Dog Man Star

Dog Man Star? More like, uh [brain shuts down for a good forty minutes, only vital signs a rapid flickering of the eyes] Dog Man Blah

Honestly didn't know what to expect but walked away really enjoying this. Very Bowie, very early-era R.E.M., pretty gorgeous in places. Dramatic, but has the chops to back it up. Favorite tracks: "Heroine", "This Hollywood Life", "The Asphalt World"

Dense. I did some reading about this album which sounds like a great stereotypical rock mess fraught with tension, drugs, and pretension. I had an idea of what I'd hoped to hear before I put it on ... and it doesn't really match. The idea of a complex, sprawling album is appealing to me but - and I fully admit that it may be difficult to digest in just one or two plays today - there's not much here that's catchy. I'm not necessarily meaning in a pop-sugary way, but even some of the more proggy and lengthy songs I've liked or loved have something to sink your teeth into; e.g. some hook or theme. This album seems a mass of ~5 minute songs, none of which are bad, but none of which I can really remember. Mid-tempo, massive reverb on overly-emotive vocals, nothing really catchy, edgy, weird, or heck even poppy. If I were to be harsh...much ado about nothing? 3/10 2 stars.

This album cover perfectly captures my feelings on this album. Butt. I don't know. There's a lot of activity and it sounds like people are working very hard, but this never left the realm of vanilla to me. Very clearance bin 1998.

Even though it gets a little complicated in the second half, it’s still incredibly strong. 1st half of the album is enough to give it 5 stars on its own

Never heard of this band. But ended up listening to it 3 times yesterday. Very trippy.

Grandiose, glam, beautiful guitars and vocals. Peak Suede

Dreadfully boring.

Thoroughly unremarkable.

Does anyone else feel like the 90s are over-represented on this thing?

This album was an absolute banger. Disappointed that I have to listen to a different album tomorrow.

This album should be in any Britpop album top 5, together with Coming Up, Now I'm A Cowboy, His 'n' Hers and Different Class.

Solid 5. It’s up there amongst the best Britpop albums, and certainly Suedes very best. Takes me back to my youth!

THIS ROCKS!!!! I already downloaded a few songs on apple music

I don't know this band. It's a good listen. The tempo switches gears a lot as guitar volumes are turned up, down and off and go from rock and roll style to a more mysterious and cryptic Robert Fripp like style. The distinctive Bowie like voice keeps continuity throughout the gyrations. I like the album cover. OK, first and last time I ever say I like a photo of a guy's arse. The photo really captures the tone of the album. I guess this is what some folks were listening to while I was listening to Nirvana in the 90s. Hey we all did what he had to do to escape CHUM.

Man this is a tough one for me. I mean if you put it on I wouldn't necessarily protest but there are things about it that irk me throughout. For example the singing, which is often the make or break it factor, I find right on the edge of tolerable. But the music has just enough inventiveness and interesting touches to bring it back up a notch again somehow. It is such downer of a record though, I know I would never intentionally choose to play it.

I love Suede, a great live band. One of the artists lumped into the original wave of Britpop, but they never were as unsophisticated as Oasis, so this was overlooked at the time as it didnt fit the mould for your average Britpop fan. This is probably why it is one of my favourite albums of 1994 because if you are going to do hedonism, then do it with a bit of style. Although, I do prefer their debut, this is a massive follow-up. Full of glam, drugs, and sleaze provided by Brett Anderson's vocals and lyrics. Bernard Butler's guitar playing is just astounding, especially when you consider how the album was recorded and the state of relationships with the rest of the band. But it all works and brings a cinematic feel to the whole record.

feel good love the vibe

105 / 1069 Took a while to know if I liked this or not. Clicked about halfway through. Lonely, sad, melancholic. Brilliant.

Surprisingly experimental and enjoyable. I preferred the more lively tracks from (mostly) first half of the album, but overall it was a great experience! Saved tracks: We Are The Pigs, Heroine, Daddy's Speeding, The Power, The 2 Of Us, The Asphalt World

I will always remember the exact moment i first saw Suede. 93 Brit awards. I was 14. Absolutely blew my mind (and my hormones!). People forget how much they 'blew the bloody doors' off and were a breath of fresh air. Love them. Love this album.

uno de los discos más hermosos de la vida

5 sin dudarlo.

