Hms Fable
Shack
1999
Album Summary
H.M.S. Fable is the third album by Liverpudlian band Shack, released in June 1999 via London Records. It was the band's first album following their reformation after the interest generated by their previous much-delayed album Waterpistol and the album by offshoot band The Strands. H.M.S. Fable was well received by the critics: among the UK music publications, the album was placed at number 2 on both the NME and Uncut critics' poll of the albums of the year for 1999, and number 5 in Select magazine.
WikipediaAnother British pop album so important that the only sentence under the Legacy tab in Wikipedia is the one noting that it is on the 1001 albums list. I understand that sometimes you need a bit of distance between an album and the review to gain perspective on it, but that's exactly why it shouldn't be on this list. It's a late 90s pop album that sounds like a late 90s pop album. It's fine, but indistinguishable from a hundred other albums that came out in the same era. It's not special or groundbreaking or technically outstanding in any way. Why not throw a couple of Days of the New or Stabbing Westward albums on here while we're wasting everyone's time? 2/5
After listening to the first song I had a feeling this was going to be a maximum 3 star, on its way to a 2. But the songs on the album changed genre a few times and the stories for a few of the songs were fairly unique. In the end I went and listened to it all the way through again.
Reminds me a little of All The Roadrunning or REM. Their songs are really good at both hitting all of the satisfying resolutions while also moving in interesting unexpected directions.
Thought this was brilliant. Natalie's Party and Daniella are both superb and book end some absolutely brilliant 90's indie music.
It would be hard to review this album without comparing Shack to Oasis, so I won't try. It's a band fronted by troubled brothers who sing soaring melodies about scoring heroin accompanied by strings. They're the Liverpudlian Oasis. In fact, the two bands had a sort of co-dependent relationship, even if one made it big while the other one opened for them years later. This certainly sounds like an Oasis album, but better; a glance at the lyrics reveals a song-writing talent that the Gallaghers could only dream of. Shack is one of those "what could have been" bands that nevertheless managed to pull it together long enough to make one memorable album, and this is solid stuff. Best track: Beautiful
Some good easy listening - kind of distracting how often they changed time signature in many songs, but it felt like a precursor to Guster, so I liked it similarly.
Wasn't expecting to like it, but this is a gem of its genre! It sounds a lot like R.E.M. The strings were a wonderful touch throughout. I loved the songs that felt a little shanty-ish/adventurous/folksy, like Streets of Kenny or Daniella. At times a bit too cheesy, but it never was unenjoyable. The best songs I loved, and the worst songs were still very nice.
Bland and uninspired britpop. Wished I was listening to something else almost the entire time. No more of this, please
Great album, combines the best aspects of Britpop with some Indie and Folk elements. Especially loved the harmonies and the catchiness of the songs
Very 90s garage rock. I liked the vibe but all the songs felt like they meshed together for me, not a lot of distinction between them.
A surprisingly fantastic album! I love the soft rock groove, and I added it to my playlist. Shack was never on my radar, but they are awesome!
The writer of this book being from UK is showing. Never heard of this. Sounds like pretty standard 90s britpop at first but it’s a lot deeper than that. Glad I pushed past my initial impression. I’m a little surprised these guys weren’t bigger in the states.
This is really good. I had never heard of this band before, happy to have now discovered them!
I love the liverpudlian accent making it’s way into the songs and the overall melodies. Feels very lightning seeds inspired and that is not a bad thing!
I had never heard of this, which is somewhat surprising given that this type of music was right up my alley during this timeframe (college). Pretty great stuff.
7/10. I can't quite pin down what it sounds like, but it sounded familiar, and I liked it.
solid britpop album, overall the style wasn't my favorite and some of it was overwrought, but i liked the variety and the stories. 7/10
Mij voordien totaal onbekend. Poprock met hier en daar een folk-toetsje. Prachthoes ook (4,5 is geen 5 -> 4)
A good album that I could easily listen to again. Sit back, relax and enjoy the tunes.
4 really really good album. Liked every song, but many 90s albums sounds just like it. Will relisten soon.
Genre: Britpop 4/5 The quick research session for this album before my listen did very little to illicit any genuine excitement from me. Blur’s Parklife was pretty bland, and most Britpop is fairly regular in concept and execution, but these guys really did something here! The orchestration and high-class production on this thing was incredibly unexpected, and didn’t feel facile or forced at all. Quite a refreshing listen, honestly. While the first two tracks are two of the band’s most popular, the album continued to impress, continued to have big, beautiful choruses, and continued to layer sounds in a very nice, very pleasing way. Even a song like Cornish Town, which starts rather innocuously, grows into a beautiful pop soundscape. I might be in the minority here, but I genuinely enjoyed this album!
