Reviews (page 4 of 8)
A good 80s pop album, it has some great songs and not so very good ones, but it always delivers. I was going to give this a 3 but after The Look of Love (Part 1) it does get better.
Saved Prior: Poison Arrow Off Rip: Show Me, Many Happy Returns, The Look of Love - Pt. 1, Date Stamp, All of My Heart, Theme from "Mantrap" Cutting Edge: Tears Are Not Enough, Valentine's Day Overall Notes: Nice juicy drama, synths, and drum machines. The cover captures the theatricality of this album perfectly. Big fan. Popcorn music, was close to giving it a 5.
Buenísimo el bajo
some histrionic proto-vaporwave vibes. feels kind of like Sade. A good back-pocket recommendation.
Singer was a bit übertrieben, but pretty good!
Conocida: The Look Of Love (Pt. 1). Le daré un 4.
I know I’ve hear The Look of Love, but I couldn’t have pulled the band name ABC out of anywhere. Solid 80s album.
great tunes, funky basslines, much 80s
Never knew this bands name but have heard these songs a lot. Some of its just 80s so bad that it’s good. I dig the hell out of wobbly baselines and the glorious synths.
ENJOYED THIS
A very specific type of 80s music. Very fun.
it's big, it's english, it's the 80s fav track: tears are not enough
Martin Scheffield-Lickley!
Unexpected good pop from the 80s. It will have earn a 5 stars if the mixing wasn't so harsh.
I really like this album. Maybe just as an 80's throw back.
Liked it!
Pure New Romanticism
Shoot that poison arrow!!
Very close to a 5.... brilliant album!!!
Sometimes, I come away from an album thinking “that should’ve been an EP”. Just a few songs worth my while. I came away from this album thinking “that should’ve been a single”. And that single is, of course, “The Look Of Love”. The masses got it right, thats the only song worth your time. I will say, the album got markedly better after this song. “Date Stamp” was almost good, certainly a very textured track. “4 Ever 2 Gether” was the right amount of dramatic and showy. Man I don’t know what to give this it’s like the 50th album on the list that sounds like this. Strong 2/5? Light 3? It probably deserves more but I’m tired boss. Once again, file under: probably sampled in a lot of vaporwave
Just a lovely bit of 80s pop. All of my heart is a great tune
Weirdly, I thought we’d already had this one, but my memory proved to be faulty. Three lovely stars, “All of My Heart” remains the stand out!!!!!!! Tom.
Cool new wave stuff, reminds od David bowie's 80s stuff a lot but there's like half filler here
I thought it held up pretty well. 3.5
Thought this wouldn’t really be my sort of thing but actually an album packed full of great 80s songs. That appealed to me more than a lot of other 80s music. Very enjoyable.
Not the best of the synth pop/new wave from the 80s, but among the top 40% of the top tier for the decade. Favorites: "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love, Pt. 1" The favorites were already in my collection.
I didn't know this band. Some good tunes. Overall a good album.
Fine, than's just fine
Ok at the time. Heard it too much then I think. Sounds dated now though and although worth a listen is not a "must hear" again for me.
Me gusta mucho la vibra bien de la època. Como para repetir alguna vez. Nota: 3.4
Not bad but not something I’ll really look up in the future.
Bell’album con delle sonorità un po’ funk e molto anni 80 ha gasato
Really strong album of New Romantic pop. The bass and production techniques stand out immediately and it has a couple of genuine classics on it.
I like the bass
Pretty rockin' bass playing, and overall not bad for early 80s synth pop.
Good album. Super pop from the 80’s with a Bowie’s kinda twist (like Let’s dance era).
This was interesting, very 80s but have never heard it before, but it wasn't terrible 🤷
Groovy 80s synthpop, very Duran Duran coded. Probably won’t seek it out again but a fun listen.
Very Bowie-esque , pretty cool
1. Show Me – 3.0 2. Poison Arrow – 3.5 3. Many Happy Returns – 2.5 4. Tears Are Not Enough – 2.5 5. Valentine’s Day – 2.5 6. The Look of Love, Pt. 1 – 3.0 7. Date Stamp – 2.5 8. All of My Heart – 2.5 9. 4 Ever 2 Gether – 2.5 10. The Look of Love, Pt. 4 – 2.5 11. Theme From “Mantrap” – 2.5
Kitsch, camp good fun.
I always loved Poison Arrow and Look of Love, but I'd never listened to the whole album...and the rest is pleasant enough but not very interesting.
This doesn't even bring up bad memories of the 80s. Blah
nice but dated album
Is het super shiny 80's productie? Ja. Is het slecht? Nee? Het is overduidelijk een niet goed geagede snippet uit de 80s muziek catalogus, maar het is niet echt slecht oid. Een magere 3
Britse man zingt over een jaren 80 productie. Klein 6'je.
What if Bryan Ferry sang for Duran Duran? The tracks have great production and the bass parts are immediately infectious. The lyrics and vocal performance is a bit much for my taste however.
Está super ochentero. No es exactamente lo que suelo escuchar pero lo disfruté mucho
Fue buen compañero mientras viaje hoy asi que cool, diría que es un sólido 3.5. incluso si lo escuchará más quizá llegaría a 4. Por lo pronto queda guardado pero puede irse en cualquier momento
Me: Mom can we listen to Duran Duran? Mom: We have Duran Duran at home This is Duran Duran at home.
