Reviews (page 6 of 8)
Fuck post punk
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.
a bit repetitive, songs are really long, idk if i'm in the mood Damaged goods is good. 2.5
Ist so mittel toll. Kann man anhören, würde ich wahrscheinlich weiterspringen, wenn es bei Spottity Radio käme. So bisschen Indi...
Punk rock essentials.
If not for the saturation of British post-punk on this list, this might have been a 5/5.
I’m honestly tired of the amount of British post-punk on this list - it’s excessive to say the least. But… You know… When it’s good, it’s bloody good.
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.
Did nothing.
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
A wonderful discovery
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.
Muy entretenido. Me gusto Damaged Goods.
Every track brilliant. Post punk mixed with politics
3.5/5
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.
It was okay
I got basically the same album yesterday - a British rock band from the 80s (roughly) that has some guitar and drums in the background and someone talking stuff over them. This is one step further, which is why I have rated it one star more, as it is overall slightly more decent, but still pretty meh.
Sparse yet exciting Striking noisy melodies Bass driven fun tracks
Looking for more of this in my life.
As advertised, it was indeed entertaining.
I kinda dig that very skilful interpretation but do not like the sound aesthetics.
This is pretty much by the numbers post punk with agit prop lyrics about IRA prisoners, situationist politics and violence on TV. At one point he genuinely sings “Love’ll get you like a case of Anthrax and that’s something I don’t wanna catch”. The high point is probably the song about drugs (where he has a choice between Asprin and Paracetamol).
The influence of the Gang and this album is undeniable, and well deserve. It's cold but fun in a twisted way. Some songs are so entertaining; I couldn't help but nod in rhythm while listening to the album.
Thanks to Henry Rollins, I've been listening to this band for ages and so am sure I've heard this entire album a song at a time at least a few times each. Nice to hear it in one go.
rules, absolutely rules. there are legends of guitar playing who have never done anything half as cool as the line on Ether. what else is there to say? music: I smile, I think music is my friend. (⌐■_■)
Easy some of the best guitar work so far, especially coming a day after 80 minutes of serif Clapton. Fantastic album, nothing bad to say.
Started out good but lost me half way through
I do love me some good post-punk. I don't think this is the best of the genre but I'm gonna give it the boost up because it is an essential piece of the puzzle. Post-punk drums will forever be one of my favorite things, and this delivers well on that so I'm happy!
Uno de mis álbumes favoritos de pink
Classic and all time great.
Never heard of them before. Felt like a cross between the Clash and Devo. If it were a person it would be Fred Armisen. It was pretty good.
Fun post punk listen, killer bass and guitar work
Enjoyed it. Second time listening to this one.
9/10
My third late seventies punk album in a row, so I might be over-saturated and unfairly rating this one. Still the first song had a unique sound and got me interested right away and I stayed there throughout the whole thing. Might have gone on a little too long, but again I might just be tired of listening to punk at this point. Overall, nice discovery.
The Clash vibes!
Ive always thought this was one of the greatest records ever made.
2/5
Classic, although I only came to listen to this album in the past several years. If you want a history of post-punk, read Rip it Up and Start Again!!! But these guys, not only influential but I enjoy listening to this album. The obvious, Damaged Goods, is my favorite.
Influential and still a good listen.
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.
Sharp, tight, edgy, fresh, absolutely outstanding. It is clear why this is one of Rolling Stone's top punk albums of all time
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.
Terrible.
I thought I was going to hate this initially, but ended up finding it okay. Don't think I'd listen to it again though. Just misses out on 3*
Muy bueno.
Meh. England sucks
Ok - nothing stood out
Devo-ish
Generic British rock album #2489
This was a gem - had heard of the band but never given them a try. Seriously good - bass playing dominates, guitar is stabbing everywhere. Love like Anthrax is a great closer. Nothing lazy about this - always something to listen out for.
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.
This was great. I hadn't heard of this before. I liked this late 70's punk/post-punk stuff that doesn't sound too much like the Clash or Sex Pistols. Wonder why these guys didn't make it bigger?
Está ok.
I'll be listening again!!
Gang of Four is one of the most successful and influential punk bands to come out of the 70s punk scene in England. Their raw sound combines brash guitar solos, precise base lines, and intricate drum rhythms to create an energetic, driven sound. Jon King's vocals riff on Marxist theory and societal problems, adding a social relevance to their work, and ensuring their influence among anyone listening. Entertainment! is the first album from the band, and established their sound as a central figure in punk music.
