Reviews (page 7 of 8)
An extra mark for them being distinctive. It was ok for first half then I started to find the voice and music sickening.
I almost threw my phone in disgust. Sickly 80’s shite.
If Wham! are a bit too hardcore for you, this will be right up your street
Bright and breezy, seems very influenced by Michael Jackson. 3.3
Scritti Politti a name I haven't heard (or thought about) for a long time. I can't recall any emotions associated with this band and listening to this album confirmed that. It's alright, not bad but also not great or original. Most of the tracks are pleasant to listen to and a sizable part of the purpose of music is that it is pleasant to listen to. I have added this to my favorites so it deserves 4 stars. I must be getting soft in my old age, no that's not it still absolutely loath Johnny Rotten so this album has probably always been alright. That's all I am going to say about music today now get off my lawn.
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.
1.5 stars. Struggled through this. 80's pop at it's worst. This sound is why the decade gets a bad rap musically.
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 enjoyed this album. Maybe musically not a masterpiece but a feel good sound and quite nostalgic. Good band name too ! 3*
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!
The most 80s album imaginable. Parody isn’t quite the right word, maybe hyperpop? I like the way Green takes on male and female roles, singing duets with himself. He’s a bit of a smarty pants, all the references to Derrida and Lacan, and I like that as well.
This leans into all the worst parts of 80s pop, to my ears. Clinically produced tunes that don’t go anywhere and just leave me cold. I don’t *hate* it, but it’s like being in a department store where the lights are a bit too bright, and there’s a perfumey scent in the air. Occasionally it’s intoxicating, yes, but more often it’s nauseating, and it all seems designed specifically to get you to buy stuff rather than feel anything. Also, the songs all sound like inferior Michael Jackson imitations. 1.5
Älskade The word girl när den kom. Den håller än. Plattan håller väl inte lika bra. Ett par spår som är okej. Men samtidigt en platta man blir glad av. Stabil trea.
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
I mean this was a fine album. Not really my thing. The instrumentals were interesting enough. Singing wasn’t my thing. I think this just isn’t my genre. Cause I don’t have great criticism for it
Super corny 80's garbage.
Extremely indifferent
Its like Kmart wham. I would say Marshall's but its still around.
Pretty nice album, enjoyed it
Groovy pop
Cupid & Psyche 85 is another 1980s pop album. This one starts a bit generic and ends quite annoying. Apart from the lack of decent songwriting it stands out with pseudo intellectual lyrics that only put more attention on the fact this is something very pretentious and a hollow shell.
I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, especially considering it's made by a fellow Welshman. It's slightly catchy but not enough to overcome how cheesy and dated it sounds, although that sounds is meant to be ironic in some ways. Some decent singles, I mean if Miles Davis covers one of your songs, it's got to be at least good. Not one I'm going to come back to in the future, and kind of a disappointment to be honest. 19/02/24
Typical 80s pop dancing beats
Nah.
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.
ca ne fait de mal a personne mais ca ne fait egalement de bien a personne
As bad as 80s music gets
Not sure about this. The 80s production values are not my production values.
play that funky music white boy
One of these songs: fun! All of these songs: insanity.
Tipo reggae-pop. Muy ochentero. En momentos me recuerda vagamente a Michael Jackson y/o Rick Astley
Generic, boring, and repetitive. It sounds like I'm in a roller rink from start to finish.
Kinda forgettable. Favorite song was Wood Beez
3.75
ret tæt mellem en 1'er og en 2'er fordi nogen af dem var catchy nok, men syntes simpelthen sangerens stemme var for anstrengende
Synes egentlig det var ret catchy, men lidt benløst
Hold nu kæft hvor er det bare britisk 80er pop... Det er sååååå kedeligt.
This is like the background music of every 80's mall montage scene.
Very forgettable 80s Brit Pop. Nothing really stood out or interested me
This was uneventful saccharine pop when it came out. It is less important now.
Not even 1-worthy 2
Classic 80s pop and Green Gartside has a distinctive and pleasing vocal range. Of its time but still relevant.
Groovy 80s music, still my least favorite decade of music
Positively grating. Gartside has overloaded this album with his wavery attempt at a Prince-like voice and an assault of synthesizers in stereo. An album that would garner strange glances if jammed at a party.
