Marilyn - Despite Straight Lines: The Very Best Of Cherry Pop
3/5
While the "Very Best" title implies some kind of sifting, there is precious little Peter "Marilyn" Robinson to sift, so this is merely his only album, 1985's Despite Straight Lines, plus some remixes and B-sides. Remembered now as a Boy George-lite, Robinson's somewhat truculent personality and enthusiastic drug use soon conspired to derail his career, but as 80's albums go, his minimal, mostly sel-penned canon stands up surprisingly well. His big hit Calling Your Name suggested A-ha's sweeping grace, the tongue twisting Wear It Out was heroically funky and the splendidly overwrought Cry And Be Free showed he could grandstand, too.
MARiLYN's 1985 album Despite Straight Lines will be reissued by Cherry Pop, a division of Cherry Red Records, on CD in November 17th. The Cherry Pop label is dedicated to interesting pop catalogue releases from records that originally came out in the 1980's. This is a relatively new label in the Cherry Red stable and was off to a fine start with releases from La Toya Jackson, Sheena Easton, Haysi Fantayzee, Dead Or Alive, A Flock Of Seagulls, Visage, Nena and The Mood.
