Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Fine enough, but there are better versions of listening to a whole band drop acid and smoke.
This was a complete non starter for me. I couldn't give it much attention but when I did I wasn't impressed.
What this list has taught me is that there are so many mediocre to just straight up awful bands out there.
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.
One drink (or drug) too many - this results in simple everyday music.
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.
This album has a lot of elements that I theoretically should like, but I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of it. I think I'm going to have to re-evaluate some of my earlier ratings because this album really showed me what a 2/5 is.
Meh
🎧Like Garfield, I love lasagna and hate Mondays
Well I like who they influenced but I can't particularly say I like them
Mid
Dirty and boring.
it feels boring. average songs.
Not my thing
Woah, I saw this bright billboard collage album art and wasn't expecting quite what I got. It's a group of "happy" rockers and they're decent, but a dedicated listen turned me off a bit. The band is talented and eccentric, the effort goes through a rollercoaster of sound, which works, but leans more towards a compilation than a dedicated studio effort. I also can't take the vocals and lyrics seriously at all. I might appreciate an instrumental version more. They're not bad, they're not great. They sound very '90s. I don't know how much I can appreciate the danceable rock concept. That's what funk is for. 2.3/5
There was a single tracks that I thought sounded kind of interesting, but only because it sounded nothing like the rest of the album. Jangly synth and back-of-the-throat vocals are just not my jam I guess.
Didn't really love it, don't think the band is for me.
This album is so nothing. There is nothing cool about it, no good hooks, nothing that grabs me and tells me to love it. It’s so bland and inoffensive to the point that I get angrier than I have the right to be.
I thought we had something here, but it came up short
Pretty forgettable
"This album is my first foray into the British indie-dance-rock genre called ""Madchester"". Pretty much 80s synth and unique indie sounds. Not really my cup of tea, ha ha"
Meh. Really don’t believe I needed to hear this before I die.
The proof that you can polish a t*rd. One of the most over-rated bands I have ever heard, spiffed up with shiny production to sound okay. I do quite enjoy some of the tracks here, but that is more down to the various remixers and producers involved than the band themselves. Happy to leave this one back in the time it came from.
You can tell the ‘1001 Albums…’ book was written and published in the UK with the amount of generic british pop/rock. It’s boring. Standout Songs: Kinky Afro Dennis And Lois Step On
It's very 90's in a way that I don't like or respect.
Bad
madchester more like badchester
Warum ist dieses Album in dieser Liste?
Not for me.
I don’t know man, but I just can’t see what’s so amazing about this album. Sound like like so many albums of that era… anyways… pass on this one.
Didn't care for it too much... Grungy video game music vibe, not enough variation for me. Overall 3/10
It's fine, kinda just Britpop slop and not in a really stand out way
It's like a bad blend of psychedelic rock, funk, and dance music. Favourite Track(s): Donovan Least Favoruite Track(s): Dennis and Lois
I suppose I've learned that I'm just not that into "Madchester" music.
Nothing wrong with it but just meh. Very doesn’t belong on a must listen to list. 0 songs added to playlist
a 5.5./10 best parts are when there is no singing involved(applicable to the beginning of the album, the later tracks are much better). The guitar riffs and production are much better and actually enjoyable then. I also don't speak British, that's a problem also Highlights: Dennis and Lois, Loose Fit, Step On, Kinky Afro(for the intro line tbh)
As my introduction to baggy this album was an ultimately forgettable experience. The instrumentals are pleasant enough (but nothing more) while the vocals are lackluster, and there’s just nothing exciting about it.
It has good riffs, but I found it a bit boring. "God's Cop" was my favorite track.
This should be something that I love, but taken as a whole I found it very same-sounding, like the whole thing is just one mid tempo hang. With its specific lyrical expressions and general laid back vibe it feels very specific to its place and time. I have a tolerance for corny ass cracker ass music (I love Ariel Pink and The 1975), but this really sounded like muzak after a bit. Maybe I can come to enjoy it more.
The sound may be influential and new for the time. The songs are mostly boring, though. Not one of the better examples of brit pop.
I feel like this album isn't mixed all that well and the music's generally really not that interesting. Not bad but there's nothing here that would motivate me to relisten.
kinda psychedelic, rock, indie songs? I'd probably give it a 2, i have to be in a specific mood to listen to it
Nothing particularly interesting going on here. Not terrible, but I won't come back to it.
