Another in the series of recent Marc Almond reissues, 1986's Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters takes its name from the short story "Nocturnal Turnings" by Truman Capote, to whom the record is dedicated. On this early record, Almond chooses to showcase a number of personalities in a series of portraits. With exotic instrumentation and colorful musical arrangements, Almond creates an impressive and reflective record.

"Mother Fist" describes a relationship with a woman who has a mysteriously strong hold on men. Almond uses Spanish- styled strings and rhythms to create an air of the otherworld. "Saint Judy" is a dark and bluesy soliloquy lamenting a woman's life within and without the spotlight: "Champagne chilled/ And the pills well spilled/ All wide eyes/ And overkill." "The Hustler" is a man who has seen the "darker side of men." The song's quiet piano and string arrangement creates a simple caricature of his loneliness. "Melancholy Rose" is an accordion and snare drum ode to a murderous assassin reflecting on her lovers past.

Throughout this record, Almond's strength continues to be his pierced tenor; it seems naive yet corrupted. With it, Almond mourns and celebrates all manner of personalities and characters featured on this record.

-Aparna Mohan