Reviews (page 9 of 14)
A really great new wave album, lots of hits and the lesser known songs didn't drop the level
I liked this, nice melodies and fun production, but nothing really stood out. My favourite was How Much More, pair that with Rusholme Ruffians as a great interpolation of Marie's the name. 3/3.5
A enjoyable record. I actually listened to it twice to decide whether it deserves 3 or 4 stars. It has nothing special as such, but it is very good overall.
Fun dance and singable bubble gum pop rock album.
Man, what a fun album. Seriously, this album oozes enthusiasm, fun, energy, and complete buy-in from the members. Everyone knows "We Got the Beat," "Our Lips Are Sealed," and the absent-from-this-album "Vacation." And you'd be forgiven if you thought that that's all there was to this band. But I am so happy to say that that isn't the case, and in fact there is more to like than just a few hits. Yes, it's fun and yes it's an easy listen. But the creativity on display here, the layering of sounds and the riffs are just awesome. They had a unique sound, kind of a combination of New Wave, Riot Grrrl, and some punk vibes. Really cool stuff. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Our Lips Are Sealed, How Much More, Automatic, You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)
Eh
cool songs, B side wasn't as good, not my type
Yes! Great music, great beats and catchy tunes. I knew about the Go Gos but this album shows that their best songs are not the radio plays "We got the Beat" and "Our Lips are Sealed". Best song by far is Automatic and Lust to Love was great as well. Yes to the Go Go's.
If you like the 80s sound, you’ll like this. I don’t, so…
Nice.
Quiet now Still of night Inside fire burning bright Right moment Laying down Oh, still no sound It's all automatic No thought Automatic Golden hair Skin glisten Beating heart but don't listen Angles sharp Crash together Time and consciousness sever Mind in automatic Time stop Automatic I unironically love this album. Its got some of the strongest feel-good vibes of anything that the 80s ever produced, and its just simply great. 5/5
Way more to them than a couple of hits
Pretty fun album, they have a great energy. Some songs are better than others, but this album is short and sweet. Mid 4.
Much better than I anticipated.
En 1981, le punk, le vrai, celui qui sentait la bière tiède et le cuir moisi, était déjà en train de crever la gueule ouverte à Londres et à New York. À Los Angeles, la scène était encore plus hardcore, plus violente, avec des groupes comme Black Flag ou les Circle Jerks qui jouaient leur haine de la banlieue à 200 à l'heure. C'était un truc de mecs, un truc brutal et sans concession. Et puis, au milieu de ce champ de mines de testostérone, cinq nanas ont débarqué. Elles venaient de ce même milieu punk, mais elles avaient commis le péché ultime : elles savaient écrire des putains de bonnes chansons pop. Et le pire ? Elles souriaient. The Go-Go's, c'était ça, une anomalie, une bouffée d'air frais californien dans une cave londonienne. Quand leur premier album, "Beauty and the Beat", est sorti, et surtout quand le clip de "Our Lips Are Sealed" a commencé à tourner en boucle sur MTV, c'était une petite révolution. Cinq filles, qui jouaient de leurs propres instruments et écrivaient leurs propres morceaux, qui n'étaient pas les marionnettes d'un producteur véreux. Rien que pour ça, historiquement, ce disque est un jalon qui a prouvé à toute une industrie que "girls band" ne voulait pas forcément dire "potiches interchangeables". Et il faut le reconnaître, quarante ans plus tard, l'efficacité de la formule est intacte. Les deux singles qui ouvrent quasiment le disque sont des monuments de power pop. "Our Lips Are Sealed" est une merveille de mélancolie adolescente, avec cette ligne de basse rebondissante et ces guitares surf qui carillonnent comme le soleil sur le Pacifique. "We Got the Beat" est un hymne hédoniste et irrésistible, une invitation à danser qui ferait se trémousser un régiment de la garde républicaine. C'est brillant, c'est frais, c'est le son d'un été éternel. À l'époque, j'étais gamin, et je découvrais ce genre de sons à la télé et ça ne ressemblait à rien de ce que j'écoutais. C'était coloré, fun, et ça avait le goût sucré de l'interdit facile. Des années plus tard, cet album était un classique du rayon "New Wave" ou "80's Pop" mais jamais, au grand jamais, on ne l'aurait classé dans le bac "Punk". Et c'est là la raison de mon 2 sur 5. Car si on gratte le vernis pop ultra-brillant, que reste-t-il de l'attitude punk dont elles se réclamaient ? Pas grand-chose, pour être honnête. C'est du punk pour les bals de promo où la rébellion des Go-Go's se limite à sécher un cours ou à mentir à ses parents. On est à des années-lumière de la rage sociale des Clash ou de la poésie crasseuse des Ramones. Les paroles parlent de mecs, de fêtes, de fringues... C'est charmant, mais c'est terriblement superficiel. Mais le plus gros problème de "Beauty and the Beat", c'est qu'il est construit comme un 45 tours avec une face A monumentale et une face B anecdotique. Une fois que les deux tubes imparables sont passés, le reste de l'album s'écoute sans déplaisir, mais sans surprise non plus. C'est une succession de morceaux de power pop bien ficelés, mais interchangeables, qui suivent tous plus ou moins la même recette. Ça manque de relief, de profondeur, de ce petit grain de folie qui fait qu'un bon album devient un grand album. C'est un disque terriblement attachant, une capsule temporelle parfaite d'une époque d'insouciance et il a un mérite historique immense. Mais dans le cadre de ce projet "1001 albums à écouter avant de mourir", on est en droit d'attendre plus qu'une poignée de singles brillants. On attend une oeuvre cohérente, qui vous transporte, vous bouscule, vous marque au fer rouge. "Beauty and the Beat" vous fait taper du pied pendant dix minutes, puis vous laisse poliment retourner à vos occupations. C'est un excellent EP déguisé en album un peu paresseux. Parfait pour une boum, mais un peu léger pour le Panthéon.
Quite forgettable
fun, punky-pop
i bet they had so much fun.
Great album! It has held up very well for an album that was released 40 over years ago. Not a bad song on the album. Too bad it was so short; I was really enjoying it. A classic. Vinyl worthy.
