Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches

Ah, the kitschy kitschy ya ya song. This did nothing for me. Not sure why we need it here when we’ve also had primal scream.

Another good but unnecessary album for this list. I do like most of it as the blend of britpop and dance beats are mixed well. Some of it reminds me of The Style Council a little.

Reminded me of Primal Scream in its fusion of british rock with club music. I didn't love that and don't love this either. It was fine to have playing in the background as I worked, but I don't think I'd ever choose to put this on again.

Not bad, just not my kind of thing. So far up its own arse.

Pills n’ Thrills and Bellyaches sounds exactly how the cover looks. It’s wild and chaotic. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a band attempt to combine more different genres into one sound. To their credit they were pioneering much of those sounds. I had never heard of the Happy Mondays before today and they deserve more listens before I should judge but I’m going to judge anyways. At its peak (Kinky Afro) this album is brilliantly creative brit rock. The album in general is ambitious and very dense. It combines funk, new wave, brit rock even grunge but for me there is just too much 90s electro pop/dance. I can’t stop hearing MC Hammer. Respect the effort but 6.3

This is one of the great findings of this list. I had a vague idea what the Madchester scene was but didn't know much of it. This album by Happy Mondays is a great introduction for a groovy, experimental sound. Not everything works, but that's fine.

Yeah, this isn’t really it for me. Very bland aside from a few tunes. I get the appeal for some people, but I rather listen to something else! 4 out of 10

dance music?

Wretched

Decent. Not exactly my taste but was interesting enough.

That's a nice punky album

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.

Not very memorable, simple kinda groovy repetitive beats

First track had a nice bass line I would like to replicate. Overall not something I would add to my playlists, but I would ask "who's this" if I listened to it at a friends place.

Bourgeoning Brit pop deeply partnered with 90s pop. A fun listen

So 90s! Kind of like a crappy Red Hot Chili Peppers

Breathy vocals but with warm sounds, and what would eventually be a predictable beat that defined early to mid 90s, PT&B could make the argument for having done all of it first. The album is not so spectacular, nor is it boring or bad. Music can be so middle of the road during the beginning of new trends, and this could just be some of the best of that.

Sounds like the tail end of the 80's pop British invasion. Fun and fresh sounding. Enjoyable listen. For me there was no standout song or anything that really caught my ear. Maybe, Holiday. Good vibe, good time, good listen.

I was hoping for more from this album. I liked the first song and not much else.

Some good stuff

It's decent, another generation might even call it pleasant while another brands it as listenable. But it's not life altering and I can see why these so called Happy Mondays never blew up. Ultimately, they sound a little too much like Jesus Jones.

Unfortunately, this feels like it’s right in between two genres that I don’t really enjoy. I feel the 90s Manchester punk rock club scene creeping in, which to me just feels dirty and sticky and it’s something that I can’t identify with. I also feel the distant drum machines of the late 80s new wave, and I just don’t enjoy it. It just feels grimy to me, like a hangover where I wake up with a bad taste in my mouth. Numbly violent. And I feel like the people that it bred are people that I don’t actually connect with very much. So, I feel bad to hate an album that I’m sure means a lot to a lot of people. I mean, it certainly made me feel something. Just not the feeling I ever really want to have.

You talk so hip you’re twisting my melons man. Nonsense was never so cool You probably had to be there but if you were this is close to perfection. 30 odd years disappear in an instant

I like baggy Madchester in small doses. A while album of this is really more than I can take all at once.

Best so far

All the hits a great swooshy diy rave guitar bender. Could something like this happen again id like to think so.

Tried to put aside my preconceptions about this, buts it's still a five star album all day long.

Good fun. Not sure about the intentionally off singing, but I enjoyed it and like their musical output. I pushed it from 4 to 5 stars purely because it would be funny if this was our group's top rated album.

Good upbeat chaotic fun!

I'm not sure what that point of this record is. It feels like people trying to be hip and funky... but they are not naturally hip and funky people. Karaoke in an album format? Perhaps. I suppose on second listen they occasionally manage to be hip and funky, though it feels forced. I may give them a three just because I'm feeling sorry for them. The music isn't terrible... but it's certainly not great. LOL I try to not read the Wikipedia entry until after I form my opinion -- but this is almost comical in that the 1001 list is often derided as being too UK centric and having too many mediocre UK acts on it... and yeah, here's another one.

ok 7.5/10

3.5 stars

riffs básicos encima de arreglos primitivos.

Good

Kinky Afro is one of my favorite songs of all time. Listening to the album again, I realize how great Harmony is too. The rest is more like 4* but I'll give it 5* for Kinky Afro.

Fun album

Just very generic Britpop music, nothing too special about this

Wow

I want to like these guys but apart from the singles it's generic 90s Madchester music for clubs and raves. I guess you've got to be in the mood.

Meh, good fun I guess.

Pretty fun. Gets some disco vibes. 3.5

This album reminds me of U2 if they were a bit more dance focused with the music they produced. That is not really a good thing in my eyes, and the lead singer sounds like the guest singer in Gorillaz's "DARE" when he was drunk at that one live performance. Could be worse, but did definitely got on my nerves at points.

Pretty sure I've heard of this band but never listened before. Probably won't again.

3.5/5. You’re twisting my melon man!

3.7 - Considering that this came out in 1990, it holds up surprisingly well. Manchester must've been a popping scene in those days. I like the ravey, dancey elements and the jangly guitar lines. Perfect as upbeat background music that doesn't demand a close read of the lyrics. I couldn't name any standout songs individually but it's all a sunny, consistent vibe with some quasi- trippy flavor.

Amazing

Muy lento para mi estilo

Good

1/5 Best: Kinky Afro Worst: Loose Fit

Step On

Decent. Heard better and heard worse.

Really like the instrumentation here, but the singer is terrible.

Didn't really get into this one, slightly lame psychy stuff

This didn’t leave much of an impact on me.

Just ok. "Step On" was pretty catchy.

This is ...fine. Nothing that special. I've heard better late 80-early 90's albums

This album is ridiculously listenable to - bearing in mind that it's not clear how much the band played on it, how much was due to production wizadry, and it is clear how Sean Ryder was 'vocalist' rather than singer. Along with the first Stone Roses album a memento of a quite uniquely British artform: baggy.

