Kilimanjaro

Never heard of this band, but i enjoyed the experience of Kilimanjaro. Again i found myself listening to the bass tone and style which were delightful and distinct. This was an album i may give another spin to, but didn't have any songs really grab me when i listened.

Fun at times but a bit monotonous at times

Outstanding

Case File: Julian Cope—A Day in the Life Julian Cope exited his residence at precisely 07:42 hours, locking the door with a practiced flick of his wrist. The morning air carried a faint chill, but he ignored it, scanning the street with the quiet vigilance of a man who had seen too much. His target was clear: the corner café. He navigated the sidewalk with purpose, avoiding eye contact with loitering dog walkers and the occasional rogue cyclist. Inside, he ordered a black coffee—no sugar, no hesitation. The barista, a reliable informant named Lucy, handed over the drink without a word. Cope nodded his thanks. It was an unspoken agreement—they both knew he would be back tomorrow. At 08:15 hours, Cope entered the office, a beige-walled precinct of spreadsheets and unanswered emails. He took his seat, powered up his workstation, and surveyed the damage from the night before. Twelve unread messages, three flagged as urgent. He started with the easiest—a system update notice, quickly dismissed. The next was from IT: a reminder to reset his password, a task he postponed indefinitely. The third was from a higher-up, demanding a report he had yet to compile. He exhaled slowly. This was going to require precision, timing, and at least two more cups of coffee. He rolled up his sleeves. The case of the missing motivation had just begun. By 17:35 hours, Cope had closed out his inbox, filed two reports, and survived a tense 47-minute meeting that yielded no actionable intelligence. He powered down his computer and grabbed his coat, exiting the office into the fading daylight. The streetlights flickered to life as he made his way back to his apartment, retracing his morning steps with the quiet efficiency of a man accustomed to routine. Once inside, he removed his shoes with methodical care and collapsed onto the couch. The day’s work was done. But he knew—tomorrow, he was going to start a band and enter the music business.

dull 80's music

I had high hopes for the first few minutes but things went downhill quickly

No thank you

Meh. Over all these British rock bands not named The Beatles

Jeden z tych albumów, który przychodzi i odchodzi. Nie przeszkadzał, ale też w żaden sposób nie zapadł w pamięć. Brzmiał trochę jak stary Lady Pank.

Nie wiem czy to demencja czy już wymyślam coś, żeby tu pisać, ale wydawało mi się, że słyszałem vibe rocka z przełomu lat 80/90 z Polski. I zastanawiam się czy to inspiracja czy coś, kto wie może któregoś dnia poznam odpowiedź... album spoczko btw.

Nuda, sztampowy rock z konca '70, 2, bo Reward delikatnie hype.

Every era has their dollar bin bands. Before the Summer of Love, there were a dime-a-dozen garage rock bands, who were then replaced by psych rock bands, who then were replaced by folksy singer-songwriters in the early ‘70s, then disco groups, then post-punk bands, then new wave acts, then hair metal, then grunge bands, then boy bands, then ringtone rap, then emo/scene bands, then hipster Pitchfork bands, then mumble rappers, and now, hyperpop acts. In every era, in every iteration, regardless of genre, these are trend-chasers, people who may sincerely enjoy the aesthetic of a trend, and may even be rooted in the scene in an authentic way, but no matter how authentically homegrown they may be, the output they produce is inherently derivative, because they only started to plant themselves in the scene the second it became mainstream. These bands aren’t originators, and they don’t create anything that pushes the genre forward, although their output is often held up as a representation of the genre, especially a hit single in retrospect. As a former scene girl, I can look at bands like Cute Is What We Aim For, Mayday Parade, Alesana, and even A Skylight Drive and From First to Last as examples for my era of Commercial Niche music; again, the sincerity driving these bands or even their quality has nothing to do with the fact that they chased the trend, gained quick popularity off of the trend, lost it all when the trend died, and evaporated completely from music altogether, or disavowed their starting point if they did make it “beyond” the scene (see: Skrillex with From First to Last). This book loves to include at least a couple dollar bin records from each of these eras, especially if they appealed to Cool Straight People (derogatory)™️. (a.k.a. there’s very little disco, boy band, or emo representation, although there’s also very little hair metal, but that’s a story for a different day). It especially seems to love the ‘60s and ‘80s examples of this, as I think those eras are often held up as more ~respectable~ or even ~influential~, even though they produced just as many frisbee discs as the 2000s. The Teardrop Explodes are a perfect example of this phenomenon. They are for the post-punk era what The Electric Prunes are for the ‘60s garage rock era in this book. You can listen to this and immediately tell that this is one of those records that people bought for Side A, Track 3, and only listened to Side A, Track 1, and Side B, Track 1. And just to keep them interested, maybe the closer, if you’re really ✨into✨ this scene. The US release is maybe even more egregious, because it does the opener/closer trick on both sides by adding the ~other hit single~ that wasn’t originally included. The rest of the album is filler, empty yet passable enough so if you’re a fan of the genre and scene overall, you’ll typically be forgiving enough to let it pass, and you may even grow affectionate toward it. I know I used to do this with a lot of emo bands who 1000% did not deserve my sympathies, but it’s forgivable when you’re an obsessive teen. Once you see this playbook trick a few times, it’s easy to spot regardless of genre or time period. Not even talking about the music itself, that’s enough to make you realize that Kilimanjaro either needs to be a flawless hidden gem that time has forgotten, or it’s probably a scenester album that you don’t need to hear unless you’re obsessed with post-punk. But that’s the thing. Once we start talking about the music, I get even less sympathetic. I’m not really one for post-punk. It frankly isn’t my genre, it appeals to introverts who smoke cloves and overintellectualize everything while talking down to everyone they meet, especially people who they think are potentially smarter than them, and, despite what my review length may suggest, I’m much too brash, loud, and chaotic for that shit. That said, I can respect it as an aesthetic, and I know when a band is a “good” post-punk band. I don’t love Joy Division, but I understand their impact and what they bring for some people. Even being kind, The Teardrop Explodes doesn’t really bring anything here. To me, the filler tracks all feel derived from other bands: the bass riff on “Second Hand,” the synths on “Bouncing Babies,” the reverb guitar on “Sleeping Gas” and its jittery counterpart “Brave Boys…,” the drone of the closer “When I Dream” even in its edited form, and even the vocals on “Went Crazy.” I can never pin down *who* they’re copying, but I feel like I’ve heard this a million and one times, and knowing that this is a “late” post-punk release tells me that it’s jacking someone’s swag instead of influencing everyone so much that it creates a Seinfeld Effect. Ignoring even my own distaste for this genre, I don’t see much that makes the filler tracks on Kilimanjaro special. So what we’re left with are mostly the singles, and I think even those don’t do much. I am not giving any sort of praise to “Reward,” which has that UK brass section of the early ‘80s that I loathe, that seems Dexys Midnight Runners-esque, and I’ve already touched on “When I Dream.” I think “Ha-Ha I’m Drowning” is one of those quintessential TOP 100 POST PUNK SONGS YOU FORGOT ABOUT songs, that’s like, sure, it’s fine if you were 15 at the time, but no one cares about this if they weren’t the target audience for it when it was released. I do think “Poppies...” is interesting, if only because it’s lyrically compelling and strange, but it also feels a little edgelord, too. That leaves us with the best song here, “Treason,” a classic hit-single-pushed-to-track-3-so-you-feel-compelled-to-listen-to-the-rest-of-the-record. It’s good, but like, only really good enough for a TOP 100 POST PUNK SONGS YOU LOVE list, not good for everyone. And I know it was a cut above the rest because it was released as a single twice. I can see how Kilimanjaro ends up here. It has just enough singles that some post-punk nerd is too nostalgic about to dismiss, but that then makes them overcompensate and think the entire record is important. Truthfully, even the singles are pretty meh. Now, The Teardrop Explodes are good enough as a band to not make utter shit– it’s not like we’re in an Electric Prunes situation where the rest of the album beyond the single sucks and sounds like actual ass. This album doesn’t make me mad the way a lot of albums on this list can, and it’s not as empty and boring as some, either. But just because it’s not the worst in a competition doesn’t mean it’s actually good. It is definitionally filler. It is scene music. Kilimanjaro is an album for post-punk scenesters ONLY. And listen, I’ve been there over-defending a scenester band, but sometimes, you have to be honest and let them go. If you like post-punk and have this in your collection, I’m happy for you, but if you aren’t obsessed, this is not going to be your New Favorite Album™️. Hell, I doubt it will be even if you *are* obsessed with post-punk.

