Reviews (page 5 of 7)
2.4
Quite a forgettable record. Not sure about its placement. 2/5
The top review says that it’s “indistinguishable from any other Britpop LP out there”. This is not Britpop and sounds nothing like. But I agree that it’s pretty bad.
5/10 - the soundscapes are good but there isn't really one stand out track
# 564 : Sulk Sulk – Post-Punk Pop with a Side of “Please Make It Stop” Post-punk and pop—whatever that means—collide in this very 80s, very synth-heavy album that’s more miss than hit. Sulk isn’t bad music, but it’s bland, uninspiring, and occasionally just annoying. The vocals wobble between theatrical and grating, and the whole thing feels like it’s trying way too hard to be weird without actually being interesting. It’s over an hour of synth soup with no standout tracks, and the only reason it’s not a half-star is because it occasionally resembles music. Two stars for effort, and for not making me rage-quit. Verdict: Not hated, not loved, and definitely not remembered. File under “80s excess with no payoff.” Nothing stood out. Listened: 09/09/2025
Wannabe Bowie meets wannabe cure meets wannabe soft cell…pass
This was way too long. It kind of reminded me of that “Movies”album from a few days ago, but I less patience for this kind of thing today. 2.5
Didn't like them back then, don't like them now. But there is much worse music today.
I don’t get it. Nothing offensive, but also not much interesting
The last 3 tracks on the album, especially Party Fears Two, were Ok. But the rest was like a drunken tribute act to the most annoying of Bowie. "No" was a song perfectly named.
Återigen får vi fel platta. Det är ett jävla ljusår mellan 81 och 82 i new wave världen. 1981 är "White car in Germany", singeln från Associates andra album, världens kanske häftigaste låt. 82 är det storbolag (Wea), Duran Duran har slagit igenom brett inte minst i USA, Så först 82 lansareas gruppen i staterna på allvar med Sulk och då som ett slags arty Duran Duran, i kölvattnet på deras framgång. Så Sulk låter dyr, överproducerad, lätt qwerky och rätt menlös, perfekt för en USA-lansering 1982 alltså. Men inget vidare för oss med fäbless för gränslandet mellan new wave och syntpop dom där åren mellan 79 och 83. Här finns utan tvekan en handfull rätt bra låtidéer plus en ganska så bra version av "Gloomy sunday", men det mesta som är bra göms undan i överproduktion och att dom slår knut på sig själva i en dyr studio. Jämför det med den knivskarpa minimalismen i "White car in Germany" från 81, det är ett universum emellan. Det blir en svag tvåa, för det är svårt att ge det underkänt trots allt Lyssna hellre på O.M.D. - Organisation, Duran Duran - Duran Duran, Ratata - Ratata,
Jag kommer inte förbi 80-talsproduktionen och sångstilen. I mina öron låter det väldigt daterat. Bra driv i trummorna. Men det tilltalar inte mig.
It was OK. Very new wave, but not the top of the crop. A lot of it sounded like if somoene got David Bowie or Depeche Mode off of Temu.
asswater
Mysterious and experimental. Kind of haunting. Not the worst but probs won’t need to listen to this again.
I didn’t really enjoy this. Seems like a lot of other artists were doing the exact same thing, and much better, around the same time.
That was not a pleasant listen. Jangly, offputting, and unfortunate. It's not a one-star, but there's little here to recommend at all. Oof.
65/100 a very mixed bag of quality, some absolute stinkers and some bangers in here, unfortunately might be the worst album so far tho other than glam parsons' grievous angel
This album walked so of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? could run. And I'm glad it did bc honestly this fucking dragged. Started kinda interesting, I was enjoying the pomp and self indulgence of it but quickly fell off and became grating. I appreciate it was probably somewhat groundbreaking but theres just not enough there to call it a great album. It's influence is undoubtable, but what came after massively overshadows it.
This was not enjoyable and very annoying.
2 stars - stars - star - sta - st - s (excessive amount of echo used)
This started out fine but just got weird. 80's synth pop is all fine and dandy until you add bizarre, dissonant and almost nonsensical Morrissey-like vocals that don't have any substance or depth. Not a fan of this. Plus it's WAY too long for how unimpressive it is
It has interesting production and instrumentals but I don't think any of the actual songs are that good
Why relevant?
Of all the ‘why the fuck is THIS unimportant shit on the list’ moments, this may be the most WTF of them all. Bland, unremarkable, does nothing better than any of their peers. Just, why? Why is this here?
No
Weird lyrics and vocals, not great music. Overall I didn’t like this album a great deal.
Album was ok
Sulk? More like Suck. This album gave me Stockholm syndrome by the end. I still think it was awful but… catchy?
Not for me... At the beginning I thought the album was okay but the more it went on the less I liked the songs.
Had hopes this would be one final hidden gem for me, but this fell way flat. 2/5
This is not a great album. I truly struggle to find what anyone sees in this. "Party fears two" is a lovely track, but the rest is far from worth listening to.
