Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Did they intentionally try to make the most annoying album possible? The 80s were rough…
I liked a few of them.
Frustration. This didn’t quite Entertain Me.
Schmutzige Texte und Themen Gute Synthies. Tainted Love --> Klassiker.
Kinda weird TBH
Really bad. Tainted Love is a classic but every other song on the album is boring or annoying. Never a good sign when I'm constantly checking how much longer the album is.
So is a good Italio disco track
Did not like any song that much did not finish but I get what they were going for.
One hit wonder
The best song on this one is a cover.
I probably could have died without hearing this one. I always enjoyed Tainted Love; other than that, there is Say Hello, Wave Goodbye which was covered to better effect by David Gray and a cover of the Supremes' Where Did Our Love Go. A couple horn riffs - the rest is inane and annoying. 74 minutes - PLEASE!
Standouts: "Tainted Love," "Where Did Our Love Go?" (Basically the same instrumental), "What?" Lyrics/Vocals- 2/5 Instrumentals- 2/5 Vibes- 2/5 Overall- 2/5 This album was honestly a tough listen. I love their cover of "Tainted Love," and expected something of similar calibre. But, the lyrics at many points were nonsensical. The vocals were grating at times, and many times it sounded like the vocals and the instrumentals were working against each other. However, this was the 80s, which was a VERY different time. To me though, this album really just sounded like noise with no real rhyme or reason behind them. Just noise for the sake of noise.
honestly, a boring album for me, i knew Tainted Love, hated Sex Dwarf, that was just a jarring listen and I had to skip it before I got too annoyed.
jezus man
Very 80s, very camp, and very English. One of those, maybe two at a push, would have been fine, but all three is not for me. Features the third best version of the biggest single (check out The Living End's version of tainted love), and a song later improved by David Gray. Neither of these is a plus point either! He can sing good though, and the music is not actively offensive, I guess, so they can have a second star - and they can thank me for it!
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?
Highlight - Sex Dwarf
Gut! Frustation gefällt mir.
Bra, men litt irriterande i lengden
Not for me. The album and songs are too long that have really nothing unique about them and kinda sound the same. But maybe this album could of been big at the time??
Besides the ones I already knew this album seems quite forgettable.
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
Maybe this was groundbreaking in the 80's but it does not hold up....
Horrible vocals
Tainted Love is an all timer and gets three stars but nothing else here gets to the level. Even a song called 'Sex Dwarf' can't break through. I am a brick wall. Sometimes I'd hear a line in the other songs and think 'What are we doing here?' and I wouldn't have an answer.
I've gone this long in my life with only knowing a single song by Soft Cell. And now I know why! "Tainted Love" is so far above and beyond everything else on this record that it's kinda hard to believe they managed to so completely knock that one out of the park when the rest of the album is mostly filled with foul balls. I could tolerate "Chips on My Shoulder" and "Bedsitter," but the same can not be said for many of the others. "Sex Dwarf" got skipped pretty hard, guys. Most of all, I have come away with the impression that this dude just isn't a very good singer. Or the songs aren't written for his voice. Or they could really benefit from some 1981 auto-tune. (Looking at you final track.) Either way, the fit is off. Except for when it isn't. Which is "Tainted Love."
Tainted love, but nothing else
1/2/24. Meh, thought a lot of the songs and melodies were repetitive. One or two highlights, but not enough to revisit often.
Started out strong with the first two tracks, but the more I listened, the more I realized the singer can't sing. That really took me out of it, especially with the longer notes and big reverb kind of accentuating it.
2.3
Soft Cell are known essentially for Tainted love, but in my opinion this album is a little gem in the synth pop panorama of the 80s. There are experimental songs both in terms of arrangements and lyrics quite interesting.
Not really for me…
Something there, definitely interesting, but not for me 2
Jeg så jeres ratings og tænkte "ah...det kan vist ikke være mere liderligt end George Michael", men jeg ændrede mening da jeg kom til Sex Dwarf. Hvad lavede de i 80'erne?? Jeg var ret klar på at give den 2/5 indtil jeg kom til Say Hello, Wave Goodbye som var RIGTIG fin og trak det hele op for mig
Liderligste plade på listen indtil videre. Lyder til at de havde det pissesjovt med at finde ud af hvad synthesizers kunne, jeg elsker det her
Det er simpelthen for liderligt. Men god version af tainted love...har altid set Soft Cell som et one hit wonder og det ændrer hele pladen ikke på
"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.
Hmm, I can see how this was cutting edge at the time but I can't say the music does much for me now.
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?”
The only memorable song (for good reasons) is a cover.
