Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Entertainment is a rather fun listen so it's name does feel fitting. They most certainly weren't lying about the Gang Of Four part either as there were four people who worked on this album (not counting the tape operators or the engineer). One thing i can also say about this album is that it is so unapologetically British, that accent that of the lead singer just reeks of British punk, and i love it. The songs themselves were all fun listens with them having upbeat tempos and quite a lot of work when it comes to the instruments. Granted this album does get really repetitive which is why i can't justify a full 4 star rating but it was fun enough to earn a 3.5 which rounds up to a 4 so it's still a win in the end. Best Song: At Home He's A Tourist Worst Song: Love Like Anthrax
Great album. Post-Punk/New Wave style. Leans more toward punk but still sounds like New Wave stylistically too. Reminds of Talking Heads, David Bowie, early Clash, Sex Pistols, Magazine. Really enjoyed the album. Every song is good.
Rv
Way ahead of its time, and an amazing evolution from punk. It’s one of my favourites
Straight out of the Brit Rock Generator.
This album was fine enough but didn't rise to the top like some of the other punk/post-punk English music of this era for me.
Solid punk with some grooves.
I really enjoyed this album! Post-punk is at its best when it has a weird, experimental bite to it, and this one's got that. Noisy, angular guitar work and insane bass grooves really propel this one above for me.
Instrumentally, this has all the makings of something I should like. Clear guitar-led rock, some good bass, good energy while not being too much. But for some reason, I did not enjoy basically any of it. I don’t know if it was my fatigue with British punk albums but my opinion of it went down more and more as I kept listening.
This has some of the fattest, rawest, nastiest bass riffs I've ever heard. I'd like it more if it wasn't afflicted by the Punk Rock Vocalist curse. 🥀 Standouts: Not Great Men • Damaged Goods • Love Like Anthrax
Very pleasant surprise on this. Definitely almost overstayed its welcome at the very end but the social commentary was on point and they kept the instrumentation interesting.
A little more punk than I like but I thought their sound was pretty energised.
New to me! Absolutely loved it - what a find!
i liked it very much
Neuentdeckung! Habe die immer als wichtigen Einfluss für Bloc Party und co. im Hinterkopf. Das hat was Rohes aus dem Punk, ist aber gleichzeitig sehr tanzbar. Werde ich mir wieder geben.
This is ok. Better than I anticipated. Liked Songs Added: Damaged Goods
Liked it better than I thought I would. Lots of catchy songs. Would give it 3.5 stars.
This is what all punk sounds like to people who don’t like punk.
Oh so THIS is where Franz Ferdinand stole their sound from
Wooooooowwww, it sounds just like Happy Mondays from yesterday, just 10 years older. Please fuck off, why is this list bent towards shitty britpop and indie.
this is about as close to punk as post-punk gets. If you added these songs to a ‘classic’ punk playlist, I don’t think anyone except the most pedantic nerd would even blink an eye.
I came into this expecting more pure punk aggression, found something considerably more sophisticated. The rhythm section carries a funk groove that the guitar deliberately works against, and somehow it locks. The lyrics are sharp political writing delivered with real urgency and clever delivery. Surprised me.
no skips, perfect album
Clearly where Franz Ferdinand lifted all their best ideas from. 4 Stars.
Even if it’s not my favorite style of music, it’s easy to see that these guys were way ahead of their time and purveyors of the finest of the genre
spiky post-punk had a flat-mate who was into this scene
I had previously heard of this album, but never heard it before. It's considered post-punk, but honestly sounds very much like punk to me. It's not too bad, the instrumentation has its moments, and the vocals seem a bit repetitive, but the lyrical content seems fairly interesting. I may listen again but wouldn't exactly seek it out.
Old school punk. I still content that punk is like baseball, its better live than recorded. It's not bad, but I won't come back to it
Sounds well ahead of its time for 1979, but as a listen nowadays, I find the music (that it likely inspired) more enjoyable. Faves: Damaged Goods, I Found That Essence Rare, At Home He's a Tourist
Ok
Need more listen
What a fun album. Punk you could dance too.
I apparently have a soft spot for this type of punky anti-establishment music, because I usually hate the cadence of British talk-rapper music SO much (except for you Charli xcx, who is without fault) but this I didn't mind.
I like Gang of Four, and saw them live in Vancouver back in the early 80’s. Great time for punk and post-punk music to flourish, and I tried to see as many bands as I could when they came to the PNW. I freakin love “To Hell with Poverty” and a few other songs, but for the most part, I never felt the love like some of my buddies. Much older now, and I still don’t really. I guess I’m just not pissed off enough. Still gets the occasional spin, to remind me of a much better time… Dems ruled, no war, women’s Lib, no AIDS (but coming soon), no Fox News, and Trump was just a creepy rich joke who owned beauty pageants so he could molest foreign girls. I guess I am a little pissed.
Groupe inconnu. L'album est d'inspiration punk, mais introduit d'autres influences qui le rendent plus original et intéressant à écouter. La basse a un son massif bien mis en avant, et les riffs de guitare sont très accrocheurs. Le chant est supportable pour du punk. Découverte intéressante donc. J'apprécierais de l'écouter de nouveau, mais il ne rejoindra pas ma collection (pas fan du style par ailleurs). =>3/5
Gang of Four can I be your friend and become a Gamg if Five?
good.
kind of like the clash, but more melodic. I can see why it was inspirational to so many modern rock bands. enjoyed
Well, this knocked my socks off. How I've managed not to hear this before I have no idea!
I keep hoping for something outside of the 60s and 70s, and although this is not... I will take it. I am not going to act like I know music, or have the best rhythm, but it appeared there were some "testing it out" times that seemed a touch off beat. Along with maybe trying things that aren't instruments, and recording those sounds? I think the drummer is awesome, but had a few times I felt it fell off. All around a good album. I would recommend this to someone else just to try, but I am unsure I am running back to play this. 6.7/10
One of my favorite albums so far (15 albums in). A great bridge between the late 70s and the earlier 80s. I will definitely listen to this one again. 8.0/10. Top songs: All of them
Really fun bass tone and nice music overall. I'm assuming I've heard "Damaged Goods" before, but that is a great song. Solid album, if a little samey.
I was not feeling this album today, but I liked the 2nd half much better than the 1st. I thought G of 4 was cool in high school and I hear how they must have influenced people bc they remind me of a couple of groups that came after them : )
This is like chasing squirrels. First, you have to let them get close, but then it's on. Fully on. They jerk back and forth at an erratic, manic pace with hyped-up energy, then pause. Size you up, while being still, then it begins again. Up, down, tree to tree, then another stop and stare. Left, right, left, right, a zigzag up a tree and out of sight.
