The Album Review Club - *** Christmas Break Playlist (next album 7/1/26) ***

Coatigan said:
Sometimes, less really is more. This is one of those. I know it is not a genre and era I particularly like anyway, but on it's own merit, it is just overdone. Throw as many gimmicks at it to disguise otherwise boring formulaic song writing and unoriginal performance and singing. And then rinse repeat for each song, with the hope that those looking for something 'more' will fall for it. I have in the past praised richness in songs, so I don't think it is necessarily a conviction to minimalism, just purely how I see this album. Liked it less than the last one and a few I can remember so a 3 from me.
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I agree entirely about the rinse and repeat aspect - there’s definitely a whiff of the same song retooled many times. But as I said in my review, there are some very good songs on this album - “All of My Heart” being the best example - that even the OTT production can’t drown.
 
Coatigan said:
Sometimes, less really is more. This is one of those. I know it is not a genre and era I particularly like anyway, but on it's own merit, it is just overdone. Throw as many gimmicks at it to disguise otherwise boring formulaic song writing and unoriginal performance and singing. And then rinse repeat for each song, with the hope that those looking for something 'more' will fall for it. I have in the past praised richness in songs, so I don't think it is necessarily a conviction to minimalism, just purely how I see this album. Liked it less than the last one and a few I can remember so a 3 from me.
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This has been a good album for raising the question what is it we actually hear when we play stuff like this. Are we listening to decent music or are we really 'hearing' our memories of a carefree time and place. I think it's both and tbh even if it's more the latter then what's the purpose of music if not to create emotions that then turn into memories. That said I think this album is a testament to the times but also stands the test of time too. No one seems to have mentioned the hooks, it's got loads of them. Are they massively innovative? Not really. Are they often a bit formulaic? Possibly. But that didn't stop Motown or Atlantic or PIR from producing great records too.

As an apprentice miserablist at the time, I did my level best to dislike all of the pop music of the day. But the good stuff will always get it's hooks into you.

This album is not perfect and some aspects have stood up less well than others but to me over forty years later it's still eminently playable.
 
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I can’t even remember exactly what I thought of ABC when they appeared on the scene. They definitely were not what I was buying or going to see in concert but the singles probably didn’t offend me and do remind me of the time they come from.

Much later in life I did feel the need to add “Lexicon of Love” to my cd collection and rate it as a great example of early 80’s pop.

I love a bit of OTT production and Trevor Horn is a master of that; he can do subtle though.

Whilst this is not my fave genre etc, which loses it a point, it is something of a classic and I will give it 9/10.
 
After a few more critical listens, I have to say I still love it. It is, of course, a product of its time but that just adds to the charm of it for me. I have some great memories from those days. There's not a track on the album that I don't enjoy. It has always been one of my favourite albums and, I suspect, always will be. Another 10 from me.
 
Thankfully I’d only heard the ‘hits’ off this album. I get it’s iconic but it’s very much of its time for me and not something I really would enjoy listening to again. It all got a bit samey and repetitive and the cringey additional vocals on some tracks really were annoying.
Respect to @BimboBob for choosing something that means a lot to him. For the very fact I’m not as grumpy as @Coatigan I’ll give it 4/10.
I checked release dates of what I was listening to in 1982 - my album of the year was Rush - Signals which rather puts my score into context
 
When I first listened to the album I was quite surprised it was released in 1982 as I think it sounds very "modern" compared to it's contemporaries. The production is key of course and it's definitely going to split people on it.

Personally I really enjoyed it although I'm not a fan of his voice, but the songs and production are good enough to keep me listening.

The singles are the stand out tracks and there's not many better songs in the 80s than All Of My Heart! It's superb.

Overall it's a good solid album and definitely one to come back to!

