One record at a time: 126. Erasure - Tomorrow's World

If I were to use single word to sum up this album it would be "disjointed''. The complete disconnect between the title and the artwork is a good example of the incoherent nature of what is happening here. The way producer Vincent Frank (Frankmusic) manipulates the sound on some tracks is quite jarring and out of step with the traditional sound of the band. Whilst this album has a more contemporary feel, I get the impression things didn’t necessarily sit well with Vince and Andy.

The single "Be With You" is insipid and a bit of a poor start. The best track for me is "Fill Us With Fire" which also happens to be Vince's favourite. This track builds and releases in the best dance floor tradition and carries a real sense of euphoria. A couple of unremarkable mid-tempo songs "What Will I Say When You're Gone?" and "You've Got To Save Me Right Now" follow before the twisted dance funk of "A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot" whips things up again. "I Lose Myself" is another contemporary sounding dance track that pounds along and satisfies if you're in the mood for a boogie.

"When I Start To Break It All Down" was a curious choice for the lead single as it is a bit limp. There were a raft of remixes issued in what felt like a desperate attempt to shore up a fundamentally weak composition. It is no wonder it stalled at number 172 in the charts. 

When it was released, this album disappointed me as I felt the impetus gained on "Nightbird" was being frittered away. In the interceding 10 years, nothing has happened to lessen my disappointment. 2/5

One record at a time: 125. Erasure - Light at the end of the World

"Light at the End of the World" was released in 2007, but like a few Erasure albums, it wasn't released on vinyl until 2016. 

I tried hard to like this album when it came out, but I could never really warm to it. Their previous effort "Nightbird" had reignited my interest (and belief) in Erasure and the lead single "I Could Fall In Love With You" was a very promising introduction. The anticipation for this release was also heightened by Vince describing it as more dance orientated. In reality this is an album of “so-so” compositions with unremarkable execution.

The first track, "Sunday Girl" is naive and has terrible, nonsensical lyrics. Whilst the single version of "I Could Fall In Love With You" is superior to the version here, it remains a  passable effort. "Sucker for Love" continues in the same vein as "Sunday Girl" with its annoying melody and disjointed backing track. In fact, all of the backing tracks on this album sound uninspired and as if Vince was just phoning in his contribution. 

"Storm in a Teacup" has a very promising start but it doesn't quite realise its potential. The tracks "Fly Away" and "Golden Heart" come close to realising the "dance orientated" sound that Vince hinted at prior to the album's release, but the compositions simply aren't strong enough. One of the better songs here is "How My Eyes Adore You" which has a great melody but the transition between the different parts of the song is clunky. This song is also an example of Andy forcing his vocal in an unnatural fashion. Normally Andy's vocals soar effortlessly over Vince's bleeps and beats, but on this album the vocals seem to be fighting for room and Andy has to sing louder to force his way into the mix. 

The remainder of the album is forgettable and listening to it has been a bit of a chore to be honest. As I said earlier, I tried to like this album and I listened to it many times when it came out in an effort to force my appreciation. But, realistically, if you have to force an album into your consciousness in an effort to like it, surely it has failed. 2/5

One record at a time: 124. Erasure - Nightbird

Despite being released in 2005, "Nightbird" wasn't made available on vinyl until 2016. My copy came with a free 12x12" art print of the sleeve which is horrendously blurred and doesn't seem worth the effort. Still, this is quite a good pressing and the sound of the record is very good.

At this stage in their career, Erasure were transitioning from being regarded as a washed up eighties band to electronic pop royalty. This record was the first in a few years that wasn't toe curling awful and it certainly put their legacy back on track in my mind.

"No Doubt" begins with some unremarkable percussion noises before suddenly exploding into a Technocolor world that reassures us that planet "Loveboat" has been left behind. As the song progresses the repeated notes of the bassline build a tension that resolves as Andy sings: "It's more than enough just to gaze in your eyes, I'm dying to show you what love is about."

"Here I Impossible Again" was a single that has a great chorus. I always find myself singing along to this song but I don't have much clue what it is actually about. One of the highlights of the album is the magnificent "Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon" which is intricate and satisfying. These songs aren't the pure pop of "The Innocents" or "The Circus" but something more considered and mature. Whilst Andy's lyrics have always been subject to a certain degree of introspection, they are especially so on this record. Lead single "Breathe" seems to reflect on a life lived and the need to believe: "Stood the test of time, Though I treated you rough, You were always kind".

