Idlewild

Rating: 5/10 Meh.

The Smiths knockoff tribute with a sound reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel.

meh

Lounge music

5/10 Another one that it is very surprising to find on a list like this. It just doesn’t seem worthy. Totally fine pop-soul, well made but pretty bland. I genuinely can’t remember any of the songs 12 hours later except for the cover at the start. Best: I don’t want to talk about it

The only reason this isn't a 1/5 is the vocals. They were pretty good. This just sounds like sewing/candle shop-core background muzac. Not for me, unfortunately.

I had never heard of the genre Sophisti-pop before. Currently not a genre I like, but maybe there are bands that do it differently. This album was way too sedate for me. I'd need something dreamier or psychedelic to be into a full album of songs at a slow tempo with sparse instrumentation. I like the band name and I liked a short organ solo in one of the songs, so there's that.

Certainly not an album that demands attention from the listener - quite the opposite actually. Tracy Thorn's effortless vocals lend a sort of elegance and quiet beauty. There’s an emotional richness in the details and the arrangements are subtle but effective. It's not really my thing, and seems like something that should be playing in the background at a cocktail party. Not necessarily a bad thing, though.

It's okay. I think the vocals elevate it but ultimately it sounds like this group wanted to write songs for Broadway. It's 80s pop with piano instead of synth. Been done better.

home cooking again.

This is the soundtrack to an anime that was only really successful in Slovenia before they gained their independence called “KYOTO POLICE EVENING”. There is a closing shot of a skinny disheveled man wearing a suit walking downhill while the city and a full moon rises over him in the background. His chief, an anthropomorphic 4 ft tall pig in a uniform, chases him down carrying several cup noodles which they eat on a park bench while the credits roll. Any song on here is playing.

Slow and sappy. Not in a good way.

1.9 1x catch up 3/12 -- not great

Pleasant, but not that inspiring. And it starts with a cover!

This album was so boring that my teeth magically got cleaned just by listening to it.

Scented candle: Vanilla. Perfect background music for when you need mellow and smooth, but also borderline boring and entirely bland. 2.5/5

It is giving wedding or cruise ship performers with gloomier lyrics - no memorable songs for me but the female singer’s voice is reminiscent of other artists.

Nice elevator music

So so. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. Won't be relistening. Would give it a 2.5, but rounding down.

Bored but didn’t hate every song. Doesn’t make it out of the 80s genre with many redeeming qualities tho

Couldn't get into this; it was pretty but just not very interesting overall. 2/5

Was really ready to love this (especially as they are Uni of Hull alumni, represent!) but all kind of blended together for me

Ho hum

It was pleasant but I can't say I'll be going back to this one

Nice enough but didn’t really grab me, some really lovely vocals

Bit bland

80s easy listening junk. It's the music they played st the salon when my mom got a perm. Can't be either important or difficult.

One hundred albums in, I have to wonder why we need to listen to a thousand? If 500 of them are as forgettable as this one. She has a nice voice, that’s the best one can say about Idlewild. 2 for the voice.

Albumi #149, 16.02.2025 Everything But The Girlin neljäs albumi vuodelta 1988 ei mielestäni yllä vielä ysärijulkaisujensa tasolle. Levy jää vähän tasapaksuksi verrattuna vaikkapa 1994-vuoden Amplified Heart -albumiin.

Meh

Very meh

Glorified elevator music. Extremely undeserving of a spot on this list.

This should not be on the list. Every song sounded the same. It was rather monotonous and nothing inspiring.

Waste of time and in general not good

vocally, she's got a nice voice. but oh my goodness, this was a snooze of an album & not in a good way.

Not for me. I'm not crazy about her voice. Even the massive attack stuff is my least fave of their songs.

Bon, j'ai pas vraiment aimé. J'ai rien de trouvé de particulièrement marquant, j'ai rien ressenti de spécial en écoutant cet album. C'était loin d'être inécoutable hein, mais j'ai trouvé ça assez plat.

This is a peculiar little album. The instrumentals are giving me big time Hold/Elevator music vibes. The lady singer is WAY better than her buddy. The songs with lyrics kind of got an older 10,000 Maniacs thing going on. Not sure what to make of this or why it’s on the list.

Fine for background music. Just kinda low-key and unengaging. I enjoy some of their later work more, when they went a little more electronic. This is just kinda...meh.

I'm going to give this album 2 stars instead of its deserved 1 because I admire Idlewild's, almost tyrannical, commitment to being as boring as humanly possible.

some good examples of doing less with more here music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Not much to say here. In one ear, out the other? Sorry, English sophistipop duo.

