It’s an optimistic band that calls their best of a title like this, just like the band that issues their first best of as Greatest Hits volume 1 and promptly fails to issue a follow up. And Erasure’s classic (and I don’t use that word lightly) pop tunes dried up towards the end of the first disc. Still 17 or 18 cracking pop tunes is a good run by anyone’s standards. You don’t need me to go on about how great Sometimes, Blue Savannah, Stop, A Little Respect, Who Needs Love (Like That) et al are. You really should know by now, and if not then you need this album. Or possibly pick up a copy of Pop! The First Twenty Hits cheap, the album that this is an expansion of. After the big glam electronic pop hits, full of hooks, surging choruses and wonderful melodies the band went a bit more adult and slowed things down. It works alright as we enter the second disc, Always, Run To The Sun and I Love Saturday are all decent but not great. Stay With Me is some sort of lame torch song. The rest is lots of mid tempo balladry, pretty much coffee table music. It’s a shame this is what’s happened to Erasure, but everyone gets older and loses their vim and vigour. It’s still worth purchasing this for disc one though.Total Pop! The First Forty Hits is released by Mute on 23rd February
Erasure's website is here
1 comment:
I really think Erasure's pop songs and albums have never lost the high quality all through the years, on the contrary, they have become more sophisticated songwriters indeed. A natural progression for any brilliant musician. Anyway, I surely respect your quite controversial point of ear.
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