Here we have the 2016 re-issue and the original 1991 pressings of "Chorus".
When I heard the debut of the title track on Radio 1, things didn't seem to go well. The feedback from the listeners wasn't very positive and one caller even branded the track, "Their worst single ever!"
When the album was released Q magazine could only bring themselves to award it 3/5 (a mystifying misjudgment that probably gives us an indication of why they went out of business).
I think this reaction was, in part, caused by the new direction Vince had taken with the production and sound of the music. Having suddenly declared himself dissatisfied with the timing of MIDI sequencers, Vince decided to use the Roland MC-4 which employed CV/Gate technology. As a result of this decision, the album had to be created using vintage analogue synthesizers and was limited to monophonic sequences.
Personally I love the resulting sound but it seemed to come as a shock to some. All of the ingredients for success were here: Vince and Andy's
songwriting, a myriad of analogue synthesizers, skilled producer Martyn
Phillips and the inimitable Dave Bascombe mixing. So despite some early naysayers, this album did prove to be a terrific success both artistically and commercially.
My favourite tracks are "Turns the Love to Anger", "Waiting for the Day" and "Breath of Life" and only "Love to Hate You" falls a bit short to my ears. "Joan" and "Home" are prime examples of songs that require repeated listening to fully appreciate them and the final track "Home" open like a beautiful flower. 5/5
