Play

Enjoyable. This is the closest the US came to embracing EDM as a whole.

The start was quite good, then a bit of a mix bag

I quite enjoyed the first half of this album. I feel almost dirty saying it (Moby has always given me creep vibes a little bit, doubly so after the whole Natalie Portman thing) and it does feel like the same trick over and over again, but here we are. I didn't like the second half so much.

Not a big Moby fan, but I liked it more than I thought I would

I like how he sourced samples from a range of genres, and overall this works for me.

Over played this at the time, and with that and the number of commercials it supported have got over-tired of it.

Gets repetitive.

-I like the reference to "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in "Run On" -"South Side" actually seems like a full song with choruses and some nice guitar stuff in there -idk, the songs were fine but seemed kinda simple. Catchy, but simple

The song I know best from radio play is Porcelain but I'm not a fan. It has a structure reminiscent of some of the uninspiring (albeit lucrative) songs U2 was doing earlier that decade. South Side, another radio friendly song, is quite good with some decent lead guitar mixed into spoken versus and a floral chorus. I guess there were a lot of singles from this album. Some of the songs that didn't make the cut to be a single are interesting. Rushing which is heavy (by Moby standards) has a good tempo and fuses in rap quite nicely. The album seemed to have lost steam and the last third of it was lacklustre. The only time before today that I listened to a Moby album was when a friend was flipping through my music and found an unopened Moby CD. I have no clue where it came from but we gave it a spin. I didn't mind it but I never spun it again. If I had found Play I would have spun it again. There are some cool songs on this one, some good guitar playing as well as interesting samples and genre hopping. In the 1st 2/3rds of the album anyway.

Good for background music. Porcelain will always be a favourite.

fine, fuck moby though lol

An interesting album that is for the most part pleasant to listen to. Actually a pretty good introduction to electronic music for newbies. The sampling of roots music is inspired and was probably incredibly fresh at the time. No complaints about it really except that it's excessively long. There's a fair amount of filler that could have been dropped and Moby would have had a better album. I get that Moby thought this might be his last album, but it would have been a classic had he shown some restraint. Fave Songs: Natural Blues, Rushing, Everloving, Honey, Inside

Chilled, relaxing, clean

Overall a pretty chill album, but the overall feel was that of a string of Apple commercials. Most of the music is good but forgetful. Listening to individual songs is good but I didn’t enjoy the experience of the entire album all at once.

Great Album. Why does my Soul, ist an al time fav. Sounds Like He was eine decades Prior to ihr musk today.

Pretty eclectic mix. All over the place but I don’t hate it.

Favs: South Side, Honey, Porcelain Mehs: Inside, If Things Were I don’t think Moby ages that well. It was innovative for me in 1999, when I was limited to music I/someone I knew purchased or music that got radio play. But, now that there are so many artists who do this better, it seems derivative/repetitive. But I used to skate at the roller rink to “South Side” because I’M OLD. So I gave it a 3 for fond memories. I think if I were hearing it for the first time, it would be more a 2, 2.5.

Favorite Tracks: Run On Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad Half of this Moby shit sounds like the background to a cheesy youtube where someone is skydiving or some shit.

Pretty solid jams

Groovy riffs around 'n' around 'n' around

For all it's knocks and calls of selling out, it's was a good album of its time. Feels a bit lifted in hindsight.

not gonna lie, i didn't enjoy this more than a nice vibe to chill to.

Helt ok

Creo que es un álbum muy interesante pero puede llegar a ser algo repetitivo, tiene canciones que son buenisimas pero no todas son memorables

Authentic sounds from 2000

a lot of familiar songs. Not bad.

Lyrically repetitive at the start, not in it for the lyrics, good evolving sounds 7/10

Some interesting tracks on an overlong album.

I'm not going to listen to this again. This was certainly an album that brought a lot of things happening in clubs into the mainstream awareness. It was labeled a sell out by many. That doesn't matter to me. The beats are compelling and the production is strong. It doesn't exactly feel timeless though. Like, it lives firmly in its moment right alongside Fatboy Slim.

I like a lot of Moby's songs, just not enough to want the entire album.

Back half need not be, front half bangs.

Inoffensive hipster background music.

It's interesting in a weird sort of way. Not sure I'd actively listen to it, but it's pleasant to have it on the background

Skönt album, fick bra fokus av musiken.

didn't expect that. truly had no idea of who he was. so far very enjoyable. very 90's rushing is a bit slow to get into the beat is very 90's like the texture of the guitars natural blues sounds great the bit is a bit repetitive tho starts to be more experimental the placement of 7 is a tragedy machete has confused me je trouve pas les interludes très ouf ouf the rest has gotten very low key plaisant mais ça casse pas trois pâtes à un canard la première partie est vraiment sympa, je trouve que le reste devient un peu long on perd le rythme mais la dernière musique sauve la fin beaucoup de musiques oubliables à la fin. genre générique des frères scotts je pense que la nostalgie aide beaucoup de personnes. 9/18 likés le reste n'est pas du tout mauvais... simplement, pas très marquant. juste des musiques d'ambiances. l'expérience n'est pas désagréable mais bon c'est lassant, surtout quand il y en a 10 à la suite je pense 65-70/100 -> 3,35 3/5 = 60/100

I struggled to find the album on YouTube. The songs are actually quite intersting, although some lyrics are literally the same thing on repeat, they don't sound too repetetive and annoying. Though it does actually become quite repetetive after some time, it could have been way, way, way, way worse. The album is quite neat though, I rather liked it. The songs have an interesting variety that aren't all the same.

Sounds like the soundtrack to early 00s movies, like the matrix but less edgy (I know the matrix wasn't in the 00s but that's the vibe)

Very atmospheric and evocative; makes it easy to picture a place/story as you listen to it. Slightly repetitive/dragged on at times.

