Too Rye Ay

It's unique, but gets kinda boring after a while

This album was obviously put together with a huge amount of care and skill. Unfortunately this brand of 80's pop really doesn't speak to me on any level. Also it doesn't help that I've got a seething hatred of the awful wedding disco earworm that is Come On Eileen. Not for me unfortunately

Not really my thing. 1 star for the album, but an additional star just for Come On Eileen

Well I have to say I'm very surprised by this album. Knew the song Eileen, but nothing else. I enjoyed a lot this album. There were times I thought this guy's voice sounded a lot like Robert Smith of the Cure. Different than my usual listening and glad I now this band has better songs than just Eileen. Solid 3-3.5.

5 This is my first favorite right out of the gate, I think. Upon first glance I didn’t think I knew anything on this album and it was such a party. Catchy and unique. Front to back I loved every single song and I will absolutely be buying on vinyl one day.

4 I absolutely adore Come On Eileen, but always assumed it was a one-hit wonder from Dexys Midnight Runners. The Spotify play counts seem to reveal that as true, but actually listening to the album made me realize that's a damn shame - this album is an absolute blast from front to back. The sound of the band is one of the most unique I've heard, and it's really interesting to hear how they utilize it outside of Eileen (really effectively apparently). It ultimately makes a really fun, strangely danceable folk/new wave record - nothing mindblowing, but I had a good time with it. Though I didn't factor them into my review, the bonus tracks on this album were great as well. Favorite songs: Come On Eileen (duh), Plan B, I'll Show You, The Celtic Soul Brothers, Let's Make This Precious

Come on Eileen is one of the greatest sones ever made.

Ima dobrih stvari! Oh, nisam znao da je njihova Come On Eileen. The Celtic Soul Brothers, All in All i Come On Eileen su mi favoriti i stavljeni u plejlistu osamdesetih.

Don’t love it, don’t hate it. Didn’t get to listen much, but didn’t like what I heard lol. I’ll give it an honorary 2/5

Other than THE one song, pretty bland

"it sounds like this band played the same song in a bunch of different ways until they found one that white people would play at every event" Nah but for real I was pleasantly surprised.

The real star is come on Eileen. Everything else plays second fiddle

Really fun energy. I love the lead singer's willingness to get goofy and over-the-top in his vocals. A true entertainer. “Come on Eileen” is a classic that I fell in love with as a kid after listening to some "Best of the 80's" mix CD my sister had lying around the house. It’s still a great song. The cover of "Jackie Wilson Said" is really good too - it's a great fit for this group.

Nice fun album. I think "Come on Eileen" being one of the most recognizable songs of all time helps out the rating, but I feel like it's a fair 3/5. Singer has a great voice with such an interesting primary timbre and he is obviously confident in using it and experimenting with his voice and all of this is great. "Fun" is the word that keeps coming to my head.

So glad this was on the list. Never would have sought it out otherwise. So much more than Come On Eileen

Everything I dislike about 80s music. It breaks my heart tat albums like this have a place over others

First listen. Awesome 80s pop album with one very famous track.

Just a bunch of 80s pop

+Poppy upbeat songs for when you're in that kind of mood +Good singing voice -Not very captivating -Nothing is as catchy as come on Eileen

Sound like queen and I don’t care much 1

I didn't listen to everything but the ones I did listen to were kind of just alright

Meh

Come on Eileen is a fun song with a cool rhythm change.

Come on Eileen!

Not bad. Come on Eileen is by far the best song though

Come on Eileen

This was a pleasant surprise. I will admit that I’ve only heard “Come On Eileen” before listening to this one. Well written and structured songs that embrace the past while adding a new wave edge to the sound.

Check out the live version of Come On Eileen on their VEVO. You won't regret it.

"Too Rye Ay" is among the worst album name that I have ever encountered. Some people speculate that it came from an Irish lullaby with a nonsense part that goes "too ra loo ra loo ra". If that's the case, why didn't they just used it? This unnecessary additional element made it more annoying, in the exact way those trumpets turned this new wave album into a terrible mess.

An album best know for its big hit come on Eileen. The rest of the album had a similar sound to that song but nothing nearly as catchy or entertaining. The band has a decent pop sound and also sounds like they have Irish or Scottish influence. 5.8/10

Poques vegades la barreja de tants géneres en un sol disc ha donat un resultat tan interessant i engrescador. Superant la seva primera obra, que no era gens fàcil, Rowland proporciona un dels grans hits de la primera meitat dels '80, 'Come on Eileen', i junt a ell 8 altres cançons que no baixen el pistó en cap moment. Efervescència feta música

It's all frenetic sound that combines all the most unlikely instruments except for a kazoo and vuvuzela (sp?). It mostly leaves me shaking to the core, like I've had too much caffeine. Plan B was to bring things down to earth a bit... but it was a psych out.

I enjoyed the very english vibe and folky pop songs. Come On Eileen stands above the rest, but most of then are enjoyable pop songs. Pleasantly surprised.

I try to appreciate different genres I don’t usually listen to but this just had me a bit bored. Can’t really see myself wanting to return to it. Come On Eileen is a good song though.

