Annie Lennox

When she first made her mark on the scene with her hallmark glass-shattering voice, it was as part of the gender-bending synth-pop duo of Eurythmics. Annie Lennox cut quite a figure with her androgynous suits and short-cropped hair, and people were never quite sure what to make of her. While many fussed over Lennox’s dubious appearance little could they ignore her overwhelming presence as a vocalist and songwriter, and rightfully so, as over time the supposed dyke became the lark. This collection showcases some of Lennox’s best work, from the anthemic ”˜Little Bird,’ to the soul wrenching ”˜Why,’ the solemn strain of ”˜Dark Road,’ and the wicked disco trip ”˜Precious’ among her stock of other smash hits. Though, given the constraint of just one disc, the calibre of an artiste like Lennox has not been fully justified. The tracks have been taken from her three solo studio albums (Diva, Bare and Songs of Mass Destruction) and a couple of singles such as ”˜Love Song for a Vampire’ written for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Most of the songs have been taken from her first album Diva, better songs like ”˜Wonderful’ and ”˜Bitter Pill’ could’ve easily found their way onto this record. A second disc with her Eurythmics hits such as ”˜Sweet Dreams,’ ”˜Here Comes the Rain Again,’ ”˜Seventeen Again,’ and ”˜Would I Lie to You’ would have rounded off the album spectacularly. But given the volume that one disc could hold and the numerous rights issues involved, the music execs have almost got it right.