Infected
The The
1986
Album Summary
Infected is the second studio album by English post-punk band the The, released on 17 November 1986 by Some Bizzare and Epic Records. The album produced four UK singles, including the band's best-selling single "Heartland," which reached #29 and spent 10 weeks on the chart, "Infected" (UK #48), "Slow Train to Dawn" (UK #64) and "Sweet Bird of Truth" (UK #55). Although Infected only peaked at #14 on the UK Albums Chart, it remained on the chart for 30 weeks, making it the The's most commercially successful album.
Wikipedia1986 brought us Topgun, Maradona's hand of God and Infected by The The. What clusterfuck of a year it was. I can't think of anything good associated with it. I was in a new romantic phase, getting into Eastenders and trying to avoid getting AIDS (unsuccessfully). Bad memories.
Really good. Great mix of funk, new wave/post punk with great Thatcher era lyrics. The use of horns within this post punk format gives the music a more optimistic sounding feel as opposed to other British post punk artists despite the lyrics that reflect economic and global strife.
It's kinda not good, right? Like... almost good... but then not. The The has managed to fill up an entire album with the kind of pseudo-intellectual, half-aware, social semi-conscious lyrics that make so much of 80s music super cringey. It's not good, fellas. It's just not good.
-Way better than Public Image Ltd., The other album I've listened to that I know is post-punk -Promtped immediate re-listen -Lots of good jamming
This is pretty tedious. I imagine it must have found its way onto the list through the compiler's personal nostalgia. Someone forgot to tell this band they were just a below average 80s band. Utterly disposable.
1.9 - Ugly as an anal wart. That album cover perfectly represents the bile within. Ever wonder what it would sound like to take INXS but have it fronted by George Thorogood, and inflect it all with a heavy dose of Broadway jazz? Fuck I hated this.
Excellent. Diversity of instruments used also helps to keep tracks fresh and distinct.
fucking spooky dude. I loved this, everything I wanted, just hit all the right spots. really incredible production and powerful techno beats. pretty awesome x
This was an unexpected banger. Heard of The the, but had no idea what they sounded like. Really enjoyed it.
Never heard of the The! This guy seems to have had a really interesting life though. I did a bit of research because the lyrics really interested me and I think the messages in the songs in this album are very meaningful. I love the poetry and activism of this album. Aside from the words these tunes are lovely! This is a type of new wave and post-punk I can really get behind. The sounds are gorg and the tracks make me feel good. They're interesting, layered and inventive. I really like the fact that he just works with loads of different musicians, all the vocals are great but I just realised Neneh Cherry is on here and now I know why I love it haha. A great discovery for me!
An old favourite. Wild-eyed apocalyptic visions of an England falling to pieces and the corrupting souls that live there. Overwrought and as subtle as a brick to the back of the skull. But the rage gives the album urgency and verve. At the end, as Johnson goes full Hank Williams and challenges the devil to a knife fight, your heart is pumping as hard as his.
80s but somehow sounds modern as well. Songs and lyrics both well crafted. Great bass playing, really interesting musically.
I don’t recall ever hearing this group but I really enjoyed this! Sort of an edgier Simple Minds-ish 80s vibe going on that I really like. Homeland is a fantastic song. Others that stood out immediately were Infection, Angels of Deception, Sweet Bird of Truth, and The Mercy Beat. Great stuff!
One of my very favorite songs in college was "This is the Day" by the The (from their previous album), but I had not followed up to hear more of them, and that song went off my radar along with its mixtape. I totally would have loved this album. The more I have listened to it, the more I have liked it. Good sound, interesting lyrics. As this album came out with a video compilation for each song, I was intrigued and watched them all. Some crazy stuff! Love it.
Opening track is a banger, this was a great listen, exactly what I wanted from this
What a delightful surprise! 80s is generally not my genre but The The is distinct.
2/23 Infectious energy. Disco Culture Club. Standout Tracks: Infected, Heartland, Angels Of Deception, Slow Train to Dawn
I like this a lot. Wish i had found it many years ago. i will investigate TheThe further.
An excellent album. Stand out tracks, homeland, sweet bird of truth and slow train to dawn. Loved it when first released and enjoyed reacquainting myself with it now
Bettered by several other The The albums, this is still a masterpiece. What lyrics!
