an appropriate title...

In the Garden is an appropriate title for Eurythmics' debut, as they are literally finding their ground here, after the breakup of the Tourists, the band Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were in before. There are 4 really GREAT songs here, songs that are as good or better than anything they have recorded since. The opener, English Summer, is cool, the chirping crickets in the background are a nice effect. Caveman Head rocks surprisingly hard for a duo best known for producing synth-pop, and has a great guitar riff and awesome drumming by Clem Burke, on loan from Blondie. She's Invisible Now is my favourite track off the album, the lyrics are intriguing and the production is great ( this album was produced in collaboration with famed German producer Conny Plank ). Revenge closes the album and is another favourite of mine, it has a catchy bassline and the vocals are incredible. The remaining tracks are worthwhile, as they all feature crisp production and tight musicianship ( Eurythmics here were aided by a bevy of studio musicians, a tactic they would abandon for their next two much more successful albums "Sweet Dreams" and "Touch", where they pretty much worked on their own, writing, performing and producing with very little outside help) but do not hold up to repeated listening. A worthwhile, if spotty, debut effort.

Atmospheric and haunting

This experimental, avant-garde album gave no indication of the Eurythmics' subsequent melodic pop direction and mega stardom. It fits in more with the work of late 70s experimentalists like Brian Eno, Holger Czukay and is not commercial at all. Sometimes it even sounds like the later Cocteau Twins or the more ethereal type of world music. This direction is all the more odd in the light of Lennox and Stewart's previous band, the brilliant but underrated pop group The Tourists. In The Garden is a very atmospheric work and does contain at least two classics: the intricate Belinda with its cascading guitar textures, mournful drone and oriental backing vocals building up to a scorching climax is quite impressive, as is She's Invisible Now, a sorrowful song with a haunting countdown effect. English Summer is replete with crickets & stuff, whilst Your Time Will Come also has a catchy melody. So, not recommended for Eurythmics fans. People who like Delerium, Rose Chronicles, the above-mentioned German artists, Brian Eno's My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, Deep Forest etc. will certainly enjoy it.

In The Garden (1981)

Eurythmics were one of the most popular bands of the 80s. Their unique sound of synethesized 80s Pop & Rock, combined with Annie Lennox's soothing voice, is enough to relax their fans around the world. Eurythmics were only a two-member band, featuring: Annie Lennox (on Lead Vocals & Background Vocals) & David A. Stewart (on guitars, drums, & background vocals). Eurythmics released their debut album entitled, In The Garden, in 1981. The album did not receive much recognition, for the world was still barely out of the 70s by 1981. But this album is amazing in every way. It does not quite match up to the albums that followed, but the album is acceptionally relaxing and enjoyable.



ENGLISH SUMMER

A beautifully moving, but haunting, ballad. A song that is not to be skipped over by anyone.



BELINDA

The second & final single from the album. It is said by some Amazon.com reviewers that this song sort of represents the sound of Eurythmics when their original name was The Tourists. This is another amazing song.



TAKE ME TO YOUR HEART

Not bad.



SHE'S INVISIBLE NOW

I am not completely sure in what this song is explaining, but in my mind, I think Annie is trying to imply that she is the one who is invisible to her boyfriend, meaning that he does not pay any attention to her.



YOUR TIME WILL COME

I guess people can look at this song in many ways, according to its title. You can look at this title and think, "They are implying that God will judge us all when our time is up". You can look at this song and think, "I treat my girlfriend or boyfriend badly, and I know that it will come back to me 10x worse". I certainly look at this song in both ways I had just stated.



CAVEMAN HEAD

Before I heard this song, I was curious to why they would title a song, "Caveman Head". I thought, "Okay. I have to really check that song out". After listening to for the first time, I was glad that I did. It is definitely a worthy song.



NEVER GONNA CRY AGAIN

The first single from the album. Although, the concept in this song was used many times by many female artists, the song is always pointing out a great message. The woman is sick and tired of being treated badly by every man she dates. She decides that she has a strong will and promises to never cry again. Instead, she vows to not let any man walk all over her.