Before listening: Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret does not sound like my idea of a good time. And, the length of this album is looking already to be too long. After listening: I'm not going to knock Tainted Love which is genius, but there's a lot on this record that is just not for me. Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go? bump this album up from a harsh one star rating to a two star listen I'll never spin again. I like the idea that through the popularity of that Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go?, this record found its way into someone's hands and it spoke to them deeply giving them comfort in difficult times.
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
TIL Soft Cell didn't write "Tainted Love." TIL Soft Cell made a one of the best and goofiest albums of the 80s and it's stupidly brilliant.
80s
Was not prepared for how lofi, amateurish, kinky, and queer this album was. Some cool sounds, but is definitely early new wave.
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
too weird even for me: sex dwarf entertain me chips on my shoulder
Why are these nerds so horny? Way too much crappy singing, moaning, synth, and horns. I don't get it.
Huh heb ik dit geluisterd?
Werd er enorm zenuwachtig van dus heb het afgezet. Kwam wel echt door de manier van zingen
Tainted wehweh
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.
Like an album from a completely different reality
Other than the song Tainted Love, this album is pretty hard to listen to. Their voices are abrasive and out of tune.
That first song "Frustration" is so manic 😅 Actually a fun album
Not great - but a couple of “ok” songs
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret was so weird and may be the weirdest album i have looked at thus far. However, that does not make it bad, the album was pretty chill with its music at points and at other points it could be really upbeat which i really like. It is no doubt a weird album but it was still one that I enjoyed. Best Song: Frustration Worst Song: Sex Dwarf
# 124 : Eighties disco pop! Here we go again, how dull, even a banger like "Tainted Love" can't pull this album out of the pile of crud. Favourite Track : Tainted Love Listened : 05/12/2023
"tainted love" is a bop. super enjoyable and peppy. the second half of the album fell off, though. the first half had energy and was enjoyable wave. the second half was tired wave. i can't imagine soft cell had a good time crafting those songs, and you can tell side B gets terribly boring. creating music around sex is great! it's always been a popular topic, but something soft cell is doing here is too much. you don't need to force these kinds of things. hasn't soft cell ever heard of the word subtle?
This album was, surprisingly and unfortunately, a little bit of a let down. Like so many others, I expected the album to be as much of a banger as "Tainted Love". In reality, it mostly paled in comparison. Of course "Where Did Our Love Go" is the other A-Side track opposite Tainted Love, and is good, but other than that, "Sex Dwarf" oddly enough was a standout. Don't get me wrong, the album wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as I was expecting. Oh, and did I mention that this band was definitely horny when they made this album? Anyway, high 2, barely getting rounded up to 3.
Tainted love is the most popular song and for good reason, it's the best song on the album. This album is the very 80s sounding, maybe too much. There's no real substance to it.
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!
Fine.
There is absolutely nothing erotic whatsoever with this try-too-hard attempt to be edgy and sexual. I had to quit at Sex Dwarf, what an asinine track that was. I just felt so disgusted listening to this crap. And here's my dilemma: I LOVE their version of Tainted Love, it is the best ever cover of that song. But one shiny one-hit wonder amidst a sea of poorly executed synth soaked shit does not an impressive album make. Fuck these weirdo assholes for making this crap, I'll never be able to listen to Tainted Love joyfully again.
Sounds like it could be a Police Academy soundtrack.
I liked tained love and the rest of the album was okay but not really my style.
I strongly dislike very 80s music
Where did our love go/tainted love are their most well known songs - but they've got some like 80s dark disco songs on this album that are good.
NOT ROCK LETS GOOOOO
Outside of Tainted Love, this wasn't great
Terrible, terrible, terrible. The only decent song they have is Tainted Love.
To a certain group of teenagers -- all across the country -- drinking black coffee in Denny's in the early hours of the morning -- confused in Ronald Reagan's America -- not belonging -- this record was an expression of rebellion and unity -- something guaranteed to offend the people you wanted to offend. Essentially a New Wave punk album, the tunes are elevated with fantastic empathetic vocals and excellent electronic instrumentation. "Tainted Love" became an anthem, and rightly so. Peaches could never have happened without these guys, same with Frankie Goes to Hollywood (which I would argue is great but derivative, FGTH took all the things Soft Cell were doing and did a better job packaging and marketing it).
CUNTY AS HELL❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️
More like Non-Stop Erotic Karaoke. Pretty awful. Extra star because of Tainted Love
Love the early 80s pop and love Tainted Love... but these guys feel a bit like a 1 hit wonder. The rest of the album wasn't bad, it just wasn't consistently Tainted Love level good.
Good, though dated, synth pop
The two good songs are the singles. The rest are super cheesy 80s synth pop (not in a good way) with cheesier lyrics.
