When done badly, it risks turning new listeners off from the originals, although when done well it can be revelatory. This double CD, produced with the cooperation of both members of '80s electro-pop-sleaze duo Soft Cell, showcases reinterpretations of 26 of their tracks - from the familiar to the more obscure. As with any such project, results are mixed.

CD 1 is where more of the best-known tracks have been covered. After an adequate not entirely attention-grabbing opener from the Cicada remix of Memorabilia comes one of the more interesting tracks. Manhattan Clique have taken Bedsitter - in the original a bleak 'kitchen sink' depiction of young adult life, thrown in a lovely new bit of Marc Almond vocal ("(...) you still look great / Just ready for the beauty that the make-up will create") and turned it into something altogether happier - a celebration of being young free and skint rather than the original's bemoaning of the same circumstances.

They repeat this trick in their remix of Torch (arguably, in the original, Soft Cell's finest moment) - keeping the essential sleazy saxophone break, but adding something to the 'story' with the insertion of a verse of camp dialogue between the two protagonists ("I wanted to grab you and kiss you, but I thought you'd hit me (...) Too right, baby").

The poisoned chalice of remixing the band's best known and most successful track Tainted Love (in recent years brought to a whole new audience by means of R&B minx Rihanna's use of a sample from the song on her S.O.S.) fell to Dakeyne, who has chosen to give it a slightly cheesy, rather hi-nrg dance makeover. As with a fair few of the mixes here (see also: the Marcas Lancaster remix of the glorious Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, Mark Moore and Kinky Roland's Remix of Chips On My Shoulder) Almond's distinctive, strange and dramatic vocal loses a fair bit of its interest and originality by being recast against a lusher, less stark backing.

Also problematic are the mixes that appear to have been produced with no reference to, or account taken of, the subject matter of the original track - suprising on an album where all the remixers are purportedly fans of the band.

So, whereas the Richard X remix of Seedy Films sounds suitably, well, seedy as one would expect, Insecure Me, given the Trevor Jackson Playgroup treatment sounds anything but insecure, with its celebratory exclamations and yelps; Chips On My Shoulder (Mark Moore and Kinky Roland remix) too, despite the refrain of "Misery, complaint, self-pity, injustice", sounds jarringly upbeat.

Other successes on the album worthy of a mention include Baby Doll, Nitewreckers remix - one of the most striking moments on the second CD, all thumping backing and semi-tuneless vocals with quiet / loud bits to add to the sense of (melo)drama; the Motown-ish groove of What, Plastique remix; Readers Wives' remix of Soul Inside, camp, chunky and energising; and The Grid's nicely creepy dark electro take on Sex Dwarf.

This is definitely a selection to be dipped into, where some enjoyable moments can be found, with others warranting crafty use of the 'skip' button. Those already familiar with Soft Cell will be able to gain a certain amount of new perspective on aspects of their back catalogue, whilst, for others, it could perhaps serve as an introduction to the band and incentive to discover their (ultimately more satisfying) original releases.

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Mercury Prize 2009 nominees