Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Everything about the cover of this album totally tricked me - I was NOT expecting it to go this hard. One of the best pop albums I've ever heard. The first half especially had me pretty gobsmacked all the way through. The second half maintained the quality of the songwriting, but the songs were slower on average which is less to my tastes. Impeccable production, especially considering all of the elements present here (horns, orchestra, synth). Best in class vocals and bass. I can hear the influences of this band across a dozen modern artists. I am going to be adding some of these songs to my regular rotation, and will probably be seeking out more of these guys out. Now I know my ABC. 5/5. Favorite tracks: Show Me, Valentine's Day
Start to finish one of the best new wave albums. Love the music and how he puts his emotions on display through his voice.
L'aspect dansant et joyeux avec la grosse orchestration m'a beaucoup fait penser à ABBA. J'étais pas sûr au debut de l'album, mais j'ai eu la piqûre à partir de All of My Heart et après j'ai remis l'album et j'ai eu un hit avec Show me, Tears are not enough et Valentine's day aussi.
They lured me in for sure. I’d give em a smooch!
goth meets funky disco
I only knew the look of love but I hoped that rest of the record is also this good. I did not get disappointed! This is the perfect mix of 80s funk and synth pop.
Love it so much. Takes me back a long way. Still a great album!
I enjoyed this album. Didn't expect anything from it and was surprised how good it is. Many Happy Returns Tears Are Not Enough The Look Of Love Date Stamp 4 Ever 2 Gether 5/5
Perfect Trevor Horn's production, just what I needed
"The Look of Love" +++ "Valentine's Day" ++ "All of My Heart" +
Very interesting album, bold sound, almost prince-like rythm/mix.
Day586 - one of the best new wave albums i’ve heard. look of love and poison arrow are classics
So so 80s, but still so so good. Suoer catchy, great bass throughout, and a theatrical vocal performance. I thought it was a great album
This album is so awesome. Obsessed. Amazing recording, great performances, fantastic songwriting. ABC should be way more famous.
„Look of Love“ - episches Synty Pop/Wave Album. Ein Werk für die Ewigkeit.
Several years ago, for reasons I don't recall, I searched for a list of the best new wave albums. The Lexicon of Love happened to be on that list, so I decided to check it out. I knew a handful of ABC songs at that point, but I didn't really have a strong opinion of their work. Listening to this album really made me a fan of ABC, and I've been looking forward to reviewing this album. I don't think I've listened to all of it since that first listen, so I'm hoping that my fond memories of listening to it will still hold up! My fond memories of this album did not lead me astray. The Lexicon of Love is pop perfection. Every song on it is great, bolstered by funky bass hooks, Martin Fry's seductive crooning, and some beautiful keyboards and synths. The cover for this album looks like something out of golden era Hollywood, and the songs on this album do such a great job of crafting that atmosphere. I can understand why some people might find this album cheesy, but for me, the seriousness that Martin Fry put into this album really hits the artistic mark that he was going for. I could go on and on about this album as a whole, because I think it’s a pop masterpiece, and I think it’s incredibly fun and enjoyable to listen to. But I’ll stop here and talk about a few of my favorite songs: -“Show Me” sets the tone of the album so well, with its string introduction, but when the horns kick in, and then the bass, you know you better buckle up for pop perfection. This is an excellent lead off track, because it establishes the sound of the album so well, but without showing all of the tricks that ABC has up their sleeves. The synthesizer riff towards the end of the song is fantastic, and this song is indicative of how every song on this album has so many treats for the ears. -“Poison Arrow” has such a fantastic pre-chorus. I love the little call-and-response that Martin Fry does with himself. Once again, the bass playing is great, and “Poison Arrow” has some great synths and keyboards. -The bass playing on this album draws a ton of comparisons to Nile Rodgers, but “Tears Are Not Enough” feels like the closest thing you can get to an homage to Chic on this album. The way the horns and bass play off of each other is pure disco, but an amazing synth arrangement kicks in during the last minute of the song that really cranks things up to 11. -“The Look Of Love, Pt. 1” feels like the emotional focal point of the album. The Lexicon of Love has a very cinematic feel to it, but this song feels like the anchor of that theme. Martin Fry’s vocals are at their best, and the backing vocals sprinkled throughout the song make it feel like the biggest ensemble performance of the album. Once again, the bass guitar is fantastic, but so are the programmed strings. “The Look Of Love” really shows how much ABC can do with synthesizers and programming. -If this album truly were a movie, “All Of My Heart” would be that sad moment in a love story, right when someone realizes that they pushed away the love they truly wanted, leading to a dramatic reconciliation. And it’s not just this song’s position on the album that makes this song feel this way, but the mood that ABC establishes with the ebb and flow of the song’s verses and chorus. -“4 Ever 2 Gether” was the biggest surprise to me on this album. I’ve listened to this before, but for some reason, I’d forgotten about this song. Every musical element on this song just hits perfectly to my ears. The programmed strings on the chorus are absolutely perfect, and their bright sound contrasts so well with the deep bass and drums. It delights me that this absolute bop is one of the longest songs on the album. The Lexicon Of Love is a joy to listen to. I went through this three times before writing my review, and I wish I could have gone through it a fourth time. Every song here is a winner, and there are no low points. The Lexicon Of Love deserves to be in every conversation about the best pop albums of all time.
Love love love ABC. Total 80s kid.
slapped my tits and ass CLEAN OFF! a total surprise, fun and funky and super energetic. i can't wait to listen to this more. easy 5 from the first song. to everyone who rated this album a 1 or 2, your mom's a ho
I only discovered The Look of Love Pt. 1 a few months ago but have enjoyed it ever since. i saw the album cover and gasped. i immediately knew this would have some fun, new-to-me bangers on it. this is such a cool, interesting, unique new wave album that really stands apart from the pack. i really enjoyed it in my four (?) listens. nuts to the haters. favorites: show me, poison arrow, tears are not enough, valentine's day, the look of love pt 1 and pt 4
An absolute masterpiece in bombastic 80s pop. Listening back to the clean production, the early Fairlight and bass lines that you can just hear Trevor Horn's developing sound that became Frankie etc. British pop at its finest, and some great songs that still stand up.
Loved it, this album goes hard af. Had on repeat all day, particularly loved Valentine's Day.
Loved it! Made me wish I was driving to the beach in a convertible in a beautiful sunset, with a stash of cassettes in the glovebox.
Pretty cool
This album comes out SWINGING! Tasty slap bass grooves with a killer 80s pop silhouette. Wow the first brit pop album to blow me away in a long time.
Amazing album! One from from my teenage years. Loved Martin Fry's gold lamé suit on Top of the Pops! Amazing sound, production. An epic album for the 80's...I'm right back there!
I was not familiar with these guys and the haters got me nervous but… I like 80’s synth pop stuff! And the symphonic aspect just made it even better. So happy I discovered this.
Great!
