Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

These brothers got soul

Outside of "Come on Eileen", I know next to nothing about these guys. I wonder if they made something outside of the upbeat fun of that track. "Burn it Down" despite the brass inclusion, this song has a sort of punk edge to it, which totally surprised me. With the bass and brass doing most of the work and supported by the drums, this was a just as fun as it was unexpected. Sonically, "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green" feels like a 'part 2' to Burn it Down; that could be intentional? The same praise extends from the first track to this one but doesn't outstay it's welcome. The pace and tone switched up in "The Teams That Meet in Caffs", with a really groovy instrumental that manages to fill 4 minutes without feeling bloated, the combination of bass and drums in step to support the trombones and saxophones was something new for me; reminded me of The Specials but better. The tone shifted wildly with the whispering and organs of "I'm just looking"; this wild shift came just in the nick of time for me to keep the album fresh. The vocals on this one shined, the heart felt cry around the 2:15 mark was great. The vibe picks up right away again with "Geno", with it's football-like chanting, drum beat and repeating sax. The rest of the band joining in with the "oh Geno!" was a fun inclusion; things like this encourage groups of people to sing to together which is always great, if a little cheesy at times. By "Seven Days Too Long", their sound is pretty well established, with touches of novelty here and there (such as the small xylophone section at the start) and the group singing at the chorus'. This was still a fun one, but the number of things to say about each song starts to run dry. Other enjoyed tracks then: "Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire Doesn't Apply" (instrumental yes, vocals not so much in most places), "There, there my dear". Overall, a good set of tracks, though when taken as a whole, variation is lacking in a big way. Apart from I'm Just Looking, everything is pretty much on par with itself in terms of the pace and vibe.

O álbum é interessante, mas não voltaria a ouvir. 2.5/5

Nope, not for me. Horns? yuck. Snarky singing/songwriting? Double yuck. I've never liked these guys and the main guy especially. Overrated. But better than ABBA. There's always that.

Schöne Indipendent musik. mit Bläsersatz.

Surely this is one of the more egregious UK-bias additions on here. This sucks. Weird low energy music. Horrible vocals. Takes itself so seriously. It’s not even fun. Awful horns. I see why I’ve only ever heard of one of their songs. The best part was hearing other artists in the opening track. Legitimately may be my least favorite record so far. 0/5.

Oh fuck off. Every one of their albums is on the list?! I listened I tried to enjoy it but damn. Although it is FAR better than their last album. Maybe this is one of those cultural you had to be there albums? Maybe it's cause I'm not from there? I don't know, I DO know that I don't like this band.

I'm reviewing this after only 4 songs. The vocals are genuinely unbearable, like worst album I've ever heard levels of unbearable. What is my guy doing on "I'm Just Looking"?! How am I meant to make it through 30 more minutes of this?

this band is not good enough to warrant the amount of albums they have on this list just doing way too much. its somehow soul ska jazz and pop all at the same time and does none of them all that well. really mediocre

3 dexys on this list? Fuck me. Should probably only be this one.

Liked the seven days is too long song

Okay, this wasn't terrible. I'm a ska boy I hear the horns and I can't help but bob my head. Utterly ruined by Kevin Rowland's vocals. I can hang with a weird vocal affectation, even seek it out in some cases, but this isn't it. I'd probably find this more appealing with a different vocalist. As it stands I probably won't bother spinning it around again, and will dread the other two albums that I know are lurking in the queue for me to power through.

Sometimes you hear an album by a one-hit wonder band and wonder why they didn't go on to have greater success. Then there are cases like this, when you hear an album by a one-hit wonder band and wonder how they ever got a hit in the first place. I understand that these folks have a devoted following in the UK, but I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Lead singer Kevin Rowland's moaning, yelping, mostly incomprehensible vocals are an acquired taste that I have no desire to acquire, and while I normally love a band with a horn section, these horn arrangements are just...dull.

Fuckin energy! These guys seem so cool. Style seems to come before clarity, but I can tell there are some fun lyrics here. I can’t get the full meaning of an album in just 1 or 2 listens, but I hear nothing in the words of these songs that is too off putting or gross, which is a big feat for a rock album from this era. A few real gems here: I like the opening track, as well as “tell me when the light turns green”. What an earworm. The hornwork is good; “geno” reminds me of a ska song. The horns provide a lot of epic grandeur in the slower songs-makes them bearable for me. The corny organ and falsettos just work in the ‘Yorkshire’ song. Is it a 5? Hard to tell. Maybe it’s average and I’m just partial to the thick Celtic accents. Really glad to find it though

I thought these guys were one hit wonders. Let's see how this album goes that doesn't even have the one hit on it. 1980. Is earlier than I thought these guys were. First couple songs are... inoffensive. I like when pop/rock add a bit of brass but here it feels a bit flat. It lacks a bit of adventure. And then the lyrics become garbled nonsense. Yeesh. Two stars.

Mayo1Sam

Better than I expected!

A pretty boring album with solid instrumentals. Lyrics were entirely forgettable and sometimes grating.

I seem to have a bit of a weak spot for this sorta British rock with slightly odd vocals. Could come back for sure

great album. i love the horns on here, and the vocalist does a good job matching their level.

Nur zwei Dinge nerven hier: Das schwache Bass/Drums Spiel, das im besten Fall so klingt als würden sie nebenbei Fußball gucken und damit die Bläser nicht dringlich sondern hektisch klingen lässt. Und die Manieren des Sängers, seine Stimme für alles möglich Kuriose, aber nicht zum einfach Singen nutzt. Manchmal ist das Songwriting stark genug, das auszugleichen. Aber halt meist nicht

Ich mag "Geno" - ist ja auch mal schön, das Highlight des Albums schön in die Mitte zu setzen. Ansonsten verstehe ich nicht warum das ganze anscheinend mit nem Megafon aufgenommen wurde. LoFi schön und gut, aber Produktion und Songs scheinen immer leicht aneinander vorbei zu laufen. Positiv: Bläser.

I liked a lot of this

Instrumentation: alright! Vocals: No thanks!

Pretty similar to the other Dexy's album I reviewed - not familiar with any of the material other than the single releases, but it was a very good album to listen to.

(light 6/10) Yeah idk this one didn't really do much for me. It's very horn-heavy, which isn't an issue, but for some reason here it wasn't really translating well. The songs themselves weren't very memorable to me either. eh.

Dexys Midnight Runners aus Birmingham nahmen ihr Debütalbum im April 1980 innerhalb weniger Tage in den Chipping Norton Recording Studios in Oxfordshire auf, veröffentlicht über EMI und Parlophone. Unter der Führung von Kevin Rowland verband die Band einen aggressiven, punkgeschulten Zugriff mit dem Pathos des amerikanischen Northern Soul – eine Kombination, die dem New Wave der Zeit eine ungewöhnlich schweißtreibende, bläserlastige Note verlieh. Das Ergebnis klingt weniger nach Genrepflege als nach einer Selbstbehauptung: hier will jemand mit aller Kraft etwas beweisen. Rowlands Gesang steht im Zentrum, immer an der Grenze zur Überforderung, manchmal darüber hinaus, und genau das macht die Wirkung aus. Stücke wie „Geno“ – eine Hommage an den Soulsänger Geno Washington, die es 1980 auf Platz eins der UK-Charts schaffte – oder „There, There, My Dear“ zeigen, wie effektiv Wut und Verehrung hier ineinander übergehen. Auch „Dance Stance“, später als „Burn It Down“ neu eingespielt, gehört zu den Songs, die den Ruf des Albums als eines der eigenständigsten Debüts seiner Ära begründeten. Was das Album über die reine Genreübung hinaushebt, ist seine Kompromisslosigkeit: Bläsersätze, die eher schneiden als schmeicheln, und eine Produktion, die Rohheit nicht kaschiert, sondern betont. Manches wirkt fast zu dicht gedrängt, zu getrieben – aber gerade diese Unruhe ist die Substanz des Albums, nicht sein Makel. Ein Debüt, das seine eigene Dringlichkeit nie verrät.

