Reviews (page 6 of 8)
There’s nothing wrong with this album but I feel like every band from 1979 sounds close to the same: Punkish snarl, claustrophobic drums, funky bass, confrontational noodling guitar that lacks feeling. Gang of Four sounds exactly like the band Television. At least The B-52’s sounded like they were trying to be different that year, even though some of these same elements appear on their first album.
I think my tolerance for post punk music has gone up as a result of this project. Or maybe there are just some albums in that genre I like more than others. At any rate, this was enjoyable enough for one listen through, and the lyrics and instrumenting were good. Solidly in 3 territory for me!
This is good (post) punk. For some reason it doesn't really gel with me like some other punk acts do, maybe it misses a bit of the rawest energy or the addictive hooks some punk songs have.
This is more college me than current me but it was kind of fun and I thought it was alright.
Not a bad listen. Entertainment! was a different sound than what I've heard over 850 albums. Post-punk usually sounds like post-no-thanks, but Gang of Four made an album that was fun and vibrant within the post-punk genre. Perhaps it was because Gang of Four was ahead of the post-punk wave? The lyrics were interesting and engaging, too.
I will be quick to admit that I was not excited to see some obscure band and album doing some subgenre of punk music. For the most part, that combination has not been a winning one on this project, at least for me. However, I was pleasantly wrong with this one. These guys are clearly punk infused and punk influenced, but there is a dance and funk aspect that permeates across this album that just brings something fresh, unique, and enjoyable. The punk ideology is still present, but with less of a focus on noisy incoherence and more of a focus on having fun. Overall, a surprisingly enjoyable listen!
Punk energy with nu wave soundscapes. Kinda like a sharper and angrier version of the buzzcocks. Instrumentation was groovy and fun, lyrics were a whiff and same with the vocal stylings. I like this, but given the praise this album has recieved I don't quite see it all. Perhaps nostalgia again, but it was alright.
An entire genre defined in album. Solid
Didn’t do a ton for me but maybe it’s just punk
Improved over time. Would be good music for a recession. FS: Damaged Goods.
How much 70s post punk is on this list?! I won't lie my heart sank when I saw this but I enjoyed it more than previous outings in the genre. 3/5 didn't mind listening but will never think about it again.
-Might listen to again for a better understanding of the album -Not my type of album but has some good songs on it -A bit of a boring listen, especially compared to other albums from that time -Best Songs: Natural's Not In It, Return the Gift -Worst Songs: Not Great Men, I Found That Essence Rare
Punk rock is pretty alright I suppose
Difficult one. Yes, I can see how this could have been 'influential' on all sorts of later artists. One might reasonably argue that this makes it 'important'. I'm not voting on that. I'm voting on how much I like and album and from that standpoint it's a middling 3/5.
I used to associate the Dance Punk genre to the New York scene of the 00's and groups like LCD Soundsystem, but appearently it has been around since the late-70's. However, as dance-y as this is, it doesn't sound anything like its revivalist counterpart, most obviously the lack of electronic instrumentation. Cool album. Key tracks: Natural's Not in It Not Great Men Damaged Goods
h: 5.45 c: return the gift
Worth it to add Ether to the playlist, gloriously sampled by Run The Jewels but to be honest, I found it a little bit monotone for the most part. Cool, sure. And I understand why it made the impact it did, building on what punk had started to achieve. But I wanted it to go further and do more cool stuff.
Great album a notorious influence on the post-punk scene in the early 2000’s.
Gang of Four- Great reference for rock bass tones. I like the melodica when it pops up. The mix and panning are kinda weird like there’s background vocal that pops in and out of my left ear and some of the drums are panned to one side. Some cool stupid noise rock grooves. Sounds like this could have been a big influence on Primus with songs like “he’d send in the army” Could hear a bit of Can’t Stop in Natual’s Not Worth It Not a fan the punk rock vocals. I like the frantic energy and the attitude of the music and the weirdness of it. I like when the drums sound really trashy. Some cool affected guitars too. Hard to describe but I feel like a lot of these 70’s hard rock and punk records must lose something in translation it doesn’t seem heavy enough in the AirPods. Favorites: contract
I dig the energy and attitude but this record kinda fell flat for me. I will probably forget about this one
De titel is duidelijk. Deze schijf is voor het vermaak bedoeld. Mooi, geen kapsones. Ik neem aan dat vooral gedoeld wordt op het vermaak van de artiesten zelf. Maar als zij plezier in hun werk hebben, dan levert die uitstraling vaak ook een belangrijk deel van het vermaak van het publiek. Zelf heb de 50 minuten is tweeën moeten knippen. Het werd mij toch te eentonig. Als je het in tweeën knipt kan ik er nog wel 2,5 ster aan toekennen.
