Rattlesnakes

Love the vibe

I enjoyed this album so much. Reminders of history and reminders of what I enjoyed about music back then. On my high repeat list. Awesome vocals, evocative lyrics, atmospherics and it just works.

Perfect pop

I had forgotten how good this album is!!

Every one of their albums is a winner!! They are still touring, great band!

Own this, seen these live, Brixton Academy, so long ago it's unbelievable. Great album.

That was a nice discovery - I really enjoyed that. It sounds to me like Indie should sound like.

What a mystically pleasant jangle-pop record, fully served with all its quirks and 80s cheese. The music feels exaggerated, allowing for the painting of these sonically descriptive images of the songs' settings and general aesthetics. The sonic palette here is impossibly diverse and strikingly sharp and hooky (just listen to the guitar melody on 'Charlotte Street'). I can't express just how colorful and bright, yet nocturnal, melancholic, and longing it all sounds, especially the closer 'Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?'. I love the very diverse groove on the song 'Speedboat' that continues to surprise and build throughout its 4-and-a-half-minute runtime. Lyrically and vocally, it's as charming as it needs to be to fully capitalize on the bewildering nature of the music here. There's something so present about the way Lloyd Cole depicts love, but also it seems the person he talks about is distant and long gone. This subtle contradiction of emotions plays a big part in reinforcing this album's bizarre thematic approach to intimacy. Cole's also consistently witty and unique in his lyricism. This is just perfect pop music, everything sounds so "maximum" - as it should be. That's all that needs to be said, i really loved this one.

Absolutely brilliant

I thought this was great. The name of the album is a winner to start. I thought there were a lot of good songs, some great hooks, lots of likes on this one.

Nice

This has been a very pleasant unexpected surprise. Great voice and the music is almost symphonic. Very clean sound. Love it!

Great album that ends super strongly. I know nothing about these guys, but they sound like a dusty version of Prefab Sprout, I kept thinking of Steve McQueen when listening to this

Not really my thing personally, but not bad!

This album is a cross between new wave, college rock, and folk. It features jangly guitar but still retains a blues and funk core. Lyrically, it is very literate and make references to literature (especially New Journalism and philosophy). Musically, it is highly melodic which is often reinforced or echoed in the instrumentation. The guitar outlines the chords and along with the strings, achieves a full sound. The bass is prominent as is typical of new wave/post-punk. Its folky elements are reminiscent of the Byrds, Bob Dylan, and the early/mid career Beatles. I can hear a lot of this album in modern indie folk and indie rock, especially the reinforced melodies.

cool

Intriguing. I’m not a massive fan of his tone but everything thing else is working for me. I feel like this definitely deserves further listening so I’m giving a soft 5 to keep it in from getting lost amongst the other 4s

Great album

really fun 80s rock - 9/10

80s as heck. I enjoyed my listen, upbeat and interesting enough to keep me going no problem. Instrumentation surprisingly good too.

I love Brit pop. This was a little more on the indie side

First time since starting this that I have listened to an album, and then immediately listened to another by the same act. Loved this.

Big big fan of this. Didn't really like it all that much the first time, so just goes to show how important a second or third listen is for a lot of these albums. The first 5 I'm giving to an album I didn't already know Saved: Speedboat, Rattlesnakes, Down on Mission Street, 2cv, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?

I have never heard of this band but I really liked this album

Pretty great. Sometimes sounds like Depeche Mode, maybe lighter

Really loved this one, how come I’ve never heard about this new wave band before?

Pleasantly surprised by this important Brit pop that was new to me. I liked it

7/7/26. Really liked this! A lot of the 80s new wave or alternative sound can get tiresome for me, but really enjoyed the versatility throughout the album. A lot of good grooves and guitar parts as well.

7/10

really enjoyed that

Quite liked this!

ok

a great vibe for today, listened through twice, loved

good vibes and reminded me of argentinian singer gustavo cerati so that was a plus

Solid stuff.

8/10… scottish pop / new wave / *1984

wsm serio spoko

I missed this debut album at the time; but the across-the-pond music machine was working fine, and I eventually did, along with everyone else I knew, in 1986, when the band a happy second-tier band, behind the Smiths, the Cure, the Stranglers (TY Aaron) and Echo & the Bunnymen (in that order). I still feel at home dancing in their "jangly guitars;" what's new now is that Lloyd Cole's lyrics are richly nuanced. Didn't notice that at the time.

Hate all you want, this exactly my type of album. 80s soft rock and sophisti pop is my jam. Sure its not the most groundbreaking genre, but it just clicks with me ya'know? Favorite track: Rattlesnakes

listened to FM radio in the 80s when all the djs raved about him. I didn't get it at the time but was pleasantly surprised

Short and sweet.

I quite enjoyed this record. I wouldn't say it's one of the finest debuts or "timeless" as some critics/reviewers have said. It has a pretty identifiable 80's pop sound but it's enjoyable and interesting to listen to.

1. "Perfect Skin" 2. "Forest Fire" 3. "Rattlesnakes"

Den litterate hunken från Buxton. Jag brukar hävda att det är världens bäste låtskrivare, vilket förstås inte är helt sant. Men det blir ett bra statement. Och kan man skriva rader som "if you really wanna get straight, read Norman Mailer or get a new tailor" och därmed ringa in vad popmusik verkligen handlor om, en bokhylla och en gaderob då får man en fyra

An enjoyable, well-crafted jangle pop album. There are a few particularly strong cuts on the record with the title track, ‘Forest Fire’, ‘Patience’ and ‘Are You Ready to be Heartbroken?’ In general though, there isn’t really a bad song on the album.

A really solid album combining the classic 80s jangle pop sound with folkier elements and strings on many tracks. Side one starts really strongly with ‘Perfect Skin’, the other highlights being the title track and ‘Forest Fire’. Side two is slightly stronger overall, and it’s folkier too; ‘Charlotte Street’, ‘2cv’, ‘Four Flights Up’, and ‘Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?’ (the vinyl version’s closing track) are all in this vein, and all great. The CD bonus tracks are all decent too. Nothing is extraordinarily brilliant, but there are no duds either. It’s consistently high-quality enough for a low 4 stars.

never heard of these guys liking this pretty consistent

This really holds together as an album, each song delivered with conviction and emotion.

