Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Quite the album-Bowie-esque vocals and great keyboards. The Diana Ross cover is *chef's kiss*
An interesting record for sure. Solid Brit post-punk/new wave that is decently experimental for the time. The vocals in particular stand out for me - some songs are almost like a Morrissey/Bono/Bowie/Robert Smith mashup, No and Love Hangover in particular. I like it. Listening to it now, some of the songs do sound like they're straight out of a terrible low-budget movie from 1983. Super cheesy but not specific enough to really be nostalgic. Some of the songs are like if you asked a band to write something by The Cure but with more synth. On the whole, the album is pretty decent. Lots going on and lots to keep your attention. It's a little long, I feel like 23 songs and an hour and a half is just a little too much so it loses points for that. Solid 3.5/5 but not strong enough to round up to 4.
Oh okay, we’ve got some kind of Scottish U2/Cure mashup here. I like this. I am picking up what they are putting down, and I’m liking it a lot! It runs on a big too long, but it’s such a unique vibe, I wanted to see where it was headed. Side note: Omg! I wrote this before reading the wiki on this band and there’s an ex-Cure member in it!!! Freaking Dempsey on bass, man oh man, my ears know what the fuck is up!
Aldri hørt The Associates før, men da va overraskande nice (vanskelig å hørra når folk snakke så masse rundt meg). Ohh siste sang va gøy
23 songs from the 80's that I never heard of - and maybe never needed to. Kind of like Devo and Oingo Boingo without any hits. I could not get thru this.
1982 Genre: Synth-pop, post-punk, art rock Never heard of these guys before. Standouts: Gloomy Sunday, Party Fears Two, Love Hangover Pretty good 80s sound. Not sure it really stands the test of time. 3.5
Really good early 80s post punk.
Smattering of bangers but otherwise not for me
meh. 2 stars.
I did not associate with the associates. Just couldn’t get into it.
Guy needed some emotional help. Lyrics obviously coming from a dark place. Hard to listen to. Unfortunately his help never came in a form that could save him. Music reflects a severely tortured individual. Felt sorrow listening to this.
Alvin was a little hit or miss for me. It feels like a slower prototype for the band Mindless Self Indulgence.
Very 80's New Wave. I just couldn't get into any track. Some of the instrumental work turned out okay, but the vocals really needed upgrading.
Almost lost a star for ruining 'Love hangover'
A couple of decent songs but overall a load of bollocks.
Not terrible but not really for me. Kind of like ABC. It’s too theatrical I think. 3/5
nothing wrong wht it but not for me. while the falsetto was impressive, there were moments where it felt like ti was showing off and did not fit into the song. like a guitar solo going on for jsut a little too long some parts of the falsettos were jsut slightly out of place for my liking. but I am not a critit
So it started with an instrumental and I was wanting vocals. Then I heard his voice. Think the worst of Bowie's excessive overkill on the Berlin trilogy (I detest the Berlin trilogy) but with no break. This is some of the worst noise ever committed to disc. Truly awful shit.
It’s like listening to David Bowie mixed with the Talking Heads.
Definitely the sound of a moment. Reminds me of a lot of stuff that I prefer to this. I’d rather listen to David Bowie or Devo. I applaud the list for not simply sticking to the obvious choices. But there are less obvious choices that are more interesting and more impactful than this album.
I really don't understand what there is to like about this. This guy's voice is insufferable. The music sounds terrible. The only reason it's not a half star or zero stars is because it occasionally vaguely resembles music. 1/5
Sounded so Australian!
Genre: Synth-pop, post-punk, art rock 1982 This one is new to me. Never heard of them before. 5/5: Love Hangover, Gloomy Sunday (Hungarian Suicide Song), Party Fears Two. 4/5: Arrogance Gave Him Up, Bab de la Bap, It's Better This Way,
Started out boring but got a little better. Pretty weird though.
Not great
There were a couple of cool instrumental interludes on this. Overall, though, this was very much not for me. The singing reminded me of a cheap David Bowie knockoff.
The album started out pretty poppy and actually interesting and fun to listen to. In the course of the album, things get progressively weirder and more uncomfortable.
Not my cup of tea.
Post punk new wave vibes. Fae Dundee!
3.5*
Skøn 80er med lidt vel meget drama
A “challenging” record without much payoff. It sounds like a combination of an Ariel Pink soundtrack for a haunted house, and B-sides from Bowie’s “Scary Monsters” era. Kind of a shame because they’re clearly a good band and Billy Mackenzie shows some impressive vocal chops. It just rarely comes together into a compelling sound.
Bit boring, 2-3
Booooooooo
It was different but nothing to write home about
Not my style
Fun 80s britpop.
The 80’s were great, just not this !
4.0
Don't recall very well
Not my taste
This is not really my style of music and I listened to the album more than once to try and give it a fair listen to, however, this just did not sit well with me. Not a fan of the musicality of it all
Nooooope, this was turd. Too poppy and 80s electro for me - despite it being from 2000
Couldnt finish it. Was going to give it 2 stars, but albums that I dont listen to the end only get 1. How this got a 2012 remaster shocks me
The music is a good fun punchy synth pop 80s sound, but good lord those vocals are on crack. Higher does not automatically mean better. Kinda annoying.
Couldn't finish
If they were early in synth, I get why they’d be on the list, but I’m not sure what was special about it from one listen.
Not for me. 2/10
Look, I get it, all right? You're really into the Thin White Duke. But the thing about that is, you're not David Bowie. Nobody is except for David Bowie and even HE could barely pull off the Thin White Dukes sometimes. Stop trying, you're not nailing it. These songs are a mess and the vocals are even more of a mess. They rarely stay on key throughout the entire melody line, the fake vibrato is off the charts, and the performances are... well, let's just say they are "not skillful" and leave it at that. Overall, a very disappointing listen. And it's not like I was expecting much because the '80s were the worst decade for recorded music.
