Reviews (page 5 of 7)
This album is very 80s and has some decent horn sections incorporated. Angles of Deception is a cool song with a nice bass line. Aside from that nothing too memorable or worth going back to.
Besser als alles die Tage davor. 3!
Preferred Sould Mining but this is a continuation I feel. Still quite dated but if you like the sound why should that matter?
It was good. I was working while listening to it so I kinda tuned out a lot of it tbh. - 6/10
I liked parts of most of the songs, but as a whole it was alright. I like the female vocals, but the male vocals were hit or miss.
5/10 - I cannot tell if I like it or not. I feel like every time I find something I like there is also something I do not like.
I enjoyed this, most of the songs were enjoyable to listen to and pretty entertaining. 7.5/10
The The… have I heard anything by these guys? Seeet bird of truth was kinda cool. I like the sinister type vibe in a few of these tracks.
Pretty good album. Off beat, but catchy.
Is it pronounced “the the”, “the the”, or “the the”?
Ganz okay, auch für nebenher.
well... just another of those countless 80's New Wave albums from groups that really did not have legs. Not bad, but nothing jumps out. I'm listening and am like"... they sort of remind me of..." sometimes INXS, sometimes Oingo Boingo...
Very interesting, would want to listen again.
Plutôt pas mal à l'échelle du générateur c'est-à-dire nul à chier a l'échelle de la musique en général.
Made zero impression, but completely unoffensive
An odd little album with some nice melodic choruses and some big booming drums. Very 80s. Best song: Heartland
Pretty decent album
post-punk. Bien.
Respect the creativity not my style
It’s like Ministry, Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails but happier. Much appreciated.
Standouts: Infected, Heartland, Slow Train to Dawn, Sweet Bird of Truth Others: Out of the Blue, Singles: ------------------------ Heartland #29, UK Infected - #48 UK Slow Train to Dawn - #64 UK Sweet Bird of Truth - #55
It was decent, saved a few. Ty the the
Interesting sound. def 80s vibes. I don’t personally love it, but it’s not horrible
Think B-52s meets Bowie for the first couple of tracks. Then you gets one Aha and Police vibes. Then you slowly realize, particularly with the addition of female vocalist Neneh Cherry on Slow Train To Dawn, they have a sound all their own and it’s really solid.
Didnt love it or anything but it was pretty good and Idk who tf the band is and have never heard any of the songs so thats pretty neat. Wouldnt listen to any of the songs individually necessarily but as an album it was nice background music.
Pretty fun album to listen to. I liked a couple of the songs but overall enjoyed listening to the album as a whole.
Prince vibes
The The has some good stuff out there but this album is not it edit after listen #2: Heartland is actually kind of good
Pretty nice
Prima maar niet helemaal het
Wow. Very cool 80s. It has the 80s sounds but none of the cheese. Not sure how that works. Three stars
I feel like this The The has less musical personality than the last The The (Soul Mining), though The The continues to be an idiosyncratic diversion in 80's synth-art-pop. Unexpected Neneh Cherry in "Slow Train to Dawn" HL: "Heartland", "Angels of Deception", "Slow Train" November 5, 2023
Ok, so this was as average as it gets. Absolutely nothing that’s going to make me recommend, revisit or even think about this album ever again. Sigh.
unremarkable "weird" 80s music
Lots of my mates seemed to love this when we were at school, I wasn't quite so sure. It's not entirely rubbish, but it's not that great either.
Sophisticated and well-produced, "Infected" bridges alternative sensibility with a big-budget '80s pop sound. Fans of Midnight Oil, Crowded House, and Tears for Fears would appreciate. Much better than their album.
Some good songs
It was fine. Nothing super special to me.
The The is an interesting musical project I was not aware of. Infected is a bleak group of songs, and the most notable aspect of the record is the compellingly dark, lustful lyricism and singing from frontman Matt Johnson. However, the album suffers from some dated 80s production choices, whether it be the overly cavernous drums or corny synth timbres. The album hits its peak early with the incredibly good self-mythologizing of “Out of the Blue (And Into the Fire)” and the scathingly political “Heartland.” However, it ends with a whimper as the songwriting quality trails off in the second half of the record.
very 80s
Pretty interesting. Not a huge fan of the vocals but pretty pleasant 80’s pop. Very ok
It had potential and I liked some of the instrument choices but ultimately The The’s voice wasn’t doing it for me. Also why was bro so obsessed with God?