This was fun. I'd listen to it again.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah it was alright, would have preferred to listen to the original instead of collectors edition Favourite song: Track 1 - Kinky Afro

the cover is more interesting than music

I recall Happy Mondays on the radio, driving around town in a region far, far removed from the UK House scene. The trippy beats and sloppy (clearly under the influence) vocals were eminently catchy, but a nagging issue vexed me, drove me to search my soul to contemplate a conundrum: Is this band genius or garbage. Having had much more time to listen to and learn about the band (dramatized in 24 Hour Party People, for example) I think they're still catchy but rubbish. They vividly illustrate the experience or getting wasted and partying in the most unflattering ways. I'd give this record a 2 if it weren't for the one track that still intrigues me with the sing-song phrase morphing - "God's Cop" - made it easy on me / rains disease all on me / got soul 2 soul / got slowly stoned... I still can't be sure whether that's inspired or just inebriated.

Altamente ignorável, não incomoda, só que não chega nem perto de empolgar. Uma audição tolerável apenas.

This album really does not sound like it was made in 1990. I don't know quite how to describe it, but it's cool. Having electronic producers on to make loops and effects for the songs fits really well with the bands style 4/5

As we can see in that awful cover art, it's quite a hodgepodge. A hodgepodge of rock tunes.

My favorite of theirs, but I’m sire the memories of the times contribute to that.

Really bland and forgettable, like the last album but worse. Still a 3 though

Ever song was roughly the same. Pretty easy to understand why this didn't catch on in the states. 2/5

Somehow this was filled with energy but I wasn't enjoying it haha. The first half of the album was stronger than the rest.

Honestly it's just unimpressive rock that has a typical late 70s/early 80s sound to while shifting into the now-known 90s sound. It's kinda harmless and forgettable, though the lead singer has a HORRID voice. 4/10.

With the first album that was recommended from the Happy Mondays, I was wondering if I had heard of the band before. Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches answers that question. I've heard three of the tracks from this album. Happy Mondays approach sounding like things that I might listen to (or may have listened to at the time that the album came out). "Step On" was the most fun song on the album. "Kinky Afro" is interesting, but didn't make it into my list for a later replay. There were tracks on this album that I wouldn't want to hear again, and I'm guessing that if I listened closer to all of the lyrics I would find even more. Those tracks sink the album below 3 stars for the rest of this "okay, I guess" kind of album.

I've never heard of Happy Mondays before, but based on my reading about them before listening to the album, I figured I'd enjoy it. Unfortunately, I was pretty underwhelmed by this album. It was inoffensive, and I enjoyed the instrumentation, but lyrically and vocally, this album wasn't really doing it for me. I thought the second half of the album was definitely better than the first, but it still wasn't enough to hook me in.

It's an album so tied up with the British music movement of late 80s/90s, that I wonder what other nationalities make of it. Some guys stole some instruments, learned to bash out a tune and worked out that the guy they gave the mic to was a genius. Working class boys played in guitar bands and hoped to be famous and get out of the terrible lives they had. This gang of boys then took some ecstasy, went to the Hacienda and discovered rave. Then rather than throwing their guitars away and becoming a dance band they put it together. OK there were producers that helped, but this was the moment it all worked. They were too much of a shambles to be a stadium band, or to dry out or to keep it all together for a few more albums. But on this album, in that year, they created something absolutely unique and brilliant.

Brilliantly sunny tunes, so evocative of the early 90s. From the party classic Step On to the superbly cheeky Bob's Yer Uncle, it's a great ride, pun intended. You're twisting my melon man!

DNF

About halfway through the second song, I convinced that I was going to like this album. Then the rest of the album happened.

I don’t care for the vocals nor the sound of the instruments.

A rocking good album, 4 stars.

3.75

This was just mediocre 90s Europe pop.

I don't like this music.

A few good songs but overall the album did not move me. Didn't hate it, didn't love it.

there's no happy mondays..

4.5

Well, they got the bellyaches part right.

whatever

Classic from the Mondays

Mad for it!

Quite liked this, more than I thought I would.

Fun album

Pretty alright until Bob's Yer Uncle. The instrumentals are good but besides that nothing stuck out too much. Fave track(s): Kinky Afro

Actually not bad. Had no idea what to expect. Saw the album cover and the name and thought I was in for a disaster, but it wasn't what I thought it'd be. Seems like it's adjacent to the Madchester Stone Roses/Primal Scream thing, but lesser known. It definitely fits in that area, but doesn't have the same heft as either of those bands. Standouts: Kinky Afro, Bob's Yer Uncle, Step On

Tof album dat me af en toe aan INXS doet denken

Amazing vibes

Still today, living relatively close to Manchester, it’s rare to go a week without hearing Step On by the Happy Mondays somewhere, whether that’s on a local radio station, in a shop somewhere, or simply in your own head. I’ve never listened to the album in full before now, so let’s listen! Songs I already knew: Kinky Afro, Step On Favourites: Step On, Dennis and Lois Well today I learned that the Happy Mondays had more than one big song. I immediately recognised Kinky Afro and never realised it was this band. Well there we go. Overall, the album was fun, but it was a bit samey. If you’ve heard Step On, you’ve pretty much heard this whole album really. It felt like a fine album to have on as background music while doing something else, but the lacking variety can make it grow a little stale if the music itself is the focus. Still, a decent listen.

The experience of listening to the original album for the first time is probably better. The idea of making Collector's edition the default version for this album makes no sense. Do we really need a Euro version of "Kinky Afro" or a Twisting My Melon Mix Remastered version of "Step On"?

aight

Nonsense. A dated 90's groove does NOT make a song. Don't understand the hype around this band at all.

This did nothing for me.

2.5 stars

There are two tracks on this that properly slam - step on and loose fit. The rest is atrocious garbage.

First half is excellent, unfortunately it falls off quite a bit towards the end for me.

Nice Stone Roses-esque sound.

An ok album with some funky little songs, such as Kinky Afro, Loose Fit, wouldn't listen to it as a whole again, I enjoy the early 90's synth feel.

Nja. Inte så kul utan Bez.

Nice little album good for happy background music

Not the most outstanding album here but I had a good time.