I can say that I had a great time listening to this album. It's rock. It's pop. It's a mix of both that resulted in a great album. And I'll say more: this is the first album I've heard from the band and I'm excited to continue learning more about the band's work.
fun album.
Fun pop.
Slayy
I really enjoyed it! I didn’t know Belinda Carlisle was part of an all-girl punk / new wave band, and it reminds me of the Ramones but with an all-female lineup.
Totalnie kupuję ten album. Świetnie się przy nim bawiłem, to zwyczajnie dobrze buja. Wydaje mi się, że istotą tego albumu nie jest jego popularność wśród współczesnych wyrażona w prostych liczbach. I to nie jest powód, dla którego on znalazł się na tej liście. Ten album jest przede wszystkim cholernie punkowy, zespół pokazał, że dziewczyny mogą grać (a nie tylko śpiewać) i mogą grać z pazurem (w tym samym czasie grać zaczęła Joan Jett z tego, co sprawdziłem - imo podobny nurt, ale Jett grała ostrzej). Jasne, to jest bardzo soft punk, bliżej mu do Green Daya (kilka fragmentów bardzo mi się kojarzyło z "Jesus of Suburbia"), niż do jakichś turbo anarchicznych hard core'owych zespołów w stylu Exploited, ale mimo wszystko jest to w pełni kobiecy punk. Po drugie, to jest bardzo feministyczny album. To jest okres, w którym kwestia radykalnej kobiecej seksualności zaczęła być bardzo nośna w Stanach i zaczęła zwiastować koniec drugiej fali feminizmu (która przypada mniej więcej na lata 1960-1990). Dziewczyny otwarcie mówią o swoim pożądaniu (Lust To Love), o porzucaniu toksycznych relacji, prawdopodobnie z narcyzem (Fading Fast, Skidmarks On My Heart), o nocnych wypadach na miasto i niezależności (Tonite, We Got the Beat), ale także o ignorowaniu społecznej opinii (Our Lips Are Sealed). Jest też This Town, które łączy wiele z powyższych wątków. Z drugiej strony nie realizują stereotypu man-eaterek albo freudowskiej zazdrości o penisa, tylko bardzo otwarcie eksplorują swoją kobiecość i uczuciowość (już sama okładka oraz tytuł albumu o tym świadczą; ale też emocjonalna dwoistość Lust To Love, czy bolesne How Much More). I koniec końców ten album jest zwyczajnie muzycznie solidny. To wszystko jest melodyjne i bardzo poprawne instrumentalnie, sekcja rytmiczna (perkusja + bas) są naprawdę dobre, z przyjemnością tego słuchałem. Perkusistka miewa całkiem ciężkie kopyto i fajnie niskie nastrojone tom-tomy. To nie takie durne placeholdery, jak w wielu zespołach, gdzie perkusja gra tylko najprostsze groove'y, żeby wybijać tempo, a basista gra na dwóch strunach i nikt go nie słyszy dopóki się jakoś makabrycznie nie pomyli. Zespół popadł w zapomnienie (po przesłuchaniu tego albumu wydaje mi się, że bardzo niesłusznie), ale wydaje mi się, że to ten casus "They walked, so that other could run". Bardzo mocne 4 jak dla mnie, ze wskazaniem na 4.5, bo serio się dobrze bawiłem. Jakby to było trochę cięższe, to już na pewno 4.5
I felt like it should be bland and basic but girls won me over with their energy. You go girl!
Not bad! Muzyka i teksty niezbyt wyrafinowane, ale catchy, dobrze mi się słuchało, spoko poprock wpadający w new wave. Fav energy boosters: Lust for Love This town You can't walk in your sleep Skidmarks on my heart Playful & glamorous, rozumiem, czemu dziewczyny odniosły sukces w swoim czasie :> Pop też trza umić robić, a przez te oczy zielone Belindy Carlisle nieco oszalałem ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Absolutna strata czasu i złodziej miejsca na bardziej wartościowy album na tej liście. Choć ma chwytliwe radio-friendly utwory, takie jak "We Got the Beat" czy "Tonite", reszta materiału wypada przeciętnie i działa to bardzo słabo jako album. Struktura piosenek jest prostacka, a tekstowo wypada tak, że jestem w stanie uwierzyć, że Go-Go's miały dostęp do ChatuGPT w 1981. Zespół, który wywodzi się z punkowej sceny, ma zero pierdolnięcia przez sterylną produkcję muzyczną, co odbiera autentyczności całemu brzmieniu. Muzyczny odpowiednik lalki "Punk-rock Barbie". Wokal Belindy Carlisle jest mało dynamiczny, co dodatkowo osłabia jakikolwiek potencjał emocjonalny utworów. Na tle innych zespołów z tego okresu, takich jak Blondie czy The Pretenders, Go-Go’s wypadają słabo, nie wnosząc nic nowatorskiego. Album wydaje się bardziej komercyjnym produktem niż prawdziwą ekspresją artystyczną. W sumie idealnie pasuje do amerykańskich malls, gdzie królował. Ocena: Mocne 1, bo śmiechłem po zobaczeniu tytułu "Skidmarks on my heart"
1/5. this town was ok. but every song sounded kinda the same.
Delightful
I have to be honest, I rolled my eyes a bit when I got this. I knew "We Got The Beat" and "Our Lips Are Sealed" and expected a miserable new wave-pop mess. Once again I got burned for judging too early, this album is really solid. It's definitely still a new wave-pop thing, but it's also got a lot more of a punk sound than I expected. I got a lot of Sleater-Kinney vibes from this ("Tonite" and "Lust To Love" are good examples), many of the non-hits are a bit more of a raw sound (relatively, it's still pop-y overall). Something between like them and Blondie is probably where this falls. I guess The Go-Go's formed formed as a punk band (none of them knew how to play instruments) but then shifted more in the New Wave direction in the early '80s when they hit the studio. I'm not sure where their sound went after this, but they crushed this one. I don't have a ton else to say, but I enjoyed this a lot. The New Wave thing doesn't typically work for me, but this felt like a great job of taking some of the basic elements in a way that hits. Really solid album. Favorite song: Our Lips Are Sealed Other: How Much More, Tonite, Lust To Love, This Town, We Got The Beat, Fading Fast, Automatic, Can't Stop The World 11/23/24
This took me by surprise with how good it was
Bleh. The album is fine, but I'll have forgotten about it tomorrow.
