Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Not bad
Underwater Moonlight – The Soft Boys (1980) | Psychedelic Rock / Jangle Pop / Post-Punk | Avg: 6.44 | Favorite Song: “I Wanna Destroy You”* Underwater Moonlight is a quirky, off-kilter blend of psychedelic revivalism and punk energy, and while it has its moments, the highs are few and far between. “I Wanna Destroy You” is the clear standout—it’s catchy, punchy, and actually delivers on the chaotic promise the rest of the album hints at. Outside of that, though, it’s a mixed bag. The songwriting often leans more clever than compelling, and the arrangements, while jangly and energetic, don’t always land with weight. There’s definitely a charm in the eccentricity, but from a reviewer’s perspective, charm alone isn’t enough. Too many tracks feel like sketches or stylistic exercises rather than fully fleshed-out songs. Even the better ones tend to plateau quickly. Still, I wouldn’t call it a total miss—there’s a sense of playful rebellion that gives it some spark. But as a full listen, it ends up feeling more like a curiosity than a must-hear.
Fun
The length was off putting initially but th second go-round I enjoyed it more.
They call this psychedelic rock, but I don’t know why. To me, psychedelic rock is the Doors, or Iron Butterfly…something in that vein. For the most part this album was ok, but nothing special. Another 3 star record for me.
Good album. Nothing spectacular, but overall solid. 3/5 Might listen again
I have managed to listen half of it. After that I decided that I don't want to listen second half of quite an average album.
Not as good as the hype suggested. Sounds very authentic, often a little too laboured. Was probably recorded with plenty of denim involved.
More from the fascinating era of new wave experimentation in the UK. Punk receding, New Romantics on the horizon. Another record where the liner notes take me on a fascinating journey. Matthew Seligman I know from Thomas Dolby work and its quite a career. Robyn Hitchcock of course I know but not from this. Then the links from the two all over the place. Then Rew wrote Going Down to Liverpool, Walking on Sunshine and a Eurovision winner. Music sometimes is one big family. Not a bad record either.
Inoffensive rock. Spotify link contains all the release options so if the 2 hour runtime is too long for you take a look at the original tracklisting.
Trying too hard to be weird and wacky
Funny to get yet another early 80s British album for a third day in a row; thankfully each of them hasn't been all that similar, and "Underwater Moonlight" definitely comes in as the most rock-oriented of the three for a change of pace (the other two were Japan's "Quiet Life" and The The's "Soul Mining"). And much like the other two, this seems a bit lost in the shuffle, without a lot to distinguish it other than it was their second and last album before Robyn Hitchcock embarked on his solo career (of course, it probably didn't help them that they released the album in the midst of a printer's strike in the UK, so no album reviews to generate buzz). Not a lot stood out for me, although I enjoyed two tracks quite a bit, "I wanna destroy you" and "Insanely jealous", and also their title track, and there's a good sense of humor throughout (or at least I hope it's meant to be humorous) that reminded me a bit of The Kinks. That said, the Wikipedia and "1001 Albums" entries seem to differ on my tepid evaluation, praising the album as an unheralded one-off psychedelic rock classic, paving the way for bands like REM, The Replacements, Stone Roses, Pixies, etc. I guess so, but I'm not likely to listen to this again or even remember much from the album even a few days from now, I suspect.
Decent album, better than I expected. Wouldn’t turn off but probably won’t seek it out again, 3/5
What's the point of all this rock? Surely, there are other genres with intricate and nuanced sub-genres that deserve to get some attention? Unspectacular album, didn't feel the need to finish
Day533 - there’s probably an interesting story behind a band that makes an arguably great album and then breaks up
3.5 I’ve seen a lot of people refer to this album as the bridge between classic rock and indie rock, and I can totally hear that. Like, if you took REM, combined them with a group like The Byrds, then threw in a dash of early David Bowie for good measure, this is the album you would end up with. So, it makes a lot of sense that REM, did in fact, name this group as a major influence, and knowing that, you can’t help but notice that so many elements of their sound are found here, though admittedly in a sort of primitive state. As someone who likes quite a bit of REM’s stuff, I quite liked what I heard here. Still, the degree it borders on conventional classic rock holds it back from greatness, especially with how much it wears its own influences on its sleeve at times (Positive Vibrations? Really?), but overall, this is an enjoyable album that doesn’t outstay its welcome, and I think there’s certainly an argument to be made regarding its importance on the decade ahead, despite how bad it flopped upon initial release. I liked just about every song here, some more than others (Old Pervert was a little questionable), but I Wanna Destroy You, Insanely Jealous of You, and the title track were my favorites. I even liked the bonus tracks included on Spotify as well, with He’s a Reptile, Strange, and Where are the Prawns being songs that stood out to me as well. While I wouldn’t say I’m walking away in love with this album or The Soft Boys, I will say that this is exactly what I was hoping for with this list - being introduced to lesser-known, but influential artists that I end up liking myself. Good pull, Mr. Dimery - I’m even willing to overlook the fact that one of these guys is responsible for Katrina and The Waves’ Walking on Sunshine.
That's a...long album, huh?
I had never heard of this band and with a band name like “The Soft Boys” combined with the album cover I was expecting something completely different. This has catchy hooks and grooves. Very enjoyable listen, although very long and I strangely can’t say I flagged any songs. It was enjoyable as a house painting background backdrop though. 3.5/5
This was pretty good, and definitely not something I had heard before so I appreciate the inclusion. Ultimately I think it’s something I’ll forget about by next week though
I enjoyed this. An interesting mix of styles and sounds. A lot of it sounded familiar so no not sure if they were good at expressing what influenced them or influenced a lot after them. First song gave me Cheap Trick vibes (mommy’s alright, daddy’s alright). Queen of Eyes was straight up mid-60s boy band (I was getting Byrds vibes). And track 8 was definitely about my brother. But was this really 40 songs and 2.5 hours!?! Admittedly I didn’t make it through all of it, but I think I got the idea. 3.5
This is to music what Frank Sidebottom is to comedy. It’s off the wall and surreal but influential and brilliant in its own right. That being said it doesn’t quite do enough for me.
