“YOU GOT LIGHT, YOU GOT SHADE, YOU GOT BEAUTY AND BEAST/ ALL COME TOGETHER
TO MAKE A MASTERPIECE”. OVER THREE DECADES ON, ABC TELL IT LIKE IT IS…
For some, 1982’s
The Lexicon Of
Love represents a
pinnacle of pop
perfection, its
literate romance
lusciously produced by Trevor
Horn, its nostalgic aesthetics
a counterpoise to its state
of the art sound. Doubters,
however, struggle with Martin
Fry’s showy vocal mannerisms,
the brass fl ourishes, the guitar
harmonics, the busy bass
lines – Alan Partridge surely
mimes along to Poison Arrow
– and, in essence, the very
extravagance that make its
fans so passionate. For ABC to
return to their debut, therefore,
is a bold move, one whose
potential failure risks tarnishing
the original’s reputation as well
as providing ammunition for
those inclined against it.