Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Soft Boys, where have you been all my life?? I had never heard of this band or album, but it/they are intriguing, inspiring, entertaining. Wikipedia highlights a 2025 quote that "it’s hard to understand how the lightly psychedelic pop-rock of the Soft Boys was ever considered anything close to punk" - I would just call this new wave, and we're done. I have no difficulty recognising the clanging tone and strident playing of the guitars as new wave, very much of the era of punk. The quote also mentions Elvis Costello, there's definitely Syd Barrett (Emily Plays era), a little bit of Lou Reed in the lyrics and the manner. The vocal harmonies are a bit Beach Boys ('Positive Vibrations' couldn't be more obvious as hommage), but also quite post-punk (again the stridency, eg in 'Tonight'). Some call the whole album post-punk, I could see that from some angles, eg 'Old Pervert'. In summary, the palette is delightfully varied, and all of these songs have unexpected but very engaging hooks, lines and/or vibes. It's not immaculately perfect - I was going to cite 'I Got the Hots', for core riff too long and not strong enough to hold up the whole song, but then on a re-listen it's better than I thought - so, I think I'm actually going to celebrate it as Incredibly Wonderful, 10/10!
65
Kingdom of Love is a really good listen
Pretty derivative, but reasonably fun
Great energy, with a couple standouts. Fun listen.
Good sounds and ideas but seems not fully there yet
Not bad bit if you asked me what the sound of this band is, I would have to say everything and nothing. Most of their songs sound like other bands but not as good. Nothing terrible but just not that memorable.
I was ready to absolutely rave about this album after the couple of songs, but it lost me really quickly. The opener has some of the best sixties harmonies you can imagine, and it creates a nice juxtaposition with the threatening song title. It keeps that vibe - some lovely sitar dotted about - for a bit, and then it's like they discover The Stranglers really suddenly, and it becomes very generic softcore punk. A mixed bag, but still a decent one on balance.
Great album by a great band!
3.75
Mästerverk 🔥
Pretty good.
Another 80s English rock band I’m unfamiliar with. Going to listen to the original 10 song album first the sake of this. There’s a lot of bonus songs on streaming. Early on, and definitely an interesting sound. It’s like 80s post punk rock meets 60s rock. Really fun sound. This is fantastic. The kind of unheard of music I was hoping to find on this list. Really enjoyed the first half. The second half doesn’t pack as much a punch. It’s fine, but feels like a little bit of a fall off. There’s really a mix of punk and 60s psych style harmonies. It’s a great sound. The album ends strong with two great songs at the end. Underwater Moonlight might be the best track and it closes the album. This is a solid 4. I was debating up to a 5, but think it has a little lull in the middle that prevents it from fully getting there for me and overall doesn’t have that extra wow factor. But a really enjoyable listen.
22 - Underwater Moonlight - The Soft Boys - Rating = 2 Do not know this band or this record…. It came out in 2025 so that makes some sense. Sort of a nice rock-ish funky guitar with almost 60’s-ish vocals. Twangy with a groove, sorta nice. Is this a Beach Boys sort of vibe… this is not bad. Insanely Jealous is a little too twangy/spoken-word. Tonight is a little more groovy, soft vocal building… nice little song. You’ll have to go Sideways is a little too jangly, no singing… horns? Strings? Warbly organ? Weird song. Old Pervert… some wailing guitars and a 70’s-ish running vocal… no. The Queen of Eyes might be the Beatles or a less established 60’s group. This is a 10-song 36-minute album… almost like a band figuring out their sound. I’m not sure I’d put this in again so it’s hard to round up.
Really enjoyed this one.
Was not expecting much and was blown away
Very good album the copied the best stuff of the best bands at the time even a little van halen and and some brit-pop very good and sounds like they are top notch musicians
Where has this been my whole life?!? I came into this listening completely unfamiliar with this band, and this album completely blew me away! Catchy melodies, interesting lyrics, and excellent mid-song shifts make for a real treat for the ears. Wow!
Pasable, sin pena ni gloria. La primera canción me la guardo. Sería más bien un 2,5, pero tendrá que ser 2 estrellas.
I believe I could hear the influence it had on later music and understand why it might have been culturally relevant/important at its time. Not annoyed I listened to it, but don't anticipate listening again, seeking out further releases or even quite remembering the name of this one
2 sterne
Nah
Some interesting guitar ideas. But overall just not for me.
If this list is going to force me to listen to a 2.5 hour long album, at least make it something interesting and not boring British pop rock that sounds like it released 10 years too late
Properly likeable and I had to keep checking the date to see if it was 90s Brit pop and of course it wasn’t.
It was bound to happen someday, and here it is: my longest album review yet for this project :-) What a delightful surprise it was to listen to this album! And how amazed I am that I’d never heard it before. I first heard it at work, as I’ve done so many times; I listened to it again at home while watching the Champions League games (on mute, obviously, since the commentary doesn’t matter at all!). And on that second listen, I couldn’t resist finding out more about this band and this album—and it all clicked! So, so ahead of its time that it went completely unnoticed. If no one had told me I was listening to a 1980 album, I’d say this was by a new band, as current as can be. They’ve influenced so many great people that it’s nothing short of incredible how discreet their presence is—and always has been. Impressive. Thank you so much, once again, to this project. Amid so much that can spark doubts and controversy, I’m truly grateful for the good things I’ve found here. 10/10, without a doubt
I don't really know what to make of this record. The lyrics aren't fantastic, the sound is generic, the songs don't tell a story together either. I'm a bit surprised this made the 1K list...
So good great lyrics interesting music. Super fun.
This was, not good.
Not great.
I kinda dig this
I really enjoyed this. There were several songs I plan to revisit. While it sounded nothing like Squeeze something about it kind of reminded me of that band.
Neve heard of the The Soft Boys. That was good. I enjoyed it
Decent Probably prefer different versions of i wanna destroy you, but nice to hear the OG
This album annoyed me
I have already forgotten this.
Soft
Not objectionable but I don’t know that I’d include this one in future editions
This was pretty good, I should like it more really, being indie, British, and post punk//
This is like if somebody explained the Beatles to somebody and told them to recreate it, without having to experience the pain of listening to the Beatles
åbenbart lidt et blueprint på college rock og slet ikke lyden af dens samtid. Det har inspireret bands som R.E.M osv. Det lyder meget sommeragtig og er gode vibes, jeg kunne lied rigtig mange sange på albummet. Jeg har gemt mange, men det var typisk dem som ikke var så poppet i strukturen eller vokalen. Kunne f.eks. ikke mega godt lide the queen of eyes og underwater moonlight. Synes bare det er sådan lidt for pophooket og mangler en smule kant. Det er lidt for rent i lyden osv.
Kolejna płyta, która niby jest edgy, ale to ostrze jest nieco stępione. Oceniłam tylko 10 pierwszych kawałków, bo nie będę się katować wersją z 40 utworami. Poprawne, rytmiczne i w tamtejszym nurcie/klimacie. Czego chcieć więcej? Czegoś na pewno. 6/10.
