Reviews (page 4 of 9)
meh
Whiny British mid alt rock
I bought this in the 90s and wasn't much impressed. 30 years on and it's better than I remember it being, but still not particularly great. I think a high 3 is the best I can give it.
I've loved this album for many years.
Enjoyable but idk not notable enough for 3 stars
I enjoyed this! Big fan of '90s Britpop and '60s British Invasion music and this is a really solid album, I was kind of surprised how good it is because "There She Goes" is the big hit from it but that's like the worst song on this album? Way cool. Only not giving it a five because some of the songs felt like filler but a genuinely great and well-written album, shame it was their only album
Sorta sounds like REM without any edge. Inoffensive but not what I would normally want to listen to.
Nothing really stood out to me on this album. Early 90s two stars
there she goes is a certified BANGER! it’s in the gilmore girls pilot which is iconic. i enjoyed the rest of the album as well
Really enjoyed this. Good tunes and arrangements.
I have never listened to the La's outside of "There She Goes" which is a pure pop MASTERPIECE. This is a really good album and sadly their only one.
I've seen this album cover over the years, but never listened to it, nor do I remember anything about them from the time other than "There She Goes". The album has a lot of listens, so it was popular at one point. 480M listens for "There She Goes" is impressive, I always turn the channel when that tune comes on so I had no idea it was such a hit. From the first vocal of "Son Of A Gun" I was instantly turned off, below average voice that's not rock or pop oriented. The almost 60's vibe that permeates the album instantly makes it sound dated. It's no surprise to me they never had another hit. I was 6 songs in before I was ready to turn it off. Extremely average record. This is another one of those British inclusions that would never had made an American Top 1001. The author of this list has a soft spot for vanilla Manchester bands who lean towards a 1960's sound. Tell me I'm wrong. If you made it all the way to "All By Myself" you must have wondered how that ever got on any album, ever. 477M listens is impressive, but beyond that I got nothing from this weak ass release other than confirmation the T1001 was authored in England. One hit, albeit a big one, no influence, nothing groundbreaking, no staying power beyond the one single, zero influence that I'm aware of, flat boring vocals and average musicianship. 2 stars.
This one's fine, but aside from "There She Goes" there is not much I'm excited about. I don't think I would ever complain about listening to this album, but I doubt I would often go out of my way to listen to it.
There She Goes - is just one of the greatest tunes out there. Whilst the rest of the album doesn't hit those heights it's still a good listen. Starts to tail away at the end, and they should have ended before Looking Glass. Clear influence on 90's Britpop. Such a pity Lee Mavers didn't sort himself out.l
Ik heb dit eigenlijk blind aangezet en dacht te horen dat dit een gezellig 60's album was, maar het komt uit 1990. Dat vind ik wel geinig eigenlijk. Sowieso is dit een heel prettig album om aan te hebben staan. Gewoon leuke liedjes met tussendoor ook nog eens een bekende hit. Ik ga hier 4 sterren voor geven. Het is compact (35 minuten), lekker ongecompliceerd, heeft een fijn geluid en ik word er wel vrolijk van. Veel meer hoeft het niet altijd te zijn.
Has some nostalgic power. Still it seemed like the high school memory for the masses.
'There She Goes' is the only bright spot on an otherwise forgettable album.
Surprised how retro it is
I'm not really into britpop
Good stuff
Nice instrumentals, vocalist is aggressively English.
This one hit wonder band's one hit wonder isn't even good enough to justify making a whole album, much less needing to listen to it before you die. Don't! Looking Glass is laughably bad and is almost 8 minutes long. It might be one of the only songs I'm aware of that they sing the band's name over and over, so that's some sort of accomplishment? I hated this album so much
Part Britpop, Part Rolling Stones tribute act, part novelty record. Started well, lost me a bit.
toooooo meh
I’m so tired of britpop
The La's are a poppy Brit rock with a nice blend of the 80s and 90s sound. They remind me a little of Blind Melon with stripped down sets. They also seem to have an early Indie sound more popular in the mid to late 1990s. Overall 3.5, good, but not memorable.
Brilliant, love it.
Ah, the fabled post-punk band...beloved by the music magazines owing to their tortured creative processes. But is this album great? I can hear shades of influences from the past, and shades of influence on bands to come, particularly in the britpop boom bands. Overall, this is a fine album, with one or two truly great songs. One wonders what might have been,
Already really liked There She Goes and the rest of the album is almost as good! I’ll be listening to a lot of this again
There She Goes is a banger and I enjoyed the rest. Simpsons: No. Gilmore Girls though
It was ok, you can see why " There She Goes " is the only song from this that gets played on the radio
Not for me
I appreciate the harkening back to the British Invasion and contributing to the creation of Brit Pop, but at the end of the day I don’t find much to connect to here. “There She Goes” is obviously the teen movie anthem when the popular girl walks by, and is iconic - but everything else fails to capture my attention, no matter how much it jangles.
Another new to me album and band. I just listened to the 12 tracks from the original release, at 35 minutes I played through several times. Solid Britpop with his vocals. I enjoyed this one.
The La’s – The La’s – 3 STARS Another British 90s band I never listened to – this book is the gift that doesn’t keep giving. However, I actually liked this one. The tunes are quite upbeat and jangly but never in the style of Baggy and the vocals are very British and muted. It almost sounds like Nick Cave doing a Monkees song. Despite their name (a contraction for Lads) their music isn’t in that awful laddish Britipop style . Wish I could give 3 and a half for this one.
Very well put together can hear the britpop sound that is due to come soon after 4*
It was okay. Not the best thing but it was okay.
A bit more interesting than I was expecting, but still basically just There She Goes and some also rans. 3.2/5
didnt finish it but what i heard was aight
Started off strong, kinda melded together by the end. Favorite track: Failure
Nothing earth shattering but pleasant enough in places.
Sure. Why on the list though?
Cool album art. 1960s inspired pop rock. Sonically speaking, the production isn't bad. It has it's moments. I liked All by Myself. Although it grew on me the more I listened, I'm not so sure that this album is required listening.
my friend and i always make fun of this album cover. idk we have one sided beef with it. i havent actually listened to this album in full because the las are such an irrelevant band but im glad i got this reccomended to me during october at least
¡Qué gozada este disco para un domingo insulso! The La’s, que parecían una one-hit wonder band, se quedaron en una one-album wonder band, porque yo creo que aquí hay más de un hit. A la archiconocida “There She Goes” le podemos sumar “Timeless Melody” o “Way Out”. A comienzos de los 90, este disco abrió la puerta al Britpop estando fuertemente arraigado en el rock más clásico de las islas (The Beatles, The Kinks). Un álbum con toques retro pero con unas guitarras exquisitas que forman una obra que todavía hoy es una delicia para escuchar.
