Dog Man Star is the second album by English alternative rock band Suede, released in October 1994 on Nude Records. The album was recorded in London at Master Rock studios in early 1994, and was produced by Ed Buller. It was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler; growing tensions between him and singer Brett Anderson ended with Butler leaving the band before recording was complete. As a result, some tracks on the album had to be finished with the assistance of session musicians. In contrast to their debut album Suede, which exhibited the influences of David Bowie and the Smiths, Dog Man Star exhibits a more varied aesthetic and draws from a wider range of influences. Although it did not sell on the same scale as its predecessor, it reached number three on the UK Albums Chart and was certified as gold by the BPI in November 1994. Described by Rolling Stone as "one of the most pretentious albums ever released by a major label," the record was released in a different UK musical climate to their hitherto discography. Out-of-step with the mainstream music scene, it featured the band diverting away from the "Britpop pack" of bands.While Dog Man Star was acclaimed by many reviewers as a masterpiece, the trend towards "lad pop" saw its chart and sales success obscured. It was generally overlooked at the time, and it polarised American critics, some labelling it as pretentious. The album has over time garnered wider acclaim from critics. In the decade between Suede's 2003 separation and the release of Bloodsports, Dog Man Star steadily gained a strong following as a classic rock record. In October 2013, NME magazine placed the album at number 31 in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
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"
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
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.
Grandiose, glam, beautiful guitars and vocals. Peak Suede
THIS ROCKS!!!! I already downloaded a few songs on apple music
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?
Thoroughly unremarkable.
5 sin dudarlo.
uno de los discos más hermosos de la vida
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
Solid 5. It’s up there amongst the best Britpop albums, and certainly Suedes very best. Takes me back to my youth!
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.
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.
Never heard of this band. But ended up listening to it 3 times yesterday. Very trippy.
I actually really enjoyed this? Not a single song I disliked on the record, but not quite hitting the 5-star mark YET.
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).
Melodramatic and very ambitious.
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.
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.
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 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.
Just okay...Nothing memorable to me.
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.
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.
lekker cinque stelle
This album was an absolute banger. Disappointed that I have to listen to a different album tomorrow.
New generation and we are the pigs. Great album through and through
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
105 / 1069 Took a while to know if I liked this or not. Clicked about halfway through. Lonely, sad, melancholic. Brilliant.
feel good love the vibe
Their greatest, no doubt.
Frábært band og mjög góð plata. Takk fyrir.
3.02 average??? (This album definitely doesn’t deserve this low)… To anyone who gave this below 3 stars 🖕 Sorry but honestly this album is perfect It’s a grower yeah but it’s certainly worth the time. Not a bad track on it and the b sides make it even better. Brett’s voice can be a make or break for some I get that but the instrumentation would’ve made up for that I would think. Also maybe if you don’t like any 80’s or 90’s rock then this might not be for you but I don’t get why anyone wouldn’t like those things. I didn’t see any ‘uuurgh britpop’ comments on this one which is good because while yeah technically britpop it’s not the same sorta thing as oasis, blur and pulp were doing at the time. If I was to name an underrated but still kinda popular band it would be suede it seems so many people have overlooked this masterpiece and the debut by extension. Best tracks: heroine, the 2 of us, the asphalt world Worst track: black or blue 5/5
I miei preferiti: We Are the Pigs e The Asphalt World
That was really cool. Varied and interesting throughout. I will definitely be listening to more Suede
Following their debut, this album is full of Bowie-inspired vocals and riffs and lush ethereal upbeat melodies from the earlier shoegaze and Madchester movements. With their debut and next album Coming Up, I pick out my favorites and tune out the rest. But this has pulled in my attention in nearly every song. Blur's Parklife and Pulp's Different Class did the same thing, so I'm glad (most of) the Britpop movement has insane talent. Great introduction followed by the anthemic "We are the Pigs" setting the theme for the rest of the album. "Heroine" embodies the britpop spirit, with dirty resentful Beatlesesque harmonies and an eclectic guitar style reminding me of Pulp. Shows their artistic spirit, cramming a bunch of styles in a fast-paced 3.5 minute song. "The Wild Ones" is a really emotional pop track with a powerful closer. I'm usually not a fan of ballads, but "Daddy's Speeding" took me by a surprise, likely due to the constant key changes, strong bass, creepy ethereal effects, unsettling vocals, and a dramatic closer. It was a good follow up to the mood of "The Wild Ones." We shift back to a few upbeat pop tracks. "The Power" has a catchy chorus, strings, and drums that pack a punch. "New Generation" is just an all-around excellent britpop song, nothing really stuck out in particular. "This Hollywood Life" has a dirty guitar style and vocals that definitely look back to 70s glam rock like T Rex. We go back to two minimalist ballads which honestly is my least favorite part of the album, especially since "2 of Us" goes on for 6 minutes. But they're pretty, and I'm a fan of the lush strings in "Black or Blue." Nearing the end, we reach the most technical proggy song on the album: "The Asphalt World." I really like how it stops in the middle then gradually picks up to a glorious finish with a really sick guitar solo. "Still Life" ends with a whole orchestra in a satisfying closer full of life. Almost like a musical. Incredible production. The triumphant ending reminds me of Sgt Pepper. There are also two bonus tracks on Spotify. The first is the full version of the hit single "Stay Together" which does feel like it belongs more on their debut. It's good, catchy chorus, but I'm not sure it really warranted its length. The other is "Whipsnade" which is a really cool mellow fast song, also has a pretty chorus, and I'm a love the double tracked vocals, but it goes by a bit too quickly. Super groovy second half.
