Love is the third studio album by Scottish pop group Aztec Camera, released in November 1987 on Sire.[7] While it was released under the Aztec Camera name, Roddy Frame was the only remaining permanent member of the group and he recorded the album alongside a group of session musicians.[8] Departing from the indie and folk-rock approach of earlier records, Love incorporated R&B influences, seemingly to break the American market. It failed to do so but did achieve commercial success in the UK, reaching No. 10 on the albums chart, following the success of its third single "Somewhere in My Heart", which reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart. As a result, it became the band's most commercially successful album.[9]
Background
The Backwards and Forwards (1985) live EP was released, reaching number 181 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. After this, the band went through a line-up shift, retaining frontman Roddy Frame and drummer David Ruffy, and adding guitarist Steve Jordan, bassist Marcus Miller and keyboardist David Frank of the System.[10]
Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that the album was a "backward step into pop cliché, an attempt to make a record which would work on American radio."[10]
Upon release, the initially peaked at number 49 on the UK Albums Chart. After the success of its singles, it rose to number 10.[10]