Um álbum agradável com vários passagens instrumentais. O álbum sofre com o seu comprimento, as músicas do meio do álbum são chatas enquanto que o início e final valem mais a pena. Nota:5/10

Más como el valor de sus canciones (su máxima brillantez lo encuentro en los temas minimalistas apoyado por su spoken word y sus baterías a lo hip hop), lo disfruto a modo de arqueología musical para redescubrir a esas bandas de soul y jazz de donde roba los samples. Interesante. ¡Primera experiencia con Moby!

That there are parts of it that are much better than I remember. But there are some serious stinkers on here as well. But all in all I’m glad I listened to it again

dont have much to say about it good electronic sounds fav. song: porcelain

.

Tämänkin levyn aikanaan kirjastosta lainasin ja omin kätösin mp3:ksi käänsin. Tykkäsin levystä enemmän nyt kuin silloin aikanaan, vaikkei nytkään miksikään suosikkilevyksi kohonnut.

Some songs were decent hallway through then it got bad

Tämä olikin tuttu albumi, tätä tuli loppattua junnuna läpi, taisi olla niitä aikoja, kun mp3:t eivät kasvaneet puissa. Tuttua levyä on vähän erilaista arvostella kuin noita tuntemattomia, toisaalta melodiat on tarttuvia kun ne muistaa, mutta toisaalta puhkikuluneet renkutukset ärsyttää. Pistetään semineutraali kolme tähteä nostalgiatripistä!

Wasn't a massive fan of it then and still not now. Why Does My Heart is a tune and respect for the fact every tune got used in something.

Eh. It's okay.

Moby good

A victim of its own success

I like it slightly more than Natalie Portman does, it's pleasant but it's very bland. Vacuous almost.

Flips between a 5 and a 2. Some amazing tunes but then the rest lets it down

I must have been one of the few people that didn't buy this album in 1999/2000. At the time I didn't think I'd be keen on it. As it transpires, I was right, although I didn't mind it. Some of the singles are almost classics and most of the other tracks were better than I expected. However, it just doesn't interest me or click with me for some reason. A competent, pleasant, commercially very successful album with some stand out moments, but overall pretty forgettable. 3/5.

3/5

doing drugs in not the same as art. The artist is clearly talented however.

For a "finale" album, this piece started off with a bang and the began to fizzle near the end. Not horrible, some truly good electronica soundscape stuff going on, but suffers from bloat and too much downtempo at the close.

strange but I liked it

That's a lot of music. With some really good beats. I wasn't totally into all of it, though.

I remember it was quite a big deal back then. Gospel samples. Electro. Listened to it a lot. Now, after 20+ years the shine has faded. Would Play be released now, I'd find it kind of mediocre.

<<Pitchfork reviewer Brent DiCrescenzo believed the "raw magnetism" of the sampled recordings was lost to "innate digital recording techniques", resulting in music that was "fun and functional, yet disposable.">> -- and this is pretty much my same take on this album. I accept it's a piece of late 90's music, nice for the memories, but I always found all those old blues samples a bit boring, perhaps because they're so repetitive. Three stars anyway.

Semibängeri. Har inte riktigt förstått genren? Typ techno/edm/what?

I know the dude’s a tool, but… I really don’t mind this album. I can put it on. It can play. It neither demands my attention nor entirely loses it. Of the electronic-based records we’ve had on this list, I’m more inclined to think I’ll remember a few of these tunes than, say, anything on that Chemical Brothers record. But, yes, I’m really just waiting for Portishead to appear and show mofos how it’s done.

Nice solid energetic vibes all around, top track: South Side

Old school techno cool!

Felt like the accompaniment of an epic sci-fi action romance feature

it's fine I guess some of the songs are real soothing, but the best ones just sound like budget primal scream I think the problem is that when you've heard all these songs fucking everywhere they start to sound a little generic the zeitgeist had really moved on

Fine

okay background noise

Pretty good

Veel hits op dit album. Zeker voor die tijd absoluut zeer gepast. Niet alle nummers zijn geweldig.

Many nice beats

Not particularly my style, but it was interesting.

The singles are absolute bangers...the other songs are pretty meh

2000-luvun alussa niin tuoreelta kuulostanut levy ei ole ikääntynyt erityisen hyvin. Innolla aloin kuuntelemaan tätä pitkästä aikaa mutta ei innostanut lähellekään niin paljon kuin nuorempana. Suurin osa aika junnaavia biisejä. Silti välillä ihan miellyttävääkin kuunneltavaa

Great

Best songs: Honey, Bodyrock nice gospel hip-hop nice rock parts weak second half 6/10

Don't just watch the ads listen to them

Pretty good. Features what I consider to be Moby’s biggest hits. Maybe he has more? South side is good though.

Surprisingly high hit value.

First two third sounds like a commercial, final is just bland. At least he made that money tho (a fact that will never sit well with me when the artists he sampled surely did not).

too bald

While I appreciated this album, it wasn't for me.

God this is long. Seriously does it ever stop. 18 tracks and I think track 1 is the best of them.

bisschen bot aber geil

Ei mun juttu. Mutta kyllähän se meni. Muutaman kerran kattoin että joko loppuis eli ei paras mahollinen merkki. Vähän liian boyfriend ASMR experience.

Bald music

truthfully didn't listen to the whole thing bc it was 2 1/2 hours and i simply wasn't going to do that. it was fine. mostly remixing old songs but kind of boring style. i might be slightly influenced because i heard that this guy falsely wrote in his memoir that he dated natalie portland when she was a teenager and she came out denying the allegations and calling him "a creepy old man". lol.

Didn’t like the genre

#977. Not particularly good. 2/5: no thanks

i like the ones that evoke an underwater donkey kong country level less enjoying the moby spoken word bits

A diverse blend of down tempo edm sounds. To be honest, while most of them are tolerable, nothing really stood out to me as noteworthy.

Decent background music

Mid

Play did not age well, in my opinion. Apart from a couple of good singles, these songs are often way too underdeveloped and the album itself is unjustifiably long. I haven't given it a listen in years and with good reason, there really isn't a reason to come back to it.

