Idlewild

The most generic, smack dab average album I've ever heard. The absolute definition of a 3. I thought about giving it a 2 for lacking originality but I didn't hate it. I was just apathetic.

Inoffensive. I must say, there is something about this album having a place in the mid/late 80s music scene that quite pleases me.

Lovely voice & good for mellow work music but not something I'd actively listen to.

Je pense que l’album était en loop pendant que je jouais à Arena, je m’en suis rendu compte à la troisième boucle. Ya rien de vraiment spécial sur cette album, mais la musique était vraiment douce et se mêlait super bien à l’arrière plan du jeu. Je sais pas si c’est un compliment tout ça, dans le doute je donne un 3 et puis basta

Liked this more than I expected to

Chill but not amazing. Better than bad.

It is not a bad album by any means. It has its charm -coming mainly from the warmth in the voice. However, I am trying to think why this is on the list. If this album was not released, would we have a different state of the music? What is its impact? I see some influence in the ecto or tangentially in trip hop. But, cannot think about anything else...

Enjoyed the softer late 80's sound style

A surprising album. Similar to a lot from the same era, but a nice take on a lost genre.

Tracks are all essentially some solemn 'oh no he/she is gone I miss them' type love/melancholy tune. Some interesting accompanying rhythms throughout, especially in the second half of the album.

Not terrible, but definitively background music.

I was expecting much worse based on these reviews. This is pretty ordinary pop from the late 80’s. Not my thing but well done

Good

good

meh, åttitalls I guess, gadd ikke høre så mye.

fun

This was a perfectly lovely listen, if a bit milquetoast. I generally enjoy EBTG, who have several very good albums in their 80s "sophisti-pop" incarnation. But this is one of the less interesting ones. "Apron Strings" and the cover of "I Don't Want to Talk About It" are both excellent, standout tracks while the rest of the album is fairly unmemorable. Fave Songs: I Don't Want to Talk About It, Apron Strings, Shadow on a Harvest Moon, Goodbye Sunday, Oxford Street

Kann man nebenbei hören

mellow pop, classical female vocals. not too bad

Peaceful album, nice listen but not my taste in music

Wasn't feeling this at first, but the vocal harmonies really got to me around Oxford Street. Production feels a bit dated. Would have written this off if it weren't on the list.

This was a very poignant and soulful album with some heart rending lyrics. I don't know how often I'd be in the mood to listen to this type of emotional music, but it was a good album.

🩷

Interesting mix of genres. With a side of a great vocal and a drop of classy saxophone. 3.5/5.

nice background music

At best background music, at worst boring. Not sure why this is a must listen, must be hundreds of albums like this.

3.3/5 Best Track: I Don't Want to Talk About It

This was an OK listen as was the other EBTG album that came up for me earlier but I don't see that there needed to be more than one of their albums on this list. I like the lead singer's voice, it's calming.

Etwas arg gleichmäßig

Angehm im Hintergrund zu hören. Mehr auch nicht.

I never heard of this before, and I liked it.

Super mid, not terrible but not sure why it made the list 5/10

This album didn't thrill me. There must be a reason it's top 1000, but I didn't hear it.

Nice to be high to

Enjoyed the two listens. Second album from the group on this list, and I enjoyed it overall. It sounds very much like 80's pop. Great singing, but not something I would listen to regularly. 3/5!

I am a fan of EBTG, but they were doing much more interesting stuff in the 90s. This is *fine*, but never really grabbed me

Nice long visit to the hairdresser. I like Tracy Thorn's voice but it does wear a bit thin when there's so little diversity here.

3.5/5

I was very surprised listening to this album.. I was not ready for something like this, but I loved it. I could see myself slow dancing to this with my girlfriend, or a soundtrack to a nice evening out, or even on vinyl while I'm cleaning or cooking on a rainy sunday afternoon. It almost gave me cranberries vibes and I think thats why I liked it so much. My favorite songs 'Oxford Street' and 'I Was Always Your Girl'. I'm sure it was around the same time Dolores was coming up. Anyways, big fan of this album. Overall: 3.6/5

3.75

A little slow and romantic for my liking recently. Definitely good songs but average for me right now just because I’m not looking for this typa music

Meh 3/5

A scan of the reviews says that a lot of folks hate this one. EBTG's take on the genre hasn't aged well and the music isn't memorable, at least not in a positive way, but the vocals are something special. Tracey Thorn's voice is excellent. The opening tune, I Don't Want To Talk About It, I knew as a Rod Stewart tune back in the day. Tracey nails it wonderfully. I also think her vocals on Paul Weller's The Paris Match, released a few years before this, was amazing. It's perhaps telling that my two favourite songs she sings are written by others. I prefer their songs like missing as well as the other album on the 1001 although I rated that one lower for some reason. 

This is a fairly innocuous album. I was surprised to find out that the opening cover “I don’t want to talk about it”, was originally done by Crazy Horse. From a song-writing perspective the other tracks can’t match the starter, and it wasn’t even on the original UK release. Maybe this LP is here for historical reasons, it influenced the down-tempo artists of the 90s? I’m a fan of Tracy Thorn and of Everything but the Girl’s earlier material, so I won’t go below a 3.

Felt like a blur of softcore lounge music. Not great, not terrible. Probably won't listen again

cheesy 80s. I can only wonder how it sounded when it was released. was it really something new and cool? "every Monday is goodbye Sunday" -- thanks, very deep. but not gonna lie, towards the end I started enjoying it more. Tears All Over Town is when I was head nodding along This album also made me think... Sometimes the most important insights are in the places we are most uncomfortable to look at. This energy is really uncomfortable for me, but why? Is it because they are unapologetically cheesy, emotional, "not cool", and sensual?

