Kings Of The Wild Frontier

"Kings of the Wild Frontier" — proving once again that you can love a genre and still not like an album as much as you'd expect.

Not for me

Nonce

- Tracks that sound like Mighty Boosh songs - Tracks that sound like TGS With Tracey Jordan skits - Electric Funeral rip-off - I Want Candy rip-off - Pirate anthem Mix it all together and you've got a classic

You can really hear the punk / new wave sensibilities in the songs. My feeling was that they were throwing a lot of things to the wall to see what would stick. I find it interesting that it wasn't until Adam Ant went solo that he was really recognized by the non-punk population. I also didn't know the original line-up left Adam to from Bow Wow Wow. It's just that the songs themselves don't break out to be... catchier. They all seemed pretty forgettable. Top tracks: "Dog Eat Dog," "Killer In The Home"

I have listened to this album a lot over the past week, as I've really struggled to decide between a 3 and a 4. Adam and the Ants are labelled new wave but I don't think that does them justice. I really hear a lot of punk and post punk in their musical stylings, which likely isn't surprising given what they started as. I think what makes them new wave is the off-kilter sounds they introduce from time to time and Adam Ant's voice - his high pitched signing (at times) doesn't quite fit punk or post-punk. But really listen to their guitar chords, bass playing, and drum beats. It's lower and more punk pounding as opposed to more uppity or poppy sounding that some new wave can be. And I really enjoyed that - something novel about the Sex Pistols or Joy Division paired with Boy George on vocals. There were a lot of songs I really enjoyed too - Dog Eat Dog (campy), Antmusic (a bit poppy but different, Feed Me to the Lions (post punky), Ants Invasion (grungy), the title track (most well-rounded), The Magnificent Five (a mix of everything), Jolly Roger (campy and fun). And then the two songs from the US release - Press Darlings (great fun and glammy) and Physical (Joy Divisiony). I'm going with a 4. There's a lot more depth here than you might think on first listen.

My second album here and I’m already on a marmite one! To be honest this album slaps, I love it, you should love it, everyone should love it. My highlights include: Dog Eat Dog, Antmusic, The Magnificent Five

Well, it was fun.

The usual early-80s-post-punk attitude and sound - this album is well produced, however - but tedious, as in the absence of any good songs, I'm missing a reason to listen to this again. 2.5/5

Didnt do it for me - bit nonsensical in a fade into background noise kinda way.

Interesting album. This is punk, new wave and has a nice poppy feel. It’s a little goofy, but I enjoyed the listen. ***

Adam & the Ants aren't new to me, but I've also never really listened to them before. I don't think I'll be listening to them again either. I feel like I've been taken on a peculiar ride and have developed whiplash. Three stars for being interesting?

Not for me

I liked it so much, I even played the bonus tracks. I usually don't. The bonus tracks are even better. He's not a very good singer, but it suits the music well. Favorite song on the original album: Kings of the wild frontier

I'm really starting to dislike the euro bias of this list.

Like if British punk had a baby with New Wave - Extremely repetitive and not very interesting.

I'm not terribly familiar with Adam & the Ants besides Adam Ant's comeback single back in the 90s. I'm enjoying this in a way I didn't expect. Ant Invasion is the first track that really grabbed my attention. I guess taking a screen cap off your video and using it as your album art would have been pretty high-tech back in 1980. It's quaint here in 2024.

couple good tunes, but doesnt leave too much impression

Ok

An undeniable new wave masterpiece. It's chock full of quirky nuggets of gold and oddball swagger. Adam Ant is like the non-inflammatory version of Morrissey. This album is just a solid good time from end to end. Landmark for the genre.

3. Another new wave, um, experience. Like pirate rock. I think three stars is right, but I'm glad I heard em.

A surprisingly fun and good new wave album with lots of influences from other bands and styles. However there are no songs that stand out, but the overall listening experience was good. 3.5 out of 5.

I've never heard of this group or album, but I loved it.

"Kings of the Wild Frontier" is the second studio album by English new wave band Adam & the Ants. The band underwent a major lineup change from their debut album as Malcolm McLaren wooed the backing band of lead singer Adam Ant to form Bow Wow Wow. Ant recorded this album with new partner and lead guitarist Marco Pirrani. Two drummers (Terry Lee Miall and Chris Hughes) and bassist Kevin Mooney were also added to complete the band. The album did very well commercially reaching #1 in the UK and #44 in the US. The unique two drummer beat (Burundi) opens "Dog Eat Dog." Guitar riffs and piano round things off. Ant's vocals are echoing and rapping. There's background chanting, yelling and whistling. It's a song about competition inspired by a Margaret Thatcher quote. That drum beat (with the sticks percussion more prominent) drive "Antmusic." Hey, this song still gets fairly heavy rotation on the XM New Wave station. You first hear Pirroni's post-punk guitar riffs here. A very catchy chorus. "Unplug that jukebox and little to our music." There's a singing and chanting start to the self-titled and first single "Kings of the Wild Frontier." The Burundi drum beat, guitar feedback and three-chord guitar riffs. Supposedly inspired by Davy Crockett, Ant compares his band to Native Americans. "Don't Be Square (Be There)" continues a hypnotic, repetitive drumbeat. A turned-up melodic bass and guitar slashes. Pirroni goes up and down the scales. This guitar really reminded me of P.I.L. Don't be square and get into ant music. This was my first dive, of any sort, into the music of Adam Ant. I was really surprised and impressed with Pirroni's guitar. It's edgy, dark and definitely post-punk. The two drummers really drive the music and gives it a unique sound. Ant's lyrics are varied with some dark, some playful and some comparing his band to historical groups (Native American tribes, pirates). I don't know about his other albums (a brief look at reviews gave their next album high marks ) but this one is very good and worth your time listening to it.

This album is fun. it started really well with Dog eat dog and antmusic. The lyrics are nuts. I have no idea what this album is about but will listen to it again. Favourite song: Antmusic Least favourite: Los Rancheros Album artwork: Great cover.

Like the vocal energy Very persistent with the drums. Loads of toms Like the magnificent 5 intro with the whistle Jolly Roger 😂

It's got a bit of attitude to it, this. I like how this embraces the weird, and how it doesn't really sound like anything else. Some nice grooves and a lot of fun. 3.5 rounded up.

From what little I knew of Adam & The Ants before now (admittedly mainly the song Prince Charming, which isn’t on here) I’d have said it’s right that they’re represented in the 1001 albums. Their brand of wild, theatrical-but-accessible, not-quite-punk-not-quite glam seems pretty unique. And from what I’ve gleaned from TV clips shows etc, it made some sort of cultural impact at the time. As for this album? Yeah, pretty good. All the above, really, but also I think I'm safe in saying that it references ants more times than any of the other 1000, so that’s another USP.

