Reviews (page 4 of 7)
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
This is another one where I'm not sure whether it's very good or very bad..... It's definitely pretty unique. Listened twice and think it did grow on me, but not completely convinced. I quite liked the fiddle in parts. Some of the string heavy tracks are reminiscent of the pogues. Wasn't convinced about the talking bits in some tracks though, nor the concept album thingy Think I liked "last dance" and "hard to be human again" the best
2-3 Psycho cupid (atlantis)
I've never heard of Mekons before, but this is an interesting album cover. The description of this album on Wikipedia makes it sound interesting, but the user reviews sound like it's a bit of a dud. I guess I'll have to listen to it and see what this is all about! Well, I think that this album was fine overall. The historical context that led Mekons to write this album is certainly interesting, but the execution of this idea fell a little flat to me on the first half of the album. The vocals were pretty rough throughout the whole album, but the music on the second half of the album does a good job of covering that up. I found the first half of the album pretty boring overall, even when I'm not considering the vocals. This album had a very English feel to it that I liked, and the album felt really cohesive. Even though I felt pretty lukewarm towards this album, I wouldn't mind checking it out again. It's different in its sound, and as an American, I think it contains some really interesting social and political commentary on English life in the eighties.
Well its certainly different. Its like The Pogues meet the jesus and Mary Chain with a bit of art rock thrown in. Possibly too many ideas for it to be coherent but, yes, intereting.
not something I'd listen to again, but not awful
I have never heard of Mekons. But Fear and Whiskey is a cool name for an album. Brittish? yep! This gives me hope "It is universally viewed as their masterpiece by fans" but then "Alternative Country"? hm, I'll give it a chance. Well I didn't hate it. I loved the Irish sound to it. Like Irish drinking songs. Even though I know they're English. I'll give it a 3. I kind of wish the rating system was 1-10 instead. I end up having a lot of 3s in my ratings.
I don't know what to make of this one. I didn't dislike it, but I don't think I'll be playing it more often.
This album fuses country with British post-punk, and it sounds just as weird as you’d expect. This isn’t very good in a lot of ways but I’m kind of into it regardless. Best song: Lost Highway
Cowpunk, post punk. Yeah I don't know about this one. I wanted to like it but at times it felt like it was trying hard to sound, well, bad. I'm not against a little dissonance but when it feels so forced, even if it might not be, it really turns me off. That being said it wasn't awful, I liked a lot of it, but I left with a weird taste in my mouth. Light 3.5/5
Album is very nice but I did not like the voice of the solist.
Mixed feelings here. It's not bad per se, but nothing crazily good.
electro-pop-western 80s vibe
Interesting album, not my style. I frankly hate these punky UK new wave vocals that are running rampant on this list. I thought the compositions were relatively interesting. This album overall had a eerie undertone which I thought was cool, and for that I will rate it middle of the road.
Going in, I wasn’t sure I would jive with this, but I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. The fiddle/violin on this fucks
Alt punk country. It's ok.
I'm listening to this and I know I would love this normally. I'm just not in the mood for it right now. Has that The Fall like post-punky vibe with a mean take on country music now and again. The politics are super lefty (which I love), but for some reason I'm just not into it now. I am adding them to my british alt playlist though.
Maybe I need another listen, but I hardly found anything of note in this album. Some things I enjoyed: 1. Short album. Love when albums are sub 45 minutes. 2. Spoken word lyrics with improv sax in the background. Other than that, it's pretty meh. 2.5/5
Fourth studio album! lol. It's a bit unique. I'd probably listen to it again, but I'm not sure how many more times.
Just ok
Fear and Whiskey is more influencial than it is good. The country/punk cross is interesting and almost surely a first. I suspect mean modern alt country artists are standing of the Mekong’s shoulders without knowing. Langford is a strong songwriter but musically it didn’t interest me as much as I hoped. Requires further listens. Influence and lyric get it a 3rd star 6.0/10
Something pretty different here. Didn't work for me but I commend the effort.
Fun listen!
It took me a while to get into the alternative country vibe that this album was going for, but I appreciate the novelty of this concept. It’s not the kind of punk that I would associate with but nothing offensive about it either.
Okay album. Nothing stood out to me.
Agree with another reviewer who said it often threatens to be great but never quite gets there, not a very promising start but it got better
One of the coolest genre fusions ever (country and punk? what?) completely and utterly marred by a bad vocalist. He has the mannerisms of Morrissey but without any of the vocal control. He's often out of tune as well. Otherwise, the instrumentation is tight. The percussion is a bit repetitive and artificial, but the liveliness of the guitar, bass, backing vocals, and fiddle make up for it. Fear and Whiskey also has a fairly unique sound (I haven't heard anything like it before) with its odd genre and spacious mixing. Nice live performance feel. As a side note, I'm 250 albums in, and I've found myself criticising vocalists more than any other musician. Maybe I'm being a little too harsh; maybe my standards have been raised by the likes of Lennon, Mercury, Wilson, Cooke, Wonder. But then, a vocalist is usually a frontman, a spokesperson, a figurehead. It's their responsibility to hold the band's sound together. 3/5 Key tracks: Trouble Down South, Last Dance, Country
Some I liked, some was a little much.
We’re back to “meh, this was fine”
This was ok. Didn’t seem as alt-country as the Wikipedia page said. They have a lot of albums..
