Album Of The Day

Music in the background: fantastic. Singing: oh, man, if it were a different singer this could be my new favorite band.

This production is so weird! I think these songs are probably straightforward rock songs, but I can't actually be sure about that because my brain keeps sliding off any attempt to figure anything about it out. Is it good? Is it bad? I literally cannot tell! One thing's for sure, it's not really like anything else I've ever heard.

I liked it. lol that Beatles cover- Lazyitis was cool. The end of Rave On caught me by surprise. Haha. Had to rewind it a little to see if I heard it correctly lol

More post punk than I thought still happy mondays are eh I prefer shaun rider as a tv personality

I think this works better in a throng of sweaty people in a club than in my headphones in the countryside. I like a lot of Happy Mondays, I don't think this album captures my favourite side of them. Martin Hannett's blurry production works well on Joy Division, but not here. Standout track has to be Wrote For Luck (but there's a reason the remix became the hit)

I love the happy mondays, but this isnt their finest. now bad either.

Never heard before this, maybe heard the name of the band somewhere. It was sort of interesting.

GOING IN: Very excited indeed LISTENED WHILE: Relaxing with a wine FAMILIARITY: Know a few songs SKIP RATE: Skipped the odd one REPLAY VALUE: Might come back to it DISCOVERY CURVE: Needed another go ALBUM ARC: Pretty even, consistent VERDICT: Bit disappointing BODY'S VERDICT: Toe tapping situation FAVOURITE TRACK: Wrote For Luck My Rating: 3 I'm going to try this again. I think it's a slow grower, and I need another environment/situation to enjoy it.

7.5/10 I kinda forget

Muito bom Happy Mondays!!! Vou levar to life!!! Madchester!

Almost liked this but I didn't

Esenciales para entender la música de finales de los 80´s. MDMA, Extasis, Madchester... Ponga Hallelujah publicada un año después en la versión de Andy Weatherall y pase al siguiente disco, el imprescindible Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches. Bez es otro intangible, mejor ver sus videos. Aquí ya hay himnos como Wrote for Luck, Mad Ciryl, apropiaciones de los Beatles (Lazy Itis con Ticket to Ride, pero ya antes habían hecho lo mismo con Desmond) y mucha química. A falta de habilidades tiraron de desvergüenza y descaradas imitaciones (Kate Bush o Talking Heads) pero el resultado merece la pena. Produce Martin Hannett que usa diáologos de la película Performance y sus cualidades al bajo. Sin él el disco hubiera sido un fiasco. Sin él y sin las igentes cantidades de éxtasis que consumieron durante la grabación. Casi tan importantes son los temas del álbum como sus remezclas: Vince Clarke y Paul Oakenfold para Wrote for luck (WFL) y Lazyitis. No está mal para unos dogradictos, camellos y delincuentes que de no ser por la música sabe dios cómo habrían acabado.

good!

another predictable run from the lovable rouges

hey that’s pretty good

Pretty decent, but nothing really stood out as outstanding or amazing. In fact, I got bored with most songs. Maybe I need to be on drugs to enjoy this more? 3.1 / 5 stars

First listen

Hair

I didn't like bummed quite as much as much as Pills N Thrills and Bellyaches. Different energy on this album, not quite as bright but still a cool unique sound that's fun to listen to.

It was alright. Not for me. Pretty average stuff in my ears

This album went a lot of places. There was new wave, rock, 80s dance music. The energy was high, but ultimately the songs were not memorable for me. Not bad though.

It was an alright listen. Had me nodding my head throughout. 6/10 Favorite tracks-“Mad Cyril” “Wrote For Luck” “Bring a Freind”

Pretty sure this was the 2nd Happy Mondays album I've had on the list and this and this was also a pleasant surprise.

listening when: the next morning thoughts: the UK david bowie inspo is heaaaaaavy. so is the beatles. neutral about this. don’t love don’t hate just music i listened to. rating: 5/10

eh bem dançante, até. não eh ruim, só é bem esquecível. num sei se devia tá aqui não, mas não foi uma experiência ruim, então tá valendo

Not bad at all, but i dont know how much im gonna listen ti again

It's OK 2.5/5.0: Mixed

Fun listen. Kinda one-note, but upbeat and groove-centric. No real standout tunes, IMO.

Whatever. I don't know. Sounds good, and original, soft approach, not your typical instruments, etc. Do I remember any of the songs? Nope. It is fair to judge because of that? Nope, because I listened only once. Would I like to hear it more? Yeah why not? Adding to the Música para Conducir infamous playlist.

Прикольний альбом. Не хітовий, але непоганий матеріал, є стиль, задає хороший настрій. Звук ніби стоїш в клубі на дальному від сцени барі

Наче й ок гурт і музика непогана, але якось надто фоново для мене пройшло.

No mikä ettei. Tällaista puolibrittiläistä menoa tyyliin Blur tai joku muu. Kyllä tällaista kuuntelee mieluusti!

I definitely don't think it's as strong as their other record in this book, nor do I think that it's essential in the least, but I'm not as down on it as some other folks here. I dig the bagginess in general. 3.5/5

The only thing I know if this band is their shorts and hats. Skateboarders at the end of the 80s would be in Happy Mondays shirts and those painters hats that became popular in the late 80s. The irony is I never saw a single person in a happy Mondays shirt ever smile. Not once. 😂🤣 So far this album is good. I’m on track two. It sounds like electro Brit pop. I do like this. I don’t know if I would seek it out.

If Oasis were mid… but what’s with these sort of bands hiring dudes to just dance on stage.

I guess I need to be in 24 hr party people mode to appreciate this. I am not there. Good production quality though

It was fine

i dunno

Not my bag of tea. I do see the appeal

I really like Happy Mondays, and I'm a big fan of the Madchester scene. It was a perfect meld of guitar music and dance beats. And most of the scene's music holds up today, sounding just as good - Stone Roses, Primal Scream and a lot of Happy Mondays stuff still works just as well on a listen in 2025, over 30 years outside of the scene. This album is enjoyable, but it feels quite trapped in The Madchester era. You can really feel that the Mondays were enjoying themselves too much here (mostly due to Bez famously smuggling a load of pills into the studio). The result is music that would be absolutely brilliant craic to experience live in The Hacienda at 2am, but listening to as a standalone album outside of that context, it lacks a little bit. A harsh 3.5 stars from me.

meh

Sounds terrible, doesn't make any sense, rarely in tune, but a jolt of pure party energy and magical guitars.

