Bandwagonesque

A fine album under any other circumstances but when your album cover is something I could have created in Microsoft Paint and your music can barely rise above the hum of background music, I, again, question why it is on this list. Clearly this group of people liked the idea of 1001 albums more than actually trying to find 1001 albums. Seems more like they found about five hundred and then said "right, just toss a bunch a randoms in here"

very teen very band

God bless the second listen. Was so uninterested on my first listen. Sounded plain, uninspiring and mainly derivative. I then learned that the album preceded most of the artists it seemed to derive from. It sounds very Oasis-y and Madchester-ish generally. On the second listen, it all came together to create something really special. I love the first few tracks collectively. The final track Is This Music is easily the best on the album. Sounds so so much like a Cure song. A discarded intro to a song from Disintegration that Robert Smith never got around to writing lyrics to. Pet Rock is also a favourite. It’s a great album. You just need to listen to it again.

Pretty good, got some oasis vibes in the middle tracks then realised this came out in 1991, before oasis. No i’m wondering okay, so who do oasis sound like then? Some hits and some not so hits but overall quite enjoyed this one, 7/10. Favourites: Metal Baby Is This Music?

This is another one of my all time favorite albums so I'm pretty sure I won't be able to review it objectively. Or maybe it's just one of the greatest albums ever. Noisy, jangly, perfect power pop from Scotland. Fun fact: Spin magazine picked this as album of the year in 1991 over Nirvana's Nevermind. Usually when this fact gets brought up it's to show how short-sighted Spin magazine was but maybe they were just brilliant. Don't get me wrong, I love Nevermind too but I listen to Bandwagonesque way more often.

Triple J, Australia's public 'yoof' radio network, playlisted some Teenage Fanclub songs very early. But, as a record store clerk in a small alternative record store, they were the bane of my life. Just because Triple J were playing Everything Flows every hour, doesn't mean that it is available as a single. In fact, it was only available in Australia on imported copies of A Catholic Education LP, and truth be told, none of the rest of that album was nearly as good as Everything Flows. Worse yet, Triple J then started playing God Knows It's True, which was a UK single only, and you couldn't source for love or money. Both pretty good songs -- noisy but tuneful -- and an indication of what was about to come. Bandwagonesque was released locally in Australia, and we sold a stack of copies in the store, despite the memorably rubbish cover. I saw them play the Big Day Out festival in 1994. Bandwagonesque is, in my mind, Teenage Fanclub's masterwork. Full of trainspotter influences (Big Star, the Byrds, British invasion, Dinosaur Jr), it was noisy power pop with great tunes, terrific harmonies and a big heart. I think those references, beloved of record nerds and white boy critics everywhere, are the reason that Spin rated this as the best album of 1991 (above Nevermind!). It was a critics' darling, but here's what I really like about the album: the band themselves did not fall into that cult of rock critic cool. They embraced an everyday, slightly nostalgic, and definitely uncool sensibility; "She wears denim wherever she goes, she's gonna get some records by the Status Quo, oh yeah!" They are a band uninterested in cred. As Norman Blake said in the NME: "We write honest tunes, man… Songs." There is a workman-like quality to this record. It's rough-hewn and noisy (as was the vogue at the time). They tidied up a bit later in their career, but I really like this inflection point between their earlier noisier records and the mature songcraft they developed. This is best of both worlds, and a bit out of step in its time; catchy melodies and sweet harmonies were not generally a common feature of guitar rock in 1991, but they age really well. I've listened to this through four times today and enjoy it more each time. The Concept is one of my favourite songs of the decade, and my 7" copy is a prized possession.

Dunno anything about these guys! The Concept - A nice, mellow song. Sad lyrics. Kind of rides the line between early pop punk, emo, and grunge Satan - Accurate! A mental breakdown December - Another kind of emo love song. What You Do To Me - Beach Boys with more fuzz. I Don't Know - This is kind of an easy listening track. All of these songs have nice melodies. Star Sign - Another touchpoint for me is Rooney. These guys sound like Rooney. Metal Baby - Pure Beatles on this one. Same melody, harmonies. This could be a Beatles song. Pet Rock - Kind of a jam session continuation of the above. Sidewinder - Back to Beach Boys again. This album started out being a downer, but the entire back half is peppy pop songs with the effects pedal turned up. Alcoholiday - Great title. Do I detect some melancholy returning? Guiding Star - Back in full melancholy, even though the melodies are still lilting. The fuzz just keeps increasing! Is This Music? - Good question. I'd say so! Favorite melody on the album, even though it gets a bit close to the U2 department. Overall, this is a fine album. I'm not sure if it belongs on the list of 1000 greatest ever, but I didn't hate it. Pet Rock

Bloody loved it. Perfect blend of early 90's British indie, American alt rock and the 60's. Immediately added to my favourite albums playlist.