Two songs, worth 2/5
🎧Fun, joyful pop music. Favorite track: Fading Fast
Favorite Track: Tonite
Enjoyed this album
Love Belinda Carlisle and Slidmarks on the heart is a class name for a song.
So delightfully upbeat and peppy. I knew and liked their big hits but I’m also really enjoying their lesser known songs.
It is simple. It is sweet. Simply sweet girl band rocking the genre like 80's icons. The familiar tracks are as entertaining as ever but hearing Automatic for maybe the first time in 40 years reminded me that every album has filler tracks.
The songs are quite plain and rather boring. It has a nice positive energy though. I guess they are in the list for being among the firsts to use this style? 5/10
p473. 1981. 3 stars. Prototype Bangles, but without the harmonies. Outside of the singles, there's a lot of filler. Credit for opening the door for every other girl band writing their own material that followed.
Shows that soft rock has a place if can offer a groove. Drops off a little after a brilliant start but there is energy throughout. Would happily revisit
Power pop
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would
5/10… new wave / pop
Relentless 80s fun! Pretty samey! The kind of samey where I hadn’t realised the album had played through and I was half way through another one of their albums before I realised. 34 minutes is just about right for something samey though! Enjoyed it! 3.5
A bouncy fun new wave album that got me through US election results
My only memory of the Go Gos was Our Lips Are Sealed so I was expecting a light weight poppy album. This is a surprise! It's like 'the Ronettes sing the Ramones with 80s jangles' - girls with harmony singing punkish 80s tunes. Not at all what I expected. Skidmarks on My Heart is gold. Worth a few listens, although overall I found the very 80sness of the sound is hard to get past to really enjoy it fully.
Love it. I didn't know this album and that's why I love this journey
They def deserve 3 stars for creating a sound of the age. Still not stuff I'd play to make me feel good
Kinda unexpectedly punky. Only a few songs that stood out though. High 2.
It was fine
Eighties pop that does what it does quite well without excelling. Sounds like a group of people working out how to be musicians. Lyrically and musically simple but I guess that's what pop is. It's a two or three
Extra star for the pun.
Great pop album. My Lips are Sealed is one of the best pop songs of all time.
It was okay. But nothing fancy. I'll might give it an another chance...
Really fun album. Isn’t trying to hard to be more than it is
Listening to this feels like getting beaten up by cheerleaders with tambourines.
4.1 - This was great! Nothing special but just good?
Run of the mill 80s pop punk. 3.1/5
This is another hidden gem that I was looking for and for which I didn't know how to ask. Thank you!
Quite cool, not a massive fan of punk style but it was soft enough ! So I would put a 3.75/5 !
Fun, light, punky - the prawn cocktail crisps of music
The music makes me feel how the cover looks
A bright burst of fun and freedom, every song brings a kind of pure, summery energy that feels effortless. The beats are punchy but breezy, like they were made for dancing down the beach or cruising with friends. It’s got that infectious, carefree vibe reminiscent of early Blondie but with a twist that’s bolder and a bit more playful. The blend of pop and punk is light and catchy, full of hooks that feel timeless without trying too hard. It’s the kind of music that’s just easy to love, no questions asked.
Not much variety, didn't care for it, basic 80's sound
isch das afoch sehr guete cagchy new wave? our lips are sealed isch suuper. meeega catchy, supercoole bass. how much more au meega upbeat, macht spass. Tonite tschuttet au, halt mega in moll und so. aber cool. noch 69 love song gester en absolute gnuss. aso sowiso aber de kontrast isch heavy. hets jetz noch 3 songs scho meh verdient zum do sii als magnetic fields. lust to love fabgt mega james bond aah, super geil. this town isch chli westerbgitarre time aber s triibt mega füre au mit de akustische gitarre finds hammer. we got the beat cool gseh dases en hit usch aber lips are sealed isch viel cooler? mann es löscht sache. de surfrock stuff wod mached isch super skidmarks on my heart super. ich glaub s langet nöd für es füfi well nöd jede song so super isch und wells scho seehr simpel ghalte isch zum teil, au wenn das die ganz idee isch.
hahah funny name sehr cute gitarre STIMM NERVIG s lied isch scho fertig lol finds bia jz cool aber halt nöd meh iwie ok s isch iwie echt nüt mega krasses, hna jz kei schlechti ziit gha aber ja bö
Superb
I didn't have the band on my radar. I may have heard of them, but I'm no longer aware of it. I wasn't familiar with the song "We Got the Beat" either. I found the album quite funny. The best thing about it was that it reminded me of B'52. But I prefer listening to the B'52, which is even more fun. 3/5
Finally, something I have a light bias against: power pop. As a genre I find most of the classics tedious, with exceptions like My Sharona, 867-5309 and anything The Police made in the 1970s being a bit rare. Outside of Big Star and Supergrass, I can't think of many bands in the genre that hover towards my musical preferences. Enter the Go-Go's, a band I am pleasantly surprised to learn is not a one hit wonder *and* has a bolded album! Also known for kick-starting the solo career of Belinda Carlisle, who was shortly drummer for hardcore punk band Germs and made the dream pop classic Circle in the Sand. A career of opposites. Musically this record's hard to dislike. It has a jangling rumble to it that's reminiscent of the Athens indie scene (R E.M., B-52s, Love Tractor). Of course the closest point of comparison for me is the Bangles, but this feels significantly more organic and carefree than their prime records. If there's a criticism I can levy against it, it just lacks a lot of staying power. The songs start to blend together and outside of We Got the Beat (extremely overplayed but fairly distinct), I can't see what makes this better than other new wave records at the time. Maybe a taste difference. A welcome step out of my comfort zone, even though I'm sure I'll never listen to it again. 6/10
Fun!