There are a lot of post punk records on this list. The main thing to distinguish this one from the rest is that the singer sounds like Russ Mael from Sparks. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Party Fears Two Date listened: 10/01/24
Stereotypical 80's synth....not for me.
An absolute classic. Sounds like lots of other artists (Bowie, natch) and yet also sounds very original. Mackenzie's voice is something else too. The singles are the standouts here, but pretty much the whole album is a masterpiece of early 80s British dance pop while also sounding timeless.
This album doesn't hang together as a whole. It's all the better for it. Sulk is bonkers, with grand, sweeping gestures. It's more like a musical than a pop record. There's no direction from start to finish. I like to get lost in music. Billy was one of the last great pop pantomime Dames. Party Fears Two: Song of the Century.
As if sparks tried to make an Echo and the Bunnymen album. Wait, no that would probably sound better. This is as if echo and the Bunnymen try to make a Sparks record.. Total rubbish.
Cool 80 techno/ goth vibes
Did not like and couldn’t finish
The title of track two is my whole review.
This brand of synthy Brit pop is maybe my least favorite genre out there
Pretty inconsistent album. Some tracks I start to like, then the next one comes on and it's nearly unlistenable. Party Fears Two had some strong Talking Heads vibes and is by far the best song on the album, the number of listens on Spotify certainly backs that up. I'm guessing a large portion of listens of some songs are only thanks to this 1001 albums list.
Thoughts before listening: Never heard of these guys before. I'm assuming it's very British new wave and most likely won't be for me. Review: I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. These guys have a pretty cool sound thats closer to the Cure than the overly poppy new wave that I was expecting. It's definitely still synth heavy but it's got a bit of a gothy darkness mixed with kind of a David Bowie vibe that I'm liking. This is a 3 star album.
While no different than the dozens of other 80s UK synth-post-whatever-he-needs-to-justify-reason that Demery et al like to show their biases with, this unknown to me group and album were okay but again, no different than any of the multiples of examples that are well known or credited for influence. 3/5.
At first I was struggling to get behind the vocals, as while they certainly aren't the most polarizing I've heard, they do catch you off guard, especially after a instrumental opener. However, as the album went on, I was more enthralled by the near perfect blend of pop with that more gothic sound, where every track has you bobbing your head, tapping your foot, all whilst this sinister atmosphere surronds you. The vocals are no longer something to fear, but rather something worth embracing in the more surreal parts of an album. It's glamorous, like a party, but grimy, like an alley, and I think this album as a whole captures the scene of the mid-80s and its music perfectly.
I can just about get that at peak-80's some record company exec agreed to release this, thinking anything with a synth in it was guaranteed to generate £'s. But why the hell does it make this list.....??
Not a fan. So whiney. It's like listening to a siren and it's battery is running down.
Honestly - this sounds like what happens when you order David Bowie on Wish. Trying to hard to sound like Bowie but falling short.
I kinda like where this album was going, but it also put me off in times. But the band has a unique take on the genre. It’s just a bit too out there. 6 out of 10
Pleasant enough, felt very very 80s pop, and indeed it was.
Like a more annoying U2 without the hooks.
I’m enjoying the gothy bits and the drums mixing with the synth. Can’t say I’ve ever heard of these guys but definately one I’ll explore further.
All over the map. Could hear bits of the Cure and Human League. Like Nick I enjoyed the gothic choir stuff. Totally new band to me
Wow this is very 80s. Not really for me - the guys voice is quite off putting
Klang ganz gut, aber noch nicht viel gehört.
Tesco value 80s album
Favorite Songs: No Arrogance Gave Him Up
Do NOT like Nude Spoons, or much else I'm hearing. There have been albums where I think, "this sounds dated." All I remember about this first listen is that I didn't want to remember anything at all.
This almost could not be less my thing. I couldn't wait for it to end. Sounds like a 1980s horror movie soundtrack.
Hier kan ik weinig mee, maar ik kan in ieder geval zeggen dat ik dit ooit eens gedraaid heb.
My god, can't it get any worse. Is dit niet een voorbeeld van hoe slecht de jaren 80 waren.
Ugh...lekker hysterisch jammeren!
Dat geboer was wel het toppunt!
Early 00s but sounds 90s. Slightly Smithsy?
Better than I expected.
Catchier, funkier, weirder, saucier would have been better. Also, a bit less in the mid-range: it's rather crowded.
not my cup of tea
N0PE
Pretty good asides on the Bowie voice.
sulk's the associates isn't terribly memorable. this album contained a lot of that usual eighties new wave/synth sound, which i do enjoy! and the album was an easy listen. there were some really good beats. the lead singer's voice was reminiscent of david bowie, though.
Like other people, I definitely got strong David Bowie vibes from this, both in the music and the vocals. That said, they didn't have the gravitas or presence to quite pull it off. It was too late to walk back the Bowie comparisons, though; that persisted in my mind throughout the listening. This came off a lot more like chaotic noise and less like calculated art in comparison to anything anything Bowie did. This was okay at best, and absolutely not an album in my opinion that needs a place on this project, as it really just seems like it doesn't bring anything unique or stellar to the table.
I can dig this. Didn't hit as hard as Japan, but I can dig it.
Wow - this sounds like a mutant ABC; if you turned the dials up on their arrangements and vocal affectations you'd get something approximating Sulk. The production sounds busy and Billy McKenzie's yelping tenor might be an acquired taste, but for me it's effective, exciting and idiosyncratic stuff. Full marks to 'Party Fears Two' and the stomping 'Club Country'.
