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Marc Almond|The Stars We Are (Expanded Edition)

The Stars We Are (Expanded Edition)

Marc Almond

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Another year and another label for Marc Almond, along with a newly stripped-down band, La Magia, with Willing Sinner vets Annie Hogan, Billy McGee, and Steve Humphreys on drums. Even more so than Stories of Johnny, this is Almond with an eye and ear on making a commercial record while still being himself, and the result is much better than expected. Bob Kraushaar's production feels much lighter and brighter in general than Mike Hedges' past efforts, and the songwriting often matches it -- the sprightly opening title track, followed by the tenderly passionate "These My Dreams Are Yours," makes for what has to be the most upbeat start to a Almond album yet. Similar moments crop up throughout the record, including "Bitter Sweet," with a killer sweeping chorus, the sparkling, slightly jazzy "The Very Last Pearl," which gives pulsing nightlife one of its best makeovers ever, and a triumphant, everything-and-the-kitchen-sink version of Gene Pitney's "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," replaced on later versions of the album with the U.K.-chart-topping duet with Pitney himself. That said, it's still an Almond album through and through -- the lighter songs still have his sweet purr in the vocals (and Hogan's keyboards and instrumental arrangements remain uniformly excellent), while moodier and expectedly dramatic numbers still turn up in abundance. The forceful duet with Nico, "Your Kisses Burn," calls to mind prime Lee and Nancy, with masses of strings to boot; elsewhere, "The Sensualist" acts as his clearest statement yet on the many erotic joys life has to offer. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, "Tears Run Rings," his most overtly political number to date, became a minor U.S. hit.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo

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The Stars We Are (Expanded Edition)

Marc Almond

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1
The Stars We Are
00:03:44

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

2
These My Dreams Are Yours
00:05:28

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

3
Bitter Sweet
00:03:20

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

4
Only the Moment
00:04:41

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

5
Your Kisses Burn
00:04:43

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

6
The Very Last Pearl
00:04:45

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

7
Tears Run Rings
00:04:21

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

8
Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
00:04:40

Roger Cook, Composer - Roger Greenaway, Composer - Gene Pitney, MainArtist - Marc Almond, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

9
The Sensualist
00:05:28

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

10
She Took My Soul In Istanbul
00:06:21

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Bill McGee, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

11
The Frost Comes Tomorrow
00:04:18

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

12
Kept Boy
00:06:13

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Bill McGee, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

13
Everything I Wanted Love to Be
00:03:12

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

14
King of the Fools
00:04:17

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

15
Real Evil
00:05:13

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

16
The Stars We Are (Full Length Mix)
00:06:02

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

17
Tears Run Rings (12" Version) [Remix]
00:05:17

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

18
Bitter Sweet (12" Version) [Remix]
00:05:10

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

19
Only the Moment (All the Time In the World Mix)
00:06:26

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

20
These My Dreams Are Yours (Through the Night Mix)
00:08:53

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

21
Tears Run Rings (Justin Strauss Remix)
00:07:09

Justin Strauss, Remixer - Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

22
Bitter Sweet (The Big Beat Mix)
00:06:02

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - The Extra Beat Boys, Remixer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

23
The Sensualist (Ultimate Ecstacy Mix)
00:07:00

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Annie Hogan, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

24
She Took My Soul In Istanbul (The Blue Mosque Mix)
00:10:20

Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist - Bill McGee, Composer

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

25
Tears Run Rings (The La Magia Dance Mix)
00:07:09

Bob Kraushaar, Remixer - Marc Almond, Composer, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

26
Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart (Solo Version)
00:04:41

Roger Cook, Composer - Roger Greenaway, Composer - Marc Almond, MainArtist

2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group 2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group

Album review

Another year and another label for Marc Almond, along with a newly stripped-down band, La Magia, with Willing Sinner vets Annie Hogan, Billy McGee, and Steve Humphreys on drums. Even more so than Stories of Johnny, this is Almond with an eye and ear on making a commercial record while still being himself, and the result is much better than expected. Bob Kraushaar's production feels much lighter and brighter in general than Mike Hedges' past efforts, and the songwriting often matches it -- the sprightly opening title track, followed by the tenderly passionate "These My Dreams Are Yours," makes for what has to be the most upbeat start to a Almond album yet. Similar moments crop up throughout the record, including "Bitter Sweet," with a killer sweeping chorus, the sparkling, slightly jazzy "The Very Last Pearl," which gives pulsing nightlife one of its best makeovers ever, and a triumphant, everything-and-the-kitchen-sink version of Gene Pitney's "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart," replaced on later versions of the album with the U.K.-chart-topping duet with Pitney himself. That said, it's still an Almond album through and through -- the lighter songs still have his sweet purr in the vocals (and Hogan's keyboards and instrumental arrangements remain uniformly excellent), while moodier and expectedly dramatic numbers still turn up in abundance. The forceful duet with Nico, "Your Kisses Burn," calls to mind prime Lee and Nancy, with masses of strings to boot; elsewhere, "The Sensualist" acts as his clearest statement yet on the many erotic joys life has to offer. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, "Tears Run Rings," his most overtly political number to date, became a minor U.S. hit.
© Ned Raggett /TiVo

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