Pretty good, but often feels a bit too safe. Wish they utilised more of the female backing vocals you find in the last few tracks. Still, ‘Come on Eileen’ is a bop and no one can deny that. Favourite Tracks: - Come on Eileen - The Celtic Soul Brothers - Until I Believe in My Soul Overall Rating: 3/5 (B- / C+)

was a nice vibe. Didn't know they were the band behind come on Eileen

agradável, som bem feito

Surprised by how entertaining this was

Happy fun tunes

Not my favorite, but it’s ok that it’s not for everyone. I like the strings and violin bits, but the rest was a bit too 80s for my taste.

Dubious, TSOP equally good as Come on Eileen.

No wonder they were only famous for come on Eileen.

Mostly annoying to listen to and I was glad when it finished.

Interesting pop

Some good stuff and some that is kinda corny and mildly irritating. 3 I guess

More enjoyable than a lot Irish/celtic albums offered up on the list. Of course, this album will be forever known for the infectious "Come On Eileen", a once in a lifetime banger that shot to number one in the US during a remarkably competitive year. It also branded Dexys Midnight Runners as one-hit wonders in America. This album suggests they were more than that, although don't listen to the wan covers of "T.S.O.P." or "Jackie Wilson Said" for inspiration. They deserved to have greater success here in the States, but I don't believe Dexys should have multiple albums on the list. This one can stay.

Another band and an album that I wouldn't have hear about if not for this list. And that would be such a great shame! Very entertaining type of music, very fast-paced irish type music, with a lot of 'countryside' instruments and sounds on the foreground. The album starts with the most interesting song, 'The Celtic Soul Brothers'. If you have ever imagined (as I did) what would be played on the lower deck of Titanic for the common folk to dance till they can dance no more, that would be it. I was taken aback by the vocals of Kevin Rowland at first, I felt like his 'throaty' voice did not fit at all, but it quickly grew on meand by the end of the album I was completely sold. After first song the album heads the same direction - full steam ahaed to the Irish party! Few songs that are very entertaining, followed by couple slower songs, which maybe necessary, were really not to my liking. The band was at its best in a fast-flowing rhytm, where your legs dance before you can even think of it. The best example - 'Come on Eileen'. I could recognise the song in the first few seconds, but I have never known, that Dexys Midnight Runners were the first authors of it. Although not as fast-paced as rest of the album, the song is incredibly catchy, and very easy to follow along by singing and dancing. Entertaining album - I'm very happy that I found it today.

Has that song Come On Eileen but not much else.

App deleted my notes. Anyway. This is good. Looking forward to the other two given the fuss made of Kevin Rowland in the music press if this is the worst one.

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

Lot of filler but fine 2-3 stars

Come on Eileen was the highlight

Great, fun album. It reminds me of the Irish comic,Sean Hughes, who was a big fan of ‘Come on Eileen’.

Better than I expected!

Interesting mix of folk and pop and maybe rock?

6 seconds in, not my style at all. second track kinda grooves. still just not my vibe. third song is not so bad. nice vibe, cool progression. I like the fourth song. It has good bass and is groovy. fifth song doesnt do much for me. Im stopping the album. Not horrible music, just not my vibe, style, genre, at all. In any way.

Just a bit Meh.

This is a great example of music that is very eccentric but completely coherent. They really love their trumpets and violins, and know how to write simple yet effective hooks. The vocals can be a bit hit or miss, and the slower, softer songs didn't quite hit the same for me. Overall a fun listening experience.

I have a bit of a mental block with this band and it begins and ends with Kevin Rowlands unique vocal style. The other problem is I keep hoping they will reach the heights that they reached for me that they did on the very first song I ever heard from them. I heard Burn it Down, the first song off their first album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. That song just blew me away on first listen and they have never come close to matching that feeling for me that I had found the perfect marriage of punk attitude and soul arrangements. And then there<s his voice; unique and interesting on first blush but over the length of an album it becomes cloying and annoying. Now this album; well Come on Eileen is a great song and there are other good tunes here too but the vocal style starts grating early on and I have little interest in investing the time to try to appreciate the album as a whole. 2.5 stars

Interesting, irish folk music and Ska horns. Upbeat songs, some driving bass lines. Overall decent album

meh. I still like Come on Eileen, but the rest of the album was "Common... I Mean..." heh heh heh.

This was a real roller coaster for me. Had honestly never heard of the band and thought it was gonna be some outlaw country. Then was like oh are they really just putting a one hit wonder on here cuz its such a big song? Then I kind of started liking it, then got annoyed by the dudes voice, then got nostalgic for back in the day getting into ska music, then come on eileen finally came on and really rounded out the whole experience. Anyway, probz would listen to this again at some point which is more than I could say of the others we've done so far.

I can hear how this influenced bands I like today which is cool. Didn't know this was the Come On Eileen band. 4/5

Loved it.

Tää onkin tullut kirppareilla usein vastaa et kysees on kai ihan jonkinmoinen hittialbumi. Muutama hyvä biisi tosta löytykin mutta ei ollut ehkä mua varten. Vaatisi jotain lisää tai jotain vähemmän. 2/5

Alussa ihan jees, mutta kylläpä alkoi rasauttamaan lopulta.

Come on Eileen on ihan hyvä biisi, muuten aika eh levy.

Didn’t really enjoy it

Really cool sounding album.

