Reviews (page 4 of 8)
I don’t know if I truly never came across the Happy Mondays during the 90’s (which would be why I don’t recall them at all) or if I did listen to their music and then permanently removed it from my brain. Either way, this is not my jam. I imagine this really hitting at a rave back when Special K and Molly were popular but it’s not doing much for me today. Catchy beats on a few of the tracks but I was truly just waiting for it to end.
Sounds like a club DJ and an Oasis cover band were both hired to play the same wedding by mistake, but instead of sending one away, they forced them to play together on the same stage at the same time. Atrocious. Also, what the fuck is with “Bob’s Yer Uncle”? That is a blatant sex crime and I someone needs to be arrested for recording that.
Never heard of these guys. I liked it quite a bit, great grooves. Great energy throughout the album, feel like they would be loads of fun to see live. I will say I don't much care for the vocals. Not a bad voice, just doesnt fit the music for me. But good album.
Don't like it
Not a bad monday to listen this to, was a decently good rockish album to vibe to whilst going to work. nothing special but not all music needs to be to be a vibe
This album screams the most boring parts of Britpop. It really just feels soulless, and the list makers really need to escape their British and American biases.
First impression:Not a huge fan of the vocals. They can be very yelly and sound dissonant to me. First song I enoyed was Loose Fit. From Dennis and Lois to Step On I really enjoyed the instrumental and beat of the music. Bobs your Uncles especially had a great dancing beat and fun flute part. Found myself bobbing along and enjoying even though I didnt love the whispery talk singing. Step On was one of the stand outs of the album for me. Holiday and Harmony were a shift to a grooviest bass heavy sound. Still enjoyed but not as much as the previous three. Harmony dragged on a bit and I was tired of it by the end. The rest of the album was remixes of previous songs. I got tired and didnt finish. Overall some fun moments but not something I would listen to beginning to end.
(65/100)
Kinky Afro - 3/5 God's Cop - 4/5 Donovan - 3/5 Grandbag's Funeral - 3/5 Loose Fit - 4/5 Dennis and Lois - 4/5 Bob's Yer Uncle - 2/5 Step On - 4/5 Holiday - 3/5 Harmony - 3/5 Average score: 3.3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ eh, it's okay. perhaps this is just lost on me as an American listener. was interesting learning about what "Madchester" was while listening, ya learn something new everyday
I didn't like this one 2/5
Not my genre
curious uk indie pop, straight from the late 80's (sound wise). is an ok listen.
****A good album, easy listening
En kuunnellut kun alku oli niin huono. 1,25/5.
5.5/10
Didn’t love the singers voice. A few beats and rhythms I enjoyed but probably wouldn’t listen to again
Not that the album is bad, it indeed has some good songs. But feels very generic. picks: Kinky Afro, god's cop, step on
There was some decent music on here but I don’t like the singer. His voice annoyed me to the point where I couldn’t enjoy most of this album. Harmony was a cool tune though.
whata Madcester
Rating: 2.2 Elevator music. They meander all over the place forever and do nothing.
Enjoyable and fun, with a good variety of instrumentation. Often noisy in a fun way.
2/5
Almost o.k. but also sometimes on the edge to annoying. In total nothing remarkable on for me. worst: "Grandbag's Funeral"
++: Kinky Afro, God's Cop, Grandbag's Funeral, Dennis and Lois, Holiday, Harmony +: Donovan, Loose Fit, Bob's Yer Uncle, Step On 8,2/10
This is an album that has the full essence of “Madchester”, but in that sweet spot era before it was hijacked by the rest of the country and promoted by way of that shower of wankers, Oasis. “Baggy” still isn’t quite my bag. But Shaun Ryder knows what he’s doing. I think. He can skirt the fine line between vulgar and sensual in Bob’s Yer Uncle, not a pleasant listen per se but a respectable one, which is more than can be said for other such overly sexual songs of the time and place. And of course, he can write a hit in Step On. While I think Ryder can probably never top Black Grape’s Shake Well Before Opening, this album here deserves its place as a staple with that whole aforementioned crowd. Something to be proud of, rather than fucking What’s the Story and similar. I’ll always find a way to diss Oasis through these Mancunian albums. An apology to Happy Mondays then, who here have made a really rather good album, that I probably won’t revisit. It twists my melon, man.
the movie 24 Hour Party People makes this band look bad. they're better than I would have thought the funniest thing about this band is their cover of The Boys Are Back In Town. it's not on here. 2 stars. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
There’s just so many albums that sound exactly like this one ya know
This album has its moments, but by and large just passed me by without too much notice. I feel like this falls into a similar category as Blur for me in that (a) it has a distinctly UK tone to it, (b) it all sounds fine, but (c) I just can't fully sink my teeth into it. Don't get me wrong some of the instrumentation here was nice (particularly the interplay between bass and guitar), and plenty of the songs were solid. But ultimately, I've forgotten this one as quickly as it came. And with that about as 3 as they come.
Upbeat and groovy. This one was a good one from start to finish. I particularly liked Dennis and Lis, Step on, and Holiday.
Went back to see if we have had a Happy Mondays album before and we have. And my review of this is pretty much a carbon copy "Had some pretty cool funk and guitar aspects. Singer was a bit bland. But overall an enjoyable album in the high 3 range."
Had its moments but also had some parts that dragged. Not great but not horrible. Firm 3.
