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Dog Man Star

Suede

1994

Buy At Rough Trade
Dog Man Star
Album Summary

Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler; growing tensions between him and singer Brett Anderson ended with Butler leaving the band before recording was complete. As a result, some tracks on the album had to be finished with the assistance of session musicians. In contrast to their debut album Suede, which exhibited the influences of David Bowie and the Smiths, Dog Man Star exhibits a more varied aesthetic and draws from a wider range of influences. Although it did not sell on the same scale as its predecessor, it reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and was certified as gold by the BPI in November 1994. Described by Rolling Stone as "one of the most pretentious albums ever released by a major label," the record was released in a different UK musical climate to their hitherto discography. Out-of-step with the mainstream music scene, it featured the band diverting away from the "Britpop pack" of bands.While Dog Man Star was acclaimed by many reviewers as a masterpiece, the trend towards "lad pop" saw its chart and sales success obscured. It was generally overlooked at the time, and it polarised American critics, some labelling it as pretentious. The album has over time garnered wider acclaim from critics. In the decade between Suede's 2003 separation and the release of Bloodsports, Dog Man Star steadily gained a strong following as a classic rock record. In October 2013, NME magazine placed the album at number 31 in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.03

Votes

10024
Genres
Rock
Britpop
Indie

Reviews

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Thu May 20 2021
5

Honestly didn't know what to expect but walked away really enjoying this. Very Bowie, very early-era R.E.M., pretty gorgeous in places. Dramatic, but has the chops to back it up. Favorite tracks: "Heroine", "This Hollywood Life", "The Asphalt World"

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Wed Sep 15 2021
2

Dog Man Star? More like, uh [brain shuts down for a good forty minutes, only vital signs a rapid flickering of the eyes] Dog Man Blah

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Thu Feb 03 2022
2

Dense. I did some reading about this album which sounds like a great stereotypical rock mess fraught with tension, drugs, and pretension. I had an idea of what I'd hoped to hear before I put it on ... and it doesn't really match. The idea of a complex, sprawling album is appealing to me but - and I fully admit that it may be difficult to digest in just one or two plays today - there's not much here that's catchy. I'm not necessarily meaning in a pop-sugary way, but even some of the more proggy and lengthy songs I've liked or loved have something to sink your teeth into; e.g. some hook or theme. This album seems a mass of ~5 minute songs, none of which are bad, but none of which I can really remember. Mid-tempo, massive reverb on overly-emotive vocals, nothing really catchy, edgy, weird, or heck even poppy. If I were to be harsh...much ado about nothing? 3/10 2 stars.

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Fri Apr 09 2021
5

Grandiose, glam, beautiful guitars and vocals. Peak Suede

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Fri Jun 04 2021
5

THIS ROCKS!!!! I already downloaded a few songs on apple music

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Thu Dec 09 2021
5

Even though it gets a little complicated in the second half, it’s still incredibly strong. 1st half of the album is enough to give it 5 stars on its own

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Mon Feb 28 2022
5

Solid 5. It’s up there amongst the best Britpop albums, and certainly Suedes very best. Takes me back to my youth!

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Mon Oct 18 2021
5

uno de los discos más hermosos de la vida

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Sun Mar 27 2022
5

This album should be in any Britpop album top 5, together with Coming Up, Now I'm A Cowboy, His 'n' Hers and Different Class.

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Thu Sep 08 2022
5

Never heard of this band. But ended up listening to it 3 times yesterday. Very trippy.

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Mon Feb 01 2021
3

I would have given this a lower score without 3 listens (on YouTube while reading comments about the life-changing impact of each song). Bowie influenced vocals and very different sound to other Brit bands of the day. I like the start of the album but it becomes too ballad heavy for me. Lyrics seem smaltzty, then I read about the William Blake and Lord Byron references in them so WTF do I know?

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Wed Sep 15 2021
2

This album cover perfectly captures my feelings on this album. Butt. I don't know. There's a lot of activity and it sounds like people are working very hard, but this never left the realm of vanilla to me. Very clearance bin 1998.

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Fri Apr 29 2022
5

I will always remember the exact moment i first saw Suede. 93 Brit awards. I was 14. Absolutely blew my mind (and my hormones!). People forget how much they 'blew the bloody doors' off and were a breath of fresh air. Love them. Love this album.