2/5 naaah

They have a distinctive sound that is fun to listen to but not something I would seek out for regular listening

I really enjoyed most of this album. Come on Eileen is a classic but the rest of this album supported that song really well.

I had a lot of fun listening to this album. Come On Eileen is an iconic song that I love, but I thought the rest of this album held up to its status pretty well. There were a lot of dramatic elements in the music that sometimes gave me Queen vibes.

While not quite the 1 hit wonder I thought they were, most tracks were repetitive and tiresome.

Vrolijke popmuziek. Heeft dat typische vreemde geluidje van Engelse bands voor mijn gevoel. De eerste 11 nummers zijn geweldig, maar wat daarna komt vind ik afbreuk doen aan het album. Ik neem aan dat dit bonus-nummers zijn/waren en heb daardoor toch een wat hogere score voor het album als totaal gegeven. ****

Steady away. One banger.

This is a pretty cool album overall and stands pretty well across the span of time.

If Robert Smith from the Cure fronted the Waterboys....with more horns. Quite enjoyed it.

Love the violin!

Great aussies

COME ON EILEEN!

This band is one of those where the songs really don’t sound like what the band are gonna be… The album opens with the Celtic soul brothers it’s a well put together song with great instrumentation and the sample at the start is cool but it’s not overly that special. The ooh sounds on lets make this precious are annoying, also the bridge is wired but the only highlight is those trumpet noises. Then is the rampaging waltz All in all its good probably my favourite track so far as yeah it’s fairly pub-laddy but at least it’s distinctive. Jackie Wilson said is a solid cover the most memorable bit is the singing at the start but the rest of the song still hits fine. Side A ends with old a depressed drunken piano track which forms into a slightly hopeful yet gloomy thing definitely my favourite! Side B starts with plan B a two parter initially a slow piano song solid but not amazing them then after about a minute it goes into a medley into a rather fun poppy song another top track. I’ll show you is like let’s make this precious but without the annoying ooh’s so it actually works perfectly as a song not an all time favourite but enjoyable. The gospel like backing vocals over the typical dexys tune makes Liars A to E quite a unique sonic for this album but without any of that this song is devoid of any specialities still good though. The penultimate track on the album is the longest song on the album Until I believe in my soul, quite a heavenly song a great way to make this album slow down until… One of the weirdest choices for an album closer ever come on Eileen it’s a pub laddish single that everyone knows I can’t fault it but does the song serve as a goodbye. Solid but not great.

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

Trist.

Not too bad. Most of it was fun, some of it got old.

Come on Eileen all I liked

Come On Eileen is an absolute banger and a classic, but the rest of this album makes sense that it has fallen away. None of the other songs had quite the kick but I still enjoyed listening to them.

We all know Dexys for the one song, and thank goodness the one song is on here! There are a couple others that I enjoyed too though, including "Until I Believe in My Soul" for its sudden divergence into jazz territory. Not an album that I'd want to relisten to as a whole, but the standouts are nice, I mean, c'mon, Eileen. Favorite tracks: Come On Eileen, Until I Believe In My Soul, Plan B. Album art: Have definitely seen this one a bunch over the years, a sad sack of a man. Must be waiting on Eileen to love him, or maybe his application to be a Midnight Runner was rejected. It's a cool cover. 3/5

This album is rooted and folk and Americana idioms but placed within a grandiose new wave format. The instrumentation combines banjo, and strings, with highly orchestrated and bombastic horns. It reminds me of a more nuanced Spector like wall of sound punctuated by new wave style drums and bass.

Love this one. Finest blend of folk and pub rock

I remember when this album came out and Come on Eileen was number 1 and on tv all the time. I found it really annoying at the time and the rest of the album isn’t a lot better.

Struggled to know what to make of this one - Everything about it points to me liking it, but I just... don't. Sometimes you have to just accept you're not compatible, but I can't deny what an impact this album has had, there are some solid tracks on there. Maybe I've just heard Come on Eileen too many times.

Kevin Rowland is the worst part of this album.

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.

English folk soul. Can't deny the tunes here - for a bunch of people who looked like homeless art students they can put a song together. Best Tracks: Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile); Liars A to E; Come On Eileen

It was okay. I of course knew Come On Aileen and do enjoy that song, but the rest didn’t inspire me much.

All in could hear on every song was “Come On Eileen.” What should recognizable voice. Overall fun album and band, but not one I’ll revisit much or at all.

Wow I didn't realized they would have a ska kind / 80s pop vibe. Not my thing, but it's not horrible.

Pop? New wave? What I hear is ska. And I love it! I saved a bunch of tracks from this and I listened -- really listened -- to Come on Eileen for the first time in forever. There's a lot of filler and overly fussy tweaks evident in the production, but lots of fun front to back.

a special kind of mood. aka family functions and carmel radio.

I listened to Come On Eileen several times today. Didn’t vibe with the rest of this

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?

Plenty of fun, bouncy, uplifting Celt-folk rock, but I did feel every track apart from the last suffered a bit by 'Not Being Come On Eileen'. Still, a decent listen, and now my jeans are rolled up

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.

Come on I'm Dean, and my hands are so clean; at this moment, I am stapling!

Violin pop

Heel prima album met vage mix tussen pop, celtic en soul

What a tremendous and soulful mashup of post-punk/new-wave Irish folk music. More accessible than Van Morrison.

