CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE

ABC: "The Lexicon Of Love" (Mercury):: Since Bowie and Ferry offered a lot more surface than substance back when they were supposed to be saving rock ’n’ roll, I can’t get worried about this tribute band’s lack of depth. Martin Fry’s candid camp and ad-man phrasing don’t altogether justify his histrionic flights, but they do give him room to be clever, which is clearly his calling—some of these synthetic (in more ways than one) funk rhythms make me laugh out loud, and he’s an ace writer.