Not too shabby

I've had Rattlesnakes on my playlist for years and really enjoyed but never delved deeper. Really enjoyed - whimsical 80;s indie pop. Particularly liked Down on Mission Street. Its not going to change the world or really get the juices flowing but its a very pleasant listen.

It's a pleasant listen. I enjoy a melodic 80s indie listen, even if it feels like none of it matters in the slightest and the world has moved on. Sadly, Lloyd Cole's best song (Lost Weekend) is not on this album. A couple of good hits, and a good mix of other poppy and melancholic tunes.

Didn't expect much from this album from it's brief description, but I actually enjoyed this overall! Some great pop melodies and instrumentation on here. Favorites: Perfect Skin, Rattlesnakes, Forest Fire

Inspired one of my favorite songs ever, so how bad could it be. Perfectly pleasant, highly literate jangle pop. I can imagine Stuart Murdoch listened to this nonstop as a wee lad. I would have probably fallen head over heels for this if I had encountered it at a certain point in my life, but I came to the bands it influenced first so I can't see much further than my own nose at this moment. But it was really nice to go back to where it started.

Day 247 Used to have the best of Lloyd Cole on CD so knew a few of these songs, Are you ready to be Heartbroken is such a lovely tune Highlights Speedboat Forest Fire Are you ready to be heartbroken

Good background vibes

"Rattlesnakes" is the debut studio album by British rock and pop band Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Jangle pop, college rock and folk rock are the Wiki-listed genres. Cole said that influences for the album were Bob Dylan, Booker T. & the MG's, and his English and philosophy studies. The album was produced by Paul Hardiman. Cole sang lead vocals and played guitar. The Commotions were Neil Clark (guitar), Blair Cowen (keyboards), Lawrence Donegan (bass) and Stephen Irvine (drums, tambourine). The album had generally positive reviews and, commercially, reached #13 in the UK. The first single released "Perfect" opens the album. Melodic, jangly guitars. A jumpy beat. Cole's deep voice rapidly singing about his infatuation of a girl. A lovely pop song, indeed. "Rattlesnakes" was inspired by Joan Didion's novels and centers on a young woman living the "wild life" and navigating the "rattlesnakes." Quicker drums. Strings are added to the mix. A song that builds nicely. Cole is singing softly with a scratchy guitar. An upfront bass and ticking drums. For half the song it has a very 80's pop sound not out of place for the Style Council. Thankfully, it separates itself with a loud electric guitar solo. The second side begins with "Charlotte Street." The pace increases and a happier tone. Another catchy, melodic guitar riff. An infatuation with an older woman. The album closes with "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?" Acoustic guitar and a reverbing synth or harmonica. A nice sounding mix with a twangy electric guitar. A lot of these songs are lyrically driven. Cole gets in just about as many words as he can in songs about romance, affairs and just women in general. Well constructed pop songs with jangly guitars. Melodic. Catchy. The tones can be bouncy and happy or more serious. Strings are added at times. I thought sometimes the music might be derivative but no songs really settled into completely resembling another artist. So, extra points for originality (although Cole thought he was ripping off Dylan). Overall, this is a solid album and well worth a listen.

I feel like I’d heard of this guy but not sure I ever listened. Liked it.

Meni jako simpatičan album iz osamdesetih

80s... jangle pop... that has a vague sophisti-pop flavor to it... inject it in my veins please. This is so awesome. Of course my brain instantly goes to R.E.M. but even some of the more acoustic/orchestral stuff reminds me of what Out of Time-era R.E.M. would do (there's a lineage that starts with "Down on Mission Street" and ends with "Texarkana" but I don't know what's in the middle).

Nice 90s vibe, but top 1001? I'd listen again

A really important album in its day, great confessional songs delivered in Cole’s unique vocal style. One of those artists whose first effort was probably his best, although he shone intermittently in the 40 years since.

I dig the jangly pop. It’s like the Smiths but less ironic and more jangly chord progressions.

Never heard of these guys, but they're pretty good.

Не очень расслушал, но какое-то тёплое впечатление.

I liked this album more than i thought that I would

Side 1 great, side 2 not. 1. Perfect Skin 2. Rattlesnakes 3. Forest Fire 4. ..Heartbroken

This is really good. Shades of Echo and the Bunnymen, moodists, teardrop explodes, early U2.

Songs about first loves, failed relationships, and that time in your life of inventing yourself - "should I buy this raincoat? will I look like Alain Delon or will I look like a dick?" This is an album that wears a black polo neck, carries a slim volume of French poetry and expects you to follow the many arch references and allusions in the songs, nodding knowingly when Lloyd explains "It's just a simple metaphor" in "Forest Fire", mentions Norman Mailer, Cosmopolitan, Greta Garbo, and many others. An album that asks "pretentious ? moi?" and expects you to smile.

I really liked this album. The first song and lead single (Perfect Skin) was probably my least favorite song on the album so I didn't have high hopes. As the album went on and it seemed that they were trying less to be like all other popular bands, I really enjoyed the laid back acoustic vibe of a lot of their songs. I was surprised by how much I liked the second half of the album.

This is the second straight day I have gotten an album from the mid-80's that sounds like it could come directly from the 90's. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions seem to traffic in college jangle rock from the early 90's. Forest Fire does sound like it is from the 80's and trends towards sophista-pop (spelling?). That track could have come directly off an Ah-Ha or Soft Cell album. Calling the album "Rattlesnakes" makes an uninformed listener believe this album is more aggressive than it really is. I understand why someone may not like this album, and I am not sure if it should be in this book or not, but I am glad that it is. I enjoyed the music, even if I have heard a lot of this similar sound before...just a decade after Rattlesnakes came out. My favorite tracks: Perfect Skin Speedboat Rattlesnakes Forest Fire Patience Are You Ready to be Heartbroken? The Sea and the Sand

Great memories

This surprised me - goodsounds, good vocals. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

i liked it :3 its my type of vibe

Honestly I liked this one a good bit, I could tell it’s the kinda new wave stuff the site frowns upon but I liked it, 4/5

Solid, I’ll come back to this one

A laid back jingle jangle. Another album that I love but I question the inclusion on the list.

