Highly Evolved

Highly mediocre

Here, the Vines flip-flop between outright punk and a kind of soft alt-rock, somewhat lacking the energy of their most lauded contemporaries. Get Free is great. Sort of the punk version of You Really Got Me. ("Come here, come here, come here..." Awesome hook.) The opening track also jumps into the action with zero prelude – which I'm a big fan of. My favourite album opener of all time, Good Times Bad Times, does essentially the same thing. And Autumn Shade demonstrates that the band is (in fact!) capable of slower, more balladesque tempos. Which is more than can be said of most punk artists. Outtathaway has a focused, melodic guitar part that really steals the show. It also continues this up-and-down of energy/texture that I really love to see in albums. With the exception of the weaker Sunshinin, the entirety of side 1 does this. The album loses a lot of creative steam at around the halfway point – and judging by Spotify numbers, it seems like most listeners agree with me. Still, every track is solid in its own right, each featuring at least one hook, riff, or interesting sound of interest. Ain't No Room, which is by itself pretty forgettable ("Forget it now / Forget it then" really living up to its lyrics) but the brash guitar sound – particularly the feedback-heavy break in the middle – lifts it up to "good song" status. The album closer 1969 suffers from perhaps the worst production on the album, though it could have been a live performance. Very bombastic and stadium-rock-esque, with some tempo changes. It's also essentially a repeat of the track In The Jungle. (Seriously. The two tracks may as well be identical.) 3/5 Key tracks: Highly Evolved, Outtathaway, Get Free

Fun album to listen to!

Of all the albums I've listened to, this is one of them. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with it.

Very much an early 2000s alt rock feel to the whole album. Nothing wrong with it and some songs i really enjoyed. I just feel like I have heard this done better by other bands from the same era.

Fun, energetic rock with a get in, get out attitude to songwriting. The tracks are short, there isn't a lot of needless jamming, and the band's performances are tight. They dip into punk, Britpop, and Beatles 60s throwback pop. Lead singer Craig Nicholls yells and shouts with a punk snarl. I mostly heard references to other bands (including a pretty direct quote of Blue Öyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” on “In the Jungle”) not so much a distinct or original style, but the lads have spunk and energy. I’ll give them that.

Good. Some interesting chord progression. Very good vocal techniques? I think he can easily do 1-2 keys higher. But he chose not to. When it gets higher, he used grits and head voice. Not my favourite but it works for this genre I guess.

this was fun to listen to. i think most of all, i walked away from this album really missing that garage rock sound. it also reminded me so much of Jet, which I absolutely love their album 'Get Born'. all in all, this was fun to listen to and fairly nostalgic in terms of their sound, but something i probably wouldn't keep listening to

I feel like I should like this album more than I do. It just feels really empty to me. Like it has no soul. It's like a corporate version of Nirvana. I'm probably being too harsh, and I'm sure these guys really put in a big effort here, but it's just not coming through for me.

This was an ok album. Reading the Wikipedia description comparing them to nirvana is crazy because I wouldn’t have made that comparison on my own. But it was solid alt rock. I didn’t mind.

Aika synkkä (siihen nähden ainakin että kansi näyttää muumikuvitukselta). Vähän liian meluisa, en meinaa kuulla biisejä vyöryn alta. Mut ujosti kiinnostaa. 2,5?

I enjoyed this as a one-off listen, but probably won't return to it. My favorite off this project that I might return to was "Homesick," really beautiful track.

Okay. Sounds like a mixture of other bands, not always in a terrible way.

It's alright. Nothing special. A 5/10.

Decent enough to listen to but nothing write home about. Bang average I’d say

I remember liking this when it first came out but quickly forgot it. It's fine, surprised it's on here

This was a cool Little Rock and roll record. Never heard of them, but I like me it. Good stuff.

Good punk rock band. Not enough variation for me, though.

It wasn’t bad, just not my taste

Heavy, and angsty but happy(?) A solid album to listen to when you really need to be mad but don't want to be too overbearing. You can be mad and still relatively jolly with this albumヽ⁠(⁠*ﾟ⁠ｰﾟ⁠*⁠)⁠ﾉ

OK

I really enjoyed many of the songs on this record. In fact I own a physical copy. Get Free is a song that I still listen quite a bit today. For a 20 year plus old album, it still sounds as fresh as when it came out.

A perfectly competent rock album from a 200X band called The XXXX. Prob could be four starts, but realistically there's so many similar albums from this period that I have nostalgia for that I'll prob never put this on again.

Better than I thought, proper xfm band

3/5

Nirvana? Come on

Some really great sections in songs but a lot of forgettable parts. Did like the closer 1969

Uneven. Inconsistent. Peaks and valleys aplenty. "Highly Evolved" indicates a lifeform that's undergone a substantial amount of mutation, and that seems about right for this mess.

Nirvana and Radiohead influences are undeniable. Very good album though, would listen again.

Unremarkable guitar rock.

I prefer their next album. Same energy but better songs

When I was younger (younger than I was when this came out), I'm sure I'd have loved it. Now, it positively reeks of stereotypical "landfill indie" to me.

Standard early noughties garage rock album, with lead vocals from a guy that clearly only owned Nirvana albums. The singles, with the exception of Homesick, which is naff, are the best songs here. A pretty mid 3.

Good stuff. The Vines are to Nirvana what Jet is to The Vines.

The only song I knew from this project prior to listening was Get Free and that one is still good. I liked this but it seemed somewhat derivative. Like 1969 kinda just sounds like indie rock Comfortably Numb. And most of this sounds like The Hives. I like it but it’s nothing revolutionary.

Nirvana meets Strokes

Not bad, just a middle of the road, forgettable album, that doesn't really hold that much of an inpact or importance.

60's reincarnated...sounded a lot like (good) Beatles stuff

A relic of a garage revival longing to return.

