Rip It Up
Orange Juice
1982
Album Summary
Rip It Up is the second album released by Scottish post-punk band Orange Juice. It was released in 1982. This album contains their hit song of the same name, which reached the Top 10. The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Wikipedialove the sonic cohesiveness of this record. makes me feel like i am in a different time. or having a calm, slow sunday.
This nonsense is so damn early 80s it makes my soul hurt. Bloopy synths, saxophone solos, and overly-stylized, Devo vocals are utterly cringeworthy. The lyrics are also mostly vapid. The second track is a bit of an outlier in that regard. I can hear shades of Sex Pistols here but like, if Sex Pistols had an older brother who thought he was super cool, had Flock of Seagul hair, and wore giant shades and lots of cheap cologne. The album is a mess, honestly. It can't decide what genre it is which, in many ways, embodies music in the early 80s. I gotta say, I'm not a fan at all.
Loved this. It does sag a little in the middle, but I adore the sonics of the album, the wonderful singing, the incorporation of funk into some of the tracks. Post-punk in general is hitting the sweet spot for me as it strikes me that so many of its participants were striving to make a pop sound that didn't patronise its listeners. You can be experimental, sophisticated and still catchy as hell. File this alongside bands like Monochrome Set.
Like a nice walk in a nice city with familiar traffic noises and the murmur of outdoor cafes. In the middle of all this is the band and sometimes I think that they listened a lot to Talking Heads.
This album started out really good, but it feels a bit samey by the end. Overall I think that it's worth a listen, hence 4 stars, but it's definitely on the low end of 4 stars for me. There are a lot of hidden gems in the postpunk genre, and I think this is one of them
Scottish New Wave Funk from the 80s is an unholy combination on paper, so I was surprised to find several tracks on this album that were not just listenable, but enjoyable. I never would have picked this album up in a million years. Best track: Louise Louise
At first it was okay for me but this thing fucking bops. Been listening nonstop to it
Very 80s and strong talking head vibes. Some late Clash sounds on there with almost a reggae feel
Le doy su merecido 5 a este album lo quiero mucho esos solos jijooomano
Fresh squeezed juice right here. This was super cool, I absolutely loved it. Feels like it was the start of something new.
Seamless transitions Reminds me of Sing Street (it has a certain kind of umph to it) It has great instrumentation and vocals
Scottish indie is separated from both other British indie and other Scottish art by its whimsy, its gentility and its poppiness. Whereas indie from the rest of the British Isles dabbles with sweetness and light, it doesn't supress its tendencies to morosity and rock for long. And if Scottish literature has one distinctive theme, it's guilt, be it personal, communal or ancestral: from Macbeth quaking before the visage of a dagger (even though Shakespeare was English) through various justified sinners and Jekylls and Hydes, to Renton and his pals' quest for oblivion, the Scottish protagonist never ceases to loathe themselves for the crime of simply being alive and Scottish. Scottish indie, however, has embraced both warmth and humour, and frequently sought pointers from straight-up pop. Look at The Jesus and Mary Chain incorporating girl-group melodies within their wall of noise, the enshrining of jangly guitars with the Scottish C86 bands, Teenage Fanclub's championing of Big Star and the Beach Boys, Belle & Sebastian dismissing grunge with an effete handwave, and Franz Ferdinand declaring that they wanted to make music for girls to dance to. If you're looking for a group that established this Scottish lighthearted, openhearted ethos, the one that makes most sense is Orange Juice. Orange Juice were your standard art-school band formed in the wake of punk. However, they reacted against the perceived dourness and melancholy of many post-punk bands (making them post-post-punk?) whilst retaining the movement's heterogenity and intelligence. The provocative wannabe impresario Alan Horne founded Postcard Records as a vehicle for Orange Juice and (the much more angst-ridden) Josef K; the tagline for Postcard Records was "The Sound of Young Scotland", an affectionate distortion of Motown's "The Sound of Young America", and as clear an indicator as any of Orange Juice's embrace of effervescence. Also note that Orange Juice were one of the most clean-cut, well-behaved bands of the time, eschewing alcohol (hence the bandname) and most drugs (though sometimes partaking in the mod/punk staple of amphetamine, funnily enough). With