Funky 80s pop, this was really fun. I like disco probably more than most, but I just love the grooves in it. A couple of standouts here for me behind Show Me, Date Stamp, and Poison Arrow/ Theme from "Mantrap". It's a dated sound obviously, but musically it's very layered and engaging.
WOW I did not expect to like this so much. As a fan of bands like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode I always overlooked ABC as being too slick and adult alternative leaning, but man do I absolutely love this. I think if you like the lyricism and melancholy of bands like Roxy Music and you also like early Duran Duran you will LOVE this. This is EXACTLY my brand of '80s cheese. It's melancholic, self-pitying, glamorous, frisky, flamboyant. It's so unapologetically SO MUCH. It's like the epitome of gold lamé suits and hairspray and self-absorbed passion. It's like, cool and sexy theater kid music. Yes. So fucking good.
What a supremely new wavy bop buffet! Beautiful album cover too.
Fantastically groovy album, which I had already grown somewhat accustomed to, with Poison Arrow having featured on my favorite radio station on one of my all time favorite games - GTA Vice City. Every song through the album has a wonderful feel to it, the bass on some of these songs is crazy, and I really loved how the last song came back to a more laid back version of Poison Arrow - felt like the album went on a full loop.
Funky bass hammers and new wave synth produced by the Trevor Horn machine? Yes and yes and yes. Such a lovely 80s album. ABC deserves a lot more love than they get. A lexicon of it, shall we say?
They did an experiment on what happens if you batter a zillenial with new wave in their most vulnerable moments for years and the result is me really grooving to this album.
A solid classic with big Trevor Horn production. Can't lose! 5
9.5/10 Koji album! Da, ocekivano je da ce mi se ovo svidjet ali nemaju mi sve grupe iz 80ih ovakvu kvalitetu kao ABC. Bas su mi zapeli za uho zadnjih godinu-dvije, cesto se nadju na plejlistama i jos uvijek su mi fresh. Koliko god da su corny s tekstovima u nekim pjesmama (pogotovo Valentine's Day), nadoknade mi sa jakim hookom u skoro, ako ne i svakoj stvari, te svaki minus koji im dam debelo poprave u necem drugom. Groovy basevi, synthevi koji super zvuce ali su u pozadini, i ne dominiraju u svakoj stvari (za razliku od nekih drugih slicnih grupa iz tog razdoblja), funky dijelova koje nisam ocekivao, trubica, violina. Ma ono, svedski stol zvukova i sve je tako lijepo sklepano. Na trenutke melodramaticni, ali cijelo vrijeme energicni. Tesko mi je izdvojiti najdraze stvari, ovaj put su me ponovno iznenadile Many Happy Returns i Date Stamp. Vidim, odnosno cujem i od kud je nasa Boa crpila inspiraciju. Font, cjelokupna estetika, originalnost, sve mi ima na jednom mjestu. Jedan od drazih albuma osamdesetih u zadnje vrijeme, ako ne i opcenito. Ovo treba pustat vani!
I’m not a natural 80s fan but I love this album. A guilty pleasure.
Other than hearing ABC on various New Wave compilations, this is my first time listening to one of their albums from beginning to end, and I have to say, this is a really good one. I love it when I find a synth-pop album that I really enjoy. The Lexicon of Love was solid from start to finish, with a very sophisticated and glamorous feel throughout. It actually makes me wonder how often this album was played at fashion shows back in the day because it definitely has that vibe.
Great stuff!
one of the first vinyl records I ever bought. It's still great and deserves to be listed to how it was intended...start side A, finish side B. Great lyrics...
This was headed for a high 4-star rating until it reached All Of My Heart. If forgotten how perfect that song was.
Super
Poison Arrow has been a Own Personal Rics staple for as long as I can remember but I was pleasantly surprised with the rest of this album. Great range, kept things interesting, bit Bowie adjacent but that's not a bad thing
This was enjoyable.
On the one hand, this is the music I desperately wish David Bowie made, given how much Fry’s voice sounds like Bowie’s, just with more tact. On the other hand, I think I’m just a sucker for new-wave sophisti-pop, a horn and/or strings section, and a killer bass riff (crazy considering that ABC lacked a steady bassist during recording). I’m also just a fan of camp, and this is Camp with a Capital K™️. It’s one of those ’80s records you pick up because it has one hit you kinda sorta remember, but once you actually put the record on, it hooks you from the start and only keeps getting better, and because the hit is buried so deep in the record, by the time you actually arrive at it, you’re already so sold on the record overall that the hit blows your fucking mind. Every time I think ABC is about to lose me by being a bit too much, they’re somehow able to hold it all together and ride the chaos beautifully without breaking the pop music vases they’re juggling. If I have any critique, I’d say I prefer Side A to Side B overall – the contrarian opinion, from the looks of it – but that may have to do with the fact that Side A is more clearly disco-adjacent. Whenever I pull a cheesy pop record on this list, I try so hard to tell myself that my preference for cheesy pop music shouldn’t influence my rating, and I try to initially rate those records lower. And normally, I fail at being my own Devil’s Advocate, if only because I subjectively adore dorky pop music, and I’d be lying if I tried to claim otherwise. The Lexicon of Love needs no justification, though. This is pure pop crafted with meticulous care and respect for the tradition of the pop song. It’s so undeniably infectious, and only gets better with each listen. A must-listen for every poptimist!!
What can I say... this has always been one of my favorites since it came out! A fun romp with some great bass. "All of My Heart" - sublime! Listen to this one often.
The Lexicon of Slap Bass.
I was really surprised by this one. The album cover looked corny as hell and 80's music is generally not my favorite. But there wasn't a song on here I didn't enjoy. I generally found the songs to be very dynamic and the album offered a rich soundscape. I don't know that there were any stand out songs, but that's because I liked the whole thing pretty well.
I loved it when it came out in 1983? I loved it yesterday in 2024. Great rhythm and clever lyrics.
