Underwater Moonlight

Really fun. It sounds almost like if the Beatles started off as a psychedelic band with the way they harmonize. Such a unique blend of new wave and 60s psych. Rating: 3.8

The Soft Boys sound like Sgt. Pepper era Beatles mixed with REM. The highs are high, but the lows are low too. There's a lot of psychadelic exploration going on on this album. Also, 40 songs is way too much for an album. By the end of the almost 2.5hr runtime I had really lost focus and was just wishing for it to be over. Favourite songs: Wey Wey Hep Uh Hole, Positive Vibrations, I Wanna Destroy You, Queen of Eyes, There's Nobody Like You Least favourite songs: Insanely Jealous of You, Old Pervert, He's a Reptile, Vegetable Man, Strange, Like a Real Smoothie, She Wears My Hair, Leave Me Alone 2/5

Proto-College Rock vibes. I think it's interesting to hear that psych-thread being pulled through some other musical context. In this case, it's within the swell of what would become new wave.

“Positive vibrations” 10/10

Listened to the deluxe pack with all the extras. Some good clean playing

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).

The Pitchfork commentary about this album mentioned on the Wikipedia page is perfect. They were ahead of their time, and I'm sorry to listen to this album more than 40 years after its release. If someone presents this album to me without revealing that it was released in the 80s, I think I (or probably anyone who doesn't know it) will guess it was a modern album.

Neither heard of them nor this album, which seems strange. Loved it. Absolute melting pot of styles and songs. well played

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.

Ok

Post punk power pop. Full of melody, intriguing lyrics, obviously influential, and very catchy. An unexpected gem. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Positive Vibrations Date listened: 15/10/23

Damn Mike Stipe you ain't slick. 8/10 Fave track: Kingdom of Love

I don't like it

Nice.

Weird, kinda fun but not memorable

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

Soo many bonus tracks. A lot of really good stuff though.

Never heard of this or The Soft Boys but enjoyed it. Lyrics were a bit strange but melodic and interesting. Will listen again

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

I only listened to the original 10 track release. Didn't want to sit through the 2.5hr Spotify version. Thought it was fine

way too long of an album, I’m sad that you can’t seem to enjoy psychedelic albums without also being off your tits Some of these songs are plain bad, if they reduced it to like 30 minutes I could see this being ok, but I wouldn’t ever recommend this album

Music was fine, album was an hour and a half too long

It was fine, fairly generic imo

Fine but too long

This is a really great album. The Soft Boys were another blindspot for me. I had definitely heard of them and recognized this album cover but for whatever reason had just never taken the time to listen. This really falls into my musical tastes. I found myself listening to the album a number of times throughout the day. There's not really a song I don't like on it, just ones that didn't stand out as much for me. I will definitely be checking out their other album this week as well. Very solid music. Standout Tracks: I Wanna Destroy You, Kingdom of Love, Positive Vibrations, Insanely Jealous, Tonight, Queen of Eyes, Underwater Moonlight

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

Jangly guitar rock, recalling a rockier Kinks. Some is quite quirky. The title song is particularly enjoyable. I like it (the original 10 tracks) and what’s more is that they come from, and even recorded some of the album, here in Cambridge.

Can see why it was influential. Can also see why no-one listens to it now.

Hit me like a breath of fresh air. A tall glass of iced tea. A refreshing frolic of an album. Two thumbs up.

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

Nobody wants two hours of bonus songs. That's like 2 extra albums at least

Vet ikke ble opptatt med skole men spotify radioen er ganske bra så rater fra den😎

2.4/5

So the release I listened to had 10 tracks and 30 bonus tracks which was a bit of a slog to get through after 20ish or so tracks. But I still really enjoyed it an just listened the 10 tracks for my second listen. Fave Track: Positive Vibrations. I Got the Hots is funny, so is Old Pervert. Underwater Moonlight is growing on me too.

Have had a soft spot for this album for a while now. Really enjoy the fusion of post-punk and psychedelia, and love the lyrics, though I can imagine the voice they're delivered in is pretty divisive. Fave track - "I Wanna Destroy You" has been a personal fave for a while now, but on this listen "Insanely Jealous" stole the limelight. Such great lines! The night is black and thick I wander past your window And I catch a cigarette thrown from a jewel encrusted hand It comes on pretty quick Exactly like a crocodille In search of a mirage across the undulating sand

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.

10/10 fucking iconic and underrated as hell

I liked this pretty well. Never heard of them.

Decent enough pop rock records, like a precursor to BritPop Indie.

It was... Long. Two and a half hours is a lot of record.

Weird but at times good

This is a long listen and so far, not hearing anything out of the ordinary. Very jingly, jangly.

Interesante

Decent album, wore on a bit towards the end.

I mean, whatever, man.

Great surprise! Never heard of this band before, but that's the fun of this list!

The soft boys aren't that soft, pretty Enjoyable album! 3.5/5

Nothing special, nothing bad

Surprisingly interesting! high 3.

a lackluster album, but truly not the worst i've heard. i could hear some of the influence that the replacements took from the soft boys' underwater moonlight. the replacements are more solidly punk, whereas the soft boys were a kind of light punk. on a weird note, i couldn't determine if "positive vibrations" was a take off from the beach boys' "good vibrations". the inclusion of the sitar made me think that. though a sitar is not present on "good vibrations," it does contain a lot of unusual experimental sounds.

This was a fairly unique listen in so much as that it really seemed to live somewhere between the new wave of the 80s and psychedelia of the 60s. It's definitely not bad, but overall, I was pretty underwhelmed with the album. Anyway, this was a fairly unique sound, but without much delivery power.

A little long but I actually really enjoy it

Okay I actually really like this album, I would jam out to this if I was animating or drawing.