this, their second album, the line-up had changed substantially, after leader Edwyn Collins left the original drummer and guitarist. (the next drummer, Zeke Manila, was Zimbabwean, and two of the songs are sung in Shona). With this new line-up, Orange Juice hurtled in an even poppier direction, overtly referencing the Four Tops and, in the common post-punk ambition, marrying the Buzzcocks with Chic. And I like it a lot. The title song not only gave us the definitive post-punk slogan, but also provided one of the wryest takes on unrequited desire in the indie canon. Edwyn Collins proves himself one of the great articulators of adolescent hesitancy, turning wimpiness into, if not quite an admirable trait, then a charming, completely human feature of the everyteen (it's only a shuffle from Edwyn's croon to Morrissey's yodelling). Wonderful moments stud the album, such as the innocent piano motif on Flesh of My Flesh, which is then taken up by the saxophone (yes, saxophone). That said, the album warrants those two dread phrases, "rewards repeated listenings" and "the whole is greater thann the sum of its parts". Initially, you may well find the deliberate smoothness ungripping, and certain songs may seem disposable. But if you find the aesthetic intriguing and perhaps a little racy in its own way, then some Orange Juice should slip down satisfyingly. Orange Juice, like so many Scottish indie bands, provide Scotland with its much-needed sunlight and vitamin C.
This is brilliant. Edwyn Collins in fine voice, lots of different styles which all work well and some cracking songs. Rip it Up is genius, obviously, with I Can't Help myself edging it out as best song.
pretty cool, like british new wave but a couple of songs that sounded african-ish? i liked
i could definitely dance to this! its very lush! i'm getting some japanese city pop from it, 4
I have never heard of this band or any of the songs on this album. That being said enjoyed the smooth vocals and interesting lyrics.
New to me. Mix of Talking Heads and European pop of the 80's. Solid songs.
Sehr Abwechslungsreich. Easy listening in manchen Teilen und rockig in anderen.
Its really funky, a magnum opus of Synthezisers. Great Rhythm Guitar work. Sounds really nostalgic. Also prepare for spontaneous Sax breaks. The voice of the singer reminds me of Bowies Diamond Dogs Album.
Great album. Harmonies are really good, as well as the instruments. I will definitely be listening to this again
I didn't know what to expect with this album, but I'm glad I listened to it. It has an 80's synth-pop feel to it, but it's also got some acoustics in the songs that still have an "upper" feel to them. Sure it's not the most original sound I've ever heard, but it doesn't insult it in any way or form. Favorite track: Rip It Up
New to me. And now I'm wondering why because I absolutely love this album. Holds up much better than most other music from 1982. Somehow sounds timeless and still of its time. Not as consistently great as I like my 5's to be, but already warranted repeat listens and it could eventually grow into a 5 for me.
I’ve never listened to an album with such a mix of great and awful. Overall, I liked it.
the glossy remodel of Orange Juice - shimmering with funky guitars and squelchy basslines
7/10 solid british pop rock, i really liked the guitar work, but nothing to write home about
Overall I liked it; quite a bit actually. Has a "General Public" /"English Beat" feel to it. Found "Mud in Your Eye" to be intoxicating. Last half of album fell off, but overall was fun. B-
Quite varied songs, some really nice ones notably 'I Can't Help Myself' and 'Flesh of my Flesh'. Mostly poppy, some reggae influence. Overall nice, easy to listen album.
I love the innocence of this album. The medium really is the message with Rip It Up; just start something new... It could almost be Nile Rodgers on production for some of the tracks. The rhythms are so strong. Add in Edwyn's almost crooning like vocals and you get a very, very decent album.
This album was enjoyable from start to finish. Love the infusion of genres and every song felt extremely original. Fav track: I Can’t Help Myself
I loved this album. It feels wrong to categorize this into any one genre because the styles were so variable from song to song. The jazz/ska vibes on I Can't Help Myself is what confirmed my love of this album. Favorite tracks: I Can't Help Myself, A Million Pleading Faces
Something about this album resonated with me. The lead singer's voice is a bit goofy and like Morrissey but I found it more charming and less annoying. Really enjoyable listen.
This one surprised me, a great mix of post punk and new wave, some of it sounding very 80s and some surprisingly more modern. Definitely going to listen again, and explore their other albums.