5/5. Great mix of disco, post-punk and new wave with songs about love and heartache. Not really a bad song on here and super catchy and great instrumentation. Each instrument throws itself in the forefront and yet the vocals give an air of Smiths that mixes well with this slightly dark and upbeat aesthetic. My foot was constantly bouncing, who said disco would not age well? Best Song: Show Me, Tears Are Not Enough, 4 Ever 2 Gether
Ну хорошо. Приятный попец
ABC's 1982 debut, The Lexicon of Love, is a landmark album, a synth-pop masterpiece that transcends its genre and era. Let's delve into the intricate layers that make it so enduring. Lyrics: Passionate Wordplay Martin Fry's lyrical prowess is a cornerstone of the album. He paints vivid pictures of love's highs and lows, using clever metaphors and a touch of theatricality. "Show Me," the opening track, throws us into a whirlwind of emotions with lines like "Love's a loaded gun, but never seems to scare you none." Fry's vocabulary is rich, weaving in references to literature and film, creating a sense of intellectual romance. The album doesn't shy away from heartbreak either. "The Look of Love" chronicles a devastating rejection with a heartbreaking simplicity: "I thought my heart was safe in your care." These relatable themes, delivered with both humor and sincerity, resonate with listeners across generations. Music: A Tapestry of Sound Musically, The Lexicon of Love is a playground of textures. The foundation lies in the pulsating basslines and intricate synth arrangements, courtesy of Mark White. Tracks like "Poison Arrow" showcase a clear influence from Chic, with its infectious disco groove. However, ABC doesn't rely solely on synthesizers. Layered strings, horns, and flourishes of piano add warmth and depth, particularly on ballads like "All of My Heart." Martin Fry's vocals are a key instrument. His expressive baritone, with its dramatic flourishes, perfectly complements the emotional intensity of the lyrics. Production: A Masterstroke of Innovation The production, helmed by the legendary Trevor Horn, is a masterclass in studio wizardry. Horn's meticulous layering creates a lush yet cohesive soundscape. He's not afraid to experiment, with unexpected sonic elements like the dramatic breakdown in "The Look of Love" or the spoken-word interlude in "Date Stamp." The crisp, clean audio allows every element to shine, whether it's the intricate synth melodies or the subtle nuances in Fry's vocals. Themes: A Celebration and Dissection of Love The overarching theme is, of course, love. The album explores its various facets – infatuation, desire, disappointment, and heartbreak. However, it avoids sentimentality. Fry's lyrics often hint at a cynical edge, questioning the nature of love and its power to both build and destroy. "Show Me" questions the sincerity of love, while "The Look of Love" exposes the devastating side of rejection. There's a sense of exploration, a youthful yearning to understand the complexities of this universal emotion. Influence: A Legacy of Synth-Pop Innovation The Lexicon of Love's influence on music is undeniable. It paved the way for synth-pop bands like Pet Shop Boys and Erasure, proving that synthesizers could create sophisticated and emotionally resonant music. The album's focus on melody, clever wordplay, and theatrical delivery continues to inspire artists today. More importantly, it established ABC as a band with a unique sound and a knack for crafting timeless pop music. Pros and Cons: A Balanced Perspective The Lexicon of Love isn't without its minor criticisms. Some might find the melodramatic vocals and theatrical delivery a bit over-the-top. The synth-heavy production, while innovative for its time, can feel dated to some modern listeners. However, these elements are precisely what make the album so iconic. They contribute to its charm and memorability. A Final Verdict: A Timeless Classic The Lexicon of Love stands the test of time as a groundbreaking and influential album. It's a masterclass in songwriting, production, and performance. Fry's passionate lyrics, ABC's innovative sound, and Trevor Horn's masterful production create a cohesive and unforgettable listening experience. While minor stylistic elements might feel dated, the album's core strengths – its emotional honesty, sonic inventiveness, and sheer brilliance – ensure its place in the pop music pantheon.
It is a very very interesting album. One of the best pop I ever listened. Music is really driving!
I love this thing, it can be goofy as fuck sometimes (especially in 4 ever 2 gether (which is also it’s best track)) but it’s just great. It also has a great set of singles with the look of love, poison arrow and all of my heart. 5/5
Äntligen något bra. Varit på tok för mycket skit på sistone. ABC släppte många fina hits på sin storhetstid. Hade bara hört en handfull av låtarna på denna platta och de låtarna jag inte hört förut var inte kattskit. Ett album man blir glad av.
great 80s pop band ,brought back good memories thank you
Surprisingly good..
I doubt I'm gonna rate any New Wave album below a 4 but this is an easy 5 top notch New Wave-synthpop-new romantics, may be one of my favorite albums now
I love this.
Perfect pop - smart, sleek and sophisticated, but with an edge of something I can't quite put my finger on. I wasn't familiar with the whole album, but it does work as a full suite of songs. The two 'versions' at the end seemed a little bit like overkill, but I would give this 5 stars for the singles alone. An 80s classic.
The pinnacle of pop. And intelligent pop, at that. What an outstanding debut. The storytelling, the production, the songs - it's all there. I use to listen to this on repeat 40 years ago (!). It transported me as I visualised stories and experiences around the songs. So many memories. It still sounds incredible, four decades on. Lexicon of Love II is half decent as well.
I love this album. This is one of my favourite albums on the list so far. I love the vocals, the backing vocals, the band, the sax etc. The singles are clearly insanely good, Poison Arrow, Look of Love, Tears are Not Enough But the album tracks are incredible too. The flow is great, the reprise of look of love, its all good. Perfect album 5/5
I don't usually listen to this type of music, but oh man, it is filled with bangers. Whole album can easily be broadcast 24/7 on any station, and probably no one would mind. Just an amazing pop record, with great vocal, nice instrumentation and really fitting orchestral music in the background. This album probably won't change my view of pop music, or 80s music, but I have just found a needle in a haystack of crap.
I had never heard of this band or album prior to listening. Let me tell you though, that I was hooked. That wailing saxophone, energetic bass and synth, was all led with campy/theatrical lyrics and vibes that put me right into this era. I literally spent the rest of the day listening to 80's tracks and understand how much music was influenced by ABC's sound. I also love how it jumps from The Look of Love Pt. 1 to Pt. 4. That is something I would do if I wrote an album. Catch me wearing a crop top and some short shorts like Tom Selleck in Magnum PI while I absorb some pure 80s vibes. Stand out track: The Look of Love Pt. 4
It’s a 5, don’t believe Luke ❤️
Great album, 80s at its best.
It's rough. It's outdone by MANY other 80s albums. It shouldn't be on this list, frankly. AND YET THE DOPAMINE FLOWS ??
Very 80s in both good and bad ways. The subject matter is sappy but not in a way that gets too grating. The instrumentation is super snappy and tight though. Lots of amazing studio flourishes that really pop and some KILLER bass.
that was way more fun than i expected. the 80s really was the peak of bass playing.
I know every moment of this album from start to finish and wore my vinyl copy out before buying it on CD. One of the greatest debut albums ever. How much is ABC and how much is Horn is open to debate, but the results are spectacular. The exact moment that post-punk gave way to 80s pop. Rewards listening on the best stereo/headphones you can find.
Never heard this album and usually not an 80s fan but good god this was solid
Amazing
A practically perfect pop confection, over-the-top and irresistible. Never has being a loser in love felt so good.
Brilliant album. Best New Romance album I have heard
New Wave all day
9/10 super fun album!
First song and I'm already into it. Let's see if the rest delivers. Okay, it is as good, the album is so much fun 😍
Look of Love was first dance at my wedding for a reason Possibly best album of the 80’s and brilliant from the first note till the last
Way better than it has any right to be.
This is brilliant - 37 minute album packed with quality.
Favourite song: Valentine's Day
Top Album
All of my heart >>>>>>
I didn't know this band at all and my expectations weren't all too high. After two-three tracks these guys had me hooked though. Under the right circumstances I'm a sucker for well-positioned melodrama and oh boy, do these guy deliver full-on tongue-in-cheek first-class-kitsch melodrama. I'll revisit this one.
An absolute banger, well deserved on the list
This absolutely rules. That is all.
