Reviews (page 6 of 8)
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 Song added to playlist: The Word Girl I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
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.
Thought this was gonna just be a mediocre 80s record that was over hated but it was a crappy 80s record instead. 4/10
This was fine - wasn’t particularly bad, just very bland, turned it off about halfway through as I just wasn’t vibing with it
It’s very 80’s That is the best and worst thing I can say about it
This sounds like all of those forgettable songs you hear in mediocre 80’s movies.
this album boldly asks the scandalous question, \"what if michael jackson didn't have access to good producers, writers, editors, or talent?\"
Did not vibe to this album at all, though the first track got my hopes up that it'd be a ska/reggae album haha. Not a horrible listen, just really not my thing. 2/5
This album feels extremely generic, and gets to the point where it is trying to cash in on the success of artists like Prince and just the Minneapolis sound in general. The issue is that this a British white guy, so it does rub me the wrong way ethically. Outside of that, however, the music sure is from the 80s. Artificial sounds aplenty, and reeks of cheese, but it is inoffensive. The album flies by, and I'm 100% sure one or two songs played without me even noticing. Sounds like their EP "4 A Sides" is something far more worth listening to, but we'll see if I get around to it ever.
De jaren 80 zijn bij mij altijd hit & miss... dit is één van die misperen dan.
Niks mis met jaren 80, maar dit is me toch iets te frivool
Tja, daar zit je dan met je lekker 80's liedjes, die in 2023 toch niet zo heel boeiend meer zijn. Het 'gevoel' is wel lekker retro, maar met alleen gevoel maak je niet direct muziek die de tand des tijds weet te trotseren.
it's the most 80s thing you'll ever hear!
2-
Deze mensen zijn wel heel erg blij met de aanschaf van hun synthesiser. Je hoort bijna niks anders, zelfs de mummelende zang valt weg ergens naar de zijkant, om maar vooral dat takkeritme en die flutloopjes in de schijnwerpers te zetten. De Frans Bauer-test: zou ik liever Fransie opzetten dan dit? Dat ook weer niet. Dus een 2.
Ik hoor een beetje Michael Jackson, een beetje Prince, een beetje George Michael. In hun jaren-80-extra-valse-lucht-periode. Met nadruk op een beetje. Er is onvoldoende signatuur om echt op te vallen. Of iets in het hoofd te laten hangen. En dan wordt dit toch gewoon een jaren-80 deun. Dacht dat daar al genoeg van in de lijst stond?
Ongelooflijk typische jaren 80 met vlakke drumbeatjes uit de computer, een pulserend basje die ook zo uit de computer weg is gelopen en continu synth geluidjes. Af en toe volgt er een schurende gitaar om de boel wat op te leuken. De stem houdt het midden tussen een zeikerige Britse zang en een kruising tussen Prince en Michael Jackson. Het is bizar gedateerd en doorstaat de tand des tijds absoluut niet. Toch is het nog best onderhoudend, al lijken alle nummers vrijwel identiek. Het klinkt herkenbaar (uit de jaren 80 dan wel te verstaan) zonder echt een hele grote hit te zijn geweest. "Absolute" komt me wel bekend voor, maar als het zelfs al geen top2000-materiaal is, dan vraag je je toch af wat dit in de snob1001 doet.
Never heard of this band before. Usually enjoy 80s music but there was a reason I’ve never heard of Scotty’s potty’s and it’s because it’s pretty boring. Nothing on this album stood out to me. It had the makings to have one good hit but I never heard it. 4.5/10
Discovering an artist you've never heard of before can be an exciting journey. I was thrilled to stumble upon Scritti Politti's "Cupid & Psyche 85." However, as a fan of New Wave, I have to admit that this one didn't quite hit the mark for me. The album, spanning 40 minutes, had a consistent sound throughout, which gave me the impression of listening to the same thing on repeat. While some New Wave albums offer a dynamic range of sounds and emotions, this one seemed to stick to a single formula.
I wanted to like this, I really did. Have heard good things about Scritti Politti and their place on the 80s new wave, but whereas I can go back to ABCs Lexicon of Love and really enjoy it, I just can't with this. All the vibe and production is there but the tunes aren't, from the first faux reggae beat right at the start I kind of wanted it to end. Absolute was pretty good and I increased in hope but then lost it again. There is some strangeness in WoodBeez which is vaguely interesting and there's some off kilter lyrics here and there but not enough to keep me coming back. What I find weird is for a band that Wikipedia says had several hits off this record, and me growing up in the 80s, why have I no memory of any of these songs? A curio, really.
I wasn't into this kind of music in the 80's and I'm still not.
Pure 80's cheese. For all the synthpop sensibilities of it's time, this tends to be the most unremarkable. It's be done better by more talented people.
This album's sound transports me right back to the mid-80s when it was released. It sounds very much of that time. It wasn't really my style back then but I can appreciate it a bit more now due to the passage of years. It's very much in the pop vernacular of the mid-80s, and I don't really love it (too synth-y for me) but that's a matter of personal preference, not a reflection of the band's abilities.
