Underwater Moonlight

They do about as well as a band could do operating under the influences of psych rock in the early 80’s. The lyrics are (at times) even more lucid than their 60’s predecessors, and some of their contemporary touch-ups to the sound were much needed. But, in the end, they’re still smacking their heads against the relatively low ceiling of psychedelic rock. It’s such a limiting, tired set of guard rails to impose on one’s sound - especially in the context of this list. I’d be lying to you if I were to give this more than a 2/5, even if it’s an interesting addendum to it’s own genre. Favorites were “I Got The Hots” and “Insanely Jealous” back to back for both being pretty clever

There’s a hint of something here, it’s just too much for my personal tastes. If the full album was more akin to Queen of Eyes, I think this would be right up my alley.

Lot of fun stuff going on here, can definitely hear these guys as a bridge between the late 60s and Stone Roses

4.5/10

Is this hippie week with the algorithm or something!? I've had The Byrds, Gene Clark, and now this!? There were a couple of songs that didn't completely suck, but I hate this vocal harmony style. I dig the cover, though; it kinda reminds me of Genesis' "Land of Confusion" music video. Anyway, I didn't care much for this. 2 stars.

Getting destroyed by soft boys is what it’s all about baby

Good sound

10/15 Lame Beatles rip-off, and I dont like the Beatles

This was a very pleasant surprise.

(3/7) the music was fine but the cover was unsettling

Very good album. It does indeed sound a bit like The Replacements or R.E.M. And I love those bands, so I also enjoyed this one (and I am aware that this actually predates the others, so discovering this album was really nice). It has some psychedelic and some "Beatleness" as well. Some tracks I particularly enjoyed: "I Wanna Destroy You", "Kingdom Of Love" (weird lyrics), "Positive Vibrations" (really loved the instrumental break...sitar included), "I Got The Hots" (also interesting lyrics, and very nice dynamics), "Insanely Jealous Of You" (nice guitar work), "You'll Have To Go Sideways" (I tend to enjoy instrumentals), "Queen Of Eyes" (nice Byrds-style jangle guitar), or "Underwater Moonlight". So, it's basically most of the songs. This is a very, very solid 4 star album. It may even reach 5 stars after a few more listens.

Overall I find this pretty meh. There's no way I'm listening to 40 songs of this - the original album is plenty, thanks.

first three songs were really cool, proper music. but then they hit us with 'Old Pervert' and the album lost a few points. overall i enjoyed the sound. also only listened to the first 10 tracks which were listed on RYM. not listening to all 40.... holy.... 3.35/5

During the height of post-punk, when new wave was not yet ruined by synth-pop, one band said: "Hey remember like 10 years ago, when psych rock was a really big deal? What if we did that?"

Love it, it’s like if the Beatles evolved and made an album in 1980

I listened through rwice to this but didnt get a hold of it. I can see where the reviews come from as it had ingredients of things that came later. but after 1000 albums it misses something to make it stand out

I guess, why is this here

Interesting, another one I’m surprised I haven’t heard before now. Definitely rates a relisten some time.

An easy listener.

Went by quick, and I enjoyed it enough.

Very long and mad decent album

I feel like I'm smoking crack. Everyone seems to love this album, but i really didn't.

Are they soft like soft wangs or soft like not muscle-y. Does the bear shit in the past few months in the woods

heeerlijk! ook daadwerkelijk goede remaster for once, meestal vind ik originelen beter klinken maar niet de zachte jongens. enorm ver voor z'n tijd, genieten

heerlijk !! favorieten waren insanely jealous en i wanna destroy you

It was good but nothing really jumped out at me. I think the oversaturation of UK based bands on this list is starting to make them all sound jumbled together in my head.

I Wanna Destroy You 🌟

Post punk with a touch of jangle rock vibes here. It’s really good. I’m not hearing anything revolutionary, but there’s also nothing not to like.

It's alright, not particularly mind blowing. I Got the Hots is pretty good.

It’s 80s and I don’t enjoy but this was just fine.