This isn't great. Little too experimental for me. Also the whole thing sounded the exact same to me. Very electronic and the singer's voice definitely got on my nerves. There were some fun songs, but when there are 23 there better be. It felt a little too experimental for me. Kinda reminded me of a better version of the "Tom Tom Club." I feel like they have a solid catchy idea, but then the song goes NOWHERE and doesn't change AT ALL Liked Songs: "Arrogance Gave Him Up" , "Gloomy Sunday" , "Nude Spoons" , "Party Fears Two - 12" Mix" , "18 Carat Love Affair" , "Love Hangover" , "And Then I Read a Book - Alternative Version" , "Skipping (Alternative Mix)" , "Australia - John Leckie Recording" , "I Never Will - Demo"
Sulk...an apt description of my expression while listening to this album. I'm not really into the "New Wave" 80s scene. This had all the worst features of that. Low 2.
First song was a ripper. Rest of the album had me pretty much waiting for the end. There were a couple bright spots, but I was constantly checking how many more songs I had left.
Not really my jam. Instrumentals aren't bad and give some weird ass sounds, but overall just a bit too 80's for me. High 2
Frown
A lot of this album feels like game show demo music. The rest of it manages to feel like every 80s new wave trope rolled together, and it was still only 1982! I don’t know if that says something about how influential this album was, or my perception of pop music in the 80s. I’m not sure I buy the argument that this album had a meaningful influence on the later development of electric music. “Arrogance Gave Him Up” - 100% game show music. “No” - title sums up my thoughts. “Gloomy Sunday” - objectively the least good song about Sunday to come out of the 80s. “Club Country” - sounds like someone doing karaoke of this song, but that’s just the song. “18 Carat Love Affair” - another theme song for a show that didn’t exist.
Nothing unique or noteworthy to me
No - never heard of them, and don't feel that I needed to
Musically didn't mind it, good in parts, pure 80s synth pop. Just didn't really care for the vocals, not something I'll be in a hurry to listen to again
Say what you like about the 80's but they certainly had the best one hit wonders. Party Fears Two by the Associates was one of those, and bizarrely went on to be the theme music for Week Ending, a topical comedy programme on BBC Radio 4 that I listened to for many years. The rest of this album is best described as experimental, if the experiment is how can we sound like Sparks crossed with David Bowie playing using a cheap 80s synth and guitars filled with piss (seriously, the wikipedia article is an eye opener!). It's a bit of fun and bought back a few memories but I don't think I'd go back to it again.
This didn't affect me emotionally at all - well, not exactly true. It did make me feel - uncomfortable? mildly disgusted? No, not disgusted, more like when you're stuck in a room that's a little too cold. The sheer effort here is impressive, but the execution is a bit sloppy. The band tries for a long pass downfield and a spectacular goal every time, and we all want them to get it, but there always seems to be some foible. Sometimes it's the vocal affectation, sometimes it's the drums not quite hitting on time, sometimes it's the bass-heavy mixing. The Associates try hard, have a ton of confidence, and some of the songwriting comes right up to the edge of something great. A lot of flavor especially in the production, without much substance. Like a spicy piece of lettuce.
Huh, very 80s. Seems like a mix of a lot of 80s synth bands all in one.
Cacophonous, dissonant, sometimes overly dramatic and operatic, repetitive and oftentimes annoying. Never cared for Queen or David Bowie, but neither of them were ever this bad.
Eh was kinda boring. Might've just not been in the mood for it. Best song: Bap De La Bap Notable(s): None
This one felt like a very disjointed amalgamation of 80s synth without much holding it together. Not my favorite.
Well I just don’t really see any necessity to this. It was repetitive and didn’t add anything impressive, but it wasn’t even bad enough for me to notice anything.
no me gustó el sonido post-punk está vez
I really tried. There were moments.
Party Fears Two is a great song. Alas it doesn’t make an album though. Bland but for the breakout song
I think I’ll sulk if I ever get forced to listen to this again.
I am confused by this album, or more accurately my reaction to it. The first track has to be one of the worst opening tracks ever, just a ghastly 80s synth intro that wouldn’t end. All other instrumental tracks follow that tragic pattern. And the vocals, well, they are the star in all ways good and bad, albeit mostly bad. I think gloriously unhinged would be the kindest description, he had no intention to reign himself in. And oddly I kinda respected that, and found myself intrigued, in places it felt a bit proto-goth, in fact I even liked a couple of tracks, sort of. I really should hate it, but I don’t. Weird.
Nightmare trying to find the original track listing on this album. This is a truly impressive waste of talent. It really is like they looked at synth pop and took every annoying aspect of it and then focused solely on that. There is nothing on this album that I would ever recommend to someone to listen to other than to make fun of it, which I will do often. The thing saving it from a 1 is that they are obviously talented and could probably create great music, I think they’re just choosing not to. Truly I think phineas and ferb have better sounding synth pop music than this.
This had to have sounded tired and dated when it first came out. Vocal melodies are atrocious and the instrumentation isn't that much better. Not unlistenable, but definitely bad. Light 2/5.
trotos
Aika keskinkertaiseksi jäävää synapoppia. 2/5
The 80s strike again, holy hell was anything not synth pop in this decade...
