Reviews (page 6 of 9)
Typical 90s music. It had some good ideas which where not really followed and thought through.
Didn’t understand all the words but enjoyed the vibe.
Con sorpresas agradables
I listened to this. No thank you.
Adequate, nearly lovely, but wholly forgettable
Well produced, and David is a great singer. But for me, the full album ultimately feels a bit bland and same-y
3 or 4... Not my taste but I see why some people get excited by it. 3?
Although not my typical genre, I always loved this album for the relaxing downtimes when few else in the mix fit the bill. Great lyrics against a backdrop of simple melodies. Nothing wrong with this.
its the same song over and over again
Had like a new age american folk vibes. Pretty easy listening and Babylon is a fantastic song. 3.5 rounding up.
Well, it's OK. I find his voice grating at times, but it's an OK singer-songwriter album and not offensive. The real high point for me though is his cover of Say Hello Wave Goodbye, which is one of my favourite ever songs - and I think he does it justice. This album was massively popular. I'm nit sure why, but it is a solid piece of work.
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR (vegan) Artwork: ♻️🚮🗑️ Mix: ♻️🚮🗑️ Musik: ♻️🚮🗑️ Wertung: ♻️/5
Enjoyed!
Basically forgot this guy existed. 1st track was probably my favorite. The recording of the vocals from Silver Lining sounds grating, I don’t know if this was just Spotify being a bitch but I had to turn that song wayyy down to deal with it. It’s a good album, but not great. Might revisit a couple tracks but doubtful I’d give the whole album a spin.
I really liked this..
This is an interesting one, it's like a '90s soft rock thing, but with an unexpected amount of electronic beats (mixed in with traditional acoustic guitars and piano and whatnot). It's very much "man with guitar bares his soul", but with a bit of an electronic twist. I got a bit of a Tracy Chapman vibe at times (but worse); a better comparison is probably like James Blunt or less pop version of Ed Sheeran. Overall it's not terrible, but also not particularly interesting for the most part. There are some enjoyable moments though, "Babylon" is a great song, "This Year's Love" is a solid ballad, and there's a few other nice tracks throughout. Probably closer to a 3.5, but leaning towards rounding down. Favorite song: Bablyon Other: Please Forgive Me, We're Not Right, Nightblindness, Silver Lining, This Year's Love, Sail Away, Say Hello Wave Goodbye 9/11/24
Never heard of David Gray, but I have heard Babylon. It must have been everywhere in 1999 if someone as off the popular music radar as I was remembers it. He sounds like he was influenced by someone else who was influenced by Bob Dylan. But besides Babylon, it's mostly bland and boring. Nothing I'd want to hear again.
Easy listening and enjoyable. Light rock and folk style. White Ladder and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye were my two favorite tracks.
While I liked this album I think he gets way too complicated in later stuff.
nothing special, i've never heard any of the songs, but they are just so bland that i feel like i've heard them a million times before
Bland album, bland review, bland score.
I like this one and will play this on seldom occasions. Lots of melancholy good for a rainy day.
Pretty generic pop rock stuff.
Listened to this album so much back in the late 90s early 2000s that when I saw it pop up, it was the first one I’ve had which I thought I really don’t want to listen to this again! It deserves it’s place in time but for me I don’t need to hear it again I’m done!
Maybe i'm being harsh but this is just so boring, I can't imagine a world where this is required listening for a music fan. It's background music for TV or shopping centres. At least I know who did that Babylon song now, been hearing that since i was a kid.
Forgettable
Stalls after the first track but finds momentum again by the end. Favourite track: Please Forgive Me.
A blast from the past! So overplayed when i was a teen that i still dont really enjoy coming back to listen to it. Pretty sure this is one of the biggest selling albums in Ireland ever for some reason. 3.5 for nostalgia's sake.
So smooth, so aughty
Favorite Track: Please Forgive Me
Good album from the late 90’s. Good voice.
Familiar with several songs but I don’t love them
I am struggling to stay awake long enough to listen through this album. It does make for an alright lullaby though. 1/5
Favourite tracks: sail away; please forgive me; Babylon; this year's love; say hello wave goodbye
Starts off a bit like Death Cab/Postal Service. Gets kind of boring towards the end.
Some serious youth pastor vibes here. Definitely a cooler pastor, but still a pastor no less. I didn't mind this, but I didn't love anything specifically about it. I've definitely heard This Year's Love before. Ultimately, I found it pretty forgettable, but could understand the appeal. Mostly snooze inducing for me... 2 / 5
No my style, a little to Ed Sheeren british soft rock. Tough to get through. 2 stars
Please Forgive Me is a classic. That thumping bass at the end is such a pleasant sound. Also the song was in Scrubs. The album as a whole wasn't necessarily my favorite, but I can't deny how powerful his voice is, how clean the instruments are, and how the whole thing is produced. I think there is a lot more in the lyrics than I picked up on. Feels a bit like Citizen Cope.
Coming out quick with Please Forgive Me which I just learned of over the summer because Goose did a cover over it. Didn't realize that it was by David Gray! Highly recommend listening to that cover. This original is also very good. Wow Babylon is also a heater, haven't heard it in probably 10+ years. Would have never guessed I would know the first 2 songs on this album since I would have told you I had no idea who David Gray was before this. Sail Away is another song that I know as well. Very soothing album which was way different than I expected. I was thinking this was more electronic due to it being labeled Folktronica. Loved the acoustic and backing instruments to go along with his singing style. This was a great surprise album which I had no idea what it was going in a came out very enjoyable.
