Rattlesnakes

yeah, this was all right. i liked it more than i thought i would. it's a quiet album, one that caught me in just the right mood. not sure how essential a listen it is, but i'm glad i heard it. (Terrible cover design, though)

Somber and very slow which is an often felt mood at late , very flowy in theme branding from fast to slow but with the same vocals throughout . Enjoyed !

Most of the songs on this album sound the same. Few stand out tracks.

It's perfectly nice, very inoffensive. If I listened to the radio and any of the songs would come on, I'd not run out of the room, but it's not something I'd really want to hear again. The songs sorta blend into each other and there's nothing extra in there to make them interesting or memorable.

Fairly standard light 80s rock. Not sure why it made the list, fairly unremarkable and safe.

Moreeeee 80s Brit rock! Never heard of these guys. This one is actually weirdly good. Its got a fun vibe. The guitar is bright and chipper sometimes and fuzzy and grungy other times. Vocal style kind of boring and the guy does some weird stuff with his voice. I could go either way on that. The lyrics themselves seemed a little tryhard, like they were trying to be edgy and didn't really pull it off. Standouts were "Speedboat" "Forest Fire" and "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" Neat little album. I kinda vibed with it. 3/5, pretty good but nothing groundbreaking.

Interesting sense of humor. Fun enough.

I got a sense that I really enjoyed this, and after a couple of songs was ready to wax lyrical about it. Then it finished, and I simply couldn't remember anything about it at all. It just...went. Hard to rate that super highly really.

Some strong, witty songwriting - a bit dated by its production.

80s band. new wave/britpop. Isn't the style that I like, but was enjoyable to listen.

I LOVE Rattlesnakes the song and I always have, but the rest of this album was pretty mid. A few good songs on here but nothing really stood out to me. Still a pleasant enough listen though.

Not much here that I liked. The title track Rattlesnakes wasn't bad, but overall it was pretty forgettable. 2.5/5

Pretty good

A surprising 3 stars from an 80s British band with terrible cover and band name that I'd never heard if and probably will forget about in a week or two. I was expecting complete disappointment so I can't moan. Strings were a surprising inclusion and appreciated.

Pretty standard 80's fare.

Incredible funk

O que mais gosto no som da banda é a sonoridade límpida: as belas texturas de guitarra, as pitadas de teclados e os toques sutis de cordas. Uma música que soa despretensiosamente sofisticada, sem ser pedante. Mas considero este disco um tanto irregular. Faixas como "Perfect Skin", "Rattlesnakes", "Forest Fire" e "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" estão muito acima das demais, que apenas complementam o álbum, sem acrescentar muito brilho.

Half way though the opening track Perfect Skin and my mind brought me back to the halls of my high school, then to the many trips to the all ages dance club during Rattlesnake. Memories so vivid, I could smell the clove cigarettes. While my music tastes have evolved over time, I do occasionally revist music from my teens, but always albums I'd put on and not tunes other people would play for me. In many ways, the dance songs on this album epitomize the time in which it was produced, but for me hearing them was a surprise, like random tunes on the mixed tape made by your crush they were not something that I would have thought to play for myself. Fun stuff. Having known this band almost exclusively from their hits, it was fun to discover a greater breadth of musical styles and influences than I expected. From the distictive rock and roll riffs in songs like Four Flights Up, to the R&B influences in songs like Forest Fire, to the orchestrations in songs like Patience, the beadth of the music convinced me that this band was much more than a simple reflection of the time the album was produced. Another great album I never would have listened to without this project, but probably not one I'm likely to revisit much in the future. This is not because the music was not enjoyable, it was. I just tend to revisit bands that were more important to my past self when I'm in the mood for nostalgia. Who knows though, maybe I'll surprise myself like this album surprised me.

Always liked them. Perfect Skin was a great memory.

Another fairly mediocre 80s album.

Decent 80s rock. Like how it isn't too corny but 80s generally isn't my favorite. Forest Fire is my favorite

Rating: 6/10 Pretty good but I won't remember any of it in the long term.

Not bad, but nothing too standout either. Decent instrumentals and vocal work.

With an album title and artist name like that I was expecting another mediocre CaW album. Thankfully this is closer to Modest Mouse than Marty Robbins. Great opener as well. 3.5 stars.

not like a standout but also not bad. nothing hit super hard but it wasn't unpleasant either. not sure it deserves a spot on this list but also I might be missing context

Ok, lite til det

Fine

3.5, quite catchy but didn’t quite catch me. Might have said that before.

Got a bit tired of his fixation on middle class 'bohemian' intellectual girls though.

Part of a sub-genre of this list that I call ‘those ‘80s/‘90s bands from that list that was clearly made by a British man who is probably in his mid-to-late 50s.’ This sub-genre also includes things like the Blue Nile and the Auteurs. It’s fine. (ntm.)

nothing very standout but i still enjoyed this; playable on any classic rock station (and with the benefit of not being /over/played )

Having a hard time deciding what to rate this one. Songs are enjoyable, but there's some dead weight on the album. Makes me think Noah and the Whale were inspired quite a bit by them.

This felt familiar and generic at the same time.

Meditations on romantic relationships. I like the instrumentation. I enjoyed the minimalist sound. I found the lyrics to be intriguing. Didn’t hold my attention the whole time.

I liked this, but nothing I’ll come back to. I enjoyed his voice though! Overall: 3/5

Seemed to blend a lot of new wave together, from the jangle rock of the Smiths to the melodrama of Joy Division and The Cure. Felt a bit beige

unmemorable

Fun new wave vibe. Not much else noteworthy

Some solid British jangle pop. Remember them from college, wasn't a tremendous fan but knew some who were. Nice record

Kept rooting for this but I dunno it just felt like it always in his head not his soul.

It’s pretty great, just not the tea I’d order.

i wish i liked this album more. it was definitely up my alley and i liked the sound of the record, but the songwriting was good-at-best and often times didn't get to that level, and i wasn't all that fond of the vocalist and his singing style, which felt a bit weak at times.

Never heard of this group. Jangle pop was starting to emerge around this time, with R.E.M. and the Smiths ushering this sound in during the 80's. These guys seemed to fit in, with their themes of romanticism, longing for love and whatnot. It doesn't really reach further beyond that here, though. Hardly influential or anything.

