Reviews (page 5 of 8)
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
I never really know how to feel about the influx of British bands I have mever heard of before. On one hand, there's something refreshing about, well, something I've never heard of before. On the other hand ... why the UK? I'm not anti British, hell I'm dating a Brit, but it just seems very specific to come across so many albums from this country. I haven't even pulled an album from Asia yet, and at the time of writing this, one of the top charting pop songs is some slutty K-pop number ... Anyway, this isn't bad. The cadence of Lloyd's voice really clicks with me. He's got a voice that has a good rhythm, but for the first two songs, does all the heavy lifting. "Rattlesnakes" is the sort of song I want to see during the remainder of the album. "Forest Fire" delivers in a similarly satisfying manner. At the end of the day, this album was serviceable, satisfying even. As a whole, it doesn't do a lot of standing out, but a decent amount of bangers were still to be had.
So this is the Lloyd who was ready to be heartbroken. I've loved the Camera Obscura response song and had never heard the original. This was an okay album but maybe I was hoping for more. If you told me this album influenced a lot of bands that came after I'd believe it since this kinda stuff has been done better by later bands.
3.4 - Depressing and timid indie-type 80’s jangle rock. It’s a shame, because this could have been an incredible record. All of the elements are there, from the jangly guitar, to the reverb-laden backdrop, to the sweet-mopey vocals, to the unrhyming lyrics... But, again, the songs are just depressing. For example, one song is about sitting in a train station, reading the paper but then getting annoyed because a random girl has the gaul to invite you back to hers for a quick fuck. You begrudgingly accept her invitation and yet somehow manage to not seal the deal.
This was a pretty good album. I really enjoyed the guitar work - especially the acoustic stuff. It kinda gave off some REM/U2 vibes and time. I can also see how this may have influenced some bands that would come on in the 90s - like Soul Asylum and the Counting Crows (though that may just be the accordion talking). Solid.
Tre stjerner.
Quite a few sniffy Americans not liking this but its pretty fine. There are enough hooks and the songwriting is fine. Hus voice is distinctive.
I really enjoyed this album. Well produced and sounds refined. If I had an issue it’s the similarity. It’s well voiced and performed
Album checked all my boxes but felt like it was still missing something. I think if the lead singer had a bolder/more charismatic voice this would be a high 4
Quite decent 80s rock of that certain sound I can’t really place right now. Enjoyed it but nothing too special all things considered
Solid
This is like... fine but it's kind of frustrating how many seminal pop albums were excluded in favor of random British dudebands
No strong feelings about this album.
I've kind of already forgotten it, but the guitar work worked well
This is actually a beautifully written album, with lyrics to rival many. However nothing else piques interesting here. This sounds like a mediocre Talking Heads albums
3.75
The refreshing middling tones of brit pop to bring me back to even keel. Speedboat stinks, and Rattlesnakes could be good if the singer wasnt so....bland? Like pudding with raisins in it. Forest Fire is the first song that really gelled for me. over all its pretty meh, but i will take meh.
Tbd on how much I’d revisit, but not bad
Mid 80s pop/rock. Not bad by any means but so, SO mediocre. It's not even about the typical 80s sound or other production qualities, but about the songs that have nothing memorable about them. 2.5/5
3.5/5
I know Rattlesnakes from Tori Amos's Strange Little Girl album. Other than that it was quite a forgettable experience. Some vocals were a bit annoying and reminded me of Morrissey.
Yeah okay but pretty generic, more a rattle than a commotion
Not bad but nothing to write home about. 5/10
Bland and forgettable.
i really have no thoughts about this album. it was pretty good but i have already forgotten it
Pretty good, enjoyable.
Mumbly record that hints at Roxy Music but without the raw magnetism. There seems to be more below the surface but after three rounds of listening to it didn’t reveal itself to me. Maybe another time.
Are you ready to be heartbroken is a great song, but I just never got into these guys. Pleasant enough but I always just end up feeling I’d rather be listening to felt
Nice to listen to but overall a little bit tepid
Not bad, but I think some of their other albums are better
4/14, 29%
INT
bangs of Morrisey, but i don't automatically hate it. not for me though all the same
If I'm being honest with myself, this is not a very good album, just more unoriginal brit pop, but I find it fun and enjoyed it for some reason, so that's worth something. 3/5
decent, but not something I would listen to very often. there’s a lot of stuff in the album worth liking (the jangling, the eerie reminiscence to quite a lot of bands you would know, such as Arctic Monkeys), but a lack of energy and muddy mixing brings the album down by a lot. Ultimately it’s good but something I’ll have to re-listen to see if it sticks around.
