Episode 42: Erasure - Crackers International (1988) - Part 1 Plus Wham! "Last Christmas"
With the holiday season now in full swing, Brian and Sarah finally carved out some time in their busy schedules to sit down and record another podcast. And this week's selection has a definite holiday theme-- it's the November 1988 EP from Erasure, titled "Crackers International." However, they decide to make it an even more Christmasy episode by throwing in a bonus track at the end-- one of the best known Christmas songs of the 1980s.
Part 1 - Album History
This is the first EP Brian and Sarah have discussed on the show, so both hosts provide some information on how EPs are classified in both the UK and the US. They then go on to talk about where this album falls in the Erasure discography, and where it charted in various countries. Sarah provides a lot of information about the cover art, and voices her skepticism about whether the picture is an homage or more of a ripoff. Brian explains there is a "Crackers International Part II," with a slightly different track listing, and Sarah says the cover art on that EP is a definite ripoff-- but from the cover artist himself!
Part 2 - Personal History
Sarah is once again unsure about when or how she acquired this record. She deduced it would have been a bit inconvenient for Brian to copy, due to its short length. Brian reveals that he didn't actually own a real copy of the EP himself until college, when he bought it on CD. So why is there a store-bought copy of the cassette in their collection?
Part 3 - Track by Track
Our hosts have a lot of fun discussing the two songs on side one of the EP. It sounds like they're in agreement about a lot of things, such as the magnificent keyboard skills of Vince Clarke and the questionable quality of the video for the first song. And Brian has another opportunity to re-proclaim his love for synthetic-sounding drums!
Stop!
The Hardest Part
Part 4 - Christmas Bonus Track
Since "Crackers International" is a shorter selection, and since Christmas is coming, Brian and Sarah decide this is the perfect time to discuss not only an 80s classic, but a Christmas classic as well-- the 1984 song "Last Christmas" by Wham! They provide a lot of information about the song's chart history (which spans decades!), the many different Wham! versions of the song, the many cover versions of the song, and the wonderful video both hosts just discovered while researching for the episode.
Extra Bonus - Christmas Giveaways!
This episode finds our hosts full of the generosity of the season, so during the course of the episode, Brian mentions two different giveaways that two lucky listeners can win. One is mentioned at the beginning, and the other is mentioned at the end-- and the second one is the bigger prize. So be sure to listen to the whole way through to find out how to enter!
Episode 43: Erasure - Crackers International (1988) Part 2 plus Pet Shop Boys - "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas"
For the last episode of 2017, Brian and Sarah take a quick break from holiday preparations to finish their discussion of the 1988 EP by British synthpop duo Erasure, titled "Crackers International." (And it just so happens there's a big box of Christmas crackers in the studio with our hosts as they record!) And in keeping with both the episode's Christmas theme and the "British synthpop duo" theme, Brian and Sarah also discuss the song "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" by the Pet Shop Boys.
Part 3: Track by Track, Continued
The second side of the UK release contains only two songs, just like the first side. However, Brian does get into discussing the various remixes of the first song on side two, "Knocking On Your Door." Both Brian and Sarah continue to praise Vince Clarke for his effortless keyboard riffs, and they also have very complimentary things to say about Andy Bell's vocals on both tracks. But they're a little more critical about Erasure's decision to release these four tracks as an EP, rather than as individual singles.
Knocking On Your Door
She Won't Be Home
Part 4: Final Review and Rating
Sarah goes first and gives what seems for her to be a rather off-the-cuff review and rating of this EP. Brian, on the other hand, sounds like he's somewhat conflicted about giving a rating to this collection of songs. He does finally provide one, though, and it surprises Sarah a bit.
Part 5: Christmas Bonus Track
Brian and Sarah are still in the mood to discuss Christmas songs, so they decide to talk about the Pet Shop Boys' song "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas." Originally a gift to the Pet Shop Boys' fan club members in 1997, this song found its way onto a CD in 2005, but it wasn't until 2009 that it made it onto an actual Pet Shop Boys release-- and it was yet another EP, aptly titled "Christmas." While certainly a fan favorite, this song didn't get a wide release like Wham!'s "Last Christmas," much to the chagrin of both Brian and Sarah.
Part 6: Year End Recap and Favorite Episodes
It's been a year since the Permanent Record Podcast first started, and Brian and Sarah decide to wax nostalgic. They each talk about their favorite things about doing the podcast, and they try to narrow down their favorite episodes as well. It's clear the hosts have been having a lot of fun so far, and they seem eager to continue the fun into 2018!
Part 7: Christmas Giveaway
In the time since the previous episode was made available, someone claimed the first giveaway, so now all that's left to win is the new, unopened LP of "Into the Gap" by The Thompson Twins. Brian once again provides the details on how to get a chance to win this excellent classic album. Don't forget to enter!