Worldwide

Worldwide
$8.96
Having read enough lukewarm responses from reviewers for the past 18 years since this album was released, I felt moved to finally give my 2 cents' worth about this timeless classic.

Recorded during the pre-"Missing" post-"Idlewild" days, this album was roundly shrugged off by casual EBTG listeners and avid fans alike who were still hopeful for some bossa-nova bedsit from this constantly musically-evolving pair.

Already disappointed by their lite-jazz outing 'The Language Of Life' in 1990 which they considered a sellout pandering to adult-contemporary MOR radio, "Worldwide" continued to alienate the 'serious' fans.(By the way the much-maligned 'The Language Of Life' contained pretty decent white soul hits like 'Driving' - before Todd Terry came along and remixed it to death -'Meet Me in the Morning' and 'Take Me' among other gems.)

Thematically-cohesive, as the title suggests, this album reads like the band's travel diary, traversing the human heart across geography. The most representative song for me on this album is "One Place" where the wanderlust is quelled by a deeper longing, to "be happy and fulfilled in one place". Sung with such heartfelt yearning, it's hard not to be moved by Tracey Thorn's voice.

From the teenage memories-laden 'Old Friends' to the bittersweet celebration of time-tested love in "Understanding", an ode to parents from a childhood experience in "British Summertime", a heady love song in "Talk To Me Like The Sea" featuring Ben Watt on vocals, this album is so chockful of timeless melodies, it's hard to dismiss this as just a stop-gap in the duo's 20+ years' illustrious journey as EBTG.

While EBTG's flirtation with New Wave ala the Smiths in 1985's "Love Not Money" and the lush orchestral torch songbook follow-up "Baby The Stars Shine Bright" in 1986 may have been more cutting edge in textbook terms, the love ballads in "Worldwide" made it a brilliant straight pop album.

Go listen to "Idlewild" and "Amplified Heart" because they are really brilliant albums, but don't dismiss "Worldwide" just because it sounded too tuneful and too pop. It made no pretensions to be anything else, so why shouldn't it be celebrated for what it is?

Mixed Martial Arts Worldwide
$32.00
Story based magazine features untold stories, behind the scenes footage, and iconic rare photos never before published. Readers will be riveted by the up and coming fighters, the true champions and the promoters who make it happen. An expert roundtable answers questions fans have been dying to ask.

Toasted Toast Notes By Fred
$9.73
This piping hot slice of toast is pretty hard to miss on your desktop, so youll always be able to put your fingers on a buttery little self-stick note when you need one. Toast Notes comes with 5 handy pads.

Samsonite Worldwide Adaptor Plug
$15.00
This adapter comes with all the plug styles I need. Two shortcomings worth mentioning:
1. There is no ground connector so it is not as safe.
2. The construction is quite poor. Switching from plug style often gets stuck.