Rattlesnakes

Lloyd’s voice sounded so familiar I was sure he was a singer in a more famous band, but it doesn’t appear to be so. This sounds like the album before the album.

Not terrible, some songs were pretty decent.

Started promisingly and it's at its best in the upbeat numbers. Musically fine if not particularly varied but it's the vocal style that I find grating. Can't listen again.

Lloyd Cole… I’d already heard Forest Fire. Apparently critics went crazy for this album when it came out, seeing it as some kind of return to “real music”. Which says a lot about how pathetic the mainstream musical landscape must have been at that time, because this thing sounds painfully overproduced from the very first notes. I still don’t see what’s supposed to be remarkable about this band or this album. A massive bof.

Didn't love this, seemed fairly forgettable

Listened to Rattlesnakes a few hours and now i cannot remember a single second of the actual music. While listening to it, I found it simply… boring? This album appears completely toothless, it’s like musical teflon. The only thing i can really remember is that i was constantly wondering, what the singer was trying to achieve with his singing style? It neither sold me on his voice nor his lyrics, which tried to be smart and insightful but because i had such a hard time even focusing on the music, i couldn’t really focus on the lyrics for most of it. So yeah, this one isn’t a keeper.

I understand jangle rock is like really cool with that specific guitar tone and such that made early R.E.M./The Byrds/Big Star very popular but aside from Perfect Skin (best song on the album), Rattlesnakes and maybe Charlotte Street, this album is littered with 80s cliches for this type of music. You couldn't sound more 1984 with a DX7 and a standard ass Drum Machine tone that isn't buttered up. The way the music business operated in the era of needing to flip over the physical media to continue the music was that the first side was the best side, showing off the hit or best song at the beginning or end of the side. Perfect Skin is a good song, but not much else on the album is exactly as uptempo or lets the music breathe as much as Lloyd Cole has to keep singing about his love songs, which for his credit aren't always about the same cliches you would find in other love songs by involving darker subjects. The problem is that I don't like his singing. Most of the album involves him using his voice to sing. As for the second side of records in the 80s music industry business, those were the throwaway cuts for things that could latch on but didn't have the same catching value that your biggest singles would have. The best song is usually the first song so that your attention will think more good stuff is coming. Charlotte Street is mostly fine, I have some complaints but the rest of the record after it? More of the same. Jangle guitar though! That jangly tone is exactly like toying around car keys to your baby. I'm sure Lloyd Cole And The Commotions appeal to the right kind of British/Scottish Gen X'er or maybe even the youngest boomers for some form of timely vibe of their favorite 80s years while Thatcher would ruin their country with austerity bullshit, but I just can't see the appeal of this on the list. Big Star/R.E.M./The Byrds fill the jangle pop/rock/country vibes that have a good enough presence on the list. They seem more of a singles band than an album band, which was fine in the 20th century but not so nowadays when we view albums. The equivalent of the 80s music industry today would be like if a song popped off on TikTok, without needing all the clutter songs that Rattlesnakes provides. tl;dr: it's mid

Inoffensive but wholly unremarkable rock. Whilst I have listened to this before, I couldn't recall a single detail about it on this listen, and I'm struggling again on this attempt immediately after the fact.

gut

Bit generic 1,5/5

Another offering like the Cure. The curators of this list seem to have a few favorite genres... This was nice, but not great.

I've never heard of them in my entire life and for a good reason it seems. This is just deeply boring and unremarkable. Not bad boring, but it's background music they play in a movie when they can't get the rights to more popular songs 2/5

Talking heads nur langweilig und schlecht und zu lang

Listened Before? N To quote from the wiki article: "The album reached number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and included the singles "Perfect Skin" (number 26 in UK), "Forest Fire" (number 41 in UK, number 25 in New Zealand) and "Rattlesnakes" (number 65 in UK, number 31 in the Netherlands)." WHY is this on the list? WHY do I need to hear this before I die? I can't think of a single reason. It was fine - just not really anything different from numerous other 80s-90s pop/rock albums. I suppose the author has nostalgia for it? Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Perfect Skin

This album fooled me into thinking it may be a little country rock, but I quickly realized that this was sort of a meh 80s britpop thing. This album is fine. It's just a little boring. It's store brand cola. It technically serves it purpose, but you know that it isn't Coca Cola while you're drinking it. My soda analogy is more interesting than any part of this album.

Another British new wave album. Sounds like a slightly more upbeat version of The Smiths. Generally quite boring. 2/5 Won't listen again

2.5

Thumbs down

Perfect Skin - 2/5 Speedboat - 2/5 Rattlesnakes - 4/5 Down on Mission Street - 3/5 Forest Fire - 2/5 Charlotte Street - 2/5 2cv - 3/5 Four Flights Up - 1/5 Patience - 3/5 Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken? - 2/5 Average score: 2.4/5 ⭐️⭐️ there really wasn't a whole lot that i liked about this album i'm afraid. at best, most of the tracks weren't memorable. the vocalist's performance is pretty damn terrible more often than not i don't think this was bad enough to give it 1 star, but i doubt i'll be back to listen to it again

I mean, it's good background music, but nothing impressive to me.

