Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

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.

Feels oddly pedestrian for something which, on the face of it, sounds pacy and energetic. It's alright for sure, just lacking a certain something.

4/10

Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts is a pretty decent album. It is a late 70s British punk album so it has all the bells and whistles you would expect from an album with all of these characteristics and in my opinion, its done pretty well. The songs all have that fast paced and rebellious energy that you would expect to see from a punk album like this making the album rush by and really never getting all too tedious. Granted, this album is very samey and also very cheesy as it does have all the quirks of late 70s british punk rock albums but i still enjoyed this album for being a fun, inoffensive listen. Best Song: Safety In Numbers Worst Song: Bored Teenagers

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.

Sounds fun to attend a live concert of, but I probably won't listen to it again.

Klinkt als een basic Brits punk album uit de jaren 70. Gelukkig voor mij vind ik basic Britse punk albums uit de jaren 70 geweldig. En dus krijgt deze een 3.1 van mij, wat op zich niet slecht is.

Great band!! Great Album!!

Day498- i’m glad to hear the bands that help lay the groundwork for their genres

It is 70s punk. That is about all I can say.

Decent. Nothing overly special.

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!

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

An English punk album that means it. Not as spellbinding as The Clash at their best, but not as sloppy as Sex Pistols. It's just good punk rock. Nothing too shiny or undercooked.

Way better than I expected it to be. It was an enjoyable album that I would happily listen to again. A little too repetitive for my tastes, but at least it wasn't all noise. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3. - Punk rock... Carrying a lot of judgement going into this - First song: Not as bad as I expected! It's not just noise - It's a bit of an eyeroll, but it's fun

I like some of these songs though I feel like I heard this exact album a couple times before

Яростный и кайфовый альбом.

Is there such a genre as "smooth punk"? If there is, then this album would fit right in. It's a little too smooth for my liking. I like a bit more anger and angst in my punk music.

3.5

3.5

I overall like the sound of the album, great energy, but I'm not sure what they bring to the table. They almost feel like a link between Punk and Post Punk but that had already happened by the time this album came out in early 1978. It's a great listen though. (7.2) ★★★½ (

Melodic 70s punk, with nice hooks. 3.5 stars

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,

3.5

What’s the Buzzcocks tell me what’s a happening? What’s the Buzzcocks tell me what’s a happening? This is 70s UK punk but less slummier and with an ever so slight power poppy edge a bit like The Buzzcocks but without any of the great songs. In fact most of the songs pretty much all sound the same from the first song till last. They’re not as annoying as their namesakes on TV, Amazon or YouTube but these are still adverts that are best skipped.

Pretty good punk album. 3.5 stars

solid punk, but not my genre so much

I thought I'd heard all the first generation punk bands worth hearing, but not this one. Gary Gilmore's Eyes stands out.

There's nothing really objectionable here, but also nothing that grabs me. 70s British punk just isn't my thing. The bass is probably the most interesting part of the record, and the vocals the least, but both of those are marginal. 5/10

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

Nüd schlächt.

one chord wonders fangt guet ah? bored teenagers macht häsig wiiter. new church het en uhuere zug druff uii. mag irgendwie wies afoch huere gas git. kei ahnig wer de gary gilmore isch aber sie luege dur sini auge. anschinend. no cool. great british mistake isch sehr cool kei ahnig um wases goht. aber super schluss vom album. glaub e 3? het etz nüt mega geils drunder aber par interessanti moment und s isch so roh wie es punk album mues sii.

hahahahah one chord wonder seeehr funny okee es isch no fun aber bis jz sochli najaaa muss endlich de titel vom lied jedes mal 719 mal wiederholt werde bombsite boy isch na cool!! unf hslt chli villsiitiger nvm ja es isch aggressively okay es het sich au sooo vill länger als e halbstund ahgfühlt? naja, es knapps 3 gits. d musig an und für sich isch ja no cool gsi, iwie eifach nüt speziells us minere sicht

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

Appropriately manic paced Brit punk.

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.

4/10 Nothing to write home about all pretty standard rock that doesn’t stand out

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

whatever

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

Apparently this is a cornerstone punk album; can't say I really understand why. Pretty forgettable. Could be me missing something but I gave it more than one listen.

There are some decent melodies in the grime. There is a lot on this list similar to this, but this is probably one of the better ones. Nice production, crisp sound.

Started kinda weak, but I ended up enjoying it.

This is cool. I love punk and this is what I love about punk. Aggressive attitude, simplistic music but with great catchy melodies and a lot of conviction. Not an expert but I know The Adverts are also considered an influential band. Worthy three stars. Willing to call it three and a half. It’s great but doesn’t posses the greatness I expect of four stars.

