One record at a time: 135. Eurythmics - In The Garden

You will be unsurprised to hear that when I was at school, music was a frequent topic of conversation. My school days coincided with the peak of the Eurythmics commercial success and albums such as "Be Yourself Tonight", "Touch" and "Savage" would occasionally feature in our conversations.

However, there was always one Eurythmics album that was regarded with suspicion and doubt. "In The Garden" predated the bands success and nobody dared risk their precious pocket money on such an unknown quantity.

However, as I had a reputation for being a voracious consumer of music, there was an assumption by some that I owned the album. One day I was asked directly if I had heard the album and what I thought of it. The question was posed in a way that suggested reverence to my opinion. Full of adolescent self importance I lied and said, "Yeah, I have it and it's quite good." 

Some weeks later the same kid came back to me and said they had splurged their pocket money on a copy of "In The Garden" and either I had lied or my taste was poor. I remained diplomatically silent on the issue, but did feel guilty enough to purchase the CD in a strange effort to wallow in the same misery. Unfortunately I no longer own that original CD, but I did pick up the vinyl from eBay six or seven years ago and I will be playing that for this review. The dynamics on the vinyl are a little flat but this probably reflects the mastering style of the time rather than incompetence. Happily my copy doesn't seem to have any scratches and is in very good condition through out.

Before we start it is worth noting that this album was recorded before Dave and Annie adopted synthesizers and achieved commercial success. The music on this record is in a more typical rock style and it is no wonder it failed to satisfy teenagers looking for another "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)".  

Whilst the songs here might lack immediate appeal, they do still hold some interest. Things don't get off to an auspicious start as "English Summer" is a little languid and Annie's vocals lack confidence. But if you persist the chorus does deliver some charm before the songs peters out. Things kick up a gear or two with "Belinda" with its chugging guitar riffs and robotic drumming. There's no doubt this is a catchy tune that would have been great if it was recorded using synths rather than by a conventional rock band (even if Robert Görl is playing drums).

"Take Me to Your Heart" benefits from a synth driven backbone that is only slightly undermined by the uninspired bass guitar. Here Annie seems to be finding her voice and sings as if she believes in the material rather than just churning out album filler. The song is a little one dimensional but you can definitely hear the hints of what was to come in later albums. "She's Invisible Now" harks back to the sixties with some nice synth arpeggios thrown in, but Annie's vocal has reverted back to brittle sounding whispers. Side one closes with "Your Time Will Come" which builds into quite a good song, but like many here, it's little raw and under developed.

On the flip side "Caveman Head" does have a nice little synth riff running throughout, but it is essentially the same groove running without variation for four minutes. The highlight of the album for me is "Never Gonna Cry Again" which was also released as a single. I first heard this song on the post-split 'cash in' album "Live 1983-1989" in which Annie lets rip with a fantastic flute solo that is sadly missing on the album version. The next track "All the Young People (of Today)" comes and goes without making much impression but the French vocals and natty melody of "Sing-Sing" are very accomplished. We finish off with the middling "Revenge" which would later be re-recorded more successfully as "Revenge 2" for the album of the same name in 1986. 3/5

One record at a time: 134. Erasure - Day-Glo (Based on a true story)

Once again, Erasure have somehow managed to turn one mediocre album into no less than four separate releases (we have been spared the live album here as, up to press, the vinyl hasn't been released). 

The promo blurb describes this record as an 'unexpected bonus' that manipulates the sound files form the original to create a new atmospheric and introspective album. Basically Vince was bored during lockdown and started experimenting in Logic Pro. After a while Andy added some new vocals and before they knew it, they had a new album.

You will be unsurprised to hear this record is pressed on 'neon green' vinyl which sounds OK without being spectacular. 

It's relatively easy to discern which of the original album tracks form the basis of these reinterpretations, but they do move in strange an unexpected directions. Opening track "Based on a True Story" has a very atmospheric introduction but ends up using a sequence that Front Line Assembly would be proud of. "Pop Beat" chops up the vocals of the single "Hey Now (Think I got a Feeling)" and sets them against a new beat that is much more layered and atmospheric than the original.

