1001 Albums Generator
First Band On The Moon by The Cardigans

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

1996
3.29
Rating
24667
Votes
1
3%
2
14%
3
41%
4
31%
5
10%
Distribution
Genres: Pop, Rock Styles: Pop Rock, Indie Pop

Reviews (page 9 of 10)

It was hard to avoid hearing Lovefool back in the day & I have to say I never wanted to hear it again. There are a few tunes here I didn’t mind - Happy Meal II; Never Recover, which sounded like 60’s pop; and particularly Great Divide. The band were obviously talented but I really find the lead singer’s voice irritating. Blondie, they ain’t.

Pleasant pop music. The overwhelming twee-ness is wearing after about three songs. There are a number of songs I could tolerate on a mix-tape, but a whole album is too much. I have no idea what this album did to warrant a place on this list (apart from the 90s ubiquity of "Lovefool") but I'm not sure it has aged well.

meh. 2/5

I am most likely one of the first people in Australia to hear this ablum and possibly the only perto review it ahead of it's release. From memory the albums release got put back from around June to September and missed the memo so we ran the review early. No great landmark as it was for an unknown teen Mag that had a readership of maybe 12,000 on a good month. By the time the album came out I had been telling people about this amazing Swedish band and how their song Lovefool eclipsed 99% of the pap masquerading under the banner of Britpop. I gave my copy of the CD to and indie DJ in the hope she would play it. She did eventually but that was after a certain movie was released. I remember saying in my review that whole it was easy enough to slot the band as saccharine heirs to the crown of ABBA but their Black Sabbath influences gave them a hard edge under the sweet appearance

Best Song: Lovefool. Never knew this was the group that did this song. Even though I've heard it dozens of times, it's still fun, bouncy, and with a playful chorus that you just feel like you have to sing. Worst Song: Heartbreaker. Almost a waltz, can't say I liked how sleepy this one sounded. Overall: Perfectly serviceable pop-alt-rock. Like the sound of her voice, like the brevity of the individual tracks and the album as a whole. Nothing overstays its welcome. Just quietly pleasant 90s rock.

Gran Turismo is better, but this is good.

I've always thought of The Cardigans as a novelty band (what if we had a lounge lizard act with twee vocals?), and this album didn't do much to dissuade me of that notion. I was giving it a fair shake until I hit the ridiculous "Iron Man" cover and I fell off the ride.

"Been It" fucking slaps. The vocal and the lead guitar sound so good together. There's also a bouncy, melodic bass which I fall for so easily. This could be a Jellyfish song. "Losers" is another strong tune. The tumbling vocal and drums in the chorus contrast with the dreamy verses. The "Iron Man" cover is weird. I bought this album when it was first released after becoming enchanted by the song "Carnival" from their previous record. I never gave this album too deep of a listen back then and I'm surprised to see it on this list. All in all, it's a solid alternative rock/pop album that captures where popular music went after grunge yielded to other sounds.

Before listening to the album, the only song I was familiar with was Lovefool. It's a fun album, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I also really like Nina Persson's voice. Favourites: Your New Cuckoo, Never Recover, Lovefool, Great Divide, Choke

Znam samo lovefool i my favourite game od njih al sam odma znala da ce mi se svidit ovaj album. I je. Godi srcu. Ovaj iron man cover je bio ugodno iznenađenje

Tražio sam bendove poput Hole, gdje imaju ženskog vokala i da je glazba dobra, pa mi je ovaj album izbacivao, ali ga nisam poslušao. Vrijeme je. /// Na prvo slušanje mi je dobar album - iskreno, čekao sam bar par pjesama da će mi se dost svidit i da ću im se moć vraćati. Lovefool mi je poznata, a mislim da mi se najviše svidjela Iron Man stvar - instrumental (taj loop što se proteže kroz pjesmu).

too repetitive

Great album, sometimes too popy.

Yeah, it’s good. Obviously one massive smash hit. But I really liked the vibe of the whole album. I’d forgotten how funky it was with those cool bass lines.

It was OK, some good tracks although really not sure about their version of Iron Man

Perfect 90s pop.

pegao pegao bruh pegao

Por un momento pensé que era Stereolab hasta que sonó Lovefool, tremendo temón :5papa: 7/10

Este álbum nunca lo había escuchado mas que lovefool pero la verdad no fue muy mi estilo, no se me hizo malo tampoco pero siento que empieza bien pero a partir de lovefool se vuelve algo aburrido. 7/10

Lead singer sounds like Susan Sarandon in rocky horror. Closer to a 3.5 or 3.75 like I jam with the music but not a top contender

Nice enough, groovy enough, background music for a 90s indie film

one good song

Poprock, niet heel speciaal, door vrouwenstem niet helemaal mijn ding

don't really like the singer's voice, too high for me

I'm not sure why I disliked this album as much as I did. Possibly the vocalists voice, possibly because it was blamd enough to qualify as "hotel lobby music". I was really glad to get to the last track.

I like the Iron Man song the most; it's very chill.

There's a cool Iron Man cover here.

Probably one of my favorite albums on this whole list that I haven’t already heard before. Solid songs throughout. I really enjoy the vocal performance. The iron man cover was great

Thats a 5 Maybe just 4 Didn't expect the Black Sabbath cover

I rather enjoyed this. I mean, it's impossible to anything about this album without mentioning Lovefool, which is one of the biggest singles of all time, ever - ever! 4. It does lean slightly towards samey, but it's enjoyable pop so you can kind of forgive it.

very cool!

Incredible. Actually a favorite album of mine now.