I’m at a 3. Definitely a step down after “Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches” clicked so nicely, but make no mistake; I didn’t hate this album. This is just not as good, plain and simple, and it’s because of one very loud & very obvious decision in the production / recording process. This thing is utterly drenched in reverb. There’s a gag on the SiivaGunner channel (video game music with comedic bait & switch changed melodies / mashups) where a certain subset of uploads of Kingdom Hearts songs are heavy on the reverb, to sell part of the joke, but for this album, it feels like a very defined & intentional choice to center the album around it. It *deeply* makes the album suffer. It’s not in the compositions; these are well composed songs, occasionally bringing to mind bands like Tears for Fears, U2, and to some degree, Joy Division & Talking Heads. It’s not in Shaun Ryder’s vocals; as muffled & buried in the mix as they are, I think he generally tends to bring a decent gravitas to the emotions he’s trying to pull off on the tracks, though there are a few dry vocal structures. It is partially in the writing; you can tell the verses were an afterthought here, given that so many of the second verses are just minor rewrites of the first verse to fit the same syllabic structure, & a lot of the lyrics here are just kinda crass for the sake of it to some degree. It is solely in the mixing / production process where this album buries itself to a totally fine 3 – the synth work gets the most reverb, creating a cavernous effect that acts as almost a reverse wall of sound, opening up far too much. The percussion / guitar are generally more unfazed by it, but the synths overwhelm them, and in turn, Shaun Ryder’s vocals get it the worst, already buried under both the guitar & percussion, before the synths just run them all over. To its credit, the album at least tries to find a balance in the compositions where the synths are played down, to let the other aspects get a bit of shine, but those moments are fleeting. Once the synths come back in, the mild annoyance just resurfaces with them. Overall, it’s a fully competent 3; not a bad album, per se, and I do genuinely hear a sort of appeal for this grittier, Shoegaze-ier, post-punk influenced form of Madchester, before ‘90s house music gave Shaun Ryder the chance to enter a much more commercially appealing soundscape… but it’s not the sort of Madchester that works for my tastes. If someone wants to give this a 4 or even a 5, if they made a compelling enough case, I could maybe understand it. I do think the people giving this a 2 are justified, though. I’m at a 3 just because I found it to be utterly fine, and not much more than that. It probably did leave some type of influence though, so… good on Shaun & friends, I guess. I’ll take “Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches” every time, though.

Honestly, a bit better than expected, especially after the first few tracks. Found myself head bopping a few times, but did not have any memorable song or moment. Just a casual 80's sound, with some "experimental" bits here and there, but nothing too out there. I had never heard of the band, and was a simple and quick introduction. Will not search for them in the future, but for sure will remember the name.

Some songs were good, others not as much Standout songs: Performance Do it better

Not sure what to expect. First track is a pseudo-country song (aptly called Country Song) Moving In With is indie/britpop style. Some new-wave feeling in there too. Fat Lady Wrestlers is almost Cure-like. Nice soundscapes but not much in terms of hooks or standout melodies More obviously new wave post-punk than i expected (XTC-like in places), but you can hear the britpop/madchester that will come later. Best track - Mad Cyril 3 stars

I admit I didn't listen to this one very closely, so I don't really have an opinion on it.

Good album liked it maybe too similar to the smiths and those groups but same level really so

A bloopy, annoying version of Talking Heads 3

Not really my thing.

Isscomenup, Isscomenup, ISSCCUMENUP, ISSCUMMENUP, EHHHHH DEERRRRRRRRRR!!!!! EHHH DERRRRRRR!!! Swagged out in Madchester (7/10, 3/5 on this scale) (Update: 6/10 now)

I like Happy mondays, but the album overall sounds a bit too boomy and 80's, it doesn't quite sound like them

Pretty good album for the time. Some indie alternative elements that were a little ahead of its time

This was completely new to me. Interesting sound! I might’ve wished for a little more variety from song to song, but I appreciated the quirkiness, especially in the vocals. The album isn’t really essential, though. I might give it 3.5 stars if I could.

This was all right…didn’t hate it, didn’t love it either. 3 stars.

I've never thought these guys were particularly innovative or interesting. It's not bad, it's just not great. I want greatness! This is more of the same UK centric albums that the 1001 suffers from.

3/5

Ok so the biggest complaint, and I think it’s my only real complaint, is that the album is horribly bloated. There’s way too many songs that just come across as filler. I did like a good solid number of songs off the album but the vast majority of it was forgettable. That being said the parts that were good, were great. Lots of creativity and originality on this album. Solid recommendation.

5/10. Sin mucho que añadir. Para escuchar esto, mejor Blur.

Thrills, Pills and Bellyaches is better than this and belongs on the list. Don't think this was worth a second Happy Mondays inclusion but it's not bad. The album grew on me as it went and I got used to the acid grooves

I only really know Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches, so it's nice to dig into Happy Mondays more. I liked this, even though it all starts to sound the same after a while. And I will take this opportunity to once again quote 24 Hour Party People: Tony Wilson: You know, I think that Shaun Ryder is on a par with W.B. Yeats as a poet. Yvette: Really? Tony Wilson: Absolutely. Totally. Yvette: Well, that is amazing, considering everyone else thinks he's a fucking idiot.

Never heard this before. Great Vibe

Happy Mondays are a band who I always remember as being better than they actually are! I start listening and think oh yeah I like this then after the song i know has finished I start to get a bit fidgety and want to start skipping to the next one I know. I think if I was a bit more wasted maybe?

3/5 Best Track - "Wrote For Luck"

I don’t love this. But it’s not terrible and gets points for being so drug-addled. May have benefited from less bombastic production.