Of all the Big Star clones that came out in the 80s this might be the worst. Cole's voice is so profoundly smarmy, absolutely missing the mark of the rest of the music. The songs are over baked, over thought, over...ly catchy too. It's a hard album to really like because I can't get past his voice sometimes but through all the bleh there's these small gems that pop up. It's a bizarre listen, and probably shouldn't be on this list. But there it is.

I only knew of this band because of the Camera Obscura song "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken". It reminds me so much of the 80s jangle pop/indie pop from elsewhere - The Triffids, The Go-Betweens, The Chills. It certainly influenced many English and Scottish bands of that era too. Nothing else to write home about unfortunately. Overall: 3/10

Listened this morning and yet I genuinely couldn't tell you a thing about it. Very bland jangle pop. Forgettable.

Lloyd who? Not sure if these guys made much of a commotion with their debut states side. Certainly didn't affect me on this listen. Short and uneventful. This album must just be a personal fave of the editors. I got nothing to say, just ok, run of the mill brit rock...2.1 stars.

Not family with Lloyd Cole and the Commotions previously. The first half of Rattlesnakes wasn't bad. I was enjoying what I felt was some pretty straight forward even keeled British pop rock but something about the novelty wore off. At times this felt like a less glum, more positive version of Morrissey. I don't mean that entirely as a knock necessarily, but something about the style of this made me lose interest even over the relatively short playtime. I feel like this album started with potential that wasn't fully realized and became mostly formulaic and played out by the end of it. Nothing special, relatively mediocre entry. 2.01 stars

Mediocre British new wave. Doesn’t belong on this list at all, and is exactly the kind of album that should be removed from the new edition of the book.

Lloyd Cole gör aldrig bort sig, men det är heller aldrig någon wow-känsla över vare sig låtar, framförande eller produktion. Ett stabilt hantverk.

Sounded a little smiths-like

It's objectively fine. Not special in anyway, deeply surprised it's on a list of albums to hear before you die. I kinda enjoyed the opening with Perfect Skin but as the album slows towards the end, Cole's yearning vocals become rather grating. Overall, unremarkable yet inoffensive, not one I'd listen to again.

It's nearly good at so many points across the album. Certain songs threaten to develop into something interest. Lyrics border on the edge of fun. It just never quite gets there.

Honestly, it just mid britslop Forest Fire and Four Flights Up are okay. This album isn't inherently bad, however I feel no need to ever go back to it. In my opinion, it isn't unique enough to be distinguised form others in the genre.

Alright bro

meh

favs: speedboat rattlesnakes charlotte street rating 1.5/5

Completely forgettable. No notes, didn't even notice I was listening to music.

too 80s to me

"Sophisti-pop"? Are we serious? Wikipedia describes the genre as "blend[ing] elements of jazz, soul, and pop with lavish production". Lloyd Cole and friends, I'm trying to be helpful when I say this: there are few, if any, elements of jazz or soul present here. The production is... well, extremely standard for its time. Brutally far from anything lavish. The sound carries that distinctive "80s air" about it, complete with spacious, airy, not-quite-human drumming, weak quavery singing... the complete works. I agree with most of the top reviews here, but a lot of those are giving 3-star ratings when it should very clearly be lower. An "average" album, an album that does nothing for the listener, might get a "middle" rating in other contexts, but you need to judge these albums in context. Rattlesnakes has been placed on a list of the 1001 best albums of all time. Given that fact, it's substantially worse than it should be. Speedboat (along with various tracks thereafter) makes use of strings, which I guess is supposed to be the connection to the soul genre. Via disco. It's a stretch, but I see the vision. Rattlesnakes pulls off those string lines pretty well, but Speedboat does not – and in fact comes off as surprisingly boring. Later songs use few interesting instruments, and the vocals do not improve at all. Was it really that difficult to hire a competent vocalist for your band in the 80s? Re another reviewer, who put it simply yet eloquently: "[Not] revolutionary or different in one way or another, it just sounds like every other generic British alt-rock/pop/sadboi album in the 80s-90s and I'm starting to get sick of how many of these are on the list." 2/5 Key tracks: Rattlesnakes, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?

80s motherfuckers went crazy for this? lmao

Highlight: Rattlesnake 2.7

2/5

They sound like the Smiths but not in a way you'd remember...

First three songs: “okay okay, I can get behind this. Lil lost gem” Rest of album: “let’s bury this ‘gem’ a little deeper.”

Dull.

Yeah I don't really understand why this one is on the list. It's not actively unpleasant, but it's very repetitive and boring.

Disco pop plano

Está buena la onda de la banda y suena bien. Pero aburre y deja muuuy poquito. Es un rockito tranqui que no termina de arrancar. The Smiths diluido.

Lyrically very interesting but unfortunately the arrangements and the vocals are not. Halfway between country and western and an Elvis pastiche. Wanted so much for this to be enjoyable but it was more of an endurance test

Low 2 Really tough this. Singer is just rubbish.

