Reviews (page 3 of 8)
This was actually much better than I expected. I thought Soft Cell was a one-hit wonder and that they wouldn't have much else worth listening to, but with the exception of one or two kinda lame songs (Frustration was kinda meh to me), this album was full of perfectly groovable new wave 80's goodness. Four stars.
Noh erilaista..
Of course the "Tainted Love" cover, but "Sex Dwarf" goes so hard. Great seedy synth pop.
Excellent stuff, like a lost Depeche Mode album. And who cares if Tainted Love is a cover, damn did they ever update it with a new direction! Legends. Loving all the deep cuts on this one. Sex Dwarf? Really? Alright let's go. I can definitely party to this. Sex Dwarf, forever. Love the combo of synthwave and a subtle sense of humor, this is a very entertaining listen that you can certainly dance to. On top of this all is this irrepressible influence of Motown which feels like it should absolutely NOT work, considering the amount of neon-soaked synth tones, but due to the duo behind this, the chemistry just works.
Banger single, opens strong with Frustration, Sex Dwarf is hedonistic mania, and Say Hello is beautiful torch. An album I’ve enjoyed since the 80’s. But this listen I felt like most of the songs ran about 30-40 seconds too long. I suppose that’s when happens when you’re off the dance floor.
Probably would have been more popular in its time if not for the subject matter. More than three singles here.
I had zero idea “say hello wave goodbye” was a cover when David Gray sang it. Mind blown. This album is so 80s- it’s great. Sex Dwarf is wild. Overall enjoyed it.
softly awesome. 4 soft cells.
One I listened to regularly prior to this. The single version of tainted love and where did our love go have one of the best transitions ever (not seen on this version sadly)
You've heard Tainted Love so many times that it is easy to forget that it was pretty revolutionary when it came out. The rest of the album live up to its title and is sleazy does it. Does drag towards the end but only in a minor way
Strong music, but weak singing. If the singing were not offkey this often this could have been five stars!
TAINTED LOVE!!!
Twisted, seedy synth pop, Soft Cell certainly works as faux cabaret with Almond in fine voice.
some of the tracks remind me of old school games ost, probably biased 4 they are definitely better than a one hit wonder
Classic 80s!
A pretty cool debut album. 80s techno music. When I heard the opening track, I was afraid that this was going to be a very long, annoying album. Good news— it’s just long. Sex Dwarf was weird. Where Did Our Love Go reuses the instrumental to Tainted Love, kinda cool. I want to say that the album is bloated, but it’s bloated in the same way that Tommy by The Who is bloated—the songs that aren’t as interesting or are longer add to the atmosphere of the album. Their value comes from rounding out the entire catalog. Granted, that album is better and tells a narrative. Standouts: Tainted Love, Entertain Me, Chips On My Shoulder, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, Where Did Our Love Go?, Torch, and So.
Each song is 50% too long and the vocals are subpar, but the beats are just so silly and goofy that I couldn't help but enjoy it.
Fun
This album sounds like theybjust did a ton of coke
I went into this album knowing only Tainted Love, but there are some other bangers on here such as Seedy Films and Secret Life. I love the use of synthesisers throughout, and the somewhat odd use of extra instruments (I’m pretty sure I heard a saxophone and a clarinet at points). It gets a bit weird at times, but never so weird that it makes it a hard listen.
This album is kind of deranged and crazy, starting right off with Frustration and that song is pretty fun. I didn't think I knew anything from this group, but I never knew they sang Tainted Love, which is still a banger. I also liked the songs Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, and Memorabillia. Early 80s pop, and its a bit much at times, but I enjoyed listening to it.
Just like the title and album art suggests, this does sound like a sleazy back-alley sex club. I'm surprised (as always) at the very low score, I thought this was a lot of fun, some songs were pretty wacky like 'Sex Dwarf' but that early synthpop sound just makes everything into a banger. 'Tainted Love' is an 11/10, goes without saying, but especially towards the back half I found every song to be extremely catchy.
Vraiment resté impressionné. J'embarquais dans cet album avec la mentalité que c'est un band "one hit wonder" et que seulement Tainted Love allait être bonne, mais globalement c'était un album vraiment intéressant. Chaque pièce était unique et malgré que ça sonnait toujours new wave, c'était loin d'être unidimensionnel et monotone. 8/10
This was really good! Especially for a debut album! A few really good standout tracks too :) Never listened to a full album of theirs before.
Pretty good. They deserve to be known for more than just Tainted Love
Temazos de las 80.
Can't convince me these guys weren't a huge influence on Damon Albarn/Gorillaz.
Well, I complained yesterday I had three straight days of albums without words. This album does, in fact, have words. Granted, it sounds almost like a karaoke version of early 80's synth-pop, but there are words being sung. The trumpet solo on "Seedy Films" is top-notch and the theme of this album seems to be "music to walk down a secluded back alley to" or "here is a strip club where you could easily acquire herpes." Not that either is a bad thing. I had never heard anything but "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell and have to say I don't totally hate what they are going for here. It's an interesting slice of early 80's music that pre-dates the synth-oriented music of the era. The album looks, feels and sounds trashy. This the sound of a band writing a song called "Sex Dwarf" and not giving a shit what others may think.
Well, I just like the synth-pop. And it just happens it's a great synth-pop album.
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by Soft Cell delivers a mesmerising blend of Marc Almond's soulful vocals and David Ball's minimalist electronics. Standout track Say Hello, Wave Goodbye remains a timeless favourite, its haunting beauty and emotive lyrics leaving a lasting impression. Overall, the album is a standout in synth-pop, showcasing the duo's talent for crafting evocative and memorable music. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 5 STAND OUT TRACK - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
The album is better than I thought, given my teenage son and I just had a conversation about one-hit wonders where Soft Cell's name was mentioned. This album is more than Tainted Love, though that song dominates - what a classic. They are also on the early side of the big synth-pop movement of the 80's but I'm not sure that's enough to push them out of the average rating. The album is aptly titled given the content of the lyrics and they do well with their theme. Seedy Films is decent in that regard but Sex Dwarf is the real gem - lyrics just as likely to make you blush but with a techno beat that kicks serious ass. Entertain Me (after the vocals-only intro), Chips on My Shoulder, and Secret Life are also pretty good and techno groovy. Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye are also decent though a bit more subdued in sound. So I find myself at about 3.5 and trying to decide which way to round. I'm going to give them the bump for being new on the scene and because if you listen to the album a few times it really grows on you.
I have not listened to this album but I am familiar with the song Tainted Love which is from the album. I really liked this sound (very 80s). My favorite songs were: Sex Dwarf, Chips on my shoulder, and bedsitter. I will definitely listen again!
"chips on my shoulder" absolutely rips. can't help but love "tainted love". and "sex dwarf", what else can you say? just a stunning pop record. it's a shame "memorabilia" didn't make the album
7.5/10
Interesting that Soft Cell's only known for "Tainted Love" (don't misunderstand; the extended version is one of my favorite '80s tracks), because this feels like a seminal new wave album and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Love the synth-heavy sound that (partially) defined the '80s. I don't know if "Sex Dwarf" would fly these days ("Sex Little Person?"), but apart from "Tainted Love," it was the stand-out track for me. The entire album's solid, though. Good stuff.
