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

One record at a time: 117. Erasure - Chorus

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

One record at a time: 116. Erasure - Wild!

Here we have a copy of the original UK pressing and the 2016 re-issue of Erasure's fourth album "Wild!". 

Personally I think the title of this album is rubbish. I also think the sleeve is pretty poor. Why go to the expense of commissioning Pierre et Gilles to build sets and take beautiful photographs to just use an out of focus shot of some leaves? It doesn't make sense.

The lead single "Drama!" in 1989 was the first time I remember a remix CD single being released along with the more conventional formats - strangely, this was not something they would repeat with the other singles taken from the album. Erasure had such strong material at this stage of their career that they could casually consign tracks such as "Sweet, Sweet Baby" to b-side status; despite it offering irrefutable proof that Vince Clarke was a genius.

The album itself kicks off with a short instrumental version of "Piano Song". The Korg M1 piano may sound 'plastic' to modern ears, but at least it has character. Today, piano patches are so realistic they are all indistinguishable from each other. Personally I am a big fan of the piano sound they used and I can't imagine this song being any other way

"Blue Savannah" is one of Erasure's finest tracks as it has the perfect pop melody, accessible lyrics and pulsating electronics. Strangely I never really liked the Kraftwerk 'influenced' "Der Deutsche Mix I" included on the remix 12", but the more traditional extended mix by Mark Saunders is well worth seeking out. "How many times?" offers a nice change of pace with its laid back TR-808 beat and washes of Korg M1 presets.

I was never convinced of the merits of "Star" and releasing it as a single felt like a mistake to me. "Brother and Sister" and "2,000 Miles" seemed like much more radio friendly tracks to promote the album and they remain some of my favourites on the album. "La Gloria" is just trying too hard to be 'different' and ends up sounding trite and forced. "You Surround Me" is a good track that finds a perfect balance between electronics and Andy's soaring vocal. "Crown of Thorns" is a nonsensical folk influenced dirge that I cannot recommend, but the vocal version of "Piano Song" that follows is rather brilliant. 4/5