Not familiar with this one but it’s an interesting beast. Shades of The Cure or were these guys first to the scene? I liked “Club Country” best and a few others tied for second. “Bap de la Bap” though? No, thank you. Keep you Bap to yourself, please. On the whole, I couldn’t quite reach a solid point of enjoyment with this one and I mainly blame the vocals. There’s a lot going on there.
Listened Before? N Interesting stuff. Very new-wavey. Very lightly listened on Spotify. This seems like a hidden gem. I enjoyed it quite a bit but I'm a New Wave fan. I may revisit this later. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Party Fears Two
Too fruity for me
As a fan of New Wave and Synthpop, I'm surprised that I didn't know this one. Pretty good, haunting voice on clever instrumentals. Sounds like an Echo & the Bunnymen record, but less flamboyant.
Dark, atmospheric new wave with a subtle gothic vibe filled with creative ideas and arrangements. I love when the challenge makes audacious choices like this. A great discovery.
A bit of a Bowie wannabe group. I couldn't find too much that I would describe as original or mind blowing.
I’m hearing influences of Eno-era David Bowie, especially in songs like “Gloomy Sunday”, "Skipping" or ”No” which sounds like it was pulled from side 2 of Diamond Dogs. The instrumentation is mixed under and the production is muddy, reminding me of the last Cure LP we got. I kept wandering what this would be like with a crisper sound. The singer is something else – more talented than his post-punk rivals but over the top at times. I hated this on the first listen. The second was much better. Clearly a 4 if I listened one more time. Too bad they picked such a conventional name for such an eclectic band.
I thought that Morrissey’s voice was annoying, but Billy Mackenzie’s cabaret falsetto here takes the cake. The best song on the album is country club, where his voice is somewhat bearable, but it’s mostly because of the excellent bass work by ex Cure member Michael Dempsey. But like most post punk, early 80s new wave music this got old real fast.
First song is just a cocaine-fueled synth instrumental that then sounds like trash rattling in the wind. Second song sounds like Xymox, but off key and slowed down. Third song explains why I’ve never heard of this band. Fourth song - oy vey. It gets worse from here. This is not good. I understand that this is early synth pop goth. At best, it sounds like a bad joke. The more I hear, the less I like.
This band is such a weird amalgamation of sounds - Sparks, Bauhaus, Flock of Seagulls and a little Cure thrown in for good measure. Ok record.
meh
odd for all these 80s bits in the 1st 20 albums?
This wasn't the worst album on here (I'm looking at you Everything But The Girl) - but it felt like a generic 80's album. Nothing special.
De estilo ochentero. Sin más. No destaca especialmente. Ya desde el principio da síntomas de cómo va a ser el resto. Sintetizadores y voz un tanto aflautada
Meh, not really my thing. Some good synth pop moments, but overall seems like wailing over ideas from better bands.
Love New Wave; hated this. Just not good as their contemporaries. The singing alone is something out of nightmares. 3/10.
This is just not really my style of music. Don’t really care for the vocal styling of this band. The music has that kitschy 80’s style with lots of synth/keys but it’s not really my fave. Just an “ok” album.
1/5. Et par av sangene var 2/5.
cool
I love how gloriously and unashamedly over the top everything about ‘Sulk’ is. The vocals, the production, everything about it is ridiculous. Sure, not everything works, example: ‘Bap De La Bap’ which is the low point of the record is just…shit, but when everything clicks it soars, and the albums highs: ‘No’, ‘Party Fears Two’, ‘Skipping’ and ‘Country Club’ are about as good as 80s synth pop/art rock/dance music gets.
This was quite bottom of the barrel,not really anything special by a long shot.A but of a dirge.
Definitely interesting and dramatic
Nice extended 80s instrumental + vocals in between. Didn't hear the whole of it
Oh boy more UK garbage
Just 80s.
I couldn't recall this band. Half recalled on track. They weren't giants of the scene.
Meh
A coke fueled product of its time. If you like synths and whining, you'll love this.
This album is 41 minutes long, and there are 3 different versions of it on iTunes of varying lengths. Always fun to deal with that. This was fine, about what I was expecting for a post-punk synth band from the early 80s. Definitely do recognize their well known song on this album. This music in general is not for me. Enjoyable enough though.
God, I did not like this album. I think because it sounded like bad David Bowie. It was just all over the place, with grating vocals and repetitive synth wailing. There are some nice riffs here and there, and I think if I had to pick a favorite song it’d be “18 Carat Love Affair” but that’s truly saying the best of the worst. I didn’t find any of the “hits” to be anything special, and some were downright painful (“Bap De La Bap”). Really struggled through this listen and ultimately I think that garners it a very low score.
Never heard of this band before. That was a struggle to get through. Lots of Bowie in the vocals.
Pop con sintetizadores insoportable. Un 2.
