On The Road To Nashville

Performer: Erasure
Artist: Steve Walsh
Distributor: Caroline Distribution

Notes: Erasure: Andy Bell (vocals); Vince Clarke (guitar, mandolin, melodica). Additional personnel: Steve Walsh (guitar, mandolin). The third major Erasure release in three years, 2007's ON THE ROAD TO NASHVILLE continues a remarkably prolific streak for the British synth-pop duo. This live DVD/CD set, recorded in Music City's landmark Ryman Auditorium, works as a companion piece to UNION STREET, and once again finds Vince Clarke and Andy Bell in an unlikely, but intriguing, acoustic setting. Highlights of the audio disc include the swooning "Boy," the shimmering "Tenderest Moments," and a beautifully spare version of the hit "A Little Respect," all of which shine the spotlight on Bell's emotive vocals. In addition to a documentary, the DVD also presents a number of bonus performances, making NASHVILLE essential for any devoted Erasure fan. If you made it to 2007 with a fat wallet then you probably aren't a true Erasure fan. Since 2003 the group has been responsible for a slew of sideline releases -- remix albums, acoustic albums, and big stack of limited-edition, souvenir live albums -- with only the 2005 effort Nightbird offering something entirely new. On the Road to Nashville is another live album and the hook here is that the usually electronic, club-oriented act is backed by a live band, which makes for some interesting arrangements. Seeing as how they're performing at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium -- once home to the Grand Ole Opry -- "Blue Savannah" becomes a rollicking hoedown while "Victim of Love" sways in a rustic style, lap steel guitar and all. While these are clever, cute, and fun, seriously delivered tracks like Nightbird's "Breathe" and the chestnut "A Little Respect" are more rewarding with performances that breathe new life into these fan favorites. If you haven't checked in on the boys since the millennium turned, you're better off checking the well-built Nightbird and picking some tracks off the acoustic effort Union Street before venturing here. This is for the hardcore fans, the ones who have endured a mountain of stopgap releases and somehow still beg for more. ~ David Jeffries

After founding seminal synth-pop outfits Depeche Mode and Yaz, Vince Clarke joined forces with singer Andy Bell in the mid-1980s to form Erasure, combining Clarke's melodic electro-pop pedigree with a more danceable approach. The duo scored numerous hits throughout the second half of the '80s. Though their chart presence diminished somewhat in the '90s, the pair continued tenaciously into the 21st century. Latter-day releases found Erasure saluting their influences, with an EP of Abba tunes in '92 and a covers album, OTHER PEOPLE'S SONGS, in 2003.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25