Kilimanjaro

It’s a tired trope to criticize albums on this list just for being obscure British albums. So I’m gonna do something different. I’m gonna criticize it because it sucks and I don’t like it.

A little too long but it wasn’t a bad listen Kind of forgettable Some cool songs on here

Some interesting tracks on here experimental and artistic hadn't clocked how much Liam Gray sounds like him at times

Meh…boring 80’s

Can't say that the album is bad by itself, it's just really hard to listen in one go. There sure are good songs, most of them are energetic and surprising (Reward, for example). I would say it's not bad overall but I need like five more attempts to get used to this album and distinguish the songs from one another (first half especially). On the other hand, I really liked the vocalist's performance. The music kinda reminded me of early albums of The Police, but that's pretty much it.

Every time I get an album and artist I have never heard of, I get excited. And invariably it is something like this, some forgotten and forgettable new wave junk from the 80s. It sounds like a bunch of other stuff and like it's been picked out of the bargain bin to make up the numbers on the list. It's far from the first time I or anyone has had this thought, but in a list with so many obvious omissions, it is literally incredible that this album has been included. You know, I was going to give this two stars, but I am just so sick of this shit, one star.

6 / 10 - Britischer art rock - sehr interessante Orchestrations Favs: - Went Crazy - Reward

???

5.5/10

repetitive after a bit

Correcto

I was surprised how much this reminded me of the Inspiral Carpets, similar psychedelic, new wave, poppy, organ-heavy, stuff. Even the lead singers sound a little similar. I imagine anyone living in Manchester or Liverpool would be in up in arms against this comparison though. It feels a bit strange that they put out an album called "Kilimanjaro" but didn't add the track with the same name until 20 years after the original album was released. Anyway, the album is okay I guess, a bit formulaic. I'm going to consider "Reward" as part of the original album, as it pulls this from 2 stars to 3.

This was so catchy. There wasn't a song I didn't like

This album had some tracks I really liked but also a couple of pretty annoying ones. I enjoyed especially Second Head, Bouncing Babies, Ha Ha I’m Drowning and Use Me, which is more acoustic. Mostly very danceable/upbeat, surreal lyrics are fun. I’d have to be in the right mood for this.

Muy chill

Some of the songs on this album could be used as methods of torture but a couple were just okay

I didnt want to like this album that felt like The Police doing bad post punk but there were a couple songs that stuck out and weren’t terrible.

Jangly post-punk and neo-psychedelic pop built on bright guitars, elastic basslines, punchy drums, and expressive, slightly theatrical vocals unfolds with constant movement and color. Listening feels like wandering through a vivid, shifting landscape where each turn reveals a new pattern or rhythm. The result is consistently interesting and engaging, maintaining momentum without losing its quirky charm.

Early 80s, sounds like the Cure with a little Police? And trumpets.

The Teardrop Explodes; Duran Duran mashed up with The Talking Heads. It’s not a bad combo, and the album improves as it progresses. Never heard of this band or any of their songs, (maybe never made it stateside) but they must have had some influence in order to make The 1001 Must Hear List. That said, Kilimanjaro did nothing for me. Middle of the road. (2.49*s) Their drummer carries the band.

Kilimanjaro is a pretty good record, right at the transition from 70s psychedelia to 80s British new wave. Both styles mash-up with a little punk peppered in. Weird that the title track is not on the original release and neither is their biggest hit "Reward." Rating the 1980 version with "Sleeping Gas" at top track spot. I prefer Julian Cope's solo work but he brings a unique edge to bands. I'm interested in hearing what he's got from the The Crucial Three as well. This one climbs in a t 2.35 stars.

Another British band that I'm completely unfamiliar with. The Teardrop Explodes comes out of nowhere with a pretty solid post-punk album. It mixes it up a bit including horns at times that surprisingly worked when they were featured. Each of the songs are relatively tight and enjoyable. Hard to believe any album has 7 singles off of it but it obviously resonated with the audience. Pretty good album that I doubt I would have been exposed to without the list. 2.68 stars

I can understand why people might be frustrated seeing this forgotten and seemingly unimportant random album on this list. But, I’m a pretty big fan of that eighties dancy synth pop sound. Give me a Tears for Fears (always with tears, these guys) soundalike, and I’m going to dig it. Now, did this rock my world and blow my mind? Not really. Although the title track was pretty entrancing and somewhat out of nowhere. Looking into the band at a deeper level, I was interested to see that this is a young Julian Cope. I’d never heard about him (probably because I’m not English) until I listened to Peggy Suicide on this list. This album and that are night and day. I can hardly believe they were made by the same guy. What an interesting character! I’m happy to have been made aware of Cope, and I’m going to do a deeper dive on his music now- which is what this project is all about!

This album kinda bored me. The bass work is great though… the bass bumped this to a 3 for me.

The tracks sound dated and very similar to each other, but they also have a really comforting and familiar vibe that I like. Favorite tracks : Treason, Reward, Kilimanjaro 3.5/5

super j’ai beaucoup aime

I recognize the 80's style, but this collection doesn't do much for me. 2/5

Never heard of this band before today but I dug what I heard. 60s psych rock viewed through an 80s lens. Could easily file this in the "I don't know what this is doing on this list" folder, but I am not mad that its here. Which is more than I can say for other albums in that folder. 3/5

Ikke spesielt spennende, men ikke spesielt dårlig heller.

Boooo

This one mostly just became background music for me and didn't pull me in enough to pay attention most of the time, but sounded good enough that I wanted to keep listening. Aenery now and again something would catch my ear and be cool. Then 'When I Dream' came on and it had my full attention. Without a doubt the standout track of the album for me. I really like all the shifting melodies in the background which never seem to stay still or the same, but keep building up this preasure without drowning the admidditly simple but catchy almost vocal stim on top Standouts When I Dream 3/5

New Wave makes me want to fucking die! No more no more no more!!!

