Reviews (page 8 of 9)
Not my fav but not terrible. Come on Eileen is a classic. Some good songs. 2.5 probably
Watching the original video of Come On, Eileen almost put me off altogether, it was so bad! But I don't think I thought at the time. It’s a fun album, it’s dated - surely it didn't really influence any body ? Other than a few high school bands?
The vocalist sounds like an insufferable cartoon character. Until today I had never heard a Dexy's song that wasn't Come On Eileen. Now I fully understand why. This shit sucks.
Not my style.
Not particularly interesting.
n é fera
Inoffensive and nothing too special. You've heard Come on Eileen so many times that it feels like you're being blasted by it everytime it comes on. It's still a good song, but the rest of the album felt like meandering tripe.
This is a vocal style I really can't have for an entire album. Reminds me of talking heads. But the sounds are varied with an undertone of 80's camp. All three dexys albums are on here but those others were all commercial flops. I think the editor panel's bias is showing.
I think my hatred of Come On Eileen has tainted this band forever for me. The rest of the album is fine, nothing special.
Sure, "Come On Eileen" is good - I suppose why we've all heard it a thousand times. The rest of the album doesn't do much for me.
Celtic Soul is hard to define - much like the word Celtic itself, slippery as it is suggestive. Is it 'seltic' or 'keltic'? Van Morrison’s Caledonia Soul Orchestra sounds only slightly like Alex Harvey and His Soul Band, which sounds nothing like the 'Big Music' of the Waterboys or the ragamuffin hijinks of Dexys’ second album. All of them have soul of a kind. None sound anything like Noirin Ni Riain’s Celtic Soul album. Is Tom Jones Celtic Soul? He must be, he's Welsh. Most prominently, the term appears in the name of the Glasgow football team, Celtic - understood as the Irish club abroad, as opposed to the predominantly Protestant Rangers. And that feels about right: Celtic is a label for the hybrid, the obscured, when more precise terms - Irish, Scottish, Welsh - won’t do. It covers a tangle of cultures and histories: the Ulster-Scots mysticism of Morrison, Mike Scott’s Yeats obsession, born of Edinburgh, aimed at Sligo. A mess of connections, nothing concrete. So it’s no surprise that second-generation Irish Brummie Kevin Rowland should fuse his love of Northern Soul with his Irish heritage on Too-Rye-Ay - “Introducing the Celtic Soul Brothers.” It’s a peculiar fit, as it often is for so-called plastic paddies - fully immersed in cultures they don’t fully belong to. Black music and Irish music performed with an English accent. The large wave of Irish immigration to post-war Britain meant that, by the 1980s, many musicians had been raised in Irish Cultural Centres in cities like Birmingham, Manchester, London. They grew up hearing a mix of ceili and country & Irish before they ever heard pop. Elvis Costello, to an extent. Oasis, later. The Smiths, obviously. Morrissey may have Irish blood and an English heart, but no soul. More than any of them, Rowland captured the feeling – if not the actual aesthetic - of the working men’s clubs and the Northern Soul discos, packaging it into this strange, passionate album. It's all noise and clutter, nobody really paying attention to anyone else. The worst – and most common - experience of Irish trad music played in pubs is whenever everyone plays the same lines at the same time, because nobody knows anything else. He misses the mark, however, if he he's trying to connect the soultastic shang-a-lang-a-lang of Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said” to the folkish goobledegook of Too-Rye-Ay. It sounds less like Jackie Wilson and more like Bing Crosby crooning ‘Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral’ Compared to Morrison, Rowland can't help but be more laboured, more self-conscious. More performative. Less Celtic Soul Brothers than Celtic Soul Cousins. Everything Rowland knows is inherited – just like the dungarees he's wearing on the front. But he was playing to a culture that didn’t particularly care. When they performed “Jackie Wilson Said” on Top of the Pops, someone swapped the soul legend’s photo for one of Scottish darts titan Jocky Wilson. Mistake, obviously. But telling. Black, Irish, Scottish, working-class, immigrant, minority, other. All the same. All very different to the life of a middle-class, BBC professional. Dexys looked like they’d spent time near a dartboard, even if they seemed too fragile to throw one. Too-Rye-Ay performs a culture that never quite existed in Ireland. It existed only in Kevin Rowland’s heart. The record aches with longing, but not the same longing we hear on Soul records. There’s a term for it, immigrant sorrow: longing for something that doesn't exist. Longing for an identity you don't fully inhabit. 