Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Приятный синтпоп в духе времени. Достаточно драматично, чтоб это не звучало тупой магазинной музыкой с понятным битом для настроения. Некоторые песни сильно лучше других. Лучшая песня - Tinseltown in the Rain.
Really enjoyed this one. Tinseltown in the rain and heatwave were great but Easter parade was a little boring.
It's alright ig some songs were good but others were boring
Primeiro ouvi e achei legal, voz muito boa e um instrumental bacana. Depois de ouvir inteiro, percebi que havia me esquecido completamente do álbum. Talvez seja falha minha, mas geralmente isso indica um trabalho mediano, que até pode ter momentos de brilho, mas que não são suficientes para ofuscar sua mediocridade.
Some pretty interesting ideas and production, it has moments that reminded me of 80s Bowie.
Nothing memorable about this in a good or bad way, it was a pretty standard pop/rock album
There were some interesting sounds in here, but most of the songs were so slow and low energy I just can't see myself coming back to this one.
Too mellow and sad but liked the background instruments
I liked "Heatwave". This is fine...
More enjoyable than I expected. A bit samey and monotone at times but still decent.
3.5/5
Good
weird vibes
Yep. Good album.
Just kinda nice. Not brilliant. I tried to like it more, but nothing really stuck with me. I enjoyed the restraint.
A bit boring Very atmospheric
Decent album, enjoyed Tinseltown in the Rain.
Was as pretentious as I thought it would be
aight
Kind of interesting but slow.
3.3
it was cool!
I loved the title track. Thought it was pretty stunning actually - miserable and dark, jazzy, thoughtful (if a touch repetitive) introspective, loud, loads of contrast. The rest of the album is pretty lacklustre. 2.5 overall, but a 5 for A Walk Across The Rooftops alone. Memorable song.
- I don’t know why but this guy just feels like a creep - some interesting instrumentation -2.5 but I’ll round up
pleasant sounds, nothing that grabbed me
I like The Blue Nile. Enjoyable and distinctive album -- I can't name a lot of other bands that do this sound this well, especially not as early as 1984. But it's not their best, and it's still a "7 out of 10" album (of which there are soooo many), so rounding down. Good album, sorry to rate a 3 since it's better than most others in this category.
A love letter to roofs
It was neither great nor terrible
Sounded like talking heads
Me gustó sobre todo la canción de 'Stay'.
"Can this be all we will desire?"
Sofistipop. Ni fu ni fa.
Muted synthy 80s album, not bad, just a bit weird, and not super interesting. Stand-out: Heatwave
Good composition and lyrics. Very 80s Bowie and Gabriel
Interesting album, not my favorite thing ever but it does sound pretty unique. This is an '80s Scottish band and apparently this was basically unknown when it was released. There's a rumor (that allegedly is a myth) that this album was created to test some new hi-fi sound equipment and then the company liked it so much they formed a record label to release this. While I guess that's not true, I can kind of see where the myth came from. The sound is really rich and there's a lot of interesting background sounds. It's a bit synth-y at times, but less in-your-face than a lot of what else was coming out at the time, they seem more thoughtful about it all. Despite this, while I did like the album enough I feel like it didn't blow me away. While reasonably interesting, the songs dragged on a bit and left me a bit bored at times. The singer is fine but nothing particularly exceptional to me. This is a solid but slightly boring album, borderline 3.5. Favorite song: Tinseltown In The Rain Other: A Walk Across The Rooftops, From Rags To Riches, Stay, Easter Parade 3/24/24
2.5
Simple and without the overly synth-y sound of the 80's.
Classic.
Another band I didn't now. Nothing special for me, typical 80s Alternative.
That one was weird, I'm usually a sucker for 80's new wave and pop, but this was all over the place. Like the riffs were great and the instrumental kind of slapped, but it sounded weird when put together, like it felt like a jam session at times and not finished songs? The singer kinda sounded dead inside too, really not fitting with the upbeat sound. Not bad overall, but odd. 3/5
It's ok
ništa posebno
3.4 - Another composed slab of sophistipop but this record is far too adult for my taste. It sounds like the dreary ennui of your morning commute, or the grim determination of gathering up all your tax documents. “Easter Parade” is particularly drab.
Pretty average.
Chill, folksy vibes
Not good not terrible
I seem to recall having a cassette copy of this back when it was released. Listening to this album now, the songwriting is pretty terrible. Musically it's interesting in spots, but overall, it's the sort of thing that I listened to once, and then didn't want to listen to it again. As I'm going along in the 1001 and I'm a bit beyond 200 albums now, I'm beginning to form the opinion that I won't give a four or five to something unless I know I want to listen to it again. If it doesn't capture my interest enough on a first listen, there's no way it deserves a four or five.
Like a less good version of the talking heads
Good album. Only 7 songs show the limitations of the time when this was released. Never heard of the band, but Tinsel Town in the Rain had a ton of listens and I do agree it is worth listening to at least once.
As described, this was an ambient album. This is however one of the better ones I've heard and includes some nice vocals.
Okay
Hmm…. A Scottish band from 1984 that I’ve never heard of. Could be interesting. Check reviews, average rating is 2.87…. Uh oh. It’s ok, nothing special. But then again, I never really “got” the rhythm sound of the 80’s. And especially the UK synth-pop bands. The drums are way too treble-y / compressed, there's way to much of the synth sounds that dominated the era. The songs are kind of down beat.... But it works OK, for what it is. And what it is is not what I prefer. 3/5, it wasn’t boring.
only really knew tinseltown in the rain before. this was a great listen! electronics up my alley. bleak and also hopeful.