Ajankuvauksessa olin vähän epävarma mitä tulevan pitää, mutta tämä oli oikein mukavaa renkutusta ja hitaampaa balladi tyylistä poljentaa, sillä torvisoittimia ja muita. Vaikka laulajalla oli tämä kiekuääni mutta teemat olivat hyviä.

its fun enough for what it is. The horns are always a welcome addition, it just feels out of sync for a good chunk of the playthrough. It just cant measure up to the album with Come On Eileen. I'm not going to pretend I know what it is or anything, but I do remember enjoying that listen quite a bit more.

Not as good as their one album but better than their other album

Not for me

My education of Dexys started with the album after this one, Too-Rye-Ay, which I really enjoyed, so I'm very interested in this release. The preamble to the first track, Burn it Down, does a pretty good job of setting the stage. I'm familiar with only Geno prior to this listen. Not a fan of the vocal delivery of I'm Not Looking, makes me want to flick someone's ear. Geno was awesome. 7 Days Too Long suffers from being both too repetitive and vocally sub-optimal, and I'm a person that likes Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. I think I can see why this release didn't previously come to my attention. Love the horns, but not loving the vocal styling on this album. Burn it Down and Geno are the star tracks.

I get what they were trying to do, soul with a punk attitude, but I found myself wishing the songs would finish quicker. It’s already a fairly short album so that suggests I probably didn’t really enjoy it. Something a bit off for me. 2

Wasn’t sure we needed another dexys record. One thing that came to mind when I was listening his voice reminded me of the dude from the cure at times, at least when the cure guy is not trying to sound depressed. Also I think I like music with horns more than I thought I did. Perhaps it’s because we are looking at wedding bands and horns are a must.

Another one from this band? Ugh. Even one is debatable.

Only know one song, real banger, but not a fan of the album

LOVED LOVED LOVED (the saxophones oh my god)

Keep searching, Eileen.

eh

This will be in 2 parts, 1st one and the quickest: I don't like how the lead singer sings, that way of singing and how he delivered the songs, not my style, nor I thought it was great. Moving onto the 2nd part: music sounds amazing, production felt very well crafted, and each song has their place and way to be, lyrics felt relevant. I would listen to this album, had it not been for the vocals, I couldn't take it too seriously and every song he sang the same way. 3/5

I can see the merit in this as pop music, but its not great. Its a bad homage to motown and soul and I dont think Kevin RowlNds voice is very good.

Honestly, this band perplexes me. This is the second offering of theirs I have had, and previously I was only familiar with their international hit Come on Eileen. I find myself WANTING to like them. On this album, the opening of BBC radio offerings played in succession as someone turns the dial, finally turning it off, had my attention. But then… the actual song Burn it Down did nothing to light my fire. In fact the openers are often far more promising than the songs themselves with the exception of The Teams That Meet in the Caffs, which as an instrumental interlude is pretty awesome imo. In the end, I find myself waiting for and wanting this album to end. I will admit that I don’t understand this band’s impact and importance to British music. But I will argue that nothing about them deserves more than 1 album on the list. 3 Boolean: FALSE- I do not think I needed to hear this before I die.

a poor mans The Clash but love the saxophones.

It’s better than ‘Don’t Stand Me Down’, the poor album if already had from Dexys Midnight Runners, but not by much. We at least get a good song in ‘Gino’, but the rest is marred by poor vocals and a pretty uninteresting sound that tries to incorporate too much. Why are there three albums of this on the list?

Musically, this is a pretty good soul/new wave record, nothing earth-shatteringly incredible but rather enjoyable, with a fun brass-driven, mostly upbeat sound. It might even just about sneak a low 4 stars, if not for the absolutely atrocious vocals. I have no idea why Kevin Rowland put on such an affected, strangled voice but it’s incredibly distracting, to the point that it has a significantly detrimental effect on my enjoyment of the album. They’re most tolerable on album highlight ‘Geno’, while ‘Keep It’ is probably the worst offender. No coincidence that my other favourite track was the sole instrumental.

Trying to put my finger on how this is both weird and boring but also not bad There’s some pretty cool stuff on this one; variety’s honestly pretty good and I wouldn’t say this one overstays its welcome too much. Burn it Down and Geno are solid enough songs. There’s some good instrumentation all around, and in small bursts the aggressively British vocals are okay There’s just a lot of boring stuff in the second half of this one; I honestly didn’t resonate with anything on this one at all. Like I said the vocals are fine in short spurts, but they absolutely do get on your nerves after a while. They definitely struck gold with Come on Eileen, which kinda fits all the DNA they laid out here perfectly, but there’s a reason they were never popular outside the UK. Not bad, but there’s just better music out there

I really can't get into it. The horns aren't bringing soul energy and the voice is annoying rather than punk. They can only be the Come on Eileen band and this proves it

Just one of those places the 80's could've gone but somehow didn't. A great album which, in view of it's loose scattergun energy is hard to imagine a real precedent for or successor to. Ok, they're better known now for the 'Too Rye Aye' era, but this is what, I think, they really were, under the tam o' shanters and dungerees. 'Burn It Down' opens with a long radio crackle intro and is ultimately a great opener with tons of energy, and it keeps going, specifically 'Seven Days Too Long', , it rolls like a handful of marbles, all coming at you but at different pace and angle, it's one step away from being a total mess but it hangs together. So much of the album is like that, and really you come out like you've been in a fight, but the andrenalin is still pumping hard. Ok, I go on a bit, but this album is one of the greatest of an era of flux post punk, and is a decisive upper cut to disco.

𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘴 is a solid debut, but I never found it quite as extraordinary as its reputation suggests. Despite the title, I wouldn’t really call it a soul album. To my ears, it’s much closer to post-punk with strong R&B influences than to soul itself. The album is full of passion, urgency, and energetic performances, and it’s easy to hear why Dexys Midnight Runners quickly developed such a devoted following. Yet, for all its strengths, the songs rarely stayed with me once the album had finished. More than anything, I felt the album was missing that one defining track — the song that instantly lodges itself in your memory and makes you want to come back. 𝘚𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘴 is certainly a good record, but for me it remains more admirable than unforgettable.

Crikey, the second Dexys Midnight Runners album this week. Here we were first treated to Kevin Rowland's yelpy and wobbly vocals which hector away while the band perform well behind, particularly where the brass is really to the fore. As so often if you like the vocal delivery you'll probably like the album. For me the best songs are those where Rowland's vocal are a bit restrained (such as Geno). As it is, it's a bit of a retro affair with the band affecting an On the Waterfront styling.

