Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Speaking craniums
Kinda enjoying listening to these 80s albums that I wouldn’t listen to otherwise. Don’t think I’ll revisit this one though
Talking Heads = Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice These guys = Watered Down Supermarket-brand Cordial
I've listened to some of Edwyn Collins solo work before, but never his prior band. Loved it. Not mind-blowing or anything, but fun and very well written, produced and performed. Faves: "A Million Pleading Faces", "Breakfast Time", "Louise Louise", "Tenterhook"
Hmmm ... that OJ tasted a little sour.
Nothing interesting. It sounds like many other records on this list.
Not nearly as bad as the reviews would dictate. Not particularly memorable but certainly inoffensive new wave.
Kind of fun!
nah
Nice to have some idiosyncratically upbeat, sometimes soulful, post punk. Probably a three star album for me, except that Edwyn is one of the nicest people in music.
80s junk, why is this on here?
Garbo...
After 2 songs in, I was done. Some 80s sounding garbo, not for me.
des mélodies intéressantes, mais vocalement sans plus pour moi. un album que j’ai écouté sans vraiment sentir quoi que ce soit, à la limite de la neutralité (2.6 étoiles actuellement)
Solid 80's New Wave. I've never heard of this band. Listened through a couple times and enjoyed it a lot.
Coolest album cover ever? This album started so strong with the opening title track. Definitely wasn't expecting that saxophone. Clean funk guitar riff with dripping fun keyboards and a straightforward beat, a la much new wave of the time. The next track "A Million Pleading Faces" goes to Africa and is good, but feels a bit orthogonal from the first track. Then this is following with "Mud In Your Eye" which is like an old soul R&B ballad featuring a bunch of white guys. So only three tracks in, I'm not sure what to expect next. "Turn Away" is really interesting as it takes an orchestral opening and spins it into a bluesy riff, then into new wave Afro-inspired chorus, and I'm totally lost but liking it at the same time. I get some Berlin Bowie vibes mixed with 80s Talking Heads here. "Breakfast Time" is somewhere between a reggae and creepy circus music and even what sounds like a gypsy scale, while "I Can't Help Myself" could have been pulled from Stop Making Sense with its Bernie Worrell-like synth fills. "Flesh Of My Flesh" and "Louise Louise" have similar vibes as "Mud In Your Eye", but the former has more disco or late 70s flare and the later is rooted more in 60s pop. "Hokoyo" goes back to "A Million Pleading Faces" by switching singers and its Afrobeat influence. It is cool but this and the other feel completely out of place. Then we close out with "Tenterhook" which is another soft ballad overlaid with weird industrial synths and keyboards like what I'd hear in Earthbound. I write all this to say, the musical influences are all over the place. It's like the kitchen sink was thrown at all of these songs, and it sometimes works, but it sometimes feels incoherent or too unfocused. Overall I'm not a fan of the yawning crooning singing style of the main vocalist. There's too much whiplash from song-to-song. I rate it a bit high just for their ambition and willingness to take risks and because it definitely felt unique. It may grow on me in a few listens, but at the moment I don't feel compelled to return to it.
so fun
i'm inclusive! i'm expanding my dislike for annoying British albums by including Scottish albums too
Liked this a lot. Never heard of it before. Where have these albums been hiding?
vibing mentre studio la circuitazione del campo elettrico
Eh not for me. 1.3/10
Never heard of these guys before today. The title track is catchy, but not life changing. Gave the album a cursory listening, nothing else really stood out.
Really not worth to listen to before you die. Nothing remarkable on. Just la...la...la..! 1,5
New wave, inoffensive, unmemorable.
The strong stuff was really strong, but there’s too much filler for sure. Most of the prolonged dub/reggae adjacent stuff could go! The name of the band made me crave a glass of orange juice, so I had one, and it was a five star glass. Doesn’t count for anything, but worth noting maybe.
Decent but not special
Nettes Album mit dem Sound der 80er .. eine Mischung aus Llyod Cole und den Birds.
Never heard this before. Obviously very influenced by Talking Heads, but I sort of like it better.
Sorry but no thank you
Look at that album cover, the jawlines on those lads. Absolute chads. The music, not so much. It's alright, but after the really solid intro track it just sort of plods along with uninspired guitar-work and lyrics. It's okay.
It’s not terrible, but this really isn’t for me.
You might say this Orange Juice hits the spot. You could also say this is some smooth new wave that makes listening fun. It's very calming music and unmistakably 80s. Top tracks: "Mud in Your Eye," "Flesh of My Flesh," "Rip It Up," "Turn Away"
--Rip It Up...this is weird. I like it! Oh, here comes a sax solo! --A Million Pleading Faces...this is fun. kind of a "world music" feel. which is probably reductive --Mud in Your Eye...cheesy. but it's my flavor --Turn Away...this one rocks a little more. guitars feel slightly more sleazy --Breakfast Time...Not sure about the song, but I've enjoyed the production on this album so far. Everything sounds nice and crisp --I Can't Help Myself...again, cheesy. but dammit do I like it --Flesh of My Flesh...nice synths. these guys are good at hooking me early. Horns?! oh yeah. sounds like a Destroyer song --Louise Louise...not bad but it's the first track that feels like filler --Hokoyo...lots of things going on here. May take many listens to truly appreciate. Then they hit me with a marimba at the end. well played --Tenterhook...not my favorite track but the guitars are pleasant and it has a nice build that provides the album with a solid closer
A completely faceless album. I think it only made it into this top list because of its cool cover.