I don't like the singer's voice and the way he sings. Music is too generic.

Este es un álbum de rock clásico, algunas medio baladas, otras más animadas Entretenido, pero no me pareció trascendental, ni que tenga algún elemento que lo permita destacar muchísimo de otros exponentes de un género que en su momento estaba bastante saturado

Honestly, not good. This is not a musical style I enjoy. Dated and boring.

Not my cup of tea

Some good tunes, but nonetheless a boring album.

I don't know. I won't remember anything about this album.

Not my cup of tea

It's like a less emo version of The Cure

I sincerely do not know what to make of this album. I'm almost certainly going to give it a few more spins just to try to figure it out. It's not that it is appealing, it's that it is a strange curiosity, like a car crash. Odd that it is plucked out of the millions of albums to be included on the list but I feel like the author is more heavily invested in UK music than I ever will be.

Good but nowhere near great. I could have died before hearing this and been ok with it.

Okay ... sure. I've heard this before, but with better melodies and vocals. None of these songs will occupy a single synapse in my brain once it's over. Why is this here? Oh, right, all the Brit Pop goes on the list. If want to listen to Spandau Ballet, or Roxy Music, or the Waterboys, Style Council (you get the point), I'll start there, not here. Next.

I just really didn't care for it. The vocals were also grating to me.

Meh

Boring 80s music. Not my thing.

Definitely has its charms

Dunno what to make of this really, sounds both very of the 80s and very not at the same time. I think I'd rather listen to REMs first album if we're talking what came out in this genre/era, and some tracks are quite reminiscent of this. Strangely intriguing album cover, is it just me? Reminds me of an old book cover or something. "The The"'s song "This Is The Day" (great great track, give it a listen) is a lot like "Charlotte Street"

Some hints of Prefab Sprout in there but mostly a bit bland.

Two good songs and the entire rest of his career is garbage.

Some nice, catchy songs, but nothing that stands out. A very summery album imo! Fav song is ‘Andy’s Babies’.

I'm pretty sure I've seen this album while flicking through the book and some of the user profiles, but aside from that I can confidently say that I've never heard of this album or artist before. This album cover is kind of amusing. Out of all the images these guys could have picked to represent their music they had to choose a gross, musty, shitty picture of a cabin door. I guess that's part of their countercultural punk aesthetic. There's no way this music isn't punk, right? I can partly see it being folk, but I think the Commotions are too rowdy for any folking antics. Anyways, here goes. Jangle pop. Folk rock. My inability to lock in folk for my prediction has cost me once again. I want to like jangle pop. It's an earnest and distinct genre, but one I find immensely difficult to appreciate. The music is just so stale. Weak vocal performances and unremarkable guitars are pretty much all that this genre is, though there are some nice string sections in the case of this album. I salute the runtime, but overall this was an unremarkable listen. Book time. "One of the finest debuts of the 1980s". A lot of literary references and comedic lyrics. "...as sharp as anything by pop's other literate funnyman, Morrissey." Wikipedia says this album had some modestly successful singles in the UK, was well-received by critics and had respectable chart success across Europe and the West, but that's about it. I mean, sure. This music is a decent representation of where music was at during the time, it's a unique genre, it isn't over-represented and I can see it having an influence over where popular music would head in the 90s. I'm pretty sure the only other jangle pop album I've encountered on the list is 16 Lovers Lane by the Go-Betweens, so I cosign this inclusion.

More 80s brit pop jesus christ

I was whelmed.

There are no less than 40 albums on this list that sound vaguely like this one. I say vaguely, because so many of them are vague and forgettable. I’m sure these hit if you were a certain type of teenager in a certain place at the time of their release, but hindsight puts this record in its place. “Down On Mission Street” and “Forest Fire” almost revived this project’s pulse, but it was too little too late. 2/5 no need to listen to this one

Started off good then flattened out for me.

Boring

563/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Wow, this one really dragged. It’s not awful by any means, but man, it sure is boring. Nothing offensively bad—just a slow, uneventful listen.

OMG another one no one has heard of... Had potential but just never broke outta the mold

I'd like to come up with a critique beyond just "boring", but it didn't inspire anything else

nah

I didn't get on with this one

Not familiar with them but yet another British, 80s, poppy meh 😖 and not encouraged by the opening track/sound. God, this is wank and my patience is really running out of this type of music on here. Probably won’t make it to the end of the album as I’ve come to expect not being surprised by these types of bands as albums progress. Taraaa (2.5)

Not particularly offensive but just utter tedium most of the time, can't remember anything from this after listening to it

This was a slog. The production has this 80s thing that I can’t stand, and that’s a big issue I have. Musically not bad but not great or groundbreaking. Clearly someone from the UK who put this list together bc there is a lot of stuff that was only big there.

It was fine, but I already forgot what it was like.

