Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Interesting! Not bad, just different? Sort of folk punk? Somewhere between "Clash with fiddles" and "if the Pogues could sing instead of shouting and weren't entirely a novelty act (but for who's novelty?)"
Interesting album, I liked the weird violin.
The Clash er en ting, men det er like ofte Billy Joel og/eller irske pub-viser. Ønskte virkelig at dette var litt bedre enn det er. Jeg er svak for godt utført dårlig vokal og assortert instrumental, men de er kanskje ikke så gode på å skrive låter eller...?
Høres ganske tøft ut til tider med felepunk, andre ganger høres de bare ut som et dritings The Clash i øvingslokalet
I’ve never heard of them, but I found this alright
first listen some enjoyable, some meh
Interesting. I didn’t necessarily hear country, it sounded like it was more Irish folk, but still cool.
I'd heard of this band, but hadn't ever heard them.
pretty good actually
A lot going on here but I didn't really mind it. Decent.
ok
80s alt-rock. British alternative country, first of the genre. Pretty ok, good drinking music.
This album felt very medicore to me. I do think that most of the songs have some great parts to them, but they are almost always negated by some other weird vocal, production, or instrumental choice. I feel like each song starts solid but I just don't care for it by the end. The album is not bad, but nothing to write home about either.
Their style and sound was very similar to others of their time. But I kind of enjoyed it.
First alt country album, solid Flitcraft
This was a relaxing listen looking forward to listening to their others.
An engaging mix of Britpop, Indie rock, an early alt country. I really enjoyed this record, gave it a few spins, and look forward to learning more about these guys. A nice discovery.
Bracingly weird.
This album redeemed itself towards the end. The middle part in particular wasn’t great, with the rather tuneless vocals we hear throughout really starting to grate when combined with slower paced tracks. I was about ready to give it a 2. But then ‘Abernant 1984/5’ and ‘Last Dance’ came along - two faster-paced tracks sufficiently good to warrant this album a generous 3.
It was alright I guess. I barely remember it. But it was fine while I was listening.
Unique sound, king of post punk meets country with the violin. Grew on me the more I listened
Chaos
I...liked it? Totally schizo album but it was good.
⭐⭐⭐ Melodisk, udda blandning av punk och folk. En bra beskrivning är kanske pubrock med krydda med post-punk där sång och attityd är punkish med violer, munspel blandat med elgitarr och distinkta trummor. Låtarna är melodiösa och med några lyssningar faktiskt ganska catchy och albumet växer med några lyssningar. Upplever att det är lite udda och kul men kanske inte något som lyfter till någon egentlig topp. Så landar i en tre, kanske kan återkomma till albumet men gissar att det troliga att det försvinner i mängden av album jag lyssnar på. Bäst är Hard to be human again, Flitcraft, Country, Abernant 1984/5
It was fine
Feels like arcade fire. It’s political, women howling in the background, monotone vocals. It’s not my cup of tea but not worthy of a two. Maybe I am not using the 2 and 1 rating often enough. No I still think those getting a 1 are a certain kind of suck.
Just okay
Solid 80s synth sound
This is cool. I like Alt-Country so it's fun to hear one of the proto examples. I can't say I love this. But I do definitely like it. Last Dance is probably my standout song from this.
enjoyed it but maybe one you had to be there for
nic szczegolnego
Quite the combination.
- i like the sound - kind of smiths x bo burnham? a little? - i like the synths - there's nothing i especially dislike here there's just nothing that especially grabs at me - favorites: flitcraft - rating: 2.5/5
Some of these tracks have interesting things to say. I may listen again. But there’s something about the Irish pub band sound that makes lead singers yell & whoop a lot. It’s recognizable in Thin Lizzy, the Waterboys, Dexie’s Midnight Runners, etc. The style is grating after awhile. Within that sound, this is more interesting than most. A 3.
This is new to me. Country punk? As a country album its shit. As a punk album its great. As punk i like it a lot. Will revisit.
Quite good
Interesting. Never heard of these guys. Interesting music. Not for me though. I respect it.
Interesting album, never listened this kind of music. I'm very interested, but also need a little time for these things to click. Album had really sad tones in words but the music was more bright and outgoing, I like that. Cool! PS. I don't like to put a star review of any art format, but I guess I'll do it in this site.
A strange album — the violins give it a kind of fairground atmosphere, even though it's supposedly post-punk. An album for when you've gotten tired of pure post-punk.
2,7/5
Never heard of this band ever. Strikingly amazing loved it very real raw and powerful overall.
Aw, man, I kinda want to like this one more than I do. For one thing, a couple of Mekons (founding member Jon Langford, and Sally Timms, who joined right after this album) have probably been in Chicago almost as long as I have (they're from Leeds, UK; most in the group were art students at the University of Leeds), and I've seen them perform in various settings over the years. But, musically, there's no way I could give this a 5, and a 4 would be a stretch (although compensating factors *might* support it). This is probably one where my inability to focus on lyrics hurts my perception of them, since it's probably one of their strong points (but I wouldn't know, lol). I'm now listening to it a second time, and liking it a bit better, so I'm thinking maybe I could round it up to a 4. ;) Musically, they're kinda amateurish (but that's also part of their appeal, maybe? better art students making music, than theater students?), and it's hard for me to love a group where I'm not very fond of the singer, so, yeah, 4 is a bit of a stretch. Also, I just realized I own this CD (lol) - I thought I had at least one Mekons CD, but didn't remember that it was this one. Ok, now it's later, and I'm having doubts about whether I can actually, in good faith, give this a 4. And this also kind of gets back to what do the ratings mean: is it compared to the other 1000 albums on this list (which are supposed to be the best albums)? Or is more some kind of universal rating of the music (in which case, presumably -- since these are supposedly the *best* albums, there will be a lot more 4s and 5s than 1s and 2s)? Or maybe some subjective, slippery combo of the 2? Anyway, on further reflection, I don't think I can give this a 4, even though I'd like to (too many flaws, too . . . lacking in compelling musical quality? But, because of all the solid positive compensatory factors, it's a solid 3 stars for me (probably would've done 3.5).
