Eye

This one meant everything to me in some stretch of the middle 1990s. I'm sure Hitchcock's peculiar arch-wierdery will not be for everyone. But for me, in a narrow alt-rock genre, it is about perfection, and in my opinion Hitchcock's masterpiece.

Have always liked Robyn Hitchcock. Saw him in San Diego in the early 1990s. He performed Beautiful Girl on 91x as a promo for the concert. He's always been a bit different.

Robyn Hitchcock often sounds like what a latter day Syd Barrett might've sounded like, had Syd not completely lost his marbles.

Firmly believe the British are at their best when they’re taking the piss – there were more than a few moments on this one where Hitchcock’s frank, sardonic delivery got a chuckle out of me. This LP isn’t without its faults, as the more ballad-like tracks drag on without the characteristic wit of their uptempo counterparts, but for the most part it’s pretty solid. Good instrumentals, serviceable melodies, and the album’s characteristic humor all make for a surprisingly enjoyable listen in a genre I usually struggle with.

This was great! I’ve heard good things about Robyn Hitchcock before (and embarrassingly somehow got him confused with Robyn of Dancing On My Own fame) but never set aside the time to get into him until now. I also hadn’t realised he was the singer of The Soft Boys (whose album Underwater Moonlight was on the main list and I think I enjoyed??) until today This album was a wild ride - spritely, incredibly varied and with a magnificent presence from the start. He hits an avant-garde folk rock sound somewhere between Richard Thompson and Robert Wyatt that also reminds me a bit of R.E.M and early Radiohead in places. Just a lot of fun and it has definitely inspired me to check out more of his many many albums in the future

Robyn Hitchcock is definitely an artist who deserved a spot on the original list. Yeah I know, Soft Boys, but his solo stuff is something distinct and special. There's really nothing else out there quite like him, and I enjoyed spending time with this album today. Eye is interesting because without a supporting band it's simply Hitchcock distilled to his finest qualities. Musically, he has a minimalist pop sensibility. But Hitchcock's eccentric approach to songwriting is straight out of the 60s. The lyrics are the star here - whimsical, sardonic, surreal, encircling the occasional nugget of pathos or truth. The overall effect is highly listenable but thought provoking and strange in the best ways. Fave Songs: Queen Elvis, Raining Twilight Coast, Chinese Water Python, Glass Hotel, Aquarium, Beautiful Girl

It was quirky, but the good sort of quirks, not the oh god jam knitting needles in my ears quirky. Left field, folky but without being annoying, heartfelt. This was a lovely new one on me.

Acoustic punk probably shouldn't work, but it definitely hits the spot for me. I like this a lot more than his work with his previous band, and it could justifiable take their spot in the book. An interesting album i would probably never have heard without it being suggested here - so thanks!

Some interesting lyrics, but, with the exception of couple of songs, just not entertaining to listen to. Poorly delivered and produced.

The album starts with some cool and weird song structures, but rather quickly it gets lost in the experiment.

I have mixed feelings about Robyn Hitchcock. He's obviously talented, but often I find he gets too cutesy-fartsy. On this album though, the cutesy-fartsiness seems to be lower than average, and there are some really nice songs here. I'm going with 4 stars.

This is so bizarrely unique! This guy just puts his whole heart out there, and a bit of his ass too.

started rough and grew on me

It's not often I've said this in this project, but I think I would have enjoyed this a bit more in my youth when it came out. I was familiar with Robyn Hitchcock's earlier album and found it quite fun and different back in the day. I maybe had just a little less patience for this as it seemed to go on a long time and the quirkyness felt a bit forced to my old jaded self. That said, I did like it a lot!

This was pretty interesting. Not sure I'll listen to it again though.

Better than what I expected

Kind of fun and some good poetry. Also some pretty guitar picking in places.

Rating: 6/10

I can see this album being important if heard at a certain point in life, but it just doesn’t resonate with me in that way. I enjoy the sardonic delivery and lyrics, but the album is too long. However, it does anticipate indie folk that would develop in the decades to come.

Nice laid back fun

This was interesting, if a bit sparse at times. Not bad…

Eye eye captain

Very, very ok. I didn't really dislike it but I don't see myself ever coming back to it. 2.5 would be the ideal score here.

An album that needs listening to a few times to fully appreciate, I didn't hate it but not something I will revisit

April 11, 2025 HL: "Chinese Water Python" (instrumental), “Linctus House”, “Glass Hotel”, “Sweet Ghost of Light” (bonus) Ranges from nonsense poetry (“Certainly Cliquot”) to more lucid moments (“Executioner”, “Aquarium”), but much is still up to interpretation. I also revisited Hitchcock’s album on the original list, Underwater Moonlight, and remembered how little I understood his lyrics back then. I guess omitting the harmonies, punky rhythms and psychedelic noise of the Soft Boys makes me engage with his surrealist turns of phrase in a way I haven’t before. I can see this growing on me with time. He’s coming to my city this year, and I will admit, this piqued my interest a smidge 3.5 and rising

Wore out its quirky welcome pretty early. But that's ok, we don't have to like all the same things, do we?