This album is too long for me to listen to but some of it I did listen to was ok

I listened to too much of this

this isn't offensively bad, I just don't like anything I hear british rock

Had no idea what to expect from this. It sounds more 90s than early 80s this far. This is basically a parody album. Not bad. I only listened to the original album 36 minute album and not the bonus tracks that were added at a later time totaling almost 2 and a half hours long.

HL: “I Wanna Destroy You”, “Tonight”, title track, “Positive Vibrations” Soft boy summer Wasn’t too hot on “I Got The Hots”, but for the most part I had a good ol time. As soon as I read the Wiki blurb mentioning that they influenced R.E.M.’s sound I suspected that I’d enjoy it. Some offbeat musical choices such as the sitar in “Vibrations”, the fiddle in the title track & the wonky time signature in “Sideways” enhance the experience without feeling gimmicky. July 13, 2023

I couldn’t remember listening to this one - the cover art was the most memorable thing about it I’m afraid

That wasn't bad. The album cover was kinda cool too.

This looks dumb. I think it's gonna be dumb. Ok yeah it's dumb. Punky garage rock with fake vocal harmonies, dumb lyrics, not much else going on. Another big hit for the must hear before you die book. 2/5.

I suppose it’s good. I just didn’t care about any of it.

I had never heard of these guys before but immediately heard their influence on the Pixies and REM, two bands I love, from the opening track. This was such a pleasant listen.

Albums like this are why I love this project. The influence on college rock and lo-fi indie are clear. However, the Soft Boys expertly weave neo-psychedelic with jangly post-punk/new wave to create something with pop sensibilities that appeals to the more art for art's sake crowd. The influence by the Beatles and the Kinks can be heard throughout but are conveyed in a way that is understandable yet pushes the genre forward in a very interesting way that I would expect to hear ten years later.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the album. It wasn't until a lot later that I read the background behind it. I would say DO NOT listen to most of the bonus tracks, the demos are pretty bad. Even hearing their cover of "Vegetable Man" seemed... out of place. The instrumental "You'll Have To Go Sideways" was really impressive. That was probably my favorite of all the songs on the album. Definitely would listen to this album again, but the bonus tracks do not add to the album.

I read some of the background and I disagree with this being psychedelic. Neo-psychedelic? Maybe, but I don't know what that means. A sound that inspired bands like REM or the Replacements? I hear that in spades. Let's just go with jangle-pop/rock. I really enjoyed the first track I Wanna Destroy You. Other favorites were Kingdom of Love, Positive Vibrations, Queen of Eyes, and the title track. But looking back it was the first three songs and last two that were good, not sure about the middle five (I Got the Hots and Old Pervert were definitely not good). So while this was a surprisingly good album, it's really only half of it that's good. Feels like a solid 3.5 but not quite sure I should round up. Really wish I could give a half star here.

Punk-ish with some psychedelic influences. Not bad, just nothing crazy for me. Favorite tracks: "Old Pervert", "I Wanna Destroy You"

I found this to be a completely fascinating sleeper of an album (for me at least). It's god just enough Pink Floyd sprinkled into the gumbo to make it pretty interesting.

The Soft Boys sounds like a gay porn collective. Despite the name and the needlessly long album on par with a Scorsese film, it kept my attention all the way through. There were a lot of things that I liked about it. Simple basslines, screech-y guitar with lots of feedback and no frills vocals. I was happy to be turned on by The Soft Boys, pun intended.

“The album received little critical notice and was a commercial failure, and the band split up a few months after its release.” Sounds perfectly worthy of a must-listen before I die. Oh, but it helped influence R.E.M., so… still I’m gonna defer to those original reviews after listening to this one.

2.5

Juxtaposing harmonies with lyrics about insects laying eggs under the skin or the stream of consciousness lyrics of I Got the Hots, The Soft Boys are not pleasant to listen to but at least they are not boring.

Why do like a third of these albums all sound the same

Oddly intriguing for a few tracks. I hear some Beach Boys and some Beatles influences. I also heard I Got The Hots and Insanely Jealous Of You, which take the album off the rails. No thanks.

Tried it twice - it was OK, but nothing remarkable, and not worth recommending to Spike, who loves the bands they're supposed to have influenced

This is a fun little bit of jangle pop! Or punk? Or new wave? Or maybe something else entirely? Whatever it is, they're definitely in the same vein as artists such as R.E.M. -- a proto-indie rock, fun, energetic, and hooky, with a little underlying darkness. This is the type of stuff I'd have been listening to, were I alive in the '80s.

Forgotten at the time. Will be forgotten in the future.

soft boys by name

It was weird bc I felt so neutral about this whole album: it started and I was a bit taken aback by it, neither hating it nor liking it that much BUT then I managed to get more into the groove and it was quite good. When I first opened the album I was so baffed at why it was 2h30 but the fact 30 of the songs were "bonus" didn't swing with me. Other than that slight gripe with the album it wasn't awful.

I'm not getting this

AJ: pretty cool Brit pop whoopdie dooos. I like it. It’s good. It’s good. I like it. Pretty cool. Oh yeah.

An absolute classic of rock music, especially for the genre of acid punk. There are so many great songs on here that sound a bit like the Stranglers would do psychedelic rock with a little bit of Talking Heads. Definitely one of this gems everyone should listen to!

