Hypnotised

It’s all good, but none of it is great. I like that they pretty exclusively stick to light and fun elements, especially since this was a time when everyone was too serious. It’s performed well and sounds good when it’s on. But very little of it is memorable or exceptional.

15 x CTRL C, CTRL V. Lovely craic, easy silliness let down by early warble

Random thoughts: * This was an interesting listen and lands somewhere between straight 70s punk and Billy Idol. * Straightforward songs about girls, his cousin, and a fun cover of Under The Boardwalk among other rockers. * I appreciated this album and if I found myself in the right mood I could easily throw this one on again. * Art Brut kind of sounds like a modern version of this style of music but is a little dirtier. * I'll try to come back to this one at some point. I could see this growing on me.

Some cheeky Irish Ramones have only gone and bloody invented pop punk! Lots of chugga chugga chords, lots of hooks, lots of harmonies, lots of that thing where the bass goes up and up and up. A very non-aggressive approach to punk that’s more about having fun with the boys than raging against the man - kind of a new wave feel to a lot of the songs, despite no synths/keys.

I could always take or leave these lads, but their impact on future punk/post punk artists should be noted. The songs here are short, catchy and to the point while not taking themselves too seriously. Still, the album is a bit too long. Shave off some songs and it probably gets a higher rating.

Dug this. Prob would have rounded up if it included Teenage Kicks, the only song of theirs I actually knew. 3.25/5

Vibes: 3 Instruments: 4 Production: 4 Emotional Value: 2 Storytelling: 3 Album Cover: 0 Stand Outs: Boys Will be Boys, There Goes Norman Overall: 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------ The pop punk is slowly growing on me

Valt niet zoveel over te zeggen, prima

Simpel, catchy en fun 3/5

Had zijn momenten

***An ok album

Music is fine but Feargal Sharkey’s voice is annoying. A positive grade for the punky attitude but a better singer elevates it.

Cock robster

This was mostly easy to listen and smooth.

It was ok

They are pretty fun but nothing that is jaw dropping. Easy to listen to. 3.5

A solid album / but not my favorite from them

Pleasant power pop punk that makes an effort not to offend. Fun album that is just enough not to be bad but a far shot from great.

I do like a good punk album. This counts I suppose. I think I like their first album a bit better than this one but it’s still solid. I don’t like these albums that are 15 songs and 30 minutes long but that was the fad with this music I suppose. I’d give this one a good 3.5/5 but I’m rounding down because it’s not a 4 at all.

I was about to give "Hypotised" a 2-star rating, but halfway through, I realised it was actually decent. Sharkey's singing is off-putting sometimes. Luckily, the rest of The Undertones aren't as bad. "Hypnotised" is a good album, but it doesn't deserve to be on the list. There are already about 20 similar punk bands from 1980. 3 stars for "Hypotised".

Enjoyed the first couple songs then it got really repetitive

esperava menos?? foi mais agradável do que achei que seria

mais legal que o último deles que passou por aqui. pop punk rapidinho gostoso demais. ainda falta um temperinho, mas eh bem divertidinho de ouvir. tem umas guitarrinha boa!!

Light and fun. Some good sounds. Worth a listen but didn’t leave me wanting more.

For some reason my brain thinks this band sounds like a mix of Green Day and Beach Boys? Fun album to listen to.

White boys with some groove. Felt personally attacked by the favorite cousin

Ok, didn't grab me but Worth a relisten

Listenable.

Звучит

Had never heard of them apart from "Teenage Kicks," which isn't on this record. It's fine. Kind of grew on me the more I listened, but still found myself wishing I was listening to The Buzzcocks or something instead. The "Under the Boardwalk" cover is truly terribly, though.

Pop punk that is a bit more pop than punk. It's perfectly average. Nothing stood out to me and nothing was bad. I'd leave it on if it was playing, but I wouldn't start playing it.

The Good: Who doesn’t like to look at a pendulum swing? The Bad: I don’t like walking like a chicken… The Ugly: Me, standing but naked once the hypnosis has stopped working… The Undertones, such a perfectly qualification for a band’s name as they are undertones… or nontones… neither here nor there… The only thing I can recall about this album was scratching my head and asking myself if that was Mr Sharkey I was hearing… and it was… and that’s when my good heart was no longer hard to find… Still, doubt I ever want to listen to this album again… really… unless someone pulls out a pendulum and tells me that, when they snap their fingers, I will love this album and rate it a 5*… 3* guess the pendulum didn’t work...

Enjoyable. Interested in learning more about the Northern Irish rock scene

I'd never heard anything about this band or album before. This was fine. Fun catchy power pop/pop punk, not sure why I'd go back to this album over other bands in the genre though. Just nothing really stood out to me even though overall it was an easy listen and a solid record.

Thought it was pretty good. Definitely preferred the last few tracks to some of the earlier songs. Would happily listen to it again every note and then. 3.5 rounded down.

6/10 basically all the songs sounded the same.

I’m assuming this is an album of covers? Not a huge fan as I love the OG songs much more. But this was kind of cute.

This is some fun new wave/post-punk UK pop that I knew nothing about until listening to this, and I was happy to learn about it.

I had never heard of this album or even band before. It's really good post-punk

I’m not sure I “had” to listen to this but it was fine. Makes me excited for the Clash and Ramones records on this list.

az jensie said, boring stoned weezer not worth playing again, bg musik. 100 % agree

man.....