I had no idea what this was before today, and at first I wasn't sure whether I liked it or not, but by the end of the album I was completely won over and I listened to it again. Cool melodies, crunchy, edgy guitar riffs and just overall cool and nice sounding music. Four stars.
I wanted to like this but I really did not…
This really clicked for me in some parts. Their interpolation and sampling of the vocal melody and chorus from Lady Marmalade by LaBelle was unexpected but worked. This album felt a bit like Achtung Baby by U2. And somehow The Stone Roses and The Jesus and Mary Chain. It's about 3.5 stars for me, rounded up to 4.
Not much to say here
Pas nul, juste long et chiant.
Enjoyed it, another fun one. Shaun Ryder seems like a laugh and you can hear it through this album. Step on is a great tune
Pretty cool album from a band I didnt know. Dot. Think it males the top 1,000 but pretty cool
It only just occured to me as I was playing this album how much EMF's "Unbelievable" has messed up my perception of Madchester. When I imagined the genre in my head, I heard big guitars, a running beat, lots of energy... Y'know, jock jam shit. Shit you could put next to 2 Unlimited. So, you can imagine my surprise, then, when I started listening to an actual, foundational Madchester record and it's... Not that. It's not hype at all! That's not to say Madchester, as last as I'm taking it from this album, is slow or anything. It has a clear pulse to it. But I can tell, it's much more inspired by indie rock, acid house and 60's psychedelia and pop. It's way more chill than I would've expected. And I can imagine that a younger me would've been disappointed by this fact. "Y'mean it's **not** as pump-up as this EMF song? That's lame!" But I'unno, listening to it at the age I am, in the state of mind I was in... I dug it. It's just such a fuckin' vibe, man. And a damn groovy, danceable one, too. I mean, the problem I have with a lot of music I imagine is supposed to be dance music is that I can't imagine how anybody **could** dance to it. That's why a lot of electronica falls short in my eyes. But this? Oh, I can imagine absolutely getting loose to it. Hell, even in my chair I was movin' my stuff a little. I hear "Bob's Yer Uncle" is lyrically about a creepy guy — heck if I care, though! The acoustic guitar workin' together with the bongos are too good! And the flute that pops in? Oh, yes, please, I am **down** for this. If I've got any problems with this album... Maaaaybe these songs could have been cut down a liiiittle? I can absolutely jive to these grooves, don't get me wrong, but I'd be lying if I said I couldn't agree with a fellow group member that maybe these outros go on for a little long. Myself, I don't think it's radio DJs; I think it's to keep the energy pumping in the club. But I'm not at the club, nor on MDMA, so... But it's hardly enough to knock it any big points. Regardless, though, consider my interest in this scene fully renewed. I don't know if I'm going as wild for it as British critics were back in the day, but dang, yeah, this is good stuff, and I had a lot of fun listening to it. I guess this is another win for the Gorillaz stamp of quality — I mean, "DARE' in no way prepared me for what this would sound like, but still. I'm pretty happy, y'all Mondays. (And seriously — what was I thinking, defining Madchester by an EMF song? I don't think they're even Madchester to begin with! Maybe they started in there, but do they sound like this? No! And maybe they coulda lasted a little longer if they did. But, eh, somehow I think they'd still be One Hit Wonders b/w an "I'm A Believer" cover for Comic Relief. Ah well. OH!)
Madchester is one of those kinds of music movements that are there for a short, yet very sweet time, and this album proves that in spades. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. As most Americans probably do, I only know Shaun Ryder from being on “DARE” by Gorillaz. This is his band, and this is the first album we’re getting from the two albums they have on the list. I sort of knew about his speaking style, but I think “DARE” gives a sort of bad impression; it’s just a little bit out of his range, and the difference between his lower tone & the falsetto that the chorus is sung in makes him feel… not lazy, but more dulled down. It didn’t give me super high hopes going in, but I figured this would still be nice. Thankfully, I’m a bit of a moron. Shaun’s got good vocals here; it could be the 15 year difference showing, but I just think these tracks are far more suited to his range & as such, they pleasantly surprised me. Yes, he’s still got the speaking style to his vocals, but sometimes he really does glide on the beats in a melodic way, especially when he’s surrounded by the energy of the instrumentals. Speaking of these instrumentals, I’m pretty surprised at how coherently this mix of styles works; we’ve apparently gotten Madchester albums in the past, but this is the first one that feels so upfront about it. This is 90s electronica meeting 60s psych rock (with just a hint of the Britpop sensibilities of the mid-90s to come), and it works very, very well. Lyrically, I do think the album is a little loose, but given that this is probably filled with a handful of UK-adjacent references & my belief that the lyrics are probably the least important aspect here (though they do enhance a few tracks), it’s not that big of a deal. I think “Bob’s Yer Uncle” is the track where they matter the most, and it’s just to give even more of a creepy lean to the character being portrayed – Shaun’s whispery vocals are already slightly unsettling & combine it with an instrumental that feels as upbeat as it does, and you get the most interesting track on the album. As far my favorite goes, it’s probably “Loose Fit” or “Step On”, though it’s the type of versatile album where I can see any track being someone’s favorite. So, why a 4.5 and not a flat 5? Occasionally, Shaun’s flatter vocals do come in & bring down the energy, and that’s part of it, but it really does just come down to the outros on this thing adding far too much filler time to the album. I’m not saying time is an extreme premium or anything, but this could’ve easily been 3-4 minutes shorter by just trimming down some of the outros that go absolutely nowhere. I know it’s probably just a radio quirk to allow hosts to get their monologues / throws to the next track in, but… save those copies for the radio stations & not for the album version, you know? As a whole, the flaws aren’t that big, and I just found this far too enjoyable to seriously consider bumping it down to a 4; for my tastes, it’s an easy bump to a 5. I think I wanna listen to more Madchester stuff now; I’m not sure what else qualifies on the list, but I’m ready for it if it’s there. As fast as Happy Mondays goes, I can only hope that “Bummed” is as good of an album as this one was, whenever it comes up.