Je ne connaissais pas, j'ai hoché de la tête tout le long. Le meilleur de la musique des années 80. Je réécouterai certainement.
Very good
Forgot this one and I loved it !!
Probably my favorite 80s pop album yet. Felt like it could be a soundtrack to a musical, it was so theatrical. Great mix, lots of fun.
Beautiful album. The 80s at its best.
I only knew Poison Arrow, but the rest of this album is great in the same way. Thoroughly enjoyed.
Still a great album just like Dare or Dazzle Ships. Very well crafted. Strong songs and the perfect sound. I following concensus here and say that this is the best album from ABC but the follow-ups, Beauty Stab and Zillionaire, are excellent too.
Wow, that was quite the surge of primary school nostalgia, and I probably even did not like this kind of music at the time.
Groovy, funky, very easy listening and upbeat, I like it, it truly feels like an energetic love letter to someone
4.7 was very tempted to give this a 4 as can't see it becoming a regular listen. very tempted to pick up the album however. enjoyable all the way through with some clear stand outs, even lesser tunes are good.
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Show me, Poison arrow, Many happy returns, Tears are not enough, Valentine’s day, The look of love, Date stamp
nice album, really liked it
wowow great stuff all around, never been one for the 80s psych pop aesthetic but every moment of this album is filled with things to dig into. The opening track with its lush instrumentation leading naturally into the infectious poison aarow, the lyricism in tears are not enough and the groovy bop that is the look of love. Of course the cheezy hand claps and background vocals subject of the 80s pop sound pull me straight out of the immersive strings and sax as well as the very one tone idealism that is a love songs album with lacking overall depth or storyline to follow both hurt the personal enjoyment for me, but the depth of the instrumentation, tasteful samples, and the beautiful singing of Martin Fry gives this album a second or third full listen in my book. 9.1/10
This was one of my favorite cassette tapes in the 80s but I hadn't listened to it for over three decades since the transition to CDs. So much fun to listen to again today. I forgot how much I loved ABC.
This was my first listen for this album, although I knew a couple of the tracks. I loved the album!
This is in my top five of all time. A perfect album.
Those bass lines! Little kitschy lyrics at times but the synth instrumentation and use of reprise more than makes up for it
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.
Forever classy. One of the best albums of the '80s
This was brilliant. Loved the disco aspect. Even when the lyrics are sad you want to bop.
An epic album from one of Sheffield's finest bands. Majestic, sweeping, and glorious.
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.
Loved that album!
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
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.
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.
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.
Love this album. In some ways a concept album. Superb arrangements and great production.
I was reeling feeling this 80s nonsense - loved it.
Perfection. One of the greatest albums ever made.
Insanely good. Made the time spent revising pass soo quickly with this in the background
Best album I've heard so far.
Мені дуже сподобався альбом. Класні диско та фанк груви поєднані із сінті-попом. Є хіти. Із задоволенням послухав. Ближче до кінця мені стилістика менше подобається. Додав в бібліотеку, буду слухати ще
Класний, майже канонічний сінтіпоп 80х. Деякі пісні настільки сподобались, що я дотягну оцінку до 4х тут, але загалом мабуть поставив би 3.5 десь.
This is a really fun album! Obviously of an era but I really enjoyed the vibes. I love the (slightly inaccurate) description of this album being a fusion of Joy Division and Chic from Martin Fry. It’s been a bit of a victim of being associated with the popularity of its hits (The Look of Love and the absolutely brilliant songs Poison Arrow and All of my Heart). However, I do this it’s an interesting record to listen to even without those songs. Oh and I forgot how fantastic All of my Heart is.
'The Look of Love' is a stellar song, 'Poison Arrow', 'Valentine's Day' and 'All of my Heart' are also fantastic. The panoramic Trevor Horn production across this record is very much my kinda thing, and whenever Anne Dudley's incredible string arrangements pop up they sound fantastic. It's also crazy this is a debut, it sounds like the ambitious thing a band does three or four albums in. It's a bit too slick for me at times(nothing wrong with smashing disco and post-punk together, but I don't want absolutely ever corner rounded off), but overall it's a very good time.
Very 80's, but in a way that didn't annoy me. I'd listen again.
Nice retro 80s pop built around some true classics
I knew about ABC because of the song "The Look Of Love" and I'm pleased to say that after listening to this album a few times, that's like the fourth best song on this thing. Pure new wave bliss. Favorite track: Poison Arrow
Peak 80s pop. Love the production man, the synths are just so cool man
Actually really enjoying this, super funky, cool stuff.
I watched a lot of MTV in the early 80s and I felt like ABC were the best of the bands that had haircuts and suits and strings.
Through the shitty speakers of my clock radio in 1982 - along with the equally terrible sound system in the old Volvo - this really didn't sound very good. I put them in the same category as bands I really didn't like, like The Fixx. I can't say I love it now. But something here really got me bopping along.
Nice debut with lots of great tracks. Produced or supported by nearly all members of the later-to-be-formed Art Of Noise and founder of the successful label ZTT Records, Trevor Horn.
Heartbreak, glamour, romance, one of the soundtracks of the 80s produced by the man who invented the 80s.
An 80’s gem (but with a bit of filling between the bangers)
Tiene temazos
Loved 'Poison Arrow' since first hear in 1982. This is a great album, love the sound - and a few iconic hit songs - The Look of Love, Tears Are Not Enough and All Of My Heart, and good extras. Definitely a 4+ rating from me.
Disco/synth wave/post punk show tunes?! I knew The Look of Love but this whole thing was just too damn fun to listen to - and '80s pop gem to be sure.
THE BASS
a fun album. reminds me of my mom. look of love will always be my favorite. it's such a funny song. also liked poison arrow, theme from "mantrap" and 4 ever 2 gether
This was endlessly funky and a totally addictive listen, to the point where I had to get myself home from my daily walk and start it all over again so I could have a proper boogie to it. Love a bit of 1980s new wave, and this perfectly scratched a particular itch I've been craving to be scratched for a while. Smooth melodies, powerhouse vocals, and timeless lyrics. More of this please. Favourite track: Poison Arrow Least favourite track: All Of My Heart
Just a perfect pop album. One of the finest the 80s gave us. So many beautifully crafted songs. It’s deserving of it’s place on the list for sure. Easy 4
A five star scale without half stats really limits my ability to accurately rate an album. I never lived the singles from this album so to find how much I enjoyed them in context was a delight. A fun sexy silky synthy danceable New Romantic gem. More than a 3! Less than a four but not as far from four as from three so I’ll round to four. Looking forward to another listen. I don’t know. Maybe a four. A surprise!
Excellent excellent record, has 1 or 2 weaker tracks that stopped me from going 5 initially but definitely going to revisit this one
Loved it. What fun listening. The recalls throughout. Going into this I thought I'd never listened ABC before, but I was pleasantly surprised I knew a large amount of this album which was nice to relive.
The smooth, savvy sounds of ABC, a band that brought a lot of class to the decade. Ahhhhhh.......maybe. Here's to hoping Martin found true love!