More fun than I expected.

Enjoyed this! Early early punk!

A fun little bit of “softcore“ punk. I enjoyed it, but not enough to round up from 3.5 simply because there’s a little chance I would seek this out to listen to again. But I’m not mad.

Bubblegum punk? Very simple, but easy to listen to. 3.5

It's decent early 80's pop-rock, I guess? Unsure why it's required pre-death, though.

Not bad, but not very memorable either. The Undertones are consistently underwhelming. Perfectly average is most ways.

solid 80s dad band

Very fine punk. Good stuff. Like their self-titled album I like the cheeky Under The Boardwalk amongst all the fully punk songs.

It's a 1980s British version of The Beach Boys. Lots of love songs about girls. Favorite Track: "The Way Girls Talk".

Perfectly fine 80's punk. Nothing great, nothing bad Best Song: Whizz Kids Rating: 6.5/10 Stars: 3

Enjoyable, but didn't quite connect with me to the extent of their debut album; whether that's a judgement of the album or just my mood on the day, I'm not sure. Anyway, a solidly high 3.

3 stars

This left me Hypnotized.

Now I don't know if Tom Tom Club's under the boardwalk is a cover or not. Either way decent early pop punk over here.

Pretty average euro pop punk album. If you weren’t positive they were European, the references to University Challenge and Subbuteo in the song about Cousin Kevin give it away. The songs mostly sound the same and have the same juvenile (though not really in a bad way) content. Made me want to listen to the clash instead, to be honest.

No clue what to expect here. More Songs About Chocolate and Girls - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. There Goes Norman - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. Hypnotised - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. See That Girl - 5/10. Typical early 80's pop. Whizz Kids - 6/10. More fun than the tracks that came before. Under the Boardwalk - 3/10. Not a good cover. The Way Girls Talk - 5/10. Meh. Hard Luck - 7/10. This is better than anything that's come before it. My Perfect Cousin - 6/10. Good, but not quite as good as Hard Luck. Boys Will We Boys - 5/10. Meh. Tearproof - 5/10. Not bad, but not great. Wednesday Week - 6/10. On the better side of the album. Nine Times out of Ten - 5/10. Average track for this album. Girls that Don't Talk - 5/10. What's with Terry - 6/10. Better than average for the album. Overall Rating - 2.63/5 (5.27/10). This almost feels as though it's trying to be Pop, New-Wave, and light Punk all at once, and, in doing so, doesn't really do any of them terribly well.

I guess I’d be ok if I came across these guys playing at a bar or something, but wouldn’t seek it out. I’ll give a 3 but then think most of my other 3’s should now be 4

This was pretty alright. I listened to it twice, and enjoyed it, but it was a little one-note. Three stars.

5/10

Love the cover There goes Norman is awesome Power pop dead kennedys

Pretty much the same review as the Self Titled. Vocals aren't bothering me as much, but yeah.

Muito bom! 3,5

Can't say I was totally hypnotized by this album, but the charm lives in its self awareness of how dumb it is. That's smart and fun for the artist, but I'm still not sold.

It didn’t seem like enough new ground was trod here to justify two records from this band appearing on this list, and though the album cover did spark some joy, the incessant vocal warble really wore me down this time around.

An infectious record that blends punk energy with pop sensibility. Hypnotised captures the band’s knack for youthful hooks while showing evolution in their songwriting. It’s still got that teenage charm and cheek, but with more polish and confidence. The result feels like a bridge between raw punk and the more melodic pop-punk that would come decades later: fun, catchy, and unpretentious.

Fun record. Has some punk influences, which I dig. It's an upbeat record, that's short and to the point, but kept my attention throughout. I dig the vibe that they lay down on this one.

God vibe, lidt absurd lyrik men ik så meget substans :)!?

Cute and fun

Easy listen but not memorable

it made me laugh a few times, especially with the more songs about chocolate and girls. they don't take themselves to seriously but this also is to their detriment a bit? I don't the music is bad, but because it's almost to pop punk, they lose some of the seriousness. maybe they didn't care. I sensed some brian wilson inspo

Com certeza muitas pessoas nos anos 80 gastaram suas agulhas profundamente com este disco, o mantendo em constante rotação. Dá pra entender o porquê. Ele possui tudo que você pode querer em um disco de pop-rock, riffs poderosos e refrões memoráveis e fáceis de cantar. Nada aqui é plenamente desagrádavel, tudo é competente o suficiente. Mas no grande ano de 2025, é difícil pensar em muitos motivos para descer o play neste álbum, em específico. Tudo aqui é bem derivativo, e já foi feito de maneiras bem mais impressionantes por outras bandas e artistas vastamente mais talentosos, e com canções bem mais atemporais. É leve e divertido. Passa rápido, e a capa é bem legal. Só não é muito inspirador. 3.5/5

He’s got a good voice. I like it. But what’s wrong with the vibratos…anyway. Music wise ok, pleasant. Very happy.

I like the early pop punk kind of sound this band has, but I can't stand the ridiculous vibrato that makes it sound like this guy's trying to start a dead lawn mower.

6/10

No su mejor álbum, peeeero tampoco es horripilante.

Better than the first album. But the singers voice isn't my favourite. Also, did this band really deserve two albums on this list?

Again, pretty decent, non-obnoxious punk. I don’t think there’s need for a second album of theirs on this list but whatever.