Is that vibrado? I'm not sure how to describe the vocal stylie, I thought it would get old but it didn't bother me that much. This was a wild ride, enjoyable even without the worn out hit. Came back for a second listen! 3.8

Their debut album, fresh and naive in a positve way

I enjoyed this more than Too Rye Aye. I quite enjoy the punk-with-horns sound, but that sound doesn't make up for the lack of tunes. When they do write a memorable melody/hook it always seems to veer hard to overly cheesy.

I wondered if maybe they were good at one time, but nope. This album may be why Eileen left and she ain’t coming back.

Bra blås, bra låtar! Över förväntan

Ganska trevligt, men också ganska tråkigt. Behövde inte höra det innan jag dör.

Mycket trevligt! Stark trea. Seven days to long och Geno är feta.

är det långben som sjunger eller vad

The whole family enjoyed this album immensely. Great vibes. Looking forward to listening again.

high 4 absolute pleasure this

It's a pretty horn-centric mix. I don't love the lead singer's style, but the songs are decent. I kind of liked "Tell me when my light turns green" and "Geno" and "Thankfully not living in yorkshire and it doesn't apply".

This is a frustrating one to rate, because if this was the only Dexy album on the list, I would have been more inclined give it a good rating, since it’s sort of a fun, ska-adjacent album. But, it is inexplicably the second Dexy album we’ve had, which undermines my enthusiasm.

Seriously?!

Not quite sure what to make of this one, but it was kinda fun

Singers voice and vocal styling reminds of Robert Smith. The music is engaging but lacking in a way I can’t identify leaving it kind of meh. 3/5

Enjoyed this 4⭐️

Cracker. Best so far. 4 Stars Seven Days is Too Long being the standout

Meh, not bad but not anything that really grabbed me

Gonna keep my Dexys Midnight Runners consumption to Come On Eileen and nothing further…

Had never really listened to any Dexy's outside of Come on Eileen and kind of written them off as a result. This album is pretty decent. I quite liked the instrumentals, which lean heavy on bold, upbeat brass. There's a real triumphant energy to it. Unfortunately Kevin Rowland's vocals really drag things down. His performance is all over the shop and just didn't really work for me

I honestly have no idea why this album is on this list. It is not even as close to as good as other early 80's British pop/alt bands. Geno is a good song I guess, but the rest is boring. 2.4 out of 5 for this. I can't give it much higher considering I was skipping most of the songs.

I think 'one-hit wonder' is the most apt way to describe Dexys Midnight Runners. This album had nothing that could stand on its own merits or provide a pleasant experience. Also, those fucking horns.

A great brass band fighting a losing battle because their lead singer is acting as a massive boat anchor. The vocals bands in the 70's and early 80's could get away with...

it's peak, the brass is insane

Future Edit: The day I was listening to this was a really awful day and I specifically put this record on to distract from things slightly falling apart around me and that’s not this records FAULT obviously. What I will say though is that although this record certainly wasn’t responsible it didn’t exactly help either HAHAHAA… like at all. I’m sorry but it just didn’t. Listening to this man wailing on and on was the cherry on top of a very sad little cake. God his voice is just awful. It’s so bad. He gets away with it on Come On Eileen which wasn’t even on this record so that wasn’t there to save me - bad bad bad. The instrumentation is there ! It’s ok ! Not really for me but perhaps I could love this album if they had a different front man. Dear God what a bad little voice Jane. Also the track where he starts out whispering made me want to kill everyone and myself - I’m joking but dear GOD - his voice is how I imagine a trout would sing if it was suspended between land and sea gasping for air forever. I’ve edited this review in the future as I couldn’t bring myself to listen to this in full the first time with everything else going on and I may be healing from the events of 11/July/2026 in my personal life but there are some wounds that never heal and this God awful album shall bleed forever white blood cells be gone AGHHHHHHHH so yep as you’ve probably gathered I didn’t love this one.

Soow deze kon ik echt ff nie hebben vandaag

Está bueno pero por momentos me molesta la voz del chabon

Would give this album 6 out of 5 if I could, an all time amazing soul record

Really fun album! Better than the last Dexys album, almost had a ska vibe to it in places

kitsch

didnt hate

A fine album, feel emotional and a bit nostalgique even though I wasnt alive in 1980. A very British sound, of its era, second listen made me increase rating from 6.5 to 7.5 but still a 3 on this rating scale overall

Dexys have a couple of good songs, basically none of which are on this album. "Geno" is the best of a bad bunch. That said the instrumentation here, a kind of proto-ska/punk hybrid works pretty well, but then Kevin Rowland's weird slurred vocals kick in and basically ruin it.

Lots of horns, lots of fun. I only knew Geno beforehand, I also liked Seven Days Too Long a lot

It’s fine, maybe it’s not a fit for my particular morning but it strikes me as less creative and passionate than “Too Rye Aye” and just kinda meh.

Total 80’s

I have tried. I owned this on CD. I gave it to a charity shop. It is a very highly regarded album but I find the singing annoying.

Ska before ska was ska

Ass

Needed this after Meat is Murder. This album is fun and joyous and silly and carefree! 7/10

oh, so its the come on eileen band. also this is just the most generic new wave albums. also the singer sounds like a temu russell mael. generally 3/5.

Really good album.

The Good: We get to run, at midnight! The Bad: We really want to sleep, around midnight… The Ugly: Falling asleep in the middle of the search… Okay, so that top one was bad… sue me. Second album by DMR, and I believe that I gave the other album a 5* as it was surprisingly fun to listen to. This album was a bit more of a chore… though, I could see this being the background music being played at a party, and many people wondering who the artist are as they are enjoying themselves. Anyway, can’t give this one a 5* , but good enough for another spin. 4*

Really neat, imagine seeing these guys live. that would probably be epic. love the use of brass

As others have noted here, Dexy’s Midnight Runners were probably a terrific band to see live. I don’t think they translated to the album format all that well. It’s an interesting experiment blending punk, soul, and ska. But it only works for a song or two and gets old pretty quickly. Worth listening to once? Sure. Do three of these band’s albums belong on this project? Hell, no. One word about the vocals: awful. 3 stars (just to keep the perfect bell curve of ratings as of this writing)

It's decent. Overall good sound for early '80s. I was pretty thrilled when the horns kicked right in, but honestly the horns are pretty simplistic throughout the whole album. I bet these good were a blast to see live in their early days.

relaxing album! I'll give it a 3 to keep the general 3 rating.

I'm confused. Is it ska? What is a mod, and are they one? A few decent tracks/moments saved this album from the scrapheap, but it skirted perilously close to a 1

Very intense, high on their own mythology, desperate to communicate, on fire with the new soul vision

Snoozer

why is this the vocal style they settled on?

Yeah didn't really like this one, can't put my finger on it but idk I'm Just Looking and I Couldn't Help It If I Tried was good tho

the story of them stealing the album is very entertaining. was the album worth stealing though? no, not really

I wanted to like this more than I did.

Affectatious, yes. Overwrought, yes. But just enough good material to get into mediocre territory, and it does seem ahead of its time.

Better than “Too Rye Ay”, but that’s a pretty low bar

Clock striking 12 on these guys.