An album that at the time of release really straddled the line between the genres of “albums you’d hear at a party” and “albums you’d hear in your mum’s car”

6.12.26 not really my vibe but still has good moments. needed more variety than anything. Favorite Song: Machete Rating 2.5/5

1 1/2 really

Blues samples on repeat + keyboard + ambience = this album.

royalty free music

I can see its merits but each song just felt three minutes too long (and yes, each song was in total about three minutes long)

I thought this was OK if a bit samey

I like most people didn't realize the long and storied collection Moby had prior to this album and to Porcelain. This reminds me of how blondie is only really known for that one disco track they made, despite them not playing disco music at all. Ill check out more Moby. The album is a little boring though, bit too long, bit too many repetitive samples.

Has a few great songs. The late 90s bedroom production sound is sometimes grating. Deducted an extra star because Moby is kind of cringe.

Just not for me. Found myself getting bored. Some really good tracks on here but the collection as a whole just not something I enjoy.

not my cup of tea as well

This is a tough one. I'm not a fan of techno music, so that's a tough start for Moby. Then you consider that he sampled heavily from public domain recordings by Black artists to elevate his music. The line between appropriation and celebration is quite thin to be sure, but commodifying sorrow and lived experiences of Black folks falls on the wrong side of that line. Also it was long. 3/10

Not a huge fan. Wasn't when it first came out, and still not.

Safe to say I don't get the hype, felt very long winded for alot of loops and the same drum line on every track 2 stars because it wasn't entirely terrible but every track I enjoyed was too dragged out

I just rather be listening to A$AP Forever

Slow, atmospheric, sampled music on a vicious loop. Extremely repetitive and generic enough to be bland and uninteresting. His liberal use of blues vocal samples does feel exploitative. A couple of good tracks here and there but the rest of the beige album drags it down. 2/5

This is a jumble of noise a lot of the time. I tried, but its not for me.

I don't mind Moby, but by the third track I was pretty tired of sample mixing with random vocals in the corner of the track. I don't think I could sit through this entire album in a single sitting.

pleasantly surprised, even knew 2 of them well.

Top review says it well enough. Some cool beats that I wish someone would rap over. The asap rocky sample ID was cool to organically figure out I guess. Obvious he’s a great musician/has a good ear but this thing is too long and too boring.

In a time where people felt apprehensive of the rapidly approaching Y2K, the massive world popularity of this album astounds the brain. Over a quarter century later, not all wines taste better with age.

Sort of ambient chill techno.

As a xennial raver, this album is very familiar to me. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up. It doesn't help that yesterday's album was The Avalanches' masterpiece Since I Left You. The sampling on that album is done with so much creativity and reverence that it makes Moby's album seem like an elementary school music project. The whole album is trite, boring, and unimaginative. I cringe when people describe electronic music as 'elevator music,' but I hate to say that this album actually fits that description.

just a DJ album not my vibe

Sonidos adelantados pero nada le saca lo raro, me incomodó de escuchar por algunos temas pero ciertamente lo banco

Too long. Too boring. Too tryhard.

2.5

The main issue I have with the album irrespective of the issues of overexposure, blues appropriation and Moby himself, is that this album has an overriding feeling of melancholy and sadness. Over 63 minutes this becomes wearing, and when you come to it feeling okay but then songs like "why does my heart feel so sad" work their magic you start feeling really down. Despite there being some great songs like Porcelain, by the end I couldn't wait to listen to something to cheer myself up and steer clear of this.

Very repetitive and kinda boring

The beats and music are fine, if not repetitive and formulaic. I didn't find this music as impressive or attractive as its sales statistics indicates most other people did. I appreciated the opportunity to formulate an impression of Moby's music, but it wasn't so favorable that I would explore it any further.

156. ok

started off annoying. every song is too long for what they’re worth. feels pretentious. occasional flashes of something interesting. much better listening experience by the end of the album 2.5 i liked “7”, “down slow”, & “if things were perfect”

Ganska udda blanding, helt ok men inte riktigt min stil

bland and unimaginative.

There are some absolute bangers on this - but as an album, it doesn't feel like a cohesive effort and at over an hour, it really outstays its welcome.

If l you like one to three phrases looped over and over with different, admittedly good, beats then boy do I have an album for you. I think I would like it more if I was doing something else and this was background noise, like cleaning or yardwork

I remember songs from this album being on the radio for months when it was released and I even had the album. On revisting the album I don't think it stands the test of time very well.

func & funk

Meh it’s okay. I wouldn’t go visit it it again. A little same same throughout the album.

Catchy and pleasant if lyrically limited. 2 star

I realize repetition is part of musical structure, but iy's not a valued oitcome in itself, in itself, in itself, in itself, .......

I'm already upset that I had to listen to this on Youtube just because I didn't want to listen to the deluxe version that was twice as long. Overall, this album was just okay to listen to, I couldn't really enjoy it and it was all just boring to listen to.

Another artist I’ve heard of but never got to hear. This is sample based dance music which can be ok but this album makes me wish that it had more adventurous content or that I was at least listening to some real musicians playing. There are some moments here and there of harmonic movement which keep it interesting however presented over an unchanging electronic beat does make it sound a little flat. It was neat that we got two electronica albums from two different decades, but I just don’t think the genre is my bag. However, I am curious though to listen to at least a couple more albums by Moby to see if anything grabs me. In the meantime unless I can muster up any desire to listen to this one again to see if it clicks, I’m afraid that this will be filed under non-essential listening for now.

Music for film credits and DVD menus

Jeg hører albummet som en fyr der gerne vil være soul full og lave musik som lyder lidt a la massive attack ift. features af sangere - det når bare i den relation aldrig tæt på at komme i mål. OKAY, der er lidt stilforskel, lidt mere repetitivt og lyden er anderledes især på tyngden af det instrumentale, der jo er meget lettere. Men det gør det også bare ret uinterresant og forglemmeligt. De første spæde spadestik til den moderne flydermusiktrend??? Bare for kedeligt... for at understrege reference til Massive Attack: Why does my heart feel so bad lyder som en dårlig version af et massiv attack nummer med Horace Green og South Side, der følger efter lyder i starten som et nummer der gerne vil være ligesom f.eks. Blue Lines hvor Tricky synger. Nøj, hvor er det også langt... 2.3

En klassiker, men det er som om, at det trækker ned for mig, at stort set alle sangene er blevet licenseret ud til så mange film og reklamer, at når de høres i én sammenhængende plade, så føles det som at sidde foran sit gamle billedrørs-TV 2.4

Interesting artist - I don't mind some of the tracks but a lot of them are not for me and the runtime is way too long.