The name sounds familiar, but I don't know this band. They're Scottish, so I imagine the British list author put this on very begrudgingly. The album started slow, but by "I Don't Know" things picked up a bit. This is pretty good alternative rock, but it's very tame. The vocals are subdued, the instrumentals aren't too creative. At least it's got a consistent sound. It's funny to me that the last song is called "Is This Music" because that's probably the best on the album. Yes, guys, THAT is music. Give us more of that. Favorite tracks: Is This Music, Star Sign, I Don't Know. Album art: Extremely simple, but I love this one. We love a sack of money with a dollar sign on it, don't we folks? Wikipedia has a blurb about Gene Simmons trademarking the moneybag symbol, that's insane. I linked his logo below, It's awful. Why did he make it lumpy? Dollar bills are not lumpy. You should be ashamed of yourself, Gene. 3.5/5 https://celebrityclothingline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/money-bag-gene-simmons-logo.jpg

Do you remember that time earlier this year when everyone made a really big deal about the 30th anniversary of this album? No? That's because nobody remembers Teenage Fanclub, and any acclaim this album received back in '91 has been lost to time. ]"Bandwagonesque was voted 'album of the year' for 1991 by American music magazine Spin, famously beating Nirvana's landmark album Nevermind." Hahahahahaha.... hahahahaha! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Do you know who likes astrological signs? Teenage girls. They’ve got apps that give them daily horoscopes and other jazz. But astrology thinks I’m a Virgo. My 8th grade science teacher looked up the orientation of the night sky when I was born and said that I’m actually a Leo. Do you know who's thoughts on astrology are vague and confusing? Teenage Fanclub. I don’t know what “Star Sign” is trying to say. Apparently it was their biggest hit though. Probably with teenage girls in their teenage fanclub who love that stuff. The rest of the songs made little-to-no impact. "Satan" and "What You Do to Me" and "Pet Rock" were wastes. They weren't interesting enough as near-instrumentals or interludes to be worth it. And the rest of the songs were rather generic. I don't know how Spin got this one so wrong. Their other album of the year picks seem pretty standard and acceptable. Oh well. The music itself is a 3. Harmless, only one or two songs I would actively run away from. I'm trying real hard not to dock it an extra star for Spin's overhype.

Loved it. A power pop classic with strong echoes of Big Star. Hooky, melodic and charming, with a nice bit of burn to keep it from getting too pretty. Not perfect, but the magic is in the quirks and imperfections. I was leaning toward giving this a 4, but it's just so infectiously good. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): The Concept, What You Do to Me, Is This Music?, Metal Baby, December, Star Sign, Sidewinder, Alcoholiday, Guiding Star, I Don't Know, Pet Rock, Satan

I’ve been a fan of this record for many years now. The Concept might be one of the greatest opening tracks in all of rock and Star Sign is one of the best alternative singles of the 90’s to me, but while listening I was having a hard time justifying giving Bandwagonesque 5 stars. The thing is, I wasn’t sure all of the songs here live up to the high bar that The Concept or Star Sign or December set. Then, Alcoholiday came on, with its jangly guitar and the wordless “ah-ah” vocal intro and was reminded of just how perfectly that hits. It’s not an insane feat of technical prowess or even the most original sound in the world, but there is something about it that is just right to me. I’m having a difficult time coming up with the words to describe what it is about that sound that makes me feel the way I do. It’s like an uplifting sense of melancholy, which is sort of an antithetical way to feel. It’s instantly soothing and there are enough of those moments on this record that I wouldn’t be being honest with myself if I only gave it a four. Big Star is one of the only other bands I can think of that hits that same sort of spot for me and it’s not surprising: Teenage Fanclub are clearly fans of theirs and many critics drew comparisons between the two acts, going as far as to call Bandwagonesque “Big Star’s 4th” as a means of compliment. If you like power pop and you like huge, fuzzed out 90’s guitars, you’ll probably find a lot to like on Bandwagonesque. I like both of those things quite a bit, so I’m not sure why I was having doubts about rating it a 5 in the first place… Also, a not-so-fun fact about this record: Gene Simmons apparently sued Teenage Fanclub over this album cover, claiming that he owned the trademark to the “bag of money with a dollar sign on it”. That can’t possibly be true, there’s cartoons from like the 1930’s with a dollar sign emblazoned money bag in them, but Teenage Fanclub settled and paid him royalties - presumably to avoid a long, drawn out legal battle with one of rock and roll’s wealthiest assholes. TL;DR: Bandwagonesque - 5 Stars, Gene Simmons - Colossal Douchebag