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: The night I heard Caruso sing

Pleasant but very same-y throughout.

Fine background stuff, better love songs than all 69 of the other love song album

Pretty chill, decent as background music. Didn't feel like anything too special.

Fine but not my style

Apron Strings its strong and confusing closer, Idlewild delivers croon and croon and that's about it. Every track is well-rounded and the effort comes of well; It's just interesting to note Thorn's voice so complete already with only a hint of instrumentals to come backing it. An absolutely lovely companion listen, you can convince yourself it's cheekier in fact but only as long as it spins.

Easy listening uplifting 80s

Standouts: The Night I Heard Caruso Sing, I Don't Wanna Talk About It, Shadow on a Harvest Moon, Apron Strings. Some of the songs are just "too 80s" sounding and it really hurts to hear it now. 3/5

Idlewild is a collection of some very nice tracks. Too bad they are all the same.

Best song - Blue Moon Rose

Pop ñoño. Ni fu ni fa.

It took me a few songs to get into this album. The lead singer's Cher-like voice and the very 80's-pop tracking felt almost like an imitation of the times for a while. But I think it started to almost click for me close to halfway through the album, maybe due to some nostalgic soft-rock-esque saxophone. It's not great and it's VERY 80's, but I wouldn't hesitate to listen to if it came on in the background. Highlight: Goodbye Sunday Lowlight: These Early Days Surprise Hit: Apron Strings

Love her voice and some songs hit but most fall short.

The lyrics are echoes of The Smiths who had a way of expressing quotidian British maudlinism. The sophistipop backing tracks would have chased me off but I almost appreciate how carefully they are crafted. I listened through the album almost twice and the tunes started to blend together to form what sounds like an hour long ending credits song for an ITV-produced family drama series from 1988 taking place in a town with a name like Grimsby or Sowerby Bridge. I can't find much to love or hate here. Three stars, I guess.

Gentle and pretty storytelling pop. Sparse arrangements with percussion played by a drum machine. No choruses or memorable hooks. Verges on easy listening, but a nice and pleasing album nonetheless. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Love Is Here Where I Live Date listened: 16/10/23

Accidentally listened to deluxe version. Definitely an album that has influenced lots of others. Nothing really stood out as something I'd want to listen to again.

Indy singer songwriter music isn’t my thing, but at least this group can sing and made original contributions to the genre.

Why this Everything But the Girl album?! It's my least favorite and I think the least interesting. I still love the vocals, but the instrumentation and production are pretty terrible (and this from someone who actually likes some synthy muzak sounds) and the songs lackluster. SIGH! For all of those who hear this and can't understand why, please check out their later music. 3/5

this one was a bit middle of the road for me. the production was clean and nice sounding, but overall i felt like the album just doesn't fit my vibe. i found it a bit dull. sort of reminded me of sitting in the waiting room of a therapist's office. not bad but definitely felt like background music to me. ultimately, it's not something i hated, but definitely something i would not ever seek out on my own.

It’s alright.Nice vocals but not particularly memorable.

Didn't expect I'll like this, but I found it an easy listen, it's poppy and fresh sounding. The music is a bit dated (so 80's!) and generally I'm not a fan of drum machines and synth, so it's probably not something I'll listen to often, but it was pleasant and an enjoyable background music.

sweet opening intro guitars. alanis-esque deep vocals.

I enjoyed this trip back to an 80s wine bar but I got a little bored towards the end and reckoned I could leave early and get back home the catch The Word on TV.

I liked the relaxed folk vibe, but no song stood out for me; it all blended into mushy nothing.

There’s some real charming stuff on here. Tracey Thorn’s voice is great. The 80s production takes away from it a bit

Nice voice - but a bit too smooth for me

Fine

Tracy Thorn has an amazing voice. The album is OK.

It was gentle and very pretty sounding! I think the length was good, honestly no complaints. However I felt like something was missing- this had potential to be really interesting but it just wasn’t. Her voice was good, maybe it was the music?

Light, very melodic, nice, and just a bit too-80s-jazzy-pop a lot of times. This is exactly the kind of safe album you can put on at either a chill party or dinner gathering and nobody will be offended or question the choice or maybe even remember the exact artist or songs. Not a bad thing; it's quite handy to have a few "bridge album" choices for those indecisive moments before you break out the late night live Iron Maiden discs to weed out the true friends... 6/10 3 stars.

They have better albums. This one didn't really stand out to me.

I liked it more than I thought I would

The first couple of songs sounded very demo-y to me. But I think that was kind of the sound they were going for. Once I got past the sparseness, the lack of production if you will, it wasn't bad. But I still felt the production values were significantly... lacking. I think probably my favorite song was "The Night I Heard Caruso Sing," but still the sparseness bothered me a lot. I kept thinking "they were going to take another pass at these songs, right? This is not the finished product...?"

Good vocals, because what else would you expect with Tracey Thorn. Ben Watt also provides some nice vocals on The Night I heard Caruso Sing. It feels like typical 80's fare musically - synth and drumtracks, thought some nice piano or guitar (Real instruments) from time to time. This album was nice; not sure how to better describe it. Enjoyable but not overly memorable. I'm not going to run out and listen to more of these two, but I didn't mind my time with this album.

Pop tranquilo y sosegado con una buena voz femenina. Temas no muy conocidos. Estilo muy ochentero.

un peu déçue mais je crois qu'ils ont glow up après???

Good background tunes.

I know of these guys and have maybe heard two songs, and I also know they've recently reunited for a new album. This was very smooth late 80s stuff, fine for a casual listen.

