Reviews (page 6 of 8)
This band is a one-hit wonder, and that hit is a cover. It's not bad, it's just not great. Clear 2*. So, no, you don't have to listen to it before you die. Instead, you should listen to Cake's Fashion Nugget. Also a one-album wonder (2 smash hits instead of one) with a hit from a cover. Their cover was also better than the original. Yeah, skip this one and listen to Fashion Nugget instead.
Eugh. Call me a dickless freak or some brand of homosexual, but cabarets are too old-timey to ever possibly be erotic. I guess the sordid display of debauchery and excess don't end until this album does, so I'll have to tough this one out. I'm unsure of what an album with this title and album cover could be, but going by the year of release I'm guessing that this will be a new wave album. Here goes. Yup. On the money, but this album was practically giving its genre away. "Tainted Love" is pretty great, but the rest of this album kind of dicks about. The songwriting is nowhere near as tight or memorable, and the instrumentals sound more stripped back and unremarkable as the album progresses. The longer tracks don't really justify their runtime, either. Still, I can appreciate the finer aspects of this album. I generally like the dense, submerged, wavy synths which hang on these tracks, and the vocalist carries himself well. I don't like the lyrics, but I'll get to that later. Overall, this was decent, but with little that hooked me. I've heard the aforementioned Tainted Love before. Most notably through my Dad's car speakers, though I'm pretty sure I've encountered it multiple times on the Internet as well. The songwriting is pretty golden - very dynamic and jumpy with a great bit of kick. The instrumental is less remarkable, but I liked the more ambient aspects of the composition and there's a decent bit of kick, too. I don't remember the song ever being this short, however. It would have been better if the material were more substantial, but I can respect a bit of conciseness. Solid tune. Book time. Romanticises lowlifes and the sleazy parts of town. "The duo took their roles as ambassadors of sleaze a little too seriously: when a filthy video they had made for the high-camp "Sex Dwarf" was sent to the tabloids, apparently by the starring midget, the furor led to police raids on the Some Bizzare offices." I had to read that sentence five times over to even grasp what it was trying to say. I thought they recorded a sex tape with a midget and overlaid it with their song, but it's referring to the original, banned music video for the song, where a lady is strapped naked to a table and there's some weird BDSM shit happening, including the presence of a dysgenic midget guy. "However, sex is not the sole theme on Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret - it is a mix of the credulous and the world-weary...", whatever that may mean. "Tainted Love" topped the singles chart in 17 countries. One of the band members stormed into the office of a music newspaper and whipped a journalist for giving a bad review to one of their later albums, which lead to the dissolution of the band shortly after. Okay, that's pretty funny. Turns out I was heterosexual the whole time - this album is incredibly lame and gay. With how far Western morality has been denigrated and perverted in the decades since the release of this album, I find it hard not to view stuff like this as subversive in normalising dysfunction. Seems like it's the Pommies doing it this time instead of the Jews, however. Wikipedia reveals that "Tainted Love" was a cover this whole time, which I suppose I can believe. The album exceeded pre-orders of 200,000 copies in the US following the success of Tainted Love, was created on a budget, was well-received by critics and made it onto the year-end charts in the UK, US and Canada. This album seems to be coasting by on the success of its one major single, but I suppose I don't mind this album being on here. I cosign this inclusion.
Saved? ❌ Would listen again? 🤔 Would recommend to anyone? ❌ Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔
1- Tema bastante malo, no me gusta para nada, es ruido al pedo 2- GTA San Andreas en su maxima expresion, nada mas que agregar 3- Decente, lo escucharia si tuviera un fiat uno sin patente 4- No es de mi gusto en particular 5- La baja que a mitad del tema se pone a gemir, empieza bien y la caga 6- No. 7- No me gusto al punto que me quedé dormido 8- Tipica seguidilla de temas que son parecidos, no me gusta la verdad 9- Recien llegue a la mitad del disco y es la 5ta vez que me fijo cuanto falta para que termine, va mal 10- Decente despues de varios temas pedorros. 11- La copia del exito, fija 12- No. 13 y 14- Son temas olvidables, no me di cuenta cuando empeza y terminaba el otro,,, 15- No 16-18- Lamentablemente se me hizo chicle para mal, se queria experimentar pero la voz del cantante y los sintetizadores de más la cagan Albúm de lugar preferiblemente palermitano inspirado en los 90's, me cagaron una hora de estudio para escuchar esta bosta.
More like soft bell
Okay, I’m just going to say it as it is. It’s a two song album. Tainted love is much inferior to the Gloria Jones original. Say hello wave goodbye is inferior to the David Gray cover which discards all the playful electronic pomp production we witness here and exposes the track for what it is. A really well written song. There. No more needs saying.
A few decent songs but mostly weird 80s synth pop.
Most of this is 80s British new wave drivel but Tainted Love is obviously a banger. I also liked Entertain Me. I think this album set itself apart from other 80s British new wave by not muddying the vocals as much with reverb. The clarity makes for a much more enjoyable sound to me.
I was hoping this would be good, as I usually enjoy new wave albums with deep cool tracks. Really did not hit the mark for me
2/3. It’s cool for sure, but the music doesn’t do much for me. I liked Frustration, Tainted Love, and Sex Dwarf (just for the lyrics), but outside of those songs a lot of the album just slipped by. But I respect the sleaze and lack of inhibition, so that bumps it up for me.
I wasn't that into this album, most songs just didn't do a lot for me. "Seedy Films" "Sex Dwarf" and "Chips On My Shoulder" aren't too bad but overall not much to say.
Only Tainted Love saves this album.
very 80s
Tainted love is quite literally the only song worth listening to in this album.
2 bops. The rest was unbearable
I didn't really care for Tainted Love in the first place, and the rest of this album was pretty rough going for me.
Some favorite nostalgic songs on her. Vocals make sense on those. But for a lot of the album it felt like he was really straining for the notes. Off putting sounds on many songs.
They don’t really expect me to listen to a song called “Sex Dwarf,” do they? Oh they sure do. And it’s 5 minutes long.
Synth pop hasn't aged well, the only song on here worth its place is a questionable cover
I generally quite 80s, but this is ... not good. It's fairly obvious why "Tainted Love" is the only track I knew, because the rest of this album is just really naff. I'm not a fan of the vocals, the synth stuff is mostly fine, but not all that interesting. "Seedy Films" was actively unpleasant to listen to. I loved the fact it had a saxophone but it was absolutely ruined by the wailing. The rest of the album was just uinteresting. Besides "Sex Dwarf" which was funny in a really cringy awkward way. Can't rate higher than a 2.
