Reviews (page 2 of 8)
this is def a catchy album with that old rock vibe on it that you'll never get tired off! best part of it has to be the guitar chords those are just awesome 😭 if youre looking for an 80's 90's rock alternative band you should give it a shot :p
I wasn't too enthusiastic about this. Most of the Manchester bands sound pretty much the same and I preferred the Stone Roses to this. It was OK for background music, but all the songs had a "sameness" quality to them. It would be great as background ambiance in some 90s hipster club. But listening to it at home, I couldn't get into it.
Kind of a cool groove but also a bit bland
Welp, pretty much exactly what I expected.
This was decent. The opening track was brilliant, it was definitely the highlight of the album for me, but the rest was quite basic. I didn’t dislike any of it, but it felt pretty generic and similar throughout. There were a couple of better tracks towards the end, but it stayed consistent in being simply mediocre. I loved the first track though, that definitely save the album from being boring!
Tolerable, pero no muy interesante. Sí que me ha gustado un tema, Step On.
A housemate had this soon after it came out. It’s got fun and catchy sounds. It’s a bit like a band but a bit like a rave or a club night? The music is good-humoured, but the singing and simple lyrics evoke the whole schtick including Bez the dancer - is there something unsavoury about celebrating drug-fuelled excess while knowing that some of the protagonists “took it all too far”? So I’m not unhappy that this exists, but I doubt I would put it in as a straight up album. It’s Okay, 6/10.
Already credited for inspiring the likes of The Stone Roses, Oasis, and The Charlatans, the Happy Mondays directly changed the course of music in their native UK with Pills n' Thrills and Bellyaches. They took their dance heavy Madchester sound and created a shift for the entire industry by bringing DJ Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne on board to produce, essentially providing a steroid boost to their groovy hooks. U2 immediately followed their lead and started work on their own danceable, groove heavy album, Achtung Baby. The Happy Mondays also inspired shifts in sound in many other bands, from Blur, to Suede, and even The Prodigy. Though never quite the queen of the ball themselves, there is no denying the footprint left behind by The Happy Mondays before they imploded on their own heady overindulgent lifestyles.
A bit on the long side, but a good piece of rock music, especially given the dead era in which it was released.
This slaps icl
I enjoyed this one, but I'll also acknowledge that it faded into the background as I was working/listening yesterday.
I don't know about this one, it felt all over the place...
Nicely tempo’ed British rock with an underlying electronic flair. It flows well. The vocal performance is ok. 3.4/5.0
Good album
groovy 5/5
I don't really know what I expected from The Happy Mondays, but it wasn't this. I like it, funky, banging, very 90s. Good instrumentation, harmonies and orchestration? Cool!
I could have died not hearing this and it would have been fine
Yay, finally something good again! Only knew the first song but the whole album was a vibe. 4/5
I'm on the fence whether to give this two or three stars. The majority of the songs were noticeably 90s, but there were some songs that sounded like music from the 70s and the 80s as well. There was definitely some quality musicianship in the guitars and bass, and some genuinely catchy grooves. I would say this sounds less dated than some other 90s albums we've heard, but there are still a lot of brake beats and whispered/non-melodic singing that hinder my enjoyment somewhat (especially the singing). If I give this a two, it would definitely be a stronger two than Eminem, for example, but if a three, it's a light three
Aw, man, another Happy Mondays album?! (Following another Eminem album?!) Guess we're in another bad patch. And Brit Bias rears its ugly head again. This album, like the previous HM album we were subjected to here, is just not very good. These people should not have been musicians. The music is clunky, and the singing is awful and annoying. None of this is very musical. If I hadn't already skipped Eminem yesterday, I might've been more tempted to skip this one, too - especially now that I've listened to several songs, and remember a little more clearly why I gave their other album 1 star. Wait, I just had a thought -- if this was music for raves (and it just occurred to me that it probably was - yep, a quick check suggests I'm right), then maybe they found their perfect audience: people who were too stoned to notice or care that this music sucks. Or maybe it was an Emperor's New Clothes kind of thing: raves were cool (so cool!), so, by association, so was this music. (Wrong!) 1 star. There, I'm done with this. Bring on a GOOD album. Please!
it's fine. I find the singer annoying. Going from Channel Orange, arguably the best album of 2012, to this is a major let-down.
Look at my album collection and you'd assume this would be in there. It isn't. Terrible, start to finish, and Bez does my head in.
Wyjątkowo ciekawa płyta, nie słyszałam wcześniej o tej grupie, a muzycznie słychać sporo inspiracji/wpływów z różnych styli i dekad w muzyce, aczkolwiek z zachowaniem stylu który nazwałabym "90s britpop-dance-electronica'? Koniecznie wrócę, miłe odkrycie.
The Mondays at their baggy best.
Not great.
Honestly, I thought Bummer was much more interesting. This is basically a Brit-pop album, with quite a bit less of the Psychedelia of Bummer, but some of the funk and whatnot is still around. The first few songs are pretty solid, but this album sort of slowly crawls into the background in a way that I don't really find compelling. This *is* fine, but it's on the side of fine that I'm not really into.
Got tired of this pretty quickly
Some is interesting, some is fun. A solid 3 star work.
Good album - I might like it better than their previous
Madchester, indie rock, and dance-funk built from loose grooves, psychedelic guitars, funky basslines, and laid-back vocals feels like stumbling into a sweaty late-night party where the music already ist calmerx everyone else seems to know exactly how to have a good time in this slightly druggy atmosphere while I just feel late to the party simply Not belonging. The hazy repetition and deliberately sloppy feel left me more detached than entertained.
Greatttt!!!
There was a glimmer of hope for a song or two, but generally just Brit-trash.... I guess you had to be there.
This album is of many linked to the "Neo-Psychedelia" genre, but this is few that I've heard that actually at times sounds like British 60s psychedelic music, it's a bit hard to describe, but these guys really hit the nail on the head of capturing the vibe. In regards to other stuff it's bit of a snooze if I had to be completely frank. The rest of it sounds just so un-appetizing (to my ears.) I never usually space out when I'm listening to album but this one had me doing it. There's some good stuff here and there, but I believe the not-so-good stuff outweighs it quite a bit, so I believe a 2 star reflects my feelings the best. Highlight Song/s: "Grandbag's Funeral" and "Dennis and Lois"
Banger nach banger, hallo?!!
I don't recognise much of this, but it's ok
Yeah pretty solid
Underrated and a fun listen.
This really shouldn’t work, a bunch of absolute chaos goblins powered by ecstasy and great record collections would come together to create one of the defining British records of the 90’s. Swaggering, funky in a football hooligan kind of energy and led by one of the great performers. Absolutely irresistible rhythms at times
I sure was happy on that Monday
Hypnotic rock and roll dance beats… they have a glamorous but still “dirty boys” vibe. There are a lot of funky grooves throughout. Interesting level of punk-ness infused with danceable beats. Shaun Ryder’s vocals are assertive; he has a lot of range and flexibility. In these rave songs, you would expect vocals to take a smaller role, but he seems to be able to add his voice in anywhere and it fits well. The themes are nicely carnal and anti establishment. A whole song dedicated to making fun of a cop. Playability of the whole album is very good. It’s a fun listen and I think I could play it at work or in many other situations. It has a great mood lift and is never boring, lots of variability between tracks and within each track. There seems to be lots of layers in each track and many different instruments involved, yet it stays grounded in the familiarity of groovy drum beats and distorted rock guitars. I liked it quite a bit but it’s a 4 for me
Nothing was necessarily bad in this, but it was boring and not super exciting.
