Thu Feb 04 2021
1
Missing the "Not" at the beginning of this title. Hard pass.
This is a Random Album Generator.
One album a day.
From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Timeless
Goldie
1995
- Album Summary
Timeless is the debut studio album by British electronic musician Goldie. It was released on 31 July 1995 and is universally regarded as a groundbreaking release in the history of drum and bass music. The album blended the complex, chopped and layered breakbeats and deep basslines of jungle and drum and bass with expansive, symphonic strings and atmospherics, and female vocals.
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Mon Jun 07 2021
1
Yeah, if ever there were an argument for revising the list of 1001 albums you must hear, it's this unfortunately titled record from Goldie. From the opening 20-minute track that, surprise, does not need to be 20-minutes, it sure does sound like jungle-whatever from 1995. It would be easy to pile on to a genre of music that does absolutely nothing to me, but it's no fun being mean-spirited. I'll just say that there are records from this era that have really aged well, that sound like they could have come out any time in the past few decades, that I could see myself listening to in another decade. This is not one of those records.
Wed Mar 03 2021
1
It is very rare that a 10+ minute track earns its length, even in classical music or jazz, much less pop, so when I saw that the first eponymous tune on Timeless clocked in at 21:02, I was like "Uh, oh." Uh, oh indeed. The track starts out with godawful, ugly orchestra synth swooshes before some breakbeats kick in. I've gotta be honest. This kind of dance music has to be really creative and innovative before I can enjoy it and this music is just nothing special. At least Goldie is lucky enough to have a decent singer in Diane Charlemagne, although the melodies are pretty remedial. Actually, remedial is a good description for the entire track and this goes on for 20 fucking minutes. Good God! Given that the title track is obviously the centerpiece of the album, it would have been a miracle if the rest of the album was an improvement. Alas, a miracle was not forthcoming. Goldie makes The Knack look cerebral and deep.
Thu Aug 26 2021
4
It was a day at work today, but you know what is great for cranking through the inbox? This album. Put it on, let the drum and bass set the groove, and zone into what needs to get done. This is adult adderall. I put it on when driving to lunch, and it wasn’t so interesting. But that’s not the point. This is an album with a specific purpose. And when heard through that acoustic lens (it’s a thing…and it sounds cool), this album deserves recognition.
Fri Apr 30 2021
4
Goldie's influence on D'n'B cannot be overlooked, but oddly enough his tunes have never been ones I've really loved compared with other producers. But I do recognise that if it wasn't for him, then some of the artists I prefer may not have existed. Was fun to listen to a whole album of his stuff as I wouldn't have if it wasn't for this.
Fri Apr 30 2021
4
Classic album. Created the foundations of an entire genre. You can't knock it's importance and you have to remember it's over 25 years old! Also, important to remember Rob Playford's involvement! Plus RIP Diane Charlemagne. 9/10
Thu Aug 26 2021
4
Man, does this take me back. Most of the 90s music that has come up so far have been things I have heard at least a bit of in the intervening decades. I didn't listen to Goldie or drum and bass until 98/99, then listened to it a lot for 4-5 years, and then haven't touched it since then. But it sure is familiar - took me back to that time about as much as it could without drugs and JNCOs. My good friend, who used the unfortunate moniker DJ Goon, used the first track in one of his mixtapes. "Inner city life/inner city pressure" immediately felt familiar - and missed! "Timeless" works great as background, but it rewards closer listening. Just as it settles in too much and gets too repetitive, it hits you with a break that just washes over you. Drum and bass presented an incredible leveling up of ambient music. Brian Eno walked so Goldie could run.
Wed Mar 03 2021
1
Best enjoyed with illicit drugs or after suffering blunt force trauma to the cranium. For very low IQ individuals only
Fri Jul 16 2021
1
1.6 - The type of bullshit Jeremy and Super Hans from "Peep Show" were into. "This is a Bad" by Goldie might as well be called "This is Outrageous" by Jeremy Osbourne. At best, some (2? 3?) of the tracks might work as background music for an outdated hotel lobby. The rest are junk. What a complete and utter SLOG. Shitty fucking album cover, too
Wed Oct 13 2021
1
Self indulgent, overwrought, journeyman drivel
Fri Dec 24 2021
1
What the actual hell did I just listen to? Two hours of pointless, repetitive noise is what. The first track "Timeless" (a 25-minute drum loop) is clearly the title track. However, it should be the fourth track that gave the album its name: "This Is a Bad." What a trash album.
