Reviews by thomaswmeek

Surprised 'paedo' isn't in the keywords for album reviews. Maybe the difference in U.S. and UK spelling is splitting the numbers.

So in my wheelhouse (Scottish, jingly jangly, a bit weedy and dumb), but just never got into this album or this band. I think mainly because of the vocals. All a bit of a whine. No surprise the best track is an instrumental.

Nowhere near as awful as I expected.

Interesting to hear the prototype for Back to Life, which is a grade A banger of a banger in its single form. Rest of album flows along nicely without really making an impact.

The one I keep coming back to when thinking about what my personal favourite album might be. Don't think there's a song that drops below an 8.

First CD album I ever bought. Loved it then, love it now.

Only knew Pata Pata before (the BBC Soul Music on that song is really worth listening to). Glad to expand. Wonderful music. Although would love a version without the crying laughter on One More Dance. That takes it down a whole star.

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.

Well-produced and original. But I'm just much more into music for sad young boys rather than angry young boys.

What to do when one quarter of a pop group is very likely an incestuous paedophile?

Also, where's the lid for that toilet?

More like this please.

A messier prototype Pixies. Glad to be introduced to it.

Can't give five stars to an album that has a song like Dear God on it. Shame, as the rest of the album is pretty excellent

A masterpiece I will never tire of. Especially on warm, sunny afternoons.

Been put off exploring J&MC more after being disappointed by Psychocandy. This feels more poppy and fun though. The better album for me. Glad to listen.

I'm nearly 40. I don't have time for this

Maybe the most that one song has dominated an album. Extraordinary the difference in quality.

The other hits are hits. But the rest of the album sounds like an Adele parody (she really does worry about people forgetting who she is). I'll Be Waiting is all a bit uncomfortable lyrically too.

Would love to know how much Robert Smith made from this.

The wikipedia entry for this album is insanely long (I guess in homage to the album?).

Strong memories of The Drugs Don't Work being everywhere around the time my gran died. Then Diana dying and getting all the attention.

Diana has an insanely long wikipedia too. And she was 36 when she died?! Seems mad to have outlived her. In my head she was at least 45.

That run of Born in the USA, Cover Me, Darlington County and Working on the Highway is pretty hardgoing; probably what most sceptics thing of as basic, barky Bruce.

Lot to love in the rest of this though. And a nice contrast with Nebraska. Glad I did a deep dive into Bruce's entire back catalogue a couple of years back. Even if it fucked with my Spotify algorithms.

Loses a bit in second half. And all a bit too tinny. But gotta admire what they were doing.