One record at a time: 413. Soft Cell - *Happiness Not Included

Twenty years after their last long player, Dave and Marc decided to go into the studio with Philip Larsen of Manhattan Clique and record a new Soft Cell album. This is the standard yellow vinyl that was released in 2022 and I can't help but think someone at BMG overestimated demand as I have seen it being sold for as little as £6 recently (I paid £19 for it on the day of release grrrrrr). 

Before you run off to Woolworths with your £6 postal order, remember this record is pressed at GZ Media so you will be taking a gamble. Some copies will be clean and sound OK, but others will be covered in a layer of paper debris and offer poor sound reproduction. Whilst my copy is relatively clean the sibilance on any word containing the letter 's' is very apparent.

One anomaly of the vinyl edition is that it contains the original mix of "Purple Zone" and not the version tweaked by the Pet Shop Boys. I presume this is because the vinyl had to be pressed far in advance of the release date and the late substitution of the remixed version could not be accommodated. 

There's another (vague) link to Pet Shop Boys with the opening track "Happy Happy Happy" which covers the same ground as PSB's "This Used to be the Future". In both songs the narrator reflects on the fact that the predictions for the future they were fed in their youth hadn't come true. It would seem great minds think alike and both groups have created wonderful tracks. 

On "Polaroid" Marc sings of meeting Andy Warhol in 1981 whilst Dave delivers a catchy backing track full of bleeps and booms. One thing that strikes me at this point is that Marc's vocals have changed and his delivery is much more dramatic - almost like he is singing in a West End musical. I'm not saying the vocals are bad; just different.

There are great songs littered across both sides of this record with "Light Sleepers", "Nostalgia Machine" and "New Eden" proving Dave and Marc's really know how to write a tune. On the downside the detached "Heart Like Chernobyl" is a bit of a misfire and the lyrics to "I'm Not a Fan of God" sound uncharacteristically misanthropic. But generally this album is a success and I look forward to hearing more from Soft Cell. 3/5 

One record at a time: 412. Soft Cell - Cruelty Without Beauty

After an eighteen year hiatus, Soft Cell decided to reform and release a new album. Whilst "Cruelty Without Beauty" was devoured by fans, the response from the general public was much more muted.

At the turn of the millennium conventional synth-pop duos were caught in a no-man's land where they were neither recognised as innovators nor esteemed as cultural icons. Erasure's "Loveboat" had unceremoniously run aground the year before this record was released and Pet Shop Boys had fared no better with the dismal "Release". At the time it felt like synth-pop was dead.

Personally I had no interest in Soft Cell in 2002 and I didn't acquire this album until about five years ago. Initially I wasn't too impressed by the music on the CD, but my indifference has subsequently turned into total seduction. By happy coincidence this rather smart double pink vinyl set was released just a few months after my awakening.

The first few numbers on this album draw on Dave Ball's forays into dance music with The Grid and sound like confident statements of intent. A cover of Frankie Valli's "The Night" was initially considered as the band's second single back in 1981 but a 'sliding doors moment' ultimately saw "Tainted Love" chosen instead. Almost twenty years later the idea was revived and we are treated to a rather nice electro track that sounds uncannily like Pet Shop Boys in their pomp.

Come to think of it, if you were to suddenly reveal that this album was secretly produced by Messrs Tennant and Lowe I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised. This is the record I wish Pet Shop Boys had made instead of "Release".

Personal highlights on the main album include "Sensation Nation", the James Bond-esque horns of "Desperate" and the tearjerker "Last Chance". All of these songs shine a light on Marc's superb vocal technique. Gone are the slightly suspect off key notes that plagued Soft Cell's early work and Marc sings in confident and engaging tones. This was probably the best his voice ever sounded.

What I also like about Marc is that his lyrics are often acerbic and cynical yet, as a listener, I never feel this vitriol is aimed at me. Everything is directed at "them" - and they know who they are.

This version of the album expands upon the original twelve tracks with no less than five additional songs. This bonus material more than matches the quality of the main album with "Somebody Somewhere Sometime" being the standout. Another favourite is the superb "God Shaped Hole" which sounds seedy enough to be on their debut "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" yet contemporary enough to play in any modern nightclub.

With the benefit of hindsight I can confidently declare this the best album from 2002 and probably the best album you've never heard. The phrase "overlooked masterpiece" was coined for moments like this. 4/5

One record at a time: 411. Soft Cell – This Last Night In Sodom

If the artwork failed to dissuade a casual observer from purchasing this record then the title would undoubtedly have done so. Even those daring enough to overlook the packaging might have found themselves bemused by this rather strange album.

