Reviews (page 6 of 8)
The title track is something like a sea shanty and it is a pretty decent song. The rest of the album is a mix of Mid 90s REM, Oasis, James Taylor and some folk. The folk is not bad, but the other songs are too muddled and sound too much like the artists they are copying to stand out. 2/5 because this is a group I have never heard of and would not have ever listened to but for this list.
Is quite a normal and chill album to listen, an classic late 90's soft Pop 2/5
Another that belongs in the genre of bands that might not exist were it not for this list. (ntm.)
There’s nothing wrong with this album, it’s just lame to my ears and I don’t like it. Wait, it’s one of those Oasis-like British bands. That explains it.
𝘏.𝘔.𝘚. 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 isn’t a bad record, but it suffers from being both too late and too safe. Released in 1999, well after Britpop’s peak, its clean production and pleasant melodies feel like echoes of a scene already fading. Had it come out in 1996 or 1997, it might have found more visibility and success. As it stands, it’s a decent listen, but far from essential.
I feel like these guys should have been on the radio 20 years ago. Seemed overly pop. First few songs were OK then it all just kind of seemed to blend together. If there weren't pauses in between the songs I would have thought it was all just one giant song.
oasis if they were drunk while recording the vocals instead of on cocaine (seriously though this album is ruined by the fact the vocals sound so bad)
There was something unique about listening to this album, but not the good kind. This is perfectly acceptable music, and I genuinely enjoy a number of the compositions and instrumentation... but it's missing something, and it feels like it would have been dated even way back in '99. Everything done here has been done better, before and since.
oh boy. what a miss here. i'm a bit surprised because this album clearly lives in a relative zone of music that i would enjoy, but man it is really underwhelming. REALLY underwhelming. the songs here are not interesting in the slightest, the instrumentation is bland and lacking oomph. the vocals are pretty rough and wobbly in stretches! it mostly sounds like a local band who is not long for this world. an album i had to hear before i died? you could have fooled me.
So it makes me think of Friends for some reason. I never watched friends, seen clips, but this album is so 90's I feel it could be played during a friends episode. It's really kinda boring and I wonder why this made the list.
chatoooooooooooooooooo meu deus q trem chato não é ruim, só é chato
só na primeira música já é notável o estrago que o oasis fez na música britanica noventista dito isso, nhe. achei paia mas não horrível.
It's okay but nothing that stands out to me. Still pleasant though!
Like a lot of others here I’ve never heard of this band and I feel I’m very literate about UK music in this period. However I do know The Pale Fountains so get the genesis. It’s just an Ok album. Which is probably why it’s not revered now or considered of note. I like it without thinking it’s as good as, say, Doves from a similar genre. Normally a three as it’s perfectly fine but a two for annoying obscurity and middle of the roadness .
Fine, relaxing album, but I'll definitely forget it.
Why was this on here this is the most uniteresting sounding music on a list of albums that should be some of the most interesting music ive ever heard
Too bland for me
There is some good music on this but the singer's voice ruins it for me. Not a fan of it at all. Favorite: Comedy Would I listen to it again: No
In a total judging the album by the cover you know immediately know this album is a bland BritPop filler for the list… a listen and view of the Wiki confirms my logic is probably 495/500 by this point. This is an okay album, not a worthy must listen album. 2/5
mitä on nää mitättömät joita tulee nyt kokoajan vastaan?? ja mitä helvetin autotunea siinä yhressä biisissä oli? joo muuta huomioita ei ole.. ja pitäis kirjottaa kymmenen riviä lisää päätin ensimmäisen sadan päivän aikana jostain syystä... pitäskö kopioida pippeli kuva taas tähän.. ei varmaan. cock massiv. noh pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop pop britpop kjeh kaptains table
The author must be British...
I figure I could ask Suno for angsty late nineties brit-pop and the AI would spit this out. Reading the entry in 1001, I get the sense the reviewer was more fascinated in the bands journey than its music. I guess the journey was more interesting.
Started out thinking okay this is pretty good. Now again today I can’t remember it.
So this is another one of those albums that got published in a book of 1001 albums to hear before you die. Only God knows how this ended up on the list, while so many other great albums were just passed up. With that being said, it wasn’t horrible music, but there wasn’t anything standout about it either. It was just a basic, middle-of-the-road Britpop album that came out about eight years too late. By 1999, all the bands from the late ’80s and early ’90s that were the flag bearers of Britpop had already moved on, forming new projects and exploring new sounds. While there’s nothing really bad about this album, so it probably doesn’t deserve to get dragged through the mud, putting it in a category of the top 1001 albums really sets a very high bar for it.
sin mas
Another late 1990s Brit Pop group / album. Nothing wrong with this. Also nothing exciting about it. Just another one. 2.75
Just Another Oasis Clone Another band where the cover art is more interesting than the music. This music is about the safest Britpop album ever produced. The singer(s) also are lost in who they are from song to song. Sounding like Michael Stipe in "Beautiful", the Gallagher brother in others, and lyrics delivered in the style of Bruce Springsteen. Nothing original with this band which is why it is oddly listenable. It feels familiar with a constant undertone of being a rip off. I don't think it would have hurt anyone's feelings if this was subbed out for Tool's Lateralus or Stabbing Westward's Darkest Days.
Saccharine. Players are pretty great. Songwriting sounds like the band knew what they were doing. Lyrics are pretty whack.
If you’ve listened to Oasis, Blur, and Third Eye Blind, you’ve already listened to Shack. Pretty generic Britpop. Nothing special.
Raw notes about this album: About as spicy and edgy as vanilla ice cream. Makes Hootie and the Blowfish sound like Tool. The optimism of late-90's Jangle-Pop was a harbinger. Watered-down Oasis wannabe
This is some boring British pop music from 25 years ago.
