16 tracks · 69 min
Wonderland is the debut album by Erasure, recorded in 1985 soon after the duo's formation. It was originally released 1 May 1986 in the United States on Sire Records and 2 June 1986 by Mute Records in the United Kingdom. Not an immediate success, the three singles released from it failed to crack the Top 40 in the UK, nor did any of them enter the Billboard Hot 100. "Who Needs Love Like That" would eventually make the British Top 10 in 1992, and "Oh L'amour" became a UK Top 20 in 2003, both in remixed form promoting their Pop! The First 20 Hits and Hits! compilations respectively. However, the album fared better in both Germany and Sweden, where it was a Top 20 success. Erasure's initial exposure in the U.S. came via dance clubs, as two singles did hit the top ten on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. At the time of its release, Wonderland was considered a failure, especially when comparing it to Clarke's prior successes with Depeche Mode and Yazoo. Early reviews of the album dubbed Bell as an Alison Moyet imitator. Wonderland is widely revered as a classic example of mid-80s synth pop, by most critics, and is appreciated now as the beginning stages of one of electronic m…
