Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Quirky!
I'm a huge talking heads fan and think Tina is the most underrated bassist of all times but this objectively not a good album and outside of this having perhaps one of the most sampled songs of all time on it there really isn't much to this album.
heerefreed dette hater jeg feelgood musikk uten sjel aint no way jeg bruker to timer på dette
I…couldn’t really get into this at first. Or at all. Sorry. Talking Heads supremacy.
Goes on too long for my taste, not bad but a double album was a lot
Strange. But oddly nostalgic.
Really not for me. Go on too long and just a bit weird. Can see where a lot of 90’s RnB got their samples. It is musically very impressive just not my taste
I felt this album was such a mixed bag. Some of the songs were fun and enjoyable to listen. Others I found were so repetitive and annoying. I was not a huge fan of this album
Outside of Genius of Love, this is pretty tedious. Love Talking Heads, but this is too out there for me.
while i like its dadaistic nature, the album is just not that appealing to me as it is the music equivalent of a plastic table compared to a metal and wood design.
I recognize the lick from Genius of Love, but mostly did not enjoy listening to this album. Noisy, not fun. Wordy Rappinghood ★★☆☆☆ Genius of Love ★★☆☆☆ Tom Tom Theme ★★☆☆☆ L’Éléphant ★★☆☆☆ As Above, So Below ★★☆☆☆ Lorelei ★★☆☆☆ On, On, On, On… ★★★☆☆ Booming and Zooming ★★☆☆☆ Average Album Rating: 2.1/5.0 ★★☆☆☆
my christmas present to Justin is that I didn’t leave the very mean review I initially wrote I love you justin sorry about music
It's a little too crazy for me T-T... but I can definitely see where did Paramore get some AL inspo
2 great songs, rest ok 2/5
I was wanting to like this album more, but nope.
Some cool sounds scattered throughout
one very popular song, the rest are ok ish
Apparemment, ça a posé les bases. Mais les bases de quoi, c'est bien ça le problème.
Bit shit, innit? I found this album annoying as fuck.
Pretty weird album, but there were a couple of songs that were alright. I can confirm that the popular song was indeed good, and the whole album was not too bad running in the background.
Música de entradilla para sitcom de los ochenta.
Mostly disorganized chaotic and very hard to listen to.
Weird album. Not terrible, not great, just weird. Some recognizable hooks and riffs
likable but don't consider it very funk like
Ya ya ya
Kind of annoying tbh
This album gets an extra star because sooooo many songs have been sampled and used throughout music. As a straight listen though it’s so long! It is always fun to hear where samples come from but I’d never listen to this again.
It's so nearly Talking Heads it upsets me
Not for me
Started off ok but went on waaaaay to long and became irritating pop
Not for me
1. uuordy - 1.5 2. love - 3 3. tom - 0 4. Elephant - 1.5 5. Below - 1 6. Lorelei -1.5 7. On - 1 8. Booming - 0 9. boardwalk -0 10. Love - 1 11. Again -1 12. Foxy -1 13. Bamboo -1.5 14. Hips -0 15. Measure - 1 16. Penny - 1 17. Baby -1.5
Genius of love almost raises this album to a 3 on its own but the rest of the record is just lame.
Fun album and different
Not much there
It sounds like a collection of music and sound effects from platform games of yesteryear. Didn't feel either way about this, but it's not for me.
2/5 just weird not particularly interesting
★★½
The ridiculously long albums tend to be amongst my least favorite. Over 2 hours is crazy. Just split it up into two albums if you must. Also, I’m not sure I do really grasp the concept of this album. Was it supposed to just be covers??
Hatar inte det men låtarna är lite för långa och fjantiga.. 2/5. Känns som La femme/Limperiatrice fått mycket inspiration
A bit unusual. Probably not one I’d listen to again
Too long… can be fun if you’re in the mood. When 3D technology was not yet there, many games were made 2.5D. This album gives me the same feeling.
Weird album that I cannot say I really enjoyed. It was definitely creative and they get points for originality and having an iconic hit. I couldn’t get through Booming and Zooming though. The walkie talkie bit got real old and as soon as I paused it the headache I didn’t realize I had went away.
They have some creative samples and an interesting style, but it really just isn’t for me. I got bored after a few songs.
Just alright. It was a lot of fun to listen for samples that had been used in other music, but that’s about all of the positives I’ve got for this one. Would only come back to listen to Genius of Love.
Very recognizable hooks. I get it, Not my thing
Yuck. This Talking Heads side project really emphasizes the genius of David Byrne. Without him, things get grim.
It was almost ok, and by that I mean tolerable, but went in far too long. Thirty minutes of this would have been more than enough. No real highlights.
Hey, this sux. Sorry. Sounds like it was written by and for a five year old. The album cover and band name don’t do much to dissuade that take. 2/5
The music reminds me of that Club Penguin DJ mini game where I thought I was a music genius solely because I pressed on all of the DJ equipment. Seriously, I get this being decent when it comes out, but it isn’t my thing.
Original and a bit weird!
HAHAHAHA, what the fuck is this?! I like these little nuggets of weirdness in this list. Not that I like them at all, but it is interesting what kind of music people create.
