Soft Cell Pick

Since I did a pick each for Dave Ball and Marc Almond, I kinda had to do my pick for Soft Cell. First, there are a number of long versions and singles on this. They are my favorite versions of those songs. The very first track was one of my all time favorites of the first album. I added tracks that I liked from their reunion album. Nothing from the most recent albums, but I did put some of those tracks on the last two day's picks. Sorry, none of the cool covers of Hendrix and Black Sabbath, I like them, but no more room. It's a CD. The cover art background is from a photo of a wall at my old hair salon (Faux): a wall of Purple Tuck and Roll. I loved it and it seemed appropos for these guys.

Soft Cell Pick

01 Soft Cell - Frustration

02 Soft Cell - It's A Mugs Game

03 Soft Cell - Tainted Love-Where Did Our Love Go

04 Soft Cell - Torch (Extended Version)

05 Soft Cell - What

06 Soft Cell - Monoculture

07 Soft Cell - Sex Dwarf

08 Soft Cell - Darker Times

09 Soft Cell - Down In The Subway

10 Soft Cell - Bedsitter

11 Soft Cell - Soul Inside

12 Soft Cell - You Only Live Twice

13 Soft Cell - Numbers

14 Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

Marc Almond Pick

Yesterday I had his cohort from Soft Cell, Dave Ball, but today the pick is all Marc Almond. What's great about him is he seems to guest everywhere. He has so many compilations it's not even funny. So why do another one? I kinda had to since I did one for Dave. And my pick is a bit different from all those other comps. I included a few Soft Cell tracks (none that are on yesterday's pick and none that are on tomorrow's pick.)It has my favorite "guest spots" and I am including in that guest of his and him guesting on other artist albums or singles. Just those alone are cool enough to set himself apart. I mean look at his company: X-TG (most of Throbbing Gristle), Pet Shop Boys, Rosenstolz, T-Total, Gene Pitney, Bronski Beat, Foetus, Buster Poindexter. Plus all his solo work. You could do multiple albums. But here are my favorites. Notice the background of the cover. I took that picture.

Marc Almond Pick

01 X-TG featuring Marc Almond - The Falconer

02 Marc Almond featuring Gene Pitney - Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart

03 Marc Almond - The Days Of Pearly Spencer

04 Marc Almond - The House Is Haunted By The Echo Of Your Last Goodbye

05 Marc And The Mambas - Black Heart

06 Marc Almond - A Lover Spurned

07 Marc Almond - Mother Fist

08 Rosenstolz & Marc Almond - Total Eclipse

09 Marc Almond - Jacky

10 Soft Cell featuring Pet Shop Boys - Purple Zone

11 T-Total Featuring Marc Almond - Baby’s On Fire

12 Soft Cell - Bruises On All My Illusions

13 Marc Almond & Buster Poindexter - Adored And Explored

14 Marc Almond - The Stars We Are

15 Marc Almond - Tears Run Rings

16 Bronski Beat And Marc Almond - I Feel Love

17 Soft Cell - The Night

18 Marc Almond & Foetus (Flesh Volcano) - Slut

19 Marc Almond - Bitter Sweet

Dave Ball Pick

Like most people I knew of Dave Ball from the band Soft Cell. He was the seemingly quiet boy behind Marc Almond. But he was and is an instrumentalist, producer, engineer, etc. Seems to be pretty much everything behind the voice. Besides Soft Cell, he has solo albums, was half the band of Other People, English Boy On The Lover Ranch, The Grid, M.E.S.H., Nitewreckage and a guest star with several other bands. I picked a few of my favorites. Including a single with Marc Almond (see tomorrow) that he worked on. I like The Ornamental track, one of two they did. But the only one with Dave Ball on all instruments. The band also includes Rose McDowall and members of the Sugarcubes (Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and trumpet by Einar Örn). Kinda cool. Always liked the Sugarcubes, someday I will have to do a family pick for them. Lots of similarities in the cover over the next couple of days.

Dave Ball Pick

01 Marc Almond - Waifs And Strays (The Grid Mix)

02 Dave Ball - Man In The Man

03 Cabaret Voltaire - Crackdown

04 Psychic TV - Papal Breakdance

05 Dave Ball + Genesis - Muzak For Frogs

06 Soft Cell - ...So

07 Ornamental - No Pain

08 English Boy On The Loveranch - The Man In Your Life

09 Ronnie B - Prisoner of Rio (Remix)

10 M.E.S.H. - Meet Every Situation Head On

11 Psychic TV - Money for E (Remix by Dave Ball)

12 Other People (Dave Ball) - Have a Nice Day

13 The Grid - Swamp Thing (Radio Mix)

14 The Grid - Texas Cowboys

15 Nitewreckage - Solarcoaster