Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Nice post-punk vibes
Post-punk, but poppy! I didn't like that much at first listen - I guess I prefer my post-punk angry or angsty or depressed. On second listen I caught more of the lyrics, and they seemed pretty angsty after all - the poppiness is a veneer over the top. Fave track - "I've Been Waiting For Tomorrow (All Of My Life)" maybe, as it sounds like very early industrial music. Or possibly "The Thinking Feeling" as that's the song where the lyrics clicked for me....
'This is the Day' is a banger
Album étrange / drôle! On dirait la musique d'un bon vieux film des années 80.
New wave is great and this is a good example
OMG This Is The Day is such a great song (thanks, Empire Records!) and I had no idea who it was!
The the keys keys were were awesome awesome. The the vocals vocals… lame lame.
Nothing incredible, but nice
Another post-punk album. It's quute pleasant but nothing spectacular.
Some interesting stuff on here.
Some reason I thought the the was a punk band , good album though
Very odd, yet intriguing
I was really excited to listen to this album after reading the description, since I'm generally a fan of both postpunk and synthpop. This album never really grabbed me, though. It was fine throughout, and very consistent, but most of the album passed by without me taking much notice. It felt somewhat generic, though I'm sure that would not have been true at the time of its release. Guess you had to be there 3/5
Ganz gut. 80er
Solid and the album art reminds me of the ‘jazz’ paper cups
I had heard of this band because of their association with Johnny Marr. Didn't think this album was anything particularly special.
Very good album. Very 80s, but in a good way. Not all the songs hit, but the ones that do hit hard. Reminds me a bit of New Order.
Jammin'.
Very boring 80s
46
U usporedbi sa zadnja tri smećasta albuma, ovo mi bar nije za 1. Ima fora sintiće, na trenutke je zanimljivo i originalno, iako ima i dosta lejm dijelova. 2/5, 4/10
Can hear the start of some interesting ideas but the songs are a bit too weak for me.
Slightly weird new wave. Unfortunately I don’t want to hear new wave.
Not as good as their other album
This was just one of those albums where nothing stood out to me. The music was fine, but in my opinion, I just wouldn't say it was above average. That's really it. Honestly, it was just tough to follow up Dire Straits.
I hardly thought about this album. Don’t think I ever will again. Byeeees
some beautiful parts, some weird parts, some wtf parts. i dunno, realistically a 2.5 for me, but overall a forgettable album in my opinions
Whelmed
This isn’t my favorite the, although I know it’s the the it’s just not my kind of the, you kne?
Interesting record. i figured i would have heard the track that has like 134 million plays on spotify, but ive literally never heard it before. 2/5
British new-wave synth-pop without a ton of memorable melodies or rhythms. I have no idea why it's on this list.
Usually bands start with their best song. Track 1 almost had me write off the whole album. The rest of it is mostly just annoying 80s music but I enjoyed #2 This is the Day
This Is the Day Uncertain Smile
Kind of forgettable
No no no
The hell is even this
No thanks
I had heard 2 of the most listened to songs on this album before, This Is the Day and Uncertain Smile. I liked those, but 40 minutes of this was a bit grating.
Cool album but this guy's voice is really annoying
Peculiar to say the least , should it be here ?
There were some bits I quite liked, like the last half of "Giant," but overall this album didn't do a lot for me. The electronic music/synth portions were fun, but this album as a whole probably isn't something I will come back to. It doesn't feel like an essential listen to me. The first track is kind of hard to get through and starts the whole album off on a sour note, and the vocals are on the weaker end of albums from this list pretty much throughout. Unfortunately, this one is not really for me. Favorite track: "The Twilight Hour"
The album (much like the band name) is trying too hard to be clever.
2.4 Those electric drums on the opening track really turned me off and nothing really brought me back in
I am officially a post-punk hater
Didn’t get much from this
1980’s synth-pop, ok, but never really my thing.