I read the reviews and found out more about them and by all rights should really like this album, but I really don’t. Many songs are just plain hard to listen to and the discordance overcomes the creativity IMHO.
A lot of raw material for early rap.
Es ist okay würde ich aber nicht regelmäßig pumpen
Genius of Love is the only keeper
Under the board walk
Didn’t really like it.
never heard it before, just the hit
I like talking heads a good bit. At the start of disc 2 I thought to myself "this is a little like talking heads but includes the elements I don't really love". Like a sugar free version. Now, I love Weymouth's bass work for TH and how deeply nerdy TH is but I just felt like, devoid of knowledge of the provenance of this album, that it felt like French disco off-castings. Imagine my surprise.
Åh gud det er hvidmands-rap 😂 Og børneremser 😅 Er det sjovt eller er det plat? Man kan godt fornemme Talking Heads i det, men det formår bare slet ikke set samme.
I don’t know. Is this too clever for me? My pedestrian bougie tastes don’t understand. Or is it undercooked garbage. I note the presence of never dull Adrian Belew. I don’t mind genius of love. I think I knew the songs that used it as a sample. But it’s really terrific. A lot of the rest seems half baked - a good idea not fully developed. I love Tina Weymouth’s bass playing. She’s not playing on all the tracks here.
Ok 80s
American New Wave strikes again.
Man, what the hell is this... and why do I kinda dig it? It appears that my long-lasting disdain for 80s music has come about entirely from laziness, as I could see myself liking this album at the height of my eightiesphobia a few years back. The songs on here remind me a good deal of Cibo Matto – an act I herald as one of my all-time favourites. Yeah, it’s pretty alright. The album really loses its focus in the second half, though this music is undeniably competent. I quite like the quirky lyrics and subdued synths of Wordy Rappinghood. Genius of Love is a good follow-up. A bit of a reggaeton sound going on, which is interesting. The chirpy synth in the background is pretty good, too. L'elephant has some nice guitar riffs and percussion. The French lyrics are also a nice touch. As alluded to earlier, the second half is heavily dragged down by a slew of unengaging tracks, and my opinion of the album sadly falters as a result. Still, I respect this inclusion. Gonna consult the book for reasons why this album is in here. Spinoff album of The Talking Heads, which I can definitely hear now that it's been mentioned. “...one of the earliest influences on the hip-hop movement.” Somewhat improvised. “...sampled by just about every hip-hop or rap artist of note”. Wordy Rappinghood topped the singles charts in 17 countries. I’m not used to there being this much reasoning in these entries. I’m impressed. This album is definitely worthy of being included on the list.
Weird
# Album Name: Tom Tom Club # Artist: Tom Tom Club # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Two decent songs, the rest are clangers # Top Tunes: wordy / Genius of love # Would I listen to it again? No
Dated but fun
Mostly fun bops, with a couple moments of sounding talking headsy (derogatory)
Widely hailed by critics, loved by some of my friends, yes, but I find this all too soft and too quiet
Is heel funky niet echt voor mij
Another album that I ask why is this on the list. Sounds like any early 80’s pop band. Not a fan.
Repeat Repeat Repeat Duplicate Duplication Reduplication And there is a small summary of it.
wow-i do NOT get some of these reviews. WHY, why, why is this on the list? the sounds are so incredibly repetitive (and reflective of the cover art).
One banger single. Lots of filler and tracks that did not age well.
Genius of Love saved this from being a 1. It's missing David Byrne's charismatic autism. 2 stars.
80s but not in the good way
This album has some early specks of hip-hop. The first track has some flows that don't work, and the chorus sucks. "Genius of Love" has been sampled by various artists since its conception. I do like the last few songs, though, except for the last one. I believe my favourite from the album is "On On On On". 2 stars for "Self Titled".
Too long too weird
Genius of Love beat is iconic. The whole album is just a little too goofy for me.
This was... I dunno what it was, but it wasn't something I enjoyed.
Achei o começo promissor, mas depois ficou meio paia.
Musically this is fine, enjoyable even, but the vocals and lyrics are so godawful I've had to downgrade it significantly
Interesting to learn about but not into the music
Some fun bits of music here and there, but overall just not my vibe.
Some catchy songs but the whole album is incredibly weird, and reminds me of Kids Rock.
The one song keeps this from being a 1 star
Really wanted to enjoy this but it was just a bit too much and not my cup of tea. Highlight for me was ‘Spooks’
Mundane, repetative, and boring to say the least. I expected more from a band that is so highly revered in the new wave scene.
Ok
Maria Carey sample!
tom tom club? nie gehört. 2/3 von talking heads? ach so. kunststudenten und austoben ohne produzent - so tönt das. not my favourite, aber einmal mehr „interessant“.
Crispy Musik mit furchtbarem Gesang. Und manchmal völlig abdriftet. Hätte nicht gedacht, dass die gleichen Leute dahinter stecken wie bei Talking Heads aber dann hört man es schon.
80’s dance music, but not the good stuff. I was there, and most of this was really uninspiring even back then. Songs are far too long and the beats are too pedestrian.
