Erasure4Rum

Episode 95: Erasure - Wild! (1989) Part 1

Brian and Sarah continue their run of guest co-hosts by welcoming back Andrew Dineley, owner of Soft Octopus design studio, host of "Art on Your Sleeve" podcast, and contributor to Classic Pop magazine. The three set out to examine Wild!, Erasure's fourth album, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Part 1 - Album History

As our hosts look back to 1989, they find Vince Clarke and Andy Bell in a period of great productivity and popularity. Erasure won Best British Group at the 1989 Brit Awards, which leads Brian, Sarah, and Andrew to discuss the notoriously bad presentation by a terribly mismatched pair of hosts. The three then talk about the making of the album, with Brian explaining how producer Mark Saunders had the daunting task of trying to nudge Vince Clarke out of his comfort zone to try new things. The release history, chart information, and reviews are also shared, with Brian and Sarah then looking to graphic designer Andrew to lead the discussion about the album art.

Part 2 - Personal History

Andrew has specific memories of purchasing this album, and in the process he once again makes Brian and Sarah jealous of the perks and additions available for UK releases. Sarah tries to pin down the exact day she acquired the album from Brian, which prompts Brian to joke about the fact that there was no chance she actually purchased it herself.

Part 3 - Track by Track

The track by track analysis begins with all three hosts expressing mixed feelings about the album opener. This unevenness sets the stage for the discussion to come, during which some very strong sentiments-- both positive and negative-- are articulated. Speaking of articulating, both Sarah and Brian have some trouble articulating in this episode-- Sarah with the name "Onge" and Brian with the word "giblets." Andrew, on the other hand, perfectly recounts a tale in which he received a free 12-inch remix single. Also in this section: where to find an example of a long-sleeved t-shirt made out of ten short-sleeved t-shirts, what piece of culture has Brian purchased on seven different formats, and how does the wonderful Olivia Newton-John relate to this album?!

Piano Song (Instrumental)
Blue Savannah
Drama!
How Many Times?
Star
La Gloria



Episode 96: Erasure - Wild! (1989) Part 2

Brian, Sarah, and special guest host Andrew Dineley are here to resume their examination of Erasure's fourth album, Wild! Brian and Sarah are especially grateful to Andrew for making the time to join them, as he just finished a new episode of his own podcast, "Art on Your Sleeve."

Part 3 - Track by Track, Continued
Part One of this discussion was of an epic length and contained some strong opinions. As the trio flip the record to Side Two, the anticipation level is high. There's only one single to be found here, and one more video to analyze. But the hosts find plenty of other things to talk about, such as musicals that never were, English history, the classic educational toy Speak and Spell, and of course the other songs on Side Two! And although Sarah had hoped that letting Brian do some James Bond "mini-podcasts" would contain the 007 talk to those shows, she finds herself talking with Brian and Andrew about James Bond in this episode-- and for two different reasons!

You Surround Me
Brother and Sister
2000 Miles
Crown of Thorns
Piano Song

Part 4 - Extra Credit
As the hosts talked about the singles for this album, they couldn't help but also mention the excellent B-sides that were released during this prolific period of Erasure's history. For extra credit, Brian, Sarah, and Andrew each choose their favorite of the B-sides and discuss them briefly.

Part 5 - Final Review and Rating
Wild! may have been released at the pinnacle of Erasure's popularity, but does that mean the album is the pinnacle of quality as well? Each of the hosts make an honest assessment of the 11 tracks found on the album, with one host admitting a change of mind from their originally-planned record adapter rating, based on further listening and thoughtful review.