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| alt =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1995|03|06|df=y}}
| released = {{Start date|1995|03|06|df=y}}
| recorded = January to May 1994
| recorded =
| studio = The Aquarium (London, England)
| studio = The Aquarium (London)
| genre =
| genre =
* [[Pop music|Pop]]
* [[Pop music|Pop]]
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'''''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 song]]s. The album entered the [[UK Albums Chart]] at number one and peaked in the United States at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. It has since achieved double platinum status in both the United Kingdom and the United States.<ref name="BPI"/><ref name="RIAA"/> As of 2018, ''Medusa'' had sold over six million copies worldwide.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl">{{cite web |title=Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl |url=https://www.annielennox.com/diva-medusa-re-released-vinyl/ |website=Annie Lennox.com |publisher=Annie Lennox |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref>
'''''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 song]]s. The album entered the [[UK Albums Chart]] at number one and peaked in the United States at number 11, spending 60 weeks on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. It has since achieved double platinum status in both the United Kingdom and the United States.<ref name="BPI"/><ref name="RIAA"/> As of 2018, ''Medusa'' had sold over six million copies worldwide.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl">{{cite web |title=Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl |url=https://www.annielennox.com/diva-medusa-re-released-vinyl/ |website=Annie Lennox.com |publisher=Annie Lennox |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref>


The album was nominated for [[Best Pop Album]] at the [[Grammy Awards of 1996]]. Lennox won the Grammy Award for [[Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]] award for her work on the first single released from ''Medusa'', "[[No More I Love You's]]" which was released in February 1995 to critical acclaim. Entering the UK Singles Charts at number two, the single is Lennox's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom to date. A further three singles were released during 1995 – "[[A Whiter Shade of Pale#Annie Lennox version|A Whiter Shade of Pale]]", "[[Waiting in Vain#Annie Lennox version|Waiting in Vain]]" and "[[Something So Right (song)#Annie Lennox version|Something So Right]]".
The album was nominated for [[Best Pop Album]] at the [[Grammy Awards of 1996]]. Lennox won the Grammy Award for [[Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]] award for her work on the first single released from ''Medusa'', "[[No More "I Love You's"|No More 'I Love You's']]" which was released in February 1995 to critical acclaim. Entering the UK Singles Charts at number two, the single is Lennox's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom to date. A further three singles were released during 1995 – "[[A Whiter Shade of Pale#Annie Lennox version|A Whiter Shade of Pale]]", "[[Waiting in Vain#Annie Lennox version|Waiting in Vain]]" and "[[Something So Right (song)#Annie Lennox version|Something So Right]]".


==Background and recording==
==Background and recording==


Like her debut solo album ''Diva'', Lennox once again worked with record producer [[Stephen Lipson]] on ''Medusa''.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl"/> Four tracks that Lennox recorded for ''Medusa'' and were ultimately cut from the album's final take were released elsewhere. B-sides releases include a version of “Heaven,” originally by [[The Psychedelic Furs]], a recording of [[Joni Mitchell]]’s “Ladies of the Canyon,” and a cover of [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]]’s “(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear”. Lennox also recorded a version of The Sugarcubes’ “Mama,” which was included on the 1995 all-female compilation ''Ain’t Nothin’ But a She Thing''.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later">{{cite web |title=Lennox's "Medusa", 20 Years Later |url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2015/02/annie-lennoxs-medusa-20-years-later/ |publisher=Metro Weekly |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref>
Like her debut solo album ''Diva'', Lennox once again worked with record producer [[Stephen Lipson]] on ''Medusa''.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl"/> Four tracks that Lennox recorded for ''Medusa'' and were ultimately cut from the album's final take were released elsewhere. B-sides releases include a version of "Heaven", originally by [[The Psychedelic Furs]], a recording of [[Joni Mitchell]]'s "Ladies of the Canyon", and a cover of [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]]'s "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear". Lennox also recorded a version of The Sugarcubes' "Mama", which was included on the 1995 all-female compilation ''Ain't Nothin' But a She Thing''.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later">{{cite web |title=Lennox's "Medusa", 20 Years Later |url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2015/02/annie-lennoxs-medusa-20-years-later/ |publisher=Metro Weekly |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref>