2.8 - not for me

A lot of this just passed me by. Then at the end a couple of tracks caught my ear - Patience and Are You Ready to be Heartbroken? were both very enjoyable. 3.3/5

Meh.

Familiar

This is a strange album. It kicks off really well, what's probably side A of the vinyl album has good songs, good singing, nice guitar sound. But then things are going wrong with hard to listen to, very sweetish pop songs sometimes even maimed by silly female vocal choirs. Fortunately closing track 'You will never be no good' gets us back on track. This album would have been much better if at least 'Are you ready to be heartbroken' and 'Andy's babies' would have simply been left off the album. But they didn't do that. I could have given a pop album 4 stars if they had, but no.

second half is very good but that first half is a slog. just skip the first 4 songs and then its like a 7/10 at best

Standard 80s rock. Had some catchy tunes on it, Rattelsnakes for example.

This was OK. Not especially memorable in any way but not unpleasant to listen to.

I really like post-punk, jangle pop, etc. I like all the subgenre styles this band trades in. So it’s really saying something that I’m rating this so low…it’s just kind of bland. It doesn’t sound like they’re trying very hard to stand out among the pack. Sometimes the guitars sounded really nice or I liked a bit of melody, but those elements don’t build to anything.

Need to listen more, not bad

Really enjoyable jangle pop! Wasn’t sure what to expect out of this one but it’s damn nice!

I'm surprised that I didn't hate this album, because I remember that, back in the day, I did not like Lloyd Cole's music at all. I won't exactly say that listening to this was a pleasant surprise, but it didn't annoy me and I wouldn't mind if I had to listen to it again. That said, I can certainly live without it too. It's a three-star album for me... Harmless, but rather dull.

3/5 Hyvää taustamusiikkia, ihan hyvää, muttei herättänyt kauheasti tunteita.

Alku ihan lupaava, ja oli kivasti vaihtelua. Mutta sitten alkoikin toistaa itseään, ja albumi oli tarpeettoman pitkä.

Soundi on ihan hyvä. Paljon yhteistä äänimaailmaa The Smithsin kanssa. Albumilla esimerkiksi Rattlesnakes ja Down on mission street kuulostaa hyvältä.

New to me. Some fun lyrics.

ДОБРАЯ СВЕТЛАЯ ГРУСТЬ

Bra men lite märklig, någon slags the smiths/the jam men inslag av blues ibland

The title track is the best thing on here. Either there are some songs that are so prominent in my recollection that they came from these guys and I never knew it, or they sound like every other alt-indie band from this era. Hard to say which. Competent. Not compelling.

2.5/5

A little more chill than most jangle pop bands of the era (and by chill I guess I mean boring; I listened twice because I thought I missed something but it turns out I didn't). Reminiscent of The The, but not quite the genuine article. I'm giving it a 3.5.

Not bad.

This was my first proper listen to Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, and I was genuinely looking forward to giving them a go. I ended up listening to Rattlesnakes three or four times because I struggled to land on a clear opinion. There are definitely some great songs here, but overall, it feels quite middle-of-the-road. That said, it’s an easy, pleasant listen — the kind of album that works well in the background. On reflection, I’d give it a solid 3 out of 5. Not groundbreaking, but good to have on rotation when you want something mellow and unobtrusive. Favourite tracks: “Perfect Skin” and “Rattlesnakes” stood out as real highlights. Least favourite: Nothing jumped out as terrible — it’s all pretty consistent. Album artwork: I really like the simplicity of the cover. It suits the tone of the album perfectly.

It's not objectively bad, but it sounds like discount-REM to me. I'll give it a little credit for coming out in the mid-80's without sucking. 2.6

Nudna i generyczna płyta. 2-3 piosenki zapadają w pamięć, ale reszta przepływa z ucha w zapomnienie, nie zahaczając o hipokamp. Całość się dłuży, brakuje jakiejś dominanty. 5.5/10 i niech nigdy nie wraca, bo i tak pomylę z czymś innym.

Really like Forest Fire

I don't remember this group, but, yeah, they sound a lot like my college days.

3/5. A chill and mostly calm soft rock album. The lyrics are not something to write home about but the style of singing and music is hard to resist vibing with. I wouldn't say it's my favorite and not sure I'm listening to it again but it wasn't a bad listen. I always enjoy a dylan-esque artist. Best Song: Perfect Skin, Forest Fire, Rattlesnakes

Not bad but mostly felt like generic whiny British 80s music. I'll forget this one.

Enjoyable English New wave

More average British rock.

Enjoyed this

picit idegesít ahogy énekel a tag, meg olyan üres érzelmileg, de zeneileg amúgy bejött elegge, szépek a dallamok

Een zwoel hijgstemmetje, een keer een klaagstemmetje, geveinst mysterieus, zingen alsof je weinig moeite doet. Het heeft ook wel iets van The Cure, maar dan wel op zo'n manier dat het ook geschikt is voor bruiloften en partijen. Jaren '80 schuifelfeestjes in groep 8, of de zesde klas zoals het toen waarschijnlijk nog genoemd werd. Hier in Nederland scoorden ze ooit een top 40 hit (nummer 31) lees ik. Djumbo heeft 5 keer de top 31 gehaald, ter referentie. Als je bovenstaande allemaal leest kun je op de klompen aanvoelen dat dit album echt niet in deze lijst hoort te staan. En dat klopt. Het album wordt gelukkig nergens echt heel vervelend, maar Robert Dimery is z'n grip op de realiteit compleet zoekgeraakt als hij durft te beweren dat je dit gehoord zou moeten hebben. En toch kan ik het makkelijk hebben. Daarom 3 sterren.

Some cool lyrics, mellow vibe

It think it's fine, just not really anything special or memorable

2,5

Sounds like The Smiths meets J Giles Band.

Hmm... Sounds like so much other 80s stuff, nothing really unique but Idk the historicality that well so maybe this was the first one ever to do that. Doubt it, but maybe. Not terrible. 3/5

It's not bad but it's also doesn't blow me away. Overall, it's easy to listen to but that's really because it's super generic and not too exciting. I had never heard of Lloyd Cole and The Commotions so at least this list is exposing me to new stuff.

3.5

Honestly the intros, instrumentals, and overall vibes as a whole were great throughout this album. But that lead vocalist was woefully inept. His voice ruined it.