Todo lo que leo sobre este disco me dirige a Bob Dylan como gran inspiración. Si no fuera porque es el mismo Lloyd Cole quien lo dice me mostráis escéptico, pero bueno, sea como fuera, esto es mucho más digerible que algunas cosas del bueno de Dylan. Lloyd abraza el pop de los ochenta sin necesidad de sumarse a ninguna moda con sintetizadores ni caer en brazos de los nuevos románticos. Lloyd es romántico a su manera, a veces muy ingenuo, pero bueno, era un jovenzuelo. Buenos temas y buenos singles que pasaron un poco desapercibidos por el gran público, pero eso nunca ha sido necesariamente algo negativo.

Franchement très sympa carrément mon style

Very good

Geggjað gáfumannapopp og góðir textar. Plata sem var í miklu uppáhaldi hjá mér, líklega þarf maður að hafa kynnst þessu í áttunni og hafa séð þá í höllinni 1984 til að fíla.

Doesn't feel like an album from '84. Solid 4 Stars.

7/10 Favorite: Perfect Skin

I'm just a sucker for these jangly guitar 80s sad boy bands.

Très bon album d'indie pop, agréable surprise qui rappelle beaucoup Queen Is Dead des Smiths avec des rythmes et une energie proche de la jungle pop tout en restant indépedant. Mon titre pref c'est "Down on Mission street"

Jangly guitars with plenty of chorus, airy synths, reverb drenched vocals, heartfelt lyrics. I know this kind of music isn’t “cool” but I’m a sucker for this kind of thing.

7/10. Not too shabby, I enjoyed it. great lyricist!

Beautiful lyricism and song writing. The music flows well together. It feels like this album should have been the soundtrack to an obscure 80s movie.

Rock, 1984 -> 4

need to listen more

Fondly remembered from my college radio days, though I think Mainstream was the lp I had. The perfect singer songwriter of that age; not as inscrutable as REM, and nowhere near as polemic as Morrissey/Smiths. Maybe his normalcy kept him from being a superstar?

It's great 80s jangle pop with bright instrumentations, gentle vocals and sweet melodies, mixed with some more new wave'y songs here and there. It's really nothing groundbreaking, but very consistent and just plain sounds really good.

This was a surprisingly good listen. Well-executed new wave British pop flavored with beautiful strings throughout. Much better lyrics than the average. I think if you want new wave with some more introspection but with the fun spirit of the genre intact, this album will be a treat.

I only know him from the I’m Your Fan album, and this was very good as I would have expected.

More 80’s! Great lead off track and single. Upbeat jangly indie pop. Hard not to like this. Not sure it’s one for the collection but very enjoyable. 4

Surprising! I liked this a bunch! Best Song: Forest Fire Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4

A couple years back I swapped 10-track sets with Groupmate using a baffling guideline where we had to pick a single track from one album chosen from every 50 albums in a long bunch of albums. We had to pick songs from albums we’d never listened to and swap the sets unheard or something. I don’t know, and I forget the details, and it’s all too convoluted to even try to explain here, but the sets were both demented. The song Rattlesnakes was on my set. This album is a good fun listen. It felt a bit long, and both spins I found myself checking the progress when there were two-three songs left. I note that on the album cover the words “Contains 4 extra tracks” is written. All this to say: I was right. It IS too long.

Surprisingly good jangle pop/"college rock" debut album. Avoids the techno-pop excesses of the 80's but isn't just stripped-down folk rock. Keyboard hooks that are subtle but still grab you. Nice singing voice that is quieter and helps match the poetic (if not corny at times) lyrics. "Four Flights Up" simple but upbeat and fun.

Loved “Forest Fire” Nice 80s feel. A bit of folk mixed in.

Like 🚀

👍

The song "Rattlesnakes" is so great. I've heard that one before on "New Wave" playlists, and I really like it. The rest of the album is very good, but it definitely is "of its time," and while I do think it should be praised, I can't say I'll go back to it a lot. I can a 3.5 or a 4, depending on how I think about it, so I'll round up. I think there are better albums that should have been on this list, instead of this one, but it is very good.

I love all kinds of 80s music, but I was not expecting to like this nearly as much as I did. When it showed up as my next album, my instant thought was "not another no-name English band!" I've grown tired of a lot of these bands that have no business sniffing this countdown, let alone being on it. And while I am not sure this belongs here either, I at least really enjoyed their sound. Yeah, the singer is that typical New Wave voice, which struggles to hit all of the notes but it sounds like it was supposed to be this way. The band is solid and the songwriting is good, even if some of the lyrics are a bit basic. While I enjoy New Wave music, it's not my favorite subgenre of the 80s, but this was a welcomed addition that I had never heard before. Stuff like this makes plowing through this list fun. 4 stars.

Somewhat conventional and even a little bland but somehow I like it. It's like comfort food.

This is what I hoped I'd get from this app. Albums that I would have dismissed as a youth because it wasn't 'rock'! This is a very good album if you can get past Lloyd Cole's singing style. Some great guitar work on show and maybe would have been a 5 if Cole's voice didn’t occasionally stray out of his natural range.

This is one that I feel like I've been missing out on for way too long, but glad I finally found.

A wonderful, confidently understated album that gets big when it has to. A Scottish take on the Jangle Pop genre.

Very fun, very 80s. Some weak / slow spots, but overall a nice surprise.

Pretty nice!

3-4/5, easy listening

Pleasantly surprised with this one. Will definitely be listening again

Really good.

At the start and until the 2cv I think it was mid album but after that I found that album pretty interesting. I also liked that it is kinda light in the mood. Fav tracks: 2cv, Four Flights Up, Patience, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? 3,5/5

Really like this. Feel like it blends the blues and country of previous decades with some of the 80s pep. Sounds great with loudness feature used on the amp, as there is plenty of dynamic range in the sound

This feels like an album I will really like and that my partners in review will wonder why the fuck this is on the list. Anyways this was a pretty solid entry into the list of 1980s rock and roll. Nice little melodies and what appear to be thoughtful lyrics.