Fine, nothing exciting. 5.0
Joyful chaos from the heart of Madchester. Every track has its own hook and beat, but it all flows in the same funky, grinning haze. A total vibe of swagger and playfulness—five stars, highly recommended.
This was a hard album to pin down. Just when you thought you settled into Brit-pop it pivoted to house music. It was wild and fun. Something about the compositions didn’t land for me, but I appreciate what it’s up to. I’m sure some raging parties went down listening to it.
Meh. I think I’ve figured out that it’s only ok when Prince sings about sex explicitly and no one else is allowed. I like the remixes in the Collecor’s Edition ok, but I’m fine if I don’t hear this again. New artist for me, by the way.
Un álbum enérgico y divertido. Me resulta como una combinación de The Rollings Stones con Gorillaz (por la sonoridad general, la energía, la voz y las melodías). No sé si considero que sea un álbum particularmente memorable, pero creo que con ánimo adecuado se disfruta bastante. No tengo mucho más para destacar.
I could list a handful of british bands who listened to this and made ripping it off their entire identity. This is an excellent album, one that I am leaning towards giving a 5 straight away.
Fav Song: Step On
I'm torn... I really enjoyed many songs of this album, but it felt waaay too long! that's the problem with albums that include 40% of repeat songs. If we took out the last 30 mins of this album, it would have been a 4.5, but... 3.5
Funky
9/22/25. Didn't know what to expect, what a pleasant surprise! Not sure why I get a little tropical vibe, but the songs are uplifting and laid back while still having a rock sound. The guitar work vaguelely reminds me of The Police. A bit high praise? Maybe. But enjoyed this album a lot!
Some of this was pretty good and overall it was fairly listenable, it's just a bit cheesey and tedious.
Not quite
This sounded average and mediocre and not worthy of this list.
It was nice
Nah there’s no way someone heard this and thought ‘That’s one of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard’; I don’t believe it. It’s the epitome of average, nothing bad but nothing good.
Don't really know how to categorize this but there is some good songwriting moments on here as well as some fun instrumentation
This album is pretty iconic, and much more solid than I expected it to be. The three best songs are the singles of course (Kinky Afro, Step On, Loose Fit), but the general vibe is great, and it's an important point in the evolution and popularisation of dance music.
They must have been a very charismatic live band. They were one of the main underground bands of their time. Can’t be because of the music. Especially the singing is really bad. I don’t like anything about this record.
Absolutely nothing about this is noteworthy.
Oh HELL no. This is suffering. Atonal, says nothing, no aesthetic, not heavy, not light, no real plotline or narrative, this is like blur but without any charisma. Deeply uncool music. It's not even small guys or a home made aesthetic. There are literal bedroom USB stick albums better than this.
Excellent record, completely under-appreciated...
A few stand out tracks, and overall a decent album
From a good era of music. The music itself was good and nice to listen to but the vocals didn't grab me. Step on the highlight.
Lekker prog raar album, wel leuk
I enjoyed this album quite a bit. There are quite a few catchy tracks on the album.
Fantastic album. Bridges the gap between pop, dance, hip-hop and indie and creates a really tight piece that never takes itself too seriously.
I always saw people with shirts for this band. Or maybe hats? But never heard them. I can’t even remember seeing their records at record stores. “Kinky Afro” is doing nothing for me. But I remember everyone in happy Mondays gear always looking sad. And this song tracks with that. 🤣😂 Second track is better. I like the groove. And I wonder if the lo fidelity all stars took inspiration from this track. It sounds like whatever their hit was (battle flag). “Donovan” reminds me of a PIL song, right down to Johnny Rotten vocals. I’m on the 4th track now. So far this album is not for me.
It’s not that it’s bad, but it’s not a style that speaks to me. I find the songs too long for my tastes.
I gave Bummed three stars and compared it to a different version of James. The comparison to James is still apt, as so much of what Happy Mondays does sounds like James, especially on the first half of this one. I enjoyed Pills 'n Thrills and Bellyaches more than Bummed. It starts off really strong and then does taper off a bit towards the back half (except for Step On). I can tell they were working with Paul Oakenfold because there is a more "dancey" sound to this one. The feeling here is very, very Brit-pop. Proving that Oasis helped to make it popular but there were other bands doing Brit-pop before it was even considered a genre by most. I would recommend this one over Bummed, as this has better songwriting and just is an overall better album. Step On started off with such a 90's R&B keyboard lick that I thought C&C Music Factory had taken over my Spotify. Kinky Afro God's Cop Donovan Loose Fit Dennis and Lois Step On
There was nothing memorable about this. 2/5
I don't think The Happy Mondays should be represented twice on this list. But, this album was better than their first.