She's Got Perfect Skin 1001 Albums Generator 226 (2/12/2026) It's kind of Smiths-like, but not as good or interesting. Perfect Skin is a great song. Pretty middle of the road jangle pop, 2.5/5 rounded down to 2. Favs: Perfect Skin Forest Fire Four Flights Up Least Fav: Down On Mission Street

Just another one of those albums that drifts by in a blaze of middle of the road mediocrity, making you wish that this list drew more from wider genres and their extremes than the briefly popular. Makes you think that maybe, just maybe, I should listen to Pete Ubu again….

It was fine, it sounded like the inspiration for the 80s, with 60s vibes. No songs really stood out and it wasn’t my fav sound.

Similar to other 80's pop records on this list, decent instrumentals but lackadaisical vocals really reduce this to mediocre at best.

I'm not sure if this album really deserves to be on a list of 1001 albums you need to hear before you die. It wasn't bad per se, but it just didn't really do anything for me. It was inoffensive and quickly became background music. I'm usually waiting for an album to end when I dislike it or wanting to hear more if I liked it, but this is right in the middle.

This was only 35 minutes long but it felt like forever. What a dull album. A real snooze.

Didn't resonate with me. Easy listen but nothing blew me away or grabbed my attention too much 4-5/10

Generic British pop rock. Nothing stood out at any point.

Another British new wave/pop/indie rock?!? What a surprise! I'm so tired of these nothingburgers that I can't even come up with a creative way to take a shot at - yet another - 2* album from what is obviously the editor's very favorite genre (okay, he might like prog rock better; it's a 1 and 1A situation). This 2* should be replaced by the Goo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up the Girl . . . which, let's see, Influence 1. Hits 5. Quality 3. Intangibles 3. I've never been a big fan 2. Well, that only gets us to a 3*, but it's still an improvement, and I'm sure many more people would give the Goos a 4*, so good enough.

Is there anything special about this? I don't know, I didn't hate it, but it is also super not special and not worthy to be here. It was forgoten for a good reason, super bland. But yes it is still kinda listenable, cause it is so not innovative musically and without risk that sure

Gave me some Dire Strait vibes but no guitar work and good as songs really. Still listenable but not great. 2.5 goin down.

The album is perfectly encapsulated by the cover. All brown. Dull and lifeless. Boring. There's some nice instrumentation in here, and it's easy enough to listen to I guess, but all the songs bleed into each other with no real distinction between themselves, and no real elevation into anything more interesting. 2.5 rounded down.

Meh…

Again. So many deserving albums have missed out due to shit like this

на любителя, мне не зашло...

Not my favourite style of music - kinda reminds me of Morrissey :/

I liked it better on the second day than I did on the first. Probably won't go back to this album, though

no terminó de llamarme la atención

Not bad, but annoying because this took a spot on the list away from so many albums that are much better than this. It's not even like this is revolutionary or different in one way or another, it just sounds like every other generic English/Scottish pop album in the 80s-90s. Shows that the list is really one person’s opinion. So many other bands and genres that should be represented. 2.5⭐️

Didn't listen to the whole thing, but the first 3 tracks were pretty crap and I suspect it didn't get better from there

Sounds like 8 GarageBand sample tracks, one Dylan parody and one semi enjoyable track musically (Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken) that gets muffled by the vocals. 1.5

Nääää… Patience var bra, resten var ganska kasst

Very average new wave mid tempo rock. Not even rhythmically interesting.

This one wasn’t for me

Great album to fall asleep to…fails for me by any other metric, other than I guess the production is good. Did I really have to hear this one before I die?

It's fine, not my cup of tea but enjoyed some songs.

In general its very boring. I dont know, this is nothing like some i'd like.

Good album. Reminded me of The Talking Heads.

Didn't have enough Bob Dylan on the list. Gotta get some Bob Dylan derivatives in there too. zzz

42/1089 2.4672* Pretty generic sounding crooner and backing band. Nothing to get too excited about, no real hooks. Standard 80s new-wave-adjacent faire. Could be ok background in a coffee house. Cool album cover. Hits...perfect skin

Not what I was expecting. Kind fonforgetable.

The most exciting thing about the album is that at its absolute best moments, it sounds like The Smiths. Now think about how exciting The Smiths are.

Had a hard time getting through this one. Very 80's British new wave.

Reminded me of the Jesus and Mary chain and their brand of pop, but not quite. And just enough difference to be kind of annoying and not a fan of this album

Very 80’s, very average, super forgettable.

I did not like this. No feeling or emotion. Everything felt very blah. It was like the cure but take away everything that makes them good.

Don't have much to say about this one. Thought it was fine, albeit a bit bland. Has already left my brain a few minutes post-listen... 2.25/5

The only Lloyd Cole song I am familiar with is Jennifer She Said from their final album. I like that song, but it didn't wow me enough to look into listening to anything else from them. If I had, I'd of realized that this album was going to be horrible. The music is fine, but that voice sounds like it's flat and sharp at the same time, and the pronounced articulation and emphasize of almost every word is highly annoying for me.

boring, cure-ish vibes but worse

Bit odd to have this one here, nothing remarkable. Did I miss something?

Really really rubbish and really infuriating that something so inconsequential was included.

