Kilimanjaro

Tired of all the Brit pop on this list

Kinda bollocks mate innit

80s British Pop that sounds indistinguishable from any other 80s British Pop.

Musically this wavers between quirky fun and repetitively dull. There are a few songs on here I’d probably like a lot if not for the singer, but unfortunately this album just goes to prove that I do NOT like it when a Man sings Like That

Dammit. More crappy 80s music. It's post-punk so there's that but it's still full of bloopy synths, over-stylized vocals, horn solos... all the crap I hate about the era. The wiki calls this "neo-psychadelic" and I think that's a load of crap. It's just an excuse for repetitive keyboard parts that never go anywhere. I'm pretty sure this album is only on here because the band was fronted by Julian Cope and brits love to tell people that they love Cope. Also Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen. But, honestly, it's not an awesome album by any stretch of the imagination. There's nothing particularly ground-breaking in the musicality or the lyrics. It's sorta dancable, though? I bet this was big in the early 80s underground clubs in Liverpool...

I halfway expected this album to be various jazz covers of Toto's Africa given the title and cover art, honestly I probably would have liked that better than what I got. This is a pretty sub-standard british new-wave album. It's very uninspired. I really don't have much to say about this album. Its pretty boring and quicky faded to the background. I didn't find any qualities that would lift this album above any others.

I adore The Teardrop Explodes, and this album does NOT disappoint. Yet another record that proves how lovely that 80s new wave music from the UK was, and how much in influenced some of today's best indie music. Can't choose fav songs on Kilimanjaro but Poppies In The Field is a really cool one that stands out. The record just keeps rollin' with good vibes with their own alt flavour, full of danceable beats and solid vocals-n-songwriting. AND HORNS! :)

Great album! Like if Joy Division made more poppy songs.

Terrific New Wave album from the iconoclastic Julian Cope, who writes insistent and urgent music which is also catchy. The production dazzles and the throbbing bass, whirling organ and stabbing horns give the tracks an energy and bounce. A highlight from the eighties. BONUS : I don’t normally include singles that were later tacked on to the original album release because they were a hit but I couldn’t finish without acknowledging how brilliant Reward is, one of the tracks of the decade.

Après Travis, revoilà un de ces groupes qui veut absolument nous faire bouffer du français pour nous attendrir… La limite de cette stratégie est la suivante : tomber sur un vrai Français qui doit se coltiner quatorze couplets à la con dans une langue totalement inconnue du chanteur. Personne parmi leur entourage ne leur a signalé l'horrible faute d'orthographe contenue dans le titre de la chanson en question ? Quel amateurisme… J'ai globalement beaucoup aimé l'album même si j'en ai détesté une bonne partie. J'attends donc de voir ce que ces andouilles auront dans le ventre sur le long terme.

Julian Cope is a rad dude. Some great riffwork in this, and nice guitar tones. The whole album just feels very... tense. Paranoiac pop grooves. I don't know how much acid was floating around when they recorded (I think a lot), but there is something very bad-trippy about the songwriting. Love "strange house in the snow".

I had overlooked these guys when they first came out (maybe their records never made it to Sudbury?) and Julian Cope didn’t really catch my attention later – he reminded me of Morrisey at that point. Too bad because I would have been all over this album in 1980. The songs are very driving & melodic, I like the sequence of six tracks that begins with Treason, and the intermittent brass section is cool and not something you hear much in a post-punk band. I could see myself dancing to Second Head, which sounds like it could be a Stranglers song. Top Drawer Stuff 9/10

