Reviews (page 7 of 8)
This didn't age well imo, but I can imagine it was popular in it's time. Bonus star for pulling some Black Sabbath inspiration for Ant Invasion.
Fun! 4/5
Awful. It's difficult to work out how this was ever popular. Rating: 1/5 Playlist track: Antmusic Date listened: 05/10/23
An album from the year I was born! What a unique sound. I wouldn’t be surprised if this kickstarter that whole style of music specific to that era. What a trip.
Easy to listen to and even easier to dislike.
Ant Music and Dog Eat Dog are remembered from childhood. The rest is bonkers enough to be a bit interesting.
I'm really digging this - hearing so many other influences across all the tracks.
Ah, memories
started to get interesting halfway past the album. where they went more into punk and less into that weird new wave 5.5/10
Un album qui lance la fameuse décennie des années 80, également appelée la décennie des gros débiles.
Un grand n'importe quoi de la part d'Adam et de ses fourmis, qui prendront très rapidement le contrôle total du studio, organisant une colonie partant du plafond.
Shake them hips!
Interesting album, enjoyed some of the tracks, may give it another listen at a later date
So I really wanted to like this. Its unique and kept me mostly interested the entire way through this album. I enjoyed a lot of the drum and bass work on here and liked how prominently they stood out in the mix on the production side. However, too many times it would set a solid foundation for a song and I would think "oh it would be really cool if they took it this direction" instead more often than not it wouldn't really do anything. These guys get an idea for a song and just beat it into the ground to the point where it becomes repetitive. I feel like most of these songs although already pretty short really could be cut in half and still accomplish all the same things. Speaking on repetition, I didn't really care for the lead singers voice and it isn't helped when he's constantly wailing the same lines over and over again in his out of key voice. I'd give this album a 2.5 if I could but because that isn't possible I'm left in a position where I either have to round up or round down and I'm not sure where to go with that. I think the more I listened to it I could find more to appreciate about the music but I really don't want to so I'll just preemptively give it a 3 even though I really don't think this album deserves it with where I'm at with it right now.
What was going on in the UK in 1981 that this was the best selling record? This had like 2 ok songs and the rest were completely forgettable or actively bad. Just seemed kind of aimless.
An unnecessary addition to the list. This is weak new wave music with little to make it stand out. Sadly, the only time I went to see Saturday Night Live, he was the musical guest.
Fine new wave. Nothing really memorable here.
Oh wow this takes me back! These were crazy days- not really New Wave, more Pop in my opinion. This guy was everywhere- on telly, on the radio and on billboards. Very accomplished self-publicist. It's pretty good too- he got VERY excessive later on and then like so many he crashed and burned.
Gay
Only knew a couple of Adam Ant songs previously. Just listened to the original 12 song release, and it was better than expected. Pretty original sounding stuff, good variety of songs. Nothing super amazing here, but just barely squeaks in at 4/5. I'd listen again.
Edit: Actually this album is terrible. I think I liked this album better when I was younger. It’s fine, and I understand why it’s on here, but it wasn’t doing it for me today.
3 A classic
Dude loves ants. Cool listen, though.
It's kinda weird-ish. It's not bad, but didn't blow me away either. It definitely has some highlights.
Boring 80s quirk pop
resident sleeper tbh
I had dismissed this as bubblegum pop, pleasantly surprised by the rockabilly influences.
I liked a lot of the songs, will revisit
Me aburrió
Adam and the Ants are a band I’ve been aware of for a long time, ever since I heard the Horrible Histories parody of “Stand and Deliver” (which was always my favourite song when I was younger), my mum showed me the original and I was sold. Never really listened to anything by them other than that song though. AL: this album just radiated charm. While not all of the tracks were necessarily hits or standouts, all of them had their own individual feel and charm, the album is also pretty short and concise which helps add to that feeling. No tracks particularly stood out as bad and I’d say the baseline is probably a B-grade for how good all these songs were, many pushing into A territory, nothing particularly excelled though, which was my only problem. FT: “Dog Eat Dog”, “Ant Music”, “Kings of the wild Frontier”, “Don’t be Square”, “Jolly Roger” 4/5
was fine?
mASSA tipo um punkzao pop
I made more fun of these guys than they deserve. Pretty good.
I love this and I'm not ashamed. Although I do realise much of it is objectively not good. Enjoying the befuddled reactions in the reviews, I guess Adam didn't crack America. I can't have been musically conscious at 2 or 3 years old but Adam Ant was basically my earliest musical memory, the songs off this album went off like a grenade into my little ears. Particularly the title track and Dog Eat Dog. The Burundi drums, the deep voice chants, the big fuck-off riffs those vocal yodels, what was this??? The absolute pop explosion of Stand and Deliver (not a million miles from Jolly Roger, tbf), Prince Charming and Pablo Picasso at the planet of the apes is jumbled up in my young memories of this yet they're all off the next album. So, being a kid I fully bought into the marketing (I think McLaren was involved at this point - before nicking half the band like a kid in a I Want Candy shop. See me after class for more tortured puns), the (essentially cartoon) cowboys and indians schtick. Were they cowboys? Were they indians? Isn't this probably problematic in 2023? What happened to the punky band from Dirk Wears White Sox? I was only possibly asking the first two questions in my toddler mind. It's a shame much of it ages poorly. I stand by the tracks I love (honourable mention to Magnificent Five, also Don't be square, surely a left over from the Dirk period, he even chants the name), and I will readily credit this for opening my fragile young mind and preparing it to enjoy oh so many wonderful post punk masterpieces over the ensuing 40 years and hopefully many more. The title track is a masterpiece and one of the best songs of the 80s, I don't care. Marilyn Manson obviously thought so, the thieving dickhead. Down below those dandy clothes you're just a shade too white.
Perfect weird shit
New wave, pop punk
I thought Adam and the Ants were more cheesy 80s. This was actually pretty wild and cool.
Vähän tämmöistä pilipali rockia
Fantastic album. Loved it back in the early 80’s when released. Still love it today.