Even as I could hear the myriad artists this sounds like it influenced, it failed to make an impact on me. Coming off the Kaiser Chiefs listen, I didn't find this as charming or endearing, and I could maybe see this album creeping up on me, but then again, maybe not. It's good to put Robyn Hitchcock in come context, but I ain't no convert.
I liked this album and the Brit punk vibes
Solid rock/pop album with well crafted songs. I'm just not sure it's something I'll return to, other than the track listed below. Liked Songs Added: I've Got The Hots For You
Didn’t finish. Kinda liked it
Hmm… sometimes you feel disgusting
Mais um disco que representa o som da época. É uma banda competente, tem um trabalho de guitarra interessante, alguma referência aos Stones dos anos 60, mas não me diz muita coisa musicalmente. O mais legal do álbum é não ter uma sonoridade definida, tem uma vibe pós-punk, mas também flerta com a psicodelia, mas é isso. Um bom disco e só
40 tracks is way too many and probably impacts the rating. The Soft Boys go hard on the new wave sound. Definitely would listen again but maybe not all at once.
Not the worst. Read about them a bit. Crazy they didn't have success but many bands were influenced from them.
I need to revisit this album and band. There was something here, but I didn't get a chance to dive deeply into it. I'm intrigued!
Pop-like 60s psych rock while punk was taking over the scene. It had some good songs. Not sure I would listen to the whole album again. Especially when Spotify has the 2hr+ version with 100 bonus tracks.
Not for me
Not bad. I can see how it would be influential to the indie and alternative rock scene. Stone Roses, Seahorses, Shed Seven... Some songs were pretty great, others mediocre. Interesting lyrics.
another fun one
Pretty average post punk to me though the title track is really great
Wijs album! Zijn precies wel blijven hangen in hun 60's sound, want dit klinkt niet echt als de jaren 80. Wel veel te lang, wat de algemene kwaliteit van het album naar beneden haalt. Maar bvb Kingdom of Love is een zeer wijs nummer! 2.8
feels like pretty generic 80's rock, sounds kinda like Jefferson Starship and Triumph but softer? Its hard to pin, I feel like their peers are better. Som3 nice instrumentals but nothing really stands out.
Ja jemig, wat moeten we hier nou weer mee. Flauwe jarentachtigpop, er is geen kraak of smaak aan. Alsof een stel punkjongens ineens commercieel zijn gegaan, maar niet goed weten wat ze ermee aanmoeten. Het opvallendste is de hoes.
Dit moet een voorloper van REM voorstellen, maar ik haal dat er totaal niet uit. Ik weet niet goed hoe ik het dan wel moet omschrijven. Er zit in ieder geval tempo in, het heeft een aanwezig baslijntje en de elektrische gitaren galmen als in rockabilly. Het heeft dus wel iets punky's in zich, maar dan iets muzikaler. De zang is ok, soms meerstemmig, maar het stoort gelukkig niet zo als andere Britse punk of 80s zang. Dat we na dit album Onderwater Maneschijn nooit meer van de Zachte Jongens hebben gehoord, is blijkbaar omdat ze er mee gekapt zijn. Dan ben ik wel altijd benieuwd waarom. Was er ruzie in de tent? Nam de drummer teveel drugs? Of nam de bassist juist te vaak een greep uit de bandpot? Wiki weet er net zoveel over te vermelden als ik over dit album verder heb, namelijk niet veel. Ik vind het wel geinig, maar het blijft allemaal niet echt hangen. Gelukkig wel bij REM blijkbaar. En ook the Replacements werden hierdoor geinspireerd en van hen vond ik het album dat we kregen een positieve verrassing. Voor dit album zal ik wel weer op een weinig memorabele 3 uitkomen.
i dont really get it. sorry mom
Remember yesterday when I said I had to strap in for an album that was 1 hr 33 min? Yeah well this one just totally humbled that with a whopping 2 hr 27 min lol. Unfortunately it was actually so long that all the songs kinda started blurring together but I did stick it out and listened to all of it. There were some spooky vibes and some really weird songs (rock n roll toilet like are we kidding). It was cool to learn this band influenced big names like R.E.M. and such. It didn’t stand out to me too much, I’m exhausted now.
Definitely want to hear more by them! So close to being a 4 star album!
I feel like I've had enough new wave albums that I don't really have any interesting insights into this one that I haven't talked about already. But a fun groovy new wave album is still a fun groovy new wave album, so I can't really complain.
Did not age too well, in my opinion. But also decent overall.
Liked this more than I thought I would
Really nice guitar and drums, but questionable song titles, 3/5
3- Stars (7/15)
mid
Pre-listening thoughts: I also know nothing about this group actually!! So many unknowns after a week or so of like really famous artists Post/during listening thoughts: idk why this being a commercial failure is really funny to me. The audio quality is garbage 😭😭😭! Like maybe that’s why! Reminds me a little of that Magazine album but less quirked up. I can tell the music is good underneath all of the crappy audio moments. Need a re-remastered version of this. Also this album isn’t 40 songs! Google the original tracklist before listening! 5.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Positive Vibrations, Queen of Eyes Least fav tracks: I Got the Hots
A solid rock album with 80’s new wave vibes! I’d never heard of this band or album before but I would listen to this one again and recommend it to others!
The half I listened to was good but I will NOT condone this length of album
Summer vibes need a Green Day
This def inspired some of my fav bands, cus I could hear some familiar sounds such as in 'You'll have to go sideways' - bass line felt IDLES-ey, with the arrangement itself reminding me of Kid A by Radiohead. This is just one example I've listed. Interesting stuff.
Not bad but didn’t really hit me. I guess I wasn’t really in the mood for this. NOTE: I only listened to the original tracklist of 10 songs. I skipped all the bonus tracks.
M'eh, not the worst but nothing special
Something pub-y for the background, but all the bonus tracks kept dragging.