Heard it before?: No, although I have heard ‘Lovefool’ before Enjoy it?: Yes! The vocals compliment and lush the sound beyond what you would expect of an angelic voice with that perfect middle ground of it not being too soft for the genre but not being too aggressive, goes incredibly well with every song on this one. Favourite song: Track 2 - Been it (Track 7- Lovefool needs an honourable mention too).

Zu poppig und lame und texte waren komisch.

What a funky album.

I really enjoyed this, I liked the vibe and lots of different themes and that. Nice one :)

OK I'm well confused, the Cardigan's were not what I was expecting! Think I've got them mixed up with another band. Also VERY confused that 'Say that you love me' was on her, gun to my head would have said Kylie did that song. Mixed bag for me this, sometimes that style of singing grates on me a bit. BUT Some of them were fun. Wonder if they were inspo for Lily Allen. Just found out they're from Sweden, did not that see coming. Twists and turns.

Yeah pretty good, such a 90s feel

It's ok, it has some good songs, it isn't my kind of music. 3/5

It starts off really good but peters off badly

Finding my feet with comparative ratings I think this is a solid 3. I had low expectations but enjoyed it

Her voice can be a bit annoying at times

I loved a lot of these songs. I can't believe I hadn't heard this album before.

This was alright, however I don't really see myself revisiting it.

Interesting album. I could listen to Nina Persson’s vocals all day! 3.5/5

It’s no Gran Turismo.

I think I was so used to "Lovefool" that I thought all their songs would sound like that. But I was pleasantly surprised! I know I say that a lot on these reviews, but I really did like what I was hearing here. Loved the production and instrumentals. Lyrically, it was a hit or miss, and some songs didn't quite click with me. Overall, though, would definitely listen again!

Great collection of songs. Solid throughout, I especially liked the Iron Man cover took me a minute to pick up on what it was.

Dark jazzy thing - wild Sabbath cover

i liked that all the songs had a unique sound!

Very nice

This isn't bad, but I just can't listen to an entire album. I did, but it wasn't pleasant. Lovefool is the obvious hit here, and I can easily listen to that.

3.5/5. Shoutout Sweden.

Lovefool is obviously the song everyone has heard, but I was pleasantly surprised that the rest of the album was so enjoyable. The vocals felt like a warm, comforting hug. The arrangements on each track were fairly interesting for a genre that I generally find fairly boring. 5/5

Enjoyed it. Never stopped to listen a Cardigans album.

I was pleasantly pleased with this album only going in knowing one song. Great song for the 90s that bridges the gap between pop and rock, and also have a cover of iron man.

Pretty solid album. Always fun to hear the one song you know from the radio but never knew who sang it. Loved the Sabbath nods.

A pleasant enough blend of 60s pop, bossa nova, and Black Sabbath. Definitely wears its influences on its sleeve.

Sometimes verges on kohl’s commercial music but has some psychedelic and noisy

Mellow but cool album with 1 hit.

Un son joyeux, ça fait très care free comme musique. Pas le meilleur album ever, mais un album avec une bonne ambiance qui fait un peu été

I was preparing for this to be one of those albums that’s only on here for the one popular song but I was pleasantly surprised. Lovefool almost got completely outshined by step on me and the iron man cover was super interesting and fun

Shoegazy vocals but way less intense guitars. Not a bad song on the whole album. Can't quite think of any band that really sounds like them. Interesting guitar work the whole way through and great pacing from track to track. Excellent album.

Wasn't expecting an Iron Man cover, it has no right being that good. Losers was my fave track but honestly, this whole album is 🔥

Wasn’t too remarkable although Lovefool is a standout for me.

First album that I haven't heard of before. It was okay. Not sure if I would go out of my way to listen to again. Iron Man was a song I was not expecting to hear so the surprise factor might have raised its ranking. 1. Lovefool 2. Iron Man 3. Your new Cuckoo

The first half of this album was way better than I expected. Kind of a drop off after lovefool, but changed my perspective on this band.

Great album

"First Band on the Moon" is the third album from Swedish pop band The Cardigans and was their major breakthrough internationally. This is well-crafted and well-produced pop. I would say laid back, happy and even kind of fluffy at times. It's funny there's always a song that comes on after streaming the album that resembles it and in this case it was Blondie's "Heart of Glass." If only! What this album does miss is an edge. Some edge. Maybe, "Heartbreaker," "Losers" or "Step In Me" do have that little bit of edge I seem to be missing. Anyway, it is fine for it tries to do and was very successful. The first single "Lovefool" was a big hit internationally. It does have a very catchy chorus and well-placed music backing and balancing. This song actually prompted me to buy their next album; I think I still have it. The next two singles "Your New Cuckoo" and "Been It" are also good sounding pop songs. They actually do a cover of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" in a pop, slowed-paced and somewhat soulful style. If it wasn't for lead singer Nina Persson's sexual overtones on saying and singing Iron Man I would put this into one of the worst covers ever. Instead, I put it in the interesting category. As mentioned, this is well-made and well-produced 90's pop. If that's your thing, this is all you.

A pretty good 90s pop-adjacent record. Lovefool is widely known, but I didn't know anything else from this.