Enjoyable album through and through. A few familiar tracks. Some new ones that caught my attention. Will probably listen to again just for grins.
Great album enjoyed it very much.
4 stars for the audacity of the thing. Ended up being a pretty good cooking album. I really liked the final song, the instrumental rounded out the album nicely. Favourite track: Sex Dwarf - could you get away with this today?
Crazy catchy. Sinister voice and synth. This is what deserves to be on this list. Not other dumb non catchy shit. Frustration, Tainted Love, Sex Dwarf and Chips On My Shoulder are the best songs. Ez 4.5
Frustration, TAINT love, Chip on my Shoulder and Say Hello are fantastic. There's some absolute boring duds on here too though. Soft 4
"Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. Synth pop and new wave. Of course. The album was recorded on a limited budget but they were able to use producer Mike Thome's NED Synclavier which gave a unique sound. The album title was taken from a Soho neon sign and hints at the album's content. Soft Cell is Marc Almond (vocals) and David Ball (electronic and acoustic instrumentals). The album did well commercially, due to the success of "Tainted Love," hitting #5 in the UK and #22 in the US. It also received mostly positive reviews. The album begins with Almond yelling and stuttering the song's title "Frustration." Electronic bells and the song reminds me of 80's Prince. There's horns and Almond mentioning drugs and Bo Derek. Very manic...lots of these songs are manic. The electronic drums and bells in the background start their big one, the Gloria Jones' cover "Tainted Love." Loud claps. Almond's perfect, almost emotionless delivery. Not much to say other than an 80's new wave classic. I'm pretty sure they were going for the shock value in "Sex Dwarf." But, the music is great. A heavy dance beat and a dark, seductive synth. Sure, Almond and woman keep repeating "sex dwarf." Berlin would take this song template and make one of their best songs "Sex" a few years later. Marc Almond maybe is reconsidering his clubland lifestyle in " Bedsitter." Layered synths and one that sounds like a bouncey wah-wah guitar and an electronic dance beat. Almond recalls his drinking and realizes his only home is his bed. The album closer "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" is a somewhat romantic ballad. It's slower with again a bouncey synth and drumbeat. Loud synth keys carrying the melody. Almond does his best singing as he tells his lover to get lost. This is a really good song. Yeah, I somehow really enjoyed this album. Sure the lyrics are comical and the music, like the title, cabaret and outdated at times. But the music is varied from song to song. The use of synth sounds and the drum beats are brilliant. Almond has both an emotionless and emotional delivery. Even though outrageous at times, I couldn't stop listening to his lyrics. Once in awhile, they even get serious with a deeper meaning. A surprising recommendation for an album to go back and definitely give a listen.
I perked up when I heard Tainted Love. The song Sec Dwarf has some killer synths. Every song can make you shake your head to the beat, even if the lyrics make you go “huh?”
aesthetically such a fun time and tainted love is epic.... bedsitter is real as hell... secret life...
Listened to half of it, didn’t care for it, then came back for a double lesson weeks later and loved it! Very plastic and sleazy and silly in the best way possible. Frustration is such a good opener
Va ser "el" seu disc. Res del que van fer després ni tan sols es va apropar, però aquí la barreja d'innocència, sexualitat juvenil, provocació i un esclat de lucidesa musical els va donar un bitllet per la trascendència temporal, tot i sonar molt al moment. A més, 'Tainted Love' estaria en el Top disputant-se el premi a la millor versió de la història
Soft Cell is one of the many New Romantic bands that denies being associated with that "loser" subculture. But they undeniably have the looks, the personality, and the synths. In the same vein as ABC, they provide a coherent theatrical release (truly cabaret-esque) full of high-energy atmospheric disco tracks with expressive vocals. Accompanying this is the film Non-Stop Exotic Video Show which has a music video for every track plus some extras, and I'm impressed with the creative yet distinctively 80s ideas for each video. I'd recommend checking out the banned version of "Sex Dwarf." It's fun and creative, and I like the transition in tracks like "Entertain Me" to "Chips on My Shoulder" although it is a little choppy. There are several weak tracks, and I feel like a few of them only stick out to me because Marc Almond has such an explosive personality (with other funky noises like background chanting), often derailing the song into his own punk rage. Without it, I notice how repetitive and simple the synths can be in most tracks. Still really cool though to the point where it doesn't matter too much besides in the minimalist tracks like "Youth" and "Secret Life." I did in fact enjoy almost the whole record, though that might be my bias in the style. I wish they included "Where Did Our Love Go" into the original track listing. Appropriate opener and closer. And I suppose the track listing distributes the energy and mood evenly, despite not being impressed by the milder tracks.
I only knew Tainted Love (other versions). This is an album that i would never listened by myself, some songs are better than others but i enjoy discovering new sounds!
NOT ROCK LETS GOOOOO
4.4
Sexy and cool as hell
This is fun! This is new wave? The hits are great and the rest stands up, ages well, just quirky enough.
Fun, quirky album. They sound like they'd put on a fun live show.
This one is weird. Appealingly bizarre. It's growing on me the longer I listen to it.
unhinged from start to finish, I loved every second. favorite track was memorabilia (besides tainted love which is a hall of fame banger)
I was initially going to review this at 3.5 stars but that closing track had me in goosebumps the whole time. It is such a great album in the early days of synth pop and I mean... Tainted Love is a staple of the 80's aesthetic, blowing music into full blown synth land where anything was possible with increasingly affordable and new technology in drum machines and synthesizers. 4 stars.
Buen disco de pop-rock con estilo en ocasiones electrónico. Algún tema muy conocido. De estilo muy ochentero, pero agradable de escuchar
4.5/5
I'll admit I'm one of those freaks who thinks Tainted Love is just alright, but I was still cautiously optimistic for this album. I mean, how can one know Sex Dwarf is on here and not be excited?! As it seems, I was right to be optimistic about this one, because this was pretty nice. Nothing absolutely mind blowing, but I feel this album is far less wishy-washy than most new wave albums from the area, telling it as it is both lyrically and with its beats. It's harsh, but in a good way. I think the first step to liking this album is understanding that Tainted Love is the exception, not the rule.
80's na veia!! Muito bom.
Always glad to see 80s pop generated for me. We all know why this album is on the list, I don't even need to say it. It was clearly the strongest track on the album, and the others felt weak in comparison. I also felt like the rest of the tracks were pretty repetitive, but I liked them enough that I didn't really care. Besides the obvious, "Seedy Films" was my favourite track.
A catchy album, Tainted Lover is a fantastic cover, Sex Dwarf is hilarious and Torch is a good song
Really good!
Fantastic mix up of glam and synth pop.