Not for me

Never heard of them before, but I thought this was pretty great. Baffled by sub-3 and accusations of 'too much britpop' (what?) The 80s new-wave / post-punk combo works really well here. It's still obviously of its time, but the production and overall sound -- jangly guitar, stellar basslines and Cope's vocals -- are stellar.

Boring at times Fun at times Gave it 3 instead of two stars because i can see myself dancing drunkely to some of the songs

Kilimanjaro's a perfect album to listen to on a dreary autumn day. It's moody and kind of depressing, but in a good way. I enjoy the vibe it offers, and it also proves to be musically interesting. The basslines are especially complex at certain points, which I enjoy, but the drums also stand out as well. "Treason" and "Thief of Baghdad" stood out to me, I especially liked the synths in "Thief of Baghdad". Favorite Song: "Thief of Baghdad"

Great Eighties post punk pop . Amazing bass and great sound all round. If I’m being picky, surely that’s the point of this exercise, it can be a little repetitive so not a 5

I wasn't particularly enjoying myself and then I got hit with a seven-minute song comprising mostly of "I go up up up up up up up up up"

For an album released in 1980, this sounded very 80’s. I never heard of them before but I thought it was fine. Nothing bad to say, nothing great to say so I’ll give it a 3.

Solid rock beats with vocals that don’t suck. Reminds me a lot of the nonexistent love child between The Clash and Oingo Boingo. I could really have done without the French track towards the end of the album if I’m being honest, but otherwise it’s a “meh” of a listen for me.

This is the first album catagorized as post-punk on this list that actually fits the bill. It’s a weird combination of the emergent 80s pop lyricism with 70s punk rock style, and it reminds me of bands like Berlin or The Fixx if they trended harder. That said, I don’t care for it all that much. It is missing the energy and point of view that makes good punk good and I’m perfectly fine without reliving 1980 lyrically ever again (except Brass in Pocket, which slaps).

Released in 1980 but has the sound of mid 80's Brit Pop / New Wave, feels a little bit ahead of it's time. Good songs, great bass lines, overall very enjoyable. Middle of the road band, but extra credit for being on the forefront.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to.

Ich war bei 2, weil irgendwie okay, aber der fucking französische Song hat dem Kamél den Rückén gebrochén, 1,4 wird abgerundet zu

The poppies are in the field/ but dont ask me what that means Well then dont fucking mention it mate. Weil ich die Musik nicht nur scheiße finde:

Ich kann keine 80er Post-Punk-Dudlei mehr hören. Und es ist erst mein 90. Album. Wie viel kommt da noch? Ich kann nicht mehr.

No. This was not anything I'd have placed near the 1001. Never had heard of the band, and I'm not likely to revisit them.

I don't remember listening to this, but I know I did. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

A experiência mais incomum até agora, uma banda com nome e músicas completamente desconhecidas para mim e de um período que eu também não consumo tanto. A maior surpresa foi o quanto gostei do som deles, um postpunk muito bom e com muita cara de música de rádio, acho que minha única decepção é saber que é uma coletânea, isso afeta a coesão do álbum como também desanima um pouco de ouvir os outros álbuns. Mesmo assim, experiência ótima, claramente uma banda com identidade bem marcada

This album is so aggressively 80s but in a way that ends up feeling tasteful, almost timeless. Infectious grooves, sad boy lyrics, TIGHT bass lines, and beautiful production.

I liked their sound, not amazing either, didn't feel there was a great hit on the record, just a solid enough listen

absolute bollocks innit

This was fun and enjoyable. I should probably start writing these as I finish listening instead of the next day. I would prefer to just have the original album. The live track at the end of the spotify extended album drug on quite a bit. But all in all I would definitely give it another listen.

Good, but too intense. Good songs, but tone it down a bit lads.

favorites: sleeping gas; treason

Decent 80s album. Wish I liked more songs as much as I like the first track. Overall pretty good though.

Most songs would work better if it there were 2:30, they reallyyyyy dragged it out

I did not enjoy this

This album sounds very much like of early 80s alternative but a bit more pop infused. It’s ok.

eh

Repetitive and annoying.

nothinjg amazing

Sounded better in French tbf but overall not bad

Favorite songs: Ha Ha I’m Drowning, Books Felt like this was going to be some lost classic I missed. This album has an undertone of a lot of bands I really like such as the Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Church, etc. but somehow it keeps turning into Oingo Boingo. No offense.

A nice little surprise from a band I never heard from mostly because this doesn't sound like it was from 1980. The tracks inside could've easily been the lastest from the Arctic Monkeys. Even with short track times, the album as a whole did start to wear on me a little.

This was OK, a little forgettable. Some fairly catchy tracks but ultimately not one I'd return to

𝘒𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘫𝘢𝘳𝘰 is one of those post-punk records that never quite gets the recognition it deserves. It’s vibrant, slightly eccentric, and full of sharp melodic ideas, all carried by Julian Cope’s unmistakable presence. The blend of bright keyboards and tight, nervy rhythms gives the album its own buoyant, off-kilter charm. Quietly overlooked, but absolutely worth celebrating.

Well, this is my 151 album and, by now, it does look like this is mainly Robert Dimery's music taste than actually the albums that we really need to listen before we die. . I had never heard this band before, but it sounds like a bad Joy Division. I get New Wave was big, but this music did not age very well. We have loads of 80's and really important albums of the 2000s were simply ignored. . 2/3

I enjoyed certain aspects of this album. I remember Treason and Reward from back in the day but only being 9 at the time I definitely was not into Teardrop. Listening to it now, it’s definitely more interesting than some of the other early 80’s entries, looking at you Duran Duran. Overall enjoyed it and will listen again I am sure.

hey look, more forgettable Britpop bands

Part of the great collection of 1001 Albums You Might Care About From the UK Between 1975 - 1985. That's what this website is, right?

Nu mi-o placut

It was fine. I don’t know what to say about this.

A good album, I liked Treason, Poppies In The Field and Books the most.