I immediately hate this guys voice for some reason. Reminds me of a James Bluntish kinda singer. Hoping some of the electronica will help. Something about this pisses me off idk why. I feel like one song in this style is ok but a whole album is too much. Something just seems so fake about it. I did like This Year's Love, definitely remember it from Girl Next Door. This was meh to me and super forgettable. Maybe next time David Gray.
It is not bad, it is just really boring
It’s ok
Not bad, sounds familiar
David Gray was a bridge between Bob Dylan and, like, Coldplay. His voice, phrasing, and lyrics are very Dylan-esque. He could have just made acoustic albums with guitar/piano, but he added the whole whimsical, orchestral thing. I also never realized how many songs from this album made it to the radio. Not sure where he is now, but he certainly made his mark. Great album from a unique talent.
could i write poetry to this? n
The 2 songs that border on interesting are right at the beginning. Then nothing else even comes close.
David Gray. Another name to some lovely music. Very happy to re-discover this wonderful music. Interesting that at times I speak about albums with thoughts about finding gems in an otherwise fair to middling mix, or a one hit wonder, OR, in this case, a solid, even quite good base with some absolute corkers spread throughout. I had no idea that this music I have always loved is by some guy named David Gray, but now that I do -- Nice! I think the two things that make this album worth listening to are those forever wonderful hits and the rest of the album which may well hit on indiividual favorites without any doubt.
Great start with please forgive me and babylon. They really remind me of the early 00's. This years love and sail away are also good tunes. The rest of the album if very soft rock. Not bad for background music but its not something i would go back to often. i would probaby give it a 3.5 but this album had more songs i enjoyed compared to some other albums ive given a 3.
Excellent album
With albums like this I am stunned that some people find them exceptional or still relevant when all this is is bland and uninteresting mid-90's Pop Rock with a mellow undertone that fails to deliver. This is just a dreadfully boring release with nearly no redeeming quality. 'Please Forgive Me' opens the album with a looping keyboard and a atmospheric and quiet Drum and Bass rhytmn section. While that sounds interesting, the execution is very average and boring. The songwriting aims to be introspective and deep but just does not get anything across. And that is already one of the better songs on the album. A similar approach goes with 'Babylon' and like before, the concept is not bad but the execution destroys whatever he wanted to achieve. It is only the Folktronica approach that makes this somewhat interesting throughout. The chorus is quite nice but is way to short and vanishes too fast. What follows is the on one hand dreadfully boring on the other annoying 'My Oh My' that is just bad. It has no redeeming quality, does the one thing music should not do (be boring) and becomes annoying with the performance. The only thing not making this simply horrendous is the fact that it still is somewhat listenable just with a lot of (not good) pain. The distorted drums of 'We're Not Right' with the somewhat interesting performance make this a more listenable and "standout" track even if it's still dreadfully boring. 'Nightblindness' which isn't even on the original Irish release of the album is so boring that there isn't even a bad thing that stands out. The only bad thing about this song is the song itself. The second half of the album starts with 'Silver Lining' that is slightly more listenable even if "boring" is still the main descriptor of this track. The guitar in the background and a couple of moments save this from being totally bad. It is also way too long. The title track 'White Ladder' is actually a quite nice song. Still not much interesting stuff that goes on but the things that are are pretty decent. I still think this is a very average song compared to most music but it's one of the better songs on the album. 'This Years Love' is another one of those "wannabe" introspective tracks that pretty much fail to execute all of what they try to be. The lyrics are meh, as is the piano playing and general structure of the song. This is just a 90's Ed Sheeran typical song. And after a while he repeats himself so much that I had to skip the last minute on all plays I've given this album. There is only one song that I actually slightly like and that is 'Sail Away'. It's got a nice structure and the lyrics are more what they try to be. But it's mainly the chorus that makes this an okay song. It's nothing special but compared to most of the stuff you find on the album this just feels way less obnoxious. Does that make it an album worth listening? No. The album (finally) closes on 'Say Hello Wave Goodbye' a nine minute song. I normally do not have a problem with songs that play a little longer, some of my all time favourites are in the 10+ minute range with a couple ranging into the 20 minute mark but in the context of this album it's just tiring. There is just no need for this cover song that didn't have really much lyrical content to begin with to be turned into a singer-songwriter piece. It does not work and it will never. favourites: Sail Away, White Ladder least favourites: Nightblindness, My Oh My, This Years Love Rating: decent 4 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
The train guy. I’m not gunna give this much time lol.
I liked this. very mellow. I liked the really subtle use of synth. This was a good choice to listen to at the office in the morning
Another one hit wonder album, straight from the Grays Anatomy soundtrack. Next.
Ganske banger egt
Another one of those bland and uninteresting albums that hasn't aged well. 2/5
Boring rom com walking in the rain album
Very pretty, but very boring. This type of music really doesn't do anything for me other than keep my anxieties in check in medical office waiting rooms. 2/5
Eh. It started ok, but I got real tired of it by the end. I remember Babylon, and it's catchy but also not a song I'd ever intentionally turn on. Later, I kept thinking "oh, this is like Jewel, but sung by a guy". That's not positive or negative. Just not for me. 2/5
Nice chill album
Я ничего не чувствую. Лучшая песня - Sail Away.
didnt love it, beat/lyrics were pretty repetitive but had a good voice
This album is really lovely as music to have on while working. It has a very cosy vibe, makes me feel nostalgic for some reason. Something about it makes me want to play it on repeat, and it's really grown on me with more and more listening time
Dull....
This was so bland ugh.
