Reviews (page 3 of 8)
I remember being introduced to the Peguin Cafe Orchestra when I was young and they were new - there's a special place in my heart for the telephone and rubber band song! This album was in the same league and thoroughly enjoyable, with interesting melodies and calm pacing. Brilliant!
This is an unusual mostly instrumental album. It's hard to believe this was released in 1976 - it's aged well, or was way ahead of its time. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs
This is exactly what I would expect a Penguin Cafe would sound like that. Very interesting compositions that are both experimental and highly listenable. No surprise here that Brian Eno was a major producer on this. Favorite Track - Penguin Cafe Single Least Favorite Track - Zopf: In a Sydney Motel ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh how I love this band. Lush, playful, deeply human, often shatteringly gorgeous. An act that was serious about stretching the boundaries of what acoustic music could be without ever being too serious about it. Capital M music with heart and a warm smile.
Muy bueno
Nice. It, just, murmurs away, kinda cutesy?
Cool folk-electronica-pop med Brian Eno i bakgrunden. Bra easy listening, en fyra!
This album feels like a complete fever dream, which I find admirable, but happened to listen on a day where I feel pretty sick, so safe to say I wasn't fully appreciative of the typical Brian Eno weirdness on my initial listen.
Beautiful sometimes, but some parts were like nails on a chalkboard
Terrifically unique sounding album
#300 At first glance, I thought the name of the band was really dumb. But having listened to it all the way through I get it - it's playful, childlike, absurd - and completely fits the music. "Penguin Cafe Single" sounds like Huey Lewis's "Heart and Soul." Huey must've been a PCO fan! So many of these songs are beautiful. This is not what I expected from the name, the cover, or some of the reviews here. I really enjoyed this. FOUR STARS
One of those albums that feels like a weird, perfect little world you escape to while listening. Music like this reminds me of how I felt watching Star Wars as a kid, getting lost in a book, playing Skyrim. I imagined a little penguin concert. A bunch of penguins in an ice field waddling around to their penguin music. Loved the tonal variety. Drifting from beautiful harmony to atonality always does it for me. That's what life is. It made me feel super emotional. Sometimes music just finds you at the perfect time and this was one of those days for me
yayyyyyy first pull that Eno was involved in :) never really given this one a serious listen!! Am excited!! It's so cool how everything Eno touched was kind of at the Ethos of Ice-Nineing Muzak and he produced something as quaint as this. I'm not complaining. The arrangements are really gorgeous, dare I say, quirky. It has a straightforwardness that I always about other releases on E.G. Was not expecting vocals either!!! This does feel like a less-electronic, more ornate version of Another Green World. I love the subtle tape effects, drum machines, the vocoder-lite. Standouts: From the Colonies, MILK, Pigtail, THE SOUND OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE WHO'S GOING AWAY AND IT DOESN'T MATTER (I mean WOW!!!! What a centerpiece). Hugebaby counts as another devastating blow to my "Tremolo the only modulation effect that sounds good with guitar" take. Chartered Flight is an awesome closer. I love tone poems that deal with planes, or movement in transportation.
beautiful!! definitely a new favorite. got very excited when barrett told me that eno was involved with this one. i can hear some influence from his rock records in the 'Zopf' suite, but this feels a little rougher around the edges, which i enjoyed. 'The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter' is absolutely the highlight here, but i also thought 'Chartered Flight' was incredible
"executive produced by brian eno" oh i'm sure 3.8. we'll give him the 4. or will we? there's a lot of jazzy ambient shit you could listen to B4 death.
Intriguing
This was an interesting change of pace and I thought side B was really good, it took a little while for me to get into though.
Beautiful piece of music. Truly. The single that opens the album is so catchy, I can just picture myself in the Penguin Cafe performatively sipping my matcha while nodding along to the tune
What a curious music project, I was only familiar with the album cover. I really like the instrumentation, but i couldn't get into the songs. Cool experimental chamber background music.
Love the album art. Interesting listen, very unique
A softer side of Eno
Avante garde? Great muscianship, a really fun listen.
I like the Penguin Café Orchestra a lot and so I was prepared to like this a lot, but it let me down a bit. I was surprised to learn that they had been going since 1976. I was looking forward to Giles Farnaby's Dream and From the Colonies, but these versions are earlier ones? So maybe I would have chosen a later album of theirs, perhaps Broadcasting from Home or Signs of Life, both of which I would say are more accessible and with a fuller sound than this. Still, a relaxing listen. Four stars compared to my usual level of enjoyment of other albums from this list.
Two standout and genuinely good songs on this album. Sound of Someone... and Chartered Flight. Other than that, it's very much a British middle-class public school poncy dinner party experiment with way too much cello. Given a 3 but only because there are two actually good tracks, other than that it's a 2.
The 2nd half is better than the 1st but that’s a low bar…… it’s still pish. 1.3
Not my bag. At all.
Some of this was ok and sounded a bit like pink Floyd and godspeed. Some of it was total guff.
Not a bad album but I found it very boring not the sort of album for me and not something I would listen to in my spare time
4/10
게임 사운드트랙 같다
Not my thing
Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I don’t know anything about it but I’ve seen it talked about on the subreddit a few times How do I feel about this artist? I don’t know these people, but I like penguins Favorite song(s)? Penguin Café single Overall Thoughts: This was weird but kind of fun. Very whimsical at times but other times honestly a little annoying.
- Kind of love it to begin, definitely a welcome switch from some of the other genres I've been given - Strange blend of instruments that I really dig - Really no other way to describe it aside from 'Penguin Music' - Started to lose me as it went on, but still overall pretty good - 'Penguin Cafe Single' is a great opener, didn't mind 'Chartered Flight' either
Unsure why this is included. It's not catchy or anything else. It's not classically classical, and the pop elements are a drag. Dumb record.
