Reviews (page 4 of 7)
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.
Album still sounds fine, clearly more guitar than house, perhaps it is a bit hard to judge the music knowing there are some superior remixes out there. Probably Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches is a bit better but it depends on one's mood. In any case: solid album.
Hmmm the first song is called “Country Song”…. But it’s not. Let’s see what this is all about. Never heard of these guys but I’m quite enjoying it. Definitely has that 80s sound. Britt 80s.
Sounds Pink Floyd-ish.
I should love this. All the elements are there. Instead I find it a little insipid and boring. Nothing really grabs me. It sounds like the sort of thing played in a movie scene of a rad 80's party where you don't want to take focus away from what the characters are doing.
Fun as a retro piece. Gave me an excuse to read about techniques for gated reverb on drums. Creatively mostly flat.
I like the atmosphere on this. It's got a manic energy to it, and there's some interesting things going on musically. I like the psychedelic guitars. It's quite unique. 3.5 rounded down.
Musically this album was really cool and unique. Vocally i hated it. This particular English accent is so awful in music. Sounds like a drunk yelling in my ear down at the pub
Production sounded exceptionally well on the Sennheisers (remastered version). A consistent theme was finding the beats very fun but carrying the uninspiring vocals that didn’t quite fit the psychedelia. A boldish take is that The Strokes on these instrumentals would be great. But once again I am wondering how disproportionately the island of Great Britain appears on the list. 6/10
The production is a bit messy, but love it. The sound of a band on the way forward
I listened through all of the Happy Mondays discography just earlier this year. I mostly found it disappointing, because I think their albums are just a "time and place" thing that really doesn't hold up today. "Bummed" is fine, and it is fine to put on in the background. However, any significance I feel lies in how it fits in historically and the impact it had on bands that did much better things that do still hold up.
2.5/5
Very cool experimental moments
Not sure if I like this Ok it picks up in the middle! Sounds a little like 80’s post-punk stuff. Like early Cure meets the Sugarcubes. I can see the club appeal. Not necessarily my thing but I’ll give it a 3/5.
3 stars
A cool psy funk/acid house album but with a distinctive British flavour. After reading about how the album was created with the help of being ecstasy fueled, it all begins to fall into place. Yet it doesn't diminish the sound that they created, by their own admission, likely the first album that was solely created on the drug. Best: Wrote for Luck Worst: Hallelujah
It’s Ok
Another one that had to grow on me, but it's still not going to get over the "7 out of 10" hump, and I'm rounding down. I might revisit one or two songs on occasion. Maybe.
Happier Fridays, the album was ok (2.5/5)
It did not get my appreciation as much as I thought it would. Some songs were ok, but the rest is just early 90s indie rock. Maybe if Andrew weatherall would have present this to me something would change.
pretty bland to be honest. never outwardly bad though
Not bad, not great. Sounded pretty 80's. A little repetitive at times but "Wrote for Luck" is a solid tune.
About as a good as a “Brit pop that didn’t make it big in the US” album will get if I had to guess. Pretty catchy.
Funky 80s-pop. There are elements which are enjoyable: basslines, catchy chorus, and solid drum beats. However, there are also elements which I do not gravitate towards, the generic 80s reverb and washed out vocals, synth pop. Overall, this is reminiscent of 80s RHCP, funny enough, and I can’t say it’s terrible. Just had its moment in the sun.
Loved the music, very upbeat and you could tell the musicians were enjoying themselves. The singing got old really quickly though. Yet another album on here where I really enjoy the music but the lead singer runs it into the ground...
Happy Mondays are an intriguing band, probably nothing sounded like them at the time. I like the repetitive psychedelic grooves of this album, but they can also be a slog at times. 3.5
Maybe an example of the background being more interesting than the product. I knew nothing about "Madchester," nor did I realise how much influence it had on early 90's britpop only to be overshadowed by shoegaze and grunge. This is lazy psychedelic dance rock built on the strength of new wave where my only point of reference was The Cure, Talking Heads, New Order, and the song 'How Soon Is Now'. The latter being more related than I realized. Anyway, with the use of ecstasy, these guys were completely somewhere else which in my opinion was a detriment. Compare this to their first album which is more tight and focused. And yet, Bummed has some strong material which I found oddly alluring despite being marred by weird production and off putting vocals. A 3.5 rating?
It was alright.
Yeah was alright.
dont look at the score, i had to delete an accidental rreview
Classic 80's tracks. A solid album of tunes, but no single track stands out. Dubbed an "ecstasy-fuelled" album by their manager, according to Wikipedia, it is not the kind of drug fuelled sound I am used to. An interesting glimpse into 80's culture that in my opinion has not taught me anything new.
Droney
A good album, but slightly disappointed and was expecting more interesting/chaotic tracks.
