Too Rye Ay

Cum on Eileen

Wow. What to say. I was going through some really bleak times in 1982. Both my older sisters had killed themselves in a suicide pact. I sought solace in the music of Dexys Midnight Runners and boy did it change my outlook on everything. 40 years on and I still have a bittersweet feeling stuck in my throat about it. To this day you can find me both dancing and crying to Come On Eileen. It did ruin my cousin's wedding, but she's a complete slut.

fucking insufferable. the guy nobody really wanted at the party, waiting for a high five, hand in the air, for over an hour.

Pack of dickheads

Nothing "I need to hear" aside from the song I've heard 3000 times in my life.

Too rye ay? More like “Two stars, aye?”

This was actually fantastic. Ahead of its time in ways, rooted in old school folk idioms in others. Nearly every song full of emotion. I'm doing it, I'm giving it a 5.

Not bad, not bad at all. "Come On Eileen" is a classic, and the rest (for the most part) blended together - but into an enjoyable mash. Would revisit.

The only decent thing to come out of the 80’s was me. I used to like Michael Jackson during the 80’s but turns out he has a thing for staring at bum holes.

I love “Come On Eileen.” One of my all-time favorites. But for reasons unknown I have never listened to this album. I’m glad I did. This is a hell of a lot of fun and I really enjoy this album. Kevin Rolland’s vocals have a Freddie Mercury-like drama to them that I am surprised to have never noticed before. Songs like “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)” exude joy and make this album is a real pick-me-up. The strings and horns are exciting. The lyrics are often serious and even dark and contrast with the music, as in the peppy song’s “I’ll Show You” exploration of school boys change into ‘alcoholics, child molesters, nervous wrecks and prima donnas, jilted lovers, office clerks, petty thieves, hard drug pursuers’ all to the happy horns. This makes TOO RYE AYE a fun listen that exposes more depth than you might expect as you become more familiar with the songs. “Plan B,” “Liars A to E” and “Until I Believe In My Soul” were other standout tracks to me on the first few listens. Even “Come On Eileen” had a little surprise at the end. I also enjoyed the bonus tracks a lot as well. Great album!

Deserves a 5 just for managing to make dungarees cool. Top effort. If it was a footballer it would be sarong wearing trendsetter David Beckham.

I think Dexys Midnight Runners having 3 albums on this list is the clearest example of British bias in the book. That's not to say that I dislike this album. 7/10

Wow this guy's voice is annoying!

An hour is far too long to spend with Kevin and his Runners, I'll tell you that. It's just too much. It didn't take but a few tracks for me to get really tired of the schtick. Why did EVERY male vocalist of the era sound exactly the freaking same? Overly dramatic delivery, constant falsetto, every line ended with forced vibrato... They're all the same and I hate it all. I don't know, man. I'm trying to figure out why this is on the list beyond the one big hit and I think... I think "Come On Eileen" is the only reason it's here. One song shouldn't be enough. Anyway, the horns and the damn tin whistle solo were also annoying so screw this whole thing.

Love their sound! These guys deserved to be more than a one hit wonder. A couple songs on here sound like they're inventing ska and made me really happy.

This isn't a band deserving of multiple entries in the 1001. Zero would be fine

Ugh, Come on Eileen was on the playlist of every wedding disco through the 80s and 90s. It sucks. I’m not listening to it again because why should I make myself angry in my own home?

Surprisingly good. Enjoyed this more than I thought. Last track is shite though

While I have been given some really good albums, From the selections I have been given, I think this is really titled "1001 albums someone liked and listened to once" There is a reason these guys are one-hit wonders. Or one-star wonders

Kevin Rowland builds up song from his voice out, picks his sounds, and we get this turbulent, ecstatic stream of confession, vow and manifesto - “those guitars are cruel and noisy”.

Spectacular big sound, orchestral and jazzy. I would have never guessed it would be that good

I'm maniacally obsessed with Too Rye Ay. It's not just because of the famous "Come On Eileen" — the whole album sounds wonderfully dated.

