Kilimanjaro

This was cool! I didn't realize this was early Julian Cope. It definitely feels like Talking Heads, Stone Roses, The Cure kind of all wrapped into one. Weird, corky songs that go through different levels of emotions and journeys.

80s pop shite

Think I've gone full circle on early 80s pop, coming in not the biggest fan, as this list started I started to find an appreciation but there has now been too many, I have had 2 in the last 4 days ffs. Yeah it's slightly edgy post punk, heavy on keyboards, very studied vocals etc etc and the real album doesn't contain the hit was waiting for. Don’t know if it I had this 400 plus albums ago maybe would have felt it more but just feels more of the same, though reward on the extended version is still a kicking song. A 80s keyboard pop fatigued 2 Star

I was interested to learn that this is the band where Julian Cope made his name. It's very 1980 and doesn't hold up as well as I think albums on this list should. Still kind of fun and cheap techno sound, though.

I absolutely loved this. It was a great breath of fresh air. I have not spent enough time in post-punk and i would love to hear more. Liverpool kids too! Great stuff.

not bad but sort of not my thing

album so underrated I had to look up if one of the band members killed someone or something

eh, thought Andy might like it but not so much. it wasn't bad but it also wasn't great

More British new wave!

Kinda boring

Meh.

I really, really enjoyed this. I love to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of British music history.

I really fucked with this vibe

It's hard to listen to these albums in a vacuum. I can't speak to how fresh and interesting this album was in 1980, but today I cannot seem to meet it where it's at. Fun synth, some interesting (almost dissonant) chord progressions. Otherwise pretty standard new wave percussion and instrumentation.

Dull and repetitive. Not necessarily terrible, but I don't think many people, me included, would be devastated if they had never listened to it. The music of the 80s is heralded as amazing, as if every track that was produced during that decade is undisputably outstanding. But this is just boring.

Despite the over-representation of British pop bands from the 80's on this list, I didn't hate this one. The song "Reward" catchy as hell.

Plus one for the ska stuff; minus for the psychedelic part Best: Books, Treason, Reward 5/10

Never listened to this before. It’s not post-punk, it’s new wave - sounds familiar, like many other “why shouldn’t we?” bands. SO much riff repetition, negligible development within individual songs (they just go till they stop). Lyrics then? “The poppies are in the field, but don’t ask me what that means.” I’m listening, listening, waiting for anything that I might want to play again … This could have been okay for a live band down at the pub, so I’m happy for Liverpool that they had this, but it does almost nothing for me. It’s Pretty Poor, 3/10.

Un viaje altamente agradable. Hoy es un 4/5, la próxima no sé.

My Spotify wrapped is so boned this year. It's gonna think Brit-pop/rock is my favorite genre of music because of this abysmal list

꽤 신나는 느낌이었지만 평범했다. It felt quite exciting, but it was ordinary.

Good stuff! Julian Cope & the guys that would become the Stone Roses. 4/5

Damn fine stuff. It sounds old, it sounds new, it sounds like something you can dance to! There’s like a judge’s fallacy here because I gave out so many fives to other new wave bands (and Julian Cope) but this could be a five maybe. I do feel like the first part is strongest. ‘Treason’ is a banger. 4.5.

Fun album! Some songs struck me more than others, but overall it was pretty catchy and a good vibe.

Proper 80s. Enjoyable listen. Reward is the single for sure.

This was like Duran Duran and The Smiths had a baby. It was okay.

Nice surprise

Not a bad album, but not really something I would listen to often.

Never heard of this band before! I recognize the name Julian Cope, but I don't really know any of his music. Turns out he was in a band with Ian McCulloch before McCulloch formed Echo & The Bunnymen, but their egos were too big for one band, so Cope started The Teardrop Explodes. The music is quite different from Echo & The Bunnymen from what I recall — much more uplifting, although I haven't closely listened to the lyrics yet. It was a fun listen and feels like typical early '80s new wave/pop. Wikipedia classifies them as post-punk, which I understand, but I'd say the music is way too catchy and poppy compared to most post-punk bands. All in all, it was a nice discovery, but nothing groundbreaking for me. 3/5

They do have a distinctive sound and an excellent frontman in Julian Cope, but I’ve never found them a natural fit for me. This is a decent album and if it had entered my musical sphere at the right time, they could have been something I could’ve got into. As it is, I prefer the patchy and unpredictable solo albums Cope made in the 90s.

I listened to all 37 minutes earnestly and then died. Upon my arrival at Heaven's Gates, God told me, "Sorry, you didn't actually need to listen to that one." I liked Second Head though.

Second Head absolut bästa låten, roligt album

Dom första 4-5 låtarna är bra, men andra halvan är ganska seg och man börjar tröttna långt innan skivan är färdig.

Inte mitt typ av sound

vaca come back

This started pretty good but got a bit old after a bit. Fun enough but prob wouldn’t seek it out a fairly large lake I don’t think I’ll seek it out again (I’m getting sick of the new wave here)

Decent 80s rock, sounded a bit ahead of its time

So imagine Echo & the Bunnymen but instead of making a good album they just make the same song 17 times and call it a day

First impression: they're trying to be Talking Heads but aren't. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. It grows on you. Bassist is kinda' kicking ass though. +1

Ok

The songwriting doesn’t have any obvious differential between chorus or verse (rarely featuring both). This requires more patience for the listener, but in this instance the pay off is worth it. I’ve gone low 4 - but they could use more variation in their songwriting

The most similar band that comes to mind when I listen to The Teardrop Explodes is Echo & the Bunnymen but instead of a dour and Gothic approach TTE are here for a good time - disco drums and blaring synth horns mean that in comparison it’s upbeat party music. Yet the vocals remain thoughtful and reflective, and reverb touches every element of their sound, smudging any natural crispness from the performance. It’s a beautiful whole with consistently fun and engaging writing throughout.

