Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

I'm sure I'm not in the minority when I say that the only Dexy's Midnight Runners song I know is "Come On Eileen." I always thought Dexy's were just a one-hit-wonder; I had no idea until I started this project that their music is pretty well thought of amongst critics and music historians. I do love eighties music, so I think there's a pretty good chance that I'll enjoy this album. I really enjoyed listening to this album. I've mentioned this quite a bit in my recent reviews, but I've been reading through Dorian Lynskey's 33 Revolutions Per Minute this year, where Lynskey talks about the history of protest songs. I've learned a lot about the political landscape of England in the late seventies and eighties, which gave me a lot of context for this album. Also, last year, I read a book about the history of The Troubles, which gave me even more context about the lyrical content of this album. I guess all of that is to say that I really loved the songwriting on this album. The lyrics touch on things like class and social standing with first hand insight, which gives a lot of authenticity to the album. The album even ends with Rowland calling out other bands who sing about political issues, but don't do anything to back up their words. I enjoyed this album musically as well. The trombone and saxophone playing really shine on this album, giving it a unique feeling that sets it apart from other new wave music that was coming out at the time. Dexys utilizes these African and Caribbean sounds in a way that never feels like appropriation, but in a way that fleshes out the punk-sounding simplicity of the guitar and percussion. I assume that the rich textures on this album had an influence on the sophisti-pop sound that came out of England in the late eighties as well. Parts of this album dragged a bit, and I wasn't always a big fan of the vocals, but this is a great album, especially when you look at its place in history and culture in England at the time. This album was a fun treat, and I look forward to the other Dexys albums on the list.

Warm and uber-listenable and super Celtically soulful, there are maybe more horns than ideal, but they go all-in on it so hard to argue. In fact, one must resist the temptation to call this the "horniest" record in the whole book. Certainly it's among the hookiest. The name-dropping of Irish literary titans is very much to one's taste an the picking on Deep Purple and Johny Rotten on "Burn It Down" makes perfect sense. "Tell Me When" an "Seven Days" are infectious. "Geno" is a bit much for one's taste, but the appeal is clear. "Thankfully" is good fun and breaks up the flow a bit, mostly in a good way. Rowland's a compelling singer, even by the high standards of '80s popl in the UK. Traces of his tone and approach can be heard in . They seem to have threaded the needle of being commercially underrated and critically overrated, but their legacy seems relatively safe and one's glad to have finally gotten this band (via active listening) after years of wondering what all the fuss was about. Horns-driven here and thick with strings elsewhere, DMRs were going to do some shape-shifting across the records to come (not unlike the Bee Gees in some ways), seeking their foothold in the market and maybe they cared a bit too much about what they were wearing (as opposed to what they were playing), but this album, the first, seems the strongest.

Really good

Let's get this out of the way first. There don't need to be THREE Dexys albums on the 1001. Their albums are simply too similar. This album doesn't bring the fun as much as Too Rye Ay (although they start to turn it on with songs like Seven Days Too Long and Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply). That said, they definitely have a great sound. I'd call it glam punk soul. Favorite moment learning about the album - I was curious what "Geno" was about, so I looked it up and saw it's about soul singer Geno Washington. I then checked out his Wikipedia page and saw this excerpt: "[Geno Washington] was encouraged to make a comeback in 1980 due to the rekindled interest in him resulting from the Dexys Midnight Runners hit single "Geno", but he initially declined, as he was completing his degree in hypnotism." You can't make this shit up. Favorite Tracks: Burn It Down, Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply, There, There My Dear.

I had heard nothing else by this band, other than "Come on Eileen" and I did not expect their debut album to sound like this. There were many horns on this album that I did not expect to hear and this was a very pleasant sounding album. I'm a little surprised the album with Eileen on it is not in this book (or maybe it is?) but I enjoyed hearing it.

Quite different from "Come On Eileen", but one can still recognize the common parts. The brass parts are good, but Rowland's singing is sometimes annoying, even if it was probably made intentionally. Nevertheless, it's fun listening to.

I'd never heard of this band before. Is Ska Punk a genre? Rowland's vocals are the weakest factor of the album. The horns are spectacular, especially Paterson's trombone. Very tight. "Everything I do will be funky from now on."