Apart from being an idiot (recently complaining that Lola by the Kinks was transphobic!!) I’ve never really liked his music. This doesn’t change my kind. Same formula throughout. Boring.

Sometimes this works but a lot of times the songs come off as repetitive and un-engaging. Likes: South Side; Everloving

Every time I hear Play mentioned on one of the many "greatest albums of all time" lists I really have to ask myself if this project is that good or if the author truly doesn't have a good understanding of Electronic music as a whole because this project is honestly not all that special in my eyes. Don't get me wrong Play is a very influential album for the time it was released, but I also feel it is a very Pop-like electronic album hence why is seems to be so widely known and praised. I know some people may not agree with Pitchfork but I feel their short blurb summarizes this album beautifully, "it's fun and functional, yet disposable." The songs here feel good in the moment but have absolutely no lasting power in the grand scheme of things. The first half of this album has some very safe Dance tracks but the samples are so fucking repetitive that it makes it kind of a sore to listen to. The second half of this album is Moby trying his best to branch out and experiment and honestly it feels like Moby has no idea what to do with himself so he is throwing shit at the wall. Play is a mess of an album that can't even decide what it wants to be, and it is supposed to be one of the faces of Electronic music in the 90s?? I may not be as harsh as Pitchfork's review but this album is nothing close to being a "essential listening before you die" kind of album. I wouldn't it call it necessary to hear in the grand scheme of electronic music unless you are curious to hear for popularity. Nuff said.

Just OK. Liked the more uptempo songs, but the slower songs left me wanting.

Hmm. Not entirely sure what to make of this. Some easy background listening, but not one I’d reach for regularly I don’t think.

Not a Moby fan

Repetitive

Less aggressive than the Prodigy, funky in parts, and dancey. Reminds me of Fat Boy Slim in parts too.

You just know he would have had dreads if he could grow out his hair

Boring. I didn't like it in the 90s and don't like it now.

I was surprised at how many of the songs I recognized - I suspect mainly from TV soundtracks! I enjoyed the musical arrangements for the most part, but the vocals/lyrics were too repetitive for my taste. Didn't finish the album.

well. hey, did you guys know Moby is vegan?

This was not my favorite listen. Techo and electric just aren’t my thing, sorry. There were some songs I enjoyed though.

I think this album is okay background noise.

Wow - I am so surprised this album is on this list. I had the Porcelain single when I was a teenager, but has always felt a bit embarrassed about it. It was fun to actually give the album a fair chance, and I will say it was overall pretty pleasant. Songs like Porcelain, Natural Blues and Down Slow where actually pretty good and bring up the overall rating. Unfortunately there were a few clunkers and Machete was especially awful. A strong 2.

sf with leo and max chinatown

Bald people piss me of

The blues/roots mixed with Electronica is unique, multiple songs are 10 second segments repeated with different backgrounds and feels to me repetitive

I didn’t hate it, but most of the tracks outstayed their welcome. He introduces a sample, does some pretty cool layering and atmosphere around it for a *little bit* too long, then moves on. A little concision would have boosted the score.

Im not gonna shit on the album, it's good music. But is it a must listen before you die? I'm not sure. I'm not too experienced in electronic music and I can see how this did well commercially- it's a relatively easier listen for people not versed in the genre. That being said, I've listened to electro that had me far more engaged than I was at any point in this listen... and I listened in the studio. Find my Baby and Sunspot were the only tracks that made me look for the name. Everything else felt overly sync. For that reason I probably wouldn't go back to any individual track, but I'm not ruling out a second, maybe third listen to see if I can warm up to it. only 5/5 is the album cover, shits hard as fuck #baldpride

Lo mismo que Fatboy Slim. Creo que lo bueno de este tipo de álbumes, no son las canciones dentro. El valor cae en los samples que otros artistas hacen usando de base estas canciones. Es la única forma en la que le puedo encontrar valor a algo así.

Not my thing

How boring do you want your music to be? Moby: yes! Although the 18 tracks on “Play” all sound the same, he manages to make each one sound even more boring than the others. From a music history perspective, I understand that this minimalism was somehow necessary in the late 90s. In the right club, a looped beat with a few chords and sparse melodies might work after midnight. But why press it onto vinyl? Admittedly, “Natural Blues” and “Porcelain” do contain a few catchy ideas. Overall, however, there is simply too little substance for a music album. I didn't like it when it came out, and I still don't like it now.

Rigtig gode numre indimellem, men jeg kedede mig også lidt

En klassiker, men det er som om, at det trækker ned for mig, at stort set alle sangene er blevet licenseret ud til så mange film og reklamer, at når de høres i én sammenhængende plade, så føles det som at sidde foran sit gamle billedrørs-TV 2.6.

Ну типа навеяло воспоминания из детства, но что-то какое-то меее

This is the kind of album that reminds us why djs probably shouldn’t have full albums. There are a couple of great songs here, but the majority are repetitive and uninteresting.

je me demandais pourquoi le nom Moby me disait de quoi pis en écoutant j’ai réalisé que j’ai shazam ‘Natural Blues’ l’autre fois en regardant le chef-d’œuvre Freddy Got Fingered (2001) chanson préférée : Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?

I was quietly pleased to see this pop up until I remembered a podcast I listened to a few years ago (can’t for the life of me remember the name of it!!) with some guy basically saying he lent Moby this tape of old songs and he then used that tape to sample for this album which ofc blew up and made him huge. No thanks to this guy. And worse yet no thanks to the countless black artists whose samples he took. To add insult to injury I expected the album would be no skips but frankly it was 80% filler. White men continue to disappoint.

