Erasure

Two Ring Circus Erasure

Erasure's third album, The Two Ring Circus is a radical reconstruction of the band's second album, 1987's The Circus. Dropping two songs, "Sexuality" and a version of Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King," while remixing or re-recording the rest, The Two Ring Circus is different enough from its progenitor to be considered a wholly separate piece of work. Three tracks, including "If I Could," and a remake of Wonderland's "My Heart... So Blue," were redone with a full orchestra, a stylistic jump which, particularly given Andy Bell's melodramatically soulful voice, recalls some of Dusty Springfield's classic '60s singles. Of the remixes, Mute Records boss Daniel Miller does an excellent job with "Don't Dance," and house master Little Louie Vega notably reworks the dramatic and melodic "Hideaway." The CD adds six bonus tracks, including impressive live takes of "Sometimes" and "Gimme Gimme Gimme. Mute.