I Say I Say I Say
Onge's Review
This number one album was the first Erasure album I owned, and to this day remains one of my favourites. The whole package is extremely professional, particularly the aesthetic sleeve design and presentation. Take Me Back isn't a typical Erasure song, but is one of their finest. The imagery reminds me of the wonderland depicted on the sleeve design as we are escorted to a beautiful haven via Andy's lyrics. But what makes this song so special is the way it climaxes superbly, both musically and lyrically with the final "please don't tell me anything, I'd rather fall into you" never failing to send shivers down the spin. A flawless track of unparalleled brilliance, this is my favourite song of all time. Despite the song opening with the finest song ever written, the quality barely dips, and the marvellous I Love Saturday follows. A catchy toe-tapping number, it underachieved in the UK charts but deserved the airplay it received. Full of electronic bleeps and harmonic backing vocals, it is a joy to behold and one of Erasure's most pleasant and enjoyable tracks.
“”Nothing can match the relentless melodies and sorcery of I Say I Say I Say. Take Me Back ebbs and breaks like an electronic sea of soundwaves while the theatric So The Story Goes soars with the aide of the Cathedral Choir. The track's lyrics brim with innocence and idealism...not to mention, they're the Godfathers of pop and hardly anyone does it better.
Slant Magazine
As if I Say I Say I Say hasn't started well enough we are treated once more to another tremendous Erasure song in Man In The Moon. Andy's lyrics set the tone to this classic song, complimented with a wonderful arrangement from Vince, this song simply oozes class with faultless production from Martyn Ware throughout. The album next slows for the ballad So The Story Goes. The Choir of St. Patrick's Cathedral are featured to compliment Andy's voice, but this does little to inspire a largely unexciting song. This album lowlight is quickly forgotten as it is followed by the up-tempo Run To The Sun. This track sticks out from the album as it's pseudo-techno sound is not in keeping with the rest of the album's style. This does not make this a bad track by any means, indeed this is a highly enjoyable number sung with passion, particularly as the song reaches its finale.
Next up is the magnificent Always, a song that deserves to immortalise the band forever more. This song made me a fan, and many others no doubt with the awesome chorus and sensational musical backdrop. Sheer genius, this is a song fit for any 90s or Millennium compilation and will rarely be bettered. For the definition of the ultimate pop song, look up Always. Amazingly, this track is followed by another excellent song in All Through The Years. The backing vocals in the chorus and the metaphoric imagery encapsulated in the lyrics underline the outstanding song writing ability of the band. Once more Vince's melodies and Ware's production are perfect, making this one of Erasure's finest album tracks.
Fans' Best/Worst Of
- Always
- Take Me Back
- All Through The Years
- Blues Away
- So The Story Goes
Unfortunately after this, the album deteriorates slightly, with the remaining three tracks lacking the cutting edge quality some their predecessors. Blues Away contains some interesting lyrics, but the falsetto vocals and slightly underwhelming chorus means this track falls a little short. Miracle, once more choir assisted is a pleasant song, but again lacks a certain something to make this a significant track. Because You're So Sweet is a nice song and a good way to conclude the album, but having accustomed myself to the superior Session Mix of this song found on the cassette single of I Love Saturday before hearing this I Say I Say I Say mix, I find it difficult to enthuse over this album version of the song. It is though a very pleasant ballad.
Summary
This album is a jewel in the Erasure crown and should be an indispensable member of everyone's record collection. Full of various electronic bleeps and whooshes it is one of Erasure's most synthesized albums, but with an exceptional quality of song writing within. This album's only fault is that after All Through The Years all the album highlights have been and gone, but the quality of what has gone before still makes this a sensational album. A must own.
Fan Reviews
Below are some fan reviews written by visitors to this very site. Once you've read these, please feel free to use the form at the end of the page to write your own review.
This is another majestic record made by Prince Andy and Wizard Vince! However it really brings a bigger change on Erasure’s sound, despite I consider all their ones have own characteristics that distinguish one another. I mean Erasure presented to their fans an album that sounds calmer than their previous ones and I tend to consider this terrific one almost as a New Age work because of its magic and dream atmosphere, not only in terms of sound but in terms of lyrics too. It starts with the splendorous Take Me Back, where Andy got one of his best performances as a singer. Its lyrics seem to describe a place where is possible to live in permanent contact with Mother Nature just like in the past of humanity and everything there causes such a fascination that you never want to come back again to the civilized world. The following one is I Love Saturday, which is a superb dancing track about someone that considered pratically impossible to find a true love for his/her life, but then on a Saturday night he/she met “a knight in shining armour”, or someone kind/brave enough to change his/her life for better. I think it would really deserve to be included on The Erasure Show’s setlist and on Hits! compilation and I say these same things about Run To The Sun, which is the other dancing one from this work (yep, this one just owns 2 dancing tracks), whose lyrics I particularly adore just because they talk about being courageous for facing your own mistakes, wise for seeing them as a natural consequence of human existence and humble for accepting help from “who lives above you”. It’s not about being religious or a spiritualized person, but about someone that lives your life intensely and has commited mistakes (just like anyone else) along his/her life, so now he/she is trying to have consciousness of your own limitations as human being for reaching some kind of heavenly help (please, forgive me if you disagree on my personal interpretation). It’s really beautiful even for who doesn’t believe in “superior forces” but believes in human capacity for redeeming yourself. I think. I would point out more 4 tracks from I Say (x3), which are: Man In The Moon, an extremely beautiful ballad, whose lyrics own a very beautiful message about not losing your hopes when the nights in your room seem darker ; Always, which I define as a wonderful melody associated to a beautiful poem in the song from Erasure that most seems like a fairytale ; All Through The Years, a sensational song with excellent both melody & lyrics and it has become my fave one from I Say (x3) ; and finally Blues Away, whose lyrics talk about a bit obvious theme (someone that cannot see good reasons for being alive since he/she has never found another one to care for him/her) but in a very original way and its chorus is one of my fave ones from Erasure. Regarding the other 3 tracks – So The Story Goes, Because You’re So Sweet and Miracle, I enjoy all of them a lot and they are all very good.