I'm surprised at how much I liked this album. I was in high school when "Tainted Love" was a hit. This was a nostalgia trip for me. "Sex Dwarf", "Seedy Films" and "Youth" were damn catchy. The rest was pretty good 80's-synth fare. A problem for these guys is that "Tainted Love" was such a huge hit, that nothing else they did was going to live up to that song. The other problem is that they sound a lot like what Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Pet Shop Boys were putting out at the same time, but the other guys just did it better.
Yep, this is the essential New Wave sound. The album stands out thanks to the expressive vocals and the British sarcasm mixed with melancholy and maybe a bit of punk? None of the individual songs are that memorable, though.
Sex dwarf is a crazy vibe. The keys, the vocals, the baseline. GOD DAMN what a banger Damn I love new wave.
Gets a little tiring but Frustration and Tainted Love are absolute bangers. Also had to check to make sure I was hearing sex dwarf correctly.
80s horny
Bad shit crazy, horny and odd vocals. 4/5.
This is really good for what it is - somewhere between glam and electro, quite experimental, with a couple of classics in there. Properly dancey in places, quite reflective in others, and peculiar in others - Sex Dwarf clearly inspired Pulp's This is Hardcore album (both soundwise and filthwise). Just about squeaks a 4 from me - there's a bit of dross towards the middle, but the stuff at the start and the end elevates it to that.
sex dwarf??? ummmmm…. lets ignore that the song bangs but the lyrics are problematic. this has the right type of 80s “what are we doing with electronic synths and drums” lets make an album vibe for me to sign on. its spunky and silly and rises above the cover song “tainted love” that everyone knows. dudes voice is oddly iconic. solid 80s jambalaya masterpiece adjacent keyboard bleep bloop.
Frustration has my attention. Tainted Love has me in its claws. Seedy Films backs off of that stadium sound too much and just sort of feels bare. Sex Dwarf recaptures that sound that I think suits them best. Pretty rad!
Actually pretty good. The instrumentals are great, giving nice funky vibes
I ended up liking this way more than I expected!
Iconic album! Straight from the 80’s! Lotta songs I did t k is but of course can’t go wrong with Tainted Love! Really good album all together and first time listening front to back. Good album great bops!
I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Only having known Tainted Love, I kind of assumed this would be another album built around the sale of one song, but even at an hour plus of runtime, it doesn't feel all that bloated. There's some certified bops here like Chips on My Shoulder, Frustration, and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye (which funnily enough, yesterday's artist David Gray covered). Also it gets weird with tracks like Sex Dwarf, Memorabilia, and Seedy Films. I really dig this one.
I'm not sure it's great but I had a nice time. Lyrics are a bit weird but easy to bop along
I am the sex dwarf
There's a song everyone knows in this one
Pretty cool, I really enjoy these 80s synth pop albums. good stuff.
Some very good songs, over all a nice album to listen to
Better than I expected
Obviously Tainted Love is outstanding, it's not alone on this album of great electro 80s anthems.
Three of the best synth tunes of the '80s on this, add Torch and you've got a best of. Would happily never hear Tainted Love again if offered, but hey... Rest is OK if a bit simple
Here's a cool one! I remember first listening to this on Dad's turntable, this was a record in his collection. A hallmark new wave album, with one of the great hits to make it out of that era "Tainted Love." There's a bit of depth to the album too, with a handful of other tracks that I found worth the while. Sometimes we get lucky with these '80s synthpop records. Not always, but albums like this one have a good bit to love. Favorite tracks: Tainted Love, Youth, Entertain Me, Chips on My Shoulder, Say Hello Wave Goodbye. Album art: I've always dug this one, the seedy neon lighting really sells it. It's a band photo, and these guys look like huge dorks, but they nailed the aesthetic. 4/5
Totally campy new wave extravaganza. Hard to judge since it’s been a favorite forever.
Some great bops on here, a light 4. Sex dwarf made me laugh
4.0
I didn’t care for the first track, but as the album progressed it grew on me. The synth soundscape was layered well and though it does come off as dated, still sounds good. The lyrics were transgressive and interesting giving the album a feel that very much lived up to its title. Overall, I believe this album very much succeeded at what it set out to do.
ochentero diver
so 80s its painful some of the songs are chill but the big two (tainted love and where did our love go) stand out
I weirdly loved this, it's almost a 5star album, but I'll listen to it when I'm in a different mood and think about this again
Cult synth pop album Incredibly modern sound.
Fun album to listen to. Will definitely check it out again.
Why Tainted Love is by far the standout from this album/band, this was a great listening experience.
Tainted love
Luka je u pravu ovo je jako dobar album
a ne jok se ne osjete 80e na ovom albumu. taj synth-pop je očito zvuk koji je narastao u tom desetljeću. dost dobar album, nisam očekivao da će mi bit bolji od trojke. Vjerujem da ću se čak i vratit koji put na ovaj album, ali ovaj puta u noćnom periodu.
I didn't expect to like this much, based on the two singles I knew (Tainted Love and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye). But it was surprisingly weird, and also very innovative for a pop record at the time. There were a few real dud tracks (Frustration and Youth) and some forgettable ones. I especially liked Seedy Films, Sex Dwarf, Chips on My Shoulder, and Bedsitter, all were every transporting to what must have been a very strange but exciting time in London. Not sure if I'll revisit this often, but so much of the music I listen to was obviously influenced by it. I don't think we would have gotten Nine Inch Nails without this album, so it gets 4 for innovation!
The older I get the more I get into new wave and synth. I dug this.....Sex Dwarf
The sound of sleaze synth pop - rejects from the cabaret of northern clubland. Also has a song called 'Sex Dwarf' which is cool. Best Tracks: Tainted Love; Bedsitter; Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
This is the debut album from English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. The album's popularity and successful release was boosted by the universally praised lead single - a cover version of "Tainted Love" - that topped charts worldwide. Although I had never heard of this duo or album before, I had heard and loved "Tainted Love". The rest of the album is a mix of a wonderful collection of synthesized new wave pop music, that will have everyone bouncing to the beats, and a few tracks that don't quite hit the mark compared to their bangers. These are some classic 80's hits! Overall, this was an awesome album and I'm glad I finally got around to listening to it. I highly recommend!
Nice synth pop classic album
Album has the New Wave hits "Tainted Love" and "Where Did Our Love Go?". Long album but great listen. 7/10.
Very 80s not everything is my speed but some great single songs on here incl say hello, wave goodbye
This one surprised me. A few songs were old favorites, but some new good songs and the original of a song I didn't know was a cover.
It's pop, but it's sleazy, and it's highly dance-able thanks to the two Northern Soul covers.