Wed Oct 27 2021
5
This is, indeed, Timeless. What a FANTASTIC album to just put on and forget about everything else. The first track is over 20 minutes long; the second is over 7. This is a LONG album that you can just keep playing. Also, definite heads-down coding music, which will always push it toward 5-star territory for me.
Fri Apr 30 2021
4
I really don’t like Goldie as a person. Might be an irrational hatred, I dunno. But whenever I see/hear him interviews I think he comes across as a massive prick. So I’ve never really been that fussed about exploring his music. This album was good though, a lot more tuneful in places than I thought it would be. The first track is pretty self indulgent in length, but Inner City Life is a tune so I forgive.
Thu Aug 26 2021
4
Yeah, I dig this. Great beats, inventive sounds, clever mixture of instruments. A nice add to my collection.
Thu May 26 2022
4
‘Timeless’ is a staggering record. It’s widescreen in every sense. The production is amazing, and on a proper system it will blow you away. It still sounds vital, alive, and important all these years later. It’s not perfect: it’s way too long, and parts of it haven’t aged well, but you certainly can’t fault it for its sprawling ambition and cinematic scope. It’s smooth, silky, slinky, jazzy, dubby and warm and succeeds for the most part because its sound is so accessible. ‘Timeless’ was the record that made jungle/drum & bass sound legitimate to the masses, and in its best moments it’s mesmerising, well and truly transcending its club roots.
Sun Jul 11 2021
2
Yet more British ephemera that seems to just characterize so much of this list. The beats are really good, complex, and the drum textures just make is sound so expansive; but that’s not why I listen to music. This would be great at a party or in the background of a modern JRPG. Favourite track: “Angel”
Thu Oct 01 2020
5
Timeless indeed.
Tue Aug 10 2021
5
It's Drum & Bass. Its a 5! Legendary album.
Sun Nov 13 2022
5
When I first heard this when it came out, Timeless was like entering another world. There were echoes of trance and jungle but this was so much more. The depth. The build ups. This was punk as f**k and furious cloaked under a veneer of something Mellow
Wed Mar 08 2023
5
Amazing album, I wasnt sure if I would like it from the first 5min of the opening track, but it sounded stellar. My parents listened to Goldie a lot growing up so i knew what to expect, it still impressed me. its a kind of genre I termed myself called trackmania music. Felt like I was floating with the stars
Sun Jun 25 2023
5
Drum and Bass and Jungle are very much uncharted genres for me. But this record really impressed me! The big opening track with beautiful vocal accompaniment and orchestral sweeps. Even the songs that are more hard hitting. This is going to be one of the records throughout this journey I enjoyed most to discover! 9 out of 10
Tue Nov 10 2020
4
Surpreso com a qualidade de produção e por ter gostado de muitas músicas, mesmo não sendo um estilo que costumo ouvir. Álbum enorme, com músicas de 20, 12, 10 minutos. Músicas destaque, principalmente as com vocais femininos: - State of Mind - Sea of Tears - Angel - Inner City Life
Thu Aug 26 2021
4
Yes. I enjoyed very much. A little stale THIRTY years after it was released, but a great respite from the traditional sounds on this list. What happened to this guy?
Mon Nov 29 2021
4
Oh boy, this is good. I went through a short DnB phase as a teenager, but that led me into breakcore, then IDM and techno. There's only so many rabbit-holes you can go down, so I never really made it back to much DnB or jungle. All the beat arrangements and the bass lines are great here. There's not a huge amount of melody on top - some occasional piano loops, etc. What Goldie largely does is layer up ambient textures. But instead of making ambient music with beats, the end result here is really lively and drum-driven, with the ambience giving it a floaty, cerebral quality. For many of these tracks, I felt like I was just a brain and a pair of ears floating in a jar of music. There's some bassy, noisy elements as well, to give some rougher edges. For me, the only weak point is the lack of variety in the vocals or vocal samples. Sometimes they verged on the cheesier side of house music for me. But they normally fit with the track and are arranged really well in the track, so it's a small grumble. For this corker, a solid 4.5*.
