Cruelty Without Beauty
by Soft Cell
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10

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  1. TonyB
    Jan 3, 2003
    10
    Pop Idols, listen and learn, Marc at his vocal best with music and lyrics to die for. More Soft Cell and less hard sell is just what the record industry needs!
  2. BTHONTHON
    Oct 16, 2002
    10
    Finally someone is writing great music again. Great lyrics, nice melodies and haunting tunes. We must tip our glasses and say thanks to the boys of Soft Cell and Caligula Syndrome should be a hit - Just give it time.
  3. MikeS.
    Oct 16, 2002
    9
    Best album this year, not much time to better it......10 out of 12 tracks could easily fit onto "TAOFA" or "TLNIS", and incorporate the best of Marc's solo stuff and Soft Cell's wierd vision of the world. FANTASTIC!!

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Blender
    60
    In updating the duo's dirty old sound, Ball makes the arrangements clunky, too clean and dangerously close to the blandness Almond bemoans. [#10, p.126]
  2. Mixer
    60
    What Cruelty Without Beauty lacks in originality it more than makes up for with sheer wit. [Oct 2002, p.81]
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    As before, attempts to explore London's seedy underbelly verge on hamfisted and voyeuristic. But, again as before, Soft Cell really flourish with Marc's relationship horror stories, which happens on two songs.
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