So Oasis didn't event nineties britpop after all. It was this Scottish band, apparently. And they got inspiration from an... American band. Funny how things work, right? I first listened to Teenage fanclub a few years after this particular album came out. I found them good, but a little trite and poppy compared to a lot of the other indie bands I was listening to at the time. Now, decades later, I have to admit that my ears are far more finely attuned to this particular sound, if that makes any sense. *Star Sign* is a great song, for instance. Yet about this one song, and about the other ones in this album, most of them stellar, I gotta say that on the other side of the pond, a US band named The Posies would soon do even better in this Big Star-indebted stylistic realm--also helped by producer Don Fleming--and this, with half of the music-press hype surrounding Teenage Fanclub. Yeah, Big Star is the American band I was referring to at the start of this short review. In a way there's a line that goes from Big Star to Oasis, and this almost directly. Didn't see that coming myself. So, yeah, today's album is really great, even if it's not the absolute best in the genre. Of course, saying so could sound as if I was trying to demean or take something out of *Bandwagonesque*. But I'm not. All by itself, this record is pretty iconic, and I understand why it should be on this list today, enough said. But still, don't forget to check out The Posies as well (*Frosting On the Beater* and *Amazing Disgrace*). OK? 4,5/5 for the purposes of this list, which translates to a 9,5/10 grade for more general purposes. I'm rounding up to a perfect 5/5 and 10/10, though. Number of albums left to review: 362 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 288 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 152 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 205

Masterpiece!!! Such a brilliant album, heavily inspired by Big Star but they do their own thing and write some damn incredible songs. “The concept” and “alcoholiday” are the best but the whole thing is a blast all the way through. Definitely 5 stars.

Great blend of Brit pop and punk with The Beach Boys influence coming through. Overall, a warm album from a band who knows how to effectively switch up a song

Can I give it 6 stars?

Sounds like what I'm listening to when I come home from the skate park and need a glass of water.

Creation Records at their absolute peak! They released this one, Loveless AND Screamadelica all within 2 months! Good job, Alan!

I was driving through heavy rain and traffic while listening to this album and after it was done, three more generic 90s alt rock songs played on autoplay and I had no idea they weren’t part of the album. This wasn’t baaad, some pretty good guitar throughout, however it didn’t make enough of an impression on me

June 7th, 2021 1.THE CONCEPT- Solid first track in two parts. Definitely a rock "anthem". 2.SATAN- Experimental. Self explanatory. 3.DECEMBER- Not too bad. The violins make the song. 4.WHAT YOU DO TO ME -My favorite track so far. Great harmonies. 5.I DON'T KNOW- All-around good rock song. 6.STAR SIGN- 🔼"ditto" 8.METAL BABY- If the Beatles, circa 1963, made a song about an edgy metal chick, this would be it. Definitely a favorite. 9.PET ROCK- Good guitar solo. 10.SIDEWINDER- Another slightly more contemporary take on Beatles harmonies. 11.ALCOHOLIDAY- This is what happiness sounds like. 12.GUIDING STAR- Nice mellowed out tune. 13.IS THIS MUSIC- A refreshing change of pace from the rest of the album encompasses this final track. >In Review: It's impossible to truly dislike this album. Even though it's overall pretty straightforward (nothing too crazy) it's well-produced and there's great harmonies, guitar solos and good vibes throughout. It's timeless pop rock for the whole family (well, except for "Satan" of course). With all that being said, "The Concept" is this album's very own rock anthem and "Metal Baby" is an awesome track that brings the Please Please Me-era Beatles to mind. Also, the final track "Is This Music?" is a refreshing stylistic change of pace (another stylistic deviation on this album would be terrific). Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10 if possible.

There’s no pretension here—just hooks so sweet they could give your dentist a panic attack. The harmonies shimmer like a dream you can’t quite remember, and the guitars sound like they’re covered in vintage fuzz and day-old sunshine. It’s power pop that slouches, slurs, and smiles. And somehow still wins. Rating: 4.4/5 Short Review: Like if Pavement stopped being ironic and just hugged you instead. Favorite Track: “Alcoholiday” – pure, aching beauty in flannel shirt form. It’s the sound of trying to forget someone and failing in the most melodic way possible.

