Reviews (page 6 of 8)
I'm not sure what it is about this album but something about it bothered me. Maybe it's just the Liverpudlian accent or something about the arrangement but I didn't really enjoy any of the songs. I can't really point to anything specific that rubbed me the wrong way but on paper it shouldn't have been that bad. It's some softened alt rock with a pretty down the middle approach but it just didn't resonate with me at all. I'm shrugging my shoulders as to what it is about the Head brothers and Shack that bugged me. 1.73 stars
Forgettable.
Eh... Comedy é uma boa música, de resto nada de interessante. Experimental mas não num bom sentido Destaques: Comedy
Nothing spectacular
This is the nineties equivalent of yesterday's inessential sixties record. Listenable but unmemorable.
llega un punto en el que todo el britpop de los late 80s early 90s suena exactamente igual. bye
first song "Natalie's Party" is amazing! The rest is far from it
Nothing I'm hearing here is raising it above competent late-90s small club rock stuff. Burned over sound with a 47 minutes that felt like an hour.
Mhhhh
I didn’t like this.
did enjoy the closer, the rest was somewhat forgettable– this one feels like a bit of a sneak 2.5/5
Am I not British enough to get why this is here? Just seems like generic 90s britpop to me. Nothing offensive at all, but some corny lyrics and nothing special IMO.
britslop
I was a British teenager who consumed a lot of music during the 90s and I have never heard of Shack. Reading the Wiki, I recognise basically every other adjacent band mentioned but them (I was surprised to hear one of them ended up in Cast, who I remember weirdly fondly). Under my "just because it's dull, that can't make it a 1 star" rating system, I think this gets a 2. It's fine, just not that interesting and I have nothing to really say about it. 2/5
English alt rock stuff. Can take it or leave it
Mid britpop
some aight soft alternative. feels perfect for scrubs.
I’m not sure why I needed to hear this.
2/5
Me: “Mom can we get Oasis?” Mom: “We have Oasis at home.”
Nothing bad about this but definitely nothing to point out or come back to. Generic really is the best word for it. Britpop garbage for sure but also trying to rip off REM too. Confused how this made it on the list. Another album that could be replaced with Relationship of Command.
Bland '90s Brit pop. Nothing new or outstanding. Heard similar a gazillion times before.
maan Oasis can be boring sometimes but this just takes britpop to a new level. its not that bad. is a white wall bad?
insanely generic
No private session used for Spotify. This was bland and generic rock, with obvious and hack rhymes. Background music for a sitcom. When I have to listen to an album that is so cliche on this site I start to question this endeavor.
Совершенно безликая музыка. Так брит-поп не должен звучать. Впрочем, финальная "Daniella" была очень милой. Лучшая песня: Daniella
Everything from the name of the band to the name of the record (H.M.S. Fable by Shack) suggested to me that this was going to be one of those inexplicable "England gets a win!" or boost moments, thanks to the bias of the 1001 list editors, and yet, even though this is exactly what happened, the music was surprisingly less cringe than I expected. However, it is a completely unremarkable britpop album from the late 90s that was hard to continue to listen to the further in I got. This record is for people who think there's little wrong with using "pleasant" to describe their favourite (with a 'u') music.
Dad rock, did nothing for me.
A bit forgettable…
DIE HABEN EINEN SONG MIT HAFTBEFEHL??????
Chabos know who the Babo is
Formuliac and dull. I did like Since I Met You but the rest was a dirge.
Got 4 songs in before I turned it off. Boring
Simply fine and listenable, unfortunately not quite what you want from an album You Must Hear Before You Die. Felt like it released sorely late - in 1999 the britpop ship had surely sailed? (pun intended)
one of the albums of all time for sure nothing offensive but very forgettable, really not sure why its on this list. sounds like a bunch of bad oasis songs but also if oasis were from liverpool #751 from 1999 on RYM is kinda hilarious, its struggling to make the 1001 albums from 1999 but its somehow on the 1001 albums list?? 2
I can't think of any reason why I would listen to this over a different indie/alternative album
????