Prince: Hey Michael, Karl! Thanksgiving is approaching, and we're talking turkey. Ever thought about the perfect recipe for a revolutionary feast? Michael Jackson: (laughs) Prince has this Purple Rain magic turkey idea, and I've got my moonwalk-inspired moves while cooking. What about you, Karl? Karl Marx: Ah, the proletarian turkey revolution! We shall seize the means of poultry production and distribute the spices equally! Prince: (smirking) I like the way you think, Karl. But let's get down to the nitty-gritty – what's your secret ingredient? Karl Marx: It's all about the classless stuffing, my friends. No bourgeois flavors here – just the harmonious union of herbs, spices, and the proletariat's collective culinary consciousness. Michael Jackson: (chuckles) Classless stuffing, huh? That's a whole new level. What about dessert, Karl? Karl Marx: A dessert that transcends capitalist decadence – the Communal Apple Pie, where each slice is distributed according to need, not want. Prince: (nodding) Revolutionizing the dessert game! And for the main course? Karl Marx: The turkey shall be a symbol of solidarity, cooked over the flames of equality, with a side of liberation mashed potatoes. Michael Jackson: (grinning) Now, that's what I call a feast for the people! Let's make this Thanksgiving a revolutionary celebration. Prince: (raising an eyebrow) Indeed, comrades. It's time for a feast that echoes through the ages – the Revolution Roast!
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.
Meh, standard even cliche'd new wave / new romantic pop of little consequence. The kind of music that gave the 80s a bad name. 1.5 stars
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.
80s cocaine music-sunset red sports car Miami and palm trees. Shades down hair flowing. NOT workout music 3/5
Fucking dreadful. This album was so boring I genuinely can’t figure out how it got on this list.
This album should be called, "80s Movie Opening Credits Montage: The Album" Every single song sounded like it came straight out of an 80s movie opening credits scene cutting to scene after scene of a bustling city. I half expected each song to fade out where it would usually do so in the movie then cut to a Shelly Long or similar in a skirt suit, blazer stacked with shoulder pads, slamming some files on a desk. If a song on the album didn't fit there, then it fit as background instrumentals during some nighttime romantic scene involving wine and a fire. I loved every second of this album.
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
Really wasn’t expecting to really like this album. So ridiculously 80s it’s near on perfect. Well produced and sounds sonically good. Synth pop at its best. Another way to look at this is if Savage Garden were in the 80s.
Background stuff
Didn't like it at all, definitely not my kind of music
When you ask people who hate 80s music about what a stereotypical 80s band/album sound like, this is exactly what they think of. 0/10
I couldn’t stand it. This was so annoying that I don’t want to hear it again.
Rennur ljúflega í gegn, solid níundatugarpopp. Mun þó ekki leita þetta uppi aftur.
I could see this being the soundtrack for a “Tab” commercial
Omg it’s so 80’s! Doesn’t translate well to 2024, but that’s not a SP thing, it’s the whole genre. Still a fun listen.
synth pop, trash can drum machine track. All of the bad things about the 80s, but decently melodic and a couple interesting tracks. Not bad. 2.8.
I mean, it's fine. It's kind of 80s Prince-y. But nothing really stood out good or bad
When I read the name I thought I would enjoy it a lot less than I did. After reading who they'd worked with I thought I'd enjoy it a lot more than I did. Overall pretty good lol
Very interesting. 4+/5
Horrible 80's over produced synth-pop with a heavy emphasize on the pop to the point of absolute cheesiness. This was bad.
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.
Maybe it's the singer, Maybe it's the production. I really disliked this album.
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
The vocal mixing was awful, but maybe that's a good thing because their voice or vocal effect used was awful too. There were a few good bass lines and drum beats, but everything around them was boring.
Nice groovy '80s jams. Nothing amazing but still a good listen
Didn't like this one at all. Not sure why it's on the list
I did not care for this album at all.
This wasnt fun at all.
Some years ago, it was easy to turn on the Radio on any station and find a thematic block of songs for a "Flashback" or "Romantic session." Yeah, I guess some of these radios just put on this album on repeat. Even with more meaningful lyrics, it sounds like any other 80s pop. It's not bad. It's just meh!