Singing is good. Production value is decent. Instrumentation is decent. Pacing is slow. Overall David Gray feels like a lesser version of James Blunt. I think if you're into soft rock this is good enough to garner appreciation. But for me and my tastes, it just doesn't stand out enough to be noteworthy.
Great voice but some of his songs were too slow and whimsical for my liking.
Really nice
Some neat songs but gets boring.
very ok
Ah, a charity shop classic - alongside Travis' The Man Who, and any Robbie Williams CD - this is ubiquitous I also suspect this could be ground zero for the hideous state of modern music, or at least responsible for the moody, vulnerable troubador tribe that eventually became Ed Sheeran and his acolytes? Loses a star for that
I played this album a lot when it came out. Good songs, and in interesting cover to finish,
I wasn't all that keen on David Gray first time round in the 90s, finding him a bit bland. However, it goes to show things can change with time as I actually really enjoyed a full listen to his breakthrough.
David Gray is a singer/songwriter who adds electronic soundscapes to an otherwise traditional format. White Ladder is his fourth album, and the release that propelled Gray to international fame. The album was self-recorded, and originally released to limited success in the United Kingdom. Gray opened for Dave Matthews for a few shows, and the album was subsequently re-released on Matthews' label. White Ladder includes a few songs that became international hits, including "Babylon" and "Please Forgive Me." Gray's earnest voice and compelling songwriting create songs of widespread appeal.
I know "Babylon and Please Forgive me" from early 2000s radio. Always wondered why that was the extent of my exposure to David Gray considering how huge those two songs were. Well after listening to the entire album, I understand why. It's like he wrote those two songs for a different album. The rest of the album mediocre singer/songwriter coffee house music.
New to me. Mellow & I bet you didn’t know it’s ENGLISH!
I'm sure there's an audience for this. It's not me though!
4.0
David Gray was certainly popular enough back in the day. Gray also claims that he paved the way for artists like Ed Sheeran by being a male singer-songwriter willing to bear his soul. Well, maybe, although I think it's a stretch to say that he pioneered that idea. It's enjoyable enough background music but I'm struggling to find much to sink my teeth into. It's just a bit too safe. Which is fine, just not very exciting. I feel guilty giving this a 2 as much of it is pleasant enough to listen to. But it's not something I could put on repeat and I didn't find it particularly interesting.
Really enjoyed nightblind
hmm have even heard of David Gray?? I don't think so. I guess his voice is a little familiar. Oh I've heard Babylon. This album has kind of put me in a lul mood. It's been okay but I don't really think it's getting more than 3 stars.
This is the first album that I don't understand why it was included on this list.
Too monotonous for my taste. Quickly faded into the background while listening. I perked up when hearing the last track as I recognized it. But the cover of "Say Hello, wave Goodbye" was again too monotonous compared to the original where Marc Almond made you hear the emotions of the protagonist, but Gray's delivery was a kind of depressing.
Great if you're in a depressive state. I would've been all over this in high school if it was on my radar. Now, I prefer something more upbeat, but it doesn't diminish the music. Gray's voice is pretty grating, however - something very whiny about it.
Fake ass Bob Dylan
I didn't know he sang Babylon. Enjoyable album!
Honestly I enjoyed this a lot more than so thought I would. It grew on me fast and reminded me heavily of some of my favourites - the Lumineers. It was simple but in my opinion very enjoyable and no complaints here.
Another period-piece that's an immediate throwback to a simpler time. It's nice, nostalgic, but still just too mid-tempo and unexciting overall to make it last the full 50+ minutes. Could really have used fewer drum machine / guitar loops. Let these songs breathe a little more and it would be really something. The best songs are really nice ("Babylon" "Sail Away") and are absolutely worthwhile even though....yeah, they're also mid-tempo safe-ish songs. Nothing wrong with a little of that from time to time and in this case the nostalgia is welcomed - i.e. I can't imagine I'd be in the mood to pick this album out of the blue but it'll always bring back good memories so that's worth something, innit? 6/10 3 stars.
Enjoyed it initially, but it faded into the background at some point. Not sure I'd seek any of the songs out again, but if they were played within earshot, then I'd not raise a fuss.
This album was so big that contemporary music writers were calling David Gray the 21st century Bob Dylan, a claim both a) incredibly stupid and b) true in a way that speaks much more to the quality of this century then the talents of the asshole responsible for “Babylon” One star
Some generic ass mall shit
"Oh, David Gray, he sings that Babylon song, not a big fan of that song, but let's see what he's got" Presses play... "WHAT IS THIS?" Is this going to be a five star album?" That's how it went down from the start, then it just kind of slowly faded from there. Overall a good album, but "Please Forgive Me" was great, and if he could of kept that up it would have been a 5/5. This isn't what I normally listen too, but was surprised how much I enjoyed it. 4/5
mediocracy at its best
That was great. Lots of songs in movies from the 90s and 00s. Chill. Slow. Good background music or road trip
This wasn’t awful, but it was boring and monotonous. These songs would be good on a better album as a change of pace, but here you get the same thing over and over.
haven’t listened to this since it came out . it’s inoffensive and largely bland , with a couple of singalong singles.
not bad but i don't get it
What a treat. Brought back good memories. Loved the easy flow of Babylon. First time hearing other songs I would listen again 😊
I really didn’t enjoy this for the most part. It came across as mostly middlebrow (boring) songs that I largely forgot an hour or two after hearing it.