Not bad

A lot of 2000s angst here. 5/10

Better than just the one hit - but not sure it’s good enough for the top 1000

At times fun and energetic, at times annoying. Overall pretty good

...

Mediocre Britpop. Sometimes likeable Alternative Rock parts sometimes annoying screamo vocals. Overall good guitar and drum work.

As someone who's quite a big fan of the garage rock revival sound, I was a little disappointed by this. Certainly not bad by any means but I didn't find much here which i felt stood out.

Piola, una onda medio rara mezcla de nirvana con algo mas

Catchy garage rock, and definitely better than a lot of albums on this list, but there’s something missing. It sounds like the band was trying to make music to fit the genre, rather than making something original.

3 out of 5. I remembered one song from the radio but it took a while, which kind of speaks to the rest of the albumfor me. It felt bland and the psychedelia at the end dragged on a little too long.

This is a 3.5er for me, and a pleasant surprise. It felt like any of these songs could have been on the OC soundtrack and generally I'm here for it

good

Very eclectic mix of music. I quite enjoyed this

The pinnacle of okay

Started off really quick and electric and fun but started to drag a bit later on, still quite good. 3 stars

Geschreeuw, maar niet op een nare manier, beetje early alto rock

decent album, good sounds on it but it gets a bit repetitive

Apparently they were frequently compared to Nirvana. Guess I'm not really seeing it. Although I still think The Vines and The Hives are the same band sometimes...so maybe that is a more accurate comparison. Their style is right up my alley though, and Highly Evolved is a really good debut album.

I loved this when it came out but I have no idea why it belongs on this list

Ihan kivaa uudempaa rokkia, mut jotain tästä jää vähän uupumaan. Tai sit tää ei vaan toimi juuri nyt. Ehkä koukuttavat hetket jäi vähän uupumaan. Get Free oli GH kappale. Parhaat: Get Free, Ain't No Room

Best Song: Mary Jane Rating: 6.5/10 (Good) Stars: 3/5

stuitert beetje alle kanten op... eerst wat grungy gitaren, dan wat poppy nummers, ook wat alternatieve rock.... niet onaardig, maar ik kan gerust zonder leven

Aight

3.5/5 (round down)

3/5 sounded like a mix of bands

# Album Name: Highly Evolved # Artist: The Vines # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Started off well with a few decent tracks. Get free obviously the highlight. No idea where the nirvana comparison comes from if im honest. Typical early 00's music though. These guys rode the wave. # Top Tunes: Highly evolved / outthaway / homesick / get free # Would I listen to it again? Parts

They were once hailed as the next Nirvana. But frankly, I think that says less about The Vines and more about how desperate people were about wanting more Nirvana, a decade after Cobain's death. No offence to The Vines. They've made a good album that's very representative of the era. But it certainly didn't meet those lofty expectations, did it? I'd happily listen to this album again but if I'm honest, I'm unlikely to.

Good, straight up rock and roll. It’s a little too loud and angry for me, but i might get used to that on a re-listen. It’s a 3, for now.

I feel like The Vines were riding on the US garage rock revival that greeted us with The Strokes and The White Stripes, sonically those two bands had different sounds but got lumped together. I had dismissed The Vines as hangers on as I did as well with bands like The Hives. I stand by that assessment. I can't put my finger on why but they seem to try to hard. I don't hate it but I don't love it either. I can get my fix of the music of that era elsewhere.

One good song does not make an essential album. I remember all the hype at the time of release and 20 something years later I still don’t get it

Favorite songs: Get Free, Highly Evolved, Outtathaway, Factory, In the Jungle, Ain't No Room, 1969 Least favorite songs: Mary Jane 3/5

Wish this album was more consistantly good rather than consistantly in the background, but it had enough songs that grabbed by attention to narrowly avoid the dreaded 2 rating Plus memories of Rock Band 3 when I hear "Get Free". Simpler times

Maybe if I had glommed onto this in the early 00s but I did not. I *have* had "Get Free" screaming in my head for a few days but that doesn't make an album.

i once heard the vines described as one of the most "rock is back" bands of the aughts and it's very true, but also it worked really well. excellent guitar work, often detracting vocals, a lot more here besides the hit than i expected

it's fun at the start, but it gets really dragged on with the last few songs, had it been shorter i would have given a higher rating 3+/5 🍃

Second coming of Nirvana my arse. It's all right, though, a few standouts (Highly Evolved, Outathaway, Factory). The rest will do. Have a middle-of-the-road 3 stars

I wasn't expecting much. But this wasn't bad.

Didn’t really care for this, too shouty for my taste. A high 2/low 3.

Nothing really special, tbh. Not bad but not for me.

The Vines mix a lot of genres on this album. The first track is grunge, the second is britpop and the third is garage rock. Later on The Beatles come for a visit, bringing their indie cousin. I don’t mind a bit of variety/stealing, but the songs really aren’t that good. And in the end that’s what it’s all about. 5/10

Nice instrumental Vibes- energetic Fav song- in the jungle 3/5

Great fun. Bouncy, grungy nonsense

Heard of the Vines, but couldn't name one of their songs prior to this. Decent album of post grunge/indie with a couple interesting songs. Above average but nothing really great.

This came out when I was in high school and I think I avoided listening to it because of how over played Get Free was on the radio. In fact, I might have to take a star off just because that song is stuck in my head already after only reading the track list. Favourite track(s): Highly Evolved, Country Yard, Factory

Meh

Descent album that sometimes has some Oasis vibes mixed with some harder rock. I'd probably listen to it again. 3/5

Not very familiar with The Vines but I recognized the track "Get Free" or at least it sounded like something I think I've heard before. This also sums up the album overall, it's not very memorable but sounds like a bunch of other mediocre things. It's alright I guess but a little too screechy at times. I don't hate it but I don't think it should be likened to Nirvana either. It lacks emotion, authenticity, and rawness. I actually liked the slower, softer songs like "Homesick" and "Country Yard" so there's a very meh three-fer in there if you try really hard. "Factory" is too carnival for me but there's some good strumming on "Mary Jane" so this album has me flipping back and forth between good and bad a lot. This puts it squarely in the middle at 2.5 so I didn't need to hear this before I die and won't revisit.

