Music From The Penguin Cafe

Weird but surprisingly good. Will have to revisit this.

immediately excited to be discovering this album 2 minutes into the first song

Okay now this is the shit I wanted from this project, loved it, will be listening again

This was a very pleasant listen that was perhaps just a little lacking in substance for my tastes. I've always been a big fan of music that fuses the techniques and instrumentation of classical, folk and pop music, so right from the first track I was drawn in by the eclectic mix of instruments on show. That theme continued throughout the whole record, so I certainly can't fault the inventiveness there; it was interesting (mostly) from start to finish. The reason why I don't quite feel this album warrants a 5 is because, while there are a lot of beautiful musical ideas here, they're interspersed with, in my view, instances of aimless auditory rambling that can be common with avant-garde/jazz stuff. Which isn't to say that stuff has no value or anything, it's just not as interesting to me as tracks like, for instance, The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter and its melancholic exploration of loss and acceptance, which I find a lot more engaging on an emotional level. Maybe that's superficial of me, but oh well. Favourite Tracks: Penguin Cafe Signal, In a Sydney Motel, Chartered Flight, The Sound of Someone You Love[...]

Deeply odd yet fascinating

Wow that was really neat for something more unknown. The opening tracks really hooked me in

Son originales, interesantes aunque pueden aburrir por pretenciosos.

It’s like a bunch of theater kids and band geeks got together after school to play around and record their talent show. Not bad, just kind of… lame?

Can't say I would really come back to this album, but it wasn't 90s Britpop. So it hit like a nice glass of water on a hot summer day.

This was a delightful listen and I very much enjoyed it.

This was a journey... albums like these are what makes me happy that I'm doing this album challenge. The instruments told a story, and I'm pleased to have listened to it.

This album is just a weird one, and I'm not sure if it's in a good or a bad way. 2.5 bumped up to 3.

I'm at a 5. Brian Eno made “Ambient 1: Music for Airports”. You can tell it’s ambient music that’s made for airports because that’s the title of the album. This is titled “Music From The Penguin Cafe”. I know the Penguin Cafe Orchestra composed these tracks. I have no idea what the hell a Penguin Cafe is. Does that ruin my enjoyment of the album for lack of a concrete vision throughout? No, not really. Would it have helped to have had one? Yeah, sure, but I think this album thrives on being unexplainable at a broader level. The titles of each track are practically all you get, and while some are more obvious than others (you know which one I mean), sometimes you get a track like “Pigtail” or “Hugebaby” that feels like nothing like what you’d expect. I think that’s a good thing. If you need that bigger concrete vision to get something more out of this in a more fulfilling way, I guess I understand the ceiling being a 3 here. I just don’t think it owes you that vision. Look at that cover again. That’s a real penguin next to a half-naked man dressed as a penguin, under an umbrella, with a palm tree to its right next to a sea of green hills & mountains. Nothing makes any sense about it, and nothing in the album bothers to explain it, or even allude to it. It is what it is, and you are meant to interpret it however you wish. That’s the album. Take it or leave it. I happened to take it quite well; I think it’s excellently performed & captivating throughout with the push & pull of each track, especially in the mixed violin & synth work. Ultimately, it is an album that you’re just meant to listen to. The oddest track here is “In A Sydney Motel”, obviously for having some totally unfitting lines about suicide, but it still has a place here, I think. It’s one of those tracks you take or leave. If you leave more than you take, I get it. It’s a bit atonal at times & despite Brian Eno’s executive production, there’s an underlying tension to the album that never really feels resolved. If you take more than you leave, you’ll probably appreciate that tension as something to elevate the senses & immerse yourself more in the progression of each track as a tool for storytelling. That immersion is what’s got me at a pretty clearcut 5. I enjoyed it a lot. I’m glad it’s on the list.

It aggravated me how I was hearing some really pleasant and calming music only for it to be disrupted by a song like Milk or some other weird business. There’s some really beautiful stuff on here that just gets ruined by some oddness.

I love penguins. I see the album art and I think hell yeah. I would like to dine in the penguin cafe. I start listening to this album and suddenly the sublime penguin dream is fading and reality sets in. There were likely no penguins involved in the recording of this album. I doubt there was even a cafe. I do not appreciate the deception. The album is okay.

was cool throughout, got eerie in some parts and very light in others. will definitely listen to it again but the sound of someone you love who is going away and it doesn’t matter lives in my head still.

The tunes I enjoy the most are "The Sound of Someone You Love..." and "Hugebaby". The rest of the album impressed me as no more than incidental movie music. Well-written music and pleasant enough. Just not that interesting to me. I think Brian Eno has been involved in a lot more interesting projects.

At first, I thought that this will get 1. But somehow, this wasn't too bad. I'll never play this again, it didn't appeal to me in any way, can't remember anything besides a "that sounded a bit weird" now and then.

RATING: 6.5/10 HIGHLIGHT: The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter LOWLIGHT: Zopf: Coronation

Цікаво…

Yeah this just sounds like a failed art project by a musical arts student. Not my thing. 1/5

Magnificently bookended with a tasty filling.