264/1001 Mekons - Fear and Whiskey Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❓ I must admit, I didn't know if this blend of alt-country and post punk would work and if I'm honest, I'm still undecided. Not sure I'm still intrigued enough to go back for more.
Yeah not as good as I thought it might be, not the biggest fan of that violin celtic/country punky sound but fine enough ⭐⭐⭐
very British
I think i liked this but I listened yesterday and by the time I'm reviewing today I have not thoughts so that's an iffy sign
Ooooh. Interesting. A bit like The Pogues. Seems a weird amount of hate here in the reviews - I enjoyed it (whilst conceding that maybe I didn't *need* to hear it)
Chivalry - 3.5/5 Trouble Down South - 3/5 Hard to Be Human Again - 3/5 Darkness and Doubt - 4/5 Psycho Cupid - Danceband On the Edge of Time - 2.5/5 Flitcraft - 3/5 Country - 3/5 Abernant 1984/5 - 3.5/5 Last Dance - 3/5 Lost Highway - 4/5
I found it mostly enjoyable enough, but I'm not totally convinced yet. I most certainly would have included *Tales of the New West* by The Beat Farmers over this album in terms of showcasing 80's cowpunk. 3.5/5
Afwisselend
Aangenaam om naar te luisteren
It was a fun mix of country inspired punk/rock sounds. I didn't vibe with it 100% of the time, but for the most part, I enjoyed the listen.
Just ok
honestly do not know how to rate this album. Is it good? Is it bad? It is certainly an album. I know I was entirely too sober to listen to it.
6.0/10 Liked some songs.. other stuff is pretty weird
Wat een gek album, best leuk eerlijk gezegd
Wat een bizarre plaat. Het is een soort uitloper van Britse punk maar dan met allemaal toeters en bellen en de meest uiteenlopende stijlen. In ieder geval boeiend.
Has it's moments, but is ultimately mediocre. 5/10
Rounded up
A tad too much essence of bagpipes for me
huh. great title!
If I read this correctly, the Mekons were an early “Alt-Country” band. I don’t even understand what I’m listening to. 80’s punk/new wave with hints of country music? Not for me, but not completely unlistenable. Vocals get lost in the mix, but that may be a blessing. It gets better for me with Flitcraft, which sounds a little like the Pogues before the drinking starts. Country sounds like a surf guitar crossed with Waylon Jennnings’ Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way. 3 stars
A fun punk/new wave album.
Man, I am so confused on what to do with this album. When I first started listening to it, the rating was going to be in negative numbers. Like, what the heck is this? The more that I got into it, the more that I began to appreciate it and then I started replaying the album again for my family, saying, "Listen to how bad this is." On that listen through I actually began enjoying it. My ratings on this could be anywhere from 1, being absolutely horrible (which the singer does have a horrible voice and horrible singing), all the way up to a 4 because it's great. I see this album as being like the album version of the movie The Room, that in some ways is just so bad that it's masterful. I think I'm going to split the difference and just go with 3 stars on this but man, we will see at some point if I don't increase this to a 4.
Its pretty solid
Weird weird album, it's not bad but just not particularly for me
need to finish but fun lil alt twang
Not bad - some of the songs had a bit of a Pogues feel to them
This could be an album I could really get into with repeated listening. I like the interplay of the instruments, particularly the traditional sounds.
2.5
3.5
I can kind of see this as Proto No Depression/ALT Country/Uncle Tupelo/yatta yatta, with definitely a British flair. In fact I can even hear a little bit of Scottish and Irish influence in there. I wasn't really high on this, though it would seem like I would be considering how I described the music. I guess I can get the influence, but quite frankly sonically it wasn't there. I think part of it is the kind of slacker loose groove vibe it has. It just doesn't punch. But it's not bad. I semi like it but not that much 6.85 ★★★
Interesting soundscape, but I don't think the songwriting is strong enough. 3 stars
Some cool sounds and themes here. I enjoyed some but not all. I like the Buzzcocks alot and this reminds me of them. Unusual punk/new wave. Feels good. I gotta ding it a star for failing to br cohesive. Each track doesn't seem to lend to any greater theme, and I don't mean concept. But it floats around kinda aimlessly. Immediately after on autoplay an incredible song came on not from this album so. They got good tunes, might not be their best album example.
properly weird, in a good way. its got this folksy punksy dropkick murphies appeal but its british people cosplaying the american south. i might have mekon fever? favorite song is Hard to Be Human Again
Decent start Lovely Midlands angst Nice variety and ideal length
Relaxing, some experimental rock elements. Short listen and easy going.
A mixed bag for me; parts of this album sound like a high school garage band, you’d like them at a local bar or restaurant but would hardly rate them as a band you must see or listen to. Other tracks on this album are more refined. I’ve settled on 3 stars with the intent that this is barely a 2.9.
***An ok album, some tracks are easy listening
Pioneering but others have done it better.
This was quite enjoyable. It has a very folk feel, very unique. I was tempted to give this a 4 but it just about doesn't make it for me.
Definitely interesting. Didn’t totally vibe with it, but I still appreciate what I heard.
Не очень понял альбом при прослушивании, может еще попробую.
This is a strange one… felt myself really liking the second half, but that first half was something else. I had heard of them before and I remember liking a few songs. Maybe they’re just not really an album band for me. Hence the score…
A drunk English band pretending to be Irish with a Scottish musical touch... I don't know, some reviews compare them to The Pogues and others, but in no universe or dimension would that be true! Anyway, I enjoyed listening to a few tracks, so it wasn't a total waste of time. I give it a 3 because, in my opinion, there are much worse things on this list
Great Songs: Good Songs: Chivalry, Trouble Down South, Hard to Be Human Again, Flitcraft, Country, Abernant 1984/5, Last Dance, Lost Highway Mid Songs: Darkness and Doubt, Psycho Cupid - Danceband on the Edge of Time Bad Songs:
6/10 There were bits I liked - the tunefulness of some of the tracks, all with a rough edge. Some of it was trying, mostly the spoken word tracks. Started listening a second time, but found I was skipping large chunks, so knocked it back to a 3.