Ничего выдающегося

Les tenía muchas ganas. Siempre he leído y oído hablar de ellos como una de las mejores bandas de rock de los 80 y este disco estaba entre los favortios siempre. Robyn Hitchcock es una celebridad y Kimberley Rew formaría parte de Katrina and the Waves, otro grupo con muy buenos temas. Aquí su segundo y más influyetnte disco (R.E.M., (The Dream Syndicate, The Replacements y The Flaming Lips, etc etc). La portada no es ninguna joya. I wanna destroy you es power-pop. Kingdom of love, suena a Television. Positive vibrations es rock nueva-olero. I got the hots, esa sí es buena. Gran final. Tonight también.

I can see why this is a cult classic even if I'm an agnostic about it.

some great tones and licks but not especially convinced by this tbh

Way too long they all sounded the same

A pretty average album at best. 3 stars or C-.

A pretty solid album that exists at the intersection of OG British Invasion and new wave. “Insanely Jealous” was a real standout.

ALBUM DIVERTENTE, ABBASTANZA SPERIMENTALE E CON UN PROPRIO CONTENUTO COERENTE. "INSANELY JEALOUS OF YOU" E "TONIGHT" PER ME SONO LE MIGLIORI. QUALCHE BRANO DA RIASCOLTARE PER IMMERGERSI DI PIU' IN QUESTO PUNK. DO 3+ TENDENTE AL 4. 3/5

The Stranglers did it better.

2,5 Highlights: I Wanna Destroy You, Positive Vibrations

sounds like the 90s somehow

A cool album that sounds a bit ahead of its time

Favorite Track: Old Pervert

Really good!!

This is pretty good music but kinda forgettable. Another one of those that I’m not sure why it was chosen. But I did like it fine.

Fun album. I had never heard of these guys before.

Groupe inconnu. Le premier morceau est un punk/rock plutôt standard, mais les suivants sont plus originaux. J’ai bien aimé l’instrumental ‘You'll Have to Go Sideways’ inattendu et bienvenu. Et globalement les morceaux sont tous assez différents ce qui est plutôt une bonne surprise, même si parfois elle tombe à côté. Album à écouter de nouveau donc. =>3/5

This was really, didn't listen to all 40 gtracks of the deluxe version though! In places it was a bit Talking Heads, other places were a bit Bowie. The production lets it down a little bit but I still really enjoyed it

The first songs did cause an impression because of all the negativity but then it was always the same old same.

This album was... alright. I went into this album with no major expectations as I do with all of my listens but I have to admit, something about the cover felt really enticing and knowing that this album's genre has a psychedelic rock tag on it—one of my favorite subgenres of rock—I was a bit more intrigued. The album is good but I don't really see myself returning to it all that much if ever. The vibe is cool but it doesn't hold much notability past a few moments and most of the tracks were forgotten once I moved onto the next one. Not a bad record, just kind of "too okay" in my opinion.

Not bad. It sounds like a mix of the Ramones, Lou Reed, and T. Rex. 3 stars.

movie or this boring shit?

Ska definitivt lyssna mer på

I hear the Byrds comparisons, unfortunately they are hit-and-miss for me, as is this album. I'm continually baffled by people thinking they have to listen to several hours of bonus tracks included on the album on streaming. Just look up the original track listing, surely? I loved the krautrockesque You'll Have to Go Sideways, I'd have preferred a whole album of that to the Byrds imitations.

Just listened to the original release, not the 2-3 hour version on Spotify and it’s a cracker.

This can not be an album you should listen to before you die

It def had some good things going for it but overstayed its welcome

Good album. Lot of Velvet Underground influence here along with Bowie. I really enjoyed the album, every song is good. 4.5 for me.

It’s not terrible, but I found it very dull listening. Also, as a more than passing fan of R.E.M., just not hearing where this album/group had any influence on R.E.M.

one of my favorite all-timers. easy 5- stars from me

This Jangle Pop album feels like walking through a strange little British seaside town where everything looks cheerful and familiar at first, but every shop window, conversation and street corner contains something slightly wrong. The guitars jangle and buzz with bright 60s-inspired melodies, while the rhythm section keeps everything moving with a loose punk energy. Robyn Hitchcock's relaxed vocals float over the music almost casually, even when the lyrics suddenly turn surreal, grotesque or absurd. The result is catchy enough to pull me along, but eccentric enough that I never quite know what I'm going to encounter around the next corner. The album keeps switching between psychedelic pop, punk, power pop and stranger detours without completely losing its sense of melody, making the whole thing feel like a familiar place that has somehow become slightly deranged.