5/10
It’s fine
Once again, an album that makes me glad I decided to do this. Had never heard of this band and loved this. Solid from beginning to end. Not sure why other people don't like it more. It's an easy 5 for me.
Silly fun little album, but I got pretty bored with it quickly. Also didn’t really like the vocals. Sick album cover though.
5/10
Ladies and gentlemen and all others under the sun, Happy Mondays will join Public Image Ltd. as the only other group (so far, almost 900 albums in) to land TWO 1/5 star ratings. I find the voice to be harsh and difficult. The instrumentals are on the bad side of 90’s pastiche. There was a very specific time and place for this record and it did not live past that time and place. By the time “Grandbag’s Funeral” came on I was firmly in 1 star territory, and it never recovered from there
I heard a few of their songs on the radio around the time this came out. This album is an overall vibe with a few standouts.
Good vibes for background, may revisit when wanting a chill day
Really enjoy the early 90’s UK pop/acid-house combo.
I really just do not enjoy this kind of early 90s indie music from the UK. It grates on me so much.
What a joy to have this album on a wet Wednesday. Absolute classic, this is right in my lane. Been a perennial favourite. Tune in and drop out and enjoy.
melded together for me - but not in a positive "cohesive album vision" way
Madchester! I always liked that moniker more than I liked the music, lol. And when Wikipedia describes these guys as having "bridged the Manchester alternative dance music of the 1980s and the emerging UK rave scene," I already know this isn't something I am going to be into, but I will go into it with an open mind nonetheless... [LISTENING:] OK, this is more musical and less rave-y than I expected. Not bad. These guys remind me a little bit of Soup Dragons and EMF. Open minds for the win! This album did not really bother me at all. Not something I would choose to listen to again, but it wasn't bad. Almost want to give it 3 stars for being so much better than I expected... I didn't remember until looking through my History page just now that I actually had another Happy Mondays album last year (Bummed.) And I HATED that one. So this is progress!
This wasn't exceptional, but it was so different enough to keep it interesting. Favorite Songs: Step On
I remember listening to the other Happy Mondays album on this list about a year ago, and thinking it was a huge incoherent mess. And now having heard this one too, it's unfortunately exactly the same. The whole thing just blended into what felt like one really long song, as no particular moment had any memorable or distinguishing features. The production is also sloppy as hell and made most of this just feel like white noise, which really wasn't helped by the painfully bad vocals.
The best part of this album might be the flute refrain in "Bob's Yer Uncle." But I didn't really enjoy anything else. Maybe I'm just not gay enough.
Never heard of it and unfortunately it didn't thrill me - it was just kinda meh. Best part was the flutes on Bob's Yet Uncle.
I spent the entirety of today listening to this album and thinking it was definitely from the 70’s or 80’s. Which is strange that I didn’t check until writing my review, that’s pretty much always the first thing I do is check the year before listening to an album for the first time. Ok, so it already sounded several years dated when it came out, and there are various levels of Electronica sprinkled throughout the album. I can see why it only has a 2.9. But low score be damned, I for one still got a lot of enjoyment out of this album. Cool singer with some great, catchy, and funky beats, and you've almost got a disco album from 1990 of all times. I really didn’t see that coming, but nonetheless I still enjoyed it. In particular, I liked both version of “Kinky Afro” the most, with the original taking an edge over the Euro Mix. I do question this albums inclusion in the first place, but I can overlook that pretty easily when it sounds pretty good like this. Am I going to remember any of it in a few days?? Nah, but it was fun to listen to today, and I’ve been rolling nothing but actual trash recently so this sounds miraculous compared to the last few days of music. I’ll take a fun Rock/Electronica album any day of the week, even if it does sound like it belongs several decades in the past. Hoping to pull this one out of the 2’s and into the 3’s where I think it belongs. It’s nothing new, but it still sounds really cool, and the singer, guitar and Electronica beats compliment each other well. So, it’s still a 3, just a middle to lower middle 3. Glad I spent the day listening to it, especially after what I’ve been putting up with lately. Even if this will be out of my head just as quickly as it went in, I don’t think it should be as low rated as a 2.9. There’s plenty to enjoy here, and nothing really to criticize except being maybe just a little bland and dated as a whole. Oh boy, they’ve got another album in the book as well with a much lower rating than this. Let’s see if this band that I’ve never heard of until today can impress me for a second time. Until then, this one gets an easy 3 from me. On to the next one.
it was like. ok.
I enjoyed this, but nothing grabbed me. It felt like background music even when I was trying to lock in on the album. 2.5 stars, rounding down.
Some nice sounding Brit Pop
Indie dance at it’s finest! What’s not to like. Kinky Afro, Step on and Loose Fit are all classics and sum up the Mondays perfectly. Yes Shaun Ryder isn’t your standard vocalist, but that’s a fair chunk of their charm.
Undoubtedly, it’s the two tracks that I knew which stand out here (“Kinky Afro” and “Step On”). The rest is fine, but not a patch on the two big tracks. I feel a bit mean giving it a 2, as I really didn’t mind it overall. It’s really a 2.5* for me, so I’m rounding up.
Happy Mondays are one of those bands that I think I should find annoying, but somehow in practice I find quite charming in a completely chaotic way. This album really barreled along at quiet the pace, from the opening beats of Kinky Afro (a song I have always liked) all the way through to Harmony. I can only assume the lyrics were completely baffling if you aren't British though. 3/5
Ok
Really enjoyed this. Such an intersection of new wave and the 90s alternative to come.
Fun
This was great! Enjoyed as a band I'd never heard of. Really refreshing and light, very catchy.
There's really nothing special about this record. It's horribly dated and sounds like so much of what was going on in the early 90s that it's hard to understand what made this stand out to the curators of this list.
Easy 5. This is fantastic. Great record. The vibe is cool, the riffs are catchy and it's just got to be a 5
The baggy era was brief, but it was such a vibe. This album really captures that vibe.
Got that jam band/ska sound that was popular in the 90s. Some fun grooves for sure and I was entertained the entire time. It’s a really easy listen and acted as a bit of nostalgia for me as well, even though I was completely unfamiliar with this group. I’d revisit it.
I bought this album when it came out. Played it probably 3 times then never listened to it again. Playing it now it's not as bad as I remember.
Well first off this album is way too long. That being said I don’t hate the music. It’s way better than most sounds out of the early nineties.
All the hits as they say, pop pickers!!
It’s jaunty party music. That’s all I can say about it. Typical Brit-Pop. I also do not feel like I can die now.
