Reviews (page 5 of 8)
This is #day268 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... this one started out pretty promising (those radio channel flips in "Burn It Down" were a cool touch), but then the trombone kicked in, and didn't leave for the rest of the album. I'm fine with sax, though... well, for the most part. The vocals reminded me a bit of Bryan Ferry, though not in the best way. It's way too rowdy a kind of new wave for me, if you can even call it new wave. On a positive note, I like the album artwork. "I Couldn't Help It If I Tried" is the closest I can nominate as the album highlight. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day269.
Bouncy, peppy, ska-y fun. Rough around the edges. Considering the band name effectively means "Cokey's Nighttime Smugglers" I'm gonna let them off with less polish. Wish it had "Come on Eileen" tho
DNF. Whatever redemptive qualities the music has are completed ruined by the atonal, incomprehensible vocals. I can’t rightfully give this a 1 because the brass and bass parts have some redeeming qualities, but I’m stoked to never listen to this again. Listened to: walking through Brooklyn.
# Album Name: Searching for the young soul rebels # Artist: Dexys midnight runners # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: For a debut album, the band is very tight musically. Theres a big jazz and SKA influence in many of the tracks. The sax in Meet in Caffs was absolutely banging. I think “Im just looking” was an attempt at a Ballard from the Dexys! The build up to the sax is sweet. Geno. Nuff said. What a classic tune. Everything about the song is A grade. Quite a fun album overall. I did find it got a bit too much by the end. This is a low 4 from me. # Top Tunes: Meet in caffs / Just looking / Geno # Would I listen to it again? Probably
I was shocked when the album with Come On Eileen was on this list, and felt it didn’t deserve to be. Imagine my surprise when a second Dexys album pops up. I didn’t even know they had two albums. I will give essentially the same review…mildly enjoyable, but shouldn’t be on a list of must-hear albums.
This was awesome. I had only really heard one Dexy's Midnight Runners song before (Come On Eileen), which isn't even on this album, but I loved the sound of every track anyway. Their sound -- both instrumental and vocal -- is so unique, and I just love the freshness and vigor they have. Really punky, but also just well-rounded and clearly gifted musicians (unlike a lot of popular punk bands). I listened to this twice -- five stars.
If you like Ska this is probably a great album but I don't so I'd say this is fine, completely fine, nothing else
“Searching for the Young Soul Rebels” is like stumbling into a sweaty, brass-fueled revival meeting where everyone’s wearing denim vests and shouting lyrics with the fervor of a preacher convinced he’s discovered disco’s missing soul – and, frankly, you’d be hard‐pressed to leave without catching the fever. From the gravelly exhortations of “Geno” to the jittery paranoia of “There There My Dear,” Dexys Midnight Runners serve up their brand of Celtic‐punk‐soul with the precision of a detuned saxophone and the gusto of a rabble‐rouser hopped up on too much coffee.
bello
Boom, there go my expectations. Blown to pieces! This album is so cool, it reminds me of the modern band HMLTD - a group of outcasts who come together to make a racket and have a fucking blast doing it.
You know what? I wasn’t sure at first but ended up really liking this one.
I had high hopes for this album, as I had heard a rumour that it was really good, far better than the one big hit everyone knows. I liked Geno, I didn't like the vocals, they sounded like the singer was underwater or something. I didn't like the horns by the end of the album. 2 stars, mainly for Geno.
A magnificent debut album.
When I see its 80's British rock I fill with dread as a lot from that period in time where just not great, but as soon as those trumpets kick in I can tell this is not the same as a lot of the complete misery from that time period. I have never listened to them before and will be trying to listen to more of them enjoyed it a lot.
Appeler ça de la soul, c'est tellement insultant que c'est raciste. On dirait des jeunes skins anglais qui essayent de parodier le genre avec des trompettes MIDI et des synthés cheap.
Great album to listen too.
Another Dexy album, 2nd in the past two weeks. The album sounds very ska with the horns being the main attraction. None of the songs though are notable.
I don't understand why this needed to be a double album, nothing here seemed so amazing that they needed to do a double. Wouldn't it have been better to release it as two. I don't hate any part of it, but it was just sooooooo much Dexys and I found myself lost and a little over the horns and the singers voice, especially after Keep It, Pt. 2. I think I would have gone much higher if it just didn't feel like they were just doing too much.
This is some horny British rock. I like the vibe, the songs grew on me with several listens. I'm having a hard time understanding the lyrics sometimes but I like his overly dramatic singing. Love that Trombone solo in Tell Me When My Light Turns Green. Seven Days is Too Long has some great jumpin energy. It's how I feel about every Saturday. Where have you been?! Awesome that this album has a horn heavy instrumental. Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire is a favorite! I love it, but I have no idea what he's saying.
Im a little surprised that I’m not really liking this album. I enjoy Come On Eileen enough. The use of horns on this record feels aggressive and confrontational…like you get punched for every time a negative thought about the music crosses your mind. How dare you not love what we’re cooking up here. POW!! This album borders on ska, which I’ve never really cared for. I enjoyed Geno though.
I thought these guys rose from the ocean like Mariah Carey at Christmas time, made Come On Eileen, then descended peacefully back into the sea. Happy to know I was wrong, this album rocks! Love all the horns throughout. The fast songs bop and the slow songs are cool and soulful. Fun listen!
3.5/5. New wave, I guess, although not super obvious. I think this album has some different sounds, which is refreshing. Overall, not something that really excites me, but not bad.
A punk album with lots of brass instruments
Too Rye Ay has been one of my favorite album discoveries of this 1001 journey, so I was pretty excited to get Dexys’ debut today. It doesn’t quite have the catchy melodies of its successor, but Young Soul Rebels is a solid debut and a good mission statement for the sound of the band. 3.5
7 days too long without you baby come on back to me 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ I'm not gonna wait around forever.
Enjoyed this. Definitely going back
Nah. I'm out on this one. The horns annoyed me. The British moaning vocals annoyed me. The whispering at the beginning of I'm Just Looking infuriated me. Why is every third entry on this list a New Wave album from 1977-1983?
I guess this is new wave?
I only knew this band for Come on Eileen and this album was astonishing. It feels like early ska or at least that it maybe influenced later ska. The story of its making is fascinating too. The vocals are often too British New Wave but the rest of it is so not-that that this is a more enjoyable experience. I love the horns throughout.