I would have given this a lower score without 3 listens (on YouTube while reading comments about the life-changing impact of each song). Bowie influenced vocals and very different sound to other Brit bands of the day. I like the start of the album but it becomes too ballad heavy for me. Lyrics seem smaltzty, then I read about the William Blake and Lord Byron references in them so WTF do I know?

I guess they stopped worshipping Morrissey and started worshiping T-Rex? It's a marginal improvement with some nice songs, but it's still a relatively bloated, boring, and bland album.

Frábært band og mjög góð plata. Takk fyrir.

Two Suede albums six days of each other? I'm on. I've remarked that a lot of people called Suede unimpressive and a The Smiths spinoff band, but I adored their debut, so I have high hopes for "Dog Man Star" too. — Originally, I was going to reward it three stars. I'll be genuine with you: The production is murky, and the album is more experimental and less consistent than their debut. Although "The Power" was a fantastic song, the musicianship on the half was perplexing. Overall, the album felt underdeveloped there on out. However, the second half contains beautiful songs—akin to their debut— like "The 2 Of Us," "The Asphalt World," and "Still Life," which has gorgeous orchestration. "Stay Together" was beautiful too: I love the jangly guitar work, the harmonizing, and Brett Anderson's vocals were phenomenal. I think that most people quit after the first few songs, w/o giving the whole album a chance, thus accounting for the low ratings. I believe Suede had a lot of potential, and I'm disappointed towards the lack of appreciation towards Britpop, thus I'm awarding "Dog Man Star" a solid four stars.

I hate Britpop with every bone in my body and most of it is annoying and very underwhelming like Oasis, Supergrass or Blur which I all dislike to the point that I'd rather listen to Harsh Noise (shoutout to Merzbow) for the same duration. But this album's actually quite alright. It is darker and more introspective than most Britpop and what I like most about it, it isn't as arrogant as some Damon Albarn twat. Another thing that I think is brilliant is the mix between the slightly psychedelic Britpop approach with obvious 70's Glam Rock nuances that really speaks to my David Bowie loving heart, even if I do prefer his experimental period from '76 - '79. 'Introducing the Band' not only introduces the band but also the album with some really Neo-Psychedelia sounding Rock that starts with some noisy and washed instruments that even take some sitar and Raga into the sound. The vocals enter with a layered and echoey sound that are sometimes pretty hard to understand but that just enhances the psychedelic sound that they obviously try to create. The song is beautiful and interesting even if it is pretty short. The vocal performance also reminds at points of 80's goth rock which I also very welcome. The following 'We Are the Pigs' is not only one of the albums biggest songs but also one of its best. It is full of noisy instruments that still leave enough room for vocals and guitar to shine in full clearness. The slightly symphonic approach to the chorus and vocals in general really shows the Glam they were going for. It's an incredible and emotional song with a really beautiful delivery all throughout. The melancholic sound is kept with the intense 'Heroine' that really puts most of the emotional intensity into the chorus that really makes you feel the pain even when the delivery seems rather dreamy. It feels so weird with how the song is made up but weird in a good way. The whole song through I am not sure what exactly I am supposed to feel and that results in a mix of so many emotions that are both clear and washed. I absolutely love the song and especially the clear lead guitar that plays so beautifully. The trilogy of possibly the best songs on the album ends with 'The Wild Ones'. Its vocals are much more present but still with the strong psychedelic sound and an incredible vocal performance and possibly the strongest showcase of the Bowie influence because you cannot tell me the chorus isn't straight up a Bowie song. It is a great song and although I don't love it as much as the previous two, it's still one of my favourites on the entire album especially with the climactic chorus and strings. 'Daddy's Speeding' does have some nice moments with the spacey guitar, the ethereal sounds and vocals but overall I am not really interested in the song. It feels much more "boring" than what already featured on the album. There are some moments that build beautiful tension, the release of that is pretty lackluster and the overall enjoyment is very lowerd by the fact that it's one of the albums longer songs. With 'The Power' they return to the theatrical sound from before and the song is pretty good. It has some nice strings added, the vocals are great, the lyrics and the other instruments are really good. There isn't much bad things that I can say about it but somehow the song isn't as interesting as I would've hoped. It's good but doesn't get much higher than that. 'New Generation' is a song that mainly works because of the chorus and luckily the chorus is both long and really great. It's full of great vocals and lyrics as well as some nice brass instruments that were thrown in pretty fittingly. The lead guitar that switches channels at some points is really adding to the overall sound as well with some really nice playing. A really great song but I do think that they could've done slight changes. Still, a pretty much perfect one. The albums second half starts with 'This Hollywood Life' and some saxophones that fade into a really noisy and bluesy guitar riff that is the main driving force of the song. I just think the song is a little to average in both delivery and structure. I am not really interested in it much but I do appreaciate some ideas and moments. The Piano Rock beauty that is 'The 2 of Us' is the albums most underrated track. The best ones are those that everyone loves and knows but this is a song that isn't talked about much although I think that it's beautifully written and has a really great performed chorus as well as the piano that is just perfect for this song. The slow build-up towards the end adds some really needed diversity and when the flute enters, it gets even better. I don't think it's any type of masterpiece but should be talked about more in conversation around this album. 'Black or Blue' is similar to 'The 2 of Us' except that the verses surrounding the chorus aren't as interesting and the song just doesn't flow as great. The chorus is great, no question, but the song as a whole lacks a lot that I need to love it at its fullest. The nearly 10 minute long 'The Asphalt World' isn't just one of the best songs on the album. It has a lot of influence from Prog Rock and it doesn't feel as long as it actually is. It is beautifully dark and full of incredible moments in both the verses and the chorus that builds more and more tension until it releases for short and goes again into more and more tension before abruptly fading into a quieter bridge. The guitar that drives the whole thing just works so perfectly with how it builds up. A gorgeous track that really is the climax of the album. The album closes on the more laid back and slow 'Still Life'. It really feels like the end credits to a movie you just watched. It has something final and finished about it that just feels like the optimal closing track which it is. It closes the album in the way it should but the song itself isn't one of my particular favourites. It's not as interesting throughout or simply as emotional as other songs have been. It's just a great and symphonic closer. Although it isn't part of the actual album and just became a single-only release, 'Stay Together' is too great not to at least mention. Be sure to listen to that one as well. It's incredible. favourites: We Are the Pigs, Heroine, The Asphalt World, New Generation least favourites: Daddy's Speeding, This Hollywood Life, Black or Blue Rating: strong 8