Very 80s
My first thought upon seeing the name of this band was there was already an air of pretentiousness here. A vague, absurd name you either get or you don’t. And I feel like that might have jaded or maybe informed my listening experience. I found some of the songs to be likable, but nothing was amazing. It just felt like a lot of shallow lyricism much of the time. I can absolutely see some people bragging that this is a hidden gem they were happy to know about at the time, but I think the luster has worn off and it’s just a so-so new wave album now.
There’s some interesting things in this album when it came to the instrumentals but overall, I didn’t like it. I really wasn’t a fan of his voice
I wanted to love it but it felt incoherent at times and simply didn’t land for me
No one needs to listen to this before they die. More British punk post punk new wave nonsense. To think of all the artists and albums that didnt make it over this
Just like the other The The album in the generator, it's just so dull. It's one of those albums that is instantly forgettable. It's also a bit too quiet, and could have been produced much better. Other than two key hits, I have no reason to the The The band ever again. Favorite Track: "Uncertain Smile".
It's not as bad as the other The The album we've listened to, but it's still a early '80s pop album and nothing special at that. 2 stars, won't be back.
Didn’t really care for this
Singing not the best. Instrumentals are pretty kick ass sometimes. Not bad but this weird 80s pop stuff isnt my jam.
Like a series of Roxy Music demos. Uncertain Smile is great, but the rest suffers from that trendy droll, synth-pop vocal style and drum emulation that elicits a mild cringiness for me.
This Is the Day is a banger but it's my first time listening to the full album. A nice pick for my name day, I had a good time listening to it. I liked the second half of the album more than the first though 2/5
I found this a challenging listen. He follows all the pure 80s synth pop but his song writing and arrangements are a little chaotic and you don’t really know where each track is going next. The vaunted piano solo on uncertain smile is well spectacular but some Of it feels like he hammered it out with his fists and made it up as he went along. Then he stretched it out to the end of the song and just faded it out because he didn’t really know how to end it…. He’s clearly a genius and just on a slightly different mental plain to his contemporaries. Kind of like if Sid Barrett got clean and recorded some 80s synth pop.
I often hear "this 80s band is like no other" but honestly many of these New Wave bands sound the same to me. This is a fine album. Nothing really special
am i missing something? at no point of this album is a 5 warranted.
I wonder what someone finds in this that holds so much sway in their lives that it ends up on a list like this. The early 80s Casio keyboard beats.... you know what, I am not going to put a lot into this. This isn't for me. 2 star the fuck out of this.
The the drum samples used in the the 80s should be classified as a war crime. The the songs are not particularly good. Some are fun, but in the the end this is a disappointment.
I wasn’t feeling this. It was less post punk and more easy listening.
Not a bad listen but nothing memorable
I like the instrumentation etc but it didn't really grab me in any way on the first listen. I might be wrong!
Not the worst The The album I've heard, but that's not a terribly high bar to clear.
Colorful, bursting with energy. I feel I should like it more, but I was kind of put off by the first track and didn’t recover. It’s almost like the production is doing too much and the singer’s exaggerated delivery doesn’t help. The synth work is cool but ultimately I just did not rock with this. That closing track has no business being almost 10 minutes long.
One of those musical phenomena I just don’t get. Loads of people seem to rave about The The but I can’t personally find anything of great appeal. Afraid it does nothing for me
It seems fine if you’re into that new wave sound. I’m not, and nothing about this album stands out to me.
No me terminó de convencer, tiene algunas buenas canciones pero tal vez no es mi estilo
altern. rock, 1983 -> 2
Las canciones bastante largas pero no estaban tan mal
Ok
579/1001 2026.03.26
Didn't enjoy this.
Onhan tämä jotain musiikkia köyhän miehen modern Talking
Saved? ❌ Would listen again? 🤔 Would recommend to anyone? ❌ Would buy on Vinyl? ❌
I just read something not more than 4 hours ago arguing against using the word "pretentious". Then this record popped up. The most pretentious band name in the history of pretentiousness. And the music is pretty much exactly what I thought it was going to be. Bland 80s synthpop.
This album sounded like every other synth pop album from the 80’s, nothing special. I really liked the song, Uncertain Smile, though. That one was a standout for me. The rest was forgettable.