El renacer del soul birtánico tuvo en este disco su causa fundamental. Un álbum de culto empezando por su primer tema, "Burn It Down", en el que se encuentran el clasicismo del soul, con su sección de vientos y su órgano Hammond, con la actitud punk reinante en la Gran Bretaña de inicios de los 80. Destacaría los grooves de R&B y los ganchos melódicos de "Seven Days Too Long" (uno de los temas que más me gustan del disco), así como el sencillo "Geno", con el que alcanzaron el número uno en las listas, y el tema final, "There, There, My Dear", sobre la impostura del artista que aparenta lo que no es.

This was a fun album. I love the sound of big band in with rock or pop and that was well mixed in here.

Not sure that this is punk, but I liked it. I like lead singer’s voice and their sound including the horns. It was certainly different.

4.5 stars. The album before Come On Eileen and it's great. Brass horns full of energy and punk-ish vibes but still catchy pop and a bit of soul. Standouts are "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green", "Geno" and "Seven Days Too Long".

I guess there is more to this band than I thought! A fun blue-eyed soul album that I assume was more popular in the U.K. than here. Does it really need to be on the list? Of course not, but it was a fun listen.

I had only heard their one hit, which isn't here. They were pretty interesting though.

La voz se parece a la del de The Cure. Son divertidos. Mucha trompeta.

Vocals meh Music yeah!!!

these brit’s keep making music

Good vibe album. Love his voice. Like the ska edge.

Only ever knew come on Eileen from them and this album did t even have that song, so I wasn’t expecting much. Walked away pleasantly surprised. I’m a sucker for a good horn section. Takes me back to my Ska days.

Tickles me that this super upbeat music is from the same place Black Sabbath was formed.

High energy liked it a lot. tracks with no vocals were a bit hard to get through as were when it tried to deliver slower songs. some real gems here though 4.4

Better than I thought it was gonna be at the start. 7/10

Love me some Dexys. “Geno” is a regular on my 80s playlist. I’ve heard this album before and I feel the same, I enjoy the faster paced songs a lot more then the slower ones. 7/10

Favorite Tracks: There There My Dear Tell Me When My Light Turns Green I’m Just Looking

Surprisingly good, but faded late in the album.

Good album. Some very catchy tunes.

I'd listen to this again. Good horns. Good songs. Wasn't sure what to expect from the Come on Eileen band, especially when this album didn't have Eileen on it.

Surprisingly good. I heard 'Come on Eileen' in the early 80's again and again. In the beginning I was a fan. In the end it sucks. I didn't want to hear anything again from the dexys. But this debut album is interesting. It won't become my favorite, but it I like some parts of it, especially the brass.

It took a long time to find out Geno and Burn It Down were Dexy's songs. I had this on repeat as I was having a blast listening to it over and over.

Singer is awful, but love the music.

Not bad. No single song stood out, but had a cool white British soul by way of punk vibe.

Great fun energy. I was not familar with this band beyond Come On Eileen so it was a fun discovery that I look forward to hearing again. Faves: Geno, Seven Days Too Long

All I knew of Dexys was "come on Eileen". I gotta say, I was surprised at the soul sound of this album. The horn work was excellent. Not gonna be in heavy rotation, but it was a great listen.

Great album! I've been listening to The Doors my whole life.

Was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this one

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Mische: Bläser blasen bestens begeisternde Blasmusik, Bass als wichtiger Baustein - nicht blosses Fundament, Vocals erste Sahne, Mix (für mich selbst) überraschend mitreißend gelungen Mugge: SKAish FUN FUN FUN! Wertung: 4/5

A great debut album. Very distinctive. Tremendous brass. A couple of hits. I much prefer it to his gypsy folk stuff that came after I realize his voice will alienate some.

"Geno" was a classic anthem when I was young. Dexy's before the dungarees. An incredibly talented band, despite Kevin's voice.

One gets it finally. After several listens and many years of not understanding why this band was so well-regarded. Irish literary walk of fame makes for a fun opener. It's more brass than one typically likes in rock records, but it's used to quite good effect –  brightening and enervating some tunes, grounding and deepening others, a little Celtic Ska never having hurt anyone, really. Not sure it ever gets to punk effects. Maybe the punkiest bit is opening of "Thankfully" which then gets silly-poppy, a fun balance that early '80s bands struck better than anyone. Weird how they'd go basically all strings on future records. "Lights Are Green" rocks pretty fully. "Seven Days" is maybe most soulful track, with a wonderful little news-ticker rattle from a xylophone (or whatever). The tune seems to have pillaged by JoBoxers for "Just Got Lucky," fondly remembered throwaway hit of that era. One loves that Rowland's singing is occasionally overwrought (was Robert Smith listening to his reaching tone in the middle range?), which shows commitment (to be glass half-full about it) and it seems like they perhaps tried a bit too hard on the fashion (and so on the want-to-be-famous) front. But, musically, the record works, showing that Celtic Soul was a thing (and a legit one, too) and tipping a lot of what would be good – or even great – about '80s music.