Better (different!) than the other album I've heard from them on this list. Singer found his niche: dramatically belting out a song like it's a musical's closing number. I rather liked "The Wild Ones." "The 2 of Us" is full of anguish. Given how much I loved Queen (and glam rock) when I was a teenager, I probably would have gotten into Suede if I had known about them.

A great, ambitious album. The guitar work is intricate, the songs are beautiful and diverse and full of pathos (don't ask me to explain). I can't give it 5 stars due to Still Life being fairly dull.

This is great. Definitely need to listen to more of this band. It’s interesting to me that the 90s were still a time where a band could be popular in England but not really endure in the US.

Melodramatic and very ambitious.

A dark and melancholy album. Some of the guitar work really shines. Some good songs and heavily influenced by Bowie(which is present in almost every song, which is good but for me fails to capture anything new or define their own sound).

I actually really enjoyed this? Not a single song I disliked on the record, but not quite hitting the 5-star mark YET.

Suede was victim to the UK weekly music rag hype machine. They played a few gigs, appeared on the cover of the NME before they even had a single out, got called the greatest band in the world before they really paid any dues. It must be really easy for that to go to your head; you're getting great press, buying leather trousers, and doing coke with your hipsters buddies in some Camden pub. You're a big fish in a small pond! The NME says you're a genius! You were on Top of the Pops -- twice! One of your singles charted in the US, so you're just back from a gruelling American Tour that the band barely survived! And now it's time to record your difficult second (or third) album, and you have major ambitions to write a masterpiece, a work of lasting importance that will change rock and roll forever. And here we are at Dog Man Star. Some call this album a masterpiece. Some call it the most pretentious album of all time. I don't think it is either. It's like a record of Bowie at his most bombastic, full of melodrama and overblown, over-arranged songs. Surprisingly coherent, given the band broke up while recording it, taking their musical force out of the band. Efforts were hampered by internecine band warfare, egos, and heavy drug use. This is a fair album, a brave swing for the outfield that doesn't quite get there. I admire the ambition, even if it does veer into self-importance (think U2 at their worst). I really could have done without so much reverb slathered over EVERYTHING, which tends to turn this into a muddy mess to listen to. Yesterday I reviewed OK Computer, which was recorded under similar circumstances, and I believe actually achieved the band's ambitions. Radiohead's efforts were bolstered by greater discipline and band unity, which were sadly lacking for Suede, although no less pretension.