Of course we all know their cover of Gloria Jones’ “Tainted Love.” “Frustration” was my high school anthem, angsty line after angsty line. Soft Cell’s simultaneous punk and disco sensibilities make for the ideal new wave album. “Seedy Films” is a kind of funny one, another I listened to nonstop (erotic cabaret!) in high school. I think what’s special about this album is the not-a-hair-out-of-place layering and general attitude. I’m thinking of the girls giggling on Seedy Films, and of course the BEEP BEEP of Tainted Love. I really love the first few songs until “Entertain Me,” which is fun but a little aimless. Overall, this record has such an infectious frenetic energy and I’d want to hang out with the singer. I find most of the songs pretty relatable, which isn’t often the case with dancey pop records. This is likely due to Soft Cell’s punk edge which is a necessary ingredient for their unique musical personality. I’m gonna give this record a 4 because, while many of the songs are a bit samey (as is the case with using basically the same drum track), this record has a cohesive sound and creates a very specific atmosphere indicative of its spot on this list.
I love this
p475. 1981. 4.5 stars The sordid pale white underbelly of early 80s Britain disguised beneath brilliant electropop. Like or loathe him, Marc Almond has a terrific voice and sharp lyrics, whilst Dave Ball is simply a musical genius. At it's best this is brilliant - Youth and Say Hello Wave Goodbye are highlights, and it was a stroke of brilliance to tempt in the casual listener with Tainted Love, which proves that you can cover a song and make it your own. Set against that, some of the tracks outstay their welcome, and Entertain Me is filler. Apart from that, you get sex, kinks, self loathing, emptiness, isolation, all within the hits. I feel like I need a shower after listening to this.
Real cool sound which brings even well know covers alive. Say hello, wave goodbye is one of my favourite songs of all time (the David gray version)
Electro pop goodness… this is very of its time. Good tunes!
Fantastic seedy grooves. Actually not as naughty as I thought it was… Slabby synths, chunky chunk drum sounds. Really rather good.
Unmatched in its descriptions of seedy Soho, bedsitter life, sex clubs - all set to what was at the time amazingly new music. Still holds up very well, and surprisingly the original songs have dated far less than the covers.
Excellent album. 9/10
Where there's Saxphone, it won't go too bad.
My cat didn't really like it, but I did.
Surprisingly strong album, considering the bursting out single of Tainted Love. Very diverse and enjoyable early electronic/synth sounds.
4.1 - High camp! Two gay British men surveying nightlife at the outset of the AIDS epidemic, with an unflinching eye towards its seedier side. It's a self-aware parody of pop music but done convincingly well. They're in the music scene but also clearly over it and above it. Standout tracks: "Sex Demon", "Tainted Love" (of course) and "Seedy Films."
Damn great 80s synth pop reminiscent of Depeche Mode. The tainted love remixes are a great bonus.
How good is tainted love though
This was a nice new wave surprise. Standouts "Seedy Films" "Youth" "Sex Dwarf" "Bedsitter" "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" and of course "Tainted Love"
Me gustó porque es bailable con todos sus sintetizadores, muy ochentero pero del lado dark no tan pop (?).
7/10. Honestly I enjoyed most of this. First song sucked, I don't know that I'd relisten to much of it, but kinda weird kinda fun
Catchy, sample-worthy synth riffs, cool vocals & seedy, chuckle-worthy lyrics. I didn't own this album but I remember playing a cassette of Sex Dwarf to death in University. Side 2 (of the vinyl release) is really pumpin'. I'm saving it to my WahooKickr playlist. Quite a debut!
Entertaining, though surprisingly not very memorable aside from Tainted Love and Sex Dwarf… 7
7/10
Pegajoso, acelerado, el tipo de voz que identifico con los 80 (?) y tiene ese gran cover de "Tainted Love". Ahora me entero que igual esto puede ser new wave, pero bueno, para mi igual es pop ochentero, con sintetizadores particulares, con toda una algarabía. A veces suena como a un musical, me gustaron sobre todo "Frustration", "Sex Dwarf" y "Entertain Me". 8/10
wildddddddd
Nice
“Tainted love” and “say hello wave goodbye” are on this album; which are absolute classics. Quite a lot of filler tracks for me on this one but “sex dwarf” just made me laugh so hard I had to rate it higher.
the early 80s were pretty fucking weird for music werent they? this album specifically is really like, weirdly minimal for pop. tainted love cover owns obv. albums not as horny as i was led to believe but maybe i just wasnt paying enough attention to the lyrics?? the synth tones and the underlying songs are nice, but im not huge on the production. it still has that sorta older style of production where its more supposed to sound like its being played live, so its not rly as loud and in ur face as i like synthpop/electropop to be. still jammin though. last track is particularly good.
If my kids ask me what synth pop is, I refer them to this and tell them also that parts of the 80s might have sounded like this.
Actually quite fun
Very hit and miss with this album
Je m'attendais à détester mais c'est pas mal du tout. J'aime pas trop le début de l'album hors Tainted Love, mais l'album est de mieux en mieux et le morceaux Say Hello Wave Goodbye m'a vraiment plu. Dans l'ensemble album moyen mais bonne surprise.
Pas si horrible on sent que c'est vieux mais en vrai ça tient la route
I am thinking that I am kinda their target audience, love electronic pop and his voice is incredible. Was hoping for a lot more from this album from the Leeds duo. I have heard many of their hits already, Tainted Love, though a cover is wonderful, Bedsitter is evocative and has as great beat, while Say Hello Wave Goodbye is such a beautiful song (though I prefer the cover by David Gray), but it is the non-hits that not even I can rate highly.
Perv rock…Los hermanos sinceros de depeche mode …honesto como Juanga
Made me feel like a naughty 16 year old
Tainted Love was a SMASH hit. The rest of the album is decent early 80’s newish wave.
Good pop music. Some I knew and many I didn’t.
T'was alright, held up by 1 banger.
Interesting stuff. Pretty good but not my favorite.
The hits are great, the fillers too weird at times.
Oh hey, this is where Tainted Love comes from. Other than that, it's fine, but not amazing.
This was new to me. Some great songs (Seedy Films, Sex Dwarf) and maybe the best cover of all time? Would listen again
Hadn't previously listened to anything of Soft Cell's other than the hits. Enjoyed this a lot - worked really well as a whole album. Probably a 3.5 but I'm feeling generous
This is at its best when it’s being quirky and weird. And it is weird! But in quite a fun and not annoying way. It has personality and owns it, and I kind of dig that. There’s a few meandering tracks, but it’s also really upbeat and funky on others. Sex Dwarf is a legit great track, while also being bizarre and kind of hilarious. I also want to give a shout out to the mad, mad synths! They’re rad.
I was in the mood for some old-school synth sound and this one delivered perfectly. It features some solid production and the songs are danceable. The themes of urban decay and sexual liberation persist throughout. The cover of "Tainted Love" has become the definitive version of the song for some people. As a whole I think that it's a solid debut album even though the sound becomes a bit stale toward the middle. My favorite songs were "Frustration" and "Tainted Love".
Tainted Love best song. Feel like 3 is too high but 2 is too low.
i own this one. it's an OK album, but i never would have thought it would be on 1001 list.