4 stars A UK new wave/post punk act I wasn’t familiar with that was pretty good. I can hear the influence they had on a lot of the Brit pop and post punk revival I grew up with. A joy to listen to. Will return.

6/10

Straddling the fine line of post-punk and new wave (a bit poppy for post, but a bit weird and dark for new wave), with some mixed in psychedelic influence. It doesn’t get too out there, but it’s in the mix. It’s catchier, more melodic, and more danceable than I expected. Reverb drenched vox, repetitive grooving bass, guitars that can be jagged and wiry or a bit more smooth, eerie key/synth sounds or boisterous horn recreations…I found myself enjoying most of it, but also felt like it didn’t really go anywhere. A lot of the songs have similar structure and get quite repetitive without surprise or notable change - good for a droning dance type effect, but less interesting for repeated listening. It feels like a madchester precursor that I want to like a bit more than I do, but also don’t have any real problem with.

Artig sound, men låter litt masete til tider.

Sorry Jon, ikke min greie. Døll og til tider masete. Sterk toer i det minste

The Police, bare litt kulere.

Dette må være det beste bandet jeg aldri har hørt før!

Kult! Dansbart uten at det blir for fjollate. Perfekt lengde. Sleeping Gas e 10/10.

Hørt på tur rundt Prestvannet med Guri. For en reise. Startet ikke så ille, men etter låt 3-4 ble det ganske kjipt. På Poppies måtte jeg faktisk bare gi meg og gå i stillhet. Som å høre The Police på sitt aller, aller verste.

Passe sært og trivelig. Litt slitsomt i lengden med et såpass masende lydbilde.

If an alien landed today and wanted to hear what music was like in the 80s I’d play them this album

This is cool, I wasn't blown away but I'm interested in looking into the rest of their discography

125/1001 First listen. Ain’t never hear of these guys before. I had no issues with this pick today other than no stand out tracks. Good sound. Interesting arrangements. Not bad vocals. Reminds me of early Midnight oil in places. I might revisit this one day. Okay that last live track was kinda shit though. 5/10

This is a little more interesting than much New Wave music. The pop-forward singles on Kilamenjaro were boring, nothing particularly bad, just uninteresting. It is unfortunate that it starts out like this, but it gets better and more interesting as teh album progesses. On the other hand, the more experimental, neo-psychedelic songs were quite good. On these tracks, which fortunately is the majority of them, you can hear elements of some of the best bands of the time/genre like the Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Gang of Four. My formative music was New Wave (the weirder variety) and punk, so I’ll always be predisposed to liking music like this. I remember listening to this album many years ago, but I’d forgotten about it. This was a fun listen and calling it “brit pop” really doesn’t do it justice.

I've had Reward on my playlists for years and its a banger -although had not really listened to much else by the band. The album is enjoyable catchy new wave pop with emphasis on the pop as 6 of the 12 tracks (incl Reward) released as singles. I like Julian Cope's vocals and enjoyed the 80's synths and drumming.

Kilimanjaro I really enjoyed Peggy Suicide, but I’m only a little familiar Teardrop Explodes, so I was keen to give this a listen. I do know Reward of course, although it was only added to this after it was a successful single, but you can immediately tell they are contemporaries of Echo and the Bunnymen and that 80s Liverpool cosmic speckled post-punk scene - it's full of rhythmic urgency and throbbing, driving, melodic bass. However, unlike E&TB they don’t have a guitarist to match Will Sargeant, and although the organ and horns are great, it does feel like it's missing an ingredient like him to really elevate or differentiate the songs. But it is a fine album in that style, and none of the songs are bad at all, but there are a couple of songs that I really liked; Ha Ha I’m Drowning, Treason, Poppies in the Field and When I’m Dreaming. On balance I think this ends up a high 3, would happily stick it on again, even if I would probably head to E&TB first. 💧💧💧 Playlist submission: Poppies in the Field

New-wave, horny synths (*horn-based synths) coupled with sometimes stuttering, sometimes jangled guitar. There are similarities with the more upbeat aspects of Echo and the Bunnymen; and whilst a tenebrous undercurrent is present, Teardrop are much chirpier than their erstwhile labelmates. McCulloch co-writes 'Books' which leans into his pop-oriented side, and is a great fit with Cope's melodic outlook. Interweaved guitar arpeggios and hooks are everywhere, using a lot of suspended chords to give that expansive feel. The synth is as important for the sound, especially on the likes of 'Thief of Baghdad', which has a typically superb refrain at the chorus. And 'Bouncing Babies' really hammers home that psychedelic organ sound against pounding drums. Alongside all that the drums are fantastic. 'Treason' has some excellent fills. It has a Madness bassline, a subglaong chorus, and yet a minor chord Smiths feel, illustrating the 'pop meets sinister' sensibility. That's ticking a lot of boxes. The only song I was previously aware of was the superlative 'Reward'. Turns out this wasn't on the original album and therefore cannot be considered for merit. As it happens the album is in no need of it - it's superb as it is.

Been awhile since I’ve had a blatant Brit bias pick on this challenge. This album started off mid, but not really all that bad. Unfortunately it gets more and more insufferable as it goes on. One of the songs almost made me crash out. 1.5 / 5

it's strange - not sure if I would listen to it again but it's not really that bad either

Anos 80 clássico. Não conhecia, acho que não toca muito nas rádios do Brasil

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is a kind of rock that is a bit hard to distinguish. There are some moments here but it is mostly forgettable for me. I would not mind hearing it again but I would not seek it out either.

The deeper into the record I get the more I like it. The wikipedia page of Julian Cope is definitely worth checking out. Always a fan of a band where the singer is also the bassist. A very interesting sound, like a less punk version of The Stranglers and a less gloomy Echo & the Bunnymen. Will be returning to this record for sure!

Some of it was okay.

I listened to the original release (11 tracks). This is the debut album from another obscure British group from the late 1970s-early 1980s. The sound is slightly reminiscent of the Talking Heads, only more boring. I guess it’s ok for a debut, but totally forgettable.

