Reviews (page 6 of 7)
++: Turn Away, Flesh of My Flesh, Hokoyo +: Mud in Your Eye, I Can't Help Myself, Tenterhook +-: Rip It Up, A Million Pleading Faces, Breakfast Time, Louise Louise 4,5/10
??? bissi talking heads....c
Allison tells me there's a UK bias in this poll, and after listening to this ENTIRELY UNDERWHELMING selection... I believe it. This was a big bowl of vanilla ice cream with no sprinkles and no sauce. 2 stars, probably less if I could do half stars.
I can see why some listeners could relate a couple of those tracks to the way Talking Heads used some funk or afrobeat influences on their own records around the same time, but I don't think Orange Juice hit the mark the way the other bands did. It's not bad, instrumentation wise. But maybe the songs, hooks and choruses are still a little too lackluster to make interesting. And, consequently, the end result comes off as sorta corny, instead of arty. Besides, you need a lead singer with charisma and good vocal technique to make it work. And whoever this lead singer is just doesn’t have it. Did I need to hear this before I die? Nah
Felt somewhat more critical than I did neutral
An album called RIP IT UP should absolutely not be this wack. I don't like the vocals, or the lyrics, or much of anything except for the sort of noodle-y outro on one of the middle songs, the name of which I didn't write down. The Japanese on "Hokoyo" is a weird, dumb gimmick. There are saxes and synths that come and go on a whim. I don't know if this was supposed to be, like, The Fall, or Tears for Fears, or Peter Frampton or what, but whatever it is, it's not for me.
I found this to be quite uneven. Started well but then just sort of relaxed itself into blandness and mediocrity which in turn just made it a bit forgetful. Never mind, onto the next.
Un album muy ochentero jaja pues me gustó, pero tampoco me encanto, me gustaron algunas canciones con vibras como tropicales, igual me agrado la mezcla de sonidos que tiene el album pero no me convenció. estuvo bien escucharlo, pero meh
Ca m'a énervé
Some funky stuff here! You can see why this band was only a one hit wonder at the time though. Rip it up, the title track, is still a banger, and I was definitely grooving along to some of the other songs. Most of the album felt like filler to me unfortunately. 4/10
Not really my jam - rip it up is the star here but the rest is kind of forgettable
If you have this album, just rip it up. One catchy song, and one tolerable one isn't a justification of listening to this lackluster album. Favorite Track: "I Can't Help Myself".
Not a lot of ripping to be seen here
Great album
This low key sucked. Supposedly they were speaking English but they could've fooled me. Faded to background real quick, and I don't understand why any album that does that is important enough to be on this list tbh. They don't DO anything with this album. It's like albums these days that are just a bunch of singles and filler, which is to say, boring, annoying, and lifeless.
What if Talking Heads were Scottish and boring?
Hmm. Some things I liked and things I didn’t. It’s an interesting intersection of new wave and post-punk rock. The bass usually worked for me and I enjoyed some of the hooks. There were also production choices that grated on me, especially in the first song. I also had trouble with Edwyn Collins’ voice. It’s cute, I guess.
it was fine. not really my favourite tho
Man this is such a great and terrible album at the same time. The instrumentation, the music, all of that is fantastic. The downfall is the singer’s terrible voice. It’s downright awful and kept ruining every song for me. If they had a better singer, this would be an easy 4, but the singing drops it to a 2.
oudon hoilaavaa laulua, niinkuin tangolaulaja mutta tällaisessa pop maailmassa. Sit ihme afrikkalais tai jotain vastaavaa laulantaa siellä seassa
Meh another group that sounds the same for the era
2/5
Interesting album. Don't know if I'd listen again
Rip It Up in one word, is Fusion. Fusion of everything, synth pop, jazz, African beats. 4.4/10
For a post-punk and new wave album, this was a bit different! There were elements of 70s glam rock and funk peaking through extra hard on this album...more than what can usually be heard by acts and their albums that had crossed into the sound of the 80s. Generally speaking, I enjoyed the sound of the album but the pacing seemed a bit one note for me and I kind of lost interest. This was sitting at about a 2.5 for me, and I was having difficulty deciding whether to round up or down. Ultimately, I decided because it failed to pick up and hold my interest after the first half, I'm going to round down.
