Play

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?)

Je ne connaissais Moby que pour le célèbre épisode l'ayant opposé à Eminem. Comem vous le savez tous, début des années 2000, Moby était tranquillement attablé en terrasse d'un restaurant de Detroit, profitant d'une belle journée avec ses amis. Soundain, Eminem passait dans la zone, et sans que personne ne comprenne vraiment pourquoi, se mit à insulter copieusement Moby, qu'il ne connaissait pourtant ni d'Adam ni d'Eve. Moby, sous le choc, en perdit l'apétit, et pris congé de ses amis, laissant une somptueuse salade niçoise à moitié entamée sur la table. Si vous vous dites que cet épisode hubuesque est complétement injuste pour le pauvre Moby, vous vous trompez lourdement. En effet, cette "conversation" (terme discutable puisque Moby n'eut le temps de prononcer le moindre mot) fut relayée dans les médias, et Moby jouit après ça d'un succès fulgurant. L'opinion publique ayant été prise d'affection pour ce jeune chauve, il dû se resigner à démarrer la musique, ce qui nous ammène à cet excellent album.

I'd forgotten about this album. It's really rather good!

Alchemy is defined as ‘the medieval forerunner of chemistry, based upon the supposed transformation of matter… and concerned particularly with attempts to convert base metals into gold…’ Or is it? Alchemy may also be understood as a spiritual or mystical conversion with base metals and gold symbolic of, perhaps, one’s inner conversion. Moby, I believe, on several tracks of 'Play' seems to be attempting a musical form of alchemy, transmuting prior recordings primarily of mid-20th century African American gospel and folk singers like Bessie Jones, Vera Hall, and Bill Landord and the Landfordaires. And the result is quite enjoyable. The rest are his own techno creations, mostly downtempo, also very pleasurable. I particularly loved the downtempo offerings: ‘Inside,’ for example, with it’s scuba diving synthesized feel, or ‘Everloving,’ beginning with Moby on acoustic guitar (in the left ear of one’s headphones) then filling both with soothing downtempo gloriousness. Moby, incidentally, plays virtually all the instruments on 'Play,' and plays with talent. His guitar work, especially, on ‘South Side’ is really good. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out the players in this musical theatre: ‘Porcelain’ is Moby’s (who’s actual name is Richard Melville Hall) transmutation of the song, ‘Fight For Survival,’ by Klergy, Danny Burke’s altar ego… or, at least I think so. Frankly, I’m still not certain I’ve put all the pieces together correctly. After a while this began to take me down the rabbit hole with Alice, so to speak, so I simply surrendered to the sound and enjoyed the lovely trip. Not being completely unfamiliar with the hallucinogenic experience myself, I thought it would be a wonderful LP to have on hand as one was coming down from a trip, or definitely to the accompaniment of some of Denver’s legal, recreational weed. That said, the listener may enjoy it just fine while completely sober as well. Your freedom, your choice. I happen to love to dip my French fries in mayo, but I have a good friend who can hardly sit at the same table with me while I’m doing it. Either way, French fries are still mighty tasty. And so is 'Play.'

8,5

starting off with the holes song😛😛😋😋😋 some really nice songs

Interesting. He sampled some of Lomax's recordings, and also has South Side.

Fijn hoor, die Richard melville hall.

I listened to Play shortly after the album came out. Singles from the album were regularly on the radio, and there was a lot of buzz about the album in general. I haven't listened to this album in a long time, but I still like Moby. "Porcelain" is my favorite track, but "Honey" and "Run On" grabbed my attention on this listen. "Natural Blues and "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad" are favorites that I remember from before. "Machete" is the hardest track for me to listen to, but I would come back for a second listen to the album.

Giving this a 4 even though I'm not a huge Moby fan. So many of these songs have such strong ties to the late 90's and they really brought me some nostalgia.

Nice variety of chill music.

Didn't expect to vibe with this album as much as I did... I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bopping at work to this.

Oh Moby, you were so close to making a great record. The entire first half of the album is spectacular, with Honey a strong intro track and Why Does My Heart and Natural Blues being other highlights. But then it all falls apart, and I think that happens around track 13 - Down Slow feels like a natural place to close the album, but then it continues, inexplicably, with 6 tracks of forgettable trip-hop. A good listen therefore, but too bloated to be a great one.

Soundtrack of the noughties. I've never really been into EDM outside of a festival setting and therefore I went into this thinking I wasn't gonna enjoy this album. Buy boy oh boy was I wrong. I had this on all day and then some. Gonna have to stick with a 4 as the last 3rd of the album is just OK, but adding this to my regular rotation.

Rompedor y sorprendente en su momento, algunos cortes son ya himnos eternos. Con los años ha perdido algo de frescura y le sobran algunos temas que, si no estuvieran, sería este un trabajo redondo. Aún con todo sigue siendo bello y disfrutable.

No weak tracks on this album. To appreciate it fully im going to use more time. Good stuff.

A mystical experience. I remember when this came out and you could hear Moby everywhere. The first half of this record is solid. Love how Moby sample gospel vocals and a Piano track over tasty loops. I think that a good portion of the second half could be cut… My all time favs are Porcelain and Why Does My Heart Feels So Bad.