Vähän tylsemmästö päästä.. huoh.

Nice to finally break out of my classic rock hole. This was some good 80's pop-punk style stuff that I hadn't heard before. I should check out more from him/them.

When I was a kid, I had a nasty boil on my leg that got infected. I couldn’t walk without severe pain for weeks and the thing kept oozing down into my socks. I would rather relive that experience than have to listen to this album again.

Yeah, this was pretty painful

not terrible kinda cool but eh

Great 80s Joy!

Enjoyed more than I thought I would. Familiar with goodie two shoes, but not this Felt like the Sex Pistols if they really learned to play, knocked off the rough edges, and had a great producer. (Though that pretty much would make the Sex Pistols uninteresting) Liked this one more than I thought I would. Had the two disc remaster, so it seemed like it went on too long, but they may have been the deluxe version.

I had fond memories of Adam & The Ants. Apparently my taste has changed a bit since my youth. I thought the album was quite funny in parts. But it didn't really impress me. I won't be listening to it again so soon. 3/5

Crazy new wave

1.5 Meh, didnt really do much for me. Nothing stood out except for the cultural appropriation of the drum beats

Great A&Ants album from the early 80s: 5 stars obviously, not a single weak song. Dirk Wears White Sox (probably the best Adam Ant album) and Friend or Foe should also have been on the list.

I remember being a fan of Adam & The Ants as a kid, but that was just based on singles like Prince Charming and Stand and Deliver. Kings of the Wild Frontier has that same unique sound I was already familiar with, but perhaps the songs are a little less catchy.

Catchy tunes with the right amount of weirdness.

# 257 : Meh. Nothing standout at all here except for a few, very stupid lyrics. The only thing worth listening to : Don't Be Square (Be There)

Honestly this album sounds pretty obnoxious, maybe you just had to have been there? Should have named the list " 200 or so albums to hear before you die and a shit ton of shitty albums from British bands that sucked"

Cool vibes and surprising rendition of Physical.

Not enjoyable. These nerds need to lay off the drugs.

I thought I'd be surprised with something other than the one or two songs by this band. I was wrong.

This album was fairly big during my time as a DJ and Music Director for a college radio station in the 80's. Unfortunately it hasn't aged as well as a lot of its contemporaries.

Didn't appreciate this band at the height of their fame and didn't think i would like this album but having listened to all 2 hours and 39 mins of it have to say I did. Its musical theatre and quite funny. Glad i listened

Wouldn't have sought this out. Won't listen again.

had a lot of fun listening to this, unexpectedly

Apparently I am not Sex People. Because Ant music, it’s not really for me. Some bits are fun and/or funny, but not enough to sell me on the album as a whole.

Could potentially like this, but would need more listens. But it made me look into Burundi beat and that's really cool.

One associates this act (and it seemed very much an act) with the cool girls with whom one wanted to sleep who liked this band likely because they wanted to sleep with Adam (and/or Marco). Thinking this a novelty band at the time (and not taking it seriously for the pirate get-ups and Napoleonic War fashion and because girls liked them), now one hears a bit more substance and experimentation (especially rhythmically) going on, even if the novelty/gimmicky feel hasn't gone away entirely. Hard not to enjoy it, actually, though other songs and records might be better. Live cuts aren't very impressive.

Pish

New wave, pop punk.

Really like tones and maybe I’d consider it on a roadtrip. I’m dating 3.6 because it doesn’t feel 3 or 4 worthy

Annoying ass shite album. 1/5

Camp, glee, punk, welcome to the 80s with your hosts Adam & the Ants

За обложку хочется минус влепить, ну чё вы делаете, муравьи. Но музыка неплохая. Не понимаю, почему так много текста про муравьёв? Ну типа это в названии группы есть, я понимаю, но я не помню у корн песен про кукурузу например, или у группы эпидемия песен про эпидемию. Ну типа это странно, не? но в целом слушалось приятно

I was prepared to dislike this, but I ended up enjoying a few of the tracks and have saved them to my 80s playlist.

Really not my bag. Some decent sounds in places, but the style just isn't for me.

LOVE IT!

Yeah nah

One notable item about this album is the "Jolly Roger" song. A pirate song by a punk/new wave group? Ok... Other than that, not much else to say about this. Should not be on a "must listen" album list for anyone. A final note is making mention of the odd "Lawrence of Arabia Theme" musical quote in song "Feed MeTo The Lions"; not sure if it is intentional or not...

Infectious.

What is this even? I'm not even sure if this still counts as music or if it's just a weirdo sing-songing whatever happens to be going through his head at that moment, supported by an unquestioning backup band. This is just really bad in every way. It's not even weird in an interesting way. Just weird and off-putting.

Post punk craziness. Like music made for Peter Pan's Lost Boys but they are all post pubescent manchildren. It's okay to here once in my life and the occasional Adam Ant song in the future.

Well, on the positive side, I can see why he was a bit popular at the time. A lot of these songs... I don't think there was an existing genre bucket that these fell comfortably into. I like the sound design in a lot of these. I like the signature drums -- like with Bow Wow Wow -- that are used thru a lot of tracks. The negative is I don't think the actual songs are very good.

Ok

I tried.

When I was 5/6 I would walk around my house singing these songs because my sister was a big fan. So it was very nostalgic listening!

#229. I'm not going to lie to you, this is kinda terrible. But also I kinda like it. Yeah, I don't know. 3/5: oxymoron Song added to playlist: Jolly Roger I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

I bought Kings of The Wild Frontier as soon as it came out. I was a fan then and still am. The mixture of the musical themes was fresh, original, and fascinating. There was this heroic and adventurous touch to it. Pirates, gunman, native Americans, the Wild West, and other references in lyrics, music, and appearance of the group placed them in the time after punk and before New Wave in a unique spot. Remember, at that time there was no MTV, just Top of the Pops on BBC. The double drums were a centerpiece of the music, as were the sailor choir like backing vocals. The production was astonishingly good, so no wonder that this got number one in the UK.

I wasn't very familiar with Adam Ant. I liked the punky aesthetic of Kings Of The Wild Frontier, as well as the musical quotes from early rock singles like Rumble. I'll definitely be diving deeper into the Adam Ant catalog.