Not huge on the vocals. The sound is weird and hard to nail down, but I like the production. It’s the sort of thing I would like, but this doesn’t fully click with me for some reason. I’ll probably revisit at some point. Best song: Lazyitis
Feels like the 90s but they were doing their thing in 88..... Not my favourite music but they developed a sound I guess.
HALLELUJAH
Some good tracks but overall it's just okay.
Not sure if it is the production or something, but many of the tracks sound noisy. If it wasn't for that, this could be a nice alternative album with touches of new wave and 70s rock. It has a few good dance songs as well.
eh, not much to say tbh
Enjoyable enough, a few tracks had me tapping my foot. but in the genre it will rank quite mid as there are a lot more albums reaching within and giving deep emotions but this was just pleasant.
The high point of Happy Mondays’ music is their distinct charismatic lyrics, otherwise, a lot of the project would sound kinda like a sonic mess…but in some cases that actually does work.
Pretty good. I'd listen again.
This is a very odd album. Like I seriously don’t know how to feel about it. I’ll start by saying that Bummed is not a bad album but I can’t really tell if I like it. It’s this odd mix of psychedelic music and this blend of indie rock and dance music. It’s generally a good sound. I think that it doesn’t stand out that much and is just okay but I don’t dislike it. The lyrics are very cryptic and nonsensical. They also rarely follow any rhyme scheme and the vocals themselves are kind of bad in my opinion. For dance music, the vocals have no groove and the guy singing the lyrics sounds like he’s stoned out of his mind. Maybe that’s part of the appeal but I don’t really know how to feel about them. I think that goes for the whole album, I just don’t know how to feel. I normally love oddball and abrasive music but I don’t feel as though this music is all that abrasive. Sure, it’s odd, but it’s not like unimaginably odd. It just sounds different. Now, that can be a good thing. But I feel here they were just different to be different. Nothing more, nothing less. This album just didn’t hook me at all and even though I love psychedelic music, I have to give this album a 5/10.
Replacement level rock.
It isn't bad. Some of the songs are starting to sound pretty good. 3/5
I kinda liked it, but not overly. It was an easy listen and good background vibes. 3.5
I am completely convinced that I would have had much more success on the dance-floor, if this kind of music was playing at clubs in my teens.
This album doesn’t really hold up that well. Maybe it was fun in the 80s rave scene, but now it feels pretty generic. No strong feelings one way or another
A band progressing to their ultimate destination the magnificent Pills, Thrills & Bellyaches. Bummed is part of that journey and there were moments of true magic. This record got the indie boys to see the dance floor, and a whole scene was beginning to take shape. The Madchester Rave On EP a year later would raise some of these songs to the next level.
I never really think of their albums when I think of the band. Prefer to listen to greatest hits. Nice to relisten. WFL any lazyitis the standouts.
Fine, but nothing special here.
6/10. Blah, at least I listened on a Monday
Liked this a bit better than I remember liking Pills 'n Thrills. I think it was more upbeat? 6/10
Bum! ha ha! It's rude.
Meh
Strong 6
Eerste deel vh album doet me denken aan the Cure. En dat vind ik best wel goed te doen. Tweede gedeelte gaat meer de kant op van die acid house, al blijft het gewoon britpop. En daar wringt de schoen, want ook deze band heeft weer zo'n typerende verveelde Britse zanger met een zeikerige kutstem. Die zanger lijdt duidelijk aan lazyitis. Voor de Cure-achtige nummers wil ik een dikke 3 geven, al blijft het wel huismerk Cure. De luie zanger haalt het wat naar beneden. Maar ik ben in een milde bui, dus hou ik het bij 3 sterren.
That first track was a vibe. Absolutely fat kick. Overall this was a fun vibe album with not much behind it but there are other albums in that category that I would much rather listen to. Still solid and that was a fun ticket to ride interpolation on the last track. I feel like this would go hard live in fairness.
Neither here nor there on this one.
You know what, I saw this and thought who the heck needs over two hours of Happy Mondays? Turns out 2 hours didn’t feel like 2 hours so I shall eat my words. I enjoyed.
brilliant artwork, fantastic album name, mediocre album. you could say its got me a bit bummed.
Bummed
I can understand how some people would like that. But man what a drag.
Surprised I've never heard of them.
I had this album as a teen. This was loooong after Madchester, but I was working my way through the classic British indie bands. I'd pretty much forgotten all about this album which probably says a lot. It gets a three because they influenced a lot of the stuff I like and it's not bad enough to be a two.
