lennox proved herself as the unheralded White Queen of Soul. Her groovy, bluesy vocals, paired with dramatic and compelling lyrics, posit her as the direct inheritor of singers like Dusty Springfield." "The songs are draped in rich layers of keyboards and synths, with drummer Steve Barney and bassist Paul Turner hanging just behind the beat. It's a recipe for torchy elegance, and the songs certainly have the rueful undertone of cabaret. But Lennox, her voice strong but tart, holding the memory of every disappointment and lonely night, tends to phrase in front of the beat, pulling the songs forward. Together, they generate a sensual urgency that's resolved when the songs kick into high gear." This diva returns with soul to spare "With her still potently expressive voice turning from a near sob to a scream one minute, from sweetness to raw power the next, Lennox gave her 90-minute concert a dramatic sweep... At times, the 48-year-old former half of the Eurythmics strutted the stage a la Mick Jagger; other times, she acted out songs almost like a mime but without seeming silly. Throughout the evening, Lennox threw herself emotionally into each number, a refreshing change from the ersatz soul divas that crowd the pop world." Lennox bares teeth, talent and soul in L.A. "Never before has Lennox structured a show so tightly, so perfectly, each song a piece in a larger mosaic about love's pleasure and pain ... Throughout the performance, Lennox proved every bit as powerful a vocalist at 48 as she was years ago, nailing high notes to illustrate she still can while reinterpreting others for meatier impact. Her reward for such seemingly effortless work: an ecstatic response from an industry- heavy crowd, including several spontaneous standing ovations for new material." "Lennox still has a great sense of visual style. She moves about the stage with a performance artist's purpose and flair, often underscoring a lyric marvelously with just a sudden glance over her shoulder or a sweep of the arm across her bowed head. She has such long, lean legs that she sometimes seems like she's walking on stilts as she takes sudden, dramatic steps, while acting out the drama of a tune." "While Lennox possesses some of the most finely tuned, powerful pipes in the music business, she knows how and when to captivate the audience with her lyrics rather than over do it, a la Mariah Carey or Celine Dion, with her voice. "Why," a hit from 1992's Diva , was performed with chilling sincerity thanks to the telling nuances of Lennox's vocals." Inimitability: that which cannot be imitated or copied "In her glittery tunic, slim black pants and black beret, the angular Lennox was a vision of offhand cool, and her swaggering performances of 'I Need a Man' and 'Would I Lie to You?' mixed David Bowie's Thin White Duke style with Mick Jagger's sex-machine prowl. But there are emotional depths aplenty beneath that stylized facade, and Lennox's shattering renditions of "Cold" and "Who's That Girl" were almost too painful to hear. They were also beautiful enough to be worth every aching minute. " Annie Lennox going strong 20 years after 'Sweet Dreams' "Lennox's appeal has always been her harmonizing of Euro-pop cool with streetwise neo-soul sass. In Macky's intimate setting, her presence was commanding and loose - striking exotic poses, she milked notes, and her clear alto mixed hearty phrasing with an chilling reflectiveness." Great look back, and ahead, by Lennox "The ballad Wonderful was aptly named; when she's in a low, meditative
mood, Lennox can't be touched for emotion and delivery. Pavement
Cracks was likewise affecting, a song of broken dreams that sounds
to be a high point of the album. " Lennox thrills in rare solo concert "Lennox took the stage in a purple haze of light and smoke, opening
with "Money Can't Buy It," a track off her 1992 solo
debut that built from a slow-burning groove into a full-blown gospel
chorus — an effective gimmick, but one Lennox applied to
far too many of the night's numbers. All wasn't routine, though.
Many of Lennox's more familiar songs benefited from new arrangements" Annie Lennox: Alone and amazing "Her husky voice was as beautiful as ever. Her charisma and devotion
to putting on a great show were in full force. And those trademark
theatrical facial expressions? Still got them... Rare among soloists,
she also seems to have a genuine rapport with her musicians and
backing singers." "The focus of the concert was always Ms. Lennox, who sang with
every inch of her body... During the explosive "I Need a Man," from
Eurythmics' underrated 1987 album Savage, the platinum blonde was
sexy yet ambiguous. She touched her body, stopping this close to
turning salacious. It was a fierce rendition." Would
I lie to you? Annie was terrific "The standing-room only audience at the Ryman on Thursday
night thought they were there for an Annie Lennox concert. What
they heard were several performers: an enchanting chanteuse whose
solo piano version of Here Comes the Rain Again turned an '80s
new wave anthem into a crowd-silencing torch song; a soul-drenched
diva who, with her excellent backup singers, sang Sisters are Doing
it for Themselves and meant it; and a strutting rocker with a tight
band that raced through hits like Sweet Dreams and Would I Lie
to You." Annie Lennox, Creating a National Sensation "Lennox, who for much of the night sang like Aretha but sometimes
emoted a little too much like Celine, eventually submitted to the
idolatry. She even attempted a microphone spin...
