Reviews (page 2 of 7)
I have no idea about who this guy is or his deal in general, but this was really interesting. Album length kind of uncalled for, but on the other hand a normal length wouldn’t have been enough to get lost in, which was very fun with this
Going to give this a 5. I always liked the album, especially Safesurfer of course, but there is a lot more to like: the songwriting.. lyrics.. general atmosphere, same vibes as that Soft Boys record from the 70s: Underwater Moonlight. So, it is great that both are included on the list.
I actually own a copy of this but I haven't listened to it (until now) since it was a new release. I bought it because I had quite liked a couple of Cope's earlier albums, "Saint Julian" and "My Nation Underground" but for whatever reason I didn't remember much of this. I have a vague memory of thinking maybe he had had some kind of breakdown. Who knows what I was thinking because man, I really dig this. I definitely did not remember so much of it having that funky, swirly Madchester sound which I still really enjoy. Anyway I think this is gonna get five stars from me.
I was probably not going to listen to this album today. I have been jazzed about the last few albums. I got on this list, and I had a bunch of other stuff that I was going to spend my time listening to today. Also, this album was longer than an hour, which usually reduces my excitement to listen to it. I still give thid Hey a shot later in the afternoon at holy shit. This was one of the biggest prizes on this list for me. Had never heard of this guy, he never seen this album. And I can’t find a lot on the history of this album, there’s a Wikipedia article, but it’s more about the political content that made its way into his songs. I’m finding it adjacent to Primal Scream. It’s an album like this that makes me heat bands the call them self psychedelic rock. Because most the time they’re just fooling around on instruments and playing music that is intentionally obtuse. This kind of stuff though on Peggy Suicide is the real psychedelic as it has amazing, musical complexity, and structure, but while you’re listening to it, just transports your mind somewhere different. I also thought that I was probably gonna drop this down star because it was going on for so long, and I thought it was going to overstay as welcome. But this thing keeps its flow, the entire way through, and wins a big finish, which I love to see on an album. It’s a strategy that basically dead tnow in 2022. Amazing album and if anyone was thinking of skipping over it, I would advise against it
Zeer afwisselend album. Het was iedere keer benieuwd zijn naar hoe het volgende nummer zou klinken. Enkele zeer rustige nummer, en ook iets meer rock-nummers met goeie riffs. Leuke verrassing
Never heard of Julian Cope but this is a great album. Sort of post-punk grungy stuff. Will definitely be exploring some more of his music.
I really enjoyed this disc from another artist I'd never heard of.
Well... that was a fun ride.
Sounds very diverse and creative, good flow through the album, liked a lot better than some of the other “punk” or “post punk” on this list. If out of 10 stars, I’d probably go 9, but I’ll give it the 5 stars for a truly creative piece of art and pleasant surprise that didn’t lose my interest over the long playback time
Unabashedly artful. Genuinely enjoyable most of the songs
Eclecticismo y distorsión, guitarras y New Wave, cantautor progresivo. Tiene temazos. Para escuchar en modo concentración literaria.
Julian Cope is a name I'd heard before, but I didn't really know what I was getting in for with this album. It's a dense but varied collection that's still interesting at its worst and phenomenal at its best. The length made it too much to get through in one sitting -- I just didn't have the time and had to break it up into about 4 sessions. I remember Safesurfer being a highlight. The repetitive vocals are a bit whatever, but the music on this track is 5/5 for all 8 minutes. Definitely need to come back to this when I have a full two hours just to sit with it, but it definitely piqued my interest.
Really good I was surprised by this
This one might be my favorite obscure discovery from this list. Its sound is like if Nick Cave, REM, and Spiritualized had a baby. It’s weird as hell for sure, but there’s a brooding sense of melody on this songs that’s catchier than it first lets on. This may be five stars with more time spent with it.
surprisingly pleasant.
Similar to the Butthole Surfers (who had the album before this one in the list with Locust Dayglo Abortion) you either love or hate the former Teardrop Explodes former frontman’s solo work. Lyrically it is a bit fucking weird but musically it’s genius. At times sounding like a mix of Hugh Cornwall and Jim Morrison, the songs in Peggy Suicide are musically diverse often anticipating the Madchester scene of the early to mid 90s with some tracks close to what the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays would pick up and carry to success a year or two later. This is also a very British art rock record that likely has very few copies sold in the United States. Sad really, because I bought the CD when it came out and it still gets the odd spin more than 30 years later. Not a perfect record but better than most of the music of its time and still an interesting listen today. 4/5
A bit long, but not a bad listen at all. Solid rock album, I appreciate the funk influence here and there. There's a bit of a drone to it here and there - that tends to really work for me. Sort of like what I've heard from some post-hardcore and shoegaze bands (e.g. Rain, Husker Du, Curve). Hard to explain but it really works for me. "Soldier Blue" and "Leperskin" stand out in particular. Overall probably a solid 3.75 if we had partial stars. A lot works here for me. Not sure I'll revisit it, but I'm glad I gave it a listen.
que jornada
Stunned by this one! I got the Teardrop Explodes record forever go and loved it, so it was cool to discover this is a person from that band. Peggy Suicide has a lot of soul to it and kinda chill vibes. It fits in an excellent pocket of things I love in particular.
What I remember of Juilian Cope. World Shut Your Mouth and a member of the Teardrop Explodes. I don't think I have heard a full Cope album. I was aware of his cult status. Lots of goths love this guy so there has to be something to him. This all the earmarks of the Brit Pop sound to follow. More about the 60s and 70s, politics, some twee sounds. When I listened to this album, I know that I will have to listen to it again. This will be on rotation for a while. Pristeen - reminds me a bit of Lou Reed. Easy Easy Rider - has a Cult sound. The song structure is a bit of something else. I keep thinking that this must have some meaning attached to CC Rider and Reggae. I am getting a kick out of remembering a band called Dred Zeppelin. Soldier Blue - I have heard this song before but I am not sure it is this version. Might have been on Much Music awhile back. Maybe they did a daily spotlight on Julian Cope and this could have been in it. The American Lite - Definitely heard this. Not sure where but yeah. I can't imagine this not influencing Brit Pop. Given that I want to listen to this again, it will be an auto 4 or 5. I think I'll settle on 4.
I’m the type who eyes new names with a mix of hope and suspicion, especially when the label shouts “post‑punk.” This record flips that script, delivering a fresh cocktail of instruments and a thump that feels almost tribal. The verses sneak in clever wordplay, making the whole thing feel like a conversation I actually want to keep. Somewhere between the vibes of The Smiths and a modern indie‑rock lounge, it finds a sweet spot that’s both nostalgic and forward‑looking. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - East Easy Rider - Safesurfer - If You Loved Me at All - Beautiful Love
I know I know the name Julian Cope, but none of this music is familiar to me. A cursory Google suggests that might have been thanks to City Limits and The Wedge on MuchMusic in the early 90s. Some clear future echoes to other bands I like. A tonne to dig into (it might be a touch long), but this one's getting marked for revisitation.
For a record this long & so-called ambitious, there's an unwonted naïveté & a naturalness that renders the whole experience not only worthwhile but an organic enterprise. & I go for that sort of thing. 'Each day we get closer to the big bad fire / I looked down at the sickness in you.' Eclecticism is not the same thing as random variety, but Peggy Suicide has a sense of both cohesive diversity as well as scattershot energy: Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, oh I don't know, how about Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, & Alex Chilton, all these styles & more are featured, but I also get the feeling for a personality that I guess we can only attribute to Julian Cope himself. Whoever he is, I don't care much for the looks of him, but this album in a vacuum, yeah, real deal.
Gives off Madchester energy, which is a good thing in my eyes. 4.5 bumped down to 4.
p659. 1991. 4 stars. Cope channelling his inner Jim Morrison/Nick Cave, which ain't a bad thing. When it works, its great. On the downside, it's a double album and there is far too much filler. This could easily have been a 5 star single album.
Went in thinking this would be terrible and left thinking pleasantly surprised! I might give this another listen but the length of it puts me off a bit.
I really liked this a lot, and that's was a surprise, given the album title is a pretty terrible pun. It was super varied, but not in such a way that it became hard to bear, and there were moments of extreme beauty in there. Safesurfer is that great rarity - an eight minute song that really justifies it. Overall, a very excellent discovery from someone I'd only vaguely heard of before.
Was surprised by this one. Great variety of sounds, good composition and lyricism, an overall great time. Just didn't like some of the tracks towards the end.
Decent record
Never heard of this artist, but actually enjoyed it quite a bit!
J'ai adoré Safesurfer et l'album en lui-même est une bonne découverte alors que j'avais très peu d'attente. Bien joué Julian Copium
Pristeen East Easy Rider Safe Surfer Drive, She Said Head Leperskin Beautiful Love
3.5
Whoops - I might be about to get really into Julian Cope.
interesting
I did not expect to like this anywhere near as much as I did. There's a load of really interesting, varied stuff here and although it's arguably about 20 mins too long, it had loads of tracks that I added to my playlist to come back to so I'm not sure how loudly I'd call for it to be shortened. It has enough experimentalism to keep you on your toes but also enough melodic and structural sensibility to make it really accessible and listenable. I'd buy this.