Fast paced upbeat albums are always easy to listen to. I could hear the influence on lots of indie rock bands that followed 25 years later. Some tracks were a little weaker than others but it overall felt like a very cohesive listening experience in terms of tone. If I could give it 3.5 I would.

Fun little romp. What is with Terry?

I really enjoyed this

I like their sound, but the lyrics are insipid

A fun listen, but nothing special

Power-pop riffs, with the 70s punk vocal sound. It sounded very American (I was quite surprised to find they were from Northern-Ireland). There were parts of the album that I did enjoy. But, at the same time, it's one of those albums that has clearly inspired and influenced others who have gone on to do it better. Some pretty lame lyrics in there too. Song about chocolate?! Not great. Did enjoy the Under the Boardwalk cover. I listened, I got it, I didn't actively enjoy it. But I didn't hate it. 3 Stars.

Was alright. Started off well bit a bit one trick by the end.

Enjoyable early “pop punk”. Heard lots of Sex Pistols, cars, Ramones, television, clash, influences probably go both ways but can’t be bothered to remember the timelines.

Fun new wave with a sense of humour and self-awareness. Feargal Sharkey's voice does get annoying across a whole album though. Definitely more of a great singles band. Under the Boardwalk cover seems completely pointless.

Rattles on rightly

Reminds me of Johnny Rotten on vocals with the vibrato. Otherwise it’s typical late 70s punk. 3/5

מןזיקה שהתיישנה די רע אבל נשארה עם הרבה נהאנרגיות שעשו אותה מיוחדת לתקופה הזאת

Yeah it's okay, nothing horrible but fades into the background 3/5

Super fun but not terribly essential My Perfect Cousin gets all the plaudits for rhyming cabbage with university challenge

I hear a lot of this sound and cadence in groups like Rancid and Goldfinger. Maybe a poppier take on the Ramones? Just those simple driving punk rhythms and drumlines. Not sure I will listen to this again, but if I hear it again I won't turn it off. Bonus points for it being a (Northern) Irish band.

01) More Songs About Chocolate and Girls - 7,0 02) There Goes Norman - 6,5 03) Hypnotised - 6,5 04) See That Girl - 6,5 05) Whizz Kids - 6,0 06) Under the Boardwalk - 7,0 07) The Way Girls Talk - 6,5 08) Hard Luck - 7,0 09) My Perfect Cousin - 10,0 10) Boys Will Be Boys - 7,0 11) Tearproof - 7,0 12) Wednesday Week - 8,0 13) Nine Times Out of Ten - 6,5 14) Girls That Don't Talk - 6,5 15) What's With Terry? - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,97 (70/100)

Terrible cover, but fun album. Wouldn't put it at the top of my list, but it was a good listen.

Never heard of these guys before ... not sure I would seek out more, but it was still a good listen today!

ожидала романтичных песен, а музыкально получила панк, неприятный поворот

Nice little early 80s punk album but nothing terribly special about it.

Not as bad as some of the reviews made them out to be. Had I heard if them before? They're my generation, but no, I hadn't heard of them. I give them a 3

This is a well done easy to listen to album. I wouldn't say that it is ground breaking but I think it's interesting and fun.

Angsty adolescent punky new wave pop. I had only ever heard 'Teenage Kicks', which I easily loved for its frustrated, angry, sweet, hooky, edgy rawness. This is more of the same. A lot more. Rocked out on the clever "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls" (because, like, of course) and my head bobbed to "Hypnotized" (great chord changes). But it's monochrome and some droppable tracks (like the not good cover of 'Under the Boardwalk').

Kind of fun

The best song was the last one- What's with Terry. Very catchy.

Not bad . Brit Pop Under the Boardwalk. Again uneventful… 5.0

Extra points for having most songs under 3 minutes. This was not bad, but had no elements that jumped out at me. It evoked in me The Lemonheads meeting The Kinks, with nothing to distinguish their sound.

Solid album

Solid album Too short songs for me Good first listen but little replay ability

Good album with lots of very short songs. Sounds like the ramones and the beatles combined with the smiths. 3/5

Nice-sounding garage-y rock, well-performed and perfectly recorded. The songs didn't really get under my skin, but it's a fun listen, if a bit repetitive by the end.

This doesn't really stand out to me. By this point there was the Clash, Buzzcocks, The Jam etc. This didn't tread on any real new ground. The songs arent abysmal but I probably won't put these songs in any playlists

carino, piacevole da ascoltare ma forse un po’ monotono? la mia preferita è stata wednesday week

Vabbè solito album punk. Ci sta. Traccia preferita boys will be boys

perfect album cover

3/5. I loved their first album and although the lyrics are arguably better here, that sense of youthful naivety from their debut was part of the charm within their musical style. This one feels a little too commercial even with the punchy guitar and similar vocal style. I guess I just wasn't really feeling this one as much but I still enjoyed it for what it was. Best Song: Wednesday Week, Hypnotised, Hard Luck

This was a fun post punk album. Nothing special but enjoyable enough

Fun 60’s pop

This is good punk (good singing voice, melodic songs, understandable lyrics), but I don't like punk, so this still gets a 3 from me.

Surprisingly complex songs for only two and a half minutes long. I kinda liked it, except for the overly vibrating vocals. Reminded me of the Dead Kennedys, which was always my issue with them, too.

