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! :)

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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".

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

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

kinda boring, felt uninspired

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

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.

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.

very cool

Awesome really got my grooving

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

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.

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

I'm at album 1058, and this final stretch has been nothing but albums like "The Scrungles - Jimmy's Poopy Pants; New Wave/Post-Punk, Released in 1982 in the UK, one mildly successful radio hit, named 62nd best album of '82 by Slugflap Magazine" Like, this ain't even that bad. If this was one of my first albums generated, I'd be like hell yeah, this kinda slaps, but I'm just completely numb to this shit at this point. I'm gonna need seven year long "New Wave overexposure therapy" after I'm finally done with this list. And these fuckers still put this on here over Neutral Milk Hotel and My Chemical Romance, get real. The frog army is approaching from the west. Get fucking real, man.

I’m a sucker for 80s music

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.

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: ***

One day in the late summer of 1976 Julian Cope and his friend Feargal Sharkey (from the Australian band Cold Chisel, not the Irish rock star turned astrophycist) were fishing for Patagonian toothfish on the banks of the slightly rank smelling Mersey when Julian turned to Feargal and said "One day I'm going to be bigger than the Beatles." Feargal grunted non-committally in an Antipodean way and lobbed another empty spray can at a passing kayaker. "Jumped up tosser", he muttered quietly to himself. Just then an enormous tug on Julian's line dragged him off the bank and into the murky waters. In his panic he let go of his line and thrashed around near the bottom of the river. When he finally made his way to the top and clambered gasping up the bank he was grasping a strangely gleaming object in his grubby little fist. Feargal looked around with interest. He felt a strange compulsion to take the shiny thing from Julian. "What is it, Julian my love? Give it to us, precious, it's my birthday." "It's mine, Feargal. You can't have it" snarled Julian. It suddenly seemed very important that Feargal didn't get the shiny thing. He shoved him hard into the water and reached down to hold Feargal's head under. Feargal grabbed his arms and dragged him in. There was a mighty splashing and thrashing and both men disappeared beneath the greasy film of scum. After a minute or so one man emerged and hauled himself dripping up the bank. Covered in filthy slime and strangely coloured industrial waste, it was impossible to tell who it was. Four years later someone calling themselves Julian Cope formed The Teardrob Explodes and recorded the album Kilimanjaro to rave reviews. Mega stardom followed, with all the attendant curses of fame: the groupies, the drugs, the rehab, the excess, the fabulous clothes. On his death bed he whispered one last thing before he expired... "My Precioussssss....."

God, this is boring.

Wow more 80s UK trash.

Still fantastic

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.

Great album, great sound! Loved

A great album from the post-punk era.

This album is fantastic. Brilliant dark jangly post punk

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.

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

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.

Ahead of it’s time

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.

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!

He loves saying lyrics twice in a row

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.

Melodischer instrumental Jazz

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

This is the best of the 80 surely?

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

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

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

All killer, no filler.

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.

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

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

Sumo con esteroides

This is the good stuff.

Genius.. the archdrood takes off

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.

A post-punk masterpiece. (4.5)

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.

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

I WAS A BOUNCING BABY

top

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

Cool discoverment!

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

I really liked this one. Reminded me a lot of the Jam

80’s is great to have around

Brilliant record!

Quite a cheerful vibe

I could be flippant and say that listening to this sounded like listening to a comp of lost early tracks by U2, The Police, The Smiths, Tears for Fears and, maybe, the Banshees minus Siouxsie? -or- I could be earnest and talk about how this was a really interesting listen that lies at the intersection and the origin point for a lot of music I really enjoy (and some which I don't), with 70s-holdover organ and little post punk influences and a singer who can somehow do Sting, Bono and Morrissey. Either way this is a strong 3.5. Listened twice to most of the tracks on the album.

Found this much more enjoyable than I thought I would. It's British as hell but it works and I was nodding along to most songs. Really had to lookup if Outkast sampled Use Me in their song Rosa Parks. Definitely a good early 80s new wave/David Byrne-esque sounding album. 7/10 (3.5/5)

XTC found a friend!!! This shit bangs, do think the songwriting isn’t as strong but this is like windmill-esque aligned with XTC. If that makes sense.

I honestly can't get enough of New Wave style music, so I loved this album front to back. My favorite song was actually Traison (C'est juste une histoire) but I also really enjoyed Went Crazy and When I Dream. I could listen to this kind of stuff all day.

Well, I'm always going to be well-disposed to UK post-punk / New Wave stuff. Add in the illusive, eccentric influence of Julian Cope and and you've hit paydirt. Lots of great stuff here, and as a bonus you get some of that rubbery 1980s bass guitar. A bit of filler, but all of a piece, so it hangs together nicely. Another chance for me suggest you go read Julian Cope's autobiographical works as a matter of urgency.