God I love this album.

I was surprised by the fact that I liked this album. The instrumental tracks were strong. Although there are some not so good songs on this album, its highlights are definitely worth a mention. Best track: Porcelain. 8/10

Muutama oikein hyvä biisi ja muuten ihan ok menevää konemusaa. Nelonen tuntuu turhan korkealle ja kolmonen ei taas oikein tee kunniaa.

Pari vaisua tsipaletta, mut muuten palautti kivasti mieleen 2000-luvun taitteen, kun tuli kuunneltua melko ahkerasti tätä levyä

This album put really really strongly, great beats, beautiful melodies and interesting arrangements. It loses some momentum towards the end and like many electronic music albums IT'S TOO EFFING LONG! 4 🌟

For a long while, this won my coveted personal recommendation for "best background music". Not much more than that, but still - being the perfect background for almost everything means a lot. It aged, since, and it has also been overused in too many soundtracks. But it's still good!

Always thought Moby was cheesy dad pop, didn’t realise he had this many bangers

Música electrónica-house. Dos megahits. Le iba a poner un 5, pero las últimas canciones son muy lentas... Un 4.

This album is pretty good. I like the use of samples. Got it on CD a while ago.

A fascinating use of samples in electronic music, with some ambient tracks. 'Play' manages to be loud and upbeat, retaining a good semblance of complexity that pairs well with its fundamental electronic elements. While certain tracks lean toward downtempo, Moby produces an overall satisfying listen with sufficient flair.

Interesting!

Gefühlt jeder 2. Track zu Beginn dieser Hit Maschine scheint als Single ausgekoppelt worden zu sein; vom Schema alles recht…schematisch & zweidimensional: ein Mörder-Sample, das dann in durch den Beat Schleudergang immer wieder und beim ersten Mal auch unsersättlich gerne wieder und wieder durch geballert wird. Die Auswahl der Versatz Stücke ist groß aber die Verwendung mittlerweile stark datiert. Klingt wie Musik für Leute, die sonst kein Interesse an Musik zeigen. Absolut WDR2-tauglich. Die ruhigen Perlen „Porcelain“, „Natural Blues“ &„Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?“ funktionieren dabei mit am besten und erschaffen das Genre Chill-Wave quasi im Vorbeigehen; eben Musik für Musik Desinteressierte. Was aber nach „If Things Were Perfect“ abgeht, hebt die Chose um mehrere Level. Sparsamer Vocal Einsatz und eine von Walfischen bevorzugte Tiefe und Melancholie setzen den Kontrast hoch und ein paar Pfunde mehr auf die Waage. Dicke 3.6

4 time machine

I knew fewer of these than I thought I would, given its marketing push on release. I found the instrumentals and ambient tracks most compelling.

I remember when this album came out - it was everywhere. Literally. Each song has been licenced to be used in adverts, movies etc. Fair play on Moby for the cash in. It's a mix of electronic synths and beats with old school blues tunes. Best Tracks: Honey; Porcelain; Run On

This is a belter. You can hear influences from trip-hop, it was clearly influenced by punk and part of the big-beat movement too - and most of the album slaps hard. I don't think we would have electro swing without this album? It drags a bit towards the end which is the only complaint, but I really enjoyed this

Wasn't expecting to like this, but was pleasantly surprised. Creative and fun.

Brilliant

What impresses me most about this album is how Moby mixes so many disparate styles: American gospel, blues, found music, hip hop and electronica in one record and it all still sounds so cohesive. Its over 20 yrs old but the songs still sound pretty fresh, testament to just how good this album is

A long-forgotten old favourite. Lovely to hear it again. I remembered it far better than I thought I would, having not heard it for 20 years.

Качественная и необычная электонная музыка. Большое количество узнаваемых треков. Некий электронный фьюжн. 7,5/10

Not something I ever would have listened to, but it was very well executed for the genre.

This album has its ups and downs for me. The album starts strong, but, by the time I got to Southside, I was plodding through it. The album then finishes strong.

Moby seems like an insufferable person and i've honestly never heard anything he's made before or after this album, I legit thought he stopped making music soon after this. but trying to stay as objective as I can this album is pretty good, he got a lot of great samples and did good things with them, he made a lot of forgettable loops catchy and memorable... Most of the album is still really easy to listen to today which in itself is a massive feat compared to a lot of music from that specific era.

Electro's repetitive samples are sometimes a bit much for me, but enjoyable if you get into the groove/are in the mood. Nostalgic for this time period (turn of the millennium)

Good background work music. Awesome beats ahead of it's time

Great stuff

Hit after hit. This album revolutionized techno, influencing music to this day. The first 4 tracks are favorites, but even the tracks that follow are beyond expectations. Their legacy is in no part due to their commercial use in media, cementing many songs in the minds of many. My issue was that the album slowed down after "Run On", and the B-sides added in weakened the appeal, making the album drag on longer than it should. The only real highlight I picked out was "Flower", but I'd still listen to the whole album if I needed ambience.

High production quality and some strong songs. Liked it so much more this time around then I did when it came out.

