Kilimanjaro

I've never been massively keen on the post-punk/new wave sound but I enjoyed this more than I expected. Its influence on some of my favourite 90s Britpop bands is really clear to see as well.

Cool album if nothing special or unique to them. I have no real strong opinions on it either way. Just a solid easy to listen to album.

3 stars, decent

Julian Cope formed The Teardrop Explodes at the close of the 1970’s. This short and skewed new-wave offering, “Kilimanjaro”, is his first recorded output: he would later release another one-and-a-half albums with The Teardrop Explodes, thirty-six albums alone, three books on music history, two books on megalithic history, and one book of fiction. And he’s still going… what a madman. Perhaps Cope would like to be considered a polymath nowadays: rock’s renaissance man. But in 1980, at least, it’s clear that he was a bassist first and foremost. His basslines are the centre of most of “Kilimanjaro”’s songs, carrying the lead with the organ, trumpets and sometimes even vocals filling in the space around them. Guitar, added by Alan Gill and session musician Michael Finkler, is relegated to a crashing chord or fleeting lead line every now and then. Cope’s vocals are fine, but mostly indistinguishable from the legions of other semi-crooning, semi-yelling new-wave acts of the day. So what were my highlights? The arresting intro of “Ha Ha I’m Drowning”, a promising kick-off. The hectic climax of “Sleeping Gas”: swelling brass smothered in organ. The whole of “Treason (It’s Just a Story)”: probably the catchiest offering here with a winning chorus, nice layers of backing vocals. “Books”, written with Cope’s previous band The Crucial Three (Pete Wylie and Ian McCulloch). These are all great fun, and a lot of the songs around them are decent, perfectly enjoyable. I just couldn’t escape the feeling that “Kilimanjaro” becomes a little stuck in a rut. It’s hard to believe six of these tracks were released as singles, though it’s easier to understand that chart success eluded the band. It’s a shame the trumpets don’t show up more often, because they’re one of the things I latched onto the most. Most of the songs don’t really travel far enough over the course of their runtime: the ultimate example is “When I Dream”, which comes at the end of the original release and outstays its welcome by about three minutes, repeating a fairly lackluster hook ad nauseam. Later versions of the album would then tack on the single “Reward”, after it became the band’s biggest song: it’s probably better than anything else here. So “Kilimanjaro” is a decent time, but it’s not anything hugely special. When Julian Cope was once asked if he’d want to go back to The Teardrop Explodes, he responded “would you want to go back to having your mother wipe your arsehole?” I respect this: can’t say I blame him too much.

I don’t know why…but I didn’t hate this. I thought some of the melodies and lyrics were cool.

i listened to julian cope's (vocalist and bassist) peggy suicide many months ago as part of this project; i enjoyed the variety of genres, the topics, and the creativity. while i love the band name, the teardrop explodes' kilimanjaro didn't have the same excitement. i do appreciate the psychedelic vibes, which weren't found often in 1980, at a late punk stage. it's a different kind of music, which is probably why it made this list in the first place. on a positive note, i did enjoy the lyrics. i did get some sense of creativity. to title a song "ha ha i'm drowning" but reference it to drowning in love is quite amusing.

This album was pretty average...nothing bad, but nothing revolutionary. That said, it did a decent job at mixing in a lot more active psychedelic vibes than are typically heard in new wave music. It makes for an interesting spin on new wave, but it's still not enough to bring this album up from its extreme averageness. I wish I had more to say, but...yeah. Again, the word of the day here is "average", so I think an unenthusiastic 3 is probably fitting.

This didn't do all that much for me, which is odd, as I'm typically pretty sympathetic to this genre. I was listening to other things at the time. If this was familiar to me and I had been listening to it back then, I might be more excited about it.

Good new wave/neo psychedelia album from the UK. Not too complex and far out, but not too commercial either.

I feel like deluxe could have got me to a 4, but I wanted to base it off the original (first 11) and those didn’t sell me enough.

12/21/23. Started off slow but then got more interesting and a little psychedelic as the album goes on. I want to listen to this one again but enjoyed on the initial listen.

Elemental. You can really see a lot of elemental aspects of British Indie and what would become indie. It starts out kind of punky-poppy, but it really starts to pick up in the second half as they add in more instruments and interesting song patterns. The horns + brass are really good. The deep drums on songs like Kilimanjaro is also really interesting and unique. Really fun album!

I've never heard of this band before but I actually enjoyed this. LIstened to it pretty much straight through. Some good drums on a couple of these tracks. 80s London. What a time!

I have never heard of these guys. "Ha Ha I'm Drowning" (killer title for an opener) comes in hot with the big synths and British shout-singing. Funky ass New Wave track - "Ha ha, I'm drowning in your love" with synthed out horn pops and bouncy bass. Sounds about right, this should be a fun listen. I'm generally liking the sound - dancey New Wave bops, some goofy OTT horn pops and synth flexing throughout, funky bass runs and a very energetic vocalist who delivers some choice bratty talk singing. Some tunes are better than others, but it's all pretty fun.