First of all, how is this album post-punk? It's full of pop and dance with heavy synths; those are the defining features of New Wave. It doesn't help that the intro track has the heaviest synths, giving off the wrong impression but also pulling people in. I guess it's too close to the punk formula and not as experimental. Second of all, screw this list for giving me so many post-punk and synth albums. It specifically caters to my tastes. I don't think they're influential or outstanding but yet I love them and it's very hard for me to criticize harshly. This is a psychedelic twist to the New Wave formula, utilizing mostly synth effects to achieve an eery psychedelic sound. The most obvious is that reverse effect in "Poppies in the field" but if you listen closely you can hear it all over the album. The organ and horns in several songs also helps in such effects, clearly influenced by their usage in several 60s psychedelic rock albums. The lyrics are non-sensical like New Wave but more surreal. There's purposeful and heavy repetition that I don't get tired of but makes the tracks simultaneously danceable and trippy. Can't say I hated any of the tracks, but I admit they weren't immediately discernible until I listened closely and was able to pick up what I liked about each of them. "Treason" is the catchiest and most polished, at a couple points giving off David Byrne vibes. If you want to convince yourself this is a psychedelic album, "Thief of Baghdad" is the perfect example of how psychedelia and synths could blend together seamlessly. I admit most of the other songs just feel like psychedelic influence. The ending track "When I Dream" is one of those catchy songs you hate to love. Goes on forever, but I never get tired of it, and is a great way to end the album. Finally, I want to include the bonus track: their best-selling single "Reward" is a great song on its own and should be included despite not fitting in too well with the psychedelic album theme. Maybe move it earlier in the album cause that closing track is the perfect way to end the album.

Yesterday, we received our tenth album, and second David Bowie album. At that rate, we could be looking at 200 Bowie albums on this list. I trust that isn't possible, but we will see. Today is a band/album I've never heard of; no Stuarts, but it is British. Seven of our eleven albums (64%) have come from UK artists (including Belle & Sebastian in Scotland). I think that qualifies as a British Invasion, or maybe even Occupation. But if the music's good, bring it on. Today, the music's good. I like this album. It's 1980, but somehow sounds post-new wave. There are traces of that pop style buried throughout this sort of psych rock. I wish they had committed more to the psychedelic elements, but I still like this one. Favorite tracks: Second Head, Poppies, Use Me. Album art: a simple band photo. I like it though, the colors look nice and go with the title text. Wikipedia shows an alternative cover featuring zebras and Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. I'd give that cover an edge over this one. 3/5

Nr. 12/1001 Ha Ha I'm Drowning 2/5 Sleeping Gas 2/5 Treason 2/5 Second Head 2/5 Poppies In The Field 3/5 Went Crazy 2/5 Brave Boys Keep Their Promises 2/5 Bouncing Babies 2/5 Books 2/5 Thief of Baghdad 2/5 When I Dream 1/5 Reward 2/5 Kilimanjaro 1/5 Strange House In The Snow 1/5 Use Me 2/5 Traison 2/5 Sleeping Gas - Live NR Average: 1,88 I did not enjoy this. From the vocals to the musical decisions there wasn't a lot I liked. This is now my new worst rated album, taking over from Neon Bible - Arcade Fire (2,09) Let's see for how long it will retain that unfortunate moniker.

Not a chance I’m gonna remember listening to this. Brave boys I really hated though.

kinda boring, felt uninspired

Yeah thought the album to be quite boring, and yes too long lmao. Some funky beepboops with the synths though so some merit

Hard to see why this wouldn't be 5 stars as it's pretty perfect from start to finish. Only the horns sound occasionally dated.

Drums are great, guitar work is unexpected sometimes. Best of these British punk-ish albums so far.

Awesome really got my grooving

very cool

I enjoyed this album from start to finish. This neo-psychedelic post-punk record is intensely layered and melodic. It has a frenetic energy to it that borders on the claustrophobic creating a simmering and explosive record.

Just different enough to be interesting but just commercial enough to be successful.

Genres: Neo-psychedelia, post-punk Formed: Liverpool, UK in 1978 Run time: 17 songs, 1 hour, 8 min The debut album by the neo-psychedelic band. In general the album looks at the struggles of life and love. It examines the positives and the negatives. Spotify: Least popular song: >41.7k Most popular song: >11.2M plays “Ha Ha I’m Drowning” is about a toxic relationship. “Sleeping Gas” is about a person sleep-walking through life. All their hopes and aspirations left behind and forgotten. “Treason” is about someone’s struggle to accept or adapt to change. “Second Head” seems to be about losing one’s way, then discovering that they are back on their original track. “Poppies in the Field” doesn’t seem to have an obvious meaning, but the reference to parachutes and poppies could be a war reference. The singer can see a change in another person and wonders if they can see a change in the singer. This could mean how war changes people. “Went Crazy” paints a picture of someone’s decline into mental illness. Their acceptance of the situation and the struggles to recover. “Brave Boys Keep Their Promises” is an upbeat song about perseverance and determination. The title suggests the brave meet their obligations. “Bouncing Babies” seems to be a cynical look at growing up. “Books” is about someone looking for love. They can't find it so the person tells them to start living the life they have. “Thief of Bagdad” is about lost love. The lover left them with nothing physical and emotionally. “When I Dream” finds the singer obsessing about a love who is far away. They idealise the lover, but the reality falls short. “Reward” “Kilimanjaro” “Strange House In The Snow” “ “ “ It’s a great first album, but it’s not my taste. I loved the song ”Reward” but that was it. Listen Again?: No My Rating: ***

