Reviews (page 5 of 7)
I mean, it's inoffensive but... seriously? listworthy? I don't think so.
What if not good, not unique, and not influential? (You make it into a must-listen-before-you-die list, apparently.) Brother what are we doing here lol.
En kuunnellut kasarilla, en nytkään. Ei paljoa soundimaailma voi kasarimmaksi mennä
Tausta musaa, ei herätä mitään
Typical 80s instrumentation with mediocre vocals.
Ok
I think I thought they were going to be better than this, which is to say, this was pretty poor and I had allowed their quite fun name to make me think I'd be getting a sort of Temu Ah-Ha or something. It was actually offensively bland pop, of the kind that would be hugely disappointing if you'd turned on Top Of The Pops 2 on a Friday night on BBC4, hoping for either a bit of early Smiths or weird-era McCartney, or at the very least some totally insane Bad Manners. But no, you get this. Poor.
It sounded like underproduced Jesus Jones. Light, punchy bass. Lots of 80's synth. Like, I could have dropped any of these songs into an 80's teen movie and it would have felt in place. Nothing stuck, nothing hooked me. I seem to remember "Perfect Way" playing on the radio, or maybe in a movie I saw, but it was just the faintest of memory. The whole thing felt a little like "We wanna be classy jazz players, but we got into a record contract and we have to produce this pop crap." It's all very formulaic, like it's meant to be played on the radio, but //not quite good enough// to hook the kids. My Rating: 2/5. It's listenable, but I'm not coming back voluntarily.
2-3 - very 80’s
Reminds me a bit like a mix of Michael Jackson and New Edition with a New Wave touch. 2/5
EN: Imagine if Tears for Fears were 85% less interesting. This is what this album is. PT-BR: Imagine se Tears for Fears fosse 85% menos interessante. É isso que esse álbum é. 4,75/10
The opening track is a little fun. The rest is anything but
There's nothing but stereotypical 80s music, just not the good stuff. The kind of stuff that frequently pops up on generic radio stations. "Cupid & Psyche 85" is a nice-sounding record, but that doesn't save it from being derivative. Scritti Politti should be ashamed of themselves. I'll stick to more daring and better albums. 2 stars for "Cupid & Psyche 85".
it's like shiddy michael jackson Will I listen to again: 0%
Man, I did NOT enjoy this album! Vocals were an annoying, savage gardenesque falsetto, music was mostly forgettable, 80s soulless drum machine-fueled electronica that sounded like Phil Collins on ambien. Some decent lyrics harkening back to the band's punk roots are the album's only saving grace.
Sugar-coated, gleaming, peak-80s pop. There are some interesting moments and turns of melody, but a lot of the songs and performances felt like name-brand Michael Jackson or something. Not to use a cop-out adjective, but it’s all a bit cheesy. Apparently there’s a narrative on this album too, but I couldn’t hear it over the drum machine.
Kinda boring 80's synthpop. Nothing special, but it made tolerable background music.
Went by quick for me as I did work. Knew nothing about the album going in. Was super disappointed, just not my type.
This is #day329 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… another new name to me. The sheer variety of genres packed into this album is overwhelming: reggae, funk, new wave, and just about every kind of pop: synth-pop, bubblegum-pop, sophisti-pop, you name it. All wrapped in a sleek, polished production that makes for a seemingly musical record… but ultimately, not for me. Though the '80s have been my favorite decade on this journey so far, this one's overly sugary for my liking. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day330.
The just felt really soulless and bland, its very happy...maybe overly so but I bounced off this very quickly
What a surprise a British band that almost no one has heard of and has no right to be on this list and it is one of the blandest, most boring albums I've listened to. I used to think I liked British music more than American, but this list is showing me I dread anytime I see a British band that I don't already know. This guy has terribly weak voice, and they thought they could just get away with writing the same melody over and over again. High 2.
Boring, like if MJ had no energy.
Meh, not my thing... Very synth heavy pop without much im interested in...
Scarily enough, i was debating chatGPT about the merits of this record and it brought it up from a 1 to a 2... but still... it's like 1/4 cup of The 1975 in a barrel of water.
Department store ass music.
Everything wrong with 80s music all rolled in one.. perfect way was slightly better than the rest of this hot garbage
The first few songs on this album were really bland. It got better, but never something I'd actively chose to listen to.
Was excited when i saw this was funk but its like super tedious and surface deep synth pop
Paula Abdul eat your heart out. Not for me at all. Just wanted to skip to the next track all the time. Still better than anything bjork has put out though.
Kinda Michael Jacksoney. thats at least what it reminded me of
fine i guess??
Usually sceptical of 80's bands I'm not really familiar with and this is another example of why. Pretty sedate stuff.