This album was a little more solid than the last few I got, so I enjoyed it more but I also don't know if that has made me too forgiving towards it. It has an almost whimsigoth feel about it, which I don’t ordinarily like but it worked for this album. It has a more timeless feel to it, it sounds as though it can be from any time between the 70’s and 90’s. However, despite a great start to the album, the second half falls a bit flat for me. It becomes a bit bland and ventures a little too far into what I call “dad rock”. It sounds a bit like Mazzy Star but lacks that sort of witchy feel I like. But, I would be willing to give it another try if the fancy took me because the first half is pretty great.

Back half of the record was better

felt really long despite only being 35 minutes?? nothing of note here

3. Yawn

Nice sounding and enjoyable, but not too memorable either. 3.5 stars

feel like it's kind of generic 80s jangle pop. I thought it got a little stronger near the end, but all-in-all, nothing really stood out to me. If I heard any of these songs in the wild, I wouldn't know if it was Lloyd Cole or Simple Minds or Psychedelic Furs. 3 stars.

Band name is meant to be ironic, right? The closest this album gets to making a commotion is Forest Fire which is still a resolutely 7/10 song. Patience has those female backing vocals to give it a slight Prefab Sproutish/Deacon Blue flavour and in general it has a nice classy, vaguely jangly sophistipop sound but everything about the band is only minutely above average and the songs themselves are vigorously unmemorable.

Appealingly weird lyrics, and the style varies between "decent background listening" and "exactly the kind of thing I like."

oh this was uhhh i don’t know this was pretty good. thought it was going in one direction and then didn’t fully commit. i don’t know. could have done more i can hear the promise, but it just didn’t quite stick the landing for me. mid to low 3

I really love the title song , there’s some good stuff across the album . going to listen to this a bit more see if it grows on me .

This was adequate. Nothing unique.

This album was so uneventful and bland I don't even remember what it sounded like yesterday.

⭐⭐⭐ 5/10 Because of the horrible album I've had to listen to yesterday, I was actually afraid it was going to be another one of these days when I read the top review. However, Rattlesnakes is a nice listen. The album makes use of calm new wave guitars, combined with the sometimes a bit awkward vocals from Lloyd Cole. There are some bops on the album: Perfect skin, Rattlesnakes, Are you ready to be heartbroken. But nothing really to blow your socks off or write home about. It's a good album, pretty forgettable. 5/10

Enjoyable, but not amazing in any way.

Pretty good, not sure if its valid to be on a list of "..before you die". But it was nice post punk/new wave easy listening.

A very nice introduction. The voice sometimes reminds me on Lou Reed? Over all I like the music although there is no outstanding song.

Apart from two of the three singles taken from this album, "Perfect Skin" and "Rattlesnakes", I'm not really a fan. The music is pleasant enough, reminiscent of R.E.M., but nothing really stands out; however, I can't decide whether or not I like his voice.

🎧Decent jangle pop with literary/cultural references that sometimes feel forced. Some of these songs remind me of The Go-Betweens and The Vulgar Boatmen but, you know, not as good as either of those bands.

Day 0008/1001 Albums a Day Fav tracks: Perfect Skin, Charlotte Street Bad tracks: Patience, Are you ready to be heartbroken

This one caught me by surprise. I was expecting yet another post rock underground punk album, but was pleased with the tender moments of this piece and some relateable lyrics. Not the best album ever, but a great representation of why this challenge is important!

Emo without the rolling guitar and killer backing vocals, I really prefer those.

A purely o.k. soft rock album. Some instrumentals that were maybe a bit influential to 90s bands like Radiohead. 3/5

Really nice 80s jangle-pop singer-songwriter stuff with a touch of eclecticism and refreshing lack of social-consciousness. Perfect Skin is a killer song. And if you like Lloyd Cole's voice (which I do) then thi is a pretty enjoyable and very respectable piece of work.

It was good. I enjoyed it though there are no songs particulate that I will be coming back to or found too memorable, I feel it was if it’s time

Just like the smiths but not as good but don’t hate it

Proto Brit pop had some good ideas sprinkled in but not enough to make it enjoyable

This was pretty fun. A band I hadn't ever heard of before, and an album I could definitely see myself listening to again. But that's only if I remember to listen to them again

First time listen. Very pleasant early-indie sounding pop, but not much to latch onto at first listen. Singing is at times a bit overreaching, but I suspect that repeated listens will reward listeners.

As far as Sophisti-Pop goes, this isn’t bad and a lot of the best tracks sound like a lot of the good Bedroom Pop that has come about recently. The problem is that the songwriting is trying, as far as I can tell, to emulate the sort of Kitchen Sink Drama that Squeeze did so brilliantly, especially on Up The Junction, and the content just isn’t there. It’s all fine, with some odd turns of phrase that were enjoyable, but it doesn’t rise above fine, doesn’t have the same level of storytelling as Squeeze or the complex emotionality of Prefab Sprout

When you find out Cole wrote these songs at the golf club where his father was employed and his family lived, it kinda makes sense. A little pretentious but solid.

Very pleasant

This sounds like so many forgotten 80s pop-ish bands, imitating the smiths or the waterboys or simple minds or the mekons or the icicle works or any of those bands. Just kinda throw 'em into a blender. I like those bands, but this is just...more of it? Who cares.

Never heard of this artist. No idea what they sound like nor have an idea. Give me a little Empire of the Sun vibes, the singing does. It's cool. Not for me.

Scots indie

While I don't typically like "Sophisti-pop", there were a couple of songs here, particularly the opening track, that appealed to me. Maybe it's because the band avoided most of the musical cliches common to the New Wave era.

I have never heard of this group, so this was a pleasant surprise for me. I liked this album a lot. Reminds me a bit of The Smiths, but less depressing. Songs I like the most: Rattlesnakes Forest Fire Four Flights Up Patience 3/5.

Cole and the Commotions always seem to be holding back. The melodies are there, the dynamics are there but they never really let go. Speedboat, Rattlesnakes and Down on Mission Street are perfect example. Could be elite but end up just good 6.1/10

Not bad, Scott from 80's

I seem to be in the thick of a wave of New Wave. I've learned that this is one of my least-favourite genres in music. However, despite the heartsink and perhaps helped by my rock-bottom expectations, I thought this was pretty good for the most part and didn't mind giving it a second listen.

