Send "Yazoo " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Popmatters |
 It seems these days that any disbanded group that was the least bit successful will garner a customary outpouring of love amid an announcement of a reformation, regardless of where they actually stand in the greater scheme of things. History has long held Yazoo (billed as Yaz in the United States) mainly as a stopgap project for songwriter Vince Clarke between his more notable forays with synthpop icons Depeche Mode and Erasure. Yes, ‘80s club staples “Don’t Go” and “Situation” remain catchy tunes to this day, but that period in the British tunesmith’s career is certainly not where the focal point of his musical notability resides. Yet the new two-disc concert set Reconnected Live (which documents performances from the 2008 tour that reunited Clarke with his Yazoo partner, singer Alison Moyet) implies a weightier legacy for the synthpop duo that doesn’t manage to convincingly argue why we should make much of a fuss about it all.The pretensions are evident from first examination of the packaging: an exquisite-looking 32-page hardbound book stuffed with liner notes devoted to Moyet’s dewy-eyed reminisces of her relationship with Clarke over the years. Contained within the lavish set’s two discs is a series of pleasant if straightforward renditions of songs from both of Yazoo’s studio albums, Upstairs at Eric’s (1982) and You and Me Both (1983), that yield no surprises, and make it quite clear that the channeling of fond memories is the name of the game here. On a pure entertainment level, Reconnected Live is a decent diversion. With both performers on form, there are no lags to be found in the setlist, and the only stumbling point is Moyet grappling with the clunky verse melodies of “In My Room” (which, to be fair, were already there). Clarke’s melodies have always been pure pop confections (occasionally hokey or cheesy, but always undeniable), but his Yazoo-era compositions prove to be remarkably dated as much of his early- to mid-‘80s output stands, rendered in concert in the same ancient timbres heard on those quarter-century-old records. This means that what should be a potent introduction in the form of album opener “Nobody’s Diary” is dampened by its positively dinky-sounding keyboard intro, while “Walk Away from Love” and “Sweet Thing” unfavorably recall the soundtrack to some cheap 8-bit game. Luckily, Moyet is around to provide balance, giving Clarke’s songs definite oomph with her assertive delivery and soulful gusto, and proving as capable at delivering smoldering torch songs as she is uptempo dancefloor-fillers. Yaz’s signature hits—and its best songs—“Don’t Go”, “Only You”, and “Situation” are held off until the very end, which is a very curious way to structure the record—unless the goal is to advocate that all that comes before it is of equal merit and standing, that is. In Yazoo’s case, that argument doesn’t hold well. All in all, it’s a perfectly enjoyable listen, but there’s no getting around the fact that you would gain the same aural satisfaction from listening to the studio releases the material originated from....full text |
| Recordcollectormag |
| Yazoo’s reunion was a fleeting, contained experiment; a blink-andyou’ll- miss it moment. To prove it actually did happen, Mute have released this 2-CD souvenir, packaged in a hardback book with photos and all. It’s at least partially captured in New York City, where Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet were always viewed as a far more exotic confection than they were received in the UK. The shows demonstrated the respect both members had for each other, which took 25 years to fully appreciate. It captures the euphoria of the moment well. After years being viewed as the restrained torch singer, the excitement here mainly derives from hearing Moyet, full-throated and exhilarating, letting rip. She is genuinely engaged, full of surprise and innocence. Her joy is apparent when she announces, “This is another of those we never had the chance to play,” and the duo romp through the You & Me Both material. You have all the big hits too, of which Only You remains as touching, Don’t Go as pleading and Situation as irresistible. As a pocket resume of Clarke’s pop songwriting genius and Moyet enlivening his squelchy, metallic sounds, Reconnected is near-perfect....full text |
| Bbc |
| While other – and frequently lesser – 80s bands have been dancing to the tune of the reunion cash till every year virtually since they split up, synth-pop duo Alison Moyet (voice of a blues diva) and Vince Clarke (keyboards that whirr and plink), waited over a quarter of a century to share the stage again. Reforming after so long could have been messy, patchy, embarrassing even. Especially since they’d only ever played 24 gigs together (Yazoo lasted a mere 18 months) and had gone their separate ways because of a total breakdown in communication. But then, we are talking about Clarke, Depeche Mode alumnus and half of Erasure, who turns everything he touches to platinum; and Moyet, squillion-selling solo artist with the voice that made us all go weak in the presence of its deep, raw beauty. 2008’s Reconnected tour, was, if anything, even better than the one they went on when Alison wore Siouxsie make-up and Vince still had hair. Forget resentment simmering over the speaker stacks – they now have so much chemistry they aren’t averse to the odd bit of hugging. It’s hard to hear hugging through the magic of CD or download, but Moyet’s charisma travels well over the ether. Bantering with the audience, whose unrestrained appreciation seems to surprise her, she is excited, gleeful; she’s savouring every moment of performing. "Here’s another track we never got to play!" she cries joyfully as Mr Blue begins....full text |
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