Cupid & Psyche 85

Enjoyable, but not transcendent. Very good mid 80's jangle-pop, and GG has a great voice .... but not an outstanding album

3.6 almost great. but fine to good.

Somehow needed this reminder today. Kinda reggae influence. Cool! THREE!!

This feels like so much of the 80's distilled. There's some moments on here I liked but overall I don't think this is one I'll come back to. 2.75/5

Decent album with interesting background. I liked this but didn't love it. 3.25/5

This has to be the *most* eighties album here, and I'm nearing 1,000 albums. It's pop but there's so much synth it's definitely new wave. Scritti Politti included notes of reggae, funk, and soul, which resulted in a varied and catchy album. Sometimes I'm reminded of Prince in Cupid & Psyche 85, but that's also because Prince was everywhere in the eighties. I wasn't bored in the slightest to boot.

omg gar nöd ready HAHAHAHA fantastische ahfang schier s gsicht ihgschlafe ok funny synthi aber ganz komischi entscheidig, the word girl als opener vomene album z wähle? weiss nöd bin nöd würkli debii wie gseit loses iwie nöd ganz aktiv, aber gfühlt jedes lied het iwenn de synthi DÖDÖ DÖDÖ ok d klavierbridge bi perfect way isch fun ja ehm bö 2 ALSO GUET LUCA ICH LOSES NOMAL aber ohni the word girl, det hani scho e gfestigti meinig joooo ok ich glaub ich bin am morge chli harsh gsi aber es isch für mich trz chli nervtötendi musig (und das mitem dödö staht immerno) perfect way und lover to fall mached na spass! aber ja, glaub es git es 3 will ich e slut für harmonie bin

No le tenía nada de fe a este álbum pero me gusto mucho!! Encapsula muy bien el sonido de la época, me recordó en ciertos momentos a MJ. Capaz me gustó por las expectativas bajas que tenía lol Un lindo 3.5 Favs: Absolute, A Little Knowledge, Don't Work That Hard

Me he quedado loca leyendo la bio de esta gente. El cantante fue amigo de Jacques Derrida y miembro de las juventudes comunistas. ¿Se nota esto en el disco? en absoluto, más bien todo lo contrario, pero estuvo divertido de escuchar. Las que le gustarían a Derrida: Small Talk, A little knowledge, Don't Work That Hard

Review express, que voy muy atrás. Me gustó bastante más de lo esperado. Seguramente tenga que ver el hecho de que ultimamente estoy escuchando art pop de los 80 y esta banda sea medio pionera. Favs: Absolute, Perfect Way, Lover to Fall

Not at all what I expected from the album cover. It’s an album I enjoyed but not one I would revisit.

SP are a group that piqued my interest in 1999 when they released an Ali Shaheed Muhammad (Tribe, Lucy Pearl) remix to their single “Tinseltown to the Boogie Down” featuring a then-rising star Mos Def on the vocals. The single also feature Psycho Les and Pete Rock variations and is worth checking out on its own merits. As for the original (and the band itself), I filed under “further investigation” but never followed up. So I was pleased to see them appear on my album of the day, especially an album from their more active period (1982-88). Off the rip, this was not quite what I expected. There were some synths and sun elements that fit my narrow understanding of their sound, but overall much more of a standard 80s pop sound (well, leftfield 80s pop). After some quick research, and a surprising amount of Gramsci and Marx in the backstory, I better understood their sound as a pivot from the punk 70s to the synth pop 80s, which was also steeped in the hip-hop and souk stylings they were encountering from the US (not too far off from blondie TBH, with strong DIY ties). As for the album itself, the vocals are a bit Wham-my, but the sounds are an interesting amalgamation of the sounds of the time. Again, not sure that it’s one I’ll be spinning in the reg, but appreciate closing the loop back from Mos Def to Small Talk.

#175/1001. Let's see if these count as valid 80s band and album: - band was formed after seeing Sex Pistols on their debut tour - art school background -started with punk, turned in to something else - heavyly diy in the beginning - formed their own label -moved to London and lived in a squat - members changed frequently after musical styles changed - stage fright - bad habits - long breaks and getaways - intellectual lyrics - marxist leanings - inspired by French deconstrucionist and linguistic philosophers - turned to more commercial pop - reggae influence - soul, funk and hip-hop influence - collaborations with key musicians - new york period - heavy use of synths, e.g. horns, chords with echo and reverb - heavy use of drum machines, samplers, sequencers - syncopated percussion - top notch production - weird name ...yeah, that just about cuts it.

I can appreciate the craft with really vibing with the end result. Even though it's not my favorite, I did a bit of a deep dive on Scritti Politti, and it seems I enjoyed their earlier post-punkish stuff a bit more.

decent pop album, but they need to figure out outros.

Almost incredible how inoffensive this album sounds. Like they must have put some real work into keeping it this neutral

Lo que escuché fue gracioso

3.5

Pleasantly surprised. Definitely found some humor in the vocals, but I'm not going to beat up the rating for that reason. I kind of found myself vibing to it. And to be honest, if I can enjoy Prince's voice, I can use that rationale to appreciate Green Gartside (a name I had 0 familiarity with until today). Some subtle, but tasty guitar licks hidden in here too. Probs would be like a 2.7 ~ rounding up.

The production sounds great. Definitely sounds like the 80's pop music era. Although the lyrics maintain the theme throughout the album, it could use some variety in my opinion. Perhaps, listening to this album when constantly thinking of someone will pave a better journey.

Decently fun sound, but nothing that I can see as particularly ground-breaking from my place of unfamiliarity

I’m not at all keen on 80s synth pop so this ticks all the wrong boxes as far as I’m concerned. But it’s not a challenging listen, it’s got some catchy lines and for being everything I usually hate, I didn’t mind it all that much.

The first song really put me off but the rest isn't bad. I'm kinda down with a Wang Chung or Level 42 vibe.