An adventurous album for sure. Not so much my speed but gotta appreciate taking risks. 4.1/10
One hit wonder
I don't like it. The beats feel stiff and the flow likewise. It almost feels like it's bad on purpose, but I get the feeling that they are completely serious. It's giving "Math's teacher doing hip-hop to try to make the kids think that it's cool" vibes Standouts Wordy Rappinghood 2/5
I know a lot of toms in my life, I know it’s a common name and the tom tom is a type of drum but I just get a cringey image of all the tom’s I know dancing to wordy rappinghood behind a green screen. Also I didn’t recognise Genius of love which is meant to be the hit. L’elephant, I decided to give the English lyrics a read… bit cursed You can just tell it’s a talking heads adjacent project actually if I was to best describe the sound I think I’d say talking heads meets stereolab. Also one of them ones that just sounds like the early 80’s- you can imagine ‘antmusic’ coming on at the same time as one of these songs. While that all may sound positive… I don’t like it 2/5
weirdly this doesn't actually sound very dated. still, I don't quite get it.
One of the better new wave albums but too long and a bit patchy. I preferred the sunnier funky songs
Not for me.
Early instance of ‘rap’ when it was fun, cool and trendy. I knew genius of love, but I didn’t know that each song on this album is at least 4.5 minutes of repetition. Some good moments, but it’s not for me.
Absolute dog arse
Meh
Other than the chorus in the first song and the well known second song, not a lot of memorable moments. Not a big fan. 2/5
Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate the fun vibe they tried to curate. Also points for creating the track that Mariah sampled for "Fantasy".
Странный древний хип-хоп
Lite skumt
Fun dance/pop band out of the 90’s.
Interesting
I imagine this is how those who dislike Parappa the rapper felt in 1996.
This album absolutely deserves to be on this list. It showcases how much Frantz and Weymouth brought to the sound of their main band. It's also an early adventure in sampling, and making something out of fairly repetitive patterns and riffs. It's no wonder elements of this album have been sampled so much. But. As an album, it's not a very enjoyable listen for me. It's often more like listening to a sound library than to a music album.
I liked track 1, then with “Genius of love” I was actually more familiar with where the backtrack was sampled in its entirety for the 12” “It’s Nasty” from Grand Master Flash of the same time period. After that it more or less came to a painful slow burn to the finish.
Always thought of these guys as a novelty kitschy act, and this album kinda confirms it. Maybe that was the point. A few good tracks here, but for the most part Tina and Chris were much better served when they were putting their energy into the Talking Heads.
What in the holy hell did I just listen to? I guess musically this wasn’t offensive and the singer didn’t sound like yoko ono (which I was expecting to happen). But just felt a bit too much of a novelty and simple white person trying to rap for me to go higher. I mean what the eff is this? Words in papers, words in books Words on TV, words for crooks Words of comfort, words of peace Words to make the fighting cease Words to tell you what to do Words are working hard for you Eat your words but don't go hungry Words have always nearly hung me
First track is pure WTF comedy. Then we get the “oh hey it’s that Mariah song” track Genius of Love. Rest of the record is pretty ok until Under the Boardwalk. Really like this rendition but it drags… I’m torn between a 2 or 3 but don’t feel there’s enough here to round up. 2.5/5
I like funk, I like jazz, I like noise, I like world music. There’s one good song and the rest is okay but reminds me of a 90’s plastic charm bracelet overloaded with trinkets.
Ik sluit het vorige album CHIQ af en krijg nu als start van dit album Wordy Rappinghood. Je blijft dan toch in die vrolijke stemming hangen. Van de Tom Tom Club had ik nog nooit gehoord, maar dit nummer ken ik wel. Het is een beetje een weinig serieuze doorzetting van disco en een voorloper van bands als Chicks On Speed. Maar daarom zal de laatstgenoemde dit nummer ook wel gecoverd hebben. Mijn enthousiasme ebt toch snel weg. De rest van het album is vooral wat gerommel. Niet interessant en bij vlagen zelfs vervelend om te luisteren. Het moet het dus van één nummer hebben. En dat nummer is dus vrolijkmakend, maar kan dit aanmodderen niet zelfstandig naar een voldoende trekken.
Have you ever heard something for the first time and learn you had NO IDEA it already existed? Yeah, happened here with "Genius Of Love". Looking at you, Mariah (my introduction to that song as a sample in Fantasy). The album is dancey, light, and definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously. I dunno, it all starts to blend together. Feels like they're trying to mix early hip-hop and new wave, but something is missing. Cool for background music, not much else. Playlist Additions: - Genius Of Love - Under The Boardwalk
too alternative for me
Not so great. Songs sounded a bit like gibberish and the instruments sounded the same on every track
I just really dislike this.
Could barely get through this one....not for me
Definitely interesting
You can make a better album out of songs that sampled these songs.
Could have been a real solid funk album, what was up with the occasional wacky and obnoxious sound effects and singing? "...side project of Talking Heads" Oh.
I’ve tried to like Tom Tom Club but I just can’t do it.
I can see a lot of these songs being used in samples or stuff like that, but other than that once again nothing was good. It felt like nothing more than a background beat or an introduction, but it just kept going.
2,5
A bit of a snoozer. If only the whole album were as tight and fun as its most influential cuts.