Forgettable pop rock from the 90's. But since it's British it makes on the list.
I had extremely low expectations for this record. I should have only had low expectations. It was “better” than expected.
80s indie rock dance music. Worked for me.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit more than the other Happy Mondays album on the list. I would listen to this one again, happily.
It's not as bad as I expected. Kinda like Oasis, but instead of just doing heroin and alcohol, they did ecstasy
There’s 2 well known songs on it. This doesn’t make it a good album
A mixed bag, some great sounds but some pretty monotonous filler.
You can't put an album on the 1001 great albums ever because it has one great track.
Medium Tuesday. Expected more fun than I got, but a reasonably good listen.
Eh. Not bad but not great. Poppy techno adjacent U2 sounding brit band. The singer even sounds like he's trying to channel Bono on quite a number of the tracks.
When this album was released I was in my prime music ingestion period and I've never heard one song. 35 years later it sounds like the rest of the generic Brit-Pop that floods this list so I don't know if it was a lack of my discovering Happy Mondays or just this list being this list. 3/5
There were a couple of good songs here. A solid 2.5.
3+ Stars (9/15)
🫤
Nothing that struck a chord. Just kinda blah.
I really liked the music on this. I was going to go four stars on this, but some of the lyrics were... off-putting. I'm not a prude, but come on, don't be weird.
Got through half and sorta gave up was a decent album though from what I heard.
Some strangely recognizable tunes in this collection. A pretty unique sound. Not bad.
There is nothing wrong with it but it is just....eh. it tends to drone on. It isn't bad, but I don't think I NEEDED to listen to this. The songs are fun, but eh. Actual Rating....2.5. Liked Songs: "Kinky Afro" , "God's Cop" , "Donovan" , "Dennis And Lois" , "Step On" , "Holiday" , "Tokoloshe Man"
60/1001 :: Happy Mondays - Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 6 Fav Tracks: Kinky Afro Listen before you die: No This I like one of those albums that your friend puts on and you’re like “This is pretty cool, What is this?” then proceed to never listen again. Then one day you’re at a house party having a couple cocktails and they got some New Wave Spotify station. And right after a super dope Echo & the Bunnymen song comes on; Happy Monday’s Step On plays. You turn your friend and say “ohh I know these cats, my friend Rob loves them!”… And that’s it. That’s as far as it goes.
Okay.
Did not finish. Pretty forgettable.
Silly and funny. I'd have trouble placing this in time, but I think I would guess the 90s, which is barely correct.
This is like vanilla ice cream, but they forgot to put in the vanilla. Yaaaaawn. Very forgettable 90's pop. I won't give it a 1* because it doesn't sound that bad. Definitely not "must hear" for me.
Totally unfamiliar with this, but enjoyed this more than I was expecting I would.
5/10…madchester / 90s indie
This didn’t twist my melon, man
I liked this better than their other one but I still don't think there is anything here for me. will probably only ever listen to step on again.
There was nothing about this that I disliked but it just did nothing for me.
Oh. Another one of these albums.
Lidt anonymt
The rat and cat sat on the mat type of lyrics with a voice that bad, you're in for a poor time
Quite an interesting album, the genres are mixed quite nicely 2/5
Most songs sounded the same, didn't really grip me
every song sounded the same - droney af
Upbeat, fun, dance-able. This was alright.
Interesting enough and has aged well. Some good guitar-playing too. But although this was a pleasant one, I don't see its significance, if you're not a member of the 90's Manchester party scene.
I really only know Happy Mondays from its cover of “Tokoloshe Man,” which was on Rubáiyát, the compilation marking Elektra’s 40th anniversary. That cover was absolutely outstanding—and featured an edge that’s largely missing from Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches. “Kinky Afro” is probably my favorite song here. Maybe a vibe with a little less rave and a little more punk would’ve hit the sweet spot?
Listened to hallelujah kinky afro I don't know what kind of music these are or how am I supposed to enjoy these. Could be that I'm ignorant.
En nice blanding af rock og dance. Det er britisk festkultur i slut 80'erne og starter 90'erne. Det hedder åbenbart Madchester musik hvor man blander baggy rockgrooves, acid housebeats, psykedeliske guitarer og funky basgange. Historien eller albummet skulle gerne føles som en nat i byen hvor virkelighed og hallucination blandes. Det er åbenbart en af de definitive madchester albums. Baggy betyder det er loose og groovebaseret, langsomme og dansebare rytmer.
Madchester saints giving good vibes while pushing up the tempo
Couldn't get past the whine
Good record
completely mid and forgettable
Never been huge on the Happy Mondays. This isn't bad by any stretch, infact there are some great individual parts and the singles are solid, but it's just not my bag. Half way through you forget you're listening to a rock band and it's like you're in a dance club, which obviously is the aim. If you like old school dance you'll probably love this.
Yep definitely pills involved
Grandbag's Funeral riff was a little bit of something... but not really Damn like this stuff isn't THAT crazy or different. I am surprised they got as big as they did.
Can someone explain this band to me ? Because I truly don’t get it. I don’t understand what they’re trying to do, and I don’t understand what people see in them. It just feels so completely amateurish to me, it was painful to listen. The music is abysmal, and the singing feels like nails on a chalkboard (seriously, the singer sounds like the local tavern drunk was allowed on stage for a live karaoke session). I tried listening as background music, but even then it was exhausting. Sorry, I just can’t.
