It's A Shame About Ray

Right in my 90s wheelhouse.

Pretty good! Loving the riffs here. It's a shame about Ray, though.

One top comment described this as a less interesting blind melon. And I can kinda see it, it's got some more mainstream sound though and not as much jangliness in the voice. But I really really like my citrussy indie rock so this one gets a seal of approval.

This shit was longer than my life expectancy. So at least it wasn’t trash!

Long time fave

Gutes Punk Album, sehr 90s

oki

It's A Shame About Ray: 1992. it's a good fun album, I remember their Simon and Garfunkel cover (which was added to reissues of this album), but don't know anything else by them.

Jangle pop hooks at hardcore run times.

Just not my thing.

It's a shame this wasn't really worth a listen. Favorite song: Hannah & Gabi

I was never really able to enjoy this particular type of indie rock. Just a bit too mundane and slight for my taste.

Upbeat jams, pretty good vibes.

Nostalgic 90’s alt rock. Nothing to love or hate.

I've said this several times now but this band sounds a lot like the BNL Best Song: Self Titled Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4

A hit doesn't make an album. Nor a band. Bland an irrelevant. 5/10

A band I had heard of but could never have named a song. Obviously one huge banger. This sort of light ninetees stuff isn't massively my bag but still enjoyed it.

If you're going to be a strummy, strummy band without much musical invention or skill, then you had better have an amazing singer with compelling lyrics. Evan Dando doesn't really hit either mark. A fine 90s rock album, but there are loads of those.

It's a shame about the Lemonheads

Undemanding pop led by a guy that all the cool girls loved when I was 17 - I was pretty much anti-Lemonheads on principle back then, especially when my tastes were leaning more towards Faith No More and Pantera at the time. Listening now, it’s still pretty undemanding and radio-friendly but kind of lacking in much substance or originality. It does what it does well but doesn’t leave any lasting impression.

There wasn't anything life-changing about it, but it also wasn't offensive in any way--basic 90's alternative rock, it seems.

I found this boring but 90s aficionados seem to love it.

I was expecting it to be another average 3 star album, but I liked it more than expected

It is a shame

I don't think it's particularly sophisticated examples of 90s pop rock but I enjoyed it

It was alright, nothing more.

Did Ray also go into this album and be thoroughly underwhelmed?

This band somehow passed me by back in the 90s, but it sounds like it would have fit in with a lot of what I was listening to. It makes me think a little bit of the Gin Blossoms -- occasionally more Stone Roses-y and other times more Oasis-y. Most of the time it feels a little forgettable, but I think that could be because it sounds like things I like due to nostalgia -- without me having any of the nostalgia. By the time it got to the bonus tracks I did find I was familiar with the Mrs. Robinson cover... and I actually like it a lot. I might even prefer it to the original. The only problem I have with it are a few country-tinged songs near the end of the track order I didn't enjoy. Other than that it was fine and occasionally engaging. I wish I'd heard it at the time of release -- I might feel differently about it now.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Rudderless, My Drug Buddy, Bit Part, Mrs. Robinson This is some good 90s alternative rock. I figured I would know of Lemonheads or recognize at least one of their track, but I don't simply don't. It's weird. There are a ton of 90s "college rock" bands I can rattle off: Eve 6, New Radicals, Gin Blossoms, Third Eye Blind, Cake, etc. But Lemonheads somehow evaded my interest in the genre growing up. That's okay, it just means I can experience them fresh now.... 30+ years later. I really enjoyed a lot of the demo tracks on the back half of the Expanded Edition. They come off not just as demo tracks, but also stripped-down, acoustic-style, which makes the whole affair a lot more somber and frankly, way more impactful.

Meh. Not as good as I remember.

Ya el cover no me gustó, me dió indicaciones de lo mid que iba a ser este álbum solo dos temas buenos.

Meh, rock movidito fácil de escuchar, pero nada muy wow.

nice listen.

it is quite alright

Alternative rock, grunge, pop-punk, jangle pop, folk rock

This was okay but that’s about as much as I have to say on it.

