I'm about to head off for work. I'm a big Annie Lennox/Eurythmics fan, but haven't heard any of
the songs by the Tourists. I just got my CD "The Tourists: Greatest Hits" from Amazon, and I
have about a 60 minute leisurely drive into work this afternoon.



Amazon USA:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000JOOJ/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00000JOOJ/?tag=imwan-21

I will report back later this evening on what I think after the first listen.

Any Tourists fans here?

I've only heard one of their tracks (their version of "I Only Want To Be With You") and that wasn't enough for me to have a strong opinion one way or the other. I'm curious to see what you think of their music, especially in comparison to Eurythmics.

I didn't quite get through it all today (as the traffic was annoying for whatever reason).
I will have a better chance to evaluate it later tonight on the ride home. Since this was
a "Best of" album, it's hard to judge what I've heard so far. My initial thoughts is that it
drifts between a folksy guitar pop and some late 1970s techno electronic. So, I suspect,
that they made the switch between these styles as they released later albums.

The music overpowers the vocals. Either Annie is too young or inexperienced at this
point (perhaps lacking confidence) to really belt it out, and/or the band members were
more interested in showcasing their instrument work. I only have one ear that works,
so I may not be the greatest judge here. I prefer to hear vocals more, though, in my
music. Also, as I rarely like music on the first listen, it's a positive sign that I was
enjoying a couple of these songs the first time. Not too surprising, Annie was singing
solo on those particular songs.

My initial assessment stands: instruments overpower the vocals. I prefer music where the voice is
the prominent instrument. On some occasions, Annie's voice was quite good, so I don't think they
were trying to cover her or mask her voice deliberately. There were also moments where I quite liked
the instrument work. It just didn't mesh well enough for my tastes.

(So, recommended only for the Annie Lennox completionist).

Oh, and as for the "techno" moments. It seems that a lot of bands I am familiar with chose to tinker
with the techno. I have never liked the results because it always sounds like a needless add on that's
there just because people were playing with new toys. Someone may have done decent by it.

Thanks for the report. You pretty much confirmed the impression I had from that one track.

I wanted to like it more, and it may grow on me, but stick with Annie's later work.