Did not realize they were not one hit wondwrs. Solid white soul

Are there still 3 Dexy's albums in the 1001? C'mon now........theirs is a distinctive sound and a pretty good one at that but does it warrant 3 albums worth? Regardless I still think it warrants a high rating- some great songs on here and as I've already said it's a great sound.

Not bad, leider nüme rechtziig ziit gha zums reviewe aber has besser gfunde als da vom Vortag. Ganz uf mini liked songs hets es nid gschafft aber würd trotzdem es 4/5 geh

Ah i’m excited for this🥹 Sorry WAS EN BANGER ISCH i’m just looking? Ah wie gut

Added a star for Come on Eileen not being on this album

Honestly really enjoyed it. The band is great. They ripped the horns and the hammond the whole album. The vocals took away from the album at some points. I liked them at first, but they get a bit tiring by the end of the record.

Really fun album! A little bit of punk, a little ska. The instrumental groove on The Teams That Meet in Caffs is a standout for me, that song is really cool. Geno sounds like a precursor to more modern ska music. A lot of the songs on this album give me a noir kind of feeling. A pretty great album from a band I've never heard of before.

this was a pretty cool listen. i, of course, know them from 'come on eileen' but this album is really nothing like that song at all. very horn heavy, very blue-eyed soul. the production is very, very clean, which is not totally my favorite.

Listened to a few of their records through previous lists. So much more than come on Eileen.

La voz se parece a la del de The Cure. Son divertidos. Mucha trompeta.

Fun vibes

Strong album with Standouts in I'm Just Looking and Geno.

Nice sound

not just come on eileen. eye opening, really

The Teams That Meet In Caffs, an instrumental, is excellent. Whole album is enjoyable!

This album surprised me! I only known their song “Come On Eileen” but this album was so energetic and fun.

Brani Preferiti: - "Tell Me When My Lights Turns Green" - "I'm Just Looking" - "Seven Days Too Long" - "Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply" Note: Mi è piaciuto come i suoni di radio indicano l'inizio dell'album, così come sentire elementi punk a jazz. anche se la voce è sgraziata e tutt'altro che bella, è energetica ed eccentrica e devo dire che questo mi ha fatto provare gioia durante il suo ascolto. Si intuisce la passione che questa band ha messo in questo album.

It was out there

Liked them generally a lot more than I expected. So far the criteria for a 5 us "did I like this as much as Billy Joel's the Stranger?" No, so 4.

Pretty middling

Well well well, third time’s the charm. The other two records by Dexys Midnight Runners on this list were abysmal and almost downright loathable - but this one is actually pleasant - almost touching on that late 70s / early 80s British aka sound that Madness made popular, but also not quite ska, the songs fun, and upbeat and the record well balanced. I wouldn’t have guessed from the way I crossed paths with this band before.

Bonne découverte agréable, je ne connaissais pas le groupe, mais je souscris pas mal à la fusion rock et autres styles (genre ska ?). Ça me fait un peu penser à the Clash. Sauvegardé pour réécoute

Really liked it, "The Teams that Meet in Caffs" was my fav.

Really fun, so much more than Come on Eileen

I was initially shocked and a bit annoyed to find TWO albums by 1 hit wonders Dexys Midnight Runners on this list. This album doesn't even have Eileen on it! What's the point?? But then I listened to it. This is such a fun little album. All ska horn lines and youthful energy. Lot's of real toe tappers on here!

I feel torn on this one because I genuinely enjoyed the first 2 tracks and was sure it would be a 4 or even a 5... And then literally every other song was meh. I went back and listened to the first song again and it wasn't as good the second time, probably because by then I was bored of the sound as they didn't really give much variety throughout the album musically, at least nothing memorable. The second song was just as good/better the second time. I'm still giving it a 4, but not the enthusiastic one I'd hoped to. If only there had been more adventurous, memorable melodies after the first 2 tracks.