This is a very nice album. The vocalist has a lovely child like quality that reminds me of Andrea Lewis of The Darling Buds. Songs are good, the melodies tight and the arrangements are fresh and tasteful and really well executed. Interesting to me is that the only song from the album that I recognize; Lovefool is, I think, one of the least successful on the album. A very nice album . 4 stars

First review can't go too crazy. I'd always thought Lovefool was by Sophie Ellis Bextor! Everyday a school day. Favourite track - Your New Cuckoo

Prima muziek, maar ik vind de zangeres een beetje "zeikerig" over komen. Haar stem gaat op den duur wat irriteren, dus zou niet zo snel nog een heel album van ze luisteren. ***

Lovefool e go

not really my style :/

Not for me. I don't like Lovefool and I really dislike the Sabbath cover. The rest is very meh. Inoffensive wishy washy indie rock. I have no idea why it is on the list. Even the album cover looks like a mistake Solid 2

Wow I have not listen to this a long long time, did own this one. Some catchy tunes and like the sultry vocals on some of songs. It's not a bad album just not a great album. 2.5 for sure.

There are a couple of OK pop tunes here, and an interesting and fun cover of Iron Man, but overall nothing too special.

It was fine. I really liked Love Fool when it came out. I think I saw them open for Beck around this time.

Lovefool is super catchy, of course. Pure late 90s pop, and I could see the scenes in movies and TV it was used in my head while it was playing. The rest is fine.

old favorite

Getting credit for lovefool

Loverfool is enduring and it includes yet another Black Sabbath cover (Iron Man). It is very good well made 90s pop with some creative and very interesting arrangements. This holds up better for me than many other works from the period.

Not familiar with this band other than one song on this album. Never would have recognized the cover of Iron Man, but I thought it was really interesting. I think this is pretty good pop/rock and would isten again.

This was a cool album with lots if interesting sounds. It contained one of the most interesting covers I’ve ever heard (Iron Man) and plenty of other catchy songs.

Poppy goodness. A bit of everything.

Pop com voz feminina interessante, com hit de ŕadio e mtv, mas forçaram com versão "fofa" de Iron Man.

Fun little album.

Tout ce qui sort des années 90 n'est finalement pas à jeter

musicalement ca décrit parfaitement la vibe du cardigan je dois dire

3.6 - Some bops on here, especially “Lovefool” that amplifies the unreliable narrator motif to fun absurdity. Also, “Your New Cuckoo” and the cover of “Iron Man.” Nina Persson borrows from Dusty Springfield’s playbook and becomes the obliging and world-weary mistress/whore, with the voice and look of a pixie.

Desconocía pero buena producción

Bit fey. Light pop. Reminds me of St Etienne mixed with Stereolab. Wasn’t keen to hear Black Sabbath weakened. Just like soundtracks for John Lewis Xmas tv adverts!

This was a nice and quiet pop album. Nothing too fancy but it's pleasant to have in the background.

It’s just OK.

all of them. never recover, happy meal, step on me

Lovely and weird, but also engaging and poppy.

It's weird that this band is a one-hit wonder because this whole album is great!

This album is a good illustration of what the 90s considered catchy pop. But compared with the decade that directly preceded the 90s, this kind of pop music feels somewhat flat and uninspired, monotonous and boring even. The most well known (and best) song here is Lovefool, and Iron Man - a Black Sabbath cover, no less - works surprisingly well, but the remaining songs just fall flat. 2/5

I loved this. Lovely tunes, lovely singing, lovely music, lovely album. Lovely.

The Cardigans are the least offensive band from a nation that specialises in inoffensive pop

If this album was a Friends quote, it would definitely be "I'm breezy". Nina Pearson's voice has an unconvinced cheeriness to it, which suits a lot of the lyrics. Overall, nice enough indie pop but (Lovefool aside) not all that memorable. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Lovefool Date listened: 04/05/22

Very nice and inoffensive… these are fairly popular, but not my thing. Can just about see the appeal though, and this isn’t a bad album!

If only all modern pop was more like this.

What seems a standard twee pop album quickly expands to become an interesting exploration in pop arrangement and instrumentation. While 'Lovefool' steals most of the LP's spotlight, it's the at-times discordant progressions and off-kilter rhythms that make the tracks here so memorable and engaging.

Highlights: Been It, Lovefool. It's a decent album around a huge hit. The Iron Man cover was a fun surprise.

All things 90's, qué hermoso álbum.

More than just Lovefool

Bit more interesting and contemplative than Lovefool would have you believe. But not loads.

Some interesting sounds

It was okay.

A respectable set of songs from The Cardigans that includes their biggest hit and some better than expected material like Happy Meal II and Great Divide, not to mention a reimagined Black Sabbath cover. Favorites: Your New Cuckoo, Happy Meal II, Step on Me, Lovefool, Losers, Great Divide.

Everybody knows "Love Fool" but there were a few others here that are worth knowing! Unexpectedly good album.

Not a bad album. Enjoyed some songs. Actually found that song Lovefool from this album. Good listen.

Nice, pleasant, and fun. Nothing too profound. 3 stars.

It's pleasant and airy with a nice female vocalist and a mega-hit in the middle. I could probably get into this on repeated listens. Maybe.

Apart from Lovefool The Cardigans were just a one hit lounge wonder, right? Bubblegum 90's. Sweden!! (ABBA). Trainwreckords on YouTube suggested their image is misleading and that their extended repertoire is much more subversive. Black Letter Day? Rise and Shine? Black Sabbath - Iron Man? Calling ahead to Sing Sing - Feels Like Summer? "Hooks for days!" "Seductive codependence" (trademark Todd in the Shadows). Trying to keep this short. First half of the record meandering, cloying. Schmaltzy instrumentals. Distracting sprite vocals. I think of bands like Depeche Mode and Muse where the vocals get in the way... Juliana Hatfield chain smoking wishing she could rough up her voice. The "failed follow up" next record "My Favourite Game" sounds like garbage.. The band Garbage - "It kicks a lotta ass!" ... but onwards and darkards - the Anti-Lovefool. Did they deserve better? "Hell Yeah" - Todd(tm).

i didn't expect it to be so jazzy. i mean jazz flute on your opening track, those crazy swedes. it was alright, i might have enjoyed some of it but i can't really remember.

