Reviews (page 4 of 7)
This was weird. I don’t really know what else to say but it was little on a longer side and just like ok!
There were point where he wasn't trying to be Jim Morrison, I like them bits.
2.7/5
It was fine, I guess. A lot of Suicide/Nick Cave influences in here. Quite enjoyed it in parts but it's too long.
Started thiniking it would be a 2, endes up being a high 3
This album mostly sucks. However, if you listen to the two hour long deluxe version, the tripped-out second disc is actually really good. I wasn’t expecting that. In fact, I’d give the actual album a one and I’d give the deluxe bonus material a five. So, this comes to a three. This really shows how an artist can be either excellent or dull depending on delivery. I truly wasn’t expecting to come around to Julian Cope after the first few songs. The second half is just so dramatically different, and perhaps more to my taste. I’m suspicious about that toy car collection though… I bet this guy’s a real creep.
often i think double albums could be markedly improved by cutting out the rubbish tracks to just leave the really good stuff, but this album is just all kind of okay
The creator of the 1001 List has a weakness for the spoken word, songs, bad jazz, and long albums. I found the lyrics of Peggy Suicide very repetitive. Best song is Solder Blue followed by Drive,She Said then a few of the instrumentals down the stretch. Julian appears to be a weird guy throughout this long experience. (2.9*s)
Not sure exactly what to say about Julian Cope or Peggy Suicide. It's a decent psych rock album I guess. It almost feels like a support act or someone who would tour and play side gigs with Phish or similar jam bands to me. There's couple groovy songs on Peggy Suicide but also some filler. I feel like this would have benefited from trimming some fat and releasing a tighter 45 minute album instead of the 75 minute album we got. Julian Cope seems like an artist that I would enjoy catching midday at a festival. A low stakes set where I could just lay back, enjoy some vibes then move along to something else. I have a fondness for this style of music but I wouldn't begrudge anyone who says its not their thing. 2.71 stars
It must be nice to have so many musical ideas rolling around in your head that you feel you must put them all out into the world. At first I thought this was a little too straight-ahead, but the weirder and trippier it gets, the better it is.
It's quite readable. The music is somewhat diverse and there are beautiful fragments. 6 out of 10.
While it was all over the place and very long, it was definitely a unique experience. Some very high highs (eg safesurfer) and some meh mehs. 3/5
Has it's moments, but is too long to be consistently good. 60/100
Without the singer this would be pretty good. It felt super cringy at first, but it grew on me once I got used to his voice. Really tough to rate
Decent post punk album, had some nice tracks
I get it, just not really my thing
An album where you never know what you're gonna next once the next song rolls around. Kind of interesting.
I actually liked this??? but girl she was LONGG
Going into this, I was excited—it was labeled under Neo-Psychedelia, psychedelic rock, space rock, and alternative rock, which all sounded amazing. But instead, I felt like I was left with musical blue balls—just one long, drawn-out tease that never delivered. This album had all the right elements to be great, and it was constantly on the verge, but it never quite got there. And that made it more aggravating than outright bad.
I'm conflicted about this one. On the one hand it had two songs I really liked, on the other one, it had like 6 that were garbage and it took me ages to go through the whole thing :(
Not as bad as I thought another obscure band from the 90s would be.
Blah.
this is way too long but it has some good stuff on it
It’s perfectly fine for what it sets out to be. A dramatic Brit Pop album with a side of darkness. Do i want to listen to 18 five minute plus songs with this in mind? No… no not really. 5/10
This is alright, but not super notable
3. reminds me of a bad lounge singer. Pretty inoffensive though.
I was not familiar with Julian Cope before this, but the album was pretty good. Nothing really catching my ears but not making them want to shut either.
This is another album where I can't understand why it needed to be included on this list. It was not a memorable album. I liked the hard rock sound on a few tracks, but overall it was neither bad nor good.
Most average list album
So weird... sounds a lot older than early 90s, and has such an eclectic range of styles. I really enjoyed it though. High 3*
Not bad at all. Could have scored higher if it had been a bit shorter. Kinda zoned out towards the end
All competent and fine but just not very engaging. It's a bit scattering in styles almost like an indie compilation of b sides.
A little too drug induced for my taste
This wasn’t half bad
5/10…neo psychedelic
I've never heard of this guy. Not sure if he's trying to be Jim Morrison or that's just a coincidence. The first song is kind of bad. The rest of the music OK, it has good variety. It just falls short for me of making a lasting impression.
This is a collection of sometimes groovy, sometimes weird, sometimes kinda beautiful music that I don't know if I like. At least I don't dislike it.
Happy to have heard this album--I had only ever heard his song World Shut Your Mouth and it's a cool song. This album is solid pop/rock songwriting and every song is well crafted. But ... there is a bit of a sheen to everything and this album is TOO LONG. I'll probably seek out more of Julian's stuff. Would go 3.5, but docking for length.
По мнению А: 3/5 По мнению С: 3/5 ИТОГОВАЯ ОЦЕНКА: 3/5 (26.01.2025)
Encore empreint des années 1980, avec un pied dans les 1990. La voix me fait penser à Morrissey à l’occasion
This record grew on me. Had to listen through a couple of times. Cope's guitar and vocals are appealing - slightly aggressive with quite a bit of "I don't care what you think" attitude. Seems he had relationship problems, and I'm not getting the political and environmental themes I read about. "Beautiful Love" is brilliant.