Love a bit of Dexys - I don't rate this quite as highly as "Searching For The Young Soul Rebels", and if 4.5 was an option I'd probably go for that, but it isn't, so a 5 it is! "Come on Eileen" has no doubt been over played to death, but it's such a good song I don't think it suffers too much for it - I don't object to hearing it again whenever it comes up. Fave tracks - as well as the aforementioned, "Let's Make This Precious" and "Plan B" are both bangers!

More glorious sounds from Dexy’s including the imperious ‘Come on Eileen’, probably the weirdest floor filler there’s ever been. The energy on the track as the piano and fiddle dance along is infectious. Across the rest of the album, keep those horns blowing. I don’t pretend to understand Kevin Rowland but I do appreciate his artistic flair and commitment to playing whatever the hell he likes. This is an absolutely classic album from the best British band of the eighties.

Such a unique voice the lead singer has, and it carries the album along with some great instrumentals. 'Come on Eileen' is obviously the standout hit, but this album is just such a joyous romp from start to finish. Listen to it on a bad day and your mood is sure to improve! The album would have been 4 stars if not for the fantastic 'stick-the-landing' ending that is 'Come on Eileen,' which bumps it up to a 5.

A very fun listen. An upbeat album with multiple tracks that are absolutely welcome into my playlists.

Such a fun album!

Absolutely amazing. I definitely knew Come on Eileen, but I have never listened to this entire album. Definitely one of the best so far, in my opinion.

Not every song can be Come On Eileen, but it’s a vibe

I love Dexys. Kevin Rowland’s voice is simply Joyous … a happy hour spent dancing round my kitchen 😀

Songs i knew "the songs" Song I liked "the songs" Sounds great, maybe there weren't the one hit wonders 8 thought they were. That song has just been ruined by too many weddings and birthdays at social clubs but still a classic. Good not great, won't be back. Low 4.

Great energy, Come On Eileen is fantastic!

It seems Dexeys are more than one hit wonders. This album has depth to it. Catchy songs throughout, in their signature style. Well sequenced with a run of quieter songs at the end before the release Come on Eileen hoedown. The only thing that lets it down is that the singer's voice gets a bit grating after a while. Overall, really, really good though. 4/5.

its fine. 3 stars. they are a band I want to like more than I do, cause I normally love Irish music, but this is like a lounge singer in the 80's doing it, and it's too much for me.

A favorite dirty joke from the 80's: "What's worse than sweat on Olivia Newton-John?" ??? "Come on Eileen" [pause for laughter] Dexy's Midnight Runners have always been referred to as one-hit wonders, so the rest of the songs were totally unknown to me. Surprisingly, they aren't so bad. Pretty much any of them could have been the follow-up hit single. Why didn't that happen? My theory is that on MTV in 1982, there was only so much room for bands that employed an old-timey-European-vagabond-tramp visual theme. As a result, Dexy's Midnight Runners and Men Without Hats canceled each other out.

When I look up a list of "one-hit wonders", Paste magazine has Dexys Midnight Runners up there at #1 with Come on Eileen. So if Dexys Midnight Runners is a one-hit wonder, why do they have THREE albums on this list?! This is the best of the three but that is not saying much.

Overall: 4/10 Sigh. This was bound to happen. I like to discuss my list progress with friends and I constantly make jokes about how the listmakers couldn't add Milo Goes to College because they just HAD to make room for 3 Dexys Midnight Runner albums. This album is fine. The songs range from upbeat and danceable to incredibly annoying. I like the violins and, of course, Come On Eileen is their only truly impactful song for a reason. I hope the next two albums from them are a bit better. Fav Song: Come On Eileen Least Fav Song: All in All (This One Last Wild Waltz)

If I never hear this band again it will be too soon.

Favourite tracks: Let's Make This Precious, Plan B Album didn't seem to gel or synchronise as well. Did not really get a consistent theme, vision, emotion etc.

Tighter and more interesting than I imagined it would be. KIND OF samey throughout, but danceable and and charmingly unusual: you can't fault it for being overly challenging. Like Thin Lizzy without guitars, bass and drums. I despise the big hit though, just hate it. Hearing it makes me cringe so hard I need to go to the emergency room.

That voice..that damned voice. Otherwise the tunes are serviceable and same-y.

Why does this one hit wonder-band deserve more than one entry on this list?