"Cupid & Pysche 85" is the second album by British pop band Scritti Politti. Lead singer and musician Green Gartside took the music in a commercial pop direction with more state-of-the-art production. Because of this, he was only member from their first album to remain. Other newer members included David Gamson (keyboards) and Fred Maher (drums and electric drums). Gartside added both of these guys as the album began recording in New York. The lyrical themes address issues of language and politics. Commercially, the album did very well in the UK hitting #5 with three singles reaching the UK top 20. It also received generally positive reviews. "The World Girl" opens the album with a reggae beat. Wow, Gartside does have a high-pitched voice. The melody is keyboard-driven and very much pop. Easy, soft and light in a good way. "Absolute" gets a dance beat going..very 80's. A prevalent bass sound. Cascading keyboard. The keyboards keep driving the melody in their big one "Perfect Way." It struck me during that Gartside is trying to capture a 80's pop R&B sound in a Prince sort of way. And, he doing a pretty good job. A pop dance beat, catchy chorus, horn sounds and we get a keyboard jam. " He has the perfect way to make the girls go crazy." "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" starts a little harder with a deep bass and heavy electronic drums. R&B guitar slashes. The album closer "Hypnotize" keeps the horns going. Weird beats and bass noises. This has a groove. Great backing vocals by B.J. Nelson I guarantee in 1985 at 17, I would not have given this album the time of day. It is very pop and maybe besides one song not an edge to anything. Fast-forward 38 years later and I actually appreciated the pop they were trying to make and they did it at a high level being very well produced. The music absolutely captures the 80's pop sound. This a very good album to go back to and hear some well-made pop-dance songs.
What is this? A whole album of rejected Mario Cart songs? Holy crap that's bad. Every song sounds almost exactly like the one before it and they're all at least a minute too long. It also doesn't help that the lyrics and vocals are all lame. And, again, the whole album sounds like background music for an over-saturated, cutsie-tootsie childrens' video game. If no stars were an option, that's what I'd be giving this one.
Didn't really notice that it was playing, very unmemorable.
Really wacky. It strange because this album was so un-memorable: I can’t remember a single melody from this album at all. But I remember thinking that the arrangements were quite nice and I actually kinda enjoyed the album.
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.
Lauere Elektro Funk
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.
3 - Michael Jackson is that you? Thought it had some great beats. Very repetitive though, so glad i managed to get through it in one sitting.
What a hideous album cover. I'm familiar with Absolute, but wasn't expecting a new wave pop ska song as the album opener. I don't quite hate it as much as I feel I should. So 80s. Fave Tracks: Absolute, Don't Work That Hard, Perfect Way 3.3/5
So Top of the Pops. Can vividly imagine Steve Wright or Simon Mayo introducing them.
80s
I'm pretty sure Green Gartside pilfered this album on a multiversal music heist where he stole it wholesale from a dimension where Prince has no charisma.
woof.
Kind of fun, hadn't heard it before.
What was that really popular song that sounds a lot like most of their songs? It's probably on the soundtrack to one of the three men movies. Anyway, this album doesn't really capture my attention too much. Sounds OK, but very eighties.
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.
If you ordered up some 1985 music and you said that you didn't want anything that totally broke through but that absolutely, positively was fully infused with nothing but 85 vibes? This would fit that bill. I don't want more of this, but I didn't want less, either.
This is one of the worst things I have ever heard. This album sounded outdated the day it came out. Obviously they put a few joke albums on this list because this is utter shit. 0/5
Cool reggae, sans plus
The band's picture on Spotify fits pretty well with the feel of the album. Made in 1985, but contains maximum 80's! Not in a good way, for me. 1/5
Ok. Depeche Mode this is not. OMD this is not. Tears for Fears this is not. There are probably countless examples of bands of this era that are more notable for their use of sequencers and electronics. Here's why I think this album is notable, or even stretching to important, to merit this being on the list. 2 reasons really, and it's a double edged sword for both. 1. Extensive use of sampling, and to a lesser degree MIDI, both of which were in its advent years in 83-85. Sampling at this time was still 8-bit and not very complex or deep, so it would have been amazing to repeat a sample on demand, but much better sampling technology was still to come. 2. This is all before fully digital recording was mainstream, so despite not sounding "sterile", it also was the harbinger of an "overprocessed" sound that was so prevalent in the late 80's (nu shooz, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Stacey Q, etc.) Two examples of albums that transcend this are probably Depeche's Music For the Masses and Pet Shop Boys' Please, which would be released in the next 2 years. Musically, Lyrically, it's good, solid stuff. It's quirky, and a little funky in a brit, bubblegum pop kind of way. It's just buried in technology. I did buy the album at the time, but just didn't appeal to me in the long run and got rid of it. Most of the tunes are good with catchy hooks (Wood Beez remains my favorite along with the single mix of Perfect Way, but Absolute gets some new appreciation this time around), but some are not (Hypnotize and Small Talk, I'm looking at you).
