Kings Of The Wild Frontier

I really really dug this

I thought this was a cool album. It was interesting getting two post-punk albums in a row. I really like the production on this album, it always feels like there's a lot going on

Fun! Loved the horns!

A little uneven, but good and rockin', nice start to the day.

- catchy - SWAG

A&A were my first intro to punk - still as fun today

Lots of good tracks - Los Rancheros and Making History are keepers.

eh

Would I listen again: yea Sort of wacky but I feel like I could really like this in a certain mood. Or find it very annoying lol

Didn’t get to finish it all but some of the songs are so good. So hard to put 3 stars and not 4 it’s just I wish there was a 3.5 stars. Really like Don’t Be Square which is the last one I listened to.

This album is very energetic and makes me wanna get up and move! Love the energy but not a big fan of the sound itself.

(US version) The best songs on this album were the last 2 tracks (Physical (You're So) and The Human Beings) IF you didn't really listen to the song/words sung to the music. Pretty damn good music. But unfortunately the song/words were just abysmal. The album as a whole was just mediocre because, again, the music was driving while the words were at best puerile. I did give a few of these tunes, individually, 4 stars but at best most of them were 3 stars with a couple of 2 stars as well. In sum, I find this a ho-hum experience and can't be happy enough to give it more than 3 "it ain't ABBA" stars.

Dog Eat Dog - 4.5/5 Antmusic - 3.5/5 Feed Me to the Lions - 4/5 Los Rancheros - 3/5 Ants Invasion - 4/5 Killer in the Home - 3.5/5 Kings of the Wild Frontier - 3/5 The Magnificent Five - 3.5/5 Don’t Be Square (Be There) - 3.5/5 Jolly Roger - 3/5 Making History - 3/5 The Human Beings - 3/5

The cover is so funny Adam & The Ants is who I want to be in my life

This was fine.

About 400 years ago, I remember having a playlist challenge with colleagues using the Grooveshark platform (RIP). We had to put together ten songs, with one of them being an outlier for reasons only known to the creator. Then we had to go to the pub and give a speech about it or write a short story about it or something. These details are hazy. Anyway, my outlier was Ant Music. When I gave my little speech at the pub and asked the participants to guess the outlier, the mostly Gen-X group immediately identified Ant Music because “that song sucks.” I was too young, supple, and naive to have any stigma attached to Adam Ant. I had zero context for him, and I just thought the beat ruled. I think it still does. Listening to the whole album for the first time today, it’s very hit and miss, but I admire how generally hectic it is.

A weird mix of new wave/art-rock/punk, I found this pretty engaging throughout.

cool

P ok while doing gardening work

the earlier you are in the punk thing the more forgiveness I have for your pirate song

A surprisingly cool album for me.

Pretty good

местами забавно, музыкально не особо

Solid but not as revelatory as I expected. Occasionally the hooks were grating. Solid 2.5 but I’ll bump it to 3 because i like its vibe.

I’d goo 3.5 if I could

Post-Punk/Indie - Aus heutiger Sicht etwas schwierig zu hören. Damals ein Album, welches verschiedene Genre aufnahm, klingt heute leider weder nach Fisch noch Fleisch, schon gar nicht vegan ;) Mit 80er Charm und Witz. Die Ärzte haben dort einiges abgeguckt und übernommen.

p450. 1980. 3 stars. Mad as a sack of frogs. There is a bit of everything in here - 50's rock'n'roll, glam rock, African beats, meaningless lyrics and earworm choruses. It shouldn't work, but somehow it does. Too much filler, but the singles are terrific.

It’s not as bad as I feared, but I would t say it was good. 2.5 stars

rockig, fetzig, spaßig, shaky shaky iwie aber trz nicht so meins. also safe nicht schlecht.. 3/5 hab die melodien gar nicht gfühlt, also so den roten faden mäßig je weiter ich hör desto weniger gefällts mir, vllt doch 2/3

Damn they are obsessed with ants. Weird album not something I would listen a lot too but some fun songs that had elements i enjoyed. 1. Antmusic 2. Los Rancheros 3. Making History

Something different, but so similar to the rest of this genre. Best Song: Kings of the Wild Frontier Rating: 6.5/10 Stars: 3 (barely)

Fun stuff

There is something a bit kitsch about this. Early pop punk?

This one surprised me and I think it needs another listen

Very nice example of punk from that era. Reminds me of B-52s (but obviously Adam and the Ants are their predecessors). Not a music style I particularly like.

Sounded fine, no song really did much for me besides Ranchero

Like it 3/5

Occasionally successful at breaking the British rock/new wave mold. Sometimes getting too lost in the silly sauce. An opening “Dog Eat Dog” had me gleaming with hope for this record. So much pizzazz in a first song. But alas, a slow descent into fun but predictable songs would follow. The syncopated percussion is cool on first listen, but it’s used enough to feel a little boring by the end. “Dont Be Square (Be There)” was a little breath of fresh air. ‘Ant music for sex people, sex music for and people’ is a line worth getting to in the tracklisting. I feel like a visual accompaniment would carry this thing a bit further, I’m sure he’s got some goofy music videos. Otherwise a soft 3/5

Really enjoyed it!

I had no expectations before listening to this album. Many of the songs are a cacophony of voices over somewhat catchy choruses. I don't know if I would consider this new wave. It's sort of glam wave, which isn't really a genre. My favorite songs: Dog Eat Dog Feed Me to the Lions Ants Invasion Kings of the Wild Frontier Jolly Roger

What a ridiculous sound this is. It’s like the bad boys from the neighbourhood formed a band and it became cool or something. It’s good fun, always liked Adam Ant. Some filler on this but an enjoyable ride.

Pretty nice

Meh. Sådan lidt godt og nogen gange lidt for skabet

This is #day632 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've heard the name Adam and the Ants before, being a fan of late '70s-early '80s stuff, but never felt the urge to explore them. Maybe it's the look that didn't quite pull me in. Listening to this record for the first time, I realize this isn't exactly my kind of new wave. It's a bit too much of everything. At the same time, it's fun and clear evidence of a band beating its own drum. Burundi drum, if you will. Personal highlights: "Ants Invasion" and "The Human Beings." Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day633.

Album #81: Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam & The Ants Genre (W): New wave, rock and roll, pop No singles. I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: The tracks I listed under “favorite songs” are my favorites for how groovy they are. I love the production of this album the most, along with the enthusiasm of Adam Ant. Favorite songs: Dog Eat Dog, Feed Me to the Lions, Ants Invasion, The Magnificent Five, Don’t Be Square (Be There), The Human Beings

The band name, their description, the album title, and the cover all point to what I thought would've been an easy 1. But the drumming is really interesting and so are some of the songs. It definitely bored me in the second half, it's a gimmicky act anyways, but it gets a lot more mileage than the rest of the fluff in this list.

This guy is insane. I really enjoyed Kings of the Wild Frontier. There are significant differences between the albums released in the UK vs US. Physical (You're So): the OG was fun to hear.