It’s fine
Some nice moments, especially in the last song, but mostly annoying. The saddest thing, there's tons of musical abilities, which are displayed very rarely throughout the album.
I might’ve liked it more on another day but pretty over this string of 80s albums
Ehhh another British adjacent pop punk. Nothing special but listenable
Complicated and layered. I liked the vibe and the songs, but none of them stayed with me and none really moved me.
..
What a strange album. Got some xylophone, bongo drums, washboard, and a few other instruments I don’t know the names of with strange (out of) tempo, lilting lyrics. Thought it sounded a bit Caribbean/African/Asian, especially with Hokoyo and A Million Pleading Faces and just to find out they’re Scottish. Enjoyed the listen (during an elliptical session) but it got kinda silly by the end. (2.2*s) Best song from Rip It Up is lead off title track Tip It Up.
this list loves to present me with incredible instrumentation by a band from the UK which is then promptly ruined by the weird lil fella singing
this album should have stopped after track 1
Talking Heads pt. 2: electric boogaloo Nej tack
This sounds VERY dated. It sits squarely in that keyboard heavy '80s pop-wave sound. Lots of ska/reggae rhythms that feel sterile without much additional instrumentation as accompaniment. Melodies are almost recognizable as other artists work, but not quite. Obligatory 80s sax on one track. Didn't hate it, but there's just nothing interesting happening here. It's typical and generic schlock for the era it was produced.
Not crazy about this one. Found the vocalists voice to be annoying and they sounded like a wannabe Pet Shop Boys. There are reasons why I never heard of them.
not really a good listen for me it was a miss for new wave.
I think I really only liked Rip It Up, but I did save that one!
I guess there was nothing strictly wrong with this, but it was incredibly unremarkable. Feels like there's lot of better stuff in the same vein that I could be listening to instead. Faves: I Can't Help Myself, A Million Pleading Faces
This is one of the albums that was recorded in the 1980s.
This is very 80s and therefore dripping in nostalgia, especially the title track. The rest of the album followes a very similar vibe.
Sounds like the worst Franz Ferdinand songs fronted by a Smiths obsessed uni student.
Interesting. 2.5
I enjoyed it more than I expected.
Not bad for what it was bit dated now title track was the best, actually want to give it a 3, but font know why. Because it wasnt that good. Dont get me wrong it was ok. Started of well, but went right downhill at the end. Left feeling very disappointed. Yes, 2 it is.
A very quirky pop album. Edwyn Collins has a very strange voice and some of these songs took it to some very strange places. But it was interesting and fun. Glad I got to listen to ‘Rip It Up’ again, but I’m not sure I’ll ever play this album again.
Soft boy Talking Heads with a voice I just can't enjoy.
Talking Heads with a somewhat less challenging vocal delivery but also fewer - way fewer - catchy melodies and hooks.
This is stuck in its time. It is not without its merit with some swings through styles. The variation is its failing. There is little to identify the band.
I like the instruments but the single is annoying
Too "Rick Astley" for my tastes.
476/1001 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Can't stand the singer's voice.
Felt super average
No notes 2
Maybe the most fun sounds to open an album. If it were all instrumental I'd say this is 3 star lobby music, but the lead vocals do not do it for me. I Can't Help Myself is pretty fun.. but none of the songs really dare to become a great time overall.
Bad Talking Heads rip off.
It's ok. Definitely pop-ier than expected after seeing Post-Punk and the title Rip it Up. Was expecting something a little noisier. But this is polished pop with a little electronica and thin white-boy rap included. They croon a bit much and it gets annoying. Probably fine if you only heard a song or two at a time, in a mix. Very bad on "Flesh Of My Flesh" and "Breakfast Time" Yuck! Title track is prolly the best one. Reminds of a band from around the same time called The Breakfast Club. Don't see why this would be on the list. Not groundbreaking, not very interesting or different. 2 seems about right.