Lennox explains the origins of the album in the liner notes:
Lennox explains the origins of the album in the liner notes:
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</blockquote>
</blockquote>


Regarding ''Medusa'' and the nature of its cover versions, ''Metro Weekly'' claimed that "cover albums are notoriously hit and miss; even the best artists can sometimes stumble when straying from their original material and trying to reinvent somebody else’s. Lennox is a masterful interpreter of other artists’ tunes, getting to the heart of the songs and delivering one stunning vocal performance after another. Lennox imbues each of these songs her own distinct flavor. Even though the songs come from different eras and there is a vast stylistic diversity, the album is tightly cohesive."<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/>
Regarding ''Medusa'' and the nature of its cover versions, ''Metro Weekly'' claimed that "cover albums are notoriously hit and miss; even the best artists can sometimes stumble when straying from their original material and trying to reinvent somebody else's. Lennox is a masterful interpreter of other artists' tunes, getting to the heart of the songs and delivering one stunning vocal performance after another. Lennox imbues each of these songs her own distinct flavor. Even though the songs come from different eras and there is a vast stylistic diversity, the album is tightly cohesive."<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/>


==Release and promotion==
==Release and promotion==
''Medusa'' was released in March 1995 and became a "substantial hit" for Lennox, with music commentators claiming that the album was a "worthy successor" to her debut solo album, ''[[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|Diva]]'' which was released in 1992.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/> Whilst ''Medusa'' did not match the acclaim and success that ''Diva'' achieved, the album was still well received, becoming a substantial commercial success. It reached number one on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and in [[Canada]], and reached number eleven on the US ''[[Billboard 200]]'' charts, achieving double-platinum in all three countries. ''Medusa'' was a Top 10 album over Europe and in other parts of the world, and has sold millions of copies globally. Both “No More ‘I Love You’s” and “Whiter Shade of Pale” were included on Lennox's 2009 greatest hits album ''[[The Annie Lennox Collection]]''.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/> Despite not achieving the same success as predecessor ''Diva'', ''Spectrum Culture'' magazine claimed that "''Medusa'' is arguably a better album than ''Diva'', being as it is a sonically unified celebration of great songs, and it surpassed Diva sales-wise to be the Annie Lennox album most likely seen on any given shelf".<ref>{{cite web |title=Annie Lennox: Diva/Medusa |url=https://spectrumculture.com/2018/03/12/annie-lennox-diva-medusa/ |publisher=Spectrum Culture |access-date=15 October 2023}}</ref> As of 2018, ''Medusa'' had sold over six million copies worldwide.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl"/>
''Medusa'' was released in March 1995 and became a "substantial hit" for Lennox, with music commentators claiming that the album was a "worthy successor" to her debut solo album, ''[[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|Diva]]'' which was released in 1992.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/> Whilst ''Medusa'' did not match the acclaim and success that ''Diva'' achieved, the album was still well received, becoming a substantial commercial success. It reached number one on the [[UK Albums Chart]] and in [[Canada]], and reached number eleven on the US ''[[Billboard 200]]'' charts, achieving double-platinum in all three countries. ''Medusa'' was a Top 10 album over Europe and in other parts of the world. Both "No More 'I Love You's'" and "Whiter Shade of Pale" were included on Lennox's 2009 greatest hits album ''[[The Annie Lennox Collection]]''.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/> As of 2018, ''Medusa'' had sold over six million copies worldwide.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl"/>


