Too Rye Ay

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.

Cum on Eileen

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

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

Pack of dickheads

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Wow this guy's voice is annoying!

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

The faster songs on here are the kind of music that are good to hear live in a pub with several pints of beer. Of course there are millions of bar bands like that, so it's not going to be a standout for me. And the slow songs required lots of patience on my part, but that's no surprise. It closes with their big hit "Come On Eileen," which is fun. (Of course that song always reminds me of this: https://xkcd.com/575/) So, I feel bad not rating it higher since Kevin on the cover there looks so sad, but: 3/5.

His singing is a lot. I can understand why some people would be a hard pass. I happen to love his vocals for reasons I can't fully explain. But beyond his crooning overly expressive vocals there's some great music and instrumentation that keeps me coming back for deeper listens. This would have been an awesome band to hear live.

The overall sound feels like a mix of Queen, Rush, Morrisey and Barry Manilow and that is enough to get a 5/5 from me.

A fabulous album, glorious yet poignant from start to finish.

This was fantastic. I've tried with this one before, and it didn't click, but this time it sure did. The only tune I'd scrap was their cover of Jackie Wilson Said. But yeah, fantastic songs, well arranged and performed. quirky good fun. Also, I love when bands put their hit as the last track. That way, it doesn't distract from the listening experience.

Finally, it is Too Rye Aye. The best DMR album by a landslide and an all around excellent album. The title track is our favourite, but there are lots of strong contenders on here.

Great album for 900. I think they deserve a 5, very good vibes.

So much more than one hit wonders! The new wave successors of Van Morrison.

This album is very very funny. It's really such an enjoyable album, with so many great songs. I didn't know what to expect, but I've been into it since the first song started, and my interest on the album hasn't declined the least as the songs have gone on. I've loved it, completely. It may not be the most interesting thing, but, wow, what a time I've had listening to it. It is really worth it, and all my love towards it too. What a great record!

In the midst of synthesizers, drum machines and avant garde fashion, here came Dexys wearing overalls and playing banjos. “Come on Eileen” gets better the deeper you examine it, and “Jackie Wilson Said” blends the Celtic folk sound with 1969s R&B. There aren’t enough musical ideas to last a whole album, but this still sounds like a breath of fresh air.

Liked the energy on this one. Vocals were very expressive and the frontman's voice itself is great. Celtic motives and the instrumental aspect were also very good. It feels like a cd you discover in your parents car. Kind, uplifting, designed for pubs and meetings with friends.

I was mightily happy to see a Dexys record crop up here, even if it is the wrong one! Personally, I think Searching For The Young Soul Rebel stands head and shoulders above this one in essentiality, if that's a word. I can't help thinking that the inclusion of Too Rye Ay instead, absolutely wonderful as it is, only helps to confirm most peoples view that Dexys only had one song, or two at most; that they were something of a novelty act and their most memorable career highlight was performing on Top of the Pops in front of a picture of a darts player. But seriously - just LISTEN to this record. Loud. It's a joyously brilliant album, with tunes that sear themselves into your brain. Kevin Rowland really is something of an under-appreciated creative genius - I will never tire of listening to this record.

I suppose Kevin Rowlands voice is a bit of a marmite thing, thankfully I fall firmly in the like camp. While Come On Eileen is what they are known for by a country mile, it's a shame because the whole album is a great pop marvel. It wasn't until I listened to this that I realised, to my shame, it is also a Dexys album that I don't have. I must remedy that immediately...

I'm a big Dexys fan, seen them twice and love the new albums. This is 42 minutes of concentrated brilliance from a true maverick innovator human tornado who was always looking to be ahead of the game, no matter what he had to achieve to do it. The focus and love on soul music set them apart on the debut and here the folk element takes them even further from their contemporaries. They have three albums on here because they were a really important band and the first two were successful despite being incredible Oddities in music of the time. The third was an insane flop (Don't Stand Me Down) but is now probably their best regarded album by fans, for all the reasons that it wasn't successful. The guy was a total disaster in so many ways, but probably had the biggest balls in bravery in any singer and band leader I've ever known. He even dressed in women's underwear on the cover of a solo album once he'd got himself straight from drink and drugs. I simply find this one hard to fault, apart from the production at times but that's even been fixed on the "as it should have been" new version.

This is a seriously good album. Dexy’s are criminally underrated. Enjoy the horns and the violins, and whilst Kevin Rowland is not the world’s strongest singer, I believe he has soul. A great discovery

Very surprised at how much I liked an album from a band I thought was merely a one-hit wonder.

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!

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.

Fun album but I can understand why some find it annoying.

I never really gave the song “Come on Eileen” much thought and considered it something of a novelty tune at a time when MTV was rife with that kind of stuff, but I like this album. It’s rooted in traditional Irish music, but with its prominent horns and bass-forward rhythm section, it hews closer to soul and ska, and it works, with great songs to match. Nice surprise.

For all the roasting I give the list for having 3 Dexys LPs included, this is pretty great. Nice mix of horns, soul, rock and some touches of traditional British sounds. 3 is probably still too many tho.