The definition of not bad, but forgettable.

Starts strong, but too many skippable tracks for a 4.

Very 80s, this time in the best possible way. An interesting album

Didn't listen.

Early brit-pop that screams 80s.

Very enjoyable album of 80s alt-rock. It’s upbeat and melodic with some occasional blues and a touch of twang. Sometimes they almost sound like The Smiths if The Smiths were cheerful.

Sparkly British alt-rock. I like the sound, it's reminiscent of Flock of Seagulls a little? Maybe less flamboyant and evocative as them. The title track was nice, I really liked the acoustic guitar in it. This one will get another listen at one some point for me. I liked these lyrics in "Rattlesnake": "She's less than sure if her heart has come To stay in San Jose And her neverborn child still haunts her As she speeds down the freeway As she tries her luck with the traffic police Out of boredom more than spite She never finds no trouble, she tries too hard She's obvious despite herself She looks like Eva Marie Saint In "On the Waterfront" She says all she needs is therapy Yes, all you need is love is all you need Jodie never sleeps 'cause there are always Needles in the hay She says a girl needs a gun these days On account of all the rattlesnakes"

Yeah, this is fine.

Solid

I only knew them by name before. Some songs are very good, the album as a whole isn't that great. Favorite song: perfect skin.

China Crisis meets Flight of the Concords. 5/10

Slow rock

Rustige muziek. Goed te luisteren, maar niet echt bijzonder.

This was nice. I don't think I'd call it essential listening, but I did enjoy it.

its not good enough to call it good and not bad enough to call it bad... 2.5/5.0

Unexpected really nice album. Very 80s but very listenable... Like the new waveness, would love to have this vinyl on a lazy day, morning vibes. 3.4.

It’s fine. I guess.

Some nice, soft-sounding indie/jangle from the '80s. Very much inspired by Bob Dylan, which isn't a bad thing, but I believe it will inform a lot of people's opinion about the album.

A decent album from the 80s. I like Lloyd cole

Should I be sad to admit that this was a new discovery for me? Or should I be delighted that the horizon of discovery is still as vast as it ever was? Like Dante once said, I am as proud of my knowledge as much as my doubt. Still, a college rock band eluding me for this long! Anyway, 'Rattlesnakes' by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions is a remarkable debut record, though I'm not sure if he has penetrated influence beyond those in Scotland. His literary sensibility married with buoyant jangle-pop soundscapes is delightful at best and unmemorable at worst. In fact, the first four songs are a solid showcase of the very best of Lloyd Cole, particularly his incisive descriptions and observations. Lead single "Perfect Skin" contains some of the most original lyrics on a woman's face I've heard in a while: "she's got cheekbones like geometry and eyes like sin/and she's sexually enlightened by cosmopolitan/and when she smiles my way/my eyes go out in vain/for her perfect skin." This is the kind of description you share after studying someone for so long. Idealizing someone not just for their beautiful features, but for the fact there is something so pure and so unblemished about them. "Speedboat" is a sly, slinky, sexy song. As it should be given that it is referencing a Renata Adler book. It begins humourously enough ("they're all down in my cellar/with their government grants and my IQ") and Lloyd Cole's singing is soft yet imbued with so much attitude, it's totally beguiling. That said, I feel that the verses and the bridge set you up for such a rewarding payoff in the chorus, but the key change feels a bit awkward to me. The strings in "Rattlesnakes" are as every bit ravishing as you'd hear on any R.E.M. album from this period. And like R.E.M., Lloyd Cole seems to be working with a tapestry of melodies for the grand majority of time, so if you're listening to this and thinking it's not all that catchy, the goal is to keep listening to it until the entire songs lives inside you. "Down on Mission Street" comes close to providing a satisfying melodic line in its chorus ("when you go down on your knees/you're so hard to please") but wraps it up a beat or two in advance, until the very end when it is repeated again and again, only with more embellishment from the strings. A masterful move given the song's subject about living a life bereft of gratification. The second side drops down in energy a little bit, but picks up with the rockabilly-meets-Flying Nun buoyancy in "Four Flights Up." The guitar sound in "Sweetness" sounds exactly that and could frankly go on forever. "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?" is befuddled with a few confusing production choices (electronic drum/claps, choir), but is otherwise a very sweet track with some more beautiful strings. Rainy day music. B+

Not bad. The first track (Perfect Skin) is one I'll come back to. Fades out a bit towards the end. Lots of similarities to bands like Died Pretty and The Go-Betweens

Very generic 80s

This is just fine, a few really catchy songs but overall a bit generic as 80s pop/rock goes. It does get points though for seemingly being in the vanguard of this genre's explosion, I suppose.

I don't get why I needed this one. From time to time, I thought I was liking it, but mostly it was just kind of blah...no seasoning...

Very generic early 80s college rock. Not my thing.

This was alright. Didn’t change my life or anything.

Mostly boring but I liked the song Rattlesnakes

Quite a nice easy listen. I'll give it 3 but probably really a 2.5

I quite liked this. At the same time, I'll likely forget this album exists tomorrow. 3 - 3.5 stars

Kind of like dire straits light. Not bad.

3/5

It sounds like a well put together 80s rock record with maybe a slant of regionality. Totally solid not very memorable

The singer sounds like someone heard David Byrne and said “what if this was uninteresting”. Or Bob Dylan and thought “no songwriting but marginally better singing”. With that out of the way the actual songs aren’t terrible. Was this the genesis of this era of British pop/rick music? If so then it’s a good beginning but I don’t know enough of the genre to know when and how it really started. You could say this is a great example of it anyway. It might be derivative of others but I don’t know what came first. The production and mastering/mixing is good. I like the clean guitar sounds and there are even bits of strings in some songs that make them more engaging. It isn’t unlistenable by far but it’s just kinda there. Background music for a movie set in the 80s or a modern grocery store. Really don’t understand why this is on here UNLESS it’s the first album of its kind, I guess.

Pretty nice listen, doesn't feel particularly deserving of being one of the 1001 essentials.

Honestly? I'm confused why this album is on the list. What is special about it? It sounds very standard. That doesn't mean I hate it, I think it could be great after a few more listens. After one playthrough I would say it's just okay.

Never listened to the album, had only heard "Perfect Skin". Distinctive vocals. I'm normally a fan of jangly guitars, but this album doesn't add up to much. Not memorable.