Got quite samey but it is a vibe..
Good music. I can see how if you were 15 and in Manchester in 1990 this would become your entire personality.
Lowered my expectations and it turned out okay.
Pretty ok to decent album. Had some bops. Yet another British band that the list includes over many other deserving artists
Lots of fun, college memories at the dawn of Madchester.
Was just rather blah
8/10 - pretty good! very unique for a rock album :)
Fun ‘90s flashback.
Profoundly boring and inspiring. The opening song is remotely interesting, it goes downhill fast after that. It sounds like something Rick created, Neil is into and Vyvyan rightly trashes. 90s music in all the wrong ways.
It was fine. I dunno, left me cold
Overrated drivel.
So a little less than half way through the album I realized I don't really like it. So I skimmed through the other songs hoping to hear something that'll catch my ear, but I didn't. It's like Oasis vocals mixed with The Stone Roses instrumentals but somehow it's not good despite something that could easily work. I didn't finish it, I didn't like it, I'm sure someone else would.
Shocked, surprised snd thoroughly impressed. Based on the album cover I thought we'd be listening to some 1990s disco infused hip hop pop junk like Dee Lites. But no, bulletproof, groovy, influential britpop and rock. Blends and encapsulates all the 4 britpop super groups into one amalgam of delightful listening. If listened to critically you can here disco grooves and rythmns of Stone Roses, sonic qualities of Blur, song structures of Pulp, and the vocal stylings of Oasis but 4 years early. Ill need some more time with this band but its a great listen. Especially on friday, with friday beers in the pipeline later.
If there's ever been a more Madchester album than this one, I haven't heard it. The Happy Mondays were born out of the Factory Records scene, the fiercely independent record label that was home to Joy Division and (just about) everything else that come out of Manchester influenced by the Sex Pistols. As Joy Division would give way to the dancier, synth-laced New Order, so would other bands start to bring post punk to the dancefloor. The Happy Mondays were supposedly pretty chaotic behind the scenes, but they really delivered on this new style, aided by the production of DJ Paul Oakenfold. Primal Scream would follow this path a year later, enlisted electronic artist Andrew Weatherall to produce their celebrated "Screamadelica". While "Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches" may not have achieved the same fame, it's arguably the more exciting album, with hits like "Step On" and "Loose Fit" lighting up Factory's infamous club with a brightness that Primal Scream could never quite reach. If it sounds a little dated now, remember that it was very much a product of its time and place and should be remembered for the achievement it reached at the time.
It was ok at best. Nothing special.
72/1001. I saw the movie 24 hour party people and ecer since have tried to find a good, danceable, party song by the Happy Mondays, but never succeeded. Most of their stuff just floats around, which I guess is their thing. In the end it all feels mediocre.
Definition of class ! Dennis and Lois is an underrated banger!
Pop rock, echoey feel
I don’t always listen to the music of the Madchester era, but when I do, it’s the Happy Mondays.
Background music for a movie that couldn't afford licensing for U2 songs.
Schräg, sexy, tanzbar, kaputt.
Liked it more than I remembered liking it 👍
I can’t put my finger on why, but i found this album to be extremely irritating
Love it. This thing should let me give half points though. To bump up (this) or bump down (a lot).
nassahtava indie + dance albumi kelpaa
I would use the word "nonoffensive jangly brit pop rock" for this. i didn't care for the other Happy Monday's record but this one's fine. well produced/played. The songs just don't stick in my head.
Got this on a Wednesday what the hell (2.5/5)
Fun, easy listening.
I've definitely heard worse, but on the flipside of that coin, I have absolutely heard better. If Oasis, U2, and The Stone Roses merged together to form a super band, only to be mediocre, that would be the Happy Mondays. The fact that I actually know one song on this record entitled "Step On," surprised the hell out of me. This album wouldn't necessary be a hard pass, but rather a relatively firm pass if I ever came across it in the future.
This is a pretty middle of the road late 80's/90's album. Nothing was too good or too bad. It was just average overall.
Bridging this Britpop gap between the farm and oasis. It’s fine
Just another plain Euro album. Didn’t hurt the ears nor did it please the ears
Mediocre album…did do much for me.
Some decent cuts and beats but got old after a bit
I know, I know that curating any list of albums that are the best, most significant, or popular is always going to be an impossible task. But seriously, THIS album? How can its inclusion be justified? It's not that popular, or good, or influential, is it? The band has a separate maraca player, for God's sake. This is perhaps the most glaring example of the curators' Britpop-philia so far. And to top it off, I didn't enjoy this at all. Flat, tuneless, lyrics that are nearly meaningless.
“step on” is way better than the other songs, like those were all practice. a lot of it isn't bad though, especially the last three. kinda ham handed with too much corn in some cringe choruses (“yippee yippee ay ye ye ye”; “do what you’re doing…”). it’s all right.
Never listened to this all the way through. Super fun. Bunch of weirdos making art kids shake their butts.