Teardrop Explodes with a low 4, pretty great, same world as the Bunnymen (literally), tunes not always there but v interesting band

I had never heard of The Teardrop Explodes before yesterday. They've never had a big impact apart from one non-album single and Cope's future projects. "Kilimanjaro" is a mediocre album that shouldn't be on the list. The only thing that's stopping it from getting a poor rating is Cope's singing. It's no wonder why Julian wants nothing to do with The Teardrop Explodes. 3 stars for "Kilimanjaro".

This one really missed the mark for me.

i have post-punk fatigue i can't keep doing this!!!!

this i can hear the way the 80s were influenced by them or groups similar to them cause i felt like i was in sixteen candles or like i worked at empire records and someone's putting me on psychedelic music. it was cute! i was moving! some songs were butt tho 🤍 oh demoting a star cause the issue is i have tiktok brain now and felt like this shit was going on far too long lmaooooo

This is uhh not good a little grating, just nothing really special at all about it

This is brilliant but a bit uneven. It's another English post punk/new wave group that is absolutely my jam but I somehow missed until now. Julian Cope appears to be The Most Interesting Man in the World IRL.

Weezer but older and boring ( kinda )

esse é legal, 3.5

Decent album that was a precursor to the 80s new wave sound. Enjoyed it for its eclectic sound.

I'm not even 100 albums in and I'm over new wave/Britpop. I don't see anything that makes this album worth checking out. It's not bad, just not anything that I'd want to listen to again.

fun i guess

6/10

не знаком с группой, хороший дебютник

Ah cool, just what this list needed; an English New Wave band from the early early 80's. We haven't had enough of those. I hope the next album is from a band in 1968 where they all take a bunch of drugs. We haven't had enough of those either. 4/10

This grew on me. It slots in as a predecessor to a bunch of the bands I like. This was a worthy listen. 3.5

Julian Cope’s group. I am quite fond of Julian Cope, The music is different but good. Nice use of horns in some songs. The vocals are good. All the songs are good but Treason, Second Hand and Books stand out. A psychedelic influence on some songs. A good album. Four stars

Nope

Quintessentially eighties

maybe a bit repetitive, but I like it lol

I actually liked this album although it’s never essential, there are literally hundreds of albums from this era that sound similar.

eh it was a fine 80s album but I enjoyed it

I feel the exact same way about “Kilimanjaro” by The Teardrop Explodes as I did with “Different Class” by Pulp. I really hoped I would be given a break from Britpop after that horridness, but I guess not. Anyways, I’m glad I got this album over with early on in the challenge. I listened to this on Spotify, where it included all 17 tracks from the 2000 re-release of the album, and I stopped at “Rewards,” which probably tells you something. I felt that, even from the beginning tracks, this album was just going to play the same sounds over and over again and pretend like it was some innovative creation of the 1980s, and I was pretty much right. This album, like many others, lacks a defining quality that sets it apart from other artists in the same genre. Instead, it uses the same synths, the same deep voice, and the same intonation as almost every other band of the era, and it was so bad that I probably couldn’t distinguish between any of the songs if it were just the instrumentals. I quote from my notebook while listening to “Poppies in the Wind”: “I’m sensing a pattern of drums, guitar, weak melodies, a weak instrumental section, and an inability to conjure any sort of psychedelic feeling in me.” The only track I came close to liking was “Books" because of the heavy guitar and trumpet. I hope the next Britpoop (this was unintentional at first, but I decided to leave it) album will leave me un-disappointed; at the same time, if I get another Britpop album, I will be this 🤏 close to crashing out. 2/5

Couldn't get into this. Typical 80s new wave sound, but not done as well as the other bands. It's incredibly bland and samey. Listenable, but no value.

Never been into Julian Cope, always thought he was a fraud, after listening to this, I still don’t like him of the band

Interesting but not that fun to listen to

They took the horns out and immediately became less interesting, what is their problem?

365/1001 The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I may not have hated it as much as the person who wanted to wipe Liverpool off the map, but equally, I didn't have a good time with this. Not only is it the 80s production I loathe, but this had a real nadir in the form of When I Dream. Seven whole minutes of the bloke wailing "I go up up up up up up". Fortunately it's marginally redeemed (using this very lightly) with Reward and Kilimanjaro. Either way - 💩

Another one of those pesky little 80s British pop albums!

It all kind of blended together till the last few songs

Shitty britpop

This list really does love mediocre British bands. That being said they weren't bad, just didn't really stand out. I did like the horns on some of the songs.

Very listenable, I like the trumpet, but nothing really stands out 2/5

Pleasantly surprised. I'm a sucker for the psych stuff.

I was happy when this one was over. I did not like this at all.

Meeh... Un típico ritmo ochentero, comienzo de los 90, no pasa nada...