Enjoyable, if up and down album. Strong Echo and the Bunnymen vibes - which makes sense since both band leaders were in an earlier band together.

Semi experimental post punk with some so so live tracks

Quite interesting

Ha Ha I'm Drowning - so far it's giving me Men At Work. it just sounds like british 70s upbeat pop rock so far (2/5 it's not catchy though. just repetitive) Sleeping Gas - okay this is a vibe so far. (4/5 for giving a little funk in the middle there) Treason - i think this is giving “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “White Wedding” (3/5 i had to look through songs i don’t really like >:/) Second Head - ??? white wedding again??? (2/5 it’s just a repetitive bassline.) Poppies - it is a 5 minute long song. i just feel like i’ve heard this before. it’s really not standing out to me at all (2/5) Went Crazy - do you think he looked around? (3/5 the bass fucks cause it’s an 80s song from the era of funk/pop rock but i can’t. i read the lyrics, actually this song’s message fucks) B.B.K.T.P - kinda interesting but fairly short. (3/5 i’m back to feeling kind of neutral about this) Bouncing Babies - i like the more spooky sound that comes with using the synths and loud drums. (4/5 fine this fucks) Books - actually if i hear one more fucking bassline that just goes up and down the whole time i am going to lose it. (2/5 it’s the only thing i can hear) Thief of Baghdad - okay why is this album like.. every other song fucking sucks. this song is so good?? (4/5 because i cannot in good conscience give any song on this album a 5. it has to wow me) When I Dream - she said doot doot doot. bapadabapadabap you know? (3/5 okay a normal pop song thing going on. oh no it is 7 minutes of nonsense words. i’m going to kill myself 2/5) Reward - i think this is just ska. (3/5 ska) Kilimanjaro - oh the start of “Rasputin” or a Pink Floyd song. easy. this is nothing. it’s building up to nothing. (2/5 come on please end this album good) Strange House In The Snow - me when i have to move a metal chair on a tile floor. but the chair is also.. a donkey? (4/5 okay! this is very Pink Floyd i don’t mind this. The weird sounds kinda sound like shit, but it adds to the ambiance) Use Me - he is getting pegged. (2/5 you cannot convince me otherwise) Traison - okay this is just Treason in French. i wasn't sure (1/5 for this song being in simlish) i really wish i could like this whole album but the up and downs of consistency was so ass. sorry you get 3/5

Great album, catchy tunes. Enjoyed this listen.

AJ (wiki, really): Along with other contemporary Liverpudlian groups, The Teardrop Explodes played a role in returning psychedelic elements to mainstream British rock and pop, initially favouring a modernised version of lightly psychedelic late 1960s-influenced beat-group sound (sometimes described as "bubblegum trance"[2]) and later exploring more experimental areas. In addition to their musical reputation, the band (and Cope in particular) had a reputation for eccentric pronouncements and behaviour, sometimes verging on the self-destructive, resulting in the band's

This stays on the edge of something I'd really like, related to other early '80s British new wave pop, but it never quite gets there for me. It got a little tedious and I got a little annoyed at times.

Ha ha i'm drowning - 3.4/5 groovy, but kinda shrill even the remaster Sleeping Gas - 2.9/5 more groovy and slightly less shrill. Was a 3.5/5 until the last minute where it blasted out my ears with the same notes every 2 seconds Treason - 4/5 Second Head - 4.2/5 was great probably my favorite thus far. added to playlist Poppies - 3/5 Went Crazy - 3.3/5 Brave Boys Keep Their Promises - 2.4/5 Bouncing Baby - 3.6/5 I WAS A BOUNCING BABY!!!🗣️🗣️ I FELL DOWN!!!🗣️🗣️ Books - 3.5/5 Literally no idea what he's waffling on about Thief of Baghdad - 2.5/5 please stop playing that riff im begging When I Dream - 3/5 They added two minutes to this version, original was only 5 minutes. Rating would be higher if they shut the fuck up sooner, this ain't no free bird. Definitely something i skip at the 3 minute mark it destroyed itself. Reward - 3.9/5 Grand and solid I decided to listen only to the original 1980s tracklist which stops at "When I Dream". Also listened to Reward cause it was on the US version's release. Songs seemed to be very repetitive because every measure was like one bar. Whole time the lengths of the songs were edging my anger and stopping right before i was gonna to do something about it. I'm very critical of songs that don't know when to shut the fuck up. Groovy album nonetheless. Remaster is actually really good because the original is very flat, muddy, and shrill. 3/5, would be a 2 or 1.5 if i ever had to listen to 95% of these songs ever again though. Done with the shitty pop cause this isn't really rock

Started off very strong, kind of lost some steam as the album continued on. The highs are very high.

Plutôt mid, mais rien de vraiment détestable. C’est du pain blanc, le Jace musical

klingt nach 80s british pop. an sich aber ganz ok

Never heard of this group before. I see the influence on the 1980's.

3+ nochmal hören

It was fine.

