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I'm really gonna catch it here from Erasure fans so I'm going to tred as lightly as possible when I say this... First, let me be honest and say although I knew about Erasure and I listened to them on the radio, at school and with my friends, I never actually bought one of their albums until I was 20. I knew who they were, I knew Vince Clarke was writing the music, but during my high school years, I was more into Martin L. Gore and Depeche Mode than Vince. I had the Yaz albums, but I didn't latch onto Erasure. And a large part of that was simply because they were hugely popular in my school. To this day, I know straight classmates who will go to Erasure's outlandish concerts even though deep down, they're anti-gay just because Erasure was such a huge part of their teenage lives.
When I finally started getting into Vince as a song writer, I went back and picked up Erasure's back catalog, but for me, these earlier albums will always be remembered mostly by the singles I was hearing rather than the albums as a whole. That's why, as I put this disc in to listen to it, I honestly lump it together with pretty much everything right up until "Chorus".
"The Circus" is responsible for some of Erasure's most popular and mainstream music. It is a serious album. I'm always amazed when I listen to these records how incredible all of this early Erasure material is. Not only were they writing incredible pop music, they were also championing a cause and breaking the rules of established music companies. Erasure might not have been "Out" but they weren't "In-the-closet" either. In my mind, Erasure were a band that helped change the cultural opinion of a generation about gay and lesbians in society. They're so much more than just a pop band.
Although not all of these songs were released as singles, I know each and every one of these songs as if they were. They were played in assemblies, school dances, during lunch period... pretty much any social event you can think of I was exposed to this music. I even remember one of my art classes... The teacher would let students play cassettes while we were working if she approved of the music and Erasure made the cut quite a few times. I knew all of these songs by heart well before I purchased the CD.
In my opinion, the best tracks on this disc are 'It Doesn't Have To Be', 'Sexuality', 'Victim Of Love', 'Leave Me To Bleed' and 'Sometimes'. But let's be honest, the rest of the material is just as strong and good.
I'm not sure if this is limited to the US release, but my CD includes 3 bonus tracks. Edvard Greig's 'In The Hall Of The Mountain King' from Henrik Ibsen's play, "Peer Gynt". This unusual cover went a long way to prove Clarke's image as a true musical genius. And also showed Erasure fans, the band wouldn't limit itself to bubble gum pop. Instead, they would do whatever they deemed worthwhile musically. This appreciation for non-popular music would show up many times again throughout their recording history. The other two tracks are mixes of 'Sometimes' and 'It Doesn't Have To Be' respectively.
The album is produced by Flood who ended up being credited with taking Depeche Mode to rock and I believe was responsible for some amazing work with U2; which sorta surprises me. As daring and progressive as the material is, it maintains the strong pop sound of the band's 80's material. Flood is a producer I normally think of as pushing and challenging a band's sound. Maybe this was at the start of his career and he was cutting his production teeth on records like this.
No matter how you choose to look at this record, it's a classic. Either it's part of the 80's run of super hit records by Erasure the band, or it's a classic 80's record anyone interested in that musical period should listen to. It certainly defined much of my youth. No doubt there are reissues with more tracks and a better overall showcase of the band during this time, but my copy is simply this one. And I think it's great!
My final words: AN 80'S CLASSIC FROM ONE OF THE MOST PROGRESSIVE AND INFLUENTIAL 80'S BANDS!
ERASURE - THE CIRCUS
01. It Doesn't Have To Be
02. Hideaway
03. Don't Dance
04. If I Could
05. Sexuality
06. Victim Of Love
07. Leave Me To Bleed
08. Sometimes
09. The Circus
10. Spiralling
11. In The Hall Of The Mountain King
12. Sometimes (Extended Mix)
13. It Doesn't Have To Be (The Boop Dopa Doo Mix)
I'm trying to remember how I discovered Yaz. I do remember not knowing how closely they were tied with both Depeche Mode and Erasure. In fact, I stumbled across them rather late in the 80's rather than when they were actually releasing. My fascination with the group was sealed when I bought a copy of this album on cassette and heard the song, 'Midnight'. At the time, I thought the group featured a male lead singer. If you consider that and the lyrics of the song, it's no wonder I found this group fascinating. I was struggling with my sexuality at the time and hearing a tune that seemed to be from the perspective of a gay man was something any kid in my position would gravitate to. Finally, someone was writing music I could identify with. Ultimately, 'Midnight' was written and performed by a female singer. So that's slightly disappointing, but also goes to show you how undercover sexuality still was back then. How desperate gay kids were for music and culture that they could relate to.