Stomped by Obie.

I like two songs of the eighteen which is too low of a percentage for a decent album rating. 2 stars or D+.

I like the instrumental songs like rushing pretty fire 2.5/5

Not horrible not great

2.5hrs is crazy work. 2-3 acceptable songs but some were downright annoying. Hard to rate, 3.5?/10

Definitely a cool track or two on here, but it's not something I would ever listen to again. Just not for me.

This is fine. It’s super bland and the sort of thing I would not hate if forced to listen to it in a waiting room for a doctors office or something, but never would I choose this to entertain me.

Is it talent? Absolutely Is it musicianship? Yep Is it enjoyable to listen to. Sure Then why does it at times feel fraudulent? I don’t know- plus I think Moby may be a POS- possibly.

I enjoyed each song for maybe a minute, but it then repeats the same thing for 2-3 more minutes. It got so repetitive by the end. It wasn’t terrible by any means but I really wanted it to end for most of it. South side was a good song though.

Too long, kinda okay.

Feel like this was the predecessor for so much shit music in the 2010's... and maybe some good as well

No es para mí.

Llevaba mucho tiempo queriendo escuchar ‘Play’ de Moby y por fin le he dado la escucha. Quizá se me hizo un pelín largo, pero definitivamente tiene canciones que, sin saberlo, formaron parte de la banda sonora de nuestra vida

Some of this I liked, some of this just felt stuck on a loop

Dance crossover album in Fatboy Slim vein, very popular in early 2000’s

Very inconsistent. Didn't hate every song.

Look, I’ll be honest. I didn’t finish this album. I’m not the Universe’s strongest soldier. I promise I’ll listen to the rest of them in their entirety. This is background noise. That’s all it is. Sorry if anyone else feels a different way.

boring and repetitive.

Back-to-back trip hop/downtempo-album. Elektroniske låter med en masse retro samples. Noen spor minner om en tidlig variant av EDM-musikken, mens andre er skikkelig “nedpå-bakken” instrumentaler. Sangene med tekst er i grunn bare loops av samples, uten at det nødvendigvis trenger å være så negativt. Instrumentalene er på sin side perfekte å lese til, da de er rolige og svevende. Totalt sett en helt ålreit opplevelse. Verken banebrytende eller helt ræva, men totalt sett ikke veldig interessant. Top 3: Natural Blues, South Side, Run On

The thing about The Moby Song Formula (beats, repeating strings melody, sample of a blues hook sung by an old Black man) is that you don't notice it if you're hearing a song here, a song there. But back to back for over an hour? You start to wonder if you're going crazy because didn't I JUST hear this one? Your mom: We have Fatboy Slim at home. The Fatboy Slim at home:

Another album that, listening today, is just... fine. I remember when it came out and appreciate that it was a seminal step in bringing electronic music into the mainstream. And I spent a decent amount of time in dance clubs in the late 90s enjoying Moby's techno and still love to trance out on occasion. But listening now, this album is repetitive and overlong, and not in a great way. It just hasn't aged well.

This isn't typically my genre, but I had fun with this one. Some tracks were a bit bland and repetitive for me, but I can see the appeal if Electronic is your thing!

Kind of nostalgic for this sound and this moment in time. Reminds me of watching the movie Holes as a kid. There's a reliance on the strength of the samples. Moby deep dives into each one, juxtaposing them with late 90s electronica to create a trance-like atmosphere. But it's just...so...repetitive. I don't think this music rises above the sum of its parts. One song was enough.

Good atmospheric background music. I can see driving or studying to this. As for critical listening, it's a slog fest. I can appreciate it for what it is. The instrumentation over samples is creative albeit repetitive. Not bad, though not for me.

The first track relied heavily on repetition rather than lyrical depth. As someone who values lyricism, it didn’t connect with me, although I thought the production was fine. I picked up on it in the first track, and by the second, it became clear that this repetition was likely going to define the whole album. Most songs seemed to centre around one repeated sentence instead of fully developed verses. I really do not like this and do not see a point. Each song sounds like something that would be in the background of a commercial.... Porcelain is the first track that introduces more than one repeated line, which gives it a bit more depth. However, I can’t tell whether I actually liked it on its own or if it just stood out because the first two songs set the bar so low for me. South Side and Run On were other songs i somewhat liked, but i doubt I would go out of my way to put on. I think to make this appeal better to the new generation, someone should sample this and add more lyrics to these songs......

MOBY YOU CAN STOMPT BY OBIE

Partly heard before Saved 6/18 Top track: Natural Blues

Its just really not for me. Its probably baning for that right audience though

very fight club…. probably would not relisten for a while though

"Today's album is brought to you by the all new 2000 Nissan Maxima. Nissan: Life's a journey; enjoy the ride." This album reminds me of Enigma and the countless other artists that popped up during that weird phase where we were, as a society, collectively into Gregorian chants put to dance/electronic music. Just replace the chants with blues/spiritual samples. Super mid and made for television commercials.

not for me; samples are good, but i don't enjoy the final package; pat would probably like south side; 2 stars for me

Ok

not my choice of listen but i can see the appeal? pretty long, one song was very challengers-esque (machete) highlights: Bodyrock

One extra star for inside and my weakness, the rest was dookie.

it was fun

hard to explain just how much this dominated all forms of media and advertising from 1999 to 2001. it was inescapable. sucked then and sucks now

Sounds supoer generic now that these songs have been used elsewhere... unfortunate.

Ok

The first half of Play is better.. gospel samples, nostalgia, late night movie montage energy. The second half… I’m bored. It turns into ambient background music and I start skipping. Which is funny because the songs that actually I liked (“Memory Gospel”, “Sunday”) aren’t even on the real album. They’re from the Complete Recordings. So yeah, I love the idea of Play more than Play itself.