Soooo long - Ok - nothing special or bad
3/5. It's kind of catchy while also still being unique in its lyrics and instrumentation. It's psychedelic in a way with some 80s punk involved. I think with additional listens it could grow on me but it doesn't do a lot of me at this time. It was intriguing for sure so I am interested to re-explore. First listen was average though. Best Song: Queen of Eyes, Insanely Jealous, You'll Have To Go Sideways
2.5 stars
I listened to the 10 tracks listed as the original album and kinda enjoyed it. I nearly punched in a 4 here but such is the divide between my 3s and 4s I don't think this quite earned its place there, but I at least came away from this one with some understanding as to how it earned a spot on the list.
Interesting - I'm not a fan of the byrds, but I'm aware of Robyn Hitchcock, and I like how this was put together. Some nice songs, in particular the instrumental "you'll have to go sideways". A few like "Old Pervert" which haven't aged as well. A strong 3 which, considering I was expecting to hate it, is quite good. Be aware on Tidal that you get the reissue with about 30 bonus tracks - only the first 10 are the original album.
Wow that took awhile. This definitely grew on me. I think I would appreciate the album more and the multiple versions of the same song with more listens. This is a nice change of pace from boys that really try to go hard. Really somewhere between a 3 and 4.
I genuinely don't know what I'm supposed to get from this album. It's quirky pop rock that could've been notable had it come out in the 60s, but it seems like pretty cookie cutter neo-psychedelia rock. 3/5 because it was a fine listen.
Was net niet bijzonder genoeg
This is one clear examples of why there was a lot of excitement for music at the dawn of the 80s. Not quite punk or new wave, this album feels like one of the signs pointing to the alternative rock genre. Twangy, fun, and not over produced. A pleasant surprise!
Interesting mix of 60s-ish psychedelia and…punk? I think? Neat, 3.5
Jangly guitars, tight harmonies, and eccentric songwriting create an accessible and adventurous sound across a just alright album.
what's with the ventriloquist dolls?
Another album that has retrospectively decided to be cool. It was ok
At times this album was cool and punky. At other times a pale stand in for The Rolling Stones. I’m not sure there was much here that I’ll be coming back to.
sparkly guitars, garage and raw album sounds exactly like you are in 80. Would always have it in a playlist 3.5
I’ve never heard of The Soft Boys before, but I’ve seen this album cover on the List Challenges website, and I’m really curious as to what this album is like. I tend to love the eighties when it comes to music, so I have high hopes for this. Let’s jump in! I thought this album was pretty good. It was a really unique slice of new wave, blended with some energetic rhythms and punk rock social commentary. The guitar playing was good, especially on the up-tempo songs like “I Wanna Destroy You,” “Tonight,” and “Positive Vibrations.” There was some really solid bass playing later on in the album too, from “Insanely Jealous” through “You’ll Have to Go Sideways.” I found the vocals to be pretty solid throughout the album, and the violin playing on the title track was really good too. As much as I enjoyed some of the guitar playing, some of the slower and more rhythmically driven songs bored me a bit. Even with some good guitar playing, there weren’t that many memorable hooks or melodies; the songs were enjoyable in the moment, but I don’t think this album is going to stick with me. This was a fun listen, and I can see how it influenced other bands, but I don’t think it’s something I’d go back to.
2.5 - I started hopeful, but I dunno just really fell flat for me
No strong feelings. I think I liked a lot of the bonus tracks more than the album itself. 3/5
Genuinely quite enjoyable. Far too long.
Okay.
Albumi #173, 12.03.2025 The Soft Boysin toinen albumi julkaistiin vuonna 1980. Ihan jees meininkistä powerpopin tai janglepopin tapaista jytkytystä. Kolme ja puoli tähteä.
ok
Trying to look past the shear length is difficult, sounds like Bob Dylan at points, eastern accent is very obvious which I like, gives a uniqueness to the voice although not a fan of the production - to airy and dry.
Uuuurgh aloolaa chocatatata turluturu
Die Texte waren fragwürdig. Aber die Musik war schon ziemlich eingängig.
It was fine but nothing grabbed me too much
Needs to fully commit to the weird
Fuck Old Pervert
fun but forgettable!
Worth another listen, not bad.
Nothing really stood out. Was fine.
I was 18 in 1980 and bought 'Sounds' (a music paper) every week, yet I've not heard of them or this album. Maybe it's the naff name? (certainly not up there with Joy Division or Echo and the Bunnymen) or the unmemorable tunes ( after 3 listens yesterday, I can't remember one track this morning). Still at least I gave it 3 listens so it can't have been that bad.
Can't believe i never heard of these guys. Totally see where Supergrass and Stone Roses got their inspiration from
Was relieved when Tim said it was only the ten songs. I liked this and have never heard of them or their songs. I am not confident in my musical knowledge but it sounds a bit velvet underground, beach boys perhaps a bit Ian Dury in the speaky bits. I enjoyed 'I got the hots for you' maybe the lyrics are a bit dated but whatever. Surprised to see that this is 1980, I'd of put it earlier.
Certainly a band I have never heard of before, I rather surprisingly liked it, which made me explore a little more and can really understand the influence they had on bands such as REM & the Stone Roses. It kind of links the 60's decade with the 90s decade (despite coming from the 80's decade!) when it comes to that psychedelic kind of Rock genre. Has this album taking me by surprise? Yes. Would I listen to it again? Yes. After a few more listens would I mark it higher than 3? Probably (& that's the beauty of this one album a day game, every day's a school day) ps. the album cover makes me smile.
Meh
gerði ekki mikið fyrir mig. en er ánægður almennt með stefnuna og tímabilið. gef 3,5 svo ég hlusti aftur.
Mediocre
That was a LOT of music. No complaints, in fact I think I'd have loved it had I discovered it in the 80's. Seems dated now, but very representative of the day.
i wish this were better. i liked the lyrics/themes A LOT but i wasn’t particularly enamored of the sound itself. too bad…
It was just OK, there are better albums of that genre 15 years before
Not terrible, just dull
Was better than expected, felt more 90s than 80s.