A pleasant enough punk, but I'm not sure it merits all time listening status. Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike it, and I was extremely happy that they did not make a protest album. I just fail to see why this album was more important than Devo's FREEDOM OF CHOICE that came out the same year and was far more influential to the punk/new wave scene in 1980 and onward it would seem to me than The Undertones. The Norman Bates from the film Pyscho theme song "There Goes Norman" was my favorite. "Under the Boardwalk" was competent, if uninspiring. The album artwork is terrible. I wanted to like this album but the songs kind of ran together in an unremarkable way. Like their cover song, the album was tight and competent, but rather forgettable.

OK

If I was a young English boy in the 1990s, I would probably enjoy this more. Maybe I listen to too much grunge, but this just really isn’t doing it too much for me, but I can respect a good artist when I see one.

always thought my perfect cousin is a weird song

This was a really good album. It has a punk/post punk/new wave sound that I really like. Somewhat reminiscent of a mix between the Cars and the Sex Pistols. Good stuff.

Pretty unnecessary at this point in the list. Not bad but we’ve heard this before. The Way Girls Talk was my fave.

Soft punk or punk adjacent music. It's pretty good but doesn't have a real message like The Clash. It is very listenable though.

Fun band. Consistent album. But, I was never really wowed by any tracks.

Not my style. I like heavier music. It's really fun (I usually listen to darker/more depressed songs) and upbeat. I liked lesser known songs, like Whizz Kids, more than the popular ones, like Hypnotised.

This is an OK album. punk/pop-punk. NOT a must listen to album. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs More Songs About Chocolate And Girls There Goes Norman Boys Will Be Boys

Not bad.

Solid pop tunes. At it's best when unsophisticated rather than when Sharkey's aspirations of being a little more serious come through

Lots of punk records from the UK in the 70s and 80s have the snappiest and most anxious playing style. Like the Buzzcocks but a little looser, or Gang of Four if they didn't take themselves as seriously

Another band I've not heard of before. They're fun and quirky, with some really catchy melodies. Kind of new-wave/punk mix, on the very light end of punk. Pleasant listen. I liked The Way Girls Talk a lot, and a few others caught my ear.

Hey, I dig this. I know that these guys only really do one specific sound well, but it's a damn good sound - I ain't complaining. Highlights would be "There Goes Norman" and "Wednesday Week", just really captivating.

It was fine - not my style but still enjoyable.

I was really surprised to hear Feargal Sharkey on here. The famous Feargal Sharkey, known for his 1980's hit song ''A Good Heart''. Amazing to hear Feargal Sharkey in unexpected places like this. Hearing Feargal Sharkey on a late 70's / earl 80's new wave / pop-oriented record makes Feargal Sharkey even more of a typical 80's star. This album was a pretty fun albeit generic listen, it's the typical fun new wave but with Feargal Sharkey singing over the songs. The instruments are pretty fun and aid Feargal Sharkey well. Goddamn Feargal Sharkey.

Day 10, first album I've never heard of before. Don't expect more than a dozen of those by the end of this. Album cover and its backstory are killer. It's like a document of how the Big Wigs in the American music industry used to work. I'd rather be listening to XTC. They do all this, only much better. More of a 2.5 for me but I'll give em a 3 because the last song was maybe a highlight.

Second song in I went hey, is that Feargal Sharkey singing? I forgot he was in this band. The album is okay, pretty straightforward stuff. Not a lot of surprises.

Started out really fun, but became a bit stale during the second half.

Had heard a couple of songs from this. Its great short hooky poppy rock. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No. 4/1001, 4/16 (25%) Will I get? No Recommend: Maybe

This was pretty fun! I dont think I'll save stuff from this album, but it's definitely a fun time. Glad I listened. Strooong 3

3/5

Oldschool rock, dance party, light

Interesting pop, punk, rock record that feels younger than it is. Simple songs about growing up. A lot of them are catchy. I liked the way girls talk and i told you so the most. However, only decent album since this style is not entirely my cup of tea.

It's pretty good, nothing to write home about. Nothing strikes out as game changing.

Beach rock!! I feel like this album could teach me to surf. I like it.

Fun, but underwhelming. Too much of the same sort of thing; nothing really stands out from the rest. Boardwalk

Best song: under the boardwalk

It is hard not to enjoy the upbeat, garage playfulness of The Undertones' Hypnotizsed album. I was really enjoying it and then wondered if I had been actually hypnotized by this band. I hadn't. The music is solid with quick hooky tracks that remind you of a more innocent time.

YEAH

Listened through twice, still haven't decided if I like the guy's voice or not... But this is a fun listen, very zany and quirky without being weird, and none of the songs over stay their welcome. Terrible album cover though.

Pues son originales y tienen su sonido propio. Pero esa virtud también es su defecto, porque escuchada una canción, escuchadas todas. Musicalmente no tienen gran cosa más allá del estilo y el sonido. Grupo de culto, sobrevalorado como casi todos.

Youtube's autoplay followed this seamlessly with early Beastie Boys, and the transition worked perfectly. Nothing groundbreaking here, but a decent album to get the blood pumping.

Fun merger of 60s/70s pop with a little more punk/rock. Born 20 years earlier I could see myself listening to this on heavy rotation. 3.5/5

Good pop-punk, lifted by Feargal Sharkey's voice. Not sure if this is their best album, I didn't know these songs but did know a few of their bigger hits.