Decent
The author’s bias continues to make this whole thing a lot more difficult than I wish it was. I’ve already had to deal with more than one double album today. And thankfully they’ve both been really solid. This one not so much. This is the worst kind of double LP. One that, in my mind, doesn’t even remotely justify its own length. Getting through this is a serious slog. If you wanted to perform a case study on every thing regrettable and unappealing that was going on in the 90s, this would be a very good pick. This is supposedly split into four “phases”. Except they don’t do much to separate the album into chunks, because the music on all four quarters is relatively similar. And equally boring. Think of every annoying trait you can take out of alternative and psychedelic rock, and put it all into one. This is “art rock” if the art was that stupid banana taped to a wall that sold for a bunch of money. The real question I have is who does this appeal to? Are there people who actually like this? It’s somehow totally out there and completely unoriginal at the same time. Eccentric, but totally derivative. Of course, it’s always impressive if the majority of the album is played by one person. I won’t take that away from him, because I probably couldn’t do it. But it also doesn’t matter very much to me if the music isn’t enjoyable. I see no reason for anyone to spend their time with this, seeing as there is so little of value to take away. Rating: 5/10
Alright Julian. I’m really not happy about a 75 minute album here. This better be a groundbreaker. I know nothing about this and therefore have nothing to say, except I’m sure that I’ll make about six jokes about me being the one who has to “Cope” with this album. The mouth clicks are already insufferable. Well. They’re not that bad. I think I’ve listened to too many in a row. To then dive into an hour and 15 minutes of weird indie shit from 1991 was ambitious, if not completely bereft of thought. I would like to sort your mistakes from first to most major and then repeat that for no less than 3.5 minutes. The worst part is, the song is alright. A decent swell to an impassioned finish. I have no idea what the passion is about, but here we are. You feel overrated? Hmm. Interesting. List maker, the floor is yours. Ah you included it anyway. Makes sense. Bah this one is a good song. It is a little dramatic, but what the problem with that when accompanied by a high energy song with a good melody and vocal pattern. Reminiscent of the Tragically Hip. Now for non-Canadians! I won’t hold that against it. Listen here Julian. You were dragging me into your game. Do NOT give me a white mom who wears Bali Pants version of a reggae song. Don’t do it. He didn’t, but this backing track is pretty rancid. Hell let’s just write this one off. You have like a thousand more minutes to redeem this puppy. Turn this easy rider around Jules. What did I do to deserve this flavourless song? Was it because I didn’t like Easy Rider? Well maybe the next one. I believe in you. Here we go. This makes me want to buy a Verizon plan. Get into it. Rockabilly Idol. Is that better? I’m leaning more towards that. The riff is decent albeit a little whiny. Not a bad return; but still haven’t found what we’re looking for. NO BONO NO. Sorry. I have PU2SD. Got myself a Joshua Tree flashback. A lot of the group calls them “Bono Blasts.” Happens to the best of us. Be kind, we’re getting the help we need. A solid 8 minutes for the next one to get its point across. My headphones are running out of steam and this mediocre three minute guitar solo feels like a genuine waste of battery. Julian IS a safe surfer though. He always has that Safe Search on. Never clicks “I’m feeling Lucky.” You have to commend that commitment to cyber safety. He wrote a song about it. I like that. I think I like this song ironically. I have a lot of time for actual weirdos. Not performative “quirky” people. I feel like Julian is just weird at this point. And something is charming about it. I could be wrong and find out he killed somebody or is a massive predator or something but for right now. I’ll give it to the freak. Is this a reference to “Shut up and Drive” by that blonde girl? I literally can’t remember who did the song, therefore the joke remains incomplete. Who cares. I have like 12% headphone battery and I’m listening to this weirdo deliver me songs that I hate myself for kind of liking. I’m just trying to make bad jokes. It’s my calling. Another surprisingly decent song. “If you believe in me, you believe in human sacrifice.” Beautifully insane. Crazy closing riff too. This feels like I’ve had a poison dart thrown at me and I’ve awoken in a mysterious jungle OR “lungle” as my brother’s classmate insisted on writing for the duration of a jungle themed story that he wrote. When you mix up your verbal l’s and j’s, grade 1 English is going to be a struggle. Or should I say, a “luggle.” Great Big Sea singing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.” Weird police sampling. This guy is nuts. Not a great song, but I have a smile on my face. What the sweet hell is happening? I’m in love now. One can be either raving or drowning, but not both. I don’t make the rules. The Cope Man does. We are in his domain. Is this an ad for a ferry service in the Bahamas called “SeaLink”? Because I want in. Although maybe not best to include “downing” in said advertisement, but we have room to grow. Oh yeah buddy. You can bet I’m cutting a mean rug in my seat. Julian is going OFF with head explosion song. Is this funk preset B on GarageBand 2009 edition? This is the greatest. Funk Preset C follows swiftly on. Leper skin reminds me that we’ll never get death metal on this list which still burns me. MAYBE Symbolic or something. Anyway. This goofy soundalike intro to Eye on Springfield rolls on and remains entertaining. Let the good times roll. Now THIS is a love song. It’s insane. This is straitjacket music. It’s what’s playing behind the eyes of institutionalized murderers on laudanum. In that way, it’s metal as hell. In another way, it’s terrible reggae, but I give this freak a pass. Keep the bizarre coming Jules. Yeah, you know what this needed? Alien sound effects and a choral swell fit for Pennywise. Is this the sequel to the other song about hanging out or whatever. A storyteller! Bravo dear Julian. A maraca and some cymbals chiming in an empty space followed by schizophrenic repetition of the title over an orchestral swell. I don’t remember the American, so I’m surprised it has a lite version. Or is it life? Who cares. Will it sell more than the boss? If you’re talking about Springsteen, I’d buy this a 1000 times over before I even thought the name “Bruce Springsteen”. Ha Ha Hee Hee. There is a grown man next to me on the plane laughing with delight while watching “A Bug’s Life.” Maybe they’re shooting nitrous into this plane. Either way, I’m even gleeful at Julian saying he’s born to entertain. You might be right Big C. You might be right. Yeah, this guy is the German Wesley Willis. It has to be said. This album has a permanent theme of being completely insane, yet without any sense of irony. I couldn’t detect the wink or the tongue in the cheek. Not even a nudge. I think this was an album delivered with full sincerity. While the music went from terrible to pretty good, it all has this odd sheen that made it INTERESTING. This is what so many of these albums lack. I’m not looking for everything to have songwriting like the best Beatles albums, as long as your work produces some element of emotion or intrigue . Peggy Suicide would normally be a cry for help but for better or for worse, I think ol’ JC is in full control and brother, grab your popcorn, because Peggy Suicide 2 may be three hours of kazoo solos over poems about trains. Enter the sewer system of your mind and pass me my human sacrifice shovel; we’re about to get messy. Onward to a slip and slide slick with the organs of alien life forms that chutes into a celestial airport bar serving only human hair staffed by a centaur dressed as the 16th pope. Rejoice. We’re eternal. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Double Vegetation, Drive She Said, You…, Western Front 1992 C.E., Hung up and Hanging Out to Dry
I feel like I’m supposed to know who Julian Cope is. I liked the variety between songs, seemed like there was a wide range of influences that went into this album. The length probably should put it into the twos, but I’ll hop up to a three because I was vining here and there.
