Innocents, The - Erasure

“ The Innocents “ - Erasure 1988 - Mute Records CDSTRUMM55

Fifteen years is a long time in the music industry , and it is said that the life of an average solo artist / group is mere eighteen months .
So how does an album fifteen years old , from a group still going strong in their seventeenth year , stand up in today's world .

Released in 1988 , “The Innocents “ was Erasures third studio album and forth album ...
...‘The Two Ring Circus’ was a collection of remixes and a few live songs compiled with a scattering of new recordings of ‘The Circus’ material ) .

Thirteen tracks are to found on this album , twelve of which are original material , the final track being a cover version ( oh yes Erasure were leading the way with covers all those years ago ! ) .

The album has an upbeat feel , partly joy partly sadness , even at times religious ... more

“ The Innocents “ - Erasure 1988 - Mute Records CDSTRUMM55

Fifteen years is a long time in the music industry , and it is said that the life of an average solo artist / group is mere eighteen months .
So how does an album fifteen years old , from a group still going strong in their seventeenth year , stand up in today's world .

Released in 1988 , “The Innocents “ was Erasures third studio album and forth album release ( no I haven’t got my figures wrong as ‘The Two Ring Circus’ was a collection of remixes and a few live songs compiled with a scattering of new recordings of ‘The Circus’ material ) .

Thirteen tracks are to found on this album , twelve of which are original material , the final track being a cover version ( oh yes Erasure were leading the way with covers all those years ago ! ) .

The album has an upbeat feel , partly joy partly sadness , even at times religious - the cover depicts a stained glass church window ( based on St. James and Charlemagne , Chartes Cathedral , France ) .
More noticeable though is the Erasure feel , still untainted and fresh . Simply tunes , great melodies , and songs based on human experiences .

Track 1) ‘ A Little Respect ‘

The subject matter , taking someone for granted - something we all do too easily - listen and learn !
“I try to discover , a little something to make me sweeter , oh baby refrain from breaking my heart , I’ll be forever blue , that you give me no reason , you know you make me work so hard , that you gimme no that you gimme no that you gimme no that you gimme no , and I hear you calling , oh baby please give a little respect to me”

Track 2 ) ‘ Ship Of Fools ‘

“ I can’t believe what is happening to me , my head is spinning , the flowers and the trees are encapsulating me , and I go spinning”.
Emotions run high , do we know what we do , are we to blame for our actions ?

Track 3 ) ‘Phantom Bride’

“ She was a shy girl from a lonely street , she had no job to do no friends to meet , she’d sit in silence in her rented room , dream of her childhood and invented and invented truths , and in her mind she’d drift away , a secret place to steal away’ “ .
Solitude and dreams , life is like this for many .

Track 4 ) ‘ Chains Of Love’

Is love restrictive ? Yes its true it alters a person , but why ? Behaviour changes , protectiveness and jealousy take set , strange eh !
“ Do you remember there was a time ahaaha , when people on the street were walking hand in hand in hand , they used to talk about the weather making plans together days would be forever , come to me cover me hold me , together we’ll break these chains of love , don’t give up don’t give up , together with me and my baby , break the chains of love”.

Track 5 ) ‘ Hallowed Ground ‘

This track could have been written around today's unfriendly culture . A song of despair , where regard for people has been thrown out of the window .
“ Everybody’s intent on killing someone , the streets are closed and there’s a kid on the run , the bullets scream out from gun to gun , everbody’s intent on being someone “.

Track 6 ) ‘ Sixty-five Thousand ‘

A step in a different direction here with a very jazzy upbeat tune , complete with street based chants . Rebellious ??

Track 7 ) ‘ Heart Of Stone ‘

Mismatched love , they say opposites attract , but can relationships work - no according to this song.
“ I can’t believe you would find it easy to walk away as if you’d never loved really cared , did you expect that I’d give in and beg for mercy , out in the gutter out in the gutter , I cry for your heart of stone , I’m gonna wait until you come home , oh why am I all alone , I’m as good as dead yeh “.

Track 8 ) ‘ Yahoo ‘

A relationship dead , the truth dawned and a sense of freedom found , with religion newly resurrected . One hell of a great track ( excuse the pun ) .
“ Better than the devil should not be called , if you wanna wed the devil’s daughter , I pray to lord on high to set you free , better you decide to cut him loose , than to ride on the cunning line I pray to the lord to rescue me, no one should go on hard times , no one should live in sorrow , got to lift your head up high , got to face the darker skies , yahoo! oh higher higher higher , yahoo ! ah find your way unto the lord “.

Track 9 ) ‘ Imagination ‘

“ What do you do with yourself when you see the storm clouds rising , feeling alone with yourself as the sun fades away , the memories come to and fro , the trouble is they never want to go , they come never go , it’s just your imagination rolling over the past , it can change your mind completely , it’s just my imagination running running rather too fast , though I know it wont defeat me”.
Memories , memories , they can haunt you for life .

Track 10 ) ‘ Witch In The Ditch ‘

Reminiscing over true love lost , and the mark it’s left .
“ No I would never step into your shoes I’ll dance in my chamber without you , I’m looking and I’m praying for a place I can dwell in , a place where our love can be true , yes it was you my love that made me turn around , yes it was you mein herr that turned me upside down”.

Track 11 ) ‘ Weight Of The World ‘

“ Hey little wise man you got the sweetest notion , ooh the sweetest thing , just once in a lifetime you need a helping hand , ooh a caring hand , you keep it wrapped up inside , it’s like a lethal poison , gonna find it soul destroying” .
Taking the blame for failure , it’s just taking the weight of the world .....

Bonus CD Tracks :

Track 12 ) ‘ When I Needed You ‘ ( Melencholic Mix )

Life through a lens , distorted yet clear , if only you could chould change the past , what would you do ! A superbly crafted song , and a favourite of mine .
“ I’d like to be a child again so many things to do , playground noise and coloured toys and everything brand new , I’d like to be a pirate ship in search of hidden gold , on ocean waves that swim away and sail around the world , where where were you when Ineeded you most , when I needed a friend ? “ .

Track 13 ) ‘ River Deep Mountail High ‘ ( Private Dance Mix )

Take the Ike and Tina 60’s classic , update the music and add Andy’s great vocal interpretation , and you have a song so modern and as many may say better than the original , and twice as long !

~ Sleeve ~

A colourful thing , producing the usual main track lyrics ( tracks 1-5 , 7-11 ) , although it has to be said the use of a magnifying glass would not go amiss ., and the usual credits etc. in a word a quality sleeve .

~ Conclusion ~

It’s still as fresh today an it was all those years ago , and doesn’t seem to age at all. Indeed it could teach the upstarts of today a thing or two , especially where vocals and arrangements are concerned .
Buy this without fear , you’ll love it ! ( available from www.mutebank.com ) . 

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