Everything but the Girl | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Originating at the turn of the 1980s as a leader of the lite-jazz movement, Everything but the Girl became an unlikely success story more than a decade later, emerging at the vanguard of the fusion between pop and electronica. Founded in 1982 by Hull University students Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt, the duo took their name from a sign placed in the window of a local furniture shop, which claimed "for your bedroom needs, we sell everything but the girl." At the time of their formation, both vocalist Thorn and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Watt were already signed independently to the Cherry Red label; Thorn was a member of the sublime Marine Girls, while Watt had issued several solo singles and also collaborated with Robert Wyatt. Everything but the Girl debuted in 1982 with a samba interpretation of Cole Porters "Night and Day"; the single was a success on the U.K. independent charts, but the duo nonetheless went on hiatus as Thorn recorded a solo EP, A Distant Shore, while Watt checked in with the full-length North Marine Drive in 1983. EBTG soon reunited to record a cover of the Jams "English Rose" for an NME sampler; the track so impressed former Jam frontman Paul Weller that he invited the duo to contribute to the 1984 LP Cafe Bleu, the debut from his new project, the Style Council. Everything but the Girls own beguiling 1984 debut, Eden, followed on the heels of the single "Each and Every One," a U.K. Top 40 hit. The jazz-pop confections of the groups early work gave way to shimmering jangle rock by the time of 1985s Love Not Money, while a subtle country influence crept into the mix for 1986s lush, orchestral Baby, the Stars Shine Bright. The beautifully spare Idlewild followed in 1988, spawning the single "I Dont Want to Talk About It," a poignant cover of a song by the late Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten which became EBTGs biggest hit to date, landing at the number three spot on the British charts. Watt and Thorn traveled to Los Angeles to record 1990s slick, commercial The Language of Life, produced by Tommy LiPuma and featuring a guest appearance by jazz great Stan Getz. After a return to pop textures with 1991s Worldwide, Everything but the Girl mounted a series of club performances which resulted in 1992s Acoustic, a spartan set of covers (including Elvis Costellos "Alison," Bruce Springsteens "Tougher Than the Rest," and Mickey & Sylvias "Love Is Strange") which presaged the coming ascendancy of the "Unplugged" concept. In the wake of the records release, Watt fell prey to Churg-Strauss Syndrome, a rare auto-immune system disease which brought him to the brink of death; after a year in recovery, he wrote several new songs which the duo recorded for inclusion on Home Movies, a 1993 hits collection. In 1994, EBTG collaborated with trip-hop innovators Massive Attack on their LP Protection; Thorns vocal turn highlighted the hit title track, and the cinematic Massive Attack sound clearly informed Everything but the Girls own 1994 effort, Amplified Heart, another strong and eclectic outing featuring an appearance by guitar great Richard Thompson. In 1995 the soulful single "Missing" was innovatively remixed by Todd Terry, and after first becoming a club sensation the track blossomed as a major international hit, reaching the number two position on the U.S. pop charts. More importantly, Terrys remix, combined with the lessons of the Massive Attack sessions, launched the duo into an entirely new -- and equally satisfying -- musical direction: with 1996s brilliant Walking Wounded, Everything but the Girl dove headfirst into electronica, crafting sophisticated, assured excursions into trip-hop and drumnbass. In 1999, the duo reappeared with Temperamental. Back to Mine was issued by Ultra in spring 2001. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 29 Title: Eden Released: 1984 Tracks: 29 Duration: 1:19:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Each and Everyone (02:47) 2 Bittersweet (02:49) 3 Tender Blue (03:05) 4 Another Bridge (02:12) 5 The Spice of Life (03:30) 6 The Dustbowl (01:39) 7 Crabwalk (03:23) 8 Even So (02:30) 9 Frost and Fire (03:06) 10 Fascination (03:19) 11 I Must Confess (03:11) 12 Soft Touch (02:02) 1 Laugh You Out the House (01:48) 2 Never Could Have Been Worse (02:45) 3 Mine (03:19) 4 Gun Cupboard Love (03:01) 5 Easy as Sin (02:58) 6 Native Land (03:07) 7 Riverbed Dry (02:43) 8 Don’t You Go (03:28) 9 Each and Every One (02:52) 10 Bittersweet (03:05) 11 Even So (01:52) 12 Frost and Fire (02:13) 13 Soft Touch (01:49) 14 Another Bridge (02:19) 15 Easy as Sin (03:13) 16 Riverbed Dry (02:44) 17 Never Could Have Been Worse (02:43) |