The reviews have me dead but I completely understand if you didn't like this album Top Tracks - Country Song, Performance

A fun party album from a band that sounds like they're still finding their footing. While I like the atmosphere here, it is a bit one-note and the songs blur together a bit. The grooves on songs like "Wrote for Luck" are great, but other tracks feel a bit anonymous. If there were more hooks or things were tightened up I think this could be great. The closer feels like an early sampledelia track with its Beatles interpolation, but it's the rare track with a real memorable moment. I don't hate the vocals, but I don't feel that they contribute much. Sounds like they're going for a drugged out haze but they just sound sloppy. I do like the lyrics on the first track though, sounds like a defiant party anthem aimed at the upper class.

Of the times. Feels like a more alt version of pop music during this period. Has hints of Talking Heads and Janes Addiction. Not something I'd usually go for, but really listenable.

It was fine, but definitely got monotonous very quickly.

Chill & okay. Liked some of the songs

That was fine.

The Happy Mondays definitely get points for being different, but let's be honest, this is a rough album. It's an early example of Madchester, mixing post punk with acid house and rave culture. It's hardly the best example though. The singing and performances are pretty poor. You can imagine the band high on every drug they can get their hands on, playing back their music, and feeling like they were the greatest band on earth. Joy Division producer Martin Hannett is the best thing here but it's sort lip stick on a pig. The Happy Mondays had better later work but never matched the Stone Roses. This album was at least very influential so points for that. It's interesting but no masterpiece.

Det er ret fedt med et nummer eller 2. Musikken er ret generisk, men der er også noget dragene ved det som gør at det ikke er kedeligt ret tid. Og under 40 minutter er et plus!

Jeg elsker vokalen. Noget af musikken er også okay. Men for ofte mister det min interesse.

I think I've always felt they were kind of average, and yeah that pretty much the case. He's not really a good vocalist in most places, but there's certainly some character I guess. The instrumentals are over-soaked in reverb to the point where it feels quite claustrophobic. The instrumentals are also very repetitive. Its nothing totally dreadful though. I like the funk elements, but I think people like The Stone Roses do this thing so much better. The Lazyitis song is very good, I like the weird lead instrument and the Beatles interpolation. I also really like the rave on song, reminds me a bit of fools gold with it being mostly instrumental, and it does groove quite hard. Favourite songs: performance, lazyitis, rave on, boom. Overall around 6/10 (only just)

3.5

Easy listen, enjoyable, not really a single on the whole thing, but enjoyable nonetheless Good Easy 3 baby

Like Duran Duran lite, if that makes sense.

Pretty solid album, I like a good amount of it. A genre I wasn’t aware of, the latter half of the album is pretty good. I think 3 is good, 3.5 if possible.

Sometimes music leads you to conclude "I really should have done more drugs". Happy Mondays are the band that lead you to conclude that you probably shouldn't have.

Both more 80s sounding and more punk sounding than I was expecting. It was okay. Would probably grow on me but I much prefer The Stone Roses.

The sound and production to this album was really good, not that I’m an expert on production techniques or anything but it sounded so clear and was easy to distinguish between the different layers of instruments, the bass and drums were highlights with the deep bass flowing alongside the booming drums (I felt this style of drum sound was used a bit too much though) and the electronic am elements working well to keep each song a bit fresh. The vocals however were my least favourite part of the album, not only were they a little drowned out by the instrumentals but the vocalist sounds a bit annoying sometimes especially with the lyrics which were clearly intentionally comedic but still took away from the album being better. Favourites: mad Cyril (the best example of this albums nice production) and lazyitis (liked the desert like guitar), Overall, 6/10.

Pretty refreshing for late 80s brit rock, still nothing special

it’s alright, though nothing i feel compelled to revisit

Was ok, 3/5

If there was a dance party in Alice in Wonderland, this would be in heavy rotation.

Classic Mondays really. It's extremely cool, it's got a great vibe, it's great fun. Is it actually good? Not so much. But it's a very enjoyable way to pass the time, and you can really sense how much fun they had making it.

Bummed kind of feels like a one trick pony, but it is a pretty cool trick. Happy Mondays kind of reinvent psychedelia from the frame of reference of Brit Pop, indie and English Funk without resorting to the well of cliches that Psych has been tethered to since the beginning. A lot of the heavy lifting here seems to be in the production which is hazy and blurry as these songs kind of throb along. And the songwriting here is decent, but not quite good enough to make me want more after a full listen. The best decision here is that Happy Mondays made sure these songs all have momentum: sometimes modern interpretations of psych feel meander-y and directionless, but not here. And I know I said this is a one trick pony, but one particular song is an exception here. Country Song incorporates like Acid Country influence, and the result reads to me as *very* psychedelic, like it just feels super trippy in the way it pulses, and it's really captivating. Nothing else here quite captures me in this way, but I do feel positively about this over all, and I finished this album feeling generally pleased.

no reason for any album to be that long

Talk-singing, feels kind of background lazy in its vibe. Sounds are interesting, seems Talking Heads-adjacent. Nothing I'd listen to on repeat, but it's fine.

A rambling album - what else did you expect? The Mondays were never going to come up with a polished piece of pop. The guitars float over you, rather than pick out the notes. It's like one endless sound, stretched up and down the scale. I've no idea what Ryder is singing about. The album is all the better for that.

I usually like stuff like this but i find this a tad underwhelming

It’s fine.

Suena bien, lp para roadtrip. No estoy tan habituada a escuchar este tipo de música pero me ha gustado

3+ Stars (9/15)

Dessa självgoda pundare kommer undan med det.

The mixture of swirling psych/garage rock and house music creates a cool atmosphere, though there are a few baffling 80s pop moments sprinkled in. Yet again it's a British artist I'm aware of -- through my parents, "Bez from the Happy Mondays" meaning someone who stands around and doesn't contribute anything essential, Shaun Ryder being on Gogglebox etc -- but I've never listened to. Shaun's voice is a little buried in the mix, without reading the lyrics as I listen it's hard to tell what he's speak-singing. It reminds me of Mark E. Smith, except his vocals and lyrics stand out more. Maybe it's the combination of drugs: MES's speed and lager make for a more anxious, angrier and more perfectionist/tyrannical presence, while Shaun Ryder doesn't give a fuck because he feels great on ecstasy, heroin or whatever else.