I have heard more songs from that album through various playlist that I really didn't know Was Adam and the Ants. I really liked what I heard. The sound of the drums were a lot of fun.

idk didnt listen

Solid 4/5. Weird combination of Thin Lizzy and Anthrax vibes with the vocalists voice sounding a lot like their lead singer also. Apart from first song being a bit weird and unique, the next 3 songs are a really good introduction to the album and the rest are really good for the most part.

Fun, short and sweet punk rock album. Didn't stick out for me but heck it was a fun listen.

Enjoyed a couple but not enough to push the votage higher

Definitely remember these guys from the MTV days, especially the song Goody Two Shoes. Unfortunately that song is not on this album. For the better portion of the album, thought is was cheesy, MTV produced music. It wasn't terrible, but nothing I would seek out. But then something happened right around The Human Beings through Fall In. These guys went Hard/Punk and this was the best part of the album. I think these guys missed the boat. Should have went all punk and dumped all the cheesy shit. There was something about this stretch of songs I thought was pretty good. Physical may be be favorite, but their no doubt to this listener, this was the best part of the album. Album was interesting for sure. It was like they were trying to figure who they were with with every song. Should have gone punk, Adam. This was a right down the middle for me at 2.5. I think I'll round up due to going hard the last several songs. 2.5

3.5 This dude has a great song called Stand & Deliver that’s not on this album, which is all I really knew about him going in - well, that and the fact he always seems to have this flamboyant, early American colonial/pirate thing going on. And based on just that knowledge, this album was about what I expected it to be - goofy, theatrical post-punk/new wavey stuff with a pirate vibe to it. Stuff that, for whatever reason, works for me. I mean, yeah, it’s not without cheese, but there’s also a certain charm to it, and the songs are mostly fun and catchy. There wasn’t really any one here I was drawn to in particular, but I enjoyed the vibe they offered as a whole - though if I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be the title track, which has a great drumbeat, buildup, and overall “marching to battle” vibe to it. However, the actual best songs to be found here are actually the B-Sides bundled with the Deluxe Edition of the album on Spotify. Like, I honestly think that Press Darlings, Physical, and Fall In trump every song from the actual album - no idea why they were cut. They are admittedly a bit heavier and have more of a punk energy to them, so maybe it was determined they didn’t fit the vibe, but in my opinion, that’s their appeal, and I think the diversity of the album would have greatly benefited from their inclusion. This certainly isn’t any kind of masterpiece, but it was a fun listen for sure. I’m not walking away with any kind of newfound respect or admiration for Adam Ant, but I am walking away with probably a couple new songs saved on Spotify.

Vad är det här? Första låten är hmm hur ska jag säga.. kaos. Kaoset fortsätter och jag undrar gillar jag det? Trumljuden är annorlunda. Efter ett tag känner jag att nu får det fan räcka. Vi fattar att du har hittat trumknappen Mr Ant. Jag gillar det inte. Feed Me to the Lions! Är han suicidal? Jolly Roger, hur gick tankarna där? Man måste inte ta med en låt bara för att man kan. Sjuk skiva. Den är konstigt på ett dåligt sätt. 1a eller 2a. 2a för är lite underhållande på något sätt.

Lite intressant ändå. Trodde det skulle vara dåligt. Det är på gränsen. Experimentellt, men håller sig på rätt sida ibland och över gränsen ibland. Kings of the wild frontier tex. Skön låt, lite "udda" men på ett bra sätt The magnificent five är ett annat exempel, inte lika bra. Å så kommer Jolly Roger, där är man över gränsen för vad som är ok. Jaja. Making history är också lite över gränsen, plojig. Mer positivt än negativt trots allt.

Inte superförtjust i denna. Ett eget och udda uttryck förvisso, men tyckte det mestadels var rätt jobbigt, även om det glimrar till här och där.

This is some pretty fun post-punk/new-wave, the duo drum sound is not something i've heard too often. It's a little front heavy but wasn't really any particularly weak tracks. Solid stuff.

The lesson from this album is - if you're gonna do something, go all out and do it! And The Ants sure are doing it! What "it" is, exactly is unclear, but it's sure is being done! 🐜🐜🐜

Loved this. It was so much better than I thought it would be. I hope I won’t regret later saying it is five stars but I think this is on a pedestal above the previous 4 I gave which was the Stevie wonder one. Highlights included antmusic, los rancheros, ants invasion and the title track. This album will be on the rotation from now on - great fun and encapsulates the sounds of the 80s very well and I’m surprised people don’t talk about this album more. This is exactly the reason why I’ve started this project is to discover gems like this

The album is fine but very samey songs and not enough familiar songs for me.

I've always liked "ant music". The drumming is reminiscent of John Kongos and Burundi Black from the early 1970s, but it was a different sound for the early 1980s. In addition to their hits "Antmusic" and "Kings of the Wild Frontier", there's also "Ants Invasion".

Got about 4 songs in and realized, this isn't for me.

This album shines when it leans into harder electric guitar and drum segments, especially with the timbre of the singer’s voice. Second half is much stronger. And we love a good pirate-themed song! Listened to: walking in prospect park. Favorite tracks: Ants Invasion, Kings of the Wild Frontier, Jolly Roger

Too goofy for me

Is this the worst New Wave album I've ever heard? Goddamn...

The fact that we get ANOTHER british mid new wave album is the proof that this list lacks variety and is only submitted to the taste of its owner. I mean, it's something inevitable, but it's becoming a joke to that point. For Adam & The Ants, the tribal drums adhesion is their most original (and annoying) take.

This is such an odd album, because on one hand it’s full of goofy shit like the gun shot effects on Los Rancheros, and the line, ‘Ant music for Sex people, Sex music for Ant people’ and then you get the genuinely fascinating effect of having two drummers playing the same groove at the same time, and the fantastically evil riff to Ants Invasion, which I’m sure has been used by the occult Folk-Metal band Green Lung since (check those guys out, their stuff is fantastic) I think I kinda love it. It’s genuinely pretty stupid, but it’s a stupid that’s pretty big dumb fun

dog eat daawg schono cool, finds sehr talking heads. high energy goht recht los. antmusic, bi meh so de monke music guy aber de song isch huere cool. mengmol macheds im hintergrund afoch grüsch funny. feed me to the lions uf chiiiillo. abrr sehr geile track eigentli. adam chan öpis. d ameise mönd sich no bewiise. los rancheros glaub nöd racist und afoch western gitarre findi sehr nice. chli cosplay verchleide aber easy. s ischmer nocher hert nogloffe bim schaffe haha. ant invasion isch chli darker. fühls recht. aso etz nöd wooow aber check wases wönd mache und finds cool. killer in the home isch afoch link wray!! huere geil! aso hoff es isch als cover deklariert. goht jo huuere los lieb d toms wo dure mached. geile song. title track het en saugeile groove sind glaub gitarre wo wie d snare mitmached? magnificent five isch sehr talking heads plus verzerrti gitarre. aso schwachste bis etz glaub. dont be square isch sehr cool de groove. jolly roger extrem bri'ish. sochli meh. making history au wieder chli afoch lärm aber. no funny. has streckewiis sehr geil gfunde aber zum teil denn wieder chli unkreativ. es bitz unbefriedigends 3