When I first heard this, many years back, I assumed it was a greatest hits collection as there were so many greats. Such a weird blend of laid back vocal and funky beats over a sort of half-understandable social commentary. And I don’t mean that as a negative. The overall feeling is of hedonistic cynicism and all the contradiction that entails.

It's hard for me to give an impartial view of this, given how important it was to people of my generation at the time. But yes, it's still great to listen to.

This felt as forgettable as U2

Ok

Great album, kinda feel the happy Mondays are a bit underrated these days vs the stone roses. Not sure why

Why do I keep getting BritPop in here

Free love. Acid. Bongos. In one fell swoop, the Happy Mondays party like it’s 1967. I’ve never dropped acid, I’ve never been to a rave, and I’ve never leapt around a stage handling my maracas. But I did live in Salford for three years, which I felt gave me a gateway into the Happy Mondays’ screwball technicolour dream. Most of the time, “Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches” radiates the kind of sunny optimism that must have been pervasive on the UK dance floor throughout the early 90’s. It’s a fun listen, and feels inseparable from the time of its creation: at its peak, it made me nostalgic for a time I never knew and a person I never was. The best tracks are obvious from the outset. There’s the fire-starting “Kinky Afro” with its killer opening line, the sneering “God’s Cop” with its disarmingly euphoric chorus, and of course “Step On”: swaggering confidence, meaty guitar, Shaun Ryder’s unbeatable charisma. The most surprising moment for me was “Harmony”, an unexpected pop gem to carry the listener away into the ether. These tracks struck me as the most convincing blend between a guitar-based indie band and the emergent rave culture, staying buoyant without losing their teeth. The liberal borrowing from other songs, and “Step On” itself being a cover, doesn’t especially bother me: in this case, I think it’s justified alongside the album’s “anything goes”, anarchic party atmosphere. The main problem for me is that “Pills, Thrills and Bellyaches” isn’t always very danceable. Despite a very strong opener with “Kinky Afro” and “God’s Cop”, things start to dwindle from there: “Grandbag’s Funeral” feels like a ramshackle garage jam session, “Loose Fit” has none of the immediacy of the other singles, and by “Bob’s Yer Uncle” it feels a little too baggy and unfocused. All in all, though, this is a likeable listen and an undeniably cool album to have in one’s collection. My favourite exhibit of Shaun Ryder’s humour? His perversion of Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman” into “sunshine shone brightly through my arsehole today.” Yes it did, Shaun- don’t you know it.

Power pop? It’s hard to define.

an interesting but not super compelling mix of british hippie vibes and clubby acid jazz

Suffered through this one. Maybe more here than I give it credit for, but I just hear the pitchy off-rhythm attitude of the singer and grate my teeth.

Some nice moments here and there, but overall this ends up leaving me exhausted. Their sound absolutely matches the album cover's aesthetic though; a high contrast pop collage.

Kind of neat, a bit surprising in the diversity but there wasn't a song or moment that really grabbed me. 3.5 to 3.

Now that was just an awesome time. A great record.

Genres: Madchester, baggy, rock Formed: Salford, England in 1980 Run time: 15 songs, 1 hour, 12 min The third studio album by the group. They were big in the Manchester scene and are synonymous with 90’s Raves. Spotify: Least popular song: over 292k Most popular song: over 47.5M plays. I didn’t like their music at the time and most of it I still don’t. Due to prolonged exposure, I do enjoy a couple of tracks: Track 1, “Kinky Afro” and track 8, “Step On”. Most of the other songs didn’t receive much airtime (because they are bland album fillers). Some of the songs were very significant in the 90’s Rave scene. On the whole the lyrics aren’t very profound and don’t always make sense. You could call that poetic licence but I suspect it was due to being “off their faces” on Ecstasy. The tunes are quite chilled, relaxed and very laid-back. Listen Again?: No My Rating: **

Wtf did I just listen to? Seems to really be an album of a specific time and scene. I preferred the songs that were more subtle in their inclusion of the dance in dance-rock. Bob's Yer Uncle is the first time I've had to skip a song among the 20 or so albums I've reviewed so far. The lyrics are dumb AF, and the supposed hit, Step On, is... interesting. Not really good. I could see myself enjoying this a lot more at 14. Doesn't hold up at all. 4/10, mostly for some occasionally cool guitar.

Decent listen but gets irritation after a while

Pretty good, the sounds were interesting.

2.5 rounding up to 3. Unique music, some good tracks like Grandpa. Def a Manchester vibe. Oakenfold did a great job producing and this is a really funky album with beats, strings, brass, rapping, singing, and all sorts of interesting sounds and layers.

Enjoyable enough groove, fun album. But no clue why it is included on this list. 3.5

Liked this much, much more than the other HM album. Best pure 90s album I think on this list. It's northern, working class and full of upbeat hopefulness which defined the decade.

Alright, but i got taken by surprise a few times

Liked it more than the other Happy Mondays one but still not very much

Better than their other album. Drags a bit and is quite 1 note but cool

Happy Mondays is a British "Madchester" band. Madchester was a music movement in the 80's and 90's that took place in and around Manchester, hence the name. It is a blending of indie rock/new wave with acid house and psychadelia music styles. Happy Mondays style features heavy precussion/bongo work with rock style guitar riffs and sometimes funk oriented bass grooves, all while having this super dance-y structure and delivery. Most of the lyrics are nonsensical, and there is also some brass instrument sections on this album. It has a bit of everything. I didn't mind this album, but nothing really jumped out at me either. The whole Madchester genre is kind of weird, and maybe doesn't translate as well on this side of the pond. My favourite song on the record, as shown below, is Tokoloshe Man (which isn't on the original record, but was included in the Spotify linked "Collectors Edition). If I were to have a favourite from the actual album, it would be Loose Fit. Favourite songs: Tokoloshe Man, Loose Fit, Step On, God's Cop, Kinky Afro Least favourite songs: Grandbag's Funeral, Harmony 3/5

- First time listening in full - Thought the rest of the album wouldn't live up to the popular songs, but it's all consistently good - Unique sound - Fav songs: Step On, Kinky Afro, Bob's Yer Uncle

A gobby smartarse yelling over Balearic fusion with a heavy dose of studio gloss. It shouldn't work, but it does. Loads of fun, catchy tunes and memorable lyrics. Favourite song: 'Dennis and Lois'.

hubo una parte q me gusto idk

I saw that the producer is Paul Oakenfold and I've been a fan of his work. This definitely got his touch as there's a constant underlying electronic sound to the album. The songs and the album as a whole is nothing special though. Sure it's not bad but an album you have to hear before you die? Not really.