Me gustó el álbum por sobretodo, alguna canciones me hacian resonar la estética que tuvo Cerati en algunas canciones, quizá por esa razón le daría mejor nota, pero fuera de esas instrumentales ambientales, hip-hop, algo psicodélicas y rock, es un “buen álbum” algunas canciones son destacables, nada que resaltar tan particular.
Didn’t get this on a Monday but that’s all right! I wasn’t happy anyway. Word of the day is: Eyesore
Boring
3/5
Review - never liked this band, but now I've given them a proper listen? They're shit. Score - 2/10 Need to listen? NO
Really interesting listen and I can hear some many elements of different British rock / dance music
I wasn't aware that I was gonna get a second round of these guys. I loved their other album on this list (seriously, how the hell does that have a 2.65/5 average right now?), and this album's about as good. There's absolutely no way that this band was good for the health of anyone involved, though. These guys are blasted halfway to Jupiter. There are even a few points throughout the album where the singer completely loses the beat and just goes on for a while until he matches back up with the band. That kind of stuff makes the music fun, though, and this album is decidedly much groovier than Bummed. I will say, sometimes they get a little too lost in the drugs and forget what makes them sound goo, so while I do prefer Bummed to this album, I do quite like them both.
Singer can't sing, instruments are annoying. Why is this album here?
Low 2, did not enjoy. Some fine sounds but just felt like it was trying to be intentionally aggravating
🤮 gross
Bonus points for the frankest, most relatable lyric of the Madchester scene “Son I’m 30, I only went with your mother cos she’s dirty” In parts groovy, poppy, funky and underwhelming it’s hard not to boost up the score due to liking what they stood for, an important album with some great tracks but it does have some flat spots too. 3.4
I like this. There are some great tracks and a man of the match performance by Paul Ryder. Fond memories of my dad playing this album in his racing green Vauxhall Cavalier!
Sort of liked it but about half way through, couldn't wait until it was over.
I was always a big Stone Roses fan and due to misplaced tribalism never really listened to the Happy Mondays. I know the big tracks very well and they have a great groove. The album tracks a bit more of a mixed bag and I am on the fence about Shaun Ryder. You can hear the strong Andy Wetherall influence in the mix. Not quite a 5 for me.
Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches Bummed was solid-to-good but this is certainly a big step up, there are a load of great songs on here, as well as some excellently scuzzy indie-dance-funk guitars and some superb bass playing. And I love Shaun Ryder’s delivery and brilliantly off kilter rhyming couplets and non-sequiters, tied together with a brilliant sense of silliness, wit and pointedness. They obviously don’t have the elegance, suppleness and rock classicism of The Stone Roses, but they have a brilliantly inventive and distinctive way with a groove, a kind of shuffling, swinging, danceable sturdiness with an appealing messiness and rough hewn charm. Kinky Afro and Gods Cop are a superb opening pair, Kinky Afro has a kind of hazy acid-psychedelic feel to it, and the bass on God’s Cop has a really satisfying depth to it. Donovan also has some great bass and I love its dubby, Balearic vibe with guitar and melodica. Grandbag’s Funeral has a slightly strange atmosphere, it feels almost like goth-funk, or a kind of gritty ABC vibe. Loose Fit is absolutely brilliant, one of my favourite of theirs, again great bass and with a simple but incredibly memorable and hypnotic guitar riff. Dennis and Lois feels slightly lightweight in comparison but it has a pleasing sunniness and I love that little guitar break and the organ passing across the stereo channels. Bob’s Yer Uncle has a little of the feel of Donovan, a slight Ibizaness to its rhythm, and a brilliantly grubby set of lyrics. Step On sometimes suffers from its indie-disco ubiquity but it is of course a brilliant bit of dancey guitar music. I didn’t know it was a cover until about 10 or 15 years ago and while I quite like the original, its Madchester update is truly excellent. Holiday introduces a more soul oriented sound, and Rowetta’s backing vocals are great, as they are elsewhere and Harmony’s slide and hazy, loping, lumbering rhythm and sudden ending finish the album on a suitably odd note. Obviously it's a very popular album and Step On was huge, but it probably gets a bit lost in the shade of The Stone Roses, but it is a truly excellent album. 5. 💊💊💊💊💊 Playlist submission: Step On is brilliant of course, but I love Loose Fit
With one of the greatest opening lines of the era, this album captures the zeitgeist, the baggy scene, elevating shoegaze to a perfect art form. It becomes great guitar riff after great guitar riff. It also includes elements of soul, funk, dance. A true crossover record. An uplifting beaut.
I loathed when I saw another British rock album in my immense queue of exactly these, but this one was a surprise. Especially Kinky Afro, God’s A Cop and Loose Fit are actually very nice, and Holiday I’m sure I heard in Gta or somewhere, it sounded familiar. That’s the thing with this list, I’m stuck between albums that are just forgettable and tiny lost gems. For 1001 albums I had to listen before I die I expected more gems
Did not enjoy this album. I thought I liked Kinky Afro and God's Cop at first but listened to the rest of the album and realized I didn't. Could easily never listen to this album again and live a happy life.
Holy repetitive boring slop. I was intrigued after "God's Cop" but after that I sort of zoned out and forgot that this album was playing until "Step On". That's when I unfortunately realized I had half an hour left. I did not enjoy this album. It had a couple moments but it's really just pick a loop of sound and mumble some ripped off Rolling Stones lyrics over it and call it a day. The album cover is the most colorful thing about this album and I'm a little annoyed I spent an hour of my life listening to this. 2/10
Estaba de muy buen humor y me alegró todavía más. Gran álbum
I never really liked the Happy Mondays... they weren't as psych (obvs) as other brit bands that I was into at the time (Ride, SM3, etc.), but also not house-y enough to be fully rave music (which I also adored at the time). So somewhat in-between, but without a synergistic strength. Much like how tech house is the weakest parts of techno and house put together. At least to my ear. So this was better than I was expecting, but still somewhat lacking.
Good, but nothing special
Where’s the happy? The dreaded Brit pop album strikes again. I think I made it through all the Oasis albums but now this. This whole mess is convoluted and tuneless. The one genre missing on this list of 1001 albums , the most influential genre of the last 30 years, is rap (hip hop). To be really representative of a good music, the list leads to be a bit less white centric.
meh
I don't like the lead singer's voice so this is not a fun or easy listen for me personally. It would have been a 3 if I was just rating the instrumentals, but I am just straight up not having a good time with this one.
Bunch of miscellaneous indie stuff, I'm sure it was cool for 1990 but today it just doesn't stand out much
My ears perked up at a certain point on the album. Turned out, I was listening to the collector's edition, what was perking my ears were the remixes. The rest, ok. I’d probably bug out a bit more live, but the sauce didn’t transfer to me on the album.
Eh. It's fine enough, would be a 2.5 but I usually round up unless it's really bad. Pretty forgettable.
