Reviews (page 6 of 9)
I usually don't like synth-heavy 80s. But this was kind of nice. Partly because it's short and fast. "This Is The Day" is really a very nice song. Overall it's very upbeat and very light. I wouldn't be likely to put the whole thing on again though.
It was okay
Interesting. Sounds a bit like early REM at times and other times more like Duran Duran but harder edged. Sometimes boarding on electronic noises similar to Pretty Hate Machine. Overall a good listen that has me interested in hearing more.
Had two of these on my Spotify liked playlist before I listened which says it all really.
Oh wow! An 80s British synth-pop album?!? What a surprise, it's not like that's every other album on this damn list! Jokes aside I liked this one better than others though.
Their best album for sure.....Infested is close.
Not memorable but not terrible either
A lot of the songs on here are interesting but boring, nothing really hooked me, it’s a lot of style no substance. It’s definitely got more care than a lot of new wave fluff but it just isn’t…fun?
A very effectively catchy album. I usually don't care much for synth pop or new wave, but this album has such a unique sound that I felt captivated the whole listen. Not every song lands for me, but this was definitely a fascinating and eye-opening listen. Top tracks: I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow, This is the Day, Uncertain Smile,
Pretty cool, although not really my style. Didn't realize that "This is the Day" was by The The--I actually know their stuff.
had a ton of fun with this one, will definitely be revisiting
One of my favorite parts of this project, and generally listening to canonical albums for the first time, is getting to hear songs you kinda know through osmosis in their original context. That happened here with “This is the Day”, which I loved! The album is kinda shaggy but hey it’s a lot of fun! I dug it!
Didn’t immediately gel with this, especially the vocalist and some of the samples, but could definitely see this growing on me! Found myself falling into the grooves on the longer tracks. Also I love the band name
pretty fun! always knew of this band because of their epic name but now i know them for their new wave music
This is a very good and consistent new wave/art rock album, with production that doesn’t feel dated whatsoever. The whole thing is nice to listen to, but it’s really the final two tracks (“Giant” and the U.S. bonus track, “Perfect”) that make this thing a staple new wave album for me.
song reco: uncertain smile
General note: Trying to be more critical of what i give 4s & 5s. Also trying to answer "what the average (3) rating looks like to use as a benchmark for other albums. This Is the Day --> The Sinking Feeling --> Uncertain Smile was a very enjoyable 3-run of songs. Soul Mining was wonky but fun. The vocals for Giant were fun, but the second half on the song went on for way too long.
I made it all the way through, so it gets 2 stars by default. I felt it never really got going, none of the tracks ever made me stop and listen, it was all a bit meh really.
A fun and groovy slice of new wave/synth pop with some absolutely stunning production. I first heard this maybe three years ago and got a lot out of it, but was quite disappointed by their follow-up album Infected when that came up on this list, so it was really nice to revisit this first album and experience those highs again Also a big shout out to the surprise Jools Holland piano solo on Uncertain Smile, absolutely hooting his nanny all over that track
Lätt industriellt? En band jag endast känt till till namnet. Jag tycker bara att det är så… ointressant.
Previously rated: Infected (3/5) ************************* A not fun and not very catchy pop album. Some good piano in one of the tracks. The final song was almost decent. I’m Ok with not hearing this band again. Isn’t Duran Duran on this list somewhere?
Slay. Just wish it had more than 7 songs
Good tunes
80s joy! Love it!
ok
I've heard of these guys but couldn't name a single one of their songs. Hard to define what kind of music this, genre-wise, but it's quite 80s and I love that about it. 3.5 rounding up
Я волна. Новая волна. Подо мной. Будет вся страна.
Man hört noch den Punk aber sonst mitelmäßig
Never heard this album. Great album though.
I wanted to hate it. Wasn’t terrible
Didn't hate anything here, but don't imagine I'd come back to this. It was a pleasant time while it was on, but not much more than that
It's pretty good.. Exists somewhere between synth pop and post punk. What I do really like is the longer compositions that let the songs breath a little more.
I loved this record when I first got it in maybe 1985 or so. Very different from what I was into at the time but my cousin urged me to give it a listen. Strong tracks top to bottom.
I knew a couple of songs off this album. The rest of the album was as good as the songs I knew.
I liked this a little better than "Infected" but it still didn't do much for me. It's totally fine, but I have no desire to listen to it again anytime soon.
"Soul Mining" is the debut studio album by English post-punk and synth-pop band the The. The The is Matt Johnson who plays the synthesizers, percussion, all instruments and is the vocalist. A host of other musicians contributed. There was a label bidding war for Matt Johnson due the recent commercial success of synth-pop specifically Soft Cell's "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" and he was signed to CBS Records. The lyrics on this album deal with relationship insecurities and social alienation. The album received positive reviews but, commercially, just did OK, with the album reaching #27 in the UK. "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" opens the album. A countdown to an industrial drum beat to a weird synth to Johnson singing in the background. A synth carries melody with a lot going on. The music is hypnotic and unnerving and fits the lyrical message of confusion and dissonance with the media. The mood changes abruptly with the uplifting sounding "This is the Day." Great synth melody, drumbeat and especially the fiddle/accordion combination. I don't even want to know what this is about but I think he's self reflecting on life...one of my favorites of the 80's. The first single "Uncertain Smile" is another song with a great melody and uplifting vibe. Acoustic guitar and electric guitar bridge. It's a song about unrequited love. Oh, and then there's Jools Holland giving an epic and very jazzy three-minute piano solo which also ends up being the outro. The album closer "Giant" begins with a repeating mechanical beat and a clock ticking. This song does a nice job of adding and layering instruments, most synths. The music builds and ends with people chanting. Johnson is looking back regretfully at his life and is afraid of dying. This album covers a fair bit of ground stylistically going from unnerving post-punk to happy synth-pop to more chill. The music is synth heavy but every song seems to feature a different instrument. Johnson keeps things interesting. I've always really liked "This is the Day" and "Uncertain Smile" but, for some reason, had no desire to check out the album. I don't know why; this is a very good album and motivates me to check out his other albums.