If you’d never heard this album before you’d have no trouble guessing which decade it’s from. You’d also have no trouble spotting the money track Wood Beez. He abandoned Rough Trade Records and his political principles in search of a hit, and you can tell that’s what this is about. He threw every then fashionable production trick at the wall, absolutely all of them; this sounds like the soundtrack to a parody film about the ’80s.
p543. 1985. 2 stars. "Scritti Politti" translates roughly to "political writings" in Italian. It also translates as "dated 80s synths with flaccid vocals". This has not aged well. I cannot imagine any reality where this is essential listening. Saved from 1 star by the admittedly catchy singles.
legalzinho, só.
Not for me. Too much scritti. Not enough politti. Every ditti's dressed up like a pop committi.
This is the type of music played in a video game set in the 80s. Not in a good way, though. Only when the game studio can't afford to get the good 1980s music. The only good thing I can say is that it listenable, but it is extremely generic
Lightweight bubblegum.
Endlessly forgettable.
Sounds like the output of an unsophisticated AI trained exclusively on the Tarzan soundtrack and holiday resort Wham tribute acts
I hate this. It sounds like a soulless, painfully self-serious version of Bill Wurtz.
Not sure this needed to be on the list? Why is it on the list?
2.5/5
Not my jam
not my typa pop.
This just isn't very good. Why would I listen to this when I could just listen to Phil Collins and enjoy it farrrrrr more?
Cheesy breathy boy band hoo hah very much of its time
Had no idea what to expect. Kinda reggae, sort of a modern/Bruno Mars'ish voice on the opening track. And then it got very 80s. SO 80s, and not in an innovative way, but in a beige template way. 2* Flesh and blood had some keyboards that tickled the ear in the right way.
Generic 80s slop but unfortunately for the global rating system I was hungry
There was no bass in the 80's. The transfer from tape to digital cut out all lower frequencies and tight denim squeezed balls under the chin.
Scritti Politti, it seems to me, are always spoken about with a certain level of respect which I've never quite been able to fathom. As someone who attempts to record and produce their own music and who relies more and more on computers and electronic gadgets to do this, I feel I do have to point out that, at the very least, where I might have once dismissed this as a stereotypical 80s lightweight pop sound, I can now appreciate just how much effort and attention to detail must have gone into making a record sound like this - especially mind-boggling to think they did this with 1985 technology. Does that make it a good album though? Not necessarily. I mean, I was born in the mid-70s - I grew up through this music - so there is a certain nostalgia at play here, so I can't deny Wood Beez and The Word Girl hold a certain charm for me, even if I was not massively aware of them specifically back in the day. But there is nothing else here that makes this a special album, there must be something I'm missing. After digging deeper, to the point I even watched a Scritti Politti documentary trying to gain some insight, it would seem Green Gartside considers this particular glossy pop sound to be something he pioneered, and that a lot of other acts and producers started to copy Scritti Politti after hearing this album. It's a bold position, but it's not really one I can dispute - for better or for worse, this particular high-end production sound has come to sum up the entire era like little else, except maybe hair metal. And it would explain the admiration they seem to receive from peers and critics alike. However, and you can probably tell by now I toiled long and hard with how to score this LP, my research also inspired me to check out their first album, after which it all became much clearer. Their Rough Trade debut was a much better record in almost every department - more organic, more melodic, more interesting... While I can offer kudos to Gartside from getting tired of the indie game and seeking to pioneer are slicker sounding pop confection, and pulling it off, I can't award him extra stars for making what, in hindsight, is a really well-produced and impressively slick collection of bang average songs. I feel I'm being a bit generous with two stars, but I veer more towards the "songwriter/producer vision" aspect of what makes a great record than I do the "great voice/proficient musician/great lyrics" argument, so I can live with that!
How did an anarchist punk band from Leeds, with a name inspired by an Italian Marxist and fronted by a welsh art student singing in a falsetto voice over a cod reggae beat played on a Casio keyboard break into the top ten? Beats me too. It’s kind of catchy, and it turns out that the cheap keyboard sounds are actually played on an expensive Fairlight synthesiser (those distinctive brassy stabs are a dead giveaway and date this album precisely to 1985). The 80s truly were a weird time.
Didn't had to check the Wikipedia page to know when this was recorded.
Out of respect for the project, I’m listening to all the 2nd-tier Brit-Pop albums Dimtry included in the 1,000 list. The truth is it’s not very good and, so far, I’ve found 25 albums from 1985 that are not on his list and far better than this. If there were music police, Dimtry would be charged with a crime.
Not my thing
I like a couple songs of their earlier stuff but have never really been a fan of Scritti especially once they moved in the pop direction. This clean pop is miserable to me Rating: 1.7
Ok and not what I expected but unremarkable
I could see this being used in a movie or series, a montage of a bunch of teens being "quirky" as they go shopping. One of them is wearing a windbreaker
Fun
I did Groove a bit to the whole album so is not completely bad
Very well done synthy poppy production of you're into that sort of generic sounding 80's stuff.
It's 80s pop in a very distilled, focused way. Liked the instrumentation and the vocals, but for me it doesn't stand out from the sea of 80s pop out there.