I had forgotten about this. Well not entirely as I recognized the song Rattlesnakes. I really liked this and have added all Lloyd Cole's albums to favorites.

Although very 80s sounding, this is a great album. Enjoyed every track.

They have a Plimsoles/Echo and the Bunnymen vibe. Easy listen.

A fun album. But nothing feels super memorable. So I probably won't come back to it

I liked this a lot! I would listen to this again. It had a distinct 80s sound but had its own twist on that era.

Прикольная музычка, интересная. 7 из 10.

One of my favorite things in this project is getting introduced to great albums from my most formative years that, for whatever reason, I missed. It's like a dream - discovery but wrapped in the warmth of nostalgia. I can't give this album five stars, but I absolutely love it.

*1984 - British band formed in Glasgow. *Never heard of these guys before. *Sounds like The Church or pretty much every band on Sirius XM - Channel 33. Love that stuff. RATING - 7.5/10

Really good!

Once again I’m super biased towards new wave in general. It’s my favorite thing to come out of the 80s and this album is not exception. This is album contains a lot of my most important qualities for an album. The first being it’s super short and is really boiled down to some solid tracks with very few skips (two to be exact). The other thing is this album has that I love is it has a great variety of sounds on it (especially for a new wave album). There’s slow songs, there’s super poppy fun songs, and thens there’s this running theme of amazing guitar playing. Like of all the things in this album that really pop the biggest has got to be guitar playing, it’s just so creative and clean. Even if you don’t like new wave you should hear the guitar playing on this album, it’s great. But yah if you don’t like new wave this won’t be for you, unfortunately.

I have to admit, this is a pretty random album to end up on a list of 1001 albums you must hear before you die, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It’s classic 80s jangle pop. If you’re into early R.E.M. or bands like The Smiths, this is definitely an album worth checking out.

Lots of nostalgia with this one. Great stories punctuated by a soothing voice.

Not my usual type of music, but I really like it and listened to it 2 times. Sort of reminds me of David Bowie.

It’s hard to believe this album was released over 40 years ago. Everything about it seems modern. You could turn on a college station today and hear songs exactly like it. Strange that this seems so familiar when I had never heard them before. Maybe not the greatest thing ever, but I really enjoyed it.

This genre is not my thing, I am not the best person to rate this album. But it is good!

Really fun little 80's jangle pop record, nothing mind-blowing, but one that i'll definitely listen to again. 4 Stars.

Constent musical movement

I quite enjoyed that, especially the bits that wandered more towards The The's territory. Will be listening again

Five songs in and I was loving life and this was a sure fire 5 star. Then there was the back to back of Charlotte Street and 2cv which really did bore me. Luckily the rest of the album picked up again but those two songs are keeping it from top marks. Top Track - Four Flights Up

Enjoyable and fun listen.

You've got to love random timing. I'm currently reading Limmy's autobiography. Look up "Limmy Lloyd Cole" on YouTube for a wee rage filled treat and to discover what a miserable snob old Lloyd is. The video is Limmy reacting to Lloyd's review of his book on BBC Radio 4. My opinion of Lloyd is even lower having now read most of Limmy's brutally honest, sad and funny book. Anyway I loved this album as a teenager and I'm not changing my mind about it now. The lyrics can be incredibly pretentious but that's part of its youthful charm. Neil Clark's guitar playing is up there with early Johnny Marr. But the arrangements are more mainstream 80s pop than The Smiths.

3.5

I bought this album at the time largely because of the hit singles emerging from it. Just checked my Discogs collection and reminded myself that I also bought the next album Easy Pieces. So I must have been smitten by this band for reasons I cannot now easily recollect. I like jangly guitar melodic pop songs so that must have been it. Lloyd’s nasally voice and singing style also good. 4/5 26/5/25

Another one! I like it and if I had heard it when it came out I would’ve been a fan.

Quite average for the most part but there's a few really good songs on here like Patience which make it a 4 for me. The vocals are SO 80s and I don't really remember any of the lyrics but it's pleasant enough. I saw a few reviews call it generic 80s synth pop, but there really isn't that much synth here. It's mostly guitars and it feels like a precursor to bands like Pulp.

Kind of like an acoustic soft rock. Some songs almost felt like a British take on country music. Pretty good.

Lloyd's "Love Story" album is one of my favourite 1990s albums, so when this one turned up as my album, I whooped because I've never listened to his work with the Commotions. And unsurprisingly I bopped along to this album very happily. The jangly indie pop is the sound of where I live (quick check: yes, this band was formed in Glasgow) and I adore Lloyd Cole's signature vocals. Listened a few times while getting ready for work and added more than a handful of songs to my playlist. An album to slot in between Aztec Camera, Belle & Sebastian, and The Go-Betweens. Good stuff.

I really enjoyed that! His voice is just weird enough for it to be interesting but not weird enough to be grating. A lot of the songs were really beautiful and the album is the perfect length for this type of music. Fav tracks: Forest Fire, Charlotte Street, 2cv, Patience, Perfect Skin

Very good.

Very solid. Didn't know them. 4/5

3.5

The title track makes me feel like the woman in the song speeding just to feel something.

I enjoyed this one more than others of its sort. I think it was just the right mix of mellow and vocal

I first heard the song Rattlesnakes because I'm a huge Tori Amos fan, and she has a cover album (Strange Little Girls) that includes her take on this song. She breathes such a different life into the song, and I don't know if I'd like the original as much without having heard her version first. I really, really liked this album, though knowing Tori's version of Rattlesnakes beforehand let me hear the other songs with different ears. I think with some added vocal layering, more expansive production, and some tweaking of the vocal delivery, this could be a great album. I still like it as is, I just wish he'd articulate the lyrics with more rhythm and purpose, and less carefree new-wavey voice. It would suit these songs well. I've listened twice already and would listen again, so it's going into the 4 bucket, but it's not the weightiest of 4s.

