Scissor Sisters

I'm sure that there are people reading these reviews who simply don't know how awful music was in the early 2000s. It's difficult for those of us who suffered through that time to express quire how atrociously awful just everything was. We'd had some fun with Britpop in the 1990s, trip-hop had fallen by the wayside. Rock, metal and hip-hop had got it on and spawned the lightly-fried turd that was numetal, and literally the only fun that could ever be found after about 2002 was Mr Scruff. For literally years, the music industry pumped out dismal dirges and post-britpop fart noises. The happiest music one could find was Coldplay - and literally nobody needs that. And then, along came Scissor Sisters. They took a look at the desperate, desolate wasteland of the early 2000s music scene and said "Balls to that, let's DANCE, motherfucker!" and released this joyous masterwork. Back in the day, I loved it. Sure, there's a couple of bum tracks. Incredibly, when it was released I thought that their cover version of Comfortably Numb was an abomination. Listening to it again today, it's actually pretty good. Filthy/Gorgeous is underrated, eclipsed but not outdone by Take Your Mama. Scissor Sisters, along with Alison Goldfrapp and Franz Ferdinand started music back towards fun. For that, they have to get 5 stars.

I bloody love this album, loved it in 2004 when it came out (no pun intended), love it now. Just full of fun, joy and party. A slight shame that at the time they were characterised as 'that gay band' (which I don't think would be the case in 2023) as there is something for all stripes here. A slight shame that one of the most horrible sounds I have ever heard precedes the bonus tracks, but it's so banging I can forgive that.

A lot of this record sounds like what would happen if Phish decided to make a disco record, and we should all be horrified by the prospect of that unholy alliance.

Plastic and fake. Sounds like music for people who were scared of all the new genres popping up in the early 2000s (ooo numetal so scary) so they clung to the one band that sounds like it crawled out of the 80s, complete with a (horrible) cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb". The future is now, old man. My Chemical Romance Halo 2 Nacho chip, motherfucker.

9/10 crazy fun pop album certified bangers throughout

Brilliant synthy scene music. Shears falsetto evokes British gay icons like the Communards or Elton John and always reminds me of similar bands during my twelfth year (The Darkness, Franz Ferdinand, Electric Six). The music is tight, zippy, funky, cocksure and enjoyable. Plus, from memory, the mamas loved it. Stronger than I remember if a touch poppy for me

I thought this was pretty meh. Not offensive, but it was like listening to neo-Elton John euro fanfic. 2/5

I don't think I'm gay enough for this album

Before listening: I love the Scissor Sisters, I saw them concert, I liked them before anyone else did. The first time I heard Take Your Mama I was blown away. Can't wait to re listen to this! After listening: I still love it! Singles are all amazing, album tracks are very very good. I seriously love this album!

So this was definitely a strange one that I couldn't decide how to rate. Basically, I was stuck anywhere between 2 and 5 for the first few tracks - the cover of Comfortably Numb, the original of which I absolutely love, was actually painful to listen to the first time. Given these mixed feelings, I gave it a second spin the day after. This second spin let me enjoy the most enjoyable parts more and see the other parts in the context of the whole - important for such a strange album. It's actually some sort of wild pastiche, somewhere inbetween Elton John, Appollo 440, Dire Straits and Depeche Mode. All artists I enjoy, but vastly different from each other. It took time to get into Scissor Sisters. But after the second spin, I'm convinced.

It had been a long time since I listened to this fun album

Fun as hell.

This is one of the first albums I ever downloaded from Limewire. (I got so many viruses on my computer...) It's actually relieving to see something on the list that I've heard before. Of course, I haven't heard it in ten years, but it was a fun romp down memory lane. I remember putting this on a mix for an ex-girlfriend and thinking I was really cool. (I wasn't really cool.) Anyways. Great album. Perfect for driving. Kids dug it. Great vibes all around. Lots of attitude.

The cover of Comfortably Numb is both the most odd thing on this record and also the most compelling. The vocals are reminiscent of the Bee Gees which is truly bizarre. That said, this record strikes me as nothing revolutionary or evolutionary. It's fun in places, but that's about it. Note that this is yet another record that is in some editions of 1001 and dropped in later ones, which is usually a signal that the record isn't really all that essential. (Especially true for UK bands.)

This band would be soooo good if jack black wasn’t the singer. 3.5 stars

A blast from the recent past.. forgot about this album and band really, but their hits are instantly remembered and the album is actually really good. Deserves to be on this list.

