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The Lexicon Of Love | 
| Artist: Abc
Label: Mercury Records Ltd (London)
Category: Music
List Price: £5.99
Buy New: £3.98
You Save: £2.01 (34%)
New (54) Used (6) from £3.27
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 3876
Media: Audio CD
Running Time: 42
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 538250
UPC: 731453825024
EAN: 0731453825024
ASIN: B00000I2PG
Release Date: November 16, 1998
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Show Me | | • | Poison Arrow | | • | Many Happy Returns | | • | Tears Are Not Enough | | • | Valentine's Day | | • | Look of love (part one) | | • | Date Stamp | | • | All Of My Heart | | • | 4 Ever 2 Gether | | • | The look of love (part four) | | • | Theme from "Mantrap" |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Homegrown soul produced by Trevor Horn and including the pop hit "Look of Love", The Lexicon of Love is bursting with hooks, clever lyrics and synthetic funk-inspired grooves that hold up better than most others from the early 1980s. ABC leader Martin Frey sings with a histrionic despair, at once naive and cynical, and all dressed up by horn and string sections that feel positively overwhelming. Such larger-than-life arrangements may seem over-the-top to some listeners, but as the soundtrack to a lexicon of love--how else would you expect it to sound? --David Cantwell
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
ABC Classic Still Stands out July 13, 2008
I have like previous reviewers of this album finally got around to replacing it on C D . My wife and I listened to it in the car on a long journey and it is still as good if not better now as it was more than a quarter of a century ago. It really has all been said from the vocals to the production even the cover of the album. I must agree that it is possibly the best album of the 1980`s. I guess Michael Jacksons Thriller and Fleetwood Macs Tango in the night would also be contenders but Lexicon of love truly is a timeless album and blows your mind everytime you hear it. That is the true test of any album if you are still enjoying it as much all these years later. A truly awesome album a must buy for any collection.
One Of The Finest Albums Of The `80`s February 28, 2008
Of all the albums representing the early 80`s this is simply along for me with "Songs From The Big Chair" - Tears For Fears not only the finest albums of the 80`s but still in many ways unsurpassed even in the modern era. This is a Trevor Horn production. You can hear here how he was developing that very distinctive Bass guitar sound that would come to prominence with Frankie Goes To Hollywood. The production is very crisp & clean. The real eye opener at the time was that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra were used, not really having been done before certainly to this extent. Now of course we here synthesized orchestra sounds all over the place but this is were that really started. The amazing thing is how well Horn was able to get such a great blend between them and the band. Not one part of the band or orchestra intrudes on the other instead they compliment each other perfectly creating a light whimsical sound to the whole proceeding. The band raise there game here with some great playing themselves.
But of course as with all music it will come down to the songs. It`s here that this album scores even higher. Every track is rememberal and singable. A great lead vocal far better than most of his contemporaries by Martin Fry, knocks spots of the very over hyped Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran. The Bass player also deserves a mention as his performance in many respects makes this album with some great modern pop bass playing full of danceable funk pump that positively bounces along. The Guitar and Keyboards hold down the melodic quota of chords and punctuations that enable the band as a whole to simply shine. A great band effort rightly acknowledged at the time and as this review is doing acknowledging now. If you want to no why today's pop music is faceless ,bland,banal, unimaginative rubbish that`s helped to kill not only pop music but also the charts and has taken many radio stations down with it as well then this album shows you how inspiring and fun and imaginative pop can really be, and why people like me miss the 80`s so much.
It`s also worth noting as those of you that have read some of my other reviews that i`m basically a Rock/Metal fan. The truth is i like GOOD music with GOOD songs and believe credit should be given were it`s deserved, and this album really does deserve it. Even back in the day this album had a lot of crossover with Rock fans and still does, which tells you everything you need to no doesn`t it. You can`t keep quality down and quality always shines through. Like TFF- Songs From.....this album is not only one of the best of the 80`s but is still one of the best today. No one who thinks they have a serious record collection should be without this. This is simply a must buy.
"Kerrr-ching" February 15, 2008
From the sound of ancient cash registers, through the syrup of a symphony string section, to Martin's melodrama and Mark's on-the-button riffs, this is, was, and will always be an 80's, 90's, Naughties , and eternities perfection piece, if you're looking for high kitsch, high drama, high camp, and unbeatable effervescent pop.
I find that I have to play the whole (concept, to pinch a "Yes"ism)album. I just know this SO well; not just which track is next, or the lyric, but the key its in, and the length of gap (if any)'tween tracks.
It has never been bettered, by anyone, let alone "ABC" , and no, Sir, "Beauty Stab" isn't even in the same league.
This is becoming a little excessive and effusive for a 45+, over-weight, Father of two,boring CEO, but once upon a time, Children, Daddy was......
Eighties masterpiece February 19, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
In a list of the top 10 albums of the Eighties, this would certainly be included in mine. When released it was seen as a masterpiece and it still sounds slick today. Trevor Horn's production flows from start to finish. I think ABC had a hard job trying to follow up this first album and never managed to top this.
 Almost But Not Quite - Get "Beauty Stab" November 4, 2006
1 out of 11 found this review helpful
Like everyone else I have fond memories of the hit singles from this album and couldn't wait to re-visit it.
I don't think it's aged very well. The songs are strong but don't stand up to repeated listening in the way the best albums do.
It's worth owning for "Poison Arrow" and "The Look of Love" (two of the cleverest pop hits of the decade) but don't let this be your only ABC album. "Beauty Stab" was their under-rated follow up and that's where the treasure lies.
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