Nothing wrong with it and it was interesting to listen to, but it just didn’t do it for me
Not too bad
Je comprends l'attrait que cet album peut avoir avec le mélange de post-punk et de folk/country. J'ai l'impression que c'est très probable que cet album a grandement contribué à la scène indie des début 2000. Par contre j'ai trouvé ça un peu long et la voix du chanteur était très oubliable. 5/10
Kind of an odd mishmash of styles and sounds that at times resembles a British Pogues and other times a sloppy, drunk cowpunk band. Love it (or hate it). with the Mekons you never know what you'll get song to song, album to album. Some songs are really good and the record feels on the verge of greatness, but the expectations are never quite met and it feels more like a disappointment. Definitely, hit or miss, there are better Mekons albums worth listening to and this one, well...have a shot of whiskey, followed by many more, then listen again. It gets better...trust me.
Saw these guys live once and they were really fun. The album was just ok.
Similar vibe to Billy Bragg... not quite as good but ok :-)
Weird, but I quite liked it.
It sounds familiar, but somehow not. But I guess I've listened to so much 80s indie Brit-pop for that to be the case
I wasn't expecting the Mekons to sound like this! There are some really terrific moments here but I guess it's a 3 star.
очень мучает меня скрипка, особенно кантри-расстроенная. может и было что интересное на этом альбоме, но запомнила только мерзкую скрипку…
To be honest I was hoping for more
It was kind of like hey Mom can we have some of the Pogues and Mom said no we have the pugs at home. I'll delete it for space on the phone I'll keep it for posterity on the external hard drive that I put on shuffle for parties.
This felt like a confusing mess at times and a confusing success at other times. Wikipedia classifies it as "alternative rock, alternative country" and, yeah, I couldn't classify it either. The guy's singing voice was terrible but it didn't take me completely out of it. 3 stars, but it was an average of some really good and really bad parts rather than a bunch of mediocre parts.
A bit like a less thrilling Dexys, but by no means bad. The flat vocals keep this from being a casual listen, but the potent lyricism balances that out a bit.
On paper I should like this a whole lot more than I do. Perhaps it’s because i know their other stuff marginally better. Ghosts of American astronauts comes to mind as better. This just didn’t gel with me but it’s not bad.
I rated this a 3 because I read that it was considered the first alt-country record and they deserve credit for that. I appreciated the coming together (kind of) of the yell-y punk and the folk that made me think of an Irish ceilidh.
I bought this one years ago on the strength of great reviews, but i always struggled to connect with it. Today, I was surprised at how much of this album I remembered. Darkness and Doubt has been in my head all day. Anyway, I appreciate this album more than like it.
Incredibly unique, utterly bizarre. Unfortunately this is a blend of genres that just does not work.
I can see why critics seem to love this album. It's raw, genre blending, and not afraid to rake risks. It jumps from punk to country to rock to Irish folk styles effortlessly. Unfortunately this didn't quite materialize in a way that worked for me. Some tracks like Hard to be Human Again were stronger than others. Wish I liked it more than I did, and wouldn't advise against listening to it.
Weird and experimental but charming even with its imperfections.
3.5 stars. A bit weird, kinda alt-country new wave-ish at times. Harmonica makes things more interesting than generic alt-rock, more upbeat tempo than standard country.
Beautiful cover art. A quick scroll in Spotify shows that this band makes amazing artsy cover arts. And while their sound is equally artsy, I have mixed reactions with it. It's amazing yet terrible, and overall daring. That's experimental rock for you.
Not the biggest fan of this style, I suppose.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not bad, but not great. Interesting lyrics 2.5
Its not a bad album, but I cant get into it. Theres nothing wrong with it, its just not grabbing me. Three stars because its OK, but cant go higher unless theres something there, and there aint. 3/5
Country? If you say so wikipedia. Sounds like Irish folk punk... Like the Pogues or something. But English. Enjoyable enough.
For what this is, it’s solid. There’s another ‘fear of the bomb’ 80’s song in here and it made me notice an interesting split in music and how it represents different perspectives on life. I don’t think too many black artists were making songs about fearing the bomb during the Cold War, and instead were making songs about the struggles of day to day life. Interesting to see how that split has evolved over the years
With the exception of Flitcraft and Abernant this to me is a pretty lacklustre album that had more misses than hits.
Not great not terrible pretty weird. Overall meh
More background music, not very outstanding
Friends of Gang of Four. With quite similar rocky punky sound.
Liked it enough to possibly explore other Mekons music…couldn’t put my finger on who the singer(s) voice reminded me of…
Just ok. Probably won't seek out listening to them.
saw them open for pavement! they’re fun!
I had not listened to a Mekons album before listening to Fear and Whiskey. I had heard about it being singled out as one of the first alternative country albums, so I was interested to see what the Mekons were all about. I enjoyed the album and now need to go back and listen to more of their catalog.
Had never even heard this name before. It's ok, but didn't really hook me on anything. Can see where they fit in to the overall Brit punk genre.
Solid rock. Good but diden't leave an impactful impression
Not really my taste in music
vissa låtar är goa medan andra är lite störiga.
Punk country? Strange, I dig it. Favorite track: Hard to be Human Again
3/5. This was good? It's definitely different and that's a nice change of pace. I do think with some time I will like this a lot, with its interesting melodies and instrumentation. It goes hard in some songs and I don't know how British voices feel more comfortable in country music than artists from the Southern United States sometimes. Again, it's good, but too different to feel correct to give higher than 3.
Interesting instrumentation and style. Not something I had heard of before. Hard To Be Human Again was my favorite song.
