I begin with Upstairs at Eric's the debut of electronic duo Yazoo. (The reference is to the studio where it was recorded). I've long had a minor penchant for electronica (Tangerine Dream, OMD, etc). The sound can be a bit tinny so when Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode and joined up with Alison Moyet I was willing to be drawn in. This is one of those albums I bought in vinyl back in the eighties some time. I probably heard the superb single Only you first (it preceded the album) and perhaps Don't go. It's an excellent pop album (except for i before e - such experiments never really work). It came out in 1982. The album did well.
The cover was tasteful, an early work by photographer, Joe Lyons.
Thirty years on Clarke said "Part of the charm of that album is a naivety. There really wasn't a profound concept that was running through the recording. I didn't really know what I was doing in the studio and Alison hadn't much experience of being in a recording studio, so everything was new. We'd make one sound and we'd think it was great and just stop there and wouldn't make any more sounds. It wasn't like we were continually honing or over-producing songs because everything at the time sounded fresh. That's why a lot of the tracks only have eight or nine elements to them."
The cover was tasteful, an early work by photographer, Joe Lyons.
Thirty years on Clarke said "Part of the charm of that album is a naivety. There really wasn't a profound concept that was running through the recording. I didn't really know what I was doing in the studio and Alison hadn't much experience of being in a recording studio, so everything was new. We'd make one sound and we'd think it was great and just stop there and wouldn't make any more sounds. It wasn't like we were continually honing or over-producing songs because everything at the time sounded fresh. That's why a lot of the tracks only have eight or nine elements to them."
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