Reviews (page 2 of 8)
SEX DWARF. i had just about had enough of marcs out of tune wailing and this happened. the album really should have been a 40min edit of sex dwarf.
Interesting beats but silly lyrics just made it old fast.
I usually give albums that are just a single and barely any decent other songs a 2. But tainted love wasn’t good enough to justify the rest of it
I'm done with the 80s at the moment
Really bad album only 2 cool songs all other can be discarded. Lot of experimental fails.
painful
Jesus this sucks, the absolute pinnacle of annoying and overproduced music. It's like they are just using electronic instruments because they can, not because it actually sounds good and the end result is just so soulless and annoying.
One of the worst albums I've heard from
Other than the song Tainted Love, this album is pretty hard to listen to. Their voices are abrasive and out of tune.
He sings out of tune. It’s possibly deliberate but I couldn’t listen.
I think I must have a Soft {Cell} spot for pervy synths! Marc Almond has an incredible voice. Usually I shy away from most of the 80s synths and drum machines etc - but this was so much less polished and it was full of good energy. Loved it. The original of Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is wildly different from the David Gray cover (I didn't know it was a cover). What a shock! Don't touch me please I cannot stand the way you tease I love you, though you hurt me so Now, I'm gonna pack my things and go
Singing well is so overrated actually.
I love this album and always have, silly + fun hehe
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Man those early synth-pop albums with a giant hit single really could do whatever they wanted sonically. WTF is even "Sex Dwarf"??? And why is it actually not too bad. The best albums seem to have an air around them, a place you can see in your mind clearly. This album certainly has it for me, which is incredible for an album allegedly recorded on the super cheap. I'm a sucker for these 80s synth sounds and these guys do it pretty well, and the singer has a nice charisma.
I know this album by heart and it's probably not essential, but your life is probably better for having heard "Sex Dwarf "(Title and chorus inspired by a real tabloid headline).
Loved way more than expected! Raw.
9/10 This album just sounds like what an 80s synth pop album should sound like, it's dancey and doesn't take itself too seriously. Marc's singing is so fun it makes me want to sing along 10 seconds into any song.
#272/1001. Early 80s synth pop rules. Soft Cell were not the only ones who took pre-aids period gayness to the front, and the whole album is like a luring introduction to queer side of sexuality to the average Joe. The version Spotify gave me seemed a bit long - perhaps there were extras (the album lasts way more than your typical sexual act, even in gay worls I would presume). Still I can't but love the early synth sounds and all the jingle jangle that goes on in the legt and right throughout the record. Also a pity the two best songs are covers (with the same riff even). But also they remind us of a wonderful musical genre, which was named after music, which was played by dj's and danced to by dedicated fans in bars: Northern Soul. This is what it sounds like, when that genre collides with elwctronic experimentation by (British) bands, kraftwerk and disco. Blue movies in music.
This album got my through some dark times. Singing Yellow brick road helps me breathe during panic attacks.
Reminds me of dark seedy clubs with neons light. Totally my vibe.
sometimes horny on main is acceptable. this is one of those times.
Keine Ahnung warum, aber dass hat mich irgendwie richtig gecatched. Hat sehr viel Spaß gemacht!
♫ Listening to "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell (Non Stop Erotic Cabaret (Deluxe Edition), 1981) ♫ ★★★★★
So much better than i remembered
FUN
Surprisingly cool
Synthesizer Wave Deluxe. Die beste Mandel aller Zeiten… „Tainted Love“, „Say Hello“ und der Hidden Star „Torch“ .. besser gehts nicht.😊
Classic example sample of the post-punk era. Influential even today.
Somehow I had forgotten about this record. I bought it for "Tainted Love" but enjoyed the entire record.
Beautiful
Yerp. This is so 80s it had Saturday detention with Molly Ringwald. A classic New Wave band, a song that still screams flashback montage. Also, back in 7th grade Sex Dwarf was all the rage.
Really cool 80s music
Fantastic synth pop album that inspired tons. For awhile in the 1980s and 1990s you weren't in a real rock band until you had your own cover version of "Tainted Love". But it really hit home when I learned that Marc Almond was gay and then the multiple layers of meaning became super clear, as did much of the rest of the album. Plus it was Soft Cell's lifting up of a classic gem that made me seek out the Gloria Jones original version which I highly recommend. I do think that people who do not enjoy this album are getting wrapped in how the songs were arranged and recorded more than the vibe of the album. A fortnight cabaret album that explores both gay and straight themes of sleazy sex and noir. There is a little bit of everything in here for everyone. For years "Tainted Love" was all I really knew until Nine Inch Nails did a cover of "Memorabilia" as a B-side on the CLOSER TO GOD maxi single. Research on that song led to running down a rabbit hole of all kinds of other underground Synth Pop/Post Punk/New Romantic bands and songs.
Hearing this again underlines my belief that 1981 was one of the best years to turn 13. (It might have been even better to have turned 13 in the early 70s, but then I'd be ten years older already, and hey, ageing isn't fun.) In 1981, this kind of sparse synth pop sounded (and looked) utterly fresh: dark and exciting, and it was "our" music, unlike anything my older brothers had been listening to during my childhood. I still feel like it's ours, although it's great to see it being embraced by Gen Z. Marc Almond and David Ball cast a wry eye over the frustrations of everyday life and getting older, set to a backdrop of sleazy cabaret with a joyful hint of disco now and again. Soft Cell had a gift for writing a melody, and, indeed, a pop banger. Youth has a beautiful chorus, Bedsitter is an eternal fave of mine from this time, and Say Hello Wave Goodbye is, objectively, one of the best pop songs ever written (fight me). I am hugely fond of this album.
Wonderful to listen to this again. And astonishing that the first time I heard it was over 40 years ago.
I remember watching a documentary about this as a kid. After it finished, my father disappeared into the study only to fish this out on vinyl. He played it, and amongst the songs I already knew - Tainted Love and Bedsitter - it was enjoyable with the standouts being Sex Dwarf (because obviously) and my mother's self-described 'best karaoke song' Say Hello, Wave Goodbye: and I am inclined to agree with that. This album has the synth sound I love in the 80s, as well as a seediness I will take on any album.
Well, shit. This was an unexpected delight. Seedy Films is cheesy AF, with pretty bad vocal phrasing and lyrics, but after listening to the whole record I think it might be on purpose. Sex Dwarf is a legitimate banger too. Favourite tracks: everything.
Must admit not listened to this album before. Aware of the big hits TL and SHWG but unaware of other songs. Given that this is a really low production/DIY debut it is really good. I like the stark synthesised music and sleezy/snarky lyrics from Almond whose contempt for suburbia is more authentic than most punk songs. SHWG is a brilliant way to close the album. Again surprised by how good 80s music really was.
