Erasure - The Tank, The Swan And The Balloon

Year of Release: 2004
Label: Mute/EMI
Catalog Number: 07243 544 19799
Format: DVD
Total Time: 160:00:00

All those years ago, [and] it still remains a mystery to me why, Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode just when the band was breaking through with their smash hit "Just Can't Get Enough." First there was Yazoo together with Alison Moyet, followed by Erasure, which he put together with his partner Andy Bell. Although no doubt Erasure has its fanbase, outside of Britain the band has never witnessed a huge success. So it doesn't come as a surprise to see the band's live show from 6th August 1992 being released as a DVD. Recorded live at the Manchester Apollo it shows Vince and Andy rushing through their string of hits, accompanied by some dancers and great extras. Vince Clarke has all of his equipment mounted on a tiny tank which he drives on stage. Every single note you hear has been programmed, so other than our two friends and the extra dancers, there are no other musicians involved. When the show opens a huge swan is wheeled onto the stage containing Andy Bell.

One of the highlights no doubt has to be the Abba section, where they pay tribute to our Swedish friends by means of "Voulez Vous," "Take A Chance On Me," "SOS" and "Lay All Your Love On Me." Another surprise certainly has to be the well-known Morricone classic "The Good, The Bad And Ugly," which gets the dance treatment here whilst Vince takes to the stage dressed like Mae West. Whilst being in this country mode, the Tammy Wynette classic "Stand By Your Man" is also given the Erasure treatment.

During "Star," Bell comes down standing in a suspended basket. The way he's dressed looks like an advert for men's underwear. During the first encore "Perfect Stranger," Clarke and Bell sit right at the front of the stage dressed in their dressing-gown to underline the intimate nature of the song. Everything is stripped to the essentials of the song here, with Clarke helping the band out by means of a cheap Casio. The concert comes to a close with their biggest hit so far "Sometimes." The second disc contains a 25 minute long interview with Andy Bell, Vince Clarke, choreographer Les Child and costume designer Dean Bright. In all honesty, it looks like an excerpt from a talk show on a gay channel. This DVD will no doubt please a lot of fans, but to me it's too much of a cliché from start to finish. On top of that, the gay element is present too much, because seeing Andy Bell's bottom once is surely more than enough for me!

Tracklisting:
Disc One: Intro / Siren Song / Ship Of Fools / Chorus / Breath Of Life / Chains Of Love / Love To Hate You / Joan / Voulez Vous / Take A Chance On Me / S.O.S. / Lay All Your Love On Me / Am I Right ? / Oh L'amour / Waiting For The Day / Heart Of Stone / Stop ! / The Good, The Bad And The Ugly / Who Needs Love Like That / Stand By Your Man / The Soldier's Return / Turns The Love To Anger / Star / Blue Savannah / Over The Rainbow / Love Is A Loser / A Little Respect / Home / Perfect Stranger / Sometimes

Disc two contains interview

Musicians:
Andy Bell - vocals
Vince Clarke - keyboards, sequencers

Discography:
Wonderland (1986)
The Circus (1987)
The Innocents (1988)
Wild! (1989)
Chorus (1991)
Club (1992)
I Say I Say I Say (1994)
Erasure (1995)
Cowboy (1997)
Loveboat (2000)
Other People's Songs (2003)
Solsbury Hill:Remixes (2003)
Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) (2003)
Nightbird (2005)

Genre: Other

Origin UK

Added: December 19th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.erasureinfo.com
Hits: 3056
Language: english