I think I enjoyed some of it
Dumb name
This one didn't really stand out too much. Sure, it's a nice mix of genres, Post-Punk being the main one with some New Wave and Funk influences. I like when they let the piano rule. The lyrics seem to bring the vibes down a bit, contrasts greatly towards the musical side. 6,5 out of 10
Second album by The The on this list, and as far as I can remember, Infected is infinitely better than the previous one, which name I don't want to remember anymore. Musically, it's a very average and uninteresting piece of post punk, but lyrically it was actually really good. Especially song Heartland, even though the instruments were snooze inducing, vocal was keeping it alive. All in all, much better, but nothing I would like to listen to in the future.
ok for the time. Very dated
Stundtals ganska bra. Stundtals lite mindre bra.
Weirdly burlesque.
Kind of operatic/experimental rock
Another pick I'm not really sure why. I'm also not sure what genre it really is, New pop? post punk? New wave? Mediocre Vanilla 80's pop, most likely. Anyway it was fine.
I liked Soul Mining but found this to be kind of just more of the same but not as good. And now it’s quite dated sounding.
I liked the first song but then i lost interest. Not bad not good
Meh? It started off fine, but it devolved into something that I'm not sure it knows what it is. A little too much dance for me.
It wasn't bad but it wasn't good
5/10
The last song stuck in my head for a while. Quite enjoyable
This did not cure my headache but I did fall asleep because of it. It was bad but I cannot rate it poorly as it helped me in my time of need
Interesting listen, might give it another try at a later date. Interesting 80’s rock.
Het overweldigend gevoel dat ik hier bij had was 'meh'
This is not as cool as "Soul Mining", but it's still fair enough for an honest port-punk listening session.
Looking at the album cover, I was worried this was going to be death metal or something. Thankfully it was just OK 80s pop. Not a lot to say about it. Nothing really stood out as great or bad. This list loves its UK artists.
De la mateixa manera que, ejem, Talk Talk, The The van ser una banda única als 80. Van anar a la seva fora de les modes i corrents del moment, tot i tenir un so proper al de l'época. Matt Johnson, ànima de The The, va fer el seu alegat més incontestable a la seva estrena discogràfica, 'Soul Mining'. Aquest segon treball és molt més polític, alegat rera alegat, amb un so a mig camí entre l'art pop, la post new wave i el synth pop; gens comercial, però ple de creativitat
I feel like the album cover doesn’t match the genre.
I liked the first album by them that we had better, but still, had it's moments
Didn't mind this, definitely better than I expected based on the album cover art.
не оставил впечатлений
Liked it more than I thought I would
This is much better than the past week of trash albums I’ve had. It was definitely a good album. Nothing really stuck out to me to make it considered influential but it was just a nice rock album in whole.
Very 80s. Very. Interesting how it can sound both dated and advanced at the same time. Probably advanced wrt the song construction and instrumentation; very creative. It is just too easy to place this in the mid-80s with the (synth/percussion) sounds and production - which isn't always/necessarily bad, it just ... is. Matt Johnson's overly-exuberant vocals *should* grate on me but for the most part don't for some reason - maybe that is one part of the 80s production/mix that i appreciate/miss; it's that the vocals aren't mixed so up front like modern pop/rock tracks that it would be enough to obscure the rest of the music. Even if you don't pay close attention to the lyrics (mea culpa) you can hear the anger and darkness which is a good contrast to the music. Overall it's good, and it's quick (thank you: vinyl era). 7/10 3 stars.
Good
Pop
Sounds pretty nice
Not sure where to categorize this in my head. It's ok I guess
Lyrically brilliant, and with a biting edge to the songs. Annoyingly relevant 40 years on. However, the hideous none more 80s production makes it hard to get through to the good stuff, as it's at times unlistenable. Get past that and there are rewards within, bit it will take work.