Love a bit of Scitti Politti, but it is all a bit samey and they needed some new disks for their synth, the stabs are a bit repetitive
Very synthy. Reminds me of an 80s/90s teen movie soundtrack.
They have a pretty cool, quintessential 80’s sound. The songs started to sound the same after a while.
Seems well done, just absolutely not for me. All the things that I don't like about post disco
what a load of total shit 1/5
Was surprised by this one - had strong Off the Wall/Thriller vibes to the beats. Could see myself putting this on again.
2,5
3.5/5
I didn't like this at all.
This is some shitty, empty, soulless horseshit. Absolutely nothing redeeming about this generic, saccharine album. I wish I could go back to my life before I knew this 40 minutes of grating, whiny whispering existed.
Ei kyl lähtenyt
Has a catchy synth-y 80's vibe. Voice reminds me of a young Michael Jackson. Spunky.
This album is so annoying.
Every song belongs in a different bad 80s movie.
Listen: this list has a lot of 80s synth pop. It's not my favorite genre, but there are certain exceptions to that. I can admit that "Small Talk" off this record is a bop, but the rest of the record? Someone on this site compared the singer to Michael Jackson, and while I agree slightly, I find these vocals much, much more annoying. Something snapped around the weird sex/sensuality song ("A Little Knowledge"), something that "Small Talk", far too early in the record, couldn't save. The instruments are dated, and it's constantly jump-scaring you with different parts randomly coming in. It almost escaped my graveyard, but fuck it, bury it.
I like the vision but the vocals are to... not gritty? not my thing really
Did not like this. It felt very one note and bland.
They were 'alright'. Nice enough. I can't imagine why they're on a 'must listen tools though.
Not so hideous as the score made me think.. I mean, not interesting, but not unpleasant
Too British
Absolute Perfect Way
Not my favorite, pretty repetitive. Sort of a more joyous Huey Lewis and the News. Wouldn't listen to again.
Not what I was expecting. Some OK songs but too much pop for me. 2.5
Doubt I'll ever remember the band, much less the album, but you could stick this in a time capsule and shoot it across the universe as an example of standard 80's synth pop. Once it's out there, the chance of me finding it amongst the billions of stars and planets is greater than me ever listening to it again.
Super corny, repetitive beats, but I didn’t despise it, makes okay background music.
Holy crap, this might be the most annoying album yet, and that's counting homework. Every single song sounds exactly the same, with the exact same synth garbage, and that annoying voice that sounds like he's just sighing. Hated it.
This is a group whose name I have always had a laugh at but whose tunes I've never knowingly heard. I didn't even know they were British. These vibes were immaculate - halfway through I found myself thinking of "I Feel For You" by Chaka Kahn and then wiki tells me this dude worked with her eventually. DIY post punk guy gets sick of indie pretentiousness and admits that he loves pop music, reggae, and American dance music. The drums are snappy, the synths are going off, the singing is 80s boy falsetto - it's sweet and glittery like a bowl full of gumdrops. I feel like I can hear a lot of Scritti Politti influence in some modern alternative bands (Tame Impala, mostly)
#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.
10/10 I want Patrick Bateman to mansplain this album to me
I feel like the editors wanted to recognize an 80’s new romantic album, but ABC’s Lexicon of Love is a far better choice. There are some good songs here but more filler. Listen to the 2022 remastered version and have the skip button handy. Perfect Way still kicks ass, but not even Wood Beez, their second most popular song, comes close.