Loose.

That was fun. I had never heard of them before.

Good dance album that works on a few levels. 3.5 stars

Not bad, better than I expected

This is a great album

Carino ha un po' del George Michael, uno stile poco definibile e nessuna canzone che spicca. Comunque molto orecchiabile.

Definitely not my normal thing, but I can enjoy it

Great memories

I can see how they were influenced by Midnight Oil and influential on EMF, but Midnight Oil and EMF are so much better I can’t justify anything more than a 2.

Nope.

Head nodding but forgettable

Mehta, it's decent, but nothing really stands out. Not bad though.

meh

I haven’t listened to much from Happy Mondays before and this album was very exciting! Such a true mix of a lot of things. Can tell the lyrics were fuelled by opium! My top track was Bob's yer Uncle but found some of the others a tad stressful at certain points but recognise that is mostly my own weirdness haha.

Yeah I mean what a banger and takes you to 90s Manchester in an instant. Very iconic beat and just generally very fun. Made me want to party, have the thrills

Great stuff. Don't think I've ever listened to a full Happy Mondays album. Thought I was going to get bored of it or feel it's of an era that doesn't fit with me but I did actually really enjoy it.

An enjoyable album if somewhat crass and dated at points. An uptempo way to start a Wednesday, at least.

I have never had a happy monday

Not my cuppa tea

Rock alternativo. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Pop. Rock. Insulso.

While the only song I knew from this was Step On, and it still probably remains my favourite, this was a decent album, though a few songs were a bit forgettable. Favourite: Step On

90s garage band if the band had unlimited instruments. Half expecting a kazoo to come out of the woodwork. Piano saves this band tho

The 90s are alive in 2007

That’s Brit rock all right

I thought baggy was supposed to be bad what the heck man. You're twisting my melon man.

Unique sound. An interesting blend of 80s and 90s rock sounds. However, as a whole it fails to leave a lasting impression.

Typical late 80s, pre Brit Rock with a few decent songs but not enough to warrant more than 3 stars

Veldig anonymt album

Don’t see anything redeemable about it. Boring as hell

Not bad.

This was great! Awesome instrumentals, fitting vocals, interesting compositions all around. Favorite track: Loose Fit

4, Really enjoyed this

A definitive representation of the Madchester movement with clear fusions of psychedelic rock, acid house, and funk. Compared to Bummed, this is more focused and is a better collection of individual songs. I can hear influences from shoegaze and the Stone Roses with their high production and complex fuzzy sound, composed of a lot of trippy sounds and effects that make it unpredictable and interesting to dissect. Compared to Stone Roses, this has less of a groovy 60s sound and instead has a stronger connection to the acid house movement, making most of these songs fun to dance or vibe to, even if they're not that high-energy. My main complaint is that the I find the themes of the songs to be essentially the same, and I could get pretty bored if not for all the cool techniques they throw in. I compare it to the Stone Roses which has a unique style to each song and think how much cooler this album could be if they reinvent some songs entirely. They're all fine songs on their own and I could pick out tons of things I love about each of them, and you can bet your ass I'll trip out to it, but with the exception of "Step On" and maybe the upbeat "Dennis and Lois", I don't get excited for any of them. I do think the track ordering is great, starting off with the club hit "Kink's Afro", putting "Step On" near the end, and then closing off with the satisfying smooth blend of "Holiday" and "Harmony."

J’ai bine aime, genre de rock pop, ca sonne comme queque chose qu’on a roujours ente du et c’est bien bon, dans le me style que certains albûms usr cette liste maus pa s plus. 3.5

Favourite song: Step On (think it’s familiarity bias in honesty though.) One for the karaoke: Kinky Afro One for the car: Dennis and Lois I reckon this was all that was going played in Ute’s dressing room in the early 90s

Think the album starts weak but gets better. Some alright tracks toward the middle. Voice was offputting at times, trying too hard for that daft manc vocal sound. Thought the back up vocals were used well. Favourite song - Loose Fit Holiday was catchy.

Favourite song - Grandbags Funeral One for Karaoke - Step On One for a run - Kinky Afro Only ever heard the hits and didn’t expect it to be this good. Will deffo dive in again Bez style

Never heard of this one. I liked it

One of the most forgettable albums I've ever heard in my life. I honestly believe that this is as creative and exciting this band can get, which just isn't that great. It wasn't painful to listen to, I just couldn't remember a single track off of it to save my life. 2/5

Know iit well

Enjoyable but nothing that stood out to me. Just solid jams n good production, but the sameness of a lot of the songs made it boring to listen to in one sitting. Great in parts but could of been way better.

I'd forgotten how much joy I get out of listening to Happy Mondays, something about them just makes me ummm Happy. Fave songs Kinky Afro, Loose Fit, Bob's Yer Uncle, Step On.

Huh, I have a surprising (to me) amount of affection for this album - I guess it got a lot more play in my uni days than "Bummed". Fave track - "Kinky Afro" and "Step On" are both monster tunes. "Harmony" is a lovely outro, too!

The best opening lyrics to an album ever and that us a stone cold fact. It's a difficult album to rank because Kinky Afro, Loose Fit and Step On are all 11/10 tracks. But the rest of it hasn't aged very well. Will give a 4 out of respect for the sheer amount of drugs they've done without dying.

Owned it, loved it back in the day, seen them live a few times - always a party, but the music itself...not so good really - not quite appealing to the lowest common denominator, but close

I like the Happy Mondays- it’s been a minute since I’ve listened to Step On.

Loved this album!! Sounded very smooth to me.

God's Cop, Donovan, Loose Feet y Step On son suficientes para reconocer el valor de este disco (mucho mejor que el otro que incluyeron en esta lista de 1001 el Bummed).

3-

No.

Good flow, but songs are diverse enough it keeps you interested. Love the lyrics.

Bloody love this album. Best opening line of any album

It all sounds the same.

Didn't really enjoy it.