This is almost as good as the Talking Heads. <Insert Face-Palm emoji here!> Liked Songs Added: Genius of Love
When someone thinks you might be kinda cool, thoughtful, quiet, & mysterious then you go and blather on trying to impress them with comments & jokes that aren't that clever as an album music: hated. (⌐■_■)
“Genius of Love” is awesome and I really respect these musicians, but not my favorite listening experience. It felt like a novelty record sometimes, and not in a good way.
Too quirky for me.
Strong start which is not lived up to. Favourite track: Wordy Rappinghood.
Just kind of annoying to me. Some cool little guitar riffs and lines but mostly just obnoxious quacking like a flight of ducks.
It’s the one with genius of love on it. And only the first few mins of that song are interesting
Things haven't changed that much since the advent of the internet. In a world where the latter didn't exist yet, you had the same phenomenon as the one that still routinely occurs in 2024: you take a hot band absolutely deserving the raving success they recently experienced (here, the Talking Heads), then critics get interested in a side-project from some of their members (here the 'Heads' rhythm section, also a couple in their private lives), and whaddayaknow?, you have a huge hype going on. The thing is, let's be honest for one frigging second, shall we? If Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz had not been a part of Talking Heads, you can bet your mohair boots *Tim Tom Club* (both this debut and the name of the whole project) would have faded into oblivion as soon as the latter half of the eighties had been reached. Just look at the way critics panned their following LPs by the way. As soon as the project lost its "freshness", so to speak, it's as if scales immediately fell off the eyes (and ears) of everyone. How amusing... What this record has going for it from today's vantage point is that its first tracks are attuned to the nascent sounds of rap and prehistorical hip hop, and you gotta give credit to Frantz and Weymouth's open minds and adventurous spirit. But the musicality is so paper-thin in those pivotal (and relatively popular) cuts, the experimentation is often so linear, that I can't bring myself to consider it a mandatory listen. "L'Eléphant" and "As Above, So Below" expand the initial scope in interesting ways. Then "Lorelei" goes on for too long, unfortunately. "On On On On" is pretty good and catchier than the rest, but it still sounds like a lesser version of what David Byrne could write with the 'Heads. "Booming And Zooming" is a borefest and the cover of "Under The Boardwalk" is just plain ridiculous. And then the album is already over, and its memory is gonna fade into oblivion again. At least in my mind. 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 7/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2) Number of albums left to review: around a hundred, as I've went over the 1000 line and this generator is including albums from all editions of the book Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 431 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 255 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 316 (including this one)
Best Song: Genius Of Love. The light vocals contrast nicely with the heavy oomph of the bass. Worst Song: As Above So Below. Repetition of a neat phrase ad nauseum. Overall: Half the songs were absent on Spotify - and seemingly most streaming platforms - but unless there was some absolute gold hidden in those missing tracks, I'm grateful for the reduced runtime. It wasn't terrible, but it just feels like that minimally psychedelic mush that came out of the this era. Not experimental enough to be interesting, nor pop enough to be catchy, it just wallows in a disappointing middle.
2 sterne
4/10 There are highlights but poor overall Favourite Song=Genius of Love Least Favourite Song=Wordy Rappinghood
I tried to like this album but I can't. It's not my thing, if it's your style, I like that for you. It's just not for me.
Maybe the most annoying collection of songs of the 20th Century. I mean there are cool elements, especially as the album goes on. It almost feels like Talking Heads or even some David Bowie. But Wordy Rappinghood is irredeemable.
The Tom Tom Club has its own style, a good groove, a nice experiment, but it's one of those albums were one type of track gets repeated all over the album. Enjoy the singles - or better, go back to Talking Heads. You guys were a great band!
A couple good songs but nothing great
I appreciate the what the band is doing here, the innovation, and it’s likely an expertly mixed and produced album. The music itself just isn’t for me, although there are some bright spots and the Under the Boardwalk is a cool cover.
1.7 1x catchup 11/5/2024
Not terribly interesting, rather weird and quirky. As a big fan of 80s King Crimson, it's fun to see where Adrian Belew got a lot of musical ideas from that come through on their albums. He's also the best part of this album in my opinion. Do have to give some respect to the Genius of Love riff, which I never knew came from this album. Largely forgettable, but a neat little peak into inspiration for other musicians. Top tracks: Wordy Rappinghood, L'elephant
O gawd, there's another disk! Please stop - no fun on here at all. I think it says something when the best track on the collection is a cover.
This has one of the catchiest beats that I've heard in a long time, and the rest of the album is borderline unlistenable. I'm not sure exactly what to make of that. Tom Tom Club is the side project of the drummer and bassist from Talking Heads (who also happen to be married to one another). "Genius of Love" is incredibly good, the beat is iconic (Mariah Carey sampled it in one of her most famous songs), it's a certified bop. The lyrics are little ridiculous (Bohannon, Bohannon...), but whatever, it's great. The rest? Not really doing it for me. It starts with "Wordy Rappinghood" which was the other big hit on here, and it's a little catchy but nothing like "Genius of Love". Then you get "Genius of Love" and then it kind of falls apart for me. A few songs were ok, but this was a little too much over the top new wave silliness for my liking. I might be underrating this a bit, but this music is just a bit grating to me (though I find myself being a bit more open to new wave stuff than I used to be, so maybe I'll change my mind after a few hundred more albums). Favorite song: Genius of Love Other: Wordy Rappinghood, Lorelei, Under the Boardwalk 10/23/24
Iconic hook in one song, but the rest feels like they're just goofing off.
