The Lexicon of Love

The Lexicon of Love
Studio album by ABC
Released	21 June 1982 (1982-06-21)
Recorded	1981–82
Genre	New wave synthpop
Length	37:25
Label	Neutron (UK) Mercury (US) Vertigo (Canada and Europe)
Producer	Trevor Horn Steve Brown
ABC chronology
The Lexicon of Love (1982) Beauty Stab (1983)

The Lexicon of Love is the debut studio album by the English new wave band ABC. It was originally released in June 1982, on the labels Neutron, Mercury and Vertigo. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1 and has been certified Platinum by the BPI. The album features four UK Top 20 hit singles, including "Tears Are Not Enough", "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love", and "All of My Heart".

Though not a concept album,^[1] the album features repeated themes in which the singer experiences heartache as he tries and fails to have a meaningful relationship. A longform music video/film, Mantrap, featuring songs from the album was released in 1983.

Recording and release dates

The album was produced by Trevor Horn, engineered by Gary Langan, and featured orchestrations by Anne Dudley and Fairlight CMI programming by J. J. Jeczalik; Horn, Langan, Dudley and Jeczalik would later form the Art of Noise a year after the release of this album. Indeed, most of the production team and session players listed below would form the basis for the ZTT label, and their work with Horn meant all concerned would be in constant demand throughout the industry in years to come.

"Tears Are Not Enough" (in its initial release produced by Steve Brown), "All of My Heart", "Poison Arrow", and "The Look of Love (Part One)" were all Top 20 hits in the UK; the latter two also charted in the US, peaking at No. 25 and No. 14, respectively. The album reached No. 1 on the UK charts, and peaked at No. 24 in the US charts.

In 2004, a deluxe 2-disc reissue including previously unreleased outtakes and early demos and a live performance of the album from 1982 was released on the Neutron label.

In 2009, ABC performed the album integrally at the Royal Albert Hall in London, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, and conducted by arranger and composer Anne Dudley. They were joined onstage by the album's producer Trevor Horn.^[2]

The Lexicon of Love was again performed live in its entirety on 18 December 2012 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. This marked the 30th anniversary of the album's release and once again featured Dudley as conductor, performing with the Southbank Sinfonia Orchestra. The same line-up (with Dudley and Southbank Sinfonia) concluded a four-date mini-tour at this same venue on 30 March 2014 performing the album in its entirety. Martin Fry and band were once more accompanied by the Southbank Sinfonia Orchestra for dates at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Sheffield City Hall, the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, and Symphony Hall, Birmingham, between November 4th and 9th, 2015.

In April 2016, a sequel album The Lexicon of Love II was released on 27 May 2016.^[3]

Critical acclaim

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Blender	[5]
Christgau's Record Guide	A−[6]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[7]
Mojo	[8]
Q	[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[11]
Select	4/5[12]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10[13]

• NME listed it number 15 on its list of 50 albums of the 80s.
• NME listed it number 3 on its list of 50 albums of the year 1982.
• Uncut listed It number 52 on its list of 100 greatest debut albums.
• Mojo listed it in its list of 9 albums of the year 1982.
• The Village Voice listed it number 19 on its list of 20 albums of the year 1982.
• Q magazine listed it number 40 on its list of the 100 greatest British albums ever.
• Q magazine readers voted The Lexicon of Love the 92nd greatest album of all time.
• The Observer Music Monthly listed it number 42 on its list "Top 100 British Albums".
• Mentioned in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

All tracks written by Martin Fry, Mark White Stephen Singleton, and David Palmer, except where noted. 

Additional track listings

Personnel

ABC

• Martin Fry – lead and background vocals
• Mark White – guitars; keyboards
• Stephen Singleton – alto and tenor saxophones
• David Palmer – drums; Linn LM-1 programming; percussion
• Mark Lickley – bass guitar on "Poison Arrow", "Tears Are Not Enough", and "The Look of Love"
• David Robinson – drums on single/demo versions of "Tears Are Not Enough"

Additional personnel

• Anne Dudley – keyboards; orchestration
• Brad Lang – bass guitar
• J. J. Jeczalik – Fairlight CMI programming
• Kim Wear – trumpet
• Andy Gray – trombone on "Tears Are Not Enough"
• Luís Jardim (misspelled as "Louis Jardin" on album notes) – additional percussion
• Tessa Webb – female lead vocal on "Date Stamp"
• Gaynor Sadler – harp
• Karen Clayton – female speaking voice in "Poison Arrow"

Production team

• Trevor Horn – producer
• Gary Langan – engineer
• Gered Mankowitz – film photography
• Paul Cox – band photography
• Pete Bill – cover photography
• Visible Inc. – design
• Neutron Records – design

2004 deluxe edition credits

• Gary Moore – digital remastering
• Daryl Easlea – album coordinator; compiler
• Martin Fry – compiler
• Deluxe Graphics@Green Ink – artwork restoration; adaption

Chart performance

Peak positions

References

Bibliography

• Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (1995). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-75574-8. 

• "ABC: The Lexicon of Love". AcclaimedMusic.net. Best of All-time Lists, Best of Decade Lists, etc. Retrieved 1 October 2011. 

External links

• The Lexicon of Love at Discogs (list of releases)
• The Lexicon of Love (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)