Actually really fun. I wish they continued in the more horn-forward style tbh
This album was straight up annoying. The vocals were the worst, but the instruments can't get away unscathed. The mastering on the horns were awful. Some of the songs were fine, but this album was a big miss.
All together pretty boring. The horns added a little pizzazz but not enough to make it interesting. Found myself skipping every song before it finished. Also didn't like the singer. Sounded like an Elvis caricature.
Mind blown to smithereens! I knew 'Come on Eileen' & a couple other songs by Dexys and liked them fine but never enough to seek out a full album... I've been missing out big time! How have I not heard this work of art in 23 years of being alive? I've heard it three times already & will play it at least three more times today, ordering the vinyl record & CD after I click 'Comment' and submit to you my scattered thoughts. This at once has become one of my favorite albums of all time! I'm obsessed! No music has hit me this hard since I discovered (and by "discovered" I mean my dad saying, "hear this." as he hands me an album, this time The Queen is Dead) The Smiths when I was 14. Moments like this are a big reason why music is, has been and always will always be a huge part of my life. What an eargasm!
This was an alright, typical-sounding British album, nothing too exciting, it was not too bad having it in the background.
1. Tell Me When My Light Turns Green 2. Geno 3. There There My Dear 4. Burn It Down 5. Seven Days Too Long 6. The Teams That Meet in Caffs 7. Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply 8. I'm Just Looking 9. I Couldn't Help It If I Tried 10. Keep It *Interludes omitted*
I absolutely hate that singer. Second album from them on the list so far, and the overwhelming feeling listening to both is that the band is great, but the singer and his affectations ruin everything.
I’m not sure dexys is 1000 album important. They have a couple of great songs. Geno on this. Come on Eileen. Some decent stuff. But this falls into the ‘not here’ pile. 2 stars.
While I share Kevin Rowland's love of soul music, Dexys Midnight Runners are really only compelling if you have never heard _actual_ soul music before. The horn arrangement are hamfisted and Rowland's vocals are idiosyncratic at best and appallingly affected at worst, a kind of gargled sobbing. Apparently, he chose to sing like that on purpose. These faults are especially pronounced on the ballads, which are embarrassingly bad. As I am writing, I am listening to Rowland's terrible vocal improvisations at the end of "I couldn't help it if I tried" (from 2:45 onwards) -- I don't know how anyone could defend that with a straight face. It's just bad. I can see how the English obsession with Northern Soul would make the early Dexys tours a popular live act, given that nobody else was really doing anything like this. I occasionally DJ at a Northern Soul night, and "Geno" always gets a strong response when played. It's the best tune they ever released. But I do not understand why all three Dexys albums are on this list; the first two are just tolerable, and the third is appalling rubbish. This is another example of Dimery's obsession with English white boys producing inferior imitations of black music, while denying us the opportunity to listen to the real thing. 2 stars
Why does he sing like that? It’s so annoying
un album muy divertido de new wave, honestamente no esperaba que quedase muy bien mezclado con ska, pero cumple y se hace recordar.
Bad
Not one, not two, but THREE albums of this goofy ass singing so far on this list. It's kind of enough already. The album wasn't good and no songs really stood out. 4/10
Wow I actually like this one a lot more than the others on here. The brass really adds a lot. Still has a couple I'm not as into but overall this is much more entertaining.
“Come On Eileen” was an outlier for this band, and I like a lot of this material quite more than that song, which became an eardrill. Kevin Rowland’s voice is A BIT MUCH sometimes, but when he dials it down and the band gets into a groove, there are some terrific relistenable songs.
Los metales dan la magia definitiva para mi nota.
🎧Righto, pretty good Northern soul and punk-inspired pop rock. Some of this reminds me of Elvis Costello. Good brass section. Kevin Rowland’s voice sometimes stinks.
One hit wonder band
Ok 80’s vibe
Not sure what was so special here. Geno was fine, the rest was barely fine.
I liked this better than the other Dexys albums we've listened to so far, but it still just didn't really do much for me.
Enjoyed this one maybe the most of the 3 dexys records. That being said, I still didn't care too much for it. I might revisit it, but only begrudgingly. 2.8/5
I knew that this was a classic thanks to Todd in the Shadow’s Dexys video- all three of their pre-reunion albums are lauded, in fact. It’s pretty good, full of catchy hooks even if it sounds kinda samey. It’s not quite my speed on the whole but I’d listen again. B-
ANOTHER Dexy's Midnight Runners album?!? What in the Arcade Fire is going on here? How does one of the most notorious one-hit wonders of all time deserve not one, not two, but THREE records on this list? Clearly our master and overlord, Mr. Dimery, is the world's biggest Dexy's Midnight Runners fan. I'll bet he walks up to random people wearing overalls and asks if they can even name three Dexy's songs. I'll bet he sleeps next to a pillow with Kevin Rowland's face on it. I'll bet Mr. Dimery's password is something like "Dexys4EVA" or "RDlovesDMR". I'll bet that I never listen to them again.
I'm having a hard time rating this on its merits alone. Probably the best of the three Dexy albums on the list, but I'm going to punish it for being the third. Wish this would have come up before the other 2, but it didn't.
Decent
Vocals remind me of Bowie. Not bad but not for me.
Not impressed.
Jeg er faktisk jævnt stor fan af Dexy's Midnight Runners, både den er og deres næste er gode albums. Geno er en banger. Sangeren er en acquired taste men jeg synes det virker
Gav altså lidt punk vibes selvom det overhovedet ikke er punk. Fed horn. Ville have været en 4er men der er lidt for meget filler
Thought this would be more punk. But all I got was this new wave..
"Searching For The Young Soul Rebels" by Dexys Midnight Runners offers a vibrant burst of energy and soul-infused enthusiasm, characteristic of the early '80s. I liked it, but I won't go back to it. While it captures the youthful spirit effectively, the album feels maybe a bit one-dimensional. Its driving intensity and consistent theme might appeal initially, but lack the variety necessary to hold long-term interest.
Die Musik ist ja ganz gut, aber der Gesang gefällt mir nicht.