Pristeen is not a song you would want to have as an album opener. The lyrics and vocals aren't good. The instrumentals on the other hand are good. Some grunge influences combined with psychedelic organs and guitar effects. These really save the album for me. 3/5 its alright
I actually quite like this but just like most albums from the 90s it's way too long
A long album but a good one. I liked Dragonfly and Butterfly E the most.
2.5
I went back and forth on this one as I listened to the album. I loved the music, and was less interested in the lyrics and vocal.
3 til 4
I can't decide whether to give this a 4 or a high 3. I liked it, though.
An album with interesting ideas, but it felt a bit todo long
S'okay. Good instrumentals, but vocal work I didn't care for. 'Soldier Blue' was my fave.
Bit difficult to get into. Reminds me a bit of Phish. Probably not rushing to listen again
A reluctant 3 stars. This guy Julian showed up and ruined just about every track. But in-between cringe spoken word segments was some musical genius
finally i have defeated this 2.5 hour king album
Some reasonable tunes. Never clicked with me though
Too long, overly pretentious. Its fine, nothing bad overall, but don't see it being some amazing thing.
Started out promising but turned into repetitive riffs and drum solos. Could have been so much better
A really strange album! I loved parts of it, but it is just all over the place and lacks a cohesive sound. 3.5 stars
There were some parts I liked. Sometimes he gets into this Iggy Pop/Nick Cave sort of sound I like, like on "Hanging Out and Hung Up On The Line". Other times, it's kind of almost like INXS or something, like slightly funky pop rock which is okay, but not the greatest. Then there's some instrumentals that are sort of pointless. I normally like eclectic double albums, but this just feels too disjointed. 3 stars.
First few songs were a little bit tedious. The middle of the album is pretty decent - you could improve this one by cutting out the first few tracks and making this a bit tighter. I quite like Safesurfer, nice guitar solo that goes interesting places. Follows a progression I usually like that feels like you're spiralling out of control. If You Loved Me at All was quite nice as well. Soldier Blue has a good groove. Third part starts to drag again. Beautiful Love sounds A LOT like the Happy Mondays. I liked the American Lite. The whole album is on average a 3, with the middle section being a solid 4. I'll probably revisit the tracks I liked.
Gives bargain bin Nick Cave
The songs on this album are all very different. None of them are really bad. Some of them are good, some of them are boring. Most of them are too long. And there's too many of them. It has elements of almost every popular alternative rock style of the late 80s. I hear paisley underground, madchester, bands like the Mission, the Doors, Neil Young... And somehow it's not exciting at all. I don't understand the emotion of this album. Favorite song: hanging out
Didn’t do much for me.
This was my introduction to Julian Cope. Conflicted memories over this one, but it's still got some good stuff.
Pretty good
This isn't bad at all. It just isn't exceptional in any way either. Definitely didn't need to hear it. 1001 may be more albums than are really needed.
Temu Jim Morrison
General impression: another British self-styled iconoclastic rocker, but one who might be the real deal Detailed review: This album is pretty cool. It’s got a deeply committed rock n’ roll vibe. It feels pretty comfortably at home in each of the types of song it trades in. Lyrically, nothing has stuck out to me, other than the charmingness of “Pristeen.” Overall, it doesn’t sound that different or revolutionary. I’m probably less likely to return to it than the Super Furry Animals debut. But I still will keep it in my library and return to it at some point. Deeper thoughts (context): Was all British music of the ‘90s just a course correction from the ‘80s back to ‘70s style? Soooo much British music I’ve come across on this list just sounds like it’s trying desperately to hold on to ‘70s rock conventions, as if that era held all the possible “true” ideals of rock. Whatever. Score: 3.4 (3 for this list. It almost got to 4 level.) Number of albums left to review: 973 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 15 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 13 (including this one)
I only listened to disk 1. This album was okay. Most of it blended together and it was a bit too long for me. Not much to say. Standouts: Safesurfer, Soldier Blue, Head, and Hung Up And Hanging Out To Dry.
Surprisingly enjoyed this album so much that I went back for a second listen! Doesn’t seem to be popular on Spotify so perhaps it’s a sort of hidden gem (or undeserving of being on this list, who knows).
Had some highs and some lows. Pretty weird listen overall. Probably would have liked it better if it was an hour shorter.
Mjög sæka mjög delic. Flottur han Cope. Smá steikt týpa, en fíla hvað hann er andkristinn.
Margt áhugavert og ágætt. Diskur 2 hefði alveg mátt missa sín.
Often bad but some gems in here
I liked the first few songs and then lost interest. I may give it another try, but it is not on the favorite list at this point.
This is a profoundly mediocre album with a rather disturbing album cover. It's decent. The opening, and closing tracks on the album are the best, and the rest is just cannon fodder. Favorite Song: "Las Vegas Basement"
Un bon album, assez original, mais je ne vois pas pourquoi il mérite plus une place ici qu'un autre du même genre. 7/10
After the first two songs, I wondered, how much more I can take? It was a struggle, but then starting with East Easy Rider, it became an easier listen. The album seems (and is!) too long, but I rewarded with some decent songs that at least kept it interesting enough to get through it. It's never a good sign when I kept peeking ahead to see how many more songs were left. Overall, some nice tracks, but unfortunately sometimes quantity over quality isn't a good thing.
I wasn’t sitting through two hours on a Saturday. I listened to most of it though and it was a decent sounding album. I honestly didn’t hate it, I actually loved parts of it but ultimately, it just wasn’t that special.
I liked the guy's experimental outfit but it wasn't enough to grip my attention.
Notable tracks: Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line, If You Loved Me at All
i actually quite liked many of the songs, but it seems that with most of them he just doesn’t know when to end them. according to wikipedia, this album is 75:44, but it would be a lot better in my opinion if it was about 50 minutes or so.
It’s ok. I guess.
Good in places but is too long
Pretty meh and too long.
If The Cult, Morphine, and Frank Zappa had a love child. Really a serious effort and well worth listening to. This has been one of those albums where I'm listening along and thing yep, that should be on the list. In fact, I thought this project would have a lot more of this kind of album and a lot less Christina Aguilera.