Better than expected, knew more songs than I thought

This is an intriguing listen, it's a quirky left field fun upbeat album with seemingly the kitchen sink thrown into the production. I really enjoyed these aspects. What let's it down is the lead vocals which sits uneasily with the music. It was still quite enjoyable though.

Not my bag

never realised they made more than one song and after listening to the album not sure I wanted to hear the rest. I don't know what this music is, what it's about or what its saying? that may not be a bad thing, but it just wernt groovy man, felt bored stressed and annoyed and just wanted it to end. only reason it's not getting a 1 is cos of Eileen

Too much of a good thing, not an albums' worth

A good fun knees up of an album. No idea what he's muttering about, mind. Do you think the singer intonates like this at all times? While asking for a carrier bag in the supermarket or boarding a bus?

No More, Please, Thank You.

Fun, but I see why they were one hit wonders in the States

Nah

3.5 / 5 Most was new to me. Of course, the world knows Come on Eileen and I always loved that song. Classic: Come on Eileen Other standouts: Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven), Until I Believe in My Soul, Very Good: The Celtic Soul Brothers, Let's Make This Precious, All in All,

Come on Eileen, yeh I swear, this is a good album. Always liked that song and the rest of the album has that happy vibe.

Surprising. Come on Eileen has always been on my party list but never listened to the album

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

Meh

These guys were massive. Even now 'Come on Eileen' is played at the end of wedding receptions (this is the one where your old uncle Dick puts his tie on his head and joins the dancefloor). I'd heard a few of the other tracks over the years but this is the first time i've listened to the whole album. I think they were attempting to create a myth of their own centred around the band with dungarees and dreadlocks but it didn't really pan out and they eventually fizzled out. Even so it's clean healthy music- drum and bass with horns accompanying the vocals. It's fun to listen to and a lot better than I though it would be (album fillers around the big hits).

C'mon Eileen ...a huge hit ...a band with little bit of style, ok.

If you love "Come on Eileen" then you'll probably love the rest of this album. Exceeded expectations for me honestly.

27th April 2022 Listened in the office on first day back. Book club at Stevie’s in the evening. They’re not just Dexy’s midnight runners! Actually good fun, a little bit punky/ska tinged which was surprising.

Hmm an entire album devoid of flavour and all building up to one song. I had high hopes of a misunderstood one hit wonder band - but no - they wrote a brilliant song and sapped colour from every other filler track on this album.

Cheese

Música alegre, divertida, optimista, con ritmos alegres. Me ha gustado su composición y estilo, aunque la voz del cantante no me ha convencido del todo. Disco lleno de vitalidad. Alguna canción un tanto más distinta

4/5. Delightful little Celtic-pop/soul that I’ll visit on Paddy’s Day

ok

I admit I’m a bit of a sucker for bands with a horn section! Good album, upbeat and much more than a one hit wonder. Will listen again. 4

Trevligt

Mi gran favorita es Come on Eileen porque ¿cómo no? si dan ganas de saltar y bailar como si nadie estuviese mirando.

Likes better than the other album by same artists

Great album all the way through

I had no idea Bobcat Goldthwait sang “Come on Eileen”

How do you rate an album when it’s the single that counts. Come on Eileen!

One hit wonder but there’s some other standouts here. That said this album is way too long

I struggled with this one for some reason. The cover of Van Morrisons Jackie Wilson Said nearly made me turn it off..

Surprisingly good - not my type of music but good tunes and of it’s time.

This was a lot of fun.

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.

Classic album for the most part but I did feel it dragged along towards the end. There are a few gems on there I had forgotten about and of course Come On Eileen which is close to perfect even if you have heard it eleventy-thousand times and are sick of it. The album is patchy in places which let's it down

Boring. Didn't do it for me.

Sounds like if the Cure grew up in a happier family lol

With neverending gusto, chutzpah and bravado, Too-Rye-Ay is home to Dexy's Midnight Runners' most endearing hit and several of hidden gems that does more than expected in sweeping the listener off their feet. While not their greatest hour (that would be Don't Stand Me Down), it's perhaps their most assured and finest. Favorites: Let's Make This Precious, All in All (This One Last Wild Waltz), Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile), Plan B, Until I Believe in My Soul, Come on Eileen, Reminisce (Pt. 1)

Disco ochentero BRUTAL. Algo diferente. Sólo demasiado largo, te pierdes un poco entre tanta canción

With the exception of the singles, including the unforgivingly ubiquitous "Come On Eileen", I'd managed to largely avoid this album for 40 years. And now I know I was right to do so.

Didn't recognize the band name but upon hearing the first track realized they must also sing Come On Eileen. And sure enough it is on this album. Interesting sound. New wave meets Celtic folk with the horns from a ska band.

Interesting to put Come on Eileen in context. It fits right in with the album, though.

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?

Not bad

Le gars chante comme Bootsie Collins, c’est insupportable. Le violon est super faux, le band est croche, pis dans c’temps-là, tu fais pas des cover comme T.S.O.P. ou Dubious. Ça groove zéro. Comme on Eileen est considéré comme du new wave et comme la plupart des band de new wave, les toune qu’on ne connait pas, c’est d’la marde.