3 – War okay / Interessant 👌 Solides Album, einige gute Momente oder Ideen. Vielleicht nichts, was ich nochmal hören würde, aber spannend zu kennen.

And here we go again. Never was into punk at the time, but can appreciate it much more now. And although I liked this more than the others we've had recently I feel it has less potential for improvement with me. Still got to be worth a 3 though.

Doesn’t have the bite I’m looking for.

Yet another album of its time. There’s plenty of energy and attitude, but once again I feel like time isn’t on my side. I probably should have more of a connection to the 80s to fully appreciate this. That said, the spirit and drive are undeniable. 3/5

Second album from The Undertones on this list. Similar to the last one, it's succinct, energetic, and catchy. Better than I expected.

3/5

Cool and new! I liked this... Pete Link kinda vibes!

There's Feargal Sharkey with his unique voice, and there's this Northern Ireland proto-garage-new-pop-punk sound. Some tracks sound similar, others are more unique, but nothing new.

The sort of thing I like, a bit non distinct though.

I am so surprised I've never heard of these guys. Right up my alley. Feels like a Beach Boys/Ramones fusion and I'm into it. Nothing insanely groundbreaking but good early punkish stuff a couple years behind. The warbling does get a little grating at times though

Breezy enough pop punk

this is exactly what i imagine my brother and cousins band thought they sounded like

Haven't heard of this band. The album was fine, but didn't push me to discover more about their catalog.

Some songs are ok

Normally I would love this but something is missing, not sure what. Maybe they're playing too fast. Anyhow I still like it. 3.3

Un descubrimiento musical muy chulo, pop punk del Norte de Irlanda con unas líneas de bajo bastante divertidas que dan ganas de aprenderse. Punk un poco más desenfadado.

Nothing special just really fun to listen to

Pretty nice but can be a bit samey.

Short and to the point. Classic track in my perfect cousin.

Ok

Thoughts before listening: Punk band I think? Isn't this the band that did "Teenage Kicks"? I don't recognize this cover and 1980 seems late for "Teenage Kicks" so maybe this is a later album. I'm not entirely sure. Review: So this is pop punk which is certainly a sound I enjoy. I think to fully understand the appeal for this album its probably important to remember that not a ton of bands sounded like this in 1980. Still though, its just okay to me. Feels like if you're going to put an Undertones album on this list, it should probably be the one with the well known single...and if that album is also on here then I feel safe with my belief that the Undertones probably only need one album on the list. There are some catchy songs that I'm adding to my playlist, but this is a 3-star album.

Another album of Godfathers of Punk from Northern Ireland.

It’s perfectly average. 2.5

About time punk (three years since the Bollocks) went for the understated comic potentialities! Punchy, power punk, precise, in tune, satiric, self-aware. These guys are having fun and you should be having fun too. Fun can get tiring, right?

Never have there been so many hooks since the annual trout fishing convention. This is my kind of jam. It’s fun and upbeat although I never liked my perfect cousin. After a while, I will concede it is kind of wearing. But if you don’t like a tune, don’t worry, another one will be along in 2 1/2 minutes. I feel it’s a 3.5 in reality, but I’m not sure I’m ever gonna play this again.

The compositions put a lot of onus on the lyrics, which generally were fine, but didn’t elevate to anything extraordinary. I enjoyed the album, I think it’s really more of a 3.5, but I wouldn’t rate it good enough to make it to a 4. I liked the vibe, the songs were simple but interesting, it just never reached the heights I think they were going for.

This was a nice listen. I'd only ever heard a compilation from these guys, so it was cool to hear some album tracks. I'm not sure what it is about them. They're fun, they're tight, they're catchy. All good things. But their music, as energetic as it is, lacks excitement. These guys are great for having a song or two in a soundtrack or mix tape. But a whole album... it's nice, it's just... well, it's just nice.

Fun!

The beginning of the album gave me hope that I would really enjoy this. Pop punky with some late 70s/early 80s influence. But following "Under the Boardwalk" (which was an incredible surprise cover and worked really well), the rest of the album ended up feeling too same-y, and I started tuning out. I think this album would have benefited greatly from some more variety. Put a super slow tempo in there somewhere in the middle. Get a different singer to feature or take the lead of a song or two. It needed something different, or just less songs. It works, and it's a fine album. But I wanted it to be better than it actually was. Favorite Song(s): See That Girl, Under the Boardwalk

These guys slipped under my radar back in 1980, and it's kind of easy to see why. Nothing wrong with the tracks here, but nothing all that notable either. I'd say they're comparable to The Tubes and Gary Myrick and the Figures, both groups I enjoyed back in the day.

Fun proto-pop punk from 1980. Hard to see how you could hate this. Just a bunch of dorks having a good time and making not unpleasant music. The only negatives for me are that it’s not exactly revelatory, the “Under the Boardwalk” cover, and that I listened to the extended cut by accident and that was way too much Undertones. Other than that, this is fine by me.

Some catchy tracks. Solid, but wasn’t really for me.

I hated Feargal's voice when I was young. I guess I've got used to it after 45 years though because I enjoyed this. It doesn't take itself seriously, and has all that great youthful punk energy. Lots to like.

A fun punk/new wave album that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Took me until the last song to figure out the lads were from Derry. Very 80s, not my cup of tea, but some humourous and interesting lyrics. Low 3*

Not bad, but it didn’t really speak to me. I can never really get into new wave.

