Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Outside of the one big hit on there it's a really underwhelming album. I'm sure it was great in 2002 but I don't think I needed to listen to it now, it was fine.
This is just fine, doesn't seem that different from a lot of other stuff in the world. Don't get how it could be considered one of the best albums ever.
This is an incredibly weird one, and I think my first real instance of 'why's *this* here?' - if you want slightly schlubby pub-rock garage from this era, then do Wolfmother or Jet, both of whom have albums I would have enjoyed listening to more than this.
Kinda shouty and annoying for my taste.
I was really into the garage revival of this period, and The Vines were not of any interest to me (and still aren't). They would show up in video game soundtracks and whatnot, but I don't know anyone who was into them, never heard them at bars, etc. So many better examples of this genre.
A lesser version of VU, pretending to be a lesser version of Nirvana, presaging being a lesser version of the White Stripes. Don’t see how this is anyone’s essential listening
There’s something about early 2000s rock that is I fulfilling. When it’s on, it’s pretty good but I’m left feeling empty and hungry after 15 mins. Reading that they have been compared to nirvana annoys me- he is defnitwy trying to channel scott weiland or Kurt but comes across as a bad impression.
They're alright. I was totally unfamiliar. Nirvana knockoff. Not terrible, but not required listening. Best Songs Homesick Country Yard Mary Jane
Boring average
4/10
Ei ihmeempää jäänyt käteen. Kitaraa ja bändimeininkiä.
Good singles, dull fillers.
Nothing special and also kinda annoying.
I'm a big fan of 00's indie and was happy to see the first such album pop up here... but this isn't the one. Lead singer has a good scream and the single is okay, but ultimately this feels very digital and manufactured. Starts off sounding like a commercial attempt at cashing in on a genre that was exploding at the time, and ends feeling like songs from a fictional teen movie about an indie band.
2 stars - there were so many more interesting bands out of the 2000s garage revival. This was not one. This is very generic and overall boring. I couldn't finish the thing.
Sounds like a Colin Furze video. Mary Jane was good!
In a nutshell: lightning in a bottle. Highly Evolved is likeable garage rock. I remember buying the CD when it came out and loved the droning swampiness of the guitar. It's only in the book because the UK press gushed over it just as The Strokes and The Hives were taking off. It reached platinum in Australia and won an ARIA… But speaking as an Aussie elder millennial who straddled the airwaves of youth radio and commercial radio for decades, I don’t believe this is the best example of indie rock from that era. Many Australian music aficionados wouldn't rate this in their top 10 Australian rock albums from the 2000’s. Instead of listening to Highly Evolved, I encourage you to find albums by artists that gave The Vines a leg up: You Am I (Hi Fi Way and Hourly Daily), The Living End (self titled) and Grinspoon (Guide to Better Living and New Detention). Overall: 3/10
Absolute landfill swill. Music to advertise your mild spec, affordable, small, 'youthful' hatchback to. Must have been a slow day round at Robert Dimery's gaff when he decided to put this on the list 😅
not my thing. 2/5
Didn't like.
Fatigued
Not great… did listen and gave it a fair shot. Not for me.
A lot of garage rock revival from the generator lately. I liked this more than The Hives, but not too much more. Honestly, I enjoyed the Britpop-leaning tracks (well, maybe just "Homesick") more than the straightforward alt-rock ones, which were just not very interesting. I'm surprised to read that The Vines were compared to Nirvana of all bands. I can maybe hear a bit of that on “In the Jungle”, but it’s too polished and careful. Just get a load of those perfectly-mixed hand claps and that "All right! Oh yeah!" declaration.
Not that cool imo
Fine. Not very imaginative.
For about half the album they sound like a knock-off Nirvana. Most of the rest sounds like other grunge / Brit-pop bands. And a couple that sounds like the kinks.
Like Mary Jane. None of the rest stood Out
2.5
I'm a bit of a sucker for indie garage punk bullshit, but even I can see that while this activates my neurons to a certain degree, there is just no practically no songwriting, personality or anything at all to grab onto.
Not horrible. Not great. Not original.
God some of these albums are so forgettable
Just because you love Nirvana doesn't mean that you should start a band.
So, how's your Nirvana cover band doing?
One of those ones that’s just so middle-of-the-road to me I can’t even understand why it’s been included. Forgotten it already. (1.5 stars)
Yeeaaaaah
The album your mom likes and thinks it will make her hip with the current generation. ⭐⭐1/2
meeeeh
Brash and clashy, with growling lyrics and the guitar sounds of grunge on cocaine. It feels altogether empty, although I might just be hungry for meaning today.
Not a winner for me…
So so. Love Outtathaway but the rest of the album left me feeling empty.
Maybe had I got into this when I was 20 it would’ve spoke to me. Mostly this came off as generic. 2.5/5
Obviously trying to emulate Nirvana, not pulling it off.
It's one of those albums that listening to it itself wasn't that bad but it's just a boring, forgettable early 00s alternative rock album without any innovation and it doesn't belong on this list imho.
Very of its time which isn’t saying much. Pretty forgettable.
Don't really hear anything in this band that I have not heard already. It's not bad, just should not be on this list.
Paved the way for The TikToks. I wish this bland album was as short as a proper vine
Day445 - i’m not much of a fan of early 2000”s rock but get free saved this from a one star
Canción destacada: Highly Evolved
The first time I listened to The Vines' Highly Evolved, I took an unintentional nap in the middle of it and awoke to hear the album's end. To do justice to my listening I gave it a second go-around, only to be caught up in miscellaneous endeavors that included washing dishes. Is my acquaintance with Highly Evolved indicative of how I feel about it musically? No, I feel as though there are solid moments throughout. But I do feel that not every hyped up early millennium garage rock revivalist band needs to be propped up to the point of reaching such lists as this. If this is how highly evolved indie rock could be, might as well place it in the background while better things are going on. Favorites: Highly Evolved, Autumn Shade, Outtathaway, Sunshinin, Country Yard, Mary Jane.