Awful just not my thing it started well then nose dived it got irritating at times

This was pretty cool.

hello study music

There was too much to like about this to give it lower than a 4. Even at times there was an annoyance that had me grumbling, something else brought me back around

It was a fun album! I don’t listen to much purely classical music but this was nice especially because I was doing work whilst listening and it made me LOCK IN. Also there were loads of layers to the music which made it really interesting. The violins were also very random but really worked

This is different enough to be better than average. Like so many albums and artists I have heard on here, the music itself far out weighs the vocals. That’s not something that carries lightly with me but this has been an oddity.

Really really liked, super funky, can't believe I've never heard of these guys

Bloop meep blorp morp fart. Annoying.

Didn’t mind this. At times it was far too jolly, the vocals grated on me, but the instrumental parts were definitely more in my wheelhouse. Probably not exciting or adventurous enough for me to look further or listen again, but not bad.

Love the album artwork. The music is nonsense. Another Eno related project that just didn’t land

Some people must like this? But then some people like masochism.

Not for me.

whimsy, post punk?, smooth jazz? idunno but its nice but a bit boring igg

So weird. So fun.

The actual fuck is this shite?? I’d rather have actual penguins peck fish out of my ears than sit through this again. It did make me wonder though does penguin taste like chicken??

Pleasantly surprised with this album

Released on Brian Eno’s legendary Obscure label, this debut leans much closer to the avant-garde than later releases. It shifts wildly between eerie, ambient soundscapes ("Surface Tension"), avant-folk oddities, and vocal tracks

Avant Garde in maybe its most purest form. A bit of this, a bit of that throughout a huge variety of styles. Like most experimental music, some of it really works and some of it is an interesting stylistic choice

The idea of a Penguin Cafe is quite peculiar, and so is this album. It’s another one of these high-experimental albums on here. It has its movements of being a bittersweet album but can be a bit sour too. Not half bad.

I enjoyed long stretches of this. As a general rule, though, it didn't rise above the level of being more memorable than the Wii default music on a loading screen. 2.5, rounding down.

Listened to the entire album because it was entirely new to me. It's a strange little thing.

Interesting. Not at all what i would expect from this project. Very experimental. Enjoyed listening to it once, but cannot imagine putting it on…

Quite cute. Experimental, but very pleasant (mostly).

You do wonder how some of these have got in.

53

What?

Why is this on this list?

Eh

This tried to earn a 1 but in despite of itself there's a forlorn, un-put-your-finger-on-it-able spot-on-ness and unique feeling created by "The Sound of Someone You Love Who is Going Away and It Doesn't Matter" that lifts it to 2.

like chill but i dont think id choose this again, mighty generic

Bom pra trilha sonora

Långrandigt

Lite märklig men trevlig bakgrundsmusik.

Jättekonstigt, och ibland lite svajigt men jag är konstig o svajig.

Gillar namnet och omslaget mer än musiken.

Sure, I can hang out at the Penguin Cafe for a bit. But I'm not going to stay all day!

Neither that strange nor that unaccountable, Music From the Penguin Cafe is a fresh sort of record: pop avant-gardism at its finest. In his far weirder collection of stories The Encantadas; or, Enchanted Isles, Herman Melville has this to say about the penguin: 'Though dabbling in all three elements, and indeed possessing some rudimental claims to all, the penguin is at home in none. On land it stumps; afloat it sculls; in the air it flops.' These penguins, however, are at home in at least three elements: Philip Glassian repetition, Enoish experimentalism, & British folk à la Fairport Convention. A little cold & intellectual at times, yes, but this is also proof that you could incorporate classical music into pop & rock w/o being a prog snob, i.e., ELP.

Would never have stumbled upon this Probably will listen again in 15 years

Impressive if a little strange

⭐⭐⭐ Svårdefinierat album. Någon slags pop-ambient som i grunden är ganska lättillgängligt. Kryddat med kanske inte typiska instrument som stråkar, harpa, piano och otraditionella stränginstrument så att det får lite touch av klassisk musik, blandat med syntar och förstärkta instrument. Det finns en hel del lite udda musikaliska val som får detta album att bli lite säreget och lite skevt men ändå melodiskt. Albumet är melodiöst, intressant och tyckte det var lugnt och avkopplande att lyssna på trots att det kan vara lite krävande. När jag väl fattat vad det handlade om så uppskattade jag det mer än jag först trodde, kan tänka mig att lyssna på det igen vid rätt tillfälle och humör, frågan är dock om jag kommer komma ihåg det. Skulle jag se det ute i det vilda (omslaget kommer man ihåg) skulle jag kunna tänka mig att köpa det till rätt pris, för att ha en musikalisk cleanser i samlingen. Albumet är intressant och sticker ut från mängden så jag ger det en stark 3a men der är nöra en 4a. Bäst är Zopf:Giles Farnaby's Dream, The sound of someone you love who's going away and it doesn't matter

2.75. I enjoyed some of the instrumental arrangements. Decent background noise while working.

That's gonna be a no from me, dawg! Another album of just noises that I did not enjoy. I am currently reading Mr. Poppers Penguins so that is a nice little coincidence.

3.25 - There are way more artists on this list that I've never heard of than I expected there would be. This was quite interesting, but enjoyable.

I loved this. Very unique!