Combination of nostalgic, fun and retro all at once, really loved the sound of this album (I would say it is their second best) very creative
What a weird little album, Brian Eno as executive producer. But it certainly has those Eno vibes in places. Maybe just because I was pottering around the house and garden in the sun whilst listening but I enjoyed it!
This is a weird one. I enjoyed it. And It’s completely deserving of being on this list for how unique it is. Yet I’m just not blown away by it at all. It felt almost…unfinished?
You know…a cheeky 4
This sounds both familiar and off-putting, like a musical uncanny valley. Really interesting experience, glad I listened to it
Strange stuff. There were some instrumentals that I adored.
actually rly enjoyed this one! very interesting and i could see myself putting it on as background for writing!
At least this is unique. Overall, decent background music with the occasional shift into something weird. 2.5
Ah, yes, the two extremes of minimalist orchestra: beauty that transcends the boundaries of space and time similar to Philip Glass's soundtrack for 'The Truman Show', and my sleep paralysis demon whimpering "milk" every eighteen seconds.
hmmp Nice.
Meget interessant konceptuelt album på en måde, men jeg synes ikke altid at det var så lyttevenligt, noget af det var lidt weird. Andre gange havde det nogle elementer der var ret fine og cute. Ville give 2.5
#904. This is pretentious in the best way possible. 3/5: good, I think.
Relaxing, interesting and will listen again. I have certainly listened to worse since embarking on 1001 albums journey.
weird and wonderful
Odd.
So many 5’s! So many freaky humans! I hope they don’t breed.
I think I was able to like violin like three times, but all I can remember was from that one David Bryne song. If this didn't have a violin I'd give it a way higher score because the songs were super interesting but egads were my ears on fire
Penguin Cafe Single - 3/5 Zopf: From The Colonies - 3.5/5 Zopf: In A Sydney Motel - 4.5/5 Zopf: Surface Tension - 4/5 Zopf: Milk - 3/5 Zopf: Coronation - 4.5/5 Zopf: Giles Farnaby's Dream - 3.5/5 The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter - 3/5 Hugebaby - 3.5/5 Chartered Flight - 3/5
Just meh.
Lets get this part out of the way... whoever decided this needed to be on this list of essential listening before dying is a pretentious, wanna be cool, wanker. Get over yourself. That being said there is about 18 minutes of really nice background music in this. The entirety of the Zopf section can do exactly what the person who put this on this list can do, fuck all the way off.
The Penguin Cafe Orchestra must've had quite the imagination for their instruments to talk so sweetly here. I mean, who knew violins could sound so.. aquatic? Lovely album art. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Penguin Cafe Single - Zopf: In a Sydney Motel - The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter
super pleasant. made really good study music. love the production from brian eno!
Penguin Café Single - 4/5 Zopf: From the Colonies - 4/5 Zopf: In a Sydney Motel - 3.5/5 Zopf: Surface Tension - 3.5/5 Zopf: Milk - 3/5 Zopf: Coronation - 3.5/5 Zopf: Giles Farnaby's Dream - 4/5 Zopf: Pigtail - 3/5 The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn’t Matter - 4.5/5 Hugebaby - 4/5 Chartered Flight - 4/5 An interesting mostly-instrumental album that cradles between soothing sounds and wanting to break down in tears because of those sounds. I had never heard this before, but Brian Eno being a producer makes me like it. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: The Sound of Someone..., Penguin Cafe Single
mellow and relaxing while being peppy
From Penguin Figurines to Avant-Garde Soundscapes: Discovering the Whimsical Depth of Music From the Penguin Cafe. To read more, copy/paste the link: https://tinyurl.com/2kvfk7we
Albums like this are a good part of the reason I’m participating in this project. I don’t think I would have ever been exposed to this album without doing the 1001 Albums Project but I’m glad I was able to hear it. Very experimental and quite fun. Album 30, March 28, 2026
Maybe it caught me in a bad moment but I found this actively irritating.
PERFECT SUNDAY MONING COFFEE MUSIC ALERT!!!
Its more so a 3.5. The last track is outstanding. Their band name might actually earn them 4 stars.
The album starts quite interesting ("Penguin Cafe Single") and got pieces I enjoyed. Annoying pieces ("Milk", "Pigtail") cost it the two stars for me. 1,5
ich fands überraschend gut, keine ahnung ob es pretentious ist ist ja auch egal, klassische musik aber modern und interessant mit manchen vocals zwischendurch
ich wollte es noch lieber mögen, aber am ende wollte ich, dass es mal vorbei ist
Lovely album. It doesn’t break ground for someone like me who loves modern classical music like that of Kenji Bunch. It was very relaxing & a great discovery! Eno has a golden touch!
Delightful little orchestra music with bass and keyboard and string instruments. Zopf: From the Colonies and The Sound of Someone You Love are really good. I really enjoyed this journey. Also, the composer has a son with his own group "Penguin Cafe." They have a very similar sound.
Annoying
wow, this is really cool. I had never heard of this group before - sort of classical/ambient/chamber music. Very pleasant to listen to. I will listen again and probably buy this. Not a bad track on the album, my first 5 star rating
1,7 Highlights: In A Sydney Motel, Surface Tension
Now this is the right amount of obscure weird music. I love it so far!
half sounds half bliss
Some really great strings on this makes for a chill and sometimes eerie atmosphere. The more avant garde sections weren't super necessary in my opinion
this was very good some nice chill instrumentals
Not really classical but close. Not really disliked but close.