This was decently surprising, finished well
Second The The album I’ve gotten. I like Soul Mining better but this one was ok
Lively post-punk with a sound very much entrenched in the 80s
meh
I don’t think we need every The The album, knock it off
It's... fine.
3.5 stars. Very 80's post punk. High production value, the bleak lyrics contrast with the upbeat music. The singing is actually a good listen and better than the instrumental backing. Standouts are title track and "Heartland"
joo 80luvulla tehty niin automaattisesti paskempaa laatua ja new wave post punk rohkeata...rohkeata tehdä semmonen taas... noh on kyllä omaa innovatiivisuutta sen verran tässä että menee heittämällä yli odotusten... the the... MIKÄ SAATANA NIMI... eikö keksitty heh, sanaa!!! vaikka the kikkellson band... sweet bird of truth...(he speack the truth....uncommon take....)
Odd - camp, flamboyant - it’s not a bad record and there is something to The The (although the name for some reason really bothers me), but this record overall is a bit meh.
Not what I expect but was a big fan
infected was decent the the
ok 7/10
3.5/5. Politically charged lyrics, not my favourite post-punk album from this era though.
I like this band and this album is decent. I'm surprised they have more than on album on the 1001.
During the post punk period of the late 80s The The was one of the better bands out there. They were on par with Tears for Fears I recon. I do prefer their debut album, Soul mining though, that album had some monster singles including This is the day and Uncertain Smile and my all time favourite song by them, Giant which has some really epic percussion. Here on their sophomore album Matt Smith's writing is a bit more sophisticated with the jazzy Heartland and the percussive, almost industrial Infected. But although it doesn't capture the lighting in a bottle of its predecessor, this still a solid record overall and worth a listen before you die.
I think this confirms that I like The The. A welcome generator-aided artist discovery. It's a melting pot of familiar styles but the result is quite unique. The guy clearly had grand ambitions, which can make it all sound a bit silly and pretentious at times, but I think he succeeded more often that not. Like the the the album that came up previously I'm giving it a commendable 3.5 stars.
From the weird side of new wave we have this gross album cover that disguises a synthpop bop. Despite not knowing much about The The (great name btw), I think the weirdness of it makes it special. In contrast to the zolo artists of new wave such as Oingo Boingo, The The has a certain earnestness to the music that makes me appreciate it even more. I think this is a adequate followup to Soul Mining
A fun listen - very theatrical and quirky.
6/10 not bad but it won’t stick with me
Couple of decent songs.
Infected - the the ( I am catching up on the first 100 I missed) Very familiar and I enjoyed their hits in the late 80s/early 90s. Reminds me of porch parties in Summer. I didn't realise how inconsistent the actual album is - familiar songs “infected” and “heartland” and “slow train to dawn” are great and still resonate. But the rest sound unfinished, and really missing something As an album its jarring to bo form rocking along cool but weird stuff then stop. Thank goodness for the SKIP button. Reminds me so much of the voice of Hunters and Collectors, I thought they might be Australian. Inconsistent, with 3 brilliant tracks and good atmospherics. Pitty I don't know more from them. 3.5-4.0 depending on mood
Kinda jazzy punk. Interesting sound, decent
The The seem to have put as much creativity into their music as their name. Generic 80s sounds. No standouts here. Wasn't bad but I didn't need to hear this album.
Generic forgettable 80s music
It’s not bad, but where it fails is that it isn’t good. 3/5
Good 80s vibe
C’est pas pire parfois, bizarre desfois et juste moyen d’autre fois. 3
Just nothing of note
ok album
extremely 80s still a stupid band name
I really liked this. Interesting song writing and mix of genres. I would probably say 3.5/5 3/5
Really a spot-on name for this band, catchy and fits the music.
Interesting album, a little too all over the place to connect with. Hampered by a slick production and a "whatever strikes my fancy" approach, I found the songs varied from captivating to clankers and everything in between. I bet each album from The The would be a wildly different listening experience. Maybe I'll find out one day.