Rip it up is a great song, but ahead of this album is the only Orange Juice song i actually know. I didn’t enjoy A Million pleasing faces, as the jangly instrumentation didnt work with the vocals for my liking. mud in your eye at least changed the tempo but again my issues are with the vocals. I fear it is becoming rapidly apparent why i only know one song Turn away is s big improvement and just works where the previous two tracks fell short The rest of ghe album just serves to cement the view that Rip it up (the song) is sufficient Orange Juice for me.
I'm not sure why the Generator has decided to provide a rich vein of post-punk albums in the last fortnight, but I can only assume it's decimating my average 1980s score. Rip It Up is the song I already knew, and it's ok. I didn't mind Turn Away and Breakfast Time had the nice reggae keyboard (which almost instantly got buried in the mix under so much other stuff, including a vibraphone?!). I also liked Hokoyo. However, to talk about the elephant in the room, the vocals annoyed me so much. The entire album seemed to be a battle between a Bowie impersonation and a Costello impersonation (with hints of Morrissey), and I'm not sure I wanted any option to win. Another album where replacing the vocalist would have likely gained at least an extra star from me. 2/5
Talking Heads = Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice These guys = Watered Down Supermarket-brand Cordial
Hmmm ... that OJ tasted a little sour.
Nothing interesting. It sounds like many other records on this list.
nah
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)
i'm inclusive! i'm expanding my dislike for annoying British albums by including Scottish albums too
Really not worth to listen to before you die. Nothing remarkable on. Just la...la...la..! 1,5
New wave, inoffensive, unmemorable.
It’s not terrible, but this really isn’t for me.
A completely faceless album. I think it only made it into this top list because of its cool cover.
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)
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
Eh, just felt like a poor mans version of Talking Heads. Didn't do anything for me. 4/10
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.
Just weak, boring 80's junk. 2 stars or D-.
What were they even saying
Good vibes and mix of instruments, voice and lyrics
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.
They're blending genres but I don't find them original for the time, and the album is a snooze.
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
The glove did not fit
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.
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
Standout Songs: A Million Pleading Faces I Can't Help Myself
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.
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.
I think I've heard better version of this.
I gotta be honest, it was kind of all over the place. I can see the uniquity of it. But it felt goofy.
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.
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. ⭐️⭐️
2/5
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.
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).
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.
Boring
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
Vocals not for me
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.
Meh.
Nah.
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
# 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)
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
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
This one was fine, nothing special but I just don’t get why it’s even on my here
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.
Talking Heads
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
1.8
Ok 2/5
Dated background music. Nothing more.
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
Might be the okayest thing I ever okayed.
Nothing special.
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!
Vocals aren't really my favorite. Some of the songs just didn't vibe with me.
I understand why people would be into it, New Wave just isn’t my thing.
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.
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.
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
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
a combo of shitty police and shitty peter gabriel doesn't make for a good album.
Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it.
I’m sorry I’m sorry but more boring 80’s music!!! Yawnnn
2.3/mediocore 80s pop, i can see why i've never heard of them today
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
Lidt kedeligt. Minder om talking heads
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
Too 80s for me, 3 attempts, but I just couldn't get through the album. Not my favourite genre, style or era.
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.
Surprisingly some catchy tunes in a if I have to way
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.
2.5 - Meh
Like Rick Astley knock offs interspersed with Talking Heads knock offs. But bad.
title track is good but overall boring and kinda repetitive
Didn't really like.
hmmmmmmm Will I listen to again: 1%
I can’t lie I wasn’t vibing with this one.
Started out decent but quickly grew thin. That said, "Breakfast Time" was my favorite track.
eh, it was music. nothing stuck out. maybe I'll listen to it again later..
Genuinely forgot I'd even listened to this.
De verdad que no puedo más. Synth-pop británico ochentero, oooootra vez. Este álbum al menos es divertido, aunque tiene la típica sobreproducción pop-synth ochentera que no me gusta nada, saxofones por doquier, etc. Qué hartura, de verdad.
Not good, but there are worse.