Nope, never heard of you guys. But as established, I like when a name is a sentence, and that includes band names. The album title makes it seem like the teardrop exploded Kilimanjaro. Anyway, this sounds like some generic Britpop to me! Which I like. I also like the song title 'Ha Ha I'm Drowning' because it is good to laugh. Still I had some questions about these tracks. Like: -What is rafferty? -What is AAP? No time to research, though. British intrigue, will resolve another day!

Oh goody. More 80s Brit pop or whatever this is.

Fun 80s music. Nothing to dislike or get too excited about.

This was a very fun album. It's definitely post-punk, but not your typical dark, doomy, and gloomy post-punk. This album is much more psychedelic, with bright melodies, swirling keyboards, punchy basslines, horns, and hypnotic rhythms driven by motorik influences. You even get a good share of jangly guitars, which I'm always a sucker for.

Generic 80's music.

Yet another group I've known about but never really listened to. I wish I had, enjoyed their sound, even the slightly cheesy 80s horns (keyboards?). Really evocative of the period for me, unique, and improved over a few listens. I added When i Dream to my playlist

Pretty forgettable, not much to say. 4/10 Favourite track: N/A

Another blast from the past. OK New Wave rock, "When I dream" was the only song I knew that I forgot,

I didn’t like this album. It seemed like bad early new wave by a band who couldn’t agree on their sound. Echo and the Bunnymen did it better.

Some of us just love that post-punk vibe. In fact, that stretch from punk... to post-punk... to new wave... to (what I called it in the 80's) alternative... there's some great stuff here, and I think that includes The Teardrop Explodes. This was Julian Cope's band before he was just Julian Cope. For me, this album and My Nation Underground are my favorites. I don't think they are HIS favorites, but they're mine. Probably because these combine pop sensibility with that post-punk edge. A great alternative indeed, to whatever was on the radio at this time.

Another great offering from 1980. These early 80s albums signaled a much stronger musical decade than what materialized which makes these gems so precious. I read that various releases had different track listings and song order, but the version on Apple Music is interesting in that the album builds and moves well toward the end. I was curious at the opening track and sold on the album by the end.

2.6 stars

Didn’t care for it too much

Not half bad!

This album was surprisingly good. I really enjoyed most of it. Would probably have given it a 4 but a few songs went on a tad too long (the last track clocking in at nearly 10 minutes).

1980 was an interesting time, feels like the influences of the previous decades still blending into what was becoming the 80s sound. This isn't quite rock, nor is it just pop, but Treason is very catchy. There's a trance-like repetitiveness to some of the songs and it can be addictive. Love the bassline on Second Head. And the backing keyboards. Vocals are perfect for this but the instrumental breaks shine too. Frenetic bass on most of the tracks, and Bouncing Babies is a highlight, the keys now playing a lead role. Big drums. Reward was the other single but I don't like it as much as Treason. Overall - cool ideas, inconsistent quality, but worth a spin.

Stand-out tracks: Sleeping Gas - the spooky organ is quite prominent in this one, giving it a good dose of dissonance Treason - leaning a lot closer to usual expected sounds Second Head - that constant unnerving melody in the background keeps the momentum of the track I was quite surprised when I heard some of the strange and a bit unnerving instrumentals on this album. The vocals are quite generic so I guess I was expecting the instrumentals to be as well, but some of the tracks end up leaning towards the more dissonant side (especially that spooky organ). I would say the album has a healthy dose of both, not overdoing it, but still giving off an interesting feeling. Despite that, I wouldn't say all of the tracks are my thing as some do just feel like the same idea from before rehashed musically which makes only a few tracks stand-out and mostly the ones at the beginning.

Highlights: Treason, Went Crazy, Books, The Thief Of Baghdad, When I Dream It was fine but really unimpressive. Kinda standard new wave sound with a twist of psychedelia which made it a bit less interesting and it didn't stand out all that much. That might be the point and I'm missing it but IDGAF. I don't have it in me rn to go into further detail. Didn't hate it but it was really not much.

2.5

2.5

Do you guys like The Cure, yeh? And Joy Division? Okay, make that stuff.... but worse

Ikkje mitt nye favorittband, men kult fjell

not my thing

Never heard of this band before and I listen to a lot of 80s music. It was pretty good. I was surprised. Kind of across between midnight oil and the Feelies

Too much of a good thing

Reminded me a lot of Casiopea. Jazzy fusion, nice.

Not my thing

this was a revisit for me and i had sort of forgotten how long the second half of this album feels, although thief of baghdad is a standout for me. i do really like this album though despite that. i think it has a really unique sound to it, the guitars are great. and although i'm not the biggest fan of julian cope, i do actually like his voice for the most part. enjoyed a lot

frustrating listen. great music; some of this i actually like. julian cope drags the entire thing down. first two songs are among the worst i've heard easily.

i wish i liked this more!! neo psych - post punk is some of my favorite music in the world but i kind of end up finding most of this just rehashed / irritating, especially on side B. there are some good songs present though!

Mostly pretty solid, it's kind of crazy this came out in 1980, but the second side feels like every song could have used a few more passes, they all have some issues . But it's a fine album.

Solid album! This was my first The Teardrop Explodes experience, but I found them to be quite similar to A Flock of Seagulls and the early 80's pop sound.

Some really good sounds on here, great synth and bass lines. A little bit typical for the era, and maybe I have my timeline mixed up, maybe actually a year or two before peak synthpop saturation? Cope's voice is great on this. When I Dream is an epic closer. Sells me on the whole project. Favorite Tracks: Sleeping Gas, Treason, When I Dream

it’s like a talking head album, not so my vibe

It’s okay. Nothing that stands out.

I just don't really understand post punk. So far the albums I've listened to are soulless and bland, like this one.

