Customer Reviews

Lexicon of Love

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Who else but Martin Fry & Co. could produce "Disco" music with just the right amount of twists so that it survives for almost 20 years as "New Wave"? This is, simply put, *the* best album ABC ever released. For me, it sums up 1982 perfectly -- I was in college, I had just bought an unbelievably clever new product by Sony called a "Walkman", and I listened to this album everywhere I went. But memories aside, every track is a winner: the music is lively, the vocals are expressive and passionate, the lyrics are cleverly crafted, and the production is excellent. Some of my favorites are "Look Of Love" (of course), "Poison Arrow", and "Date Stamp". ABC would never again achieve this level of brilliance. Their next album, the truly awful "Beauty Stab", proved this without a doubt. There were a few moments of greatness in later releases such as the songs "Be Near Me", "How To Be A Millionaire", "The Night You Murdered Love", and a good portion of the "Up" album. But too many of the other tracks seemed like filler material and detracted from these particular gems as a whole. Rumors that ABC's been back in the studio have been floating around for a couple of years now. If it's true, let's hope they give us something that matches the excellence of "The Lexicon Of Love".

too bad this was their first album as they were never able to pull it together quite as well.

i learned more about the band's troubles afterwards, but when i first heard this album - shortly after it was released - i was torn between playing it over and over again and excited to hear what they would do next.

the album comes close to a perfect one. each track smoothly moving into the next. the songs holding up as singles or as part of a greater work.

hard to pick out a favorite song as they all have merit. i find myself humming many of the tunes. some personal faves include "date stamp", "tears are not enough", "the look of love". i realize as i type this, what a silly exercise this is - i may as well list the entire track list!

I bought this Cd when I first saw Look of Love on MTV. It was the first dance CD I ever bought. It was the first dance band that had real words to the songs. I have to say that it was the one to get me out of only listening to Led Zeppelin and the Doors back in the 80's and get me into New Wave and later industrial music. In all of my years I have owned and still own this in CD , Album and casette formats. It has to be my choice for my favorite Cd of all time. The production is flawless and done by Trevor Horn of the Buggles and Yes. If you like what you have heard of them you will love the whole CD. Not a bad song on it from start to finish. A CD like this comes out once in a life and I still listen to it now after all these years and hear new things in the songs and lyrics. My favorite song on the Cd is Date Stamp. If you like moody music like the Smiths you will like the Lyrics. If you like Dance you will like the smart Disco and Strings. It is a must if you have just been in love and dumped. There is something on this Cd for everyone. Trust me its my favorite CD all time .

Oh my God, this is ABC's best album ever. Being an ABC and holding no mercy for their others albums, this is the only one that I can give praise to. All of the melodies and lyrics are breathtaking! This album has it's everlasting beauty. Such a huge shame that ABC didn't produce more albums like this until the late eighties. Something must have gone wrong? I guess Mark White wanted to have more of a hard rock band than what ABC should have been? Who knows! Anyway, everyone MUST buy this album. No one should go without it! Buy it now... :-) ABC forever!!!

It's not often that you come by an album in which every single track is a keeper. In my library of hundreds of albums, probably fewer than a dozen are those which I love every single song on them. ABC - The Lexicon of Love is one of them (along with (from the 80's) Thompson Twins: Sidekicks, and Talking Heads: Speaking in Tongues).

The lyrics are well thought out and are not just a bunch of candy-coated "pop" designed to sell records to kids.

Every tune is consistent with an overall "theme" that, for me, carries through for an hour long, uninterrupted trip back to sunny Panama City, Florida, circa early 1980's.

I wonder where it will take you back to?

I just bought The Lexicon of Love a year or so ago. Until I bought this album, I only had ABC's greatest hit's package. Quite impressed with most of the material on that, I eventually bought this debut album. From start to finish, there's no doubt that this music possesses flair and determination. Martin Fry has a singing voice all his own and the music of ABC has a certain sophistication and finesse. This album was produced and engineered by the same team that handled 90125 from Yes. This isn't a complete favorite of mine, but there's no doubt that it's very good for what it is. The orchestration is also very nice--especially on "4 Ever 2 Gether." The Lexicon of Love is a very consistent album that never lags. I really would rather rate this CD three-and-a-half stars, but since I'm not allowed to, I give it a four. This is an album that should not disappoint.

The New Romantic movement gave us many memorable artists, but perhaps none left as stylish and indelible a mark as Sheffield's ABC. The band first hit the U.K. charts with "Tears Are Not Enough" on their own Neutron label. Interest in the single lands them a deal with a major label and Trevor Horn (Yes, Art of Noise) agrees to produce their first full length recording. The end result "Lexicon of Love" is one of the quintessential New Romantic recordings. A lush paean to love it summons echoes of Roxy Music, but at the same was very original and unique. Fronted by vocalist extraordinaire Martin Fry the crack four man group was ably augmented by Horn's studio wizardry. Equal parts intelligence, flamboyance and swagger Fry commands the show and his lyrics reflect a mixture of ecstasy and agony, treachery and regret, irony and sorrow. Hearing the original demo of "Tears..." you can hear the genesis of what would evolve under the benevolent tutelage of Trevor Horn. Who made who is obvious.