Noisy and fun….
Ok, but not my cup of tea. ★★★
Sympa ! Ça sort du lot par rapport à ce qu’on a pu entendre
Bof
This is meant to be punk meets alt country? I didn't pick up on that at all at first, but we get there... it is, safe to say, one of the most unique sounding records I've listened to on here. There are folk instruments in the mix, and the production value is high. Lots of spoken vocals. I like the first song quite a bit. The next one, Trouble Down South, gets a little stranger (OK, maybe a lot stranger). It's quite dissonant, but I still like the drumming and the shuffling rhythm. There's a backing chorus. We get bits of melody, and it's enough somehow. The third track is more approachable, but still with a really interesting rhythm. Steel guitar in the second half and a unique breakdown. It's very 80s sounding, especially the reverb on the drums. Sure. I really struggle to describe this stuff. I like all the random sounds and ambient touches. I actually wish they leaned more into the weirdness, but the back half is a bit more standard rock, a bit more punk. Suddenly, it sounds Celtic. I do really like Last Dance. The poppiest song by far, the main riff makes me want to dance a jig, but the backbone is alt rock. The vocal hooks is great. Hard to rate this, but one to revisit.
Fun enough.
Fun little album, I probably won‘t return to it but I‘m happy to have listened to it
Folk punk, maritime rock, some interesting vibes here. Definitely feels folksy, maritime pub rock. “Country” probably the pick of the lot, but an album that definitely grew on me as I went along. 3/5.
It was really interesting and novel. I feel like Mekon walked so Blues Traveler and Dave Matthew’s band could run.
This was a fun one! The "cowpunk" style is very much for me, I think - the song "Abernant 1984/5" sounded like a song I'd want to sing in a crowded bar while sloshed drunk. I did deduct a star, however, because there were definitely points where the album blended a bit for me, and also it just kind of stopped, instead of wrapping up properly.
Really interesting album and I did not realize i had an interest in punk, but with fiddles. Didn't stick around enough to convert me and ends super abruptly but I could see myself listening again.
Better than the last album to heard. Kind of dated, but still decent, would play if nothing else was on.
This album is described as blending punk with country. There are plenty of elements of both genres in there, but the result is really neither of them. It sounds more like 80s new wave but with fiddle, steel guitar, and harmonica instead of synthesizers. And that works surprisingly well. Some songs are a bit rough around the edges, but generally I enjoyed this album.
I quite enjoyed some of this, shades of Band Of Holy Joy about it.
An odd mix of songs and styles and I can’t quite work out if this is a parody or not? Anyway I actually quite liked it in places and suspect it would improve with more listens.
Enjoyed. Odd kind of blend of styles here.
It was OK, though it certainly didn't overly impress me.
Revisiting this album for the first time in decades, I was struck by how little it sounds like what we came to know as alt-country. Given it's a Leeds punk band's take on Americana, that makes sense. But 40 years later this strikes me as much more of an experimental album with twinges of country, punk, and folk than anything that would fit neatly in a genre. That's the Mekons' way, of course. But I appreciate its impact and legacy more than I actually like listening to it.
Interesting sound, country themes really kicked in towards the end
Sitä irkkumeininkiä jota kyllä kuuntelee kun sille on paikkansa
Funky and good drums but dont like the vocals much ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Solid, never really tried punk much but this was kind of fun. Last song was like folk punk with the alternating bass and walk ups.
Child: Can we listen to the Pogues? Mom: We have Pogues at home. Musically fine but the vocals weren't strong or catchy and the spoken word shit got old fast.
7/10 The best terrible album on the list. Sounds like a parody of something but it was different and interesting and I enjoyed it. Highlights: Trouble Down South Psycho Cupid Last Dance Chivalry
Fun record. I’m not sure why it’s on the list of 1001 albums, but it wasn’t bad.
I didn't like it at the start, but the album grew on me. The music reminded me of The Waterboys.
I'm adapting a new rating system for this list going forward. 5 - I love it and can't see how anyone couldn't 4 - I love it but I can see how someone couldn't 3 - I don't love it but I can see how someone could 2 - I don't love it and I can't see how anyone could 1 - Offensive to the ears This one is a 3.
Was quite excited by this a mix of punk/country with lots of violin. Enjoyed the opening track a lot - unfortunately it lost its way a bit with a bit too much spoken word and not enough fiddley dee.
Never heard of them before. A punkier, wackier version of Pulp. Had potential, a bit too pub-band-esque. The homemade punk feel is fine, but they've gone a bit too amateurish on a few tracks. The fiddle led tracks are much better, e.g. Last Dance.
Not brilliant, but not rubbish either. It was ok but probably not going to listen to it again not as good as the 3's i have awarded lately, so better give it a 2, but it is better than a lot of the 2's i have awarded too. Hmmm? no I think it does just scrape a 3.
I liked this a lot. I never listened to them in the 80's, maybe I should have. It was very quirky in dare I say it, in a 'Fall' sort of way. But much less uncompromising.
I liked the song Last Dance
Good, but doesn't really grab me. Interested to hear more of their stuff.
i didnt like this but i gotta give them points for trying something, not sure what exactly but something
This was fine
I do think the country elements of this album helped it a lot for me. I wasn’t particularly impressed by the singing on here, but i love a good cowboy tune (of which this kind of sort of delivered).
Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Don’t like the singers voice. Weird musical mix of country and punk. Different
Unremarkable but fine.
not what I was expecting a bit experimental
This is a pretty ok punky / post punk album. There’s some more experimental stuff on it which is less fun but over all it’s pretty good.
Day 94 This may be the previously unknown record I’ve had on this list which I’ve listened to most and I still can’t decide a rating. It’s unlike anything I’ve listened to before and I just can’t get my head round whether I like it or not even after about 10 full listens. There are definitely songs I’ll return to here but I don’t think the album will get many full plays in future. I’m giving it a 3 for now but may edit to a 1 or 5 in future, one I’m definitely glad to have heard though. Highlights Trouble down South Last Dance
Willing to listen to more of these guys, but this album didn't do it for me.