The weak vocal melody of the opener had me wondering about the hype surrounding The The, but the rest of the album allayed any concerns. A classic.
Not bad! I knew nothing about this band and expected a different genre based on the album cover. While I love 80s post-punk and synth pop, this album came across as very restrained to me. I just wanted it to ramp up at some point, maybe get a little crazy…I didn’t feel like it met its potential until partway through the final track. So while this is a genre I truly enjoy, I wouldn’t come back to this album, unfortunately.
New wave sounds
Typical 80s pop but a little more unique
The IS the day. ‘83. pleasant. didnt grab special attention. i kept losing interest althoug its nice.
Interesting
brýsna gott. meiri raftónlistaráhrif en í síðari verkum. önnur umferð. 3,5.
Tosi jännää, erikoista ja modernin kuuloista jotain elektronista poppia. Jotain varhaista synthpoppia ehkä. Vähän tulee The Smiths mieleen. Parhaat: I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow, The Twilight Hour
Notable tracks: This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile
😌
I saw this album pop up before I fell asleep & woke up to Uncertain Smile playing in my head. This is the best of alt 80s. This Is The Day is their only hit, but they deserve more recognition. Giant is my favorite & this album definitely belongs on this 1001 list.
It was ok. Nothing ground breaking for me but didn’t offend.
generic but not bad. i like the music but not the singing
3 songs deep and this isn’t even remotely close to how I thought it was going to be. Instead of avant- grade style music where words are thrown against a cheesy 80’s beat, you get quality 80’s beats with talking heads type of delivery. So far so good! By The Twilight Hour I grew tired of listening. No fault of their own, I didn’t hate this album at all but the most exciting it got can be heard in the first 4 songs. Choice cut: uncertain smile
Ooh this is fun.
This perfectly bridges the gap between English alternative/synth pop of the era and Downtown NYC club sounds. Not a stinker in the bunch here, five stars, wouldn't mind if this was the only CD I had in my car for a cross country road trip
Love The The Infected is the better album.
this is the day is a good tune. uncertain smile. another good tune. great piano piece in this song. Apart from that the rest were bang average. A low 3/5 rating for me. The two good tunes just say brought it up from 2/5. its albums like this i wish we used a range out of 10.
The the is is quite quite good good. 3 stars C+
This album is incredible
Subpar
I've Been Waiting for Tomorrow - 3 This is the Day - 3 The Sinking Feeling - 3.5 Uncertain Smile - 3.5 The Twilight Hour - 3 Soul Mining - 3 Giant - 3
06/19/24 S Tier—————————5 This Is The Day A Tier—————————4 Sinking Feeling Uncertain Smile I’ve Been Waitin For Tomorrow B Tier—————————3 Soul Mining C Tier—————————2 The Giant D Tier—————————1
Soul Mining by The The Wednesday 6/19/24 9:15 S Tier————————— Waitin’ for Tomorrow This Is The Day A Tier————————— Uncertain Smile Giant B Tier————————— The Sinking Feeling The Twilight Hour C Tier————————— Soul Mining
3.5
Heard of this band, didn't know if I knew any songs of theirs. Then I heard "This Is the Day" and the memories hit hard.
1. tomorrouu - 0 2. day - 1 3. feeling - 1 4. zmile - 1 5. tuuilight - 1 6. mining - 0 7. giant - 0
Love this. 80s synth pop is a weakness of mine.
What I am learning is that having many lyrics about many things is fun, but doesn’t necessarily make a good “album”
Simply a classic. Precision cold songwriting, but nonetheless thrillingly emphatic. Rarely has a record about alienation and relationship troubles provided so much joy for the listener. Unfortunately sometimed of its brilliance gets washed away by 80ies production cheesiness.
- off to a superb start. very 80s combination of drums & bass & synth that I’m a fan of - ‘sleeping boys catch no fish’… the new ‘you snooze you lose’ - i feel as though I’ve heard the riff from uncertain smile before.. - after googling, curious as to whether the spotify version of the album has the sax solo or the piano solo - piano, as it turns out - “i’ve seen an old man fingering his perishing flesh”. oh! quite the absurd / out there lyrics - perfect feels like an abstract painting against a canvas of repeating bassline, synth, and some occasional trumpet. ‘oh what a perfect day to think about myself.’ real - 4/5. adding to library
winning
Love listening to an album and going I KNOW THIS SONG! Some weak points but a pretty solid album overall.
Not terrible, but couldn’t really get into it.
Eclectic pop
Mixed feelings on this one. A bit too synth heavy in a lot of places, but I also quite enjoyed aspects of most of it. Gonna need another listen I think.
Good band of the early 80’s. Comparisons to other 80’s bands,
STANDOUTS: This is the Day The Twilight Hour OVERALL: 2.5/5
Soul Mining has a bop or two and the instrumentation, production, and vocal performances are certainly unique and engaging. It's OK.
