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Talk Talk Talk

The Psychedelic Furs

1981

Talk Talk Talk
Album Summary

Talk Talk Talk is the second studio album by the English rock band the Psychedelic Furs. It was released 15 May 1981 by Columbia Records. AllMusic noted that with Talk Talk Talk, "the Furs introduced a brighter, poppier side to their underground rock edge".

Wikipedia

Rating

3.03

Votes

6772
Genres
New Wave
Post Punk

Reviews

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Mon Aug 14 2023
4

This was very samey... but just fun and vibrant enough to earn it a fourth star. It's the type of 80's that I can't help but smile at.

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Fri Aug 11 2023
4

Post-punk meets new wave and pop and Richard Butler’s very distinctive voice. An early ‘80s classic.

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Sat Jul 29 2023
2

One of those albums people are thinking about when they say music sounds all the same

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Tue Aug 01 2023
2

Christ, another album from 1981 that has a similar name and album art to everything else from 1981 here. Is it going to be post punk/new wave garbage? Course it is. UK? Yeah, probably. Yep, English new wave punk garbage. Singer rips off Johnny rotten. Boring. 2/5.

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Sat Jul 29 2023
5

Great album I have missed. I don’t know why but it was not on list.

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Sun Aug 20 2023
5

One of the albums (just like Talk Talk's Laughing Stock) that for some reason you could practically buy for free in every record store in the nineties in the Netherlands. And so I did at the time. One of my favourite albums from the 80s and not sure which of the first four Psychedelic Furs albums is the best one. Talk Talk Talk contains the original Pretty in Pink - I prefer their 86 Americanish movie version, but this version fits the rest of the album much better.

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Thu Sep 28 2023
5

LOVE the opening. Very cool new romantic with lo fi production. Pretty in Pink is so beautiful!!! Bauhaus does The Mamas and The Papas?? Gets better and even slightly funkier. Loooove it. Into you like a train, slay slay slaaaaay

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Fri Oct 06 2023
5

10/10 I’ve heard a fair bit from The Psychedelic Furs before, and I’ve absolutely loved all of it I’m surprised I haven’t just gone through their entire discography yet

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Fri Oct 27 2023
5

The album that made me fall in love with the Furs. A sound out of time, yet timeless. A fantastic album.

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Fri Nov 10 2023
5

Interesting that I’ve likely never heard any of these songs before, although I am very familiar with the 1986 re-recording of Pretty In Pink from the movie. This version was a bit different. That made this album a completely new listen. I enjoyed it. It wasn’t exactly what I was expecting - there was a lot more going on than the 80s hits I am familiar with would have implied. Really interesting and good, and one of those albums I think I like a lot more now than if I’d heard it back in the day.

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Fri Nov 10 2023
5

For the second time in just a few days, we have an album that I thought I'd be luke-warm on, at best, based on scant familiarity with the artist but on listening, I find myself really enjoying the sound and thinking, I would definitely listen to this again. I didn't think this kind of 80s alternative was my thing but who knows what my thing is anymore. I liked this a lot!

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Sun Dec 03 2023
5

The Psychedelic Furs as a band are a class act. I've seen them a few times live with the first show being the most memorable. It was an intimate setting & got to shake Richard Butler's hand as he was performing & caught his brother, Tim's, guitar pick. Of all the stories I hear of 80s bands still touring, I hear nothing but praises for this band & Richard specifically - he truly appreciates his fans. Pretty In Pink is an 80s staple & the movie is my second favorite all-time film. The rest of the album is classic Furs with Richard's raspy vocals, Mars William's sax, and a nice balance between post punk & new wave. RIP to Mars Williams who recently lost his battle to cancer. If you liked this album, take a listen at the rest of their work. It's great stuff. 4.5 stars.