This was a very eerie album. Very impressive that they could keep that vibe throughout the whole album. I really liked his voice, despite it being that usually annoying British pop-punk voice, but his actually sounded like it had conviction in it. There was barely any guitar yet it kept my attention. Tainted Love might be one of the greatest covers of all time. Truly truly made it their own and made it sound so good.
Sort of a B-52’s/Talking Heads vibe. Not bad but too many songs similar
A lot of hit and miss. More misses
It’s a wonder why “Sex Dwarf” never took off on radio.
It is hard to judge these albums that feature huge singles from my childhood but this has other pretty decent songs on it as well. “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye”, “Bedsitter” and “Chips on my Shoulder” are no “Tainted love” but few songs are and they are totally decent. This is not a bad album.
American magazine Out placed the album at number 66 on their list of The 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums (of All Time) -Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret Wikipedia Weird accolade, but an accolade nontheless
album raro
Tainted Love is a Billion Play song, but other than that there isn't much to the album
Not too bad! 3/5
It’s a bit silly overall. But this captures a specific moment in time pretty accurately. Marc Almond sounds almost like he’s making up the lyrics as he’s singing. This record feels low budget and advanced at the same time.
Apart from Tainted Love, there is very little melodic coherency or semblance of pulse within the vocals. It’s a grating contrast, where the instrumentals are classic 80s synth-pop, but the vocals are more like meandering spoken word passages superimposed on top. There’s a lot to enjoy within the music itself, but there’s not much to sing along to, unlike what the beats would suggest. It’s like the promise of a pop song, with none of the deliverance.
The 80’s were weird in the UK. We had a deeply conservative government that melded capitalism and traditional views and figures of authority were almost Victorian throwbacks. But….. on the other hand mainstream pop music was like this. Subversive, slightly grubby and erotic. Not sexy, because this was more clandestine, more hidden. Even now this album, feels forbidden. Synths burble darkly and Marc Almonds theatrical reading takes us happily into a Demi-monde that feels real and drawn-out.
A little too intentionally absurd for me to fully lock in to, but the highlights (Tainted Love, Sex Dwarf (of course)) do indeed continue to rock.
A product of its time I would say. Trying to push being edgy and angsty. Feels pretty British punk. Ok there's Tainted Love! What banger song.
Most of it is really bad, but Tainted Love and a couple of other songs take it to a 3.
Muy largo no me dio tiempo, pero gabinetes love temazo. Darle otra escuchada
pretty chill , good vibes
It’s alright, the couple of hits on here really carry it
enjoyable
Dudando entre 3 y 4. Tainted Love me subió mucho
Tainted Love is an auto 1 star bump. But other than that song, this album is okay. Comfortable 3 stars
I think this is one of those albums best enjoyed in the 80s
Bons souvenirs 😉
Went into this album thinking 2.87 is way too low. That opinion was based on just knowing the hits, there are some stinkers as well 3/5
Okay. Not as good as other 80s bands.
I didn't listen too hard to the lyrics of Sex Dwarf, but I'm not completely sure about it. Sounds quite like a parody album (Memorabilia particularly fun), so up a star for that
high highs (tainted love) and loooow lows (sex dwarf)
Interesting
The sleazy synth does have it's moments and there is a time for it, but it got boring around half way through, especially with that album length
Un album un peu long avec quelques morceaux planants et agréables.
Déjà fan de Tainted Love, mais Sex Dwarf est une révélation ! Assez répétitif, mais la TR 808 offre quand même des supers rythmes - un solide 3 au final
Took me back
Aside from 'Tainted Love' which is a certified banger I was mostly just flipping between uninterested and slightly interested for most of the rest. Standouts Tainted Love Sex Dwarf 3/5
3.25. new record for me, I liked it.
Fun, although it gets pretty repetitive sonically.
Tainted love is a great song …
Another Dimery special. A one hit wonder in the US that for some reason had more impact in the UK. It gets two stars solely because of Tainted Love. Then another star because Say Hello Wave Goodbye allowed David Gray to make a gorgeous cover many years later.
3/5
I never knew I needed a song called Sex Dwarves in my life
Cheap synthesizers, tacky vibes, cherries in a glass, pink plastic jacket, and a bad vocal to ruin everything.
Tainted Love Bedsitter Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
Not my kind of album. Next.
Was surprised by this. Feels a bit more tongue in cheek than I'd expected. Fun and seedy in equal measure - I can kind of imagine this being a bit of an influence on Jarvis Cocker.
Very dirty. I liked it more than I wanted to.
Tainted Love is one of the best songs ever recorded. The singer’s voice is lovely. Sex Dwarf entertains. But this is a genre that gets a bit tiresome before the album is over.
This is one of the rare occasions where I get to see your review before I write my own and, as I admitted in advance that I like this album, I can hardly ignore your thoughtful, if broadly negative comments. But that is not to say that I disagree very much your assessment. Marc Almond is not a good singer and Dave Ball is not a great keyboardist. The subject matter is awkward and cringy. But I don't view these as particular cons and I certain don't see the whole thing as a con trick. Rather I think Almond is a good performer - the "wrong note" in Entertain Me a broader confession than piece of clever song writing. And Ball manages, with few tools available to him, to build what I feel are generally compelling arrangements - he only has two hands, only one keyboard; the female vocalists are a charming addition, making the arrangements a little fuller, but the cabaret of the title much emptier. While the singer and piano configuration is not original in any regard, I can't think of many others that manage to make a sound so aggressive spare: Suicide and The Vichy Government perhaps. And I think this is perhaps what I like about this album - provocative at the time, maybe, but I think eternally sad. To me, a non-stop erotic cabaret sounds like a very lonely, monotonous place, not existing in contrast to the bedsit of Bedsitter but as part of a continuum of estranging, unsatisfying places. So, you are right, Marc and Dave aren't enjoying themselves: two oddballs come down from Leeds, one of them an effeminate young gay man, are confronting the reality of the London demimonde, the shattering glamour of everything they imagined from tawdry paperbacks and, yes, seedy films, not as big and beautiful as the Northern Soul clubs of the north, where they danced to Tainted Love. The corollary of that, of course, is the slow, depressing cover of Tainted Love by Coil, where Almond appears as the angel of death at the deathbed of an AIDS victim. The first AIDS death in the UK comes a few weeks after the release of Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, but that's where it is all heading. London is all for show and it is awkward and cringy, because they are young men - certainly, when Martin Gore writes about the same sex clubs in Depeche Mode songs, he does so without embarrassment and it is much more embarrassing for it. But he didn't do that on their early records, he did it after their success - so no shame. I don't think there is much shame on Non-Stop Erotic, but it is, as you say, a debut album. It is awkward adolescent fumbling, but that is the point. I can promise you, the group doesn't get better on their following albums. I don't think they were really supposed to have further albums: this the document of the dream meeting the reality, they can only go on to The Art of Falling Apart. Marc Almond will become a more accomplished and camper performer, even if he doesn't improve as a singer. Dave Ball will become a more intricate electronic arranger, even if he doesn't get better at the piano. They will become more assured as people, but that is not the point of Soft Cell. Soft Cell is a life that only a young person can have and can dream of. The unexpected success of Tainted Love managed to sustain the label, Some Bizarre, in making a bunch of noisy goth records that nobody bought, so, even if it overshadows everything else, it is necessary for that alone. 