We need more of these from Erasure!

Unfortunately, Erasure hasn't released more box sets for the singles released after Chorus/Abba-esque. This is a great idea, especially since you get even more tracks than you do if you buy all of the domestic single releases individually.



Judged individually, some of the singles are better than others. The first single, Chorus, has disappointing remixes, all mixed by the same individual. Even the other mix of Chorus that you find on the Am I Right? single, mixed by Moby, disappoints. Fortunately, you have Over the Rainbow, a kind of tribute to Abba, as well as Snappy, which is among the better of their b-sides with minimal lyrics.



Love to Hate You, one of Erasure's greatest hits ever, has a couple of good remixes, as well as one bad b-side, Vitamin C, as well as La La La, which is one of those songs that makes you wonder why it didn't make it on the album. It starts with a brief sample of an Eastern chant sung by a woman, and then goes full throttle, electronically dense and moving. Don't get discouraged by the goofy title!



Am I Right? is the most varied single. In addition to two remixes, both of them good, you have the one-two punch of Let It Flow, a joyous hymn to love, and its antithesis, Waiting for Sex, which is an arch dismissal of guys who believe they are too sexy for you or anyone else. Also, you have the aforementioned Chorus remix, a killer remix of Love to Hate You, and an eloquent acoustic rendition of Perfect Stranger. Oh yeah, there's also B3 and Carry on Clangers, which both fall in the "dud" catagory.



The last single from Chorus is Breath of Life. Although the song itself is uplifting, most of the remixes don't do it justice. To boot, there aren't any b-sides or other tracks to redeem it.



Finally, you have Abba-esque, which includes the EP as well as one remix for each. Again, there is some disappointment- the mix for Voulez-Vous sounds like it was made for a monster truck rally, and the the mix for Lay All Your Love On Me is grating. Take a Chance on Me is given the "house" treatment, with the line, "When I dream I'm alone with you, it's magic" repeated over and over, and S.O.S. is given a semi-interesting makeover.



This is a great box set. If for no other reason, the Chorus sessions yielded some great b-sides, any of which could have made it on the album. These include Over The Rainbow, Let it Flow, Waiting for Sex, La La La, and Snappy.