Second time listening to this album, and I still really like it a lot. Still have A Million Pleading Faces and I Can't Help Myself as my favorite tracks
Don’t know how I’ve never heard of this but all kinds of mashup of early 80s…New Romantic, Devo, etc
Pretty good. Some great bangers, but also some fairly forgettable songs. Still enjoyable though. I dont get why new wave albums have such low ratings on this website, I generally find new wave to be an inoffensive genre. I get not liking new wave, but I find it difficult to understand how someone could hate it with a passion.
While I am aware of how popular New Wave became, it never liked it, and still don't. I appreciate it a little more in my older years, but it still does nothing for me. This album has a few moments of catchy melodies, but still not my thing. After this listen, probably won't revisit.
Very interesting listen, have never heard of this band before and I found it quite enjoyable. Seems that their sound inspired a few of the newer bands of that region.
A rather diverse album that's good all around which is quite an accomplishment when playing so many different styles.
I’ve never heard of this band before in my life, but now I know where Edwyn Collins came from - even though his one hit wonder from the 90’s sounds nothing like anything on this album. But I really dug this! The vocals are weird, the random slide guitar is weird, the occasional singing in a non-English language is weird. None of this makes sense. And yet it worked for me. Not quite enough to excuse the Almost Famous cover here blurring out the entire rhythm section. But it worked.
J’ai aime l’album et je reecouterais peut etre. Ependnat ce n’etsit pas une ecoute tres active donc je ne peux donner en hau ou en bas de 3.
Un disc inovador, ple de textures originals, d'aromes d'estiu, de seccions de vent enriquidores i de melodies potser no gaire obvies, però que acaben obrint-se pas dins un mateix escolta tras escolta
"Rip it up and start again I hope to God you're not as dumb as you make out" (Rip it up) "Is it wrong to let him walk into the water? Close your eyes for just one moment You get so tired the endless days of watching over And is it wrong as the waves boil up to greet him To turn away - he disappears into the tide All your love it cannot save him All your love it cannot save him" (Turn away) Se me ha hecho un poco bola.
Fun but I wanted to have more catchy songs like Rip it Up and I Can't Help Myself
Quite okay. You could hear how they wanted to differantiate from the other musím back in the 80s, however that didn't quite worked for me.
Orange Juice manages to blend British Pop with a touch of ska in this more fleshed out effort. By doing so they have effectively laid a foundation for several genres to follow.
It's an 80's album. That's it's best descriptor. It's not my favorite 80's bullshit album, but it's fine. Pretty boring and predictable. Highlights: 1, and 5.
3.5 lekker vibe! ook 10 nummerkes perfecte lengte. ik zou het in niche nog wel eens opzetten.
Nice, Sommige nummers ga ik nog wel eens luisteren. album in totaal was goed maar overtuigde niet volledig
Decent. My eyes rolled when I read “post punk” but there’s plenty of stuff going on here. Not to be confused with Oran juice Jones. First hit to use a 303?
Opening with the brilliant "Rip It Up", but that is as good as it gets, which is pretty good to be fair. It just becomes a little samey after a few tracks.
Some nice Ska/reggae influenced pop. Had heard the name but none of the music. I like it, very much in the vein of General Public. I wish the tempos were a little faster sometimes, but a enjoyable listen. Makes me curious to check out the 2 albums that bookend this one, both if which allmusic.com hold in higher esteem then the one chosen by the authors. 3.5 🌟
Ich höre, wie diese hierzulande ja leider stark unterrepräsentierte Band ihre Nachfolger beeinflusst hat, zum Beispiel Kajagoogoo, die Happy Mondays oder auch Rocko Schamoni. Schätze ich alle sehr, genauso wie die Einflüsse die man der Platte wiederum anhört - Afrobeat, Eno/Bowie, Eno/Talking Heads; solche Sachen. Muss gerade mal nachschauen wer die eigentlich produziert hat? Ah, ein "Marlin Hayes", kenne ich gar nicht. Also jedenfalls: gefällt mir gut, auch wenn es mich hier gerade nicht vom Hocker haut. Dafür knapp an die Untergrenze des nächsten Levels ran. 3,5
Legendär und von mir doch zu lange übersehen. Neben Funk, Talking Heads und Jonathan Richman wohl DER distinktive Sound zur Hochzeit des King Georg. Irgendwie avantgardistisch angekrautet-jangley countryesker Yacht Pop/Rock. Das ist kein Orange Juice, eher Multivitamin. Gibt frisch gepresste 3.3
I really wanted this to be a masterpiece. It was alright. Might actually give it another go.
