Like many of my age, Soft Cell, in particular the absolute classic Non Stop Erotic Dancing electro synth album Marc penned with Dave Ball is how we came aware of Marc, his voice and his music.
Quite sensibly, as he and the rest of us have matured and moved on, whilst those classics songs are still being recorded by others, he made this gem of an album with "La Magia", who provide a female voice and instrumentation.
His soaring, dramatic vocals that evoke a lead violin of an orchestra, such is its beauty and range of emotion, finds perfect pitch alongside warm orchestral surges and lone trumpets. We were made aware of this era of Marc's career by that memorable Gene Pitney duet 'Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart", that was a big hit. Some tracks (She Took My Soul in Istanbul/Your Kisses Burn) veer, successfully & beautifully, toward eastern duets, with the mini booklet having lyrics as 'him' & 'her'.
I'm afraid to say that I've heard other recordings by Marc and they weren't to my taste, being horribly self indulgent and almost painful to hear. However, I would say, that with almost out exception, this is a tight, at times 60's sounding, lush extravaganza of pure, tidy pop songs, that all merit their place on this 13 track CD.
If you, like me, wondered what happened to Marc after Soft Cell and want an update/companion to that seminal Non Stop....I can recommend The Stars We Are most wholeheartedly.