Just bland light rock. Found myself falling asleep multiple times. 2/5

The musicianship is impeccable but the songs are boring.

Big emphasis on the Idle, not so much on the Wild.

Idlemild - Anything But Strong Feelings (for this album) Seriously what the fuck is this lovey dovey/ballad demo disc for 80's romances doing on this list?

BOOOOOOOOORRRRRIIIINNNNGGGGGG

1001 albums to put on the PA in your money laundering front disguised as a mattress shop. Not sure exactly why this album was included in here, but it was a mostly enjoyable listen. Very competently written and performed pop music but ultimately forgettable. It is weighed down by Watt's production which ultimately makes the album feel extremely dated. I thought I found similarities with this and some of Sade's work and was not surprised to see he had worked with her as a producer. The album drags on quite a bit and I don't see myself clamouring to listen to this again. Highlights: Love Is Here Where I Live, Goodbye Sunday

Not crazy about this record but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Her voice is amazing. There’s some great classical guitar and saxophone. The occasional synth. But not really my vibe.

Ladies, gentlemen, and friends of all sorts! We've found our first Bad Album! Very boring; incredibly standard 80s-synth lounge music with a soulless drum machine! It's hold muzak, baybee!! Lead singer is nice, though!

Extrem langweilige 80er serien mäßige Musik Mit viel Saxofon, konnte nicht weiter hören nach ein paar songs

Eh? Unremarkable. I didn't really care for anything particularly on this album

lovely vocals , but boring songs. . bring on the drum and bass !

Idlewild by EBTG is so fucking dull. Every song sounds the same, identical shades of boring, 2/5 because I never hate it, I just can't be bothered with it. Feels like I'm on hold to speak to customer service.

This is just fine all the way through, I Don't Want To Talk About It is a great song, but it's not theirs and theirs isn't close to being the best cover version of it. She's got a really nice voice, but it's all just a bit dull. 2/5.

uneventful and uninteresting for me. wouldnt say its terrible but it just never caught me...

Just dodged a 1 star rating because the sax goes pretty hard at times

Boring, nothing grabbed me and it became background noise fast.

Just blended into background music.

Boring

This album was really just very OK. There weren't any songs that grabbed me, and many that bored me. I liked the two or three song section on the back half where the saxophone showed up. It's possible this is an album where the focus is the lyricism. Unfortunately I'm just not really engaging with these albums actively enough for that to get through to me. 3/10

I liked maybe a couple near the start but got to be the most forgettable album yet. Rating: 1.7

1001 albums that Robert Dimery listened to while he was at university.

boringggggggggggggggg

Ive never really been a fan of the whole soft acoustic guitar and mellow singing thing but women eat that shit up

2 out of 5. I found this album a little bland, but not the worst so far.

Nope

Da hani jedi Form vo Herzschmerz duregmacht. bi jedem Lied hani e neui Trennig müsse duremache wo ich denn ganz lang im Rege gstande bin, d Kamera langsam um mich ume fahrt während JEDES EINZELNE Lied im Hintergrund gloffe isch. Eigentlich doch sehr schön ihr zwei Schnügglige, aber das mir grad innerhalb vo 45 minute 12 mal s Herz broche wird findi grad chli frech. Wenni widermal gnadelos mini Seel, mis Herz und all wiitere innereie in Wasserfall-Ästhetik usehüüle möchti, chumi widermal uf eu zrug. Bis det here, lönd mi in rueh mit eune Emotione!! da chani nume zwei ganz tüüfi Schluchzer büüte

Opens with the amazing cover of "I Don't Wan To Talk About It" and then.... *Fart Noise* Honestly, I hate albums that put the objectively best song as track 1, the rest of the album is just a slow speed skid after that. Blowing your load with 40 minutes left to fill is the worst thing any artist can do.

Sounds like yer mas haircut in old photos

This is the second Everything but the Girl album I’ve gotten and it still doesn’t include their biggest hit. I don’t think this band is worth one let alone two albums on this list. Are there going to be more?!?

Conflicted by this one, I didn't hate it, found it relaxing, vocals and production are excellent, definitely a mood album, I listened to it on the couch with headphones. On the other hand I'm not sure if I'd listen to it again, I can see why it's been described as lounge music, it's relaxing to have on in the background maybe, there's very little change from song to song. Is it an essential album, I'm not sure, maybe within it's genre

I want to like this but I'm so bored. It's so uninspired and I'm really tasking myself with finding some reason as for why it should be on this list. The production is nice and possibly the best thing, but nothing else feels special or specifically impressive to be on this list. The lyrics are pretty boring and the music is mostly the same. Overly lite jazz that doesn't really say much.