An extraordinary feat and a criminally underrated album that sounds like an all-time classic today. I didn't know who Robyn Hitchcock was before I used this app. Now I stand corrected. I have a pretty busy day today, and unfortunately, I can't write a proper review (I hope the creators of this great app could give us a way to amend or revise our reviews once we're done with the 1001 albums). But here are the words or phrases that would have appeared in said review from me: thrilling / melodic / "I Wanna Destroy You" is a powerful opener / incredible vocal harmonies / feels like an insant classic / the album starts on a very hight note, yet what's great about it is that its many other high notes are very different from that initial one / nonetheless, the whole thing stays cohesive / jangle pop / college rock / post-punk / hearkens back to great moments from the sixties / use of post-punk energy / foretells indie-rock from the nineties and later / perfect guitar lines, angular and yet strongly harmonic / sardonic-yet-often-tender lyrics / lots of specific references to past bands, yet their influence never feels "forced", it is totally "digested" by Hitchcock and co. Examples: Buffalo Springfield-Neil Young for "Kingdom Of Love" / The Beach Boys for "Positive Vibrations / The Cramps (or the early off-kilter rock that inspired them) for "I Got The Hots" / The Velvet Underground for "Insanely jealous Of You" (That viola and the tribute that it is to John Cale! That crazy vocal performance and its tribute to Lou Reed!) / Todd Rundgren or Big Star for "Tonight" / The Feelies or Television for "You'll Have To Go Sideways / Gang Of Four or Wire for "Old Pervert" / The Byrds for "Queen Of Eyes" / Closer "Underwater Moonlight" is a perfect gem / The best anthem about getting older ever written / Perfect, perfect LP / 5 stars Number of albums left to review: 548 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 218 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 105 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 131 Oh, by the way: I love how some people in here just can't read (or just click on one link): it's called BONUS TRACKS, you fools! Of course they're NOT gonna be up to the level of the proper album. That's why they weren't included in the first place! But what really takes the cake here is the reviewers who did notice that all those last cuts were bonus tracks, and yet still complain about them, and so give The Soft Boys less than a 4/5 grade as a result. I sometimes think there should be some some sort of "listener's licence" exam that should be taken before using this app... Naw, I'm just kidding, ha ha. But *still*. Guys (or gals). Get a grip. Please.

Between the group name, album cover, title and wiki description, this album did ont inspire any confidence. But surprisingly, the music was not at all bad and actually managed to get better as it went along. Goes to show how appearances can be misleading. 3 pairs of deceptive masks out of 5 🎭🎭🎭

Nice in the background, but it doesn't grab you

it has its moments but quirkiness is almost always a fatal flaw

This was pretty alright, but not too much past that. I think it's pretty obvious to tell this was ahead of the curve in a lot of ways, but that does mean a lot of sounds were done better by others later on. It's still good, don't get me wrong, but it left a lot to be desired at points.

Long, but I love the early English alt sound

3,7

8/10. This was really rather nice, and I could even see it growing on me further

Surf rock meets post punk. I don’t love it but it’s sure creative. 5/10

soft boys sounds like a euphemism for testicles. the wikipedia article claims its psychedelic which seams like a stretch, it just feels like some fairly run of the mill post punk. not bad but i couldn't really get on board with the singers style.

The Soft Boys were named after me. As a child I was such a shy little thing, wouldn't say boo to a goose. The Soft Boys used to play rugby in the fields behind our house and one day they asked me to play. They beat the living daylights out of me that day. I was broken and bloodied. I could barely walk. The Soft Boys challenged me to get an erection and I couldn't. They admired that, quit playing rugby and formed a band.

The reason The Viagra Boys exist. Well, I did not expect that. Thought it was going to be some 80s soft nonce music, but there you go. Well done.

Kinda punky, kidna post-punky. Some hints of the Beatles, perhaps I liked it

Musically its excellent, but some of the lyrics are as silly as its mammoth run time.

3.5/5. This album has no right to be this decent from a group that calls themselves the Soft Boys.

This was strange and different especially for 1980 so it was ahead of its time or 12 years too late? It's unique I'll give it that. I didn't stick around for 1.5 hours of bonus tracks though

This is definitely a case of less is more 2 and 1/2 hours is beyond excessive. A hour in and it felt like I was listening to the same song over and over again. I cannot hear the big deal of this one.

A highly enjoyable neo psychedelia album. It sounds like something from the late 1960s with a fresher sound. It's also clear how this album influenced the later neo psychedelic albums, even many bands in the 1990s. The songwriting and production are excellent. There are clear influences of The Beatles, The Byrds, Pink Floyd-Syd Barrett, even the Velvet Underground. Very good record. I've listened to it many years ago but I didn't remember it was this good.

This isn't half bad you know. Great energy, authentic, really good production, doesn't lean into the annoying aspects of the genre, doesn't outstay its welcome. A pleasant surprise.

This is great fun - it sounds at times a throwback to some of the 60s stuff that we've heard, and at other times a flash forward to a lot later in the 80s/90s. Great level of energy, some of the lyrics are pretty clever and I'm glad that I've heard it. Will I listen to it again? Probably not, so 3/5.

O album tem 10 musicas e dai mais 30 bonus. Todas as 40 sao iguais.

Heard this album about a year ago, don't care for it. Today, I'm thinking this is pretty great. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to hear it again. 3.5

Ei huono kuten Uotinen sanoi 3/5

Kivaa musaa, hyvä fiilis. Huippuhetket uupui.

Levy alkaa vahvasti, mutta keskivaiheilla iskee vähän vähemmän kiinnostava jakso. Sanotaan nyt 3/5, saattaa noustakin.

I’d prefer to never hear this again. 3/10

This whole damn list is just mediocre new wave bands I've never heard of. This was better than most, but not much. 3.5 stars

The Soft Boys are unexpected, and victims of other forms of confusion. The initial impression of the record is of extremely common elements, balanced by the absolutely dirtied wall of the second side. Post-punk-ish undertones suggest more about the early material as well, but it's all muddle.