Liked Rip It Up a lot actually, the rest of the album just slid by though
This is a fun album of breezy and soulful pop/new wave from Orange Juice. The band has a unique style, with a bit of an Afro-pop sensibility (courtesy of drummer Zeke Manyika) and some excellent punchy guitarwork. Edwyn Collins is the standout presence in the band, with his rich vocal style. Great pop hooks on both the title track and “I Can’t Help Myself.” “Mud in Your Eye” is a personal favorite, although “I Can’t Help Myself” is a can’t miss track, the best on the album. Fave Songs: Mud in Your Eye, I Can't Help Myself, Tenterhook, Rip It Up, Turn Away
Didn’t give a full listen, some songs sounded neat, others like basic 80s stuff
This reminded me so much of a late 80s soundtrack for a movie involving a Weekend at Bernie’s type of plot. Why? I have absolutely no clue 🤷🏾♂️ When they kept it peppy and upbeat, I really enjoyed it. But when they slowed it down, the vocals killed me. Like slowly and painfully.
1 I'm not too fond of that weird deep lispy sound of the voice of so many artists during the 80s. 2. "Mud In Your Eyes" saves it from being a 1 Ok 3, this is getting better
Huh. Kind of a funky album but I liked it fairly well. Some classic 80s sound that makes it a very cheerful synth/guitar album with calm jams. The perfect album for making breakfast on a lazy Sunday, as far as I'm concerned. Fave track: Louise Louise. Not objectively the best track musically on the album but I'm a sucker for a sweet little love song. Even though it seems like a bit of a toxic/complicated love song at that.
It was good, and the dub elements were something else. But I think the singer struck me as a little hard to listen to, especially near the end.
I'm not claustrophobic and don't mind confined spaces, but if I was stuck on an elevator for 42 minutes and 31 seconds with Rick Astley, Gloria Estefan, David Byrne and smooth jazz, I wouldn't be happy. If that elevator sounds like you're kind of party, you're going to love this. You can begin with the song "Flesh of My Flesh." I'll take the steps.
Geinige 80s pop muziek met voor mijn gevoel wat Jamaicaanse invloeden. Doet me vooral aan Level 42 denken. Helaas kunnen geen van de nummers van dit album mij echt boeien.
I started off suspicious, but there were good bones in there. Collins' voice sometimes drove me crazy, but I liked a lot of what they were doing musically.
It's an 80s album and definitely sounds like an 80s album. Nothing was really memorable about it. I cannot really recall a song that needs to be listened to again. Not quite a 3 but I will round up.
Flesh of my Flesh the only familiar tune to me on this (I think my brother put it on a mix tape he gave me many, many years back - so many it was on an actual tape). They have a unique sound, and generally I like dot, though the vocals seemed over affected. Clever lyrics.
Not the worst, a good smorgasbord of stuff, but not overtly bad, light 3
Slightly disappointing. I expect so much of OJ based on the excellent singles on here.I also really enjoyed the Highlife-y second track and the one that sounds like Josef K, but this album seems to lurch from style to style and the production of each song sounds different. And none are as polished as the two singles on here (which are two of the greatest pop songs ever created). So 3/5 for the two singles, but this is a very inconsistent collection of songs.
Fairly standard New Wave without any highlights. If anything i found the music often to be cluttered and full with noises
Somehow, as average as the songwriting is, the random orchestration and sounds make it a better album.
Standard 1980s pop, as seen on Top of the Pops week in, week out. Not special in any way.
I quite like the 80s synth indie feel to it, but it never really takes off quite the way I hoped it would
From the cover, I thought this would be early 80s new wave, potentially with a reggae infusion. It wasn't bad but was not memorable either.
-A nice, kind of fun punk-ish album -I like some of the more fun instrument choices throughout, especially in "I Can't Help Myself" -Definitely straddling the line between 3 and 4 stars, but nothing really stood out as crazy good and really deserving of a relisten, but overall still fun.
