Personnel
Eurythmics
Annie Lennox – percussion, keyboards, vocals
David A. Stewart – guitar, keyboards, programming, vocals
Additional personnel
Jon Bavin – additional keyboards on track 5
Clem Burke – drums
Phil Chen – bass guitar on tracks 4 and 10
Gully – synthesizer on track 5
Joniece Jamison – background vocals
Michael Kamen – strings, conductor, orchestration
John McKenzie – bass guitar on tracks 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8
Patrick Seymour – keyboards
Jannick Top – bass guitar on tracks 1 and 6
Bernita Turner – background vocals
Jimmy "Z" Zavala – harmonica, saxophone
Track listing
1. Missionary Man 4:28 2. Thorn in My Side 4:15 3. When Tomorrow Comes 4:28
4. The Last Time 4:10 5. The Miracle of Love 5:04
6. Let's Go! 4:08 7. Take Your Pain Away 4:30
8. A Little of You 3:53 9. In This Town 3:44
10. I Remember You 5:00
Revenge is the fifth studio album by British new wave duo Eurythmics. The record was released on June 30, 1986, with founding member, and chief songwriter David A. Stewart producing the project.
On their fifth studio album the Eurythmics moved away from their new wave synth pop sound of their previous work in favor of a pop-rock stance.
Although the album spawned four hit singles (Missionary Man, When Tomorrow Comes, Thorn in My Side, The Miracle of Love) and was a commercial success charting all over the globe, Revenge was seen by some critics as sounding a little too conventional.
While Revenge is the most accessible record in the Eurythmics catalog it isn't as mainstream as critics made it out to be. Despite the albums upbeat sound most songs on Revenge deal with bittersweet reflections on romance, rather than boy meets girl, and they live happily ever after themes prevalent on most pop albums.
Here are a few examples of how the lyrics allude to heartache and pain, regardless of the albums upbeat sound.
Thorn In My Side
Thorn in my side.
You know that's all you'll ever be.
So don't think you know better
'Cause that's what you mean to me
I was feeling complicated.
I was feeling low.
Now everytime I think of you
I shiver to the bone
I Remember You
Well there's a color picture
In my mind.
Of all the places
That I've left behind.
The broken windows
Where the wind blows through
Empty shells of houses
That have turned to ruin.
Oh, we were so young.
We didn't realise
Just what we'd done.
Oh, we were too young.
A Little of You
There used to be a time
I wore my heart upon my sleeve
There used to be a time
I'd show my gentle side to anyone
Through these years of wandering
I know I've been deceived
Through these years of wandering
And every time you try to hurt me
You know you'll only hurt yourself
And every time you try to hurt me
I know you'll be the one to suffer
When you think you're hurting someone
Besides the sturdy lyrics, I really enjoyed the musical shift on Revenge. The record showcased a more "band style “approach, using real drums, bass, and guitar. In my opinion moving away from the synthesized sounds really added a warmth and vulnerability to Annie Lennox's already impressive vocal abilities.
The Bottom Line: Whatever Revenge lacks in ambition or innovation ,it more than makes up for it by providing a set of well structured pop songs that are lively and more musically cohesive compared to their earlier releases.
Revenge may not be the Eurythmics' strongest work, but it's a worthwhile addition to an excellent body of work by one of the best groups to come out of the 80s.
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