Suede's finest hour and one of the indisputable peaks of the nineties. Pop in its more inventive approach, magic melodies and creative arrangements. As it was habitual with the band in the period, B sides are as strong as anything else in the album
Really good britpop, slower in the second half though. Lyrics make the songs feel like epics. BT - We Are The Pigs - Heroine - The Wild Ones - The Power - The Asphalt World
Soooo coool
Huhhuh, täähän on aivan tajuton. En muistanutkaan. Annoin näiden debyytille 2/5 ja aloin kyseenalaistamaan, että olikohan tämäkään sitten niin hyvä. Mutta mitä vielä. Ihanaa melankoliaa tuollaisella Bowie-energialla. Ja onnistuu vielä kantamaan noin pitkään, lähes tunnin. Nyt kyseenalaistan sen debyytin arvioni, täytyy kuunnella uusiksi :D
Höpsis, eihän tää rokmusiikkia ole ollenkaan, vaan brittipoppia ripauksella glamia. Eka levy vielä parempi, mutta on tää niin upea, että itkettää. Iloa ei kieltämättä kauheasti tästä löydy, mutta kaikkia muita tunteita kyllä. Heroine on ehkä mun suosikkibiisi ikinä. Tai no yksi todella monesta.
Bought this when it was released on the strength of their debut album and I think I was a little bit let down by it, that debut is incredible, so incredible that it lived up to the hype foisted on the band by the British music press. It stands to reason that Dog Man Star might have a difficult time as a follow up, so pretentious, right? According to Rolling Stone, the most pretentious album ever released by a major label. I get it but you know what? Fuck that, over the years I've come to appreciate the brilliance of this album. Like I said I love the debut but this is the one I come back to most often.
Out of the 100 albums on this list I've gotten so far, this is without a doubt the best one that was completely off my radar beforehand. I mean to reserve a 5 for albums that are legendary. Is this legendary? Maybe, probably not, but it's been so long since I've heard an album and immediately wanted to listen to it all over again that I have to give this a top score.
Perfect album
This album might be Suede’s best. It is a remarkably variable album that spans glam rock, art rock, post-punk, and Britpop. The album has a grandiose anthemic feel throughout and the production is stunning. The ambitiousness of the album pays off, and in it, the listener can hear the roots of some of the greatest albums that came a few years later from Radiohead and Spiritualized.
I like music
its decent, reminds of a more dark and more rocky david bowie
Good album at the time, still sounds good. Drama queen tastic.
Ehkä se vähiten hittilevy eräältä nuoruuden suosikkibändeistäni. Tästä syytä myös luultavasti itselleni etäisimmäksi jäänyt levy, kun nuoruudessa tarttuvat kertsit oli enemmän se juttu kuin taiteellisuus. Vaikkei tämä edelleenkään kuulu ihan Sueden lemppareihini, niin kyllähän tämä on todella hyvä levy. Esim. We Are The Pigs, New Generation, The Wild Ones, The 2 Of Us ovat aivan timanttia. Toki myös heikompia esityksiä löytyy erityisesti levyn loppupuolelta. Kokonaisuutena debyytti ja Coming Up ovat selvästi parempia, ehkä jopa vitosen arvoisia levyjä. Tämä saa tyytyä neloseen.
Not at all familiar with this band, but liking them a couple songs in. Yeah, definitely liking this. "Black or Blue" and "Still Life" stuck out on first listen. They have the emotional thing going on that some 80's bands have, but it seems darker and more unhinged. Finding the sound intriguing, and unique.
The first track sort of turned me off, but then I liked the rest of them. I would listen to more of them.
Wonderful Alt-Rock.
Super Album
Good one, long but it holds
Me gustó mucho, aunque hay una mezcla de canciones buenísimas con otras medio meh. Creo que tiene un inicio genial y de repente también hay algo de teatralidad (?) tipo Queen, sentí. Me gustaron sobre todo "The Power", "New Generation" y "The Asphalt World". 9/10
Seems like the Smiths but more 90s so I'll give it the same score I did the Smiths.
Pues no, como que yo ando muy gruñón y como que me dio hueva este disco.
I liked the music, would have liked it better if they didn't mumble so many of the lyrics
Loved it
thick and gritty rock. variegated instrumentation and more of those British rock vocals that this list seems to really like.