Nos toca hoy martes una banda que desconozco completamente. Suena a MTv de fines de los 90, britpop con un dejo de nostalgia en sus sonidos. Algunas de sus canciones parecen música de alguna publicidad de esos años. Tranca, bien como fondo para trabajar. Tiene algunos temas con ciertas distorsiones y suciedades, pero en líneas generales son canciones limpias. Hasta mañana.
i dont fw britpop except this twink man
Accent is too strong and deflects from the music. Feels mismatched somehow when it should work.
4/10 Un buen disco de 1999, el primer tema me subió de una al barco (jajaj) pero después me aburrí y punto. Punto para el diálogo entre las cuerdas y las guitarras medio country (Beautiful parece un tema de Fuerza Natural cuando se queda la instrumental y ni bien empieza el estribo se convierte en un tema masomenos de Keane).
# Album Name: HMS Fable # Artist: Shack # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Wow, This is extremely average brit pop. Has a very generic feel to it. I can imagine id be walking down the aisles at asda, picking out my german beers for the weekend, whilst this plays. No way this should be on the list. Everyone blasts Oasis but they are head and shoulder over anything like this by a million miles. # Top Tunes: None # Would I listen to it again? No
My thoughts while listening to this album: Maybe this will be one of those good Brit-Pop albums? Ugh, halfway through the first song and I'm already over it....... It's like Oasis, but not as good, and I don't like Oasis These lyrics are terrible 5 tracks in and I'm really loosing steam. Did not enjoy, will not recommend
Okay, but I doubt I will be going back to this one.
Some decent songs on here but nothing that someone must hear before they die
Sounded very *of its time*, which isn't a bad thing, but I didn't love that sound when I lived it.
So amazingly unremarkable.
YABA (Yet Another British Album) (I've written this so much lately; the makers of this list just really suck and need to listen to music made in other countries) Pretty mid and brought nothing new to the table, 2*
This wasn’t anything spectacular. Not really sure why it’s on this list
Talented band but just not for me. One or two songs sounded okay.
No siis ihan taitavaa ja on vähän genrekokeiluakin. Mutta itse kuulen vain kunnianhimoisten setien äänen. Jää tylsäksi ja pintapuoliseksi, tai mä en ainakaan aisti omaperäistä sielua.
Uninteresting, bland, uncompelling
Britpop is one of my favorite genres but there was so much garbage produced as well when trying to replicate the big boys. This is definitely one of those. I did enjoy the small shifts of genre but seems like an easy 2 star Rating: 1.9
boring and forgettable
Bland
Generic late '90s rock album. Could be worse.
this one was like fine...david and briks didn't even know it!
Kinf of music that's nice when you hear it in a record store selecting some other stuff...it's not bad but there are 1001 bands that play this kind of music that are way better...didn't knew these guys before, won't remember them...
Un disco que me resultó olvidable. Una especie de pop rock ameno del cual no encuentro algo en particular para destacar.
Yet another so-so album by an obscure Britpop band. I love the 1001 Albums project, but inclusions like this album seem like indulgent choices by the editor.
Not into it.
Definition of mid. 2.5
all these mid british albums are starting to really annoy me
Kind of conflicted on this one. The downtempo songs are really dull and generic to me. I like the more energetic songs but they sound too much like Oasis. The production is way too bombastic and the entire thing is overproduced to hell and back. It had its moments but on the whole it's a forgettable listen with not much to make me want to come back. Opening and closing track are great though, for completely different reasons.
It’s fine. Another nothing Britpop group.
Good, laid-back 90's rock vibes, but no standout songs, overall a little "meh"
First song is OK, good harmonies. But overall this doesn't belong on the list.
This record was released in 1999, and is sonically very 90s-esque, but compositionally seems more like the mid-70s. And I'm judging these albums partly on context. Something so ridiculously outdated for its time does not belong on a list of the 1001 most important albums of all time. I definitely agree with the many reviewers describing this as "generic Britpop", though something about it seems even more generic and dull than your typical Britpop entry here. I do enjoy the thick, muddy textures at times, making the music seem more complex or impressive than it really is. A great deal of 21st-century pop rock and emo rock do the same thing. And usually, it seems to get some decent listening numbers. But judging by Hms Fable's popularity both then and now, it was not a commercial success. The question then has to be asked: why is Hms Fable on the list? The opening duo of Natalie's Party / Comedy is pretty promising. Natalie's Party is a poppish number with decent vocals and guitar. It's upbeat, driven – kind of sounds like something from the late 60s. A strong start, for sure. Comedy is a little heavier on the strings and has a more emotional yet foreboding feel. At five and a half minutes, a little long for my taste considering the poppy style – but it's still good. After that, the music gets less and less promising, with some of the later songs sounding like carbon copies of earlier ones. Captain's Table, Since I Met You, and Re-Instated are examples of this, though the latter tries to distinguish itself by adding some trumpet notes in strange places. This monotonicity is extremely bad for any record, let alone one in a genre with so much oversaturation (and hence competition, most of which is presumably better than Shack). To stand out amongst your peers, start with songs that are distinct from one another. 2/5 Key tracks: Natalie's Party, Comedy, Beautiful
Ripetitivo, le prime tre canzoni sono tutte uguali
Många album saknar finess och detta är ett sånt album. Bandet gick säkert sängvägen med författaren för att få sitt album på listan. Det är inte uruselt men jag skulle lätt kunna rabbla upp 1000 andra skivor som skulle platsa bättre på listan.
Average in so many ways. Nothing about this gripped me. It wasn’t bad. But not good. And certainly not one of the 1,001 best albums ever.
Did not enjoy this album at all, some songs were downright awful.
Modern Britpop Is Rubbish
This was a lot more generic than I was expecting from the album title+art. Maybe I should have expected this… idk. Anyway, it was super easy listening, but not at all interesting. Plus, the lead singer’s voice isn’t very strong.
2.75 No clue why this is here.
Pretty standard rock music, nothing stood out.
