Other People's Songs

Erasure | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 28, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mute U.S.
• ASIN: B00007FGIX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,006 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel

2. Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime - The Korgis

3. Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

4. Everyday - Buddy Holly

5. When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees

6. Walking in the Rain - The Ronettes

7. True Love Always - Buddy Holly

8. Ebb Tide - The Righteous Brothers

9. Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley

10. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers

11. Goodnight - Cliff Eberhardt

12. Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Erasure is at the top of the list of synth-pop groups who have transcended the genre's inherent limitations, and Other People's Songs demonstrates why they've stood the test of time. These are not remixes or samples; in fact, the arrangement apple never falls far from the tree. The selected pop tracks from the latter half of the 20th century are rendered through Vincent Clarke's effervescent sensibility and Andy Bell's emotive vocals. Most dance-club covers have a shelf life that barely outlasts the last call. But as on Abba-esque, their homage to Abba, Erasure meticulously nurture and revitalize rainbow-colored covers, this time making Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" and Buddy Holly's "Everyday" sweet but not bubblegum-flavored. Erasure has a stockpile of signature sounds, many of them used here to tie together disparate but instantly recognizable pop songs into Erasure songs. --Beth Massa

Product Description

Erasure's tenth studio album, & the follow up to 2000s critically acclaimed 'Loveboat', features the duo's unique take on some of their favorite songs. Recorded over 2001 with Gareth Jones, best known for his work with Depeche Mode, the album includes a diverse selection of tracks originally made famous by the likes of Buggles, Cockney Rebel, Buddy Holly, The Righteous Brothers & The Korgis. Mute. 2003.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the wait, January 28, 2003

By 

Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Other People's Songs (Audio CD)

I have been waiting for "Other People's Songs" since December. I was excited to hear that this cd of cover songs would be released here in the US unlike their previous album "Loveboat" (which was a major disappointment for this Erasure fan). Normally I wary of cover albums but coming from Erasure, I was psyched. The covers that Vince and Andy does is always have wonderful results. I immediately went out and bought "Other People's Songs" on my break at the office today. Was it worth the price and hassle I went through to get it? Yes. I must admit that there were a couple of songs that I wasn't familiar with but otherwise I thought Vince and Andy did a spectacular job with such classics like Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" and Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill". The standout track on this album really has to be the cover of The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star". Note by note, Erasure's version was dead on with the synthesized beats. "Other People's Songs" is definitely one of the best cover albums I have ever heard. The songs were all flawlessly executed in my opinion.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True Love Ways, February 16, 2003

By 

Matthew Gladney (Champaign-Urbana, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Other People's Songs (Audio CD)

Erasure is back. The UK synth-pop duo has kicked-off 2003 with yet another great album. Quite descriptively titled, "Other People's Songs" is a 12 track interpretive of some of rock and pop's best songs from the last 50-plus years. I have heard about half of these songs by their original artists, and the rest are new to me. Either way, after listening to this album, they are all sounding most definitely like Erasure tunes. Where most covers album fail miserably, this one has succeeded quite admirably.

"Other People's Songs" gets started with a Peter Gabriel cover, "Solsbury Hill". It is the lead single for the release, and has been revamped in typical Vince Clarke & Andy Bell fashion. There are the trademark bleeps, synth-pop beats, and Bell's warbly voice. "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" is slow, melodic, and soothingly beautiful. "Everyday" is a short, fun little ditty. Even though it is a famous old pop song, Erasure have made it their own here. "True Love Ways" is interesting: a Buddy Holly remake that, on one hand, sounds almost like it belongs in the time period from which it originated, but on the other hand it truly displays Andy Bell's own personal vocal abilities, and the 'Erasure sound' is in full embodiment here. Truly a great cover. My favorite song on the album is "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'". Strong, heartfelt, wonderful. Quite a powerful rendition. "Goodnight" is a quiet, loving little number. My only quibble is with "Video Killed the Radio Star", the album-ending track. It is very reminiscent of the original version, and I was never a fan of that song. I would have much preferred the inclusion of Erasure's rendition of "Ave Maria", which is on their single for "Solsbury Hill".

All in all, "Other People's Songs" is a success. Doing a covers album is risky. Erasure has managed to pull it off quite well. It isn't a terribly long album but it is high on quality, and isn't that the most important factor? With three years since their last release, it looks like Erasure wanted to take their time to get it right. Just look at the results, and you'll see that it was worth it.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars would rather hear THEIR songs., February 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Other People's Songs (Audio CD)

After the debacle that was "Loveboat," Erasure return to their familiar crisp, tinny, analog sound by recruiting Gareth Jones ("Wild!") to co-produce "Other People's Songs." While I've read people slagging off the concept of a covers album by saying Vince & Andy are past their prime of writing good original material, I have to argue that these guys have released NINE albums full of original songs. I think its only fair that they do an album of covers if they so choose. "Abba-esque," their previous covers EP, came out nearly a decade ago believe it or not. Personally, however, I wasn't thrilled with the idea of a remakes album simply because I think their own material IS still great.

The first three tracks on this album are superb: "Solsbury Hill" (the first single), "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" and "Make Me Smile" (already confirmed as the 2nd single). The remainder of the album is spotty: "True Love Ways" and "Ebb Tide" are very good. Three songs they never should have touched: "When Will I See You Again" and "Video Killed the Radio Star" - classic songs that, in their original form, simply couldn't be improved upon. "Can't Help Falling In Love," the Elvis track, was done so beautifully by UB40 years ago that I don't believe the world really needs yet another version.

An interesting note is that the two bonus tracks on the "Solsbury Hill" single, "Tell It To Me" and "Searching," are better than all of the tracks on this album.... two Clarke/Bell originals originally recorded for the aborted-reworking of "Loveboat" for a U.S. release that never happened. These two B-sides give me hope for the next Erasure album of original material, which I hear they are already working on.

I'd like to see a resurgence in popularity for Erasure - if it happens with this album, that's great ("Other People's Songs" certainly isn't horrible), but I'd be even more thrilled if it was to happen with a release of Clarke/Bell tunes.