I played this album and found it a little samey and rather underwhelming. The version I streamed had a bunch of remixes which I thought superior to the actual album tracks.

Not as good as pills, thrills... And you kind of had to be there anyway. Interesting to hear the mess of things going on musically, but I'll be honest, this doesn't hold up the way the best of those years has done

track 1: Okayy opening, though it's like only one-dimensional, I kinda jive with it track 2: honestly I fw this track HAHAHA track 3: alrighty 80's bop! track 4: THE BEATSSS!!! UGHHH!!! track 5: A good track, but the lyrics don't make sense. Nice beats tho track 6: This track doesn't connect with me (one-dimensional). What a shame because the beat is fire track 7: One-dimensional track again, but better than the track before (WHY DOES MOST OF THE TRACKS ONLY LIKE ONE NOTE WHEN THE BEAT IS BEATING???) track 8: I like the story behind this track HAHHAHAHAHA track 9: Okayy an improvement!!! I like the melody and the grunts HAHAHA track 10: My fav so far track 11: An "okay" track, but I can't relate tho track 12: This track is so all over the place lol track 13: One-dimensional track again, and the lyrics kinda weak track 14: FILLER track 15: Another "okay" track (6/10) This album feels like an unfinished painting, raw and lacking spices. But I appreciate the beats on this album. The beats are what saved the "one-dimensional" tracks. And I prefer the standard over the deluxe, where the bonus tracks give me what people say the "album fillers".

let's keep the indie scene!

Really mitiged about this one. Some songs are really really great! On the other hand, I wanted some to end so badly because it wasn't my cup of tea at all/ I didn't like the voice of the singer (or the way he sang). Some songs have such a great production nevertheless...! I must add, I didn't listen to the 'Collector's Edition'. Just the original one, what came out in 1988... Not like I don't have the strength to listen to it during two hours but... Yeah, no actually. I might pass. I'm maybe going to say something really mean but my first thought was 'oh, is this cheap Talking Heads?' I'm sorry lol. I guess maybe it's the voice of the singer...? Maybe mostly on the first songs of the album. But overall, it wasn't that bad (I don't think being 'a cheap Talking Heads' band is a bad thing at all), I really liked Country Song ; Brain Dead & Lazyitis - I added those songs right away in my liked songs. Still a nice album after all, I'll relisten to it one day, I'm sure!

Shaun Ryder's vocals can be a little grating but they don't always overpower the excellent grooves throughout the record. Wrote for lick is a total highlight

It's pretty good

More interesting and jangly than expected. Very eighties. Gets a bit samey but enjoying the percussion. Shame the remastered version is still so muddy in places.

I liked this more than I expected to, the singles stand out as highlights but it falls short of classic status

I'm torn. In the balance, this album didn't do it for me. But I did find it interesting, and it seemed like something I *could* like, theoretically.

Album 798 of 1089 Happy Mondays - Bummed (1988) Rating : 3 / 5 Decent album blending psychedelic funk with post-punk grit representing the "Madchester" sound. Enjoyed the overall production. Good album.

Thought this would be a lil cooler than it was.. but it was good. Enjoyed the last song

Fine

before listening wikipedia said that the band made this album after listening to a lot of house music and doing a bunch of ecstasy and somehow the music recorded didnt reflect that at all

I'm *album title* this album wasn't a little more interesting, but it was relatively fun. In a sea of late 80's new wave records, this doesn't manage to break away from the norm enough to get my attention.

A baggy blend of dance rhythms and rock attitude that feels authentically Manchester messy.

I expected a lot more when I saw it was psychedelic funk. Got better as the album went on though, some saves.

Sve je ok ali je samo wrote for luck klasik

Could be my thing, but it just didn't hit

Pretty good. Different.

Interesting parts but you can tell the drugs are starting to brain rot the band

Somewhat interesting but didn’t grab my attention. Was worth a listen but likely not a second.

I’ve always found some Happy Mondays songs pretty decent, and I genuinely appreciate their role in Factory Records and the Hacienda scene, so when I say I really wanted to like this album, I mean it. But listening to it over 35 years later, with the party long over, this album hasn’t aged well. Shaun Ryder’s slurred, obnoxious vocals drag everything down, because he doesn’t really sing, just rambles a bunch of nonsense over the music. I read that some fans call him a lyrical genius, but to those still holding that view, I’d say it’s time to check into rehab, because the 1988 rave movement and acid house explosion ended decades ago. This feels like an album you had to of been there at the time to truly get understand it, and back then, it might’ve hit different. For those of us listening now, it’s a hazy, disorienting, monotone record with no standout or memorable tracks, except maybe “Hallelujah,” and that’s likely because Paul Oakenfold and Andy Weatherall stepped in to keep the band focused and grounded, helping them craft a serious track.

Flojo y representativo de la música de los 80 . No resiste el paso del tiempo.

Meh. Not terrible, but nothing that stood out to me. I wouldn't seek it out again, but I wouldn't really mind it playing in the background.

For some reason I expected something better. I am not sure why. Don't get me wrong - it was a cool album but nothing crazy.

This will be a new one for me. Never heard of these blokes. This isn't bad, but I'm not blown away. The bass guitar is prominent in the mix on several songs. This kind of has some INXS, pre-Patton Faith No More, and general 80's vibe to it. Performance and Brain Dead were favorites. It was ok. 2.9 rounded up to 3.

First listen to these guys. I know they are well known in the UK, but this failed to make any sort of impression on me. It was just...there?

I had never heard of this band. I got sort of a Cars/Todd Rungren vibe from it. I couldn't understand many of the lyrics. The rest of the music was just OK. I noticed one song (Lazyitis) had Lennon/McCartney as co-song writers. I'm guessing it was because one bit sounded like Ticket to Ride.

Really captures the music at the end of the 80s/start of the 90s. May sound dated now, but I can hear the inspiration many artists pulled from this band.

Meh. Grungy Brit pop

Really cool 80's band/album I was completely unfamiliar with. Enjoy the pop-punk sound. They have elements of the Police, U2, and other major bands but a rough-around-the-edges sound all their own as well.

I like the sound. Can’t figure why I know this band so well but don’t recognize any songs on this album. Need to give it a few more listened and check out the rest of the catalog. 3.5

Dreary!