The first song filled me with hope. I liked it even though it felt like a ripoff of The Smiths. But then the rest of the album devolved into nonsense. 2/5
Favourites: A Million Pleading Faces
Something about British singers in this time period always sound like they're doing some kind of lounge singer impression to me. 2.5 stars
Look this was fine but if I was on my deathbed and you rushed into the room and told me I had to listen to this album before I died. And if somehow, either by medical science or perhaps even by the help of a mysterious higher power, I was able to stave off the icy hand of death just long enough to listen to “Rip it up” by Orange Juice I’d be so disappointed that I would welcome whatever was waiting for me on the other side.
don't really have much to say. i think it was just some guys fucking around or something, busting out the triangle, the guiro, just for a laugh. whatever
I'd say that it's a pretty unremarkable album, one that has been lost in time to the wayside of better artists, it has good instrumentation, but I feel like it has a Morrissey wannabe without having the lyrical prowess of Moz. However it does not have the magic of Marr too. Bongos to fill up the sound at times was a good decision. Having synth sax was not, do the real thing.
I like orange juice. I hate Orange Juice. Fermented, off putting, and pulpless. It was a drag to get through.
The songs were awesome when the vocals ended and they were just having fun at the end. I think this album gave me covid
5/10 It’s fine. This is probably one of those records that was very influential to people before 1985, but in retrospect becomes less impressive as the years go on. The guitars and drumming are pretty decent, there’s a lot of interesting ideas on here that I guess you could say were fresh for the time, but I struggle to retain anything past the first track. If anything it probably does a decent enough job of padding out record sections at thrift stores. the glove didn’t fit!!!
Theirs some cool production on this album but I just can't get into it because of thr vocals. The main vocalist sounds like he's always on the verge of sneezing
It's lush and well crafted. It has its moments, just not my cup of tea. Too lush, too smooth, too boring. 2.5 stars
The two big singles are bangers. everything else is a little bit 80's bland for my taste so only a 2... not quite a 3
Nothing special. Doesn't hurt either.
This band sounds like what you'd get if Morrissey had a frontal lobe lobotomy and teamed up with a mediocre Talking Heads cover band. The odd thing is I didn't hate it. 2.5.
The first track almost had me interested. Then the second track came on. And there was no recovery.
Fine. Wasn't a big fan of his voice.
Not the worst 80's record. Certainly not the best either. 2.5/5
The horns, particularly the saxes, on this album are pretty dope. I Can't Help Myself is a standout for having a great, energetic sax solo that tows the line between rock- and jazz-style improv. But the main downside is the really terrible singing that's apparently ubiquitous to punk and post-punk. Songs that are otherwise good, like Tenterhooks and Louise Louise, are marred significantly by the animalistic moaning and groaning of lead vocalist Edwyn Collins. It's reduces the music to a product of its time rather than anything revolutionary or noteworthy. And that's disappointing, because the guitar and horns are darn good. Highlights, including Rip It Up and I Can't Help Myself, have a clean 80s-esque sound that partially distracts from the horrific singing. Rip It Up contains a prominent bass synth that defines the whole song and is reasonably catchy, especially when taken with the higher, melodic synths and almost reggae-esque guitar lines. Flesh Of My Flesh has a notable percussion section, blending well with the pretty trumpet lines throughout the song. I Can't Help Myself is energetic and again brings a Caribbean sound to the table. I do wish the chords were more complex on many of these pieces, because after a while the I-IV-I-IV-... changes get stale. Combine that with the singing (which is bad), and I can't justifiably give this album higher than a 2. But there's potential here. 2/5 Key tracks: I Can't Help Myself, Flesh of My Flesh, Rip It Up
Not for me
Meh
The vocals ruin a lot of it. I enjoyed some of the songs, but completely forgettable otherwise.