Safe and forgettable album with mediocre songs and performances. Not bad, not good. Easy to listen to but nothing worth revisiting. Top tracks: Forest Fire, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?

“I heard the The Smiths before you”

This album evokes strong meh. For this it gets a soft 2.

its ok

The music was decent but I just couldn't stand Lloyd's vocals. Favorite track: Forest Fire

★★½

Best Song: Rattlesnakes. A moderately toe-tapping chorus. Worst Song: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? These lyrics, which were undoubtedly the intended focus of the song, were corny as all hell. Overall: I'm at a loss as to what I'm supposed to get excited about here. History has forgotten this album. I am already forgetting this album.

Another dreary Brit pop record that was obviously important to the clod that made this list, but sounds like geese farts on a muggy day.

Dull, dull, dull. I was bored from a few seconds into the first track until the album ended. The only positive to take from this album is that it didn’t make enough impression on me to make me hate it with a passion

Pretentious and boring

Immediately forgettable. Listened to it and when it was over, couldn't tell you much about what I had just listened to. It's very jangly. The singer seems to want to be some sort of a crooner or something. It's not offensive, it's not terrible...it's just average and I don't know why this is on the list.

2.75

Uninteresting. Uninspiring. Unessential.

Для идеального прослушивания (без сна) этого альбома нужно включать одну песню из Rattlesnakes, а затем песню из репертуара Suicide Silence

Perfect Skin is an entertaining and promising opener, but the half-sung/half-spoken/always verbose lyrics come across as pretentious and grow tiresome within a few songs. The band's work is solid and very much of its era, but Lloyd Cole seems to be cramming in beat-poetry-style stream of consciousness words and oh-so-literate name dropping and (kind of) trying to make them fit the well-crafted tunes.

I didn’t find this interesting at all

Pleasant and chill album listen to. Nothing groundbreaking, especially hearing it nowadays. Still didn't mind checking it out.

If you had told me that every single one of these songs was on the soundtrack for any 80's teen hijinks rom-com, I would believe you. Nothing remarkable.

I’m kind of on the fence with this one. It was ok, but it’s another album that doesn’t jump out to me as being noteworthy in any way. I kind of get a mix of maybe the Cars, the Cure, some other more rock leaning new wave… but nothing really stood out.

2.0

Jakieś nudne pierdolenie o szopenie

boring

Generic 80s soft rock album.

cut rate smiths

Didn't really find it that interesting.

Another example of a forgettable album I didn't need to hear before I died. Some of these are more like (why did I waste 0.0005% of my remaining existence listening to this?

bar music for the 80s.

Another forgettable album.

The most background-y of background music I have heard on here in a while

DNF, don't like this genre

Ok, but unremarkable. Definitely not essential to hear before you die.

1.5/5 The instrumental is fine, but the singer sounds like he has the flu.

3/10

Just not that great

Gave me REM vibes on one or two but didnt enjoy it

Not my cup of tea.

I'd never heard of this band before... honestly, not that impressed.

Painfully mid

Impressively boring

10/10 album art Little bit of Roxy Music, some Velvet Underground, and maybe some Smiths in there, too? I'm not really into this.

2- Stars (4/15)

Ist mir zu soft

Wasted time

As if there weren't enough 80s British New Wave on this list...

Fine but rather innocuous. Not sure what is so compelling about it that it deserves inclusion on this list.

A little too country hokey

Not great

Eh, it was fine. I didn't really like Lloyd Cole's voice and I don't really understand why it was on this list! But it wasn't offensive I guess.

bored

Listened to the whole album without anything remarkable happening. If ever there was a classic, nondescript, "music is fine, inoffensive" album, this is it.

Thought this was fairly dull and forgettable really. It wasn't bad, just in struggling to remember anything about it of note now 2.5

Sounds like Chalk Circle, typical 80s sound

This is a Brit cosplaying as Bruce Springsteen, and like the British, it's kind of charming, but ultimately falls well short of the original. More of a 2.5 but I'm feeling harsh

I listened to 5 songs and couldn't muster the ear strength to continue.

Very forgettable, I fear

Extremely dull and a very mediocre singer. I don't understand why you have to listen to this album.

Fave track: rattlesnakes, Charlotte Street. Would I revisit this: no.

A album of padding. Could be house Martins b sides. Not rubbish, I’ll just probably forget about it

There are so many more deserving albums than this. It's fine but I just finished it and remember nothing. If it's voted the 21st best album of the year than there's 20 more deserving albums from that year alone that deserve this more.

Maybe this is a little harsh, but I kinda did not care about anything on this album except maybe a fraction of a song or two? I usually relisten, but I am really uninterested in doing so here.

I listened to this a few days ago and didn't rate it right away. It was fine! I think it's telling that I remember literally nothing from it, though.

Ok

Я розумію, що стиль і все таке, але рівень манерності виконання у вокаліста дуже часто був за межами мого сприйняття. Варто відзначити, що в цілому непоганий матеріал.

This album is just so lame. Acoustic guitar nonsense

Booooooo hissssss

Nothing incredibly unique. Nothing stood out. Sounds like it was made when it was.