Dude. I loved this so much and I will not apologize for it.

Absolutely deserved to beat out "Nevermind" in that Spin album of the year poll

The opening song is tremendous, the second half especially. This is good alt-rock. Their sound really scratches an itch and I don't think it has any misses.

I had to listen to this one twice. The first time I was in the car and my kids were talking over it most of the time. Wasn't a fair listen but I still heard some things that I thought were good and I wanted to try again. Glad I did, listened a second time and really really liked it. Loved the guitar work. Great stuff here!

Ok this is something I like about this project, I know a few of these songs but never bought or listened to Teenage Fanclub or this album. I think I always thought they were boring. So I don’t know if it’s nostalgia from this type of music being right in my wheelhouse, but I’m loving this album. On my second listen through, and will add to the rotation. I the end I listened to it three times through, will give it a five!

Hooks like these are my kryptonite. Just satisfying all the way through, and they have a ton of albums that achieve the same. Great underrated band.

The Concept was my introduction to Teenage Fanclub and after loving the song I've been a big fan ever since. Some of the best Big Star-inspired music I've heard in a while on their third album, they turn in a near-perfect mix of alt-rock, power-pop with crunching guitars, catchy melodies and memorable songs. I would rank 1995's, Grand Prix as their best (and personal favourite) album, but the signature sound of the band was really taking shape starting with Bandwagonesque and you can't deny it's impact on early 90's indie rock.

Brilliant. I'm not sure why I didn't listen to them before, other than my disliking for jangle pop. An extra star for being Scottish as well means that it has to be 5 🌟

It's tricky because while we hadn't heard of the band, at first it seemed derivative. It sounded like a lot of other 90s alt rock bands, but it turns out that this band was one of the influences for that band and not derivative at all.

I LOVE Teenage Fanclub. That is all I can say. From the minute I put this on, to the minute it is over, it is such a genuine pleasure.

Parece precursor do brit-pop

Completely blown away by this album. Unfortunately, my review is not very original and reflects the others that I have read: Didn't know much about the band so this album was a pleasant surprise. Still incredible to think that this was released in 1991. Even the mixing is a joy to listen to. I've listened to it no fewer than 4 times since it showed up yesterday. I then jumped on ebay and purchased it on CD. A real gem!

Soft music delivered hard, this is the fey-Crazy Horse tributary of grunge’s big-guitar outpouring, a hard sell for me then, a hopeful, lovable vibe to these older ears. Do the guitars on the last track deliberately sound like bagpipes?

Back in the day I held Teenage Fanclub in something like grudging respect, but I was always suspicious of them. I was living in the Pacific Northwest in the '90s and the scene had blown up all around us. Any band from anywhere else was a little bit suspect. Who were these blokes that sounded a little like The Posies, but also like some of our other dirty pop bands? Coming all the way over from Scotland to play here, they certainly wanted something...with their cheeky band name, brazen record title and big ol' dollar sign on the cover. *clutches pearls* I was too young to understand how music can be like the ocean; any wave a band rides can be bigger than the spot you're standing in. After all, I mistook the limits of my own listening habits and scene for the boundaries of what mattered. Now I've come to appreciate this band and often reach for something off of Bandwagonesque when putting a playlist together. It's a well-constructed indie fuzz pop near-masterpiece after all.

So this is the album that Spin Magazine decided was better than any other album in 1991. Better than Nevermind, better than Out of Time, better than Ten. Honestly? It's good. It's not "Best album of 1991" good, but it's good. It's very well played alt rock music with thoughtful lyrics, and if it weren't for that strange ranking by Spin I'd say this is an underrated gem from the 90s. Each track is strong and it doesn't wear out its welcome. It's worth a listen.

I agree that this is better than Nirvana's first album and I'm glad it nudged it out in 91. It's pretty melodic and a little sophisticated, but has some of that 90s one-hit wonder stuff (think Deep Blue Something, Rembrandts). Solid effort from top to bottom.

Made me feel nostalgic, even though I had never heard it before. Interesting feeling.

Must keep my Scottish bias in check! Good but not exceptional album. Has some interesting moments and I like the vocals but nothing that makes me go wow!

Big Star, but not. Excellent musicianship, good tunes, and immediately catchy at first listen. Power pop at its best.

"The Concept" remains a relative banger, at least for the first few minutes. The rest is quite blah (and lazy) - a huge disappointment when eagerly purchased based on music rag hype (and happily traded for "S+E 1992" shortly afterwards). Widely described (favorably!) as "ripping off Big Star", if only it was that good.. Released the same day, and on the same label as "Loveless", a month or so after "Screamadelica". What a time to be alive!