Menudo rollazo ... como Prince ñoño, sin gracia.
Echt wel saaaai
Gartside's voice sits in saccharine space, an uncomfortable premise never quite achieved or rejected. Morbidly fascinated, I can't end seeing the album as anything other than fairly dried-out.
I’m sure they are giving important political messages but unfortunately I switched off to the boring samey tones
not for me, although I did like a lot of the very 80s production, the songs weren't really there to back it up
The songs on this album are unoriginal Michael Jackson-era pop at best and weirdly quiet and creepy at worst.
15th September 2023 Listened in the day, Mary Ruth and Rosie came round. Fish and chips in the evening. Classic 80s pop sound like wham and bananarama. 2.5 if I could.
couldn't finish
A budget Michael Jackson.
about as 80's as you can get. think lilt adverts, synth brass and slap bass
Definitely polished 80s pop. Good, but almost too cookie cutter? Sounds like it was made in a factory. Enjoyable, but I don't know, it didn't resonate with me.
I know it's a cliché, but I prefer their earlier stuff. I love Green's voice, but find this all too polished, and a bit mannered. Some good tunes on here but I got a bit bored after a few tracks. Sounds very much of its time.
2.5 It’s not bad just didn’t care for it.
This is the rare pop album with basically no real melodic hooks or actually catchy songs. Dozens of 80s pop albums that absolutely destroy this, from the actually good of a-ha and Tears for Fears to the mediocre-but-at-least-some-catchy-songs Wham!. Tempting to give it a 1 honestly, but I'm a sucker for cheesy 80s synth music. Plus it's definitely not quite as bad as my other 1s (some of which are getting very near to being actual crimes against humanity)... Just very much not good, no need to listen to ever again. 2 it is. Time to listen to some mediocre (but still infinitely better) 80s synth-pop to clear my mind.
Honestly pretty good Brit Pop, so in the end it’s Brit Pop, and I have to take a star off because of the over-saturation of Brit Pop on this list.
Vähän kuin olis kuunnellut MJ:tä ilman groovea. Pikku kekkulissa ei jatkoon, tuskin muutenkaan.
Nyt vierähti vähän liian pitkä tovi kuuntelun ja arvostelun välillä, et varmaks en osaa sanoo. Muistelen kuitenkin, et päällimmäisenä ajatuksena oli ”loppuispa tää levy jo”?
No thanks (80's Prince knock-off?)
A strange 80s pop/synth/electro album that isn't too bad, but doesn't really grab me at all. Thankfully it's a short album and I didn't have to endure that for very long. Best: Absolute Worst: Don't Work That Hard
Not for me
Well, I made it through it. Not terrible, but maybe not my cup of tea first thing in the morning
Didn’t get anything out of this
This sailed perilously close to being a one star stinker.
quién elige estos discos?
Was this an album of just one song?? If you like that song, great! If you don’t, gotta say it’s a little dull.
i was there in the 80s, this record is somehow emblematic of much of the style (overuse of electronic drums, tinny slap bass, wall to wall synths) and yet not very good
Pop
This was alright, but I am just not that into this kind of synth pop.
A punk band turned into the worst of the 80s. Back to the British bent of this list.
Had to work to get through this one.
1.5 really not amazing. Maybe a COUPLE okay PARTS but overall yucky
Sounds like MJ, but I like it better...?
C- The Word Girl - 3 Small Talk - 2 Absolute - 2 A Little Knowledge - 2 Don’t Work That Hard - 2 Perfect Way - 3 Lover To Fall - 2 Wood Beez - 2 Hypnotize - 2 This was okay. It was WAY too 80s. Wasn't horrible though.
4/10 gros pop electro brit pas tant plaisant
Not for me.
Very typical mid 80s new wave pop synth music. Nothing on this stood out to me as ground breaking or amazing.
Classic 80s sound but couldn't find much joy with essentially a one hit wonder.
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Wood Beez (8) 2 - Perfect Way (6) 3 - Hypnotize (9)
It’s weird to listen to an album with nine songs that all sound the same and somehow only one is good. 2.5 stars
Mmmeh
Pop con sintetizadores. No me ha gustado. Un 2.
Menudo rollazo ... como Prince ñoño, sin gracia.
Another synth-pop band from the 80's I avoided. Until now, never listened to more than a couple songs and it's so bland I don't need to hear anymore. Kind of a British poor-man's version of Michael Jackson, though Scritti Politti seems to lack Mikey's passion and emotion and it's not my kind of music.
I thought Brits were immune or allergic to boy bands? Sounds like the British pop version of Color Me Badd. It's harmless and unimpactful. Every single track sounds exactly the same; there's no tonal, lyrical or sonic variety to be found here. If the year of release was 2023 I'd assume this whole album was written and performed by ChatGPT. It should probably just stay in the $1 records value bin where it belongs.
it has everything to be good but honestly, it lacks soul
Slightly dull new wavey stuff. A lot of new wave on this list, and I have enjoyed a fair amount of it, but this one falls a bit flat for me
Fun and upbeat, some great 80's synth work going on but ultimately not as catchy as I had hoped. Put a few songs on 80's playlists though so that's a plus for it.