I have a soft spot for 80s alternative music. I realized though that after listening to the whole album, I didn't really listen to it. It's good, but nothing really super interesting or off putting.

Hadn't realized this was the group that did "Perfect Skin", and otherwise I didn't know about them. There's a throaty ambiance to his voice that reminds me of Hollis from Talk Talk or Roxy Music's Brian Ferry. Overall a good non-synth representation of the early 80's: a nice album and very enjoyable. 3.5 because there's nothing really *outstanding* here; Perfect Skin is really good, the rest is good, but not memorable.

Didn't recognize the name of the artist or album, but definitely knew "Perfect Skin". Solid album. 3

Timeless jangle pop/college rock. Whimsical tunes about love. Love the production style - 80s in the best way Riff on "Charlotte Street" is simple but hits just right.

I found myself enjoying this a bit more than most of the UK pop I've heard. Its got that distinct 80's sound, kinda like Duran Duran. nothing really stood out, but it wasnt bad by any means. The lead singer needs a bit more edge on his voice but thats a personal preference.

Totally fine! I’m not huge into this kind of music but I get how it’s appealing to some people. I’m just not depressed or English enough to connect

3.5

norman mailer tailor

внимательно два дня слушала чтобы в понедельник быть чистым листом) нормальные такие, сингер-сонграйтер вайбз (это наверно тонкий наезд когда мимо нот поют)

Yeah if this was popular it hasn’t stood the test of… 39 years. It’s very dated.

I wouldn't say this is a bad album necessarily, but it's nothing special, not entirely sure why it's on this list.

Ambivalence coils While pleasantly melodic Yet cool adjacent

Nice clean pop rock album

I enjoyed my time listening to this

Much more background music than the other album I just listened to. Perfectly ok

Perfect Skin 3 Speedboat 3.6 Rattlesnakes 3.5 Down on Mission Street 3.4 Forest Fire 3.4 Charlotte Street 3.5 2cv 3.2 Four Flights Up 3 Patience 3.1 Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken? 3 Score: 3.27

Sure!

This left almost no impression on me

This album might be the most solid mid table 3 stars I've heard so far.

This wasn't bad, but it just had no impact on me. I was expecting a little more bite from an album called rattlesnakes.

Prima album, beetje rockig, paar leuke singletjes er op maar niet wereldschokkend en stiekem vraag ik me toch ontzettend af waarom dit album op de lijst staat. FAVO: Perfect Skin, Rattlesnakes, Forrest fire

Sounds like stuff straight out of a John Hughes movie. It could be good set to teenagers enjoying their youth. Listening to it as a boring human being trying to enjoy music, it sounds like typical cheesy 80s alternative. I guess it could be someone's thing because it's not horrible, but it's not my type.

Ok but quite samey after a while.

Neat find

inoffensive derivative generic

New romantic sound that slipped by me in the 80s. I like it.

New to me band. Liked quite a lot. High 3+.

There's a strange affinity in this collection to presumably underrated (or at least little known) Scottish bands, and this seems like a pretty good example of that. Enjoyable, but not particularly memorable. I know Lloyd Cole apparently cited Bob Dylan as a major influence on the album (at least in the Wikipedia article for the album), but many of the songs, and "Perfect Skin" in particular, reminded me much more like a more pop-oriented version of Lou Reed somehow mashed up with a little Cure and REM. It's kind of endearing, too, to read that "Charlotte Street" was meant to be a boy-meets-girl song set in a library, but Lloyd Cole didn't even realize until a year later (or more) that he'd never mentioned in the song that it all took place in a library. And kudos to them for the Citroën reference in "2cv". And I like the (Wikipedia) description of this album's style as "jangle pop"--a good description, and an apt way to characterize this album.

I'm sure they have many fans because they seem to write and perform perfectly fine tunes which just don't capture my interest.

Not unpleasant to listen to - some sort of vibes between Tom Petty and The Cars - but just okay

5.5/10

An easy listening album

Forest Fire is excellent. Some nice catchy tunes on this. Good songwriting. Not great, but very nice. 3/5

Somewhat of an interesting new listen. Nothing groundbreaking but enjoyable. 3.5/5

2024-04-27...

2.5

3.5 solely for the title track being such a banger.

M'a semblé un peu sans relief, mais sympathique. Bel effort

You know what, I enjoyed this. There were some obvious 80s-isms, and I don’t know that any one song jumped out and grabbed me. But it was pleasant the whole way through and I would put it on again

I’m of an age yo have listened to them, in fact I believe I had one of their albums back in the day, and I have no idea why they are on here. If we are talking sophistipop then no one comes near The Blue Nile

Lloyd Cole and The Commotions’ Rattlesnakes is a rock album full of vibes. On Speedboat, the instrumentals and vocals are both a tad brash but also comfortable, similar to Patience on the later end of the album. More in general, the songs tend to suffer from weird background sounds. All in all, Rattlesnakes is an alright album. Best Song: Speedboat Worst Song: 2CV

I've bought 3 Lloyd Cole albums over the years, hoping to find a song near as perfect as "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?" -- haven't found one yet. In fact the results have been a little, well... Anyway, after revisiting it seriously for the first time in a long, long while, there's more here than I've given it credit for over the years. The title track has a great chorus, and there were a few other moments. But the closing track still takes the cake. Let's give it a full star extra just for that.

i mean this is ...fine. generic late 80s-early 90s brit rock.

Another head scratcher. A decent album but I failed to hear why it's included on this list.

first listen pretty underwhelming

There’s a couple good songs, but most of it doesn’t stand out to me.

Forgettable

It has some DNA of the big jangle in the eighties, but the mixing of the cure-esque vocals leave something to be desired.

What is this? Upbeat folk rock? I liked it. Pretty different from other stuff I've usually heard from the 80s.

7.5/10 - 3/5 Mellow acoustic indie new wave. Not great, not horrible. I did like the sound, but so many similar bands did it so much better.

Pleasantly jangly, but really not something I will remember or listen to again.