4.4
Not for me. The vocal became grating, the lyrics are that of a horny teenager and the 80's Casio keyboard music doesn't really hold value. If you were a horny teenager in 1981 then I'm sure this was 'your music' but I don't think it has stood the test if time.
Pas vraiment mon genre, tainted love est bonne mais en général c'est très moyen. 2.75
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.
"Sex Dwarf" definitely is a song.
frickin british
Absolutely was not expecting that one recognizable song amidst an album of songs that are understandably obscure
To stjerner
Yo it has tainted love, literally everything else sounds like background music for a low budget drug movie. But very fun background music
I loved Tainted Love as a kid, but I don't love it as much now. I liked Chips on My Shoulder. Sex Dwarf wasn't too bad, but honestly the whole album isn't too bad. But that's all. Not necessarily good but not too bad.
Bad British 80s techno
This one is weird. Appealingly bizarre. It's growing on me the longer I listen to it.
What can I say, synthpop is just very aesthetically pleasing
I can't be indifferent to that good synthpop. It isn't as perfect as Kraftwerk but it's enough to get 5/5
Not interested
Sex Dwarf
One feels the need to take a shower after listening to this – feeling sleazy in seedy sin city, indeed. Still, there's a bit of lonely poetry here and there, probably accidental given all the pervy camp. Oy, are the synths dated, to the point that one struggles to remember if this was pre- or post-sexual revolution.
Sex Dwarf huh?
sex dwarf is my new fav song
unhinged from start to finish, I loved every second. favorite track was memorabilia (besides tainted love which is a hall of fame banger)
Synth heavy
Most of it wasn't for me but Tainted Love and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye are great (David Gray's version is better imo).
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
"Tainted Love" is the only real standout
Never heard of but before but it was so good. Loved the synth and the vocals and the energy.
Besides the obvious hit tainted love, this album was not for me it was repetitive experimental 80s pop without any flair
4.5/5
i don’t want to be cruel but i’m so sick of this degenerate shit
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.
1 banger. the rest forgettable 4.5/10
Not my cup of tea. But Tainted Love seemed to catch my ears for its melody.
I still love Tainted Love and Where Did Our Love Go! Interesting to hear some other tracks, I really only ever thought of them as a two hit wonder. Seems that was a valid assessment. Definitely dated and silly, arguably bad at times , but idk its so bonkers it was surprisingly enjoyable as background music. Doubt I will revisit these. Sex Dwarf is unhinged ahahaha. They should have cut... most of these. Objectively this is a 1 but this is the first so-bad-its-good record I think I've ever encountered. There is a harmony on Facility Girls that is SO cringe about 1:45 I marvel at the choice to keep it in. Fun City is the most 'first-draft demo' I've ever heard released on an LP. At least it wasnt the Deluxe Edition! I'm stoked I listened to this cuz it absolutely should never been made. What a product of its time.
Hm yeah idk about this one chief. Tainted Love is an interesting song because I’m not even sure if I like it or if it’s just so familiar that it feels like a warm blanket. The album is comically long but there are some decent tracks. Would’ve been better as background music. Say Hello Wave Goodbye, Fun City, and Insecure Me we’re pretty solid. A light, light 3.
This is just a bad ‘80s synth record with the possible exception of Tainted Love. Sounds artificial and soulless.
Meh. This group was a one hit wonder in America for a reason. Tainted love is catchy but the rest of the songs are not great. I imagine it sounded futuristic in 1981 which was probably cool. Would not be here if it was not British.
Very of it’s time but fun pop nonetheless
Trevligt
Tainted Love is a killer song. EVERYTHING ELSE is hot garbage, with corny keys, quirky tuneless singing and a nonsense bunch of songs.
Tainted love was awesome
Yet another unoriginal 80s clone which is nothing more than *fine*
9/10 only like three songs here that are actually good (Tainted Love, Sex Dwarf, and Where Did Our Love Go? — the last which isn’t even on the main album) but each of those songs are such an amazing 10/10 masterpiece to me that I can overlook the sea of mediocrity that surround those perfect tracks
Now I know why I’ve never heard any other song on this album than Tainted Love. I mean everyone should listen to Sex Dwarf at least once in their lifetimes.
80's na veia!! Muito bom.
Synth punk. Not a genre that I hear a lot of. Half of these songs remind me of those kids on band camp making demos in their bedroom. They were certainly doing interesting things, but not my cup of tea. This might be my first memory of hearing a cover tune thinking it was the original. Tainted Love is their lasting cultural contribution, and that's okay.
Lot less fun and exciting then what i was hoping for based of tainted love, but its still solid for what it is.
