Marc Almond
Mother Fist And Her Five Daughters

THE REVIEW

1987: a turning point in this artist's career?

After the excellent solo efforts of Almond, "Vermin in Ermine" and "Stories of Johnny", with the group of musicians "The Willing Sinners" -among whose ranks are cellist and guitarist Martin McCarrick and, above all, the exceptional multi-instrumentalist Annie Hogan- here he is, our artist, at the proof of the third album. The musicians are the same, of course, but what is different is the need to give free rein to creativity, with the aim of fully developing one's identity as a musician, to create something that totally reflects his histrionic personality.

The result?

12 gems of absolute beauty.

The wonderful "Mother Fist" with a Spanish-like rhythm -Mambas reminiscences- opens the dance. Already by the beginning of the second verse, you can’t get enough of it. After a song like this, how can you expect anything else to measure up? Yet the precious "There Is a Bed" and "Saint Judy" introduce the autobiographical "The Room Below", in which a theatrical and splendid Almond tells us about his early career feelings when he lived in a hovel.

The journey continues with an excellent quality that culminates in the harmonious "Angel in Her Kiss" and then explodes in the splendid single "Melancholy Rose", a romantic and dreamy song... unique.

At this point, Almond has more arrows in his quiver: the first is called "The Sea Says" where the trumpet takes us on a journey of no return. The second, and last song of the batch, is "The River", an epic melody crafted to engage the listener and touch them deep within their soul.

Albums like this make music history and, even though they unfortunately are not widely advertised, they have influenced generations of artists.

As a great admirer of Almond, I can confidently state that this is his masterpiece, the album that allowed him to gain all the artistic awareness that made him known worldwide with the subsequent"The Stars We Are"?

"Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters" is a seminal album, of great style, that acquires flavor with the passing of years. A grand and precious jewel that should not be missing from your collection.