I was so expecting to hate this based on the 1-star-reviews that I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed listening to these songs - in particular the expressive vocals and the piercing synth sounds. It was a one-time thing, however. It’s not going to happen again
Pretty groovy.
Glitzy, classy, but hasn’t aged with all that much grace. Some standout moments for sure, entertaining, but just solid as a whole. 1 listen Favorite Tracks: Poison Arrow, All Of My Heart, The Look Of Love, Pt.1, Tears Are Not Enough
7/10
This list is oversaturated with 80s British pop, which is a shame, because then you get stuff like this, which is genuinely good 80s British pop, and it just doesn’t quite hit the same.
Little bit different but just not my cup of tea. Not that much inspiration behind
Very 80s disco/electronic pop.
I love “Poisoned Arrow” and especially “The Look of Love” so much. They’re perfect early 80s New Wave pop, with bursting horns and classic synths, and I’m fond of Martin Fry’s voice. There are a couple of other good songs but also some disappointing filler. Might not deserve a 3 but I’m erring in that direction.
Two great hits, the rest just didn’t.
A good album, very catchy, but it feels so manufactured. Like a team of writers sat down only trying to make a whole pop album for radio. I enjoy it but it doesn’t feel as human
This is the "all gas, no breaks" of 80s pop records. Undeniably dripping in cheesy, glistening, over-the-top tunes. I am curious what happened to Look Of Love parts 2 and 3 tho
Pretty great, not sure I ever really explored these guys past Poison Arrow
Leans into schmalz too heavily for me. Overly thumping without any real cleverness or doing something new. Good singing voice. Someone give this guy some better lyrics.
Pleasant enough, some great early 80’s songs on here that I grew up with but does that warrant a place on this list. I don’t think so!
I have an anti 80s pop thing, the sound never clicked for me, so I listened to the album with an open mind. “Poison Arrow” works for the genre. Singer seems to be having a good time. “Tears are not Enough” has some interesting music. “All my Heart” worked for me. “4 Ever 2 Gether” was the song I enjoyed most.
Duran Duran, is that you?
The Look of Love is great, the rest...well I'm sure Dad loves it.
(4/7) more 80s
Unapologetically 80s, errs on whiny but pretty listenable
It sounds a tad dated but there are some sounds here that probably seemed innovative at the time.
Had higher hopes for this one, it was just ok.
I actually started listening to The Lexicon of Love a couple of days ago after ABC came up in a documentary about 1982, so this one felt like perfect timing. This album sounds like the 80s in the best possible way. It opens with a belting track and doesn’t really let up from there. The guitar work is superb, very reminiscent of Nile Rodgers in its rhythm and style, while the bass is vibrant and gives each song a real groove. It’s a very easy and enjoyable listen from start to finish. Favourite tracks: Poison Arrow, a brilliant pop song Least favourite tracks: None, every song earns its place Album artwork: I love it, it works perfectly even if I’m not quite sure why
Bra bas! Resten var väl så där. Inte så förtjust i sången.
det var dåligt men det var också lite najs
Smäktande 80-tal! Hade kanske varit bättre om det släppts fem år tidigare.
It's a mini 69 Love Songs
Very 80s sound. Started strong but got tiresome.
What a great trip down Memory Lane! Martin has a great voice, and of course the rivalry with Spandau Lexicon of Love was an astonishing debut, and unfortunately also their career highpoint before the bland takeover Maybe four fantastic songs herethat have stood the test of time, the rest are filler in comparison
Groovy and fun listen
It's ok. It reminds me a lot of the Jon Lovitz-led band from the movie "The Wedding Singer". It's sort of hammy and EXTREMELY 80s, lots of synth, poppy bass lines, subtle backup singers, dramatic lead singer, and all the other classic hallmarks of quintessentially 80s bands. It's not the worst thing I've ever heard, but it's also in no way timeless. Some albums from decades ago are still extremely listenable and relatable, but something happened in the 80s that just glues certain bands to that decade. This is emblematic of that. It's not bad, it's just from a decade's style that I don't care much for.
devastatingly rated the "a grand don't come for free" with what was supposed to be this review. THIS ONE is the new wave 80s. I guess I'll just switch them. "a grand dont come for free sound get a 1 or perhaps a 2 - white british rapper just...talking a bit off beat. not good.
A solid pop album. Somehow so cool. The drama of it really works.