I like this grittier indy-rock, grunge. I knew a few songs from this band but never paid much attention to the Vines. They kind of blended in with all other similar acts of the early 2000s. "Highly Evolved" is pretty kick ass debut though and I wish I had paid more attention. I shall dig deeper into their catalogue...3.42.

Decent listening

Picks up where Stone Temple Pilots left off. So, not bad if you like them.

Quite nice. Better than 3 but not a 4 (for me), so it'll be a 3 :-)

5/10

It was ok.

due canzoni mi son piaciute.. ma direi che una media del 3 ci sta bene

I was waffling on giving this two stars. It's not that I particularly dislike the album and band, I remember when this came out it was my middle-school/high-school time when I started getting into rock music generally. But my initial thoughts were "really? was this album that influential to warrant inclusion on this list?" Reading a bit more on Wikipedia, for both this album and the band, I guess it makes sense. They were a key part of the "Garage-rock revival" of the early 2000s, one of the many "the" bands, but are also mentioned as a key influence on the Arctic Monkeys and Tame Impala. So overall, 3 stars, makes sense to include.

fine but not in 1001

it's ok. Insert evolution joke here.

Un album de rock des années 2000 comme il en existe des millions.

Was ready to write this off as another generic 2000's indie band after the first few songs, but there are a handful decent songs in here. It's too bad there tucked in between some real dirge. For the patient amongst you.

I didnt not like it, felt a bit samey but Get Free is a great tune. Maybe not the best album to run to

Much of this album just sounds like generic rock to me. Maybe that's because this is around the era I was growing up, so I've heard a lot that sounds like this early 2000s rock, so it's not unexpected for me, which can be boring. This album definitely pick up in the middle with Get Free and my favorite, Factory. Nothing on this pulled my attention to know I was listening to something special, however, and that's a bummer.

First thought it was the hives, from which I already had an album which I very much disliked. But the Vines are at least better. I can hear the nirvana comparison with the shouting. But the songs without shouting are actually the better songs I found. Also became a bit long, was waiting for it to end. Not the worst not the best album

На початку сторіччя, такий рух, як garage rock ревайвл, стрімко набирав обертів. Його лідерами, безумовно, були The White Stripes та The Strokes, що майстерно поєднували емоційність інді року із бурхливою енергією гаражного року 60-х. Натомість, австралійський гурт The Vines також намагалися додати частинку себе у цю хвилю та "зайняти своє місце під сонцем". Чи вийшло у них? Насправді важко сказати. На своєму дебютному альбомі Highly Evolved, окрім звичного "класичного року" 60-х були присутні, як психоделічні елементи, так і помітний вплив гранжу. І саме гранжева естетика робить цю роботу найбільш примітною серед інших в цьому жанрі. Хоча від гранжу, тут нажаль, присутня лише "форма", бо у сутності - це доволі простенькі пост-гранж/поп пісні в яких, на мою думку, не вистачає глибини та "чутливості" - усе якось "пласмасово" та скупо. При чому, сказати так про всі треки я не можу - ті самі Get Free та Homesick доволі потужні, коротше кажучи, альбому бракує консистентності. Тим не менш, це все ж, визначна робота. Що як на мене, може і не дуже успішно в плані якості, але рухала жанр вперед. Комерційно, альбом здобув великий успіх та дуже непогано допоміг австралійській "гаражній" сцені.

Fine enough, but likely won’t listen to again. 2.5

Standard rock revival with bits of brit pop thrown in. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Better than I expected. Wide range of styles. Well played

A perfectly adequate rock album. It's nothing special and certainly has some filler, but it doesn't have any tracks I would call bad, and overall it's pretty decent. 7/10

A few good tracks but most are just ok. In no rush for a second listen but made it to the end without wanting to hit the stop button.

being angry is not enough i have to physically punch the person who said they are the second coming of Nirvana. Inspired (heavvviily!!!!!) BY Nirvana? yeah ofc, it's clear as day, bUT SECOND COMING?? get real... now that im done yelling, i actually enjoyed the album 🤭 tho they sound more like an australian radiohead a bit, especially the second half of the album🧐. 3.5/5

Hmm, yeah I don't know if this is all that highly evolved for me. In a way it's basically the opposite of evolution - building on what's gone before but for no obvious benefit to the species. It's not bad, especially, and a couple of songs have that early noughties nostalgia factor, but it's pretty unremarkable. Factory scores highly for being a pretty decent mid- to late-era Beatles pastiche with very good harmonies.

Had high hopes for this on the first track but the rest didn’t do much for me. Sort of an interesting blend of genres at times - punky and then pretty mellow. I feel like they were influenced by the stone roses. High 3.

Maybe this is too harsh but sounded like pretty interchangeable 2000s garage rock to me. We've heard enough music similar to this on the list already.

This came out when a lot of bands sounded like the Strokes. Still sounds like the Strokes. It was fine but there's better bands with this sound.

Nothing here hasn't been done better by other people. But it's fine.

Þetta er bara afskaplega gott en hefðbundið rokk. Ég hef ekkert út á þessa plötu að setja annað en að mér fannst hún ekki gera neitt sérstaklega nýtt. Hún mun því falla í gleymskuholuna mjög fljótt

6/10 That was the Vines....now on to something else 2-13-2025

3.1 3x

Good not great. Like not love. 3.5

Not bad, not good. Just there.

sounds like every other album coming from this time

Australia's answer to the garage rock revival scene that was taking the world by storm. A pretty good album and definitely worth a listen if ur into that kinda music, which I am. However, unfortunately it didn't fully live up to my high expectations. rating: ⭐⭐⭐ [65/100]

Of the 2000s era garage rock, this wouldn’t be the band I’d say you need to listen to.