Sex Dwarf might be the funniest song I've ever heard what the hell is going on. The rest of this album is very boring. Not enough for me to hate it but enough for me to regret listening to it. This was a slog to get through. Every song finds a gimmick and plays it on repeat as if it's the greatest thing discovered in music. I respect them for trying something so out there but maybe they should have had some guidance telling them to reign it in a bit. They do genuinely have some interesting/good sounds but they can't figure out how to use them well. Mid 2
Let’s be honest we are only listening to this for tainted love, because that’s an absolute banger. Say hello, wave goodbye Torch Where did our love go All did a job for me actually. Some of this album is far fetched, I can see why it’s on here for the time it was out. Deep in the era and the vibes of the time. Has it got a timeless sound, definitely not, but it is a nice change to give this a listen all the same. Just glad I listened in private and didn’t have it on in a bathroom I was installing, client would have thought I was getting down and steamy. Middle of the road.
Think goes without saying that tainted love was the big hit off this album , also quite liked their interpretation of where did our love go , originally by the supremes It was a tongue in cheek album , not memorable as such but I found it fun , in terms of how it set the scene sleazing about in the 80s , the synth driven pop oozes out of every song probably a little too drastic at times Marc Almond has charisma as a lead singer and some tunes are catchy and flamboyant a little out of tune at times but that adds to the charachter of his voice , A good album but two good songs can’t carry it as a whole unfortunately
Only things I know about Soft Cell are Tainted Love and stories about Marc Almond and his love of depravity and nightclubbing heh. My dad probably has this one in his collection at home as Soft Cell are from Leeds and he was involved in that scene. I mean, Tainted Love is a certified banger and classic.. but when you get to the song Youth, the music isn't too bad but his vocals, kinda chalkboard-y at times and cringey. Sex Dwarf is a synth banger, love it for the title and bopping music in its own crazy way, and I mean the lyrics are just fun. Trent Reznor covered this one apparently in the 80s, which means points up for me. Marc Almonds voice is pretty iconic, even though it's out of tune and atonal at times but also alluring, you can't help but enjoy it even though you know you probably shouldn't.. some classic synth work on this one too, I bet this was fun to make in the studio playing with all those toys, in that way, I envy them. These boys also influenced so much pop music that succeeded it, for that you have to give them credit. Is it an album I'll listen to again and again? No. Are there some tracks I'll add to my playlists, yep - some good ones on here! Probably a 2/5 for me but I/d bump it to a 3 just because they're our boys from Leeds, they influenced so many great English and international bands. But I just can't bring myself to give it a 3.. sorry!
Ok
es ist sehr sehr 80er wow. er singt 80er funny ich ha eig no gern, aber frustration isch etz nonig wüüürkli en song. die version vo tainted love isch chrank ebe. aso rieeese hot gsi, halt meeega catchy. aber au sooo tight und afoch guet arrangiert meega eifach. seedy films isch wieder nur en halbe song und INSANE horny. glaub eh alles megga horne.
ich han nöd gwüsst, dass tainted love es cover isch hahahah UND DASS ES SO CHURZ ISCH HANI IWIE AU NÖD CHEGGT? aber so oder so BANGER seedy films isch na cool? chli weird aber fun? sex dwarf isch WEIRD UI entertain me findi echt scheisse hahahaha aber no en geile übergang zu chips on my shoulder poah sorry ich han echt nüt chönne demit ahfange
Het was alweer even geleden, maar we zijn weer in de promiscue jaren 80 beland. Een beetje heel erg fout allemaal, je ziet het al aan de hoes. Maar ergens toch ook wel weer grappig. De zang is zoals gewoonlijk ietwat verveeld, al nemen ze zichzelf bloedserieus denk ik, ondanks hun maffe uiterlijk. Qua muziek is het new wave gemengd met electro, dus veel synths en drums uit een computertje. De zang, Brits uiteraard, is iets te prominent, verveeld en aanstellerig. Het doet me denken aan een soort kruising tussen Patrick Hernandez (Born to be Alive) en Frankie goes to Hollywood. Behoorlijk "vrolijke" muziek dus. Het is absoluut niet mijn stijl, ik kan het uitzitten, maar dit zet ik niet voor mijn eigen lol op. Dat een aantal nummers wel bekend zijn, vergemakkelijkt het luisteren. Ik zou een krappe 3 kunnen geven, maar vind dat eigenlijk teveel.
"Tainted Love" is not enough to overcome "Sex Dwarf".
Tainted Love cant hold this up, "Seedy Films" had many flat vocal runs à la Yoko Ono. 1.5/5
Aside from the hits this is straight garbaggio.
Kinda hated it all apart from Tainted Love. So pretentious.
Tainted love. That's it.
Tainted Love is a fabulous song. The rest of the album is everything you would make fun of about the 80's. Like... I can't tell if this is serious or Andy Kaufman level satire.
At first I didn’t get it, but then I got to ‘Sex Dwarf’ and now I understand why this is here.
2 stars for Tainted Love
I don’t think we’ve properly examined the impact that a decade of Reagan and Thatcher had on the psyche of a people
Frustration - 5/10: I just wasn't really into it. I like the beat/ instruments (whatever you call it) but I'm not super obsessed with the vocals and lyrics. Tainted Love - 7/10: I like the beat on this song. Seedy Films - 4/10: I like the beat. Youth - 7/10: I like the vocals and beat on this song. Sex Dwarf - 2/10: It's just kind of weird. Entertain Me - 5/10: I think the beat is okay. Chips on My Shoulder - 3/10: Just didn't stand out to me. Bedsitter - 3/10: Same as the last one. Secret Life - 6/10: I like the vocals and beat on this song. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - 4/10: Just a little boring. Overall Score: 46/100 Overall Rating: 3/10 - I didn't really enjoy the album, the vocals were a big part of that. They weren't terrible, but sometimes he was just screaming and it was just weird. I don't see myself listening to this album again.
nope. Did not really like this at all. Goofy 80s production. Only a couple of songs were worth listening to and even then nothing was exceptional. Just not good
80s camp disco mush without the charisma, variations in synth use or hooks in the songwriting. And WAY too long. Struggling to think of many people willingly playing through the whole album without it happening to be required by this 1001 world we inhabit. Could have been a 1 if a few of the more bearable songs weren’t there.
Typical 80's synth pop machine. It has aged but suppose it is something of a novelty especially for the time. Has some solid bones but the 80s pop twist isnt my prefered format and this album is not the best example. Tainted love was a strong song that they covered but original was better and even gothy Manson did a better job. Their seedy 80s, synth pop fest was fine for it but not leveled up. They take the energy out of the songs somehow is my feeling. Right music slightly wrong band is my conclusion and dont mind it as there were some stronger songs skattered about. Could have been 2 or 3 so will just go with my gut on this one on the day.