Legendary and influential
Fun pop
A couple of great pop songs, but was disappointed in the rest of the album.
Listened to many times. Fundamental 80's album that still sounds great. A lot of the "sounds" going on at the time were wrapped in a polished pop package. Strong 4, but not enough classics for it to be a 5 star. "(This town) It is so glamorous Bet you'd live here if you could"
One of the first albums I bought. High energy, new wave... The band faded away quickly, and their history is probably better than the music left behind, but there are a couple absolute gems on this album.
Quite nice a bit middle of the road
Really fun and upbeat, with some well-known singles. I really enjoyed this album. The quality dropped a little with the last few songs, but not enough to lower my rating. 4/5 stars
Fine 80's album.
Ik kende enkel Vacation van The Go-go's, maar nu zie ik dat dit maar het derde bekendste nummer is van deze groep. Op het eerste zicht zuchtte ik bij het zien van de artiestennaam en het releasejaar van de plaat. Ik dacht "miljaarde, alweer een album waar ze met synthesizers naar je hoofd smijten." Achteraf bekeken is dit best een tof album. Doet me wat denken aan Blondie. Wijze basslines ook. 3.8
Lightweight.
Not feeling it. I know they were a hit when it came out, but it does r have enough octane for me.
not for me
Lighthearted, entertaining, and engaging new wave. Music for the girlies but also a broader audience of pop rock enjoyers. Not really surprised at simplistic harmonies and melodies, doesn't have to be complicated to be enjoyable.
This is the best Go-Go’s album. Their followup “Vacation” a year later is a close second, but it isn’t that close. The quality on their debut is nothing they would ever achieve again. The songs are so infused with joy and youth. It’s so perfectly everything it wants to be. I only wish there was something more substantial. Something really original that would earn it five stars. No matter, I enjoy this album anyway. 4/5
Not one I will revisit
This was pretty good, I liked the energy of the music, and the songs were pretty catchy. I don't really care for the lead singer's voice though, and didn't feel like I'd play any of these songs repeatedly
Have never heard of The Go-Go's and this album is amazing, it's kinda punkish, it's got a bucket load of energy and lasts just long enough without overstaying. I think it's a other 5 which may make this my best week ever
Hell yeah
It was pretty decent but not my style and can’t see myself revisiting
This is fine, a little boring and repetitive. More enjoyable to me than the new wave 80s pop. Probably actually 2.5 but I’ll round up
Enjoyable album to listen to around California. Fun and familiar songs but outside of the singles, not the greatest songs
Fun listen for drive in CA. does sound a bit dated which hurts its replay-ability, but a good example of nu-wave and has the hits to back it up.
Meh
The narrative around the Go-Go's is always about how they're the best "all female" rock groups ever. That's so niche. They're flat out one of the best rock groups - period. They're bad ass. This is a great album.
Fun
fajn
This does feel like an album that was only included because they were girls that "made it" since it's not really extraordinary in any other way besides that. Not bad though.
80s, pure 80s. It's poppy, boppy and fun. This is music I'd love to listen to while out drinking at one of my favorite dive bars, and I likely have heard this record before in such a setting. The vocals are captivating and beautiful. The music and beat keep me entranced and vibing the whole time. Good tunes.
I’m a sucker for power pop and this one was huge for bringing women-led bands to the charts (along with others for sure)
This was such a fun little record. Bratty pop punk from the 80s that would not have been out of place in the early aughts.
Was decent
Good album back in the day. Not so crazy about it now.
Can’t hate on a classic. Well you can but I won’t this time.
Nice!
Fun
Fun, energetic, catchy. Fantastic album.
Interesting vibe but I liked it
Not really what I’d listen to day-to-day but is a classic from the 80s. Other than we got the best favorite song was probably Lust To Love.
This was fun
Decent None of the songs stood out to me but I like how the album maintains a consistent sound throughout its run time
Great vibes, great sound
They were the original girl power band.
I found this a perfectly reasonable 80's fun pop album. Couple of good singles, nice energy and skipped along well.
The funboythree version of Our Lips are Sealed is so much better than the one on this album, not even close Liked it more on first listen. Second it got less interesting. 3
Just a pure fucking delight.
Was talking with a friend about the Go-Go's while in the car a couple weeks ago; you throw on "Our Lips Are Sealed" while driving with someone and you can really get the party going. The rest of album is top down just a lot of fun too - a really great example of new wave as party music.
27/09/24 An average listen.
favs: lust to love, our lips are sealed
Good. Very nice
The pop elements are a bit sugary for my taste and the nods to punk somehow weaken the overall package causing it all to fall a bit flat for me.
A couple of killer singles - filled with sunshine
I have heard of this band, but never listened to any of their music. I do know this first track. Pretty cool. I dig it.
I had only heard We Got The Beat before this. Good song, but a bit cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album though. Very listenable, and I could hear a direct line from The Go-Go’s to bands I love like Veruca Salt, Le Tigre, The Donna’s, and Sleater-Kinney. Especially on Fading Fast and Automatic.
Nothing memorable for me. Their vocals kind of annoyed me but the instrumentals were great.
It was a fun album. I don't love the vocal work, but there were some bangers in there. 'Tonite' was my track of choice.
I’ve heard the singles, but not the rest. This was a fun album that I could definitely see listening to again.
Although I never particularly enjoyed their music, I really respect The Go-Go's. They were a group of women in a male dominated industry. And they beat their asses.
4.5
This has nice energy, it’s melodic and happy enough but I find that these songs kinda pass me by. “Our Lips Are Sealed” is awesome and there are good songs to be found but it doesn’t completely win me over. I prefer some of Belinda’s solo work. Highlight: “Our Lips Are Sealed” 3.5 stars.
3.5
3.5
Absolute classic from my middle school years! (9.25) ★★★★½
Not the biggest fan of the vocals, but a nice album overall. Light 4 stars
I knew the Go-Gos singles from hearing them all the time as a kid, but never listened to a full album until much later in life. I was surprised at how cool and punky they were, and at least on this album, how great their deep cuts were. They have a similar aesthetic to the Ramones for me, where they take what's essentially the sound of the early 60s and give it a modern sheen. I really like the vocal interplay between Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin, and Charlotte Caffrey has some really cool surf-influenced guitar work. Probably my favorite album of 1981. 5 stars.