More folky than I expected
This was interesting. Not what I expected. But didn't really grab me. 3
Small and sweet. Pretty average, some good melodies here and there, but tbh nothing worth losing sleep over.
Wasn't expecting much, didn't get much. This album totally washed over me, no idea why it's in this list...
I liked trouble down south, the rest was just average
reminded me of 19 year old britpop sensation jim e. brown
Fear and Whiskey..... the only way to make sense of this album is to think of it as post-apocalyptic folk-punk. You might think the "post-apocalyptic" part is just a cute sobriquet added on to generate interest, but it's vital. This is the music we'll be playing after all the musicians are dead, and we're huddled around a oil-drum fire trying to stave off the thought that civilization as we know it will never return. It's the music we never got to hear in The Road Warrior or A Boy and His Dog. I don't love it but it is super interesting. Also - why is it that every violin on a rock record is out of tune? I think the only people who got it right are The Frames..... anyways. For me it's a cool- THREE STARS
Love Annie Lennox, nice to hear her in context with where things started.
seems to be a fairly important step in the development of alt-country. unfortunately the singing is uncomfortably north English. sorry brits. though i like the stomping and apocalyptic sound. the cover art fucking rocks too. it's ultimately a lot more interesting and compelling to think about than to listen to, but it was worth a shot. the Hank cover at the end is fun. deserves to be one of the 1001? probably not but i'm happy it was presented to me. would be real swell if Hank Williams was on this list, but he died over a decade before the album became dominant
i liked the spoken word track with the female vocalist because it seems to presage a lot of other artists who make songs of that flavor (bongwater, black box recorder, dry cleaning, etc.) which i very much enjoy, so that was cool to hear. however the fiddle really did not seem to mesh well with the rest of the music and i found the majority of the album pretty bland. fav track: psycho cupid
this is so weird bc some of the songs are cacophonous in a way that feels experimental and cool and some of them are just cacophonous. so i'm averaging out my experience with a 3.5. Fav tracks: Psycho Cupid - Danceband On the Edge of Time
More post-punk... but make it slightly country? My first impression is that Tom Greenhalgh cannot sing. My second impression is that Jon Langford can't sing either. Weirdly they sound a bit better in combination and I have no idea why that should be the case. I nearly did a little cheer when my adopted hometown got a shout out, but then I zoned out for a little bit. I was very much snapped back to attention when I heard Jacqui Callis say "my sex drew back into itself tight and dry" (which resulted in me googling the lyrics to double check I heard her correctly). I think parts of this are abysmal, especially the singing, but for some reason it started to grow on me over the length of the full album. I think it might be because they sounded like they were enjoying themselves so much. I would guess that they're great fun to see live. Particularly if you go into the gig absolutely hammered. I cannot objectively justify this marking at all, so I'm not really going to try: 3/5
This was a really interesting album. It feels ahead of it's time in terms of production. It feels like some indie project from the late 2000's or early 2010's. It's cool all together.
Étrangement bon. Pas tout à fait un 4 par contre.
Loin d'être aussi pire que ce que les commentaires laissaient présager, j'étais quand même bien tanné avant la fin. 2.5 étoiles parce que c'est en parfait équilibre sur le mince fil du c'est bon/c'est pas bon.
Light 3
Country misturado com Punk e ornamentado por New Wave… Que é, na realidade, um álbum conceito sobre uma cidade fictícia assolada por uma sangrenta guerra… Que disco bizarro! Certamente há algo a ser apreciado na pura esquisitice apresentada, e eu até curti esse estranho artefato, da mesma forma que alguém curte assistir as videocassetadas do Faustão. Quando os planetas se alinham, a mescla funciona até que bem. O exemplo óbvio seria a canção Hard To Be Human Again (apesar que minha faixa favorita no álbum é Last Dance), que mistura guitarras elétricas com instrumentos típicos de Country, e até vende um som doidinho e legal. Mas a realidade rude e grosseira é que eles simplesmente não são uma boa banda. Sei, é triste dizer isso, mas é a verdade. Um conceito pitoresco e uma miscigenação musical só pode te levar tão longe até que a pura e inalterada falta de talento bruto transpareça. Os arranjos não são tão interessantes quanto a premissa do disco promete. Os vocais são pobres e básicos, até que típicos do estilo new wave britânico, mas sem os instrumentais fortes é difícil justificar essa crise coral. Mas não é tudo negativo. Eu curto demais aquele violino caipira, clichê mas infinitamente amável. Uma gaitinha bem temperada também não se nega a ninguém. E como eu disse, os temas são intrigantes, e a banda te prende até que bem nesse universozinho maluco que eles teceram. Eu facilmente compraria este disco para o expor como uma curiosidade, um verdadeiro conversation starter musical! E há mérito nisso, especialmente nesta lista que está tão recheada de discos enjoados, cansativos, genéricos, que passam batido sem deixar impressão nenhuma, que entram por um ouvido e saem pelo outro. É legal ouvir algo que é o contrário de tudo isso, que talvez não seja tão sonoramente fantástico, mas que te leva pra um lugar diferente. 3.5/5
Dumb fun
Was quite excited by this a mix of punk/country with lots of violin. Enjoyed the opening track a lot - unfortunately it lost its way a bit with a bit too much spoken word and not enough fiddley dee.
Comparisons with the Pogues are inevitable. 'Darkness and Doubt' feels like the lilting sort of song that MacGowan would eviscerate with his vocal. Nevertheless the Mekons give it a naive charm. But it proves to be an enjoyable union of country/Celtic styles with punk, and jolly good for toe-tapping, such as the trad-cum-rock feel of 'Flitcraft'. The likes of 'Chivalry' and 'Hard to be Human' (which leans to their punk side), are good but but somewhat pedestrian neither having a punk energy nor an interesting mash-up with country. Overall it feels a bit muddled, some experimental stuff in with a traditional/punk mix. And yet there's an undeniable naive charm to rattle through the listenable tracks. It comes out at a good three.