I have a sneaking suspicion that this app has already suggested this record to me before. I remember writing that I was surprised that Björk liked it so much because, as far as I was concerned, I rather disliked it. My understanding is that she found the free-flowing, meandering, over-the-top vocals "liberating", which sure makes sense in a way. But personally, a large part of those vocals still sound as if the singer was attempting a pitiful, painful imitation of David Bowie at a karaoke. Especially on the first side (at least the one of the UK version--more on that later). Maybe I can't access Björk's level of genius when it comes to listening to certain details. But if most listeners can't grasp those details either, why should we call this record "essential". OK, this might be a bad faith take, I readily admit it. I can sense Robery Wyatt's genius in *Rock Bottom*, contrary to most people in here. Funny how subjectivity always ruins your best attempts to be fair. The thing is, comparing The Associates to Sparks, This Heat, The Cure, or I don't know which other groundbreaking band at the time might be a bit of a stretch. "It's Better This Way" and "Party Fears Two" are *somewhat* listenable, with effective melodic earworms. "No" is an interesting mock-gothic dirge, yet it's awkwardly placed towards the start of this LP (a flaw that the US version tried to correct by switchig most of side one with side two). "Bab De La Bap" has daunting industrial undertones that make it still worthwhile to go through today. But the rest is mostly a cheesefest of gigantic proportions, starting with the horrid "Gloom Spoon", "Nude Spoons" and "Skipping". This is also where the comparison with Sparks doesn't hold water in my opinion. In their best moments the Mael brothers managed to transcend whatever "popular" genre they had elected to play and turn the potential cheese in it into much more perverse and exciting aesthetics. And into far better hooks as well. I believe the comparison stems from Billy Mackenzie's extravagant performance on cuts such as "Country Club". Once again, it makes sense on a a certain level. But I'd rather go back to the original inspiration here. Finally, "nothingsomethingparticular" is a cute instrumental closer, yet it's nothing but a footnote to the whole proceedings. Still feeling nonplussed by this album overall. Going back to what I said at the start of this review, I hope I'm wrong and it's the first time this app has suggested The Associates to me. I intend to *finish* this project, and if really I have to review the same album twice, I'd rather have one truly *essential* one. Next, please. Still giving 2/5 to this record (the recollection of the grade I originally gave to this LP). Which translates to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 375 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 282 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 149 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 201 (including this one)
Little random spike of the 80s lately and this is so 80s. Fairly amusing listen actually, though with that UK New Wave vocals thing, so operatic and affected.
Not the best that came out of the 80s. Not a fan
Hated. 0/5
De verdade, queria ter gostado mais. Infelizmente não aconteceu 🥺
I tried, but I'm not a fan. Nope. Just too challenging for my ears. Yeesh. Although I kind of liked their take on "Love Hangover," that's already a favorite song, so it doesn't seem quite fair.
I found this album very irritating to listen to. I mean, it didn't cause my ears to bleed, but it caused me frown the entire time.
I really enjoyed the tracks with no vocals. My reaction to the others was, wow, no thank you.
Hmmmm. I started off thinking this might be ok. Then the scritchy scratchy drums kept scritching and scratching. I’ve liked a lot of chaotic and noisy music on this project, but by the third song (Bap De La Bap) this was causing some degree of irritation. The sulking vocals didn’t boost things either. Moments in a few songs like Party Fears Two seemed promising, but ultimately left me underwhelmed. Too much not enough for me.
Pants
No
I was kind of excited for some influential 80's band I'd never heard, but then found the vocals to be truly insufferable. At its best, there is an almost Bowie likeable quality, but at its worst, neighborhood dogs howl in pain. I was down for all the drum machine and keyboards. That singing though.
One hour and forty minutes of absolute dogshit.
Gothy synthy garbage. From the discordant nonsense of the first instrumental track to all the grating vocals that followed, this was awful.
Just no.
Music God #1: I have a genius idea. Music God #2: Lay it on me, bro. Music God #1: Now stick with me. Some day this will lead us to eargasmic electronica. Music God #2: Uh huh. What? Music God #1: OK. We need an album with some out there experimental sound exploration anchored with some sick keyboards. Music God #2: Experimental you say. Tell me more. Music God #1: Yeah. They are going to fill guitars with urine. Make a drum set with all different types of snares. Music God #2: I’m not so sure. Music God #1: Look, we’ll pair it with some cabaret falsetto vocals. They will complement each other nicely. Music God #2: Are you worried the music will sound like a soundtrack to a cheesy, low budget 80s horror movie spoof. Music God #1: You mean 80s cult classic. Music God #2: No I mean the kind of movie that is so bad it’s making fun of itself. Music God #1: Whatever. Eventually other bands will make fantastic music and this will be a loose step in the right direction to get there. Music God #2: I don’t like the sounds of this and neither will anyone else. I’m using my veto. Music God #1: I’m using my lone veto veto. It’s happening. Music God #2: Fuck.
Here is the influential goth synth album
Weird and strangely wonderful
I enjoyed the fast-paced, slightly out-of-control, glitchy opening instrumental. But after that, the music descends into a weird nightmare world of twisted 80s pop. It’s bold but I’m not sure it’s something I’ll want to replay.
Yea this is really that corny 1980s sound. Doesn't grab me right away and I'm not sure if it will grab me after some time. I hate the drumming. It sounds like someone who has never played on an electronic kit (or a regular acoustic drum kit with some e-drum attachments) and is trying to make it work. There's some obvious hesitance's and awkward moments in the playing. Not feeling the singer's voice too. It's like the bad parts of when Bono is singing. The album cover is cool atleast?
Couldn't finish it.... how this mess of synch-pop crappola made it past my filters, I don't know. 0 stars if I could
Bit boring
❌ my ears are angry
Oof.
Wasnt very memorable but was nice. Listened to it on the beach on a quiet slightly chilly day so it fit the vibe
Eh, perfectly fine for what it is, just not for me.
Not my favorite
Very unique pop, good or great at times but inconsistent
Slightly less interesting talking heads, seriously this guy sounds like David Byrne
80s style music, but just noise and an attempt to sound like David Bowie.
Extremely 80s, I love it.
Meh...I couldn't even get through it. The overuse of synthesizer was giving me a headache. I will say I can see how it influenced music to come but not worth the time to finish it.
The era this album comes from is unmistakable. It is interesting to hear the generally upbeat instrumentation accompanied by the gothic-style vocals that I usually associate with darker works of David Bowie and Peter Murphy. Speaking of which, I'll defer to either of those artists to scratch that itch. It's not that there's anything bad on this album, it just doesn't really grab my attention or keep me engaged, and I don't think I'll be listening to it again.
This is what the term "80s music" makes me think of, and I don't like 80s music. This makes the second album so far (you know the first one) that I didn't finish.