4. Total surprise
80s nondescript
Kind of like a not-quite-as-good Oingo Boingo. I'd listen to them again, but I'd just spend the whole time thinking about how Boingo is better.
I quite enjoyed the late 70s new wave sound. It reminded me of XTC. A decent album but there weren’t many major stand out moments for me.
Just too weird and 80s for me
Meh
The 80s were an interesting time for music. A lot of experimentation going on. Groups like Adam & the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, and Duran Duran were doing things with tribal rhythms or the Bo Diddley Beat. I definitely give kudos for trying things out. Some of it has aged well and some not so much. This album is good, listenable, but nothing really stands out for me - all the tracks kind of run together. 3 stars.
punk rock, let’s gooooo. with some catchy riffs and some new wave proclivities, these folks got it bass rattling along. i can fucks with this, definitely.
I did not expect to like this but I did!
Musical stylings: not for me. Album felt like they were trying to push the boundaries and be a little odd / avant garde, but if you ask me the music doesn't hold up. Rants about sex and ants don't do much for me, it turns out (don't be square (be there)). There's also the unapologetic appropriation of the "Burundi Beat". That's emblematic for the time, problematic at best in today's light.
ok
Refreshing new wave album. Satisfying rhythmic and instrumental choices. The album drags a little with some repetitive motifs, but isn’t so long where it’s insufferable
normally i like weirdness but it was unevenly dispersed across this so it felt not great to me. still some really funny moments, but felt like it could have used some revisions
Very heavy on the old glam rock. I only knew ‘Antmusic’ before I came into this album but there are other similarly catchy tracks which make this a fun album to listen to. ‘Killer in the Home’ was a nice end to ‘Side One’ though there haven’t been any stand out tracks so far.
Pop-rock un tanto original. Con reminiscencias de los 80. Se deja escuchar. Nada especialmente reseñable.
Maso
I've finally found it; a punk album that's just too damn long. Based on their following, I'm guessing that "you had to be there." I refuse to believe that this music was written before it was recorded.
My brother introduced me first to a lot of the bands and artists on this list: this one came by way of my sister, back in its original era. I always felt like Adam & the Ants occupied their own unique niche in British 80s pop and new wave. Though the themes of indigenous peoples' plight (such as they are, it's all pretty vague) don't really land these days, the music is at the top of the game, very much holds up for me.
Not bad, I just don't need this. No known void to fill. thank you
To me, this looked and sounded a lot like David Bowie. Maybe it was just me staring at Adam (or is that one of the Ants?) on the cover that made me think that. Decent rock album, very radio friendly.
Har aldri sjekka ut Adam & The Ants skikkelig, men va bedre enn forventa
My mum loves Adam and the Ants. I think it's because they have a few bops in their discography and were colourful and flamboyant. However, a full album of this murkily produced new romantic stuff doesn't really inspire.
2.5
Melodic, and I enjoy the percussion. Nothing that is really going to stick with me though.
I would like to check out at some point I. The future. Not feeling it today. Struck me as an unfocused Cure.
I have always associated AatA with the silly dress-up seen on the front cover of this record, and that ridiculous song 'Stand And Deliver'. However, this is as good a slice of 80s New Wave / Post-Punk you'll ever hear and takes the band out of joke territory, where I previously had them filed. 'The Human Beings' sticks out for me, really simple, repetitive hook, love it. 3 / 5 stars.
For a 1980 album this really sounds very 80s. The use of two drummers is great too. That said, it is a little chaotic to be palatable by today's standards.
Still the coolest look in pop, and a unique sound too.
Wanted to enjoy this more… there were a few decent tracks, but the filler just drags it out a bit. Enjoyed the title track, and Feed Me To The Lions. They were probably my highlights. None of it was terrible, but it didn’t really jump out. Quite a standard new wave record
So much better than expected, only Adam and the ants song I know is price charming and it's not my thing. Thought this would be art-rock that was weird for the sake of it but it was weird in the way I like! Reminded me of gang of four and other off-kilter indieish bands sometimes. The pirate song didn't do it for me but otherwise good stuff.
Normally all for New Wave, as noted for Tears for Fears, but I couldn't really get into this. Liked the general sound, just found it a bit forgettable and inferior to other albums of the same style and at the same time. Wouldn't listen again.
Not heard of these guys before but thought it was alright. Nothing particularly stood out but there were some enjoyable tracks. Highlights: Antmusic Killer In the Home
Met a guy in a bar once who told me he was a famous popstar in the 80s. I didn't really believe him, but he was Adamant...... I only knew Prince charming and stand and deliver prior to this, but this album wasn't what I expected. Was a bit glam rock, which surprised me, that opening track sounded like Hanoi rocks. Probably didn't enjoy it enough to go back but it was far more interesting than I expected. 3.5
Great album!
Definetely a well done new wave album, but nothing so spectacular in my opinion.
An album is a bit much of the same sound, but I did like the Burundi beat and the song Killer in the home.
Great eighties fun. Also, The Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson is just a grimdark Antmusic.
It has its moments but overall very forgettable.
I listened to this one twice and I thought it was alright overall. The repeating of the lyrics was an interesting choice.
Cool
Like DEVO but if they were completely devoid of all that makes DEVO great, kitschy and annoying.
Meh
I'm not really sure how I felt about this album. It kinda felt like a blur when I listened to it, not taking anything in. From what I remember it wasn't the best with a lot of random noises and based off my general music taste isn't my usual cup of tea. Don't get me wrong I may come back and listen to this again but not any time soon.
The singles are ok and I quite like the African drum beat thing but tbh it is mostly a bit rubbish....(especially the pirate song.)
This is very silly, but not in any kind of charming way. The rhythm section is decent but it turned into a pretty long and annoying 40mins.
Mediocre
Sinto-me na disposição para apontar que, apesar de não conhecer nada da banda, não consegui encontrar muitos elementos em destaque, com exceção de algumas letras que talvez não sejam adequadas a atualmente.
