Reviews (page 6 of 13)
starts to drone in the last half but the first half really goes.
Most of these songs were in commercials in the late 90s early 2000s.
Track to sounded like Voodoo child. Already knew Porcelain. To be honest, incredibly impressed so far and can't believe I've not listened to this album before. Didn't overly enjoy south side... Really liked the feel of the final track, was a really nice end to the album. Overall a lot of very good tracks but a few that I found a bit boring.
dobar
Jako dobar album, par ozbiljnih hitova koji su mi bili u ušima, a nisam znao odakle su.
Fantastic mix of musical styles and some great sampling going on here
Ride all night, yeah we ride all day Some may come and some may stay
1990’s zeitgeist
4.5 stars. Have always enjoyed this album. Simple yet engaging electronica. The slower vibe-ier downtempo tracks ("Porcelain", "South Side") are better than the fast paced ones ("Bodyrock", Machete") which sound a bit dated. Wish "Flower" made it onto the original cut, probably my favorite track and was released on B Sides nearly a decade later.
Always why not
Listened to this as a kid, still impressive. Wide array of sound and ideas from moshable to funeral worthy songs. Say what you want about the person that is Moby; this album is a buffet of interesting ideas and good songs.
Pretty sweet album.
Very good
Son 5ème album. Electronic music. Un des albums électroniques qui a le plus vendu au monde. Solide découverte! Plusieurs grosses chansons de films/séries malgré beaucuoup de chansons bin correctes. Un 4 pour la découverte.
Very innovative music, solid sounds and soothing rhythms, later songs were nice instrumentals
I understand both sides of the love it and hate it. I think it’s a fringe 3 or 4 star. It’s one that has airport type vibes. I don’t think the classification of it being electronic is fully true however I do here some influence on certain electronic/EDM artists like ILLENIUM, Kygo, and Blasterjaxx (those 3 are way more electronic). It’s also a LoFi type music to it (It’s not music I would listen to while studying). Another possible artists who he could have influenced maybe is JVKE (shoutout to Gen Z, he’s an okay artist great piano). The only complaint is the repetition of words like the lyrics were good but it was just repeat,repeat,repeat for a couple songs. Would I listen to him again on my own without someone offering me anything? Yes, yes I would because he has a calm yet tech-no style. All in all a rather interesting listen.
Really enjoyed this-the instrumental tracks were my favorite. Everloving is a great one-the simple melody then blended & mixed with other instruments and harmonies-fantastic
I don't understand the hate of this album. If I'm just judging this album on how much I enjoyed listening to it (which is my usual guage) then it was great! Favorite songs: Porcelain, South Side, Natural Blues
Interesting album. Never heard of Moby before (except Moby Dick of course). A mix of electronica and alt rock, this album is easy listening and is mostly instrumental background music. However, "Find My Baby," Porcelain," and "South Side" are reminiscent. Per Wikipedia, "South Side" was one of Moby's greatest commercial successes. This single received air time, has Gwen Stefani accompaniment, and won an MTV music award back in 2001.
Classic
Enjoyed
More hits than I remembered.
Honestly just a solid album overall, despite what Eminem would have people think
Enjoyed it and grew on me over time
pretty good tbh
Very good listen, didn't realise how many songs were his
Iconic album. Safe to say I've heard most of these tracks before. A lot of it is a bit outside of what I would normally listen too, but still not a bad album by any stretch. Honey is still my favorite track. Definitely follow the concept of the album getting less and less defined as the track-list progresses Intro to Everloving made me think my headphones had broken suddenly lol
He was a bit of a joke, Moby, in the late 90s and early 00s. I can't really remember why now, because this album is pretty good! The two big singles are absolutely brilliant, and the emotion of Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad is still a real sensation. It's a great example of how a song can absolutely transport you to a time and a place in your life. Overall the album just starts to drag a little, and is probably skewed slightly too much to the upbeat dance songs for me, rather than the emotional sucker punch that Moby is capable of, but still a very enjoyable listen.
First time listening to Moby. While I’m not too fond of dance and electronica I think some of the tracks on here are great for background tasks. My favourite is Rushing.
Cool
Fun
I was impressed from one end to the other. I never really gave Moby much of a chance, but this was a great electronic album. The way he sampled and produced, on top of this potentially being written to be his final album, gave the album a lot of weight and engagement throughout the listen. Great sunny day album
Good
2000s
Good Album! They where lesser interesting Songs for me but when it hitted it really hits. Crazy that i was familiar with 3 songs but didnt knew that it was from moby. Also nice that porcellain was used in rockys ASAP Forever.
Nice album
Amazing vibe with a few very good highlights
Interesting music. Not my typical genre but I enjoyed listening to it!
great
An inconsistent, but enjoyable album with several songs that I really liked. Not quite great, but solidly above average.
It's a fun listen, a dance album that you don't need to dance to enjoy. My only real gripe is that the best songs are the ones with samples. So who am I really rating then? He did pick some great samples and work them very well, so cleary a talent. I like the more ambient songs in the 2nd half of the album as well, he's no Eno but very good.
Never gave Moby much ear time before. Of course there was incidental radio listening, but never paid much attention. I quite liked this record with few exceptions. Danceable but also good to just have on driving or washing dishes.
I listened to this album in a lot of cars that year. Peak 90s era techno (at least in America). Not a huge fan of the chill songs at the end, still a good record.
This is a very good album that I find my attention drifting just slightly towards the end. Maybe just a touch too long. But I still like it.