Of all the synthy 80s pop on I’ve gotten so far, this is my least favorite. 3.1/10
That was alright. Upbeat.
I just couldn't get into this one much
The most 80s synth pop album of all time. It sounds like every 80s soundtrack. Nobody wants, let alone needs to hear this
This may be brilliant, yet despite listening to it more times than I cared to count today, I need more time to understand if it is! Three songs already pierce: The Word Girl, Absolute and Wood Beez. Am reminded of Kraftwerk in that the striking presentation appears to be entirely at the service of an intimate worldview, like Scritti Politti could not say what they are saying any other way. That this is clearly the product of modish studios pumped to their most modish is, incredibly, irrelevant: it’s like the studio form was waiting for the perfect content, and that content turned out to be Scritti Politti.
I will admit upfront, I am quite fond of Scritti Politti by way of osmosis - my neighbour had their pictures on the wall. cut from Smash Hits, and they were fairly regular contributors to my beloved Now! compilations and similar. To those who think this sounds dated and cheesy, I can assure you it sounded that way *at the time*! I think Green et al. deliberately took the '80s sound to its extreme, creating a fey vocal and production style that made contemporary Prefab Sprout sound like Motorhead in comparison. They had quite a varied history - starting out quirkier and more abrasive than fellow post-punkers like Gang of Four and Wire (yes, really), then turning to pop (original version of Madness' "Sweetest Girl", followed by two uber-shiny hit albums including this one) and later working with Shabba Ranks and Mos Def (yes, really!). I doubt Provision is on this list, but from it you should check out "Oh, Patti", the apotheosis of this sound also featuring Miles Davis (again, yes really!). Love it or hate it, you have to admit that at least "Perfect Way" and "Wood Beez" are great pop tunes (the latter produced by the arranger of the original Aretha number referenced; once again: yes, really!). Maybe Dirty Projectors are the closest modern equivalent, similarly skilled in pop music and production style from a warmly-academic perspective. Generous 4, loved hearing it again
An ok melding of synth pop and rnb that doesnt fully hit for me.
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.
5/10. Guy's trying to sound like Michael Jackson and doing an okay-ish job I guess?
Thought this was gonna just be a mediocre 80s record that was over hated but it was a crappy 80s record instead. 4/10
Favourite songs: Absolute, The Word Girl, Hypnotize, Perfect Way, Small Talk, Wood Beez, Don't Work That Hard, Lover to Fall Least favourite songs: A Little Knowledge 5/5
Meh
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.
2.5
Offbrand 80s synth pop
this album boldly asks the scandalous question, \"what if michael jackson didn't have access to good producers, writers, editors, or talent?\"
Mental
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
Not a fan of this one at all. Legit don't get it. I also don't understand how this album was so critically well received. It just feels like cheesy, hollow 80s pop. Standout Tracks: N/A
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.
Pretty light and inoffensive, classicly 80s.
Not normally a fan of 80s synth pop stuff but this grew on me through the album and wasn't at all obnoxious
Upon the first seconds of Cupid & Psyche '85, one can imagine the sense of dread that's bound to await them. A canned goods sounding reggae beat punctuating its first impression upon the senses is not a good way to start things. Eventually though, that changes and Scritti Politti mark their ascent from Marxist inspired punks to admirable poachers of the Paisley Park aesthetic. Cupid & Psyche '85 is the sounds of a band arriving at the right place at the right time in regards to how they want to approach things and they make you want more by the time it ends. At least that's how I felt when Hypnotize ended near the frozen section at Whole Foods. Favorites: Small Talk, Absolute, A Little Knowledge, Don't Work to Hard, Perfect Way, Wood Beez, Hypnotize.
Meh. Seems very typical of a mediocre 80’s band.
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
80's pop, a little on the soft/mellow side
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.
ooh, little calypso beat. This sound is so nostalgic. Lol, this sounds like "These Lumps" I like some 80s syths but wow those are not in balance.
Started strong, didn't get much better. It was alright
This was the cheesiest, of-it’s-time 80’s album I’ve ever heard. I kind of liked it.
Solid
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.
Very boring. Sounds like the soundtrack to a made for TV kids movie in the 90's, but not a good one. 1/5 Won't listen again
Wowzers. This is god awful. Well, maybe not that bad, but oof. Can't stand his voice and the 80's keyboard tones, and the fact that he's singing boy band lyrics. Gag. Hated this.