Sounds a bit dated, but it was still decent. 3.2
Was ok
Found it a bit crap beyond kinky afro and step on. Like a bad indie band. Can ya stick to the weird dance inspired stuff please. Gets a 3 just because step on is ridiculously good
Kinky Afro is a great start to an album "Son Im Thirty, I only went with your Mother caus she's dirty" Loose Fit and Step On obvs stand out. Last 2 songs sound very Stone Roses, John Squire-y guitar. The music is cracking: beats/drums especially. they were never appealing fir the 'vocals' if you can call em that. Coulda really done without him tryna sound sexy on Bob's Your Uncle though. Take me a while to peel that off my brain
I appreciate that the Happy Mondays were doing something different, there were moments I was having fun on this album. It’s dancy, Shaun Ryder is an entertainer, very distinct lead vocals. There are so many moments, I’m at odds, thinking whether I’m into it or annoyed… possibly both. It’s weird, it’s kinda fun, it’s dumb. I can say with 100% certainty that I hate Bob’s Yer Uncle or at least I’m pretty sure I do. 3 stars
Not much here
Thoroughly enjoyed Happy Mondays on a Happy Sundays
Listening to on Tuesday so maybe that's my fault but it's very disappointing.
Happy Mondays made for a sad Sunday
Some great tunes on this one ("Kinky Afro", "God's Cop", "Step On"), and a bunch that were good but didn't stick with me. Might give it another listen at some point.
I think I enjoyed all the little intricacies on the various album covers more than I enjoyed the album itself.
My Dad absolutely loves the Mondays so this has been on my list to check out for an eternity. Bloody brilliant album, really loved it. Hard to pick one top track cause there’s a few bangers on here. Top Track - Kinky Afro
Good as background music, wouldn't recommend it for anything more.
Not a bad album, but the singles outshine the deep cuts by a loooong way.
3,5
Some good tracks - songs you can identify from the bass line alone, even if you’re not in the room where it’s playing.
For some reason, I found it really hard to concentrate on this album and keep interested. I found that quite strange, because I've listened to some extremely boring/dull albums, but managed to keep engaged. I just wasn't really feeling this one, if I'm being completely honest. I mean, it's not something that I would desperately turn off if someone had it playing, but it wouldn't be my first choice. The instrumentation was really nice throughout, and so were the vocals. They were also quite funky in some tracks, yet I still couldn't really connect to this album all that well. I think for me, there was pretty much just one or two songs that stood out to me and got me slightly interested. Stand-out track: Kinky Afro Step On
Some of these albums are good at evoking not just the year they were recorded, but also the times they represent. If 1990 Manchester were to have a defining sound, add this to the Stone Roses debut and you pretty much have it. Shaun and Bez are the the Happy Mondays to the uninformed observer, but the fusion of punk and stones in the guitar playing and the ever more syncopated drum beats are just as responsible for the band's sound as Ryder's garbled improvs and Bez's dancing lunatic image. Special mention for Paul Oakenfold and Steve Osborne in there production and mixing. Loose fit and Kinky Afro stand up well but John Kongo's cover 'Step on' is now a classic. I enjoyed revisiting this.
I can see why people like this.
*1984. *This was a very pleasant surprise - U2, Peter Gabriel vibe, with a touch of Talk Heads occasionally. *A little two synthy and 80s to score more than a 3 of 5 though. *These are long songs (5-6 mins each), but it works as an album. RATING - 7/10
pretty good album. I will listen to this again. It had several songs that I recognized but did not know the band. A solid 3
A classic of the era!
When energy exceeds talent. Super great fun
3 stars
4/5 actually really catchy
The author seems to love this Brit/Electronica/Pop stuff. And for that I'd like to take a Louisville Slugger to his head about 700 times for making my ears hurt. Three 1 stars in a row can we make it four tomorrow?
pretty good for background music but it's extremely easy to ignore
fun
They’ve never been a favourite, but this is a fun album with some very decent tracks. Favourite track: Kinky Afro
Pending
Sounds like a ripoff of The Stone Roses without sounding much like Oasis, the band the Stone Roses were ripping off. It's kinda fine. I probably would have dug it in the 90s, it's pretty peppy and "psychedelic".
Guitar and alt vocals. Solid drumming. Summer vibes? "Cool". Some bluesy vibes, "funky soundgarden". Very much a product of the time, but also a product I wish I had heard earlier, pretty good!
I didn't mind listening to this but it wasn't anything special.
This singer is just not good, and of course, it's more electronic/dance/Britpop music trash. Mostly forgettable shite. What, exactly, merits **THIS** record's inclusion? Some British award? Did it get above #5 on the Scunthorpe Top 50 in 1991? What the hell is 'Madchester' as a style tag?? How goddamn insular.. the only thing pulling it out of '1' is the funky flute loop on "Bob's Yet Uncle" and "Kinky Afro" was a late 80s, early 90s throwback. It wasn't revelatory, but it was just on the right side of fun to avoid being too 'dated'. I could feel the shoulder pads on that song, but it amused me. (2/5) I'm not looking forward to the OTHER album by this group on the list. 🙄🙄
This is exactly the kinda shannanigans that I'm getting tired of with this list. Whoever these dweebs are, they have TWO albums on featured that I definitely did not need to hear before I die. In a way, I suppose it IS interesting to learn what sort of sounds will immediately get my hackles up, because this is one of them for sure. Even before the vocals started I was in britpop alert mode, which is a hard swing from yesterday's Black Sabbath. Layer what sounded like Robert Smith 8 pints in and I just couldn't do it this morning. To my credit, I at least STARTED every track on the album and gave it a chance, but it took coming back for a second listen in the afternoon to soften this to a 2.5/5 that I simply refuse to round up (even after discovering that Shaun Ryder sand the backing vocals on The Gorillaz track, "Dare," which I'd give a higher rating than this album).
107. Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches - Happy Mondays (1990) 6.9.26 Variety: 2 Adequacy: 1 Listenability: 1 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 1 = 1.4 rounded down to a 1 "I think I'm dumb/ Or maybe just happy/ Think I'm just happy" Not looking forward to this one. I've heard this one before as it was highly recommended, and was supposed to be one of those important 90s albums. Beginning of an era or some such. Spoilers, I did not like it one bit, and actually found it to be pretty obnoxious. We'll get into why as we go track by track. It's been a good twenty years too, so maybe I'll be a bit more receptive this go around. THE TRACKS "Kinky Afro" - This one starts off ok enough, with some very ( in retrospect) Britpoppy sounds. The psychedlic-lite jangling guitars and the synth strings are the best thing going on here though as we're introduced to Ryder's awful talk singing, which is a major issue I have with the ban. That sort of thing tries my patience even when its used well enough. You have to be playing at a very high level to get away with it in my opinion in any sort of rock form, and Ryder just does not cut it for me. See Rob Birch of Stereo MCs for an example of someone pulling this sort of thing off way better. And its still not something I'll ever love. But birch oozes style and plays into the music where Ryder just can't be bothered to do anything but stay caught up. That's even completely discounting the quality of his voice, which, though points for distinctiveness, is poor. And its not an accent thing. Chris Difford pulls off a great version of this in Squeeze's "Cool for Cats", which comes across as funny, charming , and casually, well... cool in all the ways this track fails. And he's not regular singer - that's a one-off gimmick track. Save this sort of thing for effect , don't base your whole band concept around it. "God's Cop" - This is where they lose me. The jammy, loose, dance forward rock is just not a form that works for me. It has none of the deep groove and powerful bass and drums drive of funk and it lacks the bombast of and ferocious tempo of hardcore. It's neither fish nor foul, and ends up reminding mostly of the vibes of something like when hippies are "dancing" to Country Joe and the Fish or some other such nonsense. "Donovan" - We get some world music vibes to start with which could go somewhere interesting. Nope. Just more of the exact same vocal performance. And the music transforms into another messy jam, barely held together by the guitarist. Whay do I know who Bez is but not this Mark Day guy? So far he seems to be the only person of note here. And he's showing everyone up with some very basic stuff. "Grandbag's Funeral" - A Beatlesly guitar riff opens this one up and it seems like it might actually develop into a rock song for minute before Ryder stumbles through the thing, and Day is forced to play around him. We just get endless variations on the opening riff. This was rough. "Loose Fit" - Another intriguing opener. This one actually has some atmosphere and Ryder tones it way down to almost a whisper. I could imagine this being on that one Jesus Jones album. You know with their one hit. The band keeps this one relatively tight and traditionally structured as well, so it has an actual form. Imagine that. Was worried they would not stick the landing, but mission accomplished. "Dennis and Lois" - We get their version of a funk song here. I think. Just the weeniest, bassless funk I've ever heard? I've read that this whole scene, and this album in particular was an influence on U2's Achtung Baby. And I can sort of see it with the dance rock grooves and slight crunchiness on this track. But hate to say U2 stole your ideas and vastly improved on them by making them feel BIG. I could imagine a version of this with the energy cranked up about another 70%, and some huge bass and more interesting persussion hitting much better than this. "Bob's Yer Uncle" - Yikes. Ryder listened to some Leonard Cohen just before recording this and has some ideas I guess. This is straight up bad. The flute comes in and attempts to liven things up, but it's a lost cause. Remove the sleezy vocals and we're left with a track best left on the cutting room floor of a Crash Bandicoot soundtrack. "Step On" - This was not much of a step up. The piano bits help a bit, but Ryder has moved on to a Michael Hutchence voice and that combined with the out of nowhere background vocals that seem like they were beamed in from a totally different album make this one a colorless stew of too disparate elements. "Holiday" - This one blew completely past me as I had moved on to my final thoughts and did not make even the slightest impression on me. "Harmony" - Finally here at the end we get one more track that, as slow and uninteresting as it is, at least feels like a wholly conceived and executed piece. It doesn't wander off into 12 directions at once, and has an identifiable vibe. For most other bands this would be them warming up though. HIGHLIGHTS - "Loose Fit" MIDLIGHTS - "Kinky Afro" - "Dennis and Lois" - "Harmony" LOWLIGHTS - "God's Cop" - "Donovan" - "Grandbag's Funeral" - "Bob's Yer Uncle" - "Step On" - "Holiday" FINAL THOUGHTS This was pretty much as awful as I remembered it being. I tried to remove all the outside knowledge of the band from my mind as I listened, and was mostly successful, though I will say I still cannot understand the urge to celebrate all the crazy awful behavior of these ( now senior citizen) former stars as cute hijinks. These guys are still pretty beloved as personalities across the pond, and who knows maybe they are much wiser with age, and maybe huge in the charity world or something. But there was a similar thing that happened with Motley Crue in the states where their 80s debauchery is looked back on with rose tinted glasses and they have since been ( mostly ) embraced as minor legends. Fine. People like to party. I get it. On the basis of the music alone, I truly don't understand it though. This just seems like a movement you had to have been there for I guess. Like maybe this band was a revelation to a citizenry that was starved of pop culture that invited this sort of party aesthetic and the Happy Mondays just happened to be in the right place at the right time? Anyway, Ryder's voice grates on me, and the musical load seemed to be entirely carried by the guitarist, who wasn't doing anything amazing. I'll add that I learned the band has one more album on the list. Can't wait. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - You can keep this one FURTHER LISTENING - Doubt by Jesus Jones - Connected by Stero MCs - The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses - Lovegod by the Soup Dragons - Schubert Dip by EMF - Screamadelica by Primal Scream - Tubthumper by Chumnbawanba
"Nobody likes you when you're twenty-three / and you still act like you're in freshman year / What the hell is wrong with me." I enjoyed this album, it made me smile many times. I laughed at a few of the juvenile lyrics. I am a kid. So I was trying to place this sound and it felt too fun to simply leave it as punk or alternative. Further reading found the genre of "Madchester." Okay, so I guess this is the partying sound of Manchester in the late 80/early 90s. Sounds fun to me. The sound and look also, I read, were called "Baggy." I can dig that too. This album put me in mind of Blink-182 around the "What's My Age Again" era. (see the lyric quote above). To me, it is full of obnoxious and deliberate youthful roguishness. Whatever seems fun and will annoy old people. There is very little deeper than that. And that can be fun. Shaun Ryder is not a great vocalist, but he seems like a goof of a frontman. Paul Ryder and Mark Day do the lion's share of the good work on this album with their guitar parts. Wikipedia tells me that inspired part of U2's "Achtung Baby" which I previously gave a 5 to. This album did not reach that high for me, but it was a fun romp through Madchester. So, I give it a 3/5. Track highlights God's Cop/ Loose Fit Bob's Yer Uncle
For whatever reason I'm just so-so on this album. Felt very generic.
Strange album, some songs that I disliked some that I found really good. I doubt I would listen to that again but who knows.
Better than I would have thought! Not at all a novelty band at this point. Good music
This album has a swagger and a vibe that is one part fresh and one part bland.this album was just ok. No particular track or momentum stood out.
An album made to dance to - when Step On came or as a single and as a video on MTV it was everywhere! So burned into my brain that 36 years later I can still hear it reverberating as soon as someone says Happy Mondays. Fun, groovy and by far their best song. Still, not sure how one great song makes an album though. And not sure how they are worthy of having two albums on the list… 3⭐️
Favorite Track: Holiday
I can't help it. If you don't like the Mondays, you're some sort of old, posh twat who has no place listening to anything other than Wagner and rightwing speeches. There. Colours nailed to the mast.
Buh
Skipped most of this. Lame stuff idk. Just didn’t speak to me even a little bit.
keine Ahnung was ich schreiben soll, typische Musik von der Insel die sich bei mir nicht anheften wird
Schwankt stark zwischen schwach und gut. Die Remixe am Ende waren gut, aber nicht Teil des offiziellen Albums. Lieblingslied: Loose Fit
Zweite Hälfte war angenehmer zu hören
Acid Rock/Indie? Good songs for summer
Pedestrian bullshit, not my jam
Can't complain
sounds like s***** Bob Dylan sometimes. Sounds like not half bad bob Dylan other times for the most part, not my cup of tea
Another pleasant surprise — knew of this group but that’s about it.