Блекло но шум приятный

Kinda cool, production quality is poor but I hear a lot of the Clash. 3 - deserves to be on this list

Fun enough background music

Ni chaud ni froid Sincèrement ça n’a pas cliqué, c’etait pas désastreux mais rien de spécial PAR CONTRE pourquoi les 20000 versions de chansons ? Désolée mais j’ai skip les chansons en double

How does it manage to sound so fun and accessible, and so strange and quirky at the same time?!

Some cool songs in this but can give no more than a 3

okay but not quite there

This is okay I guess.

Some of this is interesting, and there’s a lot going on throughout. It doesn’t really sound like punk or ska, so those labels feel a bit misleading. It’s not something I see myself returning to, but it’s not a bad listen either.

Very enjoyable post-punk, with hints of the Gang of Four, but feels just lacking something I can't put my finger on to tip it into being a classic.

Solid 3+ album. I like the notes of bluegrass and yodeling but it sometimes felt a little much.

Pokręcone, ale jednocześnie nudne? Jak to możliwe? Sama nie wiem, ale jednak im się udało. 6/10.

Whimsical

Pretty cool, ahead of its time for 1980 and I can imagine it must've been a blast live. Not particularly catchy or interesting songwriting-wise though, and a bit dated. Faves: Dog Eat Dog, Antmusic, Feed Me to the Lions

I like new wave, but it does have the unfortunate symptom of lyrics being unintelligible at most times. The vibes were making me think of mad max style bands of roving punks performing bc they could and they want to

A delightful romp.

04/04/2026 *1. dog eat dog - already like this song! the guitar, bass and drums are alll greaatt!!!! *2. antmusic - already reaallly like this one as well :) the drums at the start are great! remember i was obsessed with the music video when i was a kid lol. fuzzy guitar is niice! 3. feed me to the lions - more of a grungier sound... not as big on this as the prev tracks, but still wouldn't complain if it played in the background! 4. los rancheros (demo) - nice bass at the start! very western lyrics! oh it literally mentions clint eastwood lol. guitar is lovely! really nice ending. 5. ants invasion - sinister guitar at the start... loooove the bass! love the kindof screechy sound near the end! 6. killer in the home - wasn't as fond of this, but loove the guitar about 1:25 mins in <3 loove the drumming!! *7. kings of the wild frontier - already like this one! the drumming is absolutely fantastic!! bass and guitar are great!!! not sure how well the lyrics have aged... good intentions i guess? 8. the magnificent five - nice guitar! assuming the title is a reference to westerns again... nietszche? *9. don’t be square (be there) - more 80s start! bass is greeatt!! really enjoyed this one!! 10. jolly roger - pirate theme? nice! 11. making history - loove the screechy guitar at the start and the bassline! alright :) *12. the human beings - more subdued at the start... bass is great again! really liked this album! really looved the starred songs and still liked the rest of them, but felt it fizzled out a bit towards the end? loved watching adam and the ants music videos as a kid, remember being particularly obsessed with the comically large pound note in goody two shoes?? will listen to their first album soon, have heard a few songs i liked on there already and really loved their songs that are in jubilee <3

Fine for what it is

Adam & The Ants oli valtavan suosittu bändi 80-luvun alussa ja tämä kyseinen albumi Kings of the Wild Frontier oli vuoden 1981 myydyin Iso-Britanniassa. Itselleni kaikki biisit olivat kuitenkin vieraita ja noinkin suuri suosio tuli vähän yllätyksenä. Kyllähän tämä ihan kelvollinen albumi on ja jyskyttävä rumpusoundi jää mieleen. Levy on jotenkin niin aikansa tuote kuin vaan voi olla; vanhentunutta "uuden aallon" outoilua ja tarttuvia pop-melodioita. Monet biiseistä jäävät keskinkertaisiksi, mutta arvostan bändin omaperäisyyttä kolmen tähden verran.

Man, I really wanted to like this more because there were so many positive and interesting moments but it's a little long and I found it annoying.

01) Dog Eat Dog - 7,5 02) Antmusic - 7,5 03) Feed Me to the Lions - 6,5 04) Los Rancheros - 7,0 05) Ants Invasion - 7,0 06) Killer in the Home - 7,0 07) Kings of the Wild Frontier - 7,0 08) The Magnificent Five - 6,5 09) Don't Be Square (Be There) - 6,5 10) Jolly Roger - 6,0 11) Making History - 6,5 12) The Human Beings - 7,0 TOTAL: 6,83 (68/100) Current ranking: 538/871

Not bad, but not mind blowing. I enjoy Friend or Foe a LOT more.

es como la música que haría billy idol si hubiera recibido amor cuando chico

Solid for one of the worst album covers I've seen in a while.

If I had a nickle for every time I listened to a song with "ant" in the title on this album I'd have two nickles. Which isn't a lot but its weird that it happened twice right? Jokes aside I liked this album a lot more than I thought I was going to. I never knew what to expect from track to track and I mean that in a good way. Sure some of the songs aren't great and this album as a whole is far from flawless but sometimes all I ask from my music is that it puts a smile on my face and this album certainly did that. 3.5/5 rounded down to a 3/5 because there isn't enough here to push it to a 4

You know what, it’s a fun one to start the morning. I was a little familiar with Adam, particularly the song “Goodie Two Shoes”. It may not be Abbey Road, but it has a small place in my heart. Sold 3, but definitely from a very specific period of time.

I like much of Adam and the Ants, but this album is just... okay. I would not recommend it to anyone who is not already a fan.

This was weird, but a few decent tracks. Jolly Roger almost brought this back down to a 2

Well it got me through putting away my laundry, putting in a new wash, making my bed and doing my dishes (I swear my next place is not happening unless it has a dishwasher). But it wouldn't be what i would have chosen normally. The first half is stronger.

Not bad

Kind of a fun and unique album. The vocals almost reminded me of Animal Collective in spots. Not blown away by it, but it was different.

As much fun as this is its not a record that has much of anything staying power with me. I get it though. Its a fun new wave record with a ton of good songs. My problem is none of them are that good for me personally. Enjoyable when they are on but I couldnt hum back anything ive heard. Thats the main issue. Even antmusic, the most popular song didnt do anything for me. I will say that because tidal only has a mega super epic version that was over 2 hours long I did find a b side track I liked. It doesnt count for this review but they had a punkier song there I did like. Its just not all thay great for me. I can see what others see in it but it still doesnt meet me on the same wavelength.

So irreverent and fun

There is no denying the singles and the image are iconic. The rest of it though is underwhelming and quite odd at times. A strange mishmash of an album. 2.5

Thought it was fun

It’s the 80s in a bottle. Totally rad.

You know, it was Adam Ant…

Had an old friend (who I'm no longer friends with) try and get me interested in this band a few years ago. I never took their advice and I never checked out anything by them. Safe to say I'm not regretting that decision today!