Over het algemeen kenmerkt punk of postpunk uit Engeland zich door heel veel herrie te maken en dan het liefst zo vals mogelijk. Wat me aan deze muziek gelijk opvalt is de bijzondere drumritmes met daaroverheen aparte baslijntjes en gitaargeluiden. Het is zeker niet hun bedoeling om zoveel mogelijk herrie te maken of zo snel en zo vals mogelijk. Het lijkt meer op een soort kale voorloper van new wave. Het valt me niet tegen. Mijn muzikale makker uit het zuiden vond het wel wat eentonig worden en daar moet ik hem wel gelijk in geven. Het blijft een soort haperende muziek en wil nooit echt lekker losgaan, afgezien misschien van "I Found That Essence Rare", een van de betere nummers. En dat heeft voornamelijk met de drums te maken denk ik. Zeg ik als muziekluisteraar en niet als muzikant, want dat ben ik niet. Ik lees slechts wikipagina's voor, ik zou zo dj bij K!NK kunnen worden. Blijft er voor deze bende van vier geen vier sterren over, maar een redelijke 3 sterretjes.
Mixed response to this one. Like the energy alot, not a huge fan of the lead vocal. Probably would give it 3.5 if I could, but not quite a four.
Haven't heard of them before, not bad, better than the majority of Brit-post-punk on here.
This was a solid album. As a RHCP fan, I could definitely hear the influences, I wasn't impressed by any particular song, but the overall vibe was great.
Gang of Four - very cool! This album pumped me up quite a bit and kept me awake on the plane. I like the Crunchy riffs and mosh-able vibes. Standout tracks are: “Natural’s Not in It” and “Contract”
waiter! waiter! more mid punk please!
I think Solid Gold is a better album and belongs on this list instead of this one. I like this one enough but Solid Gold is head and shoulders above it.
generally inoffensive punk with some cool stuff here and there
This sounds like a bunch of guys coming together to make music for the first time, having fun and not taking themselves too seriously. I liked it
It's amazing how every new post-punk band still sounds like this. The only snag is that I'm kinda sick of those bands, even though this version of it is obviously very good.
A bit funkier post punk than usual, mixing a bit of punk, reggae and ska, so three of my least favourite music genres (in general). This album was almost listenable, which speaks for itself. Let's just end this list finally.
Not too memorable
Good. Almost great but not quite.
a jarring yet enjoyable punk inspired album that includes odd yet catchy guitar riffs, grating lyrics, and sharp percussion in the mix. A fun album.
Pretty good.
Reminiscent of my youth. It certainly reflects a particular time.
Pretty good post-punk, although it did start to feel like it was dragging. Favorite: 5.45 High 3?
I thought I'd like this much more. I like the sound and production of it but not so much the composition. There's 3 great songs and a lot of meh. Worth a re-listen because I like the ideas, maybe my ear needs more training for this.
A cool and good post-punk album, very forward-thinking for the genre for a 1979 release. It's not among my very favourites though. To me it seems to be trying to go down both 'the light side and dark side' of post-punk simultaneously, and the stark, gothic sounds clash with the brighter dance-punk stuff. The very popular 'Damaged goods' suffers from this, with the sour chords and vocal lines killing the danceability for me. 'Natural's not in it' is my favourite track here.
ihan chilling
Okay, couldn't get into it hugely
Pretty alright. I think I vibe with the politics more than the music though. If you had put this on and told me it was The Clash, I would have believed you. A few of the songs were pretty catchy.
Um punk indie em 1979? Quem diria hein?
Extreme politics meet stabby guitar riffs. Best tracks, for me, are Damaged Goods and I Found That Essence Rare.
Not bad, not great.
Entertainment by Gang Of Four. It's okay kinda early punk, but for me it needs more of a bite. Although I did discover my favourite punk band (IDLES) did a cover of one of there songs which I massively prefer
This was a fun surprise. I was not familiar with this group. If you're into punk, this is going to work for you. It's everything you love about punk - all the energy and the sheer, nihilistic joy - but with the added spice of funky beats. Feels a little like proto-Red Hot Chili Peppers! 3⭐️
Some good, some a bit harsh for me
I liked it OK. Maybe it’s my comparing it to all the better British punk/post-punk music we’ve listened to so far that’s not getting it that 4.
Pretty good. Good enough to listen to twice
After hearing this album I can hear why this punk rock/dub influenced album (along with The Specials debut record) was such a serious influence in the post punk scene of the late seventies and early eighties. All the bass playing on this album is fantastic, even if the lyrics reflect some truly daft political ideas. "Damaged Goods" was already in my library. 3 Stars for influence, bass playing, and that 1 punk standard.
Netter Punk Rock
Funny disc, sounds very modern.... To be punk I liked it so much...
You can die without hearing it if you want to, I promise it's okay.
Not really my jam, good songs and stuff but a bit to raw.
Just sounds like the same song is playing for 40 mins.
The sound of Gang Of Four is right up my street. Twangy p-bass, spiky guitar, and uncomplicated songs with plenty of space. But because all the tracks are like this it’s a bit dull as an album.
