Best synth pop group ever? (Total Pop: The First 40 Hits - Erasure)

Member Name: benlepensive

Product:	Total Pop: The First 40 Hits - Erasure
Date:	18/07/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 40 songs

Disadvantages: cover is boring

You have to admire Erasure, who have managed to last twenty years and are still putting out new material. The combination of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell's synth pop has worn well through the years and is always a pleasure to dip into. This album contains forty of their hits plus remixes.

Highlights:

First off, I must stress that the songs have all been digitally remastered, which means they are even crisper than before. This works particularly well on the older material. 'Sometimes' still packs a punch and has a wonderful wailing chorus from Bell. It is is many ways a perfect pop creation with stirring synths and plenty of peaks and lifts.

'Ship Of Fools' is a more sombre piece, but is very enduring, thanks to a haunting synth from Clarke and thought provoking lyrics from Bell as he sings about the woes of the world. On a similar sinister curve is 'The Circus' which I find unsettling, yet rich and emotive in the same breath, as an accordian sound pumps out a creepy tune.

'Drama' is as camp as you like with a flourishing chorus and superb energy carrying the whole thing. The album is set out in a chronological order, so as you make your way through you will hit the newer material. 'I Love Saturday' is an understated pop triumph, in which Bell laments the joys of love and living for the weekend. 'Here I Go Impossible Again' is a sorrowful song, with tear jerking lyrics and a very sad synth from Clarke. It should have been a much bigger hit and is a must hear on this collection.

Towards the end of the album, you will encounter some songs you might not know. 'Rain' is worth exploring, with a warm and enveloping melody, it simply washes over and will calm the senses.

You cannot argue that 40 songs is not good value. The cover artwork could have been spiced up, but every hit is included and you get some bonus songs too. Fans of eighties synth pop will be thrilled.

Summary: super