'Leapfrog the dog / And brush me daddy-o'; 'It's so sad when you're young / To be told you're having fun.' Adam & The Ants 'try another flavor' in that they ape indigenous imagery, not a surprise given their association w/ that poacher Malcolm McLaren. I gotta say Brits habited in tribal apparel don't exactly speak to moi. I don't want to moralize, but w/o a political correct angle, criticism of the record still has to begin w/ its visual symbolism: why the war paint? why the colorful eagle feathers? why the warrior postures? At the (merely) sonic level, the band is 1/3 Clash, 1/3 Talking Heads, & 1/3 Joy Division. They yet have a certain air of self-import that I can't get past, so an album (the original 12 tracks) w/ every other song a bop ain't so hot.

Not fantastic, just OK

Good, but I don't think it belongs on this list. I will listen to it again, but it's just "very good" new wave. I would give it 3.5 stars, but I'm not sure if I think that bumps it up to 4 on this scale.

There is a LOT to unpack here

The best part of this album is the drums. I really like the tribal rhythms and how hollow they sound. But this being a new wave album, the focus really isn't on the drums (outside of the title track). Over those drums is a new wave sound that is fun but not revolutionary. The album does have a ton of wackiness - there are at least four songs about ants, a song with Latin influences, and a pirate song. Many of the songs recall early career XTC. It can be a blast, or it can be annoying, like on "The Magnificent Five." Overall this is good more often than it is overwhelming, but a lack of a real stunning song and a number of songs with disappointing hooks keeps it at a 3.

I get Adam And The Ants and ‘Kings Of The Wild Frontier’s’ place in pop/rock music history, especially in the UK, what with the flamboyant clothing, pirate shirts, the tribal drumming, high energy pop/rock swagger, the whole ‘Ant Mania’ of 80’ to 82’….and the bloody yodelling. But objectively, apart from a handful of songs, nay the singles really, I don’t think ‘Kings of The Wild Frontier’ is actually all that good. And did I mention the yodelling? I really wanted to like this more. ‘Antmusic’ legitimately slaps though.

This is better than I thought it was going to be. The drums were cool. Not all of the vocals were bad.

A fun thing about this 1,001 album project is my surprise at which albums end up with some super deluxe mega expanded edition that’s 3 or 4 times longer than the original release. For me this album is fine but I guess it was a much bigger deal in the UK or something.

Weird, schräge Vocals und interessante Gitarren. Aber so richtig umgehauen hat es mich nicht.

80's memories!

I expected to hate this album. I didn't. It's kind of annoying but in an endearing way.

I can see how it influenced later bands, like maybe Duran Duran

antmusic

Better than expected.

Sometimes music is important, or vital. World changing. Sometimes it’s just fun. This is the second of those, glam rock fuzz, disco beats and weird post punk with daft lyrics and call and response backing. Will it change the world? No. Is it a fun way to spend 40 minutes? Yeah

Despite the cover, this one is pretty good, at least beyond my expectations

Better than I expected but wouldn't go back to

The (B) Clash. Not bad.

On continue notre plongée dans cette liste interminable des "1001 albums" et aujourd'hui, on s'attaque à un morceau de bravoure qui fleure bon le maquillage de guerre et les froufrous de pirates : Kings Of The Wild Frontier d'Adam & The Ants, sorti en 1980. Remettons tout d'abord les choses dans leur contexte. En 1980, je n'avais que dix ans, mais pour ceux qui, comme moi, ont passé leur vie à bouffer du vinyle, ce disque est un objet fascinant. C’est l’album de la mue car Adam Ant, après s’être fait piquer tous ses musiciens par Malcolm McLaren pour former Bow Wow Wow, a dû se réinventer et il n'y est pas allé de main morte. Le résultat ? Un truc totalement improbable qui mélange post-punk, pop tribale et une esthétique de corsaire du dimanche. Quand je repense à mes années chez le disquaire indépendant dans les années 90, c’est typiquement le genre d’album qu’on regardait avec un mélange de respect pour l'audace et de léger ricanement pour le côté "déguisé". Mais attention, ne vous y trompez pas : à l'époque, c'était une déflagration. Ce qui frappe immédiatement, c'est cette double batterie. Ce "Burundi beat" qui vient pilonner tes enceintes. C'est tribal, c'est lourd, c'est hypnotique. Il y a une énergie brute qui refuse de mourir. Pourtant et je dois l'avouer, ça a pris un sacré coup de vieux. On ne va pas se mentir, certains morceaux ont plus mal vieilli qu'une cassette restée sur le tableau de bord d'une 205 en plein mois d'août. L'aspect ultra-théâtral, presque cartoon, de la voix d'Adam Ant peut devenir franchement agaçant au bout de vingt minutes. Si sur "Dog Eat Dog" ou le titre éponyme "Kings of the Wild Frontier", la magie opère encore grâce à ce mur de percussions, d'autres titres tombent un peu à plat. C'est le problème avec les albums qui misent tout sur un concept esthétique total. Une fois que la mode est passée, il ne reste que la carcasse et ici, la carcasse est parfois un peu légère. On sent que le groupe cherchait la transition entre l'urgence punk de leurs débuts (période Dirk Wears White Sox) et une volonté farouche de devenir des pop-stars mondiales. Ayant baigné dans le post-punk le plus radical et le rock indé le plus exigeant, j'ai parfois du mal à ne pas lever les yeux au ciel face aux envolées de yodel d'Adam. C'est kitsch. C'est assumé, certes, mais c'est kitsch. Pourtant, il y a une forme de génie dans cette production de Chris Hughes. Réussir à faire un tube avec deux batteurs et des guitares qui sonnent comme des trompettes de cavalerie, il fallait oser. C’est cette audace que je respecte. On est en plein dans cette charnière 79/80 où tout semblait possible, avant que la FM ne devienne un robinet à soupe tiède. Alors, faut-il encore écouter ce disque en 2026 ? Oui, pour la culture générale rock, pour comprendre d'où vient cette branche un peu excentrique du post-punk anglais. Mais attendez-vous à quelques moments de solitude auditive. C'est un album de son temps, pour son temps. C'est fun, c'est bruyant, c'est parfois un peu ridicule, mais ça reste une pièce importante du puzzle. Ma note : 3 sur 5. C’est la note de la nostalgie et du respect pour le risque pris, mais amputée de deux points parce que mes oreilles de quinquagénaire saturent un peu sur les refrains trop "pantomime".