It’s funny how every decade has its distinct sound in music. I started playing today’s album and without looking at the release date knew this was definitely from the 80’s. The backbone of these songs is somewhat enjoyable with a full tilt of guitars, drums and (of course!) synthesizers but when it’s all put together with the bland vocals and nonsensical lyrics it’s just another’s 80’s pop song. Nothing special happening here.
The The is a great band name, and I enjoyed the song Uncertain Smile. That's about it for positives. The rest sounds like they were exploring all new sounds they could create with a synth rather than actually trying to write good songs.
Didn't really care for this. The drums started off irritating and didn't really ever stop, and the singing just isn't my cup of tea.
A man in his bedroom, warbling at his synths.
A name I've heard but have never checked out. In the end, it wasn't for me.
Nope, this is not The day, The The.
Not bad, but kind of just dragged on. I liked This Is The Day and Uncertain Smile, but the rest of the album I wouldn't listen to again.
Drum machines are the autotune of the 80's. It must have have been soul crushing to be a talented drummer in the era of the Linn Drum. Can't get past it to hear the songs.
Working man’s 80s New Wave. Teenage me wouldn’t have even noticed this band (In fact, he didn’t). A fair mix of ordinary pop songs, nothing special here. Cool band name tho. /s 2 stars. (Almost 3? Meh)
Not that good outside of their 1 'hit'
Just couldn’t get in to this. The opening track switched me off, and whilst it improved, there was no coming back.
Tense, stripped-down grooves built from fast, ticking drum-machine beats, wiry synth lines, brittle guitar accents, and vocals delivered in an urgent, half-spoken, half-declaimed style move this post-punk album like an agitated monologue paced over a relentless pulse—rhythmically compelling, but so talk-driven and severe that it can leave you wondering whether you’re listening to songs or to ideas being hammered into place.
Priem
Bored me to tears. It flirts with that classic Soft Cell / Human League vibe in spots, but never commits enough to make the experience worth repeating.
Vond het heel erg gedateerd klinken. Ja nee heel erg niet genoten.
I did listen to this… just like two days ago, I think. Didn’t leave much of an impression, apparently.
This Is The Day is a great song with a baffling arrangement.
The The sound like any other early 80s synth pop/new wave band. “Soul Mining” isn't really bad, but it doesn't contain much that is still worth mentioning 40 years later. By the fourth song (i.e. during “Uncertain Smile,” which at least contains a not entirely predictable piano solo), the repetitive straight groove starts to get on your nerves. The following “The Twilight Hour” and "Soul Mining" finally break with this and are probably meant to sound dramatic, but come across as rather cute due to the idiosyncratic keyboards. I've heard worse, but in the end, “Soul Mining” is just another new wave album without a noteworthy hit single.
Dieser britische Postpunk ist etwas verstaubt.
Wut...
vocals and lyrics pull this one down a notch, but otherwise enjoyable. Odd choice for the opening track.
weird vibe, but ok
Noget var 80'erfestligt men gang ikke rigtigt fast.
doesn’t make sense
4.0/10
Bom, mas muito longo. Pos punk, genérico as well...
50 fifty
Like his voice and the lyrics Don't like the drum beat
Dull, drum machine driven, dullness.
Spannende Kombi mit Mundharmonika und new Wave...
Had no idea what to expect from this. Wouldn’t have guessed the most mid new wave effort with more than a hint of pretentiousness.
Kind of bland and boring.
This might have its place in the history of music, perhaps as inspiration or breaking ground for a more artful expression to come....this early version of the sound is a bit sloppy and somewhat grating.
Un album muy sin mas, en algunos momentos se me ha hecho bastante repetitivo algunos sonidos o canciones tanto que de verdad las queria pasar, pero bueno hay cosas interesantes
Creative name. The whole time I listened to this album I felt like the music was disconnected from the singer. It was like the musicians were trying to make a happy song and the singer was trying to make a sad one
This is neither pleasant nor interesting. FM synthesis allowed labels and producers to create walls of sound on the cheap; and in hindsight it sounds like it. The sound is nostalgic and tolerable delivering goofy, catchy pop songs ala Human League, Thompson Twins, Soft Cell. But I didn’t find any fun, catchy, or even interesting songs in these tracks.