My goal in undertaking this project is to delve deep into many artists and albums I had never heard of in order to broaden my musical horizons, and this album fits that bill to a tee. I usually tend to avoid more electronic-sounding beats, but David Gray kind of blends it in a very intriguing way with an acoustic sound that keeps me engaged. The ratio is more in favor of actual guitar and sometimes piano, which gives me the impression that Gray took more pride and care in the recording of the musicianship rather than creating this all on a computer, which I very much appreciate. Gray also has a nice singing voice very much in the style of a singer-songwriter in keeping with the soothing nature of the record to me. All in all, this listen has been a terrific experience and now knowing that Gray has a large following in the UK and 11 other studio albums to listen to, I'm excited to delve more into his catalog. Notable Tracks: - Please Forgive Me - Babylon - pretty sure this was on the Walgreens in-store playlist from the 2010s that gives me nostalgia for my time as a Customer Service Representative (cashier, let's be honest) - We're Not Right - White Ladder - This Year's Love - beautiful song from a memorable scene in The Girl Next Door, a movie I bought in high school because I thought Elisha Cuthbert was hot, only to stumble upon a genuinely great movie 8/10
Hmmm... kinda non-offensive but also not really my thing. Not bad!!! Just not wow - one recognizable song on there that I enjoyed but sort of a confusing beat paired with the vocals which could be cool but i dont really feel like it worked. On the other hand I really love the album cover, its really cool and sort of sick for 1998
Average. Babylon is a good time. Thought there were some weird, unnecessary touches added throughout and got a bit repetitive on the back half Probably won’t listen again and wouldn’t be interested in seeing this guy live. Kinda mid as the kids say.
Generic af. Boring too. Intro is pretentious and then it tries to be all sappy.
god damn
Everybody wants to be some flavor of Bob Dylan. David Gray wants to be Acoustic Techno Bob Dylan.
Not bad to listen to but nothing that stands out to me.
Sounds like every motorway journey in the early 2000s on an overcast Sunday so gets some nostalgia points
I do like David Gray, I think it is more from endless repeats by my Dad on road trips rather than the music.
I have a soft spot for this album, it features some of my favourite songs. I occasionally go back and relisten every couple years, I don't feel there's a weak song on here. I think David Gray's a great songwriter and has a soulful voice. The production on this album is certainly A Choice - my partner described it as sounding like a bad MP3. But I reckon it works here. Sorry to the music snobs that it's not some pretentious classic rock featuring five guys with guitars manifested in the smell of your own farts.
Another nice surprise
Pachangeueo musical
Mediocre vocal some nice words
A bit too bland for my liking.
Thoroughly pleasant (would have been a 4, but can't rid myself of the image of David's wobbling head)
Please Forgive Me Babylon This Year's Love Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
decent
It was just too much. I imagine there is a valid reason that this was on here but honestly, cheer up
Chill
2/5. Soft indie rock-pop ballads is probably the best description. He has a very unique voice and although I want to like it, some of these songs are just straight up boring. It sounds like he just discovered this sound with the electronic snare in the forefront and that's the song now with some introspective lyrics. To be fair, I do like some of the songs but I lose myself among them because they start to sound similar. It wasn't terrible but wasn't a repeat listen, save some songs. Best Song: Babylon, This Year's Love, Sail Away
Such a classic! Love this album and it still sounds good.
rym 3.52 50 minuti di cantautorato. non so se reggo almeno non è bob dylan siamo a due canzoni e ne ho già le palle piene ATTENZIONE HO SENTITO PER UN SECONDO UNO STRUMENTO DIVERSO DAL CHITARRINO ziopera che fatica 2/5
Babylon Sail Away
It’s not like it’s bad, but why?
Enjoyable but haters gonna hate
Dad used to play this one a lot, so pure nostalgia... "folktronica" that sounds a little Crowded House-y.
Solid album
Dido for the fellas og jeg hader Dido
Der er satme nogen generiske 90er-plader på den her liste. Kedeligt. Meget meget skippable.
Rimelig stenet, det gør ikke nogen fortræd 🤷♂️
Michael buble? Sad, alty rock, indie, & some keys in there. It’s got love ballads, it’s sad, a lot of it is very OK but some of it deeply emotional and brilliant. I wouldn’t say I thoroughly enjoyed it but what parts i did enjoy I enjoyed thoroughly. This year’s love is officially my new fav sad song
Hmm. So David Gray is the name of the guy who sings Babylon. Go figure. This record was okay. idk. Was there groundbreaking ideas in here? Not sure. It's makes me feel a little TOO MUCH like I'm shopping at the mall but not terrible.
Echt nich mein Ding 1-2
Utter nonsense - worked in a record shop when this came out and heard it on heavy rotation - still have PTSD listening to it
Enjoyed this album at the time, but haven't listened to it for years. In hindsight, outwith the main singles there are a couple of good songs here, "My Oh My" and a good cover of "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye", but a lot of it is pretty dull sounding now.
What a pleasant surprise as well
Really beautiful album. Only got one listen, but really enjoyed the beautiful singing, lyrics, and music. Very folk oriented and wonderful to listen to, 4/5!
reminds me of my family <3
bellino, e ho letto da qualche parte che ha spianato la strada per artisti come James Blunt ed Ed Sheeran, ma per me, senza infamia e senza lode. a tratti un po’ piattino.
Penso sia una delle cose più etero che io abbia mai sentito (e parola da persona etero). È che alla fine le canzoni sono anche carine, ma è tutto un po’… mid? Tranne l’ultima canzone, quella non mi è piaciuta un granché. Sarebbe un 2.5/5, ma darò 3/5 perché mi sento buona :)
It was fine, but I’m wondering how the hell this qualifies as an essential listen? Nothing terrible, nothing great. I forget what I just listened to 😂
Nice enough album, but nothing too exciting. Will always love Babylon though Coffee shop music 3 ⭐️
"Babylon" is the standout track. Good though uniformly sad songs with a touch of electronica.