This was like listening to a good party

A teacher at our school once told me and Lola that the Come on Eileen music video was filmed nearby so we (I think unprompted) went to the locations of the music video and recreated the dancing- these videos will not be shared but does mean I sometimes cringe a little when I hear the song. But regardless of being 16 and finding everything embarrassing we still stood out on the street and danced and laughed at ourselves. Come on Eileen is exactly that kind of song, a bit silly, a bit infectious and a whole lot of fun when sung with a crowd, or just one friend. It's an album to put you in a good mood- I definitely enjoy the less upbeat songs a lot less but overall I still enjoyed the album. Favourite song: Come on Eileen Least: Old

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!

Much better than I was expecting! Quite a fun album.

01) The Celtic Soul Brothers (More, Please, Thank You) - 8,0 02) Let's Make This Precious - 7,0 03) All in All (This One Last Wild Waltz) - 7,0 04) Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile) - 7,0 05) Old - 7,0 06) Plan B - 7,0 07) I'll Show You - 6,5 08) Liars A to E - 7,0 09) Until I Believe in My Soul - 6,5 10) Come On Eileen - 10,0 TOTAL: 7,30 (73/100) Current ranking: 424/898

I expected not to enjoy this but it was actually ok.i dig when they really utilize the Celtic sound to make this kind of blend of Celtic folk, soul, and new wavey pop.

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.

9 songs that sound like the world hit "come on eileen" and the world hit "come on eileen"

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)

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.

This is some silly nonsense. Did not need to listen to an entire album of it. Like most people I've heard "Come on Eileen" 100 times. That would have been sufficient. The rest of the songs are the same, but worse. The only positive thing I can think to say for this is that it is distinctive. Play me a single lyric from this album and I would say "oh, is that Dexy's Midnight Runners?" They found their thing and went with it. They should have gotten into children's music, could have done great putting on shows at local theaters with comedic outfits and funny lyrics. Maybe the medium sized town public library circuit. It sounds like balloon animals. Maybe I just hate fun, but I dislike this album and am barely giving 2 stars. Edit, I've just seen that they have three albums on the list!?! How can that be? I am flabbergasted and will be giving all three albums 1 star in protest.

To have 3 albums by this band in the 1001 albums generator while having no Phil Collins or Slowdive is kind of the most imbecile thing you could ever think of.

i want to blow my fucking brains out

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

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.

I'm completely blown away by how much I like this album. Each song felt like its own Summer party, and the Celtic influence is just the icing on the cake. The singing, and diversity throughout the album ensures there aren't many dull moments with this one. Finally, this masterpiece closes out with one of the most iconic songs of all time. Favorite Track: "Come On Eileen"

I absolutely loved this album, they are such mood-lifters and will definitely do a re-listen, since I liked it so much ❣️

music is love

Come on Eileen!

This should at the very least get them upgraded to Dexys Second Shift Runners. The horns are first shifters for sure.

This album makes me wish I was a young man drinking Guinness in an Irish pub and Dexys was the band playing. It would be a raucous good time. Really solid album. With this record I'm in double digits on the project. Wild to think about.

A great one. A couple days late for St. Pat's, but that's okay.

Efter att beklagat sig över den irländska folkmusiken insamband med Pouges för ett par dagar sedan får vi nu åter ett album som tagit inspiration från den gröna ön. Resultatet blir emellertid något helt annat. Rowland har genom hela sin karriär besuttit en enorm förmåga att plocka russinen från varenda kaka i konditoriet. Å det är ju i sig en bedrift. Men att sedan lyckas blanda samman ingredienserna till något än njutbart är ytterst få förunnade (Clash kan väl räknas in här). Fiolen går hör sitt intåg på bandets andra platta. Hur man går folkmusikfelan att låta så mycket soul är lite av en gåta, men som sagt även en viktig del i Dexys storhet. använder folkmusik. Ljudmattan som fanns redan på Searching… finns kvar. Ändå känns alltid arrangemangen luftiga. Varje instrument får ta sin plats. Låtmässigt är det förstås bra, även om inte varje spår når upp i absoluta världsklass. Bortsett från underbara Let’s make this precious är B-sidan starkast (inte minst avslutningen med Until I…och Kom igen Lena). Antagligen det svagaste av Dexys 80-talsalbum, men det beror snarare på mördande konkurrens än bristande kvalitet. Klarar finaste betyget med lätt darr på ribban.

Excellent

yoooo I liked this way more than I expected. I’ve heard Come On Eileen 5000 times before at bars and have fond cocaine come up memories on makeshift dance floors that come back when I hear it. there’s a bunch of great songs on here — well played and well captured with a fair share of thrilling and earnest moments. I’m not familiar with any of the rest of their music but this has me intrigued.

Classsic

They’re not a one hit wonder

Det rycker i benen! Vit soul kan vara så fantastisk. Här möter en new wave/indie-feeling, soulens sväng. Klar femma!