The What?
Why is there so much mediocre British new wave on this list?? The fucking Spice Girls would be a more worthwhile entry than this!! Fucking Nickelback would be a more worthwhile entry than this!!
He's no singer is he
Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Zu wenig Banger.
This is pretty decent but I would have probably hated it when I was younger. Would have been too quirky for me. 2.5/5
Amazing vibes
No, not at all, really.
Sad excuse for post punk
Groupe inconnu. Un bon morceau (+1) dans cet album : 'Uncertain Smile' et son excellent chorus de piano. Les autres morceaux sont moins réussis, souvent très (trop) longs ('Giant'), généralement sans chorus ce qui les rends plutôt ennuyeux. Je ne l'écouterais pas une seconde fois. =>2/5
Not terrible but completely unremarkable
The opening track is brash, eerie, and chaotic. I didn't enjoy it very much. Then here comes This Is the Day, which is beautifully refined and feels very modern. I was hoping that was the direction of the rest of the album, but then it went right back to the chaos. There are some great moments like the piano solo in Uncertain Smile and the breakdown halfway through Soul Mining. Overall though, it was experimental in a way that didn't resonate with me.
I think I sort of liked “Giant” but, otherwise, it just sounded like someone with notions, who went on about it for far too long. It probably deserves a 1.5 but, as it wasn’t as bad as some of the things I’ve heard here, it is getting a too generous 2.
It took nearly a minute for the lyrics to start. I expect this madness from prog rock but, much as I don't like it much as a genre, I expected more from post punk. But then he started singing, and part of me longed for the pre-vocals period. Stray thoughts: - This Is The Day is alright. - This album is aggressively 80s. - I wonder how many songs have the clap/pause/clap/pause/clap/pause/clap-clap/pause rhythm thing in them? - What the hell is the noise at the beginning of Uncertain Smile?! - I looked it up: its a xylimba. - I like the piano on Uncertain Smile (EDIT: Oh, Jools Holland!) but this song feels like it's been going on forever... - And it bloody finished on a fade out! Unnecessary! - I got distracted during The Twilight Hour and discovered the guy who played trumpet on this record also played trumpet on I Will Cure You by Vic Reeves. - Soul Mining is also alright... And as soon as I wrote that, it went all plinkly plonky and it was no longer alright. - somehow Giant increased the 80s-ness. I'm surprised that was possible. - there's a second The The album on this list?! Yet again I complain at the complete absence of They Might Be Giants. - Giant descends into drumming which I assume is supposed to evoke African music based on the call and response vocals, but made me think of roadworks. This is a 2. I don't dislike it enough to be a 1, nor like it enough to be a 3. In another universe where I'm allowed half stars, it might have even scraped a 2.5. Maybe. 2/5
Not my favorite
Joy Division meets Tim Curry
I think I kind of like jazz piano!
'This Is The Day' is a great track. Everything else was pretty unmemorable.
the same song 7 times with a slightly different key-based instrument at the forefront? idk man
Best song: 'This is The Day' (one of my all-time favourites)
This was a new one for me. I didn't really enjoy it. I mean, what exactly is so special about this that makes it an album you must hear before you die?
This band again? Jesus. I can't overstate how much I dislike this kind of punky, angular, 80s synth music. The bass is really sick though. Favorite songs: This Is the Day, The Sinking Feeling, Giant.
It's OK, didn't get me really.
2.12
I would have enjoyed this when it came out in the 80s, but I feel like this was the only time to be really impressed by it. It is kind of boring
No m'ha encantat, per es titol de s'album m'esperava musica mes estil africà. En genral, estil molt dels 80s
twijfelgeval... enkele goeie maar vooral veel vulling
I listened to it while I did my morning reports and nothing stood out to me at all. In fact I don't remember any of it. it wasn't good it wasn't bad. I guess I am neutral to it.
Maso
Another day, another totally mid British band. Also what kind of name is The The (a stupid one that's what).