Infectious first track, into a stable album throughout. I really enjoyed it and will be listing to more of the the in future
Definitely grew on me, once I got past the vocals and clangy... everything. Heartland was a good one
Super! Genomgående stark upplevelse. Många sköna basgångar och riff, samt trummor som ofta ligger precis lagom hårt. Det här gillas! Bäst: "Infected"
Álbum solido de Art Pop con Synthpop. Este es quizás el segundo mejor álbum de la banda británica después de su debut, y aunque ninguno de los dos es totalmente de mi agrado, es innegable la personalidad que transmite ya sea desde su impecable producción como su excelente lirismo. Para mí un sólido 7/10
So familiar … had this on vinyl … no idea where that has gone … Enjoyed going back
never heard of this, which is cool. I like this mostly quite a lot. Heartland is good.
Really enjoyed this, great synths, powerful messages still relevant today alas.
This is just what you’d expect; politically scathing but beautifully melodic!
Never listened to The The yet, as far as I know, but I love the band name. The album was really good too. Quite gripping, fairly varied instrumentation and quite a lot of depth in songwriting. My favorite tracks were Heartland and Slow Train To Dawn. Both of those were really dope.
This was very good. Going to revisit this. Looking forward to doing so.
Enjoyable. Doesn't have a song with a hook like "Uncertain Smile" off of the first album, though.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I had heard of The The back in the day, but never really gave them a listen. This album was slightly punky, slightly alt, and over-around good. 4 stars!
A pretty ineresting record. It's cover gives other vibe, but it's vibe is groovy and positive! 4/5
Wow I forgot about the the, very '80s but clearly very talented! an interesting listen but only "liked" one song for later listening. The man clearly had a lot of talent and energy.
Best Song: Infected. Bombastic and actually lyrically interesting. Worst Song: Heartland. Not terrible, but it really feels like the author is performing a monologue in an amateur theatre on this one. Overall: Liked it much more than I expected. Feels like what the B-52s want to be, but cooler and more true-to-self. Rare that I like 80s music like this.
Zanimljiv album, drugačiji nekako. Uspio dat malo spooky vibea, malo i romantike na neki drugi način. I na trenutke me podsjeća na Bowieja? Sve u svemu, lajkam.
Not familiar with this band or album, not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this and I liked it a lot more than I expected to as well. I needed to give the lyrics better attention than I did, missing a lot of the political commentary (though there is always that weird mirror-world familiar/not familiar to UK centric writing of that nature: “this is the 51st state of the U.S.A” hits differently to a Minnesota boy.
Levoton kansi, tykkään kyl! Samoin levyn sisältö oli yllättävän melodista ja aika nautittavaa. 4/5.
Bit of a surprise, I didn't know what to expected but really enjoyed it
Good backstory around the album being made. Solid 80's synth pop. Nothing overly memorable.
Great post pink album no honest complaints I just don’t like post punk. I respect it though 🙃
5/2/2022 Today's Album: "Infected" by The The - Looking at this album from the name and cover, I really had no fucking clue what to expect, but as it opened up, it really blossomed in front of my eyes. This album is great fusion of two common genres of the 90s, being the synth-heavy new wave and the birthing post punk movement. Usually, this sort of thing really wouldn't be my thing as a lot of 80s projects like this have left a sour taste in my mouth for being generic and uninspired and post-punk has often been overdone by a lot of groups in my opinion with explicitly poor songwriting. However, this album does not take on any of those attributes as far as I can tell. The instrumental soundscapes all sound really lush and the vocalist really matches the aesthetic of the album well. There are songs where the vocalist experiments with strange and creepy vocals similar to many post-punk outfits, but it always feels really tasteful and like it's serving a story-telling purpose. Even if the vocals do end up feeling somewhat standard for a new wave outfit on a few tracks, it really doesn't matter because the ability for this band to just tear up a great tune outshines any clichés it may be exhibiting. Some of the solo's on this record are just straight up memorizing with how unique and innovative they are. A great example is the trumpet solo near the end of the opening track because of the incredibly articulated double tonguing technique the soloist uses to trill the last note. The recording of each instrument feels so clean and separated in the mix and the layered sound effects over top the band often builds up this great sound into this enamoring sonic experience. Maybe I'm just opening up to these stranger musical ideas more than I have in the past, but I really don't think that's the case. I really feel like this is some of the best execution of these kinds of sounds I've heard thus far. The new wave aspects of this album are able to spice things up and keep them interesting enough to take on the stranger post punk ideas and the post punk edge helps to stop these new wave songs from sounding too polished and clean. The flow feels great, the production feels great, and although the mix could probably use some tweaking, it's great as is. It's honestly just a great combination that I never would have thought would work but it does so so so well. Overall, this is both a great new wave album and a very listenable post-punk project and the fact that this band can pull together such solid tunes elevates these possible generic tracks to insane heights. Give this one a listen if you like 80's new-wave or some very clean post-punk and I promise you won't be disappointed either way. Highlights: Infected, Out Of The Blue, Heartland, Angels Of Deception, Slow Train To Dawn, Twilight Of A Champion, Score: 7.5/10 Inventive new-wave post-punk
A dense forty minutes of post-punk will always be welcome. This has touches of synth brightness at the moment that I felt were rather weak, but the album as a whole was certainly a grower. The nihilism of certain cuts was sadly fitting for the day: That's probably informing my opinion somewhat, but I can tell a revisit won't be unhappy.