This is #day248 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I was supposed to listen to this album yesterday, but since it was my birthday, it got pushed to today. Anyway, catching up, here's to another seminal record from the '80s synth and electropop era. Starting with the artwork alone, this album screams the time it came out in: neon lights, smoke machines, disco balls, sunglasses, and synths galore. But what sets Soft Cell apart is that sleazy, sinful vibe and a kind of experimental edge that wasn't as present in other new wave acts. Some of my favorites from this record include "Frustration," "Tainted Love," "Sex Dwarf," and "Bedsitter." This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day249.
Now I get why one could hate 80s synth pop and if you do this is an absolute nightmare. I however am a gay person who loves to dance very badly in my bedroom and im obsessed with this. Almost had to give it a 3.5 for the back half being a bit shit but lo! Only the unlabelled deluxe edition is on Spotify and it was the bonus tracks I was bored of! I can give it 5!
Still sounds good to me
Heard it before. 80s synth masterclass. Sex Dwarf one of the songs of all time 5/5
Очень крутой альбом и группа! Странно, что я их раньше не слышал...
The title is truly exactly what it is and it’s awesome
One of the best new wave albums of the 80s. Marc Almond's singing is not perfect, but his instincts are fantastic.
Love this album, it's sound is so upbeat, even if some of the lyrics aren't. Dare I say that their cover of the Gloria Jones's song "Tainted Love" was better than the original. Also contains their hit singles "Bedsitter" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye".
A perfect record! I love „Tainted Love“ since I was a little child and „Bedsitter“ is also a hit. But what struck me today was „Chips on my shoulder“. If this doesn’t move you you’re probably dead.
Se convirtió en uno de mis álbumes favoritos de la vida inmediatamente. Algo de DEVO pero más mainstream, inglés y puro synth. El canto es algo punk, pero la música es synthpop. Muy de los ochenta, pero suena bastante fresco. Además tiene un saxo ricotero muy bueno.
Needs no elaboration, absolutely outstanding
Oh man, Marc is one horny almond, but he makes a good synth pop record. Full of energy throughout, with genuinely good songs, which are occasionally about sex dwarves and a sleazy blue film cities - but when he's not going on about over-enthusiastically about his fetishes, Tainted Love, Say Hello Wave Goodbye and Frustration are awesome, and the rest are close behind. The drum machine and synth production is also top notch. I loved this album.
This album came out at a good time for me! I loved it from the moment I first heard it as it filled this wonderful intersection between the alt music I liked, transgressive pop and out and out pop. The three singles on this album are top notch, and the rest of the music is great. I can remember being at a night club when they showed the infamous Sex Dwarf video! Top tracks - Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Tainted Love (of course!), Sex Dwarf. Soft Cell were in the vanguard of the synthpop explosion in the UK charts.
"Meanwhile my girl Ophelia is goth as hell Keeps a razor by her wrist, rocks out to Soft Cell" -MC Lars It's so weird and dark and nerdy. I love it.
Very nice.
hell yeah, new wave and synth pop are my fixed as of today, love it
Fabulously sleazy.
This album was a good one, but not great. I do think it's a shame that Soft Cell is more known for their covers.
Just a couple of fun degenerates making hot synth pop. This is the common review for me but the album title/cover basically embody the sound perfectly. Sex Dwarf and Tainted Love automatically make this album great but deeper cuts like "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, Torch, Chips on my Shoulder Frustration, Touch and So" also add to a great electronic album experience. Super fun. Super catchy. Everything 80's music did right. Only complaint is that there are too many tracks in total and they're not all equal. Some detuned synths/weirder melodies. But overall a great record.
more 80s british synthpop please
I was just wanting to go through Soft Cells stuff so perfect timing. I liked it a lot. Tainted love is the obvious classic but there were a lot of songs I enjoyed a decent bit. Entertain me totally caught me by surprise, that one was a ton of fun. Will definitely be listening back over. Rating: 4.7
Love this one
top, immer wieder
Сээээкссс двооорфф. Полнейшая база. Реально. Какой то там из самых первых ню вав альбомов прослушанных мною.
genius electro-pop saw them at Hammersmith Palais in 86, and the 40th anniversary of this LP at the Palladium - great shows
superb!
A classic
Tainted Love has been and remains one of my favorite songs.
This is such a good album, sparse keyboards and atmospheric use of a drum machine, while you almost feel a bit voyeuristic just listening to this, such is the affect of the arrangements and Almond's fantastic vocals. I love it. How can anyone not enjoy, if not laugh at 'Sex Dwarf'. Marc Almond is probably the only front man who can get away with playing it live in this day and age and not get cancelled. 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' is one of those deeply moving emotional songs, which you just can't help but belt out the chorus with a tear in your eye. I feel very privileged to have seen most of these songs performed live and I personally don't think this album has dated at all compared to 99% of the artists from that point in time. (Maybe the liberal use of saxophone does pin it to the early 80's, but that's about it). It's a riot of musical colour, and a rollercoaster of fun and emotion. A 5 star debut all day long.
Perfect synth-pop album with way above average vocals, and the most famous cover song ever? Its other evergreen song, Say Hello Wave Goodbye, has been a little ruined for me due to overexposure and that horrible David Gray cover. Rest of songs and the whole vibe of the album, all great. score: 10/10 footnotes: 1. Score is for the original 10-track album and not the version with all the extra material (which is not bad and even contains some of their best material such as Torch). 2. Highly recommended: the 9-minute long 12" mix of Tainted Love that at some point changes into Where Did Our Love Go, which is simply perfect.
This is one of the first Queer coded albums ever recorded. There are themes of BDSM, sexual encounters, and anxiety about aging in a heteronormative society. The main character in this album is split between being a good husband & father and a gay sex fiend seeking erotic encounters. This isn't an approachable album & Marc Almond's voice can be grating, but it's an important piece of 80s Queer synth history. Everyone knows this band for their cover of Tainted Love, but the standouts for me are Sex Drawf and Chips on My Shoulder. The uncensored video for Sex Drawf is wild, so watch it if you can find it. I'm lucky to have seen Soft Cell a few months ago, but I wish I was old enough to have seen them in the 80s. I bet their shows were wonderfully slutty & gay as hell. 4.5 stars.
Gut! Frustation gefällt mir.
Liderligste plade på listen indtil videre. Lyder til at de havde det pissesjovt med at finde ud af hvad synthesizers kunne, jeg elsker det her
TIL Soft Cell didn't write "Tainted Love." TIL Soft Cell made a one of the best and goofiest albums of the 80s and it's stupidly brilliant.
Like an album from a completely different reality
To a certain group of teenagers -- all across the country -- drinking black coffee in Denny's in the early hours of the morning -- confused in Ronald Reagan's America -- not belonging -- this record was an expression of rebellion and unity -- something guaranteed to offend the people you wanted to offend. Essentially a New Wave punk album, the tunes are elevated with fantastic empathetic vocals and excellent electronic instrumentation. "Tainted Love" became an anthem, and rightly so. Peaches could never have happened without these guys, same with Frankie Goes to Hollywood (which I would argue is great but derivative, FGTH took all the things Soft Cell were doing and did a better job packaging and marketing it).