Pengin music :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD I'm not well-versed in the arts and culture of the South Pole, but I'm thinking this album could be my kind of unusual. Given the cafe theming of this album, I'm expecting a cool, delicate, refined early electronic album. Like the general sound of Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits, which is an album I really need to go back to and give another listen. Anyways, I can't wait any longer. We're putting this on. I guess I overlooked the "orchestra" in the band name while I was making my genre prediction, huh? Anyways, YES! I LIKED IT! WOOOOOOOO. I'm clapping like a seal right now, which is probably why I've been told to leave the penguin cafe premises. This is one of those albums covers which really captures the feel of the music. Tender, refined, intimate and a little out there. What I wouldn't give to be lying in a breezy Scandinavian field while listening to this album. The music is gorgeous, especially the warmer aspects of the instrumentation. String instruments have always been my musical soft spot, and they're put to great use here. The violin guides these tracks along in a dynamic and engaging way - I'm a big fan of the free-wheeling sound. The musical embellishments on this album are good too, notably the bluesy electric guitars, plucky acoustics and the harpsichord on one the tracks, which is one of my favourite niche instruments. I quite liked the wacked-out parts too, especially the lo-fi, busy, yet minimal electronic sounds on "Milk". Admittedly, those stretches of the album do detract from the focus and general atmosphere, but they're good all the same and their presence isn't enough to bug me. Overall, yeah. Great album. This past hundred albums has revealed some real winners. I'm glad to have stuck with this project. Book time. "...one of the truly unique works of 1970s pop music." The recording process took over three years. Lifts elements from baroque, jazz, pop and avant-garde. Released through Brian Eno's label. The band's "...most adventurous - and satisfying" release. Wikipedia says this album had Eno as an executive producer and received a mediocre rating from one reviewer. This album doesn't appear to have made much of a splash, but in this album's defense that is exactly its style. Serene and undisturbed - mostly. I cosign this inclusion.
Loved the tracks without vocals. Did not care for the track with vocals.
3/19 Forgettable
This album was super cool, even as someone who doesn’t gravitate towards instrumental music. Some of the sections were a bit grating on the ear, but overall it was a pleasant listening experience. My favorites were Penguin Cafe Single, Zopf: From the Colonies, and The Sound of Someone You Love…. Bonus, I listened to some of their other songs and found several gems: Lifeboat (Lovers Rock), Music for a Found Harmonica, and In the Back of a Taxi
Listened to this depressed as hell walking in a forest past a castle and I feel like that was as intended
I thought classical/art music wasn't allowed on the list
Really unique, enjoyed this a lot! Love the cover too. Very fun
This music is pleasant enough. Good music to listen to while studying. It’s not groundbreaking. Am I missing something?
First track got my hopes up, and I thought a lot of the more pop-centric pieces were similar to The Smile Sessions (which I loved). Too many ambient tracks for me, though. I can’t handle a minute of random beeps being a “song.”
Kind of like subdued prog rock with some wobbly singing here and there, this mid-70s album from the UK is pleasant enough but lacks both the strong melodies or the experimental flair that would make it memorable.
Wow, what an album. The Penguins delivered a highly experimental record with sweet and subtle use of the strings, as well as a variety of other instruments. Intricate melodies are never boring and bring unexpected turns pretty much all the time. So, music feels relaxed, but in a highly elegant way. Abundance of purely intrumental compositions is a huge plus here. In short, an album of talented experimental stuff that I will listen again for sure. Best tracks: "Zopf: Giles Farnaby's Dream", "The Sound Of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter", "Hugebaby". Also it's notable how fresh the "Penguin Cafe" feels given its release year.
what is this melodyyyy
Interesting. You can’t really hate it but I don’t see how someone could love it either.
Hmm, not quite sure how to rate this. I didn't disklike it, though I doubt I'll honestly listen to it again. I liked the purely instrumental bits more than the ones with vocals, on the whole. Erm, three it is.
It was alirght
ayyyyye i loveed this >>> this now in my circular.
This is a sort of boring modern classical type album, The Sound Of Someone You Love is an amazing song though, carrying this entire album on its back
Really chilled. I preferred the longer songs as they fit this type of music better
Another of those I'll likely never go back to, but this was a nice listen punctuated with moments of complete strangeness. I liked it.
Un disco bastante experimental, al principio parece soundtrack de alguna película.
9/10
Much of this is music only but quite a nice vibe to it. Experimental
Nice calming album, I enjoyed more than I thought I would. 7.9/10
Exactly as strange as I expected. (11 songs, 45 mins)
Before I knew this was produced by Brian Eno, I was thinking to myself just how much this sounded by Brian Eno. Make of that what you will.
Music to chill to
Reminds me of a sound track to a movie Ive watched. Couldn't tell you which though.
Listened to this 3 times before moving on, great stuff
I guess this would be music playing in a Penguin Cafe?
well yea
This is a cool instrumental album. I really enjoyed the first half of it but it kinda fell off and lost me in the second half. The first half was filled with so much personality and had me vibing and grooving. The second half kinda felt like background music that sounds good and will catch your interest at various points of the song. Overall I think it’s a solid album and would be great to throw on when you want music and don’t want it to be too distracting.
I don’t fully understand why this is here, even after reading the entry in the book. It’s a sort of random soft-pop-jazz mostly instrumental album with some bizarre and some really quite pleasant passages of melody. Never really lets you get comfortable before it does something weird or out of tune. I can see myself listening to this again though.
This was a surprise, never heard of it. Liked the bonkersness of it. Very chill, very good.
Best Track - "Penguin Cafe Single"
This was a fantastic album. I was familiar with their track Perpetuum Mobile but hadn’t explored much else, and I’m happy to have had this opportunity today. My favourite from this collection was Milk - it was delightfully experimental in all the good ways. I’d definitely check out more of their stuff.
Perfect for a chill day!
Sem graça
Surprisingly decent. Very well recorded. A bit chaotic, but I understand it's experimental.
I love avant-garde weirdness like this.
I feel no need to listen to this ever again.