OK, there's certainly better albums of this era but enjoyed the listen

Very much a 70s punk album. It's good and everything is done competently enough but it doesn't do that much to stand out for me. I will say that I liked the middle section of On the Roof though, that stood out I can't really think of much else to say Highkights: On the Roof, Bored Teenagers

I don't know. On my fourth or fifth listen. There's like one guitar rhythm part that stood out but I couldn't tell you which song. Very middle of the road for me. 2.5

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

There are better early punk albums.

Ok 2/5

Don’t like punk? Try this! It’s punk lite!

Not horrible, but a few steps below ok.

Ludicrously boring. I can't believe that this is grouped in with the rest of the early punk bands.

Very classic-sounding British punk. It does sound kinda samey to me after a while but I appreciate the tight production.

solid

Good.

Punk, 1978 -> 2

I'd never heard of these guys. Fun sound.

Yooo so good

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

This generator has introduced me to a lot of punk bands, including a lot of fresh and interesting ones. Unfortunately The Adverts didn't age ad well. The album is fine but it suffers from sounding a bit too much like the punk template that's been copied over and over again. The blank generation playing one chord over and over again. If you were a Sex Pistols fan back in the day and were itching for more, the Adverts could fill a void. They did so with less aggression that many others, putting them somewhere in between The Sex Pistols and the Clash. It's a good album but it's now drowning in a sea of imitators.

Not my bag. Exceedingly middling Clash rip-offs.

Yuck, boring, generic punk, ew ew. I mean it sounds ok because all punk sounds ok. TWO!

Basic punk rock album. Nothing incredible, nothing terrible.

Not bad. After a string of 1*s, I was tempted to reward them - but kept it honest.

I liked several songs on this album - One Chord Wonders, Bored Teenagers, Gary Gilmore's Eyes. Unfortunately I kind of tuned out towards the end, but it was a refreshing change after Limp Bizkit. We're just bored teenagers Looking for love Or should I say emotional rages.

Liked the energy...but nothing that I'd listen to again.

would go hard in 2005 indie club

This album has all the essential elements of 70's punk minus perhaps the most important thing.....it's not catchy. I came away feeling like I listened to one long punk song without the proverbial earworm from any particular song.

good stuff

I listened to the original album (11 tracks) not the later releases with more tracks. This is punk/rock from one of those obscure British groups. This isn’t my genre and the songs are not memorable, but there is something about the album which I enjoyed.

Trapped in the 70s... the opposite of the land of milk and honey. This band is new to me. They're punk alright. They're British alright. Songs are short. They all sound pretty similar, but that's typical for a first listen, I suppose. The idea of eye(part) transplants always unnerved me as a kid (and adult?), so I guess they tapped into something with that Gary Gilmore joint. Highlight: 'Bored Teenagers'

It was ok. I’m not a massive punk fan but I got through this album in one piece!

Usually I love a bit of punk, so I’ll come back to this one to give it a relisten when I’m in the mood - today was a bit overwhelming and this was too noisey, crash and samey throughout. I did a bit of toe tapping, so it’s got something about it that I’ll come back for

Fine but bored

I'd never heard of this band before today. They're fine. It's inoffensive and pretty forgettable.

Feels like more relatively mild punk. Maybe it just wasn't a great match for my mood this morning, but it didn't really land for me.

Great album overall, really enjoyed the lyrics. I rarely get exposure to Punk music. I personally feel this is a great album/band to recommend to people who want to get to know the genre. I added 6 songs from the album to my '1001 albums favorite songs' list.

It's pretty alright. Decent punk, but nothing that stands out, and most of the tracks blend together.

The occasional sprinkle of modulation and a broken rythm here and there keeps this one slightly fresh but ultimately it is more 70's punk. The songs are thusly similar that the live versions didn't register as something I heard before.

umm why was this on the list.. it had just about zero impact on me who were these guys again?

It was safe punk. In the middle.

Less fun than the Ramones. Less famous than the Sex Pistons. Less interesting than Wire. Less catchy than the Buzzcocks. Less political than the Clash.

Punk doesn't usually do it for me

Just not for me.

This was quite a lot of fun. I feel like first wave punk has grown a bit off of me considering how much more interesting post punk and post hardcore sonically but this album is eclectic enough to keep me engaged through its short runtime

Favorite Track: One Chord Wonders

first time hearing about this band, it was a fine ride.

Solid punk. Bobbed my head a few times!

Just a good punk album and nothing more.

This album is pretty decent. Not something I'll likely ever listen to again, but I enjoyed it.

A punk album with a singer who can sing which makes it 1 star better than most. God I hate punk

way too much British punk but this still fucks

The British colonized music like they colonized the global south. I'd rather drink warm fracking water than listen to another sub-par British rock band. In lieu: I recommend listening to the album Thunderbitch by Thunderbitch. It's a Brittany Howard band that only put out this album in 2015. This is roughly during the end of her time with Alabama Shakes and before her time with Bermuda Triangle and then her solo career. Much better rock than these white boys singing about a murderer's preserved eye balls.