Mediocre jangly punky pop. Starts as kind of a punk sound and turns into like a shitty version of Oasis towards the end. Bonus points for what might be the worst album cover ever.

Bandwagonesque I loved Songs From Northern Britain from a few years after this, and really liked Grand Prix too - they’re one of those bands I always assume I like, without ever really properly listening beyond those two albums. I do know The Concept and What You Do To Me, but everything else on here is unfamiliar. I wasn’t expecting there to be so much My Bloody Valentine/Jesus & Mary Chain and so much fuzzy distorted guitar, but it makes sense for 1991 and also as a Creation band in the early 90s. On first listen I found the noise-ness a bit distracting, and things like Satan sound a bit unconvincing, but I grew into it, and some of the sunny pop melodies emerging through the haze of distortion really are fantastic. The Concept, December, What You Do To Me, I Don’t Know, Star Sign, Pet Rock are all great songs. That mix of fuzz and melody, although perhaps a little unbalanced in favour of noise, does give the album quite a distinct character, but it does drag a little towards the end. I know this is regarded as their best album, but I do prefer those subsequent albums when everything’s a bit tighter and more focused on melodic jangle pop. Tricky one to score, on the edge of 3 and 4. I really like them as a band and there are some great tracks on here, but I’m more likely to go to Grand Prix or SFNB, so I’ll go high 3. 💰💰💰 Playlist submission: What You Do

Pleasant but really nothing special. How it's classed as one of the best ever is beyond me.

Not great but not awful.

I don't remember this at all, and I'm pretty sure I listened all the way through.

This was ok. Not really for me though. As the album went on I warmed a little to it but it never really went anywhere. The noisier sections hinted at the band being more raucous, only to dwindle back into safe indie territory. Wasn’t shit, but didn’t really hold my interest.

I know this is a highly regarded album and I'm not surprised to see it on this list. It just never did anything for me, though. Sure, it has big, fuzzy guitars and noisy, feedback-drenched interludes, but it lacks the emotion and the hooks that punctuated the Alternative Rock boom of 1991. I won't fight "Bandwagonesque"'s inclusion here, but I would rather have seen this entry go to something like Ned's Atomic Dustbin's "God Fodder" or Babes in Toyland's "To Mother" or TAD's "Eight-Way Santa", all of which I'm sure didn't make the cut.

I fogot what had listened to it the moment the album ended

Forgettable (Scottish) rock

Boring 90's alt-rock, not even interesting enough to hate.

A simple enough formula that reminded me of Japandroids, who I hadn't heard in a long time, so I went back to the 2012 release of Celebration Rock ... that's a great album; one that I think everyone should hear before they die.

skipping the detailed notes because this is an absolute nothingburger of an album. its not bad music per se i just fundamentally reject the idea that this has anything to do with an albums to listen to before you die list

Nope. This is not an album that anyone needs to hear before they die, and its kind of shit. 1/5

said bandwagon being full of shite

Hard no. Some feedback guitars followed by sugary sweet, unengaging melodies and lyrics.

Well, that was terrible. Okay then, moving on.

Some of the sounds on the opening track gave me a burst of hope that this might have been something interesting to listen to but then three or four songs in it turned into general boring pop music so I phased out and don't really care for this sorry lads.