The album yielded four singles in the United Kingdom: "[[No More "I Love You's"#Annie Lennox version|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#Annie Lennox version|A Whiter Shade of Pale]]", "[[Waiting in Vain#Annie Lennox version|Waiting in Vain]]" and "[[Something So Right (song)#Annie Lennox version|Something So Right]]". ''Metro Weekly'' claimed that "[[The Lover Speaks]]’ recording of “No More ‘I Love You’s” did no more than graze the lower reaches of the pop chart, and was soon forgotten" until Lennox recorded and released the track as a single, claiming that the songs "idiosyncrasies play right into her [Lennox] strengths. Lennox and producer Stephen Lipson turn the inventive composition into a piece of epic grandeur, with Lennox delivering a dazzling vocal performance, arguably the finest of her career.".<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/> "No More I Love You's" was nominated for an [[MTV Video Music Award]] for [[Best Female Video]], and Lennox, at the [[1995 Grammy Awards]] won the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/>
The album yielded four singles in the United Kingdom: "[[No More "I Love You's"#Annie Lennox version|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#Annie Lennox version|A Whiter Shade of Pale]]", "[[Waiting in Vain#Annie Lennox version|Waiting in Vain]]" and "[[Something So Right (song)#Annie Lennox version|Something So Right]]". ''Metro Weekly'' claimed that "[[The Lover Speaks]]' recording of "No More 'I Love You's'" did no more than graze the lower reaches of the pop chart, and was soon forgotten" until Lennox recorded and released the track as a single, claiming that the songs "idiosyncrasies play right into her [Lennox] strengths. Lennox and producer Stephen Lipson turn the inventive composition into a piece of epic grandeur, with Lennox delivering a dazzling vocal performance, arguably the finest of her career."<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/> "No More 'I Love You's'" was nominated for an [[MTV Video Music Award]] for [[Best Female Video]], and Lennox, at the [[1995 Grammy Awards]] won the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song.<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/>


Citing the poor success of the three singles in the American music market that followed "No More I Love You's", ''Metro Weekly'' argued that Lennox may have achieved considerably more success in the singles markets "if she’d released a couple of the catchier up-tempo tracks instead of all ballads".<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/>
Citing the poor success of the three singles in the American music market that followed "No More 'I Love You's'", ''Metro Weekly'' argued that Lennox may have achieved considerably more success in the singles markets "if she'd released a couple of the catchier up-tempo tracks instead of all ballads".<ref name="Lennox's Medusa, 20 Years Later"/>


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".
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 (song)|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? (Eurythmics song)|Who's That Girl?]]", "[[You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart]]" and "[[Here Comes the Rain Again]]", along with "[[Why (Annie Lennox song)|Why]]", "[[Little Bird (Annie Lennox song)|Little Bird]]" and "[[Walking on Broken Glass]]".
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 (song)|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? (Eurythmics song)|Who's That Girl?]]", "[[You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart]]" and "[[Here Comes the Rain Again]]", along with "[[Why (Annie Lennox song)|Why]]", "[[Little Bird (Annie Lennox song)|Little Bird]]" and "[[Walking on Broken Glass]]".


==Commercial success==
==Commercial success==


''Medusa'' has sold over 6 million copies worldwide as of 2018, and achieved double platinum certification in both the United Kingdom and the United States. ''Medusa'' spent 60 weeks in the US ''Billboard 200'' charts. Lead single "No More I Love You's" won the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]] at the [[1996 Grammy Awards]] and was nominated for [[Brit Award for Song of the Year|Best British Single]] at the [[1996 Brit Awards]]. Despite missing out on the award for Best British Single, Lennox won the award for [[Brit Award for British Female Solo Artist|Best British Female]] for the second time.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl"/>
''Medusa'' has sold over 6 million copies worldwide as of 2018, and achieved double platinum certification in both the United Kingdom and the United States. ''Medusa'' spent 60 weeks in the US ''Billboard 200'' charts. Lead single "No More 'I Love You's'" won the [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]] at the [[1996 Grammy Awards]] and was nominated for [[Brit Award for Song of the Year|Best British Single]] at the [[1996 Brit Awards]]. Despite missing out on the award for Best British Single, Lennox won the award for [[Brit Award for British Female Solo Artist|Best British Female]] for the second time.<ref name="Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl"/>