Adolescent 1980s pop-punk. Beat for beat what I expected from an album of that description. It's fine.

the voice is a. bit annoying at times but i think it’s a good album, some good tunes on it

Decent.

Fun, energetic, catchy, and silly on the boarder of punk and new wave. The more they lean into this, the better - The faster and sillier songs stand out. It starts off pretty strong, but my excitement doesn’t stay for the full length of the album. Surprised I hadn’t heard this before…it’s a good time, but may not have enough diversity to sustain me.

besser als erwartet aber nicht meins

This has a fun sound!! New album for me 3/5 #musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge

3.5/5

Yes! Original punk!

Sick album cover, not much else.

I dug this.

Not sure if I like those vocals. Some songs are okay, though

solidly alright indie rock

never heard of them before but it;'s fine

Tykkäsin! Poppipunkin varhaista vaihetta. Jatkoon. 3/5

3,5/5

New to me. I appreciate the energy and range.

Clase maestra en pop-punk. Un álbum divertido, rápido, pegadizo, y que no se toma en serio a sí mismo. A pesar de ser música bastante simple, demuestra una evolución en el sonido de The Undertones y tiene algo que lo hace seguir sonando actual 45 años más tarde. No es el álbum más complejo del mundo, pero es muy bueno y entretenido, además de influyente.

I was excited for this and it delivered. Upbeat pop/rock with tunes of teenagerdom and small world living. Love Feargal Sharkey and wanted to like this more, but felt it was quite small scope and his voice doesnt really hold up over s lot of listening.

Liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

I like the raw feel of this album. It really captures that early punk feel without being in your face all the time. Solid listen, overall.

Fun late 70s early 80s pop punk. Nothing wrong with this but nothing overwhelming either.

Sounds influential. Also old.

It's a decent fun album. Love the sound of the vocals and distinctive style. Great lyrical themes, particularly love hard luck, my perfect cousin, boys will be boys and There goes norman.

Truly Just Jams

I liked The Undertones at the time but not enough to buy any of their albums but most of this album was familiar to me before today. It captured the times the album was released but listening today I realised just what a thin sound was produced. Also a bit repetitive but nevertheless quite jaunty. Feargal Sharkey has been visiting frequently in my area, Ilkley, campaigning admirably to stop sewage polluting the lovely River Wharfe. So another star added because he’s a great fellow. 3/5 2/5/25

I dug this one. Seems a little ahead of its time. I bet a lot of bands that became popular in the decades that followed listed to the Undertones. Well done.

This album fits somewhere between people taking this list too seriously and are setting their standards too high, and conversely the creators of this list need to raise their standards and expand beyond just the UK. This is a perfect middle of the road punk/pop album that doesn't take itself too seriously (I mean, they covered Under The Boardwalk?!) and it's all the better for it. However, there's nothing truly standout-ish on this record. Fairly reminiscent of Buzzcocks, but not quite as good IMO. Is it good enough that people should give it a listen? Sure, but it won't make their life any different if they miss it, so I'm not sure it deserves placement on this list. It was new to me though and I enjoyed it enough to save it to my library.

Would have liked to seen them live

When I reviewed The Undertones' self-titled album, I had no idea that they had another album on the list. Granted, that was over 500 albums ago, so it's been a minute since I've listened to these guys. I gave that first Undertones album four stars, so I've got decently high hopes that I'll enjoy this one as well. I have to say, this is quite the album cover... I didn't enjoy this album as much as I enjoyed the first Undertones album, but I still thought this was pretty good. The guitar playing and vocals were really good across the album, and there was some pretty fun songwriting too. The leadoff track, "More Songs About Chocolate and Girls," really hooked me in with its unique guitar sounds, and "There Goes Norman" was really fun and weird. From there, the album lost me a little bit, but I really loved the cover of "Under the Boardwalk." The Undertones' version had a really fun energy that still kept some of the original sixties pop sound. I thought the second side of the album was stronger, although not by much. "My Perfect Cousin" had some fantastic rhythms, and the vocals and lyrics were really fun. "Wednesday Week" had some really unique guitar playing that I enjoyed, and the same goes for "Girls That Don't Talk" and "What's With Terry?" Overall though, the album felt a bit uneven, and there was something about these songs that felt like the band was holding back a bit. Still, this was an enjoyable album, and I'm glad I had an excuse to check out The Undertones again.

Decades before he waged war on water pollution, and before he reinvented himself as a long-haired, chart-topping, 80s pop prince, Feargal Sharkey was in the punk also rans who penned John Peel's favourite tune, Teenage Kicks, and... that other single. That other single, My Perfect Cousin, is on this album, the remainder of which I have never listened to previously, me being a little bit wary of "punk" albums that didn't come out in the 70s. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by Hypnotised. It's a simple but smart collection full of straight-to-the-point riffs and melodic hooks, with a few subtle production touches along the way - acoustic guitar solo on a punk track? Of course, the thing is, this is not really punk, it is pop with loud guitars, and rather silly, juvenile lyrics - the phrase "boys will be boys" crops up twice before it gets used as a song title in its own right. Despite being lyrically dated and a tad lightweight, in all other departments this is a pretty enjoyable listen.

there's a certain charm to power poppy new wave bands before the synthpop explosion: it's punk-not-punk, despite the Undertones inarguably having been punk-is-punk at some point. there's glimpses of that old band that could play like Johnny Rotten, but the Undertones aren't beloved for those qualities; they're beloved for their deviation. the only Undertones song you've heard, "Teenage Kicks", is good not because it's a thrash of a song, but because it's a lovely little hard candy of a song. i'd say a lot of the best parts of the album function on that logic, deviating from what you'd expect from a punk band and just writing songs about, well, "Chocolate and Girls". i don't think it's a very CONSISTENT listen, but i appreciate it as a feel-good album; probably good to put on after a rough day at work. even if the lyrics sometimes go against the tone, the tone is impenetrable, bright, and visible at nighttime. songs about sex killers and your shitty new wave cousin have never been so chipper. god, i want some Red Lobster.