Interesting
A classic. Incredibly modern sounding for the time it was released. I couldn’t really pick a Penguin Cafe Orchestra album out from a crowd, they all sound very similiar, but they're all great.
I'm really getting into these spacey, cinematic musical experiences that pop up every so often on the OAD project. Music from the Penguin Cafe is, at turns, fun, campy, cerebral, melodic, and relaxing. It feels both foreign and familiar, comforting and anxiety-inducing. I find these contradictions engaging. Also, it was recorded very well and sounds beautiful on both my hi-fi and my headphones. I enjoyed my time with Music From The Penguin Cafe, and I plan to return to it in the future. Four stars.
This is very artsy. Definitely modern classical. A little avant-garde. Honestly, I really hard album to rate, mostly because it's so different. I don't really know how I feel about it. Actually, by the end, I've decided that it's actually a really sweet, very nice album to listen to. Definitely a little, but anything that sounds "bad" I think is done really intentionally. Oddly, I think the Zopf songs end up being the worst bit of the album. I wish there was more of the first and last three tracks. Those were really nice. Favorite Song(s): The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter
Cover? SLAPS. Music? Weird af. What a vibe.
I just love how some dudes decided to call themselves the "Penguin Cafe Orchestra". They even make some cool music. Gonna listen again!
No
Look I am a band kid but I really lost the plot with some of these songs. I am sure this group is more interesting in their live performances. 2 stars.
I liked this album. Went in blind and was happy I did. The standouts for me are Giles Farnaby's Dream (which is a fun little instrumental) and The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away And It Doesn't Matter (which is also a fun instrumental - albeit much longer and describing it as fun doesn't really do it service). Overall I'm very happy to have heard this album and I'm sure I'll listen to it again.
interesting but not my jam
It was really interesting and ahead of its time. It’s unsurprising eno was involved.
I like the interesting fusion vibe it has, definitely not study music though, there is too much going on for me hehe. But I liked the album!
cool study music, might add a few tracks to my study playlist. Tunes aren't too interesting but it was nice to listen to overall
I thought the merge between classical instruments and techno was quite interesting, it was pretty cool :)
Now this was just delightful. The arrangements are great. I love the way the electric keys blend with the strings. The build and release of tension in The Sound Of Someone… is fantastic. Really great album that I never would have heard otherwise. Favorites were In A Sydney Motel, The Sound Of Someone…, and Chartered Flight.
I don't even know how to review this lol. It's definitely a mood. Surreal, minimal, strange, and maybe brilliant? I think if I gave it more listens it could be a four
I like the jams Will I listen to again: 69%
Elements of Zopf bring this down for me but otherwise a really peaceful and fun listen. Likes: Penguin Cafe Single, The Sound of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away and It Doesn’t Matter
01) Penguin Cafe Single - 5,5 02) From the Colonies - 5,5 03) In a Sydney Motel - 5,0 04) Surface Tension (Where the Trees Meet the Sky) - 5,0 05) Milk - 4,5 06) Coronation - 4,0 07) Giles Farnaby's Dream - 4,5 08) Pigtail - 4,5 09) The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter - 3,0 10) Hugebaby - 4,5 11) Chartered Flight - 4,0 TOTAL: 4,55 (46/100) Current ranking: 799/830
Cool ambiance. Qui est Zopf? J'ai bien aimé Gyles Barnaby's...
Ah j'ai quand même apprécié. Du bel instrumental relaxant. Voit-on la touche Eno?
I’d prefer to listen to penguins mating for 40 minutes.
LOVEEEEEE would play in the background
saved one song off this so unfortunately not a showstopper but! cute and serene and nice album art
Enjoyed this
Wonderfully eccentric in places. Interesting stuff, not the worst thing I’ve ever heard but probably won’t revisit anytime soon.
It’s kind of pleasant, and rather like listening to the soundtrack to a Mackenzie Crook comedy series.
I have found myself quite enjoying this record which was a pleasant surprise. From first glance, you’d expect a group with such a name to be dull, but you’d be sorely mistaken. While the music itself can come across as tranquil and easy, there’s an avante garde quality that I can’t help but be fascinated by. The flow of the record itself is entrancing and superbly psychedelic. I continue to press play on this record during a vast array of moments in my life, and each time I am delighted at how well it complements my day to day.
I enjoyed this but I don’t thinks it stands out much
Interesante para interpretar música que no tiene letra. Para meterte en una e imaginar lo que puede estar pasando solo a través de los instrumentos. Lamentablemente no me agarró en el mejor día para poder hacer eso. Pero se sintió interesante. 5/10
Embora pouco conhecido, este é um disco digno de ser ouvido por qualquer pessoa que se interesse por música. Temas e melodias bonitas, com arranjos e interpretações cativantes. Além de uma originalidade fora do comum.
I was fairly enjoying this but track 5 (Zopf: Milk) just seemed weird for the sake of weird, it felt like Don't think I'd listen again but I see the artistic merit
🐧👍🏼
I alle dager. For en reise.
I am kinda mixed when it comes to Music From The Penguin Cafe. This album has a very unique sound, probably something that i would hear in Animal Crossing or something that feels like it would go on to influence Sufjan Stevens. In terms of the music it's basically music with a very relaxing feel and probably would have worked much better on me if i didn't have the day off work when reviewing this but i still appreciate the sound nonetheless. My problem with the album though is that sometimes it can get annoying. It has a bit of a tendency to pick some odd instrument choices in some songs that really don't sound good. But when i consider that was mostly just for two songs, the good outweighs the bad here so it's an alright album. Best Song: The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter Worst Song: Zopf: Milk
Nope. This is exactly why we can't have penguins in bands.
Horrid, not listenable
Perfectly fine, perhaps something I would listen if I had a mansion and a room exclusively for birds… an aviary? Idk but it had some cool experimental bits… pigtails? Pretty weird vibe.