Its fine, not my type of music at all but its consistently decent

Trevligt litet album

Melancholisch, seicht, Sängerin

Easy listening op zondagochtend.

Goed aan te horen, maar bepaald niet enerverend.

It's pretty fine

Some interesting bits, might be worth another listen

There wasn’t anything remarkable about this album, but also nothing regrettable. It was just very forgettable. Her voice was very soft and soothing and I enjoyed that. I would probably play this when I need some background music that is not distracting.

Good, sophisticated 198ps wine bar pop music. I like Tracy Thorns voice - sounds like she's bored but it works well. A high 3.

Sometimes sounds like Sade.

i’m a sucker for 80s music so I liked this album. It’s 80s slow pop rock. The song “The night I heard Caruso sing” is a great song. It’s about a feeling I have had a lot- the desire to have a child but also seeing how dark/horrible the world is and not wanting to bring someone into this.

decent-ish

I thought I knew this voice. Though not really my cup of tea

This was peaceful and soft, sounds like it should be in a studio ghibli film

It’s a good album, easy listening. Nothing groundbreaking though. What I will say however it is VERY strange to listen to ‘Walking Wounded’ and THEN ‘Idlewild’.

I didn't exactly dislike this - in fact, there are some elements that appeal. Arrangements are light but quietly elegant. Tracey Thorn has an expressive voice. And when you tune in, the songwriting is sharp; pat subjects are eschewed for miniature soap operas. The problem overall is that I didn't tune in enough. Idlewild proved to be the definition of background noise. Entirely pleasant, quite hip in places and coolly understated - but it hardly grabs the listener by the lapels, and the songs are not sticky enough for anything to stand out.

- reminds me of someone, can’t place my finger on - very non-offensive. Nice background music

Enjoyable. Happy tunes. Leading lady looks like James Acaster, which I approve of.

Nice start to the day. Some good ones.

There's nothing about it that I don't like, but there's also nothing about it that I love.

Not offensive, probably would score it worse if this wasn't a during work listen. Which resulted in it being quite nice. Solid 6.5/10.

Good album :) 3

There’s something here but I don’t necessarily get it yet. Production feels too of its time

Pop. Aburrido.

It wasn't bad, but I didn't even notice when the album looped back to the beginning because all the songs sounded the same.

This was inoffensive, pleasant at times. More horn than I wanted to hear, the strings were enjoyable though. Nothing overly exciting here, it’s not a 2 though so I’ll give it 3 stars

More range and variety than their other works. That is not necessarily a good thing. TT's vocals still shine and this elevates it a notch. The earnest themes still permeate. Pleasant enough but not Eden.

I can't really fault anything about the execution here, the singing and musicianship are solid. But it's just too soft-rock for my tastes.

Pleasant but the songs aren't strong enough really to deserve Tracey Thorn's lovely voice - the best one on here by far is a cover. Sounds a bit like later Aztec Camera in parts

This was nice. A bit easy listening-ish for me but I enjoyed it. The lead singer has a nice voice, kind of kd lang-like. 3 stars.

Twas nice to listen to in the moment December 19, 2022

An album that didn't get its fair shine at its release, "Idlewild" deserves a bit more time and consideration. With smooth vocals and more modern beats, it is a sign of music that would come and be even more popular coming from other artists.

C’est doux mais un peu fade… 3

Pleasant but nothing interesting

Nije spektakularno a nije ni loše

lagano - u nekim trenutcima baš onako lijepo, a u nekim dosadno. trojka should do the trick. wannabe morrissey on the right tho.

fine

тоже ничего не запомнилось

Hadn't really listened to more than a song or two, though Natalie used to (not so much this album, apparently). I'd have to say, on first listen, it all sounds very nice, very grown up, classy arrangements & playing/singing etc...but nothing to hook me in.

While nothing extraordinary, I would say that the sound is very nice and mature for its genre, if a bit too chill throughout.

Pretty and earnest, but a little too acoustic for me. Goodbye Sunday is a hit though!

I’m going to put this out there: I like this album. As with others, it could be nostalgia and a connection with a specific time in my life, but for whatever reason I like it. It’s occasionally a bit cheesy, twee, and dated sounding, but some of the lyrics are quite good. And they do have much better records.

3.5/5 a bit boring but pleasant in the background

"Idlewild" is the fourth studio album from Kingston upon Hull duo Everything But The Girl. The musical style is in the pop, jazz-pop and sophisti-pop categories. That sounds about right. Acoustic instruments, synthesizers and a drum machine are used. The songs deal with daily and family life and are sung more in the short story format. No real choruses here. The music is mellow, easy listening and, I guess, nice pop. They're well-constructed and Tracey Thorn has a nice voice. This was fine for me with what they're trying to do. The album (actually reissued album) begins with their biggest song (on the album) "I Don't Want to to Talk About It." It is a cover ballad song orginally written and orginal recorded by Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten in 1971. It's also my favorite song on the album...nice acoustic guitar, strings'synth, soothing. The next three songs were also released as singles: "Love Is Here Where I Live" - drum machine and polished pop, "These Early Days" - nice pop melody and about child raising and "I Always Was Your Girl" - great soulful singing and a sax. The rest of the album continues with the solid pop-oriented songs. Everything But The Girl would hit it bigger in the US about six years later with "Missing." If you're up for more mellow, chill and pop music, this is a perfect album for you.

I felt like I was going to hate it. The first couple of songs melded a bit where I could not distinguish them apart. Felt a bit dated but midway through the album I started enjoy it a bit.