Creepy album cover, would have expected trip hip but it's not. Their name is quite weird and don't know what it means, might check it later. I am a fan of rock and new wave as long as it's unique and special in its own way, which is hard to find tbh. Basically I'm not seeing this as something I'll like, all this is said from judging a cover so opinions will chance, hopefully. First song, it's quite normal, his voice isn't spectacular or addictive, but not annoying. The instruments are basic to me, I mean it isn't anything new. No chorus I see. Guitar solo is not bad, just short. It's permanent wave, which I usually like, but this has something missing in it. There is a guy who said the same thing, and I agree with the first song for now. Second song, different and better start. whispery voice now. I like the lyrical delivery. The best change was perfect, but again short. LEONARD COHEN MENTIONED, INSTANT LIKE, don't know what the context is tho. Long ass pauses, but it's worth it because when the beat comes in it's more satisfying. Not amusing in other ways. Third song, new wave vibes instantly. Song is named after the album. The violin is the best part, such a help to not so good lyrical delivery. Another reference to Eva Marie Saint now. It's not catchy to be honest, the new wave I listen to is usually hooky at the first one, this one does have nostalgic vibes and probably is one of the best songs here, but it's missing something. Fourth song, start wasn't as good but as soon as the beat came in it became a little better, they can do that well, though it's not fulfilling. Violin is not good here, it fits but not as good as in the last song. Chorus becomes catchier each time I listen to it. Fifth song, much better start. ooh it's progressing well too. Idk what or how to feel, like it's not necessarily sad, just slow. The beat has changed three times already, love that. Dunno why there is only an extended version of this. The gibberish dururu is fun to listen to. This is one of the songs that I wish were shorter. The end is extended, quite badly, it was the worst part of the song, but the song was quite nice. Thought a-ha did a cover of this, but apparently it's just a song with the same name(a better one now that I've listened to it) Sixth song, upbeat start, more like new wave I guess. The chorus is not what I want rn. The instruments are really good I must say, their delivery is top class sometimes, just all and all not as amusing. Long ass outro and not a good one sadly. Chorus was repeated once but it's still an outro to me. Seventh song, weird song name. Oh fuck it's a car type, not good with those, plus it must be an old one. Not a good delivery, it's too slow even though I like the guitar and I think this one travels between ears. 8th song, fast paced country song already, love that. A veeery different vibe this has brought, but it's still not full, I feel like the way he sings doesn't match the vibe in this song, lyrically it might be sad, but still. Grace Kelly mentionedd. Thought Truman was Jim Carrey's one of the best roles for a second when he said that name. The production is the problem with it I think. 9th song, woman voice at the start, different but not unique. I like this one more than I expected. The bridge is the best part here. The chorus is only good because of the instruments otherwise it's very forgettable and uninteresting. 10th song, never thought I'd listen to dull new wave music. I like the constant beat on the right side, as everything else is too overused in the other songs. Apparently many people share my ideas about this, because of the genre it's listenable and not a full waste of time, just not something I'd listen to again. 11th song, originally album ended and this is just 4 additional songs and I'll listen to them. Finally this feels full, his voice fits the vibe but I think the instruments are not giving here. A darker voice he has, but the overall vibe is no better. 12th song, not a good start not continuation. What a bad production, feel like I'm listening to another artist, what I listened before was better than these two songs honestly. Whistling at the end made it a liiitle different. 13th song, I am veeery disappointed, I think I'm not gonna include these 4 songs when I rate the album, because it'll get one less star, and the songs above don't deserve it, because the new waveness was good in its fashion. But this.. this ain't what I would expect from them. 14th song, beeeetter vibes already. Guitar is well played here. Lyrically it's meh, I mean the way he says them. It does not make it up for the three songs I've wasted my time on just now. The end was a little experimental, but nothing drastic. As I've said I won't include last four songs, because that would make me rate the album 2 stars and I don't want to do that. 3 stars are too much for this album, but I suppose it's the best choice for me right now. I like the genre in general and that makes me rate this a little higher than it deserves, I think they could have done much more.

Indie pop de los 80. Me ha sorprendido para bien.

This was a very average album in my opinion. Not high highs but not low lows. I think better than I expected after looking at the album cover but not surprised by how it turned out.

Feels weird that I wouldn't recognize or remember this - weird only in that initially it fits so comfortably and unspectacularly in with a basket of similarly-sounding mid-80s melodic pop-rock bands that I'm surprised at least one of these tracks wasn't a summer '85 memory. Maybe radio figured that Lloyd Cole and Crowded House would have been too similar for North American tastes, and Crowded House had far-better singles. eh, I don't mind it - that clean/processed guitar sound where you can hear every note - it's both dated (very 1984/5) but appealing. The breathy vocals can border on "that's enough already" - there's enough melody to keep the album on but rarely-if-ever anything to make you really notice what you're listening to. And actually that last song "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" is just terrible - throwing way way too many cringey lyrics into each stanza over a lush/laconic/banal melodic progression... it's hard to even listen to. Sum: it's a safe album that I could put on the turntable for any crowd and would never be out of place yet nobody would ever remember it. 5/10 3 stars

Its got all the 80s vibes for sure. Pleasant enough although even when I tried to pay attention it quickly became background music. At times there were definite Talking Heads moments, which earns this an extra half star. 3.5, but I'm rounding down to 3 because it too easily became generic background stuff halfway through the record.

Good but not a must listen

Indie pop de los 80. Me ha sorprendido para bien.

A bit folksy. Upbeat. Never heard of group or album. Felt a bit monochromatic overall.

Boring

Kind of a quirky album. I hear some Duran Duran and Cars mixed into some of the songs. I can hear the Dylan influence lyrically in spots. It feels like they don’t quite put it all together.

Another random 80's band I never heard of. Not bad.

Kinda liked it. Will probably revisit later

It was mostly okay - very 80s indie rock. Flavors of REM - I didn't hate it but I can't see myself listening to it again. Fine in the background but nothing stood out to me.

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions’ “Rattlesnake” is a British jangle pop album from the 1980s by a band I’d never heard of. But in a shocker, I didn’t hate it. Didn’t really like it either. The vocals were just this side of the turn-off range. But some of the jangly pop was pleasant (and some was too cheesy). But before even listening, as soon as I saw the name of the album’s hit single, “Are You Ready to be Heartbroken,” something clicked. That sounds familiar? By a guy named Lloyd? I immediately remembered Camera Obscura’s “Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken,” and spent most of “Rattlesnake” wishing for Camera Obscura instead. That song, from their 2006 album “Let’s Get Out of This Country,” was written in response to the Lloyd Cole track. But in response Camera Obscura exceeds The Commotions in every way. It’s a fun and lovely album. British jangle pop from the 00s > British jangle pop from the 80s Lloyd Cole & The Commotions are really only worthy of a ⭐️⭐️, but Camera Obscura earns a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, so we’ll throw Lloyd and additional ⭐️ for the reminder of a great song.