I feel like, at some point, I heard the single "The Look of Love" on FM radio. ABC is one of those groups I don't think come up as often due to the sheer number of British pop bands that saw mainstream crossover to the US in the 1980s. When they do get brought up, it's usually when discussing their debut record, The Lexicon of Love, which many consider to be their best record, thus leaving me to believe that they never quite continued the momentum of success throughout the rest of the decade and beyond. They're certainly not the only case of a band peaking with their first album, and in any case, I was at least curious to hear what the rest of The Lexicon of Love sounded like. Well, I do hear what ABC were going for at the time, which was the amalgamation of everything pop music was up to that point. The prominent syncopated basslines and four-on-the-floor beats of disco, the angular guitar riffs of new wave, the polished arrangements and synth incorporation from sophisti-pop, alongside a mix of programmed and organic percussion and sweeping brass and string instrumentation. Polished and refined with Trevor Horn's production, all of these elements provide some swaggering muscle to these compositions behind Martin Fry's blue-eyed soul vocal delivery. Sure, some sounds come off dated, such as the canned horn lines of "Tears Are Not Enough", the prominent synth of "Valentine's Day", and the gurgling, altered backing vocals on "4 Ever 2 Gether", but it is a genuinely catchy record overall. As for the lyrical content, I'm admittedly more split. On the one hand, I get that Martin Fry's intent was novel in trying to write more eloquent songs of love and hate, compared to the more technology-themed synth-pop acts he was inspired by. Yet on the other hand, I feel that there were opportunities to go darker with the imagery. I feel I got hints of that edge from the depression endured on “Many Happy Returns” and the acceptance of the rejection on “Poison Arrow”. If more songs had that lyrical bite to them, I'd probably be enamoured. Also not helping matters was how perfunctory an ending "The Look of Love, Pt. 4" was; "4 Ever 2 Gether" could have been the satisfying conclusion. Still, I did enjoy The Lexicon of Love as a well-defined debut from ABC. They may not have recaptured the same success, but at least this once, they had something truly potent in the works.
2* music, 5* bass parts, averaged to a 4* album! (Why is the bass so ridonkulously excellent!)
Smokin"
Fan va fint med reverbindränkt, jättepretto, jättevit funky Duran duran-pop. ”Tears are not enough” är en riktig banger! Nån eller ett par svaga spår, men absolut en 4a.
Fan vad fint det satt med lite discoo
I really liked theses songs it was a good vibe, kinda sounds like david bowie
Album très agréable
Super fun very danceable
3.5/5
good labum
fun listen!
"Show Me", "Poison Arrow" and "Many Happy Returns" are my favorites. Most songs resonate with me in a way that calms and unsettles me simultaneously. Genuinely not bad, pretty bittersweet; I love it.
Very solid 80s pop
I like this a lot more than I expected to. It really hits the mark on fusing Nile Rodgers era disco with British goth/post-punk like the Cure and Depeche Mode. It's maybe a little too dancey for me, but the funk influence makes that more palatable. Overall it's a fun, upbeat listen.
I honestly wasn't expecting much from this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. I went in thinking I would give this a 3 and then write some snarky review claiming how boring it is. Thankfully this album is a lot of fun, some great funky bass playing and some really cool synths. This reminds me of the Let's Dance era of Bowie. My only complaint is that a few of the songs are just filler, and the singer isn't all that captivating, but beside that this album was pretty good. Mid 4.
Disco needed more lovelorn emo drama and eyeliner! The Lexicon of Love feels like it SHOULD be ridiculous, yet lands with such poise and precision that resisting it begins to feel straight silly. Sleek, synthetic, theatrical, and a dash smug, but OH SO absurdly catchy that the smugness becomes part of the pleasure. The vocal delivery is a huge part of why it works here. The personality in his voice makes all the romantic scheming and smug sexual wordplay feel like cheeky fun rather than nonconsensual assault. Pop tunes for celebrating Maury's announcement that you are, indeed, NOT the father.
Ik was al bekend met de absolute banger: The look of love. Maar dat de rest van het album ook zo goed is verbaast me. Consistent vette nummers, en de laatste 2 platen, voegen ook echt wat toe, ook al zijn het bewerkingen van eerdere nummers op de plaat.
Pure new-romanticism! I thought the orchestration was great and I love a Jupiter 8 synth. The look of Love was a high note. Coincidently I’ve met Martin Fry a few times. He’s a nice guy!
oh god. funky as hell. unfortunately this is entirely my thing. I love disco! What can I say!
Show Me - 5/5 Poison Arrow - 3/5 Many Happy Returns - 4/5 Tears Are Not Enough - 5/5 Valentine's Day - 4/5 The Look of Love (Part One) - 5/5 Date Stamp - 4/5 All of My Heart - 3/5 4 Ever 2 Gether - 4/5 The Look of Love (Part Four) - no rating Average score: 4.1/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am the target audience for this
Very eighties, really very eighties Didn't know anything except for "The Look Of Love, Pt.1". A nice - yes also here really eighties - song. The rest actually is very nice although it is terribly eighties.
7,7/10
I feel like I'm cruising through Vice City listening to this. As a whole its not on the level of Rio but the singles are classic 80s pop and the deep cuts are enjoyable.
No ocnocía, lindo ritmo. Buen disco
I quite liked this one. It had like a proto pop punk sound but with swing and jazz mixed in. It reminded me a little of Panic! or a band that I listen to called Saint Motel. Considering this is much earlier it's got a great sound and it has aged very well for 80s music. This will get some plays from me.
That's funky 80s pop mit with some soul. Everybody knows "The Look of Love", but there are cool other tunes as well.
Full on bombastic 80s baroque pop. No I ain’t giving it that middling rating, it’s too much like fun for that 4 Star
Very pleasantly surprised by this. Much much better than the new romantic twaddle I expected. Well performed songs with good lyrics. The really annoying thing is I find myself trying to justify giving it less tan a 4. But I can't.
Wow!! I REALLY enjoyed this album. And that is saying something because this 80s synth Brit stuff is probably my least favourite 80s music. This is the best I ever heard from this genre. It wasn't whiny, it wasn't thin, it wasn't all about heartbreaks. The music was layered, interesting and dense. The voice was above average. The lyrics were VERY unconventional and I liked that. It never got boring. Probably after 3+ listens it would get a 5, but there are just so many great albums out there.
This some classic 80s pop
unpopular opinion, i liked it
By all accounts this isn’t a good album, and let I still enjoyed listening to it much in the same way you can enjoy a movie that is bad enough to be good.
These guys were too glamourous for me to choose their album by myself. It's cool though, sounding like eighties in the best sense, with rich arrangements, clean sound and smart lyrics. Tears are not enough <3
Highlights: Show Me, Poison Arrow, Tears are Not Enough, The Look of Love Pt.1, Lowlights: The Look of Love Pt.4, Theme from "Mantrap" 80s pop slop so pure I could feel the cocaine entering my system. Fun listen.