A lot of fun. The vocals aren’t great, but the songwriting is solid across the board. The main highlight of the album however, is the ever present, infectiously joyful brass, which really elevates the album from potential mediocrity. A high 3 stars from me.

os metais nesse tão 100% em dia né, meu deus dito isso, essa banda só tem mais de 1 álbum nessa lista pq é inglesa, esse aqui no geral tem bons momentos mas achei mais do mesmo

definitivamente o folego da rapaziada tava em dia. só soprinho BACANA nesse aqui um debut beeem sólido, viu. achei melhor que o too rye ay, apesar de come on eileen ser a maioral deles. eu achei massa, mas não sei se precisava de vários albuns deles não. ENFIM, me diverti bastante!

Too Rye Aye was the debut of Celtic Soul - this predecessor was strictly soul, but with working class credentials - I wonder if this is where Roddy Doyle got his inspiration? Or perhaps it was from The Blades. Solid, danceable soul. Well written songs with carefully crafted brass parts and the thunderous hammond holding everything together. Good stuff.

Pretty good album. Some soul style music combined with typical 80s pop rock. Good vocals and good instrumentals.

There weren't any real incredible standout tracks for me on here but it was overall a pretty fun listening experience. I'm glad I heard it and might occasionally put it on when I'm looking for albums in this vein.

Not my style

Utterly boring and generic. At no point in my listening to this did I take notice of anything worth talking about in a review, it was very much just white noise while I got on with other things. It was perfectly pleasant white noise, listening to this was in absolutely no way an actively negative experience, but I just feel like this album has absolutely no substance at all, it sounds like taking a small piece of every new wave album from around this time, and putting them all together in a way that makes it sounds completely indifferentiable from anything that sounds even remotely like it.

I like it, but was led to expect more ska

Even though they're known for their big hit, come on. Eileen, I feel like it's probably not representative of their other stuff. Tends to be a bit more on the ska rock side of things almost into ska/easy listening? Horns of plenty different cadences even some ballads. Not a bad showing from a would be a one-hit wonder.

Good record thought they were just one hit wonders

vibes de The Smiths, no mi genero pero not bad

3.5. Solid album, probably wont listen to it again though

achei meh

Kan niet naar de zang luisteren

Not bad at all

alright, some good songs, some not my thing

Fine. More of a ska approach on this album. Still not convinced this band needs all these albums on this list but. Worth a looksy.

Great instrumentals but singing is rather weak.

It's honestly shocking to me that these guys have one album on this list, let alone the three I've had to sit through. The frustrating part is that the music itself isn't bad. In fact, a lot of it is pretty catchy. Unfortunately, Kevin Rowland's vocals are a complete dealbreaker for me. They're so awful that they overshadow almost everything else the band does well. Every time I start getting into a song, the vocals pull me right back out of it. Ironically, my favorite track is “The Teams That Meet in Caffs,” largely because it doesn't have any vocals. It's a fun instrumental with a great saxophone solo toward the end that lets the band's musicianship shine without anything getting in the way. There are some good ideas here, but they're buried under a vocal style that makes the album far more difficult to enjoy than it should be.

Instruments were nice but the vocals were pretty weird most of the time. Best track: “I’m just looking”

Couldn't finish it. I think I'm doing real well getting through things but maybe it's the day, maybe it's the weather, maybe it's me, or maybe it's just the album, but I got to song 6 and just couldn't go on.

Strong album, like the hits

I saw Electric Wizard announce a show near me while listening to this so I got a bit distracted Pretty decent, I think much of my enjoyment comes from the brass which adds enough to prevent it from becoming another standard British pop album 3.5 Highlights: Keep It, Geno

I love Too Rye Ay, it’s amazing. Do All three Dexys albums need to be on this list? Uh. No. And I like all three!

Nice, auch ohne den ueberhit " Come on Eileen"

Schon ganz gut. Hört sich aber iwie teilweise bisschen an wie ne parodie von anderen 70s songs

richtig groovy! sehr nice!

Weirdly the love poem was the one i liked the most. Still not a fan of ska i don't think

Genuinely enjoyed this album. I’d heard that DMR were a false one-hit-wonder band; basically because everyone knows Come on Eileen but none of their other stuff. This album is a great first listen and no Eileens in sight!

Maso

Started off really promising but broke into a not great instrumental that no one asked for and "I'm Just Looking" wasn't great. I've never heard this Geno song, but it's pretty good. This album is something I've never seen on here before...the rating is just a whole number, 3...not 2.99 or not 3.01...just 3. Which is what I'm giving it...partially to be consistent. It's been enjoyable to listen to in some places...the horns are cool and some of the songs are catchy. Don't think I'd want to come back to this, though. Glad they're more than just "Come on Eileen."

None of these songs are Come On Eileen... DNF

Their first, our last, and the best Dexy’s album. Reflecting over the three we’ve listened to, you have to accept that there is something about Kevin Rowland. There has to be. To get these various groups to buckle to his musical will, switching genre, dressing up in his silly new clothes. To do that while not singing very well and writing vague, though impassioned lyrics - some of the titles are sharp, but most of the words are dull. To do all that and manage to get the respect of a swathe of the music press, British journos and critics who were notoriously mean (although they would come for him with My Beauty). To do all that, while obviously being a vulnerable, emotionally fragile individual, is quite remarkable. And Rowland uses that vulnerability to his advantage. In the 90s universe jumping sci fi series, Sliders, the second string soul singer, Rembrandt Brown had the nickname The Crying Man - crying is his thing. When Kevin Rowland opens his mouth, he joins this tradition as The Gurning Man. And it does work. It is oddly fascinating. Like that other tuneless Northern Soul fanatic, Marc Almond, Rowland turns his limitation into a signature. And, where Soft Cell reduced the warmth and sweat of Northern Soul into smallness and coldness, Rowland and Dexy’s turn the sophistication of Northern Soul into an indie shambles. Both groups recreated Northern Soul in the grime image of Britain. It is most remarkable that, where Almond and Ball were two misfits who found each other and created their sound accordingly, Rowland somehow convinced a whole gaggle of people to come along with him. I think it makes sense, then, that the first album is the most successful. This is a group formed out of the young Rowland's real first musical love. It's a contagious passion. And I'm sure the Midlands had as many junior brass players eager to do anything with their rudimentary playing as did the Northern mining towns. I think it must have been easy for someone with Rowland's peculiar charisma to convince others to make a go of a band, especially a band which, looked upon with squinting eyes, could make a go in working men's clubs as well as punk venues. The later albums, coming after their initial hit single, makes it very clear that Dexy's is not a band proper, but Rowland's art project. I think this takes a greater leap from his accompanying musicians. It is also a greater leap for him to go from personal passion to artistic contrivance. Both require you to buy into the idea of Rowland's genius, that his odd choices are deliberate and significant and that they are expression of a certain innocence and vulnerability of the soul. I don't know that I buy into - or fully enjoy - the innocence of Kevin Rowland, but I think there is a purity to the first record, a musician just trying to make the music he likes even if it is beyond some of his abilities. 3 This is as difficult an album to write about as it is easy to listen to. It has some very good songs in it but everywhere it threatens emotional power it is skewered by the daftness of the horn parts and Kevin Rowland’s vocal eccentricity. But then everywhere it threatens comedy it is skewered by transparent sincerity. There is no sense of piss-taking in the cover of Seven Days is Too Long or in the absurd singing in I Couldn’t Help it if I Tried. It’s all serious and passionate and absorbing. I got absorbed in the last minute of I Couldn’t Help it… this morning on my way in. I drove into a pothole up the road from my work that I have remembered to avoid up til now. 3/5

Lmao holy shit I love this. I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into and after the first track I was like, “wait that was fun” and then the good times just kept rolling. This to me is what this list is about. I never knew these guys and had no idea what to expect and this is just one fun song after another. The horns and arrangements are super poppy and fun and every song is a smile. I see ppl shitting on the vocals, but to me it just sounds like the dude is doing his own thing and letting it out. I think it fits the sound well personally. I see nothing wrong with this album. You could be pretentious about it, or you can just have a good time.