I really liked this album and will be listening to it again in the future.
Very enjoyable. Mellow but well worth listening to.
#226: minivan music for soccer moms who accidentally left their Coldplay cassette at home. 2/5: meh Song added to playlist: Babylon I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
The hell is this. There are like 500,000 albums like this on Spotify that are by artists who have <1000 monthly listeners. And some of those are better, they’re more interesting at least. This shouldn’t be on this list it’s really fucking lame.
Just ok. Dont rlly care for it. Pretty boring
A true visionary in the "Background music for your coworker's vacation slideshow" genre. Paved the way for some of the worst shit you've ever heard in your entire life, but in itself, it's actually pretty good. Goes on for forever though. That final song felt like it was 20 minutes long.
I am a sucker- I really enjoyed this.
Enjoyable late 90's chill kind of folky album. Incredibly popular in England.
BABYLON!
Don’t think Bee Gees are my thing but the album did grow on me a bit
It was fine. Chill. Not terribly memorable.
Pretty good stuff. 3.5.
It was fine.
mundane
On the whole it is very boring. I did quite enjoy the little Dylan-esque Soft Cell cover at the end though. The saving grace of an uninteresting album.
boring
Folk people come and go....
Draws you in to listen.
Jotenkin tällainenkin on alkanut minuun uppoamaan. En jaksanut sanoja sen kummemmin kuunnella mutta taustalla meni oikeinen kivasti. 3/5
Varsin kiinnostava pala pop-musiikin historiaa ja toimii minusta ihan hyvin edelleen.
Ei kovinkaan kiinnostava folk-levy, vaikka alussa vähän yritetään elektroonisempaa otetta. 2.5/5
the white sauce of music
Beautiful acoustic guitar with hitting baselines. 5/5
I like the music. I don’t like his voice. 3
Quite a few more good tracks than I remembered
I dont't fully get all the fuss. It's a good album, full of good composiotions. Gray's voice reminds me of Robbie Williams. But there is no spark for me.
Lovely.
Has a couple of standout tracks, but feels like a bit of filler as well these days. Liked it more back in the day.
01) Please Forgive Me - 10,0 02) Babylon - 10,0 03) My Oh My - 8,0 04) We're Not Right - 8,0 05) Nightblindness - 7,5 06) Silver Lining - 7,0 07) White Ladder - 7,0 08) This Year's Love - 10,0 09) Sail Away - 10,0 10) Say Hello Wave Goodbye - 10,0 TOTAL: 8,75 (88/100) I remember how huge this album was back then. I really loved (and still do) "Babylon", it's a great track. I know all the singles, listening to the rest of the album for the first time. I know we all kind of dislike Ed Sheeran and James Blunt these days, but back when this album came out, this was new, it was fresh and it was like nothing else at the time. And I simply can't put Ed Sheeran and David Gray in the same sentence, David Gray was never as "sugary" as Sheeran is. I see some reviewers are very harsh on this, as I will probably be on some thrash metal band, but hey, we can't all like the same things. For example, I don't even like vanilla. Go figure...
Babylon. Rock, alternative rock, folk rock.
Recognized the "Please Forgive Me" and "Babylon" song from my childhood but had no idea who sang it. Would I seek out this album, probably not, but listening to it was a nice blast from the past. Feels like this would probably be the answer to an obscure trivia question one day, one that you kick yourself for knowing the song but not knowing anything about it.
Such a lovely relaxed vibe. It seems I'd encountered David before and I found this album quite relaxing and enjoyable. I'll be back for more. Faves: Babylon, White Ladder
Ugh. This is perfectly bland and inoffensive and should rightfully get 3 stars, but it was wildly overplayed back in the day, and a bunch of the tracks I'm just sick of hearing - gonna have to mark it down. Slap one of these vaguely melancholy tunes over a montage at the end of an episode of House and I'll tolerate it, but a whole album is too much. Fave track - uh.... "My Oh My" I guess?
Solid 90s Brit pop, doesn’t age as well as Wings..
I think I can see how this record would be popular, but for me it is a bit bland and non-descript. I listened to it and did not dislike any part of it, but it was not something I would consider to be necessary to listen to.
Bailed after three songs. Just not my thing.
Very 90s AOR. Generally mid.
Another first for me, I've never heard of David Gray before this listen. I have to say though, this may be one of the most uneventful listens so far. There were some decent songs here and I was pretty excited after the initial folk and electronic fusion opener "Please Forgive Me". Unfortunately, a lot of the album isn't anywhere near as interesting as that opener, instrumentally at least. With that said, I still largely enjoyed this album, I just don't think it did anything special for me. The acoustic-driven singer-songwriter songs may not have been my favorite here, but there were some highlights. I enjoyed the song "Nightblindness" quite a lot, it has one of the more intriguing choruses here, which paints a dreadful image of the uncertain future of a diminishing relationship. Oddly enough, I don't think it's a part of the actual tracklisting, but still thought I should mention it. The song "The Year's Love" is a great piano ballad. I'm not sure why, but the vocal performance on this song sounds very much ahead of its time, it feels like something that's been replicated by many poppier singer-songwriters in the 2010s and 2020s. Maybe it's the mildly guttural and raspy vocal performance or the nature of the melody itself. Still really loved it though. My favorite song on this album has to be "Sail Away". It's a more straightforward track structurally speaking, with a piano driving the song here, but it's David's vocal performance that sells this one for me. It's a very strong performance with a killer lead melody. Not much to say for this one, was pretty easy listening. David Gray's a solid writer and a really good singer, but I think a lot of the songs, especially near the middle, left a lot to be desired as just songs. With that said, I'll admit that this album may very well grow on me in the future, maybe I'll grow to appreciate and understand its more straightforward and subtle approach. I do think there are some incredible songs here.