Some catchy songs
Never heard of them, pretty good. Can see the influence on other bands.
I thought this was just going to be your average English new wave band. It's so much more: Politically charged lyrics, impressive musical chops and musicality and interesting. Recommended.
One of those missing link albums! Nice sparse very tight new wave instrumentation and vocal delivery . Demands attention, you can't really read a book whilst listening. Razor sharp angular rhythm guitar stabs , very clever
Absolutely solid.
Great political punk
Punchy!
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
One of the top post punk albums
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.
Unique sound only until it repeats 12 times in a row.
I wouldn't hesitate to call this a surrealist post-punk record. It feels like dancing while everything around you crumbles. The stems that make up these songs are skeletal and the album is less concerned with filling up the sonic space and more concerned with building rudimentary grooves that sound almost like repetitive sound bites layered on top of one another. To say it's danceable would be an understatement, I mean just listen to that bassline and distorted strumming on "Damaged Goods". Rarely do I hear basslines so clear to the point where it's practically driving the melody. "Natural's Not It" works just as well. While the instrumentals' simplistic, discernable, and punchy characteristics are the ingredients to this album's addictiveness, the vocals themselves work just as well to that effect. The melodies are stripped back, repetitive, and very basic but because the instrumentals leave a lot of room, the vocals are never drowned out and work in conjunction with the instrumentals in an undeniably visceral way. Both vocalists Jon King and Andy Gill (on "Natural's Not It") are very talented in this way and their subtle sarcasm contributes heavily to this album's overall theme (Given the already sarcastic title). Certain songs here contain almost annoyingly catchy choruses like "Return the Gift", "I Found That Essence Rare" and "Glass". I say annoyingly because I tend to get them stuck in my head, not to knock them in any way. There's almost a nursery rhyme-esque charm to some of these choruses, which when paired up against the distortion on a song like "Return the Gift", works wonders. I love the way the instrumental builds at the end of this song too, it's one of the most fiery moments on this record. Synths pop in every once in a while like on the track "5.45" which is effective in establishing that song's ominous mood given the subject matter. Now the Gang of Four is relentlessly political on this album. Taking their name from a CCP faction, it's quite clear what their leanings are; leftist and Marxist. Now I've never been good at writing about politics or dissecting political art in particularly creative ways, but I'll still give it a shot. "Natural's Not It" deals particularly with consumerism culture and has probably my favorite lyrics overall. "Damaged Goods" describes a relationship and the protagonists' shallow engagement with the other party, often interpreted as a critique of capitalism. "I Found That Essence Rare" describes the shallow and almost naive nature of the media's portrayal of life; criticizing their obsession with blissful ignorance. "Glass" to me just seems like a description of a monochromatic life under capitalism, filled with headaches, cigarettes, and a perpetual longing for meaning. The matter of unrealistic sex expectations also crops up in the song "Contract". The song "5.45" might be the most direct track here. Gill doesn't bother sugarcoating the media's desire to resell death, violence, and division as entertainment, nicely tying back to the title of the album. It raises an interesting question about what this album itself is trying to achieve, given the title "Entertainment!". The song's sentiment has unfortunately aged very well, as did most of the sentiments on this album. I ramble and ramble like I know what I'm talking about at all. One thing I do know is that this album rules. It's damn near flawless. I mentioned it was surrealist and I still stand by that. It depicts all aspects of life under capitalism as unfulfilling, empty, and shallow over these catchy-as-all-hell songs. It's this incredible combination of two very different moods and sounds that makes this album so unique.
Happy to have discovered them. This is a fun sound.
A late friend of mine was super into the Gang of Four. Talked about how awesome they were anytime you asked them about music. Is it better than most 70's punk, musically? Sure. Is it whiny? Absolutely. And there's only so much whiny I can take. Unexpected banger: Return the Gift, I guess.
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.
1979 Genre: Post-punk, dance-punk, art punk Really great. Didn't know anything about this album before now. Standouts: Damaged Goods, Ether, Natural's Not in it, Not Great Man, Return the Gift, At Home He's a Tourist, 5.45, Anthrax 4.25
Några trevliga spår. Damaged goods är en femma. Albumet håller inte mitt intresse rakt igenom.
p440. 1979. 1 star. Unpleasant proto Franz Ferdinand, but without the talent or tunes. Not much to like here.
