Untitled (Marc and the Mambas album)
| Untitled | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1982 | |||
| Recorded | May–July 1982 | |||
| Studio | Trident Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, new wave | |||
| Length | 60:35 | |||
| Label | Some Bizzare | |||
| Producer | Marc and the Mambas | |||
| Marc and the Mambas chronology | ||||
| ||||
Untitled is the first studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond's band Marc and the Mambas. It was released by Some Bizzare in September 1982.
Background[edit]
Untitled was Almond's first album away from Soft Cell and was made in collaboration with a number of artists, including Matt Johnson of The The and Anni Hogan.[1] The album was produced by the band, with assistance from Stephen Short (credited as Steeve Short) and Flood.[2]
Jeremy Reed writes in his biography of Almond, The Last Star, that Untitled was "cheap and starkly recorded".[3] He states that Almond received "little support from Phonogram for the Mambas project, the corporate viewing it as non-commercial and a disquieting pointer to the inevitable split that would occur within Soft Cell".[4] An article in Mojo noted that "from the beginning, Almond and Ball had nurtured sideline projects, though only the former's – the 1982 double 12-inch set Untitled – attracted much attention, most of it disapproving." The article mentions that Almond "who preferred to nail a song in one or two takes" stated that it was all "about feel and spontaneity, otherwise it gets too contrived" when accused of singing flat.[5]
Simon Price of The Independent quotes Almond as calling the album "the deluded ramblings of self-indulgence fuelled by too much acid".[6]
The album was released on gatefold double vinyl with the first record playing at 33rpm and the second at 45rpm. The album reached number 42 in the UK Albums Chart.[7]
Critical reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Smash Hits | 6/10[8] |
Neil Tennant, then a journalist at Smash Hits, reviewed the album saying that the band "have obviously enjoyed producing some intriguing, if self-indulgent, new music and their own versions of some old favourites".[8] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic also calls the album "intriguing" but states that Untitled "doesn't ever add up to anything cohesive", whilst acknowledging that Almond has "made a conscious departure from Soft Cell".[1]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Untitled" | Marc Almond, Matt Johnson | 4:54 |
| 2. | "Empty Eyes" | Almond, Annie Hogan | 5:03 |
| 3. | "Angels" | Almond, Johnson | 8:34 |
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Big Louise" | Scott Walker, from Scott 3 | 5:05 |
| 2. | "Caroline Says" | Lou Reed, from Berlin | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Margaret" | Hogan | 3:45 |
| 4. | "If You Go Away" | Jacques Brel, originally "Ne me quitte pas" | 6:28 |
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Terrapin" | Syd Barrett | 4:18 |
| 2. | "Twilights & Lowlifes" | Marc and the Mambas | 11:29 |
| No. | Title | Written by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Twilights & Lowlifes (Street Walking Soundtrack)" | Marc and the Mambas | 11:08 |
Personnel[edit]
- Marc and the Mambas
- Marc Almond – lead vocals, synth, vibraphone
- Matt Johnson – all instruments, electric guitar, percussion
- Ann Hogan – instruments, piano, electric piano, synth, vibraphone
- Cindy Ecstacy – backing vocals
- Peter Ashworth – percussion
- Technical
- Paul Buckmaster – string arrangement on "Big Louise"
- Flood, Steeve Short – engineer
- Val Denham – cover portrait
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[7] | 42 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Marc and the Mambas Untitled review". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ Reed, p. 168.
- ^ Reed, p. 50.
- ^ Reed, p. 54.
- ^ Paytress, Mark. "We Are The Village Sleaze Preservation Society". Mojo (September 2014): 69.
- ^ "Marc and the Mambas, Royal Festival Hall, London". The Independent. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ a b "Marc and the Mambas | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
- ^ a b Tennant, Neil. "Albums". Smash Hits (14 October 1982): 23.
- Reed, Jeremy (1995). Marc Almond – The Last Star. Creation Books. ISBN 978-1840680065.