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.
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.
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.
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.
-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
I like this a lot. Wish i had found it many years ago. i will investigate TheThe further.
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.
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.
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.
I’ve loved The The since forever. Not one dud song! I cannot actually sit still when this plays, because the music inhabits my whole body. I just want to sing and move to every tune. Matt Johnson manages to mix high octane danceable songs with searing political comment and the frailty of the human condition. Sadly, and maddeningly, the themes of despair still resonate nearly 40 years later. The brass arrangements add excitement and drama. Neneh Cherry’s voice on Slow Train to Dawn is just beautiful. Magnificent! I saw them on tour back when Johnny Marr was the guitarist. Great days! I just want go back and put it all on repeat now!
I had this album as a kid and know every sound on it, which must mean it's a five star. A complete album in every sense - story telling, beautiful production and some excellent songs. If you get a chance, see the film that accompanied it.
2/23 Infectious energy. Disco Culture Club. Standout Tracks: Infected, Heartland, Angels Of Deception, Slow Train to Dawn
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.