#500 Eurythmics - Touch (1983)

The very first song, of the first album on "The List". It couldn't be more familiar. It's one of those bookmarks in your mind that takes you right back to a place, a time, a life event in my case.

1983/84 I was a freshman in high school; well technically Jr. High--our 9th graders attended Jr. High. Our school was one of the first in the state to put together a full scale "mock disaster". The scenario was a Tornado strike, and the whole school participated, along with local police, first responders, and I suppose hospitals as well to learn from the experience.

I was on one of several First Aid teams of "responders" as part of our 9th grade health class. When the disaster commenced, all the lights went down, and I believe the majority of students were confined to classes, where teachers discussed proper reaction... some played parts of injured and were scattered around the school and gymnasium. My group was part of the responders who would search the rubble and attend to injuries. Honestly, most of that day was lost in the blur of a 14 yr old's first adult adrenaline rush and I won't bore you with any more details.

What I'll never forget however, is right at the moment the lights went down and the "game was on", over the intercom they played "Here Comes the Rain Again" It sent chills down my spine then, and almost 30 yrs later, that opening Oberheim synth arpeggio still does the same to me.

I wasn't at all familiar with the next 3 songs, Regrets, Right by Your Side, and Cool Blue. The instruments and drum machines used in them couldn't be more trapped in the 80's if they tried. It's hard to imagine that Annie Lennox's voice could be overshadowed by electronic cheese, but it's tough to not be distracted by the Linn Drum Machines and awkward effects.

And then Who's that Girl saves me. And now I'm actively listening to specifically see if the electronics sound dated... and they don't. All I can hear is Annie Lennox's singing. All I get are chills, the kind that make you feel like there's a ghost in the room. This was the follow up single to Here Comes the Rain Again and they feel like a matched pair.

The next 4 tracks, I can honestly say I've never heard either.

The First Cut-- A geeky synth whiteman funk song

Aqua-- Finally another track that fits in the haunted feel of the singles but just lacks substance

No Fear, No Hate, No Pain-- Wow, ok, that was sweet. The synth bass line, driving me nuts, sounds identical to another song. But you can tell, this wasn't a throw-away song. It's got all this wonderful layering going on, and to twist a lyric "here come the chills again". I knew there had to be a hidden gem here somewhere.

Paint a Rumour closes out the album. A throw away song that doesn't know if it's synth popcorn, or world beat music, or motown horns, or video game music. I'll tell you this, it's 6 minutes longer than it should be, and sounds like the equivalent of the album's "junk drawer". Maybe they were contractually obligated to hit 45 minutes for the album, so they put their sequencer on random play for 7 minutes 35 seconds and sang the words "paint a rumour" a few times. Save yourself the trouble, this rumour should have stayed on the easel.

Yes, that's right, Sweet Dreams are Made of These isn't on this album. Touch was the quick (about 10 months later) follow up album responding to the success of Sweet Dreams and technically their third release. It seems kinda obvious that they were pressured to kick out an album in a hurry to cash in on their success. Lucky for us all, they had those two amazing singles up their sleeves, because I don't wanna think how sucky my 30 yr old memory would have been, if the mock-tornado was indelibly linked with Yah Mo B There.

-CTK

NEXT UP #499 Albert King - Born Under a Bad Sign (1967)