Genius of Love //
Bits of it were OK but not great.
New wave for the most part is not a genre that I genuinely enjoy. The music sounds very dated and corny as hell. There were definitely some songs that I could give a 3 or 3.5 but the rest is not very good.
The beats were so good, but the lyrics were so bad. It had me dancing and jamming at the same time.
Almost offensively bland
Harmless but not sure what it's doing in the 1001 to listen to before you die :/ Genius of Love is remarkable and illustrative of its time but, as an album, it's not amazing. The cover's cool.
Really repetitive. Not sure why this is here other than an association with Talking Heads.
This album is weird for weird's sake. Besides maybe a couple of singles, there's also no real reason for it to be on here, imo. Listen to the "hits" and move on. Favorite Song(s): Lorelei
I really thought that whoever did “Rappers Delite” was the same ones that did Genius of Love. Wrong again. I don’t know what to think of this. I feel like The Avalanches were inspired by these guys, I like The Avalanches but my taste for them comes in waves I don’t know what to think of this. At times it sounds groundbreaking, other times it sounds like an interlude during Sesame Street. There’s singing, there’s sound bites, there’s odd sounding instruments. It exists . Let’s leave it at that. Choice Cut: Genius of Love
I found this so annoying
Less than liked.
I think this is a "time and place" album. There are a few songs I thought were pretty good, but most of it was just "fine," and I thought the first song was actively bad. However, I can see how it would be a big deal in 1981 and setup other New Wave acts. For me, though, I'd give it a 2.5, but I have to round down to 2, since I mostly didn't enjoy it.
Weird but interesting
Not for me
It's different. There's some heavy funk going on. But doesn't light any fires.
Not a fan honestly Just not my thing
was nice to hear several of the songs that were sampled in hip hop, but otherwise unremarkable.
Tom Tom Club's self-titled album is a quirky, eclectic mix of rhythms and sounds that foreshadows a catalogue of future samples for other artists. Released in 1981, this side project by Talking Heads' members Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz explores a more playful, funk-infused direction. Tracks like Genius of Love and Wordy Rappinghood stand out as experimental, blending new wave, funk, and early hip-hop influences. While the album is undeniably innovative and has a unique charm, it can come across as a bit too offbeat. The lyrics are whimsical and often nonsensical, which adds to the album’s quirky feel but also detracts from its accessibility. The production is crisp, and the beats are infectious, yet the overall experience feels more like a curiosity than an album you'll keep on repeat. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 1 STAND OUT TRACK - On, On, On, On...
Bit repetitive melodically and the ‘wacky’ sound effects got a bit much for me. Some catchy lighthearted hooks though
Wordy Rappinghood is really embarrassing in 2024 Genius of Love is one of those songs you still hear on the radio so I guess you can't say they did nothing lasting Clearly one of those albums thats important to a genre that was emerging at the time it was recorded, but a genre I dont care for so its mostly lost on me
It feels appropriate that I get a Talking Heads-adjacent album after I’ve called out the Talking Heads in my reviews of the last two albums. I want to say this was great. I want to say that the other Heads can do something just as good as the stuff they did with David Byrne, that they can stand alone without him. I really want to say these things. But I can’t. This was…not amazing. I’m all for experimental stuff. I’m all for weird and quirky stuff. I love shit like that when it’s listenable. This was hard to listen to at times. I found it aimless, corny, quirky to a fault, and just plain boring at times. I love the people involved. I just wish they made better music. Two stars. Also why the hell would you end the whole thing on “Booming and Zooming”? Seriously? Why? Standout Tracks: Genius of Love, L’Elephant
This kinda funky new wave album is ok, but doesn't impress me much (and I’m a Talking Heads fan). It’s got some good songs and moments, but overall feels forgettable. The playing is good, I’m just not sure most of the songs are really that good.
If this album wasn't trying to be serious, it would be a lot more fun and enjoyable, but...it is trying to be serious. Of all the pretentiousness so far, this takes the crown...and it's poorly done at that. Some of the music was enjoyable, but so many misses. Also - if I have to hear that weird 'boioioioing' thing once more...
Love getting random songs that are sampled in more recent music, like with Genius of Love. One of my favorite parts about this 1001 albums jaunt. Kind of spacey pop, but nothing special. High 2 I guess.
Its alright, not good not bad, just meh
funny to listen to the first time, but id be totally okay never checking it out again. maybe once more in like 20 years? NNN
Other than “Genius of Love,” I wasn’t a big fan of this one. It’s definitely innovative and unique, but with a splash of appropriation. The vocals are layered without harmonies, making it sound simplistic - like it’s a group of random teenage girls with middling vocal talent singing together at an 80’s slumber party. And I hated the cover of Under the Boardwalk.
Pretty annoying to listen to to be honest.
