Cover Art
Designed by Laurence Stevens, whose goal was to reflect the personas Annie Lennox embodied throughout the album: the meek, plain housewife in the Beethoven (I Love to Listen To) video, and the brash, Marilyn Monroe–inspired blonde featured in Savage. The cover gives us a close-up of this latter character. Lennox once described the look as “a woman dressed as a man dressed as a woman,” referencing the man in drag from the Beethoven (I Love to Listen To) video.
Lennox helped pioneer an androgynous aesthetic in the ’70s, alongside icons like Grace Jones. During BBC Woman’s Hour last month, she said, “I think the way you wear your clothes says a lot about you, particularly when you’re a performer — you’re informing people about yourself. I think everyone has a male and female aspect to them.”
This more feminised version of Lennox makes the Savage album cover stand out from other Eurythmics releases, where she is often seen with her cropped, bright orange hair.
Historical Context
Released in 1987, Savage was the duo’s sixth album, following the huge commercial success of Revenge. It marked an important turning point for Eurythmics, as they returned to their more experimental roots. Recording in Paris and Normandy, they embraced new technology — such as the Synclavier, a ground-breaking digital synthesizer and sampling system developed in the late ’70s — to create a darker, more intense sound.
The lyrics explore themes of failing relationships and a feminine perspective in a raw, sometimes spiteful way: “So don’t ask me to stay with you, don’t ask to see you home.” At the time, Lennox was struggling with inner turmoil following their major world tour.
Savage didn’t achieve the same commercial success as Revenge, which is a shame, because it’s an equally strong album.
Track List
- Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)
- I’ve Got a Lover (Back in Japan)
- Do You Want to Break Up?
- You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart
- Shame
- Savage
- I Need a Man
- Put the Blame on Me
- Heaven
- Wide Eyed Girl
- I Need You
- Brand New Day
My Favourite Tracks
Listening to this cassette as I write, I’ve realised it’s impossible to choose just one favourite. This album takes the listener through so many emotions — it’s beautifully chaotic and relentless in delivering one brilliant track after another. Instead, I’ll highlight a few standouts.
You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart is gut-wrenchingly beautiful because it feels like a genuine, frustrated outpouring — what love should be (“Love is a temple, Love is a shrine”) versus the kind of love that makes her wish she were invisible. The bridge captures the agony of trying to explain how someone makes you feel, only to have them not understand.
I Need a Man is my go-to track when I’m motivating myself to go out. Its straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude feels empowering — it puts me in the mindset of a woman who knows what she wants and doesn’t compromise. Put the Blame on Me perfectly continues that feeling.
Brand New Day is the relaxed, mellow ending the album needs after so many emotional highs. It’s part of my regular listening rotation — after all, who doesn’t want to wake up to Annie Lennox’s stunning, gospel-like harmonies?
Finally, I Need You, the acoustic track amid all the album’s intensity, stands out for its beautiful simplicity.
Production
- Produced by Dave Stewart
- Original sound recording by RCA Limited
- Cassette manufactured in Germany
- J-card features a simple design with lyrics and scattered gold stars, which also appear on the tape itself
- Type I – Ferric Oxide