Chk chk chk chk dun nah nah nah nah nah Chk chk chk chk. This album has grooves and anti-capitalist sentimental galore. But it's really about the guitar As influential as any on the list - Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fugazi, R.E.M., LCD Soundsystem, Rage Against the Machine, Minutemen, and Bloc Party all pull liberally from this album. chk chk chk chk chk chkchkchkchk chk dun nah nah nah dun nah. It starts with the guitar - Andy Gill is a guitar hero without all the notes. Quite the opposite actually - it's the notes not played. It's the space. Chk chkchk chk chk. chk. Biting lyrics of the Sex Pistols atop grooves courtesy of Chic. It sounds common place today but this got the punks dancing side to side as opposed to just up and down. Chkchkchckchck chkchk. And gave em something to to think about. 4.5 chks.
5/10
Sounds like Elvis Costello and fugazi had a love child and fed it on speed. Angular guitars, funky bass, cryptic lyrics- I can’t believe I hadn’t heard this before.
Liked: Ether, Natural's Not In It, Damaged Goods, Return The Gift, 5.45, Love Like Anthrax Added: Ether, Natural's Not In It, Damaged Goods
angular and straightforward. fun guitars. perhaps a bit too uncomplicated at points. love like anthrax is sick
Cool!!!
Favorite tracks: Ether, 5.45, Damaged Goods Can punk be, dare I say it, fun? This album definitely has punk as its roots but it was also a little funky
Not for me
I think I’m a post-punk girlie. Proto Parquet Courts. Just so fun.
look, it honestly sounded very similar to the type of genre I usually listen to, it’s giving very the cure vibes, which I love…but idk it felt kinda repetitive and I simply didn’t like the lyrics much, and I need to feel connected to type lyrics to like a song.
Ne mano skonio
An old favourite. Listening to this on a proper hifi system is a treat. Love
Another new listen ..seems like I’m the only one who didn’t know them. Great tunes and vibe..a keeper
There's something about this album that works for me.. Fun lyrics and catchy riffs, I guess. Either way, I had a good time listening through. It's not going to change your life, but it's got that certain something that makes it worth exploring. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Natural's Not In It - Damaged Goods - I Found That Essence Rare
Some cool ideas on here and some interesting moments but I just couldn’t connect with most of it Picks up towards the end
Favorite track(s): Ether, Natural's Not in It, Not Great Man, Damaged Goods, I Found That Essence Rare, At Home He's a Tourist The riffs, the grooves, the lyrics and themes. It's all here. One of THE punk albums. Heard before Previous rating: 8/10
One of the first instances of Dance Punk, a genre that is characterized for combining the energy of punk and dance inducing grooves. However, I didn't find this album to be neither excitingly energetic nor groovy. I think there are some great riffs with an undoubtedly punk sound and some catchy moments, but overall, I didn't resonate with almost anything in here ("Ether" and "I Found That Essence Rare" are very fun tracks though). It certainly is not a bad album, and I find the general ideas to be a bit interesting, well executed and unique. But as already stated, I am not crazy about it. Besides, another remarkable aspect is the social commentary in the lyrics that could not be missing in a punk associated record.
Arguably the most underrated album ever.
Fixe mas não me puxou muito
There’s something special in the first song. The rest are good but not as special. Definitely an interesting mix of genres and sounds though.
Enjoyable
Decent listen.
This is the knockoff version of the Talking Heads. In this case the knockoff is still pretty good
Listenable, but not mind blowing
Day 200 Funky, also found a song I’d been looking for for ages. Highlights Ether Damaged Goods Glass
Meh
This is difficult to place or categorise. Natural’s Not In It had some cool guitar riffs. Vocals are a bit odd for me but I guess it kinda suits the style. I like the bass work here – it’s keeping the beat driving but with a lot of nice fills thrown in, especially on Damaged Goods. Some great riffs in Return the Gift but a little too repetitive for me. There’s a lot that’s jarring about some of the sections and guitar riffs (a lot of it is loud scratches cutting through) which isn’t exactly pleasant (I know this may just be the genre and I can see the use of this for effect) but doesn’t land for me most of the time.
I was unfamiliar with Gang of Four prior to this popping up. I wasn’t huge into the English punk scene in the 70s largely due to being born in the US in the 80s, so these guys slipped by. I found their lyrics somewhat repetitive and uninteresting, but the real hero here is their guitar. Specifically, the lead guitar and his distortion. The influence their style of play had on the fluorescent indie scene cannot be ignored. Arctic Monkeys (a favorite of mine) were so heavily influenced I had to be sure I was listening to a separate band. Franz Ferdinand as well pulled quite a bit from them. I’d even say that much of the vocal arrangements on top of the instrumentals were the building blocks that led to much of the indie sound from the aughts to present. While I wasn’t super into the story they wanted to tell, I cannot deny that I enjoyed this album. Hearing an early version of a music styling you adore is always a treat.
I can see how this band was ahead of its time, but I will not be listening to any songs from this again.
"Oh, this is THAT band?" For some reason I often confuse Gang of Four and Mission of Burma. Now I have learned how to tell the difference...Gang of Four uses the same annoying, scratchy guitar tone on every single song. I can hear how a lot of later bands that I really were influenced by this, but this album just didn't spark my interest. Maybe a single song every now and then would be okay, but not the whole album.
post punk. sounds ok, but I didn't have the patience to listen to all of it
I enjoyed this debut album listen from Gang of Four! This album had a little bit of everything with punk, funk, reggae and dub influences. I also picked up on an early new wave sound which I really dug. Overall, I had a good time listening to this album and I would listen to it again in the future!
Start of the post punk movement, fun to hear where it started, but other bands definitely perfected the formula
Another album to file in the "I would loved it when it was 18" section. Great spiky punk with strong bass and some catchy tunes.