Maso
Bit too experimental for me
The Wikipedia summary says David Peschek of Mojo called Sulk "their florid, hysterical masterpiece". I agree with florid and hysterical at least.
I just couldn't get into this. I think his voice is trying to emulate David Bowie, but it doesn't hit the mark. They're classed as a mix between post-punk, synth-pop, experimental etc. But I just found out difficult to reach the end. But guess they are highly rated by some 2/5
Album #1001! And the last one from the global worst list. The music is pretty jaunty and awkward, even for off-the-wall pop music. I’m surprised anyone was dancing to any of this. 4/10
It was fun, then bland, then weird but enjoyable, then weird but annoying
Not really for me Will I listen to again: 0%
This is not Bowie’s fault.
Kan ikke ha vært edru når de fant på dette
I wanted to like this so bad But in the end It was actually just so bad
Off the cuff remark: A lot if this is really grating. Histrionics of some of the vocals really irritate. Of course "Party Fears Two" was used for a TV or radio show, but I can't remember what. Standout Track: "It's Better This Way" brings to my mind Bauhaus. Revisit?: Highly doubtful
First reaction was this was another 80's dance pop album and I was going to struggle to get through it. A few songs in I was a little more intrigued and actually tried to like it but by the end, the drum loops and cheap sounding synth effects bore a hole through my head and I was officially glad it was over. In smaller sample sizes the sound is intriguing and could warrant a higher rating but as a whole this album was a bit of a chore.
picks: Party fears two, No
not for me
this album is weird. 2 stars
This record is like a time-capsule transporting you to the early 80's. Inventive arrangements. Cryptic lyrics. Peculiar song structures. Flamboyance dialed up to theatrical levels. New wave mixed with experimental pop and clearly a fair dosage of drugs. While it doesn't exactly hit with me, I respect the ambition and creativity.
Meh
My ratings are 1-hated it 2-did not like 3-it’s okay 4-liked it 5-loved it
Don’t understand how this received so many accolades
It seems that around 80 percent of post punk and new wave just doesn’t do much for me. This falls into that category. I can recognise that there is obvious talent and musicianship here, but the actual sound of it end up leaving me somewhat bored. This isn’t an awful album by any means, and if it came on the radio I’m sure I’d waggle my head, but it’s just not something I’ll be purposely seeking out again.
It's hard for me to believe that this album got any traction.
80s synth-pop, art-rock, whatever you call it, just is not really my jam.
A pretty generic 80s British new wave album, nothing too bad but not that interesting either. I am not a particularly big fan of the genre or the early production in general so I think it is a 2/2.5 at best.
What just happened? This is a rollercoaster from cool instrumentals to annoying vocals... If he could just stop singing 😅... Moments I liked, moments I hated. Experimental but at the cost of good songwriting... All in all, I did not like it or love it, I did not hate it (all the time)... Mostly between interesting and terrible, but more on the later, so 2 stars...
1.5/5 not great 80s synth
Another “never have I ever heard of this album / band”. And hope to never listen again
Starting to get the intense feeling this list was written by a white British man who grew up in the 80s... More like 1001 Albums You COULD Listen To Before You Die.
Dude has Bowie voice! Interesting stuff. While there were some good tracks I don’t need the entire album.
2.5/5. Hard to give the benefit of the doubt to any album I haven’t listened to before when they sound like this.
Wow. That was an experience. Sounded a bit like Bowie, but not Bowie. They seem peak new wave.
**An ok album
ok, i heard it, didn't much like it. i guess the weirdos need their representation too
80s ✅ From the UK ✅ Unnecessarily long ✅ Mid ✅ Perfect for this list! Considered a 1 here but it had just enough for a 2. Call it a 1.6
goddammit, this might be the worst week I've ever had in this project. This album sucks and I hate it. It doesn't make me mad, so it doesn't get one star, but it's very bad.
Kinda interesting in some ways, it sounds a bit like David Bowie's experimental stuff with Brian Eno. A lot of this is annoying to listen to though. The synths on Bap De La Bap, for example, are just a bit sonically unpleasant and that's just in my mind as I'm on that track at the moment. Also it's not even to mention the vocals which are... unorthodox, let's say
This is the only album that has bounced right off me. I want to give it a higher score based on the synths and instrumentals alone. But the lyrics and vocals do this album no favors. Dunno if it's just post-punk stylings but they don't work in concert with the great synth work, not at all. In fact it feels like they're actively clashing. I'm sure this appeals to some folks, but man it really doesn't do it for me. The synths sounding great are the only thing saving it from a 1/5.
I had high hopes but they weren’t met.
This is the sort of album that gives 80s music a bad name. The hysterical vocals in particular made it tough to get through.
Listened to a few of the songs right after my first listen, and I couldn’t remember having heard one of them before. Some interesting drumming on Sulk, but it’s overall quite the boring listen that I will soon forget.
I feel like these guys would be friends with Sparks.
Not our sort of thing
The Associates are NOT Bowie, no matter how hard they try.