Tracey Thorn's got an amazing voice but I swear the entire album is too deep into the sort of sophisti-pop sound that's just too smooth and chill in a way that I find very uninteresting and kinda corny. It's nice, but one note. It might also be that I'm not in the mood for this :/

Not my music. Nothing special.

No joy with this one.

Agradable de escuchar pero sin nada muy emocionante. Todas las canciones son medias parecidas, aunque sinceramente tampoco me centré tanto individualmente en cada una. Más escuchaba y menose gustaba, estoy entre 1 y 2, pero me quedo con 2 por poco, por lo menos no es desagradable o molesto de escuchar (no siempre al menos).

Bad

Idlewild is the fourth studio album by Everything but the Girl, originally released in 1988. Wow. I'm very impressed. They managed to fit every cheesy 80s music trope into 1 album. It has everything from Casio drums to cheesy sax solos! I suppose it's important to hear at least once in your life for the sake of music history. This sort of Muzak did exist and yes it likely did get played on repeat in various department stores. It's not really offensively bad it's just... soulless?

Very dull, and a few nice moments can't save it.

Found it boring

could i write poetry to this? n

Meh

The most average of average albums.

Boring and don't they know drum machines have no soul? Made it all the way so it gets a 2. Not list worthy

It's like, really boring. 2/5

Bo-ring

Groupe inconnu, je ne me rappelle pas l'avoir entendu à l'époque. Belle voix, instrumentation parfois intéressante (chorus de sax, de trompette, harmonies), mais pas très original. Je n'ai pas envie de l'écouter de nouveau. =>2/5

Generic

Nice but dull.

Oooph, I think I’m my last review of these guys I said I underestimated them, well here’s why! Damn that’s pedestrian. Electro-lounge-jazz, (that actually sounds quite appealing though). It’s just like Sade or Simply Red. The second half actually started to grow on me a little as I knew what I was in for but it’s still a disappointing, middle of the road, 2 stars.

I don't really listen to lyrics, I've always preferred the tune over the lyrics. So this album definitely wasn't aimed at me. There are worse albums on this list but not many.

There are certain sounds from the 80s that make me cringe and this album has some of those. The singer’s voice is great and she’s very talented, but there is something about it that really reminds of the worst parts of the 80’s culture. Add in the instrument choices and it’s a recipe for disaster for me personally, I’m sure this is some people’s jam though and that’s cool….for them…..away from me.

Elevator music, though nice one

Boring background music that should have been left in the 80s. There are better musicians that made music in the same genre.

Ei oikein toimi. Tuntu kuin olisi kuunnellut yhden pitkän biisin ja moti loppui pahasti kesken. Ehkä pieninä annoksina voisi löytää tästäkin jotain liikuttavaa, mutta ei pitkäsoittona.

Aika tylsää muniinpuhaltelua

It is not a bad album. It is just not my thing. For me it is too unsalty and the tracks are too similarious,

2.5

Fine but also I didn't care enough to finish it. New strategy with this list! Who cares!

# Playlist Track - I don't want to talk about it # Notes - Dug the opening tracks, but once "The Night I heard Caruso Sing" rolls on, I'm done. - Kind of a boring album, unfortunately,

Not awful, but not a single song stood out. Generic 80s love album. Not 1 star territory but we can do better than this

I listened to this showering this morning and then while eating breakfast. Especially hit hard on Goodbye Sunday even though today is Tuesday. This felt like the kind of album that played in elevators or malls in the 80’s and I laugh because at that point I’m like why is this on the list and of course it’s a 4th album by a British band. Say no more. Not sure this needed to be here.

Very disappointed to learn this wasn't actually an obscure Idlewild album called Everything But The Girl. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. I thought it might be Cocteau-esque, but it was just...quite boring. Speaking of, I do hope that the Twins are on here.

I think if I listened to this in isolation it would be a 3. However it feels like we've had loads of shitty middle of the road British indie lately so I am not feeling in anyway generous. Take your two and fuck off.

Too slow and mellow for my tastes

Oh man, this is really, really, *really* good... At invoking narcolepsy. I almost nodded off, nearly dropping my breakfast of milque toast, which is WAY more savory and daring than the music contained herein.

I thought this was quite generic, uninspiring folk/pop. Talented musicians for sure, but I don't care for it. I don't mind their hit song Missing, but nothing on this album reached that level.

war okay, nix besonderes

this is losing the mid off because its slightly worse than mid. genuinely so so boring and bland

Какая стремная девушка ;;(

Too slow for me to really enjoy, and the likability dropped off significantly after the first track. 2.4 stars

Bit boring ngl

Its a lovely sound, but gets a bit lounge music-y and sort of runs out of ideas

Thoroughly meh 2.5

Comes across as overly sentimental.