A bit like Bowie, but less exciting, fantastic bass playing though
Nothing to say really
I'm not sure how too feel about this one. Its got some cool aspects, uts not bad but it is weird
It's definitely not my thing. I can see why people love it so much but for me, while I enjoyed what i heard, it's nothing i would put back on to listen to.
This is an odd one. I love the mix. The instrumentation is eclectic and doesn't sound anywhere near as dated as their contemporaries. I personally don't mind somewhat atonal meandering music either. The lead singer's voice was nice and fit the band well. But it feels unnecessarily inaccessible. They hit me the same way TV on the Radio did back in the early 2000's. I actually rather enjoyed most of the music I heard, but it was all so hip and I was too square to be allowed to the party. This is that but from the 80's. I bet this was super trendy in the right circles.
Schwere Kost. Definitiv ein Album, dass man mehrere Male hören muss, bis es sich einem erschliesst. The Blue Nile waren Lieblinge der Kritiker.
I enjoyed this overall. It didn't make a massive impact on a first listen, but I appreciated the sound, which took me back to 1983/4: shiny production, tinkly sounds, introspection. Lots of apparent influences: Peter Gabriel, Japan. Overall a bit earnest for me, but I think I'd get more out of another listen, and it would have been interesting to see them live.
I hadn’t heard of this at all but it was an enjoyable listen of its era. Loved the bass. Listen to again - Automobile Noise
This was a bizarre album for me. It started off great and I thought it had 5 star potential. The first couple songs were catchy, but then the back half of the album dragged. Those slower songs were a slog to get through, even though it’s a relatively brief album. 4 for the good songs, 2 for bad the bad. Let’s call this a 3.
It’s fine I suppose, albeit a little goofy.
I don't have many opinions on this one, it was fine?
Something different pretty decent
Easter Parade was nice the rest sounded like a Scottish version of Sting singing over a million synthesizers
I like that The Blue Nile have their own sound. And there are a few good tunes on here. It's definitely a mood. The voice s beautiful, and this didn't outstay its welcome at 38 minutes. One for another listen at some point.
This is an album that has layers. It's quite a debut and sounds like little else from 1984. I love the way each track builds up. Yes, it lacks balls. It's a lot smoother than all the cock posturing that the 1,001 Albums list has served up of late. Shaven balls. That feels nice.
hmmm, it was quite enjoyable and i didn’t mind it so much, it was crazy how long each song was on for though, it was interesting and reminded me of tears for fears and donnie darko and something else that i can’t put my finger on rn. but it was cool.
Some beautiful songs with pristine production. I liked the first half more. The early songs have drama and momentum. The second half is slower and wore on my patience a little more. “From Rags to Riches” in particular is very pretty.
Cool sounds. I think at this point in the 1980's musicians were starting to get comfortable with synths and digital sounds and how to effectively use them in a way where they didn't stand out This record has a lot of cool ideas in it. I love the arpeggiated synths throughout- the ones in "From Rags to Riches" sounds like a callback to The Who's "Baba O Riley". The singers voice in this track is also such a nice contrast on top of this smearing of digital sounds. Very cool blend of organic and inorganic. I think I like this more than the other 80's albums that have come up on this list recently. It feels more daring, and more open to pushing structure.
Mid tier
Interesting sound, quite like
Sounds like Peter Gabriel. These lyrics are wild. Some of them made me laugh. It’s like he is just naming stuff he sees walking down the city street. I liked track 8 I love this Life.
New discovery for me. Not bad “Tinseltown in the rain” is kind of a jam
Tinseltown is still amazing but as a whole album don't enjoy it all that much
Some were good and some were meh. Maybe i need a second go
A pleasant enough listen. Nothing more, nothing less.
Nah
Not very special. But some tracks were interesting.
I actually liked this. Pretty good artsy pop.
Not bad.
They put the sophisti in the sophistipop
Moody and simplistic. Not bad, if I’m in the mood for their sound.
I enjoyed this overall.
i should preface this with saying that i absolutely ADORE new wave. if you put talking heads, depeche mode, DEVO, or men without hats in front of me, i will eat that shit up. but this? eh. frankly, this made me sleepy. i can enjoy certain bands that have songs that make me tired (the cure), but for the whole album? c'mon, wake up, man; this is mostly directed to the vocalist. all in all, this was fine. not AMAZING new wave, but ok. the title track was kind of enjoyable though; put me on edge a bit and could be put to good use in a horror film.
3.5
It sounds like early Peter Gabriel.
Bowie influenced jangle pop, so derivative that even the bonus point for being Scottish doesn't help much. Very lush and chilled, with one classic 80s single, but just not very exciting or engaging. Background music for a flashback scene in a drama, when they want to hammer home the "80s-ness" of the situation.
It's interestingly uninteresting. For a Scottish band, they sound "American". Like I can understand the lyrics. Their version of Stay sounds nothing like Lisa Loeb's version.
Seems like an adult-contemporary synth-pop without any meaningful melodic hooks... it kind of just ambles and drifts all over the place. Pleasant, but unremarkable. Tinseltown is the strongest.
Pretty good
This was Bowie meets Peter Gabriel. It didn't overstay it's welcome.
This was fine. Not really for me. I’ve already started to forget what was on here.
I like 80s synth pop but with perhaps more emphasis on the pop.
Unremarkable background 80s
Wow. Really liked it. Never heard of them before. Little bit sounding like Peter Gabriel at times. This is a gem. 3/5
short but good
Decent album, songs that are nice to listen to. Not super memorable, but not bad either.
Not bad.
Peter Gabriel meets “Let’s Dance” era Bowie with hints of Duran Duran. Not bad.
Solo escuché uno de sus discos en los 80 y como 20 años después al escuchar la versión que incluyó Craig Armstrong supe que era él. ¡Qué voz! Tiene muy buenas canciones así que merece la pena escucharlo.