Entertaining ambience
8.5/10 Highlights: Natural Blues Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad Run On Honey Find My Baby Porcelain
This is a tough one. I hate moby as a person - Hes just the worst. Maybe not as awful a human as kanye, but you wouldnt want to spend 5 minutes in an elevator with him. BUT this is a great album, absolutely outstanding. I guess I'll take a star off for how awful he is, but the album is still worth a high rating. 4/5
The album cover didn’t prepare me for how chill this was (something something books and their covers). Loved the samples and the overall vibe Favorite song: Run On Least favorite: Inside
Some notes: South Side: nostalgia hits as hard as I thought it would (loved this song as a kid for some reason) Bodyrock: not loving the ~hip hop~ Natural Blues: loving this one (could absolutely see this being a Flume sample lol) Overall liked it more than I thought I would
So torn as I really did love this album when it came out and even saw Moby a few times when he toured it. But he is a Morrissey level jerk and a pretty creep. Ok, so separating the artist from the art. While brilliant Play does sound dated, probably because songs from it got used pretty much everywhere in '99-02. I also years on still found the lack of real recognition to Vera Hall and Bessie Jones a minus
The album was a lot better than the songs that were played on the radio
2/3 of this album is great. Fades a little toward the end. It’s a little long. If he had cut it down to 12 or 13 tracks this would be a 5 star record.
high potential for 5 stars until i kinda lost interest at the end lol but great album
Very funky, and makes me want to jump out and dance, too bad I'm listening to this at my workplace
Enjoyable background music with a few bangers 4/5.
Moby was so big back in the day, I normally associate him with songs like Porcelain, Bodyrock, Extreme Ways, etc. I was surprised to find that most of the songs I associate with him are actually on Play. Listening to this I realise I have such a gap in my knowledge of electronic music, I see this tagged as downtempo or Trip Hop and I don't think these match, but my knowledge is not all up to date on this to judge. All in all, this was a pretty good album, not great, easily forgettable and it was really top heavy, the back half was lacking. But I really enjoyed my listen through and remembering some of these old songs I have heard frequently on the radio. Standouts: Find My Baby, Porcelain, Bodyrock, Natural Blues
Really enjoyed the different paces within
I was obsessed with this album in 99! I feel Iike I know it backwards. There are some absolute bangers on this album. I know there is controversy around his sampling (and not paying) which is pretty shit, but he made some great tunes with them!! Did a bit of reading about Moby over the weekend, he sounds like an absolute twat! lol
This is such a great album and brings back so many good memories! It also makes me want to rewatch The Beach. This podcast is worth a listen, its about Moby not returning CDs to a friend he sampled some of the songs from. - https://gimletmedia.com/shows/heavyweight/brholm Fave track: Honey
p847. 1999. 4 stars. Immediately accessible sampling album, and the background music to a million adverts. Point deducted for loss of freshness, but that's what you get for licensing your music to anyone who thinks it would be cool as the soundtrack for their car or perfume ad.
Better than I’d thought, but very electronic
Goed album
Moby dick xDDD
not necessarily anything that’s going to completely change your life, but it’s accessible and peacefully sleepy in its final stretch. i wasn’t paying attention to what many of the monologues said but they have a very soothing tone.
Porcelain
Definitely a pleasant surprise. Starts off with club bangers, which all really pop with their production, and then slowd down in the back half, with gorgeous ambient instead. Simply a really strong album.
This starts off with a bang. First few tracks are fantastic but then it falls off. Good enough to be rounded up to 4 as I’d definitely go back to listen to those again.
I love getting albums that were apparently super popular that I've never even heard one song from once because they're usually pretty good and mostly interesting. I'm still a little high so I'm not sure how biased I was but this music was great for the mindset I was in at the time and also felt like really solid electronica that was a different take on the repetitive daft punk/fatboy slim type stuff that was contemporary at the time. I liked inside, south side, and honey the most but the whole album was solid throughout with few to no duds. Edit: It was still a good album the next day and it was especially nice walking through the park as the sun set.
Banger album, the drums are great, it's not monotonous
Scully's song
Surprisingly good and chill
First listen it just seemed pretty mellow. 2nd time through I enjoyed it more. Pretty good.
Great album. Equal parts relaxing and party ready. There a few tracks on the b side of things that feel a little repetitive but overall a great listen.
Love it. Immediately saved it to my Spotify. Great listen for the autumn weather we're having.
It’s a little annoying how good this album is
honey and south side and run on. i dont know what genre this is or who this man is but i thought it was fun
It’s a rock album disguised as electronic music and the results are electrifying. Amazing stuff.
Would listen it again.
master of the genre
Sometimes repetitive within songs, but pretty varied as a whole. Relaxing, creative, polished, smooth. Not sure I'd do another full listen anytime soon, but pretty fulfilling. Best song: Inside
I liked this. I never thought I'd like Moby but didn't actually know what type of music it was. Now I may look into more of his content.
👍
Started a bit formulaic but morphs and changes throughout. Some timeless songs on here. Highly enjoyable album to just go about your life listening to.
So many hits in this album. Very enjoyable. There are some terrible stuff in the middle tho. Favourite: Everloving/Porcelain Least favourite: Rushing/Bodyrock
Elektronische Ambientemusik. Im Wohnzimmer oder Fahrstuhl ideal. Ansonsten wenig innovativ.
Good blues sampling, liked it
Great Slow tempo Jazz
Such a fun and vibrant record. Great use of samples while also incorporating original instrumentation. Good vibes record.
An iconic album for me filled with overly nostalgic fare. A bit front loaded but the back end has some nice ambient tracks.