This has all the trappings of a typical 80's sound, and I love it. The songs are strong but still have that element of cynicism and weirdness that makes them all feel slightly uncanny to listen to. Can't fault the hooks though! Best Tracks: This is the Day; Uncertain Smile; Soul Mining
Love the The The band name. I've maybe heard one of the The The songs but I've never listened to the The The's albums in full. Eager to check this The The album out! Uncertain Smile was the song I knew from the Left of the Dial box set that highlighted so much great 80's music. It's still probably my favorite song on the album but I enjoyed every song almost as much as the next. This band had a great style. They had a distinct 80's sound (a lot of synth and bass) but also they sound more advanced than a lot of 80s groups both musically and lyrically. I wonder why The The never exploded. I suspect the name may have given them issues. This is a great album regardless of their band name (which I don't hate, but I can see trouble from a marketing perspective).
Listenable. Nice background music for a deck party. Nothing noteworthy.
Rating: 8.5/10 Great album overall. Even though it is poppy and has many of elements of the 80s, it is very unique and interesting in sound and structure. The melodies and instrumentation are incredibly catchy and the songwriting is quite varied in structure, making it a very fun listen from start to finish. Favorite songs: I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow, This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile, Soul Mining, Giant, Perfect. Worst song: The Sinking Feeling.
nice
Absolutely fantastic & essential to a record collection
Could get worse, but real boring album, not for me at all. Thought 'The Twilight Hour' and 'Soul Mining' had something though, but the supposed hits were not my thing. Weak 2.
This one just failed to grab my interest. Just sounded like a standard new wave album to me and forgot I was listening to it or just felt like changing to something else. Highlight was the piano solo of "Uncertain Smile" which was pretty good.
I was a little concerned after not liking the first song, but this was alright in the end. I probably have to re-listen to it at some point. It was new wave-y but not really the kind that I like.
80's techno/synthesizer garbage.
3 - I liked Infected slightly more. It kind of had more of a city vibe to it, though that could be attributed to the album cover. This one felt like it had good moments, but also a few moments were I was not fully into it. His voice is interesting too, I don't remember it being like that, but I haven't listened to anything by The The in at least a year.
This is the Day! great track. The piano solo in Uncertain Smile was by far the album's highlight 3.5
Funky new-wave. I like it.
Good album
Fun discovery.
In general not really for me. At least not on the first listen. Some really good music though.
Listened to it multiple times and yet nothing stayed, but it doesn't sound bad. Just completely forgettable for my brain
Really good
I have fond memories of The The. So I was very excited about the album. OK, the 80s new wave synth pop is easy to recognize. The music was ok. However, there was nothing on it that I absolutely have to listen to again. 3/5
To me this is one step above horrible.
Too 80s for my liking
Did not enjoy the lead singer's voice AT ALL. Music was ok. 2 stars
Strong start - very fun and immediately wanted to start dancing on the bus. One thing I find with most new wave or experimental music, and this album was no exception, is that it sometimes the songs become too repetitive and it gets annoying. Overall, I liked it but I didn't love it
Det börjar riktigt bra. Vem gillar inte en cool nedräkning? Gillar Johnsons röst. Det är bra låtar på hela skivan.
Kul! Första låten var inte så bra och jag tänkte, "here we go again". Men alla andra låtar efter var väldigt sköna. Kom ut på andra sidan med en mycket positiv känsla. Inte omöjligt att man lyssnar igen!
Det här var en riktigt kul överraskning! Lite svag första låt men därefter bra rakt igenom. Älskar pianosolot i Uncetain smile (bästa låten).
Impressively benign. Nothing really stood out as either particularly bad or great. The sounds were bright and airy, which, when looking for a whimsical mood that isn't obnoxious, this would be an excellent album.
Pretty good listen, feels a bit dated but every song serves a purpose, the more theatrical elements did annoy me a little bit however. 3.5
Some really fun moments and compositions here but has some new-wave production elements that I don't particularly respond to. Quite striking lyricism at points. Fave track: Giant
It's OK - nothing really reminded me of the intensity of Infected, which seared into my brain as a teenager, and still moves me. Standard 80's agit-groove fare
Têm uma construção sonora diferente para algumas músicas: sonoridades dissonantes. Mas no geral, não curti muito.
Like Pet Shop Boys but experimental, kinda cool! 6/10
Our second album from this group it seems, and while I don't remember much about the previous, this one seems better, right? More funky, electronic, new-wave type sounds than the previous is what I got, and quite a few on here that I'll be keeping. For an album with not that many tracks, that's a great sign. Favorite tracks: I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow, This is the Day, The Twilight Hour, Giant. Album art: Very, very cool. Bold art style, bold image. Had no idea what to expect based on the visual, but I'm not mad. Surely, this is their best album cover, right? 4/5
Okey
This Is The Day //
A good album, I liked Giants the most.
THE THE MENTIONED ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
..
This was fine, but largely forgettable. Was ok as background music.
This just seemed like perfectly average new wave. It bounced off of me, but it was also perfectly fine.
This kind of music, it’s just not nice. Others might find pleasure in the monotone beats and vocals, and the complete lack of hooks, but I don’t like it at all. Don’t hate enough to give one star, but it’s a weak 2.
Hmm that was interesting. I liked the more discordant songs. Heard of these guys but never heard them before. Not engaging enough to fully win me over but it was pleasing enough. 3 stars
I’ve always wondered what The The sounded like since I saw a cassette on someone’s shelf at a Halloween Party my sister took me to when I was a kid. It’s fine. Kinda quirky new wave. I don’t quite see what’s so special about it that nearly every review is 5 stars though. I give it a high 2.