| Eden : Allmusic album Review : The debut effort by multi-instrumentalist Ben Watt and vocalist and songwriter Tracey Thorn took the alterna-pop world by surprise in 1985. And rightfully so. Watts lush chamber orchestra jazzscapes, full of Brazilian bossa nova structures and airy horn charts, combined with Thorns throaty alto singing her generations version of the torch song, was a sure attraction for fans of sophisticated pop and vocal jazz. Featuring 12 tracks, the album has deeply influenced popular song structures since that time; this is evidenced in the work of more R&B-oriented; acts such as Swing Out Sister and Tuck and Patti. The set opens with "Each and Everyone," a slow samba-flavored pop song. The song comes from the broken side of love, with Thorn entreating from the heart: "You try to show me heaven but then close the door...Being kind is just a way to keep me under your thumb/And I can cry because thats something weve always done." A trumpet fills her lines and makes them glide above Watts Latin mix. Elsewhere, the folk bossa of "Fascination" is all the architecture Thorn needs to sink deep into her protagonists brokenness. Guitars chime and stagger one another, slipping and sliding just above the bassline, and vanish into thin air. On "I Must Confess," a riff similar to "The Girl From Ipanema" locates Thorn next to a deep ringing upright bass and Watts glissando guitar, played Charlie Byrd-style, before Nigel Nash punctures Thorns vocal with a velvety tenor solo. Once again, the notion of loss, memory, and the resolve of the left half of a relationship to go on, carrying regret but not remorse, is absolutely breathtaking. Thorn continually meditated on broken relationships here, and that extended tome, which echoes through every song on the record, seems to have resonated with everyone who heard it. The set closes with Watts vocal on "Soft Touch," a folksy pop song, illustrated with guitars, a fretless bass, and piano, that sounds like something from Supertramp in their better moments -- and no, thats not a bad thing. His voice -- while not nearly as dramatic as Thorns -- is wonderfully expressive, and his lyrics extend the feeling of Eden to its final whisper. This set proved itself to be an auspicious debut that testified to the beginning of a long and creatively rewarding partnership that has endured. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 29 Title: Everything but the Girl Released: 1984 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Each and Everyone (02:47) 2 Tender Blue (03:05) 3 Another Bridge (02:12) 4 Frost and Fire (03:06) 5 Fascination (03:19) 6 Crabwalk (03:23) 7 Never Could Have Been Worse (02:45) 8 Laugh You Out the House (01:48) 9 Mine (03:19) 10 Easy as Sin (02:58) 11 Native Land (03:07) 12 Riverbed Dry (02:43) |
| Everything but the Girl : Allmusic album Review : The music fad of the moment in 1984 in England was a revival of the early-60s Brazilian pop sound of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, and Stan Getz, updated to current sensibilities, and the two main practitioners were Sade and Everything But the Girl. On this revised version of their U.K. debut album, Eden, altered for U.S. consumption, the duo of Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt performed their three U.K. chart singles, "Each and Every One," "Mine," and "Native Land," in a calm, unruffled style keyed to Thorns warm, if slightly unfocused, vocal style. If the music had a flaw, it was that the sound, with its light sambas and steady ballads, spare instrumentation, and careful sax solos, impressed more than individual songs did, perhaps because Thorns way of phrasing meant you could listen to "Mine," for example, several times before catching on to its feminist theme. Still, Everything But the Girl was more direct and had less of the exotic affectation of Sade (which, however, may help explain why it was she, and not they, who succeeded in America). | ||
 | Album: 3 of 29 Title: Love Not Money Released: 1985-11-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 When All’s Well (03:03) 2 Ugly Little Dreams (02:54) 3 Shoot Me Down (04:13) 4 Are You Trying to Be Funny? (03:18) 5 Sean (03:32) 6 Ballad of the Times (03:28) 7 Anytown (03:28) 8 This Love (Not for Sale) (03:07) 9 Trouble and Strife (03:09) 10 Angel (05:37) |
| Love Not Money : Allmusic album Review : On their second album, Everything But the Girl took a more contemporary pop approach while retaining the spareness of their debut. They also upped the ante in their songwriting, tackling a range of issues from the Irish troubles to the troubles of movie star Frances Farmer, with lots of criticism of the stratification and sexism of the current social and economic system thrown in. Tracey Thorns careworn voice proved an excellent vehicle for such essentially pessimistic sentiments, and even if Love Not Money made for a dour listening experience, it was nevertheless compelling. (The "special U.S. edition" of the album, released by Sire Records, differed from the Blanco Y Negro version from the U.K. in that it featured the pop-sounding "Heaven Help Me" and a cover of the Pretenders "Kid." Neither enhanced the albums commercial appeal; it made the Top Ten back home, but did not chart Stateside.) | ||