?? pop? ok. c
Bit better than the usual
Honestly, songs are not bad but I can't find anything that hooks me in.
Not enjoying it
Another new wave / synth pop garbage fest. Why am I getting so many pop albums in a row?? I can’t bring myself to like this style of music
Quite weird. I don't like the singer's voice, but the music is pretty standard. Boring at times, nothing outstanding IMHO.
Music - 5 Vocals - 1 Honestly makes me think that even I could sing for the band and improve this
A little unusual. Not for me, but not bad either? Somewhere between a 2 and 3.
Not sure what I don't like about this album, just a bit boring I guess?
Pretty weird record! Definitely from the '80s: lots of keyboards, wavy guitars brooding vocals... pretty interesting arrangements! Feels pretty experimental and jazzy at times
i don't like 80's brit synth pop. This is very that. mehhhh.
Meh...
It’s ok early alternative. Has the only song I know by this group - This is the day.
5/10 Highlight: Uncertain Smile (the piano bit)
alright, not bad
Pretentious and dull. I was not a fan of the The The when I heard them in the 80s and they don’t sound any better now.
Not that good.
A few highlights here and there, and surprised I like this 80’s synth-heavy style at all. But I found most of the album to be a bit dull and plodding overall.
Not really my kind of vibe. Interesting sound tho
Litt tamt. Glemte at jeg satt og hørte på noe. Sikkert bra dette, men dartskiva mi henger et annet sted enn der denne pila treffer.
It was interesting to hear the fusion of sounds, but nothing was remarkable to catch my attention.
I thought it was shit. and it's a shit band name, and album was boring. I like the cover though.
I don’t really know how to rate this one. It was on in the background earlier, but I wasn’t actively listening. What I did hear: obnoxious and repetitive 80’s synth drums, a vocalist who sounded familiar but not in a good way, and a bunch of weird xylophone-type sounds that I think I’d probably enjoy in a different setting, but because the rest of what I heard was just not compelling me to finish the record, I guess I’ll never know for sure. This is, admittedly, a disingenuous rating. But I don’t care. 2/5
Not good.
This album definitely has a cool, moody new wave vibe that I appreciated at first, but it didn't hold my attention all the way through and turned very monotonous.
I did some vacuuming during part of it but found some songs I liked
Overall quite a "meh" album with nothing that really stood out to be overly enjoyable. I would give this a 2.5 with a bump to 2 as it really didn't impress enough to make it above average.
Initial thoughts - this is early 80s thrash. Uncertain Smile grew on me. My biggest issues are with the odd spoken word vocal and combining these type of lyrics with synth pop. There was definitely signs of potential with how the music was layered but the next The The album would need to move away from the Synth Pop genre to score higher. This album can be lumped in with the New Wave thrash. 2/5.
Not for me
Not bad, but not good either. Reminded me a lot of Oingo Boingo, who I love, and David Bowie, who I don't. So, all in all, listenable but not special. Favorite song: Soul Mining
Got excited about this one. Was hoping for a hidden gem of songs along the lines of "This is the Day". This was NOT the day (or album) for that. Serviceable 80s pop with weird vocals.
★★½
love the instrumentals. his voice sucks
Better than I was expecting but still kind of boring.
I concede this album forms the foundation of alt music that developed through the 80s and 90s. Could have used a few more hits though.