This album has a distinct sound. Darkness and Doubt reminds me of some later Clash. The tracks feel more like standard country-folk rock fare in the second half and do less for me. Still liked this overall Fave Songs: Trouble Down South, Hard To Be Human Again, Psycho Cupid - Danceband On the Edge of Time 3.3/5
punky
Not without charms but the kind of loose and extemporaneous nature is ultimately to its detriment I think.
December 14, 2023 Interesting album, definitely it's own thing with the foundation of Irish tunes getting a punk and synth treatment.
Interesting to think that this is the first blend of country and punk, while still carrying some distinct 80's British tone. It's odd and doesn't quite sit well after one listen, but there's a lot of rawness displayed in an appreciable way
I did enjoy it. It was quite listenable
12/13/23. Enjoyable, would listen again as there’s some fun tracks.
This was good both musically and lyrically and I liked the political charge that permeated the whole album. Unfortunately nothing really drew me in for a second lesson but I still thought it was good
Not familiar with this band. Some songs had a bit of a Joe Strummer sound and some were a bit countryish. Overall I liked the album. Favorite track was Lost Highway. I would listen to this again.
I liked the country portion of this album much more than the other portion. Some of it reminded me of the Pougues its its musical fusion. It was fine but I don’t think I’d listen again.
A bit oddness coming up. I don't really mind it. But after some time it can get tiring. I kinda dig the folky parts.
Harmonica is nice to hear. It's a little noisy, especially on certain songs. It has a decent vibe. I really like some of the instruments and sounds, but I also didn't find anything particularly interesting. It was very easy to listen to while working, which is both good and bad. Singer is kinda not for me.
Fine
eh
I was not really into this, but I don't think this was bad. Not really my type of music, but I would not be in pain if I had to listen to this again.
Nothing great. It wasn't terrible, but I want overly impressed. I think the album got better towards the end.
the reviews for this were soooo mixed but i thought it was pretty fun. maybe i'm just biased towards the fiddle
Enjoyed this enough.
I really grooved in this as it reminded me of early 80’s music I liked
5/10 - Alternative Country with a splash of rock Some decent songs though
Really enjoyed it. Fun little jams. Not too pretentious.
I was skeptical when I heard this was a punk country album, but I was pleasantly surprised by how creative and innovative it was. It must have been a groundbreaking album when it came out in 1985. The lyrics are strong and deal with the dark realities of war and oppression. However, some of the country elements feel a bit cheesy and out of place. This is an album worth listening to at least once, but I don't think I'll revisit it often. I give it three stars out of five.
Good big noise, urban folk.
Country punk? British accent yet different? Was okay.
Definitely odd. Don’t know if I liked it or not but at least it was unique
***** = Amazing (90 - 100%) **** = Great (75 - 89%) *** = Good (50 - 74%) ** = Average (35 - 49%) * = Poor (0 - 34%)
I'm just not much of a fan of arthouse bands. From a music perspective, the songs are solid, the lyrics are quite good, the musicians are talented (singing could use an upgrade), but ultimately there just seems to be so much noise layered over their art for what only seems to me, the sake of "art".
On paper should like it, in reality, despite the many times I tried to warm up to it, it couldn't stick. The related bands though are up my street, but probably they were recommended to me due to this band's previous punk output. The record itself, fell flat to me, but it's not bad, just forgettable.
I have failed this record. Its charm, wit and inventiveness is clear, but the songs brushed politely past me. Give it another ten years, if I remember I’ll try Fear and Whiskey again. (Great title.)
Another thing I enjoy about this website is you get reminded of old favorites you have forgotten about over the years. I used to love "Mekons Rock'n'Roll" but haven't thought much about them since the early '90s. Never heard this one before, it's enjoyably quirky and characteristic of its time, setting out their distinctive indie-folk/country sound. Good stuff but I prefer the Sally Timms era where it's a bit more polished. Off to listen to "Ghosts of American Astronauts" now...
Favourite songs: Last Dance, Abernant 1984/5, Chivalry, Flitcraft Least favourite songs: Psycho Cupid Trouble Down South, Darkness and Doubt 3/5
Pogues-y, interesting and exactly what makes the Project what it is. Is it great? No. Am I glad I listened? Yes.
Not exactly the hard punk I was expecting, but not unenjoyable either. Reminded me of Half Man Half Biscuit quite a lot.
If it was little better it would be great. If it was a little worse it would be awful. But it wasn’t.
never has there been a more three-star record than this
From Wikipedia: "It blends the band's previously-established punk rock style with a country music sound." Well, that sure sounds like it could be a lot of fun! Oh. Well, bless you for trying something new. Here's +1 for a creative risk. Next?
Really kind of fun...a type of music that is right up my alley. Still didn't quite love it. 3.5/5
Maybe..
Wish I could *fully* agree with that review favourably comparing Mekons with Viagra Boys. I can see the relation here, musically, lyrically and conceptually. So, all in all, it sure is an apt comparison. Yet for now, it seems to me that Viagra Boys' music is a tad bit more propulsive and textured (not to mention jazzier and funkier) than this mix of punk, folk and country from the eighties. Both acts are weird, sure. But I prefer my "weird" with funnier and catchier hooks. At least this record doesn't have all the usual new wave or mainstream production pitfalls of that dreadful decade. Which makes it endearing, I guess... 3/5 for the purposes of this list, translating to a 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3). Putting this LP on my "waiting list". We'll see if I bump into it again, and if it grows on me... Number of albums left to review: 469 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 252. Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 121 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 157
synthy chill vibes anime ish
This was interesting. Quite liked it. I looked the band up and they are very prolific, millions of albums.