A vibrant and industrial-heavy bubblegum synth-pop band, with a very clean 80s sound that has synths overpowering everything else. It's a very busy atmospheric album with a lovely bright mood, hearing contemporary influences like Human League, MJ, and UB40. Seriously, the sound is so busy, there are at least half a dozen different synths at play all working together. Good stuff, enjoyed it all with several stand-outs.
good but didn't listen to properly
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.
I liked it but nothing really stood out too much.
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.
Cool
Treball fora del seu temps. Enrevesat, creatiu, amb un so que sí se situa a la década que l'origina però amb unes composicions que no poden estar més allunyades del synth pop comercial o del hair metal en auge que triomfaven l'any 1985. No és l'èxit monumental de la música en el qual alguns l'han volgut convertir, però sí un disc que mereix ser recordat i disfrutat cada cert temps. Cada escolta donarà una nova capa d'enteniment al seu contingut
I can almost hear the cocaine dripping in the singer’s voice. This one may have been popular in the 80’s put i would dare say it should have stayed there. It wouldn’t even make for a good soundtrack to a bad 80’s teen sitcom taking place in an effluent high school that gets disrupted when the “bad” kid comes in from the other side of town.
An interesting period piece but the sound is very, very dated. A fair bit of it also kind of all sounds the same.
I’m sure they are giving important political messages but unfortunately I switched off to the boring samey tones
Forgot I was listening to it
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.
50/50 nostalgía og innumannaðútumhitt
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
Fun synths, started strong, tailed off in the middle, got a bit ridiculous at the end.
Very 80s, but enjoyable
This must be where Bill Wurtz found inspiration.
I have an ice-cream headache.
This is absolute hot trash of the highest order. Nothing here is worth hearing them or now. This should not be on the list.
A budget Michael Jackson.
Okeyish
Good background music
Gostei, me surpreendeu.
about as 80's as you can get. think lilt adverts, synth brass and slap bass
Shit
Surely a hidden gem for me. This late summer day in the city was a perfect fit for this kind of pop. Love the production and there are some real good tunes on here as well. Maybe a little uneven. Yeah, it's pretty uneven unfortunately.
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: The world girl, Absolute, Small talk, Don’t work that hard
Solid 80s synth pop. The album builds nicely toward Perfect Way but can’t maintain that peak. Enjoyable but odd.
The Word Girl- 4.7/5 Small Talk- 4.8/5 Absolute- 3.8/5 A Little Knowledge- 5/5 Don't Work That Hard- 5/5 Perfect Way- 5/5 Lover to Fall- 4.8/5 Wood Beez- 4.6/5 Hypnotize- 4.9/5 Total- 4.7/5
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.
This is a great pop album. The '85 in the title is perfect. It sounds exactly how a record made in 1985 should. The production is sharp and sweet. The songwriting isn't always there, but it feels like an album, and not some random songs put together.
new-to-me and I like it (4)
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.
This really is the most generic 80's music I've ever heard. All the tricks, all the filler sounds, all the exact drum loops. This has not stood the test of time
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.
The couple of hits on this record are interesting tunes... this was pretty early club music i.e. something you wouldn't really hear on the radio with any real frequency, but you'd hear when you went out. Definitely also a bit of a mishmash with a few different elements -- funky, electronic, a bit of a reggae feel here and there. I would say it's aged somewhat poorly, as it isn't nearly as complex as music became.
Immediate though on opening baseline, “God, bands fucking loved the “reggae” demo on their Casio keyboards in the 80’s.” Track one: I hate this so far. Absolute: WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING, IS THIS A JOKE?? Might have to stop listening to this one. Fuck I hate this. Perfect way: okay, I can see why this is their popular song from this album, but I don’t really love it personally. I can just recognize the hallmarks of a “good” song in it 🤷🏻♂️ The very next song: WHAT IS THIS BABY VOICE??? God I hated this so much. I hope I never hear it again.
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”?
Typical 80s album, a bit of a Prince and MJ rip off.
Decent album but ultimate uneventful
No thanks (80's Prince knock-off?)
Until now I never knew any bands that were influenced by ABC. The Lexicon of Love is the gift that keeps on giving.