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Fri Nov 18 2022
5

This album was an absolute banger. Disappointed that I have to listen to a different album tomorrow.

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Wed Feb 08 2023
5

105 / 1069 Took a while to know if I liked this or not. Clicked about halfway through. Lonely, sad, melancholic. Brilliant.

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Mon Apr 24 2023
5

Frábært band og mjög góð plata. Takk fyrir.

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Thu Oct 29 2020
4

I actually really enjoyed this? Not a single song I disliked on the record, but not quite hitting the 5-star mark YET.

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Wed Feb 17 2021
4

A dark and melancholy album. Some of the guitar work really shines. Some good songs and heavily influenced by Bowie(which is present in almost every song, which is good but for me fails to capture anything new or define their own sound).

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Thu Jun 10 2021
4

Melodramatic and very ambitious.

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Mon May 31 2021
4

This is great. Definitely need to listen to more of this band. It’s interesting to me that the 90s were still a time where a band could be popular in England but not really endure in the US.

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Mon May 17 2021
4

A great, ambitious album. The guitar work is intricate, the songs are beautiful and diverse and full of pathos (don't ask me to explain). I can't give it 5 stars due to Still Life being fairly dull.

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Sun Feb 14 2021
3

Man this is a tough one for me. I mean if you put it on I wouldn't necessarily protest but there are things about it that irk me throughout. For example the singing, which is often the make or break it factor, I find right on the edge of tolerable. But the music has just enough inventiveness and interesting touches to bring it back up a notch again somehow. It is such downer of a record though, I know I would never intentionally choose to play it.

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Mon Feb 01 2021
3

I don't know this band. It's a good listen. The tempo switches gears a lot as guitar volumes are turned up, down and off and go from rock and roll style to a more mysterious and cryptic Robert Fripp like style. The distinctive Bowie like voice keeps continuity throughout the gyrations. I like the album cover. OK, first and last time I ever say I like a photo of a guy's arse. The photo really captures the tone of the album. I guess this is what some folks were listening to while I was listening to Nirvana in the 90s. Hey we all did what he had to do to escape CHUM.

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Mon Jun 07 2021
2

Just okay...Nothing memorable to me.

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Wed May 31 2023
2

just a bit indistinct, really didn't like the production. Tried it on several speakers to see if it was just my usual set up, but no.

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Thu Oct 27 2022
1

oof. this might not be SFW. I dont remember this which is a bad sign. I think it gave me strong david bowie vibes that i was not here for.

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Wed Nov 16 2022
1

Yea.....some times new stuff surprises you and you get excited to listen to more. In this case, not so much. Seemed to start with a little potential, but then I couldn't wait for it to end. Just nothing there that got me excited or wanted to listen to again 1

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Mon Jan 23 2023
1

Very boring album with super uninteresting songs.

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Wed Feb 01 2023
1

I once had the misfortune to see Suede - then just an "upcoming band from Horsham" - supporting The Fall. I didn't like them live and I don't like them on record.

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Mon Feb 13 2023
1

Does anyone else feel like the 90s are over-represented on this thing?

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Sat May 27 2023
1

not for me... a little bret anderson goes a long way...

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Tue Jun 06 2023
1

I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS

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Wed Jun 28 2023
1

this felt long, which isn't a good sign for an album lol

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Thu Aug 10 2023
1

Overwrought and overly ambitious. I don’t think the band’s lyrics can back these arrangements up. This felt like listening to a soap opera. There were a couple of songs that were alright, though. Overall, there was nothing on this album that seemed significant to me and I’ve already largely forgotten it.

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Wed Sep 13 2023
1

Es ist unfassbar, dass da ein Schmock sitzt und sich für kompetent genug hält, ein Buch mit diesem Titel zu schreiben und ausgerechnet DAS für unbedingt hörenswert hält. Verzichtbare Petitessen, wie so oft.