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.
Liked this a lot better than I thought. Every song pretty much sounds the same but it’s good. Great bass and guitar. Last song is bleh.
Catchy, the second half was disappointing but the first half was so enjoyable it gets a 4 from me.
4 / 10 Punk rock, sonido poco elaborado.
Love this album
Enjoyed it. Like early Jam
Alright
Liked the punk vibe and the few songs I was familiar with. But it got long and boring.
“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.” That text is the first thing I saw on the cover before I even started listening to this. And what a way to get introduced to an album. I never realized how amazing it feels to listen to genuinely good music after not doing so for a while. In the words of Gordon Ramsey, “Finally, some good fucking food”. I love how unabashedly weird dance-punk tends to sound. This album is fun, but also weirdly professional, and definitely intense. And this is probably one of the best places to start as an introduction to the genre. Because other artists I love who have pushed the genre forward and modernized it, like LCD Soundsystem, clearly take inspiration from Gang of Four. The way the bass and guitars are intertwined with each other, and play over each other like a bundle of tangled up wires makes for a listening experience that is never boring, even if the album is slightly one note. But like I said, this is intense, but it balances that out really nicely by having a sense of lightheartedness. If you combined all of the best parts of Television and Talking Heads, you would get this album. The most directly intense song is the closing track, and it is both the best and worst song on the album. It starts off with this masterful distortion, and I really saw potential for a drop into a cool song, but it fizzled out quickly into mostly just talking with some bass and a repetitive drum beat. Not the best way to end the album, but overall this is a really well executed record that helped push the post-punk genre into an even stronger place. I stand by the fact that 1979 was a killer year for music. Rating: 8/10
Rating: 8/10 Great album overall. Really enjoyed the experimentation throughout the album while having a punk rock foundation. There were a lot of catchy riffs and melodies throughout, the guitar and bass riffs were a highlight in particular. The production was also great, really stands out amongst the other punk rock groups at the time. I did not always like the ideas that the band implemented but this album is unique enough that it is still great to listen to from start to finish. Favorite songs: Ether, Natural's Not In It, Not Great Men, Damaged Goods, I Found The Essence Rare, Glass, 5.45. Worst song: Guns Before Butter.
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.
was alright nothing special compared to many other albums in the genre to this time of music
Extension of Television?
It’s certainly angular
I agree with Collin
“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
It's just a really great post punk album. Not five stars because the highs are just so much higher than the forgettable songs, but there aren't a lot of forgettable songs on here.
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.
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Return the gift, Outside the trains don’t run on time, It’s her factory, Damaged goods
post-punk. está bien.
Exceeded my expectations as a post-punk album.
Skills
Thought this was good. Like post punk but hadn't heard of this band. A bit like The Stranglers and Joy Division in parts which isn't really surprising. Pretty good overall.
Before listening to the album Entertainment, I couldn't have told you what kind of music Gang of Four plays. As I listened I the backing music and arrangements reminded of Devo and mid-career Talking Heads, and some of the vocals reminded me of Madness or The Squeeze. I'm not a regular listener of punk. Around the middle of the album my ears were getting tired of the discordant sounds. "Guns Before Butter" was my least favorite track. But by the end of the album Gang of Four had grabbed my attention again. The album finished strong. "Natural's Not in It", "Not Great Men", and "At Home He's a Tourist" were the tracks I rated the highest. I might not do it often, but I could listen to the album again.
I need to be in a certain mood for this, but when I am, I really like it. Damaged Goods, especially. Return the Gift got too repetitive. I don't love how the vocal approach is so similar to other bands in the genre. LOVE the bass guitar. Drums are great, too. Can't listen to this on loop all day, like I do with most albums.
Great punky sound, without being just power chords, with a velvety ice pick guitar tone.
This was just really noisy to listen to and I didn't like it.
I can see how this influences future bands.
5. This album is amazing. It's as if Talking Heads and The Sex Pistols had a cross over. This album was so ahead of its time and influenced so many artists. Highlights were Damaged Goods, I Found That Rare Essence, and Love Like Anthrax being a great album closer
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
Meh. Not so much.