Decent New Wave featuring jangly guitars and a filtered vocalist that reminds me of early alt rock contemporaries like the Replacements or REM. It's light and happy with tints of country and folk. Pretty simple stuff, nothing innovative or exciting here, and it gets repetitive by the second half, but it's my type of music so I like most of the songs. I am a bit obsessed with replicating that cool guitar sound.
This album is a lot to process. Cole cited Bob Dylan directly as an influence, and while I don't hear this as much in the sound, I can tell from the lyricism. The good thing is the one thing I actually like about Dylan is his lyrics, I can't stand his whine or the egregious use of harmonica, but he can write a damn good song. He also cites Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which for that to be mentioned by name seems heavy for the one song I recognize their influence on. I might be mistaken, but I hear quite a bit of Elvis Costello's influence on the album, if the band name didn't hint at the like of him. I also get a bit of Nick Cave in the first half of the album, and if naming conventions do mean anything to this band, it also tracks. All that wordiness behind me I do like the album, not sure if I'd give it another listen or if it is a "Must Hear", but it's good.
i know i didn't hate this but i'm struggling to come up with anything to say about it.
Yeah. OK. Yup... I wouldn't listen to it again. But I can definitely dig
Two good songs but his voice gets boring.
It's a great lyricist with a good voice and sadly, a very pedestrian band. Without that final element, I can admire the spark and wit, but... That's all. A shame
This was good but nothing totally grabbed me, nothing seemed too special about this overall. The vocal delivery reminded me of Lou Reed at times. It just seems that this is another album that was added just bc we need yet another British artist on this list. This is 3 stars
Not bad.
overall impressions, its...fine...i have no other thoughts. kinda boring, nothing all that interesting going on.
This seems to be another of those 80s bands that were sort-of indie, except ‘indie’ didn’t really exist yet (I guess they called it ‘New Wave’ back then?) First half I liked, some catchy melodies and interesting (if a bit pretentious/geeky) lyrics. Speedboat is a bit of a tune. By the end of the album I was getting more easy-listening, poppy vibes (i.e. a little blander). 2.5 / 3
p527. 1984. 3.5 stars. Sounds like Edwyn Collins hipster kid brother. Jangly 80s guitars, bitter sweet cynical lyrics, but missing standout tunes. If the rest of the album was as strong as Perfect Skin you'd be looking at 5 stars... But it isn't.
This album is pretty decent. Nothing too special but nothing terrible either. I feel like this album is perfectly average. Definitely got an 80's vibe from this album too. Favorite song: Down on Mission Street Worst song: Four Fights Up
Quite nice, listened easily
In today's entry for generic Brit-pop that sounds like just about anything else done by a better qualified group you should listen to before you die we have Lloyd Cole And The Commotions, a group I've never heard of and if I did hear anything I'd think it was the Smith's or Morrisey's solo work. 2.5/5.
Mostly unremarkable. Best track: Down on Mission Street
Great album
Ok
Pretty decent album to have on in the car when while you’re driving around town
A pretty solid 3
Decent album, not convinced it should be on this list
Pretty cool! Odd vocals
Good classic album
Enjoyable throughout. I liked it more than I expected to. Lots of catchiness. Could listen to again. My mom would like this album. It sounds like it influenced a lot of big 80s music. Kinda sounds like New Order.
Not sure I'd consider it one of the greatest 1000 albums of all time, but it makes for pleasant easy listening sure
The most striking thing about this album is Lloyd Cole's use of narrative songwriting. It's really nuanced and unique for its time, like reading a series of really clever short stories. Musically, the songs are pleasant fare with alternatingly jangly and jagged guitars and subdued melodies. Cole's sometimes wavering vocal style takes a little getting used to, but it's still a solid listen. I find I'm enjoying this more each time I hear it. High 3, not quite a 4. Fave Songs: Perfect Skin, 2cv, Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?, Four Flights Up, Down on Mission Street, Patience
Probably a 3.5 really, quite good and an album I'd never listened to before.