Hear a lot of early Bowie influences here, especially one of the songs sounds like the ending to All the Madmen. Never heard of this band before, so must have been more well known across the pond than here in the US. Decent listen.

Yuck! :) Can’t stand too much more of this nonsense. This is unimaginably derivative, insincere, and almost always unbearable. There are moments of pleasure, the instrumentation and writing are nice. The vocals and lyrics are what they are. Could give more, but it is what it is. Maybe just not a phan of this genre. 3/5

Dog Man Star is certainly more audacious than much of the 90’s British rock that litters this list, so it gets points for creativity and risk taking. However, I find it hard to disagree with…I can’t believe I’m going to say this…Rolling Stone’s assessment that this record is “one of the most pretentious albums ever released by a major label” - well, at least when viewed through the lens of the timeframe it was released, that is. I’m sure there have been more pretentious releases on major labels in the intervening years, but there is a definite air of haughty self-importance going on here with Suede. Which is fine, I guess, but rarely do the songs here have the energy, urgency or unpredictability that would justify such a sense of inflated self. It’s a record that feels very labored over and unnecessarily calculated at times - particularly with some of the interstitial choices: Whether it’s by way of a seemingly impromptu children’s choir or a bizarre saxophone riff that devolves into overly processed effects, you might be left wondering “What purpose did that serve?” and it seems like “We did it to show people that we could,” might be the only reason.

Found it whiney and boring

This is fine, middle of the road, nothing memorable, meh, whatever

Whiney and boring

just a bit indistinct, really didn't like the production. Tried it on several speakers to see if it was just my usual set up, but no.

2 This felt like the missing link between The Stone Roses and every other 90s Britpop band in some ways... but much less interesting than any of those bands in every way. Aaand that's all I really I have to say on the album - It was almost remarkably unremarkable. Started off with some okay at best Britpop, and then slowly devolved into boringly overblown piano and operatic ballads. Supposedly Rolling Stone labeled this as one of the most pretentious albums of all-time, and I can definitely see where they're coming from. Idk nothing outright bad, but I probably wouldn't listen again. My favorite song was Stay Together... which is a bonus track and not even part of the actual album.

The second album by Suede tried to move away from the Britpop genre and establish the band as an art rock/glam rock/alternative rock group. The album's sound is dark and beautiful, sad and sexual - all thanks to the troubling times the band was going through and also the drug use of course. Critics called this album "pretentious" when it released, but in retrospect everyone says the band was close to creating something truly amazing. The music is pretty good, but it's not my type.

Just okay...Nothing memorable to me.

Given it's only their 2nd album, it fees very early to have lost this much excitement. There is almost certainly beauty to be found in this for the right listener but I feel bored after the promise of raw sex from their earlier singles

This is second Suede album I have gotten on this list. I questioned the thinking behind putting the first on. This makes me question the validity of all the choices on this list. I don’t think anyone should ever have to listen to one, let alone to suede albums. Or even songs. This album might be better than the first, but that’s kind of like saying, I’d rather be punched in the stomach than n in the face. There needs to be a setting on Spotify called “Just Exploring" so that you can listen to new stuff without Spotify thinking it’s something you want to hear again. I now have two Suede albums counted against me.

I barely heard what this album as, just kinda drifted past without standout tones.

Just doesn't do much for me. Have to admit, I was bored.