Honey Porcelain Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad Natural Blues Run On are all bangers
There are def a lot of songs in this album that come off very smooth, but also a lot of raw content that doesn't sit quite as well. The smooth ones are sooooo good though
Experimental and eclectic. More thoughtful and exploratory than hard-hitting energy. B sides give a more contemplative feel that are worth examining separate from the rest of the album.
Much better than I remembered him. I liked it
Seems like so long ago, but this was very very popular. Fun to remember the first time hearing the songs and also fun to seem them pop up in commercials and what not later.
More of a 4.5, so many interesting sounds and done in a very concesive way. Want to give it a 5 but need to listen more before I give it that rating.
В какой-то момент я этим альбомом уже проникся настолько, что Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? теперь всплывает в моей голове, вместе с тем рисованным челиксом из клипов. Да вообще как оказалось, Моби перевернул игру промоушна. Не факт, что он был первым, кто сделал так, но он стал тем самым чуваком, про которого с уверенностью можно говорить "его трек в рекламе был". И не в одной...
rlaxing and nice
Fuck you Marshall
Love. Moody.
Liked it, nice laid back techno. This was the sound of 2000s TV! I feel like this sound was everywhere. Can definitely see how it was extremely influental.
Very nice
This was a pretty good album that I had up to now never listened to.
intressant
Good fun album, hard to escape some of these tunes which makes it hard to be objective but I enjoyed it all the same. Fave tracks: If Things Were Perfect and The Sky Is Broken
re-marking this as had given it a 3 previously, but it played on my mind so much I listened straight several more times. close to sneaking a 5 as it has so many hooks.
Played it a lot when I was younger. Still like it.
Bangers
Enjoyed it
Really liked it, didn't think I would!
Rather pleasant
4 stars - classic.
This absolutely takes me back to a particular place and time. It's a bit repetitive, but it's also fantastic to listen to with a buzz.
I like it. It's a strange mix of ambient, soul, blues, and funk, but good. Music to chill to.
Je pensais pas aimé autant. Mais l'électronique et le sampling est vraiment bien fait. Beaucoup de chanson que j'avais déjà entendu mais c'est à cause de la surutilisation dans le mainstream de cet album. Tout de même j ai aimé mais ça a un peu baissé à la 2e écoute. 4
Knew very little about Moby going in, was pleasantly surprised.
This album was everywhere in the late 90s early 00s. Moby is a bit of an unsavoury character but I can't deny it. This remains a solid album and an enjoyable listen.
8/10 good but... ohh I like it
Hyvin elokuvallinen. Instrumentaalinen. Monipuolinen. Pidän niistä asioista. Ansaitsee paikkansa listalla selkeästi.
Big hit album at the time and still a nice album but nowhere near Everything is Wrong, the only Moby classic (and some tracks of Play are just a repeat of EIW). score: 7/10
Very good album, but could have done without a couple of the weaker songs to make it more palatable.
Очень хорошо
I remember we got this when it came out, probably my first introduction to electronic music. Not heard it in years but listening back it's stood the test of time amazingly well. The tracks suffer from a bit of repetitiveness, the motif introduced in the first 10-20s of each song rarely develops into anything new over the course of each 3-4 minute track, which stops it from being an all time classic. Still, thanks to Moby for teaching me that music doesn't have to be rock or pop. Great album to have my eyes opened to.
The word that has to lead this review is "ubiquity". In the early 2000s, the tracks from this album were everywhere. Every track has its place and purpose. But is that purpose being in an album you would sit down and listen to? The rating for this has to take into account the meta. Yes, it's got some great tracks on it. Is it extraordinary? Not really. But as a story, as a context, yes, it is hugely influential. As an album, without the context, it's be a straight 3. The surrounding to it - pushes it to 5. That's a tough call, and feels wrong given what we know about the artist. So maybe I'll split the difference.
First half of the album is perfect, I had to remember that I know Porcelain and Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad? Memories unlocked right away.
It was nice to hear this album again after some time has passed. It was just everywhere for a while there and I got a bit tired of it. It's artfully made, incredibly catchy and surprisingly melancholic in places. When I was first playing it, Buena Vista Social Club was also a big thing and I was on holiday in Scotland, so Play also makes me think of Cuba and the Isle of Skye. Which is nice.
Listened to this one all weekend! Super cool introduction to dance/electronica. Felt like Jason Bourne at some moments 😎🔫
It’s a banger. Although I’d forgotten who much it slows down in the last seven or so tracks.
PREFS : Porcelain, Why Does My Heart Feels So Bad?, South Side, Rushing, Bodyrock, Machete, Inside, Guitar String & Flute MOINS PREF : Honey
What did Eminem say about Moby? "You're too old, let go; it's over, nobody listens to techno." I like Eminem's stuff more than I like Moby's but I think credit needs to be given where it's due. Moby made people listen to techno with this album. It's solid. And what he often did was take classic blues singers and make it sound like they were modern rappers. As in, you heard Gwen Stefani do guest vocals on South Side (a solid tune) and then wondered who provided guest vocals on Honey or Natural Blues? Nobody, he just mixed the hell out of Bessie Jones' Sometimes and Vera Hall's Trouble So Hard and made them sound even more classic. Kudos for bringing a bunch of great old songs (see also Find My Baby, Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad, Run On) to a new generation, including me. I don't love everything about the album. I never liked Porcelain (probably his biggest hit), not the instrumentals and certainly not his vocals - he does better when sampling like in Bodyrock (another big hit) or mixing heavier beats like in Machete (cool sound). The album also drags in the last third, though If Things Were Perfect has a wicked bass line and beat and the acoustic guitar (I think by Moby) on Everloving is admirable. Maybe it's because there's less sample vocals and the subdued sounds start to blend together. At any rate, for a guy who doesn't care much for electronica, this was a good effort. Not just monotonous or annoying beats.
