by Matt Crider

Created on: July 21, 2008

I didn't grow up listening to the radio all that much. My parent didn't really discourage it, and my dad had the radio on all the time, but he listened to talk radio most of the time. So my "musical awakening" didn't really occur until college.

One of my roommates had a cassette tape. It was the Innocents by Erasure. I listened to it and I found myself loving every single song. The music and the words came together in what was a beautiful melody. ONe of the songs "Where Were You" echoed the way I felt about my best friend at the time, who I had thought had abandoned me when I went to college.

Soon I went to the music store and bought everything they had done up until that point and was entranced. Of course, the lead singer was openly gay and I was just coming out to myself at the time, so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

I also found out they had another CD coming out soon. I was very excited. I don't recall what happened first. either my mother's death or when the CD came out. My enthusiasm for almost anything died the day I lost my mom and I don't know when or if I ever completely covered. I was 19. But I remember listening to the Wild CD at night as I cried myself to sleep. WHile I don't want to go as far as to see the music healed me, it at least soothed my aching heart enought that I could function.

I saw them in concert for the first time shortly thereafter. I was amazed by the lavish sets and that Andy Bell's voice was as spectacular live as it was on recorded media.

The next CD that came out was Chorus. I remember being at the record store when it opened, that day the clerk offered me a job for the Christmas season. I remember watching the premiere of the Chorus video on MTV and having a little crush on Andy Bell. I loved that song.

When AbbaEsque came out I was working at Arthur Andersen, I took off work that day to buy the CD. And then came the self-titled Erasure CD which although I didn't care for as much I still loved.

I remember listening to I Say I Say I Say with Bruce, my best friend, when we were driving around and we came up with the idea for our first novel.

When Cowboy came out, I was living in Lousville. I could only get it as an import at first because they didnt have a US Label when it first came out. Madonna's label, Maverick eventually picked it up. Again, it wasn't my favorite CD, but it still holds a place in my heart. I made a trip to Detroit from Louisville to see them in concert with a couple friends.

Loveboat came out when I was in my first real realtionship. ONce again, they had no US Label, so I made my boyfriend at the time drive us all the way to Louisville (I had moved in with him in Cincinnati). I was going to go alone but he wanted to go with, sio I told him ok as long as he didn't speed. He ended up getting a speeding ticket on the way home.

Next they did a cover album. It was good, but I prefer their own original creations. They provided that in spades with Nightbird which was one of my favorite CD's of theirs.

Last year, they came out with Light at the End of the World. ANother CD that I could relate to. In fact, as I grew up, they were right there with me. And I can't wait as they follow me into the next phase of my life.

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