Not sure why this is on the list tbh. I found it neither groudbreaking, important or interesting. Soz but nah

Wasnt offensive to my ears. But meh, very soft pop ballards.

boring ass music

Nothing stood out, but it wasnt bad, just ok. I like me some 80s sounding sad pop

Very 80s sound. I like the singers voice. 2 stars. Probably don’t need to listen to this again.

An ok, easy listening album

Aww no, EBTG. I kinda remember them being indie darlings and listening to this I really don’t get why. Bland and boring. If we are talking sophistipop you cannot beat The Blue Nile. They seem like nice people though

I do like EBTG but after the first two albums and Walking Wounded it's individual tracks rather than albums. This is one of those albums from the late 80s that feels like everyone is under pressure from the record company to come up with hits...so there's a cover. 2.3.

Un poco insípido... pero buen saax

More Brit bias from this list. Nothing special.

Not sure if this needs to be here. Thorn has a great voice, but the arrangements are bland and it lacks the emotional backbone of their later work.

I was there for it at the start and excited about what was to come. Unfortunately, nothing particularly interesting followed, and by the end I was just waiting for it to finish so I could move on to something else.

I had never heard of this group and now I've got two of their albums in back-to-back days. I enjoyed the other much more than this one. This one was just unoffensive 80's soft-pop. "These Early Days" was a fun track though.

Good for background noise and not much more. The hit song doesn't save the rest.

This album is fine, but is what I assume they play in the background of episodes of Gilmore Girls. Nothing objectionable but also completely forgettable.

Ok but a bit wishy washy for me.

This album sounds like an 80’s album and not in the good way and I know it came out in 88. Most songs could be played at the end of any sappy 80’s flick. Doesn’t hold up to the test of time.

"Idlewild" is an album by British musical duo Everything but the Girl. Considered "Sophisti-pop," this album sounds like a serene, ambient music, like what might be heard in a hipster coffeeshop. Calling this album [insert adjective] pop is a misnomer because its not pop or popular in any sense of the word. The whole album blandly blends together and amounts to very little in terms of notability.

Yeah… no… this is not for me. It’s not that they are bad at what they do, but to me, this is very uninteresting.

When I saw Roxy Music was an influence I lost hope. Better though.

One good single does not an album make.

The equivalent of the plain lettuce salad with lukewarm water, but one of the best you've ever had.

Aside from the vocals, it sounds like pretty much all the instruments are played on a Casio keyboard. I’m sure that’s not the case, but everything is synthesized to the point where it sounds amateurish. Using a drum machine for percussion isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the way it sounds here is basic and at the same time seems to be mastered oddly where it’s louder than other pieces which should maybe be more prominent. I haven’t enjoyed much by Everything but the Girl, but this might be my least favorite.

Just a half notch above AI generated 80s synthetic pop. Comes close to a list soundscape on occasion. Droning monotone vovals kills it

The first song was nice, but everything afterwards increasingly grated on me and felt like a pale shade of the first track. The lead singer obviously has a nice voice, but the instrumentation is so dated and bland and the overall sound of every song got increasingly repetitive. It felt like music that would be playing in a department store while I waited for my mom to finish buying a pair of shoes.

this was just boring mall muzak, what the heck? i only wrote down two vital notes as i was listening: - oxford street has water level music - the night i heard caruso sing was like a billy joel b-side with moxy fruvous vocals favorites: i don't want to talk about it (me in this review lmao), the night i heard caruso sing

Not a lot to be interested about here. Songs are generally bland and there are no real good tracks to even it out. No need to listen again.

Very unclear why this must be listened to before one’s demise. Some will enjoy it nevertheless. But for me it does not invite another, closer listen.

This thing is a rough listen, despite its clean production and great vocalists, as the whole thing is impeccably fake sounding. The instrumentation varies from smooth jazz lounge guitar playing to drum machines that would make the biggest pop stars from the time look away in fear, and the singing, while technically impressive, is a dime a dozen, and does nothing to stand above contemporaries. Perhaps it is to be celebrated for its safe textures in an era of unknowing, as if there is one thing this album is sure of, it's itself, but the whole thing is sleep inducing, and that can get aggravating even forty minutes later. An interesting juxtaposition to the music they would go on to make, but certainly not something to enjoy, as there are far smoother albums from the era in the same general genre as this one that go down far better.

Sleepy-time music

Not for me. Not sure why this is here. Blah

Good 80’s band. Good sound.

