Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Read My Lips

[Jark]

What do we think of the first and most successful solo effort from Sophie, Queen of Bextor?

00 Murder On The Dancefloor
00 Take Me Home
00 Lover
00 Move This Mountain
00 Music Gets The Best Of Me
00 Sparkle
00 The Universe Is You
00 I Believe
00 Get Over You
00 By Chance
00 Is It Any Wonder
00 Leave The Others Alone
00 Final Move
00 Everything Falls Into Place

 

[Halli]

7/10

A couple of 9/10 moments - 'Take Me Home' and 'Get Over You' but I struggle to listen all the way through.

Better than her second album, weaker than her third.

 

[Jark]

Goodness, Get Over You is rubbish LIFELESS.

10 Murder On The Dancefloor
08 Take Me Home
05 Lover
09 Move This Mountain
10 Music Gets The Best Of Me
08 Sparkle
08 The Universe Is You
09 I Believe
05 Get Over You
08 By Chance
09 Is It Any Wonder
08 Leave The Others Alone
07 Final Move
08 Everything Falls Into Place

8 overall. I find the tone of it very different to her other albums, in fact she always manages to keep them distinct. Move This Mountain in particular is very underrated.

 

[VoR]

10 Murder On The Dancefloor
10 Take Me Home
10 Lover
08 Move This Mountain
09 Music Gets The Best Of Me
07 Sparkle
07 The Universe Is You
08 I Believe
09 Get Over You
10 By Chance
09 Is It Any Wonder
07 Leave The Others Alone
07 Final Move
07 Everything Falls Into Place

By Chance is absolutely stunning.

 

[Lockhart]

10 Murder On The Dancefloor
08 Take Me Home
10 Lover
09 Move This Mountain
10 Music Gets The Best Of Me
08 Sparkle
06 The Universe Is You
06 I Believe
10 Get Over You
07 By Chance
08 Is It Any Wonder
07 Leave The Others Alone
07 Final Move
04 Everything Falls Into Place

Overall about an 8, some fantastic songs, but Everything Falls Into Place in particular lets it down for me.

 

[Man in a Hamster Wheel]

Everything Falls Into Place in particular lets it down for me.

"What it would sound like if the Human League girls were left alone in the studio while Phil was going for a curry", I recall one review dismissing it. But I like to take that as a compliment.

I absolutely HAMMERED this one in 2002/3 and while time has not been kind to certain tracks, still a thoroughly enjoyable album. Though she would get progressively better with every one...

 

[rhythmbandit]

I love this, every song could be a single.

 

[Man in a Hamster Wheel]

Even I wouldn't go THAT far, stuff like "I Believe" and "Leave the Others Alone" (which she didn't even bother with on her first solo tour) evidently couldn't...

 

[Loufoque]

Is this even an ALBUM

 

[Jark]

Is this even an ALBUM

No

It's an EXPERIENCE

 

[Sheena]

The highlights are amazing but FUCK ME is there some filler

"Move Any Mountain" remains one of the great forgotten "singles" of ALL TIME though

It's MARVELLOUS

 

[lolly]

'By Chance' is almost too gorgeous to exist. I almost cried when she performed it on tour.

Yes, that's right - in the old days she used to announce a tour and actually see it through

 

[Man in a Hamster Wheel]

Takeitdown Turnitround
Tellmewecanworkitout

 

[Slave]

Not as good as the singles would have you believe - the fact that they had to go back and add two of the four released from it pretty much shows the lack of commerciality it had (which is ironic given the dire performance of the other two).

 

[Ryan]

So much filler (and my version doesn't have the last 2 singles.) but when it's good, it's very good. 'Move This Mountain', 'By Chance', 'Sparkle', 'Lover' and 'Final Move' all got quite a few plays at the time from me!

6/10

 

[Shoat]

Move This Mountain really is criminally ignored, but it came at a time when people only really wanted camp disco queen from Sophie.

By Chance, Is It Any Wonder and Final Move are keepers aswell.

 

[Christian]

I love this, every song could be a single.

This remains one of the most RIDICULOUS posts this place has EVER SEEN

 

[smexy]

This remains one of the most RIDICULOUS posts this place has EVER SEEN

To be fair, he didn't say HIT SINGLE

(but then who would with SEB?)

 

[Christian]

I'me hearing you Kratz, but even allowing for semantics, I just can't let that comment slide. It screams "I NEVER HEARD DIS BUT I TINK DEM GAYZ GONNA LUV IT IF I SAY DIS".

 

[smexy]

He does seem the SORT

 

[Christian]

Well QUITE

And it wouldn't be the FIRST TIME

 

[smexy]

Don't tell me there's a drama I missed.

 

[lolly]

Read My Lips

25th Anniversary Edition of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s debut album Read My Lips – Featuring exclusive voice recordings incorporated throughout the album plus rare bonus tracks and reimagined artwork. Releasing exclusively as part of Record Store Day 2026 on limited edition red transparent glitter...

www.recordstoreday.co.uk

 

[Halli]

who is NOT doing Record Store Day!

 

[FetchFugly]

Taking the Carly approach of random bonus tracks from any old era.

Interested to hear Come Over All Summer but not sure I can really justify buying this album AGAIN

 

[lolly]

 

[VoR]

Just realised I'm out of the country for Record Store day this year.

Financially, it's probably for the best.