Vince's riffs and flourishes are as distinctive as Andy's vocals (even when they have been cut up and manipulated) and you get the feeling this record was fun to make. "The Conman" seems to catch Andy chatting into the microphone between takes as Vince pours out a river of analogue delights. Less successful is the song "3 Strikes and You're Out" which is a more traditional composition. The strength of this album is its experimental nature and the atmosphere that Vince builds. Adding a straight forward vocal track spoils the mood a little and seems superfluous. I notice most of these tracks are all between three and four minutes. Vince should have had more courage in his conviction and teased out some of these tracks at the expense of some of the weaker material. But all in all this album is better than the original. 3/5

This album brings our odyssey through the Erasure back catalogue to an end. Thank you for sticking with it (readership figures have waxed and waned during the course of these albums). Next time we dive into another legendary band that found fame in the eighties.

One record at a time: 133. Erasure - The Neon REMIXED

This is a remix album on double coloured vinyl. The mixes are the usual club oriented material that can make for a worthy listening experience but are more often best left to the dance floor (not that many clubs will be playing Erasure in any form). Also included is one new song called "Secrets" which I can only assume is there to drive sales.

The pick of the mixes here are "Shot a Satellite (GRN Extended Remix)" and the atmospheric "Tower of Love (BSB's Stella Polaris Remix)" which both improve on the originals immensely.  Also worthy of mention is the Matt Pop remix of "New Horizons" which retains the feeling of the original but adds a new glossy layer over the top. 

None of these mixes are terrible but the version of "No Point in Tripping" by JC Carr and Bill Coleman is a little tedious with its cheesy Korg M1 piano riffs and sampled break beats. Whilst Andy Bell and Gareth Jones's "Sapphire and Steel" mix of "Nerves of Steel" breaks the club tedium, it lacks a little punch compared to the pumping dance tracks that surround it.

There were 3 CD singles of remixes released alongside the original album and none of the 29 tracks featured there seem to be repeated on this album. There is also a download code included in the package which provides access to all the mixes plus another 7 included on the digital version. The fourteen minute "Octa Octo Psychedelic Visions Disco Dub" of the new track "Secrets" is not for the faint hearted.

Whilst Erasure can't be criticised for not offering value for money, I do miss the days of a remix album that only had 6 or so high quality mixes across a variety of styles. Having listened to this album I can still hear TR-909  style bass drums pounding in my head. 3/5

One record at a time: 132. Erasure - The Neon

Having trawled through the entire Erasure back catalogue, we finally come to their most recent project "The Neon".

This is a 'neon' orange vinyl that, despite being pressed by Optimal Media, sounds uncharacteristically poor. There are quite a few crackles and my copy seems to have a lot of sibilance. I've noticed this shift towards coloured vinyl, and whilst it might look good, it rarely provides sonic fidelity. There are a few exceptions, such as the Audio Fidelity pressing of Vangelis's "Blade Runner", but generally I find coloured vinyl inferior. 

The music on offer here is okay, but nothing exceptional. The lead single "Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)" sees Vince creating some great analogue bass sounds and twinkling percussion, but the repetitive nature of the melody becomes slightly annoying. "Nerves of Steel" is a another highly repetitive single which has some bizarre lyrics about finding love in the "Motor Hotel". The third and final single to be released, "Fallen Angel" is catchy but continues the penchant for eccentric lyrics. If riding on the top of roller-coasters or "walking up the down escalator" gives Andy love then he is much more easily pleased than I am.

"No Point in Tripping" is fairly standard stuff, but the next track "Shot a Satellite" is a bit funkier and features some great flourishes by Vince. I can also recommend the Initial Talk remix of this track which has much more of an eighties sound and really satisfies."Tower of Love" is something of a dirge that has nothing to say and goes nowhere. "Diamond Lies" sounds like it was pieced together from snippets of other songs and I can't help but think I've heard the ideas before. "New Horizons" is a piano driven piece that has a great melody and is one of the best compositions on this record. Penultimate track "Careful What I Try To Do" ticks along quite nicely and would probably be have been better at the front of the album breaking up the mediocre singles. The last track, "Kid You're Not Alone" sees Andy singing falsetto about nothing in particular. And this is one of the most disappointing aspects of Erasure's more recent material: the lyrics are either nonsensical or so bland as to be without any meaning. Okay, so "Blue Savannah" is hardly a message to the world, but the words were at least memorable. I can't recall most of the lyrics from this album, and when I can, it is simply because they are ludicrous. 2/5

One record at a time: 131. Erasure - World Be LIve

You've had the album. You've had the 'classical' reinterpretation of the album. Now you get the live album. The saving grace this time around is that the back catalogue has been rolled out to save the day.