Tried to objectively listen to this even though there has been 901 albums just like this on this list. I think I would be more inclined to appreciate British punk if there was less of it. I thought I reeeally liked the second song, until I looked at my phone and saw it had switched back to my queue of other artists. Anyways, I decided that on brit pop/punk/junk reviews I will be putting albums that could've made the list instead. Because there’s too many of this kind of album on the list. Today's pick was too recent to make the list, but is a good album. "Rituals On The Bank Of A Familiar River" by Kiki Rockwell.

Not the worst punk music I've heard actually. But also find it a bit tricky to find songs that breaks through the noise entirely. 'Bored Teenagers' is probably the one songs that really manages that for me. Nothing I will revisit again, but it was actually decent for being punk. Strong 2.

The sound was good but it was really just one sound all through out. Had trouble differentiating between any songs. Not a fan of the mixing either, hard to hear the vocals and it just sounded a bit flat.

It's a good album....

Pretty good but pretty standard punk album, highlights were one chord wonders, New church, Gary Gilmoures eyes and Bombsite boy which had a cool buildup. Rest of the songs were generic punk which was decent. Overall a high 3(6/10)

Some of the most convincing punk vocals I've heard. They don't bring this all the way up to 5 stars, but (perhaps unusually for the punk genre) they also don't drag it down to a measly yet unsurprising 1 star. There's a lot of snark and bite, shown by strong enunciation in several songs. I first noticed it in New Church. The melodies are also... well, they're not exactly McCartney-level, but they're unexpectedly good given the style. The name of the opening track, "One Chord Wonders", is less suited to this band themselves than most of the punk movement. Maybe it's a commentary about the monotonicity of their contemporaries? (Not sure. I'm not a lyrics guy.) The frequent doubling of guitar and bass parts gives the music an almost anthemic sound - a little odd, maybe, but it kind of works. Makes the music sound bigger and more important than it is. (And given its numbers on Spotify, it isn't.) Overall, this album is pretty solid. The exception is Bombsite Boy, which is near objectively worse than the other tracks because of its horrific out-of-tune first half. The latter half, which returns to standard high-quality punk, saves it. Overall, though, the record is dandy. I would have preferred some ballads or changes in instrumentation to get a more varied timbre within tracks and mood between different tracks. That's a pattern I've noticed with many greatest-of-all-time albums, particularly those from the 70s: they really try to showcase a diverse range of moods and (sometimes) styles. Sure, maybe that kind of music-making was part of the "music meta" in the late 70s, and the entire point of punk was to break free from that. But to be fair, it was the meta because it was good. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 3/5 Key tracks: New Church, Gary Gilmore's Eyes, No Time to Be 21

Reminds me a little of the Clash. I enjoyed it and would listen to it again. It might get better the second time.

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”

Sounds like most early punk music but it was better composed in my opinion. Not usually a punk fan but I enjoyed this one.

Passable, even enjoyable, first-wave British punk. More dynamic than the Ramones, that's for sure.

This was good, reminded me of the Sex Pistols and Gang of Four albums I’ve had before, but not quite as unique. Will listen again.

Generic 70s UK punk. A genre that's already over represented on this list.

Sounds like some Bored Teenagers made this one. Bunch of One Chord Wonders.

Never heard of this band before and 3 songs in I'm just not feeling it, its like it wants to be punk, with a hint of new wave... But doesn't really succeed at either.

There is a strange fascination with the new here: New Church, Newboys, a New Day Dawns. It seems to fit in with the Damned's recent debut, the first UK punk single, New Rose. However, the Adverts are insistent, on Safety in Numbers, that they were "always there anyway, without the New Wave/What about the New Wave?/Did you think it would change things?" This speaks somewhat to the contradictions of punk: new, but old sounding; challenging, but rudimentary; aggressive, but childish. Never as primitivist as it makes out to be, One Chord Wonders has more than three chords and irony rather than the truth. Is that the Andalusian Cadence? Very sophisticated. Or just Runaway by Del Shannon. It's hard to tell if the Adverts sounded new or not at the time. They won't let on. However, elements of post-punk are already present in their punk - bits sound like the Damned, but even moreso there are yelps like Dirk Wears White Sox and the intro of Bombsite Boy is practically The Virgin Prunes. Is it any good though? It's fine. I like the bass. 2.5 I have never heard this before and I really enjoyed it. Good songs, well sung. 3

I see this was ranked the 17th greatest punk album. That actually seems like a rather LOW ranking for a movement that quickly displaced itself and gave way to post-punk and new wave. By the time this album came out we had the Ramones, the Clash, and the Sex Pistols. We had Talking Heads releasing their second (amazing) album and the Cars releasing their first. A few days after this Adverts album came out, Public Image Ltd released their first album. It’s like all the punk bands are packing up their equipment as the Adverts are jumping onto the stage, a little too late. It’s cute but unnecessary.