Groovy & Pretentious

Breezy, loud and fun, just what a Madchester record is supposed to be. A sign of what was to come in the decade ahead.

Never used to get the Happy Mondays hype. But, having actually listened to an actual album of theirs I realise that it was one of my many strongly held opinions based on nothing much! Great tunes for a day in the park drinking cider.

Bad brit pop. Can hear a lot of Stones and Beatles influence in there.

Look I'm both too old and not on enough drugs.

Felt like I would have liked this more, but it just didn't grab me for most of the album.

Sounded to me like a mashup of a bunch of different artists and styles. All kinda fun at least

there’s nothing happy about mondays

um.. this isn't me at all but why was I vibing with it

Live reactions from late Tuesday night after work: For an album with such an eclectic mix of influences, these first few tracks aren’t as fun as I would have thought. It’s almost there but not quite raising my pulse. Ok I just got to “Dennis and Lois,” which is really scratching the itch for me. It sounds like U2’s “Mysterious Ways” with a little extra disco influence. Really digging it. (Fwiw, U2 released that song a year later so maybe it’s fair to say they were influenced by this album?) Maybe it’s this double IPA I’m drinking but the second half of this album is hitting way better than the first. The flute on “Bob’s Yer Uncle” is so fun. And that female backing vocal having an orgasm on the track? Haha I love it. Yeah I’m officially into this. “Step On” is a banger. And the last two tracks are really fun too. I’ll need to go back and listen to the first half of this again because I’m thoroughly charmed right now. Listening again on Wednesday morning and I’m really enjoying it. Their style took me a minute to connect to. His hoarse, shouted vocals are cracking me up. It’s a fun choice for a dance-y record. This one’s gonna go into high rotation for me for the next few weeks.

Interesting mix of stuff here! I can see myself having a great time dancing along to this at a live show, with the rock and sometimes Latin and sometimes dance beats.

Pretty eclectic, pretty weird, very interesting, very listenable. I enjoyed it a lot! I really liked that they didn't seem to worry about adding unconventional things into the productions, and it seemed to bounce around different emotions and vibes and feels without ever making me as the listener feel like something was off. It is all tastefully done. Will have to listen to this album more than once to pick up on more things though.

Not a fan

Musically, the Mondays layered indie-pop guitars with house, funk and Northern soul beats. Yeah okay (6/10). FT: Step On

Late 80s sound in the early 90s

Heard before: no I’d never heard the Happy Mondays before, but had heard of them. It wasn’t what I expected. It was fine… maybe taking substances would improve the experience?

Scuzzy, funky and vibrant. A genre-defining work that's also a delight to listen to. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): Step On, Loose Fit, Dennis and Lois, God's Cop, Kinky Afro, Bob's Yer Uncle, Harmony, Holiday, Donovan, Grandbag's Funeral

rock interessante, cara de anos 80/90

A classic indi record

Bit too eclectic for me.

Preffered the Charletans and Stone Roses over any other Madchester band from that time but this album is ok as well, the sound is a bit dated but it contains several well-known singles and some good album tracks, 3.5 stars

Such a massive vibe. Reminds me of Spiritualized but more party

The singles are great (although a little overplayed) but it feels a little too clean compared to the hazy fug of Bummed

It's cool, but it's extremely basic

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Kinky afro

Ehh.. pretty middle of the road. Hard to really comment anything exceptional. Just pretty average music.

This one is always good company, listened on the way down to the coast. Nothing much to say, just good memories and dancing.

I used to love this album but it’s dated and equally tough to relate to an album which is mostly about getting stoned when you‘re in your 50s.

Some bangerzzzz. Not as drug fuelled a mess as I was half expecting. Proper talent o can only dream of.

For readers unaware of the Man known as Bez, Bex was a member of Happy Mondays. However, no discernible musical contribution, he. Bez’s sole function in the band was to stand on stage and shake his maracas. And that’s what this album is really - party music to shake your maracas, shake your hips, shake your ass. A fusion of dance music and indie which actually works and captures a time and a place. Try not to think to hard and just enjoy the ride.

I really liked this album. The voice compliments the music very well, and either by itself would simply be doing this album a disfavor. The music is great in that the melodies draw you in and keep you there. Many songs have a sort of pop feeling to them or at the very least an upbeat tone. In addition, there are some funk-inspired songs, which is a plus for me personally. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. Favorite track: God’s Cop

I got "Bummed" a couple of days ago and really liked it, so I went into this one thinking it would be on the same level of enjoyment; however, I was disappointed. The album cover is really cool, and I think fits the genre and style they were going for. The album feels like a mellowed down version of "Bummed," a more radio friendly version that takes a lot less risks. This album is still enjoyable, but I think this one is just not as good as "Bummed." The lyrics are a little more bland on this album, and the songs are more upbeat which, in my opinion, isn't an improvement over "Bummed"'s sound. I do have some praises over "Bummed" though. The flow of the album is much better. It is a much more coherent album, and it does this by taking less risks. The psychedelic tone still comes through on many tracks and (in most cases) done much better than on "Bummed." Highlights: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

another one for the 'appreciation rather than enjoyment' column. they've always kinda bored me

Unremarkable

I am partial to this genre of music. This wasn't stand out for me but I suspect that has more to do with not being familiar with it. However I can't see myself going back to it.