OK Dance-party music.. otherwise boring

I bought the original CD based on Natural Blues because The End in Seattle played the song often. I liked the album at the time. But I was sitting here listening to the album thinking about how terrible this album is. The only reason we like it is because we hear it everywhere. It’s bad commercial music.

dont get it

не дослушал, не понравилось

Inoffensive

Whimsical; soundtrack or background music

Typical electronic album. Some hits, but nothing to write home abount.

Yay another album of background noise it had been so long!

Sounds a bit dated now

In 1999 I was raving to house and techno, so wasn't a huge fan of this album back then given that it's pretty chill and honestly pretty commercial sounding. Not much has changed in 27 years. To my ears it sounds like Moby was trying to convince directors that he can do soundtracks lol. A few tracks are a bit different... the one that sounds like Moby doing Underworld, and another that sounds like Moby doing Air. I listened to the extended album on Spotify and actually liked the extra tracks more than the ones on the original album. Some were pretty cool ambient.

it was alright… i liked a few songs but overall not really something i would listen to

For all of these 60+ minutes, Moby sits between chairs. He does not reach the professor-like, sample-mania genius of DJ Shadow; his uptempo songs are light years from being as fun as Fatboy Slim’s Big Beat exuberance; and, finally, his attempts at ambient are ultra-sterile and lack what makes the best ambient recordings sublime. Also, it’s puzzling to read that this album was seen as having brought techno (elements) into the mainstream. (Post-)rave culture? Maaaaybe. But especially the hit singles and the album’s first half are a far cry from techno’s primal, pounding energy, the rawness, and sweaty basements. The closest Play gets to that basement feel is when Moby lets his punk influences take over. That being said, Play is not always terrible. Brief samples, added MIDI instrumentation, and programmed drums: these are the ingredients for Moby’s mega-blockbuster. And occasionally, it turns out, this is enough to produce a handful of gems (or, let’s not exaggerate: some solid ideas). But whenever you have a great song such as South Side, it is instantly followed by missteps such as Bodyrock. If he had only reduced the bloat to an EP - or at least to half the runtime… Most songs on Play feel like a compromise: by throwing so many styles together, Play does not transcend them; the result is sometimes even less than the sum of its parts. However, I’m not surprised that Play was a major success. It’s oftentimes the case that when an artist takes elements of a beloved subculture sound and bloats them with radio-friendly aspects, they become bound for the mainstream. Easy to listen to, yet still offering some “exotic” vibes in small and digestible doses. A problem that I have with a lot of chart-topping recordings from the late 1990s and 2000s. I get why people love the all-over-the-place-ness and the melodic dopamine rushes… but I’m not sold. Though the ad industry couldn’t have asked for more, it seems.

Not my jam but they would go SO HARD as a background music. They sound like somebody should sample them.

I really dug the two-track run of Machete and 7 and a I liked few songs at the beginning okay, but the rest was a bit boring. Sort of simple.

Εκ πρωτης οψης δε ψηθηκα. Ομως η ποικιλομορφια ειναι τοσο εντονη σε σημειο που σε κανει να ανυπομωνεις για το τι θα ακουσεις μετα. Post, blues , ακουστικη κιθαρα , ψυχεδελεια , prodigy vibes (τα οποια εκτίμησα). Δεν ειναι σιγουρα album για να ακούσεις sober. Κραταει 1 ωρα και οσο παει γινεται καλυτερο. Honorable mention στο Porcelain που το ηξερα και δεν είχα ιδέα πώς λεγοταν κι απο που προέρχεται

Listening to this whilst driving and feeling like you’re in an hour long car advert..

This falls victim to the CD era and plays a little too long, lagging near the end. Mostly good background music, with a few pops here and there. Southside is fun. 2.5, Not a keeper.

It reminds me of harry hill's blue cat Stouffer 3.14 on this link https://share.google/CojnCfIOCJXGTtlmX Sorted, respect due

Not very memorable. Maybe it requires a re-listen.

Throw it on the pile of "I understand why this is on the list, but it's aged poorly". Surprised to learn this came out in 1999 considering the crazy overuse of over manufactured synth. I appreciate it for what it is, but it's just not that great looking back

Not so good

This has loads of hits on it that I know well. I didn’t expect to enjoy it much but it was actually a good listen. There’s a few hits that are still great and some Of the more dancey album tracks were cool. Overall though it’s not massively my thing, more that it was nostalgic because this album was so huge when I was growing up. Weirdly I really like the album cover, the album name is terrible though.

Here we are now replaying boring 90s club music.

Coldplay left me well, cold

Must be nice to source 1-2 vocal samples per song, call it a day and move onto the next one. This should be my thing but it's just so samey and boring and god did it ever just carry on

Most of this is good if you hear it in 30 second increments in commercials or in short montages in movies. Luckily, that's how you usually hear them. Much less fortunately, that's now how you hear them listening to a full album.

this album's the musical Shawshank Redemption, alright enough but revered because of how much exposure it had due to how loose the licensing was. it's rarely outright bad, but it's dumbed down and lacks drive or texture. baby's first sample driven electronic music. Porcelain is pretty good. i'm coming at this from the perspective of someone that listens to more electronic than anything else so i have a pass to give it 2 stars. deserves to be one of the 1001? probably yes tbh

This came out too late to be the ground zero or progenitor of the 'put drum loops behind another endless looping vocal sample taken from people singing old slave songs'. In 2025 it just makes me cringe and I hope it makes Moby cringe too from making it. This needs to be buried with the era it came from and come off this list.

Never listened to Moby. Pretty fun, repetitive and helpful as I was doing repetitive work.

A bit repetitive innit? Non mi ha convinto devo essere sincera, bella musica ma è tutto troppo uguale e monotono

Addendum to public enemy apocalypse 91 second lesson revealed a great record feel the anger! Not really inspired by this slick unimaginative Kobain "Radio friendly unit shifter"

This is very overrated ...

Interesting, but it's the type of music I listen to in elevators, not for pleasure.