Pop ochentero, uso de piano, sintetizadores y bajos muy marcados, fácil de escuchar y dejar de fondo, pero no mi tipo de música
man is really going through it
Cool, this band. I know of these guys because I took a flick through Colin Larkin's Encyclopedia of Popular Music a few months back, where these guys were one of the first bands to have an entry in the book. I'm pretty sure they were listed as an 80s rock band, though this album cover looks nothing like a rock album. I'll lock in dance for my prediction, but the more subdued, not-necessarily-electronic kind of dance music that was popular throughout the 80s. Here goes. Nope. This was just a straight-up disco album, albeit with some early 80s flavouring. I could get down with this album. I like the opulent instrumentals and punchy vocals, though it can be a little much at points. The sax is blown out and the singer is overzealous on occasion, but for the most part this album toes the line quite nicely. The funky bass is a consistent highlight of this album. It has a ton of bite and is tied into the songwriting and general aesthetic of this music quite well. The reverberating ambience and electronic synths are quite good, too. "Date Stamp" is my favourite song of the album because I view it as the best meeting point between these three strengths. As I've alluded to earlier, my only real gripe with this album is that it can be incredibly hit-or-miss. This music doesn't have much in the way of a personality or creative identity, which can leave the music feeling vacuous and empty on occasion. Fortunately, it doesn't do much to curb my appreciation for this album. Overall, this was a solid listen. Oh boy, there's "All of My Heart". Yet another song I know of because my Dad used to play it in his car - I've been getting a lot of those lately. I'm pretty sure this was at the top of his alphabetically-sorted music library since I remember hearing this song plenty of times. It's a solid tune. The verses have a good vocal flow and are underscored nicely by the bassy, almost bluesy instrumental. There's also a bit of a jangle pop sound in the sparsely-featured acoustic guitars. It's interesting how this song is able to take genres I traditionally dislike and blend them together into a greater whole. Great songwriting, too. That chorus is pretty golden, though the verses have a nice rhythm to them as well. The last two minutes of this song are kind of a deadweight, but the rest of the song carries itself nicely. Solid tune overall. Book time. "...a marriage made in pop heaven." The album was arranged on primitive digital equipment and then recorded over with studio equipment, which resulted in a precise musical approach. The lyrics about love and beauty "...so perfectly embodies the delicious contradictions of the slick, clever, "new pop" agenda of the early 1980s." Wikipedia says that all four of the singles from this album made it into the top 20 in the UK. The album has also received a warm and enduring acclaim by critics, who consider it to be one of the best albums of the 1980s. The album debuted at No. 1 on the UK charts and also topped the charts in New Zealand and Finland. Furthermore, the album performed very solidly across the West and Europe and was the fourth best-selling album of the year in the UK. Yeah, this is a very solid pick. A historically significant and critically acclaimed release - big thumbs up from me. I cosign this inclusion.
This Duran Duran soundalike induces guilty pleasure. Love the bass lines.
I know in my heart that if any of these songs came up randomly while listening to the radio it would be an immediate channel change; but the last 7 albums on this list have been so God awful (only 1 above a 2) that I’m going to give this a plus 1 for simply not making me have to skip any tracks to survive the album.
This group wasn’t quite on my radar when this came out. Decent, but nothing special.
There's one really good song on this album. Repeated 14 times. ABC is a formula - tight disco funk overlaid with synthpop and orchestra. Kinda like what Nile Rodgers wanted to do when he first saw Roxy Music. Great guitars and bass, and they occasionally forego the bass for a Moog. Trevor Horn was in the business of making hits, he saved the experimentation for the Art Of Noise.
Pretty funky
Weird early 80’s pop. It’s got that happy bounce to it. Smooth throw back vocals and great style.
Fun!! 3*
Ik ga best wel goed op dit soort hyper corny 80s pop shit
Decent.
Kind of exactly what I expected from an early 80s pop band. Nothing I dislike or think is bad but nothing that impress me either overall. I feel like the genre has evolved on from this in a good way the last 40 years. Some classic songs live on though as the hits they are and The Look Of Love - Pt. 1 is one of those songs for me. I had no idea this was the band that made that song and I was pleasantly surprised to see and hear it on this album.
Catchy but not enough to go back to. Neutral.
Another new wave band that I think I know their songs, but not their name. A bit dramatic for my taste, but it worked.
Jeg er stor fan av Duran Duran og ABC byr jo på visse likheter. Men om Duran Duran er A-laget så føles ABC litt som B-laget. Der Duran Duran oftere vender mot rocken så vender ABC oftere mot pop og disco. Det er interessant å høre hvordan det kan låte i de ulike retningene. ABC disker opp med flere låter jeg gjerne slenger inn i listene mine «Tears Are Not Enough», «Show Me» og «Date Stamp». I utgangspunktet koser jeg meg, men det virker som ABC gikk tom for låter fra og med «All of My Heart», og da begynner bandet å låte som et C-lag.
Not bad.
Some boppers and mostly quite good fun! Poison Arrow, look of love the two pics
This is a "best in class" album -- not really groundbreaking, but an exemplar of a particular type of music. That type I think is the so-called "new romantic" -- 80s pop that wanted to keep the best elements of yacht rock and disco while embracing synths and the big drama of 80s music. This album succeeds on all those fronts, and most of the songs are solid, but I find this to be a genre with a ceiling. Even though it's well-executed, I don't think it's worth another listen.
I'm a sucker for anything in the new wave late 70s/early 80s English context, but not this. Too many pianos and piano-sounding keyboards.
Not my favorite kind of music but not too bad for what it is.
crooning British new wave. "Look of Love" is the hit on the album. it's an OK album, just not my jam.
Good or Bad when i think of early 80s music this is what I envision
I enjoy this album. However, this is not one I would add to my collection.
80-82 Set the tone for Brit Pop or that 80’s sound, fun listen!
he's kinda going off Will I listen to again: 20%
This joke has probably been made already, but...."We have David Bowie at home." Listenable and inoffensive but sounds a bit like what AI would make now if you asked it to make a David Bowie soundalike, given the forced rhymes and corny subject matter.
nice
I absolutely love these basslines, but everything else was pretty subpar. It seemed too theatrical for the quality of the music. Not sold on these vocals either.
Mega cliché jaren 80, maar daardoor niet minder fijn om te luisteren. Fijne baslijntjes, synths en orkestratie, ik kende het nog niet!
While the idea for this concept album becomes a little bit overplayed by the end, the energy the songs exhume carries most of the tracks. By the end, you really just want this guy to find love for more than 5 minutes but at the same time you don't because then there would be no songs about it. Best songs are Show Me and The Look Of Love Pt.1. 7/10, entertaining for the first time, probably not that good on repeat hearings.