26 January 2006 11:08 pm (GMT)
I like this one, it has it’s own style and mood. The highlights of this record are “take me back”, “i love saturday” and “always”. :)
30 January 2006 6:41 pm (GMT)
Simply the best work from Vince & Andy!
30 January 2006 6:41 pm (GMT)
I love it:) My favourite: Take me back
28 October 2006 4:47 pm (GMT)
The most perfect album ever made! Every track is a masterpiece, from opening track of “Take Me Back” to the ending track of “Because You’re So Sweet”.
TAKE ME BACK [10/10]
I LOVE SATURDAY [10/10]
MAN IN THE MOON [10/10]
SO THE STORY GOES [10/10]
RUN TO THE SUN [10/10]
ALWAYS [10/10]
ALL THROUGH THE YEARS [10/10]
BLUES AWAY [10/10]
MIRACLE [10/10]
BECAUSE YOU’RE SO SWEET [10/10]
27 July 2007 7:13 am (GMT)
I Say I Say I Say is the last blockbuster by V&A. This was their first album with new songs written by them in three 3 years –in the meantime, they released the compilation Pop! and Abba-esque-. Take Me Back opens the record making metaphors about the heart and paradise. Andy’s high-pitched, a gorgeous melody courtesy of Vince and the choir are a sample of the whole album, it could have been a single. I Love Saturday is a brilliant danceable song, perhaps its openly gay lyrics -“like a knight in shining armour you came over to save me”- didn’t help it to be a massive success. Man In The Moon is perhaps the weakest song but is not skippable. So The Story Goes is a nice song with very good voices by Andy and The Choir Of St Patrick’s Cathedral. So, Run To The Sun comes out with an unleashed Vince teaching how to make dance music. Always is a beautiful song but I listened to it before in a remix version for discos and I like it more in that way –sorry fans, don’t kill me-. All Through The Years, strange and pleasant song with sad lyrics. Blues Away shows an Andy singing in a falsetto and Miracle is a fine tune enriched by The Choir Of St Patrick’s. The last one is a simple but lovely melody with naïve but deep lyrics Because You’re So Sweet.
Singles’ extra songs: Tragic: a homage? to Chi Mai, a master piece of Ennio Morricone for the french movie ‘Le Profesionalle’ (with J.P.Belmondo), I prefer the instrumental version. Tenderest Moments: this b-side ought to have been included in the album, a moving ballad recently “rescued” for Union Street. Ghost a decent track –not very special-.Truly, Madly, Deeply a powerful song, could have been included. Dodo a typical Vince’s instrumental, pleasant. Siempre: Spanish version of Always. Andy has been improving his knowledge of the language since La Gloria.
Summary: a beautiful album where they mix pop with gospel.
22 July 2008 9:24 pm (GMT)
best album ever , i just wish erasure would do a tour of just every song on this album it would be heaven….
15 June 2011 8:37 pm (GMT)
Take Me Back – lie there, close your eyes and let it wash over you. The song Florence, Dougal and Dylan would listen to if they were chilling out in the garden by The Magic Roundabout. I Love Saturday – a nice song but maybe a little too fast to make an impact on the casual listener. Man In The Moon – one of seven ballads on this album. While none are unpleasant, the overall effect is to slow down the record. So The Story Goes – probably the most downbeat track, not exactly enhanced by the choir in the background. Run To The Sun – while most of the songs on I Say I Say I Say are a bit too slow, this is the other one which goes too far the other way. They’ve thrown in a bit of techno too, as it’s 1994. Always – the last piece of towering magnificence from Erasure before they were given the cold shoulder by the mainstream media. Every time you hear it build up to that tremendous chorus it gives you a tingle. Cracking video too. All Through The Years – nice enough. Blues Away – I love this, though I seem to be in a minority. Miracle – again, nice enough. Because You’re So Sweet – another example of how to give an album a lovely ending.
3 August 2011 2:43 pm (GMT)
Simply excellent!!!
