Title: The lexicon of love
Artiste: ABC
Year: 1982
Chronological position: Debut album
Previous experience of this artiste?: Just the singles off this album
Why is this considered a classic? I think it just had so many hit singles, introduced the band to the world and also was produced by Trevor Horn, who would later work with Yes, The Buggles and the Art of Noise.
My thoughts
One minute (or thereabouts in) ---- Good, great, bad, meh, still waiting or other? Good
One track in --- Good
Halfway through --- Meh
Finished --- Meh
Comments: Of course I know the singles, so it's the other tracks I'm concentrating on here. ABC to me in my youth always seemed the epitome of what I despised in music: suave, suited guys singing suave, suited music. No soul, y'see? Which is kind of ironic as ABC did purvey a kind of watered-down soul to those who had unbiased ears to hear. Not me: oh no; these guys were boring pop and I didn't like them. Safe. Clinical. Sanitised. Yeah, you know the deal. So what about now, as Bon Jovi would say? I suppose if you listen to the opener you'd have to almost put them in the progressive pop stable, with a nice orchestral intro but then it's more Duran Duran than Dream Theater as the album gets going.
The colossus that bestrides this album is the sweet soul vocal of Martin Fry, and considering he was originally a synth player he really has discovered his talent here. That said, there's nothing that's really impressing me overly here. I know the quality of ABC's work but it has never managed to move me, or make me take a step back. So far, that attitude is not changing. There's really nothing on this album that's blowing my skirt up .... oh hold on a mo! "4 ever 2 gether" is almost Simple Minds and breaks out of the generic pop into a nearly-rock track. I like this. Finally, something to get excited about. Yeah, but that's about where it ends for me.
Favourite track(s): (Other than the singles I know)
4 ever 2 gether
Least favourite track(s): Nothing I hated, but as above, very little I really liked.
Final impression --- I often thought with ABC that I liked their singles, but never quite wondered what their album might be like. Now that I've heard it, I think I was better off with the singles, as without them this album is, almost completely, generic and empty with little to recommend it.
Do I feel, at the end, A) I wish I had listened to this sooner
B) I'm sorry I bothered
C) I might end up liking this
D) Have to wait and see
E) Bit underwhelmed; was ok but a classic?
F) Definitely enjoyed it, but again would I consider it a classic?
Gonna have to go for a B here.