This is definitely a vibe... Just not a vibe I particularly want to indulge in. I can see why it's on the list because it seems like a perfect example of a specific type of music from a specific time and place. Probably someone's jam but it's definitely not mine, despite 'Sex Dwarf' which is crying out for a metal cover.
#817. Look, we all already knew Tainted Love was amazing before going into this, but the rest of this album is the epitome of mediocre. Reminds me of Alien Ant Farm who did the same thing 20 years later- had one huge hit that was just a cover of someone else's song that everyone loved, but was unable to maintain that with their own music. 2/5: meh
Let’s be honest…..for those of the era, they know one song from Saft Cell. The rest of the album sounds way too similar. I saw them in concert this summer and except for Tainted Love, it was one long song.
Tainted Love er klasse. Resten af albummet har svært ved at nå samme niveau.
“Tainted Love” earns its place in pop history without argument, and there are a couple early moments where the album hints at something sharper and more focused. But beyond that, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret steadily loses me. Tracks like “Youth” leave little impression, and “Entertain Me” crosses the line from provocative into simply annoying. I get what the record is trying to do. The sleaze, the camp, the discomfort. It’s intentionally theatrical and confrontational, more performance art than traditional pop album. The problem is that the provocation doesn’t reward the time it asks for. Too often the songs feel stretched past their ideas, leaning on mood and shock rather than musical payoff. I don’t hate it, and I can appreciate its place in early synth-pop history. But enjoyment matters, and this just doesn’t deliver much of it for me. Outside of its iconic single, it’s an album I respect far more for what it represents than for how it sounds. A two-star record: interesting in concept, thin and grating in execution, and not something I feel any urge to revisit.
Didn't do it for me.
Standout Songs: Tainted Love Bedsitter Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
woof... too much squelching and squealing for my taste. Tainted love is a banger but this is another example of a song that deserves to be on the list of best songs but the album has no place on the list of best albums
Habe es schon vor ein paar Wochen nach dem Todesfall gehört - ist für mich leider nur ein One Hit Wonder. Rest des Albums hat mich gar nicht abgeholt.
Puh, abgesehen von "Tainted Love" finde ich den Rest des Albums erstaunlich langweilig bis anstrengend.
Schönes 80s Feeling, Tainted Love ist über jeden Zweifel erhaben aber alles andere ist dann sehr gleichförmig leider
Single hitter . Mostly fast forward to the end
Pretty bad songs, vocals and lyrics... 1.5
Tainted Love is a banger and I can see why this is on the list but that doesn't make it very good. 2/5.
It's not bad also not good either. Would have never gone outta my way to listen to this album, so glad I was forced to listen to it to have an opinion Besides knowing Tainted Love. Seedy Films and Bedsitter aren't bad tracks.
Do you remember back in the day thatbyou used to buy an album based on the lead single and then, finally listening to the album, you realise it is all crap. That's how I felt listening to this. "Tempted love" is great ( but wait, isn't it a cover?) But the rest is quite 80's synthpop that I remember being annoying.
Horny in an off-putting way. 2 stars because of Tainted Love, otherwise this would be a 1.
Cabe destacar que este álbum tiene un sonido bien representativo de la década de los 80s, en un buen sentido. Si te gusta esa sonoridad es un álbum disfrutable. Pero en mi experiencia, por una serie de razones este álbum me resultó insoportable. Por un lado la voz, tiene un timbre y forma de expresión muy común de la época, pero el problema es que es desgastante, todo el tiempo esa forma de expresión laxa termina cansando. Por otro lado, los temas son bailables, muy de club, pero en la escucha se vuelven demasiado repetitivos, además de que son muy largos. El álbum en su totalidad es demasiado largo. Sumado a que los temas son largos, parece que el álbum no se terminara nunca. Si se hubiesen seleccionado los mejores temas del álbum (temas como "Tainted Love" y "Where Did Our Love Go") la experiencia sería mucho mejor.
While it has Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go I continue to find myself ignoring the rest of the album. If this practice of listening to these albums has taught me anything its that I have way more musical knowledge then I thought but need to spend more time listening deeply.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one great song does not make an album good. This version of Tainted Love is absolutely an 80s classic, but the rest of the album is pretty bad. But kudos to Soft Cell for having a song called Sex Dwarf. 2.5⭐️ (1.5⭐️ of which is for Tainted Love)
Only liked maybe two or three songs and really struggled with the rest
"Tainted Love" is 10/10 5 stars forever, but the rest of this album is bland and uninteresting. I suppose I had too high of hopes for an album with a song called "Sex Dwarf," which wasn't entirely terrible, surprisingly. There are some new wave albums on here where they have one absolutely outstanding song that seems to have led to some critics finding the whole album worthy, when that's not the case at all (looking at you, A-ha). If this list was 1001 songs you need to hear before you die, I'd put "Tainted Love" on there, but given how many glaring omissions there are on this list, this album has no business being on here.
Not much good besides Tainted Love.
Tainted Love is great, the rest of the album is incredibly boring. It felt like a couple guys without editing, a synth and a keyboard in a basement with bad acoustics who wrote the lyrics right before recording. I didn’t expect it to be that bad
Tainted Love is the only song of note on this album.
Couldn't finish, it was too chaotic. Didn't even really like their hit "Tainted Love."
Tainted Love is always a fun classic (which I just learned was a cover), but yikes to the rest of this. It's pretty cringe 80s music at its finest.
It's no coincidence that the hit is a cover. The rest is rubbish. I like 80's synth-pop but this seemed amateur.
80's twaddle..
80's pop, it's ok but nothing I'd come back to.
Vähän jää muu levy hitin varjoon. 2/5
Besides the one huge hit, the cover of "Tainted Love", this doesn't really stand out from the sea of early 80s synthpop. Maybe it is a little raunchier and the rest and that does represent the huge gay scene around the movement. But that's it really, textbook one-hit wonder. Make sure to also listen to the extended version of "Tainted Love" where Soft Cell also cover The Supremes' "Where Did Our Love Go?". Great stuff. Key tracks: Tainted Love
80s fun. Some good but not great tracks.
Soft Cell? For real? Ok, I'll listen. I do still like Tainted Love, but the rest, not so much. Boring electronic music with little that engaged me.
One or two good songs but the rest was boring
5/10
People must have done a lot of cocaine in the 80s
Erotic indeed. Kind of boring. Didn't finish it.
A quintessentially 80s synth-pop album that hasn’t aged all that gracefully. 𝘛𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 remains an undeniable classic — sleek, minimal, and instantly memorable — but the rest of 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘌𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵 struggles to match its charm, often feeling more like a period curiosity than a timeless record.
This was really bad. One famous song and it’s a cover.