Hmm... another one I struggled to rate. The drum machines were killing me, but there was enough other stuff going on that I was (mostly) able to listen past that. And they mix it up enough that I never got tired of what they were doing. On the other hand, there was a profound lack of hooks, so I struggled to pay strict attention. So I guess I'm going with a middling 3. In high school, I had a friend who was into alternative music, and he turned me on to several bands, most especially Sonic Youth (thank you, Justin!) but also Big Black. Anyway, he was into The The and this was one of his bands (along with Foetus) that I never came around to. I liked it better this time around.
I was not familiar with The The thought I definitely heard of them and they seemed like a band I should like. But how could we explore music in the 80s and early 90s without spending money that was slated for completing my Dylan collection? Hence I missed some good music. I dig this band. Spotify shuffle kicked into gear after this album and I was introduced to more The The, which I liked even more (Whisper). It’s not a full 4 but also more than a 3. We need half stars!
This was a good kind of weird :)
Infected is the second album by English post-punk band the The. This album has a darker glow than others from the band, and it's lyrics are critical of local British and broader world events at the time. It's not an optimistic record, but it's a seething and grim good one. Definitely an interesting record for any listener willing to lend an ear.
Soul mining är bättre!!!!
Cheillin
This one is just a bit too much. A bit too much filler, a bit too much extra sounds, a bit too much drumloops.
The The have two big problems. The first is that they don't know if they are a rock band or a pop band and thereby their music falls between these categories and doesn't satisfy many people at all. The second is that non English speakers can't pronounce their name. As noted above this album is unsure of what it is trying to be. It is not quite hard enough to be rock, but too aggresive to be pop. OK to listen to, but nothing caught my attention particularly and I will probably never listen to it again.
first listen sounds like the background music in a seedy 1987 london flat
Småtrevligt
Not as compelling as I thought it would be.
3.75
Kinda cool.
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.
Fine 80s alt punk
wildly meh, quite entertaining but unrememberable.
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.
Kuumotus.... Kuumottaa... Ahdistus.. https://i.scdn.co/image/ab67616d0000b273f3e4480acaf523493f1150f6 Onko albumin vika.... Noh Emt... En kuule mitä opettaja sanoo... Hauskat jutut aina matikan tunnilla.. Hmm Mitäköhän.. eikai muut ajattele hirveesti.. Ku hain jatkojohdon.. Vaan että saa vahvistimen kytkettyä kuulokkeisiin.. Oli yöllä jääny päälle... ei akkua.. Ei pistokepaikkoja.. kaverillakin kiinni seinässä.. Jatkojohdon jakaja pää haettu luokan takaa kesken oppitunnin pöydälle..saanko ottaa? Kiitoksia..Aa joo sun pitää irrottaa.. kun käytät sitä.... jakajan neljäs portti on kytketty usb-c usb-c liitännällä usb hubiin.. eikun ei siihen.. se lataisi puhelinta.. suoraan vahvistimeen.. usb hubi on liitettynä usb-a liitännällä ja usb-a female liitännällä siitä vahvistimeen, vahvistin vasemmalla puolella omaa pöytää, matikankirja ja tietokone pöydällä. Jäykkä USB-A - USB-A female ei käänny.. pitää väntää.. näkyykö kännykästä biisin nimi... Vietnamin sota kuulokkeista... Amerikkalaiset kuullostaa 60- luvun radion päässä samalta... Aina... Biisi.. Sweet Bird of Truth.. Napalm.. Mitä opettaja puhuu... Ei puhu.. Muammer kysyy.. Miksei käy bose kuuloke.. langaton.. näin helppo.. näyttää... näin päähän ja musiikkia kuuluu.. selvä... Naurahdan. Paskaa.... Paskaa... HILJAA ... HILJAAA HIIILLEEVIII HIIRI... NAKERRA HIIRUKKA TÄLTÄ PÄÄ POIKKI!!!!!!!! "Twilight of a Champion"... biisi ... RESOLUUTIO PAMAHTAA KORVIEN LÄPI, ääni on sanoin KUVAILEMATON... Lyrics... Nooh...... Englantia.. tarkoittanettanee... Jotain..... The rising moon faces the sickening sun, As the lights in the tower blocks go on, one by one A big shot, overlooking this black iron skyline- Surrounded by his symbols of prosperity Sits back in his new leather chair Ripped off the back of some unfortunate beast. I'm smiling through my teeth. Anybody can be a millionaire, So everybody's gotta try But by the laws of this human jungle Only the heartless will survive. ---- From Mombosa to Miami, Beiruit to Bangladesh, I've flown around the world standing On the wing of a jet. Tryin' to salvage my emotions From the bottom of the oceans... --- Biisissä siis matkittu kuuluisaa tubettajaa.. love you my Indian bros from Bombay to Bangladesh... - Pewdiepie, Congrulations SELVÄ, OK kun en tunnilla niin paljon kiinnittynätkään huomioita lyriikoihin... Slow train to death.. Vocalisti.. Mitä helvettiä..... Tiputtaa pallejaan välillä.. uskomaton trans.. VOIMAANNUTTAVA TRANSBIISI!!! HUONO JUTTU!! VIHAAN TRANSUJA!!!... Markus ihan hyvä.. muut...... pellejä.. Markus.. Transu.. löytyy youtubesta ja yleareenasta.. transmars..