It’s music. It’s forgettable, but it’s music. I did not need to listen to it.
The pervert song threw me for a bit of a loop, but we roll.
This album would be fine if it weren’t two and a half hours. That was totally unnecessary
Soft Boys were led by Robyn Hitchcock who continues to tour and make interesting music and of whom I am a big fan. They disbanded shortly after it was released and I wasn’t aware of this album until 1984 or so early in Robyn’s solo career. This is an excellent album, with some great songss including “I Wanna Destroy You”, “Tonight”, “Positive Vibrations”, “”Queen of Eyes” and the title track.
I think I would have appreciated this more if I could have listened to it driving around on a warm summer day. It was not great feeding the baby music (save for old pervert, obviously)
Really fun album, super weird but very enjoyable. Old Pervert was hilarious
Enjoyed listening - will comeback and listen to it again sometime!
I have this, but it has been a very long time since I listened. Strong start! A bridge from the 70s to the 80s, you can hear Elvis Costello, and Pulp. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Yes Owned: Yes 57/229 (24%) Will I get: A nicer copy maybe
I suppose that was alright? I liked some of it but I don't know that I'm keen to hear more.
Fun for a listen, some songs fresh and novel, but by the end it does feel like just "another albumful of songs," even if it sounds pretty solid Feeling exemplified by moments like in "Old Pervert" when the singer asks if your name is Midge in order to rhyme the line with bridge - a bit of an underachiever, there Also their biggest hit sounds like the most Cheap Trick song I've heard on this list and I already had the actual Cheap Trick live album This album's cool though
I hate when people lead their reviews with this phrase, so I'll do it because I hate myself: this is the kind of album that makes me glad to be doing this project. Is it good? Decently so. Is it clever and somewhat oblique? Yes. There's a lot going on here and it's all of a part, not the kind of mess that you usually get with "weirdo auteur dragging along a bunch of people with is ideas" albums. It's somehow nothing groundbreaking, and if reading reviews is to be believed, insanely ill-conceived given the kind of music it was plumbing and opposed to. Of course, that's also what makes it work - its unique sensibility plumbs a variety of things that keep it from being dated in the year of our lord 2026 while still being identifiable of the time. There's surf rock, psych rock, spoken word, hillbilly shit, post punk, pop, and all kind of a big stew. I think I'll give it a 5 just because it got under my skin and made me a believer. Surprising myself here but can't think off why I'd knock it down.
I had never heard of this group and I can't figure out why not. Eclectic and electric with unexpected lyrics. I found the very interesting.
2.75 - I've never heard of the Soft Boys before. This was fine.
This is a cool cross over album. In a lot of ways it feels like something that cam out of the early 70s; blues, psych and soul kind of are the sonic engine on this record. But then you kind of have proto-indie brit pop elements on the service. Which makes it fun and unique. It feels like it could be The Who or Pulp at any given moment. I enjoyed this!
I'm only considering the ten tracks from the original release for my rating of this album. This one is pretty good, it starts out strong and has a cool sound throughout. I was surprised when I saw the length at first, but the original album doesn't really have any filler. Favorite track: "I Wanna Destroy You"
I treat bonus tracks, remixes, radio edits etc as optional. And thank god because I enjoyed ten songs well enough but I wouldn’t this album if I had to sit down for two and a half hours of it
This album could have been 5 stars if it was about a third of the length. Can't have a 5 star album be 2 and a half hours long and 40 tracks. A very strong 4 based on the first 10 songs or so.
oh I'm into this! This is exactly the weird niche shit I wanted to find through through this project. I'm eating it up! This is like Ramones meets Beatles meets post-pet sounds Beach Boys meets Cramps with a bunch of other stuff mixed in, but in the best way possible! It wasn't like mind-blowing for me to give it a 5 because some parts didn't hold my full attention. Still very good overall! Top 3: 1) I Wanna Destroy You 2) Insanely Jealous of You 3) Positive Vibrations
I realized the original album was only 10 tracks long after i’d already listened to 23 out of the 40 tracks on the remaster. i thought the album was okay. i liked some of the songs. i don’t feel like this was particularly noteworthy for me though.
A bit of a cross between classic punk energy, cute jangly power pop, and new wave quirkyness. The guitars are great - slinky leads breaking into some super bright twangy arpeggios. Naive lead vocals and Birdsy 60s psych harmonies. I wanna destroy you is an amazing opener, Kingdom of Love rips, Insanely Jealous is hilarious, and the closing 2 tracks are really good.
Not half bad but I didn't need 2 hours of it
It was alright. Nothing special but
Don't think I'd ever heard of The Soft Boys before, but I enjoyed this album.
Insanely good collection of nu wave songs. But 40 of them? And a 2.5 hour album? A shorter more powerful and poignant album would have carried this better. I gotta ding it massively for that 2 stars at least. Too much of this sound is so boring. But its essence is really well written and produced songs with cool melodies and sounds. Almost borrows from doo wop melodies at times. I dig it.
2.5 hr album is bold for being such soft boys. electronic rock? It's not unlikable, but I listened while working and don't have anything memorable to report. Just an ok this is fine album. WHy on this list...
Underground feeling rock that just kept going
Soft. Gentle. Ok.but why bother with the retrospective critical acclaim? Not worth it.
Review - an interesting power pop album. A lot of my reading about it talks about how psychedelic it is - maybe more psychedelic than most of their contemporaries but I was pleased to hear only a small amount of sitar gratuitously strewn throughout the tracks. Rating - 7.5/10 Need to listen? YES
jako dobro, nadomak petice! kratko i slatko, nekako tipično, a opet dovoljno raznovrsno. posebno mi je dobra bila relativno atipična "insanely jelaous", ali sve su pjesme dosta dobre
8.5/10 Strong, upbeat start. Clean guitars and riffs that are enjoyable to the ear. Almost seductive tone. Effort and talent noticeable. Lively and coney album.
There’s some pretty cool stuff in here, but I’m not sure that I had to hear it before I die.
I didn't know what to expect here, this was surprisingly great punky jangly indie. Rate it highly
Interesting. It has a sixties-vibe, reminds me on Krautrock at times but ist also a tight rock album at the same time. Fav: You`ll have to go sideways
I loved this. Five stars is probably too generous, maybe 4.25, but I'm going off of the excitement of discovering something I knew nothing about that really hit all the things I like. Present, stripped back guitars, full voiced harmonies, that tinge of punk energy mixed with jangly psychedelic rock melodies and a weird sense of humor checks all the boxes for me. Really doesn't feel 1980. Sounds more like indie stuff from the late 00's. I'm definitely coming back to this one.
Always wondered what Robyn Hitchcock's claim to fame was! This was pretty good, weird and funny. Not sure why everyone says they influenced R.E.M. and the Replacements though. I hear more Elvis Costello and Marc Bolan. On the other hand, it's more guitar-forward and stripped down than a lot of stuff from 1980- maybe that's the influence on 'college rock' that people hear. I definitely need to give this more time! Favorite song: I Wanna Destroy You
Love Robyn Hitchcock solo and I loved this. It's interesting to hear this early stuff. Better than most of the bands they influenced.