Really cool, didn’t think I would like it as much as I did
Nice and interesting. Mostly good with some bad. You won’t catch me bumping this but they’re talented
Very pleasant and well done
Some really good moments but also some weird ones. I kinda liked it tho
Incredible name. Even better album cover. But soooo not for me.
Idk what the hell went on in the middle there for a bit but the intro and last 3 are great
I’m gunna revisit this one soon
A truly beautiful instrumental album.
Really liked it surprisingly. 3.5
A mixed album, not a standout but not awful. A delicate balance between the experiments of the 70s and the fragility of the orchestra. A good way to see out an afternoon.
Music From The Penguin Cafe is the kind of album that makes me the most glad of having embarked on the 1001 album journey. Even if I do generally enjoy this kind of music (or more like, the genres and styles that are present in this), I probably would have never thought to listen to this album, let alone even knowing of its existence. This record sits nicely between folk and classical music, mostly. The artists are not afraid to explore with full freedom the line between modern folk/rock with acoustic and electric guitar and bass, and more classical sensibilities with other instruments like the violin, cello or spinet. The compositions are very original and the music sounds timeless. This is one of those that requires you to sit and listen intently. By the way, I have no idea what the album cover means, but I like it. I also like the consistency with the band's different album covers (check them out, the penguins and the naked people with penguin heads are a recurring theme). This was very hard to rate. It's not exactly what I would listen usually, but the creativity in Music From The Penguin Cafe had me marvelled in a way that rarely happens. So I think this deserves the 5 starts even if it's not going to enter my regular rotation and I've rated lower other albums that I like "more".
Pretty hip music for a dentist’s waiting room. Nonessential
Why?
If you told me this was a contemporary, procedurally generated, AI OST to a Minecraft mod. I would totally believe that. If I saw it in a charity shop I would pick it up on the name and album cover. Still, 2 points
Really good. Classical, jazzy, ambient. Doesn't take itself too seriously
I actually kinda liked this album. It was pretty chill and a couple songs gave off Velvet Underground vibes
Liked the final three tracks after being cold on the first three quarters of the album. Sound of Someone had a bittersweet vibe that was my favorite
Weirded me out. Approved.
Interesting. I liked it.
Easy to listen to, calming, and relaxing. But didn't really care for the singing in the middle.
I want to love it just based on the album cover. What an absolute trip of a listen. At no point did I ever know what was coming up
3.2 I had a really pleasant experience making a large batch of Thai green curry with this on in the background. But it feels like that's kind of all it would be good for. Rightly or wrongly, i can see almost every album on this list has had at some point someone saying to their mate "you *need* to listen this album!"... Has this ever had it? It feels like a strange inclusion. I guess the genre is a bit different to anything else, but it's too closely connected to other things to warrant an inclusion due to that. If we're going to allow orchestral why is there not a single famous composer on this list? If we're not why does this get a nod?
Pastoral… uhhh… chamber folk? I was thrilled to have something I’ve never heard generated this morning. I think that’s the true test of whether or not an album should even be on this list. I wonder how many people listening to this are familiar with bands like Wurld Series and Hermit Thrushes at their quietest? Anyway, I enjoyed it. The interplay between the guitar lines and the Rhodes piano is quite spellbinding at times. The longer tracks particularly stand out with every musician having the opportunity to (gently) come to the fore on some level. I would listen to this again, probably will. Best: Penguin Cafe Single, The Sound of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away and it Doesn’t Matter Worst: Coronation (yes one of only two songs with vocals. I can handle a warbly violin line but not when paired with a warbly vocal)
Mistenke da e verdt et gjenlytt eller to
Penguins are fun, where was the fun it sounded tragic throughout
-i very much enjoyed this album - favourite song was probably "in a sydney motel" - very underlying emotive
A mostly interesting and enjoyable art rock + classical fusion soundscape. I feel like it's very close to being perfect, but tracks 5, and 8 didn't land for me at all. I do, however really love the unique sound from this band, and i think i might delve into their other albums soon!
Albums like this are the reason I love this project so much. I had absolutely no clue what to expect and had never heard of the artist or album, but both the naked penguin man and the fact that Brian Eno was the producer had me feeling hopeful. This just hit right today. Slightly bizarre and utterly beautiful, I've got nothing to complain about. 4⭐️
Very minimalistic, yet rather "quirky."
Lets get weird
This is the kind of album you buy on vinyl to be unique and know that it's has complexity to it's many layers... Then one day youre having friends over for drinks and one of them asks why this album is still wrapped in plastic and should we put it on, and you give a hard pass as you know it's not the right time or place to put it on... It's never the right time or place. 3 Stars
chill. mellow. background.
This is a really good experimental and avant-garde album that manages to be both calming and peaceful. I love finding albums like this because I’m always on the lookout for experimental music that still feels accessible and relaxing, and this one hits the mark. If you’re looking to dip your toes into more experimental sounds, this is a great place to start.
That was absolutely delightful! I've grabbed their entire discography and added it to the mix that I keep on my phone and at home.
Quirky but enjoyed
Mostly sounds like the soundtrack to a gentle early 80s sitcom set at a retirement home in Vermont, but then occasionally a deranged former avant garde artist gets a hold of the Casiotone for a minute. Laffs ensue.
To my knowledge, I had never even heard of this ensemble, and yet the first song was completely familiar. That sort of sums up this album: it’s really obscure, traversing strange byways between classical and jazz and pop, and yet also sometimes landing on groovy melodies that sound like tv show themes.
I can be quite a fan of orchestral stuff but for some reason I wasn’t a fan of this and I really wanted to be because hello the penguin cafe orchestra, can it get any more fun than that !?!