Not a bad album, but most of the tracks sound the same. 3/5
Прикольный для прослушивания альбом, но никак не для переслушивания(
Ну что сказать, тот случай, когда история создания альбома впечталила сильнее, чем сам альбом. Если не в курсе — чекните википедию; вкратце — альбом записан целиком в наркотическом угаре. Вероятно, его и слушать стоит в таком же состоянии... Не, ну по звуку прикольно, это более слушабельный авангард и отчасти тяжеляк, чем Smashing Pumpkins, но чего вообще стоит серьёзно ожидать от такой пластинки?) Круто, что пацаны кайфанули, собрались и каааак бахнули по инструментам. Аж 10 треков записали. И кучу бонусов, которые мне кстати больше зашли, чем из основного треклиста. 3/5, поскольку альбом достоин быть в списке 1001 альбома, но переслушивать я его не очень хочу. Madchester — крутая тусовка, но почему-то ни одного по-настоящему культового имени оттуда не вышло... или я плохо искал)
Ну звучит в целом норм. Не особо цепляющий психоделический поп-рок с даже приятными уху элементами хауса. Но в целом хзхз, послушать точно стоит, переслушать -- скорее нет. Вообще, если будете пробовать писать альбом под наркотиками, не используйте экстази
3.5/5
Decent-ish new wave stuff. I found it to be pretty same-y over the play, so it was just ok. 3/5
Pretty nice and groovy as heck, but I don’t think I’ll be coming back to it. Worth a spin though! C
Pretty good, did enjoy was a nice background soundtrack to my life for that moment. 7/10
Solid 3. Interesting and original and still sounds fun but lots of songs samey.
Does the list include every single "Madchester" record? Although I really don't like Sean Ryder as a vocalist, he's not quite so annoying on this album. However, the music is less exciting than on "Pills n Thrills" with its fusion of house and indie rock. "Bummed" still sits more squarely on the rock side, but with lots of funk and psychedelia. It's got a zany energy all the way through. However, I'd be happy to never listen to it again, and I expect 90% of repeat listeners are just nostalgic for taking ecstasy in a field before they got an office job and the internet was invented. 3*
Big part of my youth but some of its shite.
2 hours is excessive when the songs all sound very similar… next time lads cherry pick your best tunes…
I don’t get it with this band. The music goes between bog standard blues-rooted rock and a slack pastiche of new wave, dance and funk that doesn’t add anything I can discern to any of them. But the vocals particularly do nothing for me, this sustained monotone Northern British yawp. The playing is too competent to get into 2 star territory, but it’s a bare 3 for me.
Relatively enjoyable. First time listening to them
Fucking Weird. I don't hate it. 3/5
C’est weird mais c’est pa smauvais, j’ai eu du rock, electro? Je sais pas trop quoi en pkenser mais c’est tres originale. 3.75
Not bad
meh
It’s fine
I was expecting something more similar to Stone Roses so at first I wasn’t too impressed with this. But then, after 4 or 5 listens it grew on me. It’s definitely a more chaotic and nonsensical side of the genre - especially lyrics are a mess. But this kind of chaos is addictive. I enjoyed the jangly guitars in the background building the atmosphere throughout the entire record. The bass lines were also distinctively groovy at times. My favourite tracks are Moving In With, Mad Cyril, Performance, Bring a Friend and Lazyitis (ticket to ride + a great guitar outro to the entire album). Overall, I think I enjoyed more the vibe the entire album gives off rather then particular songs. You can feel this very particular era of madchester on this album. But I’d still choose Stone Roses over this anytime. 3.5/5 down to 3 for the lack of any particular song that really grabbed my attention
Average
Kinda interesting, kinda loud and abrasive
When I reviewed Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches a while back, I think I used the word "scuzzy" to describe the sound of Happy Mondays. I've got a say, that's about as spot-on a descriptor that I have ever applied to a band, so I'm going to use it here as well. I'll add that I mean it in the most complimentary way. It's hard to put my finger on what it is exactly about them, but these guys are really entertaining. This is not Happy Mondays' best album, but it's a lot of fun. The band have yet to refine their funky, ramshackle sound (inasmuch as they ever do), resulting in a bit of a loose, musically untethered group of songs with a great groove. Interestingly enough, I think the looseness is really is part of its charm. They really own this genre. Fave Songs: Lazy Itis, Mad Cyril, Wrote for Luck, Country Song, Performance, Brain Dead
3/4. Dug it. Would listen again
2.8 - Decent for what it is, but still kind of overproduced 80s, vocal heavy house music. “Wrote for Luck” want half bad.
This album goes nowhere. Unintelligible singing with instrumentals that remain flat from beginning to end. Nothing must hear here.