Wat een slap aftreksel van the Talking Heads. Klinkt als een coverbandje dat alleen beschikking had over speelgoedinstrumenten. I Can't Help Myself is het nummer met de meeste potentie, wat zo in het Talking Heads repertoire zou passen. Echter zingt de zanger als Byrne met een dubbele dronken tong. De synths zijn super bloopy. Dat lag overigens niet aan de tijd, New Order ging al hartstikke hard rond in die jaren. En een saxofoon solo? Par-don?? Ternauwernood een voldoende. 5,5/10 Highlights I Can't Help Myself
# 372 : When your only claim to fame is that you are in this list…
Didn't 💕 it, didn't hate it. Kinda boring
In other circumstances I would have turned it off the very moment he opened his mouth. How come lisp is not a keyword
The last song managed to turn my opinion on this. I like that song
Blunt
this album sucks. the lyrics seem like they're ripped out of a "the smiths" starterpack youtube video at their peak, the singing doesn't fit the music, and the guitar licks are all similar. The only interesting part of this album is the instrumental parts which are sometimes good.
It was a vibe, but also a bit unremarkable. Standout tracks were "Rip It Up" and "I Can't Help Myself." 2.5?
Not a big fan
Couple of good tracks in there. Started for feel like the smiths a little bit which is a big no thank you.
the music is ok, but most of the singing is atrocious.
One song had a fun horns part but otherwise I was not impressed.
I could not stand the vocals. Nothing else stood out. No favorites or least favorites because I disliked all of them equally
Pointless
I want to give this album credit for being wildly creative and diverse in its sound - this is much more unique than a standard new-wave/post-punk album. But it just didn't connect with me as much as I would have liked. Definitely some good moments, but I'm just not a fan of this kind of music. Top tracks: Turn Away, I Can't Help Myself
Inoffensive to a fault and completely unnecessary listening.
Cant help myself hard
Generic 80s synth rock. Not awful but amazing it made this list over some glaring snubs.
Not as bad as most 80s crap, but still...pretty bad. Cheesy, meaningless songs with jangly guitars, saxophones and synths. Like so much music in the 80s there is just very little depth.
Well the title song is pretty good. The rest of the album sounds like someone doing a bit about an 80s new wave singer. It’s real bad.
Bland and repetitive, I see no reason to come back to them
funny vocals, but not for me
I found this difficult to endure.
Not at all what I expected for something billed as Scottish post-punk. But then the band’s name is Orange Juice so what did I expect after all. Certainly not Pet Shop Boys meet Spandau Ballet.
This was very meh.
Kinda fun, pretty repetitive.
Nice Post-Punk album. Nobody gets harm, nobody is alarmed.
Generic 80s songs being mumbled by a depressed guy who can't sing 2 ⭐️
Gear: Hifiman Arya Artwork: 🎸 🎸 🎸 🥁 Mix: 🎧👂🧈 Musik: "We have Talking Heads at home." Talking Heads at home: ☝️ Wertung: 🗣️🗣️/5
This was basically white noise to me. Of all of the mediocre post punk I’ve gotten this is the most blandest and boringest of them all which is really saying something after over 1000 albums. Like I can’t even articulate how uninteresting this was.
I really hate post-punk
This is like a 2. It's okay, I don't hate it, but I don't understand why I needed to listen to this before I died.
Miksi termi post-punk tarkoittaa kasarilevyistä puhuttaessa tällaista ihme maailmanmusiikkisoundista brittimusiikkia? Odotan aina jotain vähintään rokimpaa. Tää kuulosti lupaavalta, mutta kokonaisuus oli minusta hyvin sekamelska. Mitä haluatte välittää tällä? Missä olette taitavia? Avausbiisi oli kyllä oikein hyvä sinkku.
Imagine every 80s new wave/art rock trope in one album: melodramatic vocals, funky bass lines, off-putting saxophone solos, and the occasional world beat indulgence. The result is… interesting but not particularly enjoyable.
Nah. Boring.
I mean this is just standard 80s pop. I honestly thought it was a different band because of the lead singer who sounds SO MUCH like another 80s pop singer from the time. It's really indistinguishable from other stuff of the time.
Didn't like the singer's voice.
Wow, I haven’t heard this for a long time, but “Rip it up” and “I can’t help myself” still sound good
Meh. 2/5
rip it up !
Really lame.
I’d never heard of them and their style was unique for bands from that place at that time. But each song was off putting enough from weird vocals that I won’t listen again.
