Album of the Day

Originally a politicized Leeds collective, Scritti Politti took a more mainstream turn when frontman Green Gartside wrested the band from Rough Trade and onto Warner Bros. Records for CUPID & PSYCHE 85. Cut in New York as a trio with new collaborators David Gamson (keyboards) and Fred Maher (drums), the album is a superb fusion of synth-pop and soul co-produced by legendary R&B ace Arif Mardin. The myth-inspired title refers to the schism between love and knowledge, and Gartside's lyrics display a keen intelligence without distracting from the fine music; such tracks as “Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin),” “Absolute” and “The Word Girl” were hit singles in the group's native U.K., and “Perfect Way” just missed the Top Ten in the U.S. Scritti Politti's most successful release, CUPID & PSYCHE 85 is also one of the most underrated and inventive albums of the 1980s.