This was just another bang average Britpop album and it doesn’t really deserve a place on the list. It’s just nothing really, it’s so bland.
3/10
Eh.
I've never heared anything of them before. They sound like different other, more prominent britpop/britrock bands. But in every facete they are always the worse copy of the originals for me. Neither fish nor meat. La-la-la..........la-la-la.......... 2,5
Just another british pop - Album.....
This genuinely could have been any "indie" album from the late 90s absolutely nothing inspiring.
I was close a few times to liking this. What I enjoyed reminded me of other bands I like more. I also had trouble with the vocals. The instrumentation and melodies were what I enjoyed the most, and there were moments where I wondered if this album was actually really good. That would be followed by songs where I wondered if this album was just derivative and bad. Tedious, sometimes grating, occasionally compelling.
The feeling of being both warm and comfortable to the point of boredom can be a sign that a person is not feeling challenged or stimulated
Britpop is never beating the "boring MOR" allegations
Copy and paste britpop. Boooooring...
Брит-поп как из колледжа
Intersection
"Natalie's party" : great opener! It gives a diy, almost amateur like sound that feels very, uh, authentic? Was disappointed by the rest of the album unfortunately 2.5
Pretty much textbook landfill UK indie pop, with the honourable exception of 'comedy', which is a beautiful track. In other words, worth a cursory listen but not very noteworthy beyond that.
Listened to this while playing Endless Winter solo. I lost. This album was very much like the last album presented to me on this list by Firehose...not bad music...but i could easily replace both of these albums with 2 other albums that would be much more essential.
Like a fake 90s band in a scooby doo prequel. Oasisy nasal whine, bland chorus, humdrum filler, rarely any thriller. Very okay
Hmm it's fine. Unremarkable but inoffensive. Had a couple of songs that made me perk up with interest, but they ultimately fizzled out without really delivering.
Was usgseht wie Seefahrer*inne Tunes isch eigentlich doch nur chli e indi-singer-songwriter mix. Het mi jetzt ned us de socke g shacked und isch au mit viel Chnote ah mir verbizgseglet. Daher nur zwei Arrrrrrrr für eu Landratte!
Hms forgetable by shrek. Das alte pirateschiff isch slso inere perfekte undercover mission a mir verbigsegglet. Weiss gar nüd meh, dh mega nervig isch au nöd gsi. Btw: Han aber hüt morge na mal driglosst und ja glaub es 3 ischs doch nöd. Darum spann ich zwei segel und düsse in dunnstig Mfg nedi
big schack on a boat big shaq on da court ich mittem boat am cruise, sailing, coasting isch ah mir verbigrasslet wie nüt anders und eher chli uf de untere site upsi zwei überlebti meutereiversüech für die "gschicht"
Very average. Simple tunes, a bit like nursery rhymes at times, lyrics a bit twee in places.
Pretty uninteresting britpop album. I love this era of music, but this just doesn't represent it well at all. Nothing awful about this album, but it just has nothing on the likes of Blur and Supergrass.
Why though?
Ganz ok, aber nüd mitriessen. Aber ä schöni Stimm.
het heeeert noch indie garbage usgseh irgendwie. aber bin abem erste so g positiv überrascht, s isch en indierocksong mitere melodie und so. nöd meeeega geil oke d lalalas am schluss helfed had üüüberhaupt nöd. aber okay. comedy findi ehner meh. chönt am schluss vonere grey's anatomy folg laufe. pull together hani hert ghasst. beautiful tönt wie en track wo z schlecht gsi isch für oasis. lends some dough? ich check nöd. hä. was. das isch so langwiiiilig?? i want you isch etz no cool. seeeeeehr REM. oh gott es isch so fest REM. since i met you isch coool sehr beatles grossi produktion viel instrument und so. zwei. herts zwei.
After 2 songs, I thought, "Lemonheads-Lite." But later songs dragged a bit more, and became dull.
They should be sued for plagiarism for how bad they just copied an entire decade of the most basic rock imaginable. Nothing original or exciting about this, just drivel.
If I’m being completely honest, I zoned out entirely while trying to listen to this album. There was nothing remarkable about it in any way and it felt like a run of the mill Britpop record that probably deserved to be lost in the fold. It felt like a label’s attempt to keep up with the scene, but did nothing to separate itself from anything else
fortunately there won’t be any other derivative pop rock albums by bands from Liverpool on this list!
Its pretty boring and monotonous to a T. All I could think of was like Mumford and Sons without the folk instruments. Its pretty bland, no edge, typical British pop rock from this time and doesnt stand out from its peers.
Generic as FRICK! I wanted to give it a 1 because I really disliked listening to it but “Captain’s Table” was pretty great and bumped it up a star. If the author of this list wasn’t British there is zero chance this album would be on it. Just completely forgettable in every way. If you’ve heard British pop rock you’ve heard this album. Literally brings nothing to the table. This album sucks ass. It’s a piece of shit. Fuck this album and fuck you
Never heard of this band, but wasn't a big fan of this. I don't know exactly what it is, but it just feels very generic to me and lacking of anything to pique your interest. No real song stood out, and the sound wasn't particularly interesting or revolutionary. Just pretty bland pop rock from the late 90s. No idea why I would recommend this to anyone.
if i were paid for every mid british album in this playlist i would alredy be millionaire. there's so little variety, so little albums that are non english or non american, really just those are good enough for this list??? for me is just gringo bullshit behaviour
Lijkt op REM Niks voor mij
This is so mid. And truly the definition of the word. not bad, not good. just okay. I half expect these songs to play in an episode of Scrubs or something. 2000s sitcom written allll over them. Moody, sad, right before the voiceover kicks in.
Ei oikein sytyttänyt 2/5
ja lisää melko laimeaksi jäävää pop-rockia. myös tälle kakkonen.
It was okay. Nothing really grabbed me. Mid 2s.