This was surprisingly good. I knew I liked Porcelain but I wasn’t expecting much from the rest, pleasantly surprised.
I loved this when it was first released, and it holds up after more than two decades. My only criticism is that so much of the original material wasn't Moby's - but he does such a great job curating and arranging these songs, and it's still just great fun to listen to - powerful because of the bluesy tracks he chose and vibing because of his clever arrangements. This album along with a few others around the same time (late 90s, early oughts) nudged me towards electronic music, for which I am forever grateful. This was so fun to listen to again. 4/5 - solid, good, but I've always struggled with how much it's "original" work.
Not the album that got me hooked on Moby, but it definitely cemented my enjoyment.
Interesting pop/ambient/blues mash-up
4* thoroughly enjoyed the album
Yeah it’s pretty good electronic music.Fun.Bit full towards the end with all the instrumentals.
Good album. Alternative and not something that I would have listened to before but Porcelain is a great, well known song. Machete gave me early Prodigy vibes but I would definitely listen again
Great album with very distinctive sounds
I love Moby His performance in 2022 in Katowice (Fest Festival) was one of the best concerts I've ever been to I love his songs But damn, this album is more like a medley or a compilation. The songs haven't got any connection between them whatsoever. I'm here to rate albums, not individual songs
Interesting album. Somehow it manages to be diverse and kind of homogenous at the same time. Songs definetly feel like creation of the same artist/group. It is enjoable but I am not able to say what genre this album represents.
- I so desperately wanna give this a 5 cuz it's so freaking good - Love all the songs on this, super easy to listen to both deeply and in the background - Bodyrock, Honey - Would be a solid 4.5
- I know it included B-sides but that was tooooo longggg - Really enjoyed some of the songs - Kinda like a better version of Gorillaz -3.5
very good album, especially the first half. second half was kinda meh, kinda just waiting for the album to end. Still solid 4 stars
Way better than I anticipated. I think I avoided this for so many years due to the hype it had at the time, plus every advert of the early 2000s had a Moby song. Sort of cheapened it for me. The big songs are obviously bangers, but I think If Things Were Perfect was my highlight. Surprised at how decent the other tracks were on a whole
Great stuff, thanks Moby. Naturally recognised loads of the songs.
I've never particularly liked Moby when I was younger but I recognised many more songs than I would have thought. The songs where he mixes Electronic and Blues work really well and I enjoyed a lot of the album. The songs can get quite repetitive and I think some should have been cut down. Overall, really liked it and will definitely listen to it again, so close to 5 stars Highlights: Honey Porcelain Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad Bodyrock Natural Blues
I forgot Moby existed.... He has gotten a lot of shit over the years, but I think this album is pretty great. Some tracks were surprisingly nostalgic for me. I remember the video for why does my heart feel so bad pretty vividly. Must've struck a chord with my angsty teenage self I would say this generally isn't my thing, but really enjoyed most of it. Didn't enjoy southside, body rock or machete with the higher bpms.... Prefer the more chilled tracks, but there is a good mix here and none of it is overbearing. Highlights: Porcelain Why does my heart feel so bad Natural blues Guitar flute and string Inside Everloving 4.5 if I could, there's a few too many I didn't like to give a 5.
I was expecting a bit of a snooze fest and an album stuck in the 90s/00s. But unlike the man himself, Moby's Play still holds up. Once 'Porcelain' kicks in, the entire sound of the record opens up, and it's easy to just roll with it.
Not bad, but feels like I would enjoy it more if I were high when I listened to it
There's enough hooks and earworms on this that keep my attention. It does get same-y as it moves along. I don't know that I've ever listened to another Moby album. 4/5.
Ubiquitous and catchy. A little long.
Reminded me of the time I had a brief Moby phase.
when i saw that i was going to listen to a Moby album i assumed it was all going to be techno. it ended up being basically everything but straight up techno. some very very good songs
I can see why it’s the best selling electronic album ever. Really strong first half but the back half was a lot slower and tougher to get thru. Rating: 4.0
favs - natural blues - run on - why does my heart feel so bad?
I enjoyed this album. An excellent mix of energetic, slow, happy and melancholic songs. Definitely more my style.
Classic. The hits are still great, though some of the more moody tracks go on longer than necessary to get the point across. Nice piece of nostalgia.
We have similar situation to RHCP's "Californication" from couple days ago. An album which has few songs that are so great, they've been overplayed into oblivion, and many more tracks that are average at best. I think that the difference between previously mentioned record and "Play" by Moby is that the hits are not as universally loved, or are slowly fading into obscurity, whereas RHCP is still going strong. Maybe that has something to do with Moby's alleged behavior in his personal life? Who's to tell. The fact is that four songs from "Play" are easily on my party playlists: "Natural Blues", "Honey", "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad" and "Porcelain". This quartet alone deserves highest praises. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is a snoozefest. Few slower songs, couple of bits with mediocre beat, just a whole half of a record full of fillers. I really think in this case 4 is a generous rating.
There's definitely more for me to enjoy on this as an adult. Moby was trying to get away from the more trance dancefloor sound, and had been working with ambient. He's now bringing in blues and guitar sounds to the mix, and there are some great tracks on here. Still not sure if it works great as an overall experience, but ill pay the songs quality. Also, I do love this late 90s electronic sounds. Genres weren't set in stone, and there was so much experimentation.
