Stardom Road
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
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
| 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" | James 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
Chart performance
| Chart (2007) |
Peak
position |
| UK Albums (OCC)[7] |
53
|
References
[4]