Pretty bland 80s era stuff. Nothing special. Completely forgettable.
Decent, but I wish some of the melodies were less random and jumpy
Easy to listen to, doesn't stick in the mind. Felt generic early eighties.
Sparse sythn-driven slow-burning 80s sad-guy pop - a bit like Killing Joke or a less exuberant Peter Gabriel. The vocals are the dominant element; slightly hoarse, plaintive, searching, and introspective, operating within a fairly narrow range but using volume dynamics to shift intensities they convey loneliness, loss, and a sense of life happening elsewhere. There's a lot of lyrical repetation, emphasis on choruses and individual lines rather than extended verses. The synths are more upbeat: shimmering and arpegiatted with bright tambers. The bass and very reverby drum machine tracks are very synth-sounding too, giving the whole thing that pure-plastic post-modern sound. There's the odd bit of very compressed-clean guitar that comes in as an accent in key moments to build up tension (like in Stay). Easter Parade is a slow piano ballad and big change of tone. Heatwave is another ballad, but much more interestingly arranged, with a very layered bed of synth and keyboard parts as chill and inviting platform for the singer to float over. Favorites: Stay, Heatwave
Really good. I liked it a lot. I think it sounds similar to Peter Gabriel - which is great.
Pop elegante y tranquilo. Ligeramente instrumental. Voz melancólica
It's 80's and enjoyable.
Pleasant background music with a mix of jazz and a hint of electronic.
This album is more interesting to me than it is exciting. It's not my scene, but I kind of appreciate what they're doing with it. The actual musicality and skill are there, and I admire the amount of different ideas and experimentation they've thrown at it. There's some interesting things happening with the instruments, with brass, violins, weird kind of soundscapes, synth... It's just a bit floaty and unassuming for me.
Solid
A Walk Across the Rooftops feels familiar. I think I must have started to review this at one point... Really pretty song with a very 80s sounding (Victor Wooten-esq) bass tone and orchestral flourishes. This was a fine way to spend 40 minutes. Enjoyable, but not enough to get too excited about. Just nice spacious, but warm instrumentals with his calming voice over top. Somewhere on the 3-4 boundary -- going 3.
This was the one i meant to call LCD out on not throwing muses
I know an alternate version of my really, really digs this album.
Two songs into Glaswegian band’s The Blue Nile’s self-titled debut, I wasn’t convinced at all. I was ready to write a dismissive one line review: “Nice bass, shame about the songs.” This band are unhurried, understated, and appear unfussed with making any impact on the charts (the most obvious “single” here is “Tinseltown in the Rain”, and even that is a stretch). I don’t have many frames of reference for their music, but my own personal one is that their “sophisti-pop” mirrors The Police’s more downbeat, mellow offerings (think “Tea in the Sahara”) and is stretched out into ethereal vapour, by way of Talk Talk’s jazzy experimentation. There are only seven songs here to fill the runtime, and each one unfurls delicately and gracefully, in its own time. It’s the bassline that got me first: the more upbeat songs have show-stealing performances from Robert Bell (not to be confused with the Kool and the Gang bassist, which threw me when I went to Google). But then with a little more time, it was the gentler tracks which began to stand out. “From Rags to Riches”, “Easter Parade” and “Automobile Noise” might be my favourites: they’re the most subdued, but also display the strongest sense of melody. There’s a yearning in these songs for something distant and forgotten, and they hum in the silence: sparse, solemn, subtle. It’s not my favourite record I’ve heard lately, but I can appreciate “The Blue Nile” as a pensive, thoughtful listen.
🥶
Sofistipop. Ni fu ni fa.
A Walk Across the Rooftops is the debut album by Scottish band The Blue Nile. It wasn't a hit at release, but it slowly gained sales through word of mouth of pleased fans. This synth-pop album took a lot of work from the band because all of the sounds on the record had to be created/played physically, since it was produced before digital audio effects became commonplace. The downtempo, elegant, effortless feeling music on this album has a relaxing and romantic theme to it. It flows calmly and seductively from start to finish to soothe your ears. I believe this album is sorely underrated and could use some more fans.
I'm liking this strong baseline. Great to listen to on a rainy morning. I appreciate the emphasis on the singing, but I think Paul Buchanan's voice is *just* good, not great. I also really like another early adopter of synthesizers/electronic elements, especially these chime-y, whimsical sounds. It must have been so cool to listen to these sounds in the 80's. Really pleasant album. I would like to give it a 3.5, but I'm rounding down to 3 because I don't feel like I'll listen to this one again for any reason.
The singer sounds a lot like David Bowie I really liked the beginning of the album with the strings/synth and whatnot through the first couple songs Really slowed down too much in the second half of the album
This was interesting. I think I sorta like the sound of any one song, but the problem is that all the songs sound the same to me. So any one song would be like a 3.5/5 or so, but overall the sameyness brings it down to a 2.5/5. 2.5/5
Liked the first song. Rest of the album might grow on me the singers voice is just a little out there
I only know this beforehand because Destroyer cites Blue Nile as a big influence for Ken and afterwards. I hear the influence, and I must thank them.
Sommige nummers prachtig (rags to riches / automobile noise) sommige erg kut
When the Seinfeld bass started I feared the worst. The production throughout makes it sound a bit dated but there are some very strong songs in there.
feels like early new wave and diluted The police
Who is this vaguely new wave / new romantics band that I've never heard of before? Their slightly The The, Aztec Camera, Style Council, Fine Young Cannibals, Yaz fronted by Scott Walker meets the mellowest side of Comsat Angels spooning the Pogues vibes has me intrigued. My enthusiasm for the album slowed around the Easter Parade (though quite a timely listen here in April).