Enjoyable
Very dance pop, much 80s. The singer had a good voice but the whole thing sounded of its time. Not really my style, though I enjoyed the funkier parts. I didn't think it was bad. Overall: 2.6/5
Great vocals (lyrics not so much); great funk guitar; great (fake?) horns. But overall not great album.
Maximum 80s, no holding back.
Forgot all about ABC and the Lexicon of Love, but I remember ‘em now like it was yesterday. Three hits; The Look Of Love, Poison Arrow, and Show Me. These made ABC instantly famous and got lots of airtime. Comes across as a little sappy now… (2.75*s) It’s a solid debut from a bygone time.
ABC is a perfect example of a band that I didn't know that I know. A handful of these songs were completely familiar but I would never have been able to come up with ABC as the artist as many of these songs appeared on 80's compilation albums with other hits from the era. ABC completely nailed the assignment to blend 80's synthpop with classic showtunes and some romantic lyrics. When it works its delightful, when it doesn't its pretty cringe-y but still kinda fun. You get some warm and fuzzies as each of the singles play. The album might be a couple songs too long but the whole collection is still worth a listen. Peak 80's cheeseball vibes. What's not to enjoy? 3.23 stars
I was familiar with The Look of Love from my adolescence, but I recognized Poison Arrow, as well. This is pure Brit pop—literate, synth-heavy, flamboyant—but it was better than I expected.
Pretty nice.
Ok, non mi ha appassionato
I really enjoyed this album. I didn't know who ABC was but I've heard a few of the songs of this record.
Delirious classic of stupid 80s pop, awesome
Perhaps better than expected, and generally a fun album, but not that memorable overall.
Sounded like a JV version of Duran Duran.
= the Beatles I get it, I'm nostalgic about the junk I listened to when I was in high school, too. This is the defining sound of the 80s, nearly identical to Duran Duran and I've never really gotten it.
okayyy listened to this while making dinner very upbeat and dancey. def something my grandma would like i think my tops are tears are not enough and 4ever 2gether
Totally forgot this existed.
There is some great stuff on here, the opening moments are epic. It does get a bit tiring towards the end, but that may be because it was really late at night when I listened to it. 3/5
A perfectly acceptable 80’s pop album. Some good songs here, a typically 80’s production and some good playing. Enjoyed it.
Has the look of love
The songs where the girl also sings are bangers. I didn’t care much for the other ones. #ilovewomen
Good songwriting and great bass sound, but a lot of this is just run-of-the-mill pop. 3.0/5.0: Good
there are some cool instrumental parts in this but its pretty boring overall.
This ambitious early 80s pop record sounds like a million pounds, utilizing not only cutting-edge (for the time) synthesizers but also sophisticated orchestral backing. Trevor Horn's co-production pushes the music into maximalist territory and the spectacular singles from this record like "The Look Of Love", Poison Arrow" and "All Of My Love" benefit from this widescreen approach. Unfortunately, many of the album cuts sound like inferior copies of those selfsame singles, rendering stretches of this record redundant.
Album brought back memories as most not listened to in a long time albums will do. Job well done.
Pretty eclectic and fun. A bit too campy and (for lack of a better term) too much at times.
certainly music
That poison arrow song was not good enough to deserve a reprise. Not bad though.
Starts off strong! Has great energy but kinda lost that momentum half way through for me
Solid 80s pop, production is cool, not anything I'll return to.
These three stars are for ‘the look of love’ the only awesome track on this album. The rest of the tracks are just 80s dross!
It was ok I guess? 80's pop isn't really my jam, but the extra star is for the bass player who kept me going
Well, it's just 80s pop. There's a lot of it out there, and better stuff too. Uninteresting and meaningless. 3/5
Yeah so this goes on WAY too long, I was good with the first disc, it's just fun and groovy. The Look of Love Pt. 1 is great. Disc 2 gets too long.
Couple big '80s lite pop hits here.
The was the TEMU version of the 80s Synth Pop
Definitely not my favorite 80s album but it has its moments.
okay cool bass ig. another album and artist i have no idea of. (i believe that might be the case for a lot of the albums on this list) definitely an 80s album for sure. sometimes you can give me funky bass lines, i might just get pass it all. im getting bored already lol. a lot of my reviews for albums is recognizing the effort and time spent on each song or the entire album itself but i just can’t get on the train of it..? so i feel bad LOL. vocals also i can’t really get past it.
This album is like sitting at the bar lending an ear for a deep and meaningful conversation with your friend, while he complains about not finding ‘true’ love. This guy is on a six figure salary, he has a nice home and can smash the fuck out of a tee shot with his driver, but according to him the world is a bleak place because he can’t maintain a relationship. He hasn’t once asked how things are going in your life.
Love the 80s! Have to be in a mood for this one but when I am it is awesome. The Lexicon of Love is a glossy, high‑drama pop masterpiece.
Started off strong until the lyrics came in. I'm trying to give this a chance, but...even with reading reviews of high praise isn't giving it a 4 vibe. Edit: Just a mid album. Probably would have been better if the vocalist didn't sound like a drunk British man thinking he could sing.
it's alright i'm not a big fan of 80s music like this but for the right vibe it's good
Pure 80s New Wave goodness, but this is in no way a recommendation... It takes everything bands before them like Ultravox, Human League and Duran Duran had already mastered and just sloshes it about a little, then pours overs the rocks and calls it something new. I mean, this came out around the same time as Duran Duran's Rio and it just doesn't measure up.