In my opinion it's boring
Some fun stuff here, from a group I'd never heard of before.
I liked the sort of soft punk sound, and some of the lyrics were cute and clever. All the bonus tracks were a bit much; the songs all sounded the same after the 11th or 12th
Pretty good, actually. I would listen again.
I’ve been thinking more and more about the actual title of this “albums to hear before you die” and I think it’s shaping my opinion more and more. I find I have less patience for what I think is mediocre. Did I need to hear this album? Not really. +1 for I got the hots
It was alright for a band I’ve never heard of before. I can see how they were considered rock underground. Definitely not a commercial sound but still overall listenable.
Lovely lost album. I know Robyn Hitchcock from his solo work - it’s fun to find this album. It’s even more fun to hear how this impacted on all 80s and 90s indie music.
Not bad - weird at times - but alright background music again especially for tv shows like How I Met Your Mother ahaha i don't know what I'm saying
This album was a fun one. I definitely get some jam-band psychedelic rock type, combined with a pop/punk vibe as well. Odd and unusual - but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Cool influences, but all sort of blended together due to length of album
This is fine. I don't see the significance of this album, though. Overall average and forgettable.
Hab den Wiki Artikel gelesen beim Hören, und jo.....definitiv die Vorläufer von REM und so, aber irgendwie fand ichs trotzdem nicht schön. Wahrscheinlich deswegen auch REM so erfolgreich, haben dieser Art von Musik den Feinschliff verpasst. So fand ich dieses Album dieser Band eher Medium - 3 Sterne
Ganz nett anzuhören.
Medium
Not bad, but it didn't make a tremendous impression on me.
Left only the softest of marks
Another basic Andy 🤷
This was fine. I see how they influenced The Pixies and others. It was fine.
Really fun listen! Can’t say it does enough for me to love it though.
# Playlist track - Underwater Moonlight # Notes - Is that really a 40 song, 2 and a half hour album? No way dude. - This is a fun listen. The energy is there, cool guitars and all. But that's WAY too much. - "You'll have to go sideways" is just a boring solo. - Stopping the listen around track 13 or so. This just isn't good enough to justify 3 hours with it.
2.5 stars. As a precursor to modern alternative rock it's decent, especially the first half of the record. But it drags on gets old, too long. Standouts are "I Wanna Destroy You" and "Insanely Jealous of You".
There are so many of these post-punk bands that sound so similar that I really just can’t get into them. If you love this genre, you should feel like a pig in shit because this was such a massive scene in the early 80s. Look at this as a bridge from The Velvet Underground to R.E.M. 3.2/5
For the benefit of everyone else - the original album is just the first 10 tracks on Spotify ('I wanna destroy you' to 'underwater moonlight'). That's a much more manageable listen, and keeps them at a 3 for me. If I had to actually listen to this for 2.5 hours, the rating would be much, much worse. 3/5
Meh
Really nice bit of jangly post punk. The sound is pretty ahead of its time too. Let down a bit by songwriting.
Definitely progressive, sounds very 90s but just thought it was all fairly mid
Норм. Лучшая песня - I Wanna Destroy You.
Ahead of its time, some good tracks. Between a 3 and a 4
All I can say is that it is … interesting.
чисто нормис софт рокешник. в моей системе координат троечка - это ок нормик
Never heard of the soft boys and it seems they weren't about for long. Immediately identifiable as English rock. I thought it was fine but nothing amazing. Seems a lot of later acts cite them as inspiration, which is perhaps why I don't find it so interesting. Maybe it was at the time. Thought some of the bonus tracks were the best...... Had to listen to this in 2 seasons. 2 and a half hours is too much! And 4 versions of a song about a pervert is too much too! I actually think there's bits here that were pretty good, but it's too long..... I suppose the original album wasn't that long but the one I listened to was and for that reason it's the 3 side of 3.5
I liked and enjoyed it but it didn't rise to the level of something I would seek out. If I were present and someone threw it on I'd be content to listen again. Very OK.
It's almost really good. I can hear future bands taking this kinda sound and making it much better, but these people just didn't quite get there.
This was ok. Kinda forgettable but also kinda unique. 3.2
I liked Positive Vibrations and Strange.
5/10 - it went from normal rock to boring rock. One of the songs had cool instrumentation. They were soft I have to say.
It was aight
Fun, funky early 80's sound. Worth another listen and probably some other albums as well. It has sounds from late 60s and 70s rock but also a very 80s sounds plus bits and pieces that have influenced 2010s indie rock sounds. Very versatile.
Liked the songs but nothing stood out to me. Also…twice as many bonus tracks as “real” ones feels a bit much.
The first track on this album is a 5 (I Wanna Destroy You). I do think this band was probably the first of its kind to inspire music like Nada Surf / any kind of college indie - was a cool listen as I didn’t know these guys existed.
did NOT make it through this whole thing! good vibes though
Not bad but just made me want to listen to a better band the whole time. Kind of like a bridge between the Stones and New Wave stuff
I like it. I've never listened before but I'll probably come back
More psychedelic rock. How much is there on this list? Fast paced, catchy, all sounded the same though. And then I saw it was 40 songs long.... might not listen to the bonus ones. It was decent. Got quite strange towards the end. Highlights: I Wanna Destroy You Positive Vibrations
Spotify wil me hier 2 uur en 27 minuten mee vermaken door 30 bonustracks toe te voegen. Ik beperk me lekker de originele 36 minuten. Op de Wikipedia word je met gekke genrebenamingen om de oren geslagen, maar desondanks is het een wat saai album. Het is een beetje Beach Boys, Monkees met een klein randje punk maar net niet, en iets wat R.E.M. later beter zal doen. Vergeetbare 3.
Strong first half, weak second half.
You’ll Have to Go Sideways when you listen to this. It does give out some Positive Vibrations though.
I will be skipping the bonus tracks sorry soft boys. I think this is okay. Just all kinda sounds the same. But not bad!
It's so cool listening to music Pitchfork would've given an 8.2 in 1980.
I thought I'd like this more, but it was just alright. 2.5 stars.
