One record at a time: 470. Yazoo - You And Me Both

The title of this record, paired with the sleeve’s image of snarling dogs, are a clear reference to the fractured relationship between Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke. By the time "You and Me Both" was released in 1983, Yazoo had already parted ways. 

Having never envisioned the band as a long-term project, Vince had wanted to end the collaboration after their debut, but he was persuaded to continue by his publisher. With one member of the band reluctant to participate, it isn't surprising that the recording of the second album was a rather acrimonious affair and the end product lacks any joy

Another notable shift from their previous album is the embrace of digital instruments. While the analogue Sequential Circuits Pro One and Roland Juno 60 synthesizers from "Upstairs at Eric’s" remain present, the addition of the Linn LM-1 drum machine and the Fairlight CMI brings a distinctly digital edge to the music.

Things kick off with a Moyet composition "Nobody's Diary". This track was the only single released form the album and proved to be a big hit. I was astonished to read Alison composed this song when she was just sixteen years old - which it makes it even more impressive an achievement. As well as Alison's distinctive vocal you can hear the Linn drum machine and some Fairlight "SWANEE" samples alongside the usual Pro One bass.

Whilst the sparse nature of the tracks on "Upstairs at Eric's" created a taught and economical sound, this album tends to just sound under produced and cold. The frenetic "Sweet Thing" is a good example where Vince tries to fill the sonic void with some Fairlight trumpet samples, but just ends up making a mess. The closest this album comes to achieving the heights of their debut is probably "Mr Blue" whose production is precise enough to ensure the composition shines.

Those terrible Fairlight trumpets return for "Good Times" where only Alison's vocal emerges with any self respect. "Walk Away From Love" harks back to Depeche Mode's debut and "Unmarked" sounds like prototypical Erasure. There's a rather bizarre song called "Happy People" that was so bad Alison refused to sing it. With no other options at the time Vince decided to sing the song himself with predictably terrible results. By contrast Alison delivers a wonderful vocal on "Anyone" that carries both conviction and technical dexterity. Which is a good summary for this record; not Vince's finest hour but Alison shines bright enough to make it worthwhile. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 469. Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's

"Upstairs at Eric's" is one of those albums that I would expect to find in the collection of any self respecting electronic music fan. This record was originally released in 1982 and my copy is an original UK pressing acquired from eBay in 2017.

As the needle drops we are greeted by the iconic synth riff that opens the hit single "Don't Go". Legend has it that every sound on this track is from a Sequential Circuits Pro-One synthesiser but I seem to remember producer Daniel Miller saying his trusty ARP 2600 was also used, and I can definitely hear some TR-808 claps towards the end. Whilst there are other gems on this record, this track must surely be the zenith of early eighties synth pop.

Most of the other tracks on this record have a certain naivety that both lends them charm but occasionally detracts. Take the snare drum on second track "Too Pieces" which has such a long reverb it just smears across the whole song, or the backing vocals on "Bad Connection" which just seem unnecessary. 

Then there's "I Before Except After C". Usually you might find me saying things like, "this track is divisive" or it "splits fan opinion", but in this case I think it is safe to say it is universally disliked. I presume this experimental track is created using tape loops as it was recorded before Vince had his short affair with the Fairlight CMI. Most American fans will point out that switching this track with the single "Situation" would have made for a much better album, but the decision to release "Situation" as a single in the USA was not approved by the band and they seemed to regarded it as mere b-side material at the time. Interestingly all compact disc releases of the album did indeed omit "I Before Except After C" in favour of the US remix of "Situation", but it was finally restored to the running order when the album was remastered in 2008.

The fist song we encounter that is composed by Alison Moyet is "Midnight". This song receives a complimentary backing track thanks to Vince's Pro One bassline and subtle pads from a Roland Juno 60. Vince Clarke has said during interviews that most of these songs consist of no more than seven or eight elements and this minimalistic approach is also evident on songs like "In My Room" (which also has a rather 'esoteric' vocal contribution from Vince). 

Side B opens with the bands debut single "Only You" which is laced with analogue synthesisers and a perfect vocal performance. Some consider "Goodbye 70s" to be Alison's best composition on the record and its hi-energy approach means it hurtles along in a surprisingly entertaining fashion. The sombre "Tuesday" isn't really to my taste and whilst "Winter Kills" provides nice contrast to some of the disco pomp, it just goes on a bit too long. The final track is the brilliant "Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)" which seems to mark the sudden appearance of a Linn LM-1 drum machine alongside the ubiquitous Pro One. A patchy album that has become required listening for electronic music enthusiasts thanks to its hit singles. 3.5/5