7/10
 
Normally when I listen to records I like the first time around, they grow on me. This one didn’t get any better on repeated plays, but stayed pretty much as it was: pleasant, bouncy, funny and clever (the lyrics regularly, and the little drum/horn/keyboard flourishes that show up once in a while), but ultimately disposable and not as hooky nor as memorable as some of the 80s/90s dance-pop that populates a lot of my decades-old vinyl collection. My main broader takeaway was that the Pet Shop Boys have spoiled me rotten and set up a difficult comparison for music and lyrics like these, as have others, including my previously-mentioned Scritti Politti. But at least it’s better than Blancmange.

There’s nothing here I didn’t like, and perhaps obviously I knew “Poison Arrow” and “Tears Are Not Enough” and “The Look Of Love.” They’re all a good listen. That said, for whatever reason, “Be Near Me” has always been my favo(u)rite song by these by a little bit, and listening here nothing I already knew or didn’t know before changed my mind.

“Valentine’s Day” probably emerged as the most fun of the stuff I hadn’t heard – that swelling little keyboard is a kick. And I like that line from “Date Stamp” – “Looking for the girl that meets supply with demand” – cute. And I like that bass line on “4 Ever 2 Gether” (though the tempo changes are odd). But as the record wears on, the hooks dwindle some and the songs become a bit of a cliched pastiche, lyrically and musically. And it worries me a bit that the smart-aleck clever-dick of the first several songs becomes frustrated enough by women that he loses his ironic pose by the end.

Maybe I’m looking too hard for meaning in something that’s meant to be breezy and off-the-cuff. Somehow I don’t think so given the care with which the lyrics are crafted and the fact that Trevor “Wall Of Sound 2.0” Horn produced it. But it succeeds often enough at getting my bum up off my seat that I’d hear it again without thinking and relive my youth a little. 7/10.
 
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My review is going to start with some context from a few of the recent reviews for good reason...
GornikDaze said:
Respect to @BimboBob for choosing something that means a lot to him. For the very fact I’m not as grumpy as @Coatigan I’ll give it 4/10.

I checked release dates of what I was listening to in 1982 - my album of the year was Rush - Signals which rather puts my score into context
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I was listening to the same thing in 1982, and certainly not this album. But I didn't first hear this album or band in 1982, it wouldn't be for another 3 years later in another time and place.
threespires said:
This has been a good album for raising the question what is it we actually hear when we play stuff like this. Are we listening to decent music or are we really 'hearing' our memories of a carefree time and place. I think it's both and tbh even if it's more the latter then what's the purpose of music if not to create emotions that then turn into memories.
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For me it is much more the latter and the memories and emotions that come with it. That observation in bold above hits the nail on the head for me when it comes to this album. It's the 1985 and beyond memories of this and the then-girlfriend who introduced this band and album to me. One I wasn't initially fond of. Together with her, I had heard the hits off this, specifically "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love", and "All of My Heart".

Before I get to the end, I'll add in some perspective on the listens to this from this past week.
threespires said:
That said I think this album is a testament to the times but also stands the test of time too. No one seems to have mentioned the hooks, it's got loads of them. Are they massively innovative? Not really. Are they often a bit formulaic? Possibly. But that didn't stop Motown or Atlantic or PIR from producing great records too.
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I think this is spot on too. The hooks are amazing, and there could be more than a few songs to get hono(u)rable mention to be included in the "Made by the Bass" playlist. The one complaint I'd have is there is a sort of sameness to some of melodies. The music in "All of My Heart" even has a sameness as "Be Near Me" from a future album.
threespires said:
As an apprentice miserablist at the time, I did my level best to dislike all of the pop music of the day. But the good stuff will always get it's hooks into you.
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The apprentice miserablist identifying with the lyrics in "Many Happy Returns" of "I know what's good, but I know what trash is" makes me smile thinking of another one who was reviewing this here. ;-)

"The Lexicon of Love" is an appropriately named album as I'd say that since all the songs deal with love and the pursuit of (and sometimes rejection) in some way shape or form, this album hits the mark in what it takes on. It's a guilty pleasure, and if the arrow hits you (pun intended), you're not going to forget the memories that come along with it.
threespires said:
This album is not perfect and some aspects have stood up less well than others but to me over forty year later it's still eminently playable.
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Some things don't stand the test of time and some do. On its own musically, this would likely be a 6 from me.