Has a few places where some fat could be trimmed, but overall I enjoyed my time with it. Very fun listen. Safesurfer is an amazing track that's both dark and psychedelic and takes you on a journey all by itself. Head stood out for making me imagine stereotypical little green aliens playing the song on futuristic sci-fi instruments. Las Vegas Basement was great to end off the album. The Spotify description for Julian Cope being a "musician, writer, historian, and cosmic shaman" made me giggle. Not sure why the reviews for this album on this website are leaning negative (apart from people listening to the longer deluxe version - always check the track listings on Wikipedia people!) - I didn't find anything egregious enough to warrant it.
I'm a big fan of Julian cope, he's like the ultimate prog punk hippy. Teardrop explodes, pop solo, books on standing stones.. eric. And here's another transformation.i loved it when it was released. It hasn't aged very well... sounds a bit like him jamming in a barn with his mates, sounds under rehearsed. But it's Julian so it's great
Oh, this is new to me...long and sprawling, so I haven't given it a good enough crack yet, but this is my sort of gear.
3.87 is my rating but uniquely awesome.
This is a very interesting album because some songs are mediocre at best, others are super experimental and there are some real gems tucked in between. I genuinely liked my listen through but I got light whiplash with the different levels of quality on the songs.
pretty interesting i liked the album
Def opened up my mind. There is genius here bit some of the tracks are just jams with no point -- others are keepers.
Exactly the kind of nice discovery I signed up for. I don’t understand the hate for this album ; it's absolutely not as strange as people make it sound. It’s a fascinating mix of styles – mostly late 60s psychedelic rock, but also a bit of new wave and krautrock, and even a small pinch of punk. The experimental bits are nicely done, and never overbearing. The end results works really well in my opinion, mainly because the band is competent. I’m not completely sold on the voice, but the instrumental parts are solid. Overall it’s a very original but very accessible album with a distinct personality and strong spiritual themes. There’s a lot of diversity in the songs, so they never gets repetitive or boring. Safesurfer is an banger, while Western Front 1992 and Hung Up are bewitching experimental pieces. As for the culture-impaired among us who are “offended” by the cover art – please open a book before getting on your comically high horses. The image is an explicit reference to the Paleolithic Venus, a figure commonly associated with (speculated) matriarchal societies and the worship of Mother Earth (as a matter of fact, Julian Cope wrote two books about megalithic cultures, and mentions her in several songs). It’s also used by British new-age and neo-pagan movements that revere the Goddess, a feminine and motherly deity. So no, it’s not "a naked chick" – you’re actually getting offended by the symbolic depiction of Womanhood as the incarnation of the divine. Anyway, I really enjoyed this. Subjectively, it’s closer to a 3* for me, but it’s creative and different enough to warrant a little boost in the stats. 6+1/10
Out of time , difficult to define with some Leanord Cohen vibes in the voice, I had never heard of this Coppe character before but his wikipedia is interesting.
I actually came around on this album by the end. At the start I assumed it was another self-indulgent British addition like so many other albums on the list. But by the time it was done I could see how bands I like would have liked it, and how it could be my kind of album to show people. The biggest issue is that it is just too long. Multiple songs have 2-3 minute musical lead ins before the lyrics. By the time you’ve finished the album it’s an exhausting process of trying to decide how much of a song could or should have been cut down or removed to make the listening experience a bit more palatable.
Good, but I think his next album, Jehovahkill, is better and much more "important".
This was pretty strong and I will have to give a more attentive second listen.
Similar recipe as Echo and the Bunnymen: moody gothic 80s synthy post punk with a heavy dose of dreamy 60s psych swirling around - big atmospheres, dramatic vocals, layers and layers of guitars and organs, melodic bass. But this more eclectic. Cope adds in a bit of the baggy madchester dance sound (easy rider, leperskin) and a couple of slower more stripped back acoustic tracks that start at Billy Bragg and ultimately build back up to a big orchestral psych noise. Some harder charging garage punk stuff ala Modern Lovers (hanging out). Some of it sounds like a British version of the shaggy slacker sound of 90s US alt rock. I like everything on here, but there is still too much of it - still, what a discovery!
Pretty good.
This album is really interesting. I don't know what it is about it, but all the songs are different, and yet cohesive. I need to listen to this album more to figure it out. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Hang Out And Hung Up On The Line Safesurfer Soldier Blue You Las Vegas Basement
Ive heard the name before, but only as a collaborator on a Sunn O))) album. Otherwise going in blind on this one. ...And its nothing like Sunn O)))! Quite a nice and diverse set of songs, mining that modern rock era of the 90s. Maybe a bit too long of an album, but that's not too big an issue. Solid 4/5.
quite different to The Teardrop Explodes, I quite enjoyed this
Actually really liked this, it was a nice surprise. Never heard of the album or the artist, but glad it was thrown up in this process. Such an interesting collection of sounds, hoping there's more by this guy in the list.
This album is a real find - I loved it! The opening track is so spiteful and angry in its lyrics. "How much does it take, take to go down on someone you hate!" Yikes! With the exception of a few tracks, it reminded me of Nick Cave.
I enjoyed this album, it has a good pace and feel to it. Parts reminded me of Syd Barrett's sound, and agree that there's a bit of Nick Cave in there. I'll come back for another spin.
An interesting album. I'll gladly listen to it again. 4/5
Never heard this before. I like it
Kind of intrigued
Through the first eight songs, I thought that the general reaction of this being too disjointed was massively overstated. It seemed a bit eclectic, sure, but pretty well within the realm of what one could classify as "alternative rock". A bit of The Cure here, some U2 there, perhaps even a little Velvet Underground at points, so on and so forth. Pretty good stuff, too! Especially "Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line", "Safesurfer", and "If You Loved Me at All". Then, as tracks nine and ten ("Soldier Blue" and "You...") continued, I began to understand a bit more where everyone was coming from. The dance elements of "Soldier Blue" definitely felt a bit out of place; perhaps if it was approached in a baggier Stone Roses/Happy Mondays fashion, it would have fit in better, but its distinct funkier nature lends to a more jarring experience in the context of the record. "You..." almost has a Zappa-esque quality that is equally confusing; I don't even necessarily think either of these songs are bad, but they absolutely signal a turning point in the album for me in terms of it as a listening experience. From that point on, I'm not sure it ever totally finds its footing again. There are some other great songs, particularly the closer "Las Vegas Basement", but there are also a couple of other left turns ("Beautiful Love") that remind you of the hodgepodge nature of it as a whole. 3.5/5
Never heard this one before. Really good stuff. I'm gonna have to explore this guy some more.
My rating 3.8. This was another surprise. I really enjoyed the whole album despite only knowing him from World Shut Your Mouth.
This is one of those albums that really pulls you in at first. The rock-leaning tracks had me straight away, but it does lose a bit of momentum in the middle. When it slows down, the songwriting doesn’t feel quite as sharp, and the length starts to show. That said, even when it’s a little messy, there’s a clear vision running through it especially on the more political or groove-driven songs which are easily the strongest moments. I didn’t feel like there was one huge statement screaming at me on first listen, but the atmosphere is strong enough that it feels like something that could open up over time. Weirdly, a couple of tracks even reminded me of Cave World by Viagra Boys with that slightly unhinged but purposeful energy. It’s not flawless, and it drags a touch, but I’d definitely revisit it.
I have a massive soft spot for the Drude, and this is one of his best. Safesurfer is a long time favourite
Really enjoyed this, couple of tracks I had not heard before have gone straight onto my favourites playlist
Had only ever heard of Julian Cope, this was my first time listening. Immediately knew I liked it, and after a few listens I think it's one of those albums that will continue to grow on you the more you listen. Love the mix of sounds and genres and originality.
Jules is a fuckwit in the best way
I rate this only through "Las Vegas Basement" where the original album ends. A great album. I listened to this a lot in my college years in the 90s. "Soldier Blue" is so pertinent at this moment in time with all of the atrocities ICE is committing.
Not bad, I liked this more than I thought I would.
𝘗𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘺 𝘚𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦 feels like one of those great hidden gems — wildly ambitious, politically charged, and overflowing with Julian Cope’s eccentric charm. The album moves through psych-rock, ambient textures, and groovy, hypnotic jams with an ease that makes its scope genuinely impressive. The only real drawback is the sheer length; it’s a lot to take in at once, and some stretches feel more like mood pieces than essential songs. But even so, the highs are striking, and the album’s personality is unmistakable. A sprawling, rewarding trip.
Enjoyed this so much more than I expected.
Like a lot of this
Another random solid one. US roadtrip vibes yet again.
A complete hidden gem. I never heard of Julian Cope or any of his previous band, but this album is great. Lots of funk, lots of classic rock, great lyrics and vocals throughout. What a buzz!
I bought this on cassette on a whim and all I knew was that he was formerly in the band the teardrop explodes, a band that o liked but wasn't particularly into.. It sounds as fresh as it did then. Solid all the way through and Pristine is one of my favorite songs
Fine album.
Never listened to a lot of Mr Cope, but this is truly excellent
Wild ride. Enjoyed it.
A bit of Velvet Underground inspired early nineties eclectic rock.
Cope reaching for the majestic kingdom of rock and roll - it does not all work, but I am all for albums that aspire to greatness
Gotta listen to it more but love the krauty droning approach to pop/rock music. But yeah this is too long.
Dudes definitely going for it but I dig it.
I accidentally saw Julian Cope at a festival about ten years ago and was mesmerised by his set. The man’s a freak, but he feels like he’s our freak and one of the last true eccentric oddballs left still making music. Great album this, a tad long, but this man cannot be expected to contain his ideas.