Entertainment! One of the good things for me about that 2000s indie-garage era, and Franz Ferdinand in particular, was finding out about this album. I loved it as soon as I heard it back then and I still do - it’s right up my angular, post punk shithole, all scratchy guitars, thumping drums, driving bass and student-tinged situationist sloganeering. They weren’t necessarily the first to mix funk or dub with punk, but it’s such a great combination of the three, but with added disco (At Home He’s a Tourist’s bass intro is basically Chic), that it still feels fresh and exciting 47 years later. It’s great throughout, but the opening 4 songs are particularly strong. Ether’s broken drum pattern, bass hook, slashing guitars and lyrics poking at superficiality set the tone and is followed by the excellent Natural’s Not It, I love the riff, but the bass and drums are superb, especially when the they drop out and come back in around the 2.15 mark. Not Great Men’s icily propulsive funk groove and oddly catchy chorus are fantastic before the frantic, driving, sweat stained grubby lust of Damaged Goods. There’s more excellent Bernard Edwards-esque bass to Return the Gift and more cold punkish funk on Guns Before Butter before another galloping punk-ish track in I Found that Essence Rare. Glass carries echoes of Television and Contract has a great, discordant feel, and I love the chorus lyrics, but, despite liking them these two songs are probably the closest to a lull, before the superb At Home He’s A Tourist, a fantastic disco-punk-funk song (essentially the template for The Rapture if you remember them). 5.45 carries more echoes of Television, and is interestingly prescient with its lyrics about watching mayhem and bloodshed on 18” screens. And Love Like Anthrax is a super closer, full of punk-psychedelic guitars and a superb, insistent bass line, a fantastically cold and dysfunctional view of love as a deadly infection. A superb album, combining fraught, taut, frantic, aggressive funk, disco, punk and student-adjacent politics with some excellent songs. Easy 5. 🟥🟥🟥🟥🟥 Playlist submission: Could be nearly any song, Natural’s Not In It is an enduring favourite, but I’ll go At Home He’s a Tourist
Andy Gill's guitar playing has maximum attack, and it's main focus is to be percussive - stabs, stutters, mutes. The drums can even afford to drop out in places ('Natural's Not in It') while the guitar keeps the beat. 'Ether' has the raw angularity of Wire, and some rather brash palm-mutes that sound like machine-gun fire. The other integral element to the sound is the superb drumming. As well as impressive fills, there is usually more than a simple backbeat. It's not all melodically excellent but these era-defining, Franz Ferdinand presaging elements make it quite the ride.
I return to this album as much as any other. Off the top of my head it’s definitely got a claim for my favorite post punk album. They really are the formula for my favorite type of post punk (and kind of rock in general). The bass carries the melody, the guitar rains down shards of glass, and the lyrics are scathing and smart. Their other albums never come close to this but that’s okay. Just an all timer of an album that hasn’t aged at all. Some really great songs but I Found That Essence Rare is the top for me. One of my absolute favorites. 30th perfect album, 964 albums in. Rating: 5.0
Pretty fucking good! Not something I'd listen to often, but this is something I've known I should listen to for a long ass time. Glad I've finally gotten around to it.
didn't really listen, not my normal music. difficult in loud enviroment
Very “The Cure” and “Depeche Mode” like. Only more frenzied and frantic
It's punk but like if you wanted punk that was the most punk-punk you've ever heard. I don't really enjoy it.
Not for me
Entertainment reminded me of the Minutemen until it didn't. Jerky dance-y punk in funk music that gets your mind moving as much as it gets your feet and ass in a state of constant movement. The lyrics are supposed to be influenced by people/things like Michel Foucault, situationist international, the Troubles, cowboys, Indians, etc. but I couldn't tell because I can't tell what they are saying at all which is fine as I imagine it's about left-wing junk that interests me about as much as right wing junk- which is very little. "I light myself like a cigarette/ I light myself like a cigarette/ I light myself like a cigarette." Are these lyrics a critic on communism? An embrace of communism? Love? Sex? Guerrilla warfare? Did I even hear them right? Who cares. Who cares? Not me. I don't care. All I know is they go well with the music and their delivery works more as another instrument than anything. I suspect the lyrics are intelligent, witty and full of earnest conviction. Or not. "I feel like a beetle on it's back/ I feel like a beetle on it's back and I have no way to get up." That would suck to be stuck. Right? "In a man's world/In a man's world/ In a man's world the biggest threat to world domination is a pretty girl." The cowboy smiles he is glad the Indian is fooled- sucks to be the Indian, I guess.
Classic
As with most post-punk this was a bit too loud and boring for me. I’ve listened to it four times and the only track that registers is the one about migraine. 2.5
Superb First album ive heard were immediately want to know how to play all the songs on guitar It does the same thing for me the clash does
I’m giving it a light four. I definitely like it more than a 3, even more than a 3.5. Every track has something I really like in it.
Very upbeat and a bit fun, but not really my thing. I do like the cover, though.
Good, unremarkable
Fuckin great and far ahead of it’s time.
Decent - very much Buzzcock Vibe
Didn't do anything for me.
I can tell why this album is so highly regarded, but it really didn't click with me. Maybe it's one of those albums that'll take me another listen or two to understand, certainly not a bad album, though
really good... love damaged goods
🎧Feel like I should like this more but it just didn’t really click. Favorite track: Damaged Goods
Well, I am excited by the prospect of this. Not a band I’ve heard before but the descriptions in the reviews excite me and expecting to be pleasantly surprised… I think I just don’t understand the definition ‘Post-punk’ yet. Some of it is cheesy synths and drum machines tosh. Some is this kinda stuff and Pére Ubu. I like the latter, definitely not the former! An enjoyable album. Not blown away, and pretty spacious, but still enjoyable and experimental enough. Particularly enjoyed ‘Glass.’ Intact, maybe the final third as a whole. (3.5) nearly 4
I'd listen to the first half of the album again, but increasingly throughout it's more mixed-pleasantness instrumentals. Punk vibes in ways both fun and meh
The lyrics are kind of cool and alt, but it feels like they focused too much on the lyrics and not enough on the music. Also, it’s sort of hard to hear the lyrics because they don’t enunciate and the instruments are comparatively loud. It feels a like an unrefined Panic! but not really good.
General thoughts: Post-punk is a genre I only understood recently through Magazine. The name is misleading because we lose some aspects of punk, such as the simple structure, fast tempo, and short life; at the same time, we gain some new shades, like social critique, the gothicness, and the darkness of the sound. First, this record feels very modern, the sound feels like something that could be released in the 21st century, there's even this song 'I Found That Essence Rare' which sounds like midwest emo in the first seconds. In addition, we also have lyrics that resemble modern worries; we have anti-government, anti-war, anti-propaganda tracks, that's cool, but I also would like to point out tracks about sex life, social expectations, and monotony. About the music, great guitar, almost spasmic, but sometimes too much. On this topic, 'At Home He Feels Like a Tourist’ was a song ruined for me by this gimmick. I don't have much opinion on the rest of the band elements. Great opener, heavily underwhelming ending. A bit of repeating cliches throughout the tracklist. The worst tracks really drag the album. Kudos for the unexpected integration of what I thought was a harmonica, but was actually a melodica, which was probably seen more as a toy by the time. Outstanding song(s): Damaged Goods, Guns Before Butter Weakest song(s): Anthrax Cover: A splash of bloody red and then a strip regarding tribe exploitation, ok. I value cohesion, though. We could say the most representative track for this album -Entertainment- would be '5.45' because of the lyrics. So what's with the cover? Wouldn't something else be more fitting? Real rating: 3.375
3.5, some songs are great, others verge on grating but I would probably grow to love this album with more listens
++: Ether, Natural's Not in It, Damaged Goods, Return the Gift, Guns Before Butter, Contract, At Home He's a Tourist +: Not Great Men, I Found That Essence Rare, 5.45, Love Like Anthrax 8,5/10
Sounds decent until you realize every track sounds the same
Nice bass, nice cock
NICE
Has a lot of the best parts of punk, like simple but great riffs and raw energy, but I can also hear why this was so important to post-punk. The bass playing is also really good. The vocals are a bit generically late 70s British punk, but the reason that style became standard was because it worked. 4/5
I already own this.... but not sure why.... Appreciate the overall sound but thetunes don't speak to me.