3.5 We have had a couple of ‘albums‘ recently that call for the inverted comma. Whatever credit we were able to give Here’s Little Richard and Club Classics vol 1, they were basically compilations. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, whatever else it is, is a genuine album - something like a cohesive artistic utterance from a specific moment over its ten tracks or at least a unifying conceit at work. It’s Marc Almond mugging and winking and sticking his tongue out for the punters at the nightclub, with big Dave on the wacky keys, right? Not exactly an original idea but no doubt they hope, as others did before them, that you will enjoy the show; sit back and let the evening go, you’re such a lovely audience...etc. I gather that Soft Cell, at the time, were given great credit for daring and successful provocation, but in all honesty I can’t escape reading much of the framing here as mere defensiveness. Lift the gaudy veil of the supposed ‘performance’ and the truth is certainly that Marc Almond is a poor singer and Dave’s keyboard work is childish plodding amid the constant mugging of conspicuously silly synth voices. The question becomes then whether you put the veil back in place and commend the artist for judicious concealment and utility or whether you decide to feel that you have been rather cheated. Haven’t the legs been cut from any notion of artistry? Wouldn’t it be more commendable if Marc Almond was covertly a brilliant singer who is aiming to be unpleasantly sharp here or a little flat there for the sake of intended dramatic effect? ‘Doing’ the sound of a man struggling uncomfortably in front of the karaoke machine instead of simply being that man? When Almond declares on Entertain Me that he is ‘hitting the wrong NOTE!’ wouldn’t it be funnier if that note was genuinely any more inaccurate than most of the others he hits on this album? Should you fall into the trap of this perspective, as I have on this encounter with the Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, the whole show is goosed; I can no more find Say Hello, Wave Goodbye moving than I can find Seedy Films provocative. The brash show of the spoken word moments become recast in one’s mind as a mere cover story for the dodgy singing elsewhere. The presumed symbiosis of sexual and musical shamelessness breaks down as you realise the musical side of things is all adolescent fumbling. The spectacle becomes uncomfortable not because of any confrontational content but because it’s all a bit pathetic. The cringe centrepiece is Sex Dwarf - 5 minutes (!) which is neither successful comedy, convincing hedonism, or decent music. I know that you like this album so I have gone back a couple of times owning to myself the unreasonableness of some of the criticism above. I am picking on a debut album after all; they were only wee and clearly giving it all they had. What’s my problem? To Soft Cell’s credit there is some poetic life about the lyrics throughout. But it’s the introspective grumbling - the voice that ‘Kid[s] myself I’m having fun’ on Bedsitter - that rings true. Never throughout forty minutes of dancey beats and farty synths and comedic ‘wrong notes’ do I really believe that Marc and Dave are actually enjoying themselves. There is too much palpable survival. Nevertheless, Tainted Love is a great cover, and I think one of only a few tracks that survives daily rotation on U105 - I am never tired hearing it. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is an excellent original. Sex Dwarf, rotten as it is, has for me a lovely nostalgic quality to it. 2/5
I scoffed at first cause I knew it was very much new wave, based entirely on the one & only song of theirs I knew, and I don’t normally like new wave. But I was surprised to hear it had a certain upbeat, interesting energy which was enough to capture my attention. I loved the flow from song to song. I’d consider listening to some of their other stuff.
A couple of bangers but otherwise mid
Tuttuja Marilyn Mansonin Tainted Love biisejä ja oli kyllä muitakin, mitä klassikoita jostain kuullut
Favorite Track: Tainted Love
Fun, but got a bit repetitive & a bit much after a while
I mean, besides tainted love it’s pretty chaotic nonsense. Fun, but nonsense.
Enjoyed this
Fine. Recognized the one hit
Bit of a weird album tbh. Tainted Love obviously A++! But some of these songs were pretty dodgy. I'll give it an average rating 3 ⭐️
This album is both brilliant and both slightly grating on my nerves at once - but I enjoyed listening to it nevertheless!
Like a lot of "ground-breaking" albums, it hasn't aged all that well. And you have to like Almond's pseudo showtune vocal style to really "get" Soft Cell. As a museum piece, it shows just how much could be achieved with limited technology, pre-Fairlight etc, before it all got way overblown as the 80's progressed.
Syna poppia, eikä kauheen parasta sellaista. Mutta oli muutama ihan hyvä kappalekkin tai sit ne huonot kappaleet vaan nosti niiden tasoa. Parhaat: Chips On My Shoulder, Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Tainted Love
I like the general synth sound and Tainted Love is a great cover. The end track was also a high.
Yeah Soft Cell are not for me, a couple of the singles are good fun and pretty engaging but i don’t love a drum machine and i think the songwriting is a bit weak throughout, final track pulled it up to a low 3
Not too bad. Definitely points for weirdness. The 2 best songs are covers. And the 3rd is sex dwarf.
A disappointing listen. Tainted Love, because it is so iconic, is the only highlight of the album.
Tainted Love is super, other songs are fun but it gets boring after a while
Enjoyed a few songs, but they’d probably hit better at a new age club night than at 9 AM
Wild recounting of new age musicians' lives of sex, drugs, and partying, or two guys developing a concept album so they can get laid more. It's hard to tell. Either way, it's quite the novel listen and an intriguing album.
Non-stop okayness.
Don’t love it, but also don’t hate it
That man in just not a good singer. Synth pop grungy music that didnt quite hit with me i was mainly waiting for it to be over. But! Did get to listen to tainted love
preety nice album, like the vibes I dont have a bird for this one
Far too long Psyco synth sex fury Can't get onboard with the New Order esc vocals After all the initial hype looses attention + lil sameh, albeit with nice synth soundslike combining a Duke box with a pinball machine Not something to take too seriously
Quite an... interesting album name, so not sure what to expect. It's a bit of a shame that 'Tainted Love' isn't their original creation, but it is still a fun track. And I found the rest of the album cool too! Quite a flimsy synth album with its blips and blops, but it works well within the bounds of itself. There are some weird tracks, like 'Sex Dwarf' that I suppose are there to provoke and to bring some weirdness to the mix (like it wasn't quite weird already), and I suppose it succeeds in that. Does it make it better though? Not sure. In the end I enjoyed this. It feels unique and differentiates itself well from other typical 80s synth albums. Not the best I've heard, but a fun trip. Definitely worth a listen! Strong 3.
Tainted Love is a bop, but the rest of this is just mid. Sex Dwarf is an insane song (not complimentary)
Franchement, j'ai trouvé l'album vraiment bien. Beaucoup de gens ont des apprioris plutôt défavorable vis à vis de Soft Cell à cause de Tainted Love, en disant que le groupe n'est qu'un One hit wonder et même si le reste de l'album brille moins que la chanson, ça reste un projet vraiment sympatique à écouté, qui a su me faire apprécier son côté electronica alors que c'est pas donné.
