Beauty And The Beat

This album is yet another example of why the 1001 journey is great. Because the album is great…and I never would have listened to it otherwise. The consistency of the tracks is remarkable. They are high energy, and there isn’t a bad one, nor even a mediocre on IMHO, in the whole lot. I wouldn’t say any individual track is amazing on its own, but 11 very, very good tracks on a row is elite. Belinda Carlisle’s, who I hadn’t known started out in The Go-Gos, vocals are wonderful as are the harmonies with the backup vocalists. The instrumentalists each stand out at various moments throughout the album. However, the bass guitar deserves the most recognition to me. It and the drums are the driving force behind this boot-sole-to-the-chest pop album. I can’t believe this is the first, and still only, all-female band debut album that topped the Billboard where the band wrote all the songs and played all the instruments. There are a couple qualifying categories there, but this fact is still insane to me. That alone has to make this one of the most important female albums of all time. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Mano eu fui ouvir esse álbum louco pra cagar. Tive que ir no banco sentindo umas pontadas no cu. Fui no banco não consegui resolver nada tive que voltara pé pra casa sentindo as pontadas no cu. 1 hora andando sem poder fumar pra não cagar. Eu fumei. Foi horrível. Não deu pra apreciar.

Well, this one took my by surprise. Everyone knows The Go-Go's big hit "We Got The Beat" of course. That's where my knowledge of them ended until today. This is considered a cornerstone Nu Wave band but damn if it doesn't sound like a poppy punk album to me. A freaking great one at that. I found myself absolutely cranking this one and loving it. No negatives. Haters be damned, this album is fire. Loved it.

The songs kind of sound like they’d be used in some Jimmy Neutron montage

A classic. Not just an 80's classic, not just a new wave classic. A classic. I could bump this all day

“Beauty and the Beat” by The Go-Go’s (1981) Not familiar with this album. I’ve heard of this group. This album is pop. Musically, very simple, reminds me of The Archies and every other commercial pop group of the late 1960s. Instrumentals are plain. Lead and backing vocals lack talent. Poor diction and pitch control. No power. No vibrato. Songs seem to be written specifically for singers with limited range. Good engineering and mixing. Well-produced. Actually these are the talents on display in this album. “Lust to Love” had the potential for a powerful, driving rock song, but the vocals and instrumentals weren’t up to it. Almost every song ends with a too definite slam on the tonic. I wanted to say “cha cha cha” after each one. Lyrics are sappy. Even when they strain to sound profound, the “pony” and the “watusi” are so desperately retro. Cringe. I can only think of one reason why any record label would have wanted to sign them. 1/5

Aw New Wave. You make my heart go Oingo Boingo.

Super fun and Joyous.

Omg how did I not know these people? I knew half the songs already, classics!

Probably the best all girl band ever. They are highly underrated. Two absolute bangers here but every song is good. Great musicians, great vocals. They are synonymous with summer for me...partly maybe because I saw them play in July of 1984 (INXS opened...great show!)

Very refreshing! A upbeat, feel good rock-pop album with many catchy songs. Individual songs could be a bit longer

An album so great, they never even tried to top it. "Beauty and the Beat" sounds like 1981, yet somehow timeless at the same time. "Our Lips Are Sealed" is a classic opener, letting all 5 members shine and setting you up for everything. And the rest of the album is full of absolute bangers. I'm surprised this didn't have at least 4 more monster singles. The Go-Go's would throw out a few more albums, even have some more hit singles, but their long overdue Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame election is because of this album. Truth be told, there's an argument suggesting Belinda Carlisle had a more successful career than the Go-Go's. I don't necessarily agree with that; Carlisle had more hit singles (including a number 1 in "Heave On Earth"), but I couldn't come up with a title of one of her solo albums to save my life. But this album is still as close to a perfect blend of new-wave meets power-pop as you'll ever hear.

Big love for The Beauty And The Beat! The gorgeous and bad ass 80s new wave rockers stole my heart in high school and still give me a rise when I hear their music. Fun album!

New wave goodness. Wild that this was recorded nearly 40 years ago.

Radio tracks are solid! They have aged quite well. The deeper tracks are not as robust.

This was a fun album! After listening to this, I can now hear the fingerprints of The Go Go's on many more modern bands, including one of my favorites, Harvey Danger. I assume this album made the list because it was one of the first albums with this sound, which, with a 1981 release date, would make sense to me based on my limited musical knowledge Also, great album title. My personal enjoyment: 3/5 Did it belong on this list: 4/5

The Go-Go's are one of the original all girl pop punk bands. What a joy to listen to this album in full. I was already across their two main hits in Our Lips Are Sealed and We Got the Beat, but the whole album was full of great songs that really makes you feel like you're a part of their girls club, in the best possible way. Best: Our Lips Are Sealed; We Got the Beat Worst: Skidmarks On My Heart

I'd never heard of this band before, but this was excellent.