Pandering with ska and a poem, I’ll reward it

Ok, respect! Loved the feeling of scrolling through the radio. Cool songs and great vibe through the whole thing.

Bien ska, como si the clash fuera ska

What happens when a bunch of blokes get together with a bunch of horns? This album is the answer. I only knew them from Come On Eileen, but I totally hear all the best parts of that song throughout the album. Really high highs, but some low lows as well. I had fun, but it wasn’t exactly Sticky Fingers.

Firstly, I really like the way DMR blend elements of soul music into their sound. It's nothing new - the Graham Parker Band did it a few years prior, but here Parker's pub rock sneer is replaced with a lachrymose New Wave yelp. The music is uniformly good without ever staggering, although the highlights - '...Yorkshire...' and 'Geno' are superlative, the latter featuring some lovely, strolling, brass-propelled instrumental breaks. At one point Kevin Rowlands does a passable impersonation of Russel Mael of Sparks fame. I liked this a lot.

The voice is hard to mistake from Come On Eileen. But this was all new to me. Some nice little ditties!

Classic Northern Soul. Kevin Rowland captures the feel of late 50s/early 60s US soul perfectly. The mannered vocals, the crying/singing is very specific to the music he's evoking, and outside of that context it's a bit of a challenge to listen to.

I always thoughts Dexys were one hit wonders, but it seems they are a lot more to them than Come On Eileen. They are clearly not the pop noveltiests I once assumed. Even the band name refers to recreational drug use. This album has a soulful, brass heavy, sound and a punk spirit. It certainly sounds like a call to arms for the disaffected. The album cover depicts a Catholic boy being forced from his home in Belfast. Political. In addition to the unexpected depth, it is also catchy, energetic and fun. The vocals are also less grating than on Too Rye Ay. I like it. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: Geno Date listened: 23/07/23

I would like to listen to it again but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I guess I’m really into trumpet punk. I had no idea. This was really good.

Great album, really reminded me of chumbawumba.

Good beats

Punk and soul very rarely cross paths, and it’s done exquisitely on here. Rating: 7.5/10

Loving the trumpets and synt (?), makes the whole album very special imo. The vocals are also special and kit my favorite but I feel it still goes well with the album. Would gladly listen to it again for the instruments and energy. Definitely a 4/5

La voz se parece a la del de The Cure. Son divertidos. Mucha trompeta.

What a delight this was to hear. Heartfelt, soulful and properly pissy. Distinctive vocals from Kevin Rowland and a rich, energetic, horn infused sound. Not a lot of bands could effectively blend the emotional honesty of American soul with the attitude of punk, but Dexy's nails it on the head. The lyrics can sometimes be a little vague or obscure, but the feeling is genuine. Fave Songs: : Seven Days Too Long, Tell Me When My Light Turns Green, I Couldn't Help If I Tried, I'm Just Looking, Burn It Down

I really liked the sound of this band!

Very good. Better than the last one.

Vital, energetic and verging on chaotic at times, the first and last great Dexy's album before they ditched the sharp look and went all straw hats and dungarees with the godawful "Come On Eileen".

English acts from the early '80s really loved their horns, eh? But I must say -- they're put to good use here. The songwriting was overall much better than I expected from a band that, on this side of the pond, is often seen as one-wonders. The vocalist borders on affecting a whiny yelp at times, which occasionally got on my nerves. But beyond that, there is a lot of fun to be had here.

Nice

- Never listened to this in full before but I've heard quite a lot of the songs already - Some of it's a bit samey, but overall a very good album - I once saw Car Seat Headrest cover Tell Me When My Light Turns Green and I've loved it ever since - Fav songs: Tell Me When My Light Turns Green, Geno, Seven Days Too Long

It’s really giving festival band (esp 7 days too long, which was also my favorite song on the album hahah). Ummm it’s like charli xcx but for the 80s. Like it gets me pumped it makes me want to dance. Will we ever hear disco on 1001 albums? I liked the album a lot

really liked it! Too many horns but bangers

This is a great album, another one that I've only come across within the last year or so. "Burn it Down" and "Gino" always end up stuck in my head for hours after I listen to them. It's great to see that this band were much more than just the very overplayed "Come On Eileen". This album does waver a bit towards the end I find, but maybe those songs will grow one eventually. 8/10

Has substance. Has brass. Was expecting some early 80s mediocre pop due to come on eileen, but this was more than that.