Fine, not amazing

i had fun and thats what counts

Funky, weird, dated.

Like the last happy Mondays album but worse. I like the cover tho

Oh es war ja dann dich gar nicht so schlecht

# Album Name: Bummed # Artist: Happy Mondays # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Im listening to the collectors edition. A total of 27 tracks. Looking at the history of the album only the first 10 songs were on the original release. I always remember growing up in my teens and hitting the indie clubs. You could guarantee the mondays would have a few tunes absolutely belting out with people ripping up the dance floor. Usually off their face of course. But still, the mondays had some great tunes. I've seen them live and they were good! Sadly, this album is extremely flat. Theres a couple of good tunes like Mad cyril and WFL but the rest of the album doesnt hit the mark. You can tell they are getting their feel for the lead up to Pills, but i expected much much more from this listen. Im disappointed. # Top Tunes: Mad C / WFL # Would I listen to it again? Maybe but not anytime soon.

Bummed I had to listen to this. Happy Mondays, never seem to do it for me.

I wanted this to be better than it was. The Mondays are hugely important to the Baggie / Madchester / Indie scene of the early 90s, but this is really just so very … meh.

Another good background track

I liked it okay, sounds great but it didn’t quite stand out to me.

Fine, but not really for me. I can’t help but think if I caught this album in a different mood that I might really like it. There isn’t anything I disliked really, just didn’t connect with it.

This was alright. Maybe one or two four star songs. Not enough to get it over the hump.

Great production and grooves but the sounds on Bummed are not as exciting and as fresh as they were on the first Mondays album. I was also waiting for the banger single to come up but it never did.

I like Happy Mondays but thus was meh

It's fine, but we really really didn't need more than 1 Happy Mondays album on this list.

Decent.

Now you’re clever.

Best Frankie Goes to Hollywood x Kate Bush mash-up I've heard for a while

Boring

Alright album. Some good songs. Nothing to get excited about. Stand out song - Rave On and Kilamenjaro

Pretty good post-punk

Surprisingly pretty enjoyable. Never have heard of this band. I like the contradiction between album name and band name. Remind me a bit of those generic 80s rock bands where the guitar plays more of a background roll, which isn't my favorite. But this was ok.

I wrote for luck They sent me you I sent for juice You gave me poison I order a line You form a queue

6.5/10. It's not considerably memorable. It's also somewhat boring.

Lyssnade bara till Lazyitis (originalet). Det var varken bra eller dåligt. Inte helt förtjust i soundet. Men ändå rätt lattjo. En rätt typiskt 3a. Kommer nog aldrig lyssnat igen.

Lyssnat igenom flera gånger nu och tycker den är helt okej utan sticka ut utöver de två singlarna som är rätt bra. Kan inte direkt säga att den växte med flera genomlyssningar heller. Stabil trea.

Love the album art!

This was different but somewhat enjoyable. 80s British can be a genre I don't always love but this was fine enough to have in the background and nod along to. 5.25/10 (2.625/5)

Electronic hell on earth…..

Good album. Fun to listen to but not really sure that this is one of 1000 best albums

Another one right down the middle. Sailing straight on through with no real ripples up or down. 2.5

Probably need to give this another listen with the lyrics and such. What stuck with me was nice and sardonic sounding. Anyway there's music for dancing and it doesn't always venn too much with music for listening, and this kinda felt like it was veering that way.

While I like Happy Mondays, I'll freely admit that this was not my favorite record of them. Too long perhaps? Maybe I'm getting too old. Three or four decades ago I'd have loved the extremely long 12" remix versions of their songs.

An important blueprint for future drug filled jaunts with better production and fuller sound. I'd call it Alt Rock or plain psychedelia before referring to this as funk, but the mix of genres blends into the trippy aspect of it all 2.5/5

Upbeat and dancey, but a fairly guitar driven sound most of the time, with almost punk vocals. I quite like this.

3/5

Yeah I didn't mind this, but I won't go looking for it again.

There's no need for two Happy Mondays' albums. Pills and Thrills... is enough. This is just a poorer version of that. Slurred vocals, tinny production and messy songs. The sounds of minds that haven't been skullfucked from too many drugs yet. Best Tracks: Country Song; Wrote For Luck; Lazyitis

'Although our music and our drugs stayed the same.' Sorta how I feel about this one - while I can admire Shaun Ryder's lyrics (at times), and the music has an edge (certainly Stones-influenced, more sixties than you'd initially figure), there's little variety here. If there's a joke, I don't quite get it; if it's about capturing a scene (rave culture), I'm not taken there. And it's weird when I don't know why: 'We're all food, your cake / We're all the food, your weirdo's cream.' I know what to do with impressionism, with the strange and the grotesque, but I don't know what to do with that. Nor do I want to. I do like the more straightforward stuff ('Country Song,' 'Wrote for Luck,' 'Lazyitis') tho - it negotiates The Stones well enough. But mostly, I’m a bit bored, a bit wanting more, or less.

Funky, funny, 80s, a worthwhile distraction, though I wouldn't call it worldclass

# Playlist Track - Lazyitis # Notes - Yet another British album that I think is kind of annoying. lol. - Not a bad one, but not super interesting either. Weirdly mixed and with 80ish vibes muddy vocals. - I dig the Beatles reference in "Lazyitis"

I have never really got into Happy Mondays apart from the singles that everyone knows. Have listened to this a few times and its not really doing that much for me. Whilst many of the tracks have a decent groove I struggle a little with Shaun Ryders vocal shoutings.. Listened about 3 times and struggled to pick a track that stands out. Feels quite baggy and messy.

3/5. We enjoyed but it's not their best work and it wasn't anything standout.

I really enjoyed this album, although after awhile all the song's started to sound very similar. I did enjoy most songs and I think this album is great background noise as I am doing something, but there aren't many songs here that I will be adding to me usual rotation and I probably won't be checking out the rest of their content. Actually a 2.75. Liked Songs: "Moving In With" , "Mad Cyril" , "Fat Lady Wrestlers" , "Performance" , "Wrote for Luck" , "Lazyitis" , "Clap Your Hands" , "Boom"

That was definitely the waviest of new wave.

