Too-Rye-Ay

I bet this would be a really fun band in a bar. Eileen is a classic, the rest is fun but unremarkable.

Come on Eileen is obviously great, the rest didn't stick out to me (except Marguerita Time).

Can't get past the constipated singing voice. It completely ruins any enjoyment I might have otherwise gotten from the music.

I’m at a 5.

Well, I wasn’t expecting to have that much fun with a Dexys album; this is the last time we’ll get them, & I knew this was the one with “Come On Eileen”, but the past track record of these guys has suggested at least one general flaw to an album experience that would’ve sunk this down a bit. In this case, I can find almost none; Kevin’s vocal work is clear as day here, avoiding the incomprehensible woes of “Searching for the Young Soul Rebels”, along with that album’s tendencies to let its tracks hang on a bit too long. For as much as I appreciated the take on a more beige soundscape on “Don't Stand Me Down”, coming back to a fully realized & fleshed out version of the ska-leaning tones on their first album felt extremely refreshing, especially with the addiction of further Celtic elements & a proper big band brass section that REALLY accentuate the energy in each track.

Put all of those together, and you get a really strong 40 minutes that, while it does occasionally meander or feel a bit one-note, survives off of more than just the infectious vibes of their first album. This is an album that can ride just as strongly on its lyrics as well; some decently simple concepts, but sung in a way that feels like a search for validation, whether it’s professionally, from the bandmates who left after this album’s recording, from the people in his past he wants to prove wrong, or validation in his relationships. Each track here feels like it’s expressing a desire & looking for someone to ensure that he reaches that desire, and that definitely includes “Come On Eileen”, given what the track is about. He’s able to take that base desire & lift it up in ways that go hand-in-hand with the band’s instrumental energy, creating a sort of feverish swirl on most of the tracks that just keeps everything about this album a bit more captivating than the other 2 on the list.

The only one that didn’t fully click for me was “Plan B”, if only because it just feels a bit too cryptic compared to everything else. Besides that, there’s really not a miss here, and even with “Plan B” not clicking too well, I’d still argue this is a no-skip album on account of the seamless transition to the more focused “I’ll Show You”, making those tracks fit together in a solid way. Outside of the obvious big hit, I think my favorite one here is probably “Liars A to E” – something about the Beatles-y tone to it & the underlying theme of crumbling leadership just struck me well from a storytelling standpoint. As a whole though, it’s a really cohesive album, and one that I do think everyone should listen to before they die. It’s a pretty easy 5 for me, and I’m glad it got saved for last among the three Dexys albums here.

Boy, these guys really got lucky with Come on Eileen.

Is Eileen okay with this?

I struggle to understand what people find so compelling about this band. I suppose, in the context of the post-2 Tone soul revival, this music probably felt somewhat refreshing in the early 80s. And the singer has character (like a pinched, less interesting version of Robert Smith). But to me it is incredibly boring and dorky.

4
Enjoyed this, only knew come on Eileen before, like most people I'd think, but the whole album was a pleasant surprise

I started listening to this album shortly after it came out. I have always loved it so I guess I’m not an impartial rater. At this point, I’m not sure if I like it because it’s great music or I’m just used to it

9 songs that sound like the world hit "come on eileen" and the world hit "come on eileen"

Everyone knows Come On Eileen which you can’t help skanking to. I guess what surprised me most about this was how it sounded more like a Third Wave Ska record versus the Two-Tone Era it belongs to.

I don’t know how to review this. It wasn’t bad? I liked bits of it. But I think this process has broken me because I don’t think I would have said that if this was the first album i listened to. 3 stars while I remain confused.

Don’t know anything outside of Come On Eileen which is a wedding classic for a reason. I actually really enjoyed this. Was close to giving 4 stars a few songs on the back half started to drag.

It’s not bad, but “Come On Eileen” is the only truly great moment. The lead singer’s downward squeak thing Is so weird. I also just feel like Dexy’s Midnight Runners act like they’re better than you, and I find that off putting.

This offers a great selection of songs that I would come back and listen to. 7/10

Come On Eileen?

But where on Eileen?

PSA - The original album is 10 songs, ending with Come on Eileen. I hate that streaming services always have crazy amounts of bonus tracks. There should be an option to filter them out!

That aside, this is a great album. One of the more interesting UK pop albums of the 80s, in my opinion. I do like the fusion of Irish trad and big band in here too, but can see how some might find it a bit cringe. "Eileen" is very overplayed, but you can't deny how great a song it is. Perfect for a wedding dance floor. In fact, most of these songs wouldn't be out of place on any of my party playlists - for an audience of a certain age of course! Not a full 5 star though, because is voice is sometime annoying, and there are too many false endings for my taste.