5/10 One of those ones where I get it, but it didint really work for me. Nicely put together, well played, good use of electronic instruments. Vocals up and down, some sounded a bit like Bowie. Something of the Cure in here? Best: Party Fears Two
Some parts were cool, but not a fan of the vocals. Standout songs: Gloomy Sunday
Going into this, I had never heard of The Associates or their album Sulk, so I had no idea what to expect. This album took me on a journey—some parts I loved, some I couldn’t stand, and others just left me confused. There are a few solid tracks, like 18 Carat Love Affair and Club Country, but then there’s also a fair share of chaotic, almost video game-like 80s noise and outright terrible songs. It’s not a 1/5 disaster, but I won’t be revisiting it. Favorite song: 18 Carat Love Affair and Love Hangover Least favorite: Most of the album Album artwork: Really cool cover.
It is Boring
This was a little too 80s but some of the tracks were kind of dark, which I liked. Overall a fine album, definitely far from the worst of the decade.
This sounds like an Andrew Lloyd Webber version of the all puppet Dracula musical that the guy from “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” was writing. Blah!
Only ever heard Party Fears Two before. The rest of the album comes across as art school wankery, which is borne out by reading about how it was made. Bit disappointing really.
slideeeeeeeeeeee off, tear apart the earthhhhhhhhhhhhh and leave me alone
This album is an unpleasant mess. Moments of musical awesomeness, but they were just moments, and not many of them. Nope
Its just not for me - I found it a tough listen. The only highlight was hearing 'Tasmania' in the track Australia, I tried to look for the lyrics but couldn't find them anywhere?
Literally not a single song here is completely good. The stuff I enjoyed musically is ruined by overly melodramatic, spooky, Bowie-wannabe vocals. The rest is janky and boring 80s schlock.
The music sounds pretty good but his voice is like nails on a chalkboard for me.
I tired to like it but in the end I can’t help but feel this is what would happen if the Human League and David Bowie had an ugly musical baby
If I had to shoot a Halloween movie entirely within a party city- this would be the perfect album for that
2/18/25. I hear a lot of influences and sounds that my current favorite bands draw from! I liked the mix of pop and upbeat, to the cool instrumentals.
Would not listen to this again. Rating two stars out of respect for putting out something weird.
Horrible
It was a fun 3-star listen until it overstayed its welcome.
Forgettable synth pop
Couple of classics but many annoying ones
If these are the associates, I want to work alone.
Vocalist seemed to be trying to do David Byrne/David Bowie impersonations. I was not impressed.
This is a very strange album. Musically it is great in places, but as whole it doesn’t work for me. Enjoyed the cover of Love Hangover 2/5
meh
I’m fed up with the crappy 80’s new wave. Please God, enough.
Nicht mein Fall.
1. Sounds like a training montage song from an 80s B movie 2. Sounds like another 80s B movie scene with someone walking down a dark street trying to recover from a breakup. Super annoying vocals. Couldn't listen all the way through 3. This is shaping up to be a shit album. Skipped 2 minutes in 4. This would have been a decent instrumental track. This guy's weird vocals are unbearable to me. Skipped 3 minutes in 5. Nope. Skipped 2 minutes in 6. Least bad so far. Still bad 7. A new way for this guy to deliver bad vocals! How fun! Skipped 2 minutes in 8. This whole album was like the (rightly) rejected score from Neverending Story. The bridge on this song is actually pretty good (the guy wasn't singing) 9. I was tapping my foot until the singing. Skipped two minutes in 10. No singing at all, so not bad I'm absolutely not going to listen to the 4000 bonus tracks on this album. If they were substandard for the original release (which sucks), there's no point in continuing for me. 2 stars
Wanted to like it. On paper I should. Found it almost kind of irritating actually.
Jarentachtig-gegil, een woord dat in de Van Dale opgenomen zou moeten worden. Sjongejonge, wat een zenuwenmuziek dit. Als deze gasten bij me zouden aanbellen, zou ik snel de deur dichtdoen voordat ze hun voet ertussen kunnen zetten.
Yep. Jaren '80... Af en toe wat vaag. Maar vooral stereotype. Ga uit mijn lijst!
Vanaf de eerste toon weten we in welk decennium we zijn beland. De synths en drumcomputers vliegen je om de oren. Nu gaf de hoes natuurlijk ook al wat weg. 80s in optima forma. Om terug te komen op die drums: die drummer heeft ADHD op het eerste nummer. Daar zitten een paar nootjes te veel over het algemeen. Die levert hij vervolgens weer in, want daarna volgt een theatraal stuk dat ook vrij typerend is voor de 80s. Verder is het een combinatie van eerder genoemde zaken: theatraal en ADHD. Ik dacht er niks van te kennen, maar ik herken zowaar "Party Fears Two". Mijn tolerantie voor 80s muziek is inmiddels een stuk hoger dan vroegah, maar dit gaat enigszins de grens over, met name in het theatrale. Dit album vinkt wel wat hokjes af zeg. Het is net iets te muzikaal om er een 1 voor te geven, dus een magere 2 zal hun deel zijn.
not for me mate.