These guys could and should be in the conversation with Sex Pistols, The Clash, and any number of more recognized staples of the punk scene in the late 70s. While not as bombastic, their work is every bit as sophisticated and pointed. And it is even a bit more accessible. This is a really fun album and again makes me wish I had been more aware of these artists in the late 70s and early 80s. It would have also helped if I had been flush with cash to buy these albums as well.

This is probably my all time favourite Punk album. I bought it on vinyl at the time (my copy is a rarity and worth a bob or two) I liked the album not only because of the bassist Gaye Advert was hot but this collection of songs were a lot more melodic than the standard punk stuff around. Not all shouting or violently strumming or banging their instruments. These are good standard toe tapping pop songs and if they had been presented as cleaned up versions of themselves with nice suits and haircuts, I dare say they would have been a lot more popular. The album title has also struck me as well thought out and memorable. Even now when the Red Sea is ever mentioned I think of Gaye. 4/5 14/3/25

There was a time I would have tried to love this. But there's too much sawing and just not enough joy or enough anarchy.

I'd never heard of them...which is a shame because I would have LOVED them back in the day. More interesting than any other punk band I can think of...much more variation in sound. Some definite shades of Adam Ant...who's one of my favorites. I'll be adding this to my permanent playlist and looking for it on vinyl.

There's a lot more going on here than straight-up 1978 punk--a little power pop, a little glam, maybe even a little prog noodling. Whether they were hugely influential or just riding a bunch of waves I don't know, but I'm ok with it.

If I were a teenager in 1978, Id probably love this. Either way, it's pretty good.

I wasn't expecting to like this album but was surprisingly enjoyable. Always considered this band to be a one hit wonder with their big hit, gary gimores eyes. But was quite impressed by the raw energy of the band and reminded me of early Love/Arthur Lee, 7x7 is etc... a definite 4 stars from me.

Another Groundhog day of English punk.

One Chord Wonders 3.3 Bored Teenagers 3.4 New Church 3.5 On the Roof 3.4 Newboys 3.2 Bombsite Boy 3.5 No Time to Be 21 3.6 Safety in Numbers 3.7 Drowning Men 3.6 On Wheels 3.6 Great British Mistake 3.5 Score: 3.481818182

Molto bello! Carico, rock, cool.

Pretty run of the mill punk rock album, I would much rather listen to The Clash.

A 2.75

Good album, not super notable but solid from to back

Pretty good punk. Much more melodic than some more famous albums and bands. A lot of songs though. I can do a few but rhe whole album was a slog

Good! I thought it was a bit front-loaded, but the energy was consistent throughout.

Meh.

Like the Sex Pistols but can sing and play their instruments better. I like the first track.

I’m a punk fan in general so I liked this, but it doesn’t really stand out in any way to me.

See what punks can do.

I like this album for a bit, but it starts to get reallyyyy repetitive. Basically impossible for me to pick any highlights because every track could be the same song for all I can tell. Highlights: Newboys New Day Dawns

This is quite melodic for seminal punk. This music has a classic, dissatisfied youth edge. It doesn’t sound dated. I appreciate the guitars (more than one chord!), songcraft, and there’s even singing. Not bad.

2.08

That's some top tier 70s punk right there. Really enjoyed it. Can't believe I've never really listened to The Adverts before, apart from Gary Gilmore's Eyes.

The very epitome of seventies British punk - and clearly this caught me on a good day because I really liked it. Will probably go back to a few of these later

It’s fun British punk rock from the 70s, so even if it was bad I probably would still like it. But this is pretty good. They’ve got a good energy about them, like you can hear they’re loving making this music. This would have been a fun show to be at.

Decent punk

It’s fine

70's punk - what's not to like

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

solid punk. nothing to get crazy about today? could i write poetry to this? n

Pretty good. Not great. Kinda mid. I'm sure this was cutting-edge Punk Rock music for the time. In 1978, loud and snotty Punk was far from mainstream. This album was probably shocking to "The Establishment", particularly with songs like "Gary Gilmore's Eyes." But today, it's just...sorta... y'know... meh.

Never heard this before, and I liked it a lot. Reminds me maybe a bit of early Pretenders. I don't know. I just liked it.