Fun and funky earworms 3-4

I used to wonder why so many music critics can be pretentious, cranky pricks. What could be better than being paid to form an opinion on music? After slogging through SO MUCH mid-level, unremarkable music on this project, you kind of get numb to the monotony of witnessing so little uniqueness and hearing such a lack of real creativity in the music industry. I get their frustration now (though one might argue that if a critic doesn’t like what they hear, then they should just go make music that they deem worthy of high art, which is 100% correct). This all explains why, when a Dark Side of the Moon, a Revolver, or an OK Computer shows up, the masses of music critics collectively lose their shit. Such albums are truly shooting stars. This doesn’t have much to do with Adam & the Ants except that they just kind of blend into everything else being presented in this project. Are they cool for being New Romantics? Yes. Are they special enough to sit up and say WOW! I can now hear something that I couldn’t hear before because of their art? Definitely no. They are the epitome of style over substance. Welcome to the heap of music that will not be revisited, Adam & your Ants. 3/5

A serviceably energetic new wave record that maybe owes a bit too much to the Sex Pistols for me to say is anything more than just alright. A shame that I keep on 3ing my dad's favorites

This was a much more enjoyable album than I was anticipating. I'm developing a weakness for this late 70s to 80s post punk and new wave nonsense that I've never heard of until the generator spits it out.

meh

I was not super excited when this record popped up yesterday, what with Adam Ant looking like a Dollar Store Ziggy Stardust. Plus, I was pretty sure Adam and the Ants were new wave and most new wave sucks. But it was sort of interesting. It kinda reminds me of Talking Heads…although not nearly on the same level. I appreciated the different rhythms and the somewhat unorthodox approaches to pop song structure. Ultimately, I don’t know that I’ll ever revisit this record, but it wasn’t terrible at all. 7/10

3.0 I had a real aversion to this when it came up. After doing some mental digging I think it stems from the fact that as I kid I would (for some reason) get confused between Adam and Gary Glitter, so I had instant 'oh my god nonse' repulsion. A quick Google tells me I'm very wrong so I apologise, the worst he did was just threaten everyone in a pub with a gun so that's alright. On the album itself, it's pretty bland new wave. Most songs pass by without notice, there's nothing super grating on here, and the slight metallic tones of Ants invasion is arguably enjoyable. -0.1 points for the album cover though, jesus. Surely they could have done better than that.

i feel quite bad now for actually not minding this lmao. i am not particularly fond of adam ant's voice but i do find that it works on some songs (dog eat dog, feed me to the lions, etc). i absolutely love the instruments here, i think they do save the album a bit. i'm quite ashamed of the fact this was the best selling album of 1981 here... there's so much better from that year...

OK, I understand, this shit is pretty off-putting and I am close to a 2 on it, but I think enough of the guitar work and the weird arrangement shit on here is interesting that I will give it a light 3.

"Antmusic for sex people" made me laugh out loud. At one point I'm hearing yodelling over a Link Wray lick. It shouldn't be good but it is. Mostly.

I liked it at first but all the songs started to just sound the same to me.

I was going to say this sounds a lot like Adam Ant, the guy who sings goodie two shoes, and well, what do you know.

antmusic for sexpeople sexmusic for antpeople get off your knees and hear the insect prayer wild album, borderline overwhelming at times. but that's the vision and I'm on board. he's really committed to the ant thing and, you know what, good for him.

Fine, amusing at times but gets a bit repetitive.

Definitely a moment and pushed pop punk forward before it was ever called that

1. ok 2. banger ! ANTMUSIIIIIC 3. Son de con mais ça marche 4. bon ! 5. bon! 6. aussi 7. Un peu moins 8. OUI! 9. tellement de la musique de con😂😂😭 Les derniers morceaux sont bon également. Dans l’ensemble, c’est bon! 1-2 morceaux en dessous mais ça change pas grand chose. 3-/5

Theatrical pop isn't my favorite genre, but I have a bit of a soft spot for Adam and the Ants because Prince Charming was #1 when I was born, and my older sister was a fan as a kid. Every song is fun and catchy, but that said I felt like I'd "got" every song after about 90 seconds and was ready to move on.

Back when pop was fun and a little weird . Great album that’s hard to place - with thier odd two drummer sound Good not great but worth a listen .

Odd album. New wave is not necessarily my thing, but I dug a few tracks on this one. I listened to the deluxe edition that had a live show on it. That was better than the studio tracks.

5/10 Having now listened to this album four times through, I’m still really not sure what to make of it. Rhythmically, there’s a lot to like about this, with the band utilising the rare double-drummer aspect of their lineup well. And stylistically, I really appreciate the kookiness and reluctance to settle into one specific sound. The moments that stood out for me were when that quirky edge teetered a little towards mania, or they threw in some fairly significant tonal juxtapositions within a song, but I think perhaps that didn’t happen often enough to fully engage me. It’s pretty amazing to me that an album so unconventional and quirky would become the best selling album in the UK in 1981, so fair play to them for that. To me, the mix was a little all over the place, with some parts getting lost in the background a little too much and the lack of mixing consistency probably didn't help the tonal inconsistency to slide quite as well as it otherwise could. But how do I sum up my feelings about this? I’m glad I listened to it for sure, but I also don’t think much of it was vastly memorable, and I don’t suspect I’ll bother coming back to it again either. I think essentially, I liked the idea of this album more than the execution of it. Which is unfortunate. But I’d probably rather listen to slightly more off-the-wall stuff like Oingo Boingo, or stuff with a bit more consistency like Talking Heads, whereas this just threads the line a little too narrowly down the middle for me. I enjoyed my time with it, but that’s probably enough. Dog Eat Dog - It’s a rhythmically compelling start. The drums are obviously driving, but there’s also an interesting juxtaposition of different rhythms from the tonal instruments too. Some really nice stuff in the bass.It’s got a fairly persistent feeling of building to something that never really arrives. I quite like it, but feel a little like it didn’t quite reach where it was going. Antmusic - Similarly to the first track, this is rhythmically interesting and there’s a lot of interesting sounds in there too. Again, it feels like there’s a lot of unresolved tension in the songwriting, but there’s something fairly compelling about it regardless. Feed Me To The Lions - This is pretty pop-punky, but has a restrained pace to it. There are some nice elements there, particularly with the layered vocals. The riff in the verse is pretty solid and the bass is good too. I can’t help but feel that we’ve yet to be delivered a really satisfying chorus though. Los Rancheros - We’re getting into more straightforward new-wave pop territory now. I like the vibe of it and it’s got a nice bouncing groove that keeps it ticking along. There are definitely some wacky elements in there, from some of the vocal choices and sound effects in particular. It's a little bit repetitive after a while though. Ants Invasion - There’s a bit of a creepy edge to this one. It’s got a bit of an Oingo Boingo flavour to it, which is great. For something with this vibe, I don’t really mind the lack of resolution and think it works really well. It’s persistent, a bit odd and got a really intriguing and compelling tone and drive to it. Good stuff. Killer In The Home - This continues that vibe from the previous track, but dials down the creepy edge a little bit, while maintaining that persistence and unresolved tension. There’s some great moments of sound design later on with the drums and studio work. There are parts of this that I really like, but overall as a song it feels like it doesn’t fully deliver on its promise. Kings Of The Wild Frontier - There’s more compelling and driven drumming on here and the bass tone and playing is great again. They play around with intensity of the rhythm through the song and there are some interesting uses of secondary percussion and the slow intensity build through the song is pretty decent. It does eventually just sort of tail off though. Feels an odd one to end with a fade out. The Magnificent Five - And now we get a slice of quirky, jangly pop, but it’s punctuated with some heavy guitars for the chorus. This is gloriously weird. It feels like the production is a little bit muddled, but I really like the tonal shift they throw in. There’s quite a lot going on in this track, so probably good reward for multiple listens too. Just the kind of oddity I can get on board with. Don't Be Square (Be There) - More quirky, odd stuff that fluctuates between clean, jangly stuff and more distorted tones. There’s some more off the wall guitar playing on this too. It’s all tonally quite confusing, but it’s good stuff because it keeps you on your toes, but does have a central thread to grab on to, so works pretty well. Jolly Roger - And now for a pirate song. Sure, why not? It’s not the most compelling song and is a bit instrumentally thin. The stuff that's there is ok, but it doesn’t do a lot for me really. Making History - We get back on track a little here. Although have we ever been fully on track? This makes me think a bit of some 90s and 00s ska punk in tone. Rhythmically, it continues to be fairly compelling and there’s some decent, if a little repetitive hooks in there. The Human Beings - Again, there are some nice ideas in here and the vibe is decent, but it never quite connects fully with me and the mix is a bit odd. There’s some stuff in there thats so low in the mix you don’t really pick it up. This song kind of connects with me in the same way as much of the album. Rhythmically quite compelling, idealistically and intentionally great, but the execution doesn’t quite hit for me.

