Dave and Annie were starting to lose faith in 1982 as their career as Eurythmics had failed to take off. God Bless ‘em, though, in that they didn’t stop trying. Enter “The Walk” in July of 1982 as a silky swath of mystery strutting slyly among the synthesized fog. It is a definite highlight of the Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) album, even if it fared no better than its predecessors commercially.
As great as it is, however, the real gem of this release comes in the wild experimentation of the treasure trove of B-sides, setting the stage for many more to come. “Dr. Trash” is a freakish cacophony of synth madness, while “Invisible Hands” is an ominously catchy pop number that served as the working title for their second album. “Step on the Beast” struts atop a dangerously danceable rhythm complete with an echoed roar of the proverbial beast on the 3 of every measure. The synths buzz with strange abandon before being joined by a funky horn solo and Lennox scatting. Truly unhinged, “Step on the Beast” stands at the precipice of sanity with a sort of anti-melody while remaining strangely accessible, and as such, it stands as arguably the pinnacle of a career of wonderful B-side excursions.