Not really my cup of tea, but it is a classic
Excellent album. Strong songs. Wouldn’t be on regular rotation but still a great listen.
Apparently I'm ok with 80s pop.
Ok I suppose for that 80s kind of synth pop. think there are better examples out there, but there is some pretty great playing on here all the same.
ACHTZGER so en ahfang hani gaar nöd erwartet hahaha omggg wie episch d stimm und de bass denn scho ener hmm will de ahfang sooo intensiv gsi isch, isch de refrain fast chli flach? UHHH BASSS iwie hets immer wieder HUERE GEILI SACHE aber s lied ah sich hautmi denn amigs nöd so um UII JZ SIMMER BIDE 80ER hmm jaaa het leider echt wenig mit mier gmacht. aber ich gseh mega ihre reiz, iwie ischs eifach nöd so öppis für mich
I've always been a fan of the whimsical British pop music of the 80s, at odds with being serious and light-hearted. Whilst this type of music hasn't aged well with everybody and is placed firmly in camp cliche, it should never be forgotten for it's ability to get people dancing in discos and living rooms for decades. "Poison Arrow" is a classic that I remember from childhood, with it's funky bass, synthesized keyboards and snappy percussion making for something really fun to dance and sing along to. "Tears are not enough", with it's lyrics and bassline, have a real swaggering feel; I enjoyed it. "The Look of Love (Part One)" will never not be fun, as something I have drunkenly danced to for many-a wedding and party. A common theme among my reviews is the use of the bass, which has been used to incredible effect throughout this album to give so many of these songs their true weight. "Date Stamp" really being a great example of a bassline carrying it's song. Regardless of it's criticisms (and maybe my musical ignorance), I enjoyed this album. It was a bigger part of childhood than first realised, which is a time when we experience the world with so much more acceptance and optimism and joy than we do as adults. All of us, I can easily imagine, have at least one thing in life we love dearly that is considered awful and unpalatable by so many others. We don't care. ******************************************************************************* I hate to admit that the reviews on this one are pulling at me, with the criticism for many being really quite scathing, even as far as to call it "utterly shit" or "unlistenable". It, once again, brings into question my ability to sift the good music from the bad, as I enjoyed listening to this regardless. From further digging, the reason for it's hate is the use of FM Synthesizers and other computer technology to sharpen sound and 'replace instruments and musicianship'. As someone born in the early 90s, the use of tech was already well established, but I can imagine that if I was someone who witnessed the rise of this type of music in real time it would be difficult not to feel a form of distain for it, as I feel this way with the rise of certain genres and systems within video games today for similar reasons: some synthetic, 'striving for perfection' of sound. It removes what we love about creative work in the first place: the emotion in it, only possible when created manually by humans.
One of the best fitting album titles. It was not something totally crazy, but it is a very coherent album. You can feel yourself loving people a little bit more after listening to it.
Great 80s music with fantastic bass lines
It was so laughably 80s. A silly album
80s music. Not exactly bad, but kinda surprised that I've not heard of this at all considering what it brings to the table is just 80s pop. Also what happened to the second and third Looks of Love? Fave Tracks: The Look of Love, Pt 1 3/5
Standard 80s pop with some nasally, groovy bass on top of it. Cool album, but I don't think it really did much for me. I'm not sure what it was about it that made this not very memorable. The songs were catchy and had me bobbing along, but maybe they were just too middle of the road? I'm not sure but it didn't really stand out, despite being good when examined.
The hits stand out. I don’t dislike this but the ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach starts to grate after a while. Overwrought
Shooot that posion arrroowww ! Not awful and actually better than expected but still a low 3.
Der Sound der Achtziger
Well I liked this much better than I expected. Quite poppy but I like the 80s vibe and vocals.
This is my album #365, so I'll take a moment to think back on my experience with this project over the past year. Feel free to skip this review if you're reading this because of this album specifically. It's alright, but I have nothing interesting to say about it. I don't need to write about the greatness of the iconic albums I already knew and loved, like the ones of Hendrix or Pink Floyd, or about the mediocrity of the seemingly countless irrelevant indie rock or britpop bands on this list. Instead, I'd like to focus on a couple unexpectedly great discoveries. I had no idea I'd end up enjoying soul music as much as I am now, but getting the fantastic Otis Blue and Sam Cooke Live at Harlem Square almost back to back certainly shaped a particular fascination with the genre. Five-star discoveries I somehow had no idea existed despite being familiar with the genre include Peter Frampton, Muddy Waters and The Mars Volta. I did however find some gems even in genres I would've expected not to care about, like Willie Nelson in Country or Adele and Alanis Morissette in Pop. Of course I knew about the latter ones through their hits, but I had no idea how consistently good 21 and Jagged Little Pill were. I was also delighted to be introduced to some fantastic non-western music through Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. As unterrepresented as these styles might be on this list, as exquisite are the specific choices that did make the cut. Two artists worth mentioning in particular are David Bowie and Radiohead, because both are artists I didn't care much about based on my limited prior knowledge, and of which I got to rate five albums each already. While my issues with Radioheads vocals remain, I have to concede that there are some inspiring ideas in their instrumentals, though not enough for me to regularly listen to them again. Bowie however has really grown on me, and while the wide array of rating options I marked his albums with sure is a testament to his often praised versatility, I think I've been too harsh at the start, or more precisely, perhaps I didn't quite "get it" back then. All things considered, this was well worth sitting through hours of forgettable indie-pop and half-cooked electronica, and I can't wait to see what I'll discover in the year to come.