2 I wouldn’t say it’s bad just super lame and cheesy

nunca se sale del plato. Todo esta bien pero m falta algo, demasiado soso. tipica tia q hace lo q se espera de ella y lo hace todo bien, no hay ningun fallo. Bien pero aburrido

Not really a fan. This was putting me to sleep. No interest.

Boring-ass snoozefest of an album. Sounds like a bad performance at a lounge. Hasn't aged well. I like her voice and the song "Apron Strings", but that's about it. 2/5.

It’s chill and mood setting. But there’s not much to it. Good for ambiance at a winery not so much for everyday listening.

Only had the time to listen once. The first song was really nice, so I was looking forward to the rest, but the rest was not nearly as good. Boring songs with nothing special going for them. There are albums I've rated lower that I think are more entitled to a spot on this list due to their unqueness. Nothing unique here, just skimmed milk.

mostly a snooze for me. i prefered the beth orton record from a couple days ago.

Pretty bland and forgettable. I can see why people like this but it's definitely not me. Not 1 star bad but I won't be coming back to this again

Before pivoting to downtempo in the '90s, Everything But The Girl was a cute little indie pop outfit that did tenderness better than most. The problem is that it's '80s sheen makes it sound so boring and flat, it occasionally sounds like telephone hold music. While pleasant, Idlewild lacks a certain X factor that makes it stand out. Otherwise it's a fairly middling album.

This gives "doctors waiting room".

An album full of slow, tender pop ballads is not my thing. If it were, k.d. lang is better at it. She has a nice voice though. The guy was fine too I guess. The music was just dull to me though.

Idlewild is the fourth album by British musical duo Everything but the Girl. This pop album features acoustic instruments, synths, and drum machines, as the duo wanted to both try some modern sounds and stick with the classic recording process. Released to critical acclaim, this album has been certified gold in the UK and remains a fan favorite of the duo. I thought Idlewind was a relaxing pop album that would make a great soundtrack for a chilled-out event.

The good- Thorn’s pleasing vocals. Otherwise, a surprisingly bland affair from a band I had assumed had a bit more oomph. It is very hard to see who is the audience for this. Todd Terry saved their career.

I tried twice to get into this, no success. Too slow and samey.

Lyrically, it's smart and clever, but musically it's pretty dull. Hard to believe what they'd become later from this!

Just another way over represented UK album with no reason to be on this list.

I'm not caring for the country vibe of this album. Now it's gone to jazzy... which I also don't care for.

What in the “easy listening” adult contemporary boring schlock is this?

I knew nothing about this album but I'd been looking forward to it, based on my incorrect assumptions about what it would sound like. Wikipedia calls this "sophisti-pop," but I would call it adult contemporary. Blegh. Tracey Thorn has a lovely voice but this type of music is a slog for me to get through.

Huh, only had their other album from the book the other day. First song - Oh right, this is by them!? I don't really like it particularly but it's a good song. As far as 'middle of the road ballads' go. I can imagine my mum liking it. Oh it's a cover. Ah yeah I think I've heard the arod Stewart version plenty, as well as this one. Not sure about the original Crazy Horse though. I always thought they had some indie type past, not this schlocky stuff. By track 3 I am going to need a fairly abrupt left turn to stay interested. Ok I can tell that's not going to happen. Trying hard not to be dismissive, and I'm sure there's some nice lyrical content here but I'm getting far too much doctor's waiting room vibes. Far too easy listening, with twee production to boot. Sounds like The Sundays but not as good. Just not for me.

I love her voice, his not so much. The music is mediocre at best, and the lyrics suffer from the overall package.

Nothing special

- Joa, was soll ich sagen, hat mich überhaupt nicht abgeholt - Dachte sehr oft „was sind das alles für schmalzige Schmunzetten?!“ - also insgesamt nicht meins, und ich musste mich irgendwann echt bisschen durchquälen, wobei ich sagen muss, dass mir grundsätzlich so eine Popmusik immer noch besser gefällt als vieles, was heute die Charts bestimmt, weil man durchaus merkt, dass da zwei richtige Musiker dahinterstecken - anders wären die durchaus in teilen „jazzigen“ instrumentals so sicher nicht möglich gewesen - Außerdem ist die Entstehung des Bandnamens irgendwie witzig Rating: gut gemeinte 1,5-1,75/5

- Bis auf Oxford Street und These Early Days ist dieses Album absolut rücksichtslos an mir vorbeigerauscht. Wie wenn man auf einer langen Autofahrt Radio hört, sich aber nebenbei noch etwas unterhält und sich irgendwann fragt: Was haben wir sie letzten 30 Minuten eigentlich gehört. - Hab nochmal durchgeskippt und es ist für mich leider zum größten Teil belanglose und reizlose popmusik - 1,75/5

Hat mich nicht abgeholt. Sehr schnulzig. Aber auch schon schlimmeres gehört.