Ok album, probably influential at the time but most songs are quite forgettable. 3.5 stars
I think of these albums as joining the dots. I hear the influence of the likes of The Stooges and The Velvet Underground as well as psychedelic bands, and I hear the influence on some of the alt rock bands from the late 80s and 90s. Not sure it stands that well on its own, but it has a place in the journey of rock through the years.
Te schel geluid voor mij. Niet fijn om te luisteren
The album grew on me as I listened.
Étonnamment bon mais baaaaaaad long
Never heard them. Never heard of the. But their brilliant.
This album is great. I've loved the Circle Jerks cover of I Wanna Destroy You ever since high school but only recently learned that was a cover of the Soft Boys. This album feels like someone doing their best possible version of a 60's garage band but making it so much cooler at the same time. 4/5
Fun album. I read it was really influential. I'm not sure I'm hearing why that is, as it sorta sounds like 60s jangly pop but with a little punk backing. It's nice but surprising that this sound would be considered that new. Still, I did enjoy these songs quite a bit. 3.5/5
Didn’t we already have this? It feels like it. Anyway. This was really good. If I heard this 25 or so years ago I probably would have been really into it.
Ooh yes! Big fan of this one, love me some Hitchcock.
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but it still didn’t quite get over the hump to a 4.
This is the type of band that is inspired by stuff that I like, and may have influenced other stuff that I like, but I'm just not into it. The last two tracks were actually pretty good; it's a shame the whole album doesn't sound like that.
Honestly a nothing Burger
70/100. A really solid post punk record with wit, edge, and a strong sound. It might not be the most groundbreaking release from that era, especially considering how stacked the early 80s post punk scene was, but it absolutely holds its own.
Ok so yes, this was way too long. But it was super cool.
Great album cover
Que disco surpreendente! Um Pop pós punk com elementos psicodélicos. Achei uma experiência ótima! Celest Wyvern Qing.
I loved Positive Vibrations!
I enjoyed this album. Quite different for new wave. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
this album should’ve been an easy 5 for me but something about the first half of the album made it feel incredibly long. all the songs were enjoyable and none were very long so I’m not sure why it felt that way.
This was really fun. Had never hurt of them before this but enjoyed the eclectic funny rock/pop songs.
I’m an old pervert and I love this album! I am insanely jealous, I got the hots, I wanna destroy you and underwater moonlight are forever trapped in my brain. Kingdom of love, vegetable man rock my socks. I listen to this album regularly but those tracks are just too good. Cream of the new wave psych pop rock crop and personal mind blowers. Pretty avant, wonderfully weird and definitely groovy!
I really tried to like it. I really did, but it is so unbelievably long. There is no need for it.
Punky psychedelic rock. I enjoyed it, but you’ve gotta be smoking what they were if you think I’m going to listen to 30 bonus tracks. The main 10 tracks were all fun but a little forgettable.
I liked this a lot. This is definitely my jam and exactly what I loved about the 80's.
I didn’t notice anything that special about this. The singer couldn’t sing. By the end of the album it grated on me. Low 2, or high 1? A 1.
6.0/10
Pretty fun psychedelia. Honestly didn't really dislike any tracks on this album, but at the same time, nothing ended up being a huge standout, so my overall score isn't too high. Favorite Songs: "I Got the Hots", "Insanely Jealous of You", "Old Pervert" Low 4.
A pleasant album which i forget quickly. Probably will hear it once again, its good music for a car. Definitely its too long for its content, 2.5/5.
Diverse musical ideas and styles. Interesting and enjoyable. Solid album.
Fun, quirky, power pop type record that fuses punk energy, post-punky off kilterness, poppy melodies, and psychedelic sounds with an oddball approach. Since they’re around the same time it gives me a sense of The Feelies and The Undertones with more embracing of 60s psychedelia and a bit more bizarreness. It’s just got this sense of punk has some weird corners to explore, let’s have some fun and make it catchy along the way.
2 and a half hours, nahh, still good tho
Ég er ekki að dansa við þetta cover, en þetta er mjög skemmtileg plata. Alls ekki það sem maður á von á frá árinu 1980, nema flangerinn á gítarnum kannski, en þótt ég sé um margt hrifinn af því ári, þá er það hrós í þessu tilviki.
Another great discovery! A helpful reminder for why I’m doing this list.
This is way better than most shit I had come up recently and its not even anything to write home about. But it is nice to have something where you don’t feel like listening to a loser like donald trump talk.
Loved it
3.5/5
Before: Oh, I recognize the album cover. I think one of my friends had this back in the mid-80s. And of course I know the first track, I Wanna Destroy You. I was a big fan of Robyn Hitchcock back in the early 90s. During: I like I Wanna Destroy You a lot. It's ranked 88 out of 95 on my favorites from 1980 play list. The next 2 tracks are not so great. I Got The Hots is a good one that I remember as well. I decide to add it to my favorites from 1980 play list. The next 6 are nothing special. I guess this is going to be a three. After : Overall, I think the album is kind of lame, except for 2 tracks that I like enough to put on my favorites form 1980 list. Maybe taken in the context of the time it was produced, the album deserves a higher rating, but I check my 1980 list and there were several albums at least, that were much, much better than this, imo. For reference, my top 5 albums from 1980 are: Pretenders, "Pretenders"; The Specials, "More Specials"; XTC, "Black Sea"; The Fall, "Grotesque (After the Gramme)"; The English Beat, "I Just Can't Stop It".
I'm not sure if this sounds incredibly ahead of its time, or if current indie has just mastered sounding like the 80's.
This is the kinda thing the book/website is great for. I had heard of the Soft Boys but had never listened, and I am thrilled to have been given this album for today. Proto-punk with a psychedelic edge. This really hit the spot, to be honest. Sounds more modern than it is, some of it. Glad to have discovered the band.
My rating 3.2. I enjoyed this. One of the reasons I like this experiment. The chance to listen to artists that you haven’t heard of but enjoy.
It didn't stand out to me, but I enjoyed it. It played in the background at least two times.
Sounds like 20 different bands. Which is fine. Clearly influenced/influencer by many
I skipped most of the album as it was just reissue tracks, but the original 10 songs were really good. Very unique
The linked album on spotify has 40 tracks. That's way too many for this boring, jangly album.
Decent listen:
Some cool songs but holy shit it’s too long. 3.5!
I'm fully aware that I listened to this, but I couldn't tell you a single thing about it.
