Beauty and the Beat

I'm a man. I love women. I strongly believe that if they were in charge we'd be so much better off.

I can't say this album is objectively great. Very enjoyable mix of punk tinged pop and you can feel the empowered vibes. We Got the Beat is an all time classic but the rest of the album (which I first heard at maybe 8 years old) was very listenable but no real standouts.

I mistakenly believed that Susanna Hoffs was part of this lineup. I always found her impossibly mesmerizing so was a little disappointed that I got my 80s girl band wires crossed.

3.9

Coming out of the LA punk scene and settling into a sort of 60s retro, power pop, new wave sound, The G-Go's were probably more fun and upbeat than many of their contemporaries.

This, their debut album, has the two big hits - Our Lips Are Sealed and We Got the Beat - which remain little gems of joy.

The other songs on the album might not quite hit the same highs as those two, but are solid pop-punk delights with duds and no skips.

Thoroughly enjoyable even today.

The true definition of 'all killer no filler.' There is not a second of fluff on this album. No showy musicianship, no dragged out overly long songs, just everything that is necessary and nothing else. And such an iconic sound! Impeccable vocals, spot on harmonies, and perfectly succinct rhythm section.

Take a drive up the coast on a warm night with the top down, and turn this up to 11.

Really fun, cohesive, and consistently upbeat.

2/3/26 - Listened on drive to work. Really enjoyed it. Almost a 5 star album to me though probably would need more listens to officially make that call.

Top Song - Lust to Love

*Great New-wave/early punk record
*Blondie Parallel lines clearly set up a record like this to happen, but its hits are great.

Nice little collection of 3 minute pop songs

I liked it.

Certainly not enough all female bands, let alone on this list and certainly not at the time.

This is the first time I've ever heard this entire album as an entire album, despite how often I've heard all of these songs over the past 40-some years!

I like this more now than I did when it first came out - it's pop music, but with a slight punk edge. I still think Fun Boy Three's "Our Lips Are Sealed" is better than the one here, but this record is a lot of fun anyway.

Favorite: "This Town"

4/5

Wiki says: 'The title is a play on the European fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast".' No kidding. Well, I guess maybe pre-Disney movie it wasn't as obvious. I like the little I.R.S. logo. I never really thought too much about the Go-Gos, other than when I heard 'Vacation' in a Rugrats episode and observed that it was a bop. But I did generally like this. It's Hi-NRG after all. (according to me, not according to wiki genres, which continue to vex me)

Highlights: 'Our Lips Are Sealed', 'How Much More'

Just a fun, bouncy Pop Rock album. Belinda Carlisle has that sauce and the whole band is tight, everything is short but filled to the brim and while the production is polished and radio-friendly, the band's punk roots still shine through in the energetic tempos and driving drums.

This album is essential listening. It manages to be critically respected yet endlessly fun, proving that pop music can be both commercially massive and artistically credible.

Refreshing

Enjoying this! I’ve previously had a fairly neutral feeling about the Go-Go’s, mostly only knowing the two singles from this album. Finding this fun! Fav tracks: Lust to Love, You Can’t Walk in Your Sleep, and Can’t Stop the World.

I'm glad I got this on a Friday, because this album has absolute Friday vibes. The songs aren't just fun & upbeat, they're pretty darn good too. Hooks for days!

Fun new wave perfection - a little repetitive but a lot of fun.

super fun. 3.5

Yllättävän raikas ja menevä kasaripoppislevy!

This feels like the ultimate new wave album. It ticks all the new wave boxes, but also has a lot of variety and is a lot of fun.

4.5/5.0: Excellent

didnt like this as much as i expected to. its got some solid tracks but a few really felt like filler which is sad on a 35 minute album. still pretty enjoyable overall.

Better than Coldplay