P basic, some REM vibes on the better tracks
This is “we have Oasis at home” that really shouldn’t be here because the entire time I was thinking about how I could be listening to Oasis. Like it’s not technically bad, but I’m not itching to relisten. Favorite song was Natalie’s Party.
Niet slecht, luistert lekker weg maar verder helemaal niks bijzonders en verdient geen plekje op deze lijst.
It was aight. Listened twice
This one feels pretty unimportant. Will I listen to again: 0%
Niet slecht, maar is ten opzichte van dingen waar het op lijkt best wel saai. Heeft wat weg van het vroege werk van Bright Eyes en is echt en classic album dat klinkt als de millenium-overgang. Het rauwe van vroege jaren 90 is er wel af en het werd hoogtijd dat er weer een indie-boom zou komen. Ik ben op een gegeven moment overgeschakeld naar Primaat. Meer bangers. 6/10 Highlights Lend's Som Dough
alright
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug for this list maker. 2.4
This album made me utter something I never thought I would say. "I would prefer to listen to another Blur album." Beyond mediocre, not sure why this was on the list at all. Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 1/5
Very generic 90's folk rock.
I suppose this was fine. Could listen to it again but nothing stood out as fantastic. (5 known / 9 new)
There is some good in this album, but there is also a lot of mundane alongside it. It's a blend and it often strays into almost amazing. Some or maybe most of the lyrics aren't great and some of the effects are pretty meh. But some of the guitar is excellent and innovative and the drums are reliable and enforcing.
Seeing how I'm not much a fan of Blur, I don't know how I could manage to like this album. Maybe there's a little more acoustic and harmonizing stuff there, but otherwise I don't see how this is any different.
While bland Britpop, “HMS Fable” didn’t bother me too much until “Beautiful.” And the more the following songs annoyed me, the more so too did the title and cover. This Shack album doesn’t seem to have anything to do with anything nautical, and barely anything one could call a fable. That album cover brings to mind The Decemberists, a band that warrants inclusion on the list far more than Shack. It evokes “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” from “Picaresque” or other shanty-esque Decemberists songs, or the cover of “Castaways and Cutouts.” The Decemberists come off as far more genuine than Shack, and have a vibe that is wonderfully and thoroughly developed. I think it might be “The Crane Wife” that I would put on the list, but you really can’t go wrong with anything in a super consistent decade of work from 2002-2011.
2.7
It was forgettable pop rock tunes, it's like what you hear in the background of the mall lol so mid I can't even think of what it's like?? But I won't prob ever listen to it again
New to me. I wasn't put off, but not especially pulled in either. Deserves another chance.
Sounds at first like it might turn into something but never quite makes it.
Like a mix of Uncle Tupelo, Idlewild and REM, but not as good as any of them. Still, okay as background music with a few moments.
Skilled, upbeat, pretty Britpop, but deeply lacking in the excitement department.
Well call you boring oasis
Bland.
There weren't any songs on this album that truly compelled or surprised me, but they were all fine. I guess that means this lands at a solid 2. I thought the first half of the album was better, with Comedy, Captain's Table, and Streets of Kenny being the songs I liked best.
meh, didn't grab me, not my thing right now
This is alright, but not really notable for any reason. Likely on the list because of the author’s British bias.
Muzyka w tle bez wyrazu. Ani to rock, ani to pop, takie nudne plumkanie. Fajnie, że jest dużo smyczków w tle, szanuję to, ale nie pomagają w żaden sposób temu albumowi. Nie wiem, czy to kwestia stylu czy produkcji, ale cały dźwięk tej płyty wydaje mi się przytłumiony, jakbym słuchał czegoś przez gazę. Druga połowa albumu ciutek lepsza, przy "Streets of Kenny" miałem nadzieję, że może będzie nieco lepiej ogólnie, ale mój zapał szybko opadł. Ładna okładka, spójny album, który nie irytował mnie jakoś aktywnie, ale też nie wzbudził najmniejszego zainteresowania.
I thought that I was clever. I thought that I saw the cover and I was already preparing for some witty comment about boats and hipsters. Oh boy, was I wrong. The album is aggresive with its blandness and mediocrity. I had to check if this band really existed and it's not created by AI labeled as a 'human music'.
Hipsterskie szanty, not my thing.
I grew up in NY so I’m used to folks casually saying things like “duh” for “the” but if I had to listen to this “vocalist” do it one more time I would scream. I understand dialects and all, but if you’re going to use your voice for a living learn to annunciate, please.
At times it's painfully clear that this list was created by an Englishman - 2
I had never heard of this and after listening to it once I’m going to try and forget it
nothing special imo
Lame
Best Song: Comedy. Sounds like two friends singing at an open mic at a local pub. In a good way. Worst Song: Lend's Some Dough. They tried to get too cute with the lyrics here. Overall: Fully meh. Does not belong on any list of 1001 anythings. Also, even if individual songs are okay the album is made worse than the sum of its parts through some truly baffling song order decisions. The transition (or lack thereof) between "Streets of Kenny" and "Re-Instated" was so ugly that I assumed that either my headphones or Spotify itself had broken.
A lot of these English bands from the 90s sound very similar, maybe I just don't have an ear for it but they all sound like different versions of Oasis to me.
Kinda generic. Easy to put on & forget you're even listening to music.
Meh. As the other reviewers have noted, nothing special, very 90s, very generic. Why is this on the list??
¿Britpop antes del Britpop? No los conocía, parece que fueron casi un one-hit wonder y yo en esa época solo miraba hacia Manchester y no Liverpool. No suena mal, me ha recordado a Elbow y cosas así. No creo que sea algo imprescindible.
More uninteresting mid English pop rock.
Confusing choice. There is plenty of more interesting britpop albums from late 90s, what is so special about this one? I didn't really feel the atmosphere or even the point of this record. Everything was average at best. I can't recall any song even couple hours after listening to this lp. I'd say it's a miss.