Contains some synth classics.
Pretty cool
Nothing remarkable
Ick
3.5 on the back of Tainted Love and Sex Dwarf
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.
Not sure what I’d call this, it’s synth-jazz with pop structure. It holds a few catchy hits hostage with boring poetry interlaced with the same drum kit and a spattering of strange instruments. Tainted love is magic, that’s it.
It wasn't bad. I'd listen again. There were two hits on it.
Heavyweight lead single, but the rest of the album is not strong, despite great production.
Quickly forgotten 80s album
A catchy album, Tainted Lover is a fantastic cover, Sex Dwarf is hilarious and Torch is a good song
Really good!
La voix me semble un peu insistante. Les synthétiseurs datent, mais leur utilisation me paraît créative. Un bon moment.
они что как cure???
Ahh I'd heard of that song Tainted Love but had never heard it. Then Sex Dwarf came on. What a time. It's 80s as fuck and that helps and harms it. Fortunately it's not too long but it still does sound very dated.
Fantastic mix up of glam and synth pop.
While the back half of the album is definitely weaker than the front, I still enjoyed the entire thing.
I don't hate all of it
I hate it
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.
Two thoughts of this album: when I was in high school, my best friend’s older brother would play this album for us incessantly when picking us up from school - a spectacularly sketchy choice of soundtracks for our commute. Also, I cannot see this album cover without seeing Howard and Vince from The Mighty Boosh. Musically, obviously Tainted Love makes me swoon still, but the rest of the album relies a bit too much on Marc Almond’s head voice. Still, it’s New Wave Nirvana - cannot deny its cultural importance.
What the hell was that? It was like listening to a depraved and shitty version of the Pet Shop Boys. Yes, ‘Tainted Love’ and ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ are great tracks but the Diana Ross/Supremes cover was trash and if I can avoid listening to Sex Dwarf again in my life it will be a life well lived.
Soft Cell was known for their massive hit "Tainted Love", and not much else. This album illustrates why.
This was definitely a strange one. It was odd to hear Tainted Love, a song I know so well, amidst the experimental, weird other songs of this album. I think I would have been more down for this weird 80s ride if the songs were as flushed out and cohesive as Tainted Love but I felt like the vocals were just doing their own thing regardless of the music happening in the background. It was also MUCH too long and I ended up giving up before the end.
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.
Disappointing. Tainted Love is such a tune, but the rest of the album seems to be standard early 80s Yorkshire electro. Interesting to learn that they did the original of Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
Don't like this band.
Tainted Love is a banger but the rest not so much.
Tainted Love is a great song. I have no clue how it came out of this group.
This album is so horny it almost made me blush. Never would have expected a song called Sex Dwarf on an album from 1981. Really only need to listen to Tainted Love. His voice is excellent but the lyrics not so much.
Very 80s feeling to me, dark & mysterious while also being a bit repetitive. Didn't think there was much variety within each song.
Dark, almost gothic, and very sensual synthpop
Very interesting, but not something I would listen to again.
Fine. Seemed like a bit of one hit wonder
80s galore
Sex dwarf is a crazy vibe. The keys, the vocals, the baseline. GOD DAMN what a banger Damn I love new wave.
Competent
British synth pop and post punk are two genres I couldn’t get into no matter what. Never even liked Tainted Love. The 80s was an American dominated decade
boring eighties pop/dance
If you're a big fan of Tainted Love and that sound, you're probably gonna be disappointed. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is an album that I'm conflicted about. Tainted Love is an excellent synth-pop song. The heavy synths and poppy chorus make it a nice track to listen to. Everything else, well, it's just lighter, more new-wavey, synth-pop. Some of it is outdated, especially the first and third songs. I just think that they sound really bad. The rest of the album has lighter synths, reminiscent of new-wave. I have never really been the biggest fan of new wave and to an extent, I wouldn't consider this album new-wave. It's more synth-pop but the synths sound new-wavey if that makes sense. I thought the last track was pretty pleasant and the song Sex Dwarf was interesting for its uncomfortable lyrics (I mean it's a song where the lead singer is putting a person on a leash and taking them for a walk), which, no matter if you like the lyrics or not, does add some element to this album. I feel like I'm kind of making excuses at this point. Tainted Love is an actual banger but the rest of the album doesn't hold a candle to it. I'd really consider giving this album a 5/10.
Tainted love is banger de rest hoeft niet allemaal
Vocalen klinken als Terrance & Phillip. Seedy Films had een leuke klarinet ofzo. Maar synthpop staat best hoog in mijn lijst van kutste genres. Als je 80s synthpop bent moet je toch op zn minst minder irritant zijn dan Depeche Mode.