The word I see most commonly associated with "This Last Night In Sodom" is....'dark'.  I suppose it can still be classed as synth-pop - but this is a different version of the band that fist emerged in 1981. In the search for something new and more fulfilling, Dave and Marc decided to produce their final album themselves and the electronic sheen of their debut was consigned to history. 

The subject matter of these songs sticks to the Soft Cell tradition of turning over the rocks that others dare not as Marc sings about drug addition, prostitution and murder. As they cast about creating sounds with the PPG Wave 2.2 and Oberheim DMX, the band seemed to fall on electric bass, Hammond organ and even, god forbid, guitar to underpin their new sound.

Opening number "Mr Self Destruct" picks up where the unfortunate "The Art of Falling Apart" left off with a frantic wall of sound that robs the song of its melody. Happily tracks like "Rough little rhinestones" and "Meet Murder My Angel" prove Dave and Marc could still write a fantastic song. There are some signs this was the band's first production as the double tracked vocals sometimes slip out of sync and the (intentionally) monaural sounding mix leads to a bit of a mush sometimes, but generally the songs win the day.

I find the track "Slave to This" fascinating as it sounds as close to Nine Inch Nails as anything I have ever heard that isn't actually written by Trent Reznor. My favourite track is "Surrender to a Stranger" which is positively bristling with ideas and hooks. The single "Soul Inside" is a bit disappointing but the more raucous "Where Was Your Heart (When You Needed It The Most)" has some neat touches and has added poignancy when you consider it was probably intended to be the last thing we ever heard from the group.

My copy of this vinyl is from 2016 (back when you would get a card with a digital download code) and is pressed by Optimal in Germany. There is some sibilance on "L'Esqualita" but otherwise it offers a faithful reproduction of the music. This record might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is miles better than "The Art of Failing Apart" and it is definitely better than some might have led you to believe. 3/5

One record at a time: 410. Soft Cell - The Art of Falling Apart

Despite being over forty years old and clearly well used by its previous owner(s), my copy of "The Art of Falling Apart" is in pretty good condition. This first pressing was issued with a free 12" single that contained bonus material and a stamp indicates it went through the hands of a record shop owned by John Sheridan in Hull at some stage in its life (possibly in the late 80's).

As I drop the needle the first thing that strikes me about this album is the sheer density of the arrangements. The electrifying tension that hung between the notes of "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" has been banished, only to be replaced by a deafening wall of sound. There's absolutely no dynamics contained in this album and it sounds like every fader on the mixing desk was pushed up to eleven. 

I find the phenomenon most annoying on tracks like "Where The Heart is" when the chorus hits with all the subtlety of a brick. There's a great song somewhere in this morass, but Marc's vocal is unceremoniously pushed right in our faces so we can barely hear anything else. The end of "Heat" sounds like everyone in the studio threw in an idea or embellishment which resulted in a cacophony. On the title track Marc seems to be singing as loud as he possibly can in order to be heard over the various instruments and, like any shouting match, it isn’t fun to listen to.

I'll be honest, I couldn't get to the end of this record and had to terminate it halfway through the second side. I reverted to listening to digital files and decided to compare them to the vinyl. Whilst my mp3 files (and the compact disc they were sourced from) sound much better than the wax, there's no doubt the music lacks subtlety or guile. Producer Mike Thorne probably sums thing up best when he says the record was, "Monochromatic and sprawling (when) compared with the economy and precision of the first." 1.5/5

One record at a time: 409. Soft Cell - Non Stop Erotic Cabaret

I have to admit, I didn't own "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" until I bought the CD in 1996. I acquired this copy of the original UK vinyl in 2019 and it sounds in pretty good shape.

I think had been deterred from exploring the Soft Cell's work because of the ubiquitous nature of "Tainted Love." There's no doubt their mega-hit warranted its success, but I heard it so frequently I imagined that if you were to press your ear against the wall of any nightclub, you might still perceive its echoes resonating within the very fabric of the building. Today, I can listen to the song quite happily, but it will never be my favourite and, in some ways, it isn't characteristic of its parent album.

To my mind, this is a concept album about vice. One definition of the word 'vice' is: "Criminal activities involving prostitution, pornography, or drugs" and, with the exception of "Tainted Love", the songs on this album seem to address these subjects. We hear tales of dwarves being paraded up and down the high-street on a leash, people who are watching seedy films in which they may (or may not) be featured and a man being blackmailed over his rather naughty secret life.