Meh. Nothing I haven’t heard before.
mejor de lo que esperaba pero no repetiré
It's fine! I think I might've liked it more if I had louder headphones
Good stuff
No. 88 Great discovery! A punk energy that doesn't preclude and a certain sophistication in the riffs and grooves.
noises were heard
This was a lovely, mellow album with clean instrumentals and vocals - I enjoyed it
Philosophical, complex, very entertaining to listen to, i don't know what else i can say.
Never heard before - quite punk brit-pop - can see why it might have been influential but not massively for me.
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed gang of four’s take on multiple deep rooted topics surrounding politics, hatred and violence within the UK and political climate at the time. I enjoyed the upbeat, engaging beat with their upsetting lyrics that makes people dance while also LISTEN to what they’re saying. It’s like they entice you at first then start singing about their main concerns which immediately hook you! I can definitely see why bands such as RHCPs and LCD Sound system gravitated towards this band and especially this album for their ‘sound’. One of the great pioneers of this genre! However, all of the songs do sound the exact same, which is great if they enjoy the feeling and music they produce, for me? It’s alright, don’t think I would relisten to the album, especially anytime soon. Another point to note is the COVER! amazing cover love the political message even within the cover, let alone the music . It makes you curious about what the cowboy will do to the misunderstanding indian and wants you to ALREADY feel a type of way before the record even starts. I do love that synth guitar though, so creepy but soooo fun! Favourite song: 5.45 Leas favourite song: Contract :)
I can’t recall who told me to listen to this but I do recall buying this cd from an HMV in my first year of college back in the early 2000’s and listening to it a ton. It’s one of those albums that is influential that I really enjoy but is likely responsible for influencing awful acts like Art Brut. I won’t put too much blame on Gang of Four for Art Brut. I don’t return to it as often as I did in my early 20’s but the sharp guitars, the punk mixed with a touch of funk, it all hits about as well as it did back then. Absolute classic. 5 stars
Not my taste. Tracks to Track: Damaged Goods
Bit boring after a while. But not the worst thing I’ve heard.
Fine as per x
Funky ass punk rock, but not only is it funky, it's also kind of Marxist?
Post punk is the most punk.
Very fun sound.
Gang of Four Stars
It was ok but all felt like the same song
Another british punk album, was ok with it for the most part, but Love Like Anthrax made me drop the score by one.
Blah did not enjoy
More post punk. I gotta say, I really struggle to tell the difference between most of this stuff -- what counts as powerful new wave and what counts as more garbage? At the end of the day, I liked this more than Talking Heads. Fave tracks: - Ether - Natural's Not In It - Damaged Goods - Return The Gift - I Found That Essence Rare - Glass - 5.45 Edit: Boy, I was feeling generous this day. Still better than Talking Heads. Two stars.
7.3
I didn't hate it, the overall sound is quite enjoyable. And for sure we have unique melodies here, which can be said about a lot of albums I'm reviewing here, and which cannot be said about lots of modern music. I was gonna give it a 3 and never come back, but I decided to give it a 4 and maybe come back. This album deserves to be played somewhere at some point, just not now for me.
Sounds like everyone else from that era
Enjoyed more and more as it went through
Punk/funk? Sign me up. I’d never heard this before, feels like a revelation
Well this was interesting. Sounds like an early Arctic Monkeys. Not bad!
An incredibly good album. I'm a sucker for clangy post-punk type guitars.
I liked this. Not sure why it's categorized as "post" punk. Seems pretty punk to me. Reminded me of The Clash here and there. It is a bit one-note.
Despite loving both a key antecedent - Dr Feelgood - and an obvious descendent - Big Black - I’d never got round to this. Maybe the clean guitar sound put me off when I was a filthy grunger? It’s ace of course, graceful and transcends the records it influenced. Gill plays as he plays as he worked hard to figure out how best to express what he wanted to; you can’t copy that successfully.
I'll spare you the "angular"; "funky"; "influential" and skip to the I Love This, It's Great.
Heard this before really appreciated it more after two listens today.
I think this is a brand new one for me, though I know I have heard Gang of Four before. Damaged Goods is one that I've heard a bunch of times but I don't know anything else from this album. I love how this record could have been released any time from the late 70s to like 2020 and it would fit right in. Right around the mid 2000s there was a sort of resurgence of this kind of straight up lightly produced but brilliantly recorded rock and I wish we had more of that today. It's super funky and punky and the same time. Great guitar work and the bass is outstanding. I love that the guitars are scratchy and angular without sounding brittle like REM or some others in that vein. Really interesting things going on and super catchy riffs. This album is really a masterclass in post-punk and I feel like I should have heard it much sooner. An underappreciated (from the mainstream masses at least) gem for sure. You can hear tons of bands that came after this throughout the whole record. Really really great album. 5/5
Fun
Nope
Heard of never really heard until now. Good, very good. There was something in the water of these post punk brit bands of the time. Gives you how it is, an unromantic kitchen sink view, and don't appear to give a damn whether you wanna hear or not. Musically it's just a ride from start to finish. Good stuff 4 Star
So much true punk energy! The sounds are so destructive and well defined. That busy brash bass and that angular broken guitar are such a cool niche. I feel like this has influenced a bunch of music that I don't really care for, but also a huge proportion of my favourite music. They're also not afraid of a pop hook
The first track was actually pretty cool, then it tapered off
Gang Of Four oozes that old-school prodigal (post?)punk sensibility, with that unabashedly abrasive, unabashedly political, unabashedly loathing sound. The greatest tension of the album is who is vocalists hate more: Margaret Thatcher, or themselves. There's thick shades of The Clash, of Sex Pistols, of the Buzzcocks and Velvet Underground. You can see the influence it had on those coming afterwards, too: where would RATM be without the unsubtly political lyrics and front-and-centre crunchy bass tones? Where would Minutemen be without the bottom-heavy groove? Where would Franz Ferdinand be... full stop? Of course, music is a massive cosmic gumbo of rhizomatic influences to and from, but there's no denying the impact this had as a debut album. When I first started taking 'listening to the musical canon seriously' in 2023 (years before discovering this site), this album was my pick of the year (along with Damaged Goods as my favourite single). Pleased to say that upon re-listen this holds up so well. 'Damaged Goods' is the clear standout in particular, with that swelling it-all-comes-together at the end. That punchy, bouncy bassline is solid as hell. The album benefits immensely from letting the bass sit at the front of the bus and it shows in the very rhythmic delivery of the entire instrumentation - even the lead guitar feels comfortable sitting back in the groovy rhythm with the rest, and it lends the album a genuinely danceable cohesiveness for something so ostensibly radical. It's somewhat refreshing coming up on an album that's as completely committed to being a musical project as a political/philosophical one. The hint's in the song names and the album art, and the lyrics have nothing to hide about where they sit on the spectrum. King namedrops a suite of high-concept names (even Baudrillard gets a mention) and theories across the album, obviously preceding Morello by more than a decade but with the same angsty university-grad zeal. Gang Of Four gets to join a prestigious and revered list of artists banned off of BBC radio due to the content of their lyrics, alongside their usual punk contemporaries, and the political bent is just as jagged as its noise. Sadly Entertainment! has to settle for being the second-best album to talk about guns and butter (hard to compete against The Prodigy). If you had to nitpick you might say there's a couple tracks that aren't lighting the world on fire (like Glass). Still, five stars no problem. fav tracks: Natural's Not in It, Damaged Goods, Guns Before Butter, Love Like Anthrax
I like it.