Her cover of Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down" was
heavy and heavenly." New songs and bad fashion sense disrupt the former Eurythmics star (no link) "Annie Lennox has always been a chameleonic diva. Performing in a spangly gold shift and a black knit cap, she came off as a chemo patient heading out for a night at the disco. Her mismatched fashion was a harbinger of her new material, which awkwardly stitched together balladry, gospel and club beats. That and a heavy-handed cover of Neil Young's 'Don' t Let It Bring You Down' exemplified the show's flaws: Despite Lennox's strong vocals, her band's musical arrangements were overdramatic and thumpy." Scene and heard (no link) "We could gush for pages here, but we'll start by saying that
Lennox "Illuminated with gorgeous yet simple lighting and backed by three
singers and a band, Ms. Lennox had the crowd dancing on their feet
one moment and weeping in each other’s arms the next, and
we totally dug the subtle and quirky poses the soulful lady would
strike mid-song. " Annie Lennox / April 14, 2003 / New York (Apollo Theater) "But it's her strong and compelling vocals and emotional investment
in a song's performance that makes Lennox such an incredible draw.
With a crack band and a trio of soulful backup singers, Lennox
exploded out of the blocks with "Money Can't Buy It," from
her 1992 Arista solo debut, "Diva." Like much of the
show to follow, the song grooved with passionate R&B flavor,
courtesy of the well-rehearsed rhythmic five-piece behind her." "The most rousing aspect of the 95-minute performance was
the way Lennox transcended her trauma. She did it through vocal
sweeps and flourishes that seemed unsinkable. " Desolation
and Despair, but Singing of It Proudly "At the Apollo she was calmly commanding onstage, a lean
and fashionable figure who drew all eyes to her stillness or strutted
decisively while she sang about "walking on broken glass." "On one listen, in a live performance, the old stuff was
much better than the new. The audience seemed to agree. That might
change after "Bare" is released and familiarity with
the freshly minted numbers grows. But one thing is certain on both
the new and the old: Lennox's beautiful, powerful roar is undiminished
from the days she and Dave Stewart reigned over the world of techno-pop." "Sitting in fifth row center (and right next to me!) was J Records head Clive Davis, dancing, singing and leading the cheering. He knows he's got something good in Lennox or at least he could tell by the endless standing ovations - most of which he lead." Lennox Lifts The Audience With Soul "With her record company president, Clive Davis, sitting watchfully
in the fifth row center, Lennox made it look easy. She still has
her girlish figure at age 48 and was striking in a leather jacket,
sunglasses, and high heels. She moved and sang with grace, often
engaging in call-and-response harmonies with her three backup singers
(part of an eight-piece backup ensemble) that raised the rafters
with a soulful display that would have made Aretha Franklin proud." Lennox
stages concert coup - This performance will be remembered "Those expecting a preview of her upcoming solo album Bare
(due June 10) got only a glimpse as the former Eurythmics singer
mined
20 years of repertoire for inspiration. In doing so, she proved
that, as much as it's about the music, it's about the performance.
There's a reason Lennox called her 1992 solo debut Diva. Girl's
got attitude
- not hammed-up, over-the-top
theatrics, but big stage
presence, big voice and big style." "Lennox's most affecting moments were those tinged with sadness
and self-reflection, and there were moments -- particularly during
the final encore, Why -- when her singing was simply heartbreaking.