Very good, terrific in places, but I still prefer Talk Talk in terms of London bands with repeating-word names.
The music is very 80s, yet unique at the same time. Very harsh lyrics - Infected is apparently about STDs or AIDS more specifically, Heartland is about the decline of England, Sweet Bird of Truth about Western military action in the Middle East, The Mercy Beat sounds like it's about alcoholism. So, under the 80s pop sound, a dark subcurrent. Calling it a 4 - very good, worth hearing again, but the dated sound is the main thing keeping it from a 5.
I first got into The The through their 2000 album Naked Self (great album BTW). One thing I’ve noticed throughout all their albums that I’ve listened to is Matt Johnson seems to have humorous way of depicting bleak situations. It’s like his lyrics are saying that the world’s shit but what can you do but laugh about it. Infected is no different. It does suffer a bit from that 80s sound but I think the songwriting makes up for the production here. “Sweet Bird of Truth” might be my favorite track on here but the whole album is a solid listen.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It reminds me of Love and Rockets by a bit, actually. Had that 80s new wave alternative feel to it. Honestly, I had heard of the band back in the day, and I knew one or two people who wore a t-shirt of theirs, but it always seemed kind of odd for a name, so I never took that step to try them out. This album was a real unexpected treat, and I would say if you are a fan of that style of post-punk, this is definitely a band you should check out.
This album seems to serve as a neat bridge between the post-punk and alternative music movements. The band they kept reminding me of while I was listening was Faith No More, though it's hard to describe why. Regardless, it's a very interesting album musically, as it leans heavily on digital instruments while still having a rock feel to it.
Weird, cool, funky, fun. Production is a bit jarring at first (it's the 80s), but quickly grew on me. Standout tracks: "Infected", "Heartland" and "Sweet Bird of Paradise". Obscure post-punk keeps on giving. Probably my favorite genre at the moment. Good good work work The The!
The The are great. I think I might like this one more than Soul Mining. Not sure. Obviously the production has way dated now, but they're still great. Mrs sat next to me says it really shows how much INXS ripped them off and by god she's right.
I was a big fan of this record when it first came out in 1986; bought the album and a couple of the singles. I really liked the sound of the record, which sounded contemporary without being plastic, and I liked the songs, which were a strong mix of the political and personal. Political without being straight polemic (of which there was quite a bit at the time. Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan had a bit of blame, there), and personal in a way that was angsty and self-lacerating, which fit with my world outlook at the time. Listening to it now, the lyrics are maybe not as mature and sophisticated as I thought they were when I was 16, but that is to be expected. The album has some cracking tunes and catchy rhythms (it's got a good beat, and I can bug out it), and the mix of electronic and acoustic instrumentation means that it still holds up now. It sounds of its time, but not really dated. The presence of Neneh Cherry (and few other noted backing vocalists) certainly injects a spark, and stops it from being too blokey. I enjoyed re-visiting this old favourite, and I feel that I should play it more often.