Penguin cafe is Pleasant but inessential Eno is not god Haiku

Penguin Cafe Orchestra had a few tracks that were mainstays of 1980s quirky indie film soundtracks -- Perpetuum Mobile, Music for a Found Harmonium, Telephone & Rubber Band -- but none of those familiar tracks are on this record. Why, Dimery, why? This is pleasant, melodic, and charming, but -- even accepting the dubious proposition that PCO rate a place on the list -- how does _this_ record deserve attention? Did your first girlfriend play it a lot? Did a favorite aunt give you a copy for Christmas when you were eleven years old? Did the band slip you an envelope stuffed with cash? I am baffled. 2.5 stars, rounding down for wild irrelevance.

Just when I think I don't like this album, something happens and I do like it, then something happens and I don't like it again. Very peculiar album though not completely unpleasant. Still don't care for it. A low Three stars because "some" of the songs I would listen to on the radio.

un peu chelou

Lovely album.

Very catchy. Met me where I was when I listened and who doesn't like penguins? Seriously though I think it is pretty good stuff, but if you are not in the mood for classical style music then it would probably suck. Have to be in that headspace for this

Realistically I will never listen to this again, but i am glad I have the opportunity to listen to it now. I like the chilled instrumentals that were more prominent at the end of the album - The sound of someone you love who's going away, chartered flight, steady state. Surface tension also falls in this. There were some tracks I really did not like though (like Milk). Chartered flight or steady state were my standout tracks. upgraded 2.5 stars

I couldn't describe this if I wanted to. I let my wife listen to a part of the long song and halfway she said, ah this is where the aliens come in

this is so cool and so different from everything I've heard on the list! modern string ensemble music and it rocks! this tends to happen for me with things that Brian Eno works on. surprise surprise

There were some beautiful songs in this album. Sadly, the other songs that were made with an R2-D2 robot ruined the rest of the album. And if we’re putting orchestral music on this list, where the heck is Mozart and Bach and Beethoven and Chopin?

Why on Earth I love this so much, I can't quite put my finger on. But boy this is a quirky little winner. I suppose the closest I could get to describing what they're doing here is avant-garde orchestral pop. Which is just ridiculous, and yet they pull it off. No, I'm not gonna be going down on the Penguin Man every day, but I will always remember my beautiful time with him. Fave track: - The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter

I love weird, whacky, whimsical shit. 4/5

Way better than I expected. I'm normally not the biggest fan of mainly instrumental albums, but this one did a number.

Honestly, a fun mostly instrumental album. It was great for listening in the background while doing other things.

When it started, I hated it. Just loathed the fact that I had to listen to it. But it grew on me as it went on. I wouldn’t put it on Intentionally, but it’s not a bad change of pace.

This was rather enjoyable. Nothing crazy, easy to listen to, generally light with some fun instrumentation.

I like what PCO has going on here for the most part but their second album mogs this imo

This definitely feels like something I'll return to. Mellow, good chill out music. Nothing too crazy happening here but was happy to have it on my radar.

3/5

modern classical aka chamber pop Favorite track: Giles Farnaby's Dream other picks: penguin cafe single, sound of someone

beautiful

An excellent launching pad for a very unique project. Really dig it.

Pretty good for penguins! It’s a chill album but a couple of the tunes are dreadfully repetitive. Without those it would have been a 4 instead of a 3.

A fun little oddity from the mid-seventies blending atonal avant-garde and trad folk and classical and drones.

These are some intense penguins. Weirdly, quite liked it.

Listening session: july 31st, while getting ready in the morning Listened to before: no Thoughts: I didn’t know what to expect of this album by seeing the album cover and title, but I was quite surprised by some instrumental tracks. Nice and relaxing Favourite tracks: Penguin Cafe Single, The Sound Of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away And It Doesn’t Matter & Hugebaby

A pleasant surprise. It is very laid back and timeless. Parts of it remind me of Phish (I have listened to Phish and fish). A tad noodly in bits but I am glad I found it and I shall return.

Love it

My favorite parts were when the orchestra went from playing halfway decent music to just making noise.

Nice enough but a bit empty

Now I can't imagine anything other than penguins playing this

Liked the first song, and then the rest was really dissonant. I feel confused

One of the things that I enjoy most about the 1001 is being introduced to music of different styles. This album makes me appreciate so many other artists, like yet another Elvis Castello album or maybe Nick Seed & the Bad Caves (read previous reviews). This album is the soundtrack for every liminal space …ever. Maybe I’m not smart enough to get it. Maybe my Irish-German-American upbringing made me cynical and emotionless but the only feeling I got from this was anxiety, acid reflux and an eye twitch. I found myself in a fetal position, stemming, fingers in ears and screaming to control the environment until someone turned it off. …but I appreciate so much more stuff now.

Random thoughts: * This was interesting in the best way! * I swear I'd heard the first track before but I could not verify this. I thought it was maybe from a TV show or movie. * The first track was instantly familiar and I really liked it the most. The rest of the album was good too! * I think a lot of my indie music was influenced by this is in some way. * This kind of reminded me of Badly Drawn Boy's "The Shining". Maybe that's not a great comparison but it does have some of the tropes of chamber pop and indie music. * I'll need to try and remember to play this one to get a little different flavor for my ears every once in a while.

I think this album is unique in a way that honestly isn't as coveted these days. I can't say that it completely intoxicates me to the point where I cannot pull away. Or that I lose track of time listening. The best I can label this album as is thought-provoking and fun. Overall, it was a good listen and I favored some tracks.