This album isn't juicy at all. It's like I left the bottle in the fridge five months after the expiration date and was given this. There's a strong urge to abandon this album, but I pushed through. Just needed to take an 8-hour break once I reached Hokoyo.
While I do find the overall melodies and approach on this record to be noteworthy, I don't feel much purpose from this release. I hear sounds, I identify those sounds as belonging to their time, but I don't hear anything too surprising or innovative. Orange Juice squeeze themselves out just fine but the taste is nothing to write home about (5/10, 2/5 on this scale) (4/10, irrelevancy)
I mean it was ok. 2.8
Not my cup of OJ, just ok for 80s alt pop weridos
Just stuck in the 80s
don't remember a single song from this album
Very groovy and love melodies
weird earlyish new wave but pretty decent gotta say
This was more like Lemon Juice, very sour tasting album!
Eh, just felt like a poor mans version of Talking Heads. Didn't do anything for me. 4/10
Echt leuk, heel vrolijk
Nothing crazy, funky songs
I don't even know what kind of music this is. It's like 80s pop/new wave, maybe? I don't know, but it sounds like the cover looks. I didn't like it.
This album should have been forgotten in the discount bin. Nothing redeemable. Sounded like it would never be popular anywhere
Starts great! Stays mostly cool, some 80s nonsense here and there, but solid. 4 Heard before? 1 song Owned: No 16/1001, 16/64 (25%) Will I get? Yes
So Edwyn Collins, the guy known for the classic “A Girl Like You”, was actually in this band before launching his solo career. This is really a unique album. It blends post punk, jangle pop, sophisti-pop, and new wave, but never fully commits to any single style. Instead, it pulls elements from each and creates something all its own. You can clearly hear the influences, but the band doesn’t let those boundaries box them in, instead they carve out a distinctive sound of their own. Something else worth noting, the title track “Rip It Up” was one of the first pop songs to feature the Roland TB-303 bassline synthesizer, which would later become a key element in acid house. So not only is this album stylish and inventive, it was also ahead of its time.
Just weak, boring 80's junk. 2 stars or D-.
What were they even saying
It's a bit fancy and very dated synths, but songs are good, enjoyed the post punk Scots doing their think.
don't know what I expected, but it wasn't that. Alright
What in the new-wave, post-punk? I came in unfamiliar with Orange Juice, but Rip It Up hits with this funky, jangly energy that feels like a left-turn from the punk ethos. It’s got that vibe of bands who traded in straight-ahead aggression for rhythm, groove, and synth sheen—like when punk dipped its toes in reggae or disco, then suddenly sprouted keyboards and polished edges. The title track was their biggest hit, even breaking into the UK Top 10. It’s also notable for being the first Top 40 UK single to feature the Roland TB-303 bass synth, years before it became the sound of acid house. It’s good, it’s smooth, it’s a jam.
Not bad.
Great album!!!
Not bad
Good vibes and mix of instruments, voice and lyrics
Музыка: 7/10 Разнообразие: 6/10 Тематика и вайб: 7/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 5/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 7/10 Итог: 6.4
It doesn't matter how many albums of post punk and new wave I listen to. My opinion of the genres isn't going to change.
I fell asleep during the first song and woke up during the last song. The nap was excellent. I don't know about the record.
What a funny ride. Enjoyed it more and more, but the tonal shifts were a little hard to take. Kind of reminded me of discovering "Ultravox!" in a bin, except I think I'd give that one 5 stars. 3.5?
They're blending genres but I don't find them original for the time, and the album is a snooze.
Oh, I remember that song! One thing that always strikes me about early-80s pop is how slow it is; it's hard to imagine dancing to it, but we probably did. The rest of it is pretty generic British pop of the era, and no, you do not need to hear it before you die but it won't kill you.
An album of two halves. I was really enjoying it throughout the first five tracks but the sax solo on I Can’t Help Myself seemed to go on forever and the album never fully pulled me back in after that. Top Track - Rip It Up
Another new one for me. This was a mixed bag that I mostly enjoyed. I thought it dragged a bit toward the end though.
The glove did not fit
Sympa à écouter, plus ou moins selon les musiques présentes sur l’album cependant.
Oh this was a treat. I'd been thinking that it is objectively the worst Orange Juice album because of all the 80s synths and saxes and Zeke doing African songs. But it's really a proper Orange Juice album with great song on it. Not perfect, but better than most.
No idea how this album made it into the top 1000. Very uninspired.
Every single music-related list is biased in any way, but the alternative British 80-90s albums one is very noticeable on this list. It gets boring about halfway through the album. Good songs though.
This album cover looks so much like a photo taken of a boyband from the early 2010s and edited with an Instagram filter of that same era. I was expecting to hear The Vamps, so I was surprised by the intro track. I was also surprised to learn that these guys are from Glasgow (albeit, Bearsden). From Track #1, it seemed promising, but the rest of the album was quite bland and I found it got boring by the second listen. 2/5 might be the lowest score I've given for an album which has no decisively bad tracks, it's just that it's dull overall.
Occasionally this thing would hit a groove and I would *almost* start to like it, but then this tone-deaf idiot began to sing. I would say this is a case of bad singer ruining an otherwise good album, but I don’t even know if this is a good post-punk record. It’s passable, but never amazing, even without the vocals. Doesn’t help that this really isn’t my style or vibe, so overall, while I could grin and bear it, this was a very difficult listen for me.
Exceeded expectations on my drive to CVS
Strong opener, rest not so good
Nja, jag som popsnöre har vid flera gånger försökt mig på orange juice som ska vara så fantastisk bra. Aldrig fattat och det gjorde jag inte nu heller
Pretty good Smiths like thing
Fun, almost reggae/ska vibe? I enjoyed it enough, pretty decent discovery.