It's ok just a load of sound to be honest
Ouch! I won't say this was bad, but I liked nothing about it. I appreciate David Byrne even more though.
Yuck. Too techno and too repetitive for my liking.
A mixed bag of a few good but nothing exciting.
I like that they are weird and silly. But I don’t particularly enjoy it
I think that first song is the single worst thing I've ever heard in my life... and it didn't get much better after that
Vähän kyl valahtaa jouto-osaston puolelle
1.5 stars, 3-4 ok songs
theres one good song
Idk man int nå vidare
Ajattelin että hei jotain kiinnostavaa, mutta jotenkin sit lässähti 2/5
Tää ei oikein funkahtanut itelle. Liikaa lyriikan toistoa. 2/5
L'elephant was super annoying! As Above So Below was also super annoying with the high pitched noises etc.. Actually, except for Genius of Love, it's all annoying. But, I'll go with two considering the excellence and innovation of that song.
Notable as the source of the “Genius of Love” sample, which is apparently one of the most sampled songs ever. You’ve heard it on Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” among other places. That’s neat. But neat doesn’t make an album good, or a must listen. That original “Genius of Love” pales in comparison to those that used the best bits and pieces of it later, and the other hit single “Wordy Rappinghood” is right on the line of so bad it’s hilariously enjoyable. “On, On, On, On…” is one of the few good tracks to be found, for everything else I’d recommend off, off, off, off.
..
Tom Tom Club is The Talking Heads meets Hip Hop. I can see the influence on late Hip Hop beats. It feels significant Is it more bright and upbeat than The Talking Heads? Sure but still pretty drab. I picture I bunch people dressed ridiculous slightly dancing in a club wearing sunglasses. 4.0/10
I have no idea what to think of this...
When a band sings every song chorus style with no lead singer, and that band chants song choruses repetitively, it makes every song indistinguishable from the last.
Same beat, different day. Not my thing.
There is definitely a groove that one can hang on to. But I don't.
Except for Genius of Love, this is a pretty lame album. In the Stop Making Sense concert movie, this is performed by the whole band to give David Byrne a rest midway through and it is joyously fun.
I would describe this album as a large, bad mound of noise made by self-described "musical geniuses". There are a few tracks that are passable - namely, Genius Of Love (by far the strongest in the set), Lorelei, and On On On On. The remaining tracks straddle this weird balance of children's music and extraterrestrial "alien pop"-type stuff. It's not that good, but I don't hate it either. The texturing and production are pretty good for their time. Excluding a couple short tracks, all songs on this album go on for longer than they should, failing to introduce any new compelling musical ideas after the 1-minute mark in most cases. The lyrics are also pretty uninspiring, and often the only point of the vocal seems to be to add more noise. This idea definitely has its place (vocal solos - think Robert Plant) but it's not executed very well by Tom Tom Club. Just because something is creative doesn't mean it's necessarily good. I feel this album does not belong on this list. (Change my mind!) 2/5 Key tracks: Genius Of Love, Lorelei, On On On On...
It was really interesting to hear this and realizing others had sampled their song. After realizing that it felt like the album was written for people to sample their songs! Good beats and melodies, but so repetitive. I can imagine a DJ listening to their songs and finding lots of opportunities to use them to tie songs together, play over or under other songs, and mix and sample. On their own though they didn't really do much for me.
I wanted to like this, but most of it was either too weird or too boring, and Booming and Zooming was super annoying. Really dug the Under the Boardwalk cover though.
Boring at times and very long
Is Genius of Love just It's Nasty for white people? Best Song: Genius of Love Worst Song: N/A
Kind of lame. Found it boring.
I really don’t know what to make of this album. It’s weird and goofy but also serious?
Yeah, no. At least these people sound like they're having fun, and I can imagine people dancing to this and enjoying it in an 80's movie or something, but this is not my jam.
#151. I was cringing so hard listening to Wordy Rappinghood I nearly turned inside out. I nearly DNF'ed this album halfway through the first song, but I skipped to the next one and surprisingly it was pretty good. It was a one off though, as the rest of the album was uninteresting. Meh. 2/5: why.
One hit wonder
Was hesitant going in because I didn’t know what to think but then realized like every single one of these songs has been sampled in rap/hip-hop. Shoutout Return of the Mack!
Without a heavy dose of psychedelics it’s a tough listen
Several songs missing on Spotify, but didn't seek them out due to this being over 2 hours when complete. Whew. Overall a pretty weird album, not really much that caught my attention other than Genius of Love due to the many samples other songs use from it. 2.5
Wanted to love it based on Stop Making Sense but this really wasn't very good. Probably on purpose but it was way too cheesy for me.
Enjoyed the music people sampled from this album more.
Steady lightly-electronic/synth groove
nah, not a fan
A bit dull and samey. Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?
Just so-so
definitely has an experimental mode going. I see why it's probably on the list but not my jam.
A cool funky album that is much better in the first half than the second. Full of synths, guitars and decent vocals. It kind of devolved into a fuzzy mess towards the end of the album which wasn't too great to listen to. Best: L'Elefant Worst: Booming and Zooming Note: Spotify didn't have most of the album so I listened on YouTube, and only the LP original 8 Tracks. 2.5 stars
Man, these songs are LONG
Noget af det er spændende, noget andet lyder bare som børnekor .. noget af det lyder som om at musikken var lavet og så er det sangerindens rige forældre som har betalt for at hun måtte synge..