Ik vond de stem en de gitaarrifjes wel leuk. Het eerste nummer vond ik niet zo sterk maar ik heb al met al best genoten van het album. I got the hots vond ik wel leuk. Ik vond naast de leuke gitaarrifjes de bas wel een beetje saai dat het veel scrummen was van dezelfde snaar. Voldoende maar niet fantastisch
Kende het niet, was een aangename verrassing. Natuurlijk niet de schuld van de soft boys maar het album is te lang om in één dag te raten. Hierdoor moet je er doorheen beuken terwijl veel nummers wat meer aandacht vragen. Denk dat ik het leuker vind dan ik nu denk. Twijfel tussen 3 en 4 dus dat is 3.5. extrapunten voor de cover dus afgerond 4
Nog niet eerder van deze band gehoord, maar ik was blij verrast, de 2:20 minuten leken korter aan te voelen dan dat het was en ik heb veel leuke en orginele, muzikale dingen gehoord. Toch jammer dat het zon lang album was, niet alleen kan je hier drie albums van maken maar ook het kaf van het koren scheiden met alleen maar bangers, toch waardeer ik ook het werk wat ze erin hebben gelegd en vond ik het ook weer een unieke luisterervaring om zolang naar dezelfde band te luisteren. 3 sterren
ok so who had the idea of calling themselves the "soft boys" like wtf man
fun listen went o youtube :D
“Said the spike to the tomato”
I went into this album with no prior knowledge of the band and found myself blown away. Even with just the opening track, 'I Wanna Destroy You,' the appeal is immediate. You can clearly hear the influence of psychedelia and late '60s/early '70s rock, but with distinct shades of British punk. It’s easy to see why so many bands were inspired by this sound, like R.E.M., the Pixies, and that entire era of alternative rock is all right here, Brit Pop too. I was pleasantly surprised and felt no reservation about diving deeper to see what they would do next. Highlights: I Wanna Destroy You, Tonight
I listened to Underwater Moonlight at work for the first time with no prior knowledge of The Soft Boys. I recognized “I Wanna Destroy You” because The Circle Jerks covered it, but otherwise didn't get a good read on but otherwise didn't get a great read on the album. Unrelated: Rachel Getting Married is leaving the Criterion Channel at the end of the month; I should watch it. I love Anne Hathaway. Who should appear, and play awesome tunes in this movie? Robyn Hitchcock, vocalist for The fucking Soft Boys. Incredible in this context and prompted another listen before bed. It's giving 60's mod-leaning punk rock with psychedelic tendencies. There are shades of Cheap Trick, Bauhaus, The Who, and Lou Reed, while also carving their own sound more akin to R.E.M. There are a lot of great tracks, and there are a few middling ones too. Giving this the absolute highest 3 star I possibly can.
On va mettre les choses au clair tout de suite : si vous pensez que le rock anglais de 1980 se résume à la new wave synthétique froide comme un cul de jatte en hiver ou au post-punk dépressif façon Joy Division (que j'adore, calmez-vous, je ne blasphème pas), vous vous mettez le doigt dans l'œil jusqu'au coude. En 1980, pendant que tout le monde cherchait à avoir l'air le plus malheureux possible en imperméable gris, une bande d'hurluberlus menée par un grand échalas nommé Robyn Hitchcock décidait de faire revivre le psychédélisme des années 60, mais avec une énergie punk et une grosse dose de surréalisme. Ce disque, "Underwater Moonlight", c'est un peu l'ovni de ma collection. Je devais avoir dix ans quand c'est sorti, donc autant vous dire que je n'étais pas franchement en train d'analyser les subtilités des guitares Rickenbacker à l'époque. C'est plus tard, bien plus tard, quand je traînais mes guêtres derrière le comptoir de ma radio indé dans les années 90, que cette galette a fini par atterrir sur ma platine. Et bordel, quelle claque. C'est marrant, parce qu'en le réécoutant pour cette chronique, je me suis fait une réflexion : curieusement, l'album n'a pas trop mal vieilli. Il est toujours aussi fun. Et "fun", c'est pas un mot que je dégaine souvent quand je parle de disques cultes, souvent plombés par une aura de sérieux académique chiant à mourir. Là, non. C'est frais, c'est barré, ça part dans tous les sens. L'histoire de ce groupe est à pisser de rire quand on y pense. Vous avez Robyn Hitchcock, sorte de fils illégitime de Syd Barrett et de John Lennon, qui écrit des textes où il est question de lézards, de reines des yeux et de royaumes de l'amour peuplés de créatures étranges. Et à côté de lui, vous avez Kimberley Rew à la guitare. Oui, LE Kimberley Rew qui, quelques années plus tard, ira former Katrina and the Waves et écrira "Walking on Sunshine", ce tube radioactif qui nous a tous donné envie de nous percer les tympans à force de l'entendre. Mais ici, en 1980, le gars est une machine de guerre avec ses riffs tranchants, mélodiques et nerveux. Musicalement, "Underwater Moonlight" c'est le chaînon manquant. C'est le pont branlant mais génial qui relie les Byrds et le Velvet Underground à ce que deviendront R.E.M., les Pixies ou les Replacements. Sérieusement, écoutez ce disque et osez me dire que Peter Buck de R.E.M. n'a pas tout piqué ici. Le son de ces guitares qui s'entremêlent, ce "jangle" un peu sale, c'est la matrice de tout l'indie rock américain qui va débouler dix ans plus tard. On ne va pas se mentir, l'album s'ouvre sur un hymne absolu : "I Wanna Destroy You". Le titre pourrait laisser croire à du punk nihiliste de base, genre "je vais tout casser parce que je suis un rebelle", mais c'est bien plus vicieux que ça. C'est une critique acerbe du système, des médias, de la guerre, mais enrobée dans une mélodie pop tellement accrocheuse que tu te surprends à chantonner "I wanna destroy you" sous la douche en te savonnant les parties intimes. C'est ça le génie du truc. Te faire avaler du cyanure avec un glaçage à la fraise. Et puis il y a "Kingdom of Love". Ah, mes aïeux, quel morceau ! C'est là que la folie douce d'Hitchcock explose. Les paroles n'ont aucun sens pour le commun des mortels ("You've got to lay your eggs before the sun comes up" ? Sérieux Robyn ?), mais on s'en fout royalement parce que le groove est là, bancal, hypnotique. La basse de Matthew Seligman (paix à son âme) tricote des lignes qui te donnent envie de danser comme un épileptique dans une boum de fin d'année. C'est ce mélange de technicité pop et d'amateurisme punk qui rend le tout irrésistible. Il y a aussi "Queen of Eyes", une pure merveille power-pop qui aurait dû être un tube planétaire si le monde n'était pas dirigé par des sourds. Ça file à toute allure, les harmonies vocales sont aux petits oignons, et ça te donne une pêche d'enfer. C'est le genre de morceau que tu mets à fond dans la bagnole, vitres ouvertes, pour faire chier les voisins au feu rouge. Ce qui est fascinant avec "Underwater Moonlight", c'est qu'il ne sonne pas comme un disque de 1980. Il n'a pas cette production datée avec des caisses claires qui sonnent comme des coups de fouet sur une tôle ondulé. La production est assez brute, presque live, ce qui lui donne cette intemporalité. On dirait que ça a été enregistré hier dans un garage à Cambridge par des étudiants en art sous acide. Et c'est un compliment, croyez-moi. Il y a des moments plus sombres aussi, des trucs plus atmosphériques comme la chanson titre "Underwater Moonlight". Là, on plonge dans le psychédélisme pur et dur. Les guitares se font liquides, la voix de Robyn se fait plus lointaine, on a l'impression de flotter dans un aquarium rempli de gin tonic. C'est beau, c'est trippant, et