Standout Songs: A Million Pleading Faces I Can't Help Myself
***A good album, easy listening.
Another example of how obvious it is that the guy who put this together is British. I had never heard of this band, didn't know Edwyn Collins had been in a band before the '90s, and the "hit song" single doesn't even sound remotely familiar to me. It's OK, I guess? Definitely not essential IMO. "Turn Away" reminds me a little of Talking Heads.
reminded me a little of pulp at some points, which i guess makes sense for orange juice :)
New Wave blather
Did not recognize this album on sight which is unusual….. This first track…..Jeepers creepers it’s great. And like all songs this good, it’s the only song even remotely like this on the whole album! Wasn’t expecting Afro-beat after that blast of indie new-wave. This is a light, refreshing album. It’s like drinking a mojito at a beach bar on a sunny day. Delicious. THREE STARS
Surprised they even got to be one hit wonders. 1.5 round up.
Not much of a fan of this album. It felt awkward in bits without much continuity between tracks. The stuff that was a bit experimental didn't quite land and the stuff that was more poppy just felt a bit cliche. Not "punk" enough to be post-punk not "dance" enough to be a disco band just caught somewhere between in obscurity.
My only real complaint is that at times this sounded like the Talking Heads got drunk and tried their hands at David Bowie impressions. Seriously, that singing voice does not match a single face on that album cover. Other than that, I surprisingly had a really good time with this album. A Million Pleading Faces and Hokoyo are probably the stand out tracks for me, but the sax solo on I Can't Help Myself absolutely rips.
Funny these guys should show up on this list now. A year ago I would have told you I never heard of them, but recently the algorithms that govern my existence decided that I needed OJ in my life. And they aren't wrong! Give this round to Skynet, I guess.
Although I hadn't ever heard of Orange Juice before, it was pretty clear from the get-go with "Rip it up" (and the very dated time capsule of a video that accompany it) that this was an early 80s British band influenced by the likes of The Specials, Joe Jackson, Talking Heads and/or Elvis Costello. Not horrible, but not all that distinctive either, and largely entertaining in a sort of ersatz Muzak sort of way (but with actual lyrics and a more lively tempo), and kudos to them for including a song titled "Tenterhook". I'm guessing they got included because they're a Scottish band?
A little all over the place in terms of style and sound but in general sort of a pop blend of a whole bunch of trends. Think Tom Tom Club but not as good.
I think I've heard better version of this.
This felt familiar but also completely unknown. It wasn't terrible. A little generic. Ah, Edwyn Collins - that makes sense now.
fun! like a diet oingo boingo that doesn't scare everyone
good example of 80s new wave/jangle pop. 3/5
great sounds very funky
omg, c'est-tu le même album qu'hier? Ça sonne exactement pareil, le genre de
Not gonna go out and rummage through the vinyl bins in an effort to add it to my collection but it's not bad. It's also not memorable.
Неплохо. Альбом может удивить.
I gotta be honest, it was kind of all over the place. I can see the uniquity of it. But it felt goofy.
That first tune is a BANGER! Doesn’t completely keep the same level of energy, but it’s cool.
Generic 80s. 5 out of 10. Middle of the road
Mix of Talking Heads and Thompson Twins/quintessential 80’s pop sound with the dying sound of disco. It was… okay I guess but just not really my thing.
I don’t hate it. I appreciate the early-New Wave. But the album is pretty darn insubstantial. The title track is a lot of fun. This is probably closer to a 2.5-star album.
This is crazy ahead of it's time. It sounds more like a post-indietronica band riffing off the 80s than anything Ive heard that was genuinely from the era. There's nothing else here quite like Rip it Up, a beautifully mellow song that as an opener casts a shadow over the rest of the runtime. The rest is scattered, but not unenjoyable.
This was pretty good - Rip it up being the clear ‘bop’ - but the longer I listened the more apparent it became why I’d never heard of these guys before. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time with this. It was fun and carefree, and the split vocal duties broke things up in an interesting way. There’s just not too much here worth writing home about. ⭐️⭐️
Rätt trevligt men inget som riktigt stack ut
Riktigt bra! Behagligt lugnt utan att bli tråkigt.
2/5
7.9/10, late night summer drive vibes, every song sounds quite similar though.
This is a pretty chill album, it was nice having it in the background. There was nothing exciting, but I am sure that this was quite chill listening to back in 1982.
Maybe you've heard a mix playlist with Rip It Up on it and that's about it. Surprised twist on track two kept me interested. Sadly, the album is too uneven to enjoy all the way through, but there's enough going on to keep the rating afloat in an orange sugary sea above a single star.
The instrumental parts of this album give me a ton of hope that I would enjoy this. The guitar and drum playing specifically feel like precursors to the kind of music that I actually enjoy listening to now. But the singing sucks. It sucks so much. It takes away any possible joy I would get from listening to this. The mouth of the singer opens up, and any good thoughts I had about the album immediately disappear. I wish I could scrub the sound of the singer out of my head. Without the singer, this is *at least* a 3 for me. Probably higher. With the singer... SKIP. Favorite Song(s): -
Meh. Another one where it felt like I’d like it more if I was from the UK (I’m not, I’m from Bofa).
Pretty nice stuff, I’d only really heard the title track, but this whole album is worth checking out.
Actually, something about this hit me just right enough to give it a 4.
Title track is really good, but I knew that already. The rest of the album is painfully mid though. The only interesting thing about them is that they're Scottish
The sound is familiar and kind of casual, in a way where it feels better than it holds up for me. Background music works, but several songs got on my nerves listening on headphones.