Super cheesy, saccharine, and very much not for me. It’s synthy pop music, it’s upbeat, it’s well produced, and I do not care for this vocalist at all. I’m not really sure what else there is to say about this record. It’s not objectively bad at all, I could see a lot of people enjoying this record, even though I didn’t. It’s certainly a product of its time. I am genuinely struggling to say anymore about it. 2*. Not the worst thing I’ve heard on this list by a long shot.
montage music from a quirky fish out of water 80's movie about big city life
Potentially the most 80s sounding album on this list (yet). Got all the Korg M1 and Yamaha DX7 bells and whistles, and shamelessly unprocessed drum machine sounds. Reminds me a lot of Michael Jackson’s music, except his stuff are actually good. Overall I found this extremely boring. The 80s sound is way too cliché to me, so it has to be stellar if that’s going to fly, and this certainly wasn’t.
I like some 80s music and the vibe but man what a bland 80s record. Nothing to write home about and I'm mostly glad it's over. Weak 2.
snoozefest. ne razlikujem jednu pjesmu od druge a sve su MJ rip-off
Ovaj album ima mitski status u britanskom tisku, ja ga nikad nisam baš shvatio iskreno, a bome nisam ni sad. Zvuči mi ko prosječan 80s pop
Ja, her var det mye lyder. Noe funky MJ-greier. Føles til tider som man jakter powerups og styrer unna bananskall på Koopa Cape Circuit. Synges på både inn- og utpust. I hvilke situasjoner setter man på dette?
Tynne greier, tam vokal (krysning mellom flere 80's vokalisten, men faller litt lavt her) Litt variasjon i sjangere ila albumet (veldig synt 80's pop, til reggae) Lyden i albumet var veldig diskant-heavy med mye synths og el-trommer som ble fort slitsomt (spesielt de første sangene på albumet) A Little Knowledge synes jeg var bra (litt roligere både i tempo og instrumentasjon)
voice is rather annoying i can’t lie, songs are okay
Holy Cliche! This album feels super one note and is oozing with pop. Not bad but not something I can see myself revisiting. It's like synth Armageddon!
this sucks. soulless 80s pop. i've been a real 80s hater the last few days which is strange because i usually love 80s music but this is just. bad.
If you ever need an album that combines all the pop styles of the 1980s for you you should listen to this album I guess. From this perspective, it's of historical value. But I couldn't finish it. The singer sounds horrible I find.
Dated pop music. Standout song: Hypnotize
Yeah it's pretty annoying. 4/10
I wasn't familiar with this band or any of these songs. It's classic mid-80s British pop - pop at its most commercial. It's well produced, considering it was made 40 years ago, but the songs are all just dull and too simplistic pop music. The first one or two songs sounded more interesting (because of the reggae influence) then I lost my interest rather quickly. It is nothing offensive, just way too minimalistic 80s pop music for my taste.
Really 2.5
Not my jam, but it’s kind of fun. 2
# 435 : 13/03/2025 : I don't love it, I don't hate it. Very 1985 and sounds like all the other similar bands of the time. I think sometimes this list feels like things are included just because they were really popular at the time, but does anyone actually still listen to this album?
This was really boring :( felt very the same throughout, all very stale 80s synth sounds..
i am a new wave defender but this one makes it hard
Never had a band name piss me off this much.
Good god this is bad.
For the umpteenth time, this list is way too British.
This album’s vibe is best described as: Super Duper 80’s. Dude even doing his best Michael Jackson impression with those high pitched vocals. Somehow all these songs sound vaguely familiar, but I haven’t heard any of them before. Like these songs could have been in a random 80’s movie, but nothing iconic or memorable like Breakfast Club, we’ll go with something like Police Academy 4 during a montage sequence and nobody noticed. I guess it’s good if you love the 80’s.
meh, too 80s
I kept asking myself why is this on the list. Bad 80s pop then "Perfect Way" came on and it made sense. One hit wonder.
This is a sound I would have liked when I was 14.
I didn't hate this. I can see why people would hate it. I fact, I can't believe I don't hate it. 2.5
This was nice, but not something I had to hear before I die...
A vanishingly insubstantial and utterly disposable, plastic meringue of an album, for which one has no use whatsoever. Its saving graces are two: 1) it's not Metallica and 2) its tepid banality, which seems to approach some horizon of non-existence at several points.
Listening to 'Cupid & Psyche 85' feels like being trapped in a never-ending montage of 80s clichés.
not a 1001, neither a 4004
По мнению А: 2/5 По мнению С: 2/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 2/5 (16.02.2025)
What is going on here. Ever wonder what would happen if you liked Michael Jackson less? Should not be on this list. There's worse music but this doesn't do anything others haven't done better.
Extremely polished 80s, but not offensively so.
This might just be the most unapologetically '80s album I’ve ever heard. Initially, I wanted to hate it—but somehow, it grew on me. That said, I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it anytime soon. Favorite Tracks: The first three songs are genuinely fun, full of energy and catchy melodies. Unfortunately, the momentum fades as the album progresses. Least Favorite Track: Flesh and Blood is a bizarre clash of ska and ‘80s synth-pop, and the result is pretty rough. It just didn’t work for me. Album Artwork: The cover is undeniably cool—easily one of the album’s strongest points.