It's ok. The songs where the man sang were usually pretty bad. Will I listen to again: 0%

It's not awful music, and I kind of like the vocals, but it's just a forgettable album overall. Had it playing while doing some work and at no point did it grab my attention. Didn't need to hear this one.

Un album tellement unidimensionnel, tellement monotone, tellement inoffensif. Les mélodies sont peu recherchées, trop simple et souvent sonne comme de la musique d'ambiance qu'on aurait dans une boutique quétaine. Il n'y a vraiment rien qui fait en sorte que j'avais à écouter cet album avant de mourir. Ce n'est pas la pire chose que j'ai entendu, mais j'oublie les chansons au fur et à mesure qu'elles jouent. 3/10

This is just a collection of background songs fitted for the cheesiest scenes of Dawson’s Creek

I have maybe heard of this band? I'm chugging through a lot of 80s albums in a row. Maybe the generator is trying to get a bunch of them out of the way for me. Tracey Thorn has a beautiful voice. The opening track is a lovely; she sounds great, and the guitar sounds warm and sweet. I am wary of an album that opens with a cover. Some of the 80s production dates these songs for the worse. "Love Is Here Where I Live" has that piddling drum machine sound that takes the polish off the heavy piano and layered vocals. If you took the vocals off a lot of these songs, it would sound like waiting room music. I spent a lot of this album waiting for the next song to see if that one would stick. Anyways, I've heard Tracey Thorn has a good solo career. I'll go check some of that out. Highlights: I Don't Want to Talk About It, The Night I Heard Caruso Sing, Shadow on a Harvest Moon, Apron Strings

Didn't leave much of an impression sadly! No single song stood out much to me, and it's not the kind of thing I think I'd revisit

Found it boring. Nice voice though

I mean it was decent but all the songs sounded the same. Sounded like ABBA and Fleetwood Mac but worse. Sax was pretty cool in some of the songs though.

So. Boring. Dollar Store Annie Lennox just doesn’t do it for me.

She has a beautiful voice, but I didn't enjoy most of the songs. Too slow for me. I liked the upbeat song 'Blue Moon Rose' 2/5

Lidt ostet 80’er pop

Not for me.

Why?

Not terrible, but I slept through most of it.

Dinner party music 2/5

almost hilariously generic ez listening 80s medium ballads with royalty free music accompaniment. The sound of browsing for Hallmark cards for Mother's day under bright florescent K-mart lights. That all being said, I didn't totally hate listening to this. I guess this is the Western version of Japanese Citypop 2.5/5

She has a nice voice but the 80s ballads and drum machine vibes are just hard to get through.

Kinda sounds like something my mom would've listened to, but it's also kinda boring. Didn't feel very groundbreaking or new

Forventa nåke anna. Falt ikkje i smak diverre

Listened Before? N This was pretty meh. Very slow and soft. I wasn't a big fan. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: I Don't Want to Talk About It

Sophisti-pop classic. Makes me think of sitting in my orthodontist's waiting room as a teenager. Not the best association.

It’s not that interesting to me, sorry.

Good voice, but all in all pretty lame.

Forgettable. Did not seem particularly interesting

AJ: The Cure with a lady singer. Honestly listened to 30 seconds.

2 stars. not my thing

So cheesy, loved falling asleep to it

Rod Stewart cover song my dad knew gets an extra star

2.5/5 - It's cute at times. Thats about it. She has a pretty voice and he comes up with some cool sounds here and there. Talented musicians, not my type of music.

I don’t hate it, I don’t like it either. The instrumentals are pleasant but the writing sounds like someone who has never struggled for anything in their life trying to sound deep and profound when really they’re really just describing problems only upper-middle class white people in the 80s had the time or money to think about.

bit dreary, some nice music but don't like the vocals

Not very exciting music

Funky songs, not my type

When I was a kid in the late 80’s I remember being on an elevator and it seemed like the ride was taking forever. I’m pretty sure this was the album was playing over the speaker. That’s the review.

Stinky

Its like if Smooth FM was an album. I love her voice and i can appreciate the songwriting, but its pretty boring for the most part. Didnt despise listening to it but

This is like a meal made from great produce only to be undercooked and seasoned with air and false hopes. The songs are like attending a high school dance. Everyone pretends to be rather unique and interesting. But just below the surface everyone is either the same amount of pretentious, boring or insecure - or a combination. Also, did I mention the horrible lyrics?