3.5 I loved some songs and the others got me bored
This was truly interesting and unique. Not necessarily great but it definitely gets points for standing out from the crowd. I think it deserves a 3, won’t revisit much but for sure worth hearing and not bad
Hm, interesting! I quite enjoyed it, an interesting change from many of these albums.
Oh very, very English. A bit rocky, so folky but very very English
Ehhhh 2.5/5
Another album I've never listened to before. Why? I dont know. This really appealed to me. Quirky, off beat New Wave. Really good.
170925 13:42 3.5
Pretty unique punk album with some varied instruments, a lot of strings and piano. It’s all a bit ramshackle and the vocals are quite grating though. Points for effort rather than enjoyment.
Interesting not my jam except track 3 which was 11 bar blues
Short review time! This Mekons album is okay. It's fine. It's a decent 80s post-punk album with some country elements. The country elements aren't super present, but they do enough to make this not feel exactly like every other 80s post-punk. It instead feels mostly like every other 80s post-punk album, with an emphasis on 80s. This just sounds like an 80s album. Is this a compliment? An insult? It's not really either, but I'd say it's closer to the latter. The vocals are just kind of there. The sound is kind of dated. I will say that, because some earlier parts of the album were kind of weak, I did consider giving this a high 2, but it kind of picked up a bit near the end with songs like "Last Dance" that were good, so I changed it. Still, this album isn't exactly a must-listen. Not bad, but I didn't care for it much. Low 3/5.
Was going to give this album 2 stars, but "Lost Highway" pulled out an extra star from me.
I read some of the reviews before I played this, and was expecting to hate it. But it was surprisingly... ok. Nothing earth shattering, and doubt I would listen again, but some neat musicianship on some of the tracks. Not so sure on the lyrics themselves, but I enjoyed the overall sound.
That was quite fun! I didn't like Psycho Cupid very much though.
Interesting usage of a horn in punk music. Reminds me of I can't get no satisfaction.
It sounded like a more boozy, messy folk record than country to my ear (lost highway perhaps most country sound at the very end) but agree it had a certain charm. Hard to be human again along with last dance were my highlights. I'll probably land on a 3
I read the description and can't say I was getting much punk or country. This sounded more like The Fall or Half Man Half Biscuit. It was good though. Hard to be Human Again was a good listen. It all had the sound of something that needed a couple of listens to appreciate
It's ok. Nothing special, to be honest. Punk/post punk, blended with some country elements. There are a standout song or two, but mostly a forgettable experience. 3/5
Pretty weird album. Like some sort of British rock infused with country. Started strong but fizzled out a bit. Favorite: Chivalry, Trouble Down South
Muss es nochmal komplett anhören. Nicht schlecht, aber leider eher nichts, was ich unbedingt wieder hören will :):
An ok album, but not really one suited for this list
Pleasant.
zum hören eher mehr punk als country - zum glück. roh und doch melodiös.
This wasn’t bad. Had a little Echo & the Bunnymen feel to a few songs.
meh, not remarkable in any way
Kind of weird, kind of good.
Man I really want to like this album, it checks a lot of boxes for things I like. But there is this incessant drum machine whose sound I loathe. I would LOVE to hear these songs performed or re-recorded with an actual drummer. Without that I find it hard to like any of this material, most of which is admittedly interesting.
Glad to get and album I hadn't heard before, I liked the sound of what I'd read before I pressed play but the reality failed to live up to expectations. There's a difference between being (arguably) the first to do something and the best to do it. Yes. No. Yes. Maybe. No. No. Yes. No. Yes. Maybe. 2.5 (rounded up to 3 for innovation).
It starts strong: 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘺 delivers a sharp post-punk energy with just enough twang to feel fresh. But from there, the album gradually loses focus. The blend of punk and country is interesting in theory, but the raw, uneven production makes it feel more like a sketch than a statement. There’s charm in its looseness, and the attitude is sincere, but it doesn’t fully hold together. Great opening, patchy journey.
Done
First album I've gotten featuring someone I've seen in concert; probably the only album I'll get featuring someone I've sold LPs to. This is one I'll definitely come back to.
Too new wavey punk for me, not a fan.
The opener is very very good. The rest isn't that level, but still really enjoyable. Can't say I understand how something like this qualifies as something you have to hear before you die, but its still decent
Fear and Whiskey is an album that i enjoyed quite a fair bit. This one very clearly has a lot of country influences (Heck, the final song on this album is a cover of an actual country song) And i say, they mixed quite well with all the more rock like elements. The country elements very rarely got overbearing because they didn't ever feel as if they were taking over the whole album. Even then, i liked the songs that leaned more towards being typical rock music because they could be some rather enjoyable tracks. This album also felt like it went at a good length with it not ending too early or too late. This is an album that while not amazing, does it's job pretty well. Best Song: Hard to Be Human Again Worst Song: Flitcraft
Ein kultiges, sperriges, überraschend berührendes Album, das zeigt: Punk ist keine Stilfrage, sondern eine Haltung – auch mit Banjo.
Aight
actually pretty good
Very 80s, kinda Smiths vibe.
Not for me, personally. I can hear it’s solid, well written and executed. I’m not a fan of fiddles or weird alt-country by former punks, but here we are.
tentatively saying 3.5. strange and weird and all over the place and the singer can’t sing for shit but i had lots of fun and i like weird experimental shit jshssk
Decent
Totally forgot about this one... has nice moments, but a little too unhinged, unsure why it's on the list
Almost a four. If I had heard this 20 or 25 years ago I might have rated it four or five. This has a couple great tracks on it, but something about it overall couldn’t tip the scales from almost to definitely.
This album was ok, the rock and roll elements were pretty good but nothing special really. However I really liked trouble down south as it was quite atmospheric and sounded like it belonged in a theatre production.
Started off fun and quirky and somehow went downhill. Maybe it was my mood. Maybe it was the music.
