The difference between
Beauty Stab's chart statistics in the U.K. and in the U.S. is extremely contrasting. The album's only single, "That Was Then and This Is Now," reached number 18 in the U.K., while it stalled at number 89 in the United States. The album itself climbed to number 12 on
ABC's side of the ocean, while it stalled at number 69 on the American charts. The reason that
Beauty Stab made such a substantial impact in the U.K. was due mainly to the album's makeshift concept about the band's take on modern England, with
Martin Fry and
Mark White trying to push their opinions through the buzz of guitars rather than the shiny pop sparkle of synthesizers and drum machines. Every aspect that made
Lexicon of Love a masterpiece is absent on
Beauty Stab. Gone is the brilliant songwriting which involved
Fry's clever wordplay and acute wit, the pre-fabricated hooks that are so addictive, and, above all, the squeaky-clean sound from both a production standpoint and an instrumental one is nowhere to be found.
ABC tried to implement a slightly hardened sound into their music, but the result came out thin and undistinguished. The single was the only redeeming factor, showing the most pizzazz of any of the other cuts. "Bite the Hand," "Unzip," and "S.O.S." contain small amounts of pop delight, while "Love's a Dangerous Language" and "Power of Persuasion" tried to recapture
Lexicon's spirit, but they both came up short. Album sales for
Beauty Stab faltered, since fans were expecting a
Lexicon of Love part two, but were utterly disappointed. The change for
ABC seemed to be rushed, and the band should have echoed the same characteristics into
Beauty Stab since the high demand for their brand of lustrous was still alive and well. Only
Fry and
White remained for 1985's How to Be A...Zillionaire!, with a handful of session musicians hired to play on the album.