ABC - Look of Love: The Very Best of ABC

UK compilation features nine of the eleven tracks on the closest domestic equivalent (the U.S. features 'Vanity Kills' (The Abigails Party Mix) (the standard version appears here & ' Theme From Mantrap ') but adds seven additional tracks, 'Night You Murdered Love', 'Peace & Tranquility', 'One Better World' (Edit), 'King Without A Crown', 'Ocean Blue', 'Real Thing' & 'Blame'. 17 tracks in all. 2001. Album Description

One of the 80's best gems!

This is definitely one of those 80's groups that is a must have for any real music lover of that decade. ABC had a unique style of it's own without a doubt. Songs like "Poison Arrow and Look of Love" are the tunes that stand out the most to me. I wish that they could've squeezed the long remix version of Look of Love on this greatest hits collection. It still is a good one to have in one's collection. July 6, 2008

Not bad, definitely not great

I bought this because I remembered this band hit from the '80s, which is Be Near Me. The other songs are ok, but nothing particularly special. January 7, 2007

The BEST album of the times.

Almost no one gets it.These guys,are a band! So when they did what great bands do ,nobody cared.This record Rocks, it swoons, pokes fun at thr governmet,Makes you cry, laugh,think,in all, is just perfect.The production, vocals and tightness of the band is as good as anything done in the 80's bar none. BUY IT! listen close and get in on the joke.. October 5, 2005

ABC from A to Z

To cop from Elvis Costello, the debut album from ABC was the dance floor equivalent of "a chainsaw running through a dictionary," albeit one that you could cut a serious rug by. "The Lexicon of Love" was, quite simply, one of the best albums from the MTV British Invasion of the 80's that brought forth the likes of Culture Club, Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet. Songs like "Poison Arrow" and "Look Of Love" were lyrically literate, lushly produced disco-popera's with more than a hint of David Bowie and Roxy Music.

Of course, after a perfect debut, ABC had a heck of a time ever bettering their first act. The second album was a turn towards rock, best shown by the single "That Was Then But This Is Now," which tried to pair the lushness of the debut with a solid rock guitar. More representative of the band is "SOS," but the sharp turn in style - and the less than enthusiastic response to "Beauty Stab" - sent Martin Fry and Mark White into a genre hopping tailspin for "How To Be A Zillionaire." Although "Be Near Me" maintained the stellar quality of the band's earlier singles, the synths became top-heavy and made songs like "Vanity Kills" and the album's title track more novelty than classic.

A near fatal brush with Lymphoma brought Fry back into focus for "Alphabet City," a solid and coherent album that yielded ABC's biggest chart single, "When Smokey Sings." Matching the Motown worship of the debut with a new sense of reserve, "Smokey" and the other singles, "King Without A Crown" and "The Night You Murdered Love" found Fry and White living up to those early Roxy comparisons. Unfortunately, whatever straightforwardness ABC gained on "Alphabet City" evaporated on the glib "Up!," trading in solid popcraft for uninspired sounding pseudo-soul, although "One Better World" at least has its heart in the right place. Their slick and lush sound was also rapidly falling from favor (Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails happened to release their debuts the same year "Up!" came out), and ABC went on hiatus soon after.

With two new songs ("Blame" is killer) and Fry back on the road, ABC has a solid legacy of singles to draw from. So while their albums after the debut were often spotty affairs, "Look Of Love" holds its quality better than many of the video here-today, gone-later-today sorts that populated the MTV Airwaves in the 80's. This collection also neatly supplants "Absolutely ABC" by adding the new songs plus two others, and nixing any worthless remixes. After this, recommended listening is "The Lexicon of Love," a five star album in its own rite. September 17, 2005

retro-future genius

a seminal collection of wonderfully remastered gems by one of the best acts to come out of the eighties.

ABC crafted a sound and an image that was akin to crossing Bowie with electronica/dance: smooth, hip, stylistic and enduring. The songs are really ageless, offering those of us around in that decade the pleasure of looking forward to re-discovering the brilliance; and those perhaps born in that decade the chance to look back with wonder. Hopefully both of us can expect future creative output by the band!

Long live ABC! (I'm going to see their show in Dallas tonight!)
Gotta see them live on this tour! September 6, 2005

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