The curtain lifts on with the dramatic opener "Show Me" with Fry soaring to a wonderful falsetto at points amid a lush orchestrated backdrop, the perfect set up for "Poison Arrow," perhaps one of their best tracks. The video of "Poison Arrow" is perhaps most indelibly etched in people's memories for the band in white ties and Martin cavorting in the infamous gold lamé suit with an 80s beauty. On the pulsating track the wonderful Tessa Niles plays vocal foil to Martin who posits "I thought you loved me, but it seems you don't care" to which Tessa counters "I care enough to know I can never love you" to a crescendo of drums. The song is absolute ecstasy and my all-time favorite. "Many Happy Returns" starts off with a spoken into and then rapidly picks up tempo and actually points the direction ABC would go with the following release "Beauty Stab." Fry's lyrics and the raw emotionalism of the song is quite striking and it gives yet another chance to show off his astonishing falsetto. "Many Happy Returns" glides into the rambunctious "Tears Are Not Enough" which kicks off with Martin's highest falsetto. The track crackles with life recalling Haircut 100 (a contemporary New Romantic band) with its lively horns and prominent bass line. While it bears a passing resemblance to the demo version it's clear that Trevor Horn is the mastermind pumping life and energy into the recording. Heavy strings and glockenspiel (or is it fairlight?) open "Valentines Day" with Martin pushing his vocals to their very limits building to a crescendo where Martin implies "I'd be a Millionaire; I'd be a Fred Astaire." There's nowhere to go but the first single that broke ABC in the USA, "Look of Love (Part One)" which summons up images of the dapper band from their music video. Vocally this is a showcase for Martin's full range, from low spoken asides and growls up to his falsetto. Musically its ABCs absolute zenith with full orchestration and once its over its hard to imagine where you could go from such ecstasy, but there's more cards up Martin's sleeve. "Date Stamp" is pure Trevor at the intro pointing at things to come for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Propaganda, and others. Martin and Tessa heat things up in what is practically a duet against a thumping bass line. What follows is perhaps one of my favorite track "All of My Heart" a profoundly felt song on love, loss, and regret reflected in Martin's vulnerable and heartfelt vocals. For me the recording could and should have ended here as there's no way you could top the sentiments and raw emotionality in "All of My Heart." Recalling not so much "Manifesto" or "Flesh and Blood" era Roxy Music as it does "Avalon" it would be the obvious direction for ABC to continue. Instead things resume with "4 Ever 2 Gether" a slight tune with a rather creepy intro and eerie backing track that hints somewhat at where they would go with "Beauty Stab." The rather fitting coda to it all is the closing blast of "Look of Love (Part Two)."

ABC epitomized everything great about the New Romantics and this recording perfectly encapsulates 1982 and that era. ABC were on the cutting edge with sumptuous videos and sterling production. From "Lexicon..." they moved to the perceived misstep of "Beauty Stab" from which they would recover. "Lexicon..." has nary a dull track and will have you enthralled from start to finish. A must for any fan of 80s or New Romantic music!

This is quite simply one of the landmark albums of the 80's and one which sounds as fresh today as when it first released in 1982. I first heard ABC through the single Tears Are Not Enough, I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed. The next couple of singles though (Poison Arrow, The Look Of Love & All Of My Heart) hooked me on this band, which sounded like no other at this time. Most albums are essentially the singles with a lot of fillers on (some good, others not so good), this album quite simply keeps up the high standard all the way through - I've even re-evaluated Tears Are Not Enough.

There a number of reasons why this album is regarded so highly. You can start with Martin Frys exquisite lyrical genius, oozing romanticism (not the New kind either). You can add the lush strings of Anne Dudley (Art Of Noise) into the mix. You can then finish off with a polished production by Trevor Horn, although you also can't forget the gorgeous backing vocals by Tessa Webb.

Outstanding tracks on an outstanding album : Valentine's Day, The Look Of Love (the breathy spoken refrain), All Of My Heart. This album was re-released with some extra tracks on a couple of years ago. Don't even think about it, just get this one. The Lexicon Of Love is too perfect to be heard in any other form, all you need is the original 10 tracks and a stereo you can turn up fairly loud. This is an album for all music lovers transcending most genres with its sheer gorgeousness.

I've owned and loved ABC's the Lexicon of Love since the early 80's when a a friend (we all had one, the guy/girl who knew what was good/cool before anyone else) lent me the record so I could tape it. It was awsome and I've been listening to it regularly ever since. It's lush arangements and Martin Fry's vocals speak to me in a new way every time I listen. ABC and Trevor Horn took their time and did it right and it will live on.

As a music lover, ex-DJ, and rock-n-roll star wanna be, ABC's Lexicon of Love ranks in my favorite Top 25 albums of all time. Then again, so does Haircut One Hundreds' Pelican West. Anyway, I guess the point is I listen to all types of music, from ABC to Anthrax, from Zappa to Zapp, and at age 36 have NO PROBLEM ADMITTING that I still dig Lexicon of Love as much as I did back in the early 80's.