New wave Brit pop/punk/funk sounding a bit more indie experimental than their peers. Strong use of electronics to give themselves a distinct flavour
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: yeah it’s decent and has a fun warm sound, My have to come back to this in the future Favourite song: Track 1 - Rip it Up
Really interesting, I thought for sure this was a newer band then I saw the year it came out. original hipsters.
Meh. Not my bag. Didn't hate it though. Just sounded really repetitive. I'm not sure if they were the ones leading the new wave/synth pop scene or if they were just riding the wave. Extra points if they were the former.
Like it a lot more when it leans into the reggae/Caribbean sounds. Dislike it a bit more when it's *YET ANOTHER POST PUNK 80S ALBUM ON THIS LIST JFC*
Oh this is a vibe. Have wanted to listen to them for a while. Happy to finally hear them. Can def hear the impact they’ve had on indie/popular music.
This was on the poppier side of post-punk. It is also very much of its time in that it liberally uses 80 synth and other sounds. This kind of takes me out of it a bit. Other post punk bands are also of their times of course, but there is a timelessness to an artist like the Smiths that is lacking here. The album is quite cohesive though and borrows a fair bit from Afrobeat as well.
Some really interesting baselines. Vocals are good, don’t really like the jangly guitar style and tone. Decent album overall.
Haven't heard this before. Kinda New Wave-ish, a bit bland and they don't have much of an edge to their sound. On the positive, it's easy to listen to and I can't say I didn't enjoy it, it's just that I don't care to know more about them or be bothered to hear more. Still, it's okay...
Siendo una banda de unos pocos hits y con bastantes altibajos, Orange Juice supo llegar a las listas de éxitos en los 80's y cosechar éxito por su distintivo sonido el cuál abarcaba el post punk de una forma mucho más funk y bailable. Eso era algo que marcó diferencia con otras bandas y que hizo que trascendieran de solo unos pocos nichos. Originarios de Escocia y siendo su segundo álbum, fue el que los llevó hacia el más cercano éxito antes de su disolución en 1985. Si hay que adjudicarle a alguien este éxito, es a Edwin Collins, cantante principal y guitarrista de la banda que nunca bajó los brazos y mantuvo la agrupación ante la incesante cantidad de bajas que tuvieron a lo largo del tiempo que duraron activos. Los reemplazos de Malcom Ross en guitarra y Zeke Manyika en batería, le dieron una bocanada fresca a la banda, la cual aprovechó usando ideas de estos músicos en sus composiciones, las cuales aportaron dentro del disco. Es una escucha fresca y medianamente sencilla, la cual sirve para expandir las puertas del post punk y, abrir el abanico indie de ese momento, llegando a sonar frescos hasta el día de hoy.
Music from skinny white boys. Rip is up is brilliant. There are some decent enough tracks peppered through the rest of it, but I guess "who they are" is the key thing for this album.
Instrumentaali oli vekkulia, mut laulu pudotti pisteitä. Ei jotenki lähteny
I guess some time it was a hit but now it lacks standing out quality that differentiates it from similar albums. Its not bad music but not exceptional
It's okay, but I'm not sure why it's included on the list. Seems very average, and the singles aren't really doing much for me. Unlike even a band like Korn, which at the very least was a major point for a genre, I'm not sure the significance of this one.
Some interesting notes here and there but nothing special going on with this one. Listening to it once was enough for me
I lived through 1980s synth-pop. Why not Duran Duran or Flock of Seagulls? Ugh
I don't know if they invented a bunch of things or they sound like some weird amalgamation of a variety of 80's bands. Unfortunately they don't sound as good as a lot of their peers... maybe a mediocre Style Council.
Very rough sounding hall and Oates, weird voice strains, very repetitive no saves
Rick Astley? Is that you?... Are they a mix between Squeeze and Pulp? I'm happy that they have a song called Breakfast Time. Other than that, nothing too much to consume here.