Nope. I didn’t need to hear this before I die.
Having heard it I’m not going to listen to it again. Nothing special or interesting here.
It’s….ok
A few decent, punky tracks and a few that feel a bit dirge-y
Music for Zach Braff
HIGHLY EVOLVED = Excellent Opener But suddenly drops in quality on #2, #3... Either I'm just not in the mood for this or it's really boring. Although, HOMESICK seems really good (lead vocals, answering vocals, guitar), but at 4:53, a tad too long. I guess if you were stoned, though... Somehow, GET FREE has generated 101,466,521 plays on Spotify. Perhaps a glitch in the counting program. In sun, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 🥱🥱 ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 75 🎧 LPs left to review: 924 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 17 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 19 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 20
Another album I liked well enough musically but just could not vibe with the vocals, especially when they floated over into more “screaming” than singing.
These guys just don't know on which side their bread is buttered. I had heard three songs from them previously - "Get Free", the title track, and "Ride" - all of which are banging rockers. The first two are really the only rockers and the only bangers on this CD - in contrast to my expectations based on those three songs, this CD is loaded with boring slow ballads. It's especially strange because (a) the singer seems like a real screamer and (b) my stereotype of Australian rock bands is they don't know how to play anything slower than 140 bpm. Aside from those two singles, the only other track I really like is "Ain't No Room", which is less inspired but at least it's fun and fast. If they'd written just a CD's worth of material like that, this would be a fair bit better. I do kind of like the 60s psychedelic feel, it's drone-y in the style of "Rain" - but just can't get over the slow pace. Their producer really dropped the ball on this one - all he'd have to say was "Lads" (I assume he would address them as "lads"), "your rockers are great, let's do away with some of the ballads now, roight?"
Homesick //
Meh.
A mediocre disc by a band that completely passed me by. Not terrible, just not very interesting. Apparently I wasn't missing much.
They’re trying really hard and one can hear them trying really hard.
Not terrible, but also not near top 1,000.
Pretty obnoxious rock posturing. There’s some good energy and a decent sound, but for the most part it just doesn’t hit. There are better avenues for this kind of thing.
Quite blaah, lukewarm.
Everything about this screams The Hives to me, they're just not as good. I think I've gotten these two bands mixed up many times before, which has led to strange discussions. The Vines have a whiff of garage about them, but not enough for my taste, so they're just another pop group with a touch of flavour to them. Some of the tracks feel off, like it's pop, but producer told them to add some scream in there and more distortion to the guitars. Or the band wanted to do full blast garage, but the producer came in and smoothed things down just a touch... nah, this is not it. It feels out of whack and lopsided. Forced even.
when i started this album, something strange happened. i couldn’t explain it, but even though i had never even heard of this band, the music sounded very familiar. a few songs in i realized why i felt this way… they sound like ANY GENERIC OPENING BAND FOR ANY ROCK SHOW I HAVE EVER BEEN TO.
I feel like the British press may have hyped this one up a bit too much. It's fine. I wouldn't particularly say that it deserves a spot on this list purely based on the music. I can't really recall many tunes from it and I've literally just finished listening. It just didn't excite me like good albums do. It didn't grab me by the neck and make me sit up and listen. I found it to be pretty generic in all honesty. Feel like I want to say more but can't really think of anything else to comment on. If you like this kind of music, you'll probably love it. I found it alright. Just another 2000's alternative rock album.
Up and down for me as far as the songs went, usually somewhere between "I wouldn't kick this song out of bed" to "I would definitely kick this song out of bed, I drank too much tequila last night, and that led to a really bad decision."
Really just doesn't do much for me. The songs are super generic and repetitive. Maybe one or two songs worth coming back for but certainly not enough to justify the placement on this list. 4/10
Not sure why this is on the list. Not exactly bad but it sounds like generic grunge, but 10 years too late. 2.5 stars
kinda bland
more medium ass rock that has me asking once again, why do I need to hear this before I die?
What an Earth is this doing in this list? It’s not offensive but it’s very mediocre. I remember the name “The Vines” and the album artwork from the time but had a soliton compunction to investigate further. Listening to it, every track sounds like a blander version of someone else: Nirvana then Radiohead, then the Stooges, The Beatles… etc. I’ve said this about another 2000s band I think, but I imagine his sounds amazing (or at least slightly better than average) if you’ve never heard any other music before.
Struggled through this one….
I don't buy the Nirvana comparisons, This is all too slick and the songs lack a sort of authentic grit that you need for a good first album with this genre. If the whole album were like Get Free, those comparisons would make more sense to me. Oh boy, Factory is where this thing starts to take an unpleasant path for me.
Meh… there are some good tunes on here, but I really don’t think there is anything extraordinary which makes it one of the most important albums in history
Rating: 3.5/10 Why is this on the list?
Definitely too loud for me, but unlike many (many!) other albums I’ve listened to the past year, I could hear the musicality. I can understand why someone might like it.
i didnt know anyone made music like this in earnest ...
maybe deserves a 3 because there was some good stuff hidden in here but overall not a fan so we’ll go high 2
Highly average garage rock from Australia. I approached this album four times, and each time I got distracted after the first song. Even giving it my undivided attention was not helping. It just wasn't too intersting, quite contrary, it was a bit off-putting. Not really a fan of this band.
Gear: Fostex TH610 Artwork: 🌿🌹🌿 Production: 🎧🔪🩸 Music: 🎸😵💫🤷♂️ Rating: 🌿(🌿)/5
Finished but it wasn't particularly good or memorable
too rowdy for me
Very mid.