Decent late 70's punk rock. 3,5/5

Helt ok, rätt bra

I can’t do it man

It was a pretty decent album. I’d say a 3

There’s a serious case of the Seinfeld Effect™️ going on with this record, and it took me a while to get over that. ‘70s punk isn’t really my thing; sure, I respect the classics– Ramones, Buzzcocks, Bollocks as an album, and I’ll even give it to London Calling despite my gripes with it– but when it comes to pre-hardcore punk rock, especially out of the UK, it just feels a bit same-y to my ears, and I don’t really seek it out during my daily normal listening. And once you get to the second-tier bands, I have a hard time seeing the validity. I’ll take “Kiss Me Deadly,” but a whole Generation X album isn’t happening. So Crossing the Red Sea With The Adverts was already a test before I pressed play. On first listen, it really felt a bit bland, and I’ll admit, it fell flat. I could see how they were a bit different, how they blended post-punk and classic punk into their sound, and there were a good number of stand-outs. But I knew my brain just wasn’t able to absorb it properly. The thing that made this click was reading about The Adverts and their influence. If you’re like me and grew up on US punk, bands like The Adverts can get lost in translation, literally, and I feel like the oral history nature of early punk left this band under-emphasized on this side of the pond. But their impact on punk overall is hard to deny. Whether it was as one of the main bands to play The Roxy, or Gaye Advert basically setting the style template for every female punk bassist to follow (including myself, unbeknownst to me), or opening for every band I had heard of, it was hard to claim that The Adverts weren’t a key piece of connective tissue. Plus, unlike the other B-tier bands I was lumping them in with, The Adverts had songs that actually were punk and actually did piss people off, like “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes,” a song I skipped over because it technically wasn’t on the original release of this record. Now, you could argue all this history isn’t important, and I should be judging the music on face value, but for me, it’s a two-fold, mutually exclusive issue. Punk sometimes *is* a genre where context matters more than content, and often, that context makes the content sound better. That is the exact situation that happened to me. When I returned to Crossing the Red Sea after educating myself, I realized I was misinformed. What felt basic now sounded like source material. The ironic “One Chord Wonder,” the pop-punk seedlings “Bored Teenagers” and “No Time to Be 21,” the politically charged “Great British Mistake” and “Newsboys,” and again, the post-punk approach of “On the Roof” and “Safety in Numbers.” It certainly helped that a lot of these tunes got stuck in my head during the interim, sure. Still, knowing that these were the originators, not the imitators, it all worked now that I could see it in a different light. I also think that the two songs I skipped for not being on the original release– “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” and “New Day Dawns”– add something to make this feel more flesh-out as a whole record. While I’m not the biggest fan of the more trad style or even the more post-punk style, this record really grew on me. I can see the value of this both as stand-alone music and as a representative icon on the UK punk scene toward the end of its first run. It’s not the brightest new find, but it’s one of the ones that has grown on me the most, and that’s almost more valuable. So hell yeah to The Adverts, an undeniably important band who made a very good punk album that still can be rewarding, as long as you take the time to peel back the layers.

21

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.

The rebel child is showing... Fun and nothing too special, as punk should be. Some may argue it's filth, disgusting, noisy, boring, garbage. To all of those people, take this middle finger and kindly shove it up your ass. 3 stars.

This is the kind of thing I wanna get more of from this generator! Unlike other punk bands, the Adverts are are more light and catchy. It's something I would recommend so someone who wants to get into classic punk music but is intimidated by the heavier stuff. The wikipedia description calling them equal to the Sex Pistols and the Clash is pretty funny. Favorite track: One Chord Wonders

These songs all sound very similar to me. Another album that I am not thrilled about.

Hmmm, kinda anxiety inducing....

Didn’t grab me

hmm some more punk type stuff. Diggin it! 4 stars

Pretty fun one. Simplistic, energetic and catchy one that I can't really dislike all too much Probably wouldn't be disappointed if I'd missed out on this, it's very generic as a 70s Punk album

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.

Ik

Never knew them. This music had some 70s vibes going in to the 80s and beyond. Good job.

Competent but unremarkable

A pleasant surprise!

3 - I was kinda liking this more than I thought after the first song, but just got sooooo repetitive after a while

boring menage a noise 2.3/5

A fun little punk album, not overly angry and has some strong melodies throughout. The lyrics aren’t anything incredible and the instrumentation is pretty typical to what you’d expect, the bass is probably the standout on the album. The sound design is dark and in your face but the band doesn’t seem to take themselves too seriously and there’s a great sense that the band thoroughly enjoyed making this. The vocals are pretty good too and lend a great deal of energy to the songs. Standout tracks are , and the weakest tracks are. Overall a fun listen that doesn’t overstay its welcome but is by no means a life altering or genre defining album as far as I can tell. 3.5/5

I saw English punk band and immediately got nervous, but the album turned out to be better than I anticipated. I’m not saying I’m going to go search for more stuff of The Adverts, but this was a solid punk album.