KANNIBALISTEHÜND??? ok sehr funny lied, respektiv es würkt echli ener wie es intro? s fade out passt nöd so feed me to the lions erinneret mich chli ah postpunk, au dass sie sich selber nöd mega ernst nehmet los ranchwros wird dur de funny fast echli kaputt gmacht, respektiv s outro hetmer fast am beste gfalle wos nöd komisch gsunge hend hahaha ants invasion huuuuuren geili giti uhh und wie d drums innechömmed echlii erinnerets mich ah system of a down ohni goggi? finds bis jz huere facetteriich, obwohls immerno relativ amene gliche schema folget king of the wild frontier richtig geili drums, es zieht schön okay de fade out passt wieder gar nöd findi?? aso ich find fade outs chönnd mengisch au passe (au wennis hüfig eeeener echli fuul find) aber zu dere musig passts gar nöd iwie ok ich hans nomal glost, ich find wemmer nurno d drums lah het, hetts na passt aber so findis chli unbefriedigend AHHH ES ERINNERET AUCHLI AH THE CLASH wenns chli id punk-richtig gaht jolly roger wieder sehr funny, erinneret mich chli ah das album wos so mega ass gsi sind hahaha das fucking musical vo 3 klässler:inne album ja au making history findi ener uf de ahstrengende siite aaaaaber mier ischs tusigmal lieber als anderi new wave gaggi (was isch überhaupt d drfinition vo new wave?) s letschre lied isch jz au naja gsi, iwie hets sich nöd ahgfühlt wie es letschts lied ufeme album aber es git trz es 3

Nothing special, very chaotic.

Kings of the Wild Frontier is the second album by English new wave band Adam and the Ants. It was UK's best selling album in 1981. This pop-punk experience has tons of cultural references and themes that made it a fun album. Adam Ant found his groove with this album and together with the band this album became critically acclaimed. I liked this album as it perfectly embodies the late 70's / early 80's vibes, without going overboard. Fans of pop and/or new wave will enjoy this album too.

So I certainly wasn’t expecting it, but I actually liked this.

Quite noisy; not much that was enjoyable.

Distinguished auditor of a dirty, filthy, grimey, dust-infested ungodly vinyl copy of this adamantation. Undeterminable whether tribal punk, culturally appropriated misappropriation, or cromulently mirthsome goth spectacle.

I'm over 900 albums in, and this is definitely one of the strangest I've heard. It's so close to being a pop record, but whenever you think you know where it's going, it goes a completely different direction. It took a few tracks to fully adjust. Definitely one of the most "theatrical" vocals I've heard on this? It definitely feels like an album built around the drums, which feel primal and super important. I don't particularly think this is for me, but I do think it's probably something that should be here. Favorite tracks: "Ants Invasion", "Don't Be Square (Be There)"

These little buggers made no impression on me, but I feel I'd best not ignore them. I'll have to come back to this and listen again to give it a fair rating.

Didnt listen

idkskskdkd

Doesn't feel like anything super special. Fun 80's romp.

The guitars are the best thing on this album. The rest of it irritated me.

ok

decent background music. nothing really stood out. but it was not bad

It was definitely something new and different in 1980. But it's not "strong" enough for my personal taste. Good direction, nothing extraordinary.

Probably a 2.5 but a 3 because it’s actually a good addition to this list. 1 half is superior.

What is this an album for ants?

Kind of annoying 2.5

Better than I thought it would be. I knew a couple tunes, the rest were solid too. Love the drums.

Challenging. There are aspects of this project I quite liked - it's angry, biting, driving. My issues lay in Ant's willowy vocals, repetitive lines and some particularly weak tracks (see "Jolly Roger"). Closer to punk than anything. Well worth listening to, even if it won't be frequent rotation material.

Like New Wave/rock. I'm digging it.

Ouch.

Sounds nice but disposable.

Sort of a lot of nothing. Favorutie track: Don't Be Square (Be There)

Getting really sick of these endless "remasters" that throw in so many alternate takes and fluff that didn't make the original cut. Adam Ant was always good cheeky fun, but a little goes a long way. Love the thundering drum sound, but not for 90 minutes straight. The original was good, but more is not better.

So 1980s New Wave.

Talking Heads vibes. Not bad.

Note to self: Adam and the Ants, and Alien Ant Farm, are NOT the same 🐜 HL: title track, “Dog Eat Dog”, “Feed Me to the Lions”

Leapfrog the dog.

i would love to know what he thinks an ant is

It's okay ......

Not good, I swear Im getting so many 1/5 albums algo be nice to me pls.

Shouty pop

The epitome of New Romantic style with a unique sound.

i can sexy cure ant cancer

This might have the most whoops + yelps per capita of any album ever made. Despite all its weirdness it mostly sounds like 80s slop to me. Best song: The Magnificent Five

For me too much New Wave,

Good band, 80’s somewhat fast paste music that was/is probably used in clubs

this was gonna be a 3 star but the last couple songs just pissed me off so i’m giving it a 2. just music id never WANT to listen to

should have been edited down. a few enjoyable, upbeat songs

very vintage rock? 2/5 for me

Fun! Loved the Burundi Beats. Also loved the number of risks on this album. It might lead to clunkers like Jolly Roger but also leads to epic songs like Ant Invasion. Ultimately not something I'm going to come back to frequently and it's marred by some very London-esque synth and melody choices, but a great album all in all.

Some good songs

No

Must listen? Hmmmm Adam ant was that link between the first new wave and the second new wave - how the pretenders were usurped by Duran Duran if you like. None of this is bad. Just history. So is this album: Great fun? Tick Lots of filler? Tick Marvellous singles? he’d do better. But ant music is a banger. Dated horribly? Tick and cross. Production has surprisingly held up. Is it 5 stars? Nope. 2.5.

Oddly does nothing for me now. But was some of the first rock I saw on tv.