One of my favorite tunes of the early eighties was "The Word Girl". It took me years to find the song, not knowing the artist nor the lyrics, since I was only ten when it came out. Apart from the other two hits that came from this album "Perfect Way" and "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" this album is pretty forgettable. While it was actually quite innovative at the time, Green Gartside's obsession with pristine production and working with top session musicians (including Miles Davis on one track) created this hyper-polished sound that became the standard for much of the over polished '80s pop. But hey, they did a toasting version of the "Word Girl" ("Flesh & Blood") which was pretty groundbreaking at that time, a star for that! Apart from that, most of the songs are mediocre pop songs that didn't stand the test of time. 3/5

Generic but enjoyable 80s disco-esque album. Not a lot that stood out in either a positive or negative way. Serviceable.

I'm amazed I never heard this band before, but I have heard of them. I certainly listened to Haircut 100, the Pet Shop Boys, Culture Club, Depeche Mode, ABC, and others floating around the same scene. I bet I would like it in a club, but I think memories of a club experience listening to them or their recordings might be necessary for me to regard these tunes as anything more than peripheral.

Rien que j'ai adoré mais un bon point pour la variété des morceaux

this album is so 80s it hurts.

A caricature of 80s music. The sounds are good but the content wasn't.

it was ok

Listened to this on my way to the hairdresser, I sat down in the chair and was surprised to see I already had a perm.

Uses a lot of similar sound effects and riffs popular in Michael Jackson's music. The lead singer has a similar sound too. Pretty upbeat and easy to listen to, but nothing super special or memorable. 6/10

If you ever wanted to know what the mid 80s sounded like, have I got an album for you!

Repetitive at times, but the 80s synth pop was fine.

I’ve always felt the gap between the highest highs and lowest lows is larger in the 80’s than in any other decade. And this album feels like an embodiment of that. Tracks like Perfect Way are the 80’s at their best, but the album forces you to wade through too much mediocrity to save it from being anything other than just ok. 3/5 Highlights: Absolute Perfect Way

A nice bit of 80s synth. Very easy listening. Feels like it could have been (and it probably was) part of a film soundtrack or workout video soundtrack.

That sounded a lot like Powerline from A Goofy Movie.

si el cliché ochentoso fuese una persona, sería este disco (?) aún asi, pasa bien

Not bad but all the songs sound very similar.

80's pop music was such a strange scene in retrospect. Out of all the era's this is definitely the most jarring. It sounds so dated now, almost kind of alien. In terms of this album, it's very gentle. Shades of Prince, with other 80's trappings. It's kind of faintly ridiculous, so... why am I kind of into it? I seem to have found a sense of equilibrium while listening to this one. It's not unpleasant.

Great background listening, nothing offensive. I can see how this influenced a lot of artists, even some of my favourites such as The 1975. Nothing particularly caught my ear but would listen to other music by them.

aardig, jaren 80 sound

Felt like Disposable pop music

If you think Wham! was rocking just too darn hard this is probably the album for you. Nothing really great here, but it makes up for it by being powerfully average. Perfect Way is a decent song though.

A few guilty pleasure bops running on very slick sequencing. 'Absolute' is an absolute banger. 'Wood Beez' being another highlight and I think 'A Little Knowledge' has a bit of depth. The rest is decent to ok.

This one’s all sorts of fun—shiny, polished, and pure mid-80s synth-pop energy. Listening to it brought me right back to clubbing in 1985 with my fake ID, sweaty dance floors, and neon everywhere. But beyond the nostalgic vibes, it doesn’t leave much of a mark. Fun in the moment, forgettable afterwards.

80s pop

Wikipedia calls this an embrace of commercial pop, but all of this sounds like it was engineered in a lab not to actually top charts, but specifically to be on the original motion picture soundtracks of action comedies starring Robert Carradine. The lyrics of "WOOD BEEZ" are cutely playful/surreal, though.

pretty good but nothing special! enjoyed every song a little bit

Lacks a decent political submessage.

dad music

Bouncy, bright, fun, clean straight up dance pop. Singing style has Michael Jackson influence. No surprises, all tracks have similar arrangements and 80/90s vibe.

Good synth pop album. A few bangers on it. Was this essential to hear before I die? No, not in my opinion, but I'm not going to say no to synth pop. 3.35/5 = 3 on this scale.

3.6

Not bad

this was fun! a lot better when it’s trying to be White Prince instead of White Michael Jackson

First song - what are these crackers doing Second song - I bet this is Brett Kavanaugh’s favorite band Third song on - (offensive TikTok speech impediment voice) I think I’m starting to like Scritti Politti

Solid pop music but voice of group is annoying. 6/10

Good

So 80s…

This is breathy Prince or George Michael, but in a boring way. Nothing came across as influential, catchy, or all that entertaining. Just another brit-pop entry on the list.

I liked this quite a bit - it seems like it was ahead of its time (or firmly within its own time...) I could hear their influence on many of the artists of today.

++: Small Talk, Perfect Way, Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin), Hypnotize +: A Little Knowledge, Don't Work That Hard, Lover to Fall +-: The Word Girl, Absolute 6,7/10

Completely anodyne pop. Wont return but didn’t mind

good

Fine listen, but not really my style. Exemplifies mid-80s pop aesthetics.

3/5. This honestly feels like indie disco, like something you will hear today, mixed with Phil Collins. It's upbeat and happy-go-lucky, makes you want to nod your head. It isn't a full energy, more chill, but enjoyable. Bass is excellent, and the random drum sounds and samples are great. The issue is that some of the songs are not super interesting, so I lose focus. I think this is one that will grow on me but for now, it gets a decent score. Best Song: Hypnotize, Wood Beez, Absolute

Well produced but rather twee. Definitely too deep in the bubblegum genre for me, but worth three stars.