Pretty obvious nirvana influence on this record. Which is nothing bad but it didn't reach near highs so it makes it feel underwhelming. Still i few songs that i pretty liked a certain amount. After that there's not much left. 2.5/5.0
Yeah goes okay, high twos
if this album had come out five years earlier and I’d heard it at 15 or 16 I think I would’ve loved it. But looking back and looking at the timeline, seven years after the Foo Fighters’ first album, it feels completely derivative and, 22 years on, completely uninteresting.
Get Free is the hit on this record, but beyond me reminiscing about it on a Big Shiny Tubes album, there isnt anything else here thats worth sticking around for. Pretty generic indie rock, thats it.
I can’t fathom how this album made the list. Talented Aussie dog c*nts for sure, but there’s absolutely nothing on here that feels original or worthwhile. “Get Free” is fine but it’s better in the “Angry White Boy Polka” by Weird Al. Is Weird Al even on this list?!?
What am I missing here? It’s just meh.
reminded me of The Downward Spiral at times but idk it wasnt that interesting
Nice enough
naah is hem toch net niet, voel hem niet, veel skip nummers
apparently i listened to the whole thing in the car and didn’t pay great attention. its ok.
Not very impressed. Some good riffs but too much distortion and the vocals were too strained for me. Some parts sounded like other things but maybe they sound like them.
Why is this on this list?
Not a fan. I've grown to like and appreciate a lot of their contemporaries from this era (the Hives, the Strokes as examples), but the Vines still just sound a little too much like they're reaching for an aggressive style that seems phony to me.
What if Nirvana tried to be The Beatles and sucked at it?
A very average rock / punk album. Nothing to write home about at all but pleasant to have on in the background and not have to concentrate on. There are some fun songs and high energy in moments making some of the tracks good. Homesick and get free for example is great. Favourite song: Homesick Least favourite: 1969 Album artwork: Cool cover though
its been pretty annoying so far, 'homesick's alright, some of the riffs are alright, punk isnt my thing like at all so. For an abum with such good guitar tones its pretty underwhelming. i quite like 'country yard' for its harmonies but if i want harmonies i'll just go the beach boys, and even in rare moments of enjoyment you get an absolute piece of shit tune like 'factory that totally fucking obliterates the vibe and or mood. feels more like a couple good songs and tonnes of badly written upbeat funk punk or whatever the fuck the intolerable parts are (which is most of it). again 'mary jane' is okay which is then immediately followed by 'aint no room' which features a guitar line remeniscent of an air raid siren, and equally as pleasant as one.
Meh. Trying to be Nirvana and Oasis at the same time is hard. And these guys came up short. Not sure why this album is one I must hear before I die. 2⭐️
Didn’t do much for me. Nothing specual
ROCK OON CAMOON!!! VITTU MIKÄ STREAKKI ATM
Generic and dated sounding alt rock. Not for me. I feel like there are 5 other albums on this list that sound exactly like this.
A lot of fine energy and production, but these songs just weren't moving me.
This initially sounds pretty gnarly, but devolves into a series of pastiches all vaguely orbiting an alternative rawk nexus. For the first ten seconds or so of a number of these tunes, I am minded to think of other, superior tracks. So, there's one track that reminds me of 'Trampolene' by Julian Cope; another apes as Stone Temple Pilots. Yet the dream quickly evaporates, and the promise of great music snatched away. 'In The Jungle' is good. I remember selling this album at my weekend job and it seemed to stick around on the charts for an age.
Bland boring forgettable
Good singles, average everything else. I am not offended but won't be going back for further listens. There was a rash of these bands in the UK charts at this time, The Datsuns, The Von Bondies, Cooper Temple Clause, just straight ahead noisy rock. Kind of stuck between Mansun and Arctic Monkeys, these guys just never went anywhere.
Definitely not bad but got quite repetitive - need to be stricter on ratings so they're only going to get 2.4 but some alright songs.
Derivative and limited. I was wondering what the specific noise on the record was, beneath the guitars, drums and vocals, but it turned out to be the sound of a barrel being scraped. (A generous) 2 🌟
I lol’ed at the youtube video of the crowd moshing around and crowd surfing while the band passionately flopped down on the stage with their guitars for extreme, hardcore, guitar shredding… for a song that was definitely NOT that vibe.
Very bland. Nothing stood out.
kinda boring
Nothing special.
Utterly boring to my ears.
Swap this for something that is not drivel from England.
I don’t think you need to hear The Vines before you die - there are dozens of better noughties guitar bands, in my opinion. Get Free is exquisitely angsty and the rest is fine, it’s just that their songs all tend to sound derivative of a hundred other bands. Considering I’m judging this alongside the best albums history (supposedly) has to offer, I can’t give it more than a 2.5.
Pre-listening thoughts: I once again have never heard of this band or album. I’m so used to that atp. I’m like kind of growing resentful towards the guy who made this list for including SO MUCH British/aussie rock, like cmon man we don’t need to hear ALL of these before we die. We shall see though Post/during listening thoughts: this might be a little too heavy for my personal tastes. I don’t think I like this. Autumn shade is like whiplash from the title track. Is this classified as singing or just rhythmic yelling? I would almost like Outtathaway if this guys voice were tolerable. Some of this isn’t terrible when they actually sing! It’s like if Radiohead and Guns n Roses had a terrible lovechild. That octave singing in Country Yard is AWFUL. In The Jungle is like Welcome to the Jungle’s awful awful nephew. The “fav tracks” section on here is more like tracks I tolerated lol. You know what’s tragic is I love the album art, it looks like a video game! Sorry aussies 3/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nope Fav tracks: Autumn Shade, Sunshinin, Homesick, Mary Jane Least fav tracks: Highly Evolved, Outtathaway, Get Free, Country Yard, In the Jungle
Like the garage rock, enjoyable and with an interesting mix of different songs, homesick is a little slower and get free really kicks it heavier. I'm stuck between a 2/3 for this one, it's good but I don't know if I would say it's great. There are flashes for me throughout
Nothing original going on here.
more like the very annoyings
It's kinda okay?? Nothing special
i had “get free” saved. it still hits. the rest idk man
Tan normal que ni me he enterado de qué va.