Kind of fun
This is really close to something I love, but just not quiet. I thought all of the individual songs sounded good, but they all felt like they were lacking that extra touch that would bring it over the edge from good to great. Overall a solid album, this is more like a 3.75, but I will round up to a low 4. Low 4.
Not terrible, but not really deserving of being on this list.
i'm sat here wondering if i just dont like music as much as i previously thought i did or if this list is just majorly skewed towards genres that i find boring fave track: tokoloshe man
The non single tracks are just not as good annoyingly
Seems to have improved with time
The perfect cross point between alternative dance and baggy. A vibey, groovy rock band with a keyboard and programmer bringing the dance music. It’s crazy that a group who presented themselves as raucous, careless nihilists somehow managed to turn in one of the tightest, fluid, meticulously detailed records of the 1990s. It had a defining influence on the sound of the decade yet has never been replicated.
A slightly disappointed solid to high 3 for Happy Mondays for me. They nail the genre and style but none of it really gets me going aside from Step On. I generally don’t like the vocals which likely stops me properly getting into the grooves which are undeniably there.
Again, like the last album of theirs, I didn't dislike it but I couldn't tell you a single track when I had finished. Mediocre.
Hahahh j'adore le lundi c'est trop marrant
Mieux que leur autre album auquel j'aurais sûrement du mettre un 2 au vu de mon commentaire. Mais bon c'est pas exceptionnel non plus et j'ai été trop sympa ces derniers temps :/
Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches was an enjoyable and easygoing listen overall, full of loose grooves and upbeat energy. While listening to Kinky Afro, I kept feeling like I had heard its chorus somewhere before, and was interested to learn that it paraphrases Lady Marmalade by Labelle. It was nice to hear an older song reinterpreted in a completely different musical context.
Tässä oli tutuista biiseistä Moulin Rouge versio tehty Christina Aguileran toimesta muun muassa. Muuten sellasta varmaan ihan legendaarista kamaa
Might be overrating this one a little just because it's been a staple of my music library for many years, but I just really love this particular blend of funky, dance-influenced psychedelia. the bass guitar and keys in particular are great stuff. 9/10.
8/10 I wasn't really feeling this at first but it had a few surprises such as 'Bob's Yer Uncle'. I think it might grow on me with more listens.
Stone cold classic that still holds up too. I remember being really into this one . Your twisting my melon man
- fun! would listen again
Started ok but had some weird lyrics, lacking standouts. 5/10
Pretty groovy if I do say so myself. Fav song is ‘Kinky Afro’.
Is this EMF? Is this Jesus Jones? Who cares. Robert Dimery heard it one time trying on jeans in 1991 so it's a MUST LISTEN.
I think I understand what they were trying to do on this, but it was just boring
Underveis måtte æ sjekke om Happy Mondays kanskje hadde en sang på soundtracket til Baz Luhrmann-Romeo & Julie, for det føltes sånn. Dem har ikke det, men det hadde passa utmerket godt inn, så tolk det som du vil.
I didn't dislike the core album but I never cared for remixes...or the remix ends up way better and I feel cheated by the original. Either way this was ok and I felt like I was listening to God Lives Underwater plus weed and reggae dancehall.
Nothing special but listenable.
Dette var ..... britisk.
Not bad. Good.
Unremarkable. This list needs to be updated to reflect the staying power / influence that some of these listed artists actually have.
Wel oke.
i am...overstimulated. this is my first 1 star album...
Hade mått bra av något som stod ut lite mer, men i grunden trevligt
Chill men inte speciellt minnesvärd lyssning.
Chill utan att vara tråkigt.
Lot of fun but I prefer Black Grape
leuk maar niet amazing
Eclectic mix of sounds. Some fine, some less fine.
No. Just no.
1,001 albums is too many.
Should be a two but how can I give it a two if it’s got a song called Bob’s Yer Uncle?
Nothing crazy, pretty good though.
Fun grooves and credit to the band, they no what a hook is and have no qualms about using them. The downside of this album is the annoying sound of the vocalist and meh lyrics. If I could get a copy of this with the vocals scrubbed and replaced with an instrument playing the vocal line, it would be a far more interesting album to me. I've always enjoyed the mixture of traditional forms with looped textures and electronics for a more expansive soundscape. It is clear that this was an inflection point in England from the more traditional acid rock into proto acid house and setting the stage for the forking off of bands who were inspired by this going directly into rave culture. That said, I am not a fan of the bands like Blur, Oasis, and their contemporaries with the 90s Brit Rock. Most of which I found completely dreadful. While I am still sold the Happy Mondays, I did certainly enjoy this more than BUMMED the other one of their albums on this list. I also enjoyed this far more than The Stone Roses entries altogether. I am still convinced that the best version of this creative idea actually came from Pop Will Eat Itself. Not only is their album far more interesting to me, but they did it a year earlier with their album THIS IS THE DAY...THIS IS THE HOUR...THIS IS THIS. I also highly recommend their DOS DEDOS MI AMIGOS from 1994.
yeah… nothing special
Mostly felt meandering and I didn't particularly like the vocal style.
Not a huge fan of his voice but I like how hypnotic the songs are
Boring. Each song was long and repetitive. Not interesting enough to keep my interest for very long.
It’s fine. Not something Ill vote go back to but ok listen
No fav song
did not listen
Works well as background music. I enjoyed the first two tracks but then had the impression of listening to these same tacks over and over.
Some more ape like noise from happy mondays… Not as outright terrible as “Bummed”, but definitely getting there.
Madchester representation! Going to guess this one doesn’t land too well with the non-UK based users of this site.
Me and this album go way back! I don't listen to it all that often these days but when I do, I know i'm in for a good time! I first heard the Mondays coming from the walls of my older brother's bedroom. He was a massive fan and it rubbed off on me. I think in a lot of ways, the love is this band is intrinsically linked to being Mancunian. Madchester doesn't exist without the Mondays. I know many others don't get it, but I don't care, I love it
easy listening, reasonably nice music, but also very forgettable. eh
It’s fine, not for me mostly
Really enjoyed!
мне не нравится совсем музыка в целом более менее, но этот вокал все портит может я быдло и чего-то не понимаю, и это какой-то специальный прием но у меня он вызывает ассоциацию с плохим караоке и еще почему этот альбом выдают не в понедельник это оплошность
я устал...
Not too bad. Some arrangements can be inspiring. Can be a good foundation to build on top of. Loose fit ok. The rest is unfortunately just mediocre. But overall it’s a nice one.
i liked it more than i thought i would. nothing really stuck out a ton, but it was inoffensive. kinda already forgot about it from yesterday... but it was realistically a 2.5. i guess ill bump it to 2 for forget-ability
Pretty normal alternative 90s rock, but interesting since it sounds like it should have come out about a decade later in some songs. Nothing remarkable but decent.
Another generic album that goes in one ear and out the other.
Catchy 90's pop sound. Its fine.
Brit Pop innit?!? 4
Forgettable.