'Until I Believe in my Soul' Rowland sings, believing, for the moment, that his soul is Celtic. Whatever that is. It's the kind of feeling that doesn’t always find a home, even in a song. There are moments on Too-Rye-Ay that don’t sound like anything traditional, but might sound a little like the mix of Irish and Scottish you get in Kentucky or the Carolinas. As nebulous and unspecific as Americana. Not home, but an echo of it. The sincere pose of Too-Rye-Ay lasted only one album. It gave Rowland his biggest success, but it clearly sat uncomfortably with him, and he moved on. Too busy, completely unfocussed. Living between two cultures is difficult - but at least it offers options. That’s why Rowland could imagine a Plan B, while Van Morrison, on his 2012 record, sang in his repetitive trance-like way “No Plan B, No Plan B…” Van is stuck with his Celtic Soul. His career was built on it. But Rowland gets to walk away. Still, it’s fitting that Dexys’ biggest success, Come On Eileen, became a wedding staple.Their only hit in America, where all Irishness is performed. And everybody performs at a wedding. The wedding is the Irish Cultural Centre of the world. The working man’s club of the heart. The ceilidh of the soul. 2 These are not bad songs and the abundant character in Kevin Rowland’s voice compensates somewhat for the utter lack of it in the other parts. On the whole this is a very dodgy album though, I think. There is a stench of dilettantism that hangs about. The production is dreadful in several respects. The arrangements are cluttered - lots going on all the time, the verse of Let’s Make This Precious for example where drums, bass, keyboard, horns and backing vocals are busy beneath Rowland’s vocal mugging. Texturally there is nowhere for the chorus to go, except fiddles which have, miraculously, been held back. Much of the album is like this. There is no light and shade, just a ceaseless assault of instruments and musical detail. The mix is rotten too. The double-tracking in the vocals makes it hard to hear the lyrics. The violins are dry, adding a rather harsh edge to the unison lines. Everything is too clean and compressed. I never sense musicians in a room. 10 musicians in 10 rooms. Even the backing singers in Liars A to E sound as if they are recorded separately, performing separately, remote from any other musical action. The whole thing is loud, ignorant, and unpleasant. I hate the violins. There is nothing the least bit ‘Celtic’ in the purity of tone, the polite, carefully measured bowing, and the clarity of the lines. I don’t know if that is necessarily what they are going for but they don’t know either. These fiddle players sound lost the whole way through the album; doubling lines needlessly, playing awkward riffs that should be left to the horns (or left out altogether!); the solos in Celtic Soul Brothers or All in All…it’s not that those are bad lines on paper (paper which I feel sure is on a stand in front of the soloist) it’s the witless way they are delivered. The tin whistle at the start of Until I Believe in My Soul might capture the essence of the problem better than any single moment. That is not what a tin whistle is for, sir. You’re thinking of a recorder. But of course it had to be a tin whistle doing it didn’t it? Tin whistles are more Irish. It’s just another tacked-on signifier of Celticness. I don’t mean to sound precious about Irish music or Irishness - I really don’t care. But it represents yet another clumsily fitted cog that you can see moving. With all this in mind, the straight cover of Jackie Wilson Said was a particularly bad idea. I listened to the original later. How well does it capture the relaxed spirit and sense of communal music-making and organic quality that is missing from Too Rye Ay. 2/5
Come on Eileen is the only thing that stands out. 2/5
Come On Eileen and All In All are bangers. All the songs on this record have quite a similar feel, but quite pleasant listening overall. Would listen again I think.
Not good, but at least it was upbeat so that's worth something.
HOMER: Lisa, did you see the Grammys? LISA: You beat Dexy’s Midnight Runners. HOMER: Well, you haven’t heard the last of them!
There's some good stuff here. The horn part on Dubious, Show Me, Liars A to E, and of course Come on Eileen. But the rest kinds of fades into the background and frankly it's probably 15 - 20 minutes too long. Cut this down to a tight 10 songs and you'd gain a lot here.
Old pop with slight country. I don’t really like this. The band that did Come On Eileen.
Interesting
Eh, cum on Eileen is it man
meh pretty forgettable. Just not my cup of tea
not for me
I made it 5 songs before I turned it off. Who could've guessed that the band that did Come On Eileen tried to make more music and was much less successful?
Was pleasantly surprised at first and then just wondering what I was doing listening to such a long, unedited rambling album.
Nope nope nope, not for me
The vocals kill this one for me
Better than I expected, but still awful. Pass.
Bit of a one hit wonder, except the hit is pretty bad
2.5 - Meh
The music is okay I guess but his voice gets on my nerves, it feels like he is holding his breath while he sings, it also comes across as whiney to me. Come on Eileen is a banger though.