ça prouve que ces gars-là n'étaient pas juste des clowns pop, mais de vrais musiciens capables de créer des ambiances complexes. Alors oui, je sais, je suis censé être critique, donc je devrais trouver des défauts. Allez, pour la forme : par moments, ça part tellement en vrille que ça peut devenir agaçant si on n'est pas dans le bon état d'esprit. Si vous cherchez de la structure couplet-refrain bien carrée, passez votre chemin, vous allez faire une attaque. Et puis, il faut supporter le côté "dandy excentrique" d'Hitchcock qui peut parfois friser l'auto-parodie. Mais honnêtement, on s'en tape. C'est justement pour ça qu'on l'aime, parce qu'il n'en a rien à foutre des conventions. C'est un disque de transition, un disque charnière. Il ferme la porte des années 70 et ouvre celle de l'indie rock des années 80 avec un grand coup de pied au cul. Sans The Soft Boys, pas de R.E.M., pas de Smiths (si, si, écoutez bien les guitares), pas de toute cette vague de groupes à guitares qui ont fait les beaux jours de ma discothèque. Au final, "Underwater Moonlight", c'est comme retrouver un vieux pote qu'on n'a pas vu depuis vingt ans. On a un peu peur qu'il ait changé, qu'il soit devenu chiant, qu'il nous parle de son plan épargne logement ou de ses problèmes de prostate. Et puis non, dès les premières notes, on se rend compte qu'il est toujours aussi con, toujours aussi drôle, toujours aussi vivant. C'est un album qui te rappelle pourquoi tu aimes la musique : pour l'énergie, pour la surprise, pour ce petit frisson qui te parcourt l'échine quand un refrain parfait déboule sans prévenir. Je lui mets un bon 4 sur 5. Pourquoi pas 5 ? Parce que la perfection n'est pas de ce monde, et que je garde mes 5 pour des trucs intouchables comme Unknown Pleasures ou certains Sonic Youth. Mais putain, on n'est pas loin. C'est un disque essentiel, un "must-hear" comme disent nos amis anglo-saxons. Si vous ne l'avez pas, vous avez raté votre vie, ou du moins une bonne tranche de rigolade musicale. Allez, filez l'écouter et arrêtez de m'emmerder.
That was a lot
Enjoyed it but just not enough for a 4. Truly a 3.5
Hell ya.
Nice punky pop stuff with a 60s vibe. Also the album is massive, 40 songs?!?
I liked this album, especially the album art! The tracks are pretty epic and pretty hard. Their cover of vegetable man (in the bonus tracks) is a very decent cover!
The Soft Boys! Despite the name are not soft at all! I really enjoyed this punk/rock/psychedelic/bluesy crossover! It could be a 5, but I only have had time to listen to it once today, I might update my rating if I come back Fave Track: I got the hots
There’s great fun to be had at the punk-psyche crossroads.
Never heard of these guys before. Quite liked it.
A little underwhelming, having then read about other bands, such as R.E.M. that were influeced by this i listened again & could hear some of that, but original doesn't always mean better, later generations can refine & improve
The sounds are before their time, but overall something felt missing
not interested
I can see the influence they’ve had on the genre, and on the bands that came after them. This type of rock it’s not really my favorite, it’s kinda not engaging for me, but I liked a couple of the songs on the album.
Another nice surprice! Never heard of them before, but I liked their style from the first moment. Nice and easy pace, some cool harmonies and nice overall production. The first songs are the best (I only listened to the original albums 10 songs), the later half is still okay. Favourite songs: I Wanna Destroy You, Kingdom Of Love and I Got The Hots.
Decent without being too exciting.
It's unusual for me to listen past the core tracks of the original release on an extended special edition, but I loved every minute of that. Gave me proto-TMBG vibes in several places which is an additional point from me every time
Great writing and the music was often more complex than one might expect from what felt like a punky band from that time. Downgrade for eating 2.5 hours of my day.
3.5
The expanded "deluxe type" album has a lot more additional interesting tracks (arguably more interesting then the stock standard studio album), nearly a 5 star
Rating: 7/10
Not bad by any means. Did it absolutely blow my mind? No. Was it all that unique in the history of music? No. But it was not an earsore when it was on. 2.7/5 -> 3/5
This was a huge surprise. Based on the description, I kept putting off the listen as this isn't my kind of music. Or so I thought - I could hear so many bands that I love in this one group. It was punky and fun.
Kind of a strange one. Has some cool elements to it, the title track is good for example. It's decent, just don't know if it sings to me personally, despite liking psychedelic rock in general. 3/5.
This was new to me and I really enjoyed it. Post punk via the Byrds, as imagined by Robyn Hitchcock. Really strong top to bottom with a couple of killer tracks. I'd even go so far as to say it's more consistent start to finish than any Byrds record. This one feels like it came out too early, as the Stone Roses had clearly heard this and hit pretty big with their own version just a few years later
This album sounds pretty modern for 1980. The Soft Boys give a new shine to Psychedelia, a style that was sorely out of fashion at the time. I do wonder if they pioneered Neo-Psychedelia or if they were a part of some sort of movement. I know there was also Echo & the Bunnymen, but were there more of them? Key tracks: I Wanna Destroy You Positive Vibrations
4 stars for the original 10. No stars for old pervert.
Long but 4 for just the core tracks
Pretty fun stuff from the lads
five stars for the actual album, the first ten songs. two stars if including all them extras.
Solid songs, but a few too many of them.
Wasn't bad to listen to but Jesus H Christ why was it 3 hours long?
A great album, mixing sunny 60s harmonies and jangly guitars with surreal lyrics and post-punk darkness. Reading that this influenced REM and the Stone Roses makes a lot of sense. Best song: Tonight
I have no real connection to this music, but it seemed fine. Reminded me a bit of the early Sloan stuff that TBH I really do love... so this gets a couple of bonus points for that.
The Soft Boys were pretty good boys.
Solid
I listened to the 45th anniversary remaster, which is in line with the original A/B-side track listing on wikipedia. This makes the album more concise and cohesive and is preferable over the expansive 2,5 hour extended edition. Overall quite good, instrumentals and vocals good, just not quite as gripping. 3/5
Great record from another band that I had never heard of until today.
Really great songs, nice guitar tones, the voices sound amateurishly recorded
This was an unknown gem. I love when this happens. This band is like early surfer rock, post-punk, slightly psychedelic, pretty good lyrically, FUN to be sure... If they had just a modicum less distortion in weird places I would have zero problem with throwing them five stars, it is THAT good! But it is kind of oddly British which makes the surfer vibe... somewhat odd, but that is being REALLY picky and specific. The Soft Boys are REALLY fun and entertaining to listen to! If you are curious about British Beach Boy with a bit more of an edge than this is a gem!
Not a big fan of this album, not my vibe.
3. good but some not so good
It’s more than just a feeling but still not a top of hard rock top álbuns
Love it, 2 hours of music though
OK.
For a group called "The Soft Boys", they're anything but.
