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The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
1982
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!This was really bad. All the reasons people think they don’t like 80s music wrapped up in one album. Feels like I just got “Rick Rolled”.
Well, that didn't age well, did it? Nope. This album exists in a very narrow slice of musical history and it should stay there. We've already got Bowie filling out the "weird 80s electropop" portion of the list. Let's just let this budget ripoff disappear into obscurity, alright?
This list really is way too heavily skewed towards average 70s-80s British bands. God I hated this album.
Literally 0 understanding why it's in the "1001 albums you must listen before you di" list
Holy fucking shit what an opening! Every single song on this slaps with irresistible 80s groove... The Nile Rodgers-esque rhythm guitar, Phil Collins-y drums, slapping base, synth strings and keys, various other sond effects... And it's different enough to be individual and something that you couldn't substitute with some other 80s album... I had so much fun listening to this
The orchestral moments on this earned it an extra star. Way more depth than your average 80s pop album.
One of my favourite albums of all time. Martin Fry's melodramatic crooning, the unabashedly cinematic romanticism and a clutch of finely honed songs make this an essential collection. I consider this one to be the Citizen Kane of New Wave. Big talk? Big album!
A proper, shiny, widescreen heartfelt unashamedly bombastic pop album. If your world is full of strange arrangements and gravity won't pull you through, this is the album you need.
Quick-hitting, high energy pop album spanning new wave, disco, and funk at times. The Look of Love is an underated banger, and there are a few other great tracks for a relatively shorter album. Great job of getting in and out of songs without dragging on, and no wasted time trying to be gimmicky. Probably a 3.5 but getting the bump for being a guilty pleasure listen and the replay value.
Lounge music from the 80's. A time of great optimism. Business suits, boardrooms, thatcherism, consumer credit, and the beginning of the modern era. You could make a reasonable argument that the ills of today were birthed here, but I digress... Musically, big, bright and poppy, "The sound of a foot tapping on the classroom floor forever." That and trying to imitate Bryan Ferry. For all that some instant classics. A trip down memory lane if nothing else.
“Mom, can we have some Duran Duran?” “No, we have Duran Duran at home.” Duran Duran at home:
Took me until "the look of love" to get to a song that I recognized. Generally like this kind of sound but this one doesn't really grab me as an album. Like some individual tracks but the sound doesn't gel for me.
Feels heavily indebted to Bowie and Duran Duran. The songs are fine, but blend together after a while. Bass player puts in work, though. Favorite tracks: "Show Me", "Many Happy Returns"
Full disclosure: I am absolutely not the audience for this album. I generally loathe 80s synth pop. Here are the main elements of Lexicon of Love: disco bass, the arch, pasty vocals of Martin Fry, ostentatious drum machines, thin and inorganic-sounding synths--I hate each and every one. And yet the ambitions of ABC are quite well realized. The music is danceable if you can keep from vomiting. There are ton of cringeable hooks, both melodic and rhythmic, that make this music memorable. There is nothing lazy, half hearted or timid about The Lexicon Of Love. And it's played and performed immaculately. Producer Trevor Horn (the man who remade Yes into an 80s AM pop band--there's a horrible thought) knew exactly what he wanted and achieved it in spades. How to score? 3 points for the high level of professionalism, -1 points because this music is so putrid it made my eyeballs ache.
Per Wiki notes, the band's ambition was to create music that was more sophisticated but still had some attitude. Grade: F.
Love this album. In some ways a concept album. Superb arrangements and great production.
Great album. I loved this. "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love" are both pure 80s pop brilliance! Lead singer Martin Fry is from Bramhall btw.
Tengo debilidad por el synthpop/new wave y este disco es uno de los mas puros en escencia que hay en el genero. Mas atrás y te vas a los Pet Shop Boys y mas adelante a Depeche Mode, éste es un balance justo en lo poppy-techno-inocent que caracteriza al genero. La verdad me parece un discazo que quedó olvidadisimo en el tiempo. O quizás fué borrado del colectivo del pais ya que es un album britanico salido en el apogeo de la guerra de Malvinas.
Discazo. Tiene todo lo que está bien en mi cabeza. Bajos tremendos, vientos, pianos y una voz espectacular. Todo. Valentine's Day, Date Stamp (que me recuerda a Mundo de Quimeras de Soda Stereo) y Theme From "Mantrap" son los temas que más me gustaron. Hay algo muy Bowie en todo el disco y, en general, me hace acordar mucho al sonido que tenía Soda en sus primeros discos pero bueno, hay toda una generación de bandas de los 80s muy marcada por este estilo. De los discos que viene proponiendo esta bella plataforma, este es el que más me gusta hasta el momento. Sin duda, lo volvería a escuchar. 9/10 ludomatics.