More Irish-pub tinged than I was expecting, which I now hear in Come On Eileen, the only memorable song on the album and the only one I had heard of.

I wasn’t looking forward to this assignment. After all, I hate Come on Eileen with the fire of a thousand suns. It’s only gotten worse with the numerous and obvious men’s bodily fluid joke in recent years, found everywhere from American Dad to this very site. The only joy it’s ever provided me is the hilariously bad live version on their official YouTube, but alas the song remains the same. Still, you try and approach every album with an open mind. Isn’t that the whole point of this endeavour? I don’t know why there are 3 versions of this thing on Apple Music, but naturally I chose the shortest one. I have questions about why Kevin Rowland felt the need to put his own name in front of the bands for apparently this one album alone. He is the worst part of it. In his normal register he sounds fine, a little like a happy Robert Smith. But every octave outside of the mid range is like nails on a chalkboard. The second he stretches and strains his vocal cords to produce that cacophonous strangled cat of a falsetto I nope the fuck out.

Das ist ja ein Ding. Die Truppe war bei uns ein One Hit Wonder. Ungefähr 1234-mal habe ich Come On Eileen im Radio gehört. Und jetzt lerne ich, dass sie sogar ganze Alben gemacht haben. Dafür ahne ich jetzt, warum es keinen zweiten Titel gibt, der gespielt wird...

Some artists are mislabed as one hit wonders and have a great catalogue waiting to be explored. This is not one of those. 2

Un bon album de la part du sosie vocal de The Cure.

Too Rye Ay? Fuck Off! What an insufferable band and style of music. Pretending to be Dickensian street urchins, running around urban England with their brushes, fiddles and cloth caps. Fuck Right Off!

Not a fan. Tried it and still not a fan. Would reconsider if I was in Ireland at an outside pub and wine drunk.

Such a generic british cat shreaks shit

I'm not fucking listening to this. Fuck this band and fuck you

Do you like Come on Eileen? Do you want to hear 14 other songs that sound close to it but not as good? This is the album for you.

I just can't. This includes one of the most evil songs ever concieved, and a cursory listen includes more of their jaunty irish fiddle and shout 'soul' music

I hate "Come on Eileen," but I was expecting to be pleasantly surprised by this album. I wasn't.

Except for Come on Eileen this album is a dud. And if you’re going to cover Van Morrison bring something to it. Why is this on the list?

Nah… Dreadful. Dexys reminds me of cheesy djs at family doos and weddings in the ‘80s. Not for me

I found this album extremely grating. I forced myself to stick with it but it almost became the first of these albums I didn't listen through all the way.

This is exactly what I expected from this album. Decent music with an 80s sound and horns and the lyrics are almost impossible to understand. Sometimes they literally overlapped with the backup vocals saying something else. Very confusing lyrically.

Awful. 1 star for Come on Eileen. Fake Irish BTW, they're from Birmingham.

This album is by far the best of the three these guys have on this list. It's the best of their pub style rock/ folk with a lot of really fun songs. Obviously Come On Eileen, but Let's Make This Precious, Old, T.S.O.P., and Reminisce are all great. Is it the best music on this list? Not by a long shot. But it has a charm and style that stands out against a lot of these other early 80s groups.

Weird voice but I loved it

This made me smile and bob my head in approval.

Lots of fun and I really like this guy's voice. Kind of reminds me of some of the happier songs by the cure!

The Good: We’ve got Too Rye Ay! The Bad: We don’t know if that is hootch… The Ugly: Finding out that midnight runner is slang for skid-marks… Damn, here I thought that these guys were nothing but a bunch of weirdos who, somehow, managed to pen one good number, which turned them into the the one-hit-wonder we all know… And then you listen to the album and you wonder why realize that, like it or not, image is everything. I don’t want to call this album a hidden gem, and I don’t know if I would have appreciated it back when it came out, however, I’m about the spin this disc (figuratively) for the fourth time, because I’m really enjoying it… Does this merit a 5*? It kind of does, even though I understand that this album is not worth 5*… 4 1/2* for sure… Too Rye Ay!!!!