3-
Cool album art. Damaged Goods caught my attention. Good track. The chili peppers owe these guys. Cool bass playing. Cool melodica playing. Solid production.
Harmi kun b-puoli menee aivan kolisteluksi, a-puoli on nimittäin erittäin hyvä! Damaged goods erityisesti. Sen perusteella olis ollut 4.
He aloittavat luomalla musiikillisen ilmaisun meidän vieraantuneisuudestamme, mikä ei ole erityisen kiinnostavaa. Ennen B-puoliskoa levy alkaa toimia myös, kyllä, viihteenä - ja, niin, tuotteena. Bändi keksii todella toimivia "juttuja". Eikä tuotteistamisesta automaattisesti seuraa sanoitustenkaan negaatiota.
Didn’t listen the whole way through, nothing really grabbed me. Reminded me of early talking heads kinda
Not really sure. On the one side ok, nice, good 80s music. On the other side a bit boring, predictable.
12/4/24. Very solid punk rock. Didn't realize this album was so influential by many artists I enjoy, but I definitely hear elements from this record in later music. Especially the bass parts!
two post punk albums in a row is pretty rough (the Fall before this one...) for someone who really likes melody. i can see how this band inspired 90s bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers with funky irreverence.
Albumi #119, 29.11.2024 Leedsiläisen Gang of Fourin debyyttialbumi ilmestyi vuonna 1979.
Very solid imo but nothing too special. It's very meat and potatoes, but I think Gang of Four lack the obnoxiousness of the Sex Pistols. They're obviously very influential and there's some really groovy and bouncy tunes on this that are packed with energy. Best Track: Damaged Goods Worst Track: Not Great Man
Influential, yes. Need to listen to? Probably not.
It’s pretty good, but I expected to like it more than I did. It’s interesting and I’m sure sounded innovative at the time, but I think an album like Wire’s Pink Flag, released two years earlier, sounds just as innovative and has aged better. Maybe I need more listens!
Good stuff, but not good enough. Seems like The Jam, Lite.
First track i thought I'd hate this, but turns out I actually know some of the songs. Not bad. Enjoyed it
还行……？没什么感觉，平滑地从我的脑子经过。
Not really my thing. It was ok
Wouldn't mind if it came up but wouldn't necessarily go and decide to listen to it.
Good musicianship. Not sure I liked the political commentary, and it just didn't do much for me. Three stars.
This is pretty cool. I really enjoy these post punk albums. The bass on here is great and drives the melody forward. But I’m not completely won over compared to for example Joy Division, Television, or Magazine. I don’t really know what it is - but I am still really happy that I was introduced to this, and I am going to listen many more times, that’s for sure
Good baselines
Actually pretty good for post-punk nonsense. 3.0
A fine album for a Saturday afternoon.
No prior familiarity with Gang of Four. I felt fairly ambivalent towards this one. I'm giving it a 3 but it's a weak 3. Between Entertainment! and MC5's Kick Out the Jams, I'm starting to think maybe the early era of punk/punk-adjacent music isn't my favorite.
Funny how many big rock bands in the 21st century just sounds like a more vanilla version of this. While it is not something I drift towards, I appreciate the inventiveness of this.
Eh this didn't do it for me. First time listening was intriguing, and I liked it for the most part, but then on listening to it a second time I really wasn't fussed about this album. I liked Ether and Damaged Goods, but other than that the rest of the album was almost a bit boring.
Enjoyable enough. Don’t think I’d actively seek it out to listen to again.
Je m’attendais à plus de criage, je m’en sort seulement avec une légère migraine
Absolutely stunned by this one. When I read Post-Punk I get a Franky Teardrop flashabck and my stomach drops. It's definitely Post-Punk but it's weird because this was perfectly listenable. I think it's still tinnier and shriller than I'd prefer but when it finds it's more pop-oriented moments it's really well done. 3
Punky rock
Typically post punk has been one of my least favorite genres. This one definitely exceeded my expectations and I would listen to it again. I’d give it a 3.5 if I could.
This was fun, new listen for me. Felt like newer than 1979 and could have been an opening band for the Kinks and would have been a killer double bill. Loved the raw guitar sound and the silly lyrics. Not perfect l, but I can see how this was popular when it came out.
Nothing too exciting but seemed decent to me
There are some older punk albums that resonate with me, some that sound like a bag of balls, and some where I land quite indifferent. The odd thing is that I’m not actually sure what causes this difference of opinion. Today’s album landed in the third category for me. It was a pleasant listen but didn’t exactly hook me in much. It felt raw which is always nice, but it didn’t leave me feeling excited. I’m glad I listened to this, but I doubt I’ll return for more.
It might be a little _too_ minimalist for me, but I'd say it's held up decently well and has its moments. I can certainly hear the influence on later post-punk bands.
good walking music!! i enjoyed this
Hadn’t heard this album in a long time and remember liking some of the songs.