Come on Eileen had hem heel bijna gered
really want to like this one. Cmon Eileen did stand out but I think it was my familiarity with the tune. Always thought that was a cool song with the arrangement and the change of tempo throughout. The rest of the album nothing really stood out and grabbed me.
First track and last track were fun but the rest blended into a bit of a mess. I am more interested in the concept of the band apparently doing a lot of Irish music after this? Having recently watched Sinners I am obliged to imagine Remmick and company performing Come On Eileen
Half-baked attempt at Celtic-infused-reggae-turned-new wave, with every song dragging on too long, far too many many tracks (15!!!), and the usual not great post-punk vocals. Some cool rhythms and melodies, but nothing original. 1.5/5.0: Bad
this is such a weird album. they definitely had some interesting song ideas which are pretty fun for the first minute or two but quickly get boring.
Kinda cheesy but not terrible. The hits a little annoying. Would give it 2.5 stars.
странная хуйня)
First, is this where Gwen Stefani got inspiration for her delivery? Second, a warning to everyone just starting out: there are THREE Dexy’s albums on this list. I’m too far into this to quit - and I’m desperately hoping there isn’t a fourth - but I think you all deserve a heads up of what’s to come.
The obvious single is great but other than that this is a fairly forgettable album.
Feel bad giving this a 2 bc its original and kinda interesting, but it just didnt really do it for me and got a little irritating by the end
Feels like kareoke
Horrid vocals, repetitive songs, just bad.
didn't like it
It was fine, but one note. I'm sort of in between a 2 and a 3. Maybe a 2 because I've heard Come On Eileen at too many bad weddings.
Everyone knows "Come in Eileen" for a reason. After that it's the same thing, occasionally slower. Not bad but not memorable either
I see why they were a one hit wonder, too loo rye at.
Come on Eileen song of all time. Otherwise mid.
Like most, I only really know come on Eileen and Jackie Wilson said. The rest of it... Meh
I liked this album better than Don't Stand Me Down. I don't think there's anything on here that would make me want to put this on again, though. 2.4/5
These guys never calm down for a single second, so every song comes across as a huge frenetic mess.
Just something I noticed, although the group is called Dexys Midnight Runners, what is written on the album cover is, "Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners". No ego there. Celtic folk/pop and "blue-eyed" soul that is almost OK. More correctly, the Midnight Runners seems to know how to play their instruments, but the singing does get annoying. The Van Morrison cover is a good song and their version is passable. The big hit, Come On Eileen, makes me cringe whenever I hear it. Luckily it is only on every 80's compilation ever made. Surprisingly, the album cover is great. It's the ultimate entry in the "Guess the Lead Singer" game, he's the only one on it! I guess none of the Midnight Runners could make the photo shoot or whatever is going on there. The only question is does the cover properly capture Kevin as the tortured poet/artist suffering for the sake of his art?
I want to like these guys, I really do, because C’mon Eileen as the 80s…but I guess ‘One Hit Wonder’ is a category for a reason.
Meh
Theres literally one song on this album worth listening to. How in the world did this score a spot on this list?! 2/5
Come On Eileen is still a lot of fun, but I found the majority of this album a bit annoying. Even the Van Morrison cover just made me wish that I was listening to Van Morrison. 2 stars feels harsh, but this just isn't for me.
Good players in this band but the English soul/rnb vibe leaves me cold. On the other hand, Come On Eileen is a great single, even by modern standards!
It was an interesting idea to mix soul music and Celtic instrumentation. Sometimes it works, but a whole album of it is a little tiring. Good performances, especially the bass, but I would've preferred a little more variety of sound.
More unique than the other album from them I heard here which is nice. Still a bit too "classic rock" for my tastes but I didn't feel the need to turn it off. I liked the brass section.
It's fine
Kevin Rowland's voice.
saa hengittää, keuhkoihin vaan ilmaa ja ulos. ei tarvitse kiristää sitä henkitorvea että tulee tuollanen kauhuääní ulos suusta. oksettaa tommone. onneksi köyhä, pysyy köyhyänä, maalainen, rahvas.. ''80-luvun poppia, joka ei ole kiinni 80-luvussa, ei siis kuullosta nasevalta! Tämmöinen musiikki on helppo sivuuttaa mitäänsanomattomana... minkä olenkin jöörennannut... TEHNYT...''. really intense words.. toor aye aryyea rayy too raaayy eryyee rueyee ryee too raay ryyuu ryyy raa truuu ryyy ruuu raaa traa tryy trruyyr raaaaaeeeeeeeeeee andgjaein adle ,.. come on eileene, and come on eileen ,youre my bodyyy. veeverything. ill show you
Surprised this band has (at least) two albums on this list. Have never heard of them, though I obviously know the song "Come on Eileen." Probably overrepresented on this list. Not bad at all but nothing to write home about.