I am a bit surprised of how much I like this! I was expecting some drugged out mumble stuff but this is quite a beautiful and interesting album. They have a bit too much of an ironic distance for my taste but I will keep this album in mind for later.

I'm not sure what "neo-psychedelic" is, but this sounds like new wave/alternative to me. Overall the album is OK. It's like listening to an entire album of b-sides, nothing really bad, but nothing great.

bastante "unremarkable"

I was 14 when this came out. I was into the mod/ska scene so , although I liked this , it didn't fit in with the crowd I hung with so I didn't have it in my collection. Listening to it now it's a top album of its time and still holds up.

It was alright I guess, just clearly not my style of music.

I've never heard of The Teardrop Explodes, but I tend to like post-punk music from this era, so I have decently high hopes for this album. I reviewed The Birthday Party's Junkyard earlier this week, and I'm currently reading Simon Reynolds's Rip It Up And Start Again, so I'm getting my fill of post-punk lately. Time to scale Kilimanjaro! I thought Kilimanjaro was really great. It’s easily one of the most unique and distinct post-punk albums I’ve listened to before. The synthesizer created horns were really awesome; they were the perfect touch to give this album a really cavernous atmosphere. One of the things I really love about Echo and The Bunnymen’s Ocean Rain is the cavernous atmosphere on the album, and while Echo and The Bunnymen achieve that sound with guitars, The Teardrop Explodes manages to create it with their horn sounds. In addition to the horn-synths, the organ playing on this album was really good too. It felt to me like the band wove some new wave influences into their sound, while still keeping Kilimanjaro’s distinctly post-punk feel. I really enjoyed Julian Cope’s vocals too (I’ve heard of him before, but I have no idea where I’ve his name come up). I don’t think I have a favorite song on this album, and there really weren’t any songs that I disliked either. While I thought this was a great album, it’s not five stars for me. I guess the reason that none of these songs stick out me is that they’re not really that easily discernable from each other after only a couple of listens. Still, this is a really solid album, and I’m glad I got to listen to it today.

Helt Ok, känns som det finns för många treor i en lista av de bästa

Hasn't aged well.

Post - punk classic very good album solid 10/10

Als je 300 willekeurige albums uit deze lijst plukt, is de kans groot dat je iets wat hierop lijkt al een paar keer hebt gehoord. Jaren '80 Britse popmuziek, maar we geven het een gave genrenaam zoals post-punk, of in dit geval neo-psychedelica. Het is gelukkig geen verschrikkelijke ervaring. Deze overleef je wel. De zanger is zeker niet de meest vervelende in het genre en dat helpt enorm mee. Je hoeft het album absoluut niet gehoord te hebben, maar ik kan verder niet actief hekelen. Een solide album met lekkere baslijntjes. Een degelijke 3 sterren dus.

This was going to be a one star until Reward. I loved that and everything after so it got bumped up a couple of stars

Hard one to rate, because there's some really killer tunes here and I like the overall sound of the album, but there was also so much that don't at all stand out. Either a low 4 or high 3 on this one. Bassist is incredible especially on 'Went Crazy" he just went OFF on that one

I got this the day after Echo and the Bunnymen and I'm not sure I could tell them apart. This might have been just a little bit cooler, but not much.

This website really needs to stop scaring me with that "post-punk" tag. At this point, my experience with the genre has been so bad that I'll always come into an album tagged with it expecting the worst. So, y'know, on the one hand I'm like, "Thank goodness it turns out that this is just bog standard British New Wave." But then, y'know, obviously that's also this thing's big problem: that it turns out that this is just bog standard British New Wave. Within the first few seconds, I thought these guys sounded like a one hit wonder. I have no proof if they actually were or not, but that's just the vibe I got. And, like, they're not the kind where they had such an incredibly unique song that it caught the public's imagination, no. This isn't a "She Blinded Me With Science" or "Come On Eileen". I'd say this is more, like... "Turn Up The Radio" by Autograph. Where they happened to be at the right place at the right time with a popular sound. I mean, this album just strikes me as "Yeah, they really didn't have much else to offer beyond their big hit that you couldn't get anywhere else." That's not to say there's nothing here. The keys, synths and guitars can do nice things at times. In fact, the singer's voice, though a bit generic, isn't even that bad. You wouldn't not have a decent time going through this; there's just enough "goofy new wave" fun. I just can't imagine going that wild over this unless I was just **that big** a fan of British New Wave and somehow didn't know where to find better. Ultimately, if they were a one hit wonder and I was asked if they deserved better, I'd say "Not really." They're perfectly serviceable, but that's all they are. Just an also-ran you'd forget about the moment Duran Duran dropped their debut a year later. It'd be mean to give them less than a 3 — and for sure they're better than many post-punk albums I've had to put up with — but they really don't deserve any higher. (Also: "neo-psychedelia?" They're not that either, Wikipedia. Where the heck did your editora get that from? Goodness me.)