High potential for me to really like this
Listening to this album, I'm downright shocked this thing is rated less than a 3. I can generally get a vibe of what the rating will be for an album while listening to it. Absolutely floored at it being 2.77, was not expecting that. It should honestly be up around 3.2 minimum. Maybe it's trying to do too much, and that's why people are bouncing off it, yet it feels cohesive anyway, and I'm not seeing complaints about that specifically. Mostly just people accusing it of being too long and pretentious. Every song on this album (or almost everything, Pristeen kinda sucks) has something awesome going on. Sure, its long, but it's class. From the Bowie/Pink Floyd vibes of Safesurfer to the 90's as hell groove of If You Loved Me At All to the very REM sounding Drive, She Said to the Chili Peppers-esque East Easy Rider to [Insert the next sound Julien tackles on every song on this album], with a somewhat Nick Cave/Depeche Mode singing type voice. It's just a fantastic, varied, something-for-everyone album. Probably not something I'm gonna go back to, but still a great record.
Super interesting album with a lot of variety and different musical styles. Some misses but definitely a lot more hits from an artist and album I've never heard of. Also I like the odd album cover. Favorites: East Easy Rider, Safesurfer, Soldier Blue, Western Front 1992 C.E. Least Favorite: Pristeen
Fuck it man I liked this!! This strikes me as a situation where this guy just made whatever the hell he wanted to, regardless of what would sell or be popular. So, yeah, it's weird as fuck. The transition from "Beautiful Love" to "Western Front 1992 C.E." is like getting flash-banged in the Disneyland parking lot. And some of these songs absolutely do not work. But a lot of them really, really do. It's interesting, artistic, and a lot of times, really really cool. Fave tracks: - Double Vegetation - East Easy Rider - If You Loved Me At All - Soldier Blue - Head - Hung Up And Hanging Out To Dry - The American Lite - Las Vegas Basement
New Artist! A lot of history with Julian Cope. I'll be interested to look through and listen to other bands he was connected with. Really enjoyed this album, the composition was really viby and I emjoy the british of all of it.
It was alright
Steeped in early-90s British indie, ‘Peggy Suicide’ blends baggy rhythms with hazy psychedelia. Sprawling and frequently inconsistent, flawed and messy, I still admire the breadth and scope of what Cope is trying to do here, even if it doesn’t all come together. There’s something here that just compels you to keep coming back. I’m giving 3 for the music, and an extra point for the ambition. 4/5
This is actually great. Despite it's length, it grew on me more and more as it played, and I found myself admiring the scope and talent behind it as it went on. There's lots of range in here, with different styles and approaches. Lots of different instruments. Running through the whole thing you get a great tempo, tons of personality, and the sense of real quality and commitment. Musically it's really on-point. There's lots of surprises in there, with little notes of difference, a choir at one point, brass, synths, talked-over bits. It's so vibrant. I just think it's really accomplished, and you get a sense of a true artist at work. I hadn't heard of this guy at all, or his previous band, so it's nice to have access and knowledge of this whole other scene that I was completely unaware of.
It grew on me. I liked it by the end but definitely a slow starter. Really groovy, I could easily imagine this being wonderful to see in concert.
Definitely interesting and different, a little long, but going to give it 4 stars so I come back to it.
Feels like what we'd get if Jim Morrison had come out the other side of the 80s. I listened to this probably 5 times, unsure what to rate it. It's too long and there's lots of filler, but I think anything that makes me want to listen to it 5 times gets at least a 4. It has a strangeness to it I find compelling. Also, in Pristeen the line about going down on someone you hate made me laugh.
Extremely pleasant surprise. This man is a ruffian that wears a sailor’s hat and this album is wonderfully eclectic. Honestly flirting with 5 territory but it is indeed too long. But will revisit happily and had some real standout songs
I like this. Music with an odd quality. A good old-fashioned English eccentric.
I dig it
grrrrrroooooovvvvyyyyy, something i would make my breakfast for. Sounds like a tease. BUTTERFLY E is everything omg, the riff is so sexy!
I did not love all songs but still rate 4/5 because I thought it was really varied, original and overall super modern!
Changed to a 4 on reflection
Interesting ebb and flow. Trippy
This is pretty good post-punk, but really just makes me want to listen to Iggy Pop or Joy Division instead.
Really good!
Very good!
Un pirado como Julian Cope, bine se merece estar en el listado, y este puede que sea el disco que más se disfrute. Sino es Julian que sean los The Teardrop Explodes aquney Hanging Out And Hung Up On The Line suene a ellos. East Easy Rider tiene el ritmo sincopado y guitarras del Madchester de finales de los 80. Algo parecido a Soldier Blue que resuena a New Fast Automatic Daffodils, otros insgines olvivados. Promised Land es una odisea donde la voz de Cope encaja a la perfección con el órgano y ese sonido psicodélico que tan bien le queda. Hanging out and hanging up on the line ya saben cómo ha influido entre otros en Fontaines D.C. (o no suena lo suficiente a Boys in the better land???)
Julian Cope's 1991 album *Peggy Suicide* is a ambitious double album that marked a creative rebirth for the artist. It blends sharp political and ecological themes with diverse musical styles, though its extensive length presents a key consideration. For a quick overview, here are the album's essential details: | **Category** | **Details** | | :--- | :--- | | **Release Year** | 1991 | | **Album Type** | Double-Length Studio Album (18 tracks) | | **Overall Theme** | A meditation on humanity's relationship with Mother Earth, addressing ecology, politics, and spirituality . | | **Musical Style** | Art rock, psychedelic rock, with elements of funk, noise, and krautrock . | | **Critical Reception** | Widely praised as a career high point and an artistic rebirth . Included in the book *1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die* . | ### 🎵 Music and Production The album's music represents a significant shift from Cope's earlier, more polished pop work . The sound is loose, raw, and features a homespun, "cracking chamber-garage" quality that values rhythmic precision alongside guitar chaos and first-take immediacy . Key musical elements include Cope's use of a wah-wah pedal on an Ovation 12-string guitar, a "Clintonesque bass grumble," and "Loki-esque" percussion from drummer Rooster Cosby . The album is musically diverse, ranging from the Funkadelic-inspired epic "East Easy Rider" and the motorik krautrock of "Safesurfer" to the acoustic psychedelic folk of "Pristeen" and the Motörhead-like riffage of "Hanging Out & Hung Up On The Line" . ### 📝 Lyrics and Themes *Peggy Suicide* is a fiercely political and ecological protest album . The title refers to "Mother Earth... throwing her head back in pain and confusion at the treatment that Mankind [has] chosen to mete out to her" . Cope's lyrics are direct and confrontational, laying bare his personal convictions . Major themes include: * **Environmental Crisis**: Tracks like "Pristeen" (where "Pristeen" represents the Earth) and "Western Front 1992 CE" directly address pollution and humanity's destruction of the planet . * **Political Protest**: "Leperskin" is a venomous attack on Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whom Cope labels an "apostolic hag," while "Soldier Blue" samples the Poll Tax Riot as a tirade against police brutality . * **Social Issues**: "Safesurfer" is an eight-minute meditation on the AIDS crisis, using the repeated mantra "You don't have to be afraid, love/'Cause I'm a safesurfer, darling" to imply sexual menace and promote safe sex . * **Spirituality and Rights**: The album also explores Cope's hatred of organized religion and his interests in women's rights, animal rights, paganism, and goddess worship . ### ✨ Influence and Legacy *Peggy Suicide* is generally seen as the beginning of Julian Cope's trademark sound and a turning point as a maturing artist . It heralded a new, more visionary phase in his career, establishing him as a voice of "righteous living" for a post-rave, pre-millennial audience . The album's successful fusion of pointed socio-political concerns with expansive, psychedelic-influenced rock paved the way for the even more focused follow-up, *Jehovahkill*, and set the template for his subsequent work . It demonstrated that a "protest album" could be sonically diverse, home-spun, and wildly creative . ### ⚖️ Pros and Cons **Pros:** * **Ambitious Scope**: The album is a epic, cohesive statement that successfully merges political rage with psychedelic adventure . * **Musical Diversity and Creativity**: It covers a wide range of styles without losing its core identity, from pop to funk to noise, keeping the listening experience engaging . * **Powerful Lyrics**: Cope's direct and passionate approach to themes of ecology and social justice gives the album a lasting relevance . * **Raw, Energetic Production**: The first-take, garage-band feel is a strength, making the music feel immediate and vital compared to his earlier, over-produced work . **Cons:** * **Length and Demanding Nature**: With 18 tracks spanning over 75 minutes, the album can be overwhelming for some listeners. Its sheer scale requires patience and multiple listens to fully absorb . * **Acquired Taste**: Cope's vocal delivery and the album's general "shaggy, shambolic" nature may not appeal to everyone. Some listeners find certain tracks too experimental or dislocated . *Peggy Suicide* is a demanding but rewarding listen. If you appreciate ambitious, politically charged rock that is both melodic and experimental, this album is a stone-cold classic. If you prefer more concise records, its length may be challenging.
it's hard to review this as all one project. This project feels all over the place in a great way. Sometimes, it feels a little overkill with the weird vocals, but overall, it has some awesome instrumentals and great guitar parts as well. It feels wrong to review this one after just one listen. Some of the lyrics are awesome, and I like the overall themes and message. This album makes me really wish there was a 3.5 option. but I'll round up because of how unique it was, and how much i did like a few of the songs.