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Thu Jul 27 2023
4

This whole album is incredibly 80’s, in a good way. Distinctive sound and fun to listen to. 4/5

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Sat Jul 29 2023
4

One has always found Psyche Furs and Richard Butler to be pretty underrated. He's got a great – perhaps the essential post-punk voice, capable of both murderous sneering and tender vulnerability. "Pretty in Pink" is a wonderful melding of punk-light and sweet pop melodies (a combination this band well and truly mastered) and "She Is Mine" is right up one's alley, sweet and melancholic. They got way quality mileage out of the sax playing – these post-punk bands knew how to bring the brass and integrate it non-obviously and non-obnoxiously. The other cuts are mostly solid, if not major, and a 4 slightly flatters this effort, which one likes slightly less than Forever Now. But the 4 is worthy in the sense that all of their records were above average, ++ and under-appreciated. So there we are.

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Thu Aug 10 2023
4

Una bona descoberta. Era una banda que sempre m'havien passat sota el radar; el poc que havia sentit d'ells no havia fet que m'interessessin. Error. 'Pretty in Pink' és un dels millors temes de començaments dels '80s. I tot el disc en sí es especial. Post punk, new wave passat pel filtre del Bowie del moment i amb una veu molt pròpia. A conservar!

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Tue Aug 15 2023
4

Truly a classic pop-punk-new-wave-whatever album. 4 stars.

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Thu Aug 17 2023
4

Well, they’re such a great band.

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Sun Aug 20 2023
4

Like the vocals and style, doesn't excite too much overall however. 3.7

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Sun Aug 20 2023
4

The characteristic vocals, the saxophone, overall consistent and enjoyable song material: a nice surprise!

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Thu Aug 24 2023
4

Not at all excited to see another UK album from 1981 but there’s actually a lot to like here. Building on the foundations, this is a kind of post-punk I can get behind. Curled lip attitude but with a bit of skill and craft going into it. I can hear a lot of other artists taking influence from these guys including: The Cult, Billy Bragg, The Libertines, Ride, Green Day and I’m sure many more.

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Fri Aug 25 2023
4

Sopivasti levoton alt-rock-pläjäys! 4/5

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Fri Aug 25 2023
4

Pelkäsin jo, että olen alkanut lyttäämään näitä brittejä tottumuksesta, mutta täähän oli tosi kova! Tietty vanhempien levyjen kohdalla brittinostot ovat olleet usein ihan hyviä. Sen tyylinen levy, että voisin vinskalle haluta, täytyy pitää mielessä.

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Fri Aug 25 2023
4

Fantastic blend of post-punk/alt rock/new wave. More 'punk' than Talking Heads. Dumb Waiters is such a fun song

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Thu Aug 31 2023
4

The combination of the slickness of new wave and the edginess of post punk is an interesting one. Heralds the dawn of a new decade.

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Fri Sep 01 2023
4

Butler is seriously underrated as a vocalist and frontman – he's got the essential indie rock voice. But the playing and instrumentation (especially some ace sax touches) and arrangements are all strong. "P in P" very much merited a movie named after it – what a hook, what a mix of the salty (Butler's sneering vocal) and sweet (the melody). "No Tears" and "She Is Mine" are also plus-plus tunes. A seriously underrated band, the Furs. Forever Now would also be worthy of inclusion on this list.

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Fri Sep 08 2023
4

I'm surprised i've never listened to The Furs before as their post-punk sound is right up my alley. Had a great time listening to this. All was new to me except for Pretty In Pink which i recognised instantly. Looking forward to hearing it again.

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Fri Sep 15 2023
4

This post-punk record really emphasizes the punk aspect of that genre. The album was enjoyable the whole way through, but I felt like the second half was really where it started to shine. This album was recorded before the Psychedelic Furs incorporated more pop influences so its rock influences are front and center. The guitar and bass are driving and incorporate psychedelic, hard rock, and overtly punk elements to create something that sounds unique in post-punk.

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Wed Sep 20 2023
4

"Dumb Waiters" was the best track on the album. I liked "Pretty In Pink" before the remastered version; oh well. "I Wanna Sleep With You" and "All of This and Nothing" were the standout tracks for me. The rest of the tracks all sort of morphed into one another and didn't jump out at me all that much. The Furs were big when I was in high school. I'd probably have liked them better if 2 of the 3 songs (Love My Way and Heartbreak Beat) that got regular airplay, had done more for me.