This was a pleasant little surprise. All I knew about this band was their hit cover of Mrs. Robinson, and I had written them off as a one-hit wonder. Well, they are, but the rest of this album (Mrs. Robinson was only ever released on the deluxe version, so you purists will miss out) was totally decent.

2.5/5 not bad, but not a must listen.

That Mrs. Robinson cover is great.

Not really great, but the sincerity of just making music they want to make carries it to 3

It doesn't reinvent any wheels, but it's nevertheless one of the quintessential college rock records - superbly-executed, blissful guitar rock with infectious tunes with dark hints of the sad torment haunting Dando seeping through.

This is #day785 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to some '90s alternative rock on this early October Friday afternoon again. It's kind of good at what it does, but... I don't know. Is this record so essential that you must hear it before you die? Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day786.

Great folky grunge. Not sure it’s super serious music that’s taken very seriously these days, but I love this album.

🙂‍↕️😍😛😁

Yaya I’m rock punk

This is a 90s college alt rock band that feels like a warm blanket. Like everything is going to be ok and the future is bright we can make a difference and the live music scene is thriving and the world isn’t crashing down.

Overall I haven’t got a lot to say about this album - it was just a bit flat. I kept waiting for it to kick in, but sadly just found myself wanting to skip songs to get to the good bit that didn’t come. In all honesty I’m not sure I’ve been able to tell the difference between songs. I think this is a “had to be there album” and if you were coming of age in the 90s or listened during some life changing event it’s probably brilliant, but for me it just sounds like good background music for a scene in American Pie 😂 Highlights: Like the guitars overall with some nice rock melodies. Lowlights: A very average example of early 90s rock, sadly nowhere near as good as their peers. Top tunes: Mrs Robinson - shame it’s not originally theirs! Rating: 1.5

This album gave me a feeling of nostalgia despite never having listened to the album before. The only song I recognised was Mrs. Robinson. I enjoyed this album, although some of it was a wee bit samey. 3/5 - slightly above average, not much more to say!

I didn’t like it

I kind of liked it. It had a cool sound that I didn't expect on this list. But I don't remember anything particularly standing out. Not sure if it was because I was occupied whilst listening or if it was just in a more familiar genre that didn't have any great tracks

All I knew about these was that lead singer is called Evan Dando and they covered Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs Robinson’ (weirdly) Turns out they’re American which maybe explains that this totally misses being any good as an indie guitar-type album. A couple of okay tracks but basically dull. 0.8/5

Classic rock melodies made for easy listening. However, song lyrics are utterly uninspired - suffered greatly by comparison to Simon & Garfunkel with their cover of Mrs Robinson

Nah - not my favourite genre and this certainly isn’t the best of its kind. Just a bit meh for me. 1.5

Typ Green Day.

Fun no real stand outs. Had heard of their version of Mrs Robinson. Good band that might be worth a further listen

#49 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ I've obviously heard some of the songs, but never the full album. It's quite clear why too, it's very soft pop rock from the folk side of the street, but now with added grunge. Basically, the most watered down a record company can have their fad and sell it too. I was a bit nonplussed with the name of the group, I keep mixing it up with local Finnish pop groups like Lemonator and few others and the reason is quite obvious; none of these bands ment anything to me, be it musically or culturally. But they still "sound the same in spirit", which basically means toothless and vanilla, which I tend to forget as soon as I hear it. Only few of the most replayed to death tracks stuck with me from early 90's. To me this is drivel, music made with "what would the majority like" frame of mind. Because of the folk vibes I'll drop it to fuck all 1/5

Never got into these guys, and I still understand today why that was. The music is just a bit dull and dry, not much character or energy to it and is a bit depressive on the ears. I know this crew had their fan base, but I wasn’t a part of it. This music is best left in the 90s.