Generic af
There she goes is a classic
Songs: There She Goes
There she goes might be the best jangle to ever jangle? Some other good ones in here that pave the path for Gin Blossoms and the other jangles to come.
This is definitely the case of an album being on the list because of one strong song. I'm sure you've never heard of The La's but I'm also sure you know the lyrics to their most popular song by heart. It's an ok song, but the rest of the album doesn't even hold up to ok. In a word, boring.
There She Goes definitely still slaps. Great tune. I enjoyed my time with this record but I don’t think I’d return to it. It’s pretty generic but still an easy listen.
Perfectly ok album, some good songs and some ok songs, won’t actively seek it out
# The La's – *The La's* (1990) **Label:** Go! Discs (UK) | London (US) **Producer:** Steve Lillywhite (final mix completed without the band) **Core line-up:** Lee Mavers (vox, guitar), John Power (bass), Peter Cammell (guitar on release), Neil Mavers (drums) --- ## 1. **Lyrics – Liverpudlian mysticism in three-minute doses** - **Economy & ambiguity:** Mavers writes in haiku-sized couplets (“I never say what I want to say” / “She calls my name, pulls my train”) that feel instantly memorable yet refuse to nail down a single meaning. - **Recurring images:** trains, mirrors, time, veins, glass, rain – everyday objects turned into existential symbols. - **Emotional palette:** romantic wonder (“There She Goes”), social claustrophobia (“Doledrum”), self-lacerating doubt (“I Can’t Sleep”), psychedelic quest (“Looking Glass”). - **Read-through:** the words can be heard as love songs, hymns to heroin, or metaphysical diaries; Mavers’ refusal to explain keeps them porous and alive . --- ## 2. **Music – 1966 in 1990** - **Chordal DNA:** Byrds-ian 12-string jangle, Merseybeat bounce, skiffle-ish shuffle drums, punk-level brevity. - **Hooks per minute:** almost every track under 3:30; choruses arrive within 25 seconds. - **Hidden sophistication:** descending chromatic lines (“Timeless Melody”), modal bridges (“Feelin’”), Indian-tinged drone on the 8-min “Looking Glass”. - **Dynamic range:** the band tracked live, so bass, guitars and vocals “breathe” together rather than being multi-layered – a large part of the record’s kinetic spark . --- ## 3. **Production – the great accident** - **Legendary back-story:** 3 years, 7 producers, 12 sessions, Mavers’ obsession with vintage dust-covered gear. The group finally walked out; Lillywhite stitched together the best takes overnight . - **Sound aesthetic:** dry, almost demo-like. Guitars are mic’d close, drums are tight, little reverb – which paradoxically makes the songs feel luminous and radio-ready. - **Mavers’ verdict:** “It’s terrible… don’t buy it.” Most listeners disagree; the apparent flatness is part of the charm, letting the songwriting shine without 80s gloss . --- ## 4. **Themes – a manifesto for escape** - **Urban ennui vs. transcendence:** tracks like “Doledrum” portray benefit-queue boredom; “Looking Glass” proposes inner flight. - **Time & memory:** the refrain “the melody always finds me” suggests music itself as a time machine, brushing “the sand of time away” . - **Unspoken faith:** spiritual but not doctrinal – closer to Arthur Lee’s Love than to Oasis-style lad-anthems. --- ## 5. **Influence – the seed of Britpop & beyond** - **Direct lineage:** Noel Gallagher calls the record “the one that started it all” and placed it in his personal Top 5; Oasis, Cast, The Libertines, The 1975, The Courteeners and Pearl Jam have all name-checked or covered it . - **Canon status:** NME “500 Greatest Albums” (#153), Rolling Stone “40 Greatest One-Album Wonders” (#13), 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . - **Cover life:** “There She Goes” (Sixpence None the Richer, Robbie Williams) became a global standard; “Looking Glass” is a cult psych touchstone. --- ## 6. **Pros & Cons at a glance** | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | • Twelve near-perfect three-minute pop songs – zero filler | • Only twelve songs; 35-min runtime leaves you hungry | | • Lyrics that feel personal yet open to endless interpretation | • Lee Mavers’ slurred delivery occasionally buries words | | • Organic, live-band sound untouched by 80s digital sheen | • Purposely “flat” mix lacks low-end punch on some systems | | • Guitar tones that defined jangle-pop for the next decade | • No second album – the story ends in frustration | | • Influenced entire Britpop generation & still sounds fresh | • Band disowned it, so no official deeper “deluxe” vision | --- ## **Verdict** *The La’s* is the great might-have-been that nevertheless became a cornerstone. The songs are miniature miracles of melody and mystery; the production flaws are part of their human charm. If you love the Beatles, the Byrds, or any band that believes a great tune can save your life, this half-hour of chiming Liverpool Zen belongs in your collection – even if its creator still insists he can do better.
Forgettable 90s alt-rock.
Tightly crafted and hook-laden w a distinctive style. Not just one song, it’s a consistently good album.
I feel like I should like this album due to it being popular in the UK. However, apart from ‘There She Goes’, none of the other songs hold up. Maybe ‘Timeless Melody’ at a push, but it isn’t great.
It's an ok album, easy listen, There She Goes is the standout song, the rest of the album feels very different from the big hit.
I primarily know The La's for That One Song everyone pretty much knows: There She Goes. I did not think that much else about the band, nor its influence on Jangle Pop and the Britpop scene for an album in 1990 that stood apart from the rest of the rising musical trends of the late 80s ushering into the 90s. Turns out they were much more than one hit wonders: one album wonders. The bands perfectionist tendencies would self-immolate the bands future, but the results of their efforts are not in vain: this is a great sounding album. Jangle sounds nice, but it's never a sound I've felt like chasing music wise, R.E.M. aside. Nothing against it, more of a preference for dissonant atonal stuff on my end, though you can tell The La's wanted to feel unique next to bands like MBV or the Madchester scene. Certain parts of this album I like and there's parts of it I can care less for. Son Of A Gun is a weird opening track that kind of shows what the album will be about albeit in a more sing-songy way than most other songs on the album. As someone that likes jam bands and thus long music, the album's closer, Looking Glass, isn't really doing it for me. Freedom Song sounds like an intentionally dull 90s irony scene way. Other songs in between are kind of samey-sounding and not too eye-catching, bad pun may or may not be intended. There are some good positives on this album (aside from There She Goes which is a great song that does carry the record as well as the band's reputation as a whole): Aside from Son of a Gun (which is okay really) the album starts off strong up to Way Out. But that trademark contextual song that made this band stand out and attract influence for the next decade and a half or so of indie music just gets very samey. Like the same pastures of jangle pop guitar sound----it's really all that is. Would be very interesting to see this band evolve more but it seems that Lee Mavers takes the Mark Hollis approach to fame: getting out of the spotlight as best as possible and never answer any questions. I respect that. This was a nice rabbit hole of music to discover, but overall it's alright. Must hear before you die? If you like indie music absolutely, but for everyone else? I disagree.
