Scissor Sisters

So much fun

Britain can feel pretty depressing at the moment, but the fact that we collectively made this album a huge hit is a reminder that we don't always hate fun.

It's just very much its own high-quality weird moment in time and there isn't much like it. It's very good at what it does and it's damned catchy.

Its ok

Bad pink föoyd cover

Surprisingly, I didn't hate this. Well ok, I did kind of hate the tracks that leaned more into disco and dance, but some of the more glam rock/art rock tracks were actually pretty decent. That said, this album is getting a 2/5 for that cover of Comfortable Numb alone. While I do appreciate when an artist covers a song in their own style, absolutely no one was asking for a disco version of Comfortably Numb.

A decently indecent pastiche of 70s and 80s pop rock. Gotta respect the Scissor Sisters for breaking through the deep homophobia of the mainstream media in 2004 with some deeply gay aesthetic choices. One problem with drawing on such a wide set of musical styles is you're unlikely to hold most peoples' interest across a full album. For me, I loved the disco songs; the glam / arena rock songs did not scratch the itch.

This album is a gay old time.

What sets the debut Scissor Sisters album apart is how openly, proudly queer it is. From their suggestive name, to their provocative lyrics, to their hit singles, like "Take Your Mama."

Their music exists in this delicate space between "fun" and "irritating," but overall, I find this album a worthwhile and enjoyable listen. Something different than a lot of this list, and an important representation of a community and culture.

Favorite track(s): Lovers in the Backseat

Besides the one track, it all came and went. Should've been another UK indie album for all it was worth.

I don’t get it at all

I didn’t get Sister Scissors back when they were everywhere… I still don’t get them now.

Should probably be a 2 star (I don’t mind the first 2 tracks) but the Comfortably Numb cover is so offensive I’m deducting a star.

I remember reasonably enjoying the followup to this album 20 years ago(!), so I thought I'd like this, but ultimately I found it all a bit empty feeling.

Some fun singles. Not sure it's sustained across an album

I was familiar with the band's name, but not their music. Yeah, it was kind of funny. Something like that would definitely be a lot of fun in a disco or a gay bar. But the botched cover of the Pink Floyd song changes the review of the album from ok to vomit. 2/5

A really really good pop album. I can understand why these guys were all over the radio and a lot of other media (certainly in the UK) in the early noughties.

As for the 'Comfortably Numb' debate, I thought I vaguely recognised it before I looked at the title. It's SO far from the original that it's almost a different song. I thought it was perfectly aligned to the rest of the album.

If they actually *were* known as "that gay band" then I'm coming out.

Ein buntes, energiegeladenes Debüt, das Disco‑Pop, Glam und Camp‑Attitüde mit viel Spielfreude mischt. Einige Songs zünden sofort, andere wirken heute etwas überdreht oder stilistisch zu grell. Charmant, catchy, aber nicht durchgehend treffsicher.

'Filthy/Gorgeous' is phenomenal, and even 'Mary' had the feels. I guess other than that I'm not sure what the hype was all about. But hey it was fun!

This album is all over the place. There's no way I would have guessed this was made in 2004 because it all feels like it's from much earlier times. Where it's fun, it's really fun... Where it isn't, it isn't.

Notables:
"Laura" starts the album on a very Dolly Parton "9 To 5" riff which immediately triggers your brain into dance mode.
"Comfortably Numb" is actually kind of a low point for me. Maybe I like the original too much to embrace this disco version.
"Mary" proves 'the sisters' are actual musicians; very Elton John.
"Tits On The Radio" is an instant classic for me
"Filthy/Gorgeous" is too much. If there's one song that breaks the retro hypnosis, this is probably it for me.

Fine, but nothing I would want to listen to again.

Properly fun at most times, but when they slow it down - like with Return To Oz - they are just as good, if not, better.

Filthy/Gorgeous, Take Your Mama, and Mary are my favourites. But there are some ones that fall flat, and that Comfortably Numb was atrocious - you've gotta respect them for trying to be fair.

Overall I enjoyed this quite a bit