_Rip It Up_ by Orange Juice - (I keep on forgetting to make my music player not fucking shuffle the fucking thing! It's really hard to get an idea of an album released pre-CD era when it's randomly playing tracks.) So it's 80's post-punk...crooner music? It's weird. The first song was...interesting. The second song's lyrics didn't seem to energy and upbeat quality of the music- badabada, badabada, _see the tears in a million faces_ whaaaaaaaat? The rest of the album liked to bounce around in the same manner, where you never knew what you were going to get. I wondered if any of the band went on to be part of some other bands, but they never did. Why isn’t The English Beat on this list?
First track sounds like a weird/slow version of 'Good Times' by Chic without the cool bassline. Overall, it was all just a bit "nice". 5/10 ⚽ Euro player: Johan Cruyff. Played in orange and definitely ripped it up.
This album started with a John Jensen style wonder goal with a classic tune, but then as Arsenal found out, it was all a little too good to be true as it faded into a bit of a nothing and, not unlke the Danish player, ultimately a bit of a let down.
If this album actually were a glass of Orange Juice it would be the cheap stuff made from concentrate. Lacks real substance and ultimately not satisfying
Kindnof a one hit wonder. Their synth alternative music fuses together a few different styles and it's a bit of a weird listen. Not my favorite, but worth a listen
Scottish pop/electro band who's only Top 40 hit, "Rip It Up" was the first hit to use the Roland TB-303 synthesizer. Lots of electro synth beats, with some sax and horns thrown in. At times could hear some Franz Ferdinand. Best: Rip It Up Worst: Hokoyo
Never heard of this band. Their vocals are not for me, and I did my best to hear past them to avoid giving this 1 star. Ultimately settling on 2/5 because, at times, the music was pretty fun.
- somewhat boring, downtempo chill ish - pre-new wave... just wave? - Consistent and good enough mix
Rediscovering this is like finding a crusty old jizz tissue in the pocket of an old coat.
A lot of comparisons to the Smiths and Talking Heads without ever holding a candle to either. Some songs fare better than others, but the album suffers as a whole for not having much to offer in the way of genuinely good music. The best songs are when Zeke Manyika has a hand in things, which is unfortunately few. The rest, I can leave.
Went in blind here. Read a few of the reviews in advance and got a bit excited with some of The Clash comparisons. The first song really threw me off as it was a bit too “80’s pop” for me. It got a bit more interesting but never really caught on to the level of potential I had been hoping for. Damn. Fave songs “I can’t help myself”
Mezcla de pop ochentero con toques reggae. Fácil de escuchar, aunque no especialmente llamativo
Some catchy moments, but ultimately just inoffensive background music. Songs go on for way too long. Definitely not something I'd listen to again.
I love Simon Reynold's book on post-punk, titled after this album/song. I get why this album was a breath of fresh air at the time, but I find the "funk" unconvincing. Tooo, too white boy, really. the African influences, courtesy of the drummer/songwriter Zeke Manyika are much more interesting to me (eg A Million Pleaading Faces, or the percussion breaks on breakfast Time), and I wish there was a lot more of that. I find Edwyn Collin's voice just a little bit too ironic crooner for my taste. If it was a little bit faster, a bit more layered percussion, this could have been more like Remain in Light. It has those moments (again, guitar solo on Breakfast Time, which is like Adrian Belew or Robert Fripp) which I really like. But then he starts singing again, or they start playing terrible white boy funk.
Never heard of Orange Juice before, though I did know Edwyn Collins. There are a few nice tracks, but I don't think I'll be listening to this again soon.
Rip It Up by Orange Juice (1982) More British yawn pop, this time from Scotland (not generally known for the export of orange juice), this album is so-so, if kinda cute. Squeezable, even. With all the pulp filtered out. Our thirst is quenched by cool and splashy dance beats, dripping with lively bass lines and quirky guitar effects, with fay lead vocal stylings and harmonies stirred in. Musically, it’s altogether goofy, but with plenty of variety. Perfect for a teen party with nothing serious going on. The leading title track is really the only song of note. The one attempt at social/cultural engagement “See How Hard They Cry” is spoiled by the frolicsome mood and silly effects. The same incommensurability applies for every attempt on this record to treat serious themes. Listening to guys in their mid-twenties singing “How I wish I was young again” (“Breakfast Time”) is adorable. They’re so precious at that age. What this album needs is citric acid: less sweet, more tart. And maybe a shot of vodka. 2/5