CUNTY AS HELL❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️
What can I say, synthpop is just very aesthetically pleasing
I can't be indifferent to that good synthpop. It isn't as perfect as Kraftwerk but it's enough to get 5/5
Sex Dwarf
Never heard of but before but it was so good. Loved the synth and the vocals and the energy.
9/10 only like three songs here that are actually good (Tainted Love, Sex Dwarf, and Where Did Our Love Go? — the last which isn’t even on the main album) but each of those songs are such an amazing 10/10 masterpiece to me that I can overlook the sea of mediocrity that surround those perfect tracks
While the back half of the album is definitely weaker than the front, I still enjoyed the entire thing.
A lengthy album that keeps getting better and more varied as it goes.
So many great songs
the tainted love/where did our love go extended version is the most banger song of all time it literally changed my life
HELL YEAHHHH
Я был приятно удивлён этим альбомом, так как ожидал услышать типичную электронщину восьмидесятых, а получил абсолютно дикую и мелодичную смесь как раз электронщины и, внезапно, панка. По большей части, текст и звук соответствуют названию альбома и задают довольно специфичное настроение, которое держится на протяжении всех сорока минут, что не может не радовать. Финальный трек оказался внезапно мелодичным и красивым, он запал мне в память практически моментально и убедил меня поставить этому альбому оценку ещё выше. (8 - 8.5)
80's pop I wish some artists still would produce (The Weeknd has the vibes, which is a nice thing)
This album turned up on the right day! Chipping away to some 80s synth pop = awesome
Decent album - a fairly cool 80s sound - felt like it could be a prelude to pulp
Really good upbeat and fun
Great synthpop with a lot of rough edges, in the best way. Very fun Fav tracks: Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, Frustration, Youth, Sex Dwarf, Bedsitter
I think this album was actually quite a fun listen. There were some standout tracks for me, but most of them were quite good. I think that this style of music really worked for all of their tracks, and surprisingly enough to me, I really enjoyed the electronic sound of the instruments in the slower track, 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye'. I never thought this type of music would work with a less prominent beat or more emotionally sounding song... but it really did. The vocals are quite good throughout, giving a very unique sound to a lot of the songs. The album was on the slightly longer side, but not awfully too long, so I was able to keep some level of interest throughout. I didn't know that I had heard Soft Cell before, until 'Tainted Love' played. To the best of my knowledge, that is the only song I had heard from them until today, and it actually surprised me that one or two of these tracks weren't to a similar popularity. Favourites: Tainted Love Secret Life Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
this is the musical version of bringing an ugly man home from the bar and letting him hit it from behind so you can pretend he's hotter than he is
Where did our love go has always done something to my brain
Snilldar sound. Tainted Love er meistaraverk. Annars margt fínt þarna en nær ekki sömu hæðum því miður. 3,5
Tainted love og Say hello wave goodbye er stórkostleg lög. Nokkur þokkaleg lög líka, en soldið af fillerum þó upphaflega platan sé bara 10 lög.
3.5
80 Elektro-Synthie Pop. Musik aus meiner Jugend. Mit dem Hit "Tainted Love" 4/5
A synth pop masterpiece ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ - Thank you RGP. 4 lovely stars. Tom.
This was fun.
I don’t care what Michael says; I love it
Awesome intro song into a mega-hit, two bad songs and then the rest is like some Waits-ian cabaret. Didn't know what to expect coming in and left happy.
Wild stuff
Very good but the instrumentation is a little too all over the place for the coveted 5 star banger
Grimy and gay and moody minimalist synth, very much an album of its moment but it’s got its own cool spot there between Depeche Mode and Frankie Goes To Hollywood and all that. I don’t think it fully works for me in how stripped back the sound is a lot of the time or in how shocky and shlocky it can get, but it’s nice to have something prompt me to go listen to the Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go single again.
Did not think I would like this, was wrong.
01) Frustration - 7,0 02) Tainted Love - 10,0 03) Seedy Films -7,5 04) Youth - 7,0 05) Sex Dwarf - 7,5 06) Entertain Me - 7,0 07) Chips on My Shoulder - 7,5 08) Bedsitter - 9,0 09) Secret Life - 7,5 10) Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - 9,0 TOTAL: 7,90 (79/100) Current ranking: 286/929
Conocía Tainted Love. Interesante
this like the most unappetizing album title of all time freaky as hell. sometimes a little too much but i still really like it. exactly what i want out of 80s disco pop
low 4.0. Produção bem diversa e consistente, indo para vertentes como darkwave e new romantic de forma coesa.
The biggest issue this album has is that the run time is an hour and 14 damn minutes. Other than that I really enjoyed it considering I expected it to be mediocre outside of the smash hit “Tainted Love”. I really enjoyed the album though, and I think if it didn’t have the stupid album length, I’d be more inclined to give this more than a 3.5. Since this site doesn't allow half stars, it will be rounded up to a 4
Très peu objective pour celui-là parce que je l'écoute avec mon père depuis des années J'aurais peut-être détesté si ç'avait été ma première écoute, mais étrangement j'adore le côté chaotique et un peu BO de cauchemar ou de trip sous acide Fun fact : ma dernière séquence de LLCE s'appelle Say Hello Wave Goodbye
An excellent version of British '80s funky pop.
Expectations: Some fun but not really exceptional synth-pop, that’s on here because they had a massive and iconic hit. Results: What the Velvet Underground would probably make, had they stuck around to see the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the rise of neo-conservatism, and Roland drum machines.
Captures the mood incredibly well.
8/10 Tainted Love obviously banger, surprisingly short track, took me by surprise. Overall really good 80s party music
Great record from my teen days.
Good group from the 80’s. Good songs, and 80’s sound.
Non-stop synthpop slappers. Banger after banger.
Despite its flaws — occasionally pitchy vocals, rudimentary arrangements, first-draftish writing — I found this album to be irrepressibly charming. Must-listen #334.
funky, groovy, head nodding
Never has a song spoken to me as much as opening track ‘Frustration’ does. “I have life I have cage I’m going bald I want to tell the world I’ve done nothing I’ve achieved nothing I work for a firm But I want to burn it down, down” As for the rest of the album, I wasn’t expecting much, but ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ is a seedy, sleazy and surprisingly good time.
It's a good synth pop album, nothing mindblowing outside the obvious hit which is probably the definitive version of the song. It's not an experience that will stay with me forever, but it wasn't unpleasant and the time spent with it was fun. 3.5/5
Ooohhh how rude!!!!!
I wish i had listened to this before and will listen to their other albums. I only knew this band from the single and didn't expect "Sex Dwarf."
A strange album, kinda weird disco, does live up to the name of erotic cabaret. It was a fun album but not very good, I struggle to see why this is included, but even stranger that is not a criticism. Normally each album in here is either, highly influential, very good, or has a special story. This particular album feels like it had none of these things. The most special part is tainted love which has a better cover.
This album gets its stars just for unleashing Marc Almond into the world, but mostly holds up. Everyone should have to struggle to get "Sex Dwarf" out of their head at least once in their life. "Secret Life", "Bedsitter", "Seedy Films" go beyond the camp to create a life you can step in for a moment and "Tainted Love" might be the best new wave single there is.