Interesting

It was some nice folk rock, but still could cut out about 20 minutes. It's pleasant but in the end, not doing anything that is all that fresh that isn't already covered My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

I really want to like this but of course it's so terribly contrived. Quirky and fun, nonsensical and British but I'm not in the mood. I can't bring myself to give this a bad score. It is what it is.

First listen I thought it was terrible, second listen I was possibly in a better mental space for this, it seems an acquired taste. I'll revisit and will edit review and stars

I prefer his 1984 disc I Often Dream Of Trains but I do love some Robyn Hitchcock. I strongly heard his Dylanesque lyricism in these tunes but the unrelenting acoustic music left me jonesing for an amplifier.

This is obviously one of those singer-songwriters who thinks he's an utter genius. He's not. I bet if I searched enough interviews, I'd find one of him saying he's the greatest songwriter of all time. He's not. 2/5.

I don't think it's rock as it is classified, however it is interesting and I consider it to be more based on the lyrics than on the music, like a kind of trova. I didn't find it outstanding and in the long run it was a bit tedious.

I think there should be a solo Robyn Hitchcock album on the list, but I would go with I Often Dream of Trains, Moss Elixir, or Jewels for Sophia.

I feel like you’re trying too hard, Robyn Hitchcock

This has it's moments, but mostly moments that made my right eyebrow raise.

Ok, nothing special

There was a moment in time where i was into Robyn Hitchcock's voice and i found Globe of Frogs to be decent. Unfortunately this is a bit too artsy and experimental to get into. Didn't find anything that really stuck for me, and the extended spoken bits made it feel like a bit of a slog.

Folk rock. Me ha aburrido. Un 2.

Lo-fi folksy singer songwriter album. Not for me. Rating: 2 Playlist track: Queen Elvis Date listened: 01/10/24

Weird, but eventually broke me down. It's sparse, and very uniform throughout. Very British, reminds me a lot of brit pop acts that would come later A little long, could've used some fat trimming. Dude really likes the word "flesh", too. Not anything I'm rushing back to listen to, unfortunately. Favorite tracks: "Clean Steve", "Executioner"

Folk lyrics with more modern instruments. It didn't really hit for me.

Early 90s indie music was a totally different vibe from the modern indie. This has some good folk sound mixed with classic British sound but for me I found the album pretty dull and bland. Overall not something I’d revisit or ever seek out but still an interesting listen. 5.3/10

Just didn’t do anything for me

"Chamberlain came crawling from Munich, with one piece of paper..." Feels weird listening to this today. Feels weird acknowledging how weird it is. ...And that's about all the emotions I got from this. Rest's the usual jangle pop dross. Singer sounds like all the Beatles at once, but with the cadence of Bob Dylan.

This is not the Robyn I hoped for. Dude annoys me.

I can't say that I was a fan of this one. The pacing of how the vocals are delivered annoyed me. Just not for me.

Eye isn't good, he can't sing well enough for the style, the whole thing is slow, stumbly and warbly, which is disappointing because he was lead singer of The Soft Boys and we had one of their albums here two years ago that I enjoyed and gave a 4/5. This doesn't get close to that, 2/5, forgettable.

I really enjoyed the opening track; it was quirky but also good musically. But then the rest of the album happened.

I flipped between hating this so much and then thinking actually it was quite good. But on the whole I lent towards hating it. I felt that the stupid lyrics only feel permissible because of the jaunty singing. It wasn't the worst thing ever but really nothing special.

What unimaginative nonsense this was and genuinely awful singing. Laughable at points. Stupid lyrics. Not a fan

It was ok

The music is simple. The singing wasn't really good, even bad at some times. I wonder how I succeeded in listening to all songs, because after 2 songs I had enough

This is one of the worst things I've ever heard. When he shuts up for ten goddamn seconds, the music is pretty nice. But he never. ever. ever. shuts up.

Two things can be true: I can see why someone would add this and I did not like this at all.

After that Swedish rock thing this was a change of pace in a bad way because I could’ve gone without hearing another folksy political British/Irish album like these for a very long time.

Don’t rate it

Meh

Yet another "sardonic songs and stories from a cheeky lad" kinda entry. He may use folky instrumentation, but get this! He mentions blowjobs sometimes! He also keeps belting without working to make his delivery less nasal. Completely obnoxious album.