These guys were ahead of their time.

I’ve never heard of The Soft Boys before but they’re great. There’s a 60’s influence that runs deep in their music. The songwriting is excellent. “I Wanna Destroy You” stood out to me right away. And “Kingdom of Love” has some great lyrics about a poisonous love. “Insanely Jealous of You” caught me by surprise. The vocals reminded me of The Velvet Underground. The song has a dark, dangerous energy. “Old Pervert” has a rough, distorted guitar in it too. There are two sides to this band - the nostalgic 60’s side (“Queen of Eyes”) and the more experimental forward-thinking side you hear on these two tracks.

Amazing - 10 tracks and 30 bonus tracks. What an idea. The album cover is funny, the band name is funny, the music is intriguing. Interesting to read how this album wasn't commercially successful upon release and then only got recognition later. Looking at this album cover you would think it was for an indie band in the 2020's. Overall it's a 3/5 for me.

Cool punk band that i didnt know yet. Nice discovery. Quite variated. I gave a like to a few songs. It was an extra long edition of the album, so i didnt hear all of it yet.

Not bad, but I prefer Robyn Hitchcock's solo stuff.

I had very low expectations going into this, and the actuality of this album is why I love this exercise so much. This album was awesome, and it took legitimately awesome instrumentation to bring out the psychedelic vibes here. This album will definitely be in my rotation going forward. Favorite track: You'll Have to Go Sideways

This did nothing for me. I’ve learned that I don’t really like any kind of Punk music.

Underwater Moonlight is the second album by English rock band the Soft Boys. Initially unsuccessful (commercially not critically), the album became a psychedelic cult classic as people would take psychedelic drugs before listening to the album. Critics have retroactively praised the album for contributing to the underground pop scene of the 1980's, and helping start the neo-psychedelia genre. They state that the poor commercial performance at release may have been a result of the album's music being ahead of its time. This album was interesting to say the least. It was trippy, but not in a way that affected the music, because I thought the production was well done. Decent album overall - perhaps if I listened to the album high it might sound even better since other people have this opinion.

Not really my thing but was a solid album. Felt a little derivative at times but had some solid ideas that to me were not fully fleshed out. Some tracks like "Old Pervert", "Queen of Eyes" and "I Wanna Destroy You" were solid but felt a little incomplete and could have been executed better. Still, a lot of solid tracks with my favorites being "I Got The Hots", "Insanely Jealous of You", "Tonight" and "Underwater Moonlight". I would give this a 7/10,

Enjoyable but not groundbreaking

Very quirky album. Felt like a lot of the other UK bands we've heard on here but something about it was still entertaining. Maybe it was the wildness of some of these songs and the lyrics. Or just creepiness of the album cover. Either way, it was enjoyable.

This was a nice surprise! Never heard of this group before, and based on the name and album cover, I would've guessed '00s or later. But 1980 it is, and sonically it sounds a bit older than that. Some cool pop-rock sounds on here, and I dug handful of tracks. The version on Apple Music had about 30 bonus tracks and I didn't get into those, but the core album was really solid. I enjoyed this quite a bit, great job Soft Boys. Favorite tracks: I Wanna Destroy You, Kingdom of Love, Queen of Eyes, Underwater Moonlight. Album art: Some goofy puppet couple, the old man on the right looks like that Jeff Dunham puppet. Also reminds me a lot of some other album cover with people sitting on the rocks like this, can't quite place it. 4/5

The opening is a guitar based pubertal college rocker that could be from any US college, but then it becomes something more detuned and interesting

This one I have heard of but had never listened to before tonight. I can definitely see how it's been an influential album for so many, but on a first listen it's definitely in "wouldn't turn it up but wouldn't turn it off" territory for me. I feel like I want to like this one more than I do, so I'll certainly give it another go or two, but for now it's just fine.

Thugs in silk shirts! What I liked on this album I loved but the rest just passed me by. Worth listening to just for the first track, "I Wanna Destroy You"

relisten, me gusto la onda y que sea un precursor del rock altenativo me interesa

Jangle psychedelia from Robin Hitchcock outfit. Though this was gonna be one of my standard 3s but its pretty distinctive and I don't think there is s duff song on the album. 4

4 hours - didn’t even start

Very Beatle-y. Punky Beatles. And it reminds me of Robyn Hitchcock...ha! When I looked up The Soft Boys, turns out, Robyn Hitchcock is in them!

I liked this, I feel like it was ahead of its time

A rockin’ good time.

I'm a sucker for new wave. A bit upbeat compared to some of the stuff I like but good overall

Too long.

I didn't really like this album. I don't really like the singer's voice, but I can't put my finger on why. The music also felt off, but some songs were just ok. Overall, I probably won't listen to this album again. 2/5 Favorite song: Positive Vibrations Worst song: Insanely Jealous of You

Not very memorable

I liked this but just shy of a 4. Opening track is by far the best but I also liked Insanely Jealous of You. Some interesting punk-ish elements.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Positive vibrations, Insanely jealous of you

Eh.

Highlight: Underwater Moonlight

Troszkę przydługie, pojedyncze kawałki miały trochę lepszą nutę i tempo, ale nic wartego zapamiętania.

This is okay...maybe pretty good. A lot of different stuff going on here. Hope to come back and it probably deserves a higher rating. 1 = bad 2 = average 3 = good 4 = great 5 = outstanding

Post-punk. Me sonaba Underwater Moonlight. Me gusta Song #4

An interesting album - with equally interesting lyrics. The very simple instrumentals behind the lyrics made the whole thing quite repetitive and therefore no track really stood out for me. Also, what were all the bonus tracks about - who would ever want or need 30 bonus tracks?!?!?!?!