I liked it at first but the longer it went on the more I disliked it
I miss the blissful ignorance I had in the first few minutes of this album when I thought it was going to be an instrumental album. I thought my tolerance for tacky New Wave was pretty high but it was not enough to stomach the vocals on display here. Like this goes beyond the usual 'ohhh this guy sings annoying' mentality that bad vocals usually drag an album down with, I don't know if I can say with confidence that these guys actually know how to sing
An altogether too long collection of some of the the most 80's tripe of all time, constantly on the cusp of being interesting but consistently failing to distinguish itself from any of the other mass produced faux art nuwave slop of it's contemporaries. The vocalist should be studied for science.
This album has the feel of the fake Kraftwerk knockoff band that the nihilists are in from the Big Lebowski. As far as I can tell, this band did NOT have a whole album in them. I have a feeling that this was included in the book to contrast to bands like Depeche Mode to show both the highs and lows of New Wave music. Fuck man, even to show how quality can vary on one LP. How this has a special edition which is half an hour long on spotify is beyond me. Bam De La Bap really just sounds like the musical equivalent of a guy who didn't prepare anything for his school presentation and he's up in front of the class winging it. And then you have songs like Gloomy Sunday and Party Fears Two which is what would happen if you gave that same bloke 90mg of lysdexamfetamine? Props to the vocalist for trying different styles, doing some nearly Sisters of Mercy type of shit on Skipping. I am a tragic for new wave, post-punk and synth shit but I'm not drinking the kool aid (or Irn Bru in this case) on this one. I knew Party Fears Two before going into this, and coming out this tomorrow I am only going to remember Party Fears Two and its killer keyboard track that my coworkers is going to be forced to listen to me whistle. Highlights: Arrogance Gave Him Up, Gloomy Sunday, Skipping, Party Fears Two
1.5
This is all over the place, with an almost sickening amount of very dated synths flooding every song. There are occasionally some highlights, like the heart pounding bassline in It's Better This Way or the piano riff in Party Fears Two, but overall, I think this was a little too erratic for me to fully enjoy.
I'm always suspicious of early to mid 80's bands that I haven't heard of. If they were good I probably would know them. This one didn't do much for me
Most songs are horrible, but track 7 and 8 were quite decent. Not a big fan of post punk, it seems.
Okay. Why is this on the list? Did we really need another new-wave album on here? No. No we did not. There's enough of it already. This album is not notable enough to be on the list. But impact isn't everything. Sometimes, we have to ignore the low cultural impact of an album to praise it. The problem is that this album isn't good or original enough for me to do that. Sulk is mid. Admittedly, there are decent elements here. The instrumentals are very 80s, but they work sometimes. They're a bit overstimulating at times though. I'm not a fan of the vocals. I can get behind some weird vocals. That's like a quarter of the appeal of Talking Heads for me. These ones just aren't for me though. The writing is fine, I guess. It's a bit uninteresting though. Songs like "Bap De La Bap" just kind of annoy me. The album's also pretty inconsistent and all over the place. Overall, Sulk is fine, but I really didn't need to listen to this before I die. High 2/5.
Like someone announcing to everyone that they are leaving the party in the loudest, most bombastic way possible.
-well it’s always interesting getting to hear relatively obscure synth-pop and new wave that breaks away from the model of the big names -most of the songs here didn’t really do it for me though. it coulda been shortened a whole lot. i do love the vocals though, they were kinda haunting -Favorites are No, Gloomy Sunday, and Club Country
Sulk is peak self-indulgent ’80s excess, over-the-top production, theatrical vocals, and a relentless need to be different for the sake of it. While some might appreciate its quirky charm, it feels more like a dated relic than a timeless listen. A bold of them to make this album 1 hour and 38 minutes, of what is ultimately, ’80s junk.
Like a cheery crappy echo, well more crap
As a student I was.i introduced to this by by a girl who I sort of fancied a bit, this album was our common ground for our otherwise divergent music tastes (she was into Culture Club, I was into Jesus and Mary Chain). We had fun for a bit but ultimately headed off in different life directions. Very 80s album, interesting (at the time) alternative to.the rest of the synth pop stuff but history hasn't been so kind to it and it sounds a bit .. well, crap tbh. +1 for the nostalgia. (And what's going on with the Spotify version with all those spurious added demos and stuff needlessly tacked on to the end? No album deserves this, not even ones I like)
Meh
Had a few bright spots but mostly annoying.
Ganz nett, aber auch irgendwie belanglos.
Pretty bad
I keep thinking I've gotten the last of the garbage British new wave bands that I've never heard before, and here I am on album #959 and they still keep coming.
Could not appreciate
Had never heard of them. Fits well with the early 80s timeline, but pretty forgettable.
Never heard this album before. Oh my what the 80's is going on here. I mean, wow. It's just a neon-and-pastel-colored train wreck of an album. Even the two "hit" singles, Party Fears Two and Club Country are head-scratchers. I'm pretty sure The Associates must be a figment of a mockumentary...an 80's Spinal Tap. If I'm allowed to laugh at the music, I'm good with it! Otherwise it plays out as a cautionary tale of what was allowed to happen to pop music in the 80's.