The brits should stick to making car shows
Instrumentally it was a 4. Then there was the vocals
Not too bad
I’m not sure if this makes sense: I get they are good at what they do but it doesn’t hold much interest for me
Really good. I somehow missed out on this back in the day.
I liked this more than the last dexys. Lots of strings in that, lots of brass in this. Ska soul with a few hits I knew but didn't know were theirs
First couple of songs - I hope the brass section lets up soon. They didn’t.
I do enjoy the madness of the Dexys, think there’s other album had a single track which encapsulated that, this one has similar vibes but no stand outs
Mew wave punk med horn, lidt træls vokal, men har lidt appel
2.25
nice
Man, I've seen people complain about Dexys being on the list because there's too many of their albums included... I'm complaining about this being on the list because it was awful to listen to.
There are some cool tracks on this. I only knew the smash hit. As an album, the frontman's voice annoyed me after a while but cool to listen to some individual tracks from here.
Solid ska band made worse (for the most part) by a ridiculous vocalist.
Great record.
Listenable.
I wish this list gave as much respect to older blues, country, and Americana as it did to new wave music
Ok, happened
Ska!
Some cool songs (“Thankfully not living in Yorkshire”, “Sevrn Days”), but mostly it sounds like a high school marching band got stranded in the auditorium with a junior high punk band and they put on their own version of The Breakfast Club to pass the time until the salty old janitor found the keys to let them out…
Fav song: Geno A little bit bland, but quite fun to listen to I guess. I was never the biggest fan of Dexys Midnight Runners, always had em down as a Temu version of The Specials.
Very unique sound using a variety of rhythms, instruments, and highlighting the lead singer's distinct voice. My only complaint is that it's too long.
dude's voice bugs the shit out of me
I gave this two the first time, but that was harsh. Here's a three
Stabil platta.
3.5 stars — this is a fun one, not one i think i’ll reach for a ton but glad to have listened to it
So viele Lieder waren kurz davor so gut zu sein, dass ich sie gespeichert hätte
I'm not super familiar with the world of ska, but this sure sounded like it. I found that surprising, considering the only song I knew of theirs before this doesn't sound like ska. Anyway, it was fine.
Some rhythms are fine but most of it is painful. Don't like the voice, nor the melodies
I liked this, adding it to the rotation
Leuke ontdekking, alleen zal ik m niet heel gauw nog een keer opzetten
Surprisingly I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Really really catchy tunes. I'm surprised they never made it huge beside their one hit.
Cool as a cucumber and the brass is class.
Geno is a classic Burn it Down is decent Seven Days is Too Long is a highlight It's not bad but 3 dexy albums is insane
Hated his voice but brass was great
Neat to hear the debut of a group that I’m somewhat familiar with but not deeply. Really like the horns and ska vibe, a few tracks I loved and 1 or 2 didn’t care for. 4/5
This album had some hits. Geno and Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply being my two favorites. The vocals are weird. I'm still not sure if I love them or hate them. The pacing of the album was good as it had its ebs and flows. The drumming stood out on the higher tempo tracks. Overall it was a solid album.
-meh it wasn’t terrible, there were some pretty catchy songs on here and I really liked the vocal affectations -overall it wasn’t really anything too interesting to me though… a lot of new wave and blue-eyed soul records from that period just sort of sound the same to be idk -Favorites are Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn’t Apply and There There My Dear
Whooaaaaa Geno! A song with two distinct memories for me: 1. Losing a quiz at Toffs nightclub York, despite - or even because of - cheating. Having successfully identified Star Trekking by The Firm as being from 1986, I got down to the final two in said quiz (taking place at midnight in a crowded club). The DJ played Geno, and told us to write down the year and the artist. Closest wins. No problem with the latter, it's Dexys. As for the year, I happened to see my opponent write 1981. No problem, I'll just go one year up and write 1982 - they're early 80s, but surely not that early. 1980. He won a karaoke machine, I won eternal shame. 2. Singing it on karaoke without the benefit of knowing any of the melody or lyrics beyond the bit where you shout 'whoa Geno'. The rest of this album is so-so.
Who knew the Come on Eileen guys had more hits.
Good album
really fun listen!
One of my favourites. Still sounds amazing.
started off VERY strong, started lacking a little more towards the end love the brass and everything though so still amazing, cheers xx
Had never heard a Dexys Midnight Runners song before other than Come on Eileen. 80s alt vocals over a lot of horns. It’s pretty good
Wow. This album is pure joy. I’d never listened to Dexy’s apart from Come on Eileen. They call it pop rock, but it really is just the perfect ska record. Melodic & upbeat with some unexpected vocal samples and spoken word. Will be on repeat forever.
I’ve never listened to this album before, but I actually really liked it. Went to my playlist
4* horns 2* vocals
I did not know they were so prominently a horn band. A second listen was essential, and I’m looking forward to many more. Rounding up.
Underwhelming despite the horns. Could have been sub optimal listening conditions and would be willing to listen again at some point.
Better than I was expecting. 3.5*
I’m a sucker for a tight brass section. That makes this album for me. Otherwise it’s kinda lacking the hooks I want from Dexys
another annoying album
Sometimes it gets nearly good
14/1089 - Sounds like this band would've been fun to see live. Voices sound a bit weird, but it kinda works! Backing instruments are solid.
Must say I'm quite impressed how good this was! My initial expectations hit rock bottom when I saw that it was an album from Dexys Midnight Runners, as their previous albums, along with similar acts such as The Pogues, hasn't been my thing at all. But this was quite nice! Off to a bit of a slow start, but I found almost all songs starting from 'I'm Just Looking' until the very end to be very good. Ones that stand out as especially good to me are 'Geno', 'Seven Days Too Long', and 'Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire Doesn't Apply', the latter of which is a really quirky but cool song. I was going to give this a 3 star, but I actually think I'm going to raise to a 4 star. Taken by surprise with the many good songs on here, definitely worth a listen!
Fun and upbeat! We had "Too Rye Ay" not too long ago. Both are quite similar in style and fun. "Too Rye Ay" had more memorable songs with "Come on Eileen" and "The Celtic Soul Brothers" while this album only really had "Geno" that I think stood out. Still a fun album but not something I really feel like listening to again. "Geno" pushes it to a weak 3.
Geno gets all the praise but to me it's 'There there my dear' that's the stand out track on this album.
