Erasure4Rum

From your favourite to your least favourite?

Late to the party, but here's my opinion. I'm kind of a "casual" listener because I pick songs from albums to create a "radio" playlist, so I'll rank the albums by the number of songs I like from each:

1. The Innocents: So many great songs and even the songs I don't like much are pretty listenable. I like the rich imagery in the lyrics - something I feel is missing from some of the recent albums.

2. Wild!: Also lots of great songs on this one, especially Star and Drama.

3. The Circus: Same as above. Hideaway brings tears to my eyes and the falsetto during the chorus is absolutely beautiful.

4. Chorus: From this album onwards the songs started to sound more subdued (or rather, more "modern" with less of the 80s-sounding percussion). Siren Song is an instant favourite and I really like Home too.

5. Nightbird: The singles are great and I Bet You're Mad at Me should have been released as a single. This album and The Innocents have a "consistent" feeling to them - not in a bad way though! I just wish it had been a bit less introspective (read: every song is about love); and some of the lyrics in Don't Say You Love Me is unintelligible to me (I still like that song anyway!)

6. Wonderland: My favourites are Oh l'amour and Reunion.

7. I Say I Say I Say: Always and Run to the Sun are good (I don't like I Love Saturday). Miracle is good too. Overall this album doesn't have the energetic feel of the previous albums that I prefer, so I don't like it as much.

8. Erasure: Some very emotional and beautiful songs on here, which I have to be in a specific mood to listen to. I tend to avoid sad songs (Rock Me Gently makes my eyes bleary) and that's why it's ranked so low.

9. Loveboat: I like Freedom although it doesn't feel like an Erasure song at all. Alien is great - best track on the album. Coincidentally, these are the two tracks where the vocals aren't horribly muffled. Also, this is probably blasphemous, but to me the radio remix of Moon and the Sky is quite listenable.

10. The Neon: A mini "return to form" for the band, not unlike Nightbird, but it suffers from the same problem where the songs are a bit "samey". And I rank it lower than Nightbird because so far none of the songs has really caught my ears - they are very "dancey" while I prefer more melodious songs.

11. Cowboy: As stated by someone else (in this forum if I remember correctly), "Erasure on autopilot". The songs sound like the average pop song at the time and don't stand out to me. Rain is my favourite from that album.

12. Other People's Songs: Solsbury Hill is great; don't care about the rest.

13. The Violet Flame: The EDM-like sound turns me off... However Sacred and Under the Wave are solid tracks.

14. Light at the End of the World: Don't really listen to this album. The best track is probably Sunday Girl.

15. Snow Globe: Same as above. Bells of Love stands out; the rest is meh.

16. Union Street: Does it count? Wikipedia lists it as an album. I don't listen to it much.

17. World Be Gone: Tried hard to like this one but there's something about the vocals that turns me off. In Love You to the Sky Andy sounds a bit pitchy (I'm gradually warming up to it though). Just a Little Love is very promising at the start but I can't resist the urge to press next every time it comes to that "yearning" (which I believe is a recording artifact, as Andy sounds fine in the World Beyond version, but then he gets the lyrics wrong in that version ). The title track has some good lyrics but the chorus feels incomplete. This album's fan review thread on the old forum archive is hilarious - it felt as if some of the posters were listening to a different album! Unlike some people on here, I think the single choices are correct; because some of the other songs sound like they could belong to the spoken word genre...

18. Tomorrow's World: Too EDM and loud for my taste.

I'm in my 20s though and have a preference for cheery pop music with a bit of drum. My other favourite artists don't sound like Erasure at all, and I don't really listen to other electropop/synthpop artists.

This is tough to answer because every Erasure album equates to a specific point in each of our lives. It's interesting to read the perspective of someone who hasn't listened to them incessantly All Through The Years Somehow Vince and Andy have changed so much yet somehow never changed a bit. Likewise, my musical tasted have grown and changed over the years - I'm sure that's true for everyone. Erasure have always been a musical touchstone for me over the years.

To try to objectively rank Erasure's albums, I'd try to look at the quality of the music and the attention to detail (or lack thereof) from Vince and Andy and everyone else working on the album. Of course personal preference also plays part, though I try to keep it to a minimum.

I think Erasure's best albums from best to worst are:

