Medusa (Annie Lennox album)

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Medusa
Annie Lennox - Medusa.png
Studio album by
Annie Lennox
Released6 March 1995 (1995-03-06)
RecordedJanuary–May 1994
StudioThe Aquarium (London)
Genre
Length47:11
LabelRCA
ProducerStephen Lipson
Annie Lennox chronology
Diva
(1992) 		Medusa
(1995) 		Bare
(2003)
Singles from Medusa
  1. "No More 'I Love You's"
    Released: February 1995
  2. "A Whiter Shade of Pale"
    Released: May 1995
  3. "Waiting in Vain"
    Released: September 1995
  4. "Something So Right"
    Released: November 1995

Medusa is the second solo studio album by Scottish singer Annie Lennox, released on 6 March 1995 by RCA Records. It consists entirely of cover songs. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1 and peaked in the United States at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the Billboard 200. It has since achieved double platinum status in both the United Kingdom and the United States.[1][2]

Background and release[]

The album yielded four singles in the United Kingdom: "No More I Love You's" (which entered the UK Singles Chart at number 2, becoming Lennox's highest-peaking solo single), "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Waiting in Vain" and "Something So Right".

Lennox explains the origins of the album in the liner notes:

This album contains a selection of songs I have been drawn to for all kinds of reasons. There were not chosen with any particular theme or concept in mind—the method was more by instinct than by design. The work undertaken was truly a labour of love for me and I feel privileged to have been given this opportunity.[3]

The album was nominated for Best Pop Album at the Grammy Awards of 1996, losing to Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell. Lennox took home the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award for her work on the first single "No More I Love You's". This album was re-released in late 1995 in a double jewel case containing the album Medusa and a nine-track bonus CD featuring the studio version of Paul Simon's "Something So Right" (with Simon guesting on vocals and guitar) and eight tracks recorded live from the concert in Central Park: "Money Can't Buy It", "Legend in My Living Room", the Eurythmics singles "Who's That Girl?", "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" and "Here Comes the Rain Again", along with "Why", "Little Bird" and "Walking on Broken Glass".

Critical reception[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic2.5/5 stars[4]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[5]
Los Angeles Times2.5/4 stars[6]
Music Week5/5 stars[7]
The New York TimesMixed[8]
Rolling Stone3.5/5 stars[9]

Professional reviews for Medusa were mixed, ranging from favourable to outright hostile. AllMusic notes that critics "savaged"[10] the album upon release: Trouser Press was probably the most severe in its criticism, characterising Lennox's interpretations of classic material as "obvious", "milquetoast" and "willfully wrongheaded". Reviewer Ira Robbins did single out the track "No More I Love You's" for genuine, if backhanded, praise: "The only song here that benefits from her ministrations is 'No More 'I Love You's,' a minor 1986 hit for Britain's otherwise forgotten The Lover Speaks, and that's only by dint of the original's obscurity."[11]

Meanwhile, Rolling Stone gave the album a more favourable, though still mixed review:

Annie Lennox called her justifiably popular solo debut Diva, but it's actually on the follow-up effort Medusa that she really starts acting like one. This wildly uneven album of cover versions starts with perhaps its highest point—a truly wonderful interpretation of "No More I Love You's", a relatively obscure British hit by The Lover Speaks. Unfortunately, Lennox doesn't work the same magic with more familiar material like Al Green's "Take Me to the River" and Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale".[12]

Track listing[]