First impression: Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches is a terrible name for a band. Wait, that's the album's name. Ok. I find with this kind of music, from this era, I always have to contextualize it in an effort to enjoy it. It doesn't often happen at face value. Which is funny, because for so many other genre's from different time periods, I don't have to remind myself that it was a slice of life, or cutting edge for the time to give it a fair shake A few tracks in, this record from Happy Mondays is no different. DONOVAN is the first track that is doing anything for me. It's pretty dancy, and I like it's low-fi downtempo beat at the top of the track, with the cheesy little accordian. Guitar wails later on. I like it. BOB'S YER UNCLE gets the nod just for the little sax lick, if for nothing else STEP ON is a stand out. This is a low 3 for me. Don't get it completely yet but they are tryin shit. It's the 90's man!
Decent.
OK.
Great album. It combined sleaze, humour , bass and good times into one glorious swirling funk of an album. My soundtrack.
This collection seems rather heavy on British rock from around 1990. A lot of it sounds the same.
Neat album cover. They were OK otherwise. Seems like nothing special. 2.5, I will round down.
Forgetting about it already
It was alright
very meh
I have never heard of this band before and even though that isn't uncommon on this list I am surprised that I didn't even recognize the one song that had 60-120 times the amount of listens as the others. Its another band that feels very "meh" to me. No song that I enjoy enough to save to a playlist or that I feel the need to hear again but nothing wrong or bad with the music either. I don't really get why it appears on this list. What does the author want us to experience by hearing the album? Its noting revolutionary and doesn't do anything unique in my eyes and its not early enough to have influenced a genre as some other albums on this list have.
This was fun and interesting. It’s definitely on the better side of British indie. Cool and obscure sounds, but also groovy and vibey. I like the psych side of it and also the kind of pop vocals and harmonies.
Cool album with a nice and recognisable opening song, that very quickly makes you irritated and angry. Maybe Madchester wasn't that mad, in the end. Nice record in small doses.
Really bland album that would deserve a spot on the "1001 Albums You Don't Need to Listen to Before You Die" list. Cheesy songs, annoying vocals - Happy Mondays is not my cup of tea. 2/5
one of the most one of the most one of the most one of the most one of the most one of the most one of the most one of the most ... öööh... ööh mitä.. heräsin just koomasta.. mitä tapahtui.. mikä tämä on.. happy mondays..jaha.. karvinen ei varmaan tykkää hähhähä.. where could my pipe be? gaaaarfieeeeeld... tähän meri nuoruus. kun alotin olin nuorempi kun sinä nyt.. koomassa kuulin kaiken. kuulin kaiken ja en unohtanut mitään. ja mitä sä puhuit.. valitus valitus ja valitit vaan!!! sasattana!! täältä tulee kostaja! kostan saatana sinun säälittävä paska elämä loppuu nyt! et enää puhu kenellekkään god scop
Eh, it was fine. I didn't dislike it :shrug:
Not a very interesting one, weird lyrics, but the backing vocals were nice. 3/10
Never heard of this group but they’re fantastic. Loved this album
Loved it! Had a Stone Roses vibe …
Good album, though its chaotic energy does not give me the motivation to revisit it.
This was kind of forgettable for me
Ooh, will I give this a nostalgia tinged 5? It’s a great album, a bit unhinged and a lot of fun. Let’s be honest the production probably makes it . I was dancing around the room much to my cat’s bemusement. I guess that makes it worthy of a 5
Owned a copy of this album since 1990. Singles are still awesome but Dennis and Lois is my fav.
Funky
7/10
Bah, sort log leads me down a meandering path but doesn’t quite ever latch onto me.
Alright, let's spin Happy Mondays' Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches. I'm landing this one somewhere between 3.75 and 4 stars right now, and honestly, that number might creep up the more I give it a proper listen. Funny thing is, I didn't really give this album much attention back when it came out. Even though they're exactly the kind of band I was into back then – you know, like [insert a similar band you liked, e.g., "Stone Roses" or "Inspiral Carpets"] – it just kinda flew under my radar. But now? Yeah, this thing's definitely growing on me. It's got that undeniable groove, those distinctive vocals, and just a whole vibe that's hard to ignore. It's quirky, it's danceable, and it's got that undeniable alternative rock vibe. I'm kicking myself for sleeping on it all those years. Worth a revisit, for sure.
En sjanger jeg egentlig er ganske nysgjerrig på, men vokalen her ødelegger til tider litt
Melon well and truly twisted
Just so happens that I listened to this on a Monday, and I was Happy that I did. Never heard it before, and it didn't take long for me to to get over my general disdain for Manchester (specifically their football clubs). I willing embrace this aspect of the local music scene
Decent listen.
Better than bummed, but still not my type of thing. Maybe I just need to do more drugs.
Found this bland and a bit annoying.
I like this quite a lot even if I was sceptical at first. I love the way they channel a lot of the sixties music through more modern indie sounds of the time and dancing beats. Some songs even have a bit of a gritty Rolling Stones flavor.
I wasn'y happy about the Happy Mondays
Better than the other one, as far as I can remember. It's alright, but not that good either.
Was it a joke?
Not that great
De är så jävla dryga i bandet men trots allt är det ett fullt godkänt album.
felt kinda boring
I thought i would like this more. Im usually a fan of british 90s psych. But this album does little to diffrentiate it from its contemporarys. 6/10 Favourite: Kinky Afro Least Favourite: Holiday
Wow, a not…that impressive 200th album. As a britpop fan I myself is trying to be impressed. So here's a joking prayer for the whole Madchester/Baggy scene: O rise, you great(er) Manchester boys, reveal your rave scenes and your parkas, your drugs and your drum machines, your pills and the nightclub trills, tell me your directions while you were getting high, zooming inside unknown pleasures, but still fall at the feet of the latecomers, cause they are the arching sky, the wind, the lighting, and the resurrection. 3/5
I was surprised by this one- I had never heard of the band before. They have a nice sound and a couple of hits.