I was eating a lovely apple crumble for pudding at my parents' house whilst listening to this. I got so angry at what I was hearing, that I spilt it all down my brand new cardigan. It was hard to tell what was apple crumble and cream and what was the entire Chelsea first team and backroom staff's jizz.

Ergh. Ergh, all a bit repetitive. Ergh, all a bit repetitive. Lovefool - rejoice! Ergh, all a bit repetitive. Fuck me this is terrible. Really annoying.

I can't quite put my finger on why but I really didn't enjoy this.

Good album, enjoyed it more than I expected and actually knew Lovefool (classic 90’s single)

This album didn't really grab me in the first half. It felt like there just wasn't enough there to hold my interest. I thought the second half was better, though. I suspect further listenings might improve my opinion of the album, but for now it gets 3.5/5 stars.

Swedish, good song on it, kinda monotone in sound. A little samey

Love fool, not bad.

Vaya con las referencias a Black Sabbath de este album. Me gustaban de su época "Your new cuckoo" y "Love fool" (por supuesto). Mejor de lo que esperaba en conjunto.

28th February 2022 Listened in the morning while working from home. Chilled evening watching nightmare alley. Diet No Doubt. Would have been 2.5 but for Love Fool.

I know Lovefool, the rest were new. Maybe too soon to judge. There were a few songs I liked but others I would never want to hear again. Songs I enjoyed the most: Heartbreaker, Lovefool, Great Divide, Choke Iron man. Ok, that was interesting. Good? I don't know if I'd go that far. Definitely different than the original! 2/5

skemmtileg plata og lovefool insane catchy dæmi

Pretty cool. Interesting spin on alt/punk making it almost twee.

It was good. I didn't like all of the songs, but the second half was way better than the first.

ok but not very memorable

Immediate favorite! This is a magical discovery! "Lovefool" has been one of my favorite songs for a while, and the "Iron Man" cover is ill. Every song IS my favorite song, but I'll listen to "Your New Cuckoo" obsessively. And check out more of their work. Pretty great!

Quite refreshing

This album is fine. Quite why it is in the list of 1001 greatest albums, I don't know.

loved it

Genre: Indie Pop 2/5 Really wasn't quite sure what to expect here. The Cardigans did not make it out of the decade, except for the mega-hit, Lovefool. Upon listening, I was left uninterested, upset, and utterly baffled at how these guys are the ones responsible for said mega-hit, which is honestly one of my favorite songs from the 90s and one of the most infectious and groovy songs from that era. The singing on this is generally good, but the arrangements are not good, guitars meander through their solo sections with complete uninterest, and everything around Lovefool feels like a waste of time. If it were the other 10 songs on this album only, there would be no purpose for this album to be on any other list other than forgettable 90s albums, which it already should be on. 2 out of 5, but only because Lovefool is that fucking good.

I absolutely love this! So quirky and fun!

OK. Other than Lovefool I wasn't impressed

Lovefool rocks

not bad at all. 4/5

How fun! Obviously I've heard "Lovefool" many times on the radio, but I had no idea there was a worthwhile record behind it.

Eh. Not horrible, but not my thing. The cover of Iron Man was very unnecessary.

Weird, unique sound but songs quickly got fluid in that they sounded like one another. I think the album could be in any order and would still work

First off, I believe this band's moon landing was faked. Called it. All in all this was a pretty weird one. Quite modern and quite oldschool at the same time and pretty quirky all around. I enjoyed it, although it's hard to say how much I enjoyed it and that seemed to change with every song. The songs that stood out most were the opener for making me think "I don't know what this is, but I like it", Lovefool for making me think "Ohh I've heard this one before, but never the original, I believe" and Iron Man for making me think "This is a pretty weird cover, the style really doesn't fit the song".

sometimes if feels you're listening to the same song again.

smooth and pleasant

Uno de los mejores discos de pop de los 90.

Esto sí es "my jam" y lo disfruté mucho, creo que llegó tarde a los Cardigans, pero está bien, quizá pueda escucharlos mucho más ahora. "Been It", "Losers" y "Iron Man" son top, junto con el hitazo "Lovefool". 10/10

Lovely. Poppy. Jolly

Me encantó es un disco para ordenar la casa un sábado c la yarda, con sol

Lovefool was the only song I recognized.

Twee beyond twee. Each song seems to include a break down ending over spaghetti mixed guitars, pretending punk chaos after frankophile bile. The teo highlights are the bizarre malicious cover of Black Sabaths Iron man and that the album mercifully is only 39 minutes long.

I'm shocked I never listened to this album outside of Lovefool, but I guess I was too young at the time. Wow, this is a fantastic album and something that is right up my alley. This is exactly the type of music I love.

Not a bad album, just not my style at all.

Ok background music, did not overly grab me. Honestly there are times I found her voice lovely & times it made me want to bang my head against a wall bc its so sickenly sweet. Overall ok tho & Heartbreaker was the standout to me!

Not terrible but a bit boring

Great from start to finish. A very solid effort. Could have done without the iron man cover tho.

Don't love it

Killer 90s alt with gorgeous lilting vocals. Love it.