Breezy, inoffensive sophisticated pop from one of the 80s more understated yet substantial bands. Crazy to think that, within a couple of years, they'd be instrumental in the rise of emotive dance music but we've all got to have a head start somewhere. This could have a bit more variety but, overall, not a bad thing. Favorites: I Don't Want to Talk About, Love is Here Where I Live, These Early Days, Oxford Street, The Night I Heard Caruso Sing, Goodbye Sunday, Shadow on a Harvest Moon, Lonesome for a Place I Know.

Very pretty, and almost nauseatingly smooth? Sounds like it was recorded directly to laserdisc.

I felt like I was going to hate it. The first couple of songs melded a bit where I could not distinguish them apart. Felt a bit dated but midway through the album I started enjoy it a bit.

Best Song: I Don't Want to Talk About It. She has pleasant voice. It sounds like the kind of song that could be played at a wedding or a funeral. Worst Song: Tears All Over Town. A bit too slow, and the backing instrumentals make it sound like an R&B slow jam, which doesn't vibe with the vocals. Overall: I kept expecting to dislike this album but then I just... didn't. With each new song, I still found the main vocals charming. Sure, it's not altogether exciting music, but she has an undeniably lovely voice. I could care less about most of whatever music is going on in the background, but the strength of the vocals really sticks out here.

Nothing like what I expected, since by the 90s they had gone into dance music. The cover of I don't wanna talk about it surprised me, but was good, the sax turning up was less enjoyable. Decent, but not one I am likely to come back to. 3 🌟

Pop ñoño. Ni fu ni fa.

Like.

doesn't offend, doesn't exite

Nice, drums sound very dated now. But not special.

Legalzinho, mas não muito empolgante

No conocía este disco de ellos, pero empieza bien. Antes de la electrónica era un grupo casi de jazz. Me gustan igualmente para una escucha tranquila. Recomendable pero no creo que imprescindible.

I've always had a soft spot for 80s sophisti-pop and city pop. It often overlapped with other genres like synthpop (e.g. Pet Shop Boys) or would reappear in more recent music (e.g. future funk) that it became easy for me to favor. I really like the melancholic mood, seductive female front vocals, and very 80s production, occupied with simple yet busy jazz and synths. In fact, I enjoyed this album so much I had to check out their other top songs, and ended up adding "Missing," "Wrong," and "Night and Day," which I actually prefer to anything on this album. But this album is still a pleasurable experience, even if nothing stands out. I noticed one reviewer that he thought that would sound like Morrissey based on the cover but was disappointed it wasn't, and yet I'm here listening to songs like "Lonesome for a Place I Know" and it sounds EXACTLY like a Morrissey, from the vocals to the lyrics to the sound, except female. Favorites: These Early Days, Oxford Street, Goodbye Sunday, Blue Moon Rose, Tears All Over Town, Lonesome for a Place I Know

3.25

Ziemlich langweiliger Jazz-Pop, der jedoch zum Teil sehr entspannend wirkt. Irgendwas zwischen 2-3, eher 3.

I appreciate the earnestness and clarity of the music, but the 80's derpiness distracts me. I could see myself really liking it if I was in just the right head space when I heard it.

I listened to this twice and it completely washed over me both times. Absolutely nothing stuck. I'm actually kind of amazed at how completely neutral this music is. It's like reverse osmosis water.

Not a bad a album. But not a brilliant album. Makes for nice background music but there is no real substance to it. It just slips away quietly

It got me right off the bat with a terrific cover of a Rod Stewart song, which is actually a cover of a Crazy Horse song. It turns out that Crazy Horse had a career outside of playing with Neil Young occasionally. But after that song (I Don't Want To Talk About It is a solid 5), most of this sounds like watered down Sade. If Sade is what you put on to get laid, then this album is what you put on to masturbate. So in that sense, this album will get you everything but the girl.

It's a quality blue-eyed soul album. Reminds me at times of Safe. It's very smooth and polished. It's just not a style that I really enjoy so despite the quality that the band exhibits I can't give it more than 3.5 stars

It's a very sweet, melodic album. But nothing really stands out. Kind of like the cover album, it's easy to miss. It sounds like a love album. And a breakup album. But there's not enough emotion in it.

I expected to like this a lot more, because i like the voice, and key aspects of the style, but it is too far on the boring side of mellow. I Don't Want to Talk and Apron Strings are strong, though the rest blends together.

Quite okay

That voice

fine

Not the best album from EBTG. I have fond memories of their early albums, especially Eden. Bedsit music from the time when I was living in one.

Didn't stick out to me a lot, but a nice, mellow, enjoyable record with a couple of tracks that were fun. The vocal style makes me wonder if they had some influence on Sara Bareilles. Fave track: Apron Strings

Favorites: These Early Days Pretty standard 80s pop. Not bad at all, but nothing stands out.

The name of this group is a lie. Best track: The Night I Heard Caruso Sing

6/10

no my thing

Nothing like what I expected, since by the 90s they had gone into dance music. The cover of i don't wanna talk about it surprised me, but was good, the sax turning up was less enjoyable. Decent, but not one I am likely to come back to

Strong 3! Dug the vibes but I prefer this bands later output

Way too mellow for my tastes.

Everything But The Girl surely has made some nice songs including a few classic ones. It was initially a bit of a mystery to me why this album is on the 1001 list. It is certainly well made, but everything sounded rather generic and boring, even for a Sunday morning. However, then it became better and better - it was one of the albums in the list that I did not know already in advance, and my score went up by each listen: 1, 2, 3, 3.3 -> 3.