It’s ok. Not sure why it is on the list.

Interesting and not previously known.

First track in and it's already sitting at a 2. But for the most part - this is just a lot of noise. Would've used a track from this in a 00's movie with some wild chase scene of a kid stealing a camcorder from Circuit City and outrunning the security on foot before he stole somebody's skateboard, promising to give it back later(he never does). Final verdict - 3. Wish i could do half stars because it really is a 2.5 I'm being generous because i listened to Oasis after. Comparing them to Nirvana is a stretch...like i get it? But still a stretch especially on their first album. Also, i really want to listen to Oasis after this... is that a compliment? I agree with the masses - not really sure why this is on this list. But whatever!

This album is all over the place. Raw rock riffs, ska-like beats, and some high treble early oughts sounds mixed in, though not enough of the latter to make this a complete write off for me. The album definitely stands above its era, though that isn't saying much. They certainly have energy. I may go back to this album.

I feel like I should like it more. Maybe I’ll rate it higher than 3 after more listens

I believe The Mighty Boosh once said, "Elements of the past and the future combining to make something not quite as good as either." This applies to Highly Evolved. Lots of influences are laid bare but nothing of interest has been added.

Overall decent album. Top tier tune … Outtathaway. 3.5/5

Apart from two tracks it’s not much of a record to remember - it’s a kind of noughties take on Nirvana and it sounds quite tired nowadays. It’s not bad - just unimpressive.

6/10. Extremely inconsistent for me, but with 3 songs I added to the playlist it made its way to a 6.

Very cool transitions between “Autumn Shade” and “Outtathaway”. I really like how they slow it down a bit on “Homesick”. Some of their songs sound a lot like Smashing Pumpkins who I really like so this was definitely a good listen. The singers ability to go from the screams in one song to a much softer tone the next song is impressive range. I didn’t know what to expect when I saw that this was the album of the day but I was pleasantly surprised, the album flowed together nicely and mixed different sounds very well.

A fun, solid indie rock album. Nothing strikes me as very special about it, though. 3?

Very nostalgic for me and a very good album front to back, not trailblazing or outstanding in any way for me though. It was very similar to a lot that was coming out at the time and kind of lost in the shuffle with all of the "The" bands.

I was wondering why I was listening to this until “get free”

ok

I've never heard of this band, which is a bit surprising because this album was released in 2002, when I was still paying attention to music. Also, it seems they had some amount of success - the song Get Free has 100M plays on Spotify (and oddly it's maybe my least favorite song on the album). Seems like an OK generic alt rock album.

A little better than some of the other random British bands on this list, maybe because I can see throughlines to other things I like (Beatles, Blur, garage rock)... but still nothing to warrent them being on the list instead of other better bands from that era.

Day 0011/1001 of One Album a Day / Listened to whilst: on the tube I enjoyed this more than I was expecting too as a) I've never been a huge fan of the genre (hopefully this changes as I listen to more albums from it) and b) the mediocre scores on here. Fav tracks: Sunshinin / Homesick / Get Free Worst tracks: Country Yard / Factory

Solid album. Good garage feel.

Gets better on 2nd and 3rd listens. Get Free is a nostalgic mtv2 banger but none of the other tracks quite hit that level.

Favourite tracks: factory; highly evolved; get free

Inoffensive, but a little bland. It's like Oasis met Nirvana and the Beatles and they came up with an album together, but it didn't quite feel right. Most of it was just background music, with a couple of bits that were more interesting. I'm going with a very generous 3 stars.

A very good album. Maybe even great. A few songs did stand out but ultimately it didn't blow me away as something fresh in its genre. Often felt like an evolved Nirvana record, which is a compliment. But rarely did it feel like something that was pushing us forward. I'll think of it fondly and probably return to some of these songs, but when we're talking about the greatest albums ever made it's tough for me to count this super high.

Meh. Not too bad. Just didn't care for it too much.

Perfectly fine. Grew on me a little more as it went on, felt like it had a more complete sound as I listened more. Will likely not revisit but not bad

No he escuchado el resto de la discografía de The Vines, pero "Highly Evolved" se siente como una mezcla casi perfecta entre Grunge y Britpop. En ocasiones estruendosos y con voces desgarradoras, en otras, suave y melancólico como las mejoras canciones de Oasis. Tintes a The Beatles y tintes a Punk caracterizan este LP que si bien, se escucha muy bien, se siente más largo de lo que es, ya que a veces la producción se vuelve esperable y poco creativa. ¿Indispensable? Ciertamente no, hay cientos de bandas que suenan igual ¿Por qué está en la lista? No lo sé ¿Lo recomiendo, personalmente? Sí.

Could have died without hearing this like

In The Jungle? More like Enter Sandman! It's a little derivative, but they're certainly decent songwriters and musicians. This is the kind of music I would normally be into, but there's some element of The Vines (or this album) that's missing for me.

I recently found out The Vines is one of the four of the rocks-not-dead movement of the early 2000s, along with The White Stripes, The Hives, and The Strokes. However, I don’t remember this band really. It does fit in with that group and I should have been keen to this. This rocked sufficiently and I will need to listen again. Sadly, it doesn’t rise to the level of the others but is maybe just not there due to exposure and more ear time.

bílskúrsrokk, frá fyrsta áratugnum. ekkert voðalegt en óeftirminnilegt og frekar óspennandi.

Solid alt rock

Super bang average. They seem not to know what kind of music they want to make. They wear their inspiration on their sleaves but it doesn't amount to much since each track seems pretty disconnected from the rest. They can put good songs together but there doesn't seem to be a cohesive vision here. My favorite track was In the Jungle but this was just an odd project overall.