Me gustan las influencias que se unen en el instrumental, como para escucharlo de fondo pero no hay nada que destaque 100% y me haga pensar en este álbum o banda, sino que estos sonidos me recuerdan a otras que llamaron más mí atencion
The album cover is similar quality to the music.
80's pero hard. Si les robó el Indio, deben ser bastante buenos. Particularmente no me gustaron.
first listen ughhhhhhh
Kooky, fun, unique - well paced and just right in length. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but purely subjectively to me - this is an awesome perfect album.
I like this, but the production, for me, is not fulsome enough
I didn't listen to this album
Meh. A good album, just not my thing. 2/5
Pretty crazy how Adam and the ants went from sounding like animal collective to David Byrne and David Bowie. Some songs were a miss, but I enjoyed most of it.
This just seemed kinda grating, didn’t enjoy it.
Bonkers in the best way possible. A heady mixture of African drumbeats, pop culture references and giddy yelps that helped herald the birth of new wave.
This was super interesting to listen to. It very much had throw shit at the all and see what sticks. It was a wild ride. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. Something to return to from time to time though.
First listen of this thing and I kinda shrugged, this isn’t a ‘deep album’ by any means, this album is like what junkies should be taking instead of cocaine or heroin. Obviously what I’ve said is COMPLETELY out of touch but so is this album and so is Adam ant. That’s what makes it special. It’s almost like the album was made for and by children. It’s also the only album with drums as the strongest instrument that I’m not bored by. I would never go for a song as goofy as feed me to the lions or Jolly Roger but Jolly Roger and its live version were tied as my top song of 2023 on Spotify. The albums made to make you smile like the goofy ‘Clint Eastwood’ backing vocals in los rancheros or the nonsense at the end of the human beings and the ‘murder happy characters’ in making history, they sound like they should be plastered on a cereal box or ceebeebies. I would argue the only song that’s slightly deep is ants invasion and that’s just because of its riff that, yes does sound like an invasion waiting to happen. Oh and the bridge to that song is so cool. I haven’t even mentioned the first two songs, the hits. Ant music is one of the best singles of all time and dog eat dog is brilliant too. As with most tracks it’s the drumming that puts this leagues above other similar albums. Also the first 3 songs of side 2 all kinda have the same vibe I’ve always felt. You have the title track, the MAG-NIFICENT five MAG-NIFICENT, and sex music for ant people ant music for sex people (AKA don’t be square be there). I honestly don’t really know what I’m saying with this review now 5/5
Not a fun time.
A very wild intro to the 80’s but not in a bad way! Very different and very good sounds in this album, love the drums and the repetitiveness of it. First time listening to this album and the band itself, very solid album all the way through, really enjoyed it!
This didn’t age well.
This is pushing the abomination line. Not quite there only because for the era this would have at least been unique and strange. Still, not very good
Oh no. More British rock... The first track was actually pretty good though. This definitely sounds like it was made in the '80s (for better and for worse) Has a similar soundscape to Davide Bowie. I had thought for a moment that he was in the band. Its pretty good, but this is a 39 song album... I'm starting to get tired of it. The first disk was infinatly better than the seccond one. Overall pretty good I'm hesitant to put this up there with other 4/5's but I feel that it is better than the 3/5's I have... kinda wish this was on a 10 scale
i listened to 9 of the 38 (!!!) songs on this album and they were all a british dude just absolutely yelling over guitars. that's three things i don't like. Ants Invasion had cool instrumentals though.
A lot of catchy songs. Good, but not great, but really good, but not really great.... 3.5
It’s ok, very much fits into the 80’s new wave genre, not one of the best, sounds a lot like the Clash which I prefer
Better than expected doesn't always mean good.
I don’t hate it, and I thought I would hate it. Feeding me to the lions was a bit much. Jolly Roger was a bad attempt at a pirate shanty.
Did not L(ike)
Post Punk at its finest.
3-4
Highlight: Jolly Roger
I saw Adam And The Ants in concert in '84. I enjoyed some of their hits at the time, and from what I can remember they had a lot of theatrical fun in their live shows. I didn't really listen to them very much beyond that. Not from any conscious decision that I recall; I just had other interests and off I went. So, really, this is probably the first time I've listened to any of their albums in full. It's more edgy than I would have guessed, and I like that they weave in some elements from non-Western music. I also like the homage to Link Ray's "Rumble" in "Killer in the Home". (Oddly, not mentioned in the Wikipedia entry about the album.) I don't necessarily love all the songs, but that's more a stylistic preference on my part than anything else.
Not a moving record, not a sing-along record, not a play-along record. Not a re-listenable record.
This album is all over the freaking place and I loved that about it. So many absurd songs. Sounded like something King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard could have come up with 4/5
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Dog eat dog, Antmusic, Feed me to the lions, King of the wild frontier, Don’t be square, The human beings
I'm reading all these negative reviews here and am thinking I've been listening to an entire different album than the majority here. It's an upbeat album that makes perfect use of these double burundi drums. Adam Ant when he was still good.
Vel öðruvísi á sínum tíma, skar sig úr hinni týpísku nýrómantík, og er í raun bara hresst post-punk með smá rokkabillítöktum.
Meh
9/10 - All round great album, bit strange at points but i liked it
Fun early 80’s sound. Last I heard he was still touring.
Pleasant surprise
Punk rock
Album that sits firmly in my memory of being allowed to listen to it in a Primary School music lesson. The bridge between punk and new wave and that time when everything made the charts because good music was good music. The singles are right there but as an album it drifts a lot.
Definitely sounded not good but points for hitting some tracks in a XTC sound
Outside of antmusic there’s nothing good here. Inside of antmusic, it’s too dark to read.
I know very little about Adam & The Ants/ Adam Ants but had some high hopes here even though Goody Two Shoes is a little too much for me, I do love that Berundi Beat they seem to use, and there is some good stuff here but overall a bit of a disappointment for me. I quite liked "Killer in the Home" but thought Jolly Roger was like high school musical and that "The Human Beings" lyrically is kind of, well, embarassing sounding but surrounded by solid music. Overall, 2.5 starts out of 5 for me.