Insipid pop songs and unbearable ballads.
Even back in the mid 80s I found this album to be too poppy, and now almost 40 yrs later it's unbearably cliched and dated sounding. Looking at the lineup of instruments that they play its almost entirely comprised of synth/keyboards such as the Mini-moog, Fairlight, Roland and Oberheims so the sound is replete with synth beats that don't vary much. This is a record that shouldn't be on the list as there are a lot more deserving albums out there.
I bailed five songs in. It's just irritating - the songs all sound the same, and to start with it's all charming 1980s synth pop, then you realise, ugh, that's all it is. And like Vivaldi's Spring, when you first hear it, it's nice, but after the fourth or fifth time you end up wanting to gouge your own eyes out. One star.
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
A very 80s sound. I knew the song Perfect Way, but that was it. It is heavy on the drums and I like the beats. Singing was eh….. Still I did enjoy the listen… Standout: Perfect Way 3/5
This is about as 80's bubblegum pop as I can imagine, which makes it simultaneously disgusting and irresistable.
This sounds like you asked chatGPT to generate an androgynous 80s pop album. Almost comes across like a parody at certain points.
80s in all the clichéd ways possible. Tropes galore. Not bad but definitely a personal pass.
Masterpiece!
Didn’t get anything out of this
Not bad but, as far as 80s synth pop goes, this is far from the best I’ve heard Favourite tracks: The Word Girl, Hypnotize
The type of band you’re supposed to like, but I wonder how many actually listened to this album more than once or twice, though enjoyed having the cd cassette or album prominently on display - all the while listening to Fleetwood Mac, Duran Duran, Born to be alive, the eagles, pink Floyd, yes, ELP, etc and other horrid dreck, or mega selling crowd pleasers. not bad at all, but there’s a reason it’s more of a cult classic. Perfect way was good actually.
OK we are 1980s caricature now. Is there a famous or brilliant track here, is this Paula Abdul's backing band doing intro music for straight to VCR movies? Hmm cater a few tracks...is album is here because it fits into a micro genre and if we're going to fill out the entire colour wheel of musical genres in this house and one album left we're taking a box birth other than the curiosity fact there in musical education of 80s synth pop background music that could well be elevator music I really don't understand what special here
I was a fan. Really liked Green’s voice. And this album contains 3 of my favourite SP trax. Wood Beez(Pray Like Aretha Franklin) & The Word Girl still sound so fresh & Absolute is not far behind . I have the Word Girl 12” single featuring Ranking Ann, which is outstanding. It’s great that the album was co- produced by Atlantic Records legend, Arif Mardin, who worked on Aretha’s I Never Loved A Man etc. album. The production is great. I don’t think the band ever made it to Australia, but, ironically, Fred Maher, the drummer on this album & guitarist Robert Quine, who also appears on it, both toured Australia six months before this album was released, in January 1985 as part of Lou Reed’s touring band. I saw Reed at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre on that tour & definitely remember Quine’s bald pate on stage. Great guitarist.
I remember when this album came out, there was a kid at school (whose name escapes me now) who was particularly evangelical about synth pop in general and Scritti Politti in particular. I don't think he was aware of their past as a Marxist agit-prop, post-punk collective. And in all fairness, there isn't much about this very expensively polished production that would suggest such a past. The singles certainly caught my attention at the time, influenced by his proselytizing, This album is probably the pinnacle of 80s synth pop. Sophisticated, polished, intricate, smooth, light. Robert Christgau wrote that "the high-relief production and birdlike tunes and spry little keyb [sic] arrangements and hippety-hoppety beat and archly ethereal falsetto add up to a music of amazing lightness and wit that's saved from any hint of triviality by wordplay whose delight in its own turns is hard to resist." I'm not sure that I am taken with the lyrics; they're clever, but I feel like Green Gartside is a bit in love with his own cleverness. Generally, I find his approach a bit narcissistic, which makes the album hard to love. That said, Miles Davis was a fan and covered Perfect Way on his Tutu album. I love the singles, notably Wood Beez and Perfect Way, but a whole album is like eating a 10kg bag of fairy floss. Light and fun for the first few handfuls, but sweet to the point of nauseating over the space of a whole album. I own a couple of Scritti Politti albums (including this one), which I never spin all the way through. I should ditch the LPs and invest in copies of the singles instead. That would work better.