Sun Dec 19 2021
4
I quite liked listening to this! It was a total departure from what I'm used to, but I totally got into the groove. I had never heard of 'drums and bass' music before and I liked all of the other sounds (water, women moaning, you know) that came along for the ride. I do have to say that I was a little dispointed when I read 'Goldie' as 'Blondie,' but wouldn't you be?
Mon Mar 28 2022
4
A pioneering album that flipped the underground to the mainstream, Goldie hit gold with the chopped up drums, foreboding bass, synth strings and exquisite vocals from Diane Charlegmane (RIP). The scale and scope is ambitious and the album as a whole feels symphonic (no wonder Goldie’s interests turned to classical orchestral music later in his career). It may be overlong and perhaps a little dated but it is an extraordinary record, an example of a musician having a sound in his head with few predecessors and bringing it into life. It’s a really impressive record and whilst it won’t be universally beloved, it deserves its place on this list for its influence and impact.
Tue May 17 2022
4
This was one of those albums that still holds up well, and I think I appreciate the long opening "symphony" more as a grown up. It's a groundbreaking album that took drum n bass in a new direction that blended ambient, ethereal sounds with soaring vocals. A few tracks don't live up to the rest of the album, but overall I loved revisiting it.
Mon May 30 2022
4
In keeping with the album being such a breakthrough for dnb, it’s more of a collection of ideas than a cohesive whole. This, in combination with the excessive length (which Goldie somehow managed to surpass for his next album) makes for lopsided whole. The tracks themselves, however, I have no issue with
Thu Dec 08 2022
4
Wow, one of these ridiculously long and bloated 90's electronic albums was actually... good?
Wed Dec 14 2022
4
Classic EDM album. I definitely dig atmospheric/liquid D&B, and this is the daddy of all of that stuff. It's a bit over long for sure, but it's perfect music for focusing/work, which I use it for regularly. A very solid 4, almost 4.5.
Mon Apr 03 2023
4
If you want to get people into DnB or jungle, this is the one. A collection of fantastic tracks that made Goldie a seminal dnb artist, adding long atmospheric effects and beautiful RnB vocals, justifying the artistic significance of harder breakbeat music that broke off from "happier" techno and house music. DnB is still one of the largest subgenres of electronic music. Here in Boston, Phoenix Landing still has a DnB night every Thursday, in the year 2023. And this might not be the case if not for the mainstream appeal of this album showing people what DnB is capable of. And with almost 2 hours of content, there's plenty of to be impressed by here. I can understand why most people who come across this will overlook it. It's 2 hours of hard breakbeat music, of course it's going to seem repetitive and overdrawn without any context or appeal. Even I start to struggle half way through and is better ingested in chunks. But every few minutes, there's always some really cool and trippy effects that catch my attention. Reminds me a bit of the high experimental value of certain trance artists like Sphongle. The track ordering is as good as I'd say it could be. We get out of the way the epic "Timeless" to showcase what the genre and Goldie are capable of. And for newcomers, I feel they should stop here and digest what they listened to before getting further. "Saint Angel" showcases the more experimental effects with incredibly hard beats to appeal to both dance crowds and fans of the more sophisticated methods of acid house or techno. Next track "State of Mind" is an incredibly pop-oriented track that stands side-by-side with trip hop artists and can pull in any more hesitant stragglers. From there, you what this album can show you as you look forward to revisiting your favorite components presented in new ways. Yes, it does repeat itself a bit, and I can't see anyone getting through the whole record without leaving it in the background to do other things, and there are a few tracks (especially in the latter half) that fail to justify their existence, but it's a marvelous DnB record with plenty to enjoy.