Although I can't deny tapping my foot to some of the bouncy, trouncy beats, overall I'm not a fan of the Michael Jackson-lite singing and this style of music. Need to go listen to some classic Who or Led Zeppelin as an antidote. 2 stars.
Started off with a bit of potential but quickly became just a background annoyance.
Dit vond ik niks
Mid 80s soul/pop album that sounds exactly like Prince and Janet Jackson sounded at that time, but without an inkling of their respective genius. Pity. 2/5
What am I missing here?
I don't have a purpose omission, I'm empty by definition.
This is like male Madonna stuff. very clinky and synthy. how ultimately dull.
Sounds dated, but I hear the innovation here.
J’ai juste trouve ca vraiment trs moyen… 2
Ei tääkään nyt lähde mulle yhtään. Tylsää 2/5
Varmaan merkittävä levy Briteissä mutta vaikea ulkopuolelta saada kiinni. En kauheesti ehtiny keskittyä sanoihin, jotka on kai hyviä. Kakkoseen jää.
It's interesting? But it's very 80s and sounds super dated. A historical curiosity but nothing more than that.
Perfect Way was lyrically interesting, but the music did absolutely nothing for me. In general, I think the issue was probably my feelings about generic 80s synth pop. The songs that were musically slightly more interesting did nothing for me lyrically. Some more boring to me on both fronts. The description says that there is preoccupation with politics in the lyrics, but that doesn’t really come across very much. Interest in words and wordplay, sure, but barely anything here seemed intensely political.
Day 47 I've seen my fair share of shit in my life. I like to be open minded. That said, there are instances where media can offend or go out of it's way to be terrible. This is different because it offers me nothing. Every track feels like the same extension of 80s synth pop but doesn't to much to differentiate itself vocally or instrumentally. I found myself bored to death and even the greatest realisation of the format, Perfect Day, was too milquetoast to be added to my rotation. The worst album ever? Not quite. But I do struggle to understand why the fuck this had to make the list out of everything out there Fav track: Cant be arsed
I cannot believe Robert Dimery likes synth-pop this much.
The density of 80's pop recording tropes on this album. Is that why it was added? It's almost an instructive formula that repeats ad nauseum. Absolutely saccharine nonsense. I can imagine people in their late teens circa 1990 digging through a friends cassettes and finding this and teasing them. "Whatever butthead I was like 13 when I bought that I don't even listen to it anymore!"
lame music
By the second song I checked how long the album was, relieved to see under 40 minutes
Story time. I bought the first edition of the 1001 albums book not long after it came out, maybe 2006. I read it quite a bit, and had a pretty good memory for what albums were within. Some years later, I'm perusing used records at my local record shop, and I see this album. I remember the cover being in the book, kinda liked the style of it, but couldn't recall the music, other than it was from the mid 80s. I took a chance, knowing it was in the book, and bought it unheard. It's a strategy that yields good results most of the time... ...But not all of the time. I did not like this album. It did not grow on me over time. I'm listening again, just to recall, and nothing's changed. First, this album starts the worst way possible, with a tacky reggae track. Then proceeds to the most generic 80s pap throughout the rest of its length. The kind of music that a fake band on the show Saved By The Bell would play. I'm not the kind of person that has an aversion to poppy, synthy, bright 80s music. But this has such a polished shiny exterior, with an interior that's completely vacant and devoid of feeling. I felt nothing. The name Patrick Bateman has been thrown around in other reviews, and I totally understand why. 1 out of 5.
I would rather listen to king Charles take a dump on a snare drumb
Total Miss for me. One of the more boring bands of the '80s.