Not really my cup of tea. I’d probably be nostalgic if I was in Manchester in the 90s I guess.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Closed Artwork: 🖍️👁️🤯 Production (2007 Remaster): 📈👂😖 Music: 🎶🥠🤷♂️ Rating:💊💊/5
Nice but whatever
No le encontré mucho gusto al disco, se me hizo algo olvidable. No era lo mío.
90's British Spoon? Way too many jangly 90's Brits on this list. This one was better than I thought tho.
Supremely missable
third rate cover band. Their Step On video has pissed me off for years (decades now) for being so uninspiring and lazily plopped together. Compared relatively to the effort the Party Boys and Chantoozies put in, Happy Mondays are a sad Sunday.
So much Brit-rock. I'm sure this means something to the folks over there, but my American brain can't connect to this. I do hear some different influences in this. It's not just another early '90's alternative sound. There's some '90's "dance-y" vibes in there. There's alternative rock and sounds that remind me of some of the later techno groups like Moby or Fat Boy Slim. The production quality was good too. All that said, the lyrics and melodies don't do anything for me. This sounds like backing tracks for a mid '90's dramedy; like a closing credits song, but not at the beginning of the credits, one later on when everyone has left the theater. Also, can someone please explain the etymology of the term "Bob's your uncle"?
Another 90’s British record that probably was meaningful in some way in England but never really caught on here. There are a few records from the Manchester scene that I like but these guys don’t do it for me at all
Not bad, but not remarkable, either. Another one where I'm confused by it being an "essential."
This feels like it's trying to be weird just for the sake of being weird. When it's not doing that it's just a big snooze-fest. Starting to resent the large amount of lackluster garbage on this list that's there just because it was made by Brits. This is entirely forgettable.
Dunno why this mid-rate British 80s new wave band was on here. The album title was good. Nothing memorable on here, would not revisit.
When you ask mom for Moby and she says “we have Moby at home”
Seemed fine, especially if dance-pop-rock is your thing. At certain points it gave me the Pixies vibes, at other times Blur. A few tracks were almost disco-esque. Some of the songs were pretty catchy and fun. Most of it was bland, though. I don't have anything overly negative or positive to point to. I just didn't really find it that interesting as a full album. I'd say it was OK, but I don't think it's something I would seek out to listen to again. Overall: 2.4/5
Not awful, but will not go out of my way to listen again
This is an odd one. My rating before re listening would have been a bit higher. Very good memories of the album. But, not sure it aged well for me.
Weiß nicht. Ist schon abwechslungsreich, kommt bei mir aber nicht an.
"One of the most influencial groups of the 90s"... Never heard a song, never heard about the band, never heard anyone mention them. So i think that's a bit of a stretch to have in their bio. Don't get me wrong, it is pretty good and sounds like it might have hade a influence on the british sound of the 90s-00s like Oasis and such.
Apparently Shaun, the vocalist, wrote most of the lyrics while high on opium in his apartment. Which just makes sense
dachte erst oh großer name nicht osasis aber sicher ganz gut, so lala ok bissi dance drin vieleicht so wie yamirokwai wie hiess der? wohlfühl Lounge sound mit minimal edge...c
Did not click with me.
Happy Mondays seem like the British version of RHCP: solid band, nauseating frontman.
There were a lot of things going on with these songs that made me really want to like them, but I found myself forgetting to listen all day, so I guess there wasn't enough.
That beat and tempo was *everywhere* back in the day, and it permeates this album, making it all sound like one long drug-soaked song. Kinda boring when you're straight.
Its okayyyy. Nežinau. Kažkaip nepaliko jokio įspūdžio.
A punk band tries to do Eurodance. Sounds like the worst of both worlds.
Pills 'n' Thrills is a cheeky album and certainly has that cheesy 90s sound. "Step On" is top track with not much else really doing much. Was surprised to see the electronica legend Paul Oakenfold on the arrangements. Worked alright on a Monday morning drive into work. Did I need this before I died...no but it wasn't bad...2.23 stars.