Not terrible, but not great either. I knew the first track from somewhere, but that was it.
Pretty enjoyable album although nothing really stood out that much.
Mediocre at best. Some songs better than others, but nothing I'd rush to get back to.
Remember Robyn Hitchkock from the 80's but had never listened to this group. Interesting!
This was a grower, not a show'er. Tracks i enjoyed - wanna destroy you, kingdom of love and jealous of you. Overall a decent listen but took a few goes if im honest. Thats not a bad thing though. The OG album is actually pretty short at 35 mins or so. I might come back to this at some point. Dont think it should be on the list though.
I’m pretty split on this album. On one hand, it’s an incredibly influential record that blends post-punk with neo-psychedelia and jangle pop. The Soft Boys were clearly inspired by 60s psychedelic and folk music, with The Byrds being a major influence. But what’s impressive is that The Soft Boys went on to influence the 80s indie and alternative scene, especially with their jangly guitar work. R.E.M. and The Smiths have both pointed to this album as a key influence on their sound. So, while I appreciate a lot of what this album has to offer, some elements just feel a bit off-kilter to me. I really wish I enjoyed it more, but overall, I’d give it a slightly better-than-average 3.5.
didn't hate it, didn't love it.
I don't hate it, could stand to listen to it again. The bonus track thing... Really detracts from it so - 1 for a 2hr album
Alternative Rock with 60s vibe, surf / beach boys inspiration. Neat, not what I expected for the early 80s
They probably had a place in the post-punk, Brit-noise era. Fun I guess, but like many 80’s British bands, they just don’t age well.
This was an unexpected treat, an 80s album I hadn’t heard before that was actually quite fun. Even when I didn’t love the music, the lyrics were usually quite funny, even/especially when they don’t make any sense.
Pretty solid but nothing groundbreaking
Decent. Two and a half hours is a tough sell.
holy shit, how does this record have 30 bonus tracks?! I didn't love this album but it wasn't terrible to listen to. Felt like they took great inspiration from the Beatles, 70s art rock, and punk and kind of mixed it all up.
I knew some of Robyn Hitchcock’s solo work and of course Katrina and the Waves, but had no idea that they both originated in the Soft Boys. Another reviewer described this as: “What if The Byrds were a punk rock band?” which is the perfect description, so I’m stealing it. A fun listen, and you can hear the influences on jangle pop / 1980s indie rock. Songs I liked: I Wanna Destroy You, Tonight, Queen of Eyes, Underwater Moonlight, I Wanna, Er, Over You. 3⭐️
Bonus track (Bonus track)
This was an interesting listen, hints of T-Rex and the Beach Boys at times. Then the odd irritating song mixed in. Enjoyable and listenable overall but fairly mid
Plenty of nods to the Beatles, Kinks, the Byrds and lots of other 60s rock and psychedelic rock bands, but with better production and fused with new wave and post punk sounds of the early 80s. Don’t know if it’s the underrated classic it’s made out to be, but I certainly didn’t mind it.
This is a 3 in my opinion but very close to a 4, my just be my setup but the production was not that great. However for the time (1980) this album doesn't sound similar to anything else I could think of I know around the time. It sounds exactly like early 90s British underground indie Which is saying alot coming out of 1980. Highlight tracks were I wanna destroy you. Positive Vibrations Tonight Underwater moonlight. I listened to the original 10 track but I may come listen to the 40 track reissue in future. Overall solid but not to my taste. May listen again.
This one is interesting, listened to the first half and it annoyed me after a while... one day after, I listened to the second half without knowing it (I though the next record on the list was playing, but spotify tricked me)... I like the second half more, but it is still just ok... Lately, a lot of records I got were just ok, either I am in Stan-mode or this is just some rough patch... anyhow, this one is ok, nothing special, so 3 stars.
A quite enjoyable record , but the length was too much . Almost 30 bonus tracks when the same can be accomplished by a separate deluxe version is absolutely ludicrous . A couple bonus tracks could even be considered decent were it not for the sheer volume and length. If the 10 original tracks were the only present , I could see myself giving this record even a 5.
Too long. Music is fine but too long an album not a group worthy of 2+ hours
Decent album. Like their sound. It's just too damn long. Songs started to sound the same and I got bored.
White bread music. Completely inoffensive listening-wise.
Why is this 2 1/2 hours long
Terrible band name, pretty ok album cover and some decent jangly snotty rock tunes here. 3 stars
I can hear the influences while also hearing what this could have influenced on quite a few tracks , like Tom Petty on Kingdom of Love, Rolling Stones on Alien, and Franz Ferdinand on Insanely Jealous and Leave Me Alone. Unrelated to reviewing this album, this is an example of how I wish Spotify and other streaming services would split out re-issues. What shows up there now isn't the original release and is some sort of combination of the original album plus the two re-issues of it. 3 stars.
Pretty good.
What... was this?!? Kinda digging it.
Soft boys Feels like rock n roll. Love the first 3 songs Old pervert has a cool instrumental but the melody and lyrics don’t fit. Didn’t listen to all the bonus songs.
I don’t like the vibe but the lyrics are really really funny
It was good. Not great. I liked the quirkiness of the lyrics, the music was okay. It's a promising record but not one I'm going to come back to much.
The funny thing about this album is that if you told me it came out in 1967 I wouldn't have any reason not to believe it. It sounds a lot like any of the Brit pop from the 60s with maybe a little bit of new wave starting to creep in here and there. I only listened to the original 10 songs, the 30 bonus tracks on Spotify seemed a little excessive (was there ever really a demand for those?). I was ready to move on after those first ten. This is one of the albums that isn't bad but I found myself thinking "surely there was another album that could have been included instead of this one?" 2.5/5 rounded up for the hilariously weird and bad album cover.
Can see the REM, etc influence. Pretty catchy, the lyrical absurdity feels a little much, I think Robyn learned to tone it down later as a solo act. Still sounds like it could just as easily have been released last year as 1980. My favorite song was wey wey ep eh hole or whatever, which shows up on spotify despite not being on many editions of the album, so it stays 3.