Sounded like a Michael Jackson rip off even if the timing doesn’t add up. Another entire album on here for one song.

Trying to be Michael Jackson and Prince at the same time. Fine but not essential at all.

Mediocre Prince knockoffs. I would be surprised at the inclusion of this unremarkable 80s album on this list, but we are far too deep into this for that to be true.

The 80s was a powerful time

I found this album to feel a little bit long and samey and a bit repetitive at times however its not the most unlistenable thing. low 3/5

Eighties

Pure 80s extract. Wasn't as bad as I feared but really belongs in a time capsule.

Very of its time. Nothing stands out as worth listening to. Neither is anything so objectionable that you rush to shut off the sound. Forgettable.

Pop.. light? Somehow grows on you.

Okay 80s vibes.

Sounds just like the goofy movie! Enjoyed myself with this one

I remember Scritti Politti from back in those days, but I cannot put my finger on a specific song. They all sound so similar. It's nice synth-pop that was very popular then and gazillions of bands using nearly identical instrumentation. Still, it's fun, and a bit boring.

Pleasant, breathy vocals. Can't really tell one track from another, but they're all quite nice, so that's OK.

It's clean, fun, witty, and sexy. Always a fan of pop music with a balanced bitterness for pop culture. Still comes off a bit too 1985 at some points for me personally, but is good as is.

A good marriage in 1985?

Sounds like the same song throughout. It was okay but I probably won't listen to it again

I guess ok.

An 80s wave that hits just right.

These white boys are pretty nasty! Most songs are kinda similar but idgaf - the production is total ear candy. Revisionist History: Tears for Fears should’ve gotten a 4 or 5. And I know there are some Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys coming down the road, so I’ll be reserved with my rating on this one. I did have a blast listening to it. Small Talk had me boogying and Perfect Way is a great pop song even if it does sound a little too much like a Super Mario World theme. https://youtu.be/5oXSJG3Fw8c I may not listen to anything else from this again tho. 3.2

Skrýtið eitís popp. Það er eitthvað einkennilegt þarna sem ég þarf að kanna betur. 3,5.

It's kind of like a knock-off version of 80s Michael Jackson. It's fine for 80s pop, but not memorable.

If Michael Jackson and Prince had an illegitimate son, he would sound like this.

Listen to the first 30 seconds of second track Small Talk and it is probably the best primer on 80s production techniques short of Phil Collins' solo work. Gated drums, synth bass, samples. The singles were ubiquitous on UK radio, and fair play to Green for constructing a Marxist take-down of the uber-capitalism of the eighties music scene, and coining it in the process. Brutally efficient.

3 stars

Better that I expected it to be. Solid and fun 80's pop dance songs. Nothing groundbreaking, but does what it sets out to do well. Fun overall listen, if little dated. Top tracks: Absolute, A Little Knowledge, Perfect Way

This was an alright album, nothing too exciting, a bit mid but overall could definitely be better.

Neat little album, nothing fancy tho

2.5

Kuunneltu 7 osassa.... seur review selittä 7 osan tärkeys ihmiselle,..... Tässä se oli ettei viha kiihko nouse päähän.. sillä vallan mainiota musiiikkia joka kerta kun spotifyn avasi sain kuunnella.. viha suli..

Fun little quirky album. The expected 80s pop elements present, but still an enjoyable record to listen to. Very dreamy throughout with the soft vocals laid over top of some funky bass guitar, keys and drums. Can't say I was ever familiar with this group before, but this is a nice one.

That’s some pristine 80s production right there. Perfect Way can live in my head for a long time and I won’t mind. The weird falsetto vocals are just that - weird. It’s a classic New Wave synth pop jam.

each time i goooo to bed iiii pray like areeeetha franklin 🕺

A decent slice of 80s pop - exactly what you'd expect, and a lot of fun. Don't work that hard a fave and also a personal mantra.

I didn't hate this. It was kind a nice 80s pop album. But I just didn't care for it too much either. Not really my taste in music.

i don't know if this is one of the 1001 albums i need to listen to before i die but it's pretty fun, i'll give it that

Having never heard of this artist prior, I wasn’t quite prepared for how heavily produced and poppy this was. First run thru did irritate me a tad. I gave it some time and jumped back into it after my sugar high subsided. On second listen I was prepared to listen to it for what it is and what this is, is a well crafted, synth overproduced pop album with impressive vocals that had me thinking of Michael Jackson at times. Decent 80’s release here. 3 stars

If this had Quincy Jones as producer it would be off the wall.

Very 80s sound. I kind of liked the mix of random instruments and sounds coming together to build the melodies, but I wasn't as much of a fan of the vocals. Also the instrumental break in Perfect Way reminds me a lot of one of the Mario themes but apparently this came out first?

Listened to the LP version. This one grew on me as it went along, the epitome of ‘80’s pop’. Felt like I listened to an evolution of this style in the 00’s (reminded me of b44 specifically). Not something I’d gravitate towards because of its rawness but it was a good listen.

2-3

A bit too plasticky.

3*

3.5

Eh, better 80s bands out there. Not bad but ain’t love it. 3/5

Quintessential 80's synth pop. Reminded me of Wham, but frontman Green Gartside's vocals also remind me pop I hear today. It's pretty bubble gum but you can't hate that voice. My favorite tracks were The Word Girl, Absolute, A Little Knowledge, and Lover to Fall. No substance, but fun, I guess.

Super 80s cheesy synth pop. I admit it grew on me after a couple of listens, but I don't think I will revisit. Favorite tracks: Small Talk, Absolute. Liked the end of A Little Knowledge. Wood Beez kind of grew on me.