-my biggest gripe with this album was that it was just. boring. pretty generic Britpop / alt rock sound and not much else. they weren’t terrible at it and it’s by no means a bad album, but all the songs just blended together to me -Favorites: Captain’s Table, I Want You
Shocker. Another album that reveals the author's UK bias. This absolutely doesn't belong here. Would be somewhat tolerable in any other context. However, by the time it got to track 4, Beautiful, it's nakedly derivative of The Verve (who I can't stand.) Lend's Some Dough is pure Beatles worship. Pretty dull overall.
Why is this on the list? Best Song: Pull Together Rating: 4.0/10 Stars: 2
'H.M.S. Fable' by Shack is another regrettably bland Britpop album that feels wildly out of place on this list, especially when so many more deserving artists remain underrepresented or missing entirely. The band sounds like they’re desperately trying to catch the last swells of the early-’90s Brit rock boom—waves that had already broken and receded by the time this record arrived. Instead of riding them, Shack drifted aimlessly, eventually washing ashore in 1999 like the remnants of a forgotten shipwreck, hoping someone would notice. I’m not sure why this review turned so nautical, but staring at the album cover probably didn’t help. In any case, this record stands as yet another reminder that music critics, even with the best intentions, don’t always get it right.
Are you looking for an album that's a Britpop Barenaked Ladies without all the happiness? Do you crave music that's neither fun nor particularly engaging? Are you eager for an album that drones on unendingly with near monotone vocal stylings? This is the album for you! It's nothing worthy of being on this list, but here it is Ahab.... your white whale.
Do I need to be on heroin?
Quite generic. You can hear some (or a lot) oasis-influence
The bias towards UK music from 1980-2010 is beyond laughable. This is the second completely fine, completely forgettable, frankly boring album from a UK indie band from the 1990s...this week. This is an album very much behind its time. To be fair and to acknowledge my own biases, it is also too slow and mopey for my own personal taste. I frankly wanted to poke my eyes out listening to this, but I persevered in the name of science. I can see why someone else might enjoy this. I cannot see why someone wants to include this on a list of 1001 albums to listen to.
I have no idea why this album was included on the list. Every song is somehow simultaneously both boring and overstimulating. The lyrics are dull nonsense throughout the entire track list, and the vocals aren't much better. Overall, this album not memorable, it's not innovative, and I didn't like it. Two stars. (Favorite track: Natalie's Party.)
another Brit-pop band that wants to be Oasis (or probably the beatles). Of all the amazing music to come out of Liverpool, this album gets chosen. Shite
Backlogged here. Read note for full analysis.
Yay! More second tier Brit-Pop!
Very forgettable, no standouts or desire to listen again. Sad to think of all the amazing albums this took the place of.
Surprised I hadn't heard of a band from 1999. 'Comedy' came on and I realized I knew that song. And then listened to the rest of the album and realized why I don't remember the band. Nothing of any significance. Pull Together is decent tune, but lame lyrics. No reason for this album to be on the list - influenced nobody and no outstanding songs.
I don’t have much to say about this album, a product of its time.
not sure why this album is on here personally, didn't click with me
Not really sure why this made the list. Nothing about it was inherently bad. It was Just kind of generic sounding?
Nothing I recognise, wouldn’t listen again
How can people learn to become proficient in music and then write such bland shlock. Where's the sauce boys? The opening chord is an Oasis style gambit and then it just becomes proto Snow Patrol. Sad. Which makes it the more surprising to learn they signed with Noel's label. 2/5.
2.5 stars. Forgettable 90's alt-rock/Britpop. It's not awful but is pretty boring. Singers having somewhat nasally voices/accents doesn't help things. Strength is middle of album with "Captain's Fable" and "Streets of Kenny".