Competent, but there must have been better albums to come out in 1979 ... right ... ?!? 2.5/5
My 7yr daughter listened to 'I found that essence rare' with me and she said, I don't like the voice, it sounds like "whining, whining, winge, winge, Bikini" I tend to agree. I tried to find some enjoyment in the bass lines, but the guitar and vocals ruined it for me.
The bass and drum duo carries this album for me, and well it should.. the guitar is all over the place, though fun at times. Vocals not overly enjoyable.
Väldigt distinkt stil, bra attityd, catchy låtar.
Ett kul sound ändå även om det aldrig riktigt nådde några högre höjder under en första lyssning.
Överlag ganska trevligt, och känns förståeligt att dom var före sin tid men är inte mer än lagom bra för mig!
Svängde rätt bra!
I liked this one! Great energy throughout. A little "noisy" at times, but bearable.
My first time listening to this entire album, and was pleasantly surprised. Not really the biggest fan of the vocals, but there's no doubt this was very influential to punk rock.
This rivals X-Ray Spex as the great political punk of its time. 'It's at the end of the rainbow (there may be oil) / The happy ever after (under rockall) / It's corked up w/ the ether (there may be oil).' I know that all punk is inherently political - even the Ramones, w/ their goofy suburban insights, are at heart a political statement - and that the British interpretations, heralded by the Sex Pistols and The Clash, are immersed in national politics, but what Gang of Four managed is critique, not just protest or revolt. 'All this talk of blood and iron / Is the cause of all my shaking.' And that critique happens to be a viscerally enjoyable thing to take in, as these guitars and drums embrace a full spectrum of punk possibilities and therefore look forward to post-punk.
I love the spirit and the sound. But this collection of songs does little more than reinforce how good Wire's Pink Flag album really is.
Interesting how my group got into a debate about what is "punk" vs "post-punk". They have guitar but they also have poppy sounding base and occasionally keyboards, and some talking-style vocals that feel like Talking Heads. Sounds like this band was influential.
Maybe a low four, but they have a jangly, punchy sound that appeals to me, and I can see how their DNA was passed forward to other bands I maybe like more.
I liked this more than I expected given the timing (the 70s) and the supposed genre (post punk.) But it was largely a fun listen - like the Talking Heads with more attitude. Ultimately, it wasn't catchy enough to make it onto any playlists, but at least I got a wall of text from my friends trying to define punk vs. post punk.
i'm between 3 and 4 on this but going to be generous. i enjoyed this album but might have given it the extra bump because i went to wikipedia and saw this album is from NINETEEN SEVENTY NINE!!!!!! i thought this came out during the indie explosion in the 2000s LMFAO this is an extremely ahead of its time album!
um! LMFAO
not my vibe. didn’t finish the whole thing
I always appreciate when guitarists are playing chords and I have absolutely no idea what they are doing. The Strokes (and all the rest of those bands) clearly spent a lot of time listening to this.
Fun discovery. Easy to see how this influenced Red Hot Chili Peppers, REM, and U2.
It is easy to see why this band had such a heavy influence on the music scene. The lyrics are highly rebellious and questioning of authority and power. I can see how this was deemed radical in the 70s. It is also very cool to see that in the band’s bio, there were a bunch of bands in there that stated they were influenced by GOF who also had albums in this list that I’ve listened to so far (ie REM, Sleater-Kinny, LCD soundsystem, etc). Their influence was definitely palpable, never mind the catchy heavy bass lines and guitar riffs. One sound they used did remind me of Resetti from animal crossing lol. I like how 5:45 alluded to the name of the album saying that bloodshed and governmental corruption is all for entertainment as it is publicly televised and it’s supposed to just be eaten. A deeper dive could definitely be taken into the meanings of all the songs and I’m interested to see what everyone else has to say about this one.
Joy Division or Gang of Four...Joy Division or Gang of Four...Damn. This album changed my life. As did Unknown Pleasures. (Earlier, when I was still in high school, it was Talking Heads 77.) 5 fucking Natural's Not In It!!!!
Have heard of them but never heard them before and I had no idea what to expect. I was thinking throughout I know where Franz Ferdinand got inspiration and that’s no bad thing. I really like the angular choppy sounds and the prominence of the bass. This is good. The novelty does start to wear off before the end but I’m still giving this a strong 4
7/10… punk / dance rock / *1979
I quite like the lead vocalist but isolating him as much as this album does makes him feel really dumbed down, some songs like Damaged Goods (which i've heard before ofc) and Glass give him a little more to work with and those end up being the highlights. generally it's not super interesting once you understand the soundscape. the backing(? might be the same guy) vocalist needs to be doing more to sell me on any emotion he's trying to convey whenever he appears, like he does on the final song. Highlights: Damaged Goods Glass Love Like Anthrax
Love the guitars on this. The vocals are lackluster mostly being speaking on the beat. Didn't have time to read through the lyrics but I wasn't super interested in them. The guitars manage to push the sound of this record so far and every song felt fresh because of it. It's almost like the first few tracks give you the vibe and then the later tracks push it. Low 4, carried by amazing guitar
Post-punk might not be exactly the most loved genre on here (see: Metal Box), but given this one at least has a good sound, it's better than that, at least. Solid 4 Stars.