Bad Michael Jackson impression
Ts genuinely ruined my entire day Actually the first album I couldn’t finish
Il y a des jours où l’on se demande quelle faute impardonnable on a bien pu commettre dans une vie antérieure pour mériter un tel châtiment auditif. Car lancer la lecture d’un disque comme Cupid & Psyche 85 de Scritti Politti relève très exactement de ce genre d’épreuve métaphysique. Ensuite, je me suis posé une question avant d’attaquer ce post : comment donner mon avis en toute franchise sans froisser mortellement une certaine frange de nostalgiques des eighties qui vénèrent encore ce machin comme le saint des saints de la pop sophistiquée ? La réponse courte, je m’en contrefous éperdument. La réponse longue, argumentée et suintant l’exaspération la plus pure, la voici : c’est tout simplement nullissime, d’une pauvreté musicale affligeante, et je préfère prévenir d'emblée que mon indulgence a ses limites, surtout face à un chanteur dont le timbre m’a donné des envies de meurtre dès la première mesure. Si j'ai consenti à lui lâcher un misérable 1 sur 5, c'est uniquement parce que le supplice ne s'étire que sur trente-huit minutes. Trente-huit minutes de calvaire, c'est déjà trop, mais ça m’a au moins évité de sombrer dans un coma irréversible, donc ma souffrance a été un tantinet minorée par la brièveté du carnage. Pour bien situer le désastre, il faut quand même rappeler la trajectoire grotesque de cette mascarade. Scritti Politti, à ses débuts à la fin des années soixante-dix, c’était le délire post-punk intello par excellence, des types qui vivaient dans un squat crasseux londonien, lisaient Gramsci au petit-déjeuner et sortaient des singles lo-fi emballés dans du papier journal en dissertant sur la dialectique marxiste et l'effondrement du capitalisme. Puis soudain, illumination mercantile ou crise existentielle majeure : Green Gartside, le grand gourou de la bande, décide qu’il en a soupé de la dèche et de l'orthodoxie militante, et qu'il va désormais attaquer le système de l'intérieur en devenant une popstar de supermarché. Quelle formidable blague... et le résultat pratique, c'est ce foutu Cupid & Psyche 85, pondu en 1985 avec l’aide de producteurs new-yorkais renommés et une armée de synthétiseurs hors de prix. Gartside voulait singer le funk et le R&B américain tout en croyant faire un geste déconstructiviste à la Derrida. Dès les premières minutes, ce qui donne envie de se perforer les tympans avec une aiguille à tricoter, c’est cette production bête à pleurer. Le triomphe de la machine sur l’âme, mais dans ce qu’il y a de plus stérile et prétentieux. On nous balance des boîtes à rythmes programmées au millimètre près, des claquements de caisse claire numériques qui résonnent comme des tirs de pistolet à amorce dans une boîte de conserve vide, et des nappes de Fairlight CMI qui ont très mal vieilli. C'est de la musique de hall d'hôtel pour cadres dynamiques sous cocaïne en 1985, le genre de bande-son qu'on imaginerait tourner en boucle dans un showroom de photocopieuses couleur flambant neuves. Et que dire du chant ? Oui parlons-en, justement et même si mon système nerveux préférerait effacer ce traumatisme. La voix de Green Gartside est une insulte permanente au concept même de tessiture. Ce falsetto fluet, maniéré et perché dans des aigus sirupeux, m’a tapé sur les nerfs avec une régularité de métronome. Il n’y a aucune dynamique, aucun coffre, aucune incarnation dans ce filet de voix anémique. Gartside passe juste son temps à susurrer, à minauder, à faire des petits tics vocaux précieux qui achèvent de flinguer le peu d'intérêt qu'on pourrait hypothétiquement porter aux mélodies. Cette façon grotesque de geindre avec une nonchalance calculée est juste ridicule. Putain, comment des gens sains d'esprit ont-ils pu se pâmer devant une telle faiblesse d’interprétation, en osant qualifier ça de « soul blanche élégante » ? C'est de la variété pour salle d'attente, rien de plus. Sur le plan de la composition pure, c'est le vide intersidéral car tout repose sur des gimmicks datés, des motifs de synthétiseur sans imagination qui se répètent ad nauseam sans jamais évoluer, et des lignes de basse caoutchouteuses en slap synthétique qui donnent l'impression désagréable d'être coincé dans une pub interminable pour des baskets fluo. Les arrangements s'empilent pour masquer la vacuité des idées, mais le subterfuge ne prend pas : les harmonies sont d'une platitude consternante et les refrains, loin de rester en tête par leur génie, y tournent en boucle comme une rage de dents tenace. Même quand le groupe tente d'injecter des effluves reggae ou funk, comme pour s'encanailler avec des musiques de rue, le massacre est total : tout est raide, désincarné, dépourvu de tout groove élémentaire. C'est juste du funk de pacotille. Ce qui me révulse le plus dans cette affaire, au-delà de la platitude atroce de la musique, c’est le snobisme intellectuel hallucinant qui entoure ce disque depuis quatre décennies. Parce que le bonhomme a glissé des références à des philosophes français dans ses interviews et qu’il prétendait déconstruire les codes du capitalisme en utilisant précisément les outils de production les plus coûteux et clinquants de l'industrie, une cohorte de critiques s’est mise à genoux en criant au génie théorique. Mais de qui se moque-t-on sérieusement ? Depuis quand un discours abscons sur la sémiologie suffit-il à réhabiliter des mélodies en carton-pâte et des boîtes à rythmes qui sonnent comme des casseroles en plastique ? Tu peux citer Jacques Derrida, Karl Marx ou Roland Barthes autant que tu veux dans tes dossiers de