Me gusto! No conocía esta banda, aunque quizás cuando iba a bailar a alterna seguro algún tema de ellos pasaban y yo ni sabía. Justamente por eso me llama la atención no conocerla. . Pop del bueno. Ideal para bailarlo. Lo ame. . Es un disco que lo escucharía mientras trabajo. Me hace mover la patita y concentrarme. 5 efes
Like punk never happened. Como Octavio Paz volviéndose liberal. Magnífico. Pop en mayúsculas, free market soundtrack. Probablemente uno de los mejores discos de pop de Inglaterra en los 80.
This was brilliant. Loved the disco aspect. Even when the lyrics are sad you want to bop.
Man, this album SLAPS. The clarity and strength of the vocals over these disco inspired backing tracks, what a melding. Completely gorgeous from start to finish, what a ride.
This makes me want to put on an Armani suit and get down. For the sake of clarity, my favored wardrobe consists of jeans and band t-shirts and I most certainly can't dance but this makes me feel like I have sartorial taste and an actual sense of rhythm. In an alternate universe this is the soundtrack to a colorful, early 80s movie musical that while very much of it's time and critically savaged upon its release is now considered a groundbreaking cult classic.
Those bass lines! Little kitschy lyrics at times but the synth instrumentation and use of reprise more than makes up for it
Unexpected good pop from the 80s. It will have earn a 5 stars if the mixing wasn't so harsh.
Never knew this bands name but have heard these songs a lot. Some of its just 80s so bad that it’s good. I dig the hell out of wobbly baselines and the glorious synths.
I know I’ve hear The Look of Love, but I couldn’t have pulled the band name ABC out of anywhere. Solid 80s album.
some histrionic proto-vaporwave vibes. feels kind of like Sade. A good back-pocket recommendation.
Saved Prior: Poison Arrow Off Rip: Show Me, Many Happy Returns, The Look of Love - Pt. 1, Date Stamp, All of My Heart, Theme from "Mantrap" Cutting Edge: Tears Are Not Enough, Valentine's Day Overall Notes: Nice juicy drama, synths, and drum machines. The cover captures the theatricality of this album perfectly. Big fan. Popcorn music, was close to giving it a 5.
A good 80s pop album, it has some great songs and not so very good ones, but it always delivers. I was going to give this a 3 but after The Look of Love (Part 1) it does get better.
I had a pleasure time with this band. Although I am not sure how much it was swing or pop or something else.
Pretty good example of the 80's. A lot of the songs sound like they could be played at a disco party. Bops: Poison Arrow, Theme From "Mantrap", Tears Are Not Enough, The Look Of Love - Pt. 1 Dislike: N/A Overall Score: 7.5/10
Totalmente inesperado, muy bueno, las trompetas le dan mucho juego y el violín en ciertos momentos es fantástico.
Hyvin samankaltaista (ja onneksi samantasoista) kasaritykittelyä kuin Duran Duran ja Talk Talk. Suurin osa biiseistä oli jo ennestään tuttuja, kun olin altistunut levylle joskus lukioaikana kaverin ABC-fanituksen kautta. Levy on täynnä äärimmäisen tarttuvia sävellyksiä ja vaikka kasarisoundi on melkeinpä kasarimpaa kuin edellämainitulla kaksikolla, ei se oikeastaan haittaa. Erityismaininnat aivan maagiselle Look of Love-hitille. Muutamia tylsempiäkin välibiisejä mahtuu mukaan, mutta kokonaisuus toimii. Arvosanana ylöspäin pyöristyvä 3,5.