Not bad - the previous stuff sounded a little more fun to me (like a fun bar band).
This was a fun listen
WTF? Like, seriously, WTAF? Certainly interesting enough that I'm glad to have listened. I can't rightly say if I'm a fan.
Interesting album, might give it a third listen. Not what I expected, definitely lives up to the description of alternative country. Rated a 3 for now.
I enjoyed this fusion of punk and country. The first track is fantastic, but the middle is a slog. Picks up at the end at least. A worthy addition to this list, unlike many others. 3.5/5 FS: Chivalry, Country, Abernant, Last Dance, Lost Highway
Kinda country leaning, brit punk? Interesting
Me pareció que varios temas podrían ser tranquilamente de Sumo; y otros, de The Cure, sobre todo por el parecido de la voz. Igualmente, no me gustó tanto.
Average and heard before.
Odd and unfortunately unfinished concept of punk and country mixed.
Täähän oli kiva, kunnon ylläri. Kesäfiilistä. 3,5/5.
Watered down punky pop
Absolutely solid, nice work guys.
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
Nice
I can mess with this. Alt-country is about the only country I generally dig and this is a good early example of it. You can tell that they're coming at it from a punk side which I really like. Thematically it's interesting too.
Genres: Alternative rock, alternative country Formed: Leeds, England in 1976 Run time: 10 songs, 35 min, 17 sec After hearing a couple of tracks from this album, I had the Mekons pegged as a stereotypical noughties, hipster group from a trendy borough of NY. Slightly wrong. They in fact formed at Uni in Leeds in the late 70’s. Fear and Whiskey is their fourth studio album. The album has punk, country and rock influences. I’m sure they have a hard-core following, but they have a limited popularity on Spotify: 40k - 194k plays. Lyrically, I didn’t think much of track 1, "Chivalry". It spent two minutes not saying much then repeated those two minutes entirely. Track 2, "Trouble Down South" reminded me of Billy Bragg. Track 3, "Hard to Be Human Again" and track 4, "Darkness and Doubt" harked back to the days of punk. Track 5, "Psycho Cupid (Danceband on the Edge of Time)" track 6. "Flitcraft" is an upbeat tune. No idea what it’s about or who or what “Long Dead Slim” is. Track 7, "Country" reminded me of Robert Smith (the Cure). Track 8. "Abernant 1984/5 is about a young man starting out as a coal miner, just in time for the miner’s strike. A great political commentary of that time. I think track 9, "Last Dance" is about unrequited love or possibly not having the confidence to make the first move? The final track 10, "Lost Highway" is a cover. It’s a great tune. The important question “Would I listen again”? Probably not. I enjoyed some of the tracks, other no so much. I will look for a “Best Of...” to try. My Rating: ***
Really enjoyed this one. I was surprised that this was released in 1985. It almost seems more modern. I look forward to hearing more of this one. Standouts: It’s Hard to be Human Again, Darkness and Doubt, 3/5
The Mekons were one of those bands I'd heard of in the late 70's/early 80's but this was way before Spotify and Rogers Records on the highstreet didn't stock this kind of things so they remained a distant legend. Listening to this now I know for a fact I would have been disappointed. These guys are too clever for their own good. Listening to it now I can kinda 'see' what they were trying to do but it's like someone dressing up as a nurse. It don't make 'em a nurse.........
I bounced in and out of this one while I was working, sometimes rocky and sometimes real twangy which confused me but apparently was their thing. Cheers
Another good one!
Meh kon, was alright mate
This was a bizarre album. Like a mixture of Viagra Boys, The Pouges and The Smiths, with some fiddle thrown in for good measure. Brownie Points for being different. I really liked "Last Dance" and added it to my own playlist.
My only exposure, really, to Mekons prior to today was via Boredoms’ cover/reworking/extrapolation of “Where Were You” on the Super Roots 7 EP. Boredoms take that song, with its propulsive punk backbeat, and stretch it out into an 18 minute, glitched-out, krautrock odyssey. Highly recommended. That type of punk doesn’t really exist on “Fear and Whiskey”, though track 3, “Hard to be Human” comes close. By and large, it’s what would we might call alt-country today, with maybe a bit more focus on the “alt” than on “country”. It’s not hard to see what Boredoms found inspiring about Mekons as I listen to Fear and Whiskey. It’s a strange album, with some avant-garde tendencies with occasionally processed vocals and spoken word passages, droning violin passages and songs that will occasionally stop on a dime, transform into something completely experimental and different, then return to their previous themes. Fear and Whiskey simultaneously manages to capture a “traditional” sound and a complete disregard for tradition. It’s familiar and unnerving at the same time, sort of a contradictory record. It’s a unique entry on the list and worth listening to more than once.
Ik vond deze muziek best aardig (al had ik op een gegeven moment wel een shitty-flute-experience). Maar best vrolijk en energiek. De stem echter... Die is toch gewoon vals?
ну так фигня какая-то)
Did not meet expectations. So, afterward I turned on Two Gallants, Old 97s and Calexico for a corrective listening experience.
It’s good, but I only reviewed this album now (as in right now) after listening to it last week and, aside from the first two tracks, it’s pretty forgettable. Still good though.
I got how important the band was, but maybe this is not one of their albums that really deserve to be part of the 1001 list. It's not bad, but a flat post-punk album.
Kind of fun post punk stuff? May revisit randomly but I don’t think this one will stick in my head too much.
