ErasureAcer
Banned
1. Love You To The Sky
2. Be Careful What You Wish For
3. World Be Gone
4. A Bitter Parting
5. Still It's Not Over
6. Take Me Out Of Myself
7. Sweet Summer Loving
8. Oh What A World
9. Lousy Sum Of Nothing
10. Just A Little Love
Erasure, my favorite band has a new album dropping on May 19th, World Be Gone. A couple of songs are already out, the popish Love You To The Sky and the pensive Still It's Not Over. Both are alright, IMO, not Erasure's greatest nor worst. I'd give the edge to Still It's Not Over out of the two, at this moment in time.
It's gotten some reviews already:
Associated Press: "...poignant tunes worried about the state of the world but hopeful love can still make a difference."
Slug Magazine: "Given multiple listens, the beauty and joy found in Erasure's music (which seem eternally synonymous with the band) shine through. The album's cover painting...is perfect and neatly mirrors the message of hope breaking through in these bleaker times."
Observer: "...Bell and Clarke have focused the majority [of] their attention on different forms of love: Acceptance, kindness, and peace."
Newsday: Grade: A. "...Bell's voice is the undisputed focus to masterful effect."
So while we wait a few days for this album to drop. Let's take a walk through memory lane and discuss the GOAT, Erasure - Andy Bell and Vince Clarke.
Here's my ranking of their main albums with favorite songs/lyrics.
1. I Say I Say I Say (1994)
The greatest album of all time, IMO.
Top 5
1. Take Me Back - Take me back to the place where I once belonged
1. I Love Saturday - Just one look into those eyes you had me falling completely, head over heels in love with you
1. Man In the Moon - Sinking down into the covers, sleep to the beat of your heart
1. So The Story Goes - See the lies unfold, hear the miracle
1. Run To The Sun - Here's one for the road and may God's love go with you
1. Always - When it's cold outside am I here in vain?
1. All Through The Years - All the feelings I remember I cannot hide, not for want of trying
1. Blues Away - Screaming in the dead of night I wish to be understood
1. Miracle - We'll be going home, where the passion covers me with love
1. Because You're So Sweet - The light in your eyes touches the sky and I'm your man again
Top B-Side
Tenderest Moments - You could be my angel who just walks out of a dream
2. Erasure (1995)
Not far behind ISISIS in release date nor greatness.
Top 5
1. Sono Luminus - Love can move a mountain yes there's nothing that it can't do
2. Rock Me Gently - And there's more to life than thrills and spills and dollar bills
3. Grace - Where's the sense in senseless violence? Hear the silence too forgiving
4. Stay With Me - Stand by me and I will fill you with devotion
5. I Love You - Take these tears...away from your love
3. Chorus (1990)
Some will argue this is the best. They're wrong but I can see the case.
Top 5
1. Joan - It's just not within the scheme of things to give up your life so easily
2. Waiting For The Day - And perhaps I will forgive you and the hurt will disappear
3. Perfect Stranger - Still more fool me for killing myself that's the way it should be
4. Am I Right? - I can see the old cathedral but I have to play it down
5. Turns The Love To Anger - It's not for us to reason why or to ponder over strategy
Top B-Side
Let It Flow - All is love and love is fine
4. Loveboat (2000)
Some will say this is the worst Erasure album. They are most definitely wrong.
Top 5
1. Freedom - Cherish the union, the light in a stranger's eyes
2. Love Is The Rage - I bet you think this song is about ya
3. Catch 22 - If I seem nervous will you show me what to do?
4. Surreal - Should I go curl up and die?
5. Here In My Heart - I can see in your eyes, my desire
5. The Circus (1987)
Like Loveboat, absolutely amazes with the concept.
Top 5
1. Spiralling - I know that this is something I'll get over, maybe I can learn to love another
2. If I Could - Turning keys, locking doors, I won't accept that anymore
3. The Circus - Call it new technology and they use it to burn and they show no concern
4. It Doesn't Have To Be - A heart on the inside, the same as any other
5. Don't Dance - There's no rhythm that you have to follow
Top B-Side
The Soldier's Return - And she cries for the soldier's return, despair for feeling alone for so long
6. The Innocents (1988)
Synth legends! Taking liberty with WINY(MM) as an original track, it's on my album but not the original version of the song.
1. When I Needed You (Melancholic Mix) - I'd live a different story if you were next to me
2. A Little Respect - What religion or reason could drive a man to forsake his lover?
3. Chains Of Love - How can I explain when there are few words I can choose?
4. Heart Of Stone - I'm as good as dead, yeah
5. Hallowed Ground - Are we living for an uncertain future?
Top B-Side
Don't Suppose - I won't be sleeping I won't turn out the light I got heartache enough for tomorrow
7. The Violet Flame (2014)
The album before World Be Gone is solid.
1. Under The Wave - Sure there ain't no cure for love but someone's got to save me from it
2. Reason - You are the reason I live, you are the reason that I forgive
3. Be The One - Oooh, life only lasts but a moment
4. Sacred - Never feel that you're alone, hold on tight and I'll be strong
5. Stayed A Little Late Tonight - This ain't a two-way conversation, why I couldn't listen long ago?
8. Wonderland (1986)
The foundation is solid.
