Chorus
Onge's Review
This popular number one album was their first release of the 1990s and continued the success the band were enjoying from previous albums. Apparently influenced by the first Gulf War, this album encases some of Erasure's most meaningful lyrics and songs, as well as housing some pop classics. The album's namesake song Chorus opens the album in a rather mediocre manner: a repeating verse (or second chorus) and nonsensical lyrics do not make this one of Erasure's better efforts but it did do well in the UK charts as a single, and it appears I'm in the minority in not holding this track in high stead. The sublime Waiting For The Day makes up track two; a song about a lovers' tiff that stretches the relationship, but ultimately leaves you waiting for your lover to return. Perfect pop of the highest calibre, this is one of the band's finest ever songs and it is criminal that this song was denied a wider audience by not being released as a single.
“”Erasure can sound like all your favourite bands and completely original at the same time. Thus 'Joan' is Disco gospel in its finest hour crossed with T-Rex and Soft Cell sharing a gossipy cappuccino, and 'Siren Song' is Sparks throwing a tantrum because Soft Cell have stolen their lucky feather boas again.
NME
Joan is a cracking little track, perhaps guilty of a rather uninspired drum beat but still a very enjoyable track. Martyn Phillips's production, as with the whole album, is impressive and professional and lyrically the song is strong. Breath Of Life follows, a strong dancey love song that is slightly repetitive from a musical perspective but is so strong otherwise. Beautiful backing vocals in the chorus also heighten the listening enjoyment. Am I Right? concludes the first half of the album, a beautiful ballad echoing loneliness in a big town. This single had a perfect video that complimented the sentiments of song, but did not perform that well in the UK charts. Superbly produced, Andy's imagery and some of Vince's most majestic synth work make for a gorgeous Erasure classic.
The Dick Tracy Soundtrack reject Love To Hate You is next up. This up-tempo stunner is a truly great Erasure track, well performed and produced and clearly was too good for the soundtrack of the Madonna vehicle. A fine choice for a single, it performed well assisted by a fine video and deserved the success it achieved. The album now slows as the band become more melancholy, typified by Turns The Love To Anger. Another sultry beauty, this brilliant song is excellently pitched, with an excellent musical twist/kick mid-way through. Another more leisurely track follows in the soothing Siren Song. Lyrically exceptional, this is another top drawer song which once against showcases the tremendous talents of the band.
Fans' Best/Worst Of
- Chorus
- Waiting For The Day
- Love To Hate You
- Joan
- Perfect Stranger
Perfect Stranger is slightly more up-tempo without ever really breaking into a sweat as Andy warns of the dangers of the seemingly flawless outsider who turns out not to be the knight in shining armour hoped for. Once more the production is of the highest standard. The album concludes with the phenomenal Home, proclaimed by Vince as his favourite Erasure song. Masterful from start to finish, this ballad is extremely popular amongst the fans and rightfully so. Beautiful, encased with metaphors and wonderfully performed this is one of Erasure's finest.
Summary
Chorus is simply a brilliant album. Musically diverse, creative and beautiful, lyrically superb with some of Andy's finest ever (and most effortless) vocals, this album is one of the band's best. Chorus demonstrates the band's ability to write albums that tower above standard pop music, with songs of meaning and soul but also tracks that are infectious enough to be hit singles. A timeless classic.
Fan Reviews
Below are some fan reviews written by visitors to this very site. Once you've read these, please feel free to use the form at the end of the page to write your own review.
A fine Erasure album. Chorus, Love To Hate You, Breath Of Life & Am I Right are fine singles and are complimented by the other six fine tracks on the album, which easily could have been singles in their own rights especially Waiting For The Day and Perfect Stranger.