I was hoping this would be like The Stone Roses or maybe The Jesus And Mary Chain but its not even Franz Ferdinand.

not too big a fan of all the brass, its sounds very tacky and dated. but other than that this album is pretty enjoyable, some pretty creative and innovative instrumentation and fun lyrism. good album but you're not missing out on much by skipping

So generic

Kinda like the Talking heads. OK, but I wouldn't seek them out. Not unpleasant though.

more new wave shit

la misma cancion solo que cambia las letras

Wow! A lot of 2s for this set. Let's see how it goes. Yeah - it's fun, interesting new wave. I had never heard of this band at all, or heard any of their music. I enjoyed most of these songs but nothing really stood out to me. It's pretty good. THREE STARS

Is this the best album ever? No not really, but I still enjoyed it! Treason is that song!? Obviously I think you can track the soundscape in British music from this new wave / post punk sound into the Britpop era of the 90s... but I have to ask why they moved so far away from this. This feels interesting.

*sigh* The top review for this thinks it is Britpop. About 15 years too early for that particular marketing scheme. The other misconception I'm spotting is that the Teardrops were obscure. They were regular Smash Hits fodder, pored over by 500,000+ teenagers in that magazine's heyday. They were like an acid addled Duran Duran. Julian Cope's posh kid cheek bones counted for a lot. The album is full of great tunes and arrangements, even Second Head which got dropped on some reissues is fantastic. Tony Wilson and Factory Records has had its movie but someone should really do a film or TV series on the impossibly productive scene centred around Eric's in Liverpool. The Teardrops and slightly peripheral figures OMD were the first to bother the charts but they were followed over the next fifteen years by the Bunnymen, Holly Johnson and Paul Rutherford in Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Dead Or Alive, The Wild Swans, The Mighty Wah!, guitarist turned manager turned artist Bill Drummond in The KLF and arguably the most consistent chart presence over the period being Budgie as a member of mostly southerners Siouxsie and the Banshees. And yeah we eventually get to Britpop with producer turned singer Ian Broudie in The Lightning Seeds (Euro 96 and all that).

Never heard of them before today, but this was a pretty fun and cool album!

What a weird album. It feels like they're trying to be a little like Duran Duran or The Cars, but just can't quite get there. It's like the album your dad picks up for you at the airport while he's on business in London, because he knows you like British music. There's hooks that almost get into you, but not quite. Weird enough to keep it from getting radio play, except maybe on the college radio set. I liked "Use Me", "Traison", "Kilimanjaro", "Poppies in the Field". The live version of "Sleeping Gas" at the end of the remaster currently streaming on Spotify is blindingly hilarious. My rating: 3/5 mountaintops.

i ended up skipping through this one - unironically sounds like elevator music

Rather boring, nothing memorable.

Classic 80s pop rock sound. Lots of synths and other stereotypical 80s elements. Not my forte, but I don't dislike it, I just likely wouldn't intentionally revisit it. Vocals are nice, music can get a bit irritating at times, but the mood is fun and the rhythms keep my attention.

I mean didn't stand out

all of the songs kinda sounded the same for me, this was a pretty mid album, dragged on for a bit

Decent sound and progressive I'm sure for the time but very repetitive and nothing more than background music.

Had no idea that this was Julian Cope's band! Sounds very 1979 in every last way. Fun listen!

Kinda fun but mostly just more brit pop, 3/5

Ok 80s new wave album that wasn't particularly interesting or good. Several songs had one very short riff repeated throughout the entire song which made it tough to listen to.

The best song on this, by which I mean the one I knew, is technically a bonus track and therefore doesn't count. The rest of the album doesn't really match up to Reward, but it's still a very nice slice of Scouse new wave. Like a lot of the genre, it's a little irksome tonally - too many synths and a style that's a bit pleased with itself.

Like this rock

Kind of all over the place, but didn’t hate it, might listen again or dive into their discography. Another interesting find

Better than Coldplay

A pleasant surprise ! Great songs with the bravado of something significant

Standard new wave stuff really

The Teardrop Explodes – Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro is a solid, high-energy entry into the post-punk canon, though it lacks the experimental depth of a masterpiece like David Bowie’s Low. While the album at times leans into a "generic Britpop" aesthetic that feels less than revolutionary by modern standards, it is redeemed by several standout moments of musicianship. Julian Cope’s performance is charismatic, particularly on "hypnotic" highlights like "Sleeping Gas" and the sharp energy of "Books" and "Treason." While tracks like "When I Dream" fail to leave a lasting impression, the record’s blend of driving rhythms and brassy production makes for an enjoyable listen that rewards the "all ears" approach. A decent 3/5 that serves as a vibrant, if somewhat familiar, time capsule of the Liverpool scene.

Nice album

I can’t do another album that sounds like this

*Kilimanjaro* is an absolutely stellar pop record: it's got strong instrumental hooks, great vocal melodies, interesting lyrics, terrific vocal performances by lead singer Julian Cope, punchy innovative arrangements and tight playing.

I appreciate the horns on an otherwise simplistic britpop, new wave bore. Nothing is bad here, it’s just no wonder that this stuff didn’t make it across to the USA with how mundane it is. The bass riffs are nice. Vocals are ok.

Light 3,5

7,2/10

The Police vibes. Good but not outstanding.

80s britpop. Sounds like the rest of it.

Another new to me band and album. I actually think if the band had stayed together a few years longer (or I had been born a few years earlier), they would have been in my regular rotation, as their music is right in my wheelhouse. I love the post-punk English music. So many great albums and great bands. Loved this one and added several songs to my "favorites" on Spotify.

I feel like this album doesn't know what it is. Or maybe it exists only to be an unexpected concoction of sounds, but if that is the case I don't really respect it. Many of the parts just feel like they weren't well thought out, not arranged intelligently, and not written with a lot of intent. The tones aren't impressive, the singer is fine at best, and the instrumental often seems kind of random. The organ/keyboard doesn't do any favors to any of the songs it's used on. On top of that, the production is extremely lack luster. There is but one song on this record I can stomach hearing again, Use Me. The least like the rest of the album, the most stripped back. This album is experimental, and the experiment failed. Use Me doesn't experiment - and it works. It isn't amazing, but I hear that song and I hear the potential of what this album might have been able to be. Very unfortunate. They hit in a few moments and I have it give it points for that, but there is way, way too much miss on this record. I struggle to imagine why this is an album I must hear before I die. Maybe just for some perspective so I can really appreciate the good albums. 1.2/5

Never heard of this band. Okay

Pretty good, maybe went on a bit too long.