Nothing worthwhile really, no song stood out, singing voice was close to being annoying.... Next please
I thought I would enjoy this album a bit more than I did, Happy Mondays are obviously a significant band in the scope of 90s indie, but I didn't really get into this album
I mean, it was okay. I just didn't hear anything groundbreaking in this. It sounded like your average alternative rock from the 80s. How was this different from what others were doing? I don't get it. The opening in particular kinda bothered me. Th scratching or whatever was grating. It just didn't hit me at all. I mean, I guess it was... ok? Low 3 AT BEST.
I like the music, but the lyrics are generally awful. For example, Bring a Friend really caught my ear and I was prepared to list it as a favorite track, until I saw the crass lyrics. Tons of stoner lyrics in other songs. Wrote for Luck is a good song and the lyrics aren't terrible. They occasionally reminded me of the band James who are not on the 1001 albums list but should be (damn, I even just saw that Happy Mondays opened for James. That makes the omission even worse). I'll give it a 3 because the songs sounded good, but no higher because of the lyrics.
Mostly inoffensive. Best track: Lazyitis
I had to keep starting this one over because I kept forgetting to listen. By the third time through, I sort of liked most of the songs but only sorta. I won't remember it.
Se nota mucho el sonido que influirá a bandas como Kasabian en el futuro sin soltar la parte ochentera. Sin embargo es música con la que no logré conectar. No es necesariamente mala pero tampoco pasa nada si no los vuelvo a escuchar. 2.5 que subo a 3 porque no creo que sean terribles ni nada, sólo no hubo conexión pero puedo reconocer su importancia. Wrote For Luck es la mejor.
Siento que esta es de esa música que tenías que haber estado ahí (lugar o al menos la época) para realmente apreciarla. A distancia suena como lo que describe su artículo en wiki: drug-fueled álbum. De las muchas cosas ochenteras que hemos oído esta no es de las malas, pero tampoco me vuelve loco para investigar más.
Longggggg. Not bad, solid background music I guess.
ça passe pour un album qui commence par une "Country Song"
Rock on, sister.
Some interesting sounds with this one.
Pleasantly surprised.
It's alright, sort of generic Brit-pop. I don't care for the way the lead singer was yelling at me in many of the songs. 2.5 stars, rounding up to 3.
Un d'aquells discos que són més banda sonora de l'època i el lloc que obres amb un valor intrínsec. Interessant i depén de l'edat amb un toc nostàlgic important, pero incomparable amb altres discos realment seminals com el debut d'Stone Roses, del qual es troba a anys llum musicalment
This is not exactly my scene, I'm not into this sound or kind of shout/singing. I do enjoy the Bowie vibes of synth sounds and the drums are cool. Not bad music to have on while working and it hasn't put me in a terrible mood.
I like Happy Mondays generally and appreciate them but can't say I often listen to them. This was fine but didn't think it was anything special.
I don't think this makes sense, but this music is dreamy and heavy at the same time. The rhythm guitar playing is strong - Wrote For Luck being the highlight. Playing it really loud on the dance floor would be a blast I'm sure. Any consideration to give a 4 evaporated as soon as I read they made a song that sounded like Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da. If you're going to rip off a Beatles song, at least rip off one that isn't lame. Something like Ticket To Ride for example. lol
Funk psicodélico. Ni fu ni fa.
OK. Never exactly been a big Mondays fan. The behind-the-scenes story (whereby the band were doing a roaring trade in ecstasy pills, including selling them to soldiers at a barracks near the studio) interests me more than the end result. Still, worth getting in its 2 CD which also has the Madchester Rave On EP plus other single versions and remixes etc.
Meh
I like the Happy Mondays. This was a little moody Tuesdays though
Pretty much as Happy and Monday as expected.
this album is in the "not bad" category! really, considering the variety and amount of drugs happy mondays was on during this album's creation, it is quite good. the vocals leave something to be desired, but the guitar, drums, keyboard definitely deliver. i could hear happy mondays' experimenting with this album and touching on so many genres. an enjoyable, intriguing listen.
When the first track started, I figured I was in for a disaster. But, as the album progressed, I actually found myself liking this album a lot more than I thought I was going to! It is very reminiscent of some 80s alternative and new wave which I love. It's also saturated with some of the most defining sounds and effects from the 80s. That said, it still somehow defies being pinned into any genre from that time (thanks, it's the ecstasy). While I really loved the music on this album, the singing and vocalization is what I found to be lackluster. The vocals are usually incoherent and the lyrics (when understandable) are often nonsensical. While this goes along well with much of the 80s, something about the vocals just seemed worse than that. This album may be a hot mess, but damn if I can't help but find it to be an intriguing, cool mess.
Solid 3, does make me feel like being lazy
Luokassa miellyttävää surinaa. Ei mikään biisi taas lävistänyt erinomaisuuden kalvoa, mutta tykkään kyllä soundista. 3/5
I’d heard the Happy Mondays but never really paid attention. And I liked it more than I assumed I would. It’s not my flavor of synth, but generally pretty ok.