So fucking terrible. The worst kind of 80s pop. And another absurd pick that is clearly only here because the 1001 editors have a hard on for obscure UK garbage.
This sailed perilously close to being a one star stinker.
quién elige estos discos?
Catchy tunes. Nice new find. I went on to listen to their entire catalog.
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
Most of this album did not do much for me but not terrible
Pop
Atlanta night 1: I didn’t write this review right after I listened to it so it’s already pretty hazy after a full day of exploring but I remember that it had really lame simplistic production that worked sometimes and not at all in other tracks while the vocals were solid throughout. Pretty average britpop.
Koffor har eg aldri hørt på detta, da va jo jævlig cheesy og bra. Nesten på høyde med Modern Talking
This was alright, but I am just not that into this kind of synth pop.
I only know Scritti Politti from Rhodri Marsden on twitter, and he wasn't in the band when this album was written and recorded. If he was, I'm sure the lyrics would have included many witty observations of Christmas sleeping arrangements and tips on fatherhood. I only knew Green Gartside from 'Between the Clock and the Bed', and I like his voice here as much as I do on that record. It is GG's voice and the high quality production that is most striking about this art pop album. It really elevates the fairly average song writing, creating a instantly recognisable, unique and luxurious sound. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Perfect Way Date listened: 01/07/23
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...?
Hahahahaha!! Hahaha! Haha. Ha. ha... yeah, nah. Nahhh. No. NO. NOOOOO!
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.
The wife said, it's a bit 80s, and it's hard to disagree. It's just a bit naff. Next!
Possibly the worst thing I've ever heard. A form of torture, surely a crime against humanity. They should have called it 'things that were shit in the 80s, the soundtrack'.
Still irritating after 40 years
Yeah. It was alright. I had a Scritti Politti take in my collection as a teenager and every now and then I'd fish it out and be pleasantly surprised that it wasn't a shit as I'd thought. This time, thinking it was going to be a pleasant surprise, it was not all that. 3.5 stars.
Alexa, play me bland 80s synth pop... Are you sure? OK, here you go.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. 80s synth-pop at its finest
4/10 gros pop electro brit pas tant plaisant
Incredibly polished mid 80s studio produced commercial pop. Could only have been made in studios of the mid 1980s. Slick, upbeat, vocals a little under mixed. Not as lovely as Prefab Sprout or x-factor as Culture Club. I couldn’t make out the lyrics, so will listen again - as I gather they’re clever. Sound is so 80’s!!
Not 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.
Not my cup of tea
Garbage '80s schlock pop
Awful 80's pop. That's it. Best Tracks: The Word Girl; Absolute; Perfect Way
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
Never heard of this before. Can't even begin to guess what it is apart from just assuming it's new wave or synthpop bc 1985. Ok it's mindless pop music. It's from the UK! what a fitting way to reach 1001. This is... so bland and dumb it hurts. Michael Jackson vibes in places. But the best way I could describe it is "stupid shit". No standout tracks, it all sounded pretty much identical. A special day. 1/5.
Tweede album van band / soloproject Scritti Politti. Hoewel bedoeld als analogie bestaat de tracklist uit uitzonderlijk oppervlakkige en vervelende popliedjes die alles wat mis is aan de jaren '80 omvat. Niet alleen irritant maar ook een thematische desillusie. leukste nummer: Perfect Way De albumtitel is ontleend aan de mythe van Cupido en Psyche. De analogie is mega vergezocht en verhult wat vrijwel zeker een poging is om met makkelijke nummers geld te verdienen.
Pop con sintetizadores. No me ha gustado. Un 2.
Menudo rollazo ... como Prince ñoño, sin gracia.
What a strange brew. Equal parts synth-pop and rock leaning. This is one of those albums that I had no idea what it was going to be. What I walked away with was an utter surprise. I really enjoyed this weird ass music.
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.
2/10. Europop synth is just not my thing.
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
Sounds like Michael Jackson. Not so bad, always nice to hear such a music at home.
Felt like I was stuck in an 80s family comedy soundtrack. Can't decide whether that was good or not
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.