Union Street [ENHANCED]

Erasure

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 18, 2006)
• Original Release Date: April 18, 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Mute U.S.
• ASIN: B000ERU5OA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #100,453 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Boy (from the album Cowboy)

2. Piano Song (from the album Wild!)

3. Stay With Me (from the album Erasure)

4. Spiralling (from the album Circus)

5. Home (from the album Chorus)

6. Tenderest Moments (Run to the Sun b-side)

7. Alien (from the album Loveboat)

8. Blues Away (from the album I Say I Say I Say)

9. How Many Times (from the album Wild!)

10. Love Affair (from the album Cowboy)

11. Rock Me Gently (from the album Erasure)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Erasure with dobro, mandolin, and steel guitar? Believe it. Union Street is the sound of the British synth-pop duo--Andy Bell and Vince Clarke--unplugged. The title comes from the Brooklyn studio in which they re-recorded 11 lesser-known tracks from throughout their career. Ten come from seven albums, while "Tenderest Moments" was a B-side. Designed more for slow dancing than disco dancing, this acoustic set puts the focus on the lyrics and Bell's ardent, yearning voice. Highlights include "Stay With Me," which is graced by a lovely flute solo, and the gospel-tinged "Rock Me Gently," with Jill Walsh providing heavenly counterpoint (both from 1995's Erasure). "Blues Away" (1994's I Say I Say I Say), however, would've worked better without the falsetto, while "How Many Times" (1989's Wild!), ironically, would've worked better in a higher register (Bell is at his best in his natural range). Overall, though, Erasure make this unexpected departure work. If the songs weren't strong enough to begin with, it wouldn't have been worth the effort, but they withstand the changes Bell and Clarke have have put them through quite nicely. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Union Street, Erasure's new acoustic CD was recorded in a small studio in Brooklyn, NY. Andy Bell says that they "show the songs in a different light, and show that they could work on whatever instrument, synthesisers or guitars". "We just felt there were songs on our albums that had been missed as songs," says Vince Clarke.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Erasure - Unplugged., May 2, 2006

By	The Groove (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

You can do yourself a big favor by ignoring many of the negative reviews of Erasure's acoustic LP. Everyone, from Nirvana to Jay-Z, has given their back catalogue of songs the "unplugged" treatment, so why not Erasure? On "Union Street" (named after the Brooklyn location of the recording studio), Vince Clarke and Andy Bell give a handful of tracks an acoustic/country & western feel, but instead of opting for their hits, they dig deep into lesser-known album cuts and b-sides. The results are convincing and effective, as shown on "Boy," "Siren Song," the b-side "Tenderest Moments," and "Blues Away." "Union Street" proves that Erasure's songwriting and craft for melody stand tall even when you strip their songs of their synth-heavy production.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just How Far is Union Street From the 59th Street Bridge??, June 19, 2006

By	ELECTROSAUR (USA) - See all my reviews

Pieces of this really did evoke a "Simon and Garfunkel" feeling in me.
Almost all of the songs took the 'treatment" well, the total standout for me was "Tenderest Moments"; simply beautiful,perfect, and touching.

Overall this was beautifully executed, I feel sorry for the naysayers who just can't get it.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These cranky folks crack me up!, May 12, 2006

By	C. A Baker (Santa Rosa CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This album is great..and all the whining about how they didn't do their biggest hits yada yada yada. Get over it, it is their choice to not record the songs that already have a bunch of different versions out there and do songs not quiet as over done. I'm all for that. This album and the Boy single are great!

Hehehe and even more amusing we just got back from seeing them perform the acoustic stuff live and it totally rocked! They have drums, a full on Bass, steel guitar, penny whistle autoharp etc..it was the most amazing concert! All the songs they did, including some of the expected big hits missing from this cd were so amazing to hear in this format. Using Latin rythms, country, rock-a-billy and just straight acoustic they really knew what rythm to pick for each track everything worked! If you go to Erasure's website you can find a link to order a recording on CD of the Live concert.