I don’t hate it
- Kein Song jemals gehört, genauso wenig wie den Namen der Band oder des Albums - stramm, geht nach vor, ist aber etwas dünn - Kompositorisch warte ich auch ständig auf Struktur. kann aber auch mein Problem sein. -Plätscherte so vor sich hin* 3/5
Who came first, Gang of Four or A Certain Ratio?
I don't think I like punk very much. I can see that a lot of people liked this album quite a lot and heard things I personally could not tease out of it and I am happy for them.
I can hear Gang Of Four's influence on a lot of later groups I like... But for me that's all they sound like. Influence that later groups did better. Just bored me
Alright I suppose
Quite a raw album. Not on the same punk level as the pistols or clash mind you. Some decent rhythms though. I can see how some british bands of the noughties like franz ferdinand, futureheads etc could be inspired by something like this. Damaged goods is absolute tune. Great song. Couple of other decent ones like naturals not in it and not great man. Overall, one great song and the rest of the album was OK or not great. I can definitely feel the inspiration in bands i grew up with as a late teenager.
This feels before it’s time.
Quite funky and original, but in a way where I don't know if I'd want to listen to it again
You think they’ve ever heard Talking Heads? I don’t like how repetitive and borderline pretentious the lyrics are, but the writing is solid and feels original. The vocals aren’t the most unique. It jumps from disingenuous to cheeky. Production and instrumentation are fantastic, though. I enjoyed parts of some songs, but would not listen to this again. 3/5
Damaged Goods is a killer track. Bass sound on the album is great all the way through. Tough rate though. If its revisitable. I think there are other British punk bands I would like to listen to more.
Has a good funky groove but it’s all very samey
Not terrible. Parts of it were kind of annoying, but some was actually pretty decent. I wouldn't revisit all of it, but some songs are worth listening to again. 3/5
Never heard of them before this, not exactly sure how I feel about this album to be completely honest, but one thing’s for sure, it definitely packs a punch
Learning that I like punk, or, at least postpunk, more than I thought I did.
It started out interesting - good bass lines- but grew tiresome, until the last song.
Sure. One of the better punk/post-punk albums thus far.
Not really my style tbh. I should probably write more about it, but this album just didn't speak to me. Next!
Very raw, very punchy. If it weren’t for the anti-establishment lyrics, I’d given a 2. Closer to a 2.5.
Decent, albeit somewhat underwhelming album. Feels like The Subways got really high, and forced the Ramones at gunpoint to cover their songs. I can *definitely* understand why they were so influential with such a heavy style in the 70s/80s (and I know it's unfair to compare them to the bands who built their music on this influence), but I wasn't quite as blown away as I expected to be based on the bands they've influenced.
Not inspiring. Borderline 2
I can see this as influencing lots of 80s artists. Underground and hipsterish before hipster was even a thing. I love the sound of the electric guitar but this was so screechy and off key it got annoying sometimes. I’m giving it a three just because it must have been unique at the time.
Ok, didn’t massively stand out
OK album but loving production ruins it. Some notable songs Damaged goosd and 5.45
Old school, scaled back, indie rock. I like it, but don't love it
Good songs, good energy on this one.
That’s pretty in your face, sonically. It was interesting
3.5
Yep, like it. Bit samey after a bit but some really good songs in there.
Natural’s Not In It // 5.45 // 3.5/5
It's decent but I am very weary of this sound being nearly halfway through this list.
I like their politics but I wasn't impressed with them musically back in the day and that hasn't changed.
очередной пост-панк но другой. это можно слушать, норм. узнала *по словам* песню, которую потом каверила ла ру! в целом норм
A fun middle of the road punk album!
This was a bit of a weird one. Some songs I really didn't enjoy. But then other songs I really liked Hit and miss 3 ⭐️
3.4/5. catchup on 5/28/24. pretty cool and see how it inspired RHCP among others.
Punk rock essentials.
Very interesting. Best tracks are Damaged Goods, 5.45 and It’s Her Factory, although the rest of the album is good too 3/5
Okay, not great. Somewhat monotonous 3 stars
So as I started to listen to this album, it sounded to me something that would’ve come out of the early 2000s. I was very surprised when I looked at the date and saw it said 1979. I guess it stayed contemporary sounding. While it seem very heavy and it’s punk influences, it did offer a variety of other genres to go along with the punk style lyrics and topics. I knew there had to be, a name for it. Enter “post-punk“. Everything has a name, folks. I really like the energy of the first half of the album. The second half sounded a little more discombobulated to me. At one point, I thought that they must have ranked all of the songs and put them in descending order on the album. if you listen to it backwards, it would really left a great impression, otherwise I’m gonna have to say it was just OK.
2.8 - maybe I need to be in the mood
I get this, but I don't love it. Fave Tracks: Natural's Not In It, Love Like Anthrax 3.2/5
More average post-punk stuff on this list. Feel like I've heard this album 10 different times over the last 850 or so albums. Nothing special. At least it isn't too long.