2 January 2006 2:26 am (GMT)
The fifth original album released by our 2 heroes (or I should say survivors) came to prove they own brains (literally – their respective ones were put on the cover). I mean for the first time on their career Erasure could some respect from critics. It’s a work without defects indeed and all its 10 tracks are brilliant, so all the praises to this one are more than deserved. Its first track, Chorus, was also its 1st single and surprisingly doesn’t talk about love but about environmental deterioration (!) and its consequences for our day by day. This was something really new for Erasure, since all the 1st singles from their previous albums talked about love (in a clever way, of course). The following one is one of the most beloved songs by their fans: Waiting For The Day and one more time Andy proved his talent for talking about love many times without sounding repetitive or annoying. It’s one of the most perfect pop songs composed by V&A (just like Save Me Darling, Phantom Bride or Hideaway) and it would certainly deserve to be a 5th single from Chorus. Then it comes a track that is one of the most controversial from Erasure’s career, which is simply called Joan. Well, I really don’t understand how someone can dislike this one. Ok, it owns enigmatic lyrics (after all who is this Joan that Andy is talking about?!), but they are great (at least to me…). I can take some conclusions on reading it. I think Andy is possibly making a parallel between Joan Of Arc’s life and a life from someone that is still young and for this reason tends to disagree from social impositions. So Andy pretends to disagree of this “immature” position on its refrain on advising this young one to give up of his/her position for not being destructed by society. The next 3 tracks were all of them great singles: Breath Of Life (an excellent soft dancing song), Am I Right? and Love To Hate You. I see AIR as a song about someone that needs to face his/her own fears and ghosts for assuming his/her love for a forbidden man (maybe he is married or something like that…). Regarding LTHY, I consider it as a big parody about fidelity on relationships (something that many people only pretends to keep on their romances). After all, how can someone take seriously a refrain that says “And the lovers that you sent to me Didn’t come with any satisfaction guarantee…”? It’s hilarious and it’s out of people’s reality, but it’s just a great joke from Andy that plays with the disposable affairs that many people (not only gay people) live nowadays. After this less serious and welcome moment given by LTHY, Chorus album becomes more “solemn” when Turns The Love To Anger brings its anti-war lyrics in an emphatic way. Then it comes Siren Song that sounds as a dream voyage, not only in terms of sound but in terms of lyrics too. A splendid ballad, I would say! Perfect Stranger is similar to LTHY in terms of lyrics, I think, since it brings a supposed row between someone and his perfect stranger. I love this one, despite I never knew a perfect stranger (I’m married, so please don’t send me one…). And for ending this masterpiece from Clarke & Bell, it comes one of their most touching ballads, the unique Home, which is really beloved by many fans and it’s not by chance it’s included on Union Street album. I love specially when Andy sings “Time will com, time will come, time will fall…” just because he does this line in such a peculiar way! Well, Andy is a specialist in creating vocal effects with his wonderful voice.
23 January 2006 3:21 am (GMT)
This album is one of my favourites. It includes such brilliant tracks as the catchy “waiting for the day”, the beautiful ballad “am i right?” and the awesome hit single with great synth sounds “love to hate you”. The other songs of this record are also very enjoyable.
29 January 2006 11:30 am (GMT)
What else can I say that hasnt been said already?
Well lets try Excellent, Fantastic, A veritable feast for the Erasure fan.
And the fact that i still have all the original WH Smith instore promotional display shows what an impact this album made.
This album is a must have !!!!!
1 February 2006 2:31 pm (GMT)
What can i say about chorus?
Except i am pretty sure that in most Erasure fans top 5 song list,,there is a track or 2 from this SUPERB album.
Right from the massive hit “Chorus” to the spine tingling “Home” this is an album that you will keep playing!
I really can’t pick out which songs are the best here,,as they are all awesome in there own right.
19 February 2006 1:34 am (GMT)
Spanish Review:
Sin lugar a dudas es el mejor disco de ERASURE tanto por por 10 temazos que lo componen (individualmente son excelentes, pero aun son más extraordinarios en su conjunto), como por sus numerosas y buenisimas b-sides, y sin olvidarnos de su representación en directo (aqui si que no hay dudas de que será irrepetible).
Tema a tema, este disco encaja como el perfecto engranage de un reloj. No sobra nada, y no falta nada, tanto en los ritmos como en las melodias (todas buenisimas).
No se me ocurre nada más que decir, solo lamentar que no recuperen la inspiración que tenian en esta epoca (podemos añadir tambien la etapa de I SAY dentro de este periodo de lucidez suprema).