Maybe this qualified as experimental and edgy in the world of British synth-pop in 1982, or something. For me, it qualifies as straight 1 star, very unpleasant listening.
I used to work at a video store and we had a section of non-Disney animated features like Simba the King Lion: The Final Battle, stuff to make grandparents stock up on garbage so their grandkids can have lousy sleepovers. Anyway, crank this up and enjoy some Zaggy Moondust and the Arachnids from the Milky Way.
Kinda weird but I kinda love it
Un album qui donne le ton de ce qui deviendra la décennie des attardés mentaux. Ces deux débiles s'associent pour produire un album à la fois musicalement intéressant et surtout complètement con. À souligner la performance du chanteur, incapable de relier deux informations entre elles ni de connecter ne serait-ce que deux neurones et totalement perdu au milieu de l'instrumental. Il ne réalisera qu'à la fin de l'album se trouver dans un sudio de musique.
C'est un peu n'importe quoi mais ce n'etait étrangement pas si désagréable, et ce malgré un chanteur complétement dépassé par les événements.
The beeps were good! But the boops were not..........
This gets two stars purely because it was bold and risky. The risk didn't pay off IMO, but I suppose nothing ventured nothing gained.
A few great tracks, and many lackluster ones.
Unlistenable. What is this shit?
Som oitentista e pa, tem seus lampejos, até dá pra curtir algumas
No. No. No. listened to 3 songs. That was enough. Cannot go on. Scottish imitation 80’s and punk. I can respect Scottish accomplishments for many things but not crappy music. No.
This is the opposite of U2. I don't think these guys are as good as I feel they are but I'm digging this. You can feel see Scary Monsters by Bowie on a few of the songs and their instrumental stuff is fun but all over the map. Despite all that I have to say I do dig the singer. He has some moxie and good range. Fast pace and good energy. I also have to say that cover is something bold. ... So I just did a Wikipedia dive after listening and a cited fan and person who was inspired by this bad was... Bono from U2. He said they tried to rip them off because they like them so much. That is such a miss on the attempt. I could see myself relistening to this album. I know I'm rating this either a 3 or 4, if I end up picking 3 that's me voting for the quality more than my enjoyment, 4 is the flip. More and more I'm wondering if my ranking is trying to vote for something more objective in quality or how much I dig what I'm hearing.
My first impression for the album as a whole was interesting, a little messy, but it grows. Sounds like they had fun making it. Some lyrics are a bit campy but fun. It's not perfect but it works.
Some of the music was ok, the voice on several songs just was not tolerable. I only made it through one time.
I usually dig early 80's but something didn't click with me.
Very 1980s. It's just synth-pop, nothing interesting or special.
The second half was particularly strong!
Chaotic frenzied gothic rock, very much like a spiritual successor to Joy Division. A haunting and mysterious first side with a New Wave second side to dance to. Really enjoyed it all, plenty to offer and only a few forgettable tracks.
Poor Billy MacKenzie left us with some of the most beautiful songs ever made with the amazing drama in his voice, seems like syntho-oper! In this album Party Fears and "No" give me the creeps. The synts on some songs are bit outdated, but bless the Associates
I know there are some heads in the group that will love this, but I just couldn’t connect with it. I found myself restarting a lot because I couldn’t stay focused on the tunes, they just kept losing me.
Pretty sweet stuff, reminded me of the darker side of bands like The Cure. Kind of funny, the more popular song (Party Fears Two) was boring to me but the album cuts were sick. Special shout outs to Bap De La Bap, Nude Spoons, and Club Country for really rocking my world. Some parts fell flat but overall this is a very strong 4 and enthusiastic recommendation.
Really great project, so 80s. Can’t believe I don’t know these guys
Nah. I suppose there's some musical talent here, but I just really wasn't a fan. Too 80's art-y for me.
Super bad 80s music.
Not my style of early synth pop.
This is kinda in my wheelhouse but didn’t really click with me.
I knew one song, Country Club. Extraordinary vocals. This is a distillation of ‘80s New Romantics/gothic indie/shiny synth-pop (Sparks/Bowie/Cure/Depeche Mode/Spandau Ballet). Takes a few listens, but glad I did because it’s infectious. The pop melodies and the swirling cure-style guitars get right under your skin.
Carat and more... Overall
Not for me
Strong Bowie vibes
This was nice and all. No recollection of it from the 80's.
Possibly as 80s as it is possible to be.
Jaunty brit post punk.
Sounds like a drunk David Bowie
I was genuinely intrigued to hear this record when it came up. The Associates are lauded by many a critic. Of course I knew Party Fears Two, and Billy Mackenzies wonderful over the top vocals. The whole album didn’t work for me, it a bit of a mess in places. It’s also not aged well at all, probably one of the most eighties sounding records I’ve ever heard.
No. Some songs are really hard to listen to.
Couple of classic tracks, but generally too 80's
Not great production wise. All loud all the time
Pop con sintetizadores insoportable. Un 2.
QuasiBowie a lo rollo.
The definitely have a sound. I'm not crazy about that sound, but seems like some others were - including, apparently, Bono, whose vocal style I can definitely hear. There's a derpiness, a strangeness to the songs which baffles me. You can strongly hear the DNA of 80's synth pop. I don't hate it, don't love it.
This walks a fine line between the synth pop sound of its time and real experimentation. So many odd details throughout, but nothing that's off-putting or alienating. Just makes you feel a bit woozy. The tales of their decadence and playful insanity while recording the album are as entertaining as the resulting work itself.
It's like a weird unhinged Bowie rip-off in terms of vocals without any interesting nuance. Instrumentals are 80s synth-pop as fuck in all the worse ways. Other than that... it's okay, I could see why someone would be into it though. It's definitely a weird combo.
Typical mix of 80s sounds from early new wave.