This was my first time listening to this. At first I wasn't sure I would get over the very 80s sounding production, particularly on the vocals. But after a couple of plays through I quite dig it. I've seen this record described as a cross over between punk and country music, but to my ears it sounds more celtic and folky. Lots of fiddles and not a great deal of Americana on display. More Bluegrass than country, perhaps. The second half is definitely the best. Some great tracks on there. Over all though, it hasn't made me want to immediately grab a copy for my collection, or seek out more Meekons albums. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could. I'm going with a 3. Though it could definitely grow on me with further listens.
Seeing them reviewed in the back of punk zines, I've always wanted to like the Mekons, and yet they've never managed to capture my heart in the few times I've heard them. By the sound of it, Fear and Whiskey is probably the album where they had their best shot: crisp, clear, and immediate, with tracks like "Trouble Down South" and "Hard to Be Human Again" pulling me in. But songs like "Chivalry" and "Darkness and Doubt" turn on a British Folk sound with an unpleasant vocal delivery and equally cause me to reject them. On balance, there's too much of that and not enough of the qualities that I projected into the Mekons before really stopping to listen. Maybe that's the point. They're not interested in manufacturing fans and I'm not interested in producing a false joy in listening to them. I guess that gap between the real and my imaginary desire to rep them initially meant I couldn't fully hear them as they meant for themselves to be heard. And now, as the record ends, we might be able to talk Marx at a pub as we turn that contradiction over in our minds.
Solide Mischung aus Folk und Rock, seiner Zeit voraus.
Average but definitely ok to listen to, nothing that stood out as an absolute necessity!
3.75
Not something I would have normally listened to, but I enjoyed it. Favorites on the album are Abernant 1984/5 and Lost Highway.
Earnest, quirky, and rooted in traditional feel.
Kinda droney and dull, but it's decent enough. Has some folk/blues/Scottish(?) elements to it and keeps my ear. Some nice upbeat tunes and decent vocals. it's okay.
3.4
Decent album, probably won’t listen again.
This was fine. Not sure I would listen to it again, but it was fine. Stand out songs: Trouble Down South Flitcraft Lost Highway
Interesting, but none of the songs got me going. Maybe I need a few more listens to digest this properly. I'll leave 3 stars.
It's something!
Not for me.
C'etait sympa mais un peu niche et je pense pas que j'ai envie de réécouter
I'm rating this higher than I should because I like weird English bands with vocalists that can't sing.
No tracks stood out
un 3 direi che ci sta
I enjoyed this one 3.5 good bg music.
Certainly an interesting way to do country. 3.5 bumped down to 3.
I’m at a 3. A tale of two sides, really – I found myself utterly baffled by the first half of the album. I thought it had no real consistency, I thought the lyricism was strange, I thought the instrumentation was fine enough (if a bit overmixed, overblown & sort of cacophonic), and as a whole, I just generally didn’t grasp onto a “modus operandi” for the album. Those first 5 tracks, even after a re-listen where they sort of clicked more, are a weird, artsy, fully competent 2.5 that I think just didn’t quite grab me in the sort of avant-garde way it was going for. The back half of the album is a solid, solid 3.5, that actually leans into the “post-punk meets country” vibe that I thought the full album would be going for. There’s some positive comparisons to the Pogues in here, some stronger lyricism/melodies, and just a general nicer blend of instrumentation (and strangely enough, better audio fidelity) that makes for a nice enough set of tracks. They’re not *great,* but they’re pretty good, and I enjoyed them, especially on Flitcraft, Abernant 1984/5, & Last Dance. Lost Highway is fine, but the abrupt fadeout sort of feels rushed and leaves the track “unfinished” to the ears. Obviously, that balances out to a 3. I feel like I need to listen to this album starting from Flitcraft, before looping around and ending on the baffling tones of “Psycho Cupid”, to see if that would make the progression of the album flow better… but I don’t want to take away from their original intent and vision. I can genuinely see both sides of the coin on this one – there’s an argument to be made for as high as a 5, and one to be made for as low as a 1, and somehow, they’d both probably be valid. I’m split on that difference, hence a 3, though I think that’s the ceiling for my own personal tastes. It’s not a bad album, just a strange, strange album. Maybe it’ll fully click one day. P.S.: The book says the following about this album: “The Mekons are one of the UK's most brilliant and undervalued groups. Formed as a loose collective in Leeds in 1977 when they started messing around with the Gang Of Four's equipment, they released a couple of chaotic LPs (plus single "Never Been In A Riot," directed at The Clash) and then took a sabbatical. Energized by the UK miners' strike of 1984 to '85, the band (with original members Jon Langford and Tom Greenhalgh) re-emerged with Fear And Whiskey, lauded by many as the best album of the decade.” I would love to meet the “many” here, because I think you have to be a musical freak to call this the best album of the 1980s. Maybe they're onto something, I dunno.
Not great, not bad.
kinda reminded me of tears for fears and talking heads idk if that fits
Kinda fun, I didn’t mind it.
Surprisingly good. Solid 3.5 but gonna go down for some reason.
Didn't feel any songs stand out from the rest, but generally appreciate the garage band rock. Reminds me of the Orwells.
Thoughts before listening: As someone who grew up a fan of alt-country and punk adjacent rockabilly, the Mekons have been on my radar for a long time. However, I don't really think I know their music all that well. I'm sure I have heard some of these songs, but this will mostly be new to me. Review: Well, this is not what I was expecting. There are a few songs on here that could be considered alt-country as it would come to be known, but really this is a much more varied album. And thats not necessarily always for the best. There is a lot of sloppiness to these songs, especially in the production which can be pretty tinny (as is the case with many early 80s punk bands). The vocals are also a little rough, being more slurred than sung. I was ready to give this 2-stars, but then it improved for me in the second half. "Last Dance" especially is a great song. I'll give this 3-stars.
Cheese
I can hear some Pogues and Belle and Sebastian in this. 3.5
I wouldn’t leave a pub if these guys started playing, but I would certainly hesitate to enter if they started before I arrived.
Playfully bad? Are they trying to make others feel better about their own musical abilities? Just good enough in the right places to make them interesting.
Нормальный альбом, но время этот альбом по-моему не особо пережил
Interesting instrumentals, I could listen to them alone without the lead singer's additions.