The backing track for "I'll Be There" is archetypical Vince Clarke, yet the analogue synthesizers seem to be handled much more imaginatively this time around. I'm guessing Vince began using Logic Pro for this album as the music has both a greater depth and possesses a polished edge that had been lacking on some predecessors. "Because Our Love Is Real" has almost nursery rhyme style verses which are punctuated by a more mature chorus. This song made me reflect on the prominence of Andy's performance and the restraint being shown in the backing tracks.

Another magnificent single "Don't Say You Love Me" opens side two with an amazing flourish. The pulsating synths and vocoder effects rumble under Andy's soaring vocals in a way that I find fascinating. The next track "All This Time Still Failing Out of Love" sounds a bit like ABBA being recorded in a rave style. The reflective mid tempo "I Broke It All In Two" is a great piece of song writing that is well executed. The low point of the album is the unfinished sounding "Sweet Surrender". However, given that this song is still better than anything they had recorded in the proceeding 8 years I can live with it.

The ending of this album is something special. Everything about "I Bet You're Mad at Me" is pretty much perfect. The melody is complimented by Vince's swell of synth effects until we reach the all too brief crescendo. A magnificent end to an album that restored my faith in Erasure. 4/5

One record at a time: 123. Erasure - Union Street

Having released a bad album of their own material and an even worse one containing other people's songs, Erasure decided to accelerate the demise of their career by releasing an album of their old songs recorded with acoustic instruments. 

I am trying not to be too negative here I promise you; but in pursuing vanity projects such as this, Vince and Andy left a sizeable number of their casual fans (such as myself) behind. As an admirer of electronic music, "Union Street" is an anathema to me. Yes, artists are perfectly entitled to stretch themselves and try something new, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

Like its predecessor, I only own this album because it completes my collection. I haven't listened to the record and I do not intend to - low quality mp3 will suffice for this review I am sure.

The song choices are intriguing ("Piano Song" with no piano?) and the arrangements are much better than "Other People's Songs" - but the basic concept of an electronic band re-recording their tracks with acoustic guitar (and even worse, pedal steel guitar) is abhorrent to me. 0/5

One record at a time: 122. Erasure - Other People's Songs

This record is an unmitigated disaster. The only reason I own it is because I felt the need to possess a complete collection of Erasure's albums on vinyl and it was cheap. When the record arrived I hid it away in my collection and pretend it didn't exist. As a consequence, this record remains sealed in its cellophane cocoon and I have absolutely no intention of opening it.

When the lead single "Solsbury Hill" was released in 2003 I remember hardcore Erasure fans being more than a little smug that the band had secured a top ten hit after years in the commercial wilderness. Yet, as an outsider, it was fairly obvious that this success was attributable to clever marketing and a co-ordinated effort by fans to buy multiple copies of the single. Vince and Andy's version of the Peter Gabriel classic is perfectly listenable with the "Radio Mix" on the DVD single being the pick of the bunch, but this is as good as the parent album will get by quite some margin.

I dislike this album for a number of reasons. In some cases I actively dislike the song being covered ("Make Me Smile", "When Will I See You Again"), for other tracks it is because they are very badly executed ("Ebb Tide", "Video Killed The Radio Star") and sometimes it is because the cliche is too much to bear ("You've Lost That Loving Feeling", "Can't Help Falling in Love").

I guess there are people who enjoy this album and I understand that my taste can be eclectic. But to me this is a dumpster fire. 0/5

One record at a time: 121. Erasure - Loveboat

I own the original pressing of Erasure's "Loveboat" along with the 2016 re-issue and a test pressing. I won the the test pressing in a random draw and feel lucky to own it. Well, when I say that, I think I feel lucky to own the object, but the music on this record bemuses me. 

When I originally bought this album back in 2000 I put it in my car CD player and was alarmed to find my speakers had blown out. Or at least that's what it sounded like. The music was distorted, EQ-ed with far too much bass and was a complete mess. When I listened to the CD at home I was shocked to find there was no fault with my car and that this sound was intentional.

This album is a fine example of Erasure's penchant for committing commercial suicide. Many bands are susceptible to this behaviour, but Erasure specialise in finding new ways of going down the dumper. Whilst "Loveboat " didn't represent the bottom of the barrel, it wasn't far off.

Personally, I don't think there is much merit in the songs here and the lo-fi production techniques only detract further. For electronic music fans the coup de grâce is delivered by the heavy handed use of acoustic guitars. Such a disappointment. 1/5

One record at a time: 120. Erasure - Cowboy

I bought the lead single from this album, "In My Arms" at the beginning of 1997 and I was very impressed by it. On the back of this, I decided to buy the CD of "Cowboy" when it was released later in the year.