определенно классно но пока четверочка
Declaring my bias upfront, im not from Sheffield but i consider it home. This contains all of the 80's nonsense i usually dislike, cheesy production, lots of synths and as much depth as a puddle. Bit i still enjoyed it. Maybe its the familiarity, maybe its the sheer lack of pretension, maybe its the high quality pop songs. I smiled all the way through and really what else is there?
Yes...the list provides. This one had me from start to finish. Lexicon of Love is a great 80s record with plenty of style and good tunes. I didn't know ABC prior but recognize the hit songs. Great combo of guitar, synths, and percussion with a Bowie-esque lead. My only gripe is the rehashing of "Look of Love" and "Poison Arrow" to fill the album...would have preferred some fresh cuts. 3.73 stars and I'm adding Mantrap to watchlist.
First LP my wife ever bought apparently. Very enjoyable for early eighties stuff. Will likely revisit.
I was not fully aware of how great ABC is and only knew one or two songs vaguely. This was a real treat.
So this feels gay and I am gay, so i love it
80s disco record. Many reviewers missed the obvious - this is a new wave inflected disco record. This might have been a better record if it had not been Trevor Horned. The production is thin because the drum and bass are buried in the mix so that Martin Fry whose dramatic advertising pitch man vocals can soar on these hyper catchy pop songs. Honestly, there is no denying the catchiness of these songs, particularly on The Look of Love - Pt 1 which puts the whole package together. While the other hits on this track are undeniably catchy - Poison Arrow, Show Me and Tears are Not Enough, the production is distracting because it has not aged well. It sucks the soul out of what could have been a dynamic lively record. Instead it comes off as largely devoid of emotion. This is borne out when watching live versions of these tracks. So, where would it stand in the list of other synth-pop disco records from the period? Recall that other New Romantic disco wavers including New Order, Human League, Depeche Mode and Duran are all from this period and mine similar territory. In thinking about this period, the songs were popular on radio and in the clubs but people quickly moved on as this form of new disco soon faded. On balance, a solid record of you overlook the production. No bum tracks, some pretty good variety for an album of love songs. 4/5
I was 12 in 1982, and i knew some of these songs very well! But it wasn't a band I followed and was interesting to hear the rest of the album. An early and wonderful example of the 80' s sound, I enjoyed this blast from the past.
Fav: tears are not enough 43.5/5
Goede nostalgische swing pop
The Lexicon of Love was ABC’s nickname for Len Houmous. 4.1 6/11 The Look of Love Pt1
Liked this one in the morning before work
i love you martin fry this is a 4.9
really surprised by this one!! loved the storytelling and production. All Of My Heart was my fave
Really enjoyed this.
A cut above your average 80s pop album - brimming with tight, complex arrangements and a sense of drama, all wrapped in a lush, glossy production. The bass is especially striking. It's still very much an 80s pop album but you can hear the influence it's had on much that followed. I can't believe it's 44 years old - it's held up incredibly well, maintaining that fresh, punchy feel. It in no way sounds like a debut album either - it bursts with a fully-formed confidence. I enjoyed the whole album but All of my Heart really stood out as a highlight.
Fue raro escuchar el pop de los 80. Pero estuvo bastante bien.
Sounds like the 80s. Knew two songs which are good but the rest was pretty good too. Exaggerated vocal style a bit much at times. 8ish
New Wave music in the early '80s was at its peak. Four stars for this album. This makes you want to get up and dance.
Extremely fun heavily-disco album with a lotta synth. To my surprise, I very much enjoyed The Lexicon of Love. Wasn't perfect, as a few tracks were mid and the lead vocalist Martin Fry can leave a lot to be desired. Still surprised me how much I enjoyed it. Personal highlight: Many Happy Returns
8/10… new romantic / synthpop / *1982
An album I actually own! This originally came out when I was 7 years old, and I didn't really get it. It sounded too sophisticated compared to the other pop music I listened to at the time. Now I just realize that it was the British accent and string section. If I only use the track list of actual album version, I really loved this album. The Spotify version had "The Theme From Mantrap" as an 11th track - which is a slowed down, lounged up version of "Poison Arrow". That version was painful to sit through. I think I'll stick to my vinyl copy with just 10 tracks. "All of My Heart" was the stand out song. By far my favorite track, and definitely one I will add to my work playlist.
Nostalgic 80's pop--with more substance than most. Really liked it.
Infectious and precise! Such a well-paced album and fantastic blend of styles. Loses some steam near the end.
I enjoyed it loved the bass sounds a bit funky but also poppy
Exceptionally catchy and charming.
aaah das het mer de elias mol empfohle und ich has glaub recht nice gfunde! huiii de bass. ok. show me isch en recht en aggressive refrain er isch gsanglich so uf sich elai gstellt irgendwie? aso isch super. many happy returns findi seehr cool. es isch sehr level 42 au. richtig catchy und cheesy und groovy. haha tears are not enough uuuhuere de bri'ish funk alte aber gitarre parts uhuuuere david williams/nile rodgers. geeeeil. moll slappt. sehr chic aber mit new wave 80er vocals. findi super. valentine's day super instrumental ich mag trevor horn production. ah und de break tönt meega noch on broadway vom benson. the look of love baanger bass. oooh a da magi mi vo irgendwo erinnere. sehr cool. date stamp au fun, irgendwie wird s album nöd spannender aber s macht alles wos macht seehr präzis und guet. 4ever 2 gether baaanger
nice album gsi coole vibe. wöri weder lose. recht exciting so de style, macht sochli gueti mood so
This is obviously incredibly cheesy and dated. And yet… I thoroughly enjoyed it. Date Stamp in particular was a banger.
Had never heard of this. Really enjoyed it!
i think some of you don’t like to have fun
For a bunch of British white guys this is funky as Hell.
Bass blindness opet, ali je stvarno dobar album. Kao Spandau Ballet i Duran Duran u jednom ali orkestralno i spektakularno. Lijepo zvuči u paketu. Podsjeća na srednjoškolske dane.
This is #day483 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this might be the most '80s-sounding record I've heard in a while: catchy, groovy, and above all, funky. This is a well-deserved 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day484.
Synth pop ftw
Such an interesting album with interesting sound throughout. I didn't think I would enjoy this as much as I did, but pretty solid the whole way through. There were a few that I didn't LOVE but most of the sound in here was great.
Good 80s album - decent listen - of its time, but still enjoyable
Rv
Taki typowy 80'sowy pop-rock. Ja lubię takie rzeczy, męskie wokale, syntezatory, pop ballady, chwytliwe bity. Nie jest to dla każdego i ociera się o kicz, ale mi wpada w ucho i sprawia, że chce spryskać włosy zbyt dużą ilością lakieru. 7/10.