 | Album: 4 of 29 Title: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright Released: 1986 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Come on Home (03:21) 2 Don’t Leave Me Behind (03:12) 3 A Country Mile (03:01) 4 Cross My Heart (03:36) 5 Don’t Let the Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart (03:20) 6 Careless (03:25) 7 Sugar Finney (03:34) 8 Come Hell or High Water (03:22) 9 Fighting Talk (03:20) 10 Little Hitler (04:00) |
| Baby, the Stars Shine Bright : Allmusic album Review : On their third album, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, Everything But the Girl tries another departure on their craftsmanlike ballad style, hiring a full orchestra to give a lush backing to songs usually concerned more with sexual than national politics. Their last album, Love Not Money, may have boasted a considerable social agenda, but here Tracey Thorn sings of romantic disappointment and illicit liaisons, only occasionally bowing to such favorite themes as the lure of fame ("Country Mile"), fantasies about American movie stars ("Sugar Finney," which is "for Marilyn Monroe," and has the chorus, "America is free, cheap and easy"), and fears of fascism ("Little Hitler"). Thorns throbbing voice is well-suited to the emotional concerns of the lyrics, and Ben Watt creates attractive, string- and horn-filled backings for them. So, Everything But the Girl has found yet another way to effectively vary what would have seemed to be a limited musical style. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 29 Title: Idlewild Released: 1988 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love Is Here Where I Live (03:55) 2 These Early Days (03:50) 3 I Always Was Your Girl (04:00) 4 Oxford Street (03:21) 5 The Night I Heard Caruso Sing (02:56) 6 Goodbye Sunday (04:00) 7 Shadow on a Harvest Moon (03:38) 8 Blue Moon Rose (03:37) 9 Tears All Over Town (04:35) 10 Lonesome for a Place I Know (04:02) 11 Apron Strings (03:07) |
| Idlewild : Allmusic album Review : Thorn and Watt made a couple of albums with a cocktail-jazz backup and one with strings before trying a small unit for the intimate songs of their most accessible recording. The setting is perfect for such moving compositions as "Love Is Here Where I Live" and "Apron Strings." Start here, then go on to the rest of this remarkable groups catalog. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 29 Title: The Language of Life Released: 1990-02-05 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Driving (03:59) 2 Get Back Together (03:57) 3 Meet Me in the Morning (03:50) 4 Me and Bobby D (04:09) 5 The Language of Life (04:02) 6 Take Me (04:08) 7 Imagining America (04:59) 8 Letting Love Go (04:45) 9 My Baby Don’t Love Me (03:42) 10 The Road (03:45) |
| The Language of Life : Allmusic album Review : It may have been the logical extension of Everything But The Girls ersatz cool jazz approach to finally go all the way by hiring veteran producer Tommy LiPuma and a studio full of fusion stars like Joe Sample (the Crusaders), Russell Ferrante (the Yellowjackets), Michael Brecker, and, finally, Stan Getz, whose early 60s albums of Brazilian jazz are a main touchstone for the group. With such firepower, The Language of Life, at least musically, may be the album that Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn have been trying to make from the beginning. But it falls down in its songwriting, largely because of the near-disappearance of Thorn and her edgy lyrics. The title song, with its criticism of uncommunicative men, and "Me and Bobby D," with its name-dropping debunking of some famous roues, are the kind of thing we expect from her, but elsewhere Watt takes over for a series of so-so love songs. And the bottom of the barrel is hit with a cover of Womack And Womacks "Take Me," intended as an erotic come-on and sounding more like a lullaby. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 29 Title: Worldwide Released: 1991-10-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Old Friends (03:46) 2 Understanding (04:13) 3 You Lift Me Up (04:14) 4 Talk to Me Like the Sea (04:31) 5 British Summertime (03:48) 6 Twin Cities (04:36) 7 Frozen River (03:49) 8 One Place (05:00) 9 Politics Aside (03:26) 10 Boxing and Pop Music (05:58) 11 Feel Alright (00:57) |
| Worldwide : Allmusic album Review : Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn returned to the direct record-making style of their first two albums on Worldwide. Here, the music was carried largely by Watts bank of keyboards. But the duos lyrical concerns reflected their recent frenetic lifestyle. Sooner or later, every group that lasts makes a road album, and this was the one for Everything But the Girl, its songs nostalgically reminiscing about childhood back in England, along with reflections on the big-time touring life in America. Happily, there was still room for a few of Everything But the Girls complicated adult love songs, notably Thorns "Understanding," though even that one talked about how love "depends on geography." The breezy subject matter contrasted with the more contemplative music. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 29 Title: Covers E.P. Released: 1992 Tracks: 4 Duration: 15:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Love Is Strange (03:21) 2 Tougher Than the Rest (04:14) 3 Time After Time (04:29) 4 Alison (03:04) |