3.75

This is just an ok 80s band

Майкл Джексон стайл вокал, не считаю музыкой (хотя так-то претензий нет)

I think a solid 3.5 on this one. I vacillated between 3 and 4, and had to filter and review my prior 3 and 4 ratings to decide it was maybe better than the 3s and maybe not as good as the 4s. It's the kind of 80s that I heard a lot of but didn't make an impact beyond sounding familiar. Knowing the name but not what songs they did. Not recognizing the titles but recognizing the songs when I heard them. I don't know that it's in the top 1001 of all time, but definitely better than some of the dren I've heard on this list.

Super super cool I was very pleasantly surprised

Hyper sugar pop. Juicy hooks.

perfectly fine generic 80's schlok

It's another one of those british synthpop/new-wave type albums on this list that is perfectly ok, but baffling as to why the author thought it was something you had to hear before you die.

80s Soundtrack style. Easy listen. Nothing remarkable.

Really gives me prince vibes. Enjoyable listen

UK 80’er pop, synth, mj-vokal

Best leuk

This isn't the worst 80s era album I've ever heard but it's hard to listen to the cheesy synth and breathy vocals.

I was only familiar with the name Scritti Politti from seeing that it was an album on this list. The name led me to believe it would be something dark and heavy, like industrial music or metal. I definitely wasn't expecting adult contemporary 80s synth pop. Once I realized my error, I was pleasantly surprised...until the sophisti-pop and blue-eyed soul started coming through. Blegh.

Were they incredible? No, but this was at least listenable compared to alot of the other nonsense on this list. Yeah it's a very reggae-ish 80s sounding poppy kind of sound but it's not bad. Honestly the group sounds kinda fun. 6/10.

I really loved the vibe! It had a little hint of MJ x spice girls i think. But it afther a while it got a little repetitive imo

Scritti 80’s Dance pop. The singer has a cool high breathey voice. Fun but kinda sterile sounding sometimes. I like Don’t Work that Hard and Hypnotize. Has Will LEE, Marcus Miller and Paul jackson Jr on

80’s vibes. Interesting changes at times but felt kind of stock and theres a lot of other 80’s music id rather listen to if im in this kinda mood

This album having terrible global ratings is baffling. This was very listenable and actually pretty good at parts. I will probably never listen to it again, but I wasn't bored.

3.5. Sounds like MJ

Nice that there are examples of ends that’s didn’t strength longer. Anyway. Can you and bro clea round here.

Synth pop with an ethereal yet earthy quality. Contains their four biggest hit (love a bit of Wood Beez, me) and the rest ain't bad either.

Enjoyed it

Bonito para pasar el rato

Funky and soulful pop. Nothing wrong with it in particular, but not super addicting either. Somehow feels like a cheaper version of MJ.

bass ve piyano klipteki, bizim okuldakilere benziyor.

All the cheesy '80s pop sounds you could possibly ask for. Any of these songs could be on the Short Circuit movie soundtrack. I knew there was one song by this band I knew, but none of the titles sounded familiar, so I listen and waited for it to reveal itself -- it was Perfect Way. I'll give this a 3/5 for '80s nostalgia if nothing else.

It’s almost nauseatingly sweet, but the production is magnificent and ultra smooth. It’s not revolutionary. It’s doesn’t even progress that much during its runtime. It’s just there - and somehow enough.

This album has a lot of the same sound as The 1975. I actually dug this one. Yeah it’s British pop, but it hooked me.

Max 80s pop. Is that a good thing?

strange

Very reminiscent of Boy George/Culture Club and from the same era, but with quite a bit much polish and edge.

80's brit pop, not terrible at least

A couple of sweet and notable tracks (the singles mainly) completed with stuff that need not be remembered.

Noteworthy songs - 808080808 Magical Dream - Kinda catchy synth, but the rest is bland. Ancodia - Good background noise. Cobra Bora - Actually kind of cool, reminds me of Bomberman Hero. Pacific 202 - N64 vibes, but melody isn't great. Donkey Doctor - Nothing too special, weird ending. 808080808 - Really cool beginning. A little slow in the middle but stays interesting enough. Sunrise - Nothing remarkable. The Fat Shadow - Eerie. Very short.

This was decent has a coop sound but didn't leave too much of a lasting impression on us overall. Would listen to it again in the future though as it probably deserves it.

Meh

Strange to think that this album came about with Scritti Politti trying to get off of Rough Trade and quitting Marxist groups. Whereas today, many major bands trying to get off major labels and reject capitalism. I really wasn't familiar with this band before but you can see why they'd have been big in the 80s and largely forgotten now. This music is heavily dated and the vocals sound like a Michael Jackson impersonator. But even for a band who didn't quite survive the test of time, the 80s really did have its charm. The music sounds vibrantly (or even blindingly) bright and purely synthetic. It's like rejecting the real world and deciding to live inside the set of Tron. 'Cupid & Psyche 85' is bound to be someone's guilty pleasure.

Was expecting this to be way worse than it was considering the average ratings It wasn't great - didn't like the guys voice and it was a bit cringe. But it was better than a lot of crap I've listened to on here so far 3 ⭐️

Feels like a less talented version of prince at times but didn’t necessarily dislike it, also probably won’t listen to it again

Meh

I was around in the eighties and it was much more fun than this album. Very meh.

the album I would get if I asked an AI to write an 80s album. Still fire tho

Some SOLID eighties sounds on here. Gotta be DX7 sounds. Not too bad!

This album is a pretty fun listen overall, but I don't really get why it's on this list. It's a solid 80s pop album, but that's also exactly what it sounds like. Perhaps this was influential in its time, but to my ears it sound very much of its time without pushing music forward in any way I can detect. Still, its some solid 80s pop 3/5

I thought I’d love it more based on my memories but I didn’t

2.5☆/5 07.03.2024

This straddling the right on the line between a 3 and a 4. The glossy, chic production is something you either embrace or reject. My dad likes it though

gefällige popsongs mit slapbass und bläser - mitte 80er gab es einiges in der sparte, Level42, Matt Bianco etc. .. tönt sehr ähnlich.