Bleh, boring. The age old question on this site - did I really need to hear this before I die? No, no I did not. 2/5
Well, someone’s listened to a lot of Beatles and then wanted to start a band…it’s fine, nothing offensive, but I wouldn’t seek more out based on this album.
Listenable but feels like i'll forget this one pretty quick. 2.5
I like 90's Britpop, but this felt uniquely bland and stale.
It’s just alright. Nothing special. 2/5.
Vanilla oasis
# Playlist track - Natalie's Party # Notes - This is mediocre britpop, at best. - Doesn't start out that bad (that's probably why I chose the first song to add to my playlist). - There are interesting instrumentals and a very full, rich sound in many tracks. - Those are one of the best features in the album, but they are overdone a number of times. - Crescendos grow forever, and more and more instruments are added before the silly fade out ends your suffering. - The vocals are appalling. The first minute in "Comedy" has some of the worst phrases ever sung in a mic. - Not going to revisit this, and I like britpop a little less after that.
Based on the album cover I was really hoping for some Celtic influenced maritime shanties, unfortunately all I got was run of the mill 90’s British alt rock. That’s not to say that it’s a terrible album in my eyes, but the album art really raised my expectations. The title track, I suppose, was vaguely in the direction I had hoped, but not in any way that I could get excited about. I liked the folky timbre of “Daniella” but the vocals did absolutely nothing for me. This album felt a little all over the place within that 90’s alt rock genre, and not in any particularly good way either. It sort of felt like a group of people throwing shit at the wall to see if they could get a hit single. I honestly haven’t looked to see if they got one, but I wouldn’t bet money on it. 2 stars.
Just another run of the mill Britpop album. Of course the music magazines ate it up. One song is The Verve's "Sonnet" with some Oasis mixed in. "H.M.S. Fable" was outdated when it released in 1999. The year when many new, exciting and better albums were made. 2 stars for "H.M.S. Fable".
Terrible.
"Mom, can we listen to Oasis?" "No, we have Oasis at home." Oasis at home:
Meh.
I feel like this is another one of those “gotta get the numbers up on the 1001 albums list” entries. The whole britpop movement of the 90’s/early 2000’s is full of memorable bands and album releases. Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Supergrass, Suede etc. I don’t think the band Shack was ever part of that conversation, never mind this LP. In fact, this list appears to be the only mention of it in any sort of ‘best of’ capacity. Is it a bad record? No. Not at all. It’s actually fairly pleasant. But it is fairly derivative of works that came before it, it lacks any form of originality to separate it from its influences, and is overall pretty forgettable. If you want a description of what ‘H.M.S. Fable’ sounds like: imagine the band Shack got together and couldn’t decide if they wanted to sound like Oasis, Blur, or The Verve and after much deliberation they ultimately went with all 3. You’d do better to listen to the masters, rather than a master of none, y’know? I give it a fairly generous 2/5. Because it isn’t bad. However, it doesn’t particularly belong here. You could easily find a plethora of britpop albums from this era that are vastly superior that were probably omitted from the 1001 albums list.
It was... fine... it seemed like a bit of a random pick instead of a must-listen. Of all the albums, it was definitely one of them.
Its a nice enough sound, but at 42 minutes it still feels too long.
An album full of songs perfect for the opening credits of movies starring the Olsen twins.
I want to give this a 2 for the site- because I find it hard to argue it’s essential in any way— but it’s a low three and a half in my book. Better than decent Brit pop.
Nothing unpleasant, but nothing remarkable either. Quite bland, but not bad. 2.5 stars
2.5
Pleasant enough but certainly not life-affirming album from an indie folk band trying to sound like oasis most of the time. Songs are simply OK and are quickly forgotten but it is quite richly arranged most of the time with strings, horns and the odd wall of guitar noise. So most of the time it sounds good except for the chopped off ending of Streets Of Kenny and the annoying one-note trumpet solo in Re-Instated. And vocals are a bit stodge Cast as well. So yeah, the only memorable elements here are the bad parts. 2.5 stars. HMS Fable should be a shipwreck in a sea of obscurity yet has weirdly been salvaged for this 1001 series.
This is mostly a pretty pleasant but bland album. Why is this here? Nothing special and it’s way too long. 2.5 stars
Normally I give a rating of 2 to albums that actively irritated me. This one wasn’t exactly annoying - or even bad, really - but it was so unremarkable that I forgot it as soon as I finished listening, and I’m in a bad mood, so that’s what I’m going with.
I get a bit bored of the "Another British band I've never heard of OMG it's just OASIS, weak Indie rock" reviewers on here. Except this time. Go for it. I always liked the Teenage Fanclub-like "Comedy", but couldn't remember much else of these guys despite them being quite hyped at the time. Listening now this is pretty generic and I would have put British Sea Power, Cast, or even DODGY ahead of this as examples of pop-tastic UK guitar rock from 90s to 2000s. It's fine, it's wistful poppy indie guitar music, doesn't particularly sound like Oasis to me but it really is quite derivative and has not become a cult classic for good reason. I see no hits.
Pleasant bit of scouse britpop. Some more standout songs - due to quality or being different from the standard britpop formula - but generally quite a background album Not quite sure why this is one of the 1001 albums you must hear before you die
Essentially if you have a Heroin addiction & write a couple songs you have like a 50% chance of making it into this book
Aaaaaand back to our regularly schedule britpop to make us question our reason for doing this list. I don't even want to go into detail on this, it's not something I'll listen to again, nor is it something that has had any sort of longstanding reputation. It didn't chart well on its release and the Wikipedia article basically just says 'yeah, this album exists. Also it placed in a few ranking lists. I'm not even giving this the courtesy of a 1 rating because for all the issues I had with some of the albums I have given a 1 so far, they did not leave me feeling bored or indifferent towards their existence. I don't even want this scarring the bottom of my summary page on the hall of shame. It would simply be better to just forget this and move on.