 | Album: 9 of 29 Title: Acoustic Released: 1992-06-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love Is Strange (03:21) 2 Tougher Than the Rest (04:14) 3 Time After Time (04:29) 4 Alison (03:04) 5 Downtown Train (03:08) 6 Driving (02:26) 7 One Place (04:50) 8 Apron Strings (live) (02:54) 9 Me and Bobby D (04:23) 10 Come On Home (04:12) 11 Fascination (live) (04:17) |
| Acoustic : Allmusic album Review : Acoustic presents two side projects in one. The first half of it consists of Everything but the Girls covers of six songs by other contemporary performers. The second half contains two live recordings and four re-recordings of songs from Everything but the Girls repertoire. All of the songs are performed with spare, acoustic instrumentation. The groups favorites are predictable -- Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Tom Waits at their quietest -- and while the choices are indisputably good ones -- "Alison," "Downtown Train," Cyndi Laupers "Time After Time" -- they are also familiar, and Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn dont bring anything new to them. Their own material is calm and contemplative anyway, so stripping away the synthesizers doesnt affect the arrangements much. Acoustic is a pleasant-sounding, inessential Everything but the Girl album. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 29 Title: 82–92: Essence and Rare Released: 1992-12-01 Tracks: 17 Duration: 57:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Meet Me in the Morning (03:50) 2 These Early Days (remix) (03:28) 3 Come on Home (acoustic version) (02:36) 4 Downtown Train (03:08) 5 Living on Honeycomb (02:33) 6 Each and Everyone (02:47) 7 Night and Day (02:54) 8 Almost Blue (03:16) 9 Native Land (03:07) 10 Draining the Bar (02:08) 11 Oxford Street (03:21) 12 I Don’t Want to Talk About It (04:16) 13 Driving (02:26) 14 Take Me (Love mix) (04:38) 15 Twin Cities (The Green Plains a cappella mix) (04:31) 16 No Place Like Home (04:26) 17 Old Friends (03:46) |
 | Album: 11 of 29 Title: The Only Living Boy in New York Released: 1993 Tracks: 4 Duration: 12:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:12) 2 Gabriel (02:29) 3 Birds (02:23) 4 Horses in the Room (02:56) |
 | Album: 12 of 29 Title: Home Movies: The Best of Everything but the Girl Released: 1993-05-07 Tracks: 16 Duration: 58:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Each and Everyone (02:47) 2 Another Bridge (02:12) 3 Fascination (03:19) 4 Native Land (03:07) 5 Come on Home (03:21) 6 Cross My Heart (03:36) 7 Apron Strings (03:07) 8 I Don’t Want to Talk About It (04:16) 9 The Night I Heard Caruso Sing (02:56) 10 Driving (03:59) 11 Imagining America (04:59) 12 Understanding (04:13) 13 Twin Cities (04:36) 14 Love Is Strange (03:21) 15 I Didn’t Know I Was Looking for Love (04:13) 16 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:12) |
| Home Movies: The Best of Everything but the Girl : Allmusic album Review : Like most Everything but the Girl compilations, 2001s Home Movies: Best of Everything but the Girl restricts itself to the duos first decade, before they reinvented themselves as the pop face of trip-hop with 1995s "Missing." A roughly chronological sprint through Everything but the Girls first seven albums, from 1984s Eden through 1992s Acoustic, theres no room for any more than two or three songs from any one record; while this does a handy job of tracing Tracey Thorn and Ben Watts career path from folk-jazz indie to sophisticated and adult pop music, it also means that several worthy songs, especially from the groups early days, are missing: no "Night and Day," "When Alls Well," "Riverbed Dry," "Sugar Finney," or "Oxford Street." On the other hand, the songs chosen are a balanced and representational lot, including favorites like Thorns indelible bossa nova "Each and Every One" and the lovely, Dusty Springfield-like orchestral pop of "Come on Home." Home Movies is an excellent introduction to Everything but the Girls early years for newcomers beguiled by later hits, but all of the groups early albums (Eden, released in a very different U.S. version as 1984s Everything but the Girl; 1985s Love Not Money; 1986s Baby, the Stars Shine Bright; and 1988s Idlewild) are well worth seeking out on their own. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 29 Title: I Didnt Know I Was Looking for Love E.P. Released: 1993-06-07 Tracks: 4 Duration: 12:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 I Didnt Know I Was Looking for Love (03:51) 2 My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains (02:56) 3 Political Science (02:11) 4 A Piece of My Mind (03:26) |
 | Album: 14 of 29 Title: Missing: The Bootleg Mixes! Released: 1994 Tracks: 5 Duration: 25:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Missing (Todd Terry club mix) (04:57) 2 Missing (Lite mix) (04:05) 3 Missing (Tee’s Beat) (02:47) 4 Missing (Chris & James Full On club mix) (08:36) 5 Missing (Ultramarine remix) (05:26) |