Not my kind of music but still fun and enthusiastic.

Class

Not bad, know a couple of songs. Doesn't blow me mind but the sound is cool enough. Can hear its influence on later 80s pop and it lacks the lame sound of that stuff. 3 Heard before? Some Owned: Yes: 41/163 (25%) Will I get? Probably not

6/10 Favorite: Treason

I have a soft spot for Reward as I listened to it a lot during my teens and early 20s and for a solid 6-7 years I had the lyrics in the first line completely wrong.

Really enjoyed this! And reward is also a great song! Reminded me of the radio being on as a youngling

A fiery, eccentric post-punk gem, Kilimanjaro bursts with jagged energy and infectious hooks, though its uneven production occasionally undercuts the brilliance. Still, it’s a thrilling listen that captures the Teardrop Explodes at their most adventurous.

kinda killer

Hey look, it's another British New Wave band that had one or two halfway decent albums in the early 80s then disappeared. Yay. This is ok background music if you like New Wave. It's also somewhat boring, but not really annoying.

No standouts

Not terrible

Found it rather bland

Wasn't previously familiar with The Teardrop Explodes but I had heard some of Julian Cope's other work. The album works in some cool neo-psychedelia but it doesn't overpower the album. It's really good, some cool drumming and they also incorporate a bit of jangle pop into the work as well. Enjoyed this quite a bit. 4 stars

Not bad! When I dream was an excellent closer. The album started out sounding a bit generic, but it got unique pretty quickly and I enjoyed it. Again, I wish this was a 1-10 scale because this isn’t a 4 for me but it’s better than a 3.

Did I enjoy this? Well enough. Did I HAVE to listen to this before I died? Maybe.

Somehow ok

fun instrumentals but the vocals are so monotonous oh my god. even in french! and the lyrics are giving nothing. light 2. saved: ha ha i'm drowning, treason, poppies in the field.

Sub 100K listeners on Spotify, and for music pretty typical of 80s British new wave. Nothing too special except their lyrics I guess?

Took a few listens but really took to this album. Treason & second head my favourites.

Good

Some boring faffing about that should not be on this list.

This album is mixed strangely. It accentuates the singer's annoying warbling and incoherent ramblings that have no meaning or connection. Another sound in the foreground are the cheap sounding synths which play melodies that I can only describe as profoundly lame. The album drags with an intolerable listening time. There's even an atrocious assault on on the French language to round out the awefulness. The spotify version has a live rendition of one of these songs and the singer sounds every bit as arrogantly, own-fart-sniffingly annoying as I had feared a live rendition of this material to sound like. The worst the 80's had to offer.

З плюсів, що місцями було досить цікаво слухати. З мінусів - мені повністю не сподобалась жодна пісня.

2.5 Черговий альбом з 80х про який хз що сказати.

Boring newwave.

I will refer to the original 1980 UK release and not include any bonus tracks from the 2000 CD reissue in this review. This looks to be another case of a group that proved influential for a musical movement after their time in the limelight. In this case, The Teardrop Explodes were a key band in the emerging post-punk scene in late 1970s Liverpool, bringing back psychedelic elements to British pop music. That much is evident on their debut record, Kilimanjaro. The tight percussion, the supple bass lines, the jangly guitar strums, the organs and synthesizers nestled in the back of the mix, and Julian Cope's wailing accented vocals epitomize this sound. These songs had a bounce to them as Julian rattled on with such surrealist imagery in the lyrics. Even the occasional blaring trumpets on tracks like "Ha Ha I'm Drowning" and "Went Crazy" were a welcome addition to their style. That said, this album is rather short, clocking in at barely over 37 minutes. This wouldn't be as much of an issue if most songs weren't sonically structured similarly to each other. There's a very familiar cadence with each passing composition that the feeling of repetition started kicking around "Bouncing Babies" and "Books". I'd also be remiss if I couldn't help but compare The Teardrop Explodes to their contemporaries like Echo & the Bunnymen, who proved to have a more vibrant sound. Still, I enjoyed Kilimanjaro as a solid record that would foresee the neo-psychedelia movement to come.

Kilimanjaro is a slice of early ’80s British pop/new wave that sits comfortably alongside many of its contemporaries. While it’s a solid listen, there’s nothing here that truly stands out or feels especially unique—this is very much a product of its time, sounding similar to a host of other bands from the era. That said, the band’s clear overlap with Echo & The Bunnymen—one of my all-time favourites—means this album naturally plays to my tastes. Because of that, I did enjoy it and it’s enough to make me want to explore more of The Teardrop Explodes’ catalogue. Favourite tracks: Second Head, Sleeping Gas, and Treason were all strong and memorable songs. Least favourite track: Nothing here is bad, and every track is worth a listen if you’re an indie fan. That said, if this isn’t your genre, I can see the album being a bit of a struggle. Album artwork: A standard band cover from the era—perfectly fine, but nothing particularly eye-catching.

Decent album. Wasn’t particularly fond of the vocals and some songs were a little repetitive but overall some interesting sounds and not a bad listen at all.

An interesting album, a little spooky sounding Fav songs: Treason, When I Dream

I did not know this album, but I like it a lot

It’s ok!

I don't know anything about this band or this album, and I don't think I needed to, but we are presented with records on an indeterminate list and we listen and judge. Nothing for me here; I don't even know how it escaped whatever garage or basement it was conceived in.

Kind of gives Echo & The Bunnymen vibes. I don't hate it.