3.5
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.
Exhilarating, succinct pop songs. One of my favorite albums of the 1980s. 5 stars
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
Har ikke noe spesiell mening om det
It's refreshing to finally have some female artists up in here! I think I was reading online that less than 10% of this list is female which is really disappointing, because TBH as a women I definitely resonate more with music written by other women. Perhaps this is a close minded way to view music and content, but we live in a society so dominated by men's taste that it's nice to have something on this list that feels unapologetically feminine.
Great fun
I really liked this! Upbeat, refreshing, new-wavey pop with some hints of (classic) rock scattered throughout. The two singles from the album – Our Lips Are Sealed and We Got The Beat – are the two strongest tracks overall, but the entire album maintains the energy of those songs very consistently. The most noticeable common thread is the peppy vocals, which admittedly aren't the most technically good voices out there, but make up for it with sheer 80s girl-group energy and some fun overlapping harmonies that never failed to bore me. The music is deceptively simple; when listening closely, I heard quite a few rhythmic doodads (particularly in the drums) that pop music of that era often shies away from. The main thing bringing this album down from 5 to 4 is exactly what brings a lot of these down: a combination of overcommitment to a particular style (i.e. not enough versatility) and datedness (some of these lyrics and musical tidbits are almost jarringly "of their time", and not necessarily in a good way). 4/5 Key tracks: We Got The Beat, Our Lips Are Sealed, How Much More, Lust To Love
Recognizable bubble-gum sound. Good for them, not interesting for me.
Not impressed… We got the beat and Our lips are sealed are certified jams but the rest is filler music. Nothing very impressive and their guitar style is annoying. Great bass tone on Our Lips Are Sealed. Very Lorelei Gilmore vibes coming from this group though.
Fun stuff! A little samey, but the hits are hits for a reason Faves: We Got the Beat, Our Lips are Sealed
The two singles are great. I suspect they didn't break through in the UK only because of a lack of marketing power.
Meget same nærmest naivt anime agtigt
Nothing mind blowing, but solid pop
Enjoyed this one quite a bit. One hit song that you can hear in all the other songs on the album
Meh
Super fun pop rock album
It wasn’t absolutely horrible but it was not my cup of tea and I don’t need to listen to it again.
Being a fan of pop music is one of the greatest joys of my life.
pop punk da década de 80? álbum bem gostosinho de escutar.
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.
eu gosto muito de new wave, num tem jeito. pop rock da melhor qualidade aqui, viu. particularmente, "Fading Fast" me pegou demais, achei muito gostosinho. album pra adolescente dançar trancado no quarto.
What a fun album! It felt fresher than I expected, and my head was nodding along to every song. My first album on the list that I have genuinely felt like I would listen to again. Track 1 - Our Lips Are Sealed - Fun, fresh. Like it. Track 2 - How Much More - Gives me Beach Boy vibes. Again, super fun. Track 3 - Tonite - Great girls night song. Get dressed up and messed up! Track 4 - Lust to Love - Darker, confident sound, and I really like it. Track 5 - This Town - I like the western twangs on the guitar. Makes it feel like a high noon showdown. Track 6 - We Got The Beat - Probably their most famous song. Its fun, and has a timeliness vibe. Track 7 - Fading Fast - This reminds me of another song, but I can't place it. Maybe the guitar riff seems a little Hotel California? Track 8 - Automatic - This also has a spooky, Hotel California vibe. I like it a lot. Great use of silence at key moments to build suspense. Track 9 -You Cant Walk in Your Sleep - As someone with sleep problems, this can be my new anthem haha. Track 10 - Skidmarks on My Heart - The car metaphors are a little over the top. My least favorite song on the album. Track 11- Cant Stop the World - Its an ok ending track.
The Go-Go's are one of the more fun girl-pop post punk bands. This is a fun album.
This band really has a feel for writing irresistibly hooky pop songs. They're not all winners here but I enjoyed most of the tracks.
Un increíble álbum de New-Wave, lleno de energía e ideas innovadoras (para la época). Un trabajo claramente influyente que abrió las puertas para la llegada del "rock alternativo" y el "college rock", pudiendo trazarlo (junto a The Pretenders) como fuentes de inspiración para bandas más grandes dentro del imaginario "indie" como The Smiths y R.E.M. Hay que destacar que era una banda formada exclusivamente por mujeres, que tocaban sus instrumentos y escribían sus canciones, debido a la misoginia en la industria musical que persiste hasta el día de hoy. Sin embargo, aclarar que el trabajo es bueno, independiente del género de sus intérpretes y compositoras. Pistas favoritas: "Skidmarks On My Heart", "We Got The Beat", "Can't Stop The World". PD: Es muy muy bueno, escúchelo, por favor.
fun n lovely!
I lived through the 80s and at the time I didn’t think much of New Wave. Perhaps having lived through the 70s and experienced the Titans of Musical Talent one can be forgiven in thinking New Wave as less than. But looking back now I can appreciate how much hope, positivity and generally up beat this music was, especially compared to what would be coming in the 90s and beyond. The Go-Gos are good solid enjoyable music.
strong opening with our lips are sealed, lust to love is also a bop
The album was fun and upbeat. All the songs had the same sound and it was an easy listen.
Oh! We got the beat!- Overall, its a "Classic 80's album" to me, someone born in '96. The sound, the vibe, and flow are all very fitting.
Mag ich nicht so, hab ich aber auch nicht durchgehört
wouldn't be pop today i guess?
not for me, found the lead far to screechy
Really fun album. Saved it and will definitely listen again when in need of its dancey feel-good vibes!
really solid album, have some cuts that are not 'we got the beat' which are solid like Automatic and Tonight.
Good album, I don't think it's going to bring me back though
Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Still not my favourite thing; I was just expecting to dislike it.
A perfect indie pop record. Still sounds fresh.
Awful jangly guitar pop with little to no variety across the tracks.