It's impressive how many different styles Moby can cover on the record, though it is a little long. The variation really helps. Feels kind of like a full DJ set put to record. Favorite tracks: "Bodyrock", "Machete"
There are some magical moments on this album. Moby has an incredible talent for framing his beautiful melodies with tasteful and gorgeous arrangements that gives the melodies and by extension the songs emotional ebbs and flows that draws the audience in. Porcelain, Soutside and Everlasting are the hilights for me. Well done. 4 stars
An almost perfect album but it's too long and there's a few duds near the end, plus unnecessary talking samples
Great album. Feels like it's gospel like in parts. It's an album to close your eyes too and just float about. I would say if I had the ability to fly I would probably listen to this album first. So much nostalgia and I think it's a cracker. Can't help but think of Eminem though when listening to Moby
Great album. Mix of blues, rock and pop. I can't believe I never listened to this album before. The album opened my eyes on his talent.
Blij verrast
Surprisingly solid album! Never really listened to Moby but I did know some songs off this already! Honey is a very good song that I have heard before! South Side was a solid one I have not heard before! Great sounds throughout the whole album. Sounds like it should have come out later than ‘99. A timeless album for sure!
Very surprising and entrancing melodies, I liked how different from my typical preferences it is!
I'm ANNOYED I really loved the sound of the music, and the guy's voice, but EVERY SONG WAS JUST THE SAME LINE REPEATED 100 TIMES For several of the songs, I listened to half and then skipped to the next song. I did like Why Does my Heart Feel So Bad, tho. South side gets an honorable mention as well as Natural Blues. I just feel like the beginning of every song had so much potential and then just let me down. 😭 But some songs were too good for me to give this 3 stars so it gets 4
Started off a little slow but definitely picked up nicely a few songs in Has some really nice beats that I recognize from more recent DJs doing remixes Very solid electronic album. I really enjoyed the different types of songs from heavier bass with lyrics to lower songs with just instrumentals
I've only heart Porcelain from the album before but I fucking love that song. Excited to dive in. 8 songs in and I am VIBING. Fell off a bit towards the end but still very solid. Great album I am going to seek out some more Moby. Flowers is also a great B-side that should've been part of the original tracklist.
Not bad album to be honest. Takes me back to listening to it when it released.
I had completely forgotten about this album, so good and so many recognisable songs and love the blues samples. Added back to my rotation.
4.5
Listened to this before and it got some great songs like Porcelain and Natural Blues. Good electronic music to have on in headphones when out for a walk.
A really good album.
I expected to know a few of this, I did not expect to recognize almost all of them - a testament to how much of a force he was around this time. These songs are hard to dislike - a lot of the vocal samples sound really thin and contrived in their new context, which bugs me, but I can look past it and just enjoy the music most of the time.
Surprised how many tracks I've heard from this album. Lot of them are still great, although in general I don't listen to a lot of Moby deliberately but whenever it's on it is like "oh ya, this is fun". I thought I'd feel the album was too long, but there is a ton of variety here that I didn't really get bored or sick of it. Sounds like this was potentially Moby's swan song after the last album bombed commercially and critically (not sure if it's on the list but now I'm curious). You can still hear some of those punk/metal flourishes in vocal stylings and guitar here and there, it's till a blend of electronica/techno and rock to me. The gospel vocal samples are definitely what I associate Moby with, kinda brought this style into the mainstream in electronic music (to me at least). Very interesting to hear he still struggled at the start (such as playing at the virgin megastore for only 40 people). It's success seems to be deemed to the strategy of licensing the songs to be used in other media, whether it be commercials, movies, video games, etc. Seemed to be a bit more of a new thing then... but now a lot of these avenues are a golden ticket to success (albeit potentially short lived). If you're a musician/band these days, if you get your one song in some new TV show on Netflix you're pretty much set with an instant audience. Hell, I've discovered many amazing artists this way and kept listening to them way past the original discovery point. 5 for cultural impact and groundbreaking promo strategies, but it's still a bit scattered in track styles. Track list feels like it's the "Extended Edition", I think a lot could be trimmed down. Still, very enjoyable and simply fun. Fav tracks: Porcelain, South Side, Down Slow
Super hit and miss, but when it hit, it really hit.
Liked the experimental approach to music as different forms of sounds. 7 though doesn't fit too well with the rest of the pieces.
Forgot how much I liked this album.
So I gave Play by Moby a spin and I was actually blown away by how many songs I recognized but had no idea were by Moby. It's like finding out that your dentist used to be a rockstar - surprising, awesome and a little unnerving all at the same time. One of the tracks that really caught my attention was "Bodyrock". I remember hearing it on one of the earlier FIFA games when I was a kid, didn't pay too much attention to it then, but hearing it now brought me right back. I now I know what I didn't know then - turns out it was Moby all along. I guess I should've been paying more attention to the game credits instead of trying to score that sweet, sweet virtual goal. All jokes aside, Play might not be an album that I would come back and listen to a lot, but there are songs on there that I've heard throughout my life and that have been a part of my life without me even knowing whose songs they were, and you gotta give Moby credit for that.
Banger after banger after banger!!
Loved it ! Easy 4*
Introduction to Moby. Play will be something I would listen to again and again.
2000s classic beats. Meh, could use more soul.
Surprised I liked it! Will listen again
Good stuff. Great background or driving music!
Slow start but some good tracks on here.
This album was sampler 12524x times lol
There’s a lot to live on this record (and a lot to be bored by on the B-Sides).