Un autre album festif! La première écoute ne m'a pas séduite par contre, peut-être parce que j'étais distrait. J'étais pas certain du côté celte de l'affaire, mais finalement c'est pas si pire. Les écoutes suivantes étaient beaucoup plus satisfaisantes. Ça me fait penser à The Cure, plus pop et joyeux avec des cuivres. J'aime beaucoup les cuivres sur l'album. Bien sûr, j'avais déjà entendu leur plus grand succès Come On Eileen qui se retrouve sur cet album. Pièces préférées: Come On Eileen et Plan B

The singles are exceptional, the rest a bit... Meh

Too-Rye-Ay by Dexys Midnight Runners (1982) I’m not a fan of Britpop, but Dexys Midnight Runners add a creative flair to the genre that makes for a truly enjoyable listen. For those who, like me, thought that Dexys Midnight Runners’ first album (Young Soul Rebels [1980]) was very good, well, this one is very gooder. To the prominent trombone and other horns, they added two violins, making their pop sound even more idiosyncratically inventive. Readers might be familiar with the big hit off this album, the closing track “Come On Eileen” (successful on both sides of the Atlantic), but if that’s all you know, you’re missing a lot. Their cover of Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)” is even better than Morrison’s original (from his album Saint Dominic’s Preview [1972]). More splashy vocals, string backgrounds, elaborate horns, and a more open sound. The opening track “Celtic Soul Brothers” is exactly what is advertised. Scottish/Irish Celtic instrumental grounding with 60s Motown soul/R&B flavorings. It’s like The Pogues on a date with The Supremes (or, alternatively, Loreena McKennitt on a date with John Belushi—make your own suggestions! It’d be a fun party game). Now the lead vocal by Kevin Rowland is quirky (kind of a whiny David Bowie) and definitely not of high quality. But it is supremely interesting, almost as if he had a prior career as a punk rock frontman (he did—with The Killjoys in the late 70s). But Rowland and trombonist “Big” Jim Paterson are the creative geniuses behind the sound. And it’s a very good sound. With mobile bass lines, sassy horns, jazz interludes, female backing vocal ensemble, adjustable meter, along with occasional banjo, accordion, and tin whistle thrown in, the listener experiences an unexpected delight around every bend in the road. There’s a lot of good music on this album. It’s worth putting on the headphones and dancing in the living room (especially if your wife just left for two and a half weeks to visit your mother in law). 4/5

Really good album. Fun to listen to. Come on Eileen is one of the greatest songs ever

Too british. Kind of like a cheap, but slightly more cheerful Smiths. Don't get the hype about Come On Eileen (had not heard it before). 2.5

COME ON EILEEN

Ihan lepposa pläjäys

Hauska spektaakkeli

The Sax solo in Until I Believe in My Soul is a GEM! And getting Come on Eileen on a day Eileen Gu gets her thrid medal was a pretty pleasant coincidence xD

Perhaps wisely, "Come On Eileen" is the last track, ensuring that this iconic hit doesn't overshadow the rest of the tracks. The album is a lot better than I was expecting, showing much more to Dexys than just that one song. It also features "Jackie Wilson Said" which was on The Young Ones!

Passable. Nothing special.

Come on Eileen. Not my style, but something different

Not unpleasant; still, I doubt that I'd be drawn to actively listening to this album ever again.

This took me back. It's a tape we played in the car all the time

This album is dated in a good way. It's all greens and yellows, with cringy falsettos, silly performative singing, trompettes, church organs, and cough, cough, cough.

Adorei o álbum! Achei as músicas alegres, animadas e divertidas. Verdade que não prestei atenção nas letras, mas adorei. Me animou pra fazer um bolo, que é uma tarefa que me faz feliz. Acho que volto a ouvir com mais atenção depois. :)

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

Not too bad an album. Obviously new the mega hit Come On Eileen so was looking forward to the rest. Didnt mind this one.

meh felt like a mash of several different artists, but it wasn’t bad. sexy slay album cover

had low expectations but really not that bad 3.5

2/01/22

Decent

You know the one song. The question is whether you should also listen to other songs. (6/10) FT: Come On Eileen, Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)

At first I thought “Come On Eileen” is good, but come on... But then I noticed I’m humming the tunes.

This was a pleasant surprise from a band that I've only ever known as a one-hit-wonder. They have a great horn section on many of the tracks, and their cover of "Jackie Wilson Said" fits in well with the album. I listened to a version of an album with bonus tracks, which are great additions to the album. "Until I Believe in My Soul" could have been skipped, but I would come back to most of the tracks. If you like their one-hit "Come On Eileen" this album is worth checking out. I'm rounding up to 4 stars.

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.

I really tried but just listening to the first 5 seconds of the first songs was a nightmare

Genre: New Wave 2/5 By the time this album got to its outro, the mega hit Come On, Eileen, it had overstayed its welcome. New wave has never quite done it for me. There a bits and pieces of this thing that I enjoyed, but then it would derail and turn into a jazz break, or stop completely while the vocalist whispers for a minute only for the same bland hook to come back. This one didn’t do it for me. It’s serviceable, inoffensive, and quite jolly at times, but the banjo usage, the overuse of Celtic instrumentation, and the total blandness of everything just makes this thing a dud for me. 80s nuts will dig it.

When I saw this popping up today my 1st reaction was really? Growing up in the 80s, Come On Eileen was a ubiquitous anthem of every disco. However I enjoyed this a lot. Just not sure of its classic status.