Unremarkable boring Pop with two decent tunes.

I listened to this with my wife and she immediately started hating br*tish music.

The Good: We are warned to be attentive to rattling sounds! The Bad: This rattlesnake has lost its rattle… The Ugly: Getting fuckin’ bitten… What in the actual fuck? This album contains 1 listenable song, which happens to be the first song on the album, and also the only real hit Lloyd ever managed to score… Why? Because his voice is annoying as hell and only works ones. So, though I started off the album thinking “this might be fun”, I quickly found myself trampling bushes, hoping that there was a rattlesnake lying in hiding, ready to strike and take me out of my fucking misery. Not scoring this album 1* due to Perfect Skin...

who cares

This one rubs me up a lot of the wrong ways... Scottish 80s band *check* (but not JAMC) *check* Jangle pop "check* (but not Stone Roses) *check* Pseud-y English student lyrics *check* I think 2 Hitchcockian blondes are name dropped in the lyrics, which is probably 2 too many...and I like Hitchcock blondes...

2.5 - aight

It doesn't convince me, it's as if something is missing.

Groupe inconnu. Pop standard inoffensive, pas désagréable (+1). Rien d'original, je n'ai aucune envie de l'entendre une seconde fois. =>2/5

Nails the 80s sound but just fell flat for me.

Not my favourite listen. Pleasant enough but never really grabbed my attention.

Not for me

‘Perfect Skin’ is great. The rest I could do without.

Why do all these 80's Brit Pop singers sound exactly the same? There is no reason whatsoever you ever need to hear this before you die. I can assure you that you've heard plenty of other groups and songs similar to this.

Sounds like a generic version of the whole scene at the time. Unnotable

2/5 or something I guess

Not too bad, liked some of the songs, good production, REALLY did not like the singing

Just found this kinda samey and boring

This one just felt like paint-by-numbers 80s pop. Slick production, jangly guitars, a little bit of moodiness tossed in for good measure—nothing bad exactly, but nothing that really stood out either. If you told me this was one of a hundred similar albums from the era, I’d believe you.

Mira, mal no estuvo, pero yo diría que es un tanto unremarkable, olvidable.

YABA!!!! (Yet Another British Album) Lately, a whole string of these; they must comprise 80% of the list. At least this one is short. Nothing special, Temu Morrissey sounds. 2*

I listened to this yesterday and today I can't remember a single thing about it which is probably not a good sign

Fine, just a little boring

I don't know if I like the style, reminds me alot of Bowie but at the end of the day its something different which is fun. But the the sing style is weird to me. The title song Rattlesnakes is a fun listen though. I'm not really into the genre and would probably avoid. Not bad, but not my thing.

2.4 Yet another new-wave album on here, and a pretty underwhelming one at that. Not one song that I'd classify as good, so I can't score it highly overall. Slightly grating vocals, no real great hook or riff to draw you in. Easy pass.

Пролетело и не зацепилось

BTEC The Smiths with lyricism that is somehow more pretentious.

Perfectly passable music that gets little emotion or feeling from me

Nothing much of interest going on here

It's not horrible, I have had waaay worse .... it is just the same album over and over and over again. Different band names, same country ... No wonder they are all so dull, miserable, and have horrible humor.

So much terrible 80s brit pop on this generator

I guess this deserves a 2?? Absolute normiecore.

This is what an AI generated Smiths album would sound like.

Standard 80's pop. Only picked because the editors are British.

Ok. Inoffensive but didn't grab my attention. 80's guitar pop

Never heard of this band and I can see why. I could have copy and pasted my last review. Britpop that you couldn’t pick out of a lineup.

This had some good songs but not sure why it’s on the list. Kinda bland and all I could think was “this sounds like a knockoff of ___” Overall not my favourite and no big standouts

Not the worst but hardly groundbreaking - or even vaguely memorable. I was in the prime of youth when this album came out snd still I’ve never heard of them til now. 2

Okay. Did not enjoy.

Forgettable

Not bad but not great

Safe rock

Just a bit bland isn't it.

Perfect Skin is still decent, but the rest is average

Standard British Indie fate. Not sure how it gets in here

OK, this is bad. It's very stereotypical 80s whiny pop. There are a couple songs that actually had me tapping my toes a bit, but there's just so much in this album that encapsulates an era and genre of music that I dislike very much. I guess if you're a fan of 80s pop, it's probably fine? I can't identify anything special or unique about it, but who knows? It's on this (very British-centric) project for a reason.

Ok 2/5

Nope. Never heard of them so I went in with no expectations. Not only was this boring as fuck, but his voice is dreadful and was like nails on a chalkboard 2 ⭐️

Annoying voice. Not my thing.