New to me but I enjoyed it. Great 80s post-punk to alternative sound with some 60s psychedelic harmony mixed in. High 3.
This album...was 2 1/2 hours long. I didn't hate it but man that's hard to review after one listen.
Really enjoyable album
Note: I only listened to the 10 original tracks on the 2025 remaster. This is album is awesome. Very unique. Like a 60s pop sound with Byrds/Beatles-esque harmonies at points mashed with a post-punk style and incorporating a lot of psychedelic and experimental instrumentation and progressions. Great production. Very very cool music. This is the kind of hidden gem I started this experience to find. A couple low light songs keep it from a 5/5, but I really liked this listen.
Why is this album 40 songs?! Never heard of them and don't feel like I missed out on anything.
2.5/5
What was this thing? A quadruple album? My goodness. Putting that aside, though, the album exceeded by expectations. It got a little weird at times and was definitely too long. But there are some undeniably great tracks that felt like a blend of some of the genres I enjoy the most.
Really enjoyed this one. A great blend of psych, post punk, and some pop. Definitely feels a little ahead of it's time, but you can still hear all of the influences they were pulling from (Beatles, Syd Barrett/Pink Floyd, the Byrds, etc.). I'd imagine bands like the Stone Roses and REM were big fans of this album. The energy feels palpable from the first track to the last. I really love the cover art, too. Everything about this album is cool to me. Favorite Trax: I Wanna Destroy You, I Got the Hots, You'll Have to Go Sideways, Underwater Moonlight 4.5/5
So good. One of the more eclectic post-punk albums to crawl out of the Sex Pistols eruption. After 1976, everyone had their own idea of what direction the sound could go towards. People adopted saxophones or made dissonant noisy albums, others had jangly guitars, and even more embraced synths. After cutting their teeth on the more lo-fi A Can of Bees, The Soft Boys opted to synthesize their classic influences (Beatles, Stones), their contemporaries (Wire, Stranglers), with an ear towards the future. Songs like Queen of Eyes sound like Dunedin Sound bands like The Bats while some tracks sound like The Replacements. It's an incredible sonic grab bag. Nearly every song hits a different tone and tune, really ambitious stuff with a good sense of humor. Favorite Tracks: I Wanna Destroy You, I Got the Hots for You, Insanely Jealous of You, Tonight, Old Pervert, Queen of Eyes
Surprisingly good, nice mix of 80s post punk and psychedelic rock. Reminds me slightly of The Jam. Will listen again! 3.5 rounded to 4/5
This isn’t bad. I thought it might be based on that album cover 😂. But didn’t amaze me.
Given the year, and the band name, and the country of origin let's just say my expectations were low. But this actually is kinda really good.
A gem. I bought this new in 1980 having already acquired A Can of Bees and a couple of singles. A part from Robyn’s uncanny writing ability, it is Kimberly Rew’s guitar work that Carrie’s this record. The jangle in that guitar sound was acquired by a ton of alternative acts including REM and the Replacements. Live, this record was even better. I like all the tracks but for those who are just starting out, here are my faves: I Wanna Destroy You, Kingdom of Love ( an intensely great start to a record), Insanely Jealous of You and Queen of Eyes, and Have A Heart Betty. The Beatles influence is obvious but this record, like the best copy geniuses, expand the sonic palate and make it their own. I liked this album so much upon release I bought a duplicate. It was the first time I’d intentionally bought a second copy of anything. I also have bought CD versions, and recently the remastered vinyl edition. This is a no skip record. A 9/10 in its original form.
Some of these songs didn't have to go as hard as they did, but it was worth it. Insanely jealous of you was the song that kicked off my interest
1/5/26. Love the first track since it comes out with a bang. Album gets weirder and a little more drawn out as it goes on, but it stays interesting. Almost goes from pop to exploring different arrangements.
Sigh, another mediocre rock band on this list. It wasn't bad, but it really brought me zero joy 🙄
Never heard of them but I liked it. Stuck to the original 10 tracks rather than 2h30
TOO FUCKING LONG
v forgettable (and at 2+ hours, that’s probably not a good sign)
not very memorable and SO long
Meget bedre end jeg forventede
Havde det rigtig sjovt med den her! Virkelig fed energi!
FUN! Sounded very modern for its time.
#813. I listened to this like a week ago now, so I've forgotten most of the thoughts I had while listening to it, but i think the gist of it was it sounds like an American 90s garage rock band, despite none of that being true. Decent though, I think. 3/5: acceptable
This album is like a psychedelic bridge between the 1960s and the alternative rock explosion of the 1980s. It brilliantly distilled the melodic whimsy of The Beatles and the jangly, folk-rock urgency of The Byrds into something uniquely jagged and modern paving the way for the college rock movement. Strong influence on R.E.M. and many others that followed.
ok...
It’s fine, easy to listen to but nothing special
🙂
Another boring British band of lads. Yawn
good but 2 hours? how
Couldn't finish it, just not for me!
More bad British rock from the 60s-80s. DNF.
I didn't know this. Got repetitive after a while, but it was a pleasant surprise.
those puppets look fun!
Sounds like a pretty generic new wave album - but I like new wave.
who put this on the list
An absolute classic, bringing shades of Beefheart & Syd Barrett to new wave kids and forever warpring (in a good way) their outlooks on music. Announced Robyn Hitchcock as a talent of note, and Kimberley Rew as an understated guitar hero.
Listenable if nothing else.
Better than most psych albums that show up on this list
Pretty good, but way to old and British for me to fall in love with. And drums that sound like cardboard boxes are always gonna be a turn off for me. I'm very pro-drums-that-sound-like-drums.
Oh wow. This album is just fantastic. Six songs in, so far, and there's not a dud among them. The guitar is excellent, vocals are a little weird,and melodies are catchy, but in a way I like. And, honestly, there's enough noise, and even almost drone, to keep me riveted. This may be my favorite "discovery" on this journey so far. Old Pervert for the win. This is a great song! Moving along, I don't much like this Queen of Eyes song. It's not overtly terrible, but mostly innocuous Byrds-like harmonies or whatever, so not my jam. I guess the original album ended after Underwater Moonlight. And that would be a great album right there. But the additional songs on the re-issue are also just excellent. In fact, they may ramp up the weirdness. Vegetable Man is moving into Syd Barrett territory and I like it. Definitely giving this a 5.
I had listened to this album before maybe ten years back and liked it alright. I Wanna Destroy You made a big impression. It's a great song, and if you told me that was Cheap Trick I might even believe you. I liked Positive Vibrations but lost interest after that. A second chance through gave me more to like including Tonight and The Queen of Eyes. I'm generally a sucker for jangly pop done well, so that tracks. There are too many songs that bug me like I Got the Hots and Old Pervert to go to five stars for me. Also, the metaphor for love on Kingdom of Love has to be one of the creepiest used in pop music. I saw Robyn Hitchcock in concert in college because Matthew Sweet was the opener. He was touring Girlfriend which I was infatuated with at the time.
