ABC Album: “Lexicon of Love [Bonus Track]”

"We spend a lot of time writing and crafting the songs-they must be danceable, memorable, intelligent, functional, passionate. These things shouldn't be excluded from pop music-they should be exploited and exaggerated."

ABC's debut album, coming out in 1982 amongst a flurry of Post-Disco/Brit New Wave acts, linked ABC with bands like Spandau Ballet, Human League, Culture Club, Kajagoogoo, Gary Numan, Scritti Politti and Howard Jones. Certainly many of those bands shared a love of classic Motown, but ABC was never part of any scene, and considered themselves outsiders. From the first "The Lexicon of Love" was something else entirely and seemed to cut through the airwaves like a knife once the first piano chords and wailing saxophone of "The Look of Love" gave way to the funky syncopated baseline and lead singer Martin Fry's choir-boy inflected voice declaring dramatically:

"When your world is full of strange arrangements

And gravity won't pull you through

You know you're missing out on something

Well that something depends on you...."

The song instantly propelled them to fame in the US and Europe, but unlike many of their contemporaries, ABC had a fully realized album to back up their single. Over twenty years later, "The Lexicon of Love" is increasingly mentioned in the list of recording studio masterworks, largely due to the skill, audacity and precociousness of studio engineer wonderboy Trevor Horn, who cut his teeth with the Buggles, and had embraced the DIY - Keyboard/Synth/Pop esthetic and with this recording, declared himself heir apparent the minute it was released and people realized just how damn good a bunch of machines in service of some well crafted pop songs could sound.

I don't think it's hyperbole whatsoever to say that this album was a dividing point and paradigm shift in the history of modern recorded music. It subsequently inspired what is now a long line of producer/engineers as artists, and can be traced directly to the work of Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis, and contemporary acts like NIN, Prodigy, Daft Punk, Crystal Method, and the collected works of Dr. Dre. The samples, the lush orchestral flourishes, the Fairlight, the pulsing Base and Drum lines that still sound fresh twenty years later -- this is an album that is best described as unabashedly artificial, in service curiously to the demands of idealists who would accept nothing less than a sound that would grab your ears, and pack the dance floor of London's most fashionable night club.

Certainly ABC as credited, was primarily Martin Fry, who gave the band it's New Romantic front man image, Motown influences, and sex appeal (not to mention that bit of vintage 80's sexual-preference ambiguity) supported primarily through the years by guitarist Mark White. Fry's arch english annunciation and distinctive warbling tenor voice which frequently jumps a falseto octave when the time seems right, matched perfectly his penchant for ambiguously clever rhyming wordplay. But the ABC of "Lexicon of love" was more a collaborative studio project with contributions not only from Horn and the other 2 members of ABC, but also Anne Dudley (who would become Art of Noise with Horn) providing Orchestral flourishes on keyboards, and Tessa Web who sings choruses, and provides backing vocals on several tracks most notably "Poison Arrow" which became a major radio hit, and staple of MTV.

"The Look of Love" is very much studio lightning in a bottle, and provides a high water mark of the studio art joining the list of similarly regarded albums like "Pet Sounds", "Sgt. Pepper's" and "Dark Side of the Moon". What the IPod/MP3 generation will likely miss is that "Lexicon of Love" was also a carefully constructed and arranged collection of song, with instrumental diversions inserted between tracks, and songs that flow from one to another elevating the collection to something more than the sum of its parts. That this was the intention and design was made quite clear in the album liner, which featured what appeared to be lyrics to a song, but were in fact, snippets of lines from each of the songs placed together to form one continuous lyric.

In the short-attention-span 21st century, where software on our digital player creates a virtual radio station, few newcomers to the songs on the album will probably ever fully appreciate the way the absence or presence of a second or two of silence can help build on the theatrical design of an album like this one -- how the opening track "Show Me" flows into "Poison Arrow" for example. If you can, listen to the CD without those features on to get the full effect. It's no surprise that in the years since the album was released, people who first experienced it on vinyl and were blown away and forever changed by what it accomplished sonically, have made sure the album appears on magazine and critics best lists, despite all the assumptions that accompanied it originally, when ABC was seen as one of many bands to be consumed and dicarded as byproducts of a short lived fad.

The bands follow up, "Beauty Stab" was a major departure from this album, and perhaps an attempt to acknowledge that despite the 14 additional musicians the band required to to perform the songs of "Lexicon of Love" on their first world tour, ABC actually had aspirations to be an honest to goodness guitar/drums/bass performing unit. It would be an understatement to say that what for many other bands would have been seen as a strong collection, for ABC was a spectacular disaster.