20 July 2007 4:54 pm (GMT)
CHORUS [10/10]
WAITING FOR THE DAY [10/10]
JOAN [10/10]
BREATH OF LIFE [10/10]
AM I RIGHT? [10/10]
LOVE TO HATE YOU [10/10]
TURNS THE LOVE TO ANGER [10/10]
SIRE SONG [10/10]
PERFECT STRANGER [10/10]
HOME [10/10]
27 July 2007 7:16 am (GMT)
In Chorus V&A show a homogeneous sound. The song Chorus opens and gives the name to the album. It is a perfect ironic blend of technological noises with echological lyrics. Waiting For The Day, another excellent song that could be chosen as a single. Joan is a nice song to take a breath, a Breath Of Life, one of the best Erasure songs in their whole career, for listening to it, dancing it, enjoying it. The next one, Am I Right? depicts a trek in a rainy day with a soft melody. Love To Hate You follows being a kind of I Will Survive’s homage, disco fever, irresistible. Then the undervalued Turns Love To Anger appears with an indistinguishable Vince sound, another potential single. Siren Song softens the record with a warm melody. Perfect Stranger, a pleasant song that it would be improved in multiple acoustic versions. Home is a melancholic track about loneliness in tours and is perfect end to this album.
Singles’ extra songs: Snappy: I cannot understand why this powerful dance song is not in the album, genial; Over The Rainbow: lovely song where ABBA is mentioned, inspired by Somewhere Over The Rainbow; Vitamin C: a danceable track, nice as a b-side; La La La: an attractive tune that it could be included in the album; Carry On Clangers: a typical instrumental alla Vince; Let It Flow: another pleasant song, better than a common b-side; Waiting For Sex: another very good track. B3: A good B-side, with several changes of rythm. Amor y odio: Spanish version of Love To Hate You, very funny.
Summary: An incredible album without weak songs. Besides, you can find gorgeous b-sides.
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Unforgettable: one year later –1992-, V&A released their unique UK number one single, Abba-esque, an EP fully dedicated to the Swedish band. Lay All Your Love On Me opens this tribute in a soft and nice way, S.O.S. is the weakest song in the record but it is not a bad version, so Take A Chance On Me emerges, tremendous song and funny video, the rap is OK –I generally don’t like rap-. The last one is Voulez-Vous a fantastic tune with a shocking ending.
Summary: A great EP. However the Abba-esque experience cajoled Erasure as a non-serious band for the general audience.
Rating ABBA-Esque: 9
22 July 2008 9:18 pm (GMT)
Chorus – oozes the up tempo self-confidence of a band at its peak. The Phantasmagorical Entertainment audience was filled with people doing the sun, birds and fish hand dancing as they sang along. Waiting For The Day – a bouncy ode to a stroppy but engaging other half. Joan – never been totally sure what this is about, but would guess an interesting individual was the inspiration. Breath Of Life – an urgent and rousing call to take control of your destiny. Am I Right? – a thoughtful ballad considering the merits of a relationship which packed a third hit on to the A-side. Love To Hate You – clapping crowd noise effects at the start tell you it’s going to be a stonker, with a glorious nod to Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive providing the interlude. Turns The Love To Anger – yet another strong song on an album without any weak ones, and a catchy chorus. Siren Song – a haunting ballad which barely needs a tune to support the words, it opened the 1992 live show. The serene calm at the start of the most storming gig I’ve ever seen. Perfect Stranger – bowls along merrily with some lovely musical effects from Vince. Home – ‘I ain’t never going home, cos I’m having a good time.’ Sums up this record.
3 August 2011 9:17 am (GMT)
absolutely one of the greatest works of the duo, nothing in this LP is wrong and everything is at a top level.
Five stars!
9 May 2013 6:52 pm (GMT)
Simply thegreatestelectro pop CD ever. No filler all killer.
25 June 2013 6:33 pm (GMT)
I agree with you about Chorus not being as good as the others. I never really got that big rush I get out of other Erasure hits. It has the bleeps and the hooks needed for it, but for some reason it just doesn’t mesh. However, the other 9 songs are fantastic (although Love to Hate You could have used a little more fuel). I particularly like Am I Right?, Siren’s Song, Breath of Life, and Home, all four are in my Erasure top 20. Siren’s Song is simply beautiful, great for a walk in a dark, tranquil forest. Chorus is a great way to start the awesome Erasure 90s era, which featured euphoric synths from Vince and brilliant lyrics from Andy.
