One record at a time: 115. Erasure - The Innocents

As with the previous Erasure album "The Circus", my pursuit of a good quality pressing has led me to own three copies of "The Innocents". I have two original pressings and the 2016 180g reissue. I seem to remember buying a second copy of the original as I thought mine didn't include the poster that was given away with the initial run. However, my memory was faulty and so I now own two copies with a poster (but only one has the promo sticker on the sleeve telling us this).

Discogs users have strong opinions about the fidelity of the repressing. Whilst the experience isn't exactly, "like the neighbours are playing an Erasure record and you're hearing it through the wall", it definitely has less clarity than the original and the EQ is not sympathetic.

The actual music on this album is very good indeed; but there are a couple of party poopers in here. Things kick off with the mega single "A Little Respect" and another chart success "Ship of Fools" follows hot on its heels. The best track on the album, "Phantom Bride" is criminally tucked away as the third track where it falls in the shadow of "Chains of Love" somewhat. Side one ends with "Hallowed Ground" which is another jewel of a song that stands up against the more up tempo chart singles we have heard to this point.

Unfortunately, the second side of the record is not nearly as strong as the first. Instrumental cover version "Sixty Five Thousand" is fun, but it's pointless pretending it is anything other than filler. "Heart of Stone" is a well executed pop song replete with a typical eighties horn section. However, the sequencing of the album sees the track sit incongruously and it suffers as a result. "Witch in the Ditch" is one of those twee, folk influenced melodies that Erasure seem to generate now and again (see "Crown of Thorns" on follow up "Wild!" as another example) and is probably the low point. 

In my youth I never heard much merit in the final track "Weight of the World". It was only in the last 10 years or so that my wife pointed out it actually is a good song with a strong melody. This forces me to reflect that this track is another victim of poor sequencing. I assumed that this was down to some disinterested intern in A&R, but on conducting a little research I found that it was actually Andy Bell that decided.

It is well documented that the gestation of this album was problematic as Vince found it difficult to work with producer Stephen Hague. I think some of that struggle comes through in the music and tracks like "Imagination" and "Yahoo!" sound like they were thrown down quickly in an effort to get he record finished and draw an end to the whole affair. For the first time on an Erasure album it is easy to identify large numbers of presets and the distinctive EMU Drumulator. The combination of a slightly bland sound palette with poor choices in defining the running order means this album isn't able to achieve the pop perfection that was within reach of Erasure in 1988. 4/5

One record at a time: 114. Erasure - The Two Ring Circus

In the mid eighties any electronic pop album that sold moderately well would almost certainly generate a remix counterpart. Remix albums were the perfect cash cow that could generate large sales at minimal expense, whilst simultaneously extending the longevity of the parent album. I love a good remix album.

Here we have two copies of "The Two Ring Circus" where one is literally a pale imitation of the other. I own an original pressing which is in very good condition, and thanks to the fact that this album is presented as two 45rpm 12" discs, it sounds fantastic. The other copy is a "Queuing for records day" Record Store Day cash-in from 2018. The artwork for the newer version was clearly reproduced from scans as it is rather pale, blurred and not colour matched to the original. This newer version is pressed on yellow vinyl, but as my original copy is in such good condition, I haven't had need to open it.

The remixes on this album aren't radical reinterpretations or even funkier dance versions. No, these mixes belong to the 'tinker with it' school of remixing that was predominant in the eighties. Around 80% of the original backing track always seem to be retained and only the occasional new element added. 

The "Erasure and Flood Remix" of "Sometimes" starts of promisingly but reverts to the same structure as the album version with only the occasional new drum sound thrown in. The most radical mix is probably Louie Vega's version of "Hideaway" which features an extend break and some nice TR-808 hit hats. Daniel Miller's mix of "Don't Dance" is suitably Kraftwerk inspired and is probably the highlight. 

The last three tracks on the album are orchestral interpretations of "If I Could", "Spiralling" and a song from their debut album called "My Heart So Blue". As a fan of electronic music I'm not too interested in these versions and the arrangements sound a little ostentatious for my taste. The live tracks found on the CD (and cassette as I remember) aren't on the vinyl so here we end. 3/5

One record at a time: 113. Erasure - The Circus

The search for a copy of "The Circus" in good condition has resulted in me owning it three times. These records come from a variety of pressing plants and range from good to very good condition. One copy includes a sampler 12" that was bundled by the record company. I'm not clear on why you would include the sampler that duplicates content from the album. Maybe Mute had a warehouse full of them to get rid of.

Vince and Andy's second effort is when things began to take off for the band; and its easy to see why. These tracks have better hooks than "Wonderland" and the production is a big step forwards. Phil Harding provides that PWL sparkle to the mix and almost all of the tracks could have been released as a single. Even the artwork is attractive compared to its predecessor.

The album kicks off with an underrated single "It Doesn't Have To Be" which I considered to epitomise synth pop in my youth. As a teenager I was also slightly obsessed with the melody of "Hideaway" which seemed to weave through the scale like a snake. Unfortunately I didn't give as much attention to the lyrics on some of these songs when I was younger and their message was a little lost on me. The trio of "Don't Dance", "If I Could" and "Sexuality" are all based on strong and empowering messages that I didn't appreciate at the time.

