1976-1981

The Soft Boys | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Rykodisc
• ASIN: B0000009OG
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,900 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars These guys are seriously underrated., May 27, 2005

By 

Chris Carter (my music room) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1976-1981 (Audio CD)

Or under the radar. This is a fantastic collection of rare schtuff from their early days (mostly). Robyn Hitchcock is one of my favorite songwriters - he's witty, surreal, hilarious, and very melodic. That's not to say some songs aren't somewhat atonal in places too, but that's within the context of quirky pop songs. They were just so unique and accomplished. The very early songs are charming and not as aggressive/abrasive as some of their later material. I prefer the early home recordings and the first EP, both included here. I Want To Be An Anglepoise Lamp is one of the greatest power-pop numbers of all time!
Just great, unusual, occasionally psychedelic pop songs. You may find yourself singing emphatically about the weirdest subject matter! I was so lucky to pick this up for FREE when a local radio station was getting rid of their CD collection (somehow I doubt they ever played any of this) and I spotted it. I'm having a hard time thinking of any points of reference to clue you into what this sounds like, which is probably a good thing, meaning they were very original. I wonder if some New Zealand bands weren't influenced by this stuff (The Moles, The Chills, etc.) - they bear a resemblance to The Soft Boys. I would think if you like The Beatles & The Byrds circa 1966, you'd probably get into this as well, even tho it's more progressive. They would be way up on my "Most Underrated Bands" list. It's not easy to locate their CD's, so good luck!

5.0 out of 5 stars Melody & Wit: A Personal Favorite, August 9, 2011

By 

XraySpex - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1976-1981 (Audio CD)

The Soft Boys write about life with wit and wisdom. They say what we all want to say with outrageous imagery and endless humor. The songwriting is brilliant and the guitar work, drumming, and singing arrangements all add to the excitement. They haven't written a bad song and even after hearing their songs endlessly I never listen to a song without pure enjoyment. The Soft Boys are the artist of our time so of course they will be ignored:) Well ignored in our time, but eventually they will replace Beethoven, The Beatles and Mozart as musical icons when history corrects itself. A Can Of Bees, Invisible Hits, and Underwater Moonlight are all must haves and even better then this compilation, but this distillation is prime rib and should not be missed. Enjoy!