Surprisingly good - and Lovefool is excellent.

From the beginning of the album, I was waiting for the one-hit wonder. I didn't know what it was, but every song sounded so generic that I knew there must be one. Lovefool was it. Nostalgia makes that song enjoyable, but the rest was only tolerable. Iron Man was kind of weirdly fun.

Fine. Not the best album. Only worth listening to for the one song.

Finally, someone delivers on all the promises the Carpenters only hinted at, the ones that Richard Carpenter cock-blocked Karen Carpenter from attempting. That's not to compare the vocal styles of Nina Persson and the silky smooth Karen Carpenter. But there's a sadness to a lot of the Cardigans that's baked into some cheesy sounds. There's also a pretty great cover of a Black Sabbath classic. Most of the album sounds like bubble-gum pop meets new-era grunge lounge, and I'm here for all of it. "Lovefool" was a number one song for all intents and purposes (it was released during that weird era when Billboard didn't have their shit together, so many bangers of the era were relegated to charts titled "Top 100 Radio Airplay" and "Top 40 Mainstream". Fuckin' algorithms). But I'm telling you, that song was EVERYWHERE in 1997. It had some sort of relationship with that Romeo + Juliet movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, which makes sense somehow. When a song is that perfect, it's going to work anywhere. The Cardigans didn't reach the level of success that fellow Swedish bands Abba or Ace Of Base did, and it sounds like a lot of that was due to the fact that the success of "Lovefool" freaked them out a little. I still own three CDs by the Cardigans, and I'll take them over anything by Ace Of Base anytime.

Pretty slick with nice kicks and licks

Quite pleasant to listen to, the big singles are stand out sounds of the 90s and as a whole the album flows nicely. But it didn't wow me

Underrated band. I prefer the darker sound of Gran Turismo but this is a decent album too. Sweet, smart, sugary Swedish indie-pop goodness, and they've put some effort into the sequencing too which hasn't gone unnoticed by this reviewer.

Singles are good comfort food at this stage. The rest of the album is likeable but maybe a bit forgettable? Probably being harsh, but 3 stars seems a fair rating

Started pretty good, some nice tunes and basslines. Too similar by the end. Lovefool is a classic

I like the cardis

The vocals don’t work on every track, but when they click it totally sings.

One really well known song. There is a weird Iron Man cover. I don't mind the Cardigans but after listening to an entire album, I was glad it ended.

I loved their album ‘Life’ which I think was the one before this. I didn’t think I knew this one but it all sounded very familiar so I think maybe I did have it back in the day, hard to remember through the fug of Mid nineties Two Dogs!

So much to say about this album! I thought I had never heard a cardigans song until I listed to Lovefool. I had no idea that was the cardigans and think it's the worst song on this album! Unsurprisingly, I loved Heartbreak, was completely taken by the Iron Man cover and think the Great Divide is a perfect break-up song. I love the title of the album and, with it's unique percussive sounds, it rings true to the mood they were trying to create here.

‘Love Me’ and ‘The Great Divide’ are the stand out tracks! The rest: meh. Searing, incisive commentary, I know...

Like many others, I am familiar with Lovefool and that's about it. Not really a song I ever listen to on purpose, but it's one of those singles that's impossible to avoid. Everyone has heard it at one point in their life. As far as the rest of the album goes, I thought it was alright. Unique voice, often catchy pop tunes. Would not be surprised if this influenced No Doubt's early sound. Deserves more credit than just a one-hit wonder band. The "Iron Man" cover was surprisingly good.

I think it's ok - nothing really special to be honest save for "Lovefool", their by-far greatest hit. 6/10.

It’s like they wrote one incredibly catchy song by complete accident.

Guter Altpop, angenehme Stimme, Lovefool ist ein Klassiker.

Decent enough. Love lovefool, but the rest was just average.

Is this the same woman from Frente!? Two Swedish bands in a row? I'm afraid that this algorithm has the Covid virus. It's a bit uneven. I'm still mad at getting two Swedish bands in a row.

It's fine. Been It and Lovefool seem to stand out... the other songs were okay and not particularly catchy. I don't mind the style, but not too much compelling to rate it higher or have me listen more times.

Album is a bit all over the place. Some songs are nice, some got way too much radio play in the 90's and some are downright weird. Overall a nice break from other things I listen to, but won't rise to an album I've GOT to listen to.

This one's got a couple keepers. And the vocals are deceptive, delivering lyrics that are more interesting than they appeared to me at first. And not one but two Black Sabbath references in a Swedish pop package. Ultimately, though, nothing close to a completely invaluable package, end to end.

Wonderfully bummed pop.

Aaah, Nina Persson, pop-rock goddess of my teens. Bit of a mixed bag, although enjoyed listening again after all this time. Completely wiped the Iron Man cover from my memory, interesting reworking.

I song carrying a boring lot of other songs. 2

Love Fool wins probably for nostalgia purposes, but a lot of tracks have similar energy and instrumentation (in a good way). A fun listen.

As a whole, this album wasn't bad, but pretty boring and uninteresting. Wasn't a big fan of Lovefool actually and was disappointed as it's their hit, but did like a couple of songs like Happy Meal and Your New Cuckoo. Their Iron Man cover wasn't great, but it was at least unique and took me half way though to recognise so props for that.

Not my favorite. Instrumentals were good but the vocals weren't for me.

Pretty good sound. The hopelessly romantic/desperate lyrics get a little old after a while. But some cool tunes, like a modern Indy album with a touch of 90s grunge.