A few songs I recognized and new ones I'd listen to again. All around just sounding nice and happy.

Pretty standard stuff, couple of good hits, not much else.

A crisp packet floating like gossamer in a gentle Spring breeze, but filmed with a faded neon filter and replayed at x3 speed. Yum.

Great pop rock album from beginning to end!

Classic 80s vibes!

This debut from the 80s all-girl new wave group would have been quite good if all of the songs didn’t feel so plain and average. I know there were hits but there wasn’t anything that jumped out as quality or even being properly distinctive and memorable. Literally is just plain all-girl new wave-sound and no keeper songs. The Bangles afterwards would do a much grander job. 3 stars because technically not bad, just average.

Un album qui a particulièrement plu à mon compère roblumière, lui étant je le rapelle président du fan club des groupes de pétasses. 4 mois après les New York Dolls, c'était donc au tour des Go-Go danseuses de faire chavirer le coeur de notre ami, qui s'empressa de se munir de son vernis à ongle pour lancer cet album. Je dois bien lui reconnaitre que cette fois, cet album était excellent.

The female Power Pop group The Go-Go's released this debut album in the heights of early 80's New Wave and definitely set a standard in terms of what modern Pop music can be. While this album isn't nearly as adventurous as for example the Talking Heads around that same time, this album still had some nice elements within. At least back then. I personally think that the album hasn't aged all that well. From my modern day perspective, it's pretty bland and samey although there is definitely something to be found here. It's just not really my thing. The opening track 'Our Lips Are Sealed' shows what the album is: a fun New Wave & Power Pop album with elements of Post-Punk similar to what B-52's or even the Talking Heads might do. The song is without a doubt fun and for those who are interested with this type of music, fine, I get how someone enjoys this but I am just a little annoyed. The vocals feel pushed and the instrumental parts feel like they don't really fit together. It's not a bad song and I actually "like" the song to a certain degree but not much more. It's an okay song that is very much a song of its times. The quite Jangle Pop sounding 'How Much More' definitely feels like a forerunner of the Smiths. The elements of Twee Pop are also pretty nice and cutesy and I think the song overall just fits together much better but not enough for me to love it. This is simply a fine song that doesn't hurt to listen to but it definitely does not get me excited for anything. The background guitars in 'Tonite' give it a touch of early Rock n' Roll and the obvious Dance elements together with the quite phenomenal chorus make this actually really enjoyable. My main problem are the instrumental bridges and the way the song is structured. It often feels broken up or like they weren't even finished with building tension. It all just releases way too early to be fully enjoyable. But all that aside, the chorus is incredible and this is one of my favourite songs on the album even if it's not more than a "good" song. The moment I heard 'Lust to Love' I felt like listening to Lose Yourself by Eminem but apparently he didn't sample/interpolate this song and its just an accident that they sound similar... Anyway, the song's okay. The riff definitely carries this one because both verses and chorus are pretty average. All of it feels very... off. And the couple nice moments sadly cannot outweigh the fact that the song is mainly very boring. It's just an average 80's pop song. The albums first half already ends with 'This Town' which is somewhat of a step-up as the music itself fits together much better and the song itself averages itself out into being very much average. The song has no moments that make it interesting at any point and the moments that do stick out, don't do it because they are good. The song is either annoying or boring which makes it a very obvious below average candidate. Side B starts with 'We Got the Beat' the track that probably gave the album its title. The album mainly tries to work with the chorus which is a bad idea because the chorus is basic and not really good. The bridges are boring and again, come way too early. I do not enjoy a single second of what this song brings onto the table. It's genuinely a bad song with even worse transitions between the parts that make up the song. The more psychedelic and Post Punk approach to 'Fading Fast' is definitely not a bad idea as the song is much better than most the album offered so far. The song works: the transitions between verse, chorus & bridge are good, the structure is good and even the chorus has something. This might actually be the best song so far. It's not anything remotely close to being incredible but it's definitely a great song. And if that wasn't enough, 'Automatic' now brings in some inspirations from the Goth Rock scene. It's much darker than everything here so far but it comes at a cost. The song sadly doesn't work all that well again. I really like the Post Punk guitar and the atmosphere but the songwriting is sometimes really awful and way too faltering to actually work. The song sadly turns out bland and boring as well as feeling a little annoying here and there which does make it slightly below of what I call average. 'You Can't Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)' goes Pop again and sadly not with much quality. The song is just annoying and nothing sounds interesting or good. The song isn't completely awful as the bridge is not terrible but the rest just makes this a pretty bad song overall. The lyrics and the chorus are also just really stupid. This right here, is easily the worst song on the album. The more openly Punk 'Skidmarks on My Heart' is a little better even if it's absolutely corny. It's not really interesting or pleasent to the ears but the album had bigger accidents on it. It's still a bad song but definitely not as bad as its predecessor. The albums closing track 'Can't Stop the World' definitely puts a sonic end to the album. It picks a lot of the Pop styles up again and puts them together in a song that's just very, very boring. It's not as bad as some other songs but it's far away from being good. favourites: Fading Fast, Tonite least favourites: You Can't Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep), We Got the Beat, Skidmarks on My Heart Rating: light 5 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Recognizable bubble-gum sound. Good for them, not interesting for me.