Every bit as silly as I hoped it would be
Had only heard a few of their songs before, but really enjoyed this!
Dit is wat je krijgt wanneer je Devo besteld via Ali Express. Matig klinkende new wave memerock, vooral qua zang. Die zang zal wel ironisch bedoeld zijn, want het klinkt voor geen meter. Al met al redelijk makkelijk verteerbaar, dus toch gewoon 3 sterren omdat ik een milde man ben.
Gloriously 80s. Nice range of tunes. Brilliant to listen to on a rainy Tuesday
Big cowboys and Indians/Western meets glam rock vibes here! Really fun with lots of catchy songs and always gotta appreciate anyone trying to be a bit different!
you can really tell bestie was influenced by bowie more than you can tell i went to art school by my dyed hair. really great album even if it did feel a lil like i was listening to bowie 2: electric boogaloo - especially on feed me to the lions. very groovy + boogie 🕺🕺🕺
Plenty of genres in here, yet they all sound pretty similar? I suppose you could call that both a success and a failure, depending on who you ask. This was okay, but most songs fail to do much more than the surface level presented, and it makes a lot of songs just alright. Certainly not a bad album, but I don't see myself putting this on again. Certainly not what I was expecting though, I thought Adam Ant was more new wave pop-ish than this.
Очень хороший рок 80х с кучей интересных заимствований из различных жанров и панковской натурой. Вокал здесь ранжируется от детского и беззаботного до буквально абсурдного, пафосного и дерзкого. На этом альбоме всё отлично справились со своей работой и вывели просто хороший и весёлый альбом. (8)
What a surprise. After all the other new wave inclusions, I expected the generic but got something quite original. A mix of the Clash and Talking Heads, packed with duel guitar work and cool songwriting. Maybe lacking a big big hit, but definitely a cool listen.
Unfortunately another New Wave album that isnt bad but fails to leave a lasting impression or stand out from the masses
This isn't for me, but I see why it's on the list. It's repetitive and punky, and I'd say it made quite a few parents nervous back in the day. For the most part I found it a bit bland though.
It was okay
Not too keen.
Not knowing much about Adam and the Ants beyond the later rockstar image of Adam himself, I was surprised with how layered, creative, and altogether competent this album is. A welcome mixture of post-punk a la Magazine, new wave, and pop rock.
Adam and the Ants announce themselves in style. With the Heavy drum attack of Dog Eat Dog. Wow! I know that Dirk Wears White Socks is the debut album but this is my introduction to the Buccaneers of ant music. The recurring themes of pirates, ants and American Indian tribes is a little bit sophomoic at times but damn its fun. And that double drum attack gives the music a power that was unique at the time, at least as far as I know. It's not a GREAT or a Classic album but its really good and still makes me smile 40 years later. 4 stars
Those drums still have the power to stir my heart. They strike a very primal connection. The hits take me back to my pre-teen days when my best friend had the album on vinyl and named her dog Ant. We both thought Stuart (Adam Ant) was very pretty and different and bucked the trend. So I still get a warm and fuzzy feeling when I listen to these fun, uptempo tracks and can sing along to all the hits. I’d probably be just as happy listening to a ‘Best of’ Album so I could sing along to all of them. But it’s hard not to feel slightly removed from those days when Adam and his Ants felt fresh. And ant-marched to the beat of a Burundi drum. The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.
Never listened to Adam Ant (or Adam & the Ants) much back in the 80s. As I listen to this album, I can't really explain it. I love the bass, the drums, and the guitar. Adam Ant.... hmmm... not so much. I can think of a number similar sounding artists that I love but I still don't connect with Adam Ant. I probably need to see him in concert to get a crowd sourced emotional connection to enjoy listening to him. The other reason I'm probably not a fan of his singing is because it reminds me of my own singing... LOL!
Rockabilly pirate post-punk music. I like it a lot!
I still have this one on vinyl (sadly, I don't have my entire collection any more). I didn't know anyone else who listened to it at the time and thought I had stumbled on some rare gem. I guess the album was more popular than all that. On this listen, I had a moment or two of PC concern about appropriation — the notion of "redskin" being a slur has settled into my core — but really, I was just enjoying the drum beats and yelps and campy swagger of Adam and his Ants. I can't think of other artists that quite sounds like this, the band has staked its ground and created something it can claim as its own. Thankfully, it's fun to listen to and entertaining from start to finish. I remember always wanting to get to "Ants Invasion," that was the standout track for me, and I totally enjoyed it on this listen. What the hell any of it is actually about is irrelevant, this sets a mood and sticks to it, and that's what it was all about then and now.
I had high hopes for this one, and I dig that they were doing something different, but this never came together for me. The opener and title were cool, but man did I get tired of this thing.
Really couldn’t get into this. It’s not bad but nothing I would want to listen to again.
3.75
Adam & The Ants blend art-rock, punk and new wave and add some tribal drumming and chanting on top. And that's where it all seems to start feeling plastic and kitschy. It makes it very suitable for movie soundtracks and it might've worked incredibly in concerts, but listening to this album on its own is like you're walking in on a lot of weird theme parties where people used enough substances already and you're the only one sober.
Eh
Kings Of The Wild Frontier is bad 80s stuff, nothing here I liked, lots I actively disliked. 1/5.
Another underwhelmer, although I went into this with lower expectations. Nothing that stands out at all, it's not awful but it's not something I'll ever be tempted to come back to. Falls somewhere in the cracks between punk, glam, and new wave without seriously troubling the best of either. 2/5.