Frustration leads in with some straight EDM vibes out of the gate. This dissonant synth gives way to a very bright, processed 80s synth-line. Digging the sax work. Tainted Love is a jam. Bleeds into Seedy Films, which is a bit of a strange one. Minimalist electro synth-drum with some clarinet(?) overtop. I don't hate it, but I'm not super into it either. Album fell into the background for a while. I was into the instrumental on Sex Dwarf, but the lyrics were kind of rough. Secret Life is another standout to me. Really digging the pure-80s synth line that makes up the hook. Where Did Our Love Go? is another timeless jam that I find myself humming from time to time. The droning synth reminds me of some modern electro-psyc (e.g., Darkside) with the plunky xylophone, etc. The whole instrumental taken alone seems way ahead of its time. I'm a 3/5 on this one. The album as a whole feels ahead of its time. At points, I wish the instrumental was brought more forward relative to the vocals.
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
A lengthy album that keeps getting better and more varied as it goes.
I see what they were going for, and I think they nailed it. But I'm not a big fan of raunchy so I didn't really enjoy the album that much. The cover makes me laugh, though. 2.5
Some great hits - and the songs played in the context of the album made a lot more sense. But listening to it outside of the 80s it did feel like it was being deliberately overtly provocative, which it probably was, but that’s not my thing and creates a defence wall in me. I got the same reaction to WAP so…
Great example of the 80s. Some really fun bops like Tainted Love. But then you have "Sex Dwarf". Overall enjoyed this one.
I feel like half this album could have been cut out. Too long
Tainted Love is another of those songs that I have heard hundreds of times but never knew who sings it. This feels like stereotypical 70's/80's electronic/synth. I wouldn't be surprised if these guys started it. Lyrics are a bit uncomfortable, but the rest of the music is pretty damn good. I guess it's hard to complain about the weirdly sexual lyrics when the name of the album is an Erotic Cabaret...
Such a strange album but with pretty cool instrumentals. The lyrics and style of singing we're not for me. No one should ever have to listen to Sex Dwarf
This is some dark music which I normally love, but damn the lyrics and the dudes voice just piss me off. Can def get into some of the instrumentals but I don't think I'll be back Soft Cell.
Sometimes it is totally apparent why the hits are hits. They smashed that one track out of the park
Soft Cell are certainly one of a kind. This had some fun moments. Not really my thing but I didn't find it objectionable.
litt spaca men noe bra 3,5
Not the biggest fan.
Tainted Love stands way above the rest of the album, but still really nice. Highlights: Tainted Love
Very meh outside of Tainted Love. Complete opposite of Dexy and his Midnight Runners.
One of the bands that didn't deserve their cosmic punishment of only being known as a one hit wonder, because truth be told, there's at least three good songs on here. I wouldn't call it a "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret", as there were some flaccid moments here and there, but over all an enjoyable experience.
Pop con sintetizadores. Un megahit. Ni fu ni fa.
One of those 80s albums where having a great synthesiser (for it's day) meant the album was held in high acclaim, despite the guy apparently not being able to make good use of it for half the album with boring, tepid sequences. Vocals were bad, and not in an interesting, funny, or so-bad-its-good way. Just bad bad. Probably the best tune on this album, sex dwarf, had the worst lyrics, which sums this album up. Constantly missing the mark. 1.5*
I mean I get why it’s critically acclaimed it’s just not for me. Tainted love is of course a banger
Bad shit crazy, horny and odd vocals. 4/5.
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret was pretty good for weird 80s shit, a coupla bangers and solid throughout gets you a 3.
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.
Tainted Love is the only well known song and it is really the only good song. The rest of the songs are very 80s and eccentric
I appreciate the importance of Soft Cell and there isn't anyone really like them but this is a bit of a tough slog.
No Guitars, Only two hits. Both Covers
Very interesting to put Tainted Love into the context of an album and I’m always down for some new wavy synth pop, but nothing else really stood out here. Average, meh, ready to move on.
Based on the available information, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that they were fortunate to be even a one-hit wonder or much more than a novelty act. “Seedy Films” is likably louche, with creepy-suggestive clarinet. But the rest sounds like they’re New Order’s more theatrical and pervier cousins. “Misery self-pity complaints and injustice” indeed. So convincingly bad – almost a caricature of itself – it’s almost good. While it can be said that the singer has a distinctive voice, that’s mainly true in the sense of getting on one’s nerves with its excess stageyness and (perhaps cheeky) melodrama.
So many great songs
Les Soft Cell auront au moins essayé de redresser le niveau du générateur lors d'une période extrêmement critique. J'ai de nouveau fait livrer plusieurs kilos de coke à la porte de Robert, en espérant qu'il plonge dans le tas à pieds joints.