Music is indeed the victim, in particular Pink Floyd. Did not enjoy. There was some nice bass playing to groove to, but not much else floated my boat.

Sure, it's fun and contains some disco-stompers. And was very much a breath of fresh air on release. But the cover of "Comfortably Numb" remains a travesty and not convinced its inclusion stands the test of time.

could be background music if the lyrics werent so... 2

Nothing grabbed me at all

Awful. The vocals instantly annoyed me at the beginning, and the monotonous beats didn't help. Their brand of dance-pop doesn't have the colorful charm of '70s disco, or the glam of '80s synth pop, or the electrifying energy of '90s rave. It's just some robotic beats with terrible vocals. There are some more danceable and less annoying stuff in the '00s. EDM. R&B pop. Not this terrible Bee-Gees impression over generic beats. Oh, and that "Comfortably Numb" cover? My God. I guess that's the 2000's version of hearing songs like Bohemian Rhapsody in Tiktok nightcore remix in the 2020's.

Low-key amazing debut album. Mixing glam rock with electronica. Awesome.

I own this album, but this is my first time listening to it from start to finish (I'm pretty sure I bought it just for their cover of "Comfortably Numb," but I eventually also fell in love with "Take Your Mama"). I'm so mad at myself for not having listened to all of this album sooner, because I really enjoyed it. Every song has so much going on lyrically, but every song is also really fun instrumentally. I'm a big fan of keyboards and synthesizers, and the keyboards here are fantastic, giving each song a familiarity of disco, while still managing to create a very unique sound. "Take Your Mama" is my favorite track on this album, and lyrically, it's just absolutely brilliant; the band does a great job of taking such a serious topic as coming out to a family member, but stripping away all of the anxiety, and just jumping in with both feet. Pure mastery as far as I'm concerned. "Filthy/Gorgeous," "Comfortably Numb," "Laura," and "It Can't Come Quickly Enough" are also fantastic tracks.

Lots of fun. Good get psyched music.

So gay

So fucking fruity 💅

Great album! It’s like 70s disco rock! Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: possibly Favourite Song: Take Your Mama Out Worst Song:

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Laura, Take your mama, Mary, Filthy/gorgeous

Today's album is a pop rock/modern day disco record by Scissor Sisters. This is a very unique genre which I haven't really heard before. It sounds like it would be awful, but surprisingly it works. The band have hints of Bee Gees, ABBA, and Queen in their delivery, and are apparently staples of the LGBTQ community, having got their start in the "NYC Gay Nightlife" scene. Some of their music is quite comical, such as Tits on the Radio, which is loosely a song about beating off because you can't see tits on a radio. The only other band that I can think of who are close to this sound is Ultraviolet Sound. Overall, a surprisingly great album today. This music makes you want to get up and move. Especially Filthy/Gorgeous. I enjoyed the album so much today that I listened to it twice. Very different and interesting. Favourite songs: Filthy/Gorgeous, Take Your Mama, Tits on the Radio, The Skins, Music is the Victim, Laura Least favourite songs: Comfortably Numb 4/5

This is probably the single ugliest album cover of any album I’ve ever listened to myself. It’s almost so ugly looking it’s actually profoundly beautiful. Like a piece of collage art on acid. I’m also disappointed that this band is called Scissor Sisters and it’s mostly men playing. Seems pretty counterproductive considering the name. Everything about this group is confusing, if I’m being honest. I saw an interesting comment from another reviewer that said “I'm sure that there are people reading these reviews who simply don't know how awful music was in the early 2000s.” I’m not necessarily disagreeing with that statement, but I don’t know if this is exactly the best album to use for your argument. This did really well when it came out, to my upmost surprise, and has been named “the top gay album of all time”. Pretty accurate if you ask me. I can’t remember the last time I heard something that draws so heavily on the biggest and most influential LGBTQ music stars of the generations before it. I hear so much Elton John in the song Mary, and it kind of kicks ass. But I don’t know, maybe it’s because I wasn’t alive and conscious enough early on in the 2000s to witness the music scene and understand why this is important. It’s a pop glam rock album with electronic elements that fully embraces the gay life of New York City. And some of these songs actually pull moves that pique my interest and make me think it’s heading the right direction. But others are maybe just a little too schlocky for me. Like, I’m sorry, but there is absolutely no way their cover of Comfortably Numb is worth a Grammy nomination. Pink Floyd is a pretentious person kind of band, and I try not to be too pretentious myself about them. But all that their cover made me want to do is listen to the original, because it was so genuinely unenjoyable. This album left me feeling disoriented and potentially confused as to who I really was. That, combined with the music itself not being amazing, doesn’t make me want to revisit this ever. Rating: 5/10

maybe i’m not gay enough to understand

This was fine and not really what I expected from the band name.