Remember when Moby claimed he dated Natalie Portman in his book and she was like "I hung out with him as a teenager and realized he was a creepy old man"? And there's like a picture of a shirtless Moby with a worryingly young Natalie Portman? Remember when Jonathan Safran Foer left his wife because Natalie Portman was nice to him once and he thought they were going to date? He ended up dating Michelle Williams, though, which is still pretty good. That's about how interesting I think Play is as an album.

Three songs in, there's something to it, what can I say. But there's a 2000's flavor to it, if you get what I mean. Something CD. It's actually tough to describe it. Mainly other piano style keys and drums. 3, 4 are bangers though. 5 not loving the rock elements. 6 better 7 worse. 8 is not bad but this album is getting long... 9 is embarrassingly 2000's. 11 has a nice sample, but many elements here just blend into each other now. Am I wrong to think that maybe this one wasn't meant to be listen to all in one time. 13 boring. Hope something changes soon. Because I still have like 20 minutes to it. 14 is an highlight. Glad it came. 16 is good. I'm very happy to say the last song is here. It all wasn't too bad, but not to good. Unfortunately it doesn't deserve more that a 2. The consistency of excitement isn't there. Bangers are there, but not enough, and because of it's length it makes the experience listening to it all a bit too much. But I have to appreciate the specific style it has. Not underestimating that. Have a great day.

4 minute songs of the same hook over and over for the entire album was not for me. I understand Moby’s influence, but just couldn’t get into this one.

Tänker på tröjan som snubben som är kär i Kiera Knightley i Love Actually har på sig. Blir sugen på att dra upp dragkedjan hela vägen upp till hakan och gömma mina händer i de för långa armarna. Var tydligen mottaglig för detta idag (igår). Var glad för det Moby, du slipper ettan.

det är definitivt en vibe! men den är alldeles för lång.. och lite tråkig

Ibland får det en att känna sig som Neo. Ibland som ett lökigt intro till ett kulturprogram på SVT. Nån låt I början var riktigt fet. Hur många gånger kan en och samma sample upprepas över en synthmatta?

Background music that sits in the foreground. I tend to like the repetition on projects like this but the variations on a theme here aren't particularly clever. Reminds me of how I'd play with fruityloops as a kid and had no ear so I'd just add loops to make the sound grow. Moby obviously has an ear for it, but goddamn does it overstay its welcome. No reason for this album to be an hour, and yet, why not put it all in there? I don't hate it, but it is too much of a good thing and gets tired pretty quickly, unless you're not really listening to it. I don't have the right language to describe this album, although what comes to mind is "cynical" (not correct) and "it insists upon itself" (also not quite right). It's a bit like artisanal cotton candy, or Banksy art, or Disney World. It's not that it's insubstantial, or artifice, but what is there feels fake even though it's also actually there. Doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth but also makes me wonder what that dissatisfaction is. Also the back third of this album SUCKS.

I liked several songs, but the album was so long…

didn’t love it but wasn’t as bad as i thought it was going to be, overly repetitive tho

Yeah I don’t think this is for me. I’ll finish it but I can’t really keep my attention on it… sorry. I understand the artistry but it’s far from my thing.

Porcelain is a good track but basically everything else did nothing for me. It's inoffensive bland 90s background music

Some songs were hard to get through. Some were ok. One or two were beautiful. A lot of repetitive sounds. Maybe it’s worthy of a 3, but much of what I didn’t like brought it down to a 2 for me.

gets better, but not my thing

Kind of cheeks tbh.

Mellow blah memories

not really my thing

I had to laugh when the 1001 Album Generator threw this one at me. In my head, Moby has always been filed under “not exactly essential.” I remember when the album came out — I was 19 and doing my military service. It was the kind of record that just seemed to be lying around at every party. Total stoner music. Usually next to that red Morcheeba album everyone had back then. Of course, I know almost every song just from hearing them so often. This record must have played hundreds of times in the background. The songs stick in your head, but never enough to make you actually get up and check who’s playing or what the track’s called. And honestly, what is Moby? A band? Is that even his voice? “Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?” — sure, it’s all listenable, but it leaves me as cold now as it did back then. Which is saying something for music you grew up with. Sorry, Moby — still not my cup of tea.

Another artist I’ve heard of but never got to hear. This is sample based dance music which can be ok but this album makes me wish that it had more adventurous content or that I was at least listening to some real musicians playing. There are some moments here and there of harmonic movement which keep it interesting however presented over an unchanging electronic beat does make it sound a little flat. I am curious though to listen to at least a couple more albums by Moby to see if anything grabs me. In the meantime unless I can muster up any desire to listen to this one again to see if it clicks, I’m afraid that this will be filed under non-essential listening for now.

This is a duplicate selection for me. Original review below, from when I was less verbose. Some interesting production techniques, but felt a bit tiring by the end

WRAS. Album 88. 88.5 in Atlanta. I owe much of my love of music to this station. From age 14 to 18 I just learned so much. Replacements, Jesus and Mary Chain, Love and Rocket, Husker Du, Black Flag, Dead Milkmen, Siouxsie and the Banshees - all heard for the first time. And Wednesday nights Pure Mania - that was the epicenter. Like sticking my head into a centrifuge for three hours - I would emerge changed. Eventually I taped the shows and especially the weekly album side - they would play a whole album side of a recent release. And that how I came to know Mission of Burma. The album was Versus. It felt important in a way I didn't fully understand. It wasn't as graspable as the other things I was picking up my music dive. But it perked up my ears. There was something. Some months later I heard not one but two MOB songs that still define Mission of Burma for me (and many others). Songs that became bakes into me DNA. First - Academy Fight Song. This track transports you to another world. Even if that world is a boarding school in New England - to quote the song - it has a strange allure. I am still fascinated. And then... That's When I Reach for My Revolver. It defies category. A bass led anthem that defines urgency in music. It kicks ass but still has melody. It hasn't lost an ounce of feeling in the 40 years it's been in my life. As it turns out - I was far from alone because 10+ years later I hear the song on my fave Album 88. But this is not the original. It's a cover. Not a great cover mind you. But bless his heart - he's trying. This trung out to be none other than Moby. At that point my only awareness of Moby was from the Heat soundtrack - God Moving Over the Face of the Waters - an unimpeachable great track that I still carry with me. So why the hell is he destroying a formative song form my youth. But from that moment I just couldn't forgive that man. He had desecrated the sacred scrolls. So this album - I just can't. But do get listen to God Moving Over the Face of the Waters. Or even better - watch Heat.