Only had time to listen to the first half. Pleasant vocals, pretty good songs. Not blown away by it, but decent enough.

Pas particulierement interessé par cet album malgre une belle pochette et de belles promesses sur le premier son, je reviendrai plus fort dans une prochaine review.

Album art:2

Sounds like music my parents would listen to. Not like, egregiously bad or anything just generally passable

Kiedys musial on nastapic, powrot na wyspy, w bardzo wyspiarskim stylu grany pop, zwany takze sophisti popem, bo w tworzeniu lini instrumentalnej korzysta sporo z wszelkich synthezatorow i urzadzen elektroniki, ale sa to lata 80/90, wiec wszedzie gdzie sie dalo uzywano efekciarskich efektow tuningu, ale tutaj nie jest z tym tak tragicznie, bo wiekszosc melodi oparta jest jednak na akustyku, na ktorym sobie pogrywa pan z duetu, bo wszystko tylko baba, to loverowski duet co widac, slychac i czuc, okladka wyglada jakby jedna osoba byla zdublowana, az takie bije od nich pokrewienstwo serc, slychac, bo pani Tracey zajmuje sie wylacznie wokalowaniem, natomiast pan Ben sobie gitarkuje oraz odpowiada za calosc produkcji, na plycie zostaja wykorzystane inne instrumenty, takie jak saksy czy basy, przewijajace sie synthy, pianinka, ale graja je studyjni muzykowie, no i czuc zgranie duetu po tym jak wokal plynie na melodii, co do strony lirycznej zastanawia mnie czy tak czeste nawiazania do ukochanej wyspy jest tak czestym motywem w brytyjskim popie, czy raczej lista jest troche baised na punkcie takich wlasnie albumikow, bo nie jest to poziom born in the usa, ale subtelne odniesienia do ojczyzny przewijaja sie na trakach, kawalkami ktore najbardziej ktore pewnie najdluzej zapamietam z tej plyty to goodbye sunday czyli poniedzialkowy anthem i jego sliska linia melodyczna, kolejnym jest the night when I heard carusao sing, czyli jedyny trak na ktorym main wokalem jest pan Ben, gdzie sreodkowa zwrotke pomaga pani Tracey, jeden z najlepszych fragmentow duetu na tej plycie, bo sa jeszcze miejsca w ktorym meski glos pomaga, ale jednak jest zawsze drugoplanowy, sam trak rowniez ma ciekawy mocno pacyfistyczny theme, wisienka na torcie jest pianino ktore stanowi podstawe instrumentalna, do ktorego pod koniec songa dochodzi saksa, dobre sluchowisko 45 minut ciekawego duetu

More 80s brit pop. okay. Its got good technique and a well crafted sound, but damn it is so soft rock-y that i cant latch on to it. She has a great voice but the content is just so smarmy I can't deal. Apron Strings I can see being a cool wedding song.

Not bad, but kind of boring. Musically it's pretty good though. 3/5

Sophisti-pop from the late 80s. Sounds kinda like Sade and Spandau Ballet had some kind of musical lovechild. Decent enough I guess

I didn't like this. It was really boring. I have a Christmas song by this band that I love and I know their big 90's hit Missing, but this was not good.

Favorite track(s): Goodbye Sunday The musical equivalent of skim milk.

I'm sure this is someones favorite album of all time. There has to be one of you that love this. I'm not one of them. But I bet there are dozens of you. It's just boring and bland. I saw someone say the wild is missing and truer words have never been spoken.

Competently dull. It's not like it's shite, but it's boring. Like when the telly used to show Ceefax after shutdown to some smooth jazz. So incredibly of the time.

This album utterly baffled me. I was excited to see Everything But The Girl made it into the collection, especially since I was a fan and have several of their albums, but then didn't recognize *anything* from this painful 80s "sophisti-pop" album; I probably couldn't have even said I recognized Tracey Thorn's distinctive voice if I hadn't seen the band name first (except perhaps on some of the second half songs like "Shadow on a harvest moon" or "Tears all over town"). I've also never seen any videos by them (or from her solo work), so I was also flummoxed by how both of them look, or at least looked forty years ago. For whatever reason, I imagined a *very* different looking Thorn, perhaps more along the lines of Dido, I guess. I'm not sure it ruined anything for me, but I suspect it will influence how I hear/visualize their songs from now on. I'm *very* glad that we also get their breakout album from a decade later, with a very different sound, but aside from the sort of shock value this current album makes with its contrast to "Walking Wounded", I'm quite confident that I never needed to hear this at-times-insipid effort from a very talented duo.

Day 319. Really struggled to get through this one unfortunately, a definitely won’t be returning to anything here.

She has a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, none of the songs here really pop. It’s all just one note that is more grating to me than pleasant. I might give it a try another time, though.

A pleasant, but overall uneventful listen with nothing grabbing my attention.

6/25/26. Didn't feel this one. Thought the songs were slow and uninteresting, but the production and arrangements were cool.

Not really sure what was so pressing about needing to listen to this, it’s very easy-listening 80s pop with a few influences on it that just contribute all the more to it being easy-listening and sort of a forgettable wash. Nothing in here really stands out as particularly great, it just happens to be an ideal low-engagement album for a hot day, like it’d fit perfectly in an evening as background noise to a barbecue.

Meh

This one hurts, I wish they wouldn't had added this album to the list, they have so many great others that don't have to be their more electronic stuff like Temperamental (my personal favorite). Their self-titled is amazing, with a lot of bossa and twee pop influences mixed with jazz and soulfull flows, Amplified Heart is quite memorable also of course. This one I just don't understand why it's more recognized, maybe because it blends into the yatch rocky style of the mid 80s, I can't stand it. I love Tracy and Ben, and I hate to do this, their presence slightly buoys the blandness of most of the album

Sowas vergesse ich gleich nach dem Hören wieder.