Key to the early success of Soft Cell was their unique sound. Made with just two synthesizers (Synclavier and Korg SB-100) and a drum machine* (Roland TR-808), the sound canvas is minimalist in approach, yet the songs still manage to paint the most vivid pictures. Or as the album's producer Mike Thorne described it: "Flash was at a minimum, the message maximum."

Unfortunately, as with most albums from the eighties, there are saxophones. I can't help but wonder what has happened to all the session musicians that used to warble and screech their way through pop records. Maybe there is a giant retirement home full of former professional saxophonists who now have nothing to do but sit around and reminisce about the old days. Let's hope they don't escape. 3/5 

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* This statement is actually only true of the album tracks recorded in New York. "Tainted Love" was recorded before the rest of the album and features a Roland CR-78, Pearl Syncussion drum pads, a Simmons claptrap and an Electro Harmonix Super Space Drum. The distinctive 'bink bink' sound was made using a Star Instruments Synare 2 played through a delay.

One record at a time: 158. The Grid - Electric Head

The Grid's debut, "Electric Head" was released at a time when dance music was beginning to infiltrate the mainstream and become the driving force in electronic music.

This move towards dance music was personified by band member Dave Ball who formed The Grid with producer and DJ Richard Norris following the demise of Soft Cell. It's crazy to think now that this album only came out nine years after "Tainted Love" dominated the charts. Nine years seemed an eternity in my youth, now it passes in the blink of an eye.

I first bought this album on CD in 1992. Having heard (and bought) the single "Figure of 8" I decided to buy this album in the hope of finding something similar. Whilst this album isn't as dance orientated as later efforts, it doesn't lack in imagination or groove.

The opening track "One Giant Step" is a ride through sweeping special effects, piano riffs and samples of astronauts that builds to a satisfying crescendo. "Are You Receiving" is a more laid back and hypnotic track that immediately demonstrates this album is not a one trick pony.  Similarly diverse is "Islamatron" which weds Kraftwerk style beats with Islamic chants to great effect. 

"The Driving Instructor" is a bit of a disappointing and sparse song that features a vocal by Richard Norris. Richard's vocals aren't bad, but equally I can see why this trend didn't extend beyond this album. Whilst "A Beat Called Love" is pure catchy pop, the disappointing verses point to why it wasn't a hit single back in 1990. The synth spotters will notice lots of Korg M1 sounds on this record with the choir patches, piano, finger snap, pan flute and voice wave presents the most obvious.

The press release correcting the release date

One of my favourite tracks is "Intergalactica" which is a hard driving dance track with some great Roland SVC350 vocoder vocals by Richard. Unfortunately, Richard's natural vocal on "This Must Be Heaven" isn't quite as good and it's easy to hear this was recorded in the days before auto-tune. "Doctor Celine" is a bizarre song that moves between synth-pop and weird passages of noisy guitars but it remains entertaining. "Strange Electric Sun" is a jaunty number with another fragile but endearing vocal by Richard.

The highlight of the album, and the track that probably brought many listeners to the record in the first place, is the classic "Floatation". This song is somehow downtempo and driving at the same time. The synths soar as a wonderful clarinet solo fills the air before falling away too soon. Whilst the CD and cassette feature a bonus track not on the LP, it is nothing more than a drone type ambient piece that holds little interest.

I bought my copy of the vinyl from eBay in 2017 and it came with a "Promotional Copy Only Not For Sale" sticker on the back and contained a letter stating the release date for the record had been delayed from 1st October 1990 to the 22nd. Wikipedia and Discogs give the seemingly incorrect release date but I can't face changing it and having to argue with the self appointed guardians of truth and justice that seem to moderate such websites. We dear reader will hold the secret. 4/5

Confessions of a producer

I recently stumbled upon a website featuring the reminiscences of producer Mike Thorne. Amongst the fascinating essays on the site is a production note centred on the recording of the band’s first album ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’.

In terms of the history of electronic music, this album is of prime importance. For the first time electronic music was becoming more than just a curio obsessed over by an underground cult. Soft Cell took the purely electronic formula and thrust it firmly into the pop charts all over the world.

Yes Kraftwerk wrote some great purely electronic albums in the 1970’s but they didn’t achieve the success of ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’. Similarly, Gary Numan had topped the charts with his electronic sound for some time, but all of his work included a conventional rhythm section with an electric bass and a drummer.

Mike Thorne and Soft Cell were amongst the first who ditched the conventional drummer and let their drum machine do the work. In 1981 this was a bold move for a group attempting to achieve commercial success.

Thorne gives us a fascinating insight into the production of early electronic music and this site comes highly recommended. If nothing else it has put ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’ back on my play lists and that can’t be a bad thing.