Une très belle bouillie des années 80.
Pendant 38mn, les membres du groupe Happy Mondays vont tenter d'utiliser absolument tous les codes des années 80 pour essayer d'obtenir un semblant de succès. Malheureusement, ils resteront tout du long à côté de la plaque, ne parvenant jamais à toucher dans le mille.
happy Monday but bummed?? really makes you think
Good moments here and there, overall the energy of it was a bit much for me. "Ecstasy fueled" is not something I necessarily seek out in the music I choose to listen to.
Unfortunately plagued by the 80s sound. It's okay and I can see why someone would like it, but all sounds very 80s cheesy beyond the vocals.
Starts out super post-punky and a bit Cure-lite, and then turns into a bit of a psychedelic acid trip. Really enjoyed the production and atmosphere, but the songwriting wasn't my favourite. Mixed bag for me, but the carefree Manchester sound was fun.
I enjoyed this well-marbled slice of Madchester. I feel like scene records like this are difficult to fully appreciate out of context. Which reminds me of a general challenge with the randomly generated album approach of this project. I feel like a chronological order and slightly slower pace would allow more time to listen to contemporary albums or the artist’s broader discography. I try to this a little bit anyway, but feel a little pressured to move forward. Anyway, most of that doesn’t have anything to do with this record in particular, which after a somewhat rocky start, finds a fairly unique groove. The Stone Roses are my favourite band of this era, which might have led to a somewhat unfair comparison. The songwriting and vocals here aren’t quite as strong, though the unique arrangements and production are pretty compelling. What I appreciate most is the sense of playfulness and discovery that animates Happy Mondays’ work here. There feels like an insatiable desire to integrate such a range of psychedelia, funk, and dance music. That interpolation of “Ticket to Ride” on “Lazyitis” was cool and unexpected. Favourite tracks: Performance, Wrote for Luck
Sounds very much of its time - the line between dated and nostalgic is thin! Not a band I knew well, due to my age, and my parents' ages, when they were big. Lazyitis (too short) and Wrote for Luck (too long) were my favourites, along with hallelujah
Pretty good sound here, but no songs that really stuck out.
Not my preferred flavor of synth-pop, but not bad.
I think I like the idea of the Happy Mondays more than I actually like the Happy Mondays if that makes sense. It's fine, some songs are decent, others are completely forgettable.
I don't have enough MDMA in by bloodstream to properly appreciate this. Was thinking this might be a 2 star review on the first listen, but a second listen exposed some of its charm. Still, though, it's a bit of a shambley mess! 😂 Fave track - "Bring A Friend" maybe, or "Do It Better" for the weird grunting at the end!
Not a bad album. You can definitely hear the Martin Hannett production / influence . Is this the direction that Joy Division would have taken had Ian Curtis not died? It's a sound that I naturally gravitate to but the songs lack a certain distinctive quality that keeps them from being me.orale indicates ideally. 3 5 🌟
Patchy swagger
With a potentially generic name like Happy Mondays, I'm not sure if I've heard of the band before. All of the music was new to me, but with hints of other bands that I listen to. I was reminded in part of the band James, and after listening to the album I looked up the Happy Mondays and found out that they are part of the Manchester sound (along with James) from bands that were putting out music in the early 90s. I liked the album, but no tracks stood out for better or worse. If I had to pick one track, it would be "Performance".
This was a strange piece of music, surprisingly. There are many elements which I tend to be a fan of, but under a filter that rather detracted from the listening. That said, the songs grew on me the more of the record I heard.
I like the Happy Monday's weird, psychedelic, surreal, funky and weird approach. it is surprising and funny and fun. This was the album where (apparently) they discovered ecstasy. It think the musical approach really shines through in the remixes (WFL especially) that came out of this album, rather than beign seen ont he album itself. And their subsequent records REALLY show this, and are much more dance-y than this. It's that trance-like dance-like, almost krautrock Madchester thing that I really like, so this album is the first flash of that (but not quiet there)> interestingly, on listening to the deluxe version, I most liked the second disc with all the 12" versions and remixes attracted; they really bring out what I love about the Mondays. The band is loose to the point of (almost) falling apart, which is their real charm.
Some catchy British tunes that worked pretty well as background music. No recognized songs
no need for this album to be on this list when Pills n Thrills exists
It was fine
OK, bit boring in hindsight
A true trip that instantly fills your head with ideas of "Yeah, these guys where high when they recorded this one." Psychedelic music is hit or miss for me. I dug Moving In With, Fat Lady Wrestlers, Wrote For Luck (which almost feels out of place on this album), but some of the songs like Mad Cyril just didn't click with me. Certainly worth a listen.