Un d'aquells anys fantàstics pel pop, en el seu sentit més integrador. I la banda de Julian Cope no decep. Pop rock deutor del post punk i la new wave, en realitat un dels discos que va ajudar a definir el génere. I això que el seu single més conegut, 'Reward', va venir just després...

After the first few songs I was bored. Sounded a bit like generic early new-wave stuff. Bouncing babies caught my ear though, and then a few tracks later on..gave it a couple listens back in the end. Some of it weak but some catchy tunes. The bonus tracks all pointless, but the actual album is fairly decent. Saved a few tracks down. 3.5*

The guitars were amazing, will have to dwell further

Ok tunes

Schysst pop/rock a la 80-talet från Julian Cope.

there were a lot of bands that sounded like this back in the 80s. synth heavy. i wasn’t really into it, but it was ok.

I'm not too fond of the psychedelic elements; otherwise really ok.

Ikkje mitt nye favorittband, men kult fjell

With the sounds of Brit rock/psychadelia, The Teardrop Explodes provides a decent listen wrapped up in their debut album. A little talky, a little distorted, definitely more rock than psychadelia, particularly by today's standards. Best: Reward Worst: Strange House in the Snow Note:The Spotify version is the 2000 Reissue version

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

Was interesting but not my vibe. 3/5

Track 2 is more or less a rip off of Talking Heads “Cities.” Otherwise, good sound. Good example of Brit New Wave.

Not my favorite Liverpudlian band.

Perfectly acceptable new wave. Listening to the reissue that adds their signature song “Reward” to the track list is recommended.

A bit pretentious, even for me. I struggle with new wave music because it always reads as self righteous to me. I’m certain if I was coming of age while this was coming out, this would be a my lifeblood. For what it’s worth, they do have a good feel for catchy riffs.

I’m a bit tired of all the new wave on this list, but this is a solid example. The instrumentation is pretty great at times, but the album as a whole falls somewhat flat. between a 3 and 4, i’m rounding down because i can

Pop ochentero sin ninguna particularidad. Muy de la época y sin destacar en ningún aspecto. Se deja escuchar

The Teardrop Explodes has a sound that felt like it would fit in with other music from the early 80s that I would listen to. I kept waiting for something from this album, Kilimanjaro, that I have already heard but it never came. The band has a new wave sound, but without a lot of reliance on electronics or keyboards. The sound is something closer to Psychodelic Furs or Simple Minds rather than Depeche Mode. A little bit darker in tone like The Fixx, rather than Flock of Seagulls. Kilimanjaro was good, and it was good to hear some new music. "Poppies in the Field" was the track the caught my attention the most. "Bouncing Babies" was my least favorite track, with some heavily repeated sounds that wore out its welcome.

An interesting 80s sound which I didn’t expect

first listen super boring

Pretty good by 80s standards, personally. A good mix of instrumentation and super-British vocals that didn’t annoy me too much. Don’t think this one will stick around in memory, but at this point in the project I will gladly take an enjoyable 80s album and not look a gift horse in the mouth.

Upbeat 80s synth pop. I'm here for it

if i could i'd give it 3.5 but i dont consciously feel like i can give it a 4 knowing its something i likely wont return to.

Interesting

Wasn’t sure how I felt about this at first. This band sounds kinda like a lot of other early 80s groups, and I’ve grown a bit weary of those. But at the same time, they don’t sound like any one other band in particular, and I couldn’t tell you if they fit into post-punk, new wave, indie, pop, or all the above. I quite like the ‘bounciness’ in their songs. Anyway, when Reward (which I’ve definitely heard somewhere before) came on, I finally decided that these guys are alright!

This is Julian Cope again, and (much like his solo stuff), it's quirky and interesting without ever being super catchy and memorable. You could have told me this was released in the 2010s and I wouldn't have been particularly been surprised - it feels like a slightly more modern take on synth rock/pop which I quite like. 3/5

I kind of like this 80s style but these songs seemed too similar. Reward seems fun though.

Even though this album sounds a lot more dated than many of its contemporaries, there are some great pointy pop songs to be found on this album. You can hear, especially in the lyrics, that Mr. Cope used a fair amount of acid in these days, but wrote some catchy new wave. But where with a lot of bands in this era and style I really get caught by either the emotion (The Sound, The Cure) or the reflection (XTC, Smiths) this album brings more danceable songs and poppy hooks. An uptempo and short "Bouncing Babies" as prime example. Too bad of the horn section though. 3,5*

Interesting choice! Always a band ive ignored

Post punk with a good amount of synth. Very Talking Heads adjacent. Seems like it would've been a big influence to the synth-pop revolution coming in just a few short years. Favorite tracks: "Sleeping Gas", "Went Crazy"

It's interesting that this is labelled as neo-psychedelic because all I can hear is the post-punk. I do like post-punk so I didn't mind this. I'll be adding "When I Dream" to my 1001 highlights playlist.

J'ai trouvé ça bon, mais ça fait un peu partie des albums de post-punk qui sonnent typique UK 80s, je n'ai pas remarqué grand chose qui se démarquait tant. 6/10

Pretty interesting. 3 stars.