Which is not to say, that it's even possible to seperate where the artistry of Fry and his bandmates, and their years of songwriting and performance, honing their material ends, and the studio wizardy and session musician contributions begin. In other words, without the songs, and the conceptual design, studio perfection can only get you so far. The two halves were required for the whole. "The Lexicon of Love" was born of collaboration and shared aspirations, and despite Fry's deliberation, long recruitment and rehearsal period, and intense focused vision, it certainly is less the product of a band, and more a carefully crafted art piece, offering a first glimpses of what the digital age had in store for us.

Who else but Martin Fry & Co. could produce "Disco" music with just the right amount of twists so that it survives for over 20 years as "New Wave"? This is, simply put, *the* best album ABC ever released. For me, it sums up 1982 perfectly -- I was in college, I had just bought an unbelievably clever new product by Sony called a "Walkman", and I listened to this album everywhere I went. But memories aside, every track is a winner: the music is lively, the vocals are expressive and passionate, the lyrics are cleverly crafted, and the production is excellent. Some of my favorites are "Look Of Love" (of course), "Poison Arrow", and "Date Stamp". ABC would never again achieve this level of brilliance. Their next album, the truly awful "Beauty Stab", proved this without a doubt. There were a few moments of greatness in later releases such as the songs "Be Near Me", "How To Be A Millionaire", "The Night You Murdered Love", and a good portion of the "Up" and "Abracadabra" albums. But too many of the other tracks seemed like filler material and detracted from these particular gems as a whole. Rumors that ABC's been back in the studio have been floating around for a couple of years now. If it's true, let's hope they give us something that matches the excellence of "The Lexicon Of Love".

This is something everyone should have in their collection. Without a doubt. Whether you like jazz, or metal, or funk. Whatever your tastes, they should include great music, and at least one album that Trevor Horn has produced :)

This album from start to finish is classic. With a capital C for the class part. Musically smart, lyrically clever (sometimes brilliant), and performed with alot of style, ABC's first full length album can sit on your stereo from start to finish.

To begin with, the songwriting is excellent. With or without Horn, Martin Fry and Mark White did know how to write good songs, melodically catchy and hook laden, with just enough smarts to separate it from the rest of the 80's pack of new Romantic / European disco bands. ABC's album survives trends and fashions just because the album is timeless. Its not mired in a dated 80's sound really. Keyboards and synths are in the background adding texture, String arrangements add the flourishes, and the bass guitar dominates the whole album.

I think my favourite song has always been DATE STAMP on this album. The obvious hits The Look of Love / Poison Arrow will always be what they are, great dance pop, and Many Happy Returns is always a joy to behold.

Just a great album to own, not in nostalgia, just because it is a great piece of work.

ABC, along with The Human League, were Sheffield England's greatest contribution to the New Romantic movement. They were a fabulous mix of glitz, pomp, beauty and imagination.

"The Lexicon of Love" has been described as "over-produced," by none other than Trevor Horn, its producer! There may be some truth to this claim. But the production is intregal to its allure. The album is awash with strings, horns, and other classic sounds usually lacking from rock albums. This is the soundtrack to a trip across Europe by train (just like in "Mantrap," ABC's short film by Julien Temple). It touches on most of the themes in life, and leaves the listener tingling.

Martin Fry's voice remains one of my favorites from the era. For a recent sample, see his wonderful cover of Tom Jones's

This is quite simply one of the landmark albums of the 80's and one which sounds as fresh today as when it first released in 1982. I first heard ABC through the single Tears Are Not Enough, I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed. The next couple of singles though (Poison Arrow, The Look Of Love & All Of My Heart) hooked me on this band, which sounded like no other at this time. Most albums are essentially the singles with a lot of fillers on (some good, others not so good), this album quite simply keeps up the high standard all the way through - I've even re-evaluated Tears Are Not Enough.

There a number of reasons why this album is regarded so highly. You can start with Martin Frys exquisite lyrical genius, oozing romanticism (not the New kind either). You can add the lush strings of Anne Dudley (Art Of Noise) into the mix. You can then finish off with a polished production by Trevor Horn, although you also can't forget the gorgeous backing vocals by Tessa Webb.

Outstanding tracks on an outstanding album : Valentine's Day, The Look Of Love (the breathy spoken refrain), All Of My Heart. This album was re-released with some extra tracks on a couple of years ago. Don't even think about it, just get this one. The Lexicon Of Love is too perfect to be heard in any other form, all you need is the original 10 tracks and a stereo you can turn up fairly loud. This is an album for all music lovers transcending most genres with its sheer gorgeousness.