Думаю, тут следует отметить, что с определённого момента стал игнорировать все бонус-треки. Яндекс мне сходу предлагает 2-дисковое издание, где уже на первом аж 17 треков. Не, товарищи, в 1982 году было выпущено 10 треков, их и будем судить. Хоть я и понимаю, что порой в бонусах попадаются треки, что не встречаются на других альбомах, да и впечатление от альбома могут только улучшить. Сходу вспоминается, например, Deep Purple - Black Night. Но дело в том, что альбом Deep Purple in Rock и так прекрасен. Так что последним треком альбома The Lexicon Of Love рассматриваем The Look of Love Pt. 4. Альбом крепкий, сразу окутывает мощной атмосферой 80-х. Репрезентация "Новой романтики", о которой узнал не так давно, в процессе поиска трека Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me. Согласно Википедии, направление возникло в качестве оппозиции панк-культуре. Занимательно, что когда речь идёт о противостоянии субкультур в 80-е, то порой хочется искренне встать на каждую из сторон: панк - новая романтика, glam - thrash. Одного из оппонентов, правда, всё равно хочется поддержать больше, и тут я всё же встал бы на сторону панка скорее. Просто когда речь идёт о современных направлениях, порой хочется найти графу "против всех". Что, собственно, касается альбома. Довольно странно, что при своей доступности мотивы сходу не врезаются в память. Припевы построены по вроде бы проверенной годами классической схеме - повторяются фразы, соответствующие названию. Только вот сколько не переслушивал альбом, фразы эти не воспринимаются как мощные хуки. Не дотягивают хуки - не дотягивают припевы... так по принципу домино пусть и не разрушаются, но, можно сказать, "не достраиваются" треки в целом. Как полновесный хит звучит разве что 4 Ever 2 Gether. Но пусть порознь треки и не звучат хитово, в целом альбом достаточно сильный, чтобы вернуться позже. 7/10
I was honestly really surprised by this album. I'd never heard of it, which was surprising because I'm pretty familiar with 80s stuff. This is really cool. It's dramatic, like the soundtrack to an 80s movie. The music is all really fun, with great hooks. 4/5
Groovy and fun. Very "New Romantic" in mood, with a strong influence from Roxy Music. Lexicon of Love is a singular creation, a pop album with the feel of a theatrical production, but built for the dance floor. There isn't another album that really captures this mood and this sound. It’s full of rich arrangements that build off essentially a disco groove, embellished with everything from studio strings to harps and horns. The songs are campy and occasionally outlandish, but romantic and heartfelt as well, thanks to Martin Fry's strong vocals. Fave Songs: The Look of Love, Poison Arrow, Tears are Not Enough. “Tears" is the deep cut that really deserves to be heard more.
Feels like a movie. I can hear New Romanticism inspiration. Each song builds up and gets straight into the action. Transitions are seamless from track to track. As I've said many times before, I'm a sucker for synth. But this is really good this time I swear. It's energetic and full of great innovative synth sounds from beginning to end. There isn't a track I'll dance off to. I'd only heard "The Look of Love" before but damn. Gets milder but still carefully crafted on the 2nd side. I really love this, but I admit a huge part of it caters to my interests. The songs go a bit too far unnecessarily at times, and some songs may sound repetitive if you don't groove to them.
Melodramatic? Poppy? Of its time? Unmistakeably 80's? Of course it is... and no more than any number of classic records which capture their era in a snapshot. Not everything has to sound "timeless" to be great. Fortunately for me, I also happen to have a weakness for shameless 80's synth pop, and this record has it by the glittering plastic bucket-load. Fulfilling the hallmarks of the genre, the sound quality is pristine. Trevor Horn (shortcut to creating a classic "80's album") provides suitably bombastic, in-your-face production, with everything compressed, dialed-up, close. Seismic drums, plenty of reverb, hits of brass mingling with synth stabs or arpeggios. Instrumentally, the highlight is the unrelenting basslines, often threatening to eclipse the rest of the track (see "Show Me", "Poison Arrow"). If it all sounds unbearably 80s, just listen and try not to have fun: it's the perfect tempo to strut to, irresistible melodies to mimic (Date Stamp's call-and-response chorus, "Poison Arrow"'s glide into falsetto). The lyrics may not be poetry, but for me they had enough cohesion and clarity to stand up well alongside the music. “The Look of Love" is undoubtedly the apex of it all: obvious single, stylish pop, simple and ornate instrumentation. It's a dramatic, brooding kind of synthpop, cinematic in scope: "4 Ever 2 Gether" is a crashing climax, and the sweeping orchestral flourishes bookending the album seal it in a package of grandeur (though maybe a closing medley would have been nice). True, there isn't a great deal of variety musically - but I can't complain too much about this when there are so many great melodies and musicianship woven in. I may not enjoy it without being in the right mood for it, but today it was a really entertaining listening experience. It's the look (and sound) of love!
Stank Face (n) A human facial expression identified by a flaring of the nostrils and raising of the upper lip which is caused by '70s influenced funk bass playing.
Had a good time with this one, some nice bops. Can really get into it if I'm in the right mood. Sounds a bit like Aha
Is there still grand ambition in music? You listen to that orchestral intro to 'Show Me' and it's the sound of someone wanting to make a big impression. This continues throughout. Has the death of people paying for music meant minimising time spent in the studio working on songs and the halcyon days of the 1980s of throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the mix are long gone? As a 1982 album, the singles from the album are songs on the radio and Top Of The Pops from when I was first becoming aware of music. Over the years. those singles (Poison Arrow and Look of Love) have been diminished somewhat due to over-familiarisation and use in adverts. I've never listened to the album in full but it really works together as a body of work. An album of its era but you have to admire the craft from the Art of Noise people.
it was pretty good. The sound felt a lot newer than what I was expecting. Rating: 7/10
One of the staples of my early-80's listening. The hits punctuated every party and dance, enjoyed by all as we shared Martin's sense of drama.