presse, si ton morceau sonne comme une démo de synthétiseur Casio jouée au ralenti par un gars sans voix, ça reste une purge intégrale. L'emballage intello n'a jamais réussi à transformer un navet en chef-d'œuvre, et ici, l'imposture éclate à chaque seconde. Tout au long de l'écoute, on navigue entre la léthargie la plus profonde et des accès d'agacement incontrôlables. C’est un disque qui s'écoute avec un ennui abyssal teinté d'une incompréhension totale face à l'enthousiasme général. Les titres s’enchaînent dans une mélasse sonore uniforme où tout semble avoir été composé selon la même recette indigeste : un beat rigide sans dynamique, trois accords de claviers FM scintillants qui piquent les yeux, deux cuivres samplés qui sonnent faux, et par-dessus, cette voix chétive qui s’égosille mollement pour nous vendre son petit néant existentiel. C’est une musique mort-née qui est incapable de susciter la moindre vibration émotionnelle digne de ce nom. À ce stade de la torture, la seule grâce salvatrice de cet album demeure sa durée. Quand la dernière note s'est enfin éteinte et que le silence est revenu dans la pièce, j'ai poussé un soupir de soulagement que l'on n'accorde d'ordinaire qu'à la fin d'une extraction dentaire particulièrement coriace. Trente-huit minutes. Dieu merci, pas une de plus. Dans les années quatre-vingt, certains avaient la fâcheuse manie de remplir les disques jusqu'à la garde pour justifier l'achat du support, surtout avec l'avènement du format compact disc qui permettait de gaver l'auditeur jusqu'à plus soif. Si Green Gartside avait eu la mauvaise idée de pondre un double album ou de faire durer son supplice pendant cinquante ou soixante minutes, j'aurais probablement balancé ma chaîne hi-fi par la fenêtre avant la fin. Cette concision forcée est l'unique raison pour laquelle la note est un petit 1 sur 5, symbolique, accordé uniquement comme un pourboire à l'ingénieur du son pour avoir su appuyer sur le bouton d'arrêt avant la quarantième minute et m'avoir ainsi épargné un temps d'agonie supplémentaire. En définitive, Cupid & Psyche 85 est l'exemple parfait de ce que la pop du milieu des années quatre-vingt a pu produire de plus vain, de plus prétentieux et de plus insupportable. Quarante ans après sa sortie, ce grand monument de la pop intello ressemble à ce qu'il a toujours été au fond : un bibelot en plastique sans valeur, relique d'une époque qui confondait technologie flambant neuve et inspiration artistique. Les adorateurs du culte peuvent bien hurler au sacrilège et me traiter d'ignare insensible aux subtilités de la déconstruction textuelle ; moi, je range ce machin tout en bas de l'étagère, très loin de ma vue, avec l'espoir tenace de ne plus jamais avoir à lui infliger le moindre contact avec mes conduits auditifs.
Why
Had never heard of this group before, had no idea what to expect, left thoroughly disappointed. This album was just not interesting and felt soulless. Ruined what could've been a nice commute in on a lovely morning by having to listen to this shit.
This is without a doubt the worst album submitted on this list so far. Keith mentioned that it was apparently revolutionary for its time by using the synth but that's no excuse for the utter garbage that they used it to create. I'm a worse person for having listened to this
Worse than Coldplay
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTUNDaGAL/
Sitcom-vennlig synthpop? Og her forventa jeg noe Durutti Column shit basert på det dadaistiske navnet. Skuffa. Er ganske mett på sånn her 80s production. Mulig det er dagen idag, men hvert eneste idiotiske musikalske element er et nytt irritasjonsmoment. Tror jeg hater dette.
most 80s shit i’ve heard in my life
Yeah 80s British pop sucks so hard
I really didn't enjoy this album. 80's slop pop.
This was ass. 1.
Did not like this at all.
Weak
Nothing that bad about this, but I just don't want to listen to someone who desperately tries to emulate a George Michael wannabe and fails miserably. Also, Scritti Politti sounds like a place where you eat the worst pizza and the owner comes to you saying that you are stupid and you don't know pizza cause he is italo-american and he knows it all.
It might be hard to imagine a time when this sort of mindless fluff was actually popular. But that was 80s teenage pop, much to the dismay of music fans everywhere.
0 keepers in 9 (0%) 1 klunker (11%) Started off poorly, never got better. “Perfect Way” is the best on offer? Hard pass. Truly the beigest of beige albums. Can’t give zero stars, unfortunately.
This could potentially be in contention for the worst thing I’ve ever had to sit through. What they’d use to torture prisoners.
SHITTI POLITTI
not an 80s pop fan
Lover to Fall is simultaneously the worst professionally produced song a I’ve ever heard and the one I want to hear on repeat for the next ten years. I mean, they’re going to run away *and* steal her boyfriend/husband’s car? And Wood Beez. Am I having a stroke? “Be Easy?” This album is making me concerned I will have horrible brain worms I’ll never be able track down. I do not know how this album made this list. I can’t even hate it. It’s just the most 1985 album I’ve ever heard and I can’t imagine anyone “lovingl it.
Holy hell why is this album on this list. Even with “Perfect Way” this is terrible.
Why isn’t 0 an option
God that was aweful.
In what world do we need to hear this before we die?
This shit sucks but not in an offensive way. There’s good 80s pop and this isn’t it.
Wowee zowee, the 80s shouldn't be allowed to escape the 80s
yeah, this is terrible
Heard before?:❌️ Will listen again?:❌️
Pass.
