Customer Reviews

Tainted Life: The Autobiography

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Marc Almond gives us a personally responsible and earnest look back at his childhood, his outrageous years in art school, his rise and descent with Soft Cell and his solo career - all in a sort of intimate, conversational way. When you try to put it down you find yourself thinking, "Okay, Marc just one more story..."
This is a firsthand account of the most fascinating era in rock history. The 80s were a time when anything was possible, and every imaginable personal vice was being dragged from every closet to the public eye. Marc was there, before Boy George and before Madonna, blazing a trail and providing an outlet for disaffected and rebelious youth. The drugs, the parties, the sex, the kitsch, the drama....it's all very entertaining.

Well, got the book in the mail. I've always loved Marc Almond, ever since I was 12 years old, hearing "Tainted Love" on the radio. I've kept up with most of his solo projects. "Stars We Are" is one of my all time favorite albums. "Mother Fist" and "Stories of Johnny" are also quite good.

So far from what I've read, it's gives some insight about who Marc Almond really is. He's a gentleman though, so in some of tales, he leaves out names.

It's tone is down to earth, and matter of fact. Most of all, it makes one realize how ahead of his time Mr. Almond was. For example, having the drug Ecstasy as a main influence in creating music ('Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret' album), Electro-clash pop, S&M/fetish imagery (still being used - look as some of Lady Gaga's latex outfits!), risque videos (original promotional video for Sex Dwarf, directed by Tim Pope), homoerotic imagery in music (aka his duet with Bronski Beat, and his recent work with Michael Cashmore), mixing cabaret sensibilities/style into his music (which I LOVE), collecting tattoos as art (WAY before it became 'trendy')...the list goes on.

Most of all, I respect the fact that Almond could have one foot in the mainstream, and one foot in the alternative/subcultural/underground. That he could go into either territory, depending on the project he's working on. Way after my teens, I've stopped listening to most 80s bands like The Cure, but with Almond, he always manages to evolve. It's always a pleasant surprise to pick up a Current 93 CD, and find out Marc Almond had contributed. Likewise, when I was getting into Psychic TV back when I was 18-19...picked up the first PTV album, and there was Almond. I dare you to find someone else who can accomplish feats such as this.

There was a moment when he was describing teen fans of Soft Cell during their prime - like when a crazy fan had named all her puppies after songs from Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Reading that passage, I was like "oh hell no." So yeah, we get to hear about psycho fans from a performer's perceptive.

My only gripe with Almond's autobiography is that he didn't really go too much about Cindy Ecstasy. I suppose the most important part was noted, when she introduced E to the band. However, to me she's such a mysterious character who caught my interest because she sang backup for both Soft Cell and Marc and The Mambas. (BTW, I LOVE LOVE LOVE both Marc and the Mambas albums!Had the 'Untitled' release on vinyl way back when.) He doesn't go all that much about his initiation into the Church of Satan, thanks to Boyd Rice. Then again, I've jumped around the book and hadn't read it fully. Plus when someone is initiated into a somewhat 'secret' order, you are sworn to keep oaths. So Almond was probably only allowed to reveal so much.

There is only one Marc Almond. A one of kind performer, entertainer, and very talented singer-songwriter. Too bad the condition of the book doesn't live up to the Almond legend.

Excellent book, it shows pretty well how it felt to be a gay teenager in the early 80's,right in the middle of the new romantic movement.If you admire Marc Almond as I do, read it and you'll understand him better.

I'm Russian and reading of such a large book in English is a good piece of work for me. It took me two months of half a nights of sleepless because it was just impossible to drop out in proper time to bed down. This book is the most captivating I've read recently. It broke me into tears sometimes and more often than not into laughter. Author is fragile, ironic and, which is very important, honest. Brilliant!

Oh dear, I have to say that I was rather disapointed with this one. Almond spends much of the time moaning that it was he that invented New Wave music and those horrible OMD people stole all of the credit. I was expecting this book to be full of salacious gossip and raunchy rememberances, but in the end it was a yawn festival that i the end I only finished becasue I felt somewhere he had to tell an interesting story. Sadly, I was wrong. I suspect the Boy George book would have been a more interesting read!!