Ok

It's very 80s and I think with other artists I would complain about the production with similar artists but this seems to work. There is some filler in the middle, but is feels special at times.

fun

It aight. I was vibin - 7/10

This one has the makings of a compelling album. Each song starts off with nice instrumentals, very 80s vibes, and his voice is interesting. But as a whole the songs didn’t click for me. Giving it a solid 3.

Not bad but not really my style. 5/10

6/10 - It was alright. It felt very 80s which makes sense since it was released in 85. I liked the end of absolute a lot, but the rest of it was decent but not amazing.

Un projet baroque aux pièces foisonnantes. Efficace et bien de son époque (la voix m'évoque parfois Michael Jackson), mais un peu chargé à mon goût, à l'heure actuelle

Fun 80's pop sound. They don't sound familiar and don't maintain very many listeners but there was heavy sampling throughout which was unique

Before I press play just want to acknowledge yet another 80s Brit pop album. yay It’s fine. More listenable than many. Can’t give it 4 star, gotta be 3.

Funny artist name that I have never heard of. Lotsa cheese on this one. I like the cheese, but I have heard better cheese.

a lot of variety, super 80s pop sound

This album is a bit confounding. It is essentially a distillation of the most extreme elements of 80s synth pop. It relies heavily of MIDI, drum machines, and sampling. While I don't particularly like this album, I did find the song layering interesting. The beats were pretty decent at times as well. There are much better albums of this genre but this was an interesting look into a much maligned genre.

I was only familiar with “Perfect Way” going into this… I was a tad surprised this appeared on the list since I kind of thought of Scritti Politti as a one-hit wonder. The first song “The Word Girl” was ok with its reggae beat. Then the second song “Small Talk” sounded an awfully lot like an inferior rip-off of “Perfect Way.” At that point I needed to investigate why this made the list. The Wikipedia article was interesting - how this group emerged from a Marxist collective, then shed most its members and ended up here. Things started picking up midway. “Don’t Work That Hard” was a bit better, then “Perfect Way” stormed in reminding me why it dominates over all the other songs on this album. “Lover To Fall” was quite catchy… my second favorite track. “Wood Beez” is a very strange little tune that I liked well enough. “Hypnotize” ended on a decent note and was probably settling in as my third favorite track. Had I bought this album in the 80s, I suspect I would have felt a bit like there was really one great hit and been a little disappointed with the rest, but since I had bought it would have listened to everything many times to get my money’s worth and would have ended up liking much of this album more than I do now. Today, I admit I’m still a little perplexed as to why this made the list over a lot of 80’s albums I consider better, but after a second listen did enjoy it more. Maybe if I had owned that cassette this could’ve been a 4.

Green Gartside’s voice does indeed sound “permanently 14 years old”. I can see this getting some attention in 1985, while MJ was still the world’s biggest star. He sounds like Michael in his upper register. The music is absolutely, firmly 1980’s. It could only come from the middle of that decade. It’s not bad, not great either to me.

Milly Vanilly.

Strange - a clear sign of an artist’s name not matching the music and a general feeling that Scritti Politti albums are the ones one used to find at the bottom of CD bargain bins. Not bad, but not my thing.

Perfectly sweet 80s pop, promising, not quite shaking the tree for me.

it's fine. 3.75

Cupid & Psyche 85 is the second album by the British pop band Scritti Politti. This artistic and soulful, synth-pop, electro-funk, R&B album is the band's most successful and was a surprise hit in the US. It has been certified gold in the UK. This album is lightly sweet with enough of a backing beat to keep it moving on the dance floor. The silky smooth synth-pop is not too artsy to be sickly or annoying, but it does sound like the run-of-the-mill pop music. Overall, it was a beautiful and catchy album that doesn't take itself too seriously.

has some synthy instrumentals but is extremely cheesy and dated

A band from the 80s where the lead singer sounds like Michael Jackson but without the "hee-hee" part

Such an 80's sound! Better than I thought it would be, though. Transports me back to that era.

Quite a nice listen. Surprised

Well that answers my question of "what if a giant Welsh guy had the voice of Michael Jackson?" Very 80s. Very poppy. Very disco-y. But it kind of works. Not going to lie, even by the end of the 39 minutes I was slightly bored of it, but it had it's charm in places. 2.5*

Interesting sound to this one and the name is just fun to say.

An extra mark for them being distinctive. It was ok for first half then I started to find the voice and music sickening.

Bright and breezy, seems very influenced by Michael Jackson. 3.3

I enjoyed this album. Maybe musically not a masterpiece but a feel good sound and quite nostalgic. Good band name too ! 3*

Älskade The word girl när den kom. Den håller än. Plattan håller väl inte lika bra. Ett par spår som är okej. Men samtidigt en platta man blir glad av. Stabil trea.

I mean this was a fine album. Not really my thing. The instrumentals were interesting enough. Singing wasn’t my thing. I think this just isn’t my genre. Cause I don’t have great criticism for it

Extremely indifferent

I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, especially considering it's made by a fellow Welshman. It's slightly catchy but not enough to overcome how cheesy and dated it sounds, although that sounds is meant to be ironic in some ways. Some decent singles, I mean if Miles Davis covers one of your songs, it's got to be at least good. Not one I'm going to come back to in the future, and kind of a disappointment to be honest. 19/02/24

Typical 80s pop dancing beats

ca ne fait de mal a personne mais ca ne fait egalement de bien a personne

Not sure about this. The 80s production values are not my production values.

This is like the background music of every 80's mall montage scene.

Classic 80s pop and Green Gartside has a distinctive and pleasing vocal range. Of its time but still relevant.