Was enjoying it until In the Jungle which sounds more than halfway lifted from Blue Oyster Cult's classic (Don't Fear) The Reaper.

The kind of album that inspires music journalist to overuse the prefix “post-“. Post-Britpop. Post-Nirvana. Post-Globalization. Post-9/11. Post-Divorce, when you marry a box-dye blonde half your age who studied Communications. Post-Divorce, when you have to go to two Christmases, but at least you got *both* an Xbox and a PS2, so that’s pretty cool. Like most things post-, Highly Evolved is pretty cool, but not really. It’s good, but it never really comes together to make anything cohesive or memorable. And, like most things post-, it has a tendency to spiral into lunacy and goofiness, when it would’ve been better off just following the script. But, like most things post-, it’s also ephemeral, and won’t last forever, which isn’t a good thing, but it’s not a bad thing, either.

Never heared of them before. Straight foreward but nothing special or remarkable. I personally prefer the other australian band "Jet" instead. 2,5

Decent. Nirvanaesque.

Nothing special.

These musicians have a solid grasp of their influences. The Beatles, Nirvana, Supergrass, Radiohead, among others. While the album may lack originality, it is a well-crafted and not unenjoyable collection of several energetic rock tracks and some pop ballads. Overall, it's a nice enough album but feels completely lacking in soul.

I feel that at a certain age and a certain time in my life I really would have liked this album. That time was just not in 2002. There's a lot here, a lot of songs remind me of... (fill in the blank) I guess that's OK, it just limits tge band from having a sound and gaining fans who say I like The Vines! It's more of I like The Vines song that sound like (fill in the blank)

So rock critics wanted to take popular music back from whoever had the kids’ ears in 2002 and needed a band to use as an example of how “rock is back” and this was the best they could do? I bet whatever song from this band was used in an iPod commercial sounded great.

Meh, nothing you’ve not heard before.

Enjoy this the more and more updated. This is one of those albums that is really a sentiment to my growing taste throughout this jourjey … Heavy metal and grunge are strongly growing on me Home sick , country yard and the title track are strong rotation plays going forward as is the album … a very strong 3

Good, but a bit boring

The Mids - Highly Mid

Had heard "Get Free" before but wasn't familiar with them otherwise. Solid rock album.

Never heard this before. Not bad, but it doesn't seem that remarkable or memorable. Not sure why it's on the list.

it was okay

It's fine but they definitely weren't the new Nirvana. Some good songs, some meh songs. Decent but give me The Hives over this.

It's pretty appropriate that I get The Vines confused with like 5 other bands from this early 2000s era, because this sounded like roughly 5 other bands from this same era. It's fine, and there are some songs that I liked on this album, but it made no impression on me whatsoever when it was over 3/5

Excellent punky poppy indie record! Couple of absolute monster tunes on it and not a bad way to spend an hour! Very enjoyable indeed!

Perfectly fine rock album that really wants to be Nirvana Not sure it belongs on this list but Outtathaway, Get Free & Homesick are great songs

- Bin nicht sicher, woher ich die Vines kenne, aber irgendwoher kannte ich das Albumcover (was ich irgendwie mag) - Ansonsten beim ersten Hören relativ generischer Garage Rock, aber gut gemacht. - Könnte sein, dass ich Get Free schonmal gehört habe, bin mir aber auch nicht sicher. - Mir ist weder im Negativen noch im Positiven besonders groß was hängen geblieben - Country Yard fand ich cool! - Insgesamt mag ich die Mukke aber ganz gerne, daher ein Hörerlebnis, an dem ich nicht viel Auszusetzen habe, außer dass wie gesagt nicht viel hängenbleibt Rating: 3/5

didn't get on the wave with these

grungy, sludgy, samey. doesn't feel essential. sometimes okay to listen to. other times profoundly ugly. idk.

The Vines are like the Australian version of Blur. Also, the last few songs drag a little. Best Songs: Autumn Shade, Get Free, Worst Songs: In The Jungle

A typical early 2000s alternative Rock feel throughout the album. I wouldn't say it's highly evolved, but it's worth listening to. Favorite Song: "1969"

Comes from that point in music history where NME and a lot of music journalists really didn't want to admit the fact that this type of rock music was getting replaced by newer and fresher sounds. "Guys, look! It's Kurt Cobain!" - They say as they drag two kids in a trenchcoat with a blonde wig from behind the curtain. Not bad or anything, but belongs on this list about as much as that one weird Silence of the Lambs sequel where they couldn't get Jodie Foster back belongs on a 1001 Movies list.

3 - this was so short that I didn't have anything to dislike

Never heard them before. Pretty good sound

I fuck w the vibe, didn't have time for the more thurough 2nd listen tho

Ahh dit klinkt al weer meteen beter Ik hou wel van dit soort rock Wel af en toe veel geschreeuw Maar ook lekker scheuren

I remember when this album came out. They got lumped in with The Stokes, White Stripes, and The Hives. I liked Get Free for a few minutes before I got over it very quickly. The whole album is mostly fine. It never gets very good but never really gets that bad either (aside from my Get Free fatigue) This is the definition of a middle of the road album to me. I'd give it a 2.5 if it were an option. I guess it can have a 3. It definitely doesn't deserve to be on this list. They definitely didn't much or surpass the aforementioned peers they got lumped in with.

Pretty solid, didn't really jump out at me! It's understandable how these guys ended up being hyped as a part of the same scene as the Strokes and White Stripes, but this feels a bit too "generic garage-rock" to me versus having any kind of unique take on the genre, or songwriting so good that it doesn't need anything stylistically new. Feels a bit like a car commercial at times, but definitely listenable and not bad at all.