I thought this was a pretty decent pop/soft rock album. Gray is a good singer, the lyrics aren’t half bad and he has that 90s style that kind of wains like he wanted to be in Creed or STP. Of course it was British and I never heard of the guy before but I can imagine it was popular for a little bit in the 90s. This was decent and I’d revisit some of it. 6.6/10
Bland. Boring. Soulless. John Mayer without the edge. It’s bad enough that I had to have “Babylon” played at me constantly for six months in a row in 2001, but now I had to listen to it twice on this Nilla Wafer of an album. Boo.
No lo conocía. Empieza muy bien. La verdad es que parece que inventó la música "child" que se vende ahora como churros. A la mitad se me ha hecho repetitivo, pero entiendo que ha sido el referente para mucha gente que ha venido después: James Blunt, Ed Sheeran, George Ezra, James Bay ... vamos los que pone en la Wikipedia y te vienen a la mente sin pensarlo mucho otros más: Ben Howard, Passenger, ...
Eh, pretty generic and uninteresting
Bland and unseasoned British music... shocking
I can't recall ever hearing of David Gray, but wow, I really like his music.
I bet this guy thinks the sun only shines when he goes outside. Music was mid.
I remember liking a few of these songs when this came out. Ultimately this isn't something I'd return to though. 2/5
Felt like I was in a cafe on a rainy day in 2008 listening to this.
Oh man, opening track was such a dad car song so that brings me back. But also makes it hard to take this seriously. It’s decent, kind of Elton John mixed with Tracy Chapman. High 3.
Kind of a less popy cold play. some nice soft stuff on here and I liked it for the most part
This was fine. It had some nice moments but I feel no need to listen again.
This is the background of a 1990’s coffee shop, pleasant but not memorable
Good but not my thing
I find his voice quite grating, even ruined say hello, wave goodbye!
Kinda boring. He sounds like a dozen other people.
That was surprising.
Of all the albums ever released across the globe this one does not come close to ranking in the top 1,001.
I liked the first few songs but got tired of this album quickly.
A good album, I liked Please Forgive Me, Nightblindness, Silver lining and Sail Away the best. So definitely a hit with me.
A pretty peaceful vibe easy listen but prob won’t revisit; I just know someone’s aunt loves to let loose with a Pinot to this album
Kan hier echt niets mee, saaie meuk, niet vernieuwend, irritante stem
Don’t like the voice
Some of these were pretty good. I'm surprised I haven't heard any of these songs. 3.4.
This album reminded me of background music id hear at a grocery store. Perfectly inoffensive and unremarkable.
I can’t believe this album is 26 years old! Babylon is no more than 10 years old in my brain. It reminds me of how quickly life passes by. I didn’t expect this kind of reaction; such a draw of nostalgia. Music goes beyond simply hearing the notes. It holds more meaning than tickling the ears. White Ladder climbed its way into my heart. Now, I have to figure out what happened to David Gray.
I will admit I have very basic music tastes. Part of my goal with this challenge is to broaden those tastes. But this album is just so much of what I like. Music that showcases singing, relaxed vibes. I had no idea this artist sang This Year’s Love (a song I love!).
It's an okay album, giving very big Dave Matthews vibes - the lyrics are good, Would love to see some other singers sing these lyrics
Not bad.
I wasn’t excited about this one. BUT I ended up liking a lot of it. The beginning and end of the album were really good with some bright spots! The middle was terrible and the song “White Ladder” was incomprehensible. 3/5
Nachdem ich bei Elton John beim Hören der Platte von zufriedenen vier Punkten am Anfang auf letztlich nur 2 Punkre abrutschte, weil ich es immer generischer fand, war ich hier beim ersten Stück wegen des Schlagzeuges aus der Dose auch kurz bei 4 Punkten. Dann stellte ich fest, dass die Stimme gelegentlich etwas hat, was mir (also ungerecht subjektiv) sehr zuwider ist und schwankte zwischen 1 und 2 Punkten. Schließlich kamen aber doch noch 2 Songs, die ich auch stimmlich ganz ok fand.
also samey but this time with stand-outs. got a bunch of great pop songs mixed in with other songs that sound like the pop songs
Kinda nice. Kinda bland. Kinda engaging. Sweet. Vulnerable. Listened a few times. Enjoyed the Wikipedia page. May listen again. Nice.
I've heard Babylon a million times but wasn't familiar with the rest of his sound. It's okay.
No thank you David. For all that Babylon has kind of entered into the ironic appreciation stage, this, on the back of Jones, was just more MOR, boring nothingness. He's a United fan, so gains 0.1 marks for that.
It's not bad at all but feels a little generic. I think nostalgia is a big factor for people who rated it higher, but I've never heard of it before and I'd rather listen to Damien Rice
3.5, powerful vocals. Feel like it initially incorporates more electronic tones but gradually shifts to more traditional folk style singing with a guitar.
Had only previously heard the song "Babylon" - which is honestly, one of the most overplayed songs, isn't it? Good album. Great for a Sunday Brunch.
Music snobs will tell you that there are certain people who will only buy one album a year. Music executives spend their lifetime trying to discover which record those people that only buy one record a year will buy. In 1998 that record was White Ladder by David Gray.
Excellent!
A pretty solid folktronica release.