3.8 - Overall, a fun listen but extremely ironic. It's art music in the most arch sense of the term. The burundi drums at the end of "Dog Eat Dog" are sweet, as are the loud coked-up vocals. If someone told me this song was the inspiration for "Rio" by Duran Duran I would agree vehemently. "Antmusic" is kinda neat but it's too self-referential in a "Wang Chung"-y sort of way. "Feed Me To the Lions" sounds like a campy approximation of Roxy Music, and it's pretty amazing. On that song the timpanies, gnarly guitar, "ay-oh-ay-oh" background vocals in the chorus work really well together. I lose the thread around "Jolly Roger", a whacked out pirate biddy - it's actually cooler than it sounds but still not amazing. I love the chorus of "The Human Beings" ("Blackfoot, Pawnee, Cheyenne, Crow Apache, Arapaho...").
Eh, a little too weird for me. It had it'a moments, though.
I wasn't expecting the You're So Physical band to sound like analog Animal Collective.
Adam Ant's music is pretty close to something I'd like, but there's only a few of his songs that seem to grab my interest. This album was alright, and I did like a few songs off of it, but, again, most of the songs were almost something I'd like, but not quite. Maybe I'd like another album of his more. My favourite songs were Los Rancheros and Don't Be Square (Be There).
1981 Rural midwestern kid with access to only one top 40 radio station - then our town got cable, MTV and also an introduction to Adam and the Ants. My friends and I loved the attitude, camp and revolutionary beats and fashion. Fun stuff for all the boys and girls. Nostalgia aside, this album holds up pretty well. A lot of great 90 second songs that stretch to 3+ minutes. ‘Dog Eat Dog’ is the highlight for me and has been a song I’ve gone back to regularly over the years. ‘Ants Invasion’ is another standout I had not listened to for decades - great lyrics, and I’m glad to hear it again. This is a strong 3.5, and rounding up for the Antpeople.
This was horrendous. Feed Adam to The Ants.
Hmmmmm
interesting tunes
Love this album, busted out the vinyl for this listen
The lat 70s, early 80s were a wild and untamed era of musical experiments, and one of the more interesting ones was Adam and the Ants (fronted by Goodie Two Shoes Adam Ant). This album however is probably best relegated to the late 70s, early 80s.
There’s interesting drumming on some of the songs, and a couple tracks on here feel like a direct antecedent to something like Vampire Weekend. Goofball music for sure
3/5. An fun album of talking heads inspired music. But there are a few quite annoying songs that bring this album down some.
Pretty bang average pop punk rock
me gustó pero bueno chill tmp me enloqueció 7.5 / 10
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Ants Invasion (5) 2 - The Magnificent Five (8) 3 - The Human Beings (12)
What lovely Burundi Beat glory we have here! I thought of Bow Wow Wow as I heard this (insofar as similarity) and was surprised to read that Malcolm McClaren had pinched Ant’s original backing band for BWW prior to this record. Amazing stuff then, this record. I wanted to give it a 3.5 but I cannot, but then I listened to the additions to the US version of this and realised that it needed the full 4 star rating. I love me some New Wave!
Alex Benson has a great article on the Ants, Bow Wow Wow, Malcolm McLaren and the thievery of the Burundi Beat. The cynicism which suffuses this band - the look, the sound, the style - all a major money grab, designed to create faux controversy and fill column inches - all of it comes through in this irritating mess of styles nicked from others and lyrics saying nothing. Opportunist and crass. Are they pirates, glam rockers, Mohicans or just w@nkers? In Benson’s words: ‘culture is up for grabs, theft is subjective, people are clay and commerce is king.’
Ant music!
"Stand and Deliver" and "Prince Charming" were decade-defining hits in the UK, so it's pretty weird the album they were on isn't the one on this list, eh? Not having heard any Adam and the Ants apart from those singles, I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was quite a fun listen! A little punky edge to the poppy new wave, plenty of variety, yeah, I can get behind this. Gonna check out the "Prince Charming" album off the back of this too! Fave track - "Feed Me to the Lions", perhaps? "Jolly Roger" was fun too. Also liked "The Omlette From Outer Space" if we're including bonus tracks...
I can’t take them seriously
Very weird album haha. I had pretty high expectations after the first few tracks but I feel like it went a bit downhill from there. Kind of typical British 80s sound (plus the weirdness). Does the vocalist want to fuck bugs? Sure sounds like!! Fav tracks: Dog Eat Dog, Ants Invasion
Never heard of them and didn’t particularly like them
Pop-punk. Curioso. Un 4, venga.
New wave, pop punk
They created a very distinctive sound - twin drummers. The range of material is a bit limited but it shook things up a bit. The singles are great but the other tracks aren't quite so good.
Dog eat dog- chorus doesn't do anything for me Ant music - pre chorus and chorus catchy👍 Feed me to the Lions - random hey hos in chorus really throw me off Los Rancheros - what is with the random chanting in the chorus? Quite fun tho👍 Ants invasion - not sure what he's going on about but I like it👍 Killer in the home - quite repetitive, not a catchy hook. Kings of the wild frontier- some weird pretending to be native American which makes me uncomfortable today, but this is undeniably interesting👍 The magnificent five- someone take the western movies away😭 Don't be square - feel like I'm joining a cult👍 Jolly Roger- this is bizarre, feel like I'm listening to an ancestor of stand and deliver, think I'd rather listen to that Making history - I like this one, think it is quite clever👍 The human beings- very simple lyrically, I think this works. At least he's finally stopped relating the band to a nouveau native American tribe Very interesting album, with different vibes, including some very themed songs. Lyrical content questionable sometimes 3/5
Pretty awful,
Good old fashioned punk. Not a whole lot here, though. Kind of experimental in places.
Didn't remember how much i liked Dog Eat Dog and Antmusic. Both completely banging songs. I like the african drum vibe that carries through a lot of the music, but outside of the first two songs, there's nothing that is really great. A bunch of fine songs and a pretty unique sound.
Typische new wave muziek.
Nice and wild and fun
In appricate the playfulness and stuff but no this was annoying
This album is soooo long (39 songs)
Cultural appropriation aside, this was peak Adam & The Ants. They descended into a pantomime act after this album.
New to me, still kind of processing it. It's good, it's also fiercely obnoxious.