I figured that Dexys midnight runners were kind of a one-hit-wonder band. That was until I heard this album. This is a brilliant album that mix’s Celtic musical influences with soul and R&B. It is a really pleasant album to listen to. I particularly enjoyed 'Reminisce - Part 1' for its story like qualities and 'Jackie Wilson said' with its upbeat tune that’s catchy and very memorable. I feel like it’s a sort of 3.5 range so I’ll give it the benefit of doubt and round it up…

I like the mix of traditional Irish music and an R &B/should sound.

Pretty cool! Very good Van Morrison cover.

ehhh

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

good songs: - the celtic soul brothers - let's make this precious - jackie wilson said - old - plan b

meh.... Come on Eileen is great though

Another album that's just fine. A couple of good songs, and Come On Eileen is a banger, but overall it's fairly forgetable.

2.5/5

I was so up and down with this! Obviously come on Eileen is an anthem. However, I can see why they might have been a one hit wonder. I didn’t like their sad songs. I think they should stay in their lane of fun punchy tuuuuuunes! The horns are brill all over this album and everyone knows I can get down with the trumpets LOL! And tracks like Dubious and T.S.O.P. Absolutely beaut such a bop love it. Almost reminds me of Scruff! I can’t go above three though when I didn’t like maybe half the album, shame shame.

I picked this one out of all the ones I haven't listened to because I knew I'd enjoy it. Great album and 'come on eileen' is just a song that hits the fun button in my soul every time

Poor Dexy's Midnight Runners where their 3/5 of their top songs on Spotify are Come on Eileen. But its certified one of the best songs of all time I'd say. The rest of the album was pretty fun but nothing stand out like that.

Mostly 80s nonsense but not bad I suppose. All sounded the same to me but good fun I guess. Can't deny Come On Eileen is excellent

Falsetto and fiddles, swaggering saxophones blasting in time to my heartbeat gait, oh my! So this is where that "Come on Eileen" song comes from. Huh.

Part of the fun novelty of "Come On Eileen" was the addition of a fiddle sound to pop music, and that is true throughout this album. What I didn't expect were the horn sections as well, plus piano, making for a very eclectic but fun sound. Kind of old timey, but definitely not old fashioned sounding. It's a shame this band is shorthand for "one hit wonder" in the US, since I think there is lots more to get to know and enjoy.

Other than Come On Eileen, I knew nothing of this album. It was good. The few tracks really appealed to me. I thought that I would really love this album. The instrumentation and vocals were excellent. Then as the album neared the end, the tracks were not as appealing and I found them difficult to listen to. The final Come On Eileen track was a rally back to my good side, but overall the album did slip to a 4 by the end.

Enjoyed it more than I expected but likely not enough to seek it out again.

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 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.

3.1 - decent selection of fun and danceable songs to singalong to, especially Come On Eileen and the. An Morrison cover, but another inclusion that seems to highlight the British-centric nature of this list.

While I do like the idea of adding half an orchestra to a new-wave pop outfit, both the singing and songwriting are pretty bad.

Honestly, their songs all sound very similar. Does that mean they are bad? No way. Enjoyed the album!

Had heard only 'Come On Eileen' from this group in my life until now, so it was good to give this a listen. Interesting mix of styles in their tunes, and they play really well. The lead singer's voice kind of grates on me a bit. I hear he's got some true pipes but I often want him to dial it down a notch, Sure, I get that it goes with the almost -- not sure what to call it: "ska-like"? -- style of upbeat, fast-moving music they play, but it's just not nice to my ears personally. I don't imagine I'd ever just listen to this on my own for my listening pleasure, but I can definitely imagine this album being played at a lot of dance parties and such.

New wave

Honestly i was left feeling a bit disappointed. It all felt very similar sounding to me. I feel like they sound a lot like The Cure. Although Come On Eileen is a banger and one of my favourite 80s songs, so I can't give it less than a 2/5.

10/10 didn’t know acoustic 80s pop like that would sound so cool it’s got so many cool songs, it sucks that it’s all over shadowed by Come on Eileen

Fun album! Lots of bangers. Fav tracks: Old, Let's Make This Precious

What a surprise! Of course I only knew the hitsingle "Come on Eileen" before listening to the album. I really enjoyed the whole thing. Great musical variety and entertaining artistic elements.

much better than I thought, proto-ska sound.

This was much better than I expected. Worth a repeat listen

3.4 - Having been underwhelmed by other one-hit wonders appearing on this list (e.g. A-Ha), I came to this expecting mediocrity but actually ended up sort of enjoying this record. I hear elements of gypsy jazz, ska and Irish folk, which somewhat justifies its place for me since "Come on Eileen" has long ago worn out its welcome.