I’m at a 5. That felt a bit ahead of schedule for 1979, at least in terms of the instrumental work; really strong panning for everything to give it some depth, especially in the percussion & bass. The bass is *so* good here. The guitar work feels like it’s from 2002 as opposed to ‘79, which is to say that this plays kinda like the garage revival of that time, with elements of early ‘90s grunge pulled in along the way. Vocally, there’s just a nice flow to everything, even if the vocals themselves don’t quite find a flow – it’s a very weird paradox, but somehow, everything falls into place in a pleasing way, even if it takes a bit to get there. The soundscape dominates a lot of the album, and just from a technical standpoint, this is enjoyable enough to just listen to, with the lyrics feeling kinda secondary. I would argue that the lyrics are honestly just as important, or at the very least, helpful to getting the point of the album. Everything here is framed under the lens of life as a marketplace, whether it’s love, sex, jobs, or time itself. Even the news is framed with a sort of cynicism; class warfare is entertainment & political assassinations are fodder for selling ad space. Gang of Four are firm on their anti-capitalism views & other political stances on this album, and honestly, I think they make their case pretty well. The lyrics don’t need to be fully understood to enjoy this album, but I think leaving this album without at least gathering some kind of small political take means you didn’t really soak it in to the extent that you could. Kurt Cobain listed this as one of his 50 favorite albums, and I can totally hear that influence throughout. Seriously, the guitar work here, for as awkward as it gets at points (especially on “At Home He’s A Tourist”, though I understand the intentional disconnect there), is really well done for the era. Even past the guitar work, there’s just a lot of clear production / compositional choices that give the instrumentals as much of a voice as Jon King & Andy Gill. Other post-punk bands of the era weren’t doing this stuff. I’m not sure I’d classify this as a post-punk album – this feels way closer to grunge with a slight funk lean, with aspects of rock music throughout that other bands would refine throughout the 1980s & beyond to come. There are points here where this album feels as much like R.E.M. as it does RHCP, Arcade Fire or Nirvana, and that’s just a testament to being this far ahead of the curve. Ultimately, the only real knocks I have on the entire thing are that “I Found That Essence Rare” has a little less bite than the other tracks & that “5.45” probably should’ve closed out over “Love Like Anthrax”. Regardless of that, it’s a super enjoyable album, & I think it deserves all of the critical praise & acclaim it gets. I’m glad it’s on the list, because I probably wouldn’t have come across it. I think it’s a super easy 5, and maybe with time, it could grow a bit higher. Pretty damn good album to end 2025 on. TL;DR: I’m entertained!
I think I have heard this exact album 550,000 times (I have never heard this album before) and that tells me a lot, but it's probably good music
This certainly was an album on the list
an example of the power of a good rhythm section more punk to me than “post” punk, but yeah, I get it. solid album. guitars that bite. fun energy.
2.5-3
Maybe this sounds familiar, but my first listen to this band was because Frank Ocean sampled “Life of Anthrax” on ‘Blonde’ (the drums are slowed for “Futura Free”). It’s an odd first song to listen to, especially out of context, so I never gave them much of a chance. I really enjoyed this as a whole listen, will definitely return to them!
Caught a groove a few times
Still in my wheelhouse! Gang of Four is a classic Brandon band. Ahead of its time. Very reminiscent of Fugazi's debut album, which came out like 11 years later. I hope Ian MacKaye sent Andy Gill a lovely fruit basket. Also some Devo in there. Fun! And it’s nice to listen to music by a band that clearly likes The Clash even more than I do. I need to give this another listen on a day that I have more energy and more attention to give; I slept like a cumulative 3 hours across all of last night because my cat is a monster and also I was just generally vibing more with yesterday’s album. Happy new year!
Guitars that can slice diamonds, sharper than that special katana that Uma Thurman gets in Kill Bill, faster than a jet. They’re angry but articulate, drawing a clear line in the sand between punk’s frenetic and messy riffs. Gang of Four are here to introduce post-punk by saying “we’re still pissed off, but we’re tighter and more articulate”. I can hear RHCP, Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and many other angular, funky guitars in this record. This is one of those surprising and fresh 1001 albums that really resonated for me, and I look forward to more listens and learning about Andy Gill and his guitar tone.
The opening track had me dreading the rest of the album. "Ah yes, another slog through some obnoxious British slop", I thought to myself. This album is numbered somewhere in the 500s for me, so I've gotten pretty accustomed to this sort of self-torture that I occasionally subject myself to with all of the aforementioned British slop that gets thrown up from this list. My assumptions were very pleasantly incorrect in this instance. This album was really cool. It wasn't mega noisy like a lot of the others that I totally dread. I really dug it, especially for the era that it came out. Certainly, ahead of its' time and influential on a massive amount of music that came out within the following 10-15 years.
I’d not heard this before. I liked it a lot! I reckon it was an influence on lots of other bands I like and so I’ve sort of experienced the echoes of it. Will listen to again.
Great post punk? Angular guitars.
Impressively bad. It's almost hard to believe that someone might have made this album thinking they were making legitimately good music.
Stond al in men bibliotheek, maar nog niet echt naar geluisterd. Echt een goeie album dat licht politiek getint is, met goeie melodies.
Das war DER Knaller damals
#808. Super mid. I kinda already forgot what it sounded like to be honest. 2/5: meh
Hard as nails
"Oh, you probably havent heard of them. They are this really underground band that does real Rock, not the weak mainstream stuff they do today. You dont like them? No, no you just dont understand the genius"
161 Me gusta mucho más el post punk que el punk. Hay algo en las voces que no me gusta, pero en Love Like Anthrax hubo una parte que me hizo preguntar qué estaba escuchando y justo cuando leí el nombre se acabó el disco. FIN.
nope
Wire's Pink Flag 2: Electric Boogaloo. Or maybe I just feel that way because all these British punk male vocalists apparently all sound legitimately indistinguishable to me. (Like, I had to poke around on Wikipedia to confirm that none of the Wire guys were singing on this record as a side project, and even now I don't know if I'm entirely convinced.) But there are commonalities enough in the instrumentals too, I think... Anyway, I fucking love Pink Flag, and jokes aside I loved this album too. Those basslines... those hooks... the way the guitars just slice through you... I could (and did) have this on multiple times in a row without wishing for a break. Awesome discovery; thanks to the generator for this one!
pretty nice
4/5 + How is this almost 50 years old? It still sounds fresh + Cool artwork + Really interesting punk bass + Love the lyrics +- Ether as an album opener is a bold choice - wasn't easy to really get into, but it did click with me eventually Fav: Damaged Goods, At Home He's A Tourist, Love Like Anthrax, Least Fav: Not Great Man
This is the kind of post-punk that I enjoy. Was familiar with this album, but have never listened before and found it to be lively and well played. It is very good. 4/5 Will likely listen again
Gang of Two Stars sorry guys bored my favorite couple ok songs but mostly my eyes are bleeding
Solid and I had immediate respect when I heard REM stealing them in there, but I got restless and bored as a cat by the end.