Lemonheads- It’s A Shame About Ray (1992) I bought this on vinyl and it definitely didn’t have the Mrs Robinson cover on the end. I haven’t felt the urge to listen to this in 34 years , never replaced it on CD and never felt the urge to stream it. Always felt it was poppy but a bit average. Here’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️ to you Mr Dando.

this sucks

90s alt-rock is ok by me. Not deep, not prophetic, but worth a listen. Didn't get the meaning of Frank Mills at all, and the Mrs. Robinson cover was meh. ⭐⭐⭐

Yet another album that is listenable but forgettable. DNF.

It’s all nice and floaty, but it just feels like there’s something missing. It’s just a bit dull and samey. Aside from their great interpretation of ‘Mrs Robinson’ is just beige background music

The only song I knew by The Lemonheads was their cover of “Mrs Robinson”, which is brilliant. Nothing else really lived up to that, but this was alright - the very definition of a 2.5* album. Not sure it was strong enough to round up overall: I wasn’t particularly engaged with chunks of it.

It's fine. I haven't got a lot of strong opinions about it, other than to say Mrs Robinson is a great cover (but it's not even technically on this album). I'm neither enthused nor disappointed. 2.5 really, but I like it fine enough, so 3/5

Alright…

so boring

The guy could sure write a hook and a melody but feels a wee bit bland/one-dimensional as an album to me.

Nice and catchy and well-crafted but not much to sink your teeth into. Great for a bit of early 90s nostalgia.

Album #284 Lemonheads: It’s a Shame About Ray This album absolutely caught me by surprise. Typically, with an early 90s alt rock album, I expect noisy guitars and angsty lyrics, and though this album definitely has a 90s feel to it, its makeup is all 80s. It’s a Shame About Ray is reminiscent of the power pop and jangle pop of the 80s, focusing on short and simple songs rather than long and complex affairs; an attitude which was borrowed from the punk scene and applied to pop by bands like The Soft Boys and The Clean. And even though I could go on and on about 80s pop for days, what really endears me to this album is how it is not only influenced by some great stuff, but how it also sounds like a precursor for some great stuff to come. It’s a shame about Ray sounds like what would happen if Pavement and Belle and Sebastian got together and made a short 30-minute album; which, if you ask me, is pretty sick. Every song here has a great melody and chorus, and none feel as though they are out of place or as if the album would be better off without them. I also want to shout out the b-sides since ‘Shakey Ground’ and the covers of ‘Mrs. Robinson’ and ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ are just as excellent as the main album. I always say that it is far easier to make an excellent album if you both keep it short and keep it simple, and Lemonheads embrace that mentality fully. Best Songs: Confetti, Rudderless, Frank Mills Worst Song: Ceiling Fan in my Spoon Score out of 10: 9

Rockin Stroll 3.4 Confetti 3.2 It's a Shame About Ray 3.4 Rudderless 3.5 My Drug Buddy 3.4 The Turnpike Down 3.2 Bit Part 3.5 Alison's Starting to Happen 3.3 Hannah & Gabi 3.3 Kitchen 3.4 Ceiling Fan in My Spoon 3.2 Frank Mills 3.4 Score: 3.35

The Lemonheads play some particularly jangly power pop with a fire lit under them and an ear for great melody. The appeal here isn't particularly complicated, this is just a particularly tight ~30 minutes of exciting, emotionally interesting pop music. And I know it's a bonus track, but the Mrs. Robinson cover here is particularly enjoyable, and I see how it became a hit. It's A Shame About Ray is short and airy enough that I see myself returning, even if it isn't in my upper echelon, and thst is very much a win for The Lemonheads.

5/10

It's a shame about rayting this album so harshly because it sounds like...the time when it was released? Some comfort here for sure, not a masterpiece but Mrs. Robinson alone is worth two stars, an excellent cover of an excellent song. 3.8

This is why I like this 1001 challenge. I quite enjoyed this and would never had given it a second thought.

