Customer Reviews

Other People's Songs

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This will not become your favorite Erasure album, unless it's the only one you own. However, there are some great songs on here, especially their versions of "Solsbury Hill," "Make Me Smile," and "Goodnight." The other stuff may be less enjoyable but it's still fun to sing along to in the car, especially if you know the original versions; however, I can see younger fans not liking a lot of the tunes here. So put the best songs in your iPod and you're all set.

As an Erasure fan I have no regrets about acquiring this album, it still has it moments. I, like other reveiwers here, would have liked to have seen an album with some original work on it. Though a lot of people panned Loveboat, it is still a better album than this one is, but it is great to see an american release (Loveboat only available in the USA as an import). I really liked their remake of "When Will I See You Again", which harkens back to my teen years with 3 Degree-like background vocals. Also of note was their versions of "Walking In the Rain" and "Video Killed The Radio Star."

What's really missing on this album are good dance tracks. Perhaps I have less of a problem with Erasure doing "Other Peoples Songs" as I do with their song selections. I would have liked much more to have seen them update old 70's and 80's dance tunes (as they had in the past) then this weird assortment of unrelated tracks.

Fan to Erasure, I say buy it.

New to Erasure, check out some of their older CDs.

Let me start off by saying I'm a huge Erasure fan. I have all their CD's and even the boxed singles sets. I have yet to come accross an Erasure CD I didn't like...Until now. I can't make it past the first song (Solsbury hill). Vince sounds like He's playing on a cheap Casio key board and Andy just sounds tired. I don't feel like they added anything or brought anything unique to the covers. Could have been so good and it's just not.

See my previous review for first part of my thoughts on this album... to continue:

My personal take on the various tracks:

The lead-off, and the first single from the album, Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" is an excellent song, and the very idea of re-making it into something as or more impressive than the original is suspect. While their version is interesting and appealing, and one of the more recognizable songs for most people, I don't think that it's necessarily better than the original, but it is different, and it's hard to screw up with this tune.

There are a few songs on Other People's Songs which make for good listening, and some not only succeed in repeat listening, but even improve. For me, these would include the next track - The Korgis' "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" - as well as both of the Buddy Holly tracks "Everyday" and "True Love Ways," and The Three Degrees' "When Will I See You Again." I'm personally hoping that Erasure will remix Everyday for a third single off this album, as they did with "Moon and the Sky" from Loveboat. That was also a case in which a good song was remixed and released to fabulous effect. Everyday has great potential.

The third track on the album is also the album's second single: "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)." This is easily one of the best tracks Erasure has done in years. For the amazing video (if it's still online when you read this), see Erasure's website ... But this cover is just jaw-droppingly wonderful: bouncy, lively, lovely fun. Insert more happy words there. The more I listen to it, the more I love it; which makes me wary, since this means I'll listen to it so much that I'll get sick of it eventually.

A couple of tracks here are "listenable," which means, if you've got the disc playing in the background somewhere, you'll be happy enough to let them play, but if you're sitting there in your car, one hand ready on the controls of the player, or listening on headphones, you'll probably skip these. For me these were the Ronette's "Walking in the Rain" and the Righteous Brothers' "Ebb Tide," both of which have potential but feel error-laden. Walking in the Rain has a marvelous chorus, but the song in general is rather slow and plodding; a more liberal takeover of the song would have helped. Ebb Tide suffers from this constantly-sweeping synth sound - which feels like it's meant to impress the image of a tide - lending a monotony to a song that seems to lack decent breaks. Andy Bell's voice is cruising non-stop for well over two minutes of this three-minute song. Did he even get to breathe? This track could also benefit greatly from a re-construction.

Unfortunately, Ebb Tide is the lead-in to two more of Other People's Songs more famous songs - "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling." Neither sound inspired, and are my personal least-favorite tracks on the album. That these are also the songs I've probably heard the most in their original form doesn't help, making their lackings even more glaring; and I never cared for YLTLF anyway. Furthermore, as others have well-said here, if you're thinking of a cover of CHFIL, anyone who's heard UB40's perfect take on that song (which is better than the original, in my opinion) knows how good such a cover can be. So Erasure's version also suffers from that comparison.

The disc is then saved by my other favorite song here: Cliff Eberhardt's "Goodnight." It will certainly not be a single, lacking bouncy pop appeal, and I'm happy to have it remain where it is, feeling like a secret pleasure of which only I and a few others are aware. This is hands-down one of the most beautiful, sad songs you'll hear all year. I've no idea what the original sounds like, but in the hands of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, it's tender, quiet, and a real tear-jerker; uhm, in a good way. Bell's vocals here are breathtaking, and Clarke's gentle accompaniment perfectly suits and enhances the heartache.