Цікавий альбом з широким поглядом на нью-вейв та пост-панк із вкрапленням різних жанрів. Десь місцями мені чогось згадувався Talking Head. Вокал дуже британський, ледь не карикатурний. Rip It Up - дуже хітова композиція
Одне з відкриттів цього списку. Люблю британську музику того періоду, але тут окрім пост-панку та нью-вейву зустрічається й реггі та щось подібне на елементи 2-тон ска, так що цей альбом точно ще послухаю, а про гурт почитаю детальніше.
I assumed this would be straightforward jangle pop, so it’s interesting to hear African influences, disco rhythms and sounds you wouldn’t expect from an 80s Scottish indie band. Nice little album.
Solid, never heard of this band before
Neat! Really happy I looked at the album now because I would have called it brit pop and get murdered by a Scotsman. Understandably so. Good album tho, I can't say too much else. I really like it tho! Very good. Rip it up itself is a dope song!
I’ve heard of Edwin Collins, but didn’t realize this was his band. I can see the early influence on other bands.
Absolutely rips, pun intended, can believe the title track isn’t a mainstay.
Favorite Track: A Million Pleading Faces
I liked this one way more than I expected. Very funky. Maybe a little reminiscent of Bowie voice-wise?
Boring
empezó muy bien, después se perdió un poco. 3.5
Groupe inconnu. Le premier morceau est très (trop) 'New Wave', avec un son de basse au synthé que je n'apprécie pas du tout, mais un chorus de sax pas mal. Le second morceau est très différent (world ?), et le troisième différent des 2 autres. Le son de (vraie) basse est bien plus agréable à mon oreille. Le solo de guitare dans 'Breakfast time' (+) est pas mal, le chorus de sax de 'I Can't Help Myself' (++) aussi. Un peu léger parmi les 10 morceaux. =>2/5
Some great old stuff in there
Finally, an album from the 80s which should prove to be my favorite decade of music despite the utter lack of Hüsker Dü, Phil Collins' solo or as leader of Genesis, 4 seminal Replacements records and 3 by R.E.M. missing from the list. If you can't gather, I'm all for the inclusion of many albums by a single band. I've heard bits and pieces of this album. I definitely recall Sam trying to get me into them back in my undergraduate days and he most likely put "I Can't Help Myself" on a playlist for me more recently because that's the song I recognize the most (the allusion to the Four Tops is... well, tops!). What is so far the lowest globally rated album I've received is easily my highest rated. No surprise there. Load of bangers here, it's actually surprising to me that the rating is so low but folks hate the 80s so what can ya do? "Breakfast Time" and "Hokoyo" are standouts for me. Part of the fun for me here is going to be contextualizing the day's album with others that came out the same year or a year or two before or after. This album comes at the end of '82 less than a few months after Springsteen's sparse Nebraska which he would follow up with a similarly synthy album to this one in mid '84. Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, The Fall, Mission of Burma, Misfits and the Birthday Party are keeping punk alive while the Clash gets poppy on Combat Rock. In the world of popular music, Roxy Music releases their opus, Duran Duran is something I'll have to listen to at some point, Prince releases 1999 and of course there's Thriller. Every review of this album on here seems to mention Talking Heads. I'm glad that band has grown in stature recently but I got pretty tired of their arty-ness and will have to see how I rate their albums after a few years avoiding listening to them.
I was quite surprised by this record. Usually, I wouldn't be into this type of vocals, but I think the instrumentation was the main focus here, and the vocals served as an accent to it—a very unique pop record. Favourite Track(s): Mud In Your Eye, Flesh Of My Flesh Least Favourite Track(s): Louise Louise
3.5 08.12.2025
Breakfast Time, Loise Loise, Tenterhook
Excellent record. Some Bowie moments, purposefully obscure solos, still very hooky.
Great mellow album that has hints of other British bands.
Some interesting instrumentation
After the first minute of listening all I hear is talking heads with more synth type sounds. Really clean sounding record love the production. Harmless record.
A pleasant listen - sounds a bit like Talking Heads here and there.
Interesting, never thought they would turn up in the list of 1001 albums. Of course, I was very well familiar with their hit Rip it up, but other than that, never took or had the desire to listen to anything more of this band. After listening to the whole record I just can say my prejudice was justified. Talking Heads meets Culture Club or worse. No idea how this album ended up in this list, nor why Wikipedia labels this as "post-punk". It's utterly 80's rubbish. 1/5
Vocals not for me
great first song. kinda got bored with the rest but it's fine.
This was not what I was expecting out of this album but it was not this! It wasn't good but it wasn't bad it just was kind of ok!
Birth of ska? Some cool reggae pop rock beats. Pretty fun album.
p495. 1982. 2 stars. Jaunty 80s Scottish pop, hindered by a frontman with limited vocal range and swamped by filler. Bits of this are quite good, but not enough of it to warrant 3 stars.
3.5
I'm always open to an album of that is this 80s, and there are some cool melodic moments on this. I didn't love the vocals though so it marks it down.