Pure 80s pop. Not my thing, but if that’s what you’re looking for, this’ll get ya done just fine.

I dunno man. Lovely voice, some charming lyrics. Still sounds boring MoR to me 😥

Cheesy, indulgent, and honestly just kinda boring.

Not my cup of tea at all. Could not wait for it to be over. Very basic instrumentation and country singing, reminds me of Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Pop lànguid i hipnòtic amb una veu i arranjaments de qualitat i una molt bona versió de 'I Don't Want to Talk (About It)'

Tracey Thorn has a gorgeous voice. The cover of I Don’t Want To… is lovely The rest is utterly insipid though

This was aural wall paper

The album cover, where the band look washed-out and dull, says it all.

Not my thing. Just not a fan of the style or the writing.

It's mostly forgettable 80s pop, really. It's not, like, terrible, but not especially interesting either.

This was the equivalent of the music in a dentist’s office.

Sounds nice, although it's a bit sappy and dated.

Snozefest

Mediocre tunes, mediocre voice, mediocre lyrics. Doesn't even include their best song.

poppy...very poppy, but interesting

Kind of boring

Meh

80s pop but the kind I find a little boring, the show 'Keeping Up Appearances' comes to mind listening to this

Didn't give it too much of a chance admittedly. Felt uninspiring

Rien d’interessant. Très pop monotone. 4/10

Very mellow/easy listening... Literally what I think my mum would have listened to in the 80s

Tried, but couldn't do it. Just bad pop music. Cliche Hammond organ and drum machine.

Made it through a couple of songs, but this managed to be both melodramatic and boring at the same time. Production was decent.

The Definition of easy listening, nice but that's about it

Very 80s. Michael Jackson's 'The Girl is Mine' vibes throughout the entire album. It was ok. A little too downtempo and unmemorable for me. Fave tracks: I don't Want to Talk About It, Oxford Street

I found this album to be pretty unremarkable. Very strong 80s sound with lots of drum machines, soft vocals and plucky guitars. Fav Tracks: The Night I Heard Caruso Sing, Apron Strings

I'm sure there's over 1000 more essential albums than this. This is the musical equivalent of color by numbers. Everything by the book. The result is not really bad, but it's not exciting in any way. Favorite song: blue moon rose

Not certain why this was in any way considered a "1001 album". It's not *bad*, but it is bland, somewhat repetitive, and fairly trite. It's well put together, but it's just not particularly noteworthy.

So so boring 2/5

Vapid, bland, offensively shite music.

2/12, 17%

Really like their jazzy 1st album, Tracey's solo album Distant Shore and the two songs they did with Massive Attack. Her voice one of the most beautiful in pop music. But this album really too sweet and boring for me. Have to give 2 stars

Sophisti-pop = probably played on shitty retail store speakers or in the lobby of a medical office?

I assume that this album plays on repeat in suburban British dentist offices, and I will continue to assume that until I am definitely proven otherwise.

The good: Tracey Thorne has a nice voice. The bad: Elevator Music. Zzzzz. Didn't need to hear this. The only track I really liked was the first one, the Crazy Horse cover "I Don't Want to Talk About It." It had a real nice vibe. The rest was boring adult contemporary music/cheesy 80s pop. Next.

It's okay. Didn't hate it, in fact it's kinda pleasant to listen to in the background, but there is absolutely nothing that stands out, no place for this in the best albums ever.

Easy listening background music. Nice vocals and piano, sax but maybe if it was arranged differently it could have been memorable story telling.

There is a reason why people do not make music like this anymore.

Not enjoyable to me

Not for me

Väldigt, väldigt, väldigt tråkigt

Ich habe mich gelangweilt durch 5 Songs durchgeskippt und dann abgebrochen. Niemand muss auch nur eine Platte von Everything But The Girl gehört haben. Bitte gerne nie wieder.

Muziek voor zachtjes op de achtergrond in een hotel bar vol hitsige heren in pak, op zoek naar een avontuurtje tijdens hun zakenreisje.

Dit is wel heeeeeeeeel traaaaaaaaag en best wel saaaaaaaai.

I don't have to do this

No thanks, this is not my thing. "Sophisti-pop" might be a tough sell for me.

Not an interesting record musically or lyrically, all songs blend together and sound the same, honestly. It's very middle-of-the-road pop music which isn't my cup of tea.