ALL THE YOUNG (PEOPLE OF TODAY)

The world has always been a dangerous place when our grandparents and parents were our age. By the 1980s, the world became even worse with hatred, evil, violence, etc. All of that is heavily influenced on ALL OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF TODAY. That is why, if you look at the world right now, in the year of 2004, you will see that, since the 1980s, even when this song was heard, that the world has become 10x worse. When I have children of my own someday, I hope to God that they will not be influenced by the hatred in this world.



SING-SING

Not bad.



REVENGE

This song here would have been perfect to include on the 1986 album, Revenge. But it was not included there. Instead, it only made its appearance here. Not a bad song.



As I mentioned earlier, this album does not quite match up to Eurythmics' upcoming albums, but the album is quite enjoyable. All Eurythmics fans should own a copy, whether on cassette, CD, or vinyl.

My personal BEST Eurythmics album

I only wish Eurythmics would have kept on producing albums like this one instead of rock-oriented lp's ? la "Be Yourself Tonight". "She's Invisible now", "English Summer", "All The Young People of Today" and "Revenge" are four of my all-time favorite Eurythmics songs. A sad, melancholic album that is a sure winner (for me) during those windy summer evenings...A+

Precursor of things to come

This, after "1984," is my second-favorite Eurythmics album. None of the songs was a hit here, but give a listen to "Take Me to Your Heart" and "Revenge" (no relation to the later album of the same name) -- this album and a few singles off it could have been re-released after "Sweet Dreams" came out, to make it immediately clear that Eurythmics were not a one-hit wonder. Some synths, some sweet guitar work, and Clem Burke of Blondie on drums! Could you ask for anything more?

It's a crime that this is only available as an import, but snap it up anyway to finish off your Eurythmics/Annie Lennox collection.

The Eurythmic's Most Experimental Album

If you knew Eurythmics by Sweet Dreams you'll be surprised that they first one album was far of the New Wave Synth-pop style that gave them the glory.



Instead, In The Garden is also a New Wave album, but in the Post-Punk way. Personally I love each track, The singles 'Belinda' (the most 'pop' track) and 'Never Gonna Cry Again' (A bitter-funny song) are great, but the very best tracks for me are 'Take Me To Your Heart', 'Caveman Head', and 'Your Time Will Come', each song mix an Annie lennox strange-is-better-than-beauty voice with that wonderful early 80s Kraut-rock sound.



The album was produced by People of DAF, KRAFTWERK and CAN, an its very obvious in the work of the harmonies (minimal and rich)

and the magistral less-is-more use of the synths.



In the Garden could be the more complex Eurythmic's work and that's why this album is so good, maybe there's not great hits inside, but it doesn't need them.



If you're looking for dance songs like Sweet Dreams and Here Comes The Rain Again, please save your money and your time, but if you want to listen a good New-Wave <Kraut Rock> album, take a chance on IN The GARDEN, it really worths

The Ground is Soft in the Garden

Before Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart took on the title of the Eurythmics, they were key figures in a band called the Tourists. "In the Garden" (their first album as the Eurythmics) is a clear stride away from the power pop sound of the Tourists, and it also serves as a bridge to the sound that would make them famous.



"In the Garden" may not be as polished and brilliant as their breakthrough album "Sweet Dreams," but it contains the elements of creativity and songcrafting that they would perfect on that next album. What it also contains is the spirit of two people setting out on their own. Here, Annie and Dave merge their punk roots with the emerging new wave sound. Instead of sounding like many of their contemporaries, however, they create something very unique and very English.



The songs on the album are all gratifying in their own right. The first two songs, "English Summer" and "Belinda," are the closest works to potential singles or "hits." They both have great hooks and strong melody. After this, songs like "Caveman Head," "Take Me to Your Heart" and "She's Invisible Now" bring in the sweet melancholy of their signature sound, while giving them the license to be quirky and dark. By the end, "Revenge" leaves the listener with a sense of beauty, finely mixed with sadness and even unease. But, the most interesting element here is that Annie's voice acts as a supplement to the music, instead of supporting her usually central voice. The decision to subdue Annie's glassy, ethereal vocals (ala the Cocteau Twins) may be dissapointing for many listeners (because, let's face it, Annie's voice helped carry the Eurythmics to super stardom), but the music and lyrics here are very introspective and moody, so the cloudy vocals work.



Overall, "In the Garden" is a very enjoyable album. It may not be the best of what they would do, but it's a fascinating start for one of the most eclectic, lasting bands of the 80s.