It's round two for Dexys Midnight Runners. The last album of theirs I got was thr I'll fated Don't Stand Me Down, which embraced more experimental song structures at the cost of a less interesting sound. But even though it was an admirable effort, it ended up with the worst attributes of both sides where the songs were both incredibly messy *and* boring. To start, I'll say that Too-Rye-Ay is substantially better than Don't Stand Me Down. But the early, careful steps Dexys makes towards that later territory still don't work. For the positives, this album showcases a really enjoyable Celtic folk inspired pub rock sound. The Celtic Soul Brothers, Let's Make This Precious, All In All, and Old are a great time. These songs are a little cheesy, but a lot of earnest fun and imminently listenable. And If Dexys were content with this, I think everything would have been fine. But, Kevin Rowland fell into a weirdly common pitfall. That is to say, he wasn't content with making pop-punk adjacent, Celtic rock music, and became obsessed with honoring his favorite soul albums by trying to become an inheritor of their sound. This, kept, happening, I genuinely think there may have been something in the water at this place, in this time. Anyways, in my opinion, it never worked for these guys, and it doesn't work here. I think the soul inspired songs that really populate side 2 are largely a slog, even if they're generally well executed. Rowland just can't capture the joy of the original wave of the genre. Amyways, Dexys do ultimately end up leaving a good taste in your mouth though, we end on Come On Eileen, a really good song that's really funny to me due to a complex web of inside jokes. Although, since it released, Dexys have been trying to outrun this song's capacity to make them one hit wonders. And it pretty much made them utterly collapse for a while there. Although, in the modern world, it seems as though they may have made their piece. I will say that even though this is a mixed bag for me, I really enjoyed it.The best stuff is a ton of fun, and the worst stuff can't kill my high.

It's--Come On Eileen?! oh em gee! I didn't know they did other songs! I liked "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven)" and Old was good, too. Overall a fun album but not one I'm likely to revisit. Just sort of upbeat fun.

Après s’être coltiné la chute, le crash, l’auto-immolation en règle qu’était Don't Stand Me Down (et son honnête mais frustrant 3/5), il fallait bien que je revienne en arrière.

Quand Too-Rye-Ay déboule dans les bacs, je n'ai que 12 ans. Et à cet âge-là, en 1982, on ne choisit pas vraiment ce qu'on bouffe à la radio. On subit le matraquage, et le matraquage, cette année-là, il a un nom de fille qui va hanter toutes les boums de collège : Eileen.

Eileen, elle était partout, à la télé, dans les transistors, dans les centres commerciaux et "Come On Eileen", c’est le tube qui a failli bouffer tout le reste du disque, voire toute la carrière du groupe.

C’est le morceau qui a transformé les Dexys Midnight Runners en une sorte de caricature de groupe folklorique pour le grand public, alors que le projet était tellement plus tordu que ça. Car derrière la salopette crasseuse et le bonnet de Rowland, il y avait un plan de domination mondiale basé sur un mélange improbable entre la ferveur du Northern Soul et le mysticisme des collines irlandaises.

Ce qui me saute à la gueule quand je remets ce vinyle aujourd'hui, c'est à quel point c'est organique.

En 1982, la New Wave commençait à s’enfermer dans des boîtes à rythmes froides et des synthés en plastique. Les Dexys, eux, faisaient le chemin inverse, ils allaient chercher la terre, la boue, le craquement de la corde.

"The Celtic Soul Brothers", le morceau qui ouvre le bal, est une déclaration de guerre à la modernité de l'époque. Ça galope, ça s'envole, c'est une sorte de fête foraine qui aurait mal tourné, mais avec une classe folle.

Rowland, ce génie insupportable, ce dictateur de studio, a réussi à canaliser son obsession pour Van Morrison sans tomber dans le plagiat pur et dur. Et d'ailleurs, il reprend "Jackie Wilson Said", c’est presque arrogant mais ça fonctionne parce qu’ils y mettent une énergie de punk déguisé en fermier.

Il y a aussi des moments de grâce absolue, des envolées de cordes qui te filent des frissons, même si tu as horreur du folklore. On sent que le groupe est au sommet de sa cohésion physique, juste avant que Rowland ne décide de tout saborder par pur perfectionnisme maladif.

Quarante ans après et malgré toutes mes réserves, l'album reste frais et ne sonne pas daté. Pourquoi ? Parce que le bois et les cuivres ne vieillissent pas comme les processeurs.

Alors pourquoi je ne lâche qu'un 3 sur 5 ? Car on pourrait se dire qu'un tel monument mérite le tapis rouge ?

Pourquoi ? Parce que le génie de Rowland est aussi son plus gros défaut.

C’est l’album de la consécration, celui qui a permis à Rowland de devenir une star avant de décider que, finalement, être une star, c'était de la merde.

C’est un disque de transition, entre la soul puriste du premier album et le chaos expérimental du troisième.

C’est du folk-soul de haut vol, mais c'est aussi le début de la fin pour la santé mentale de Rowland au sein de ce groupe.

Au final, on retiendra du groupe deux albums et deux 3/5. L’un est un chef-d’œuvre raté, l’autre est un succès presque trop parfait. Un bien étrange équilibre.

Alors oui, Too-Rye-Ay est indispensable dans cette liste des 1001 albums. Non pas parce qu'il est parfait du début à la fin, mais parce qu'il représente une anomalie magnifique dans l'histoire de la pop des années 80.

Too-Rye-Ay est un album qui a prouvé qu'on pouvait mélanger les racines celtes et la soul américaine sans que ça ressemble à une mauvaise blague.