Maybe if I were to give this a second listen something would jump out at me. But it felt like a series of songs that mostly sounded the same that I just couldn’t get into. 2.5/5
Absolutely not
Moderately entertaining.
I liked this. Reminded me of various post punk acts from the late 70s and early 80s, like the the first couple of Cure albums. Especially enjoyed the final song.
Meh
Talk about an album that stands the test of time. Entertainment! seems relevant, both lyrically and musically, today as it was when it was released almost 50 years ago. I enjoyed my listen for this project as much as I did when listening to it while smoking grass with my friends as a teenager. The rhythm section on the album helps keep the listener grooving along. However, as many reviewers have noted, the real secret sauce here is the minimalistic, angular guitar. Power chords fuzzed up to the maximum, yet still driving and powerful. This is a post-punk masterpiece that is on almost all “Top XX albums of all time” lists for a reason. The number of bands that cite influence of Gang of Four, and Entertainment! in particular, is vast: Nirvana, REM, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and among many others. Obviously, this is an album everyone should listen to at least once. In fact, I think I’ll give it another listen.
I bopped along with every song and really enjoyed the simplicity of the lyrics and music. Hit me as a fun time the whole way through.
it’s ok not the worst. If I turn on closed captions when I watch TV and see “music playing”, it’s something like this album. Not much going on nothing catchy at all, nothing terribly wrong. Someone is playing. Very mediocre singing too, which suits the album very well. This defines 3.
kind of a slog for me, was waiting for it to be over. didn't enjoy it much, so here is a 2 for it
Most of the album was alright (still probably 2 stars), but the last song Love Like Anthrax was excruciating.
The album would have been a lot better if there weren’t songs made to sound terrible on purpose with all that dissonance. Otherwise, there were some tracks I really enjoyed.
Ehh it was alright. If it went on any longer I probably would have gotten annoyed with it and subtracted an extra star. Pretty forgettable, but inoffensive.
2.5
first listening medium, since second I'm a fan
Its alright, noe ordentlig klassisk punk
Certainly an influence for many of the early 2000s post punk bands as well. A fun sound and surprisingly interesting.
Some good alternative/ post punk grooves, with interesting lyrics. However, very much of its time and I did feel it sounded a bit dated
Now this is what I'm talking about.
3.5
3.5
Meh
Not for me
punk-type british stuff with some more guitar than normal.
This is a great album, angular and energetic. Not punk so much as post-punk with clearly politically focussed lyrics.
I thought this was great! One of the albums that has really stood out to me that I wasn't very familiar with before (though I had heard the odd song before). Songs are engaging and I love the drawing of other genres into their sound. This is not uncommon nowadays I guess but at the time I can see this would have sounded pretty neat!
A surprising like. Great guitar. A bit like a proto, English, Green Day.
where are all these 5s and 4s coming from this is hot ass 😭😭
Not gonna complain about more post punk. A ton of catchy melodies, the stretch from Return the Gift to Love Like Anthrax was very nice. Kinda wish his voice was louder in the mix so I had any idea what he was talking about - maybe next time.
Kind of like listening to that one band that opened for a better known artist and you thought "oh they're cool" but probably won't ever listen to again
This was alright. It was kind of edgy, but kind of annoying, I guess? I don't know, it was good, just not really something I'd listen to a lot. Three stars.
Not very good, nor interesting
I feel like I've heard of Gang Of Four, but I don't think I'd ever listened to their music. It's pretty alright. I don't hate it, but I don't think it's an album that's going to stick with me either. It's got some avant-garde sounds that I was bracing for, but it's more underhanded, so it doesn't come off as wrong.
An influential album, but I prefer its successors.
Cool album, never heard of this before and I like it.
Nice example of post-punk for a debut album
I like the funkyness/grooviness of the album, but after a few songs it became boring to me. Not enough surprises.
Cool riffs and super fun beats.
Fantastic! It’s official - I’m a post-punk girlie. I just love the edginess, clean lines, and addictive energy. Bonus to Gang of Four for being early - this is 1979 and sounds fresh af to these ears. I also appreciate their political consciousness.
128/1089 a solid punk album. It was a good listen that I enjoyed enough but i don’t necessarily need to listen again. I think it would have sat better with me if it were 10 mins or so shorter. 60/100
Punk with funky baselines
Another new to me band and album. I wish someone had given this to me years ago. Solid post punk that makes you want to dance. Killer bass on this.
A glaring gap in my musical knowledge considering how many bands who cite them as an influence. Did not disappoint!
Not bad, a little grating at times. I guess that’s punk though. Didn’t hate, didn’t really feel the need to relisten either. I’ll probably just listen to Marquee Moon if I’m craving this type of sound.
Really enjoyed this one! "Return the Gift" stood out as a high point, but there weren't really any lows.
Meh
Dope
Not terrible, but it all sounds the same
So similar to Talking heads that if it werent for the voice Id probably wouldnt recognize or differentiate the bands apart. No matter its a great band and this album is top of the line. All very new wavish punk with experimental sounds and sillyness which is refreshing.
while I can acknowledge this album is enormously influential, I also kind of hate everything about it.
The guy has a very clear preference, this is pretty good but there's many others on here that are pretty much the same album Will I listen to again: 20%
This was a decent punkish album had never heard of these guys before but they weren't terrible!
Solid 4, liked it more as it went on
Cool, enjoyed it over all. New artist to me. No particular song stood out to me.
Good listen, enjoyed Damaged Goods
If this was my introduction to punk, I would have listened to way more of it as a kid. Very good album, needs another few spins to catch what I missed the first time.
pretty impressive for the time and see the influence. pretty cool
Meh
Decent collection of punk / garage rock songs. Not really my go to genre but also not bad. Overall 2.5 to 3 / 5
I’m so tired of this lame British crap. How many albums like this can they possibly put on this list? A solid 2. Surprise surprise.
Gear: Penon FAN 3s Artwork: 🪶🤝🤠 Production: 🎚️🥩📀 Music: 🔝🎸✊ Rating: ❗❗❗❗/5
1979. Nice kinda post punk baselines and dischordant rifs. Weak 3 or a strong 2.
This was a fun listen. Cool, funky, crisp, sharp, biting and a tad snarly. Yeah I dug it.
British Punk is not my favorite Genre, and I honestly struggled to get through this. However, themes were good, but honestly the entire album just dragged on and on. 2/5.