My group has had a rocky relationship with post-punk ever since we got Metal Box, but I really enjoyed this one. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3. It’s really not THAT bad, it just feels significantly “worse” than some of its other new wave contemporaries – I know Wikipedia will classify this as “post-punk neo-psychedelia”, but that doesn’t feel fair. I hesitate to say “dollar store Duran Duran demos”, but it feels that way at times. When this album tries to feel bigger and introspective in its lyricism, it kinda falls flat on its face, whether it’s in the lyrics making no goddamn sense, the vocal performance not having the conviction to match what it’s going for, or the instrumentation just barely meshing with the lyrics. This album feels a lot better when it’s focused on the energy of the instrumentation, and once they really hone in on that during the back half of the album, it clicks a lot more. Granted, they kind of ruin all goodwill they built up with the absolutely mediocre closer of “When I Dream”, which feels like the biggest offender of “first minute” syndrome that there’s been in quite some time… but they don’t ruin it THAT badly – enough for me to lean fully downward on the 3.5 side of things, but it was already leaning that way regardless. I understand why the average rating for this is like, a 2.89 – it’s repetitive, it takes a while to really get going, and a lot of the tracks are inconsistent in the execution in a way that drags down the experience. From a purely competent musical standpoint though, I love the sound of the synth work & percussion here, and sometimes the vocals really do mesh nicely. When it all comes together, it sounds good. Granted, it’s still never as good as say, Duran Duran or R.E.M. or Talking Heads, but it creeps into “fun cheesy 80s new wave” territory enough times that it kind of won me over, regardless of how it compares to its contemporaries. So, yeah, it’s a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3, but it’s got a good, earnest energy throughout, and you can tell they really are trying. Other bands and artists would perfect this further, but for 1980, it’s really not THAT bad. Maybe with enough time, a few of these tracks will click more to the point where I’d feel safer with a 4, but it would take a LOT of time, I think. Regardless, it’s a solid listen, and a solid 3.

3.5 stars. High energy 80's post-punk. Better than a lot of what similar genres bring. Only dud was "Strange House In the Snow". Standouts were "When I Dream" and "Brave Boys Keep Their Promises".

Gaaf, maar ook af en toe wat lastig luisterbaar. Gaat nog wel eens op

Ugh. New wave drivel.

forgettable

Probably my favourite album of 1980. (Aw, Heck. Remain In Light an Wild Planet were also 1980.) OK, one of the best of... Julian Cope an the guys really did burst upon the scene in the late seventies, channelling new wave and power pop into their own version of The Mersey Sound 2. This album is chock full of wonderfulness. Treason is the classic track that we knew it was from the Zoo single, and Poppies continues to delight the ear. The extra tracks on the rereleases are mixed - Some are awesome (Reward, Kilimanjaro) some.... are best skipped. Do your ears a favour and give it a spin

Not too bad!

Pass - failed new wave?

Really wild how essential mid British rock seems to be to the curator of this list! This was fine. Nothing special and not something I need to listen to again.

I've always liked this band (and Julian Cope's solo work) but they've completely slipped off the radar. its a shame, since they were always a solid band, even if largely unremarkable. I'm giving them 4 stars partly out of nostalgia (its probably a 3.5).

Not bad, maybe too long. I thought the production was solid and there was some interesting stuff. High 3.

Not familiar with this band -- not sure if they made it across the ocean. Enjoyable post-punk new wave. Reminds me a lot of the English Beat. although less Ska/Reggae influenced.

I really could not say why this album was included in this list. Pretty unremarkable British rock imo.

Thought it was alright but got worse and was too long - not into it

An alright listen. Brit New Wave and I don't really mind it. Pretty middle of the road for me as I feel there are more albums in the genre worth listening to, but I still enjoyed it

Like an echo and the bunny men like sounding band? Not as good? I guess Treason is fine?

2,5

Never heard it before. It's OK

This album is extremely forgettable and uninspired until you reach the title tracks, and the rest is just wank. Who thought that including a live performance with tons of crowd work was a good idea? Get over yourself, you fucking idiot.

Jaime 4, Nuria 3. Este día decidimos hacer una playlist de las favoritas de cada álbum, ya revisaremos los anteriores.

Alright, but forgettable.

Great bass, drums, and keys! Love it.

80s new wave garbage. All the songs sound the same and the singers voice bothers me. 👎🏻

Please no more New Wave Best Song: Treason Rating: 4.0/10 2 Stars

Nothing interesting

Kinda got lost in the musical shuffle, but this record is very good!

Makes me want to listen to the cure instead.

Feels like one I did not need to listen to before I died. But I don't hate it. 2.5 probably

Mediocre post-punk. Feels like one continuous average track. Least creative basslines I've heard in a while.

A bit underwhelming. Does not deserve to be on this list. It sounded a lot like white lies, don't know if they are inspired by this band, but white lies took this sound and made it a lot better. Don't listen to this, listen to white lies

First of all, lol a bunch at “Ha ha I’m Drowning” (the title). This music is almost a parody of the 80s. I don’t know if I hate it or like it. Boy, these guys love the brass instruments. Treason is a jam.

Sometimes you wonder why certain records made the list. I kinda felt that way about this record, but also thought it was pretty good. Very of the times and sounded uber-80s but all in all, enjoyable!

3 - I liked it. Didn’t leave a lasting impression though

Ironically a pretty formulaic psychedelic scouse album. each song has a statement, then the singer doesn't understand the statement just made and then some music witters on in the background. You've heard one song, you've heard them all. They should've stayed away from the sketchy acid. Best Songs: Ha Ha I'm Drowning; Sleeping Gas; Treason

Interesting

80s UK neo psychedelia. Cope had a great voice but some of the songs on this debut seem a bit flimsy...

Never heard of this band before this list. I was never much into pop in the 80s but this one made me feel very nostalgic. I liked it and will give it another listen.

2.25

Eh, not so bad. After reading that The Teardrop Explodes was one of the initial bands fronted by Julian Cope, I was about to dismiss this album as yet another unfocused and self-indulgent effort routinely released by an artist whose music erudition I respect, but whose later solo output generally leaves me cold or nonplussed. Yet I have to admit that the second-hand version of XTC I'm hearing there -- also featuring touches of krautrock, eighties psychedelia, (mock-?) disco, and Madness-adjacent shenanigans -- is quite fun, and sometimes even pretty catchy, as second-hand as it is. Sure, the supposed psychedelia flavors are a little exaggerated (as they often were in those glossy, quote unquote "postpunk" years -- it's just some reversed-recorded guitar parts, or eastern / oriental scales, used once in a while). And the (fortunately rare) synthetic-sounding horns didn't age very well. Yet cuts such as opener "Ha Ha, I'm Drowning", the lively "Treason" (with its memorable, tight, moving chorus) or the multilayered groove of "Poppies" display some contagious songwriting and arrangement energy I didn't know Cope was capable of. Also worthy of note, "Books", covered not long after by Echo And The Bunnymen, those simple yet driven tom drums on "Bouncing Babies", or the interlaced vocals, guitars and ominous synths towards the end of closer "When I Dream". Side two admittedly loses part of the album's momentum at times, but it's nothing aggravating in the long run. And there is a distinctive nightly mood to those tracks, which is why I prefer the original cover artwork showing the band in shadows to the artsier one more in keeping with the name of the album. As for the bonus tracks, I found the one-off single "Reward" -- supposedly The Teardrops Explodes's most popular single according to Spotify numbers -- a little heavy-handed and hackneyed, oddly enough. But the moodier and far more experimental cuts after said single *do* offer an interesting change of pace. So for once, late additions on CD versions do bring something interesting on the table. This record (whether the original version or the more recent "expanded" one) might not reach the exact heights of the Kilimanjaro, sure. But it still comes very close. Not so bad, as I've said earlier. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) Number of albums left to review: around thirty or twenty, as I've gone over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book. Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 461 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 276 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 334

Other than Sleeping Gas, I thought the first half of the album was enjoyable to listen to. Then the second half really dragged. I'm caught between a 2 and 3 here, but ultimately feeling like this deserves at least a low 3.

i liked most of the songs and also added them to my playlists but also there were some songs that i found quite boring. overall it was a nice album but not the best

Straight out the 80s,pretty good and vibey but not new enough dot this to be a 4 stars

Sounds very echo and the bunnymeny but they did have close ties with them so makes sense, pretty poppy but quite good

Would rate 3.5 but can’t, interesting vibe

Aight

I liked this quite a bit. Julian Cope is a bit of a legend, but the music itself was fun and catchy.