I liked this. Improved by headphones. Enjoyed the grungy heavy songs. Also liked factory and Mary Jane? Probably wouldn’t listen again. The theme of this group for me is that I like songs that are the famous hits. Is that because they are better or I’m just a basic bitch?

Did not expect this to be on here. Loved listening to it in 2002/03 while I played Gran Turismo 3 and Max Payne on the PS2. And I still love Get Free and Highly Evolved. But there's a reason I've not thought about this album in 20 years.

Really nice to revisit this album!

Never heard it before, liked the pace of it, octane fuelled Outdoory pursuit type music to push you through a day in the hills.

Eh, didn't think much of this. It was just ok. 2.5/5

This is generally my least favorite kind of rock, but it’s not terrible. Solid energy and decent performances, which I guess is enough for me. C

It's funny, this is one of those records that was in some editions of the 1001 but was dropped, and it's exactly what I'd expect... it's reasonably fun, and the musicianship is good, but there's nothing truly exceptional about it. This seems to be a theme of the 1001, they cycle newer albums, so the list doesn't seem "dated" but conversely they seem to have a much lower bar for some of these additions. A record will be on the list for one or two editions and then it's gone. Note that this only happens with newer records, because apparently dealing with redoing the entire book is too much work i.e. if they take out a Byrds album from the 1970s, basically 90% of the book has to be reorganized, so it's just easier for them to axe a newer record. The result is that some older records stay on the 1001 when they probably shouldn't, and some newer records get put on the 1001 just so there is a reason for people to want the newer edition... as it's changed... but frequently the new albums are short lived and get dropped in a future edition.

They play the right notes but where's the soul? 3.2

Australian early 200s rock. Sounds American. Garage Rock. Was compared to Nirvana. A bit noisy. A lot of older influences, especially British like the Beatles and Oasis. They’re borrowing a lot from everywhere. Enjoyable but not massively special or unique. Solid, but not memorable.

Completely missed this lot at the time. It’s alright but doesn’t strike me as anything special or different to many other similar bands of the time.

Completely unremarkable punk music. A perfect 2.5 stars

Fine. Fairly standard indie rock stuff...

Short songs. Sounded unconfident

Nice, bit too British in style

Not bad. But nothing really new or exciting that I hadn’t heard before, either. And with the exception of a couple of tracks, nothing that I would really seek out to listen to again.

This album was rather indistinguishable from a lot of other rock from. . . those other bands.

This is truly the album of all time. The notes are musical. The writing has words. I definitely listened to this album alright. Yeah, this album's just kind of okay. There's nothing particularly wrong with this album. It's perfectly fine. The singing is not too annoying. The sound is acceptable. The production is pretty solid. Apparently the guy who did it also helped produce for some of Elliott Smith's albums, including the two I've listened to. That's nice. I just feel that this album doesn't do anything that hadn't been done before or during the time this album was released. I mean, when you have better, more iconic garage rock revival bands like the Strokes and the White Stripes on the list, adding the Vines feels kind of redundant. British media really loved this album for some reason. They called these guys the next Nirvana or something. Really? I don't hear it. NME also called this the 2nd best album of 2002, only behind Coldplay's "A Rush of Blood to the Head." I certainly wouldn't go that far. There are quite a few albums from 2002 that I like more than this one, including the Coldplay one. I can see good things about this album. It's just that it's not a very exciting addition to a list like this. I don't get the reviews saying that this is soulless or anything, but I also don't get this being one of the best albums of 2002 when albums like Yoshimi Battle the Pink Robots exist. 3/5.

Convince me the album art doesn't look AI generated.

Plenty meh. Beautiful cover art, though.

I had completely forgotten about these guys. They were OK but not worth the hype.

Good but not particularly memorable

I feel like I should know of the Vines already, and they sound so quasi-familiar I kind of wonder if I *have* heard them before and have just forgotten it? Ah yes, the latter, as "Get Free" got a *lot* of airplay back in the day; I just didn't realize it was them... Either way, it's a decent album, and I enjoyed listening to them, but also felt like they struggle to sound all that distinct from bands before them. There's a strong Nirvana vibe ("Nevermind" era) to a number of the songs, so much so that I kind of felt like this was a sort of Black Keys/White Stripes thing, except that this album is way too late for that kind of emulation/envy, I suppose. (And now that I read the Wikipedia entry, I see that I'm not the only one making this comparison.) But to their credit, they *do* have their own take on the Nirvana style of music--and even a little variety outside Nirvana, like with the Beatles' inspired "Homesick" or "Factory"--and hey, they're Aussies, so that counts for something, right? I'll also say that while the videos didn't add much to the music experience, they're a bit revealing about the lead singer's neurodivergency and somewhat alarming posture and behavior. A little digging on Wikipedia reveals that sadly, while he's later acknowledged that he's on the spectrum (and apparently cut back on fast food and cannabis to help control it), his behavior was too violent for the original co-founder to stay in the band (and he also later assaulted his parents and destroyed equipment on sets). Given all that, I'm not at all surprised that the band was dropped silently from the "1001 Albums" book a few years after they debuted; a bit sad, considering the gushing review in the 2005 edition, but mental health issues aside I suspect their longevity was doomed from the start, as they appeared on the facing page from the truly-cringeworthy Justin Timberlake album "Justified"....

Enjoyed listening to this--solid sort of dense pop rock. The only song that made me sit back and look to see what the title was "sunshinin" but in general they've got some nice beats.

I know these guys are Australian but felt like once you've heard a couple Britpop bands you've heard them all and this one was no exception. Not bad, but also not great. 6/10.

This album started off extremely weak with some edgy rock and the singer sounding like a worse Liam Gallagher. Then around ‘Homesick’ it changed tone into something that I really liked, followed by a streak of a few good songs more reminiscent of 2000s pop rock. In the end it felt a bit too uneven to warrant a higher rating, having both pretty low lows and high highs. This might be an album I’ll actually revisit to see if it changes my mind, but for now I think a 3 feels appropriate.