Now, let's talk about the music. The album features vocalist Alison Moyet and electronic music wizard Vince Clarke. The group was called Yazoo in the UK but here it was shortened to Yaz. The music highly resembles the structure and sound of Depeche Mode's first album almost entirely written by Clarke, but Moyet brought something to the mix Clarke didn't have before on his own. She brought soul and volume. Moyet is a strong vocalist and she can dump a lot of emotion into her singing. Although the songs are split up crediting one or the other as writer, it's obvious Vince did most of the music arranging and in some cases, wrote music for Moyet's songs. Her style and depth forced Clarke to develop deeper rhythms and stronger bass motifs. In effect, she brought R&B to his compositions.
Right off the bat you hear phatter beats driving the intensely paced rhythm of 'Don't Go'. This song is absolutely brilliant. It's followed by 'Too Pieces'. Another smashing number. This sparse tune is effectively one verse surrounded by a souffle of sound. It's light, delicate and provocatively sad. 'Bad Connection' is another superb track. It bounces, it bops and dances along at such a wonderful speed. The lyrics are simple, fun to sing along with and catchy. This is one I always get in trouble with. Just the other day, while I was driving home, I was singing this one at the top of my lungs in my truck with the window down right up until I noticed by neighbors were watching me. I quickly stopped singing only to get shouts and applause. Doubtfully because my singing was so go... Mostly because they enjoyed watching me make a fool out of myself. But there you go, sheer perfection and I couldn't stop myself.
'I Before E Except After C' is a rather strange number. It's one of Clarke's early forays into composing soundscapes or writing music specifically to evoke or create a feeling. It features various people including Moyet reading instructions manuals to various keyboards and one speaker talking about the mythology of dragons. It's highly experimental and oddly captivating at the same time. I actually like the song! 'Midnight'... What can I say? It's soulful, amazing and sheer joy when you hear it. This is a song I could picture many famous divas covering. It has the depth and the power to successfully transition to a soul medium. Imagine Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin or Rosie Gaines tackling this one. Wow.
'In My Room' is one song I enjoyed but didn't think much about until I saw a movie towards the end of the 80's called, "The Chocolate War". This was one of the tracks featured in the film and it was quite effective. After seeing used in a narrative, I've never viewed it or heard the same way again. It's more meaningful now. 'Only You' is probably the biggest hit from the album and although I like the number, it's not my favorite off the album. I've heard dozens of covers, but nothing compares to the original. 'Goodbye Seventies' is a Moyet written number and this one really swings. It's got those deep beats, the heavy bass motif running throughout and an overall stunning vocal delivery. This one has the guts and power some of the others are lacking.
'Situation' is another pulse pounding powerhouse from the album and it's awesome! This was another successful single and you have to hear it to believe it. 'Winter Kills' is the second experimental track on the disc. I say this because it is surprising, unexpected and stark. It's almost entirely comprised of a classical piano piece with a slightly sinister edge playing just below Moyet's striking dialogue and singing. It's haunting, spooky and sad all at the same time. Well done, Yaz... They swing and hit again on the experimental songs. The final number is 'Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)'. This is another soul infused blistering pop effort that leaves you breathless and wanting more.
Ultimately, this album doesn't have a weak link in the chain. It's great for whatever reason you may be listening to it. It's an amazing example of British synth pop, New Wave, soul pop, whatever... You can be a diehard fan of Moyet, Clarke or Depeche Mode and walk away completely satisfied with the record. My final words: ABSOLUTE YAZZY PERFECTION!!!
YAZ - UPSTAIRS AT ERIC'S
01. Don't Go
02. Too Pieces
03. Bad Connection
04. I Before E Except After C
05. Midnight
06. In My Room
07. Only You
08. Goodbye Seventies
09. Situation
10. Winter Kills
11. Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)
Did you ever wonder what would've happened to disco if it hadn't become so unpopular back in the 70's? Lots of 80's electronic bands continued the legacy left behind by disco artists. In fact, disco could be said to be the forerunner to 80's pop. No matter how you look at it, successive genres of music have flirted and titillated audiences with snatches of disco style. But nothing like what the Family Fantastic has done. This is a band that embraces the legend of disco and updates it to a current standard. From reading I've done online, I know members of this band have backgrounds with a variety of groups, but I don't really know any of them outside of Vince Clarke. That's right, folks! Vince Clarke from Depeche Mode, Yaz and Erasure fame. You could call this another side project for him. He seems to have a never ending supply of beats and little ditties locked away in his head waiting for a chance to jump out and find a home. This project is no exception.