4.5
A long album that contains so many different ideas and sounds. Was daunting on first listen but started to come together. Many tracks really grew on me and I think I can still get more from it. Good find.
I listened to this over a week before actually reviewing it. I really enjoyed this and it subverting my expectations in sound and quality. Don't have any detailed notes because I just skimmed it to make sure I had actually listened to it.
Wow this album was all over the place. Was definitely a super unique style and it kept switching up all the time which I liked especially since it was a long boi of an album at 75 minutes. Had some really high highs that were great and just a few medium lows at points. The singer certainly had a unique style.
Pretty weird album that I'm digging. The vocals could be better but sometimes it really fits the song. Safesurfer is a jam. Soldier Blue reminds me of Umphs for some reason. What a random fun album.
I like psychedelic/art rock and this is a very good album in this genre from the 90s by Julian Cope. It has various styles and instrumentations which keeps me getting interested throughout. It's a long album, too long for my usual liking (which is somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes) but anyway it was an enjoyable listen.
i reallyyyyy liked that. it reminded me a bit of pulp: sleazy and dark and catchy and just the tiniest bit stupid but in a way that feels interesting and fun as opposed to actively reducing my brain cell count. i thought there was a lot of variation in sound which kept my attention throughout. i had a good time listening to this and i bet i will again!!! fav tracks: pristeen; east easy rider; if you loved me at all
This was definitely a bit of a grower, better as I listened more times. Varied sounds and instrumentation throughout that keeps it from sounding bland despite its longer length. Not connecting enough for a 5 but I think this is a solid 4.
ONLY LISTENED TO THE FRONT HALF BUT SUPRISINGLY GOOD
Soft indie rock with bluesy parts. Kinda Coldplay-ish in places. More folksy in others. Not much jumping out early in the album. Punk sound on Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line Semi-spoken word on Safesurfer. I guess quite unique for a solo effort in 1990 but not much overwhelming today. Still has potential for a great track somewhere in the 2.5hr double album length. You... is interesting - it's like new-wave/ska/blues/jazz. Fun marimba in Not Raving but Drowning. Truly a multi-instrumental/multi-genre album Beautiful Love has nice trumpet pieces. The American Lite sounds like a very 80s new wave song. Who is Julian Cope? Sounds like The Stranglers? Disc 2 is 2009 deluxe edition only, so will not listen. Best track - Hanging Out, You..., Not Raving, Beautiful Love 4 stars, definitely a grower
Еще один приятный и хороший альбом. Интеллигентный коктейль на основе попа 60-х и 70-х с психоделикой, фанком, панком, прог-роком и пост-панком. Много интересных звуков, при этом относительно ненапряжная атмосфера, отдающая некоторыми нотками изысканности. Не поставил бы этот альбом на пьедестал величайших, но рад, что услышал его.
This was a pleasant surprise! Honestly maybe a bit too long for me, but I enjoyed it.
++*: If You Loved Me at All ++: Pristeen, East Easy Rider, Promised Land, Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line, Soldier Blue, You..., Not Raving But Drowning, Head, Leperskin, Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry +: Double Vegetation, Safesurfer, Drive, She Said, The American Lite +-: Beautiful Love, Western Front 1992 CE, Las Vegas Basement 8,5/10
A very cool album with an interesting feeling to it - it didn't set my brain on fire but was very good music! Hope to go back and love it on another listen or two
I imagine the vocals/words sound even stranger if you're new to JC. For me, I'd been a fan from the Teardrop Explodes albums in the early 80s, and really enjoyed his later 80s solo pop stuff, particularly the St Julian and My Nation Underground albums; I saw him live around that time. (Fried, I'd enjoyed less.) There was always a lot about him that was unusual and outspoken, too, making some of his output challenging - Reynard the Fox, Bouncing Babies. Anyway. I bought this at the time, and remember really trying to engage with this new double album spinning around on my turntable (and I remember the long sleeve notes) but feeling challenged by a lot of the confronting, rambling lyrics. I basically used to listen to Beautiful Love and a couple of other tracks, but the album largely stayed on the shelf. I subsequently acknowledged that he'd now become a bit too weird for me, and I never bought another of his albums. So it was really interesting to hear it again - it was actually far better, musically, than I remembered. That brilliant Pink Floyd-esque intro to Safesurfer! The guitar and rhythm section, especially, are fantastic throughout the album. It also frequently sounds *really* of its time - so many of those dance-y rhythms are joyfully reflecting the NW/Madchester sound that was massive in 1990. But. I'm still struggling to go on the emotional journey with him. I'm glad he's angry about organised religion and the state of the planet. But he sounds quite disturbed, which is hard. Sorry Julian. I'm still giving it a four though - he's an artist, and the music is great. PS I have a colleague who still always catches JC's live shows - I gather he's pretty much a performance poet these days? Apparently, it's always a great evening. Hmm. I'm not sure I'll go along.
Thoroughly great double album. It manages to maintain a wide variety while also still feeling like a cohesive work. I’d say that everything included is deserving of being on the album. The compositions are fantastic and the lyrics are pretty good with a few exceptions. The singing could be better in places, but the main draw is the amazing music. 4/5
Um belo disco. Soa quase temático, a despeito de conter peças tão distintas esteticamente entre si, e o traço de união é justamente a versatilidade vocal de Cope que passeia por diferentes estilos (funk, rock barulhento, baladas e rock'n'roll) mantendo preservada sua originalidade. Um álbum climático com ótimos momentos de guitarras e teclados. Seu pecado é se estender em demasia. Alguns faixas, como a sequencia de "You", "Not Having But Drowning" e "Head", pouco acrescentam, além da colagem sonora "Western Front 1922". Mas mesmo assim é um ótimo disco.
After the first two tracks I thought I want going to be able to finish the album. Having never even heard of this artist I figured fuck it, how bad could it get? Well I'm glad I stuck with it. His weirdness isnt a caricature of himself, loud and done for shock and awe. It's strangely honest and relatedable and I must say by the end of the album I was a fan. Is it perfect? Not even close but tracks like "if you loved me at all", "you" and"hung up and hanging out to dry" certainly caught my attention. Unique yet weirdly straight forward.
Low 4 I think, covers a wide range of genres and all generally pretty well, some interesting stuff
8/10
It was okay
his voice is kinda odd but he is like david bowie. very underrated gin id never heard of him before
This album surprised me a lot. There were a few strange tunes on it but for the most part it kept getting better and better. Who is this guy, he’s like a poor man’s Iggy Pop or David Bowie. Can’t give it a 5 because of some of the ridiculous tracks, but it’s a solid 4 in my book.
Good
This album left a huge mystery in my mind throughout its duration. I couldn't quite define what I was listening to, whether it was post-punk, goth rock, alternative rock... when an album leaves you with this confusing atmosphere and still gets you going... you have to give it some credit. 4 stars is fair.
Монументальний реліз від знакової фігури в британській музиці, що починав свій шлях в нью-вейв гурті The Teardrop Explodes. У 1984-у він почав займатися сольною творчістю та грав популярний тоді джангл-поп з великим впливом психоделічної музики минулих років. В такому стилі він випустив піднесений дебютний альбом World Shut Your Mouth та більш пасторальний Fried, але потім трохи змістив акцент у бік комерційного поп-року. Не дивлячись на цю зміну, психоделічна складова не зникла з його музики, хоч і доносилась у простішій та зрозумілішій більшості формі. Згодом, Джуліан вирішив переосмислити це рішення та повернутись до своїх початкових творчих поглядів. Результатом цього й став довжелезний подвійний альбом Peggy Suicide. Альбом повністю будувався навколо концепції психоделічного року, звертаючись до різних його інкарнацій. Є тут і ліричні речі на кшталт треку Pristeen, і краутрок, і політичні висловлювання, та й зрештою старий добрий рок-н-рольний присмак епохи 60-х, як то в треку Drive, She Said. Впродовж його слухання, у мене постійно виникало відчуття, ніби я дивлюсь серіал про якусь сюрреалістичну подорож свідомістю, а відчути цю подорож глибше, допомагали запаморочливі та гіпнотичні гітарні партії. Чи виправдана була така велика тривалість альбому, що його умовно було поділено аж на «чотири фази»? Напевно ні, адже навіть цей розподіл нічого не значить, адже тематично альбом немає окреслених етапів та навіть якоїсь загальної теми. Проте, для мене ця тривалість якраз і дозволила відчути Peggy Suicide як епічне полотно, що спочатку дає тобі звикнути до свого вайбу, а потім запрошує на чудову повільну екскурсію у світ психоделічної музики.
This is one of the most forgettable good albums I have listened to on this list. All I remember from it is that I enjoyed it, but I can't think of any song or even a section that stood out/was memorable. I don't even know why I liked it. I guess that's a skill as well, so good job Julian, it was nice while it lasted!