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Thu Oct 05 2023
1

Listened to about half of it and wasn't really feeling it but also wasn't paying a ton of attention Currently have to do my whole seven samurai essay in an hour + change Why is boyd such a japanophile

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Wed Nov 01 2023
1

It’s hard to appreciate the sound of pop punk or post punk without the context of what it existed alongside. Then again, maybe it’s just not for me

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Thu Dec 07 2023
1

The sounds on this album are really interesting, but overall probably not something I’ll come back to. It’s alright, not really one of my favorites though.

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Wed Jan 31 2024
1

The singer tried way too hard to mimic Bowie with little success--it actually made it hard to listen to. I didn't finish this. I got away from it and saw little reason to come back to finish it. 1.5/5

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Wed Jan 31 2024
1

This was just bad was a rap variation and almost said I’m not finishing it.

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Thu Feb 01 2024
1

"a startling record: an album surrounded by the white heat of something close to genius." He added: "the songs of Dog Man Star are grand designs, enacted against grandiose backdrops." - John Harris, NME "With Dog Man Star the group has vindicated just about every claim that was ever made on their behalf. A long, sprawling and not entirely flawless album, it will be hailed in years to come as the crowning achievement of a line-up that reinvented English, guitar-band rock'n'roll for the 1990s." - David Sinclair, Q ITS FUCKING SHITE

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Tue Feb 06 2024
1

Have to say that I am absolutely shocked that this album is on this list... And I thought Emerson, Lake, & Palmer were pretentious and bloated - but they have NOTHING on The London Suede... You could tell that there were some redeeming qualities in there somewhere, but any goodness was just completely over-run by all of the bloat... Lyrics were often whiney, the lead singer's voice did not help (i.e. trying to sound like Bowie but not having the voice for it...), and most songs were just a mess... Like I said, there was some goodness in the guitar section near the end of "This Hollywood Life", and the last minute of "Stay Together" was pretty decent - and I'm sure there were a few others - but those moments were few, and WAY too far in between... Only song that I actually thought was decent, was the last one "Whipshade" - probably because it wasn't bloated, and was fairly straightforward...

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Mon Feb 12 2024
1

Just doesn't do much for me. Have to admit, I was bored.

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Sat Feb 24 2024
1

I barely heard what this album as, just kinda drifted past without standout tones.

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Fri Nov 18 2022
5

New generation and we are the pigs. Great album through and through

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Mon Jan 23 2023
5

Surprisingly experimental and enjoyable. I preferred the more lively tracks from (mostly) first half of the album, but overall it was a great experience! Saved tracks: We Are The Pigs, Heroine, Daddy's Speeding, The Power, The 2 Of Us, The Asphalt World

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Fri May 12 2023
5

3.02 average??? (This album definitely doesn’t deserve this low)… To anyone who gave this below 3 stars 🖕 Sorry but honestly this album is perfect It’s a grower yeah but it’s certainly worth the time. Not a bad track on it and the b sides make it even better. Brett’s voice can be a make or break for some I get that but the instrumentation would’ve made up for that I would think. Also maybe if you don’t like any 80’s or 90’s rock then this might not be for you but I don’t get why anyone wouldn’t like those things. I didn’t see any ‘uuurgh britpop’ comments on this one which is good because while yeah technically britpop it’s not the same sorta thing as oasis, blur and pulp were doing at the time. If I was to name an underrated but still kinda popular band it would be suede it seems so many people have overlooked this masterpiece and the debut by extension. Best tracks: heroine, the 2 of us, the asphalt world Worst track: black or blue 5/5

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Thu May 25 2023
5

I miei preferiti: We Are the Pigs e The Asphalt World

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Mon Jun 05 2023
5

That was really cool. Varied and interesting throughout. I will definitely be listening to more Suede