Too much falsetto, it starts to grate after a while.

Tits on the radio

Was a 3 until that pink floyd cover.

Another one that captured the zeitgeist for my old countrymen shortly after I departed their fair land, and one that I expected to hate. Initially I was surprised! Quite a few bangers, even "Comfortably Numb" was so odd as not to be terrible. Shortly afterwards the quality dropped precipitously, the remaining half being low-energy vaguely disco-ish warblings (i.e., New Order, anyone?). A high 2*

Very gay, not that there's anything wrong with that. It isn't very appealing to listen to though so that's where the problem lies.

Not my thing.

One more of so many albums here that are just nothing special. Adding insult to injury is what the band did to Comfortably Numb, one of the most beautiful songs ever. Severe punishments have been handed for much less.

Not really for me. To parody-of-disco.

the worst possible cover of comfortably numb ever heard. I am just not the target audience.

pass

I hated this more than I would have expected to. I only knew them through I don't feel like dancing which is a certified bop. The songs on this album though are the opposite

Obviously fun. But not my kind of fun. Too disco-y. The male voice is annoying.

Music Is the Victim indeed. Overblown, bland disco rock. I can't really think of anything positive to say about this. Not my thing at all. I looked up the lyrics to Tits On The Radio as that seemed like it could be some interesting social commentary, but just seemed to fairly basic free word association. I didn't like this at the time, and it has not aged well.

Bee Gees shite. Got bored after two tracks. Bailed after Comfortably Numb. One half of this description is how I was left feeling.

Really fun vibes

And just like that, I'm back in college. I love everything on this album

Love that one too!

Hell yes. This is an awesome and subversive album, reviving glam rock for a moment in the 00s. Loved it when it came out and still listen to it today. And the disco cover of Comfortably Numb? Chef’s kiss.

2004 vuosi ylistetty

I mean, this album just rips, this is known. (And yes, Ana, this is me giving my blessing to use the t-slur that once, but we're watching you)

This is one of those albums that, when it came out, I listened to SO MUCH - and haven't actually touched for years and years since... So thank you for making me put this on again, this is still brilliant. I'm not one for pop or disco usually, but Scissor Sisters bring the party atmosphere and it's hard not to be swept up in it all. I had also forgotten pretty much every song after Filthy/Gorgeous on here, and while they aren't the radio-friendly songs of the first half I think they're possibly better? Honestly a great listen through and through, and I don't think there's any weak tracks among them. Easy five stars!

lovely!!

Iconic, loved it

Several bangers mixed in with some Bee Gees vibing tunes. Overall it’s fantastic. Excellent production, the energy is outrageous.

I had never heard of this group before but found this album to be a pure delight, so much so that I had to listen to it again as I was swept up into the infectious grooves. Who would have thought of "Comfortably Numb" performed in the spirit of "Staying Alive". Awesome...

shameless 5, i freak with this

Pre-listening thoughts: YAYYYYYY YAYY I LOVE SCISSOR SISTERS THIS IS SO EXCITING!! Also can I just say this album cover is beautiful. Post/during listening thoughts: I’ve heard a few songs from this album before but never sat down to listen to the whole thing. This is so for me. As soon as music becomes pop or disco, the reviews hate it. And that’s when I know I’ll love it. The Comfortably Numb cover you just kind of have to treat as a totally different song and then you might be able to enjoy it. But everything else is wonderfully joyful and fun and makes you want to dance around your room even though getting out from under the covers is hard because it’s so cold. It’s sort of Elton John reminiscent but definitely more modernized. Love this so much!! 9.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: hmmm…! Fav tracks: this is a no skip album BUT my personal favs were Laura, Take Your Mama, Filthy/Gorgeous, Music is the Victim, and Return to Oz Least fav tracks: none

Клевый альбом, неожиданно очень понравился

This is one of my favourite albums of all time! What a fantastic exploration of gay life. From friendship to family and NYC nightlife, this band packs a variety of themes into excellent songs with hooks aplenty and enviable skill on every instrument. 10/10, absolutely deserves to be here. No wonder it was 2004’s best-selling album here.