It was ok. Punk and Post punk are not really my things. 3
After the album finished a Fugazi song came on and that one song was better than this whole album. That isn't to say Fugazi is bad, but rather how this album sucks.
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”.
Yeah, that's a no from me.
Dude, I couldn't get into this. Thumbzers downzers.
Blast from my past.
Cool early punk album.
Jagged, angular. D Boon must have been a fan! Really good although won't be a regular listen.
i dig this, reminds me of a band i used to listen to as a teen, Maximo Park - they were definitely inspired by this album
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
I actually want to give this a 2.5
No
Nope.
KÆMPE banger! no notes!!
Suuuper fed, virkelig funky men også virkelig punket
Godt punket! Fed lyd 👌
It was alright. I thought I would enjoy post punk more. There were random instances of harsh, discordant sounds throughout the album that took me out of the moment.
I liked this, bit like the strokes
Great punky rock, or rocky punk.
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 stuff! I grew up then and never remember hearing this.
Best Song: Not Great Men. It's got a decent groove and the guitar sounds like it probably influenced the genre. Worst Song: Guns Before Butter. In an album of amateur-sounding tracks, this sounded the most amateur. Overall: Maybe they inspired other people to make better stuff than this, but there's absolutely no reason to listen to this album unless you have nostalgia for it.
boring and uncreative. the vocalists voice is weak and simplistic, +his rhymes are whack, guitarist learned how to do one thing and does it on every song throughout the entire song - extremely one-dimensional. bass and drums - well they exist i suppose. it was evident that it is a debut album. its just the same song sung 12 different ways. I guess the lyrics arent THAT bad. its punk, so its politically charged, but when everything else in the song is mediocre, its kind of hard to try to decipher the message Significant 30/94 Liked 14/94 Added 4/94 NNN I wasnt entertained.
Album: Entertainment! Artist: Gang of Four Year: 1979 Genre: Post Punk Number in list: 441 Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really decent listen. I don’t usually listen to punk or post punk but this one was a fun listen. Really upbeat, had me having a bit of a boogie in the middle of a supermarket aisle! Fave song: I Found that Essence Rare Would I listen again? Absolutely
Just ok
1. ether - 1 2. naturalz - 1 3. not great men - 1 4. damaged goodz - 1 5. return the gift - 1 6. gunz before butter - 1.5 7. i found - 1 8. glazz - 1.5 9. contract - 1 10. at home - 1.5 11. 5.45 - 1.5 12. love like anthraz - 1 13. outzide - 1 14. zend the army - 0 15. her factory - 1.5
Good Made music but not my style
Tuntuu kuin olisin kuullut tämänlaisen levyn jo vaikka kuinka monta kertaa mutta tämä on kyllä hyvää. Parhaat: Not Great Men, I Found the Essence Rare. New wave punkkia
Decent.
4.0
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
Post punk revolutionaries with lots of funk and dub too.
I like the choppy guitar sound, solid album
Wasn't expecting much but got a fantastically groovy post-punk record with solid lyrics. Surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Favorite tracks: "Natural's Not In It", "Damaged Goods", "Glass"
Lot of noise but not enjoying it very much. First time intentionally listening to post-punk, but not a big fan so far. I'm sure he's saying things but it all sounds kinda like nonsense. Favorite Track: I Found That Essence Rare
My apologies. I was not familiar with your game.
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
Outstanding, well recorded album. I'd never heard of them until about a year ago surprisingly. Elements of so many styles and done in a more polished way than expected for the time period and genre.
Nothing to fault here, loved the vocals, the lyrics, the angular guitar, the bass. I think this would only improve given repeat listens. Although Damaged Goods stood out, I think that's more a case of it simply being slightly more accessible than the rest of the album.
So much British punk on this list. This was fine. Nothing groundbreaking and none of the songs really stood out to me. Probably won't listen to it again.
Would I listen to this album again? Probably. First time hearing the full album? Yes. Were there any songs I skipped? No. Comments? I really enjoyed this album. Favourite Songs? At Home He's A Tourist. (It is very hard to choose though)
‘Lovely stuff! Not my words, the words of Shakin’ Stevens’ 3.8 Great guitars and amazing bass lines!
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
Jú, mjög töff. Mikið getur þetta óræða heiti "post-punk" falið í sér misgott stöff. Hér eru hvassir gítarar í aðalhlutverki, svolítið á undan sinni samtíð, rytminn fjölbreyttur og fer næstum útí fönk, og bassinn melódískur á köflum. Góð læti, gott stöff.