Enfin un album potable on ne l'attendait plus, merci à la synthpop d'apporter un peu de lumière sur cet horrible générateur. C'est quand même le 14ème album d'affilé sans 4/5 ce qui commence à faire BEAUCOUP Robert.
At first I was like, this is better than I expected. Then I was like, no it isn't.
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!
I left sex dwarf playing in my office after a re listen. I'm going to have to explain a lot to some people.
Me gustó bastante. Tengo que admitir que es algo simplón, pero es completamente disfrutable. Diría que es inusualmente sólido para lo largo que es, pero al ser tan sencillo, no creo que sea un gran mérito, solo algo que resaltar. El 3 le queda bastante bien. En el momento que escribo esta reseña, está cerca del techo de la categoría, pero, realmente, hasta ahora, solo es por falta de buenos álbumes.
Worthless
Actually pretty good. The instrumentals are great, giving nice funky vibes
I ended up liking this way more than I expected!
Eh, not into this at all really. Not a fan of this type of fake drum/synth/pansy vocal style from the 80's. It is pretty cool that there was a song about a sex dwarf though - that's something I haven't heard before. 2 stars.
Mostly just filler to be honest, the best song is by far tainted love. Some tracks seem cool at the start and then become the musical equivalent of Chinese water torture due to them really overstating their welcome ( seedy films and sex dwarf are main victims of this). The rest sit in the “meh” section of music that I neither hate or want to revisit.2/5
synth pop classics indeed
Tainted Love and Several Other Worse Songs That Sound Like Tainted Love
It's really not my genre because I don't like the sound of the early 1980s synth pop but this is a good, consistent and well written album. The only song I didn't like was the opening one.
Pop music, nothing special, az always with this hopeless list.
This album exists.
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!
It's a very quirky, fun record. I was hoping for more catchy songs, but they a little too "out there" for me. If you want to scratch the cheesy synth-pop itch, this will definitely do that for you.
- Hard carried by Tainted Love - Definitely a sexy album, but not in the way I like - Some of the songs were kinda jams, but not a lot - Sex Dwarf was whack
- this Euro-dance style doesn’t do it for me - Tainted Love is overrated - WTF did I just listen to with Sex Dwarf - 1.5 stars
Taintes Love reste un classique efficace. Sex Dwarf est étonnant et addictif. Je ne connaissais pas la ballade fi ale Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, plutôt bien. Quelques bons titres autour, du plutôt moyen aussi. Un album assez acre et sombre, souvent intéressant, parfois dispensable.
Is this album good and worthy of inclusion on this list or does it just contain a massive hit? I think the fact that I do not know and also do not care enough to find out after listening kind of answers that question to me. Another miss on the overrepresented English record from the 80s on this list. It's fine but come on.
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.
The “Tainted Love” cover is immortal, but I found most else from this Soft Cell effort to be a hard listen.
The hit continues to be fun if a little annoying. This albums sound is very cohesive. Which is the final compliment I'll give it. It wants to be sexy and cool. It manages to be neither. Instead, it's kind of sad and gross.
I mean, it's mostly pretty dumb...
muito fraco. conheço uma música, que é a única que achei se destacar no álbum, mas provavelmente devido à familiaridade que já tinha com a mesma.
Weird álbum Por um lado, eu consigo ver como essas músicas teriam feito bastante sucesso nos anos 80, discotecas, danças e tals Por outro lado, parece um jovem da faculdade que baixou um programa de áudio e ficou fazendo uns barulhos aleatórios e daí cantou em cima Não gostei do estilo do vocalista, algumas batidas até achei interessante mas overall just all over the place.
Niet erg meteen mijn smaak
I did get a bit weary of this one after about 20 mins
A few bangers here, mostly didn't quite do it for me though. Might need another listen or two, solid 3 for now though.
Not bad but not great. I'm sure it was very edgy when it came out but it's not doing much for me now. There are a couple great tracks here but the rest get a bit repetitive after a while. 4/10
Tainted Love was alright I guess
I BET YOU DO ALMOND YOU DIRTY OLD BOLLOCKS. I BET YOU FUCKING DO.
I'm not sure it's great but I had a nice time. Lyrics are a bit weird but easy to bop along
Honestly I can see why these people are a one hit wonder. The rest of the album was just boring. Tainted Love is so iconic but the rest of the songs are just blah. Nothing “offensive” or actively terrible was here but just snooze.