At times I was really enjoying this. At times it was nothing more than background noise. At times the mancunian lyrics and over production was working. At other times I wanted to tune out. Hard to nail down Pills 'n' Thrills so I guess it comes out somewhere in the middle. There's plenty worse on this list but also plenty of more interesting albums as well. I have a lot of endearment for Paul Oakenfold and Shaun Ryder so I probably enjoyed this a little more than it deserved. 2.44 stars
Интересно и бесяче, порой одновременно. Лучшая песня - Step On.
This did not fall right on my ears.
12/1001 First listen. Have never heard Happy Mondays before. I gave it three plays. This one isn’t going to grow on me. I don’t think I needed to hear this.
Just not a fan
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.
Don't like it
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.
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.
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.
Rating: 2.2 Elevator music. They meander all over the place forever and do nothing.
2/5
Almost o.k. but also sometimes on the edge to annoying. In total nothing remarkable on for me. worst: "Grandbag's Funeral"
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
I wanted to like this but I really did not…
Some of this was pretty good and overall it was fairly listenable, it's just a bit cheesey and tedious.
This sounded average and mediocre and not worthy of this list.
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.
Absolutely nothing about this is noteworthy.
There was nothing memorable about this. 2/5
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.
You can't put an album on the 1001 great albums ever because it has one great track.
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.
There were a couple of good songs here. A solid 2.5.
🫤
Nothing that struck a chord. Just kinda blah.
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"
Did not finish. Pretty forgettable.
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.
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
every song sounded the same - droney af
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.
Couldn't get past the whine
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.
Was just rather blah
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.
It was ok at best. Nothing special.
Background music for a movie that couldn't afford licensing for U2 songs.
Schräg, sexy, tanzbar, kaputt.
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.
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.
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.
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
This was kind of forgettable for me
Bah, sort log leads me down a meandering path but doesn’t quite ever latch onto me.
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 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.
Not that great
felt kinda boring
eh
Kinky Afro and Step On aside this was quite plodding
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.
IT was OK.
Turns out I am not mad fer it.
not really outstanding
pretty dull
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.
..
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
Britpop again. Mediocre again. Gets you moving if you think soccer is thrilling, peas should be mushy, and you drink hot tea all day
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 average. Nothing really interesting, but not bad music either. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
This was a long bad album
Hmmm, didnt do much for me
Never heard of this artist. Eh, this is alright. Not my vibe.
idk but i think this kinda sucks. dudes voice is annoying. beats are sucky. not fun just messy.
Second Album proposé par le générateur après 'Bummed' que j'avais détesté (noté 1/5), en particulier par l'aspect très répétitif des morceaux et le mauvais mixage qui étouffait beaucoup les parties de guitare. Le mixage est ici plus réussi, et les morceaux sont un tout petit peu moins répétitifs. Mais aucune piste ne m'a accroché. Aucune chance de l'écouter de nouveau ... =>2/5
Meh
Not really my kind of music but Step On was played a lot in my house growing up so I have a bit of a soft spot for it
I have no doubt that this is very popular but it is not for me.
Super meh
Bland ‘n’ Boring And Bob’s yer uncle
No doubt inventive for the time but the sound is probably a victim of its own success. Less a specific band or song but more a nod to a general time and place. If I'm going to be listening to something like this I'll take it in the form of Primal Scream. Highlight(s): *N/A Lowlight(s): *N/A *Each track was indistinguishable from the next, or the one prior.
Very samey. But some funky grooviness in places, I will admit. However, too much of this is uninspiring - too much filler. And the last track is dreadful! Not a fan of the vocals throughout. Quite a dilemma because it isn't as bad as the last album ... but still not a 3 ... so, 2.5? It's one of those tricky situations ... but, thinking of other albums I have given a 3 to, I'm going to have to round down to ...
One of those funny albums that come up every few weeks that leave me with next to no feelings upon first listen. Maybe a grower?
Vähän tylsänpuoleinen tämä poprock-levy. Olisin kaivannut enemmän ajoa. 2/5
A bit corny but it has some grooves. Would enjoy this work more as a live experience
Some good vibes but overall I'm not too hyped on listening to a british man singing in a creepy whisper voice about taking someone from behind
First impression: Ehhhhhhhh. Final impression: it didn’t get any better.
Well, I genuinely thought this would be worse, so there's that? It wasn't awful to listen to, but it also didn't really excite me. I did find myself at least intrigued, and the album was listenable so...2 stars? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This did nothing for me.
