One record at a time: 5. Air - Talkie Walkie

I have to be clear from the start that AIR "Talkie Walkie" has always been one of my favorite albums. I quite liked "Moon Safari" (but I have always hated "Sexy Boy") and 10,000hz Legend was a load of garbage; so why did I buy this album? I think it must have been after seeing "Lost in Translation" - but more on that in a minute.

Anyway, I own a couple of copies of the original CD and this 2015 180g (try buying anything else nowadays) vinyl pressing is being played today. Discogs says my copy is a US release which tells you all you need to know about the accuracy of the peer review process (if Wikipedia hadn't told you this already).

As I drop the needle on this record I am instantly transported to planet AIR. Things kick off with "Venus" which is both catchy and displays a quirky sense of humour. "Cherry Blossom Girl" is achingly beautiful; and one of the highlights of the album for me. "Run" is a hypnotic journey that couldn't sound any more Gallic if it tried. "Universal Traveler" and "Mike Mills" throw some acoustic guitar into the heady mix of heavily accented vocals and ethereal chords to great effect. Don't misunderstand me when I refer to Jean-Benoît's vocal delivery - it is as unique and endearing as any of any vocalist I have heard.

The single "Surfing on a Rocket" is OK but not a stand out for me. "Another Day" is a composition that plods along a bit but thankfully never labours the point. "Alpha Beta Gaga" has become a some sort of advertising jingle that lots of people will recognise without fully appreciating. "Biological" allows us to catch our breath with its retro bass guitar, banjo and theremin, but it is just last too long. If it was cut in half I could live with it a bit better. Some of this feeling may be because I'm just in a hurry to reach the exquisite "Alone in Kyoto" which follows. This track is mesmerising and I find it achingly beautiful. I hear new things in this track almost every time I play it and, unlike its predecessor, it just doesn't last long enough. On this play through I realise this album isn't as faultless as my memory tells me it is, but few albums come so close to perfection. 5/5

One record at a time: 4. Air - Music for Museum

This is an odd record. Back in 2014 I was idly flicking through the Vinyl Factory website and came across, what I assumed to be, the new album by AIR. I realised this was a limited pressing of 1000 copies, but supposed it was being made available alongside the wider release (much like Massive Attack did with "Heligoland"). As it transpired, this is the soundtrack to an open museum project and the clear vinyl pressing is the ONLY version of this album to be made available. Unsurprisingly it has become a collectors item. 

However, for some reason I have never played this record. I always meant to digitise it, but never got round to it. So this is the first time I have heard this music despite owning it for seven years. 

As soon as you pick this record up you can tell it is a high quality pressing. There are sumptuous picture inner sleeves and inside the gate-fold there is a poster. The first side has 2 tracks "Land Me" and "Reverse Bubble" which roll along pleasingly enough as I type this. "The Dream of Yi" develops a drone that began to drive me insane and for the first time in these reviews, I had to skip a bit of the music. "Angel Palace" is calming but is overly long as a piece to sit and listen to. 

That is the trouble here: this music is being taken out of context. As background music for a museum, I can see it working very well. As a listening experience it isn't very engaging. Things get a bit more lively with "Art Tattoo" but it is nothing more than 15 minutes of an arpeggiator running the same patch. "Kiss Volcano" is a short burst of noise that left me a bit bemused. "Integration Desintegration" is more of a return to ambient soundscape concept but with a horn playing a melody. "Octogum" is a more overtly 'electronic' sounding piece that reminded me of Jean Michel Jarre with its phased strings. "North Cloud" rounds things off. 

In summary, I'd say this record would make great background music for a museum, but as an isolated listening experience, it isn't to my taste. I don't feel like I have missed out in not playing this record. In fact, if someone came along and offered me £200, I would probably let it go. 1/5

One record at a time: 3. a-ha - Minor Earth Major Sky

The third LP from the shelf is the last a-ha album in my collection (plenty of CDs to come later in this review process) and one of my favorites by the band. I'm playing the only vinyl version of this album from 2019 and it sounds brilliant. Unlike re-pressings of their earlier albums, this double LP package has been mastered and pressed very well.