Meh

This is really enjoyable for me, giving off strong early brit-pop energy that exudes nostalgia without me ever hearing the album before. The title tracks are memorable and leave an impact, and the majority of the album flows nicely and gets my head bobbing. It is a touch too long for my liking with a couple of songs that couple have been left out, but overall it's a good listen.

Los 80 fueron una cosa que madre mía. Los brass synths en este disco no paran de principio a fin. Está divertido, hay buenos temas, pero a veces es demasiado 80s para mi body. A veces los riffs suenan a Talking Heads y eso me mola. En la portada se les ve majetes.

Not for me

Some interesting music - I did enjoy the post punk elements here. I really don’t care for Julian Cope’s singing voice, however.

***An ok album

Gear: SIMGOT SuperMix 4 Artwork: 🦓🗻🦓 Production: 📈👂🥲 Music: 🧭🗺️🤔 Rating: 💧💧(💧)/5

Meh idk, songs blended together and got weird at the end. Random British music, would prefer the clash.

Cool, Echo and the Bunnyman vibes

Don’t know what genre this is, but it’s really good

funky, very eighties vibe. Nothing that really sticks though. Fun.

I'm going to keep things brief on this one. Quite frankly, I don't have much to remark for this album considering just how unremarkable this is. Kilimanjaro is yet another 80s British new-wave album on a list that is not lacking in 80s British new-wave albums by any metrics. This album's kinda mid. It's not bad or anything, but I just don't care about it. The sound is fine at times. I thought "Treason" was a pretty alright song. Other parts of the album were somewhat annoying. The horns were a bit much. I'm not huge on Julian Cope's singing. It sure is a good thing then that I get a chance to reevaluate his vocals when I get to the solo album that he also has on the list because of fucking course he does! This album list has a real redundancy problem. This album also has that, but to a much lesser extent. The album's a bit repetitive, but considering that the album's under 40 minutes I can't fault it too much in that regard. Overall, The Teardrop Explodes is a band that I have no strong feelings towards in either direction. Low 3/5.

Meh.

Not a bad album, but just kinda meh. All the songs sounded the same and really there was nothing ground breaking about it; sounded like all the other post-punk 80s bands, except The Teardrop Explodes did not explode like they did. Shit talk aside, it doesn't sound bad. Just not remarkable.

Whole album sort of sounded the same, nothing noteworthy to me.

Its New Wave.... with horns!! Seems pretty high quality for New Wave, not sure why I have not heard of them before. Sounds like a lot of the music made during 1980, a certain sounds I can't get past.

Dime-a-dozen Britpop/new wave. It's good but nothing memorable

Basic brit rock

Solid post punk- anything that separates it out from others? Not really

the german band fehlfarben formed themselves after a concert from this band. cool sounds, very new wave-ish but distinguishes itself from it. very standalone sounding. good and weird album

Not my cup of tea The music sucks too

As far as 80s pop music goes, this isn't bad at all. Shame it's still 80s pop music though.

That was catching and bouncing and I'm glad to have finally heard the entirety of the album that I had heard the single from. I think I listen to it three times today.

Album esplosivo di post-punk psichedelico, pieno di energia nervosa e melodie irresistibili. Julian Cope guida tutto con una voce magnetica e testi visionari, mentre fiati e tastiere creano un sound unico e caleidoscopico. È un disco che suona ancora fresco, con brani come Reward che restano iconici. Un debutto audace, strano al punto giusto e incredibilmente affascinante.

261125 12:50 3.5 / highlights: treason, went crazy, books

It wasn’t horrible, I respect the passion. :P

What pop music should sound like. I have always been mildly attracted to Cope's music but never a big fan. I do prefer some of his solo work more though. Still worth a dabble.

Really, what a fun and surprising start - and a fall off towards the end. Never mind.

Couple of decent songs, album does feel very similar. Was likely quite good at the time but not sure it’s aged well.

Start wasn't too bad but they started getting strange towards the end, yer man was ravaging the crown at the end and all live.

No idea who these fellas are. This started off ok, but fell off towards the end.

That's why I feel 80's new wave (and in general) as a very boring genre. The songs are... meh! And the album is... too long for being too short! This is bland, insipid, uninteresting, generic... What else? Oh, yes, bad too. All the songs sound the same and it starts to get even annoying.

Strangely, the drums and bass lines are quite good on most of the album. That being said, the album definitely gets repetitive and eventually became hard to keep concentration. It's not a bad album, just not very good either. 3/5 Might listen again

This a pass from me. It just gives off inspiring you-can-do-it crap vibes. The album sounds very BIG which adds to the you-can-do-it feel. And also this album feels like I have heard it before. Probably because they sound a combination of bands that I like or have heard in the past.

Like a shit Duran Duran

fine. 2.75-3.00/5

I like Julian Cope, and I like good pop songs.

British 80s sounding vocals. Interesting mix of sounds and styles. I get a little disco, plenty of rock, some hints of new wave to come. Gets a little trippy and experimental here and there. It's definitely not boring!

I'd never heard of the Teardrop Explodes, and I'm only vaguely aware of Julian Cope. Having listened to this album, I suspect it's a bigger deal in their native England than here. It's fine. Cope's occasionally strained vocals don't do much for me, but the music has a sharper edge than I expected. I won't revisit, but nice to meet you, Teardrop Explodes. 2.5 stars.

5 stars on the pretentious band name scale. Music itself started as a 3 and finished at a nice cool 2. Sounds like a lot of other British new wave bands, but without songs that sound like hits?

Getting real tired of all these 80s British post-punk albums

Another cool new-to-me UK alternative band. Great vocals, cool sound.

This British album from 1980 sure does sound like a British album from 1980.

Liked it. Wouldn't mind hearing it again.

This one had its fun moments. I am not sure I will even remember this band, two weeks down the road.

Forgettable. It was there and I listened to it. 1.5/5

Amazing album for a band I've never even heard of

Nothing particularly stood out about this one.

Interesting, pleasant album. I didn't pick up as much as I should in the first try. Will maybe listen again in 4 years after I've listened to the other 950 albums.

Interesting

To generic new-wavy for my liking.