This sort of, to me any way, just sounds like an alternative version of Duran Duran, albeit before Duran Duran. It isn't bad at all, but I didn't hear anything here that was too crazy for the era, other than perhaps being pretty early on in the style of pop? Unsure. Pretty middle of the road with a good song here and there.

It sounds like a lot of other 80s music but this was from 1980. Fairly forgettable other than some great song titles.

I feel like a lot of bands have a really great sound, but they don't have any songs worth listening to. They're all technique and attitude with no composition skills. This is one of those bands. I like a good song before anything else.

Good running album

Completely new to me. Getting shades of Talking Heads and Duran Duran here. Not bad. The trumpets give this a unique sound, and I'm liking the unconventional synth chord choices. Some of these songs don't know when to stop. When I Dream, I dream of that song being 3-4 minutes shorter. Same goes with Poppies. 3.5

Sounds like a more driven and experimental version of the Police at times. Definitely a show of the movement towards musical differences in the early 80's, but not something that could stand up greatly to the test of time

Liked this, having never heard of the band before. Including 'Reward' which I recognise and clearly didn't know who it was by!

Pretty standardly enjoyable Britpop-sounds like a happier, less grimy Joy Division at times. Easy listening for playlists and background music which is always valuable, and the songs themselves are high quality and well produced. Especially enjoy Haha I’m drowning and thief of Baghdad. Solid listen all around.

wow, that's what I call 80s

If these guys walked by me right after performing this entire album live, I'd say, "Pretty good". And it would surely bother the shit out of them. But I'd mean it. I might even follow it up with, "That's the highest compliment I could give you" which would just send these fuckers into a tailspin. Not one member would appreciate my honesty and they'd probably break up a week later. But I mean it. This is pretty good. Nothing more.

The album is solid, it does nothing wrong really. The 80s was saturated with post punk & new wave, and I feel this album doesn’t do enough to stand out. It does have a dash of psychedelia that gives it a bit of a kick, but that’s about all it has to offer. No songs were outright offensive. I want to praise the instrumentation on haha I’m drowning and second head. Treason is clearly the highlight of this album with its catchy melody. I also wanna praise sleeping gas for its background droning, something about it really did something to me. If I could this would be a 3.5

What came first, the chicken or the egg. Some things have definite answers, others only have the vibe. The vibe I get from this album is that is the chicken, I mean egg, I mean it sounds a bit derivative.

Not bad at all. Like the Smiths meets the Cure meets Duran Duran. Never heard these guys and I'm sure I should have.

j'ai mis 2 mois à écoyter cet album mais c sympa. un peu trippy

Pretty good.

I’m diggin it. Lots of energy, fun tempo, a bit repetitive at times with the lyrics but it works.

Meh - easy background music. Not much else for me.

AIVAN USKOMATTOMIA COLLABEJA LÄHIAIKOINA!!!?! Pet shop boys - Ennio Morricone "It couldnt happen here" MITÄ??? Albumin paras biisi.. Kilimanjaro revisiitillä tänään.. Kukas tehny.. Jahas JULIAN COPE.. tuttu viiden tähden albumi takana.... Jahas tämä on hänen bändinsä.. projekti.. Jahas.. Häpeällistä..

Not too bad, not something I'd listen to again

I'm so tired of every album being a British rock band. This is inoffensive I guess. Just feel like getting the same type of music over and over, and having it all sound similar is going to make me instantly have a negative reaction to it even if it isn't that bad. Most of the songs have good bass lines. Not a fan of the singing, but the instrumental part of almost all the songs is catchy and pretty enjoyable. It almost carries the songs to make them good. Probably a light 3/5

3/5 Above average.

Un disco con cosas intrresantes, no tiene destacas ni voladas de cabeza pero es una linda scuchada merecedora de un 6/10

Decent but underwhelming

Pretty eighties. Some good tracks. Not something I'm compelled to listen to again, but decent enough.

I listened to this a couple of times whilst working because I didn't have any strong feelings! I really liked the sounds and vibes, so the small feelings I did have were positive. It just didn't stand out very much to me.

Perfectly pleasant quintessential 80s I would say! Obviously in the same vein as Echo and the Bunnymen but it didn't hit the same spot for me, they did have enough punchy riffs that do a good OOFFF. But I didn't not like it.

Pretty steady solid 80's album. Couple of standouts, particularly of course Reward, but the rest is basically other versions of that song. Classic "acoustic track at the end" is a nice way to round it off.

middle of the road synthpop

Great 80s music!

Nice classic rock album with expressive vocals, mellow drums and nice guitar lines. Overall quite soft but still enjoyable.

2/3

That's not annoying, but it's nothing special. I wouldn't listen to this again but it wasn't painful.. so there you are

I definitely like their sound but maybe just one or two songs at a time, not an entire album. Got a bit bored

Not sure I'd heard of this band prior to this project, maybe they didn't have as much reach in North America as over in Britain. I enjoyed the album but I don't really see how it was influential or significant in any way. Sounds pretty similar to the other 80's BritPop albums that made the list 3/5

Pretty ok 80s album but probably would have been better without the last 5 songs or so

Pretty nice, upbeat and fun.