Groovy 80s music, still my least favorite decade of music

Prince: Hey Michael, Karl! Thanksgiving is approaching, and we're talking turkey. Ever thought about the perfect recipe for a revolutionary feast? Michael Jackson: (laughs) Prince has this Purple Rain magic turkey idea, and I've got my moonwalk-inspired moves while cooking. What about you, Karl? Karl Marx: Ah, the proletarian turkey revolution! We shall seize the means of poultry production and distribute the spices equally! Prince: (smirking) I like the way you think, Karl. But let's get down to the nitty-gritty – what's your secret ingredient? Karl Marx: It's all about the classless stuffing, my friends. No bourgeois flavors here – just the harmonious union of herbs, spices, and the proletariat's collective culinary consciousness. Michael Jackson: (chuckles) Classless stuffing, huh? That's a whole new level. What about dessert, Karl? Karl Marx: A dessert that transcends capitalist decadence – the Communal Apple Pie, where each slice is distributed according to need, not want. Prince: (nodding) Revolutionizing the dessert game! And for the main course? Karl Marx: The turkey shall be a symbol of solidarity, cooked over the flames of equality, with a side of liberation mashed potatoes. Michael Jackson: (grinning) Now, that's what I call a feast for the people! Let's make this Thanksgiving a revolutionary celebration. Prince: (raising an eyebrow) Indeed, comrades. It's time for a feast that echoes through the ages – the Revolution Roast!

80s cocaine music-sunset red sports car Miami and palm trees. Shades down hair flowing. NOT workout music 3/5

This album should be called, "80s Movie Opening Credits Montage: The Album" Every single song sounded like it came straight out of an 80s movie opening credits scene cutting to scene after scene of a bustling city. I half expected each song to fade out where it would usually do so in the movie then cut to a Shelly Long or similar in a skirt suit, blazer stacked with shoulder pads, slamming some files on a desk. If a song on the album didn't fit there, then it fit as background instrumentals during some nighttime romantic scene involving wine and a fire. I loved every second of this album.

Background stuff

Rennur ljúflega í gegn, solid níundatugarpopp. Mun þó ekki leita þetta uppi aftur.

I could see this being the soundtrack for a “Tab” commercial

Omg it’s so 80’s! Doesn’t translate well to 2024, but that’s not a SP thing, it’s the whole genre. Still a fun listen.

synth pop, trash can drum machine track. All of the bad things about the 80s, but decently melodic and a couple interesting tracks. Not bad. 2.8.

I mean, it's fine. It's kind of 80s Prince-y. But nothing really stood out good or bad

Nice groovy '80s jams. Nothing amazing but still a good listen

Some years ago, it was easy to turn on the Radio on any station and find a thematic block of songs for a "Flashback" or "Romantic session." Yeah, I guess some of these radios just put on this album on repeat. Even with more meaningful lyrics, it sounds like any other 80s pop. It's not bad. It's just meh!

Really wacky. It strange because this album was so un-memorable: I can’t remember a single melody from this album at all. But I remember thinking that the arrangements were quite nice and I actually kinda enjoyed the album.

What a hideous album cover. I'm familiar with Absolute, but wasn't expecting a new wave pop ska song as the album opener. I don't quite hate it as much as I feel I should. So 80s. Fave Tracks: Absolute, Don't Work That Hard, Perfect Way 3.3/5

80s

Kind of fun, hadn't heard it before.

What was that really popular song that sounds a lot like most of their songs? It's probably on the soundtrack to one of the three men movies. Anyway, this album doesn't really capture my attention too much. Sounds OK, but very eighties.

If you ordered up some 1985 music and you said that you didn't want anything that totally broke through but that absolutely, positively was fully infused with nothing but 85 vibes? This would fit that bill. I don't want more of this, but I didn't want less, either.

Cool reggae, sans plus

Love a bit of Scitti Politti, but it is all a bit samey and they needed some new disks for their synth, the stabs are a bit repetitive

Very synthy. Reminds me of an 80s/90s teen movie soundtrack.

3.5/5

I like the vision but the vocals are to... not gritty? not my thing really

They were 'alright'. Nice enough. I can't imagine why they're on a 'must listen tools though.

Not so hideous as the score made me think.. I mean, not interesting, but not unpleasant

Absolute Perfect Way

Not what I was expecting. Some OK songs but too much pop for me. 2.5

Doubt I'll ever remember the band, much less the album, but you could stick this in a time capsule and shoot it across the universe as an example of standard 80's synth pop. Once it's out there, the chance of me finding it amongst the billions of stars and planets is greater than me ever listening to it again.

That was alright. Upbeat.

An ok melding of synth pop and rnb that doesnt fully hit for me.

5/10. Guy's trying to sound like Michael Jackson and doing an okay-ish job I guess?

2.5

Offbrand 80s synth pop

Pretty light and inoffensive, classicly 80s.

Not normally a fan of 80s synth pop stuff but this grew on me through the album and wasn't at all obnoxious

Meh. Seems very typical of a mediocre 80’s band.

80's pop, a little on the soft/mellow side

ooh, little calypso beat. This sound is so nostalgic. Lol, this sounds like "These Lumps" I like some 80s syths but wow those are not in balance.

Started strong, didn't get much better. It was alright

This was the cheesiest, of-it’s-time 80’s album I’ve ever heard. I kind of liked it.

Solid

good but didn't listen to properly

I liked it but nothing really stood out too much.

Treball fora del seu temps. Enrevesat, creatiu, amb un so que sí se situa a la década que l'origina però amb unes composicions que no poden estar més allunyades del synth pop comercial o del hair metal en auge que triomfaven l'any 1985. No és l'èxit monumental de la música en el qual alguns l'han volgut convertir, però sí un disc que mereix ser recordat i disfrutat cada cert temps. Cada escolta donarà una nova capa d'enteniment al seu contingut

An interesting period piece but the sound is very, very dated. A fair bit of it also kind of all sounds the same.