#470. One good song and a bunch of not good songs. 2/5: no. Song added to playlist: Come on Eileen I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
"Eileen", sure and even their cover of"Jackie Wilson said" wasn't bad. The rest was meh.
Im going against everything I believe in but I cannot give this a fair listen because WHY do DMR have three albums on this list? THREE??
Obviously the hit but as an album fell flat for me
One hit wonder, but it's a great hit! Overall, an inoffensive album.
Best Song: Come On Eileen. Everything about this song works, from the weird "tru-ra-lu-ra" pre-chorus to the crescendo in the latter half of the song. Just great. Worst Song: All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz). I feel like these modern waltzes by pop bands are always too gimmicky. Overall: They really are victims of their own success, because each song felt like "the 'Come on Eileen' guys doing something kinda different". And what's worse is none of the other tracks made me feel anything other than wishing that I was instead listening to "Come on Eileen".
Meh, 'Come On Eileen' is a really good track but the rest is pretty boring. Looking back at this list, British and Irish folk music studio albums hasn't really worked that well for me. It's fun to hear live, but not a recording. Doesn't capture the same magic somehow.
Didn't feel this one. Objectively well put together but I don't like Rowlands singing voice and the songs much. Too Rye Ay nah man.
An album (just) older than me, with one of the most ubiquitous songs in Britain, along with a bunch of filler (and a pretty good Van Morrison cover)
Well-written pop songs, but the instrumentation, production, melodramatic vocals, whole vibe really, irritates me a lot
At the heart of this album are a set of catchy, poppy, classic soulful tunes that should be more enjoyable. Unfortunately, I think that the thing that makes the Dexy’s have a clear identity is the thing that ruins it for me. 1. Annoying Jaunty violins 2. Jaunty, cheery, cheesy brass section 3. Whiny over-stylised quirky singing 4. Annoying dungarees 5. I hate Come On Eileen If the songs were stripped back a bit and less jaunty this would be a good album. Did I mention that it was too jaunty? ⭐️⭐️
Not really my jam.
A strange album. And apart from the two hit (come on Eileen and Jackie Wilson said) singles not terribly essential.
I recently had to review Dexys' third album, the disastrous follow-up to this, their smash hit album. I _hated_ that record. It was a colossal and hubristic artistic misstep and a deserved commercial flop. And no fun to listen to. Too-Rye-Ay is somewhat better. It is up-tempo, catchy and knows how to have a good time. Come On Eileen was a monster hit and for good reason; it's got a great sing-along melody, an infectious and energetic performance that is great for bad dancing (which explains its popularity on wedding playlists). But, frankly, it is over-played and I am sick of it. Nothing else on the rest of the album is quite that good but isn't dreadful. I do find Kevin Rowland's vocal affectations super-annoying, though. Apparently, he did that purposely, but that was the first indicator of his tendency to make poor decisions (see also: the cover to his solo album 'My Beauty'). This is a tolerable album, but not to my taste. 2.5 stars, rounding down.
Come on Eileen dragged out over a whole LP.
blah
no newwave please
Alright new wave album. A lot of mid on here.
Come on Eileen and 58 minutes of some other shit
Obviously, Come on Eileen has been on rotation for about 25,810 times on every 80's pop station/retro playlist... but besides that... I thought this was a decent album that I had never listened to. Probably not a go-to by any means, but not terrible.
Annoying imposed voice. Awful pitch. Yes, there that song everyone nows, and some of the songs are fine, but it was actually hard to get through to the end of the album. 5/10
This guy heard The Cure and thought ‘I could do that voice’ but didn’t quite manage it. Fine but I would never ever play it again.
This album is on this list solely to demonstrate why Dexys Midnight Runners is a one hit wonder. This album only gets 2 stars because Come On Eileen is on it.
Sounds like 90s radio music. A bit lame. Come on Eileen is a classic though.
There's one good song. I'm starting to think that if the album has more than 12 songs, the author of this list automatically deemed it a must listen.
Always felt Dexy was a one hit wonder and while this album had a couple other ok songs I still feel that way.
Surely, they only did three songs, "come on Eileen", "Jackie Wilson" and "Geno"
The lead singer’s voice is a bit wild and high but other times it fits the song.
It’s fine, but all kinda sounds the same. Come On Eileen is a classic, but still sounds the same as the rest.
