Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

This is as good as any of any it but I'm sick of British 70s punk in this list. It's a very shallow sound.

Did you know that British people call chicken sandwiches "burgers"? As if the bun is what makes it a burger. Wtf, England. They also abbreviate advertisements as "adverts" instead of "ads," because I guess they don't understand the point of abbreviations. Finally, their punk bands are typically pale imitators of the format, soullessly checking boxes on a form as if punk is a series of requirements rather than an attitude. Thankfully, that's not the case here, even if they still call them "adverts." Best track: Great British Mistake (I assume this song is about the burger/sandwich thing. Please don't @ me if that's wrong, because in that case I don't want to know)

Sound like every other English punk band

"Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts" is an utterly perfect example of peak UK punk. There's not a bad track on the album. Everything you love about punk is on display PLUS great vocal performances and a higher production value than is usual for the genre and time. What a great album.

Surprising. I'm not a fan of punk and had definite trepidation on getting this, fearing truly one chord wonders with lofi production. Wrong! There's a ton of melody here, with frequent unexpected rhythmic twists and turns. Is it...crazy to say that maybe some very early Iron Maiden took some cues from this album? Seriously - there are hints of the Paul Di'Anno era of Maiden here and hey, who arrived first? It's raw without sounding garage-y. I like the twin guitar spread and simple yet effective and not distracting mix. I'd say the second half falls off from the excellent first - nothing bad, but suffers from a bit of same-ness. 7/10 4 maybe generous stars but this is an album that is a big crossover for me that held my attention

Ah, the adverts… typically where one might stop watching for a few minutes to re-enter the real world. Get up, walk around, make a cup of tea, use the toilet, anything to pass the time before the next part of something more interesting comes on. A bit like how I felt with this album. It’s not necessarily “bad music”- in 1978 in the UK, it was probably a breath of fresh air alongside its peers- but it felt non-essential, and didn’t seem to offer anything new or innovative. At its strongest, the album feels like a perverse take on the British Invasion era from the disillusioned generation who came afterwards. “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” (a single not originally on the record) holds this up the most, with an ascending chord progression against a vocal line harmonising in opposite directions. It somehow sounded like an alternative 60s record to me. I enjoyed T.V Smith’s vocals throughout- less shouty, more melodic and precise than the stereotype “punk” voice. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for me, and the inspiration seemed to run out quite quickly. Chord progressions were reused, lyrics came off as vague variations on the same ideas, the arrangements and rhythms didn’t have much to separate them, and by “Drowning Men” and On Wheels”, even the band sounded like they were flagging. To its credit, it kept proceedings to a half hour listen and they saved one of the best for last, with “The Great British Mistake” having fun sardonic lyrics, several different sections musically, and a really catchy outro. It’s not too surprising to me that The Adverts broke up shortly after this album- listening to it, it’s difficult to work out a direction they might progress in. Lightning in a bottle… and then the bottle smashed.

This is some really good punk music. It isn't particularly angry, it's just punks having enormous fun and playing music really well. I get the feeling that I've listened to "the ultimate edition" or something, because with 25 tracks, some of them 3 versions of the same, this is too long. Great music, but unless you're really really into it, just stop the playback after track 13.

My first time listening to or hearing of the Adverts, and it was a pleasant experience. I'm not entirely sure how much punk needs to be listened to once you get outside of the main contenders. Crossing the Red Sea sounds like typical punk and shouts the same message, but an all together good listen. 3.5/5

Why on earth would you ever want to listen to the Ramones when this came out less than two years later and is just superior in every way imaginable?

Another Groundhog day of English punk.

Who the fuck is Gary Gilmore? Anyway, not a bad punk album I guess, just nothing to write home about.

samey

Awesome punk rock album from a band I had never heard of until today. The album sounded like one long song, but not in a bad way. It was totally cohesive and the energy felt sincere. Great guitar solo in “No Time To Be 21”. You don’t often see those in punk albums.

The Adverts is a band that I've never heard of and I've never listened to their songs. When I read that they were a 70's UK punk band I got excited. I got hooked on after the first song. They're really good and mu first impression is that they equal the Clash and are better than the Sex Pistols. Great production quality for being punk from this era.