Bien

They lost me at "Penny Penny, Cocky Locky, Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurky, Tricky Licky, Ducky Lucky" and it was difficult to come back from that. A few good songs and a few bad songs. There were interesting rhythm and funk vibes that unfortunately got lost in the sauce. Hit and miss 80's music.

I'd never heard of this band. Despite being "ecstasy-fuelled" "psychadelic funk" it was better than I expected, although the alternative versions on the extended album we listened to were even better.

Liked some of the songs, but not a lot of variety.

Felt pretty average, nothing exciting. Not bad as background music

3.5

I threw this on in the background and before I even realized it was through the original track list. Have to say that I loved closing track Lazyitis dripped in Sitar. Bring a Friend is a highlight of the second half for me -- really digging the big, crowded room vibe brought about by warm thumpy bass and scratched funk-guitar in the background. Fat Lady Wrestlers has an element to the chorus that feels really really familiar. Sort of like I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem. Really like this song. This was a very fine album. Something that I've been able to listen to 3 times in a row without getting tired of it. At its best it reminds me a little bit (vaguely) of XTC in its psych-popiness. At its worst (looking at you Moving In With) it is kind of annoying. This is a middling to high 3 for me.

I did not need to listen to this album before I died.

Had some pretty cool funk and guitar aspects. Singer was a bit bland. But overall an enjoyable album in the high 3 range. Madchester is an awesome name for a genre for bands from Manchester

Was pretty excited after the first song and then the second song kinda sucked ass. The rest have some good instrumentation but Do It Better also sucks. Lazyitis is a jam with that sitar. Also has some Beatles lyrics from Ticket to Ride. This was a forgettable 3.

I could defend this album more if it was half as long, but it just wasn't good enough to justify

A bit of a let down compared to Bellyaches but some occasional decent songs. Seems a bit unfair to complain that the Happy Mondays are messy but I did expect more from this one tbh. 18/11/24

it was shoegaze at points and then i liked it and then it sounded like the british music that I hate at other points and then I disliked it

I don't understand why this album gets all the hate. I mean yeah it does sound really dated, and 80s dated is not the best. But I rather liked it. Not world-changing in any way, but it was a good sort of 80s indie, would-be-psychedelic pop rock. I didn't feel the need to listen to the entire 2+ hour collector’s edition that was all that was available on Spotify, but the 10 songs on the original release made a fun album to hear this morning. I think I'd probably buy this record if ever came across it in the shop, however unlikely that would be... 3.5/5 but rounding down because 4 is too much.

3.25

Feel like I just woke up drunk in a seedy part of London. This is dirty and raw, not a clean production at all, and I kind of liked it but definitely didn't love it. Nothing in it really stuck in my mind after listening, but I enjoyed it as I went. As for alt rock of the late 80s, I definitley had a better time with other albums on this list, like Hüsker Dü. My favorite from this is Performance.

This stuff was never really my thing, but I can understand how a bunch of 16-25 year old kids all hopped up on Beer, Ecstasy, and hormones all doing their thing to this until the sun comes up.

I had no expectations, but it was actually quite enjoyable.

Okay album. Preferred the mixed versions at the end of the album

Competent modern psych. Fun but kind of fleeting.

It's bland but enjoyable.

Rhythm was fine, but the vocal and lyrics were juvenile.

I liked it okay.

This is pretty OK. Music's sort interesting, but I don't care for the singing.

I have neutral feelings about this album. Very forgettable because it made me feel nothing

Some interesting lyrics. The music is OK. I don’t find anything overly interesting about it though. Even for 1988.

Not unpleasant, but seemed like one long song. I suspect this is more interesting at a rave than on a treadmill.

This is not nearly as good as their debut. The style here is too weird and not that catchy compared to the previous album. But still… it’s eighties Music from GB. Gotta love it

3.1 1x collector's edition (2h) catchup 10/10 in LAX awaiting flight to ATL

3.5 totally fine.

Eh. Beatles + Pink Floyd + 80s. Too long for me at 2 hrs. 2.5/5

good Brit pop sound, reminded me of Tears for fears overall.

Sounds like a worse version of stuff that I should like. Enjoyed some tracks though.

Never gave this band much of a listen before but their style and sound fits in pretty well with stuff I usually have on rotation. Three and a half stars. Fave track: Mad Cyril

it's alright

Ein Werk des fü frühen Britpop, das gekonnt Elemente von The Cure und New Order integriert. Der Stil ist unverkennbar und versprüht den Charme der späten 80er Jahre. Trotz dieser stilistischen Stärken fehlt es dem Album jedoch an herausragenden Songs, die wirklich im Gedächtnis bleiben. Insgesamt bleibt “Bummed” eine ordentliche Platte, die solide Musik bietet, aber nicht über das angenehme Mittelmaß hinausgeht

Definitely didn’t hate this but it was nothing special to me, I generally like new wave but nothing about this album stood out besides the mixing being weird

Bummed - Happy Mondays (1988) Ácido em Madchester. A cena de Manchester surgiu nos anos 80 e foi chamada de Madchester, que basicamente era a efervescência da música underground da cidade que deu origem à uma profusão de bandas, com destaque ao Happy Mondays e Stone Roses. O movimento tinha sua musicalidade pautada na mistura entre indie rock, acid house, psicodelia e pop dos anos 60, e o resultado é intrigante, mas nada de que seja fantástico e único. Por fim, não é um tipo de música que é inaudível ou ofensiva aos ouvidos, mas também não cativa, uma ou outra música vai chamar mais a atenção, mas no geral é bem na média. Melhores músicas: Moving In With, Performance, Brain Dead, Bring A Friend, Rave On. Piores músicas: Country Song 2.5/5

It's fine, but I couldn't really dig my teeth into it.

Something about this album just didn't click for me. Maybe it's the repetition in the instrumentals? The vocals aren't my favorite either.

Nice to hear their stuff before they fell into comedy parody. It’s a 2.5 but round up to 3.

It's no "Pill Thrills" but you can see the origins of that success. The tunes are not that memorable.

good primitive Madchester sound

Good, kind of monotonous background music. I felt the same way about this album as I do the My Bloody Valentine albums. Is that valid? Worth noting that I wasn't frustrated seeing this as yet another UK rock album on the list, so that's something.

