How cool is the painting for the cover?

When I first heard “Sweet Dreams” I said, that’s “Crazy Train”. I don’t care how Dave Stewart spins it, he was definitely influenced by Randy Rhoads. If you don’t believe me, listen to this recent cover version of the song from Iron Savior.

I guess they heard the similarities as well.

Anyway, “Revenge” is album number 5, released on 29 June 1986 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom and on 14 July in the United States.

All tracks are written by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart.

Missionary Man

I like the groove on this song.

Thorn in My Side

This song is excellent. The intro riff alone is iconic in my book.

When Tomorrow Comes

A rarity on the album, written by keyboardist Patrick Seymour.

It’s a melodic AOR rocker.

The Last Time

The rock sounds continue.

The Miracle of Love

This is a song that has survived the test of time. It is one of those crossover songs that works well in hard rock and normal rock. The intro keyboard lead sounds so good on a distorted guitar, sort of like the sax solo on “Careless Whisper”.

For me, it’s a 5 out of 5 for side A.

Side B is a good listen but the track titles always seem to escape me.

Let’s Go!

It’s got a New Wave vibe, with a bit of rock.

Take Your Pain Away

Repetitive with a funky bluesy bass groove.

A Little of You

The Chorus is addictive. Press play to hear it.

In This Town

It’s like they are warming up in soundcheck. And then it kicks in, with a rhythm and blues “Mustang Sally” vibe. The hook of “in this town something got to change” will always be relevant, considering how crazy and divisive towns have become.

I Remember You

A lonely Sax player is wailing away with the sounds of streets noise as the song builds. It’s not a favourite, as it percolates without exploding.

Side B is a 1 out of 5 and not as strong as the opening side.

This album was huge in Australia, reaching number 2 in the Charts and hanging around for a long time on the backs of the singles, eventually reaching a 4x Platinum certification. All the radio stations played the songs and the music video stations played the music clips.

And what is good for Australia, New Zealand likes as well, with the album certified 5x Platinum. Other places the album received certifications include Austria (Gold), Canada and the UK, (2× Platinum), Finland, Norway and Switzerland (Platinum), , while it only got a Gold certification in the U.S, Spain, Italy and Germany.

Press play on the first five songs and check out Iron Savior’s cover of “Sweet Dreams” on the YT link provided.