Tellement dense, j'ai eu ben de la misère à le finir. Je comprends l'attrait mais je pense pas ça s'adresse à moi
I am really not sure why this album is getting so much grief - it's really strong for it's era. I enjoyed the versatility and the creativity quite a bit.
ok, ok, ok, ok. Kirk its only 75 minutes, you 5/5'd nervous young man. you can handle this. Just listen to the album as the tracks are listed on rym, its not that difficult. Its a lot more bearable then the previous album i can tell ya that much, like the vocalist sounds like he isn't screeching every bar, and trying to do a dying bird impression in fact its quite the opposite. Its a quite palatable album, and one i don't think i would've been gravitated to if it werent for the generator, though that doesnt make up for the hellhole (jeff rocenstock ref???) that the last album unfortunately ended up being. The piano was very enjoyable to me, and so is the louder stuff seen in tracks like Hanging Out And Hung Up On The Line and Safesurfer. The electric guitar and guys vocals go amazing together. If you loved me at all sounds kinda like radiohead, honestly a lot of this sounds like a worse in rainbows (the best you can get from me is sounding like in rainbows and being the same quality (ignore the part where sounding like the normal album and being better, though not attainable to my knowledge is a better achievement)). Drive She Said has an amazing hook. I think i could prolly find smth to say about every track off this if given enough time, because this album certainly isnt smth like loveless where either im not getting it or it grows on you. I like the horns in you, part of me just wishes they were quieter then the vocals. overall this is a really good album just not something id come back to.
Never heard of him - very good, will have to investigate more of his stuff…
Surprised. I didn't know you actually had a decent British rock album in here.
This was really nice! Awesome psych rock
Driving, funky beats at times. Kind of a whiny voice at when singing high. Petty good band overall. Long crazy album.
Interesting Album.
“How much can you take” screams Julian in a voice I don’t recognise as his! It’s a good question for the first song and I’m already wondering how much can I take? But guess what? I’m still listening and I’m intrigued to say the least. It’s one of those albums that will take repeated listens to fully appreciate and I’m willing to give it a go.
One of those cool 90s albums rooted in rock but doing pop, dance, funk, trip hop, space rock, kosmische music, jazz even on the B side! Has it all and is mostly missing the odd weak track that you'd expect on a double album, though it doesn't quite stick the landing which I think is pretty important on a double album. I would give it a solid 8/10 but feels like it could be a 9 or even 10 with a few relistens.
It’s been years since I thought about Julian Cope. What wonderful journey this is. From psych to krautrock to dirge and all forms of rock. So many great tacks and tracks, maybe Drive She Said is my favourite
Julian certainly had a lot to say and as such this album doesn't suffer from CD bloat as many did around this time.
I'd heard of Julian Cope before starting this project, but I can't remember the context in which I'd heard of him. However, I reviewed The Teardrop Explodes' Kilimanjaro earlier this year, and I thought it was a really good. I'm not sure how I'm going to feel about this album though; the user reviews aren't very favorable, and it's pretty long too. However, I'm going to keep an open mind, and hopefully I'll be surprised! This album wound up being a pleasant surprise, and I enjoyed listening to it. It did go on a bit too long for my tastes, but it had a really great rock sound that was fun to listen to. There was a lot to take in terms of the total sound, but the guitar playing provided a great foundation, and the other musical elements, like the keyboards and synthesizers, did a great job of building on top of that foundation. This album felt experimental, especially for the early nineties, and while not everything landed with me, the majority of it felt really accessible to me. When I was listening to the leadoff track, “Pristine,” I wasn’t wowed (I think the vocals were a bit of a turnoff), but I could feel that this album was probably going to go places that I would enjoy. There were some great songs peppered throughout the album: “East Easy Rider,” “Safesurfer,” “Beautiful Love,” and "Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry” were among my favorites on the album. Even the worst songs on the album were still okay, and nothing on here stood out to me as bad or grating. I wound up listening to this album about three times before writing this review, because I wasn’t sure what all I wanted to mention, but I’ll wrap things up and by saying that this was a really good album, and I don’t think I would have found it without going through this list. If you like some unique guitar rock built upon some postpunk roots, then you’ll probably appreciate this album.
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Could do with trimming.
4 - got so into it that I didn't realise it restarted
nice
One of those artists who must have a cult following but I've never heard them. I'd like the music if I hadn't already heard a ton of other albums just like it.
Wow amazing album of an artist I barely know anything. Post punk and from 1991 am album that kept the integrity of the early days of the genre. Great he kept the sound for a newer generation of punk-pop
obviously i have stumbled into a genuine maverick here, previously unknown to me, and who's history is too complicated for me to immediately grasp and summarize. still all things point to this being his moment of full Arrival as an artist following entirely their own muse, and if its not quite a masterpiece for me on one casual listen i can imagine it will stick with me a lot...prob too long and some of the more overtly pastichey moments make me roll my eyes, but i have to respect something this self-indulgent because i respect self-indulgence in general. a strong melodic sensibility (almost folky?) and what feels to me like a sour and disillusioned emotional thread do a rly good job holding together most of the material, very song-oriented and style-ambiguous enough to remind me of everything from R.E.M. to frank zappa, at varying points. idk when ill return to this, or this massive discography, but i can certainly imagine both being v rewarding
Wow. What a pleasant surprise. I had not really heard of Julian Cope before and the album cover didn't make me optimistic. There are a couple of songs on this album that didn't sit with me, maybe they were too rocky or bluesy, but a lot of them where gems. The vibes often reminded me of REM and the instrumentation was on point. Will listen more.
I liked this more than I thought I would to be fair.
The two most important things I can tell you: 1. Do not listen to the over 2 1/2 hours contained on the Deluxe Edition. That includes a bonus disc from 2009. When the album first came out the last song was Las Vegas Basement, so aim for that stopping point (if you get that far). 2. Despite what even Julian Cope himself has said, a previous major release - My Nation Underground - is a much more enjoyable album to me and ages just fine. The opening track to that album merges two different 60s songs and then infuses them with 80s Cold War angst - amazing. One of the most interesting and ambitious covers I’ve ever heard. I know you don’t have time to listen today but keep that in mind for the next time you are stuck with electronica. Back to the album at hand… The music here is strong… favorite songs are “If You Loved Me At All” and “Beautiful Love” (don’t miss that one…maybe even spin that first). But it does feel too long, and the whole feels a little less than the parts.
This is a vast and ambitious album that features Julian Cope as a Willy Wonka of composition taking you through his musical factory. There are lots of treats, but you have a quirky guide that sometimes gets lost and distracted by his own vision. There are vibes of Elvis Costello and even Leonard Cohen, and when the tracks are good, they are really good and translate well. But even when the tracks aren't quite as accessible, you get the feeling that Cope bought in 100%. This makes it all very listenable and memorable.
Surprisingly nice. The title and cover art were off-putting, but then I liked this.
Nog nooit van gehoord. Ik vreesde het ergste, ook door de slechte beoordelingen van andere gebruikers op deze site, maar ik ben nu halverwege (bij "Not Raving But Drowning") en dit is gewoon een uitstekende plaat vooralsnog. Genesis en dat soort bands mogen een voorbeeld nemen hieraan. Dit is hoe je een dubbelalbum interessant houdt. Het heeft elementen van de Happy Mondays, maar ook het repetitieve van Kurt Vile. Behoorlijk mijn straatje dit, al springt niks er echt uit. Een om in de gaten te houden op platenbeurzen.
Safesurfer’ — brilliant track. The album as a whole "Safesurfer" is a brilliant song and encapsulates the album as a whole. The album's kind of all over the place, but I like how it plays with different musical ideas. When you mix such opposing styles, it’s not always gonna work — but I respect the attempt.
A rather enjoyable romp of rock songs that have earnest thought behind them https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-peggy-suicide-by-julian?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
i was immediately put off by the first track but as i kept listening this album slowly won me over
i thought this was fun and original and i love his voice. it’s inventive and impressive and it bums me out that taylor swift has a higher rating than this
This was brilliant. Really cool post punk melodies, but he also takes really obscure and unique liberties throughout. Sometimes it’s akin to Talking Heads while other times Jane’s Addiction. I just listened to the original track listings and not the remixes, but it was still 3 songs too long.
4 - Some of the songs were sick, others were a bit too cheesy. Overall really like it though
I liked this way more than expected.
This album had me on the fence a lot, I listened to it several times through and I didn't like it right off the bat. It runs a bit long and it has no cohesion whatsoever. It's like each song is inspired by not just a different artist, but a different genre and time period completely. I don't love the first track, it's too repetitive, but then it goes all U2, Nick Cave, The Who, Phish, Nirvana, REM, The Smiths on me and I'm starting to be intrigued. It's weird how Julian's sound can be groovy but also folk, grunge but also glam, thrash but also jam band. Then he'll scream, hit you with some raspy horns, very clearly say "throw the kid away" and then leave you just so confused that you're rocking. It definitely matches his vision of Mother Earth throwing herself off a cliff to her death. So I guess I like it for the variety and the whirlwind. There's def some good tracks on here but it should be trimmed down. Overall a great discovery and a very fun listen. I need to check out his other work and his books for sure. It's an easy 3.55 for the cosmic shaman.
Very interesting album. It has a wide range and a plethora of instruments sprinkled throughout. I think I even heard some John Zorn on sax! A lot of styles and different artist vibes (Nick Cave, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Jim Morrison, Beck, Gorillaz...I can go on and on). Long album but I was in for all of it. It never really lost me; each track brought freshness. Not sure Deluxe Edition was intended but the album cover shows it as such and I'm not mad. Disc 2 is also great with groovy mixes and collabs. Julian took several hallucinogens (maybe a few too many at the end there) and put out a really cool album. "Peggy Suicide" and JC are unknowns from left field for me and a gift from the list. I'm diving deeper into the psychedelic journey from here. Also a good album for this month with Peggy Day coming up...solid 4.0.