Benign. With a title like "Peggy Suicide" I assumed this would be far darker than it was... It performed like an opening band for the opening band for a band your friend dragged you out to on a Wednesday night. All I could think about was 'why does this have to be so long... and also who can I blame except myself...?' That's fine. I'll just stand agains the wall and look at my phone...
This is the best 3 star album I've played from this list so far. It's as close to being a 4 star album as possible. Everything is perfectly slightly above average.
I quite liked this album. A lot of interesting songs to hear. "Safesurfer" has to be my favourite track. But there isn't anything on this album close to that song. I guess it's better than the last two albums I've reviewed. 3 stars for "Peggy Suicide".
I like the themes this album touches on like environmentalism and antitheism. Instrumentally it's a bit monotonous over it's hour+ runtime but it's pleasant enough.
I was bought up listening to Julian Cope so this isn't a big shift for me, but this is the most Jim Morrison I've heard him sound. Overall the album feels like it wants another mix/master.
Well, not boring. Songs are very different. I appreciate all the variation. I'll probably never return to this album or ever think of it again.
Um, strange. Sort of melodic and definitely quirky lyrics. This can easily be played in the background without being disruptive. I didn't hate it, just didn't gravitate toward much. Average at best.
this had some good tracks, a bit long though
First, the instrumentation is very well done. The album's overall vibe is weird but not bad. This album had no business being 76 minutes long; I had to lock in to finish listening to it. There are a few standouts here and there, but the album itself was good. That 76-minute runtime is almost unforgivable. Best - Double Vegetation, Safesurfer (MPF), Not Raving But Drowning, and Las Vegas Basement Worst - no bad songs 3.25-3.50/5
Meh. There was some good stuff in here. But mostly it was long and dragged out blah for me.
I remember the DJs on the radio going nuts for this when it came out. Never understood the fuss. Still don’t. How exactly is this special? It’s fine. There’s range, but this needed editing. Stopping after 13 songs. That’s enough of this. 3/5
Start wasn't great, but after two songs it became a little more interesting. All in all quite mediocre.
Reminded me of the doors. Liked it but not crazy about it
Fav: Safesurfer Least Fav: Hung Up And Hanging Out To Dry
Used to listen a lot to early Julian Cope, up to around 1985-86, where I went in other directions. So this one was an interesting revisit, and an ok one..
Mildly there.
Some songs were cool, some were a jumbled mess
I thought it would never end. I liked bits of it.
Pretty cool rock songs
First time listening to this artist. I dig the instrumental variety.
I like him and some of the tracks were great but it just doesn’t come together as a cohesive album.for me and I certainly wasn’t listening to the 2 disc version the link takes me to
Good music, something about his singing rubs me the wrong way though. Feels pretentious and lacking of empathy, or something like that?
Okay
The cover and first few songs had me thinking this was a nightmare but as the album went on there were quite a few fun songs. Like a sort of lite rock or something. I can sort of see why it’s on this list.
Interesting project, it's a rock album but with a nice mix of energies and styles. Exactly the kind of distinction that yesterday's Sonic Youth album lacked. I'm giving this the same rating, but it's definitely something I'd be more likely to return to and relisten. Favorite tracks: Double Vegetation, East Easy Rider, Promised Land, Beautiful Love. Album art: Wow, it's bold, it's off-putting, but I respect it. Looks to be a woman on a cliff, her clothes torn to shreds. Her expression is dark, the background and sky is dark, there's an ominous aura to this one. Definitely memorable. 3.5/5
Neutral on it. Fine rock album
An interesting album. With a few interesting tracks. A lot for one day. I listened about 3 times all the way through. I could see it growing on me, but right now it's a bit too all over the place.
Good but wack
It’s ok.
Had no idea what i was walking into here, but i was pleasantly surprised. I've said it before and with another 500 albums to go on this list, most likely i'll say it again, but...no album needs to be 80 minutes long. jesus wept lads
Pretty dope
Pretty chill and catchy but nothing spectacular and definitely not worth 2hr34min of run time.
There were some very good tracks in here, but like other albums this length the majority bogged down the good ones
Maybe edit some of these tracks down a bit, you don't need to add everything
Chill vibe, would listen to it if it came on but wouldn't search it out
very uneven
Reminds me of something - Nick Cave, maybe? It's decent. Sounds like the early 90s in most places, but not so dated it's unenjoyable. I'm not familiar with Cope or his work, but this was okay. Not something I'd turn to, but an alright listen. 3.4
interesting
I found parts of this that I liked, but overall, I don't know if I quite got it. Still, I'm going to file this for some thing to listen to again in the future, as it was definitely some thing that caught my attention.
Musically a very good and intricate album. I thought it was wayy to long though.
Actually pretty cool overall, but unfortunately none of the songs really wowed me.
Some great songs but no album should ever be this long
Vähän säikähdin kun luin että levy on art rockia, mutta tämä oli ihan hyvää ja kuunneltavaa. Vähän tulee joku 90-luvun grunge mieleen tästä. Parhaat: East Easy Rider, Hanging Out And Hung Up On The Line, Drive, She Said, Head
Liked the diversity & there are ingredients throughout that I thought were pretty cool, just no particular song quite came together as a whole for me.
When I started the album I was very skeptical, but 2 or 3 songs in it grew on me, or just got better. I will say it's a little repetitive and a long of the songs sound the same. With this being a double disc of 2 and a half hours it does get a little old. I do agree with another reviewer that said "it sounds like something you would hear playing in a record store."
Really enjoyed the vibe and energy! Favourite track: Safesurfer.
3.5 lot of weird variety. Most songs were ok to pretty good with only one stinker in hung up and hanging out to dry
Better than I thought
This certainly pulled itself together at the last second to become something I can at least say was alright, but for most of this album I found myself bored of Julian Cope's impression of Iggy Pop performing Velvet Underground songs that plagued the first half, and the more out there stuff on the second half, while better, often struggled to gather my attention more than a simple head bop, but at least it started to do something that didn't feel like britpop's response to the more avant-garde, and I'd even say I enjoyed a bit of it by closing time, but it just took far too long to get there, with very little happening that you could just achieve by listening to any other musical artist, most of which made said better songs and albums two decades or more before this. It isn't bad, just unnecessary really, and the CD era strikes again to hammer that feeling in further.