Pretty enjoyable. Funky twang. Getting some tangiers vibes.

Decent I don’t hate it

Alright brit pop. Have in on vinyl cause someone more important to me covers a song, so listened to this over on old vinyl. Maybe my quality is bad, but it's just alright.

c'est ok mais bref

ok mdr?

Je m'attendais à bien pire, par contre la cover m'a fait du mal

Based on my previous experiences with listening to similar music, this seemed like a pretty cookie cutter Brit-pop-punk album. Antmusic was the only song that grabbed me. Overall it was alright, but I'd rather just listen to the Clash

This is exactly the kind of weird pop I *should* like. For some reason, it’s just not clicking with me. It’s fine, just not especially memorable and not really leaving a huge impression. Solid middle of the road 3. Maybe on a relisten some of it might hit better, but on first lesson it was just okay.

good 80s

Liked this more than I thought I would

Ludicrous these days. But fun if not culturally appropriate. Not a fan all those years ago but I've obviously mellowed.

I enjoyed the songs, but his voice went right through me! It was that weird shout singing - hated it 3 ⭐️

More interesting than your standard 80s fare.

A little odd. Quirky enough to be interesting, without being too offputting. The pirate track seemed random, but it had a cohesive sound as an album. This won’t go into my regular rotation, but didn’t mind as a once-through

I never really bothered digging into Adam Ants discography and only heard his singles. If this album is any indication, I don’t need to bother, listening to any of the other albums. I do like his singles, but arrest is just meh.

🥇los rancheros demo 🥈don’t be square (be there) 🥉antmusic HM: kings of the wild frontier, the magnificent five

Un clásico, un tipo que sirvió de inspiración a toda una generación, ya fueran punks o nuevos románticos (que se lo digan a Duran Duran). Por imagen y actitud, y por sonido. Desde sus coetáneos, donde en los tres o cuatro primeros años marcóla pauta a todos, hasta más adelante se puede escuchar en el BritRock desde Elastica a Blur, en los RHCP, M.Manson, Nine inch nails... Aquí ya con Marco Pirroni (que dejó a Siouxsie and the Banshees), la calidad de las canciones es alta, sobre todo sus éxitos Ant music y la titular Kings of the wild frontier. Dog eat dog es otro buen tema como Feed me to the lions o The Magnificent five. Las baterías, el Burundi beat, a pesar de haberles robado McLaren con Bow Wow Wow, siguen muy presentes. El segundo Prince Charming sigue la estela, con otro tema para recordad: Stand and deliver. Una pena que con Tony Visconti en su tercer disco Vive Le Rock no tuviera éxito, porque es una gran canción.

Some strong tracks and a lot of attitude. A couple of b sides included in the deluxe edition are comparably better than the whole original album. Good sophomore showing but not quite a strong as showing as Friend or Foe would soon prove to be. 6/10

this album has a pretty classic 80s sound. It’s an enjoyable listen, but not necessarily anything I would write home about.

Early 80’s

Early new wave

Good start and interesting stuff but run out of ideas towards the end and ruin what could have been a very interesting album

I probably shouldn’t like this as much as I did. Oozing with charisma, a tribal chanting hit

Didn’t hate it but wouldn’t go back to it

1/6/25. Quirky and interesting album. Starts out with the typical 80s new wave sound before it diverts into fun madness. Probably will need to listen several more times, but thought it was decent.

Enjoyable nonsense!

Driven along by the Burundi beat, great to hear again. Oh to be a first year student

Not wild about this and quite noisy

When this album came out 15yo me had no idea how innovative the combination of African rhythms and 50s American guitar work was. Several decades later I suspect Mr Ant is still a bit under-appreciated and seen mainly as a teen phenomenon. All that said, the album didn't grab me, but a solid 3* for innovation and moving the pop genre forward.

Interesting, but start to sound samey after a while.

This sure was fun in parts, and I really enjoyed revisiting it, however it was also clear why a nine-year-old me found it so intriguing a release. The Native American “Indian” schtick wore thin after a while, and I can’t for the life of me figure out just where Jolly Roger fits in to this album. That said, the the singles are really strong I’m 100% confident. I will be able to table drum the rhythm section to the song Kings of the wild frontier until I’m at deaths door 😎

Kinda nice! A bit punky, a bit wavey, a bit gay. Like it.

Definitely a British new wave record. Favorite track: Kings of the Wild Frontier

Was fun

I really enjoyed this. Not sure it is something that will ever permanently enter my rotation, but I will definitely revisit it again and see if it sticks

Best Song: Ants Invasion I wasn't really a big fan of this, but the riff to Ants Invasion is fantastic and brought Adam's grade from a 2 to a 3. Definitely worth the listen just for that track. 3/5.

It's like fun Talking Heads.

Uh I mean, it’s definitely Adam & the Ants! Not bad in small doses, but I was bored but the end NGL.

5/10

Favourite Songs: Ants Invasion The Human Beings

Hey! I kno- that song isn't on here. Goody Two Shoes is from his SOLO career, is what you're telling me. This guy had a band & was big enough to leave the Ant Hill. This guy. And Goody Two Shoes is NOT on the album represented on The List. I may be a dumbass American but seriously WTF. And I'm pretty sure the album cover is a still from that music video. I have a poor memory. They seem to use (over-use) Western hooks alot. Not bad overall. Nice surfer, punk country sound. They lean into the Ant shtick a bit too much. Its weird, kinda quirky, Fun & infectious. Still disappointed at no Goody Two Shoes. 3 Arrggg matey Ther be a jolly sea shanty fur me & me buccos! Yo Ho. HAR HAR

3-

Better than I thought it would be but he's obsessed with his name isn't he?

This was solid, but not great.

Started with some fun ones but overall a bit low quality

I didn’t know what this was but I liked it.

I imagine that Robin Williams used to listen to this album all the time in the 80's.