This was OK. I really didn't like the lead singer's voice, which I found a bit showboat-y and performative. It's a fun and energetic album otherwise, but his voice was such a huge turn off for me.
bando de musicas sem fim, se tivessem no máximo 4 min seria bom mas fica muito massante
Started out feeling like this had a nice vibe - then got over it pretty quickly - slight up-tick for Come on Eileen - then straight back down again
This was better than the last Dexys Midnight Runners album by a wide margin, but still was not something I would go out of my way for. Had this on in the background and there were a few unexpectedly enjoyable jazz sections interlaced with the likes of Come On Eileen and similar sounding fare. I would say this is somewhere on the low 3, high 2 end of the spectrum.
Talking head vibes to it. It was okay. 2.5 stars
I did not like the last Dexys album so bummed to see a second on here. Come On Eileen was the only standout to me really.
So, two tone ska, new wave, the Pogues and northern soul all kinda thrown together with a singer that I know I know that voice but it’s still kinda grating? Not one I’d go back to, but Come On Eileen is far more representative of the rest of the album than I imagined
Maybe it's today's mood but these songs are a chore. I'm waiting for the one I know, but otherwise nothing is sparking joy. Did not enjoy this one.
I’m not exactly sure what Too Rye Ay is. After 2 songs if you told me that song would on I’d be shocked (that song being Come On Eileen). At first it seems all over the place but 1/3 through it becomes clear it’s a pop new wave record. 5.7/10
Not my cup of tea
If you loved Come On Eilleen, there’s plenty more if that here to go around.
The Cure meets Reel Big Fish.
So 80's that it hurts.
Exceeded my expectations but not something I would listen to again.
I only knew the singles and they are still the best things from this. Surprised to find they have more than one album - even more surprising to find there’s 3 on the list as I honestly thought they were at most a one album wonder. Shows how much of an impact they had one me in the 80s.
Hopefully the last time I hear that song in it’s entirety.
Come On Eileen? more like Come On And Get This Fucking Album Over With
2.5 ok
not for me
It’s ok? I don’t love his voice, but it fits alright. I think they mix rock and orchestral stuff pretty good. I’ve never heard anyone make so much variety sound so samesy.
British
"Come On Eileen" is the only song of note by this group, and it's annoying as all heck. Surprisingly the rest of this album isn't anywhere near as annoying, but it's also completely underwhelming. Questionable inclusion on a list such as this.
Missä ekan biisin lupaama celtic-meininki? Torvet on hauskat, mutta helppo keino hauskuuteen ja vaikuttavuuteen, toisaalta ilman niitä tää levy ei ois mitään. Laulaja kuulostaa Robert Smithiltä? Mutta muita muistijälkiä levystä ei jäänyt. Vain kysymyksiä. Ei kun Eileen-biisi oli hyvä
Come On Eileen edustaa kaikkea, mitä tämä bändi haluaisi olla. Mahtava kappale.
the only reason this is on here is has to be because of "come on eileen"
The album with the one-hit wonder
Some interesting arrangements but it's all just so cheesy.
A couple of nostalgic singles but nothing else to recommend.
I listened to Come on Eileen at least a 100 times as a running playlist song, glad to know I wasn’t missing out on too much by just listening to that track.
everything sounded like come on Ilene. every single song.
kinda fun
Aside from their chart-topping single, Dexys really holds no appeal for me.
Ugh. It feels like the worse parts of other better bands. Not for me.
I don't even hear what's so good about Come On Eileen. Didn't struggle to finish, but it was very meh
took 40 minutes before the first ok song and then no more came very mindnumbing
Очередная шляпа из разряда прослушал - забыл что слушал. Вокалист не понравился.
Samey and dull, there is a reason everyone forgets the name of the band who songs come on Eileen
overhyped cuz of one song that's only known for the chorus
not bad
Good ‘get things done’ music
I don’t like Elvis Costello, and this feels like derivative, inferior Elvis Costello. Come on Eileen slaps though.
This album is fine. I think it is cohesive, but I have never really been able to get myself to get into it. Also can't really pinpoint what annoys me so much abt it but I could not get through it I can appreciate the good vibes but I also agree with the fact that only 2 songs were really hits 3/10
really not my favorite album...maybe a few stand out songs but nothing more. felt myself wanting to skip a lot of the songs just couldn't get into it 3/10
Come on Eileen is a brilliant song. Besides that, this is not my pint of Guiness.
Besides Come on Eileen, nothing really caught my interest. Not sure why this is on the list actually.
Celtic disco rock. Not for me, but fun at weddings.
DMR's "come on eileen" is on their too-rye-ay album and is a certifiable bop. it stands as a great example of combining celtic music with new wave, but so do several other songs on this album--though they just aren't as good of songs. this sound is definitely unique specifically to DMR and no one could try to replicate it without sounding like a copycat. i appreciate the nod to heritage, but really, just an ok album to me.