Alright, I get it. You're above the suburban life and everything about it is terribly boring and mundane. Did you need an entire album to convey that? And one with (what I never thought I would say) far too much synth? I don't know when the term 'try hard' originated, but I could see it coming soon after someone listening to this album for the first time...Tainted Love is great, the rest are just, not.
Everything I hate about 80’s music.
eeeee I couldn't finish this. the sound is fun for a song or two, but gets old very fast!!
Sadly doesn't live up to memories from my youth. Three good tracks, one of which was a (albeit impressively arranged) cover anyway. The rest is just a soup of 80's musical tropes. Shame.
Ruddy hell. If that album cover isn't an 80s cop show waiting to happen then I need my stomach pumped. The centrepiece 'Tainted Love' really is totemic - a little known soul number given the full on urban electronic treatment. Every stab if the synth is perfectly positioned to build an atmosphere of eltectro-pop menace. It's sweet relief after the opening 'Frustration' which sounds like a bar version of PiL. I assume 'Sex Dwarf' is a bit of parody, but you can't be sure with this completely hammed-up album. It belies something unavoidably seedy about these filthy, leathered lotharios. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye' is a surprisingly tender and evocative piece of writing, and feels light years away from 'Sex Dwarf' or the entirely throwaway 'Entertain Me'. So they have a hit rate of two, of the ten tracks. That's twenty percent. Twenty percent of five stars is one star. Is that fair? Well 'Secret Life' is actually quite fun. And The two hits are such great cuts that it gets a two.
It's pretty mid aside from the obvious "Take on me".
There's a vibe on this one.
This group had its moment, I guess, and "Tainted Love" remains high on the list of one-hit wonders. Another album that seems mostly harmless, but its inclusion in the face of absolutely NO Warren Zevon albums making the 1001 list is a travesty.
I imagine this was quite the album for 1981. I own it, and I still just like the one song.
Tainted Love is the really good song on here - the rest is not up to par. It’s not bad though, just not nearly as good as Tainted Love
Tainted love is a classic, but the rest is just ok. A bit annoying at times though, vocals are an acquired taste for sure. The atmosphere of the album is soooo 80s neon coded though
i WISH this album was as exciting at the title implied. honestly dull and repetitive. tainted love slaps of course but it can't carry the entire 1 hour 14 minute (!???!) album on its own.
boy, i sure wish this erotic cabaret ever stopped. soft cell really has a particular sound and it's cool for a couple tracks, but 18? in 74 minutes? that's exactly the length of one oliver & company, and i'd rather watch that. billy joel's in that one. does your band have billy joel, soft cell? i didn't think so. this cabaret is gonna be a no from me, dawg. special shoutout to where did our love go, which is tainted love with the serial numbers filed off. same drum part, same synth patches, etc. it would be a brazen rip-off if someone else had done it, but soft cell beat them to the punch??? great job i guess??????? favorites: frustration, tainted love, say hello wave goodbye, where did our love go, so
Actually better than I would have guessed. Tainted Love naturally a goat, but the album itself is decent. High 2s.
Típico som dançante de sintetizadores, sem nada de impressionante ou relevante. Mais um disco que não faz o menor sentido estar entre os "1001 para ouvir antes de morrer". Poucos momentos interessantes são as partes de sopro: David Tofani – saxofone (Frustration); clarinete (Seedy Film).
Tainted love is great and I enjoyed the beat in sex dwarf (I didn't know the song). Love the 80s but I've only saved these two tracks.
Some of these songs are pretty out there but overall a good time if you're feeling like listening to dirty 80s music.
Perfect for clubbing with Patrick Bateman, not much more
Look, Tainted Love is an all time 80’s banger. But other than that? This shit is so corny, bro. Like…really? Everybody giving this 5’s? Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
Tainted Love is in the zeitgeist, so there is not really much to say about that. The rest of the album is much the same, just not as good. It's okay I guess, but not really great to me.
Marc Almond har en riktigt bra röst, men musiken är lite väl tidstypisk och (numer) dated. Tainted Love - covern är förstås en klassiker.
True one hit wonder. Rest of album outside one song is not good.
There’s a reason why they are a 1 hit wonder
It was fine I guess. Some weird songs (“Sex Dwarf”), a great song (“Tainted Love”), and a bunch of mid, really annoying songs (the rest of the album). Just kinda repeated the same lines over and over. I don’t really understand why this is supposed to be an important album.
I can totally understand how they are a one hit wonder.
The one single carries it. I would rather just listen to Depeche Mode
Altfor langt album for denne typen musikk. Morsomme tekster, men det er for langt.
Props for Tainted Love but ultimately the rest is pretty blah and kinda weird
Only one song worth listening to. Tainted love.
This is pretty bad. I never liked taint love and the rest of the songs are just dumb.
Some fun and upbeat songs with lyrics in places that must have been pretty cutting edge at the time, for the sexual content. I'm not opposed to some campy synth pop but a lot of these tracks didn't really stick with me though. I found it maybe too layered in places.. for example Entertain Me where at times it feels like there are 3 or 4 synth lines at the same time and quite frenetic vocals, so there isn't really any melody to cling onto Sex Dwarf is just a silly novelty song as well, don't like that
Hard carried by tainted love
The only half decent song on here is the Tainted Love
Sex Dwarf
Самтаймс ай Фил ай гатту Майкл Шин вайбы
They’ve tainted my love… idk I tried
80s music has never been a vibe for me. This album is no different.
Weak album with 2 classics
it wasn't non-stop, wasn't particularly erotic, and was only kind of cabaret.
Other than Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go, I had no familiarity with Soft Cell and did not know what to expect. Now I understand why. This album was all over the place and not in a good way. Also some of the vocals were interesting. Many of them fell flat literally. Can’t give this a one because of the two songs that are noteworthy. But it’s a close call.
They’re a one hit wonder, they’re British, and they’re otherwise forgettable. These are the attributes needed to be added to this fucking list. Bonus points if they’re pretentiously underground. This album is necessarily bad, but besides that mega hit, it’s not worth listening to. I do think “Sex Dwarf” is unironically the most interesting song on the album. I can’t imagine wanting to listen again. 2/5
I dig the dark synthy mood. Vocals are kinda all over the place. Got pretty boring towards the middle of the album.
Some bangers and I loved the closer, but ultimately a bit of a weird album
Not a huge fan.
They really did live off of one song didn't they, and it wasn't sex dwarf
Well the main thing tainted here is my Spotify history, now that I've listened to this album from start to finish. I imagine I'll start getting emails telling me about concerts and similar bands who I'll also not enjoy. I was going to leave this a one star rating, but Sex Dwarf bumped it up to two stars. I think my main complaint is that none of the songs really go anywhere. There's some synth and a few hooks spread quite thinly, but no real substance. Even Sex Dwarf ultimately fails to get going, although there are signs of it having a driving beat for half the song, it just never peaks.