Y'all piling on this album as if most 80s pop doesn't sound exactly like this
Another album that is a great experience through 1001 but one I would never listen to again
Michael Jackson version Temu
Unpleasantly bland, loads of ideas thrown together to conjure something pretty dire. I really don't get it, had a most disgusting time listening.
Synth-pop garbage
Not good. Like if the characters in a cheesy after school show like Saved By The Bell, but worse, started a band, this is the kind of throw-away music the producers would have had made for them to be their songs.
Unlistenable for me
Normally I feel like even a 1 deserves to be on here. & honestly, based on the reviews, thought this album was going to at least be memorable... There isn't anything special about this album.
Awful vocals! It sounds like he tries to sweet talk his girlfriend with a baby voice. The rest is just boring 80’s beat sounds. Defintely not an album everyone needs to hear, more like a very small segment of all people in the world.
i hated it.
For some reason I had thought Scritti Politti were a punk band and went into this without reading any reviews or the wiki page. Couldn't have been any further from punk if it tried. Bland 80s synth pop, Wham without George Michael and a whiff of Michael Jackson instead. Awful shite altogether. 1 star
Couldn't finish the album, really not my cup of tea. If this is the best that the 80's got to offer than it s a good think we left it in the past Really not for me, but willing to change my mind if a fan were to talk to me
This album consists of annoyingly synth-y, cheesy 80s pop. You could say it's high-energy and groovy, but it's a kind of music I dislike. Synths and bass have to be used a certain way for me to receptive to them, and this is just not it.
garchita.
Scritti-Polliti Sophisti-Pop...Sub-Par!!
At the age of 13, I thought Scritti Politti were absolute scrote. All these years later, I now know that to be true. WTF are those overproduced vocals with that faux American accent? I have zero idea why this would be considered for inclusion on this list. It’s sugary 80’s pop which hasn’t aged at all well.
Boring
It's 80's pop. It's not even good 80's pop. It's filler 80's pop. It's the stuff they use in movies so you are fully aware what time they are in, and it's cheap because it's not the good stuff. Seriously generic artists like this shouldn't be on the list. There have to be better artists to highlight mid 80's pop.
I’m more than 100 albums in now… Maybe 150 or so even… And this by far was the low point of this project for me so far. I feel bad for the one star albums I gave previous to This because I’d like to rank this lower. I definitely could have avoided this before I die. I felt like it was the soundtrack to some cheesy 80s beach vibe movie. One of the few albums I gently struggled to actually listen to so far.
oh hell nah
Surely this was only played in Hallmark stores in the 80's. I don't think music could be more uninteresting. Being incredibly tame means its not necessarily repulsive though? Review: 2/10 No fave songs
Nope
No idea… that is such roulette. 85. That bodes ill. Yeah. Bad as I feared. Opened with badly used dub. And it didn’t improve. One thing I will say about this exercise is that it has exposed me to A LOT of mediocre and outright bad British pop and soft rock from the turn of the millennium. But so far the exposure to the unknown treasures from the 60s and 70s far outweighs the pain of whatever the editor of “the book” was doing to be relevant. But man… this is… yeah this is getting a 1. Maybe yesterday it was a 2 for effort and production but not today. Today it’s pissing me off. Man anything good about this was ripped directly from MJ. What’s with pop acts in the 80’s thinking it was cool to just imitate MJ? But I guess that continued…I mean God and I have three songs to go… 1 Boolean: no, definitely not
About as mundane, dated, and uninteresting as this style of music gets, it just made me want to listen to Michael Jackson or some other '80s pop artist who far excelled in this style. I just feel like it lacks a necessary boldness; the vocals feel so restricted, like the melodies here aren't sticky or sharp at all, they just sort of exist. And the production left a bad taste in my mouth because while it is lush and ever-evolving at times, it also just reeks of its time in all the worst ways, just super clunky and screams FM presets. Most definitely not for me.
OMG. Horrible. Sounds like a really bad Michael Jackson. And I don’t like Michael Jackson.Awful. And Long.
This is hideous. Save the 39 minutes of your life to do anything else.
This isn't even that bad of an album to listen to, it just feels like "one of the many" on a list dedicated to "the few" - it feels like a "perfectly fine" pop album. It's very consistent so if you like one song you should have a good listen on your hands, the hard, blunt synth sounds and the sorta loveschlock lyrics At the most positive, I would say this album at least feels a couple years later than it is, I'd put it at 1987 or 1988
this shit is so boring and ass 1
1/5 could not listen
The 80s were a rough time, huh?
Terrible, juste terrible.
Boring boring boring
dit was echt echt heel slecht en ik heb t niet afgeluisterd
dit is echt ass wrm kan hij niet zingen
This is music for an 80s twink who's trying to fuck. It's not good. I tried to find something here, but aside from the production not being horrible, it's really not good. I mean, unless you're a twink and you're trying to fuck and it's 1986, there's not a whole (hole) lot here. This should be relegated to the dustbin of history. To be clear: ain't no shame in being a Twink!
1,4/5
First of all, bad band name. Secondly, this album kinda sucks. It's like Party City Michael Jackson meets Savage Garden. Not a fan.