I enjoyed the punky horny brassy sound of this. The sobby vocals weren’t always as captivating. While there wasn’t any one song that really stood out, it was a good listen overall.

I didn't love the album, and I think that this was largely due to the tone of the vocals, but it was pretty fun and unexpected. I warmed a bit more the second time around, but still not the best for me.

Dexy's vocal affectations get on my nerves a bit but this was a fun, mostly upbeat soundtrack to cleaning my bathroom today. (I know his name's not Dexy.)

Very enjoyable album, glad to have listened to it. Super 80s. Best tracks: Geno, Tell Me When My Light Turns Green Worst track: I’m Just Looking

While Dexys Midnight Runners is best known for their cheeky "Come On Eileen", this is a surprisingly solid blues-infused Irish R&B album.

It’s pop, it’s soul, it’s punk, it’s Dexys. Kevin Rowland knew exactly what we wanted and he made it happen.

more soulful than I was expecting, really lovely album. 4 stars.

Buen disco, mezcla entre sonidos que le da mucha identidad al disco. Lo volvería a escuchar sin dudas

Really fun album, enjoyed it

I was surprised two months ago when I saw that their second album, Too-Rye-Ay, was on this list, so imagine my surprise when I see that there are two Dexys Midnight Runners albums on the list. Not that I have anything against the band, I just always thought of them as a one-hit wonder that didn't really break any new ground. But surprisingly, I liked this a lot. I love the horns and the soul influence. Sometimes the singer's voice gets on my nerves, but overall this was really good. 4 stars.

With the horns I was really expecting this album to skew towards ska but that was not the case. This album is primarily a new wave album with a massive soul influence. The instrumentation stood out to me the most along with the strong sense of melody. Overall I enjoyed this album and appreciate its unique qualities and the space it occupies in the history of post-punk/new wave.

Loved the trumpets. Fun energy. Will have to re-listen.

Really enjoyed this! Perfectly weird and wonderful, full of surprises really fun! Love the whispering randomly on one track really enjoyed the instrumental and will listen more. Never thought to listen to DMR beyond Come on Eileen so it's really nice to hear that there's more to their work for me anyway.

Leuke britpop ska oid

Cool!

One of the boldest statements of the New Wave scene and a seriously accomplished debut album. The sound of radio static shifting through Deep Purple, Sex Pistols and The Specials before pop music’s perennial shapeshifter Kevin Rowland exclaims “For God’s sake, burn it down!!” really lays out Dexys’ ambition in the opening seconds of this record. The cultural rupture ushered in by Never Mind The Bollocks meant it was fair game for The Specials or the Pogues to revitalise staple genres such as folk and ska, so why not soul? The resulting sound is so captivating and the opening salvo of “Burn it Down” and “Tell Me When The Light Turns Green” is one of the most exhilarating I’ve heard during this project so far. The sentiment of punk is preserved wholesale despite Dexys’ melodic drive coming from a brass section, accentuated by some really excellent production throughout. But the songs themselves are what elevate this record to another level. As the album’s title implies, the search for the young soul rebels remains an ongoing one, and pervading lyrical themes of disenfranchisement and cynicism threaten to undermine the lofty ambitions underpinning this records revolutionary ideals. But Kevin Rowland‘s somewhat flamboyant delivery (polarising though it may be) serves as the necessary wink to the listener to reassure us that all is not lost just yet. Almost everything about this record lands for me: from the artwork to the cleverly crafter and totally unique sound. But that being said, when the album loses steam it undeniably drags. The metamorphosis Dexys Midnight Runners would undergo by their second album also raises questions of integrity which, again, threatens to edge this album into the realm of the pretentious. But I guess that’s the whole point: Rowland saw the direction of traffic within the punk scene and figured the best course of action was to “Burn it Down!!”. And if all it gave us was this album, then I’m more than happy to pile the pyres high.

Sympathique mélange de genres! À réécouter.

Catchy tunes performed with heart and a complimenting horn section. Did they end up finding the soul rebels though??

greatly good

Feeling ecstatic to actually hear an other song than "Come On Eileen" Good shit! Reminds me of Fishermans Blues. 4

Boppy. I really liked the instrumental track, The Teams That Meet in Caffs.

Toffe muziek, met heel wat blazers.