Sweet somewhat twee. Can see it’s influences all over modern indie music

Pretty cool distorted indie pop. Not enough to make me want to listen again but apparently more than just a two hit wonder.

Quirkier than I expected, and just when you think you have the album worked out, it wrong foots you. ‘Lovefool’ is clearly the star of the show, but ‘First Band On The Moon’ isn’t your bog-standard shiny indie pop/disco/rock record, there’s a fair bit more happening under the hood than initially meets the eye. A grower.

Lovefool is a bop, it permeates 90's radio playlists, but that isn't enough of a reason to say that the whole album merits a spot on this list. And I agree with everyone else saying this is one of the shittiest album covers of all time. I would never look at this and equate it with the syrupy pixie pop that comes out of it.

I was a little worried this would be Lovefool plus a bunch of fillers, but I mostly liked this album. It had a definite groovy pop feel of 60s nostalgia, which makes sense for mid/late 90s. But I could have done without the dumb Iron Man cover.

High 2 star. Lovefool is a great song but I find it all sounds the same.

Love her voice and really enjoyed the album... almost a 4 but not quite

Not what I had in my head for this band. Far more varied and imaginative than expected.

Weak indy

Ok mushes and flows into each song with a super familiar feel. I loved the Iron Man Cover.

We all know the "hit". I played it for the Mrs. and she said "Oh, I liked her better in No Doubt." Me: "That's not Gwen Stefani." Which tells you either the generic-ness of this song or how little my wife can tell about singers. I am going to go with column A. Anyway, the songs grew on me after a while "Choke" to close out the album was really quite good. Definitely better than I was expecting, considering the "hit". I'd probably give this a 3.6, rounding up to...

It's different and unique and chic. Their take on Iron Man is cool. And of course many folks recognize and enjoy Lovefool (a solid song). But the album is just okay in my opinion. Worth a listen or two, for sure. Didn't blow me away.

Strange, for some reason I always thought that they were an Irish band. Turns out they're Swedish. Anyway, this was a solid album. Good lyrics, with some nice wordplay on some of the tracks. I'm probably in the minority but I also enjoyed the cover of Iron Man because it's so different than the original. Lovefool is a classic the I still enjoy. My only real criticism is that the drums on Heartbreaker sounds like it was recorded back in the 70s. Maybe that's the sound they were going for.

Very good album, with a nice amount of variety. Your New Cuckoo makes you think you're about to hear a disco-redux album (not in a bad way - it has some nice twists), but then Been It has a cool hard edge. Their chill cover of Iron Man somehow works. Losers also caught my attention every time I listened. And of course Lovefool is a great song and was rightly a hit. The album doesn't blow me away but I enjoyed it and would definitely listen again.

Mit einem Cardigans-Album hätte ich in dieser Liste nun wirklich nicht gerechnet. Eine durchwachsene Platte. Die üblichen Cardigans-Klopper (Rise&Shine, Lovefool, Rise and Shine, Carnival) fand ich ja immer sehr geil, den Rest eher so geht so, eben wie auf diesem Album. Die Iron Man-Coverversion ist allerdings sehr gelungen.

Good pop album, but I'm not convinced it's essential.

On the first song the dreamy background vocals ( la la la la la la) were borderline irritating but the guitar and lead vocals made a positive impression. I quite like Being It; I understand liking this song might be a Canadian thing. Lovefool is an excellent hit. When the Cowboy Junkies covered Sweet Jane I remember being pleasantly surprised that a mellow version with a female vocalist would word. Let's multiply that by a gazillion for the lovely cover of Iron Man. Her voice is kinda cool. I heard a flute a couple of times but don't see a credit. I like the name of the album but question the name of the band. Yeah I wear a cardigan occasionally but never thought of them as cool.

The first song has a nice 60s folk-pop, Brazilian acid-jazz feel. I like the flute. Bright, jangly (Johnny Marr-ish) guitar throughout and Nina Persson’s vocals over top give things a moody feel. There is enough variation in song structures to make it interesting for a full album. A bit of Black Sabbath channeling going on, which of course I’m not going to complain about.

Cute pop album, Lovefool is a fun breezy song with nice hooks. Their cover of Iron Man is also an interesting take. If you’re in the mood for some Euro pop this one should fit the bill. This is a 2.5 star album, that I’ll round up.

Such a good album

An OK Cardigans album, but I prefer some of their other albums.

Not doing much for me. Solid band, but mostly uninteresting songs.

Wow. I'd heard Lovefool before but that might be the worst track on here. Good stuff.

Was prepared to hate this. I've heard the one song so many damn times but I really loved this one.

-good bassline in "Your New Cuckoo" -"Never Recover" is quite catchy -Probably the chillest cover of "Iron Man" ever made, I also like the Black Sabbath reference in "Choke" -Solid drumming throughout -I feel like usually this would be too chill for me, but it was either just upbeat enough, or maybe there was just enough going on to make it interesting

Simple pop rock album

Yeah, this is more my kinda thing. Nice 90s indie vibes.