I could see this album really growing on me. It was a cool experimental sound that wasn’t overly so and had a certain appeal
Part elevator music, part a welcome exercise in *restraint* when it comes to eighties aesthetics, this record has aged miraculously well, all things considered. The title track opening the album has subtle instrumentation, "Heatwave" has interesting and addictive percussions, and "Stay" is a heartfelt cut. I also have the feeling Kate Bush most probably took a page out of "Tinseltown In the Rain" to create her legendary songs "Running Up That Hill" and "Cloudbursting", relelased in the next year (you certainly have common synth sounds and vocal ideas here and there). So does that mean I will include this album by the Blue Nile? Er... Nope, sorry. As interesting as this curio from the past is, the vocal parts are decidedly too whiny and/or bland in too many places, and most of the songs sound only half-formed to my ears. You'd need a few more "dynamic" tracks in that LP to give it the impetus it cruelly lacks as it is. Yet I'm feeling generous and will even give this one a 3/5 grade. Not enough to make it to my list. But that doesn't mean the thing is utterly bad either. Number of albums left to review: 627 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 183 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 85 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 112 (including this one)
Nothing really caught my attention, but it was a relaxing listen. An easy-listening album, if you will. I am interested in hearing more from this band, though!
Kind of liked this one.
First time listening. Very smooth, comforting, soulful late-night music. (Art) Pop music that moves at a pace of ambient without becoming overly repetitive. It has a distinct sound better reserved for the night hours, I'd say at any time other than between midnight and 5 AM.
This album is almost pretty sweet. A lot of the songs sound close to different things that I do like quite a bit. I do think the instrumentation, particularly some of the synth stuff on this record are really cool and ahead of their time. The vocals I could completely do without. It's fine, but I will probably never listen to this again.
Interesting but didn’t particularly fire me up
Favoritas: -Tinseltown in the Rain -Stay
Well this wasn't as bad as many of the reviews made it out to be. I didn't enjoy it hugely, but then I don't think I was "listening to it right". I probably should have fed this through some hilariously expensive speakers. At least this is all kinds of better than Thundercat or Sigur Rós, another couple of artists wheeled out by the audiophile crowd when they want to stroke themselves off over the equipment rather than listening to and enjoying the music. I would actually be moderately tempted to listen again, just to see.
Pop self-consciously elevated to Composition: That's appropriately pretentious and reflects the potential and realized mess. A Walk is ultimately cohesive and emotionally indulgent, and I dig the experiments it's willing to perform to get there. Massively dated sound, though.
Never heard this. But I’m a fan. Sort of Talking Heads style. 3/5
So much overlooked or ignored music from the 70s and 80s. This I never heard. Its has that sparse "less than zero" sound of ultra smooth 1980s. Tinseltown is good. Its atmospheric and beautful but doesnt make me feel so good. They need to subtract some of the bleak or detached feeling. Stylish and herribly depressing.
3 stars, like the production
3.8/5
Niet erg speciaal
weird electronic pop with a heavy 80s vibe. A lot of the songs reminded me of CSI intro lol Saved tracks: Tinseltown In The Rain, Heatwave
This one was like someone told them they could make really long songs but forget to tell them to make them interesting
Enjoyable electro pop without any stand out songs but still a decent listen
It never quite pulled me in. Sounded pretty and breezy enough but never fully won me over. Picked up the pace at times, I thought Tinseltown was an interesting track. Overall thought it was a nice album, I guess I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for a dreamy album. 3 stars
ha un po' la voce di Sting e un po' lo stile del Boss
Definitely has the early to mid-80s feel to it. I vaguely remember hearing "Tinseltown In The Rain" and "Stay" back then. There are some interesting aspects to certain of the tracks on this album, courtesy of the synth-heavy compositions. Their sense of melody is a little different, too, which I like. Although I can't say I am really into this album, it's better than I thought it might be when I started listening to it.
Interesting but not really my thing.
Nile est un garçon très timide, il le prouvera tout au long de l'album en baragouinant quelques phrases dans sa barbe. L'album reste par conséquent parfaitement inintelligible.
okay
Het nadeel van Bowie is dat ie een inspiratie was voor velen. Bij het eerste twee nummers wilde ik afhaken. Gelukkig werd daarna Bowie nog even verdund met wat The Cure, Sting en Kraftwerk. Ik ga positief zijn. Er zijn er leuke geluiden of soundscapes te horen of hoe je het zou willen noemen en de meeste nummers zijn ondanks het experimentele en de huismerk Bowie leadzanger goed te pruimen. 3,5 ster waard omdat ik verrast ben over tracks 3 t/m 7 (het einde). Duurt met 38 minuten ook niet te lang allemaal. Afgerond een 3.
It invokes a lot of the classic Dunedin (NZ) sound of the early 80s - minimalist synth chords on the backdrop of heartfelt lyrics designed to make you feel slightly uncomfortable. I liked it; I would’ve been more impressed if they’d noted the Antipodean version of this (i.e. The Chills, The Verlaines).