My only point of contact for Julian Cope was as the vocalist on SunnO)))'s "My Wall". Imagine my surprise when we get slightly left-of-center 80's pop/rock, along with drones, psychedelic rock, Madchester stylings, Mod-era rock if it were played by Beck; Cope routinely demonstrates that he has his finger on the pulse of contemporary trends and the ability to anticipate styles and trends that would become typical in the 90's. You have to appreciate Cope's willingness to experiment, and that his experiments all turn out well! Psycheldeliic tto varying deegres
Timeless psychedelic music. Going to have to dig into his other stuff. 4/5
90's psychedelia
Given my apathetic critique of The Teardrop Explodes, I walked into Julian Cope’s solo material expecting the very worst, especially when that means I’m confronting a 75 minute art rock record with conflicting genre descriptions. The name “Peggy Suicide” does little to appeal to the palette, honestly. Yet, I am very pleasantly surprised that I really liked this record! It has flaws, no doubt. The length is the most obvious of them all. If this was half the run time, it would be a much stronger record, even if there was no discernment about what tracks to cut. At 75 minutes, you’re kind of worn down no matter what style of Cope’s you prefer, and a harsh edit could’ve made that less of an issue. Still, I think I’m not the biggest fan of his psychedelia, which seems like a holdover from his time with The Teardrop Explode. The acid-fueled songs do clog up the back half, and are what made me consider removing another star, although I think they’re mostly forgivable. The bigger sonic issue is when Cope makes an attempt at funk and/or dance music; not only do these songs draw from the now-very-dated rave era, but they do NOT fit his style whatsoever. “East Easy Rider” is the worst of them. Honestly, any time Cope uses this excessive runtime to experiment and do hard pivots, this record starts to lose me. I’m all for weaves and bobs, but there needs to be some form of consistency. Thankfully, the most constant thing here is a foundation of solid post-punk vibes, with an emphasis on the punk. This makes the majority of these songs more energetic than post-punk normally is, and helps keep things exciting, despite the weaves and bobs and acid and length. Even longwinded cuts like “Safesurfer” hit heavy because they have a punk energy behind them. The best moments, though, just come down to good ol’ fashioned songwriting, with “Pristine,” “If You Loved Me At All,” and “Drive, She Said” being infectious and undeniable ear worms anyone can love. Like many records of this length, Peggy Suicide has its problems. Sometimes, those problems feel so hard to ignore that I want to focus in on them. But that would force me to ignore how much good is on here, and I want to praise that. On the surface, track-by-track, Cope has more hits than misses. Like, a 60/40 split. That’s not the strongest amount of praise, but it’s still praise. I still do enjoy this record, and will continue to revisit it. I don’t know if everyone needs to hear it, but for my own taste, I’m glad I came into contact with it. Maybe if I explore more of Cope’s back catalog, I’ll find another album to include over this, but for now, despite its flaws, Peggy Suicide is a good starting place for me.
Cool mix of styles, with alot of nice buildups. Don’t know if this counts as prog but noticed some elements of it. Almost a 4.5 I’d say
Muy bueno, inclusive sorprendente a ratos. Considerablemente largo, pero vale la pena entrarle. Yo no conocía a Cope y lo disfruté mucho.
Did not expect to like this as much as I did. Plenty of lyricism, unique instrumentation, groovy beats, and pleasant vocals.
ok.. ik had al van die man gehoord... maar nog niks ván gehoord... verraste mij toch... beetje van alles maar vooral van alles goeds.... net ietsje te lang voor de volle vijf
"Peggy Suicide" is the seventh album and a double album at that by English musician and author Julian Cope. The Wiki-listed genres are art rock and pyschedelic rock. Anytime art rock is listed that means anything under the sun. Critics cite this as the beginning of Cope's trademark sound and approach and as a turning point into a mature artist. The album "laid bare many of his convictions including hatred of organized religion, increasing public interest in women's rights, the occult, alternative spirituality (paganism, Goddess worship), animal rights and ecology. The album was produced by Cope and Ronald Ross Skinner. With Cope as lead singer, Skinner and him played multiple instruments and the album includes a whole host of other musicians. Commercially, it hit #23 in the UK. "Pristeen" opens the album. A stark song with acoustic guitar and background keyboards. The song builds as a wobbly electric guitar comes in. It's a song about a young female lover and Mother Earth. Cope is screaming by the end. Hey, "East Easy Rider" has a groovy, funky beat with a wah-wah distorted guitar. It's song about the duality of riding a motorcycle which he can't deny the fun and freedom of yet the pollution is going to kill us. Cope goes full on punk in "Hanging Out & Hung Upon a Line." Frenetic, a screeching guitar, the band in full charge mode. It's another song about ecology. A long instrumental with a droning guitar, drumbeat and organ open "Safesurfer." Cope keeps repeating to his darling that he's safe. A song obviously about STD's, more specifically AIDS. It is 1991 and in the height of the AIDS' fear as I remember. The song ends with a haunting piano and chaotic guitar. "Beautiful Love" actually has a danceable beat, sounding quite similar to the Soup Dragons at that time. A simple love song with a piano, Moog synth and even a trumpet. Quite lovely. This is a very good album with a lot of well-constructed and varied songs. I suppose the album could have been trimmed down from its 18-song length but I'm not complaining. A lot song build with intensity (seems to be the theme this week) and I heard snippets of post-punk, blues, jazz, funky, industrial and dance. I also picked up on most of his themes mentioned in the opening paragraph. I'm not sure I caught any paganism or Goddess worship thoughts but I honestly don't know what those thoughts would entail. Anyway, a worthy listen and I will check out his post-1991 albums which include "Jehovahkill" and "Autogeddon" which complete a trilogy.
Started off with a bit of a Velvet Underground/Lou Reed kind of thing; then pushed to 80s alt akin to The The; next track was funk rock and if they added a horn section it would have fit right in. Each track seemed to explore a new space and I have to give props for the diversity and quality for each track within those many styles. My comments are just on the tracks from the original album. The extra hour on the Spotify "Deluxe Edition" of remixes and whatnot might have knocked it down a star as that got a bit redundant and monotonous.
This album was a bit of a grower for me. It started off a little uninteresting, but as it progressed I found myself enjoying all of its oddities more and more. It definitely seems more wacky than what I remember from The Teardrop Explodes (it’s the same feller). I guess having a solo career as well allows you to let your imagination run away and try more experimental things. I’m not sure what genre I’d even class this as. Art rock, maybe?
A pretty interesting album. Felt in some ways like a precursor to the Brian Jonestown massacre.
This guy is like if Leonard cohen, the stooges and beta band accidentally all fell into the transporter from the fly. 4 is probably overrating but I was very much thrown by how much travelling of styles was here and it did interest me.
The first album is great but man, I do not enjoy a musical interlude, which is basically the second half. That said, one can hear a great deal of the next ten years of music in one album.
прикольно.напомнило боуи и lcd soundsystem
I loved this album way more than I expected to
I saw this was 2.5 hours and almost skipped it. While I didn't know anything about this band, I listened to it and some of the songs were pretty solid! Rating higher so I can return to it in the future. Nice surprise!
A sinister sounding rave up at the end of the world whilst indulging in rather innovative approaches to the increasingly morphing sounds of techno indebted rock and roll. Julian Cope was only born to entertain and there he goes... the kind of music made for BC and AD times. Favorites: Pristeen, Double Vegetation, East Easy Rider, Promised Land, Hanging Out and Hung Up on the Line, If You Loved Me at All, Drive, She Said, Not Raving But Drowning, Beautiful Love, Western Front 1992 C.E., Hanging Out and Hung Up to Dry, Las Vegas Basement.
I was familiar with Julian Cope because I liked The Teardrop Explodes, but the musical style of this album is varied and completely different. Overall I really liked the album, and preferred the instrumentals on disc two, "Ravebury Stones" for example.
Really unique album that bends genres from psychedelic rock to jazz to pop.
The two most important things I can tell you: 1. Do not listen to the over 2 1/2 hours contained on the Deluxe Edition. That includes a bonus disc from 2009. (Always) use Wikipedia to find the original track listing. When the album first came out the last song was Las Vegas Basement, so stop there (if you get that far). 2. Despite what even Julian Cope himself has said, his previous major release - My Nation Underground - is a much more enjoyable album and ages just fine. The opening track to that album covers two different 60s songs and then infuses them with 80s Cold War angst - amazing. Yet the music here is strong… favorite songs “If You Loved Me At All” and “Beautiful Love” (don’t miss that one…maybe even spin that first). Many other masterful moments. But even the original release is long, and the whole feels a little less than the parts.
Once he dropped the Nick Cave impression from the first few tracks, I started to quite like this one.
I remember this being released. I didn't buy it. I'd never listened to it. Boy do I regret that now!
Es una mezcla de Iggy Pop y Lou Reed... así punk-rock.
Me recuerdan a James, Divine Comedy...
3.5
Ok... Julian Cope... I like this album a hell of a lot better than I thought I was going to. Especially after reading the comments left here yesterday. This album does really have a bad case of doublealbumitis. But unlike most bloated I know exactly what I cut and that would be exactly where the first album ends, "Drive She Said" ends side 2. The first half was looking like a light 4½ star album for me. I love the instrumentions and some of the elongated vamps that would let the guitar take over. I was actually wondering what you all were talking about. The second half is a big old mixed bag. Though I didn't dislike anything on it, and there are a handful of tracks on that I really enjoyed as well. I just didn't feel invested in the second half as much as I did the first, definitely in the 3½ star range. I think overall it feels like a very light four for the whole album. But I really did love that first half of the album. (8.1) ★★★★
I really like that. It surprised me. At first I thought it was just some random blokes saying random stuff and messing about with sounds and a guitar. And it was. But I liked it. It just kind of clicked for.