Low on thrills and heavy on the bellyaches, you might just need a pill or two to get you through this one.
Another band I’ve never heard of that sounds like a dozen others.
I can see how this may have influenced Achtung Baby but that album is way better than this...the lead singer's voice is Liam Gallagher on steroids with the Brit whine. Highlights: "Kinky Afro" (jangle dance pop), "Loose Fit" (the sparse, somewhat ominous guitar riff is cool and the syncopated percussion works. Thankfully the vocals are more of a croon than a whine through much of the song) Notable: "Bob's Yer Uncle" (creepy vocal delivery fits the creepy lyrics...ew...and I didn't need the female orgasm sounds either), "Holiday" (the main musical part reminds me of the Police but the vocals are definitely not Sting-like)
A blend of all different of genres, which makes it interesting. But it's just not for me.
About what I expected
Interesting sounds. A lot of lyrics about sex. Especially Bob’s Yer Uncle. Nothing to incorporate into daily rotations. ⭐️⭐️
Nah not for me
Not sure I needed this
Blaaannddd.
I mean, I get that the editors of this list are British but is this really an album that deserves to be on the best 1001 albums of all time? Plus one star for having some decent lyrics, but not a good album. 2/5
Some of the guitar riffs are decent, but I'm just not into 90s club music.
Ehhh boring radio filler
Once again i must ask, outside of some bery notable exceptions, do the british know how to make music?
Britisk rock, dancevibes, lidt indie
Jesus, some of the lyrics on this are as bad as they are delivered. Which didn’t really surprise me, as despite only knowing a few songs by these I was aware that they aren’t known for their writing or singing credentials! On a whole, it’s not for me. This whole scene sort of passed me by, and I found chunks of this boring on the verge of irritating. But I do get their appeal, they’re more than some pill heads having a good time, and they have rightfully created a legacy for themselves. I’d love to have a pint with Shaun Ryder. Comes across as a decent chap and I bet he has some tales to tell
Meh
Jumittaa, jumittaa. Itse asiassa pari hauskaa melodiaa siellä välissä. Ne jopa hymyilyttävät. Mutta silti ennemmin toivoin, että levy loppuisi jo.
A-puoli laahaa, höpisee ja toistelee, B-puoli herää rytmiin. Ei ole mahdotonta että palaisin tähän joskus.
Kind of forgot it was on. Put on Stone Roses after instead and that was much more fun.
p644. 1990. 3 stars. If you were in a field with a thousand other people, completely off your tits on E, then I can imagine this would be a 5 star album. In the cold morning light, this has not aged well - pilfered hooks and bass lines, covers and Shaun Ryder can't sing.
I’ll never understand how the Brit’s can honestly say something like, “oy bruv this new band Happy Mondays is a madchester baggy band innit.” My brother in christ, this is just shitty generic 90’s alt rock. I really have nothing more to say about this album than that. 2*
There are several tracks on this album that kinda have a fun, funky vibe, but the vibes are invariably ruined by asinine, off putting lyrics sung in a supremely annoying voice. I’m getting tired of this project recommending tasteless british drivel. 4/10
- Happy Mondays waren mir im Zuge der Madchester Bewegung ein Begriff, weil ich die Inspiral Carpets sehr gerne mag, aber gehört habe ich bewusst nie etwas von Happy Mondays. - Ich fands eine ganz witzige Mischung und hatte auch zeitweise Spaß beim Hören (ein zwei Tracks fand ich auch echt ganz cool), hat mich aber dann doch nicht wirklich gecatcht. - Glaube mir war vieles dann doch ein bisschen zu repetetiv - Leider im Vergleich zu vielem Zeug von den Inspiral Carpets doch ziemlich outdatet, durch diese Ende 80er/Anfang 90er Dance Grooves - Sicherlich keine schlechte Band oder schlechtes Album, aber hm Rating: 2,25-2,5/5
- i.O. aber auch etwas bowing
I don’t know about this… I guess it was funky but just not exciting. It didn’t really have anything SHOUTING influential or amazing at me. I passively listened to it and just waited to it to be over honestly. It was a nice vibe but just not so WOW.