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Thu Jun 22 2023
5

Following their debut, this album is full of Bowie-inspired vocals and riffs and lush ethereal upbeat melodies from the earlier shoegaze and Madchester movements. With their debut and next album Coming Up, I pick out my favorites and tune out the rest. But this has pulled in my attention in nearly every song. Blur's Parklife and Pulp's Different Class did the same thing, so I'm glad (most of) the Britpop movement has insane talent. Great introduction followed by the anthemic "We are the Pigs" setting the theme for the rest of the album. "Heroine" embodies the britpop spirit, with dirty resentful Beatlesesque harmonies and an eclectic guitar style reminding me of Pulp. Shows their artistic spirit, cramming a bunch of styles in a fast-paced 3.5 minute song. "The Wild Ones" is a really emotional pop track with a powerful closer. I'm usually not a fan of ballads, but "Daddy's Speeding" took me by a surprise, likely due to the constant key changes, strong bass, creepy ethereal effects, unsettling vocals, and a dramatic closer. It was a good follow up to the mood of "The Wild Ones." We shift back to a few upbeat pop tracks. "The Power" has a catchy chorus, strings, and drums that pack a punch. "New Generation" is just an all-around excellent britpop song, nothing really stuck out in particular. "This Hollywood Life" has a dirty guitar style and vocals that definitely look back to 70s glam rock like T Rex. We go back to two minimalist ballads which honestly is my least favorite part of the album, especially since "2 of Us" goes on for 6 minutes. But they're pretty, and I'm a fan of the lush strings in "Black or Blue." Nearing the end, we reach the most technical proggy song on the album: "The Asphalt World." I really like how it stops in the middle then gradually picks up to a glorious finish with a really sick guitar solo. "Still Life" ends with a whole orchestra in a satisfying closer full of life. Almost like a musical. Incredible production. The triumphant ending reminds me of Sgt Pepper. There are also two bonus tracks on Spotify. The first is the full version of the hit single "Stay Together" which does feel like it belongs more on their debut. It's good, catchy chorus, but I'm not sure it really warranted its length. The other is "Whipsnade" which is a really cool mellow fast song, also has a pretty chorus, and I'm a love the double tracked vocals, but it goes by a bit too quickly. Super groovy second half.

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Sat Jul 15 2023
5

Suede's finest hour and one of the indisputable peaks of the nineties. Pop in its more inventive approach, magic melodies and creative arrangements. As it was habitual with the band in the period, B sides are as strong as anything else in the album

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Sun Jul 16 2023
5

Really good britpop, slower in the second half though. Lyrics make the songs feel like epics. BT - We Are The Pigs - Heroine - The Wild Ones - The Power - The Asphalt World

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Wed Jul 26 2023
5

Huhhuh, täähän on aivan tajuton. En muistanutkaan. Annoin näiden debyytille 2/5 ja aloin kyseenalaistamaan, että olikohan tämäkään sitten niin hyvä. Mutta mitä vielä. Ihanaa melankoliaa tuollaisella Bowie-energialla. Ja onnistuu vielä kantamaan noin pitkään, lähes tunnin. Nyt kyseenalaistan sen debyytin arvioni, täytyy kuunnella uusiksi :D

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Wed Jul 26 2023
5

Höpsis, eihän tää rokmusiikkia ole ollenkaan, vaan brittipoppia ripauksella glamia. Eka levy vielä parempi, mutta on tää niin upea, että itkettää. Iloa ei kieltämättä kauheasti tästä löydy, mutta kaikkia muita tunteita kyllä. Heroine on ehkä mun suosikkibiisi ikinä. Tai no yksi todella monesta.

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Fri Sep 15 2023
5

Bought this when it was released on the strength of their debut album and I think I was a little bit let down by it, that debut is incredible, so incredible that it lived up to the hype foisted on the band by the British music press. It stands to reason that Dog Man Star might have a difficult time as a follow up, so pretentious, right? According to Rolling Stone, the most pretentious album ever released by a major label. I get it but you know what? Fuck that, over the years I've come to appreciate the brilliance of this album. Like I said I love the debut but this is the one I come back to most often.

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Thu Sep 21 2023
5

Out of the 100 albums on this list I've gotten so far, this is without a doubt the best one that was completely off my radar beforehand. I mean to reserve a 5 for albums that are legendary. Is this legendary? Maybe, probably not, but it's been so long since I've heard an album and immediately wanted to listen to it all over again that I have to give this a top score.

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Mon Oct 02 2023
5

Whilst not delivering as many singles and big "moments" as the follow-up album, "Coming Up", this is a fantastic album. More experimental than you might expect from Suede if you're only familiar with their bigger singles, but it's just a great journey from start to finish.