 | Album: 15 of 29 Title: Rollercoaster E.P. Released: 1994-05-23 Tracks: 4 Duration: 14:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Rollercoaster (03:13) 2 Straight Back to You (04:36) 3 Lights of Te Touan (02:30) 4 I Didnt Know I Was Looking for Love (demo) (03:41) |
 | Album: 16 of 29 Title: Amplified Heart Released: 1994-06-13 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:11:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rollercoaster (03:13) 2 Troubled Mind (03:33) 3 I Don’t Understand Anything (04:25) 4 Walking to You (03:30) 5 Get Me (03:33) 6 Missing (04:05) 7 Two Star (04:06) 8 We Walk the Same Line (03:59) 9 25th December (04:02) 10 Disenchanted (02:04) 11 Straight Back to You (04:36) 12 Lights of Te Touan (02:30) 13 These Days (live) (03:24) 14 Each and Every One (live) (03:57) 15 I Don’t Want to Talk About It (live) (03:17) 1 I Don’t Understand Anything (home demo) (04:18) 2 Rollercoaster (home demo) (03:14) 3 Two Star (home demo) (02:57) 4 Troubled Mind (home demo) (03:48) 5 We Walk the Same Line (home demo) (03:46) 6 Richard Says (home demo) (02:26) 7 Back at Square One (home demo) (03:31) 8 Two Star (Harry Robinson’s string arrangement demo) (04:06) 9 Missing (live 1994–1995) (07:42) 10 Troubled Mind (live 1994–1995) (04:44) 11 Two Star (live 1994–1995) (05:23) 12 Walking to You (live 1994–1995) (03:37) 13 25th December (live 1994–1995) (04:37) 14 Missing (Chris & James Full On club mix) (08:36) 15 Missing (The Little Joey remix) (05:04) 16 Missing (Ultramarine remix) (05:26) 17 Missing (Todd Terry club mix, Ben Watt’s ‘Blanco–Eternal’ radio edit) (03:54) |
| Amplified Heart : Allmusic album Review : Despite its title, Amplified Heart is one of Everything but the Girls more acoustic works. A simple instrumentation of guitars and keyboards, augmented here and there by British folk-rock veterans like Richard Thompson, Danny Thompson, and Dave Mattacks, serves to set up a series of songs of romantic disillusionment. Declaring "my life is just an image of a roller coaster, anyway" and "I dont understand anything," among other things, over and over the songs speak of confusion and disappointment deriving from failed love affairs. The approach is much more introspective than that taken on the groups previous album of new music, Worldwide, but Tracey Thorn and Ben Watts musical restraint supports it well. This is an album to listen to when youve just broken up with your lover, or even when youre just in the mood to think about lost lovers from long ago -- self-pity set to music. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 29 Title: Missing: The Live EP Released: 1994-08-08 Tracks: 4 Duration: 14:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Missing (04:05) 2 Each and Every One (live) (04:03) 3 I Dont Want to Talk About It (live) (03:22) 4 These Days (live) (03:23) |
 | Album: 18 of 29 Title: Missing Released: 1994-11-15 Tracks: 6 Duration: 33:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Missing (Todd Terry club mix, Ben Watt’s ‘Blanco–Eternal’ radio edit) (03:54) 2 Missing (Todd Terry club mix) (04:57) 3 Missing (Rockin’ Blue mix) (07:47) 4 Missing (Chris & James Full On club mix) (08:36) 5 Missing (04:05) 6 Missing (Todd Terry Tee’s Piece) (04:33) |
 | Album: 19 of 29 Title: Walking Wounded Released: 1996-05-21 Tracks: 11 Duration: 52:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Before Today (album mix) (04:18) 2 Wrong (04:36) 3 Single (04:38) 4 The Heart Remains a Child (03:50) 5 Walking Wounded (06:05) 6 Flipside (04:33) 7 Big Deal (04:29) 8 Mirrorball (03:27) 9 Good Cop Bad Cop (04:54) 10 Wrong (Todd Terry remix) (04:45) 11 Walking Wounded (Omni Trio remix) (06:43) |
| Walking Wounded : Allmusic album Review : With Walking Wounded, Everything but the Girl puts an acceptable face on trip-hop, jungle, and techno, opening up the world of experimental dance music to a new audience. At its core, Everything but the Girl is a pop group, which means it automatically abandons the free-form song structures that characterize most of trip-hop and techno. In a sense, that dilutes the impact of the music, but the duo found a way around that by seamlessly incorporating the rhythms into carefully crafted songs. They work the same ground as Massive Attack, but their songwriting is more accessible and less adventurous than the groundbreaking Bristol group. Furthermore, Everything but the Girl never approaches the tarnished glamour of Portishead, the kineticism of Björk, or the brilliantly evocative soundscapes of Tricky. Essentially, the beats are used as window dressing -- the groups music hasnt changed that much. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 29 Title: Everything but the Girl vs. Drum & Bass Released: 1996-10-22 Tracks: 5 Duration: 33:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Walking Wounded (Spring Heel Jack Hard vocal mix) (06:05) 2 Walking Wounded (Spring Heel Jack dub) (06:49) 3 Single (Photek remix) (05:14) 4 Walking Wounded (Omni Trio remix) (06:43) 5 Walking Wounded (Dave Wallace remix) (08:16) |