Absolute belter of an album
Gilmore Girls!!
There She Goes is the obvious standout. I also liked Timeless Melody a lot. Great guitar and very organic sound. The album sounds very british. The vibes are pretty good but I can't say it's super memorable. The random folk song in the middle doesn't fit the vibe tho. And Failure kinda sounds like a car commercial song. Otherwise not much wowed me about it but it's alright.
Very different vibes than the iconic There She Goes song. Unfortunately I did not really vibe with the other songs that much. That song has insanely positive vibes that would make me feel better immediately.
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Tolles Album!
Muito bom, vou ouvir mais.
First listen
Not as bad as some are saying. It does have a kind of Beatles sound to it, so That can't be bad!
Pretty catchy pop, but there's not much beyond the stellar single There She Goes. Liked Songs Added Timeless Melody There She Goes
Very good indie jangle pop. Some great harmonies and melody's.
ну есть одна песня Зеа Ши Гоуз
Poor jangly pop rock, annoying production.
There She Goes oli tuttu tiktok remixinä :D Hyvää erikoisempaa rokkia. Moni kappale lyhyenä ja ytimekkäänä pakettina. Vähän sellainen jännä länkkäri viba. Parhaat: There She Goes, Timeless Melody
This was a hard rate. There She Goes is immaculate. The rest of the album...
This album was cool, but I’m not sure if I would listen to the whole thing again.
Proto-britpop
This is like if your friends dad's band accidentally made a one hit wonder. It felt much longer than it's runtime, due to the songs being repetitive, and preachy yet empty lyrics. It's only saving grace was some of "Failure" and the tail end of the last song "Looking Glass". 1.5/5 - 2/5
one hit wonders. and then elevator music.
wasn’t really my vibe and had some repetitive lyrics but it had a good melody
Ok. - 3/5
I genuinely had no idea who the La's were until I loaded up their Spotify page and saw that 3/5 of their top tracks were different versions of "There She Goes." At that point, I realized that they were the minds behind a song I've heard dozens of times (though admittedly, I'm much more familiar with the cover by Sixpence None the Richer than the original). Ironically, it looks like the original outperformed the SNTR version by only one spot on the UK Singles chart and didn't even come close to the cover on the Billboard Hot 100. I can't say I particularly enjoyed this album, but I also didn't hate it! It kinda just felt like background noise at a certain point, like the sort of thing I'd passively hum along to while walking around the grocery store and trying to decide whether I want to buy store brand or name brand applesauce. It did have a little bit more edge to it than I expected from the band that made "There She Goes," but not enough to push it beyond a middle-of-the-road three star rating. One thing I will say is that the LP did pick up a bit toward the end, with "Looking Glass" being a truly surprising standout! I also liked "All by Myself" and "Clean Prophet," but neither of those were part of the original album, so I can't let my opinion be swayed too far – it'd probably be the same rating regardless, though. Highlights: There She Goes, Freedom Song, Looking Glass, All by Myself, Clean Prophet
The La’s is an interesting one. Having grown up in the 90s, I know “There She Goes,” of course. But apparently this record is a cornerstone of Britpop- but I'd never heard it before. At first it didn’t click for me. The La’s are an amalgamation of The Who and The Kinks, with some Beatles sprinkled in for good measure. That should be right up my alley, but it didn't do anything for me at first. Then during "Timeless Melody," it started to gel. By the time I got to "Looking Glass" I wanted to start all the way over so I could hear the rest of the album through new eyes (ears?), and yeah. This record is great. If you bounce off of this one at first, give it another go. It rewards multiple listenings. THREE STARS
Good but, not memorable really. Low 3/5
Jangle pop heavily influenced by 60s music
To my mind this is the quintessential autumnal and nostalgic 1990s record. Its a solid record harking back to the British rock groups of days gone by. Most songs have downbeat lyrics paired with cheerier instrumentals. The highlights are I Can't Sleep and of course There She Goes.
I wanted to like the Las more than I do, I really enjoyed the two main singles and didnt really enjoy anything else very much bar the final track, a high 2 for me
There She Goes is amazing, the rest of the songs aren't bad but not at the same level.
Until know I only knew "there she goes" from this album. I was positively surprised by the whole thing.
Um verdadeiro achado, hoje a lista me alegrou. Banda e disco incríveis. O som deles parece completamente desconectado dessa linha do tempo mundana que vivemos. Em tempos, ele remete aos sons retrôs da década de 1960, canalizando riffs de Kinks e melodias de Beatles. Em outros tempos, eles parecem traçar linhas diretas precedendo seus contemporâneos, como Oasis, Radiohead, Coldplay, R.E.M., Blur… e por aí vai. Fica claro que foi um disco gravado de maneira meticulosa. Os cortes são cirúrgicos. Faixas de curta duração que são perfeitamente balanceadas e compostas. E mesmo assim, aparentemente a banda ficou insatisfeita com o resultado final, e por isso este é o único lançamento do grupo. Uma verdadeira pena, consigo facilmente imaginar eles sendo titãs do Britpop juntos de Oasis e Blur. Ao todo, um disco que se encaixa integralmente no meu viés musical pessoal, como se tivesse sido gravado para mim. Então obrigado! Com ele, dei cinco estrelas para três discos seguidos, daqui a pouco ele gera algo terrível pra balancear. 5/5
This is a new one to me. I'm surprised how little I hear REM referenced when discussing this band. So many of these songs sound like covers from Murmur. The lead singer even does a little Michael Stipe trill with his voice on some of the songs. I don't hate it though. It's better than some of the other overstated Britpop on here. It's not as good as Madvillainy.
Twangy guitar but not country Slightly whiny nasally voice like Tim minchin playing Judas in Jesus Christ superstar Sounds like the Beatles There she goes is on this!!! Like if the Beatles were being sung by oasis Goes a bit more 2000s-y at some points Way out goes a bit pirate-y in my opinion Freedom song sounds a bit like a spell but it’s a banger Suddenly slower, softer and more melancholy for looking glass They quite like their little naturals and sharps where you don’t think they’ll be A little disharmony, a little unpredictability
We enjoyed and knew way more songs on here than we realised.
Maybe I'm just in a bad mood this morning, and I listened to this yesterday and didn't take any notes at the time, but this was totally forgettable. If I went with my typical normal rating, I might give it three stars, but I'm tired of albums that waste my time.
This is the hazily-remembered UK thing I want to hear. See also Stone Roses
Great album just wish it was more cohesive
3 of 5 God I hate that There She Goes song. It is so so bad, but the rest of this album has some great songs I have never heard of! For that reason, 3 stars.