A decent little British jangle pop album. I do think it’s an era and sound worth representing on the list, I’m just not sure this is the album to do that. The top review for Rip It Up is someone complaining that this album is included but Tool is completely omitted from the list, and I just have to say I’d still much rather listen to this
"Erm aktchually 🤓☝️ this is terrible because it's so annoyingly British" oh my god shut the fuck up. Yes there is a lot of generic 80s post-punk from the UK on the list, but the reason you don't like it isn't because it's British, it's for two reasons: 1) a lot of it is pretty generic (although this album is not one of those), but more importantly 2) because you've never heard of it. Why don't you actually give this more than five seconds of your attention instead of just looking at it and immediately going "BRITISH MUSIC ONE STAR" all the while being perfectly happy to openly express how much you love The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, David Bowie, Black Sabbath The Kinks, Radiohead, The Cure, Led Zeppelin, and countless more. Fucking closed minded hypocrites.
Can't stand the vocals, forgive me
Was a kinda cool 80’s sound with some variety.
Listen man I’m a sucker for 80s music and I mean every iteration of it so I’m biased. I could see why you wouldn’t like this album but this sound just moves me every single time
First time listener. I like it, can’t pinpoint the reasons why.
Rip It Up by Orange Juice feels like a fun, slightly messy mix of pop and disco, but the title track is so catchy you can’t help but love it.
British 80s new wave ska. Kinda cool.
Definitely the grand fathers of Franz Ferdinand. Ok, but not memorable enough to really stand out.
This was interesting and kinda cool, but both singer's voices kinda got on my nerves. I get why people would like this album, but their vibe is just not for me. Three stars.
Meh.
Still don't know what post-punk means. A good listen.
Nah.
New Wave music sucks. As bad as the first song was, the hit off the album, the second one is worse. The album sounds like the soundtrack to John Cusak's 80s movies...all of them. Oh my god, this is awful. This is like an 80s Bowie cover band that decided to play originals. Every song, somehow, keeps getting worse. I will give this album credit for being actual music and a normal length. Those are all the "nice" things I can say about it though. A truly terrible album. And now the drummer gets in on the act with a song in a foreign language. This is the United Colors of Benetton of bands.
Pretty fun, maybe need to give it another listen
It has a The Jam vibe. I liked it. New wave was a really fantastic era.
I saw this and I thought "Cool. A Scottish post-punk band. I like Scotland. I like post-punk as a genre. This has to be at least a good album because I have been a roll with 4 star and 5 star albums." I jinxed it. It went downhill from there. Minus 1 star - the vocals are ridiculous. It's like bad karaoke. Okay maybe 4 stars then. Minus 1 star - several songs in and I am thinking that there is literally nothing remarkable going on here. 3 stars then. Minus 1 star. It has literally taken me three days to get through this. I dreaded it that much. Down to 2 stars. I'm tempted to take away another star just because the name of this band is Orange Juice and apparently their first hit song was called... yes, "Orange Juice". The cursor is hovering over that second star. Do I click it? No, there is nothing offensive here. Okay album. But why are these clowns on "The List of Songs..." No idea.
2.5 - ok but why does every single new wave band have such doofy sounding singers
Rip it Up the single is 5 stars
Not too bad
# Album Name: Rip It Up # Artist: OJ # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Has two decent songs on it. The rest is absolutely woeful. Not the worst thing ive heard but definitely should not be on the list. # Top Tunes: Hepl myself / rip it up # Would I listen to it again? No
Ahhh recognise ‘Rip It Up.’ Familiar, but still a bit shit! Slow, trudging songs with the worst of 80s heartthrob vocals. A nice surprise in the tempo and feel change for ‘A Million Pleading Faces’ and then back to the 🥱 Some nice little bits of experimentation and changes in style/instruments but nothing particularly impressive or engaging for me. Nice little reggae feel on ‘Breakfast Time’ but vocals ruin it again. Songs often dragged on and much longer than they needed to be (2.5)
I had listened to a few songs here and there by Orange Juice but never a whole album. I was surprised to see the band described as post-punk. To me it was more new wave with tinges of disco and ska, or 80’s sophistipop with a horn section. Whatever label you put on it, I was - for the most part - here for it. I think the biggest strength of the album was that the band never seemed to take themselves too seriously. The only real negatives for me were that Edwin Collins’s croon could get annoying after a while, and I wish the album was a little more sonically cohesive. I felt a bit of whiplash because of all the genre jumping it did from song to song. But almost all of those songs were good. I am glad to have heard this album and think it belongs on this list.
sounds like if Devo and the Talking Heads had a baby that spent too much time in the birth canal. maybe a bit harsh, but again this album just feels like one that came out when the artist was experiencing his musical awakening so it’s on the list solely because he really likes it
first listen meh
I'm probably too harsh on here on 80's albums, but I can't find a way to enjoy new wave. This is a me problem, and I already feel bad about giving that Peter Gabriel album a 2 when it probably deserved better, but...woof, this album was painful. I can't tell whether it's objectively bad, so we're going with the lowest 2 possible. 1.5
first song is a bop, the rest kinda chill, i like the energy vibe. listened on a run and felt good
This one was fine, nothing special but I just don’t get why it’s even on my here
Two or three nice tracks on this album, but the rest are of a standard that makes them a one-time listening experience for me.
I’d never heard of Orange Juice before starting this project, but the title track off of this album inspired the title of Simon Reynolds’s love letter to post-punk, Rip It Up And Start Again. I tend to enjoy post-punk albums from the late seventies and early eighties, but there have certainly been some exceptions to that. I’m hoping that Rip It Up will become a new favorite of mine! While I didn’t fall in love with this album, I thought it was a really unique post-punk album with some new wave elements sprinkled throughout. The guitar playing was really great and interesting, there was some fantastic keyboard playing, and I can definitely hear how this album probably inspired other new wave acts and sophisti-pop artists. The melodies on this album were really catchy, and each song felt like it brought something new to the table. Each song really explored the its own unique sound, and even though there was a lot of variation to the songs, the album felt very cohesive, bound together by the exploration of those melodies and hooks. The title track was really great. I loved the guitar playing, and the bass was really funky. My favorite song on the album though was “I Can’t Help Myself.” The keyboard, synthesizer, and saxophone playing were all fantastic, and it was easily the most fun song on the album. While I appreciate the musicianship on this album, it wasn’t something that I would say I fell in love with listening to; it really reminds me of Tom Tom Club in that way. Still, this album was good, and I can understand why it made this list. I’d probably revisit this some day, because I can see it being the type of album that grows on me.