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Sat Sep 23 2023
4

This is a band I haven't spent a lot of time with this band but their music was better than i remember. I loved the mix of punk and new wave sounds.

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Tue Oct 03 2023
4

Cool, je connaissais pas. Punk et 80's bon melange

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Mon Oct 30 2023
4

Between being simple and extremely clever this raw guitar driven garage pop/rock proves to have aged VERY well. 3.9

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Thu Nov 09 2023
4

Is there a better singer to enjoy spoofing as you sing? That slightly flat delivery in a home countries accent as we all sing Pretty in Pink. Jangly guitars, strident drums and that distinctive voice, Psychedelic Furs had something going on if a little of its time.

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Fri Nov 10 2023
4

Definitely more enjoyable than I imagined that it would be. Some bright and bouncy beats. Yeah, not bad.

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Fri Nov 10 2023
4

Being familiar with later hits of theirs, this was an interesting venture into their earlier stuff. Like a lot of 80s new wave bands I've listened to in this project, what we've gotten to hear is a bit rougher around the edges. Although I thought I knew a good selection of Psychedelic Furs songs, there weren't any tunes I knew, except a rougher version of "Pretty in Pink." As with many of these early career albums of 80s "modern rock," I was more interested in examining the band's journey than really enjoying the music.

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Mon Nov 27 2023
4

It's funny how some of the scenes emphasized on this list really annoy me (like 90s-00s Brit Pop), and some scenes I really enjoy. Post-punk is definitely one of the latter. I don't have a lot to say about this album that I haven't said about previous post-punk albums, but this album is really cool. More explicitly sexual subject matter than was often present in punk/post punk, which is neat. I don't love the singer's voice, but he makes it work 4/5

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Mon Nov 27 2023
4

I've never heard more than a handful of PF songs before today, in fact I'm more familiar with punk covers of their songs. This album was really good. I'll definitely go back to it and probably seek out more.

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Wed Nov 29 2023
4

3-4 Eher 4 weil mit Mr.Jones, Pretty in Pink, Dumb Waiter richtig gute Dinger drauf sind.

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Thu Nov 30 2023
4

Nice. Very of its time, but it’s got a good sound. It hit me better than The Jesus and Mary Chain.

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Thu Nov 30 2023
4

I forget how much I like this band. A solid rock band with just the right amount of idiosyncratic touches to make them stand out from the rest of the 80s New Wavers. And anyone who loves Molly Ringwald loves this band.

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Sun Dec 03 2023
4

I love the Psychedelic Furs. Got a chance to see them play a few years back. This is not my favourite of their albums though. But still a good listen.

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Sun Dec 03 2023
4

Pretty good. Gets better with multiple listens as it can just slip into background noise. The lyrics can be silly and ridiculous, but somewhat fun or funny. And there are multiple tracks with some smooth saxophone, that I wish there was more of.

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Thu Aug 03 2023
3

Musically quite enjoyable, but I don't dig the singer all that much. Probabaly won't dive into this band again unless I hear something very interesting from them. 6 out of 10

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Fri Aug 04 2023
3

Didn’t like most tracks but more because they were kinda ehh. But there were some okay ones in the form of mr jones and all of this and nothing.

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Sun Aug 06 2023
3

Tension in the interaction between Furs' name, sound, style, and instrumentation generates plenty of satisfying spikes. The quality of songs, at first blush, is equally uneven. The pop backing is sturdy enough to hold the album up, turning into the foreground. Personally, the only thing inspiring a return is something like a string, when it appears.

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Sun Aug 06 2023
3

"She comes in like an angel/And goes down like these flats/.../I won't give you flowers/I just wanna sleep with you" Poetry. Best track: I Wanna Sleep With You

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Sun Aug 06 2023
3

ok. more new wave than i was expecting

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Mon Aug 07 2023
3

Album 128 of 1001 The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk Rating : 3 / 5 Favorite Track : Pretty in Pink So 1980s. Thought I was listening to a John Hughes soundtrack, at times. A bit poppier than I expected. Nothing bad to say about it. Good album for those who enjoy the genre.