I'm certainly not jumping on this bandwagonesque

A fascinating choice for an in-depth review, as *Bandwagonesque* occupies a unique and somewhat controversial space in rock history. It's the album that beat *Nevermind* to be *SPIN*'s Album of the Year in 1991, a fact that has defined and dogged it in equal measure for three decades . ### An In-Depth Review of Teenage Fanclub's *Bandwagonesque* In the tumultuous landscape of 1991, where grunge was about to detonate and shoegaze was reaching its shimmering peak, three Scottish musicians released an album that looked resolutely backward. *Bandwagonesque* is not a record of reinvention but of perfect curation. By filtering the jangle of The Byrds, the power-pop crunch of Big Star, and the ragged majesty of Neil Young through their own laid-back, Glasgow lens, Teenage Fanclub created a timeless, frustratingly charming, and deeply influential album . ### Music and Production: The Sound of Fuzzed-Out Warmth Musically, *Bandwagonesque* is a masterpiece of texture. The album is built on the interplay between chiming, clean guitar lines and a thick layer of distorted fuzz. This is not the aggressive, mid-scooped distortion of Seattle; rather, it is a warm, almost cozy blanket of noise that wraps around the melodies. The production, handled by Don Fleming and the band, gives the record a live, "in-the-room" feel. The bass is notably heavy in the mix, sometimes fuzzy, which adds a surprising low-end thud to otherwise delicate pop songs . The arrangements are deceptively simple. The band makes a virtue of "studied lethargy," with tempos that often feel unhurried, as if the band is leaning back into the groove . This lazy precision is best heard on the extended coda of the opening track, "The Concept," where the song dissolves into a fist-pumping, instrumental jam of searing guitars and bombastic drums . A key production quirk is the democratic distribution of songwriting and lead vocals among Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley. This gives the album variety, as each writer brings a slightly different flavor, yet the cohesive production and harmony vocals (reminiscent of The Beach Boys) unify it into a singular statement . ### Lyrics and Themes: Simple, Sincere, and Slightly Sly Lyrically, *Bandwagonesque* rejects the angst and poetic imagery that dominated the era. Instead, it focuses on the mundane, heartfelt, and sometimes silly aspects of love and infatuation. The words are often simple to the point of being childlike (the chorus of "What You Do to Me" repeats the title ad nauseam), yet they possess a disarming sincerity . The primary theme is the character study and the narrator's bemused observation of a "scene." The opening lines of "The Concept" are a perfect thesis statement for the album: *"She wears denim wherever she goes / Says she's gonna get some records by the Status Quo"* . This is a love song to a girl who is trying so hard to be cool that she loops back around to being endearing. Norman Blake has stated he wrote these lyrics just 20 minutes before recording, aiming for a narrative rather than pure emotional expression . This impromptu, non-precious approach defines the album's charm. Themes include: - **The Hipster Observed:** Songs like "The Concept" and "Metal Baby" gently poke fun at rock archetypes and fandom without cruelty. - **Simple Devotion:** Tracks like "I Don't Know" and "What You Do to Me" are straightforward declarations of feeling. - **Nostalgia and Melancholy:** "December" introduces strings and a more wistful tone, showing the band’s range beyond the fuzz-pop stomp. ### The Big Star "Problem" and Influence You cannot discuss *Bandwagonesque* without addressing the elephant in the room: it sounds exactly like Big Star. As one critic noted, it was marketed as "The Fourth Big Star Album" . However, context is key. In 1991, Big Star was a deeply obscure, cult act. The band wasn't cynically plagiarizing a famous band; they were lovingly resurrecting a forgotten sound . They reintroduced power-pop’s vocabulary to a generation raised on punk and hair metal. The influence of the album is subtle but vast. While it did not shift units like *Nevermind*, its DNA can be heard in the 90s power-pop revival (bands like Superdrag) and the jangle of early 2000s indie rock. It proved that you could be loud without being angry and melodic without being soft . By rejecting the "over-eager schemes" of modern pop, they created a blueprint for the "slacker" aesthetic that would flourish later in the decade . ### Pros and Cons of the Album Here is a breakdown of the album's strengths and weaknesses based on critical reception and contemporary listening. | **Pros (The Strengths)** | **Cons (The Weaknesses)** | | :--- | :--- | | **Timeless Hooks:** Songs like "The Concept" and "Star Sign" possess a melodic quality that transcends the era's trends . | **Lack of Variety:** Critics note that after the first four tracks, the songs begin to blur together. The mid-tempo, fuzz-pop formula can feel "one-dimensional" across a full 40 minutes . | | **Democratic Chemistry:** The three-songwriter approach keeps the listener engaged. The shift from Norman's rockers to Gerard's dreamier tracks prevents fatigue. | **The "Satan" Interlude:** At just over a minute, this faux-metal thrash piece is jarring and underdeveloped. It feels less like a curveball and more like a joke that goes on slightly too long . | | **Perfect Production:** The blend of clean jangle and massive, warm fuzz creates a "wall of sound" that is pleasant rather than oppressive. It is a masterclass in guitar tone . | **Over-reliance on Nostalgia:** For listeners unfamiliar with or uninterested in 70s power-pop, the album can feel derivative. It relies on a specific, retro vocabulary that may not appeal to everyone . | | **Historical Significance:** It is a time capsule of the moment *before* alternative rock became commercialized. Winning SPIN's top spot over *Nevermind* is a fascinating historical footnote . | **Lyrical Simplicity as a Crutch:** While often charming, the lyrics can occasionally drift into the "trite." The repetitive nature of songs like "What You Do to Me" can feel lazy rather than minimalist . | ### Conclusion: A Perfect Imperfect Record *Bandwagonesque* is not a revolutionary album; it is an evolutionary one. It is a record that proves that "reinventing the wheel" is a worthwhile endeavor if you make the wheel spin this smoothly . While it lacks the seismic cultural impact of its 1991 peers, it has arguably aged with more grace than many of them. It does not sound like a product of its time; it sounds like a product of a timeless love for guitar pop. It may be a little too long, a little too derivative, and a little too slack, but those are precisely the qualities that make it so endearing. It is a rare album that feels like an old, comfortable sweater and a critical masterpiece simultaneously. For fans of pure, unadulterated guitar rock, *Bandwagonesque* remains essential listening.

