"If there was one word to describe Wild! it would be "lush". Although everything is still 99.9% electronic, there are samples of pianos, strings and other "real" sounds to give the album a fairly organic and natural feel - at least in comparison to the analogue blips and bleeps that would be the trademark sound on the following albums. What makes this album so great is that it is perhaps Erasure's most diverse collection of songs yet everything flows together in a coherent way. From the silly pseudo-Latin pop of "La Gloria" to the amazingly beautiful ballad "You Surround Me" to the dark and minimal "Piano Song", every song stands apart from one another but yet fits together nicely. A common complaint about the album is that while there are some great songs there's quite a bit of filler as well. I was one that once agreed with that sentiment, but over the years I've grown to appreciate every single song on the album. It is not as strong as The Innocents, Chorus or their self-titled album, but it is a classic in its own right. My only real complaint is that it's rather short - roughly 35 minutes. If they ever re-release it with some of the great b-sides off the singles on that album (Paradise, Dreamlike State, etc.) as bonus tracks, then I'll give it 5 stars, but for now, it'll be 4."
Born to be "Wild."
The Groove | Boston, MA | 09/15/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
""Wild" is the followup to international smash "The Innocents," and while it's no instant winner like its predecessor, it's certainly a step forward for Vince Clarke and Andy Bell. There's the gorgeous rush of "Blue Savannah;" the synth bleeps of the catchy "Brother and Sister," and the touching love ballad "You Surround Me." While "Wild" went to No.1 in the UK, the CD stalled on the US charts and was ignored by fickle fans who wanted a sequel to "Chains of Love." However, it's become a fan's favorite and deserves a spin on your CD player."
Erasure Wild
J. L. Riemenschneider | Lamesa, Texas | 03/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Excellent CD. Great to work out to. Great to just leave on repeat."
Morado | cincinnati, ohio USA | 06/08/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I saw Erasure on the Wild! tour and it was one of the best concerts ever with a great stage show! This is one of thier top 5 CD's too. Vince and Andy throw down some wicked dance grooves and some memorable slower tracks as well. The surreal dreamy lyrics are ever present of course.My favorites are: "Blue Savannah"/ "Drama!"/ "La Gloria"/ "You Surround Me"/ "Brother and Sister"/ and the brilliant "Piano Song."This is smooooth!"
The pinnacle of their career
Morado | 04/27/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"this is their most musically mature and therefore their best album. erasure seemed to have reached the pinnacle of their career with wild. cuz everything after that has gone downhill. way down. ever noticed how the synthesizer sounds really wimpy after this album? and the singing has regressed, too."