"Chorus" was something of a departure for the duo. Following 1989's hugely successful "Wild!" (and its rather notorious world tour), the band took two years off, writing ten of their finest songs. "Chorus" was a synth-lover's delight; a pure analog aural feast for the ears. Vince Clarke's arrangements are more subtle and assured, as are his partner's vocals. Andy Bell's lyrics are among the finest of his career, and there is nothing on "Chorus" short of superb. Not since "The Circus" had the band released such a consistent set. "Chorus" proved them to be more than a bouncy, campy singles band: they were pop craftsmen of the first order. Here was a darker, more introspective album than any of their previous releases, and they would maintain this more thoughtful stance until the release of 1997's nostalgic (but magnificent) "Cowboy."

In short, "Chorus" is one the best pop albums of the 1990s and ranks among Erasure's finest work.


Erasure at their best   November 19, 2003
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Chorus

I have every Erasure song ever released commercially, and this is, in my opinion, their best album. Other albums may have stronger singles-it is hard to beat the one-two punch of Drama and Blue Savannah, or Chains of Love and A Little Respect, but this was the first Erasure CD that didn't feel like a collection of singles and b-sides. There are no real weak spots here as on previous efforts. There were four singles taken from this album, and if one didn't know what they were, I think one would be hard pressed to identify them. "Waiting for the Day" is the best Erasure single that never was, and "Turns the Love to Anger" and "Perfect Stranger" are fantastic synthpop songs. It is true, perhaps, that this album may seem darker than others, but the production is gorgeous, the songs are brilliant, Andy Bell's voice has never sounded so rich, and Vince Clark's aural landscape is breathtaking. One of my all-time favorite records.


A Chorus of Approval.   February 22, 2000
Jason Stein (Chula Vista, CA United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Chorus is Erasure's best cd musically and lyrically. 10 songs at 40 minutes makes this a consistent and cohesive listen. It's darker and edgier than previous Erasure cds and more original and consistent than later cds. All of Erasure's cds are good if you're a fan. Chorus is the one for non-fans as it is more mature dance music. There's no bad songs on this disc. I Say I Say I Say would be my next recommendation because it isn't as danceable as Chorus but it's just as interesting. I don't think Erasure has surpassed Chorus in excellence. The three studio cds that have been released since don't quite match up to the quality of Chorus. Vince and Andy were in top form in 1991. Just listen to "Breath of Life", "Siren Song", "Home", "Chorus" and "Waiting for the Day." All excellent craftmanship. This cd is worth the money.


I lied...*gulp*...sorry...*cough*   February 10, 1999
Yaan Ts'udenbesdai (Yuutah)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

After listening to this album for the first few times, I originally didn't care for it, and thought it was overrated. Now, -after listening to it a number of times- I think that this is one of their best albums, and is tied with the album: ERASURE, for my second favorite (THE INNOCENTS is my favorite, by far). So, please ignore my previous post that claims this is an overrated album; it isn't. It's very different from Erasure's other music, but in a very special, good way. I love this album...it's DA BOMB.


Darkest Album Of Them All   July 26, 2002
Eric Dapkewicz (Los Angeles, CA USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Can Erasure be dark? Yes.. they can. Where as "I Say I Say I Say" is a light, fantasy like album, "Chorus" digs deep and brings us into the nightmarish side of Erasure. A side we don't normally see and it's refreshing. It's here that Clarke begins to focus more on digital bleeps and less on analog orchestrations than ever before. I have to strongly disagree with many critics (who don't know jack about electronica) that diss Erasure for always sounding the same. I could say the same thing about rock music or rap music, but that's not the case. Clarke seems to be pushing the limits on what he can do with a synthesizer and still create catchy pop music. There are a number of songs on this album that are just as good, if not better than the singles that came out, such as "Waiting For The Day", and "Home". Both are my favorite songs from the album. Erasure, in my opinion, was and is one of the best bands in the world. No one (except for The Beatles) have crafted so many wonderful and experimental albums, filled with so many pop catchy tracks, as Erasure has. Nice job guys.