Solid 80’s indie
I had not heard of the Mekons or heard any of their music. Although this style became very common for the decades that followed, from what I've read this album was one of the earliest examples of "alt-country". It's still raucous-feeling to me, and some good punk-influenced rock with quite a bit of country elements. Overall, pretty good stuff.
3.75
pretty forgettable but i liked the last couple songs
Favourite song: Fear and Whiskey
31st January 2023 Listened across the day and finished on the 1st Feb. Ben and Nilisha over for dinner (curry trial for their wedding ). Country punk sounds like the pogues with a comedic edge. 3.5 if I could.
Some songs are better than others - confused by the punk vocals and the fiddle at the same time? 2.8/5
"Fear and Whiskey" is the fourth studio album from the English rock band The Mekons. Musically, the album marked a dramatic shift from a previous punk style to incorporating more country elements include a fiddle, steel guitar and harmonica. It is credited as one of the early alternative country albums. I sort of agree with that but in this music, you hear rock, pop, a lot of folk, punk and country. The album lyrics and theme loosely center around a community struggling to retain its joy and humanity through a war. The album had modest commercial success due to production issues but had much critical praise. "Chilvary" opens things with a happy melody and beat. The fiddle and guitar carrying the melody which we see throughout this album. Three stanzas are repeated. He gets drunk and sees somebody he knows in tears. On the third song, "Hard to Be Human Again," a blues harmonica comes in and then the song goes more punk and rock with the beat. This sounds a lot like The Clash. I don't know exactly the meaning but a bathhouse is involved. Hey, we got a waltz in "Darkness and Doubt." We'll, at least a waltz at the beginning. A standard beat begins, the violin leads and we're country. I think this about rebellion. They do mention following John Wayne across the field. "Country" is actually a rock-pop song. I'm hearing Slade. A good change of pace from the previous more folk songs. The beat picks up on "The Last Dance." A violin lead with a standard rock back beat rhythm. Cool song. Simply about love and dancing. The album ends with a Hank Williams' cover "Lost Highway." They take this in a traditional folk direction. Again, a violin lead and the only guitar solo I get to hear. This album was fun. It covered a lot styles. You hear various other artists but they are definitely unique. The Mekons are a very prolific band with 23 full length albums, 10 EP's and various singles and compilations. I think I could replace finishing the challenge with finishing The Mekons and it would be in about the same time. However, I will check out more Mekons and so should you.
medium
It was like a mix between The Fall and The Pogues. An interesting collection of ideas delivered in an unorganized and low-budget production.
Kooky diverse unusual post punk with some fiddle
This was fun. I really enjoyed it. Will dig deeper into the band.
Was not a bad listen. Lyrics could have been clearer.
Folksy super unknown indie predecessor from across the pond. Some stuff was a tad too experimental for me but I thought it was interesting to listen to. Chivalry was the best song. 3.5.
Rock alternativo. Ni fu ni fa.
1. Starts like mellow Talking Heads, but more mainstream. 2. Then it gets weird 4. Similar to Television, not bad 6. Sounds like Dreadnoughts drinking song 7. Like a bad Ramones song Total: strange mix of styles, couldn't put my finger on it. Not bad, but not in my favourites
Interesting and hard to label to any genre
A very interestig listen. Unique in a lot of ways
Was cool at first, but then it started to feel like that Clash record we listened to…annoying Defiantly interesting parts, but know when to reel it back
This album definitely gets points for creativity regardless of how much I enjoyed it. The mix of punk and country works really well if you’re into both of those things. Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of the punk side and didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to. Either way points for being unique
I thought it was fine probably
Kinda strange country-folky rock album. Sadly I couldn't particularly get into this one very much, though some of the songs had interesting lyrics. Favourite: Abernant 1984/5
This sounds like what would happen if you mashed The Smiths & The Pogues together. It's not bad but it is confused. Not sure I'd listen again.
It was ok.
T3B 1. Trouble Down South 2. Chivalry 3. Flitcraft Very unique! Great listen, hard to score.
3.5
Interessante combinatie, nog weinig gehoord. Maar de uitvoering was niet altijd even super goed
I like the vibe of this. Some good driving beats, and I like the violins.
It made me want to go listen to The Wedding Present and The Go-Betweens. This is a style of music that I usually love but I found this album fall flat in comparison to the aforementioned bands
Overall I liked this, not sure how much I'll be listening to it again though. I'd probably give it a 3.5 if I could.
It was decent. Nothing particularly memorable
Pretty good, some country influence but not as much as I was expecting Might want to try out more of their discography at some point, seems like they changed their sound a lot
Alright.
Interesting album with a concept that gives it charms to a lesser known band from the UK. Still active today and doing great.
Interesting blend of country and 80’s indie rock. Some catchy tunes included
Bleak... 5/10
Things I like: - Post-punk - Marxist ideals Things I do not like: - Fear - Whiskey - The fiddle With each listen the underlying melodies surface more and more, and 'Last Dance' is starting to convince me that perhaps the fiddle has some "raison d'être".
Not sure I quite get the almost surreal hype that, apparently, surrounds this album. Sure, for the most parts it’s a thrilling and enjoyable ride, but the first half feels slightly too long. The second half picks up the pace nicely but unfortunately ends on a lackluster note. Best: Trouble Down South / Hard to be Human Again / Last Dance Worst: Darkness and Doubt / Lost Highway
Touches of the Cure, a solid listen on our car trip into Malaysia
It's o.k.
