Pop! First 20 Hits

Rating

Album: Pop! First 20 Hits
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Who Needs Love (Like That)
2)	Heavenly Action
3)	Oh L'Amour
4)	Sometimes
5)	It Doesn't Have to Be
6)	Victim of Love
7)	Circus
8)	Ship of Fools
9)	Little Respect, A
10)	Stop!
11)	Chains of Love
12)	Drama!
13)	You Surround Me
14)	Blue Savannah
15)	Star
16)	Chorus
17)	Love to Hate You
18)	Am I Right?
19)	Breath of Life
20)	Take a Chance on Me
21)	Who Needs Love (Like That) (Hamburg Mix) - (remix)

Album: Pop! First 20 Hits
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Who Needs Love (Like That)
2)	Heavenly Action
3)	Oh L'Amour
4)	Sometimes
5)	It Doesn't Have to Be
6)	Victim of Love
7)	Circus
8)	Ship of Fools
9)	Little Respect, A
10)	Stop!
11)	Chains of Love
12)	Drama!
13)	You Surround Me
14)	Blue Savannah
15)	Star
16)	Chorus
17)	Love to Hate You
18)	Am I Right?
19)	Breath of Life
20)	Take a Chance on Me
21)	Who Needs Love (Like That) (Hamburg Mix) - (remix)

Performer Notes

Erasure: Andy Bell (vocals); Vince Clarke (various instruments).
Additional personnel: M.C. Kinky (rap vocals); Maurice Michael (guitar); Guy Barker (trumpet).
Producers includes: Stephen Hague, Erasure, Gareth Jones, Mark Saunders, Martyn Phillips.
Engineers include: Dave Bascombe, Bob Kraushaar, Dave Jacob.
Erasure: Andy Bell (vocals); Vince Clarke (various instruments).
CD contains bonus track.
A handy 20-track singles compilation covering Erasure's first five albums plus the EPs CRACKERS INTERNATIONAL and ABBA-ESQUE and the remix album THE TWO RING CIRCUS, this is a near-perfect way to get acquainted with the duo of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. Running in basically chronological order from 1986's "Who Needs Love Like That?" to 1992's "Take a Chance on Me," the collection includes such classic Erasure hits as "Stop!" "Chains of Love," and "Oh L'Amour," in their original single mixes, which are occasionally somewhat different from the album or extended club versions.
While this collection is essential for neophytes, it contains no new songs or mixes, and hardcore Erasure fans may find it most useful as a failsafe party album or mix-tape substitute. Later Erasure albums are more melancholy in tone; in retrospect, POP! feels like the closing of a chapter.

Professional Reviews

Entertainment Weekly (1/8/93, p.54) - "...a tuneful, exuberant show of force..." - Rating: B+

Q (12/92, p.146) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...A more straightforward and foolproof package would be hard to imagine....great stuff..."

Alternative Press (4/93, p.88) - "...nobody does rinky-dink better [than Erasure]....that there's no escape from the synthi-dink works to [Andy Bell's] favor or detriment--depending on your favorite childhood toys..."