Soul Mining entstand überwiegend zwischen London und New York City. Eingespielt wurde unter anderem in den Mediasound-Studios in New York sowie in verschiedenen Londoner Studios wie The Garden (Shoreditch), Advision und SARM West. The The ist eine Band aus England, angeführt von Matt Johnson, der zugleich Sänger, Songwriter und Produzent ist. Stilistisch bewegt sich das Album im Spannungsfeld von Post‑Punk, New Wave und Synth‑Pop, angereichert mit Elementen aus Funk, Jazz, Folk und afrikanischen Rhythmen. Bekannte Songs wie „Uncertain Smile“, „This Is the Day“ und „Giant“ prägen das Klangbild: „Uncertain Smile“ basiert auf einer langen Piano‑Passage von Jools Holland, die dem Track eine beruhigend‑reflektive Stimmung verleiht. „This Is the Day“ erscheint als nachdenklicher New‑Wave‑Song, der Hoffnung und Melancholie verbindet. „Giant“ hingegen setzt auf treibende, vom Afro‑Beat beeinflusste Rhythmen und endet mit einem gemeinschaftlichen Trommel‑Vergnügen. Das Album wirkt durch die Kombination aus synthetischen Klängen und organischen Instrumenten wie Geige, Akkordeon, Harmonika oder Flöte vielschichtig und atmosphärisch. Meine persönliche Einschätzung: Soul Mining ist ein durchdachtes Debüt, das in der Balance zwischen Ästhetik und Emotionalität überzeugt. Es hinterlässt den Eindruck eines sorgfältig komponierten, musikalisch reichhaltigen Werks, das sowohl Tanzflächen‑ als auch Kopfmusik‑Potenzial besitzt. Eine prägnante und ausgewogene Leistung von Matt Johnson und The The, die einen festen Platz im Kanon früher 80er‑Musik verdient.
Miten mulla ei jäänyt tästä mieleen? Seuraavana päivänä lyö aivan tyhjää. Vähän tosiaan oli soulia, se.
It’s a bit lame I have to confess. Why is this rated so high?
Very very 80s. Some good tracks but not enough for me to listen to it again
This was pretty odd I didn’t care for it
There were a couple of songs that were OK’ish.
O maior exemplo de banda de uma música!
Meh
Another British synth pop album….k….
This was very 'meh' for me. Nothing ever really stuck. It felt somewhat generic, it could have been a release from just about any angsty new-wave band of the time.
Pretty generic sounding, the singer sounds deadass familiar.
Add it to the pile of 80s pop British bands over populating this list.
Here’s a cool, clever, edgy idea. Let’s call ourselves ‘The The’ to poke fun at all the ‘the’ bands who are making cooler music than us. And make it a bit awkward for people to find us on the internet in 40+ years when that’s a thing. It’s yet more dreary new wave. I’m awarding a bonus star for whoever their bassist was. Because they do some great work in the trying circumstances of being in a really dreary new wave band with a stupid name.
OK, never listened before pleasant 2.5/5
more 80's boreee but this wasn't so so bad. Feels like 80's club synth. Dope album art. Uncertain Smile is a fun song
New wave MTV fodder. Ho fucking hum.
Meh, listenable but forgettable.
It's not bad and I tried- just couldn't get into it even a little bit.
“That freedom — along with Johnson’s admittedly liberal use of MDMA — would fuel one of the 1980s’ most distinctive pop records.” Am I supposed to be rolling or something to enjoy this more?
Je propose de supprimer les années 80 et le post-punk.
Dude sounds like Bowie. Music sounds like a less depressing cure. Didn't love it, but didn't hate it.
Apart from knowing that they were notoriously difficult to Google, I knew nothing about The The before hearing this. I thought they were a 2000s indie band, but actually I hear 80s-sounding drum machines, very crisp and clear. Vocals sound like other 80s bands, reliance on synthesizers, even the real (?) piano sounded bland and plasticky. Still I found some moments and lyrics here to enjoy, but it's not a winner for me.
Just... too 80's for me
More interesting than I expected, but left me a little cold
I get the gist. The guy is british and offbeat. I don't like his voice. I didn't really enjoy listening to it. This is one of those artists who I'd only ever listen to because of their funny name or cool album art. It was alright. Maybe like a 2.5? Maybe I ought to listen to it more but I honestly do not care to.
Interesting pick. Lo-fi bedroomy synth / drum machine funky pop. Very of its time and I suspect it’s trading of hooks for lyrical substance captured the hearts of loads of people in the 80s, but it’s not for me today. The dramatic piano solo by Jools Holland which somehow combines classical and boogie woogie is more than a bit egregious but works wonders amongst the melting polyphonic ringtones and dark poetry.
2/5
How how did did this this band band end end up up on on this this list list twice twice? Oh, wait…now I see it!
