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....
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 30th 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.
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.