==Critical reception==
==Critical reception==
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| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r209234|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]</ref>
| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r209234|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2score = C−<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Jim|last=Farbel|title=''Medusa'' review|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,296436,00.html|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|location=New York City|date=17 March 1995}}</ref>
| rev2score = C−<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Jim|last=Farbel|title=''Medusa'' review|url=https://ew.com/article/1995/03/17/medusa/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|location=New York City|date=17 March 1995}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]''
| rev3 = ''[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>Campbell, Chuck (24 March 1995). "Lennox Can Still Thrill, But Her Ambition Is Low". ''[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]''.</ref>
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>Campbell, Chuck (24 March 1995). "Lennox Can Still Thrill, But Her Ambition Is Low". ''[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]''.</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Jean|last=Rosenbluth|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1995-03-26/entertainment/ca-47123_1_annie-lennox|title= Record Review: ANNIE LENNOX; "Medusa" Arista |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=26 March 1995|access-date=7 November 2011}}</ref>
| rev4score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Jean|last=Rosenbluth|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-26-ca-47123-story.html|title= Record Review: ANNIE LENNOX; "Medusa" Arista |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=26 March 1995|access-date=7 November 2011}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Music Week]]''
| rev5 = ''[[Music Week]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Reviews > Albums > Album of the Week|magazine=[[Music Week]]|location=London|page=16|date=25 February 1995|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Week-IDX/IDX/1995/Music-Week-1995-02-25-IDX-16.pdf|issn=0265-1548|via=World Radio History}}</ref>
| rev5score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Reviews > Albums > Album of the Week|magazine=[[Music Week]]|location=London|page=16|date=25 February 1995|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Week-IDX/IDX/1995/Music-Week-1995-02-25-IDX-16.pdf|issn=0265-1548|via=World Radio History}}</ref>
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}}
}}


Professional reviews for ''Medusa'' were mixed, ranging from favourable to outright hostile. [[AllMusic]] notes that critics "savaged"<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r209234|pure_url=yes}} savaged]</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|first=Ira|last=Robbins|url=http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=annie_lennox|title=Annie Lennox ''Medusa'' review|website=[[Trouser Press]]|access-date=8 June 2019}}</ref>
Professional reviews for ''Medusa'' were mixed, ranging from favourable to outright hostile. [[AllMusic]] notes that critics "savaged"<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r209234|pure_url=yes}} savaged]</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|first=Ira|last=Robbins|url=http://trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=annie_lennox|title=Annie Lennox ''Medusa'' review|website=[[Trouser Press]]|access-date=8 June 2019}}</ref>


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


<blockquote>Annie Lennox called her justifiably popular solo debut ''[[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|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]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/annielennox/albums/album/109765/review/5945469/medusa|title=''Medusa'' review|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|location=New York City|date=2 February 1998|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211144211/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/annielennox/albums/album/109765/review/5945469/medusa |archive-date=11 December 2007 }}</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>Annie Lennox called her justifiably popular solo debut ''[[Diva (Annie Lennox album)|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]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/annielennox/albums/album/109765/review/5945469/medusa|title=''Medusa'' review|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|location=New York City|date=2 February 1998|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211144211/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/annielennox/albums/album/109765/review/5945469/medusa |archive-date=11 December 2007 }}</ref></blockquote>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
Line 157: Line 156:
| length2 = 3:48
| length2 = 3:48
| title3 = [[Who's That Girl? (Eurythmics song)|Who's That Girl?]]
| title3 = [[Who's That Girl? (Eurythmics song)|Who's That Girl?]]
| writer3 = {{hlist|Lennox|[[David A. Stewart|David Stewart]]}}
| writer3 = {{hlist|Lennox|[[Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)|David Stewart]]}}
| length3 = 4:44
| length3 = 4:44
| title4 = [[You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart]]
| title4 = [[You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart]]
Line 225: Line 224:
# "Legend in My Living Room" (Lennox, Vettese)
# "Legend in My Living Room" (Lennox, Vettese)
# "Walking on Broken Glass" (Lennox)
# "Walking on Broken Glass" (Lennox)
# "No More 'I Love You's" (Hughes, Freeman)
# "No More 'I Love You's'" (Hughes, Freeman)
# "Who's That Girl?" (Lennox, Stewart)
# "Who's That Girl?" (Lennox, Stewart)
# "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" (Lennox, Stewart)
# "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart" (Lennox, Stewart)
Line 235: Line 234:
# "Why" (Lennox)
# "Why" (Lennox)
'''Promotional video clips'''
'''Promotional video clips'''
# <li value=13> "No More 'I Love You's" (Hughes, Freeman)
# <li value=13> "No More 'I Love You's'" (Hughes, Freeman)
# "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Reid, Brooker, Fisher)
# "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Reid, Brooker, Fisher)
# "Waiting in Vain" (Marley)
# "Waiting in Vain" (Marley)
Line 355: Line 354:
| 30
| 30
|-
|-
! scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=3884|title=Top Selling Albums of 1995|publisher=[[Recorded Music NZ]]|access-date=12 September 2021}}</ref>
! scope="row"| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1995-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1995|publisher=[[Recorded Music NZ]]|access-date=12 September 2021}}</ref>
| 30
| 30
|-
|-
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[[Category:Annie Lennox albums]]
[[Category:Annie Lennox albums]]
[[Category:Arista Records albums]]
[[Category:Arista Records albums]]
[[Category:Covers albums]]
[[Category:1990s covers albums]]
[[Category:RCA Records albums]]
[[Category:RCA Records albums]]