I thought it was okay. Don't know if I'd go rushing back to this one as the ska-esque horn sections got a bit old over time, but there were some good songs in there for sure. Favourite: Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply

Denys Midnight Runners are a brilliant band and if the only song you know is Come on Eileen you're missing out. This album is a joy to listen to and only gets better after a couple of drinks.

fantastic album. Full of intent and conviction and heart

Great debut album.

7/10, gotta be honest this band was only recognizable to me when I realized they were the come on Eileen band. But, enjoyable energy and I’m impressed at their ability to keep it fresh for a whole album, I imagine if I heard this as a teen in 1980 I’d probably be crazy about it, but to adult Claudia in 2022 it does get a bit grating here and there

Little rock

Cool album. I liked it. 7/10

I'm a little torn on this one. I really liked it, but is it a 4? I want to say its like a 3.8, but at that point might as well round up. 4/5

I have to commend the band backing the singer. They’re doing amazing with this jazzy rock sound. The singer, however, is fully ruining all the songs with his crying voice. He sounds like the cowardly lion on every song. I can see why the band has a high turnover rate because they are way too good for him. I would give 5 stars if the singing was better because I really like the music besides that.

Seems like I underestimated Dexys because of the Monster smash they had after this album, I had them pegged as a novelty pop act. I’m really glad I listened to this debut to actually put the band into real context. They were a legit soul/punk project with vision and purpose. Northern Soul Rebels, but they also had the ability to pen a massive pop crossover which overshadowed their authentic* beginnings.

Hugely fun, british soul. I love a good horn section, and they use it well.

I listened to this two or three times, it really grew on me. A bit more ramshackle than the other Dexys album a few months ago, but a really happy vibe.

Listened to on 5/17/22 4/5 Favorite song: Geno, I couldn’t help it if I tried I had no expectations for this album but it was SO fun to listen to, very British, upbeat and just wildly entertaining - Eileen would be proud

Liked this. More to Dexys than Come on Eileen.

extremely british and extremely good pop music! this album just makes keeps you in a constant state of happiness for 50 minutes. simply great

I had only ever heard come on Eileen from this band, and assumed they were a one hit wonder, but wow this was a great album!

A splendid album with quality songs and excellent arrangements. The singing works but is a grating on the odd occasion. And really it's just fun and who would not jump in and sing along with their mates.

I actually really enjoyed the sound on this one. I suppose it was the brass. Consequently it scores above average and is a 4*

They have other music

I'll dance my ass off to Come on Eileen every goddamn time that song comes on and love every minute of it. I'll never get sick of it! But I always thought this band was a one hit wonder. Was pleasantly surprised by this album. Contrary to everyone else who hates the sloppy vocals and horns I love those things! I like uniqueness and going against the grain. This is the kind of band I'd love to have seen live at a small dingy shithole bar before they got their 15 minutes of fame. Ooo-ooo ah ah indeed!

Beter als verwacht, beetje ska achtig

Hress og skemmtileg plata!

Although not the first time listening to this, I only discovered this recently. For me it is and still remains a very surprising and original album. The 80s update on classic soul which doesn't even sound like R&B, and his voice, also so typically 80s; alright, I might be alone in this but the way he sings reminds me of Robert Smith. It is not supposed to work but it does!

Pretty good.

This is a much more interesting band than I would have given them credit for based on Come On Eileen. I watched a YouTube video about their history, and it was pretty cool what they were trying to do. I liked the album after Too-Rye-Ay, so it's cool to get to hear the album before it Overall it's a neat album. I didn't have a lot of time to make notes while I was listening, but the variety of instrumentation was great 4/5

Hadn’t heard of these guys and really enjoyed the ska punk type vibe

I didn't think I'd like this, but I do. Poppy, but not over much. Far more than "Come On Eileen"

didn't finish the album but I liked the stuff I heard

Great 80s pop album. More than a one-hit-wonder.

It turns out there's a lot more to Dexys than that one song. I'd heard their other hit single "Geno" before but the rest of the album was new to me. It's a lively collection, with a surprising (for the early 80s) amount of hard swearing.

Even in remaster, the timbre of the instruments is often a bit harsh. Nonetheless, I dig the brass and its contrast with the vocal affect. It's not what I expected, but I think the combination takes the band a long way. The jazzier tunes and instrumental sections are also points in favor.

Really surprised by this. I think I know where the Kooks were born.

Wat een lekker album, een dansje in de keuken gedaan!

3.75

I do like the sound, never been that keen on the vocals mind

So everyone knows 1 Dexy's song (I know 3!) - and this features Geno one of the greatest get up and dance songs ever. So happy to listen to an entire album, might feel 'samey', but an absolute joy.