Strong blondie vibes, theb took me down an elvis constellation rabbit hole so happy with that. Skidmarks on my heart was the highlight
I was excited to see this album come up in the list today. I'm probably biased because I've had a lifelong infatuation with Belinda Carlisle. The music is simple, the performances are great. Funny to see this mentioned as new wave ..when it was what you grew up with in the early 80s.
New wave surfer girl pop. All the songs sound similar but that’s probably because they only used a few chords. It’s a fun simple album and produced a couple classic hits. Probably not as noteworthy as people seem to think it is.
Not so bad, nothing really exceptional for me.
Lamr
This is exactly how music should sound like. If every album sounded like this, we would have solved world hunger and had world peace back in 1968, the year of the blue wolf.
Grupo de Belinda Carlise
Pretty inoffensive early pop punk which kind of defeats the point. Really good vocals though
power pop/surf rock/punk pop from the 80s. Funpop. We got the beat How much more Our lips are sealed
Two hit singles don't make an album one of the most important of all time. Similar gripe to that horrible Kings if Leon album. At least this album has some groove to it occasionally, though many of the songs sounded identical. 1.5/5 -> 2/5.
Great collection of pop
Well that was just a pleasant record. This is the exact kind of music my parents were into and would play while I was growing up. I loved it.
So rad and so fun! I love the power pop punk nature of this record. Cool 4:4 rhythms with palm muted power chords and rad little So Cal guitar licks. I also love how they're mixing sounds from the late 50's and early 60s. A lot of these songs feel like The Shang-ri-la's or The Crystals. But then its also pop punk in its chord progressions and beats. You can really hear the punk sound in later acts like Descendents or X. It's kind of the crossroads of pop, punk and surf. What was also really interesting are all the songs in minor key. For such an upbeat record, they have a lot of minor sounds. I feel like this sound is one of the most mimicked sound in the last 40 years. This is in the DNA of almost all 1990s punk and 2000s indie. (blink-182, No Doubt, all the way to Best Coast) Our Lips are Sealed is probably my fav on the album, but I obviously love We Got the Beat and Can't Stop the World.
This is great - very catchy and fun
Reading up on this album I now know why I never heard of them; they sadly never became big in Europe. I like the punky/wave sound they have going on. 3/5
This album hit a sweet spot for me. Little pieces of punk and surf fueling high energy music. The instruments and voices sound great and well mixed. A nice variety in the song writing. I only knew the singles going in, but I was so impressed by this album. I would absolutely listen to it again.
Canny enough. Decent new wave record, if a bit on the light side. Some great tracks (Automatic, Skidmarks on my Heart) surrounded by some decent if forgettable tracks. B52s do this a loooot better. Decent enough but can’t see me rushing back
Cyndi lauper-esque power pop, like Cyndi I thought most of the songs were good but the go-gos were a bit more samey. Definitely has that 80s singing style that can either work really well or get on my nerves and both were true at various points. This was mostly good but with enough flaws to hold it back. 3.5 but closer to a 3.
Quite nice this. Can't Stop the World and This Town were my stand-outs, and They Got the Beat is pretty standard. I wasn't aware Belinda Carlisle was the vocalist. Some incredibly solid New Wave.
I really quite enjoyed this. Has that pop punk type cadence to it. Weirdly reminded me of the offspring somehow.... I'm a sucker for a female vocalist in this type of music too 3.5 but closer to 4, reckon I'll be back
-I got Parallel Lines by Blondie the previous day and this reminds me a lot of that. I fw it heavy, We Got The Beat reminds me of my own childhood because I used to listen to it a lot as a kid. I think Fading Fast might actually be my favorite song on the record though. Pretty definitive 4 -Favorites are Our Lips Are Sealed, We Got The Beat, and Fading Fast
Grupo de Belinda Carlise.
Lot’s of catchy stuff but nothing to rock my world.
Ohhhhh this rules. This really rules. Hell yeah
Very fun and bouncy throughout!
lots of fun!! never really registered this band in my brain but knew a bunch of tracks
I used to consider the Go-Go's and their "hits", We Got the Beat and Vacation as guilty pleasure territory, I didn't really care for the band's radio friendly fluff, but these songs and beats were so infectious it was hard to resist. The Go-Go's started as "punks", they didn't know how to play instruments, which didn't stop them and played in clubs like the Whiskey. Their cred and transformation to power-pop, girly pop was polished up for their debut, Beauty And The Beat. Time has passed and I have conceded, I like this album. It's definitely not a master class in songwriting, but it is a lot of fun. The songs are solid and energetic and what's not to love. Sure, it's still fluffy and light and there are a few duds, but I've always had a soft spot of all-girl bands and they helped pave the way for more like-minded bands, for better and for worse..
Good for what it is. Not mind-blowing.
There are a few hits here, but the album is average.
Classic 80s
overall great album, however, at times, it felt a bit repetitive
Fan of Tonite and Lust to Love
Fun pop rock with summery vibes.
This is a really really awesome album. Two killer tracks with ‘Our Lips are Sealed’ and the obvious classic ‘We Got the Bear’. The rest of the songs hold up for such a fun sound. Definitely glad I listened to it.
Upbeat and catchy, so no complaints here. We Got the Beat is obviously a classic, but nothing really stuck out as amazing (or terrible) other than that. A lot of the songs sounded pretty similar, but still distinguishable.
I really liked this album. Short, with multiple smash hits and a lot of fun songs in general. I would never have associated these songs with this band. The Hilary and Hailey duff version of Our Lips are Sealed can’t hold up to the OG!!
A really fun and breezy album that reminds me of the songs they played in gym class in middle school. The combination of new wave and surf rock is a lot of fun to listen to.
What a fun album! This is one of the rare cases where an album ends and I was disappointed there wasn't more. I thought this was going to be a one hit wonder with "We Got The Beat", but the rest was just as enjoyable. Perfect for what it is.
8.5/10. It was a pleasure to listen to this. Female-fronted punk music is great, and I also enjoyed its retro vibes. Its first track is amazing!!! :)
4/5
Enjoyed this a ton, especially the driving basslines.