"The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter" is a perfect song. Soul-crushingly somber and shockingly forward-thinking. It hit me like a ton of bricks today in combination with a bunch of things I saw/experienced. The rest of the album is all interesting but nowhere near as good and overshadowed by that excellent song

A rich piece that's both pushing the limits while remaining intimate and minimal. Each piece comes together in its own groove and melody, scatters into the ethereal plane, and gradually recomposes itself. It's no wonder these weirdos teamed up with Eno, but unlike Brian's ambient work, this is an avant-garde with a sense of playfulness and melody that's really satisfying.

Det va trivelig, hyggelige greier å høre på mens æ satt på jobb og gjorde presumptivt fornuftige ting.

666/1001 2026.07.27 😴😴🌑🌑🌑

Odd and gorgeous. I didn't quite know what to make of it really but I will just say this: I listened to the whole record three times today. Almost unheard of.

One of the most boring albums I’ve ever listened to

Best 1001 albums, hmm there has to be better albums

Snooze-fest.

It encapsulates that feeling of when you don't want to wake up .. And just spend more time under the covers.

Relaxing.

An okay album, i liked Zopf: Coronation the most.

This is now my second visit to the Penguin Cafe. I listened to their 1981 self titled album a few years ago. I don't remember it too well, I just remember thinking that it was weird but I liked it. Same applies for this album. Such a unique sound that just fascinates me more than anything. What do these penguins know that I don't? Favorite track: Chartered Flight 3.5/5

Weirdly fun. This definitely got more experimental as it went on, which I liked. It gave it a feel like it was dissolving or something.

Una piccola gemma

Hivenen kummallinen levy. Tykkäsin akustisesta äänimaailmasta, mutta biiseistä ei mikään erityisesti ”kolahtanut”.

7/10. Awesome

Some good tracks but not my favorite

Not for me, 2 stars

At points, this was a fine background music album, with some nice melodic tracks with an interesting array of instruments. But then you'd get a next track that sounded like a phone dialing tune and that background appreciation was quickly lost.

This is a very enjoyable album that I’ve listened to many times. The music is hard to categorise, at times taking inspiration from folk, classical, and experimental music. What binds it all together is a certain playfulness and boundless creativity, and at times real emotional depth as evidenced by the 11-minute ‘The Sound of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away and it Doesn’t Matter’. The best tracks are towards the end of the album, with ‘Chartered Flight’ being my favourite. This album holds a special place in my heart and I’m therefore going for 5 stars.

A rather enjoyable chamber music, slightly avant-garde album, melodic and surprisingly catchy and fun. That Brian Eno was involved in its production is definitely not surprising, however; it’s very him. A mostly instrumental album, occasionally approaching minimalism/ambient music, it makes for excellent background listening (a lot of it is in regular rotation on my reading playlist for that reason). The sound is based around a pleasant instrumental core of electric piano, guitar, violin, cello and ukulele; the few vocal tracks are a misstep in my view, but don’t detract much from the overall quality. A very decent 3 stars.

serendipity... (down to 4 stars on a second listen, carried entirely by the odyssey of the 9th track)

Was fine, started off quirky but didn't really progress from there.

It was interesting! But not necessarily memorable.

Absoluter Mist!

Sunday, 19 July, 2026 Great Sunday album. Chill vibe. Always interesting. Loved it.

I enjoyed this album. I could really feel The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and it Doesn't Matter - the emotions were well conveyed. I loved all the instruments and it was easy to listen to while I worked.

Weird and fun.

Twee type of pseudo jazz orchestral album

I couldn't really tell if I recognised the opening track or not. It was nice enough. I even put it on again later in the evening but didn't finish it. As with many of the albums on this list, the longer the time since I listened to the album, the more forgettable it becomes.

I really liked this one and thought it was a movie soundtrack at first. A great novel mix of atmospheric orchestration.

fun album, kept me on my toes. was not expecting to hear vocals in some of the tracks, felt far more contemporary than a '76 album. had me intrigued from the album cover who took his pants

Love Weird Albums like this. Always a great discovery. Even if it has some truly far out bits

4 - great album

What are we even doing here, man?

Excellent album

I almost can't bring myself to give this a 3. It misses at times but it has a beauty in it. I'm wondering if having reviewed 1,000+ albums has made something unique like this standout more positively. Time will tell. Here we go 4

This was like a breath of fresh air. Something a little more unique that I've never heard of before and done with some competence. I'm going a bit loopy. I can see the light in the distance.

Unlike anything I’ve listened to before

Pretty good modern-classical/ semi-experimental chamber music. Eno-affiliated, whimsical, has a few ridiculously long song titles, etc. Now if only they wrote some verse-chorus-verse things. 3.5 stars

Very meditative and pretty, almost sounds like a cousin of video game music? Nice for in the background but not particularly compelling otherwise. Fav track: Zopf: In A Sydney Motel

If I wanted to listen to chamber music, I would listen to Brahms or Beethoven, not this. It clearly sounds like the intent was chamber music but with a more modern sound. Early electronic influence courtesy of Edgar Varese. I don’t care for that kind of experimentation. It doesn’t work for me. Cool album cover though. 2 stars

I don’t even understand how this was ever recorded and then someone went back and “remastered” it?! Why? This is pointless music. Bored after 2 songs

0.7/5 Orchestral classical type of music just isn't my thing. Sure I could put this on in the background and it would be good background music but that's about it.

This was pleasant, didn't blow me away, but I enjoyed it. The album art and title seem entirely appropriate. I got what was promised. 3 stars.