Great album, one I listened to a lot back in the day
Overplayed when it first came out. Still has good songs, but can’t imagine choosing to put it on
pretty good overall
I thought I had never heard of this before so I was surprised when I realized I knew a few of the songs. I liked it, very of the time and not necessarily something I'd want on vinyl. But I saved a few songs.
This is the perfect album for when you're having love sickness. Because this album is so fucking boring and bad you forget about it in a minute and come to the point that it's just not worth it listening to stuff like that.
It wasn't particularly bad but quite forgettable. Seems like music for people who don't really like music. That might explain why it stayed in the charts that long.
It was nice. "Babylon" is by far the worst track.
There are some gems on this album (Babylon, This Years Love, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye) but it’s nothing extraordinary
Vind de bas en drums echt chill
Wait I like this a lot? I wasn't sure for the first couple of songs but I fell in love with Gray's voice and the songs were relaxing to listen to.
Please forgive me oli oikein hyvä aloitus, ja muutenkin tykkäsin a-puolesta yllättävän paljon. Loppupuoli menikin sitten hymistelyksi, David ei keksinyt mitään uutta. Kelpo milleniumin popia, käsintehty tunnelma eli tekijän tunne kuului vetoavasti. Mutta tosiaan lopulta tylsä. Muihin kakkosiini verrattuna silti ehdoton kolmonen.
Tekee mieli olla tätä artistia kohtaan armollinen: hän kykenee toden teolla projisoimaan kuvaa popparista, joka vain tykkää soitella ja tehdä musiikkia. Babylon ansaitsee paikkansa unohdettujen radiohittien maailmassa.
Pretty boring. I remember that Babylon song though. It's gonna be a 3/5 for me. I wouldn't mind listening to this but I would never seek it out. The production doesn't hold up. Probably was pretty innovative at the time, the synth and samplers behind standard acoustic singer-songwriter, but feels pretty dated and sterile now. I love Nick Drake, John Martyn, Joni Mitchell... maybe Ben Howard for a more modern take... this is kind of luke warm in comparison. My favorite is probably the Soft Cell cover... though Sail Away is also growing on me.
Wanted 3.5, rounded up because the last track was a great cover
First two songs had me like “oooh the John Denver-Moby collab might hit!” and then it lost its energy completely. Apparently this was on the UK Top 100 albums chart for THREE YEARS from 2000-2003. Toyota Corolla Music was truly an epidemic in the early 21st century and I’m glad we finally got the cure (Party Rock Anthem)
The first song with the trip hop-esque drum machine and classic singer/songwriter piano had me thinking this was going to be incredible but after that I didn’t think it was all that noteworthy
Idk why but “we’re not right” really annoyed me. Other than that i thought the album was fine. A lot of comments seem to dislike the album. i didn’t find anything wrong with it besides being a little slow at some points. Some songs were giving Ryan Adams
Classic music to listen to in an early 2000's rom com
A little dull
Ok
This makes me want to experience heartbreak. Brb, divorcing my wife
Melancholische Supermarktmusik.
This record paved the way for a wave of folk pop singer-songwriters that would dominate pop charts, like John Mayer and Ed Sheeran. Apparently a dude singing with a guitar isn't good enough, so he shoves layers of repetitive basic electronica on top to make it seem sophisticated and powerful to gullible audiences at the time who ate this up. The lyrics are bad. His acoustic guitar just adds fluff. The beats are generic. His vocals are lame, and too focused on impressing the audience with his range and dynamics. The tracks fall into so many cliches and try hard spamming ear worms to hook audiences. I think the first 3 tracks are decent, and I also liked "Sail Away" near the end. Didn't care for anything else.
it was OK
Rock, Pop, Altern., 1998 soft -> 3
interesting sound, a mix of synths and country soft rock. not bad but not my favorite. 2.5/5
Another nice 1990s album of nice music for nice people who can only bear to listen to nice things. Male Dido. OK 'Sail Away' is a good, the rest is wishy-washy and forgettable... I was happy to have forgotten this.
I have a real soft spot for this album. I could debate all day about whether it deserves a place on here, whether it’s important and influential, but compared to some of the dross I’ve had to listen to I will defend it to the hilt. I remember when Babylon came out as a single and I loved the lyrics and it was such a beautiful tune – my father and I would sing along to it. Part of the video was filmed in the Joe Strummer subway near our house so it had a personal residence too. I can’t remember whether my father or I bought the album but it was played a lot and every tune had beautiful clever lyrics and a great hook. There’s not one song I didn’t love. And I think it still holds up. No, I haven’t listened to it for years, but I heard Babylon playing on a TV episode the other day and remembered how happy it made me and then this came up and I played the album two or three times straight through without it losing any lustre. Surely that’s the mark of a great album.
I recognized David Gray from the first tune, but couldn't place the voice and vibe until Babylon played, and while I knew the song, I couldn't figure how I knew it — it had somehow entered my psyche likely at the time of its release. It's a great tune, and while the rest of the album set a nice mood, I couldn't help feel like it didn't really go anywhere. Seems like this album resonated with a rabid group of fans, and while I enjoyed it, I can't say it made a fan of me on the first listen. So, maybe short shrift for a landmark album for the artist, but I didn't get thrilled enough to get past a 3-star rating.
Hearing this brought me back to listening to WXPN. God, they loved this guy. But every time he came on, I would switch the channel. Dude's voice irks me as does his tepid approach to songwriting and arranging. Not a fan.
Pleasant and sweet I so enjoyed this in a long drive after some intense days
Ambient rock, coldplay like, nice as background music, nice for road trips, reminiscent of 90s music
I like David Gray when he's backgrounded somewhere and a couple songs may be ones I come back to, but mostly didn't spark my fancy over a couple listens.