 | Album: 21 of 29 Title: The Best of Everything but the Girl Released: 1996-10-28 Tracks: 15 Duration: 58:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Missing (Todd Terry club mix, Ben Watt’s ‘Blanco–Eternal’ radio edit) (03:54) 2 Driving (Todd Terry remix) (05:23) 3 Old Friends (03:46) 4 One Place (05:00) 5 I Don’t Want to Talk About It (04:16) 6 Love Is Strange (03:21) 7 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:12) 8 Apron Strings (03:07) 9 When All’s Well (03:03) 10 Another Bridge (02:12) 11 Each and Everyone (02:47) 12 Rollercoaster (03:13) 13 Driving (The Underdog remix) (04:34) 14 Better Things (04:17) 15 Protection (04:53) |
| The Best of Everything but the Girl : Allmusic album Review : The Best of Everything but the Girl is divided between selections from their early records and remixes of 90s hits such as "Missing." Consequently, the album draws a slightly misleading portrait of their career, yet it still functions as an excellent introduction to the band, since it features many of their best songs, including "Apron Strings." | ||
 | Album: 22 of 29 Title: Temperamental Released: 1999-08-28 Tracks: 23 Duration: 2:28:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Five Fathoms (06:24) 2 Low Tide of the Night (04:45) 3 Blame (06:18) 4 Hatfield 1980 (05:12) 5 Temperamental (05:20) 6 Compression (07:11) 7 Downhill Racer (03:49) 8 Lullaby of Clubland (05:30) 9 No Difference (04:24) 10 The Future of the Future (Stay Gold) (07:52) 11 Firewall (05:23) 12 Come In (unfinished album track) (04:58) 13 Temperamental (live at The Forum, London, 1999) (06:01) 1 Five Fathoms (Club 69 Future Club mix) (09:18) 2 Five Fathoms (Kevin Yost Enlightenment mix) (07:31) 3 Temperamental (Pull Timewarp remix) (06:00) 4 Temperamental (Hex Hector and Mac Quayle Reverse Drum dub) (05:50) 5 Temperamental (Wamdue Project remix) (14:55) 6 Blame (Fabio remix) (06:54) 7 Blame (J Majik VIP remix) (06:02) 8 Downhill Racer (Kenny Dope mix) (03:31) 9 Lullaby of Clubland (Markus Schulz Tribal Journey) (07:24) 10 Lullaby of Clubland (Matty Heilbronn II Deep Club mix) (07:37) |
| Temperamental : Allmusic album Review : Everything but the Girls resurrection as a sophisticated electronica outfit may have been unpredictable, but it certainly revitalized the duos music. Prior to 1996s Walking Wounded, Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn had taken their charming, jazzy acoustic pop as far as it could go. Adding electronica, primarily drumnbass and trip-hop, to the equation broke their potential wide open, as the captivating, seductive Walking Wounded proved. It was such a drastic, fulfilling departure that it did raise the question of where they go from here; its 1999 sequel, Temperamental, answers that by offering more of the same, except just a little different. Temperamental tempers the lightly skittering drumnbass and eliminates trip-hop, yet retains the same feel as Walking Wounded. House music -- everything from classic 80s house to contemporary house -- serves as the musical foundation, which actually opens the doors for slight jazzy inflections, along with long, hypnotizing instrumental passages (most notably on "Compression"). Weirdly, it also serves as a good setting for a batch of songs that are essentially in the singer/songwriter vein. In fact, there arent as many clear pop hooks here as there were on Walking. "Five Fathoms," "Tempermental," and a couple of other tracks work as singles, but the album is a more of a meditative, reflective piece, like a singer/songwriter album -- except its dressed in sultry, evocative electronic dance music. That means, of course, that Temperamental isnt all that different than its predecessor, but its blend of house, electronica, pop, jazz, and folk is equally satisfying as that landmark album. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 29 Title: Back to Mine: Everything but the Girl Released: 2001-04-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:08:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Friends and Enemies (05:37) 2 All Alone (No One to Be With) (03:52) 3 The Bayou (03:53) 4 Stars All Seem to Weep (05:16) 5 The Flow (Juan Atkins G-Funk mix) (04:08) 6 Cascades of Colour (Wamdue Black mix) (06:34) 7 Do It Now (11:32) 8 A Wonderful Life (06:15) 9 To Cry About (03:45) 10 Silent Treatment (06:35) 11 Funky for You (Spacehopper mix) (06:42) 12 Someday Well All Be Free (04:15) |
 | Album: 24 of 29 Title: Like the Deserts Miss the Rain Released: 2002 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:21:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains (02:56) 2 Rollercoaster (03:13) 3 Corcovado (03:54) 4 Each and Everyone (02:47) 5 Before Today (Chicane remix) (06:23) 6 Mine (03:19) 7 Protection (07:48) 8 Single (Photek remix) (05:14) 9 Tracey In My Room (Lazy Dog Bootleg vocal mix) (05:42) 10 Missing (Todd Terry club mix, Ben Watt’s ‘Blanco–Eternal’ radio edit) (03:54) 11 Almost Blue (03:16) 12 No Difference (04:24) 13 Cross My Heart (03:36) 14 Mirrorball (03:27) 15 A Piece of My Mind (03:26) 16 Walking Wounded (06:05) 1 Gun Cupboard Love (02:50) 2 Alfie (02:44) 3 Take Me (Clifton mix) (05:04) 4 Pigeons in the Attic Room (01:43) |