So now you know my attraction to the band. Why I bought the cd and paid full price. And you're asking yourself... Does he like it? Surprisingly... I do! Under the guidance of Clarke, (and don't fool yourself, you hear him all over these tracks), Family Fantastic employs some talented singers who take rather embarrassing lyrics and punch them up to power soul levels with disco beats swirling like laser lights all around them. You could seriously skate to this stuff.
'Get Up' starts the album off with a call to dance. Family Fantastic urges you to move out on the floor! 'Get Up' also gets a rather lackluster remix treatment as one of 3 bonus tracks at the end of the disc. 'Get Up' is fun, but hardly as infectious as 'Treat Yourself' the next track and one of the two best songs on the album. 'Treat Yourself' even features bells ringing in the background making me wanna stand up and shout, "You can ring my bell!" 'Funky Feet' and 'Spread Your Love' are both highly energetic numbers. They're both fun, but not as memorable or infectious as 'Treat Yourself'. 'Hey Nu Nu' is a song on the more cringe worthy side of things. The lyrics are quite boring and somewhat embarrassing. The fact this song gets a remix treatment at the end of the disc makes me question the taste of certain band members.
'Halfway To Heaven' is another dance number with a heavy rhythm movement and an almost Stock, Aitken & Waterman formula in the music and progression. Check out those generic background vocals and the punctuated "Whoa's" on the chorus. The generic material continues with 'One Love One Life' a mid-tempo ballad also in the hit making tradition of S.A.W. productions. The surprising track is 'Better Days'. Not because it's good, but because former Prince associate Taja Sevelle gets a writing credit here. It certainly has her sound and writing style. I'm surprised she's involved with this project. This is the other song that gets a different version at the end. The last track of the album is an acoustic version of this song. It's followed by the other truly ecstatic number, 'Soy La Reina'. This song sounds more like something Erasure would be doing. In fact, the vocalist singing wordless scales in the background sounds strikingly like Andy Bell. Like the name suggests, the song has a decidedly Latin feel to it. It's very exciting and I often see it on the internet as an unreleased Erasure outtake. But don't be misled... It has a home right here on this album. The final track is performed in the tradition of old school rap via Curtis Blow and The Sugarhill Gang. It's fun and interesting but sometimes a bit embarrassing. Hehehe.
In the end, there's more to love than to hate about this record. The music is fun even though it sometimes seems generic. As for the 3 bonus tracks, I wouldn't worry too much about getting them. In each instance, the mix doesn't do the original track justice. Ultimately, this record is all about the music. Not the lyrics or the vocalists. It's about the joyful music produced and written by a musical genius. Sit back, veg out and let nostalgia wash over you like waves on a beach. My final words: TREAT YOURSELF TO FANTASTIC FUN.
FAMILY FANTASTIC - ...NICE!
01. Get Up
02. Treat Yourself
03. Funky Feet
04. Spread Your Love
05. Hey Nu Nu
06. Halfway To Heaven
07. One Love One Life
08. Better Days
09. Soy La Reina
10. Doin' This Thing
11. Hey Nu Nu (Trance)
12. Get Up (Bleep)
13. Better Days (Acoustic)
Hit That Perfect Beat! was a wonderful collection of 80's dance hits. Not all of the songs are dance hits on their own. Some of them became popular in the clubs because of remixing or extended releases on singles. Irregardless, this series is important because it brings to compact disc format certain songs that languished in the realm of vinyl for far too long. Some of these tracks are only available on CD through this release.
There are some outstanding tracks here. Especially those by Yaz, Erasure, New Order, Berlin and Trans-X. Most of these songs I have on other releases, but they're quite fun to hear here as well. The Gang Of Four track was a little unexpected but quite fun to listen to in the context of this release. The Kid Creole track is nice as well considering how much I decided not to like them after buying and being disappointed by 'Private Waters In the Great Divide'. I couldn't imagine this band would release anything worth hearing. So hearing an old dance hit of theirs was a nice move away from disliking them so much. The next five tracks are the strongest and would be the encouraging factor for someone considering buying this compilation. However, bands like Yaz and Erasure have these mixes already released on multiple formats through Mute Records. It's still fun to have them here.