Such a nothing burger album so I'm going to give a nothing burger review. 4/10 Fav tracks - Pull Together, Streets of Kenny, Cornish Town, Daniella, Least Fav - The rest
Psalm 25:6-7 "Remember, Lord, your compassion and mercy which you showed long ago. Do not recall the sins and failings of my youth. In your mercy remember me, lord, because of your goodness." We have returned to the Paedoph Isles to hear some more LOVELY Britpop. Going to keep this short, this is a concept album. The concept being 'music for car commercials'. Competently made, inoffensive sound. Comedy was probably my favourite song on this album. This album is fine, but I will not be listening to it again.
It's like the La's, but on a budget. So that wasn't great, and this is less interesting.
forgettable britpop, the faster tracks are okay but some of the slower ones can get really annoying
It really isn‘t bad quality. Also the songs differ with having a real core. But the Vanille style of uplifting Pop-Rock lacks something I can‘t put my finger on.
Mitäänsanomatonta menoa. Näin yhden kuuntelun perusteella. Laulajan ääni ei myöskään itselle toimi.
It is pleasant background music but I find it too banal for active listening
Generic softer rock album, nothing special.
An album that was designed for the word 'meh.' Not to be too harsh here, but I don't think you'd be missing anything crucial by skipping this album. The ideas are not new or original and have been perfected by other Britpop bands. Is it outright offensive? No. Is it memorable? Again, no. One of those albums that's no one's favourite. Not sure it inspires that much passion. C+
As others have pointed out, it's quite Homogenic with Oasis, like a Mezzanine within their proverbial building. Weezer very confused by the addition. I suppose there were no other albums from the 90s that could have been included instead.
Sounded like the house band at Applebees.
For once I'm with the Americans on this, it's just bland Brit 90s with nothing new to add.
Un sin mas
90s leftovers for sure. The singer is just so boring. If they had someone like Niall Quinn from The Cranberries it'd be so much more interesting.
Meh
Pretty bland, but not dreadful
Captain’s Table is the only song that I cared for.
Who sucked whose to put this here? :(
idk how to really explain it but they sound like a fake band in a bad movie
I don’t really know, this was fine… a couple songs that actively bothered me, some were more pleasant but it was consistently shy of satisfying me. Kinda sounded like REM but not as good… probably not the best Liverpudlian band out there…
Pretty unremarkable! Kinda nice at times
i do not understand this album or why its on this list and I wish i never heard it
Not my type of music at all.
bri ish uhuehue pop rock i feel? i like the outro to comedy too bad the rest of the song is slow why are the songs so bland nooooo it started off good my favorite song: natalies party
now I know who sings that first track-I remember only that one - not a bad listen, but nothing to write home about - decidedly dated early 90s sound to my ears..
Very average 90’s Brit pop not sure why this needs to be on the list given how well Brit pop is already represented
i am so frustrated at this album, and i am so frustrated at myself why do i give valuable time to people with a snot filled whine
This definitely wasn't a bad album, but it didn't feel different from a lot of soft british rock made in the 90's/00's. None of the songs stood out to me on an individual basis and a lot of the music just turned into background noise. Probably won't come back to this one but wouldn't care if it was played where I am.
A little bland and instantly forgettable attempt at Brit pop. You can easily hear the sounds of other bands of the time in the tracks, particularly The Lightning Seeds
Blimey. I blame Oasis, they've got a lot to answer for. Hope they're proud.
Do one.
This one does not deserve to be on the list, I’m afraid.
Oasis?
I listened to this yesterday, and have forgotten it already...
I dunno why HMS Fable is on here (yeah it's another one of those albums). This was recorded in 1999, well after everyone was doing this sort of thing and being interesting with it, so their particular brand of underwhelming britpop-adjacent alt rock doesn't stick. Vocals are just there without really doing anything, music is unremarkable with efforts to elevate it with poor Oasis imitation riffs and stylings. I'll give it a 2 because it's listenable enough and Comedy is a good song, but really, did we need this?
Yup, another substandard offering from the list. Very beige, gentle alternative stuff that doesn't have the oomph to qualify as rock, the fun to qualify as pop, or the tunefulness and soul to qualify as folk. 2/5.
Oh my god, this is so boring
- Why? Perfectly competent; completely uninteresting; so not vital. -
Sometimes I think I'm being punked by this list. This is just adult contemporary Oasis. Is it bad? No. Would I listen to it again? Maybe (if I remembered it existed after an hour). Is there anything unique or special about it that makes it deserving of being on an all-time must listen list? Absolutely not. Vertical Horizon and Travis both put out albums just as good as this in 1999. Are they on this list? Nope. Should they be? Also nope, as much as I enjoy both bands. (Wait, what's that? Travis *is* on this list? Lol, oh boy...) The bias of this list toward British artists, particularly Britpop and electronica, continues to be incredibly frustrating when so many artists from other countries who should have a place on it are left off. 3.5 for the actual album — it's catchy, it's pleasant enough to listen to, but it's nothing special. 2/5 in terms of this list, because what the hell, man? (I won't give it a 1 because it's not unlistenable, just unworthy).
moze byc, ale po 5 utworach sie nudzi
Forgettable, no idea why it's on this list.
Perfectly average and inoffensive. It's a 3/10 but in the top 1001 albums ever made it is not.
This is incredibly forgettable. I can't figure out why this is on the list. Glad to hear some violins and other instruments show up a bit.
Listened through one and one third times. Some nice trumpet at times. Mostly just bland. A ghost of music past. Doubt this will ever come back around for me
Oasis spawned some of the most lame, beige sounding Brit pop albums ever in the 90’s bro. I’ve genuinely NEVER seen this record at any store in my entire life and that’s essentially all I do in my free time. Once again, another “we have “insert name here” at home album. Just sounds like a culmination of everyone else at the time. Nothing sticks out or is memorable here. Next.