It was good for a listen I liked the re-issue better, with the Danny Whitten song ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ included better

Eh it was just there. It wasn't awful. A 2 is generous

mech, porosty, wodorosty

Aggressively boring

I liked the first song but ultimately it just sounds like cheesy 80s crap. Even though it's not my least favourite album so far, it is probably the album I think "why is this on this list?" The most. The majority of the good reviews seem to be "ah I remember listening to this when I was young" non seem to explain to me why it's important or not just cheesy crap

Echt geen klap aan dit. Allemaal langzaam, allemaal hetzelfde, maar ook niet bijzonder mooi of rakend ofzo. Het is niet vreselijk, maar het heeft ook gewoon helemaal niks, dus ik twijfel hard tussen 1 en 2 sterren. Laten we het maar het voordeel van de twijfel geven dan.

I feel like I missed something. It just seemed like easy listening soft rock crap

I love Tracey Thorn's voice but I very much dislike the smooth jazz vibe. Her voice is the only reason this is getting two stars instead of 1.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… …I apologise for the copious zeds, but holy moly 1001 list this is some boring shite. British 1001 bias albumified right here. There is no planet, no time, no universe in which this is interesting.

What a difference from their later work! This album was a major disappointment and it's hard to imagine that it was ever popular. It sounds like elevator music. By far, the highlight is Tracey Thorn's beautiful voice.

Just quite dull. Can't really believe they made a whole album of these songs and who thinks it merits listening to before I die?

It hit all of my expectations, which are low.

It was ok

Was not expecting soft jazz

Dentist office background music. I don't hate it, but I also don't like it.

I thought the cover of I Don't Want to Talk About It was the best song on the album. Everything sounded near exactly the same, I barely noticed where one track stopped and the next started. Saying that, it was inoffensive easy background listening.

I'd pretty much written this off before I listened to it.... It was better than I expected but still not really my thing at all. Most of it I didn't really like but she has a great voice and I quite liked the stripped back songs. Can't see myself going back to it but I thought "these early days" and "apron strings" were the best tracks.... Likely because I have small children and they've made me soft!

70s band that helped give rise to so-called "soft-rock".

I'm not the target audience for this one. I get what it's trying to do, but it's just boring whining to my ears. I'm sorry bootleg Poly Styrene and bootleg Morrissey, may you live a happy life together.

I listened to this - thought it was boring and shit. Trying to remember an interesting observation but I simply couldn't think of one.

Far too "easy listening" for me

Yawn. Lyrics felt a lot like Tracy Chapman but with a less interesting voice. I briefly got excited by a song until I realized that the album had ended and it was actually a style council song, a much better band.

Kind of the beginning of the end of them for me.

Couldn’t finish it. Nothing bad per say but I got tired of it

This isn't in my original copy of the book which means someone thought that the original 1,001 albums you need to listen to before you die was incomplete without this album. How many flights of stairs do you need to fall down to elicit the brain damage requisite to think that the original list could only be improved by this album? This is probably the most insulting example of the books author(s) cramming their Brit-Pop of the 80s and 90s down our throats when even the Wikipedia entry for this album cites "Three songs were released as singles but failed to make a big impact." What about this album is a must-listen? I can think many reasons to never listen to this album again. 2/5.

smooth jazz - thought they were electronica.....

Not for me

No word of a lie, this album sounded like one long continuous song. I literally could not distinguish one track from the next. Make a cohesive album, sure. But give it some goddamn variety for chrissake.

A few good songs but not a huge fan of this music

Fine, but all the songs just blended togther

This does nothing for me. Gentle, almost soporific. I don't find the tunes particularly memorable. Playing is tasteful. The drum machines give me the irrits; this needed either a good drummer or use of sampled loops (as they did on subsequent albums) to give it a bit more swing. I do own a copy of this record, but I note that I have put on consignment for sale at Scratches Records, Newtown (head on down! say hi to Lorenz for me!). I know that I listened to it before I sent it out for sale, but cannot remember a thing about it. Listening to it today re-affirms my decision. Inessential for me.

Seems unfair to give this 2 stars because it’s ‘not my thing’. It doesn’t really stand out from a thousand other talented female leads. Lyrics are intelligent but the music is just filler.

Not much to this album that was memorable. The music was meh ok. They halve decent voices but nothing exciting comes from this album.

This is boring 80s love ballads.

Totally ok

More bland lounge music. These guys would be nothing without Todd Terry.

Just not for me

No thank you

Not terrible, kind of like early bill Joel and Irish dido teamed up with the power of drum machines and synthesizers. Nu wave at its middlest.

boring, empty, repetitive

Just not the same energy I have today. Descent but nothing special.

This is very boring. I wonder if they tried to make it sound like that, cause they did a great job.

Lots of love songs but nice arpeggio melodic guitars