The The is such a unique band. They don't fit into any of the traditional 80s genres, and they are not an easy listen - I think that's why I like them so much. Kudos to Matt Johnson for creating great music. I love his voice & the band's videos are strange af..into it!
Another band I'm unfamiliar with. Love discovering new stuff. I'm finding that with unfamiliar bands, I'm reflexively comparing them to bands I am familiar with (a pretty common impulse, I'm sure). The cover had me expecting punk, but I was way off. This album is '80s to the bone; my best comparison is INXS meets Oingo Boingo. They've got a full sound, with plenty of horns, some harmonica, and even the occasional violin (I think), all mixed with '80s staples like synthesizers and drum machines. I dig it. My pile of new bands to explore continues to grow.
Fuck yeah! I'm into it because I already know and like The The. But I prefer Soul Mining because it is the superior album.
I can’t decide to give this album a 4 or a 5. I love the band name, infected and heartland are super good, and it’s a standout post-punk album. However, I don’t see myself remembering this in like 2 days
Man, Debbie Szyskowski was the coolest. She was the older sister of a friend. Debbie turned us on to so many different things in the 80's. Only a few years older than us she had the inside scoop on underground style and music. Sadly, she died of cancer in 2003 but she left an indelible mark on us younger kids by turning us on to bands like The The, Men Without Hats, Til Tuesday, Depeche Mode, and Yazoo. She was such a positive person and role model. She eventually left our small town for the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC and we / I lost touch with her. I've got love for this album because of Debbie. Out of the Blue is great. This album capitalizes on white space, the lack of 'singing' the stripped down songs are a welcome change from tons of in-your-face lyrics and sounds. Less is more on this. . It's important to note the album Soul Mining, which emerged a few years before Infected. That has 'This is the Day, which for me, is timeless 80's nostalgia and possibly a better album.
Loved it, they sounded great even then. I wish I could have known these bands back in the day.
I hate to admit how much fun I thought this album was. I would have really enjoyed dancing to these songs live.
Very 80s but if you plopped into AAA rotation and said it was new I'd believe it
I was scared to listen to this album at first, mainly because of the cover, which is silly. I was also a little scared because of the reviews. I should have known I would like it when I saw the genres though. I didn't like it enough to give it 5 stars, but I really like it for what it is. It definitely has a distinct sound. My favourite song was Heartland.
Brilliant songwriting, building on their stylish debut to explore ever deeper topics, fizzing with rage at thoughtless politicians and careless society. The production is excellent and shows a surprising depth of use for synths throughout. The energy is infectious throughout and a duet with Neneh Cherry is a welcome surprise.
Mon premier album du groupe. Je suis resté agréablement surpris. Je m'attendais vraiment plus à un band marqué par l'époque, ressemblant à un autre band New Wave et pas tant que ça finalement. J'entends du Siouxsie And The Banshees dans les guitares par moment, une façon de chanter qui rappelle Mike Patton quand il n'est pas trop extrême. J'aime bien les explorations et la diversité dans l'instrumentation. J'étais dans le bon mood pour écouter ça cet après-midi. Je vais sûrement y revenir.
Awash with political overtones and instrumentation indebted to the mid-80s, Infected is The The is the band at their most straightforward and to the point. While not as epochal as their debut, there are still moments where you are reminded of why The The were one of the more underrated and fascinating bands of their era. Not too long and full of noteworthy bangers, seek it out. Favorites: Infected, Heartland, Angel's of Deception, Slow Train to Dawn, The Mercy Seat.
J'aime l'énergie, un échantillon représentatif des années 1980, sans toutefois mal vieillir, ne verse pas dans la facilité.
The guy's clearly got some things to say, and I support him, but he chose to express himself using 80s post-punk, so my support only goes so far
I still like Soul Mining the best, but I do like this one better than that third one or Dusk.
Not what I was expecting by the album title and band name! But this is run of the mill 80s.
Decent and quite adventurous, but nothing that's memorable or outstanding
Decent album with decent guitar. Songs aren't too memorable but no bad ones
"I want to listen to Prince". "We have Prince at home." Prince at home:
Do appreciate that there is nary a mention of love, etc. Feel a kinship with the attitude but not necessarily the delivery (especially with the vocals and some of the lyrics). The sound of the production is very of it's time. My favorite part of the album was the ending.