Ich kannte bisher nur "Walking Wounded" und "Temperamental" von denen. Die fand ich beide okay, aber besser als das hier

This really just sounded like a bog standard 1980s singer songwriter album. It was unapologetically 1988, but it was pretty boring for my tastes. It would be good to just have on for quiet time music or if you're having a dinner party and need something gentle in the background that isn't Fleetwood Mac, Indigo Girls, or Highwomen. I've always held that all genre's of jazz, pop, blues, or rock are pretty strictly defined by the style of their drums, so its no surprise to me that an album with no actual drums is a miss for me.

Dentists of the world rejoiced when this album was released. Finally, a record they could play in their offices all day. A form of Muzak that is inoffensive with Tracey Thorn’s lovely vocals overlaying synths and a drum machine. I actually cannot imagine how anyone thought this was worth acclaim, let alone critical acclaim. I love the tone of Tracy’s vocals but really this is soppy drivel that would inflict pain after repeated listens. It is definitely a record for the times with its low energy appeal only for those currently residing on death row and in nursing homes. 2/5

I don’t know who “the girl” is that is referenced in the band’s title but she should consider herself lucky to be excluded from this dreck. The album is full of very thin production and snoozy instrumentation. Each track sounds so much like doctors office waiting room music that I would be surprised if the initial release didn’t include an outdated issue of Reader’s Digest. The only saving graces are the charming lyrics of “Oxford Street” and the poignantly heart-tugging “Apron Strings”, which benefits greatly from the wispy drum machine mercifully being turned off.

middle aged white lady owned retail kitchen store ass album. i hated it

Fine enough, kind of what you'd expect from an earlier Everything But The Girl album. They have their own sound, this sort of adult contemporary sound that doesn't suck like a Michael Bolton or Kenny G does. It's quite boring of a listen though, kind of comes with the territory. Made for someone but not me.

Extra boring

Buhland. Not as bad as the one with the guy who lost his money in his TV but so slow.

Why would I want to listen to this album. I had to stop. I had so many on cue, and I was not enjoying any of it. Boring.

some truly agitating songs there 🤡

Worse than Coldplay

EBTG's Walking Wounded and Tempermental were foundational albums for me, so I've occasionally waded into their back catalog of jazz-pop and sophisti-pop, and it just doesn't connect for me. Kind of wish it did, cause I really love Tracey Thorn's voice. Her work on Massive Attack's "Protection" (for which she wrote both the melody and lyrics that she sang) put a spell on me in 1994, and I've yet to break it.

I'm so annoyed I listened to this entire album It's just middle of the road inoffensive music for your Mum or Aunt Imagine The Beautiful South or The Pretenders only terrible The only reason I haven't given it 1 star is because Ive had to endure a Kid Rock album which got 1 star. The only positive being that Idlewild wasnt as bad as that Definitely an album to hear after you die, not before

This album is not great at all... I love the production of the 80s, but I can only imagine that this is what they perceive when people say they don't like the sound of the era. Her vocals are not flattering, and the whole thing really feels cheesy. The cover of Rod Stewart's "I Don't Want to Talk About It" was not bad and not comparable to the original at all, but that was the highlight.

Ugh... I knew this guy from their ethereal, heavily atmospheric electronics with a touch of DnB that I heard on Walking Wounded. I was so disappointed listening to this toothless pop muzak. It's like wannabe Sade except not good.

Great opening track but the album bored me.

Slow and boring. Could've been musically interesting but ended up really dull with dreary vocals. 2/5

4/10 Yucky, sickly, late 80s pop-soul. Plinky-ploppy studio piano, chorusy bass. There are songs under the saccharine, but they are a bit jazzy and a bit meandering. But points for Tracey's great voice. Sadly, I just hated the music

About 40 mins in, I gave up and played “missing” which is the only EBTG song worth hearing. I will round to 2 because I think there’s some decent songwriting in there somewhere but the sound (all of it, the singer, the band) isn’t worth listening closely enough to find out.

Pleasant background music but that's about it.

Idlewild is a pleasant listen, though it rarely pushes beyond that. It makes me want to light some scented candles - vanilla ones specifically - and sit down with some weak tea and cucumber sandwiches. There's a clear jazz influence running through the record, and the songwriting and musicianship are genuinely strong. You can hear the craft in every track. What holds it back is a certain safety in the production choices. The drum machine, while functional, lacks the swing and vitality a live drummer could have brought, particularly given the jazz-adjacent arrangements. At times, there are hints of something closer to city pop, but without the rhythmic drive to fully realise that energy. The ballads are beautifully performed, though the electric piano tones occasionally lean a touch sentimental. A little more restraint in that department might have served the record well. That said, there are highlights. "Tears All Over Town" features a genuinely lovely saxophone solo that reminds you what this band is capable of when they let loose, even briefly. And the cover art, with its understated flower, is rather charming. A well-made record that sits comfortably in the background. It just leaves you wishing it had been a little bolder.

Pretty but boring

Fav song: Tears All Over Town

This is #day657 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… let's face it, EBTG is a weird band. You spend years playing jazz-folk, sophisti-pop, and whatnot, then come the '90s, a DJ remixes your song into a worldwide EDM hit, and, boom, you're trip-hoppin' and drum'n'bassin' your way through the rest of the decade with a whole new identity. I kind of don't mind this softer incarnation, though it gets overly mellow from one song to the next. But, if I were to choose which EBTG to listen to, I'd most definitely go with the electronic one. By the way, their comeback record, Fuse, is proof. As for this one, you don't have to hear it before you die. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day658.