A very well produced album, crips, clean, clear, but the songs, only interesting in the beginning, became slower in tempo and excitement after the first few tracks which ultimately leaves the albums a bit average by the end.
Melodic indie rock from the 80s. Quite alright!
+ Speedboat is goood. + Forest Fire is something of a song, hahaha.
Classic songwriting!
Easy sound and not hard to get through. Nothing really stood out beyond the first song.
A solid 3. There were some songs where the guitar sounded great, especially Down on Mission Street.
I had basically no expectations, but this was pretty decent!
Enjoyable; didn't pay much attention as it was in the background while working, but it was pleasant to listen to.
A very interesting record! "Forest Fire," the title track, "Four Flights Up" and "Perfect Skin" were probably my fave tracks.
I remember this album from when some of its tracks (most notably, Perfect Skin) were getting a fair amount of airplay on the radio stations to which I was listening at the time. I liked their music when I heard it, and I really don't think I've listened to them since the 80s, so it's great to hear it come up in the rotation here. I hadn't listened to the full album before, and it's better to my ears than I would've guessed. I had thought of them as being in the "alternative" rock genre, which it probably was back then, I don't really know, but it's more of a blend of bluesy-folk-pop with a sprinkling of slightly dark edge from what I suppose people might call "art rock" or something like that. Good stuff.
Didn’t mind this. Some pleasant melodies and the whole set flows as an album nicely. The singles are the standout tunes on here, and the only songs of theirs I knew previously. But the lyrics feel a bit mannered / contrived in places, with the abundance of ‘references’ liberally (ahem) peppered through the tracks.
very unique style of music, not really a clear style therefor pop although its quite eccentric
Rattlesnakes is mostly a wordy set of songs. On its face, the sound world is not particularly distinct. That's not to say it's bad, but the focus is clearly supposed to be the on the songwriter here. And it might be the bias of my perspective in history, but Lloyd doesn't sound quite in the league of the other great writers of the era. But in thirty-five minutes the music grew on me, so who knows, this might be primer for future appreciation.
It was okay, never heard it before. Nice nostalgic feel.
Pop ochentero animado.
Indie pop de los 80. Me ha sorprendido para bien.
This was fairly decent for what it is. I'm not super into jangle pop but by the second half it was starting to sink in that Rattlesnakes is fairly different. The compositions and singing reminds me a bit of New Order if they weren't doing new wave. Some of these songs I'll revisit sometime. At the very least I'm glad to have listened to this as it sounds like it will grow on me in time.
Oh look, a late 70s early 80s UK pop rock new wave post punk band I haven’t heard before
The singer has some goofy tics which make this album more fun and stand out more than all the other super generic 80s British new wave on this list.
Rattlesnakes and Forest Fire certainly caught my attention but the rest is much of a muchness.
Wel oke maar tis niet hard of snel genoeg om echt van deze alternatieve engelse band te luisteren
j’avais apparemment sauvegardé 4 titres auparavant, je devais être un peu à fleur de peau ou je sais pas
maybe nothing very special, but I enjoyed it, short and fun album
Johnny Cash vibes. Nothing special
Sounds okay, but never would consider this to be "must hear". Easy to listen to and has some fine moments, but really there are other more worthy Brit-Pop band that could make the list. I did enjoy it though.
A good 80s Brit indie love album. Like Orange Juice meets Prefab Sprout with a hint of Smiths. Listenable without much filler, but only Perfect Skin seems essential.
The songs are ok, but they sound more like the background songs of a movie. It's nice as background music but it doesn't feel like it deserves that much attention.
Hmm, I don't know. I liked it, but ultimately it was just a little... unremarkable? I also felt like the singer was not very strong in terms of vocal range.
Easy to listen to, nothing extraordinary, just a good sound. Listened twice to the album and it got better and better. Favourite songs: - Rattlesnakes - Down on mission street
Close to New Wave or Post Punk but a little bit of something else. I think the something else is in a small part a combination of soul/funk and maybe a little punk rock, too. 3.5
Drama, Getting lots of Dire Straits vibes Have never heard of them before... Enjoyable, had the volume quit low.
Saw the album cover and was very convinced this would be like a very low moody country album... Absolutely was not.
Easy listening but very meh. Wouldn't turn this on out of my own volition but also wouldn't be upset if someone else did.
Sort of a strange album. Some songs very much like Dylan. Overall enjoyed but no real standouts.