Lastly, Other People's Songs ends on an amusing note, and it's a high one. Not involving Andy Bell at all, the Buggles' classic "Video Killed the Radio Star" features a sophisticated computer-generated voice which sounds, as Bell noted in one interview, "kind of sad." Which is perfect for the song, which still does maintain the fun of the original: Buggles' singer (turned producer/etc.) Trevor Horn in his ridiculous prime really cannot be replaced, and so the idea of trying something very different, vocally, is very clever.

In closing, I'd say this album bodes well for Erasure's near-future. As Clarke has particularly noted in interviews, this odd removal from their usual routine has felt like just what was needed in helping them into their future. It's refreshing for us and for them as musicians. And as another noted here, one can already get a sense of where Erasure is heading, since there are two new original Erasure tracks on the excellent single release for Solsbury Hill. Those two new tracks alone suggest that great things are in store for the next album and, whereas recent albums have been slowly produced once every three years, Erasure has been at work on their new album even while touring for this one. They're plainly rejuvenated, and this album seems to have been just what they needed at this time. So, bravo, and now there's a new half-dozen or so decent songs added to the Erasure catalogue.

I was intitally disapointed with this album, but I've now listened to it many times and find that I truly enjoy about two-thirds of this CD.
Easily the best tracks for me are tracks 1(Solsbury Hill),
3(Make Me Smile), 9(Can't Help Falling in Love) and 11 (Goodnight).
I've always like Elvis' CHFIL but this version just is soo lovely and I love the harmonys and techno music mix to it. Solsbury Hill is also lovely sounding without it sound like the original and fresh enough to enjoy listening to both versions. I had never heard track 11's original version, still haven't, but if it is even half as good as the remix it is a very good song. If it isn't then Erasure has really done an amazing job on this piece, very poignant and soft.
All the other songs are of varying degrees of delight and disinterest my least favorite being tracks 2 and 12. I think the rehash of the Buggles, Video Killed the Radio Star is extremely dull and uninteresting with a silly cheap sounding synth voiceover and dull music. It doesn't have half of the life of the original and I was very disapointed since it was something I thought Erasure would do a fabulous remix of. But then I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Elvis remix it is by far my favorite. And track 2 just does nothing for me, not horrible but not interesting either.

This release was eagerly awaited after the dissapointment of Loveboat, and it almost pulls it off - but not quite. After hearing the first few bars of Solsbury Hill, I thought they were onto a winner. Erasure reproduce Solsbury Hill as a winning track - closely followed by 2 more winning tracks. But it ends just about there, with the rest of the album being quite drab. I first thought that the material was not suited to Erasure's style, but if you listen to Peter Gabriels version of Solsbury Hill, you would think that it was drab, boring, uninventive - but Erasure make it sound fantastic - proving that any material can be converted to their unique style. Nice try guys, just not quite what I was expecting.

Three years after releasing their vastly underrated album "Loveboat," that lovable British electro-pop duo Erasure, featuring vocalist Andy Bell and multi-instrumentalist Vince Clarke, have released a 12-song album featuring their covers of their favorite pop songs.
Kicking off the album is an interesting choice, the transcendant Peter Gabriel song, "Solsbury Hill." This song features a passionate Bell and catchy synth work of Clarke who emits delicious beats and space age flying saucer sounds from his keyboards.
On their cover of Buddy Holly's "everyday," we are treated to a carefree interpretation of the wide-eyed original, right down to Holly's trademark, "hey-hey, a-hey-hey."
And on the Elvis Presley classic, "Can't Help Falling in Love," Clarke uses a liberal dose of synth beats, but Bell's swoon-worthy vocals on this sugary sweet ballad keeps things in check.
Bell's matinee idol vocals on "Walking in the Rain," "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'," and "Goodnight" are so over the top that at times you're not sure whether to smile or wince. Either way, they are most enjoyable to the ears.
Their cover of the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," may have been a bit much, but the robot voices and "Tron"-esque sounds tend to grow on you after a few spins.
Granted, it's been a while since Erasure was the toast of gay dance clubs and college radio stations everywhere, but the Reagan-Bush era magic is back with "Other People's Songs." I urge everyone who appreciates a modern interpretation of the pop classics to trot on down to the corner record shop and pick up the latest from Erasure.