Day771 - tainted love is timeless and sex dwarf is as crazy as it sounds
Not sure why I didn’t think what this would sound like based on “Tainted Love” but not bad, considering I’m not usually a big fan of 80’s synth pop. “Sex Dwarf” was weird.
Than hauskaa synapoppia akustisen maustein. Sympaattinen klarasoolo Seedy filmsissä
Had a couple of standouts but overall wasn't that impressed with it. Loved tainted love and say hello, wave goodbye, enjoyed the synch sound
Kinda funny album; very sexual themes. Tainted Love is a certified banger of a cover.
É interessante. Se fosse mais curto podia ser um 4/5 ou, pelo menos, um 3/5 muito forte. Mas é um álbum, para mim, demasiado longo. Se tivesse menos 20/30 minutos era melhor. Como é obvio, um dos destaques é Tainted Love. Os outros destaques vão para Say Hello, Wave Goodbye e Youth. As músicas são todas do mesmo estilo característico da banda, mas são todas únicas e creativas. A última música (So) prova que a banda podia ter feito um álbum so instrumental que seria muito bom. Esta última música fez me lembrar muito os Air e o seu álbum Moon Safari.
3.5
3.5
Cool for a sunth pop album. A bit grity. 3.5 stars
This album starts off pretty cool. I like the 1-2 punch of "Frustration" and "Tainted Love". Unlike other synthpop of the 80s, there's sort of a snotty punkiness to Soft Cell that makes them a little cooler. Unfortunately, I think there's definitely a little to be desired after the first few tracks. The album does finish strongly with "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", which is probably the best thing the band ever wrote. 3.5 stars.
Begins pretty shittily and aggravating with the earachey aggro-fest Frustration but then it snaps into true all-time synth-soul classic Tainted Love and things become all right again. Seedy Films then sets the tone just fine for the rest of the album with its talk of sleazy city n sleepy people plus on top of that Sex Dwarf is just so sordid that it needs to be heard. As Kevin Eldon in his 2000 appearance of the cleaner in Black Books would say, dirty… nasty… shameful… very, very dirty! Overall a very dirty 3.5.
3/5 Tainted Love laps the field
Yeah not bas
Strong singles. So-so filler.
Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go by Soft Cell are iconic and some of my favorite 80s songs, but this was my first exposure to their other works and this album. It was also news to me that Tainted Love was a cover! First impression was a good sound, but kind of strange/pointed lyrics. Ultimately, like the other 80s album I got for The Human League just recently, I feel like the success of the single propelled the album, and I didn’t take much else from it.
Tainted Love is the only Soft Cell song that I knew beforehand and will likely be the only Soft Cell Song I enjoy haha.
Palpable sexual tension.
Grappig te ontdekken dat de hit in feite een cover is van een soulnummer uit de vroege jaren zestig. Voor de rest moesten de heren (getuige het openingsnummer) kennelijk wat frustraaaaaatie ventileren. In eerste instantie werd ik wat kriegel van toon en onderwerpkeuze, maar gaandeweg luister je daar niet meer naar en blijft wat niet onaardige jarentachtigsynthpop over.
Na de eerste frustrerende soundbit klinkt kort een aardige basis voor de latere rave. Verder is dat nummer niet zo interessant. Later hoor je een vroege basis voor bijvoorbeels Praga Khan. Die begrijpelijk over het hoofd is gezien, maar wel een plekje in deze lijst verdient. En dat is dan ook de waarde van dit album. De meeste (duidelijke 80's) nummers stellen als geheel niet veel voor. Maar elementen springen eruit en hebben anderen flink geïnspireerd. 'Tainted love' is een positieve uitzondering en levert een dik bonuspunt.
I thought it was a great debut album from Soft Cell! Obviously ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Where Did Our Love Go?’ are standout tracks but overall I thought this was a great new wave album that I would definitely listen to again in the future.
Decent album with a couple hits. Middle of the album very good.
sex dwarf
Oh I love Tainted Love. I know this is about to be so cunt. Gay 80s is the definition of cunttttt. This is so fun and camp there are so many noises bro the vocals haven't heard a key in their lives I love it why are there moans in the background. This is so whipping my hair around in a club montage. Is it really a queer 80s album if there isn't a really weird sex song. I don't think so. This is a good album to listen to at a hockey game. I really like this guys voice he has a really interesting cadence. Very similar bases to some of the songs methinks. There are some standouts but a lot of them follow the same formula. With these kinda songs I can't really listen to the lyrics I just lockout and enjoy the vibe. I really like the vibe of this little twink in the video with the song. These songs were meant for vinyls I really believe it. Like even the ambiance created by have a record player crank these tunes would make all these 70s and 80s tracks way better tbh. Wait some of these are actually sweet that's cute. I kinda feel bad about it but for these kinda albums I only listen to half of the song then skip to the next lowkey there's not a lot happening. This is their debut that's crazy!! Tainted Love is a cover?? I know if I was a teenage girl in the 80s this would've gone platinum in my house bruh. And of course there's the instrumental. Favourite: Seedy Films Least favourite: Youth/What
Great fun - bouncy synth pop made from the cheapest keyboards 1980 had to offer but capturing a gritty determination to fuck around and throw the best party possible. Dark, funny, ironic, detached, but earnestly throwing themselves into the moment.
- 0 nummers toegevoegd aan MMMM - 0 nummers al toegevoegd aan MMMM
Groupe connu essentiellement par le tube 'Tainted Love'. C'est la première fois que j'écoute un album entier. Cet album contient 'Tainted Love', morceau que j'apprécie toujours autant (+1). L'instrumentation est un peu datée de nos jours (en particulier les percussions), mais j'apprécie les chorus de sax et clarinette, très réussis (+1). Seul regret : ils sont trop peu présents ! Je l'écouterais probablement de nouveau, mais il ne rejoindra pas ma collection. =>3/5
I can understand why this album is on this list. It has a fairly historical impact on music, club culture and open sexuality. That said, it feels very self indulgent and the production is fairly clunky.
Pure synthy 80’s, why were they having so much more fun than us in the 80’s?! Bring back synthy dance pop. Standouts: Tainted Love, Entertain Me
Sounds just like it’s supposed to. It’s gotta be cranked up LOUD to really get it, though.
Actually not bad. I wasn’t looking forward to this based on the description, but was reasonably enjoyable. 3.5/5
Ok
About 3 songs on this album I LOVE...the rest are annoying.