That she was able to evoke such a deep emotional response without
resorting to the usual pop-star overstatement and manipulation
may be the greatest diva trick of all." Lennox's T.O. return long overdue "Boy, did she ever make up for lost time. After a tentative
start with Money Can't Buy It and Legend In My Living Room, both
from
her 1992 solo debut, Diva, Lennox came
out swinging by the third song, Little Bird. That unmistakable
voice, which she later told the audience she had lost earlier in
the day
while she stayed inside in her hotel
room during yesterday's ice storm, came thundering out of that
tiny body." Who's that girl? Lennox's return to Chicago a blast "Lennox's vocals were colossal, her performance magnetic,
and her five-piece band with three backing vocalists nothing short
of compelling. From fellow smashes 'No More I Love Yous' and 'Walking
on Broken Glass' to debuts of 'Honestly' and 'Pavement
Cracks,' Lennox's pipes were at their booming best. She moved
from the the temperamental ballad 'Cold,' to the galloping
spurts of 'Who's That Girl,' to the gospel tinged euphoria
of 'You Put a Chill in My Heart.'" Annie Lennox has soul under control in satisfying show "Annie Lennox's concert Tuesday night at the Shubert Theatre proved
the adage that absence makes the heart grow fonder. In response
to the singer's highly theatrical performance, concert-goers screamed
declarations of their loyalty: 'Viva la diva!' 'We
waited so long!' 'It's all about you, girl!'" Rock review, Annie Lennox at the Shubert "Encouragingly, her new material played to Lennox's strengths,
particularly a pleading ballad and a heated Latin funk number.
That kind of spontaneity and naturalness was welcome in performance
that was often studied and showy, and raised hopes that as Lennox
becomes more comfortable with being a solo performer she'll truly
bare herself in her songs. " Better
with age - A re-energized Annie Lennox holds court "Lennox finished the show with a hard-driving run of old
standards, snarling "Would I Lie to You," "Sweet
Dreams (Are Made of This)" and "Missionary Man" as
if the amphetamines had finally kicked in. For the final encore,
Lennox returned to Diva, offering a cathartic, almost tear-inducing "Why." Standing
alone in the spotlight, bathed in white and lifting her frail arms
to heaven, Lennox seemed to say, 'I'm still here, damn it.'" "The new material frequently featured a contrast between the
music and the lyrics. "Wonderful" had a sexy soul sway
that belied the desperation of lines like "(I) don't want
to need you/But it's where I'm at." And "Honesty" was
a spare ballad about feverishly falling in love. "I was mad
to succumb so easily," she sang, as strings of lights descended
from the top of the stage... Annie
Lennox reconnects with fans "Lennox's music -- while not quite edgy -- always takes chances.
Its power comes from the contrast between the cerebral lyrics and
the earthy R&B grounding of her music. Unlike too many other
popular pop vocalists, Lennox is never saccharine or precious. And
at a time when heaps of praise are being dumped on sleep-inducing
tykes like Norah Jones, Lennox shows that you can have a conventionally
pretty voice and still sound daring." "Lennox whipped off layers of dress in time for a rollicking
Would I Lie To You?. At last, the skullcap was gone and curious
fans
could ascertain the current color of Ms. Lennox's ever-changing
close-cropped 'do: milky white. Then, a raucous Sweet Dreams (Are
Made Of This), a ballistic Missionary Man, made even dizzier by
strobe lights and Lennox's manic stage
moves -- is she really down on her knees, belting it out? Wait,
now she's singing on her back, long leg up in the air. Oh, my.
She really gives it her all, doesn't she?" Annie Lennox is ready for a comeback "She returned not as the icy apparition or the streamlined femme
fatale of her videos. This was an approachable Lennox who, in person,
spoke little between songs but poured nervous, first-night energy
into the performance and showed an eagerness to go over well... A
sellout crowd of 1,800 gave shouting, standing ovations throughout
a 21-song set." Will next year's Grammys be the Annie Lennox Show? "Based on the
intoxicating new music she's unveiling and the typical award
show formula (classy veteran plus cool new songs equals trophy
haul),
Lennox will be tough to deny... While her new show is a potent
reminder of the musical trails she has blazed, it's hardly a nostalgia-fest.
Sexy and slim (perhaps
too thin) in a spangled top and tight pants, this 48-year-old mother
of two moved seamlessly between the old and new, milking notes
and striking exotic poses as if she's been onstage continuously,
not at home packing lunches." Annie
Lennox Dazzles in Gusman Performance "She mostly let the songs speak for her and they spoke volumes.
She and her excellent eight-piece band (including three backup singers)
performed several new tracks from the yet-to-be released Bare, such
as the haunting Honesty (during which a simple effect of a chain
of lights hanging from the ceiling added a nice touch), the wistful
1000 Beautiful Things, and the R&B stomper, Wonderful... By
the end, if Lennox had any opening night, back-on-the-road jitters,
they weren't showing. Who would have thought that the singer who
first came to our attention in a no-hit band called The Tourists
would be commanding crowds more than 20 years later?" |