Really just not my vibe

It all kinda blended together and bored me

This reminds me of about 100 other British albums from this list. It’s not special or unique, but it’s not terrible either. I probably keep scanning if it’s on the radio, though.

Kind of elevator music

lol I’ve never heard of this band or heard any of the songs, but this sounds exactly like most of the stuff I listened to in the 80s. It’s very catchy. Originality isn’t everything. If it’s fun it’s fun. It’s fun.

Kilimanjaro has its moments, but it ultimately left me pretty underwhelmed. While it's often praised as one of the defining records of the early post-punk era, I found the album surprisingly one-dimensional. The jangly guitars, tribal-inspired rhythms, and Julian Cope's eccentric vocals create an interesting atmosphere at first, but after a few tracks it starts to feel like the band is recycling the same ideas over and over. There are certainly some standout songs, especially "Reward," which has enough energy and melody to break away from the pack. But much of the album blends together, with similar tempos, guitar textures, and vocal delivery making it difficult for individual tracks to leave a lasting impression. Instead of building momentum, the record settles into a groove that rarely changes. To its credit, Kilimanjaro captures a very specific moment in British post-punk, bridging the gap between psychedelic pop and the darker sounds of the late '70s. You can also hear its influence on later indie and neo-psychedelic bands. Still, influence alone doesn't necessarily make for an engaging listen. In the end, I appreciate its historical significance more than I enjoyed the experience of listening to it. For me, Kilimanjaro lacked enough variety to sustain its runtime, and by the end it felt like I'd heard the same song in slightly different forms. It's an important album, but not one I'd be eager to revisit.

ok pretty cool guys

Noisy and blown out, this project sounds very much like a drunken Clash or Ramones. A little slower than those exemplary rockers, The Teardrop Explodes was worth a listen and re-listen for some of the most boisterous anthems but had nothing standout to offer for me

A competent pop album, with Reward as the opening track. Hayward has a commanding voice and a talent for writing energetic basslines. An expensive production with plenty of brass and the best synths that 1980 could offer. Apart from the synths, this could come out today. The lyrics are whimzical and puzzling - "Bless my cotton socks, I'm in the news", indeed!

..i dont think this ones for me. some were okay to listen to, some were annoying.

Formulaic, repetitive, and dreary.

“Sleeping Gas” and “When I Dream” were annoying enough to drop this a full star

This might be because I'm yet to reach 200 albums, but I'm still not tired of post-punk/new-wave/whatever-this-is.

Julian Cope has a deeply informed love of lots of great music, but I am still not convinced he has made any

Oh joy. 80s British post punk neo-psychedelic rock. This has that classic New Wave thing of the music (specifically the bass line) can slap sometimes, but the drums are usually pretty boring, and the vocals are horrendous. And paired with the terrible sounding vocals are really repetitive and bad lyrics. And the worst part is not every songs has good instrument parts. This is the kind of album where I have a really hard time finding any sort of "favorite" song, but my list of worst songs is long. I stopped listening during the bonus tracks, because I had had enough. Favorite Song(s): Thief of Baghdad

A decent album from a time where a lot of popular music sounded similar. Quite enjoyed it.

Fun but SO of its time

Pretty banger

Somewhat interesting, but also of its time and feels like that there are better at this particular sound.

Very 80s, it's okay

Not my cup of tea

We have Duran Duran at home...

Pretty forgettable. It’s not terrible, but I’ll never think about this record again. 6/10

This has a bit of the "Ruma" sound. I may be a bit tipsy but this has some solid jams.

I Went Crazy after listening to this album. I guess that was my Reward.

Mid-tier Britpop? Groundbreaking

An Ok album. 2,5

Psychedelic blend of new wave and post-punk influences, fun listen. Another album that hooks me with it's electric organ heavy sound, and I'm also a fan of the trumpet arrangements on the songs that have them. 8.5/10.

8/10

Альбом очень понравился, интересная ветка постпанка.

“Reward” definitely the standout song. Overall quite enjoyable 3/5

Meh its ok nothing out of the norm for the period. Good production

God fucking dammit dude. This is so boring. I was so /not/ looking forward to this, I stalled on my 1001 albums for five full days. I mean I guess some of the songs are head-nodding, but maybe I'm just not a fan of new wave or post punk? I really didn't like that New Order album either. It's the same thing here. In one ear and out the other 100% of the time. Ugh.

I quite liked this, it had a good energy to it. I will probably listen to it again when I get time, and maybe on a second listen I'll vibe with some songs enough to want to save them to listen to again. But on my first pass, none especially jumped out at me in that way, which holds this at 4 stars for me

Sigue domando el post punk y new wave. Muy buen álbum. Representativo total del género. 6/10

Slightly above average 80s music

Pretty good. If I had heard this album as one of the first hundred or so albums of this project, it would have been an easy five stars. However, the shine of this style has faded some after all this time (it falls as album #879). I still think it's pretty good, so I'll hand it a generous four stars. It's still a fun sound, but not as groundbreaking as I once may have thought. Favorite track(s): "Poppies," "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises"

The Good: We attempt to climb a mountain! The Bad: We didn't train for this climb... The Ugly: Me falling down the mountain and taking all the sherpas with me!!! Never heard of The Teardrops before, and was dreading the experience as, lately, this entire experience is becoming more a chore than an adventure... Thankfully, climbing the Kilimanjaro has proven to be an adventure that hasn't been a total waste of my time... Except for the annoying fact that the original album was not available, so I had to sit through the remastered deluxe version, which included a couple of fun tracks not included in the original album, but also included filler that I really did not need to hear before dying... I don't know... this mountain climbing has proven to be exhausting... Really want to give this album a 4*... if only for Strange House In The Snow... however, if I have to listen to Traison or Sleeping Gas one more time, I fear I might kill something... 3*