Every once and a while, I’ll check Amazon or eBay for a copy of Julian Cope’s “Krautrocksampler”, a book he published in 1995 about the German rock scene of the late 60’s and 70’s. It’s unfortunately never been reprinted, and fetches quite a bit of money on the used market. For whatever reason, I’m foolish enough to think that, I, of all people, will be able to find a copy for less than the $300 the book typically goes for, just by searching for it on the most popular marketplaces on the internet every few years. I don’t want to say that the totality of my knowledge of Julian Cope is that he wrote a book about Krautrock, but…beyond that, the fact that he also wrote a book about Japanese rock and a peripheral awareness that this was his band, I don’t really know much and I’ve never really bothered to check out his music. Cope’s love of psychedelic and Krautrock is evident here on “Kilimanjaro”, making it one of the more interesting and enjoyable British New Wave-era records on the list, at least to me. It’s heady, densely layered music, and when the songs veer into repetitive, ethereal territory, like at the end of “When I Dream”, this record is at its best. The incorporation of horns on the record might have been a misstep, however, as the record’s production does them no favors, making it feel dated. Overall, this is a solid and unique entry on the list, an outlier from an era where many British bands had the idea that being excessively dreary was a necessary component of psychedelic music.

Wow more 80s UK trash.

God, this is boring.

Really enjoyed this album. Definitely felt like an early pioneer of the pop punk sound and I’m all here for it.

Cool discoverment!

Great psychedelic new wave debut from 80's Britain. Liked the sound. Amazing!

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I WAS A BOUNCING BABY

Another surprising album. I liked this one quite a bit. It wasn't perfect, but I really enjoyed it. 4.5/5

Another new one to me, I pretty much immediately liked it. Sleeping Gas devolved into such a chaotic mess of organ and horns. Did a little research; Julian Cope got his start here, that's cool. Yeah, this album was pretty rad. Will definitely listen again.

A post-punk masterpiece. (4.5)

This is one of those bands I'd heard of but know nothing about. Although as soon as I heard Reward my memory was pricked by one of the great dance numbers. Definitely enjoying the surging bass and drums on Second Head. Then it pops nicely into Poppies which builds very nicely to a satisfying conclusion. When I Dream is a great conclusion to the album with its psychedelic slow fade giving more than just a gentle nod to a certain Liverpool band.

Genius.. the archdrood takes off

This is the good stuff.

Sumo con esteroides

Fav songs: - Sleeping Gas - Treason - Second Head - Poppies in the field - Brave Boys Keep Their Promises - Thief of Baghdad - Kilimanjaro - Strange House In The Snow

Idk how y’all were hating on this one fr. The guitar riff breaks that follow the choruses on I’m drowning are unexpected but sick. Baseline on second head goes crazy and is a little smiths like. I like how the album is really close to being pop but always has an element or chord progression that makes it darker. The moody lyrics and delivery, bass lines, and guitar riffs definitely influenced a lot of British groups after them. Really solid 4 that I enjoyed a lot but don’t know if it’s quite a 5 for me after 2 listens. Update: fuck it I’m going with a light 5 hopefully this ages well 👍: haha I’m drowning, treason, second head Guess for art rating: 5/10 for og one 6/10 for mountain cover

The original version of this album is awesome. Stands up today much better than a lot of other new wave and post punk records from the period.

All killer, no filler.

New wave and post punk in its purest form. I’m usually not a huge fan of the more popular new wave bands, but this group had an edge to them that I thoroughly enjoyed

fantastic album. haven’t listened to this is forever!