Look, I turned 30 the year this was released. Antmusic was a very listenable, quirky single. But you always had the feeling the band were more about the costumes, hairstyles & face-paint. Maybe they’d have been more interesting if McLaren hadn’t stolen that half of the bandb that supplied the Burrundi drumming sound to the band’s early incarnation. Of course he stole them so he could form Bow Wow Wow. Ant continued to feature that drumming on some tracks - listen to the drums on the title track, Kings Of The Wild Frontier, then play Bow Wow Wow’s c30 c60 c90 - you’d swear it’s the same drum track. I like some of the references to late 50’s guitar tracks - Link Wray’s guitar on Rumble is the basis of the guitar intro to Killer In The Home. And the guitar on Los Rancheros could be lifted from a Shadows’ album. The freaky guitar sounds on Ants Invasion successfully refer to the sci-fi film Them (a film about giant ants wreaking havoc). I still think it’s only a 2 star album.

One great single and filler. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty great sound, the two drummer Burundi rhythms thing, plus some pretty tasty guitar playing from Marco Pirroni, with the chants and stuff. When firing on all cylinders, it is a catchy, energizing pop that leaps out of the radio speakers or TV screen. This was even better on TV! You can see Adam in his full costume and makeup, strutting around like he owns the place. But most tracks on the album are not of that standard, and it all begins to pall after a few songs. You can tell by the cover art that the whole image was crafted to play well on MTV. Don't get me wrong, I own a copy of this record, likely purchased from a $1 bin in the 90s. But I only ever play the singles. It's all flash and bang, with not a lot of substance behind it. 2.5 stars, rounding down.

It's 1980. Everyone has been making moody little punk songs about how sad they are. You try that but it doesn't work so well. So you pivot and start dressing up as a pirate and singing about ants. You end up with this. That might be a bit of a simplification, but seems more or less what happened. Interestingly this feels in the ballpark of the glam rock of the day (which I typically like), but this just didn't work for me at all. The first half of the album has a few songs that are decent enough, but nothing really stands out much, and then the second half is pretty much a disaster. I guess it's fine as a bit of a silly album that doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's not really my thing. I think this just has a lot of the '80s new wave sound that feels overly ridiculous to me now. Not my favorite. Favorite song: Antmusic Other: Dog Eat Dog, Ants Invasion, Killer in the Home, Kings of the Wild Frontier, Jolly Roger 3/7/24

Really fun album!

Fun

Another example of this list/book/editor favoring british albums that have no place on this list. Wanted to give it 2 stars but after consideration, it only deserves 1. 1/5

Ik neem Youri’s puntentelling over - 1 ster is een onvoldoende tot een 6. 2 sterren is een 7, etc. Adam and the Ants roept theatraliteit over zich af, al is het alleen al door de cover. Het album is early post punk, maar de echte kwaliteit en diepgang is soms ver te zoeken. Dat gezegd hebbende, is Antmusic best een powerhouse. De song red de plaat voor mij richting een mager 6je. Highlight: Antmusic Rating: 5,5/10

Na enig vooronderzoek had ik een onderbuikgevoel dat deze plaat all over de place zou zijn. En dat was het. Je merkt dat dit album een product is van de early period van new wave die Engeland, en later de rest van de wereld, zou overspoelen. Het was een natuurlijke tegenhanger van de serieuze punk/post-punk die de trend van de dag bepaalde. New wave bracht wat meer plezier in de charts, niet alleen door de gekscherende thema's en uplifting rhytmes en synths, maar ook zeker door de kledingstijl. Indianenschmink in combinatie met piratenkostuums bijvoorbeeld, waarom niet. Maar de moedergenres waren in de eerste periode van deze nieuwe golf nooit ver weg, zoals je ook hoort op dit album. Het is een eclectische mix van post-punk, glam rock, pop, en Burundese volksmuziek. Die laatste is niet te missen. Op 'Killer in the Home' hoor je zelfs nog even de legendarische rockabilly riff van Link Wray's 'Rumble'. Maar ondanks dat het een geinig voorbeeld is van de onvolwassen vorm van New Wave, vind ik het over het algemeen iets té onbesuisd. Ik vind de meeste stijlen waar dit album zijn inspiraties uithaalt op zich best nice, maar deze hyperactieve cocktail zet de verkeerde zintuigen op scherp. Het is een soort kinderdisco voor volwassenen, en toen het piratenlied 'Jolly Roger' langskwam knapte er iets in mijn prefrontale cortex. Adam and the Zeven Dwergen fluiten me echt een coma in bij dit nummer waardoor ik de laatste twee nummers gemist heb, for the better good. De moody Bauhaus-esque post-punk van 'Ants Invasion' en vooral de bouncy art rock van 'Antmusic' zijn de enige echt vermakelijke momenten. Ik waardeer de insteek wel, en de extravagante en uitbundige kleerdij en muziek hebben vast z'n rol gehad in het grotere plaatje van een genre wat de 80s uiteindelijk zou gaan definiëren. Daar is ook alles mee gezegd, ik blijf vooral achter met een hyper van het te hoge gehalte serotonine in m'n bloedbaan. 5/10 Highlights: Antmusic Ants Invasion

Met twee verdoofde DIIV oren me toch maar aan Adam & the Ants gewaagd. De verwachtingen zijn laag. Zij naam, uitstraling en de beschrijving van Youri maken het lastig serieus te nemen. Maar ik moet zeggen. Het zijn eigenlijk best prima new-wave songs en ik ben verrast deze nooit eerder te zijn tegengekomen. Zeker nu ik erachter ben dat de band in de jaren 80-82 veel commercieel succes had. Toch de piekjaren van de new-wave. Geen blijvertje in de Top2000 of Spotify lijsten blijkbaar. Het kinderlijke van de muziek (zoals het fluitje in Antmusic) is niet perse om heel blij van te worden, maar past op zich wel in het genre. En daarmee kan ik het wat beter plaatsen, ook in deze lijst. Zo is Los Rancheros een bespottelijk aftreksel van wat een soort Ramones of Clash song had kunnen zijn. Maar gadver, wat een nummer. Die gaat ik nooit vaker luisteren. Kings of the Wild Frontier is wel een goeie plaat. De fusion van punk en tribal geluiden is blijft wel hangen. De rest eigenlijk bijna niet. 6/10 Highlights Antmusic Kings of the Wild Frontier

Some fun stuff on here. I like when the band plays into the punk rock elements of the group but overall the album didn’t grab me

Unerwartet vielseitig.

not really too interesting 2/5

Probably one of the best punk albums I've listened to, which is not saying much

C’est original, un son assez unique et étonnant, mais pour autant est-ce agréable à écouter? Pas vraiment. Il y a quelque chose d’assez gênant dans cette musique sans que je sois capable de mettre le doigt dessus. C’est parfois un peu dissonant, décousu, la voix n’est pas forcément agréable, et le sentiment qui en ressort est entre l’indifférence polie et le rejet en masse, en opposition avec la grandiloquence que veut se donner le groupe. C’est peut être ça le problème : ils en font beaucoup pour ne pas m’emporter du tout.