Not a fan

This is another band I've heard of but that's about it. Reading about them I found the other thing I knew-I liked some of Julian Cope's solo stuff he did later on. With that reference I felt hopeful about the album. Frustratingly for me, every song and the entire record was almost awesome. Each song had some part or parts that took away from my enjoyment enough that I ended up liking, but not loving them. I was ready to blast each one louder, only to find a disappointing musical decision that took away from that desire. The two songs that pushed through and were the closest to awesome were Thief of Baghdad and When I Dream.

Enjoyable pop rock but I’ve already forgotten it.

Wikipedia describes this bands as “post punk/neo psychedelic” but it just sounded like new wave to me. The lyrics were generally cringy but there was some decent instrumentals and variety in sounds.

Had a little trip to the 80s. Been there, done that.

Britpop okej

I know this album a lot more than I realised. I was expecting to only recognise a few songs, and was quite surprised as to how much I did. This really gets a lot of negative reviews, and I genuinely cannot see why. It is a solid album with catchy new wave songs fully of guitar, synth, horn and organ. Yes, it is full of synths, but the album came out in 1980, so what would you expect. If the Cure had released Poppies in the field it would be heralded as a cure classic. a fantastic song. The first half of this album is excellent, and it finishes well too. Julian cope has 2 albums on this list and both are excellent. My Standout track is Poppies in the Field or Treason. 4 stars

Wiki say they are a "post-punk/neo-psychedelic band". Today, I learned how the English say "garbage".

MI6 you win again. Another shit English band added to the Psy-op to see how long we will keep listening.

Decent record

Could have got into this when I was 12. But this isn't an album I need in my life as I approach 40.

This is an amazing debut album by the band from Julian Cope - I know Julian Cope from World Shut your Mouth and his album St. Julian. This album is a fantastic predecessor to what might come. Fun, fast & fabulous. At times it reminds me of Simple Minds, but it keeps it quite nice and analogue. Little playing with synthesizer, the musical arrangements here are interesting and don't really bore. Julian's voice is an interesting full voice. Compared to a breathy, whiney Morrisey. Yes, this is good! If I find this somewhere, I'll probably need to add it to my collection.

Started this one a few times. Can’t seem to get through it. Typical early 80s Brit / Liverpool rock or alternative rock. Not bad. Nothing special.

Initially skeptical because I never heard of this band, but I actually liked this. A little bit too long and repetitive, maybe.

Like Adam and the Ants but with fewer references to 17th century crime

Love 80s pop synth vibe with the horns is excellent

Have always been interested in listening to The Teardrop Explodes, partly due to their influence, but also my love for an eccentric frontman. I really like this particular era of British alternative music - and their sound is reminiscent of bands I love from this period, there are shades of The Damned, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, maybe even a lil bit of Television Personalities or The Soft Boys thrown in there - but I struggled connecting with this one fully

Its aight

Blind album and artist. Sounded very generic and bland.

Too much Copium on this list

I don't remember listening to this one, but I seemed to have liked: Highlights: When I Dream, Reward

Did not like

This is terrible. Sounds like really bad 80’s rock

As an 80s tragic, I obviously enjoyed this album! I wish that I had been able to listen to the original album (37 minutes) rather than the bloated 68 minute version!

I didn't mind it, but it does just melt into the oozzy 80s pop new wave proliferating this list.

This might be the newest wave I've ever heard. Surprisingly, I didn't hate it. 2.8

The musical equivalent of an old Polaroid, slightly faded around the edges, full of happy accidents and moments that make you smile. Like a bunch of mates who decided to start a band because why not? Just good tunes and great company. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Sleeping Gas - Treason - When I Dream - Reward

These boys look like some pricks. And their music is just okay. At least it’s short. It’s actually pretty alright, save for the fact that it’s really samey and has no apparent highs. I don’t know. “When I Dream” is nice, but like there’s nothing huge here. It’s completely inoffensive jangly post punk. That’s all. It has no right to be here, but other than that I have no qualms. 7.0/10

I honestly don't know how to rate this. For some reason, when I listen to this, I do enjoy it, but once it's over, I can't remember a single thing about it. I think this list has broken my brain with all the 80's British post punk nu wave bands that they're all blending together. It could be a 4, but I literally cannot remember a single song after listening three times.

One song, not that good Repeated and repeated Different names (sometimes)

6 puntos, no mucho más para decir

great

More generic English post punk, great.

Started strong but just sounded the same and like a product of its time! Like it was OK but doubt I would ever listen to it again

Alright just the songs were a bit of the same

not feelin it

Good. Kept one song

Not bad, but overall unremarkable for me.

Loved this up until the last track which was car crash. Really cool 80s synth throughout with catch lyrics and great drumming

One of the few records thus far that I was completely and utterly bored with. There were times where I couldn't even tell a track had ended and a new one had begun as these sound like the same song repeated ad nauseum. It's not down right unlistenable, but just the least engaged I've been in an album on this list. Not a single instrumental made me think 'that's interesting, how did they do that?' and the vocals are just the most cookie cutter delivery with lyrics that don't have anything memorable about them.