Just mid. Forgettable
Just kind of bland
I liked this when it first came out. Listening back, it's nostalgic but also there are only a few tracks I like and would choose to listen to.
I didn’t think I was familiar with this artist until I started listening to the album and heard the song “Babylon.”It’s one of those songs I’ve heard for many years in the background of just about everywhere and everything, but disliked so much that I’ve always shut it out and never pursued finding out who it was. Lots of droning singer/songwriter stuff that, I believe, fails. For me, this type of music has to have melodies, lyrics, vocals, instrumentation, SOMETHING that draws me in and plays on or to my emotions. Nothing. Not even his cover of Soft Cell’s “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” could even impress me, though it’s the best song on the album, because… it’s Soft Cell! But without Marc Almond’s deadpan, torch-song delivery, it falls flat. This album spent three years on the British charts. Must have been a fallow three years in music over there.
All those radio-friendly adult contemporary sounds from the 90s distilled into one record, I wasn't a fan. I will say that Gray's got a good voice for this kind of music, even if it does sound like a rough Dylan impersonation at times. Could see myself being slightly more into this album if it was closer to 35 minutes, the average track is nearly 5 minutes long and I don't think any of em earn it
ekki ónotalegt píanóglamur. nokkur fínustu lög en önnur síðri. 3,5.
Dave Matthews and Bob Dylan vibe. The folksy tunes were good/needed in their time.
The sound of every early 2000s London coffee shop. Inoffensive. Wonder where he is now. I'm assuming he makes kimchi or something.
Good album! Solid and enjoyable
Not a fan. Generic and pretty boring.
so dull. nothing really pops out. 4.5/10
No.
sooo boring. there’s nothing interesting about this album, the drum machines are bad, and i don’t like his voice (or anything about his music really). and to top it all off the last song is nine minutes. nine painful minutes.
I like
He got a lot of traction out of this album. The songs with the electronic elements really feel like the late 90’s/early 2000’s, but otherwise, it’s standard singer/songwriter stuff. I liked it better back when it came out then I did this time around. 3.0
I like the more electronic sounding ones. The rest is decent too. Surprising how popular it remained in the UK. Singer/Songwriter doesn't do much for me these days, but it's pretty fresh for being 25 years old. 3.4
Striving to hear that bit in Sail Away when he whistles, live. Just wow. Sunday afternoon, Glasto legends spot. The world stops. For 5 minutes there’s peace in the world. Everyone listening. Everyone whistling. I think we can all agree that THIS was what John Lennon Imagined! 1.9
I'd never heard of David Gray before now somehow, though apparently had listened to a few of his tracks. This album is stunning, and I've really enjoyed it. David's voice carries a wonderful emotion mixing love and melancholy, and this resonates in a big way purely from the vibes. I think this experiment has taught me that, for my taste, vibes are everything, and this hits that mark. I clearly missed the boat when this was popular and so don't have the negative feelings (likely resulting from this being overplayed) that some other reviewers do, but can understand why this might not be for everyone. I think this album likely popularized a style of music that wasn't quite as popular before, resulting in...whatever happened in the 2000s. Influential for sure, and well deserving of the list.
Fourth studio album. A piano forward Dylan. It's a really satisfying album to listen to. Glad this was in here.
Soulful and passionate. A strange and unexpected surprise of songs that are easy to enjoy and have enough of a hook to have their own identity. Killer album... i could listen to it over and over.
meh.... 2/5
This bored me so much, it feels like so much of late 90's early 00's pop ballad music and it doesn't stand out within that group of music.
Well, Babylon. and on. and on. and on. and on. and on
It was a pleasant listen 3
3+
Put on a list of songs that a guy would randomly play at a party if handed a guitar /if there was a piano. Fav son Sail Away
David's breakthrough album. 4 or 5 good tunes and a decent cover.
Maybe this is generous? Fell asleep listening!
Sliver Lining was my favorite. I wasn't expecting much of this album but i liked it more than i thought i would. Babylon was immediately familiar.
Bonus for Soft Cell’s “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” at the end! Love that song … both versions.
Solid album.
This is exceedingly good.
First two songs are absolute bangers. The rest of the album is just kind of OK
Perfect quiet mellow time.
Ok
Nice tunes. A little Elton johnish
Really cute. Wouldn’t listen to it again. But a good 7/10
Chillout für die Seele. . Geradlinig und nicht so aufgesetzt wie Ed Sheeran und andere Nachfolger. Besonders schön: Sail away
There’s a reason this is one of the best selling albums in the UK of all time.
Relatable lyrics, creative melodies, complementary arrangements - good listening.
Man, I went into this with an open heart but this is mediocrity and blandness sonified. Every song is very similar - musically, the sequenced drums are completely uninspired and flat, the guitar loops around and Gray's voice, his only redeeming feature here (he can, at least, sing), whine's on. This is tedious. Having read about the original failed launch and then meteoric second launch of this album I am stunned at how this was so succesful. Maybe I can understand it gaining a little success given how inoffensive it is, but to be in the top 100 albums for multiple years, the 5(?) selling album etc is absurd. Wow, mega-bland.
.
Nice album. Very smooth melodies and voice.
Pleasantly surprised 😯 I enjoyed this. 3.5
Nice but not outstanding.
boring shit NNN
AJ: haven’t heard Babylon in like 25 years. 13 year old AJ secretly loved this very serious love diddy. Pleasantly surprised by some of these songs. Very cool musically and he’s very poetic. “My oh my” my made me write some. Appreciate that too.