I definitely expected to hate it more. I disliked it and will never go back to it but some parts were fine and chillin.
God I'm bored and I still haven't got to the 9 minute song. It want to be good. update: it wasn't
I never found them to be very interesting. They've only got the one hit. I find the music pretty forgettable. I love the post-punk genre but this is not the best of it. It's catchy but it doesn't stay with me.
не интересно
Lyrics are actually Ok but the music is seriously dated. Very 80s and not in a good way. Can't give it a passing grade.
I don’t love the 80s in general
This is the day was great. Everything else sounded like something the pretentious neighbors in National lampoon Christmas vacation would listen to.
I feel like this album had plenty of potential but ended up falling short. I do like the classic 80s pop elements but it was kind of ruined with some industrial type stuff. Also, some songs just seem to go on forever which really takes the sparkle out of it. 5/10.
okay
As a huge fan of these genres of music and particularly knowledgeable about the 1980s music scene, I want to say that I love this album and that it was influential, but I don't and it wasn't. This came 2 years after Gary Numan's genre defining THE PLEASURE PRINCIPLE, and 1 year after Depeche Mode's A BROKEN FRAME with "Leave In Silence", "The Meaning of Love", and "Shouldn't Have Done That", and came out the same year (1983) but after albums by genre defining acts Tears for Fears (THE HURTING), New Order's genre defining POWER, LIES & CORRUPTION which featured the tracks "Blue Monday", "Age of Consent", and "Ultraviolence" and Eurythmics SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS, and that is just what going on in England, not too mention all of the genre defining work that was released in the U.S. (The Cars for example) by this point. It is not a bad record, but is not particularly notable either, at least not notable enough to appear on this list.
Ég fílaði tónlistina. Góður taktur og vel spilað dæmi en mikið hrikalega eyðilagði söngvarinn stemninguna. Ég heyrði svo í framhaldinu önnur lög sem komu greinilega síðar og það var miklu betri söngur en á þessari plötu skemmdi hann allt
I had their album Infected a few months ago which I enjoyed and described as being akin to Midnight Oil. I didn’t feel the same about this album, it came across as the weaker one in my opinion, despite it clearly having the more popular tracks according to Spotify streams. This Is The Day was vaguely familiar but overall there’s not enough here to push it beyond the halfway mark. I’m afraid it’s a 2.4 for me, rounded down to a 2.
OK. Didn't really like the vocals. Very 80s.
Some songs were great (Uncertain Smile), some were really not (Twilight Hour). I think I just dont like his voice at all - the production was fine.
Yeah, the nice track at no.2 is decent. Shame the rest of the albums is new romantic obscura.
Not bad, may came back to it. May not ...
Soul Mining is the debut album by the The, originally released in 1983. Some pretty straightforward post-punk/electronic pop. Definitely leaning more in the pop direction than punk direction. The production is too smooth, as many 80s albums fell victim to. Heavy on the synths, heavy on the casio drums. Not extremely impressive compared to the massive amount of post punk stuff on this list.
Totally unremarkable
ehh not feeling it. Weird brit moment.
ja, soweit ganz nett
I thought I would like the album after the first track, but it just got less interesting after that point
2.5 Mostly a 2 with poor lyrics. Last two tracks bumped it.
Not terrible Bit samey But nice music And the guy sounds a bit like David Bowie lol
Meh, inoffensive.
I'm sure it was good at the time and it's well done. Only two stars from me because it's one of those albums I would never find a reason for playing again.
An unremarkable album carried by an unremarkable overplayed single
It was fine, but not something I’d revisit.
What makes this special?
This is very stereotypical 80s pop. Low bassy vocals, synths. It doesn’t excite me at all 4.6/10
Not memorable but not terrible either
Pretty cool, although not really my style. Didn't realize that "This is the Day" was by The The--I actually know their stuff.
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.
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?
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
😌
Subpar
STANDOUTS: This is the Day The Twilight Hour OVERALL: 2.5/5
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.
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!
We did not get along
Nothing notably great about the album, but nothing terrible either. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
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
Not for me.