Very unusual but some tracks ok but largely forgettable

Remind me of many bands but felt a bit Ordinary Boys - Indulgently long

Första spåret är otroligt, otroligt bra. Sen dalar det lite men överlag ett riktigt dunderalbum. Synd att så många bra b-sidor inte var med på albumet och kanske bytte ut några svagare låtar. Men man kan inte få allt här i livet va

A mix of Lou Reed, Mark E Smith, Gang Of Four and Beach Boys!

ojalá pudiera recuperar esos 180 minutos

Actually enjoyed a lot. Surprised it came out in 2010, sounds a lot like a bridge between classic rock and alt rock

Not much variety, just sounds like your average 80s rock album

Interesting stuff - I don't think I need to play it again, but I do wonder if I had heard it in 1980 if it would have become one of my favourites then.

I'm not a big fan of this genre, but Tonight and Queen of Eyes were quite nice.

Mixed, but altogether better than expected. I feared for the worst when I read "punk" in the book, but this is rock with an 80s sensibility production-wise. Not every song is good, but all of them are at least adequate. 2.5/5

Robyn Hitchcock has a very distinctive style, whether it's the Soft Boys or the Egyptians. Solid album.

It definitely starts strong... I Wanna Destroy You and Kingdom of Love are strong catchy edge alternative british rock... some kind of byrds and oasis blending with a dose of eccentric. Later the eccentric takes a bit more center stage and Mr. Hitchcock goes a-wandering. The lyrics seem weird for weird-sake, but Tonight and Queen of Eyes are also good. Its fine, but there's not much i want to go back to listen to.

What a great find...really like it. Had seen RH live before but didn't appreciate him as much as I probably should have. 4/5

great album - a hidden treasure

Some rad post punk with 60s influence. Nice 👍

3.75

Great album, I really enjoyed it.

Mekani momci sa ne tako mekanim albumom, mogu priznati. Insanely Jealous je bome kombinacija psihodelije i nekog post punka? Općenito album miriše post-punkom, ritmičnim tonom sa šlagom na torti (psihodelijom), gdje još se može pokoji jangle pop zvuk (Queen of Eyes), a isto tako i tu sirovost u instrumentalu koju ja dost volim. Mislim da bih se mogao vratiti na ovaj album tu i tamo.

Solid

2. All of this Brit pop is starting to sound exactly the same.

I was introduced to The Soft Boys from their debut, A Can of Bees, which never really caught hold with me so I never bothered ny further exploration at least for a couple or 10 years. Then I came across a couple songs by Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians that really sounded good with solid hooks and a psychedelic feel that worked well for me. Then a bit of research and it turns out Underwater Moonlight is the Soft Boys consensus masterpiece....so I tried again. This album is so much better than A Can of Bees it doesn't even sound like the same band. Every song has solid hooks, and the psychedelic flourishes in tunes like Insanely Jealous make it a new and interesting listen each time through. Robyn Hitchock rules. 4.5 stars

Rock psicodélico. Ni fu ni fa.

Post-punk. Me sonaba Underwater Moonlight. Me gusta Song #4.

thought it was 3.5ish, apparently it was influential tho

Disc interessant en plena new wave, amb un Robyn Hitchcock fent els seus primers pasos i un jove Kimberley Rew poc abans de formar Katrina and the Waves. Es nota que no és un disc qualsevol del període, la inventiva i la creativitat dels seus líders és palpable. Res per perdre la son, però un bon disc, que mereix estar a qualsevol col.lecció de bona música

Better than I expected, bit contrived in places but overall a nice listen

Thought that this was a pretty average overall but with some early alternative sounds throughout. Some of the songs were decent but then others were relatively bad. Felt like this band was influential in their sound since they were early 80s although it didn’t feel too refined and the excessive bonus tracks showed that. 5.9/10

first listen kinda boring at times, but a vibe, and the bonus tracks were better than the ones on the OG record

Never heard of this band but it was a decent listen. Can definitely see the indie influence it might have had.

Pas trippé honnêtement

Lekker hoor

This was another new album to me. Fun very early 80s Brit pop/rock. I could see how this album could grow on me, and I could definitely hear the influence of the Byrds on these guys and the later influence this would have on REM or even later stuff like Pixies and Pavement. It didn't totally blow my mind but it is fun fun fun rock and roll. I could see myself returning to this. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4.

Got a very 70s vibe

“What if The Byrds were a punk rock band?” is probably not a question you’ve asked yourself. The good news is: the Soft Boys have already answered it for you…and it’s amazing. Underwater Moonlight is a whirling, psychedelic punk masterpiece. The band here is unbelievably tight, with guitar interplay that outmatches nearly all of their contemporaries (The Feelies ‘Crazy Rhythms’ and Television’s ‘Marquee Moon’ would be similar points of comparison) and a focused, yet off-kilter, sense of urgency to each song. Most importantly, the songwriting and construction here is great from start to finish. You have to “Give it to the Soft Boys” (a deep cut for the Soft Boys fans in the house): Underwater Moonlight hits every mark it takes aim at. It’s one of the best, and possibly most overlooked, “punk” (or post-punk) albums of all time.

Absolutely shite. Why is it on this list?

Never heard of them but glad this hidden gem of a late 60's early 70's British psychedelic vibe made it onto the list.

Great, well ahead of its time. Felt the influence on REM, as well as another band that completely escapes me. Another 1001 gem.

Another album that doesn't feel like it came out when it did -- really enjoyed "I Wanna Destroy You" and "Queen of Eyes." They are what elevates this to a 4 from a 3

I listened to it once and was unimpressed. But something made me hold off on reviewing and listen to it another day. It got better, and I can see how it must have been an interesting crossroads between punk and 80s popular music, but I don't think there's really anything to return to after Track 1. (prior listen)

3.5

I was hooked right away, but by the time hour 17 came along I was growing a little exhausted. Fun and a great rhythm. Psychedelic and different. I had never heard of them but liked the music and the vocals.