Pretty enjoyable, liked the grooves here and Wrote For Luck was my favourite here. After a while the songs become the same which is the only downside here.
madchester baby
Another middle of the road project for the week. Pretty nondescript rock. Ever so slightly more enjoyable than yesterday's Joy Division album, but honestly about as forgettable. I can't say much at all here, I don't even know the band. Favorite tracks: Mad Cyril, Performance, Lazyitis. Album art: A cool painting, nice colors. Doesn't do much for me. 3/5
I know that with the country stats recently tallied that Britain came in second to the US as far as overall albums on the list, but so many British albums stand out simply because they don't stand out. A lot of British bands aren't that distinct from one another so you just wind up with a wash of whatever genre it is, whether it's punk, post-punk, Britpop, or whatever. There are some incredibly vital British albums, but the list needs to be pruned. This is a perfectly average British post-punk album that is a fine 3 and nothing more. It isn't necessary to have this much representation on the list when the music scene isn't that diverse.
I wouldn't call it "english grunge", nevertheless I appreciate the psychedelic features provided by Happy Mondays. Quite nice to listen, however I didn't find anything special for me.
Sounds very much of its time - the line between dated and nostalgic is thin! Not a band I knew well, due to my age, and my parents' ages, when they were big. Lazyitis (too short) and Wrote for Luck (too long) were my favourites
I love 80's music....but I did not like this very much.
An average album if ever there was one. Ok.
A little Shaun Ryder goes a long way for me. There's some good stuff here, Wrote For Luck and Lazy Itis are great but I think I like Pills 'n' Thrills better.
Garbled but above average pop-punk rock
3.4 - I like it well enough, I guess? Sort of sounds like "Unbelievable" by EMF. It's got that British rave MDMA vibe to it. I like the guitar effects and other backing tracks. I'm sure the lyrics are interesting, maybe, if I could understand the vocals? I'm probably not taking the right drugs? I'd say I need to probably give it more time but I don't know that I want to.
A mixture of early U2, the Smiths, and some New Order thrown in just to round things out. I liked the songs well enough.....2 or 3 at a time. Anything beyond that and all the songs started to sound the same.
Pills Thrills Bellyaches is far superior but still a solid 3
One album several colours. The album is certainly not monotonous but not everyones taste. (6/10) Favorite Tracks: Lazyitis
For most of this album I couldn't get into it at all... When it doesn't hit it feels derivative, boring, laboured, uninspired. It kind of did win me over in the end though - there's a few tracks in the final third of the album, namely Rave On, which hit hard and really do achieve what I suspect Happy Mondays are trying to do on the record - groovy, hook-oriented dance rock that really grabs your attention and shakes you side to side. It's just a pity it took so long to get there
My Design Tutor was a part of Grand Central Station and did all the Happy Monday’s Album covers. I also helped Bez carry a 14” TV and PS1 to his car when I worked at Curry’s It’s like being back home. 5/5
Some nice things, but not amazing
Very much of its time. Not sure it holds up as a classic album. Interesting, but I wouldn’t revisit. Ryder’s vocals are fun but Happy Mondays sounds like a party you arrive at too late and everyone is wasted and they’re having more fun than you. Which is probably true.
Happy Mondays are great, but this album is rubbish. Shaun can’t sing for toffee.
Not new to psychedelic genre, but I usually listen to rock instead of funk- Also they were definitely on smthn when recording these songs cuz Most Memorable Song : Mad Cyril - just like all the songs in this album its messy, but it doesnt take away from the song it just adds 👌 Other moments : Lazyitis sounds like it was made by an irish bad ngl. Also they were definitely going through it when they wrote Performance
I didn't really give this album an attentive listen but having it on in the background it really struck me as well... background music. Nothing really popped here for me to make me want to take a closer look. But that said, it was enjoyable to have on. I'm sure there's a universe in which I could get really into it.
"Son, I'm flirty - I only went with your mamma 'cos she's dirty" The inimitable Shaun Ryder and the Happy Mondays. It feels out of time and I don't think it's aged that well.
Liked this a lot.
Leuker dan ik dacht, maar 2 uur durende albums zouden sowieso verboden moeten worden.
Enjoyable enough but didn’t really wow me
5
Good but won’t go back and listen again
No están mal, pero un poco dolor de cabeza. Les daré un 3.
really catchy, pleasing, indie music. Hard to guess when it was produced. Could have come out this year for all I know.
Reminds me of The Cure, just not quite as good.
Very late 80s. I feel like if they were a bit more melodic, they could have easily been on iconic 80s movies soundtracks. Some fun bops but none help my attention.
Semibängeri Jännä punk/rock/emt?