Really good beats, really good production. Quite enjoyed this. Will have to listen again sometime!
I can't help it - I dig music like this. The lyrics were a bit silly at times, but it was fun to groove to. Dennis and Lois stood out to me. 3.5 stars!
The Happy Mondays will be forever associated with a particular year in musical history and it’s not 1990’s Madchester. Rather, it’s 1971 with their iconic cover of Step On by John Kongos as well as numerous other riffs and motifs from that pivotal year. It’s slightly sobering to realise that there is a longer gap between the release of this album and today, than there was between then and the era that Shaun Ryder was gleefully plundering for ideas. Does it hold up? Well, kind of. The rhythms and dance beats get the job done, Ryder’s nasal Manc drawl is as irritating as ever, but we never did find out what ‘Twisting my melon, man’ meant or what Bez was being paid for, exactly. Call the cops-tastic!
Cool album. Not much to say
Whiny Brit pop. Reminds me of younger times.
If heroin, cocaine, and ecstasy could collaborate on an album for the 24 Hour Party People aura farming crowd, this would undoubtedly be the result. Listening is like being at the Hacienda, capturing that wild Madchester vibe when indie and acid house got all loved up. It's awesome, crazy chaos, thanks to Paul Oakenfold's beats and Shaun Ryder's lyrics, they're deep, funny, and totally nuts, I mean he opens the album with the refrain "Son, I'm 30, I only went with your mother cause she's dirty, and I don't have a decent bone in me". From "Kinky Afro" to "Step On", it's exactly how a night out feels, including the morning after... Some might say it's a mess, but that's the scally charm of it all, it's all nothing but pure vibes, not being super musical. It's a classic British album, people either love it or hate it. I think it's a must-listen, still gets me hyped after all these years. It's a crazy, unforgettable time capsule.
Kinky Afro, Loose Fit and Step On are amazing. The rest is not as good.
Kind of like 60's Rolling Stones. A lot of joy and excellent tunes. 4/5
Just not really for me
I know Ryder can’t sing but there is some great music in this.
ITS DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARE "Step On" is a neat track, but the rest of the album does not leave any impression, often feeling repetitive and a tad obnoxious (i.e. the Eurodance vocal samples that randomly pop up 2/3 through????)
Another tough one to grade. Kinky Afro and Step On are radio staples on some radio stations in the UK. It's maybe hard to listen beyond them when they've become so ubiquitous. Listening to 1001 albums doesn't lend itself to repeat listens really but I might give this one another go so I can see if it comes alive.
This was meh.
Will anyone bellyache if I say this sounds like U2 from Pop onwards?
An infinitely better album than bummed
gut aber boringggg
Enjoyable enough. Like a prelude to oasis
Musically bland and repetitive, and Shaun Ryder's style of singing (sprechgesang, I believe) robs these songs of any melody that might have been used as a mitigating factor. I'm sure that records like this are often judged, in part, for their importance to once scene or another, which is no guarantee of quality in my opinion. In any case, 'madchester' was tedious and this album was an hour and ten mins that I wished would go quicker
Not terrible, and a good proto Britpop album. Not my cup of tea, but definitely interesting.
Not what I was expecting, wasn't expecting a very groove based album but ultimately it sort of washed over me
Instrumentation was realyl great but the vocals seemed a little off? o ver processed or outta key or something
I appreciate the vibes well enough I spose
Just fine
Shaun Ryderin eli "iT's dAreeE" miehen bändi. Tässä se laulaa paremmin ja muutenkin hyvää. Britti rokkia mutta tosi monipuolista sellaista. Parhaat: Kinky Afro, God's Cop, Bob's Yer Uncle
Full Album Thoughts: Album Rating: 2.85 (B) This was not really a stile I had ever been exposed to, and I kinda dig it? This feels like baking out in the hot sun stoned out of my gourd with a tall cool glass of ice cold gin and tonic. Or maybe I am just wanting it to be summer already. I take issue with the lead singer's slurred delivery, but the actual song writing chops are too damn solid. See my thoughts on Step On for more details about the album as a whole. Track Thoughts: "Kinky Afro" A- This could almost be a heavier rock Talking Heads song. This is a compliment. "God's Cop" B+ The slurred singing is going to grate on me. But the actual bass heavy production helps keep things head bopping. I think the the weird overblown slide guitar works here, do not tell neil young I said that. But the rest of the production being swimmy is points off. Im just going to assume he is singing that "Me and The Cheat (from Homestar Runner) got slowly stoned". Why is Cartman singing at the end? "Donovan" B+ Please stop singing from the other room. This feels like something that would absolutely go on to influence Gorillaz... though maybe that is the harmonica. Oh and we are in Zora's Domain all of a sudden. Okay yeah no I think this is going to be another case of I really like the music's instrumentation, but the slurring singer is detracting from my enjoyment. "Grandbag's Funeral" C Actually a bit too discordant. This is cacophonous without actually being enjoyable. Captain Beefheart they are not. "Loose Fit" A- Guy Ritchie Montage Music. A little bit of Spyro (composed by Stweart Copeland of The Police, so like good company). "Dennis and Lois" B Funk Clav! Hell yeah! Other then that, no noticeable traits to latch on to. Good background music. B for background. "Bob's Yer Uncle" F I do NOT want to hear this tone of voice ever let alone when we are making love. Ew ew ew sorry no ew gross. The actual groove is too repetitive. No amount of funky flute is going to salvage this. Is this a call back to Stretch's Why Did You Do It? "Step On" (John Kongos cover) B- I hate having a twisted melon. Apparently this is a cover? It also feels like a bit of a call back to Come Together? This is a kinda nothing song, that just isnt quite my style. I think this album is RIPE for sampling, as there are little golden nuggets throughout... but idk if I want to be picking through the rest of it. Enjoy that metaphor. "Holiday" B This was kinda in one ear and out the other if I am being honest. Its a trick to be up beat and laid back at the same time. "Harmony" B+ This is now this is laid back, I do like the plucked strings reminiscent of say an electric ukulele, and coming after Holiday into what sounds very Tropical... I see the vision.
A fun baggy album of mostly bangers.
Oi the lads are a bit mental here innit? Off their meds are they?
Was fine. Happy Mondays probably just too happy for me. Many of their songs sounded similar to others, not quite to the point of completely ripping them off, but definitely in the same vein.
It was good enough, no complaints, but I can already tell you I won’t remember this album come next Wednesday.
I wasn't really very impressed. The guitar was somewhat cool on some tracks but generally it was just fine Standouts Donovan 3/5
Sure is a Madchester album. Not really a memorable one though. Just kind of sounds like a less interesting Stone Roses. They have a sort of American tinge to some of their songs, but I really didn't find anything memorable. Not bad, not really noteworthy either if you aren't into the scene.