Definitely not an industry plant lol
okay British sound.
Solid 3, enjoyed the vibe
Started out interesting but quickly descends into pretty dreary 80s indie-pop.
The first half of this record I found to be fairly forgettable, but the tail end had some acoustic stuff I enjoyed and could see myself revisiting.
Generally enjoyed it
Haiku: This had some nice songs, But nothing fully grabbed me, Maybe I’ll come back.
filler British rock pop period music. some potential candidates for your hipster cred indie pop playlist
Standouts - None (I was listening pretty passively, used it as background music)
I don't think I've ever heard of this group before. The album art makes me think of an abandoned house in a dusty cowboy town. I'm guessing the name \"rattlesnakes\" subliminally made me think western. Getting started with Perfect Skin I immediately like the music, and the voice, and the lyrics are clever. Lloyd's voice sounds familiar but not specifically, I think it is just \"standard 80's british pop\". As more songs go by I think the opening track is the standout. The rest is just fine, workmanlike pop. The music reminds me of bands I love; The Cure, Aztec Camera, Icicle Works, etc. Yet by the end of the album all I'm feeling is \"this is fine.\" I'm not quite sure how this album made this list, tbh.
Ahhh, nostalgia is a great thing. An album of its time, but still stands up even after nearly 40 years.
Decent. Liked speedboat
A pretty fun, casual jam album. No recognized songs
Ratttlesnake reminds me of something chase would listen to
Hadn't heard this before. Not sure if I needed to. Not bad but not remarkable. I think this only got on the list because British music seems to be graded on a curve.
Interesting sound, but didn't grab me as much as I wanted. But not super cheesy 80s, so it has that going for it.
Pop
Distinctive voice and well written songs. I don't especially like it, but. I don't hate it either. It's a good album, just not to my taste.
The text on the cover looks like it was put on there with the default ms paint text. The songs are great though. Reminds me of Prefab Sprout. McQueen is one of my favorite albums, and this one doesen't go all the way to be equal imo, a 3.5.
Some good songs Bit of a soundtrack to the end of my teenage years …
Un bon album 3.25. J’a aime lecoute et certaietounes mn plus accrochees
Second Listen. Becoming a very familiar album to me. Some call this album 'boring' but, it is not. It is a comfortable album. I enjoyed it from start to finish and look forward to hearing it again. First listen I gave this a 2/5, now it is a solid 3/5.
Good listening.
3/5 some interesting ones, but...
Dal nome e dalla copertina non sapevo bene che aspettarmi ma mi ero immaginato un disco southern/country. In realtà devo dire di essere rimasto piacevolmente sorpreso. Purtroppo un po' si sentono gli anni '80 a livello di produzione (soprattutto nel suono terribile di chitarra elettrica col chorus che trovo davvero stilisticamente fuori luogo), però a livello compositivo ho trovato lo stile molto fresco e mi ha ricordato, a tratti anche molto, un gruppo che amo molto (i The Lucksmiths). Purtroppo però, questo stile secondo me riesce bene quando è accoppiato a dei contenuti brillanti nei testi (come succede ad esempio coi Lucksmiths). In questo caso i testi sono generalmente abbastanza insipidi, anche se non brutti, e il risultato finale è che... dopo un po' si accolla. A tratti per me è stato un 2, a tratti un 4, comunque interessante. Direi 3 e passa la paura.
Not really my taste for the most part, but a few songs really pull this up for me, particularly Forest Fire.
Brooding, moody, pop music. Liked it. 80 pop without the cheesy synth sound. 3/5 (Might have been 4 if I'd paid more attention).
Reminds me a bit of early REM... jangle pop. Something about the production feels very 80's. I liked a few of the songs and there is nothing overly objectionable but I doubt I'll ever revisit this.
It sounds great and all but it kind of just washed right over me, didn't really soak it in
The Album atmosphere is somewhere between erotic (Perfect Skin) and philosophical (Forest Fire). (6/10) Favourite Tracks: Rattlesnakes, Down on Mission Street
Not bad, but I'm not sure why this is a "must hear" album. Sounds like pretty generic 80s pop/rock with hints of country/folk. 2.5/5
1984: Rattlesnakes, Forest Fire
Reminds me a bit of REM, but british. Overall, very good. Closer to a 3.5
A solid album, but a bit forgettable for me. Sounds nice as background music.
