OTR: Book of Love - Book of Love

As a band, Book of Love lasted for nine years, coming together in 1984 and splitting up in 1993. All told, the Philadelphia foursome - Susan Ottaviano (vocals), Ted Ottaviano (keyboards, vocals), Jade Lee (keyboards, vocals), and Lauren Roselli (keyboards, vocals) - had four albums to their name with a handful of minor hits. Top 40 recognition would generally elude them, but they were club and college radio staples during their heyday.

It was through college radio that I discovered Book of Love. The compilation album I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love arrived at WAIH and I ended up listening to it and playing cuts from it on my show. It was a few months later that a copy of the band's self-titled début (which was released in 1986) showed up in the used bin at a local record store. I grabbed it up and added it to my collection.

The CD issue of Book of Love contains 17 tracks, twelve of which appeared on the vinyl LP and cassette versions of the album which the other five are remixes which likely could have been found on the group 12" singles. In any case, if you don't wish to risk hearing three different version of "Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes)" back to back, I do not recommend putting the disc on shuffle play.

This album is a pretty consistent mix of synthpop, perfect for when one needs some ear candy. There is nothing too terribly challenging here, but it never becomes too saccharine, as Susan Ottaviano's matter-of-fact singing style (akin to a female Bernard Sumner) keeps the proceedings grounded. Had Dale Bozzio (of Missing Persons) been Book of Love's lead vocalist, there would have been trouble.

Side A of the disc opens with the aforementioned "Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes)," which is followed by club hit "You Make Me Feel So Good." The side is closed with the high energy instrumental "Late Show," which inspires the listener to immediately flip the record to side B, which opens with "I Touch Roses." The only track on the set which could be considered "high drama" is the regretful longing expressed with "Yellow Sky." The record ends with "Book of Love" which, regretfully was never released as a single as MTV would have been forced to label the video with a title card like this:

Book of Love
"Book of Love"
Book of Love
Sire 1986

People would be blinking twice, rubbing their eyes and then writing to the Department of Redundancy Department.

There were plenty of sunny synthpop records in the 1980s, but I still think this disc is an enjoyable little gem. Recommended if you like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark or Erasure.