These guys were a hit song away on this album from stardom forever, I truly believe that. Great album opener, very fun album closer. What is it about these guys? Is it spunk? Panache? Rhythm? Whatever it is, they’ve got it. A refreshing hidden gem. Sneaky good

Short melodic trippy at times

Very good albu

Really really good The closing track is the highlight 'When I Dream'. The rest is great but that song just is on another level Wasn't expecting to love it but I do Fooooooour

im sure this is not the only band to try and answer the question "what if post-punk was Fun and Bouncy and Colorful" but its a good question for anyone to ask tbh. some blindingly bright synth horns on here, and a big dash of thrillingly expensive-sounding creativity generally. feels like an unassuming band was just given the chance to go wild in a super decked out studio...not that ur necessarily getting a lot of crazy studio tricks or whatever but just a bigger canvas thru which to channel the songs they always Wanted to play had they only had the resources. very fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of those pleasant surprises that pop up every once in a while on this list. Some cool sounds. I hear Talking Heads, Police, Echo & the Bunnymen. Tough to have your own sound and not have all your tracks sound the same, and I think they accomplish that here.

Pretty good album, much better than usual 80s pop/rock. Songs are flowing nicely, nice soundtrack if you're not too invested in it. But probably too ordinary to make note of it.

Kinda just sounds like by the books 80s post-punk, but the hooks are there. Also, did not know that Julian Cope was in this band until now. 3.5/5

Very much enjoyed this. Wasn’t expecting that at all. 4.0

The Teardrop Explodes is a terrible name for a band. It’s so bad that I first thought the name of the band must be Kilimanjaro and that the album was called “The Teardrop Explodes.” No. I was wrong. What a bad band name. Thankfully the quality of the name didn’t reflect the quality of the music. I accidentally caught a glimpse of the average score for this album, and I honestly don’t understand it. I mean it wasn’t great by any means, but to be rated under 3 stars felt crazy to me. This felt like a New Wavey, post-punk romp, complete with horns. Horns!! I’m a sucker for horns, always have been. I liked this enough that I actually listened to the entire remastered version, bonus tracks and all. I never do that. But this was so listenable and fun that I was here for it. I don’t get the hate, I really don’t. I definitely am becoming a little jaded by all the Britpop on this list. It’s a clear sign that the author is British and includes a lot of bands from Britain because that’s what was popular there. Which is unfortunate. Do I think that this album belongs on the list? Maybe. I haven’t heard the entire list. It probably wouldn’t make the cut today. But is it good? Yes. And I give it four stars. Almost defiantly. Standout Tracks: Ha Ha I’m Drowning, Sleeping Gas, Second Head, Poppies, Went Crazy (Reward, bonus track; doesn’t really count)

was isch kili und wiso essed sies? ha ha I'm drowning isch so en funny titel hahahah und au cool also lied sleeping gas isch easy abwr iwie uf dere liste haltcute scho paarmal ghört dito für treason und second hand aber cooli bassline bi 2nd hsnd poppies findi swhr cute jz echli meh sinthi, cool books coole ahfang!! ohh ich lieb thief of bagdad!! when I dream ener langwilig und viiil z lang grundsätzlich find ichs echt na cool, aber ebe - scho so hüfig ähnlichs ghört und bin glaub weg dem hüfig abglenkt gsi trz girs es 4i

I was not excited when I saw Julian Cope's name attached to this album... but this is good! It mixes new wave with psychedelic pop in interesting ways while staying anchored by strong melodies. The horns can be a little much but I really enjoyed it. Best song: Treason

Remembering that in Head On, Cope describes the herculean amounts of LSD the band were on for this recording, and how they often used to arrive at the studio riding imaginary horses. Just can't work out whether it's because of that or despite that, that the album sounds so good.

Very good

New one for me! Pretty banging!

This is good music. Some songs went on a bit long, but otherwise Kilimanjaro was catchy, energetic, interesting and dramatic

Decent enough. A little long for its own good, but I enjoyed it.

nice

Interesting, quite jolly

i really liked some of the instruments. i don’t like the style of singing that shows up in a lot of 70s/80s music but without the singing this is probably something i’d listen to consistently. i didn’t get through the whole album though cause of time

4.0

Eighties New Wave album with heavy Bass lead. Never really directly listened to any Julian Cope stuff, but he has had his fingers in many pies. Solid work but tends to stray into Psychedelia for some extended bits.

pretty fun album, didn’t get a chance to listen to the whole thing.

This was a fun album for me.

Enjoyed this. Songs were upbeat and very 80s 4 ⭐️