Fantastic Star
Studio album by
Marc Almond
Released19 February 1996 (1996-02-19)
Recorded1993–1996
StudioRed Bus Studios, London; The Stereo Society, New York; Skyline, New York; GCHQ, London.
GenreRock
Length76:53
LabelMercury, Some Bizzare
ProducerMike Thorne, Martyn Ware, Mike Hedges
Marc Almond chronology
Absinthe
(1993)		 Fantastic Star
(1996)		 Open All Night
(1999)
Singles from Fantastic Star
  1. "Adored and Explored"
    Released: May 1995
  2. "The Idol"
    Released: July 1995
  3. "Child Star"
    Released: December 1995
  4. "Brilliant Creatures" / "Out There"
    Released: February 1996

Fantastic Star is the ninth studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in 1996 and reached number fifty-four on the UK Albums Chart.[1] It includes the singles "Adored and Explored", "The Idol", "Child Star" and the double A-side "Brilliant Creatures" / "Out There". The album was Almond's last on a major record label until 2007's Stardom Road.

Accompanied by studio musicians and collaborators - specifically guitarist Neal X and John Coxon - Almond recorded the songs for the album over several years. This was due to his changing record labels and professional and personal difficulties. It was recorded at Red Bus Studios, London, The Stereo Society, New York, Skyline, New York, and GCHQ, London. Receiving mixed to positive reviews, the album was originally released as a CD and cassette in February 1996. The album was not reissued until 2023. The artwork was designed by 950 Fahrenheit with a cover photograph by Mike Owen.

Background

Marc Almond records had sold very well during the initial years of the 1990s. It was expected in the business that his new album which would be Fantastic Star would sell very well. Therefore, the record companies involved were prepared to spend money on the project. Originally the album was intended to be released by WEA UK and initially the sole producer was to be Soft Cell producer Mike Thorne under the working title Urban Velvet reflecting the Glam meets Electronica fusion.[2] However, Marc Almond's manager Stevo Pearce had the project moved to Phonogram Records. Based on this the new record company decided to bring new producers and remixers and even add new songs to the original project. Beatmasters, Martyn Ware and others reworked or created new songs to varying degrees of satisfaction and displeasure for Almond.

Release

The first single from the album, "Adored and Explored" and remixed by the Beatmasters, reached No. 25 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] Despite a radio jingle version for the then top rated Chris Evans Radio 1 Breakfast Show, second single "The Idol" just missed the UK top 40, stalling at No. 44.[1] Christmas saw the third single release, "Child Star", which fared slightly better than "The Idol", but it just missed the top 40, halting at No. 41.[1] After the album was released, a further double A-side single "Brilliant Creatures"/"Out There" was released but missed the top 75, reaching No. 76.[3] Almond had addiction problems during the recording of this album and refers to it in his autobiography as 'Fading Star'.

The Artist's Cut re-release

The album was re-issued in the UK for Record Store Day on 22 April 2023. This was the first time the album had been available on vinyl and was released over two LPs. This was subtitled 'the Artist's Cut' as Almond had re-evaluated all of the tracks himself, including those that didn’t make the album at the time but later appeared as B-sides of singles. Two songs that featured on the original CD release were removed: "The Idol Part 2 All Gods Fall" and "Shining Brightly", which Almond felt 'never really belonged' on the album. They were replaced by "The User", "Christmas in Vegas" and "My Guardian Angel". Almond also chose the new artwork, selecting his favourite shot from 1995 sessions by fashion photographer Zanna. The release was newly mastered for 180 gm vinyl at Abbey Road Studios and came with two fully printed inner bags with lyrics and a new design by Philip Marshall.[4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[6]

Fantastic Star received good to mixed reviews from the majority of critics. The album was released to disappointing sales reaching UK No. 54.[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Marc Almond and Neal Whitmore; except where indicated

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Caged" 5:38
2."Out There"Almond5:37
3."We Need Jealousy"Almond, Steve Nieve4:07
4."The Idol (Parts 1 & 2 All Gods Fall)" 9:03
5."Baby Night Eyes"Almond, Steve Nieve3:39
6."Adored and Explored"Almond, John Coxon3:53
7."Child Star" 4:04
8."Looking for Love (In All the Wrong Places)"Almond5:43
9."Addicted"Almond, John Coxon4:07
10."The Edge of Heartbreak"Almond, John Coxon4:49
11."Love to Die For"Almond4:02
12."Betrayed"Almond, John Coxon3:20
13."On the Prowl" 3:53
14."Come in Sweet Assassin"Almond4:59
15."Brilliant Creatures" 5:28
16."Shining Brightly"Almond, Jane Rollink, Kevin White4:31

Personnel

  • Marc Almond – vocals, synthesizer, background vocals
  • Neal X – guitar
  • Rick Shaffer – guitar
  • Chris Spedding – guitar
  • Martyn Ware – keyboards
  • B.J. Nelson, Betty, Morton Street Local 10014 – background vocals
  • David Johansen – harmonica on "We Need Jealousy", "Adored and Explored" and "Love to Die For"
  • John Cale – piano on "Love to Die For"
  • Andy Ross – guitar on "The Edge of Heartbreak"
  • Jeremy Stacey – percussion on "The Edge of Heartbreak"
  • Mandy Drummond, Chris Pitsillides – viola on "The Edge of Heartbreak"
  • Anne Stephenson, Gini Ball, Johnny Taylor – violin on "The Edge of Heartbreak"

Chart performance

Chart (1996) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[7] 54

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Official Charts Company – Marc Almond". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 August 2008.
  2. ↑ "The making of Fantastic Star". Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2009.
  3. ↑ "UK Chartlog – 1994–2010 A – Azzido Da Bass". zobbel.de. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Fantastic Star". Record Store Day. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  5. ↑ AllMusic review
  6. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "Marc Almond | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
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