Adam and the Ants are doing a lot here. Drawing from several genres and the end result is an engaging album. I really enjoyed, Killer in the Home quite a bit, it feels a little more focused and the shimmering guitars play off of Adam’s yelps quite well. Antmusic has a good jangle to it and really nails what they’re doing. The Human Beings track is pretty dumb but dumb fun. I enjoyed this but they also lost and annoyed me at times. I can see how this band could have had an influence on Kevin Barnes from of Montreal, a fantastic art rock group. So while I appreciate what they did here, I won’t be returning aside from a few tracks. 3 stars

“Kings of the Wild Frontier” by Adam and the Ants is... well, wild. In my opinion, it's not really worth going into individual songs, as the overall style seems exciting but also somehow cute from today's perspective. The grooves seem very open (maybe it's the Burundi drums?) and lively, but not really tight, the bass is produced very cool for my taste (but maybe I just like the typical early-80s new wave bass sound), and Adam Ant's vocals give the impression that he was very eccentric on stage. I consider the entire album to be an interesting historical document and therefore rate it neutral.

Sounds very 80s

Fun album. I knew his radio songs, but just about all these songs were new to me.

Ants. I loved Antmusic and Ants Invasion. The album had a pretty strong start for me, but got boring pretty quick. It just kinda turned into noise. They can't all be winners.

Kind of obnoxious, but a bit campy and fun too. Not too keen on coming back to this one ever.

Certainly one that I had never heard before. Most New Wave stuff is good for a listen, but it doesn't really stick with me. That's not a knock against this band or any other New Wave band. It's catchy to listen to in the moment, but there wasn't really a lasting impression from any of the songs on here.

There were times where i thought I would give it a 4 and times were i thought it was just a 1.

★★★½

Some catchy bits mixed with the awkward growing phase where the OG punks remembered that T. Rex also made guitar jams. The pirate gimmick and bass shanty gang vocals grate on you over time.

Interesting enough. A Venn diagram intersecting Bowie, the Smiths, Sex Pistols in varying proportions.

Fun, upbeat, not very memorable.

3 Stars (8/15)

This was kind of fun

The first thing that came to mind during 'Dog Eat Dog' was <did I miss another Damon Albarn project?> Once the singing began I was shaken of this notion, but a lot of this feels like something that would have heavily influenced a young Albarn and the other Blur boys. I love Albarn. I like, not love, this. I will definitely be checking out more from Adam & The Ants, though. 3/5

Weird, experimental, huge fusion list of influences but somehow does not come together in a way that is particularly pleasing to my ears. It is silly, lyrics are silly, music is silly, and that's fun but it doesn't make me feel much aside from slight annoyance mixed with interest. I am intrigued though, I kind of also like it, and wish pop had the guts to be so weird today

Anfang des Albums zu "kitschig", 80er Klischees, sehr wummerig, Ab Ants Invasion gut. Häufige Wiederholung der Parts in den Liedern

Jännä, että tässon keulakuvana charru, joka on jostain syystä tuttu sekä nimenä, että pärstänä, mutta musiikki ei oo pahemmin tuttua. Ainut styge, jonka oikeestaan tietää on se Ant Rap ja siitäkään ei oikein ota selvää, että kuinka kieli poskella tässä mennään. Nonii ja sitten tähän ite pihviin eli leipään eli rieskaan. Levy on melkosta kalasalaattia eli sillipitosuus on korkee. Sovitukset on aika omanlaistaan ja ensikuulemalta men ajoittain vähän sietämättömän puolelle. Kuuntelin kuitenkin rohkeesti toisen kerran ja alkohan tuolta löytyyn ihan hetkensä. Vissiin briteissä tää on mennyt läpi kuin HÄKÄ (mikä perkeleen sanonta se toikin on) jo aikalaisena. Varmaan, jos hinkkais enemmän, niin tätä vois ymmärtää työntö työnnöltä enempi. Mutta semmoseen ei oo aikaa, kun kohta tulee taas uutta kuunneltavaa. JOTEN vaikka levyllä onkin "saatana mitä sekoilua" -hetkiä, niin varsinkin alkupään biisit on hyviä. Joten kun meno on kunnon sinkoilua, niin lyödään ite sitten jämäkästi kepulainen arvosana.

Vaikka sisältää elementtejä, joista pidän, niin äänimaalilman latteus jotenkin häiritsee.

Entuudestaan nimeltä tuttu pumppu, mutta yhtään biisiä en ollut kuullut ennen tätä. Ihan kivoja soundeja, mutta biiseinä ei kyllä mitään erikoisia. Jolly Rogerista tuli semmoiset pienet Pogues-vibat, lähinnä melodian osalta. Arvoin kahden ja kolmen tähden väliltä, mutta koska tämä oli niin selkeää EOM:ää eilisen Nirvanaan verrattuna, niin olkoon kolme tähteä.

I'm ambivalent about this. It's probably essential 80's new wave but this listen just didn't grab me that much. I feel in this case that listening in another context might leave a greater impact.

Ever so dandy. Poptastic of its age. Same relentless beat through with lyrics replete with silliness. Limited vocals. Turn up the volume and get prancing.

Good, punkish but not in an annoying way.

So 80s. Fine

Album 940 of 1089 Adam & The Ants - Kings Of The Wild Frontier (1980) Rating : 3 / 5 I listened and I enjoyed it. It brought back memories of those early days when this kind of sound was starting to take over the airwaves - a big shift from the straight-up AM/FM radio music I grew up with. It was new, flashy, and full of attitude, and this album captures that era perfectly. While it doesn’t necessarily throw out any tracks that’ll stick with me forever, it’s hard to deny how fun the listening experience is. The rhythms are infectious, the energy is high, and the whole thing feels like a party that doesn’t take itself too seriously - which I think was probably the point. It’s a good time, start to finish, and sometimes that’s all you really need from an album.

A good album, I liked Jolly Roger the most.

The range of influences in this album is impressive.

Album Art 1/5

Decent 80's rock I suppose. Nothing that really drug me in.

Fun album. Nothing remarkable but fun nonetheless.

Very 80s. One song had a bass line very similar to Quentin Tarantino movie

It’s kinda stupid but has charm to it

1980s new wave pop punk. Wild west, bandit pop rock. Glam and theatrical.

A lot closer to a cross between queer punk and the beach boys than I would have imagined and I was ok with that.

really thought i'd hate this going in to it, but something about the instrumentation works

This is down in the realms of drugged up Bowie. I can handle the music and vocals but the lyrics are a tad bit weak. I hear early Cult as well. This is yet another album in a long line of mediocre albums on this site. I don’t hate it but I’m not writing home about it. Choice cut: King of the Wild Frontier

I can’t work out why this album didn’t hit for me. It was catchy and had a good beat, maybe it was just a bit too kitschy but I found it hard to get through.

A sprinkle of adamant is organically OK, whole album is not

Not bad! 3/5

Silly fun. Nothing notable musically but for the time a genuine attempt at humour. Doesn't age well at all but for those who lived it this meant everything so who am I to mock..

Another day and another album where I wish there were half stars available. Beyond a handful of singles, I’ve never been much of a fan of Adam (with or without his Ants). “Antmusic” was fun, but the rest is a bit samey and hasn’t aged particularly well - it sounds very of its time. Maybe that’s the appeal of Adam and the Ants, but if it is, it doesn’t appeal to me. Anyway, I think this probably deserves a 2.5, but as that isn’t available - and I gave a worse album than this 2* yesterday - it gets a 3.

