Let’s get this out of the way: This has nothing to do with Marc “Tainted Love” Almond from Soft Cell. Mark-Almond was a kind of mellow jazz band that was most prolific in the early seventies. Their sound was a bit like the theme to a couple falling in love on The Love Boat’s Lido Deck.
Rising, released in 1972, was their third album overall and their first for Columbia. Thanks to my inexplicable love for electric piano, “The Little Prince” is my favorite cut on the record, but man is it a downer:
But of course that’s not why we’re here. No, what brings us here today is that disturbing phoenix on the album cover. I don’t know if somebody’s mama didn’t dole out enough hugs or what, but it’s a vision:
A vinyl copy of Rising will run you a little as a buck, but there’s a Japanese reprint out there that goes for a bit more. There’s an out of print CD, too, but if you’re only in it for the music you may as well pick it up as a legal download. Me? I have to have that batshit crazy album cover. Happy hunting.
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