Very good

80-ті був періодом коли сінти домінували у тогочасній поп музиці, а навколо синті-попу була зосереджена уся увага. Тим не менш, гарна гітарною-орієнтована поп музика, все ж існувала і у середині десятиліття почала знову набувати популярності. Більш того, зʼявився навіть новий жанр jungle pop, що був започаткований гуртом The Smiths на їх однойменному дебютному альбомі. Lloyd Cole And The Commotions стоять в цьому плані, дуже поряд із The Smiths. Lloyd Cole, як і Морріссі був дуже майстерним у ліриці. У той час він був 22-х річним студентом, який вивчав англійську літературу та філософію в Університеті Глазго. Тому не дивно, що його тексти були сповнені безліччю поетичних та виразних образів. Як він сам зізнавався в інтервʼю The Guardian: «Пейзаж для альбому я черпав зі своєї уяви. Я був у Європі лише раз, але моя романтична образність походила з книг і фільмів. Я випадково натрапив на спосіб створювати яскраві картини, витрачаючи мінімум слів». Ці його слова, чи не найкраще характеризують його ліричну майстерність, що в повній мірі розкривалась у поєднанні із мелодійною та чутливою музикою. І особливо, в цьому плані, виділяються текстурні гітарні партії, та тендітні, ледь чутні, струнні аранжування. І нехай дебютник The Smiths я, все ж, люблю більше, Rattlesnakes ні в якому разі не гірше, а завдяки своїй «стриманій елегантності» часом навіть краще.

Jangly guitars, warbly vocals, shimmering synths, poppy bass, cheesy strings, upbeat songs with a bit of snap to them and bittersweet melancholy lyrics. A kind of pop rock that they just don't make anymore. Like a British post New Wave version of heartland rock - a bit phonier, less bombastic, but hitting the same adult contemporary notes. Drags a bit on the slower tracks, but when they're in full on bright jangly mode its so good.

This was quite pleasant.

Hell yeah

Enjoyable 89s college rock

Fantastic mod pop sound. Really well rounded fun album. Never heard of the band but wish I would have known them earlier.

Pretty good jangle pop, nice warm sound, pretty melodies. Never heard of this before but I enjoyed it.

Kedvenc/Favourite: You Will Never Be No Good Jó értelemben kicsit éretlennek érződött néha, de ettől volt nekem őszinte. Úgy éreztem, olyan zenét írtak és játszottak, amihez kedvük volt. Ez a folk/indie pop/rock vonal is tetszett nekem. El tudom képzelni, hogy fogom még hallgatni. It felt a bit immature at times, in a good way. That's what made it sound honest for me. I felt like they wrote and played music that they truly wanted to. I also liked this folk/indie pop/rock vibe. I can see myself listening to it again.

Album 691 of 1001 Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - Rattlesnakes (1984) Rating : 3.5 / 5 Nice album. Good blend of jangle pop, college rock, and folk rock. The songwriting is top notch. Bob Dylan and Booker T. & the M.G.'s are mentioned as influences and I can hear it in there. Great writing, great sound, great melodies.

Albumi #147, 14.02.2025 Skottibändi Lloyd Cole and the Commotionsin debyyttialbumi julkaistiin vuonna 1984. Hyvä levy. Jossain mainittiin genreksi Jangle pop. So be it.

A soothing New Wave/Jangle Pop record. The shimmering guitar riff on Perfect Skin gave me feelings of what modern New Wave would develop into. Vocals remind me of The Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen as well as many of today’s New Wave and Post Punk artists. Vocal mix could be a little better but it works for what they’re going for. Production is uplifting and bright yet gothic, a nice blend. Favorites: Perfect Skin, Charlotte Street, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?

Lovely Scottish blokes, sound a lot like echo and the bunneymen, or the classic C86 compilation by NME. Would have been released the same year as Ocean Rain. Really good, listened to it 3 times before rating.

This was unexpected, funky, fresh, and all around good time.

Solid bright British pop, over soft upbeat rock. Good voice, poetic lyricism. Enjoyable

8/10 Very classic Brit singer/songwriter from this time period. I like it a lot and definitely an album I would’ve never encountered without this challenge. Feels akin to folk recordings from the 60s and 70s with the Brit rock twist. Favorite song: Charlotte Street

Very John Hughes-core... I dug it (8.0) ★★★★

I bought this when it came out and played it to death, I guess my teenage self identified in some way with all the angst! Funnily enough I listened to this a few weeks ago for the first time in about 20 years and thoroughly enjoyed it. There are some fillers on here but also some belters and contrary to a lot of people’s opinion the 80s produced some great music especially for us who grew up listening and going out dancing to it. However I did go to see them live and it wasn’t the most riveting performance I ever saw though they did sound pretty good.

brilliant

Still holds up after all these years

Favorite Track: Rattlesnakes

With its unsuspecting set of influences (Joan Didion and On the Waterfront being prime examples), Rattlesnakes is a perfectly capable and economical record from Lloyd Cole and the Commotions. Almost every song on here is very well done, nicely composed and has little to no wasted note. There's a favorite here for everyone. Favorites: Perfect Skin, Speedboat, Rattlesnakes, Down on Mission Street, Forest Fire, 2cv, Four Flights Up.

Keeps improving with repeat listens. Voice similar to the Jazz Butcher.

- I thought the mixing was off, especially on the first song - Not a fan of the guy's voice - Everything else was really good

I like this! He sounds like Michael Hutchence.

Really enjoyed listening to this one due to the wide variety in instruments, lyrics and even genres at certain points Favourite songs: Forest fire, are you ready to be heartbroken Definitely will relisten to this one in the near future

I've had Rattlesnakes on my playlist for years and really enjoyed but never delved deeper. Really enjoyed - whimsical 80;s indie pop. Particularly liked Down on Mission Street. Its not going to change the world or really get the juices flowing but its a very pleasant listen.

Great surprise of an album! This fits in nicely with the UK jangle pop of the 80s such as Aztec Camera DNA Prefab Sprout. Very nice!

Listened before!

Great

Приятный голос в вокалиста, альбом достаточно нейтральный

Jangly post punk, good

Maybe my ears are off but the albums I enjoy on here tend to be rated low and the albums I don’t feel anything towards are rated high. But this album was fun, it wasn’t mixed the best, the vocals were the cleanest but I enjoyed listening to it. It actually kept me calm while I was damn near an hour late for my date and searching for parking in the city. So there’s that!