I mean, what are we even doing here guys? What's the point of it all? What is our collective higher purpose?
Antes de escucharlo no apostaba gran cosa por este álbum, pero me ha parecido muy interesante. Un álbum pionero en fusionar punk, folk y country, con mucho uso de la slide guitar y el violín popular (¿dark americana, quizá?). Es curioso que, dentro de este estilo, The Pogues sean mucho más conocidos, cuando The Mekons (al menos en este álbum) me han parecido musicalmente mejores, más experimentales. Un álbum que, a pesar de tener raíces punk, sabe contener su energía y mantener una atmósfera folk muy adecuada para contar historias. Al fin y al cabo, se trata de una especie de álbum conceptual sobre la vida de la gente común durante la guerra. Cool.
Not entirely sure if I like this or not. Sort of a bad English Pogues /or badLevellers tribute. Maybe I'd like with a few more listens but I probably won't bother
A huge relief that Mekons were not the bang average 90s British rock band I was fearing they’d be. The name fits. There’s way too many of those on this list. Instead what I got was a strange post-punk country fusion which worked well in places but also failed badly in places. I really disliked the opening track but it improved from there and on a personals level, the Swansea Valley miners strike references were welcomed later in the album. Some Clash, some Pogues, some Dexy’s. The latter who were arguably laying down similar vibes on too-rye-aye a few years earlier (and somewhat surprisingly have 3 albums in this list, though I will die on the hill that Searching for the young soul rebels is a fantastic album which is massively under appreciated due to widespread negativity towards their more well known too-rye-aye era sound and in particular Come on Eileen - just saying!) I liked the tracks with the spoken narratives, yet was confused whether this was a concept album or not. It seems a half baked effort. Overall, glad I’ve heard it. It’s not a great album. 3 and a half stars.
Sounded like a lot of the Brit new wave stuff. Enjoyed.
Not bad. The wannabe-Sid Vicious voice sounds a little annoying and grating in parts, but some of this is quite good. Psycho Cupid might be my favorite track, it’s so different.
Uh, hard to tell. Never heard this before, but it really sounds like kind of the origins of cow punk. I mean, bands like the holy modal rounders were really earlier, but you can find in this band a sort of precursor or a first of a blend of punk and country. The singers delivery really reminds me of AJJ at times, it’s not just the delivery but also the vocal melody. We get some ill fitting violin, and the guitar distortion seems to heavy for the music playing. Historical significance seems apparent even though I didn’t know the band, but the music is very tedious. Thinking they’ll get three stars for history. Oh and Psycho Cupid is horrible.
Okayish punk record 3/5
Nothing special
I liked this album a lot. It reminded me a lot of the Pogues. Rambling drunken folk/country/punk! High rotation this morning.
Surprising! Kind of like The Cure with country accents and more of a punk sensibility instead of an emo one.
How would I correctly pronounce Mekons? Does it rhyme with beckons or beacons? Either way, I found this to be a fun album. It had all the energy you’d generally find in punk rock, but it sounded a bit different. RateYourMusic tells me it is cowpunk which, let’s be frank, is a hilariously named genre. Despite my enjoyment, typing out the review the following day, I’m trouble to remember any details. The album is certainly a good time, but not some that has much staying power for me.
Wiki mentioned it as being described as one of the first alternative country albums. I could see it! A little punky, a little weird, a little country. Didn't hate it, probably won't be returning to listen again.
Mietin, meneekö hermo tohon fiddle-viuluun, mutta ei mennyt (oli itse asiassa kiva kun oli se yksi osin pizzicatossa soitettu soolo). Pikkuisen liian ilmiselvästi engelsmannit tekee countrya eli katse on ulkopuolella, mutta kokonaisuus kuulostaa kivalta.
Fine
I think you had to be there at the time. Bonus point for Gang of Four association, minus point for British people attempting to play country. I think this would be good to own in 1985 only so you can 'out-obscure" your music listening friends - you know the game, it goes: YOU: "Hey man have you heard Beach Rat?" THEM: "Uh yeah, have you heard Chat Pile?" YOU: "Yeah of course, going to see them next week. Heard the new Yulia Niko?" THEM: "Drakulas?" YOU: "La Lom?" THEM: "IceCreamDeathCult?" YOU: "Grails?" THEM: "Nurse With Wound?" YOU: "MASTER BOOT RECORD?" You get the idea.
09/03/2025 Average at best.
Kind of up and down (what the fuck was “trouble down south”?) but it won me over by the end. I’m not sure I’d call this “alt-country”, sounds more like a mix of the pogues, the clash, and a the smiths to me. Darkness and doubt was the stand out for me
Neat sounding, but very wacky! Still good though.
Interesting pick, never heard of this band. I kind of like it
It's ok. Prefer latter material
Favorite Track: Last Dance
Not really my thing but I most appreciated the album when it was either at its most frantic with punk or at its most folk country peak / blending these two together. Didn’t love the slower ballads.
Half Man, Half Waterboys. And I don't mean that to sound disparaging at all.
Some good things happening here, some not so good things. One thing can’t be denied, it is interesting and unusual. Or is that two things?
Me as in “me”, kon as in “con”. I just learned that from YouTube. Closer to a 3 now that I’ve had time to process and listen a second time, but I was having a hard time connecting with this initially. The singer and fiddle player each have their own idea of being in tune, the mix seems claustrophobic, like the studio is tiny and they’re all shoulder to shoulder recording this thing. I did get the sense that a lot of this stuff would be super fun live. Again 3 stars before I change my mind HL: “Chivalry”, “Trouble Down South”, “Last Dance”
I like some other work by Mekons but the front half of this one was a bit meh. The back half that sounded like Dropkick Murphys was more fun.
Early Pulp reminds me of this. Speak singing. Violins. Oddball stuff, and I love it.
I was really skeptical immediately after starting this one, but I ended up liking it well enough for a 3. They were really making some noise on this one, weird, dissonant noises. A lot of strings for a 'punk' album too. They are at least punk in the way that they clearly didn't care if this album sounded "good". I like the Psycho Cupid track. I heard critic Griel Marcus recount something he'd heard said about the Mekons, "Those who didn't know how to play tried to learn. Those who knew how to play tried to forget." For better or worse, I'll probably forget about the Mekons.