Don’t think so
It's as the Beatles got back, wanted to make an album that's going to be hip with the kids, realized it wasn't going to work, and just split. Not nearly as deserving of the praise it's being given. There She Goes gives it a little bump in quality, but it quickly dips back down to huge mediocrity. Maybe even being downright disappointing, and bad. On the bright side, there isn't a follow up album, which is good.
There She Goes was a surprise. Overall pretty decent.
It got better as the songs went on but this is super bland other than their popular song.
"There She Goes" stands up really well, and the album holds together well. Plus, I've given a lot of "3"s in a row, so good timing for The La's.
Liked this much more than expected, excellent guitar work, tight production.
Very familiar with There She Goes but didn’t know the band name. The rest of the album is a lot cooler than that song, wish they would have led with a different single.
One of my all time favorites, this album is a perfect blend of all things Britpop. What really sets it apart is the melodicism which is exquisite. I had the cassette when it came out and I wore the thing out. It goes beyond " There She Goes Again," there are so many great songs on here and it hasn't lost anything in the 3 + decades since its release. Really tragic that this was their only album. They laid the groundwork for Blur, Oasis, Pulp and the rest of Britpop.
Having heard only There She Goes, was surprised at how the rest sounded. At times it almost felt like I was listening to a British REM. Some good jangle pop, albeit a little plain at times. Seems like a good lesson against perfectionism, this was a nice start but if the band hadn't tortured themselves trying to make the perfect record they probably would have had a career with increasingly good albums
single angelic note
I obviously knew "There She Goes", but never actually knew who sang it so it was cool to learn the group who wrote that. Outside of that this album was bland. I don't need every song to be a carbon copy of that, but none of the other tracks came close to that track.
Best Track - "There She Goes"
The album that almost never was. Can’t believe this actually came out in 1990 and was the bands only album. When “There She Goes” came out in 1988 it was really popular in certain circles at our school and a group of us even went and saw them live in 1989 (they were good live but I preferred the two support bands - EAT, and Trash Can Sinatra’s). The band was splitting up and changing band members so much it’s no wonder the album took years to finish (they recorded it a load with various member changes). Although BritPop really became a big term in the mid-90’s it was 80’s bands like The LA’s, Stone Roses, and Primal Scream which helped pave the way. Whether they are to be lauded or share part of the blame depends on your taste of course. This album is alright. It’s inoffensive and has some catchy tunes which atleast makes you “hear” the album as opposed to being background music you forget is on. Probably preferred The La’s to Cast (who sprung from The La’s ashes).
The second half of the album grabbed me more than the first - enjoyed it overall
Never listened beyond There She Goes which is an all timer. This was good though, will return.
A great collection of amazing well crafted pop songs. They are perfection.
It's pretty fine. There are some parts of songs I like but ultimately it's all very samey and just fine.
There was something here at least, I can see why someone who likes this kind of music would be all over this. However, it really just didn't do anything special for my ears, even There She Goes.
A bunch of songs from some guys who grew up listening to the Beatles so the entire album sounds like the Beatles but not as good. Culturally irrelevant outside of being a one hit wonder. Does not belong on the list.
A 1989 album emulating 1960slop would normally be an auto-1⭐, but to their credit the instrumentation is solid enough to be engaging through most of this. Unfortunately that just makes it a bland experience -- whereas The Fall was so bad it makes me shudder anytime I think of Mark E. Smith, The La's existence will simply be forgotten in about two days.
This album is kinda ass. There She Goes is a good song with great guitar effects so of course they immediately decide to never make anything that sounds like it again. They try to do many things on this album, all badly. There is some weird foot stomping bluegrassy garbage, some odd ragtime crap, and a lot of tortured moaning. This is the rare album I genuinely could not finish.
There's usually a reason why one hit wonders are one hit wonders. These guys are actually pretty good, but nothing really rises to the level of their hit.
Great vibe, play in the car on a drive sometime
There's more to this than There She Goes. yes, that track is catchy and pop-y but listen to the rest and feel a little more depth.
Fuck. Now I have that song stuck in my head all day.
There She Goes is more like an anthem, it's simple with no verses and I guess very influential for Britpop. The album isn't my cup of tea and that one song stands out in an odd way. Not a fan of Freedom Song
The records that The La's emulate try to capture something vital of their moment with the technology available: they are modern and immediate. This record crams serviceable tunes into mum’s old miniskirt, anachronism as constipation.
This is an odd one, once again from 1990's top drawer but hard to date from its components. The fairly straightforward songs, their uncluttered arrangements and Mavers' heavy scouse accent gives The La's an eccentric quality that sets it outside of any particular era; it would not surprise me if extravagantly-bearded hipsters were playing something similar in an Austin bar in 2015, nor if a time-traveller came back from Lancashire during the Black Plague with a bootleg recording (at least, the recording itself wouldn't surprise me). No wonder none of Mike Hedges, John Leckie or Steve Lillywhite could capture the sound in Mavers' head correctly, as I'm not sure that sound really existed anywhere else. Regardless, there are some good tunes on here. I think "Son Of A Gun" is one of the great album openers, and even the more awkward numbers ("IOU", "Freedom Song") have their place. It was fun to hear the rumours out of Go! Discs as they desperately chased the follow-up - one week Lee's recording on a house boat, the following week recording in Corsica, the next week he's sailing the house boat to record on Sardinia. Didn't happen, of course. I am lucky to have caught one of their final gigs at the Mean Fiddler on New Years Eve (?) 1991; to be honest they didn't sound any different to these recordings as far as I remember. John Power had just quit; rather poignantly the last line on this album is "the change is Cast". Don't blame them for Oasis! Looks like I talked myself into a 5 again, certainly an interesting album and one I enjoy quite a lot on occasion.
This was fine. There She Goes slaps (even if I prefer the Sixpence None the Richer version) and it was largely enjoyable, although dragged a bit by the last 3-4 songs. Again not sure why this is 1001 Albums worthy - feels like more blah Britpop.
9/10
Another album that doesn't really strike me as anything all that impressive. Not sure why it's on this list. The most interesting thing about it for me was that it sounded more 60s than 80s/90s. Having listened to the Who's My Generation recently, I was surprised how similar they felt to me at times. I didn't really like either of them all that much, though. Nothing was really wrong with the album, so I'm not knocking it for being bad. It just seems like another album on here because of its one hit, which does not do enough to make it an important album for me. As a whole it was fine at best. Overall: 2.5/5
I really enjoyed this - only really listened to there she goes by the La's but the whole album is pretty good.
If only there was a 3.5 star option cuz this is right in the middle where I liked it and I liked to listen to it again but it wasn't quite over the top to add to my top albums that I would want to have in my digital collection.
Bis auf den einen Hit so lala
Der eine Hit reißts raus
4/5
This came out during my peak 120 Minutes viewing, and the video for "There She Goes" was in heavy rotation back then. Because that song never did much for me, I never checked out the album. This is fun, jangly Britpop, given extra import by the "one and done" legend of the La's. While I can understand people's reverence for the album—I like "Looking Glass" in particular—I don't feel like I've been missing out these past 35 years.