I loved “Tainted Love” and had wondered what else Soft Cell had up its sleeve, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to listen to this. It’s almost a concept album about an ordinary family man (see “Frustration”) who breaks free of his conventional bonds by indulging his inner sexual freak. It paints a vivid picture of the peep-show red-light district culture and sounds like a hell of a good time: “Blue flims flicker / Hands of a stranger / Getting to know you / And I’m getting to like you.” The four-on-the-floor electronic backing evokes the musical era in the best possible way, and I’ll add that it’s fascinating as a kind of capstone to the sexual revolution at the dawn of the AIDS crisis.
I’m not usually into 80s heavily produced, synth music but this album did it really well. The different levels of meaning and the sonic personification of a club really caught my attention
Note that the song Sex Dwarf is "to make a comment on the bizarreness of tabloid exploitation". Tabloids are smaller newspapers that do a lot of gossip. The song title came from the title of a one of the newspapers: "Sex Dwarf Lures Disco-Dollies to a Life of Vice" I especially like the synths on Sex Dwarf and Chips on my Shoulder I also really like the album cover
i like dis
Missing the Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go mashup, but I've always enjoyed the synths and snark combo.
There are a number of reasons why this is a very peculiar record, most prominently Soft Cell’s exploitative approach which doesn’t settle on a particular style. It manages, mainly through the vocals, to hang on to a cohesion despite this. They are a little darker and edgier than The Human League, sometimes with a hint of the sort of outlandish and extreme flavours you might expect from Suicide. I don’t think that it’s a problem that my two favourite songs are the ones that deviate the most from their centre ground. The cover, Tainted Love, is a proper bop which has transcended the band. And then the closer Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is one of my favourite songs from the 1980s. It’s strangely sentimental and beautifully melancholic. After some hectic tracks it’s nice for things to resolve so peacefully.
I really liked it, though Tainted Love, Say Hello... and SEX DWARF did a lot of the heavy lifting. It's fun, raw, they don't care.
Vision. Execution.
Sometimes the synth tones are too bright for me, but the brooding vocals and breezy synths worked surprisingly well. Of course Tainted Love rules, but it's not alone.
I love this guy's voice. I feel like he could've been in the original London cast of Les Miserables. The playlist I listened to also included some singles that I don't think were on the actual album, but I really liked them too. Plus, openly gay artist in the 80s gets a bonus star from me.
Winning sound
5 stars for tainted love, 1 or 2 stars for the rest, but tainted love is on there 3 times, so pretending to do the math in my head makes this a 4
Fucking hype
Electro pop classic. Lots of good seedy synth pop songs. Mixture of the mundane and red light glamour. Don’t hear Sex Dwarf on the radio enough. Big hits with the 2 classic covers plus the excellent Say Hello Wave Goodbye. No idea if the version I listened to was the original track listing but could get rid of a few tracks to make this a higher 4 (could lose Seedy Films, Youth and Insecure Me for a start).
Where would have been without Tainted Love at crap discos? That is a highlight but usurped by Say Hello, Wave Goodbye which is biting and also heartbreaking at the same time. Otherwise some good stuff with Bedsitter, Sex Dwarf, Entertain Me and Frustration. The other songs not quite so much
I think I like my synth pop with a touch of sleaze, and this delivers, although also relieved Sex Dwarf didn't come with a video.. Does lack a bit of the incomparable Cundy Ecstacy though, who I think only appeared on the spin off Ecstatic Dancing.
brilliant
1981 was the year British synth-pop arrived in full-force. Depeche Mode had a smash hit with 'Just Can't Get Enough', New Order emerged from the darkness of Joy Division with the danceable single 'Temptation', and Soft Cell, the subject of today's album, rose to stardom off the back of their mega hit, a cover of Gloria Jones' 'Tainted Love'. But there's certainly more to Soft Cell than 'Tainted Love', and their debut record, 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret', cetainly attests to that. 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret' is a playful mix of synths, atmosphere and vocalist Marc Almond crooning about sex, youth, frustration and a range of campy topics. For every song like 'Youth' or 'Bedsitter' that deals with loneliness, melancholy and existentialism, there's a song like 'Sex Dwarf' with ridiculous lyrics about a pretty obvious fetish. I mean, it catches you so off guard that you can't help but burst into a raging fit of laughter, and I certainly did! It's almost hard to tell whether Soft Cell are being sincere with their lyrics or are simply taking the piss, because at times, it seems like they're delicately walking a tightrope between both camps. Almond's lyrics sound deep and heartfelt, but he often delivers them in such a sardonic and provocative tone that it makes it hard to tell how serious he is. It's actually quite intriguing to decipher, as it appears that, at times, clear cries for help are being masked by happy-go-lucky 80s camp. Either way, it's certainly an interesting listen. So, long story short, 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret' proves Soft Cell were more than 'Tainted Love', but I can also see the argument that listeners may have struggled to take them seriously given their campness. Still, it's a fun record, and a 'must listen' as far as synth-pop is concerned! Best songs: Frustration, Tainted Love, Bedsitter, Secret Life
This album was really good. I had only heard Tainted Love and I've never liked it. However, hearing it in the context of the rest of their work, it is much better. The rest of the album is some excellent synth-pop. The guy has a really cool voice, and some of the synth hooks are incredibly catchy. This caught me totally off guard.
A longtime favorite of mine when it comes to 80s synthpop. One or two songs might not have aged too well (lol Sex Dwarf) but it still remains a fun and enjoyable listen. Marc Almond's sleazy and/or depressing songwriting has the perfect backing of either somber or ironically upbeat arrangements, provided by a cheesy but endearing setup of early 80s synths and a drum machine. Not to strictly pigeonhole them into the descriptor, but as part of that demo myself I do find them as one of the best gay male artists in their genre/time period, right up there with Erasure and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. If you enjoyed this album their follow-up, The Art of Falling Apart, is also just as good. 8.5/10.
exactly as advertised. Frustration is the most insane track 1 I've ever heard. Favourite track: it's still Tainted Love baby
Better than Coldplay
Of course "Tainted Love" is great (although I didn't realize it was a cover until reading Wikipedia), and the rest of the album was fun, too!
SEX DWARF
Weirder and funkier than I expected. Will definitely be giving this another listen.
I must admit I didn't get into the South until I was in college and one of my friends had a copy of it . Always loved "Tainted Love" but really got into many of the songs on this album. "Sex Dwarf", "Chip on my Shoulder", "Bedsitter".. And "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", which went to number three in the UK. Unfortunately it never charted in the US, but it's quite frankly the most emotional song of the album.. (8.75) ★★★★
Great
Soft Cell war bei mir als One Hit Wonder eingeparkt. Das ganze Album habe ich erst hier das erste Mal gehört. Da habe ich wohl was verpasst, gefällt mir überraschend gut. 3* + 1* für den Queerfaktor :-D
Fairlight synth on a diy record?