Eclectic and weird but strangely enjoyable
Emm traditional. 2.5-3/5.
3 out of 5. I wanted to like this album more than I really did but the country side of this album didn't cut it.
Unusual
I liked this! Fun, good background music. I liked the weird mashup of genres and although I don't feel like any of the songs were particularly memorable, I wouldn't turn if off it the album started playing again.
I am on the fence about this album. The fusion of country, punk, folk, pop and dub step is interesting to be sure. UK produces many of the best musicians in the world and this does not reach those highs. Still a fun listen though.
It started out promising but by the end, I found it not memorable but for a couple songs. I will try again and did really like a couple songs but the overall play left me uninterested for large parts of the album.. could grow on me with more listens though.. so it’s 3 stars for now..
Not really my thing
Erm, ok!
Þessi vann ansi vel á. Lágt stillt hljómaði hún eins og tæpur tvistur, en eftir þjú rennsli er hún farin að daðra við fjarka. Held ég setji þrist núna, en sé kannski eftir því þegar ég hlusta í næsta skipti.
Feels like pub music
so surprise is did not hear this ban d over the past 40 years... but my life was mot impacted wither way.was pretty good.
What a curious sounding band - how to describe this? At times like a mutant hoedown gone awry. But there's also discordant post-punk, spoken word and even a hint of martial music in the mix. Did I like everything? No. The best bits were rousing and unsteadying. At worst, the Mekons can stretch "interesting" so far that it sours into astringency. Nonetheless, I've not heard anything quite like it. An upper three, perhaps four when I don't feel like I've had the shit kicked out of me (ie I played five-a-side for one hour tonight).
2.5
Not great, not terrible.
A nice album, with some pretty good songs but no standouts.
Njah, Last Dance was pretty fun though with it's guitarr riffs.
Album 631 of 1001 Mekons - Fear and Whiskey (1985) Rating : 3 / 5 Interesting album. it blends punk rock with country influences, creating a unique and eclectic sound. This is one I would have never heard without this list. Good listen.
This sounds a bit ahead of its time. I did like the loose feel and approach the songs end up not being as distinctive as I was hoping.
I was afraid that I wouldn't like this one at all going into it, which is a bad mindset when exploring new music,,,, but it was not bad the first go around and the second listen I think it's a very solid 3. There are some songs in there that I will add to the rotation.
I didn't really get this. There were some songs I liked, Trouble Down. South, Psycho Cupid and Country but the more country the songs were, the less they worked for me.
I imagine this would be a grower, not a shower but a bit the same from the first listen.
Another example of how genres change throughout the decades. While I see how this could be considered ‘country’ in a sense because a few songs have some twang - it does not hold up to today’s ‘country’ definition. Overall though a pleasant listen, nothing that stood out incredibly. A very ‘artsy’ album but one that didn’t come off as pretentious.
Right in the middle
3.5
Surprising, I'm not sure what I was expecting (probably more mediocre brit-pop), but I enjoyed the pub rock vibes of this. I've already established I'm into instrumentals, and the folkesy vibes are doing it for me. It's not an album full of hits, but it does feel ahead of its time for '85. It loses its momentum in the second half and gets a little too country with "Lost Highway".
It doesn’t seem like the universe wishes for me to escape the realm of country music just yet. It’s dominated a good portion of my week. Except this particular album tackles the country idea in a significantly different manner than the previous two, which were much more traditional. Maybe even too traditional and lo-fi in some cases. This takes the small scope and intimacy of those other records and throws it out the window for something completely unorthodox. The most similar thing I can compare this to would be the Violent Femmes debut. Which is probably the only album I’ve heard that tackled the folk punk sound and did it pretty successfully. In fact, it may have been the only folk punk album I’d ever heard until today. This is less based in folk and more in country or classic 50s rockabilly though. I could also argue it’s really just a post-punk album with a fancy twist. This sounds like the music that backs the strange ramblings of Tom Waits. It’s anything but traditional. But it’s slightly impressive that the post-punk elements still come through well combined with the weird country stuff. There are some moments of real ingenuity that I was pleased with. It is credited as one of the first of its kind, and was a far cry from the music the band had made up until that point. Everything about this, including the cover, feels raw, dirty, and unpolished. I see what they were going for, and there is a surprising amount of catchiness to be found in its best moments. But as a whole, this isn’t something I can recommend or see myself ever coming back to in any amount. Rating: 5/10
Never heard of them. Sounds alright. Noisy folk rock. Bad singer, but not too annoying. Favorite song: chivalry
This is probably tailored a bit more for me then most but a lot here is really what i like. It’s silly and confusing and off-throwing and i like that. It aint perfect and not every song dragged me in but overall i think this is interesting original music.
Do you like music with a good beat? If so, then this is the album for you! It has a really good beat, but the singers' voice is not good, it's too low or something for me. The instruments are amazing though! So that is why I recommend that you listen to this album.
It was fine but I’ll prob never listen again
a zany but interesting experience.
This isn't really my thing so it was mostly ok. Really liked Hard to be Human Again and Psycho Cupid - Dance and on the Edge of Time
At least it’s a little different… 5/10
This was a neat little album. Nothing super mind blowing but nice and short which this far into the challenge is a relief.
I could really get into this kinda thing. Did not capture me entirely yet
not the biggest cowpunk fan but this was pretty sweet!
Just fine. It’s okay!
This was decent listening!
not terrible, but not very interesting
Oh my, is this for real? Yes, apparently so. It has a Men at Work vibe and funky 80's sound. I'd have probably loved it back in the day.
3.5 rounded down this could be right up my alley but i think i’m gonna have to sit with this one a bit highlights: chivalry, darkness and doubt (oct 1 2024)
A lot of fun songs.
Sounded like a mix of the cure, the smiths and the jam to me. Started off sounding like the former before starting to sound more like a punk band. It was pretty good without being incredible, assume it's influential