It has to be said this vinyl version of "World Be Live" is a rather lavish package with plenty of attention to detail. As I ordered this limited edition coloured vinyl via PledgeMusic, my name in the credits and I also received an art print of the sleeve.

Two eighties classics "Oh L'amour" and "Ship of Fools" provide a good introduction and offer some initial reassurance. However, things go awry quite quickly. "I Love Saturday" is pretty awful: the introduction alone seems to move between at least three different keys. "Always"  and "Turns the Love to Anger" sound fragile and are a pale imitation of the studio recordings. A needless homage to Blondie comes in the form of "Atomic", which is mediocre in execution but is strangely well received by the audience.

Contemporaneous material such as "Love You to the Sky" and "Take Me Out of Myself" sound very similar to their album versions and their reception is suitably lukewarm. "Sweet Summer Loving" is a poor song and this live version must have bored the crowd to tears. Favourites such as "Victim of Love", "Blue Savannah" and "Stop!" do carry some energy and prove to be the highlight of this album. 

I didn't go to this tour as the parent album didn't inspire me to buy tickets. I've seen Erasure live many times over the years and this record does not replicate the experience at all. I don't expect (or want) live versions to mimic the original recording, but presenting them 'warts and all' can end up sounding, well, rubbish.

The mediocre result makes me ask the question, "Why release this album at all?" Well I think bands release live albums as a way of squeezing some profit from a costly tour and I guess this becomes even more pressing when the album it based on is not commercially successful. A nice looking record, but it has nothing between the ears. 2/5

One record at a time: 130. Erasure - World Beyond

OK, here is a confession: I have never listened to this record. In fact, I didn't really understand what it was until I read the promo sticker telling me it consists of 'classical' re-recordings of the songs from the "World Beyond" album. Why you would want to re-record mediocre songs with a Belgian string quartet I have no idea, but that's what they did. What is worse, I bought the thing.

The first track is my favourite from the original album "Oh What A World". The string arrangement is relatively sympathetic to the material even if it is a little uninspired. Thankfully Andy's vocal carries the melody and allows some of the quality of the original song to shine through. 

The maudlin "Be Careful What You Wish For" is only three and a half minutes long but it feels like it goes on forever. The sparse arrangement of "World Be Gone" gives the tune a new lease of life and is almost quite good. "A Bitter Parting" injects a little bit of rhythm, but the violin that mirrors Andy's vocal in the verses makes it sound like a sea shanty. The first hint of vocal fragility comes with "Still It's Not Over" where Andy struggles to overcome the building cacophony behind him. 

Weaker songs such as "Sweet Summer Loving" and "Tale Me Out of Myself" don't emerge well from the 'classical' arrangement but the single "Love You to the Sky" is a little better. As with most of the recordings here the remaining two tracks are just too long as the arrangement doesn't do enough to maintain my interest. Lets face it, even the most ardent Erasure fan won't be spinning this very often. 1/5

One record at a time: 129. Erasure - World Be Gone

"World Be Gone" is not a commercial album and the songs have very little immediate appeal. To add insult to injury, the orange vinyl doesn't sound all that great either. I don't think even the most ardent Erasure fan would argue this is one of their best albums.

Proceedings kick off with the single "Love You to the Sky" which is a reasonable attempt at an uptempo pop song with a darker edge. The second track "Be Careful What You Wish For" confirms that this album definitely not a sequel to the dance-floor beats of predecessor "The Violet Flame". Another single "World Be Gone" has a good melody that heaves and sighs along at a medium tempo. At this point the album reminds me of the eponymously titled album from 1995 - everything is a little over indulgent. "A Bitter Parting" is just too repetitive and monochrome to be entertaining but the next track "Still It's Not Over" wins points for its piano driven backing track.   

Unfortunately the slide from mediocrity to hopeless is realised on the second side of the record. "Take Me Out of Myself", "Sweet Summer Loving" and "Lousy Sum of Nothing" are just plain boring. "Just a Little Love" was released as a single but it sounds like b-side material to me. Only "Oh What A world" comes out of the debacle with any real merit but some of the lyrics are strange to say the least. 1/5