Two days, two very annoying albums I’ve listened to.
nothing special here. it sounds like literally dozens of albums from this genre in this era.
This was rather boring, tbh
I kept losing interest after a few songs. It took me about four tries to listen to the whole album.
Not terrible but I found I would love one song than hate the next. I am curious why this made the list.
Well that was a waste of time. 10 tracks ranging from nearly enjoyable (Party Fears Two) to extremely irritating (Bap De La Bap). That makes for a total rating of "Dislike"..
I guess i applaud them for doing something different at the time. But a lot seemed like they combined a lot of sounds from the era to make something that wasn't necessarily great. That 2nd song reminded me of Nick Cave and I thought we were gonna go somewhere special. But we didn't. We stayed home
Not that exciting
2/5 too much echo.
Went into this with high hopes. I love the 80s and try to devour everything I find that I may have missed the first time around but baby this ain't it . I can see where it wants to go but they didn't make it.
In the end, I just didn't care for this one
I've always loved Party Fears Two, I quite like Country Club, I love new wave and this kind of era synth/pop/new wave. But this really grated over a whole album.
"No" sounds like the intro to Tim Curry's rendition of "Everyone Knows It's Halloween" from The Worst Witch: https://youtu.be/SSZYVFc6BqI?feature=shared&t=52 We'll carve pumpkin fay-ceeeess
Somebody had their David Bowie collection on repeat. Having influences is one thing but this is a straight up copy.
2 for being 80s but generic forgettable 80s.
British poppy and kind of weird. I didn't get it.
Ok.
Bro waht is this :skull: not conpletely unlistenable
I didn't really pay attention but damn this doesn't end
nudy
Had one or two interesting moments but was ultimately all surface and little core
This is the equivalent of a TikTok video that has been reused and stitched together so many times that whatever was originally there is just total garbage quality at this point. The production here is just awful and dated. The songwriting quality doesn't add much either, as nearly everything feels like bad Bowie or Smiths knock off music. Apt album title.
Fallow, fruitless, not very fun.
whale
Soundi onnistui lähinnä ärsyttämään. Levy myös pitkä kuin Tacon syntilista joten keskeytys kävi mielessä, mutta tsemppasin loppuun. Skeidaa.
J.outo-kamaa…
Bizarre and tedious.
Bad British synth pop. No reason to be on this list.
Meh. Very boring synth pop with no business being on this list
Musically it’s ok in spots but the vocals really don’t do it for me. My ears have adjusted to his sound and sometimes it pleasant enough and then he gets out of hand. This is very dated and has some experimentation for the time but does not hold up well. Songs just arnt there and the David Bowie wannabe vocals leave much to be desired 2/5 Better than I thought but can’t see being more than a light 3 with future listens
Man they really gave anyone a record contract back in the days eh?
Think it was good but not my thing
Bap de la bap, Scottish New Wave band, bap de la bap, wasn't good, wasn't bad.
There just wasn't much that I consider good or catchy. Very mediocre. 2.5/5.
A good moment or two saved this from a 1. Just 80's synth weirdness, and glad I don't ever have to listen to it again. 2/5
This has a definite 80s sound going. That’s not exactly a a compliment. And it often sounds like something Bowie would’ve been involved with, but not any of the Bowie that I like. I can hear the Cure influence, too. All in all, not really my thing.
This is like a shit pick and mix of Bowie, The Cure and Depeche Mode wannabes that forgot to include tunes. Wonky electonics and half hearted post punk. Best Tracks: Gloomy Sunday; Skipping; Party Fears Two
This was ok, but I don't really want to hear more. 2/5
What was this? I am still uncertain.
I couldn't get through the album. Listened to the first two tracks and the over-Bowied vocals + synthy soundtrack lost me quite quickly. Tried a few other tracks that were apparently the big hits on this album and found them to be middling 80s synth-pop. Read the backstory on the band and the singer Billy Mackenzie's path was truly tragic. They seemed to know and influence a lot of other, better bands so I can kind of see why this album is on the list.
Sounds like the 80s But more experimental, pushing boundaries. Doesn’t sound like it hit radios, but im probably wrong
Shades of Bowie and Queen. Too theatrical.
uninteresting british pop instrumentals and a bad singer.
A bit whacky early 80's album, vocals were pronounced
What? I liked the first song and then it turned into a chaotic mess of experimental try-hard music that just misses.
Party Fears Two //
Blah
Meh. I give the album a 2.5/5. Just wasn't my jam. Sounds like a Goth inspired 80s wannabe funk album. There is a reason these guys didn't go the distance.
Trash
I don’t like it at all. The album is titled appropriately though. 2.3 stars
Yikes no thank you
I will not be associating with this band
Kinda like a bad Bowie tribute for the most part.
That was what that was. 2.
What am I listening to? I say this as a fan of New Wave and Post-Punk. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5
I couldn't get through this. Dreary dreary and dreary.