Have to say that I am absolutely shocked that this album is on this list... And I thought Emerson, Lake, & Palmer were pretentious and bloated - but they have NOTHING on The London Suede... You could tell that there were some redeeming qualities in there somewhere, but any goodness was just completely over-run by all of the bloat... Lyrics were often whiney, the lead singer's voice did not help (i.e. trying to sound like Bowie but not having the voice for it...), and most songs were just a mess... Like I said, there was some goodness in the guitar section near the end of "This Hollywood Life", and the last minute of "Stay Together" was pretty decent - and I'm sure there were a few others - but those moments were few, and WAY too far in between... Only song that I actually thought was decent, was the last one "Whipshade" - probably because it wasn't bloated, and was fairly straightforward...

Sucked

"a startling record: an album surrounded by the white heat of something close to genius." He added: "the songs of Dog Man Star are grand designs, enacted against grandiose backdrops." - John Harris, NME "With Dog Man Star the group has vindicated just about every claim that was ever made on their behalf. A long, sprawling and not entirely flawless album, it will be hailed in years to come as the crowning achievement of a line-up that reinvented English, guitar-band rock'n'roll for the 1990s." - David Sinclair, Q ITS FUCKING SHITE

This was just bad was a rap variation and almost said I’m not finishing it.

The singer tried way too hard to mimic Bowie with little success--it actually made it hard to listen to. I didn't finish this. I got away from it and saw little reason to come back to finish it. 1.5/5

The sounds on this album are really interesting, but overall probably not something I’ll come back to. It’s alright, not really one of my favorites though.

It’s hard to appreciate the sound of pop punk or post punk without the context of what it existed alongside. Then again, maybe it’s just not for me

Listened to about half of it and wasn't really feeling it but also wasn't paying a ton of attention Currently have to do my whole seven samurai essay in an hour + change Why is boyd such a japanophile

Es ist unfassbar, dass da ein Schmock sitzt und sich für kompetent genug hält, ein Buch mit diesem Titel zu schreiben und ausgerechnet DAS für unbedingt hörenswert hält. Verzichtbare Petitessen, wie so oft.

Overwrought and overly ambitious. I don’t think the band’s lyrics can back these arrangements up. This felt like listening to a soap opera. There were a couple of songs that were alright, though. Overall, there was nothing on this album that seemed significant to me and I’ve already largely forgotten it.

Dated

this felt long, which isn't a good sign for an album lol

I ALREADY RATED THIS YOU IDIOTS

not for me... a little bret anderson goes a long way...

not my style

Just mid-90s drech.

I once had the misfortune to see Suede - then just an "upcoming band from Horsham" - supporting The Fall. I didn't like them live and I don't like them on record.

Very boring album with super uninteresting songs.

Yea.....some times new stuff surprises you and you get excited to listen to more. In this case, not so much. Seemed to start with a little potential, but then I couldn't wait for it to end. Just nothing there that got me excited or wanted to listen to again 1

oof. this might not be SFW. I dont remember this which is a bad sign. I think it gave me strong david bowie vibes that i was not here for.

I found it boring and stopped halfway. First Listen?: Y Fav. Tracks: - Rating: 1/5

garbo

Too dirge and Brit pop like

OMG. What a shit show. They call them an "English alternative rock band?" All songs lack power and the whiney voice of the front man "Anderson" was unbearable after about 6 songs. After 10 songs and a few fast forwards I gave up.

I tried, but I just couldn’t make it.

Not sure this one needed to be remastered

Nope. Not for me. 1/5 stars.

4.5

Every song reminds me of another song that seems to be inspired by the album Haven’t finished but planning to

Didn't know Suede but got totally swayed by this album! The tracks are strong and diverse, well-constructed, original, performed well and mixed tastefully. Sounds kind of like a lovechild of U2 and Radiohead and Bowie. Great stuff. 4.75

5/5 Neon-Tinged Heartbreak Aria This isn’t an album. It’s a soft crash landing on a bed of glittering debris. Every track sounds like someone sighing into a mirror before tearing off down a rainy street in slow motion.

Brett Anderson has an amazing voice, puts me in mind of Robin Gibb and Kevin Rowland. Overwrought and theatrical, slightly ridiculous in a good way.