So very ahead of its time. Sharp guitar sound. Bass is very forward. Lyrically punk.
Meh
Strong 4
Kinda loved this. Giving it four stars, but I suspect repeat listens may bump it up to a 4.5 or 5.
I first heard this band thanks to Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette, and I'm embarrassed to say I thought Natural's Not In It was a DEVO song...ugh, I was so wrong. BUT I got to see Gang of Four live and was blown away. The show was performance art complete with smashing a microwave on stage. I later learned they've been doing this for ages, so I was glad to have witnessed it myself. I missed out on this band while young, but quickly listened to this album in May after I came back from Cruel World. It's excellent high energy post punk. 4.5 stars.
This was alright. Sounds a lot like a lot of the music I like from that era.
I didn't hate it, but by the time the last few tracks were playing I was ready for this to be over. A little too dissonant for my taste.
idgaf
Garage band sounding
Very, very monotonous lyrics which amused our family. The music itself was good and sounds modern for 1979. Maybe this is an acquired taste? The songs had things to say but I struggled to listen to them. Listens: 2 Fave Track: I didn’t have one. Rating: 2, can’t get past the shouted lyrics
I don’t like post-punk. I’ve tried to listen to this album multiple times over the years and never got what people like about it. Tried again and still don’t. So harsh and discordant. Not my kind of thing I guess.
Enjoyable! A little repetitive but I enjoyed the subtlety. Kind of surprised this music is not more prevalent within pop culture considering how many bands were clearly listening to them.
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
I came here ready to show up for my genres and I just couldn't. There wasn't a little catchy sparkle in there.
Super solid
Zanimljiva stvar. Ne predug.
The moment that Punk became Post-Punk is somewhere in here - maybe (somehow) in every song! One of the (many) albums of the list which is interesting *and* important, while also being more fun than a hard-left political polemic playlist has any right to be! I really enjoyed and appreciated this, and have added their next few albums to my "after the list" list.
Pretty good - Devo, B-52s ish
A post punk masterpiece!
Nr. 27/1001 Ether 2/5 Natural's Not In It 3/5 Not Great Men 2/5 Damaged Goods 2/5 Return the Gift 2/5 Guns Before Butter 2/5 I Found That Essance Rare 3/5 Glass 2/5 Contract 2/5 At Home He's A Tourist 2/5 5.45 2/5 Love Like Anthrax 1/5 Average: 2,08
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
4.5
Ashley liked it. I found some songs a little chaotic, but liked it overall.
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.
Ok, solid music.
Not something I would usually listen to but I definitely liked it. A a lot of it blended together for me.
This heaven gives me a mee-graine I threw this album on in the early morning, and it nearly gave me a mee-graine as well. Upon continued listening, I decided that I was either just not in the mood at the beginning of the album, or that it had a weak first half. I'm a huge fan of the cure, and "Object" would fit perfectly into this album, or certain songs of this album could fit into "Three imaginary boys," so I feel as if I have to reflect my love of the cure by giving this album a good rating. I really enjoyed the guitar throughout the album, and the musical ideas expressed by the guitar. I absolutely despised the vocals at first, until around T4- Return the gift, which I particularly enjoyed. Another stand-out track was T6 - I found that essence rare (playlist track). I'm bouncing between giving this album 3 or 4 stars. I think it's getting 3 stars, and I'm gonna go listen to the cure now to make sure that my musical taste hasn't changed. 3/5 EDITED TO 4/5
Genuinely: eh. Talk singing, buncha strumming, simple drumbeats, sounded like the Clash but without any of their catchy singles. It's not bad music, it's just there. A 2.5.
good for a punk rock album
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.
Not for me
Overall a fun experience. Took a moment to get into it but after 2/3 songs I really started enjoying the rest.
Seminal album. Have been getting a lot of those!
Didn't know this band but can tell they influenced some of my favorites today.
God all around album. Ingen sange stood out tho
Didn't like it
Sounds a bit dated now.
sick. ill definitely revisit this. sick bass and drum movements. layering of off-time vocals worked really well. Guerrilla war struggle is a new entertainment
Good
Jagged, quirky and fun. 3.5 rated up to 4.
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.