The last couple songs by the Europeans and Peter Schilling respectably are the least interesting and quite dull. They are the tracks that really weaken and bring down this first volume of the series. Another drawback is the continuous play format of the disc. The intention is to create a club DJ feel, but it actually draws back from the individual tracks. At times, it's nice to just let the continuous stream wash over you while you're listening but for the most part I find myself wishing I could rip the tracks individually.
All in all, this is an interesting idea and with literally hundreds of vinyl only mixes and tracks out there, this collection could have gone on forever. It could have also branched out into other 80's sounds like the Minneapolis sound or the more pop oriented sound. Maybe someday, someone will pick it up and try it again. I'll be waiting. My final words: GOOD FUN FOR EVERYONE!
HIT THAT PERFECT BEAT! - VOLUME 1
01. Gang Of Four - I Love A Man In Uniform (Long Version)
02. Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Endicott (Extended Remix)
03. Yaz - Situation (Extended Version)
04. Erasure - Who Needs Love (Like That) (Mexican Mix)
05. New Order - Blue Monday (Razormaid Remix)
06. Trans-X - Living On Video (Vocal Remix)
07. Berlin - Sex (I'm A...) (12" Remix)
08. Europeans - Animal Song (Cross Country Version)
09. Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Coming Home) (Club Version)
Fans of 80s popular music may recognize the names Vince Clarke and Martyn Ware. Vince Clarke was a founding member of Depeche Mode and Yaz before becoming one half of Erasure. Martyn Ware is best known for his 80s band, Heaven 17.
Here's where my info gets sketchy. I should probably research my statements here before writing this bit, but it's somewhat incidental to the review so I'll just chalk it up to faulty memory if I'm wrong. I remember reading somewhere this disc was recorded for a 3D environment. I believe it was recorded and intended to be played in a gallery type space with different sounds playing in different areas creating a visual and audio experience for the visitor. The disc instructs the listener to wear head phones in order to experience the 3D surround environment. Keeping this in mind, you can begin to understand the ambient nature of the disc.
The first track takes place in three movements; the second being the most exciting with a disco beat and faster tempo. If you have an active imagination, picture yourself shifting through different musical dimensions and you will have an idea of how the changes in this song feel. They're not natural progressions, but not jarring either. There is a flow. 'Open Our Eyes' is quite ambient until the drum loop kicks in. At this point, the song becomes sad. Maybe it's the pace of the rhythm, or the minor chords playing just below the surface... I feel longing, regret... A missed opportunity.
'Too Deep For Tears' with its Japanese texture is perhaps my favorite track. Another minor key song; this one pregnant with suspicion. When I hear it, I feel my intuition is telling me something bad has happened. But my mind is pointing out there's no evidence to support the feeling. You know you're right, but you can't react because the proof isn't there. Yet... So you drift in a limbo state knowing it's coming and unable to change events. You put on a brave face and steel yourself against the emotional onslaught.
'I Think I'm In Love' is rather lighthearted and sweet. It seems to give the title a naivete it normally doesn't convey. 'The East Is Falling' is also mediocre in happiness. You find a smile haunting the corners of your mouth. It's nice but hardly pretentious. 'Wilderness/Turbulence' is another matter entirely. Just like the title, this song seems to have two halves. The first is flat open space free from the influence of man. It's the silence in the forest when a tree falls. Suddenly, the turbulence begins. A marching beat kicks in and disrupts the soft sounds of nature. It tramples the ambiance with sirens and effects, leaving you certain the landscape is scarred and changed forever.
'Disappearing Breakthroughs' sounds like a mad scientist in an X-Files episode. I think the intent of this track was to define a moment when an important and life altering discovery becomes mundane and loses its importance. 'The Light Far Away' is the forward thinking, "looking into the future on a positive note" ending this disc needs to round out it's edges. It promises more.
Though ambient records can be extremely dull and unsatisfying to the average listener, they can also be emotional to those who allow themselves to "feel" music. When you consider the types of sound based recordings used to conjure emotional response... I.e: Whale song, forest sounds, etc. etc., this project is extremely accessible. Contemplate the titles while listening to the music and find your own meaning. These are the best types of interpretive composition because they often give texture to concepts we only vaguely consider. I like 'Pretentious'. You might too. My final word: ARTISTIC.
THE CLARKE & WARE EXPERIMENT - PRETENTIOUS
01. Music For Multiple Dimensions
02. Open Our Eyes
03. Too Deep For Tears
04. I Think I'm In Love
05. The East Is Falling
06. Wilderness/Turbulence
07. Disappearing Breakthroughs
08. The Light Far Away