Ah Gaye Advert and TV Smith. Gaye was my Teenage Heartthrob back in 77/78. A feisty female bass player, what's not to love! "One Chord Wonders" "Bored Teenagers" and on the Ultimate Version but not the original Album "Gary Gilmores Eyes" The humour of which was totally missed by British tabloids at the time. Absolutely Loved The Adverts and this album which is rightfully on this list. Listening to it again took me back to the heady days of 77/78 when anything was possible and Gaye, Wherever you are now, know your great influence on this teenage boy! Thank you!

A real treat. "One Chord Wonders" and "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" are among the best punk singles but it's all good and fairly varied and inventive for early punk. Lots going on below the surface, shame they petered out after this. And, John Leckie ffs! What a career..

Pretty damn good punk.

This is enjoyable british punk... clean, raw sounding with a pop-punk energy. One chord wonders and no time to be 21 stood out for me. Good listen.

Sprightly, zingy post punk. Surprisingly clean sounding but plenty of bounce and bite there.

Excellent tight punk record

I can’t do it man

Really fun and energetic listen, classic Punk. The first few songs are incredibly and really pull you in right away. It doesn't ever really lose steam. Sometimes albums like this can get a bit tiresome because its just fast and raw songs one after another, but this one didn't really feel like that. Gotta spend some more time with this album but I really enjoyed it.

Fantastic from start to finish. This deserves to be higher in the list of great British punk albums in the general consciousness.

What a great album! The opener is truly fantastic, what an energy, what a speed, what great melodies. This album contains a lot of beautiful melodies, accentuated by the great chants. Listen to the chorus of the most famous song: 'Gary Gilmore's eyes'. There's not a real weak moment, maybe it can become a bit too much but fortunately it's only 36 minutes. Definitely one of punk's greatest moments.

Never heard this band but this is a killer album. Pure punk very raw yet very well recorded and clean. All songs are good and can't believe they didnt become a top band at the time. Really good album the songs flow and kind of have a vibe and continuation with a arragement connecting dot yet its tough to pin point.

What a fantastic album. Bored Teenager, One Chord Wonder, No time to be 21. All great songs. Seen the Adverts so many times and TV Smith acoustic sessions.

Great band!! Great Album!!

After listening to this album, I too would like to look through Gary Gillmore’s eyes. I’ve seen criticism that this sounds like every 70s British punk album and I agree… but all of them shits are hard so I dig it!

Good.

Yooo so good

Super groovy punk album. Ich hab den vibe heute Morgen gebraucht! Das macht gute Laune! Wer „The Clash“ mag, mag auch „The Adverts“. Eingängige Riffs und gute Texte, was will man mehr von einem Punk Album! 5/5 - Fav: „Bombsite Boy”

See what punks can do.

Despite really liking the single, "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" at the time, I didn't listen to this album until I did a deep dive back into punk in the '90s. I loved it yet it has been years since I listened properly. It still holds up. Good songs, unusually high production values, a really enjoyable half hour.

Awesome punk album from what continues to be my favorite year in music. This has all your favorite punk beats, but the difference maker on this album is the singing is quite good, which is not normally present in these albums. This is right up there with The Ramones as my favorite from the genre, probably edging out The Clash. I haven't got the Sex Pistols yet, so we will see if it holds that spot. My favorite here was Safety in Numbers and Gary Gilmore's Eyes.

5 out of 5. Though it may have that basic early punk sound this album stands with others released during the late seventies.

Now that's some good punk. Energetic, making something out of nothing and somehow melodic

Really enjoyed this early punk album.

fun and punk

Not often I find early British punk I haven’t exhausted. So I enjoyed this.

Excellent

One of the most nuanced and varied punk album from the initial British explosion. More tuneful than the Sex Pistols, as energetic as the Damned, as varied in their influences as the Clash. This album is a blast of fresh air from bored teenagers already looking past punk rock at what else is out there. Their second LP is even better!

I'm giving this a five because it's great and I've never heard it before.

A vital and important punk cornerstone that I had never listened to in full before - pretty much the point of doing this! It doesn't need all the flummery of the 1hr 9min expanded edition; the original was less than half that and better for it. Up there with the best UK punk, and the best work John Leckie has produced - both of which are impressive company to keep.

Cool vibes, I dig it.