My beard is the one part of my appearance that I put real effort into looking good; the one part that real care goes into, and I really feel is important to me. Why am I telling you this? Because you need to understand how upsetting to me it is that tonight I accidentally took a chunk out of it while trimming it, and completely decimated it in the process of trying to fix it. I know it's superficial, and it'll grow back, but still, it matters to me... I also just spent time tonight cleaning my daughter's bed and her toys and her hair after she woke up and vomited at 1am; and this not long after injuring my back hanging laundry. I tell you this so that you may understand: when I say that listening to this album was one of the best things I did tonight it's technically true, but not because it was in any way good. This album is a great example of "I really didn't need to hear this before I died".
A little weird, fun, funky, trancy(?)
Oh yeah, I love this album! I love it's spiky, funky, sparse and jangly sound. Natural's Not In It and Damaged Goods are my favorites!
Didn't know what to expect. Upbeat, kinda of punk attitude. Enjoyed it
I don’t know. It’s just another version of the Clash to me. A lighter version or the same, again, I don’t know. It’s a decent enough album but I’m not feeling anything by listening to it. I want ground moving albums. Like, why do I need to listen to this one? Let’s go through the Checklist: Did I enjoy the album: it’s decent Will I listen to them again: not on purpose Will I recommend these guys: no Will I remember who they are in a month: no So there you have it. Choice cut: Damaged Goods
I'm about halfway right now and I'm digging it. It's a great album. They mix up a few genres like punk, funk and reggae so well. I was shocked as I don't usually like post punk type stuff. You can feel it's not a new album due to tone but the mix is done well even if it's a bit stripped down, the bass comes through so damn well. It's infectious really. Really fun album.
Really liked this album. Seemed almost like early 2000s rock
Too repetitive Not my vibe
I am not a big fan of punk rock in general. I did not enjoy listening to this album at all.
It’s like listening to The Clash but without all the super heavily played songs. It’s rough around the edges but isn’t that part of being punk? Overall super solid punk album. 7/10
I'd never listened to this band before, but it felt familiar and adjacent to a lot of music that I like.
Another one that feels familiar through who it influenced, enjoyed listening and will know doubt check it out again and others in the catalogue
3 is fair. Damaged Goods best track.
Punk ingles 1979. Muito bom!
Completely unknown to me. I don't think I'll come back to it. This project continues to reiterate that I don't find joy in punk and post punk.
This is a pretty crazy record to come out for it's time. It feels like half of modern indie bands are just trying to be quirky versions of these guys. I think I prefer Wire over these guys but still a solid post punk / dance punk album listening experience.
The record that for me defines the post punk era. Copied by many in the post-punk revival era of the early 2000s ( I see you Franz Ferdinand!) it is Gang of Four that invented the sharp angular guitars slashing through funk rhythms to produce this instantly recognizable sound. Damaged Goods, At Home He Is A Tourist and Love Like Anthrax are unmistakable hits that still resonate today. Catchy, with sing-a-long lyrics they define the sound. But the rest of the record resonates with the punk roots. This is particularly true on a track like I Found That Essence Rare which is more 77 punk rock than 79 post punk. You would think Wilco Johnson of Dr. Feelgood was playing guitars on the track. Ether and Glass similarly are vehicles for teen angst. This was a huge hit and I was lucky enough to see them on this tour and later when they were touring with Sara Lee on bass. Andy Gill’s guitar is the glue that holds this all together but Jon Kings lyrics and vocals put the pieces together to produce what was, then, a very unique sound. Repeated listens are worth the journey as they produce new insights and new favorites. For me, the only track I had difficulty appreciating early on was Return The Gift, but now, it forms an important role in keeping the album moving forward as it leads to the excellent Guns Before Butter that closes side 1. Side 2 is similar with 5.45 the track that leads into the closer Love Like Anthrax. This is a don’t miss record. Buy a copy or five.
1979 y los tipos ya haciendo algo post punkero innovador, letras geniales, actitud. Tiene todo. Discazo. 8/10
плотный ритм кач, но везде как будто одна плотная песня
The British do love their punk music. Unfortunately, I do not.
Civilized Punk rock with songs that aren’t very memorable. While I didn’t find this album to be horrific to listen to, it did sound like the same song with 11 extended pauses every couple of minutes. Not really for me, but if I was at a party and this was the background noise over the din of the crowd, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.
Great punk album with variety that kept it funky and fun without that usual drone that makes you need to stop listening to most punk after one or two songs. Really felt exploratory and timeless in nature. Great listen.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr David Allen! Absolutely ripping bass bringing this album to another level. Sadly I just learned he passed away in April. Just as sadly I just learned who he was 10 minutes ago. Really enjoyed this. Entertainment! Is my introduction to gang of four, this was my first listen but it felt very familiar. You can feel and hear future bands like fugazi and the offspring. Mostly i heard a lot of early Chili Peppers (pre-Mothers Milk). The Brits really do this genre well, very happy to have discovered this.
Mid but jot the worst I’ve heard
Got a little redundant in the middle but pretty solid bookends. Ether or 5.45 the best
post-Punk/rock, he verdomme. Was mijn eerste reactie, maar ik ga niet liegen dit viel me alles mee! Geen 4 sterren, daarvoor is dit toch gewoon een beetje te veel van hetzelfde, maar ik heb me eigenlijk best wel vermaakt met een groot deel van dit album. Het funkt zelfs voor een groot deel, ik snap ook de reggae verwijzingen nog wel die er gemaakt worden in het album. Maar eerlijk? Wat is post-punk nu eigenlijk? Heel veel zooi word post-punk genoemd, maar soms klinkt het poppy, soms klinkt het noisy en soms klinkt het alsof iemand heeft besloten dat gitaren ook best wel prima kapot kunnen. Ik vind deze post-punk muziek best te pruimen, het doet me bij tijd en wijlen denken aan Talking Heads, ook qua zang alleen dan wel iets minder dansbaar dan de Heads. Maar nog steeds snap ik heel erg wat men hier in zit. Maar dan heb je ook post-punkherrie wat ik dan weer totaal niet zie zitten. FAVO: Natural's not it, Damaged Goods
Gute Unterhaltung.
This album is so good, it was in heavy rotation for me for quite a while. Glad to have it brought to my attention again. This is a post-punk classic and surprised it isn't held in higher regard. Upon listening to this album again it is a bit repetitive, not as good as I remember it but still really enjoyable.
5/10
I think what makes this a 5 is that I really don't expect it for the era it comes from. It sounds so modern. And, for post punk, a pretty great listen! 5/5
Rules
Et fint album. Nok ikke noget jeg vil eje, men det kan godt lyttes til. Den lidt punkede energi er meget lækker.
Ei tää nyt oikein nappaa mulla. Jotenkin keskinkertaista. 2/5
Vähän olisin kaivannut enemmän menoa.