This album has quite the range. Started off bouncy and fun, and then got more introspective and instrumental. Interesting! Definitely started off stronger than it ended for my specific tastes.
Uncertain Smile and This is The Day are cool songs, the former having a nice piano solo. The rest was pretty bland and not much stood out.
Oh man I had This is the Day on one of my favorite mix tapes in college! Loved hearing the whole album.
Oooo I remember this one too. I bought it on cassette and played it in my first car and played it to death until the head gasket blew. Real 80s feel to it still. So long ago now.
Run David Bowie, Lou Reed and Tom Waits through a blender and give it some pop. A little bit too much angst, but good all the same.
Shit Mining
3.75
Uau. Uau. Uau. É um daqueles álbuns que me fazem grato de participar do projeto. Maravilhoso. Cada início de música é de prender a atenção e excitante. A voz e interpretação dele são ótimas. Os instrumentos, as melodias - UAU. 99/100
Liked it a bittty bit
If I hadn’t been told, I would think this was David Bowie. I would love to hear these songs covered by modern bands because i just can’t get over the 80s synth sound.
Its good art school stuff. But, at the end of the day, its art school stuff
It sort of reminds me of a less dark early Depeche Mode. On the whole, not a bad album.
I didn't feel very strongly about this album.
Strange band name. Eccentric lyrics. 80s. Groovy.
David Bowie esq, enjoyed the easy listen.
Suited to some background music for a movie
One of the most mixed bags we’ve seen. Some very high highs. But those highs are mere seconds long, an instrumentation choice, or a quick melody. But the total package is a bit too variable.
So many familiar but unknown tracks. OK, so uncertain smile is legit a great track. Giant is overindulgently long. 9+ minutes of a 41 minute album, it should be better to justify ¼ of the running time - but it is repetitive to the point of distraction and genuinely serves as a demerit to the album.
Dance pop.
Better than I expected, but not as good as your reviews make it out to be.
Not really my thing.
Pretty ok
Feels quite original, pretty nice
Nice vibes. Some cool piano parts. Not bad!
more new wave. you know how it is
This was a good album that I’d never heard before. 3.75/5.
Absolute banger
Very much 80s - with polka?
Pretty mid
That was painful. 1 star
An a-okay 80s listen
I totally forgot about TheThe the past years. now I have to listen to the other albums as well. Brings back the past.
Interesting synth! There's a lot of uninteresting synth on this list, so this was a welcome treat.
I will always love “This Is The Day.” The rest of the album has never really spoken to me as much. Long and fairly repetitive songs just aren’t my thing. I understand this was pretty early in things moving toward synth music in the 80s, so in some ways it was setting the tone but it just sounds so dated now. Electronic drum sounds just suck 99% of the time.
I love it! Very nostalgic
I've casually listened a few times. Seems slightly above average.
Langweilig.
Nice. New wave with an international sound
Really enjoyed this album
What The? A lot of this reminds me of the weird music the dude from Silence of the Lambs was listening to in his freaky lair. Not a good visual. The one bright spot was the piano jam on “Uncertain Smile”. The beats in the middle of the last track were kind of cool. Overall, I can see it fits a niche, but not in my wheelhouse. 1
this is awesome sauce enjoyed it alot more than expected
Brings me back to college - such the "college rock" sound of the late 1980s...
Jeg har hørt albummet Dusk virkelig mange gange, men nok altid været nervøs ved at prøve andre albums fra The The, men det her var fint nok. Høre den liiiige igen. 😁
Der er elementer af det de kan senere på Dusk. Men det drukner i kedelig 80er synth
That's not my taste in musik. Boring.
The synth pop albums I’ve been dealt this far have been, in my opinion, largely duds. So I really wasn’t looking forward to more of the whiny British Brit-pop voice and meandering songs. This was not that and was I pleasantly surprised. It’s snappy, it’s fun, and it’s energetic. The singer’s voice is so smooth and easy to listen to. 3.5 stars (rounding down to 3 because I didn’t like it THAT much). Standout tracks: I’ve Been Waitin’ for Tomorrow (All of My Life), This is the Day, Uncertain Smile
This was really interesting... not my favorite of all time, but some cool stuff on this record.
I liked the first album on the list better, but still very good
Of the The The albums I've heard, this is the one I forgot about.
I doubt I'd come back to it but I genuinely enjoyed it. It was very unique and weird, but not in a bad way at all. Favorites were This is the Day and Uncertain Smile.
I can say I liked this one. Interesting instrumentation throughout. Vocals were just fine. Favorite songs were This Is The Day, Uncertain Smile, and Giant.
Don't judge an album by its cover, unless it's an album by The The. Then, you should do exactly that. Deranged and uninspired, I'm convinced that the 5 star reviews are programmed robots. The only reason I'm giving "Soul Mining" 2 stars is because two of the songs are listenable!
4/5. Oh my gosh, post punk that doesn't suck! Love the chaotic instrumentation and the chill, lax vocals. The piano solos is not something I was expecting in my punk but it super works. Xylophone behind a disco beat, with aggressive vocals. Truly a masterpiece. Only one or two misses, everything else awesome.
Only now - 38 years after I bought the somewhat disappointing Infected album - do I realise that I bought the wrong The The album.