10 seconds into the first song I was prepared to give this 1 star. Synthy over bright over produced 80's pop - none of those descriptors have ever appealed to me, even back in the 80's. Well, I guess for a week in primary school I thought Transvision Vamp were good, but that passed. Scritti Politti were never on my radar then or since. So I started looking them up. "Leftist punk" was a word used to describe them, but alas, long before this album. They shifted to synth pop a long time ago. "Intellectual and political lyrics" which when I read this I was listening to the line "drowning in my teardrops (teardrops)"... OK then... (Jumping ahead here but having said all that, the lyrics to Lover To Fall were standing out a bit so I looked them up, and yes, despite the MGTOW vibes, there are some clever things going on there.) But by the time Perfect Way started, my head started to hurt. I shouldn't blame them - I'm lacking sleep, over stressed and I had a headache yesterday too - but still, I'm choosing to blame Scritti Politti for this one. But I promised my son I'd finish it. So finish it I did. And it remains 1 star. Oh, one last thing... The vocals are just terrible. It's like he's singing and mewing at the same time
The most charitable way to define this is as "lighthearted and silly 80s pop". 2/10
using up a perfectly good fake dumb band name on this trash
Tough listen. I could swear someone was recently telling me these guys were good. If I remember who that was I’m gonna give them a piece of my mind
Absolute 80’s crap
🤮I hated 80’s music, in the 80’s!!
No nyt oli paskaa. Ihan kun suoraan jostain huonosta kasarin Steve Martin -romcomista. 80-lukua huonoimmillaan. Tästä ei jäänyt mitään muistijälkeä yhdestäkään biisistä.
80's Yuppie trash... No thanx...
1.5 Scritti Politti has always been, like, a joke band to me. An awful name, and I’ve always heard their music is bad and embarrassing! Hey, the world was right! This is terrible and should not be on the list! Glad I don’t have to listen to it ever again!
Not my thing at all
It feels like the worst sins of '80s pop all thrown together.
Nothing here warrants inclusion on this list. 1 star
Why is this here?
Scrotum Politti. Should I be offended by something that is this soft?
Unbearable, hated everything about this.
sickly sweet, bland, and stereotypically 80's. not for me.
👎👎
Album #77: Cupid & Psyche 85 - Scritti Politti Genre (W): Pop, synth-pop, art pop, electro-funk, blue-eyed soul, sophisti-pop, R&B, bubblegum pop, pop-soul Singles: Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin), Absolute, Hypnotize, The Word Girl, Perfect Way I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: This feels so dated. I hate the way it sounds and the way it just imitates other, better bands from the 80’s that at least tried. I don’t know where the “art” is in this supposed art pop album. Boring and underwhelming. Favorite songs: None of them.
this was pretty not great.
🤔
Even though I listened to the entire album, it felt like I didn't. Nothing stuck out to me that wasn't already done by every other 80's artist.
The best bits are a poor man’s Prince, the worst bits a skint yuppie’s hangover.
cheesy as fk
This is nothing, but also very annoying. Nothing has confused me this much as to why anyone would think I needed to hear it.
This album was not good, in between his vocals and the electronics and it all sounding the same. They are a bad version of Wham, who were not great in and of themselves.
I could do better which I should not say about an album that is “worthy” of such a list like this
In a nutshell: an assault of the senses This was a surreal listening experience and I really don't understand how such a pretentious piece of music became a hit in the UK. It's a strange mix of Culture Club, Wham! and Prince with lots of Fairlight-CMI. And I mean LOTS. Can someone check if that Fairlight okay? Overall: 2/10
This was the first album this site suggested to me. Make of that what you will.
Pretty awful. Sounds like a weird pastiche of Michael Jackson done by some White English guys. No idea why it's in the book.
Hated it
Sad that I have been introduced to them.
Typical 80 album. Nothing special
Obladi oblada
Very generic 80s synth pop. Not my jam
Oh great. 80s brit-pop. Gross.
The only thing I liked about this album was the band's name.
well wasnt that boring?
This is terrible.
Enough with the New Wave!
Gross. Threw up in my mouth.
Sounds like music for a Caribbean vacation advert. Didn't finish the album. Hard pass.
Not an enjoyable experience!
Schifezza Monnezza
I put up with a lot of shit from Brit-Pop, but this I cannot abide.
The music sounds like it's written to make money. The production is overlayered and unpleasant, the vocals are extremely weak. I don't like to feel like I'm consuming a product when I'm listening to music, and this feels like an unabashed attempt at it. To add insult to injury, it's not even well crafted.
Awful
Still better than nick cave
1.3
Embarrassed to admit I had this on cassette as an early teenager. Couldn’t be gayer. It’s just so over the top.
Euro pop. Ugh
🌽🏀
synthowe studium milosci i duszy czlowieczej
AI, generate generic 80s thrash pop
First impression is they are the most formulated 80s band of all time. Little techno fills and wannabe iconic lines. Also why does he try and make his voice sound like that, can’t be natural.