Of course I know "There She Goes", but would not have been able to tell you that it comes from The La's. There's a lot of strong stuff on this album. It's not exactly what I'd reach for when it's quiet at home, but it is quite enjoyable.
Not a noteworthy album
No, you don't need to listen to this before you die.
Good Autumn vibes, the big hit was actually probably my least favorite moment here, although it's still a pop gem. I recently rewatched "So I Married an Axe Murderer" and 'There She Goes' plays, no joke, at least 5 times during that movie. Top notch '90s content there!
Decent, some standouts.
I often hear them mentioned as geniuses who should have been as big as REM, then listen and think they are a perfectly fine band whose best song became their biggest hit
There She Goes, Feelin'- 💕 (love) Doledrum, Way Out- 👎 (not favourite) Son of a Gun, I Can't Sleep, I.O.U 🤷♀️ (eh) There She Goes- 🌟 (star of the whole album) Notes: "There she Goes" always reminds me of Gilmore Girls, it's the most iconic song from that series and every time I hear it, I just want to watch the series again.
The Plimsouls did it better
Pues... no mal, tampoco especialmente emocionante. Tiene sus buenos hits, pero en general me pareció algo simplón y que puedo vivir sin volverlo a escuchar.
Through the first half of this I said to myself “I don’t know this band” and then five songs in I said” Wait, I DO know this band”. Interesting hear what else a one hit wonder did. This is pretty good album that is essentially britpop before britpop. Favorites were Timeless Melody, There She Goes, and Failure.
Eh, nothing to crazy. Only two good songs on here.
Has some good riffs
Pleasant enough, didn’t mind it
Right, in a very real way - this is not a review, this is a 'They're called the La's, I'm from Liverpool, 'There She Goes' rarely leaves my Spotify rotation every summer, and this is a very servicable album. I'm giving it five stars but I'm hopelessly, hopelessly biased aren't I
There She Goes is a classic and the rest of the songs are go by pretty quick which was kind of nice in that none of the songs dragged. Overall not a bad listen.
I heard Cast long before the La's. Cast are considered a second-rate Britpop band - they're fine, but not at the Oasis level - that I think the bassist from The La's went on to form. Everyone knew There She Goes, and I was told that the album was a hidden gem, with beautiful songwriting. I'd rather listen to Cast to be honest. It's just more of your meat and potatoes "I wish it was still the 60s" dullness.
Once again, another Britpop band that had a hit song gets their whole album on this list. There She Goes warrants a Star, but the rest is a ripoff of the Kinks.
Not too bad but some tracks sounded older than 1990. Standout track: There She Goes
An imperfect album only because one song is more perfect than the others, but if this doesn't get a 5 I'm not sure anything will! Love how you can hear their influences and who they influenced, despite having a clear and recognisable sound, even with so much variety on the album.
So apparently Lee Mavers was such a perfectionist that he worked on this tirelessly until the label got fed up and decided to release the version they deemed to be definitive. Dude just went mad and (almost) never made music again. So there's some kind of a myth surrounding this album and I don't know what Mavers had in mind for the final product but to me this sounds like a solid proto-britpop album, with a jangly vibe taken from the early REM records and a nonchalent approach that can remind us of Liam from Oasis. Good stuff
This sounds like REM, but if they were good. A pretty nice discovery!
Very nice album! Beatles-infused jangle pop with an incredible delivery from the musicians and singer!
Way too many Brit pop albums on this thing.
Overall: 6/10 Pretty mediocre rock that's propped up a LOT by There She Goes, which is a pretty great song. There genuinely wasn't anything else that really stood out to me but it's also hard for me to call any of it bad. I just didn't really care all that much. Fav Song: There She Goes
It kept my interest, but it didnt do much for me
Somehow, I ended up enjoying this album more than I originally expected. The blend of 60s British pop does work great for "There She Goes" onwards on the record.
I only came in knowing “There She Goes,” but the rest of the record reveals a band with a surprisingly deep melodic instinct. It’s a tour of tight songwriting, jangly guitars, and a kind of effortless charm that feels like the missing evolutionary step between ’60s British pop and the more modern Britpop wave that followed in the 90's. Wikipedia mentions The La’s as an influence on Oasis, and you can hear that lineage immediately, with the La’s refinement of the Beatles’ tunefulness into something lean and contemporary, and Oasis later take that same DNA and blow it up stadium-wide. This album sits right in that transition point: concise, melodic.
It's whatever. There are other more notable rock bands and albums from this time period.
Kinda interesting
A bit Guns N roses vibes started off good but got repetitive after a time. The songs had good buildup but it didnt deliver as they should
Enjoyed the music but not the vocals and lyrics. It would have been great if it were an instrumental album.
Inoffensive; occasionally great
The La's, more like Lhe Ta's am I right?!
Great sound, could have been recorded in the late 60s, but not in the way that it's nice and warm, with songwriting similar to that age without sounding exactly like one band.
A great listen of indie 90's with a 60's groove. I likes it. 4/5
Fun. Lightweight, but fun.
Fabulous album, 1960's love and appreciation in the modern era with modern sounds and influence. Sounds fresh today, production value kinda high. I dig it alot. A friend always told me to listen to the La's. Now I see why.
Don’t judge an album by its single. Not that There She Goes is a bad song, but after a thousand listens over the 90s including that saccharine cover by Sixpence None the Richer I expected the album to be the soundtrack to a Freddie Prince Jr movie. Instead I got a quirky Britpop album that feels like it’s out of place in time. While the US was ramping up on grunge this band was doubling down on the Beatles and Kinks. No filler just great classic sounding music from beginning to end.
Not *that* bad, but yet another album that's on this list only because it's British and had one hit song in the 80s/90s
This is pretty good. Pretty good all the way through. The songs? Pretty good! That big hit? It's pretty good! This is the kind of album I could see myself loving at like, age 12, then revisiting as an adult and going, well it's still pretty good! But it's really never more than that.
If you have talent (which I don’t!), music is not complicated. Find some good songwriters, make some catchy songs and release an album. So many bands get caught up trying too hard to make something “epic” and they end up sounding pretentious and ultimately, boring. These guys simplified the process and the result is excellent. Simple, effective, enjoyable, still holds up 35 years later. A job well done 👍
Favorite Track: There She Goes
"There she goes" definitely stands out. The rest was okay.