Forgot I was listening to it

50/50 nostalgía og innumannaðútumhitt

Fun synths, started strong, tailed off in the middle, got a bit ridiculous at the end.

Very 80s, but enjoyable

I have an ice-cream headache.

Okeyish

Good background music

Gostei, me surpreendeu.

Surely a hidden gem for me. This late summer day in the city was a perfect fit for this kind of pop. Love the production and there are some real good tunes on here as well. Maybe a little uneven. Yeah, it's pretty uneven unfortunately.

Solid 80s synth pop. The album builds nicely toward Perfect Way but can’t maintain that peak. Enjoyable but odd.

This is a great pop album. The '85 in the title is perfect. It sounds exactly how a record made in 1985 should. The production is sharp and sweet. The songwriting isn't always there, but it feels like an album, and not some random songs put together.

The couple of hits on this record are interesting tunes... this was pretty early club music i.e. something you wouldn't really hear on the radio with any real frequency, but you'd hear when you went out. Definitely also a bit of a mishmash with a few different elements -- funky, electronic, a bit of a reggae feel here and there. I would say it's aged somewhat poorly, as it isn't nearly as complex as music became.

Typical 80s album, a bit of a Prince and MJ rip off.

Decent album but ultimate uneventful

A very 80s sound. I knew the song Perfect Way, but that was it. It is heavy on the drums and I like the beats. Singing was eh….. Still I did enjoy the listen… Standout: Perfect Way 3/5

This sounds like you asked chatGPT to generate an androgynous 80s pop album. Almost comes across like a parody at certain points.

Not bad but, as far as 80s synth pop goes, this is far from the best I’ve heard Favourite tracks: The Word Girl, Hypnotize

The type of band you’re supposed to like, but I wonder how many actually listened to this album more than once or twice, though enjoyed having the cd cassette or album prominently on display - all the while listening to Fleetwood Mac, Duran Duran, Born to be alive, the eagles, pink Floyd, yes, ELP, etc and other horrid dreck, or mega selling crowd pleasers. not bad at all, but there’s a reason it’s more of a cult classic. Perfect way was good actually.

I was a fan. Really liked Green’s voice. And this album contains 3 of my favourite SP trax. Wood Beez(Pray Like Aretha Franklin) & The Word Girl still sound so fresh & Absolute is not far behind . I have the Word Girl 12” single featuring Ranking Ann, which is outstanding. It’s great that the album was co- produced by Atlantic Records legend, Arif Mardin, who worked on Aretha’s I Never Loved A Man etc. album. The production is great. I don’t think the band ever made it to Australia, but, ironically, Fred Maher, the drummer on this album & guitarist Robert Quine, who also appears on it, both toured Australia six months before this album was released, in January 1985 as part of Lou Reed’s touring band. I saw Reed at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre on that tour & definitely remember Quine’s bald pate on stage. Great guitarist.

I remember when this album came out, there was a kid at school (whose name escapes me now) who was particularly evangelical about synth pop in general and Scritti Politti in particular. I don't think he was aware of their past as a Marxist agit-prop, post-punk collective. And in all fairness, there isn't much about this very expensively polished production that would suggest such a past. The singles certainly caught my attention at the time, influenced by his proselytizing, This album is probably the pinnacle of 80s synth pop. Sophisticated, polished, intricate, smooth, light. Robert Christgau wrote that "the high-relief production and birdlike tunes and spry little keyb [sic] arrangements and hippety-hoppety beat and archly ethereal falsetto add up to a music of amazing lightness and wit that's saved from any hint of triviality by wordplay whose delight in its own turns is hard to resist." I'm not sure that I am taken with the lyrics; they're clever, but I feel like Green Gartside is a bit in love with his own cleverness. Generally, I find his approach a bit narcissistic, which makes the album hard to love. That said, Miles Davis was a fan and covered Perfect Way on his Tutu album. I love the singles, notably Wood Beez and Perfect Way, but a whole album is like eating a 10kg bag of fairy floss. Light and fun for the first few handfuls, but sweet to the point of nauseating over the space of a whole album. I own a couple of Scritti Politti albums (including this one), which I never spin all the way through. I should ditch the LPs and invest in copies of the singles instead. That would work better.

Most of this album did not do much for me but not terrible

Atlanta night 1: I didn’t write this review right after I listened to it so it’s already pretty hazy after a full day of exploring but I remember that it had really lame simplistic production that worked sometimes and not at all in other tracks while the vocals were solid throughout. Pretty average britpop.

Yeah. It was alright. I had a Scritti Politti take in my collection as a teenager and every now and then I'd fish it out and be pleasantly surprised that it wasn't a shit as I'd thought. This time, thinking it was going to be a pleasant surprise, it was not all that. 3.5 stars.

Incredibly polished mid 80s studio produced commercial pop. Could only have been made in studios of the mid 1980s. Slick, upbeat, vocals a little under mixed. Not as lovely as Prefab Sprout or x-factor as Culture Club. I couldn’t make out the lyrics, so will listen again - as I gather they’re clever. Sound is so 80’s!!

Not my cup of tea

Felt like I was stuck in an 80s family comedy soundtrack. Can't decide whether that was good or not

Sounds like band called Scritti Politti. 3 stars.

Awww, I was into them early 80's (I bought Songs to Remember and Wood Beez). This takes me back but I realise a lot of people will hate it as 80's pop. Good solid tunes but nothing special I guess.

Check out Miles Davis’s cover of Perfect Way.