The Soft Boys have a if The Beatles or Beach Boys were post-punk vibe. It was pretty unexpected. Underwater Moonlight is mostly very good. Tonight is the highlight for me. At times they good off on tangents a bit too much 7.5/10
Pretty sure that I’ve heard this on more than one occasion, it’s not good, but it’s good.
Classic Girls girls girls is not great Beats are cool
I'd never heard of The Soft Boys. I like the music - not timeless music, but I would include on my playlist. I was immediately reminded of The Replacements.
Good band name tbh
Certaines pièces sont entraînantes, mais dans l’ensemble, plutôt oubliable pour moi
Ok to listen to once
hasssunhuska albumi jonka kaltaista en ole koskaan kuullut, erittäin ainutlaatuinen kokemus todellakin... أَبَانَا الذِي فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ، لِيَتَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ لِيَأْتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ لِتَكُنْ مَشِيئَتُكَ فِي الأَرْضِ كَمَا السَّمَاءِ اعْطِنَا خُبْزَنَا اليَوْمِيَّ اعْفِنَا فِي مِمَّا عَلَيْنَا فَقَدْ أَعْفَيْنَا نَحْنُ أيَضاً مَنْ لَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ تُدْخِلْنَا فِي تَجْرِبَةٍ لَكِنْ نَجِّنَا مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ لأَنَّ لَكَ الْمُلْكَ وَالْقُوَّةَ وَالْمَجْدَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ آمِينبَانَا الذِي فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ، لِيَتَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ لِيَأْتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ لِتَكُنْ مَشِيئَتُكَ فِي الأَرْضِ كَمَا السَّمَاءِ اعْطِنَا خُبْزَنَا اليَوْمِيَّ اعْفِنَا فِي مِمَّا عَلَيْنَا فَقَدْ أَعْفَيْنَا نَحْنُ أيَضاً مَنْ لَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ تُدْخِلْنَا فِي تَجْرِبَةٍ لَكِنْ نَجِّنَا مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ لأَنَّ لَكَ الْمُلْكَ وَالْقُوَّةَ وَالْمَجْدَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ آمِينبَانَا الذِي فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ، لِيَتَقَدَّسَ اسْمُكَ لِيَأْتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ لِتَكُنْ مَشِيئَتُكَ فِي الأَرْضِ كَمَا السَّمَاءِ اعْطِنَا خُبْزَنَا اليَوْمِيَّ اعْفِنَا فِي مِمَّا عَلَيْنَا فَقَدْ أَعْفَيْنَا نَحْنُ أيَضاً مَنْ لَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ تُدْخِلْنَا فِي تَجْرِبَةٍ لَكِنْ نَجِّنَا مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ لأَنَّ لَكَ الْمُلْكَ وَالْقُوَّةَ وَالْمَجْدَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ آمِين you'll have to go sideways
I had no idea “I Wanna Destroy You” wasn’t originally an Uncle Tupelo song. I like a lot of the songs. I can hear REM in this, who I love. This was missing something for me though.
Too many songs
Post-punk. Me sonaba Underwater Moonlight. Me gusta Song #4.
I could see how this band influenced others. Definitely could hear they are a British band. Sound quality felt off but that may have been part of their sound
This is clearly a transitional album. So it has importance as an album pointing the way from where things were to where they were going; from punk to a new 80s guitar pop/rock. Most people mention REM which you can hear in some of the songs. You can also hear the punk style but less angry and more jangly. You can also hear older 60s style jangly rock that many compare to The Byrds. Finally, the psychedelic thing I find harder to get. I guess theres the heavy psychedelia like White rabbit, and the light like Syd Barret which I find less listenable. This is the latter, at times. Its all interesting, listenable and important enough for me to like it.
Much more immediately engaging than I expected, with driving bouncy bass and sing a long choruses. Very melodic guitar work and there's what sounds like a sitar at one point. Captures some of the 60s rock sound but with a sharper edge to it. Insanely Jealous of You is less neo-psychedelia and more post-punk, to me, but it works. There's some misses (Old Pervert) but this is solid. Favourites: Kingdom of Love, Tonight, Underwater Moonlight.
Favorite Song: I Wanna Destroy You
It was above average. Nothing exceptional but I certainly didn't dislike it
I liked the album. I did not make it all the way through. 40 songs, 2.5 hours long? That's simply too long for an album. I liked it a 4, but since I couldn't make it through the whole thing I am deducting them for that. I'm sorry but come on. Not even their own mothers listened to the whole album probably.
The bass on Insanely Jealous of You is fun. Decent album
Reminded me of James. Nice A bit rocky in places They aint no Pink Floyd, if you are after Psychadelic rock
I listened to the main 10 tracks a couple of times (but not to the ~30 bonus tracks). The sound is fine. Some parts remind me of Pixies. The reviews keep saying how they influenced REI, and...I guess? I don't know, the album is OK.
Cool album.
Didn’t really stand out to me, but not bad
Psychedelic jangle pop / punk
I don’t know how I felt about this album. Whilst trying to quantify a rating, I’ve ranged from two stars all the way up to four stars. Maybe I need another listen to solidify my thoughts, but my reviews are basically all off the cuff reactions, so I’ll put three stars and be done with it.
Good
3.3
Starts off well with “I Wanna Destroy You”. I was thinking “cool I found a new band I like”. Sadly didn’t maintain the level. “Old Pervert” is painful to listen to, and not because of the subject matter it’s just unpleasant musically. Luckily followed by Queen of Eyes which is a nice little jaunt. Overall a very mixed bag.
Pls stop with these 2hr plus albums
Opens with "I Wanna Destroy You" that sounds like it's a cross between The Byrds and Cheap Trick and not a million miles away from Gigolo Aunts, and all I could think of was how good it would be for an odd throuple 2 camera BBC Two 90s sitcom starring two hideous guys and a blonde bombshell. It would run for 3 series, so around 18 episodes, and then a christmas special reunion episode years later when one of the guys has a huge tax bill to pay after his bid to transition to America failed spectacularly... But I digress.