Crossing the red sea with The Adverts requires an acknowledgement of a sense of urgency, a kind of awareness for what's going on that colors the past, the present and the future and a overt feeling of surging rage flowing through the veins. Whether or not there is time to be a particular age, what is for sure is that, for the brief time that they were a part of the scene, The Adverts were very much amongst one of the best of the first wave punk bands. A pity that their clarion call didn't ring loud enough for the world to hear.

Perfect early punk album!

Urgent, angsty. The epitome of this era of punk. Astonished I've never heard it before, astonished by how good it is.

Bardzo przyjemne, lubię punk(rock). Safety in numbers trochę brzmienie jak The Clash. Naprawdę dobry debiut. 5

Man, this was excellent. The evolution of punk over the years is really, really interesting to hear--this one feels like an artifact all the way through. Favorite track: Great British Mistake

Eine tolle Neuentdeckung! Melodisch und komplex genug, dass es nicht langweilig wird. Trotzdem der ganze Drive des Punk. Gary Gilmore's Eyes kannte ich schon - wahrscheinlich von meinen Peel Sessions - aber die Band nicht.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: One chord wonders, Bored teenagers, New church, On the roof, Gary Gilmore’s eyes, Safety in numbers

This was true punk 🤘 five stars

Now this is a punk sound. Unpolished in just he right way. It feels like the Ramones in a very good way.

Really good. Felt ahead of its time for a punk sound.

This is incredible! 1978! So timeless. One Chord Wonders and Gary Gilmore's Eyes are great songs but my favourite is Bored Teenagers. I also love the way that the live version of No Time to Be 21 ends. :mic-drop:

cool

This is pretty rad. A lot more distinctive than a lot of the punk bands I've listened to.

This was an excellent album. Front to back great songs. A lot of power.

Fucking great.

The Adverts only made two albums. I usually go for album number two, Cast of Thousands ..always found it hard to understand that that album was not well liked at the time. In contrast to Crossing the Red Sea, it is more new wave and less punk rock. But that is not say that CRS isn't great too.

pretty great punk, honestly - 9/10

Very Ramones in a very good way. SHIT these songs are catchy.

Cool punk sounds from l that era

Awesome! I LOVED this! Such great songs, such great lyrics and melodies. So sophisticated for seemingly simple punk music. Brilliant. How did I ever miss this band?

What a powerhouse of an album. Fast, clean, and cheap is right. Songwriting is thought provoking, sound is clean, while 3 chord music blisters in the background. This is what ALL punk should aspire to. Highlight tracks: ALL (especially 1, 2, 6, 11). Gary Gilmore's Eyes my favorite track of the whole review process so far.

Pure punky, angsty-fun! Hidden gem to find!

I only just started listening to the Adverts this year, although I'd heard a few of their tunes on some punk playlists before. It's really solid, punk vibes with high-level lyrics, instrumentation, and hooks. I've listened twice already and will probably do so again.

i dunno what to say about this one. i love the adverts, and have since i got my copy of burning ambitions, and heard gary gilmore's eyes for the first time. sooo...having it appear twice on this album was awesome, and the whole thing made me happy.

High 3/low 4 I think, nice solid punk rock

Really fun stuff here. Gary Gilmore's Eyes is a straight banger and there are so many good quick tunes to dine on. Certainly can recommend.

Okay, this may very well be the best punk album I've ever heard. There's a bit more going on here musically than with Never Mind the Bollocks, for example, as great as an album that is. I love the droning guitar on some of the songs, like Safety in Numbers. Like most of the best punk acts, the Adverts are secretly capable players. The album keeps a breakneck pace, stuffing 11 tracks into just over a half an hour: you're left wanting more, but not feeling short changed by the time it's over. But, I have to fault this album for personal reasons. The band frequently reminds the listener of their youth ("Bored Teenagers", "No Time to be 21"), and that makes this aging 22-year old feel inadequate and unaccomplished. So, I'm docking a star. Just kidding. The album doesn't quite reach the heights of 5 stars, but not many do. What holds this back are just the failings (in my opinion) that are generally inherent to punk (not amazingly strong lyrically, not particularly complex musically). The recording quality is a bit uneven, but to be honest I don't really care about that. This album is a delight. My favourite song was Bombsite Boy. One Chord Wonders, New Church and Safety in Numbers were some other highlights. And Gary Gilmore's Eyes is too catchy. It's all going in the playlist though.