This ended up very middle of the road to me. I love Ant Music and everything else sounded pretty much like Ant Music, just not quite as catchy. I certainly wouldn't turn it off if it showed up on shuffle, but probably won't ever choose to listen to it. 3/5

A fun, rock-pop record with a lot of rhythm and energy. Good vibe album for sure and the live renditions sound like they put on a really entertaining show for an audience. Wasn't familiar with this band before today, but I like em.

Some enjoyable tracks, but ultimately forgetable for me.

New wave!!! Cool sound overall in the album, not a lot of replay value for me. But keep these sounds coming!

I mean, how am I supposed to rank an album which has the line “ant music for sex people, sex music for ant people”?

Later

not the most exciting of eighties

Good. Okay.

Eerste kant was veel leuker, tweede kant niet. Ik lette niet op bij de eerste kant

All for feeding Adam & The Ants to the Lions.

Not for me.

This won me over. I was never a big fan of the Adam & The Ants songs I knew (On this album, basically just "Antmusic") The chuggga-chugga guitars and almost tribal beats not doing much for me. A few of the songs repeat that formula to expected diminishing returns, but there are also bits of New Wave, and New Romantic sounds in there that enjoyed. And is the Pirate song a bit ridiculous? Absolutely, but did I find joy in it anyway? You bet I did.

There were some interesting songs but I want feeling it overall. 2 might be too harsh.

Wow, Ant Music took me right back to high school dances. Maybe I oughtn’t to admit that. But I enjoyed this. The look, the music, the videos… it was just fun.

Fine. Nothing really stuck out to me.

Tough one for me to rate because I don't know if I enjoyed it, but I did find myself putting some of the tracks on again later.

I didnt think I would enjoy British 80's new wave music yet here I am! Poppy fun, nothing really stood out but overall a good experience, its got some light funk and good basslines and silly wacky lyrics. Will I come back to this? nope! but it was an interesting ride.

In the early-mid 90s I saw Nine Inch Nails live. Adam Ant came out and did 3 songs. Most of these songs here could be covered by an industrial band easily. This is a good catch fun pop album. Great bass player. More than capable drummer. It boarders on being too long though

Unabashedly quirky and eccentric (dare I say, "dumb") 80s new wave. It's loud and bombastic, full of annoyingly ear-wormy vocals and bombastic percussion (timpani!) Can't say I'll likely ever revisit this, but I'm glad to have been exposed to it through this list.. it's pure dumb fun, the band clearly doesn't give a fuck whether the listener likes it or not. For that I can commend them.

Can't decide if I'm more of a "ant music for sex people" person or "sex music for ant people" person but I appreciated the entomologist representation.

Fun, punk. Enjoyable. Not quite a classic.

2nd day in a row with a 1980 Brit release that’s a blend of New Wave, punk, etc. The only thing that made this one slightly better is the fact that the group sounds like it’s having a blast making this album. So for that it get.s a 2.5 / 5 instead of a 2.

I've heard the name, but never heard the band. Well, actually, I think I've heard them in a number of bands that came after them, if that counts. This squad had one wild, sometimes wacky, always distinctive sound. World beats and weird voices and unusual hooks. I felt similar to this as I did about Sheet Music by 10cc: it's inarguably wildly creative and the band is undoubtedly talented, but I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it. Well, I do know how I feel about "Antmusic": It may be the best new discovery I've made on this journey. That song kicks ass. Some others are definitely good, but then others I just wasn't all that sure on. It had some wild sea shanty type stuff, wacky sounds, silly deep voices, jarring intervals and rhythms, and some strange almost lo-fi new wave production. That's a heady mix. However, sounds like music that grows on you for sure, so I think it needs more spins. I'm willing to do that, but that doesn't help me give this thing a rating right now... Call it a 3.25/5, I guess, but don't quote me.

A solid new age album with a few enjoyable tracks. For me, the singing / approach feels a bit too arch throughout, which diminishes its appeal.

I have no idea how to review this. The whole album is so silly that it seems like a joke. Silly costumes, silly attitude, silly lyrics... It’s almost brilliant in its silliness, and I don’t know if Adam Ant is a misunderstood genius or a scammer whoring for attention. I suspect the second option is closer to the truth... The shameless stealing of the "Burundi drums" doesn’t really speak in his favor. And I’m not talking about cultural appropriation – no, it’s just about copying someone else’s work (without compensation) and taking credit for it... That's just dishonest. And yet, I have to admit I kind of enjoyed this album. I listened to it multiple times because I couldn’t make my mind about it. I started by hating it - then loved it, then hated it again... Now I don’t really know. There are some weird moments and some interesting moments... For some reason I can't get "Ants Invasion" out of my brain. Well, at least it made me think, which is the whole point of this project for me - to get out of my comfort zone. I’ll rate it a 3* for now , but it’s entirely possible I’ll come back to it later and edit my rating. 5/10

it did sort of sound like what you'd expect stereotypical dnd playing kids in the 80s to be listening to. It was fun, and I can definitely see the legacy it created.

At the start: "This is so damn fun, I dig the drums." By the end: "Ah, so this is where Godsmack drew inspiration from. It's less fun." As a whole, it's a miss, but it has a couple hits.

My favorite Bowie character

Interesting. Not too wimbly, not too wimbly at all.

I’m not much of a new wave fan, but this one wasn’t terrible. There’s definitely more personality here than I expected, and I could hear some UK punk energy bleeding through the sound. That edge kept it from feeling too polished or overly quirky like a lot of new wave tends to. “Antmusic” was easily one of the highlights, catchy and fun without being annoying. “Don’t Be Square” had a solid groove too, showing that Adam and the Ants could pull off something playful while still keeping a bite to it. Overall, it is not really my style, but I can see why people connected with it at the time. The tribal drumming and punk influence give it a unique character, even if it is not an album I’d reach for again. Favorite song: Antmusic

Con este disco me terminé de dar cuenta de que el parlante que tenemos en el living sirve para escuchar podcasts y nada más. No es de mi gusto personal, pero hicieron hartas cosas entretenidas que me hicieron sonreir.

Catchy! Some meh tracks, but decent overall.

Kul!

Trevligt!

Cool new wave rock that sometimes reminded me of The Clash and sometimes Bowie. It’s fun stuff but I didn’t connect to it emotionally. Some goofy and zany choices here. Like, how about that pirate song?

Teetering on the brink between post-punk darkness and new wave silliness. Adam & the Ants ability to play different styles with conviction ("Ants Invasion"; "Los Rancheros"; "Jolly Rodger") is impressive. Plus the B-movie references in the song titles/lyrics were not lost on me. This is so close to a 4-star, but I just don't see myself revisiting it often.

Are they pirates or or cowboys? Glam metal or alternative or indie? What's going on here? Pick a theme . . . and make it half as long next time. Other than that, uniquely entertaining.