Cool sound, very 80s. Went on for a bit too long

Never heard of the band before. I usually enjoy listening to something I already know and can sing along to, but this one have a certain vibe that attract me to it. Loves the drums sound. The vocal is pretty cool too. Will re-listen to this.

New wave / post punk rock. Sounds a lot like The Jam. Pretty good

This is a decent album. I liked the beginning, might just be that I remember it best but I do like Ha Ha I'm Drowning quite a bit. (The synth riff really helps that one.) But as it went on it felt a bit boring, the songs just repeated the same musical themes and didn't really stand out much in any way? I didn't really notice many interesting harmonic or melodic lines further into the album, and since I listened to the 17-track remastered version, it went on for quite a while. Not bad, it was a vibe for sure, but I don't think I'd probably want to listen to it front-to-back again.

lol look at that stache on the guy on the left i like the horns on track 1? coming off another new wave album theres a bit of danger of overload on similarity but initial impression is this is better than culture club i like the horns on track 1 and the guitars make some nice chimey noises. the singer here is much better than boy george little bit harsh and abrasive on track 2 but that's a positive for me I'm very partial to the sound of this although I've heard a lot like it before and it doesn't especially stand out in any way. it's on the high side of fine. I like it and would re-listen to it occasionally but not very often. it's got a good sound but isn't especially hooky. "when i dream" is VERY irritating though, minus points for that being used as the closer i don't know if Reward "counts" as being part of the album when it was initially a non-album single but was included in the US version but i will consider it. I kind of get why this was popular, the horns and organs are pretty boisterious. it's okay.

i liked this. had a fun energy to it, lyrics were interesting. big contrast to culture club where this felt like it had a lot of life and passion behind it seemed like there was always something new happening with the music and i liked that about it reward i guess was added later but that one was really good might be a 4 if i felt like i would ever listen to it again but tbh i probably won't. that doesn't mean i didn't have a good time tho. close 1st or 2nd favorite so far, with darklands

Je suis passé à côté de mon match

remontading

Solid 80's new-wave.

Yeah, it’s was ok. But probably won’t listen again.

trur eg kan lika detta om eg gir da eit nytt forsøk

that was actually not bad New Wave?

Its alright, the songs are fun though.

liked some earlier tracks but the rest was not as good imo

I love this album, one of my favorites of all time!

Kinda good low key

3/5. It is another alright album. It sounds really similar to all these other pop rock bands from the UK around this time

Pretty good stuff but not sure when I'd listen to it again, getting slightly overwhelmed with sheer number of bands that have a similar vibe to this

It is 80s music. None of the songs are particularly memorable and I do not think I was familiar with any of them either. Over it was alright. Better than a two not really a 3 but I will round up.

Another post-punky/dreampopy album where I can appreciate it but don’t love it. I don’t really have much to say, honestly (and I’ll probably be behind for the next few albums). C

This is the kind of odd new wave that existed at the very beginning of the genre and I wish had been kept around for longer. Not bad, though I don't see myself revisiting this much.

Not bad by any means, but really, I don't think I would ever think to spin this record again. It was nice, but it left no impression on me.

I do enjoy this, although at times I felt like someone else did the sound better. But that doesn't make it bad, just similar to other stuff.

For some reason, I've amalgamated Tangerine Dream, Teardrop Explodes and Flock of Seagulls into one band. Flock of Exploding Tangerines? Sounds like an Orange Juice tribute band. Anyway, one of the reviews said "cheery Joy Division" and I sort of get that. I know more solo Julian Cope than any TE so I kind of enjoyed this although expected 'World Shut Your Mouth' to be the next track after every track. Enjoyed the bass, 80s production and general properties. Still don't understand the line about Rafferty. All in all, pretty good, but not amazing. 3.5 rounded down.

Has a funky, Brit-pop kinda thing going on. Not bad. 3.5

Police + duran duran but not better than the sum

This album was pretty good for this genre, but I am not a huge fan of the genre. Also, there is way too much representation on this list. It gets old quick. 3.5 stars

Nice but not addictive

Not bad postpunk of the eighties

It was decent, but no tracks particularly stood out to me. I liked it somewhat, though.

Huh. I knew nothing about this band. I've heard of Julian Cope and maybe heard a song or two by him, but had no idea he was in this band until today. I dug this, though by the end I was getting a bit tired of it. Cool lyrics and melodies and good drumming. This was a cool find and I'll def look more into other songs by them and Cope.

Guess I'm a real 80s bitch. Totally enjoyed this album. Particularly liked "Poppies," "Books," "When I Dream." I noticed on Spotify, which is my method of listening, has tracked 9.1M plays on the song "Reward" and 85K plays on the album's namesake song "Kilimanjaro." On Spotify there were two bonus tracks that I liked -Traison (C'Este Juste Une Histoire) - Liked them singing in French a lot! - Sleeping Gas (Live at Club Zoo/1981) - Wish I were there! Cover design: what the heck is the guy (second from the left) holding?! Learned the definition of "blighter," which is a term used in "Went Crazy." Can't say I would spin this one on my own, particularly as I never heard of Teardrop Explodes. But would I get up and dance to this...hell, yeah.