Nothing special here. Even the most popular song on here isn't all that interesting to me.

It was a very mid Nirvana rip off. Only made me wanna listen to actual Nirvana and good alternative rock.

Some quality songs on this one. I've tried out The Vines before, but nothing stuck for me. So good music, that is not going to have me seeking them out. I won't turn it off if it comes on.

Correcto

Decent garage rock record, albeit fairly uneven. Certainly not “the second coming of Nirvana” as the British press hailed them. Influential to Alex Turner in forming the Arctic Monkeys, so that’s a win.

Nick Cave aside, it’s not often that I’m offered an album hailing from a home country artist. I think there are 1,001 other better Aussie options that I’d pick much sooner than The Vines. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not awful, and I get that they made a splash on the international scene, but Australia has so many more worthwhile musical collectives that could be showcased here. Homesick is a good song and I took notice of Country Yard for the first time, but the rest is standard 00’s rock.

I can't tell if I've never heard this before or if I've heard it 1,000 times. It brings the familiar sounds of 90's grunge combined with notes of Oasis-like brit pop. A textbook example of the genre and year.

Nirvana influenced indie rock that was massively overhyped by the Btitish music press. Ok.

I missed this phase of music as I was focused on school, work, life. I’m sure I would have loved it more if I had been actively listening at that time. I found it a good record but didn’t blow me away.

This was better than I expected, which should come as no surprise since I enjoy indie garage rock. The Vines are energetic, with appealing melodies and driving beats. They remind me of another band from this era, the Subways, who play a similar style on their debut a couple years later. Actually, the Vines sound isn't unique or original, there are bands that do it better, but it was better than par for 2002.

decent record

The first song was so shit that I was mentally writing another “no Turn on the Bright Lights but this”. It turned out to have a few good songs, though. Extremely EA Sports mid-2000s game menu core. Bland garage rock with a psychedelic twist. Just a hair above a 2

Not sure what happened here, I loved their 2nd album, which included some of these songs in better versions - one of my early iPod favourites, but this is all a bit meh apart from Get Free

примерно такие громковатые плосковатые как я помню (сколько до этого слышала? две? три?), интересный местами альбом но слишком долго слушать это сложно

A little disappointed. The songs all felt short and uninspired. They gradually got longer as the album progressed and a little more passionate. Idk, was hoping for a lot of “Get Free” power

There are some good song, but not enough that I can comfortably give this a 4. The ballads are what really hold this album back, they are all just so bland. It doesn't help that he doesn't have the best voice. I don't think this is an album I needed to listen to. It is okay at best, but I don't think it really had a big impact on anyone. Their one hit is just a copy of Nirvana's Breed (which came out 11 years before). I don't know enough about the garage rock revival movement, but the strokes came out a year before, so they weren't breaking new ground in that aspect either.

Nirvana tribute band? They make a good noise.

Mid

Feels longer than 50 minutes, I don’t think I will be listening to this again. Not bad tho.

I rushed to the shops to buy this when it came out. Was loving, and still do, the upbeat singles Highly Evolved and Get Free. But the album had too many slower songs for my liking so felt like a bit of a let down

Not bad, but nothing special either. Hardly the next Nirvana though

Noisy on a day when I wanted tranquility, light and fun.

Yet another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex I remember when this came out and I was rocking out to Get Free and Outtathaway! and the UK media were hailing the The Vines as the next Nirvana... and then they weren't. Still, I enjoyed the album at the time, a good mix of alternating tracks between grunge and mellow.

3.5

Fine, but not exactly memorable.

Good

Fine. Pretty enjoyable. 3.5

Alternative rock. I was getting heavy Nirvana vibes through this one. Switches from slow songs to fast ones pretty often which keeps it interesting, but I wasn’t a big fan of the screaming vocals on the faster songs. Still a good album.

2.5 - Yeah...think I'm missing something on this one. It sounded pretty generic

Its not bad, but feels totally inessential to the list. The Vines were a dime a dozen in the early 2000s. Fave Tracks: Factory maybe, Mary Jane, 1969 2.9/5

This was okay. It’s just real basic and nothing really intrigued me

Some good variety of styles here that make a decent album, although it's not something that I'd go back to.

Fairly standard indie rock from my teenage years - recognised a few songs but they were never really my thing. But an easy listen so we’ll rate it mid

I enjoyed it

Okay

I was there at the time and thought they were over rated back then. Some good songs but in hindsight the genius tag was just too much pressure for the band.

strong album. full of emotion throughout the songs.

I started out being quite pleasantly surprised by this, but it fairly rapidly became a chore. It descends.

They sound like the inspiration for The Strokes. Good album

Nothing revolutionary, but still a nice throwback to the music I enjoyed in my early teens. It did make me giggle to realize I knew “Get Free” from Weird Al’s “Angry White Boy Polka.”

Blegh. It’s very much an album from 2001. And not a very good or original effort. Some of the songs sound fine, garage-y stuff that reminds me of Jet or Fran’s Ferdinand. It’s stuff that would show up on an EA sports game in 2003, you’d go yeah that’s okay, and never think about it again.

Lacks the lasting power. I remember when get free came out and I don’t remember thinking it was anything special, I feel about the same for the rest of the album. At times it has some intricate indie kicks, and the screaming is alright. Just not a go to.

Rock alternativo, garage punk. Entre 3 y 4, pero como no permiten decimales, un 3.

Good

Razor sharp, high energy aussie rock revival from the 2000's. I like its simplistic and still hard hitting rythmns with sparkly polished vocal and musical melodies that catapult the album into peak 2000's rock. Some really iconic riffs and chorus movements on this album.

Solid but standard early 2000s rock album.