Come on Eileeeeeen!
eh
I had a bit of fun with dancing towards the middle (and, of course, Come On Eileen), but overall I can’t get past how much I dislike the singer’s voice
Ihan ok
this was everywhere for a few years in UK - imagine it would have been fun live at the time, but unlikely to spill cider and black all over my floor these days
Come on Eileen is good but Don't Walk Away Eileen is better - did not like this very much.
Come on Eileen is enough DMR for me.
2 stars... gee I wonder what song from this album caused it to make the list
Living in the UK, I’ve heard come on Eileen too many times
Some fun songs. Some boring ones. Only reinforces my theory for you to have best selling record back in the you only needed one really good song.
Nah man this ain't it
47/100
For better or for worse, if you’ve heard “Come on Eileen,” you know exactly what to expect from the other songs on this album that you haven’t heard before.
Yeah and no more British 80s new wave as well. Unless you lost your virginity to Dexys Midnight Runners, there is no reason to put three of their albums on this list. Rice cake for my ears. Blandest shit ever made.
Wow. I actually kind of looked forward to listening to this... "Come On Eileen" was a sensation, really unusual sound, fun record, and I thought there was a decent chance that this record would be in the vein of Violent Femmes or B-52s or something like that, quirky, energetic. Yawn! Definitely a case of video killing the radio star, this act looked cool on TV, and the single had a huge hook, but the album is pretty terrible. I'll give it a two just because the single is still fun, energetic, and relatable even now.
This album didn't do a whole lot for me, though I didn't hate it either. It just kind of played in the background and rarely piqued my interest. That being said I do like the production a lot more than the last Dexys Midnight Runners' album I got and I think it's more consistent on a whole. 'Come On Eileen' is a classic and a good Van Morrison cover. Standout Tracks: Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile), Plan B, Come On Eileen
I don't really know why exactly but I couldn't enjoy this otherwise fun sounding album. Perhaps it's his slightly annoying, whiny voice? I have already known 'Come On Eileen' before, but I didn't know it was from this band. This album wasn't for me.
too long, didn't need the live versions and they sounded awful
This type of music is just not for me. Nothing about this appeals to me. Even their biggest song “come on eileen” is just an ok song to me.
I did not need to hear this before I die.
👍 Must be best live 2
I started out enjoying this, but by the end of it, I felt it faded into the background.
Can't say I really cared for this album. There wasn't much here that I enjoyed, and the only song I knew on it was Come On Eileen. Very 80s in a way I don't particularly enjoy. Favourite: Come On Eileen
Imagine buying this album new because you heard “Come On Eileen”, and discovering the rest of the album sounds like this? I want my $12.99 back from Sam Goody…
Come on Eileen - classic. The rest was ok
Come on Eileen saves this album lol
Probably will never listen to this again. There's a reason that only come on eileen is known
meh its eh
Was fine, never really gripped me. Struggled to make it through a little bit. Come On Eileen is obviously a classic.
Why is this album here. 1 hit wonder band. Gains an extra star for the hit cause it’s catchy.
fun album
All one volume, screamed at the tippy-top of the singer’s range. All one energy, at one of two tempos. Awful. “Eileen” is s finger and deserved hit status. The whole album is a dog. Maybe they were important for Ireland or something.
come on man lmao is this REALLY an essential album come on eileen is a certified White People Classic i guess
oui
Couple good songs.
The string arrangements are hardly trad, but they add folk fidelity that the horns would otherwise cut against. The result is a curio sound, which sadly falls almost completely apart on the back half. The first few cuts compete with Eileen but don't have the historic sticking power, apparently.
If B Starr released an album it would sound like this (hi, dipshit). Oh, so these are the bastards that unleashed the godawful Come On Eileen song on the world? Remove their fingernails. I'm generally not sure what to do with this because it's so stupid. It is also very annoying. This guy trying to do Freddie Mercury? This, sadly, does not qualify as an "abomination," so it scrapes by with a 2...barely.
They have a sound and they stick to it. So, there's that...
Not another one of these guys! British pop rock is not that good to have so many of these albums on the list. Admittedly, this has more bite than the stuff I've heard from Prefab Sprout but it's jusssssttttt okkkayyyyy. Very forgettable. Until I Believe in My Soul was the only strong track on here.
Just not a fan. ‘Pop-Folk’ just ain’t one of my niche genres.
Come on Eileen reminds me of a) every birthday party I went to when I was 14-18; b) the hilariously shit version done for Euro 2004, and; c) Spaced. One of my musical biases: I cannot stand fiddles in pop music.