| Like the Deserts Miss the Rain : Allmusic album Review : The first Everything but the Girl collection to effectively juggle the duos largely acoustic early recordings and more electronic later work (or to even make the attempt), Like the Deserts Miss the Rain is the perfect place for fans of either period to investigate their full career. Since their musical aesthetic rarely diverted from spare, elegant, melancholy pop (whether the instrumentation was a small group with horn chart or keyboards with beat-heavy rhythms), the disc flows smoothly from their 1996 drumnbass version of the Brazilian standard "Corcovado" (from Red Hot + Rio) to 1984s acoustic bossa "Each and Every One" to a Chicane remix of "Before Today." Another nice touch is including Tracey Thorns best outside appearance -- on Massive Attacks "Protection" -- and a pair of great songs from a 1993 single, including a startlingly effective version of Captain Beefhearts "My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains." Similar to 2001s Home Movies collection, Like the Deserts Miss the Rain has a few surprising omissions (nothing from 1988s gorgeous Idlewild?) but does succeed in delivering great material from one of British pops most talented artists. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 29 Title: Adapt or Die: Ten Years of Remixes Released: 2005-03-11 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:17:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Sole Full remix) (04:24) 2 Before Today (Adam F remix) (04:14) 3 Missing (CL McSpadden Unreleased Powerhouse mix) (06:16) 4 Corcovado (Knee Deep remix / Ben Watt vocal re‐edit) (06:20) 5 Rollercoaster (King Britt Scuba mix) (05:20) 6 Downhill Racer (Kenny Dope mix) (03:31) 7 Single (Brad Wood Memphis remix) (04:44) 8 Walking Wounded (Dave Wallace remix) (08:16) 9 Five Fathoms (Kevin Yost Everything but a Groove mix / Ben Watt edit) (07:06) 10 Lullaby of Clubland (Jay ‘Sinister’ Sealee remix) (06:48) 11 Temperamental (Pull Timewarp remix) (06:00) 12 Blame (Fabio remix) (06:07) 13 Wrong (Todd Terry Unreleased Freeze mix) (05:40) 14 Driving (02:26) |
| Adapt or Die: Ten Years of Remixes : Allmusic album Review : Adapt or Die: Ten Years of Remixes is a half-accurate title for this discerning compilation of Everything but the Girls commissioned mixes. It actually entails 15 years of remixes, spanning from the dawn of the 90s through 2004. (To be fair, the four remixes performed since 1999 were done specifically for this set.) "Adapt or Die" is, however, an ideal way to indicate the duos approach to remaining relevant to club music for such an extended period of time. These tracks also show that keeping up with trends in dance doesnt always have to be at the expense of timelessness. No matter how reliant upon a bygone trend a remix might be, a song remains somewhere in the core. This is one of the best remix compilations released by a contemporary pop group, not only because theres such a deep pool of strong material to choose from. As opposed to most like-themed packages, Adapt or Die works as a flowing album, not just a collection of tracks slapped onto a disc. For all the hopping between house, trip-hop, drum n bass, and contemporary R&B;, the transitions are remarkably smooth. Most of the previously released selections wont be foreign to fans, but the new and previously unreleased versions -- including some hot turns from King Britt and DJ Jazzy Jeff -- should be very significant enticements for anyone remotely interested. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 29 Title: The Platinum Collection Released: 2006-07-24 Tracks: 16 Duration: 58:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Missing (04:05) 2 I Don’t Want to Talk About It (04:16) 3 Apron Strings (03:07) 4 Driving (03:59) 5 Fascination (03:19) 6 Old Friends (03:46) 7 Come on Home (03:21) 8 Another Bridge (02:12) 9 I Always Was Your Girl (04:00) 10 Meet Me in the Morning (03:50) 11 We Walk the Same Line (03:59) 12 Get Me (03:33) 13 I Didn’t Know I Was Looking for Love (04:13) 14 Careless (03:25) 15 Each and Everyone (02:47) 16 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:12) |