Bland.

No standouts

My mom approved

The very same vibe and static drum patterns make 45 minutes of the album too long. These are great musicians, but the composition is bad.

Ik dacht altijd dat Everything but the girl mega-saai was. Tot deze lijst mij het jaren '90 album met Missing presenteerde. Ik kon de Triphop-klanken prima waarderen. Hoezo saai? Nou, om toch even te laten horen dat ik niet gek was, krijg ik nu een album uit de '80's voorgeschoteld. Welterusten!

Can appreciate that this is their origins, but I am very much a fan of their 90s output, and the remixes that came with it.

This album has no place on this list

This was incredibly cheesy and schlocky, and worst of all, uninteresting.

When to listen: at a retirement home. The first song I was like... ok this is... pleasant. By the last song I was like pleaaase I want this out of my ears. Soft, ballad-y, sleepy.

The worst that sophisti-pop has to offer

I wanted to give this a shot but I wish I was listening to anything else

Helemaal tot rust gekomen

Felt nothing for it

Saaaaaai

Pleasant. But pleasance doth butter no crumpets.

3/10

Tracey Thorn has such an amazing voice, but this album just fell flat for me. Definitely of a time, and hasn't aged well, in my opinion.

This just… like elevator music? Disappointing.

Honestly didn't really enjoy this at all. Not sure I can call it bad, but wow was it something I wouldn't listen to. I don't inherently have a problem with slow music, in fact I enjoy a lot of it, but this just all felt very same-y and didn't really pop out to me. It felt like one flat, long track playing.

80’s music has the ability to be so boring.

that first track was very pretty, but i couldn’t get too into it bc the lyrics were distractingly mid. shame three tracks in. almost wish this album was instrumental, i would like it a lot more. i like oxford street a lot. the rest of it was fine.

Didn't really enjoy the record. It's soft and uninteresting. I thought I'd find something more interesting like their big single Missing but I was disappointed. Not for me.

C'était... sirupeux ! Autant dire qu'il faut aimer les années 80 pour écouter ça, parce que sinon, l'overdose est proche. Et on parle pas d'un groupe un peu énergique ou je sais pas quoi où au moins, c'est un peu rythmé. Non, là, on est dans de la musique gentillette, où rien ne dépasse et il n'y a pour ainsi dire aucune prise de risque. Alors c'est un peu subjectif et je suis sûr qu'il y a plein de gens à qui ça parle et qui peuvent écouter ça toute la journée parce que ça leur apporte quelque chose. Mais personnellement, ce côté très mielleux et souvent... mièvre, on peut le dire, j'ai du mal à supporter. Alors c'est 10 fois mieux que du Georges Michael (c'est pas dur...), mais ça ne me parle absolument pas. Je me demande selon quelle logique cet album a été ajouté à la liste. Est-ce que c'est parce qu'il est particulièrement représentatif de son époque ? Est-ce qu'il y a une autre raison ? J'en sais rien du tout, mais c'est pas un album sur lequel je reviendrai. PS : j'ai vu que c'était un album de "sophisti-pop" ? On a réussi à trouver plus pompeux comme nom de genre musical qu'art rock. Personnellement, je vois pas ce qu'il y a de sophistiqué dans un album aussi easy-listening. PS2 : et si j'en crois un des commentaires, il y a au moins un deuxième album de ce groupe dans la liste ? Bon, ben il rejoint la liste des albums que j'ai pas hâte d'écouter avec au moins un album de Georges Michael et un album de Kanye West (au moins, j'ai fait passer l'album de Taylor Swift...).

This album sounds like the credits music to an 80s film about two dolphins falling in love.

Just a little too soft rock/easy listening to be enjoyable.

Would not buy

11/05/26 ah glr é clichê e pá mas n é tão ruim assim é q tbm pegaram um álbum bem bosta, mas as famosas dá pra curtir vai 2/5 / 4/10

I tuned the album out pretty much immediately. I didn’t have any desire to finish either.

Not for me at all. Sounds like something that’d be played in the lobby of a sandals resort. I had it on in the background but still couldn’t wait for it to be over.

Música cálida, con muchos arreglos, fácil de escuchar, sin pretensiones, pero que tampoco logra conquistar. Acompaña, pero no conmueve.

I wasn't in the right mood for this one. I could see that I like the sort of early synth-pop sounds, but it just kind of ended up as all sounding the same. Nostalgia for early love, similar guitars. I did really like the dual vocalists, but not really the rest of it that much. Interesting to find an artist I've never heard of before, but not like this.

Album #1 on “1001 albums you would hear after you die and are stuck in purgatory”

Everything But A Memorable Album.

Just dull generic 80s earnest pop. Not for me.

leuk maar niet amazing

I did not know these are the original performers for song Missing. Other than that good elevator music.

Ekki alveg nógu ánægður með þessa. Allt eitthvað voða næs en heillaði mig ekki

Not too sure about this one. A bit predictable, as much of the 80s tends to be, but the words are very sweet and if I needed an album that I think my mom would love I would put this on. Matter of fact, I'm sure she does love this album lol this is from her era. Highlights: Goodbye Sunday

2.4

Waiting for mum to finish shopping so I can play the Gameboy Colour on the way home.

Did not like this. At all.

bof

I love Thracy Thorn's voice, and really enjoyed their other album, but this one doesn't do it for me. Most of the songs sound like something that would be played on an "easy listening" radio station.

It’s nice music……but surely I cannot yet die.