I knew Lovefool obviously and have listened to other Cardigans albums previously, so this was an interesting diversion. Love Nina Persson's voice but the songs just didn't really stick out or move me

I love Volvos! Volvos, aka the 'Socialist Containers' have always held my attention in a way that I cannot fully articulate. They're weird, but cool looking, especially the wagons. I bought one and it's kind of crap, it's got issues that nobody can figure out, once you solve one issue something else fails, kind of like this band. Nina Persson's voice is so soft, sexxy and warming, like my 50's pinup posters started singing to me ... mmmm Nina. However, the Playboy mansion submissive-bimbo-act got kinda gross after a couple of listens. The voice, ultimately becomes a liability and eventually a detractor. I really liked a song until I saw the title... "Happy Meal II" ummm, Nina not sure what happens in Sweden, but you can't sing about kinky thoughts and title it after a meal geared toward toddlers. Also, Iron Man is complete disaster bordering on blasphemy. Love Fool was overplayed and grated when this was released (though coming back, it is a really good song). Musically, there's a some uniquely good stuff. The percussion on Losers is wonderful, refrains on Great Divide, great and all songs really, have some secret sauce I can't quite figure out but really enjoy. There is enough to keep this album going. However, each time it's on, the liklihood of encountering irritation and disgust is high and trading it in for something that works is a real possiblity. Kind of like my Volvo. ---------------- Liner Note: Gran Turismo, the follow up to First Band on the Moon, shows a band that has evolved and is redeeming, that would be a five.

The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British Army major general who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War. A cardigan is supposed to be cozy and soft. But the Cardigans are like that sweater that you wished you like more, but there’s just something… scratchy? Musty? It’s just not right. It’s Nina Persson’s voice mostly. I just don’t like it. It’s not just that it’s too high and babyish or twee or something. I like Diet Cig, who’s singer has the same kinda thing going on. I mean, it’s really just “Lovefool” though - I can’t stand that song. The rest isn’t so objectionable. The flute solo on “Your New Cuckoo” deserves mention. "Been It" has a weirdly deep and crunchy guitar riff that stands in interesting contrast to their style. And the percussion on “Heartbreaker” is almost special. But the highlight was seeing the song title “Iron Man” pop up and pre-writing in my head about how much I wished it would kick in with “I… AM… IRON MAN!” knowing that it wouldn’t happen. And then it happened! These silly Swedes actually covered Sabbath two songs after “Lovefool!”

Delightful little pop album but ultimately too light and fluffy for my taste.

This album was fine. But I started it with the hope of trying to figure out the difference between The Cardigans and Sixpence None the Richer and I still haven’t so I’m a bit disappointed it wasn’t as illuminating as I had hoped.

What a great way to start the week! Reminds me of driving home from uni and popping this cassette (I’m old!), that I borrowed from my roommate, in for a 5 hour drive. It’s a pop album, but not of the over manufactured variety. The music has a quality that I can’t quite pin down. There is a a lot more depth, and a uniqueness, that stands out from typical pop music. There are a lot of lyrics dealing with relationships, including: dating a man-child celebrity (Been It), being a commitmentphobe (Heartbreaker), being smitten for an upcoming date (Happy Meal II), being a doormat (Step On Me), and lack of self worth with a side of desperation (Lovefool). Then of course, there is the cover of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man. The two main songwriters were previously in metal bands. Thus, Black Sabbath were a big influence. The juxtaposition of Black Sabbath’s metal sound with the consumable, pop sound of The Cardigans always fascinates me. In fact, they covered several Sabbath songs throughout the years and referenced their lyrics in other non-covers (Heartbreaker). This album is fantastic, but I actually prefer their preceding album Life, which is not on the 1001 list. Too bad because it is awesome too!

Rentoa menoa

Ihan hyvä levy, melkeen kolmonen

very much enjoyed this nonsense ! i'd forgotten how good it is.

I really liked this one. I thought to myself "yo this album fucks." I don't super know what that means, but I liked it.

When "Lovefool" came on, I recognized it. Had not heard the other songs from this album. The sound and style reminds me of some fairly recent pop songs I've heard; no idea if this band in particular was the direct influence or if it's part of a broader movement, but it's fun. I like that it's pop with a bit more color and texture.

Damals arbeitete ich mich an den sexy Flokati-Oberflächlichkeiten dieser Retro Perfektionisten ab. Klar war ich auch etwas verschossen in diese zart-raue, klein-starke Nina Persson (wer nicht?!). Höre ich dies nun etwas älter wieder, bleibt glücklicher Weise der cringe Moment aus, wenn man sich in der Nachschau reevaluiert; die Verkostung dieses Twee-Pop/Rock hält jedoch Höchstnoten zurück. Wie ein roter Sirupfaden zieht es sich durch eine Panton-Sitzlandschaft, in deren Brandlöchern, Baileys- und anderen Flecken die Lyrics kleben. Alles doch recht zuckrig und doch hieven die Supersingle „Lovefool“ und das trippin‘ Black Sabbath Cover „Iron Man“ das Ganze gehörig auf starke 2.5

Joah, klingt wie Tommy und Annika, die in den 90ern auf Sixties-Feelgood-Pop machen, mit Elementen aus Tropicana, Easy Listening, freundlicher Psychedelik und selbst aufgesetztem Pfefferminzlikör. Huch, es SIND Tommy und Annika, die in den 90ern auf Sixties-Feelgood-Pop machen, mit Elementen aus Tropicana, Easy Listening, freundlicher Psychedelik und selbst aufgesetztem Pfefferminzlikör? Na wer hätte das gedacht! Jedenfalls kommt mir das hier nicht mehr ganz so originell und frisch vor wie vor 25 (!) Jahren, als es noch viel Spaß brachte, das in voller Lautstärke im Wechsel mit Pizzicato 5 über den Zeltplatz beim Dynamo Festival zu blasen. Was es damals aber auf jeden Fall war. Und nett anzuhören ist es ja auch immer noch, daher: gern 2,8 dafür!