Well, it's definitely better than their previous directionless mess of an album "Bummed" but... it's a fairly pedestrian if pleasant melodic british rock album. Meh. And pedestrian in the "accompanying a middle-aged overweight pedestrian who needs to sit and rest every once in a while" sense. So I guess this album to me is like a dull slow walk on a rather unsightly street that gives me no exercise. I'm just so bored. 4/10 2 stars
My god, what is this doing on this list?
Maybe a 2.
Nothing to write home about. I didn't like it much at all but it wasn't 1 star bad. To think of what could've been here in it's place.
Ah, so that is the term for this British music scene. Madchester. Or baggy. I'm still not sure how I feel about this whole dance rock scene. So British. So you had to be there. We've seen some entries already from Primal Scream, The The, and...Happy Mondays. How about that? Another band with two albums that really doesn't deserve more than one. Only The The got a 3 from me, though I waffled on a 2 or 3 for the other prior albums in this genre (including Bummer by Happy Mondays). I found myself skipping through songs so there you have it. Another 2.
4/10 Should be right up my alley--I couldn't get past the "English school boy finds a microphone and shows off for his parents" vibe. More fool me. 10-15-2024
Wow, no, no thank you
Cet album m'a irritée. Des thèmes éculés et une voix geignarde, des sections rythmiques vieillies
Mostly fine. A few of the songs were bad.
Pretty lame.
This feels like a record that if you were in a specific place at a specific time would be monumentally important to you. Alas dear reader, I am not of that time nor of that place. As such I found it to be less than interesting. I get what the band was going for - but it feels like a work in progress compared to future albums that blend dance and rock.
Fell flat for me. One and done.
Je ne comprends vraiment pas l'attrait de ce band il faut croire. Je l'ai trouvé aussi peu intéressant que Bummed. J'ai l'impression que cette musique s'adresse a une démographie bien particulière du UK. 4.5/10
I can see how they were groundbreaking, I just don't think it holds up that well some 35 years later. And Shaun Ryder's voice has an irritating effect on me after a few songs.
Why is this on here? Just because it was something this dude likes, doesn’t mean we have to listen to it. Getting annoying.
It's alright. Fun. Didn't knock my socks off.
Two Happy Mondays albums in the space of three days - lucky me! This was a big step up from Bummed to be fair. It’s still not really my thing but the production was so much better and, while I think Kinky Afro is overrated, two of the other singles (Step On and Loose Fit) were both pretty great. An improvement on all fronts from their previous album, but not quite enough to warrant a 3 for me - just going from a low 2 to a high 2
Not it
To borrow from The Simpsons, about the Happy Mondays, I can tell you two things wrong with their name. Well, one I guess. Happy. It’s not very happy. More monotone. Nothing stands out. It’s not terrible in the sense that it shouldn’t be listened to. It’s just not what I’d highly rate. Choice cut: Grandbags Funeral
Appreciate the percussion that’s low-key and thudding, but often inconspicuously in the background. Guitar sections were repetitive and uninspired. Vocals hit and miss. Fine for background music but didn’t particularly enjoy how the guitar tracks interacted with the rest of the musical elements. Listened to: on a train in New England. Favorite tracks: Kinky Afro, Step On
# 263 : I can listen to it but it's not real good. Nothing stood out and I wouldn't go back to this. Easily forgettable.
Nothing special, I did not hate it, but can't really praise it
Probably a 2.5, but that option isn't available..
Not my style.
Mitt første møte med Madchester-sjangeren, men mistenke at da også blir da siste
Good Instrumentals bad vocals but maybe that’s just taste
Sure captures a moment, donit?
I'm not familiar enough with the Manchester music scene to appreciate this album in that context. Wiki says they were influential to groups such as Oasis and Stone Roses. I did think they vaguely reminded me of someone but didn't figure out who. The first couple of tracks had me thinking maybe I'd be hooked, but I quickly lost steam. I don't think it's a bad album, just not for me, and I wouldn't listen again.
Bad. The vapid parody feels unnecessary and the musicality doesn’t save it.
Really not sure why this made the list.
no
Went from thinking it was quite good to hating the vocals to begging it to end. Honestly think the vocals ruined the vibe
some of the album was good but i feel that the lead singer cant sing well, and some of the album was abit weird.
Heavy dose of electric guitar and repetitive rhythms left me wondering what so appealing about the British rock scene?