1. Erasure - the masterpiece that just wouldn't feel right at any lower position. This album shows the height of Erasure's creativity, passion and talent and it boasts some of the best audio production. Let it forever be Erasure's buried treasure, a gem hidden away from the causal fans who buy the greatest hits albums, never to hear Grace or A Long Goodbye. This is the heart and soul of Vince and Andy.
2. I Say I Say I Say - hard to overstate how easy it is to fall in love with this album. Was often my #1 and just so many fond memories of this time. Ware's production was perfect, the songs are perfect, even the artwork and "erasure" font are all perfect. I Say is nothing but happiness.
3. Chorus - hard to argue that this epic album shouldn't be #1, since Chorus is pretty much perfect all around. Trying to pick a #1 Erasure album is like having to pick a favorite child.
4. The Circus - and again, I could easily see this as their #1 best album. It's perfection from beginning to end, but in a different way that's hard to describe. More pop and radio friendly of course, but also completely the opposite: Spiralling, Hideaway, The Circus, If I Could - all quite sad and bittersweet!
5. Light At The End Of The World - 5th best? If you give it your full attention (except for the bleh Sucker For Love), it is an emotionally powerful and beautiful album
6. The Innocents - an album loved by everyone and of course I want to rank it higher
7. Wild! - creative, amazing time for the band and this album was also my #1 for a few years. The weakness of La Gloria and 2000 Miles, though I like them, brings the album down overall
8. Nightbird - I knew this album was incredible upon first listen and it simply has never let me down since
9. The Violet Flame - Richard X deserves a lot of credit for this truly stunning album. It's different, but in a good way that still surprises me.
10. Wonderland - this is always fun to listen to, simple as that
11. Cowboy - I love this album and miss those days. Great album but was missing any sparks of greatness.
12. Loveboat - this album is great and should be higher, but we all know poor production ruined the audio quality
13. World Be Gone - after some time-distance with WBG, I think it has some great moments, but some misses as well
14. Snow Globe - this project never interested me much, but there are some truly beautiful tracks here
15. The Neon - I like Neon, but it just doesn't move me. Some lyrics are just poor.
16. Other People's Songs - nothing earth-shattering here but a fun listen
17. Union Street - interesting takes, but Rock Me Gently and Love Affair were ruined
18. Tomorrow's World - Songs are somewhat poor and production by Frankmusik was just bad, honestly. It's easy to be an armchair critic, but I know Erasure can do better. Some experiments don't work out.

Here's my highly subjective list...

1. Chorus - I became an Erasure fan in between Wild! and Chorus so this was the first Erasure album that I found myself anticipating. It did not disappoint. Vince's work on this album is perhaps only equalled or bettered by Erasure. I love that it's all electronic and I love that the vocals are just layers of Andy. "Waiting for the Day" and "Home" are the masterpieces are for me, but there isn't a dud on this record.

2. The Innocents - Like Chorus, I think every song is quite good and it boasts "A Little Respect" and "Phantom Bride". If I'm to nitpick, this album perhaps suffers from the old "load-up-the-start-of-the-album-with-all-the-best-songs" syndrome. There's a reason why this album won a BRIT. I'm kind of surprised Vince and Andy never went back to the well with Stephen Hague after this album's success.

3. Wild! - The high points of this album (the singles, "How Many Times?") set an incredibly high bar. Unfortunately, "La Gloria" and "2000 Miles" are not good. Overall, though, the high points far outweigh the low points. I love the experimenting that went on with the songwriting for this record. The middle sections of "Star" and "Blue Savannah" take the songs briefly in fun new directions. You really get the feeling that Vince and Andy were in sync with their writing here.

4. Erasure - I'd like to rank this higher because of Vince's unmatched work but for some reason, I just can't find it in my heart to rank it any better than fourth. "Fingers & Thumbs" is one of my favourite Erasure songs ever. "Rescue Me", "Angel", "A Long Goodbye" are perfection. Can it really be "Love the Way You Do So" and "Grace" ("Where's the sense in senseless violence?" Really, Andy?) that drag it this far down for me? Not sure, but I am not a fan of those songs. I would love a return to this sound, though.

5. Nightbird - What a fine return to form this was, with so many beautiful songs. "Let's Take One More Rocket to the Moon" is always a contender for favourite Erasure song for me. The intricacies of Vince's work on there make me so happy. This album has a nice ebb and flow. The tour was brilliant, too...

6. Wonderland - This album is a lot of fun. "Senseless" is fantastic. "Push Me, Shove Me", "Oh l'amour", and "My Heart...So Blue" are also high points. Could do without "Say What" and "Pistol"...

7. Loveboat - I know the production causes people to rate this album poorly but if you listen, you'll hear some of Vince and Andy's best-ever songwriting efforts here. "Where in the World" and "Mad as We Are" are in the top tier for me but I also think the triumvirate of "Here in My Heart", "Love Is the Rage", and "Catch 22" are really great songs. Didn't understand "Moon & the Sky" as a single choice, though...

8. The Circus - I know this was many fans' gateway album for Erasure and it is really good. "Spiralling" and "Hideaway" are my favourites but it's a solid listen from beginning to end. I don't know why I don't rank it higher. My gut just tells me to put it slightly higher than middle of the pack.

9. I Say I Say I Say - (Almost) everyone's favourite opener to an album and one of those songs we fans will push to hear live but never get, "Take Me Back" is just brilliant. I'm generally more Team Vince than Team Andy but in this one, Andy rises to the challenge and it's like a slugfest of awesomeness. I adored "I Love Saturday" at the time but it's kind of worn on me a bit over time. I still think "Miracle is fantastic, too. "Blues Away" and "All Through the Years"...meh...

10. Cowboy - This was pretty good for an interesting change of direction. "Save Me Darling" is simply wonderful. The only fillers for me are "Precious" and "Treasure". I have good memories of the tours surrounding this album.