Wed Jul 19 2023
4
Why does everyone hate this album so much? It’s a good drum and bass experience. I know it’s not the most accessible of genres, but 2.57? Really? Anyway this is good. Not really ‘timeless’, but good. Reminds me of Aphex Twin in some parts, specifically Drukqs. Good electronic album. I guess I kind of like this type of music too much, though.
Tue Nov 10 2020
3
Muitas influências de eletrônica moderna, DnB, jungle. Me lembra bastante em especial SBTRKT, Squarepusher e Four Tet. Uma barreira alta de entrada, mas o ouro está mesmo no recheio do disco.
Mon May 17 2021
3
I'll be honest. I've heard the name Goldie before and simply assumed that it's a random female pop singer. That should tell you more or less how much I know about D'n'B. That said, I really enjoyed this album a lot more than I expected. Especially the first half. My favorite track was State of Mind. eventually I found the album dragging on for too long however. And it being a bit samey, it started to get boring eventually. Therefore rounded down from 3.5.
Wed Jun 16 2021
3
Well, that was certainly unexpected. This group and album, and pretty much the whole genre they're in (not sure what to call it; "electronica," I think? but it has vocals, so not really sure), are all so new to me, and not what I usually listen to. There are some very interesting things going on here. Don't like all of it, but I really like 'Inner City Life.' The vocals are so soulful and soaring, with a really great bassline and beat under it. I don't usually like a lot of synthesizers but some of these tracks are really good. I think it's the rhythms they use, and, as mentioned, the vocals.
Thu Nov 11 2021
3
Very bold choice to open this album up with a 20 minute song. Almost to say, either you're going to like us or hate us. Well, I'm here to say I'm in the middle. For this being a pretty cool electronic album that came out in the mid 90's, I think that's impressive. For it being as long and repetitive as it is, that makes it less impressive. I don't know the history behind Goldie (maybe a cousin to Blondie?) but I'm imagining they inspired a lot of future electronic artists. It's a very intriguing album, it just runs way too long on every track.
Fri Jan 07 2022
3
From what I understand, this is an important album from the genre of Drum and Bass. Drum and Bass is a pretty niche genre, so your mileage will vary with how much you like the genre. For my money, I thought it was enjoyable enough. I like the atmospheric elements and how it enhanced the Drum and Bass (reminded me of Parkour Fortress. If you know you know). The obvious drawback is that it's an overly long double album. 105 minutes is a lot for any genre.
Fri Oct 02 2020
2
I'm sorry, I get drum and bass but it's just not for me. I really don't want to rate this one star because it's good, I'm just not the person who would enjoy 2 hours of this. Unless I was on something.
Fri Jun 04 2021
2
I like beats and drums, but unfortunately I was not high enough to enjoy this on a weekday. Maybe once murphy figures out how to sell weed in New Jersey I can come back and reassess.
Sun Nov 21 2021
2
I was not expecting to like this, but lay that melancholy upon me! This album luxuriates with infinite sadness, like you're heartbroken but you're lying on the beach in Rio so it's not wholly bad. Each song takes it time, taking the listener one step deeper into sadness. There is no solution, not upbeat "you'll get over it" vibes. No, the album leaves you on that beach with tears in your eyes and the realisation that being there means nothing when there's no one by your side.
Thu Dec 09 2021
2
Drum and bass for outsiders like me. The pretty guitar loops and sound effects signify pop, while the female voices add emotional depth. But as the ambience sets in and the sense of time dissipates, it gets increasingly tedious, though never so specialist that it feels hostile.
Thu Feb 04 2021
1
You might remember his full mouth of gold teeth from such films as ‘Snatch’ and ‘The World is Not Enough’
Mon May 15 2023
1
Come on man, this was just garbage. 3/10.
Sat May 27 2023
1
This was another roadblock album for me, just couldn’t get through it. I am fine with some beeps and boops but not 2 hours worth, sorry
Sat Jun 10 2023
1
Two hours of drum and bass that ruined my Friday.
Tue Jun 20 2023
1
Why would someone decide to make music only to create two hours of this?