Some of these albums are starting to fade into one. I’m fairly confident this isn’t as good as the last one that sounded like this.

Not terrible, but very samey.

Wan(k)

This was good but the endless mouth-noises on the final track killed all of the goodwill the band and earned up to that point. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

the happier counterpart to echo and the bunnymen

Meh...

Heard Before? Nope. Notes: - one of the key reasons i started this project was to find new music. less than 200 albums in and I'm already leery of things I've never heard of, most of which are bland UK acts, often new wave. - typically i use this part of the review to make observations about various elements that jumped out on my first listen. but honestly I'm tired and nothing really stood out. - it's too long, but it gets weirder as it goes along, which is for me a good thing. "Reward" and "Strange House" actually held my attention. Verdict: Pretty much for UK new wave completists only. Listen Again? I'll give it another try to hear what I missed the first time around, but I can't see seriously returning to this over the many other new wave albums I enjoy.

No private session used for Spotify. Wow, this album is definitely rooted in the 80s, released in 80, these dudes were mavericks on the forefront of a decade of music I didn't need.

Un embole al principio, después va mejorando. Me gustaron algunas canciones pero me parece un álbum más del montón. Ya me cansa escuchar estas bandas de rock de los 80 que repiten tanto sus sonidos.

meh

Nipples of tears

Second Head - Punk? like the Stranglers.

Sadly this was quite painful. I remembered Reward fondly including it's really great brass sound. Much of the rest of this album has poor quality lyrics and has little to write home about musically. The final track - Sleeping gas - was woeful. Apparently a live recording but the audience was entirely silent. Was glad when it was over. Would welcome the opportunity to dance to Reward anytime though which would nudge this to a 2.5 but not ultimately to a 3.

This was largely forgettable. The tracks blended into each other, with the final product being a pretty monotonous, boring listen. I'm not surprised that this band hasn't achieved much in the way of lasting popularity.

I’m usually a bog fan of this kind of new wave/80s rock-pop, but this was pretty boring and unmemorable. No standout songs and the overall sound was just ok. 2.5 stars.

Got really repetitive

Killer albun

This is actually pretty good. I'd say it's pretty far on the punk end of the new wave spectrum which makes it more bearable and even enjoyable at some parts. They probably would have been a good punk band.

Can't wait to never listen to brit pop again once I'm through this list

I liked Julian Cope’s solo stuff. This has some merit in places: Treason, Poppies and the excellent Reward. The remainder is sporadically interesting. Inoffensive at worst.

This was ok, thought I'd enjoy more than I did, some references to punk in the vocals, which I liked.

They're a "neo-psychedelic" band, which I didn't know was a genre. I can see a connection to The Doors in some songs (Use Me sounds a bit like Jimmy Morrison). But then other songs sound like early 80's pop rock (Police, etc). The final live track was a little annoying, but otherwise the album is OK.

This whole album plays like a band you expect to have one big single you recognize and love... but that single never arrives.

Vaguely sound like other 80s bands that at least managed to have a catchy hit or 2 on their album. Had never heard of this before, and hope not to remember it after today.

This album doesn’t really do much for me. It’s not bad by any means, and I wouldn’t mind if someone else put it on, but I’d never reach for it myself. There’s just nothing here that feels particularly unique or memorable enough to stand out.

This album loses a star because the majority of tracks are limited to a single octave, however, it gains a star because the bridges between ol many of the verses are musically interesting. Overall: Meh

No awards from Qobuz.. It feels like all the 80s Duran Duran esque bands were distilled into this album. Every song kinda sounds the same, the lyrics feel meaningless and repetitive, sleeping gas felt like an assault on my ears. my fucking god.

Really enjoyed this ‘deeper cut’ of the new wave landscape. You can see how acts like Pulp and even the Happy Mondays were influenced by this .

People who don't know how to sing trying to sing over generic rock.

3.5

Ghohja

Never heard of, nut really enjoyed it...

Why?

It just was a lot.

Meh britpop or whatever equal genre this is. 1.5/5

Mashed potatoes

⭐⭐ Vet inte varför jag precis lyssnade på det här albumet, varför är det med på den här listan? I mina öron låter det som en produktion från vilket dussinband från 80-talet som helst. Det enda jag kan tänka mig som en anledning är att det är gjort 1979 och produktionen låter väldigt 80-tal så de var nog ganska tidiga med det här soundet, men för mig är det inget positivt. Tycker inte det är intressant, det saknas låtar som sticker ut. Det blir en 2a.

Nah.

Another great find. This album is why I love tracking this list.

If I’d known about this band/album in the 80’s, it definitely would have been one of my favorites. It’s a product of it’s time, 80’s synth-pop and new wave. I will say this is one of the worst album covers I’ve seen. Often, the only reason I bought an album from an unknown band was because of the “cool” cover. I would’ve blown past this one and never given it a second look. Maybe I did....

A couple of decent tracks on here, I never got into Teardrop express, or Julian Cope, I found him a bit pretentious

This was quite OK. Nothing earth shattering. I added “When I Dream” to my playlist.

It was fine? I didn't really enjoy it, but it was interesting. No takeaways and nothing I'd listen to again, but it was an intriguing ride.