Quite enjoyable, 3.5 stars
It's okay. Has its moments both good and kinda bad. I guess it's a 3?
Cool stuff going on but I don’t care for the singers voice :3
Came into this one completely ignorant and finished smiling for the most part. Loved some of the soundscapes and spot and vinegar lyrics but it drags a bit toward the end being over an hour and fifteen minutes long. Could’ve benefited from a bit of editing, me thinks.
Another record that is completely new to me and that I have no expectations for. Eh. Kind of weird and good. Not amazing or mind-blowing or especially interesting. Sometimes I really wish I could read why albums are on this list becuase I wonder if it would ever change my mind.
At points soft and reflective and in other there’s a palpable anger, frustration to Copes lyrics. His voice never to gruff for the material but his words cut and carve a story of being pissed at the state of the world.
Groovy and unexpected! A nice listen for a Monday morning!
what the fuck am I listening too. this is so messy. also how pretentious do you have to be to satthat you sincerely, at the bottom of your heart like this? like there are a few good songs like "head", but this is so bloated and incoherent.
The first couple songs did nothing for me, but Safesurfer saved this album for me. Funky with a cool baseline and the guitar is really solid. Average album overall with somr cool peaks.
A pleasant background listen
not too sure about this one. OK at times and tedious at others
Kannte ich bisher nicht. Aber ich mag es
Not awful, but nothing memorable about this that would make me want to listen to again
Almennt ekki grípandi tónlist en fullt af pælingum sem ganga alveg upp samt.
Safe surfer caught my attention pretty good, as well as the Dave Graney stylings but you're kidding if I'm ploughing through 2hrs 34min
Moments I liked and moments I didn’t, not very motivated to finish even disc 1. Maybe 2.5 or 3 star.
2024-03-07...
Maybe 2.5 - a lot of the production has aged quite badly but it's interesting - reminds me a bit of the Velvet Underground in places?. Hanging Out and Hung Up on the Line goes pretty hard too
I've never heard of this artist before, so everything on this album was new to me. Some songs sounded like REM, some sounded like Phish, other songs reminded me of one of the Doors long meandering acid trip songs. Overall the entire album was a mix of post new wave alternative music, but more on the experimental side. It wasn't bad, it just all kind of blended together into one long song.
I was up and down with this album, especially with the vocals. Some of it I liked and others I didn't like at all.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Safesurfer, The american life
TWO HOURSSSS i like the vibes though (3.5)
Really not sure how to feel about this one. One would hope that in a 2 hr long album there would be at least some songs you like, and luckily that is the case. But not sure the length is justified. Some real draggers on here, but i appreciate it trying different things? I guess
La voce non mi piace particolarmente, ma tutto il resto sì
There's some things I like or find interesting in this, lots that I don't. I'm rounding up to a 3 because I haven't heard of Julian Cope before, and most of the Brits I haven't heard of on this list so far have been really dull. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Hard to land on a score for this one. On one hand there was a lot of Psychedelic Rock Moments that made me roll my eyes, but on the other hand there were a lot of moments where a song lands in a groove that made me say “Hell yeah”. I also liked reading about the weirdo liner notes, and the guy himself. I have a feeling that one day I will give this a second listen and wish I had bumped it up a bit. But for now I will call it a very good, but quite uneven one.
Day46 - sounds like if the doors made 90’s music
Unexpectedly good. Bit long though.
That’ll be the deicide.
i prefer his stone circle period
This was totally unfamiliar to me: hadn’t heard of artist, album, or any song. I didn’t listen to the deluxe stuff, just the original album. But it was fine. At no point did I desire to turn it off, but I wasn’t hungry for any more either. A solid 3.
"Safesurfer" is by far the best song here, I like it a lot. It would be even better if at least 1 unit of effort was spent on writing proper lyrics. 3★ just because of this one song.
Getting some Phish vibes on this one, especially Soldier Blue. This felt all over the place as far as style was concerned. Some songs missed the mark for me, but others were pretty good.
No idea who this guy is, but I was really close to really liking this album. I like his voice and the overall vibe. Cool beats throughout. Overall it's a just miss for me, with some songs being a bit too odd or tiresome in their repetitious chorus. I'd give his other works a try though.
It was alright? I didn't like some some song, but most weren't bad. His singing changes quite a bit from song to song. Liked the music, though, for the most part.
Listened to part of it. Grew on me a bird but not really my thing. Feels like a slightly evolved version of Jim Morrison.
I found this album confusing - which is no bad thing. First play through I thought it was just a fairly messy mish-mash of different styles. Which it is. But reading the backstory and delving more into the lyrics made me delve a bit deeper, and I found myself admiring the ambition and intent, if not all of the tunes. A grower, probably.
Why is this album 2.5 hours long? I mean it's fine but that's just too much.
generally an interesting and enjoyable listen. feels disjointed at times. and the cover, well, speaks for itself
Music was good, the vocals were okay but some of the lyrics not so much.
Really cool, groovy album, just not for me. 3 stars
Unfortunately, while I can respect where Julian Cope is trying to go with his avant garde music, most of this album falls flat for me. It also feels very disjointed, and while there is 75 minutes of it, I don't think most of it is very memorable. There are some good songs on the album, and I think the last song may be the best, but I feel he needed to cut out a lot of it to just keep the best songs and give it a better flow. I listened to the three Teardrop Explodes albums last year, and I liked those better, though I didn't know, at the time, that Julian Cope went on to have such a long solo career.
It Ok. Its just OK.
I think this album would grow on me with multiple listens
Really good start to album but slowly fell off towards the end. Way too long at 2 hours and a half. 3/5
Among forrest of fluff, there are actually a few gems to be found in the odyssey of a record. I didn't really dig the first few tracks, and was kind of worried about having to sit through all of this, but I think there's enough here that challenges musical norms of the time while managing to capture my attention. I like albums that take sharp left turns, and we have that in spades here on tracks like 'You...' and 'Safesurfer'. But I also like being brought back down to Earth on some of the groovier jam-based tracks. That said, there's a bit of garbage as well, like 'Beautiful Love'. I felt the urge to skip quite a few times. Overall it was a fun surprise I didn't expect to vibe with.
While ultimately something I'd deem inessential, there was enough eclecticism and experimentation in the songwriting to keep me engaged.
Fun little album. Interesting.