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Mon Aug 14 2023
3

Ok, it wasn't bad 80s, just a little cheese that made it listenable enough.

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Fri Aug 25 2023
3

Tähän bändiin on pakko tutustuu paremmin. Tässä on paljon Bowien soundia sekä sit taas TH:n meininkii. Hyvää musaa mut jäänyt kuuntelematta aikaisemmin. 3/3

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Fri Aug 25 2023
3

Opens well with “Dumb Waiters” and I was genuinely quite excited that this could go on to be a snorter of an album… The next few tracks are pretty cool, jangly guitars with a Smiths feel to it and some vocals that could be Bowie going punk so that was ticking the boxes for sure! Tails off a bit in the middle with a couple of throwaway basic filler tracks then picks up with “So Run Down” Really good album with just a wee dip but defo one for the future too!

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Sun Sep 03 2023
3

Pretty in Pink is good. Bass and drums are excellent. Vocal always irritated me, but the sound for 1981 is good post punk and pre stadium rock. Not brilliant, but they did have a huge cult following.

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Thu Sep 07 2023
3

Pretty fun, but not really better than any of the other new wave or post punk greats. Probably not even The Psychedelic Furs' best album. Still good though, solid 3.5

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Mon Sep 18 2023
3

Very, very Michael Ricketts.

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Mon Sep 18 2023
3

This album shares its trajectory with the career of Michael Ricketts. a spurt at the beginning and then just slowly gets shitter as time goes by.

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Wed Sep 20 2023
3

Didn’t really get much out of this, didn’t grab my attention at all

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Wed Sep 20 2023
3

Great sounds. Near a 4, but just not quite enough to get over a 3

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Fri Sep 22 2023
3

Ietwat poppier new wave. Ik vond het middelmatig

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Sat Sep 23 2023
3

I knew of them and liked some of their songs in the 80s, but never really listened to any of their albums all the way through. This one is edgier than I've usually thought of them. Even this version of "Pretty In Pink," which is the original version, is grittier than the one I know from the 1986 film (I also probably assumed at the time that The Psychedelic Furs recorded a song just for the movie -- I know now that they recorded a new version of and that it's the original song that inspired the movie). Definitely has that London-punk-pop-rock sound of the early 80s.

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Tue Sep 26 2023
3

Not bad. Not brilliant either, but still: not bad.

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Tue Sep 26 2023
3

Dit klinkt me goed in de oren.

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Wed Sep 27 2023
3

Loud band with sardonic (and borderline misogynistic) frontman. Pretty is Pink was a great single, but his voice palls over the length of an album, and it all starts to sound pretty much the same. I like the breakdown at 1:33 of It Goes On. That's a pretty muscular rhythm section. I could live without all the saxophones.

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Thu Sep 28 2023
3

Definitely post-punk. "Pretty In Pink", "Into You Like a Train", "Dumb Waiters": they are all good, if a bit alike.

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Tue Oct 03 2023
3

This was a relatively quick and average album by the furs. I liked their other one since it had their more mainstream hits. This one was alright some of the songs were light and comical. For this list it was a decent album but in general I wouldn’t say this is that great or revisit it much. 5.9/10

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Wed Oct 04 2023
3

Окей беше. Pretty in pink е оттам

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Thu Oct 05 2023
3

Yes, essential. Yes. Look, there's nothing to scoff at here, and I found the whole thing pretty catchy. I'm not sure how monumental it is, since there are roughly 300 other albums on this list that sound exactly like this (and today is #995 for me, so I can say that with authority.

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Thu Oct 05 2023
3

I can get down to The Psychedelic Furs

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Thu Oct 05 2023
3

This was definitely a predecessor to grunge. Which surprised me since my only knowledge was pretty in pink. Some of the songs are a little samey, but pretty good

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Mon Oct 09 2023
3

ca me fait pensera un album (des albums) que j,ai entendu que je ne me souviens plus du nom. un bon album des années 80 mais qui reste un peu la même chose quele reste. 3.15

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Mon Oct 16 2023
3

Pretty good, but not as clean or catchy as I thought it was gonna be. Some nice songs still.