Mostly brilliant

Still great but a couple of filler tracks.

A sophisticated jangly pop sound. Killer voice. Will revisit.

I mean, I didn't mind it. And it was a pretty quick, nice listen. /shrug

Excellent! I loved the guitar work on this record. It's a great debut album and very pleasurable to listen to.

Another group I never heard of.

Enjoyable album

Perfect Skin // Speedboat // Down On Mission Street // Charlotte Street // 3.5/5

This is one of those albums that's faded in almost complete obscurity today but is actually still pretty decent. It's 80s indie pop, loosely influenced by Bob Dylan, with literary references and honest examinations of relationships. The style seems to owe a small debt to some of the more digestible post punk bands, but is a lot more radio friendly. 'Rattlesnakes' may struggle to be remembered these days, but honestly, you could do a lot worse than the Commotions.

I was surprised by how much I liked this. Something about the way everything came together... it was a nice, relaxing, smooth, upbeat listen.

Late '80s: I definitely remember Lloyd Cole and The Commotions, but more the 1994-1989 compilation album. Still quite enjoyable. High 4 for me.

Listening to this and The Blue Nile in the same week was a real treat.

Won me over! I tend to go "ugh, another nothing british group" but... that's what this website is. a database of british groups that were important to the author in gradeschool. I like the twang in this album.

Byrjar finnst mér ansi vel, en varð svo minna spennandi eftir því sem á leið. En svo fannst mér þurfa hlusta aftur. Og nú er ég á held ég sjöttu hlustun. Ef það er ekki fjarki þá veit ég ekki hvað.

Surprised to find this one grow on me with an additional listen! Cole is a clever songwriter and solid vocalist, not falling into some of the typical traps that a lot of 80's singers in this genre tend to. Great band arrangements; mostly rooted in dependable jangle pop, shades of sophisti-pop without overdoing it. I have to imagine this would easily make my top 25 of 1984. 4/5

Rattlesnakes I think I got Lloyd Cole wrong, I’d assumed he was kind of safely bluesy middle of the road bland, a right on the nose Jools Holland act. But, on this at least, he is more of jangly, folky, country-ish pop artist, adjacent to some the postcard records stuff. There may not be a great deal of edge to it, but it has a very tasteful sensibility overall, and a winning earnest naivety and sweetness. Lots of literary, cultural and musical references that don’t always land, but they don’t feel affected, the sentiments seem genuine and heartfelt. He doesn’t always have the strongest voice, although I quite like his occasional falsetto, but he does do slightly different voices on some of the song, sounding a bit like Morrissey in a few. I really enjoyed this, it’s a very pleasant listen, maybe it doesn’t scale any crazy heights, but it’s never boring, the songs are all good and I like the sound, that early 80s big but intimate production. It’s probably on the cusp of 3 and 4, but I’ll go 4 as I’ll definitely listen again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Never heard of these guys before, but I really enjoyed it.

Cute album, I would listen to it on a beach day while eating grapes or with my feet buried

Good jangly pop songs. Bonus points for inspiring this song: https://youtu.be/vlryei9U3sg?si=GwlFz9Dg-j6EX1se

Cuando se separaron The Smiths alguien me intentó vender a Lloyd Cole, pero sin nadie que me prestara discos fue tarea imposible. Luego tampoco brillaron así que nunca llegué a escucharlos demasiado, aparte de alguna canción suelta en Radio3. Es su primer álbum y por las escuchas de Spotify el más conocido. Me ha gustado bastante, una sorpresa, qué pena no haberlo oído en su momento! Me guardo Rattlesnake, Charlotte Street, Patience y Are you ready to be heartbroken?

Never heard this before but it immediately registers as the absolute epitome of what we in the 1980s US knew as College Rock, which later came to be known as Alternative Rock, subsequently shortened to Alt-Rock and then abandoned for Indie Rock after the rise of the Alt-Right fascist political movement. Anyway, I enjoyed this very much, like laying the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle. I had ALL of the surrounding pieces: Robyn Hitchcock, REM, Talk Talk, The Smiths, XTC, Graham Parker And The Rumour...Very satisfying in that respect.

Loved it the sound was interesting and some songs on there I really like

Jangle pop gem with storyteller lyricism. The stories are so vivid every track plays like a short story. Really solid musicianship as well, everything fits together so nicely. I especially liked the mix here, space for each instrument but never taking away from the vocals. I usually despise 80s production qualities but I really think there is great balance here. Overall i truly enjoyed this album and see myself revisiting!

Why have I not heard this one before?!

Decent pock rock stuff

Enjoyed the album. Need to revisit it.

Day108 - i’m a big fan of first wave on xm radio and i’ve never heard of this group and im a little disappointed.

Interesting use of strings. 3.5/5.0: Very Good

Nice rhythms, reminiscent of The Cars.

I enjoyed this one. Listened on a Sunday morning while doing odd jobs around the house and the vibe was perfect. I do love easy listening Scottish rock. I'd probably listen to this again so 4 stars for me.

The lead singer's voice reminded me of the guy from OMD. I enjoyed it!

This sounds a bit like The Smiths but less melancholic and more upbeat. Great album that could've stood out more on some of the tracks

Pretty good 4/5

I had to listen to this about three times and started to like it more and more as I did. Hard to believe this pretty terrific album was written more or less alone in the basement of a Scottish country club, but here we are. Fabulous lyrics throughout and even with a low budget vibe (drum machine), I found myself loving it.

Genre: Jangle pop, college rock, folk rock 1984 Singles: Perfect Skin (#26 UK), Forest Fire (#41 UK), Rattlesnakes (#65 UK), Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken (#68 UK) 5/5: Perfect Skin 4/5: Speedboat, Rattlesnakes, Charlotte Street, 2cv, Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken Rating: 4

I’ve never heard of Lloyd Cole & The Commotions before. I’ve always thought that band names that are Someone & The Somethings are a bit amusing. The Somethings are always a bit of an afterthought, aren’t they? Songs I already knew: all of them Favourites: Perfect Skin, 2CV This was a really pleasant album. It’s straight up 80’s pop rock - very similar sounding to people like Rick Springfield which is certainly no bad thing. The singing is nice, the music is decent without being overly complex, it’s pretty much everything expected of a pop record, but with some audible guitars thrown in too. Overall, it’s not exactly a masterpiece, but I enjoyed this.