Great album with plenty of songs I thought were really good. The album doesn't seem to be that well known, but it was surprisingly fun. Only complaint is that the second half didn't appeal to me as much as the first. Favorite Songs: Natalie's Party, Comedy, Pull Together, Beautiful, Lend's Some Dough
Close to a 5, really enjoyable listen from a band I’ve never heard of! Kind of Oasis crossed with Richard Hawley.
Kinda oasis but better - not a fan of britpop and didn't like this on release, but the songwriting is so good it's aged well
This was a lovely surprise. I thought I was going to hear Oasis with Michael Stipe as lead singer. But then we get these folk songs, as well as lush songs with strings in the background. This is the album that Oasis wished they could make.
I just love the sound of this album! No single song stands out but it’s the way they all flow together and belong with each other, makes the albums really feel like a single piece of work. I really did enjoy listening to it.
This was massive in the UK for a bit, but somehow it completely passed me by. It was better than I expected; the connective tissue between Oasis and Elbow.
J'ai beaucoup aimé cet album de la voix française de Shark, qui sécurise sa belle note de 4/5 grâce au superbe "2-0 pour les Bleus de Port-Marie" annoncé en fin d'album.
I have never heard of Shack before, and all of the music on HMS Fable was new to me. The album sounds like it could be grouped with some of the music I would have been listening to in the 90s. I didn't want to skip any tracks, but I didn't have any stand out tracks that I saved for my personal playlist either. This album comes in at exactly 3.5 stars. I'm not sure that I will think of listening to this album again, but I guess I will round up to 4 stars.
really loved this one, probably my favourite so far from the albums that I hadn’t already heard in some capacity before!
we've gotten a string of britpop recently in this project, and by and large it's been "just okay" for me. i don't know what happened with shack's h.m.s. fable, but i enjoyed their sound so much more. britpop appears to be a convoluted genre, so whether or not this album can be truly referred to as britpop, i don't know. i do know that the whole album flows easily, one song into the other. shack did well creating songs that were unique and can differentiate from one another, but taken as a whole, the songs are even better. the songs are pop in the sense that they are easy and catchy, but the songs are more broadly alternative. some songs are a little cheesy but charming ("beautiful"!). there are some good choices with the instruments. the horns on "reinstated" were particularly lovely. really, just a nice listen overall.
"H.M.S. Fable" is the third album by the Liverpudlian band Shack and the first album after the band's reformation following their previous album "Waterpistol" and an album by an off-shoot band, The Strands. H.M.S means Her Majesty Ship which makes sense given the album cover and some of the lyrics. Yeah, I had to look that up. Shack consisted of Mick Head (vocals, guitar), his brother John Head (guitar), Justin Smith (bass) and Mick Hurst (drums). This is a very well-crafted and well-produced (Hugh Jones and Youth (Martin Glove)) album. Definitely in the pop (or Britpop) category but also has some pyschedelic and prog elements. This is one of the most happy and optimistic sounding albums given that some of the songs are about the Head brothers' struggles with drugs, which was no secret. The album starts extremely strong with two great songs. "Natalie's Party" is pop sounding and also reminds me of Cracker. Very optimistic. Guitar bridge. Strings. Chorus. Great lyrics about two lovers. "Comedy" is slower, with strings. Nice guitar outro. Again, optimistic about someone pulling him through. "When you cry it pulls me through." The next two songs "Pull Together" and "Beautiful" sound more like the pop-side of Oasis. Both songs soar. "Lend's Some Dough" may be the happiest song I've heard about drugs... kind of Beatles-esque. The second half of the album incorporates some pyschedelia and prog. In "Streets of Kenny" he's searching for drugs. Pyschedelic and prog, it kind of reminded me of the Moody Blues. Pyschedelic ending with dual lead guitars. " I Want You" moves back to more pop. Lyrical references to ships, kings, queens and Merlin. Very Love-sounding with the pyschedelic guitars. The album ends kind of sad with the song "Daniella," unlike the rest of the album. Acoustic guitar. He lost his friend Jack. Wow, I think I made the most band references in anything I've written but Shack created music that is their own. I've like everything I've heard from Mick Head both previous with The Pale Fountains and subsequently. This album is no exception. I can see why his music is revered by many.
mixed, it's pretty smooth but nothing too crazy. I have listened to other songs from them, not a bad band.