Interesting stuff - one I’d go back and give a few more spins. Not a band I’d listened to before.

Really? Another Happy Mondays album? This, too, is pretty shite. Even though it might annoy me a little less than their follow-up, as it's at least more homed in to a vibe: aimlessly drifting through a warehouse rave, when another pill kicks in you maybe shouldn't have taken while this is playing from shomewhere ovver theerre? the music phasing in and out just as your vision turns into a film projector that falls out of sync. Yeah, THEN this could be a cool soundtrack. Doesn't mean it belongs on a record. [...] (now with that being written there, maybe it does. Belong on a record. Filed under: Haze)

This album does not so much sound like a fever dream, but a full on fever, sweaty and delirious.

This one didn't catch me but I didn't hate it either.

Pretty cool!

I love the Happy Mondays but prior to their album Pills n Thrills n Bellyaches their best material was not on albums because it was other people's remixes of their singles. This is a very interesting album to a potential academic studying the "Manchester" scene but I don't think it shows the Mondays at their studio best. It does make me wish I was tripping balls at the Hacienda, though.

The only song by the Happy Mondays I know I've heard before is "24 hour party people", from their earlier debut album, so it's nice to get a different slice of this band. A middling-to-OK album overall, I'd say, but either poorly mixed or just intentionally very muddy; I'm honestly not sure why this album was included in the collection *as well as* their subsequent album. There's not a lot of variety, at least to me, which is a bit disappointing, but I suppose a bit predictable. I didn't realize until I read the Wikipedia entry that the album was inspired by both ecstasy (the drug, that is) and a 1970 film "Performance", although that latter fact explains all the obscure and random voice samples throughout many of the songs. It feels like the sort of album that only works for some people, and I'm not one of them. But to their credit, as I listened to the album I was frequently reminded of the books "Vurt" and "Nymphomation", which I enjoyed, and perhaps not coincidentally are set in Manchester (and I now just discovered there are two other books in the Vurt universe...). I was really tempted to give this a rare 2-star rating, but felt badly for them. :)

Fed!

Ret fed, føles stilistisk ret unikt (også ved siden af de der andre baggy Manchester bands, der er ikke helt lige så meget tramp over det her som fx Primal Scream eller senere Happy Mondays)

Meget fed! Kan godt lide den lidt "sleazy" tilgang til vokalen. Lyder lidt som om at Iceage har taget inspiration herfra.

What ecstasy does to a mf. More mellow than I was expecting.

some good tracks but felt a bit boring at times, decent overall, mad cyril was my favourite

more british 80s-90s

This was fine. I don't really know what else to say. Not groundbreaking, not bad, not exceptionally good.

deja vu as hell for me

Oops! I forgot everything about this album twelve hours after listening to it. I did add a song to a playlist and I clearly didn't have any major complaints.

some really good songs on here mad cyril and wrote for luck being two of my favourites i cant get enough of the huge drum sounds of the 80s they really do make some songs for me nothing more to mention really i dont think i will listen to the album again but i may come back to some songs i think the album averages out to 3 stars for me but i could easily have put it at 2 or 4 if it were or werent for small details within the album

This was...fine.

The whole disc plays like a John Hughes soundtrack, so it was easy to listen to and get lost with. Not much to say really, it was a fun, decent listen that I wouldn’t have heard without this project, and that’s coming from someone who has always enjoyed the 80s as a genre (well the “new wave” pop stuff anyway). It’s hard to believe that I’m still finding “new” stuff after all this time!

I was surprised by this. Musically it's fascinating... like Duran Duran hired the dude from Television to sing. If the lead singer had ANY other delivery I mightve enjoyed more than a few tracks.

HL: “Mad Cyril”, “Brain Dead”, “Lazy-Itis”, "Hallelujah (Club remix)" (BONUS) I'll just paste this from the last Mondays: 'File this under my “big dumb fun” albums' (November 2023) Because as much as I want to love the psychedelic haze and bass-heavy grooves, it just goes in one ear & out the other. In fact, Bummed does that more efficiently than Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches. Even though I tend to get down with the new wave & Britpop picks, Happy Mondays, though caught somewhat in the middle of those genres, doesn't intrigue me all that much. But it doesn't bother me either

Bummed takes all the tropes of pop, rock, and new wave, and while the end result is pretty standard '80s music, it's not corny or generic. It was better than I thought it would be, essentially. I particularly enjoyed the instrumental tracks.

This album was far from a “Bummer”. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of them before. It’s like The Cure, The Clash & Depeche Mode had a menage a’tres resulting in a love child called Happy Monday! Key songs for me are Wrote for Luck and Mad Cyril. This is a listen again!

Good psychedelic stuff here. Hard for me to really get into it, but otherwise enjoyed it. Favorite Song: Mad Cyril Rating: 3.0/5

Not the worst thing I've heard by far, but I do question it's inclusion on the list. It sounds like a ravishing groovy time was had by all, both the band and their fans. Some harmless good fun, with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. I just feel "bummed" I don't get it most of the time, but probably worth a listen at least once.

Lazyitis mi pareva carina.

Every British. Very 80’s.

Distinctly 80's vibes. A little weird how like half of this album is the same two songs in different variations. Nothing groundbreaking to me but alright. 3.5

Not bad

Decent madchester stuff

Helt kova

Is "Wrote for Luck" a great song? Yes, it is. Does it justify a whole album? Not really. It would work wonderfully as an EP, but that's not how things were done at the time. The other songs just bleed into each other way too much. Lazyitis is also a good song though.

It’s a not a bad record - better than I thought it would be - but I struggle to remember much of it, let alone love it.

This is one of my favourite album covers from the entire list. I recall liking their other album on the list. This was decent. I probably wouldn’t listen to it again but it was pleasant enough! Considering this is album #666 for me, I was hoping to get something a little more metal than a band called Happy Mondays, haha. Oh well.