This feels like an album that’ll really grow on me but still liked it a decent bit the first time around. Rating: 4.2
There seemed to be an era around 2006 when every new band seemed to start with “The”. I had the idea that it would be good to name a band The The. Then one of my friends told me that band already existed and I felt like a silly billy. Never actually listened to them though. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: This Is The Day, Soul Mining For some reason, I had it in my head that The The were are very proggy band, but it seems that they were a fairly straight up pop band with a bit of rockiness thrown in. I really enjoyed the use of synths in this, and the vocals were pleasant throughout. I wouldn’t say this album was amazing, but it was definitely an enjoyable listen.
One of those 5s that creeps up on you, slowly impressing its brilliance on your ears. Weird and wonderful.
Though i am a fan of most Cure music, I can't get into music that devolves into operatic horror rock. Still, there are a couple tracks on this I really enjoy because they are not so dramatically over the top.
This was yeah ok nice.
high 3/low 4
A superb album. Butt-shufflin' synth pop gold.
Wavy casiotone structure with some misantropic-defeatist lyrics but with shoulder shrugging coolness and the silver lining of a very supposedly traditionalist song developement that goes wildly jazzy here and there. Beautiful ! 4.6
Eh
Take some Bowie, mix it with Roxy Music and add some synth pop with tr303 drumset...
3.5/5
Not listened to this before. It was ok but nothing special
Yeah enjoyed intersting songs and lyrics
Disappointing, I listened to this a lot as a teenager but apart from 'This is the Day' I can't really see why now.
No. Thank you, but no.
Listened to this for the first time a couple of years ago, I recall enjoying it then, but later forgot about it. Re-listening now, I enjoyed it again, and no doubt will forget about it later again!
Unfortunately, this was so 'middle of the road' that when I was listening to it in the car, I realised that I had gone through 3 or 4 tracks without 'hearing' any of them. Disappointing
Easy listening pop
Never heard the album before. Fitting for the time with a bit of darkness. Not bad.
Heard of this band back in the day from that guy who knew and loved all the obscure music (everybody had one.) I never listened because 90 % of what he reccomended was absolute shit. Sorry, Todd. This was worth the listen.
# Playlist track - This is the day # Notes - When I loaded the album, I saw that "Uncertain Smile" had been liked by me on Spotify, despite having no recollection of it at all. According to last.fm, I heard it 5 times in 2019-2020. Cool. - Good for me. It's a great song. - Cool album! Definitely coming back to it in the future. -
British people are weird!
Decent 80s stuff
Only heard of them because of the name and it was very much okay
Sounds like a local David Bowie cover band more than anything, and not in a good way. Uncertain Smile was the only track that I didn't think was shit, so you get 1 star. Would love to know how this made the cut of 1001, it reflects poorly on this organization to include such crap.
This is the day…that I admit to owning this on cassette. While the music itself is pretty light, when coupled with more literary heavy themed lyrics it makes for a more interesting tension-driven sound IMO. I place this more in the category alongside bands like Soft Cell (“Tainted Love”) or even early Love and Rockets or New Order. And I’m sure I broke curfew at underground dance clubs with this playing in the background. The variety of instruments featured (especially the accordion on “This is the Day”, and the piano on “Uncertain Smile”) indicates an even wider variety of influences, and yet the album doesn’t stray and remains in tact. Sm(art) synth pop that is essentially a debut solo album. Great band name too.
Yikes. I could only make it through half of this one before I had to spit it out and cleanse my palate
Man, fuck Matt Johnson and his stupid band name and this stupid album. My life would have been better if I hadn’t tried to listen to this. Somebody take away his Casio keyboard!
I suspect I enjoyed this album more than most others in our group. That said, at the end of the day I view this as an average album at best. I like some synth pop, but this didn’t grab me and I don’t see myself picking it up again. 2.25/5
God the 80s in Britain must’ve been awful. All the music is just mopey whiney shit
Loved this album. Reminded me of Yeasayer. I'll listen to it again.
From what I listened to (half) it was very good
We did not get along
Nothing notably great about the album, but nothing terrible either. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Decent.
This came out my senior year in HS, and I've seen this in a lot of friends' collection, but don't know it well/at all. Let's see how some synth-pop sounds now. "I've Been Waitin' for Tomorrow (All of My Life)" initially left me cold, but warmed up slightly as it progressed. Very much the sounds of the time - drum machines and synths of the early 80s. Bleak, bleak lyrics over a dance beat. Low replayability. "This Is the Day" A warmer instrumental accompaniment than the previous track, and lyrics that actually speak to me, oddly. I think I've heard this before, but didn't know who it was. Wikipedia says it's been used in a bunch of soundtracks, probably why it's familiar. Wix from McCartney's band on accordion! High replayability. "The Sinking Feeling" Again a warmer instrumental than the opener. Very 1983 dance music, but Jesus the lyrics are so angsty and bleak. "Uncertain Smile" If this isn't on the soundtrack to a John Hughes flick, I'll be very surprised. Oddly romantic lyrics. Excellent Jools Holland piano solo. High replayability. "The Twilight Hour" Bongos? pizzicato synths as it builds. Vocals like Iggy Pop or Ian Curtis over very wordy lyrics. Works well! Low skipability. "Soul Mining" More angst over slowly pulsing moody synths. Tempo picks up 3/4 way into it. If you're after this mood, it works, otherwise it's pretty dull musically. "Giant" Chill vamp, nicely ties together the album. Good track to close it out. Good replayability.
