Stardom Road

Performer: Marc Almond
Engineer: Jason Boshoff; John Brough; Marius De Vries; Gary Thomas; Gary Thomas; Jason Boshoff; John Brough; Marius De Vries; Avril Mackintosh
Producer: Marius De Vries; Tristram Penna; Tris Penna
Distributor: Fontana Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Marc Almond (vocals); Marc Almond; Antony Hegarty, Sarah Cracknell (vocals); Robbie McIntosh (guitar, guitars, ukulele); Neal Whitmore (guitars, programming); Mike Smith , Mike Smith (flute, recorder, piano, harpsichord, keyboards); Igor Outkine, Igor Outkine (accordion); John Anderson , John Anderson (oboe); Trevor Barry, Lenny Plaxico, Dave Swift (bass guitar); Chris Dagley, Chris Dagley (drums); Hugh Webb (harp); Chris Storr, Dominic Glover (trumpet); Winston Rollins (trombone); Richard Henry (bass trombone); David Powell (tuba); Jools Holland (piano); Chris Holland (organ); Marius de Vries (keyboards, programming); Rob Burger (keyboards); Gilson Lavis (drums); Kiki Dee, Andy Caine, Anna Ross (background vocals). Additional personnel: Antony Hegarty, Sarah Cracknell. Audio Mixer: Andy Bradfield. Recording information: Angel; Helicon Mountain; M & I Studio, NY; Olympic Studios, London, England; STrongroom; TownHouse. Arrangers: Marius de Vries; David Bowie; Ernie Freeman Combo; Derek "Dek" Fearnley; Mike Smith ; Tristram Penna; Keith Mansfield; Del Newman. Marc Almond will forever be best known as the singer for '80s U.K. synth-pop pioneers Soft Cell, but by the time of STARDOM ROAD's release in 2007, he'd been recording as a solo artist for roughly five times as long as that duo's lifespan. Almond has always had a penchant for the decadent and the dramatic, both of which seem to reach a kind of culmination on STARDOM ROAD. The album consists mostly of covers in which Almond pays homage to his heroes. David Bowie, Gene Pitney, Bobby Darin, and others all get the Almond treatment, his deep, theatrical voice suggesting a happy collision of Bowie and Scott Walker. Tackling a handful of pop standards along the way, Almond makes it clear that he's reached full artistic maturity and is a million miles from the frothy pop of "Tainted Love."

Uncut (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[H]is voice sound particularly strong and supple here....STARDOM ROAD happily finds Almond in rude, revitalised health."

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