I mean.... is this album living solely and completely off of the hit single "Tainted Love" which was a cover anyways? I retro-loved hearing it (for the 723rd time) but the rest is just so minimalist in effort - like a fairly decent sounding demo recorded in a 1982 bedroom studio (was there such a thing?). I'm left wondering how this is on the list? It's weirdly not terrible or even bad enough that it could be on the list for some groundbreaking or profane influence - it's wholly unremarkable in an inoffensive way. Which might make it worse :P The cold and sparse sound that permeates ... I can see how there'd be attraction to it but eventually the terrible-sounding drum machine just ends up being the soundtrack for the entire album and blending it all together into one long slog; the one notable *almost-exception* but simultaneously best/worst example of the uniformity being the last song "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" - it's a nice ballad that would have stood out more without someone clicking "PLAY" on their chintzy drum machine and keeping the same pattern on repeat for 5 minutes. TL;DR: it all sounds the same. sadly boring. 4/10 2 stars.
the tainted love/where did our love go extended version is the most banger song of all time it literally changed my life
I am the sex dwarf
HELL YEAHHHH
There's a song everyone knows in this one
Just the right balance of sleaze and sparkle. I loved this as a teenager, when I was probably more jaded than now. The sadness and subtext of some of the lyrics here probably passed me by at the time, but they were still quite shocking in terms of subject matter. Not quite Sister Ray, but perhaps the genteel English equivalent with synthesisers instead of guitars? And 'Say Hello' is a classy pop song. A classic of the genre, with it's own take on British life in the early 80s.
The sleaziness of Non Stop lures you, right from the front cover and into the opening cracking of the whip on Frustration. This was one of the first records I bought back in 1981. I thought at the time that Marc was holding a bag of chips in the brown paper bag. Some childhood innocence was soon overcome when I heard Sex Dwarf. It's a cold album in terms of the beats and lyrics. But also SO warm and genuinely sung from the heart. I could still play this and the sister Ecstatic Dancing every week. Say Hello is up their with the classic torch singer songs.
Pretty cool, I really enjoy these 80s synth pop albums. good stuff.
You know, it can't feel so great when your one big hit wasn't actually your song. But then, I'm sure the boys of Soft Cell are crying all the way to the bank with that one because the rest of this album is utter, hot garbage so at least they're making money off of the cover of "Tainted Love". This really is a truly terrible album. Starting on track 3, ("Seedy Films") the vocals go off the rails, not even trying to be in tune. The lyrics get more and more stupid as it goes and the the actual musical production gets increasingly erratic. One good song does not an album make and I shouldn't have to listen to the rest of this trash because "Tainted Love" is someone's jam. It's just a damn mess of a record and I'm pissed off I had to listen to it.
Top Album.
Yep, loved this sordid little gem
De la bonne electro new wave has been Tainted Love reprise largement meilleure que l'originale. Where did our love go sympa!
Imagine being in the studio and say "yeah, let's record Sex Dwarf"
This album would never be on this list if it wasn't for Tainted Love. There's so many greater New Wave albums out there than this, but hey, "let's just get all the one hit wonders and make those idiots listen to the rest of their mediocre albums". Anyway, it's not all that bad, but it really just sounds like an underground new wave project (like so many at the time). I really enjoy these, but would never call them a masterpiece or one of the 1001 best albums of all time.
Nice synth pop album.
A very nice synthpop/new wave album from the early 80s, great hits, synth tones and beats are found on this one. I can't say that I would listen to this everyday, but it was a pleasure to listen to.
3.5
Some very good songs, over all a nice album to listen to
I found this to just be another new wave album in a sea of new wave albums. Its single is an iconic piece of ‘80s nostalgia. A song that’ll never wear out. Sadly the remaining songs don’t have that umpf to them. They instead fade into the background.
He sings out of tune. It’s possibly deliberate but I couldn’t listen.
Я был приятно удивлён этим альбомом, так как ожидал услышать типичную электронщину восьмидесятых, а получил абсолютно дикую и мелодичную смесь как раз электронщины и, внезапно, панка. По большей части, текст и звук соответствуют названию альбома и задают довольно специфичное настроение, которое держится на протяжении всех сорока минут, что не может не радовать. Финальный трек оказался внезапно мелодичным и красивым, он запал мне в память практически моментально и убедил меня поставить этому альбому оценку ещё выше. (8 - 8.5)
Fu memories.
This album sounded much better in my memory than it did today in real life. Which is another way of saying it aged badly. Other than Tainted Love, there's nothing to this album, really.
Better than I expected
I did not consent to hearing "Sex Dwarf"
Obviously Tainted Love is outstanding, it's not alone on this album of great electro 80s anthems.