Had some random exposure to this band over the years but this is the first time listening to a full album. Really thought I was going to like it after the first few songs but the second half of the album fell flat and repetitive.
I kinda dig that very skilful interpretation but do not like the sound aesthetics.
Started out good but lost me half way through
Fun post punk listen, killer bass and guitar work
Enjoyed it. Second time listening to this one.
The Clash vibes!
It's clear from looking at the lyrics and reading more about this album that it was important. Unfortunately, we managed to not notice anything about those lyrics until the final song and our impression is that it was a decent, standard punk album. Maybe we'll pay more attention and listen again, but it feels like a decent 3 star album to us.
Enjoyed this more than I expected. Kinda a weird sound for the era in my opinion. At first I thought they are a 90’s band but turned out to be much earlier.
Ok - nothing stood out
Devo-ish
Above average politically charged post punk. It's solid, angular and funky , and I’d listen to it again, but at the same time it didn’t blow me away.
Some catchy songs
Never heard of them, pretty good. Can see the influence on other bands.
I enjoyed it more that I thought I would.
Of course more britpunk. This one's quite good background music cause it's pretty monotone. Stand-out: 5:45
Punk’s not my thing - just doesn’t flow, makes me edgy. But maybe that’s the point. This album was at least consistent and made me pay attention. I can appreciate the musicians’ artistry. This sound can’t be easy to reproduce consistently.
English post-punk band avec des touches de funk, dance, reggae et dub. C'est pas la voix la plus folle j'ai entendue, mais y,a des bons riffs accrocheurs. Ça fait très pré-The Strokes/Franz Ferdinand.
Några trevliga spår. Damaged goods är en femma. Albumet håller inte mitt intresse rakt igenom.
Post punk! I like post punk because you can hear the music, not as screachy. I really love the funk and dance influences in this album. Lotta fun
Brand new to me and overall I enjoyed it! Seems like a british band and some songs were better than others. Sounds like a couple modern bands like White Stripes.
Love this album
Enjoyed it. Like early Jam
Decent. The songs all kind of sound the same & it gets a bit tedious as it goes on, but it's not bad. I'd say I was relatively entertained.
Extension of Television?
It’s certainly angular
“Please send me more evenings and weeksends”. If i had more evenings and weekends i would spend that time fucking Naoises mom
Very generic music for the time. They repeat the same lines over and over for every song. Music is alright but all sounds the same. 3 stars.
Not a big punk guy and the atonal melodies got old but the instruments are great
I suspect this one caught me on a good day but it had enough energy and anarchy to keep me invested for the whole 40 minutes of play. This easily puts it in the 'potentially relistenanable' middle of my album review curve.
Great punky sound, without being just power chords, with a velvety ice pick guitar tone.
I can see how this influences future bands.
A lot of the same sounding songs. But liked Natural's Not In It, Return the Gift and Glass.
The bass really drives this whole album. "Damaged Goods" is a staple on my punk and 70s playlists ... although I'm not really sure what "Post Punk" means. All these classifications for what something is. But there's no doubt this is quality "entertainment" ... whatever you want to call it.
Favorite Tracks: At Home He’s A Tourist Damaged Goods Love Like Anthrax
It was ok. Punk and Post punk are not really my things. 3
Cool album.
Pretty straight forward early punk.
high energy post punk with plenty of social commentary. easy to see the influence this album had on rock music. good album. highlights: “ether”, “damaged goods”, “guns before butter”.
Jagged, angular. D Boon must have been a fan! Really good although won't be a regular listen.
a somewhat austere and minimalistic post punk romp. took me a few tracks for everything to 'click', but I found a surprisingly pleasant and headbobbing experience with some interesting lyrics. 3.5/5
3.5/5
UK Punk from 1979, Embryonic of new wave... just missing a synth
Jokku ihan ok biisejä ja entuudestaan tuttu artisti. 2.5/5
Great record from a time when people were doing stuff for the first time.
Good Made music but not my style
Decent.
The genius of Entertainment! lies in its incredible tension... The rhythm section of Dave Allen and Hugo Burnham creates these infectious, funky grooves that make you want to dance, while Andy Gill’s guitar stabs through the mix with a scratchy, abrasive energy that sounds like an electric shock. It’s a brilliant deconstruction of rock music where the bass takes the lead and the guitar serves as a rhythmic, percussive weapon, all perfectly supporting Jon King's barked, politically charged lyrics about consumerism and alienation.