Combining country and punk. Not something I would consider. On some of the pieces, it works. But doing it for the whole album, the novelty wore thin for me. And that spoken word piece, WTH was THAT all about? I totally get the vibe they were going for, but I wasn't feeling it. The best country punk song I ever heard was "The Country Death Song" by Violent Femmes. This was NOT comparable. Fortunately it was only 35 minutes. But still, not enough to sustain me. Give it 2.6, round up to 3. Moving on...
So I sampled a bit of the Mekons first two albums and, yeah, they couldn't have gone on that way. To paraphrase from the cinematic masterpiece Van Wilder, their previous work was decorated in post-punk f#ck. I'm not sure I'd call this country as much as Gaelic folk - of course mixed with post-punk or new wave(ish) alternative. The Dropkick Murphys probably owe the Mekons some credit. This album is admirable and far more palatable than their initial work, but I still don't think I want to make it my scene. I'll give a shout out to what I thought were the best songs - Trouble Down South, Abernant 1984/5, and Last Dance.
When this was described as British pub punk, I assumed it would be similar to Irish pub punk. No, it's a very distinct genre of its own. Interesting listen.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Last dance
I can acknowledge that this is good. However, it's not my taste. Not a big fan of the vocals or the genre.
Some great songs, but not really a great album as a whole for me. I definitely see the appeal and why it became so influential, I just wish it was more consistent.
What if country music ended up in a London pub and drank too much? This is the album. Bar bonding singalong of Hank Williams, the social commentary of punk, and the rainy days of The Cure. It's a weird bastard of a child that is surprisingly enjoyable.
Fine, has some nice bits.
This is pretty cool. Janky, shambling, unusual. Reminds me of a lot of downright odd-sounding first wave punk like the Raincoats. Or like if Big Audio Dynamite went into British folk and American country instead of hip hop and reggae. The vague violen melodies over droning bass reminds of Richard Thompson's approach, but more punk and experimental.
Initially thought this was going to be a 4/5, but as the songs progressed, I liked it less and less. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't especially good either. 3/5
Couldn't get into the vocals. Everything else was fine.
Pretty nice stuff. It keeps a solid beat going and I like when the strings are added into the mix, but I don't think that I'll ever really go out of my way to listen to this again, either. C
Yeah ok 80s pommy pub rock sorta stuff. Never heard it before yet it sounds like something I've heard a million times. Songwriting is kinda low effort. Nowhere near as energetic as the pogues, or as moody as the cure or smiths. Overall it's as generic as it gets, but it's not awful and it only goes for half an hour. 3/5.
Another album that is new to me. I loved it from the first opening seconds on Chivalry. It reminded me how brilliant albums use to be when they actually sounded like albums. 35-40 minutes is the perfect length. No ta to add ons and bonus tracks. Wonderfully wonky and unlike anything else around the time. You can hear the influences this had as post-punk grew up to become something a little more mature and socially aware.
Good album but I don’t like fractured country lol. Favs were chivalry and lost highway
I get the feeling they were a punk band that looked over and saw what the Pogues were doing and thought, “Hmmmm, maybe that’s where things are going…” But then didn’t quite get there.
Very eclectic. Enjoyed probably slightly more than half the tracks though. Shame that the lead track was bad though as it coloured my opinion of the whole thing.
I knew the Mekons a little bit from hearing them on compilations from their more punk days. This one is a lot more experimental, some of which works, some of which really doesn't, and is much different sounding than what I expected based on the little I knew going in.
Decent. Varied between thinking "is this a precursor to I, Ludicrous" and "No, this is a bit more punky". Decent listen. Would I listen again? Probably not. Would I turn it off if it came up on random places? Probably not.
The mix of indie, punk and folk is really different and interesting. A through line from this through Belle and Sebastian to Black Country New Road is quite apparent. Not every experiment works, but when they do, as they do with Psycho Cupid it's transcendent. When they don't, it's just good. Flitcraft has a lovely Dexys vibe too - I can see the links - Bands that fiercely do their own thing regardless of the fashions.
This is why I am here, to discover bands and albums that I have no clue about. I went into this hoping for good things. It was fine though, nothing special on first listen.
Totally unfamiliar with the Mekons. Hard to get an accurate impression after one listen
Joy Division really was one of the most influential bands of the 80's, couldn't stop thinking of them while listening to this album. Not to say it's bad at all, I quite enjoyed it, but felt too mixed on it for a few songs. A pretty nice album if you're a fan of punk/alternative/Irish pub sounds. 3.5/5
2022.01.11
Interesting - but not sure I would want to listen to that more than once
I am sure I have heard something from the Mekons before. After listening to this album, I'm still not sure what I've heard from the band before this album. The album has a sense of overcast and tempered dread, without giving up to being fully catastrophic. I enjoyed the album, but I'm not sure if I will remember this album long enough to come back for a second listen.I am sure I have heard something from the Mekons before. After listening to this album, I'm still not sure what I've heard from the band before this album. The album has a sense of overcast and tempered dispair, without giving up to absolute dread. I often like a dark tinge to the music I listen to. I enjoyed the album, but I'm not sure if I will remember this album long enough to come back for a second listen.
HAPPY FOLK TUNES, CHIVALRY RELISTEN
It’s a decent album but not my style
grew on me over the course of the album
I dig it
Maybe I'm just charmed by the novelty, but this is great.
A decent record, 80s rock with a country twist
This was pretty good and I guess alt country is a thing. While I didn’t mind listening to it, I can’t say I liked it enough to ever listen to again. 3
The countrified sound must have thrown off their early fans. The first few songs are catchy, eclectic & the violin is a nice touch. Later they remind me a bit of the Pogues. The singer is hard to listen to for a full album.