Tema favorito → This is the Day. No lo había escuchado. Me gusta en general.
Thoughts before listening: One of my favorite band names of all time, but I don't know their music at all. I'm thinking this will be post-punk in the same vein as a band like Joy Division. I tend to like 80s alt rock so this will probably be a nice surprise. Review: This is certainly on the darker side of 80s new wave, and I really like it. "This is the Day" is one of those hits you know you've heard before, but you cant quite picture any details about it i.e. music video, placement in a movie, etc. "Uncertain Smile" comes later and includes an extended piano solo that elevates the song as a real standout. Both are great songs on an enjoyable album.
Classic New Age/Alt. Great stuff!
Was not familiar with these guys other than the curious name. This was better than I was expecting--I never really know what to think when I see "post-punk" and "synth-pop" together. But a lot of fun, a bit raw and loud. I dug it for sure.
Hate pretty much everything about it. Vocals are creepy. Gave Buffalo Bill vibes from Silence of the Lambs
Literally never heard of the band. True blind (or do I mean deaf?) listen. Overall I really dig the instrumental arrangements. Lot's of creative variety in sounds. The vocals are absolutely not my thing, I know it's an artistic choice but most of it is like riding the line between projected singing and ...talking? This choice absolutely buries the rest of the otherwise enjoyable music. This album wasn't even that long in runtime, but boy did it FEEL longer. Not for me. Was going to rate it a 1 but the extended arrangement in Giant did some heavy lifting to carry it to 2
- Heard of this band before but didn't even know what genre it was - Very pleasantly surprised, not sure how I hadn't heard this before - Fav songs: This is the Day, The Sinking Feeling, Giant
Not for me.
Overall album did nothing for me
Reminds me of everything from that era that sucked and sounds the same. The drum machine work does not wear well over time, it’s as exciting as a Rumba cleaning the floor but with less fun. The album is soulless and un-musical. Matt Johnson’s vocals are meandering and at times sort of tuneless. I won’t be revisiting this album, ever.
Very 80's and not always in a good way. 2 good songs.
Interesante
If you combine the best sounds from They Might Be Giants, The Smiths, a little REM, a little DEVO, and maybe a little The Human League, you’d end up with this great 99s sound. Yes Yes for The The.
This album was a pleasant surprise to me. I had heard of the ungoogleable band "The The" but had never heard anything by them. I went into this entirely blind and was happy to have enjoyed the music. The songs are long at times, which would be a lot of what prevents me from adding this album to my favorites, but I would revisit the album on occasion. This is fun post-punk and there are some hits on here that are spread out among the other tracks like "The Sinking Feeling" which have choruses to sing along to.
Just great, artful post-punk with a synthpop chaser. I bought this album shortly after it came out, on the strength of "This is the Day," a song I obsessed over for much of my teen years. It's been a long time since I've listened to the whole thing, as I'm not a fan of The The's later music. I will admit to being wrong about this one though. It's far more musically clever than I remember it being, more nuanced than what similar artists were doing at the time. The subject matter here gets pretty gloomy and nihilistic, but Matt Johnson sure has a flair for vivid lyrics. The album is arguably Johnson's best work and I enjoyed hearing it again today. High 3, rounding up for that brilliant piano solo in "Uncertain Smile." Fave Songs: This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile, Soul Mining, The Twilight Hour, Giant
Was not bad may need to look at their discography
Started out a bit rough. Not really I to new wave, but this got better. Not something I'll likely return to, but good enough for a 3/5
nada de mais
First off, I just want to say that "The The" is kind of a dumb band name. It's not the worst band name that exists, but I just think they could've come up with something better. Anyways, Soul Mining is a pretty good album. I really wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. The album does start with the worst song, but it gets significantly better after it. The sound is very 80s, but it's not bad. I think the instrument usage is solid. The singing is quite different than what I expected from an early 80s English rock band, but that's also a good thing. Sometimes it's good to listen to different styles of singing. What really stands out about this album is the writing. This album really does have a way with words that turns songs like "The Sinking Feeling" and "Giant" from good songs to great songs. Overall, I think this album is quite good. Light 4/5.
Not really for me
I expected to really hate this but actually it was a bit of a surprise. Def I enjoyed this and listened straight through twice with the exception of The Twilight Hour which is pretty bad haha. Otherwise and interesting and enjoyable record.
Listened Before? N Not too bad of an 80s New Wave/Alt record. I can't say it's original, but it's inoffensive. I may listen again. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: This Is The Day
La singular manera de veure el pop de Matt Johnson. S'agraeix la vena artística i la seva cohèrencia musical, però mai he aconseguit entrar en el seu món, i aquest primer LP editat sota el nom de The The encara és més inaccessible que els posteriors
Genre: Pop Instruments: 2/5 Modern Translation: 3/5 Dance Potential: 3/5 Listening Location: Commute to/from work Favourite Song: This is the Day Made me feel: the singer made me angsty but the beats made my body bop. Other: This synth-pop vibe was a curious mix of 7 long songs.
This album is worth listening to for This is The Day alone.
Hún nær mér ekki alveg, þessi plata. Ansi einfalt stöff, flest.