Just another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex At the time of release, this album was on my regular rotation. It might not be perfect but I enjoyed it a lot, good catchy fun.

Great fun album

Drags a bit at the end but full of great songs. The cover of Comfortably Numb is Uncomfortably Good!

I bought this at the time, having heard Take Your Mama and Laura. The rest of the album is of equally high standard. There is one track that is very controversial though. Comfortably Numb, should they have been allowed to do that to a Pink Floyd classic? It still stirs up conflict within me, and I can't help but be glad that it does. And I know that I'm weird but my favourite track is the last one, there is just something about Return To Oz that I love. It's brilliant.yeah, I think I'll have to give it a maximum. 5

Very nice.

I really, really, REALLY enjoy this album. There are 1 or 2 songs I don't love or don't love parts of, but the rest of the album is an absolute BOP. I don't care if this sounds like some alt shit from the 80s. I LOVE alt shit from the 80s: 5/5.

If you want a zombie bunny Or a pussycat mummy A vampire froggy Or a skeletony doggy If you want to lease a weremouse Or a yeti for your fear house Do you crave a franken-sheep Or a creature from the deep Well, there's a place where you can go You know Where all the crawly creepies are so Oh yes, oh no Dr. Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop

Good vibes on here, surprised it came out in 2004 sounds more like 1994 to me.

Fuck yes. Loved this band since discovering them in 2007 through Doctor Who (yes Russell T. Davies knew what he was doing) and know every song backwards in forwards. Absolute bangers from an amazing band. I just wish they would reform (Jake Shears' solo album from 2023 definitely scratches the scissor sisters itch).

5/5

Amazing album. Return to Oz slaps

Hell yes

Disco is not dead. Ten out of ten.

This really resonates with my memories and is in fact better than my recollection at the time. Some stand out tracks and the whole vibe is a tight. well produced album.

I started out not liking this...the name Scissor Sisters really turns me off, especially considering this is a bunch of dudes and one woman. By the second track, I started coming around, and by "Comfortably Numb," I was convinced. This is a great album. The diversity of the songs, the genre blending, the funky beats...this was good.

Defined a sound and changed my life

Funky and weird and I wish there was more of it

I think I'm going to bump this up from 4 to a 5 because it just has that goofy little charm that I really like.

I wanna summarize how much I enjoyed this album just by talking the weird-ass cover of "Comfortably Numb". 'Cuz its ass is **very** weird. I mean, if you didn't tell me this was a Pink Floyd cover, just from the arrangement alone I wouldn't be able to tell. Some kinda electroclash glam rock thing? Very strange! And the vocals—they sound like SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER Bee Gees, right down to "AH-HA-HA"s. Why did they even cover this song at all? What the heck even is this? I don't know about anyone else, but to me, what this is is **great**. I know I've described a lot of albums I haven't heard before as "fun listens," but this is the most I've meant it yet. It's largely thanks to how glam-y it is. I've always had a thing for glam rock, and the way it's done here—**good shit**. Combine that with how queer it is, and I kinda feel a little dumb for not checking out any of their albums sooner. Like, I can blame my mom and sister annoying me with "Let's Have A Kiki" all I want; at the end of the day, this is incredibly up my alley. I'll even choose "I got distracted by other things" as the reason why side two didn't do as much for me as the first and why I won't dock it a star for that. I don't think there's any other Scissor Sisters albums on this list, and as I'm writing this I don't feel like checking. So thank goodness we at least got this album. I can't say how "worthy" it is to be here, but it's an absolute blast regardless. (And seriously, my mom and sister were **all the damn time** with "Let's Have A Kiki" back when GLEE covered it. In retrospect, it's the biggest foreshadowing I can remember for how much they'd end up getting into stuff like RUPAUL'S DRAGRACE. And, y'know, better that than wherever they would've ended up if they got more into the "Turkey Lurkey" half of GLEE's cover.)