It is certainly better than the hit singles would suggest, but it is still a bit monochromatic in that way 80s op albums often were.

Best Song: How Much More. I'm a huge fan of upbeat songs with bleak or melancholy lyrics, and this fits that theme perfectly. The use of repetition really amplifies the song here. Worst Song: We've Got The Beat. Despite being clearly the most popular song here, it really just comes off as overly bubblegum in a way that quickly becomes annoying. Overall: There are brief moments here where the music transcends the sterile, saccharine 80s trappings, but ultimately it ends up descending into that sugar pile. An album that is okay to listen to once, but you need to brush your teeth immediately after.

Meh, all pretty samey.

i get it

A banger from start to finish. I didn’t know what to expect only having heard the hits but I was optimistic from those and it did not disappoint. When you need an album to get you going and keep you going.

A great album or the right album at the right time, that is the question. Nonetheless, the only album written and performed by an all female group to go to number one. Holds up well as tightly written, imminently catchy, well produced pop songs. While it frequently gets categorized as new wave (and often referred to as a cornerstone of the genre), it is more good old fashioned power pop. That is probably responsible for its enduring appeal.

There weren't many things out there like the Go-Go's in 1981--trust me, I was there. A fun album, with a great lead-off song,, "Our Lips are Sealed."

Not the biggest fan of the vocals, but a nice album overall. Light 4 stars

First thing I see on this album is the logo for the IRS label; you know, the group that introduced the world to R.E.M., Oingo Boingo, and . . . Fine Young Cannibals. Knowing a few Go-Go's songs, IRS seems to enjoy an eclectic roster of artists. Let's dig in . . . The light-punk-pop sound and surf-jangly guitars of "How Much More" reminds me of The Kids In The Hall theme song. The vocal harmonies gives me the impression that this is the natural progression of the Ronettes and the Supremes. This is the girl power of the day. "Lust To Love" is reminiscent of the early years of The Cure's no-distortian punk while "This Town" continues in the shagadelic post-disco stylings of the B-52's. "We Got The Beat" has a Toni Basil "Hey Mickey" cheering and breakdown I haven't noticed before. "Can't Stop The World" starts off feeling like lablemates R.E.M.'s "Radio Free Europe." The upbeat "You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)" makes you realize just how tight the band are; I had to look up if they played their instruments or if they were figureheads for a manufactured girl group. Not only do they play every note, they write all of their own songs. They are no gimmic, the Go-Go's are the real deal. They are hard to categorize. Punk, but not punk, pop but not bubblegum pop, familiar yet unique. A little surf in there too. Extra points for doing their own thing.

I was really looking forward to hearing “Cruel Summer” when I put this on, because let’s face it, it’s been a cruel summer so far with the wildfire smoke pollution back at it again here in the Northeast. I soon realized that “Cruel Summer” is by Bananarama, however. Maybe I got them confused because of the Go-Go’s song “Vacation”. Whatever the reason, Beauty and the Beat is pretty great record, an unexpected surprise - less poppy and with more of a punk-ish edge than I figured. But it was on the I.R.S label, so I guess that tracks. The guitar is great, the vocals are great, the songs are great. Nothing to complain about here, really solid record.

Pretty good, consistently strong tracks. "Our lips are sealed" > "We got the beat". Revolutionary in 1981 I'm sure, though listening in the modern day it sounds a little samey.

Un excellent album de la part de ce groupe de gonzesses survoltées. Le titre How Much More a d'ailleurs été choisi comme générique de l'émission Petits plats en équilibre présenté par Laurent Mariotte et accompagne aujourd'hui à merveille les passages très télégéniques de cuisson au four.