I feel mixed on this. The instrumentals are lovely and interesting in parts, but then other parts are irritatingly experimental and random. Overall it's not soothing enough to be background music, but is too soothing to be anything but. Standout tracks: Penguin Cafe Single, Chartered Flight Rating: 2

Some tracks were amazing, others not so much, and some were a real torture. All in all definitely worth checking out.

This album took me on a journey. Wow

I enjoyed this album. Definitely an eclectic choice but very good nonetheless. Mostly instrumental.

Penguins doing penguin things.

Intrigued by the artist name and album title. Sadly that was the high point for me.

The music from the end of Napoleon Dynamite, appropriately kooky for the film...asinine for this list. 50 minutes of light-hearted instrumentals better suited to being the score to a coming-of-age movie than a stand alone album. This was the working music for Dan in Real Life. They were on Brian Eno's label and opened for Kraftwerk...that's all I need to know. This is better than anything either of those bands ever did. Spacehog basically reworked Telephone and Rubber Band with In the Meantime. I like that better because the ringtone is annoying after a minute. Daniel Johnston loved this band. The cutesiness gets old after a while. This is too long for this kind of album. The cover of Walk Don't Run adds to the overwhelming whimsy. This is the musical equivalent to Wes Anderson.

Weird little record. Perfect for traveling today.

7/10

Never anything quite like this before. My only disappointment was the vocals at one point. The first tune has two riffs I swear I heard before. Either they ripped off someone or someone ripped them off. Or it's Miller's Lattice of Coincidence. I dunno but I dig it!

I generally enjoy the prospect of a quirky album in this collection, and I think this one largely delivers, down to the fact that Brian Eno was the executive producer. It doesn't seem nearly as clever or subversive as I suspect they thought it was 50 years ago, but I definitely agree with Brian Eno's choice to release it on his "Obscure" label, and a few of the tracks work well at blending various styles and instruments, especially their long (and overly long-named) track "The sound of someone you love who's going away and it doesn't matter". I'm not entirely sure this album belongs in the collection, but I guess it's no weirder than that they produced multiple albums and appear to have had a bit of a fanbase (although I can totally see how they opened for Kraftwerk not long after this album was released), and I found listening to this pleasant enough.

Enjoyed listening to this multiple times as ambient music but none of it was too memorable.

bit ambient, bit odd, bit dull

Weird

3.5 it was interesting and different. I liked the first two tracks a lot.

C'était marrant, un peu perché mais varié dans une vibe un peu cosy chill Bonne musique de fond pour faire de la peinture sur numéro ou un puzzle genre

Rien que pour le titre et la jaquette je pourrais mettre 5 mais j'ai adoré la vibe aussi donc ça reste 5

5.5/10

Album 239. Music From The Penguin Cafe (https://open.spotify.com/album/372smdctC8hNczUfZG8phL?si=7Y5pcUr6RgixW_3FQjdnZg) — Penguin Cafe Orchestra (1976) Am I a penguin? Need to relisten to it later 100% 4/5 No liked songs

melhores capas de álbum que eu já vi na vida pqp eu gosto MUITO de pinguins sobre o álbum, incrível, é exatamente o que eu esperaria de um café tocado e frequentado por pinguins!!!!! gostei pra caralho filho

pior que eh pedradaça mesmo. in a sydney motel eh ABSURDA de boa. nao eh mto pra todo dia, mas eh lindo demais e mto bem feito. parabens aos pinguins baristas pelo trabalho

beautiful vibe easy to listen album

Podríamos definirlo como clásica moderna con espíritu inclasificable. El título no engaña: parece la música de un café frecuentado por pingüinos elegantes. Cada pieza transmite una mezcla de refinamiento, humor y extrañeza, creando un paisaje sonoro tan improbable como acogedor.

This is the kind of thing I wanted to start this project for. This isn't something I would ever have sought out or chosen to listen to on my own. And yet, I will probably listen to it again. I dig it.

Really good

Groupe inconnu. L'instrumentation est originale, violoncelle et violon sont rares dans les 1001 albums ! Certains morceaux sont totalement instrumentaux, ce qui est tout aussi rare. Ceci dit je n'ai pas trouvé le résultat très captivant ... un peu trop long, pas assez rythmé, trop pseudo classique. Je n'ai pas envie de l'écouter de nouveau. =>2/5

Really enjoyed it. Good crossover between rock & classical. Some amazing tracks. I'd rate it as 4.5/5 but can't so it gets rounded down.

Unusual, I'll give them that. Faded after a bouncy start.

What is going on here????? Where am I????

This is certainly (maybe, I'm just inferring) innovative for its time. OK background music. Not something to come back to eagerly.

It's fine, much prefer the instrumentals - enjoyed it more with headphones and interesting how contemporary it still sounds 50(!) years on

Not my thing. At all. I gave it 7 tracks. So weird. And I prefer lyrics.

It makes me want to frolic around but it also scares me. It makes me want to be mischievous but like, in child way. It makes me want to buy the most expensive Lego set ever and then say damn it to hell and not follow the directions. It’s in different shades of pink. It’s lovely and it’s breaking my heart while also giving me hope. I liked this more than I thought I would when it first started.

Avaliação um bocado ingrata porque provavelmente no mood certo eu teria gostado mais e daria melhor nota

Weird. And not in a good way.