Not really my style, but I can appreciate some heroin-fueled pop rock as much as the next guy. Has its moments... fleeting ones, but perhaps it's better that way.
A lot of songs on here felt like they were mimicking the style of other bands; beatles, red hot chili peppers and even Blur. it was enjoyable but ultimately forgettable
this one was kinda sadly forgettable. i was psyched because i'd never heard of them, and they were from liverpool, which just seems like a good thing...Streets of Kenny was great, but nothing else really stood out here to me.
I liked some of it and didn't hate any of it. If I could rate 3.5 I would... it's not quite 4 stars though.
Album tres 90. Bon son en general mais se compare pas vraimment aveci les gros albums de ces annees. Quand meme une belle ecoute. 3.25
Nice enough. The songs have a sixties feel at times. I prefer the sparse, mellower tracks. The horns were a nice addition to Re-instated. Michael Head is a better song-writer than singer.
I’ve never heard of Shack before and I’ve never heard any of these songs. Managed to listen 1.5 times through the album, and definitely liked it better the second time but I’m still not ready to do more than a 3. Gonna save “Pull Together” into one of my playlists though
Scouse britpop arriving at the fag end of the movement. Best Tracks: Natalie's Party, Comedy, Streets of Kenny
Some songs have a bit of an R.E.M. vibe to it and I quite like it. Full album is a bit much though.
Not as bad as I thought it'd be considering the previous britpop on the list. That being said, it's very forgettable and I have no desire to revisit it
Slightly above average but certainly nothing special. Everything you would expect from this genre.
Not heard of this band before which is surprising. You can hear the similarities to many of their related bands (lightning seeds, cast, the las), not bad but don’t know if I would choose to listen to them over others.
Turn of the millenia rock with 90's angst. This album clearly is setting the tone for what would be alternative noise for the upcoming era.
Je connais pas ce genre de musique, la "britpop" Nathalie's party (opening) : effectivement c'est pop. Mais c'est pas mal, ça ressemble à une musique de film. On dirait de la bonne soupe, genre la musique de Shrek Ca sent le 2.5 : ça me laisse pantois, même si c'est joli par certains aspects. Finalement ça finit sur un 3 C'est un peu cucul mais ça se chante autour d'un feu. Fav : Lend's Some Dough (elle représente bien l'album), Daniella (jolie)
A good album from an underrated band. A few jangle-pop hits as well as some more interesting stuff.
A good solid album, not really different from what I already listen too, but it's nice. It can get heavy at times especially at the beginning of the album, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. What I liked about this album is that it was weirdly real, I had a weird depersonalization session because of it. Usually when one listens to music they would imagine scenarios, or colors, but honestly I just sat in my chair, stared at the wall, and listened. Truly a blank slate moment. Most Memorable Song : Beautiful - It was such a stark contrast from the rest of the songs that I had to check if I was in the right album. It's really fun and feel good, and served as a refresher. Added it to one of my playlists ! Other moments : I enjoyed "Lend's some dough" and "Comedy" but they still really didn't stand out to me outside of this album. BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE GUITAR IN "Since I met you". Jesus christ I added that bad boy into one of playlists solely for the conclusion. It was so so good I'm definitely just going to replay that part over and over again.
Undeniably well played, sung and produced. You can hear its obvious (and not so obvious) influences within the grooves. The record clearly wears its heart on its sleeve and rocks pretty hard in places too but ultimately there's not quite enough here to elevate it to classic status for mine.
This might be the most inoffensive Britpop I have ever listened to. It honestly is a nice listening experience, though it lacks a certain edge or memorability. Most of what you hear on HMS Fable has been done better by other artists, but none of it is done poorly here. Its a 3/5.
Enjoyable folk rock, nothing sounded really groundbreaking but I enjoyed the vibe and some of the more shanty-like tracks
Onestamente non l'ho ascoltato tutto, ma probabilmente lo farò. Mi è piaciuto molto lo stile fine anni '90. La prima canzone, anche qui, mi è piaciuta assai.
Falls somewhere between Oasis and Third Eye Blind. Enjoyable enough, but it’s not something I’ll really return to much, as I think others have done the same sort of sound better.
I was staining a deck while listening, so I remember absolutely nothing about this album other than I was expecting sea shanties and was severely disappointed
I was totally in the blank with this one and a bit reluctant at first. But turns out this is quite a good album, a hidden gem of Brit-Pop. At times, it made me think of a British REM of sorts (mainly because of the vocals).
