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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

1981

Buy At Rough Trade
Beauty And The Beat
Album Summary

Beauty and the Beat is the debut album from Californian new wave band the Go-Go's. Released in 1981 on the I.R.S. Records label, the album reached number one on Billboard's Top LPs & Tape chart in March 1982, bolstered by its two big Hot 100 hit singles: "Our Lips Are Sealed" (no. 20) and "We Got the Beat" (no. 2), initially released in 1980, but in a different version. After a long and steady climb, Beauty and the Beat reached number one in the album chart dated March 6, 1982, the week before "We Got the Beat" entered the Top Ten of the Hot 100. The album stayed at the top for six consecutive weeks, and ranked second in Billboard's year-end Top 100 of 1982 (behind the self-titled debut album of Asia). The LP sold in excess of two million copies, and was RIAA-certified double platinum, qualifying it as one of the most successful debut albums of all time. Critically acclaimed, it has been described as one of the "cornerstone albums of American new wave".The title is a play on the European fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast".

Wikipedia

Rating

3.36

Votes

11837
Genres
Rock
Pop
New Wave

Reviews

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Wed Feb 24 2021
5

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.

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Tue Jan 19 2021
5

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

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Mon Aug 29 2022
5

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. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

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Wed Jan 13 2021
3

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

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Wed Mar 10 2021
1

“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

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Wed May 05 2021
5

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

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Thu Jan 14 2021
5

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

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Thu Mar 18 2021
4

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

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Thu Jan 14 2021
3

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

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Thu Mar 18 2021
5

Great pop rock album from beginning to end!

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Wed Jan 27 2021
5

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

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Tue Mar 09 2021
5

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

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Wed Sep 16 2020
4

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

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Fri Feb 12 2021
4

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!

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Mon Oct 11 2021
4

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.

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Tue Aug 31 2021
3

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

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Sun Sep 17 2023
3

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

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Tue Feb 09 2021
4

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.

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Mon Oct 11 2021
4

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.

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Fri Dec 17 2021
4

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.

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Sun Jul 02 2023
4

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 Banarama, 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.

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Fri Mar 18 2022
3

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

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Sat May 14 2022
3

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.

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Tue Nov 15 2022
3

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

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Wed Mar 08 2023
3

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.

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Tue Sep 05 2023
3

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!

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Tue Sep 05 2023
2

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

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Thu Sep 14 2023
2

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

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Mon Jan 18 2021
1

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

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Fri Feb 05 2021
1

Saccharine, blood-curdling album cover didn't help

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Wed Sep 21 2022
1

Objectively imprecise, subjectively gimmicky, occasionally catchy.

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Thu Mar 16 2023
1

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

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Fri Jul 16 2021
5

Really enjoyed this. Early stages of pop punk at its best

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Mon Sep 20 2021
5

Musicianship, hooks, energy. Perfection

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Tue Sep 21 2021
5

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.

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Fri Sep 24 2021
5

Led Zeppelin is beloved for a reason. I think legalization will help resurrect them a little.

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Fri Nov 12 2021
5

I can see how they are so influential.

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Tue Nov 16 2021
5

Really great album! Got two listens within 24 hours, a rare feat. Released in 1981, it's part of a (new) wave of change in pop music. The songwriting is good and the tempo is enjoyably up-beat. Good dish-washing music.

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Sun Nov 28 2021
5

I love the Go-Go's! This album is a perfect slice of nostalgic pop heaven.

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Fri Dec 17 2021
5

Great Album, nice to sit back and listen to some more unknown GoGo's songs that isn't just we got the beat.

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Tue Dec 21 2021
5

This was a fun album to listen to. My favourite tracks were Our Lips Are Sealed and Can't Stop The World.

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Wed Jan 12 2022
5

The start of the "girl band" in rock, this album is pure pop/rock joy from start to finish.

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Sat Mar 12 2022
5

Contains Our Lips Are Sealed and We Got The Beat and no filler at all. Jane Wiedlin en Belinda Carlisle released excellent solo albums and the other Go-Go's albums are great too, but this album is perfect. Catchy guitar songs, lots of hooks, some kind of new wave blueprint for many 90s alternative rock albums, but what I like most about their music is that -just like the Ramones, Blondie, B-52's - they mix their guitar songs with 60s pop influences, which combined with excellent vocals really makes their music stand out.

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Sat Mar 12 2022
5

AMAZING. Top notch. Every song was so fun. I was wondering how I knew the words to every single song, but then I remembered that my mom used to play this album for me all the time when I was a kid! Love it.

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Fri Mar 25 2022
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

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Fri May 20 2022
5

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.

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Sat May 28 2022
5

How much do I love this album?! I bought the cassette in 1983 and it has been one of my favorites ever since. "Our Lips Are Sealed" is one of my all-time favorite songs of the 80's. Every time I listen to it I fall in love with it all over again. "We Got The Beat" is right up there with it. But no one should miss songs like "Lust to Love", "This Town", "Fading Fast", "You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)", "Can't Stop The World." Actually no one should miss listening to this album from beginning to end. It is so satisfying to hear "Lust to Love" after "Tonite" leading into "This Town" and it makes me very happy when I do. The album is great and I never tire of listening to this. I'm so glad to see this album on this list!