Penguin Cafe Single - 4/5 Zopf: From The Colonies - 2/5 Zopf: In A Sydney Hotel - 4/5 Zopf: Surface Tension - 3/5 Zopf: Milk - 2/5 Zopf: Coronation - 3/5 Zopf: Giles Farnaby's Dream - 5/5 Zopf: Pigtail - 2/5 The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter - 5/5 Hugebaby - 4/5 Chartered Flight - 5/5 Average score: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ it was a strange listen at first, but it definitely grew on me toward the end. i think this has potential to be a 4-star album, but i there were a few tracks i didn't care for that set my score off a bit. i would still come back to quite a few tracks here in the future though

This album was very pleasant. There are familiar themes throughout I could almost put lyrics to but the floated away too quickly. Pretty good.

Weird in a Deep Breakfast kind of way but for me not as enjoyable.

Weird, but not really in an enjoyable way. Though I did like the 7th track

Never heard of this, but have heard of Brian Eno, and he was involved. The guy rarely misses.

Interessant, recht experimentell

Brauche ich nicht

Naja ganz nett aber iwie auch nichts besonderes und zwischendrin auf einmal bisschen weird

calm & relaxing

This is a group I didn't know I had heard before. The album could be the soundtrack to some quirky movie. A very easy listen.

This was pretty cool! Kind of weird, kind of chill. I like the folk instruments intertwined with jazz instruments. It kind of takes you on some cool journeys.

Not a record I would normally listen to or even seek out, but it wasn't terrible.

I love it. The wife loves it. 5*

Can you imagine being born into an absurd world, with the capacity to do and create and be anything, and deciding you want to spend the relatively small amount of time you’re randomly allotted in this existence making music like this?

This a very minimal album, it does not overwhelm the listener whatsoever. It's quite subdued and low-key. The "Zpof" suite sounds quite a lot like a OST you'd hear from a video game. I love all the beep-boop electronic noises that are quite present, it's always a delight to hear those sounds. I probably won't be scrambling back to hear this, it just isn't THAT interesting. However it's good for what it's worth.

I enjoyed whoever performed it!

3 sterne

Very weird electronic music

Overall chill background/ soundtrack type music. Liked it more than I'd expected.

I'm on my 4th listen. This is amazing!

Better off watching Batman instead

"The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter" is a masterpiece. Rest of the album is terrible.

This almost sounded like the soundtrack to some film. It was alright to have in the background, but I wasn't particular to this album.

I love penguins. They are funny little fellas. I feel like their lack of fingers means they can't play music that well. If I was ranking this against other penguin albums this would probably be higher. But life isn't fair, penguins. Blame the system.

Sound of a band trying out synths to see if they can make orchestral sounds. A bit wildly a bit tosh.

Så jävla bra? Helt missat detta. Ett soligt Air.

Fint!

Kul! Aldrig hört talas om tidigare. Landar i att jag älskar det här. Mysigt, vackert, bisarrt och ibland obehagligt soundtrack till en film som inte finns. Omslag: 6/5, musik: 4/5

Rätt trevligt!

Rätt spännande ändå. En, två lyssningar till och det kanske blivit något annat. Men har några plattor att ta igen.

trippy nånting?

I was driving around today listening to this album and I stopped at a drive thru to get something to eat. When I went to pick up my order, the worker said to me, "are you listening to the Penguin Cafe Orchestra?" I was stunned. I couldn't believe they knew who they were! How? Just then, the worker took off all of their clothes and put on a penguin mask … and I woke up in a cold sweat. In truth, if I went up to someone and said, "I'll give you 10,000 guesses to name the artist I am listening to right now and if you get it right, I will let you slam me in the ass with this largest dildo you can find," let's just say I'd feel very confident that I wouldn't have needed to stop off at the Diddy compound beforehand. With that, a quick look at a few albums released in 1976 not on this list: Summertime Dream by Gordon Lightfoot Night Moves by Bob Seger Turnstiles by Billy Joel Agents of Fortune by Blue Oyster Cult Let's take first album on this list, which has one of the great songs of all time in The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Let's presume the rest of the Summertime Dream album is crap. I mean just down in it awful. The worst shit has ever been shat. Like, you are sitting in the stall next to someone who is taking the wettest, most painstaking crap of their life. So bad they are loudly moaning and can't control it. Maybe even whimpering a bit. I mean, so foul and noisy that you exit your stall as quickly as possible, in fear of catching whatever the guy next to you has. So awful that you hold your breath as much as possible while washing your hands as hard and with as much soap as you can manage until you are ready to pass out. Finally making it out the door, with barely enough air to warn the dude ready to go in there to go to another floor to do what he needs to do. So hideous that the two of you decide to call for an ambulance and when the EMTs arrive, they walk in for about two seconds, turn around, come back out and say, "we're just going to let him die." What was my point again? Oh yeah, let's assume the rest of Lightfoot's album is that level of shit. I mean, take away his recording contract bad. Arrest him if he picks up a microphone ever again bad. Kick him out of Canada bad (and think about how nice Canadian's are). Even then, that album, with the Edmund Fitzgerald on it, would be better than this. Which begs the question, why is this here? Also, while I am at it, I get that some people love Brian Eno, but I just don't get it. Everything he touches is like the prep work for a colonoscopy. No substance but leaves you trying to get everything out of your system that you have just taken in. And that cover. "Yeah, I really am a penguin. I promise. That fur down there? It's just a minor thing I am seeing a doctor about. No big deal. Speaking of small things, you wanna get out of here and play with what's inside that hairy patch?" Somewhere, someone thought, "we need something that will catch people's eye and really bring them in, maybe we go with beastiality?" Don't do drugs kids, don't do drugs. I mean with all of that, there is no other possible rating. P.S. - The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and it Doesn't Matter was pretty cool. A bonus star. 2 stars.