Actually pretty good and I learned a new band today
I like the choppy guitar sound, solid album
Overall, a pretty solid album. Short, tight songs, super funky bass grooves, left wing lyrics (on the cover of the album is a picture of a native shaking hands with a cowboy with the words: "The Indian smiles, he thinks that the cowboy is his friend. The cowboy smiles, he is glad the Indian is fooled. Now he can exploit him.")....all very punk rock, just a lot more polished than a punk record. Much less thrashy, with a better flow and more direction. The first half of this record was a lot better than the second half. It kind of fell flat after Glass. Favourite songs: Damaged Goods, Natural's Not In It, Not Great Men, Ether, I Found That Essence Rare, Glass Least favourite songs: Guns Before Butter, Contract, Love Like Anthrax, He'd Send in the Army, It's Her Factory 3/5
This sounds like everything talking heads or ramones ever wanted to be. Ahead of their time in their own way, but spawned so much ass music 3
love an english punk band where you can hear their accents (meegraine)
It was fine! But it was hard to focus on. I liked what I heard though.
it was fine! enjoyable but all meshes together in my mind. 2.5
Pretty good - Devo, B-52s ish
Impressions: Great punk album with lots of bass! Favorite tracks: Natural's Not In It, Not Great Men, At Home He's a Tourist Rating: 3/5
Respectable.
So this album isn't bad for what it is (alternative with that garage band sound typical of the late 70s/early 80s) - but so far the majority of the albums on here have just been mostly this same sound, with token break through albums which are well recognised and famous.
Not something I would usually listen to but I definitely liked it. A a lot of it blended together for me.
It was a punk album. It was alright. The dial did not move much on it. It was relatively short at 37 minutes which was good.
Seminal album. Have been getting a lot of those!
God all around album. Ingen sange stood out tho
Good
This was pretty cool! Obviously draws inspiration from punk bands of the 70s but also incorporates some funk elements. Kinda like Talking Heads. I also hear a bit of early math rock in this. Interesting listen for sure.
I liked two songs: Damaged Goods and At Home He's a Tourist. The rest wasn't my cup of tea, but I bet Daddy loved it!
Ok
Of its time.
Enjoyed early punk rock.
Good punk
Good
Dear Generator, please stop sending me English Bands. They sound like a precursor to The Police or the Talking Heads or Oingo Boingo? I don't love it. I don't hate it. The song Contract is the most dynamic sound on this album.
There's a lot to like here. Dig the guitar and driving beats, but it was significantly lacking in melodies, creativity, and cleverness. There was a significant amount of redundancy.
3.5
I liked how the bass was in the mix, and the drums were interesting a lot of the time. Quality post-punk A bit less variety then other post punk albums I’ve heard, perhaps
This was a bit all over the place, with groovy sections transitioning into abrasive ones that didn't really feel natural. Solid ideas and decent execution, but it feels like they took it one step too far in a few cases
Не моя музыка. Альбом не зацепил :(
Just a tad too political, but maybe that's the point.
Average album
I can see how someone might hate this album.In parts it’s incredibly abrasive(the song contracts riff doesn’t even sound in tune) and not very good.But damaged goods is a great song and for most of the album it’s generic punk.
More punk. Although this didn't suck quite as badly as some of the other stuff.
Never heard of these guys before but I thought they had quite a good punkish sound. Might get a higher rating with subsequent listens. Highlights: Damaged Goods Natural's Not In It I Found That Essence Rare
Well, that cover is intense, isn’t it? Sums up their political stance pretty well! I do remember the Gang of Four vaguely but not too much. And where did they go? Apparently still touring with different iterations but they fell off my radar early. And I don’t know why because they tick a lot of personal likes boxes. I think the more I listen to this the better I will like it.
My first thought about this album is that it was not very dynamic. They have a similar tones as the clash and the strokes. I think they would be very good live.
I was immediately reminded of XTC's "White Music" and Simple Minds' "Real To Real Cacophony" when this came on, not necessarily because they sounded so similar — I only have vague recollections of those albums now — but there was something about the sound. All three of those albums were released within two years of each other, but somehow this was one I missed at the time. I appreciated the sound and vibe and demeanor of the band, though ultimately this didn't exactly speak to me. Took me back even though this was new to me.
Today’s listening hit the right way at the right time. Enjoyed but have nothing more to say.
I feel like lo-fi punk is at least an automatic 3 for me.
I actually liked most of it 3.7/5
Lots of catchy lil bits to enjoy
For an album that is only 40 minutes long, it felt pretty long. Still, a bit more enjoyable than I expected. I don't really like punk, so the punk influence isn't helping it for me. My favourite song was Damaged Goods.
first listen immensely boring
I was a Freshman in high school when this came out. It totally passed me by, as I am not familiar with it, at all. I'm liking it. Love the licks and the musicianship, itself. Quick songs...get to the point and get out. I will listen again.
Really cool, I like this
Maybe I just wasn’t in a punk mood yesterday.
not sure if this is my jam but i also don't mind it. like an upbeat thing.
This was fine, I did not get much out of it.
Early British punk album that is mildly amusing.
In principe hou ik hier wel van. Er zit alleen wel erg weinig variatie in de nummers.
Not bad, but not sure I could listen to it all day.
Did not listen to the record very thoroughly but skimmed through the songs. Overall decent album bit all over the place.