4/5. I think this can be a tough listen outside of the major singles for the average person — but for those who like this type of music, it's probably an outstanding album. My read on it is this is a couple of extremely talented dweebs having fun. It's a fun and competent album, oftentimes purposely ridiculous and silly. Naturally we have to talk about "Tainted Love," a legendary cover. It's punchy, dramatic, and keeps attention the whole way through. The bass double stops provide chills even on repeated listens. "Where Did Our Love Go?" is the other knockout here, and although not as hard hitting as "Tainted," it's just as timeless. It has a jaunty quality that is very much welcome considering the otherwise frenetic and aggressive nature of the album. But there's other good stuff here. "Youth" is haunting and beautiful. "Sex Dwarf" has a sinister chord progression and has a sick synth riff (I'm pretty sure it's a synth — I'm referring to the theremin sounding ooos that follow verses) throughout. You get lifting vocal melodies backed by churchlike synths, expressive vocals, and creative synth all the way through the album, and it never gets old despite safely staying within the synth pop guardrails. There's so much amazing stuff here — there's constant flashes of untamed brilliance. That untamed qualifier is a double-edged sword: Soft Cell appears to have put no limits on this album, trying everything they wanted to, whether it was old hat or cutting edge. I feel it would've benefited from some a stronger vision, or perhaps a more ruthless and destructive producer that might've cut or lessened some of the more madcap and distracting pieces in the album. But overall? It's great. A worthwhile listen for sure.
A lot of diddling and jiggling in this entertaining collection of pop songs. Glorious bouncy fun at the time.
Better than expected
This album is still as much fun (and wrong!) as it was when it came out! Say Hello Wave Goodbye deserves credit as an all time classic song, superb.
Artsy synth-pop, nice
Teenage kicks! Maybe doesn't quite deserve before but I'm giving it one anyway due to a banger and some weirdness
me after five songs: surely this erotic cabaret will stop soon marc almond and dave ball: hold on tight, spider monkey
I like the urban underworld aesthetic it gives off, I don't know if that's the album art doing the lifting but it's a valid part of the experience, sounds musically unique enough for a synthpop album and Marc Almond's voice lifts it well (or pushes it deeper into the concrete darkness)
7 - GOOD
Sex Dwarf is a great name for a song
Very, very 80’s
Los tres singles son geniales. No es un disco para oir entero (sonido limitado), pero aún así por el cariño que le tengo se merece un 4.
An "Tainted Love" kommt hier nichts ran (ist ja auch ein Cover), aber ich war überrascht, wie cool die Songs hier teilweise sind. Manchmal etwas überfrachtet, aber dennoch ziemlich spannend. Die B-Seiten sind ganz in Ordnung aber größtenteils eher überflüssig.
Das Album ist ein Paradebeispiel dafür, wie sehr das Radio den Horizont einschränkt. Tainted Love repräsentiert dieses Album nämlich denkbar schlecht, den Grad an Experimentierfreude hatte ich nicht ansatzweise erwartet. Dementsprechend gut gefallen hat mir der Durchgang, es kratzt sogar an der 5, aber dafür waren dann doch zu viele Lückenfüller drin für meinen Geschmack.
Famous tainted love, rest is quite dynamic
Such a vibe.
Soft Cell is the electro-Devo with Marc Almond’s twisted world view expanding the pop dictionary to include a thorough examination of kink and sexuality as well as perception. Opener Frustration hints at what is to come “I am so ordinary…I’m so tired of hard luck stories…” and yet the album is filled with stories and most of them hard luck stories. Musically, it is hard to argue with the genius of the Tainted Love cover- Gloria Jones recorded in 1964 the original and it was a northern soul stomper but Soft Cell’s synth pop cover elevates it into the contemporary pop sphere. Seedy Films captures the nightlife of Blue City which is a euphemism for the drug filled dance clubs of the late 70s and early 80s where the nightlife was seedier, kinkier and definitely sleezy. Sex Dwarf and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye are also classics that surprisingly stand up after 40 years because they are catchy, interesting and because there is nothing really like Marc Almond other than perhaps Kevin Rowland of Dexy’s Midnight Runners who also mines similar territory. Actually this is a record that still belongs in this list. It was an album derivative of no other act and represents a complete work of disco inspired synth pop with lyrics you can sing along with (although singing a couple of these songs may get you some side eye). A fun, not too serious pop record, that somehow avoids all pretentiousness, is surely a worthy record to include in this list. 4/5
1980s edgy synth pop extraordinaire. The voices of soft cell are actually the voices of the whole decade for me. I knew tainted love and where did our love go? but it gets SO much weirder, in a really good way. I like the punchy repetitiveness. All in all, this got me in a funky mood and kept me interested!
Really surprised how fun I found this.
I enjoyed this album quite a lot. I’m a huge sucker for 80’s synth pop and this was no exception. Will definitely add it to my regular rotation.
Fun 80s pop lots of keyboards and reverb
A much more compelling listen than I remember. Pretty badass that this came out in '81.
"Tainted Love" elevates this album for sure. Still a great album though.
Megahitin ympärilläkin aika hauska tasapainottelu liman ja kimalluksen välillä. Sitä parempaa synapoppia.
A fun dose of ’80s synth-pop with plenty of sleazy charm. It could’ve been great with 20–25 minutes trimmed off, but overall, it’s an enjoyable listen from start to finish.
I enjoyed the album. I didn’t realize they were the ones that did so many hits that I remembered from the 80’s. Besides the hits I enjoyed the synth pop sound.
Easy, cheesy, slightly sleazy.
Started well, thought it was going to be amazing. Got a bit manic Tetris! Tainted Love such an all time banger
Soft Cell are remembered for "Tainted Love", one of those rare cover songs that far outshadows the original song. Fewer people know the rest of the album today which is maybe not surprising as it's clearly a product of its time. It's tempting to think of 80s synth pop as cheesy, fun dance music but with Soft Cell you can see more of the evolution from late 70s post punk. Synthesizers became cheaper and you could practice in their apartments. No need for a costly rehearsal space any more. You can easily see the appeal for young punks wanting to break into a sleezy/sexy club scene. And that's clearly who Soft Cell were. The lyrics expose not only the club but the seedy after party, all escapism from a dull paycheck to paycheck life. The band struck gold by getting access to a top of the line synthesizer, which gave them a major edge in crafting striking sounds for the era. Other 80s bands would polish the synth pop sound more to make the decade bright and vibrant. But these are the dark origins in divey bars and clubs. Songs like "Sex Dwarf", "Bedsitter", and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" as well as bonus track "Memorabilia" are all fantastic, dark and danceable.
Nicee
Loved it. Relived it.
Grows as it goes on.
Full 80s pop energy, you get what you pay for
I bought this album about 20 years or so ago, mostly for Tainted Love, but never listened to it much as the rest of the album didn't grab me. Upon revisiting it, I realised that, like a lot of albums on this list, the CD released was spoiled by having several demos, outtakes and alternate versions tacked onto the end of it. When you listen to just the original tracks and cut out the chaff, it's a much better work. It's still not perfect, but I enjoyed it enough to just about give it a four.