There is entirely too much 80s pop on this list.
This is definitely a pop album from the 80s it's not great it's not terrible it's very middle of the road lol there were a couple of good songs but it wasn't too bad
I’m not too familiar with Scritti Politti, but based on what I’ve heard—including this album—I can’t say I find their music particularly enjoyable. It’s tolerable at best. What’s interesting is that they’ve explored styles I usually like, yet somehow, their take on those genres just doesn’t click with me.
хз, чет скучно и однообразно, но расслабляет, мне все равно не нравки
многие сравнивают с wham или depeche mode, но по мне это майкл джексон на диком угаре ))
How is this, in any way, an essential album? I can't find anything beyond super generic 80s pop.
Rubbish
Some interesting bits but a bit meh. Can’t see myself whacking it on again
Felt like the naff kind of cheese rather than the good kind of cheese, I'm not sure why this made the list
Not a fan of this I'm afraid. Usually like this kind of music but this doesn't do much for me. Couple of decent tracks but not something I'd revisit
The sound effects and production sure have aged like unrefrigerated milk, but in a way that sort of gives this album a weird charm. Nobody makes 'em like this anymore - and even if that's just because nobody *wants* to make records sound like this anymore, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a unique sounding record. Sophisticated and smooth one moment, cheesy and saccharine the next, but most of all, listening to this album is an act of musical archaeology.
All a bit meh, really. Couple of nice shiny 80s pop songs, but ultimately forgettable.
Sucky 1
artificial and soulless. very appreciative that this was a short album because i hated every minute of this.
Straight 80’s and not very memorable, other than be straight 80’s.
2.5 out of 5. A track here and there be ok but a whole album is tiring
Instrumentation generally good, although dated. Singer’s voice is annoying as hell. Would not recommend.
Didn't finish it. Way too 80's.
This sounded like if Boy George was a regular white boy
Meh
This album makes me tired. I don’t want this. I don’t feel any part of this. Not the beats. Not the vocals. Feels disjointed to me. Not a phan. 2/5
Like if you gave AI a prompt for forgettable, generic 80s pop rock
This was a weird experience. Because I really like the vocals. Dreamy and ethereal. But almost across the board I didn’t like the music/instrumentation that they put underneath. 2/5
Better forgotten 80s
Sounds like they were feeding off Janet Jackson scraps. (No idea who came first - I’ve done no research)
Perfect Way is incredible. The rest is meh.
Scritti ma nittis
It feels like a cross between Wham! and Thomas Dolby. But a lot more dated. NEXT. Top tracks: "The Word Girl," "Small Talk"
just your average 80's band making average music
Sounds like a Michael Jackson impersonator got cocky and tried to make their own music.
Well that's 38 minutes and 49 seconds I'm not getting back. Light and cheerful, which is generally to my taste, but utterly unremarkable and a complete let down after the madness the list has been serving me lately.
Dès les premières secondes on est plongé dans la pop 80’s dans tout ce qu’elle a de plus daté, inoffensive, énervante, laide, oubliable. Tous les clichés de cette époque sont là, et rien ne nous est épargné en matière de synthés daté, de basses ringardes et de solos de saxo. Ca n’a pas grand chose à faire là et aurait du être oublié avec le passage aux années 90, même si le syndrôme de Stockholm peut fonctionner sur certains titres (le rythme de “The World Girl”, c’est à dire le preset “Reggae” d’un synthé bontempi, “Small Talk” coche toutes les cases). Disons que cet album est la forme finale et chimiquement pure de ce style de musique. J’en prends note, 2 pour l’effort mais pourvu que je ne croise jamais plus sa route.
Well I was confused as Luke had previously said he likes Scritti Politti and this sounded a lot like Michael Jackson ballads. Apparently they were more experimental at another time. I didn't love this. Dragged on. mopey 80s
Was not what I expected and I was not a fan.