Latest revision as of 05:46, 20 November 2024

Medusa
Studio album by
Annie Lennox
Released6 March 1995 (1995-03-06)
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: 6 February 1995
  2. "A Whiter Shade of Pale"
    Released: 29 May 1995
  3. "Waiting in Vain"
    Released: 18 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 one 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] As of 2018, Medusa had sold over six million copies worldwide.[3]

The album was nominated for Best Pop Album at the Grammy Awards of 1996. Lennox won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance award for her work on the first single released from Medusa, "No More 'I Love You's'" which was released in February 1995 to critical acclaim. Entering the UK Singles Charts at number two, the single is Lennox's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom to date. A further three singles were released during 1995 – "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Waiting in Vain" and "Something So Right".

Background and recording

[edit]

Like her debut solo album Diva, Lennox once again worked with record producer Stephen Lipson on Medusa.[3] Four tracks that Lennox recorded for Medusa and were ultimately cut from the album's final take were released elsewhere. B-sides releases include a version of "Heaven", originally by The Psychedelic Furs, a recording of Joni Mitchell's "Ladies of the Canyon", and a cover of Blondie's "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear". Lennox also recorded a version of The Sugarcubes' "Mama", which was included on the 1995 all-female compilation Ain't Nothin' But a She Thing.[4]

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. They 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.[5]

Regarding Medusa and the nature of its cover versions, Metro Weekly claimed that "cover albums are notoriously hit and miss; even the best artists can sometimes stumble when straying from their original material and trying to reinvent somebody else's. Lennox is a masterful interpreter of other artists' tunes, getting to the heart of the songs and delivering one stunning vocal performance after another. Lennox imbues each of these songs her own distinct flavor. Even though the songs come from different eras and there is a vast stylistic diversity, the album is tightly cohesive."[4]

Release and promotion

[edit]

Medusa was released in March 1995 and became a "substantial hit" for Lennox, with music commentators claiming that the album was a "worthy successor" to her debut solo album, Diva which was released in 1992.[4] Whilst Medusa did not match the acclaim and success that Diva achieved, the album was still well received, becoming a substantial commercial success. It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and in Canada, and reached number eleven on the US Billboard 200 charts, achieving double-platinum in all three countries. Medusa was a Top 10 album over Europe and in other parts of the world. Both "No More 'I Love You's'" and "Whiter Shade of Pale" were included on Lennox's 2009 greatest hits album The Annie Lennox Collection.[4] As of 2018, Medusa had sold over six million copies worldwide.[3]

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". Metro Weekly claimed that "The Lover Speaks' recording of "No More 'I Love You's'" did no more than graze the lower reaches of the pop chart, and was soon forgotten" until Lennox recorded and released the track as a single, claiming that the songs "idiosyncrasies play right into her [Lennox] strengths. Lennox and producer Stephen Lipson turn the inventive composition into a piece of epic grandeur, with Lennox delivering a dazzling vocal performance, arguably the finest of her career."[4] "No More 'I Love You's'" was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, and Lennox, at the 1995 Grammy Awards won the award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the song.[4]

Citing the poor success of the three singles in the American music market that followed "No More 'I Love You's'", Metro Weekly argued that Lennox may have achieved considerably more success in the singles markets "if she'd released a couple of the catchier up-tempo tracks instead of all ballads".[4]

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".