Never listened to this in the 90s, because I heard everyone thought it was vapid. What a bummer. It's perfectly nice, probably even groundbreaking for its time. Not "fascinating" or "challenging" perhaps, but very good for repeated listens, study music, etc and holds up very, very well against what we would now call "ambient." I bet the hate is mostly backlash against saturation. (prior listen)
Very fun mix of blues, electronic, rock, hip-hop, and it all blends together so well. Some misses in there but overall amazing (83%)
i like this album. it has cool sounds
Some lovely samples and electronica.
I well enjoyed this. Obviously I know the Moby hits but hadn't ever listened to an album in completion.. absolutely loved it. Felt so nostalgic for the 90s. Great fun. Think it will be a good running album
I had fun with this album!
It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to Moby, and I have a new appreciation for his unique style. Really loved this album as a whole.
This was good to listen to while working. I’ll hit this one up again.
This is a fun electronica album.
As the UK in the 90's explored electronic music and how it could be used, Downtempo would be developed in conjunction with trip hop, leading to quite a few albums that combined the sounds from the likes of Massive Attack and Portishead. Moby (actual name Richard), dabbled in techno, ambient, and even punk rock before landing on 1999's Play, which would be his debut in the world of downtemo. His use of samples combined with the cushy production makes for a sound that is well-rounded. Songs are chill when they need to be, but Play also amps up the energy on occasion without sounding out of place.
Pioneer of the moody soundtrack, creator of the "I keep hearing this bloody song but I've no idea who it is or where it comes from because it doesn't have any words"... Moby's Play ticks all the right boxes where electronic ambient music is concerned. Losing one star because there are better albums of a similar genre out there, but this was certainly a nice surprise to have pop up today.
Great, a bit repetitive towards second half but still enjoyable music
Nice atmopheric electronic music
i knew the album already, but it was nice to hear it again, smooth vibes mixed with techno tunes and creating a nice smooth sound, refreshing at the nineties...
it’s just soooo sad
Very tasteful, versatile album, with a good mix of instrumental tracks and songs. It is very complete, with tons of hits and very different genres.
Whoa forgot Moby was once everywhere - almost every other track on this album was a hit of some sorts - and while it's a nice snapshot of the specific time it sat in, it's also surprisingly relevant musically. Now wonder what happened to Moby... wait... SIXTEEN records since?
Like 3 unbelievably great songs and the rest is only ok.
I remember this album from when it came out, I wanted to say 2001 but Wikipedia confirms 1999. Moby seemed to get a lot of heat at the time, I recall it mainly centred around his veganism, pacifism and general hippie NY existence. 24 years on and it seems bizarre that these now comparatively mainstream interests should be marginalised but it seems the 90s was quite happy to consider Moby a bald prick for having such radical views as compassion, what a wierdo. Much like Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP which was an earlier album on this list, that hasn't aged well (I use Eminem as an example since Moby was lampooned in one of his tracks). Anyway, the music. This is a pretty solid album, and since most of the tracks are largely instrumental or at most scant lyrics, you can imagine a lot of them being used as background music to film or TV (maybe that's the Jason Bourne effect).
Never really listened to Moby and regretting it after hearing this. This is really good.
Very funky and cool tracks.. and yes, I've heard some of the songs before.. but to listen this after so many years was ... Different
This has a huge nostalgia factor because it was drilled into me as a kid.
ensimmäiset 15 minuttia. on musiikkia varsinaisesti. selvää vitosen luokkaa. sitten alkoi alamäki.. mutta tasaantui kuin kelkka konsanaan, mäkihyppääjäkään ei aina alamäkeen vouhota... olisi hauska kalju ukko nähdä summaryssä...heh.. kalju, kuin syöpäläinen...heh... Just feels repetitious and stale. ai niinkuin teikäläisen elämä. Grunge Post Punk Punk näkyy teikäläisen sivulla.. ja abbey road näkyy vitosena meneppä poika kuusen toke... why does my heart feel so bad
A bit similar but the vibe was excellent and made me want to dance. No boring moment imo
Een vrolijke explosie van muzikale creativiteit. Beats en instrumentatie geplaatst onder overal en nergens vandaan getrokken samples, en het werkt: sfeervolle gekkigheid.
A solid album, even outside of my normal listening type.
Solid first half of the album, slight drop off but some ambient/nice tunes in the second half too
I’ve probably heard some of these tracks before but I don’t know for sure. Either way, I like this album. He’s an excellent composer and the performances and recordings are strong.
This is a good listen nearly 25 years later. Well recorded and timeless, good sampling and timeless foot tapping rhythms abound.
The notion of selling out (a frequent topic of the 90s) was given the final nail in the coffin with Moby's Play, the soundtrack of a million commercials and movie sequences. A farewell that turned into a celebratory affair filled with riches and notoriety, Play is as apt of an album title as possible, with album cover to match. Not only danceable but reflective and emotive to boot. Favorites: Honey, Find My Baby, Porcelain, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, South Side, Bodyrock, Natural Blues, Run On, If Things Were Perfect, The Sky is Broken.
Fun electronic album that has some neat usage of different samples, very fun listen
Funcionou para experimentar as melodias criadas com as camadas eletrônicas.
This is a great listen. Could definitely do with trimming down a bit but it has some undeniable bangers.
Always good
Good album. Solid performance.
moby is annoying af but this isn't as bad as i thought it would be
I bought this album when it first came out, but never got into it. I don't think I fully appreciated it at that time. I was very surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed it this time around. So much depth to the songs...a great adventure through the full album. 4/5
Surprisingly enjoyed this one
This might be the first album in this challenge that I have actually sat down and listened to in its entirety.