The second half of the album weaves the pop majesty of "Victim of Love" with the plaintive "Leave Me to Bleed" and the undeniable melody of break through hit "Sometimes". The titular single is another underappreciated masterpiece that can instantly transport me back to 1987. "Spiralling" makes for the perfect torch song to round out a great album. 4/5

One record at a time: 112. Erasure - Wonderland

Having worked our way through the Enigma back catalogue, we now face the daunting task of tackling twenty one Erasure albums. We start with thier debut LP, "Wonderland". 

I originally bought a copy of this album in 1987 from a local supermarket (back when supermarkets had record departments) and it came bundled with a 12" of  "Oh l'Amour". However, there was a large gouge in the vinyl and I had to returned it for a refund. A few years later I bought the album on CD and listened to that for the next twenty five years. In 2014 I bought another copy of the vinyl from eBay and this time around the record is in very good condition but no 12" single was included.

They say you should never judge a book by its cover; yet inevitably we do. The same can also be said for records and I know I definitely make judgements about the music based on the artwork presented. I'll cut to the chase and say I hate the artwork for this album and I wish I could divorce it from the music. There's something about the matt brown background and the unfinished images that I dislike intensely.

As for the music, I've said before on this blog that I think this album is a little lacking. "Wonderland" found Vince seemingly devoid of confidence and both the song writing and production are fragile. Whilst the album generally lacks the polish of later efforts, there are some diamonds in the rough.

The two stand out tracks for me are "Push Me, Shove Me" and "Cry So Easy" with everything else falling into the 'OK but nothing special' category. Even the version of "Oh l'Amour" is a little disappointing. I'm feeling generous so I will say this was an adequate first effort but better was to come. 3/5

One record at a time: 111. Enigma - Love Sensuality Devotion (The Greatest Hits)

We round out my Enigma vinyl collection with the 2021 "Monocorm Series" edition of "Love Sensuality Devotion (The Greatest Hits)". This is a 180g vinyl that features material released between 1990 and 2001. As this collection was initially conceived as a compact disc, there are 18 tracks which have to be spread across two vinyl discs.

The obligatory atmospheric introduction is provided by the "The Landing". This track and the single  "Turn Around" were written for this compilation and are competent without being overly impressive.

As "TNT For The Brain" starts I am beginning to notice there is little attention to the band's earlier albums here. The track choices break down as three from the first album, "MCMXC a.D.", four songs each from "The Cross of Changes" and "Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!" but five from "The Screen Behind the Mirror". We don't get any music from the first and most successful album until we're halfway through the record. 

I find the inclusion of mediocre tracks such as "Morphing Thru Time" and "Smell of Desire" puzzling as they weren't released as singles and I'm not clear on how they became considered 'hits'. I think it would have been better to have culled 4-5 tracks and made this album a more traditional hits package that focussed on their most successful work. Despite some odd track choices this remains a great précis of the bands output from the so called "first chapter".4/5

One record at a time: 110. Enigma - The Fall of Rebel Angel (The Complete Studio Albums Collection)

We reach the end of Enigma's studio album collection with the eighth instalment, "The Fall of Rebel Angel". Once the obligatory moody introduction is over we get into "The Omega Point" which has a catchy synth refrain and imaginative drum programming. "Diving" is quite an abstract and ambient piece which fits with the aesthetic we've heard so far. 

"The Die Is Cast" is a good track that harks back to earlier works with its Art of Noise stabs and PPG Waveterm car samples. "Mother" belongs in the 'new but bland' category and "Agnus Dei" just recycles the theme from "The Omega Point".

Whatever you may be expecting from the follow up to "Sadeness (Part I)" I doubt it would be the "Part II" that comes next. The opening to J.S. Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" is played over a languid beat as woman breathlessly utters the original French lyrics. It's not terribly inspiring and doesn't seem worthy of the title.

"Lost In Nothingness" is another beat-less ambient piece which is followed by "Oxygen Red" which manipulates a vocal over a reverb drenched backing track. The rest of the album consists of a couple more forgettable ambient pieces before the finale "Amen" finally ends our misery. Amen indeed. 2/5

One record at a time: 109. Enigma - Seven Lives Many Faces (The Complete Studio Albums Collection)

As the obligatory atmospheric intro and 'Enigma Foghorn' fades away, the distinctive string motif of "Seven Lives" brings us out of our reverie. This really is an amazing song that seamlessly incorporates beatboxing, the sound of a dog panting and Cretu's rasping vocals. I really like it.

The strings are retained for the start of  "Touchness" which somehow sounds distinctly 'Enigma' without employing any of the old formula. "The Same Parents" is Cretu's stab at a the eternal lament of, "Why do we have to have suffering on Earth?" Imagine "People are People" a half speed with a child reading the lyrics. It's as awful as it sounds. Don't get me wrong, I admire the sentiment (however naive it may be), but the execution is excruciating to listen to.

The next two track pass by without making much impression. Things get a bit rocky with "Fata Morgana" and "Hell's Heaven" threatens to go IDM but nothing really transpires. "La Puerta Del Cielo" is a song in Catalan that I can't penetrate and hearing Michael sing "I'm your Daddy" on "Distorted Love" is enough to make me wince.

The sound of a woman breathlessly saying "Je t'aime" is so clichéd it makes any song employing it impossible to take seriously. If you then add in "The world's most annoying sample™" (a processed vocal of someone saying "Do you love me too?") you have an awful song that I hope to never hear again. I plough through to the end of the album but there is nothing else of interest. How disappointing. Any points this album scores are for the first three tracks alone. 2/5