I'm not sure about how "essential" this album is but it is quite fun. Very jammy and grooving and catchy. Definitely something I'd listen to again.

80s fun

Another band that I was not all familiar with, at least in name, but I guess that is all apart of this album a day thing. Overall the album was alright. It was your standard sounding album from that time. Nothing really stood out to me and again that is because I only give these albums a quick once through. I also didn't read the information behind the album so that probably didn't help. Anyway it is what it is so on to the next album!

Me gustó

Just another new wave album.

Decent album that has some interesting sounds but overall, over the whole duration of the album, it just doesn't offer enough to justify more than being average

Never herd of these guys before… The album opens with ha ha I’m drowning an amazing danceable pop rock song theres especially great mental stampeding drum breaks. Sleeping gas is the same sorta thing the instrumentation here is amazing especially the vocals on this one weirdly complement this song quite well. The song can be repetitive but still cool. Treason is an amazing pop song with stunning drumming I’am kinda glad this is there second biggest song according to Spotify! Song four second head has a brilliant bass line that carries this one. There’s also a cool little drum break in this song. Poppies has a cool intro and guitar riff but while I get what they’re trying to say the lyrics aren’t great. Went crazy is alright again great instrumentation and it would’ve felt a bit filler as the songs seem to be doing the same thing but that bridge is great for this song. Next is brave boys keep their promises it’s not slow as such but is one of the slowest songs lacking the multitude of instrumentation on the majority of the songs just being led by drums and guitars for the most part. Yeah it’s a good song. Bouncing babies is a little odd the drums actually do make it sound like it’s bouncing in the ear, not a favourite but certainly unique. Books is a little darker and more aggressive the singer shouts for the most part, the guitars are cool yet quiet and the bass and drums are good two. The best bit is the horns though gives it a great sense of grandness. The penultimate track thief of Baghdad it’s a slower track certainly different from the rest album the chorus is epic the rest of the song is alright but not too special still like it though! The album ends on when I dream it’s alright fairly grand great synths so strong closer I guess. If I didn’t see they were from Liverpool I would’ve honestly thought this was some early form of madchester I like it at moments but there’s quite a bit of filler here too.

pretty nice

Pretty good for a new wave 80s album. Treason and Second Hand are good songs.

Teardrop Explodes are one of those bands that I appreciate but have never really gotten into. I can't put my finger on it as they tick all the right boxes for me musically. I found my mind wandering while listening to Kilimanjaro. There are some great cosmic, very English songs on here, Reward is a pop classic. Good album that just didn't capture my attention

I didn’t mind this but it struck me as fairly typical of its time and genre.

Pas mauvais. Il y a des pièces très intéressante. Un peu trop long, mais la version originale est probablement ok. C'est une époque que je connais très peu et que je suis content de découvrir. Pièce préférée: Treason

Stand out "Poppies in the field". it's another very 80's album that only just sneaks a 3.

Very 80s, which is not a compliment! Best song is Reward, which wasn't even on the original version. Enjoyable enough, but not great. Definition of three 🌟 to me!

Hi- Treason, Went Crazy, Thief of Baghdad, When I Dream Prog-rock/New Wave vibes, definitely sounds British. Pleasant and easy going, with competent vocals and instrumentation. It's definitely got charm and is more interesting during subsequent playthroughs.

Not essential, but not bad. There are some extremely catchy jams on this record, and some queasy-cheesy moments, too. (6/10) FT: Treason, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises

I enjoyed this quite a bit, more than I thought I would. It reminds me a bit of the Stranglers. I'm not a fan of the trumpets, which I actually assumed was a synthesizer at first. But in general this was a solid post punk album. Fave Songs: Poppies in the Field, Treason, Thief of Baghdad, Second Head, Sleeping Gas, Bouncing Babies

decent new wave album but did not stand out to me. 5/10

Not bad, but not particularly memorable either. There seems to be a lot of random new wave/post-punk type bands on this list.

It’s interesting how so many post-punk/new wave bands from the early 80s sound like variations on the same sound. Not in a bad way…just interesting..

Ok album. Reminds me of an earlier version of Prefab Sprout.

3/5

Básicamente pop.

3.5

I liked it.

Ok…. Jag måste vara ärlig…. De va cheeeelin….

Pretty um bouncy nervy 80s post-punk type thing with synths and that yeah

It’s fun. Singles are brilliant. Quite psych, quite weird, but poppy. I like it.

Meh. Sonido ameno pero todas las canciones suenan igual, ninguna destacó

Skemmtileg plata. Julian Cope skín sínu skærasta.

First half of the album is promising -reminiscent of the Jam, Gang of Four, at times Blondie and a ska-less Specials, but then it tapers of into songs about bouncing babies and muddled lyrics - it could have been a staple of early 80s post-punk but being overlong and at times half baked lyrics killed that chance. Nice discovery and a fun listen nonetheless

very 80s

its alright, punk styled album with some interesting added influences that can be called psychedelic

What didn't this influence? Getting hints of Blur, Bloc Party, The Fall, structures of Britpop rising here. Perfect for throwing shapes to while waiting for Duran Duran to show up.