It’s good and comforting in the way mashed potatoes and gravy are good and comforting. Mashed potatoes is a side dish, of course.
Neat album. I feel like everyone knows this album without anyone actually listening to this album. The whole album feels almost like a cinematic experience, or simply the soundtrack of a film. Lots of relaxing and chill tunes here. 8/10
I really dont know how to rate this, while listning my rating ranged all the way from meh to wow this is amazing. The album is genius, its incredibly well produced and manages to be interesting whilst not to challenging
Groundbreaking at the time and still a good listen.
A classic, so many hits, cool samples. I always thought he was skateboarding on the cover, it's only during this review that I realised he is just jumping. Felt a bit sad about that.
Probably blasphemous to give this a 4 compared to other 3 stars I've handed out, but I enjoy sample-based music and these songs get stuck in your head all day. Listen to them while working, driving, cleaning, whatever. I should get this on vinyl
Electrónica.
Música electrónica-house. Dos megahits. Le iba a poner un 5, pero las últimas canciones son muy lentas... Un 4.
Moby was on the in-store rotation when I worked at Sam Goody in the late-90s - early 2000s. I actually saw him in concert (he opened for Bush - which was the weirdest combo I've ever seen). A few of these songs are really cool, most of them didn't hold up as well as I had hoped. Still, I respect what the guy did. This form of composition isn't easy and he pulled it off in an interesting way that actually became quite popular - making serious noise among the punk-pop/boy-band era. I respect him for that. Despite Eminem's dig against Moby ("nobody listens to techno!") - he actually did turn a new generation on to this, which is cool.
A great album
This album was everywhere when it was released. Even though the Gwynn Stefani of South Side didn't make it to the album cut, it helped project it through the atmosphere. Moby's Play did serve as an influence for future DJs regardless the slap back he gets today, it still holds up. 4/5.
This album is very inventive. It's quite varied and fairly long. Really enjoyed.
One of my favourite Moby albums.
I remember owning this at the time and selling it after the first listen. But time has been kind to it. It helps that the songs aren't played literally everywhere, all the time, like they were in '99. (I'm currently sitting in a Caffe Nero in Bristol and a man keeps trying to make conversation with me, which is distracting.) Anyway, I really, really love "Honey" and "Run On," and I did at the time. They're doing something interesting and unique with folk and blues. "Porcelain" can fucking do one though, namby-pamby spiritual advertisement shite.
Great album. I loved it when it came out and I can play it now to chill
Liked this one a lot. Listened twice even though it’s like 2 hours.
Amazing album, not only contains one of the most classic Trance tracks, it's an experience in itself Favorites: Porcelain, Why does my heart feel so bad?, Bodyrock, Natural Blues, Everloving
I'm as surprised as hell to find I enjoyed this. I'll be spinning again 👍
If Run On was the last track it would be a five star.
extended play runs on too long
J'aime bien les différentes pistes, mais l'enchaînement de trucs très répétitifs finit par m'aliéner... Je les écouterais plutôt de façon séparée.
Fun, almost plunderphonics album. Interesting story behind how it came to be as well.
Really liked the experimental feel the music had. Definitely felt very immersive, almost an ambient experience.
excellent downtempo... although problematically built largely around samples taken from Lomax "field" recordings where the original performers' and composers' roles are heavily downplayed or just outright ignored.
liked almost all the tracks, especially the more minimalist ones. add favorite songs later, maybe change to a 5
Early EDM baby can't get any better, great mixes, want to learn more about him, cool beats and cool album
it’s alright I guess I feel like Moby is second to most the other guys Fatboy Slim’s better Daft Punk is way better Aphex Twin is fucking miles ahead like, Moby isn’t bad it’s just not really that amazing still, the album was fun and I enjoyed it 7/10
Every song is a different style. Groovy to atmospheric to soul singer. I can listen to this many times, and only skip a few.
Wishes I could have listed to just the original Play and not Play + B sides. But a great reminder of how revolutionary that album was when it came out!
Atmospheric but a touch long
一般
The best bits are the sampled vocals, and there's some cool textures and beats on display. However, like a lot of dance music, it's repetitive nature works for and against it. Some tracks outstay their welcome. Each track does have at least one really good hook, so it's perfect fodder for TV commercials, and Moby's instincts proved very lucrative for financial gain. But I can't shake off the feeling that it's a cash in album which make you question the artist integrity. With that said, kudos to Moby for making this well produced spiritual sounding record and there's enough decent tracks like 'Porcelain' and 'South Side' to warrant it's classic status.
Is there anyone alive who isn't worn out by this album? it was just everywhere and all the time, but it's still a good album it you can fight the urge to switch it off and actually give it an objective listen.
This is the only Moby album I'm familiar with, but I really like it. I love all of the sampled Lomax recordings and roots music. Some of these tracks are just down-right haunting.
Liked this more than I expected. The songs are repeaty, but each song is different from the other. Also, the songs aren't over-long so the repeaty-ness doesn't bother me like it would in other places. The songs didn't overstay their welcome. That being said, the overall album was a bit over-long. I could have done with 1/3 of the songs being cut. 3.5/5
Porcelain and Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? are both absolutely beautiful. Really enjoyed this though it is a long ride.
I don't really know much Moby. Honestly, I think I'm most familiar with him from Eminem's diss on "Without Me". So color me surprised that I vibed with his sound through the full album. It's pretty well-paced, too! Could see myself picking this up in the dollar CD bin. B
This album got so much airplay at the flat in the early 2000s, it was a key part of the soundtrack of that stage in my life. I don't think I such a fan of him these days, but this album was huge.