Kind of goofy, moments of glory. I didn't love it but I sensed a depth to what felt like an art project.
It was good. I didn’t know The The apart from This is the Day. Fun, but very specific to the mid 80s.
This is pretty good. Prototypical new wave/early alternative. 3 stars.
i really like the the. soul mining is an amazing album... this one is good, but there's just not enough on it to push it into the 4 category. a very strong 3.
Found myself toe tapping to most of the beats but then the vocals ruined it. The sax in track 6 was nice
Again, not quite my thing - I want more angst on the surface, more darkness in the tone. Fave track - "Sweet Bird of Truth" Pretty bleak, lyrically, and as relevant as ever...
I liked it in the first half but then it sort of lost its identity in the second half. Not too memorable overall.
First impressions: Midnight Oil sound meets Billy Corgan vocals in some sort of win-win for the scalp wax industry. I didn’t mind it, felt like I was hitched ten feet in the air
Un tanto desconocido para mí. Sonido ochentero. Mucho sintetizador. Igual en su momento tuvo algún sentido
Highlights: Heartland, Sweet Bird Of Truth, The Mercy Beat Lowlights: Twilight Of A Champion More reserved than 1983's Soul Mining, yet with more social commentary. Heartland opens with a machine-like manner, with a few plinks of a piano as if to say "deal with it", transitioning into a stark criticism of rampant late-stage capitalism. Twilight Of A Champion contains a weird mishmash of 80's sounds, it's discordant and hard to listen to...Almost feels like 80's Skinny Puppy, but not good. The Mercy Beat is a wild ride, dark and brooding, working its way into a bright pop experience, fades out and introduces you to an unsettling segue to close out the set list. This isn't my favorite, but there are some tracks worth keeping around.
I liked this one quite a bit! Was expecting some heavy metal from the name, but it was chill and fun. Just short of 4 stars
Decent. Really not into this kind of stuff. never was. but was ok. Enjoyed some parts
5th July 2021 Listened on my phone while doing a busy day's work before going to the circus! Pleasantly surprised me, electro funk with a punk singer.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Great music. I would give 3.5/5 if possible.
Meh. Not really for me. Didn’t hate it, just didn’t make a strong impression. Liked the use of non standard instruments (piano/orchestral)
Some occasionally cool riffs, but simultaneously too static and boring. Not a huge fan of the attitude on this album. Sounds somewhat cocky and pretendish
Interesting, and the lyrics are surprisingly applicable in this day and age
Yet more"post-punk" on the list. Started off sounding proto-industrial, maybe like early NIN, but pretty soon dropped into the key-tars and backup vocals that plant the sound firmly in the 80's.
Some nice tunes. I really enjoyed the bass on this one. "Heartland", "Infected" and "Out of the Blue" stood out.
Very quirky rock album. Based on the cover and title, I was bracing for some filthy punk or metal but instead it's much lighter and quite melodic. Some pretty unusual melodies too, which were unique at the very least. I enjoyed a few songs, and I especially enjoyed the tonal synth-y outro of the closer. Nothing crazy, but I liked this. Favorite tracks: Out of the Blue, Angels of Deception, Infected. Album art: Absolutely disgusting. Proper nonced image. Really cool art though, effectively infected. This prick really should've gotten the vaccine. 3.5/5
This album was as weird and whacky as the title, artist, and album cover suggest, and I mean that in a good way. Nothing memorable about it other than feeling like it was more pop rock, almost like Duran Duran meets Flock of Seagulls. Great music to listen to while working!
Off the bat It's not as bad as I thought it would be because I thought it would somewhat resemble what I heard in my previous album; Wild Gift by X. But the first track would come to kill my expectations, as it was quite an enjoyable track; A catchy 80s hit, which is just my style. The middle got kind of stiff at some point, and couldn't really hold my attention for very long. A 4 for the title track, but the rest of the album didn't slap too hard. 3/5 Though I did discover the the's newest album "dusk" and that. Is. Amazing.