Completely unremarkable. Come on Scotland, start getting better albums on this list!
A swing here and there, otherwise unremarkable.
holy cow I hate male singers that sound like this. total deal breaker with this Smiths-type voice. And the music otherwise is unremarkable to me for the most part. A couple decent tracks and several good riffs but I can't give this more than 2 since I really don't enjoy it.
The music was great, but the vocals really took me out of it.
Meh
A poor man’s Talking Heads.
As far as pop albums go, the inclusion of this album makes sense because of how a Scottish quartet does everything possible to avoid being Scottish, and with that some pretty incredible mash-ups of genre bring a disturbance to expectations. However, none of that makes the album a really good one. Weird albums require luck and great timing and that seems to be the case here in 1982, but not the case from 1983 onward.
I feel like I should have liked this more. Favourite song: A million pleading faces
A bit boring, not my 80s jam.
Found this cringe and boring. Did not like at all. Weird lyrics. Repetitive
Very bland British 80s background music. Not bad, nothing special.
Tedium on a stick.
Another album that kind of sounds like a soundtrack from a cheesy 80s movie. I had never heard of this one and probably won't seek out any of their other stuff. It's not bad. It's not great. It is interesting listening to this kind of thing as a sort of time capsule but there's nothing really notable about this album, I can't remember how any of the songs went the next day. It sounds like any small band in the 80s. 2.5/5 from me, will round to 2 for the sheer forgettability of it. I do, however, appreciate the use of real instruments and the so-bad-it's-actually-kind-of-good album cover.
If you told me this was that this album was a Weird Al-style spoof of 80s music in general and Tears For Fears specifically, I would 100% believe you with absolutely zero hesitation. This whole album screams 80s and feels like a total knock-off of every interesting band from that era. That typically means one of two things: the album was insanely influential, or is just super derivative. The fact that the most noteworthy piece of trivia for this album, the only fun fact that could be scrounged up for the wikipedia page intro, is the album's inclusion on this list tells me that it's likely the latter.
Didn’t think there was anything for me on this album (although admittedly only gave it one listen through without my full attention)
Sounds like early Spandau Ballet with a bad singer to me. It’s not awful, but I wouldn’t call it good. Favorite song: I can’t help myself.
I admittedly wasn't paying full attention to this but as far as I can tell it was very 80s pop with a Morrissey impersonator on vocals. It never made me stop and really listen to it so it can't have been completely awful but it definitely wasn't good, and the few times I tuned in the singing style was over the top to the point of being funny. No need to come back, 1.5.
Alright in the background, quite enjoyed Breakfast Time (I usually do) but no desire to go back.
Not memorable enough to rate higher.
If Orange Juice has a rancid or off flavor, then it's gone bad... Applies to this too.
A good soundtrack for oding in the maccers bathroom
Not my thing
Rip It Up marks a significant departure from Orange Juice's twee debut, signalling a bold movement towards new musical territories. While the album showcases the band's development and experimentation, it requires some effort to fully grasp its direction. However, despite recognising the band's evolution, Rip It Up ventures into a realm of music that may not resonate with all listeners, including myself. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 2 STAND OUT TRACK - Rip It Up
Sooooooo eighties oh my god
Great music, couldn't stand the singers voice
key didn’t really care for it not my thing but it least it had a tune
Not for me. Good sounds but not cool lyrics.
easy listening 80s brit pop or whatever you'd call this. Either way it was mid
This seems like another inconsequential album that is only on this list due to UK bias. Get it out of here.
Rip It Up? More like Tear It Gently.
This was okay. A few tracks I liked, but the rest were just so-so. 2.5 stars.
2/5
Basic
Had it on in the background, best it stayed there.
Another "not terrible, just boring" album. I don't see myself listening to this again, or remembering this band tomorrow.
Squelchy at times, jangly at others. Large disco influences, and almost sounds like my bloody valentine at points. Feels just like orange juice, great name.
Amazing album
Meh not for me
Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Did not care for this album. Sounded like a wannabe band that was still working things out in the garage.
Wow, that’s a blast from the past. Not familiar with the group, certainly the sound of the 80’s.