Aside from the big hit, it was a good album with some serious 80’s drum machine sound.
this sux. if it’s supposed to be a joke in parts that’s lame, if it’s supposed to be serious that’s also awful. any good parts are ruined by annoying lyrics or a bad drum line. Only good track: tainted love (which stops this from being a 1 star)
Early 80s retro synth heavy. Stereotypical of the style that I remember being referred to as “New Wave” when I was a kid in the 80’s. Heavy reverb, drum machines, theremin, and lack of guitar is also reminiscent of a lot of radio pop during the 80’s. Use of clarinet and unusual percussion instruments caught me off guard when listening to this album.
Started out great! And then Sex Dwarf happened. Album didn't really recover from Sex Dwarf.
Well what a fucking roller coaster. And what a long album! Christ. Naturally tainted love was a banger (my mum's favourite song) and then the rest I generally found a disappointment. Just weird, Sex Dwarf. Where do we start on that. All 5 minutes of it as well. The one that I thought was pretty good was the Supremes cover "where did our love go" which brought in tainted love themes. Tainted love is a cover as well. That's a shame that there best song were covers, good ones though of course
God that was a slog, ocassionally an okay bit but mostly naff.
3.5/5 It was manic and screamy (3) but there were some songs I know and like (.25). It also put me out onto a street with a lot of good songs that I hearted (.25). It's odd that there can be good songs mixed with rotten ones. It's hard to rate when that happens. Also, 18 songs? Come off it. (Officially it's getting a 3.)
At least 30 minutes too long and seemed a bit out of tune and full of wailing. A real shame cos I usually like 80s music. The most interesting part of the album was the title. Won't revisit.
Too 80s for me
A lot of this feels like re-made versions of Tainted Love with less catch
I hated this so much even tainted love couldn’t convince me otherwise.
I remember when Tainted Love came out and when I heard it on the radio it was always the Tainted Love - Where Did Our Love Go version. I wanted to buy the album for that version, but that isn't on the original LP. So, I never got it. I did buy the CD Single years later that had the full version I loved. The album now, seems fine. No complaints. 3/5
Wavy, dry, witty lyrics but to me rather a work around the hit single with not so much essentialiaty.
I dind't have any disco yet in my album ratings, so this is a welcome variation and I'm enjoying good parts
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
Look, tainted love is a classic. We have a home video music video of that one I believe. But that song is a cover., and when your non stop erotic cabaret dives into Sex Dwarves, all I can do is laugh at the absurdity of this album. I’m not sure if this was a concept album or the beliefs of this group, though based on the album cover wouldn’t put it past them. This felt like an “it’s the 80’s now we can be more overt about sex in Britain, gov” but I could name so many other bands who would have done a better job handling the material.
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
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Tainted Love (2) 2 - Where Did Our Love Go? (11) 3 - Chips On My Shoulder (7)
Very slutty, but also maybe not that good. Sex dwarf is hilarious. Tainted love good. But overall probably just not that great
Queer, sexed up, but a BIT much now we're not in the eighties. Sex dwarf is particularly egregious as a song. But Tainted Love absolutely slaps, as do some of the minor songs on the album.
Became terrible after tainted love. Sex dwarf was especially horrendous. Had to turn it off
4.0
Meh
No wonder why tainted love is the only song I knew from them
Was ok
Not the classic it should be.
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.
That was so, so bad. Painful and awkward.
Very cheeky, but this was an awful chore to get through. I can’t see why it belongs on the list as such.
These guys deserve more recognition than what they've gotten for Tainted Love (which is absolutely iconic). As someone who doesn't listen to much 80s pop, this album makes me appreciate it more. This is something I would listen to in art class, but not on the regular. Sex Dwarf threw me off, though. Fave track(s): Frustration, Entertain Me
Sex Dwarf saved this from 2 stars
This sure was a non-stop erotic cabaret. I didn't expect it to be so erotic in nature, but it's right there in the name, so that's on me. But yeah, this album was pretty good. It definitely took some risks. Naming a song "Sex Dwarf", for instance, is a risk. Still, I enjoyed it. The music was solid throughout; there wasn't really a lull. None of songs were absolutely amazing besides maybe Tainted Love, so I can't give a higher score, but still good. My favourite song was Tainted Love.
ochentero diver
Todella raskasta ihan kivan alun (2 ekaa biisiä) jälkeen. Osin sietämätöntökin tahallaan shokeeraavaa kamaa. Eroottisuusteema ei toimi edes vitsinä
Sisältää yhden loistavan esimerkin sovittamisen pelottavasta voimasta. Loput sijoittuu enimmäkseen akselille tylsä - hymyilyttävä.
Everyone knows tainted love. But have you heard of its stepbrother, sex dwarf? What a hilarious song. This was an odd one.