The album kicks off in great style with a title track that is quirky and catchy. "Little Black Heart" continues to employ the surprisingly electronic sound the band found in 2000. "Velvet" would be a mundane ballad if it were not for the ethereal female vocals of Simone Larsen that help lift it to another plane. The original Savoy version of the song is a bit too 'rock' for my taste and Paul's vocals aren't a patch on Morten's. When we flip the vinyl over we are treated to the excellent "Summer Moved On" which somehow manages to sound electronic despite the orchestral arrangement, live drums and swathes of acoustic guitar. 

Track 5 is the first of the weaker songs on the album, "The Sun Never Shone That Day". There's nothing offensive here and the Mellotron strings fit the faint Beatles pastiche - I just don't like it much. "To Let You Win" tries not to be a mid-tempo crawl, but you're kind of glad when it's over. Having gone a bit saggy in the middle, the album begins its recovery with "The Company Man". This track trots out the tired "privileged and rich rock star complains about their record company" story in the vein of "Have a Cigar". And much like "Have a Cigar" I have no sympathy, but the track has a good tune.

Things really pick up with "Thought That It Was You" and "I Wish I Cared" which verge on the anthemic. Morten's vocals are strong here and the production accomplished. These two tracks are the zenith of the album for me as things turn more rock with the next track "Barely Hanging On". On the final side we find "You'll Never Get Over Me" which sounds like a 'band' recording that, whilst being initially entertaining, out stays its welcome. We get treated to another electronic pop track with "I Won't Forget Her" which sounds a bit like an Ace of Base reject (is that a bad thing? Not sure). The album fizzles out with "Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Count" and the strong American accent Paul employs when singing backing vocals. I like this album very much, but to align it with my tastes more closely I would have to cut out 3 or 4 of the weaker 'rock' tracks. 4/5

One record at a time: 2. a-ha - Scoundrel Days

The second LP on the shelf is a-ha "Scoundrel Days". Like their first album, I own the 2015 180g remastered version but unlike "Hunting High and Low", this pressing sounds pretty good. The title track "Scoundrel Days" heralds the arrival a less 'synth' sound for the band and hints at a happy middle ground between pop and rock. "The Swing of Things" is impressive both lyrically and musically but sounds a little under produced to my ears. We hear some 'real' drums on "I've Been Losing You" and you can definitely hear the band moving more to their natural 'rock' tendencies. The synths and drum machines soon return with the twee oom-pah oom-pah of "October" - not unpleasant but hardly epic. The epic tag has to be reserved for "Manhattan Skyline" which follows next. The guitars come to the front of the mix here but there is more than enough DX7 Koto and string sounds to keep synth pop fans interested. A fantastic track.

Side two delivers another single in the form of "Cry Wolf". I remember when this track came out and I wasn't too impressed; it sounded like the band were catering to a record company request for a radio hit. To me it sounds forced. Next up is "We're Looking For Whales" which is lyrically a bit weird and sounds like an Emulator had just landed in the studio. "The Weight of the Wind" has an impressive chorus but is otherwise nondescript. The album feels like it is petering out with the sugary "Maybe Maybe" which features some vocal trills that almost made me laugh out loud. The coup-de-gras is delivered by "Soft Rains of April" which ambles along for 3 minutes without really doing anything and then ends abruptly. All in all, a-ha's second album isn't bad, but I can understand why I have only played this record once before. 3/5

One record at a time: 1. a-ha - Hunting High and Low

I bought my first record in 1985 and in the intervening years I have amassed (or hoarded) quite a lot of vinyl, CDs, tapes and other recorded media. But it has recently occurred to me that I haven't actually listened to all of the items I own. So here I will begin to dig through my music collection and add some notes as I go. I'm starting with vinyl albums.

The first LP in my rack is "Hunting High and Low" by a-ha (my collection is in alphabetical order you understand). This pressing is the 180g version from 2015 and I think I have only played it once over the last six years. Whilst unmarked and scratch free, the vinyl seems to have a lot of sibilance that detracts from the sound quality. Very depressing - I can't help but think an original eighties pressing would have been far cheaper and probably sounded better.

The album is a 'classic' of eighties pop and kicks off with the ubiquitous "Take On Me". As the second track "Train of Thought" starts I am stuck by how different it is from the single version. Today I can hear Yamaha DX7 presets all over these tracks, but the 12 year old me back in 85 didn't have a clue how this music was created. "Hunting High and Low" is inoffensive without being too engaging. Personally I prefer the next track "The Blue Sky" as it has a quirky tune and some nice lyrics. I love this track and it just flies by - well it's only two and a half minutes long anyway - but you get my point. Side one ends with "Living a boy's adventure tale" which is a bit odd and sounds like it was mixed by someone who was deaf. It's a mushy mess of a track that I can't concentrate on.

