Just a reminder that Erasure's Total Pop! is released in the U.S. today, both in a two-disc version (Total Pop!—40 Hits) and a three-disc/DVD version (Total Pop!—Deluxe Box). The latter is available on U.S. iTunes (minus the DVD).The collection is most notable for including and picking up where the duo's 1992 hits set Pop!—The First 20 Hits left off, and culling together the singles released between 1994 and 2007 on disc two.
True, that's been widely recognized as Vince and Andy's declining "shoddy" period by most, but a couple of my fave singles from them came during that time—"Always" and "I Love Saturday" (1994), "Stay With Me" and "Fingers And Thumbs" (1995), and "In My Arms" (1997).
Below is the video for "Stay With Me," a tearjerker which I recall a review (The Guardian?) at the time describing as "more beautiful than this world deserves." I bought this single in Fall 1995 at some long-gone record store in my college town, and played it to death on my walkman that semester.
For those in the L.A. area, Andy Bell is doing a live DJ set and then a signing at Amoeba Records on Thursday, starting at 6:30 pm.