Wow I hated this. Here she goes again is nice but the rest sucked
Yeah idk it's alright. I guess this was a little ahead of the britpop curve. Must've been influential or something to justify it's inclusion. Feelin' and Failures were pretty good. Obv There She Goes is a solid track. Other than that i didn't find much of it was interesting. On a side note, I saw these guys at the Rock En Seine fest in Paris in 2011 and their drummer didn't show up for some reason. They played as just a guitarist and bassist. The set was kind of a drag but props to them for carrying on with the show. Apparently that was one of their last live appearances
grand not great. 2.5
One hit wonder
Familiar with the single but not this album. Pretty impressed. the album falls off a bit towards the end, but a nice mix of like Kinks/REM/acoustic-heavy alternative. On the borderline between 4 and 5–if it had another solid single I’d bump it up easy.
There She Goes is undeniable. The rest of this album was so inoffensive that it became offensive. Is this list determined to make me dislike all British music? *listened again & I think I was just in a bad mood or something? This is definitely better than Oasis in terms of 90s Brit pop stuff. There’s some stuff closer to REM.
Knew I’d like it from the first note. Shame Oasis is the famous 90’s band from the UK
Amazing 60's pop jangle throwback as good as, if not better, than BJMs Take it From the Man and Thank God for Mental Illness. Really cool callback to Buddy Holly rocking too. I Can't Sleep, Doledrum, IOU and the closer Looking Glass stand out, obv besides their number 1 hit.
There She Goes is a timeless romcom track. Singer has a unique voice. I Can't Sleep Timeless Melody *There She Goes Way Out Looking Glass Knock Me Down
Lower average among the whiny British bands.
dnf
Tiene un sonido tranquilo británico, incluso suena un poco como a vaqueros a veces. Pero s más que todo indie parecida a la banda "The Smiths" la canción que más me gusta es "There She Goes".
Not great but still very solid. Not much to complain about, just a very good record. High 4.
Legendary album. For me it's also the quintessential Liverpool album (sorry John & Paul)
The first listen was decent, by the second listen I enjoyed each song enough to save them. I can see why many see this as a precursor to Britpop. Still, I was more ambivalent towards most of the songs and not really in love with them. Rating: 4.4
And I just can’t explain this jangle that remains.
The La's
Brit pop before Brit pop. Fun still today.
If you're only ever going to release one album then it helps if it's this good. A lot of people in the reviews are putting this album into a very different context in America to how it's viewed in Britain and it puts me in mind of that old saying about two countries separated by a common language. I know that's an oversimplification but it's an album that's the cornerstone of the UK indie scene so for an Englishman who has lived with this album for such a long time to see the La's described as one hit wonders and sub-Oasis indie that's been overhyped by the music press is hard to reconcile.
Probably worth another go. High 3 for now but the back end warrants further investigation.
Brit pop innit?!? 4
Standard 90s brit pop sound. Good but not great
Good album but unremarkable. Not sure why is this on the list.
Very kitschy. Weird to learn this wasn't older than it is. It felt pretty familiar. It's interesting that it's viewed as a precursor to the britpop boom in the 90s, and I can see it. That doesn't necessarily make it great though.
interesting
they made a couple of great bangers
3.5 stars
There She Goes... el resto zzzzz Nota: 2.7
Pretty average.
When I was at University in the late 1980s we had this guy who came to stay with us for a few months who said he was in The La's. It turned out that he was supposedly their equivalent of Bez, i.e. he wasn't in the band, but he was friends with some of them, and used to hang out. The guy also claimed that he played tambourine on one of the tracks on the album, but it might have been mixed out. Coming from Liverpool, he was an amazing shoplifter. He slept on one of my friends floor and made lot of cups of tea. Strangely, I'd only ever heard the single from this album before, having had little inclination to listen to it before. I'm not a massive fan of the retro-60s sound, but it's not as irksome as it may have been, so I'm going with 2 stars plus one extra star for the memories.
A very good listen.
So... If The Beatles are the starting point and Oasis is the ending point, this band and this album are in the exact middle. It's a fun listen with a legendary song in it. Not the best album I've heard, but it's not bad at all. 4/5
Struggle bus
I think this is a 3, but needs another listen in case it’s a 4. Mellow vibes
definitely one of the rock albums of all time. could have went without hearing it before I die, tbh
Pretty average
Decent album, few standouts but nothing to special; enjoyed it
Mostly just generic rock, nothing bad, but nothing too interesting either. Except for a couple. Freedom Song was pretty interesting. And the best was There She Goes. I didn't even know they sang it originally, I've only ever heard the Tatu version. Best song: There She Goes
This has nothing to do with the album but they got a really nice eye model
Rating: 7.5/10 Unusually catchy melodies throughout the album, the longer songs bring it down.
Cool pop rock album, definitely has it's moments like i can't sleep, there she goes and looking glass.
Other than the song that everyone knows this was quite a boring album.
This is a lovely wee album. Why have I never sought this one out before? So much more than the basic Britpop some reviewers are saying. Great songs, some clever musical touches and a bit of variety thrown in. Love it
5/10
21/1001 :: The La’s - The La’s Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 7 Fav Tracks: Way Out, Feelin’ I didn’t think I was going to know a single song on this album but upon listening, discovered “There She Goes” was very familiar. Not sure if I remember it from the 90s or the recognize it from one of the many soundtracks it’s graced (So I married an axe murderer)… Either way, that song is OK IMO but the rest of this album is very very good. I’m assuming this band was bigger in the UK than the states? But yeah, that song doesn’t even really sound like the rest of the album which are all fun indie rock pop songs. Not much of an edge to them but well crafted. The most I listened to this album the more I liked it too. I said I would revisit, that might be a lie but I probably should.
Sounds like a catchier version of REM. Not bad, but is it essential? I don't think so. Favorite song: there she goes
The best part of this was when it was over Spotify’s algorithm played Pulp. That’s Britpop I want to hear, but I wonder if it’s even on this list. This was another album I don’t understand why it made the cut. I suppose it sounded like generic late 60s Brit rock and whoever made this list has a massive thing for that.
Classic album, although not perfect it was very influential. Timeless Melody needs more radio airplay as its far superior to There She Goes
yoooooooo These guys are the ones who sing There She Goes!! from "So I Married an Axe Murderer". I had no idea until it came on just now. 5th track! Nice.
64/1001. File under "missed when it came out which is too bad I would have enjoyed it quite a lot sounds quite nice but it might be too late to fall in love with this band anymore definitely worth a few more listens sounds like Britpop of the 90s which it is rather than timeless I don't have anything against the bassist James Joyce's skills but I still prefer his books". Or did I write this kind of review already?
This album feels kind of like a mixed bag. There She Goes is very clearly an All Timer of pop songs. However, the rest of the album features a lot of songs that drag and repeat for extended periods of time. I think I would give this album another listen, but I don’t know how soon that would be.
Not sure why this is on the list of albums you need to hear before you die. It's totally forgettable.
I was starting yo like this when it turned stupid on track 13 or so.
A lot different then what I normally listened to but super good, sounds a lot more authentic if that makes sence. Added to my playlist!!