3 Fun
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
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.
Thematically and musically cohesive. Not what I expected. It does fall apart a bit at the end.
Not what I thought it was going to be. Pretty enjoyable though
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.
Just strange enough to to be interesting throughout.
Ágæt plata örlítið dated
Pretty ok
Hørte ikke
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.
I like it.
Boppin' 80s!
Enjoyed this. Saw the influence on a lot of my favorite artists growing up. Wasn’t sure what to expect and was impressed.
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
Dit beviel me!
Not great
1986, британский пост-панк. Имхо с сильным эстрадным/поп оттенком. Второй студийный альбом. Лучшие треки: Heartland, Infected.
This was sort of bad but I liked it???????
Kinda liked some bits, other bits made me cringe. Overall it was worth a listen but I won't return
My experience with Infected felt a lot like the previous album that I reviewed from The The. All of the music in this case was new to me. I was aware that The The was a band back in the 80s, but that's as much of an impression that I have after listening to a second album. The album sounds like the 80s with some echoey echoey electronics and drum sounds cut short in their delivery. I got through this album. A couple of tracks would be skipped. I'm recording 3 stars, but if I would have had to give my full attention I may have had to round down to 2.
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.
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.
Du rock qui fait très typique 80s. Pas mauvais, mais pas de moment wow
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.
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
Not really my jam. I appreciate the complexity and originality of the writing and lyrics. But the sound doesn't really turn my crank.
This was cool
Slave of Poop World.
Might have been way into this in the 80s. Sounds like a precursor to Spiritualized... white boy soul with rockist tendencies.
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
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
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.
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.
Ei paha! Kasarilt kyl löytyy näitä joka genree yhdistelevii hullutuksii, mut tää pysyy ihan kivasti post-punkissa, kuitenkaan olematta tylsä. Toimii. 3/5
Infected oli kyllä kunnon bängeri. Muuten ihan jepa kasari-art-rock meininkejä, mutta ei ehkä ihan yllä neloseen. Vahva 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.
Decent but of fun. Very dated sound.
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
Pretty good lyrics. Many of the songs drag on.
Geen ups en downs. Doet me verder niets.
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
Infected is the second studio album by English post-punk band the The, released in 1986. To promote the album, Johnson produced a music video for each track. I liked "Twilight Of A Champions" and "The Mercy Beat".
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
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.
Punky, spunky, moody, and groovy. Solid album. Strong 3. Thezinga.
Enjoyable listen
6/10
не ну чот быстро надоело, но вроде и ничо
Musically excellent but a bit too showy and bombastic to truly love.
Not at all what I expected. I quite liked.
VERY 80's style
Excellent band / 1-man project. Not my favourite The The album though.
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.
Más o menos
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
Haven't heard them in a long time, recognised some tunes.
3.5/5 estrellas, buen álbum.
This was cool
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
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 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!
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
Some nice tunes. I really enjoyed the bass on this one. "Heartland", "Infected" and "Out of the Blue" stood out.
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.
Pop com relevância
Interesting, and the lyrics are surprisingly applicable in this day and age
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
It was okay. Looks punk but it’s just new wave.
