Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Plenty of bands from the first wave of British punk sounded like they had learned a few things from the New York Dolls, but while most latched onto the sloppy crash and bash of Johnny Thunders' guitar, the Only Ones instead seemed more closely drawn to the witty cynicism and trashy romanticism of David Johansen's lyrics, and the Only Ones' tenuous link to the faster-and-louder gang was fading fast by the time they cut their second album, Even Serpents Shine. While there's plenty of rock & roll on Even Serpents Shine, "Programme" is the only track that seems to approach four-square punk, and with its double-tracked guitar solos, sax overdubs, and backwards tape treatments it didn't have much in common with, say, the Damned or the Adverts. Elsewhere, Even Serpents Shine more often recalls the heart-on-the-sleeve spirit of Mott the Hoople's glory days, merged with a leaner attack that still made room for John Perry's guitar heroics and Peter Perrett's wobbly but potently effective vocals. Even Serpents Shine doesn't boast an out-of-the-box classic tune along the lines of "Another Girl, Another Planet" from the self-titled debut, but in many respects, this is the more consistent album, achieving a similar degree of thematic and melodic variety while generating a more coherent sound and feeling, and the band certainly sounds tighter and more confident on their second trip to the studio. And Peter Perrett's meditations on love in its many guises still stand apart from nearly anyone else's in British rock, and the funny, keenly observed and sometimes heartbreaking lyrics he wrote for this album are every bit as effective now as they were in 1979. Even Serpents Shine may not be quite the triumph that was the Only Ones' debut album, but they were one of the very few bands of their time and place who inarguably beat the sophomore slump.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From £10.83/month
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Alan Mair, Producer - The Only Ones, Performer - Ray Staff, Re-Mastering Engineer - Peter Perrett, Composer - Peter Perrett, Writer - Peter Perrett, Producer
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Album review
Plenty of bands from the first wave of British punk sounded like they had learned a few things from the New York Dolls, but while most latched onto the sloppy crash and bash of Johnny Thunders' guitar, the Only Ones instead seemed more closely drawn to the witty cynicism and trashy romanticism of David Johansen's lyrics, and the Only Ones' tenuous link to the faster-and-louder gang was fading fast by the time they cut their second album, Even Serpents Shine. While there's plenty of rock & roll on Even Serpents Shine, "Programme" is the only track that seems to approach four-square punk, and with its double-tracked guitar solos, sax overdubs, and backwards tape treatments it didn't have much in common with, say, the Damned or the Adverts. Elsewhere, Even Serpents Shine more often recalls the heart-on-the-sleeve spirit of Mott the Hoople's glory days, merged with a leaner attack that still made room for John Perry's guitar heroics and Peter Perrett's wobbly but potently effective vocals. Even Serpents Shine doesn't boast an out-of-the-box classic tune along the lines of "Another Girl, Another Planet" from the self-titled debut, but in many respects, this is the more consistent album, achieving a similar degree of thematic and melodic variety while generating a more coherent sound and feeling, and the band certainly sounds tighter and more confident on their second trip to the studio. And Peter Perrett's meditations on love in its many guises still stand apart from nearly anyone else's in British rock, and the funny, keenly observed and sometimes heartbreaking lyrics he wrote for this album are every bit as effective now as they were in 1979. Even Serpents Shine may not be quite the triumph that was the Only Ones' debut album, but they were one of the very few bands of their time and place who inarguably beat the sophomore slump.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:43:30
- Main artists: The Only Ones
- Composer: Peter Perrett
- Label: Sony BMG Music Entertainment
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
(P) 2009 Sony Music Entertainment UK
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.