Its full of beautiful tracks but it doesnt really stir me otherwise
3.5
I think I just found the missing link between Tom Waits’s early work and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
3.5 One of the more unique albums I’ve heard thus far. The singer’s voice, the electronic beats, and the heavy synth/strings are all so distinct that it feels like one shouldn’t pair well with the others, yet somehow it blends beautifully. A lot of sappy themes and lyrics about love (I swear the word itself is mentioned in every song), but it worked for me in a kind of new wave, arthouse way that makes me think of a pretentious Perks of Being a Wallflower-esque mixtape - the song Stay specifically if you’re trying to win someone back. Speaking of, I really enjoyed Stay and all the tracks leading up to it, but it felt like the back half of the album descended into slower ballads that started to lose me. Heatwave wasn’t bad, but Easter Parade and Automobile Noise were a bit of a slog. Still, the album worked for me as a whole, so I’ll likely listen again - if not the full thing, definitely a few songs. I’m also curious to check out their supposedly critically acclaimed followup Hats. Favorite songs: Stay, Tinseltown in the Rain, A Walk Across the Rooftops, Heatwave
Pop aburrido
Låter som en Talk Talk x Bowie collab vilket är en bra sak och helt bra album också men talk talk o bowie e båda bättre
Erhöll gllfbdoqkwögbeöwbf
Listened Before? N I've only vaguely heard of these guys in passing from hardcore new-wave people. It sounds like a sleepier, slower version of Talking Heads. I enjoyed it alright but it was kind of mellow for me. Sounds like alot of modern pop. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Stay
Competently played and occasionally lively, but a bit too cold and sterile to be truly enjoyable. “Tinseltown in the Rain” is the obvious standout.
Shades of Let's Dance era Bowie, I'm guessing some of the curators of this list might have been Gen X with Scottish heritage.
It was just ok.
Lyrical nonsense, music was okay, pretty forgettable, not sure I'd ever listen again but it was pleasant enough
That's an interesting and quite original album on this list. The Blue Nile made an unusual choice of creating a record almost fully with synthesizers, but still keeping the tone of the early 80s post-punk and alternative group. Instrumentally, every two songs are really different from each other - the band uses a lot of gimmicks and methods to bend the sounds in new way to their will. There is a big "but" however, in this case it's about the vocalist, whose voice and style of singing is so phlegmatic, I just couldn't do it longer than a song at a time. It really brings the whole experience down to the level, where I am not even interested in giving it another chance. I'll give it a 3/5, but only because I actually like the instrumental parts.
The lead singer catches your attention early. He's like a cross between an angry and desperate Frank Sinatra and Peter Gabriel. The production is also interesting, with a bank of synths creating a faux-string section that takes center stage and a guitar that’s hardly ever heard. Not very 80s. Some of the more sparse and gloomy songs remind me of Peter Gabriel’s Security Album. The song-writing falls short of the innovative production.
It was fine.
The further you get from that diabolical "Rooftops" song, the better it gets. "Stay" has a nice groove, while "Easter Parade" sounds like a Tom Waits song, sweet and melancholic. Then it loses steam when it gets to "Automobile Noise." It should be renamed Dull Noise. A couple of four star songs drag third album into three star territory. Just.
Felt like this was a pretty good pop album from the 80s. The Scottish band had similar sounds to U2. The synths and instrumentals did seem a bit dated but the singer and song style makes this not feel too old. The singer has a way of making the songs seem relatable. I could listen to this album again. 6.8/10
I really did not like this very much - that however does not mean that it is bad, just that it is far from my taste in music. I actually have doubts as to whether it is music at all, given that I understand rhythm as an essential component to all music. This has no rhythm, it is a collection of sounds generated according to some kind of internal logic and with very definite time signatures - it is creating a soundscape certainly but I am not sure that I would call it music. Having said all that I can appreciate that there is something here that some people will like. It appears to be well produced and competently performed
Surprised by this one, got some real Animal Collective vibes. Ended up enjoying it for the most part but probably won't revisit.
Very 80s, kinda slow but not too bad
I completely missed this at the time. Music was so much more regional at the time. I enjoyed the overall sound here, synthpop with actual guitars being played as well. Stay was my favourite track.
As I listened to this I thought it's good but something was nagging in the back of my brain and it was on "Heatwave" that it hit me, if the singer had more power and range like Peter Gabriel these songs would have a little less 'sameness' to them...like, all good, nice sound, and the lead singer's voice is nice but there seems to be no pushing past a same singing range.
3/5. Some goofy ass songs with car noises but the normal songs were alright.
Wait they were cool? Also wait what she seems real? Also wait what is going on at work, I’m not thriving, honeymoon period baybeee
Nothing special
My first thought was "I wonder if Natalie knows this band". She was always into cool, niche bands in the 80s, not to mention David Sylvian whose rainy-day albums (my phrase) share a lot in common with the overall vibe as well as the singer's voice on this album. Anyway, sure enough, she did. As for me? I might add it into the David Sylvian rainy-day mix. Just the sort of thing to drift in and out of paying attention to. Mostly the lyrics are artsy and obscure anyway, though the melodies and arrangements are sometimes genuinely engaging. (Mind you, "Heatwave" could be reinterpreted now as a climate crisis song: "Are we rich or are we poor? Does it matter anymore? In a heatwave...")
This sounds great. If anything, the tracks are a bit samey, but there’s no doubt the band know what they’re doing. Not particularly my cup of tea, but definitely a polished effort.
Toffe eenmalige listen
5/10. Not bad, but not really for me.
Very meh. 5/10
Pretty solid mid-80s album that I'd never heard. Little Talking Heads, little U2, little somthin' unique to them. Kudos, gents.
It was fine. Made me sleepy listening to it. Short album though. Might listen again.
Unusual new wavey stuff, albeit a bit pretentious
Хороший синти-поп. Без явных хитов, но с интересным и местами экспериментальным звучанием. Напоминало некоторые альбомы Боуи 6 из 10
A good idea, but way too repetitive.
Uusi tuttavuus. Hyvii kasarihenkisii bassolinjoja! Vaatii uuden kuuntelun mutta tällä erää 3/5
Sasvim dobar album, u nekim dijelovima po glasu i instrumentalu me podsjeća na solo albume Davida Byrnea. Bilo bi ovo dobro po kiši slušati, tak mi se čini.
Meh.
I'm finding it so hard to know what I think about this! I love the opening track I think it's super unusual and interesting and I like the passionate almost wailing in his voice. I have quite the aversion to his voice in the slower songs for some reason maybe it's too whingy? Very mixed feelings.