3.5
Had a couple good tracks, but it got lost by the sheer length of the album.
Was somewhat enjoyable, but a very long album and dragged things out far, far too long
Not impressed. Not offended. Generic, yet listenable. 3/5
Decent
Yeah, kinda dig this. Kinda Beatles meets sex pistols meets stones, meets Outfield. Every song kind of reminded me of another song that I couldn't quite put my finger on. And every song seemed like it was in a slightly different genre but never falling too far from the tree.
Undertones of Cheap Trick (and on one song the Byrds), and in general fairly enjoyable.
The new beatless, no beat nevertheless
That was pretty good, actually. Not great by any means but still pretty good. The main issue is that REM did it better and they're already on the list like 4 times. This doesn't need to be here.
Underwater Moonlight by The Soft Boys is often cited as a highly influential album that has left its mark on bands like REM, The Replacements, and The Pixies. However, upon my initial listen, I found myself underwhelmed. While I can appreciate its significance in shaping the alternative music scene, the album felt overly long and somewhat disjointed. The songs lacked a cohesive flow, making it difficult for me to fully engage with the music. Despite its reputation, I couldn't help but feel that it failed to live up to the hype. That said, I acknowledge that albums of this nature often require multiple listens to fully appreciate their depth and complexity. It's possible that with more time and attention, I may come to discover hidden gems within its tracks. Overall, Underwater Moonlight left me feeling indifferent, but I'm willing to give it another chance in the hopes of uncovering its true brilliance. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 1 STAND OUT TRACK - I Wanna Destroy You
A bit dated new-wave sound, but quite ok.
I like the driving beats and music behind the singing. the singing is quite atrocious though.
Power pop with teeth and lots of psychedelics. Will revisit for sure.
If bands were people themselves, and not just made up of people, then this band would be a child of the Clash and the Kinks, who spent a lot of time growing up listening to the Pixies, Violent Femmes and the Velvet Underground. That doesn’t mean I like this band as much as all those others. But I do respect their influences.
A few double takes with the lyrics and subject matter on this one. I was entertained and appreciated listening, but I can't see myself going back to listen more. Can definitely hear what influenced them (hello Velvet Underground for one; Insanely Jealous of You) and I can understand what people said about it coming out at the wrong time.
It was pretty decent. I can actually see what they're talking about regarding this band's influence on later bands. They seem like they would have fit better into the late 60's than early 80's.
Couple good songs. Otherwise okay
Didn’t make all the way through this marathon album but it was perfectly fine music. Interesting blend of surf rock and British 60s/70s rock, every aong was enjoyable without being overwhelmingly great
Over all not bad. I can see how it w as before it's time coming from the 80s; this sounds late 90s early 00s if I had to guess. Though it is well produced its not particularly my favorite genre. I might listen again, 3/5
Was very nice, considering I was stuck in Austin rush hour. Made it pass decently
Interesting instrumentals and at times beautiful atmospheres. But some corny tunes and the «too cool to be sincere» attitude in the vocals put me off.
Straight Punkrock.
solid 3.5/5
Just ok
This album is... long. Almost two and a half hours. I don't think I was mentally prepared for it. There's a lot of very solid stuff on there, but it outstayed its welcome. Side note: The track 'Old Pervert' was eerily similar to the outro music in Trigun.
Not bad, I like psych rock but I'm not sure I would keep listening to this on my own.
Interesting.
The music is good in some parts and just OK in others, but there's little doubt that Robyn Hitchcock writes the daftest/funniest lyrics in rock, viz: 'All aboard Brenda's iron sledge - please don't call me Reg, it's not my name" Where are all the prawns? Good question, Robyn.
Enjoyed the first few songs, no memory of the back half
Meh x5
Honestly, I have nothing to say about this album. It was neither good or bad. Nothing caught my attention and soon after I finished I forgot everything about it. I guess that's the definition of 3/5.
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I thought I would after reading the summary. It was enjoyable enough, but never grabbed me after the first track.
I mean it’s alright. A lot of the songs are forgettable and none of them really want me to listen to the album again. They all make good background music for talking with people.
I kinda liked this.
Ok
Sounds like 80s college rock station staple
Mulla oli tästä paljon ajatuksia eilen, mutta muistiinpanot katosi. Tulos: ei enää ajatuksia. Hyvin kasarisoundi, mutta vielä ilman metallista äänimaailmaa, ja maanläheisempi ääni sopii tähän hyvin. Pätevää poprockia, aika hauska.
Better than I was expecting. Too bad these guys didn’t make it very far. 7/10 Top 3: 1. I Wanna Destroy You 2. Queen of Eyes 3. Kingdom of Love
Not too bad! It had its ups and downs, but in general it held up quite ok. I think my favourite song of the album is 'I Got the Hots', which was pretty cool. Not many strong opinions either for or against, will have to be a 3 star.
Never heard of "The Soft Boys", from the band name and album art alone I would've thought it was a modern band so was surprised it was from 1980. It felt punky and fresh. I enjoyed the mix of rock, synth and punk. Made me think of "Viagra Boys" but they are 30+ years "Soft Boys" junior. It was fun and you never really knew where the songs would go. A strong 3.
Fun and easy listen, although mostly unremarkable tracks. Seems to me to be a pioneer of a sound that I have now heard to exhaustion. Likely would have appreciated it more earlier in my exploration of music.
De souvenir, ces gars-là étaient excessivement doux. À raison.
Quelle douceur de la part de ces jeunes garçon, on en créverait d'envie de leur remetrte l'étiquette en place.
you know what really stinks? listening to albums and you legit have nothing noteworthy to say about it. it's got a real original vibe i would say, like if the beatles were new wave. basically. but i really couldn't give you any... thoughts about this album at all, it just exists. it's just there. that album art is real interesting though.
Never heard of this band before. Pretty solid stuff.
a lot of cool instrumentation thoroughly rampant on this, though all it does is disguise the mostly forgettable music in something seemingly more interesting. vibed with it for as long as i listened to it, and it all but evaporated from my memory the second the music ended.