I hated this record so much. Incredibly cheesy. Felt like a 1980s version of the band FUN. Of all of the bands that we hit on the list so far that I was already aware of, this is the one I think has taken the biggest dive. This thing sucked. Unbearable.

first timer for me. this one grew on me with some repeat listens. they show their ability to build a satisfying crescendo, though it's not in full display like it is on Too Rye Ay. still, there are some rave up moments that deliver on that future promise. the punchy horns, especially in the first half of the album, are a huge distraction from everything else that's going on. left me wishing they just had different horn player or different approach to those parts. felt amateurish.

I liked this one quite a bit more than 'Too Rye Aye.' Maybe the songs are a bit more immediate, the horns a little lower. "Seven Days Too Long" is a standout track for me, kinda like a precursor to "I'll Show You." 3.5

Good find, following now

31/05/2026 Yeah it was alright. Nothing about this piqued my interest. Spotify listeners: 7.3 million

Okay, we're done with Dexys now, right? There's not a secret fourth album that I'm still waiting for? Good. I might enjoy some of the better Dexys Midnight Runners songs, but it is comical to suggest that these guys have three must-listen albums. They barely even have three must-listen songs! But, for all the crap that I give the 1001 Albums book makers for giving Dexys Midnight Runners three albums on this list, I have to admit that the albums in question have more sonic variety across the three of them than a sizeable chunk of other over-represented artists on this list. Searching for the Young Soul Rebels was the band's debut album from 1980, and I think it's pretty solid. I don't think it's better than Too-Rye-Aye, but it was at least more enjoyable than Don't Stand Me Down, so it's not the band's worst album. The thing that really defines this album for me is the horns. They are the main instrument of focus and I think they're good. They're a little much at times, but I like horns, so I can't complain too much. Kevin Rowland's voice is still kind of annoying though. As far as songs go, this album is home to the "other Dexys hit" that most people use to dispel the band's "One-Hit Wonder" title, that being "Geno." I like the song. It's no "Come on Eileen," but it's a good time. I like the slower groove during the verses. Other than that, none of the songs are bad, but there really aren't any other highlights. Overall, I can see why Dexys Midnight Runners is a band that has its fans, but I still can not defend the inclusion of three albums of theirs on this list. This album has some good stuff, but it's not enough to warrant keeping here. Solid 3/5.

Not Familiar with Dexys Midnight Runners First Listen, HOLY SAXOPHONE CITY DUDE! If I was a saxophone junkie this album would be giving me withdrawals listening to other music. I'm pretty sure every track has the instrument blasting in my ears taking over everything else. Other than THE instrument of the album, the drums is the saving-grace for this album. Other than the few slower and more melancholic tracks, I can't confidently tell you the differences between most of the tracks (based only on instrumentals). Though, Kevin Rowland yelling the title of the track helps. Duh! Highlight of the album, Seven Days Too Long is my favourite from the album. I really enjoyed the chorus and the saxophone with the drumming from Stoker. The vocals were fine for most of the tracks. Rowland's vocals kind of reminds of the lead vocalist for Modest Mouse. That's good. That's fine. I'd think I'd rather listen to Modest Mouse tbh. Let me stress again, the drums are the saving grace for the album. My favourite instance of the drumming is best represented in Seven Days and Yorkshire. The latter has Rowland really bringing up that pinch in his voice. Overall, I don't think I can handle more beans on toast; each with its own designated instrument to dance around. I'm starting to see a pattern or bias towards British musicians/albums. T3: Seven Days Too Long, Geno, TNLIYIDA

Really liked this album

Very nostalgic and good energy

This is not working for me.

I loved it, then I was annoyed, then it grew on me, then I was irritated, then it won me back. Love the brass and the horns and the whole vibe there — unfortunately most of the singing just isn’t for me. I think “Geno” was a standout. I had no idea this band was also responsible for “Come On Eileen” (which I also find pretty annoying) and I’m a little surprised I’ve never heard any other song on this album before. Interesting, would listen again.

I think I just like New Wave, tbh. Solid album.

One of the best bands of the late 70s/early 80s. Other than their big hits 'Geno' and 'Come on Eileen', I'd never really given them much of a listen to. Probably appreciate this sound more now anyway, rather than the techno-pop/New Wave stuff I liked back then.

unremarkable, but a perfectly fine listen.

Quite long and a bit one note. Was waiting for a couple songs to really pep it up but it just didn’t seem to come. Didn’t hate the creative sound just got a bit boring for me

I listened to this in full yesterday and can't remember a single thing about it. Which to me shows it's a pretty forgettable / uninteresting album.

Not sure why so many British pop artists in the 80s thought it would be cool to sing without using their lips.

Super ska fun, I love love love all the rolling Rs and the trills, and Geno is still one of my fave songs

who tf selects these albums ....

I remember I was impressed with the lead single back when I was in the Fifth Form. Couldn't understand a word he was singing though! Diction Kevin, diction. good soul sounds though.

When to listen: fun energy needed. Found myself toe tapping to this one, literally. Loved the brass elements. Fun and upbeat. "Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire" is one I wanted to end quickly but the rest were really a blast, felt especially pumped up for "Geno."

Fun Dexy’s well before the big hit. Lots of interesting stuff happening here and a snapshot of the Northern Soul scene. I enjoyed more than I thought I would.

when the vocalists voice works, i think is a really emotional and heartfelt album. But sometimes feels really whiny and uncomfortable. That said, i really like the brass section in a rock band, or any group really. So, it wasn't that bad

Fairly unbalanced. Overall pretty good but there were some real questionable tracks.

I mean its not a bad album, but i am so confused why it is on the list. I'm even more confused as to why there are three Dexys Midnight Runners albums on this list. they are forgettable at best.

I have a soft spot for horns. I think this was snappy and cool!

I really enjoyed this album, especially the brass.

Very cool! Never heard of this

Interesting look at another period from the band who made "Come on Eileen"

Interesting... 3/5

.....nah.

3/5

Super wasn't expecting this album to sound the way it did. I was sure I was gonna get 3 guitars with the pedal boosted to max, bassline driving one note into the dirt and a guy screaming incoherently. But instead here's a band driven by horns and organ, tasty basslines and pretty good melodies. It's new wave-y, but in a different way than Elvis Costello or Gary Numan or Thomas Dolby; not so punk inspired or synth heavy, taking more cues from 60s/70s American soul. Track 2 is doo-wop, track 4 could be sung by Wilson Pickett. Seven Days Too Long is where they do the Motown. While the 50 billion classic rock albums on this list do 50 billion shitass interpretations of the blues, this album feels a little closer to a proper version of loving pastiche of its inspirations. It's calling on those inspirations for the base of the music while remaining pretty original by incorporating some new stuff from the post punk movement. Makes it less of a pale imitation by white people of black music and more of something that can genuinely be considered fresh and well influenced. Shocking somehow, but I feel like this may just barely cross into 4 territory.