Started off with a bop. Overall liked it more then I thought I would.
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)
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Great music. I would give 3.5/5 if possible.
Just ok
Pretty nice but this just isn’t my type of post-punk
Nice
uninteresting and unoffensive.
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.
Um álbum engraçado mas que foca longe de algo que gosto. Nota:5/10
Decent. Really not into this kind of stuff. never was. but was ok. Enjoyed some parts
Pas mal!
Not bad. A pretty listenable album actually.
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
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.
Un tanto desconocido para mí. Sonido ochentero. Mucho sintetizador. Igual en su momento tuvo algún sentido
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
noise
I liked it in the first half but then it sort of lost its identity in the second half. Not too memorable overall.
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...
Found myself toe tapping to most of the beats but then the vocals ruined it. The sax in track 6 was nice
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.
This is pretty good. Prototypical new wave/early alternative. 3 stars.
It was good. I didn’t know The The apart from This is the Day. Fun, but very specific to the mid 80s.
Kind of goofy, moments of glory. I didn't love it but I sensed a depth to what felt like an art project.
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.
"I want to listen to Prince". "We have Prince at home." Prince at home:
The the the album was pretty good
Decent album with decent guitar. Songs aren't too memorable but no bad ones
naja
Decent and quite adventurous, but nothing that's memorable or outstanding
Not what I was expecting by the album title and band name! But this is run of the mill 80s.
I still like Soul Mining the best, but I do like this one better than that third one or Dusk.
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
This album has 80s pop/rock vibes, on top of socially conscious lyrics. The horns give it a kind of jazzy/showman quality. Not my preferred genre, but not awful.
The The don’t exactly have a smooth approach to composition. The eccentric, awkward, stop-start performance and slightly crazed, elaborate vocals is surely the appeal but it could all just as easily turn a listener off. There are plenty of bands that I love which share several of these qualities but for whatever reason the theatricality doesn’t work for me here. My brain can't make sense of it.
I really hated the production on the first track. It was extremely unpleasant and overblown, with everything feeling like an unwarranted assault of the ears. I mean, that snare sound alone was horrid. Anyway, I'm still willing to hear out the rest of the album, somehow. Okay, back two songs later and the production got a bit better, but whilst I like the lyrics, I'm really not a fan of the vocals, whether that's in terms of his voice or the melodies. So far, the main interest to me has been the bass, but even that could be a bit better. The tracklist is a bit inconsistent and there are definite ups and downs but I'm just finding that none of the songs really do much for me, when I wish they felt more full and pleasantly produced. The snare tone doesn't really get any better throughout, and some of the synths, whilst stylistically typical of the time, are a bit crap in my opinion. The layering of the songs just doesn't feel nice, it all feels crudely slapped on top of itself. Then, the vocals aren't even that catchy and I find the voice obnoxious, so basically, there's nothing here I'd really like return to at all, but I respect the ideas.
One reviewer writes that people don’t understand this album because they weren’t living in the UK in the early 1980s. Well, both this reviewer and the editor seem to believe that a significant portion of humanity lives in the UK. This misconception, of course, explains why - at least in my summary - British albums rank the lowest. I knew The The only by name, and their album “Infected” won’t exactly leave a lasting impression on me either. It contains pretty generic ’80s pop-rock - call it post-punk, new wave, or whatever, for all I care. The only thing that really stands out is the extraordinarily ugly cover - is that art or is it rubbish?
An interesting post-punk album with some world themes. Listened out of order by mistake
1st song is cool
Infected - 3.5/5 Out Of The Blue (Into The Fire) - 3/5 Heartland - 2.5/5 Angels Of Deception - 2.5/5 Sweet Bird Of Truth - 2/5 Slow Train To Dawn - 2.5/5 Twilight Of A Champion - 2/5 The Mercy Beat - 1.5/5
O.K. but nothing remarkable on for me and nothing I really can connect to.
The 80’s had its way with everyone. Very few were left unscathed.
didn't really listen to it, a bit boring and the title song is fine
Very 80s. His voice is OK and the music has not held up well. 4.5/10 Top song Infected
Bonus point for having Neneh Cherry on a song.