Pretty good album, Antman song is a classic. It gets tiring after 20 minutes, but I'll give it a 4for a fresh look at pop in 80s.

Enjoyable punk music. Songs were all over the place. Fun UK album.

Quality Adam and the Ants. All the songs are good and the album is very cohesive: no song feels like filler. We enjoyed this.

Back to the 80th - New Wave Punkrock, Nice!

Drums have never sounded better than on this record. The production on them is so good that Michael Jackson himself phoned up Adam Ant to ask how he recorded the drums. The rest of the music is really catchy and unique, nothing else really sounds quite like this record, especially in 1980

It’s not bad, and I like New Wave but I feel like people came along later and did this kind of music a lot better. I feel like I’m being generous with 3 stars here but it wasn’t bad.

Too punk !

Oh great I thought finally something decent to listen to. 2 mins in remembered I never liked adam and the ants beyond a couple of singles for a reason, they were light weight pop crap masquerading as something edgy. Yeah this was considered edgy in 1980, men wearing make up!!!! What will the neighbours think. God no wonder my generation are shit.

Not a single redeeming quality about this album, seems I've been cursed to listen to some garbage albums.

Yes we get it author. You were so cool and unique growing up you weren't like other boys

Standouts: Dog Eat Dog, Kings of the Wild Frontier, The Magnificent Five. Those are good and the rest is quite deathly bad in a way only the 80s can be.

I really liked parts of it but then each song would just turn into too much happening at once

Pretty big variety of sounds on this album, very eclectic. Enjoyed some, but it was all so weird that it was hard to take it seriously. Which maybe was the point.. Very middle of the road ratings-wise, not my favorite but not terrible.

Another New Romantic band that rejects the label yet couldn't be more New Romantic. With the eccentric pirate-themed fashion, less synths than their New Wave contemporaries, and more stress on punk energy, the influences from the 70s glam rock era are quite clear, especially with the rockabilly beats ("Dock Eat Dog") and surf guitar style ("Los Rancheros" and "Killer in the Home") that occasionally pops in. The vocals are loud, wild, and exaggerated yet somewhat muddled under the arena chorus-heavy instrumental (especially the fuzzy guitar), similar to contemporaries Duran Duran and ABC. I also like the gothic influences with the dark beats and eery guitar in tracks like "Ants Invasion" and "Kings of the Wild Frontier." Lots of creative ideas and personality here. A lot of it works really well. Some of it, not so much. The last 3 tracks in particular felt weak and incomplete. Other deep cuts had enough novelty to charm me, but it loses it on repeated listens. In other words, it's not an album I'd replay repeatedly, but I'd definitely revisit every few months.

They kinda all sound the same!

Crock of shit

Honestly, I can't take this seriously. This is perfectly good music that I think is ruined by shitty lyrics. I'm guessing this is on the list for the tribal-like Burundi Beat sound having an influence on a lot of what would eventually be goth, but it's like decent punky/new wave music, if a little cheeky, but goes into bad campy territory with the lyrics, flourish, and sound effects. My picks for this album are Making History, Los Rancheros (if it didn't have those stupid ricochet sounds) and Killer in the Home.

This is why this list has value. I had never listened to this album, but it is really good.

I could've lived on without listening to this album...nothing special

Pop used to be this mad. Why do we now worship such mediocrity. Pirate afrodrum pop punk. What's not to love?

2/3pas désagréable, maids booof

Did nothing for me

This was enjoyable. I liked Los Rancheros in particular. These guys have a kind of show tune punk thing going on.

grunge atope

Much better than I expected. Pretty funky. 3/5

at times it reminded me of the talking heads. at other times it reminded me of darker more goth type bands like siouxsie sioux and the banshees. certainly an interesting listen with all sorts of musical influences.

Meh.

I've always liked the Adam & The Ants hits. They've always struck me as just like they were having an absolute ball. Living their best Dandy lives. This was their second album, with fewer big hits but very much the same vibe. I enjoyed it. It's just fun music. I love Adam Ants voice, and the music has a dance floor edge to it. It's ripe for some re-editing and doubling down on the danceability.

2/5 nope

Twat Music

Ging klar

I wasn't allowed to like this when I was 15 as it wasn't nearly cool enough and too poppy. And the girls loved him! I had to stick to slightly punky, rockier stuff. What was I thinking!? This is a fantastic album. All sorts of influences and extremely well crafted songs. 'Antmusic', 'Kings of the Wold frontier' stand out. Marco Pirroni's twangy guitar and double drums from the others are a great treat. Brilliant album.

Ik weet niet wat ik hiervan moet vinden

This album SLAPS

Good energy!

Adam was certainly out there with this one. Solidly 80s sound but not an 80s record really, there's some nice world music touches here. Inventive, but some dross as well.

Very ecclectic and worth another listen. The album has a good mix of different kinds of sounds.

Really good fun to hear this after so many years. While he seemed something of a novelty act all those years ago, one hears now how he deserved credit for experimentation, especially for rhythmic innovation. The drumming is especially kinetic (as Jacko apparently thought, too). Not sure this is his best work. His legacy is surely a handful of the hits, which represent the act well and fairly.

Favorite Tracks: The Human Beings Killer in the Home Jolly Roger

1 very sexy man teetering precariously on the precipice of a gimmick.

Kings of the Wild Frontier by Adam Ant is a thrilling blend of rockabilly guitars, tribal double drums, and the edginess of punk mixed with the glamour of the New Romantics. Rediscovering these songs after years brought back the energy of my first love, creating a nostalgic and captivating experience. The album's unique rhythm and rebellious charm make it a timeless masterpiece that seamlessly fuses punk's fiestiness with the sophistication of the New Romantics era. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 5 STAND OUT TRACK - Antmusic

Weird music. My mum loves him so it gotta be a high score

I was kind of excited about this album. Was looking forward to it when I saw it drop. Check the star rating. Unlistenable.

Not necessarily good, but weird enough to earn a three instead of a two.

fun 80's stuff

Solid 3.

Mostly simple background music.

This was significantly more interesting than I thought it would be: gloomy cowboy and pirate vibes with a touch of music hall, new wave and postpunk. I heard some Duran Duran, Blur, Specials and Talking Heads in there.

sick of u british people

ugh dog eat dog antmusic

This music always resonates with me. I love Adam Ant on all of good band configurations. This isn’t his best album in my mind, but damn good.