This sounded like the unpublished 2nd soundtrack to Rocky Horror. An interesting addition for the era.

It's got a nice vibe to it, this. It's hardly deep, and a little bit one-note at times, but it's an easy listen.

Meilleure découverte via ce site depuis Head Hunters de Herbie Hancock Prefs: I Wanna Destroy You, Positive Vibrations, Insanely Jealous, Tonight, You'll Have To Go Sideways, Queen of Eyes, Underwater Moonlight Moins pref: Kingdom of Love

månsken!!?🤨 under vattnet??!??!? så bra

Never heard of this before it was a pleasant surprise how enjoyable I found it. Also can people just do a quick google search before listening to these albums so that they are not needlessly listening to 30 bonus tracks before they rate a 36 minute album low for being "too long"

favourite song: i got the hots least favourite song: you'll have to go sideways absolute fantastic album. robyn hitchcocks lyricism is engaging and funny throughout. lovely instrumentation. an album i already loved before this.

Boring. V v boring.

Dug the backing vocals, seems a lot of sneer in this list…

If you're not the kind of person who gets a kick out of the lyrics in Kingdom of Love, then it's going to be more difficult for us to become friends. I wanna destroy you, insanely jealous, queen of eyes, underwater moonlight, these are all total bangers. Hook it up and feed it directly into my veins. On a sidenote, I love all these innocent wet behind the ears types who somehow think this album is genuinely 44 songs long.

Disclaimer: I only listened to the album before the bonus tracks. I don't need to listen to this again. It blends some key aspects of the Velvet Underground with early 80s synths and riffs. There isn't much special about this album in my opinion. While it isn't horrible, I have no real takeaways and nothing to come back to. Best Songs: I Got the Hots, You'll Have to Go Sideways, Worst Songs: Positive Vibrations, Insanely Jealous of You, Queen of Eyes

I dk if the album is as good as the 2-3 songs on it

So, according to Wikipedia, the only reason for this album to be considered in any way is due to the influence it had on some bands that are more worth listening. Also, it is most notable for combining some elements of artists that are more worth listening. Got it.

Started to blend after 40 albums but if you dig the vibe then its awesome

Not really impressed. Sounds okay but very generic. Nothing really pops up.

Easily forgettable and pretty repetitive throughout. Hard to see why this was such an influential post-punk record.

Hadn't come across this group before, and for the first few tracks I thought I understood why. It starts off as a fine but forgettable post-punk collection, but then evolves into something really special. The second side of it is one of the best new finds I've come across in ages. Best Track: Tonight

I have a high tolerance for - and often find deep joy in - jangly 60s-influenced slightly-psychedelic guitar pop music, but I didn’t get on with this at all. There’s the odd great moment where a chorus explodes and the harmonies kick I. (Eg underwater moonlight) but the songwriting smacks of a bad sixth form band.

Never heard of, or listened to, these guys before. I liked them. Couple of particularly good tracks including 'tonight'. Will come back for another listen ...

The melody of the Byrds meets the sound of 3rd Floor Elevators meets the mood of Pulp.

Really enjoyed this one. Elements of Lou Reed, Stone Roses and the Beatles in there. I Got the Hots and Tonight the standouts for me

enjoyed 'insanely jealous of you' - catchy hook that earwormed its way into my head for the day

There’s a lot of early pink floyd in this. And I like Floyd. And some Beatles? But nah, not one for me

The unfamiliar band name and mildly terrifying artwork led me to expect the worst, but this was great. Has a slightly eccentric and psychedelic bent, but never inaccessible. Feels like it spans about 20 years. Always something interesting going on. Prime cuts: You'll Have to Go Sideways, Old Pervert, Underwater Moonlight

The Genesis of Robyn Hitchcock's career, but he went on to much greater things than this.

Excellent. Never heard of this band or album before, but a great surprise. Will probably require a few listens to fully appreciate. Didn't have time to get fully stuck into this but love the bridging between classic psych-pop and what would become alternative-pop/rock. - 4/5

This one had some elements I really liked and definitely an interesting listen to hear where subsequent bands were influenced. I think the main downside was the lyrics and subject matter, just didn't connect.

Prima album, had het op tijdens het koken, niet heul spannend

Unbelievably good album. I’ll confess, I had no idea Robyn Hitchcock was involved with this band before listening this album. But it’s no surprise when the very first track is a hook-laden pop gem like “I Wanna Destroy You”. From there on out this album is an infectiously good listen brimming equally with the adrenaline rush of punk as with the surreal quirkiness of 60s psychedelia, all anchored by Hitchcock’s peerless pop sensibility. Even as the band quite openly flaunt their influences in every Byrds-like jangle or eccentric witticism, this album manages to sound completely modern. Even more than that, it actually represents the nexus between punk and jangle-pop which would dominate on college radio for the subsequent decade. I always thought that accolade belonged only to Pretenders’ debut, but this album has also stood the test of time. A surprise 5/5 from me… P.D. - Kimberley Rew’s guitar playing on this record is astonishingly good. Amazing record on all fronts.