Listened Before? N Pretty standard 80's pop stuff here. Enjoyable enough but really not much special IMO. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Perfect Way

The album's title is a reference to the classical Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, and the themes of love and desire are explored throughout the album's ten tracks. The production on this album is fresh, with lush, intricate arrangements that showcase the band's technical skill. The album's standout tracks include "Perfect Way," which was a massive hit and remains one of the band's most beloved songs. This upbeat, funky track is characterized by its catchy chorus, infectious melody, and clever lyrics. "The Word Girl" is another standout track, featuring one of the better vocal performances by lead singer Green Gartside and a driving rhythm section that propels the song forward. Other standout tracks on the album include "Absolute," which features a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere and a good vocal performance by Gartside, and "Hypnotize," which has a hypnotic, trance-like quality. One negative about the album is how Scritti Politti sometimes fail to showcase the knack for creating innovative and unique sounds. They do the more basic stuff well though, and it’s not a bad listen.

Cet album mettait en scène un Michael Jackson encore plus pâle qu'à son habitude, presque transparent. Et pour cause, après quelques chansons, le visage de Michael finira par se déchirer, laissant entrevoir la mine dépourvue de Scritti Politti. Une belle tentative d'escroquerie, mais le déguisement de Scritti n'aura pas tenu les 40mn d'album.

No private session used for Spotify. I remember this band from "Perfect Way" getting a lot of air play. I liked that song, but I didn't have a lot of options. This album is full of keyboards and drum tracks, it's straight out the of 80's. I thought I would hate it, but I just didn't like it that much. Hearing that song did bring me back some.

Slogging through another 80s pop album, though unlike Frankie this one was definitely landfill of the genre. At times this album reminded me that Michael Jackson was talented because when other people try the same approach it sounds ridiculous. Can't remember any other specifics but I really wasn't a fan, though as it was short and not memorably terrible we'll say 1.5.

Not a fan

Another generic album. I got all bangers last week, this week nothing great. Why are these very mid albums on a list if must listen. 2

Hey Robert Dimery, there are things that exist that were made by people who thought of those things, and then there are lame versions of those things made by lame-ass British people doing soggy, bland copies of the things made by people who actually made the things. Why do you always think the latter are the ones that must be heard? I am not the biggest fan of eighties R&B-influenced pop, but if I am going to listen to eighties R&B-influenced pop then I want to listen to Michael Jackson, Prince, DeBarge, Atlantic Starr, New Edition, Cameo, etc. I don't want to listen to a weird British communist punk have a nervous breakdown and do a soulless copy of that music. Jesus.

Great things came from the '80s like velcro, big hair and hypercoloured t-shirts. Alas, this album was not on that list.

What are we doing here

2.5 - so generic zzzzz

I’m at a 2. Look, I can see why people enjoyed this one. It’s got a fun enough soundscape to it, it’s got some good bouncy melodies, the lyricism is fine enough, and the vocals are so buried in the mix that they only feel like a guide to push towards enhancing the instrumental atmosphere. If you can turn your brain off enough to enjoy this, more power to you. I can’t turn my brain off enough, at least for this one. It’s just so aggressively average compared to its contemporaries. My best compliment that I can give here is that, with the heavier use of synths / soundbank-heavy instruments, the production work here feels like a natural precursor to what Pharrell & The Neptunes would later integrate with actual instrumentation (or at least, far better MIDI soundscapes) by their production run in the early 2000s. Something like “A Little Knowledge” feels like a track The Neptunes could clean up and try to let Justin Timberlake salvage with a good featured partner to riff off of. A lot of these tracks share that sense of potential. There’s only two of them that really met it to my ears, being “Perfect Way” & “Lover to Fall”. 2 tracks out of 9, however, do not make an album. The other 7 tracks here are totally, utterly fine, so much so that I’m willing to say I’m closer to a 2.5 than a flat 2. However, I’d still be going down regardless, as the flaws of this album just overwhelm most of the light positives that do exist. The production work here is fine enough as a loose hybrid of 80s synthpop & shades of the New Jack Swing era to come, but it’s so utterly drenched in big brass, gated drums & reverb that it makes the vocals nigh impossible to break through. When they do break through, Green Gartside’s vocals are somehow enunciating every word & stumbling through them at the same time, leading to a mismatched effect where I can’t understand a fucking word he’s saying unless I have the lyrics in front of me. Even then, I’m just not very moved by the lyricism, as I have no idea what the fuck most of these tracks are even trying to say at a deeper level. There’s concepts here, certainly, but nothing feels lived in or legitimate. Even with something like “Perfect Way”, you just can’t convince me he’s actually got the charisma to pull this girl & or any girl in the way that he’s bragging about. I can believe it when MJ is singing “Baby Be Mine” at the top of his lungs with passion. I can’t believe it when Green Gartside has “a perfect way to make a justification”. Hence, a 2. More of a 2.5 bumped down to a 2, but still. It’s just an uninspiring 39 minutes that barely go anywhere as an album to my ears, and while I respect the opinions of reviewers at the time, I think the Spin review that says “no disco was ever this sublime” is one of the most batshit insane sentences I could possibly imagine in response to an album like this. Disco was already dead. You didn’t need to lift this up to piss on a grave buried 100 feet deep, and even then, if you were calling THIS better than Earth, Wind & Fire or Kool & The Gang, I might just straight up call you racist. It’s a 2. I don’t think it needed to be on the list.

Totally pop. No thank you.

This does not age well. Kind like Grandma’s plastic cover her couches.

siento que buscan una onda similar a michael jackson pero les falta la potencia de michael

Instrumentals are pretty cool but wow that voice ruins it for me unfortunately. 2/5

why is this in here

80s New Wave. Cheesy 80s pop. Jackson Lite.

Say what you will about the tenets of Italian Marxism; at least it’s an ethos, dude. A whole lot of nothing about nothing and 80s synthpop never did it for me anyway.

not my vibe. Sounds like it wants you to throw your hands up and bump hips with someone

a sterile attempt at rnb

Ehhhh I didn't like this one very much. Just kind of bland and boring.

I'm not sure I liked this, really hard to tell. At points interestingly poppy, elsewhere just thin gruel.

Peak 80's fodder, and as a consequence, like similar albums from the time, its 95% sh*t.

Nahhh