Pretty average new wave. Not bad, not great.

So this album started as mediocre 80s music, and it really went down from there. Definitely not my favorite decade, and the 2nd half of this album was truly ass.

This is fine. Reading about the 'volatility' of this group was defninitely more entertaining than this album, though.

Ambiance pop-rock 80-90 mais sans grande originalité mais bon sympa à écouter quand même

J’ai trouvé ça vraiment pas mal ! Un côté new wave à la depech mode / the cure…

Sympa, quelques pistes chouettes genre Brave Boys Keep their Promises 3/5

Good but I got the point.

7/10 I knew and liked Reward from an old indie club I went to that always played it, but I never explored TDE anymore than that. I didn't realise they were early 80s for a start. I really enjoyed it - it sounds like a decent mix between the crappy synth sounds of 80s pop with an actual edge.

I have an actual aversion to Julian Cope's music, so, needless to say, this album was never going to impress me. Indeed, the only track I remotely enjoyed was "Reward". The rest just merged into one continuous and monotonous dirge.

It's really uneventful.

Pretty decent, very 80’s

Ziemlich langweilige 80er Jahre Musik, in der nichts passiert.

Enjoyed this one thoroughly, and it was added to my regular rotation.

MORE 80's britpop. I'm sure there are so many more albums from differing artists in different countries across different genres. They all sound the same. Please help me. 2/5.

Fun! Different from what I normally listen to

Chirpy. Tiresome.

Didn't care for this at all.

Cool new wave with nice vocals not much to fault. 4 stars

I thought this was going to be a schlocky 80s new wave bullshit but I was pleasantly surprised by this interesting album. Weird, quirky lyrics, interesting soundscapes. I didn't care for the singer's voice but the music was good.

I'd heard of Julian Cope mostly as one of those guys who like writes introductory essays for compilations of forgotten/underground rock, but I never put much thought into what his own music would sound like. Turns out, it's pretty cool!

meh

Decent!

Starts strong and then is exactly the same song over and over again for an hour

This was alright. Not horrible. Not amazing. But kinda fun...

actually pretty nice

This is just fine nothing special

Not for me. 1/5

This site does a bad job of actually saving album reviews when your computer crashes multiple times a day. It's utilizing the local cache wrong for whatever reason and it's annoying. Anyways this was a pleasant surprise of an album I've never heard before and enjoyed it. A key album to understand how the psychedelic music scene didn't fully waver by the 80s. This shows itself as a predecessor to shoegaze (especially with the album's finale in When I Dream. Other cool tracks included: Sleeping Gas, Treason, Bouncing Babies.

Das Debütalbum der britischen Band The Teardrop Explodes wurde am 10. Oktober 1980 veröffentlicht. Es wurde in den Rockfield Studios in Wales aufgenommen. Das Album enthält die überarbeiteten Versionen der vorherigen Singles „Sleeping Gas“, „Bouncing Babies“, „Treason (It's Just a Story)“ und „When I Dream“. Später wurde die Single „Reward“ in Nachpressungen ergänzt. Stilistisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen New Wave, Post-Punk und Neo-Psychedelia. Die Musik zeichnet sich durch einen lebhaften Rhythmus, geschickte Einbindung von Orgel- und Synthesizer-Spuren, Basslinien mit Drive sowie gelegentliche Blechbläser-Einsätze aus. Die Texte von Sänger und Bassist Julian Cope sind persönlich gefärbt, oft surreal und lassen Raum für Interpretation. Die Performance wirkt energiegeladen und impulsiv, was typisch für die Liverpooler Szene jener Jahre ist. Herausragend sind insbesondere „Treason“ mit seinem markanten Refrain, „When I Dream“ als ruhigere, fast verträumte Nummer, sowie „Sleeping Gas“, das die psychedelischen Einflüsse der Band besonders deutlich macht. Die Produktion ist solide, allerdings merkt man dem Album in Teilen an, dass es aus verschiedenen Sessions und mit wechselnder Besetzung entstanden ist, was sowohl Stärken (Vielfalt) als auch kleinere Schwächen (Uneinheitlichkeit) erzeugt. Insgesamt präsentiert Kilimanjaro ein Debüt, das sowohl popaffin als auch künstlerisch eigenständig wirkt und die Richtung der Band in den frühen 1980er-Jahren prägt.

bof

Musique des années 80 banal

J'ai hésité avec un 4 en vrai mais c'était un poil trop monotone

Definitely not boring. Decent stuff, nothing special but definitely nothing bad. If they carved out the meat of this album and made it 35 to 45 minutes, it has high potential to be a 5. 3 outta 5

Best Track - "Ha Ha I'm Drowning"

Of-the-era cliche soundscape but unusual execution. I really liked this one but found many amazing moments but no stand out songs as a whole.

Once in university I had a paper due in half an hour and I was a page or so short. So I just grabbed a page's worth of text from a different part of the paper, stuck it in the middle and submitted it. When I got it back, just some sleepy check marks and a scrawled "84". I think something like that is going on with this album. Are we sure they aren't reusing verses or even full songs to fill it out? I wouldn't be surprised if some of their later albums are just re-purposed copies of their early ones. I tried to confirm these ideas on Wikipedia but the entry for this band seems to be longer than the one for World War II and I couldn't be bothered.

Mejor de lo que esperaba, tiene su lado salvaje. Nota: 3.5

First half is really good 80s music with mix of synth, horns, and good vocals. Second half falls off a bit though

Aight

muziek op zich, maar stem begint rap tegen te steken... had dit een EP geweest, zou dit zeker enkele sterren meer krijgen

After hearing this album, as a fan of synths and new wave, it's okay. It doesn't strike me as one of the truly great 80s new wave albums, but if I had discovered this in the same year that I discovered Men at Work, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, and The Specials, I probably would have enjoyed it.

I liked the sounds in When I Dream until it went on for another 10 minutes. bababababab

kinda interesting i guess Fav song: Sleeping Gas