This was a really fun album to listen to. There were some songs that I had heard before. The new wave sound took me back to playing grand theft auto vice city. This was praised as being one of the first new wave albums.

I like this, but I feel God wants me to enjoy it more. I’ve listened to it three times today! It’s fun! But I can’t remember any songs a few hours later, just Carlisle’s voice cutting through as of from another room, and defiantly thin guitars!

our lips are sealed - 7/10 how much more - 7/10 tonite - 5/10 lust to love - 6/10 this town - 5/10 we got the beat - 4/10 fading fast - 4/10 automatic - 4/10 you can’t walk in your sleep - 6/10 skidmarks on my heart - 6/10 can’t stop the world - 6/10

80’s pop meh.

decently okay

It wasn’t absolutely horrible but it was not my cup of tea and I don’t need to listen to it again.

not for me, found the lead far to screechy

At least it was short

Really only kept afloat by the first song, which was actually written by Terry Hall of the Specials

Fun and spunky new wave pop songs. Can't justify more than 2* considering what I just gave Hendrix, and I prefer Fun Boy Three's take and Belinda's big solo hits

Good but not my cup o' tea

This is part of the reason I think 80s music sucks. It's just obnoxious. Shitty singing, bland repetitive music, it's not good.

Objectively imprecise, subjectively gimmicky, occasionally catchy.

Trash

What a load of old shit.

Quite dull.

Saccharine, blood-curdling album cover didn't help

Meh

80's girl coming of age songs. The whole album sounds the same except track 7. Not feeling any of it. 1.5 star

Interesante primer disco de The Go-Go’s, de escucha fácil (tres veces seguidas en mi caso) y buen regusto final. Se siente fresco y no tiene mucho olor a viejuno. Buen ejemplo de la new wave y clara influencia para muchas bandas de los 80. “Our Lips Are Sealed” y “We Got The Beat” son los puntos álgidos del disco, pero yo tengo predilección “How Much More”, quizá porque me recuerda a “Rusholme Ruffians” de The Smiths (¿Johnny Marr copión?)

A pretty upbeat album with that classic rockish vibe, reminds me of teen beach movie lol Enjoyable, bring this type of music back

The Go-Go’s, girl empowerment extraordinaire for tween Gen X’ers!! I had just turned 12 in the fall of ‘81 when this came out, the peak age for this. And I ate it up with a spoon—Belinda Carlisle equal parts adorable and dangerous, the punk attitude of their roots, updated 60s-girl group style, and blistering drums and bass-fueled beats, as well as irresistible hits “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips are Sealed.” I don’t care if nostalgia is fueling a several grade-inflation, this shit’s a 5.

Fun to dance to with the kids

Richtig schönes Gute-Laune-Power-Pop-Album

Hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen. Habe die Songs gefühlt auch schon alle gekannt, aber immer nur als Cover Song. Allein das zeigt ja schon wie wichtig die sind.

Takes me back to high school. Just as fun to listen to all these decades later. Classic.

5 stars - Really enjoyable

Awesome

Great album.

damn, this slaps!!!! i knew we got the beat and our lips are sealed before this, but the rest of the album is chockablock with solid new wave tracks. i kept wanting to make comparisons to blondie for obvious reasons but there's so much more to it than that. a lot of these songs sound like themes for miles "tails" prower from the sonic the hedgehog games. maybe that's just belinda carlisle's voice and the overall vibes, quick chord changes, and tonal shifts. favorites: everything, really. though fading fast and automatic were the weakest for me personally.

Отличный альбом, очень мне понравился. Легкий и задорный панк-рок в духе 80-х, полностью женский коллектив, песни воодушевляющего характера под бодрые гитары, громкие барабаны и звонкий бас. Ну просто замечательная запись, ни одного плохого трека, залетела на ура.

Sounds of my adolesence! I love this album!

Enjoyed getting to hear this album as a whole for the first time. And then starting to unpeel the stories of each of the group members.

Hard to top this for 80's pop.

Never heard of this album before, but I’m glad I found it. The songs are insanely catchy, the songwriting is sharp, and the vocals have that perfect 90s feel. The album art is iconic and fits the vibe perfectly. Overall, it’s a genuinely enjoyable listen from start to finish. 9/10.

YUPPPPPP, reminds me of my mom!

Totally a breath of fresh air. What a great album.