Synth pop to the extreme, not bad but also without anything really standing out
Regular
Tribute act to weird Bowie. Nearly loved some of it.
This album didn’t draw me in. Just finished my listen of the original 12 tracks for the release. While I didn’t dislike any of the tracks, I found it’s new wave vibe to have been done better by other 80’s artists such as New Order, Human League, Talking Heads, etc. Three for me without an interest in a second listen.
*insert generic but not wrong complaint about how there are way too many 80’s British albums here instead of music people actually care about here*
What on earth was that? Sounded like a blend of New Wave and Gothic Rock that I hope never gets repeated again.
I can't
BL: Never heard of The Associates before, the first thing that stands out to me is how beautiful this album cover is. It’s so definitely 80s but the use of neon and the looks of the two men on the cover really makes for an appealing cover and I’m interested to hear what the album is about. AL: this was a pretty good album for background noise but I don’t feel like anything really stood out. I was listening to this through my phone which I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. Hasn’t got amazing audio quality, I feel this is more of an atmospheric spacial audio experience - so maybe I’ll give it a re-listen when I get the chance with my proper headphones on. FT: “18 carat love affair” 2/5
Somehow all the worst parts of 80's music got amalgamated into a single album and then I had to listen to it.
Frequently wild and haphazard, but also a really unique, compelling listen. Striking vocals from Billy Mackenzie and some really inventive arrangements. Surprisingly dark lyrics at times. Fave Songs: Party Fears Two, Club Country, Gloomy Sunday, It's Better This Way, Skipping
Distinctly joyously 80s, but quite fun.
1982? I bet it's UK new wave no one has heard of outside the UK. Nailed it. But fuck off, christ. 2/5.
lot of the grooves are cool but get kinda boring after a while. a lot of the actual songwriting isn’t really that good. kind of a hard listen to be honest. disjointed. melodies are forgettable. vocals are obnoxious.
Not really my style and nothing stood out to me as especially great but it did leave the impression of a generally cohesive, good album.
Actually really awesome, I am astonished at the low rating here Dark and very dramatic post punk Dynamic and interesting 4/4.5
Ну прикольная глючная музыка, ну такая вот, с вайбами нью-вейва. Но местами настолько мерзкая и противная, что прям совсем хотелось разкрошить на части наушники и все возможные средства воспроизведения музыки в своей квартире. Так что мда...
Another undiscovered gem. Not even a name I was familiar with. Loved it.
This is probably the most 80s album I've had to date. It seems set up to grate, falsetto singing, synth pop, experimental sounds. However, I ended up really enjoying it. I knew the two "hits" which I guess are literally all I had ever heard from this band before. I had a dim recollection of when they first charted that was dredged up from the sludge in my head from the early 80s. This one is extremely hard to score fairly. I feel it's somewhere between a 3 and a 4. It's definitely not a bad album, but it's not a great one either, and I feel I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again. I was also horrified to see Spotify stick an extra 50-60 minutes of demos and alternate versions that I wasn't prepared to listen to. I think I'm going to be generous and go for a 4, purely because I love some of the weird instruments I can hear, particularly the jangling piano in "Party Fears Two".
Puke
2 80s 4 me
Sounds like a synth-Bowie early 80's when this album was released. You can also hear their influence on Bono and it's lasting impression with his music with U2. It was an okay listen, but doesn't interest me beyond a listen. It's funny how I had never heard this before.
This feels like the equivalent of a buck-a-scoop restaurant. Unmemorable, and leaves you hungry again within an hour.
Gothic synth-pop. Cure-sure Club? Not something I want in my life right now, thanks.
Goddammit.
A very distinctive vocal sound and I remember their hits but it didn’t grab me so a measly 2*
Unremarkable.
Opinió no popular, però m'enganxa més el seu debut, 'The Affectionate Punch', que aquest 'Sulk', suposadament obra mestra primigènia del synth pop i pont de luxe que va estableix l'enllaç entre el post punk/new wave tardà i el millor del treball que van fer els new romantics. No és mal disc, i el seu so és realment interessant, però no hi ha temes que arrosseguin l'àlbum cap a l'excel.lència. Ni tan sols el seu single principal, 'Party Fears Two', que és simplement un tema passable. 'Club Country' és millor, però res de l'altre món
Stupid music.
I've never heard of this band before and I didn't remember hearing anything from the album before but "Party Fears Two" seems vaguely familiar. Didn't like it, and thought it was a bit boring. Going by the number of Spotify plays, not many other people like this album either.
Really like some of it.
Really fun - enjoyed some songs more than others. Overall good!
Some interesting 80s sound
I feel like you might have to be very much in the mood for this level of extreme 80s-ness. I know this because the first part I listened to on an early run and it was just a bit much. It made me quite irritaavle, but then I listened to more another time and it didn't rile me and I quite enjoyed it. I have to say the singing style (did Bowie do this first I was wondering?) Did grate me a little bit but I know it is just part of it. The recognisable ones were fun I guess
Wow this was intense. Not my cup of tea but it wasn't bad.
It's kind of messy and all over the place, but I liked the 80's melody. Though it does sound like he is trying too hard.
bap de la bap. what a fucking mess of an album. disappointed i didn't get some banging 80s basslines and rolled up pastel blazer vibes.
Not as good as anything Blue have done
Going against the catchy synthpop hooks that their contemporaries aim for, the Associates are content with building a dark atmosphere that's more akin to post-punk of the day. While they provide an interesting overall sound, nothing on the album comes across as memorable or outstanding. Sulk is competent in what it does, but disappointing in what it doesn't.
An interesting mix of post-punk, synth pop, new wave and more. Some tracks are a few steps above the rest so the album isn't consistently "good" or "great" to warrant a higher rating despite the creativity at the time. Also the production quality hasn't aged so well. 3 star
On todays episode of why is this here
Missed them and nice find.