Ok

Very boring.

Pre Listen: Never heard of them, but that's quite a striking album cover. Papier Mache figurines? Why are her shoes off? I appreciate a neat album cover, but no expectations going in regardless. Notable Tracks: I Got the Hots - Least favorite song. I just dislike this sort of rompy, dirty bar-styled type rock. Utterly boring to me. You'll Have to Go Sideways - Favorite track of the album. I know there's a pattern of my favorites being lyric-less songs on albums I'm unfamiliar with, but this is just such a jam. Post Listen: Neat album. I was impressed by the number of rock genres explored throughout. Album had a sprinkling of psychedelia, punk, prog, classic, and probably a few more. I liked the lyrics in a good few songs, and the vocals were pretty decent, especially the occasional harmony. I definitely felt some Beatles influence through the album as well, which was alright because they didn't let it define them. Good variety of instruments, all played well too. On occasion the melodies could become a slight bit repetitive, but no song lasted long enough where that became an issue. My only complaint is feeling like some songs were left just a bit unpolished- the occasional odd vocal moment, or off-beat percussion, or odd guitar choice. Very close to being a 5-star album. If I was a producer in the 80's I'd have bet a ton of money on these guys. 4/5

It seems like a weird psychedelic pop punk with a couple of fun tunes, but apparently it's very important. One day I hope to understand the popularity of punk

Love this album. I Wanna Destroy You is a classic. Robyn Hitchcock is one of the great British songwriters.

I’ve tried to get into this album so many times and I just can’t. Even its best song “I Want to Destroy You” drives me nuts….the chorus is great, but then you go into lines like “A pox upon the media and everything you read” that are sung with the bounciness of a child singing the alphabet…not for me, man.

Could have been big if it wasn't for an ill times printers strike...

This might be the most 60s sounding album of the 80s

Does not need to be on this list, cover is cool though

Heard this one for the first time just a few months ago and loved what I heard, so re-listening to it reconfirmed what I enjoyed the last time. Lyrics can be a bit daft, but I appreciate the hooks even more now, making this a great power-punk-pop album. Surprised more people haven’t heard this one, but highly recommended if you’re willing to check it out. Favorite tracks: “Kingdom of Love”, “Positive Vibrations”, “Tonight”, “Queen of Eyes”, “Underwater Moonlight” (5/5)

Je m'appelle cécile et je suis Madame Sketch. MDR. Pas mal, qqfois c'est un peu generique mais faut bien creer des chansons generiques pour qu'elles soient generiques. Mais couverturee de l'album sympa

Excellent. Rock fin années 70 (même si c'est 80 en fait), ça ressemble à The velvet Underground. Groupe peu connu qui a été reconnu plus tard. ça reste du classique rock de ces années là mais franchement ça fonctionne bien. 3.5/5 + 0.5 pour la pochette qui me fume.

its okay but so long and samey

You never see old people in formal wear down at the beach anymore. When I was a youngster on the shores of the great Atlantic, you'd see wave after wave of octogenarians clad in their Sunday best, holding hands and kicking off their shoes on the mossy rocks. Now? Because of woke? JUST lobsters at the beach. The WHOLE BEACH IS CRAWLING WITH LOBSTERS who sting you and YELL LOUD. YES, they can talk and they VERBALLY ABUSE PASSERSBY. How I yearn for the days of the beachcombing codgers, carving one last line through the sand before they flatlined in the parking lot, or were returned to the seas from whence they came. Soft boys, soft boys, soft boys, soft boys. Good record. Watch out for the seagulls and step on a lobster if you can. I believe they're forming some sort of megamind. My eyes vibrate in their presence. 3.5-4 HIGHLIGHTS: Hubbub has been achieved.