Herrgott, wer hat Alben erfunden, die länger dauern als eine Folge Breaking Bad? War aber ned schlecht. Dh. 3
It was enjoyable. I didn't listen to it loudly enough. I bet it's a banger at high volumes. 3.5.
It helped to understand that they were on MDMA when they made this. I almost get it. If those were their only instruments, I suppose I could see how this would be the byproduct. But… not my thing.
Cool to hear them in a more psychedelic phase. Bits of this were even shoegazey. But kinda forgettable sometimes too?
pretty good
It turns out the only Happy Mondays songs I've heard are from their next album. Had a hard time getting into this album at first; it walks a very fine line between shaggy and sloppy. "Wrote For Luck" is a standout, also helped to listen to some of the remixes on the Collector's Edition. "Lazyitis" also was a bright spot on my first listen. Tough to rate; probably a 2.5. 2 if I focus on the negatives and 3 on the things it does well. Wikipedia highlight: "Bummed is definitely an E album, perhaps the first full album ever made on that drug"
So much of this was good. Real weird and the lyrics were lame in a good way too. Quite smiths like that second track too. Obvs v stone roses too.
Ecstasy Alternative
Good but I like Pills n Thrills better
I kind of like this one a *little* more than the previous one I listened to, but it's still a hazy ... something. The drugs in Manchester must have been great. Favorite tracks: "Mad Cyril", "Fat Lady Wrestlers", "Brain Dead"
Not my scene
Fine but nothing memorable.
Well, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard…
disappointing - Madchester on feeble-minded drugs
No.
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Lazyitis This album makes me bummed out. I can't relate to it. I've never been to a drug-fueled rave before. I've never done Ecstasy. I'm not English. I wasn't even alive when the album came out. It's not really my kind of psychedelic or funk. It just sounds like new wave; another 80s new wave band in an ocean of new wave and post-punk English bands on the List. Also, I ain't listening to the 2 hour version of the album, despite it being the only version on YTM. I stopped at the end of Side 2: "Lazy Itis".
Lame '80s pop album. This list is full of bloat like this which I can't wrap my head around. So many other groups do this genre much better and are more renowned but for whatever reason this list wants to be a bit pretentious and edgy so it takes these no name, crappy artists.
They’re all kinda the same thing. In a not so good way
I was mainly 'Bummed' listening to this. Some weird alternative Brit stuff that's bleak. Top tracks: "Moving in With," "Mad Cyril"
--Country Song...not my thing --Moving in With...not digging the production. very muddy. I'm also listening to the "remastered" version --Mad Cyril...production lacking again; everything feels compressed. need more dynamic range --Fat Lady Wrestlers...like all the instruments are under water. I don't get it. there's a decent groove in here once you dig through the mud --Performance...sound is more crisp here. nice bass, nice guitar tone. first track I'd add to a playlist --Brain Dead...another solid bass grove. production quality is weirdly backloaded on this LP. Shaun Ryder actually doing a little singing here --Wrote for Luck...another solid groove but is this something I need to hear before I die? --Bring a Friend...nice rhythm guitar but Shaun is just kind of there shouting over it --Do It Better...yes, do it better, guys. skip --Lazyitis...jangly guitars. the Ryders should stay away from jangly. some "Ticket to Ride" in here
eh. got bored of it really quickly.
Could definitely hear where the happy Mondays were heading with this. Did sound like an album made on drugs to be fair, as each song would have a nice groove that was repeated until it was uninteresting. Didn't recognise any songs on this and while it was fairly inoffensive I wouldn't say it was good. 2.5.
The other album, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, had a lot more going on, but this wasn't awful. Wouldn't choose to listen again mind. Comes across as partly addled.
Didn't have particularly high hopes for this after the opening track, but in fairness it was better than I was expecting. He can't sing, but not sure that's the point. It's of a particular era and scene, which I think is probably lost on most of the non British reviewers. 11 of the 27 songs on the collectors edition that this list links to are versions of hallelujah or wrote for luck....40% of the album are versions of the same 2 tracks! I didn't listen to them all and not sure the collectors edition was necessary. Pills, thrills and bellyaches is better, but not by as much as I was expecting. 2.5 again
pretty dull
This kinda sucks!
Just a bit too long for what it is (and that’s ignoring like half the songs on the “Collector’s Edition”). Too much 80s and not enough to keep me in it. Rating: 4/10 Favorite Song: Mad Cyril
Did these guys invent Plodcore? Bored me to tears -
2,5 ⭐️⭐️
What British politicians still think is ~the~ hip and happening music scene.
Bummed is right. Noisy Brit rock with that awful lyrical style that just mumble talk sings with a very tiring cadence.
Another album that makes me go "why is this even on the list"
Não gostei muito. Parece muito com talking heads.
Decent enough but the songs weren't as memorable as Pills, Thrills...