So much repetition—sampled vocals spin in endless loops like mantras while the techno beats are more for the dance floor rather than for listening depth. Most tracks slip into monotony, and I confess that I had to stop halfway through several. If Things Were Perfect is a rare highlight, with steady bass and reflective lyrics (I don't like the cold, either). By the closing tracks, though, the album’s energy has largely evaporated.

In general I like downtempo electronica, but I found this album quite boring. Maybe it’s over-familiarity with the songs, but I think the fact they were all used in advertising probably says a lot about the bland universality of them. I thought the Pitchfork review was funny - describing this album as fun, functional and disposable - like a condom. I didn’t realise until reading the Wikipedia page that Moby’s name comes from the fact that he’s a descendent of Herman Melville.

kedelig

Not bad but very average like background music nothing crazy

Es música d'anuncis de cotxe,te 3o 4 hits de publicitat i lo altre es musica relax,bona però això. Li dono un 6 perquè le sentit hasta a la sopa a la Tv i això te merit...Tinc ganes de comprar un cotxe...😂

I like electronic music, but this, to me, seems like an odd pick for this project. If someone set out to make an album with the goal of selling as many tracks as possible to people interested in making car commercials, this is probably what it would sound like. I think there's better electonic music out there and Moby strikes me as a one trick pony.

Eh

I didn't get this when it came out and I don't get it now. I have no idea why so many people like this.

Does not hold up. (Wasn't sure on 2 or 3 stars. I'll say 2.5) This certainly did a lot to bring EDM into the mainstream, but is honestly very lackluster. Today, the songs sound like someone who has finally learned how to use Garage Band. They're decent, but kind of bland. Even in it's day, it falls well behind the quality of other contemporary or even preceding music. There is nothing this does that wasn't already being done better by other artists. At same time, other artists were working in the same or adjacent genres and truly pioneering new ground.

Meh

Moby was less terrible than I remember

I honestly don't have a lot to say. It's a solid album but I won't be seeking it out and listen to it probably ever again lol. The runtime is also a tad too long.

Like being locked in a cold room with buzzing factory lights while having a migraine.

Uneven and hard to listen to.

Fedt nok at høre noget chill elektronisk der ikke er britisk! Klassiker, men det er ikke lige min stil

There were some good songs in the beginning that are super TV ad-friendly.... But it's way too long and gets boring quite quick

I just can't get into him...

Gostei. Acho que não conhecia nenhuma das músicas. Tem umas qie parece Legião (na verdade Legião que parece eles). Tiago: não é o melhor do The Cure, mas valeu a experiência.

Pretty good. Nice nostalgia tracks. Nothing amazing, though.

Solid album, but the techno samples were annoyingly repetitive.

I guess I didn’t really know the genre of music that was mint and only heard the name from HIMYM… I think it’s good background music but that’s the only time I would listen.

i can count on one hand how many of these songs i will revisit as background music to study or drive to

Bem vibe anos 2000 (apesar de ser de 1999😳). Lembra muito séries norte americanas como “Suits”. Gostei de ouvir para estudar

boring

There are parts of this that I like very much. They are the parts that Moby samples and fucks with the least.

Some of the most mid music ive ever heard. Half of it sounds like music from a flop 90s action movie, the other half just sounds like the background music for car commercials. Not everyone can do electronic, its not as simple as repeating the same phrase over and over 😭😭😭😭

Moby is interesting, slightly ethereal electronic. The beginning songs very good others not memorable

Couple good songs, overall fairly boring.

It’s wasted on me. But it’s got some neat-o history.

Weird album. Half of these tracks are just sample loops that don't really go anywhere. I actually recognized two on here from later reworks (Porcelain sampled in A$AP Rocky's 'A$AP Forever', and 'South Side' covered by The Knocks & Foster The People). That made me realize Moby does know how to build a solid foundation, and his production really shines once fully fleshed out by these other artists. In the context of this album though, these songs mostly feel like unfinished ideas that I don't want to revisit. I suppose it makes sense that it gained popularity as music for commercials, where it's not the sole listening focus.

Very confused. This is like multiple albums all confusedly trying to make a unit but the parts don't fit. Nothing is really bad, but he only has two tricks - blues with a looped beat over it, or ethereal piano tinkling. That's a lot to stick with on 18 tracks.

Least fav album so far

Not quite my thing

Very repetitive

It’s fine not that interesting

Didn’t jam with this one ngl

The thing that bugged me about dance/electronic music from the '90s was that many songs were one verse of singing taken from another song that was played over & over throughout the "new" song. I can’t even understand the sample in most cases & the song gets annoying or boring. Moby was 2 for 2 in annoying me from the start of the album, then we get Porcelain, which was pretty good. As I continued to listen, it hit me, this is montage music for shows like House, or Bones, or other one-name TV shows, maybe Suits, yeah, Suits would work too. I couldn’t sit around & enjoy this music, but, good on you if you can. Oh crap! South Side, a song I’ve heard. It’s also a song that sounds like a real song, with Mody singing. I can get into this, but most of the songs seem to be made by AI for AI. As I moved further through the album, a lot of it sounded like it was made with GarageBand and used as royalty-free music for podcasts. I’m an old guy who is set in my ways. This stuff isn’t for me; I won’t be giving this a second listening.

Not interesting enough loops to hold attention. Stupid lyrics (especially when Moby isn't sampling old timey record) make it hard to tune out and just relax to. I was around when this came out -- was on the radio constantly. Bored me then, bores me now. Please, if you're looking for electronica from this era with a groove, give me Nightmares on Wax or DJ Shadow every day and twice on Sunday before this dreck.