Dubbing this album the OG indie. The album sounds like something I would have been super into if I was in my 20s at the time. I thought there were some good bops outside of the super trendy There She Goes.
One song does not make an album
Ihan hyvä tällainen ysärilevy! Välillä tulee aika kovia REM ja Smiths -viboja 3/5
Omanlaisensa saundi, joka varmaan ollut synnyttämässä koko jangle popin pikkugenreä. ei ihan nelonen kumminkaan.
Solid
I had never heard of this band before now, and I’m glad I did because it’s great!
One hit wonder. 90s sounding rock. Not bad. Some interesting tracks.
“There She Goes” and the second to last song were the only ones I liked
90s psyop
Wasn’t a huge fan of this. Has the There She Goes single that was fine, and there was a bonus song at the end that had a nice crunchy lo-fi vibe to it, but overall not great.
Rock Noventero
This is #day334 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here come the lads. An important record laying the foundations for the '90s Britpop and the early '00s and late '10s indie. What's on it? Jangle and guitar pop drawing on the '60s sound, not entirely to my liking. "There She Goes" is a nice light-hearted summery tune, but it fails to carry the whole album... Guess I'm landing on a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day335.
Ok 2/5
Fendi cool wies eifach so es glöcklechs Albom esch. Halt, obwohl relativ spot, emmer no es zemlech typisches 80er Albom, starch beiflosst vob de Beatles. The La's Zeigt I dem Albom Songs wo guet Werked. So esch es med Nome guet gsoelt und gsonge, es passt au emmer no rächt guet ofenand ond es he'd einigi grossi Riffs. Eis Lied wo förestecht esch "There she goes" ond das zeigt au was ech a dem Album chli beduure. Meischtens esches entweder e Geili Melodie oder t Stemm esch guet. Das heisst entweder hesch e huere Güte instrumentale teil aber de Sänger sengt öppis ned work Kohärenz vor sech he oder es werd emmer öppe s gliiche met ein oder zwei instromänt deför e baba Stemm velecht sogar im Kanon. "There she goes" kombiniert bedi wases Zone rechtige Banger macht. Die andere send scho au guet, aber halt nie e rechtige Banger. Zudem Hess es paar rächt wierdi Songs wo t Stemmig au nömm so guet each. Im allgemeine aber emmer rächt guet und e super Stemmig.
Great record by a criminally underrated band.
At different times sounding like REM, Smashmouth, and the Kinks. Not amazing, but There She Goes is the standout track, though I’m familiar with a different version.
Ah yes that song that played every time I was in the car in the 90s.
"The La's" is the only studio album by English rock band the La's. Alternative rock, jangle pop and skiffle are the Wiki-listed genres. Skiffle is a genre of folk music. OK, they hit all three. The album took some time to release and went through multiple producers and musicians due to principle songwriter, lead singer and guitarist Lee Mavers' exacting expectations. The album that was released had Steve Lillywhite do the final mix. The band did not like the final version and disowned it. Besides Mavers, the other core bandmembers included John Power (bass, backing vocals), Peter Camell (lead guitars) and Neil Mavers (drums, tambourine). The album received substantial critical acclaim for its 60's influenced sound, reminiscent of the British invasion and different than other acts at the time. It is also credited as an important precursor to Britpop. Commercially, the album reached #30 in the UK and #196 in the US. "Son of a Gun" opens the album with acoustic and electric guitars. There's a funky beat with the percussion and jangle to the music. It's about a man who still lives in the past with his best years behind him. Alright, off to a decent start. "Timeless Melody" layers the guitars. An off-kilter beat. There's a dual guitar solo. I hear jangle and shoegaze and a harder edge. It's about writing a song. "There She Goes" has a wonderful guitar melody. Mavers and his falsetto. Nice backing vocals. A great, great song. Mavers said later this was not about drugs although the lyrics fit really well. Alright, a girl then. The final of the four released singles is "Feelin'." A strumming acoustic guitar and here's your 60's sounding electric guitar. A bouncy beat and the guitars become layered. What's he feeling? Drugs? A girl? Morning Glory? Wow, they get a twang thing going in "Way Out." Dare I say Grateful Dead-ish? Yes, I just did. Another song that could interpreted about being about drugs or girls or both. This is a solid album. The songs are mostly short and enjoyable. I agree with some of the reviews I read; the musical style is somewhat hard the pinpoint. I heard jangle, shoegaze, folk, blues and even country. I also did hear shades of what would influence Britpop. Anyway, "There She Goes" is one of the best songs from that late 80's/early 90's time frame and this an album is worth a listen from all.
There She Goes deserves its ubiquity, but I think the whole 'Lee Mavers is the great lost genius of British pop' mythology raised my expectations a bit too high for this.
This is pretty boring for something influenced by 60s jangle-pop. There are a couple gems though and overall it's not too bad.
There she goes. I think these are the guys that only made one album? I don’t get the fuss. Very very British.
Quality pop rock
Only really liked there she goes
There She Goes holds a deep love for me from The Parent Trap (much like any millennial girl). Everything else was fine to enjoyable
nothing stood out besides "there she goes" but a pleasant enough listen. i might need to re-evaluate my rating system because 3s are catching everything from forgettable pleasant music to classics that i don't "Love"
High 3, maybe medium 3, it was just okay, thanks i guess
Pre-listening thoughts: what a bizarre inclusion bro. Like who asked for this Post/during listening thoughts: wtf was this besides There She Goes????? It was the most basic ass 90s album ever. Poor man’s REM. Why the hell would anyone listen to this and say “yeah this needs to make the list above the Cranberries” fuck you Robert Dimery 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: There She Goes Least fav tracks: Freedom Song
Yup this is very ok. Won't ever listen to it again.
It’s just ok. Pretty generic 90s alt pop. Only song I’ve heard before is There She Goes, which was overplayed and overhyped. This album has no cohesion between tracks. Some of the transitions are actually very jarring.
For britpop, this wasn't bad. Lots of variety. The back half didn't do much for me.
Mid brit shit again
Pretty mid. 3/5
Maybe a stretch for this to make the list, but all in all not too bad. Some of side 2 reminds me a little bit of the early Stones.
This album has one of my favorite covers of all time - There She Goes. It's a good album.
Fun record with the sound of its era. Nothing too memorable, but it's enjoyable to listen to. The music is quirky and upbeat and the vocals add nice accompaniment. I'd listen to it again.
Might have been my mood this day, but although I really liked individual songs, the album started to feel a bit samey.
Was initially planning on a 3 thinking this would be another generic British pop album, but it grew on me the more I listened, so I'm bumping to a 4.
Great Britpop bursting with personality and fun musical choices. Strong songwriting and confident style in equal measure. It’s a fast-paced album too. I want to go back and listen again because one listen wasn’t enough. Oh and it has the original version of “There She Goes” — it sounds just as good with that English drawl.