This reminded me of a Bowie style, I enjoyed part of it but hasn't left a huge impression
Quite enjoyed this, felt nice and boppy and fresh. Didn't like the guy's voice much but some of the bass lines were really cool. Can't imagine I'll go back to it but glad I heard it
Some of the instrumentals are nice, really not a fan of the singer though. Kind of corny
2.5 stars
This guy has a great voice and the song sound very different from each other.
The first listen made me prick up my ears, since I am quite fond of what I know of the synth-art-pop genre. But after a third and fourth listen, is really does not leave a lasting impression. The opening two tracks form the highlight of the album, and it goes a little bit down from there. The melancholy that people seem to like from this album sounds a bit too dreary to me after a while. 3,5*
I don't think I'm in the right headspace for this band. I may have to circle back.
Not very memorable. 1 or 2 stand out tracks, the rest faded into the background.
Pretty decent Peter Gabriely art pop. A little meandering sometimes.
Really funky, uh, pop? Is this pop? Wikipedia tells me it's "sophisti-pop" which sounds both made up and accurate. Almost 4 stars but a bit not quite.
Legal, mas chato. Boa instrumentação, vocais bacanas.
cara não sei pq mas isso me bateu muito errado música de gente q sofre no apartamento usando heroína, sei la
This was pretty interesting. About as close as you could come to listening to a Peter Gabriel album without listening to a Peter Gabriel album. But at the same time it didn't feel like they were copying him, just definitely influenced by him. 3 stars.
Je mets 3 sinon ça fait trop de 4 de suite
J'ai pas noté de suite du coup j'ai oublié mais y'avait du potentiel je crois.
Smooth instrumentals undone by pretentious lyrics, but I found it pleasant to listen to in the background even so
Mjög næs örlí 80s.
Casual strolling high
2.5/5 I Like the singers voice. Some of the songs are okay, but nothing special. Favourite songs: - A walk across the rooftops - Stay
Jag gillade det, det hade nåt lite mysigt ultrapretto, som jag kände att jag kunde få nåting av. Speciellt de Långsammare låtarna på andra halvan var tunga. Kommer nog inte gå in i nån form av heavy rotation, men känns som låtar som skulle kunna växa på en
Låter extremt mycket som Peter Gabriel under So-eran. Svag för soundet, men tröttnar lite över en hel platta på dude-försöker-låta-som-Peter-Gabriel-som-försöker-låta-som-Sting-soundet. Kändes som samma låt många gånger! Men det var en bra låt.
I didn't hate it. 2.5/5
liked the ambience
This was a bit of surprise, as I was expecting a regular 80s pop album that I've heard in a hundred different other artists, but it was actually pretty enjoyable! The first track was my favourite with its kind of dreary and dark feel. Throughout the whole album there was a lot of depth and feeling that I really appreciated. There were moments that felt a little repetitive or unexciting, but overall I enjoyed it. I'd probably give this a 3.5 if I could, and a 4 if it was a bit more consistent.
6/10
The singer sounds a bit like David Byrne, which is good.
Never heard of this band before - interesting album, happy to listen to it while working
Fills the same niche as sleepy-time 80s easy listening Bowie. The vocals are calm and soft, the lyrics are shoe-gazey and poppy. At it's best when it combines these with hard snares and bells. It's hard to get excited about it, but it's not bad and is actively good in some places. Good - Stay, Heatwave. Bad - Tinseltown in Rain Artwork - Sets the mood of the album. The black and off-white suggest a deceptive simplicity. The men are staring at something I can't see, interested in something I can't quite lock down and that is how I feel listening to the album. It feels as if there is a great deal just out of reach from me.
very slow
I adore their followup album, Hats. This one not so much.
56 A walk across the rooftops - The Blue Nile 7 tracks. I'm surprised I have never heard of them as this was released in 1984. 1st impression is I love the music but not the vocals. Maybe it will grow on me, (it didn't), There are hints, (musically & in the writing), of Deacon Blue, (a compliment), but the vocals just don't fit. Put a different vocalist on this & it could be great, (but isn't). 3/5
Vellydende og godt mixet pop rock. Bliver dog lide kedelig i længden og er lige lovlig langson
The album is essentially a proof-of-concept, sketches for their later work. What we have is an establishment of The Blue Nile's aesthetic: meticulous, melancholy and songs given space to breathe. However, one can also criticise the mildly haywire arrangements. Also, one can find The Blue Nile generally overproduced and a touch too cold to love. I have spent the evening listening to this and their follow-up, 1989's Hats. Hats is obviously the better album, and I am puzzled as to why it wasn't the book's choice for their Blue Nile album. That said, two Blue Nile albums are a bit too much for one evening. I can grasp the appeal, but I can't concur that The Blue Nile are one of the great forgotten groups of the 1980s.
More influence. The album seems to have been lauded for its clean and atmospheric production, perhaps a sign of the digital times creeping forth in an analogue world. One or two tracks stood out. I think the problem with influential albums is that to fully appreciate them, it requires digging into history, to know the context of things at the time the album was released. And that takes time. Ain't nobody got time for that. And sometimes, all the history books in the world just aren't the same as having lived through it in the first place.
I've always found this a nice but also a bit boring album (some songs and the way of singing remind me of slow Peter Gabriel songs). Hats, the follow-up album is quite a bit better.