Always liked his sound and this is a good one.
Liked the first few tracks (‘Perfect Skin’, ‘Speedboat’, and ‘Rattlesnakes’) and then kind of lost interest. Lloyd Cole has a unique voice and some really good lyrics though.
No highlights
I liked this! Nothing super special, but just overall good music.
80s alt rock. Chill and cool
Fine.
false
Music ok, singing not great!
Поначалу услышал Speedboat, вспомнил раздражающие попытки Doors в блюз, занегативил. Потом услышал Charlotte Street, вроде по кайфу трек. Остальное не особо отложилось, интересным не показалось, скучновато.
Contemplative and engaging all at once. Lloyd Cole manages to channel angst and frustration into a digestible record that keeps the listener engaged.
I really liked two songs. The lyrics are quite nice overall but it feels like it's the same rhythm and melody for the entire album. Shame.
This is all quite pleasant, unexpectedly so. It was a nice accompaniment to my pottering around. Nothing wonderful, nothing terrible, straight down the middle niceness.
Het had de ingredienten om te raken, toch gebeurde dat niet.
Good but not great. I like the sound, but enjoyed the more upbeat songs like Four Flights Up a lot.
I might give this relisten. I think it might be more rewarding after reading the lyrics.
I dunno, it was very generically 80s and fine I guess? Silly lyrics, decently forgettable. 6
Pop ochentero animado.
Not very offensive, but not very memorable either. Just a bunch of very similar sounding ez listening Brit pop songs from the 80s.
not caring for the opening track/single is not a good sign, pretty eneric sound. Rattlesnakes and forest fire are pretty catchy. The album and sound grew on me. I could have lived with out it, but I do not regret listening
Really fun upbeat indie rock. Nothing too crazy. British rock/pop band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1982. Between 1984 and 1989, the band scored four Top 20 albums and five Top 40 singles in the UK.
Enjoyable, but not noteworthy past two or three songs. Lyrically engaging.
great 80's and Bob Dylan vibes on this one. Not exactly my cup of tea, but enjoyable.
Eh, this didn't make much of an impression. Pleasant, but not much stood out. Fave track - "Are You Ready to be Heartbroken?", I guess, although they were all much of a muchness....
Not to bad but not my type of music.
6
Good background music, nothing particularly stood out
Cool album but not the most memorable on first listen
Solid but not a fan of Lloyd Cole's voice.
good
5.5/10 Smooth, pretty uneventful but nice. Nothing to shout home about, but very listenable.
pretty average. Nothing special but also not bad.
Enjoyed it, the composition was weird and interesting. At certain points, it seemed like it was using digital drums? A nice dense piece of 80s rock that was very layered. Favorite song: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken, overall 6/8
It starts out pretty strong, but every song kinda sounds the same 3/5
3.5/5. Background dinner rock. Musical soft rock guitar and keyboard. Brit-rock whiny vocals. Not bad but not super interesting.
Decent ! Bra songwriting
Starts strong dips in the middle, lead singer hasn't found his voice the lyrics are a bit rough. Some nice instrumentals however.
Kind of the same vibe throughout
First time listen. Weird jangle 80s pop meets Country / Western? Unexpected but not necessarily bad. Not sure what else I have to say on the matter. 3 keepers in 10 (30%).
This occasionally sounded like a British bands idea of America.
É a sonoridade de minha infância e adolescência. Escuto com facilidade e reescuto com frequência esse som, embora esse disco tenha sido a primeira vez que escutei inteiro. Mas não há nada demais a fazer entrar no critério proposto. Outros discos de mesma sonoridade estariam na frente. Daí a nota baixa, não pela qualidade, mas pela relevância.
Maybe at a different time I would dig this album - a bit old for my tastes.
Just another mediocre British Band out of the Eighties that somehow made the list. Your classic J.A.M.B.B.O.O.T.E.T.S.M.T.L.
60
Not very memorable.
Its fine in the background
Brother it was so lame. I'm sorry but not for me.
Fine.
Not quiet my tempo.
Oh boy another mediocre Smiths alike. I sure hope the next album is more interesting
Unimpressive milquetoast British pop rock. This band might have introduced a little bit of indie flair to their music before indie music was popular, but otherwise there's not much to mention about this very boring album.
Blegh, boring.
