The English Beat Album Poll

I went through a big English Beat/General Public thing a year ago or so but I never dealt with the proper albums, sorry to say

Love the tautness of sound on the first one, love the songwriting on the last one. Wha'ppen? is pretty good at combining the two though, especially if you cheat and chuck in 'Too Nice To Talk To' as per the CD.

as much as in think any and all English Beat is akin to life in paradise with a cherry on top, special beat service is my fave, lo these many many years. "Dream Home in NZ" ~may~ be my fave song, though

"Dream Home in NZ" is a fave of mine too, but I Just Can't Stop It is my favourite album.

I Just Can Stop It by a very wide margin.

I voted for I Just Can't Stop It, but Special Beat Service is close behind.

Great great pop song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BYgPi8h8mI

This choice is impossible btw. Without listening to them very often they somehow encompass so much of what I look for in music.

probably more songs i have much more passion for on the first two but as an album had to vote for special beat service

all great, but the first is definitely my go-to

I Just Can't Stop It was one of the first records I bought (aged about 7 or 8). I've never even heard the other two albums. I don't even know what's on them. I can remember them having hits with 'Hand's Off She's Mine', 'Mirror In The Bathroom', and 'Best Friend', then they just seemed to disappear for ages. Then, from nowhere, they suddenly came back with 'Can't Get Used To Losing You', which had been on the same album as those other singles several years before. Then they disappeared forever.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Daaaaaaammmmn

been listening to Wha'ppen? lots, and while it's the least of the three records -- the tunes don't stick like they did before and after -- holy shit the rhythm section.

"Too nice to talk to" probably my fav single of theirs

Love the tautness of sound on the first one, love the songwriting on the last one. Wha'ppen? is pretty good at combining the two though, especially if you cheat and chuck in 'Too Nice To Talk To' as per the CD.

― Peinlich Manoeuvre (NickB), Wednesday, September 23, 2009 10:43 AM (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm

Just got the box set for Christmas. Filled a huge gap in my collection there, I only ever had the What is Beat? comp.

"Doors to My Heart" and "Dream Home in NZ" the highlights after "Too Nice to Talk To"

"Dream Home in NZ" is the ultimate Gang of Four songtitle they never used.

yep!

but god these days I'd rather listen to these guys over Go4, the latter being the equivalent of rummaging through a closet and finding grad school essays.

Oh that depends. They were surprisingly perfect bar music last night before the Peter Murphy show. Anyway, back to the English Beat.

a-bom-bom

I was quite wrong.

Pet peeve: twice now in his #1s column, Breiham refers to Andy Cox (guitar) and David Steele (bass) as the (English) Beat's rhythm section, but ... they're not, at least not as that phrase is typically invoked. Though I suppose one could make the case that the Beat was one big rhythm section, Saxa aside.

hi, i love the beat!

remember the wonderful compilation what is beat? a $2.99 used bin find was my intro to the band and i've always respected the extended mix of "i confess" as the definitive one. it's not on streaming and the only youtubes i can find of it are fan uploads!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK0jV2hSD54
the (english) beat — "i confess (12" single mix)"

more tablas in pop music please!!!