*The combo of rock and a horn section is incredible. *All the songs on this album just feel good, what a debut. *Very cool punk/soul combo

yeah it was fun

Geno is excellent, but otherwise the songs are only passable. Keep It is the best of the rest. The mannered vocals and ever present horns also tend to grate after a while.

Very disappointing, I was expecting to like this, but apart from Geno, I thought the tracks were just average. Surprisingly the vocals did drag by the end of the album. I've previously liked their singles. This just scrapes a 3.

I should like a soul band with a horn section, but I just don't like these guys. The horn arrangements are incredibly simple. I'm not a fan of the singers voice. Good soul music has some complexity and, you know, soul, and this doesn't have any of that. I'm annoying that I've read all three of their albums are on here. One more to go...

Excellent

Beyond their one big hit in Come on Eileen, I find little to recommend from this group. Not sure why we need 3 albums by them on the list.

It's a good album. I particularly like "The teams that Meet in Caffs" (instrumental), "I'm Just Looking", "I Couldn't Help If I Tried", or "Keep It". It's like 3,5 stars for me.

Wait a minute, none of these are Come On Eileen.

No me gustó. Mucho ruido sin sentido y la voz no es agradable de escuchar

Not bad! And Eileen was nowhere to be found!

Not all that good

Music would have been better off alone.

Knowing their one big hit I wasn't expecting a ton, and while this album didn't amaze me I enjoyed it quite a bit. Favorite track: The Teams That Meet in Caffs (probably)

Nada mal, mucho mejor que el anterior. Igual muy lejos de mi. Nota: 3.5

trumpets are giving me too much fasnacht vibes...

I have a strong feeling about this record: hate.

Not sure if I enjoy Rowland's moody, whiny singing or not, it definitely fits the genre but it tires on you. The horns really carry this album, especially in the first three tracks. Not sure I understood a word of the lyrics.

5/10

this was cool!

I love new wave but never really gave a Dexy album a spin before. Geno is a classic and possibly their best song. The rest was really enjoyable with no major stand outs for me . I did enjoy turn me when my light turns green . 3 stars

Too many long trumpet notes, too many bad whiney vocals.

It’s alright. Geno is an absolutely massive tune but outside of that I found it a bit boring, pretentious?? And the lead singer just seems to be a nob Best Song: Geno 2.0/5.0

Geno is a hell of a track. The rest of this album is ruined by Kevin Rowlands stupid voice

Solid stuff.

The horns are kind of fun on some tracks, but this album just kind of went on and on. It's all incredibly British, for whatever that's worth. Favorite track: "Geno" or "Seven Days Too Long"

Nah

Not my cup of tea, but a fun listen

I would call them more Old Wave than New Wave. Dexys turned their back on punk to look for a more retro sound, but they still had a rebellious attitude and came up with this energetic brand of soul. I like this more than their other albums. I struggle with Kevin Rowland's mannered vocals but I like the raucous brass and the Northern Soul stompiness. It's a good album. Do they need three albums on this list? No, of course not. But if you want to understand why they are so over-represented... yes, they had more hits in the UK, but also - the British music press loved them. Kevin Rowland was always enthusiastic, contrarian and unpredictable. You never knew what harebrained scheme he was planning next: Hi band! You know how I hired you as horn players? Well you can ditch the trumpet and trombone because now you are all wearing dungarees and playing the violin. What do you mean you haven’t played one before? They were always good copy. Whether they were always good music... well, you have ample opportunity to judge

este es como si too rye ay no tuviese come on eileen: es divertido, pero un estilo algo particular asi que no me termina de atraer 6,5/10

It's my first Dexy's album. Having lived in the UK for over 40 years...I have always understood this lot to be a one hit wonder. Does a one hit wonder deserve an album on this list? Do they have more to offer? Read on to find out... No. They offer quirks and trumpets. They're close to Madness, but not as annoying. Whoever decided that bouncy trumpets belong in pop music is one of humanity's greatest monsters. There's also a.lot of high pitched yelping. Yet the songs aren't too bad. It's fine for background music, but there's nothing I'll remember about this - it doesn't even have Eileen on it.

I was waiting for the album to be great

Got the big bangers - love the horns

How did I not know that’s dexys was so fucking good??? Hello???

That voice is extraordinary :-) liked the vibe

I always forget they’re British. Lot of songs where they sounded like the special I guess ska was huge in the 80s

Ah yes, the first of the much debated Too Many Dexys. I think it's probably easy to not understand the context of this album, as largely non-Brits listening to an album that does not contain the huge international hit single. The vocals are distinctive but maybe less suited to white boy soul than the sort of highland jamboree vibe of Come On Eileen. But this did have a #1 single in the UK with Geno. I find this interesting because it is confusing: Geno is a perfectly fine song, but a #1 hit it is not, to my mind. But also I have never been British and was still a few years from my own debut in 1980. So again, the context of this album was probably very different for its immediate audience. With the title, and the intro to the first track, it feels like there may be an undercurrent of both rebirthing and reforming a classic sound from a post-punk mindset. So yeah, it hits me largely with general transitional sound vibes, nothing too mindbending, but some fun tracks. Seven Days Too Long is a genuinely fun little romp, and the back half is also weirdly stronger than the A side, to me, which is interesting since so many albums run out of steam instead of picking it up. At it's best there are light hints of Bowie and Queen here, though admittedly minor bits. The first song to hit me was The Teams that Meet in Caffs, so that'll probably be the one I add to my year's record of listening, but generally i'd say this is a fun but ultimately inessential 3* with possible growth potential.

Highlight: Geno

Enjoyed this one. Vocals were interesting, good use of different feels, and groovy music. Fave song: Seven days Too Long

Muy chulo

Fun

A clear influence on Los Fabulosos Cadillacs — discovering this album feels like uncovering the roots of their rebellious brass-driven sound. A great find

Musicianship was good, singer's voice was awful.

No me termina de gustar la voz del cantante en este álbum, la siento un poco muy como que llorona no sé. Pero overall me parece un album tranqui. Siento que en algunas progresiones puede ser muy repetitivo, pero no sé si solo es mi percepción.

This gets a generous 3 despite hating the lead singer's vibrato and constant voice breaks.

Beetje teveel gezeur

Er zijn weinig albums die je zo pakken aan het begin en vasthouden. Het is politiek, het is anti establishment, anti performatief, klassenstrijd. Geweldige mix van punk en soul, en daarmee wat meer emotioneel harmonisch dan veel andere punk, wat overigens geen kwaliteitsverschil is maar gewoon anders. Dan nog die lekker dramatische stem van Rowland. De samenstelling van het album en de energie is voor mij bijna perfect.

You cant think of Dexy's Midnight Runners without thinking of Come on Eileen which is upbeat and fun. Ii found this album cloying. It's like sad ska- Madness meets the Cure. Wait a minute... have we found a cure for madness!? I'll let myself out.

To be honest, this is so much better than I expected! I love “Come On Eileen,” but I never really connected to the rest of that album. Here, there’s often the whole package: musicality and good (ok, quirky) vocals. 3.5?

