It’s your first album so we can expect rough and ready, nothing accomplished as that will come through after years of honing your craft.
However, Trevor Horn may produce your first album so ignore all above, ladies and gentlemen welcome to ABC The Lexicon of Love.
Back in 1982 a band fresh out of the blocks are hoping for a hit from their debut to get them on Top of the Pops and maybe push their album up the charts. ABC managed four hit singles from their debut, and it also went to number one, its rightly considered a classic.
If you are of a certain vintage (or you can say old) like me Poison Arrow, Tears are not Enough, The Look of Love and All of My Heart are all instant recognisable classics forty years on. You know how you hear a song from back then and think no I cannot bear that (Karma Chameleon for me) well I feel the opposite for All of My Heart, it is a classic, beautifully crafted and sung fantastically by Martyn Fry.
Ten tracks where Horn’s over the top production with added orchestra does not detract from the band and their songs. You will know the singles but Show Me, Many Happy Returns and 4 Ever 2 Gether are just as good. They never delivered anything like this again but then few bands have crafted a better early 80’s pop record. Relive your youth and enjoy.
8/10
GIVE IT A STREAM: All of My Heart