It’s fun but it isn’t much more in my opinion. A very decent listen but I do find myself surprised that this made the list with all the great albums put out in the early 2000s.
the most mediocre rock album i've heard in my entire existence i hope it burns
very clearly inspired by Nirvana which makes me wonder why am I listening to this and not Nirvana 2/5
If you like the White Stripes, The Strokes, Jet, Franz Ferdinand, or any of those other bands in the stripped down, lofi garage band genre, you'll love this. I think it sucked because it's very demonstrative of that shit genre that nobody asked for, and I'm pretty sure nobody ACTUALLY likes. The only thing I enjoyed about this was skipping songs halfway through, knowing that it would allow me to stop listening that much sooner. Highly Evolved: monotone screaming, shit guitar riff, lack of melody. Unlistenable. Skipped after half the song Autumn Shade: far better Outthatway: not quite as bad as Highly Evolved, but in the same terrible vein. There's a melody, at least. Skipped halfway through Sunshinin: not a-melodic, but mostly monotone vocals. Dislike. Skipped halfway through Homesick: best song so far. Still sucked. Skipped a little after halfway during guitar solo Get Free: trying to be grunge, but doing a bad lofi impression. Skipped during first bridge Country Yard: definitely solidifies my distaste for "lofi trying to sound like the Beatles" genre. Skipped Factory: fun opening ska-like riff. Maintained that ska-like energy through MOST of the song. It was ok until the chorus(?). Skipped after the second one In the jungle: fuck this list. Skipped Mary Jane: shit Ain't no room: worse 1969: unenjoyable. Thank goodness this is the last song There sure is a LOT of hot garbage on this list of albums everyone "MUST" listen to before they die. Is there some sort of subtext I'm missing there? Like, does the author think you should listen to garbage noise every once in a while to appreciate good music or something?
I always mix up the Vines and the Hives, which does neither group any favors. In the early aughts we were mad thirsty for straight-forward guitar rock and thusly forgave a lot of what tumbled out of garages across the globe. This doesn't strike me as the most authentic of the cohort: this is the Plain White Tees school of every song wanting to be a single, and the one breakout (Get Free) stands out as an aberration, the one idea that inexplicably stuck to the wall.
Ewww
I really like this genre, but I wasn't crazy about this album. I think there are plenty of other options that scratch this itch better for me. Purely on musical taste, this is a 3-star for me, but I feel like I should drop it a star because it's toward the bottom of the ranking for this genre to me.
Kind of boring
Quite Commercial. Struggling to figure out who this album was for. Very energetic yet verrrry generic sounding. Everything is well-recorded, but nothing seems to have a reason why it was recorded. I kept asking myself, “why?” Why was this album made? Is this pre-iPodification of all rock music, or does this just sound like an Apple ad because it was latched onto after the fact? I really don’t like this sound, but I’m just struggling to picture the person who does. Who listens to this?? 2/5
Lacking depth. Definitely not the second coming of Nirvana or whatever that journalist said.
I think one era of grunge rock was enough.
Pretty generic rock album, some nirvana influences can be heard (I.e. last track) 2.5
This album confused me. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. It felt like when the tone changed from song to song I couldn't read the intention behind it.
✅Fun, easy listening. I saw somewhere that this was removed from newer editions of the book, and don't really have a lot of feelings about that. But I had a good time
Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. Hullu? Olin Hullu Kerran. He lukitsivat minut huoneeseen. Kumihuone. Kumihuone, jossa on rottia. Ja rotat tekevät minut hulluksi. country yard
Sounds like jet, which is one of the worst bands ever. 2 stars for technically not being jet. I would love a good album next…
too punk rock whiney
I distinctly remember buying this album on CD when it came out, reading through the lyric book, being somewhat enthralled by its odd mix of Beatles meets Nirvana sound. It’s possible the author of 1001 has similar nostalgia because in retrospect this band was a blip on the radar of early 2000s garage rock revival, and this album is mainly a snooze with some pretty weak lyrics (really, Outtathaway?) and pretty average songs. Doesn’t belong on this list, period.
Totally ehh on it
Nothing special, just typical alt-rock without anything interesting. 2/5
They sound great, but I’m not sure what their sound is. They oscillate between Nirvana, Blue Oyster Cult, Oasis, and the Beatles. Hedging their bets for some money-making to be sure. Not a bad plan, just doesn’t grab me. Factory is a Beatles-style bop that sticks in my head.
It's pleasant enough, but I have no idea why this is on the list. As in: Zero idea. Particularly considering it's an Australian band while other Australian acts like Midnight Oil and Regurgitator, which were much more groundbreaking at their time, are missing.
um kind of forgettable to me, sorry. feels like an okay album to throw on in the background and forget about. it just feels very much like a lot of stuff that was coming out around this time. sorry!
Wildly inconsistent. The screamo singing was an unwelcome surprise. Autumn Shade, Country Yard and In The Jungle were fun but I just kept thinking if how much this band isn't the Arctic Monkeys. Interesting time capsule but not that good.
Garbage rock
Favorite Track: Get Free
Alright
This is not really my cup of tea, mostly sanitised Nirvana-lite with the edges sanded off. It's never really bad, never really good, Get Free is the best song on the album but not much to write home about. A high 2/5.
00’er rock, en gammel lyd i nye klæder
Boring
Tan normal que ni me he enterado de qué va.
Just doing my part at keeping all the boring Brit-pop down in the ratings. (Yes I know they are Aussie). Uninspired. 2.08 per track.
I was familiar with one song, Get Free. That it is a good song, but it is the only good song on the entire album. Everything else sounds completely different and is not memorable.