Disco entretenido, pienso que, aunque es de inicios, me suena a que encapsula bien el sonido del pop ochentero. No me gustó ninguna excepcionalmente, todas son parecidas en calidad y nivel (?). 8/10
"Iiiiiiiiiiiii don't know the answer to that question." Ah, the 80s. Not all tracks hit the heights, but still one of the best examples of that early New Wave sound.
Very good polished pop, occasionally a few of the songs seem a bit similar. Still one of the better 1980s pop albums.
"Like a Phoenix coming back from the ashes, I know what's good and I know what trash is." The lyrics are fall over funny and I think the guy who wrote them had the biggest laugh of all. The orchestration, production and arrangements, especially the keyboards, are top drawer and there are hooks a plenty. Methinks this is a contribution of the studio musicians vs the band, who are more hairdoo focused. At times the rhythms they lay down remind me of Simple Minds, albeit a schmaltzy version. Compared to Duran Duran, ABC's 2 mega hits are stronger and several other tracks stand up well on their own, so I'm going +2 on my Duran Duran score.
What is pop? This is absolutely pop, but not the low-level pop. These songs are the greatest pop that I've known. +1 point for this project to show me this album.
Happy synthesizers and funky guitars - it must be the 80s ! I know the singles but didn’t know the album - produced by Trevor Horn. I love the album cover - like the music colourful and glamorous ! Party music. Trevor Horn, the engineer and others working on this formed the Art of Noise 1 year later.
Classic 80s pop! Some brilliant choons, reminds a of my big brother and people who I’ve come to know living in my adopted city of Sheffield. Great bass lines, quality synth and some really sublime vocals from Martin Fry. Excellent.
A real pleasant surprise, from some interesting bass lines, and composition as a "love album".
One thing I'm realizing, after having heard the hits from ABC for years, is that their basslines were KILLER. So good. Obviously, the hits are hits for a reason (The Look of Love, Poison Arrow), but there's some really good other stuff here (Really liked Show Me, Date Stamp and All Of My Heart). I would definitely listen to this one again.
incredibly fun to listen to >:)!! not much else to say, but would definitely revisit it
p484. 1982. 4 stars The sound of a thousand UK early 80's nightclubs. This isn't about ABC, its all about Trevor Horn and his production. Quality work, fabulous orchestration, instantly recognisable and still fresh despite the 80's synths and sax. Some great tunes here, let down by dodgy lyrics. And it's all slightly pretentious... but fun. It's a bit like eating candyfloss, you know it's not good for you but you still enjoy it at the time. "Like a phoenix coming back/From the ashes/I know what's good/But I know what trash is"
A friend whose tastes usually run more to prog and metal once said this was one of his favourite albums. I was so taken aback by what I felt was the utter unlikeliness of this that I had to listen to it immediately. He was right. This is about as good as this sort of thing gets.
If this journey has taught me anything, it is that I like postpunk as a genre of music. Especially when it is as committed, catchy and luscious as this. 'The Look of Love' is increadibly catchy. 4/5.
Early 80s pop; similar to new romantics like Duran Duran. The rhythm section is really good here, as is the production, courtesy of Trevor Horn. This is very good. 3.5/5
wasnt expecting orchestral disco, but this was quite good. really liked the b side, especially theme from “mantrap”. the a side had a few songs with awkward lyrics, but overall was fine.
Simply a great pop album. Clever, sometimes too much, cheesey, fun, tongue in cheek, sumptuous arrangements, superb production and guaranteed to get you out of your chair.
A pop classic from the off. Such style, an iconic record, not much point writing more. Launched a lot of inferior rips, but not their fault.
Okay yeah I love this. I know this would be considered "Cheesy" by most but it's my wheelhouse for sure. minus 1 point for ABC being an awful band name.
2.5/5. Same old new wave. Maybe when this came out it was considered good, but it definitely did not age well. Sounded generic, most of the songs sounded the same.
This is an 80s pop album for sure. Interesting in that it really embodies part of a decade and definitely catchy but not something I feel attached to.
Ondanks dat ik dacht deze band niet te kennen, kende ik het nummer "poison arrow" en "the look of love". Klassieke rock met interessante compositie, zoals gebruikelijk in die tijd goede mastering en muzikale nummers. Many Happy Return vond ik niks, Tears Are Not Enough is dan wel weer leuk. Voor mij beetje mixed bag dit album, met niet echt toppers.
Pretty 80s new-wave. I'm generally not a huge fan of new-wave, but this is pretty good in that regard. "Tears are Not Enough" and "Look of Love pt. 1" are prob the standouts for me.