Interesante, no soy muy fan de la escena británica pero si hay un par de canciones que valieron la pena

Going into this album, I was already a fan of some of Adam Ant’s solo work—especially “Goody Two Shoes” and “Strip.” Those tracks are catchy and fun, so I was curious to check out Kings of the Wild Frontier. Overall, the album’s pretty solid. It has a very theatrical feel. There’s something captivating about the whole thing.

In the first half, I appreciated that pop music used to be wild like this rather than so cookie cutter. But this just kept going further and further off the rails. I couldn't wait for this one to be done with 3 more songs left to listen to.

Was okay, music was too jarring! Vocals was too much for me

Was unfamiliar with this artist, but enjoyed this for sure. The correct blend of 1980s new wave and pop.

Особенно не расслушал, хотя слушать пробовал и до того.

Monotonous

2/3

Although I enjoyed this well enough, the fact that neither of their big hits, Stand and Deliver nor Prince Charming are on this album makes me worry that the editors have made another bad call and included Adam and the Ants on this list twice. Overall nice, good to hear more from this band that's not the overplayed big hits.

I found Kings of the Wild Frontier chaotic, energetic, inventive, repetitive, and generally annoying. The percussion and mood carry half the appeal. The other half is my begrudging respect for their ambitious concept. Not my thing, but undeniably interesting.

Decent.

this album makes me feel like a little ant sick of being stepped on by evil humans and after decades of tyranny my colony and I are preparing for the rise against humans. 2.5 (rating a 3 for the nostalgia of antmusic)

madness. fucking madness

love or hate adam but the ants have a very distinctive sound for sure

I thought this guy was just an MTV era poser. That may be true, but this album was not half bad - but certainly not astounding.

Not the most exciting stuff tbh

Not that bad.

I feel like this was good but not particularly memorable, although I also feel somehow that’s my fault

Huh. I'm not entirely sure why, but I enjoyed this much more than most new wave stuff. Probably because it's got a healthy dose of weird mixed in. 3.2

Surprised to discover that it is quite good. I think the drumming does it for me particularly

Álbum divertido. QoA Vesper

First listen

6/10 This was fine, with almost nothing that was outstanding. Prototypical new wave sound, well produced and theatrically delivered. Best: Antmusic

I like that it’s a concept album, but just not really something I’d care to hear again

What is this? An album for ants?

Weird album, kinda liked it. Some catchy songs on there, but nothing that really caught my attention.

Kind of fun I guess. Adam & the Ants definitely bring the party, but it feels sort of one-note when zooming out a bit. No particularly killer tracks and some silly lyrics. The double drummers is something you don't see often in a band, though.

Ant Music saved it

I like “Antmusic” but the rest…not as much

Wacky stuff, not very good but entrancing at times. Just about mid because it stands out 3/5

I liked this album with its big driving rhythms and weirdo lyrics. It reminded me of Bowie and the Clash.

meh it was fine

decent 80s pop album. Wasn't amazing. 2.5 rounding up

It was good, kinda strange but good

Rockabilly meets New Wave and a whole lot of fun. Having only really been aware of the band's major singles, this was eye opening as to how many more they could have had. Favorites are Ants Music, Ants Invasion, Kings Of The Wild Frontier, Don't Be Sqaure (Be There), and Press Darlings.

“Ant music” is a banger. The rest has a consistent campy, edgy tone. 3.1 stars rounded down.

More 80’s punk. I only recognized one song, but this album is pretty good.

So weird that it defies any evaluation metric I could apply to it, but not so weird that it is completely unenjoyable and more art than music.

I honestly don't know what to feel about this album

a bunch of ants

I like and always have liked Adam & the Ants. I think they are an energetic and fun band to listen to. I don't get any sense of date from their style or music and had no thoughts on it. Yet, if they are "timeless" that could also be their Achilles heel... See, often when I think of timeless bands I think I place them in a higher standard bracket. They are most often at the head table or close to it. Adam & The Ants are a fun band, standing the test of time because they are easy to listen to and maybe a bit predictable even. I think this band would get like a three and a half if that were a rating here, so they ARE quite good and like I said, fun. I think they have a bit of competition which tightens the ratings a bit.

Meh

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3. I do wish I could leave it at a 3.5 though, because this is a pretty enjoyable album, for the most part. Whenever it’s not *that* enjoyable though… boy, it’s just kinda dry. That dryness looms over a bit too much of the album for me to give it a bump up to a 4 – there’s just too many tracks that have sections that didn’t really grab me like that. In those drier moments, something just looms in the soundscape for a bit too long, whether it’s a sort of mediocre guitar solo, a vocal performance that doesn’t have the right level of conviction, or just a drum pattern that doesn’t really have the right kick to it. Even when none of those are present, sometimes the tracks just didn’t really click for me, despite their best efforts, due to a general lack of presence from the band themselves. Take “The Human Beings” as an example – fun concept, good looping vocals, but when the instrumentation isn’t there to evolve the track and give it a sense of progression, it makes the track fall a bit short. Same goes for “The Magnificent Five”; totally fine track, but the soundscape hits a high point at the intro, and just sort of stabilizes afterward. Even on the best tracks on this album, there’s moments that feel a little weird, like “Antmusic” using its chorus as a bit of a crutch, “Ants Invasion” having some noisy guitar at the end, or “Jolly Roger” abruptly ending without any fun pirate-y guitar solo stuff. Whenever it’s not dry, I like it, but I especially like it when these guys sort of bite Talking Heads a bit, which is making me realize that… maybe I just really want to listen to some Talking Heads, you know? Ultimately, this feels like a weird in-between of post-punk & new wave, leaning a little more towards post-punk’s vocals / structure while trying to integrate new wave soundscapes, but it’s not doing the most effective blend job, at least to my ears. I hear all the potential in the world though, and there are some great tracks here. Had these guys not broken up within a few years, I think they would’ve been able to ride the wave of a new wave a bit longer. As far as this album goes, it’s just not quite there for me. It could totally go up to a 4 someday if some of this clicks a little better, but for now, I’ll stay at a 3.5 bumped down to a 3.

After Adam's first Ants went off with Malcolm McLaren to form Bow Wow Wow, Adam recruited a new group and dominated the charts with exciting fancy dress pop music with two drummers to really make things lively. So I found the singles completely irresistible, but most of the rest of the album seemed a bit lacklustre by comparison.

I found this a bit of let down to be honest. Adam and the Ants, although I don't know anything other than Prince Charming, had always held a bit of interest for me. However, this was very run of the mill. Nice, not bad, perfectly decent, but just not exciting.

Shocking turn of events here. A rock album I don't love? I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. I enjoyed the campy first disc but the live tracks were so godawful😭4 for the first and 2 for the live show. I'm sorry adam and also your ants. Genuinely what are you doing.

Thought I would hate it…didn’t

It feels like this is quite an old album but it's from that time when that kind of music was quite generic, I think. Nothing too exciting but it's alright leaving it in the background. Overall, a bit meh but it was alright.

3 stars

Lots of nostalgia but it hasn’t stood the test of time too well

Catchy overall. Especially drums and guitar. Can be a bit repetitive at times.