A Virgin's Tale, Volume II, Almond's last release on Virgin Records UK, collects his unreleased songs left over from previous recording sessions. In 1988, when this record was released, it seemed that Virgin Records and and Marc Almond couldn't agree on anything, and the record company's emphasis on the commercial value of music was met by Almond's insistence on creativity.

Perhaps one of this albums standout tracks, "World Full Of People," best sums up his frustration with Virgin; in the chorus Almond repeats, "Why can't I be on my own/ Just me and the world alone?/ They feel that they have to comment/ They're sick, hypocritical, losing, unworthy/ They're not worth a spit in the dirt." Clearly, this hateful, obsessive tirade indicates some sort of conflict.

The last few tracks, "Broken Hearted and Beautiful," "Anarcoma," and "I'm Sick of You Tasting Like Somebody Else" were all intended to be included on the Mother Fist And Her Five Daughters release, but Almond couldn't bring himself to release yet another double album. These three are the most notable tracks on the record, each with an illustration of some deep indiscretion.

Almond's skill lies in his ability to depict innocence, debauchery, passion, and sleaze all at the same time. He took this talent with him as he left Virgin Records and joined EMI later that year. His first release for EMI, The Stars We Are turned out to be the best thing he ever recorded, and it spawned the first #1 hit single of his solo career. While Virgin did lose out on much of Almond's eventual fame, they managed to illustrate good art in modern music with the release of this record.

-Aparna Mohan