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ABC – The Lexicon Of Love 40th Anniversary Edition

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What does it sound like?:

The Lexicon Of Love, released in June 1982, confirmed that eighties Pop music had grown up. It followed The Human League’s Dare, Japan’s Tin Drum and Roxy Music’s Avalon over a period of eight months, shifting the UK musical landscape from Punk, New Wave, Agit-Funk to beautifully produced, gorgeous sounding, hopelessly romantic magnets to the dance floor. Martin Rushent worked his alchemy on Dare, Steve Nye, who refined his craft on Siren, did the same for Tin Drum and Rhett Davies’s deft skills grace Avalon. On The Lexicon Of Love, Trevor Horn, ably assisted by Gary Langan engineer, J.J. Jeczalik programner and Anne Dudley arranger, surpasses them all. He is known for his excesses but even though The Lexicon Of Love includes his trademark kitchen sink and a glockenspiel, it’s his best, most coherent work, successfully stitching together a breathtaking variety of different elements. He and the musicians take Computer World’s multi-layered synthesisers, Fear Of Music’s spiky guitars, Earth, Wind & Fire’s horns, Chic’s strings, Mark King’s bass flourishes, and Gang Of Four’s Rock solid drums to create a panoramic spectacle. Martin Fry takes his cue from Bryan Ferry both sartorially and in his earnest pursuit of an elusive, vital love.The melodies dance with a controlled abandon while the sax yearns for something gone or not quite there. Its cover could have been designed by Anthony Price. The whole album is presented as a thrilling cinematic drama, recounting the vicissitudes of lost love in a grand, opulent statement that ought to be performed in gold lamé suits on a red carpet.

The record industry’s perception of the physical market continues to evolve. This belated 40th anniversary eschews CD altogether. The luxury box is a 4LP set plus a Blu-Ray with four Steven Wilson mixes (Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, stereo hi res and instrumental), promo videos for the singles and the Julien Temple directed Mantrap, a James Bond style mini movie dotted with songs from the album. It is packaged in a spined double-gatefold sleeve; a booklet includes new notes by Daryl Easlea, a new essay from Fry and outtakes from the original cover shoot. A half speed vinyl master cut by Miles Showel at Abbey Road will appeal to many. In addition, a stand alone Blu-Ray can be purchased from Superdeluxeedition.com consisting of the four Wilson mixes, minus videos, but plus a 1982 hi res mix not on the Blu-Ray in the box.

Musically, there is nothing new. All of it was on the 2004 CD edition. In fact, a few tracks have been dropped for this vinyl set: a BBC session version of Alphabet Soup, the previously unreleased In The Valley Of The Heathen And Go and two of the eleven live tracks recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1982. Back then, Tears Are Not Enough was an amuse bouche, an introduction to the band before Trevor Horn’s involvement and a rush of three top ten singles. In the box, however, it dominates, with a demo, the original Steve Brown produced single and an extended mix. Absent the Trevor Horn sheen, it has a gritty edge, an often overlooked dance masterclass, one of the great debut singles. The live performance has the full orchestral backing, faithfully replicating the awesome sound of the album itself, the vocals steady rather than spectacular but less overwrought than in the studio. Listening again, the album’s no-expense-spared production may have set the tone for the rest of the decade but actually prevents it from being dated: the horns and strings are totally organic, the guitars crunch, the synthesisers are warm and lush, the programming is subtle, the gates on the drums are unobtrusive, and though the basslines slap, they do not bo-DOW. In the middle of it all, the boys from Sheffield, Martin Fry, Mark Wright, Stephen Singleton, Mark Lickley and David Palmer cook up a storm. The songs, full of twists and turns, witticisms, pithy phrases, and big choruses that grow ever larger, are as good a collection as any released in the eighties, every single one hitting its bullseye.

In the UK of 1982, unemployment rose above three million, inflation fell to a ten year low of 8.6%, the Falklands War boosted the Tory government’s popularity, the Haçienda opened, Boys From The Black Stuff was on TV and Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat. The Lexicon Of Love shone brightly in the gloom and remains as fabulous and life affirming as it did forty years ago.

Is it possible that David Bowie noted the hair, the teeth, the suits and the Dance Pop hybrid and called Nile Rodgers with an idea on how to achieve huge commercial success?

What does it all *mean*?

If you are going to take the kitchen sink approach, you have to make sure everything you try is on the money. Everybody involved in The Lexicon Of Love is at the top of their game. None of them ever really matched it again, at least not across a whole album.

Goes well with…

All the excitement is best appreciated via a Blu-Ray set up. Some of us, who have been lost in its details for forty years, now have some more to be enthralled by. The Superdeluxeedition disc is a limited run, so get your order in early. If only they could update the 2004 CD package by adding the Blu-Ray to it.

Release Date:

4th August 2023

Might suit people who like…

Glamorous and passionate Pop music.

42

Comments

  2. Great review @tiggerlion This is one of my favourite albums, I still have my original copy that I inherited from my older brother
    All of my heart will be a tough listen right now but will put my order in for the future listen

  4. Fry’s vocals seem a little deeper down the mix than in the original, and not necessarily to advantage, however the luscious background is elevated and separated out. Based, it is true, on the YouTube clip, but that was an initial sense. Plus my dodgy ears.

    • Fry’s singing voice is the subject of some debate. There are some ears that hear a painful screech. OK, he isn’t as suave as Ferry, as sophisticated as Sylvain or as warm as Oakey, but he inhabits the songs brilliantly. Perhaps, Steven thought he needed to turn him down a notch.