Pretty, moody, melancholy songs. A rainy day album. I remember when this album came out. It seemed tonally out of place with what was going on in music at the time, but has aged really well. It sounds rather timeless now. The pace is mostly slow and lingering, which some people will not like. It has elegant, deceptively simple-seeming compositions, full of layered sounds and experimentation with percussion and electronic noise. I've visited this album a few times over the years and it never really clicked with me until today. I enjoyed listening to it. Fave Songs: Heat Wave, Automobile Noise, Tinseltown in the Rain
A solid 3. Great bass lines in the first few songs, this is a trend that I seem to really like
Pop agradável
its alright, nothing special though
It was alright,
not my thing
First track was just musical anxiety, 1/5 Rest of the album was decent enough, 3/5
Enjoyed this album. Not as good as pulp. Short listen
Kinda sounds like Peter Gabriel, dece album
I rather like this. Its definitely got some Bowie & Peter Gabriel influence, which could never be a bad thing to me. And I get hits of David Grey’s self-produced White Ladder, which I had on repeat for a while in the 90s. Some of the synth & sequencer sounds are a bit dated. But the sound is complex, the mood is contemplative, and the overall feel is sophisticated w/o being full of itself. I likely would have liked it more had I discovered in in the 80s, but I look forward to giving it some more time to grow on me and analyze it further.
Eh, was okay. seemed generic to me personally.
It was cool, although it was a bit of a tough listen. I really like how experimental the album felt. There were a lot of things I've heard, but so much that I haven't heard before. As a result, I feel like I'd listen to it when I'm in a mood for inspiration. What I really found interesting was how jazzy the instrumentals got while keeping this mellow atmosphere, which at times really peaked my interest while at other times, felt challenging. I only saved a few songs that really caught me, I think it was just the singles.
Nothing stood out to me, only listened to disc 1
me hizo pensar en la escuela de frankfurt???!?!
Nothing bad, but nothing great either. Somewhat forgettable really.
Great little drifter
This was very enjoyable! Sometimes I felt as if the vocals were a bit shadowed by the overbearing instrumentals, but other than that it was perfectly fine.
Interesting but all very similar.
A little different but ok
1 nummer kende ik al, dat is een mooie klassieker. De rest viel wat tegen, maar toch prima album
Really liked this. Would go back
Tinseltown in the Rain heb ik altijd al een prachtig nummer gevonden, en die sfeer wordt doorgetrokken op dit hele album.
I quite enjoyed this. Some nice 80s numbers in there. Sounded quite a lot like bands such as Prefab Sprout and Orange Juice...not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.
Yllätyin positiivisesti. Laulajasta tulee mieleen semmoinen köyhän miehen Roger Daltrey. Biisit nyt ehkä vähän höttöä, mutta taustalla menee. Yllätys2,5->3.
ehhhhhhh, this is a cool defy genre kind of piece, but its just not my vibe. From Rags to Riches is weird and cool. meh just not my style
Too 80s and too ballady for me, but I think the lead singer has a great voice.
A beautifully picturesque album. Synths are my jam. Tinseltown in the Rain is glorious. Falters in the middle. "Are we rich or are we poor, does it matter anymore?" 6/10
Ok. Not bad, but not my favorite. Bass is pretty badass.
Can't say I loved it, but it seemed unique, and I liked the deadpan moodiness of it, an entanglement of cynicism and beauty. Enough to pique my interest anyway.
Grand. Seemingly simple but not, sophisticated pop. Almost a 5.
Good album. Electronic sounds are great, reminds me of the depressing sounds of New order.
I was really hoping to enjoy this, but it ended up feeling more like nothing than I expected. It's intentionally obtuse and repetitive in a way that doesn't bode well for anyone that isn't looking for exactly that. Walk Across the Rooftops is probably the best song off the album, but apparently Tinseltown in the Rain is their most popular song? Kinda weird if you ask me.
I liked it for a bit, then the content and execution fell a bit flat. Lyrics are too cheesy for me but it sounds alright.
This reminded me of the band Talk Talk a lot. Complicated, well-produced pop music. The song structures are something I haven’t really heard before. I like the first half of this record quite a bit. And Hoo boy those basslines. Favorite song: A Walk Across The Rooftops Least favorite song: Easter Parade
Todella mielenkiintoinen uusi tuttavuus. Tykkäsin kovasti levyn tunnelmasta ja äänimaailmasta. Biisien laatu ei ihan riitä korkeampaan arvosanaan mutta täytyy pitää tämä nimi mielessä.
Такое надо слушать, когда на улице дождь
A bit like Bowie, but less exciting
Interesting album. Strong atmosphere
This album is a bit of a strange combination of mostly 80s synth and smooth jazz. Which, by all accounts should be really fun. but a couple of things make this less fun than it could otherwise have been. Paul Buchanan's vocals sound like he is squeezing them out. Not that it is laboured or that he cant reach the notes he is going for. It is a stylistic choice. I feel like he has made a decision to try to put a Mick Hucknall/James Brown level of effort into pushing out every syllable when he really could have backed off a bit and it might have felt just as impact-full. The second links to the vocals and if it was resolved, the vocals might not be an issue. All of the songs have a level of significant melancholy. To me, if you have a beautiful melancholy to the song, the vocal should reflect that with a whistful, ethereal or even understated quality. This feels like someone shouting at beautiful sparkling otherworldly lights. Overall, I feel as though I like what The Blue Nile was hoping to do. Then they did it really well in exactly the way they wanted to do it. But, as it turns out, the reality of their creation was less enjoyable that the way I thought it would be. (2.100)
Ret unik stil og lyd, kunne godt bruge nogen flere hooks
Very boring, but sounded very nice!
The album did not inspire much in me. The vocal were off-putting to my ears. I don't have much else to say, it was one big ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
it's like if U2 was slightly more listenable, but i'm still not going out of my way to hear this again. a little extra credit to this album for being under 40 minutes, since i knew it wasn't for me roughly 10 minutes in
Detta är tråkigt och intetsägande för mig. Jag gillade det faktiskt inte alls. Ett band jag inte tidigare hört talas om, så det var ju kul att lyssna på något nytt för mig men insåg snabbt att detta inte var för mig. Tråkigt rakt igenom.