A surprise 4 for me.
There is a real mad, untamed energy about the Happy Mondays. I was familiar with the band from the movie 24 Hour Party people, and have only heard a few songs before. Overall I dig it, and I think there is enough worth revisiting here.
eh
Kinky Afro and Step On aside this was quite plodding
liked this album a lot, groovy and a rock sound, one of my fav genres.
The best way to describe this album: Have you been to a family party/wedding where the drunken uncle decided to sing a song? Yep it's like that, fun at first but ends in disaster type of life events.
Nice enough but don’t see how it’s possibly interesting enough to be on this list
Another album I didn’t know about that I’m happy to know now! Fun.
I’d give this six stars and a cherry on top if I could!
High three on this one tbh it has bangers but most of it is sort of boring
IT was OK.
We mancs like to listen to a lot of shite, but this was great. Some of these basslines are sexy
Bumping
Turns out I am not mad fer it.
Always liked them from the Greatest Hits album. This one is also good stuff
It made me Happy on a Wednesday
Think it's just perfectly pleasant
The name didn't say anything, but then I recognized the sound of many song. Remembered me of the first time I listened to the Stone Roses, I enjoyed it
This is a different spin on the new wave/electronic 80s stuff. I like it better than most of that stuff, but it’s still just okay.
This is a new-to-me band and album that I really enjoyed. Great instrumentals and vocals. Easy to move through it twice. High 3.
A hybrid rock/dance thing, sort of Clash-like. Probably an album that wouldn't appear in a list like this that wasn't British-centered. Kinky Afro sounded familiar, but it may be just because the "yipee yipee" part sounds just like the "gitchy gitchy" part of Lady Marmalade. Rip off or homage? Anyway, the singer has this tendency to elongate the last word of a phrase, and that can get annoying. Otherwise, it's a just OK album.
not really outstanding
Another I think they suffers from not being heard at the time with context. Big tracks are great
Good stuff. Never been sure about them but this was class. Definitely need to be in the right vibe but today I am. The well known ones are good but particularly enjoyed God's Cop and Harmony as new ones to me.
Not terrible. I’d give it 3 stars.
wait this is so sick wtf
Madchester!!
Full of bangers, still sounds the biz.
Feel like a traitor to my fellow countrymen but this is not that fantastic. However, I can't believe anyone thinks Oasis are groundbreaking when HM exist. This just sounds like better Oasis to me.
3/5
I liked the first track, but the album lost its shine after that. Still not bad, though. Favorite: Kinky Afro
I had no idea what to expect from this album. Fun high energy songs mostly. Just good enough to make it into my collection...for now....might change my mind later.
Well, that was fun!
Was a fun nostalgic listen, but didn’t grab me or make me want to revisit regularly. 3.5 if half stars were available!
3.0/5.0: Good
middle of the road album. not good, not bad
8/10 Excellent stuff, really enjoyed this. The definitive Baggy album? Step On perfectly encapsulates the early 90s. Really well put together, can hear influence on things like Blur and Beta Band. Best: Step On
pretty dull
I thought this was pretty great. My first listen, and I’ll definitely revisit Madchester again.
Give them one more chance.
Not really my thing but can appreciate it
4 - not bad at all! thought I was gonna have to suffer through this, but it actually had a fair bit of depth
I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting to. What I expected to find annoying - Shaun Ryder’s vocals - are quite conveniently buried in the mix at times. They usually don’t overstep the mark. The instrumentation is engaging and has aged much better than I would’ve thought too. In my mind Happy Mondays occupied a cornier tier of music than The Stone Roses and Primal Scream, but I think that was an unjust preconception. For a few seconds at the start of Dennis and Lois you could even imagine you were listening to a Curtis Mayfield track. Fave Tracks: Kinky Afro, Dennis and Lois, Step On 3.9/5
It was a fine album. Good for the background ya know. I did like the bass player.
Listening to this inspired me to watch 24hr party people!
110/1089 - Singer is out of tune and the songs are repetitive dance songs. Surprisingly didn't hate it though, and I understand why it's on the list (kind of a proto-Screamadelica sound).
Day489 - normally anything with electronica in the description turns me off but this was a great. everything seemed to blend perfectly
Nothing stand-out, but it is a solid representation of that pre-grunge early 90's sound.
This album is just a glorious rush. One of the reasons it's just so enduring is that there are so many memorable tunes that could have been singles (but that would have been too corporate for Factory Records). "Son, I'm thirty/I only went with your mother 'cos she's dirty" is one of the best opening lyrics to an album ever. I was going to give it 4 stars as I previously thought it tails off for the last two tracks but listening in one go it still had me smiling to the end.
Happy Mondays? More like Miserable Wet Thursday Afternoons in Manchester. I've never understood why this band was so popular because to me they sound like just another group of whining Mancs. Their covers of the two John Kongos hit singles from the 70s are passable, but only just.
Pretty decent album from a band I had never heard of. 4 stars or B-.