I think this is one of those albums that people love because they feel nostalgic about it. Like, you had to be there to get it. I wasn’t there, so i clearly don’t get it.
This is he had another example of why the 80s are the worst decade music. Yet another synth pop record that is both repetitive and uninspiring infected with reggae beats that would make Bob Marley turn in his grave.
Had surgery recently, not listening to music while I cook. I'm falling behind.
Bland.
Oh HELL no what kind of white bread nonsense is this? I've had mayo sandwiches more interesting than this. Albums like this make me seriously question why I should consider this 1001 albums list worth my time at all. It's almost like whoever "curated" the list just grabbed anything that happened to chart in the last 50 years, assuming that makes the album worth listening to. It really doesn't. There's been some good stuff on this list here and there but then this? Come on, man.
Spotify shows credits now, including mixing engineer where available. Since there is a mix engineer credited on some tracks, I am sure the ones without such a credit simply didn't have one. Some of the levels here are bafflingly severe. The 2022 remaster is sonically better, but there's only so much that can be done to this production. Aside from that, my favorite parts were the instrumental sections. 15 albums in, I am realizing the point of the 1001 Albums journey is not to hear 1001 great works of timeless art, but to become well versed in the difference between good and bad music.
Lol I was gonna give this a two but the I listened again. A lot of people say this sounds like a worse version of George Michael, but I think it sounds like a worse version of the Communards! I’m not opposed to this style of music but there’s nothing exciting about this album. Also most of the band’s Wikipedia page is about how the dude’s a sellout.
I'm feeling bad about giving the Style Council one star now, because this is clearly worse by some quite large measure. I hate the weedy vocals on it so much.
I don't know what this is
I've never listened to this album before, but I've heard it a million times. Standard 80s pop filled with drum machines and surprisingly little synths. hum-drum
I’m a very open minded music listener but this was so bad I almost quit the 1001 albums. Rate it a zero if I could.
getting back on the horse with doing this project is much harder when your first album back is this absolute fucking drivel
I was expecting much better from this list. This is awful.
This album is one of the 10,000 Hells on earth. We may imagine that listening to this album serves only a few wicked purposes. One of those purposes is to remind us of what is playing in the background of Jean-Paul Sartre's play No Exit.
I just gave Michael Jackson's Off the Wall 2 stars because I didn't think it was good. If we start there and penalize Scritti Politti one star for blatant fraudulence then we are done here. No thought required just morals and math.
More New Wave?!?! Music critics are dumber than usual over 80s music. This has to be a joke. This is like the song created for Teen Titans Go! Or like if AI was asked to create music created by a terrible white 80s R&B band from the UK. These lyrics make Color Me Badd look like Bob Dylan. This is the worst 80s R&B. This has no business on this list and whatever critic put it on there should not be allowed near any form of music. These guys might have done the entire soundtrack to Short Circuit. Wood Beez, these guys suck at everything. This is white knock-off New Edition. I like cheesy 80s R&B and this sucks. El DeBarge...that's why it reminds me of Short Circuit! The homeless man's El DeBarge.
You don’t need Prince and MJ. We have Prince and MJ at home. There was a time before this album came out. It was a better time
This has aged really badly… and I don’t think it was very good before the decay of time.
Shitti Politti more like. An abysmal album of soft rock/pop tinged with faux funk and reggae syncopation, wham-esque vocals, and some of the worst excesses of the 80s all thrown into the pot. A horrible use of samples and synth patches with an attempt to provide what I presume to be ‘texture’ to the songs but made it sound clustered and clash with itself. Listen to the breakdown 3 minutes into ‘perfect way’ and explain to me how the hell this managed to make its way onto this list. Fuming.
This sounds like the soundtrack of a 1980 b movies. Didnt pass test of time. Sounds outdated and boring.
More New Wave?!?! Music critics are dumber than usual over 80s music. This has to be a joke. This is like the song created for Teen Titans Go! Or like if AI was asked to create music created by a terrible white 80s R&B band from the UK. These lyrics make Color Me Badd look like Bob Dylan. This is the worst 80s R&B. This has no business on this list and whatever critic put it on there should not be allowed near any form of music. These guys might have done the entire soundtrack to Short Circuit. Wood Beez, these guys suck at everything. This is white knock-off New Edition. I like cheesy 80s R&B and this sucks. El DeBarge...that's why it reminds me of Short Circuit! The homeless man's El DeBarge.
This album is so boring that I pondered hurting myself a little just to escape its masturbatory dullness. By the way, I recommend reading their Spotify bio - you can really picture Green Gartside trying to suck himself off after writing each line. Amazing!
Cheesy 80s music at its worst.
pass
Could be the music of any movie of Eddie Murphy in the 80’s
WHY IS THIS LIST OBSESSED WITH LOUSY BRITISH POP
This went from sounding like really bad tiki bar music to someone doing a terrible George Michael impersonation. “Perfect Way” had some airplay back in the day so I guess that’s what landed it on this list, but man that’s a low bar. Rounding down out of respect for the 2.5’s that got rounded down. 1.5/5