This is quite good. I had no idea what to expect, so this was a nice surprise. Robyn Hitchcock's songwriting is great and the band is rocking. Hitchcock was obviously influenced by 60s rock (Queen of Eyes sounds so much like The Byrds).

I’ll say it’s pretty cool to know that this group influenced R.E.M. I think it shows through their songs and there’s some parallels to Murmur and Fables of the Reconstruction. The music itself is quite interesting because of its psychedelic 60s influence mixed with the post-punk of its time. Positive Vibrations is a play on the Beach Boys, and songs like Insanely Jealous of You has late 60s Bowie-like vocals. The double tracking and harmonies is very evocative of the period. However, I was more interested in the music than I was enjoying it, but overall not a bad listen.

I Wanna Destroy You Queen of Eyes

They’re kinda like evil Beatles

2.3 2x nothing exciting

2.5 hours of music that's not quite there yet. It feels like the Soft Boys were on the verge of being great.

Probably the best "punk" album I've been served by this list so far. Incredibly fun jangly, psychedelic rock. 8.5/10.

It went all over the place and I enjoyed it enough, but it wasn't very memorable.

At first, I thought this was pretty decent. Then, I thought it was running on quite a bit. Then, after that, I realized that I played the expanded-or-whatever version. So, I really don't know where this one lands for me.

I wrote this off after a single listen. It was just so forgettable and safe. But then I spent most of the day thinking about what it was I couldn't connect with about it and that compelled me to come back to it for another listen. Glad I did because the second listen really brought out a lot more for me. It is still safe; poppy and upbeat, and I don't really hear much psych in it other than the occasional use of a sitar, but it takes some chances and many of them work. I can certainly hear how this influenced a lot of later '80s "college rock."

Like it

I don't want to play armchair record label executive, but I wonder if this album would have done better with a less creepy cover? Because I don't think its commercial failure is down to the songs - this might be one of my favourite discoveries so far.

Not bad but pretty forgettable. All kind of runs together and little stands out. Liked the energy though.

Трохи перепочив від списку і відразу цікава знахідка. По-перше відразу лайк за назву. По-друге, цікавий погляд на пост-панк, дуже танцювальна музика. Не можу сказати, що вона супер хітова, проте є свої яскраві моменти. Приємне враження. Додав в бібліотеку.

Цікавий мікс павер-попу та пост-панка(?), нагадало щось типу реплейсментс, але звісно не таке класне. Черговий новий для мене гурт з когорти подібних жанрів.

Never heard of this album or band. I really dug the punky-vibe on I Wanna Destroy You. Kingdom of Love is psychedelic with the guitar. Whoa. Sitar appearance on track 3. Trippy. I'm too sober for this record I think. There's a lot going on here. Not really for me, but I can hear how influential this must have been.

40 songs!!? You've got to be joking! Not thar great to be listening to this sound going on and on. There are occasional tunes where I get interested. But yeah Goodbye Maurice

Yeah, the college rock this inspired does this sound better. Still a fine record.

I did car listening so if there's a lot of nuance here I may have missed it. It felt 60s and 80s at the same time which is impressive since it came out at the very start of the 80s. I liked the opening track most I think.

Seems solid. Sounds maybe ahead of it's time. Drop five other New Wave albums off the list, keep this one. If this had come up 2 years ago I might have liked it more. I really like the run time.

New to me and really enjoyed it

This is an okay album. Listening to it felt decent but never particularly exciting. There are some interesting ideas and a clear personality in the songwriting, yet nothing really grabbed me or stuck around after the music stopped. The band has a slightly quirky, angular style that mixes post punk energy with some psychedelic touches. Robyn Hitchcock’s voice and lyrics give it a distinct character, and the playing is tight enough. Still, the songs tend to stay in a similar range and the overall mood does not shift much across the record. It stays pleasant without becoming memorable. The production is clean and straightforward for its time. Everything is well recorded and easy to hear, with no major clutter or rough edges. It serves the songs adequately but does not add much extra atmosphere or depth. Underwater Moonlight is a perfectly fine listen. It has its moments and a bit of charm, but it never rises above being just okay.

You know

Not bad, but like not really anything amazing.

Sure I guess it was an impt transition to a new type of alternative pop but it’s mostly meh