It’s not bad, I like jangly dreamy Brit Pop of the 80s, just no idea why it’s on this list when there’s far better examples of this type of music to be included (many of which actually are)! It’s not popular, doesn’t seem influential. Another album the author seemed to like as a kid so he included it, importance be damned

What is this doing on the list? Oh, it's British? Of course it must included in the list. It's British after all. All British music ever created HAS to be on the list. It's a MUST that you listen to ALL British music before you die.

solid. not my typical music, but was light and had a nice feel to it. not sure i'll listen to it front to back again, but still enjoyed

Entediante... Voz entediante (me lembra um pouco o cantor do Pulp mas sem a perversão que faz ele interessante), instrumentalização entediante... Tudo aqui é só isso, um pouco chatinho. Mas nada demais. Tu bota pra ouvir, e ele passa batido. Sem fazer muita bagunça nem nada. Inconsequente. Em alguns raros momentos ele chama sua atenção por uma coisa ou outra, mas não dura muito. 2.5/5

With a name like “Rattlesnakes,” I really expected something more. It falls flat badly. No bite whatsoever.

Das Debütalbum von Lloyd Cole And The Commotions wurde in den AIR Studios in London aufgenommen. Die Band stammt aus Großbritannien, genauer gesagt aus Schottland, und bestand zum Zeitpunkt der Veröffentlichung aus sechs Mitgliedern. Stilistisch bewegt sich das Album zwischen Gitarrenpop und New Wave, wobei auch Einflüsse aus Folk und Soul zu erkennen sind. Zu den bekanntesten Stücken zählen „Perfect Skin“, „Forest Fire“ und der Titelsong „Rattlesnakes“. Die Songs zeichnen sich durch eine klare Gitarrenarbeit, melancholische Untertöne und literarisch geprägte Texte aus. Inhaltlich kreisen sie oft um persönliche Beziehungen und kulturelle Anspielungen. Das Album ist in seiner Struktur durchdacht und wirkt in sich geschlossen. Es bietet ein prägnantes Bild der britischen Musikszene der frühen 1980er Jahre und zeigt eine Band, die ihren eigenen Ton gefunden hat, ohne sich vordergründig auf den Zeitgeist zu verlassen.

Maso

There's nothing to see here. I'd be less annoyed if it weren't for the annoying lyrics as well. Too much name dropping, too many stilted, poorly flowing verses. "It stinks!" - Jon Lovitz, 1994

4/10

Another Scottish jangle pop band....I just....don't care.... Favorite songs: You Will Never Be No Good, Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?, Four Flights Up, Charlotte Street Least favorite songs: 2cv, Patience, The Sea and the Sand 2/5

Olipahan mitäänsanomatonta

Kalkkarokäärme ei nyt oikein iskenyt. Ihme kuiskailu biisejä höystettynä princemäisillä kiekaisuilla.

Tuhannen tylsä levy. Kyllä tup nyt taistamusiikkina menee mutta en ehkä varta vasten laittaisi soimaan.

Super mediocre. I’m not sure why this would be included on any essential listening list, even though it’s not terrible. 2.5?

Are you kidding

Very eighties pop-rock. Intellectual or pseudo-intellectual lyrics with strong synth melodies. It is decent, but not terribly memorable.

Hmm. I mean they're fine? But boring. Kind of run of the mill generic 80s music (and I say that as a huge fan of 80s music). I had never heard of them, and I question them being influential. This album came out in 84 and what they were doing was nothing new at that point.

Country rock mouais bof bof

I feel like i could rate this album higher as the guitar work was nice and the lyrics at times were good, but still not enough here to think of this as beyond being an album that was good in its day but not something I would ever revisit.

Never heard of this before. It's nice 80's jangly rock, kinda reminds me of The House of Love. Not bad or anything but can't see how it belongs on this list. Two stars.

Non mi coinvolge particolarmente

Was not here for this one Will I listen to again: 0%

Not that memorable, to be honest.

Kirkland Signature "The Smiths"

This album never charted in the US so that's probably why I'd never heard of it. Or maybe it's because it's just non-interesting, middle of the road 80's music. Either way, I didn't do the math and it may well be worthy of a place on a list of 1001 best somethings to do before you die. I just hope that there are better things than this to experience before I get to the end of that list.

This sucks

generic 80s pop for me - there were a couple of better songs but overall passed by without much to note

Weird but not bad, interesting to say the least...

I’ve been stumped lately why some of these are even included. Cue GPT Lloyd Cole and the Commotions’ debut album Rattlesnakes (1984) is included in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die because it is widely regarded as one of the defining albums of 1980s indie rock and jangle pop. The album is praised for its intelligent, literary lyrics, sophisticated songwriting, and melodic, guitar-driven sound, which blends elements of folk, pop, and new wave. Key reasons for its inclusion: 1. Lyricism – Lloyd Cole’s lyrics are witty, literate, and full of literary and cinematic references (e.g., Truffaut, Norman Mailer, Evelyn Waugh), setting him apart from many of his contemporaries. 2. Jangle Pop Sound – Influenced by artists like Bob Dylan, Roxy Music, and The Velvet Underground, Rattlesnakes helped define the jangly, melodic guitar sound that became influential in indie music. 3. Strong Songwriting – Tracks like Perfect Skin, Forest Fire, and Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken? are considered classics, blending introspective storytelling with catchy hooks. 4. Influence on Later Artists – The album had a lasting impact on British indie and alternative bands, influencing acts such as Belle & Sebastian, The Go-Betweens, and Teenage Fanclub. 5. Critical Acclaim – Upon its release, Rattlesnakes received widespread praise and has since been recognised as one of the great debut albums in UK music history. Its inclusion in 1001 Albums highlights its status as an essential listen for anyone interested in literate, melodic pop with emotional depth. I still only liked one song

I expected this to be more exciting with a name like Rattlesnakes, but it was dreadfully dull. Very middling music all round and not really sure why it’s on the list. Not offensive, just entirely forgettable.