Earlier this year I purchased my own original vinyl copy of the album, after growing up with my brother and father being big admirers of it. I enjoyed elements but actually found the pressing fairly unlistenable on the latter half of side one, they must have compressed it heavily to fit it on to thin vinyl. The second side was more enjoyable and richer in sound. For this I am just streaming and the sound problems don't exist, what we are left with are supermaximalist songs with no room to breathe but full of drama tunes and ideas. Is it very 80s? Yes possibly due to Trevor Horn who partially invented the 80s but ABC themselves could come from any era or none, being utterly outside of fashion or scene. Do I love this album, no. Do I admire it, absolutely.
One of Trevor Horn's classics. It's a great record and has all the early hallmarks of what would later firmly become the ZTT house style. Anne Dudley's string arrangements are the shit.
Great pop album! Full of life and character. I enjoy this a lot. The piano is play with elegance and the main singer is wildly talented.
This is definitely one of the strangest 4 stars I have given. Most if not all songs are 4, but not 5 stars. This album came so close to being great, but every song seems to miss it just by a hair. Not sure what's missing. Feels like if Duran Duran just never got that spark.
Really enjoyed this - a pleasant surprise
Arrancamos el jueves con un disco y una banda que desconozco por completo. Arranca bailable y se mantiene. La voz del cantante tiene reminiscencias directas a David Bowie y a Robert Smith y la música deja todo en un mood muy bonito. Gracias y hasta mañana viernes.
One of the sounds of eighties.. sharp new synths and classy.. loved it, couldnt listen to it lot. but fun
That bass is super groovy. A good change of pace from the brutal death metal I was listening to.
Not bad. Fun
the moment pop music slipped into a tuxedo, ordered champagne, and started quoting Byron between choruses
Classic album.
I should have listened to this years ago. I always liked Poison Arrow and the title track. It's really good.
this was awesome as hell
Poison Arrow Tears Are Not Enough The Look of Love, Pt. 1 All of My Heart
synes egentlig det var ganske fengende på første lytt. skamløs firer
I should hate this - but it's reaaaaaly good! :-D
Love this album
Perfect for the time. Still excellent
Great.
Dans ce schtyle-là, j'aime ABC.
Intéressant quoique une peu éreintant à la longue! Très maximaliste en tout temps. De la grosse bass par contre!
Took me back to last yr of college which is when this this was released so gets 4 stars for that memory alone. I’m a sucker for New Wave :).
Solid new wave 80's pop. I was already very familiar with ABC's hits, but I've never listened through an entire album. I was surprised how consistent this album is and how it really carries through with none of the songs feeling like filler. Great album, even if it is "just" hooks and theatrical 80's new wave!
Cool new find, but something bothers me about the vocals. Maybe it feels slightly musical theater-esque to me…
Never heard of them or the album, so I was surprised by how much fun I had with this album.
Really liked this! One of my favourite 80s so far! Look of Love is a tooon. Simpsons: No
This is so unapologetically 80s that I loved it and I usually hate that 80s sound.
LOOK! For your information, yes there's one thing, the one thing that still holds true . . .
Doesn’t really get more 80s than this. Trevor Horn production with Matin Fry’s excellent vocals. I really enjoy it - have always liked this album ever since it came out.
What a sick album. Its lead by bass and im a huge sucker for that stuff. Every song has a great lick on it. And the synths are so cool. Some really neat tones come out of that little machine. Not too much to say other than its great and I had alot of fun listening to the whole thing. Not perfect but great great great
Better than I expected
Show Me // Poison Arrow // Many Happy Returns // The Look Of Love - Pt. 1 //
Get. Your. Groove. On.
Of it's time
Great album!
This is another album I know only through the singles. But the singles have become timeless classics.
I'd heard the singles way back in the 80's and sometimes since and I thought this was just another slick, overly-polished 80's band. I mean, I like the 2 songs well enough, but it's not something Great. I am going to revise my thoughts now. because I never really did listen to this whole album before and now I must say, I quite like it. First, yes it is wildly over-produced. It's so slick it hurts sometimes. But the music is actually good. I honestly hadn't even heard the bass bits before, but this guy is smoking! The synths are a bit much sometimes and the fake drums are not my favorite, BUT overall it's still really good music. I've always liked his voice and he comes up with some great turns of phrase. When I think of Albums You Have to Hear Before You Die, I don't automatically think this would be here. But if you want to capture a moment from the early 80's in one album, this is definitely a good choice. (This and what, Spandau Ballet maybe?) Giving it a 4 because it's solid and does represent a moment in time pretty well. But that overly slick production and fake drums drops it just a bit. I imagine I'll listen to this once or twice again in my life.
Very groovey, I can give it that. The production is good and fun no question about that! Unfortunately it sometimes felt like the songwriter was too in love with the same three lyrics that kept being repeated through the album to consider if they were any good in the first place. “You think you’re smart, stupid stupid” should have stayed on poison arrow. Overall still decent!
Really 80s, really good!
Very good new wave music that reminds me of every party during college. It's dancey, but also listenable. While there is a lot of synth, there are also guitars and horns, which add a lot to the sound. I really like this one.
Wow - this was a wonderful listen!
8.5/10 This was extremely close to 5 stars. Exceptional 80s pop. I know the 2 big hits but didn’t expect it to be so soul and disco forward. Excellent rhythm and synth, great production and orchestration, fun delivery including the campy talk raps. Best: the look of love pt 1
This one brought back some sweet memories from the 80's
What a unique listening experience. Just at the peak of the New Wave of the 80s shows the showmanship of a group that in my opinion, of synthesized music for future success
Poison arrow was pretty goood - enjoyed the listen - definitely some gooooood funky baselines will visit a few of these songs again soon.
Very synthrealiable, decent 80s album dith some hits.
Very 80's, and at the time, this was "pop" catchy, fun, not anything that needed overthinking. Is exactly what it says it is.
Great
I didn’t know of this album or band, but it’s some pretty solid British 80s pop. A delight!
Very cool. There are times in the past where I would have discounted this out of hand for the "cheesy 80s production style". I'm glad I don't now. I love it. The range of bass sounds are all awesome. Some of that production is kind of cheesy with the pad strings for example. I'm also not crazy about the lyrical style of over the top life and death romance. Brilliant singles though
I enjoyed this album of 80s pop
It sounds very 80s and very European, so I understand not everybody likes it. I knew 3 of the songs before. I liked the album much better than I expected. Great intro, the songs are good, different enough, production/arrangment is peak Trevor Horn. The singer could have benefited from some singing lessons (breath control) and autotune, but it hadn't been invented yet. Favorite song: poison arrow
Богатая палитра.
****A beautiful album, easy listening!
Tää oli kiva, voisi kuunnella toistekin!
Pidän tästä. Ekoja muistoja musiikista radiosta aikoinaan Look of Love
Fucking great synth pop. That bass. Fully deserved to be a commercial success!
“Hmm, not sure I actually know these guys” *knows half the songs* Great, powerful synth-pop.
ou pior que eu curti hein. a sonoridade lembra duran duran, mas eu achei que tem uma personalidade própria, mais ROMANTICA fraga e de fato eh baixaria esse aqui hein, achei bacana
Thought I was going to hate this, but I had a blast with this album. Powerfully 80s but it really worked. The bass in particular was filthy, some beautiful lines on this. I’d heard a few of these songs before but didn’t know they were by ABC.