But like the numerous hooks ("more hooks than a meat packing plant" as one review penned) that got me back then, this one is loaded with memories. Great ones that have stayed with me as I expanded my musical horizons and appreciation of genres that I wasn't formerly keen on. Overall, this gets an 8.5/10 for me. My wife would give it a 10/10, but she's biased because she already loved the album musically before she met me. Now we both do, especially for the overlapping memories. Thanks @BimboBob for the nomination and trip down memory lane this week.
 
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Think I have said most of what I wanted to on this pick, just picking up a couple of points others have made:

The repetition: whilst not exactly a concept album it’s got a consistent theme running through it and I think that is reflected in repeated musical motifs – I think this is deliberate rather than lacking in imagination.

Of the hits, I would wholeheartedly agree with those picking “All of My Heart” as the standout. There is a school of thought that the songs needed a ‘bigger’ voice than Fry’s, but whatever limitations/fragilities there may be work in his favour on this one and the production on this track is one where some aspects are rightly turned up to 11 but others aspects are less OTT. It’s an exemplar of why pop should never be completely dismissed out of hand.

Whoever it was complaining about the female voices, I’m pretty sure that at least in one or two instances it’s Tessa Niles, so jolly well stop moaning.

I remain convinced that this is significantly more ambitious than the likes of Spandau Ballet and deserves to be considered in the same way as other interesting Sheffield bands of the era whether they sound like them or not.

I scored the Colour of Spring 10/10 because there is literally nothing material I would change about that album. That’s not true of this and there’s enough to knock off a point, maybe even more. However, set against that are the reignited sixth form memories of nipping off to Alexandra Park for a bit of quiet time with my first girlfriend; I was a pragmatist which meant that whilst I might have wanted to have listen to Atrocity Exhibition something like The Thompson Twins was a better bet for spending quality time. However, the great thing about ABC and this album was I didn’t have to compromise on the quality of the music to have a good time. 9/10.
 
GornikDaze said:
I checked release dates of what I was listening to in 1982 - my album of the year was Rush - Signals which rather puts my score into context
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Same for me, all rock, couldn't stand any of the poppy chart stuff, hence other than the singles, had never listened to ABC....and despite my musical tastes mellowing quite alot since then, it's not the music I like listening to, a 4.

@RobMCFC ...will put clues up for my nomination tomorrow around half 3 to 4pm ;)
 
threespires said:
The repetition: whilst not exactly a concept album it’s got a consistent theme running through it and I think that is reflected in repeated musical motifs – I think this is deliberate rather than lacking in imagination.
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There was one thing I didn't mention last night in my review on the music sounding repetition (and not the theme itself which was very deliberate). I'm glad I didn't too after actually looking up the album release history, was how much the guitar and beat sound in "Date Stamp" sounded like "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, which I was familiar with prior when it first came out in 1984 (it was hard to escape unless actually living under a rock).

Sure enough, given this album came out first two years prior, it was Trevor Horn who then provided from "Date Stamp" nearly the same music sound on the 1984 "Relax" single from FGtH's debut album, I had credited the wrong group borrowing that sound. My bad, and it was interesting and not surprising to see Horn as part of both being that musical bridge.

threespires said:
Whoever it was complaining about the female voices, I’m pretty sure that at least in one or two instances it’s Tessa Niles, so jolly well stop moaning.
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Not me, I liked the spoken "goodbye" in "The Look Of Love, Pt. 1". :-)
threespires said:
I scored the Colour of Spring 10/10 because there is literally nothing material I would change about that album.
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Wish I was around for that Talk Talk selection, as I probably would have scored the same. Glad I have since enjoyed it immensely since discussed on the Playlist thread.
 