Just gonna copy/paste the one I had yesterday which applies to this album and like half of them I've gotten so far. Extremely generic british rock. Listenable but nothing I'd recognize in the wild and nothing that stands out.
About as good as Coldplay
For someone who likes this kind of music it is an okay album i guess, but that's not me. There is nothing 'wrong' with except that is is highly boring. I was waiting till the 47 minutes were over and almost every song sounded the same to me (which is not completly unusual for me after listening an album only 1 time but still...). If i were to pick a favorite song it would be andies babies and as least favorite i would choose patience. Once again, it is probably not a bad album for its genre i just dont think it deserves its spot in this list of greatest albums all time since there is nothing new, exciting or interesting about it
Not sure why this album is on the list. Average at best. Boring, when being realistic. 2/5.
annoying voice
It's perfectly acceptable and the prodution is fairly okay for an 80s album. Although Warne Livesey (Midnight Oil's Diesel & Dust, which should be on the list but isn't) as well as Cliver Langer and Alan Winstanley (any 80s Madness album, represented here because they're Beitish) did even better 80s production jobs. Beyond that, it's extremely forgettable.
Another personal favorite of one of the reviewers. Some dude heard whatever the single was on here and made it his whole personality. “Oh, The Cure? Culture Club? Pah. Have you heard of Lloyd Cole?” I was a street-team-happy college kid. I discovered you could, at the time, sign up to help promote new and up and coming and sometimes just new albums from bands you already liked. I still have an ass ton of Toadies flats and stickers. One of the bands I got big into was called Injected. Why should you listen to Injected? I don't know. They straddled a lot of genres at the time, had some fun riffs and occasionally went into odd time signatures. They had some really lovely melodic songs, some crunchy turn of the century hard rock, they touched on a lot of sounds. And there's no reason for someone who was not actively deep into new rock and roll in 2001 to listen to them. What would they mean to someone 25 years later? This review is about Lloyd Cole's Rattlesnakes. ⭐️⭐️
All of the tracks blend together - the singers voice is a little off putting too
Yucky
i like the genre, but this one is too schmaltzy and too repetitive
I had heard of this group but none of these songs sound familiar. While the music is ok, it is quite forgettable.
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Charlotte Street This album left basically no impression on me. This is now my fourth consecutive Brit pop/rock album in as many days and I am done with the genre. I don't care about this.
Die Commotions zorgen maar voor weinig commotie... Niet de best passende bandnaam. Rattlesnakes is een beter gekozen naam. Deze muziek ligt inderdaad als voor dood op een beschut plekje.
Ik had het stukje in het dikke boek niet moeten lezen denk ik, want van die snobomschrijving word ik woester dan menig rapper uit compton. Gadverdamme, wat ademt dat snob. Literaire grapjes, bah, verheven gedoe. Alsof dit een bijdrage van Tommy Wierenga is. Track 2 heet dan ook Speedboat. Dat kan geen toeval zijn. Qua muziek krijgen we halfgare 80s muziek te horen, new wave met wat kunstzinnige geluidjes. Het titelnummer is wel bekend, rattlesnakes, dat herken ik vanaf de eerste tonen. Verder is het geen feest der herkenning helaas. De zanger gaat op het einde irritant doen met zijn stem en het ruime half uur voelt wel heel ruim. Ik ben er allemaal niet kapot van. Dit hebben we al veel te vaak gehoord en dan ook nog eens veel interessanter.
this does not deserve to be on this list
Enough britpop
I cannot understand this list's obsession with mediocre Brit Pop/Rock. This album isn't horrible, but it sounds like a million other albums, including what feels like 50 we've already heard on this list. I listened to it all the way though and I couldn't pick out a single song that felt interesting or unique.
What really adds insult to injury here is that the backing band has the gall to call themselves the 'commotions'. Maybe it was an ironic thing? This band is so uncommitted to making any sound at all much less a commotion. I'm wondering if it's a Hootie/Blowfish scenario where there is no actual Hootie and Blowfish it's just the name they chose. But Lloyd Cole is a person right? He's not a Hootie. This is all so uninspired sounding it's almost notable in that respect. The fact that the album cover says it 'contains 4 extra tracks' reads more like a California Prop-65 warning than a value.
pretentious. if you look at press pictures of Lloyd Cole, he always has a pained look. This is because he's listening to his own music during shoots.