I like the music fine but the dudes vocals are Not doing it for me.
Seichter New Wave.
meh
Really didn't enjoy it.
We krijgen een hele rits albums van rond 1980 te verstrouwen, het een nog slechter dan de andere. Deze valt nog positief op doordat je hoort dat er muzikaal talent en creativiteit aanwezig is, je weet wel, datgene wat je normaal gesproken verwacht als er muziek op plaat wordt uitgebracht. Heel briljant is het niet, maar bijvoorbeeld de Afrikaanse invloeden hier en daar zijn wel geinig.
Ik was even bang voor weer zo'n post punk gedrocht. Maar nee, het is veel meer new wave dan post punk. Of dat nu zo'n verbetering is, is de vraag. De gitaren zijn in ieder geval gestemd en de zanger zingt enigszins zuiver. Er komt af en toe een caribisch geinspireerd deuntje voorbij. De algemene wiki van de band omschrijft hun muziek als "jangle pop", wat ik gelijk vertaal naar jengelpop. Misschien geeft dat wel het beste weer wat voor soort muziek die zuurstok new wave was: jengelmuziek. Ze staan op de hoes nog met stoere zonnebrillen en leren jasjes, maar ik kan dit met geen enkele mogelijkheid stoere muziek noemen.
The second early 1980s British new wave album in a row. 1980s sounding which I don't like much but some songs are mellow which are good. Still, the songs sound very generic to me. Nothing terrible but not exciting either or something I'd want to revisit soon.
Started standard eighties, flew down a slippery slope towards cruise ship cover band territory.
Some of it reminded me of 80's Bowie, but we don't need another 80's Bowie, do we?
I think this is the most average sophisti-jangle-pop album I ever listened too.
2.5
The person who wrote this book must have grown up in the 80s. Nostalgia has to be the explanation for so many middling albums from this decade making the list. Best track was hokoyo
It has some potential but it ends up just being generic and annoying.
No
Album #48 in our "lets visit 80s British pop even if they aren't notable, talented, or revered in any way" tour.
lots of 80's cliches that make it lamer than it should. I'm taking 1 star off for that Hokoyo song.
RIP It Up was definitely the best track but I wasn’t so impressed with the rest of the album,maybe 2*
The title song was good but the rest was a meh.
Some fun tracks in there but not all are winners.
overall boring album. 1st song was decent though.
Nice music all playing together. Not really blown away. Don't like singer. 2 stars
Started strong with the opening song that lost interest as time went on.
The orange juice is expired. I like the 80s but this is too dated.
3/10
At first I hated it. But the more I listened, the more I found to enjoy. Don’t know the exact history, but you can hear lots of influences in there, I’m sure they’re a cult darling of many future alt bands.
Well, until todays wiki read I didn’t know Edwyn Collins did anything besides A Girl Like You which is a jam. This sounds like a high school band trying to do Elvis Costello covers. 1.8 rounded up
2.4
Very 80's new wave punk
Quirky, overly much.
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. Too, too white boy, really. The African influences, courtesy of the drummer/songwriter Zeke Manyika are much more interesting to me (eg A Million Pleading Faces, Hokoyo, 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, with 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 reminiscent of Adrian Belew or Robert Fripp) which I really like. But then he starts singing again, or they start playing terrible white boy funk.
Sounds like David Byrne doing a Morrissey impression, backed by Chic.
This feels like an album that music people really appreciate, but, I am not this person. Maybe if it appeared later in the list I would give it a higher rating? But it's very 80's, and honestly, forgettable.
I’m just not a fan of the 80s
Just like every typical 80’s album
Tried to listen to this before and it just doesn’t do much for me
Never heard of these guys before. Singles: ------------------------ Rip it Up (UK #8) 2.5 Interesting sounds, I think I might be interested in this after hearing it more.
2.5/5
So many British new wave albums on this list. This one was better than most. Still rubbish. Kinda like a Dollar Store Talking Heads. I prefer their songs where the drummer is on vocals. Very funky.
Hieman tylsää poppis-lällyilyä.
Some good moments, but this was generally boring.