This has been one of my biggest surprises. “Come On Eileen” is a banger for all time, but I did not really have high hopes for the entire album. I was definitely glad to be proven wrong! This album is full of stellar tracks. “The Celtic Soul Brothers,” “Liars A To E,” “Until I Believe In My Soul,” and “Come On Eileen” are the standouts, as is “Jackie Wilson Said,” which might be better than Van Morrison’s original. I’m not sure if Dexys Midnight Runners are considered ska, but this album definitely had some ska vibes and made me think how underrepresented that genre is on this list. I know they’re considered a one hit wonder, but they definitely shouldn’t be, and this album is very worthy of its place on this list.

Albums like this make me wish the British had squashed the American revolution

Memory’s a fickle thing. But as cruel as posterity has been to Dexys – who had at least a couple of hits in the U.K. – it’s also true that you can only be a one hit wonder for as long as you’re remembered. Better a one hit wonder than a never was. In its way, it’s a poetic irony that a band who managed to put out so timeless a party hit as “Come on Eileen” should have done so as part of an album that sounds so totally not of its time. “Too Rye Ay” is significantly more sophisticated, assured and complete than you’d be forgiven for thinking it should be. Not only does their inimitable mix of Celtic folk, blue-eyed soul and skiffle actually work (seriously, did anyone ever even try to imitate it?) … it manages to move the listener through a full range of emotions. There’s whimsy (“Let’s make this precious”) and ecstatic joy (their cover of Van Morrison’s “Jack Wilson says…”); triumphant table dancing (“Come on Eileen”) and measured introspection (“Liars A to E”). And then there’s the textured delicacy of “All in all (This one last wild waltz)”, a 3/4 (what else?) swagger of jagged gentleness and heart-rending harmonies that had me wondering if Messers Morrissey and Marr weren’t themselves early fans of DMR. In short, there’s far, far more to this whole thing than the “one hit wonder” tag could ever begin to communicate. It’s an injustice that prompts in me a sort of melancholy that no volume of dungarees – the happiest of all garments – could ever quite fully disabuse me of. And speaking of those jolly dungarees … it strikes me now – reflecting on how it is that things steadily recede from the collective memory memory – that, one day, “Come on Eileen” will be played at its last wedding. The strings will for a last time dizzy; the chorus will stand up tall and puff out and beat its chest; the middle eight will drop the pace, build it up again toward one final crescendo. And at that point, we’ll have just the object oriented ontologists (whose general position on music and memory I’d love to see articulated through the concept of ‘one hit wonders’) to debate whether it’s still, ever was, or forever could be a hit. Or, as is more likely, we will stop hearing “Come on Eileen” only when the sun swallows us all up completely. Anyone complaining about it can, frankly, get stuffed. Because in that moment – as with every other one – it will have meant everything.

Maybe it was the drive through the mountains with the windows down, maybe it’s the fact that “Come on Eileen” is a certified bop, but I loved this album. Fun mix of styles and sounds. At times they sounded like Queen, at times The Darkness, but the whole album was just fun. I even enjoyed the bonus tracks. That Jackie Wilson song was great, the backup singers on Liars A to E were terrific, the horns throughout the album were great too!

Few things in this world are truly original, but this combo of R&B, Irish folk music, amateur dramatics and leftover punk edge seems close. Starts and ends with big pop bangers and has a couple in between. The rest is strange meandering stuff from somewhere between Lloyd Webber, Van Morrison and whatever was playing at the local skinhead and soul boy discos. The band were tighter than a gnat’s chuff at this point with a new impassioned fiddler, hell for leather brass section and vaudeville piano, and Kevin had genuine soul in his voice. I love that something completely out of step with any contemporary trends or fashion can still take you straight back to a past era. It’s a wonderful thing.

Brilliant

Incredibly unique vocals paired with outstanding backing musicians makes a fantastic listen. 10/10

A real ringer on this list for me, just love it. Unique, incredible tunes, a medley to rival Abbey Road and one of the biggest hits of the '80s tossed on at the end. What's not to love?

This was fun. I wish I'd listened to more of them sooner.

This album just made my soul happy, I can’t describe it in any other way. Then the all time banger came on and now I’m over the moon. Great album, that was able to evoke emotion out of me!

Magic.