Top 5
1. Cry So Easy - What's the use in trying when nothing's going right?
2. My Heart...So Blue - Our eyes are open when it suits us to see
3. Oh L'Amour - What's a boy in love supposed to do?
4. Reunion - They try so hard to stop me still I call out your name
5. March On Down The Line - A new day, a new way, I'm coming out this time
Top B-Side
Push Me Shove Me - I don't call that love me, I call that over
9. Nightbird (2005)
Erasure's most personal album IMO, haunting.
Top 5
1. Here I Go Impossible Again - How many dreams am I looking for in your eyes?
2. I Bet You're Mad At Me - Tell the world you're still afraid, been on this road too long
3. I Broke It All In Two - I see the tables turn, please don't desert me now
4. Breathe - I let my head rule my heart now I'm feeling so lonely
5. Let's Take One More Rocket To The Moon - Love without knowing, I'm out of my mind
Top B-Side
Gone Crazy - What's the difference one more lie? Let's pretend and say goodbye.
10. Cowboy (1997)
Good, not great, pop songs but coming off their two best albums, a disappointment.
Top 5
1. Treasure - News coming in nation wide, not a grain of truth to be heard
2. Boy - Is the guilty party me? I don't think so
3. World's On Fire - Call my name aloud and I'll be there for you
4. In My Arms - Your colors are magnificent from magenta to bright blue
5. Rain - My world in light, saving all as one
11. Tomorrow's World (2011)
Short at only 9 songs, get the double disc edition for some demos and remixes that outshine the originals.
Top 5
1. Be With You - Ooo love is coming, sure love is coming
2. Just When I Thought It Was Ending - It's just a matter of time and only time, will heal you
3. Fill Us With Fire - There'll be no sense in pity, we will fly into heaven
4. I Lose Myself - I'm not too concerned about the bitch I've been, they sure must have all deserved it
5. When I Start To (Break It All Down) - If I make it through the whole night, everything's gonna be alright
12. Wild! (1989)
I can vouch for the top 3 songs on this list as some of Erasure's greatest. The rest of the album? Not so much.
Top 5
1. You Surround Me - Don't ever let me take you for granted
2. Blue Savannah - Will I discover that your love will bring me home?
3. How Many Times? - Love leave me alone, I've got troubles of my own
4. Piano Song - Never get angry at the stupid people
5. 2,000 Miles - I need to be at least 2,000 miles away from you!
Top B-Side
Paradise - There are better things that a man can do than to waste his time on a no good fool like you
13. Light At The End Of The World (2007)
Erasure's worst studio album IMO though there's some decent tracks like When A Lover Leaves You.
Top 5
1. When A Lover Leaves You - Where there are demons I see angels passing by
2. How My Eyes Adores You - When I close my eyes you're the only one I love
3. Fly Away - Fly away upon the wings of love, though I'll be here again tomorrow
4. I Don't Know Why - We are touching something spiritual and divine
5. Glass Angel - Talk with me, walk with me, play with me, stay with me, angel
Album Rankings, short form:
1. I Say I Say I Say
2. Erasure
3. Chorus
4. Loveboat
5. The Circus
6. The Innocents
7. The Violet Flame
8. Wonderland
9. Nightbird
10. Cowboy
11. Tomorrow's World
12. Wild!
13. Light At The End Of The World
xx. World Be Gone?
Other Erasure Albums
The Two-Ring Circus - The Circus remixed, includes 3 outstanding orchestral songs of If I Could and Spiralling from The Circus, and My Heart...So Blue, from Wonderland.
Crackers International - Solid EP. STOP! Before you make a fool out of love.
Abba-Esque - 4 covers, 1 is outstanding, S.O.S.
Other People's Songs - As stated by the album name, other people's songs. Solsbury Hill and When Will I See You Again are must listens as they outshine their classic counterparts...yeah, for real.
Union Street - Acoustic versions of some Erasure songs. Excellent.
On The Road To Nashville - Country-ish versions of some Erasure songs, live. Decent.
Snow Globe - Erasure's Christmas themed album. Couldn't tell ya as I don't own it, for some reason(???).
EBX 1, 2, 3, 4 - Collection of Singles, remixes, b-sides from Wonderland through Chorus. Includes Crackers International and Abba-Esque. Have these where I get best B-Side for the rankings above for many albums.
From Moscow to Mars - 30 Years of select Erasure tracks on 11 discs plus the Wild! Tour on DVD. A die hard fan already has 90% of this. You'd get a better bang for the buck purchasing the original albums for probably the same price when all is said and done, if not less, and you'd have way more awesome songs not included in this collection. Wild! Tour released on DVD for the first time. From this compilation is this amazing reworking of Waiting For The Day.
Of course, some other compilation albums throughout the years as well in POP! and POP! 2 and another one as well.
Obviously I could go on with rankings, best remixes and whatnot...which there are many outstanding ones as seen like Waiting For The Day, above.
Well what say you Erasure fans and new Erasure converts who are finding them through this posting? What do you think of the World Be Gone songs? Past Erasure hits? Disagree with my rankings? What did I overlook?