A real classic 9/10
good consistent album - goes on for a bit too long but each song is decent like a more? depressed david bowie
Superb album. Great band
I like this album a lot. Even though some tracks are quite long lasting, they don't get tedious. Reminds me of good quality doomer music.
well instrumented, unique, and catchy.
Not bad
I've never heard of this group before. I thought the album itself was pretty solid. Standouts for me were, the wild ones, new generation, we are the pigs, and heroine.
Not something I ever would have listened to but what a brash style. I found it to be well paced and very unique. It has a confidence and a strength to its lyrics and beats
Pretty solid Sound. (6/10) Favorite Tracks: We are the Pigs, The 2 of us, Still life
genuinely enjoyed this - such a nice change for 1994. glad to have encountered it
I liked it very much. T
Sounded good today played loud. Voice is pretty unique and not always what you want
4/5 - Odd but good and moody
a bit too long. some good songs 3.7
I enjoyed it I don’t remember if I finished it though.
Не зацепил
Very good
Karl-Ove vibes!
A huge album, grandiose in scope and ambition, but it manages to pull it off quite capably. It may come off as a tad pretentious, but it's held together by the fact that it just works so well: the sound is ethereal and dreamy while the lyrics sing about dark realities and the juxtaposition just feels right.
Interesante disco, con una gran voz y suaves melodías muy bien acompañadas. Brit-pop total.
A very worthwhile trip back to britpop. When it’s overdramatic it’s at its best.
i actually LOVED this album. the first two songs i didn’t completely pay attention to but then it really grew on me and i enjoyed every single song to follow. it had so many layers, the music and the singing brought everything toveyher to form #beauty! 8.5/10 !
I remember being disappointed with this album when it came out. It was just so different to the youthful exuberance of Suede's debut that I didn't know how to absorb it. Where their first album was a celebration of lust and difference, Dog Man Star was smack laden depression. You can hear the tension between Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler seething behind the music which at the same time adds excitement to the album but also weighs it done. With the benefit of the decades since it was released I think this album is a triumph. How brave for the band to release such a discordant album while their peers were going into "ello guvnor" Britpop shallowness. Not an album I listen to on a regular basis, in fact it was only a couple of weeks ago I listened to it for the first time in many years but I really enjoyed rediscovering it.
Have listened to later Suede albums but not really explored this one before. Not what I expected - lots of their later sound in here but some really beautiful plaintive songs in here too. But I think Coming Up remains my favorite of their albums.
I try not to do too much research before listening to a band or album that I'm unfamiliar with, but I'll usually take a quick look at the Wikipedia page to see what I'm getting into. On this one, I saw phrases like "one of the most pretentious albums ever released by a major label," "pretentious" and "pompous." So I was expecting something Radiohead-like, but after listening to it, I really don't get why it's been labeled in that way. Sure, maybe they went a bit overboard on the production, but overall this feels like a really good, solid, interesting, and listenable album. 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
Never really warmed to the faux-Bowie sound of Anderson's voice, but when I can get past that it's a decent album.
Yes I remember liking this one
What the hell, this is so good. Very Bowie. Very special, but still good. Hmm, this is hard. I'll give it a 4
It's always interesting to find a band like Suede, that have had long-lasting success in the UK, yet are quite unknown here in Australia. I can see why they haven't hit it here, we tend to go for more straightforward music. This is a little bit prog, a little bit pomp, and quite enjoyable.
If you enjoy melancholic British pop-rock this will be your jam. The songs are really varied and I enjoyed their guitar sound. Overall a solid listen.
Sommige nummers zijn fantastisch (Hollywood life zet ik zeker bij mijn favorieten). Andere nummers zijn maar zozo. Al bij al wel een goed Glam/britpop album
Generally, when an English band from the 90s-00s that I haven't heard of before shows up on this list, it turns out to be a baffling selection for this list, as most of these albums would better to have been saved until after I died. The living version of me certainly didn't enjoy them. This album was a notable exception. It's distinctive, I can't think of anything else that sounds like this from the mid-90s. The music is cool, and the lead singer has a great voice. Definitely worth a listen while I yet live 4/5
Älskar suede oändligt.
90s vibe alternative
Sounds like the exact midpoint between Echo & the Bunnymen and Oasis. Little twinges of New Wave drama remain, but one prefers the more distilled pop and faux-glam of the earlier records than the overreaching toward the art song (e.g., “The 2 of Us”) and full symphonic rhapsody ("Still Life") which comes off as much too much (though one half-admires the ambition). There's much like to here – “The Asphalt World” works intriguingly well and “Stay Together” is also quite good. One's glad to know it better.
8/10 not exactly accessible, but has a few very nice gems.
Sleezy pomp
Dirty
Bij vlagen best dramatisch, maar klinkt best hip voor zijn tijd. 4*
Overloaded and ambitious and seemingly behind its time in history, but I appreciate its artsy reach.