Really enjoyed a couple of songs, but then some just sort of existed and did nothing for me. Average
Decent enough, no bad tracks but also nothing especially memorable to push it up to the next level
This was a weird album for me. I heard the opening track, Natalie's Party, and thought..."okay, here we go." And then the next couple of tracks felt like severe letdowns. It's not that they were bad necessarily, Beautiful stood out to me, but it just felt like generic pop-rock. Certainly not an "Album you MUST listen to" material. You could get the same kind of experience from Goo Goo Dolls, Barenaked Ladies, etc. But then Captain's Table kicked in...and this album WENT places. A unique mix of sounds and exploration hit in the middle of the record. The direction went almost R.E.M in style and it really worked. Unfortunately when you hit Cornish Town, things start to slow back down and I lost interest. Certainly not a bad album, it probably sounded great at the time. It's just a little too fluffy and mixed to stand out now. Favorite Song: Streets of Kenny Least Favorite: Comedy
Sounded like the type of thing you'd hear on the OC soundtrack. Pleasant enough. Also profoundly uninteresting.
This was fine but never quite gelled for me. All over the map stylistically; going from Beatle-esque to post-folkish to pretty standard alternative pop. Grabbed me in a few places but mostly faded into the background.
You know, Comedy is one of my all time favourite singles, and it really breaks my heart that the album doesn't get anywhere close to it. They set the bar too high, they did. So it goes.
The third album by Liverpudlian band Shack, 1999. H.M.S. Fable was well received by the critics, but I'm not a critic. So this one was a bit boring for me. Not my type of music, but sounds good.
eh it’s pretty mediocre I don’t really know why it’s on here I’ll give it a 5/10, it’s not terrible but it’s really not anything special either
A little out there, but not terrible. Nothing I have any real attachment too, but it doesn't hurt me.
Good enough alternative rock music. They remind me of The Wallflowers. There's also an REM vibe that has some Tom Petty roots. I like the basic sound they make; lyrically, it's pretty middle-of-the-road. I can see these songs showing up in a 90s romantic comedy movie in the background, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Good splid indie album, if they had been a few years earlier they would have sold thousands more copies. Fills the space between the Las and Embrace, which I never knew needed filled. Natalie's partly and beautiful ate my favourites, with an honourable mention for lend's some dough
Solid late 90s Britpop/rock, good but not super memorable or anything. I have to confess though that I inadvertently listened to the whole album on shuffle, didn't realize till the second to last song. In hindsight I remember hearing at least one song that kind of faded out in a weird way, probably was supposed to fade into whatever the actual next song was. I just thought it was a weird production choice.
Solid indie/folksy brit pop. It's better than it doesn't go into britrock because they start sounding too much like the era that was dominated by oasis. It's not a bad record at all, but doesn't really leave much of an impression
Serviceable post-Britpop tunes from the end of the decade with some songs that are better than expected or anticipated. Favorites: Comedy, Pull Together, Streets of Kenny, Re-Instated, I Want You, Cornish Town.
One of those bands I'd heard about, read about but never heard. I like this, there's some good stuff on it and yet I know there'll probably be a whole bunch of stuff from this late/post-Britpop era that's more deserving of being included in the 1001 (e.g. both of Mansun's first two albums).
¿Es este en serio un álbum que debo escuchar antes de morir? O sea, no se me hizo malo, hasta un par de rolas tendría agreagadas, pero no le veo lo especial ni histórico ni nada. No lo bajo a 2 estrellas porque no es "malo" pero creo que sobra.
A ratos muy Oasis, a ratos muy James, este disco de 1999 captura muchos sonidos de la época aunque no siento que aporte mucho por sí mismo. Aún así, es un disco agradable con un par de canciones movidas (a-la-Pulp, pre-Kasabian) y está bien ejecutado. Sólido 3.
This is a good album but did not resonate with me that much. Daniella is my favorite track and it is very different from the remaining tracks.
Fun, easygoing (with some exceptions). The strings arrrangements are well implemented. I especially like the song ”Streets Of Kenny”
A solid album. My review may be skewing more positive since the last album I listened to was by the Incredible String Band. This was an enjoyable listen.
Never heard of Shack before. I like this genre, and this all felt familiar -- too familiar. A lot of sameyness on here.
