These early days (Everything But The Girl) (LP 2477 - 2486)

Everything But The Girl  Eden (Vinyl, Blanco y Negro Records, 1984) *****  

Everything But The Girl  Love Not Money (Vinyl, Blanco y Negro Records, 1985) ***  

Everything But The Girl   Baby, The Stars Shine Bright (Vinyl, Blanco y Negro Records, 1986) *** 

Everything But The Girl   Idlewild (Vinyl, Blanco y Negro Records, 1988) ***** 

Everything But The Girl   The Language Of Life (Vinyl, Blanco y Negro Records, 1990) ***

Everything But The Girl   Worldwide (CD, Atlantic Records, 1991) *** 

Everything But The Girl   Acoustic (CD, Atlantic Records, 1992) ****

Everything But The Girl   Amplified Heart (Vinyl, Buzzin' Fly Records, 1994) ***** 

Everything But The Girl   Walking Wounded (Vinyl, Buzzin' Fly Records, 1996) ***** 

Everything But The Girl   Fuse (Vinyl, Buzzin' Fly Records, 2023) *** 

Genre: Pop, electronica 

Places I remember: Market stall and music shops in Greenwich, Chaldon Books and Records (Caterham-on-the-hill), gift from Roger Marbeck, Slow Boat Records, JB Hi Fi.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Oxford Street (Idlewild)

Gear costume: Don't Leave Me Behind (Baby, The Stars Shine Bright); I Always Was Your Girl (Idlewild)

Active compensatory factors: The eighties and EBTG passed me by at the time, because these were our child rearing days. So, it was a catch up that I embarked upon while living in England after reading Tracey's superb books that resulted in owning many of these albums. Along the way, I fell in love with the mystique around her relationship with musical and life partner, Ben Watt, (they would marry in 2009), her books and her voice.

Eden is a beautiful introduction to Everything But The Girl (EBTG). For me it's right up there with Van Morrison's Astral Weeks.

The jazzy stylings and instruments suit Tracey Thorn's beautiful voice - even though these were early days. The jazzy arrangements and lush sound all make for an extraordinary debut.

Second album Love Not Money was a change of tack into a more contemporary 1985 sound. There is a lot of social commentary and it often sounds like The Smiths. It's not one of my favourites - mainly because there are no killer tunes on the album.

The other slight negative is that Ben doesn't have a really distinctive vocal style, so he pales next to Tracey's easy command when he does a few vocals on the album.

Their third was Baby, The Stars Shine Bright and it was another style shift. This time an orchestra is employed to add colour and weight to some romantically inclined songs. 

Tracey handles all of these stylistic changes with ease. She is never less than compelling.

Idlewild came after a two year break and deals with more personal things like childhood and family. Maybe it's because of that that I love it so much. A song like Oxford Street just makes me tingle!

The sound is warm, natural and textured on these songs. I even like Ben's vocals on The Night I Heard Caruso Sing.

My copy of The Language Of Life is unique in that it has Ben and Tracey's signatures on the cover! If only it said - 'To Wozza, love from Tracey Thorn, Be Lucky Ben Watt' rather than to my friend Roger Marbeck!

Roger gave me this copy obviously!

The music this time around is much less organic than Idlewild. The session players on board are impressive and get into some great grooves. Among them: Joe Sample; Michael Brecker; Vinnie Colaiuta; and Stan Getz on one track. Woh. I mean - Stan Getz!!

Even though the whole package sounds eighties slick, Tracey is still the star, even with all of those heavy hitters.

Worldwide and Acoustic are kind of a stylistic pair. They were even paired for a reissue but my CD copies haven't been messed around with bonus track wise.

They also weren't big sellers in the early nineties. Strange because they had good commercial sounding songs and Tracey sounds great as always. Maybe the sparse, more synth based sounds and programmed drums turned punters off a bit.

Ben Watt writes the lion's share of the songs and he's definitely more inclined to use synths, and other digital instruments. Tracey's songs sound more natural to my ears. You Lift Me Up from Worldwide is a good example of that different approach.

That song is followed by Ben's Talk To Me Like The Sea with its heavy processed drum and synth sound and the difference is stark.

The Acoustic album is pretty cool in comparison - stripped back and some excellent covers. Tracey and Ben make them their own. No mean feat with songs by Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Tom Waits, Costello etc.

Their eighth album was Amplified Heart in 1994. The dance remix of Missing by Todd Terry ensured this album was huge.

The rest of the album is a wonderful collection of more stripped back songs. This tends to highlight the wonders of Tracey's vocals as the backing track is more judicious and serves her voice, rather than the other way around.

Amplified Heart catches the duo at an interesting moment, as they'd embrace electronica more from here on in, so this one captures them on the cusp in a unique way.

I was pretty sure that I had all Marine Girls, Tracey solo albums and everything by EBTG. Until I did this post and realised that I was missing Walking Wounded from 1996. So I picked up a copy from JB Hi Fi this week.

It's a great early morning/ late night record I've found. The drum and bass/ techno stance from Ben Watt and Tracey's warm voice are a perfect combination.

Their Temperamental album was reviewed earlier, so that just leaves their most recent album Fuse for this countdown.

The proclivity for electronica has continued and it's taking me a while to love it. Compared to Idlewild and Amplified Heart it's a colder record, but Tracey's voice keeps the human aspect alive and well. She's a marvel!

 

Where do they all belong? I am pretty sure I now have all of The Marine Girls, Tracey solo albums and everything by EBTG. I'm not inclined to collect Ben's solo albums (sorry). Tracey is the drawcard for me.

I also have all of Tracey's books and I recommend them unreservedly. She's a great writer, as well as a great singer.