Well it sounds like 2 for the price of one here. First half of the album was utter rubbish, lifeless crap. Then on came Geno, and the whole album changed. It suddenly found some oomph, and came alive. Even so it wasn't brilliant, but it was listenable to. Never been a particular fan of his voice, but there you go. Still feeling generous so ill give it an average 3.

I did find it uplifting and fun, despite that awful vocalist. Never have liked his voice. Highlights are ‘Geno’ and the horn section. Lowlights are the horn section. Made it all a bit samey.

Wow, I love Geno, but apart from that and a couple of other songs, that was the limit of my experience. After listening to this, I was gobsmacked, it is superb. I feel this is an album I could have grown up listening to and enjoying, but sadly I have missed put for the last 46 years. Still, I have the rest of my life to appreciate this masterpiece.

I only really knew this band for the song "Come On Eileen". This album is the same kind of style but does not have that one song on it.

Ehh

Meh

As I have said before, the problem with this band is the vocals. I would like it if there were a tolerable singer. And why does this band have at least at this point, three albums on this list? I did like the brass, though. Two stars.

Overwrought. Geno and Seven Days too Long are fun! Some upbeat, some depressing. Very much an 80's vibe.

Fine album, I liked their other one more Will I listen to again: 2%

There’s a weird bridge between new age and folk in the album. I kind of like it…

man how u take the soul out a trumpet, more like seven songs too long 1.5/5

Just because it has horns doesn’t mean it’s good. I really dislike Dexy’s 2.5/10

The horns brought this from a 2 star to a 3 star album. The poem second to last song was not needed imo

The 'classic 80s voice' on steroids, the vocals on this are really annoying. It's a shame, because the songs themselves aren't bad at all, and I quite like the brassy sound on top of what are essentially pop songs.

IT's okay. Not come on Eillen though

7/10 Had a lot more fun with this than I thought I would. Very infectious soul and blues sounding music.

It’s a shame the vocals are so terrible because the band is fantastic, particularly the brass players.

Fun to listen to this pre-Eileen Dexys album; really enjoyed it. Quirky & "horn"y, blue-eyed soul meets The Specials, but with a snotty British vocal thing. Never thought about this before, but I have to imagine the Pietasters being really into this as an influence.

This is not the worst album in the world but I can't see why this need to be listened to before I die. There's piles of ska albums better than this.

I appreciate that it's different sounding from a lot of other "pop". It's decent. But not great.

nie powiedzialabym ze to jakis peak ladna okladka

good

"Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" is the debut studio album by English band Dexys Midnight Runners. New wave and blue-eyed soul are the Wiki-listed genres. A description of the music is that it combines punk rock with soul music. The album was produced by Pete Wingfield and was critically well-received. Bandmembers included Kevin Rowland (vocals), Kevin "Al" Archer (guitar, vocals), "Big" Jim Peterson (trombone), Pete Williams (bass, vocals), Geoffrey "Jeff" Blythe (saxophone), Steve "Babyface" Spooner (alto saxophone), Pete Saunders (organ, piano), Andy "Stoker" Growcott (drums) and Andy Leek (organ). Commercially, the album reached #6 in the UK. The sound of radio stations changing opens the album in "Burn It Down." The song title is shouted. Loud horns start and continue to carry the melody. A groovy rock beat. Rowland with weirdly anxious vocals as he sings against Irish prejudice. And chanting backing vocals. The horns continue in the next song "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green." A happier song with co-lead vocals. A sax solo too. The first single released was "Geno." A bouncy beat and a faster pace. This song is a tribute to 1960's soul singer Geno Washington. "Seven Days Too Long" opens the second side. A rollicking fun song. It's quick. Chanting backing vocals and soulful horns. Blazing horns begin the album closer "There, There, My Dear." Rowland mocking a music critic in a letter. A charging beat in one of the better songs on the album. The musical focus of this album are the horns. They join together and have separate solos. They do give songs that blue-eyed soul tone at times. The pace changes between songs throughout the album and you do hear in some songs that punk edge. Rowland's vocals are weirdly high-pitched as he sings, talks and screams. I can see how it might irritate some people. Overall, I found this a fun, enjoyable and fairly original album. The soul and punk fusion kept my attention and I definitely recommend this album to everyone for at least a listen.

SKA!!

Quite fun. Vocals could be better

This is the second one from these blokes. I absolutely hated the first, so it's a win to say I did NOT hate this one nearly as much. A few songs even had me there for a bit until Kevin Rowland started singing, then it was barely tolerable. I'm just not into this kind of Northern Soul, which is really a close cousin of ska and I'm really not a fan of that. I can go for some blue eyed soul but there's something particularly off putting about white Northern Soul to me.

A fairly good album. 4 stars or B.

A rather interesting album, I'm not quite sure how to describe it but it definitely has some pretty good songs like the opener

this was fun. like the brass sounds they really brought the energy

Para nada mi estilo

Definitely a different album but overall I enjoyed it 4/5

Aghast that Come on Eileen isn't on here... but still, it was a lot of fun!

Never heard of Dexys Midnight Runners before, and not entirely convinced they deserve to have 3 albums on this list after listening to this album, but I’ll reserve judgement until after I listen to the other 2. This was the first of 3 I’ve rolled so far, and it was fine. Took a few listens to appreciate it, and I almost gave up after the first go around, but as most albums have, it kind of grew on me. Started as a 1 and evolved into a 3 the more I really paid attention to it. It's a low 3, but it's better than some other stuff I've rolled. I've been getting nothing but 4's and 5's lately, so hearing this after such a hot streak was also just very unfortunate. I still really don't like his voice, and believe I could sing better, but god damn it, it actually grew on me. This is a 1 hit wonder band with 3 albums on the list, once again proving that the authors have no idea what they're doing a lot of the time. This also isn't even the album with the hit on it. I was so excited when "Smoke on the Water" starts playing on the intro, I thought I was really going to be in for something special with this one. Unfortunately, it's just very average. Way too much emphasis on the horns, not good for concentrating or vibing. Don't know the origin of the band name and don't really care to. Maybe I'll look it up when I roll the other 2 albums to pad my review a bit for those. I almost want to say that my favorite song on the album is where he isn't singing, but I actually really enjoyed "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green" even with the incessant horns and singing. He hits the high note pretty satisfactorily, making the song catchy and pretty good overall. Not great, but good enough to be considered my favorite. Like I previously mentioned, this album really grew on me. Going to give it a 3, and somehow, I also think I'm going to remember it after this. So, yeah. I know I was pretty harsh talking about it this entire time, and believe me, it's got a lot of faults, but I think I actually gaslit myself into liking it, as I've done with many albums in this project before. So, I'm going to say it's a 3.3/5 and see how their other albums pan out. At the bare minimum I can say that for a debut album, it has a lot of potential. Interested to see where that potential went, and how it culminated into their biggest hit, "Come On Eileen." I guess I'll find out soon enough. Until then, I ended up enjoying this album more than I initially thought I would after the first couple of times through, so it's an alright start for the Dexys Midnight Runners. I don't think I would actively return to it, but it was alright. I'd listen to this if it was playing somewhere naturally, and that's good enough in my book for a 3 star.

I liked the part with the horns.

They have OTHER albums?!?