Rock music criticism, for all its supposed involvement with such a debauched, rebellious industry, is overwhelmingly conservative and starchy, and brooks no deviation from the established diktats, demanding that tame, stuffy acts receive all the plaudits while the genuinely challenging and alive must get sidelined. Surely nobody seriously thinks that three Beatles albums belong in the top ten albums of all time? Or that U2 are somehow one of the mightiest living flag-bearers for rock 'n' roll (a mate of mine once sent me a series of links where contemporary reviewers had deemed each of U2's last 5 albums as "a return to form")? And then we have the infuriating case of the Happy Mondays, the greatest, most inventive, most iconic British group of the late 80s and early 90s, yet somehow certain critics blithely dismiss them as grubby also-rans to the Stone Roses, which leads to the patent absurdity of the Stone Roses receiving all the praise for fusing indie and dance with Fools Gold, despite the Mondays having done so earlier, more radically and better (Fools Gold doesn't really go anywhere, and its melody is oddly unmemorable for such a supposed anthem; at the same time, the Mondays were dazzling with the Madchester Rave On E.P.). One obvious reason why the critics did this: they felt they had to credit someone with such an innovation, but dance music was a wee bit tricky for them to comprehend, and anyway who wants to credit the Mondays, those slovenly thugs? No no, let's award the Roses, at least they didn't progress that far outside our ken. (For clarity's sake, I do like the Stone Roses, and will even assert that Second Coming is nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests; well done critics, you managed to mess up there as well). So yes, it is clear to anyone with at least one partially functioning ear and an actual spine that the Mondays were not only the better band, but the ones who defined the epoch and the ones who belong more in the great rock pantheon. Kids, with that in mind, how good do you think Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches is? With the fullness of time, everyone should be able to clock that PnTAB, along with much of the Mondays' back catalogue, set the agenda for much of the best British music of the 90s. Screamadelica's distillation of the E experience? The Mondays were first. Blur's sarky kitchen-sink vignettes? Grandbag's Funeral, take a bow. Jarvis Cocker's masturbation fantasies set to lyrics? Bob's Yer Uncle. Suede's flaneur sleaze? Who was ever sleazier than the Mondays? Oasis' magpie-like purloining of riffs of rock past? A technique itself purloined from the Mondays, the most brazen of thieves (literally: like their forefathers the Sex Pistols, they nicked all their instruments when starting out). The mainstreaming of dance music? Yes, other bands (significantly New Order) can claim more responsibility, but the superstar DJs of the 90s still owe quite a debt to the Mondays. It would make sense to call the Mondays the great codifiers of 90s British music, were they in any way interested in laws. Anyway, pointing out that PnTAB is influential is not the same as saying it's good, so I am fully tumescent with delight to preach to all you lost children that it's absurdly wonderful. Their previous album, the romantically titled Bummed, was also absurdly wonderful, but the two albums sound shockingly different from each other. Whereas Bummed is sordid and nebulous, PnTAB is sordid and sun-kissed, all acid house keyboards and crisp guitar melodies. PnTAB is also a textbook example of how to construct and order an album, without filler, with diversity of style yet unity of tone. How many other albums can make you dance like, well, Bez on one song, yet crack out the air guitar on the next, all the while making such a transition wholly organic? Along with this, the Mondays simply don't sound like any other band. The only bands to have come close are, as has been stated earlier, the bands who sought inspiration from these loony-tunes scallies. Your bog-standard insulated Radiohead fan will try to show disdain for the Mondays by saying they stole it all from Can and George Clinton, proving their foolishness by forgetting that the Mondays didn't care if they yoinked a melody or two, that the Mondays actually built skyscrapers on their thefts, and that the Mondays were so blisteringly original that even their pilfering couldn't detract from the fact that nothing on the planet resembled the Mondays at their peak, not even the multitude of bands that tried swiping a bit of the Mondays' shabby allure. Of course, I haven't mentioned the shiniest diamond on this jewel-bedecked album yet: Shaun Ryder's sheer magnficence as a lyricist. In my review of Meat is Murder, I spoke about the British songwriter's stance as the teller of uncomfortable truths. Shaun Ryder is an exemplar of that tradition, alongside Ray Davies, John Lydon and (quintessentially) Morrissey. Just take a look at the still-hilarious, still-biting opening couplet to album-opener Kinky Afro: Son, I'm 30 I only went with your mother 'cos she's dirty. The rest of the song, an inadequate father in utter self-pity pleading with his son to forgive him, but still too proud to apologise, with the son responding just as the father would have, understanding yet completely dismissive, remains one of the most astute character studies in all of rock (how many 90s indie songs repeat the trick of the singer explaining, "I get you, but fuck you anyway"?). Also note that, for all the hedonism the Mondays exhort, our Shaun's lyrics have not only thick strands of pessimism, but a worldly-wise stoicism. As the title says, pills 'n' thrills come with bellyaches. I have quoted one song. In fact, every song from the album can be quoted so, as demonstrations of Our Shaun's absolute lyrical expertise. Take Dennis and Lois: Honey, how's your breathing? If it stops for good, we'll be leaving. Or how about the chorus to God's Cop? God made it easy on me. That was intended to be a poke in the eye at the rabid, religiously zealous Chief Constable of Greater Manchester James Anderton, but it also serves as rather a nifty cocaine line (see what I did there?). Such pearlers cram, indeed constitute PnTAB. Shaun Ryder at his best is equal to Bob Dylan at his best, and Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches is easily one of the five greatest British albums ever recorded. However, there remains the question: why did the Mondays blow it? As hagiographic as I have been, I must be honest and admit their flaws. The Mondays' embrace of pleasure led them to unremitting sexism (the year after PnTAB, they guest-edited an issue of Penthouse). After Shaun made an unwise comment made whilst high (he joked about "selling my arse for 50p", which some tabloids reported as a confession that he had been a rentboy), the Mondays made homophobic remarks when challenged by an admittedly hostile journalist. As a liberal type, these blemishes make me wince, but I hope I don't sound dismissive to say that their youthful prejudices do not diminish them in my eyes; they are my favourite band (duh), and they have meant so much to me that I will eulogise them, especially as their failings, their humanity, are part of the reason their artistry is so embraceable. My father was a homophobe, but that doesn't mean I stopped loving him. Love is not blind, but it is forgiving. To suggest some perspective, I believe it's easier to pardon the Mondays' regrettable epithets than, say, N.W.A.'s witless, self-parodic anthems to murdering prostitutes. Aside from that serious ugliness, I should talk about their record label: the barmy indie totem of Factory Records. Tony Wilson, the Yeats-and Debord-quoting newsreader who helmed Factory, declared that Factory's greatest achievement was shepherding two truly great bands, Joy Division/New Order and the Happy Mondays. He was right. He was also right about the (literal) price such shepherding cost. The collapse of Factory Records has become one of the monumental legends of music. Factory was losing money due to the crushing debts of their revolutionary white elephant club, the Haçienda, and the only option the label saw was to get the Mondays to record a fourth album. However, our Shaun had become addicted to heroin, and their manager got the bright idea to record the album in Barbados, an island free of heroin. There was no heroin on Barbados, but it was festooned with crack, the least creative drug of all. All the money Factory sent over, the Mondays spent on crack. They then sold the record equipment for crack, then they sold the studio furniture, then they sold their clothes. Eventually, when Factory got the master tapes from Barbados, they discovered Shaun hadn't recorded any vocals. They quickly bandied him to a studio in Surrey to finish the album, and the resultant album, Yes Please!, proved a substantially weakened follow-up and a commercially and (somewhat justified) critically catastrophic release. Factory went into administration and the Mondays split in internecine hatred, their legacy tarnished by their own druggy stupidity. Unfathomably, our Shaun and Bez managed a successful comeback with their next group Black Grape, producing one classic album in It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah!, and one duffer in Stupid Stupid Stupid. Black Grape broke up, and Shaun assembled a bastardised, pub-karaoke version of the Mondays in one of the tawdriest, most depressing reformations in music history, with our Shaun playing the pathetic jester for the sole intention of paying off tax bills based on name recognition alone (is every detail microscopically right? No matter, I'm printing the legend). Taking this all together, this is why critics have bestowed the baggy, pilled-up glories on the Stone Roses, glories that rightfully belong to the Happy Mondays. Just because you're the best doesn't mean you win. But why should I care? Why should the Mondays care? Despite everything, despite all the ignominy they proffered and invited, they already proved themselves one of the greatest bands of all time, with two of the greatest albums of all time, and some of the greatest songs of all time. Neither they nor I need to worry about some Pitchfork-scrutinising wanker declaring them too coarse and visceral for their milquetoast sensibilities. Nietzsche once wrote that the belly is the one reason man does not take himself for a god. The Happy Mondays assert that the belly is exactly why a man can be a god. Bez' father was a policeman.