I love echo and the bunny men and had never heard of them so was a good surprise. Really enjoyed the entire album. Rating: 4.8

This is the best of the 80 surely?

post-punk is basically an automatic 10/10 for me especially when it slaps this hard

Melodischer instrumental Jazz

Fantastic album. Love Cope's voice and there is not a duff song on here. A great document of that time, the New Wave stylings of the time with a sprinkling of 60s psychedelia and even soul with tracks like Treason. The lyrics are great here too. A real feel-good album for me - full of optimism with a slightly twisted edge.

He loves saying lyrics twice in a row

This album is a banger. Equal parts the Police and the Talking Heads. Tons of energy, tons of groove, with that classic David Byrne weirdness. Loved this album!

Kilimanjaro feels like more of a band name, and The Teardrop Explodes feels like an album name. Not here though! I don’t think I’ve heard The Teardrop Explodes before, but if they’re 80’s rock then there is a decent chance I might have heard the odd track. Let’s listen and find out! Songs I already knew: Reward Favourites: Reward, Went Crazy At the risk of sounding old, why are good bass lines such a rare find these days? So much 80’s music is full of great bass licks and this is no exception. I liked a lot about this album, but the bass and the synth horns are the standout parts for me. If you like 80’s music, this definitely feels like an essential listen.

Ahead of it’s time

A brilliant surprise! Went Crazy, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises, and Bouncing Baby were good. I like the lead singer's voice, the era and style of music are a bit of fun. New Wave isn't a genre I massively enjoy but these guys have much more punk rock elements and switch the songs up quite a lot. Will err on the side of caution with the rating though.

surprisingly, i really enjoyed this album and listened to it twice! i had never heard of the album or band before but it had everything i wanted from a British new wave group. kinda sounded like a mix of the jam, talking heads, echo & the bunnymen (for obvious reasons), depeche mode, and anyone else that had that sort of style. musically, the tracks all sounded unique and made use of cool instrumentation while still staying under the new wave umbrella. the b-sides weren't great but the main album was banger after banger. five stars. favorites: tracks 1-6, when i dream, reward

This is one of my favourite albums of all time. I’ve listened to this on repeat a few times this year and it gets better every time I hear it. I always find new things to love about it with each listen. Julian Cope’s approach to songwriting just seems to vibe well with me and it’s at its peak here for me.

This album is fantastic. Brilliant dark jangly post punk

A great album from the post-punk era.

Great album, great sound! Loved

Have you ever enjoyed a specific era of music, that you are in constant sesrch for an unfamiliar song/band to discover. Well, it just happened, although, the song"Treason" does sound familiar, I am positive, I have never heard it. I thought I heard it in the movie "Valley Girl" but couldn't find it listed. I do hear early Cure, U2 and other bands of that era in some songs. Being that this album released in 1980, who can say, " Who influenced who"? I do have a to draw a very strong comparison to Pink Floyd, specifically on the track, "Kilimanjaro" a very ominous song where they really went deep with experimental sounds. Kinda wierd, I didn't really dig it. Anyways, I love this discovery and I can't wait to hear their other 2 80's albums "Wilder" released in 1981 and "Everybody Wants to Shag... The Teardrop Explodes" released in 1990 but recorded in 1982. One thing is for sure, I now have to go back an watch "Valley Girl" just to make sure "Treason" wasn't playing somewhere in the background.

muy bueno jej

Empezo bien a secas y me fue ganando. De esas bandas de los inicios de los ochentas que terminaron siendo muy influyentes en la música de leyendas latinoamericanas como Soda Stereo y LFC.

This reminds me a lot of The Smiths, another band I never would have listened to if I hadn't been doing this 1001 albums. I like it! Moody melodies and 80s malaise.

Chamber Psych before it was cool by Scouse mad 'ead Julian Cope and co.

I liked it sort of had a ska feel. Some big band sound. Nothing wrong with this one.

Some really good tracks.

lot of adventurous stuff going on and manage to make it sound good. respect.

Good new-wave, psychedelic sound. Must have influenced The Smiths at least somewhat. I will need to give this more listens.