Psychedelic rock, I love you

80s music isn’t totally my vibe, but I do appreciate the genre. The vocals sound so classic late 70s/80s and while the music isn’t my favorite, I can respect the melodies throughout. Fave Song: Poppies Least Fave Song: When I Dream; Strange House in the Snow Rating: 4/5

I hadn’t heard of this band prior to this, but Kilimanjaro is a great album with a great sound. More psychedelic than other punk releases of this time.

Me ha gustado más el aire proto Manchester sound que el disco en sí. Ojo y que estos eran de Liverpool, pero hay un aire Inspiral Carpets, Echo and the bunnymen (estos si eran de Liverpool) muy bueno. Me guardo When I dream. Y dudo entre 2 y 3 estrellas, pero como supongo que habrán salido mal parados voy por las 3.

Quite enjoyed

5/10 Favorite Tracks: When I Dream, Reward, Thief of Baghdad Least Favorite: Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Sleeping Gas, Poppies, Went Crazy, Bouncing Babies, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises, Strange House in the Snow

Interesting sound but not enough to fully engage me

Fast paced early Indy pop. Still sounds good to this day

Reminded me of Talking Heads

Fun early 80’s pop feel

Inoffensive at best. Background noise and nothing more.

Full disclosure: I had never heard of this band, let alonevthis album. I reserve the right to modify my thoughts as I put this piece of amazing (I love it) album power pop, rock, ska, punk, glam rock, new/dark wave, synth pop, disco, psychedelia into my head more times. So much influence here, seemingly disparate lineages. It's beautifully all over the place. Rhythm section is stellar. Lead and background vocals are phenomenally interesting (complimentary). I will put this in regular rotation.

Upbeat 80's synth pop. Entertaining background but nothing memorable enough to be stuck once album over.

A perfect example of the music I hated in the 80's. 1 star or F.

This one started out pretty fwompy for me, but over its runtime it really won me over. By the time the title track came on I was completely primed and ready to go. I'm really into Second Head and Poppies in the Field. The bassline on Second Head reminds me a bit of a Les Claypool song, though I don't know the name. Something about the loping bass and vaguely surf-rock sounding guitar on Poppies in the Field just works for me -- feels like a spacier Police. When I Dream is a solid song. Distinctly 80s in tone, but in the best of ways. Love the bright synths poking through during the chorus. Kilimanjaro is a wonky UK psychedelic post-punk jam. The drum thumps remind me a lot of Joy Division, but the atmosphere itself is more dusty and sci-fi (for lack of a better characterization) owing to the persistent synth line. Kind of wild that this track didn't even make the original release... Strange House in the Snow is kind of wild sounding with the scratchy violin(?) that sounds animalistic. I'm a very soft 4 here. Honestly not something I would have expected to enjoy as much as I did.

This is just mind numbing 80s sort of psychedelic something. Idk man. I kind of hated it and was hard to listen to. 2.5 stars. Of course the last song had to be 9 fucking minutes

At times this felt like Talking Heads. I enjoyed the beginning a lot more and the end seemed to get a bit lost/bland toward the end.

Kind of just another Neo-psych English album from the 80s. This one was pretty high energy which was nice but didn't do much for me. Pretty low 3

Really liking the first couple songs, then it starts to get into 80's cheese with Treason. Now really liking Second Head. The bass is awesome. Guitar work on the beginning of Poppies reminds me of some Tomorrow Never Knows with that looping. Title track reminds me of a LCD song can't put my finger on it. But I dig the use of the drums. This album had its ups and downs but kept me pretty intrigued throughout. Between a 3/4 here but I'll bump it up for its psychedelia

So good, mix of early 80s rock, and phsychadelic stuff, some also quite experimental song structures, but it works well. Favourite songs: first 5, brave boys keep their promises, thief of Baghdad, use me. Overall around 8/10

I had no expectations for this since I remember not really liking Julian Cope’s stuff. Surprised that this was tons of fun! Really enjoyed it.

They sound very Talking Heads/Depeche Mode to me. I enjoyed it and would listen again, but it was kinda just background music and didn't blow my mind. Four stars

почему вики называет неопсиходеликом то что звучит как английский панк? почему они поют по-французски? больше удивления чем впечатления

80's Brit pop. Turned off during the 2nd song (Sleeping Gas) when it sounded like the record was skipping. It was not, it was intentional and unnecessary. Not a fan

A classic Alt 80s UK sound, rooted with flavours of Echo and the Bunnymen. Few cool tunes, with a unique Liverpool sound I haven't really heard too much of.

Ha Ha I’m Drowning // Sleeping Gas // Treason // Thief of Baghdad //

In a nutshell: surreal The lyrics are woefully written. The combination of post-punk and psychedelic synthpop doesn't work. It is something I'd expect to hear in the background of a shitty 80s soap who couldn't get the rights to an ABC or Simple Minds track. Overall: 1/10

Genre-ly speaking, this is the kind of stuff I love. Unfortunately, this album misses the mark, and the one thing I can absolutely point to is how most of these tracks ultimately devolve beyond mere refrain into an endless loop that feels downright burdensome. I hated when "Message In A Bottle" did it, and I hate it here, too. Shame - because there are some elements on this album that could have been used for greatness. It hurts me, but I have to fail this.

This album has a lot of good ideas, and i overall like the sound of most of this album. It falls a little short though. I kept waiting for the album to really take off, and it didn’t. Just stayed stagnant.

Meh. Nothing worth listening to a second time. I don't know how some of these albums make the list. 2/5

This neo-psychedelic album is great. It reminds one of The Psychedlic Furs with a bit of XTC and The Smiths and a sprinkle of The Stranglers. If you love those bands you will also love this album. It is a nice ride. I'm happy for this list for recommendations of bands like this.

I found myself shipping songs, and being meh on others. I don't think that's a positive review.

I'm sure they were very influential at the time. To me, however, this sounds like another typical example of early British Post-Punk. There's a pretty good amount of Bowie worship going on here. The horns were a nice change-up, though.

Nothing really stands out here.