I thought they were like Commodores, my mistake, they're good!

Not sure how I've never heard of him/them. Elvis Costello/Pulp with a Smiths poetic edge. 76/100

Have a soft spot for this. True, it wasn't "ground-breaking" or "revolutionary" but it's a delicious slice of jangly indie pop. 3.5 stars, with an extra half for nostalgia because a mate of mine was absolutely obsessed with this one

I might have liked this more just because of how much I hated Bjork yesterday, but I found this to be very fun and engaging. I'll put this one on again.

love Lloyd Cole

I really don't like the singer's voice. But I also don't like Bob Dylan's voice, and I think that's kind of what he's going for. Other than that, this album is really incredible. Excellent instrumentation. Some really interesting songs, too.

Good debut.

Ian? Is that you? Really has that Bunnymen sound. Very decent. Interesting to listen to.

Really enjoyed this. This is like, when new wave is kinda garagey and emo like this I really fw it. Love 2cv, love forest fire, patience

4/5

Han hyvlade till ett bra album den gamle kedjerökaren.

this will be of the 1984 release, not the 1985 bonus edition nor the 2004 deluxe edition. track 1, Perfect Skin track 2, Speedboat i have listened to these six seperate times and every time i zone out midway through the first song and come back near the end of the second song. entirely indescribable. 9/10 and 7.5/10 respectively. track 3, Rattlesnakes: the titular song. the guitar and violin(?) go really well together, good vibes here. 9/10 track 4, Down on Mission Street: honestly, every song so far on this album has been super chill and relaxing. could put this on as background music for anything and have a good time. 8/10 instead of repeating "wow, i zoned out almost the entire song and had a great time just sitting here and taking it in", i'm going to put the following mark: [!]. if you see that symbol, that's what happened to me for that song. that being said, track 5, Forest Fire: [!] 9/10 track 6, Charlotte Street: [!] 8/10 track 7, 2cv: [!] 8/10 track 8, Four Flights Up: [!] 8/10 track 9, Patience: ironically, the song i've been most present for so far, despite being one of the strongest relaxation-wise. the guitar + strings combo is still here and still going very well. 8.5/10 track 10, Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?: [!] 8/10 overall: 8.3/10 -> 4/5. i'm a little disappointed i couldn't offer better commentary about these, because wow were they good to listen to. might add this to a background music playlist.

Jangly, heartful Prefab Sprout‘ishness. „Speedboat“ is amazing.

Bjork is what I would call an acquired taste. It’s certainly not a bad album but also probably not an album for my morning commute. The “hits” from the album: Human Behavior, Big Tim

New to me; pleasant

Enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting to.

I really enjoyed this album. They have a sound that was definitely popular for the time but the record is pretty well done. There were not too many standout tracks but every one was solid. Not any stinkers.

Great album, hadn't heard of them before, but good flow throughout the album

This one was kind of tough to grade. I bought this album when it was released, on an adventure pick. Some great tunes, and I gave it plenty of airplay on college radio. I think that Lloyd Cole and the Commotions are one of those great “lost to time” bands: Pretty well known amongst the indie set in the 80s, but still drawing a quizzical glance from most listeners. Definitely a group people should be exposed to, and still very fun to see when he tours. But still not sure if it’s 1001-best material. Was frankly surprised when it popped up for today, it’s been decades since I’ve listened to it through. Strong opener and title track, and a catchy lyric wit behind an affected American put-on twang. Forest Fire and Hearbroken are excellent additional tracks. Too many tracks, though, feel like unfinished sketches: speedboat, 2CV, patience, 4 flights up. Call it 3.5 stars, rounded up for nostalgia. And go check out a “best of” - still plenty of other great Lloyd Cole tunes but hard to recommend further full albums.

i had never heard of this band or album before now but this was a great listen. i think i played it through 4 or 5 times in the last 24 hours... it's good!! nice 80s indie/pop/rock/new wave style. adding this to the rotation. favorites: perfect skin, rattlesnakes, charlotte street, are you ready to be heartbroken?

Very interesting! Not my fave, but I liked it!

Surprisingly good pop/country album! I found the instrumentation very intriguing and going in some unexpected places. The vocals, while passable, were the least enjoyable in my opinion. Will check out more! 7,5 out of 10

sonzao legal, bem típico english oitentista, agradável

Hits you straight away with upbeat music then takes you on a journey with darker music and lyrics. enjoyed it a lot.

Thoroughly enjoyed this as a more formed and certain new mave album. Certainly not as good as many of it's contemporaries, but worthy of a 4

whilst i liked every song i dont think it was a five star album because every song was likeable but in the same way that they all were so there was no surprise or anything which i was hoping for despite this i think the album was very good and better than i thought it would be

I was moderately surprised at how many of these tracks I knew. If you'd asked me a question about Lloyd Cole, I'd have said I only knew anything at all about him due to the track "Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken" by Camera Obscura, but I found myself appreciating this album for its familiarity.

jako simpatičan jangle pop album, odmah na prve note sam skužio o kakvom žanru je riječ. 3.5-3.8.

Love the voice and atmosphere in general

Never heard of this band before, but right up my street, straight into the regular rotation.

Very nice and listenable sophisticated jangle pop/new wave album from the mid-1980s.

De va kinda nice faktiskt lite lustig lyrik ibland men ja gilla hu de lät😃

i really liked this album!

Great debut. One of my favorites.

Solid

Fun varied album

Jangle pop is also noice

Know I know where Hey Lloyd I’m ready to be heartbroken was inspired from.

Very 80s but I liked it

HL: “Forest Fire”, “Charlotte Street”, “Patience”, “2CV”, title track Odd case where I wasn’t thrilled about the album the first few tracks, but something clicked about halfway through & I revisited much of the album later the same day. Conclusion: all the literary references feel like he’s aiming, over most people’s heads, for the English Newspaper Critic TM- BUT it also times well with my current musical interests, including nostalgic-leaning artists like Bleachers & Future Islands, and Leonard Cohen. March 26, 2023

The refined sound blend of good 80's music with interesting lyrical content. Very cool how a lot of it references literature and recreates the feelings of being in love 4/5

Bra debutalbum och jag är ju lite svag för bra denutalbum.

