| Stardom Road | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 June 2007 | |||
| Recorded | Townhouse Studios, Olympic Studios, Angel Recording Studios, Strongroom Studios, M&I Recording Studios, Helicon Mountain Studios | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 54:15 | |||
| Label | Sanctuary | |||
| Producer | Tris Penna, Marius de Vries | |||
| Marc Almond chronology | ||||
| ||||
Stardom Road is the thirteenth solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released by Sanctuary Records on 4 June 2007.
Background
Stardom Road was Almond's first new album after his involvement in a near-fatal traffic accident in October 2004.[1] It is an album composed mostly of cover versions, a fact borne out of necessity as Almond found himself unable to write following the accident.[2] Almond told Time Out that the album is intended as "a trip down memory lane, a musical journey from the 1950s to where he finds himself today".[3]
The album features collaborations with Sarah Cracknell, Antony Hegarty and Jools Holland, with some of the tracks also featuring members of Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Record Collector |  [5] |
| The Guardian | [2] |
The album was well received by critics overall. Thom Jurek in his AllMusic review calls Stardom Road Almond's "finest studio moment as a solo artist" and describes Almond's voice as having "never been less histrionic, yet more expressive".[4] Record Collector critic Joel McIver calls Stardom Road "the campest album ever released" and summarises that it is "entertaining rather than cutting edge".[5] The Manchester Evening News review notes the autobiographical concept and calls the album "a great comeback" that is "kitsch, camp, melodramatic, yet full of heartfelt emotion".[6]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original Artist (and song) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Have Lived" | Charles Aznavour, Al Kasha, Joel Hirschhorn | Charles Aznavour | 3:45 |
| 2. | "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" (featuring Sarah Cracknell) | Clive Westlake | Dusty Springfield – "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Bedsitter Images" | Al Stewart | Al Stewart | 3:57 |
| 4. | "The London Boys" | David Bowie | David Bowie – "The London Boys" | 3:28 |
| 5. | "Strangers in the Night" | Bert Kaempfert, Charles Singleton, Eddie Snyder | Frank Sinatra – "Strangers in the Night" | 4:39 |
| 6. | "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men" (featuring Antony Hegarty) | Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf | Roberta Flack | 4:37 |
| 7. | "Stardom Road" | Terry Stamp, Jim Avery | Third World War | 4:56 |
| 8. | "Kitsch" | Paul Ryan | Barry Ryan | 5:30 |
| 9. | "Backstage (I'm Lonely)" (featuring Jools Holland & Kiki Dee) | Fred Anisfield, Willie Denson, Marc Almond | Gene Pitney | 3:39 |
| 10. | "Dream Lover" | Bobby Darin | Bobby Darin – "Dream Lover" | 3:24 |
| 11. | "Happy Heart" | James Last, Jackie Rae, Fred Weyrith | Andy Williams – "Happy Heart" | 3:54 |
| 12. | "Redeem Me (Beauty Will Redeem the World)" | Almond, Marius de Vries | (not a cover version) | 4:31 |
| 13. | "The Curtain Falls" (featuring Igor Outkine) | Sol Weinstein | Bobby Darin | 3:10 |
Personnel
- Marc Almond – vocals
- Trevor Barry – bass
- Chris Dagley – drums
- Robbie McIntosh – guitar, ukulele
- Mike Smith – piano, harpsichord, recorder
- Richard Henry – bass trombone
- Winston Rollins – trombone
- Dominic Glover – trumpet
- Chris Storr – trumpet
- David Powell – tuba
- John Anderson – oboe
- Marius de Vries – keyboards, programming
- Lenny Plaxico – bass
- Rob Burger – keyboards
- Hugh Webb – harp
- Andy Caine – backing vocals
- Andy Ross – backing vocals
- Anna Ross – backing vocals
- Jools Holland – piano
- Dave Swift – bass
- Gilson Lavis – drums
- Chris Holland – organ
- Neal Whitmore – guitar
- Igor Outkine – accordion
- Isobel Griffiths – string contractor
- Gavyn Wright – string leader
Chart performance
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[7] | 53 |
References
- ↑ "Marc Almond on the mend". NME. 28 October 2004. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- 1 2 Caroline Sullivan (25 May 2007). "Marc Almond – Stardom Road". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ↑ Paul Burston (29 May 2007). "Marc Almond: Interview". Time Out. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- 1 2 Thom Jurek. "Stardom Road". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- 1 2 McIver, Joel (July 2007). "Marc Almond – Stardom Road". Record Collector. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ↑ "Marc Almond – Stardom Road". Manchester Evening News. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
- ↑ "Marc Almond | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 13 April 2015.