Hot Take - this album is more important than The Stone Roses’ debut. Tony Wilson from factory records referred to Shaun Ryder as the true poet of the North and I’m all for it. He has Wordsworths words and Dali’s eyes. The music and lyrics drift seamlessly between the urban ruin of mid 80’s Manchester (grandbags funeral) to the beaches of Ibiza (step on, holiday etc) and back again. With Oakenfold and Wetherall on remix duties you have the pinnacle of the 90’s scene, and it was released as the decade had barely begun. 5/5 timeless
Didn’t hate it. Will never play it again tho
I don't remember listening to this. ⭐⭐⭐/5 Highlights (I guess?) Grandbag's Funeral
It was always going to come down to when I heard this. The Mondays, who - as previously acknowledged - are at best a very imperfect band, are probably the most experiential listen of all time. If I was trying to work, or read, or behave like an adult in any way, it's hard to see me enjoying this. As it is, a sunny Saturday morning, pottering about before a big day out with some pals, it was absolutely storming. I found myself really focused on SW Ryder's lyrics. They're way better than they have any right to be a lot of the time. He's a poet, hidden behind a scally facade. Ultimately, that in yer face lyricism, the baggiest possible beats and the knowledge that, just out of earshot, Bez is having a right old time, is all good enough for me.
Приємний чиловий та груві альбом. Дуже британська музика
А от цей альбом хеппі мандейз мені сподобався. А може просто був настрій на Медчестер. 3.5
Decent, nothing special.
Apple Music lists this as pop so with that considered, I really enjoyed this one. I think it dates itself, and you can clearly tell this late 80's inspired, but it's still solid
I very much enjoyed this album. Some songs remind me of the cure. Very 80s very groovy.
Kinda funky, but pretty boring and repetitive.
Better than I expected, recognised one track and that was ok. But that was about it. Worth a high 2. Feeling generous so ill round it up to a 3.
All about the grooves and hooks. More of a scene than an album, but it has a happy place in my life.
Ah baggy, Madchester and the scramble to sign up every established or just half formed band in Manchester (anyone else remeber Intastella?). It was great to watch it all [Oak]unfold (even The Fall got a major label deal at this time!) One of the bands leading the charge was Happy Mondays. I adored Bummed and hoped for a decent follow up before they all ODed. PY&B did not disappoint, we got an unhinged collection of indie dance stompers. My favourite track which I played to death is 'God's Cop' with its mad slide guitar and sing along chorus. They had enormously high expectations and surprisingly this bunch of messed up 24 hour party people pulled it off.
Yawn. More like Middling Mondays for this Brit Pop outing. I really don’t have much else to say at this point with albums like this. 2.5 / 5
Pretty run at the mill rock, altough diverse!
Fine enough, but there are better versions of listening to a whole band drop acid and smoke.
People like listening to this style of singing?
Happy Mondays were first out of the gate in the Madchester scene, and clearly had a large impact on both The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. Sadly for the Mondays, they weren't quite as good as either of those acts. Still, this is a solid party record, I enjoyed it and would listen again, but tbh would never reach for it over one of the other two aforementioned bands
This was a fun little album. I don’t think it’s amazing but it was a fun listen-through.
This was a complete non starter for me. I couldn't give it much attention but when I did I wasn't impressed.
no idea. Realizing how British rock this list leans. Not necessarily opposed. Though this is definitely not just a British rock album? Genre bendy music wise I think I’ve felt nothing then suddenly bobs yer uncle vocals assault me?! The lyrics though 💀 Learning about the British second summer of love in 1988 with MDMA and the smiley logo and giggling that I was born during the extended British summer of love
This is just a great overall sounding record, no single track jumps out but the whole works, just a feel to the whole thing, great groove and interesting lyrically. Didn’t pay much attention when it came out, there was that odd bloke dancing about not appearing to do much else. Bowl hair cuts and baggy trousers. So Wasn’t expecting to like this but I did, liked it a lot. 4 Star
Honestly not bad. Not great or anything. But not bad.
What this list has taught me is that there are so many mediocre to just straight up awful bands out there.
Interesting stuff. Why is the first song called Kinky Afros when it’s sung by an all-white British band? Let’s not linger on that. It’s a decent album, a good vibe for my hour-long drive to my incredibly mediocre 5k performance in Black Lick, PA. Will probably not return, but good for a ride. A one-night bandstand. A one-night band. Whatever makes the best pun. See ya!
Muy buen disco, temazos geniales y en general una muy buena sorpresa. Con más escuchadas a este y otros de sus álbumes, seguro les pongo más calificación, pero de entrada lo disfruté bastante.
Love this album
It's not a mess. It has some interesting sound choices. I don't know about mandatory listening but sure, something like this in the list, why not. This is in the like 900s of 1,001. High 2 low 3.
This is a harmless fun album. Would be a great local bar band. A basic baseline example of a rock album.
Wasn't that into the Madchester scene but this album was always there or thereabouts for me. Good dancy tunes and E energy of the 90s. Nostalgia.
Very familiar with Kinky and God's Cop, just now listening to the rest. When on, really on. When working things out, curiouser and curiouser. I'm all ears. I don't want to rave about it, but it has some good moments, esp. in those first two.
I have a real soft spot for the Happy Mondays. Even now as drink and drug addled pensioners, they always look like they’re having fun. These are danceable tracks and suit my crazed head. I happily listened to all the 7 inches and the 12 inches and never got sick of them. And frankly, Bez makes me laugh.
This was all right. Some of the lyrics that I caught were pretty cool. The music never got terribly exciting, but there were some juicy guitar bits.
Loved this!! One of the most fun and best records I have listened to on this list. Surprised by the overall low rating. Fav Songs: Step On, Kinky Afro, Bob's Yer Uncle
For this kind of music I would rather just listen to David Byrne doing it better
alright. nothing stands out but still nice
Always thought Happy Mondays were a bit of a fun novelty band but this is the real deal. Tons of snotty attitude and danceability.
This really did nothing for me
This album felt like Mondays, and not happy ones. On paper there's no reason I should have disliked this so much, but something about taking relatively energetic music and making it so dreary by way of production just didn't work for me. It had a few decent moments, but overall I just struggled with a whole album of it.
very fun album
These drug-addled slobs were never built to last but their peak was magnificent and it is right here. Totally on groove, and with plenty of wit under its loose fitting clothes
𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 ’𝘯’ 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 captures the loose, hedonistic vibe of the Madchester scene, blending dance rhythms with rock elements in a relaxed, groove-oriented way. The album has a distinctive atmosphere and a certain charm, even if it often feels more about mood than strong songwriting. At the same time, it never fully grabs me. The laid-back approach can come across as unfocused, and the songs don’t always leave a lasting impression. It’s enjoyable in the moment, but ultimately a bit underwhelming.
I LOVE this album
One drink (or drug) too many - this results in simple everyday music.
I think I would have liked this at the time. At least enough to get the album. But I don't have the nostalgia to lean in on, so it falls a little flat.
Love and Rockets recall here. Maybe some Big Audio Dynamite as well. Definitely in the same vein. Its ok. Definitely has that Brit pop feel of the late 80's...
Another Fackin mediocre late 80s, early 90s Brit album. Objectively not a 1 star, but kinda fuck this album. And the most unnecessary hand percussion throughout.