After listening to this I am honestly surprised I wasn’t into these guys when I was at university- that morbid post punk sound was absolutely my bag. Maybe if I’d ever been to Liverpool. We’ve listened to a fair amount of punk while doing this project, and it has all seemed quite London-centric, so it’s been fun looking into post-punk a bit more and seeing it’s much more northern. Less screaming, more ennui. I can only really understand this album through what I think its influences might be, and who it’s clearly influenced. 1980 is pre-Smiths, and before the Cure got big, and the same as Echo and the Bunnymen, who are also from Liverpool! The more you know. Not just the Beatles. Went Crazy is very Smiths until the slightly ska trumpets come in, which- Morrissey could never (apart from in that weird early Frankly Mrs Shankly demo). Poppies particularly reminded me of the Horrors, which is funny- I think the Teardrop Explodes must have been a big influence on Primary Colours. Bouncing Babies sounds like House of the Rising Sun, with the ominous organ. I think Thief of Baghdad might be my favourite. There isn’t Morrissey’s amazing lyricism, or the Cure’s romanticism, so all in all I guess I’m not surprised that the Teardrop Explodes hasn’t gone down in the books like those guys, but I really enjoyed listening to this- we’ve heard a few albums doing this that put a lot of the music I love into context, and this absolutely does that- I think they’re a lesser band of a movement I thought was unbelievably cool as a teenager, and I probably would’ve been cooler if I’d been listening to them instead of the bands they inspired. One to show the kids! 4 because despite none of the songs being absolute bangers, I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

An ok listen. Can hear the influences. I was listening to bloc party earlier the same day and this is an obvious predecessor

I couldn't find a way to care about anything these dudes were doing.

I've never heard of these guys. Not bad. Probably won't seek them out again but wasn't a bad way to spend my morning.

hljómaði full nýrómantískt í byrjun fyrir minn smekk. en vinnur á og á köflum mjög gott. aðra. 3,5.

I am running out of creative ways to say "this album is decent, but nothing spectacular".

Mix The Clash, The Police, The Doors with a hint of maybe of Duran Duran, and I have a feeling like you'd get this album without the low points. It's not without it merit, and it's pretty okay to listen, but all the high points feel like I've already heard them elsewhere.

If I ever find myself in the mood to listen to the Clash and the Talking Heads simultaneously, I would reach for this again.

Silly pop that works.

I enjoyed this listen and fun to see that Julian Cope (another pleasant surprise) was involved here.

Some decent songs, some rather annoying songs.

A psychadelic rock album that manages to feel jarring (Thief of Baghdad is a lrime example), there doesnt seem to be a flow if that makes sense. That being said I enjoyed this more than most of the psychadelic rock we get here, it crosses over into 80's movie montage sound here and there (Sleeping Gas), also 17 tracks? Tighten it up guys, take it down to 12 and it gets way more digestible.

Kind of interesting Brit psychedelia. Nothing ground breaking. It felt like the songs on Spotify were out of order. Songs would slam to a halt and it always sounded like the next song should just flow into the previous on but they don’t. It’s hard to explain but I think this album needed to be resequenced

Fine album.

too repetitive

The Teardrop Explodes' debut album artwork offers an intriguing visual journey. Originally, the cover featured a shadowy photograph of the band, which was later replaced by a breathtaking image of zebras in front of Mount Kilimanjaro. This transformation elevates the artwork from mundane to iconic, capturing the album's adventurous spirit. The mountain landscape provides a striking contrast to the band's Liverpool roots, symbolizing an escape from industrial monotony. While the zebra-laden mountain scene is visually arresting, it feels slightly disconnected from the band's post-punk aesthetic. The artwork's evolution demonstrates creative risk-taking, earning it a solid three-star rating for its bold reimagining and evocative imagery. Album artworks rated: 24/1001 Music's not that great

I want to kilimanjaro this album. It's just generic 1980s British Pop, and it gets boring quickly. What a disappointing way to close out 2024. Favorite Song: "When I Dream".

I enjoyed it. Got a little repetitive after a while but it was a good listen.

This reminds me a lot of a band called The Jam

This one probably shouldn't be on the list.

K-K-Kilimanjaro Joo, Kilimanjaro, joo, Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, joo, Kilimanjaro, joo Kiliman-Kiliman-Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, joo, Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, joo, Kilimanjaro Kiliman-Kiliman Kilimanjaro huipulla kuin farao Vahvistetut poikaset haluavat seurata seuraamista varten Pyydän P:täni, mitä vittua yrität lainata Tähtää polveasi, kun nostan nuoltani Tule vittuun, tule vittuun kanssani Pane vittuun, ei ole aikaa paeta Puuta, jota kutsun, kun kaadan puun (puutavara) En välitä Gudjonista vai Leestä Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro, Kiliman-Kiliman.... uudenvuoden hurmaa.. annetaan kolme sleeping gas

Wow absolutely ace! I liked their singles when they came out boy somehow never got round to listening to the whole album, did I miss out?!

Didn’t expect to like this but it stands up

This list is in the grips of 80s britpop

Clever clever name but not. Tick Cutting edge music that wasn’t and dated about a week after it was released. Tick Critically acclaimed by the sort of critic who is scared of liking anything that smacks of ‘good’. Tick Boring. Tick This doesn’t feel essential. It’s ok. 1.5

Kilimanjaro by The Teardrop Explodes Do listen to ALL of this album - there is a lot in it and its a very good example of a single album holding the early seeds of so many styles we came know and love so well in british music for the next 3 decades. So. My review in reverse. Which i don't have time to summarise and shorted. Its could be 5 bullets points, I do realise... so I wrote the stance above. Because I hugely underestimated it based on the 2 boring opening tracks. My conclusions (academic) and my impressions (rather neutral - becoming quite positive ). CONCLUSION I end up concluding its a very well made, consistently polished, educative and important formative album showing where british music was just as certain styles were about to bloom and scatter. But I'd forgive you if you skip the boring first two tracks. A teaching album. For interested fans and musicologists. Yes, perhaps one of the better examples/receptacles you'd use as a “teaching album” at a hypothetical school of rock. Listen to it for the time travel experience. Or just for the joy of hearing - as if for the first time - so many familiar styles in one place, from one source. For me they were all new songs that sound SO FAMILIAR. Includes of the sounds that were developing in british music at the time and if you were super interested in the formation and evolution of various british sounds genres or styles, you can listen to this album and be delighted to hear so many recognisable flavours and “ingredients” or sounds used by others. I am not a musical historian or walking encyclopaedia on music, but this leapt out as obvious. I easily detected sounds that sound formative or influential for : Morrisey Madness Depeche mode / Duran Duran And even Billy Bragg, and hints of that epic U2 sound (“Poppys in the Field” - who influenced whom?) I later read on wikipedia that Blur, the Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen are listed as having bends members of influence from these guys. Ha. maybe i have a knack for this. Or its that obvious. FIRST IMPRESSIONS I was bored by track 2, but before skipping it ALTOGETHER, I was curious how it got included on the list. I wanted to rush to the good stuff, and checked their most popular single "reward" - this and "treason" sound very british [maybe there were hugely influential, I muse, as I can hear ALL KINDS OF FAMILIAR SOUNDS and very Brit sounds that people later ran with. It sounds like Billy Bragg on some kind of happy drug, playing with a ska band (Madness?) and also Smiths and Cure sounds come through. Did these musicians all hang out together or something? So its incredibly interesting to hear so many influences or british styles in one song at a time. Plus the music creates a certain atmosphere/mood - if you sit and listen its literally prototypical of music the time - if this album is a multicoloured flower - each petal (song) could be taken away and propagated and cultivated as a whole “sound” for a band. So its like a sampler of brit /irish pop music for the next 2 decades. So assume early on that this is included on the list as it is good at filling a very specific, important “node” or micro-niche in musical pop evolution in Britain, and therefore is essential for a musical classification/evolutionary tree diagram. (I did the research above, then let it keep playing, during which it grew on me - and the whole sounds of the album evolves enormously - its a complete musical evolution in one album. Extraordinary for what you get from one album. ) So yes, after nearly skipped and missing it, I soon appreciated it much more. But only because I left it playing,.... In the end? Yes I would definitely listen to this again - I reluctantly must admit - well made , polished and rich in musical styles. Is it essential listening - yes - if only there was a one sentence intro like” this is the album that captures the sounds and styles and vocals influenced I don't think its got much play out here... I was going to giv e it a 2. Its at least a 4. It might get to 5 if i keep listening to it. 5