Didn't expect too much from this, but it's actually [retty good

Ok

This is not my kind of music. It sounds mostly like noise to me.

Very 80s sounding to me, which unfortunately I never quite love. Not bad but not my thing.

Very 80s sounding, but not much inspired

Typische '80s popmuziek. Klinkt in eerste instantie wel leuk, zoals veel van de artiesten in die tijd. Maar met zo'n heel album klinkt het al snel een beetje als een eenheidsworst. Ik denk dat hun individuele nummers beter tot zijn recht komen op een verzamelalbum. Het nummer "Treason" heeft hitpotentie! ***

Je n'ai que très peu apprecié cette appropriation culturelle que se permet le groupe des Teardrop Explodes, utilisant à intervalle regulier notre belle langue française, dans des phrases n'ayant pas le moindre sens. Si l'on ne maîtrise pas son sujet, il vaut mieux se faire discret. Mais bon, vous me ferez remarquer a juste titre que robgruyère se permet bien de critiquer des albums de musique...

Sleeping Gas, Treason, Poppy are incredible tracks. This is a decent album. Few too many horns. All about the vocalist, his voice is the main attraction.

Some half decent tracks as well as the obvious ones

Good new wave, haven;t heard it before. I didn't note much but I would add some tracks to a new wave playlist.

Meh, it’s fine. But is it just me or did all the songs have the same speed/drumbeat?

This was pretty good. Felt sort of like prototypical British 80s music. 3 stars.

A high 3. Spent a lot of time on this one, mainly cause I wasn't sure what to rate it - songs I liked were very good and enjoyed it as a whole, but a 4 feels too high Saved: Ha Ha I'm Drowning*, Treason

Middle of the road 80’s

Hadn't heard of these guys. Reminds me of the Clash, which makes sense since I don't know much post-punk. A few tracks worth a re-listen.

Competent upbeat British New wave. Like a less depressing Smiths or less experimental talking heads. Pretty good, but I bit forgettable. 3/5

7/10

It's a good album, I like the sound, but at the same time, it is really repetitive and all the songs sound the same.

Simple and common rock music

I like this kind of music, but it seems like the makers of this list like it a tad too much. We've already had a couple of similar albums that were much better.

Another totally 80s sounding album, get your flanger and phaser out

I wanted to like this more than I did. But it was still a good fresh listen.

Ok

I started to listen to this yesterday and couldn't get into it. It wasn't that I disliked it, I just wasn't in the mood for it. When I played it today I quite liked it. Julian's a voice reminds me of another artist but I can't quite place it.

Some of it sounded like The Jam, with a hint of The Smiths and even Madness. Got a bit too 80s and keyboardy at times. What I'm trying to say is, they're like a shit Keane.

Another 80s band I'd never heard of, but enjoyed. Nice 80s indie pop. A very pleasant and enjoyable listen. 3.5/5.

Ponowne spotkanie z brytyjskim punkiem z najglebszych czelusci liverpoolu, a czemu czelusci, bo albumik nie dostepy na spotifaju. gdzie jedynie kompilacje najwiekszych hitow mozna obczaic, wiec sytuacja podobnie jak z peggy suicide, ktore troche temu sie pojawilo i o moje zdziwienie, pan Cope pojawia sie tutaj jako czlowiek frotnu odpowiedzialny za wokale i basika, wiec chcac nie chcac, mozna powiedziec ze poznalem jakis tam fragment orgin story jego tworczosci, bo roznica pomiedzy tymi dwoma albumami jest dosc znaczaca. zwlaszcza jesli chodzi o ich przystepnosc dla sluchacza, liryczna jak i instrumentalna, bo ten album idealnie wpasowuje sie w brzmienie rokowania lat 80, wiec post punkwosoc lub neo punkowosc, szukanie nowego brzmienia dla tego co juz bylo grane. wiec eksperymenty z synthami, mocno basowe brzmienie, do ciekawych pomyslow dochodza jeszcze wstawki pianinkowe obok synthrow, ktore daja dobry kontrast oraz wykorzystanie trabek na kawalkach jak sleeping gas czy haha, im drowning lub went crazy, ktory jest jednym z hajlajtow plyty, a jako ze jest to plyta z wczesnej tworczosci cope, jego druga banda, jesli wikipedia mnie nie zwodzi na manowce, wiec brak tu jeszcze swojego stylu, a raczej granie ktore powinno brzmiec dobrze dla jak najwiekszego kregu sluchaczy, tak samo ma sie sprawa z tekstami ktore sa o wiele bardziej bezposrednie, narracja pierwszo osobowa, dlugosc kawalkow jest takze dosc typowa, bo 2-3 minuty wiekszosc trwa, co tworzy 37 minutowy material o 11 trakach, dlugoscia nadrabia zamykajacy when i dream, ktory najbardziej z calej plyty eksperymentuje z synthami i jest najblizej buublegumowego sounda jakim okresla sie granie tej bandy wsrod zjadaczy ryb i frytkow, z czym jestem sie w stanie zgodzic po przesluchaniu tego traka, ocenialem tylko orginalne wydanie z 1980, chociaz material mial dwa ponowne wydania, to sam cope krytykowal je za sprzedawanie ochlapow pod marka ktora sie sprzeda, wiec raczej nie bede sie zaglebial badanie deluxowych wersji, poza wentem crazy na plejke gdybym mogl, to wrzucilbym jeszcze gumowy traczek lub brave boysow w zaleznosci od plejki, ale jako ze na spotifaju brak plyty i ratowac kolejny raz musialem sie soulseekiem, to zostaje notka tutaj

