A Fascinating Side Project

Review Score: (8/10)
At the height of their popularity, the Eurythmics (Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart) decided to take a risk with this dark, moody, would-be soundtrack. It's true that very little of the music here was actually used in the movie, but that doesn't mean it's bad music. At the time, it had a very abstract, dissonant quality, especially compared to the Eurythmics first three albums.

For people wanting the melodic synth pop of Touch or Sweet Dreams, there may be some dissapointment. Instead, the album has a mechanical, cold quality to it, which, I believe, is the intent here. Orwell's book expresses a sense of loss: the loss of human emotion and natural evolution. These are replaced by a mechanical world of machines, monotony and melancholy. Annie's amazing voice is full of emotion, but this stands in juxtaposition to the grinding machines produced by Dave. It's almost as if the two worlds (one of beauty, one of emptiness) are being pulled apart.

The first song, "I Did It Just the Same," demonstrates this contrast beautifully. The music has a synthetic, textured beat;
and Annie sings over the groove, expressing so much emotion without ever uttering a single word. Other highlights include the European hit "Sexcrime (1984)," which sounds a little dated now; the beautiful "Julia," which may be the best example of Annie's gift of voice and delivery; and the haunting "For the Love of Big Brother."

The album may not grab most listeners the first couple times around, and some of the effects on the album are certainly trapped in the 80s, but patients listeners will be rewarded with some musical moments that the Eurythmics never visited again.

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