Forgotten cult classic

Cool music Really like(d) it, fun music and like all the instruments 4/5

Best: Second head When i dream Use me

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Sleeping Gas, Treason, Went Crazy, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises, Books (much better version of the Echo & the Bunnymen song on Crocodiles), Thief of Baghdad, When I Dream, Reward Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: A surprisingly great pop album from a band called "The Teardrop Explodes". If it weren't for some obtuse lyrics I would've assumed this was some kind of early, experimental Duran Duran. Didn't push all the way to 5 star territory, but still good/great music.

Catchier than I thought it was going to be

Nowdays this pop sounds like pop-rock. And sounds pretty, damn, good!

This one surprised me. I was expecting not to like it based on the band name, album cover, year released, and opening sounds on the first track. But it quickly grew on me and I really liked it by the end. It's sharp, the sounds are pleasing, some of the lyrics are funny.

i like it very much thank you

Deze komt al meteen goed binnen!

A classic of its time!

Really liked this one! Never heard of this band but so similar to a lot of the music I was listening to in 1980.

Strange and semiunknown formation. Very good sound, post-punk and new-wave styles

Far from the best post punk album but it was clear that Inspiral Carpets got a lot of inspiration from these guys! Some great use of the hammond and horns.

gillade detta rätt så mycket.

Poppy post-punk with a splash of psychedelia? Don't mind if I do! Reminds me a little of XTC, although I think I prefer XTC on balance. More listens might improve my appreciation though... "You can watch Rafferty turn into a serial" - I have no idea what that means, but it's catchy as hell! 😆 Fave track - "Sleeping Gas" and "Treason" are both stand outs. Liked "When I Dream" a lot too...

Dosta dobar album, zanimljiv, quirky, instrumentalno je zapravo dost dobar. Sviđa mi se sve u svemu. Sleeping Gas, Second Head, Treason, Poppies, Brave Boys Keeps Their Promises...to name a few - odlične. tldr; nije dugačak album, ima 11 pjesama, nijedna loša pjesma, sve su stvari dobre, a i na ovaj album ću se vraćati. Tvrda četvorka!

This is cosmic scouse indie at its best… can hear their influence everywhere.

Enjoyable 80’s jaunt

pós punk de arena com uma personalidade muito forte. pega um pouco dessa veia do echo & the bunnymen mas a melancolia bucólica é substituída por uma energia maníaca, dos melhores discos punk. admito que esse tipo de pós punk não me apetece muito, mas é dificil não amar algo de tanta qualidade. o primeiro álbum dessa lista que eu realmente nunca tinha ouvido falar, fico feliz pela grata surpresa.

I don't know how I missed this band when I was in college.

Wow. I really like this record. It's like a more interesting "The Police." Like, I own Police records and put them on occasionally, and often think "that's not as good as I expected." This record suffers from none of that. I really hope I remember this band the next time I think I want to listen to the Police. Reading about this band I see that they are connected to Food Records (a great Britpop label, I believe) and The Smiths. I can hear all that. Great stuff. I'm inclined to rate this as a 3/5, but since they are better than The Police, 4/5.

7/10. First album in a bit that I'd say I enjoyed, but still not all that inspired.

-I like the guitar and keyboard grooves in "Sleeping Gas" -"Went Crazy" has a cool bassline and catchy chorus -I like the drum/guitar riff in "Bouncing Babies" -Strong 3, Weak 4?

Reward is one of my favourite songs and I enjoyed the rest of the album. 4*

I want to be a fan of The Teardrop Explodes but somehow I always forget that they exist. I do love their music though. Those horns!

You need to ensure you are listening to a version that includes 'Reward' as you can then at least say you have heard this bags before.. and well worth the listen it is too. Yeh, I know of Julian Cope, but didn't know this is where he cut his teeth. File with Dexys as 'an enjoyable rewarding listen'.

I'm really glad I discovered this album via the 1001 albums generator. I never heard of them before and it's amazing stuff. Post-punk, new wave, psychedelic... Everything is there for me to love this record. The synth tones and layers were perfection.

Good blend between a lot of subgenre I like. nice discovery, will get back to it Soon

A wonderful surprise that was! I already knew a song or two, but the whole album was a treat! Great mix of post-punk, New Wave and a little hint of neo psychedelia; a wonderful melting pot.

Great mix of post-punk and new wave. It's really dynamic, most of it sounds playful but there's a subtle eerie vibe that goes through it that I really appreciate. Nice discovery, I'll certainly go back to it.