Ok, in an ordinary sort of way

Not terrible, not amazing. Some decent tracks, nothing to make me sit up and re-listen. I reckon 3 stars is about right.

Some great songs but doesn't really come together cohesively.

OK, but kind of generic rock. Kind of like the Hives to me. I only knew "Get Free" before hearing this album. Favorite track: Probably Factory. I liked the Ska feel.

This album sounds like a combination of Nirvana and The Beatles, In all the most derivative ways. You can almost pick out from song to song what the influence was. There was a single track on here that I wrote enjoyed though.

6 / 10 Grunge de los 2000. Por momentos recuerdan mucho a Nirvana, con lo cual son poco originales. De todas formas no están mal.

Punky, with harsh vocals, but did have some more melodic stuff towards the end

Ok

Nice sounding album would like to hear it again and see if it’s better than what I thought so based on my initial read, it’s a three

In retrospect it's pretty laughable how highly punted these guys were. Not bad, just not particularly memorable.

What happens when a band of the garage revival and post-Britpop scenes decides to also imitate Nirvana, AiC, and the Beatles? If they're good like The Vines, it could actually be some refreshing when you run out of their catalog. They play passionately and there are several standouts, showing they did know what made Nirvana shine at least to some extent. They do go overboard with the exaggerated screaming and distortion, and there is quite a bit of repetition. Several weak songs and lack of innovation, but it's consistent albeit exhausting. Favorites: Outtathaway, Get Free, Factory, In the Jungle

I don't know if it's really all that unique, but I had a (pretty) good time listening. It might blend together a bit, but that's okay.

Solid lil rock album

I really tried to like this album when it came out, and for several years after, but it just never grabbed me. It's fine...I don't HATE it or anything, but it's just kinda okay. Nothing special. Mostly forgettable, kinda spazzy, kinda noisy, kinda melodic...it's okay.

I may have heard of The Vines in passing, but I'm not familiar with any of their music. I listened to a lot of alternative rock radio around the time this album came out, so as I listened to this album, I found myself comparing it to that sort of music. The Vines are clearly pretty talented instrumentalists; the guitars playing and drumming is pretty solid, and the songs that feature piano or organ playing sound good too. I thought Craig Nicholls's vocals were unique, and his singing was pretty good throughout the album. There are a few pretty interesting songs scattered throughout this album ("Homesick," "Into The Jungle," "Mary Jane," and "Ain't No Room" were probably my favorites), but the majority of the songs here felt pretty generic to me, and weren't far removed from the sound that was all over FM alternative stations in the early aughts. This album wasn't bad, but I don't think I'd be able to pick out many songs from it if I ever heard them again. I think The Vines are a talented group, but this album just didn't land with me.

The comments on similarities with Nirvana are not unfair but the album stands on its own. I've never come across the Vines and while I wouldn't seek out more of their catalog this was OK.

Finally! An album that didn’t start 4 different genres or define a decade. Just a solid selection of indie rock that channels Nirvana and others without being too derivative. Melodic at times, thrashy at others. Solid.

Passed me by at the time, thought they were just shouty. More melodic than expected and sounded good. Strong 3.

Enjoyable for a time, but a good amount of duds in the end. The fuzzy distortion is always fun. Fav tracks: Get Free, Highly Evolved

A very solid rock album though there’s not a lot on it that really grabbed me. Definitely sounds very “of the time” for that early 2000s rock revival. Best song: Get Free

Just ok. Some ok songs and some I didn't like. I liked "Homesick" best.

Best wel nice

Album 382 of 1001 The Vines - Highly Evolved Rating : 3.5 / 5 Good album. Would likely go back and listen again. I read there are some Nirvana comparisons. In style, maybe, but not in the final product. "debut studio album by Australian alternative rock band The Vines. It was released on 14 July 2002"

There are some good songs reminding me of Queens of the Stone Age and others, but there is also weaker material and ugly shouting.

This is right up my street, 00’s rock clearly inspired by Nirvana. Arguement this comes across as a poor nirvana tribute act, I can see that but also think it’s got its own sound and merits to deserve to be on the list. Not sure how likely I will come back to it though so a 3 stars for now.

- Mum, I want a Nirvana CD. - Son, but we have Nirvana at home. Nirvana at home:

Rock alternativo, garage punk. Entre 3 y 4, pero como no permiten decimales, un 3.

Nirvana rip off and it didn't blow me away

Had its moments but then the hard grunge kicked in , and I had to move on..

Oh wow, The Vines are on this list! I had forgotten about them, but this album was in regular rotation for me in the early 2000's.

This was OK. There was more screaming than I expected. I just feel like so many rock albums that sound similar on the list is what is making those rock albums so monotonous-sounding.

Meh

PAIR. Perfectly Acceptable Indie Rock.

Some good moments - and despite all the hype I thought more homage to Beatles than Nirvana - but overall despite a good sound and production it didn't have any stand out songs. I think the hype was willing them to do well rather than recognising their limitations.

Alternative rock from Australia.

Dug this LP quite a bit in high school and I think that’s about the level it’s good for. Not a dig in any sense, this is well-executed rock with some fun guitar and appropriately grimy vocals, but at the end of the day it’s more snack food than Michelin star meal.

Nicht super, nicht scheisse. Nett zum nebenbei dudeln lassen, aber auch nicht mehr. 2,7.

6/10 Highlights: Get Free Country Yard

Idk not great not terrible prefered the second half I guess

Fun very of it's era

Decent Punk Vibe.

Fun 2000 grunch

really liked this, I'd never even heard of them before

not awful but overrated – it's mostly very generic garage rock with some grunge-y influences. there are hundreds of bands that sound exactly the same. Get Free is the standout song

Du bon garage rock, mais rien de révolutionnaire ou de si mémorable. Les variations de styles étaient bien, mais globalement je ne comprends pas comment cet album se démarque des autres du genre. 6/10

7/10