Erasure – Erasure

Erasure moving somewhat into Enigma territory, with lush downtempo, almost ambient songs.
Sadly, based on their previous sales figures, it was a commercial disaster. Their four previous studio albums had all reached number 1 in the UK charts, but this their eponymous album could only reach number 14.
Nevertheless I rate it among their best albums. I wonder if it could be the rather dreadful sleeve artwork, that made the album being left behind on the record store shelves? If they wanted to reach out to a more "mature" crowd, two badly drawn geezers was maybe not the enticement required.
Of note it is also that at 70 minutes, this is Erasure's first "double album". And that maybe put off the younger buyers?: "don't bore us, get to the chorus"

Ahh, Erasure. I love it when bands step out on a limb and try something different. Erasure did this with their 1995 self titled release. Lush, dreamy, long love songs. I adore long songs. So much music is confined to that boring 3 1/2 minute song formula and doesn't give the song the chance to breathe. Don't get me wrong, I love Erasure's shorter poppy songs as well, but this album was a well received experiment for my ears. Oh, and the B-Sides and remixes on the second CD are a nice addition as well. Looking forward to a deluxe edition treatment of Loveboat.

This album and "Chorus" are my two favorite releases by Erasure. The new expanded booklet is great, although the lyrics are a bit hard to read on this edition. Very interesting liner notes and pictures. Nice quality hard-cover mediabook, although rather prone to scratching the discs after a while, if you're not too careful. Soundwise, however, I prefer the original CD from the 1990s. This new one was mastered louder with a bit of distortion, smashing the original dynamics. Disc 2 is interesting, but not essential. This remaster is not too bad, but the original does sound better to my ears.

While this is clearly missing a DVD of the Tiny Tour concert that occurred after this release, the two audio discs and repackaging with liner notes are a fan must. This album still amazes on headphones! Love the new "Angel" remix!

My copy has a few pops and clicks here and there (I really only heard them between a couple of tracks). Otherwise, sounds really great after a good initial cleaning. I've only owned this as digital purchase from iTunes before this, and I can tell the mix is slightly different. It's nothing drastic, it's all there and sounds great. Andy's voice sounds as angelic as ever in the slower songs.

This album is their best in my opinion, truly beautiful

My reissue copy has a lot of surface noise, although the sound quality of B1/B2 are much better (my 1995 UK release really limits the dynamics on those two tracks, presumably because of their length and bass?). I guess I might be switching back and forth between the two copies depending on which side I'm playing. :-(

This is a MASTERFUL release. Sounds absolutely perfect in every way. Very deep, warm, and balanced. One of the best vinyl releases I've heard, hands down. And it's so appropriate, too, as this album must be appreciated in the highest quality possible! It is by far Erasure's most artistic and abstract endeavor.

Mine has the booklet with lyrics inside a tri-fold digipack.

I also have this issue as a Taiwanese edition with a special mark on it. Should I put up this as new edition?