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

My expectations weren't high when I saw that this was a British punk rock album. However, it positively surprised me and was actually better than expected, this doesn't mean that it was amazing or deserved to be on this list but I got through the whole album and there were a few decent songs.

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

Middle of the road punk album

Totally fine. A couple of catchy tunes like One Chord Wonders and I guess Gary Gilmore's eyes, but the whole thing just sounds like a bunch of 16 year olds making nonsense and having fun. Points for that but I wouldn't consider this super talented or deep

Enjoyed this

Nism lih poslusu, mal prevec intense mi je bil

I listened to this yesterday and I really can't remember a single song on it. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. It gets a 2.5.

Another one of those "I'm not in love with it, but I like it" albums.

Enjoyed. Reminiscent of the Radiators from Space (the two are cut from the same cloth). Not amazing, but would probably listen again.

I enjoyed this. The release date in 1978 really synced with my discovery of punk and new wave and I got a great feeling of nostalgia while listening.

Angsty punk that feels similar to Ramones. A few of the songs were catchy in their vibe

Ok

Some really good songs on here. "Bombsite Boy" and "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" really stood out for me, and I'll likely revisit the album again for these songs. Some tracks felt like filler but maybe they'll grow on me

Before listening to this album, I read via Wikipedia that this album was well regarded in the punk rock genre. I seem to have grown an aversion to punk rock as part of these 1001 albums because many punk albums end up being nonsensical with discordant notes thrown together in an unappealing manner. Not here! The Adverts are authentic punk rock. This debut album even sounds fresh to my ears in 2025, despite the album's release in 1978. The music is fun, the lyrics can be cheeky or weird ("Gary Gilmore's Eyes") or about politics ("Great British Mistake") or just about being young. Not my favorite, but I enjoyed its uniqueness. And, you know, those punk rockers really know how to create a short album.

I mean, overall it was pretty standard in the punk department. Nothing revolutionary, but also not so hardcore that it was unlistenable. I don't think there's anything here that is more special than the likes of The Sex Pistols or The Clash, though.

This was pretty nice - I think worth another listen…

Not for me.

Boring Punk

I like punk, and this is definitely punk, but it’s punk with surprisingly high production values. Good album.

Never heard this before. This wasn't really on my radar, but I'm glad it's on the list. Great early punk rock. Well-played, listenable, and with a good amount of variety. Should be better recognized as a great early punk album.

Fun punk sound. Almost punk pop

Listened to this a few times but kept forgetting to rate it. It was quite good but in a non specific way.

Gran graan punk

Everything sounds the same. It's too loud. Kind of stresses me out.

An excellent early punk album that needs more love. My only wish is that it would've been recorded a bit more crisply. The Great British Mistake was not featuring this band more at the time.

As an apprehensive to the genre, I did enjoy this. It’s not overly noisy. The music is controlled and creative. The chorus’ are often fun. If I were to approach the genre with open arms, I would allow this to guide me. It gets a 4 considering my view on others in the brit punk scene.

Fairly fun UK punk rock from the 70's, but there were a lot of better bands around at that time.

Indeed, that was punk rock.

Glam punk for the glam punk lovers, if there is still glam punk lovers out there over planet Earth. This album is for you, glam punk heads. You'll like it, I promise. This is glam punk.

didnt have the highestttt expectations tbh but this is rly vibrant and creative actually! prob the closest 70s uk punk comes to being candy-flavored, lots of great and shiny anthemic and melodic ideas while still feeling nice and handmade. the production is just rly rly good tbh, almost lush but with no sterility whatsoever, was delighted to find out it was the work of john leckie who was also behind the stone roses (and the bends funnily enough). kind of a hidden gem as far as records famous enough to be on this list, very fun and memorable, will have to make a note to come back to it sometime cuz i can imagine v occasionally being in the mood Specifically For this weird v specific little thing

Menevä bra britti punk, cathy melodier några gitarr solon också STARK 3

Old dirty, jangly punk rock that's just a bit too dirty and jangly. Not bad but not my fav

Thought this was another trash British punk album that this list is rife with. It kinda was... but a little better than the others.

Ok. Not my first pick.

Creative and artfully executed. At times I was reminded of Queen. Delightful guitar shredding

I had heard the Gary Gilmore's Eyes refrain before, but never placed it. Easy to see how the group had been overlooked

ок

I've been having a lot of punk recently. This one is at least listenable, most of the songs have some musicality to them. Stand-out: On the Roof

I didn't take good notes on this album, so this is generic. There were some good songs, some that were less good. They definitely have their own sound, making it seem repetitive. Each song and lyrics had depth, just a lot of similar cords and melodies over and over. I enjoyed it though, but nothing groundbreaking.

My primary criticism of this album is that all the songs sound too much the same. It's not that creative. I like the vibe of the music and was at a 3 with the album after one listen. Most music gets a little better with each listen as you catch new things in the song that you hadn't really picked up on before. But this music gives me nothing to come back for. I was really done with it after one listen which is a special kind of sucks.