This was a surprising joy

Have tried this before and not got into it. But growing on me. Shame he can’t sing.

Pretty enjoyable album this one

4/5 Pretty fun album to listen to

Surprisingly good

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Seven days too long, I couldn’t help it if I tried

A fun, high-energy record. Feel like if the Clash brought in a horn section. Theatrical, though not in a crazy, unbearable way. Favorite tracks: "Seven Days Too Long", "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green"

I liked this

1 neis

Excellent album. Extremely fun instrumentation with unique vocals. The opener really catches your attention instantly.

Great album

Had tried to get into Dexys before with no success but I really enjoyed this. Tell Me When My Light Turns Green my favourite track.

All 3 Dexy's LPs are justifiably highly rated and on the 1001 list. Great driving soul, youthful modern lyricism and attitude. Great bass and brass. Those unmoved by Geno and There there my Dear must have ice in their veins!

This is a fantastic debut album. Fun music, kind of a punk-ish ska-ish pop, great trumpets or trombones or whatever, and a pretty cool voice. This band had a fine personality from the start, and I'll sure be coming back to them some other time

Listens a lot like ska. I really liked it.

Really good fun. Listened with the kids and they really enjoyed it too.

Great album

La voz se parece a la del de The Cure. Son divertidos. Mucha trompeta.

This one surprised me a little. I wasn’t really sure I would like it, but it’s pleasant with some surprising instrumental pieces that I enjoyed.

Really cool that this was made in 1980. Brass instruments in rock music is fun.

Another band where I'm familiar with the name and one song. But I thought it was very good, if a little outside my genre tastes.

Nice covers. Lots of horns!

De Dexys Midnight Runners solo conocía Come On Eileen, que no está en este disco. Me gustó especialmente notar como estos sonidos son enrome influencia a todo el rock latinoamericano que vino unos años después. De pronto la voz se pasa de chillona, pero me gustaron mucho Geno y Seven Days Too Long (que leí que está basada en otra rola)

4.5 Very ska like, but almost sounds like the precursor to it

Goeie chille en toch swingende muziek. Mooi aangevuld met blazers.

7/10 FT: tell me when my light turns green

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.

Mayo1Sam

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

(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.

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

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.

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.

Keep searching, Eileen.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

Está bueno pero por momentos me molesta la voz del chabon

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

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.

Ska before ska was ska

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.

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.

Snoozer

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

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

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.

I like it, but was led to expect more ska

vibes de The Smiths, no mi genero pero not bad

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

Not bad at all

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”

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

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

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."

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

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

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.

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

Interesting... 3/5

3/5

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.

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.

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...

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

Not my cup of tea, but a fun listen

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.

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

Quite fun. Vocals could be better

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

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)

Has held up.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

This was alright

Surprisingly fun. It’s classified as soul but doesn’t really sound like it, which is a good thing for me since I don’t like this genre. It feels a lot more like rock than soul. It’s energetic and somewhat catchy; the vocals are pleasant. Not the most exciting album but still fun. 7/10

A good album, I liked Burn It Down and The Teams That Meet In Caffs the most.

A bouncy and fun jaunt. Still not entirely sure why this band warrants three whole albums on the list, however.

Kind of a ska-esque wedding band type they’ve got going. It won’t prompt deep discussions on music theory or lyrics, but hey, these gents sure sound like they’re having fun.

Come on Eileen! We got to tooooo raa toooo raaa tooo raaa ayyyyy! There's no reason these lads should have 3 albums on this list (unless you're from the UK).

I'm kind of surprised to see this one today. This makes two for Dexys Midnight Runners for me and surely one is enough. A quick review on this one because there isn't much to say. It's fine. Not as good as Too Rye Ay. I do like the brass on this one but it just kind of lacks something. 3/5

Yeah, pretty good. Kevin Rowland's voice is definitely idiosyncratic, and his style gets a bit much at times, but it's also distinctive and fits some of the songs very well. Would listen again.

Always interesting to check out the hidden albums of one-hit-wonders. I could drink to this! Maybe didn’t earn any downloads from me - but a fun listen overall.

On balance I liked Too Rye Ay and Come On Eileen better than Searching For The Young Soul Rebels and Geno. 3.5

The band is great! The singing is lousy!

this song tells a complet story!! it is kinda fire