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Wed Oct 25 2023
3

Fine enough with a quirky sound. Might be a grower.

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Fri Oct 27 2023
3

Successfully makes it half a step higher from "This is OK" to "This is good," Still 3 stars.

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Sun Oct 29 2023
3

3/5 Good sound, but a lot of the same throughout the LP.

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Wed Nov 01 2023
3

This is and it isn't. It has songs, swagger and fun but it's also flat, samey and ultimately uninspiring. I think I'd have liked it a whole lot more back in 1981.

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Thu Nov 02 2023
3

"I had to pay the doorman just to let me use the door. I had to use a muscleman to pick me off the floor" I was pretty excited to listen to a Psychedelic Furs album, as I really love the song "Love my Way," and my dad (having been a teenager in the 80s) told me that The Psychedelic Furs were one of the bigger bands, influence-wise, in his high-school, along with the Cure, the Smiths, and others. Upon listening to the album, I was pretty disappointed with what the furs had to offer. There were some songs with fairly good musical ideas behind them, such as: T1- "Dumb Waiters," and T2- "Pretty in Pink" (playlist track). But, much more frequently I found the songs to have very surface-level lyrics that were borderline embarrassing to be listening to, with uninteresting vocals over mediocre music, even if the music is in the genre that I prefer over most others. Due mostly to the genre, the band's influence, and those first 2 tracks, the album will not get a 2/5, but rather a... 3/5

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Thu Nov 02 2023
3

I've heard a few songs by The Psychedelic Furs over the years so I was excited to listen to this album. It was good but did not quite live up to my expectations. I still really enjoyed listening though and would definitely listen to a few of these songs in the future. 3/5

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Tue Nov 07 2023
3

Started off strong but very quickly dipped into repetitive and forgettable. It's good New Wave, don't get me wrong, with strong atmospheric synths, a fun dance vibe, recognizable raunchy vocals, mechanical production, and even some cool horns. And I was impressed by the first three songs. "Dumb Waiters" and "I Wanna Sleep With You" are eery intense gothic songs, while "Pretty in Pink" is a generational pop song. But after that, it was standard New Wave formulae. It's a shame because I had high hopes, not just from the first 3 songs, but because "Love My Way" is one of my favorite New Wave songs. "All of This and Nothing" slowed things down and it works out pretty well, reminding me of The The, but I think they could have taken it further, especially for its length. "She is Mine" was a soothing fitting closer.

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Sun Nov 12 2023
3

The sounds of the 70s dying out into the 80s. Despite all the mediocre British music from this period I've been subjected to on this list thus far this one stood out just enough to get a 3.

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Sun Nov 12 2023
3

The song inspired the movie! I had no idea. Many songs are much edgier.

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Wed Nov 15 2023
3

Not bad but can’t give it more than 3/5

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Sat Nov 18 2023
3

On se rapproche des 1000, c'est la seule bonne nouvelle après avoir terminé cet album fade au possible.

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Sat Nov 18 2023
3

Ce mec-là ne m'inspire aucune sorte de souvenir.

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Mon Nov 20 2023
3

Dumb Waiters - 8.5/10 Pretty In Pink - 7.5/10 I Wanna Sleep With You - 8/10 No Tears - 7.5/10 Mr. Jones - 8/10 Into You Like a Train - 7.5/10 It Goes On - 7/10 So Run Down - 8/10 All Of This And Nothing - 8/10 She Is Mine - 8/10 TOTAL - 78/100

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Wed Nov 22 2023
3

Overall this album is psychedelic or furry enough! The start of the album felt a bit of a mish mash of all sorts of music but The middle part of this album is incredible! Some absolute bangers. 3.5

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Sun Nov 26 2023
3

I like this band - it’s good punk and punk is good for me - but while it starts strong - it tapers off into the background and samey-ness quite quickly despite its short length. Unhappily I don’t feel I can rate it highly.

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