Started off slow I think, but picked up somewhere in the middle with a decent run of tracks. Some good stuff here. Feels a bit long though, and that's before getting to the extended edition...
Pristeen - 7/10 Double Vegetation - 8.5/10 East Easy Rider - 8/10 Promised Land - 8.5/10 Hanging Out and Hung Up on The Line - 8.5/10 Safesurfer - 7.5/10 If You Loved Me at All - 7.5/10 Drive,She Said - 7.5/10 Soldier Blue - 7/10 You.. - 8/10 Not Raving But Drowning - 7.5/10 Head - 7.5/10 Leperskin - 7/10 Beautiful Love - 8.5/10 Western Front 1992 C.E - 7/10 Hung Up And Hanging Out to Dry - 7.5/10 The American Lite - 8/10 Las Vegas Basement - 8/10 TOTAL - 139/180
I listened to the whole album, but its just not grabbing me. Its reminiscent (derivative?) of a bunch of other artists, but it never does anything that stands out as exceptional. Its not bad, but its not good either. Also, I really think that this list is making me biased against british music. Theres just far too many mediocre albums being held up as something better than they are merely because of their national origin. 3/5
Not bad, not great. Hard for me to get past the vocals - just not vibing with me. Some of the instrumentation throughout the album is impressive, but pretty underwhelming overall. Fave tracks: Hanging Out and Hung Up On The Line, Beautiful Love
Sort of reminded me of Nick Cave - an artist I can't work out if I think is a genius or don't like. Dark but with a knowing nod. Decent listen
Ei ihan huippubiisejä, mutta hyvin kantoi tuplalevyn.
Ihan jees menneen ajan kitaramenoa. 3/5
A few songs in, and my first thought was: "Mom! Can we get the Tragically Hip?" "No son! We have Tragically Hip at home!" And mom shows me this artist. After surface researching this artist, I see he is before The Hip but it's still funny. Gord Downie must've taken a few recipes from Julian Cope and added his own spice to it because there are some coincidences for sure. Even the music has a bit of a similar sound. Perhaps it was the year. The album was alright. I enjoyed it. Unfortunately there was only the 2 hr delux album on spotify.. So that wasnt what I wanted. I don't want a delux anything until after I have heard the initial vision of an album. Delux versions are cool! And I do love them. But like I said, I want to hear the original intent. Even if they recorded it wrong the first time... And in the delux, they fixed soemthing. Or remixed it. I want what was presented at first. But after 2 hours plus of this album, I probably got the gist of it. Decent album. Lyrics are odd. Not in an intriguing way... In a weird Jim Morrison way. Poetic but kind of far outfield.
I don't dislike this. Kind of a happier Nick Cave or a Brit-Pop Jim Morrison.
It’s okay it was just way too long!
Why is this 2 1/2 hours long? DNF due to length. Damn. I didn't hate it but didn't live it either. 2.5
2.5 FINALLY gotten around to listening all the way through this after three attempts over maybe three of four months. it genuinely prevented me from listening to any more of these albums because i was just so unmotivated after listening to the first few songs. he is annoyingly now one of my top artists because of this so i'm just generally displeased and glad it's over. however, this wasn't the worst i've listened to on here and i did like a few of the songs, i was just confused by the overall vibe(s?) and it was far too long in my opinion (and that's without listening to the second disc). to be honest i think my expectations were just set too high by his spotify description starting with "musician, writer, historian, and cosmic shaman ... An enigmatic storyteller, contrarian, mystic, and hallucinogen enthusiast". the music would have to do a Lot to live up to that description.
Blandad konfekt. En del bra, en del dåligt.
I was enjoying the album until I had about three or four songs left, then I was just thinking when is this going to be over.
Couldn’t put my finger on this one, some acid house sounding tracks similar to Happy Mondays, jam band vibes like Phish, and the evil and angry undertones of Pixies. Had to listen a few times to really get a grasp on it. Overall it’s an interesting listen and Cope is definitely a talented and a clever songwriter. Nothing about this blew my mind to the point where I’d say it was anything close to classic, but still a solid and enjoyable album.
2.5
Next 5 songs played by my Spotify Algorithm: Frank Black - ( I Want to Live on an ) Abstract Plane Morrissey - Billy Budd The Astrals - Lenny Valentino XTC - Grass - Edit Gene - Still can't find the phone
I had never heard of Julian Cope before and was expecting the worst. But this was a lot better than I expected. For a while I thought this may be a 4 star album but it's way too long at 76 minutes and you can definitely get a bit lost in the sauce. 3 stars feels right.
Only two key tracks stood out to me - Hanging out and hung up on the line, and Safesurfer. Which is honestly disappointing for a 2+ hour album.
certains morceaux m ont plu mais comme trop souvent c'est beaucoup trop longggggggggggggggggggggghgzhzriiiwk
Pretty long but well varied, definitely going in a rotation, I likes some of the more angst tunes
It was weird in a good way but too long
was ok but a bit too long... still, not feeling too harsh
I seem to be struggling to get a whole album to play. What I can get is frantic.
Luova
Dont remember
Sonoramente me gustó, siendo la primera vez que lo escucho podría quedar ahí, me gustó, no se me hizo difícil, podría ponerlo de fondo un día cualquiera, pero no me pareció algo grandioso como para calificarlo como dentro de los mejores álbumes
For this project I only listen to original tracklistings. Safesurfer is really cool. This album has some varied moods. I wasn't expecting that when it started.
Very average rock music that doesn't really rock, nor get stuck in your head to any degree. Not particularly bad, nor particularly good. 2.5 rounded to 3. How did this album become one of these 1001?
Lots of variety in musical styles on display. Not too gripping, and a long album overall.
This album contains none of Julian Cope's most well known songs...but, it still has some good ones... Standouts: Pristine Others: Beautiful Love, Head, If You Loved Me At All, East Easy Rider, Soldier Blue, Promised Land, You..., 3.5/5
Never quite got a handle on this one. I kept thinking it reminded me of other things. Now I'm not sure at all.
Definitely interesting. Had never heard of this fella. I really like one or two of these, might give this another spin.