"There She Goes" has to be one of the better songs of the 1990's, and is for me forever tied to being one of those "90's movie soundtrack" songs, as when I hear it I can visualize some credits rolling with a montage of a young couple driving off to college. I'm sure if I look it up it will say it was only in like two movies though and I'm just misremembering, but my imagination is doing its thing! It is funny how deceptively simple this song is however- it's only choruses and a bridge. You're never given a verse or any kind of consistent changes outside of that great A minor chord on "And I just can't complain, this feeling that remains". The rest of the album has some nice moments on it but I have a feeling will be somewhat forgetful for me compared to that one standout track, and thus my review kind of reflects that. It's a nice album with one really great song on it.
Didn’t recognize the band or the album, felt like it was just okay and then a couple hits pop up right in the middle and it closed pretty well.
Felt fresh at first. Then familiar when I reached their big radio hit. And then it started to wear out its welcome. Not enough going on here to sustain my interest.
Very enjoyable album. I wasn't familiar with The La's but definitely knew the song "There She Goes".
Eh, it's OK...oh, they wrote THAT song. 90s one hit wonder. Not bad, but not worth listening.
Ordentliche 90er Jahre Musik die gut zu hören ist auch durch die Country Einschläge. Überdurchschnittlich ist aber nur „There She Goes“
Психоделия возвращается, снова ...
I was excited to hear the rest of this after being so familiar with “There she goes” from the 90’s classic film “So I married an ax murderer”. That has always been one of those songs that sticks in your head for days after hearing it. While some of the rest was decent, for me none of it came close to reaching the bar set by the single. Rounding up for the impact made by the inclusion on the movie soundtrack. 2.5/5
This was a very perplexing listen. The 60s-esque influences are obvious (Kinks, early Who, etc.) and they definitely started laying some foundation for 90s Brit-pop. Short, pleasant somewhat catchy songs that in the end just weren’t quite memorable. I wanted to like this more, but outside of the obvious hit…it just left me hanging.
Obviously we’re all overly familiar with one song here, but not sure that’s a positive. This to me sounded like a lot of other bands of this era. Pretty avg
Of course There She Goes is quite the hit. But huge drop from there. Also crazy that it was covered and another hit just 7 years later. I liked it but didn’t grab my ear holes too hard.
Didn’t like this as much as expected after reading about it and seeing it showed up on some “best of” lists. Pretty solid for a one and done band, but not enough for me to round up. There She Goes is a banger, obvi. 3.25/5
Not my thing.. didn't like it
Almost like the Beatles with an early 90's vibe.
Sounds like an 80's rock band except in 1990. Not bad, but unremarkable. There she Goes the standout. Also enjoy Feelin'
I was doubtful, but ended up liking more or less most of this album. It has an interesting spectrum of sound. Nothing totally standout, but a good listen!
1990' and sounding like the Beatles, The Monkees, The Kinks, a couple of fair songs nothing outstanding for me on this album.
Plenty of good, but not outstanding tracks with the common issue of a couple of fillers stuffed in the back half of the album that drag it down Freedom Song, an unexpected gem Top track: There She Goes ( the obvious choice, but still a belter)
Found his voice grating after a while.
1HitWda
Absolute classic, one of the great british debut albums. My first 5 stars.
There She Goes is a 5 star track I’ll never tire of. The rest hold up to repeat listening with all the classic references to garage rock, Bowie and The Kinkd
They run through their favourite bits of the 60's.
Probably worth 3.5
There is so much great music from the UK. Even with the author's UK bias, why is this on the list? Because it influenced arguably better bands in the 90s? I'm getting sick of Britpop pretty quickly. Yeah, I've heard There She Goes. It's good, not great. Everything else ranges from fades into the background to actively annoying.
As much as I love "There She Goes", the rest of the tracks don't do anything for me. The other tracks were decent at best. Those gritty, harsh vocals don't do it for me. Favourite Track(s): There She Goes Least Favourite Track(s): I Can't Sleep
When "There She Goes" came on, this album clicked for me.. I was trying to figure out the familiarity but couldn't place it. Definitely has that "American Pie" vibe to it which was basically my bread and butter as a pre-teen so this album really played to the nostalgia factor.
This project so far has taught me that I don’t really enjoy britpop and this is the fifth britpop album I’ve gotten in the 72 albums that have been generated so far. That being said, I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit more than I expected. It’s probably on par with (What's The Story) Morning Glory for me. Not sure if that’s just because my expectations have gotten really low for britpop, but this one feels a lot more original, more raw rock and roll, and less derivative like some of the others.
There she goes !
This was even better than I expected
no me gusto
That "There She Goes" royalty money must be insane. Good for them if true. But its pretty good Brittish pop rock. Nothing too special other than that song that's been in all movies. But a good enough listen. I appreciate the levity. Tight 35 minutes. No wasted time. Just in and out with a good experience.
I’m familiar with The La’s “There She Goes,” and I’ve seen this album cover countless times, but I’ve never listened to anything other than The La’s most famous song. These early nineties albums have been extremely hit-or-miss with me (hooray for Ride and The Cocteau Twins! Boo The Shamen and Happy Mondays), so this album will probably fall at one extreme end of the spectrum for me. If the rest of it is anything like “There She Goes,” The La’s will probably find themselves in the company of Ride in my book! Hmm, The La’s will be landing closer to Happy Mondays for me. As far as the positives of this album are concerned, “There She Goes” is an absolute delight. I’ve heard this song used in tons of shows and movies, but I’d never actually sat down and listened to it before. It’s an absolutely beautiful song, with some amazing guitar playing that was perfectly layered. The main melody is so simple, but so catchy. The falsetto vocals are incredible too, and they’re a perfect conduit for the lyrics to this song. “Song of a Gun” was good as well, although it was not in the same orbit as “There She Goes.” I liked the guitar playing and the clopping percussion sound, but as the opening track, the vocals were not what I expected, because they were nothing like the falsetto on “There She Goes.” I also enjoyed “Timeless Melody,” where the vocals were a bit reminiscent of Morrissey. The closing track, “Looking Glass” was very good too. It had a really unique and pleasant sound that I enjoyed, and I didn’t mind that it went on for close to eight minutes. As for the rest of the album, I found it to be pretty bland. The guitar playing was fine, but I didn’t find anything particularly noteworthy about the other eight songs on this album. “Freedom Song” was the only one that I thought was particularly bad though; its tempo, vocals, and guitar melody were all pretty unpleasant, and it stuck out like a sore thumb from the rest of the album. I didn’t think this was a bad album, but I didn’t think it met the qualifications of something I had to listen to before I die. It’s interesting as a bridge between The Smiths and Brit Pop, and it has one smash song, but other than that, it doesn’t bring a lot to the table.
Well I’ll be a Sonf of a Gun. I Can’t Sleep with this Timeless Melody playing.