Never heard of them before, or so I thought until I heard a "melon" lyric that rang a bell. Forgettable, though not awful. The dance tracks lost me.
Ok. Probably won’t come back to it
It seems that Happy Mondays have never written a song that's worthwhile on a compositional level. They were a one-pony trick, using the Hacienda to promote their lame shtick and thus succeeding in creating some sort of "aura" around them--thereby attracting a hype that was mostly based on extra-musical endeavors: drugs, booze, clubbing, style over substance, you name it... They offered a subpar version of what PIL could offer, or what the Stone Roses had already produced by the time this record came out. *Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches* is admittedly more "listenable" than *Bummed* thanks to its production values. Yet those dance-oriented rhythm patterns are still a subpar version of Primal Scream's *Screamadelica*, and those guitar arrangements are still a subpar version of The Edge's work with U2, for instance. And the vocals are most often grating, to the point where it doesn't matter what nonsense and/or witty takes they are sputtering. Oh, and as informative and interestingly written as that raving review topping this section is, it still gives me the feeling that Happy Mondays fans can be quite shallow whenever they try to defend their fave act. I also have a homophobic father, you know. Turns out I stopped "loving him", contrary to this reviewer, and I even stopped talking to him--for this AND for other reasons, admittedly, yet the man's homopobia and neuroses were enough to give me a hint that I shouldn't waste any time with him. Just as I don't see why I should waste my time with Happy Mondays. Show some integrity, for chrissake. Show some backbone. The sort of integrity and backbone that Happy Mondays never had in even one second of their overrated career. I don't even care they blabbered some homophobic rants at some point. Their music is not worth getting interested in their public stances on *any* subject. 2/5 for the purposes of this list. 7/5 for more general purposes (4 for competency--one minus point for the lame vocals-- + 3 for "cultural impact", I guess...) Number of albums left to review: 186 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 353 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 204 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 259 (including this one)
After the first few tracks, I was convinced this one wouldn't make me look up and actually focus on what I'm listening to, but what the fuck is Bob's Yer Uncle!? Can't say it is unremarkable, can't say I particularly enjoyed it.
Pensavo mi sarebbe piaciuto perché rientra abbastanza nel mio genere, ma non mi ha detto nulla :(
Een Britse rockformatie waarvan ik durf te zeggen dat ik ze niet ken. Op het eerste nummer klinkt de zanger een beetje als RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr. aka Flynn) en dat is eigenlijk geen compliment. Op andere nummers is dat minder het geval, maar de zanger is ook hier weer eens niet mijn favoriete bandlid. [Hier ChatGPT iets laten prevelen over Madchester zodat het lijkt alsof ik er verstand van heb] Het klinkt allemaal weer iets teveel alsof de zanger onder invloed van drugs het idee heeft dat 'ie het wiel heeft uitgevonden. 'Grandbag's Funeral' is zo'n voorbeeld, een schijtirritante track. Ook 'Dennis and Lois' klinkt actief kut. Klinkt als Stereo MC's en Blur met wat huismerk Fatboy Slim en een zanger die zichzelf qua attitude een van de broertjes Gallagher waant. Ik kan hier niet goed inkomen. Ik blijf steken op 2 sterren.
Engagingly shambolic. But nevertheless, shambolic.
I might like this in an alternate universe. There are qualities of it I think are solid but I just can't get invested. I think maybe there's not enough there instrumentally to get me excited. It's not bad at all tho. Fav songs: - Kinky Afro
Not a fan
Some is quite catchy, but some is kind of noisy and obnoxious.
Album luistert lekker weg. Melodie is wel een beetje basic en ik heb bij geen een nummer een wauw gevoel gehad.
Miles better than "Bummed", but so is committing arson on an orphanage so that's not very high praise. Poor man's Stone Roses. Starts out pretty solid, but gets annoying fast. Extremely uninteresting band - I lack the fish and chips in my blood to understand why they warrant two entries on this list.