Album cover pops up. "Oh boy, these guys again." A couple months ago I rated DMR's Don't Stand Me Down as a 2, but parts of it have stuck with me ("they all sounded the saaaame"); I remember it as being weird and obnoxious but with flashes of greatness. Searching for the Young Soul Rebels avoids doing the really annoying stuff - like blasting you with music after quiet bits of talking - but unfortunately the flashes of greatness are gone too. I liked Don't Stand Me Down better.
So here's one I'd say need not be on the list. But it is, and I like horns, so a 3.
Not my thing, just very slow and I don't like the singers voice.
Their other albums were better
I’m tired of pretending that these albums are that good or influential
Idk. This is one of those albums on this list where I enjoy listening to it, but will also forget about it within a few days.
Mid-album, my wife walked into the room and said "that sounds like a high school jazz band. And not a good one."
The instruments were nice but the sorrowful singing voice mostly ruined it for me.
Tiden har nog runnit ifrån dem. Jag kan höra att det här var bra nån gång förr i tiden. Men nu tar det inte tag i mig. Trea
The music is great but the vocals get so tiresome
I need to come back to this album. Not what I was expecting and really good to listen to. I didnt have any track in particular that stood out but the overall energy of the album and the music is good. If i had some liked tracks from it it would easily be a 5 then.
no.
And remember, all of you youngsters who rely solely upon GPS and can't even read a map: Africa is a continent, not a country, and it's nowhere near the North Pole! (Just my attempt at a little humor...) tallennettu tuo teksti myöhemmäksi (onnistunut yritys pikku huumorille pikku huumorille...) käännetään se suomeksi. Ja muistakaa, kaikki te nuoret, jotka luotatte pelkästään GPS:ään etkä osaa edes lukea karttaa: Afrikka on maanosa, ei maa, eikä se ole lähelläkään pohjoisnavaa! (Yritin vain vähän huumoria...) saved that text for later (successful attempt at a little humor for a little humor...) let's translate it into Finnish. the teams that meet in caffs
The first half of the album would bore me quite a bit. However, when the uplifting melodies flood the following songs, I started to take a keen interest in it. I saved a bunch from the final ones.
M'encanta Dexys Midnight Runners i només havia escoltat Come On Eileen, se m'han fet molt agradables d'escoltar. ELR: 3/5
This was completely unnecessary and barely enjoyable. Dexys Midnight Runners sounds like a bad horn-laden version of The Cure. Just another glaring example of a record that feels like it only made the list in order to get it past a specific threshold so they could get closer to a 1001 total.
Fair music, though uninspiring. The vocals seemed like someone who had no idea how to sing and was just emulating what they thought was singing. Forced vibrato for the fail.
Five stars because: 1) It doesn't include "Come On Eileen" 2) "Geno" is great
Just when you think there cannot possibly be more horns.... there they are again.
The vocal sounded familiar to someone but I can't tell to whom.
Great listen. Like many I’m sure, I only know this band as a one hit wonder. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Songs across this album are bouncy and full of life and energy with the driving rhythm section and uplifting horns. The track “Geno” in particular is tremendous.
Geno was a decent track. The rest sounds like a perpetual b-side
I don't understand the appeal. I think something is lost in translation as it goes across the atlantic. No matter how many times I hear he is a genius will convince me that this is good.
Was this bad? No. Was this great? No. Did I want to listen to it again? No. On a 1-10 scale I'd probably go four, but with 1-5 scale, I find it hard to give it a two, as it is not objectively bad. Yet another UK centric pick, certainly not something you "need to hear before you die"...
Thought this was alright. Worth a listen anyway, didn't not enjoy.
December 25, 2024 Thanks, Santa- I’ve already got two of these though… -The vocals in “I’m Just Looking” are strange even for Kevin Rowland -Generally the more upbeat tunes work the best, but “I couldn’t help it if I tried” is a ballad that stands out -“Seven Days Too Long” is a neat cover version -I could wax poetic on the insanity of including 3 Dexys on the list, as others have; it would only delay me admitting I really like the sound of this record. Sometimes all I need is a peppy horn section and I’m sold :) HL: “Light Turns Green”, “I Couldn’t Help It”, “Geno”, “There There My Dear”
i listened to like half of this. his voice really only works on a novelty level for the length of ONE song (i.e. “come on eileen”). again, too many horns!!!
I really didn’t like this and stopped about halfway through because I got the gist. I usually love the incorporation of horns into most kinds of music, but these are so artificial sounding and also don’t have any added dynamics to make them interesting. It sounds like someone playing with consistent strong force on a keyboard set to the “horns” sound effect. It reminds me a lot of the style of accompaniment that was playing at my Hasidic friend’s wedding.
++: Burn It Down, Seven Days Too Long, Thankfully Not Living in Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply +: Tell Me When My Light Turns Green, The Team That Meets in Caffs, I'm Just Looking, Geno, Keep It, Love Part One +-: I Couldn't Help If I Tried, There, There My Dear 6,4/10
Good try, Geno is ok.