I generally like the approach to percussion throughout the record, as well as all the chanting. It's charm wears off a bit by the end, particularly on "Jolly Roger," but I'll forgive that one since he developed a fairly unique sort of hybrid sound. At times reminds me of Brian Eno's early solo albums. Also, I loved the era when shooting album cover photos off of TV screens was en vogue. Particularly when they paired it with a bright red font.
First I heard it in the car and didn't think it was interesting at all, but after listening in a different environment I can hear things a lot better. A lot of these songs sound very familiar, not sure if I heard covers or what. It's not bad and has some interesting vocals at times, but still doesn't grip me enough.
Loved it! Serious Oingo Boingo vibes!
I had a wild time with this. I was climbing in the car after visiting my mom and she asked what I was listening to. I said "Adam and the Ants," described the project and went on my way. Halfway home, I had this inescapable waking nightmare where I get into a horrific crash and my mom takes up listening to my last album as a way of mourning. Then at some point she becomes familiar enough to kinda dig it, and thinks of me fondly while nodding her head to "ant music for sex people, sex music for ant people." In summary, I did not have a great time. The apparent "Burundi beat," however, did remind me of the excellent Naked Eyes song "Always Something There to Remind Me" and I learned it's actually a cover of a very good 1964 version by Lou Johnson. So there is a silver lining.
Ouains.
That was a surprisingly rocky and fun album, which takes itself just the right amount of seriously - not as glam and hammed up as the live act seemed to be. Enjoyed that.
This album has such a silly groove that I simply can't help enjoying it. The unique percussive elements take a back seat at the same time the Ants slow things down, which is less than ideal. Well worth a listen nonetheless.
Really enjoyed this one - definitely a cool new discovery. Dog eat dog is the fav but has a great new wave feel but not so out there that it wouldn't be attractive to a wider audience. Preferred A side to B side.
I got Animal Collective vibes from this album and am excited to come back to it
Didn’t find this one too enjoyable. Felt like it was more popular in the 80s than it would be now. Some of the songs lyrically are quite bad. The sound is just a very strong 80s sense which was decent I guess but I don’t see myself revisiting this one. 3.8/10
This was just ok. Nothing really grabbed my attention so kind of surprising this had so many big hits.
I like a lot of his stuff way more. I wonder why this one made the list.
Behind the idiosyncratic sounds of early 80s post punk/new wave--which have aged quite well given the revival surge of these sounds occuring in the British scene these days--, behind the experimental drive borrowing a lot of disparate elements here and there, from Glam Rock and Surf Rock to traditional Burundi rythms and Tex Mex / Western Country twangs, behind all those endearing and/or hypnotic details, there's one thing that this record displays that's cruelly missing in a lot of the more obscure cuts sometimes suggested by Dimery's list among well-known landmarks: infectious pop melodies. They're here played with an undeniable sense of fun, and the end result is here a record which is anything but pretentious, and yet manages to impress you from the get-go with its manifold stylistic twists and turns. I was barely aware of who Adam Ant was before his name popped up on this app. From what I hear, his overall discography will be quite hit or miss for me. But it only took one exhilarated spin of this particluar record to make the latter a new late-70s/early-80s favorite of mine, along with the greatest albums of Siouxsie And The Banshees, Wire, The Cure, Bauhaus, Gang Of Four, The Clash, The Damned, This Heat and the likes. An awesome discovery. Whoever in Dimery's team was in charge of that specific scene has great taste. I will thank him forever, along with the creator of this app. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 853 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 81 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 36 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 31
This was the first album I bought, on cassette, aged 10. Loved it at the time and it’s still a classic. Favourites then and now are Ant Invasion, Killer In The Home and The Human Beings
Their fashion was more interesting than their sound
Some dated parts, but I'm a sucker for new wave. Quite good for the most part
Classic early 80s rock.
This was a pretty fun album. Not sure if it's "good" but the songs were catchy and it kept my toe tapping.
A potently rhythmic style of new wave, with TWO drummers to emphasize the Burundi beat that drives the album. Some songs are really great, as they lean into a gritty form of new wave. Other songs end up being duds, but it's certainly not a waste of anyone's time.
loved it!
really interesting new-wave hard-rock had a lot of really great stuff in there 9/10
Blast from my past. I was 11 when this came out. I think I tried to record from TOTP with a tape deck. How sad. Happy memories. Apart from the singles is doesn’t stand the test of time.
This is a fun collection of songs, full of absurdity and punk attitude. There is an exuberance and camp aspect to this music that runs contrary to so much of the self-serious post punk music coming out at the same time. I will say this for the band, the Ants sound like pretty much nothing else out there. The foregrounding of multiple drummers with a grinding surf-tinged guitar, performed by a bunch of guys in pirate cosplay? Yes, it was gimmicky, but Adam Ant had more than enough charisma to pull it off. Whatever he was selling, a lot of us bought it. Marco Pirroni's guitar is excellent and deserves a lion's share of the credit for what works on this album. His vibe in "Killer in the Home" is straight out of Link Wray's "Rumble" but he's a surprisingly nimble player who can move pretty effortlessly from jaunty to menacing. Contrast "Don’t Be Square (Be There)" with "Killer in the Home" to see what I mean. The lyrics are frequently silly, but what do you expect from a guy who dresses like that to go to work? Fave Songs: Dog Eat Dog, Antmusic, Killer in the Home, Kings of the Wild Frontier, Feed Me to the Lions, Ants Invasion, Don’t Be Square (Be There)
Bizarre, funky, memey pop.. it has some really hilarious bits to it and a few songs are memorable just on uniqueness, but overall not totally my vibe. 5/10
Surprisingly varied. Some corking tracks on here, with few (if any) that were a chore. The twee nonsense of Adam Ant's theatrics distract from a very talented musician.