No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist(s)Length
1."No More 'I Love You's"
The Lover Speaks4:51
2."Take Me to the River"
Al Green3:31
3."A Whiter Shade of Pale"
Procol Harum5:17
4."Don't Let It Bring You Down"Neil YoungNeil Young3:36
5."Train in Vain"
The Clash4:38
6."I Can't Get Next to You"
The Temptations3:09
7."Downtown Lights"Paul BuchananThe Blue Nile6:42
8."Thin Line Between Love and Hate"
  • Richard Poindexter
  • Robert Poindexter
  • Jackie Members
The Persuaders4:53
9."Waiting in Vain"Bob MarleyBob Marley and the Wailers5:40
10."Something So Right"Paul SimonPaul Simon3:54
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artist(s)Length
11."Heaven"
The Psychedelic Furs4:57
Limited edition bonus disc – Live in Central Park
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Money Can't Buy It"Annie Lennox4:45
2."Legend in My Living Room"
3:48
3."Who's That Girl?"
  • Lennox
  • David Stewart
4:44
4."You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart"
  • Lennox
  • Stewart
5:19
5."Little Bird"Lennox5:27
6."Walking on Broken Glass"Lennox4:01
7."Here Comes the Rain Again"
  • Lennox
  • Stewart
5:59
8."Why"Lennox5:17
9."Something So Right" (studio version) (featuring Paul Simon)Simon3:50

Personnel[]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Medusa.[3]

Musicians[]

Technical[]

  • Stephen Lipson – production
  • Heff Moraes – engineering, mixing
  • Marius de Vries – pre-production

Artwork[]

Live in Central Park[]

DVD cover

Although no tour was held to promote this album, Lennox played a one-off concert in Central Park in New York City on 9 September 1995. This was subsequently released on videotape as Annie Lennox in the Park and on DVD as Annie Lennox Live in Central Park.

Information[]

  • Director: Joe Dyer
  • Recorded: Live in Central Park Summerstage, New York City, 9 September 1995
  • Release date: December 1995 (video); December 2000 (DVD)
  • Label: BMG/Arista
  • Runtime: 90 minutes

Track listing[]

  1. "Money Can't Buy It" (Lennox)
  2. "Legend in My Living Room" (Lennox, Vettese)
  3. "Walking on Broken Glass" (Lennox)
  4. "No More 'I Love You's" (Hughes, Freeman)
  5. "Who's That Girl?" (Lennox, Stewart)
  6. "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" (Lennox, Stewart)
  7. "Waiting in Vain" (Marley)
  8. "I Love You Like a Ball and Chain" (Lennox, Stewart)
  9. "Little Bird" (Lennox)
  10. "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" (Lennox, Stewart)
  11. "Train in Vain" (Jones, Strummer)
  12. "Why" (Lennox)

Promotional video clips

  2. "No More 'I Love You's" (Hughes, Freeman)
  3. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Reid, Brooker, Fisher)
  4. "Waiting in Vain" (Marley)
  5. "Something So Right" (Simon)

Awards[]

Grammy Awards[]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1996
[13]		 Medusa Best Pop Vocal Album Nominated
"No More I Love You's" Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female Won

Charts[]

Certifications[]

Certifications for Medusa
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[46] Gold 30,000^
Australia (ARIA)[47] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[48] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[49] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[50] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[51] Gold 250,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[52] 2× Platinum 30,000^
Italy (FIMI)[52] Gold 50,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[53] Gold 25,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[54] Gold 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[55] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[56] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[57] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[1] 2× Platinum 600,000^
United States (RIAA)[2] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[58] 2× Platinum 2,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

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  2. ^ a b "American album certifications – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Recording Industry Association of America.
  3. ^ a b Medusa (liner notes). Annie Lennox. RCA Records. 1995. 74321257172.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  4. ^ AllMusic review
  5. ^ Farbel, Jim (17 March 1995). "Medusa review". Entertainment Weekly. New York City.
  6. ^ Rosenbluth, Jean (26 March 1995). "Record Review: ANNIE LENNOX; "Medusa" Arista". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  7. ^ "Reviews > Albums > Album of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. London. 25 February 1995. p. 16. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  8. ^ Holden, Stephen (10 November 1995). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK;They're Adults, And Sound It". Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  9. ^ Rolling Stone review
  10. ^ savaged
  11. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Annie Lennox Medusa review". Trouser Press. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  12. ^ "Medusa review". Rolling Stone. New York City. 2 February 1998. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007.
  13. ^ Strauss, Neil (5 January 1996). "New Faces in Grammy Nominations". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
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  18. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9143". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  19. ^ a b c d e f "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12 no. 13. 1 April 1995. p. 22. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
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  21. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12 no. 12. 25 March 1995. p. 16. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
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