Good stuff, manages to stand out from the crowd of early punk album with memorable tunes and a sound that was their own.

Really enjoyed this, nice tight punk that didn’t get too muddy. Songs blended together a bit, which isn’t necessarily bad, just shows cohesion.. however it did tend to get pushed into the background fairly often (which may be my busy day rather than the albums fault)). 4/5 for now but will need to revisit

raw punk sound definitely felt like a forthcoming of what was to come

Cool! I’d never heard this band before.

That was really fun! Also tighter than most punk bands of the era. I was expecting something a lot more chaotic, and was surprised - there were some really good hooks there.

Brit punk is okay!

I was pleasantly surprised by this! Always enjoy hearing the older punk bands that pioneered the genre. I think I liked this more than the Sex Pistols.

Lovely British punk. Great to work to!

Excellent.

I really like this album. I know it is technically punk, but it’s more fun and less angry than some earlier punk bands. It’s a good album and there is more going on than it at first seems. It takes a swipe at some other punk tropes. Pretty varied and inventive for punk, and more produced than most punk albums. Enjoy this, own the original of this without Gary Gilmour’s Eyes. Cracking album.

Good listen 🎶

British punk strikes again! Maybe it's the bottle of wine I just downed, or the Stilton cheese, but this is some grade A bougie punk that I can get down with!

one chord wonders I like this song because it is a good song borde teenagers I like this song because i can hear the gutire new church i like this song because it is a really good song

Decent. Nothing overly special.

I've literally never heard of them before, but this was pretty good. 7/10

Яростный и кайфовый альбом.

3.5

This is new to me, but I liked it quite a bit. "One Chord Wonders" is a great song, but the whole album is quite good. They remind me a bit of the Buzzcocks. It's punk, but with there's almost a power pop element underneath it. It's very catchy. 4 stars,

This was pretty tight. I thought I was in for some classic 70s punk at the beginning but there was some surprising range in here. There were big fat chugging riffs, moments that felt pretty prog-rock, etc. This was a lot more variety than I expected from a genre that I don't really expect to get much out of. I enjoyed this one a lot more than the standard issue 70's era UK punk album

70's British punk, great energy and great sound. What else can you say.

The version i listened to had Gary Gilmore's Eyes, which is a favorite of mine. Good 70s punk. High energy. Couple of low points but overall a good listen.

Pretty good 70s British punk. I knew a few of the songs from before but liked listening to the whole album.

Defining punk rock With catchy “one chord wonders” And odd ball spirit

I actually found that really fun and not as one-note (or one-chord…ha ha…) as I normally do with punk. Maybe punk is growing on me… Fav tracks: Gary Gilmore’s Eyes; One Chord Wonders

Fun and punky

New wavey and kind of goth at times. Punky, rocky

I will not include "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" and "New Day Dawns" in this review, as they were bonus tracks added in subsequent reissues of this album. I'm also not including the live tracks and radio edits tacked on at the end. I listened to The Adverts from their single "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" earlier this year. They were a short-lived UK punk group founded by frontman T.V. Smith and bassist Gaye Advert. They were one of the first to achieve mainstream success, and Gaye was one of the first female punk stars. I'd say on the historical significance, they're worth a mention on this list. As for their debut album itself, Crossing the Red Sea is an enjoyable, frenetic affair where the whole band played with tenacity for these youthful rebellion anthems. From tackling blind faith on "New Faith" to staying defiant with certainty on "Bombsite Boy" and control of thought on "Great British Mistake", T.V. Smith snarled with such conviction as Howard Pickup laid down fast guitar hooks and Gaye and Laurie Driver matched with their tight rhythm section. Probably my favorite song was "No Time to Be 21" with the most prominent guitar lines, as the lyrics embodied pure defiance of societal norms. I know there are plenty of UK punk acts that this list pulls from, so it may be hard to justify another one of them for inclusion. Also, I probably would have appreciated more visceral detail and varied subject matter, as most of this album can be boiled down to general angst against perceived authoritative figures. But as one of the first genuine punk albums from the country that broke out in a short time with an album this good, I'd say they're worth digging up.

I quite liked this tbh - I think I'm generally a fan of british music

good stuff