Aluksi ihan kiva, rehellisesti poprockia mutta joku ihan kiva oma tvisti ja sanoitukset mukavat. Lopulta jäi haaleeksi. Toisella kuuntelukerralla varmasti 3, mutta en ehdi nyt sellaiseen.

Bändi on kuunnellut oleellisen musiikin, minkä takia ideoita syntyy. B-osien säveltäminen tuottaa kuitenkin hankaluuksia, eikä levy lähde missään vaiheessa täysillä käyntiin. Down On Mission Streetissä olisi ainakin ainesta. 2+

Bloodless, middling, early 80s guitar pop. Sounds weirdly insincere to me. Felt longer than its 35 minutes. The "Forest Fire" instrumental outro was my favorite part of the album. I liked the chorus melody of "Charlotte Street". The lead singer's voice reminds me of Dexys Midnight Runners with a splash of Morrissey, which is not good.

It started strongly but then became a bit repetitive. Reminded me of early James at times, but just lacking some juicy hooks as anchoring waypoints through the album. Will give it another listen - it might be a slow burner.

Oh, another 80s Brit-pop band. I couldn't remember a single song after the album was over and Apple Music started playing Brit-pop bands that are memorable (for better or worse). Evidently, they are possibly Scottish? Still, it sounds like 80s Brit-pop, and I'm done.

Just found this to be quite dull and one-note. Not bad, but also not especially good

1.6 1x not great

It’s ok

the songs are ok, but the lead singer's voice pmo. 2,5/5

Wasn't a big fan of this, kind of bland 80s easy listening

Too jangly. I know there's a dad out there that gets transported to the peak of his 20s listening to this. Favorite Song: Forest Fire 5/10

Dull

2.5

I know the Lloyd Cole name but never listened to him before. I now understand why he's never hit my radar. Talk about vanilla and boring, the album cover is as exciting as the music. "The Commotions"? That would lead one to think this is a rockin' album, which is not factual. The dude is a weak vocalist and the music is so generic, none of this speaks to me or reflects 1984 in any way. I have no idea why this was included in the Top 1001. No hits, no radio play, no staying power, no outstanding vocals or guitar work, just another middle of the road album. Is it a lyrical masterpiece or something, what am I missing? This came out right when I started high school, if it was popular I missed it completely and I'm an 80's music savant. The listen counts on Spotify speak volumes to how popular this album is or ever will be. "Forest Fire" was the only song I could fully listen to. Weak addition to the T1001. It must be a typo. I give it 2 stars for not being unlistenable.

Mid brit pop. With that 80s mystique for the singer where they don't really sing, but melodically moan into the mic

ranging from “fine i guess” to kind of just boring. my score might improve if i listen to it again but then again it might not

a lot of nothing happening here. could i write poetry to this? n

It doesn't get much more "middle of the road" than this, folks! Y'know the thin empty space between the yellow lines in the road? This album lives there. It's all perfectly competent, but absolutely nothing thrilling. This space on the list could have been used by much better records of the time. For great songcraft and musicianship while still featuring a slight twang and the trademark slick production of the mid-80's, try "Boomtown" from David & David. Or maybe the edgy Pop with a pinch of sandy grit found on INXS' "Listen Like Thieves."

Must say this was quite a boring album. It just lacks identity completely for me. Everything sounds very tame and vanilla, very forgettable overall. Didn't sound bad by any means, just very uninteresting.

Is this the blandest album on this list? The sound wasn't bad just incredibly bland. Not much more to say than that nothing really stood out to me.

This album was like sex for the first time. Didn't know what was going on, over before it began, and left no impression aside from the knowledge that it was interacted with.

4.5/10

Perfectly serviceable jangle pop. Thought I was going to have a revelatory experience after Perfect Skin and Speedboat, but it seemed like the rest of the album just fizzled from there. Some great guitar tones and playing, but didn’t enthrall me.

This is some generic slow 80s pop for 35 minutes. Not terrible, but it feels like it lacks any momentum throughout.

Boring

I don’t know why this is on this list. Sounds like a bunch of other bands from the “Breakfast Club” era. Nothing special about them.

This album lack any type of substance. This was sooooo boring. I'm giving it 2 stars because the production was very clean, but that's all.

Soft rock

I can take it or leave it. I guess I'll leave it.

#434. Like The Smiths, but boring. I mean, the Smiths are boring, but you know what I mean. This is also boring. 2/5: meh.

Holy shit BORING

Extremely unimpressive