We are on a pretty great run of albums. This keeps you guessing where it’s gonna go and definitely seems in its own realm. This is taking from so many little genres but making its own. It’s a little long being a Double Album but it’s the kinda music I really love. It’s Experimental but still has stand out Songwriting and Melody . It treads that fine line well. “Safesurfer” is the definitive stand out 4/5
3-4
Almost half the songs are too slow
2nd half is the best. Beautiful Love of The American Lite is the best song. Still too long overall but low 4.
Great album, I never heard it before. It must have just been overshadowed by the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc which were all huge at the time.
Some real cool stuff but gets overwhelming towards the end.
On the first track, I hear a touch of Lou Reed. On the second, a little R.E.M. And on the third, there’s a pretty clear Doors influence. Later, “Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line” is a hybrid of a surf rock riff with warped-sounding 90s alt-rock. So there’s a lot of different strains of rock coming together for this album. Wow, “If You Loved Me At All” is great. Catchy pop song with some wild, screamed vocals in the refrain. This is an ambitious album with lots of slow-building, epic songs. And the style only gets more varied as the album goes on. Not all of the songs are ones I’d want to return to often but overall the album is very impressive.
Syd Barrett meets Iggy Pop.
I was not looking forward to this when it came up, but it turned out to be a rather interesting one. It starts a bit generic, but builds up to a meaty middle and ends well too. It might feel a bit too long, but it weaves in and out of genres and is rather eclectic. It's an album that needs to be unpeeled and savoured to get the best out of it - and it's worth revisiting in the future.
I did not know what to expect, and checking the reviews I feared the worst. Went on to Spotify and saw it clocked in at 2.5 hours and my arsehole nearly dropped out. I checked Wikipedia and saw the original release was 'only' 1 hour 16 minutes, and found that one instead. I wish I'd gone for the two and a half hour deluxe edition, because this is a great album.
Eclectic!
I can only describe this album as taking so much acid during a Dave Matthew’s band concert that your mind starts to go insane and fill it in with actually good music- overall a fan.
“Safesurfer” +1, who in the world is this guy, underrated
Had never heard of this guy but totally got into the album. Solid four stars.
I was sceptical. Especially based by a double hour and special edition recording. I immediately suspected that the double album was result of the special edition rather than the original, to be honest I didn’t bother researching more. The end pleasantly surprised not all brilliant, but it’s better than the bad week I’ve been having so I’m gonna give them four stars even though really it’s a tree.
Not too familiar with this artist so wasn't expecting much. It was a great surprise. Some really good indie rock and roll along with a few slower songs. Guitar parts are excellent. a few songs reminded me a bit of Nick Cave (not his morbid, morose stuff). Already downloaded so I can listen again.
The guitar tone on here was really great. For some reason Apple music has this labeled as "pop" and I did not think that made sense until I got to the second half of the album. The whole album created a vibe and I would listen again.
Having never heard of this person before, this was a cool and funky surprise. The music was easy to groove to and had a great sound that was very enjoyable to listen to, even though the drums sounded like a machine most of the time. The basslines were great and the singing was excellent. Four stars.
I'm always a little daunted starting an album that's 2 and half hours long by someone I've never heard of. Seems like I should have heard of him before now, though. This is a good album. Some of the songs have a sort of not-quite-as-dark Nick Cave feel to them. Some are more folksy. Some are straightforward rock and borderline punk. Some get a little avant garde. Even a couple that edge into country. It's a very unique album and although I don't think anything really stands out as something I couldn't live without hearing again, it's all pretty decent and I'm glad to have heard it. I'll echo what others have said - it's too long. I found myself being ready for something else about halfway through although I did really enjoy the second half, particularly the (mostly) instrumentals. And I feel like with a really great record, even given the length, I shouldn't want to listen to something different before it's over. This is another tough one to rate for me. I did really like it but don't think I'll ever listen again. Maybe a few songs here and there. But it is a great work and I'll definitely look up more of his music because of this album so I think it's 3.5/5 and I’ll round up.
I found the first song a bit... tedious. But what was weird is that album got better and better as it went on. The songs and styles varied, which I think helped me like the album more. I will say a couple of songs had lyrics that were a bit repetitive. (Looking at you, "Pristeen" and "If You Loved Me At All"). Even so, I still enjoyed it. There were some pretty interesting ideas in most of the songs. And I'm all for interesting. Top tracks: "East Easy Rider", "Safesurfer," "Leperskin"
4/5. This is a hard one to grade because on the one hand, I appreciate experimentation and trying new things but also some of these songs are just not good and hard to listen to. From most of the album, especially after the first song, it does pick up and there are definitely some highlights. There is some Frank Zappa influence for sure along with some other alt-rock/pop from the 80's. Each song brings a different style and it's weird at first but slowly grows on you. I still can't get over some of them but it was a much better than album by the end. Best Song: East Easy Rider, Safesurfer, If You Loved Me At All
Great album
Very interesting.
I enjoyed a lot of this but bloody hell it does go on a bit. Could have split this into 3 seperate great albums.
Its really good, pero largo de cojones. 7/10
7/10
Brilliant in parts, a bit scattered 3.8
very interesting sound and album, would like to listen more, would rate 4.5.
RAHHHH! This was fun as hell, and if you’ve got the time I recommend looking into Julien Cope because he’s really interesting lmao!
I will personally give you $5 if you can tell me where on earth I have heard Soldier Blue before, so much so that it was etched on the wrinkles of my brain and activated like a sleeper agent. Great album. Dragged a bit in places, but overall great.
A really cool art rock album with sonority that I found on recent indie lp
Thought I might have a 5 star on my hands here but it didn’t quite get there
Muy bueno por momentos, pero hay temas que le bajan la media. Adelantando con mucho tiempo al post punk británico actual de Fontaines DC y esa prole (que también me gustan)
I like Julian Cope. Distinctive voice and more melodic than many of his contemporaries. Nothing outstanding, just uniformly good.
Pretty good. I liked the style of it. It was very experimental. I liked the electronic parts of it. It was very long.
I recognize the cover from my years working in a record shop, but I had never actually heard it or known anything about Julian Cope. It's definitely an interesting album that takes a bit of time to process. There's a lot of experimentation and playfulness on it. It's also something that seems like it could have only existed in the early 90s alt rock scene, which is not an insult. There was a particular freedom to that era, like some artists were ready to embrace a bit of dadaism and continually break out from any perceived boxes imaginable. Bands like The The and They Might Be Giants seem to work in a similar ambitious vein and I always find it refreshing to hear them. 'Peggy Suicide' is a great example of this, complete with various left leaning politics that would come to define Gen X, from women's rights to environmentalism. Unfortunately, the 90s were also marked by the rise of the CD and the obsession (from record labels maybe?) to fill up as much of the available 80 minutes as they could. I get why, but the 40-50 minute range has always been the sweet spot for most albums and could have really benefitted Cope here. Focus a bit more and take out 4 or 5 songs and this could be a stronger album. Still, it's a great discovery.
Had never heard of Julian Cope before, and I was on the fence after the first few tracks, but it's growing on me fast. I hear influences from The Cure, Nick Cave, New Model Army, Iggy Pop. Safesurfer and Soldier Blue were the tracks that piqued my interest on my first listen, and on the second I was already liking the whole thing quite a bit.
This is nice to listen to! I enjoyed it for the Neo-psychedelia and the trippy atmosphere.
This was way better than I expected. Great instrumentals, the vibe was solid, good lyrics and energy throughout. Lots of variability in the sound across the album. Never heard of this artist but I may look into them more. It's very possible this just caught me on the right day and mood.
The fact that I enjoyed "Peggy Suicide" more than I ever thought is a mystery. It was the album's tone, production, and voice delivery that sold the deal. It is a work that I will revisit some day.
This was really good and I will definitely be listening to more Julian cope. I would give this a 4, it ended really well but the mid section dragged at points. My favourite songs were safe surfer and hung up and hanging out to dry
Thoughts before listening: I've heard of this guy, but know very little about him or his music. Just one of those artists that got covered by music magazines in the 90s and in general were around the alt-rock scene. I don't know what to expect with the sound on this album. Review: Ah, so Julian comes from an underground British 80s band which likely explains his inclusion on this list. I'm not sure this necessarily rises to the stature of of the 1,001 greatest albums of all time, but its pretty enjoyable. The first song "Pristeen" reminds me of Velvet Underground circa VU and Nico, especially a song like "Heroin", as do some others on the album. Slow, chugging music that builds to a noisy peak. "East Easy Rider" has a cool funky rock vibe to it. "Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line" is a flat out rocker. "Safesurfer" is a guitar freakout type song with some pretty killer solos throughout. All in all there are some really good songs here, and I'm glad I got a chance to hear it. 4-stars
Not bad at all
Okay, so I recommend sticking with this past the first few songs. All the best stuff is in the middle of the album, starting with Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line through Head. And that little run of songs is quite good. It’s an interesting choice putting your best work in the middle
oof this one's tricky to rate. it's probably not something I would listen to regularly. but it's a good concept album and actually interesting enough to merit a place on this list. all in all, 3.5, but 4
Pretty long, especially when you take the extra tracks into account, but the quality and variety justifies it for me.