The term ‘meticulously constructed’ gets thrown around a lot these days, but I think that a great example of how something should be ‘meticulously constructed’ comes from a mid-Eighties Single, which reached No.6 on the UK singles charts by a British act who were initially associated with the Punk movement but who had moved towards a more New Wave sound. I am, of course, talking about Tom Robinson’s War Baby, which is an absolutely perfect song in terms of how it’s written, performed, produced, everything. One the aspects I think is particularly interesting about it is how deceptively simple War Baby’s construction is, the song itself is a simple Pop song structure, verse chorus bridge etc, and rather simple instrumentation, a simple bass and drum groove, a keyboard marking the chord changes, occasional guitar chords used for emphasis, and then a sax providing lead runs and melody. And yet, the way the production works to make this simplicity work, the little touches like the guitar echoing Robinson’s voice in the chorus. And that’s not even mentioning my usual favourite topic; needless to say the lyrics are fantastic, evocative and melancholy, profound and elusive. The whole song sounds like it was crafted by artists at the very top of their game, doing their best to elevate each idea to the top of it’s potential. On the side of the spectrum, we have ‘meticulously constructed’ to mean, ‘well there sure are a lot of instrumental parts on this, and they’ve sure got a lot to do.’ Cupid & Psyche 85 sounds so busy all the time, it’s maximalist in the very worst way in all aspects but one. I’ve literally just finished to the album as I write this, and my genuine reaction was ‘Is that it?’ It just fades out, on a song that sounds exactly like every other song on the album. There’s no attempt to create a big album closer, it’s just a regular song, that just fades and then nothing. I don’t even like this album and I feel cheated. I’m not sure if I dislike it enough to give it a one, there was nothing egregiously wrong with it, but it gives me the same feeling of self importance that most Prog Rock does, a sense of the grandness of the construction of the music without the understanding of what makes good music interesting
solid 80s pop. kinda boring tho
Perfect Way is the only song that works. Otherwise this album is garbage.
Boring pop.
It's not offensive to my ears like some of the albums on this list but damn it feels derivative. Maybe it felt more inspired when it came out but now it sounds like the ghost of 80s music.
This album reminds me of Cliffhanger, a Sylvester Stallone / John Lithgow classic. The movie is so bad that it’s awesome. This album? Not awesome, but the extremely bad, textbook example of 80s music emits a certain nostalgic feeling. These guys leaned in HEAVY to all the latest synthesizer noises. And the drum machine. So bad, I almost found enjoyment.
Wow that was so '80s
British new wave, where everything sounds the same (bad). Stand-out: Wood Beez
Not for me. Will Lee on bass is always great though.
A bit too fey for my tastes.
Bubblegum pop - not really new wave.
About as "unremarkable, horribly aged 80s music" as you could possibly get before imploding into a black hole. If Breakfast Club had become an entire franchise, one of these songs would have played in the Direct-To-DVD sequel "Breakfast Club 6: Vernon's Revenge". So overproduced it makes your ears go numb. It's almost like a parody.
Had its moments, but not enough.
I wasn't really feeling this. It may have felt novel when it came out, but came off as a bit generic to my ears on this listen.
I like British Pop, but this was a bit too Brit-Poppy for me. Favorite Song: "Small Talk"
Definitely not for me
like almost any other 80s Record. Still liked a few songs more or less but overall doesn't add light to my room...
They had one hit off this album, and I haven’t thought about them in 30 years. Not great.
This sounds like the songs of a made up boy band on a tv show from the 80s.
I think I may be lactose intolerant, because the amount of cheese in this album gave me the shits.
Why?
Boring.
блюз 3/10
If this isn’t the most sugarcoated, made for the charts, junk food music crap I’ve ever heard, I don’t know what is. They wanted so badly to be Michael Jackson. I hate to break it to them - no one is. Was there substance here? Maybe. But I was so turned off from the music that I didn’t really listen to the lyrics. It just felt like they took what was on the American charts and decided to copy it. And that the author of this list (a Brit) heard that in his younger days, loved it, is nostalgic for it, and threw it on this list. It didn’t need to be here. I didn’t need to hear this. Please god let there not be any more of them on this list. Two stars. Standout Track: Perfect Way
Pfff, melow in a bad way, and I hate that Seinfeldbass
Vá hvað öll lögin á þessari plötu eru alveg eins. Þau renna öll saman í eitt og það var bara einu sinni þar sem ég heyrði að það væri komið annað lag að byrja sem fljótt varð svo aftur eins og hin. Pínu leiðinleg lög líka því miður
Mehh
It’s okay
Most of the songs sounded the same to me. I could see why Perfect Way was a hit but nothing else on the album really stood out.
När jag skriver det här dagen efter, så inser jag att jag inte minns något av albumet mer än att det var beskedlig bakgrundsmusik
This is way too saccharin and sweet for my tastes. Fave: Small Talk
Oof, my new wave rehabilitation hasn't stretched this far - this is way too poppy for my taste - I get that it's kinda pastiching pop music of the time, but still. 😒 Fave tracks - "Flesh & Blood" if that's allowed, as it's straight up reggae. "The Word Girl" as a a runner up, due to the dubby flavor - would have enjoyed this album a lot more if they went dub on every track...
So 80s. So below average. I did not enjoy this.
It was alright, singer had an interesting voice and it was a pleasant listen. Don't feel much need to return to it, the word girl might make a playlist but I don't know which one
It's... fine. I can't really imagine listening to this again in the future. 2.5 / 5
kinda like prince but worse
Very quirky album. Is it reggae? Is it indie rock? I can't really pin this one down. I don't think it's as bad as this website would have you believe, but it's a little too all over the map to make a real impression on me. Favorite tracks: The Word Girl, Don't Work That Hard. Album art: Extremely boring, just the band name stamped a couple of times. Moving on. 2.5/5
Not really for me though I did enjoy the weird vocal effect near the end of Absolute. Honestly feels like an entire album of Michael Jackson uncanny valley.