Pretty solid

cover is scary

A 1980 neo-psychedelic album. - I Wanna Destroy You – I don’t like it. Kinda repetitive. It’s a rage song that doesn’t have the teeth and venom to really hit. It’s also unclear why the want to destroy whoever it is they do. They give reasons like war, media, etc, but without clarity it seems to be raging against the generic mainstream, and that’s lame and dumb. - Kingdom of Love – Nice bass intro. Imagery is gross and weird. I don’t like this one. - Positive Vibrations – I really hate the brief solo here. Not my jam. - I Got the Hots – I really dislike the lyrics here. Ok, riff, but not anything I haven’t heard done better. The vocals are also bad. - Insanely Jealous of You – Certainly a unique song. But also not good. The line “I just can’t let it OUT” is absolutely atrocious to hear. - Tonight – Utterly forgettable. - You’ll Have to Go Sideways – Mediocre instrumental. Main riff is fine (albeit extremely repetitive, but the synths get annoying.) - Old Pervert – Gross. Even if it’s mocking the subject matter, it’s still gross. I don’t like the music much either. - Queen of Eyes – Weird but inoffensive. The song that at first blush I like best since it’s just weird and has decent guitar. Still don’t like it enough to add to a playlist, but it’s not awful. - Underwater Moonlight – Bass intro is decent. Weird psychedelic song, but decent. The general vocal style on this isn’t appealing to me. It’s like y they’re going for Beetles style harmonies, but lacking the skill to do it in a pleasant sounding way. The bizarre inflections are obviously intentional, but the effect is really unpleasant. The tone on the guitar is also not really my thing. The musicianship is competent but not really appealing to me. In general, nonsensical lyrics and oftentimes off-putting imagery is also not my thing. So much of this band is doing mildly interesting things that run very contrary to my preferences. At its best, its inoffensive but bland English rock. At its worst, its incoherent nonsense delivered in the most jarring and offputting way possible. Not a single song on this that I’d add to my playlists. The last two songs are the best of the bunch and save it from being bottom tier, but even they’re not that good. Maybe I need more drugs to appreciate it.

I think this album has some potential. I think I'd give it a second listen through. At some points the music got irritatingly high pitched and the music sometimes drowned out the singers voice. Otherwise pretty decent music overall.

First listen did not really do it for me, but relistening a couple of times did help. Underwater moonlight, insanely jealous of you and positive vibrations are the better songs I would say. Rest is kinda okay; didn't listen to all 30 bonus tracks though

Fun jangly pop/punk sound and great guitar. Album is way too long though. Like way too long

I like jangle pop. Not as much as power pop, but I like it quite a bit. I blame the Beatles and Byrds for it. Robyn Hitchcock was on a roll here - writing wonderful, tight pop songs with awesome hooks that stayed in your head long after the record was over. Sometimes this music dwelled on trivial matters. Not The Soft Boys. The songs here are tightly wound and angst ridden. Icing on the cake.

Never heard of this band or album. I like it! Really good post-punk power pop. Upbeat throughout. Good guitar parts and clever lyrics. Will listen again.

No real issue with this, but I didn't see what was so special or groundbreaking about it either. Sounds a bit like the Byrds in the punk era to me with some Beatles and Ramones influences involved as well.

Never heard this but thought it was pretty good. Will dig deeper…

Really enjoyed it, very fun album. Only listened to the first 14 (like the original album) - would listen again.

Some really good tracks on this one. They are an interesting band and a lot of fun. I can hear the styles and artists than influenced them and also hear how they influenced others with their own style.

A bit long

Very hit and miss. Mostly misses.

p455. 1980. 2 stars. The sound of musicians that were born 10 years too late and wish the 60s had never ended. This sounds like an album of 13th Floor Elevators, Byrds and Ziggy Stardust outtakes, only without the talent. Listening to it you'd have thought that punk never happened. Quite good guitar playing, though it frequently strays in 70s wankage. It's OK, but nothing special - no idea why this is on the list.

Never heard of the soft boys before. This album is brilliant can see the VU influence on some of the songs. I love finding these albums Iv never heard and were never commercial success but influenced so much of the music I listen too.

Answers the question, what if The Byrd's made a punk album. Little too long, so I just listened to the original 10 songs.

I had a chance to listen to this album while I was out walking the dog. It was a solid album overall, and according to the wiki this album was very groundbreaking and influential to artists such as R.E.M. and The Pixies. There were no tracks that I recognized but it did provide a good enough soundtrack for the walk..

Was decent but not stellar. Can see influences for indie rock and other 90s music. Is this punk blended with new wave? I do like how it feels raw around the edges.

Mediocre Brit pop rock

This starts strong: weird album cover, from the 80's, band name The Soft Boys, first track 'I wanna destroy you' ....damn I'm hoping for good stuff. Was sorely disappointed. Better than usual post punk ish, but not by much. Rounding up to a 3 (GENEROUSLY) because of band name and album cover.

Like some of it. Didn't like some of it.

Once again I find myself appreciating this sort of psychedelic new wave mostly for the artists that would be inspired by it later. This was too jangly and chaotic for me in many of the tracks. Some great songs on here though.

Some of this was certainly fine. Really long, but then I found out that a bunch of the songs of the Spotify album are re-releases and bonus. It sounds like the predecessor to a lot of the music I listen to now. I probably won't purposely listen to this again...

This was way too long.

I have never heard if this band before. This is really good and should be with Robyn Hitchcock and Kim Rew. Reminds me a lot of Cheap Trick.

The album is unremarkable.

Brilliant album. Punk energy with a splash of pop sensibility and a generous helping of the surreal. Robyn Hitchcock's clever, wonderfully warped songwriting is a delight. There's nobody else like him in music. This is an extremely high 4 for me. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): I Wanna Destroy You, Positive Vibrations, Tonight, Queen of Eyes, Kingdom of Love, You'll Have to Go Sideways, Underwater Moonlight, Insanely Jealous, Old Pervert, I Got the Hots

I've never heard of the Soft Boys and all of the music on Underwater Moonlight was new to me. The music style was somewhat familiar - ¿perhaps somewhere between James, The Kinks, and the Waterboys? Most of the album was okay or better, but I'm not sure I can round up to 4 stars. "Underwater Moonlight" was the track I rated the highest.