Definitely not my thing.

Interesting vocal mixes. Some fun bouncy rock tracks, very British in the tone and lyrics. Jolly Rodger lil pirate vibe, boding heavy guitar tone. This band would be fun live. Never heard of them.

Not really into this. For new wave, it's fine, but I'm not a big fan of new wave.

New Wave Romanticism abound, sitting in that weird space between outright punk and the likes of Duran Duran. The singles ("Dog Eat Dog", "Antmusic", and "Kings Of The Wild Frontier") are generally good, the rest doesn't hold up to the same caliber...

Sorry, I think I'm just too old to appreciate 80s weird.

It was okay, even fun sometimes. I liked the attitude more than the sound

Just as good as their women

I was but a pup when this came out, and would have been a fan of Adam and the Ants back in the day, with their distinctive double drum set sound and the glamour of their post punk style. This album was a taster.for what was to come from them, and although I enjoyed reminiscing as I played this album, I wouldn't be in a big rush to play it again.

nice

Pop-punk. Curioso. Un 4, venga.

a good post punk record. a bit aged

Too much

What genre was this even supposed to be? I hated it.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️👨‍🎤

ANTMUSIC! I’m a sucker for this cheesy 80s synth pop. Love the harmonies in the first track

Funky poppy post-punk! Very danceable. Different sound from their first album but good nonetheless

Ingenting verkligt intressant utom en nice låt. Tråkigt. Repetitivt utan något bra att repetera.

nice

Sounds like ayayayayayaya and oyoyoyoyo

Fun pop music. Wouldn't really call it stand out, but I'm sure at the time and with the visual elements (music videos, live shows, etc) it would be mind blowing.

I can’t in good conscience support these guys. I started listening and kind of liked it so I read up on them a bit. They use “Burundi beat” which itself was taken without ever compensating the original artists. Looks like they also used some Native American styling as a costume.

I actually owned an Adam Ant cd in the day. This was pure 80s, but pretty good.

Although all very silly nowadays and having aged like milk, it's still a fun slice of the 80s in parts

Man, new wave is hit or miss with me. I don't think it has aged well over the years, but there was nothing bad in this album. Just not my cup of tea.

Well.... ok I guess

Ok

based off the description/genre/cover along I fear I might not enjoy this album very much. i can only describe this as caveman pop. it sucks. 2 stars because the percussion gave me pet sounds vibes sometimes and the pirate song was amusing.

Not 80's pop, not 80's punk, not very good.

This album has not aged well.

Vraiment du bon new wave, je suis vraiment resté surpris. Probablement une ou deux pièces dont j'aurais pu me passer, mais le reste de l'album c'était bangers après bangers. Ça ne sonne pas particulièrement unique ou originale, mais l'exécution est tellement solide et les chansons sont tellement entraînantes que ça compense. 8/10

Was hoping Prince Charming was on this album. One of the better sounds from the New Romantic era of the 80s.

great cover photo. is that Tom Brady?

i feel like i should like them more than i do, but i don't :(

SEX MUSIC FOR ANT PEOPLE! ANT MUSIC FOR SEX PEOPLE!

Favourite songs: Antmusic, Ants Invasion, Los Rancheros Least favourite songs: Killer in the Home, Kings of the Wild Frontier, Don't Be Square (Be There), The Human Beings, Making History 2/5

It was a fun 80s listen

A unique LP with energy to spare, and a great sidestep of British musical tropes at the time. Was surprised at how lively and energetic the whole thing felt from the get-go, and while the ordeal starts to wear a bit thin near the end of its runtime, it at least finds a diverse set of melodic paths to get there instead of beating a compositional dead horse throughout.

I was just talking about this album minutes ago...and it was also the first album I ever bought! I'd go as far as to say that I might not even be in this group (or a huge music fan) had I not stumbled onto Adam and the Ants on American Bandstand when this album came out.

Some real winners, some real losers

Funny I never owned any Adam Ant records and therefore only knew what my alternative station played. I like Antmusic the best. Idk if I'll ever put this on. It was enjoyable but I don't have a connection to it beyond that.

I think I got this on cassette from Columbia 12 for a penny. "You might not like it now but you will" Stone cold killer. Dirk wears white socks.

Really great album to be honest. It was especially interesting as I have never heard of AATA before so this was an entirely new experience. There are some songs I will certainly go back to. Not sure if I find the album to be excellent but it is really good. Favorite songs: The Human Beings Los Rancheros Don't be Square

So honestly I really liked the actual music, I thought it was something new and very complex and different however the lyrics really diminished my impression of it and that really made it go downhill.

From the first drum rhythm of Dog Eat Dog this becomes recognizable as Adam & The Ants. For a band that didn't get much airplay in N America aside from a big video hit or 2, it's interesting that even 40(!) years later I can identify them as having a sound. Which might be case enough for them to be on this list. I knew they were UK-big but hadn't realized how big their albums were (all 3 topped at least one UK chart). Super fun throwback - obviously very dated-sounding but in this case I'm loving it, well...some of it. It's pretty inconsistent with some not-great songs (e.g. "Feed Me to the Lions" is weak) and to be fair, their sound gets repetitive. But the best of this make it at least a fun if not worthy listen e.g. my fave: "Antmusic" which I hadn't heard in ages. I WANT MY MTV! 6/10 3 stars <n.b. only considering the 12 songs from the initial release, not the collected works of The Ants' entire history which Apple Music seems to think I need to hear...>

Fun - never listened to them before.

Adam & The Ants both stood and delivered with this album. Not sure the remastered version with 4000 versions of everything on it lasting 2.5 hours is worth it but all the same - cracking kitchen prep album! 3.8

Bizarre, fun 80s post punk. Adam & The Ants pack such a vast sound palette into their records. There's a few songs I don't care for, but the majority of the album is just a good, fun time.

Ok

In terms of campy Punk/New Wave albums, it does alright. I just don't know why I would spin this over some early clash, dead or alive, or simple minds. Still a decent listen if you vibe with it.

A decent look at the genesis of new wave and the Burundi beat but you can tell it was rushed and has some filler

I was a child in the 80s, growing up in the UK, and I remember the huge hype there was surrounding Adam and the Ants. I went into this expecting nostalgia, and lots of Burundi Beat. I was disappointed. Both in terms of nostalgia, and a surprising lack of what I, and probably most casual listeners, consider their signature sound. There's only a handful of tracks with the Burundi Beat, and that left me feeling really flat because I really like that. Still, it's not terrible, but I have no desire to listen to this again. 2 stars, but a high 2 stars.