Edge lords. Flere af sangene lyder som Taintet Love. Ret godt underholdt, men fik nok til sidste af et 7 minutter lange nummer, det viste sig heldigvis at være CD bonus tracks, så jeg lukkede den dér.
the cover doesn't lie: this album is not for the young'ins. Soft Cell's famous cover of Gloria Jones' "Tainted Love" went down smoothly enough to hit #1 in 17 countries, but how many of those people do you think heard "Sex Dwarf" or saw its music video, both of which caused a major outcry in the British tabloids? "Seedy Films" also doesn't leave much to the imagination. it makes me wonder if anyone actually found these songs titillating at the time, or if it was just the usual conservative moral panic cycle; maybe it's the cultural barrier (with Marc Almond's accent and all), but I find this album mostly goofy rather than erotic. the synth sounds (both the keyboards and the drums) are really tacky and dated, which doesn't help. like, what the hell is happening on "Secret Life"? I'll keep "Frustration" (complete with its gloriously cheesy tenor sax from Dave Tofani), "Tainted Love" and the iconic new wave ballad "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", but the rest is simply not my cuppa. decent 5/10.
Tainted Love and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye are such great tunes, and the rest is pleasantly sleazy.
Favorite track(s): Frustration, Sex Dwarf, Chips on My Shoulder
Soft Cell show a talent for creating atmosphere. Tainted Love is definitely a timeless hit while the rest of the album is often much darker and satirical. The opener takes a grim look at ordinary life and sets the tone very well. A few songs in the latter half were topically interesting but sonically uninteresting. Still, the closer is an oddly bittersweet moment that ties everything up well.
Two hit 80’s wonder
Cocaine induced club music. Man the 80s were great.
27/1089 3.0037* Soft Cell is a quinticential 80s band and sound. Fortunately, all 4 of their hits are on the album but the other tunes fit perfectly as a soundtrack to any number of 80s movies or shows. Miami Vice? Check. Band of the Hand? Check. Less Than Zero? You know it. SC really hit it out of the park and fit in, if not pioneered, perfectly with the early 80s synth rock and I could listen to the hits another few hundred times. Hits...tainted, sex dwarf, SHWG, where has our love gone
3 stars I first heard this album from a review exchange when I would write for epinions when I was 13. A 40-something Gen Xer gave me this album and I gave him the LA punk band X Los Angeles album. My take away then is not so far off from how it lands for me now. There is catchy stuff on here. In fact, I haven’t listened to the album in years but I still remembered almost all the songs, which is saying something. I wouldn’t say I love it or that I’d return to it out of my own interest but it is not a bad time.
It’s a lot better when it’s sleezy and the synth is all crunchy and gross, some of the slower songs sorta feel like all the other songs at the time. Sex Dwarf really is an insane name for a song that sounds that good.
I knew the hits, but the rest of the album surprised. Solid 80's synth.
Disappointing. Not unpleasant, just the same song over and over feeling ! Is voice is quite annoying after a while too. Tainted love and thats it !! 2.5
3 For Tainted Love
Tainted Love is a bop but the rest of the album was just okay. Not bad but nothing else really blew me away other than the album cover of two nerds coupled with the album title. A classic case of “One Single doesn’t make for a must listen album”
***An ok album, easy listening
Two hits. Pretty long. It was ok
The covers were great, the rest were not
Pretty good.
Some good songs.
2.5 stars rounded up thanks to Tainted Love. Rocky Horror Picture Show vibes.
Despite having a good cover of Tainted Love, the whole album sounds very average to me. Nothing truly exciting. 3 stars.
It's alright, I did expect more from this!
This had the one good song of tainted love but otherwise I couldn’t name a single song
Kind of fun not sure if I’m gonna be listening to this over and over but I do like the sounds of it where everything was so artificial sanding in the early 80s
A few great songs. Also sex dwarf
I have a tough time rating 80s synth stuff because it’s really not my style. Looking back at my previous scores for inspiration… Depeche Mode got 4. Decent. Enjoyed that more. Teardrop Explodes got 2. Pants. Enjoyed this more. I guess that makes this a 3?? That feels generous but I’m going with it and reserve the right to downgrade later.
Good album, tained love is a great song, the rest of the album is out of left park. Sex dwarf is weird as hell. Some songs were weird, some songs were ok. I am feeling a 3star
This was pretty cool, somewhere between 3 and 4 for me
When I first put this on, I kind of thought it was clunky and maybe even obnoxious, but I kind of figured out what was going on here. This album is often cited as "detached" and I think that makes a lot come together. Whether it be sex, home-life or whatever, Soft Cell stands at arm's length, observes, and makes slightly surreal jokes.And the stylized, ultra-low budget synths and clunky songs, paired with the dramatic, occasionally manic vocals largely sells it. And this lens results in even a song like Sex Dwarf being pretty good. The depiction of sexuality is sleazy and taboo, and it's sort of earnest, but it feels like it's earnest as a component of a larger joke. In short, the vibe is kind of strange, and I haven't fully unraveled the honesty and the irony here. Although, at times, I'm also just not sure that they committed to the bit enough. Whatever may be going on under the hood, this at least ends up as a cool, serviceable pop/new wave album, with hints of something a little deeper and stranger going on.
Well, they certainly had a seedy not entirely serious vision which they went for and brought to life. I do like it. Marc Almond has a great voice and the electronic sound works for the themes. RIP David Ball who died a couple of weeks ago. 3.5 rounding down because it doesn’t grab me enough for a 4
imagine hearing tainted love when it came out in the 80’s, what i’d give to be in a club in the 80’s with tainted love blasting
the epitome of a one-hit-wonder. but honestly some pretty cool stuff throughout. also La La Land reference!!!!
You can't deny this is 80's. I do give them a little credit for pushing that 80's sound a little farther. It makes up for the over the type breathy lyrics that are somewhat cringe (sex dwarf lol). If they didn't seem so over the type I think I would find it really inappropriate but instead its almost funny. I waiver here between a 2 and a 3. I love Tainted Love so I will keep it at a 3.
It's okay but it didn't especially grab me. Sex Dwarf is clearly the best song on this album.
Feels like it was trying to be transgressive, but has lost a lot of its punch in the last 40 years.
Who would’ve thought the album that has one of the greatest songs of the entire 80s also has a song called “Sex Dwarf”.
More interesting and diverethan I ever gave them credit for. Strange they only had one US single from this album
Very 80's. This works a lot better than sterile attempts at rock music from this period. Creative, fun, catchy use of synths and other probably other electronic instruments. This is also emphatically not my jam. Let's call it 3/5. I can't forget this album because Tainted Love will be played everywhere forever but I'll probably forget the rest. Except the title -- fun title.
Pretty good new wave type music. Maybe it fits in the synth pop category. I like it although it got a bit tiresome by the end. Good beats and vocals seems like it would have been pretty innovative in the early 80s. Not something that I would listen to all the time but it was not bad.
Way more subversive than I remembered! Naughty naughty boys. Too synthy 80’s for me, but more fun than others.
There are a couple really cool tracks here, the rest is kinda meh. I wish it went a bit harder
A high 3 stars, this has some great songs on it which I already do or the ones I’ve discovered through the album I would listen to again and add them to a playlist. I don’t think I would listen to the full album again though
I really like Tainted Love / Say Hello Wave Goodbye - but the rest of the album is not so good. A bit too much sax/ cabaret not enough good tunes/ banging synth.