super cool

Un d'aquells discos en què la producció és molt. Els temes deuen més al seu moment i lloc que a la seva perícia compositiva, però la mà d'Oakenfold als comandaments fa màgia. Un disc testimoni d'una època. Molt lluny del primer disc d'Stone Roses, els seus partenaires de Madchester, però una escolta recomenable i plena de moments disfrutables

It’s a nice album from the early 90’s. It really sums up that era from England

Kinky Afto was pretty catchy. The rest of the album seems ok. I think this one will take longer for me to get to know. It is my kind of music - just never heard it before. For now, I'll give it 2.5/5...

Pretty cool

Kinky Afro is pretty good

4/12/22 Ehhhhh.

Oddly exciting name for an album that's just tame britpop-type stuff. Nothing awful but absolutely nothing standout either. I'll have forgotten everything about this by mid morning. Early afternoon update: yep, long since all forgotten. 2/5.

It is better than I remembered, some good songs but overall it is just "good"

I’m sure it was fun at the time but all seems a bit messy and shouty now. A bit more going on musically than I was expecting though.

first listen bouncy but doesn't have a lot of spark

No mention of Lady Marmalade on the reviews? How so?

2.5

Very good, love the ambience of the first track, love the chaos of the second one, and the in-between chaos and calm of the last 2. Fantastic album.

I was thinking that this album was all around solid but lancking any stand-out tracks. Then Step On came on and I upgraded this to a 4 star.

Best Song: Step On. Their most listened to song, probably the best on the album, but the lyrical patterning in some sections seems pretty derivative of The Beatles' "Come Together", so it's not even that original. Worst Song: Bob's Yer Uncle. Why does the title invoke an uncle, but the song contains lyrics like "Can I take you from behind and make you live?" Was this song supposed to sound so predatory? Perhaps the least sexy attempt at being sexy I've ever heard in a song. The flute/sax combo was nice though. Overall: Bland and basic. Sounds something like an amalgam of U2 and a Bowie cover band. The backing instrumentals were nice and funky in sections, but not enough to make up for the rest of the album. Another album that was gratuitously added to reach a nice number like 1001.

When it comes together it really is something great. Too bad it falls apart more often than succeeding, with the vocalist nosediving into a bad Joe Strummer impression and the songs meandering around going nowhere. But man, when it works, it slaps.

Quite an empty sound. I do like the "beachiness" feel, but I think there are better versions of that sound.

I've never heard of this band before, but I'm glad I now have because every song on this album is a total banger.

Mostly forgettable 90s indie rock. Some cool sounds but that’s about it

I loved every minute of this album! Fun funky and fresh. A new favorite from a group I'd never even heard of!

As alluded to earlier in this project, Primal Scream's music blew my mind when I first heard it, and I started with some of their worse output. The Mondays put me in a similar state of mind, but I haven't found their mind-blowing record yet. This one has just enough variety in it to pique my interest, especially with the strings on the second tracks. Strings are a soft soft spot after all. Other than that, beats are uniformly good if not uniformly distributed, and the song structures rote.

Incredible, vinyl quality

Sound got really old quick. Songs are ok if not all pretty much the same. Nothing I'd want to go back to though

Happy guitar based music

I did not dig it very much

The music took me on a fun little adventure, but the singing/lyrics made me want to turn around and go home.

I've never experienced an album so forgettable that I would forget what it sounded like while I was listening to it before.

3.5 I'd say, not bad. A bit noisy at times. Didn't inspire me too much (as you can probably tell).

Super generic. Didn’t do it for me as it was pretty basic background Brit pop. The remixes at the end of the deluxe album were excruciating. Fave track: Step On

Pretty meh album. Nothing wrong with the album, but nothing that standouts either. It would be alright background music. "Step On" probably the best song in my opinion

Quality Britpop

Such a strong sound it conjures up an era. A bit before my time, the rock/rave scene had vanished from Manchester by the time I got there. The songs have a tendency to blend together and drag on a bit during the weaker parts. But it has such a strong vibe that kinda distracts from how boring the album actually is. 4/5 - Would give it 3 but my inner Manc is pushing it up to 4.

Forgotten quite how much fun this was. It plays well from start to finish; I thought it was a hits album, but only 3 UK singles are here, the rest of the album is fun, musically and lyrically, and fizzes along at a fair pace. Top tracks: kinky afro, step on, Donovan

Yeah, didn't love it. A little too poppy. A little boring.

Fun album. Sounded a bit more modern than '90.

Liked this one back in the day. Sounds a bit dated now. Still has some good grooves though.