So I already had beef with Tom Tom Club going into this. Last year I went to the cinema to watch Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense (i.e the greatest concert film of all time). Anyway about half way through David Byrne heads off to either take his massive suit off or put it on, I can’t remember which, and a couple of members of the band start playing in his absence. Anyway they were absolutely shite, David Byrne was definitely the brains behind that operation. It turns out those members of Talking Heads are also Tom Tom Club and listening to this hasn’t changed my opinion on them. Still can’t bring myself to dish out my first 1* though, it wasn’t unpleasant just not for me.
Not terrible but pretty boring.
I felt like this album was a little bit irritating. Like I just wanted to skip through all the songs. It's definitely a vibe album but I'm not sure what that vibe is. I think it just missed the mark with me. Maybe it just wasn't what I was expecting but I can't imagine wanting to listen to this again.
without Genius of Love giving way to Mariah Carey's Fantasy this would be a 1. too scattered and directionless, there is not much here to write home about
This album was a disappointment. Knowing the history and talent involved in the making of it I was really excited to see what came out of it. A bunch of friggin nonsense. At least we got the best to Fantasy by Mariah Carey so it wasn’t a total loss
The second vaguely experimental early 80s album in a row. This is fine, fun and funky, and probably influential, but not something I'll ever revisit. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Genius Of Love Date listened: 11/12/23
The typewriters that opened Wordy Rappinghood may have caught my attention but this Talking Heads side project didn't win me over.
I really wanted to like this more given the Talking Heads connection but just couldn't get into the vocal style. Didn't feel... serious or layered enough? Got to love Adrian Belew though!
General culture
likes the 1st song, others meh seems like millennial music dont dislike it, but would turn the dial to something else eventually
Fuck you and your two hour albums fucken narcissist
not for me
As a big Talking Heads fan, I mean this with the greatest respect - this project is dogshit The grooves are pretty good in a few tracks but the vocals vary from obnoxious (the awful rapping on Wordy Rappinghood is actually embarrassing) to unlistenable (Booming and Zooming is particularly bad). Ends with a cover of Under the Boardwalk that is somehow worse than the Bruce Willis version The only positives I can really note are Genius of Love, which is incredibly catchy for the first few minutes until some backing vocals ruin it (hopefully there’s a shorter single version as it’s otherwise a really good song) and the kind of eerie Lorelei
pretty charming but also pretty boring
Fun 80s album but it slowly works its way into background music.
Too long and too many bullshit remixes
one song was good
Helt ok
I listened to this album then saw the reviews and wondered if I listened to the same music as everyone else? Sounded largely experimental and kind of annoying. Was all over the place but hey, at least I got to stumble upon that Mariah Carey song that sampled "Genius of Love". 4/10.
Okay album. Very 80s sound and didn’t seem timeless
Hyvin vaikea kuunnella loppuun asti pituuden ja kokeiluvuuden takia (raskasta!). Mutta paikoin hyvin pätevää discoa ja pidän lauluäänistä.
Only partially available on Spotify. What did I just listen to?
Quite a strange outing we just had, it was nice but I don't need to hear it again.
Really pish. Somehow manages to be both very weird and very boring - I'm not quite sure how. An album that is all filler, with "bonus" tracks that just prolong the nothingness. Not Nico or Morisey or abba, so not 1 star, but probably should be!
1/8, 13%
This record could have only been made in 1981. Tom Tom Club were a novelty act. I don't hate this record as much as I thought I would, but I don't like it very much. Songs are long and repetitive. It's fun for a couple of minutes. An entire album is too much. Favorite song: Lorelei.
Pas convaincu par les directions du GPS Tom Tom Club, qui me forcera à emprunter plusieurs routes au revêtement très discutable. Le système de navigation est clairement à revoir.
Unfortunately I'm not a big fan of this one. The album feels very one note to me and just like art school kids trying to figure out dance music by making a record in that genre. The few exceptions are the standout tracks. Standout Tracks: Genius of Love, L'éléphant
This was a shame. Judging by the cover, I was ready for a good time. Any of these songs are pretty fun at 2 and a half minutes. But man, once you cross that threshold, I go drifting off into space. If this album was a tight 20 minutes, it could really be something. But this was too much. Checked out in the middle of the last track.
Goofy. Can't compare to Talking Heads (though the band was probably going for that). 5/10
Tagging on the cover underscores Tom Tom Club's proficiently executed novelty. It's fun to bop along to and a deconstruction of genres at angles to Talking Heads. As a full-length album its songs drag to that slightly lively finish.
Am I missing something here? Tom Tom Club! They were fine in 1981, but completely forgotten about by 1982. Why is this on the list? 1981 – Boomtown Rats 1981 - Bananarama 1981 – Ultravox None of these are on the list even though they had clout and wield influence decades later. And yet Tom Tom Club whose music is candy floss on the tongue (instantly evaporated) and who seem to be lauded only because they’re an offshoot of Talking Heads have earned a place? Wordy Rappinghood and Genius of Love, good songs and great in Clubs but I’m still fairly incredulous. Or maybe angry!