Soothing. It feels adequate as background music for a children's story, but not the nonsense quick fix we're getting used to today. Instead it's sophisticated, it's thought out, it's peaceful and it feels complete. This piece of work is great for moving slow, breathing steady, partaking in a bit of playful mindfulness. I'd listen to this again, but for that very specific mood. Makes for a great physical purchase, would love to stare at this album art on a 12 inch release. Sounds like you're entering a cozy café where all the baristas wear penguin masks. It's surreal in a relaxed way. 3.3/5
Twaddle (complimentary).
This certainly was an experience. A mostly pleasant one at that. One songs or at least parts of that song were a straight skip since it actually hur my ears. That is why it feels so wrong when the majority of them are really well made and good. As a whole a really good album and a great experience.
70’s Rock ⭐️Penguin Cafe Single
if you don't like The Sound of Someone Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter I'm gonna get a penguin to bite you
Big vibes
Minimalist Avant folk pop not quite ambient music from another world. Utterly charming and never quite heading in the direction you expect, this is full of beautiful surprises.
"Orchestra" is fitting. Moments of joyous romantic music ebbed into somewhat atmospheric sustained chords, punctuated by moments of experimental (jazz-inspired?) progressions. Made for an engaging if somewhat disturbing listening experience. The gorgeous harmonies and melodies made the stranger moments all worth it and bumped it up to a 4.
All instrumental, and a wide variety of moods and styles. Plus, what's not to like about a penguin orchestra?
Funky but not my style
A whole lot of noodling that never really coheres
I appreciate this it’s just not something I would go back to personally
this was so cute and i enjoyed myself very much
Good to listen to with headphones on during a rainy day. I had preferred a little more experimentation tough.
Bizarre
What a pleasant surprise this album was, went into it completely blind and was blown away. It is jazz electronic rock fusion that made me feel the same way I do when I hear The Vince Guaralda Trio do the Charlie Xmas music. It just feels good in a hard way to describe.
This was fine background music
Thoughts before listening: Well this is...interesting I guess? I have never heard of this before and I have no frame of reference. Maybe jazz...maybe some sort of early electronic influence...maybe prog rock? Not really sure. Review: So I guess its actually none of those things. This is experimental classical chamber pop music. Something like that. This probably would have gone over well in the 2000s when indie rock singer songwriters like Sufjan Stevens and Devendra Barnhart were making all the critics' best albums lists. Instead though, this sticks out like a sore thumb being released in 1976 during the height of prog rock, disco, and punk. This is certainly an interesting listen. I'll give this 3-stars.
I like this album. It’s basically a 00s electronic ambient lp played on strings instruments in the 70’s.
First listen
"Semi-acoistic chamber music", decent in the background
Quite the album art. Liked it more than I expected it to.
comme au café après la course mais avec des pingouins
Exactement ce qu'on attend de quelqu'un qui mange du poisson avarié et fait un album. Ou est le penguin cafe ? Un sejour au penguin cafe eveillerait tout nos sens, allons au penguin cafe
I liked this! Fun!
4.25
Felt like I was listening to some version of the same song on repeat
Artsy
Really interesting but long
Never heard of this project before and from the first song sounds very interesting. After listening to the whole album I thought it had Eno influence and it turns out Eno is indeed the producer here which explains a lot. Interesting mix of chamber, folk, prog and other styles, definitely strong 4 stars and REVISIT worthy
i really enjoyed listening to this record just starting with the cover.. such a cute cover and the songs were also really bangers i liked the instrumental and that deep voice all throughout the songs. i’d say it carries to eerie vibes but in a very cool way some songs sounded really off putting but that’s what made it kinda cool for me! favs: zopf: in sydney motel - the sound of someone you love who’s going away and it doesn’t matter :)
just no
This is different and wonderful, uplifted my day.
Really fun orchestra stuff from these penguins, they really got it going on! 7/10
Finding out Eno was tied somehow to this album was the least surprising part of MFTPC after listening. Similarly, 'occasionally reminiscent of composers such as Philip Glass' is an understatement, with the way the instrumentation dances and intermingles in these slow, wave-like lethargies. What did surprise me during listening was how chill, laid-back, semi-experimental and ambient it was. I'm absolutely enraptured by the beachside minimalist vibes; it's almost muzak, but with that touch of raw passion and artistry that infuse the soft electric pianos and droning strings with an beautifying bent. Overall I was much more impressed by the more typical, more orchestral stylings of the non-Zopf tracks. I appreciate the more atonal experimentation there but it's a hollow core surrounded by some truly memorable and timeless pieces of classical(?) minimalist(?) jazz(?). One of the most impressive albums I've heard in the list so far from a band I've never heard of before. Fav tracks: Penguin Cafe Single, The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter, Chartered Flight, Hugebaby
Brilliant album! Experimental with lots of left turns, odd stuff happening, cool instrumentation- but without veering into becoming inaccessible. Favourite track is the opener “Penguin Cafe Single”- what a tune!
Had to chuckle at the title and this gave me absolutely no idea what to expect, but I rather enjoyed this.
Never heard of penguin cafe orchestra. Ohhh so now we are really expanding our music knowledge - this album surpassed expectations even with a band name like that. Love orchestral music, mostly just instruments capturing the essence of emotion with the occasional vocal thrown in on songs like “milk”. I am going to feel soooo better than when I next suggest this album to someone.
Pleasant. Pleasant orchestration with non-traditional instruments; bongos, ukulele, washboard, etc. The Ecstasy Of Dancing Fleas, are the dancing fleas in ecstasy? Or is it the observers of this wee circus? Or both? Either way, it’s the top track. Penguin Cafe Orchestra comes in at (2.48*s) Pleasant like a cup of lukewarm warm tea…
I think I recognize the opening track from these penguins. Not bad "classical" music that added a little spice to the baroque style. It's a weird album with some good tracks but also gets slow and boring at times. Not surprising Eno had a hand in it. Would not have expected this on the 1001 list but not mad about it...1.7 stars.