10 years later, and everyone was still looking for the next Kurt Cobain. I’ll save everybody the trouble: the Second Coming wasn’t going to happen. Lord knows they tried. I remember every Rock magazine absolutely fawning over the lead singer and throwing him in our faces as some kind of wild new genius. That lasted for about a year. Then it wasn’t true anymore. It’s the part of the stardom machine that relentlessly chews up and spits out new talent. “Get Free” was just over two minutes of something interesting but nothing much else on this record is new and time hasn’t been kind to much of the ‘00s so-called “Rock revival.” New is just new—it doesn’t mean it’s truly inventive or lasting. It’s a fresh coat of paint that will need repainting in a few years. Then it’ll be just another layer, unseen and forgotten.
Alternative rock is hit or miss for me. And that's just what the songs on this album were, hit or miss.
Most of this album sounded like a mix of Stone Temple Pilots and the many post grunge alternative bands with "The" in their name (The Strokes, The Hives, The Killers, etc.) Only those bands did it better. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Unfortunately, this album is not very flattering... Very forgettable.
I remember when this album came out. I liked the unhinged nature of "Get Free," especially when it was performed live, but I felt the rest of the album was incredibly underwhelming. At this point, I feel the first 5 songs on the album plus "Get Free" are pretty good, and they are better than I remember. But from track 7 to the end, I found the album boring and often they were trying to do odd genres that just didn't work well, especially when mashed together. I could give this 3 stars because of how much I did like tracks 1 through 6, but that's less than half the album, and I still think they were so overrated, even at the time, and they don't belong on this list. The Hives were and still are so much greater in every way, have stood the test of time, and probably still aren't on this list while The Vines apparently are...
This sounds like my childhood (in the late 90s/early 2000s), but not the best parts of it.
I’ve liked Outtathaway & Get Free as those are memorable songs from that era, but nothing else on the album jumps out as great.
Huh. I remember seeing the "Ride" video a bunch on MTV, and liking the concept a lot. Never expected them on here, and I'm sure they'll get a bunch of hate. They're kind of grunge ish, but paint with the psychedelic colors that the (obviously hugely influential) Beatles did. It's fine? Heavier Oasis. Just nothing I need to hear before I die, I think. Favorite track: "Get Free"
I actually can’t believe this album is on here. It’s not bad but hardly an album you need to hear before you die. Get Free is a tune though.
I definitely go into this with preconceived notions. I worked in a major record store chain when this album released and undoubtedly listened to it dozens, if not a hundred, times at work. The fact I have no memory of the album, aside from disapproval and hating the single, doesn’t bode well. Of the early aughts garage revival with “the” bands, The Vines were easily my least favorite. Get Free annoyed the hell out of me. I vastly preferred The Hives and even The Strokes. Let’s see if 20 some odd years changes my mind… Most of this still listens like a dollar store version of Oasis. Get Free is the only track with any energy and it’s still annoyingly repetitive. Think I’d rather have dental surgery than ever listen to the droning Country Yard ever again. This album feels really directionless and shallow. These dudes were probably the best around in a weak local scene so they thought they could get by with songs that just poorly (yet in a painfully obvious manner) aped their influences while adding absolutely nothing interesting or novel. How a record exec bought the hype and splurged on the marketing to make them a one hit wonder is beyond comprehension. I really look forward to when this album ends. Too bad 1969 wants to do the same thing over and over again for 3 hours. Can’t always say my opinions as an 18 year old were valid, but I still agree with me on this album. You can miss this and die without regret.
The Vines - Highly Evolved 2000s Australian rock band. Loud, noisy, on the vain of band like early Strokes, Hives, White Stripes. Punk garage rock. I thought I was going to like this album, but the constant screaming/singing is just to much. 2/5
"Highly Evolved" is the debut studio album by Australian alternative rock band the Vines. There are a number of genres their music is put into including alternative rock, garage punk, pot-punk revival, post-grunge and neo-pyschdelia and that might be part of the problem. This album did incredibly well for a debut reaching #3 in the UK and #11 in the US. "Highly Evolved" opens things up. There's a grungy guitar, a handclap beat and lead vocalist Craig Nichols screaming. On "Outtathaway," they actually get a groove going. A nice winding guitar solo (best descriptor I could think of). Their fourth and final single "Homesick" slows things down. It's a nice pop song with harmonies, a piano and an added guitar later. The guitar-piano melody has a hair metal vibe. Get your lighters out. The only song I remember from this album is "Get Free." There's a wah-wah guitar and driving melody. I got to be honest; this has to be their best attempt at the Stone Temple Pilots (take that as you may). The album closes with "1969." Pyschedelic dual guitars. The soft-loud-soft dynamic. The song speeds up. I guess their giving their own versions of "Freebird" and "Down By the River." At least this was fairly interesting. This album was just OK. It is better than the 4.1/10 Pitchfork rating but not by much. They do a variety of styles: grunge, pyschedelia, hard rock, hair metal and cod reggae. But, most the songs just didn't grab me or my attention. I was trying to think of who they really reminded me of and my streaming service gave it to me as the next song played after the album ended: fellow Aussie's Jet. So, if like Jet, have at it; you'll probably like this album.
Meh… like most of this 2000 garage stuff, it was pleasant enough to listen to and completely forgotten after.
Not a fan really.
Avrage guitar hero musik. 2000- talets rämpytys rock. Int i min smak.
I am generally not a fan of "NME-core", and I am coming to the frightening realization that a lot of the 90s-present albums on this list could fall under that purview... I really don't understand the acclaim of this album. It's like shoving brit-pop and Nirvana in a blender and removing all the heart. "Homesick" might be the worst track I've heard in this project so far. Somehow "Get Free" just passed me by completely, maybe it's bc I wasn't old enough, but everyone is talking like it's this massive song and I do not recognize it at all. I like the Beatles "ahhhhhs" on "Country Yard" I'll admit. Ok but immediately following it, "Factory" trying to do the sing-songy Paul McCartney "Penny Lane" type vibe into a grunge breakdown sounds like it should be really cool on paper, but this SUCKS I'm sorry. Instead of listening to this album, you'll have a better time if you put Nevermind and Sgt Peppers on a playlist and hit shuffle.