Some of this just sounds like an honest to God disco album to these ears, but I gotta say - the Rufus Wainwright fan in me really liked the super over dramatic moments where there are more strings in the instrumentation than slap bass and dance beats. The “mantrap” tune makes me think one could remix this album into some cabaret-meets-Portishead thing of beauty. But first they gotta change that band name. ABC? Seriously, brah?
We had MTV in about day one back in 1981, and this band was in rotation back when the album was released in ‘82. “poison Arrow” and “Look of Love” were pretty popular. I thought it was ok pop, but not really my thing back then. Things haven’t changed much. “Theme From Mantrap” is cool. It’s good, but I’m rounding average.
Pretty fun album that made grinding through an hour of document review more fun and tolerable. I wouldn’t listen unless I had something boring to grind through, though.
This was a fun new discovery — some good additions to my 80s playlist. By the 2nd half it was wearing on me a little bit. Also why do bands title songs things like “4 Ever 2 Gether”
Liked the horns and the arrangements, some of these songs were pretty good. But I found it a bit overwhelmingly schmaltzy and hard to sit through the full thing. Close though.
Liked this a good bit. Want to come back to it since I only listened all the way through once, but this was a good album
Some brilliant pop songs with poetic lyrics and a distinctive sound. A bit exhausting though with every song going like the clappers and that Duran Duran / spandau ballet 80's singing style gets a bit annoying.
On the surface this album appears to be just another 80's synth pop record, and one that isn't terribly unique at that. However, this album has larger musical themes and an almost operatic approach with overarching movements and refrains of previous songs. While this may have brought others around to this concept, it sadly is still built on weaker musicianship.
When I quickly saw the album cover I was dreading some easy listening jazz or something theatrical. Pleasantly surprised by some fun and funky pop! The bass really stood out in this, especially in my favourite 4 Ever 2 Gether, which went a little bit Depeche which I liked. The Look Of Love is good but ruined by the eBay ad. Not something I'm eager to return to, but good nonetheless
This album was alright. I previously knew the songs The Look Of Love Pt. 1 and Poison Arrow and I really enjoy them, but the rest of the songs were about average. 3.5/5 stars.
its a fun, sexy, borderline white people funk-pop album with some schmaltz layered throughout. i get serious showtunes vibes (as the cover implies). 80s sex album, yo. its an interesting and energetic affair, but also maybe a relic of its time. give it a go.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this album, and the first song caught me a little off guard; louder and more in your face than I was expecting from an album titled "The Lexicon of Love." Overall it wasn't bad, though perhaps a little dated. The instrumentals blend together a bit so it's hard to tell when you're moving from one song to the next. Overall, an enjoyable listen though.
Songs are very catchy, but listening to them more than one time makes them exhausting to listen. Overall 6/10 album.
Good 80s pop which serves as a major influence to the generations of artists that came after.
чееееетааа кактаааа хуй знает. прогнал пару раз. сначала вроде подумал, ну ньювейв, нормас должно быть, песни в меру эпичные, вокалист надрывается, пусть и сведено всё немного вырвиушно. но вот остаётся где-то на периферии сознания какая-то мерзкая мыслёнка, что наёбывают тебя. что как-то это всё не по-настоящему, декорации какие-то, клоунада. вот есть такое слово «cheesy» в английском, которое применимо к кажущейся, а не являющейся музыке. вот когда вроде слушаешь и всё по лекалам, всё то шо надо, но души в этом не хватает, и как будто делали с рассчетом на рыночек. и тексты какая-то кринжатура сопливая, если вслушаться. да и сами песни, если честно, плотно посасывают у конкурентных групп — в основном все плюс-минус на вокалисте тащится, по музыке почти ничего интересного для себя не заметил, тупо однотипные инструменталы новой волны с преобладанием гитарок. короче, говно ли? да нет, хорошие песни есть, вернее все песни плюс-минус терпимые, без очевидных проседаний и очевидных хайлайтов. послушать можно, че бы нет. но я че-то больше не хочу. далеко не самые выдающиеся представители восьмидесятых эти ABC и по-хорошему достойны быть погребены под слоем времени. но раз есть — то и пусть их. 5/10
Was ready to hate this, but they fully committed to their style and it showed. Not my cup of tea, and yet I mildly enjoyed it.
Some grand 80s pop, decent but I've heard it done better. Standout Tracks: Poison Arrow, Many Happy Returns, Date Stamp, The Look Of Love (Pt. 4)
Yeah I enjoyed this album! Not something I would have ever chosen on my own, which I appreciate. Funky 80's groove and better than decent vocals.