Side two sees us back in pop classic territory with "The Sun Always Shines On TV" - definitely one of my a-ha favourites (if not THE favourite come to think of it). There are some great synth sounds on this track and its complexity is satisfying. "And You Tell Me" provides contrast to its driving predecessor with a laid back nursery rhyme style. Now NOTHING sounds more 80s than "Love is Reason" - if you followed a blueprint for the 80s sound you would come up with something like this. Octave synth bass, DX7 tubular bells, DX7 brass stabs and a twee tune about love are all present: it hasn't aged well. The next track is "Dream Yourself Alive" and whilst it is definitely not the best track on the album, it does benefit from a distinctive Fairlight backing track. The album closes with the moody "Here I Stand and Face the Rain" which point to the more mature sound a-aha would develop with their next album. 3/5

Lost gem: New Order Wainting For The Siren's Call (Planet Funk Remix)

On listening to the latest New Order album "Education Entertainment Recreation" I was blown away by the version of "Waiting for the Siren's Call" the band played. I remember buying the parent album,"Waiting for the Siren's Call" on the back of hearing the single "Krafty" and thinking, "Meh." What I don't remember is hearing one of the greatest song/remix combinations ever. 

I don't claim to be a New Order completest so the remixes of the single "Waiting for the Siren's Call" completely passed me by in 2005. This it seems is a very big oversight on my part. I can't explain just how wonderful I think this remix is. It's the perfect recipe: great sleeper song, terrible 'band' type original production and brilliant electronic remix that lifts it beyond perfection.

As I listen to this remix, I can't think why it wasn't issued as a single. The band clearly like it and it is in a different universe to the original. Maybe Hooky wasn't into it? Maybe the record company were deaf? Who knows. But I'm so glad it exists and it easily goes into my top 10 greatest remixes ever made. I'm just sad I didn't know of it sooner.

A newbies guide to the Erasure back catalogue

Whenever I start to discover a new band, I'm always intrigued by their back catalogue. What is their 'classic' album? Which is their quirkiest? Which is most commercial? Or which album represents a complete wig out and divides opinion amongst the faithful? So here I present my precis of the Erasure back catalogue. The beautiful and the bizarre....

Wonderland (1986)

Highlight: Push Me Shove Me, Cry So Easy

Low Light: Heavenly Action

Score: 6

More: Wonderland found Vince seemingly devoid of confidence and both the song writing and production here are fragile. Whilst the album generally lacks the polish of later efforts, there are some diamonds in the rough.

The Circus (1987)

Highlight: Hideaway, Sometimes

Low Light: Sexuality

Score: 8

More: Vince and Andy's second effort is when things began to take off; and its easy to see why. These tracks have better hooks than Wonderland and the production benefits from Phil Harding's brilliant mix. 

The Innocents (1988)

Highlight: A Little Respect, Phantom Bride

Low Light: Yahoo!, Sixty Five Thousand

Score: 8

More: The Innocents was one of my favourite albums back in the 80’s but it has not aged as well as some of its contemporaries. Album filler like Sixty Five Thousand sits cheek by jowl with the immaculate A Little Respect and the dichotomy is a little jarring. Plenty of Roland D-50 presets for the geeks to spot.

Wild! (1989)

Highlight: Blue Savannah, Drama!

Low Light: Crown of Thorns

Score: 7

More: When I first heard Piano Song the hairs on the back of my arms stood up and I was instantly hooked on this album. Whilst I wasn’t convinced by some of the single choices at the time, these songs seem to have aged well. Korg M1 everywhere.

Chorus (1991)

Highlight: Turns the Love to Anger, Waiting for the Day

Low Light: Love to Hate You

Score: 9

More: Vince goes analogue, and we all reap the rewards. This album found Vince and Andy hitting a rich seam of song writing gold which was perfectly complimented by arrangements that ooze analogue synth goodness. There isn’t really a bad track here but if I had to pick one, I would say I’ve never been mad about Love to Hate You.