Some tunes! Some lacking
It's fun and there's some good songs (especially the run of Ants Invasion/Killer in the Home/KotWF) but there's a lot of filler especially towards the end The US version with Physical would probably get a 3, but it's not on the UK version so a 2 it is
A standout album of the 80s for me
This is fucking horrible - I love it. I'm not sure why I actually like this. The lyrics are stupid, the music is stupid, the name and album art are stupid.. there's even a completely random pirate song for absolutely no reason. The band's not even "Adam & The Ants", there's one guy named "Adam Ant". It makes no sense - that's like The Beatles calling themselves "John & The Lennons". This is what the kids like to call "penis music" and I'm here for it. Yeah I gave this a 4/5 and The White Album a 2/5, what are you going to do about it. I am aware that my brain is completely rotten and that I have tiny goblins building aqueducts in my cerebral cortex.
Worth the listen.
Shite that coulda only come from the insufferable 80's
Adam Ant seems to be taking the New Wave 'Revolution' theme a little too seriously with that dumb jacket, but there some authentic new in this album. The trick of starting a song with percussion and drums works the first time, but gets stale and is over used. The drums intro to 'Ant Music,' sounds almost identical to 'Goody Two Shoes' (which reminds me of Jump, Jive & Wail for some reason). Even Kings of the Wild Frontier has the same percussion intro if you get thru the first five seconds of voice. This album is a product of its time and an embodiment of all that was popular. It's a new world that will only exist as a moment in time. The strangeness of the early 80's, synth-y crap, distorted guitars with vocal overlay harmonizing. This is hardcore New Wave, but if I'm gonna listen to the genre, I'd much rather it be the wacky stuff by the guys in yellow suits from Ohio. https://youtu.be/XTNGg0Tj5Aw
I've heard of Adam Ant. But not Adam & The Ants. I wondered, was I wrong the whole time and there is no Adam Ant? Just some guy named Adam with some ants? No, it turns out he really is named Adam Ant. But none of the other members of Adam & The Ants are ants. Why not Andy Ant or Lester Ant? Maybe they weren't as committed to the gimmick. Because Adam Ant was certainly committed to the gimmick. Which was a pirate gimmick? But what do pirates have to do with ants? A legit pirate named Adam Ant would not inspire much terror on the high seas. The makeup and silly facial hair is ok - see Jack Sparrow and De Niro's Captain Shakespeare. I just don't think ants wouldn't make for good pirates. I wanted to hate "Kings of the Wild Frontier." But they sounded like they were just having so much fun. Extra star for embracing it, even if it sucked.
Do you ever wonder if Zack Attack (the Saved By The Bell friends’ imaginary pop band in season 4 episode 22’s Rockumentary) actually did exist then broke up but Screech started a side project in 1980 instead of searching far and wide for the meaning of life from the High Geek? Weirdly, I did and I think this album is exactly how that would sound, like a parody of pop music in 1980. In some ways Saved By The Bell’s Rockumentary is a parody of the early 90s. There is waaaay too much color blocked clothing. Post Zack Attack break up Lisa was a US Gladiator, Lethal Lisa. Casey Kasem hosted the Rockumentary. And of course Zack Attack’s hits include too many rock ballads. In fact Screech, Kelly, and Slater demo a song in the studio to ego maniac Zack called School Is A Bore that sounds too much like this album (11:49 mark). 1980 side project Screech should have learned that it was terrible and never played it for 1991 Zack.
It must've been the historical context that made this album important, because I'm just not getting it out of context. British art-house post punk with an overtop smack of zeal that borders on being campy and self-satirizing but could also just be a leadman who can't help from being over the top.
Ok, not terribly exciting
So catchy and filled with raw energy and rambunctious vocals p, absolutely love it! I’d give it a 9.5 out of 10!
I really want to like this - remember that from when I was a kid. But I only really like the hits. It is not consistent
very strong influence of amerindian sounds... which explains the album cover I guess
aight
It was an ok album. A little eccentric. A couple songs were recognizable, however, it is not an album I would listen to again.
There is so much British music that is legit. This band is yet another cocktail of previous influences, and was clearly influential on what would come later. Another one that makes me think about the Britpop that would flourish 15 years later in the mid-90s. Adam & the Ants also incorporate some of the more ethereal sounds of their time. Which, if I had to differentiate them, would be what I'd say. But that gets to my overall point: Does ANOTHER band like this need to be on the list? I do like it, though.
I really like this one. It's like the Animals meets the Talking Heads, but with a little something special mixed in there. Honestly, I can't iterate why I dug this so much. I just did.
i guess it has historic significance for using burundi beat but besides that its alright but nothing spectaculair, reminds me a bit of soft rock/punk
Wtf happened to the second half
Ah the 80s! This was an interesting album that fits my recollection of the time era... Mostly harmless...
Weird and fun, but not much to my taste honestly. I could see this being loved by a very specific kind of person.
Silly and energetic throughout, but a little same and sometimes the dissonant parts of this album take me out.
I can imagine this was new at the time it came out and it is not that bad. But it was okay for one time. Wouldn’t return to this album probably.
Адам и Муравьи. Не понравилось
Distinctive sound with the drumming and chanting, but only 3 good hit singles and a two new wave songs with sinuous groovy bass lines isn't quite enough for anything more than 3 stars, although the style was certainly influential.
Julianne told me to give this a one
very very 80s
nah tanks bruh
I can see why it was exciting at the time, but it sounds pretty generic now.
Best Song: Dog Eat Dog. Punkish rolling beat with overlapping vocals. High energy. Worst Song: Don't Be Square (Be There). Elements of this sound like they are intending to sound bad, as if that amounts to punk rock. Absolutely inane lyrics too. Overall: Another album seemingly pulled from a very specific time and place in England that doesn't belong on this list. I easily could have died having never heard this.
yeah quite cool
3/5
Fun new wave music. Not much that leaped out at me as memorable.
Not at all familiar with the album, and it was kind of fun. I had hoped that I would like it more since it was new wave and that was something hip back in the day. But there was nothing there that really grabbed me.
This was pretty much what I expected.