Hey this is a great album

Another good discovery!

Pretty good

It was ok I guess

Soundtrack parfaite pour le party des « mauvais garçons du lycée » dans une comédie pour adolescent prépubère américain des années 90.

I'd like Madness please. Sure, do you want Gang of Four in it? Uhhh, OK, a little?

Some wittiness to the music and lyrics. Mostly just pretty simple.

I was a bit concerned when I pressed play on this but it grew on me pretty quickly. Hypnotised is a great track, as is The Girls Talk and Hard Luck. Sort of tapers off after that. I can hear how this might have been influential to some more modern pop punk artists, not a genre I'm really a fan of...but this gets 3 stars (just) 5.5/10

Good punk album. Very fun

Fun punk album.

Bubbly fun and easy on the ear but ultimately ephemeral.

Kinda sounds like dead Kennedys with no bite, not enough anger and vitriol. Or talent 5/10 Forgettable

Good '80s style... would that be considered stripped down now? Back then it was all they could afford and wanted to feel the analog.

314/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

80s made me nervous, but this was fun

There goes Norman is the greatest song ever made

Odd and punky and fun.

Underwhelming apolitical punk rock. If the same music was put to actually decent lyrics and interesting vocals, it would be a 4.

Dumb yet catchy early 80s pop-punk, with good hooks and a taste of the punk bands whose sound defined the late 70s. Nothing too memorable IMO but still a fun listen.

Not special, still enjoyable

Harmless rock but not exciting. Would do a 3.5 buuuuut.

Decent. If this was playing as background music in a bar I would enjoy it but not enough to look up what it was.

Perfectly adequate kinda post kinda punk. Catchy tunes that I forgot as soon as they ended.

Watered down The Clash.

Miejscami spoko, ale meh

Interesting music. Almost punk but not quite, almost glam but not quite, with a bit of a Beach Boys feel. I really like the vocalist, but most of these songs are pretty similar sounding. Pretty enjoyable, though I likely wont revisit this one.

It’s ok but nothing for this list.

Not really my favorite flavor of this type of thing but I’m not mad about it. Ended up being pretty fun as the album progressed. Title track is catchy

Not for me i think

Indie guys from Ireland making goofy music.

5.5/10 Highlights: See that Girl

These British punk/rock albums are a dime a dozen. They all sound more or less the same. Not bad but not memorable at all. Favorites: Wednesday Week

Das Album bringt den Pop-Punk-Sound der Band aus Derry in den späten 70er und frühen 80er Jahren zurück ins Rampenlicht. Während das Album von der Energie und dem jugendlichen Enthusiasmus der Band lebt, fehlt es manchmal an Abwechslung und Tiefe, die es von einem durchschnittlichen auf ein wirklich herausragendes Album heben könnte. Positiv hervorzuheben ist der Song "Under the Boardwalk", eine charmante und lebendige Coverversion des Klassikers von The Drifters. Diese Interpretation fängt perfekt das Sommer-Feeling des Originals ein und verleiht ihm eine frische, punkige Note, die zeigt, dass The Undertones auch abseits ihrer eigenen Kompositionen glänzen können.

I don't know if I would expect something to be good if you said "it's like the Sex Pistols playing pop punk mixed with AC/DC". But that's what this is like and it's pretty good. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

“Proto-pop-punk” isn’t something I think about much, but that’s what this is, and it’s pretty fricken cool. This might be my favourite album cover I’ve seen on here so far, and I’m almost inclined to give an extra star for that. But this isn’t 1001 album covers to look at before you die, is it?

Is this the Offspring? That's my only comparison. Except they're Irish! Maybe that's why I'm somewhat compelled by this, even though the lyrics aren't doing much for me and the sound is, in some ways, generic. But they do sound to me like they're newer than they are, and there's some intriguing vowels. The 'Under the Boardwalk' cover isn't my favorite, but if I had never heard the song before, maybe I would like it. Vague Highlights: 'Hypnotised', 'Hard Luck' Vague Lowlights: 'What's With Terry' (just seems a bit mean, unless Terry is a famous politician I don't know about)

Fun, but not exceptional

# Album Name: Hypnotised # Artist: The Undertones # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Pretty middle of the road punk rock album. Not bad but not stellar. Steady as she goes. Couple of decent tracks but it doesnt get off the floor too much. My perfect cousin the highlight of the album. # Top Tunes: Whizz kids / perfect cousin # Would I listen to it again? Probably not.

Pleasant 60's garage rock influenced power pop/pop punk mix. I really like "Wednesday Week" Will listen again sometime. Low 3 stars

wasn't expecting to be too fond of it but i really enjoyed this xx

This doesn’t really speak to my sensibilities but it’s not bad.