What a shame to follow up such a surprisingly good album with a bland, boring punk album. This sounds just like all the other ones and unsurprisingly also has a bunch of political commentary in the lyrics. It has just enough funk to avoid a 1 but it chose a really bad time to be generated on this list.
Gang of Four stars!
Sharp, spiky, era defining.
Great great music, gritty vocals and banginig tunes
I would describe the style as punk in a stylish new-wavey vessel. It sounds less angry and more dark and contemplative. The guitar style is also interesting. I will probably listen to it again to catch more of the lyrics.
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!
I enjoyed this slice of post punk. I like the guitar tone - very trebly. Most enjoyable songs are "Damaged Goods" and "I Found That Essence Rare".
errrr. i didn't like this. it's just not attractive, honestly, like the vocals aren't great and the guitar and the drums are kinda flat...
Ok
Now we are talking. Prominent and urgent bass, spiky, scratchy guitar, great lyrics, enjoy the backing vocals too. Very confused by the reviews that couldn't hear the politics. Look this is just the perfect post punk album, it is the yardstick. 1/4 manc too. RIP Andy Gill, taken too soon by COVID.
Of its time.
This sounds like an album from the early 90's, late 80's at the latest. Amazing this angular sound originates in the 70's. Love the alt rock vibe.
Whoa, super cool new find. How’d I miss this before!?
I think this album pretty flawlessly deals with not blunt but still quite indicative political lyrics, as well as having fun melodies and great guitar playing. 5/5
Punk you can dance to. A favorite of mine. “Damaged Goods” is a standout.
Didn’t really do much for me
Forglemmelig punk
Enjoyed early punk rock.
Great bass, great melody but overall not a single song caught my attention as a highlight. Solid album but not for me.
Most of this album sounded like fairly generic punk, but the tail end wasn't too bad all things considered. Just not really my cup of tea.
Funk som inte är funk när den är som bäst.
This list has exhausted my taste for British punk and post-punk quite a bit but this a cut above - tighter music, better lyrics, and if that British bloke-yawping vocals thing is still in force, it's less intrusive and tempered by a bit of almost-harmony.
Good punk
-Didn’t write a BL- AL: Very familiar with Gang of Four & Andy Gill’s work. Never listened to the album the whole way through but I’m glad I did. Very solid writing and unique sound cutting through. FT: “Ether”, “Damaged Goods”, “Guns Before Butter”, “Contract” 4/5
Often imitated, never duplicated.
Love this punk album. Not too punky and not barely punk, just the right combination.
Good
Clearly defined voice, drums, guitar and bass leaves all this space. It works so well that when they change it up (the climax of Damaged Goods is a classic example) it has so much power.
Jittery, but n
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.
This might be my favourite post-punk album so far. I actually had to look up the definition of "angular" in this context because other reviews mentioned it a lot, and yeah that describes this well. It's energetic, it's aggressive, it's unsettling, it's angsty, it's anti-establishment. It's everything post-punk usually is, but it differs from that by being funky, rhythmic and danceable. I wasn't very familiar with the term "dance-punk", but looking it up I realised I've heard a lot of it already, or at least some of the more contemporary stuff from its revival in the 00s and 10s. I totally understand and get how this fits in to that, and frankly if this album dropped today it'd fit right into the current punk scene. This was a great album and I'm sure I'll revisit it. Favourite: Damaged Goods
I don't feel entertained
i long for the day UK punk rock is off the list of remaining albums
Zamn!!! De va nice album!
Call me basic but this is just top-shelf post-punk. All the musicians are great in their own ways and the songs they play are catchy, groovy, well thought-out and well-written. Maybe Bob is going to lay off the post-punk for a bit because it wouldn’t compare well.
Beast! Inte ett särskilt glädejefullt album så idk hu mycke ja kommer lyssna igen men de e xoolt o hard
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.
Probably forgot that I listened to it in about a week.
Would have loved a lot more when I was younger.
3.5
Post-punk perfection
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.
25th May 2023 Listened during the day while working from home. Busy work day with hypnobirthing in the evening. I liked this, indie punk in its purest form. Interesting they were seen as so influential, especially to people like Frank ocean.