Chamber folk and minimalist instrumental music built from acoustic strings, piano, harmonium, and delicate ensemble playing feels like spending an afternoon in a waiting room where the same pleasant conversation loops endlessly in the background—gentle, tasteful, and ultimately too subdued to sustain interest. The album favors nuance over momentum at every turn, but its relentless restraint often drains the music of urgency and excitement. What some might hear as charming, whimsical, and quietly transporting I only register as monotonous.

This is not at all what I expected to stumble across on my first Monday in June, but here we are. Music From The Penguin Cafe was an unexpected journey that came completely out of left field and proved to be surprisingly digestible, at least in terms of its musicality and overall enjoyability. The whole Zopf run on this record definitely feels like their attempt at some sort of concept piece, and while not all of it completely lands, I dug it for what it was trying to do. And this is exactly why I’m doing this album-listening project with my friends: so we can either revel in a great discovery or commiserate over how terrible an album turned out to be. This one lands squarely in the middle. It’s strange and unconventional in some ways, yet calming and beautiful in others. I’m glad I listened to it, but I can’t imagine making a concerted effort to explore much more of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s catalog.

That was.... Interesting. Not horrible by any means, but it's inclusion on this list is questionable.

Avant-pop? Space folk? Not sure what it is, and wonder if I should care. Cool. I just love this.

I'm not sure I was supposed to like what I was listening to. It never made sense to me.

I like experimental music more than most people, but this didn't quite grab me. It was a little too esoteric or something. Still, it was different from anything else I've heard, and that's no mean feat.

OK for background spreadsheet work.

Tiene algo

Absolutely lovely, perfect background music

I know some of this from various Charlie Brooker vehicles. Bit silly, bit sinister, quite glum. Sounds more and less modern than it is, which feels like the intention. It’s beautiful but I don’t know if I’m particularly enjoying myself - like The Great Gatsby. Christ, this is sad. Could we have a bit of a laugh, please? I feel like I’m on a comedown. Some optimism from the final track - too little too late I’m afraid.

Pengin

Really liked this one. The ethereal gutural chants are a little off putting but otherwise great ambient music, and that cover is amazing.

calming orchestra

Mostly melodic, avant-garde-ish chamber music that is a nice change of pace for this list. Have heard other work by this group that I liked better.

I appreciate the experimental aspect of this album and there are some beautiful moments but there are also some very annoying moments that take me out of enjoying the music.

Really unusual but not bad. Very different than what I would ever listen to but that’s the point of all of this!

I have only heard Perpetuum Mobile (which is one of my favourite songs) so this was a nice surprise to see this album. It's interesting and experimental. I don't see myself coming back to it but it was quite calming and nice.

Strange experience, listened while mowing the lawn. Interesting to say the least, took me on a journey

I struggled with this vote. On the one hand, it was a well made album. On the other, it is not something I would normally listen to at all. The penguin cover may have influenced this a bit. Really well done and strange album

I enjoyed this - a nice change from the list, and a genuine oddity. Jennifer said it was the whitest music she'd ever heard.

somehow this made for great “packing up the classroom for summer” music

Some tracks are like chamber music - elegant, restful, thoughtful. An interesting, varied listen 4 stars

3.0 - Ok

Fine soundtrack, but not a good songs.

Mid-70s art rock. Very weird combination of quirky instrumentals and instruments. World music flavours.Sufjan was clearly inspired by this. Eno production. Avant-garde chamber music. Relaxing and mostly pleasant.

Mellow listen. Suitable dinner party background music. 3/5

Pretty nice. I would like more penguin music.

I had no clue what I was in for here. What a surprise. Strange, intriguing and rather lovely. Definitely benefits from listening through headphones. I suspect I will be coming back to this one and getting something different from it each time

Not my thing

This is very interesting. Mildly avante garde chamber music with modern flourishes, staccato rhythms on guitars, music concrete, it's like progressive pop classical music. I see how this influenced a lot of indie. A very pleasant, interesting listen. Certainly more of a background music album in parts.

One of those 'important in the history of music' albums. Certainly not one with strong hooks, emotional intensity, groove, or lyrical payoff. 2/5.

Eclectic. Not overly my thing but not entirely to far away Rating: 5/10 Favorite Song: Zopf Milk

I need to stop giving 5 star albums, but I knew this one would slay at least a bit based on the name and cover art. Really loved it though, have listened to it 4 times today. We come to the penguin café to laugh, to cry, to care, because we need that, all of us. These orchestrations capture some really interesting vibes that are difficult to describe but I can feel. Really cool stuff.

awful

brian eno exec prod this, checks out absolutely sublime listen. something about this album feels narrative, the music says so much with very minimal vocals i really fuck with it.

Wanted to like this. Disappointed.