The music of theater kids making their own terrible musical theater album
It was not for me. Tainted love is good, and it's not even theirs completely, but a version... I got quite traumatised with sex dwarf.
Synth-pop can be pretty nice when well-executed, with catchy hooks and loops. But these guys are most definitely not the Pet-Shop Boys. Minimalistic and unappealing.
let's see just how 80s we can be on this shit. I've never, ever, been a big super 80s guy, and this reeks of it. It stinks.
I appreciate music with a sense of humor about itself, but I feel like this album verges on self-parody in a lot of moments. I'm also not a huge fan of Tainted Love, which is the clear standout track on this.
Tainted Love is way too early. Sex Dwarf is amazing. The rest is entirely forgettable.
One good song does not sustain an album of crap.
There's really not a lot here beyond Tainted Love, which is an all-time great cover. I did like that there was a song called Sex Dwarf, though - not that I remember what it sounded like.
Me había olvidado que son los de tainted love. Por momentos el synthpop me parece todo igual y me cuesta distinguir lo temas. No es un género que me guste y no lo volvería a escuchar.
Tainted Love is an amazing song, I didn't really care for the rest of the album.
I enjoy 80s new wave but this just isn't for me.
Tainted Love is the quintessential 80s song, while the music is enjoyable I found singing eh.
Ah yes, the "Tainted Love" guys, and even that is a cover (which I wasn't aware of for years). That's really the only noteworthy thing here, unless you also count "Sex Dwarf" as noteworthy (if only from a lyrical standpoint). I'm sure this had a place in certain, seedy establishments, but I've heard better synth pop.
Another one that feels like it made the list because of a single song. It's cool to hear the roots of synth-based pop music but this is kind of lame.
This feels like coming out the other side of the 80’s sounds that were started by yesterday’s album, “The Pleasure Principle” by Gary Numan. Which is funny because that album only preceded this one by a few years, but Soft Cell seem to be living in a world of already established techniques and cliches. “Sex Dwarf” doesn’t hold back, it’s a bit dizzying towards the end. “Memorabilia” sounds like it definitely inspired the hell out of LCD Soundsystem. On that note, “Fun City” also has that late 2000’s synth bassline that goes up and down and up and down and up and down. I can’t say this is the type of new wave that gets me going. And if I wanted to listen to some sweaty sex songs from this time, I think I’d just be better off with all the stuff Prince put out around then. 2/5
Total ass
Tainted Love is masterful. But, not surprisingly, it appears it was a stroke of luck as much as genius, considering the rest of the album is pretty unlistenable. The quirky Casio sounds and robotic tic make Tainted Love work (and whoever thought to mash it up with Where Did Our Love Go for the single was on to something), but it is awful everywhere else on this record. The outro to Seedy Films was unbearable.
it was... fine. odd.
bro can't sing in tune
The only worthwhile songs are covers. Go figure.
There are so many things I'd rather do than listen to synth-pop. Tainted Love is at least decent but I learned today that they didn't actually write it. There were some moments here that were better than I had expected but from a very low level of expectation, it won't get them above two stars. And they'll thank me for it.
This record will clear a room within about 7-10 minutes
A little song, a little dance, a little synth down your 80s cargo pants.
I only liked Tainted Love. The rest of the songs I didn’t care for much.
I did not enjoy this album :( It contextualized why this band was a one hit wonder, IMO! There were a fair amount of songs that I really enjoyed parts of, but the rest fell of somewhere.... and I think that encapsulates how I feel about this album. Aside from Tainted Love, the only other song I enjoyed was Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
Tainted Love is a certainly a classic, although we've all heard it a billion times. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is also pretty great. The majority of the rest of the album though...yikes. Guess you had to be there.
Probably should have been producers. Not sure why one hit wonders get on this list. Isn't it about albums?
The cover of "Tainted Love" is rightfully a smash hit, but outside of that this was a slog to get through. 80's synth-pop with overtly sleazy nightlife lyrics.
This was good until it was not
They committed to it. Thats gotta be worth something. Mostly annoying monotonous crap.
Drie keer niks
I now understand why I’d never heard any of their music except Tainted Love.
Uggh
2
very very 80s. album has tainted love so think that vibe. cool album just not a style i would ever really listen to of my own free will tbh
Good sounds for a party, but weak voices.
Tainted love is obviously a classic, but not enough to enjoy the rest of the synth heavy 80s songs. So much creepy weird sex lyrics… and that’s coming from me!
After listening to this album I have determined that there is a clear deliniation point marking the time in my life before I heard Sex Dwarf, and after. Liked Songs Added: Tainted Love Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
Los temas son complicados y un poco largos pero esta la esencia de la banda y del estilo. Su mejor tema es su hit
Too 80s for my liking
Yes, Tainted Love is a great song, and Soft Cell's version is great. I consider it a classic of 80's electronic pop music. However, I could only find a couple other songs that felt relevant in 2025 when there is so much better music out there from the 80's, electronic, pop, et cetera. I'd give this a 2.5, but I don't think I can give it higher than that.
Tainted Love is an absolute must listen to. I think it's a cover, but they it so damn well. It doesn't seem that the rest of the album hits like Tainted Love. The synth is subtle and not like a lot of early 80's music where overpowers you. Unfortunately the singing needs it. Dude sounds whiny more than anything.
Umm not really my vibe
An album so middling, I lost all motivation to keep up my somewhat decent momentum from earlier in the year. For the good of the first couple of decade defining Tracks, it very quickly descends into untamed chaos. 'Sex Dwarf' will not be played again unless for some weird joke. Best Tracks: - Tainted Love - Seedy Films Worst Tracks: - Sex Dwarf - Chips On My Shoulder Rating: 4/10
I spent the whole album trying to work out whether this guy can sing or not, I still don't know the answer. Very long and quite one-note for me
"Tainted Love" is decent and then the rest of the album sounds like a worse version of "Tainted Love."
Turns out, Tainted Love was their only hit for a reason
An additional star for Tainted Love. Couldn’t make it past the 30th time they said Sex Dwarf though….
Why do these new wave albums have to be so insufferably long? 2/5
Now don't get me wrong Tainted Love is a great song, but not great enough to save the album as a whole. Just not great, Soft Cell were short lived and a bit of a one hit wonder. The second best song isn't even part of the main album.
Bit annoying.