Overall album did nothing for me
Very 80's and not always in a good way. 2 good songs.
nada de mais
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
Hún nær mér ekki alveg, þessi plata. Ansi einfalt stöff, flest.
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
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.
Dåligt
Forgettable Best song - This is the day
David Bowie side projects
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.
Freaking weird album.
Weird album
I don't remember listening to this album at all, I don't remember a single song.
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.
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
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.
Starts out fun, but drags on. Monotonous, overstretched songs.
Not really a fan. This Is the Day is ok and I recognize, but some of the other songs I just had to keep turning down cause they were kind of exhausting, and the rest just didn't do much for me. Don't think I'll listen to this again.
Tbh I was so uninterested in this that I forgot it was playing and suddenly thought to myself, 'What's that noise? Oh yes, that album I put on'. The first song wasn't even over yet... The music was inoffensive to the point of being rather bland and synth-pop has been done better. Maybe this was very influential in order to justify its inclusion? 4/10
I don't know how but there's a song I recognized on here. The rest is exactly what I've come to expect from a British '80s post punk band.
It was hard to find anything to like about this. There were parts that I bopped my head to but his voice gets annoying.
Vocals were all over the place
100% background music album. Nothing stood out enough to make me want to actually listen.
Very, very one dimensional 80s synth.
Quite torn between a 2 and a 3 here. Couple of good songs but the rest very meh
No. No, just stop it. Nobody wants your bad Bowie impression, your cheap synth sounds, or your high school drama class lyrics. Nobody. Just stop.
Sounds very of its time - not sure why this does more so than a lot of the other electro-heavy albums we've had, but it does. This Is The Day is good, catchy, but I struggled a bit to connect with the rest. Most of the tracks drag on a bit too long, there's a bit too much going on in places. A fine listen, but not one that I'll return to, 2/5.
Meh. Not my bag. Nothing really exciting, and that 80s, new wave, synthpop sound gets on my nerves.
3/5 Cool 80s nostalgia. I love the singer’s deep voice and vocal delivery. Initially I thought I haven’t heard of this artist before until I listened to the track This is the Day. Some of lyric content is darker than the synths make you feel. I would listen to the album again.
Fine but overall uninteresting
Soul Mining epitomizes UK post-punk art pop from the 80s. Heavy synth bass, drums from a machine, echoing asymmetrical vocals: it feels old. Those who like it for these reasons will call it old-school-new-school. The best track, and the one with absolutely no synth, is Uncertain Smile, with Jools Holland contributing a remarkably good piano solo. There's a live version available on YouTube, with Holland again on piano -- on his own show, Later with Jools Holland -- and with real guitars, real drums, real everything. Sooooo much better than the 80s synth stuff.
Ehhhhh generic 80’s pop.
I got into it closer to the end. Specifically, the last two songs
I can hear hits of Bowie & The B52s - which I love but I couldn't get into this one. I wouldn't listen again.
Maybe using it as a soundtrack to work I didn't enjoy doing it wasn't the best pairing.
English new-wave pop. Wasn’t a huge fan ngl.
Too intellectual, “I’m too smart” avant-garde pop bullshit
Could not get into this- just did not like the general sound of this album. I did not enjoy the vocals at all- they just sounded strange to me.
2 estrellas
I feel I missed something but this didn't do it for me.
The The is een bandnaam die weinig zegt, goed gekozen gezien de muziek die men maakt.
Begon energiek, eindigde kut. Excusez le mot.
Some cool piano solos but otherwise *fart noise*
I just found it pretty difficult to get into this album. It sounds extremely dated in a way that I don't enjoy, and the singers voice can be... bothersome. The last two songs won me over, though, so it's not a total wash. Not something I'm going to revisit, I think. Favorite tracks: "Soul Mining", "Giant"
Uncertain Smile, This is the Day and Perfect all groovy tunes. The rest have too many jazzy bridges, are too long, and are generally not interesting enough. Wasn't fond first time I heard it, still aren't. Can't tell if the guy's voice is interesting or paedophile.