Wed Dec 02 2020
5
5
Fri Oct 23 2020
5
Electronica similar to Enigma
Fri Apr 30 2021
5
Lovely album. but I'm a bit biased towards Dn'B.
Wed Sep 22 2021
5
slower and more chill than I remember, but loving it, laid back beats taking me back to a time and a place!
Wed Dec 01 2021
5
Epic
Wed Aug 10 2022
5
love this. Have heard bits bit never the whole thing. definitely on my play again list
Fri Aug 19 2022
5
Seminal D&B. Really showed how personal and musical the genre can be
Mon Oct 03 2022
5
Crazy that this was released in '95. Quite ahead of its time. Heavy 90's action sci-fi vibes. I enjoyed this a lot.
Wed Oct 12 2022
5
Hreat
Thu Jan 26 2023
5
One of my favourite teenage albums
Thu Mar 09 2023
5
Yeeeew. Rolling drum and bass perfection. There was the occasional one that didn't fire for me, but overall, fantastic.
Fri May 12 2023
5
Drum 'n Bass, my favourtive.
Wed Jun 14 2023
5
Non stop epic
Thu Jul 20 2023
5
Fantastic work. I love this album.
Thu Jul 20 2023
5
As the title says timeless. Although this blew the scene up was and is a great album
Wed Sep 27 2023
5
It's fair to say that given the choice between listening to this record by Goldie or ramming 15 pork pies up my ass so hard, I piss blood for the next 3 months, I'd listen to the music. That's not to say I don't love being chock-full of pie, but the music of Goldie is simply perfect.
Mon Jan 25 2021
4
challenging listen, but very diverse and enigmatic
Fri Jun 18 2021
4
Ambience. Je moet er maar in de stemming voor zijn maar dit is geen slecht begin van het genre
Fri Apr 30 2021
4
Smooth beats from a real pioneer
Thu May 20 2021
4
Electronic and very space age.
Wed Jun 30 2021
4
Feels very spacey in a good way. Easy to listen to while relaxing or working.
Thu Sep 16 2021
4
Better than anticipated.
Fri Oct 01 2021
4
Love it.
Thu Nov 11 2021
4
Enkel femma
Sun Nov 21 2021
4
Reminds me of the music they play in british tv shows for when they are clubbing. It's an early drum and base album.
Wed Nov 24 2021
4
Att lyssna på DnB i två timmar i sträck är inte njutning i min bok. Trots det kommer jag på mig själv med att bli både lite nyfiken och imponerad vad jag hör. En och förmodligen den enda fördelen med riktigt långa låtar är att de kan berätta en historia på ett sätt som en 2 min popdänga inte riktigt mäktar med. Fastnade framförallt för Sea of Tears. Första 1.5 min målas ett dystopiskt &metalliskt ljudlandskap upp. Efter det ngt oinspirerande introt slängs trummorna på och efter hand även ngn jazzig gitarrslinga, vi lyssnar nu på klassisk DnB. Jag är på inget sätt imponerad, men ngt har satts i rörelse och jag vill veta vart vi är på väg. Så händer det. 4,5 min in i låten fadar trummor och ljud ut och ersätts av skriet från en fiskmås, vågskvalp och en kvinnoröst som viskar ordet tears. Från den här punkten har låten mig totalt hypnotiserad och det är inte först 7,5min senare när låten är över som jag väcks ur min trans och inser att det kändes som att jag färdats till en annan dimension och tillbaka. Vet inte vad som hände men jag vet att jag behöver mer av Sea of Tears
Thu Dec 30 2021
4
I like it! Now I'm wishing I would have been a raver in the mid 90s...
Thu Feb 17 2022
4
Música electrónica con voz de vez en cuando. Me ha gustado, pero disco larguísimo.
Mon Mar 21 2022
4
Enjoyed this more than I'd expected to
Fri Apr 01 2022
4
Need more time to digest.