Average Indie at best
Well I’ve never heard of this before. Complete unknown to me. Which is weird given I was actively buying a lot of CDs around this time. Its very mid 90s, but then I found out it’s from 99. World had moved on when this came out. It’s ok, but no idea why it’s on the list. 2
its really hard for me to like this type of music (dad pub core) but there was one song within this album that really struck out.Daniella,wow what a nice song,listening to this i feel relaxed,my muscles no longer tense and Zen feelings all around. Peace has risen upon me. (only thing saving it and even then its not allat)
Its not unlistenable but its not amazing would of voted a 3 but I didnt add any songs bit too oldy feel like a sack of potatoes (Irish ones)
we have, erm, dodgy at home...?
Meh
This didn’t do much for me. Sometimes I could be swept up in the dreamy instrumentation but mostly I couldn’t get over how sometimes the singer sounded like he was sight reading the lyrics. 2.5/5
Endnu en af de der "hva faen laver den her egentlig på listen?" plader, men det var helt ok
Pretty forgettable.
Meh
Pretty unremarkable really...
I understand that the list (and the list maker) has preferences in choosing what to include. Chalk this one up to the Britpop obsession. Bland and uninspired. Wished I was listening to something else almost the entire time. 1999 had so many better albums and artists that could have been included. For example - Fanmail by TLC, First Love by Utada Hikaru, A Prince Among Thieves by Prince Paul, or The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner by Ben Folds Five? Or if you’re looking for something that was insanely popular in 1999, but not so much now, how about Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Live at Luther College? Anyway: 2⭐️
Normally with albums like this I’ll look at when it was released and it will be a prototypical decade sound but 10 years ahead of its time. This album is that, but 10 years behind and rather unremarkable.
Music should never be boring.
bleh
This was so drab
Какой то вялый брит-поп
I just don't really see how this is much different than other Britpop from the late 90's. In fact, the genre was pretty much already on its way out by 1999. Kind of late to the party I think. The big names had already innovated, succeeded, and evolved. I understand that this particular group had a released a few albums prior so I can't comment on the quality of their previous work. But here, I can't help but file this into the "Unremarkable Britpop" folder that I've curated from this list (and am continuing to add more to...)
Shack made this list? Fucking Shack? They're barely a level above the worst busker you ever heard, and even the best song on this album, "Natalie's Party", sounds like the shit theme song for a shit 90s sitcom starring Samantha Janus
listened while sick but this album is decent nothing crazy
Yet another boring and annoying British Pop Rock band from the 90's. I swear... It's at least listenable, but I wouldn't mind never hearing this again. Why this album is on this list is beyond me, but after rating 400+ albums, I kind of get what the author's deal is. Introduce us oblivious Yanks to unknown British Pop rock garbage! Yay! (Not). 2.3 / 5 stars (I couldn't give it 3 stars, it was just blah and bland)
soort slechte kruising tss Oasis en Elbow (die alletwee op zichzelf al niet veel voorstellen) hopelijk vaart de HMS Fable eens naar de Bermuda driehoek
Meh
More generic samey britpop; at a certain point I question why so many of these albums are included on this project. Nothing bad but nothing noteworthy, sounds exactly like everything else in the genre. Top tracks: Streets Of Kenny, Daniella
Occasionally interesting but mostly mediocre. Standout songs: Pull Together Streets of Kenny
hard to get through. seemed irrelevant
The back half is much better than the front. It sounds very suburban dad band-ish.
It was fine. Very British. Kind of boring.
Scouse, Celtic, sea inspired. This promised a lot but just didn’t deliver despite some snippets of what I was hoping for
Classique… rien de fabuleux Des airs de red hot par moment
The album isn't bad, but it's trying to be sometime that it isn't. The result is a really messy album. Vocal melodies are very basic which is probably for the best because the vocalist can barely perform them well as they are.
2/5
This shit doodoo
Never heard of this band before and I probably will never think of them again after today. The album isn't really bad but it is a genre that doesn't appeal to me much and the songs feel really bland.
Sounds to me like very generic British pop. Not bad per se, just really bland to me. Music you were forced to listen to on the radio in the 90s.