Cool rock album, nothing too memorable but inoffensive

Decent pop-rock.

It's kind of skin deep, but it's a lot of energetic fun.

3.8 It seemed a little experimental as they tried many styles in the album. Something which i liked. But some songs didnt go so hard

Much better than I remember it, got a Neil Young sound to it. Very good

Bland

Good collection of songs, well produced and the whole album has a great sound and feel to it.

Thoughts before listening: The Lemonheads were consistently on my radar throughout the 90s, but I never really got around to listening to them outside of a smattering of songs (mainly the title track here and their cover of "Mrs. Robinson"). When I was into grunge and metal they felt too poppy and then when I dove head first into punk rock, it was too alternative or indie rock I think. Regardless of the reason, they just never really did much for me. That being said, looking back on that era, the sound I associate with the Lemonheads (jangly alt-rock that is kind of a pop punk take on REM) should be right up my alley. Review: Man this is truly a good album. I might have been a bit off with the REM comparison, this is definitely more indebted to the Replacements brand of 80s college rock than REM. And that's a good thing in my book. There is definitely an alt-rock or punk rock pulse to these songs, but with really strong melodic rock songwriting that seemingly aligns the Lemonheads more with the alt-country sounds of Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt/Wilco. I am also recognizing more of these songs than I thought I would. In addition to the title track and famous cover, I am very familiar with songs like "Confetti", "My Drug Buddy", and "Bit Part" which makes me think this album had more reach than I had originally thought. While my high school tastes might have led me to overlook this album, many of the songs have resonated with me over the years, and my 45-year-old tastes are hearing quite a bit to enjoy. 4-stars

Your car makes all kinds of little rattling noises but if you play this loud enough it’s fine

First Listen Favorites: Mrs. Robinson My Drug Buddy Ceiling Fan in My Spoon Honorable Mentions: It's A Shame About Ray

Ніколи уважно їх не слухав. Нормальний альтернативний рок, нічого видатного або оригінального, але і не прям погано. З пісень запам'яталась тільки My Drug Buddy.

Rock clásico del que me gusta y mucho. La historia de Evan Dando no es la que tiene el mejor relato. Está hecho polvo, los conciertos no son ni la sombra de lo que podrían haber sido, tanto en solitario como con The Lemonheads... Putas drogas. Canciones favoritas: Rudderless, Kitchen, Mrs. Robinson

What a dogshit album cover and name. The album is overall decent but its really just generic alt rock that dindt age well. Their is some prety good and fun song especially at the start. But thry are diluted in a lot of uninpressive borderline boring songs. Thanks god its very short cause this would have been so much worse/5

Good but not great

The Lemonheads, and this album in particular, were a favorite of mine in the 90s. Most people know the Mrs. Robinson cover, my favorite is Bit Part or Confetti.

Everyday regular normat experience, with one banger - Mrs. Robinson.

Okay.

Hey it's those punk rock cover band guys! Unfortunately everything that isn't Mrs Robinson is kinda meh even as someone who listens to a lot of this style of shitty pop punk. Something I should like but don't, which bodes poorly. Rudderless sums up this album perfectly. 3/5 just because the cover of Mrs Robinson is nearly perfect.

It's taking so much in me not to hit 1 star on this one. I can't, because I could see an appeal to this. To me, its bland, moody, angsty trash. Sorry

This was fun. Lowkey, sounds very 2005 ish

Just a bit too uninspiring for me Will I listen to again: 1%

Ehh, the best song is a cover and the rest is repetitive jangly 90s pop rock.

Album has a bright, fuzzy, effortless alt-rock sound, but the mood is a little detached and bittersweet. It feels catchy and casual on the surface, yet emotionally restless underneath. Okay but meh.

fizzing, melodic, punky pop - or poppy punk, hard to split the difference

Bien

Did I really have to listen to this before I die? I mean sure, Mrs. Robinson is a great song, and it has a few really good tracks. Sure it's a fun album, but pretty much that's it.