EBTG - A

February 18, 2018 4:33 AM

In 1992, for their seventh album, Everything But The Girl changed tack entirely and went Acoustic [41m YouTube apologies for commercials] Cassette Side A: Love Ia Strange, Tougher Than The Rest, Time After Time, Alison, Downtown Train

Cassette Side B: Driving, One Place, Apron Strings (Live), Me And Bobby D, Come Oh Home, Fascination (Live)

posted by hippybear (11 comments total)

Tougher Than the Rest FTW.
That Springsteen album is totally underrated, brilliantly disguised even.
posted by chavenet at 6:56 AM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

Nice post, I love this album! If you want more - check out the deluxe edition of their preceding album, "Worldwide" (1991) - it has acoustic extras from around the same period, like this gem: "Back to the Old House".
posted by Petersondub at 7:14 AM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

And of course both Tracey Thorn and Ben Watts are having great careers of their own, both musically and as authors. Ben's second memoir, Romany and Tom , about his parents shows he can really write, as can Tracey who has written several books. Her Bedsit Disco Queen: How I Grew Up and Tried to Be a Pop Star, is a wonderful account of her life in music. She writes regularly for the New Statesman too. Ben's Spotify playlist is a terrific way to find new and interest music. he really does know his stuff. And Tracey has a new album which includes Sister, which she describes as "an eight-minute feminist groove anthem". They are both terrific musicians.
posted by vac2003 at 11:59 AM on February 18, 2018 [6 favorites]

Ben Watt is lucky to still be alive, honestly.
posted by hippybear at 12:11 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

I love that album so much.
posted by limeonaire at 12:24 PM on February 18, 2018

2nd-ing Ben Watt's Spotify playlist as brilliant way to find great tunes, old and new. The mixes on his site -- particularly the series of Deep Folk Mixtapes -- are also wonderful.
posted by neroli at 12:31 PM on February 18, 2018 [2 favorites]

That is one of the better Tom Waits covers I've heard.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 12:59 PM on February 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

One of my older brothers turned me on to EBTG when I was a little kid, and I can’t think of an album of theirs that I dislike. Thanks for reminding me to give then some more attention — and for pointing out Tracey’s columns!
posted by wenestvedt at 3:12 PM on February 18, 2018

Oh, damn . . . this album. I'm just gutted listening to it again after all these years. There's a woman somewhere out there who I haven't seen in 25 years who haunts the abandoned corridors of my heart to this day that I associate with this album.

Thanks, Hippybear. Sometimes it feels good to wander through the old Spook House. Sometimes.
posted by KingEdRa at 5:04 PM on February 18, 2018 [3 favorites]

A long time ago, I walked into an architectural studio at a university and interrupted a very sweet Scottish man as he was building a model of his project and listening to EBTG. I'll never forget how his face lit up that some random usian knew his favorite music.

I've always wanted a singing voice, and Tracey Thorn's is one I'd give so much to have one like. Much respect and love to her and Ben.
posted by vers at 5:41 PM on February 18, 2018

I'm not sure this album presented a change of tack at all. It's not like EBTG were amped up riffmeisters up till then. Walking Wounded on the other hand was definitely a change in direction...
posted by peterkins at 7:30 AM on February 20, 2018