My brain is trying to convince me that I have heard of this band before, but I just don't recognize any of the songs. That's not to say that the songs aren't good, in fact I really like them for the most part. A solid 3 stars for me.
Tan normal que ni me he enterado de qué va.
That was not very good and had to push myself to finish it. Sorry to say but no song had great appeal.
It’s not as bad as some of my other 2s, it’s just kind of whatever. Sounds like all the other samey alt rock of its era. It has a couple cool things going for it (Schnapf’s very Elliott Smith production on Country Yard, ska-like upstrokes on Factory, modern psych rock sound on the fittingly-titled 1969) but they’re too few and far-between to save the rest of it. Honestly might make a 3 in isolation but on a list with limited spots, I’m getting real tired of all the 2000s Britpop (sorry Oz, that includes you too)
Not for me.
Meh not really impressed - just seemed like generic pop-punk
Sound a little messy.
Britpop band tries Nirvana. Nothing mind-blowing; Get Free is still a great track though.
Album radio was Black keys, that was great! This isn’t
Very meh
Not awful but didn't overly grab me. Felt a bit like opening credits movie for a movie at times. Won't revisit but I've heard worse.
This is fine. It's not doing anything that catches my attention or pops. Probably won't revisit.
TBH it started off like i was gonna like it. its cool they are aussies and i def remember them all over mtv and commercials back in the day. I do love the album art. But there are some songs that really sound like they are on autopilot.
2.5
forglemmeligt 00'er indie 🤷 not for me
The Vines er virkelig ikke et af de garagerock bands der hedder The <...>s fra 00erne som jeg har hørt et mest. Var overrasket over hvor psykedelisk det var! Altså cool nok, men jeg har allerede glemt alle sangene
General thoughts: To be honest, this is not the kind of alternative rock I like. The sound is very 2000's, the worst decade for rock, at least for me. Loud guitars can be nice, but they feel empty somehow. I Apreaciate the singer's enthusiasm, but he tires me a lot. Feels rushed, with a lot of throwaway songs or songs that feel really simillar between each other. When they tried to think outside of the box in 'Homesick' they simply couldn't. Lyrics are kinda emo too, not cool emo, cringy emo. *Outstanding songs: Country yard Cover: Kinda tematic, nice art, doesn't stick in the head though. Real rating: 2.0 *This album had me change my template from 'Favorite songs' to 'Outstanding songs'. I was putting 4 to 5 stars ranked songs in that section and this album has none of those. Don't want to make it sound like they're whooah great songs so I had to rename the section. Instead I'll put selected songs ranked above the album average.
2/5. The short punk Nirvana-esque songs are really the standouts. The slower, long-winded songs lose me, just not the vibe or the strength of this album. Like it's not terrible but just boring, like a bunch of B-sides from Oasis. I'm also not a huge Nirvana fan in the first place so even the good songs weren't great, just okay.
Didn't enjoy it. Sort of guitar-based indie rock, but I don't like the vocals, arrangements or melodies.
Had never heard of The Vines before. Sounds like a toned-down Nirvana with some other elements added in. Not very compelling music, almost certainly will not listen again. If you want Australian rock-and-roll, please consider Wolfmother for all of your needs and interests. I’m pretty sure The Vines’ drummer left that band to join Wolfmother. Two stars.
2.5
Na
Very 2002.
Not as bad as the worst grunge bandwagon jumpers, not as good as anyone who actually tried. When this was current I disliked so many "The" bands that seem to answer the question "what if garage rock happened in expensive recording studios with all the instruments in isolation booths?". Come up with half a hook & then throw some chromatic chord shift instead of finishing it so you don't have to commit. It made music seem so stuck that when Canadian 'indie' hit the scene it seemed like everyone had been given permission to try again. It seemed as though rigid compartmentalizations had been broken through & you could try to synthesize your experiences into something you just thought was good. ha ha. The Vines try one song with a verse aping the Clash and a chorus aping Nirvana. ha ha. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
Never managed to grip me
Really like the album cover right off the bat. Really hate this guy's voice right off the bat. There ended up being a couple of OK songs, but this album was fighting an uphill battle the entire way and lost. Punk bad.
pretty boring but dosent hurt to listen to.
good band, not my taste.
Get Free is a banger but really it’s a pretty derivative record. Doesn’t offer that much at all and the other songs are pretty forgettable too
er zitten gitaren in, en het rockt, maar toch vond ik het niet heel interessant.
More like vineyard vines - 2 stars
felt like classic 00's rock which is funny because we got some better rock earlier this week. This felt like if Smashing Pumpkins lost their creativity. It was fine, but fine doesn't belong on this list.
Well, the good news is its not a British band: these guys are Australian. But the Ozzies are catching a stray today because this is yet another album in the parade of generic-sounding rock stuff. As usual, it's not bad, but what sets this apart? I could start scrolling through all my ratings so far and name off a handful of similarly generic, "why are they on here" bands. Too lazy to do it now, but this one would get the axe. A couple tracks I'll keep, but it's just not interesting. Favorite tracks: Outtathaway, Homesick. Album art: Maybe the best part about this one, I really like this cover. Great illustration, great use of color here, the green pops. And come on, it's depicting vines....for a band called The Vines. We love to see that. 2.5/5
How did they make this list.
This is another easy listen. Slightly dated sound, but pleasant. Overall a pleasurably average album. Favorite track: Factory
Scream rock
Kind of like The Hives but not as good? A garage revival band, but I'm not sure exactly what they're adding. I found this album at best super boring ("Mary Jane") and at worst really grating ("Factory"). Their big hit "Get Free" was a middling angsty yelly song that would be a throwaway track on a Sonics or Stooges record.