This is an interesting curio: how do you remember an Album Band™️ who are mostly remembered as one hit wonders? Yes, I know that Dexys Midnight Runners are not one hit wonders in the UK, but I get the impression that time has leaned more favorably to the American narrative in public memory. And if we’re talking canon (as we always are when analyzing this list), then public memory matters when assessing Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. Modern critics seem to overcorrect the one hit wonder allegations, claiming that the US messed up by not giving Young Soul Rebels its rightfully earned dues, and I think that overcorrection is what landed this record a spot on this particular list. (That, and the British-centric narrative that persists throughout this list.) But is it canon-worthy? Is Searching for the Young Soul Rebels a great album? Does it prove that Dexys Midnight Runners are more than their most well-remembered hit(s)? Was their clear album-oriented vision only obvious in retrospect? Kinda. And kinda not really. Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is certainly well-made. The musicianship is top-notch. The aesthetic, while put on, is intriguing, and feels sincere. The soul revival approach is coming less from a place of nostalgic cash grabbing, and more from the vantage point of a crate digger, and that’s obvious, and one of this record’s greatest strengths. And even if you’re not a fan of Kevin Rowland’s vocal choices like me, it’s still a meaningful, thoughtful choice that fits the aesthetic goals. My issue, unfortunately, is that the songs very rarely work. The crate-digger, niche reference worldview brings Dexys down interesting alleyways that tie back to long-forgotten touchpoint of the soul genre, but hearing them revived, you immediately realize why they died off in the first place, and why their graves were forgotten beneath the overgrowth. The origin of this style of soul feels kitsch in a Tin Pan Alley way, ephemeral and made for a quick buck. So when Dexys tries to redo it with all the sincerity in the world, it doesn’t sound artful, it sounds tasteless, naïve, and even immature– not just collecting Beanie Babies in the 2020s, but leaving them in your will to your children as a financial asset. Not everything on Searching for the Young Soul Rebels falls this flat– the record hits a good stride in the middle where I see how someone could enjoy it– but most of it just doesn’t feel all that deep. That’s important, because this is one of those records that you know the band thinks is so deep, overflowing with meaning, and deserving of canonization. And it just isn’t that, despite the band’s talent and despite Rowland’s vision. As someone who’s fascinated with one hit wonders, there’s so many records by long-forgotten bands that I’ve sincerely defended as 10/10 albums that I’d rate above Abbey Road, Pet Sounds, Dark Side of the Moon, Rumours, etc. I’m not averse to sticking my neck out for this type of band. But Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is not an album worth sticking my neck out for. It’s decent, and not trash, but it is shlock, forgotten for a reason. Not $1 bin, but $2 bin. It’s decent, but I’ll be lucky to remember to pull the few songs I like out and put them on a playlist, let alone remember the album as a whole in a month or two.
1 hour 49 min of Dexys and none of it is Come on Eileen. Didn’t expect that
A third Dexys album, none of which are the one with Come on Eileen?? How?
Meh, it’s ok
Bouncy.
I understand the political and nostalgiac impact, but sounds like proto-ska. I'd much rather listen to the actual Geno Washington than "Geno."
I didn't realise DMR were a '3 albums on the generator' kinda band, but then I wasn't born when any of them were released so who am I to make assumptions? And anyway, I like 'em. There's good stuff on all of their albums - they're just not quite consistent enough to convince me that any of them are classics. Their 'best of' collection must be all killer, mind. 3.5
Solid memories of living in Ireland in the 80s. Love the emotions, and energy.
>listened to one song >british >turned it off
I hated this album a lot. It shouldn't have been conceived. All songs on this album are on varying levels of bad. I can't believe I had to listen to "SftYSR" last night. This week has been catastrophic. I'll give "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" a rare 1 star rating.
Good, but not my taste though
The band is excellent
Musically, this was alright. I quite liked the horns and almost Madness-esque vibe to it. But vocally it wasn't for me. Almost wish it was an instrumental album!
2,5
The ska vibes grow on you. But ruined by vocals similar to what happened to Talking Heads and The Smiths for me.
Not listened to this since the 80's. I found if anything that with the passing of years I appreciated the music more. Stand out track is obviously 'Geno' but there's much to enjoy here.
Kevin Rowland's vocal affectations are pretty marmite. I can live with them. This is a good album. Varied and kept my interest. 4/5.
Nope. 1
I'm already sick of one hit wonders with entire albums on this list, and this one doesn't even have their hit on it! Turns out they were big in the UK before that one, but that does not a must-hear album make. This guy's whiny voice is on another level. His voice breaks on just about every syllable and it's not endearing. And his voice isn't good otherwise. I wouldn't get back together with someone crying at me like that either. And then he has the balls to do an entire song in falsetto that made even MY throat hurt. Otherwise, this just seems like an album full of barstool sing-alongs, which is exhausting.
Nice music. 8/10
S'okay. Not my cup of tea. Solid instrumentals and vocal work I didn't care for. 'Geno' was good and my fave pick.
Nothing about this stood out to me. It was just neutral and non-offensive. At least Eileen didn't get herself involved with this album.
Listenable for nostalgia purposes. I don’t need to hear this again.
Better than the hit but still not exceptional.
Instrumentalmente, este acto y disco en específico pudo haber inspirado a ciertas bandas como Oingo Boingo, Neutral Milk Hotel e incluso The Microphones, pero la voz y la letra hacen de este disco una experiencia sumamente tediosa. No hay ningún hook en ninguna canción y ningún pasaje vocal afinado, lo que hace que el disco no tenga ningún single de por sí. Algunas canciones destacables del LP son "Thankfully no living in Yorkshire..." y "Seven Days Too Long". Sin embargo, no creo que este disco debería estar en la lista, no es una experiencia imprescindible para nada. Sálteselo si puede. PD: No puedo creer que este disco dure solo 39 minutos, es tan aburrido que parece durar 5 horas.
2.9
Meh
Boring
I have tried to get into this band before - beyond their one hit - but the singer’s voice is always a pretty difficult obstacle to overcome. I like a rock band with a brass section and enjoyed this album but the vocals kept me from enjoying more.
This whole new vibe could be interpreted as pretentious, arrogant, obnoxious, but no- this guys are just savages an they're kind of insane probably. Love the marching band sounds, the horn, the unrefined voice.
im not mentally all here rn so youll have to forgive the lack of specific observations but oh my god this is so good lmao. a weird combo of styles (ska and soul and new wave in this case)? hyper-melodicism? constantly varied and unapologetically bright colors of timbre? barrelling forward momentum that doesnt sacrifice variety?? thats azzy miniike's music.......might have to give this band a real serious dedicated shake!
Really surprising effort from what I thought was a “one hit wonder”
I am a little baffled as to why this band has 3 albums on the list. I found this album to be a little tiresome.
His voice is not pleasing to me. Kinda marching band like. I thought I'd like it but no. At least it's short
Not a patch on their other album on the list.
Same as the last Dexy's album, just more of it.
No. 287/1001 Burn It Down 3/5 Tell Me 3/5 The Teams 4/5 I'm Just 3/5 Geno 3/5 Seven 4/5 I Couldn’t 3/5 Thankfully 4/5 Keep It 4/5 Love NR There 3/5 Average: 3,4 Positive surprise for me. So far I mostly disliked the new wave albums on this list. But this one was actually quite enjoyed listening, especially the use of trumpet.
Some of it’s fun and enjoyable, but a lot of it really drives home why this band is a one hit wonder (at least in the US).