Итс окэй. Хотя альбом вышел 40 лет назад, звучит, на самом деле, как современные американские инди сингер сонграйтер альбомы. Не знаю, о чем это говорит: о том, что этот альбом опередил свое время лет на 30, или о том, что Курт Вайл и проч не очень стараются. Лучшая песня - Down On Mission Street

Another album/artist I've never heard of. I don't even think I've heard any of these songs before. It's an enjoyable listen but I don't think there's anything that would make me want to revisit it. The songs run together a bit and it's just the definition of bang average. 6/10 (3/5)

Indie pop de los 80. Me ha sorprendido para bien.

it was alright! Nothing much really stood out for me here.

British pop; sounds like Morrissey/The Smiths. Not horrible, not particularly memorable either.

Good maybe

I hadn't heard of this band prior to this generator, so good on the app for introducing me to something new. That said, this album was only ok for me. Listenable, but a little derivative of The Smiths in places. Nothing really stuck out for me, but at the same time nothing really annoyed me either. Overall it felt somewhat forgettable. I saw that Lloyd Cole has had a bit of a solo career since; curious whether that's worth checking out.

I'm guessing the author of 1001 albums was reading at the university of Glasgow in 1984. 2.6

Melancholic at times, but also very melodic and rock pip. Makes me think of Future Islands.

A very fun pop record. A lot of these songs are gems and I’d venture to say forgotten ones because I’d previously never heard of this band or this album. It fits in with typical ‘80s pop while also bringing a few other elements that really do work well.

This was a fun little album, reminded me of others but listening on a Saturday morning feels like the best way to listen.

Nice album! Hadn't heard of this group, could tell they're British, and they remind me a bit of acts like Cocteau Twins or Mazzy Star, I think we're in a similar vein of dreamy rock music. A few really great songs I'll be keeping, though the album as a whole didn't hold my interest as much as I'd hoped. Still, it's a good album. Favorite tracks: Perfect Skin, Down on Mission Street, Charlotte Street. Album art: Very simple, a shot of a door in a rundown building, and you've got all the band and album text including the track listing on the right in red. Not bad at all. Not exactly memorable, but the photography is nice. 3.5/5

Not bad when you are in the mood for this kind of sound.

I think the main crime this album commits is being instantly forgettable. When it comes to jangle-y pop songs, you can assuredly do worse than this album, but one has to question if it really does anything all that special, and in my opinion it doesn't. It has a decent hook there, and nice bridge here, but as an album I struggle to find this to be more than a somewhat pleasant listen in the moment, and nothing more. Again, you can do worse, but you can also do a lot, LOT better.

It was ok - but wouldn’t seek it out again.

Some good tracks. Refreshing after the last few albums. Just not sure if i'd go back to it.

Klinkt als elke andere british group op deze lijst

Buen disco clasificado como pop-rock, sin grandes pretensiones. Apetecible de escuchar en varios momentos. No destaca especialmente. Poco virtuoso y un tanto predecible

2.5

ensimmäinen biisi ehkä huonoin biisi koskaan tuotettu. toinen biisi ehkä yksi parhaista ikinä.. luulin että nyt alkaa historialloinen kapuaminen. mitä seurasi oli ketju niin keskiverto himputusta. hymy meni mutruun suusta uskallanko sen verran sanoa. no sanon sen verran. speedboat

Not bad

bit of 80s nostalgia

Je trouvais que l'album partait vraiment bien, mais plus ça avançait plus je trouvais ça redondant et trop "sweet" à mon goût. Les inflections de voix du chanteur devenait vraiment énervantes à la longue et sa voix trop claire tombe sur le coeur à la longue. Je dois lui donner qu'il sonne un peu en avance sur son temps par ses sonorités un peu indie. 6/10

It's funny that the Wikipedia page mentions Bob Dylan being such a big influence on this album, particularly with regards to the opening track, Perfect Skin. I didn't hear that at all on Perfect Skin - to me it sounded much more like Television than Dylan. But then on 2cv suddenly the Dylan influence struck me. Overall it's a good album, sounds a lot like several of the other British pop albums I've had lately on this list. 3 stars.

I should’ve hated this album. But somehow I didn’t. It’s making me question everything I thought I knew about myself. I might even listen to it again. Dear God what has happened to me?

helt ok

I've never even heard of this album before subbing to this app. Thanks for a number new album and group.

It was fine. Nothing really stuck out to me about it.

I can imagine how this would have sounded different from music at the time but now sounds so similar to other albums of the era.

Helt skön musa.

Pretty good 80s sound. Never heard of it before now.

Wasn't bad, wasn't great either. Typical 80s pop

I like it but don’t love it. It feels longer than it is.

Bisl langweilig, aber noch ok.

Shrug of the shoulders. They seemed to find a formula that worked for them. There was a distinct lack of commotion.

Nice little folk album with pure vocals, but didn’t make a big impact on me

bro's singing strongly reminds me of Manoel Gomes aka mr. blue pen... not bad music though

I've never heard of this band or album, but I really liked this album. On my first listen, I wasn't terribly impressed, but after listening to it a second time, I appreciated it a lot more. For some reason, this album is listed as New Wave and Rock on here, and I think that altered my expectations on my first listen. Going through it a second time, I knew it was much closer to Sophisti-pop, or some sort of folk-pop. The musical arrangements on this album were really great. I loved the string arrangements and the guitar playing, and the lyrics were great too. My biggest beef with this album is that at times, it sounds like Lloyd Cole is ripping off The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The The. All three of those bands had pretty big albums released before Rattlesnakes, and honestly, it felt like their presence on this album was more than just an influence. Thankfully, it wasn't every song that felt this way, but it was enough that I noticed it pretty quickly. Even though I enjoyed listening to this, I'm not sure it really earned a spot on this list.

