Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque poll

Thirteen starts and ends well, just sags a bit in the middle imo

Funny, I think some of the stronger songs are the middle ones, but overall the main issue is the somewhat murky/lacklustre production (but yes, "Radio" really leaps out at you). The idea that the album was "savaged [...] upon its initial release" (I'm quoting AllMusic) doesn't seem to square with the actual contemporary reviews that I can find linked on Wikipedia (A- from EW, 4/5 from Q, 7/10 from NME, 3.5/5 from RS). They're much the same as the retrospective reviews, like the one Pitchfork did last year (7.2), which I think is exactly right - solid album, just no comparison to the 8.5-9 level of Bw/GP/SfNB.

Select panned Thirteen for definite. Remember MOJO was positive. It was years before I heard anything about it being a 'disappointing' album. Always sounded like the bridge between Bandwagonesque and Grand Prix to me.

Of course the band did at least one interview (NME cover) where they said they didn't enjoy making the album and Gerry is fairly dismissive about the lead single, his own Radio, so I guess it's not wise to give the press free reign to pan your new album by talking it down

as a gerryhead ive got to agree with this judgement there