I Say I Say I Say (1994)

Highlight: Always, Man in the Moon, Because You're So Sweet

Low Light: I Love Saturday

Score: 10

More: This is my favourite Erasure album. Here Vince takes the analogue resurgence a step further and we are treated to washes of the most beautiful music that allow Andy’s vocals to shine. Again, no duff tracks really.

Erasure (1995)

Highlight: Rock Me Gently

Low Light: Love the Way you do so, Fingers & Thumbs

Score: 7

More: Oh dear. Vince took the analogue thing too far. Yes, we’re treated to my favourite song of theirs in Rock Me Gently but nothing else here comes close to matching it. The ‘extended’ nature of the tracks sound forced and can get a little tedious.

Cowboy (1997)

Highlight: Worlds On Fire, Boy, Love Affair

Low Light: Rain

Score: 8

More: The musical landscape had changed by 1997 and this album found Erasure struggling to find their way in the new dance / Britpop obsessed climate.  I too was distracted with other music at this time, and whilst I loved most of this album, it was merely a diversion. Today however, I count this as one of my favourites.

Loveboat (2000)

Highlight: Alien

Low Light: Surreal

Score: 5

More: I have no clue what went on here. The production is just crazy. Yes, there is no need for every album to be ‘commercial’ radio friendly pop, but when it strips the song of any beauty you’re on the wrong track. But there's worse to come...

Other People's Songs (2003)

Highlight: Solsbury Hill

Low Light: All the rest of it

Score: 2

More: This album is a disaster. At the time of release, I seem to remember seeing lots of pictures of the boys and Gareth Jones getting drunk in the studio and taking their clothes off. This is the aural evidence.

Nightbird (2005)

Highlight: Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon, I Bet You're Mad at Me

Low Light: Sweet Surrender

Score: 8

More: By 2005 Erasure were transitioning from has-beens to national treasures  There are some amazing songs on this album and the production is a big step up from some of the efforts that preceded it.

Light at the end of the World (2007)

Highlight: How My Eyes Adore You

Low Light: Glass Angel

Score: 5

More: Sigh. I remember Vince describing this as a more dance orientated album before it was released. Because of this, I think I expected too much and was left disappointed by an album of “so-so” compositions with unremarkable execution.

Tomorrow's World (2011)

Highlight: Fill Us With Fire

Low Light: You've Got To Save Me Right Now

Score: 7

More: Vincent Frank helps steer good ship Erasure to slightly calmer waters. Whilst this album has a more contemporary feel, I get the impression things didn’t necessarily sit well with Vince. I sensed a repeat of the difficult relationship with Stephen Hague, but this time the results weren’t quite as impressive.

Snow Globe (2013)

Highlight: Bells of Love, Loving Man

Low Light: Bleak Midwinter

Score: 6

More: These sorts of albums leave me a bit blank. Why release an album that only feels relevant for about 1 month of the year? At least Gareth Jones seems to have been sober this time and there are some truly amazing original tracks here. Leave the Christmas Carols behind.

The Violet Flame (2014)

Highlight: Elevation, Dead of Night

Low Light: Be the one

Score: 7

More: Richard X arrives to bring his inimitable electro pop sheen perfection. Unfortunately, some of the songs on this album don’t quite hit the mark and no matter how good the production, you can’t polish a turd. Still, a great effort and tracks like Dead of Night sit in the top half of their repertoire.

World Be Gone (2017)

Highlight: World Be Gone, Oh What a World

Low Light: Sweet Summer Loving

Score: 5

More: Once the inevitable box set and compilation albums for the 30^th anniversary were out of the way the boys delivered this album of less commercial material. Many of these tracks are ‘growers’ which require repeated listening. On a side note, the Manhattan Clique remix of Oh What A World is better than anything on this album.

The Neon (2020)

Highlight: Nerves of Steel

Low Light: New Horizons

Score: 6

More: This is a vanilla album: there is nothing to offend but nothing much to admire either. The whole thing just sounds like they phoned it in. Like many of their more recent efforts this album lacks passion or drive.

I've deliberately omitted Union Street here as it didn't contain any new songs, just acoustic re-recordings of existing tracks. If you force me to rate it I would say it scores 3. I like electronic music and acoustic recording aren't 'my thing'. Having said that, it's still better than the car crash that is Other People's Songs.