No punk album should last longer than 20 minutes if It’s always going to be the same song over and over and over and over. At least these are catchy. I’m ok with it, just not blown away as with nearly all punk.

This was a cool punk album, and I enjoyed the first run through. I wanted to give it a second listen but my heart wasn’t in it after a few songs. Just kinda blended together. So while I appreciated it for its genre, I wouldn’t come back to it.

Good UK punk rock album from the late 1970s. It isn't angry punk like most in the genre but a more fun album. The production (thanks to John Leckie as the producer) is better than an most punk albums. I'm not very into the genre so I will give it 3 but overall it is a good albm.

Pretty good for the umpteenth British punk album, but it's just as repetitive as the rest of them.

I see this was ranked the 17th greatest punk album. That seems like a really low ranking for a movement that quickly displaced itself and gave way to post-punk and new wave. By the time this album came out we had the Ramones, the Clash, and the Sex Pistols. We had Talking Heads releasing their second (amazing) album and the Cars releasing their first. A few days after this Adverts album came out, Public Image Ltd released their first album. It’s like the bands are all packing up their equipment as the Adverts are jumping onto the stage, a little too late. It’s cute but unnecessary.

Totally forgettable.

The version on Spotify has Gary Gilmores Eyes on it, which drags this up to a 3

8/10

5/10

Not my thing, maybe when I was younger, but not now. It doesn’t sound completely awful, the production is halfway decent. But musically, it doesn’t do much for me.

Younger me would have liked this a lot

Fast, tuneful, streamlined rock from a band that you could point to if someone asked you to recommend a straight-ahead punk record. I’d like more strangeness and ambush, but that’s me looking forward to post-punk. Cute to see this is one of the first albums with John Leckie in the producer’s chair. I misheard “Bored Teenagers” as “Faulty Agents”, which ought to be used.

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..

Not my first choice in music, not the best of britpop/britpunk but an alright album. Some songs definitely lacking

Really enjoyed this early punk album.

fun and punk

7/10

Some more pretty solid punk I never heard of.

Meh Brit punk band.

Never heard these guys before and it was a ripper of a good time.

Sounds like late 70s grunge. Lyrics are too repetitive though.

Decent punk album

Pleasantly surprised with this album. It sounds remarkably fresh and like proto-pop-punk without being obnoxious or corny. The production is raw, which can be endearing but jarring to hear drum fills that are just out of time. It feels like an album made by young people, for young people. And has the fun and energy to match. Top tracks: Newboys, Drowning Men, On Wheels

None of these tracks are really my cup of tea

Punk-y vibe-y goodness

Clean instrumental performances and clear lyrics. Quite a few catchy (short) tunes. I could probably tolerate a couple of songs and then break to something else more substantial; tough to listen to the album in entirety.

Beautiful punk record

Commercial opportunity.

The skip button was made for this

a lot of sameness for me

Had a pretty good run of great albums so while it was kind of nice hearing something new, this did nothing for me.

I don’t like the British 70s/80s punk stuff, but this was surprisingly ok. Every song was a bit unique. I’ll probably never listen again, but it was a decent journey.

A very Sex Pistols/Dead Kennedys esque band. I'd never heard of The Adverts, but this album was ok. Certainly have to be in the mood for this one.

Punk music requires punk rock taste, which I just do not have. Best song on the album was the last one.

La primera canción está muy muy bien. El resto del disco mantiene, pero no supera ese punto alto

Although I was familiar with Looking Through Gary Gilmore's Eyes, I had never listened to this full album. A nice peak into the early days of punk. A bit more polished than the UK punk that preceded it, the album is a fun time.

For the genre, a four. For my taste, a three.

wow another 70's punk album from the UK. How original, much punk

Wow, the drop in quality between track 1 and 2 is astounding, the mix sounds awful and the song is painfully generic (besides the bass solo). I always get disappointed when a late 70's punk band I've never heard of appears on this list, because I know it is going to be one of the blandest and most repetitive albums I've heard. However, I thought the first song was really good. It had decent production, the song structure was interesting, and it had a good melody. But then for the rest of the album they said "What if we didn't do that. Let's just write the same punk song everyone else already has 12 times". This came out in '78 there really is no excuse for this to be on the list. This album came out after: The Ramones, The Clash, Television, Pink Flag, and Talking Heads. Talking Heads basically started the New Wave movement. You know, as in THE NEW WAVE OF PUNK. This album came out too late and is way to generic to be on this list. The main riff of Newboys sounds like something The Shaggs (literal children) would write. I'm just now realizing that the Shaggs' album came out in 1969, almost a whole decade before this album. Man, now I wish that the Shaggs were on this list instead of this forgettable British band no one has heard of. Low 3.