Like the style, but too long. Sometimes I thought I was hearing the same sound. (Spoiler it can happens between the cd1 & 2)

Tell Me When My Light Turns Green // I’m Just Looking // Geno // Seven Days Too Long // I Couldn’t Help It If I Tried // 4.5/5

Has held up.

Quelques accents presque rock reggae genre The Clash que j’ai bien aimés, sinon bon

This is the last Dexys Midnight Runners album I have to listen to, thank god. This was the best of the three, but that's not saying much. This could have been a 5-star album with a competent lead singer. The music is good, but the vocals are atrocious.

It was a fun listen.

Uhm. Who knew? I've never heard the full album with Come on Eileen (this isn't it, FYI), but if it's like this, I would consider a fourth star. That said, no one needs more than one Dexys album on this list. Bluesey, funky pop rock. I dig the horns. But I have to again say: double albums are presumptively bad. Every artist can find ways to cut. Influence 3. Hits 2. Quality 4. Intangibles 2. Not bad, lads 3.

#895. This is the second day in a row of an album exceeding expectations (which is kind of amazing if you think about it, because this list is kind of trash if we're being honest.) One of the other two albums I listened to from this band was extremely weak, and the other was actively terrible, so when this one was almost good, I was pleasantly surprised. I mean, this isn't my favorite album by any means, but it is tolerable. And that's... something. 3/5: fine

Some really nice tunes but singer's voice is a bit too novelty/jarring for a full album.

A little punk snarl, some blue eyed soul and a whole lot of horns!would fit nicely on a shelf next to Elvis Costello, not because they sound the same, but because of an obvious affection for the music, they grew up with filtered through the lens of the music they came of age 2. An absolute rave up of an album. Loved it.

I have listened to this before. Geno does do a lot of heavy lifting here. The rest of the album is ok as long as you can get passed the vocal style. Music, instruments and tone of the album is good….

I’ve listened to other Dexys albums before and really didn’t like them. Maybe it was the arrangement or instrumentation on this, with a focus more on brass as opposed to the weird pseudo country they do on other albums, but this one hit in a way the others simply don’t. I enjoyed it against my will and was pleasantly surprised.

I found a lot to like as a former horn player, but jeez, we are getting a lot of... stylized vocal performances recently. It's hard to get past this one.

A couple really fun songs on here. The vocals border on ridiculous throughout the album and made it hard to enjoy as a whole. I think I'll stick to dancing to Come On Eileen at 1 wedding per year and otherwise skip these guys

Wonderful album never had heard before this album its a ska, punk, rock combo as good as they come. Experimental disturbing begining nice dance ska tunes in the middle then down a heartbraking ending well done

Great energy with a big band kind of feel

A pleasant surprise, my expectations were somewhat low, but this is fun, very diverse and entertaining. It's not perfect, lots I don't like, but it takes swings and I like that. It sounds quite distinctively them, though I don't their sound all that well. I don't know, I think it's 3,5, but I'm feeling generous

I didn't become familiar with Dexys Midnight Runners until their music video for "Come On Eileen" started playing nonstop on MTV, which was off their second album. So, this album was completely new to me. Similar sound to what I expected. A little bit of ska mixed with a touch of punk and pop. I was a little surprised to see this one pop up, but I'm glad it did. It was a fun album to listen to.

fire

3,0 Highlights: Geno, Seven Days Too Long

I always considered this band one of those one hit wonders. Now that is always kind of unfair as most one hit wonders are not quite that limited, and some bands that are rather good just happen to have a super hit, so it limits their whole catalog by overshadowing it. I find this kind of unfair but it is a thing, and that is how it goes. In the meantime I listened to this whole album and while it is innovative and somewhat interesting, it is ... kinda just.. I didn't love it I guess. It is all right but it never broke past a mild listen for me. I suppose a fan would disagree but such is life.

Best Song: Geno. The energy of the first 10 seconds was fantastic, and then it descended to something that was just mediocre. Worst Song: I'm Just Looking. Holy hell, from the whispering to the weeping-as-singing, every choice the vocalist made on this song felt like the wrong one to me. Overall: If this list has taught me anything, it's that I really hate this theatrical, lilting style of singing that seems to have been so popular in the UK (especially in the 80s). I liked the brass band, but that's about it.

Just a bit shit really

I love brass and this has a lot of it but it just feels like they’ve replaced the guitar with brass and called it a day. Woulda loved for them to push the envelope a bit more

The brass sound elevates this album up from the mediocre ska base that this album is based on. While some tracks are enjoyable, the overall experience is just fine.

We got the third Dexys album a while ago and it was some really solid 80s art pop stuff. This one goes for more of a blue-eyed soul sound, and while I did enjoy the stuff they were doing with horns and saxophones in some songs, the singer's voice did significantly less for me on this one than on their third. I'm sorry, I don't think a whiny British man has any business trying to sing soul.

Disregarding the fact that Dexys Midnight Runners is completely undeserving of having THREE albums on this list… I actually was enjoying the music on a lot of these songs. Really fun horn sections. The Teams That Meet in Caffs was probably the best song. Ya know why? Cuz their whiny ass singer wasn’t on it. He ruined basically every song he was in. But let’s address another bigger problem here now that my actual review is out of the way. This 1001 list, which has very limited space considering how many good albums have been released in the history of music, DOES NOT NEED *THREE* ALBUMS FROM DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's hard to get over this man's goofy singing, but the band's punchy instrumentals and good use of 🎷 sax 🎷 soothes many of the complaints I might have about the album. Fun listen for what it is! Standouts: Tell Me When My Light Turns Green • The Teams That Meet in Caffs • Seven Days Too Long • I Couldn't Help It If I Tried • Keep It

This is fine. Guess we had to have this instead of Avalon.

I hated this album. I cannot stand the singer’s voice, or how the horns sound, or how unremarkable the songs are. I couldn’t finish this one. It’s bad.

Almost ska

At this point in the generator project, this is the third Dexy’s Midnight Runners album I have been served up. So I can confidently say, I don’t love them. I also don’t hate them, the ska influence on this one was cool but yet again I can only deal with those vocals for so long. 3 stars

Some jazzy-sounding stuff is nice for a change, but i only really liked 2 songs from this one: "Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply" & "The Teams That Meet In Caffs"

Pa nisu loši, imaju zabavnih trenutaka. Nije wow, ali nije li loše. 2/5, 4/10

Nice soulful brass was a great surprise Especially “The teams that meet in caffs”

Great more British Bull Shit! This album is indicative of this entire list. One hit wonders who climbed the UK charts when the person picking the albums was in middle school. This album doesn’t even have the one hit wonder song on it, which means at some point we will get the other album from this band. The UK has some of the greatest musical artists of all time, Beatles, Zepplin, Floyd, Queen, Stones, Elton, Who, Sabbath, Clash, Cure…. They all belong in this list, but album after album we keep getting taxed with garbage to see how long we will keep listening. MI6 you win again, the psy-op is going brilliant.

Heel anders dan verwacht, ook echt goed. Leuke blazers en liedjes

horns

Kevin Rowland's vocal style was iconic, oft-imitated nowadays. But the instrumentation is the star of the show for me, really cool, falls somewhere between ska and jazz I guess? I'm no music critic, I've only listened to a thousand albums by now. Maybe I could be.

Brit rock

This was alright