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Sat May 28 2022
5

I have memories of bopping along to this on cassette while driving my mom's car in the summertime, wearing white Keds with no socks. I've definitely always thought of it as pure pop fun. But how great to listen to this with grown-up ears and hear such aggressive musicianship! This band ROCKS! The bass! The drums! These women have SWAGGER! I have a renewed love, admiration, and gratitude for The Go-Go's today.

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Sat May 28 2022
5

I don't have a specific memory of every listening to this album in it entirety before, but I certainly remember when it was on the charts. It is full of great tracks by talented women...and lots of fun!

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Sat May 28 2022
5

I loved this when it was new, and it still sounds so good!

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Mon Aug 01 2022
5

I like girls who rock (..сказала дрю берримор, а я чувствую то же)

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Tue Aug 09 2022
5

Always been a fan of the Go-Gos. Some of it is pure bubblegum pop, but there's some solid rock and near punk in there too.

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Fri Aug 19 2022
5

Practically flawless. A solid collection of songs with some real standouts.

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Fri Aug 26 2022
5

I freaking had so much listening to this. Automatic is a fucking banger. The whole album made me want to go to ethyls.

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Mon Aug 29 2022
5

I really like how upbeat this is

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Tue Sep 20 2022
5

Classic that was new to me. Couple big hits and the song automatic is where the band automatic got their name

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Tue Oct 04 2022
5

Great album and full of energy. Really unique sound and great vocals. "Our Lips Are Sealed" is my personal favorite despite the other hits like "We Got The Beat" on the album. Love the album cover too. 8/10.

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Thu Dec 01 2022
5

This was like the cure but sped up, on a happier tone, and sung by girls. Amazing 5 stars i was surprised to like it this much

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Fri Dec 23 2022
5

This one is a big hit in our house. Love the melodic basslines and sing-along choruses. Catchy stuff.

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Wed Jan 18 2023
5

Great album! Really good pop-punk-rock LA sound, six stars.

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Thu Jan 19 2023
5

The first, iconic, life changing to my little 11 year old heart. Not the pinnacle of their achievements, but still outstanding.

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Sun Jan 22 2023
5

9/10 absolutely killer pop album, what can I say

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Mon Jan 30 2023
5

This was a really enjoyable pop album. I ended up listening to it twice and it has plenty of hits. I’m probably going to throw it on every now and then

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Mon Feb 20 2023
5

this is one of my favorite albums ever. So much girl energy. I had to pretend that i wasn't head over heels (har har) in love with the Go Gos for so many years. Five stars. Every song is a winner. Great playing, great singing, even the 80s production is good. Yes yes yes

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Sat Apr 15 2023
5

This album is just some awesome 80s new age pop. At 35 minutes, it’s a quick listen, densely packed with banger after banger. There’s not a single skip on this album for me. I was thinking 4 stars for this album all day long, but then I got to thinking why not a 5? I think it felt basic to give a pop album like this 5 stars, but I don’t care. 5 stars. Heard before: we got the beat, lips are sealed, probably others but didn’t know them well. Best of the best: how much more, lust to love, this town Least favorite: Automatic was kinda gimmicky

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Mon Apr 24 2023
5

Love how much the bass stands out in the recording... First time playing this all the way through and wish I'd done it sooner.

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Fri Apr 28 2023
5

Surprisingly great pop album.

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Mon Jun 05 2023
5

A joy to listen to front to back. I love new wave rock like this. Fast, tight pop songs. Songs about relationships that take a specific angle or perspective. Top notch all around and has a great upbeat energy. The more I listen to this, the more I hear the punk in their style. But it’s blended with girl group pop too.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
5

It’s 2004. I am 6 year’s old, in the back seat of my best friend’s mom’s car. She had just gotten us Arctic Circle. My best friend’s little brother had spilled Sprite everywhere. In the midst of the chaos, my best friend’s mom took a burned CD with “The Go-Go’s” written in blue sharpie and placed it in the player. “Our Lips Are Sealed” started playing, and my best friend’s mom sang along so joyously, so beautifully. Eventually, her solo was joined by my best fiend and her little brother’s voices, not as sure on the words as their mom was, but still singing so joyously, so beautifully. It’s a memory I think about even now. A memory that taught me the true meaning of life—finding joy in the mundane, the everyday. Besides that, The Go-Go’s are simply amazing. Such a good album.

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Wed Jun 21 2023
5

Awesome album! Never played the entire thing before. Fading Fast hit the spot like no other.

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Thu Jun 29 2023
5

A sensibilidade da criação apresenta uma atmosfera sombria e introspectiva em todo o álbum, o clima envolvente pelo uso inteligente de samples de jazz e soul, bem como influências de dub e punk. Trabalho fundamental para apreciar o trip hop.

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Tue Jul 18 2023
5

Wow, great album. I really like this mix of rock and new wave, great vocals and choirs. And that was their debut! That is one of the albums that surely fits on that list and I am gratful for it.

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Sun Jul 30 2023
5

A simple classic. Standouts: We Got the Beat, Our Lips are Sealed, This Town, Automatic, Others: How Much More, Tonight, Lust to Love, Fading Fast, You Can't Walk in Your Sleep, Skidmarks on My Heart, Can't Stop the World B-side of Our Lips are Sealed: Surfing and Spying. It is a fun listen. I had this when it came out and it was played to death. The songs never get old. They never released anything that comes close to this. 5/5

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