It's obviously some kind of neo-psychedelia, with some weirdness and experimentation. But I'm not sure I really like his singing plus it does meander. 3.5
Had some Frank vibes
I tried to enjoy this album as Julian Cope pulls out all the stops with sounds and styles I usually love. This just felt bloated, directionless and weird. I not the the let your freak flag fly kind of weird, more the I am changing carriages on this train to get away from this guy weird. Some good songs and I can see the influence he has had on other artists
Another album that grew on me as I listened. A balanced amount of politics and spacious post punk. Some especially grabbing moments, but nothing mind blowing. I'm glad to have gotten the chance to listen, this is not the kind of genre that's easy to find. Also very cool to learn about Julian as an artist
At times I felt Nick Cave vibes, but never as good. I appreciate this record, but I don’t anticipate another listen.
I remember Teardrop Explodes and lost track of Julian so was suprised to see him pop-up here! It's interesting to listen to although I can't say it's catchy but certainly worth experiencing.
I guess there were some good songs on this. It was too long though. And definitely a bit boring. 6/10
Not a bad way to spend the afternoon. Got a lot of Jim Morrison / Lou Reed / Iggy Pop vibes throughout. Not bad, not great, I probably won't come back to this album but I wouldn't be opposed to listening to it again either.
3.5 stars. Strange and eclectic, meandering at times. Varies in genre from fast-paced to slow and drawn out. Enjoyed disc 1, but disc 2 was too experimental for me. Standout was "Hanging Out And Hung Up On The Line".
I do not what to make of this album, it's an easy listen but nothing really stands out
I had not heard of Julian Cope or heard any of his music before. I enjoy this album. He's an excellent performer and the compositions are interesting. I also ready the Wikipedia article on him and he sounds like an multifaceted person who pursues his interests with a lot of passion. I always like that. The tracks on this album are varied in style and approach, and executed very well, and I found some to be really quite catchy. Some highly skilled playing by the musicians who appear on this record. Good stuff.
Es un álbum, a mi gusto, un poco excesivamente largo xd. Es bueno, pero tampoco creo que sea la gran cosa, no está mal pero no suena como algo que escucharía en repetidas ocasiones, sobretodo por lo largo que es y lo monótono que se vuelve. Meh.
Mélodie rock un peu rêveuse style ballade. 29 tounes, 2h30 d'écoute. Y'en a qui sortent plus du lot que d'autres. Pas totalement convaincu, amis y'a de la bonne guit dans place.
first listen there's some winners and a lot of miss in this album
2 bangers, the rest passable.
Kind of a long album…. Heard of him, never heard this album. Standouts: Pristeen, Promise Land, If You Loved Me At All, Head, Las Vegas Basement 3/5
Not sure I needed 18 tracks of this album but it definitely falls somewhere in the gray mediocrity that represents the middle of the bell curve for the list of 1001. Even though I wasn't fully convinced thematically by the album, I do hope Peggy ultimately changed her mind.
I was slightly familiar with Julian Cope already ("World Shut Your Mouth", "Charlotte Anne") but this gave me a fuller picture of what he could do. It never really blew me away and kind of fit in with a lot of 90s indie at the time, but the subject matter is more edgy and he does have a point of view! I give it an aight - don't hate it, probably won't seek it out.
Kinda gives that late 80s alt vibe. It's perfectly fine without making me really like it either.
Definite early indie/alternative vibe. Could have come from anywhere from the late 90's to today. Great rock instrumentation and playing. Reminds me quite a bit of Jane's Addiction playing and song-wise minus the vocals and with the addition of keys on many tunes. Sounds like something that would be playing in the background at Adrianna's night club or the Bada Bing in the Sopranos.
gud
3,5 beautiful artwork
2 discos, siendo el primero de un estilo mezcla rock, pop y estilo más comercial. El segundo juega más con extravagancias y algo de psicodelia. Tanto uno como otro se dejan escuchar, pero no destacan en nada especialmente
overstayed it’s welcome a bit but overall average to good songs!
it is what it isss
I enjoyed this more than I might have imagined. But I don't understand how this is on the list. It is just average.
I liked this more than I expected to, based on the descriptions. For the most part straightforward singer-songwriter fare, and well done. Typical of many what used to be double LPs in the pre-CD era, it fell apart a bit at the end with some material that felt like filler to me. I think it could have been edited down to a shorter, better album. But ended strongly.
It is not my type of genre to listen to.
C'est vrai qu'il y a de bonnes tounes la dessus et aussi de très bonne, mais l'album est irrégulié et des fois ca tombe expérimentale beaucoup. Faire attention sur spotify pour la expanded version qui est 2h15, l'album n'est pas aussi long `la base. 3.25
"Hung up & hanging out to dry" is a jam. Most of the songs aren't my taste
Po pire
I was unfamiliar with Julian Cope before today. His music was kind of meh, just enough to keep me listening, but not enough to draw me in completely. Ok overall.
7/10
I didn't spend enough time with it to rate it.
Eclectic and pretty cool overall, but not my favorite.
Not sure what I make of this. Some songs, some music, some moments but mainly it drifted past me.
Udmærket 90’er punk, lidt svingende
Music was good background noise, the album was extremely long. Wouldn’t mind hearing the album again, but I don’t think I would really seek it out.
Ik heb echt nog nooit van deze beste man gehoord. Terwijl hij blijkbaar wel een rijk oeuvre heeft. Ik hoor invloeden van Bowie en Iggy Pop op zijn muziek, van Lou Reed en Nick Cave, en op zijn beurt weer gelijkenissen van zijn muziek met hedendaagse bands als Fontaines DC en Idles. Het hele album is best wel afwisselend qua muzikale stijlen. En daardoor ben ik toch wel positief verrast. Maar het zit wel in de categorie albums die ik toch niet snel nog een keer op zal zetten, ondanks dat ik het wel interessant vind.
Another artist and album that I had never heard of. I wasn't sure what to expect from it. Pristeen was a weird album opener that grew more manic as the song went on, and I was hoping it wasn't setting a tone for the entire album. In reality, I don't think there was an overall "tone" to be "set" here. While there are some high overarching genres at play here, this is an incredibly eclectic album and each song kind of does its own thing. In a way, that kept things interesting and unexpected. This album felt a bit pretentious at times, and other times like it was just trying to be artful. I never did get a good "read" on it. Not exactly my cup of tea, but still a fun enough listen.