 | Album: 27 of 29 Title: The Works: A 3 CD Retrospective Released: 2007-08-27 Tracks: 58 Duration: 3:35:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Each and Everyone (02:47) 2 Mine (03:19) 3 Native Land (03:07) 4 Bittersweet (02:49) 5 Tender Blue (03:05) 6 Another Bridge (02:12) 7 Crabwalk (03:23) 8 Even So (02:30) 9 I Must Confess (03:11) 10 When All’s Well (03:03) 11 Shoot Me Down (04:13) 12 Are You Trying to Be Funny? (03:18) 13 Ballad of the Times (03:28) 14 Anytown (03:28) 15 Trouble and Strife (03:09) 16 Come on Home (03:21) 17 Don’t Leave Me Behind (03:12) 18 Cross My Heart (03:36) 19 Don’t Let the Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart (03:20) 20 Come Hell or High Water (03:22) 1 I Don’t Want to Talk About It (04:16) 2 Love Is Here Where I Live (03:48) 3 Oxford Street (03:21) 4 Shadow on a Harvest Moon (03:38) 5 Lonesome for a Place I Know (04:02) 6 Apron Strings (03:07) 7 Driving (03:49) 8 Get Back Together (03:57) 9 Me and Bobby D (04:09) 10 The Language of Life (04:02) 11 My Baby Don’t Love Me (03:42) 12 The Road (03:45) 13 Old Friends (03:46) 14 Understanding (04:13) 15 Twin Cities (04:36) 16 One Place (05:00) 17 Politics Aside (03:26) 18 Frozen River (03:49) 19 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:12) 1 I Didn’t Know I Was Looking for Love (04:13) 2 Missing (04:05) 3 You Lift Me Up (04:14) 4 Talk to Me Like the Sea (04:31) 5 British Summertime (03:48) 6 Love Is Strange (03:21) 7 Boxing and Pop Music (05:58) 8 Rollercoaster (03:13) 9 Troubled Mind (03:33) 10 I Don’t Understand Anything (04:25) 11 Walking to You (03:30) 12 Get Me (03:26) 13 Two Star (04:06) 14 We Walk the Same Line (03:59) 15 25th December (04:02) 16 Disenchanted (02:04) 17 Driving (Underdog remix) (04:23) 18 Driving (Todd Terry remix) (05:23) 19 Missing (Todd Terry club mix, Ben Watt’s ‘Blanco–Eternal’ radio edit) (03:54) |
| The Works: A 3 CD Retrospective : Allmusic album Review : Culling material from Everything But the Girls first ten years as a band (from the Eden/Everything But the Girl stage through Amplified Heart), The Works is a three-disc, 58-song (well, 55 plus three remixes) that thoroughly recaps everything the group based itself on. The Works expands upon Home Movies, pretty much overlapping the latters selection and then building upon it, and also including ten songs from Amplified Heart, which Home Movies ignores. For any EBTG fan who already has the groups albums, this compilation doesnt really offer much in new material, but its a great way to catch up on what they were without having to commit to nine full-lengths. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 29 Title: The 90s Collection Released: 2008-09-08 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:02:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Walking Wounded (06:05) 2 Wrong (Todd Terry remix) (06:42) 3 Single (04:38) 4 Before Today (album mix) (04:18) 5 Five Fathoms (06:24) 6 Temperamental (05:20) 7 Hatfield 1980 (05:12) 8 Good Cop Bad Cop (04:54) 9 Low Tide of the Night (04:45) 10 Downhill Racer (03:49) 11 Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Sole Full remix) (04:24) 12 Corcovado (Knee Deep remix / Ben Watt vocal re‐edit) (06:20) |
| The 90s Collection : Allmusic album Review : This budget-priced, British import anthology from the stylish sophisti-pop duo Everything But the Girl (Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt) collects 12 tracks culled from albums released during the 1990s. Unfairly pegged as a jazz-pop group in the 80s, Everything But the Girl had moved into more electronic and dance-pop territory by the time the 90s rolled around. Though they remained as unpredictable as ever, they carved out a unique niche for themselves with a series of elegant pop hits like "Walking Wounded," "Temperamental," and "Before Today," all of which can be found on this perfectly acceptable collection. However, listeners looking for an overview that encompasses the duos whole career would be better off with either 1996s Best of Everything But the Girl or 2001s Home Movies: The Best of Everything But the Girl. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 29 Title: Original Album Series Released: 2011-03-25 Tracks: 54 Duration: 3:10:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Each and Everyone (02:47) 2 Bittersweet (02:49) 3 Tender Blue (03:05) 4 Another Bridge (02:12) 5 The Spice of Life (03:30) 6 The Dustbowl (01:39) 7 Crabwalk (03:23) 8 Even So (02:30) 9 Frost and Fire (03:06) 10 Fascination (03:19) 11 I Must Confess (03:11) 12 Soft Touch (02:02) 1 When All’s Well (03:03) 2 Ugly Little Dreams (02:54) 3 Shoot Me Down (04:13) 4 Are You Trying to Be Funny? (03:18) 5 Sean (03:32) 6 Ballad of the Times (03:28) 7 Anytown (03:28) 8 This Love (Not for Sale) (03:07) 9 Trouble and Strife (03:09) 10 Angel (05:37) 1 Come on Home (03:21) 2 Don’t Leave Me Behind (03:12) 3 A Country Mile (03:01) 4 Cross My Heart (03:36) 5 Don’t Let the Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart (03:20) 6 Careless (03:25) 7 Sugar Finney (03:34) 8 Come Hell or High Water (03:22) 9 Fighting Talk (03:20) 10 Little Hitler (04:00) 1 I Don’t Want to Talk About It (04:16) 2 Love Is Here Where I Live (03:55) 3 These Early Days (03:50) 4 I Always Was Your Girl (04:00) 5 Oxford Street (03:21) 6 The Night I Heard Caruso Sing (02:56) 7 Goodbye Sunday (04:00) 8 Shadow on a Harvest Moon (03:38) 9 Blue Moon Rose (03:37) 10 Tears All Over Town (04:35) 11 Lonesome for a Place I Know (04:02) 12 Apron Strings (03:07) 1 Driving (03:59) 2 Get Back Together (03:57) 3 Meet Me in the Morning (03:50) 4 Me and Bobby D (04:09) 5 The Language of Life (04:02) 6 Take Me (04:08) 7 Imagining America (04:59) 8 Letting Love Go (04:45) 9 My Baby Don’t Love Me (03:42) 10 The Road (03:45) |