Great Robyn Hitchcock

Really enjoyed this one. It doesn't do anything revolutionary, but the tracks are all so catchy and memorable. Good bops

This album wins the Creepiest Cover Award.

Glad to hear this, the title track is great and the rest a solid slice of early 80s powerpop/psychedelia.

Pretty awesome psychedelic rock

Didn't think it was anything too special

Surprised to enjoy this so much! Can see the influence on Pixies/Stone Roses in some of the jangle pop numbers. I Got The Hots / Insanely Jealous the stand outs

I can tell how this band came to be, and I can hear the influence they had on alt-rock bands of the 80s and 90s. "I Want to Destroy You" is timeless. Kingdom of Love musically sounds like a lost Talking Heads song, but lyrically - kind of gross. Positive Vibrations is the most retro of the songs structurally with elements of The Who, The Byrds, and The Beatles. I Got the Hots is a throw-away track to me, but it sounds a little like Oasis did in their throw-away tracks. Insanely Jealous is like alt-rock Bob Dylan. I love the way it builds. I can't fault this album much. I will throw it in my rotation.

First half was better, but overall an enjoyable listen. I think it hasn't really "clicked" for me yet, but I'd give it another try for sure. 3.5 overall, but I will give it a 3.

Listened to it a few times and haven't made a decision on this one yet. 2/5 for now.

Weak 4, catchy and fun

Lose a point for making me listen to a 2.5 hour album 4/10

Surprisingly good, but not quite great. Much better than I expected, and much rockier and louder too. Bonus tracks on the Spotify version are actually longer than the original album, for some reason.

Maso

It has nice portions, nothing inherently wrong with it. Very Beatles-esque at points.

This album feels both like the past and the future, with plenty of hints of psychedelic rock from the 60s along with some of the foundations of what was to be 90s indie rock. There are plenty of catchy tunes and good vibes.

It's okay, but not really my kind of music.

Meh

Lovely stuff

Right in my sweet spot, post punky power poppy with catchy choruses not trying to be anything it isn’t. Saved to the ol Spotify albums which is criteria for 5 stars

What a great band name. Ain't never been boys softer than these. This album was not great, but it was actually a lot better than my expectations. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The opener, Destroy You, and the closer, Moonlight, were my faves.

nunca tinha nem ouvido falar e gostei bastante Gente, como assim um album com 40 musicas? Que loucura

Really fun post punk new wave thing - completely new to me - loved it - only fault is slightly awkward lyrics - but otherwise really fun

Note, if you're listening to this on spotify, one of the versions of this album is listed as 2+ hours long. Only the first 10 tracks are actually from this original album. It also says 2010 but the original album was released in 1980. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and could hear its influences in Lou Weed, err Reed, REM, and even a Minutemen track.

Although it does feel like it has this mix of The Byrds and Syd Barrett (that everybody talks about) as a major influence, the album never really pulls through and becomes very repetitive, very fast. It has some cool ideas, but they were already being executed by better post-punk bands.

Sem nada marcante, talvez uma ou outra instrumental .

Big Robyn Hitchcock fan from way back. This a straightforward but super English psychedelic rock album

pretty blank on this one, would not play it again

Mix Syd Barrett with the Byrds and this is what you get: British psychedelic jangle pop with sixties influences. Great album! Discovered it 25 years or so after its release ..and for me, one of their best songs, "He's A Reptile" is part of the album ..but it is not: it was added in the reissue. The 10 original songs are strong enough to hold their own though and several of them are perfect examples of outstanding songwriting: 5 stars easily.

Mixed bag for me, this. Very good guitar work throughout, but the vocals are putting me off. In the more melodic songs the harmonies sound quite dated, and I'm just not digging the loose style of the lead vocal in general. In summary, it just falls short of 4 stars.

feels more like a quirky alternate rock album than the psychedelic music i know

Wenn das hier einen Eingang findet in die Liste, müsste jedes Parquet Courts Album rein. Slightly underwhelmed 2.5

Not my cup of tea

Absolutely loved it

Didnt like insanely jealous of you or old pervert.

had me from the first track, just brilliant

snappy, uptempo beats; first two tracks are fun, rest are more punk

Best Song: Insanely Jealous of You. An actually intense song that concludes in an interesting crescendo. Worst Song: I Got the Hots. Sounds like a sociopathic, wannabe cowboy learning how to play scales on guitar. Overall: Wholly boring, with the audacity to think I want to listen to 40 songs of very nearly the same song repeating. Would fit well in a book called "1001 Albums It's Totally Fine to Miss Before You Die."

A compendium of influences. Entertaining.

Dull

nothing special

Odd one for 1980. Could have been released in 68 or 92, but this is right down the middle. Better than average though, so I’ll sneak it a cheeky 4.

80s, punky, British, not bad

OK, but i doubt i will ever remember this band

Mje

Can hear the influence on the Stone Roses, OK album

When I was in my twenties many, many years ago I knew a girl who was obsessed with Robyn Hitchcock. The few songs I heard by him I didn’t love. They were too cutesy and clever. But this album I really liked. Great tunes. I’ll definitely listen to this again. 4 stars.

Better than I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed it and gotta give it another spin.

Was surprisingly good. Reminded me of a few other artists, though now that I'm rating this a few days late I can't recall who they were. I think Bowie was one that came to mind?

i'm alive to listen to that kind of stuff. amazing

Eh nothing special, in fact it's kind of bland. Has some pretty late 60s rock sound to it compared to when it was released. 5/10.