I had a good time with a fair bit of this but good gracious this list has a lot of middling British post-punk new wave on it. I liked imaging this as sort of 'proto-Morrissey' and that was helpful for reeling in the urge to move to the next track when I felt they were losing the plot a bit. The standout track for me was Second Head.

Muchas emociones. Voy a tratar de escribirlas en orden: Ya escuché 400 álbumes iguales Se parecen a the smiths Está bueno Que carajo estoy escuchando (Pausa de dos días) Que carajo estoy escuchando Estuvo bueno.

Sort of annoying and inert. Many, many other bands do what this album does better.

Vajaan 100 albumin perusteella brittipop on rajusti yliedustettuna listalla ja se alkaa kyllästyttämään ja ärsyttämään. Näin paljoa hyvää saati listalle pääsyn arvoista brittipoppia eri vuosikymmeniltä ei vaan taida olla. Tähän nimenomaiseen albumiin: tulihan kuunneltua. Ainoa hyväksi luokiteltava viisi nimiraita Kilimanjaro. Muuten melko tyhjänpäiväinen albumi. 2/5

Upbeat and nice for a run

This is right in line with the 60s psychedelic revival of the early 80s in England. This reminded me a lot of the Prisoners who were also 80s English artists who tried to capture 60s garage psychedelic sound. As such I enjoyed.

I think I made it 2/3 of the way through. Just some generic 80s stuff.

was it essential? no! but was it interesting? also no!

Catchy tunes with lots of energy.

fine

весь альбом хотелось закапать вокалисту вибрацилом. но если гундосить дональдом даком и есть суть пост-панка, то пора бы мне уже привыкнуть. понравился комментарий: "Да это даже не так уж плохо. Если бы это был один из моих первых альбомов, я бы сказал: "Черт возьми, да, это круто", но я просто совершенно оцепенел от всего этого дерьма. Мне понадобится семилетняя "терапия от переизбытка New Wave" после того, как я наконец закончу этот список.

так себе альбомчик, это говно я бы не стал слушать еще раз

Don't love it but don't hate it

Fun listen for sure. I'm surprised I didn't know any of these songs.

Not the most interesting album, but perfectly fine. I would listen again for sure.

This was a very welcome surprise. It really sounded like a mid 80’s album when it wasn’t one, feels a few years ahead of its time. It’s New Wave and a bunch of other things rolled into one. Probably need some more listens on it but I already found multiple enjoyable songs on my first listen.

A bit non descript tbh. Julian Cope is much more interesting than this would suggest. 2.5

Too much of this on the list. Very okay music, from an alright band I've never heard of. Wish there was more that appealed to me other than the bass.

Ehhh. Not bad! Very 80’s. Might revisit some of the songs!

Is this what The Smiths and all those other terrible 80s bands were trying to sound like? This has actual good melodies with hooks, real instruments, varied sounds and structures. Good stuff.

güzel moderen

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I dug the music. But the lyrics were meh. 3.25/5

The review that said: "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"" is entirely correct. I'm only 168 albums in but I'm very bored of lads with jangly guitars

Damnnit qué buen disco!

I didn't feel any type of way about this.

Mid album if you ask me. Not bad, not amazing. just... mid, its ok i guess, its a 2.5 out of 5, maybe a 3.

ok. interesting

Rivales de Echo and Bunnymen en la carrera por liderar el Post-punk de Liverpool. Este debut fue una obra mayúscula (luego publicaron Wilder y Cope se largó a hacer lo que le dio la gana), recordemos que estamos aún en 1980... su influencia en por ejemplo Blur es evidente. Ha Ha I'm Drowning, menuda apertura. Sleeping gas , con ese bajo saltarín (motivo por el que Simpson tuvo que largarse y unirse a Ian Brodie -The lightning seeds) Treason fue el tercer sencillo de la banda. Reward fue su single más conocido. Second Head es más post-punk. Poppies in the Field, más pop que el resto, no es su mejor tema. Went Crazy recuerda claramente a la inicial Ha Ha I'm Drowning pero sin su magia. Books es de lo mejor de la cara B, con protagonismo de sus rivales (Ian McCulloch a la voz y composición). When I Dream también.

🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 Huge Julian Cope fan, slightly less huge Echo and the Bunnymen fan, blossoming Smiths fan, and I already liked "Sleeping Gas," but even with all that stacked in its favor I felt wary going into "Kilimanjaro." No matter how many great bands coalesced after the balkanization of The Teardrop Explodes, I just had a feeling it'd be too early for any of their individual strengths to have shown through. Okay, that said, I did enjoy this a little more than I expected, though I think it plateaus pretty hard after the first few songs and eventually disintegrates. Tacking on the EP starting with "Reward" at the end of the official release definitely doesn't help. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

Pretty fun!! Kinda dancey sometimes too! Those Brits, god luv um.

It’s fairly inoffensive. Better than I expected, but that is an extremely low bar to clear.

I enjoyed this. I’ve heard of Cope but never really knew the history. I’ve listened to this band just a little but would like to hear more.

This album did nothing for me.

Ok I guess

Not going to lie, I kind of dig this. Never heard of them, and nothing earth-shaking but kind of fun .

at some point, british singers stopped singing with a british accent.

It’s not bad. Solid rhythm section but gets a bit repetitive overall.

Neo-Psychedelia Neo Thanks.

Not the best choice, I would have included The Chameleons or The Sound, Au Pairs, or another Wire or The Fall before including this one you know.