There were moments but man did it great after a while. 2
From what I can gather, the music and vocalist sounding like reverberated dogshit is an intentional aesthetic, but it doesn't help my enjoyment any.
It’s just mid. Do t regret listening but don’t see myself coming back to it
No fav song
About as 80s meh as you can get
Just kind of annoying?
Not for me
They took all the drugs, didn't they? Mostly annoying with a few interesting parts.
It was a boring monday
Pretty much agree with the consensus here. Wasn't super impressed, and thus I guess I'm not into what was considered the "Madchester" scene. It's too dull for dance music.
I feel a bit bad rating this so low because I didn't outright dislike it. I just felt that it underwhelming across the board. The melodies, vocals, and production all struck me as pretty unremarkable, and nothing really stood out or left a lasting impression.
This dude's work with The Gorillaz: 👍👍👍👍👍 This dude's work with Happy Mondays: 😡🩵🤢😥🖕
It’s not, like, bad, but it really didn’t do anything for me. I wasn’t sure what to even listen for. The keyboards and guitar work are competent but not spectacular, and the vocals were nothing to write home about either way. One of those albums that went right through me. Normally I’d be more generous and give this a 3 for craftsmanship, but the further I get into this project the more I want an album to really grab me. Appropriately titled. At least it was short.
Very appropriate album title as I was definitely bummed sitting through this shite album.
britslop
Decent album! The psychedelic and funk contributions give it a bit of an interesting edge, but I can't say it left much of an impression on me overall. Standouts: Country Song • Mad Cyril • Lazyitis
A very important album in the rise of a genre but I genuinely did not care at all for this. Wasn't bad though for the most part, but uninteresting
bummed is right
This was deceiving. The first track was alright, something different that wasn’t straightforward low effort 80s synth. But then the rest of the album was a complete let down.
Boring, nothing stood out as relistenable.
Listening to this album I was bummed, because the music was lousy. I listened to the original release (ten tracks). ‘Lazy-itis” was the best track, which isn’t saying very much. Generally speaking the lyrics are inane. Overall a 1.7 rating.
Best thing about this is that it fades into background noise.
Im going to come back to this as I didn't give it a fair chance
Country Song - 3/5 Moving In With - 3.5/5 Mad Cyril - 3/5 Fat Lady Wrestlers - 3/5 Performance - 3/5 Brain Dead - 3/5 Wrote for Luck - 2.5/5 Bring a Friend - 2/5 Do It Better - 2/5 Lazyitis - 3/5 Hallelujah - 2/5 Holy Ghost - 2/5 Clap Your Hands - 2.5/5 Rave On - 4/5 Boom - 3/5
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
A line from "Brain Dead," a track that is a good descriptor for the album: "Why then, should you do it again, and again and again?" The collector's edition came up on Spotify, 2 hours of synths, drum machines and addled, whining Brit pop, repeated ad nauseam. Seems like a good argument for avoiding drugs.
Perhaps one of the most effective warnings against drug use I’ve seen. I’ve heard this sound so often on any compilation to do with Manchester that this album should probably come with free stock footage of the Hacienda and Eric Cantona. But that familiarity didn’t endear me to it, as the sound became really repetitive. Hallelujah is a good song, but felt like they tried to repeat the trick ad nauseum to increasingly little effect.
There were some moments on this album I enjoyed, but maybe there would’ve been more if I’d been on as many drugs as the band apparently were when they recorded it, or if they had a singer who had even the vaguest awareness of the concept of ‘melody’. It had a more typically 80s sound than I was expecting, lots of gated reverb drums and cheesy synths. Some okay tracks (e.g. ‘Country Song’, ‘Mad Cyril’, ‘Lazy Itis’), some really grating ones (e.g. ‘Moving in With’, ‘Bring a Friend’), and more that I simply found uninteresting. Very 2 stars.
Looong. And not that good
Why so long ffs
There were a few interesting parts but they did not make a better whole
ehhhhhhh what's going on? 2 hours of wowowowow all the way homeeee is more than enough for me. Not the biggest fan of his style of rasp either. The instruments make me feel like they're trying a stereotypical mixture of 70s rock and ancient middle eastern hymnals (and it doesn't work so well). gonna shoot a 3.40 here! drink: diluted macaroni and cheese water with lemons in it.
Nothing spectacular about this album in the slightest
I fucking hate the way so many British alternative albums were mixed in the late 80s. Everything sounds so washed out and the fucking vocals are a whisper. Maybe to hide the lack of talent. This is like the Stone Roses but worse. And I hate the Stone Roses. Occasionally there’s an idea I like so I think it survives a 1 but still. Woof.
Serait peut-être meilleur si ça donnait pas autant mal à la tête. 2.49 étoiles