11. World be Gone - "Lousy Sum of Nothing" and "Be Careful What You Wish For!" make this album worth the listen every time. I was disappointed that they didn't play either one on the US leg of the tour. My children couldn't get enough of "Just a Little Love" when this record came out.

12. Union Street - I'm not a country fan by any means but I have no gripes about this record. It helps when the band specifically chooses songs that they felt were strong and maybe didn't get enough love. The quiet beauty of "Spiralling" and "How Many Times?" are my high points for this album. I made the trek to the Ryman in Nashville for this tour and thoroughly enjoyed the show.

13. Other People's Songs - I devoured "Solsbury Hill" when it came out and championed it to anyone who would listen. Really well done. Some of the other song choices for this record were not as inspired...

14. Snow Globe - I've seen a few mentions of "Bells of Love" here, but for me, it's the Christmas classics that make this record. "Silent Night" is so brilliant in its low-key approach. And *that* bass sound at the end of each refrain. The originals are all right and fare better than the songs from the other recent efforts.

15. Light at the End of the World - "Storm in a Teacup" is an interesting song and the other singles are okay. The rest of the songs are too generic, though, for my taste. "Golden Heart", "Fly Me Away"...they just kind of run together. Practically the same song, which is a recurring theme for the albums that rank below this on my list.

16. The Neon - Let's be honest; Andy's lyrics are atrocious on this record. I think this album suffers from not having been written "together" as a duo. As has already been mentioned, the sameness of this album is a problem. There's no standout track for me.

17. The Violet Flame - Again, no standouts in my eyes. It's fine, but nothing on this record excites me. If I had to pick a favourite, I suppose it would be "Dead of Night". At least it isn't riddled with *bad* songs, like the last entry on my list...

18. Tomorrow's World - I love "I Lose Myself", I like "A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot", and the rest, um.... This is most definitely not a good album. At least they threw "Sono Luminus" in on the tour.

This is tough to answer because every Erasure album equates to a specific point in each of our lives. It's interesting to read the perspective of someone who hasn't listened to them incessantly All Through The Years Somehow Vince and Andy have changed so much yet somehow never changed a bit. Likewise, my musical tasted have grown and changed over the years - I'm sure that's true for everyone. Erasure have always been a musical touchstone for me over the years.

To try to objectively rank Erasure's albums, I'd try to look at the quality of the music and the attention to detail (or lack thereof) from Vince and Andy and everyone else working on the album. Of course personal preference also plays part, though I try to keep it to a minimum.

I think Erasure's best albums from best to worst are:

1. Erasure - the masterpiece that just wouldn't feel right at any lower position. This album shows the height of Erasure's creativity, passion and talent and it boasts some of the best audio production. Let it forever be Erasure's buried treasure, a gem hidden away from the causal fans who buy the greatest hits albums, never to hear Grace or A Long Goodbye. This is the heart and soul of Vince and Andy.
2. I Say I Say I Say - hard to overstate how easy it is to fall in love with this album. Was often my #1 and just so many fond memories of this time. Ware's production was perfect, the songs are perfect, even the artwork and "erasure" font are all perfect. I Say is nothing but happiness.
3. Chorus - hard to argue that this epic album shouldn't be #1, since Chorus is pretty much perfect all around. Trying to pick a #1 Erasure album is like having to pick a favorite child.
4. The Circus - and again, I could easily see this as their #1 best album. It's perfection from beginning to end, but in a different way that's hard to describe. More pop and radio friendly of course, but also completely the opposite: Spiralling, Hideaway, The Circus, If I Could - all quite sad and bittersweet!
5. Light At The End Of The World - 5th best? If you give it your full attention (except for the bleh Sucker For Love), it is an emotionally powerful and beautiful album
6. The Innocents - an album loved by everyone and of course I want to rank it higher
7. Wild! - creative, amazing time for the band and this album was also my #1 for a few years. The weakness of La Gloria and 2000 Miles, though I like them, brings the album down overall
8. Nightbird - I knew this album was incredible upon first listen and it simply has never let me down since
9. The Violet Flame - Richard X deserves a lot of credit for this truly stunning album. It's different, but in a good way that still surprises me.
10. Wonderland - this is always fun to listen to, simple as that
11. Cowboy - I love this album and miss those days. Wonderful album but was missing any sparks of true greatness.
12. Loveboat - this album is great and should be higher, but we all know poor production ruined the audio quality
13. World Be Gone - after some time-distance with WBG, I think it has some great moments, but some misses as well
14. Snow Globe - this project never interested me much, but there are some truly beautiful tracks here
15. The Neon - I like Neon, but it just doesn't move me. Some lyrics are just poor.
16. Other People's Songs - nothing earth-shattering here but a fun listen
17. Union Street - interesting takes, but Rock Me Gently and Love Affair were ruined
18. Tomorrow's World - Songs are somewhat poor and production by Frankmusik was just bad, honestly. It's easy to be an armchair critic, but I know Erasure can do better. Some experiments don't work out.