2.8
Grupo con toques pop, folk y country. En algunos cortes, toques muy de los 80. Se deja escuchar, sin más
Really good. punky-arty-country Brit-pop-ish fun
Just fascinated by the fact that a British band sounds so country. A few songs were enjoyable, but wasn't really a favorite.
3/5
Not bad, but didn't stand out too much to me
Takes the good things about country (e.g. melodies and instruments) and fuses it with post-punk. It works well, and it's highly innovative, but it looks like it never quite caught on. Maybe because the genre is just punk with country inspiration, and that's not enough of a gimmick to lead a movement. The tracks are all interesting and aesthetically pleasing. The first half is the most experimental, and it takes more inspiration from indie rock and pop than country. It's not coherent and the production feels like a mess, but they're ok. It wasn't until "Psycho Cupid" where I felt a bit annoyed. Which is perfect because the second side switched gears and actually reminded us what this album is about. Country and punk. Those last few songs flow together well and use country influences super well. I almost feel inspired to try what they did to punk. I don't think it's a masterpiece like others think, but it's different in a really good way, and I would give the album a 4 if both sides were like this. Favorite song is "Last Dance." It's like if a country club accidentally invited a punk vocalist but decided to go with it.
Benjamin Mendy
did not seem to be mixed between the two styles well enough.
They sound like the Clash playing Dexys on this one
Un bon album rock dans ce genre. 3.70
I think I like this album a lot to be honest. It's got like this almost blues/country punk sound to it. My stand out song on this one is Last Dance. Something about it really just stood out to me, Made me emotional. Just that whole "I wanted to say fall in love, I wanted to say fall in love with me." Just emotions man. Better than I thought it was going to be for sure.
Punk rock and country kind of sound. Its ok I guess.
It was cute, not outstanding
Folkiger Punk, Punkiger Folk. Gut hörbar, aber nicht mein Ding!
Si l'on passe outre le fait que cet album soit un plagia des Midnight Runners, ainsi qu'outre le fait que ce groupe culminant à 40 000 auditeurs mensuels n'a sa place dans cette liste que grâce à sa complicité avec Robert Dimery, on peut alors apprécier l'album pour ce qu'il est, sympathique.
Lustige Mischung aus pogues und clash. Aber gehört haben muss man das nicht
No los tenía muy controlados. Si me compro el disco algún día, podría ponerlo al lado de los de los Pogues y detrás de los de Clash. Esta escucha me ha merecido la pena.
Interesting - I always thought the Mekons were American. A couple of really good songs. I imagine they are listened to by very serious men.
this felt like a talking heads album, but mediocre
Grato descubrimiento
Weird. Reminded me of The The
Decent album. Last dace is the best song for me.
3.5
Listenable but not really my cup if tea. ***
A bit of David Bowie vibes, but not bad! A decent listen.
This didn’t do it for me
listenable. 35!
Folk. Un poco coñazo.
This could either grow on me or become very annoying - not sure which yet.
Feels like the talking head but with more of an Irish instrument choice hits liked it
It’s fine.
I respect what's going on here, but the execution doesn't do much for me. Maybe I'd just need more time with it.
I didn't write the review immediately after listening to the album. I think it was a punk album that include is violin. It was pretty good. Obviously not too memorable.
not bad at all, i liked their other songs too
Meh.
Not my thing, but was interesting.
07/08 Boring and bland
deze bro kan NIET ZINGEN??? de muziek compenseert wel ervoor
01) Chivalry - 6,0 02) Trouble Down South - 5,0 03) Hard to Be Human Again - 5,5 04) Darkness and Doubt - 5,0 05) Psycho Cupid (Danceband on the Edge of Time) - 5,0 06) Flitcraft - 5,5 07) Country - 5,5 08) Abernant 1984/5 - 5,0 09) Last Dance - 5,5 10) Lost Highway - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,35 (54/100) Current ranking: 861/966
I really - really! - thought that I'd stumbled on some awesome lost UK pop gem as Chivalry started. But then, after a mere 17 seconds, some weird ambiant reverb-heavy vocals appeared low in the mix, only to be wiped out by pitchy vocals high in the mix. The rest of the album seemed half-baked. Another selection randomly chosen because of its UK origin, perhaps? Only one of these tunes has broken 300k streams on Spotify. I can't imagine why.
The first track sounds like it could be a lesser song from Strongbad Sings. It was all downhill from there. Seemed like every song was less enjoyable than the last.
I didn't get the Mekons at the time and now, listening with a more mature ear, I still don't. Seems like The Emperor's New Clothes to me.
Had its moments at the start at end, wasn’t that into it overall. But a bit more listenable than other stuff in this kind of genre.
The violinist just came out for no reason, did you really think that was interesting?
Yeah...I don't know about this one.
Yawn Fave track: Last Dance
Apparently forgot to review - all I remember is barely having an opinion on this one. Snooze. 2/5
Very forgettable
Come on, this is not Punk. Sure, they came around during the era, and yes, they’re weird and different. Punk? Nope. Waco Brother’s are far more my speed. And I’m a Punk. One for saying they’re Punk. One more for the Alt-Country spinoff.
Saturday, 27 June, 2026 This album is fine. Nothing wrong with it.
My knowledge of Mekons was restricted to their early punk ramblings, characterised by basic musicianship and angry lyrics. Therefore this came as a suprise, venturing into pastures new. It didn't grab me, but two stars for the pivot.