Not quite sure what to make of this. Sounds like fairly typical early 80s alternative/new wave. Shades of Talking Heads mixed with a bunch of other stuff of that era, e.g. Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, etc. It was okay but I didn't love it. A bit too much of a cabaret type sound. 3 stars.
Average album for me. Not the biggest fan of this type of 80s pop. If I could give 2.5 stars I would but I'll have to round up to 3
It was alright but there’s nothing notable about it
Fine
Not good
The absolute worst that the UK has to offer. Histrionic, tortured vocals on top of bland, homogeneous instrumentals indistinguishable from any other Britpop LP out there. Getting real tired of these, feels like there’s at least two a week when many other albums from the era deserve to be on the list.
So comforting is Sulk's fit in my mental genre map that I lose the Associate's specificity in the lull. The album's more instrumental moments are highlights, while the vocals are essential. This is of the masterfully-produced school, which unfairly hurts the effect. Very eighties, very prefigurative, etc. etc. Or maybe the lens of this nostalgia looms too large in the twenties. Either way, I'm a sucker.
I thought this would be better as it influenced quite a few bands I really like but this loses it’s thunder very early on and then really struggles to keep it up sometimes being boarderline unlistenable sometimes being quite entertaining. 2/5
Never heard of them before. It was pretty decent. Need to hear it again sometime. 2.5/5
Best Song: Club Country. Some kinda groovy, safe funk in there. Worst Song: Party Fears Two. It literally sounds like he's trying to over-sing for comedic effect. Overall: Exhibit A of why the 80s were the most annoying genre, culturally. Nothing of substance, just flash. Layers and layers of boring synth with a bubble-throated man alternating between theatre-style singing and screeching falsettos. Bam, 80s hit-machine.
I get this right after a Kraftwerk album? Bleh. This actually sounds like David Bowie became the lead singer of Kraftwerk. Since I don't really like either of those artists - 1.
Pretty good. Reminds me of a little of David Bowie
Moody moods. The bridge between David Bowie and the Cure/New Order. Sounds pretty dated and the gloom is real, but it warrants consideration.
A little too much fiddling here, such was the thing in the early electro pop. The singer providing moments of joy but more often annoying. It does sound dated but when it hits the mark it is fun and stands up today.
waoaf j'ai pas passé uin vraiment beau moement.... 2
Parece um tanto de barulhos irritantes de videogame antigo, mas deve ter importância na história do pop dos anos 80 que cada vez confirma minha antipatia pelo aclamado pós-punk.
Not my thing. I don’t even find this a good example of 80s synth pop. It’s just sort of meh for me.
Not for me
3.3 - A “challenging” record without much payoff. It sounds like a combination of an Ariel Pink soundtrack for a haunted house, and B-sides from Bowie’s “Scary Monsters” era. Kind of a shame because they’re clearly a good band and Billy Mackenzie shows some impressive vocal chops. It just rarely comes together into a compelling sound. Standouts: “Club Country”, “18 Carat Love Affair”
I’ve never heard of this band, but apparently they make screamy garbage music.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Party fears two
QuasiBowie a lo rollo.
harmittaa vaan että vokalisti ehkä paskin koskaan, challenger to jack white? mukamassa sopii albumiin noh voisitte vaan sitä musiikkia soittaa muutamassa biisissä teeitte oikein... SINGING IS NOT MUSIC.. EVER... niin ei voi ykköstä antaa sen verran kiinnostavaa materiaalia on täällä mutta myös erittäin tylsää jooh 80lukuesquetta siis (nou good) It's got beeps and boops like some old videogame music. lmao. club country
frenetico e inesperado. gran sorpresa.
Ugh, tried many times, but none of this album stuck. It's Duran Duran / Spandau Ballet / Roxy Music / David Byrne, but bad. It's a shame - I really wanted to like it.
It’s something that I can imagine people would like, but I’m not one of them. There’s too much chaos, especially in the vocals. They singing is all over the place, lots of tremelo, pre-emo. The music is well done, with some cool blends and that classic 80s drum-beat. I can tell this pushed the genre into new directions, just well past my preferences (I imagine the couple from family vacation that hate the griswalds are avid fans of this music.)
Amazing
Weird and strange.
https://tenor.com/u5t9.gif
Meh, the synthy new wave stuff on the list has been pretty hit or miss for me.
Forgettable 80s pop.
The machine chucked an unfamiliar multitude at me today: this record is really very good, and I wish I had more time to listen to it. It's sui generis, and I'm scrambling for references to anchor it - at times, it reminded me of early Sonic Youth, This Heat, Kraftwerk, and acid house, but it's really its own thing. The vocals grated at first, but on the second listen they seemed appropriate, a choice based on the material and what Mackenzie had available to him. Really tempted to give it five stars, though I've barely made it through twice.
if this album was consistent it would be up there with some of the best of the '80s. Sadly, it's all over the place but the high points are incredible. Is there a more exciting intro to a pop record than the jangle piano on Party Fears Two? A more entertaining vocal performance than on Club Country? Why aren't bands ambitious like this any more? Refrigeration keeps you young, I'm told
Tecno simple y corriente.
Whatta a nightmare listen to this album.
Sulk is the second album by Scottish post-punk and pop band the Associates. It was a well produced art rock / synth pop album that blessed listeners' ears in 1982. Although this album was a critical and commercial breakthrough, the original duo in this group broke up four months after release. I loved this album's sound! The overproduced musical arrangements combined with the beautiful falsetto voice made for quite the head turner of an album. I can't believe the Associates changed up their roster after this album, because they were onto something. Great work!
Super bonne première impression, mais j'ai fini par trouver ça redondant. Par contre, je dois dire que j'ai trouvé ça surprenant que ça date de 1982, je l'aurais rapproché des années 90, donc je présume qu'ils étaient plutôt avant-gardistes pour l'époque.