The Teardrop Explodes were never as interesting as I feel they were mad out to be. I think this is "you had to be there album". If you 14 in the UK in 1980, and the singles came on the John peel show, I'm sure they would brighten your day, but this has not aged well. it's dull pap. Julian Cope's voice is OK, but he really only sings the same basic tune over and over again (and it wasn't that great the first time). As Simon Reynolds says in reference to this album in his excellent book Rip it Up and Start Again: "The Teardrop Explodes wen from the next big thing to has-been with incredible speed, even by the accelerated standards of the post-punk era". Just not that great and largely consigned to the dustbin of history. Rightly so. 2.5 stars, rounding down.

Giving this a two not for it being extremely bad but rather that I don’t think I will have any memory of the album by tomorrow except for maybe the annoying high pitched noises on the title track

I think I’d have to listen a bunch of times to understand why this album stands out. Listened passively and felt meh.

I was definitely worried about listening to this album. A band I've never heard of, a whole album of tracks I've never heard. I shouldn't have been. I think the only problem with listening to Acid Rock is that I wasn't on acid during my listen, but I enjoyed it all the same. It reminds me a lot of later sludge and doom metal. It took me a couple of tracks to get into the groove, but by the time Kilmanjaro started I was fully invested. I've actually listened to Kilmanjaro a few times now. My only regret is that I didn't listen to it on Dec 22nd, so that I could feel that live experience on the last track that much more.

This album is awful. Not a single song I enjoyed. Extremely repetitive and just honestly terrible. I also find it funny that the most played song from this album wasn't even on the original release of the album and was released in 2000 as a bonus track...

The Teardrop Explodes' "Kilimanjaro" is a fast-paced, upbeat album with a sound that blends 60s rock and 90s grunge. While it has its moments, the inconsistency and sometimes "jokey" feel of the tracks prevent it from being truly enjoyable. Not an album I'd revisit. 2/5

2/5

I was worried this would be more post-punk slop. Not quite that bad, but another that does basically nothing for me.

When I Dream, Haha I’m Dreaming

This record defies labels, but if you need an easy handle here you go. It's 80s pop cut with post-punk for listeners who like more psychedelic and disco/funk elements in their music than either genre typically allows. Okay, you need even easier. That was a lot, I get it. Do you like Echo and the Bunnymen, Wire and Gang of Four? If yes, you're all set. There's more horns and organ than I usually like, but for the most part the eclecticism is well-integrated. It's surprisingly smooth to slide into their world and give a four star rating.

Nothing special, but I liked it - fun, synthy new wave. It reminded me a bit of Echo & The Bunnymen. That live version of Sleeping Gas was…something. 3.5

1.91

I listened to this twice and I can't recall a sound - pretty bland and non-descript.

Kul bass, tidvis gode vibes. Men klagete vokal, og repeterende sanger

O pouco que ouvi devido às restrições do Spotify conseguiu ser totalmente descartável.

a decent and rather well done 80's album, that doesn't deserve all the hate.

Decent but forgettable new wave

Pretty standard 80s sound. Just not all that great or memorable.

Some cool trippy tunes with an 80s bent

Quite liked. Didn't realise Julian Cope

Kinda boring. Too long.

It’s just okay! I’ve never been to Kilimanjaro

This is enjoyable!

Terrible stuff

Forgettable.

This was not good. 2/5

There are some English bands that when you hear the first time you don't quite pick out a distinct English accent from the vocals so you can't immediately pin point where they're from. There are other English bands that have such a strong accent you can pinpoint their origin down to the county. This is the latter

Oh boy, more middling quality UK garage pop! One thing this list absolutely did not need. The album was fine, not something I needed to hear before I die. Favourite track was Reward and that's not even on the original track list. I liked it because it added horns.

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

"Reward" was Ok. Err, that's about it.

What the typical early 80s album sounds like. It's not too bad though and is worth one listen.

80’s is great to have around

it was pretty cool but didn’t sound much different from any of the other albums with this vibe

I generally like this era of post punk/new wave etc. ‘Kiliminjaro’ has some standout moments. ‘Ha Ha I’m Drowning’, ‘Sleeping Gas’, ‘Books’ and ‘When I Dream’ (my favourite track on the album by far) are the picks here. I also listened to the bonus tracks which I tend not to do, and of those ‘Use Me’ is by far the best and worthy of a place on the album. The rest of the album is a bit by the numbers, but I find myself coming back and listening to this quite often nonetheless.

Still fantastic

Just some generic 80s brit rock/pop without any unique selling point. Not a bad, but deserves minus points for being utterly forgettable

Brilliant record!

Favorite Track: Poppies In The Field

Noch nie gehört, besser als manches andere aus den 80ern.

Quite a cheerful vibe

Decent, never heard it before. Probably just on three.

Lots of reviews saying this was dull and repetitive, but I thought it was pretty decent fun. I don't think I need to listen to it again, but it wasn't terrible.

Weirdly the original release of this album omitted both the title track and their biggest hit, but this version has those plus a couple of other b sides. Anyhoo, with this we are very much in the post punk era with a side line in obtuse lyrics. I struggled to hear what he was singing in places - for years I’d assumed that he was asking his mum to accept his reward. This is probably the best band to be named after a random quote from a Silver Surfer comic.

Decent post-punk, but not really memorable.

It had its moments

É legalzinho, mas acho que já tem bandas demais assim no mundo. Embora acho que entrega o que promete, principalmente em Treason, Second Head e When I Dream.

Legal pra escutar enquanto trabalha. Tem umas músicas com hooks bem chiclete e que ficam na cabeça.

да нахуй нормик тоже, в килиманджаро все спокойно

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

This was a good 3 star album for me. I had never heard of them before and I was kind of reminded of really early The Cure but maybe a bit more boring. Strange House in the Snow was totally bonkers, and the live track at the end of Sleeping Gas was pretty good. Several pretty good tracks on here that I may return to, or may look into their other albums, so I guess that means a 3 star album.

Better than I expected, but still not terribly interesting. 3 stars.