The ska/soul/rock influences are there, but it still manages to sound like nothing else before it. His singing is really messy and expressive, pathetic and theatrical, and I think it works well at times. I prefer this version of 'Seven Days Too Long' to Chuck Wood's. That style does start to wear thin by the end of the album. And there were more slow songs than I would have expected. But it was good. The more lively stuff felt outrageous.
Y'know, I liked this! I expected the vocal style to grate on me, but I ended up liking it. Loved the horns, too. I think I'd be delighted if a song from this album came up on shuffle. 4 stars - will be adding this to my collection.
Annoying
fun blokes who don't stick out too much but they enjoy what they do ay
Too horn-y for me.
Cool stuff a bit boring at times
The trumpets ranged from Sweet Sweet Victory by SpongeBob to The LeBron in the studio reaction video. And I can’t explain it any better than that.
Hey this is alright. The horns work. Perhaps a little too ska on the last track. From reading the other reviews I did not expect the horns to work. I didn't know this band from the hit Come On Eileen and would have been more suspicious if I had. I am turning off Come On Eileen as we speak so that I don't round down to 2.
Kind of rolled my eyes when this came up, just because it’s a band that I (and most people, I think?) would consider a one hit wonder. A good lesson in checking oneself. Sounds like if the Clash had done one more album, and it was their second worst one, but in a good way. Rounding down from 3.5 here.
Not a huge fan, but nothing terrible.
B+ Burn It Down 4 Tell Me When My Light Turns Green 4 The Teams That Meet In Caffs 4 I'm Just Looking 4 Geno 4 Seven Days Too Long 3 I Couldn't Help If I Tried 4 Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply 3 Keep It 4 Love Part One 3 There, There, My Dear 5 I think Dexys is probably the most underrated band of all time. Everyone calls them a one hit wonder, but their discography is stacked outside that song. Honestly, I like a lot of their music more than it. I’m partial to Too Rye Ay, but this has all timers like Burn It Down, Geno, and There There My Dear.
Dexy's in their Northern Soul original incarnation, featuring of course, the stomper that is "Geno", bangier than a box of firecrackers. Of course, they would go on to discover violins and dungarees and give us the timeless classic "Come on Eileen", but let's enjoy them as they were...
If I really think about it, 'Come On Eileen' is a crap song. Over the years I think I've been conditioned to sing along to it purely out of familiarity and mob mentality. It's not on this album, but whilst giving this a listen, it suddenly hit me that I actually don't like that song. I think it's the god awful vocal style that shits all over a clearly talented band. The vocals work on a couple of tracks, but mostly they don't. He's actually horrendously annoying. 'I Couldn't Help Myself If I Tried' is especially difficult to get through because of the vocals. Just incoherent wailing and warbling all over the place and it ruins the song. Whereas in 'Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply' it actually is so over the top that it actually is an enjoyable track that matches the fun music. It seems to me that Dexys Midnight Runners are a bit of a ska band in disguise. 'Geno' starts off sounding like it'll be something fast and in the vein of Madness or The Specials. But before it even has a chance to get going, it then slows itself down into a pretty average track. It's annoying hearing what this band could be but they fall short, and it's mainly the vocals that let it down.
Enjoyable high energy album. I heard it a couple of days ago so the details are a blur but I liked it.
This is the album that made me realize that they are a ska band and I’m ok with that.
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels does a fair job of setting a really tangible mood with plenty of emotion but it's mostly brought down by terrible vocals. Kevin Rowland can't sing, it doesn't really matter at times because it suits the song (I Couldn't Help It If i Tried, for example, is a fantastic song and his vocals are fine here), but there are too many occasions where it's just incoherent warbling in the wrong key and ruins the song. The highs of the song I mentioned plus Tell Me When My Light Turns Green and Geno are impressive, the horn section is very much my bag throughout, but it doesn't hit a consistently high quality bar often enough to get more than a middling 3.
Not my cup of tea really, our second of their albums in the past few weeks. Singing is really ropey, works in some places, doesn't in others. Definitely interesting though in places, probably does merit a place on the list, but not something I'm likely to revisit in reality. Just about a 3.
Not as good as too rye ay but it was decent and geno is a really good song.
Never heard of this band, and nothing at all familiar about anything on this record. Kind of weird mix of late 70s/early 80s ska and new wave. It feels all over the place, but strangely works. Wild to me this is on the list, but early 80s UK new wave is waaaaaaay too over represented on this list, so I guess it's not that surprising.
Come on Eileen, this sucks!
The quality of singing on this is really poor. Not even adequate for background music.
I can't give this less than 4, even though Dexys ruined everything by subsequently releasing Come On Eileen which I've always utterly loathed. However. I always loved Geno, so I was very happy to give this a whirl, and I wasn't disappointed. I don't love Kevin Rowland's voice, it's true. But I really like the "brass with attitude and despair" sound. I Couldn't Help It If I Tried is a great track. And Geno is still awesome. I just wish their output had ended here.
Marvellous. And I do hope I’m the first with a “they’ve got the horn” joke.
Fucking marvellous.
fun fact: "dexys" refers to dextroamphetamine, a stimulant medication used to treat ADHD and narcolepsy :) had no idea what to expect from this album but it was a p fun romp. 3.5 stars
I thought the horns were fun, and the songs themselves were good. But my god did the vocals ruin the album. And they're all over, so it's not like I can escape it.
Surprised. Not a fan of the overly emotive vocals but overall nice music.
Dexy's gave birth to the notion of Irish Punk music (The Pogues, Black 47, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphy) and outside of their one-hit-wonder label thanks to 'Come on Eileen', this second entry of theirs to this list is very different, yet draws a roadmap for the bands listed above. 3.5/5
The singing is still not to my taste but I like the music. Lots of backing horns and retro cool vibes on tracks like Tell Me When My Light Turns Green and The Teams That Meet in Caffs. The extended instrumental passages help matters too. Seven Days Too Long another good one with its piano part. The vocals go way too high pitched at times which holds this back a lot, but at least we're not in one star territory.
Ska, soul & pub rock. Fun horns, uptempo bass and lively drums, pretty crappy if animated charismatic thin nasal lead vocals fleshed out with some backing singers. High energy but easy going. More interesting as an artifact of a place/time in UK pop culture than as an album I want to listen to.