2 stars. Tainted love is what brings it up from a 1 to a 2. Rip to gay brit ppl but sometimes I hate the voice and lyrics f
could i write poetry to this? n
Another famous one-hit wonder. If you ever in your life have heard Soft Cell's cover of "Tainted Love", then you have already heard the best song on the album. The rest is the same, but not as good. If Pet Shop Boys are your jam, you will have a better chance of enjoying this.
When my brother in law was like 10 the term "Midget Porn" was found in his internet search history.
Thanks for the recommendation. Wasted hours of my life.
A definite turn-off for me
Ok
other than “tainted love” nothing really stood out. meh.
Like Tainted Love but that's about all.
Soft Cell, more like music from hell. Their covers are decent, but don’t let them make their own music.
Sometimes you just have to admit certain music isn't meant for you. This was meant for UK club-goers in the 80's and not for me sitting at my desk working in 2025.
Well, there's Tainted Love. Indestructible no matter how many people cover it, how many times it gets played on the radio, at your uncle's 3rd wedding reception, 80s night at the local nightclub, etc. Also, Sex Dwarf is an interesting song title - but the song sort of fails to deliver on it. There is a lot of 80s electronica, angst and cold neon lights turned into music. Gives me a nuclear world war teenage angst, cold neon light feeling that I don't appreciate much at all.
Ja jo men 2 much synth
I think the late 80s had some awesome music by artists that are more thought of as 90s artists - Prince, Nine Inch Nails - even Bleach by Nirvana was released in 1989. Then you have music that is quintessentially 80s music. And I think 80s music is the worst decade for music. And this sounds more 80s than anything that has ever 80s.
Honestly, apart from Tainted Love, the first half of the album is strange and sounds like music made by either the mighty-boosh or Jez from Peep Show, I don’t get it really. At times it’s a concoction of different sounds with overly British spoken word on top. Second half of the album somewhat redeems itself with normal sounding music, “Where did our love go” is tolerable for instance. 3.9/10.
jaha painetaan did not listeniä niin lähtee arvostelu pois... hehheh. semmosta teknologiaa.. noh kirjotetaas tästä jotain sitte kun halutaan halutaan niin paljon.. tämäa lbumi on tunnettu koska yksi biisi joka on coveri.. tämä ei vuonna 1981 ole millään saatanan spektrumilla mitenkään influentiaalinen tai edes erikoinen. pari ok bisiä siellä tällä suurimmaksi osaksii kraftwerk wannabe paitsi ei lähellekään ei saatana lähellekään missään tapauksessa annetaan se kaksi vaikka vituttaakin vitusti tainted love
Horny
Ok
Yeah Tainted Love is cool but I’m trying to figure out why #5 “Sex Dwarf” wasn’t a bigger ;) hit?? What a WILD album
One hit wonder Tainted Love is ok but most of the rest of this album is a forgettable 80's mess.
there is some distinguishable tracks in here which is nice but i didnt really like any of them i feel like im close to liking this album at times but usually not for long but i didnt really hate listening to it and i listened to all of it
Knew i wasnt gonna like it from the title. Gave it a chance and oof
I have learned through this project, that I strongly dislike this style of music. The vocals are soooo bad and the instrumentals are boring. "Tainted Love" is soooo good but other than that this is average at best. Liked Songs: "Frustration" , "Tainted Love" , "Sex Dwarf" , "Chips On My Shoulder" , "Secret Life" , "What?"
Enjoyed the singles, rest was ok. Standout songs: Tainted Love Bedsitter
Yeah I just didn’t care for it. The last song was actually pretty good though, which was surprising since I expected Tainted Love to be the only notable song.
Like most, I already knew "Tainted Love", but haven't spent any proper time with this Soft Cell. I had kinda written them off as "one-hit wonder", and I was kind of right (in the commercial sense). At times they are playful and purposefully campy ("Seedy Films"), at others there are shades of Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, and the Cure ("Youth"), and sometimes they blend the two into something danceable yet so delightfully stupid as "Sex Dwarf". There is depth here, but not a whole lot. Soft Cell does tend toward the goofy side of things, adding unnecessary effects and vocals, seemingly, wherever they can ("Entertain Me" is a prime example of a good song made worse by excessive noise). There are instances in which these tendencies can elevate the song; "Chips on My Shoulder" features whistles, shouts in the background, group cheers, giving the frantic party vibe I think they were aiming for. In short, it's a weird little work by some unlikely pop-stars. I wanted to like it, but the quality just isn't there.
I mean, the title is apt. But good lord maybe make a song about your day or something idk. Some of the songs are awesome but some are god awful. (2) Scale for future: 1 - turn this off now 2 - will groan if it comes on 3 - no problems, I wouldn’t play it but I don’t mind hearing it 4 - pretty good, I may even play it 5 - bangers
I’m tempted to give this five stars just for Sex Dwarf. But beyond that surreal highlight and the guilty pleasure of Tainted Love this was a slog.
Heavily reliant on tainted love
Big single is a banger. The rest is too 80's
Oh, that's why this album is on here
For the amount of love I have for Tainted Love, it was pretty disappointing to find the rest of this album to be mostly mindless '80s dance club jams. Really happy I did not listen to the whole 30+ Deluxe edition.
Ja, ne. Also der eine Klassiker Tainted Love natürlich schon.
It's Soft Cell. It's aight.
Melodies are almost comedically repetitive. This feels like fake music that would play in a movie set in the 80s like bruh. Tainted Love saves this from 1 star.
I’m not sure I liked this much. I noticed some classic pop songs in this project but this style of music isn’t for me.
The type of album you really want to like because that one track (in this case, "Tainted Love") is so good, there must be something close to that on here. There are a few that are pretty decent, but unfortunately "Tainted Love" is the only song truly worth your time.
Ist mir zu disharmonisch
Tainted love is terrific. But as so often here one song no matter how great does not an album make. 5 for tainted love. -3 for everything else.
You know Soft Cell? Oh what, the band who does Tainted Love? Yeah, that's right. I bet they write loads of songs that are just as good as Tainted Love don't they? Nope.
Sometimes great singles hide even greater albums. And other times, legendary singles actually hide clearly underwhelming full length records. This is case number 2 here. File under "the 1001 cover versions (bettering the originals) you must listen to before you die (if you haven't already)". The album that hit single is from can be mentioned in a footnote, though. 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 7/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2) Number of albums left to review: around eighty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 448 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 270 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 325 (including this one)
I expected it to be bad but it was mostly ok. Kinda unhinged. A bit like if you added the cynicism of Roxy Music to the B-52s, kept a good chunk of the wildness but took away most of the heart. That gets you about 2 stars in my books. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Besides the two bangers of tainted love and where did our love go, this album is very forgettable. Those are two great songs though.
It was ok. If not for Tainted Love and Where Did Out Love Go this this group would be a pass for me
Tainted Love is a banger but the rest of the album isn't really. Find the vocal style a bit annoying too.
