Varieté

Marc Almond | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: June 7, 2010
• Label: Cherry Red Records
• Copyright: 2010 Cherry Red Records
• Total Length: 1:06:19
• Genres: Alternative Rock/Singer-Songwriters, Pop/Singer-Songwriters
• ASIN: B003N52TDU
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,882 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Swan Song With A Taste Of Lavender, July 13, 2010

By 

Damon L. Jacobs "The Should-less Guy at Shoul... (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Variete (Audio CD)

How could it be that Variete has been out for weeks and NO one has written a review on American Amazon? It's a sad state of affairs for Marc Almond's self-proclaimed swan song album, and arguably one of his finest and pensive works ever.

All the classic Almond elements are here. Tragic drag queens with running eye-liner smiling through their tears? Check. Dramatic declarations of lost souls triumphing over adversity? Check. Jazzy cabaret beats and Latin guitars underlying smoky torch songs? All here. But what's different on Almond's first album of new material in over ten years is the psychological gravitas that abides in his work. The world has changed a lot since 1999, and Almond painfully perceives himself as being old and obsolete, while ironically contemplating a new thirst for life following his nearly fatal motorcycle crash in 2004. The chilling lyrics in "But Not Today" illustrate the juxtaposition of celebrating survival while cognizant of how close death hovers to all.

Keep in mind, I personally prefer the more glam-rock overblown side to Almond that he displayed on Tenement Symphony (1991) and Fantastic Star (1996). Yet I am astounded at how far he goes in his pensive reflection in these songs, and how his lyrics reveal new emotional and spiritual depth. Without a doubt, this is his most personal and revealing work yet, and is not to be missed by anyone who has ever enjoyed snapping along to any one of his solo songs, or Soft Cell recordings.

My hope is that Almond opts to re-invent himself either in a new band or as a career lyricist (a la Linda Perry). One thing for certain, this artist's swan song is playing way too soon.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous! Just Gorgeous!, July 13, 2010

By 

Jerry Dunham (kansas city) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Variete (Audio CD)

This is Stardom Rd meets early Glam. When I played it the first time my jaw dropped open and I sat mesmerized to the very end. So much to process. So many references to all things 70's. This is another jewel in the crown. Marc has not lost anything. The songs, performances, arrangements are all 5 star. It is a highly personalized statement of coming of age in the glam era and beyond, and it's fun. Musical references abound:
"Trials of Eyeliner" would have fit perfectly on one of those early Gus Dundgeon/EJ
lps.
"Bread and Circus" a happy vaudeville romp.
"My Madness and I" complete goth with Bowie like backing vocals.
"Nijinsky Heart" danceable in a bittersweet way.
"Variety" A bouncing me out of the bed good time tune, not unlike Macca when he was really happy, married to Linda and channeling Louis Armstrong with Silly Love Songs,Take It Away,Coming Up,Stranglehold,Goodnight Tonite...etc
"Sandboy" let's not forget Lennon, like one of his forboding folk ballads with a Salvation Army brass ensemble in the background like in the Fields.
"Lavender" a Marc Bolanesque ballad. Say didn't he also have a song about one of Nijinsky's body parts?
"So Ho,So Long" a toe tapper, naming names and pointing fingers.
This is a honey of a cd. It doesn't rock out or dance out like Fantastic Star or
Open All Night, but it satisfies. If one is in need of a MARC FIX of the other kind,I truly recommend the 2 cd SOFT CELL/Live from 2003. satisfaction too!!!
So give it a listen, say a spell, see what happens.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb album, December 2, 2010

By 

Lola - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Variete (Audio CD)

As a Marc Almond's fan,I think that this is a great album, intimist and sincere, full of feelings in his lyrics,(like only Marc Almond is) and with his beautiful and personal voice, as ever (for me the best voice in the whole world).

There are great songs in this album, as Lavender, But not today, sandboy, swan song, soho so long, etc.

Thanks Marc for making an album with your own songs.