I'm doing my best not to go to the "what is this album doing on the list?" gripe when I don't like an album, but... It's not even so much that I didn't like it — well, no, that's not true, I didn't like this album. It was dated, but more than that, it seemed like a lark. I didn't hear the substance, the craft was just ok, it doesn't wear well, and that cover of "Under The Boardwalk" was just terrible. So, yeah, what is it about this album that merits inclusion? I can see a nostalgic affection for this if this were your jam in 1980-whatever. But... I was about to go on and on, but no need. Apart from nostalgia, I don't get it.
I liked this OK. It's fun. It's also a little monotonous. It's also nothing special? That Under the Boardwalk Cover is definitely nothing special. I don't know. I feel like a curmudgeon, but I also feel like this doesn't belong on this list. 2.5 but rounding down
The album cover is amazing and I had high hopes for this. The zany approach is laudable but they lack the required craftmanship to make this any more than a curio. Some of he songs went on too long and I found a lot of it rather repetitive and boring.
Better than I expected, but the bar was really low. Best track: Genius of Love
I don't know, man. It didn't suck but I'd never willingly listen to it ever again. It wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination, good on any level. Yet another puzzling inclusion on the list.
Was me iets te gedateerd
Weet niet helemaal waarom deze bijna 2 uur durende plaat uit heb gezeten. Zo goed was het allemaal niet. Afgezien van een paar nummers die ik ineens bleek te kennen.
Dat was een hele zit. Niet onaardig, maar op een gegeven moment weet ik het wel.
ehh 1 popular song
As much as I want to give members of Talking Heads all the stars, I can not. Decent to work to, but kind of repetitive and boring.
I’ve tried to like it a number of times, but it all seems to Book of Love-ish to me.
Not convinced I'll like this, but wahtever haha. I listened to Carey's "Fantasy" and liked it a lot better.
This feels way ahead of 1981 to me, but I still don't particularly like it. I wouldn't have batted an eyelid if it had been from the early 2010s, it's electro/synthy but something about the vocals makes it feel more modern. There's just not enough to it to make it interesting for me, most of the time it lacks energy which this kind of music really needs to work. 2/5, could get a 3 for being so forward-looking but I just don't like it enough.
Just a bit boring. Opening and closing tracks were okay.
Eccentric and all over the place, interesting listen but not for me.
En enkelt catchy sang
Pretty weird, not my cup of tea
Sorry Ethan.
Really strange new wave/art pop album with some disco influences that has some catchy moments but was a bit too strange and out there for me. It wasn’t as bad as I thought after the atrocious opening track but a really weird one, especially the vocals.
Clearly quirky, and I loved Wordy Rappinghood when I was a kid. The rest is just a big pile of wank
lol, nah.
non, juste non. j'ai écouté 2 pistes, j'ai arrêté
My God why?
1/5 A nothing album really. It had some ok beats but alot of the songs went on for too long and were repetitive.
Ram Sam Sam, Ram Sam Sam, something about words, Words Words Words! Something in another language! Who needs to think? I'm going to lie, my favourite type of song is when someone just repeats the same three phrases over and over again over the top of a clunky, gallumphing hellscape of noise. I especially enjoy when the vocals are recorded on a microwave on the opposite end of the room!!! The album sounds exactly like how the album cover looks. Do with that what you will.
This album is a fucking hate crime.
Sickly sweet
How is this a 3 here.......... There are some really bad albums but this is probably in the top 5 worst albums on this list. Annoying lyrics and vocals, horrible quality and mix, Repetitive and ton of really bad effect uses. I hope the mix engineer never touched a mix console after this...
mehh.. not my type
this album is unavailable on prime music. so I cannot listen to it yet
how shit is this
This album annoyed me. No redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Couldn't listen
This was an endurance test. This one is long and goofy asf. Disc 2 alone would've been better.
Ei
Hirveää paskaa! Odottelin tovin, tulisiko täältä joku hyvä musiikillinen hetki mutta ei. Jos alusta asti vain odottaa, että loppuisipa albumi jo, niin se on yksiselitteisen huono. En ymmärrä, miksi tämä on listalla. Huonoin levy mitä olen kuullut vuosiin / ikinä. Tulee jopa myötähäpeä tätä kuunnellessa. 1/5
Other than Genius of Love, was pretty mid.
I tried but couldn't make it through. Stopped listening by song 4
Meh
Mariah Carey really worked her magic with this shite.
No no no. 1.
oof, this is a stinker. DNF Best Song: Genius of Love Rating: 2/10 Stars: 1
terrible
It’s… an interesting album to say the least, I actually kinda enjoy all the wackiness in the instrumentals but not necessarily the songwriting (albeit some of it still sounds good) I feel like it’s kinda word vomit in most of the tracks which doesn’t help since the tracks are like 5 minutes minimum, so the wacky instrumental can only play for so long, they just tend to drag out and then you’re just left with a bundle of words most of the time that just don’t relate or correlate to you, sound wise it’s not bad I do like it, but not something I would ever visit again honestly.
No thank you.