It's a good album, but let's be honest, it's not one of the best in the world.
I've heard better albums from the eighties, but some of the tracks (really just the hits) are not bad.
It is definitely an 80s album
At first I was like, oh no! (when I turned it on) And then I was like, this is a story. (when poison arrow came on 🕺🏼)
Felt very 80s but had more respect for it when I saw the album came out in 82.
5/10
Very 80’s, it’s was good for the era. Lots of synthesized music. Reminds me a lot of the David Bowie I remember from this era.
It's okay I guess.
It's overdramatic and self indulging but not half bad
"The Look Of Love" and an almost forgettable rest. 2,5
Quite a good album, it’s got a real grandiose scale to it. I love the Look of Love reprise right before the end. Had to google halfway through to make sure this wasn’t a Robert Smith side project bc of the vocals lol. 3.5
I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would.
A tad too eighties for me, in production and songwriting clichés. However still very solid.
Big, dramatic, theatrical disco pop! RIYL Dexys Midnight Runners. It's hard not to like music that's doing backflips to entertain the listener. This is a very fun listen.
This album is a breath of fresh air on the list. There's a lot of great energy, instrumentation, and performances... kind of everything that you want in a good album. The vocals are awesome, like on "Tears Are Not Enough", the instrumentation is unique, with strings and harpsichords and funk bass, and the compositions themselves are really fun, with many moments that grab you and throw you around the room like you're an amateur ballroom dancer who just got paired with a professional for the first time. Very fun listen.
bland 80's pop. Didnt care for it at the time, still dont. Didnt switch off but sort of stopped actively listening last few tracks. Meh
If I was alive in 1982 this might have been a nice nostalgia trip, but I wasn't. This just sounds like every other 80s pop to my millennial ears. Poison Arrow is quite fun, I guess. I don't dislike it, it's just nothing special and of a time.
Was NOT my thing back in the day, but listening again, it's better than I remember.
Me ha gustado mucho
If you told me this was what was spit out when you asked chat gpt to make a generic 80s album, I would believe. Incredibly generic sounding music.
Ikke så lenge siden jeg hørte denne platen for første gang. Ble skuffet da. Syntes den var hakket bedre nå, og klatrer opp på én treer.
mid but really uninteresting kind of mid
Very 80s and fun
Difficult one to rate this. It’s undeniably shit, yet I still enjoyed it. No idea why, maybe it’s just because it’s so unashamedly… so… Wikipedia calls it “kitsch”. If you made this album today as a parody of 80s music, people would say it was over the top. “Fun, but bad” is still bad, but Ive talked myself into a 3.
Easy to listen to, I enjoyed hearing Poison Arrow again for the first time in ages. It reminded me of watching the darts on the BBC at my grandparents' house.
Pure 80s. 3/5
Fine enough album. I don't mind '80s synth pop, which is entirely what this album is. It's nothing revolutionary or ground-breaking, and meshes with what most pop bands were doing around the time. Still, it's a decent enough listen if you don't mind that '80s sound. But there are better '80s bands. And worse ones, too.
That's not my taste in music - But ok
There were a few catchy songs on here. The album art and the weird poetry threw me off a bit. I definitely wouldn't have listened to this outside of this list so that's something.
Groovy and fun throughout!
Catchy songs, though certainly sounding a bit dated
Bombastic 80s new wave/synth pop. Undoubtedly a decade-defining album, at least in terms of its sound. While it's fun, yesterday I had the privilege of listening to Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family' - the gold standard of disco. Going from that, to this, is a noticeable downgrade.
I've been on an 80's kick lately and dug the first half of this album. Driving around town listening was great - felt like I was in movie montagem. Less great for vacuum sealing meats in the basement.
A very 80s Synth Wave Pop album that honestly really slaps. Might be because of the reduced use of basic keyboard tunes in favor of the heavy use of slap bass. No song I recognized besides the Look of Love, but even though the rest of the songs aren't of the same quality, the album doesn't overstay its welcome. 3.5/5
I liked this more than when I first heard these songs in the 80. That is some sick bass playing.
440/1001
Veeeeeeeeeeery 80’s. In a good way
Very 80s
Not for me. Good stuff to hear in someone elses home , but not mine.
Started more interesting than I expected, but ended a bit forgettable. All around a fine pop album. 3/5
Angenehmer 80s Pop. Ein paar Banger dabei, aber auch ein paar Songs, die sich etwas ziehen.
Норм синт-поп, возможно даже хуже, как будто бы есть покруче в таком стиле, да и к тому-же нет особого желания возвращаться, но это нормальный альбом, мне действительно добавить нечего. 6/10 Highlights: none
Nothing objectively bad, but I find that style of 80s sound tiring. 3.
Enjoyed for most part
ganz süßer 80s synth record. 3.5.
IDK its alright, quite standard new wave/pop stuff, the singing is good, and the synths are alright, but the songs just feel quite boring generally, not really too adventurous, I feel like you could maybe slightly compare this to the Blue Nile, but I think that is infinitely better, as it didn't feel as much like it was selling out for pop appeal, whereas this does more so, not totally, as I think there are stories and stuff in the lyrics, and also some of the instrumentals are quite funky and good, especially with the more disco elements. But overall I feel its just quite average, and there is much better early 80s pop stuff. Favourite songs: show me, many happy returns, tears are not enough, the look of love pt.1. Overall around 5/10
Thank god I heard this.