Pretty enjoyable new wave type record. Post punk? Who knows. I sure dont but anyway there are a bunch of good songs. British as hell. The biggest thing I heard was there are some sick bass groves here. Went crazy was probably my favorite song. But there were a bunch of others. Good stuff just not the best stuff.

I like and even own this record but to me it's more of a curiosity. Julian Cope was supposed to be the Syd Barrett of the New Wave. But he never reached Syd's heights, musically or mentally (...so far...he's still going...). I feel like he got/gets a lot of play from British music journalists, but at least in America, he was never that "important." Great band name, great sound, but only average songs. They sound like they put on a fun live show and maybe you can hear strains of them in The Coral and in Inspiral Carpets' Farfisa organ. 😅 That reminds me: What's better than roses on your piano? Tulips on your organ! 🤣

Aside from their big hit "Reward" (ironically not part of the original album), I'm pretty sure I've never really heard anything by The Teardrop Explodes, including from this album (and I'm not even sure I'd ever heard "Reward" before, for that matter). Overall it's a decent album, especially given that it's their debut and released at the beginning of a decade not known for great pop-oriented music. They *do*, however, sound a bit like a lot of other early 80s bands (and a lot like some band that I can't put my finger on), so I suspect I won't be revisiting it. But I appreciated getting a chance to hear them.

I would have liked this so much more had I not accidentally listened to some super long "deluxe" reissue of this album.

Nice

I had gotten to the 4th song before I realized it was the 4th song. I thought i was listening to a single long song. Their music all sounds the same.

Oh, goody, another obscure British new wave album from the 1980s. This one has very few distinguishing qualities and mostly just sounds like a generic new wave album. The lyrics are unremarkable, and the songs themselves are no better. They sound like Echo and the Bunnymen in terms of vocals, but they don't have the same level of songcraft, instead settling for faceless 3-minute compositions. This album is absolutely inessential for this list and has no reason to be included, marking yet another questionable album choice in a list packed with questionable album choices. This is best left to the dumpster of history, despite not being completely insufferable.

This just sounds like generic 80s indie rock to me. It's fine, nothing more.

I have never heard of this band before, probably because they were so short lived. With the kind of music they play it makes sense that bands like Public Image Ltd would overshadow them. Really the only thing that gives them a unique identity is the combination of neo-psychadelia and post punk. Songs are alright but that's about it.

#921. You found this in the £1 bin at the back of an old record store didn't you? 2/5: you should've left it there.

"The poppies are in the field. But don't ask me what that means." Well ... I'm riveted.

Started really strong...but really long

This was a lot of fun. Pure 80s bouncy pop joy. Will return.

De la pop des années 80. Donc nul.

Classic new wave stuff - a bit of funky post punk bass and slashing jangly guitar, some ska style horns played on cheesy keyboards, a couple synth parts, angular ironic disaffected vocals with a bit of pop melody. Building tension, dance grooves. A lot like talking heads and the police but also duran duran - upbeat energetic and full of nervous kinetic energy. Good fun

This is a Top 1001 album of all time? Really Robert? This beats out all but 1000?

okay, esa porquería del final la embarro pero es disfrutable de escuchar y me gustó 1 canción y le di like. Más parecido a lo q me gusta

Brit Pop Dreck

ja geht, ganz ok, nichts besonderes.

Same

I found this pretty dull and unexceptional.

When I think of The Teardrop Explodes it reminds me of a song called ‘I can’t get Bouncing Babies by the Teardrop Explodes’ which tells of someone’s frustration about obtaining a deleted 7” single. I found this amusing and somehow can’t get it out of my head. Anyhow Bouncing Babies is on this album and listening to that track today I cannot really understand what that singer was so bothered about. There was a time when I was quite attracted to Teardrop Explodes and I think it was the single Treason (and not Bouncing Babies) which began my brief flirtation with them. But I soon tired of them and listening today can understand that decision. It is all very much standard 80’s fayre with that familiar 80’s vibe throughout. A sound nowadays I try to avoid. Good thing today is that after reading the accompanying Wiki link I discovered that Julian Cope is now an accomplished author and an aficionado on stone circles. So well done to him having made something of his life away from music! 3/5 12/4/26

The Teardrop Explodes debut studio album. It posses post-punk jagged guitar riffs and driving brass sections with some catchy pop sensibilities. A good and enjoyable listen. Three stars. 1 "Ha Ha I'm Drowning" (4/5) 2 "Sleeping Gas" (3/5) 3 "Treason" (3/5) 4 "Second Head" (4/5) 5 "Poppies in the Field" (3/5) 6 "Went Crazy" (3/5) 7 "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises" (4/5) 8 "Bouncing Babies" (4/5) 9 "Books" (3/5) 10 "Thief of Baghdad" (3/5) 11 "When I Dream" (4/5) Total - 38 Average - 3.45 299/1001 161/299 albums reviewed were new to me

Sounds like all the radio stations who claim to have the greatest variety of hits yet refuse to play anything other than 80s crap. These radio stations get a lot of airplay in my dad’s car so I consider myself an expert and a certified hater of the crappy 80s genre. Not my favourite album if you couldn’t tell.

Had I experienced this in high school I think I would have really liked it. I liked a lot of adjacent bands (Echo and the Bunnymen, the Bahooahs, &tc) but never remember hearing this. Reward is pretty catchy, overall feels like a solid three. I will plan to give this one a focused listen in the car, I just planted 31 trees so it a little hard to maintain focus at the moment.