Een beetje een synthpoppy album? Ok ok ok ok. Ik ken hun niet echt eerlijk gezegd, dus ben wel een klein pietseltje benieuwd! This is the day met een soort mondharmonica?? Klinkt leuk! Godsamme, dat blijkt uiteindelijk dus ook hun bekendste nummer te zijn... Ik blijf een ontzettende basic bitch zeg. NEVER MIND IK KEN UNCERTAIN SMILE! Loev dat nummer ook echt trouwens. Die piano solo halverwege gaat zo dom hard he. Och, fantastisch! Het laatste nummer, Giant, gaat ook al zo dik. Een soort drumsolo aan het einde van het nummer. Supervet! Ik kan niet anders dan toegeven dat ik me best wel heel erg vermaakt heb met dit album: 4 sterren! FAVO: This is the day, Uncertain Smile, Giant
Not what I thought it would be fun the cover and I didn't like the first tracks but it improved in the middle
It was pretty subpar for me
3+
Not a good album, but, like so many, not awful. This Is The Day is packed full of accordions with bontempi organ backing and sounds like charmless zydeco. Also, the organ player wishes he was Ray Manzarek. He isn't. On the plus side, The Twilight Hour is quite good, and the last half of Giant is a blast. Still, it's just not engaging for me.
I adore ‘Soul Mining’. I was hooked from the very first time I heard it, and every subsequent listen over the years only continues to reinforce how good and unexpected it is. It’s an album about love and loss, sadness and loneliness, social alienation, and political disillusionment. All the usual stuff then, but it’s wrapped up in gorgeous upbeat arrangements and melodies, mixing pop with funky basslines and industrial beats, and even venturing into club territory. The end result is something special, and 40 years on ‘Soul Mining’ sounds as fresh as it did when it was released.
Weird Nick Cave & Bad Seeds vibe. Pretty good, couple of bangers and a lot of moody tracks in between.
This is just a weirdo 80's album. It has all the trappings/production with a fun bedroom pop album of today with 80's aesthetic. Pretty weird singer/dramatic theatrical. Interesting.
This type of music wears on me, but this was an excellent album. Creative and varied. Favorite tracks were Soul Mining and Giant.
Ок, без неког претераног посебног утиска. 5/10
I enjoyed this album a lot! The funkiness really shined here, and the vocals matched well. Can't wait to listen to this again!
Album was loud at times, but cohesive. Was probably pretty cliche for the time it released as the record is very synthy and spacey. I liked the outro track "Giant" as I found it the most intriguing. I can't really say much about this album but it was alright.
"Well, you didn't wake up this morning / 'cause you didn't go to bed. You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red" I once thought about it for a while, and I decided to pick a 'favorite track of all time,' because although my current favorite song constantly changes, I wanted to decide on a song that I would always connect with. I came up with "This is the day" off of this track as that song. Because of this choice (which I stand by), I once decided to listen to this album in it's entirety, and I remember being pretty disappointed. It was probably caused because of my inflated perception of that one track, so based on that experience, I went into listening to this album today expecting to be disappointed again. "I've been waiting for tomorrow" began and confirmed my internal bias to prove me right. I dislike the loud, obnoxious drums overwhelming the track, and the beginning minute 30 of the track, and the vocals coming in didn't help at all. The bass and other instruments made it bearable, but this was the toughest 6 minutes of the album. "This is the day" is a divine track, and the dichotomy of the terrible sounds that preceded it made me question if it was the same band who wrote both these songs. The synths, drums, chimes, buzzing chorus, and vocals all come together in this track beautifully to create a bittersweet song full of hope, that I relate to very fond memories. Much like the pumpkins' hit track "Tonight, Tonight," the underlying message is about realizing that the past is forever unchangeable, and dealing with that realization. But despite that, maintaining hope that the best is yet to come, and with the idea of living one's life to the fullest, I really enjoy this message. "The sinking feeling" was beginning to disappoint, and then the drums and bass came in. Super groovy track, I enjoyed it a lot. "Uncertain smile" is the record's second stand-out track, and lands directly in the kind of music that attracts me, in the intersection of the cure, the smiths, and david bowie, and holds it's own standing against those idols. "Giant" is really the only other track worth mentioning, and serves as an epic, morphing wall of sound to carry the album out to it's end. I also listened to "Perfect," which was only included in one of 3 releases of "Soul Mining," but I can see why it wasn't included in the rest, pretty lackluster track, but has a cool island feel. I didn't know until today that The The is a solo project of one Matt Johnson, and later joined by Johnny Marr (guitarist of the Smiths)! Cool addition to the group, but the stuff they put out was pretty lackluster, unfortunately. I'm glad my favorite song 'of all time' was joined by an album that wasn't as terrible as I first perceived it to be. 4/5
don‘t likethe 80‘ that much, hmmm
nothing memorable
Really Bad album, wanted to skip so many songs.
I have never heard of "The The" until now. Overall, its a pretty great synth-pop, punk album and there were several songs that I enjoyed. Not bad for a short album! Favorite Song(s): "This Is The Day", "The Sinking Feeling", "Giant", "Perfect"
Ok. Very 80s (not in a bad way)
This and The Infected make nice counterparts imo. I think I still prefer The Infected by a little
Crazy to have another the the album so soon. But i am not complaining, This is incredibly good. I liked infected but this is just a bit more of what i like. Banger after banger
Hmm… ok I’m thinking that this is a banger
Dåligt
Intricately rendered synth-pop with introspective, heartfelt, and dream-like poetry sung with feeling and verve, The The immediately caught my ear. This is a band I can get behind. Definitely interested in digging in deeper to this album, as well as their other work. This is the reason I am slogging through so much mundane and tired music: for these hidden gems.
Forgettable Best song - This is the day
Great one from my old collection. Holds up well.
Me gustó más de lo que esperaba.