This reminds me alot of belle and sebastian. I like this very easy listening but not that much meet to it. I can hear the modern indie influence here in like Alex G or Tame Impala. It has a lot of good singing and background vocals, just a fun time. I also have to ask why is this here kinda weird how much Britpop is here and how little electronic music there is
Nineties pop rock, not too deep.
Overrated and Underwhelming! So this is another one of those albums that got published in a book of 1001 albums to hear before you die. Only God knows how this ended up on the list, while so many other great albums were just passed up. With that being said, it wasn’t horrible music, but there wasn’t anything standout about it either. It was just a basic, middle-of-the-road Britpop album that came out about eight years too late. By 1999, all the bands from the late ’80s and early ’90s that were the flag bearers of Britpop had already moved on, forming new projects and exploring new sounds. While there’s nothing really bad about this album, so it probably doesn’t deserve to get dragged through the mud, putting it in a category of the top 1001 albums really sets a very high bar for it.
Hitless BritPop.
the total opposite of fabulous
Questionable inclusion in the list for sure.
As stated in almost all reviews, this is bland pointless rock that belongs on a list of 10,001 not 1001
Who cares? I really didn't need to hear this before I died
It's like the Bluetones, but without the one Bluetones song that everyone loves. It's inoffensive, but it might as well be any other 90s indie/britpop album.
it's fine
Average indie from the 90s
This album was just "OK" and definitely doesn't belong on this list. Mediocre brit pop at best but offers nothing novel or interesting aside from 1 or 2 decent tracks. Standout Tracks: Comedy, Daniella
Ok, but I couldn’t get interested in it at all.
I had higher expectations. I guess it's not really the type of songs i like. Cover: 5/5 favorite track: Daniella least favorite track: I want you Would listen again: no
Meh
Standard power pop and jangle pop at the time. I am hearing their influences, from Britpop contemporaries (mostly Oasis) to the Beatlesesque power pop artists of the 70s (e.g. Badfinger, Big Star), overlaying a modern electronic noisy background. Too many weak songs that sound too much like generic 90s alt rock. Their techniques are not articulated as well as similar sounding artists. For example, Elliot Smith would have done the lo-fi "Daniella" better, The Verve would have done the shoegaze "Streets of Kent" better, and Teenage Fanclub would do background distortion against bubblegum vocals in "I Want You" better. The first 2 tracks are a strong start. There are a few other decent tracks here, but most of it is at best ok, often junk.
Not memorable. Decent and standard music.
Je commence à être tanné d’avoir autant d’albums de centre dentaire, mettez moi au moins des albums weirds qui essaye de quoi de spécial
I had not heard of this band or album. I didn’t dislike it or love it. To me it was average or slightly less than, mostly forgetable. I saved one track on my 1001 playlist, “Lend’s some dough”. 2.25/5
If The Cult album we just heard was the epitome of Dad Rock, this album is the epitome of Pussy Rock. Don’t get me wrong, I can fuck with some Pussy Rock. But today is not that day my friends. I’m being generous and rounding up to 2*, but I’ll never purposefully listen to this band again. 1.75/5
How much did they pay to get on this list? 🤔
It's not bad, but not essential at all. I'm absolutely sure there's over 1000 more important records than this one. The songs remind me of Oasis and Train. As I said, not terrible, but nothing special and not trend setting. I don't understand why it's on the list. Favorite song: Streets of Kenny
normal rock. nothing special
1.5/5. Very 90s and not good.
Not objectively bad, but pretty boring. Wished i was listening to the stone roses again tbh.
The album was okay in that it was enjoyable and not annoying, but the significance of being on the list is somewhat lost here. In trying to stay true to the project, there is a just a bit of expectation that when an unknown album/band is encountered, that they bring something that makes sense as to why they are here. Maybe there is a piece of history in the band itself that lends to this album's inclusion, but this largely has nothing to with the band as much as the music of the album. Expectations are not believed to be unreasonably high here, but the lack of anything remarkable and the accompanying disappointment in this album calls that into question.
When I saw the album title and cover I got exciting thinking this might be an album full of sea shanties. Sadly, it is not.
Empty, soulless
Shades of Oasis, Spoon, R.E.M, Blur. Just a bummer that all those bands are better. 2.5/5
Another new artist for me. This was 'ok.' Doubt I would listen again. Nothing grabbed me about it.
Boring
Extremely mid britpop. The vocals feel amateurish which are only further contrasted by quite accomplished instrumentation. There are occasional poingant quieter moments that definitely shone brighter than the rest. A lot of it feels grabbing on the coattails of Oasis and the like. It's trying.
Fairly vanilla Brit pop. 2 stars. 2 stars
Why is this here? The '90s was a great decade for music, but not EVERY ALBUM was amazing. This is a nothingburger. So many artists were doing this type of music during the period too, and it's not like Shack did anything amazing with the sound. Why is this album here?
tapped out not me
Bit boring
To me this album sounds like really easy listening 90s radio music. I'm a bit confused why this album out of all albums made it on the 1001 albums list. It sounds very basic and like all the other music in the genre that came out around this time. It's crazy that this artist only has 18k monthly listeners on spotify too. Streets of Kenny was a pretty cool song though. Probably my favorite on the album except the ending of that song was so abrupt and terrible. Like why did they end it like that?????? Since I Met You was also a decent song. The psychedelic nature of it was kind of a surprise.
This album is incredibly "meh". I'm very surprised that it's included on this list. It didn't seem to ever get much commercial success, and the album doesn't do anything creative, musically.
Not offensively bad... just why? Did the guy who made this list know someone in the band? Just no context as to why this would be included.
Completely forgettable. Not bad, mind, but I see no reason why it is on this list.
It was just OK.