I’m a big fan of early 80s new wav-ish cheese, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I mean it’s Aight. It definitely gets better the farther you go, but overall just wasn’t doin it. A fun listen, but IDK if it belongs in with the rest here. That harpsichord solo on “Tears are not enough” was pretty fire tho- and of course “The Look Of Love” is a classic 80s pop song. The overall production and layering is brilliant but the songwriting and lyricism seems kinda meh.
started off dece, but overall it was there, it was a thing, I didn't hate it, but I didn't go "vow that was good"
I didn't think much of this when it came out. After a good listen it sounds a lot like what Bowie was doing at the time
the album cover has 3 stars on it and this is slightly above average 80s stuff IMO...so 3 stars fits.
Interesante disco de puro sonido de los 80. La mejor canción ""The Look of Love" (Part One)" y el resto se deja escuchar.
Il faut savoir que j'ai écouté cet album il y a 4 jours, je n'ai donc rien a raconter dessus, mais je voudrais souligner un point important. C'est aujourd'hui la 47ème fois que nous tirons Frank Sinatra dans le générateur, et ce après une serie absolument noire d'albums absolument moyens. Par conséquent, j'ai pris la décision de m'éloigner de Robert pour quelques temps, ayant besoin de prendre un peu de recul sur la situation.
Disc de pop sofisticat, elegant, sobri però poderós. Passa per ser una joia oculta dels 80, a descobrir per les noves generacions. No m'ho sembla. Té dos grans singles, 'Poison Arrow' i 'The Look of Love', però la resta no deixen de ser bons temes pop; ja es van fer moolt millors discos de l'estil en l'època, i també abans i després d'ell
Ho tutto degli anni '80. Mi piace molto il basso. Alle volte mi fanno venire in mente i Muse. Simpatici.
Never heard of them, and liked it but a lot of the album is so similar that I got bored by the end
Very polished, slightly bloodless, over-produced, completely lacking any sort of edge, only emotion is a soet of general whining about "feelings". However, all of my heart is one of the best pop songs of the 80s, and the other two big hits (poison arrow & the look of love) are better than I remembered
Genre: New Romantic 3/5 Perhaps an album that defined a movement, The Lexicon of Love is a new wave, love songs album. A harkening back to the days where every song on an LP dealt with loss/gain/then eventual re-loss of love. While Martin Fry’s “Bowie-esque” vocals, the tremendous bass playing throughout the album, and Ken Horn’s keyboard-heavy production are all great, it suffers from one thing: I’m just not a huge 80s guy. 10 songs though, short and sweet, and will certainly NOT disappoint any 80s heads out there.
The song I knew from ABC was "Love Conquers All", I still love that one, but more for sentimental reasons. Also, I learned it was from an album 10 years after "Lexicon". So I had high hopes for the album. But I was disappointed. The album sounds like generic 80s sound. Sure the songs are catchy but it lacks musical innovation. Compared e.g. to A-Has "Hunting High and Low" which is also on this list it is *really lacking*. The two tracks (4 ever 2 gether and the look of love part 4) were the only standout tracks for me on the album.
This is all pretty generic early eighties stuff. Only a couple of good songs on here and I'm pretty sure they are only good for nostalgic reasons. Overall it's ok, but didn't feel like it deserved a place on this list.
nada tira da minha cabeça que esse album foi inteiramente escrito, produzido e realizado por david brent
Having been born in the late 80s is a weird thing; I am a 90s kid, but there are residuals of the 80s, like electronic drums, pagers and He-Man, that still resonate with me. Having discovered ABC gave this sentiment more real estate in my head. Lexicon of Love sounds like the filler music I would've unknowingly heard on the radio as I sat at the kitchen table colouring while my mom made dinner. It's nostalgic in its genericity, with its era-appropriate popping bass and synths, and 4/4 drum beat. Songs like Valentine's Day sound like game show introduction sequences, and not in a bad way. With its handclaps and xylophone, leading up to the spacey synths and dance beat, this would be my favorite track on the album. As far as listens go, this was easy....as ABC.
Oh. Trevor Horn. Now that makes a lot of sense... Everyone likes "The Look of Love" and "Poison Arrow", but I'd never bothered thinking deeply about ABC beyond this (other than once when Montell Jordan gushed lovingly about them in an interview, which was a bit of a surprise). I want to call this "polished", but I think the appellation unfair. Competent tunes carefully shaped into sums greater than their parts; complicated but never overbearing production; carefully calibrated balance of voices, instruments, and ambience, forming a pleasing whole. In short, Trevor Horn.
Very typical 80s disco pop, catchy tunes but all in all just too similar to each other
3.4 - At times I like the thumping bass and some of the dramatic arrangements. The opening tracks have some good energy. But it starts to limp along with "All Of My Heart." And while "4 Ever 2 Gether" incorporates some interesting synthesized sounds, it's too cabaret for my taste. "Theme from 'Mantrap'" clinches the musical theater vibe, and I'm only too happy to see the curtain drop.