Like a cross between the Pogues and the Skids with all the good bits taken out. 2*
Not for me, and probably not for most people. A little too off the walls for my taste. I fear I will not re-visit this one again. :/
This sounds like what they listen to at clown school.
Just OK nothing I would ever revisit. A couple songs (Hard to be Human, Lost Highway) I liked pretty well and one (Psycho Cupid) I hated but mostly it was all a pretty bland affair. Maybe there just aren't 1001 albums that anyone needs to hear before they kick the bucket or maybe the 1001 Albums book is just a throwaway book that can't be taken seriously. A combo of both would be my guess.
just sort of annoying honestly. parts that were fine
I thought for a minute that my headphones were not working properly, turns out the songs are supposed to sound this way.
This may be the ideal musical form of WTF. How intellectually honest am I going to be here? I typically vote the weird stuff more highly. But the weird stuff also feels typically more cohesive than this. This feels more like a drunk weekend in a studio with a drum machine than a true commitment to your weird art. Obviously, I cannot judge intent. I do not know what darkness lurks in the hearts of men. There are some genuinely enjoyable parts, but I am lacking a sense of that ineffable quality that makes me feel like these artists were committed to the bit in a way that underlies true belief. For instance, compare this work to The Monks' Black Monk Time or Movies by Holger Czukay, both featured on this list, both *feel* fully committed to their art. This album doesn't land the same way for me, and I'm going to spend too much brain power for the rest of the day trying to reconcile
waaaas isch das hhaha. ok aso s het öpis mit drum machine und giige und sochli post punk vocals aber country text? sehr logisch isch das uf dere liste. britisches album wo kritik mega gern gha het und mega underground bliebe isch. trouble down south sehr athmosphärisch. hard to be human again isch wieder meh postpunk. bin bi darkness and doubt und check glaub langsam d richtig. finds etz weg dem nöd mega guet aber check was sie mached. weissssnöd ob das uf die liste mues emfall.
aburrido
they walked so The Pogues could run. No, that's not it, they stumbled so The Pogues could run? This was reminiscent of better bands but wasn't the actual better bands.
This guy can't carry a pitch much less find it playing cricket. Neither could Joe Strummer but one was enjoyable. For fiddling La Bottine. Punk? I'm suprised I've never heard of some bands on this list while others. Drum tracks sound like setting number 3 on your kid brother's toy casio, and every Québec pop tune from the 70s.
I listened to this three times to see if it was one of those albums that grows on you, and I can confidently say it does not. From start to finish it feels completely lost. The songs wander in every direction, the sounds are all over the place, and the vocals drag the whole thing down. I can appreciate that they were trying to blend different styles and do something unconventional, but for me it never comes together into anything enjoyable. Three listens was more than enough.
Aburrido, el Country es un género que me da igual y no lo consumo, así que menos me interesa el Alt Country que funda este disco, es soso y poco interesante para la mezcla de géneros que propone.
okay? politically relevant to the times and I could hear that in the sound and lyrics but otherwise didn't hear anything that made me think this is iconic.
Their fourth album. Post Punk / Alt Rock. Had absolutely no idea about who or what this was to be honest. Seems like some 80s, arty, attempt to be avant-garde. A band founded at university by art students. Makes sense. I find the album inauthentic and wanky. Middle class uni pish.
Som ett lite mer lyssningsbart the Levellers. Går inte att helt avfärda men ger inget vidare avtryck. Knapp tvåa
Tidigare helt ohört. Svårt att klassificera genre på den här, och det är kanske inget dåligt tecken. Börjar som någon form av postpunk/ new wave, och snuddar vid ett sämre Go-Betweens, men övergår till alternativ irländsk pubafton. Det finns något, men jag kan inte säga vad. Och jag tror aldrig jag kommer ta reda på det. Bästa spår: Psycho cupid. Som i sin tur inte låter som någon annan låt på skivan.
Enligt Wikipedia ska det här vara någon form av alternativ country. Jag tycker mer det låter som en blandning av Talking heads och Irländsk folkmusik. Låten med titeln Country påminner mig om the proclaimers. Det är inte dåligt men heller inget som fastnat för mig. Bäst är Psycho Cupid, men är inte representativt för albumet. Det blir en stark tvåa.
Bit too bizarre for me.
Bad Bad, not Good
It’s not awful but it’s not memorable.
This was alright, but I was done by the end of the album. There was just too much going on, I think, and it sounded too much like Dexy's Midnight Runners, but without all of the heart and passion that they seem to have. Maybe I was just having an off day, I don't know, but I didn't love it. Two stars.
Hmmm... I feel like this must've been amazing when it came out. I'll have to listen once more maybe? It's ok!
This sounds like pub karaoke jigs and anthems in detuned slow motion, and everyone is deep into their pints.
Did not really like it, not my style
Mostly this dude can't sing.
Was fine, felt ahead of its time maybe but not really drawing me back
This one really didn’t do it for me. Don’t like the vocals. I usually appreciate bands that use the accordion, but this whole cacophony/whining background doesn’t do it for me. It picks up towards the end when they stop the spoken word stuff so I will round up, but personally it’s 1.5 stars from me.
What in the Country punk rock was that? No.
I wish this was weirder and noisier. I'm not opposed to this genre fusion in theory, but here the country sound heavily outweighs the punk/post-punk, and gets boring (grating, even) quickly. "Psycho Cupid" was the most interesting track by far, and I wanted more of it!
okay