No thank you
ok
Très nul
Eh
"Word of mouth" records can be great, terrible, or anything in between. But they definitely don't belong on a list of the 1001 most important albums of all time. Unless they were the first-ever instance of "word of mouth" music, which AWATR definitely was not. The opener/title track is like an 80s Bowie track gone very wrong. None of the musical elements particularly mesh with one another – they seem thoughtlessly tossed together. The singing itself doesn't impress or offend, but the melody goes absolutely nowhere. I worry about the remaining six songs. Tinseltown In The Rain fares better. Immediately more singable, which is always a plus if vocals/lyrics are involved. The piano and string parts cut nicely through the mix. Though everything is almost aggressively "of its time", in my mind this sort of music is a tongue-and-cheek nod toward that style of music rather than an endorsement of it. From Rags To Riches has a quirky sound, especially with those retro-video-game synths, but ultimately it treads water for six minutes without going anywhere with its musical ideas. Stay is probably the strongest song up thus far, but don't get any crazy ideas. It's good at best. Again the piano does a lot of the heavy lifting, though having a decent-sounding guitar part helps a heck of a lot too. Groovy, happy, floaty. I could see this appearing on a Talking Heads record with some minor reworking. If you were anxiously awaiting a fifth consecutive ballad, look no further than Easter Parade, perhaps the most balladesque of them all. At least keyboard is a good choice of solo accompaniment to the singing. I would have filed Heatwave under the same "too weird and weakly experimental" category as the opening track, but it reminds me strangely of soundscape experimentation from the following decade – the likes of Radiohead and Aphex Twin. It gets a pass! Automobile Noise, though... a very "empty" way to end the album. And that singing is just not good. 2/5 Key tracks: Tinseltown In The Rain, Stay
Sounds like bad Thomas Dolby.
It was a nice enough album, but a bit spaced out abstract
Too slow and not that charming for it to be remembered. Didn't bother me on any level.
Sound familiar but not quite to my liking.
Sounds like a Bowie/Byrne hybrid doing karaoke
peter gabriel with a sprinkle of david bowie that somehow doesnt really work
Not compelling enough to compete with similar bands of the time (im thinking Talk Talk) in terms of singing and musical structure
This reminds me of shit my dad listened to after my parents got divorced but mixed with Talking Heads.
That was one of the most incredib…ly boring things I’ve ever heard.
Never heard of them somehow and grew up in the 80s.
TO ME this sounds like an unfinished demo that desperately needs more layers and to be handed to an accomplished lead singer. I understand that for a lot of people the vocal style is what they are drawn to. I would like to have a sit down with the person that thought this needs to be on a list of albums you need to hear before you die so they can explain exactly what about this I needed to hear. Melancholy synth/pop/folk? I've heard 20 artists on this list that do it better and 100 others that didn't make this list. 2.5, this exists and I am no better or worse from having heard it and never need to hear it again.
i can’t tell if i’ve hit some sort of mid-1001 burnout or if this project is actually making me more critical of music. this album made me open up spot*fy and wistfully glance at other, better albums i could be listening to. i’m not cut out for sophisti-pop.
This sounded good but very pretentious. It sounds like they are very arrogant people. Very 80s. It didn't sound bad but it got boring.
This felt kind of meh to me, which sounds harsh but it’s just not my sound and the singer almost seemed dispassionate and uninterested
Overall, nothing too exciting, just alright leaving it in the background.
Oei, ik hoor eigenlijk al meteen iets waar ik niet zo vrolijk van word: Een zeikerige zanger. Muzikaal zit het verder wel best interessant in elkaar met strijkers enzo. Maar ik merk dat ik eigenlijk meteen al de zanger niet zo goed vind. Goed, we geven het , zo neutraal mogelijk, toch een kans, misschien valt de zang me toch mee? Het is wel duidelijk new wave, en dat vind ik ergens nog wel geinig, maar dit hele album is zo ontzettend pretentieus. Je hoort gewoon bijna dat de zanger een driedelig pak aan heeft tijdens het zingen en continue sigaretten aan het roken is ook al mag je niet roken in de studio. Dat hoort nou eenmaal bij zijn creatieve proces, want net als Vincent van Gogh wordt hij niet begrepen bij leven, maar zal iedereen er later achter komen hoe geniaal hij was. Ugh, ik krijg een nare smaak van dit album, gelukkig duurt het maar 38 minuten, maar het zijn wel 38 ontzettend lange minuten zo... FAVO:
Whenever I review an album, I really try my best to give my thoughts in a reasonable amount of detail, without just writing a straight up entire essay. And I guess technically that is what I'm doing with this review too. To be fair, I am writing this a good few hours after having actually listened to the album, but even then I feel like I should still remember *something* about it. Was this good? Was this bad? Honestly I have no idea, all I can tell you is that it was forgettable, since I genuinely can't recall anything on this entire album that stuck with me.
Archetypal 80s pop of a certain type. Spiky bass, drums machine, swirling synths. It hasn’t aged well stylistically and it doesn’t help that the songs (despite sounding quite portentous) are pretty mundane in content.
2/5
Klingt wie eine schlechte Version von etwas, das ich sehr mag
This wasn't bad bad, but it wasn't for me. I'd love to know the criteria that got this on the list and meant I simply had to hear it before I died.
Despite the difference in number of listens, I actually really like From Rags to Riches more than Tinseltown In the Rain. The latter is pretty generic, in my opinion, but Rags to Riches hits a really cool fantasy sound.
It definitely occupies a unique space. It was pleasant enough but I have no urge to listen again. Rating: 1.8