Well of course you have one of the great 80’s tunes that led to one of the raunchiest halloween costumes ive ever seen. But this album is packed with great pop sensibilities and a lot more Celtic influence than I’d been expecting. There’s almost some Queen style harmonies at the start of “Old” Fav tracks: “Come On Eileen” “Celtic Soul” “Old”

Each song centers around a good idea and then sticks with that thought for at least 3 minutes, at one point as long as 7. The pro is that each song is highly distinguishable from the other since it drills the same 5 second loop in your mind a hundred times. It tries to be clever by diverging from that formula with sudden jazz interjections, whistling, or violin solos, but it turns messy really quickly every single time. It doesn't help that beyond these themes, the vocals and instrumental sounds are exactly the same which each song, so despite each track being recognizable, they also sound exactly the same. The two best songs are "Come on Eileen" (obviously) and "Jackie Wilson Said." The latter song just grabbed my attention, but of course it had to be a Van Morrison adaption. Dexys doesn't redefine the song, but their sound just matches really well with the complex melody. Just goes to show how good their songs could be if they let their ideas grow to fruition. Will I ever listen to this album again? If I want classic synth pop music to play in the background... it's like a guilty pleasure. With interesting sounds in each song, it would be hard for me to get annoyed with it like other pop albums.

"Come on Eileen" by far the best and most popular song but it was a fun album to listen to. Lead singer almost kind of sounds like Brandon Flowers from The Killers... well, Brandon sounds like him since he came later. 7/10.

We all know why this album is on here, but it was surprisingly enjoyable despite the one-hit wonder. Very energetic and fun plus can’t hate on come on Eileen. Fav songs: Jackie Wilson said, old, come on eileen

Very interesting that Come On Eileen is on this album--I did NOT expect that from the initial songs. Strange vibe and not my fav, but a couple good tunes.

It's fine. Far from an essential listen. Kinda reminds me of Billy Joel (not that I know his work very well, either). I'm surprised they were pretty much a one-hit wonder in the US. Come On Eileen is an earworm but it's probably not the best song on the album.

I love the single, but the rest of the album wasn't really my jam. I did like the later added track, Show Me. But apparently it wasn't on the original release.

3/5

Enjoyed it! Never realised Jackie Wilson Said was by this band.

Pleasant but generally unremarkable - a few fun tracks and easy to work to as it's not very distracting. Enjoyable cover of Come on Eileen That's the best I can say about it unfortunately

Outside of a couple of songs I found it rather boring and in all honesty, I almost called it quits a few times. I kept wanting more from it and the only track that really delivered on that was Come On Eileen.

To me, listening to this album is a perfect parallel to listening to the one track on it that most people will know: Something, something, something, COME ON EILEEN, something, something

Birmingham bias definitely here, and come on Eileen just about scrapes this up to a 3 for me.

On first listen, while taking a pleasant walk through the park, I thought that this album was a confused schizophrenic mess. And it is. But then, while filling out some paperwork I really didn't want to have anything to do with, I gave it another listen. I get it now - a confused mess it may be, with a frustrating track arrangement and sound bouncing all over the place, but it's one hell of a fun album. You can start in a melancholy mood, but by the time the riff of Come On Eileen kicks in you'll have left that long behind. Standouts for me were Precious, Plan B, and of course the greatest wedding disco track of all time.

A couple of top quality songs on here, and would definitely listen to again. I love having some very happy music to bop along to on. I enjoyed it a lot, but it's a bit too eclectic an album for me to rate it 5/5.

Aaight

It's good but it would be better if instead of "come on eileen" it was "come on guyleen"

Really enjoyable.

a lot of chaff, come on eileen, more chaff no thanks

This is enjoyable… could’ve done with a little more attention on my part! I’ll revisit!

2 Platten von den Dexys Midnight Runners in dieser Liste sind 2 zu viel. Am liebsten -1 Stern

The late 70s/early 80s onslaught continues. Come on Eileen is great. Singers voice is not. Plenty of energy. Have heard worse.

Pop. Folk. Alegre.

So, Irish soul slaps harder than you’d think. I just begrudge them the Mumford-spawn.

3 stars. It has interesting instrumentation but not as interesting lyrically

The instrumental was great. The singer’s voice could be a little annoying and sometimes sounded whinny. I appreciated hearing more than just their famous song. They do have depth.

Very Good album

Just didn't grab me

Going to be worth revisiting

Nothing special, background music. All sound fairly similar.

En realidad no creo que era necesario DOS discos de ellos. En mi primera reseña mencione "Musicalmente es bueno, creo que no esperaba mucho del disco pero es un postpunk muy distinto a todo lo que se hizo en su momento, con muchos pedazos tal cual de música soul casi plagiados de los 60s pero que cuadran muy decente." y creo que se aplica tal cual aquí de nuevo. Lo único que cambio es que allí mencioné como me agradaba que no se iban a que sonara demasiado a ska mientras que aquí sí lo hacen. Posiblemente si no hubieran puesto el otro disco y solo dejaran este me hubiera caido con mucha mejor cara. Obviamente el sencillo es bueno, el problema es que el resto no sobresale más allá como para justificar que les dieran tanto espacio.

La música no es nada mala, de hecho casi le pongo la 4a estrella, el problema es que no veo la razón para tener dos discos de esta banda en la lista. Dejando eso de lado, debo decir que me gusta su instrumentación y la manera en que mezclan violines y metales y en momentos suena casi a música celta, pero con otras cosas. También la voz se me hace interesante, con un timbre muy peculiar que podría ser odioso en otro lado pero que cuadra bien con su música.

Eccentric and over the top but some sort of genius

Takes me back. Really great album. Kevin Rowland remains sadly unappreciated. Prefer the Young Soul Rebel era version of Dexy's. No matter.