Oof. This was not good. If it preceeded some of the John Hughes soundtrack bands of the 80s, then I suppose they were influential. But if they were just another 80s band, then no need for them in the 1,000. Lovely cover art.
This is just an odd collection of synth-pop and falsetto - and I love New Wave but I simply found it weird. I hear that contemporary comparisons were to Sparks, and maybe I wanted them on this list more. I liked it best when they leaned more into disco moods but apart from a few moments, it just didn’t resonate with me.
new New Wave, ganz ok, aber nix herausragendes
Voice actually irritated me at points
There's an account on Insta that will record songs about your pet 🐕 in a silly voice. This sounds like that.
I wanted to like this since 80s post punk is one of my favorite genres, but it got annoying after a while.
This did not get any better as it went on. I've gotta pass on this one. Just wasn't very good.
Maybe the most frustrating album on this. A real challenge. It’s so close to being brilliant so many times, then just gets a bit too jarring and frustrating! Second half of the album is better (or did I just get used to it?) I JUST DONT KNOW!!!!! 2.3
Sulk indeed, found this a bit too whiney.
There's enough here I didn't mind (ex: Gloomy Sunday) that keeps me from rating this lower, but the misses are truly weird. After side one don't want to listen to this ever again. Side two may be changing my mind. I do like the bass a lot on the first two tracks. The high pitched vocals ruined Party Fears Two though. Short instrumental Nothinginsomethingparticular is a strong finish. I can't give this more than **
This album came out 4 years after Parallel Lines, and 14 years after the White Album, yet this is by far has the most cheese and campiness of them all (not just those 2 ofc). It is 100% just pure 80s cheese and I hate it. Only reason its not a 1 star is bc Skipping and 18 Carat Love Affair are actually kinda cool. I'm sorry B-52's perhaps I'm too harsh on you for your campiness because holy shit these guys burned the camp down.
2-3 Party fears two
Not bad
Booooring but not actively bad. Vocals were unpleasant
I seem to recall reading that the British press had called Talk Talk's late masterpieces insufferably indulgent. Reading contemporary reviews of Sulk, they appear to have gotten those records and this one both wrong.
so eighties and recorded in a cave
Not my style. I Liked one particular song: club country.
This album was just a bit of a mess parts of it were good, but not enough for me to believe this deserves to be on this list.
Some good moments, but another album that I just wanted to end.
Art rock/pop, kinda dragged on
this was very annoying but I have heard worse in this list so it can have a 1.5 rating
This isn't a good album, but its interesting enough that it gets one extra star. 2/5
When you take upbeat weird and give it a positive outlook and some joy, you get Talking Heads, which lives in 4 and 5 star territory. When you put upbeat weird into a minor key and make it all mopey and angsty, you get this.
3.50 rym 2/5 troppo synthpop per me
Is this the same Gloomy Sunday by Bjork on Stormy Weather? That’s the only thing intriguing about this album.
Decided by the third song this was a pile of wank and hoped I’d have something clever to say about it by the time it finished. I didn’t.
No A bit Blue Nile goes cabaret. Quite like it though, think the word is evocative. Ba de la Bap Someone’s a Bowie fan. Not a bad knock off though Gloomy Sunday Very camp, but I kind of like it Nude Spoons Sigue Sigue Sputnik bit mad Skipping Too frantic, needs a better melody to hold interest Party Feats Two Prof that it takes more than a mannered vocal to do what Bowie does. Club Contry I like this, a bit ABC Nothinginsomethin.., Quite a nice tune, although it s Does make me think of Come Dancing by the Kinks, which I infinitely prefer Love Hangover Decent campy pop 18 carat.. They really like that Kinks riff And then I read a book Some of these are a bit impenetrable. I don’t dislike them, but think it would take quite a few listens to him along with this
QuasiBowie a lo rollo.
Quirky, but not enough to warrant another listen. If this album was literally an hour shorter it would be a lot more impressive. The instrumentals are pretty fun, though. The keyboards complement the bassline pretty well, I just wish this album had more high points. It's definitely a slog to get through.
There were brief flashes where I thought this might redeem itself but they were all killed off pretty quick.
I like this genre but I found this very boring. Maybe that's why I've never heard of them.
Things this list maker loves based on what is on this list that shouldn’t be: 80s bands, British music, punk, albums that actually don’t need to be listened to. And this one checks off 3 of those as they’re Scottish but they’re from the same islands. More 80s over synth music that is actually pretty annoying to listen to. One of the less catchy less exciting 80s albums yet. 4.2/10
Oh god..TheCure on speed… without talent
This is not an album that has aged well
Meh album, though it gets better at the last half.
Not 1 star bad, but pretty close. I really don't know how this got on here.
Started bad, ended worse, but there was some okay stuff in the middle!
UK new wave is something I wish I could have listened to after I died. And I mean that as an insult.
A 3 hour 10 minute long deluxe version of this album does exist for anyone who wants to hear it. This information is, of course, useless because no one who has heard the original will ever want to hear the deluxe.
I liked this more than you did, but still not a lot. Ended up listening to the extended edition, with a few alternative versions of tracks that I found better than what made it onto the album. There are a few moments that work quite well, but it's subsumed in a sea of dross. And it's another new wave album, we seem to have a wildly disproportionate number of them. 2/5.