Enjoyable enough but becomes repetitive

Quirky, fun and had a second listen

Sounds like a 6th form music project. The new gold standard for 1*

Egentlig meget fedt, men det bevæger sig lidt tangerende til det kedelige baggrundsmusik. Alligevel er det interessant nok. Produktionen er der jo heller ikke en finger at sætte på. Jeg synes, det er den milde 3'er.

Der er virkelig lyden af noget familiar i det her, selvom det ikke umiddelbart siger mig noget som helst Gode highs, ringe lows Meget svært både at kategorisere og rate Jeg hader det slet ikke Det kræver nok et genlyt eller to 2.8

Chill music to study to

Expected a bit more cohesive album with structure but it ended up being just a jumble of orchestral parts with random guitar. The vibe wasn't bad but it was just boring and uninteresting.

Starts off engaging and listenable, but drifts into noise/jazz exploration further in. Interesting, but not for me.

mostly instrumental, very nice background music

The more experimental parts were great, but I can take or leave the pastoral-cello-for-gamboling-spring-lambs moments. 2.5/5.0: Mixed

incredibly unique. theres some good stuff on here buried beneath the weirdness. this definitely earned its spot on the list even if i wont walk away from this wanting more from them

Muy cool!

Good except when it was hair raising

Very eclectic and had a hard time keeping my attention despite not having anything 'bad' about it

There were a few interesting moments, but nothing I'd return to. I wonder if this kind of mostly instrumental music stood out more in it's day.

I was so ready to hate this album at first glance, but it fully got me. I love this weird thing.

There is something oddly familiar about this album. Like there are songs and snippets of songs that must have been sampled/borrowed/inspired other musicians. I kind of like it, like yeah this is kind of my jam.

Not for me

I was going to give this a 3 because I felt like I should like it more than I did, but then I realized it was only 45 minutes long and felt like 2 hours, so it's gotta get a 2. Sorry

Bom álbum de ouvir. Surpreso com o fato de ser instrumental e não me cansar. 2 faixas um pouco estranhas, o restante, é só bom de ouvir mesmo

I'm not the biggest fan of orchestas but i think it's pretty

Beautiful and weird, true art

Perfect!

This was weirdly interesting and many things form the 1970’s are

Listened Before? N Man, the 70s were weird. I'm not sure WHAT this is. I don't hate it, but it feels like elevator music from a mall where smoking is allowed in the corridors. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Penguin Cafe Single

playful and meditative! fun to listen to. pace is very fluent. stream "zopf: from the colonies" absolute tune...

This was a weird one, in a good way. What if Mike Oldfield was a member of the Beatles? There you go.

not an enjoyable listen , to me it felt like they were making this album as a prank. Which sounds harsh but I didn’t think this album was great

I finally have another song to add to my medieval playlist

Started to enjoy it more as it went on, would listen to it again.

I can’t finish this I hate it

The original Penguin Orchestra was better when Opus was a member playing first violin, however, when the Orchestra played a tour date in Bloom County, Opus became smitten with Lola Granola (which ultimately became an unrequited love affair) and dropped out of the group. Nonetheless, they still play pleasant music.

This was very odd but I really enjoyed. Plus great band name.

Not a huge fan of experimental music but the Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away but It Does Not Matter was beautiful. Second star thanks to this song.

This was exquisite. It’ll stay in rotation for me

1.45

2 1/2 Stars: Pretty innocuous album. Not terribly offensive. But not terribly memorable either. Really need this project to pump the brakes on the experimental recordings lately.

toll!

Pretty interesting album! I didn't love it like some others on the list, but definitely a pleasant listen.

First Listen; 3.5; Alternates between songs based on strange loops, noodles, and instruments, and songs that are more symphonic and emotional. Some of the songs feel uplifting and take you to another place, while others are odd enough or include strange/dissonant sounds that leave you a little unsettled. Overall, I really enjoyed this album and found it both interesting and enjoyable. Not surprised to learn that this was produced by Brian Eno. This is the type of album that I think should be included on this list and one that I will come back to. Favorite Track: Chartered Flight

Precioso y rarisimo album, muy cinematográfico. Mi portada favorita que salio hasta ahora. Ojala ser un penguin en el cafe donde suena esta music 9/10

Delightful! Probably not one I'll return to all that often, but lovely surreal... chamber music?

Very strange sounds—sometimes soothing, other times completely off-putting & surreal.

Hmmm, so much of it is obnoxious, a lot of notes going all sort of ways but when it slows down it becomes more interesting. I need to listen to this again and maybe revisit my score.

Disguised Brian Eno.

The Sound of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away and It Doesn’t Matter is definitely one of the best 10+minute songs i’ve ever heard, it’s just a beautiful spaced out song that progresses perfectly and all instruments leave their mark, that made the album awesome for me, really good

Orchestral music but avant garde. Not impressed. Penguins are not listening to this shit.

Going into this I thought it’d be another shitty British that nobody cares about, but this album really impressed me. It’s rare for an instrumental to leave an impression on me other than, "Hey, that’s pretty nice," but this album has already made its mark. Throughout listening to this album I couldn’t stop smiling. Best classical album ever, and "Penguin Cafe Single" may be the best instrumental ever.

Runs the gamut from pleasant to odd to downright grating, but I didn't hate it.

This was really interesting. I like how much music was produced by so few instruments. It seemed like each song told a story. Very interesting.

It’s good to experiment. Sometimes it helps us find what we don’t want.