Damn, I had high hopes for this one when seeing "madchester" and "psychedelia" as the listed genres. But it was certainly not the high-energy burst of sonic energy I expected. If anything, it was sort of boring and aged, particularly the production. Some of the tracks caught my attention at points, and there was certainly potential. But at no point did it ever fully crystalize. Honestly, I think I'd like it more on second go, stripped of my expectations. But alas.

I didn’t know if the Madchester acid-infused confection of 80sness. It feels like it straddles the decades perfectly and has a catchiness mixed with edge.

party people gonna party

Sto a fa la review che mi so un po' rotta. Rock un po' psichedelico, piacevole ma non per me. Giustamente un po' ripetitivo, da qualche parte ho letto che il genere chiama madchester. Sicuramente importante musicalmente, ma non troppo per me.

"First album written on ecstacy", but far from the best surely. Way to much echo/reverb placed on Shaun's vocals to find them enjoyable, and a real lack of catchy tunes. Sounds like a "had to be there" album. Not bad, but not offering much to the table 35 years later.

Oi we're in Manchester lads Soort gekke mix tussen Joy Division, Talking Heads en the Smiths Hou wel van new wave/post-punk dus prima

It was alright. I would still like to do a deeper dive on them

Maximalist sound with middle school lyrics.

I was suprised that it was kind of fun and silly at the start but after i while i dind't care. could be my problem

It's OK. I'm not getting anything here that would be memorable for the rest of my life. Maybe if I listened to it a few more hundred times?

The music a bit of a blurry din. Its as if the lead singer doesn't realize how microphone's work and is trying to sing his lyrics really loudly. The bass is overdelivered, but there is a cool beat and danceable rhythm through much of it. There was nothing that I loved, but it was an interesting listen.

Background music for me, but it becomes a bit more interesting back there because of the experimental sounds and vocals I hear.

A bit before my time to be in 'the scene' and they've never hugely appealed to me, but this was pretty enjoyable. 3.5.

fun 80s band

It's not bad

Je ne sais pas pourquoi, cet album ne m'a pas plu. Quelque chose dans la voix qui me faisait penser à tous les autres groupes de l'époque. Écouté à plusieurs reprises et je n'ai jamais accroché.

kinda overhated, it's pretty decent

Definitely not my cup of tea... But I do like the bass lines of most of the songs. 3/5

Notable track: Mad Cyril

Budget REM. I liked the Underworldish track second from last.

First time listen and I liked it. Reminded me of Simple Minds in the 1980s

Enjoyable Madchester album, though only a few highlights.

Interesting album. Unsure whether to like or dislike this album. Two listens to this album and no earworms.

I've not heard this album described as Brit-pop and that surprises me a bit. The description on Wikipedia and on this site made me think I was going to hear acid-techno pop music, but this is basically a trebled-up James. This was better than I had expected, yet it also felt like generic Brit-pop that was before its time. I'm not sure if this is a must-hear album, though if you accidentally hear it then your life isn't going to be changed for the better or worse.

Enjoyed it

Wasn't familiar with this, but a solid album. Reminded me a lot of the Cure.

Ja

Uiteraard niet 2u lang geluisterd maar wel oke ofzo, niets bijzonders

I didn’t not like it. Couldn’t pick out a best song as they all sounded pretty similar. (maybe Rave On?) No standouts, no filler; seemed pretty middle of the road. Not sure why it made the 1001 list. Comes in at (2.5*s)

3,5

Enjoyable enough, especially with my low expectations after reading the reviews. Not great, not terrible, but I didn't hate it!

Pretty good. I like the guitar work. Nothing flashy, but some cool, Edge-like textures and sounds. The intro to Rave On is one of my favorite moments on the album. That may be mostly due to the absence of vocals. I don’t care for the snotty, yelling/whining delivery of the vocalist. It’s not enough to alienate me from the album, but I don’t dig his shit.

Today I learned the term "Madchester" I've never heard of this group, but this was a cool collection of dancey low-fi new wave. Apparently they were very into Ecstasy, good for them! I could see myself putting this on for a dance sesh or something. These are consistent energetic tunes but nothing really grabbed me today.

Ok

cool rock, reminds me of inxs kinda. would probably listen again. lazyitis very cool

Good

This was an alright listen. I didn't love it but I didn't dislike it. Kind of right in the middle. I do like the consistent "pushing-forward" kind of beats and slurred vocal parts. It's a pretty unique sound. I can imagine this was a cool record in the 1980's. right down the middle 3/5.

cool

Don’t know what to think about this at ALL. If any of you didn’t read the Wikipedia for this one, do that! It’s HILARIOUS. Someone should make a movie about this. A label trying desperately to keep the band away from their favorite drug, ecstasy, ships them off to a very remote studio with an army base nearby. The band befriends the soldiers, gives them ecstasy, rave culture spontaneously starts on this army base, people get arrested, it’s a great time. What is this album though? Well, it’s exactly what the description sounds like. A live album made on ecstasy. None of the lyrics or melodies are at all memorable, everything is drenched in this oppressive reverb and delay, the tracks are so repetitive as to be hypnotizing. But there’s so much spirit and fun in it, and just enough about the tracks themselves that feels hypnotic, not quite right, dreamlike, that it gives you a double-take. Like, what am I even listening to right now? It doesn’t really scan as belonging to any genre that I’ve heard. It’s just very… confusing. I’m confused! I don’t necessarily love it, but I’m also kind of attracted to it. Maybe this is how love starts. Certainly, most bands I’ve grown to love start this way, being something I can’t understand but nonetheless draws me in. Alas, the 1001 Albums keep pumping out, and I must move to more familiar territory. Still, a little confused and intrigued by what I just heard. 3/5

naja...

Very fun album but I thought it was alright

What a treat. I dug the punky acid rock sound. Had a sense of early shoegaze noise at certain points. I get the sense HM would be a blast to see live. Can't believe it's Shaun Ryder (Gorillaz Dare) on lead. Love it. 3.0 stars. Interested in checking out some other hits and remixes from Happy Mondays.

Solid Album. Nothing that made me do backflips or threw up either. 2.5/5

Funk psicodélico. Ni fu ni fa.

No están mal, pero un poco dolor de cabeza. Les daré un 3.

Bummed

Happy Mondays

Reviews (page 3 of 7)