Catchy. Pre classic rock

Yesterday I got the Simple Minds. This is not very different. Also good but not great. A little faster. I like this one better. Most songs are alright. I skipped the bonus tracks. Strange how the title track was not on the album originally. Favorite song: Second Head.

I normally have very strong feelings about Julian Cope and the Teardrop Explodes, but not today. This was a decent album.

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

This sounds like junior varsity police and I hated every dreadful second of it

This was so British. Not bad, if a little boring. I wouldn't say it warrants inclusion on the list, but I didn't mind it.

there was like 1.5 songs on this i enjoyed

Uhhhhh yeah sure this was some music by some dudes I guess

I remember when Julian Cope cancelled a Belfast gig in 2013 because he was scared of the naughty terrorists. He probably did us all favour to be fair.

I liked this - last live song and Julian’s chat wasn’t great.

So irritating

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

1.9 1x extended edition 1h8m

Did the people who write this list just stop listening to music post the 80s? I can't with all this Brit Pop. The album itself isn't bad, and if not for the overdose of britpop I'm suffering from going through these albums, I might have said I liked this album. Probably deserves higher than this rating but I simply can't with this list. 3/5

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

Passable, though barely. The bloated Britpop numbers on this album have produced a great many frowns and grimaces from (judging by the reviews) a great proportion of the audience, including myself. There's too much drum-machine, splashy/bloopy synth, and bland, uninspiring lyricism to really justify a positive review here, though a few pros are worth mentioning. The track When I Dream has potential to float to the top of the dumpsite, based on its infectious synth line – but after the two-minute mark you're thinking, "man, this is bloody repetitive, innit?" (you're British) and you glance at the runtime only to realise the song is over 7 minutes long. You sit back in your Union-Jack-cushioned and gaze out the window into the dreary, overcast Liverpool skyline, and think, "Ah, this is the life" as what little vitality remains in your English cadaver eagerly drains away. But seriously, there are some pros worth a shout-out. A few of the melodies in the synths are pretty good. The vocal is an enormous improvement upon most contemporary Britpop – reminds me a bit of Greg Lake from King Crimson. Nothing revolutionary, but a solid complement to the rest of the sound. The instruments are played fairly well, particularly the bass. But man, that repetition, particularly in the melodies... Each song is two bars of song looped for anywhere between 2 and 7 minutes. It's unforgivable. 2/5 Key tracks: Treason, Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises

Ha Ha I'm Drowning 3.2 Sleeping Gas 3 Treason 3.1 Second Hand 3.2 Poppies in the Field 3.3 Went Crazy 3.4 Brave Boys Keep Their Promises 3.3 Bouncing Babies 3.3 Books 3.1 Thief of Baghdad 3.3 When I Dream 3.2 Score: 3.218181818

There’s no reason this needed to be on here. Won’t be listening to this again.

It's OK, I liked it a little more than I thought I would. I actually get some Talking Heads type of feel from some of the songs.

Super pleasantly surprised by this, some of the songwriting is awesome. There were some dude but some serious hits too

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

I didn’t know this band or this album, but I really liked the sound! The more the album went on, though, the more I wished there had been a little more variety. Honestly I couldn’t tell where the first track ended and the second one began. And by the end I wished I was listening to The Jam. Not bad - not great.

Meh

A lot of cool stuff on this one, and definitely better than a lot of other britpop adjacent albums on this list. Some of the psychedelic tones they play with are super interesting, especially on songs like When I Dream and Poppies In The Field. Not a whole lot I'd add to my playlist, but some definite bangers here.

I didn’t like this one very much. Like the music is fine and the vocals are alright, but this just isn’t my style of music. I liked the song Books.

Day 55 - Oct 22, 2024 Mom can we have Joy Division? We have Joy Division at home Joy Division at home: 2/5 (only because I liked two of the songs)

Did they steel Reward from another band?

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

I liked it, but I'm a sucker for 80s new wave.

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. 3/5

Just sounds like an average 80s album. Still fun tho

pretty solid brit pop punk, 3.75

This band features Julian Cope's weirdness in full display (already rated a Cope album, Peggy Suicide). This is just another neo-psychadelic britpop/new wave album. Nothing interesting here that would separate it from the hordes of other britpop shit to frequent this list. Once the song Kilimanjaro hits, the rest of the album from this point forward is insufferable garbage. The rest of the album to this point was at least tolerable. Favourite songs: Reward, Second Head, Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Went Crazy Least favourite songs: Kilimanjaro, Sleeping Gas, Books, Strange House in the Snow, Use Me 3/5

The vibe is not bad but this could not contend with my workday.

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

Nothing psychodelic about it

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

‘‘Twas alright without being spectacular

Short melodic trippy at times

Enjoyed this! Favs: haha I’m drowning, sleeping gas, reward and treason

I like all the sounds individually, but it annoys me when it's all put together (it's the style of vocals that annoys me most, in this genre there is a fine line between great and grating). However, it being from 1980, it was innovative so big respect for that. ALSO they are northern, and I have to support them for that reason alone. Standout tracks (positive): - Treason - I liked the French version too 4/5) Standout tracks (negative): - When I dream - Strange house in the snow - a solid 1.5/5, I hated it so much I skipped halfway through

Echo and the Bunnymen/ Duran Duran fusionish. Quite nice in an innocuous kind of way.

Relentless 80s pop that was very repetitive. Didn't finish the album. Or did I??

This is so forgettable! I don't see how I needed to hear this before I died.

gammalt skrän

It sucked

Pretty good

It's fine

2/5

Feels lame but I don’t like this kind of music at all.

Very good albu

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

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

This is like proto-New Wave. I'm not loving this right off the bat. There's a vaguely ska element of so much British pop music from the mid-70s to the mid-80s that makes everything sound similar. This is like crappy Clash. These critics must be predominantly British because there are a ton of unknown, repetitive British bands in this list. Maybe this band was the first real New Wave band. A very active horn section in this album. These guys took what the Clash did and made it worse.

80s rock. Started off really strong but petered out in the second half. Loved the bass.

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

Thoughts before listening: One of those bands thats hit my radar for years, but where I know very little about them. Its from 1980 so I'm guessing it will be British post-punk/new wave sound. To be honest though I thought these guys were like a 60s garage rock psych band like ? and the Mysterians. Review: Ok...so this is an 80s new wave take on 60s garage/psych...at least according to Allmusic. Either way, its pretty good. These songs are all upbeat and catchy, and I really like the horns which adds a different element to their sound. The best song on here is "Reward". 3-stars

# Album Name: Kilmanjaro # Artist: The teardrop Explodes # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Reward - what a belter. Cracking tune. Obviously well known but its got such good pace, rhythm and energy. Love it. Best track on the album by far. Treason was another good song. The rest of the album was rather forgettable on a first listen. Just alright. Nothing stuck. I came back for a 2nd listen and it was more palatable. Just an alright average album imo. This probably shouldnt be on the list. I've had a run of albums like that recently. # Top Tunes: Reward / Treason # Would I listen to it again? Mebbe.

I feel like surely this is mentioned a lot as an inspiration for lots of artists but somehow I just never noticed? I don’t ever want to hear it again but it seems like lots of people must’ve felt the opposite. (ntm.)

