Beauty Stab

Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD

UPC: 613998536620
EAN: 0613998536620
ASIN: B000A1S3XA

Release Date: 1997-09-02

Beauty Stab

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| Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

Customer Reviews:

Worthwhile!.......2005-08-17

After the stylishly over-the-top "Lexicon of Love" (1981) ABC elected to forego the lush production of Trevor Horn and Ann Dudley in favor of a more stripped down approach. "Beauty Stab," produced by ABC with Gary Langan represented a radical departure for the group. Gone were the lush strings, orchestrations, and synthesizers that provided such a sumptuous backdrop for vocalist Martin Fry. Down to the trio of Fry, Mark White (guitars) and Stephen Singleton (saxophone) the group was focusing on a sound dominated by sax, guitar, and drums ala late 1970s Roxy Music. The comparison is rather appropriate as Fry does consciously seem to be aping Bryan Ferry and backing the band are ex-Roxy stalwarts Andy Newmark on drums and Alan Spenner on Bass. As a whole "Beauty Stab" does rather sound like "Manifesto" or "Flesh and Blood" era Roxy. As usual love is the subject of most of the songs here. Kicking off with the hard driving "That Was Then But This Is Now" ABC clearly throws down the gauntlet that they are not the same band they were on the last outing. The song bleeds into the equally hard driving "Love's a Dangerous Language" sending the message ABC is clearly not going to be the white-tie fops from "Lexicon." The mood calms a bit with "If I Ever Thought You'd Be Lonely" with the group allowing more quiet spaces and giving Fry a chance to really showcase his great vocals; easily the best track on the recording. The tempo roars back up to full speed with "The Power of Persuasion" with some truly hysterical lyrics, but ultimately very enjoyable. "By Default By Design" again slows things down and gives Fry a chance to show off his vocal talent, something never really allowed on "Lexicon." Its at this point that ABC ventures away from the comfortable subject of love and delves into the larger concerns of the world. "Hey Citizen!" is a great track with a great throwaway lyric (There's no glamour in the slammer), but it's never really clear what the hell it's about. "King Money" appears to be an anti-capitalist screed that rocks hard segueing into "Bite the Hand," a swipe at the ungrateful. The pacing here is a bit off but things recover nicely for a return to love with the lively "Unzip" with its catchy chorus. "S.O.S." is a lush turn again showcasing Fry's warm vocals and a sign of things to come on future recordings. The real lump in your throat moment for me is "United Kingdom." I'm not British, but am an Anglophile, and this song to me seems to best sum up Britain's feelings towards their country in the Thatcher era. Perhaps not, but for me it does.

Music Album:

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