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Mon Oct 02 2023
5

This album might be Suede’s best. It is a remarkably variable album that spans glam rock, art rock, post-punk, and Britpop. The album has a grandiose anthemic feel throughout and the production is stunning. The ambitiousness of the album pays off, and in it, the listener can hear the roots of some of the greatest albums that came a few years later from Radiohead and Spiritualized.

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Wed Oct 25 2023
5

I wasn't overly familiar with Suede coming into this, but was very pleasantly surprised. I loved this album. Probably my fav album of the day thus far.

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Fri Nov 17 2023
5

Worth to keep on relistening... Will not get through just listening once

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Sun Dec 17 2023
5

This thing exceeded my expectations so god damn much. I was genuinely surprised how good this was. Amazing songwriting throughout, blunt and deep lyrics, the depressing sound, it all wraps itself in one for a sad masterpiece. Amazing!

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Mon Dec 18 2023
5

LOVE this album. I think this band is a new favorite over all. Big Smiths vibes with 70s psych guitar mixed in. Huge fan

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Fri Dec 29 2023
5

Epic! This was a game changing album on the alternative rock scene when it came out. Still has quality, musically and lyrically

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Fri Jan 12 2024
5

Starkes Album. Kannte die Band nicht, aber hat mich direkt abgeholt.

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Wed Jan 17 2024
5

Proto the end of brit pop and Radioheads rise. Glammy

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Fri Feb 02 2024
5

One of my favourite Britpop Albums!!

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Wed Feb 07 2024
5

9/10 it took me a while to get into the album and start appreciating its vibe, but when I did, dude, this album HITS banger after banger, crazy good production I really really love this

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Wed Mar 13 2024
5

This album surprised me because it was so good even though I had somehow never heard of Suede before. There was a high production quality, overall thoughtful lyrics, and diversity in sound from song to song. The highlight for me was definitely "Still Life," a song that had a powerful orchestral build and ended with a reference to Ravel's Bolero.

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Wed Mar 17 2021
4

its decent, reminds of a more dark and more rocky david bowie

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Mon Apr 12 2021
4

Good album at the time, still sounds good. Drama queen tastic.

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Sat Jul 10 2021
4

Ehkä se vähiten hittilevy eräältä nuoruuden suosikkibändeistäni. Tästä syytä myös luultavasti itselleni etäisimmäksi jäänyt levy, kun nuoruudessa tarttuvat kertsit oli enemmän se juttu kuin taiteellisuus. Vaikkei tämä edelleenkään kuulu ihan Sueden lemppareihini, niin kyllähän tämä on todella hyvä levy. Esim. We Are The Pigs, New Generation, The Wild Ones, The 2 Of Us ovat aivan timanttia. Toki myös heikompia esityksiä löytyy erityisesti levyn loppupuolelta. Kokonaisuutena debyytti ja Coming Up ovat selvästi parempia, ehkä jopa vitosen arvoisia levyjä. Tämä saa tyytyä neloseen.

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Sun Feb 14 2021
4

Not at all familiar with this band, but liking them a couple songs in. Yeah, definitely liking this. "Black or Blue" and "Still Life" stuck out on first listen. They have the emotional thing going on that some 80's bands have, but it seems darker and more unhinged. Finding the sound intriguing, and unique.

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Tue Mar 23 2021
4

The first track sort of turned me off, but then I liked the rest of them. I would listen to more of them.

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Fri Jun 18 2021
4

Me gustó mucho, aunque hay una mezcla de canciones buenísimas con otras medio meh. Creo que tiene un inicio genial y de repente también hay algo de teatralidad (?) tipo Queen, sentí. Me gustaron sobre todo "The Power", "New Generation" y "The Asphalt World". 9/10

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Mon Mar 08 2021
4

Seems like the Smiths but more 90s so I'll give it the same score I did the Smiths.

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Fri Jun 18 2021
4

Pues no, como que yo ando muy gruñón y como que me dio hueva este disco.

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Mon Mar 08 2021
4

I liked the music, would have liked it better if they didn't mumble so many of the lyrics

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Wed Jun 02 2021
4

thick and gritty rock. variegated instrumentation and more of those British rock vocals that this list seems to really like.

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Sun Feb 28 2021
4

good consistent album - goes on for a bit too long but each song is decent like a more? depressed david bowie

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