It's a mix of 50s pop-soul arrangements, with a crooning melodramatic and decadent style in the vein of David Bowie. (6/10) FT: The Look of Love (Part One), Show Me
I hated this much less than I expected to 40 years on for putting up with its popularity live and IRL. The engaging opener sets the tone. Still, it remains way too dancey-cheesy for my tastes. Of this ilk, give me the way cooler and much cheekier Blow Monkeys, more raffish Duran Duran and in all ways superior Style Council.
Pretty generic stuff, I don’t recall one song after having listened to the whole thing
oof... I feel like I wanna touch the tip of a penis with my tongue now. I guess it'll pass.
So 80s I spontaneously grew blue eyeshadow and thick black eyeliner as I listened. I was never keen on ABC even in the 80s, I always considered them a poor man's Spandau Ballet. Listening to this album now, decades later, does nothing to change my mind. It's 80s, it's fun to sit and think wow this is so 80s, but that's about it.
I couldn't get through it. There's one or two pop songs worth putting in a party playlist but its exhausting and sounds the same. Not even fun bass can make me enjoy it.
Liked the horns in Show Me. Felt like the filler or transitions were better than the actual songs
I remember these songs. To me, they were kind of cheesy pop and I didn't pay much mind to them. Some of these songs still feel genuinely pop-cheesy to me and annoy me (I can take only so much synth dominating a song, and the vocalist can kind of "over-sing" to my ear), but a couple of them are kind of fun and catchy. As an amateur noob of a musician, I know that writing and performing songs people like and remember is a rare skill, and a few of these songs on this album achieve that. And this came out in '82, a bit ahead of the massive amount of synth-pop that permeated the 80s airwaves. Not one I'll come back to, but one or two of the tracks were a fun memory trip.
Ako ovo ne vrišti 80te, onda eto jebiga ne znam. Veoma je plesan ovaj album sa catchy refrenima, instrumentalom, ritmikom. Nije odlično, ali nije ni loše.
Pretty funky 80's synth. Only knew one or two songs, but pretty enjoyable. Wouldnt go out of my way to listen again.
Alkuun kuulosti hyvältä kasari-diskojytältä, mutta alkoi puuduttamaan hyvin nopeasti. Laulajan sydän rikottiin moneen kertaan jne. Toinen kierros levyä läpi oli aikamoista tervanjuontia.
I didn't like ABC in 1982, but quite enjoyed this album when I finally heard all of it in the early 1990s. I've not listened to it for well over 20 years and I don't need to hear it for another 20 . It's okay, but nothing I'm going to choose to listen to over something else.
This was kind of like below average 80s music. It's not horrible, but just blah - there's nothing special about it. 5/10.
Qua gli anni '80 si fanno sentire prepotentemente. Musicalmente sicuramente c'ha un suo stile come album e c'ha anche dei pezzi che ho apprezzato come "4 Ever 2 Gether" o l'ultima traccia, però è davvero troppo '80 glitterato. Ho fatto anche un ascolto e mezzo ma ogni pezzo m'è entrato da un orecchio e uscito dall'altro praticamente. Direi un 2 perché non l'ho odiato.
Queste produzioni anni '80 ormai mi disturbano. Sebbene non siano tra le peggiori band che abbiamo ascoltato finora e per quanto a tratti mi abbiano ricordato quell'indie molto pop dei tempi nostri (con le linee di basso a palla e super ritmiche)- che comunque fa cagare - nel complesso non mi hanno convinto.
I am familiar with the tracks "The Look of Love" and "Poison Arrow". The rest of the album is similar. ABC has a very early 80s sound, but I don't think it's for me - too melodramatic. I've heard enough of ABC.
Sounds like every other early 80's pop album - pretentious, and hollow. Nice horn section though.
It started off tolerable. By the middle I was quite ready for it to be over. There's better albums in this genre by a mile. Some songs wouldn't be bad if I heard them on the radio or a playlist with other artists of the era or something but their style becomes tiresome quickly
If my kids ever want to embarrass me they’d just need to pull this album out and point to the silly hair, costumes and corny songs. Hard to believe I used to listen to this (incessantly) when I was younger. In the 80’s if you didn’t listen to Punk, this was your scene. There are a few songs with good hooks and the production by legendary producer Trevor Horn is pretty slick. But I gave Duran Duran’s Rio two stars so to be fair this get a deuce also.
Seems like this probably influenced Bowie and Let's Dance, but just isn't as powerful and catchy.