Cool, cohesive, catchy. Three out of the five classic Cs.
I’m a huge fan of this album, I love the shimmery summery vibes it creates, the fun pop essence. So yeah, weirdly I apparently like it more than Highway 61? I mean, it’s all subjective so probably more like they’re the same amount of like, but because of mood it gets a higher ranking. You’re welcome, Belinda Carlisle!
This one caught me by surprise. I liked it more than I thought. There were songs I didn’t know that were legit bops. I liked the instrumentation and the vocals. Overall, a fun listen.
Nothing about this entry - from band name to album name to year of release - made me particularly optimistic about what I was about to hear, but I really liked it! Just a consistently strong collection of indie-pop songs with choruses and hooks and guitars. I've not come across any all-female bands (or many bands full stop) that were making this kind of music at that time - certainly not as fully realised as this. It sounds fresh enough to have come out last week.
Speravo davvero mi parlasse di più perché ci sono così poche donne nella lista, ma ahimè. Comunque mi fa troppo ridere che la loro descrizione su spotify sia "saranno anche state donne ma si drogavano tanto quanto i rocker uomini"
I've never really been a fan of The Go-Go's and their brand of rock music. But, they were a solid group nonetheless. I appreciate the musicianship and the passion coming through their music but it's just not for me.
Not my cup of tea
Excellent album; consistent throughout.
Acceptable 80s album. Not my favorite but not terrible.
Enjoyed this album, especially after having watched the documentary of the band which is also excellent
Mid
I've giving it three stars because I see the vision and I love that it's an all female band. I think I should check out some of their pre-album work, which is reportedly more punk than this. I don't think I'm a huge new-wave fan. It's just a little boring to listen to, in my opinion.
Album slaps So 80s
Favorite Track: Fading Fast
Too poppy for me.
Pop Pop Pop! How lovely - fun New Wave nugget!
Love it!
Excellent listening
I did not expect this to be as good as it is. Like someone else said here, this is why we do this project, to find hidden gems we otherwise would’ve totally missed. I gave it 5 just to spite the guy why gave it 1 and is just too pretentious to have fun.
I like new wave. This has good songs on it, but i tired of it quickly.
Very good, better than I thought. Has some more texture than I imagined
This was a fun listen. I definitely knew a couple of these and enjoyed revisiting them and hearing what the rest of the album sounds like. Definitely one of the things labelled New Wave that I have liked the most. Still falls to the 3 star level for me, but can get to why it's a higher ranked one for anyone. It's still just not quite my genre, but more albums like this might start to win me over more.
2.5 but 2
A bunch of great 80's pop songs 3
this album goes so hard. I can feel the influence hard in stuff today
The Beauty And The Beat is the sound of sunshine. There is a brightness to it that I don’t believe a group of men could produce. Carlisle’s vocals are great and the guitar is clean and bright, for lack of a better word 7.1/10
Girl rock at its finest. They sound a bit punk, but I'll take the New Wave sticker.
Albumi #2, 29.07.2024 Belinda Carlisle on vanha tuttu, mutta The Go-Go’s on jäänyt vähemmälle kuuntelulle. Debyyttialbumi heijastelee hienosti ajan henkeä ja siinä on selkeästi punk-aikakauden jälkiä. Toisaalta nykypäivään peilaten esim vahvoihin melodioihin nojaava Best Coast on tyylillisesti paljon velkaa The Go-Go’sille. Silti se ehdoton huippukohta levyltä jää kuitenkin löytymättä. ”Beauty and the Beat” menee lokeroon ”Ei mikään erikoinen, mutta pitää tietää”.
Awesome girl pop rock album
Does not sound unpleasant, it is cheerful and could be good for parties. Musically it is very simple/ a bit boring though; bog standard pop time measures and chord changes. I wouldn't "listen" to this album, it would be background at best. So, can't give it more than 2* even though it sounds alright (like a million other pop albums).
Easy listen
ABOUT DAMN TIME I GET AROUND TO THIS Yeah, this is exactly what I need in a poppy & slightly punky album. Sound is clear, nothing over the top, awesome vocals, range of songs, perfect length (35 mins) and sheeeetttt (Samuel L Jackson voice) this came out in 1981 (way ahead of its time). Our lips are sealed, How much more, skidmarks on my heart were my favorites. 4.5 stars and rounding up.
Love this album. Great 80s vibe and much more punk sound than I expected. 4.5 rounded up to a 5. Great band!
Ok disco!
one good song, eleven times over. it is a banger tbf
A really fun collection of tunes! Surprisingly fresh, even after all these years.
Pysyy hienosti konstailemattomana läpi levyn eikä aleta huutamaankaan efektiksi. Hienoa! Hyvät melodiat, hokemat ja stemmat riittävät, sen he tietävät. Viihdyin hyvin ja kiinnostuin.
Bändi lisää riittävän vivahteen omaksuttuun melodisuuteen. Our Lips Are Sealed -sinkun tyyppinen sointumaailma ei ole koskaan purrut minuun, mutta esimerkiksi Tonitea on vaikea ohittaa. Plussaa ensireaktion horjuttamisesta.
Didn’t mind this at all!
Quite a solid album
Catchy, breezy, but ultimately a little unremarkable for me. Other all female bands of yonder have done it better
Thoughts before listening: 80s all girl pop rock band that has some massive hits. My favorite thing about the Go-Gos is that they started in the LA punk scene before hitting it big. I've always enjoyed the songs I've heard so I'm glad to hear a full album from them. Review: There's definitely a pop punk inspiration here that I'm really connecting with. Sure the hits are fun, instantly recognizable ear worms in "Our Lips are Sealed" and "We Got the Best", but theres a lot more to this album. I'm especially enjoying "How Much More" and "Tonite", both of which have a slightly more polished take on what bands like the Descendents and Bad Rel this is aigion were doing around the same time. This is a 4-star album.
Solid, enjoyable punk
Catchy and poppy but not really my style.