I knew of The Associates from Party Fears Two, but hadn't explored any of the rest of their ouvre. The music video for Party Fears Two includes Martha Ladly on the keys, formerly of Martha and the Muffins. She's wearing a suit and a hat, and looks exactly as bored as she needs to for the song. It's bizarre, because she's also got the tiniest of beguiling smiles. And that sums up the song perfectly. It is tuneful, poppy and also, 100% entirely unnerving and discordant. The vocals are perfect - slightly Bowie-ish, but in the good way. I genuinely hated it the first time I heard it. It made no sense. It was dissonant. And then the Divine Comedy covered it. If Neil Hannon likes it, I should probably pay more attention to it... but no. Its still nonsensical, dissonant and unnerving. Several years later, with the song appearing in my life from time to time, I find it has changed from being a messy, awkward track to being possibly one of my very favorites from the 1980s. Given it was written in the late 70s, it rather cements The Associates as people to listen to more of. Which I finally got around to doing with this album. Which is excellent. It is both genre-defining, and genre-defiant. It is both a product and a producer of 1980s syth, new romantic and pop. I love it, and think I will continue to love it for quite some time.
Very badly dated music that wasn't exactly stellar back when it was new. I fail to fathom what this album is doing over here.
I really could not get into this album at all.
The title of the second track sums up my opinion of this record: No.
Feels like i'm missing something. Sort of a less interesting version of the Cure.
When the two best songs are the opener and closer and they're the best, not because they're good, but because the singer doesn't sing on them, you have a bad album. It's very very bad. The singer is what you think of when you think of a parody of bad 80s singers, like I kept waiting for them to be in on the joke.
What a really weird album. It was not good but at times tolerable. I never really got into it. It is better than a not really a two. I will round up.
Worth another listen I reckon.
It's like a Scottish version of U2
not bad
I'm going to give this record credit assuming they were experimenting with new technologies. It did come early in the synth scene. But that is about the only nice thing I can say. It was early experimentation. Because this record sucks. The songs suck, the flow sucks, the vocals suck. This sucks.
This was a roadblock album that I just was never inspired enough to listen to and caused me to fall behind. It actually had some fun 80s synth dancey times but something about it never made me want to finish it. But I did finish it so 2
Sometimes sounds a bit like Bowie but most of the time sounds a bit like shit
Välillä taustat ihan ok, mutta viimeistään laululla pilataan. Kasaripopsoundin huonoa puolta
Kaksi kaveria aivan saatanan syvällä omassa jutussaan. Tiedätkö mitä, en inhoa tätä, ja näen hyvää rytmiikkaan pohjaavissa biiseissä kuten Bap De La Bap (olisipa tällä vain joku toinen nimi) sekä It's Better This Way. Lisäksi Party Fears Twon leevimäinen syntikka huvittaa minua. Riittävät perustelut kahden tähden antamiselle?
Like if Morrissey joined Devo
Track 1- nice instrumental easy listening Track 2- i dont mind this tbf, strange vocals at times, slight cure/ echo & bunnymen feel to it. bit boring after a couple minutes though. cant make my mind up on it Track 3- not for me mate Track 4- nope Track 5- love the drum sound and overall production, fairly enjoyable Track 6- nice sounding song but vocals ruin it again Track 7- meh track 8 - dont mind this, really enjoyed the instrumental outro but vocals and melody ruin majority of the song track 9 - same as rest of the album, decent instrumentals shite melody and vocals, bass solo bit is mint track 10 - instrumental so one of the better songs on the album track 11 - meh track 12 - not even listened yet but more than likely gonna be meh
Arrogance gave him up - Nice melody's but becomes repetitive and not a fan of the drumming No - nice use of instrumentation, track feels very dark and haunting, Robert Smith style vocals. Bap De La Bap - Really not a fan of this, vocals are annoying and music sounds like you're queuing for an Alton Towers ride Gloomy Sunday - lovely intro, feels like the smiths but more electronic, big fan of the vocals here both in terms of melody but unsure on the delivery. Nude Spoons - Another one with a good intro. Once again not a huge fan of the delivery on the vocals. This track has a relentless feel to it which I do like. Feels like the bass is too quiet in the mix towards the end. Skipping - Quite a fan of this track, vocal delivery much more to my taste. Baseline is lovely. It's better this way - Great baseline once again too quiet in the mix for me, love the guitar solo, nice tone there. The screechy vocals once again not for me. Party Fears Two - Love the keys in this. Vocals again... Club Country - Love the instrumental on this, by far the best so far, vocals annoying again. Outro has a great mix of a funky bass line with some nice dark effects in the background, however this does go on a bit. Nothinginsomethingparticular - Nice melody but not interesting enough to repeat itself over two minutes. Sounds like a video game theme 18 carret love affair - Really big fan of this track, despite the melody from nothinginsomethingparticular continuing into this song Love hangover - Has a very funky guitar riff, very danceable. Think this is my favourite track on the album and I would listen again. SUMMARY - Think this album is great in terms of production and instrumentation. Has a great goth and early post-punk sound. However, I think that the vocalist really stops many decent songs from being good or great songs.
6/10. Post-punk and pop is an interesting mix here, and it works on a couple songs. But not all of them.
Feels like we got the same album for a second day in a row. I’ll be fair and give these guys the same ranking as Echo and the Bunnymen but I can’t help feeling like the generator is testing me. 7/10
I didn't like this one at all. In my mind, it is all that I don't enjoy about 80s new wave, the plastic synth, the high-pitched vocals, weird themes...not a fan
This pick was so 80s it hurt me a little bit… I wasn’t a huge fan but I could see my mom jamming out to this!