I was never into the happy mondays. The songs aren't bad, but don't catch me
Om livet var en dressmanreklam
Shaun Ryder's distinctive 'can't really be arsed' singing voice is equal parts fun and distinctive and also a little grating after an hour. I've never really understood why a simple piano motif repeated over and over and over and over constitutes a danceable tune but they seem to make it work. I respect it for the part it played in British music of the 90s and there's some baggy stuff it inspired that I can get behind. I'm fine with having heard this a couple of times and moving on.
Hvítir strákar að syngja um "kinky afro"... hmmmm soldið spes Það minnir mig smá á "you've been kris jennered" lagið "yippy yippy yaya dada" Næsta lag er reyndar frekar woke þannig ég er smá confused Það er bara verið að moana á fullu í Bob's yer Uncle Þetta er í heildina ekki beint mitt vibe. Ekki eitt lag sem fær að fara á playlista.
..
New band to me, and nothing I really have to say about this album. Totally middle of the road, easily listenable but easily ignorable. 3/5
This one's on the better side of Manchester. Nice listening, Loose Fit was a standout for me.
1 Stern
A bit choppy and inconsistent but okay overall. Didn't blow me away but had enough sway and rhythm to earn a passing grade.
Interesting
Fun background music
Did nothing for me.
Helt ålreit
Helt kurant tidlig 90's pop/alternativ. Produksjon var bra på plata var bra, fengende.
I know the mental fans go for earliers but this is my favourite Mondays album, bought when it was released. For me, it's the musical high water mark of Madchester.
Pretty fun, not 100% on all of it but decent
DNF
A really fun album throughout and one of the gems of Madchester from the early 1990s. The production is great and the whole album is consistent and cohesive. The songwriting is not as great as The Stone Roses' debut, for instance but it is a really great album that I enjoy listen. Step On is one if those songs that I will never get tired of. 4.5 stars.
Very dancy, but wasn’t in love with the vocal performance. Probably not something I’ll return to.
Top stuff
The Good: Mondays can be happy! The Bad: If we take pills… The Ugly: That same Monday without the pills… Yeah… not my thing. And too long to boot. Why? I guess the love for all that is British, from Manchester, or Liverpool, is all that matters at times? Any why does the “next Beatles” always need to try so hard in reinventing music? Why can’t they just make nice music in a way that hasn’t been done before? Will go down the middle… but should give this 2*
Happy Mondays... Very much a product of Manchester
Not for me
Experimental album with some very catchy instrumentation. Sadly the lead singer's voice was really jarring to me, which ruined everything for me.
2.5
A bit of a banger.
Loose fit is sublime, a woozy anthem for the baggy times. There are a couple of other gems on here, too - Kinky Afro and Step On, especially
Britpop again. Mediocre again. Gets you moving if you think soccer is thrilling, peas should be mushy, and you drink hot tea all day
eh its fine. Upbeat 90's British alt rock. Put me in a good mood actually. Makes you feel like moving.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Very 90s dance music which was a surprise!
**** FOUR STARS **** First listen to the Happy Mondays and I like it!
3 maybe 4
This is kinda boring ngl.
Some GREAT songs and a bunch of good ones.. and an occasional “meh”. Overall really liked this though
Ganz okay. Macht nüd falsch, stecht aber nüd gross use.
This was an easy one to bail halfway through. Sure whatever it’s okay but I didn’t need to hear it before I die. I imagine the author got laid to Bob’s Yer Uncle and he never let it go.
Pretty good British pop rock
I liked it but it felt one dimensional
Relentless and not really for me. (27 known/57 new)
This is wahat college radio sounded like in the late 80s. Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Ned's Atomic Dust Bin, Jesus Jones - to a lesser degree The The. But now, a couple of these instrumental intros sound like the music that would play on a live TV streaming sevice when they don't have a commercial to show. This album is pretty solid though 3.75
Pretty average. Nothing really interesting, but not bad music either. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
This was a long bad album
Belle surprise car j'étais clairement passé à côté de ce groupe. Encore des anglais. Chant à la Perry Farrell. Plans de gratte bien envoyés. Ca fait un album très satisfaisant.
It seems a bit conventional to me; it's as if their music inspired other artists... or they were inspired by others. But ultimately, the album is average... There aren't any major hits, and it's easy to forget. I had a good time listening to it, but I'm pretty sure I won't listen to it again.
Great
I had never heard of this band, and I just found out that Manchester, in 1990, could give birth to a group that sounds like it’s from 1985. I understand that they make sense because it vaguely contributed to the early days of the local electronic scene.Their most prominent member is a dancer/maracas player who can neither dance nor play the maracas. This album is supposed to be the peak of their short career.
This sure is…fine.
Seltsam. Seltsam. Seltsam. Wie schafft man es, dass etwas wie eine Mischung aus Britpop und Eurodance klingt? 2 1/2 aber ich runde auf, weil das schon was anderes ist.
There’s definitely some enjoyable rhythm and groove here, but the vocals are buried in the mix and hard to make out. While the album has a consistent vibe, none of the songs really stand out above the rest. It’s a decent listen, but nothing that truly grabs me.
I was born in Manchester and spent most of my early life away from the city so I’m biased in my judgement of a lot of Manchester bands from this era. Saying that, I always loved the happy Mondays and they always felt like the best of the Manchester bands of the time