Marc Almond

Marc Almond. Just look at the above span of work, it's nothing less than genius.

The below is about the double vinyl Hits And Pieces – The Best of Marc Almond and Soft Cell. https://www.discogs.com/Marc-Almond-And-Soft-Cell-Hits-And-Pieces-The-Best-Of-Marc-Almond-And-Soft-Cell-/release/12564887 (UMC ‎– 5762925).

This double album is a thrill to have. I got it at a very decent price and it is immaculately produced in every detail. The (heavy) vinyl itself is gorgeous, one pink, the other black. The vinyl labels have portraits of Almond on the A-sides. The printed inner sleeves include another two portraits and an essay, all in glorious pink, black and metallic silver. The production couldn’t be any more beautiful.

This is important: Marc Almond has created a huge range of music. This track listing is chosen superbly and the four sides represent his work well, seemingly portioning the work into four groups chronologically. Side A is classic SOFT CELL with emotively grand pop hits such as Bedsitter and Say Hello – the world instantly became a better place when this music was released. Side B is the darker Soft Cell, (and rushing through a few phases actually, covering a very creative period) – Soul Inside, to Marc going solo and dueting, with Bronski Beat, perfect roof-down Corvette music, I Feel Love. Side C are the, whatever you call that phase, with Days of Pearly Spencer (Aaaaa Ha!). And Side D, the later stuff.

If I have to mention gripes, it is that there isn't enough of the Marc and the Mambas phase (for me, this was a wonderfully creative period). Also, because it is ‘Hits and Pieces’, you miss out on real gems like Ugly Head and Catch a Fallen Star, but it is what it is – and if I want to play Fallen Star, then I get the album out . . . I have compared the track listing to the double CD of this. The CDs obviously have a lot more tracks, but thankfully (and I think wisely), they are mainly the later stuff left off the vinyl, and the vinyl doesn’t overly suffer from the omissions. It is a small pity Ruby Red doesn’t appear on the vinyl, but I can out the 12” and listen to this properly (Special Re-Recorded Extended Dance Mix - GLOW 3 13).

I don't usually rate 'Best of' albums so highly, but with Marc Almond’s work it is different - the tracks aren't all over-charged 'pop hits' which can make ‘Best of’ albums tiring to listen to – hit after sodding hit, if you know what I mean. These tracks work well on an album and reveal a fantastically creative musical force: Marc Almond and all the wonderful people he chose to work with (Dave Ball, Annie Hogan, the Willing Sinners etc).