Borderline 2/3. Enjoyed it, but cheesey synth horn were fucking gash

Entertaining. Needs further listening to evaluate

Seltsames Werk - in seinen schwachen Momenten nerven Fanfaren und etwas vordergründig saloppe Synth-Melodien bestimmen das Geschehen; in den starken, sehr hypnotischen Momenten („Poppies“, „When I dream“) ist all das wieder fast vollkommen vergessen und verziehen und der Effekt ist der Zeit entrückte Trance. Dizzy 3.4

Right off the bat I like the music on this first track. Honestly, I’m hoping this isn’t a sign that we are going to be getting a majority British bands (especially since this list is British) but this is starting to look like an album I might like. Never heard of them before, The Teardrop Explodes, not my favorite band name but I’m getting those 80’s Duran Duran type vibes with these guys. Sleeping Gas was good too until then end when he kept wandering around. I listen to most of these on Apple Music and there are always some editors notes and for this one it says this band was Liverpool’s most volatile band, barely able to keep a lineup together long enough to put out an album. I think that actually enhances the music because this album is really enjoyable to listen to. Haven’t found any songs to take home with me but as an album its nice background music. Looking at the album cover I bet the minute after the photo was taken the bandmates started fighting. I feel like they just constantly yell at each other but the minute they record they just get to business. Overall this did end up being an enjoyable able to just listen all the way through. I don’t’ think I’ll come back to it but I’m glad I got a chance to listen to more British rock.

Its hard to come up with an immediate reaction to the first two tracks. There is a sense of foreboding in the upbeat jams. Like a dance party in a cave. There is almost like a ghoulish, halloween feeling to this album. See Second Head for reference. I get sort of lost after that song. Thief of Baghdad was pretty cool, I guess? Reward comes and sonically breaks up the languidness of the back half of the album. the bonus tracks i have no idea what to do with.

Good. Maybe a bit one-note in a few of the songs

Sounds somewhat similar to The Swamp thing

Good vibes

I do not like when I dream nor do I like strange house in the snow but I do really like the album. I love use me and traison.

Above average

Kinda smithsy, but longer and less catchy

Definitely a bit long, and has a bit of a rockier echo & the bunnymen flair. If i grew up with them, i'd probably like it more. There are some odd ducks mixed in there as well.

Not that great but some of the songs are quite good

It’s interesting that they have this full bodied sound of what the 80s would be remembered for music wise, but it’s out 1980. Maybe they were ahead of the game, maybe I’m just illiterate

big 80's feels. Reward is a bop.

Solid album. Great 80s vibes went on a bit long though

My ratings are kind of based off first impressions. This one had some good songs but didn't blow me away on my first listen. Might be a grower.

Not bad, not great, nice weird feel, gotta be in a certain mood for it

This album had its moments for me. The overall sound is pretty interesting, but it probably doesn't appeal to everyone. It appealed to me well enough to rate this album with 3 stars.

It was good but not great

Its an okay album but there was nothing that really stood out and that I would come back too 6,4/10

“Reward” has always been one of my favorite songs.

Think 80s high energy brit pop, its groovy and fun

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

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

Not my cup of tea

An Ok album. 2,5

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

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

Not a fan

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

Britpop okej

Too much Copium on this list

More generic English post punk, great.

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

Alright just the songs were a bit of the same

not feelin it

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

Wan(k)

Meh...

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

meh

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

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

Got really repetitive

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

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

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

Ghohja

Why?

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

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

Nah.

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

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

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

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

fine

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

güzel moderen

The review that said: "I'm at album 1058, and this final stretch has been nothing but albums like "The Scrungles - Jimmy's Poopy Pants; New Wave/Post-Punk, Released in 1982 in the UK, one mildly successful radio hit, named 62nd best album of '82 by Slugflap Magazine"" is entirely correct. I'm only 168 albums in but I'm very bored of lads with jangly guitars

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

Nice

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

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

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

De la pop des années 80. Donc nul.

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

Brit Pop Dreck

I found this pretty dull and unexceptional.

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

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

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

Not horrible but nothing stands out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meh…boring 80’s

???

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.

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

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.

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

Boooo

Not for me

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.

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:

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 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

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

The inflated sense of self-importance that these Brits have needs to be studied. This album sucked. So repetitive, so boring, and SO LONG.