  5. Excellent review Tig. Another element which made it great for me are the lyrics and delivery, eg “I thought you love me but it seems you don’t care / I care enough to know I could never love you”. Very partyable – I remember furious stoned dancing screaming “YOU DID – YOU DID” at each other etc.

    I’m fascinated to hear it because my CD sounds dreadful – my cassette taped off a mate’s vinyl sounds a lot better.

    I’m not buying the multi mix etc etc version but I’d be right up for a decent sounding CD of the album.

    • He is such a good lyricist. There are some phrases that still make me laugh. I replied to retro about his voice but you put it much better. It’s all in his delivery.

      I reckon you’d enjoy the Blu-Ray, if there are any left on Superdeluxeedition. It does have a high res 1982 stereo version which sounds amazing.

      • The SDE blu-ray is one of only a couple not to have sold out in advance, which surprises me a bit.

        The half-speed mastered LP is nearly 40 quid, so that can stay unbought for a while yet.

  6. Love this album. The SDE Blu Ray has arrived today and I still have my original LP and Deluxe Cd. To my aging ears the album shimmers and sparkles like the stars in a clear night sky.

  7. Nice review. The singles all sit right in my sweet spot. I can’t remember the last time I played the whole album though and I can’t remember why. I will give it all a listen later as I feel I may be missing something.

      • I listened again and o think it suffers from the same issues that FGTH did. The singles are so great, so memorable, so era defining that rest of the album suffers by comparison. The rest is good but just feels a bit flat in comparison to my ears.

        A side point on Tears Are Not Enough which sounds incredible. Edgy, funky and not really in keeping with the rest. I like it more now than 40 years ago which is exactly how I feel about Favourite Shirts by Haircut 100. The two songs are very similar to me and I think were released around the same time. Pelican West has aged better for me and is a more complete album though.

        • Haircut 100’s debut single and album beat ABC to the market by a matter of weeks.

          LoL is a complete album. I think you haven’t yet sat down and listened to the whole thing six times from beginning to end. 😉

          • Honestly. One listen today reminded me. God knows I’ve tried. The 4 singles are perfect. 4 ever 2 gether for example just feels forced and empty. I should have it framed and mounted I realise that but something misses.

  8. I find it very much of it’s time. A near pop masterpiece then, today not so much. And certainly not something I need a multi disc box set of (but I have way too many box sets anyway). Those drums are so 80s, more Phil Collins than anything else.

    Nice review though as usual

  10. One of the first albums I bought and probably the one I return to most. The opening strings of Show Me, captivated me and I have never looked back. Tessa Webb’s backing vocals always send a shiver down my spine. A fantastic debut and, although there have been some great tunes on subsequent albums, the majesty of Lexicon will never be repeated.
    Can’t wait for my SDE order to arrive.

    • Finally, got a chance to listen to the Atmos mix at a good volume I.e. loud. Have to say instrumentally it’s fantastic but I’m slightly disappointed with the vocals. The lead is quite often further back than it ever was on the original (where it was, arguably, a little too upfront).

      As always with a Steven Wilson mix the bass and drums/ percussion sound amazing

      • I mentioned elsewhere that I prefer the original mix of the Suede debut to Mr Wilson’s stereo reworking. The original is rather ragged and he smoothes it out a bit too much for me. I’ve not heard the Atmos.

  14. “a grand, opulent statement that ought to be performed in gold lamé suits on a red carpet”
    – for those who can, ABC performed the album for the Sky Arts Classic Albums Live series just a couple of weeks back and, true to form, M. Fry felt only a venue such as the London Palladium would come up to snuff and he did indeed perform in gold jacket (if not the classic fully gold affair) to strings marshalled expertly by Anne Dudley.
    (During the programme she reveals that Sir Trev, listening to the playback said “this needs strings” and she went home and wrote the whole arrangement that night, ready for the next day)..

    • She was a session musician up to working with Horn. This was her first set of string arrangements. She is still enjoying a long career but I honestly believe The Lexicon Of Love is her best work. There was something special about the sessions for this album.

      I’ll check out that Sky Arts programme. Thanks for the heads up.

      • The Dexys one is good too and Helen O Hara (now apparently gone) is the MVP for that one – proving that the Barbie film is entirely right.
        They also had Simple Minds doing New Gold Dream, which made me think they were going to do the whole series on 1982, which would have meant No Parlez in series two!

    • I saw them there doing the usual first half of hits and second half the complete LoL, and wonderful it was.

      This LP has been with me since I was a teenager and though I love it unreservedly there’s no way I’m buying it again. I just don’t understand why people do it, but good luck to you if you do.

    • This album has not been served well on CD. The first was a ropey PCM1630 transfer from an nth generation tape, the second too heavy on the primitive noise reduction/EQ/compression. The vinyl sounds best (until this).

        • If you have the ability to play blu-rays, the SDE blu-ray is the best sound quality and VFM.

          I assume the blu-ray in the box uses the same mastering but adds videos, four LPs and a hundred quid to the price.

          There’s a half-speed mastered at Abbey Road by Miles Showell LP which, I am sure, will sound fab, but is currently 40 quid. And you only get the 1982 mix, of course, and the LP is cut from 24/96 files (which are on the blu-ray). I will pick it up at some point, when the price drops. There’s no logic, beyond I like playing records.

  17. I bought the album when it came out and it always takes me back to those days. My favourite is still Poison Arrow. It seems to capture everything good about ABC and also has one of the best intros of all time, it builds so beautifully.

  19. Another fine review, Tigger.

    “If you gave me a pound for the moments I missed,
    And I got dancing lessons for all the lips I should’ve kissed,
    I’d be a millionaire – I’d be a Fred Astaire.”

    Brilliant!

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