Not the biggest fan of this only gave it one listen I like new wave but this didn’t really feel like new wave more just like 80s music. It objectively sounds good just not for me. -B (ig balls Brendan)

This is a fine album. I'm not sure why it is on this list.

titelnummeret var en del af Tori Amos' coveralbum 🤓 første gang jeg hører den originale. Nok mit yndlingsnummer på albummet Faktisk vældig god musik, lyder meget som om det kommer fra samme skole som Elvis Costello? Men jeg syntes det var sådan lidt ubemærkelsesværdigt. Jeg kommer nok til at glemme det ret hurtigt igen tbh

Sangene bed sig ikke SÅ meget fast, men jeg kunne rigtig godt lide lyden. Camera Obscura har en sang der hedder "Lloyd I'm ready to be heartbroken" som jeg hørte en del i gym, den giver MEGET bedre mening nu

Decent, but not great. Reminded me of new wave-ish bands like Squeeze or Elvis Costello but not as interesting.

This had a few 4 star songs for me, but not enough of them. Overall, this was a pleasant listen and I’m glad I heard it, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting.

Lloyd Cole is a fine songwriter and the commotions are a fine band. This is a fine album but they improve a bit in later stuff. He always seemed to me to be a bit behind in his writing style. This would have fit nicely a couple of years earlier. But more than a few years later it holds up pretty well. But it’s the later albums where the gold is mined.

Actually didn’t know this album very well, although I’m familiar with a bunch of tracks from my 7” single & 4-track 12” EP of Perfect Skin. It’s a track I’ve always enjoyed. However over the years it’s the album’s title track that I go back to often. Rattlesnakes always reminded me of Where Do You Go To by Peter Sarstedt, just because of the lines : She looks like Eve Marie saint in on the waterfront She reads Simone de Beauvoir in her American circumstance Which always remind me of Sarstedt’s opening lines : You talk like Marlene Dietrich And you dance like Zizi Jeanmaire Where Sarstedt’s 1969 composition was definitely placed in a fashion/ swinging 69’s context, Cole’s is definitely a more literary lyric, as indeed are a lot of the songs on the album. A common question ever since the 80’s has been : whatever happened to Lloyd Cole? This is such a quality record that it’s hard to believe he didn’t find big success.

A few good songs, a few bad songs. Overall an interesting acoustic-new-wave kind of thing, even if it doesn't have anything particularly stand out about it.

Reminds me of Morrisey, but if Morrisey had a more tolerable voice

Good. Nothing that really tickled my fancy. It was unoffensive.

Pretty cool 80’s sounding rock

Helt greit. Ikke min greie

The vocalist is trying to do rockabilly a bit, and it intrigues me. It sounds like a cross between a few different vocalists, but not overly distinct. But in the middle, the songs did start to blend together. Maybe it was the guitar, I dunno. They just started to sound very same-y to me. I really did like the last song, though. "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?" The mix of acoustic guitar and 80s feel clicked with me, along with the accordion. More of that, please.

So my first reaction was "never heard of them". Then I saw they had some decent-charting UK singles and quickly listened to them before diving into the album - still thought "never heard of them". As I was listening to the first song the whole way through I started to read up on the album and saw this review from Spin "This is the first album I've heard of late that rejects the techno-pop banality we've been drowning in without being overly self-conscious in its minimalism or wearing a chip on its shoulder". Are you f'n kidding me? I apologize for all the times I've used big words in my reviews here. That is as pompous as pompous gets. Also, what the hell did you just say? In the words of Barney Gumble (Simpsons) "go back to Russia" (well, Oxford sociology class really). To me, their sound reminded me of REM (e.g., Perfect Skin) but at times with a bit more blues (e.g., Speedboat) or Waterboys-like Celtic stylings (e.g., Rattlesnakes). Coincidence these two bands debuted around the same time? I don't know but this album was a pleasant surprise. On top of their sound, the lyrics were really poetic. No problem giving it a 3 on first listen. On multiple listens, it felt like the first three or four songs were a lot stronger than the rest of the album. A 3 is where it stays.

Made very little impression

Pleasant, jangly mixture of guitar based folks and rock, with country thrown in.

A very decent example of a certain style and era of British pop I hadn't heard much of before embarking on this list. Enjoyable listen although nothing stood out that much to.me.

Fínt gáfumannapopp.

Wiz areet. Some tunes are bonnie. Forest Fire - Ext. Rattlesnakes. Perfect Skin. Tbh got a bit bored and listened to Fightstar instead

Good album. Nothing blew me away but it was pretty listenable. 3.5/5

This was good,especially the title track Rattlesnakes, easy high 3* maybe even a 4* ?

This isn't reinventing anything. But it is pretty pleasant. Just a real solid record.

So bland. I feel like I've listened to ten other albums on this list that sounded exactly the same

Weird and 80s, not necessarily in a good way. I feel like this album is a bit confused about what it's trying to be. I found this to be pretty average and unforgettable.

It was ok. Couple great songs and for the rest its a bit middle of the road. They play it a bit safe and they dont do anything all that daring with the style, but for what it is its still solid.

this was cool. I like his voice

Mid: this may be the most average album on this list. It wasn't anything new neither anything so outlandish it's perfection or trash to the ears. It has a song good enough to go into a spotify daily mix all the fucking time but other than that it's nothing special.

It's alright.

It was ok. Not a standout in the period, not a standout in its time. But, for what it's worth, it's a very grown-up album for a debut by a young band, I'll give them that. They sound like they've been playing this for 15 years.

Rating; 6/10

I enjoyed listening to this. But it's another "7 out of 10 album", of which there are very many. As is so often the case, the 1001 project has a British bias. This was big there. But popularity in one small country doesn't say a lot about how good an album is. I enjoyed this, but it's simply good, not great.

Quite classic-indie sounding rock album. Guitar tone with the jangle and reverb that I quite define with this genre 3/5

Relax, ça s'écoute bien. I like it musicalement. Vibe amoureux qui s'est fait laissé. C'est triste. Bon et triste. Proche du 4, mais un solide 3 pour moi.

Fun college rock. It's nothing really insanely notable so it's a bit confusing to me why it's on this list but I do enjoy it quite a bit.

80s niceness

Rentoa poprokitusta. Laulajan ääni ehkä pidemmän päälle kävi vähän rasittavaks, mutta kyllä tätä vois kuunnella. Vähän ehkä tulee joku R.E.M tai muu mieleen