Great album! From an era when pop music was approached with bags of integrity and charismatic songwriting! Upbeat, Northern soul influences but with a melancholy thread running through. I like it

Enjoyed this. Never really thought about checking them out as Come On Eileen is all anyone ever plays. I shall be returning to this.

Plan B lasts far too long Didnt like the random Jazz hands in the middle of some tracks MOAR FUCKING JAZZ (Until I belive in my soul) Scary laughter, makes me think of bad comic book villan COME ON EILEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!

seems mediocre

Some of the tracks are really good but I don't like Kevin Rowland's voice. Also reminds me of dancing on the tables in the Cellar Bar at B'ham Uni, which I prefer to forget.

Very enjoyabke

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.

was not in to this.

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.

Well...this is fun, isn't it? A thunderbolt right up the bum. A pop triumph. If it was a footballer, it'd be Jay Jay Okocha.

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.

Wel lekkere nummers, feestbaar

Mijn mini rollercoaster: Begon met aversie wat draaide naar enige vorm van waardering, maar al gauw werd het me weer te veel. Toch slechts 2 Sterren voor deze telenovela!

Leuk om een keer te horen en ook niet vervelend. Maar niet snel nog een keer.

Such a fun album!

Starts off somewhat promising (emphasis on somewhat) before progressively devolving until they disappear up their own assholes with the insipid "Come On Eileen," which is a top 5 candidate for "Song I Wish I Could Erase From the World's Consciousness." Best track: Old

Sounds good. 2/5

Good fun energy. Come on Eileen is an obvious classic. All sounds a bit dorky to me though.

Our second Dexys Midnight Runners album. Seriously? I'm definitely starting to see the UK bent the list has that others have mentioned in reviews. It's not bad I guess but did I really have to hear this before I die? Strangely enough my favorite track is the last one Reminisce with all the talking.

Come On Eileen is the best track on here, it's a total banger. The rest unfortunately fall flat, "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" was a better album for me.

A true One hit wonder

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

a lot of the horn tunes are catchy and fun, but apparently not breakout hits like Eileen... their slower songs don't have enough gravitas to carry them

Very fun pop record, would recommend

Come On Eileen was the best track on here, and several of the others sounded really similar (probably due to the way the lead singer sings). It's... OK for me. 3 stars.

Ya estoy en edad. Me encantó.

Didn’t make as much of an impression as I anticipated

Sounds dated these days.

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.

Gets a 3 on the merit of Come On Eileen alone. Only one other recognizable song, but spotify was missing a bunch of tracks. Pretty folky at times, poppy at other times.

3.5

Never thought there was something beyond “Come On Eileen“ - surprisingly good!

I don't love how nearly half the songs on the album are not available on Spotify. That being said, I unironically love Come On Eileen and the songs I CAN listen to are upbeat, enjoyable, and moderate bangers.

I really liked this album. Maybe it is known by the one hit wonder 'Come on Eileen' but the whole album is awesome and tematically in sync with that song

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

Overall I liked the album. But I didn't love it. I really liked the first and last song.

Wouldn't play it on purpose but had no desire to turn it off while it was on. Come on Eileen is obviously an all time classic.

Amusant album met veel vrolijke nummers. Af en toe wat minder zuiver. Het laatste liedje is wel een klassiekertje

I guess this band would fall into the category of  "one hit wonder". Quite the hit though and one that has not worn on me. It's a decent LP with good flow and a good variety of instruments with the strings and horns. While the strings and horns sounded like they were all one big happy family,  I read that the horn players all quit after the strings were invited on board and a fair amount of arm twisting was required to keep them around for a few concerts to promote the album. A sign of a  good musician is to forget about the drama when instruments are in hand. 

I like the production and arrangements on this album better than their first. The horn section has a nice pop, the strings are great, especially in Celtic Soul Brothers and All in All, where the backup vocals too are amazing. I find the song-writing is on par with the first LP, but as a smash hit I’ll take Eileen over Geno any day.

I must have worn out my original copy of this album I played it so much in the 80s. It’s a big improvement over their prior release with some real cracking tracks including 2 great cover songs. Plus it’s also got Come on Eileen which is a classic. I’d give this a solid 3.5, but round up to 4 for old times sakes.

This genre of music is not what I typically gravitate towards, but I can't deny the infectious fun of this album. Found a couple new songs I liked but it did feel too long and repetitive at points. Come on Eileen still slaps though.

HOLY MOLY.

Great album! I haven´t heard it until yesterday. A lost jewell.

Don't care for the first song ... not a good sign. 2nd song is better but not doing it for me. So far the song "old" best on the album. 6 songs in 9 to go. Not sure I'll make it to the end.. plan B is good too. Maybe things are looking up. Album has gotten better as it goes on 2nd 3rd better than 1st 3rd. Album starts weak in my opinion picks up steam as it goes buy ultimately not for me. BTW I very much like Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. 2 🌟

Can see why they were a one hit wonder. Decent, but not great.

- joyous, fun folk/ska blend - more than a one-hit wonder album

slaps but the songs melt together

First song's instrumentals starts off strong, sets up for the rest of the album. Goddamn nice accompaniments. Smooth. Come on Eileen is a classic.

Wow this guy's voice is annoying!

Enjoyed a lot more then I thought I would. I hear their influence in today alternative music