Every song sounds like the last. Not bad per se, but doesn't really belong on this list.
Not my thing at the time, only slightly more bearable now.
Kinda boring. Doesnt fit on the list
Not horrible, but did not need to be on this list.
Absolute was a nice trip down memory lane, but other than that, this was not enjoyable at all. Eighties pop at its worst.
Most basic of 80s albums
The eightiest album on this list
Never heard the album before. I think The Word Girl and Absolute were hits here. I remember some other parts. Maybe they were used as background music somewhere. I can't stand the singing. Makes it almost unlistenable. I'd swear I heard autotune on this record, but it hadn't been invented yet for another 10 years or so. Favorite song: Don't work that hard.
Wtf!
Eh, not my speed.
Sickeningly saccharine. No idea why this deserves a spot on the list. It's not horrible, compared to some other albums on here, but it just doesn't stand out or appeal in any meaningful way.
This album was not very enjoyable. I was thinking that I would be more excited for a Brit-pop album but I found this to be pretty lackluster. Wouldn’t have this in my rotation.
A bit boring, not really my style, but not terrible.
This album doesn’t transcend the decade like some of the albums on the list. I thought it was solid, but being so jarringly 80s would keep me from putting any songs on a playlist or anything. It is cohesive, but maybe too cohesive in that it’s too niche, for me at least.
Between the heavy synth drums and the lead singer’s voice, this one didn’t cut it for me. It wasn’t the worst, but it definitely wasn’t that memorable. From what I read, there are samples throughout the album and that’s why it’s influential, but the only thing that sounded familiar was a potential Mario sample.
Sounds like reggae? weird. I didn't love it, but I see why some do.
Crystal Light National Aerobic Championship anyone? Just like that video, this is disturbingly mesmerizing.
I feel like this is an album that had potential for one or two songs to make it big because they are classic sounding however the rest was just so boring and I really don’t see how they’re influential. I’m not disgusted or anything I was just bored.
Not my cup of tea!
Forgettable
Yeah Cupid & Psyche 85 is terribly 80s :D and not in a good way, it's a very dated sound, doesn't do any of the genre's better things, just sits there and doesn't achieve anything. Not annoyingly bad, not even average, it's a low 2.
This one did nothing for me
Tosi Michael Jackson tyylistä poppia. Ei mitenkään ihmeellistä.
Meh. 2/5
Liked Wood Beez back in the day and there are a couple of decent tunes here but nothing that matches up with the big hit.
Meh
Mid 80’s chart pop - exactly the kind of stuff I hated back in the day.
Ik denk dat team Scritti Politti stiekem tijdreizigers zijn, want dit album klinkt alsof ze A.I. hebben gebruikt om muziek te genereren met Michael Jackson als zanger. Track 1 is UB40-muziek met Micheal-zang, track 2 is Prince-muziek met Michael-zang, enzovoort. Een vleugje George Michael zit er ook wel in. Waar ik Prince al gedateerd vind klinken is het op dit album helemaal hommeles met een bak hele goedkope synth- en drumcomputergeluiden. Zo'n track als 'Don't Work That Hard' is bijna een persiflage. Vooruit, het is geen tyfusherrie of kattengejank en daardoor is het wel te luisteren, maar dit hoort niet in een lijst als deze. Ik heb in een lade tegenover me een Telekids cd liggen die een plek in deze lijst meer zou verdienen. Qua makkelijk wegluisteren zou ik een 3 kunnen geven maar ik moet in de geest van deze queeste toch een vol punt in mindering brengen omdat je dit absoluut niet hoeft te horen voor je je ogen voor de laatste keer sluit.
Didn't find it that bad but I cannot justify 3/5 compared to other ratings I gave. Not sure if it should be on the list.
Hyper overproduction. It was just sounds they liked looped over whisper singing. Campy 80s
80s sucks ass
This was in 1 star territory for the first 10 seconds but to its credit opened up into something much harder to hate.
Pretty bottom of the bucket 80s pop. Made for TV movie quality, not Hughes film quality
Nope. I have no need for music like this. It's a great example of an album that I need not hear every full song. This was so against my music DNA that it hurt. I don't doubt that it warrants inclusion, it's just simply grating to me.
Never heard of it, and I now wish that was still the case. I'm not supposed to have that much sugar without a shot in the gut. I'm sure the 14 year old girls in 1985 were squeeing with delight.
Nice laid back easy listening pop-rock up front. A quite dated 80’s sound though, getting boring over the whole album
סביר מינוס 2
Nahh
An ok album
Aight this is ass. Don't get how this one made the list
I do understand this, I really do. I even respect it. But it’s not for me. Especially after having just done Princes’ 1999 a couple days ago. Nothing in this album stands out from its 80’s pastiche
1.5/5
Not my favorite 80s album.
Sounded like the same song on repeat
Sounds like the synch-related 80's
This is forgettable 80's pop.