Pareceu-me uma tentativa de parecer um The Cure acelerado. Datado e pouco expressivo.
great band
Enjoyed this - funny that their most famous song is kind of their most annoying one. Favourites - The Teams that Meet in Caffs, and Geno
I liked this a lot. This is going to sound bad, but it sounded quite amateurish, which I love personally. The horns intonation was just a bit off, the singer is not a conventionally very good singer, and it was an odd mash of punk and soul. I loved all of that, because it combines to make you feel like you're listening to your friends' weird ass band in a basement somewhere, as they belt out something that absolutely shouldn't work but it comes together wonderfully.
I neither love or hate, it's alright.
Really good album. Northern Soul meets Punk. It was new and fresh and different back in the day and still gets plenty of airplay today. Northern soul is enjoying a revival at the moment and if you go to any soul cafe or other venue playing soul music there is a good chance the dj will slip in one or two Dexys songs.
Different than expected
So viele Lieder waren kurz davor so gut zu sein, dass ich sie gespeichert hätte
is it crazy to give this a 5 i actually just really enjoyed this one and i’m feeling generous tonight no yeah this was awesome okay i’m not gonna give it a 5 but i feel like i haven’t felt very specific way about an album since magazine and i can’t quite explain what i mean by that but just know that this specific 4 is a higher 4 than the previous 4’s i have given
Pre-listening thoughts: come on im dean and my hands are so clean at this moment I am stapling Post/during listening thoughts: this ain’t even the one with come on Eileen on it. Wait but this is kinda fire. Why were they a one hit wonder they should have had so many more hits! 😕 8.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no there’s so much like it out there but man I enjoyed this! Fav tracks: Tell Me When My Light Turns Green, Geno, Seven Days Too Long, Thankfully Living in Yorkshire…, Keep It Least fav tracks:
Day281 - i thought maybe they would be more than their one hit but then i listened and realized i was wrong
Really enjoyed
got to say - this kind of music usually really gets on my nerves but I loved this one !!!
The album your high school friends’ ska band would have made circa 1996-2000.
Last I checked this band is a one hit wonder and their one hit isn’t on this album. 1 star out of protest for this album being dumb. Realistically it’s probably a 2
Fun and poppy. Definitely appreciated the brass and woodwind incorporation as well, helped this album stand out a bit more and made it feel less dated. Unfortunately I do feel like a lot of the songs are very similar as they would be on any album, and there isn't enough that's wholly interesting to me to make me want to come back for more. Top tracks: Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Love, Pt. 1 (Poem); There There My Dear
Is it my imagination or has Dexys Midnight Runners have been here a couple of times already? There's no doubt, the band's music is infectious and energetic, there's good musicianship, with several songs that are fun and easy to listen to, but after a while it begins to sound a little too "samey" and I dragged my ass to listen to it all. Everyone knows their "hit" (spoiler alert, it's not on this album), so expectations should be high, but overall it's nothing more than a decent listen, nothing too high or too low and I didn't love it or hate it, so sort of MOR, in my opinion.
I came into this album knowing only one song by Dexy's Midnight Runners, and that was 'Come On Eileen'. I wasn't really sure what to expect for this album, but this was on it. That being said, it surprised me in a really good way. This, in my opinion, is a very early ska album. The horns are wild and fun throughout the album and create a unique sound for this time period. I especially liked 'Geno' and loved 'Seven Days Too Long'. I thought it was really cool as well to get a poetry reading in the album. would listen to this again, and would love to explore more of their discography
I like the upbeat nature of the music and the incorporation of brass instruments. The singing is weird - the words are largely unintelligible - but I feel it goes really well with the vibe of the music. This feels like a precursor to ska, which I liked back in the day.
Just really hate their voices. I liked the brass/chicago like instrumentation but that’s really the only thing that brings it up to a two for me. I also did kind of like the scrolling the radio bit on the first track but had it gone on for like five more seconds it would’ve gotten kinda annoying.
Actually really liked it. Especially Seven Days… so pleasant. I don’t know how to articulate exactly what makes the song stand out to me musically. I love the melody, hopefully as we continue through the list I will be able to start to break apart what it is more and more.
Meh. The only reason this gets a two is because I know what a one on this list truly sounds like. The back half of the album was kinda tough to get through, probably only going to listen to Come On Eileen from this group.
I love the horns on this album! This is like an early British ska band. That was a real big fan of 7 days is too long and Tell me when my light turns green. I wasn't crazy about the slow songs, but I like this album way more than I was expecting.
There's a reason that they aren't Two Hit Wonders
Highlights: Seven Days Too Long, The Teams That Meet in Caffs, Geno. This is where UK music got dance-y, feverish and a little bit weird. The only good thing that came out of Thatcherism in my opinion. You can tell that the band took their inspiration from The Specials (tour buddies), Celtic folk night lock ins and new wave. It's inconsistent, but you gotta acknowledge the band's enthusiasm. Overall: 4/10
Someone needs to let the demon out of this boss throat.
Interesting I suppose
More brassy and “soul” than I was expecting. Not bad but not my fave.
Uhm?
I’m sure a lot of people only think of this band as a one hit wonder, but this is a really good album. A lot of fun songs. Geno and Seven Days Too Long were the best. A bouncing soulful punk effort, and an impressive debut.
the trend of me mostly disliking new wave continues
Punky feeling, not quire there...
This was cool i liked more than I thought I would. Northern soul meets the Clash with horns. 3
Ok but pretty forgettable. Singer reminds me of the clash. 2.5 maybe. I just listened to nick cave and i liked this better
I’ve already forgotten about this album
So close to a 5 star. The contrast with the keening vocals of Rowlands with the upbeat backing of the band is astonishingly good. Love this album
Uuum
First stong has a Sex Pistols sample. Horns! Named after party drugs! Always interesting when an album that doesn't contain the bands biggest single is selected. There really isn't enough trombone in rock-based music. I really enjoyed a lot of the album. Geno is clearly the most popular song on this album, based on listens in Spotify, and I get it. Total Wall of Sound. Keep It feels like it was added to the album to pad for time, thematically and tonally it doesn't really fit the rest of the album. It also reminds me a lot of Everclears - I Will Buy You A New Life. A poem? Yuck. On full listen, if the album had ended on the song before Keep it, I'd have rated it a 3, the last 3 songs pull it down to a 2.