This is a fun Brit pop album. I’d rather come back and listen to this than arctic monkeys or Coldplay
Friends have banged on about Mick Head's bands for ages now, I've heard this and thought it was alright but I'd already been listening to Teenage Fanclub for years so just hear that in it. I'm told Shack had that sound first, I don't know, but Sparky's Dream existed for years before 'Comedy' and I can't help but hear the exact same chorus. Although, that is a delightful song. Beta Band vibes on the backing vocals of Captain's Table. Streets of Kenny is really great. With a really weirdly abrupt ending. So, to my ear nothing original, and tbh, after Streets of Kenny nothing really holds my interest (except Since I Met You). But it is really well done. Had I heard this back in 1999 I would very likely have been all over it.
At the tail end of Britpop comes a kinder, gentler Oasis. Nothing truly exceptional, but the sea shanty influences make for an interesting listen.
Pretty solid late 90’s rock but nothing that broke the mould or made it stand out too much
Mixed reviews…I had never heard of this band and at the time the album would’ve resonated with me…now, though, the 90s alternative rock genre sounds weak if you’re hearing new music from the time.
I've never heard of Shack before but they got some catchy songs but not my cup of tea. I don't think I will go back and listen to this album again. Hms Fable still gets 3/5 from me as I can see the appeal.
To all appearances (at first) a watered-down R.E.M. from across the pond. But about halfway through the record, the background arrangements reveal a kind of British-folk ambiance which sunk the H.M.S. Fable just deep enough into my mind's ocean. I wish there were more to read on the band and the record, but I guess the deep listening responsibility lies with the listener here.
Ned rock, albeit well crafted. Musical, but entirely uninteresting. Got bored, didn't finish.
I, for the life of me, cannot understand why this album is on this list. Just sounds very generic to me.
Starts off strong but the arrangements quickly lose creative steam and blend together. The unearned bombast of the horn section is grating as well.
It's not a bad album, but I'm not totally sure why it's on the list of albums you should listen to before you die.
Who is Shack? Some of the songs at the top of the album are genuinely good but it kind of falls apart towards the end. If we are comparing these albums to the 1001 greatest albums ever I have to give them a 2
A couple of really good songs ("Captain's Table", "Streets Of Kenny") but largely generic, forgettable late 90's modern rock (1998). Not bad, not great.
I probably won’t listen again but I wouldn’t be offended if it was on as some background music
“H.M.S. Fable” by Shack (1999) This work is another offering from the UK that doesn’t quite capture the world’s attention. It lacks groove and soul. With lyrics that are mostly one side of a conversation without reference, forward movement, or resolution, these songs don’t say much (exception: the closing track, “Daniella”, but poorly performed). And, as might be expected, they are haphazardly arranged. Sibling vocals (Michael & John Head) have a nice duet/dubbed blend, with some highlights in the relatively standard harmonies (“Comedy”, “Beautiful”). But it ain’t The Beach Boys. You could play these songs in the background while doing something else, but it would enhance neither your interest nor your efficiency. There are some interesting Liverpudlian moments (e.g., a haunting try at the chantey genre in “Captain’s Table”), but not enough to raise the record to the level of worthiness. This album desperately wants to be expansive, entrancing, profound, and popular. But it misses the boat. 2/5
Didn't really register for me, I wasn't wowed by it. Kind of sounded like standard 90s alt-pop
Well, yeah, it's britpop. I guess it's not the worst for what it is, but I didn't enjoy it and was glad when the album was done.
This only mildly sucks, but I think that's what's wrong with it. It doesn't even manage to suck with any conviction. It just exists for 47min and I didn't hate anything, but also didn't like a single bit of it. A strong opinion is impossible. Just sounds like a really boring version of Oasis.... 5 years after Oasis. 2/5.
The entry in the book for this album made it sound really gritty and interesting, but this is the blandest Britpop album yet from this list. You know, I didn't really have a problem with Britpop before starting this project, but I'm really growing to dislike it now.
Largely forgettable last gaps of britpop. Seems to be composed almost entirely of Elbow filler album tracks.
Baffling inclusion on this list. Nothing especially memorable or outstanding on this album. I can think of at least three Teenage Fanclub albums superior to this for a similar but superior sound.
never really did anything special. did enjoy it more than the album cover led me to think i would
Eine Platte wie ein gewöhnlicher, eher langweiliger Alltag: keine superben Highlights, eher kleine Erfreulichkeiten, keine großen Ärgernisse. Und irgendwann ist sie rum.
2/5. This was a nice tone and pleasant and great but I don't think ill listen to it again.