It's ok i guess. I can see where the Nirvana comparisons came from, not from the songwriting obviously, but the singer's voice and the way it drags out sometimes is similar to Cobain. The mix is really way too clean for something like this though, I need a bit more edge. Some of the harder rocking songs like Get Free are fun, but there's not enough of them.
The song selection is schizophrenic. The album has too many moods.
Eyeroll
Tan normal que ni me he enterado de qué va.
"Highly Evolved" but not particularly involving.
old wine in new bottles. very old wine, not very new bottles
Just making up the numbers in 90s indie. Sound like 6 other bands but doesn't improve on any
I remember this being pushed by the NME at the time and 'Get Free' being all over Kerrang TV. I suspect the British music press were looking to create a new music movement as a last-ditch to maintain some form of relevance in a rapidly changing media world. Unfortunately, in garage rock, they picked a fairly boring genre without a lot of variety and with little to say. The big singles from this album push the nirvana-esque sound. A style of music I find particularly dull. Going yeaaaah, ooooooh, heeeeey, over a loud minor chord says nothing other than you have nothing to actually say. Fortunately there are a handful of quieter, more subtle tracks on this record, which break up and balance the standard neo-grunge fairly well and make it a much more enjoyable listen. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Homesick Date listened: 17/09/23
It sounds like the sound track to Gran Turismo. I hate the soundtrack to Gran Turismo. Factory was a pleasant diversion though.
We had just gotten out of the 90s but for some reason The Vines wanted to take us straight back there.
Listened Before? N Someone got into their older brother's Nirvana records. Good for them, but it's no Nirvana. Lots of noise and oversimplified songs. Didn't hate it but probably won't listen again. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Get Free
They huffed and they puffed but they failed to blow the house down. A lot of noise and faux fury going nowhere.
Até achei que já tinha escutado, mas deve ter sido hives, whites ou algo similar e que soa com indie mais alegrinho.
I feel like his voice was just lazy… I was kind of impressed with “Mary Jane” I don’t know it was cool but otherwise I am not totally sure. It did get progressively better, but it’s not amazing.
Too much like Nirvana in enough spots to prevent the occasional breaches into legitimately-talented songwriting to shine through. Highlight: "Sunshinin" Not my bag. 4/10 2 stars.
Very mid.
Keskinkertainen. Ei purassut.
Kuulostaa tavanomaiselta rock-levyltä vuodelta 2002. Sanoisin 2,5/5 ja hämmennys listalle pääsystä pyöristää alas.
Boring and generic. Sounded like everyone else that came out around the same time. Maybe 2.5
Just because it’s loud indie doesn’t mean it’s good indie
Y dis on ze list
I just don’t see the point of all this
So generic. No hits.
Correct, genre de punk rock moyen ahah J'ai pas trop trippé ca sonne générique 2.75
2.7 - A pungent blend of runoff from various genres: grunge, neo-garage and Britpop. All masticated into a loud unappealing stew.
"The Vines were frequently compared to Nirvana". I'm not a Nirvana fan and can clearly see this is bullshit. Fuck the Brit loving music apologist that put this on the list of things to listen to before you fucking die. If you're compared to one of the greatest bands from a genre, you need to be better than them or shut the fuck up. 2.5/5.
Wasn't as bad as I feared, mainly because it's quite short. Sounds like a high school band playing their favorite '90s tunes in the local scout hut. Fair enough, I suppose, but I've seen friends in bands with much more talent and originality have no success, so it seems a bit unfair that something so elementary and derivative can make this bunch of drongos quite rich.
2.5
Australia's honest entry into the garage rock revival of the 2000's. Get Free was the hit song, and not without reason. The other songs, unfortunately, leave little impression. This is made doubly so by the back end of the album, which drags on until the very end. While it all sounds just fine, it barely registered in my brain that I listened to a full Vines album. That was just Get Free and a bunch of other noises. Whatever.
C+ Highly Evolved - 2 Autumn Shade - 3 Outtathaway - 3 Sunshinin - 2 Homesick - 4 Get Free - 2 Country Yard - 4 Factory - 3 In the Jungle - 2 Mary Jane - 3 Ain’t No Room - 3 1969 - 3 I really liked this album from the get-go thanks to its cover art. The music was really good, but I wasn't the right audience. When it spoke to me, it hit hard, but mostly it felt like it was speaking to others. Definitely an album I'll return to at some point.
In Country Yard singt der Sänger: „I'm tired of feeling sick and useless” und man möchte ihm zurufen: „Dann mach’ was aus deinem Leben und bitte keine Musik mehr!“ War dann der Moment, in dem ich das Album ausgemacht habe.
Uh
It's not quite my kind of music but I think it also hasn't aged well. A little bit too forgettable.
Mjeh i aint feeling it
"frequently compared to Nirvana" ... well that was disappointing.
Did not engage with this at all. Not terrible, but really bland, especially considering all the different sounds incorporated on the album.
Energetic and varied rock album with nothing particular exciting about it. It’s just kinda there.
Pointless waste of 45 minutes
Please stop giving me garbage
4 seconds in and i already know the sort of triple j spider fucking i'm about to receive. no. fuck No. full Beatle™️ violators. circa clockstoppers (2002) capitol records 90s distillation "walkie talkie man" bogshite. the faggy warhols™️ even. if only Bruce Almighty could save me now. 0.5-2.
This should've been left in 2002 (and it wasn't good then either)
Its OK. Nothing stood out.