28 October 2011 8:47 pm (GMT)
A masterpiece. A journey that starts with the hues of blue on the album cover. A lament for innocence lost. A desire to return to simpler times, to the idea of home. An appeal directly you as a listener not to be consumed by your own darkness. The past viewed through the lens of a fairy tale, with more than a hint of melancholy. The perfect winter album. An album that reveals layers of production even after 18 years of listening.
2 January 2012 5:54 am (GMT)
Erasure’s I say I say I say is an indefinable pinnacle in synth-pop history. It is probably the only album that I know all the lyrics of, by heart. It’s amazing that their previous work has been commercially more successful than this one. I think it’s because even the syhnth-pop fans to that day had not listened to anything like this. All the songs are excellently produced by Vince Clarke and sung perfectly by Andy Bell. You can listen to it hundred times and find out new layers, effects, melodies and vocals on tracks. And you just don’t get bored of this album. 18 years on, and it’s still sounds great. I think 1994’s I Say I Say I Say, alongside 1995’s Erasure, are the artistic zeniths of Erasure.
9 July 2012 7:00 pm (GMT)
This album still sound fresh after almost 20 years, fact that proves that Vince Clarke is one of the best electronic artist of all times, and Andy Bell an amazing singer. Songs like “Man In The Moon”or”Always” are simply beautiful and except a couple of tracks the rest of the album it’s very nice and enjoyable, one of my favourites of the duo.
11 April 2013 12:06 pm (GMT)
Not sure what to think about this album
it has ALWAYS one of their best songs ever and the most successful song of them in the us for example (in terms of chart position+ sales and spent weeks)
but then there are none songs which are similiarly good.
Ok all songs are ok and enjoy them to listen, but there is a big gap between ALWAYS and them
RUN TO THE SUN is also ok but sounds nowadays like an old fashioned euro dance song
14 November 2013 9:44 pm (GMT)
Tinkering on the child like twinkle twinkle music, but god dam, don’t it work, such a magical record, perfect.
6 December 2013 1:06 pm (GMT)
I Say I Say I Say is the sixth album by Erasure. I features some solid vocal performances from Andy Bell and some marvelous synth riffs by Vince Clarke. So,let my go through all the album tracks,one by one
1.Take Me Back:A fan favourite and one hell of an opener,it delivers maximum goosebumps with the line “I rather fall into youuuuuuu” (8/10)
2.I Love Saturday :The album any worse with I Love Saturday,witch was destined to become a chart topper,but as we all know,that was not the case (8/10
3.Man In The Moon:This track is more 80s than any other song (7/10)
4.So The Story Goes:This song is not good,and the problem is:IT JUST DRAGS ON AND ON (5/10)
5.Run To The Sun:Arguably the best song on the album,the synth riffs here are more than worth to hear (9/10)
6.Always:The most famous song,and yes,its as good as they say (9/10)
7.All Through The Years:An ballad with a strong vocal performance by Bell (8/10)
8.Blues Away:WORST.LYRICS.EVER.It feels like a Michael Jackson rip-off (4/10)
9.Miracle:Okay,i guess (6/10)
10.Because Your So Sweet:A great closing track (7/10)
23 November 2014 7:45 pm (GMT)
I rate this alongside, Wonderland, as a very enjoyable fun erasure album but not quite part of the cannon of classic work that the duo did from 87-92…its a tad trippy and mellow (not a bad thing at all) but doesnt feel as inspired as the magical Chorus LP. Highlights include Always and run to the sun. I love Saturday was a good if not great single choice. Man in the moon however is sublime.
2 March 2015 4:05 pm (GMT)
The whole album is rich with its goodness.
The only downer was So The Story Goes. Wasn’t their best piece of work. Average rating is 10/10.
31 May 2015 1:11 am (GMT)
Erasure’s best álbum along with The Innocents! Full of beautiful and atmospheric songs. I say I say I say takes you to another place, as beautiful as the artwork from the sleeve! Always is their best song, by the way! Take me Back, Run To the Sun, Because You’re Só Sweet, I Love Saturday are some of their best tracks ever! And the phenomenal Man in the Moon shows once again why Erasure are one of the greatest acts ever!!!
28 August 2015 9:24 pm (GMT)
When this album came out I didn’t care for it. I have always enjoyed Andy’s voice and my thoughts about his vocal production on this were not positive. “Why is he singing so much falsetto and why are the vocals so over-produced?” There is a reason they don’t perform much of this live….
The songs I really liked when it came out were I Love Saturday, Run to the Sun, All Through the Years, and Miracle.
Through repeated listens over the years this album has grown on me and yet is NOT one of my favorites. I think this album borders on being too precious and its ring-leader is Because You’re So Sweet.
TAKE ME BACK [6/10]
I LOVE SATURDAY [9/10]
MAN IN THE MOON [6/10]
SO THE STORY GOES [7/10]
RUN TO THE SUN [9/10]
ALWAYS [7/10]
ALL THROUGH THE YEARS [7/10]
BLUES AWAY [7/10]
MIRACLE [8/10]
BECAUSE YOU’RE SO SWEET [4/10]
14 March 2016 8:37 pm (GMT)