I'd heard a bunch of this randomly throughout the years but I've never listened to it all the way through. "Went crazy" will end up on a bunch of playlists but I'm not sure I'll return to much else from this album. If I'd heard this before echo and the bunnymen I probably would've been obsessed

allt låter likadant och generiskt

i've heard the name julian cope but never the teardrop explosion. this is a new one to me. i like it quite a bit. some good and interesting new wave. reminds me of oingo boingo sans elfman.

There’s some good stuff here. Very clearly influential. Probably sounded pretty radical when it was released. As with most of Julian Cope’s music, I like parts of songs, but not a whole song. Traison, is better in French, though. That was cute.

The brass was fun... the rest was rather expected. Not bad, but just a tad boring.

don't generally love britpop... didn't really love this.

It's ok. Reminds me a lot of The Police. Very emblematic of the 80s Brit New Wave sound. It's inoffensive, but not terribly memorable due to a sound that doesn't do enough to differentiate from other bands of the time. Really, I'd put it as a middle of the road fare. It just doesn't do enough to stick with me, but it's also not the worst. I'd never heard of this band, and I don't think I've particularly missed out.

++: Sleeping Gas, Books, Thief of Baghdad +: Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Poppies in the Field, Went Crazy, Bouncing Babies +-: Treason, Second Head, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises, When I Dream 5,5/10

An interesting album.

It's not that hard to make a passable new wave record, so it's surprising someone could make one that's this annoying. Same tempo, same volume, same everything throughout the whole thing

Loud and ambitious!

Liked some of this, but quite of it's time

It was alright I guess

Of its era. Marking down as I'm back at work

Not horrible but nothing stands out.

It’s a good chance that if we received this album earlier in the exercise my rating might be higher, but this far in it just sounds like forgettable Brit-pop. Not sure why this one was even on the list, other than maybe Julian Cope’s ego rivaling the size of Kilimanjaro itself.

This is the most 2.5 that ever 2.5’d. I went back and forth on whether to round up or down. On one hand it sounds generic and cheesy. But it was early so maybe they get credit for inspiring others? At times I was like “am I listening to Bloc Party”. Ultimately there were a few songs towards the end that brought this ⬇️

Britpop gonna britpop. Sounded pretty generic to me. Not bad, not great. 2.5/5

I have a soft spot for new wave. This doesn’t necessarily move me as much as others, but it’s cool.

Крч, альбома - в тот же уголочек где сидят Orange Juice ну и the Cure с Smiths. Эдакий джангл-поп, пост-панк из 80-х. Альбом идёт час где каждая песня после того как проходит - моментально вылетает из головы. Впрочем, главная хитара альбома - Reward звучит интересно и довольно необычно за счёт партии духовых, чего нельзя сказать об остальном материале. Такое.

Treason (It's Just a Story) When I Dream Reward

Very 80’s

One of the exciting breakout acts of the 'new Merseybeat' of the early 80s and you have 'Reward', 'Treason' and 'Thief of Bagdad' which really stand up today. The album seems to get better as it progresses after a couple of dodgy early tracks. Front man Julian Cope was a bit of a character who emerged as an unpredictable solo act and it is often felt that this band did not ultimately achieve their potential. The use of horns on some tracks gave them a unique sound for a post punk/new wave act.

I liked it :]

I listened to this album as I wandered a Fry's, aimlessly picking up groceries after having left a distant family lunch which drained my social battery. My first thought while listening to Kilimanjaro was that The Tesrdrop Explodes is an incredible band name; my second thought was that this album rocks. It takes the sound I associate with some of my favorite moddern English indie rock bands and spices them up with some new wave aesthetics, nailing the slightly dystopian vibe that I find compelling in those songs. The raw and esoteric lyrics were also a surprise, sounding like the kind of writing I would hear from an indie darling band nowadays (the title "Ha Ha I'm Drowning" would be right at home on Bandcamp). The band aren't afraid to let themselves have fun and be loose, and leaning into the slight camp of the genre makes it easier to buy into the album as a whole; that, and the constant earworm riffs don't hurt. This was a sleeper hit for me that I'm incredibly happy to have comes across! Highlights: Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Sleeping Gas, Treason, Went Crazy, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises, Bouncing Babies, Books, Thief Of Baghdad, When I Dream (Reward, Kilimanjaro)

Very 80s

More just-okay British niche faff from this list.

Unremarkable. Once again felt like music for nobody, like it wasn't trying to cause any emotions despite being technically well done

I left my house for the first time in 6 days and this was the soundtrack to my adventure. I have to say, I am a bit disappointed.

Pas du tout aimé

whatever thisgenre is i’ve genuinely had enough of it. i think liverpool should be wiped off the earth

Not a good as expected

Wierd, didn’t hate it it was different but bright and hopped along with a good vibe all the way through. Just got a bit one dimensional by the end. Pretty experimental for 1980

This was bland and largely inoffensive, so why was it on the list in the first place? So much random post-punk adjacent stuff on this list that could have been replaced by something 1. Better and 2. Different. I am bumping this up a star, though, because “Reward” is an objectively great song.

Admittedly, didn’t listen to every song. Very in line with the times and British post punk comes through. Not my cup of tea, but not bad

Brit rock

Very good.