Easily the best of the albums I've listened to as part of this challenge so far - made me feel disappointed that I hadn't listened to this band before. Songs like We Are The Pigs, Daddy's Speeding, and The Asphalt World were all standouts to me. Bust out a nice pair of headphones if at first it doesn't quite click with you!

FANTASTIC. I heard everything, I appreciated everything, and I love the layers put into the music. What a journey! Three listens really helped me enjoy this one. I did not notice any of the pretentiousness in the reviews. The producer deserves a medal.

Melodramatic pop hymns. Wonderful emotional.

Timeless art rock album filled with great songs full of clever pop hooks and Bernard Butler's guitar playing at it's best. Not a single weak link on this album. Bit pompous and over dramatic at times, but always catchy and groovy.

It’s a great album which is definitely their high point and one of the highs of britpop. I think of a time for me and us Brits. But I appreciate this more than I did at the time and definitely more in the context of this project and the competition.

Beautiful, inspiration for POND?

90s alt rock. We Are The Pigs is a good song. Heroine is good too. New Generation as well. The 2 of Us also. The Asphalt World is very good. There might have been a couple standard songs but this one gets the seldom 5.

I really enjoyed this.

4.5★. An improvement on their already fabulous self-titled debut... Just thoroughly and absolutely gorgeous and beautiful. 261 albums in and this is my second first-listen five-star album (after Stankonia). Love it love it love it.

Pleasantly surprised by this one. Will check out the rest of their stuff

Great 90's album that ends on a euphoric note in "Still Life". It started a bit weak, but every track was stronger than the last.

what a nice surprise, had I not looked into it I wouldve clocked this album as being a more modern release than something from 30 years ago. You can hear the Bowie influence through the vocals, it actually reminds me a little of Rush here and there. I think Heroine is my pick off this one. Also it has a somewhat uplifting vibe despite the nature of the alt rock genre. Great entry.

So this album was a total surprise. A nice mix of styles and sounds. Don’t let the man’s taint on the front cover dissuade you from checking it out. Loved the lead singers voice. Reminded me of older Geddy Lee

Stunning. A lot of Bowie, but also so much unique, spacey vibe. I love it. 4.5/5

Brilliant

some infamously muddy murky production on this that isnt quite of a piece with the bright and dramatic arrangements, but i can at least put up with bad/questionable production as long as its not actively physically unpleasant on my ears. otherwise....uh, i think i loved literally everything about this HFJKHSFJKHFSJKHFSJKFHSJKFHKFS regardless of how its presented the musical palate on here is incredibly comforting to me...ridiculously heart-on-sleeve, melodic, autumnal, and expressive. its not often rock music with this much of a glam/theatrical edge feels this intimate, but its testament to how it feels like theres just no barrier whatsoever between the sound and the emotions. im rly thankful for artists who just throw themselves into stuff like this thats maybe easily mockable but is so so much For Me and id be sad to live in a world without. deffo one to come back to for me...have a feeling increased familiarity might make this one a lil transcendent

This album is deep, dark, and fascinating. Suede’s magnum opus. I put it on the same bucket with Manic Street Preachers and Placebo. Love its textures, suffering… a perfect album.

Well it's one of my favourite albums of all time, so... A bit shit that the journo in the book thinks Richard Oakes just turned up and made this, Suede's greatest achievement. I like the guy fine and he's clearly a capable guitarist and coped admirably on the supporting tour, but famously much of this record was Bernard Butler's baby, and had already been recorded before baby Oakes joined. Brett's vocals are way outside of my range, but that isn't going to stop me from wailing away tunelessly along to We are the Pigs, Heroin, The Wild Ones, New Generation and all the rest. I can just about hang on with the last two. I enjoyed all that thoroughly, and The Asphalt World is stratospheric, probably opening the door for my young ears to eventually accept and grow to love prog. Plus this Divine Comedy loving kid obviously loves the gloriously overblown Still Life. Just a wonderful record. Shout out to Stay Together - a non-album single but another of their best songs, which basically heralded that this album was going to be special. Also Sci-Fi Lullabies, the greatest ever compilation of B-sides, which sounds like a shit accolade, but seriously, it is so good and demonstrates what a hot streak the band were on around this time.

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Super dramatic and far more melancholic than I've heard from anything else in the genre. Also these lyrics are fantastic. 5/5