Nicht so schlecht. Manches klingt ein wenig afrikanisch oder nach Reggae
Rip It Up
This is incredibly DATED and screams "It's the 80's - we're trying hard to be cool." Instead it's embarrassing and boring. If I didn't know they were an actual band from the 80's I'd think they were an 80's parody band. To be fair, I probably would have loved this in 1982, but listening to this for the first time now, it just sounds absurd and pathetic.
I enjoyed it for the vibe, I think this process is just confirming I vibe with the decade in particular, which I always told myself but now I guess there's proof?
I love me some musical Glaswegians. Well, I can't say that I *loved* this album but it was a pleasant discovery for me, book ended by two tracks that I really liked "Rip It Up" and "Tenterhook," The middle was hit or miss for me and had the feel of a band in the middle of a transformation to me.
There’s a high number of reviews on this site who complain that this album doesn’t know what genre it is trying to be. I think that’s such a discredit to the spirit of music. The worst types of bands are the ones who release albums of 12 songs that are all indistinguishable from one another, and there are some like that on this list. This album is a new wave experiment full of lots of big gambles. Not all of them pay off, but I would happily listen to some of the songs on this album again knowing they at least tried to be different.
Talking Heads
I loved the song 'Rip it up' and some of Edwyn Collins' later work, so i was a little disappointed to find this didn't stick with me. A fascinating combination of indie music and African vibes and beats, just have been groundbreaking at the time, but now such combinations are more common it just felt a bit empty. A low 3, because it didn't put me off too much.
Another new wave 80s pop type thang. Nothing much stands out from the others I’ve been subjected to
Extremely 80s sound, some nice and interesting moments but they were pretty scarce
I liked bits, but apart from the title track, nothing jumped out.
1.8
4/5
Kinda too 80s for me.
This album has a lot more soul than I thought it would have. It’s like a mix of Talking Heads, a little Bowie and classic rock. Good shit man.
Very catchy stuff. Especially like the afribeat songs.
Ok 2/5
Dated background music. Nothing more.
Jangly; cute; poppy.
Some good new waveish music. Lead singer's voice is odd, not bad. It's all fine. 6/10
Decent
Interesting and not previously known. 3 *
This is gonna be an interesting one. I remember being recommended to listen to this when I was a teenager and I did download some of it. "Rip It Up" is probably the only song I know from this though so let's go. It's funny I looked at the year this came out because I feel like it was definitely on the earlier side of the New Wave "wave" if you will. I find that there's more guitar and almost some disco samples. I feel like this record inspired both the Smiths and the Talking Heads. But don't quote me on that..lol. Lo and behold it was released in 1982. "Mud in Your Eye" has a great layering singing harmonies. "Breakfast Time" was the first total skip for me. Let's see what the rest of the record has in store for me.... the rest of it save the second to last song is good. Enjoyed overall.
Probably was considered more new wave when released but it's a pop album of its' time. Edwyn Collins is not the best vocalist ever but it fits the music style and is a good example of early 80's British music
Veldig kul sound. Funky
Might be the okayest thing I ever okayed.
This looks like an album I'd randomly pick up at a thrift store. I had never heard of this band before and didn't have high hopes, but this one was kind of fun. I'm glad I got to listen to it, and can see how OJ may have influenced other bands down the line.
Nothing special.
1982. Scotland. Post-punk, new wave. !!!!!
Its fun but not special
This is a good album. I love the title track, been in heavy rotation for me for years, but the rest is surprisingly varied and good. It's not just lame new wave or filler.
It's fine. Completely forgettable, but fine.
I don't buy the online buzz that this group is similar to Television, Buzzcocks, The Byrds... They may have been influenced by these groups but sound more like a precursor to Fine Young Cannbals.,
Maso
Breakfast Time was such a vibe. I feel like you’d be sitting in the beach and by the pool with a drink, chillinnnn.
I liked how it started off and could feel like a lot of indie bands got influenced by this style. However, around Breakfast Time I was over it. I dig the band name but I probably won’t listen to this one again.
I thought I was going to hate this album when it first started, but actually ended up kind of digging it. Not a ton, but there was plenty of catchy and fun things going on that I ended up enjoying the playthrough. Not something I'd put on often, but maybe occasionally just out of curiosity. 2.5/5
Nah. This ain't it. 1.5/5
If I wanted to listen to David Bowie, I would have popped on a David Bowie album. A bit try hard - that includes the wanky album cover too!
They wish they were David Bowie - not even close. I didn’t mind it though
Melodischer Rock, verspielt. Gut hörbar. Keine besonderen Hihglights. 3/5
It’s always the singing that makes it iffy.
Vocals aren't really my favorite. Some of the songs just didn't vibe with me.
I appreciate what they’re going for but it didn’t hook me this lifetime. Makes more sense knowing they’re Scottish. These are getting harder to rate.
I understand why people would be into it, New Wave just isn’t my thing.
It’s fine, but if I wanted to listen to something that sounded like Talking Heads, I’d listen to Talking Heads.