This one was such a great album! The guitars are often fuzzy and crunchy, but the songs themselves are super melodic. It is not aggressive in the way grunge is, but it has enough distortion and looseness that it doesn’t feel too clean or precious. It was like a really good worn-in flannel shirt of an album — soft, fuzzy, melodic, and quietly addictive.

Still a great album after all these years. One of those that you can not listen to for some time and just fall straight back into whilst wondering why it’s been so long since you last listened to it.

One of my first teenage album loves, first band I ever saw live, and I wore an ‘I’m a Teenage Fanny’ t-shirt. There’s only one mark this album is getting.

Full disclosure, I listened to this album whilst walking the dog this morning wearing one of the three teenage fanclub t shirts I own. Also, this isn’t one of my favourite of their albums (probably number 3 for me)…. But its’s a wonderful thing. Jangly guitars, beautiful harmonies and songs so beautifully crafted I’m still outraged at British society that they weren’t hits. Pop music in its purest and simplest form

Wow. This is giving weezer, its such a fantastic sound, id never heard of this one. Wonderful

power pop perfection. all the stars

completamente transtornado com o fato de nunca ter ouvido esse album antes. muito foda

If it had been the first time listening for me I think I’d give at 3. This has grown on me massively and the songs are like a 90s power pop revival.

La cover de fou Et l'album est vraiment très très bon, il incarne à la fois un style unique et des musiques sur lesquelles on s'attache facilement Je n'arrive pas à savoir si je vais m'attacher à cet album et le réécouter pendant longtemps mais il mérite largement d'avoir le bénéfice du doute

On the inside of the vinyl gatefold under the album credits is “Thank you friends, wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.” Fitting for the album famously, if jokingly, dubbed “Big Star’s 4th.” Any fan of good power pop should love this outstanding record.

10/10, super fun, songs not available in my country in spotify though,

90s power pop often has this feeling of bands making music as if the beatles are still the #1 band in the world...the same feeling that big star created while temporally much closer To the beatles. that does explain a lot of this record, which is full of hyper-melodic, dreamy, muscular, beautiful songs...the Attack of the guitars always processed through a few layers of remove that make everything kind mellow even when its at its most Rockin. but it sure doesnt explain everything...what the fuck even is The Concept??? i dont think ive ever heard a song like that in my life. not everything is that eccentric, but much like big star, they owe a huge debt to their influences while pursuing ideas that would have Never been conceived by their influences. made an especially nice pairing with my walk today.

If I could give this album a 6th star I would. This album is perfect to me. The song “Star Sign” is a masterpiece of power pop in the vein of Big Star. That build up..chefs kiss.

"She wears denim wherever she goes. Says she's going to get some records by the Status Quo, oh yeah, oh yeah." That opening line just paints a picture. This is one of my favourite solid melodic rock albums. It's so consistently good, even after all these years. Liked Songs Added: The Concept What You Do To Me Metal Baby Alcoholiday

So good! Never sat down with the classic- I have a new appreciation

Expectation: -> Never heard of this band, album, or probably any of their songs. After listening: -> Fantastic from start to finish. How did I miss this?!? Track ranking: Music? Concept December Alcohol Sidewinder Metal What you do Star Sign Satan Guiding Pet Don't Know

great record - one i wish i'd found when i was younger.

Bandwagonesque exists at the crossroads of indie pop, shoegaze, alt rock, and that Stone Roses neo-psychadelia thing that's hard to categorize. I hear how they must have influenced 90s bands like Ash and bis. Extra points for the album art! Incredible!

Superb

This was a heavenly listen on the way home from tutoring. It was 70 degrees and sunny in Chicago in March. The windows were rolled down on lake shore drive, and the harmonies were making me melt. Heavenly. I love this album. This album has it all. It’s cool, it’s rockin, it’s sentimental, and it’s power pop! 5/5 of course.