Never heard of the SB but really like them! Remind me in beat, guitar licks, lyrics, and attitude to the Clash which is a big compliment. 3
nice vibey music
01) I Wanna Destroy You - 8,0 02) Kingdom of Love - 8,0 03) Positive Vibrations - 7,5 04) I Got The Hots - 7,0 05) Insanely Jealous - 8,0 06) Tonight - 7,5 07) You'll Have To Go Sideways - 6,0 08) Old Pervert - 6,5 09) Queen of Eyes - 7,0 10) Underwater Moonlight - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,30 (73/100) Never heard of the band. 60s meet punk rock. Weird, but kinda good weird. I think.
This album simultaneously sounds like its from the 60s and the early 80s all at the same time. Hippie rock with some truly silly lyrics and catchy hooks. Fun all the way through. Also, not many people know this, but Robyn Hitchcock was a founding member of the Beetles. To this day he remains their most famous member.
Cool surfy, jangly new wave. Sounds ahead of its time to me. Not necessarily production-wise, but certainly sound-wise. Great guitar parts, and stylized vocals.
Not my vibe but I get why it is included
This was alright. I liked the bonus track “Vegetable Man” more than I liked the other songs.
Ya know what? I liked it. lol
J'en ai liké une
This wasn’t so great for me. I guess it sounded okay, but it was also pretty boring for me.
опять весь день слушала и ничего не запомнила. на ночь послушала и подумала ой что это, откуда это у меня в плеере. такие панковатые вроде. психодела особенно не услыхала
Post-punk. Me sonaba Underwater Moonlight. Me gusta Song #4.
I'm not going to listen to all of the bonus tracks, but the few I did listen to almost sounded better than the original album. Didn't leave much of an impression
good energy. Not very original.
Never heard any of this, not terrible vibes but probably not re-listening. Sooooo long
Due tue time issues i didn'nt listen to the bonus tracks. Hower, solid songs, but i wouldn't listen again to this songs. Favorites: Queen of Eyes Tonight 3.1
Rating: ** 3+ ** Notes: Actually i really liked the music and will definetly listen to some Songs of the Soft Boys angain, but bruv... 2 1/2 i just felt scammend.. way tooo long... no one should release such a long album... would have been 4+ starts if they made the album between 45 and 70 minutes.. Songs which stood out in no particular order (credits to Uncle Gue for the idea): "tbh there was not really a bod song, but no one stood out.. " ------------------------------------------------------------- Rating Scale: 1- very bad 2- bad 3- neutral 4-good 5-very good additonaly -/+ sign if necessary
Tbh I don’t like listening to a full album especially when it’s a long album. But I like the combination in the album of psychedelic rock and alternative rock. Never heard the band before! Personal top3 in no order: Kingdom of Love I Got the Hots He‘s a Reptile
Am Heimweg von der Uni wollte ich das Album anhören, wurde jedoch durch technische Störungen meiner Streaming-App teilweise daran gehindert. Das Album kann zwar nichts dafür, aber zu meiner Stimmung hat es nicht positiv beigetragen. Schlussendlich bekam das Album - besser gesagt die Streaming-App - eine zweite Chance. Für die Bonus-Tracks blieb jedoch nicht genügend Zeit. Hierzu möchte ich nur "Vegetable Man", ein Cover eines frühen Songs von Pink Floyd hervorheben. Am besten gefiel mir der Song "Positive Vibrations". Insgesamt ist das Album mittelmäßig bis gut. 5.2/10
Some pretty amazing psych pop songs on here. It's easy to hear the influence this album must of had on underground music. I think the production is the most lacking element, due to the age and budget. Would love to hear a new mix of this. May bump the score with more listens
3.55. "music that incorporated the indelible harmonies of the Byrds and the surrealism of Syd Barrett"
Yeah, this was a lot. Meh.
Pretty good, except way too long.
Sometimes maybe good sometimes maybe shit
nice timeless sound
“Positive vibrations” 10/10
Weird mix
A mixed bag - some songs I really liked (my favorite was the instrumental "You Have To Go Sideways" ), but others that sounded quote dated; even more dated than the 1980 release date would suggest (Queen Of Eyes, for example).
i wanna destroy you 5.5 kingdom of love 5.7 positive vibrations 5.9 i got the hots 6 insanely jealous 5.1 tonight 6.4 you'll have to go sideways 6 old pervert 4.7 queen of eyes 6.2 underwater moonlight 6.1 consistently mid, i'm glad it wasn't longer than it was. 3 stars.
Listened Before? N Holy heck... I WISH the lyrical themes weren't so childish. This album is musically awesome! Elements of punk, rock and roll, hard rock, and new wave/synth all mixed together in one complimentary record. If these dudes would've taken themselves a bit more seriously I would have loved this record. As it is, I can tolerate the lyrics to get to the music. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Underwater Moonlight
Not bad
I wanna destroy you in cracking and I will relisten. The rest of the album was also pretty good. But I likely won’t relisten.
One of the better examples of post punk so far. I can't see myself going back but I enjoyed it
It was fine, fairly generic imo
3.5
Shat my pants when I saw that the Spotify version was over 2 hours long, but thankfully the real album is only 30 minutes, so I just listened to the canon first 10 songs as I usually do. I can definitely hear the influence this had on The Stone Roses and the Pixies, but it's pretty dated today. No song stood out to me that much, but none of them were bad either. A pretty middle of the road album. 3/5
What a moment in time frozen on a record. Well different to most other things
Shades of the Sunnyboys, Midnight Oil, other early-80s Aus Rock acts. Has its moments.
Soft
Good
*Only listened to the original 10 tracks* Very strong opening track, the rest of the album is just fine. 3.5/5
I really hate it when reissues add another albums or 2 worth of tracks and give the album the same damn title. Streaming services need a 'play only the original tracks' option (which, yeah, I would turn off for some deluxe versions, ha). Anyway, gonna have to listen to this again as I've always dug I Wanna Destroy You.