Sounds like Joy Division on Zoloft, it just doesn’t work. Some of the songs don’t really fit in either, so the album feels a little disorganized.
Why does he have to sing like that? It kind of messes up the cool, Police-like vibe they have going. Also, the second half drags. Best track: A Million Pleading Faces (different singer I assume).
Rip it Up is good, but the rest of the songs are lacking. This combined with the singer struggling to carry the melodies makes this an underwhelming listen.
I liked a lot of this album, but I like the weird story of the band even more. I did recognize Rip It Up, but do not remember ever hearing of this band and of course that popular song by Edwyn that came out in the 90s was decent. I like his unique voice, but the songwriting never seems to get over the hump.
Good album, but I've always liked these guys.
Its okay
Not a bad album by any means. Not much that really "WOWed" me. The album goes through seamlessly though - the songs are not drastically different enough to be jarring when the track changes. Great as background music to just bop along to. Not really something that I want to actively listen to, but not offensive by any means.
Didn’t like this album.
Listens: 2 Standout tracks: I Can't Help Myself, Mud In Your Eye I don't know what I was expecting of this music, when i read the description of the band being "post-punk", but it wasn't this. I don't really understand what post punk is as a genre. Ive also usually despised New Wave music based on some of the other bands I've had to listen to in the 1001 albums framework, but I don't strongly dislike this either. There were some genuinely good tracks on this album. Great saxophone and violins on at least two tracks. 3
I don't know what "Flesh of My Flesh" is supposed to mean but gotta be a contender for all time creepy af song.
Where to start with this one? I don’t like it, and I have heard it so many times over the years that it starts to make my ears want to bleed. Edwyn Collins is the world weary Morrissey of early 1980s Scottish pop, and I just can’t get behind it. The songs are a mish mash of genres, and none of them done particularly well. Conga drums, jazz elements, horns, it’s just a horrible intersection of Haircut 100 and The Velvet Underground; and The Smiths and Chic. Not for me but escapes a score of 1 because they are Scottish and I am biased!
I guess nothing special about it
Fun, varied sound. I was nodding my head along to this one all the way through. You can hear a ton of different influences. Solid jangle pop sound, especially for 1982.
OJ is fantastic! Had always been on my list but not one I had dove into at all. Fun, funky and upbeat. 4.5/5
Very chill, has a mix of punk and new wave sounds.
Didn't hate it but didn't particularly take much away from it. Gets a little repetitive sounding and the songs all kind of blend into each other.
Awful jingle pop with Scottish accents to differentiate it. It all sounds the same
This project has made me realize that there is a certain lilting vocal style used by some male artists (mostly British) that I just can't stand. This album has it in spades. The music behind it doesn't help the situation at all. Oh wait.... this is that guy who had that one song back in the Nineties that was kinda on the radio a bunch for a couple of months? Doesn't matter. Still sucks.
Edwyn Collins has such a cool voice. I wish there was slightly better songs on this though.
3.5/5
Not bad! Have known and loved the title track for years. There were some great songs with some super tasty guitar playing
Solid fun. Lost me a bit at the end as these tend to do and I don’t love the guys voice but some real nice songs here
Premiere fois que j'hesite a skip l'album, trop nul, zero proposition
a combo of shitty police and shitty peter gabriel doesn't make for a good album.
Robert Dimery must owe these guys money.
Rip this up
The post rather than the punk. Like a happier clash crossed with Joy Division and a brass band. I can see where Franz Ferdinand got most of their ideas from!
delightful, high 3
Pre-listening thoughts: ???? Why is this on here???? Who are these people??? Post/during listening thoughts: did not expect the instrumentation to resemble Talking Heads/Fela Kuti?? Thought it was going to be more britpop or traditional post punk. I do appreciate that a band called Orange Juice has a song called Breakfast Time. Nice. I wanted to dislike this I’m gonna be real. Just feeling like a hater today. But something about this lowkey won me over. 7/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: Rip It Up, Mud in Your Eye (strings go insane), I Can’t Help Myself, Hokoyo Least fav tracks: Breakfast Time (yeah it’s funny I still didn’t like the song), Tenterhook
Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it.
I’m sorry I’m sorry but more boring 80’s music!!! Yawnnn
I actually really liked this. Good vibes for a yacht (in my dreams).
2.3/mediocore 80s pop, i can see why i've never heard of them today
kinda sick really
Fine.
Based on the first song I had expectations that ultimately weren’t met. I thought the album would be something it wasn’t. Cool sounds throughout, though.
oh wow, another obscure UK album taking up a slot on the album list that could've gone to literally any one else. color me shocked Rip It Up - 3/5 A Million Pleading Faces - 2/5 Mud in Your Eye - 4/5 Turn Away - 4/5 Breakfast Time - 3/5 I Can't Help Myself - 3/5 Flesh of My Flesh - 4/5 Louise Louise - 3/5 Hokoyo - 2/5 Tenterhook - 4/5 Average score: 3.2/5 upon hearing the first couple tracks, i was soooo ready to be a hater. however, in comparison to some other albums on this list that i absolutely hated, this wasn't that bad. in fact, i enjoyed a few of these songs quite a bit. this was yet another one of those occasions where i asked myself "why is this considered a must-listen?"
An oddly beautiful album, one that I will listen to again gald to have encountered it on this list.
Poor man's Talking Heads comparisons are apt, I think. Once again, 1001 albums offers up a middling album and lumps it in with post-punk when it's just some stuff on an album. Really feels 80s and it makes me think of classic 80s hits that also feel really 80s and get played at weddings later in the playlist, but without the shared nostalgia. Nothing to dislike here, but nothing to recommend it, but also not really enough to carry an album. Cover album looks pretty cool, though, and I respect them for starting a song with a plaintive "Breaaaakfaaaaaaaaast"
Post Punk without less Punk.