Weird and sort of catchy.

Was a lot better than I was expecting. Was fun and will listen again.

Any attempt at charismatic music making was a huge swing and a miss. The whole thing comes across as entirely arrogant for some reason. This was a goddamn pain to listen to. Sometimes people express regrets before they die and maybe I will have some when my time comes, but at the very least, I’ll be able to confidently and proudly declare that I didn’t make this. Nor did I have any positive feelings towards it. 1/5

More punky than o expected. Good listen

This was 80% great, 20% naff. Spot on 4/5 album

I liked this. I only knew a couple of the singles and didn't really take him seriously after he was arrested for running around with a toy gun ages ago. Turns out he has quite serious mental health issues and is really open about it so my opinion has gone right up. Musically I now think every band should have 2 drummers. The drums sounded insane. The songs were good apart from the one where he went full pirate.

people want belonging. they want to paint their faces silly and join the ant club. i get it, but im here to tell ur silly little club is shit!1!1!1 all of the songs remind me of a better song like ant music sounds like crash by the primitives but shit. all the parts are there bar the tunes or chord changes that feel ant mysic is also ooh la la by the faces but not good killer in the home is rumble by link wray los rancheros sounds like something too idk i never want to hear this album again

Glam post-punk?? Reading the Wikipedia page for this article is a trip because it makes this album sound like it's the greatest thing ever recorded, and here I thought it kind of sucked. I didn't hate it but I was glad when it was over.

Not my cup of tea

Wild stuff. First few songs caught me. But this one maintains a pulsating energy throughout

Pretty solid album with some high points. Dog Eat Dog, Antmusic, and Kings of the Wild Frontier are all great songs. I dug the drumming on this album, it provided a good driving rhythm on a lot of the songs.

Cool but meh

enjoyed it but felt like some of the songs just blended into each other and it wasn't very captivating

Decent

It goes: 1. A Bug's Life 2. Antz 3. Adam & The Ants

Infuriatingly bad album cover and a solid amount of equally horrible production choices. There are a few solid songs on the album that keeps it from being unlistenable to anyone but die hard new wave fans.

3/10 kinda repetitive, not for me

Catching up on last 3 days - Hendrix made me appreciate why people bang on about him so much (he's on another level), Hookworms transported me to a cool electronic plane of smooth, but damned if this isn't the album of the 3 that I'll be playing again and again on repeat. Banging.

Boff, genre de pop punk new wave. C'Est vraiment moyen J'ai pas trop aimé 2.5

Originell daher kommender New Wave ohne mein Interesse in den Songs geschweige denn über das Album hinweg zu halten, eher war ich froh als es endlich zu Ende war.

Not only was he a huge influencer of fashion and culture, but the music was original and unlike anything done before or since.

Wack UK shit

I feel like the album was full of very interesting musical ideas, but the end product wasn't quite as exciting as I hoped.

This record defies all logic. It is so bad that it's good confusingly successful but I have to admit some catchy tunes and the corky lyrics have me tap in my toe.

4++

Actively annoying to listen to. Awful

Just ok.

Not a fan of Adam & The Ants, this album did not change that opinion at all.

Yeah I dig this album it’s upbeat it’s got the energy and it really puts out an 80’s vibe like dance like no one is watching. However, it’s best with the brain turned off, after I looked over the lyrics I couldn’t help but be a bit less impressed but the album is still a good one to jam out to.

FUN album

Un disco de new-wave un tanto confuso. La temática es sumamente dispersa y el sonido bastante poco pulcro. A pesar de haber sido un gran éxito comercial en la época, el trabajo envejeció sumamente mal, transformándose en uno de los peores discos que he escuchado en esta lista hasta la fecha. Realmente un desastre de álbum que, si bien, tiene chispas de grandeza, no me logró satisfacer con ninguna de sus canciones.

Some great songs, but not sure it holds up over time.

Begint cool, 2e helft wat zwakker. Leuk en origineel.

Definitely not an album i needed to hear before i died. It sucked.

I'd hoped to enjoy this more. 2.5 stars.

I've been a fan of Adam Ant's pop music since I was a kid, but I hadn't listened to Kings of the Wild Frontier until a few years ago. Ant was one of my first crushes, but I learned to deeply appreciate his work after rewatching Sofia Coppola's film, Marie Antoinette & taking a deep dive during the pandemic. He & his band were tired of the gritty punk scene & wanted to do something colorful and "heoric." In the book, Mad World - An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs that Defined the 1980s, he says he tapped into and studied the Regency dandy, military history, pirates & Native Americans. He grew to deeply appreciate Native Americans and even got a tribe's blessing to wear the Apache war stripe. For him, the stripe represented war against the record companies. He also felt a kinship to the Native Americans & adopted some of their philosophies. (Having a Romani Gypsy grandfather born in a caravan, he understood to be culturally mindful & respectful). It's evident in the lyrics, "I feel beneath the white, there is a redskin suffering from centuries of taming." What a brazen political statement made by an English band. I can't recall any American bands taking these types of stances in their music at the time. The album is interestingly a bit of everything: spaghetti western, pirates, and Burundian drum music. Let's not forget those twangy guitars. It's very entertaining, and his style was like no other. It turns out Michael Jackson asked Ant where he got his jacket, so Ant directed him to Bermans in London. It's a hussar jacket - a theatrical costume. Michael said, "I want an Adam Ant jacket." And that's how his famous red military jacket look was born. Adam Ant deserves FAR more credit than he gets. He & his band are the forefathers of post-punk, and they were incredibly creative & bold. Personally, I love this album. I had hoped to dress as Ant for Halloween (I enjoy gender bending, so a female as Ant would've been rad), but I don't have the time. Maybe next year. And I hope to see him live next year since he canceled Cruel World 2023. If I never see him live, I'll always have his music. 5 fucking stars.

Yeah very antsy, was a little underwhelmed.

This was more fun than I expected, genuinely different to everything else of its time

Good fun. It's got a real dressing up and playing vibe. I can see why it was a smash with the kids at the time. Pop, though, innit?

"...now let's it sung properly!" Antmusic for sex people. Sexmusic for ant people.

3.5

Like I said in the review of my previous album, I was concerned when Kings Of The Wild Frontier had a global rating that was less than a 3. But my oh my, This album is great. It was super catchy and it really did feel like a lot of love was put into it. If there is one thing I have learned today, don't trust the global ratings at all. Best Song: Press Darlings Worst Song: Los Rancheros