Simply amazing! I have never heard of this band before so I was a bit afraid it was gonna be another new wave band with weird Brit as a vocalist but no, I was in for a surprise. Immediately upon hearing the girls singing and harmonizing I was locked in. What a relief. It's so refreshing to hear a girls band rocking so effortlessly. There's not much substance to it but that's not the point, it's simply cool. I loved almost every track on it and I'll be looking out to find it on vinyl. Potential for growth to 5, for now I'm leaving it on 4/5.
Memory of the Go-go’s was 80’s girlgroup pop but there’s is a bit of edge. A very minimal amount of edge but less offensive than the pop of the 90’s onward. Fits the bill so I’d add a 3.5 if possible.
Equipped with both beauty and the beat, The Go-Go's arrived right on time for the start of a new musical era. Crossing the punk threshold (think The Runaways) onto something brighter (think Blondie), The Go-Go's provide a poppier side to the proceedings and, in the process, establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Although the band would not last as long as they should have, there is no mistaking that Beauty and the Beat is a record worthy of further consideration beyond the hits, as their deep cuts suggest that there is more to come with this kind of beat. Favorites: Our Lips Are Sealed, How Much More, Tonite, This Town, We Got the Beat, Automatic, Can't Stop the World.
Enjoyed this a lot. Could imagine a lot of these riffs in a 00s indie rock song. It's a little punky but has a lot of melody and vibe still. Best Song: How Much More Worst Song: Lust to Love
Best Song: Tonite Worst Song: Skidmarks on my heart
More listenable 80s to my ears.
Definitely solid. I'm some ways very good. It can't quite get to a 4 for me, but it's close. Wish I could give a 3.5.
Vibey
3.5
But blah
Um álbum bem divertido e alto-astral. New-wave com alguns toques de pop punk. Não é bem o estilo de música que costumo ouvir, mas definitivamente recomendaria para mais pessoas.
Hmmm, I guess it was fine. Not really my thing.
It was okay. 80's all female pop punk/punk rock. Not bad but i did not feel attached to it.
Super fun album. I've heard the hits before but never the whole album. Great vibe and brings back memories of my sisters when I was a little kid.
As much as I’ve heard the singles from this album I don’t think I’ve really listened to the album. I got what I was expecting to hear until I got to Lust To Love. There’s some really cool melodic choices on that one and it has a lot of early Cure vibes. Feels like the album shifts there and I’m happy with the shift it makes. I love the simplicity of this record, short and sweet, made for a fun listen but I don’t think it’ll be one that I revisit frequently. A solid 3.5 for me.
I kinda just played this one in the background. Standard 80's music here. I like their opening track, as it is a familiar hit. Honestly, I was too busy with work to really soak it in. I'll need to give it proper attention later.
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.
Upbeat power pop with tinges of new wave, punk, post-punk, bubble gum, and surf. A trailblazing all-girl group that was probably the template for all those fictional '80s girl bands of my youth - - Barbie and the Rockers, Jem and the Holograms, etc. Never veering too far into the sex, drugs, and rock and roll realm like, say, The Runaways, the vibe is mostly sunny and outgoing. Reminds me a bit of Blondie, although I much prefer Blondie. At times the sound somehow felt a little thin.
I liked this one. Never heard one of their albums before. Just a good straightforward album with straightforward songs. I liked the melodies and how some of the songs had a bit of Dick Dale surf guitar sounds going. It was like a combination of do wop, pop and punk in a way. Strangely enough I can hear some similarities to Green Day. Maybe Green Day was influenced by the Go Go's.
In the late 1970s, Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, and Margot Olavarria were at the infamous last gig by the Sex Pistols and realised that they could do a lot better than the shambolic mess on stage. They played gigs for a couple of years, tweaking their sound to pop punk (with a hint of surf guitar) before releasing this phenomenal debut album in 1981. We Got The Beat is the ultimate new wave banger and is guaranteed to get you moving!
I never heard of them, I'm glad to listen to this record. It's really entertaining quality pop punk/post-punk. Good riffs, a bit of surf on top of it, good vocals (in the genre), strong vocal harmonies/backing vocals. At first I was going to give it a 4 and it actually gets better, there are stronger tunes in the middle of the album and even some darker melodies at some point.
Not as seminal as the reviews would suggest
Such a fun 80s sound. Some great classic songs on here!
Initially, I thought “We Got The Beat” was one of the cringiest songs from the new wave era, so I wasn’t exactly thrilled to dive into this album. I went in with a bit of a bull-headed attitude. But once I put my guard down, I started to appreciate it for what it was. As I progressed through the tracks, I found that the music had more credibility and a raw edge than I had anticipated. All in all, it turned out to be a pretty decent album.
Female vocals are always going to be an initial win for me, and this was banging! What a treat in amongst some of the terrible picks I’ve had recently! Kinda like the Bangles? Good either way!
decent jangly new wave shit
A fun but one-note pop album. I knew two of the songs, which are good. The rest of the album is fine. Automatic was a nice change of sound for the album. Standouts: Our Lips Are Sealed, How Much More, and Automatic.
flavourful but repetitive. good listen nonetheless.
Pretty decent songs 🎵 👌 👏
Listened to many times. Fundamental 80's album that still sounds great. A lot of the "sounds" going on at the time were wrapped in a polished pop package. Strong 4, but not enough classics for it to be a 5 star. "(This town) It is so glamorous Bet you'd live here if you could"
Brings back good memories right from the start. Loved hearing "Our Lips Are Sealed" but no other highlights for me. Too early 80's with no substance: the same thing over and over.
Catchy Pop Songs.
It was better with better headphones; on lesser phones the sopranos and the drums and the clipped wording all got kind of punchy. I appreciated this album, but I probably wouldn't get it from the Columbia Records and Tapes Club.
A couple of great pop songs, but was disappointed in the rest of the album.
Wished I had more fun with it. Eh
I liked this a lot. I hadn't expected to but yep, I really did. Fun, 80s pop-rock. I'll take it!
Really enjoyed this one. Fun and upbeat. The 2 singles are stellar.
A really outstanding and uptempo girlsband It sounds as they have a little punk references in some of their Music , and all in all its pretty good, the 4 star is given for their abillity to Stick to their genre, the quality surprised me