It’s like Oasis if they were Man U fanboys
Hier ben ik best benieuwd naar. Een album dat ik vaak tegengekomen ben maar nog nooit écht geluisterd heb. De albumart is interessant, maar voor mij te chaotisch. Hopelijk zal de muziek zorgen voor een verademing na de jaren 50, 60 en Lorde achter de boeg. Kinky Afro opent de plaat sterk. Het doet me erg denken aan Oasis. Maar waar hier het Britpop gehalte hoog ligt, wordt dit toch een beetje overschaduwd door de elektronische invloeden. Dit lukt goed bij Step On en Loose Fit. Maar mislukt naar mijn mening bij Dennis and Lois. Dit nummer heeft een chille hook, maar je zit er constant op te wachten. Los van de hook is het te saai. De saaiheid overheerst toch een beetje op veel nummers. Ook bij Bob Yer Uncle lukt het niet om de aandacht er bij te houden. De fluit is ook cheesy. Het is ook een ietwat vreemde mix van britpop en elektronische muziek. Iets wat lekker in de Hacienda klinkt, maar verder de pub noch dansvloer weet te bereiken. Rating: 6,5/10 Highlights: Kinky Afro, Step On
'Madchester' heeft me als subculture, met zijn bruisende club scene en fashion sense die je vandaag de dag nog steeds terugziet in de retro-hype, altijd wat meer gedaan dan als muzikale beweging. Eigenlijk zijn alleen het fenomenale debuut van The Stone Roses en wat spul van The Charlatans echt blijven kleven. Veel andere bands voelden toch altijd een beetje hetzelfde, weinig interessante instrumenten met daaronder een 808 drum machine. Dat is toch wel vaak de valkuil van muziek die zich ontwikkelde voor en op de dansvloer, dat de beat heilig is en de rest van de muzikale elementen onderdanig of hooguit ondersteunend zijn. Een album zo als deze - wat echt een schoolvoorbeeld van de Madchester-sound is - valt dan mijn inziens nogal tegen in een immobiele setting. De eerste twee nummers voelen nog verfrissend aan, maar zien hun waarde ook een beetje slinken naarmate het album vordert. Dit omdat de stijl, én eigenlijk de gehele beat, bijna gekopieerd lijkt naar andere songs op het album. De vocalen van Shaun Ryder komen me ook wel een beetje m'n strot uit na een aantal songs, maar wellicht heeft dat te maken met het mentale beeld wat er wordt gevormd wanneer ik hem hoor brabbelen (zoek 'Shaun Ryder' op google, en dan vooral de tweede foto. Een soort Frits Wester aan de prednison). 'God's Cop' is een lichtpuntje, en vangt de essentie van Madchester op een positieve manier. Niet alleen een goeie beat, maar ook een puike riff. In andere fases waar de band zich enigszins losrukt uit de klauwen van de hypnotiserende drum machine, zit er wel weer iets anders in de weg wat me minder bevalt. 'Bob's Yer Uncle' bijvoorbeeld, wat instrumenteel misschien wel m'n favoriet van de plaat is. Maar die geilneukende lyrics zijn wel echt gênant (pak nog even die prednison kop van Shaun Ryder erbij, maakt het echt niet beter). 'Step On' is de posterchild van de fleurige indie dance music uit het grauwe Manchester. Een heuse classic. Al met al viel het me niet mee, en blijf ik vooral achter met de 'bellyaches'. De 'pills' en de daaropvolgende 'thrills' ontbraken. Het is denk ik echt muziek waar je bij moest zijn in de befaamde club Haçienda, eind jaren 80, met een paar noten achter de kiezen. De psychedelische tinten zijn nice, maar het leunt me iets te veel op die doordravende drumbeat. 5,5/10 Highlights: God's Cop Step On
good album. i liked it but i heard so many uk bands that it gets hard to feel special or different at some point 2/5
Dunno
Hate it
Starting track gave me hope that I might enjoy the album and then it fell apart for me from there.
I didn't get into this one - nothing actually wrong with the music, just felt a bit superficial and boring. ... and while I'm at this review I'm adding a little gripe - I wish the albums were just the original track list so I didn't have to sit through additional remastered or live tracks. As a completionist I feel like I have to listen to the full linked album, so it is super irritating when it’s an extended album.
Everything in here is taken from other artists. Bob Dylan, Culture Club, The Cure... It's all just poor versions of what others have done.