Fri Apr 15 2022
4
It's good but probably could've been a little shorter than it was
Thu Jun 30 2022
4
dnb fever. soundscapes. vox. when the filter sweeps across the drums \<.<\
Mon Jul 04 2022
4
This album is a mini-symphony of hardcore techno that uses breakbeats to construct atmospheric music. (7/10) FT: Timeless
Wed Aug 10 2022
4
It's not just all about the bass, it's all about the drum and bass. It is also a great sonic landscape and if you like a an intense breakbeats with synth overlays with more conventional R&B and jazz elements, this will work for you. I can't listen to this "genre" all of the time, but when I want to, this is one of the few I reach for.
Fri Sep 16 2022
4
I love how dated this sounds. Adds to the charm of an already awesome record.
Thu Oct 06 2022
4
Drum and bass, honestly pretty enjoyable with nice production
Wed Oct 12 2022
4
College me would have really loved this if I had known about it.
Fri Nov 11 2022
4
This felt like a trip, a good one
Fri Nov 11 2022
4
About 20 minutes of filler keeps this from getting all five stars.
Thu Nov 24 2022
4
Liian vähän tulee kuunneltua tämmöstä melodista elektro-settiä. Hyvä levy! 4/5
Thu Dec 08 2022
4
So, it is a DnB album, which means it is gonna have bloat. But honestly? Some of the stuff in here was unique enough to actually push it to a high 4 with me, especially Sea of Tears.
Thu Dec 15 2022
4
Pas mal, mais pas écouté au complet.
Thu Jan 19 2023
4
Greatness
Sun Jan 22 2023
4
8/10 there’s some really good stuff here but it starts to feel a bit repetitive considering this album is 2 hours I would definitely consider myself a fan of DnB but I prefer more modern examples of the genre like sewerslvt
Mon Jan 23 2023
4
Not Timeless at all, however an important album in moving Jungle/DnB to the mainstream. Again scoring based on how much I actually enjoyed listening to this album right now and that surprisingly was quite a bit - almost more of a Pink Floyd album than a DnB mix with beautiful vocals against some sounds taking you on a trip.
Fri Feb 17 2023
4
Really interesting album - some excellent sounds.
Thu Mar 02 2023
4
Þetta drum'n'bass dæmi úr mið-níunni er eitthvað svo déskoti gott! Er samt með hausverk eftir svona langan drumbeat-concert á tennurnar á mér.
Wed Apr 26 2023
4
better than i thought it would be.
Fri Jun 23 2023
4
20min biisillä alkaa...hyvä...mutta liian nopea. yhtäkkiä jotain rumpuilemaan.. drum and bass heh tätä odotellut...40min biisi olisi sopivampi..hyvä albumiu..varmaan vitun paska keskiratinki en jaksa edes katsoa masentuu vaan:( ok katoin oli 2.5 :( ja one-liner yksitähtinen ekana :( timeles...still sounds like its from the nineties.....beautiful.. tuntiviiskyt on kyllä liikavenyttämisen puolella mutta noh... ROHKEATA... sea of tears
Wed Jul 19 2023
4
Enjoyed getting back into this one. Has aged well I reckon!
Thu Jul 20 2023
4
Great chilled music to have onin the background, yet with enough interesting changes to hold my attention. Impressive.
Fri Jul 21 2023
4
very good electronic album, very creative and distinctive.
Sat Aug 05 2023
4
It took a while, but 1001 finally sent us a second Drum & Bass LP. It would have been nice if we received only two LPs in the Grunge category. :) I remember Goldie as being more jungle/hardcore and less melodic than Ronnie Size, the other D&B guy we were sent, and therefore, wasn't looking forward to the 21-minute opener. But it turns out the back and forth between the symphonic bits, Diane Charlemagne’s beautiful vocals and the percussion works well. “Songs like Angel” & “Inner City Life” (again with Charlemagne on vocals) are very nice.
Wed Aug 09 2023
4
Are the sudden endings a signature or symbol of some formal structure? The former's suggested by the ending of the album, where bonus tracks function as that while punctuating the second half. A less varied second half, mind you, which somehow picks up the pace of the interminable. DnB has a very particular function, and here artistry coexists with a deliberate antipathy for those who leave the path. Works as long as one can maintain sponge roleplay.