Un album écouté et usé jusqu'à la corde par Franz Ferdinan, Bloc Party... Plutôt cool, souvent un peu trop rapeux. Mais quand tout se met en place et qu'ils vont dans le même sens, ça cartonne, genre "Damaged goods" qui est excellent.
3.5
Hadn't heard of them. Now I have. That's a mostly good thing.
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah it’s a very decent record and has some consistent but solid sound throughout Favourite song: Track 1 - Ether
Interesting mix of post-punk and new wave elements. Lots of driving bass lines, not much singing, a lot of speaking rhythmically similar to talking heads.
pretty ok
Liked the album, especially Naturals Not in It and Damaged Goods
Surprised by how much I liked this. I'm usually not that into post punk stuff. Really good.
Ce Gang Of Four m'a rappelé dans une certaine mesure les Stephen Stills bien qu'ils n'aient pas un centième de la filouterie de ces derniers. Je suis d'ailleurs tombé récemment sur la biographie de Bonnie Brammlet, qui était serveuse au moment de l'incident du bar ayant impliqué Elvis Costello et Ray Charles. Sa version de cette altercation est assez différente de celle que je vous partageais en critique de This Year's Model, je vous la colle ci-dessous : « Le bar est animé, Elvis Costello est légèrement ivre, les gens discutent et boivent autour des tables. Je prends des commandes ELVIS : (d’une voix forte) “Ray Charles est tellement timide qu'il y a un décalage horaire entre ses deux fesses !” ROBERT : (amusé) “Ha ha, elle est bonne celle-là, Elvis.” Je me dirige vers le bar pour prendre une commande. Tout à coup, je remarque que Céline Dion est assise à quelques tables plus loin, écoutant la conversation. CELINE : (en parlant fort) “Avez-vous entendu ce qu'il vient de dire ? Elvis vient de faire une blague sur les fesses de Ray Charles !” Le bar devient soudain très calme, tout le monde se retourne pour regarder Ray Charles, roulé en boule dans un coin de la pièce. MOI : (criant) “Oh non, Ray est ici !” Soudain, le groupe Stephen Stills apparaît dans le bar. Ils mettent la pagaille. STEPHEN (LEADER) : “Allez, écoutez-moi ! Maintenant, c'est notre bar !” Je panique et cours vers Ray. MOI : (criant) “Ray, tu dois nous aider ! Ils vont tout détruire !” Ray roule rapidement vers les membres de Stephen Stills, qui se tiennent ensemble, se préparant à attaquer. STEPHEN (ANESTHESISTE) : “Laissez-moi m'en occuper !” MOI : (criant) “Vous ne toucherez pas à Ray !” Les Stephen Stills se dispersent en essayant de d'attaquer Ray Charles. Cependant, celui-ci est trop rapide pour eux et les frappe comme une boule de bowling. STEPHEN (TROMPETTISTE) : (criant) “Aïe !” STEPHEN (PERCUSSIONISTE) : (criant) “Arrêtez-le !” Ray continue de rouler et de frapper les membres du groupe, qui tombent tous au sol. MOI : (criant) “Vas-y, Ray, donne-leur une bonne leçon !” Les Stephen Stills battent en retraite. STEPHEN (LEADER) : “On ne reviendra jamais ici ! C'est nul !” Les clients se rassemblent autour de Ray Charles, qui commence à faire des acrobaties en boule. MOI : (chantant) “Ray, Ray, Ray !” CLIENTS : (chantant en ronde autour de Ray) “Ray, Ray, Ray !” RAY : (riant) “Je n'avais pas autant fait d'exercice depuis un moment !” »
Uma jóia.
I like this! I can’t believe it’s 44 years old. Sounds like a sort of proto-punk (not sure if that’s a term or not).
This sounds like an influential album, both on 80s post-punk groups and 00s indie bands. The playing is tight, the lyrics are sharp, and there's a sense of purpose about the whole thing. Despite all this I find it a bit hard to love. Might just be a bit samey, musically?
I owned this record at one point let it go because my ears were weren’t attuned to late 70s early 80s post punk new wave from the UK but now this list has inundated me with late 70s early 80s post punk new wave from the UK so I can confidently say I’d let this record go again. Nothing bad, some catchy things but im having a bit of fatigue
I really dig the beats, but a lot of it feels pretty generic Brit-punk/post-punk to me.
some cool punk-ish British music. I liked it alright.
It was fine
HL: "Not Great Men", "Damaged Goods", "5.45" 3.5 The caustic lyrics and catchy rhythms set this apart from otherwise similar post-punk bands I've listened to. January 4, 2023
Had what that clash album was missing
Nothing special but nothing terrible.
- entirely new to me. Never heard of Gang of Four - Ether has “skipping” quality than grates my nerves - I have essentially no opinion. It really blended into the background as I listened. It may have been progressive at the time it came out, (and I appreciate that it was influential on others) but it just sounds like classic punk rock to me
Pleasant listen, refreshing compared to some other stuff.