Some really great tracks, but some average ones too

Madferrit. How a bunch of junkies can knock out a British classic should be seen as the quality of British drugs and our drug addicts. The music's as baggy as their jaws were gurning. Best Tracks: Kinky Afro; God's Cop; Step On

ok. strange. Wont listen again probably. 3/10

Just OK. Maybe I was just born a few years too late but I feel like a lot of the Madchester stuff is massively overrated.

Rockin hamz

Really interesting but not really my jam--and there are some uncomfortable songs on there to say the least... I'll give it a 3 for creativity.

I really can't say I needed to hear this album before I die

This one isnt intended to be absorbed on airpods in your house. I think you had to be there in the clubs. Loose Fit is fun.

Good album, fun and funky

Didn’t particularly dig this. Nothing wrong with it but just meh. Very doesn’t belong on this list.

God what an annoying album, I wholeheartedly prefer silence. No favorite track

Despite the cover art, this album is kind of boring and uninteresting to me. Guess you had to be there.

This was great! I've never heard of this band or Madchester style music. I'll definitely want to check out more in the future. I can definitely see some influences the style has on bands like the Chemical Brothers.

4.5

A creative blur between sensational dance music and indie, art rock guitar sounds. It may seem like an odd combination of genres, but to me it's almost the personification of the atmosphere of early 90's UK. I can visualize a shabby dance club with a small band in new wave outfits performing Step On, God's Cup and Loose Fit with a dance pit around them. And then the band switches it up, and gives you a punk rock show that isn't changing any of the tones they've been playing for the club. It may be super niche or an adjustment to really latch onto, but this was easy for me to enjoy and pick up. This record represents a distinctly different corner of what rock was doing during the 90's. Favorite Songs: Step On Least Favorite: Donovan

Very basic lyrics, vocals and style. Didn’t do much for me. No real highlights.

Consistent with my reaction to the Madchester/baggy thing, I liked this OK but am not quite seeing the level of adulation.

Enjoyed it!

Made for a great drive home track. Good vibe energy

I’m trying to distance myself from the kind of fellow Manc who’s still walking around with bowl cuts and bucket hats in 2021, but I cannot deny that I genuinely think this is a great album. No standout tracks for me, but the whole record hangs together as such a mood. It was such a great production decision to get Paul Oakenfold involved. It’s not technically as good as the likes of The Stone Roses, but it is a bit more fun.

didn't like them then, don't like them now. Dennis and Lois was a cool track. the rest can go jump in a lake.

Mediocre

Langweilig und verzichtbar.

This is a really fun listen. There are some really good hooks on some of the songs (Kinky Afro, Loose Fit). There are many moments of "that sort of sounds like ________", and use of familiar samples from other artists' songs. This is an album that I would listen to 2-3 tracks at a time, but not listen to all the way through.

not vibing with this album art. the one on spotify is slightly better. beginning sounds just fine. don't love the vocals. kinda liked the second song. third song doesn't sound bad either but i'm not interested at all so far. voice is getting grating, please stop whining sir. 'loose fit' is a mood. on track 7 and i'm so bored. doesn't sound bad but ehh. idk.

I had never heard of this group before, but this was a surprisingly fun listen.

Kind of ok. Not really my thing these days.

Very poppy a bit trippy it was fun

2.5

Good vibes

It was ok

74. Estamos a falar de um ramo do direito que protege realidades imateriais, no fundo, como se eu tomar duas caixas de ibuprofeno toma o comprimido toma o comprimido e a minha barriga centrifugar até não ser mais bucho que descida vertiginosa na montanha russa do pós-vida e no fundo são isso os limites dos direitos. MotA: Step On "Son, I'm 30 / I only went with your mother 'cause she's dirty"

Great album. Really bridges the gap between new wave and Britpop. I will definitely be returning to this album

At Hawkins elementary I ate lunch in the cafeteria. We all had assigned seats and once you sat down, you weren't allowed to move until the lunch bell rang 35 mins. later. Kids, myself included, would eat the Little Debbie's first and then make our way through the PB&J's only to leave the less desirable food untouched. Others bought lunch which was stuff like pizza or mac'n cheese with fries, and limp veggies. Like limp and discolored, rubbery carrots and lima beans-type veggies. What kid eats lima beans ... like ever? Eating took roughly 20 mins. to complete. The remaining time was often spent pulverizing the leftovers and adding some ketchup and milk to create some disgusting concoction and then daring each other to drink it until the bell rang. Michael Gunter was the only kid I remember who actually followed through on the dare. I'd never heard of The Happy Monday's until today and after hearing it, I would've thought this would've been placed a little further into the '90s based on their sound. There's a lot of layers within the music, people talking, bong-ripps, white people rap, makeshift instrumentation, sampled loops and other superfluous noise that, when combined makes me think of Michael Gunter and cafeteria-time at Hawkins elementary. The result of this mish-mash is a deep, full-bodied experience that's messy and convoluted but not as terrible as you'd think. It almost makes me wonder if Michael Gunter actually enjoyed drinking that sludge. After all, he was awarded with a legendary status for that. But then I remembered he earned that for spewing chewed-up ketchup, lima-bean disaster milk all over Paul Pyle who was lucky enough to be in direct line of fire from Michael's pie hole. Paul Pyle, for his part, had to stay seated until the bell rang, was forced wear his stinky sweater for the remainder of the day and earned the nickname 'puke pile' for the rest of fifth grade.

With the recent creation of britpop in 1989, many new bands were emerging to pinpoint and define the sound of this very fresh new genre. Two of these bands were The Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays, however in my opinion the Happy Mondays 3rd album 'Pills n Thrills and Bellyaches' is much superior to any of the Stone Roses catalogue. This album perfectly balances between embracing the old, such as using classic guitar sounds and licks as well as bongos which are used to great effect, and pushing forward from the 80's into the 90's. The constant tempo and rhythmic change between songs gives you a constantly refreshing listen, and the beats are so damn addictive and you could listen to them for hours. This really is a benchmark album for music and usually flies under the radar for most people. GREAT!

What a great, fun album. Really captures the birth of Britpop and the whole Manchester sound, as good as the Stone Roses did it. Fantastic!

Upbeat, fun album.

Meh... served ok as a palette cleanser from The Wall.