Very bland new wave
Bland, didn’t do anything for me
I originally discovered this album about a year after graduating high school, freshly 19, and it really opened a lot of doors musically for me. There wasn’t a lot of music from this genre I was familiar with, being still relatively new to punk music, and it’s hard for me to separate it from that time period. I haven’t listened to this album in full for at least 10 or so years, so this was a fun trip down memory lane for me. At the time, I don’t think I was listening to much that felt this sexy, this cool, this dangerous, and I loved it. I still kinda love it, it turns out. Songs like Damaged Goods still get me amped, and Andy Gill’s guitar tones still cuts through like an alarm call that refuses to be ignored. It’s an album that feels very angsty, and youthful, and while I’m much older now, it’s power still holds that energy over me. Incredible debut, and a must listen for punk and post-punk fans alike.
Якоо, слушай пак!
It's a perfect amount of dissonant to make me want to hate it but ultimately needs to be loved. The timeless of Post Punk is something else.
Punk with a dance beat, or funk with a jangly guitar and British accent… I’m going to call it pfunk. Not to be confused with P-Funk. But pretty fun stuff and worth another listen.
Crazy record, with dub, funk, rock and pop influences heard on here. Its stuffed within an inch of bursting, but I love for that. A great record.
Grungy alt rock
Rrrah
Average album
Very much enjoyed this one of the few punk/post punk things I've heard that feels influenced by Joy Division, will spend more time with this in the future.
Gang of Four drag post punk into the future and in the process create something almost timeless. Brash and cynical.
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.
Nothing too exciting.
More punk. Although this didn't suck quite as badly as some of the other stuff.
Leuk album, lekker energiek, ik denk wel dat hij snel gaat vervelen na meerdere keren, maar dat zien we wel.
I drove down to Leeds about 10 years ago to see Gang of Four, and they’d replaced that many members that I think I was in line next. I’m certain I was older than the new singer. Along with XTC, Gang of Four are one of them bands that always get compared with bands I love, or have had an influence in. This record is a belter, so much more interesting and unique than other punkier bands of the time. Love anything that is a bit off beat / jangular. I guess these pretty much defined the term ‘post punk’, which is fine by me.
Unbelievably influential, so many angular indie bands owe so much to gang of four. Loads of my favourite bands take cues from them and the Futureheads lean on them heavily so Sunluns finest have a lot to thank them for! The album itself was great, stands up well against all of its 00s indie offspring. Only listened to bits and pieces before this but will delve deeper.
The album flew by. A 3.5 for me. On repeated listens, maybe towards a 4, but I've given more for less. At Home He's a Tourist probably my favourite.
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
Wasn't sure at the start but by the end really enjoyed it Reminded me of the clash. I recognised at home he's a tourist and damaged goods
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.
Everything the Grateful Dead is not: Killer musicians, each one absolutely crushing it on their own instrument. Fire. Passion. Wit. I thought about dinging it a star because it gets a bit samey in the middle, but then "Contract" came on and it floored me, and the quality just stayed at that same level of brilliance til the end. I don't know why this fell out of rotation for me shortly after college. But don't worry, it's back in.
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.
Solid 70's punk.
Это довольно таки специфичная музыка, и она многим может не понравится, но если вдруг зайдёт, то откроешь для себя целый мир музыки в виде этого альбома. Возможно лучший дэнс-панк.
Ehhh I dunno I barely even noticed the music was playing. Not very ear catching and felt kinda basic
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.
Great danceable punk album. If you had to pick one main influence for LCD Soundsystem and the DFA label, this would be a strong candidate.
Tough and knotty and also seething and sizzling. Playing is tight and arrangements are lean, which one mostly digs, and most licks blaze with a purity, with relentless energey from the backbeat and the sound is pristinely clear. See vamping riffs of "Not Great Men" for highlight. Unrelentingly edgy but also well crafted – see "I Found That Essence." Does adding funk to punk make it post-punk? Certainly it's artier and more politically engaged (apparently) than most of those other genres, but it's more spiky than groovy. Downside is that it can feel a bit one-note, for all its future influence, and there's a pretty severe lack of flow.
I can't fully express how much I love this album.
Great record from my birth year!
Very IDLESy—5
It was ok, couldn’t pick a standout song though.
This album sent me down a rabbit hole of how the British pronounce "migraine." Consensus seems to be that the pronunciation featured here ("mee-grain") is more prevalent among the posh. Interesting. Best track: I Found That Essence Rare
Some interesting sounds but not much grabbed my attention
Kind of meh. Not something I’d revisit