It was all good for me. Your time will be time well spent.
Have you ever read any of Julian Cope's books? Fascinating. I sometimes wonder if he is better writing about music than actually creating it. But then you come across something like Peggy Suicide, where Cope comes over as a mutant, scuzzy Todd Rundgren - restless creativity and musical flexibility blasted through the respective prisms of their own individual eccentricities. There's lilting pop, neo-psychedelia, grebo, a splash of Bowie, a rather disturbing piece called 'Western Front 1992 CE' and a whole bunch of other idiosyncratic stuff. Godspeed, Julian. Carry on writing books about stone circles whilst swaddled in those unwashed leathers. I'm glad that the world has space for such a singular visionary as Cope to prosper.
Experimentelles Album mit ein wenig Sound of Smith’s aber fast wütender Versuche künstlerische Aspekte zu setzen. Das Album hat von allem zu viel, von der Länge, der Experimentierfreudigkeit, der Wut, der Unruhe und der Musikstile. Gute Songs sind “Double Vegetation”, “Promised Land”, “Beautiful Love” & “Wester Front 1992”. Man hört das Bemühen im gesamten Album aber es reicht nicht zu einem überdurchschnittlichen Gesamtwerk. Wiederhören erlaubt.
Surprised how much I liked this one
It’s pretty cool. Post-punk somewhere in the vicinity of Nick Cave and The Gun Club with a dash of Can and Frank Zappa. Very sonically inventive. I enjoyed some tracks more than others but found the entire experience stimulating.
Psychedelic with lots of other genres
Wow! A monstrously enigmatic album, idiosyncratic, wavy, jangly, artsy…and desperately crying for more than 1 session.
Enjoyed
This album is too long, yet the songwriting is superb, so it never really overstays its welcome. Very early DIY 90’s sound. I’ll definitely come back again!
I’m always a mix of cautiously optimistic and mildly wary when I see artists I’ve never heard of pop up. Especially when I see their roots are in the post-punk genre. This album was a pleasant surprise. Such a variety of song compositions, instruments and interesting lyrics. Dug it!
Kinda liked the British Jim Morison.
I liked it. It's weird. It's strange. It reminds me of Adrian Belew, particularly his work with King Crimson. I feel like I should know who Julian Cope is, but for the life of me, I don't know why. It's a weird cognitive itch I can't scratch.
Excellent luatsn and some superb tracks. Now on my vinyl wantlist and will be getting many more plays for sure.
appreciate the new music
Isn't it nice to get something from the '80s that doesn't scream '80s? Restrained use of synths, no gated reverb, just good musicianship. A surprising gem.
Very cool
Hard to get a clear purchase on this one, much as it is with most of Cope's oeuvre. Feels like fairly standard, bright shiny indie rock at times and then gets considerably more experimental (and interesting) as it goes along and really pays off with some excellent songs at the end ("Beautiful Love," "Hung Up," "American Lite" and "Las Vegas Basement"). Strong overall, but maybe a slight vibe of wanting to like slightly more than one actually does, though the closing sequence of songs makes for a high-quality end.
I own his previous two albums (Saint Julian and My Nation Underground, both for sale on Amazon) and remember liking them. This one was unfamiliar and I liked it a lot. A wide variety of styles, tempos, melodies, etc. A bit lengthy at 76 minutes, but can’t see much I’d want to cut. A solid 4.
Good listen. Some of the lyrical choices were baffling, but the guitar work was excellent
Came into this with zero expectations. This is an artist I felt I may have heard of but really knew nothing about. Really like the mix of punk, funk, and overall originality.
I liked this album a lot. The range of musical styles and lyrics made it an interesting listen.
The album cover doesn't really fit the sound and I was skeptical. I could hear mild punk and some funk and rock in there. All good. Total surprise to me. I'll be listening to this again.
I have never heard of Julian Cope or any of the music on Peggy Suicide. I liked this album. There were moments on the album that reminded me of James, and the instrumental opening to "Leperskin" reminded me of the Soup Dragons, but I think that Cope has his own sound and I'd be interested in hearing more of his music. "The American Lite" was my highest rated individual track. I found myself tapping along to the music as it played. "East Easy Rider" was another favorite track. My lowest rated track was "Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry" becuase of the vocals that start around 3:30. I do like some oddities, so the vocals on that track or the lyrics about an exploding head ("Head") might have room to grow on me if I gave the album a second listen. Peggy Suicide seems firmly in the four star rating. I'd come back. instrumental opening reminded me of soup dragons - divine thing not sure about the vocals that start at 3:30 rhythm got me going
This one was a behemoth. Had all the elements that I love. Sounds a lot like what BJM went for later. Influences from all over the place. Definitely a starting point for me and Cope. I'll be diving into his other stuff.
Pretty long.. not sure if I like it
Excelent álbum! Innovative and fun, a nice journey!
Usually artists focus on one style, rather than try and knit them all together in one song. You can’t beat a surf / Afro funk / post punk mash up. I don’t know how he gets away with it. No one else could.
I’d heard the name Julian Cope many times, but really didn’t know what to expect going into it. Not bad at all. A bit of psychedelia, but a good bit more post-punk and Berlin-era Bowie, with a strong Velvet Underground feel coursing through the whole thing. Pretty solid.
Excellent album, one of my first CD purchases
Very experimental. A lot of great moments.
I really liked this one. Especially Safesurfer
Standouts: Pristeen, Easy Easy Rider, Promise Land, Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line, If You Loved Me at All, Safesurfer, You..., Beautiful Love, Las Vegas Basement,
What a wild trip. I knew nothing about Julian Cope coming into this and wasn't sure how I was going to get through 29 tracks but it really did grow on me. Faves: Drive, She Said, Soldier Blue, Love (L.U.V) Remix.
I haven't listened to any Julian Cope before - I was kinda expecting some new age woo, but maybe that comes later in his discography? This was an interesting listen! Given that it came out in 1991, it prefigured a bunch of things alt rock that didn't go the grunge route would go on to do. Fave tracks - "Hung Up & Hanging Out to Dry" sounds like it could be a Beta Band track! Liked the atmosphere of "Western Front 1992 CE", and "Safesurfer" had a certain psych proggy vibe I dug...
This was a very long record haha I actually enjoyed this quite a bit. It could have done with some editing maybe but I see this as a really impressive achievement. Nothing in particular stuck out, but I didn't run into a track I didn't enjoy.
Never listened to him. Will check out more.
I have never heard of Julian Cope, which is kind of surprising because I enjoyed this album quite a bit. I found there to be quite a wide variety of sounds (within the rock framework) included on this. I could pick out influences of David Bowie, Neil Young, Iggy Pop and even The Beatles to name a few. The songs were generally well executed and the album was quite cohesive. The one negative for me is that it is a little long and there are definitely some filler songs that could have been removed, especially around the end. Fav Tracks: Hanging Out And Hung Up On The Line, Safesurfer, If You Loved Me At All, Beautiful Love
Bom som, achei que seria mais um punk genérico mas vários fados, alguns marcantes
Good energy without being too distracting. I'm enjoying having this in the background while I work.
i reallly liked this, it was long so i only got 19 songs in yesterday but i just finished it and yeeoawza !!! this is good!! really goo d !! looking forward to listening to more julian and all his interesting sounds he makes such birdo type beats ! 4.5 almost 5 maybe 5 if i listen again !! but it is so long give it a break brother
Me recuerdan a James, Divine Comedy...
Interesting album. Good find. I enjoyed the instrumentals the best.
Really good songs but an albums can’t be longer than goodfellas.
This was a trip! Never heard of Julian Cope but it was arty and rocky in a fun way. I stopped at the regular album, but I might circle back to the deluxe later.
Album 207 of 1001 Julian Cope - Peggy Suicide Rating : 3 / 5 Good listen. Didn't know much about him going in. He spreads it around a bit. Great guitars, good songwriting. One to go back to. "Peggy Suicide is the seventh album by Julian Cope. It is generally seen as the beginning of Cope's trademark sound and approach, and as a turning-point for Cope as a maturing artist. "
Interesting artist. I never heard of Julian Cole before and this album was quite a ride. Music was very psychedelic and all over the place. I highly recommend if this is your style.
weird and captivating. 4 stars.
Weird and surprisingly enjoyable
Doesn't always work, but when it does this is brilliantly weird fun.
Quite good
A few songs really grabbed my attention for good and bad reasons, including Promised Land, Safesurfer, and Western Front 1992 CE. I am starting to resent having to review new music by comparing it to other music I know, but in this case, the way he reminded me of Velvet Underground, Sugar, Morphine, Bowie, Henry Rollins.... some wide variety and usually a positive comparison. And now learning he's a paleolithic scholar on top of this, I'm really intrigued and will return to this.
7/10. I quite liked this album, not sure why. I was definitely dreading the length of it at the start.
I wasn't sure at first... I'll be honest I'm still not sure but I do want to listen to it again so that must be a good sign.
Wild ride. Wasn't sure at first but grew on you.
I can't even begin to describe what, exactly, I just listened to, but I really liked it. The percussion especially stood out to me throughout the album. A solid 4/5. I will be listening to more Julian Cope.
Liked a lot. Nice surprise.
Better than I expected, very long of course, but there was a lot in there. Came to this with minimal knowledge and was pleasantly surprised.
Too long