Loved it but still need to finish

No es solo Come on Eileen, que también, sino el conjunto de perfectas canciones de celtic soul que componen el disco. Desde la vibrante inicial The Celtic Soul Brothers te das cuenta de que se trata de un grupo y un álbum especial. Lo tenína todo para triunfar, lo hicieron y luego se la pegaron de un modo único e irrepetible.

With their second album, Dexys showed that they can keep their blue eyed soul style but give it a radical twist by incorporating violins and more of a gypsy jazz sound combined with Americana and more folk. Don't just try to get Eileen on the dancefloor but listen to all those other tracks. I liked this one as much as the first album.

I've had some less than impressive albums lately which has kinda disillusioned me to this whole process. As it stands currently, I am 10 reviews behind 156 reviewed of 166 generated, but seeing this come up did cheer me up and I just had to listen immediately. Love Dexys, and this album is excellent.

Sehr cooles Album!

great Celtic/folk/pop album, played this a lot when it came out - the 2022 "As It Should Have Sounded" version is tremendous.

queen, but straight. one of the greatest albums finds ever, I'm absolutely I'm live with it. doesn't miss throughout the whole album, had stand out tracks all over, great use of instruments, a lot of fun. 10/10

Actually loved this. Not some historic album or anything, just really fun. Also a sucker for a good horn section.

I danced to 'Come On Eileen' at the afterparty of my 'other' daughter's wedding so I am extremely biased in my love for this album. Out of 1001, I vote we all get to rate one a 5 for strictly sentimental reasons.

4.5 - Wow, I thought I was gonna just wait for come on eileen and just fell in love with the whole album. I once heard them on Jools Holland and thought they were pretty off, but this is not how I remember them

Fun

had so much fun with this! close to a 4.5 i think.

COME ON EILEEN 9/10 PALOO ️‍🔥️‍🔥️‍🔥️‍🔥️‍🔥

I enjoy new wave and I do love ‘Come on Eileen’ even though I’ve heard it a million times.. but this album was full of other great and fun songs. Prominent horn section throughout, I’m curious is this was part of an early ska scene. Unashamed 5/5 from me, really nice listen

This album is most known for Come On Eileen but it's so much more than just one song. It's a trip through Celtic soul and pop from the morning track until the end other highlights include Celtic Soul Brothers, Old, Plan B, Liars A To E, Until I Believe In My Soul, the excellent cover of Jackie Wilson Said & of course Come On Eileen is an absolute banger.

The cover of this album made me think the music was going to be depressing. It’s completely the opposite! So upbeat and fun. Great vocals. Love it. And of course I have heard of the song Come on Eileen, a favorite.

Love

I LOVE THIS ALBUM. I totally get why it’s not for some people, especially Kevin Rowland’s voice, but to me it sounds so good, he’s got so much passion you can’t help but like the guy. And it’s so much MORE than Come on Eileen. Celtic Soul Brothers, the cover of Jackie Wilson Said, the long but never overstaying its welcome Until I believe in My Soul all out the biggest smile on my face. It’s not high art, and it’s not trying to be, but manages to sound better than so many things on this list. It absolutely deserves its spot here. Do their other albums? Well we’ll see (spoiler they’re also very good)

As I first found this record, I was set on a 2 star rating for sure. As I listened through these tracks each More unique than the other and weaving seemlessly through generes and iterations of rock, I felt a strong compelling urge to reach on a 4 for this record.. As things progressed I realized this IS in fact a pop masterpiece. Then the finale, a song I've heard hundreds of times, and would've scoffed at the notion of appreciation.... well, it hot different as the kids would say.

Amazing album.

Una especie de The Cure animado y trompetero. Opino lo mismo que con el otro disco: les compro el vinilo, va.

New wave. Son los de Come On Eileen.

Favourite songs: Come on Eileen, Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile), The Celtic Soul Brothers (More, Please, Thank You), Let's Make This Precious, All in All (This One Last Wild Waltz), Liars A to E, Plan B, I'll Show You Least favourite songs: Love - Pt. 2 5/5

Bangers, great album

Great band. I’ve always been a big fan of Ken Rowland and the Dexys. Made a song that has crossed many generations. Glad to see this here.