L'album a très bien vieilli, beaucoup plus riche et diversifié que dans mon souvenir
I love the music. I have loved this album since I first heard it. Moby is a creep.
This was practically the soundtrack of my 20s. A lot I love here, still lots to which I’m indifferent, but the stuff I love gives it a 4.
Listened to this one over and over when it first came out. Still quite enjoy listening to it.
Me gusta este disco, pero se alarga demasiado. Tiene varios temas que por allá a finales de los 90 y comienzos del 2000 estaban en todas partes.
Moby does such a good job of taking simple I deas and turning them into something incredible.
Me gustó bastante, creo que podría volver a escucharlo. Todo esto teniendo en cuenta que no es música que escuche generalmente
If it wasn't for the 'One Album a Day' i probably would never have looked at this album. Moby has an interesting style in this album, the vocals, while done well, take a bit of a backseat here. This leave a lot of stage room for the progressive instrumentals on many tracks, particularly porcelain. The textural contrast between the vocals and the smooth instrumentals makes a nice wash of sound. South Side's guitar solo is really well supported by the bass and strings, while the solo shines through, the bass and strings hit notes poignantly alongside the major expressions of the solo riff. Regardless, this album didn't leave a huge impact for me, cool how cohesive it is but it didn't hit the message home.
Un disco largo con mucha música electrónica, muy producida, con mucha variedad de sampleos, sonidos y voces. No todas las canciones son buenas pero fue muy bueno escuchar de nuevo dos en particular, South Side y Natural Blues. Sin ser fan (más que de esas dos canciones) creo que es un buen disco que no necesita 18 canciones. 3.5 que sube a 4.
De este disco recordaba Porcelain, de algún "NOW, That's What I Call Music" y en principio no me gustaba. Sin embargo, escuchándolo 20+ años más tarde, de hecho me pareció muy bueno y lleno de momentos muy buenos en los que la instrumentación tradicional que mete suenan con todo y lo último que piensas es "electrónica". Descubrí entonces que conozco más de una de esas canciones y que probablemente en películas o TV hasta las llegaron a quemar. En fin, sí me deja curiosidad de checar un poquito más de Moby.
I'm embarrassingly into this
Was feeling a three on this until the second half of the album kicked in. It's such a jam! Great music to work to or read to or groove to.
Lotta five star riffs, jams, beats and soundscapes on this album. Unfortunately, no five star songs. Solid 4
surprised at how catchy this was, and interesting to learn how overpoweringly it was featured in movies and commercials. Intersting to see that as a way to achieve success for the genre. Probably a 3+ musically, round up to a 4 for story and influence, then slightly down again for the length...but not enough to take away a 4. Well done mr Moby.
Much longer than I remember, with a number of tracks that seemed more electronic-experimental in nature. Overall I like the mix of folk and techno, and I didn't think the album sounded too dated.
This is a great album to have on in the background. The samples are interesting and the beats catchy.
So much groove! I was surprised by how many of these I knew, although I did feel like I was in an early 2000s movie by the end (Looking at you Jason Bourne).
Moody and immaculate
Really enjoyed this album. So many great songs, one right after the other. 4/5
Dit album is een klassieker. Heerlijke electronische muziek waar ik in mijn jeugdjaren veel naar geluisterd heb. ****
I love this album already.
First two songs were ok, some interesting samples were used. Porcelain is one of his biggest hits and a song that I enjoy. I also recognize South side. Ok a few more of these are familiar. A good mix of calm, relaxing, easy to listen to music and some upbeat jams.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Limo_(How_I_Met_Your_Mother) Crazy album
I like this album a lot
Great mix of electronic music but also adding to the the current trend of the late 90s making. It extremely commercially successful, I personally don’t like the music but I appreciate it and it’s pop culture
I loved the simplicity, I loved Honey, Porcelain and the B-sides. It was pretty long though
I'm not entirely sure which time of day this album is best played at. It's got some well trodden tracks though.
The highs on this are fantastic. As is how it was made. Not all tracks hit home for me.
This is 1999 in Sydney for me
Honey is a classic. Straight from the Holes soundtrack. Natural Blues was also on here. This was a great album.
Whoa, Mr. Moby, what are you doing here? Moby is secretly a '90s pioneer. Actually I don't know if that's a secret, he just seemed to develop a very cool, signature style in his music that's both wholly Moby and wholly '90s. Love hearing "Porcelain" after the A$AP Rocky sample. It's funny that now the most you hear about him is that he claims he dated Natalie Portman and she claims he was old and creepy and just followed her around her campus a few times. The guy's clearly living in a world of his own. Great album though! Favorite tracks: Porcelain, Honey, Bodyrock, Run On. Album art: Definitely iconic, I've seen this a billion times. Guy jumping, or doing a kickflip maybe? Is that Moby? Who's holding whatever that little Gameboy camera-looking device is on the left? Unanswered questions, that's what I like. 4/5
Defo not a morning album, more like a chill out after being out, out!
A great album to start the day!
I liked this album more than I remembered. I loved it when I first heard it - Honey is sooo good and there's plenty more great tracks. Then I switched because Porcelain was playing EVERYWHERE non stop and I got sick of him being (90s me) a corporate whore sell out. In retrospect, it's a good album. Not a perfect mind blowing album, but a slice of good fun that was more exciting than a lot of what else was going on in '99 (acoustic renaissance? Pop punk? Nu metal?)