This album tackles a broad spectrum of subjects and does it in really unique textures. For example, criticism of the US military in "Sweet Bird of Truth" is given a funky backbeat with sharp spoken-word tones. Self-reflection on what it means to be successful, infidelity and insecurity in a relationship, and the political power of Britain amongst the rest of Europe are just a few of the other topics covered in this album. While the lyrics and themes can be heavy, the music is fun and well made. Favorite Song: Heartland Least Favorite: Angel of Deception
Low hopes for a pop-punk album called "Infected" but was surprisingly okay with it. Not sure if that was just me setting the bar too low
I was somewhat familiar with The The, but didn't know this album. It sounds okay, but as with the other albums I am struggling to really enjoy it.
Excellent band / 1-man project. Not my favourite The The album though.
An interesting album. Pretty unique new wave feel. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. Shame I can't rate half stars or it would probably get a 3.5.
Kolejny The Thechowy albumik na liscie, wiec znowu prawie solowy material pana Johnsona, bo ta nazwa bandy ma chyba tylko stanowic afisz dla jego tworczosci, nie moglem sie doszukac ludzi bioracych udzial w nagraniu na wiki czy discogu, wiec rotacyjni muzycy sesyjni i jakies zorganizowane grupy smyczkowe, ktorych troche slychac na nagraniu musialy byc zaprzegniete do pracy, wiec jak w soul miningu, zmiana jest natomiast pojawienie sie zenskich wokalow na kilku trakach, jakos specjalnie nie grzeja czy chlodza, zreszta jak cala plyta w porownaniu do poprzedniego krazka brzmi podobnie, ale brak jej jakiegos unikalnego charakteru, moze przez to ze lirycznie skupia sie bardziej na tematach mocno brytyjskich, czy hamerykanskich, w kontekscie plyty sa to pojecia czesto wymienne, nie zabraknie takze odniesien do biedy na swiecie, bo Johnson jako prawdziwy wyspiarz nie moze zniesc tego w jak tragicznym stanie znajduje sie jego ojczyzna w latach 80, bo plyta z 86, ojczyzna obejmuje takze kraje trzeciego swiata, ale jak to w lirykach tego specyficznego pana nie zabraknie takze szukania samego siebie czy wielkich i pieknych uczuc, ciekawy jest fakt, ze kazdy kawalek z tego krazka ma swoj teledysk, nie wiem czy to mial byc jakis koncept na wypromowanie do mainstreamu i za wielka wode, ale wideoski sa, wiec tego pana ktory nawet koncertow nie grywal po wypuszczeniu soul miningu do czasu infected mozna ogladac przez 40 minut trwania albumu, jesli liryki subtelnie nawiazuja do krajow trzeciego swiata, to mniej subtelne nawiazania sa zawarte w teledyskach, bo wydaje mi sie, ze polowa byla nagrywana w ameryce poludniowej, a nawet w dolinie amazonki, plyta ma swoje momenty, ale nie porywa juz w takim stopniu jak soul mining, jednym z tych momentow bedzie openingowy trak tytulowy i funkowe drumowe intro, jest to kawalek najbardziej przypominajacy brzmienie soul mingowe, bo jest wrecz synthowo dencingowy, a jednak z lirykami w ktorych mozna znalezc cos dla siebie, kolejnym hajlajtem bedzie heartland, kawalek calkiem inny, tematycznie wyspiarski, ale jednak ciekawie wykorzystuje sporo instrumentow, ktorych nie mozna uslyszec juz na innych trakach, bo recyklingu jak u blura raczej nie da sie tu doswiadczyc, wiec epickie polaczenie orkiestry smyczkowej z harmonijka i pianinem brzmi rewelacyjnie, na plejke leca dwa wspomniane kawalki, a The The leci do odchaczenia z listy do przesluchania, chociaz nie zdziwilbym sie gdyby jeszcze jakis albumik Johnsona sie pojawil na liscie, o ile kolejne albumy nie zmierzaja jeszcze bardziej w brzmienie alternatywy, bo to przejscie z synthu tanecznego do bardziej rokowych kompozycji jest odczuwalny
Iznenađujuče puno instrumenata šta je jedino šta me zaintrigiralo. Inače pisme reflektiraju naslovnicu albuma haha. Iako ne bi nastavila nakon prve pisme da se nisan uključila u ovaj challenge :), svejedno mi je drago da san do kraja. Dobro zvuče na slušalicama em šta su dosta glasni em šta su dobro iskombinirali s koje strane dolaze koji zvukovi. Ovo mi se pari malo kompleksnija muzika od ostale koje slušan iz tog razdoblja. Malčice mračno po mom ukusu pa ocjena niže i zbog toga, al valjda je tako s punkom
ne znan zasto san ocekivala da mi se nece svidit, al zapravo uopce nije lose. Neke pisme su mi malo depresivnije nego sta inace slusan pa evo 3/5
Toimii. Mukavan persoonallista, vaikka soundi on vähän kliseistä kasaria. Tasaisen varmaa alusta loppuun ja siitä propsit. Ei kuitenkaan mitään eeppisiä kohtia, että ansaitsis enempää kuin 3/5.