Hmmm!!! This was the commercial 'concept' album sandwiched between the classic debut 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels' and the criminally underrated and long forgotten masterpiece 'Don't Stand Me Down' A couple of Christmas party or wedding reception classics does not a classic album make...
They somehow managed to combine all the worst British vocal tics into one lead singer on this one, the continuous runs and qUirKy vocal tricks are like sandpaper to the ears. The instrumentals are somewhat salvageable but lord is this guy annoying
Pleasant. This solidifies their standing as more than just a one-hit wonder. But not much more. And this record is way too long.
Ugh, what a chore to get through. Has a few redeeming qualities, but it's pretty annoying to listen to at times.
This feels like the album only exists for “Come on Eileen.” If youre here for almost a ska album, then, I guess that justifies putting yourself through this album. It really is almost ska. A lot of the time. You like British dudes who like to sing around and bass down, drawl, and complain at you? Yep, these guys. Only three albums. They cashed out at the right time.
The album is meh. The only noteworthy song is Come On Eileen. Just listen to that song and save yourself the time.
I can’t tell if I like the singer or not (I think I do not) - the high notes sound very much like Morrissey who I’m not a fan of. Violin is a cool feature though. All sounds a little too 80s. I actually like some of the music but the singer is bothering me a lot Highlights - Come on Eileen - melody makes up for the downsides listed above
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
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
The real star is come on Eileen. Everything else plays second fiddle
Everything I dislike about 80s music. It breaks my heart tat albums like this have a place over others
Just a bunch of 80s pop
"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.
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 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.
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.
Mostly annoying to listen to and I was glad when it finished.
Interesting pop
Lot of filler but fine 2-3 stars
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.
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
meh. I still like Come on Eileen, but the rest of the album was "Common... I Mean..." heh heh heh.
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
Come on Eileen on ihan hyvä biisi, muuten aika eh levy.
Didn’t really enjoy it
2/5 naaah
While not quite the 1 hit wonder I thought they were, most tracks were repetitive and tiresome.
Steady away. One banger.
Trist.
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.
Wow I didn't realized they would have a ska kind / 80s pop vibe. Not my thing, but it's not horrible.
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
No More, Please, Thank You.
Nah
Mi gran favorita es Come on Eileen porque ¿cómo no? si dan ganas de saltar y bailar como si nadie estuviese mirando.
I struggled with this one for some reason. The cover of Van Morrisons Jackie Wilson Said nearly made me turn it off..
Boring. Didn't do it for me.
Sounds like if the Cure grew up in a happier family lol
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.
COME ON EILEEN
Passable. Nothing special.
Come on Eileen. Not my style, but something different
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.
ehhh
meh.... Come on Eileen is great though
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
was not in to this.
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!
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
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 🌟
Kevin Rowland's strangled vocal style, unsuitable violin lines, and the extremely dated Celtic folk sounds at times annoy me on Dexys Midnight Runners, though I can't ignore that there is a bit of charm and energy that can make this record worthwhile for some. I personally can't stand a large majority of the songs here, by reason of the negative aspects I mentioned. Admittedly, I even think Come On Eileen is lame. Barely... barely a 2/5.
Ouch
Didnt finish. 80s production lingering into the 90s. Freddie Mercury....not
2.4
Not good
Can’t be having his voice - all I hear is come on eileen which is a track I loathe
Opens strong. Come on Eileen is a classic for a reason. A lot of the middle tracks sound like Bowie but worse. Marguerita time was surprisingly chill.
Decent energy, otherwise kinda meh
It's meh, come on Eileen is a classic
Vrolijke nummers, lekker wat blazers. Je moet wel de zanger kunnen tolereren. Zeker een heel album. Ik hou niet van violen, dus dat is ook niet echt fijn. Come on Eileen is natuurlijk de eendagsvlieg die nog steeds weinig verveelt. Reminisce Pt 1 lijkt wel een nummer van The Streets, zelfde accent, grappig
It was alright.
Pretty good. Got a bit samey
12/10 A grandiose album for the poverty-stricken. Standout Tracks: The Celtic Soul Brothers (More Please), Old, Come On Eileen
How did they get Joe Dirt on the album cover in 1983? This is alright but I wouldn't listen again. Goofy new wave and there's already too much here. 2.5/5.
i guess it just takes 1 popular song to make it onto this list.