Although not the most iconic of power pop 80's records, ABC sets themselves apart by offering challenging song structures and instantaneous hooks on their debut. You might walk away the same as before, but you'll have a good time with this if you don't completely hate 80s music.
Sincere funk and unironic kitsch collide in one of the more open-hearted examples of early 80s pop’s power.
Surprisingly fun record.
“Poison Arrow” and “The Look of Love” are five-star songs. “Tears Are Not Enough” and “All of My Heart” aren’t far behind. The rest of the album? Yeesh!
Perhaps the most potent strain of the 1980s ever discovered? It’s an awful lot of fun. Camp, extremely extraverted, maximalist music with verbose and arch vocals. Flourishes on top of flourishes. I like how ever-present and persistent the vocals are, putting the singer in frame as much as possible. Taking up all the oxygen. It leads with bombastic, huge melodic force. The 1980s sounds like it could have been a fun time to be alive. I think we need more of this theatrical fun in music.
ABC as easy as 123… Four
Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland Schmeichelt meinen Ohren!
Quando o álbum se iniciou, eu fiquei imediatamente boquiaberto. Existe algo mágico demais em ouvir um disco totalmente cego, sem saber nada a respeito de suas faixas ou até mesmo do grupo que o compôs. No caso deste disco do grupo ABC, temos um suprassumo do mais fino synthpop britânico do início da década de 1980. Tudo aqui é em ótimo gosto; Os vocais, as melodias, os pequenos ornamentos orquestrais que se destacam mais na faixa inicial mas fazem outras aparições em faixas sucessivas. Mas, pra mim, a parte que mais brilha nesse álbum é o baixo. Que baixo fantástico, ele constrói uma base resistente nas fundações dessas canções. O disco possui seus hits. Poison Arrow é uma das minhas músicas favoritas de synthpop, The Look Of Love e All Of My Heart também são clássicas. Mas o que impressiona nesse álbum é que até os deep cuts possuem qualidades bem próximas dos hits. Um disco infalível, ao meu ver. Quando ele começa a ficar entediante, ele acaba! Do jeito que têm de ser. Pois todos sabemos que ser exposto a synthpop e a sotaques britânicos por uma quantidade demasiada de tempo pode causar efeitos adversos gravíssimos! E ele se encerra do jeito que se iniciou, com uma orquestra orgásmica fazendo um maravilhoso arranjo da faixa “principal” do álbum, The Look Of Love. Lindo! 4/5
Good good
1980s jams galore.
I have a soft spot for this album, on the logical and sensible grounds that everything from Sheffield is super. The hits from this were ubiquitous at the time, but it’s only listening back now that I can appreciate just how much work went into them - it’s a truly lush affair, with sweeping arrangements from Anne Dudley, cutting edge electronica using a Fairlight CMI from JJ Jeczalik, overseen by producer Trevor Horn. It’s no coincidence that these people would form the nucleus of the Art of Noise just one year after this. The songs all hold up I think, even the spoken passages that make it feel a lost soundtrack to a fifties movie in places. Martin Fry is a classic crooner who knows how to tug at your heart strings, with love and heartbreak being the theme that holds this album together. Classic 80s!
Ah, I'm torn. This is album is quintessential eighties pop music; all the gimmicks from this era are bursting to your ears. A good reason to hate it, as this sound, the production, everything looking pristine, is really something I'm glad we're over. But (yes, there is a but), it's well executed, sometimes almost epic, very cinematrographic, a good share of tracks make you wanting to dance. And it's not too long, so we don't get too bored/fed up with all the 80s nonesense. Overall, I like this much more than what I anticipated when I recognized an album from this period of time.
Poison arrow through my heart
This thing is a glitter cannon of pure 80s. The production is absurdly lush, like a synth-pop soap opera with a full orchestra. It's dramatic, theatrical, and super cheesy. Spins: a lot (I was building a garden) Playlist Additions: - Poison Arrow - The Look Of Love - Pt. 1 - All Of My Heart - The Look Of Love - Pt. 4
80's white boy funk at its finest.
All I'm sayin'... This album is a high camp delight. The ubiquitous hits "The Look of Love" and "Poison Arrow" are the peaks here and the only ones I'd heard before, but the strings and the breathless delivery throughout sell it. The final two tracks - a fussy orchestral "The Look of Love Part 4" and drunken cabaret version of "Poison Arrow" as "Theme from 'Mantrap'" is chef's kiss emoji good.
I only knew the two hits from this one; like a lot of 80s techno pop, I seldom listened to LPs of bands that had giant hits on MTV that I'd grown tired of. I'm now sorry I missed this one when it was new; its got that early Duran Duran slickness but some great hooks. I especially like the opener "Show me" and the lounge version of Poison Arrow at the end (which is apparently from a later reissue and not on the original 80s lp) My one complaint is that the production gimmicks by Trevor Horn on this LP show up on many later Trevor Horn projects. This LP is 3 or 4 years prior to Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut, which borrows bass lines, bridges, and general Trevor Horniness from it. "Date Stamp" and "Tears are not enough " are like ur-versions of the Two Tribes bass part. But ABC is a much tighter band than FGTH (which is also on the 1001 list, so I guess its good we got this one first).
What a fantastic album. Pure 80’s pop. It’s in my collection. The look of love fantastic song
Super underrated album (In the sense that I literally never heard of this band before), as the songs were pure, groovy, 80s bops. Hooked right away with the first song and maintained interest throughout.
Wow, excellent. I was really tempted to give this 5 stars and it’s one of those that’s primed for an upgrade upon a revisit. As it is, I mean you really have to be in the mood for this to enjoy it (and I was when I listened to it). I just love the mature, sophisticated approach to pop these 80s lads took. Wish there was space for that kinda energy these days. This is a must-listen that is packed with enjoyable sounds and songs. (ML #144)
A pleasant surprise.
Smart arse new romantics try to do old school sweeping romanticism, and largely succeed. I can see why it was all downhill after this though - it feels like they had one big idea, and nowhere else to go.
nice stuff. definitely one of the better albums that i've gotten under the genre of "sophisti-pop" in this saga. the songs were nice and i found the production to be very pleasing. it's obviously very "new wave-ish" but has some more funk inspired notes, mainly from the rhythm section. it's not mind-blowing by any stretch, but it was still pretty fun, all in all.
1. Show Me - 7.5/10 2. Poison Arrow - 8/10 3. Mamy Happy Returns - 8/10 4. Tears Are Not Enough - 8/10 5. Valentine's Day - 8/10 6. The Look Of Love, Pt.1 - 8/10 7. Date Stamp - 8/10 8. All Of My Heart - 8/10 9. 4 Ever 2 Gether - 7.5/10 10. The Look Of Love, Pt.4 - instru 11. Theme from Mantrap - 8/10 ogólnie: 8/10