I really wanted to like the mix of post-punk and new wave on Infected, but honestly, I found it a total slog. I get that Matt Johnson put a ton of effort into the theatrical production and all those layers of synths and brass, but the whole thing just grated on me. It feels like it's trying way too hard to be deep, and the result is just a dated, over-produced wall of 80s noise that couldn't keep me interested.
Syntes dette var kjedelig. 1-2
hated it
I forgot it was on just a bit nothing
3.5/10
After listening to Playing with Fire and some other terrible albums, I just didn't have the capacity to listen to this. Sure, there's probably some motif's that i'm missing and small things that I would pickup while listening to the full album. But I just couldn't do it today. Skipped around, and just sounded like another 80's synth rock/pop album. 2/10
I previously said the 80s sound is not my vibe… with some exceptions (tears for fears being one of them). This is not one of those exceptions. It’s not horrible… but not my jam. 2.0
Itchy production, tinny drums, and that breathless over-singing typical of this era of post-punk. There were moments I enjoyed (the female vocals on “Out of the Blue”, the guitar on “Heartland” before they’re smothered), but moments are not enough. Sorry, The The, you just don’t do it for me, but good for you.
This album is dumb.
didn't like this 2 stars
Some nice sounds on this one. Maybe worth another listen
Kind of cool but not really
Alright i’m cutting this one short. No fault on the album, but i just can’t listen to any more 80s albums. this one was much more stimulating than the others i’ve listened to recently, but i just don’t like these sounds. There’s moments in this album that indeed sounds different, but there are plenty of moments with that 80s synth sound that just immediately makes me dissociate from what i’m listening to. I get it, it was the style and time. but fuck man this era made so much slop with that sound that i can’t even get through an album that IS doing something a little different
Empecé muy joven a escuchar música y cuando los Smiths y luego los Housemartins lo eran todo para mí, se separan ambos grupos más menos al mismo tiempo y me quedé huérfano de música. Este fue uno de los autores que escuché como sustituto (también Lloyd Cole) y la verdad es que no dieron para mucho. Creo que ha envejecido regular, mucho sintetizador. Me guardo Angels of deception. Su voz sigue mereciendo la pena.
Not a bad album. However, I find it kind of repetitive. Apart from that, I think "The The" is over-represented in this project (one album would've been enough). For this reason, and also because I found "Soul Mining" (which came up only a couple of weekss ago) more interesting, I'm giving 2 stars to this one.
A rubbish INXS
After opening with a typical 80s drum machine that makes you think you're getting a standard new wave album, Infected gets as weird as its album cover. Clattering drums and layers of guitars make for chaotic post punk tracks with an occasional sophisti-pop undercurrent. The vocals are just as manic and sometimes get theatrical. It reminds me less of other English post punk and more of Australian noise rock like early Nick Cave and Foetus. While it's definitely unique, there's often too much going on to really catch the groove of the songs; there are no easy rhythms or obvious riffs or hooks here. The lyrics seem to be political but can be hard to make much sense of. Definitely interesting, but also just a bit too much.
"virus"
80s music, not the good stuff. Don't know any songs which doesn't bode well for a genre I'm familiar with.
Just kinda stuff happening
Etwas träge ohne Höhepunkte
Not sure why this band gets two albums on this list.
I used to play The The a lot on my new wave radio show, but I feel like Infected is kind of horny in a sinister way.
Eh
Leiðinleg, en ekki allt alveg eins.
Couple good songs but nothing I'd ever go back and listen to.
Sounds like INXS making a commercial for baked beans.
2/5. I’m usually a post-punk enjoyer but this one just didn’t do anything for me. Not helping is the sound of the album which is some dated 80’s cheese, but even beyond that, nothing really captivated me here. It’s not abysmal or anything, but just not for me.
Not my jam
Not infectious.
.2 seconds in Matt Johnson says the name of the album you just turned on in case you somehow already forgot. 1 and a half minutes in.... are we going to do something different? oh... this sounds like if Billy idol went in a different direction... Is it industrial? is it 80s pop wave? is it 80s pop rock? I'm not sure... Somehow all the music feels familiar but I also know that I have never heard any of this. It's as if he is throwing some borrowed melodies in with his own. Oh, this second song is interesting... sounds like this song would be in some strange parody comedy movie. Lyrically this album is very Litteral and direct. There is no room for interpretation. It's really as if he is just having a conversation and telling a story to you... but like he went off on six tangents to get to the punch line.
