album // Cowboy
After the magnificent, graceful - but unloved -
Erasure, Vince Clarke and Andy Bell returned
in early 1997 with Cowboy which saw them returning to their
classic pop sound. Cowboy was produced by Neil McLellan,
who had previously worked with Prodigy, and Gareth Jones.
Jones looked after Andy's vocals, while McLellan worked with Vince
over on the synth side. Esteemed mixer Mark 'Spike' Stent
mixed the LP. Two singles were released from Cowboy - 'In
My Arms' and 'Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me'. A third single
('Rain') was also released, but was ineligible for the chart.
By his own admission, Vince's approach to rhythm
programming is not his strongest talent, tending toward simple patterns.
Neil McLellan's experience in this area is evident here, each of
the tracks possessing strong drum machine patterns and a contemporary
punch, which, with some very clear melodic content, this stands
out as one of Erasure's most directly 'pop'-sounding albums. Fans
also note - there was no sign of the previous album's 'excess',
so the argument for Vince and Andy becoming the electro Pink Floyd
no longer applies, okay?
After the uplifting 'Rain' is 'Worlds On Fire',
a moody ballad of sorts, featuring a chunky hip-hop beat. Andy's
vocal soars above the song like a graceful bird, while Vince contributes
saccharine-sweet melodies and a sparse, dubby bassline. 'Reach Out',
for the Erasure obsessive, features exactly the same bassline that
Vince created almost 15 years before for Depeche Mode's 'Just
Can't Get Enough'; 'Reach Out', in contrast to that synthpop masterpiece,
is an uplifting, soulful pop song with gospel-esque backing vocals
from Andy Caine and Paul Williams. Typically squelchy, fluid synth
work and what probably isn't a processed electric guitar provide
the minimal backdrop to Andy's vocals, wherein he pleads with his
lover for forgiveness and understanding. This is a recurring theme
on Cowboy, which I believe came out of a spell of infidelity
on the part of Bell.
Skipping through the first two singles, 'In My Arms'
and 'Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me' leads us to 'Precious',
a pretty three minute pop song again featuring a chunky, contemporary
beat. It starts with a twirling synth sequence that is phased so
much that you feel like you are being sucked downwards. It's maudlin,
sensual and certainly among Erasure's finest love songs; it has
a certain theatricality and momentum. 'Treasure', a sub-three minute,
mysterious tune is partly the inspiration for the album's title
- imagine riding bareback across the Nevada desert, a bleak sense
of foreboding at the scale of the wonder and impossibility of the
challenge; 'Treasure', with its hypnotic beat and strange flattening
of the vocal on the verses and the deployment of a middle eight
melody that recalls Morricone's The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
all add to the feeling. 'Boy' puts us back into love song territory,
featuring one of my favourite lyrics 'The way you stir your coffee
like an angel in the morning'. 'Boy's fragile beat and pretty,
melodic acoustic guitar sounds (think Wild!'s 'How Many Times?')
disguise an anguish and bitterness at a lover's calls for space
('When you've had your taste of freedom / Don't come crying on
my shoulder').
'How Can I Say' is an upbeat love song where the
central theme appears to be not wanting to tell someone that a relationship
is over. Despite this anguished theme, the song features piano-style
chords, twinkly melodies and a positive air, some wobbly synth bubbles
and a naïve melody refusing to let this song become overly
depressing. 'Save Me Darling' is possibly the album's high watermark.
Beginning with quirky percussion effects, 'Save Me Darling' develops
into a mid-speed Erasure classic which has an ascending vocal at
the chorus and a suite of Vince Clarke hallmark sounds - it's like
a 'best of' all in one song, and the middle eight is perfect. Incidentally,
my exhaust pipe once fell off when I listened to this in my car
for the first time, but presumably this was nothing to do with this
song's deep bassline and 4/4 rhythm. 'Love Song' is the obligatory
sad ending to this often miserable album. 'There'll be tears
before your bedtime, you mark my words' is Andy's learned, parental
advice. Vince's atmospheric piano and acoustic guitar sounds again
recall the plaintive air of 'How Many Times?'. It's a moving conclusion
to a fantastic, but too brief (ironic!) album.
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