I loved the horns throughout the album. It really reminds me of ska music, which I'm guessing was heavily influenced by Dexys Midnight Runners. If you want more horns in punk music, Streetlight Manifesto was something I listened to back in the day. There were times where the singers voice was pretty... whiney? Usually I don't mind, but when you listen to a whole album of it, it starts to get to you in some way. I enjoyed my time with this album, some highs (and these were great highs) and lows but ultimately I think every song was worth listening to at least once. I was debating between a 2 and a 3, but I think 3 is my correct rating for this album.
Actually really good
not great Bob
it's fine....i'm bored....
Extra star for sheer girth.
Unexpected surprise - what a treat!
Made me run alright
Big up brum (even though I’m mentally checked out of there). Love come on Eileen but not feeling this album as a whole
I've always liked this album. A very British mash up of soul, ska and I guess folk. Geno was such a good single, really made an impression on me at the time. Still enjoy listening to this.
oddly enough, at times the singer’s voice sounded like robert smith of the cure. but i just couldn’t with this one. this was pretty unlistenable in my estimation.
I actually liked this quite a bit.
So, my second Dexy’s album. The biggest issue I had with Too Rye Aye was that the songs didn’t stand out from each other particularly. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels is much better in this regard, it’s all memorable and all pretty good. But, Too Rye Ay has the benefit of having Come On Eileen which is an all time classic Pop song. Geno is the big Pop single for this album, and I love it. It’s a great song, but it isn’t as good as Come On Eileen or even their cover of Jackie Wilson Said All in all, Young Soul Rebels is the better album, but Too Rye Ay has the higher high point. I think that the higher quality of the deep cuts compared to the singles means that I have to give it a higher rating
kind of sounds like pre-ska in a world without reggae
Geno doing alot of heavy lifting
Here's me at a Dexys Midnight Runners concert: 'PLAY COME ON EILEEN AND GET THE FUCK OFF THE STAGE" Save Ferris did it better.
I tried... It's just not my jam.
While I appreciated the creativity and commitment to the horns as the driver, this didn’t blow me away.
I think Dexy needs to keep searching. With an over the top exaggerated affected way of singing along with way too much horns just for the sake of being horny, this one fell flat for me and at times was slightly annoying. For a better representation of soul punk horn sound check out The Specials. “Come on Eileen! You can’t get here soon enough!”
Spent most of this album trying to determine if this is a parody band. And the rest trying to decipher which band they were parodying.
This album was quite horny. Or I’m horny? Either way a 2.25. Way too long and doesn’t have the song that everyone comes for. Also love the first song he says “for god sake burn it down!” And then it comes out with some happy Billy Joel beat and horns. Haha
This just didn't tickle my fancy. I enjoyed the horns. But kinda made me wish I was listening to a hardcore ska album. 2.75/5
I danced to Come On Eileen with my other daughter at her wedding so I have a definite soft spot for DMR. Imagine my surprise when I listened to this and realized they possessed a creative depth unknown to me. There, There, My Dear especially stands out in this regard. Time to go to the record store.
4.0
I know judging a band by their spotify listens is hardly the best way to go but how can you call a band anything but a one hit wonder when the 3 most listened to songs on the platform are all different recordings of the same fucking song?? And that song isn't on this album. Their 4th most listened to song is on this album and, frankly, it wasn't that great and I'd never heard it before. I'm not saying this album wasn't an ok listen, just.... why? This album launched them and then they recorded their one hit 2 years later? So this deserves to be on the list? Musically, I like these guys a lot but get pretty tired of the singer. When he's not singing they're way more enjoyable. 2.5 rounding up.
Underrated artists.....
I Couldn't Help It If I Tried is a beautiful track. I enjoyed this.
A few decent tracks and sounds, did feel quite boring and samey though
La voz se parece a la del de The Cure. Son divertidos. Mucha trompeta.
Very English music, which sounded quite ska-influenced with its rhythms. The musicianship is good but it's not really my thing with all the saxophone and I didn't like the singing either. 3 stars at best.
ugh
Not my thing but really it's the vocals preventing me from enjoying this record. The music itself is pretty impressive, the rhythms are catchy enough that this band shouldn't've been a one hit wonder. Oh well, added the one track with no vocals to the 1001 Experience Playlist
As a middle-aged white woman, Come on Eileen has been one of my favorite songs since I was 13 but I had never listened to any other Dexys Midnight Runners songs. The album was okay and I would listen again but not something I particularly love.
Shouldn't be on the list
They are weird but not in a good way
Enjoyed this one a lot. Bouncy Irish rocking fun.
😴
Fine. I think I was more generous to the other Dexys album, and this was about as good. But I don’t know. I gave it less because I felt like it. They’re in Ireland they can’t hurt me.
I was shocked that a second album by Dexys Midnight Runners was on this list. And yet PUSA isn’t?! Anyway, I actually like this more than the last one, but not by much.
For some reason I’ve always looked at Dexys as a bit of a joke band but this is a really good album and I’m defo diving into their back catalogue!
not sure if this is a parody as in how they sang this or whether they were serious the whole time 😀 Favorite track: i am just looking other picks: geno, tell me when my light turns, the teams that meet
Lemppari: Seven days too long
All around a good album with a bit of a ska twist. Not my favorite, but the vocals and instrumentals were a bit sticky and it was a unique listen. 3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners is just one of those bands that has some pretty good musicians but a not very good singer and Searching For The Young Soul Rebels shows this. The music for the most part was pretty solid with some good work on the trumpets, that is when they weren't doing the whole sudden instrument introduction thing (seriously, i hate when songs do that). The first track had a pretty cool intro though. But the vocals just weren't really something i liked. The singer just doesn't really sound like he's hitting notes right and his voice got a little bit grating at times. He did sound good in the Poem near the end of the album which really makes me think he should be something like a comedian or a motivational speaker as opposed to a singer. All in all, this album is okay, just kinda ruined by the vocals. Best Song: The Teams That Meet In Caffs Worst Song: I'm Just Looking
Fav: Geno Least Fav: I Couldn’t Help It If I Tried The horns were the one saving grace of this, as it would definitely be a 1/5 without them. This album would win a 5/5 on incomprehensible vocals though