A female new Wave band(actually they emerged from the punk scene but they evolved into a pop/punk band to be precise) with an early Belinda Carlisle in it and tight playing couldn't be more than an outstanding album that i actually own.And it might still is the only one pop/punk album that had clear vocals..! From the beginning you can hear what you are getting into and i tell you, you won't regret it for even one second! My most favourite songs(excerpt the whole album) are: Tonite,Lust To Love(Blondie vibes right there),This Town(although the refrain could be better),Fading Fast,Automatic(creative and interesting),You Can't Walk In Your Sleep(If You Can't Sleep). This album review really made my day after 2 previous dissapointing ones.It's a stellar record. 5/5 all the way!

Independent women in kinda „new wave-rage“. Definitely the better side of belinda carlisle :-)

Just started playing this album and i already know I'll love it because I LOVE WOMEN

can listen to this all day

5/5 - I needed to hear this, because I only know their hits. This was a solid debut album that was a lot of fun to listen to a couple times through. If you’re looking for depth here, you’re not gonna find it, but it’s perfect for what it sets out to be.

This feels like the ultimate new wave album. It ticks all the new wave boxes, but also has a lot of variety and is a lot of fun. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

80s Girl Power Pop. And it is awesome! Just a killer album with banger after banger. Loved this from start to finish. Such a fun listen.

Grave aimé, je me suis bien ambiancée, un peu entre Superbus et les Beach Boys, j'y reviendrai le pense. Mention spéciale à "Fading Fast"

Amazing

Increibly strong debut album. Less consistently solid that the two albums to follow, but still packed with strong pop-rock compositions. I bought this the first time I saw it in a record store almost 45 years ago and never regretted it.

Great proto pop punk album. Plenty of attitude with catchy beats.

I audibly gasped when I saw this was my album for the day. Even though I’m a 90’s baby, my mom introduced me to the Go-Gos early and I’ve always had a special relationship with this album, so my review is biased. It’s fun, it’s a little feminist, it’s surfy, it’s funky. Do the songs get a little repetitive? Sure, but never in a bad way. Best songs are This Town and Automatic. Belinda’s vocals are just as good so many years later.

One of the greatest albums ever produced. I will not be taking questions.

Track 1: always a bop, enjoyed this one greatly Track 2: kinda just blended all together for me. Bland. Track 3: I liked this one. I was bouncing to it Track 4: liking the flow of this one. This one is my favorite Track 5: this song is one to listen to when you get ready to hit the clubs at night. Track 6: well known, a bop. Always loved. Track 7: different from the first 6 songs, but appreciate it. My ears liked this one. Will be adding to faves. Track 8: another favorite on this album. The flow was nice. I've been sitting outside listening to this album and this was nice. Track 9: similar tune to the first couple songs. Another bop, was someone in the band tired??? Track 10: I love this one! Just danced out to it. Track 11: great song to end on. I pretty much loved this while album. There hasn't been a song that I've just outright disliked or wouldn't listen to again.

Big unexpected fun

thoughts: listening to some of the deeper cuts makes me think… is this where pop punk started? (probably not but it’s gotta be one of the first truly prominent albums to showcase the sound.) one of the catchier albums i’ve heard so far in this exercise; the hooks and the vocals are catchy as hell but even more so, they’re so obviously talented that they’re earning the earworms. songs: “how much more”, “we got the beat”, “fading fast” rating: 9.5/10

These were bops and so much fun! I could listen to this over and over.

This is a fantastic collection of pop-rock songs. Great guitar riffs and vocals. They have a really great synergy. Interesting that they started out as a punk band. I like this more with every listen. Our Lips are Sealed and We Got the Beat are of course the hits but there are so many other good songs on here that I've never heard before. Tonight, Lust to Love, Fading Fast, Automatic. There's not a bad song on this album. Pretty awesome debut!

You go girls, this album rocks! Loved it all.

i really love the 80s sound coming through. i already knew of the album, but i loved the cohesion and how it sounded overall. we got the beat!

Gøy!

No notes. perfect

There is nothing better than listening to the '80s - and enjoying it more the second time around. So great to hear a talented group of women inject energy into the culture .

How appropriate that I listened to this while driving along Florida's A1A, as the beachy atmosphere and scenery were the perfect backdrops for the album's SoCal-inspired punk-pop. I was excited to get this album because I grew up listening to the Go-Go's, but hadn't heard this fully in a long time. These talented women were true pioneers in new wave music, writing & playing everything on their own, and that ought to be enough to give them a high rating, but the fact is, they also have serious musical chops and solidly earn their rating. Everyone knows and loves the hits "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat" but tracks like "How Much More" and "This Town" are great examples of how talented the Go-Go's really are. Belinda Carlisle's voice is enchanting, and this entire album will stick with you to create the best type of ear worm .