Pritti shitti.
Not a great inclusion. Rounds the week off appropriately though, what a rough run of albums.
Cut price Michael Jackson sings the soundtrack to a generic 1980s fish-out-of-water comedy.
Clearly out of time, standard rhythm of the 80s. It all sounds like Janet Jackson and similar artists of the time.
It's got that deep 80's sound. It's kind of a hard listen, it just doesn't break through the walls with me. There are a million albums from the 80's that sound just like this. It's generic, canned synth-pop cringy love songs.
Very boring, pretty bad. What is this album doing on this list? It's much worse than usual 80s stuff, just a waste of time really.
listened 1x. 1.7/5. not really interested in this, but not bad.
This album is so quintessentially 80s...I don't mean that as a compliment. I feel like I'm trapped in a bad screening of the breakfast club while listening to this. There's some interesting instrumentation with the synth and the bass but it doesn't do it for me. It's a very pedestrian album for the decade.
я бы послушал синглы а это слишком приторно алкоальбом: суперслкадкие конфеты с коньяком
Шо-то как-то пресно. Как будто все поп-клише, ухудшить, и выпустить.
80s Brit Pop. Nothing outstanding, so no album for the 1001 List
Sorry maybe needed to spend more time with this, but just got middle of the road 80’s music from first listen, almost a poor man’s MJ that I can’t be bothered coming back to this.
"Perfect Way" is a decent song in a mix of '80s pop. And I generally love me some 80s pop. But listening to this whole album was a bit of a sugary overload in some way, and I found myself somewhat annoyed by the cutesy-sounding vocals. Maybe just because I was sick and grumpy when listening.
Pop con sintetizadores. No me ha gustado. Un 2.
A slog to get through, outdated 80s pop songs that all sound the same, doesn’t that sound amazing? Shocker, it really wasn’t.
many of the songs sound like what you hear when the credits roll for any popular PG movie made between 1985-1991. I know it is a sound they innovated but I think in its pure form it was a dead end, but as used by some pop musicians it was influentual.
I remember SP from the 80s. Wasn't a fan then. Not a fan now.
Ah. It’s a collection of 80s disco light-hearted synth-based half-arsed love songs. Most certainly not my thing. There’s nothing I’m actually repulsed by, and there’s even some stand-out synthy sections. But overall, it’s really nothing more than what I outlined in the first paragraph.
Competent but boring. No interesting ideas. I suppose the synths were maybe newer for the time, but this is still a snooze fest.
File under 'hasn't aged well'. Hard to listen to, stock early synth sounds ("Orchestral Hit" preset), tons of reverb, and I just didn't enjoy the vocal styling.
What is this. Shitty 80s androgynous music. Nothing worth remembering. 1.5 stars, it did not make me actively hate it, but it came close.
Relentlessly dance-y.
Sounds like they were setting out to make an album with only radio friendly song. The result is an album where no song stands out.
I didn't really like Scritti Politti when this album was released, and I still find the excessively smooth production, lightweight pop stylings and Green Gartside's vocals a bit too much. But maybe over the years my dislike of this album has moderated. I can see why this is considered an album one ought to listen to, though I really can't give it a strong rating.
This was inoffensive but nothing really stood out
This is what 80's music sound like to people who don't like 80's music
I thought I would like this but it feels like I'm trapped in a department store. Every song virtually sounds the same. Not worth being on this list, or really being an album.
Meh. Perfect way is okay but everything on this album sounds the same.
There is a British bias on this list when something as unremarkable as this 80s pop is on the list
Thin and forgettable.
There is definitely a lack of bass on this album. A classic 80’s sounding album. On the other hand, there isn’t anything really catchy with the songs. It really seems like they were greatly fortunate in getting a hit with Perfect Way. Oddly enough, that song was the only song that broke them from the same monotonous sound. Choice Cut: Perfect Way
Sounds like eightes pop, quite dated
Uninteresting 80's british pop. Not worth another listen.
Too much too much too eighties. And it all sounds the same. Nothing worse than a critic playing snob! ⭐⭐ because 80's have good things!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die...If You're British?
1985 hätte ich das sicherlich abgelehnt, jetzt fand ich es gar nicht so schlimm. Aber ich glaube, in dem Stil gibt es aus der Zeit Stücke, die mir besser gefallen.
The 80’s called, and Tears For Fears still reigns supreme 2/5
Netter Pop, Leadstimme klingt weiblich. 2S.
Weak production and perfunctory lyrics. Skip it.
Best Song: Perfect Way. If you squint, you can almost imagine that Michael Jackson is performing a better version of this song. Also, you can't tell me that the piano at around 3:00 isn't straight out of Yoshi's Island. Worst Song: Absolute. The buzzing effect is extremely weird. It sounds like I'm being courted by hallucinogenic bees. Overall: Music that seems to have scrubbed itself completely free of any discernible soul. This is the epitome of that heartless, bubblegum aesthetic of the 80s that I can't stand. Music for cosmetic surgeons.
