Erasure Album: “Wonderland”

Here's where all the campy dramatic flamboyant brilliant and dreamy music of Erasure all started! For fans of synth-pop, they come highly recommended as they are often imitated yet rarely surpassed. There are other Erasure offerings that may be better like I Say I Say I Say, Chorus, or The Innocents, depending on which fan you talk to. I adore them all.

My favorites include: "Who Needs Love Like That?"/"Cry So Easy"/"Love Is A Loser"/"My Heart...So Blue"/"March On Down The Line"/and of course one of the all time greatest songs "Oh L'Amour."

If you like synth-pop, you may be interested in checking out Iris and Agnes Poetry. Cheers!

That's what I first thought when I heard "Who Needs Love Like That" on KISS FM in Los Angeles back in 1985. Well I was half right. Vince Clarke (half of Yazoo) was now making music with a certain Mr. Andy Bell, and I liked it. The album wasn't out yet so I bought the 12" and wore out my record player. When the album finally came out, I listened to it over and over again. There's no doubt that this album was a bleed over from Yazoo to Erasure (I'm sure this was more of Clarke's baby since he was the one who hired Bell). Erasure hadn't quite found their true sound yet 'til "The Circus". That's why I give the album four stars. All of the songs are great. But they do sound like Yazoo, and although that's not a bad thing, it's not really who or what Erasure really were. If you can find the U.K. version, get that one! It includes "Push Me Shove Me" and "Pistol" which are great songs.

If, like me, you had the original U.S. version of Wonderland in the 80s, don't plan on getting rid of it and replacing it with this expanded edition. The track listings are slightly different. As others have mentioned, for instance, "Push Me Shove Me" was not on the US version, and also, the bonus tracks on the US CD were the 12" mixes of Oh L'amour and Who Needs Love Like That, which are on the CD2 on this edition (Who Needs Love remix renamed from Love that Mix version to Mexican mix). But most crucial, is that the US LP mix of Oh L'amour is like no other version--it's the version I used to hear on WLIR in NY and it is, in my opinion, the best version of the song. The UK mix to me sounds more like an edit of the 12" mix or something. So while it's nice to have a remaster with tons of bonus tracks, just know that you're not totally getting a replacement of your original US version.

Track listing:

CD1

CD1-1 Who Needs Love Like That 3:19

CD1-2 Reunion 3:25

CD1-3 Cry So Easy 3:35

CD1-4 Push Me Shove Me 5:10

CD1-5 Heavenly Action 3:30

CD1-6 Say What 3:56

CD1-7 Love Is A Loser 3:02

CD1-8 Senseless 3:26

CD1-9 My Heart... So Blue 4:31

CD1-10 Oh L'Amour 3:04

CD1-11 Pistol 3:30

CD1-12 Say What (Remix) 7:22

CD1-13 March On Down The Line (Remix) 6:07

CD1-14 Senseless (Remix) 5:06

CD2

CD2-1 Who Needs Love Like That (Mexican Mix) 6:11

CD2-2 Push Me Shove Me (Extended As Far As Possible Mix) 4:09

CD2-3 Don't Say No (Ruby Red Mix) 6:09

CD2-4 Heavenly Action (12" Mix) 6:11

CD2-5 March On Down The Line 3:46

CD2-6 Oh L'Amour (PWL Funky Sisters Say 'Ooh La La') 7:17

CD2-7 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (Remix) 4:58

I love this album, though I realize that many people can't stomach the sweetness of the candy synth pop. I think this is Erasure at their happy & poppy best. In addition to happy, bouncy tunes like the classic "Who Needs Love Like That" and "Reunion" this album also has some sad and beautiful songs such as "Cry So Easy" "My Heart...So Blue", and "March on Down The Line". I know I'm in the minority among Erasure fans, but I think this is one of their best!

there's not much to be said about 'wonderland' that's not already been said. but having said that, i'll throw in my two cents.

after yazoo (sadly) disbanned, vince placed an advert, got something like 40 demos, and consequently chose andy bell. the choice was obviously inspired as andy bell's velvet pipes and flair for the theatrical were a perfect marriage for vince's new, openly upbeat and unpretentious pop. though still a synthpop band, erasure pointed vince in a new direction (as the band name would indicate). gone were the minor-key masterpieces vince wrote in depeche ('photographic,' 'no disco') and yazoo ('don't go,' 'softly over'), and upfront and center were, well, theatrically upbeat songs. 'oh l'amour' still holds its status as one of the seminal songs of the decade. 'who needs love like that' is cheeky and fun. 'heavenly action' and 'reunion' are throwaway songs, but still great listening--easy and fun. 'love is a loser' is vince's answer to the beach boys. but the end of the album, with it's one-two punch of 'oh l'amour' and 'my heart...so blue' really make the album. the former a dance club staple, the latter and gut-wrenching ballad.

wonderland, for all its cheekiness, was a necessary springboard for a band that would grow, mature, refine its sound, and dominate the charts for the next 15 years. sometimes the perfect storm swells. as far as erasure is concerned, the stars aligned. they were perfect songwriter and vocalist, equally matched, equally talented, equally entertaining. and they turned it into the most successful synthpop duo ever (granted there aren't many, but the blow everyone else out of the water).

if you do buy 'wonderland,' seek out the import version as it contains two tracks unavailable on the american release, 'pistol' and 'push me shove me.' both are fantastic and essential erasure. if you need them, let me know. :)