In the 80's, ABC could do little wrong. They were poised for greatness after their debut powerhouse album, The Lexicon Of Love. Then a decision was made, a bad one, which derailed it all, threatening to ruin everything in the process.
Beginning as Vice Versa in 1977, ABC was evolved into a lineup featuring singer Martin Fry, guitarist and keyboardist Mark White, saxophonist Stephen Singleton, and drummer David Palmer. Rather than fuss with the struggle of finding a label to sign them, the group founded their own, Neutron Records. With the aid of other members and musicians, The Lexicon Of Love, produced by Trevor Horn (The Buggles) was released in 1982, and quickly catapulted the band to success. It entered the UK charts at number one, where it stayed for fifty weeks. It would also become the fourth biggest selling album in the UK that year.
With such a monumental launch, ABC began work on their follow-up album. They took everything they learned from their debut, all the new wave goodness, their commercial sound...and promptly threw it all away.
1983's Beauty Slab was panned by critics and fans when it was released for its vast departure from the sound which made the band so immediately popular. Synthesizers were replaced by edgy guitars, and riffs akin back to the heydays of the 70's. Critics didn't like it, and fans didn't want it.
Lead single, That Was Then But This Is Now, has often been featured in worst lyrics polls, and even today critics continue to sight the album as an example of how a band can sabotage their own careers. To call it a bad decision seems an understatement.
But, is Beauty Stab really that bad?
Truthfully, no. In fact, if you're a fan of 80's rock, weren't accustomed to ABC's synth pop roots, or simply wanted something different from them, it's quite enjoyable. Personally, I liked the guitar work which was dominant across each track. Dare I say, I may like it more than their synth based tunes.
Now, with that said, what Beauty Stab lacks for me is hits. It's enjoyable, but ultimately unmemorable. By the halfway point, I still hadn't heard anything which I could recall or recite. Nothing was impacting enough to actually stick in my mind. Ultimately, there wasn't anything here that I necessarily needed to ever hear again. As a whole, it was forgettable. That, perhaps, is worse than being bad. Because at least with bad albums, they're memorable for the wrong reasons.
Members would depart, but ABC got back up in 1985 with the highly popular How To Be A ... Zillionaire!, intent on giving the fans what they wanted by returning to what worked. After its release, the group slimmed down to that of just Martin Fry and Mark White, and together they continued strong with 1987's Alphabet City. This was short lived, as by 1989's Up, sales were in decline.
The duo's synth pop style was quickly lost in the shuffle of 90's grunge, and after releasing 1991's Abracadabra, ABC would disappear until 1997's Skyscraping. However, by the latter, it had devolved into nothing more than a solo act for Fry, using the band's name as nothing more than a guise. Though he continued to release additional albums, the prime of ABC was over.
Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
 |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS March 22, 1980 |
 |
| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS March 22, 1986 |
No comments:
Post a Comment