Not a bad entry for 1001. Unfamiliar with Penguin Cafe Orchestra and doubt I would have been exposed to them otherwise. What I got was mostly pleasant jazz fusion or whatever this genre qualifies as. Nothing special but I also wasn't upset in any way to listen to this. Decent background music to turn your brain off to. Some silly racy penguin artwork on their albums doesn't hurt I guess. 2.24 stars
Interesting
Meh. Been getting a lot of nothing burgers lately…
Had moments but it was too weird and jarring for me.
Muzak 2/5
Missing vocals to get the hooks into me for the first song. I feel like that song was an ill recorded Beatles B side without lyrics. Second song, minorly depressing without any real hook. Gave up when I got through songs 3, 4 and 5 without wanting to cut off my ears.
Okay sounding for - well - a cafe background, would not repeat listening to it a second time.
Enjoyed this one, it had some similarities to some post-rock stuff I listen to, though it's a bit more upbeat
Weird Classic stuff with chembalo aber bis auf dass der Name witzig ist ist es sonst eher nervig..
j'ai étonnement beaucoup aimé, un album relaxant et expérimental à la fois, merci pour la découverte
Wikipedia's best guess at the genre: "Pop, chamber music, minimalism, avant-folk, chamber jazz, modern classical." Yeah, nobody knows what this is even supposed to be. Bonus star for the album cover where the crow is mansplaining something to the penguin, though.
Interesting..
Very good ambient
Very cool stuff. Reminds me of Kronos Quartet. Definitely something to listen to again.
A really gorgeous album that, a lot of the time, actually feels like a unique take on ambient during the genre's heyday. It's moody, diverse, and also pretty off-kilter at times, completely derailing from its generally serene route to give you something sort of challenging, like with the sort of directionless beeps and bloops of 'Pigtail'. But that doesn't happen very often here, from the very first son,g you know you're in for something relaxing, fresh, and very breathable. And you can (for the most part) let your guard down and let the music drive your emotions in a million different directions. Something about that almost nursery-like melody on 'Penguin Cafe Single' sounds like the opener to some Pixar movie; the song has this cutsey child-like feel to it. The best track was by far and away the gorgeous 'The Sound Of Someone...' which left me confused on whether I was happy or sad by the end of it, something about that quaint guitar melody just tugs at my heart like very few things I've heard recently. But don't get it twisted, the song's equally as comforting and lulling when those strings come in. The closer 'Chartered Light' is maybe the most ahead-of-its-time thing here, a genuinely jaw-dropping fusion of a lot of the jazzy, baroque, and ambient elements the album had been building on up to this point. In a lot of ways, I hear the sounds that would come to be associated with post-rock being developed on this album. I wouldn't compare it to one of my favorite albums of all time, but this really does put me in the same relaxed headspace as the masterpiece that is Brian Eno's 'Another Green World'. Both records transport me to a perfect world where it's always sunny, and the grass is always green, surrounded by the ones you love most forever. Great gem on this list.
-this was.. interesting. haven’t heard too many albums like this on here at all. i’d say that’s a good thing, but i wasn’t exactly blown away by this. had some very pretty neoclassical / ambient moments, but for the most part i’ve already kinda forgotten it -the good moments were very good, however. the first song on the second disc is absolutely beautiful -Favorites: Zopf: Pigtail, The Sound Of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away And It Doesn’t Matter, Chartered Flight
I had a feeling right off the bat that I would enjoy this, and it didn’t disappoint! Amazingly odd and super chill, I can see listening to this again and again. I’ve had a few albums here made and/or produced by Brian Eno that I liked a bit less than Penguin Cafe Orchestra so I’m glad to finally find one I love
definitely counts as noise
def one of the more wierd albums ive been recommended on this app. Gile's Farnaby Dream was better than these other songs tho
i love instrumental music
A handful of lovely moments but way too much aimless noodling, a record which doesn’t seem to have worked out for itself what the point is yet. Might have made a nice EP.
Unfortunately it is very hard to give an objective opinion as the album cover is too cute to make me not like this. I love penguins man. This album is so soothing. It feels like a warm hug on a cold night. It had such a good variety of highs and lows - I think I listened to this one about 4 times and didn't get bored once. Fabulous record from an band/artist(s) I have never even heard of. One of the few good picks on this book.
Both sides open with wonderful tracks but unfortunately I didn’t care much for the first side. I would give this a 4/5 for how good the second side is but the first drags it down too much for me. Highlights: Penguin Cafe Single, The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter
Erikonen nimi! Ihan jees taustalla mutta ei herätä ihmeellisemmin tunteita muuten 3/5
Kivan chilli loungelevy!
I haven't heard about this group before so I was curious about this album. It's an instrumental, interesting and rather chill minimalist, avantfolk, chamber album from the mid 70s, produced by Brian Eno. It was a nice way to finish the year 2025 as the #991 album on my challenge, I liked this album quite a lot and will probably relisten again.
Penguins are pretty cute. I imagined these Penguins went on a journey to outer space.
A beautifully merged together collection of tunes and styles. I'm not sure I've ever heard anything like it. Enjoyed with breakfast and coffee on a lazy weekend morning, which I think is suitable. Will listen again.