Super 80s in its fusion of new wave and dance music but had some fun moments. Probably didn’t need to be on this list but it was far from the worst thing we heard.
Definitely some good stuff in this album but overall a bit weak.
Very catchy and fun with that big 80’s production from Trevor Horn. A bit too campy for me at times.
Highlight Song/s: Show Me, Valentine's Day, Date Stamp and All Of My Heart I'd reckon this would be a great soundtrack to some hypothetical movie. As probably other new pop albums would be, such as New Gold Dream by Simple Minds. These new pop albums that I have listened to thanks to 1001, are so strange sounding. I am not too sure what about it is strange to me. Perhaps it is the musical-styled singing with the orchestration and the disco beats all combined into one song/album.
Er zijn maar enkele bands die bij mij kunnen wegkomen met de typische 80s synths, zoals Duran Duran, Depeche Mode en Simple Minds. Misschien ABC ook? Voor de helft dan. Geen topmuziek, maar wel geestig. Het feit dat ik het heb uitgeluisterd zonder te zuchten, wilt al veel zeggen. 3.3
Listened in the truck via YouTube music. This was an unexpected and kind of fun record. Very much of the 80’s. Some sounded familiar but couldn’t really confirm if I’d ever heard any of the tracks.
None of the songs were standouts, but this is stellar 80s music.
great 80s album and many good tracks included
Decent album, very 80s.
I am true neutral. Not bad, see what you were doing there, am I putting it on? No.
2.5
It's a good thing most of these songs are catchy because this was maybe the cheesiest love song album I've heard
Grupo desconocido para mi...me han sorprendido
Pretty great. Bit too shiny 80s for me as a whole but there are some excellent tracks here for sure. Verging on a 4.
'The lLok Of Love, Pt.1' stood out as a song I've heard before, otherwise this was all new to me. I found it to be a quite decent record, but it didn't left any serious impression on me. There were some decent disco-like beats in there, but it didn't blow me over for some reason, not sure why. I guess it just wasn't good enough to compete with some other records from the same era.
Fun, funky, and very unapologetically ’80s. The only song I knew beforehand was The Look of Love, Pt. 1. I think my favourite track was “Poison Arrow” or perhaps the same song, but slower, in "Theme from Claptrap". It was very catchy and I enjoyed the big synth and the vocal style. I’ve been on a bit of an ’80s binge lately, and this fits right in. Strong 3.
Pop Classics.
Time travel is real, when you're listening to an album from 40 years ago!
Gots that coked out David Bowie voice. Twas jammin' to this!
Ei huono.⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oikein kiva meininki!
Classic New Romantic 80s
Un álbum que no me pareció muy memorable. Me gustaron la orquestación y los arreglos. La voz y la temática del álbum son interesantes. Tiene energía y un buen sonido. Pero me resultó poco sobresaliente.
I can't decide how I feel about this multiple times through. It's a strange blend of genres; I didn't hate it, but I also didn't love it. 5/10
# Playlist Track - Poison Arrow # Notes - Lots of fun for anyone who enjoys that 80's sound. The synths and bass lines are on point. - Album starts great, but ends in a low note. A few tracks, like "All of my heart" are a bit overdone. Nothing too bad. - Still worth the listen.
Nicht besonders memorable, aber für den Hintergrund nicht verkehrt.
Very good
The sound feels unique. After Poison Arrow, I found it hard to plug into the particulars of the songs (except The Look of Love PT 1), until the change of pace with 'All of My Heart'. 4 Ever 2 gether also stands out and the last two songs are both fun returns (Although I don't think Theme from "Mantrap" was on the original release)
Love the bass, too much strings for me, solid 3
I was tempted to give this a 4 but I think its just too cheesy. It is stilton, it is wensleydale, it is thick fucking cheddar. Cheese all over. Pretty good though I must say, most of the chorus lyrics had me cringing the first time and singing along the second. It is catchy if nothing else. The songs are decently written, it flows smoothly and the production is just straight up 80s pop. One late album song had some incredible slappa da bass but I didn't check the title bc I was too busy grooving or cooking or whatever I was doing (it definitely wasn't grooving, I am white I have no groove). Favourite songs - Many Happy Returns, Tears Are Not Enough, The Look Of Love Pt.1, Date Stamp, All Of My Heart,
Honestly expected absolutely nothing from this album but had fun with it. Jot the best new wave/80’s pop album by a long shot, but has enough catchy hooks and funky melodies to be engaging most of the way through. Show Me (7/10) Poison Arrow (7/10) Many Happy Returns (8/10) Tears Are Not Enough (7/10) Valentine’s Day (8/10) The Look of Love, Pt. 1 (9/10) Date Stamp (7/10) All of My Heart (6/10) 4 Ever 2 Gether (6/10) The Look of Love, Pt. 4 (N/A) 7.2/10
Great 80s music. Love many of this groups songs. Not sure why it was included here.
#633. This is what you get if you put Talking Heads and David Bowie in a blender. 3/5: acceptable
I liked it more than I expected to, but still pretty standard 80s pop at the end of the day
Good bass lines, very 80s sound. Gets a bit of the same. 6.5/10
So much 80's British synth pop tried to be so funky, but they were so very very white
I still have this album. Many happy memories seeing these live
80’s pop romance album. Pretty great, honestly.
better than I expected, worse than I hoped
3 star. I like it overall, but not that strongly
Early alt electronica with some nice arrangements.