It didn't move me in any way. it was just oke.
Meh. Didn't really care for this.
making a lists of albums you need to know (because the people who made them had a relevant role in the production of all this other music) leads to albums like this being included. is the entire list boring English rock or...? because i am at my limit already and this album wasn't even bad or anything
Not very good. But also not annoying. Like lukewarm tea.
Rock alternativo británico que a mi parecer no envejeció muy bien. Esto se ha escuchado muchísimo y creo que con mejores resultados. No me encantó.
So boring. This was a bit like The Good The Bad and the Queen. On paper just average rather than bad, but its so insultingly average that it makes it bad. 1.9/5
Ok pretty generic but a good example off UK alt rock late 90s
This album should have been left off this list. Not a single song aspires to be anything but average. Each track is cloyingly friendly and ordinary -- in a word, mild. And there is way too much orchestration going on in the background. Is there such a thing as Brit-pop Lite?
Not frightful but too over produced for my tastes.
… tbh I literally have nothing to say other than I did not think I needed to listen to this before I died
When I started this list I thought I hated Britpop. Then after this list exposed me to the subgenre I thought I loved it. Now, however, Shack has me reconsidering my position. This is mind-numbingly boring and safe rock and really doesn't deserve to be on this list. Despite this, the music isn't terrible - just boring. 1.5/5.0: Bad
"Look, 1000 albums is, like, a lot man. We have to fill it out with something."
I found the first half of this album very hard to get through. Quite cheesy/corny melodies, and not really my thing. It gets better in the second half of the album. Songs like "Streets of Kenny", "Cornish Town" and "Since I Met You" are decent enough. But there's not much interesting happening here overall.
I’d never heard of Shack and was surprised to read that they predate Britpop as this sounds like a fairly derivative Oasis/Stones-lite North-West indie act clinging to its coattails. I’d much rather listen to any number of similar-sounding acts from the same era who were writing better, more catchy and lyrically clever songs at the time. There are some half-decent moments but I have no idea why this made the list.
I love britpop more than most, and this is another good album.
Nudy 2/5
A solid but mostly unremarkable pop rock album.
It was alright.
Not an album of sea shanties
I was tricked by the first two songs
Perfectly OK minor Britpop act...Nothing compared to Oasis and Pulp, of course...Some of the songs were too long and homogenous.
Felt quite average, grew on me a bit from a very uninterested start
There are at least 10 albums from Canada, Mali, Australia or any other country that are more important than this one. Come on! Liked Songs Added: Natalie's Party
Nothing amazing
It's just not my cup of tea
Fikk ikke med meg at jeg hørte på denne. Kjedelige greier.
A few fun songs, but nothing too memorable.
More Brit pop. I’m not sure any of it is very interesting.
I liked Re-instated but nothing else really stood out to me.
Cool album cover. I’ve never heard of Shack before. This looks like an indie rock affair, if I’m to judge by the cover. Wow, not quite what I was expecting. I was ready for more of a sea shanty affair, not something this dreamy or aspirational. It ain’t bad, though it ain’t all that good, either. Still, for what it is, I enjoyed my time with this album. I’m always down for some well-meaning optimism, and this album gave me my fill. “Pull Together” is alright. I like the reverberated sound, and the cowbells during the chorus are a much-appreciated addition. I also like how the vocal delivery continually builds on itself. “Captain’s Table” is another decent cut. The guitarwork is quite intricate and I like the hymnal vocals. Checking the book. The album came from hardship. That’s about it for the entry, really. Heading over to Wikipedia reveals that this album was warmly received by critics, but not much else, really. Yeah, this could do with a snub. In place of this album, I humbly submit Velocity : Design : Comfort by Sweet Trip for inclusion on the list
2/5
yet another 90s britpop album. oasis and blur are probably enough. people who love those bands will seek out more on their own. the overrepresentation of britpop is frankly staggering, at the expense of even other influential british acts like spacemen 3. this album just sounds like watered down R.E.M. it baffles me how this is in the list.
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.