Tainted Love is always a banger. But the song before it and after it were meh. But as the album continued, it got better, still very 80s synth. Good job, folks. 3.5/5
This is some pretty classic synth-pop, glad to see it on the list. There's a few really good songs and some which are... not as great. But even at its worst, this album is still deliciously retro. 3.5/5, rounded up. Favorite tracks: "Tainted Love," "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," "Where Did Our Love Go?"
actually kinda good just long
It's a sexy album
I’m a little too young for this album the first time around and I knew say hello wave goodbye was a cover but I didn’t know that is originally Soft Cell. For me this is the stand out track on the album. Tainted Love was the only song I knew as Soft Cell.
Super chaotic and depraved album. Was pretty fun, but went on for far too long. Lots of songs probably should have been cut.
Very good
Very much an album of its time, the production is quintessentially 80's. Overall very good with some absolute classics (tainted love, say hello wave goodbye) as well as someone extreme lowlights (looking at you sex dwarf)
Tainted Love is marching robots dreaming that they’re people, people dreaming that they’re robots. It’s an uncanny song, strange, reverberative. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is also a great track, but there’s some filler as well. The album is interesting in the way it anticipates the direction of UK music in the 1980s. You can hear Sisters Of Mercy, The Communards, The Smiths, The Beautiful South and the C86 bands. I once saw Marc Almond doing a DJ set, and the act he was supporting was a stripper, so bonus points for him remaining a denizen of the demi-monde.
Listened to before: No I I had bought this album in 1981 beacause I heard Tainted Love on the radio, I would have been disappointed. TL, as the banger it obviously is, does not represent the album at all. Imagine it more as if Eric Idle recorded a sexclub-themed Synth-Album (and I mean this in the most positive way). NSEC is quirky, it is unhinged, it is fun. I particularly enjoy the run from Entertain Me to Bedsit. From todays perspective some sounds feel a little dated and not every song slaps - Still, this is an album that I enjoyed a lot and will listen to again.
Funny, sensual, great influence for synthpop, danceable, nice ballads too. Great production. 4 stars.
Frustration is such a perfect opening track and Tainted Love is one of the best covers of all time. The rest of this has highs and lows, but unfortunstely the theme is more consistent than the sound.
It's wonderfully weird. Even if electro synth pop isn't your bag, it's a wild ride and they know how to write a catchy song. Also good to have an artist from Leeds on the list 🙌
5 for Tainted Love, which is so iconic it appears in a Doctor Who episode ( ninth dr with Rose, 2nd episode, I think). The rest are forgettable but somehow I like the genre. So 4.
An odd little number. The faster dance songs work best. The ballads are a little weird. It’s a tad perverted at times. Tainted Love is a great cover.
The early 1980s were a free for all in terms of what could be in regards to music. The remnants of punk mutating into post-punk, synth-pop percolating from fad to fact, pop itself being a myriad of other things that could differentiate itself from others and then there's Soft Cell. Their Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret lives up to its title by being as blatantly and unashamedly sexual as possible, thereby giving a jolt to the imaginations and horrors of those who either needed a boost of affirmation or a wag of the finger to reassert notions of authority. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret remains a thrilling listen nearly forty-five years later for those who look to seek out the band past the one cover song (the other cover song, The Supremes' Where Did Our Love Go?, is quite stellar though.) Favorites: Frustration, Tainted Love, Seedy Films, Youth, Sex Dwarf, Entertain Me, Secret Life, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, Where Did Our Love Go?, Memorabilia, Fun City.
great
Len Houmous once got a cease and desist from Marc Almond after releasing his wedding night tape from his 17th marriage ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ 3.5 15/18 - Torch
80s rush of new wave perfection.
S E X D W A R F SD goes hard
😎
Nem tudo é incrível, mas souberam aproveitar o momento.
Incredible debut, all songs are amazing, great sound and vibes all throughout. Enjoyed it from beginning to end.
80s synth pop is not my thing, but this is much better than most of the other stuff
This was interesting and very good but can bring myself to smash that 5 star button. So 4 it is.
Oh yeah. I love this. Anxious and horny new wave / synth-pop. This scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. “Tainted Love” is a great song but I never thought about who sings it. I’m happy to learn that there’s an album’s worth of music like it. Also, can we talk about the song “Sex Dwarf”? It’s really a jam about a BDSM relationship with a little person? Haha okay yeah sure 🤷🏻♂️
I absolutely adore "Tainted Love". It's one of my favorite songs of all time, and this version is probably in my top 25-30 (Marilyn Manson's version is great too!). I love the sexy tension that permeates through the synths and awesome 80's electro drums. This is a song that really shows how a songwriter can take the building blocks of music and make something that feels bigger than the sum of the parts. There's a few specific moments that I love, I think the best of all is the first chord in the chorus that's a G-major when the whole time prior it's been G-minor. Great little bit of tonal manipulation there that pleasantly shifts the vibe around a bit. It's a great record, it goes in a few funny directions, and overall is a joy to listen to.
I knew tainted love and that’s it. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye and Bedsitter are also great but the icing on the top? Sex Dwarf. What a masterpiece
I had only ever known Tainted Love by Soft Cell, but I really liked this album! Will be back!
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I dig the paranoid atmosphere, fueled by cocaine and haunted by the apocalyptic specter of AIDS. It's electronic, which isn't normally my jam, but they keep it real with enough acoustic instruments, passionate vocals, and good songwriting. Plus, "Tainted Love" might just be the greatest cover of all time.
While not a perfect album, the sound is so new-wave 80s that indeed I think you have to listen to this one before you die. Tainted Love is a perfect song.
I like new wave, so this album was fun. The clear highlights were “Tainted Love” and “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye,” but it was a decent album overall.
Amazing album title. Debut studio album by English synth-pop duo. Aggressively 80s. Tainted love. Fun, playful, varied. Raunchy.
Second half is so awesome. Glad I gave it a listen.
ohhhh, so THAT'S where that intro came from :O
Weirdly enjoyed this
A little repetitive in places but really good
I will not include the remastered bonus tracks for this review. Ahh yes, Soft Cell, the synthpop duo primarily known for their cover of Gloria Jones's "Tainted Love". That's all I knew going into their debut album, and I figured, after "Tainted Love" as the second track, the rest of the record was going to be lackluster in comparison. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret was pretty good for an early synthpop album. There's a certain roughness to David Ball's electronic instrumentation that lends this album an element of grit uncommon among other synthpop records of the time. Pair that with Marc Almond's soulful vocal delivery and hedonistic lyricism, and the result is a surprisingly dark record for the time. The likes of "Frustration", "Seedy Films", "Sex Dwarf", "Bedsitter", and "Secret Life" run the gamut of twisted desires with such charisma. The only track that didn't stick the landing for me was closer "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", which came off flimsy in its kiss-off. Honestly, a pretty good synthpop debut from Soft Cell, as it showcased a lot more talent than the one cover could convey.