Infected oli kyllä kunnon bängeri. Muuten ihan jepa kasari-art-rock meininkejä, mutta ei ehkä ihan yllä neloseen. Vahva 3/5.
Ei paha! Kasarilt kyl löytyy näitä joka genree yhdistelevii hullutuksii, mut tää pysyy ihan kivasti post-punkissa, kuitenkaan olematta tylsä. Toimii. 3/5
I had heard a few of The The's songs during my college years in the late 80s, including a few tracks off this album, and I remember liking them. I hadn't really heard their music since then, and listening to this album all the way through, I can say I still enjoy the music. The production feels a little too stuck in time in some ways -- very mid-to-late 80s styling going on here -- but that's quite typical of most albums; it's truly rare to find one that doesn't seem particularly bound to a time. The songs are really well put together. They run super-tight, and in this context that's a compliment. I like Matt Johnson's voice, and he's a strong lyricist. It doesn't always work for every songwriter because it can quickly become a bit heavy-handed, but in this instance I like the way he includes his political and societal commentary in his writing. Real nice sense of melody - definitely catches my ear and draws me in. By the end, Matt Johnson's voice and the overall sound of the album had started grow a little tiresome to my ears, but it's a good album.
I much preferred this to 'Soul Mining'. It has a lot more 'oomph' and is a lot more varied in style. The political and angry lyrics are interesting and engaging. Good album. 3.5/5.
When I was entering my teenage years, the cool older kids were all wearing The The T-shirts. It's a band that had peaked by the time I was wearing Band T-shirts myself and everyone's focus (myself included) had moved on. Listening now, I enjoyed the album- it was a totally different sound to what I was expecting. Fuller and richer. Not sure it's enough for me to dig out other albums, but I enjoyed my time with Infected
have to say I found this a bit weird. What expecting to like it but it didn't really resonate with me. Very weird lyrics about women in there... I did enjoy the over the top synths and laying that is so classically 80s. I have enjoyed other The The song in the past, but not sure there were any hard hitters in here
Might have been way into this in the 80s. Sounds like a precursor to Spiritualized... white boy soul with rockist tendencies.
Not really my jam. I appreciate the complexity and originality of the writing and lyrics. But the sound doesn't really turn my crank.
franchement je sais pas si c’est le printemps la meilleure saison de l’année qui me fait ca mais j’ai presque envie de mettre 4
With no knowledge of The The and just seeing the title of the album, I was expecting this to be a completely unpleasant listen. Color me surprised when I actually enjoyed the first song, and then the second and third songs. It's a little weird, but not in a bad way. It felt unique, and it's nice to find something like that.
Du rock qui fait très typique 80s. Pas mauvais, mais pas de moment wow
I've heard of The The but never listened. They're more interesting lyrically than musically. I think I would've liked them a lot in college but today I am underwhelmed.
I recall hearing the band name The The, but I really didn’t know what to expect. As the first track started, I thought that it sounded like some solid 80s rock and that it would be a fun album. But then, I lost my enthusiasm and it started to all sound just kind of “meh” to me.
The title track is so good, but given that it's also the first track, I feel it's all downhill from there. By the third or fourth track, I forget I am even listening to it. I've tried listening to it several times, everytime I raise the volume on the first track and then lose focus halfway through.