I wish I liked this more, but I didn't, while it was ok listening to two songs in a row, the whole album was quite hard to sit through

noll emotionell respons

Lät inte så himla illa i sig, men skivan idlade verkligen rakt igenom, inte mycket som hände.

The music version of Uncle Colm from Derry Girls

Painfully sappy.

the reviews are killing me. so is the off-brand morrissey on this album

2.5 - 90’s film end credit music vibes. A bit of a snooze fest.

Musically it's the worst parts of the 80's but the vocals are beautiful. Favorite track: Oxford Street

knock-off Eurythmics

FML

now this is just utterly boring

Gepflegte 80er Jahre Langeweile.

Sadly I was pretty underwhelmed by this album. It starts out really strong with “I Don’t want to talk about it”, which is arguably the strongest song on the album. It has great crystal clear production, and the guitar tone is like angelic it’s so good. Seriously that song set the bar insanely high for the rest of the album. The other problem is it’s just a little too slow for alittle too long. I could’ve used some other variety or energy on this album. It was alittle dry. The other track that stood out that I liked was “goodbye Sunday”. When this album is at its best it’s a funky little beat that’s coupled with a ton of vocal talent that has this weird complimentary relationship with each other. Which is true for the first two tracks and “goodby Sunday”. The other tracks are not bad or terrible. It’s just a lot of the same vibe and execution which sort of waters down the album as a whole. But I will say this album wasn’t a waste of time and I have respect for the artists musical talent. But the album as a whole was underwhelming.

Tracey has a great voice but the songs were just so-so for me. I prefer EBTG’s later album “Amplified Heart”.

Another day, another average white band playing average white music..

Favorite Song: None

Amazing voices but often a bit dreary.

Dire songs with drab vocals leads to an excruciating listen. Oh, and with added sax!

not my cup o tea

Her voice is fantastic, but this is just not for me. The first track was decent, at the very least.

Not even die hard EBtG fans will cite this as their best work. It’s most deff not the starting point I would even intro someone to them either. Tracy’s voice is there for sure but this is some saccharine nonsense. Their trip-hop era is their best material. Skip this and go straight to Walking Wounded.

Was only familiar with that popular remix of one of their songs before. I'm afraid this album is a bit too chill and "nothing" to me. Tracey sounds good but other than that idk 2/5

Another record by Everything But The Girl? I mean, I can hear something in here, early shades of bands that came later on, but that is true of other earlier acts also. I just don't think they're my thing. It's so...clean...lifeless; there's no edge to hang on to. Is this the singer that featured with Massive Attack on Protection? Mezzanine...now THAT'S a record.

Thought it was going to be an album I’d enjoy after the first song but it never went anywhere exciting afterwards

It's inoffensive enough, but it doesn't stir anything in me. It sounds like music that would be played in a womens' clothes store in the run up to christmas, oddly specific I know but that is the exact vibe it gives me. It's upsetting nobody, and it won't distract customers from spending money either.

Sur certaines tracks, il y a une vibe Sade mais franchement c’était chiant … tout l’album lent comme ça…

A bit of a bland ‘sitting in the back of the family car as we drive into town on a Saturday to do the big ASDA shop and then quickly jump into M+S for the bits’. Inoffensive though.

Just not the vibe

listened to like three songs

It’s the music your friends mom likes

Slow jazzy ballets to start. Good voice, a bit boring though. Definitely of the era

This duo eventually puts out some great music. They aren't there yet on this album

Much less bad than the other Everything But The Girl album on this list, Walking Wounded, but still a tedious slog. Two stars for not actually making my grind my teeth.

Apparently, the record company considered this album as being lacking of hits, and I tend to agree. Sophisti-Pop or Boring-Pap? I think the latter. The re-release opens with an uninspiring cover of "I Don't Want to Talk About It".

Music to fall asleep to. Not bad in any way, but not a necessary piece of music either.

Pretty, dreamy vocals that are pleasant to listen to - but the music is a little too close to something you'd hear on hold. Not terrible, but no thrills to be found here.

it gives really strong 80´s

It's ok but not my jam.

someone go back to the 80s and introduce these two to the magic of caffeine, please, because this album is an energy sapping mood disaster so tame, so safe, so inoffensive, so blah

Yeah. Idk what this was. This was coming montage music at its worse?

This was kind of a slog to get through. Not horrible. Vocals were fine. Music was fine. Just boring.

Listenable but quite boring.

I had no idea this band had such a lengthy discography prior to 'Missing' - their only big hit I'm really familiar with. Of course, given the lack of logic to this list, this isn't that album but instead a largely plinky, solidly 80s-sounding easy listening snoozefest. & it isn't at all redeemed by the singer's competent vocals.

Wow, this one is pretty goddamn awful. Had to grit my teeth almost the entire way through. Was familiar with the artist, couldn't remember why, suffered through this LP thinking I'd find out why I was familiar, and came up with nothing. Checked their top tracks on Spotify, and there were 4 renditions of their one hit that was the reason why I had heard of them. That explains it. Big pass on this garbage

This probably has a lot more nostalgic appeal if you are British and roughly 45-60 years old. For me, it's sort of easy listening, soothing pop music. There isn't even the barest suggestion of edge, which is actually sort of distinguishing in itself. I think fairly forgettable, but well sung and performed. It has some groovy moments but I won't be back.

Dire

I'd only heard their later electronic stuff so I was shocked this was pseudo-jazz pap. The production is very 80s adult contemporary fluff with drum machine and synths with sax and horns added sometimes. Would not recommend for anything but the elevator.

Not awful but a bit schmaltzy for me.