I was probably deeply corrupted by this as a teenager and can’t thank Marc Almond enough for that. Wonderful trip down memory lane, or rather memory dark alley in Soho 👍🏻
Fun.
This was fun. You can definitely hear the eroticism in it haha. I've been into alot of 80s stuff lately. This will get another listen
Way better than I expected. A bit weird and very new wave but that works for me.
There is some pretty good stuff on here, some trash to balance it out Will I listen to again: 61%
Enjoyed this a lot!! Fun sounds fun voice
Teeno is right!
Very one hit wonder.
Brilliant.
absolute bangers on this, really good
what a nice surprise
Really liked the production on this, though some of the singing can come off as a little cloying. Listening to "Sex Dwarf" in the office (on my headphones!) made me laugh. Guess they were more than just "Tainted Love".
Great new wave album
Listened Before? N I'm really not much of a fan of Tainted Love mainly because it was so overplayed over the years... that being said- the rest of this album is pretty awesome! Sex Dwarf is a freaking hilarious classic. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Sex Dwarf
I have this album on vinyl and also a few of the 12” extended remixes which are better than the original album versions. None more so than Say Hello and Wave Goodbye. I tend to get quite emotional when I play that track. The clarinet opening with the mellotron backing always send shivers down my spine. I also always think of Mr Tomlinson deputy head at Calder High School Mytholmroyd, who played clarinet in the school orchestra of which I was also a member (trombone) It’s not that Mr Tomlinson would have played anything like that but alongside his clarinetting he was also a very strict disciplinarian and I fell foul of this side of him a lot. I can safely say that without Mr T’s influence my life would have taken a different track for the worse. So when I hear the track I always give thanks and pay my respects (he must be long since dead now RIP) for someone who really did make a big difference for good in my life. Lots of other great 80’s tracks are also on this album. Tainted Love is instantly recognisable from just the two or three opening synth notes which is always a sign of a great song. And who has never danced to this at a wedding with his tie tied around his forehead? Soft Cell have strong Leeds links. Today is 25 years since the murder of Chris and Kev. Never forgotten. MOT ALAW 4/5 5/4/25
I've been listening to this on and off quite a lot in the last few years following discussion with friends. It's pretty odd, and not perfect, I can list it's drawbacks - Marc Almond can sing but has an awful habit of going terribly off-tune, Gloria Jones' Tainted Love is infinitely better (although this version is a cultural classic), it has a song called Sex Dwarf; but I can also list it's many pros - it's mental, it's seedy, it's minimalist and jagged while maintaining great pop sensibilities, and it has a song called Sex Dwarf (which is a banger, and I hear lots of precursors to the excellent Pink Grease). It has definitely taken me more than a couple of listens to fall in love with it. Secret Life is great, Bedsitter is great, Youth is great, Say Hello Wave Goodbye is majestic. Bonus tracks, Where Did Our Love Go shows they made the correct choice to go with Tainted Love instead, as this just sounds a whole lot of wrong. Fun City goes on long enough to be decent and pleasant, and I enjoyed Torch.
Really enjoyed that.
Felt like a huge breath of fresh air, surprisingly experimental for a pop album. Really enjoyed the opening songs and the overall concept of someone being so bothered with being ordinary that they're going off the deep end with everything. Very British. Some songs toward the end do drag on a bit much for my taste and get instrumentally less interesting
I didn’t expect to love this album as much as I did — but wow, Soft Cell is so much more than Tainted Love. This album oozes that unmistakable '80s vibe. It’s sleazy, packed with synths, and dripping with pop and sexual undertones — exactly what you’d hope for from Soft Cell. Favourite songs: It’s hard to choose, especially with the deluxe edition offering so many gems. Disco 2 feels like the soundtrack to a wild night out, and I couldn’t get enough of Sex Dwarf, Chips on My Shoulder, and, of course, Tainted Love. Least favourite: Honestly, there’s not a single bad track here. Album artwork: Super cool cover — it perfectly captures the vibe of the music
liked songs: Frustration, Tainted Love, Bedsitter, Where Did Our Love Go?, Torch, What? Great synth sounds throughout. Sex Dwarf could have been an original song on 30 Rock. 3.75
The vocals on this were mesmerizing. Even with the obviously 80s production which usually isn't my favorite I enjoyed almost every song. Sex Dwarf was kinda wild tho
I think “Tainted Love” is one of the best one-hit wonders ever (I know they had more hits elsewhere), so I was looking forward to finally listening to this album, and honestly I wasn’t disappointed. This delivered exactly what I wanted from the guys who did Tainted Love - grimy, sleezy, horny music. Unapologetically queer, which is kinda wild for it being the 80s. Loved the dramatic voice, loved the 80s production. This album is really good and certainly sets a mood!
Liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Solid 80's New Wave sleaze. The hits, of course, are there. But there's a lot more decent material to scratch that cocaine itch. Unexpected bangers: Seedy Films, Secret Life, Insecure Me
Overall a good album. A bit of bloat on it as I felt it could've been a couple of songs shorter.
Lots of killer and little filler. Surprised I liked this as much as I did. I don’t think I’ll be going back to it any time soon but am glad I listened to it.
So goofy and fun, will definitely revisit
My first job was at an arcade. One day, as I'm clocking in and getting situated, my boss is singing just the part of Tainted Love about getting away. He quit the next week to become a cook at Hooters. Great album.
I don't love absolutely everything on here, but there's some really great synth pop beyond the couple tracks I knew.
Non-stop? Yep. Erotic? Definitely. Cabaret? Ehhh.... Besides their one hit wonder Tainted Love and a few other tracks this album isn't a standout. Few songs were excellent and others were just bad. But I love the overall vibe, and the transitions between songs were nice. Good but I don't think I'll listen again. Favourite track: Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
4/5. Edgy synth-pop, making it because it's what you have to do but you don't like it so you make fun it while making it. That is the energy I get from this. And honestly it's fresh and fun. Just random screaming and talking in the middle of choruses. And even when they want to be serious, they do have the singing chops to do so too. I think some songs were not well written in general but overall, the energy alone carries this one. Moody yet not serious, fun times. Best Song: Tainted Love, Frustration, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
Enjoyed this a lot. Very tongue in cheek and dramatic, very fun to listen to.
Oh WTF, Tainted Love is by these guys!? ha! never knew the band name. Okay not only is the title awesome but I'm enjoying all the tracks so far. It has a bit of a darkness goth feel to it. Sex Dwarf, I've heard this one too! Never realized the lyrics before lol or even the name of the song. mmm the moaning in this.. 🤤 Oh I've also heard Where Did Our Love Go? 4 stars
Weird and fun and yeah I liked it! Not a wowee goosebumps good, but good!
What do you mean you don't have your own sex dwarf?