I liked this album, but as an album it was a lot. I think I would enjoy this music broken up into smaller doses. As a whole it seemed a bit monochromatic after several songs. You can hear a lot of the New Wave trends that came from this album. Apparently this lead the way. Not something I expect to listen to as an album again, but good and I wouldn’t mind hearing songs off this again.
Weird, loud, and at times nonsensical, this album was actually a fun, interesting, wild listen! A good album filled with wonderful glam rock that reminds me of David Bowie. I want to listen to more, however, unfortunately it's just missing that little something special to push it up to five stars.
Quite weird.
80’s new wave
Can see why they are quite influential. Strong ending.
didn't enjoy this as much as I thought
nice. combination of early 80s and punk. Some memorable songs.
It looks like he wants to be avant-garde but it really doesn't feel very creative
Some good stuff
Hmmm, not really my thing
At first, this album sounded like a carbon copy of the album I got the day before, but the more intently I listened, I found it to be far less enjoyable. I"m very much not a fan of the vocals and the overall sound is just average
It has a death grips sample on it! Also, what's the deal with the genre 'new wave'? The genre title seems completely meaningless, and is used on almost anything from a certain time period. It's like calling music 'indie' nowadays, it means nothing
Meh. Didn't love or hate it. Nothing really to say about it.
Dog Eat Dog has some excellent beat and bass work. This sounds like the sound track for the lost boys in Peter Pan.
Blijf de hitjes "Goodie two shoes" en "stand and deliver" toch het leukst vinden
Muziek als een soort soep die je maakt van alle net niet meer houdbare groente uit je koelkast die je sowieso al lang geleden eens goed had moeten schoonmaken. Smaakt niet naar meer.
Tja, hier vond ik vrij weinig aan.
Ook hier kan ik weer geen chocolade van maken. Wat een theatrale zichzelf herhalende prut.
Op zich aardig maar erg veel van hetzelfde.
Real score 2.5 - the further I got through the album the more bored of it I became
Unexpectedly gleeful! Always took Adam Ant to be a punk-Shakey Stevens, bit of a joke band. But he's not - this is some seriously good pop-punk. Not surprised was the Brit Award Best Album.
No.
Noisy but fun. Must have been an exciting live gig, but I think the drumming is a bit too much for this to ever be a favourite album of mine. Although I definitely enjoy the parts more than the whole.
I loved Adam Ant when I was young. But it was all about watching them perform the singles on Top of the Pops. not sure the album stands up.
I have gone over 40 years without hearing an Adam & The Ants or Adam Ant album. They didn't receive as much of a following on this side of the pond and I never had to desire to listen to band that dressed as pirates or wore warpaint like American Indians. Admittedly, I've probably seen some Adam Ant videos which didn't help. This was the second album from Adam & the Ants and when I actually listened I didn't dislike it. It was infectious and it had some of that punk, new wave edge the band's sound had before Adam went solo. Much better than I expected, but still not a fan.
Is this punk? I don't know, it's not terrible, but I don't need to listen to it again. My impression is that it doesn't stand the test of time.
Cocaine is a hell of a drug. Its like British, Glam, Pirate Indian music with a twist of punk. 2.4/5 Enjoyment
I just thought it was really shit all the way through basically
okay, didn't blow me away
Punky, upbeat glam pop, definitely an influence on Supergrass and Franz Ferdinand. Irresistible.
oh dit is een leuke, geeft me een beetje frankie goes to hollywood vibes en die vond ik ook zeer leuk. ik zou dit nog wel eens luisteren.
Jolly roger banger!
Damn this had some catchy songs but also was pretty annoying , like it combined the elements I dislike of both pop and punk. 5/10
5/10. Not so bad, but why was there a random pirate song? Maybe I needed to pay more attention
Got annoying quickly. 4/10
I could name two songs by Adam & The Ants off of the top of my head. Neither of those tracks were on this album. I did not recognize any of the tracks, but the whole album sounded like what I remember from the band. Adam & The Ants has a particular drum sound and a complimentary rhythm to the vocals that was present on several tracks. The album brought back memories of early new wave. Based on this album, I would think that their live performances would have been energetic and fun. The album hinted at being worth a second listen, but there was a limited diversity in the music. I just wasn't paying as much attention to the album towards the end. There was at least one track that I'd probably skip. This album is officially "okay".
Turned something else on on the way home, so must’ve not liked them that much.
This is a weird one. I dig the percussion, but everything else just slides too close to punk-y crap for me.
Dog eats dog kicks it off and is a really good song. After that everything's just flat and directionless. The pirate song is pretty fun though.
First Listen. Didn't know any of the songs. A few of them grew on me by the end of the day. I look forward to hearing this one again. 2/5 (for now)
To be fair - I really wasn't in the mood for this genre today.
Some are catchy but not really my thing. This is like the 80s Beach Boys but more chaotic.
Expected the usual 80s synth that seems to dominate anything from the 80s in this list but was pleasantly surprised. Almost verging in talking heads early Post Punk. Lots of kind of fat riffs in there too. Doesn't sound like anyone's taking them too seriously either which I love.
Meh. Nothing standout at all here except for a few, very stupid lyrics.
This is just forgettable and bad. 3/10.
Welch großartige Pop Collage und vielseitige eklektische Sause. Grandios gealtert auch was den Sound betrifft. Of Montreal verblassen vor Neid und geben sicher nicht mehr als 4.2
Ich finds ganz gut. Bin gerade noch bisschen auf der Suche warum das hier gelandet ist, aber wenn ich mir so das Erscheinungsjahr vor Augen führe: passt schon. Schöne Mischung von Punk-Attitüde mit Glam, Surf und Tribal Beats. Entertaining! War bestimmt spannend wenn man mit Adam und den Ants ausgegangen ist. Extra Props an mich wegen sofortigen Erkennens des Link-Wray-Zitats in Killer In The Home. 3,4!
Super fun new wave album. If you haven’t heard Adam and the Ants you definitely should
I really really dug this
5.4/10 Fav track: antmusic Least fav track: don’t be square