This is post-punk? I guess I always view that as a little edgier or darker. This album is some blend of that, new wave, and new pop. I can totally hear where later UK artists like Teenage Fanclub, the Mock Turtles, Primal Scream, Northside, The Alarm, or Dramarama (from the US actually) came from. If you don't know what I mean, go look at the transition from 80's varied rock to 90's alternative rock - particularly what was going on in the UK before the summer/fall of 1991 and Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc. changed everything. I don't mind their sound, but do I love it? Like most of this genre, it feels like it's trying too hard (to steal a line from track two). Some good lyrics but the musical backing feels a bit over the top (piano too loud, backing instruments or synth too prominent) or the vocals straining when it's not needed (as if to say listen to me!). Both their biggest singles (Infected, Heartland) are good examples of that. Like all the other bands from this genre, one song or two feels a bit refreshing but a whole slew of them (like an album's worth) gets to be a bit much.
Kinda liked some bits, other bits made me cringe. Overall it was worth a listen but I won't return
Folk surrealism with crazy rhythms and weird arrangements. Infected alludes to the AIDS epidemic of the time, somehow unfortunate title, don't you think? (5/10) FT: Infected
Enjoyed this. Saw the influence on a lot of my favorite artists growing up. Wasn’t sure what to expect and was impressed.
Weird album. Admittedly I had never heard of The The. Album had some different vibes going on. It sometimes sounded almost like Oingo Boingo. Sometimes it was a little more rock and sounded kinda like Smashing Pumpkins. Not bad, not great.
There's a concept in video game analysis called ludonarrative dissonance. The term refers to the occasion where the mechanics of play conflict with the plot, themes or aesthetics of the story. So, for instance, Nathan Drake of the Uncharted series is portrayed storywise as a roguish, charismatic treasure hunter, but the game has the player directing Nathan Drake to murder literally hundreds of people. Although a few games use ludonarrative dissonance purposefully to discombobulate the player, most instances of ludonarrative dissonance are negative in effect, ripping the player out of their immersion as the discrepancy jars and the game stops making sense. The title track which opens The The's Infected has a similar issue, a musicolyrical dissonance, if you will. Infected has the band pursuing a markedly different path to their earlier (better) output, going full slick 80s: Grand Canyon-echoed drums, synthy horn blarps a-gogo and production aiming for perfection by hacking out all tissue in any way associated with the human heart. Yet the opening line, "Infect me with your love", is a cackhanded reference to the AIDS epidemic. The incongruity is palpaple. Yuppie wine bar rock is surely not the aptest genre to handle such a devastation? You don't get the Wiggles writing numbers in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, or Slayer's odes to holding hands with their teenage sweetheart, do you? So yeah, the album doesn't sit comfortably with itself. The record is intended to be an overtly political one, every word glossed with anti-Thatcherism, and the lyrics are suitably bitter and occasionally arresting. However, the music itself sounds wholly like aspirational fodder for the conspicuously consuming classes. After the opener, the division becomes less stark, but still the Phil Collinsity of the music cheapens the lyrical worth. This is not to say that the album fails per se, and I feel charitable enough towards it to say it just about deserves three stars, but it squeaked into that bracked. You can find quite a few bits deserving of your time, but often the medium negates the message. I don't know why a parody of the Aerosmith logo is on the cover. Maybe they don't like Aerosmith.
Thematically and musically cohesive. Not what I expected. It does fall apart a bit at the end.
I get the distinct impression that the compiler of this list was a fan of alternative music in the mid 80s. This is okay but I wouldn't seek it out.
Favourite Song - Angels of Deception One for Karaoke - Out of the Blue One for a run - Infected All the songs had good bits but there wasn’t enough to give it a 4. Sometimes he sounded like Pete Burns and that’s when it was the best. I will say that my foot was tapping along a fair bit. Probably a 3.5 for me. That ‘Jesus wept’ part kicked off and it’s stuck in my head
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Favourite track(s): Heartland An interesting album with a lot of layered instrumentals. Some tracks have a kind of "musical" feel to them. As if the instrumentals are trying to set a scene and the vocals are telling their story on top of that, somehow disconnected. As is often the case in musicals, not all tracks are necessarily rememberable though. That does not take away from the fact that with every track, there seems to be something new, something different. Certainly raises it above some albums from this list.
Plus pop que ce à quoi je m’attendais, connaissant l’album Soul Mining qui est plus new wave expérimental. Il y a du bon, mais je me sent biaisé à cause de mes attentes.