28 September 2013 2:52 pm (GMT)
an album with so much good songs
CHORUS/LOVE TO HATE YOU
but also the non singles are awesome
the most songs need time
14 November 2013 9:54 pm (GMT)
One of my favourites this is the album that got me into erasure the 4 singles are exellent and waiting for the day is also a great song that could have been a single
19 November 2013 6:42 pm (GMT)
Simply perfect, this was a huge change in direction for the boys and it paid off, loved the vibe at the time, everybody was talking about Erasure. Get times and fantastic memories, thanks boys.
favourite tracks:- Joan, Love to Hate You & Breathe of Life
10/10
6 December 2013 12:59 pm (GMT)
Could not have had a better album. Rightly deserves being one of the best albums by Erasure!
Every song 10/10.
There is not a weak track on the album!
15 February 2014 1:28 pm (GMT)
I l♡v this album!Chorus is my favorite song on the album ( and my favorite song of Erasure’s)
I recommend you get it!
You will not be disappointed!
3 September 2014 12:07 am (GMT)
trainspotting nerd that I am, this ranks in my top 5 albums of all time, there is not a dud track on there, this truly is a masterpiece of synthpop heaven, I cannot beging to stress how utterly at the hight of their powers Erasure were at this time. Live, they were unstoppable and on this LP they created some timesless synthpop. Highlights for me in particular are Am I Right, Home, Siren Song, Love To Hate You and Chorus. But no dud tracks on this wonderful gem.
2 March 2015 3:58 pm (GMT)
This album along with the innocents are still my 2 favourite Erasure albums. Definitely a 10 out of 10 for all of the tracks.
3 October 2015 2:05 pm (GMT)
Chorus, Waiting For The Day, Home, I Love To Hate You and Breath Of Life are brilliant songs! This album is great!
12 March 2016 11:37 pm (GMT)
“Wild!” was leading up to Erasure’s masterpiece, “Chorus.” The analogue synths lay a perfect bedrock for artistic layers and amazing lyrics. This is the definition of a complete album and remains my favorite recording by Erasure to this day. This will be the album by which Erasure’s career is measured.
CHORUS [10/10]
WAITING FOR THE DAY [10/10]
JOAN [9/10]
BREATH OF LIFE [10/10]
AM I RIGHT? [8/10]
LOVE TO HATE YOU [10/10]
TURNS THE LOVE TO ANGER [10/10]
SIREN SONG [9/10]
PERFECT STRANGER [10/10]
HOME [10/10]
14 March 2016 7:08 pm (GMT)
I personally consider this to be their best album, sandwiched between 2 also very good albums.
It starts with the title track & lead single, Chorus, which I originally absolutely adored, but later slightly got sick of. I still generally enjoy this. (7 / 10)
Waiting For The Day is definitely one of the best tracks on this album, if not the best. While it is a grower, when it sticks, it will never let go. (10 / 10)
Joan is probably the worst track on this album, but that doesn’t diminish it’s greatness, still. (6 / 10)
Breath of Life was my personal favourite from this album for awhile (until it got surpassed by one of the later tracks on this list). It has an incredibly catchy, eurodance sound, and is also a highlight. (10 / 10)
The album then slows down with Am I Right which is an ok track, although isn’t really my favourite. It’s a melancholy ballad that I just don’t like, especially since they perfected the melancholy ballad on the following album, I Say I Say I Say. (7 / 10)
Love To Hate You is a quick interlude in the slow period of the album, but a well deserved one. It mimics a live show in the beginning & in the video, but it just adds to the anthemic & radio-friendly nature of the song. The title explains everything about the song; the person in the song loves to hate someone. But no one will love to hate this song. (10 / 10)
Returning to the slow ballads section of the album, Turns The Love To Anger is a plea for help or resolvement, that could either be considered a specific message to a friend or partner or a broad message to a community or a group. It’s definitely one of the better ballads on this list. (9 / 10)
Siren Song is another amazing ballad. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s incredibly entrancing and hypnotizing. (9 / 10)
Perfect Stranger, while definitely not a fan favourite, is my favourite song on this record. I don’t know why, but it’s incredibly charming. (10 / 10)
Actually, scratch that, Home is a masterpiece. Just remarkable. Great way to close this record. (11 / 10)
Chorus is an amazing record that everyone should have on their shelves, no matter what.
29 May 2018 2:27 am (GMT)