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8/10 Before this I've only ever heard tainted love. But this album really surprises me on how the synthesisers are used. Especially for an album from 1981 they have a synth sound design which still sounds so modern. This can best be heard on the song Memorabilia. The only minus is that the album is really way too long. Favourite tracks: Tainted Love Chips on my shoulder Say Hello, Wave Goodbye Memorabilia Least favourite songs: Seedy film Facility film
Great album - with a few highlight songs supported by vocal and electronic mastery. Nice.
Sex Dwarf is insane
So I had heard Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go a million times of course but I can't say for sure that I had ever hear anything else by Soft Cell. After this album I kind of feel like they were a bit of a sleeper band that should be more famous than they were/are. I don't know what it is about this album, it's not something I would normally be into but I loved it. It's super fun. I suppose this is what you get when you mix disco with synth wave? It's really dated sounding but in more of a nostalgic and endearing way than being irritating. The second half falls off a little but, I don't know man, this is pretty much a banger. 4/5
Great album
I knew the hit but not much else. Nice surprise. Great introduction to the 80s music to come.
You people don't DESERVE the 80s!!! This is as poignant a work of are today as it was when it was written. So many modern undertones and as overtly sexy as any mainstream act could get.
very english very gay (not derogatory just vibes)
This album tastes of vodka and coke. I loved it.
Love a bit of soft cell. I've seen Marc Almond a couple of times and his music has stood the test of time. Very good album and some classics amoungst the songs
Sex Dwarf. 7/10
The album is not anything I was expecting. Tainted Love, although the big hit, and a great hit, almost stands out as being completely different. The album is funky, sexy and full of energy, and then the whole album kind of shifts direction to that traditional 80s sounds. It is a real ride. The sound is fresh and unique. I was back and forth between a 3 and a 4, but by the end of the listen it was definitely a 4. Torch is my standout apart from tainted love
Iconic Songs.
Sexy (and i know it)
Well well well. I didn't expecting to be listening to a song called Sex Dwarf today. I *certainly* didn't expect said song to be irresistibly danceable. This album is nuts - turns out Tainted Love is probably the most restrained track on it. There are lots of wacky synth hooks that, together with the lyrics, vividly conjure up a mental breakdown or midlife crisis. It's great!
Jolly, a bit dated but still OK
8/10. I love 1980's synth pop. In general, this album is a great listen. It's not Depeche Mode or Tears for Fears, but it's still really cool! It has several interesting tracks on it. However, it's too long for its style, in my opinion. :)
Apart from Tainted Love and the one I will mention shortly I had not much of an idea of Soft Cell. This album I enjoyed so much more than I thought I ever would. It sounds like a Soho that is long gone but I was lucky to experience the tail end of. Sex dwarf is phenomenal but the aforementioned track is Say Hello Wave Goodbye. One of the most heartbreakingly strong breakup songs. Every line has you there standing in the rain lit by neon lights...
Big sexy synthetic pop mmmmm
Favorite tracks: Say Hello, Wave Goodbye; Chips on My Shoulder; Sex Dwarf.
i think the thing that most sticks out to me is that for how early this is in the history of synthpop, and for how rough and patchy the sound is, the band somehow knows Exactly What They Want To Achieve and how to achieve it with the confidence of infinitely more established technology and genre conventions. front to back quality tunes matched only by surprisingly layered aesthetic unity...i think the flavor that rly sells it is the Comic Edge which is mostly content to bubble under the surface, quietly enhancing the ramshackle qualities. closing track is rly beautiful and sad, and i think does even more wonders than the aesthetic to help me conceptualize this as a whole Album. a weirdly evocative halloween listen too!!
I just know that one big song. All in all, it is a good pop album that has too many tracks on it.
This album started out ok and got better and better towards the end. I was afraid the whole album would be like Tainted Love, but I was pleasantly surprised; Sex Dwarf had me hooked even before I saw the song title!
I usually don’t have much use for new wave albums, they’re singles acts more often than not. Double so for one hit wonders like Soft Cell. Somehow though, this is pretty solid and has more memorable songs than I’d expect. C+
I'd listen to this again. "Tainted Love" was definitely the best song on there, but they know their genre and they executed this album well.
very sexual lyrics for something I only had time to listen to while working, gentlemen
October 16, 2024 HL: “Tainted Love”, “Youth”, “Entertain Me”, “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” Sometimes creepy, sometimes bizarre, always camp, always 80s Very much a ‘time and a place’ kind of album, but overall a fun ride that got better on a repeat listen.
++: Frustration, Tainted Love, Sex Dwarf, Entertain Me, Chips on My Schoulder +: Seedy Films, Youth, Secret Life +-: Bedsitter, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye 7,9/10
Tainted Love is obviously a total classic but honestly the rest of the album really holds up too. I love the icy synths and the vocals perfectly compliment them.
Really got surprised by all the other songs next to tainted love. Solid Album for a oversaturated decade. felt refreshing to me at least. woul give it a strong 3.5/5.0
Surprised to see this one make the 1001 list. Until I listened to it again 40 years later! Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is weird, long, upbeat, and SAD (which is quite difficult to do.) Most of the songs are upbeat but about depressing subjects. The synth base line runs thru the album, one of the members is great on the horn, incredible licorice stick on a couple of songs and sax on others. Bedsitter and Chips On My Shoulder are unknown sleepers and the best songs on the album; but sad. “I’m making a stand while I sit on my ass.” That’s good! Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go were truly over played, but the other songs were too weird and too long for radio play at the time. This album is list worthy as there was nothing like it in ‘81. You can really go to Hell if you give me the Soft Sell (4.3*s)
This album is wild and def has a creep factor but the duo is so kinky-weird it works. I liked this a lot more than expected. These guys must have sleazed around many a disco dolly club, porno peep-show, and the sex cabaret scene to get in the mood to write this. They dove dick 1st into the underbelly of the party culture and spoke to the love/hate relationship they had with it. "Sex Dwarf" was a treat in itself and although cringeworthy, I will have to play it again. Never knew "Tainted Love" was a cover and actually drops its rank a bit. The album deserves the list for its sheer perversity (although not nearly as bad as some today). I even bet the 1st pressing of the LP was on some lubed up vinyl suit they wore during a weekend freak off...3.6.
Soft Cell? The Tainted Love guys? Do they have another song? Man was I wrong to overlook them. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret was a blast from start to finish. This absolutely nail the 80's synth-pop sound. I added a handful of songs to my mix and am excited to run into them in the future. Wondering if they have more in their collection that is worth listening to. This has been the biggest surprise on the list so far for me. What a treat. 3.71 stars
This is so out of style right now that's actually back - I'd give it 5 stars if it wasn't because half the songs sounded like failed attempts of tainted love
The rest of the album is (sex?) dwarfed by Tainted Love, which will outlive us all, and maybe all other pop songs, but the entire affair is a buzzy, bristling thrill. "Say Hello/Wave Goodbye" is a masterpiece.
This thing is still so weird and singular.
Such a dirty album, in the best. Real sleazebag vibes. Cheating. Lying. Handjobs in a cinema? Fun stuff.