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Work has been mad over last 2 weeks and if its not work its Union stuff, so havent had much chance to read and comment on here. But I think as ever the insightful and wise words of Rob/three/B&W etc, have said everything.

The idea of it being a concept album of sorts...so whats wrong with a similarity? The voice in relation to the production, yet the fragility of it goes with the songs perhaps? The (over) production?

...But then the fact it has once again brought back memories to so many of us. I was on my commute and listening and having little flashbacks to darkened rooms at houseparties and of course that gold suit and the album simply made me smile.

Indeed a classic of its time with some great hooks, great songs and therefore its a 7.5 from the Derry jury
 
hanging today so will keep it short and sweet.
enjoyed, just as i thought i would as i liked there best of album.
Has a rich pop sound and elements of Bowie.

7/10


Pick of the bunch : Poison Arrow

Bonus Point: Martin Fry's Gold suit.
 
I'm runnng late again...

I'll be honest and say that when this came up for review my initial, prejudiced reaction was that I wasn't going to like it, based on my perceptions of that whole ABC, Spandau Ballet era. To try and give myself a bit of balance I asked my wife, who is fairly broad minded musically, if she had liked them back in the day. It wasn't actually a withering look but was a bit "what are you asking me a stupid question for". She didn't like them.

From that starting point and remembering the gif from Bimbo that was Talk Talk I think I went into it with a fairly open mind.

However, I didn't like it. His voice grates abit for me and what I thought was meant to be lyrical cleverness just sounded a bit trite. The bass was too much.

Sorry this just wasn't for me and it's a rare 5.
 
THE LEXICON OF LOVE



Sorry bit late, I’m 5 hours behind at the moment.



I had this album back in the day and loved it, I’ve not listened to it for years apart from the odd single on the radio.Its aged reasonably well as others have mentioned there are some stand out tracks , whereas others are possibly too similar.It was nevertheless an enjoyable listen for both me and the wife ( which is quite rare).



7/10 for the music

Extra point for MF mentioning ‘Stolen from Ivor’ took me back to my early clothes shopping for Parrells etc.



So 8/10
 
Scores all over the shop this week: ABC's The Lexicon of Love scored two 10s and two 9s but also managed to scrape together a couple of 3s and a couple of 4s as well. Still, it's a respectable average of 6.79 from 14 votes, and I think quite a few people enjoyed using the musical time machine to visit the school disco. Thanks to @BimboBob for the nomination.

This week, it's @southamptonblue to nominate and he's looking to post between 3.30 and 4.00 today so you can have a breather until then.

Just a note on next week's changeover. I'm off to sunny Spain for a week so @Coatigan has kindly volunteered to collect the scores and manage the changeover at this point next week. I'll update the table on page #1 when I return.
 
Mancitydoogle said:
Sorry bit late, I’m 5 hours behind at the moment.
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Nah you're not mate, you're right on time. Welcome back... ;-)

Mancitydoogle said:
I had this album back in the day and loved it, I’ve not listened to it for years apart from the odd single on the radio.Its aged reasonably well as others have mentioned there are some stand out tracks , whereas others are possibly too similar.It was nevertheless an enjoyable listen for both me and the wife ( which is quite rare).
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Memories are key.... @journolud also confirmed the lack of them as well with getting the stink eye from the missus can affect the scoring too. ;-)
 
Right, finished early, so forget the breather!! I would say a couple of posters could possibly guess the clues instantly.....if you are one, hold back and let others have a guess ;)

The band- I saw their last ever concert live, in my brother-in-laws garden, but I wasn't there!

The album- change the sun and moon around!
 
southamptonblue said:
Right, finished early, so forget the breather!! I would say a couple of posters could possibly guess the clues instantly.....if you are one, hold back and let others have a guess ;)

The band- I saw their last ever concert live, in my brother-in-laws garden, but I wasn't there!

The album- change the sun and moon around!
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I think I know & I won't guess & will be surprised if I'm wrong
 
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