An abstract, mostly instrumental album that's good in the background. Top tracks: "Penguin Cafe Single," "Zopf: Milk"
--Penguin Cafe Single...huh --From the Colonies...I'm scared? exhilarated? mostly confused --In a Sydney Motel...uh --Surface Tension...a more traditional orchestration. which makes this entire enterprise even weirder somehow --Milk...avant-garde stuff --Coronation...dark --Giles Farnaby's Dream...this one is fun. harpsichord? --Pigtail...now we're in a spacecraft or something --The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter...this is genuinely beautiful. well, the first four minutes, at least. We take a weird left turn in the last four minutes but it feels earned. I like this one --Hugebaby...pretty basic arrangement but slightly alien. hard to nail down what exactly this album is trying to accomplish, but there's something compelling about it --Chartered Flight...nice but the first one that kind of bored me
Weird but not weird enough.
Like, a light three? Some tracks I really enjoyed, some I didn’t care for. But the whole presentation is really pleasing and fun!
Oooh, I LIKE this. Experimental, yet tuneful, absolutely perfect listening for being cocooned in blankets with my headphones on on a cold winter night.
I loved Penguin Cafe Single and it really set the tone for a great time with this album. There is no chance I would have heard this on my own, glad to be here.
Feels like it’ll need some listens but defs enjoyed first run through - will go into work rotation. Some bit sounded like bridgerton versions of songs id never heard but idk if thats a bad thing? Great ebbs and flows.
who’da thunk penguins could convey such emotional depth!? i knew they could write but who knew they could compose and play!?! i was going to give this album a 2 until about the 7th minute of ‘the sound of someone you love who’s going away and it doesn’t matter’ and something just clicked. it’s more tender and bittersweet than i expected an album written by penguins could be.
Not super my vibe but 3 stars as my fam played a lot of My Friend the Chocolate Cake growing up, who seem to be inspired by these Penguin folk. Penguin Cafe Single really reminded me of build mode in The Sims, and I would probably enjoy it more in that context
I love the penguins!! I thought this was such a lovely album - the switch up at In a Sydney Motel really got me. I loved the general discordance across the record. Think it would make a great meditation piece. 4 stars!
At the age of 9 I tried to sell penguin facts to fellow students for 50c, so I speak with expertise here. I don’t think these people have ever met a penguin. This album is weird, and interesting, and feels at times like a group of people trying to see how many different sounds they can make. Which, all things considered, isn’t a terrible artistic endeavour. I am glad I listened to this album. I probably won’t listen to it again. I listened to this album when walking home from the pub. I was going to give it 2/5 because it didn’t interest me. Then, ‘the Sound of Someone…’ started playing. The slow, beautiful interplay of instruments nearly made me bump it up to 3/5. Until they started introducing beeps and boops into it. No need! Allow your melody to exist unencumbered by sound effects. Maybe it’s still a 3. Who am I to give this a failing grade.
I hate rating experimental music low, because I feel like it makes me seem like I can't handle it, but I just found this one to be mostly boring. The male vocalist is terrible, all of the songs feel super slow like they are being stretched out, and a lot of the zopf song feel half baked. There are some good ideas here and there though. I like a lot of the strong parts and the female singer is good. There are very few songs with a harpsichord that don't feel cringe. High 2.
I know some Penguin Cafe, but nothing from this album. I love it. Some parts droney, some parts full of life and rhythm. Maybe dulls a little by the end, but very enjoyable. 4 Heard before? No Owned: No: 39/154 (24%) Will I get? Yes
Sometimes really beautiful, and sometimes really, really odd.
Listens: 1 Standout Tracks: Zopf: Milk This was quite off the beaten path as far as the List is concerned. I am struggling to come up with anything, mostly because I only got in one listen. Is this an actual orchestra (what constitutes an orchestra?). What is the genre of this? Experimental jazz? Not able to form an opinion.
Just a lovely sounding album. Gives me warm feelings.
I had not heard of this before but I enjoyed it. Very interesting
Eno produced chill piano music? Sure, I’m into that.
Música para escuchar
Great
Went in completely blind for this one. Wasn't sure what to expect. Loved it. Experimental avante garde pop, verging at times on chamber music or theatrical score. I didn't like the use of the electric piano at first (never really liked the sound of those, always sounded cheap to me), but it acts as a good counter-point to the more traditional instruments that make up most of the music. Happy to have found this one. Never would have listened to it if not for this project.
Didn't love it ... Didn't hate it!
A wonderfully innovative album that breaks the mold by using weird and unconventional instruments. It’s has a modern feel to it because of this. Great study/work album as well.
Had some beautiful lines but generally too avant garde
This is the type of thing I wish that there was much more of in this project. This was different, out of the box, interesting, chill and an enjoyable listen. This was a nice re-visit to the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. I have their 4-CD box set "A History" but haven't listened to it in years. This reminder will make me pull it out again for a listen.
Very interesting and not what I expected.
An unexpected delight. I had heard a bit from this band without actually seeing the bigger picture so this was very surprising
I liked songs 7,9,10 and 11, especially the violin. Not really my thing, but glad I gave it a listen.
Background music that’s pretty forgettable but they add some crazy flare up sound every now and then.
7.5/10
This was so weird
This is one of the coolest things I've ever heard. I usually don't love "chamber" anything, but this has so much weirdness and creativity in the guitar work going along with the strings that it's got me by the balls. Second track should've been last, definitely the weakest. Will need a relisten to evaluate, could be a 5 in the future.
Pretty good, I especially enjoyed the last 3 tracks where the orchestra gets more emotional, the rest is fun too but it's a bit all over the place
Didn't expect to find this album here, just like nobody expects the SPANISH INQUISITION!
Hey... That's sincerely great stuff. I found myself immersed completely in their pastoral vibe. Soothing album that brings light to the soul!
Trippy... in a good way. Perfectly weird and enjoyable Have a feeling Andrew Bird and Devotchka pulled some influence from this.
Yesh yesh yeah this is a keeper *said in goldmember voice*
I liked this!!!
When I saw this album inspired the entire genre of advertising music I understood why Carly was drawn to it
First song was nice, rest was kind of boring but not the worst thing to listen to at work. Low 3.