Ok
Mediocre album. I didn’t give this one too close a listen. It’s standard 80s pop, but maybe I’m missing something. **
EI vibinud sellega.
It’s only Party Fears 2 which keeps this from being one star That’s a great song but the rest of this is insufferable
I don't think this is what Bowie expected when he became a rock star.
They want to be the Cure. They're not the Cure.
Party Fears Two is a jam but the rest sort of washed over me like milk.
I think this is an album where you just had to be there for it to be good
I normally love 80's synth stuff but this one didn't hit for me.
1. arrogance - 1 2. no - 1.5 3. la bap - 1 4. gloomy - 1.5 5. zpoonz - 1.5 6. zkipping - 1 7. thiz uuay - 1 8. party fearz - 1.5 9. country - 1.5 10. nothing - 1 11. love affair - 1 12. hangover - 1 13. club - 1.5 14. party fearz - 1 15. better - 1 16. a book - 1.5 17. ceptimol - 1 18. zkipping - 1 19. auztralia - 1 20. tragic ztory - 1.5 21. never uuill - 1 22. country club - 1.5 23. grecian - 1
1.8/5. 2000 remaster. Listened 1x.
Remember that time Dracula got really into Bowie and started a band?
This album kinda sucks and I'm generally a fan of 80s new wave/synth. There is maybe 1 or 2 decent songs on it but the album itself lacks zero melody.
I think this is the first album that emphatically DID NOT pass the high test. Boring repetitive 80s new wave that had a couple of interesting moments but nothing fun or memorable at all.
Really just not for me.
Ranging from horrible to acceptable when the singer shuts his mouth.
Way better 80s albums
Early 80s music is fine I say.
Ahhh the 80s, a time for musical experimentation. Some hit and some missed. This shit missed like a 3 point shot from Shaq.
Nope, nope, nope. This does NOT appeal to me. I’m tired of complaining about the over abundance of UK 80’s and 90’s bands, and detailing why I don’t like them. Theirs is another one, ‘nuff said. 2/5
Some potential here, but I don't think I'd ever choose to listen to this again.
pretty meh
Nu-wave, but without the choons.
Not really my style...very repetitive sounding
Sulk?? More like Suck.
Headache stuff - but better than rap.
So weird. Some psychadelic vibes, mostly instrumental. Lyrics can be nonsensical. Definitely has a new wave, synthesizer sound, too. I did not enjoy this album.
Was expecting a horrible album, wasn’t that bad but still not great
Sometimes it is decent for a bit
Couldn’t get through this, sorry
QuasiBowie a lo rollo.
nope
Moody, plodding, 80's synth music. Normally right up my alley, but just a little too creepy for my taste. I'm not sure they influenced anybody but you can certainly hear lots of influences although I can't rightly call it derivative. Unconvinced this album belongs on this list.
Solid early 90s pop album
I was going to give this 1 star but the second half marginally improved things to the point where I could kind of see myself tolerating listening to this at a push. If that's not a glowing endorsement I don't know what is!
2.5
How many versions of this did we need on Spotify? Anyway, the instrumentals were pretty decent. I was surprised at first, as I had read they were considered "post punk". The instrumentation worked well. The vocals, however... are just not good. It's like someone from a Cure cover band. It doesn't fit well with what the rest of band is playing, and at times he's SCREAMING over the instruments, which got extremely annoying. The instrumentals bumped it up to listenable. Next.
Terrible. That's what was going through my head after the first few songs, especially Bap De La Bap, which seems like the worst parts of Joy Division and New Order (and David Byrne) brought together. Terrible is still what I thought when I reached their so-called big hit Party Fears Two. Their other hit Club Country was better. I get that they epitomized the new wave sound happening at the start of the 80's and they have paved the way for bands like Culture Club, the Cure (in their mid-80's evolution), etc. But this is not my scene. Too over the top. Too shite. Not complete shite, but not good enough either. It's music and trends like this that make us want to pretend like the 80's never happened. What were we all thinking?
Already had this albumrepeated
I’m so sick and tired of British people making music, and no, I didn’t finish the 1h 40 album, I got enough the first 40 minutes
Phantom of the Opera, David Bowie, a carnival on acid, Day Man from it's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, pure 80's vibe. The vocals really kill the album. Party Fears Two almost seems like a joke with how over the top the vocals are.
Whiny ass voice
QuasiBowie a lo rollo.
so annoyinggg
Huh this is what its like when i dont like pretty much every musical decision made in a project
This album sounds like a collaboration between David Bowie and the Cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Party Fears Two isn’t bad. Too synth-pop for me.
I wasn't thrilled with this album sounded a little disjointed lacked focus and an identifiable sound. 2.5 stars
I appreciate the synthy melodies, they're fun despite being so distinctively '80s. Those vocals though... one of the worst I've ever heard. Who hurt that boy?
ehh.
Yuck! They heard the Talking Heads and said “That’s it”. Sooo little here to like. 2/5