Post grunge Australian rock …not my bag and wouldn’t have made my top 1001
1. evolved - 0 2. zhaved - 1 3. out - 1 4. zun - 0 5. zick - 1 6. free - 2 7. yard - 1 8. factory - 0 9. jungle - 0 10. mary - 2 11. room - 0 12. 1969 - 1
Alternative band from Australia, cool band name and a great looking album cover. This should be a homerun, right? Well, we had three great albums in a row this week... I suppose it's the law of averages that a clunker comes along. It seems like the vision here was to mimic differing styles of music then add screaming and guitar feedback. Which I guess is something different, but it just doesn't work. And it doesn't help that the mixing sounds like someone's cat walked across the mixing board and they just went with it. Why is the guitar feedback louder than everything else at times? There were a few moments that sounded okay but ultimately sounded derivative or just forgettable.
eee spis ne bro
Toto ma nezaujalo...
ABC book of a bit from here Nirvana, a bit from there Beck and so it goes on... Back to my audiobook
Squelch and scream. Nope that.
third rate, at best. very derivative - the Cobain screams, the Pixies LOUD/quiet arrangements, the Nirvana mixing of scratchy guitars with GREAT BIG MONSTER RIFFING GUITARS. some mild Beatle-isms, too. overall, a waste of time. not one original idea on it.
Mediocre at best. Widely over hyped at the time, no idea why it's on this list.
Not a fan
Not my vibr
not really my stuff, too happy? dont really like the vocals, music is forgetable. Really heavy Nirvana influence, but in the wrong way for my taste
Oh, bloody hell, it feels good when it stops.
Angsty aughts. No thanks.
A bit like the strokes but without any good songs
The fact that this is on here but Weezer isn't is hilarious. One star.
The one hit wonder syndrome. I think I covered this theme before with The Only Ones. If you trotted off to the cross roads with Robert Johnson and butted into the chat with Beelzebub, and before he said fuck off I'm talking to Robert, he told you you'd be a one hit wonder would you take it? Listening to this, I'm still not sure what I'd do? I'm sure The Vines were fun to see live but this is just a cavalcade of direct lifts to create a sound which is ok, not exciting or anything, just ok. Get Free, blimey get in the queue on what he's nicked there bless him, but it's ok. Word of warning though Craig, Daniel Johns and a few others, maybe even Brian Eno cause he pops up everywhere, will come a knocking on your door one day.
Overproduced, under-performed, unoriginal.
God save me from whiny men and mediocre music
they tried to trick me at first but this is not good.
Kinda forgettable, songs develop in predictable ways (with a few exceptions), and sounds quite derivative of the beatles/nirvana
Dull
Awful
Not for me.
nah
Its like a mix of screaming and Oasis without much else.
Not. For. Me.
Sounds very uninspired. Didn't like it.
Genres will naturally expand, evolve, and become something different from the original creation, a phenomenon witnessed across the entire spectrum of music. A progression that is sometimes natural, but often derivative, cashing in on the trend. Take a look at genres that blew up over the years, and you find this phenomenon occurring across the board. Whether it's hard bop, rebel country, death metal, black metal, or grunge, you can find derivative music that is mostly parts of something else, something worse, the perpetuation of a trend, or bands breaking out with truly unique sounds that capture the entire world. Vine, I am certain that much to their own satisfaction, was called the next Nirvana, or perhaps a resurrected Nirvana, laughable at best. How does one consider a band like the Vines as being out of the ashes of Nirvana? Vines: Highly Evolved is just that —a highly evolved distillation of first-wave American Grunge with Britpop added to the mix, featuring an abundance of "yeah, yeah, yeah" and "oh, oh, oh," along with highly repetitive guitar work and one track that sounds like a smooth brain version of the Clash. Highly Evolved is, if anything, highly manufactured music with pristine production and influence from every song they liked as a child, shoehorned into 43 minutes of unmemorable distillation from far more creative minds. 2002 held some incredible releases, but Highly Derivative is not one of them. A record where the correct music journalists wrote down the correct things to help establish a band that had zero business at that level, demonstrating quite clearly that when the correct keyboard and pen say the correct things, you will find success because you are being arbitrarily pushed to the top. You get the most Nirvana-sounding track on the radio, and the rest is history, obviously. Here we are, twenty-three years later, discussing an album that belongs in Walmart bargain bins. I suggest two records off the top of my head that would be fine substitutes for the Vines album, or a cleansing of the ears through listening to something that holds your interest and is unique. Sonic Youth - Murray St.: Seems sensible to listen to a brilliant return to form and a progenitor of grunge itself. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights: Completely original and unique, and also imitated to no end.
This is so generic and uninspiring. Give me duck stab over this any day of the week.
Не чув раніше. По відчуттям альбом не дуже сильно постарів. Відчувається як ок суміш гранжового вокалу (щось середнє між Куртом та Лейном) з гаражним роком. В мене загальне враження "що тут цей альбом робить?", але й треба визнати, що декілька непоганих хітів тут є.
Not my cup of tea at all. Had to abandon listening.
Oh my god I hate this.
Sounds like Nirvana, but not as good.
Very samey. Homesick best track
Btec nirvana
did not need to hear this before i die and don’t you dare compare it to nirvana…yawn
oh no someone dropped Oasis and left it outside for a couple days 😞
++: Sunshinin +: Country Yard, Mary Jane, Ain't No Room, 1969 +-: Highly Evolved, Outtathaway, Get Free, Factory, In the Jungle -: Autumn Shade, Homesick 4,2/10
Even worse than The Strokes. The obvious intentional derivative posturing is like at like AI levels.
Zero interest in this shit
Complete crap
"Get Free" almost keeps this from being a 1/5. But not quite. Why the fuck is this even here?
I can't believe I had to listen to this.
What is this doing here? It’s not in the Dimery book? They probably didn't deserve all the scorn for coming along when the record business decided Rock Was Back and slotted this alongside the Strokes, White Stripes, and all the LES bands. But I mean...cmon.
Kept waiting for something, anything, remotely worth hearing. Still waiting.
"Must hear" LOL 40 days in, first record I haven't finished. I was losing brain cells with every track.
Get free is cool. The rest meh