It's a bit thin sounding production-wise. I was hoping for something that sounded as "big" as Duran Duran but the music was much sparer. It's fun enough but not necessarily needing replay.
Some decent synth pop. Very consistent album, I gave every song in it a 3. Tears Are Not Enough was really nice, as was All Of My Heart. Solid album. Best song: Tears Are Not Enough
This is just Duran Duran on a budget. And I prefer Duran Duran. But this is not bad.
Kinda typical 80s sounds
Catchy and loveydovey!
The sound is rather generic and while earnest, the subject matter does not seem to have lasting impact woth me
Cheesy and dated but catchy as hell.
More brit pop
The Good: A band inspired by Sesame Street, as we get to learn our ABC… The Bad: The poison on the arrow was not real poison... The Ugly: The hair… For me, ABC is like Spandau Ballet, which means that the entire band is dressed to impress, the singer holds the microphone like a 13-year old boy would hold a tampon, and the “lads” in the band wish they actually know how to play their instruments well… And yet, for all the loathing I have for, what I consider to be the worse example of New Romantics, the missus and I found ourselves dancing in the kitchen to these bastards… Shoot that poison arrow… So, that leaves us with a conundrum as to what kind of score we would like to dish out to the lads… Well, should this album belong on a list of 1001 albums one should hear before dying? Based on the amount of absolute shit one has been forced to listen to, I’d argue that this was an enjoyable 40 odd minutes spent. 3*, as we will shoot that arrow straight down the middle...
Big bombastic bass and intricate instrumentals throughout. However, beyond a couple songs (Look of Love, Date Stamp) not much here really caught me.
An enjoyable album. Has a couple of really dumb songs but overall a good background listen.
Part of the New Wave of Synth-Pop. Contains some of ABC's biggest hits such as "Poison Arrow", "The Look of Love", and "All of My Heart". I always thought that ABC were a bit too commercial for my liking, and I still think today, but that said, the album isn't too bad.
Fun pop music. Poison arrow I'm sure I've heard before, but it's the most catchy song on the album. Can't remember any other song, but wasn't bothered by any
Solid 80's album. 3/5.
Not bad, was thrown off by the cover. Fun dance music. A little dated but ahead of its time.
My first thought, since it was the first sounds in the first song: The bass player deserves a raise. His playing throughout is stellar. This is a solid New Romantic release, with echoes of Duran Duran and Roxy Music. I liked a lot of the bonus tracks, but I'm not sure this belongs on this list.
Dumb dad-joke thought: ABC and Def Leppard should do an 80s tour called ABCDEF. Though clearly this is as 80s as 80s can get...it doesn't seem to suffer as much as many other pop releases of the era in terms of overly 80s production. Yes, synths everywhere, but they sound appropriate here. Not just used for the sake of using them.
There’s some bangers. But I can’t help but hear how derivative this band is. 3/5
Went into this thinking I didn't know anything from this band then was surprised to know 2 of these songs, "Poison Arrow" and "Look of Love". This is just fun solid 80's brit-pop.
Digamos que é um álbum que respira os ares dos primeiros anos dos 80's. Produzido pelo Trevor Horn. Interessante mas datado e sem nenhuma canção de destaque. 3 estrelas tá bom.
Pretty fun, catchy, incredibly 80s. 3.5
TREVOR HORN! WHAT A PRODUCTION! Great songs, great bass! sometimes the songs are a bit the same, but very good '80 pop with a beautiful voice of Martin Fry
decent 80's pop if you are nostalgic for that kind of sound (I am) but not sure that is a must hear album?
3.5
The Look Love
Good memories
Sounds like the incarnation of the 80s. The Book of Love and 4 Ever 2 Gether were my highlights. The rest was okay, but nothing special
Omdat de rest zo hoog was
sure
Does every British pop artist sing like David Bowie?
Pleasant enough to listen to but not my favorite.
I want to be a man who hates this, but I am not that man and I couldn’t help but tap my toe and despise myself as I enjoyed this record.
Meh
Very dense and polished for a debut. It has some decent songs, but as a whole it doesn't offer much reason to come back to it.
3+ I sincerely enjoyed this, imagine how bad everything else is
some good songs. but the banger hit of the album weren’t banging that much for me.
Generic 80s New Wave Pop. Not bad but nothing really stand-out on this album. I did like the opening of "Show Me" quite a bit.
Have to give it a solid 3. Side one really only has Poison Arrow. But side two is solid with All of My Heart and one of their best...Look of Love. I had a few ABC albums but Beauty Stab was the one I listened to most. Edgier. Maybe need to revisit why I liked that one and whether I still do.
Da e greit
This is probably that hardest album for me to rate so far. I can't give it a 4 because stuff like Duran Duran's Rio and New Order's Technique are just clearly better (which I gave 4s to). This album wears its influences on it's sleeves and isn't particularly original even if it is influential itself (I thought I heard The Look of Love Pt 4 before but nope, I'm remembering Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time. Better song, but clearly influenced by ABC). But I also don't want to give it a 3/5 because it's clearly a cut above. It may not be original, but its easily one of the most competent 80's pop records I've heard. I will say the flow of the lyrics/singing is the weak point. Kinda got a slight 80's hip hop Hit. Every. Word. On. The. Beat. feel. The most 3.5 album to rule the world, lol. But it'll have to settle with a 3 because it's just not Duran Duran.
A handful of absolute bangers (Look of love / Show Me and Poison Arrows) -but as an album its eighties cranked upto 11 and I found it a bit overwhelming.