Solidly enjoyable album, but didn’t floor me on first listen. Power pop with early punk influence, can definitely see it influencing 90s pop punk. Enjoyable vocals and songwriting but pretty samey throughout the course of the album. Could see myself returning to it or checking out their first album

Im Hintergrund gehört, kaum wahrgenommen, nochmal hören

Fun, early pop-punk. You've got your songs about teenage angst and young heartbreak. Not much more here.

Goofy, punky, happy album. Nothing else stands out, really - Its OK but nothing I would recommend to anyone. 3/5

s'aight

Reminded me of Phineas and ferb for some reason

Never heard of the Undertones and this was a treat. The reason this album generator is all worth it!

3.5, their debut is better. There are a few standouts here like My Perfect Cousin but overall just pretty good.

This grew on me, first couple of songs thought it was going to be a tough listen. But although repetitive, easy listening with enough going on to bop along to

这太new wave了

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: More Songs About Chocolate and Girls, There Goes Norman, Hypnotised, Wednesday Week, What's with Terry Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Pop punk progenitors, surprised I've never heard of them before. A juvenile good time, will be checking out more of their stuff for sure.

love how raw the guitar sounds, so many scrrrchs and screeks. Boistorous voices which is what i associate with irish rock, badass. super reminds me of Dunerats

This is a fine punkish album, but the fact I’ve already heard two albums by these guys and none by Descendants has me curious.

Can’t get behind the lead singers voice. It reminds me of the Jim Carrey karaoke scene in The Cable Guy. Without the lead singer I would maybe be into this.

Never heard of them and it had some solid tracks.

Distinctly average

garage rock

Really a 3.5

I was trying to figure out why I hadn’t heard of these guys before I realized they don’t know how to write a chorus

Listenable but largely uninteresting. Feel truly neutral.

I’d rather not hear another word about the whizz kids

I am not the biggest punk fan, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. 3.5 stars

Decent, slightly punky and quirky power pop. 3 stars.

3.5

im doing a list of 500 essential pop punk albums and this album is on that list as well. to be honest im not sure this album should be on either list. i dont really have many complaints, this was fine as background music but i preferred their self-titled album that came out right before this one.

Mer stellt sich vor: De T. Goetschmann (Name de Redaktion bekannt) meldet sich – zum biz Geld verdiene – binere Studie ah, wo er 2 Stunde still lige muen, debii küelt wird bis er fast schlotteret und nume dörf Musig lose. De Timon G. entscheidet sich defür, ih de besagte Situation s ganze Album vo The Undertones durezlose. Bewegigslos frögt er sich zurecht, öb das jetzt e gueti entscheidig gsi isch, die negste 45 Minute chli 80er Punk uf sine Ohre z ha. D Energie vode Musig het de T. Robin G. debii schön vo inne gwärmt, doch ischs bizli schwirig gsi zum gnüsse und zum wüsse das mer die 45 Minute jetzt durechaue mun. Fazit: Wärs anderi musig gsi hets am T. vo Urdorf sicher meh spass gmacht. Obwohl de Götschmä de zweitjüngst das Punkige vode 80er sehr sehr toll finde, gits wohl zwei Händ voll anderi Bands wo er bevorzuge würd. Trotzdem het ihn d chälti die 45 Minute meh gstresst wie d musig, das wott was heisse. Biz Hypnotised isch er wohl gsi. Bide Chältestudie vom Gimon Toetschmann – wo anonym bliibe wott – hät sich ergeh, dass das Album en klare fall vo 3 gleite Katheter isch.

Interesting, scho lang mal welle inelose. Now we’re talking. Chume so slightly revolutionary vibes über, kei ahnig öb zu recht oder nöd zu recht. Hami nöd über sie informiert. Vlt so biz 1980er independent movements ala IRA Allgemein katapultiert mich de sound so biz id 80er/90er ine, eher im ne britische insle brick lane gebiet ine und nöd i irgend e hässlicki autoblockstadt vu de usa. Item, irgend wie cool zum entdecke aber halt scho nöd min sound. Darum rüehri uf das album 3 molotov cocktails

lobster diesel bravo album cover d‘undertones sind aber leider so tüüf gsi, dass sie de weg zu mim hütige mood nöd gfunde hend, eigentli no schad trotzdem klassischi 3 salzstreuer*inne uf de tisch

Nije mi ovaj bend van Teenage kicks, što je legendarni singl britanskoga punka bio nešto tako da mi je i ovo prosječno.

Nice Rock and roll but I couldn't see anything standing out to me.

++: More Songs About Chocolate and Girls, Whizz Kids, Wednesday Week, What's With Terry +: There Goes Norman, Hypnotised, See That Girl, The Way Girls Talk, Hard Luck, My Perfect Cousin, Boys Will Be Boys, Tearproof, Nine Times Out of Ten, Girl's That Don't Talk +-: Under the Boardwalk 7,0/10

I love his voice but it wasn't an exciting album. Basically I wish it was better because I'd probably love it

I like it 3.5

Not quite punk, not quite pop rock. The clash were doing it better and earlier. But honestly, this album was fine.

Like

5/10 - the cover art goes so hard. The lyrics of the songs reminded me of the everly brothers album we had a while ago. I didn’t love the singing but the rest of it was pretty good.

It was aight