Cool. Average 80s ish music, didn't pick up anything especially good or bad. Second track was notably good

This album is pretty generic. Definitely not bad but also definitely not something I’m gonna hurry back to.

Great stuff

:D

for an artist and an album i had never heard before, they knocked my socks off! not to mention i hadn't heard of the genres jangle pop and college rock before. i was so pleasantly surprised. rattlesnakes was a lovely, soothing listen with tender lyrics. sometimes the lyrics veered off in a pretentious manner, almost like name dropping, but even lloyd cole later said he was embarrassed by some of the lyrics, so i won't hold it against this album. i feel a lot of similarities musically with this album and the smiths' the queen is dead--which is nothing against lloyd cole and the commotions, since rattlesnakes predated the queen is dead. it's definitely less weird, which probably means less punk, than the smiths.

Kind of Brit-Rock-ey, but with a fun twangy, echoey guitar tone

Never heard of this album or artist before, but was pleasantly surprised. Jangly, at times moody, and literate much like a more caffeinated And Also the Trees.

Surprised. I like it.

det är bra, det har nåt. bra längd på albumet också vilket hjälper att cementera fast fyran.

Great album with feel good music

I really liked this? Like early R.E.M jangle pop mixed with 80’s new wave vocals.

Nice background music then defaulted into bully Bragg on YouTube

Enjoyable album, reminds me a bit of the slower songs of REM. Nothing groundbreaking but just a good combination

Classic from my bedsit days. Just great songs for the position in life I was in at that time

I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this. Adding to my rotation!

Nostalgic

Well this was a lovely surprise. A few tracks I knew (not by name) and it feels surprisingly fresh. A lovely summer album.

Man had an ear for a tune and some poetic things to say, with recurring themes of contrasting basements and flights of stairs and comparing women with perfect skin to old school movie stars. Pretty charming and has an air of romance to it and if the production feels a little low key and unvaried at times, at least you feel he made the album he wanted to make.

Very good, already knew many of the songs but a welcome re-listen. Are You Ready to be Heartbroken, Forest Fire and Perfect Skin are classics.

Rattle baby

Love this. Very much of its time, but still a great pop record.

I little more my style.

Pop. Very defining of that era.

Not what you might think.

While this album does have a tendency toward the pretentious, it still sounds really good. There's not a lot that stands out, but all of the tracks are really solid. That is no small feat considering the diversity in songwriting and the amount of different influences blended into coherent songs.

Good classic 70s vibes, I really enjoy the instrumentation and the style it was going for. Sounded generic and not very unique, but I enjoyed it nonetheless

Never heard of them before but a pleasant surprise. Smiths/Cure vibes

This album is like swimming in the early autumn when the weather is still warm and the water is just beginning to cool. It’s a mellow and calm experience, but you don’t want to stay in too long.

I love this genre. That 80s UK New Wave. While there are lots of bands that fit this genre, ironically this album sounds more like The Cars, an American band! Perfect Skin is a poppy, fun, introduction to the album. Speedboat is a great groove. I can see this song being a real fun part of a live show towards the end of the show or just a break from an upbeat set in the middle! I see Lloyd Cole cites Booker T and MGs as an influence, and I completely see that influence in songs like Speedboat and .

Reminded me of like 4 different bands smashed together. Not in a terrible way, I still enjoyed the music.

Oh damn! Hade ingen aning om vad detta var. Är jag ärlig med mig själv så visste jag inte om Rattlesnakes var bandets eller albumets namn när jag öppnade upp spotify. Men det är ett riktigt härligt sound, med mycket små riffs från en lätt gitarr. Jag tycker sångarens röst påminner lite om Simple Minds men också på något litet plan Morriseys röst, även fast den inte är lika bra som hans så ger det ett ändå ett positivt avtryck. Detta kommer lyssnas vidare på! Bäst: "Rattlesnakes"

half way, not my sound. Sounded good for what i heard

противоречиво. вообще сначала почти все не заходило, пока слушал за работой на колонках. потом решил прокатиться в метро в наушниках - ну и словил определённый вайб все-таки. мягкие аранжировки, очень классные струны, неплохие хуки время от времени, харизматичный, хотя и немного нытливый вокалер. алсо, этот вокалист мне подарил ощущение какого-то русского поп-рока по типу песни про то что кто-то брат мог бы играть в разведке и служить в кино. но не сказать, что плохая песня-то. не зашли по итогу только две предпоследние песни, даже как будто сведены хуже и немного слух поцарапали. зато финалочка - балдеж, даже несмотря на противные аффинажеские мотивы, что я в ней уловил. из бонус-песен тоже ничего не цепануло. ну 7,че, можно вечерком погулять под это, если настроение располагает

I think there's more here that I could be into on a second listen.

Very lighthearted and fun album. Nothing genious, but very happy, music that takes you along for the easygoing vibe. Improved my mood immensely.

Saved Prior: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? Saved Off Rip: Perfect Skin, Speedboat, Rattlesnakes, Forest Fire, Charlotte Street, Four Flights Up Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: No bad songs, but nothing earth-shattering either. Just a nice collection of 80's alt-pop. Close to a 5 due to sheer number of songs saved, but not that many songs I would really call incredible 10/10 songs so it stays a 4.

Toffe plaat, deed me vaak denken aan The Smiths. Kan dit wel waarderen.

7

Pretty enjoyable. Got a nice sound, but might be nice if they had more than the one of them. Low 8.

A couple of years ago, I pulled this LP out of my vinyl collection, played it and remember thinking it wasn't as good as I'd remembered it, but, after a more focused listen, I disagree. Nicely crafted songs, subtle but catchy, with great lyrics full of literary references for arty types. As is often the case, the 4 bonus tracks (not on vinyl) lower the average quality of the tracks.

One of those serious, elegant, stylish beautiful pop records which transcends time but all the same time is a product of its era