Ajoittain ihan kuunneltavaa, mutta en inspiroitunut.

Oliks tää sitä punkkii? Eli ei jääny mieleen. Ei ärsyttävästi eikä innostavastikaan

Прикольно, хорошие лайв версии

Another punk band I've never heard of. Another punk album I've enjoyed. The vocals have sort of a Queen-like quality to them. Several songs had a familiar sound, especially "One Chord Wonders." What does it sound like? "Wild World" by Cat Stevens? Favorite track: New Day Dawns

The Great British Mistake should have been the name of this band

Never even heard of them before now but they are one of the more accomplished punk bands I've heard. Although every track (as usual) descends into the common guitar wall and tempo there is enough variety here to keep you engaged. I'm left wondering what happened to them, they have glimpses of what could be!

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

So they'll let into Abbey Road

Nice! Zal het nog wel eens opzetten, lekkere oude amerikaanse punk rock

It’s decent but there’s better punk albums out there.

This is all the same song.

Am I losing my mind or did all the songs sounded exactly the same?

Schrabbeliger brit rock, hält was er verspricht, aber nichts was im Kopf bleibt.

Good punk sound. Would listen more

magazine if they were trash what kink does this guy have for terrible sounding guitars?

Pre-listening thoughts: never heard of em Post/during listening thoughts: oh joy more British punk! Not like there’s enough of that on this list. But fr I am so done with this genre. And this doesn’t have a lot that makes it stand out from its competitors (or itself. All of these songs sound the same) 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: Safety in Numbers Least fav tracks: On The Roof

Yeah, it's punk I guess. It's good?? Not TOO fake.

Compared to other punk bands albums from the same era, it sounds pretty generic. It’s not horrible but it did very little for me.

Probably not something I'll return to, but not bad. Perfectly decent UK punk.

It's fine. Punk is a weird genre for me, I really like the Clash, the Stooges, and a song here or there by the Ramones or the Offspring. I HATE a lot of punk, though, most notably the Sex Pistols. I honestly can't tell you why. This, though, this is fine. It sounded like punk, it never annoyed me, but I don't really think I would listen to it again, and I was over it toward the end. Maybe I just can't handle a whole punk album? This ill probably make sense only to me, but I really enjoy a half of a peanut butter and pickle sandwich. It's weird, but it works. But I don't like that second half. It's just gross. By that point, the ways it doesn't work are now more prominent than the ways it does. That might be me and punk. I just can't do a whole sandwich. I think I'm going to go with a three, but I'm in a pretty good mood, this might score a two on another day.

последователи the clash и sex pistols - как минимум не лучше

everything you’d expect from a 70s punk/new wave album

Ganska bra faktiskt.

I didn’t really rate it, I liked the idea but it didn’t groove

This project is obsessed with 70s punk and most of it is not that interesting. 2*

Maybe one chord would have been better…

Pretty damn good punk.

Probably a good album, but too much Machester Rock makes this list a very dull listen. 3/5

Nah, not really feeling it.

Tää on jäänyt multa kuuntelematta vaikka aikalailla muu aikakauden punkit onkin tsekattu. Ihan mukiin menevä pläjäys, mutta ei ehkä eroa kamalasti muista seisarin lopun levyistä paljoakaan. Vaatii ehkä uudemman kuuntelun. 3/5

Kovaa alkuvaiheen brittipunk-ajoa!

Excellent

Thought this would be dreadful like all punk but it was just quite boring

Started with promise, finished in a blaze of "meh"

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.

Noisy but same level noise

This a fantastic debut punk record. Everything you'd want from late 70s punk.

An okay album but a lot of the songs sound the same.

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!

Not a bad listen.

This was a real jam, with solid tracks throughout, good grooves, melodies and solid production. 3.5 rounded up.

I'd never heard of this band, but they are a great early punk band.

It’s a serviceable early punk album - crunchy and snarly in all the right ways - but the comparison to Never Mind the Bollocks - ESPECIALLY as I only have 15 albums left to this list and I haven’t seen the Sex Pistols on here yet, seems dim, moot, and not apt. I think I’d downgrade my belief in the NME’s critical judgment severely if I finished this list and the 2nd most-important album of the 20th century (behind Sgt Pepper) wasn’t on here. And now for some Adverts.

Not bad ad punk goes, but nothing special. No reason for it to be on this list.

This one just didn’t grab me at all, though I can see how it was influential. Idk, I heard a bit of early REM in there? Underwhelming though

trashy 80's garage band rock

horrible boring shrum shrum rubbish

This rocks

2.9

Punk rock. Ni fu ni fa.

Un poco todo igual. Nada nuevo.

This hard rockin', fun stuff - not highly nuanced or varied, but a decent listen.