Some ok songs, not really my jam though
The way this album began, I was prepared to give it 1 star. But then it completely turned itself around; the run of songs from "Hanging Out" to "You..." could have been a 5 star EP. After that it gets a little less drastic but definitely more mixed to finish it out. Ultimately this had some outstanding, brilliant moments, but it was weighed down with so much bloat and bilge that I can't give it any7thing more than a 3.
Surprisingly good, but way too long I didn’t listen to the whole thing and it got weird by the end
This was a strange album for me. If I only really gelled with one song I usually just give it a 2. But this album is different. I am gonna give it a 3, but Safesurfer was an absolute banger. Will be adding to the playlist. The rest of the alum was pretty good, just nothing as nice as that song.
Complicated music, intriguing vocal, interesting sound. Listened to this in the background. 3/5
Interesting music. Terrible lyrics. 3.5/5.
Overall a pretty alright album, but I feel that it dragged on longer than it should have. I didn't feel anything was too special besides the occasional experimentation. Fave track(s): Safesurfer, You...
Some great songs in this, but mostly unequal. There's a lot of fillers, in my opinion. Therefore, the album should have been shorter.
It's seriously great and creative music. There are a few diamonds in this album, unfortunately lost in a too long winded product in which the listener can easily loose interest along the road.
A sprawling mess of an album. I appreciate his experimentation, but it is far too long. Needed some editing and refinement.
It's all competent but a bit all over the place, not for me but not bad.
Hef aldrei heyrt um þennan mann. Betra en ég reiknaði með.
Quite an eclectic rock record. Prefer the heavier, jammier portions. Not big on his voice. Interesting listen, glad I gave it a spin, but nothing that blew me away.
Not bad, not for me
This is a very interesting album. There were plenty of parts of it that I didn't enjoy all that much, but, for the time it was made, there is a lot of interesting stuff going on here. 1991 feels too early for a lot of the sounds on this album, which is indicative of the fact that Cope was ahead of his time when making it. It's not always enjoyable for me, but I can see why this album is on the list 3/5
Hadn't listed to Julian Cope before. This is decent.
A bit too much filler but JC is a pop legend.
Decent music
Teardrop Explodes were the forefront of the neo-psychedelia movement at the turn of 80s, and here we are a decade later, Julian Cope is continuing those post-punk themes while incorporating interesting instrumentation and elements from contemporary psychedelia: in this case Madchester. Songs like "Double Vegetation" could be confused for the Happy Mondays. It's funky and spacious, which songs taking their sweet time. Some of them do feel repetitive and overstay their welcome, but the track listing ranges so much as I don't get tired despite its double album length. Some go back to their roots, like the psychedelic "Leperskin" is totally a Teardrop Explodes but with lamer vocals, reminds me of the Doors a bit. I like Cope's more forward punk-like vocals, and personally not a fan of his alternate deep baroque-esque voice (too crisp and boring), but the echoey chamber feel to it works for many songs. There's plenty of standout tracks, but nothing remarkable or innovative, no hits, just unique and intriguing. For example, the atonal nature of "If You Loved Me At All" has a groovy post-rock feel to them with a punk approach, not something I've really heard before and would love to hear more like it, but I feel this song could be done better. And just a note, but my favorite tracks aren't necessarily an objective. For example, I really like "Not Raving But Drowning" which is pretty repetitive except for the cool mallet percussion and synth at two points, but I'm obsessed with the slow groovy and tropical feel to it. Now, there are a few accessible pop songs like "Head" and "Beautiful Love" which have a cool instrumentation underneath, but otherwise the structure and vocals are pretty boring. I really like how the album ends with the last 4 songs. We get two highly experimental tracks that work pretty ok, and "Las Vegas Basement" is a pretty decent and appropriate closer, coming full circle to the style of our opener "Pristine." Favorites: Double Vegetation, East Easy Rider, Hanging Out, Safesurfer, You, Not Raving But Drowning, Hung Up
Started off OK, then I didn't get it, then it got better and I kinda got it.
This is one of the albums ever made. There's a song about a motorcycle.
I enjoyed all the music from this album, it just went on for so long I was bored when it got near the end, if it were two separate albums I would have thoroughly enjoyed both. The last three songs were...odd "Ravebury Stones" went on for a while, it was over 11 minutes long with mostly the same thing "Dragonfly" was just plain weird, not bad, just weird Why does he keep talking about Donkey Kong?
Not bad. The murky grooves sound nice but don’t feel like they reach any real highs, the song ”Safesurfer” being the outlier
Helt bra
Chill rock, reminds me of Mad Season, the guy has a hoarse, deep voice.
Solid album, especially stoned
I didn't hate this, but I was confused when I read the genres. It's definitely not punk. I don't know what it is.
3.5
Decent enough
strong start, too long
I lost track of Julian Cope after The Teardrop Explodes split. Good to see him continuing his own strange path.
What a weird interesting album
A bit too long of an album. It’s not at any point bad, but it kind of lacks colour and personality. Hard to get excited during any moment of this album.
Decent alternative rock album, reminding me a bit of REM. Unfortunately way too long and also not memorable enough to warrant anything more than a 3
Although I new Reward, Treason and World Shut Your Mouth, I Was expecting something folky and somewhat downbeat and political, but this is late 80s/early 90s British indie guitar pop with a sense of fun and light experimentation and similar to his previous hits. A bit like early James but less folky and fewer lyrics. Enjoyable and upbeat, if overlong.
I am torn on this album. I don’t enjoy the spoken word style singing and low monotone singing that is 80% of the album but when Cope really goes for it, it makes the song like on double vegetation which gives of an early R.E.M vibe. The real star of this album is the distorted shredding guitar. I absolutely love the jam solos on these tracks. The album itself seems a little bloated with 18 tracks clocking in over 1 hour 15 minutes. Favorite tracks: Double Vegetation If you loved me at all Leperskin
Something is here to be sure, especially evident in the second half. It gets weird, reminding one of the strained beginnings. It's clear then that Cope is not only worshiping American sounds but commenting on the scene. A double album with no filler but largely expected arrangements.
Another interesting album that didn’t immediately draw me in
I liked parts of this, but overall it was sorta a slog to get through. I definitely didn't hate it, but it didn't catch me, that's for sure. 2.75/5
First track was a snooze but it picked up after that. Not blown away but it was enjoyable post-punk.
Rock, pop, electrónica... Primera parte, bien. Segunda, rara y aburrida