Perfect mix of 70’s rock and 80’s funk… released in 1990 so minus two stars for being derivative
there was some fun in here but overall I did not enjoy
This was a particularly weird album. It was groovy and upbeat but the lyrics were weird and the songs weren’t all that great. Overall it was like a 80s funky rock album that may have been made too late and totally missed. Wouldn’t revisit this and don’t see how this can be considered must hear music. 4.6/10
Didn’t like a single song on this
This was good I was quite enjoying it although it got annoying towards the end
Just not my favorite
Never really got it? I mean Shaun Ryder is iconic of that era and genre, and a working-class hero, but he's not a great lyricist and the music just isn't good enough to carry it all. I guess if you were there at the time it would have been great, but this one should probably be consigned to the dustbin of history.
nice coke jingle reference i guess
An okay album. Not good. Not bad. Forgettable.
Ok album, wasn’t very enthralled with the music. 2/5.
Boring AF
Felt very very 90s. I’d never heard it. Listened once and have no desire to hear it again. 2
That annoying, unnecessarily busy drumbeat that permeated the '90s combined with that half whine/half shouted vocal all mixed together in a repetitive mess that is probably fine if you're drugged-up on a Friday night. It's just a drag. I'm going to keep listening to decide between 1 or 2 stars. 2 stars because it's dull but not horrible. The best sound is the sampled (stolen) riff from He's Gonna Step On You Again. The rest of the song is a pastiche of '90s kitsch horror.
God's Cop Step On
Disliked this one quite a bit. Maybe I was in a bad mood, but it was hitting one note, and I didn't want to hear that note. The main vocalist had a stylistic tick that reminded me of Bob Dylan, in a bad way. The highlight was Holiday. I never want to hear Bob's Yer Uncle again.
2.5 rounded down. It's not so much that this was bad and is more that I got bored of it quickly. I listened in the morning and by dinnertime I couldn't remember what the album was today. I think I'm starting to struggle to listen to these independently and instead keep wondering why some of them are on this list.
Feels like it's a decade+ too late.
strong points - step on, kinky afro and bobs your uncle (Chnage of pace too the rest of the album) Album made for 90s clubbing scene and doesn't translate well too casual listening Song writing very formulaic (Clubbing music)
Tönt zum Teil etwas rostig und schräg...
Ich kannte diese Band nicht und bin positiv überrascht auch wenn am Schluss halt Britischer Rock.
Not doing much for me. Some of it reminds me of that Soup Dragons song “I’m Free” which is more of an earworm than a song I actually like. Don't think I would choose to listen to this again.
Klonk wel vrolijk maar niet iets wat vaker op zal zetten. Ik zet vervolgens Kink FM aan. En wat denk je? 😉
Het begon wel aardig, maar naarmate het album vorderde begon ik me er toch ook steeds meer aan te storen. Het heeft een vibe die ik toch niet helemaal goed trek.
yeah that is another no for me. Might be the mood, but really not digging it. 5.5/10
A career high point. But yet it’s pretty dreadful and has aged terribly. Very little to love about this.
not bad. it was actually a fun listen, but overall a bit unremarkable. some songs dragged a bit too. - 2 adds
Blind album and artist. I did not really get anything out of this listen, not even a good track. I didn't hate it but was not good. It felt more electronic than rock in parts and I would not come back to this personally.
There are a couple of good songs on here but more that are really underwhelming, and reminds me that I was pretty selective about BritPop stuff for a reason. When it's good it's great, but there was loads of guff as well.
Very much feels like an album of a specific place and time and it is no longer that time or place.
2/5
Yet another forgettable album (that didn’t leave much of a mark even at its prime)
Not necessarily memorable
Like a unpopular DuranDuran album. Not offensive, but nothing catchy to me at all.
Dislike the voice and musical style.
This was definitely not ever for me at all. Well maybe someday. not now. but bob yer uncle
I feel like this guy's voice does not fit this music. There's a rub here, right? I couldn't get into it. To be fair, I'm not a big fan of the three things in the album title on their own, let alone all together. It was always going to be a tough sell.
It was just ok
Oké album voelde hem niet zo
Dance-y without being super techno. Tears for Fears/Wham/Culture Club. Solid
This might just be too 90s for me.
Kind of whatever, Step On is a classic but other than that nothing particularly interesting for me on this album.
Inoffensive but also a bit boring.
Great instrumentals, horrible vocals. I just couldn't stand the singers voice at all. It's a shame as well, because like I said, the instrumentals were really fun to listen to.