The best songs weren’t even on the original album. I listened to the cd version which had 3 additional songs that were way better than the 8 on the original album. That being said this still sucks. And worst band name of all time too.
This was such a chore to get through. I dont know why. This album specifically broke me away from this list for over a week. And coming back to it was just as difficult
Atrocious album cover, reminds me of Aaahh!!! real monsters. 80s drivel album. Heartland sounded like something out of a musical, which was cool.
This feels just really shallow
?@! Someone who can remember the 80ies diddn't live there (c) Falco
Masete, svulstig og teatralsk. Slow Train to Dawn er høydepunktet, sikkert pga Neneh Cherry, som burde ha sunget på alle låtene i stedet for Matt Johnsons utrolig irriterende vokal. Alle låtene har musikkvideoer, så jeg så de som en playlist på YouTube.
Meh
best part is the name, the the is VERY funny. though can't say much about the music, idk, it's very nothingburger
Not bad. But I could have done without it
Three Inch Nails The first track is a complete banger and a memory from late night TV watching. But then it sags into self consiously arty lyrics and fairly pedestrian music that isn't nearly as interesting as it seems to want you to think it is. It wants to be making a statement about life the, universe and everything but just isn't that good. It keeps starting to do something interesting and then goes of the rails. Either he starts singing in a put on dramatic voice or thr lyrics land with a thud or suddenly he thinks its a good idea to mix in tannoy announcements. Wastes a lot of potential.
Oh, so boring. The very definition of bad new wave. One minor hit and a bunch of albums filled with fluffy notes and inoffensive drivel. Damn, the Brits will listen to anything!
Just didn't really enjoy this - at first it felt okay, but I didn't like the singer which meant the whole thing wasn't for me.
Tripping on LSD in the 80s this may have seemed cutting edge. Today though, it sucked
i don’t wanna listen again but it’s ok.
A few catchy tunes but really underwhelming album. Can't say I disliked it but I wouldn't listen to it if I had the choice
This is one of those albums that I think I would have liked better had I gotten it earlier into this list as opposed to well into the 700s as I am now. At this point I feel like I’ve heard this before, and better. “Angels of Deception” is a great track and almost led me to rate this 3 stars, but the rest of the songs are kind of tedious and go on for way too long. This album felt like well over an hour even though it was about 41 minutes.
Tedious and forgettable 80s pedestrian rock. 8 songs but felt like 38.
Yeah, sorry. No. 4/10
She talks to angels slaps. That’s about it
Not bad, Instrumentals are decent but I dont like the guy vocals .. rated 2.5
not bad but not for me
A real mix of styles and quality some of which I enjoyed. It was largely ruined by the 1980s which can do one as far as I’m concerned!
I only know one The The album, which is the excellent ‘Dusk’ from 1993 (by which time Johnny Marr had joined the gang). So I’m pleased to report that they did recover from the “80s DERANGEMENT SYNDROME” they were clearly suffering from a nasty bout of here.
Very ‘80s. Not as clever as it thinks it is.
Not entirely my jam. It feels very stylised and of it's time. That's not a problem of itself, but I tend to want the music to really earn it. I couldn't quite get into it.
Oof. Nope. This is the kind of music that comes to mind when I say I don't care for 80s music.
The instruments are fun and catchy but the singing doesn't work as well for me. There is just something missing in the songs for me to get pulled in and bop along and I think its the vocals for most of the songs. Its not bad, it just doesn't work well for me. Still a fun listen through as a learning experience and hearing a new band.
Soul Mining by The The was one of my fun discoveries on the list, but I wasn't keen on this one at all. It sometimes feels like he's going for Tom Waits but accidentally landing on a pretentious INXS.
I feel slightly ambivalent towards both the music and the lyrics. I can tell there is some quality, but I struggle to get past what sounds dated and anachronistic.