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

I’m a fan of new wave, but had never heard of these guys so glad I had the chance to check them out, but none of this really stuck out to me.

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

Neo-psicodelia. Un tostón. Un 2.

Neo-psychedeliapost-punknew wave. Bien. Un poco repetitivo....

Would have been a 2.5 if possible due to one super irritating song toward the end. Otherwise, not bad

Some were decent, some screaming all over the map

2.5

Generic 80s pop rock mixed with even more generic 80s pop rock with a shot of 80s pop rock as a chaser. Stir well, pour into a higher than room temperature mug and serve.

Ihan jees indierock tms! 3/5

Vähän veltoksi jäi kyllä tämä britti-rallattelu. 2/5

I liked the instrumentation. But MAN they were repetitive. I don’t care about Rafferty becoming a serial. Although the comics line in the one song made me smile. If you’re going to be that repetitive, maybe your songs should be shorter. Top tracks: “Second Head”, “Poppies In The Field”

So one of the lead singer's solo albums came up for me to rate about a week ago. I had no idea who he or his band was. This sounds way different than his solo work. The latter is eclectic and unusual, this is sort of new wave meets Celtic rock - reminded me a bit of Dexy's Midnight Runners but with more synth. But they also reminded me a bit of XTC (not a bad thing) with the poppy way they repeat lyrics and add in unusual percussive or synth sounds. When I Dream in particular, which was probably my favorite song on the album alongside Ha Ha I'm Drowning. Like XTC, I think the album is a bit uneven. But it was better than I was expecting. I felt myself creeping up from a 3.

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

Pioneering I suppose but I prefer the genuine psychedelic rock that came before and the darker synth pop that came later.

Blech. Seriously, just…blech. Tough to get through.

Did these guys get pissed when America and Asia were taken as band names? These guys fall into my biggest pet peeve category. There is no real separation of sound from one song to another. No standout track, just pure 80’s pop. Choice cut: Second Head

Strong first impression betrays plain 80s Britpop that overstays it's welcome. Not for me.

This is #day24 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, which is also the first day of autumn 2024, and... to me, among the classic '80s post-punk acts, say, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Chameleons, Sad Lovers & Giants (some of my favorites), and others, The Teardrop Explodes have always fallen behind. This listen wasn't an exception. The music is good, but because it's kind of too pop (?), I can't relate to it on a level I do with those other bands. My favorite song here is Second Head. Anyway, this is a 3 out of 5 today. Looking forward to #day25, which also means getting back to work as my short vacation is over. Fingers crossed, random generator.

I kind of like Ha Ha I’m Drowning, Treason; I almost like Books

So much cheese and cow shit you'd think you were at a dairy farm in Southern Wisconsin

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

There’s a lot here that I wanted to like. New wave, punk, reggae influence and a cool sound and aesthetic, but the bones of these songs are not good.

This sounds like part of a whole subgenre within UK new wave music I just can’t connect with. Like moody, surly dance music? Im never in a moody dance mood. The smiths, joy division come to mind. Sounds like an early progenitor of schlock like Panic at the disco. these songs have no melodies and no choruses and so seem kind of flat and featureless after a while. I’ll give it an extra point for good rhythm and a hint of the avant- garde, even if it doesn’t work for me.

Could not get in a groove with this album. I could see the strong argument for this being influential in the 80s for its psych rock ideas and thus significant enough for this list. Thats all I can say though. The listenability was low for me and I only found a couple of songs interesting. Kilimanjaro (the album title track) was my favorite… which stands out because it doesn’t sound like the rest of the album. Reward was also somewhat interesting for those wacky horn effects

Some cool moments on here. Catchy bass lines and some horn parts. Feels a little aimless in the end, likes it’s not building toward anything. Wanted to rate it higher.

Kinda good. Great band name. I’m no officionado on early 80s though and tbh sounded pretty generic to me. Couple of highlights in the well known Reward and Treason, with the rest to me hanging off them somewhat. I’m just about interested enough to try out some of their other albums.

Now I love me some Julian Cope as a song writer and raconteur, but that really doesn’t stretch to much pre-90s material. As with most 80s bands, I just can’t get on with the instrumentation and production trends. All sounds so dated and flat. While Cope’s lyrical stylings and the lively bass do give this some uniqueness, a lot of the songs drag and Reward aside (which is a great tune), nothing really grabs me. I’ll bump it up a mark though as I bet there’s no Cope solo material on this list, and the man deserves some respect for what he was to become……

2.5

bin bim dritte song und s isch afoch recht guete new wave, aber null öppis speziells. second head isch recht geil wege coole bass. bin bi brave boys und bi mi chli am langwile au wenns eigentlich no cool wär. books isch recht cool, ha glaub gad nöd d ufmerksamkeit für das album thief of baghdad macht definitiv en orientalism (Said, 1978). when i dream isch e cooli melodie und so. aber joooo da isch nöd so bsunders i hett lieber nomel es lady gaga album uf de liste. when i dream isch sowas vo z lang.

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

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

Happy go lucky ahh music

TF was this

I’m a sucker for 80s music

Nothing special, just like other British pop around this time. Which is fine, but I'm not sure if it's worth being on this list.

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

Very good

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

Pretty boring

Listened to version with extra tracks on Spotify. Too extra. Not sure at what point this album became a drag, but I assume it was before it was before the album xtra tracks. And the live song at the end was super obnoxious.

New one for me! Pretty banging!

Sounds like any generic 80's new wave / post punk stuff, but it's not necessarily bad. Just generic.

How is there more of this? Seriously?

Terrible

Post punk and new wave are some of my favorite genres of the 80's, so I had high hopes for this album. However, I guess there is a reason I never heard of these guys, because this is one of the most average albums on the list. I guess the only reason this was chosen to be on this list is the Echo and the Bunny men connection, but I think they have enough representation and I would have enjoyed another Cure album much more. This album also came out after the Cure's 17 Seconds so it's not like this album is ground breaking or anything. The singing here isn't that great, and those Trumpet synths sound terrible. When I Dream is way too stupid to be that long. low 3

Hm... this one could grow on me maybe. On first listen I still just feel like I don't get this genre of music very well. I feel like I get glimpses of things I like though so maybe I am on my way to getting more of an ear for New Wave? As is, it's "fine" so a 3 star from me. I am glad I looked up the original track list or my listening time would have about doubled. I don't always remember to check that, but it's saved me a couple times. I think the original length is about perfect. Keeps the sound from becoming overly wearing or dragging on.

Nicht meine Richtung

Very goofy and dated. Also frustratingly borderline discordant at times. Not a very appealing listen, and a lot of the songs overstay their welcome far too long. Nothing really positive to say, and largely forgettable.

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

Great album, great sound! Loved

Very nostalgic post-punk, new music 1980's charm. Takes me back to high school, John Hughes movies, cafeteria dances, and wishing for a glamorously angsty life in the UK.

Interesting vocals, fun music, but repetitive songs.

A great album from the post-punk era.

No bad, but not something I’d likely come back to.

Some cool 80s sounds.

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