Devin loves this so it was super enjoyable for me.

Shaggy slacker rock surprisingly brimming with hooks. Loping melodic bass, fuzzy guitars, sweetly earnest vocal harmonies, a bit of noise around the edges. Jangly power pop with the gain up high that tumbles occasionally into grittier terrain.

Awesome. Loved it

I could tell right on the first track that this album was gonna have some amazing guitar playing. And I was right. What a cool tone. This album has a lot of bangers on it and it felt like it just flew by. Great choice as I probably would have never heard this otherwise

Man, this one was a blast. I went in knowing absolutely nothing about it, and it hooked me right from the start. The opener sounded like something that came before early 2000s pop punk or emo, with those killer guitar solos and tight vocal harmonies. “December” had serious proto-Oasis or Radiohead vibes, and “Sidewinder” felt straight-up Beatles-esque—like it could’ve been on Help! or Rubber Soul. The bassist crushed it on that one and on “Star Sign,” giving both songs a great groove that pulled everything together. I wasn’t expecting much, but this record totally won me over. If the rest of Teenage Fanclub’s stuff sounds anything like Bandwagonesque, I’m definitely checking out more. Favorite song: The Concept

really original, brilliant riffs

Man it's just so good. And it sounds like the process of creation (or 'Creation', even) must have been incredibly fun. Totally justifies its oft-mocked album-of-the-year-contender status. If anything, now with the benefit of hindsight the fannies deserve to eclipse Big Star in terms of longevity and reach. Even this record's flawed moments are worn on the sleeve and are part of its fuzzy charm. Should be a 5-star record in terms of its quantity of playback and subsequent influence on my life. Was a bit reticent as 5-stars is some very rarified territory but, sod it, decision made, onto the list it goes.

Love this album. I came to TF way after the fact, as I explored power pop after realizing that I loved Big Star and Matthew Sweet and Velvet Crush and the Bangles and Letters to Cleo and Cheap Trick... Anyway, great stuff.

5/5 - I knew a guy in high school who knew all these bands that weren’t on the radio from his older brother in college. This was my favorite of the lot he introduced me to and my first real exposure to this style of power pop. I still regularly come back to it, because it does what it does so well. Obviously, The Concept is great, but What You Do To Me, Pet Rock, Star Sign, and Alcoholiday are other favorites.

Big Star worship done right.

Superb power pop. Not sure how I have never heard this album before.

Good overall sound. Can't say I heard of this group but really enjoyed all of the tracks.

Never heard this (to my knowledge) and was so pleasantly surprised. Love love love!!!!!

Album No. 0030 on my list. I was completely unaware of Teenage Fanclub before listening to this album. But honestly, I really really like it! It's a seriously good, easy-going, great-sounding noise rock album, and I really enjoyed listening to it. I've only listened to it once so far, but I'm pretty sure this could seriously become one of my favorites. There are no bad songs on this, but "The Concept", "December", "What You Do To Me", and "Metal Baby" are my favorites. Will listen to this very often from now on - 5/5 stars!

Loved this record. Teenage Fanclub are criminally underrated. Catholic Education is really good too. Bandwagonesque is a little more B.O.C. for the alternative set with Matthew Sweet’s pop sensibility (and producer?) and therefore more accessible. The Concept is a staple of indie/alt radio (RIP CD101), but the album rocks end to end.

I’ve known about Bandwagonesque for a long time. I’ve tried listening to it before but never made it past a song or two. Listening to it now, I have no idea why I struggled before. It’s fantastic. It’s like a combination of Big Star and Jesus and the Mary Chain.

5 glorious slacker stars here. Classic 90s album full of sweeping guitar chords, witty lyrics and hooks galore. Something for the whole family here - nods to Status Quo, great harmonies, multiple singers/songwriters, groovy basslines. And F you Gene Simmons for suing them over the cover. Prick.

I like this a lot! The kind of music I might have enjoyed in high school

I didn't realize that if I wanted more Big Star, I'd have to wait for an early '90s Scottish band to come around. Awesome find. It's like Gin Blossoms meets the Byrds meets Big Star. Excited to work my way through the rest of their discography.

The Fannies were quite incorrectly swept up with Britpop but really they're quite a different beast, the holy marriage between Big Star, the Byrds and 80s us punk. The combination of harmony singing, classic pop song structures and crunchy guitar saw them through a decade-long set of classic albums of which this is the first, and in many ways the original that would be refined over 13, Grand Prix and Songs From... a four-strong run of albums to live with the best of them.