Fun twee pop

They would have gotten four stars from me if they hadn't done that shitty cover of Iron Man.

The 90s are alive. Lovefool is on every 90z playlist. Iron Man cover is pretty cool. Otherwise, not bad

This is fine

I mean... I still like Lovefool. And the Ironman cover is interesting. But nothing on the rest of this grabbed me.

Catchy pop-rock pitched somewhere inbetween Badfinger and Orange Juice, which should be right up my alley. And it is, sort of - but the breathy, cooing singing wears on me after a while. I can take a track or two, but a whole album is just a hit of saccharine too much for moi.

Yeah, I stopped when I got to that “Iron Man” cover. I don’t even think “cover” is the right word for whatever that was, but I don’t ever want to even speak of it again from this point on, please. Have we even had an actual Sabbath record yet??? This list is dead to me. RIP list. Unspeakable act of brutality aside, The Cardigans are fine.

What is it with Swedes and English language bubblegum pop? This was all pleasant enough, though other than the song that dominated a certain slice of my radio/video airtime history, not all that memorable.

Some decent songs here. For years, I thought they were just "Lovefool" and nothing else. This is a really good album and shows their metal appreciation. Pleasantly surprised!

Ganz schön, aber für mich nichts besonderes

Wirklich nett aber durch und durch nett

Is there a genre for pop that is alternative? Really liked it. Humming liked charged satin.

Better than I expected, but also there weren't any hidden gems that made my playlist. Best track: Lovefool

I really like this album. A wonderful collection of pop/rock songs. Accessible, but not generic, with beautiful melodies and interesting arrangements. I love Nina Persson's voice, and Peter Svensson's guitar work is incredible - an absolute master of guitar tone, and always seems to play exactly what is required for the song (and no more). Love the production too, with all the instruments and vocals clear and defined and exactly where they need to be. (4.3)

Enjoyed this one - liked that it started with a disco feel on the opening track. Lots of cool guitar and bass parts to listen to. Only heard "lovefool" from this album before and the rest was pleasantly surprising.

Phenomenal 90's pop-rock.

Very interesting vocals. Nice and cheerful. Really liked the Ironman cover

This album gave me extreme enjoyability whiplash. For the first few songs I honestly thought I might be giving it a 1, they just plain annoyed me. But then Never Recover was fun enough to at least solidify a 2. But then Lovefool came, and my deep hatred for that song made me want to drop it down to a 1 again… but then immediately after Losers came on and not only saved it from losing a star, it bumped it all the way to a 3. And then that Black Sabbath cover… I honestly have no idea how to feel about it other than strangely intrigued. With the album ending on a nice but forgettable few songs, I think I’ll have to rate this a very confused 3 in the end.

Great performance, and the surprise Iron Man cover really sealed this up for me

I'm really not a fan of the twee vocals, although the music is fine, quirky 90s alt-pop fare. Hiding behind those vocals are some occasionally clever musical moments. I heard "Lovefool" so many times back in the day I was not inclined to like it now, but it has a heck of a hook to it I must admit. +1 for the unexpected cover of "Iron Man," which was the best song on the album. Favorite songs: Iron Man, Step on Me, Lovefool

90’s pop album Typical Not exciting 5/10

This is nice. Just chill and light with a great vocalist.

I don't know what I've listen to but it's not 2 star thing. So 3 stars.

Wouldn't change a thing

Worst Iron Man cover ever

Not for me. Lovefool is decent I guess.

S-ABBA-th Not too shabby

This a great album to listen to. I appreciated the vocals, but over time it can get a little boring and repetitive. However, if you are listening in short/medium bouts, it will be a great album to put on.

AH. The Lovefool song. I recognize that one. So that's what this band is known for huh. I like the vocalist. I like the album's chill vibe.

Done. Would listen to again.

most instrumentals are good but the songs still feel like a joke that didn't make me laugh

Bastantes temazos indiepop que entran muy bien

Somewhere between okay and good, but it has a song on it I love (lovefool). Would enjoy it a lot more if it was less pop and more alt.

Main singer's voice is a little bit too weak and does not fit the band. But I support women, so I am not going to give 1 star rating.

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Your new cuckoo, Been it, Lovefool, Iron man

complicated, breezy, curvy, adventurous, catchy, fun, some good pop hooks and also surprising compositional twists, re-listen for sure

It was ok. Was never a fan of Lovefool and the rest was in a similar vein.

Not usually my type of music, so I didn't expect to like this to be honest. But it positively suprised me and I found myself enjoying this quite a bit.

It might be a decent piece of pop rock for most people, but after a couple of tracks Nina's vocals get on my nerves. It's way too sweet, all treble and throb, solely daydreaming about lost and future relationships. Lovefool is an absolute classic though, and I do like the mysterious tempo on their Iron Man cover. It's a 2/5, but closer to a 3/5 than to a 1/5 for sure.

I had only ever heard Lovefool before. This album was a pleasant surprise.

Wouldn’t listen to for pleasure but tells a great story and adds a whole level to lovefool

The throwback sound was cool at the time but now it sounds kind of lame

Had heard lovefool before. Rest of it was fine. 2 or 3 stars.

Love me some female vocals GREAT

Really enjoyed the flow of the album, instrumentals are great, voice is also nice, 4/5

Not offensive to my ears or anything, just not really my preferred style. Felt a little cheesy to me.

Every song is more unexpected than the last! The first track really sets you up for something generic but "Been It" comes in with a slappin' riff and "Heartbreaker" slows things down with this dreamy, waltzy vibe. Really digging this!