Nepáči sa mi to
When I started this I thought there would be more then utter crap everyday I have heard 3 albums generally worth listening too the rest is just crap like this who is even picking these
David Bowie side projects
Didn't know this artist, pretty good vibes
Another one of those albums where i'm not sure how it passed me by. Synth-pop and post-punk, this should be right up my alley but somehow I think i've only heard the band's name in passing a couple times. What a great treat to listen to this was, huge drums and catchy beats, wasn't bored for a second of it. The longer closing track was a real epic, love an album that ends like that. Will be revisiting this one again very soon.
This Is The Day is pretty good. The rest I could leave. Also Apple Music defaults to the album art from the 2000s reissue which is an all time downgrade from the original art.
first listen yawn
Fun
Freaking weird album.
Weird album
I'll chalk this album as yet another sampling of the indisputable English bias. I liked Spotify's description of the artist using the word mercurial, because this album was really all over the place. This album could be described as an experimental crossover between David Bowie and Oingo Boingo. While this wasn't really my cup of tea, there should be special recognition to the incredible piano solo in Uncertain Smile, credited to Jools Holland?! Amazing.
pretty good 80s music cringe lyrics
I don't remember listening to this album at all, I don't remember a single song.
I have a hard time enjoying any songs that use synth percussion. So basically the entire 80s. The first song on this album was a struggle, but it got better as it went... By the end I wasn't hating it, so that's something.
What a beautiful album. It’s hard to believe this came out in 83. The lack of synth pop drums Really blurred the lines of time for me. There were some canned drum beats, but just overall was really really good. I learned of the the from my wife. They are her favorite band.
Not a big fan, typical 80s sound. Can appreciate its a good album but not for me.
I've always loved "This Is The Day". I was a little disappointed to discover it is more of an outlier on this album. Everything else is more rhythmic and techy sounds (AKA 80s). Not much favorite. I just keep getting reminded that the 1980s is my least favorite decade of music.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this album. Each song had good melodies and was unique in some way, while being danceable and upbeat. Despite that, the lyrics were often pretty bleak but never whiny or cringy. I liked the sometime surreal imagery as well. I’ll be listening to more of this band for sure.
Reminded me of a lot of different bands. i don't know that any of it was masterful, but it was all interesting.
One of my favorite artists and albums of all time.
First thought: I wonder if Hot Chip and The Presets listened to The The in their youth? Although not directly cited as an influence, the synth use and vocal style from Soul Mining reminded me of 'One Life Stand', 'In Our Heads', 'Apocalypso' and 'Beams', only at a different tempo. Songs were too long. Not my thing. Will revisit this album when another synthpop or new wave title comes up. 4/10
I listened to it yesterday, but got too drunk to remember what the fuck I listened, so I will just give it a 3.
Yep. Absolutely for me
This Is the Day, obviously. Really enjoyed Uncertain Smile as well.
kinda weird but would listen again - def one to listen the whole album
It was better than I expected, but that wasn’t a high hurdle to clear. Funnier was when The The ended, my streaming service played Talk Talk and served up their five star song, It’s My Life.
Enjoyed this one. Could really see what would become the music of the 80s starting to take shape. 3.5/5
The first song had me, this album started strong. Then kind of simmered into what sounded like pretty generic indie rock. Crazy that it was from 1983 though!
Shit band name, good synths,
The only thing I didn’t like about this album was that I didn’t know about it sooner.
Gorgeous indie-pop with bouncy 80s synths, toe-tapping percussion, and catchy melodies. Lyrics are what would happen if you binge-listened the best songs of the Smiths in the dark for months, then took some pep pills and started writing uplifting, chart-busting earworms. The vocalist sings like he's doing the show-stopping monologue at the finale of an amateur theatre camp. Parts of the album sound like you are eavesdropping on his unpolished, lo-fi bedroom rehearsal. The rest sounds like you're hitting the dancefloor firmly under the influence. Everything about this is fantastic. (The artwork of Fela Kuti's wife seems misplaced and the US cover is much better.) 5*
Cold and confrontational - not really my jam. I listened twice and both times really became engaged during the drum breakdown in the second half of Giant - which is basically the end of the album.
Post punk and synth pop are two genres that are normally right up my alley, but there's something I always find slightly off-putting about The The. I think it's mostly the lyrics, and partially his vocal delivery. Plus, I don't really like the arrangements with the folksier instruments like a fiddle, accordion, harmonica, etc. I like my synth pop synthy. That said, the marimba works for me I guess because I actually quite like the track "Giant." Overall I enjoy this album much more than their follow up "Infected" from '86, which was also on the list.
Completely forgettable 80s synth-pop. Not my thing, but it's at least made well.
Starts out fun, but drags on. Monotonous, overstretched songs.
This was a pretty decent album. The style is a cross of Depeche Mode meets Simple Minds. They lyrics were deep, though a little repetitive. All in all, a solid album.
Okay so this album is great. It's really good. I think it could also grow on me even more over repeat listens. The track 2, the most famous track, is amazing. The rest is great too I'll go with a low 4, but time could prove it to be better 4/5
Vraiment mieux aimé que l'autre que j'ai eu d'eux, je devrais peut-être aller lui redonner une chance. Mais les inspirations post-punk/rock et new wave étaient vraiment bonnes et l'album avait un bon flux. Très belle finale aussi. 8/10
I really liked this, sort of like a happier The Cure sound. This is the Day is a particularly catchy and joyful track.
Really interesting, I enjoyed it.