1000 Mexicans - The Last Pop Song (Abstract)

With a title like this, I was expecting something apocalyptic but if this is the last pop song then God help us. A dreadfully monotonous bass line as well. (Marc Almond, Record Mirror, February 25, 1984)

Alien Sex Fiend - R.I.P. (Blue Crumb Truck) (Anagram)

Having seen Scarface four times, I reckon I can take as much blood and guts as the next depraved lad - but all this wailing and gnashing of teeth simply amounts to one unholy racket. A compliment, perhaps? (Paul Simper, No 1, March 17, 1984)

Thoroughly obnoxious, nasty, yucky and tacky and probably the best one this week. The production should have been even more extreme but it's definitely the sort of thing that should be played really loud so that the neighbours bang on the wall. Great fun and very exciting. (Marc Almond, Record Mirror, February 25, 1984)

Marc Almond - Love Letter (Virgin)

A strange choice for the follow up to "Stories Of Johnny". Marc contracts a touch of Bronski-itis and flutters his eyelashes on a lullaby vocal set against a galloping electro beat. In a sprint to the finish he just about keeps up with the rhythm to bring off a minor victory for perverse synchronicity. Get the 12 inch for the full, long-distance drama. (Roger Morton, Record Mirror, October 19, 1985)

He's known as "The Boss" round these parts, actually. But at the risk of getting the sack, I have to say that this one's a mite tiresome, what with a jittery synth backing that sets the teeth on edge, and a more repetitive and simplistic lyric than one expects from such an accomplished storyteller. Not one of his best. (Vici MacDonald, Smash Hits, October 9, 1985)

Subtitled "a simple message of undying devotion", this finds the willing sinner in a very romantic mood. The sleaze of old has been replaced by a lush melodrama, with Marc's vocals mixing sweetly with those of a choir. The hi-energy synth beat saves the thing from drowning in schmaltz, giving it a remarkably cheery sound after the depths of despair that the Almond of old indulged in. It must be love ... (Karen Swayne, No 1, October 19, 1985)

Marc Almond - The House Is Haunted (By The Echo Of Your Last Goodbye) (Some Bizzare)

I've always been worried a bit about Marc Almond. He'll never be Jacques Brel or Scott Walker or, from the look of the sleeve in front of me, much of a body builder. However, he's ignored these set backs and managed to rework "This House Is Haunted" with a killer of an arrangement. All high camp melodrama and the sort of gorgeous trumpet that could be on a downbeat Special AKA record. (Jim Reid, Record Mirror, January 11, 1986)

Nailed It: Jim correctly predicts Marc's Brel fixation, culminating in his 1989 LP, Jacques.

Someone for whom chart success is less important than artistic integrity, Marc Almond will always make records worth listening to. This track drops the dramatic sleaze in favour of a tooting, jazzy-style swing thing that could be a hit if it's played enough on the radio. Taken from a Janice Long session, "The House..." is delicate and sensitive and a million miles away from the electro-pop of Soft Cell. The double pack features an extra five tracks, so seek it out. (Karen Swayne, No 1, January 11, 1986)

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