Unfortunately I didn't buy the vinyl when the album was released, so I have to settle for the 2016 repressing here. Not only did this record come with a free art print of the cover image, but I was also lucky enough to win a signed test pressing. Admittedly the cover image is a little weird, but who doesn't like a freebie?

The first track, "Rain" is a good song, but what is more significant is the production. The Korg M1 piano has been resurrected and there is a more club orientated beat driving things along. Vince's previous stance of restricting himself to analogue synthesizers and CV/Gate sequencers seems have been dispensed with and the result is a much more diverse sound. 

There's also something about the basslines on this album which are deeper, funkier and more dance orientated. I suspect this is in part due to the change of equipment but also as a result of the involvement of The Prodigy producer Neil McLellan. Erasure haven't made a record that sounds quite like this before or since; it remains a wonderful anomaly.

Whilst not all of the songs on this album are immediate I find the melodies intricate and beguiling. This is typified by songs like "Worlds on Fire", "Treasure" and "Save Me Darling" which flow seamlessly and are imaginatively produced. The album reaches its peak with the fantastic "Boy". This song has a soaring melancholic vocal which wraps itself around Vince's synthetic guitar arpeggios and analogue synthesizers whilst the backing vocals provide harmony and rhythmic impetus. Perfect.

In truth there isn't a bad song on here and the production is satisfying. Whilst this album didn't turn around Erasure's fading commercial fortunes, it did restore some musical credibility and reminded us of their talent. 4/5

One record at a time: 119. Erasure - Erasure

Erasure's eponymously titled album was supposed to be a grand artistic statement with finely crafted compositions presented in an extended form. Vince Clarke continued to limit himself to analogue synthesizers and Gareth Jones and Thomas Fehlmann were roped in to produce. Francois Kevorkian seemed an odd choice to mix given the tranquil mid-tempo character of the songs, but his pedigree is unquestionable. 

The first I heard of this album was the lead single "Stay With Me". Despite receiving a promotional postcard through the post, I wasn't tempted to buy it. I think I acquired the second single "Fingers & Thumbs" simply because both CD singles were 99p each. I would have felt a little short-changed if I had paid much more. 

The trouble with this album is that its experimental nature means it often becomes self indulgent. This might not be a problem if the music was entertaining but by and large, it just sounds a mess. There's a real lack of direction and the music is almost schizophrenic. Take the introduction "Guess I'm Into Feeling" which starts with a long fade and washes of synth textures before it abruptly explodes into a weird disco pastiche. The second track "Rescue Me" rolls along for four minutes but seems to have a three minute long coda bolted onto the end. Not only does this ending make the song overly long but it sounds forced and uninspiring. "Sono Luminous" is a more promising composition and, of all the tracks here, it is the only one that lends itself to the extended format. 

As I am not a big fan of this album, it is ironic that it contains my favourite song by the band: "Rock Me Gently". Yet, as fantastic as this song is, it's 'experimental' coda with Andy shrieking becomes a bit wearing after ten minutes. I tend to stick to the single mix. 

The rest of the album carries on in a similar vein but with increasingly mediocre songs. This record is definitely a case of the concept getting in the way of the execution. The band can't have been surprised by the poor sales, but its failure as an artistic statement must have been disappointing. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 118. Erasure - I Say I Say I Say

This is without a doubt my favourite Erasure album. Here Vince Clarke and Martyn Ware use analogue synthesizers to create the most beautiful music that perfectly compliments Andy’s soaring vocals. This album restricts its sound palette even more than its predecessor by not using drum machines. In another break from the norm, Andy's vocals were recorded first and the backing tracks sculpted around them. The end result is an album of shimmering beauty that has a unique and beguiling sound.

The mood is set by opening track "Take Me Back" with its wistful falsetto vocals and delicate synth textures. The single "I Love Saturday" injects some urgency but the delightful "Man in the Moon" brings us floating back down. "So the Story Goes" takes a while to get going and the discordant choir can be a bit jarring until you become accustomed to it.

I remember an interview in a magazine describing "Run to the Sun" as, "Eurodisco in a sort of 2 Unlimited style". Today this description is puzzling, but it did make sense to me back in 1994 - the opening riff is undoubtedly influenced by dance music but it remains distinctly an Erasure song. The big hit single "Always" has an amazing melody that anyone faintly antiquated with it can't help but sing along to. There are three more fantastic songs on the b-side of the album but the final cut, "Because You're So Sweet" remains my favourite. 5/5