Varieté (album)

Varieté is the fifteenth studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released on 7 June 2010 through Strike Force Entertainment, part of Cherry Red Records.

Varieté
Studio album by
Marc Almond
Released7 June 2010
RecordedDean Street Studios, Palace Studios (London)
GenrePop
Length66:19
LabelStrike Force Entertainment, Cherry Red Records
ProducerMarc Almond, Tris Penna
Marc Almond chronology
Orpheus in Exile
(2009)		 Varieté
(2010)		 Feasting with Panthers
(2011)

Background

Varieté marks Almond's 30th year as a recording artist.[1] It is his first album of original material in nine years.[2] At the time of its release, Almond himself stated it would be his final album of original material as he had increasingly become more interested in recording pre-existing songs (as many of his covers albums have showcased), but this would prove to be untrue and he went on to record further original material afterwards. Much of it is self-produced and co-written with longtime collaborators Neal Whitmore and Martin Watkins.

The album was released in a standard one-disc jewel case and a limited edition two-disc digipak in a slip-sleeve version, featuring seven bonus tracks on the second disc.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Guardian[4]
The Daily Telegraph[5]
The Scotsman[6]
Daily Mirror[1]
Record Collector[7]

Varieté received mixed reviews from critics. The Guardian described a "nostalgic mood" but saw the album as "furrows already ploughed".[4] The Daily Telegraph wrote about Almond's lyrics, stating that "his lyrical pen remains hilariously barbed", and called the album "self-composed cabaret sleaze".[5] The review in The Scotsman agreed that Almond is looking back with this album, returning "to old themes with alacrity", and summarised by calling Varieté "mischievous, lightweight fun compared to Almond's darker, more tortured journeys into European chanson".[6] Simon Price in his review from The Independent called the album "an autobiography and also a hymn to the underground" and stated that Almond "is determined to squeeze life for its every last drop".[8] The AllMusic review praised the production as flowing "freely from spare, late-night-in-the-cocktail-lounge settings to big, bold, orchestral statements". It also had further commentary on the bonus tracks available with the limited edition version of the album, stating that the "more minimal, acoustic-based" songs shine "a brighter light on Almond's songwriting abilities".[3]

Track listing
  1. "(Intro)" (Marc Almond, Michael Cashmore) – 0:42
  2. "Bread & Circus" (Almond, Alexei Fedorov) – 3:47
  3. "Nijinsky Heart" (Almond, Roland Faber) – 3:59
  4. "The Exhibitionist" (Almond, Martin Watkins) – 4:44
  5. "The Trials of Eyeliner" (Almond, Michael Cashmore) – 5:44
  6. "Lavender" (Almond, Watkins) – 5:25
  7. "Soho So Long" (Almond, Fedorov, Neal Whitmore) – 3:37
  8. "Unloveable" (Almond, Faber) – 2:47
  9. "Sandboy" (Almond, Watkins) – 4:41
  10. "It's All Going On" (Almond, Faber) – 4:32
  11. "Variety" (Almond, Faber) – 3:31
  12. "Cabaret Clown" (Almond) – 3:09
  13. "My Madness and I" (Almond, Whitmore) – 4:34
  14. "But Not Today" (Almond, Whitmore) – 4:29
  15. "Swan Song" (Almond, Whitmore) – 3:41
  16. "Sin Song" (Almond, Cashmore) – 7:03

Bonus acoustic disc (Limited edition)
  1. "My Evil Twin" (Almond, Faber) – 3:13
  2. "A Lonely Love" (Almond) – 3:35
  3. "Cat Dancer" (Almond, Whitmore) – 2:23
  4. "Criminal Lover" (Almond, Whitmore) – 3:17
  5. "I Am No One" (Almond, Whitmore) – 2:35
  6. "Smoke" (Almond, Whitmore) – 3:11
  7. "Kiss the Ghost (Goodbye)" (Almond) – 4:45

Personnel
Guest musicians
  • Armen Ra – theremin
  • David Coulter – musical saw
  • Andy Marlowe – additional guitar
  • Roland Faber – Moog, analogue synths, simulated Martenot, Mellotron
  • Seamus Beaghen v Hammond organ
  • Thomas Bowles – clarinet
  • Igor Outkine (from band Mazaika) – Bayan accordion
  • Sarah Harrison (from band Mazaika) – violin
  • Gemma Rosefield – cello
  • Daisy Gathorne-Hardy – cello
  • Sarah McMahon – cello
  • Maria Martinez – cello
  • Debs White – violin
  • Tamsin Waley-Cohen – violin
  • Tom Hankey – viola
  • James Knight – saxophone
  • Dominic Glover – trumpet
  • Nichol Thomson – trombone
  • Richard Shaw – cornet
  • Lucy Jackson – cornet
  • Tracy Colston – tenor horn
  • Jonathon Ford – Euphonium
  • Tris Penna – string synthesizer
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References
  1. Gavin Martin (4 June 2010). "Varieté is the spice of life for Marc Almond". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  2. "Marc Almond on the mend". NME. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  3. James Allen. "Marc Almond – Varieté review". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  4. Dave Simpson (3 June 2010). "Marc Almond Varieté CD Review". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  5. Andrew Perry (4 June 2010). "Marc Almond revisits the self-composed cabaret sleaze of his Eighties albums". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  6. "Marc Almond – Varieté review". The Scotsman. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  7. McIver, Joel (July 2010). "Marc Almond – Varieté". Record Collector. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  8. Price (6 June 2010). "Marc Almond – Varieté review". The Independent. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
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