Tainted Love is an indestructible song, but of course it's a cover. "Sex Dwarf" is much too Spinal Tap for me lyrically.
Not for me, wouldn't listen to this again
Pretty meh. Not catchy enough for pop and not experimental enough to be anything else. 4/10
Its got their 2 big hits on it. Its very 80s so its got a lot of misses on the album too
Tainted Love isch scho en banger, aber süsch isch s album vor allem astrengend findi..
I love 80s synth so completely surprised how much I disliked this. The synth is jarring, some of the lyrics are awful, and the vocals hurt my ears. A bonus point for originality and for the Tainted Love cover.
Not bad, but it feels like it goes on forever
I don't think this is a good album, sorry. 2 stars because of tainted love.
Tainted Love…sure great song The rest of this is so off putting and goes on for so long.
The 2 singles were the only redeeming part of this album. 2 stars for those, 0 stars for everything else.
I mean this with no disrespect whatsoever... This is an album for casual gay sex. There's nothing deep or romantic in here. It's for going to a club putting some chemicals in your stomach watching the flashing lights, finding a guy who looks like a young Harrison Ford and bringing him home. In the morning you find out that Harrison Ford was more of a Steve Buscemi, the ecstasy you took was meth, and this album is shit. 2 stars
The cover of this album and the title on it makes me laugh. The word “erotic” combined with these two guys is close to parody. I have to say the same thing about the music. It’s peak 80s synth in the bad way. The singers voice isn’t bad but he can’t control it properly and his lyrics are pretty bad. The instrumental backing is either noodling woodwinds or generic beeps and boops. Tainted Love is the best track and they didn’t write it (though they made it in to the hit it is with the synth work, so credit due there). I looked up the original track listing to make sure I didn’t actually have to listen to an hour+ of this, and thankfully the original ends after 10 tracks. This is not very good. 2 stars for tainted love and sex dwarf (somehow the best original with the best name and insane topic).
I kinda hate this lol. Didn't know they did tainted love tho so good for them. Definitely picked up towards the end, but still kind of just wailing. Being British and talking about sex is not a personality trait I believe. I liked them better when they weren't being obnoxious and during more calmer songs. Seedy Films made me want to die. Fav Songs: Tainted Love, Secret Life, Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Sex Dwarf WAIT THIS IS KINDA GOING HARD I'll give it a 2 Album Art (Gonna start doing this now bc I saw another guy on here do it): These guys look like they're about to sell you the worst joint you've ever seen. Oh wait wtf is he holding is that a cut of meat or was i right about the weed I want to punch them i like the effect and the titles and background thats cool thats nice
Big 80's vibes. Not the best full album. 2/5
seedy, sleazy, singular, melancholic, fixed in time.
I like a bit of synth-pop but was never a fan of Soft Cell at the time. Tainted love is a classic, but apart from that and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye i'm not keen on the rest of it.
I mean, it's not great. Tainted Love is pretty good, but that's their only hit. Everything else sounds average, or slightly below average, to me. I get the vibe of this album, though - very 80s.
I did not enjoy this. Tainted Love is a classic and I hoped this would be good, but it is not. 2.5, rounded down.
It’s ok, just not really my cup of tea 🍵
I'm wondering if Soft Cell were actually a drunken joke gone too far. Surely someone should have noticed at 'Sex Dwarf'? It's a good cover of 'Tainted Love', though.
Weird, but some interesting sounds. Tainted Love is the standout. 2.5
Liked the first few songs but after that it just became noise SOME TIMES I FEEL I WANT TO (👏 👏) TURN THIS OFF
Two stars for two good songs on one album. The rest of the album made me keep checking to see how much longer I had left to listen to.
Had Tainted Love, but that was it.
Oh my. I guess I only knew Tainted Love, the radio hit of the era. Frustration starts this off making me wanna turn it off. Tainted Love pops on and I'm dancing in my seat, the frustration of the prior track fading into the past. Was a bit hit or miss after that. Most I enjoyed, but at times it dragged on and was a bit too campy/dance club for my taste. Where Did Our Love Go? came back at the end to redeem it once more. Fighting with myself between 2 and 3. Fun City sealed the deal. 2 it is.
I like the 80s neon aesthetic, and it is fun with the grimy street youth feeling. Still feels a little too safe and similar sounding, and a lot of the songs are totally uninteresting. Thought it was fine, but not good enough to give 3 stars, probably. Best song: Tainted Love Worst song: What? Best title: Sex Dwarf
Dull
Meh. Not a fan.
Durchschnittliche 80er-Massenware!
I was pretty whelmed, but open to being surprised, when I received this one. As anyone doing this list knows, it has a looooot of synth pop on it. I liked the fearlessness in going after certain seedier lyrical topics (as the name would imply), but I don't think they're handled well, and come off clunky and juvenile. The songs all kind of have the same flavor, which, with the very stiff drums, wears out quickly. It's not the worst example of synth pop I've heard, but it feels more primitive, and feels like it's been surpassed pretty hard. Favorite tracks: "Tainted Love", "Seedy Films"
Has the best song ever in it. Actually a 2/5 though
Less “cabaret” and more awful, cheesy high school musical. The best track is a cover, which is a sad statement, and I didn’t realize they did Where Did Our Love Go. Everything else was next to unlistenable. Terrible even by British pop standards, which thanks to the albums thus far on this list, is a pretty low bar.
This was really out there and delivered supreme levels of cringe but I didn't completely hate it. I couldn't tell if it was parody at parts. What is it about 80's music that sounds so tacky? Marc Almond is the ultimate diva and really delivers on the sleaze and sparkle here. I didn't like "Sex Dwarf" or "Entertain Me" but there were a few decent songs buried within. Based on the album title, it fits the bill but I don't think I'll revisit. 2.30 for making everything sticky.
Tainted Love is the classic that pulls the rest of them up. The rest really wasn't my cup of tea. The singing especially.
Hmmm, the only song they didn’t write was Tainted Love. Their songs were pretty lame. The vocalist, Marc Almond, I know from some of his solo albums which I liked. A 1 except for TL.
This is the album people think of when they say they hate 80s music. Or at least it will be for me.
One hit a couple ok songs and the rest was forgettable.
i mean it does have two songs that everyone knows, somehow. But the rest of the songs are really hard to listen to. So 2.4321 it is.
Tainted Love is the only thing that saves this from being a 1
Tainted love was great, the rest was... weird. Sex dwarf? for real?