First three songs and several of the later ones reminded me of 1980s arty college-rock bands I liked such as Thrashing Doves and Let's Active. But this was 1980, so I guess it may be on the list because of being pioneering in that genre. (Genre?) The talky imitation-Velvet-Underground stuff didn't work as well, but I'm still giving it a 4.
5/5 - This is the best “new to me” album on this list yet, and it’s not close. This has so many intersections of things I love: bizarre lyrics, jangly guitars, punk, but angular rhythms, harmonies. I can hear what came before it and all the good stuff after (REM, Pixies, etc). How have I never heard I Wanna Destroy You before? (For the original 10 track album. I’ll listen to the bonus tracks later.)
I owned this album as well as several from Robyn Hitchcock, both solo and with The Egyptians. The other leader of this band was also in Katrina and the Waves and wrote Walkin’ on Sunshine. Decent example of Power Pop, but not quite as good as I remembered.
OK
Really long album.
muito interessante, trabalho de guitarras inspirador, boas composições. Fonte do REM, Pixies, Stone Roses e outras. 3-4 estrelas
I really enjoyed this. A great example of early British new wave. Some of the middle tracks are a bit of chore, but overall, a good listen. NOTE: just listen to the original album tracks... skip all all the bonus material.
The original skinhead music band. Top music from a top band.
unusual stuff. never heard about it, but its nice enough
I don't love the album cover, as it is very odd. The rest of what is on here though? I love it. This is exactly the kind of music that I like and am happy this project exists, as I would have never stumbled on this. It's not punk, it's not power-pop, it's not really new wave. Bands that I love were influenced by The Soft Boys and I can see why. I really enjoyed this one and it's getting added to my collection. A really good album of rock songs and my favorite track was probably the title track.
So, seeing that so many of the songs were bonus tracks, I wanted to check what the original album looked like and whether this is how it originally came out or if it is a re-release of sorts. Spoiler alert, the bonus tracks were not included originally. Looking at the album the way it is presented here, it is a 2. It does not matter who you are, a two hour long album gets boring, and at some point you just want it to be over. However, for this rating, I will take into consideration the first release, which is a much more reasonable 36 minutes. That way, I would say it is a 3. Nothing spectacular, but it is way better in that form. I am actually not sure why they chose this version of the album for the list. The one with just the first ten songs exists on Spotify. It is even stated in the book that each album on the list had its original version selected, not any later re-releases or reissues.
An album of English whimsical psych-pop. Quite nice, and I think I'll listen to it a bit further. But I don't think it outstanding.
This should hit one of my my sweet spots - jangle reverbed rockabilly guitar, big loud fast chords, 60's Byrd's sound that I don't much like in the Byrds, but we keep hearing bands influenced by the Byrds who sound so much better to me than the Byrds. Despite loving the sound of this album I didn't actually love any of the songs much, but the sound is so good I'm feeling like it might grow on me.
First time for me. This album paired well with cooking dinner for the next few days.
Not a ton to say about this. It was decent
Liked this more than I thought I would. One look at the cover and name of the band gave me I wasn't sure what was coming my way... felt like the Byrds met the Beetles, met Marquee Moon by Television. Old Pervert sucked, not a good song, don't know how that made it on over some of the bonus tracks. Didn't listen to the whole bonus section, but a few of them were pretty good. Favorites were: Underwater Moonlight & Queen of Eyes 7.5/10?
Not much to say for this one. I liked it. Didn't rock my world, but I liked it.
There is something about the year 1980 that I love. Disco was dead (unfortunately) but New Wave and Synth Pop were making their rise up the charts. I guess I love that transitional period in music, when there is some change, some experimentation, and most importantly, something new. Like 1970 in the movie world, can you really think of any bad records released in 1980? I actually kept listening past the original studio album, and enjoyed a lot of those bonus tracks!
..
Started pretty solid then seemed to go downhill. The music style was nice but lyrics were a bit odd at times.
A bit quirky and confusing
Actually much better than I thought it was gonna be. Sound was good, just didn't really like the dude's voice. Also none of the lyrics really did anything for me and that kinda held it back from being a higher score.
it's just an odd/weird/strange listen. not quite sure what I was listening to at several points. vocals were bland.
Kinda crazy and quirky. Enjoyable and charming. Good and musically fun but not enough for regular listening.
Psychedelic Post-Punk New-Wave Pop with echoes of the 1960s, for example "Positive Vibrations" (which I think is the best track on the album). I've heard better, but I've heard far worse.
The kind of 1st album where afterwards the band splits and goes onto better things
Surprisingly good. This album was either 10 years before or 10 years behind its time. Had it come out in 1970 or 1990 it would have been recognized as a good album. Instead, it came out in 1980 and was lost in the sauce.
It’s like the Beatles met joy division, listened to an album by the replacements, and made an album. It’s not as good as either, but it’s still good. It feels like music in progress. You can hear the early British pop rock influences of the early sixties, you can also listen for where things are headed with punk and new wave. In and of itself, I don’t love it. But it’s fascinating to hear a half dozen disparate bands shine through in just 36 minutes. Overall an album I enjoy and I see where it influenced other albums I love. It’s an important part of the development of guitar music between folky cowboy chords, jazz standards, and a bit of discord all mixed with a tinge of urgency. Tonight is a stand out track. A 3 because I think it far outstrips the qualifications for a 2, but I don’t think I’d come back to it.
Borderline four, but it didn’t really have bad tracks
I can't believe this is the first time I'm hearing this. Or maybe I had and then forgot. Still pretty great.
No thanks
I'll tell you what, this album is incredibly frustrating. I'm going to imagine that if you can see the reviews then you've listened to the album, and like me when you saw the length of the album you had a serious double take. I dreaded starting something so long. Then I started it, and I noticed that the musicianship (specifically the guitar and bass) were phenomenal. Holy smokes is this some kind of secret masterpiece? An hour or so goes on and I'm still really enjoying it. Dare I saw I think the singer for The 1975 stole his style directly from this singer. Now we get to the last 10 songs of the album, and I believe they're an obvious filler. At first I wondered if they were just extra studio stuff that can be included in special editions, but I checked the official track listing and there these filler songs were. This is where the album goes from a 4 to a 3. Repeats previous songs, meanders along at times, and really loses its charm. I'll need to go through it again to get some of the keepers. If you want a good album just listen to tracks 1-30, and forget about the last 10
Album 983 of 1089 Underwater Moonlight - The Soft Boys (1980) Rating : 3.5 / 5 I went into this one completely blind. No expectations, no previous opinions, just a clean listen. And honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. This is some fun, energetic rock with snappy guitar work and songwriting that keeps you engaged the whole way through. I’m not even sure what official genre label this album carries, but what I heard was a really enjoyable batch of alternative-leaning tracks with just enough quirk and personality to stand out. It’s catchy without being predictable, and it’s got that slightly off-center charm that makes you want to revisit it. Definitely one I’ll circle back to for another listen down the road.
Quite enjoyable. Some really fun and clever and off-kilter songs on here, and it really does sound like the late-60s psychedelic rock updates for a post-punk era. Must-listen #261.