Commercial success

[edit]

Medusa has sold over 6 million copies worldwide as of 2018, and achieved double platinum certification in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Medusa spent 60 weeks in the US Billboard 200 charts. Lead single "No More 'I Love You's'" won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards and was nominated for Best British Single at the 1996 Brit Awards. Despite missing out on the award for Best British Single, Lennox won the award for Best British Female for the second time.[3]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Entertainment WeeklyC−[7]
Knoxville News Sentinel[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
Music Week[10]
The New York Times(mixed)[11]
Rolling Stone[12]

Professional reviews for Medusa were mixed, ranging from favourable to outright hostile. AllMusic notes that critics "savaged"[13] 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."[14]

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".[15]

Track listing

[edit]
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?"
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

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Medusa.[5]

Musicians

[edit]

Technical

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

Artwork

[edit]

Live in Central Park

[edit]
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

[edit]
  • 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

[edit]
  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

[edit]

Grammy Awards

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

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Medusa
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[50] Gold 30,000^
Australia (ARIA)[51] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[52] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[53] 2× Platinum 200,000^
France (SNEP)[54] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[55] Gold 250,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[56] 2× Platinum 30,000^
Italy (FIMI)[56] Gold 50,000*
Norway (IFPI Norway)[57] Gold 25,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[58] Gold 50,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[59] Gold 50,000^
Sweden (GLF)[60] Gold 50,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[61] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[1] 2× Platinum 600,000^
United States (RIAA)[2] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[62] 2× Platinum 2,000,000*

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

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "British album certifications – Annie Lennox – Medusa". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "American album certifications – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Recording Industry Association of America.
  3. ^ a b c d "Diva & Medusa Reissued on Vinyl". Annie Lennox.com. Annie Lennox. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Lennox's "Medusa", 20 Years Later". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b Medusa (liner notes). Annie Lennox. RCA Records. 1995. 74321257172.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  6. ^ AllMusic review
  7. ^ Farbel, Jim (17 March 1995). "Medusa review". Entertainment Weekly. New York City.
  8. ^ Campbell, Chuck (24 March 1995). "Lennox Can Still Thrill, But Her Ambition Is Low". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  9. ^ Rosenbluth, Jean (26 March 1995). "Record Review: ANNIE LENNOX; "Medusa" Arista". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  10. ^ "Reviews > Albums > Album of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. London. 25 February 1995. p. 16. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  11. ^ Holden, Stephen (10 November 1995). "CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK;They're Adults, And Sound It". Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  12. ^ Rolling Stone review
  13. ^ savaged
  14. ^ Robbins, Ira. "Annie Lennox Medusa review". Trouser Press. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
  15. ^ "Medusa review". Rolling Stone. New York City. 2 February 1998. Archived from the original on 11 December 2007.
  16. ^ Strauss, Neil (5 January 1996). "New Faces in Grammy Nominations". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  17. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Annie Lennox – Medusa" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Annie Lennox – Medusa" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Annie Lennox – Medusa" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9143". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  22. ^ 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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  29. ^ "Charts.nz – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  30. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  31. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  32. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  33. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  34. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  35. ^ "Annie Lennox Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  36. ^ "Australian Top 100 Albums 1995". The ARIA Report. Retrieved 20 May 2022 – via Imgur.
  37. ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1995". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  38. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1995 – Albums" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  39. ^ "Rapports annuels 1995 – Albums" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  40. ^ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1995". RPM. Vol. 62, no. 20. 18 December 1995. p. 40. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  41. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1995" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  42. ^ "Year End Sales Charts – European Top 100 Albums 1995" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 51/52. 23 December 1995. p. 14. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  43. ^ "Top Albums: 1995". SNEP Musique (in French). Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  44. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1995" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  45. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1995". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  46. ^ "Årslista Album (inkl samlingar), 1995" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  47. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1995". hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  48. ^ "Top 100 Albums 1995" (PDF). Music Week. London. 13 January 1996. p. 11. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
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  52. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Annie Lennox – Medusa" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  53. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Annie Lennox – Medusa". Music Canada.
  54. ^ "French album certifications – Annie Lennox – Medusa" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
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  56. ^ a b Music and Media [dead link‍]
  57. ^ "Norwegian album certifications – Annie Lennox – Medusa" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  58. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1996 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
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