I don't care for this 😶
The music is ok but the guys voice is awful. I liked two songs: Tainted love Torch
Just Ight mad horny tho
2/5
Had to give an extra star for tainted love. It’s clear they were all in a midlife crisis and trying to take me down with them. Boooo
Mostly annoying
This is a fine album, but its quality goes up and down in a way that would definitely make me want to skip tracks on subsequent listens. Tainted Love, albeit a standard 80s-sounding hit, is a great track, in part due to its infectious synth riffs and Soft Cell having enough self-awareness not to include mind-dulling repetition in the synth/keyboard/brass parts. The same cannot be said for all tracks. There's a lot of filler here, which could easily be made otherwise by adding some more variation in pretty much any instrumental part. Exceptions are Tainted Love, Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Bedsitter, Torch, and a few others. Given the 1hr 14min runtime, I think this could be shaved down, especially seeing that it isn't a concept album. I'm not a big fan of the vocals either. They're reminiscent of British punk, a genre that hasn't seen much high-complexity or groundbreaking music (in my opinion). Swapping them out for someone subtly different but more flourishy, like Morrissey, could be the way to go. Vocal harmonies also could've been a good strategy, but alas, those are generally absent here. 2/5 Key tracks: Tainted Love, Bedsitter, Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Torch
Tainted Love is an all time classic, but the rest is garbage.
Everything about this album from the outfits on the cover to the mechanized synth chugging along the entire time just screams 80's. It's a bit much of it for my taste. Really cool to learn the origin of Tainted Love and Soul's influence backwards to Northern England. The satire is light and fun but results in less feeling overall when compared to its' contemporaries
So that’s why they were a one hit wonder.
This is the 80's sound, through and through. Soft Cell has a certain rhythm they use over and over again. If you like it, you like it. If you don't, you don't. I knew what I was getting into when I read the title, but was still surprised at the level of depravity described in some of the lyrics.
I’m teetering between a two and a three. On one hand, Tainted Love is an all-timer (also find it crazy that Where Did Our Love Go? doesn’t directly follow it on the track list) and the synth beats are so damn catchy. On the other, the lyrics are absolutely wild and scandalous (and not always in a good way) and the best song is a cover. I’m going with a two because there’s not much to draw me back besides the two songs. Not looking forward to Sex Dwarf popping into my head at random points later in life either.
I am not a fan of this album. I really struggled to get through it. There's no real aspect of these songs that I like. The synth beats are too weird for me. I don't like the talk singing. This feels like the most put together album that I would give a 1 to. But.... "Tainted Love" is too freaking good to ignore. That opening beat is iconic. Everyone in the world hears that bump bump I can say I know that song. A radio hit since it came out and I'm sure I could hear it over the radio on my drive home today. There are some albums that have a song good enough to warrant listening to the entire album. I wouldn't consider this to be one of them. "Tainted Love" brings this from a 1 to a 2.
Not my favourite.
There are some really nice moments on this album, if you can tolerate the very basic synth sound (which I don't mind) - and the sometimes out of tune singing. It has a nice, homemade, twisted vibe. I can see the influence of the very opening cry of 'Frustration', perhaps, on Trent Reznor's NIN work. Say Hello. Wave Goodbye hits a poignant emotional note and is my favourite track on the album. Other highlights are Chips On My Shoulder and (of course) Tainted Love. Some parts are tackier and Sex Dwarf in particular is a ropey song with feeble lyrics that don't mean much unless you're excited about gold cars and bondage (which I'm not). "You know what they say about small boys" - is a horrible little line that doesn't deserve a place in music, however perverted your tastes. Overall, it's a little forgettable. It is a curiosity in a charity shop - one you'd pick up and remark at, but wouldn't waste your money buying.
tainted love is a banger but the rest didn’t interest me really
Weird britpop. Tainted Love is a certified Singstar classic though. 2.5
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is the debut studio album by Soft Cell, originally released in 1981. Soft Cell are best known for their cover of "Tainted Love", which is a great example of 80s pop/new wave. It's a song that everyone knows but can't name the artist even if a gun was to their head. Unfortunately, that's all they really did. This record is one hit and a bunch of okayish songs. Actually, a lot of the other cuts on here are downright creepy. The overly sexual lyrics just give me bad vibes. One or two dirty songs is fine, but when you're talking about kidnapping someone to use as a sex slave is where it gets a little weird. The only reason this sold so many copies is for the one song, which carries this whole thing. At least the instrumentals on here were interesting. It's kinda cool to hear these rudimentary electronic instrumentals made in the early days of electronic pop. They are very minimal and leave a lot of space to breathe.
Besides Tainted Love...this album does nothing for me...especially Sex Dwarf! Annoying.
Laughing at this opening song about the mundanity of grown-up life - adulting, as we say now. "Tainted Love" is great of course. "Seedy Films" is BAD. I can't help but think of Ross on "Friends" when he busts out his keyboard and plays his songs from college. SEX DWARF OMG
This doesn't feel like any kind of artistic statement by a talented creative duo, more like a pandering commercial endeavor by pop-music opportunists. I will give them a little credit for being on the bleeding edge in 1981, before this sound had really developed as it did later into the 80s.
This album is definitely not my jam
ребята совсем не по нотам и слишком эротик)) не моё
Didn't realize Tainted Love was only 2:33 long....the rest of the 1 hour and 12 minutes was stylistic and just not for my ears. Sex dwarf LOL!!!!!!
Ugh so tedious
This album is completely carried by tainted love, rest of the album isn’t great at all. So I can’t say this is an album you need to listen to before you die, save yourself 45 minutes of your life and just listen to tainted love.
Another 80’s one hit wonder. I’ve heard worse.
Best Song: Tainted Love. By far the tightest, most refined song. Also has a considerably shorter runtime than the other tracks, which to me means they actually trimmed the fat off this one. Worst Song: Facility Girls. I really hate when these songs get so slow that the singer just starts theatrically talking. Overall: Definitely fits squarely in that 80s vibe of "murder dance", perhaps most strongly in tracks like "Sex Dwarf". Sadly, beyond a few "out-there" tracks, there's nothing really of interest here.
Tainted Love may be the most overplayed song of my youth. If I was hearing that song for the first time, I would probably have a more favorable opinion. Who knows...didn't love the rest either.
the only reason not giving 1 star is the cover for tainted love, which is brilliant...
I'll give it a 2 because I like Tainted Love so much. But the rest of the album I didn't like at all, and wanted to turn it off several times.
I have the vaguest memory of having heard this album before. And a stronger one that 'Tainted Love' is the only song worth listening here.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. But it was just too long, I really stuggled towards the end. Tainted Love will always be a banger though.
Ruddy Hell
Tainted love is such a good song. This is a really strong 2.
What could be interesting lyrics are totally usurped by bad singing and terrible instrumentation.
Tainted Love the obvious stand out from this campy synth pop 80s album that sounds rather dated now