I found this album quite the Entertainment! It's all a bit eggs, chips and beans but then that's punk I guess or post punk as it happens
This was new. Not familiar with Gang of Four but i liked it.
Lacks coherence of thread as an album. Some excellent singles.
I was never a fan of Punk, but post punk is another story, especially when it’s done well with intelligent (and intelligible) lyrics, good musicianship, and great hooks. Damaged Goods has always been a favourite of mine and over 50 years later it still kicks ass. A lot of folks say that this sounds a lot like the Killers, LCD Soundsystem, Wire, etc but I think they’ve got it backwards, THEY all sound like the OGs of this genre, The Gang of Four.
I wanted to like this. I was excited to listen to it. This sounds like a combination of The Clash & The Cure and not as good as either. I can't quite put my finger on why this is disappointing but it is.
An album that, in the sea of post punk albums, sinks rather quickly and remains forgotten
Mycket go skate på ps2 feeling
tycker inte detta var så intressant
I was ok with this one, i have liked the other 70’s punk rock bands but this one was ok.
Cool overall sound that can be a little abrasive at times in a good way. Feels like some proto punk type of sound even though this was released in 1979 and probably just towards the end of proto punk. One thing I would have liked more was if they changed their sounds across the board across the album. It sounds like they recorded all of the vocals on the same day, in the same room, with the same energy level, etc etc. This is something I read once about Pearl Jam focusing on- like how they would intentionally change knobs / settings on guitar amps and move microphones even slightly just so that each song would get it's own kind of sonic placement within itself. I love the album cover and the words on it. Very interesting. Middle 3/5 for me.
Am into new wave, now called Post Punk but never like Gang of Four. Still 3 stars for the wonderful base play of Dave Allen, who later made the whole world happy with Shriekback
Didn’t listen
This is really good, and miles ahead of its time - if you don't listen too hard this could very easily be mid 2000s indie rock (a la Maximo Park, Franz Ferdinand etc.). Don't think there's a huge amount of filler in this either, punchy, gritty not quite punk music. Top end of a 3/5, really enjoyed.
Glad to have been made to listen, but I probably won’t revisit.
Post punk, ok
What happens when you can't play guitar? Well this apparently and most punk bands, so you can sound edgy and raw. I like this sound on a lot of emo albums.
The whole day is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. Still lacking something though
Kind of grew on me. Still not my favorite type of music
Fine proto punk
Well it was entertaining, that’s for sure
I hadn't heard of this band before. They sound similar to other early punk bands to me.
Solid album, can see the influence it had, though not quite as strong as some other post-punk albums
Nice album. It looks like an essential album for the post-punk movement, but it's a little bit annoying sometimes due to the repetitiveness. Not perfect, enjoyable, and historically significant, so it deserves a 4-stars rate.
It’s, it’s not terrible. And I liked a lot of it but man is it for a particular time and vibe that I’m just not into
Decent punk rock. I liked the lyrics and some of the grooves but personally I like punk to go a little harder and with more energy. Just a personally taste thing
Pretty good post punk/new wave album. Nothing stands out but I did like most of it.
I can see why it's significant even if it's not so much my thing!
Zelfs bij 41 graden in de file was dit nog goed te doen!
Liked it. Can't remember any of it.
This was very good, refreshing. 3 stars.
A few good tracks but a lot of it sounds too similar
Beaucoup de stock intéressant ici. C’est comme un Talking Head plus irrévérencieux et moins talentueux. Le guitariste ... ... J’imagine que c’est lui qui joue l’Harmonium sur « It’s her factory »... « At Home He’s a tourist » est tout de même un classique du New Wave. J’irai probablement écouter le reste de ce que le band a produit.
Very punkish kind of post-punk. Very enjoyable, the bass lines are very good. All the songs sounds alike, but I liked the album nonetheless.
Doesnt feel that original now, but at the time I guess they were pioneer of the punk genre. Great album, but all songs felt a bit the same. I liked it, but I'm still really attached to others bands in Punk/Post-Punk.
Very good post-punk album, but unfortunately, nothing particularly hooked me up and it won't fit into my genre classics.
Pretty solid easy listening
Gives me punk rock vibes and little bit of weezer. The guitar work is solid. Doesn’t really stick with me though. Maybe a couple more listens but I’ve started this album multiple times now and the second half kinda blends together besides love like anthrax. Fav tracks: ether, not great men Least fav: none
I was aware Gang of Four existed, but didn't know anything about them and had never listened to any of their stuff. Sounds like it was groundbreaking then - a little dated now. But I enjoyed listening to this - they have their own sound.
I've a couple of these, I've from a cover done by one of my favourite bands. Decent enough 3/5, maybe a 4.
Solid punk music.
Punky
ok. didnt rock my world
Nice sound and interesting enough but it’s too long