The only reason this wasn't 1 star is because my wife recognized and liked one of the songs from her childhood.
Every song sounds the same and that one song is just not very good.
I mean it was quite of its time I think. I thought I'd accidentally put one song on to play over and over...
2 stars. doesn't do much for me.
just okay to me, probably won't return to it.
Budget Wham!
This is starting to get fatiguing with its chirpy 80s poppiness. Those synths sure are tiring. Hang on. Wood Beez. Is that The Beach Boys' "God only knows" floating around in the background? Yeah, absolutely no clue why this is regarded as a "must listen" album.
You know, I never liked Scritti Politti when they first came out. I appreciate having a chance to reassess them all these years later, but I've got to say that my opinion hasn't changed. The band is going for this sort of fizzy and soulful pop vibe, which is mostly pretty bland. Limp vocals, shallow lyrics, and an attempt at soulfulness that rings very, very hollow. The songs that were released as singles are tolerable, but there's a lot of filler here. Fave Songs: Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin), Perfect Way
Super corny 80's garbage.
Its like Kmart wham. I would say Marshall's but its still around.
I know this should be in my wheelhouse, but ooof. Just too light and flighty. Its like straight out of a bad 80's movie montage sequence.
play that funky music white boy
Kinda forgettable. Favorite song was Wood Beez
Synes egentlig det var ret catchy, men lidt benløst
Very forgettable 80s Brit Pop. Nothing really stood out or interested me
Not even 1-worthy 2
Not terrible but really repetitive brit pop. Not really for me.
Def a time and place kind of music. Kind of Prince -esk 80's in sound. Unlike Prince, every song sounds the same. Very copy/paste for tone. I appreciate they kept it to 38 minutes.
Heel veel hetzelfde deuntje. Wel aangenaam verrast door het reggaenummer plots
Demasiado simplista y ochentero. Sintetizadores para aburrir. Algo bailongo y con ritmo. Canciones un tanto parecidas. Artista totalmente desconocido.
Reggae light? Nope. Mid-80s pop, electro-dance-pop, etc. Michael Jackson wanna-be? Pretty sure by 1985, every single person in the UK had put out an album just like this. Highly recommend listening to Thomas Dolby's THE GOLDEN AGE OF WIRELESS (1982), which blows this out of the water. Overall review: this album is inoffensive shit. ⭐⭐ because of clean production. __________________________________ 🎧 # of LPs reviewed: 18 🎧 # of LPs left to review: 983 🎧 # of LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 4 🎧 # of LPs I *might* include in my own list: 7 🎧 # of LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine: 4
Nah. Nope. Just run of the 80’s mill synth driven blah. He should have listened to what Matt Johnson / The The was doing with synth music at the time then gone home and reassessed his choices.
Completely forgettable. Not sure why I had to listen. Forgot to rate, and had to listen to the first song again just to remind myself what the album was.
inget vidare tyvärr. men finns sämre musik.
Decent 80s jams here but then the singing starts and ruins it. 1.54
This wasnt fun at all.
Didn't really notice that it was playing, very unmemorable.
Some fun funky instrumentals, but sometimes they get a bit too 80s cheese for me. The vocals I just dislike unfortunately. They're whispery and whiny at once somehow.
Chill ass album.
What I will give this album is its choice of instrumentation - the synths are notably distinct in timbre from other LPs of this era, and clearly influence some of the more nostalgic throwback electronica today. However, good instrumentation is worth little without solid melodies, and this album is severely lacking in anything beyond Muzak-level songwriting.
woof.
I didn't like Scritti Politti in '85 from what i heard on the radio. Revisiting their sound and album doesn't improve today. The 80's style electronic beats don't age well and the waifish vocals start irritating me quickly.
2,5
Ei kyl lähtenyt
Every song belongs in a different bad 80s movie.
Did not like this. It felt very one note and bland.
Too British
Super corny, repetitive beats, but I didn’t despise it, makes okay background music.
#57. A.I. prompt: What would it sound like if Boy George, George Michael, and Micheal Jackson were the same person, and the Boy George² Michael² Jackson abomination made the most boring album possible? Ooh, also give me some gibberishy rhyming name similar to Milli Vanilli or something. Oh man. Scritti Politti? Geez, thats worse than i could have imagined. Ok, perfect. Now send it out into the world and see if anyone notices its not real. 2/5: meh
Didn’t draw me in.
I just couldn't get into this one much
I dont think Absolute was actually about a girl ;-) Not good at all
It is generic 80s music. The dial did not move much. Nothing was recognizable and there is no desire to revisit this album, any song or this group again. There are certainly worse albums on this list, but it was tolerable. I will round up.
Pure trendchasing. Absolutely nothing on here that would set the standard or influence other artists. The synths are Prince-lite and barely fit the songs, and the lyrics are bland cliché after bland cliché. Virtually nothing in the hook department either, which is incredibly dissapointing for and album trying so blatantly to be a pop smash.