That’s immediately a 5. It was just fun, you know? I’ve been waiting for something this goofy and bubbly and happy for a while. We keep getting moody stuff, or hard rock, or semi-pop with a bit of a noir feel (looking at you, Billy Joel). Even when we get stuff that is fun, it’s never this fun and loose and carefree, or at least it hasn’t been for a while. I’m sort of struggling to say exactly what I liked about the album, because I really did enjoy just about everything here. I think the instrumentation is fantastic, and deeply reminiscent of so many artists and genres that I already like, especially with how many songs feel ripped straight out of Elton John’s style. It Can’t Come Quickly Enough felt like it came straight out of a mid-90s George Michael cut, and the last track, Return to Oz, felt very Bowie inspired in its structure. I love paying homage to artists like this. Lyrically, I thought every song was great, and it always manages to take itself seriously enough when the time calls for it – there’s a deep dichotomy between the seriousness of “Mary” and the goofier take on coming out expressed on “Take Your Mama,” but they all fit together on this album as a great listening experience from start to finish without feeling weird or out of place. Vocals were great throughout as well. There’s really not a single complaint from me. Fabulous, fabulous album. Easy 5. I’m a moron for never having heard this before today.

OMG, I love this! I hear elements of Elton John in Take Your Mama and never expected to enjoy any version of Pink Floyd anything but Comfortably Numb absolutely slaps. Music is the Victim has a danceable, electronic beat but also real, live electric guitar! Scissor Sisters, welcome to my life.

Algjört bangerasafn, frábærlega grípandi og skemmtilegt og ein af bestu tónlistarminningum þrítugsaldursins. Svo finnst mér þessi útgáfa af Comfortably numb vera best.

5/5 - really enjoyed this

Started it, forgot how many bangers are on it

Five stars for the cover of "Comfortably Numb" alone, which is just a completely crazy mash-up of the original song, 70s funk, 80s electro, and 90s house. It really shouldn't work, but it's just so damn good. I think this album made me gay for a bit in 2004, as well; the soundtrack for my kiss-guys-on-molly phase. Which was a total blast, and this album being so unabashedly, joyfully out - and such a massive hit - felt like a defining moment.

The only band I've ever wanted to be in. They have better albums but I can't not give them 5 stars!

Filthy ✅ Gorgeous ✅

Fun, gay-ass music!

I don't think I've given Scissor Sisters the room it deserves in my musical life. If they get a second album in this list, then I look forward to loving 'Ta Dah' as well.

It's fast, it's fun, it's Dominion! Just kidding but this album was Fresh, funky and fun. Prior to listening to this album I knew of the Scissor Sisters but only through I Don't Feel Like Dancin'. This album almost felt like a modern disco album and you could hear the influence of the Bee Gees, Elton John, David Bowie and Pink Floyd. Every song was different and brought something new for the listener to enjoy. I will definitely be coming back to this album and plan to explore Scissor Sisters more going forward!

A total joyride, in the best way.

Campy, genuine mood-lifter. I loved nearly every track. Wavered between 4 and 5 stars but the sadder song "It Can't Come Quickly Enough" sent me into 5 stars.

great album, unexpected gem. I loved the reworking of Comfortably Numb. very much a disco sound, enjoyed it a lot.

When you grow up, living like a good boy ought to And your mama takes a shine to her best son Something different, all the girls, they seem to like you 'Cause you're handsome, like to talk, and a whole lot of fun But now your girl has gone a-missing and your house has got an empty bed The folks'll wonder 'bout the wedding, they won't listen to a word you said We're gonna take your mama out all night Yeah, we'll show her what it's all about We'll get her jacked up on some cheap champagne We'll let the good times all roll out And if the music ain't good, well, it's just too bad We're gonna sing along, no matter what Because the dancers don't mind at the New Orleans If you tip 'em and they make a cut Do it, take your mama out all night So, she'll have no doubt that we're doing all the best we can We're gonna do it, take your mama out all night You can stay up late, 'cause baby, you're a full-grown man I unironically love this album. 5/5

That bass was great and the vocals

🕺🏾🤸🏾‍♂️

So *this* is what indoctrinated me to glam

I was so happy to get this album I know and love today. It was the summer of '04, my last visit to France, and it was on the radio there constantly. I bought the CD there as I'd not yet heard them in the U.S. Gloriously disco-y fun, this takes you to a place where you dance in joy with your friends, leaving all the troubles of the world outside. It's joyful and fun and absolutely glamorous without ever being pretentious (I mean, your Continental's just been towed...)

I was at least a decade late to the Scissor Sisters party, but I have been a fan of this album for quite a while now. Love it!