I can't well give this a one as there's a certain point where it becomes such a parody of itself it crosses into 'so bad it's good' territory. Highlights and personal favs include - 1) The opening track maintaining a sense of seriousness for all of 30 seconds before laying on the 80s synths as thickly as possible. 2) The mildly porno slap basslines on a few songs where regular bass would've been just fine 3) How every song's chorus includes an awful two-word or so vocal tag (sHoW mE, shOw ME) 4) The point where the band's songwriting gives out and devolves into, I shit you not, "Hip hip hooray...Yippee ai yippee aiay!!" 5) A song that tries to make everyone's most-hated retail job into a convoluted metaphor about being horny 6) A reference to the 12 disciples on a track called "4 ever 2 Gether [sic]" And many more. So yes, this is a musical dumpster fire, but it's at least an entertaining one
What if Duran Duran had a killer hornline? Well... they'd still be Duran Duran... so...
Some of it was really catchy - The Look of Love is a banger, it's instrumental reprise at the end sounded great, and 2 Geva 4 Eva was quite fun and theatrical - but my goddddd the production was dreadful for the most part The vocals in All of my Heart sounded so bad, and there was a transition between two songs on side one that was really really bad, and the bass tones throughout were just a mess
A polished slice of 80s blue eyed soul. To me this is everything that's wrong with 80s popular music; lots of glitz and glamor with little substance. On the plus side there's some great bass playing. 2 🌟
Oof. The worst of the worst 80's shit. Bad synth drums. Shit 80s voice. Some cool bass with a Jamiroquai or Dua Lipa vibe. Kind of like disco without the fun.
ugh. Not to my taste. Too 80s schmick. Almost funky. Almost soulful. Almost sophisticated. Trying too hard to be polished. Just not there for me.
The Lexicon of Love by ABC (1982) This is Britpop with elaborate but soulless orchestrations, playfully baroque synthesizer sounds, and a cheesy cover. Mindless gum-chewing lyrics rip off every nonsensical cliché in the pop canon, reducing romantic themes to mere instrumentalities. Lead singer Martin Fry has a voice that strains to even sound pretentious, with weak falsetto and carnival barker main register. And this is the worst use of string orchestrations that one is likely to ever hear. Everything is excessive, winding up as flat as an over-baked soufflé. Compositions seem cute but random—the only constant is the relentlessly robotic disco dance floor beat. The album is supremely mis-titled. A ‘lexicon’ serves to elucidate meaning. This album does not treat the ‘meaning’ of love at all. It doesn’t even demonstrate love by example. It merely uses love’s struggles as a means to get someone to dance. On the plus side, I’m glad Gered Mankowitz included a couple of trash cans in the cover photo. They should come in handy. 1/5
J’ai l’impression d’écouter une comédie musicale. Je n’aime pas les comédies musicales. La basse est cool et certains petits éléments, mais je n’y reviendrai pas.
J’aime bien ça, ça ne se prend pas au sérieux, mais c’est assez bien fait pour qu’on se demande. Par contre, ça ne mérite certainnement pas d’être dans cette liste.
Bon.. on s'en est jasé pas mal... Pénible... Duran Duran vibes La bass est le fun à jouer sûrement mais le tone est un peu too bright pour moi, bien produit, ça sonne mais c'est quétaine ... J'écouterais jamais ça 2 fois
To be fair, lead singer Martin Fry sings with passion and conviction, not unlike a 14 year old girl alone in her room and pining over her own unrequited love. Unfortunately, the maturity of his lyrics are about the same as said young teen: ‘Who broke my heart? (You did, you did.) Bow to the target, (Blame Cupid, Cupid.) You think you’re smart. (Stupid, stupid.’ (‘Poison Arrow’) The banal subject matter and forced rhymes (‘A mathematical equation won’t describe my emotion,’ – ‘4 Ever 2 Gether’) are almost forgivable, until this one from ‘Many Happy Returns’: ‘Like the world, spinning ‘round on its axis, I know democracy, but I know what’s fascist.’ Again, a gross example of forced rhyming; but worse, the idea of using fascism in the context of a romantically broken heart is extremely insensitive to the millions of victims of actual fascist regimes under rulers such as Hitler and Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and Paul Pot, Idi Amin and Muammar Gaddafi, etc. The music itself? Catchy, danceable, for sure. It’s got that slap bass sound (the bass player is the best in the band) common to funk and disco, guitar and drummer are in their proper places. Martin Fry has a decent voice, lots of falsetto (if you’re into that- I’m not.) Other than that, not much more to say, really. If this is ABC’s lexicon of (romantic) love then they are in desperate need of a thesaurus. And a good high school poetry 101 class wouldn’t hurt, either. And in conclusion, I can’t help but echo a statement my good friend and fellow 1001 LPs reviewer already made: the trash can on the cover pic might be the most fitting depository for 'The Lexicon Of Love.'
Very 80s, doesn't quite hit the highs of other 80s albums