This was weird... but fine.
Surprisingly enjoyed this album. His voice was beatles-esque and it had a great British rock feel, but was
A little bit of punk, a little bit of surf rock... not my cup of tea
Actual album is 10 tracks. It is 40 tracks on Spotify because of bonus discs etc. Only taking into account the first 10 tracks.
Only heard this album a few years back and it seems to be a forgotten gem from 1980. Mix of Beatles/Byrds and early Floyd/Velvet Underground makes for an interesting pop punk album with some catchy numbers . Well worth a listen.
A revelation! I had never heard it before and have been playing it almost daily. Jangly, psychedelic, lightly punk, melodic, harsh, funny. it's great!
Another one of those bands I've never heard of, but from the first track this band seems really promising. It's hit or miss but overall a fun album that I'm glad to have experienced.
The first hour was some creative and enjoyable rock, everything after that was dumb but thankfully I found out that only the first hour was the base album and the rest was unreleased bonus track type stuff
2 and a half hours for some bullshit. The quality was terrible to start with and it wasn’t anything interesting at all. Fav Song: 3.9/10 1.9/5
Fine little Post-Punk album but it was 2 1/2 hours for some reason. Not what I had the time for on Thanksgiving. At least it wasn't super weird and I enjoyed what I heard. 5/10
Felt like it was the inspiration for half the indie bands I like in the 00s. Definitely see this as a precursor to some greatness, albeit not as great, because having to break new ground. Upgraded to a 4 because it clearly has weight in the music I loved as a teen.
All British pop bands sound like they’re desperately trying to be the Beatles. These guys are not. It’s not awful, but I don’t want to hear it again.
Tolerable, would have given it a 2.5 if I was able.
juntaram tudo que eu curto nesse aqui pqp maravilhoso fala sério
a mistura perfeita entre post punk, new wave e punk. um tiquinho de jangle pop também pq ngm eh de ferro. me surpreendeu DEMAIS e a capa eh bem foda. estou obcecado escutarei a semana toda. coisa boa esse aqui pqp
🤷 enh
Uhh, this one joined the pool of "fine I guess, for its era" albums we've had here.
this inexplicably slips into the jangliest 60s rock imaginable for an album from 1980. or maybe it's very imaginable that the "soft boys" are doing a song called "positive vibrations." the rest of it was good though
and this IS 80s nonsense i'm here for
I probably would have kind of enjoyed this except I accidentally listened to a deluxe version while trying to shop at the mall and I wound up listening to an entire song about prawns.
nice enough
Thought I was in for monster listening session when Apple Music displayed this album as 40 tracks and two and a half hours long. Turns out actual album only 10 tracks and rest were bonus tracks. If these were a bonus at all is debatable because after the first 10 tracks it all did become a bit repetitive. Still the official track listing was a surprise as I did enjoy all of them. Not bad for a band I’ve never heard of before and a genre which doesn’t always rattle my ribs. 3/5 21/11/25
The 2nd half of this album is where it really got going for me. The vocals are by no means bad but there is something about them that I don’t quite love, however, musically this is great and I could definitely return here. Only 36 minutes so might return soon and get a better sense of it.
Not bad…not compelling.
Not to be dramatic, but it stands to reason that prawns would, in fact, be down by the sea. I'm not sure we needed 6 minutes of reminding us of that fairly obvious conclusion.
Absolutely not my kinda music, boring guitar dudes sound
2.5 hours of same-y ‘80s alternative. Not unlistenable, but just … fine?
Huge album due to the bonus tracks but it's all fine
Just too many of these British bands of this time and genre, not my favorite, and I still can’t tell them apart.
This was fine, I guess it mattered more in the moment since these guys were "alternative" for their time and influenced what was going to come.
Are we just going to have to listen to every fucking 'psychedelic' british band from the 60s and 70s? Its almost all basically the same and all kinda sucks.
Gonna have to review the game tape to figure out how this got missed but outside of ‘I wanna destroy you’ it was all new. And I listened to it for the better part of the day. All bangers.
I'm here for all the weirdness
We gotta give it to The Soft Boys. Great record for weirdos.
Stylistically interesting and definitely before its time. However, I found the lyrics creepy and disturbing in a way that would make me choose the bear over these guys
Gave me Beatles vibes... I love The Beatles, but wasn't that into this one
Meh. An innovative production sound that is unfortunately wasted on the worst of the British sardonic lyrics that are celebrated for being insightful and funny when they are truly neither. I can hear where they might have influenced The Stone Roses, REM, and The Pixies, but unfortunately those are not my favorite bands, particularly not from the 1980s. An album that, in my opinion, doesn't belong on this list. Decent, but not good or even great, and since we are all here to hear the best 1001 albums that must not be missed before we die, it comes as a big disappointment. The only track I actually enjoyed was "You'll Have To Go Sideways", where they finally rolled out the 80s synth, and kept it mercifully instrumental only. The rest of the album is the same overrepresentation of British lyrical cyncism, of which this list has too much already. Should have put Katrina and the Waves WALKING ON SUNSHINE on here instead.At least it actually had a hit on it.
Some diverse sounds that sound innovative for the time. However so many different styles left a lot of room for less impressive songs.
2.1
This is a fun, Television-esque record. Short and sweet, this album had some good beats, buzz, and “Positive Vibrations” from 1980 (and very sounds like the times). Top tracks: “I Wanna Destroy You,” “Kingdom of Love," "Underwater Moonlight”
This is weird shit. Started strong and was interesting, but sort of devolved into weird 80s synth brit pop, which is extremely not my shit. There's a song called Old Pervert, which is reminiscent of Donald Trump. Anyway, this is not my shit, but I can hear where its influences were placed over the next 10, 20 and future years. And it's all shit I don't listen to! Keep it. 2. Also, the extended version has like 20 bonus tracks and is more than 2 hours long. lmaoooo.
--I Wanna Destroy You...sonically it's lighthearted power punk. lyrics are not so light --Kingdom of Love...like the bass. I don't love the track but it has an interesting arrangement --Positive Vibrations...the bass/guitar/sitar middle eight is cool. fun song --I Got the Hots...I'm pretty cold on this one --Insanely Jealous of You...this one has me tapping my toes. not a ton going on but it has a driving rhythm that I enjoy --Tonight...radio-friendly unit shifter --You'll Have to Go Sideways...solid guitar-focused instrumental jam. a little repetitive --Old Pervert...throwing me a curveball here. bass is real heavy. track title is apt; nice 'n' grimy. I like it --Queen of Eyes...generic '60s feel --Underwater Moonlight...feels a little like Pulp. fun closer
This was a cool sound that I really liked at first, but the lead singer's voice kinda got on my nerves after a while and their sound was kinda chaotic for long listening. The lead singer's voice actually really reminded me of the dude from Midnight Oil (Beds Are Burning), and I had to look it up to make sure that it wasn't the same guy. Anyway, I really liked most of these songs, but it's one of those things that I can only take in certain size doses. Four stars.
I had never heard this before. I really enjoyed the listen.
mislim super al puno previse predugo pre