Until I Believe in My Soul is the longest song I've ever heard in my damn life and it's immediately followed by Come On Eileen. I have to admit there is a pretty nice stretch of this near the end when the guy shuts the fuck up (update: it turns out these were the bonus tracks lmao)
the only good ska song is Haillie Sellasse, Up Your Ass that's my review of this album that isn't even really ska. I've got nothing else to say except that Come On Eileen sucks.
Klinkt alsof hij een achterstand heeft.
Peter Barrett is a well established cover designer even if this is not an award winner, Andrew Ratcliffe is a painter. There are some really nice images on his website. This one isn't included. Kevin Roland and Dexys made this album. Why its on the 1001 baffles me.
One of those albums that are probably just fine (wouldn’t be on this list if they weren’t, surely?) but which I personally get absolutely nothing out of and have no reasons to ever return to.
Rubbish
1. celtic - 1 2. preciouz - 2 3. all - 1 4. jackie - 1 5. plan - 1 6. zhouu - 1 7. liarz - 0 8. eileen - 3 9. dubiouz - 1 10. ztop - 1
★½
Grusomt 🤮
Bad. Repetitious, harmonically juvenile, minimal melodic content. Just… Very bad. I do like the horn parts, except for when they are soloing (who needs a key signature?) and there’s some fun, upbeat stuff, but overall, it’s just really bad. This album makes me question the validity of this entire book. How could this possibly be on of the 1001 most important albums to listen to?
1ere chanson, des accordéons. 2eme chanson des trompettes. 3eme chanson un falsetto. Et bah nique ta mère
No thanks Playlist add: "I'll Show You"
Come on Eileen is really the only song that I’m familiar with everything else. Just sounds a little strange. I always thought of them as a one hit wonder
Not my music.
‘Come on Eileen’ is one of my favorite songs. I dislike everything else I have heard from them
Come On Eileen was not good enough to make an album out of, let alone an entire band. It was certainly less of a total waste of time than the other Dexys album I got, but it was still a pretty crap listen that I did not enjoy at all. Completely incoherent collection of rambling nonsense. Also the guy's voice annoyed me.
Meh
I don't get what the fuss is about? A sixth-form project Pogues tribute-act
top 3 - Old, Let's Make This Precious. Unsure for the third one. Not really a fan of the vocals, found them annoying. Even if the vocals weren’t there, I was just kinda bored and waiting for this to finish. Seeing that this band has three albums (including this) on this website is not making me that excited. To stay somewhat optimistic though, I'm hoping I enjoy at least one of those better.. :’)
I wasn't looking forward to this, but I hadn't expected it to be quite as bad as it was. It really captures that "people with day jobs who play in a band at the weekend and annoy people trying to enjoy a quiet drink" vibe. It's really terrible from start to finish, to the point where every time I thought it couldn't get worse, it got worse. The "farty horns" in "I'll Show You" will haunt me for days. The icing on the cake is the overplayed hit that ruined so many nights out in the 80s, "Come on Eileen". My top tip to anyone listening to this on Spotify is to stop after ten tracks, as that's when the original album ended. Save yourself some misery. One star.
Shoobidoobip, shoobidoobap, toodooo...
It didn’t take me long to realize that I’d never be able to suffer through an entire album’s worth of this dude’s singing. The instrumentals are cool. I liked the violin, but good heavens his voice.
There are 3 (three!) Dexys Midnight Runners album on this list. 3 (three!) albums for the band that might be THE one-hit-wonder band. Get off it.
The only noteworthy aspect of this album was “Come on Eileen” supplanted “Billie Jean” as the #1 song on the Billboard top 100 list in 1983, although not entirely deservingly so.
So ahhhh
God the crawl to Come on Eileen is real. Also is this the precursor to ska?
This would be a nothing album if it weren’t for come on Eileen
What was the fuss? They suck
this album has a one hit and that's it
That man does not need to be doing all that.
Come on Eileen
no es para mí
Dreadful. I always hated Come on Eileen so to listen to entire album of this drivel was a painful experience.
Third Dexy's album, are you kidding me? It's probably a deserving of a two with how big of a hit Come on Eileen was, but I'm going with a one out of spite because they don't deserve to have one album on here, let alone three.
Jäi kesken, 1/5
I'm just not gonna listen to this, I know it's bad
Did we have a stroke in 1982? Dexys Midnight Runners (to the shitter)
Most well known song is "Come on Eileen". The vocals are delivered overly dramatic, feature a constant falsetto and every line ends with a forced vibrato.apparently that's supposed to be New Wave.
This band sucks why do they have multiple albums on this list?
Listened to about 5 seconds each of 5 songs and it sounded like the most annoying shit I’ve ever heard, other than Come On Eileen, which obviously is good
didnt finish. all sounds too similar to Eileen