To support their 1991 album Worldwide Everything But the Girl did an acoustic tour. Their set was made up of refreshed older songs and covers of some of their favorites. In 1992 they came out with an album called Acoustic based on this tour. One side of the album was covers, one side were their songs redone for this tour. A couple of the tracks on this album were taken from live recordings. The album is in essence soft and quiet and good background music. It is pretty much a mediocre album up to the very last song. It is a live version of "Fascination" and it is brilliant. "Fascination" comes off of EBTG's first album Eden which came out in 1984. The thing is the song was originally an acoustic song, so what really changed from album to performance to make me like it so much more.
First they slowed the song down. The album version of the song has a bit of a rushed feel to it, and the live version really steps the pace down and gives Tracey the opportunity to put a lot more emotion into the lyrics. Secondly her voice has never sounded better than it does on this live recording. You can really hear in this song, just how much better a singer she had become over those eight years. Thirdly they replace the sax with a flute and that makes a huge difference, softening the feel of the song and fitting in much better with the slower tempo.
I obviously have a romantic bone or two as this list is revealing. I can certainly understand people, like my wife, not being so keen on this song, but for me it's almost perfect. The lyrics are brilliant, the presentation is flawless, it's just a wonderful experience to hear this song. Throw it on while driving alone at night sometime and you can really get lost in the sound and the emotional feel of the song.
Lyrics
I won't try to stop you when you speak of the past
Doubt is over now, and I can join in when you laugh.
Fascination makes us ask for more than we'd like to know,
But I needn't explain, I bet you know.
Reassure me when my heart's not bold enough to bear her name.
If you were in my shoes and scared, I would do the same.
And though I may ask, there's no need for past details
for though I may laugh along,
My courage fails
Did you know?
See how I've changed now, how my head's so clear
Still there are some things that I don't want to hear
And there must be so much I know
That you cannot forget
And I musn't wish your life began
The day we met
Places we go remind you of when you were here before
So you talk and tell me you don't think about it any more
There is something I know that hasn't quite been left behind
So I'll ask you once again
To prove that I don't mind
To prove that I don't mind
I can't find a video of them doing this song, but here is a video someone made of the original album version.
Here is a video of them performing an acoustic set with a song off of their first album Eden and their brilliant eighth album Amplified Heart.