= the Beatles
A smooth recording overall with some songs worth adding to one's collection, but can't be characterized as a truly outstanding record.
Irritating
4 Stars (11/15)
First song slaps, great way to open the album. The rest is alright
There were some fun sounds and I enjoyed listening but it was pretty forgettable to me. Vocals weren't great and there were some fun guitar tones
I literally had no idea that band named Orange Juice existed and, honestly, had really low expectations. From the name of the band, to the album cover, I just felt like this was gonna be a cheap inclusion, a band only included because they were at least somewhat big in the UK. And there are parts of this album where I feel that way. "Mud In Your Eye," for example, just doesn't work for me. It comes across as just being a weird attempt a different genre that doesn't really work for the band. The more upbeat stuff, the stuff that feels more like most of the album - a post-punk, new wave sound that has somewhat simplistic arrangements and doesn't overstay its welcome on any track. "I Can't Help Myself" really felt like a Talking Heads song that they gave away. And that is by no means a criticism. Sometimes the vocals are a little overly-British, too much for my liking. That Britpop voice shines through and it's really kind of grating. I've always felt that way though. On the whole there's a lot to like, and I'd be open to hearing more of them. I do feel, though, that this didn't necessarily need to be on this list. I liked enough to give it three stars though. Standout Tracks: Rip It Up, A Million Pleading Faces, I Can't Help Myself, Louise Louise
Lidt kedeligt. Minder om talking heads
Not good, not essential. Doesn't belong on this list.
The Talking Heads Jam… some of the songs are good, but for the most part, I don’t think this is very strong. I like Rip it Up (could have been shorter though), and Turn Away, but the rest are forgettable to me. I was actually more excited to find out what Spotify had lined up for me after listening to this album Funny that this is the band with Edwyn Collins
Didn't know what to expect here but I dug it! There's an almost perfect balance between goofy and earnest that a lot of bands fail to nail. I've been listening to a lot of Japanese jazz/city pop and there's a touch of that here, especially on Flesh of My Flesh (great song). So yeah, nice one Orange Juice!
Too 80s for me, 3 attempts, but I just couldn't get through the album. Not my favourite genre, style or era.
Hmmm. It certainly evokes the times, where some post punk / alternative was coming from and where it was going. A couple songs were intriguing. Some songs from their earlier album sound interesting as well. Not sure if I can move past 3/5 anytime soon but maybe there’s something here. In fact, the word “maybe” describes my response pretty well.
Orange Juice is an interesting band with an interesting sound but pretty pedestrian in terms of real contribution to the genre and era. If there is a good reason to include them on the list it isn’t readily apparent to me.
really solid album. the title track is the most fun here, but there's a lot of pretty decent stuff here. edwyn collins' voice is very reminiscent of david bowie and a lot of the music here doesn't feel out of place in that way - particularly 'rip it up' which feels like an early 80s funk-new wave bowie song. nothing particularly mindblowing here, but all in all, a fun enough time.
Really interesting. Def an 80s album, some synth, Talking Heads vibes (not just the vocals) but also a distinct funk element from the envelope filter in the opening track down to some of the featured vocals and basslines. I ended up really liking the sound, even if none of the tracks besides Rip It Up will make the rotation. Some of OJ's later stuff is an evolved version of this and I thinks benefits from the maturity.
On my wants list
It's cute, I like it. There are many interesting sounds going on apart from guitar drums and bass, some weird synth arrangements. Gives me a feeling that it's like a combination of brit pop and new wave, which happen to be some of my favorite genres. Love the drums, are thay adopting some African or Caribbean rhythm? Enjoyable. 3.5-4/5.
Every now and again someone comes up with a cool riff then they decide enough of that nonsense.
Ok this is really fun. Took me a few days to form an opinion but it’s funky upbeat and has a lot of nice fusions
Ah, we're back in Peel Terrace, Stafford, tea & toast in student bedrooms
I enjoyed it. Never heard them before
legit first thing that came to my mind. is "how is Jack Stauber on this list?" shows im on internet culture too much, but it sounds really fun and energetic to being the album. then halfway through the lull, it pulls me back it with 'can't help myself' really good song solid 4
First of all, “post punk” couldn’t be more of a misnomer for this genre. “Not related in any way to punk” would be more fitting. “Hey listen to this funny sound I can make with my keyboard” would also work, as would “saxophone solo out of nowhere” or “aggressive background vocals that are very much in the foreground”. It’s a very typical example of the genre albeit with a self deprecating sense of humor like only the Scottish can do.
Love it!!
One good song. The rest a bit standard eighties.
This was cool
Some great songs. Some mediocre songs
Surprisingly some catchy tunes in a if I have to way
I did not enjoy this.
I quite like how all over the place it is. I liked the funkiness a lot and I particularly enjoyed the African parts too. The softer stuff I wasn't really a fan of though, and the vocals didn't really sit well with me either. A high 3, just. Was really considering a 4 but I don't think it holds up as well as the albums I've already rated a 4
Average
These guys often sounded like a B-squad Talking Heads or a Talking Heads tribute band playing non-hit deep tracks or songs rejected by the actual band. It wasn't terrible but it was forgettable, I didn't really enjoy it and I wouldn't want to hear it again.
6/10…new wave / post punk
Favourite Tracks: Rip It Up & Turn Away
2.5 - Meh