Sub-LAs stuff I'd never heard of, and I liked this stuff
Melodic but generic rock. Nothing jumps out impresses. Ok for background music, I guess
1800s British sailors but if they make music that was boring to listen to
Mediocre britpop, did not enjoy it, plus I don't like the cover art
Awful…generic Brit pop
That I haven’t heard of this is foreboding. And I listen. And it’s not bad. But must listen? Not even close.
I am underwhelmed.
Borders on yelling (not singing). I like the album cover! Reminds me of Traffic's John Barleycorn album cover
Typical britpop, nothing else tbh. Imagine listening to Oasis in 1994 and going to coma the same day, then waking up in 1999 and creating this album. Sounds so outdated, even for 1999. Honestly can't say anything about this album, shit, only info about this album on wikipedia is that the album was included in 1001 albums list. Favourite(listenable) song(s): Natalie's Party, Comedy, others songs are unlistenable. I won't give this album 1/5, but gonna give 2--/5.
I got about half way, then tapped out. I'm sure this album is fine for someone, but not me. Super boring.
most of the songs on this album sounded like an off brand version of oasis. and i don’t like oasis, much less a cheap clone. pass.
This was boring. One song was alright but I’ll be darned if I remember which and I’ll be equally assed to go back and find it.
A perfectly okay alt rock album from the turn of the century. It feels a bit too late for 99. Hadn't we sort of moved beyond this sound by then? 94 maybe, but this just sounds outdated for its time. There's nothing on display here that Oasis hadn't already covered. Why is it on this list?
The first few pints better be free if this is your pub’s entertainment for the night.
Fuck Britpop. 1.91
I went in blind (deaf?) but within 5 seconds I predicted exactly what kind of album this would be: jangly guitar pop that’s just melodic enough to enjoy at the time but far too bland to leave an impression afterwards. Probably benefited, critically, from being released in that post-britpop, pre-00s indie black hole where not much else was happening.
Didn't love the sound
Not Shaquille O'Neal. Was quite boring, nothing special at all. Thinking about the time, 1999. Would have been crap then and crap now.
Bland, boring brit pop.
Britpop, kannte ich noch nicht, ok.
Ganz okay, nicht schlecht aber halt auch nix besonderes iwie?
Nothing stood out in this album
I enjoyed it. It didn't grip me in a way that makes me feel compelled to come back to them or explore their other music, but it's well done.
not that interesting, 4/10
This is pretty dull I have to say. It's not bad, just bland and uninspiring
I finished listening to this a couple minutes ago and already can't remember shit of this generic piece of crap.
Milk toast. Just milk toast.
"Hey 1999, remember that album NME listed as number 2 on their album of the year? Don't you just think you HAVE to hear that before die" "I mean, not really. Nothing better 25 years later? Is NME still a thing?"
It was okay. Very forgettable and did not stand out to me at all.
this better not be pirate rock. ok cool. what is this boring crap grrrrr stfu. srsly why is this on here this is pissing me off. lend some dough has some interesting vocal moments but then it does the do-re-mi shit and i cringe out of my skin. yeah i kinda hate this
Honestly I went into this with an open mind, hoping it would be something new and interesting but I think I am just disappointed. I’m not the best at identifying autotune so I could be wrong but at some points his voice just sounded so fake and weird. Autotune or not it wasn’t up my alley. I did like the calming aspect of it but overall just kind of a let down.
Not sure what the significance of this album is. It’s British. It’s ballads and pop music. It is lesser than most other British pop. It’s nothing unique or exciting. All in all it didn’t seem all that great and it’s on to the next one. 3.6/10
It's like They Might Be Giants meets Bob Dylan.
I liked Comedy, im glad I listened to the album and got introduced to the songs. Its an ok album if youre in the right mood. I added Comedy to my playlist. Good song.
Some really catchy songs here towards the beginning (especially Captain's Table) but teeters too much on the bland side to rate higher. Especially finishing with a song that contains the lyric "I know you love meat"
Mellow rock mainstream sounding
I can see why when this was released it was received warmly; it has well executed guitar licks and dreamy chorus’. However, the pop quickly subsides and it’s clear that this is just a poor imitation of their Liverpudlian predecessors.
#1 - Upbeat sound, but forgettable. It feels like I've heard it before somewhere from another album from another artist. Is that going to be a recurring theme of this album? #2 - Jangly. Are you sure this is "britpop" and not bad modern country? It borders on mediocre and ok. #3 - The chorus is fine, but the rest of the song wasn't interesting to me at all. #4 - No. This was a skip after a minute. #5 - It's not bad and compared to what I've heard so far, it's alright. I felt it had a decent tempo and lyrics. Instruments worked well here. #6 - The intro starts of pretty haunting. What are we going to get? ...oh look, more of what you expect. Similar sounding vocals and instruments. I did stick it out for this one and.. well, it's not bad. #7 - Not awful. The lyrics were good with this one. Music fit well here. #8 - Eh. I was pretty done with the album at this point, but I'll soldier on. #9 - Again, the intro makes it sound like this could be something weird, but interesting? Then it launches into the album you were experiencing. It feels incredibly uninspired; they should have stayed more with the intro to it. #10 - I try to stick it out through as much of the album as I could, but this one was a skip too. Nothing was doing it for me here. #11 - Uh, weird? Most of it is bad, except for maybe the bridge of the song. #12 - If the vocalist could sing better, this could be a decent track actually. I was okay with the guitar rhythm here. I can see why this one may have been placed in the list, but considering my notes, it's tepid at best. Nothing really hit with me in this album and I ended up having to skip a song or two. I wasn't a fan of the lead vocalist. I also disliked that there was a tonal whiplash in my experience (like in #6 and #9). If we could give half points, it'd be a 1.5/5, but I'm going to be generous and say 2 since it's more lukewarm than outright mediocre.
Not another run-of-the-mill britpop band... just waiting for this one to end.
I'm over brit-pop.