I dig

a classic

Pretty good, interesting influences coming through. Good musicianship.

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.

An album that passed me by when it was first released, apart from the oversaturation of the singles, but I really enjoyed it. the singles are very good and I also appreciate the blissed-out instrumentals towards the end, whilst my younger self would have certainly disregarded them.

Very, very good! I forgot just how good actually!

Natural Blues

Got it for free from a friend's ex girlfriend. I listened to it quite a bit.

Great start to this new listening experience! Which coincidentally pairs w/the book that I've been documenting my life adventures in. Thx for the opportunity to expand my listening entertainment.

Big surprise. Skitbra

Not what I expected, but enjoyed it nonetheless

Moby's most famous album, and it took a whole year after release to reach that acclaim. This downtempo electronica album was a joy to listen to and it helped me find more gems from Moby. A very unique album if you read into its details.

I do be vibin There be bops and mellow vibes too am enjoying Ooh Porcelain be chill tho Ngl I like this actually, good background-ish sound

Not something I would usually listen to, but enjoyed it thoroughly. I've definitely heard porcelain before, but hearing it context is nice.

Smoke City- similar to Portishead, cool band that played after the Moby album ended

good eclectic eletronic sound

electronic shit this 4 is worth more than the last one, far more. everloving is a beautiful song great album 4/5

Good album to turn on and let it play. Love me some Moby. Gwen Stefani....very enjoyable.

Relaxing and groovy. Some good dance tracks and some more mellow. All well known.

No me gusta nada este tipo de música... lo intenté pero no pude escuchar más de dos canciones...

Nice. Gute Laufmusik.

great stuff :)

Thought it was great - the upbeat tempo made it perfect for motivation/background music for working or working out.

It's over, nobody listens to techno

Ihan ok, omistan levyn :)

Excellent album, I’ve listened to it many times already so it was a pleasure to hear it again. Also great background work music!

Gran disco, tiene canciones para cualquier momento, pero me encanta escucharlo mientras viajo.

Bit over it now but a pretty original and seminal album of its era

Enjoyed listening to this after years of hearing it in full. Some really good tunes on it, although some definitely passed by without me really noticing them. But enough stand out tracks that still sound fresh today.

Kyllähän tää ihan töiden taustalla toimii. Piti oikein pari kertaa kuunnella.

I never loved the album at the time, but I loved most of the big tunes. Listening to it now and it's better than I remember. A lot of it holds up and there are def a good number of classics, although it would benefit from a few less tracks. I actually think the excessive film/tv/advert licensing adds to its impressiveness and legacy. Plus it influenced Adele, who knew? 8.5/10

This is an album that I will defend as actually being very good. I’ve enjoyed every listen, and I got this by accident a few years back as I forgot to cancel my VMP membership and it shipped. Listened then and liked it, so I will keep listening and liking it.

Yeh good that.

Nice morning vibes

This was fucking everywhere for a couple of years at the start of the millennium but don't think I've ever listened to it all the way through. Remember the singles and love the first 4 tracks. Porcelain being the undoubted highlight. After that its all new but its a great listen. Think my distrust of dance music must be the reason i ignored it at the time but this is very good. Maybe a few tracks too long but a solid 4/5.

So innovative and brilliant. A stroke of genius making of the electronic next big thing in pop world. 4,5

Un vell conegut que em va acompanyar al walkman durant molt de temps. Encara recordo la còpia pirata que tenia en CD, amb la portada impresa amb mala qualitat. Va ser un disc que a la seva època ho va petar bastant, gràcies als seus 8 o 9 singles que encara avui sonen potents i addictius. L'àlbum sencer, però, és una mica excessiu i recarregat, i acaba sent irregular. Malgrat tot, la nota mitjana és notable.

Fantastic album. Porcelain is an iconic track.

Buen disco. Hay que escucharlo más

The beach!!

I enjoyed. 4*

Wow, where to begin with this album....so outside of the radio tracks i've heard, this was an experience to listen to. A lot of these tracks were very repetitive, with minor changes, especially with the first few tracks. obviously it picks up a bit with tracks 5-8, which, surprise, were major hits. later in the album though, I found it to have a great flow, "Run On" was amazing, which i'm shocked I had never heard that version before, and "If Things Were Perfect" was beautiful in it's lyrics. "Everloving"....wow, was just simple, but gorgeous. Worst track of the album goes to "Machete" (man that one was hard on the ears). I would mention a best track....but man, that's tough to pick, though if i had to, it would definitely go to "Rushing" with "The Sky Is Broken" a close, close, second. I cant believe this music has been around for over twenty years before I finally got around to hearing it.....I guess you can say better late than never, but man, that was a long time I was missing out on some just amazing music.

Lol college

Like

Super unique, funky sound. Liked it a lot.

A really fun album, although Moby might've used samples from a CD stolen from his friend

Imádtam anno és most is teljes nosztalgiahullám

Sounds very 90s, not that that's a bad thing. Machete and Bodyrock used to be my jams. I wish it would pick a lane between pop/big beat and poppy ambient, though. It's uneven. Rerelease as two EPs.

Mobyyyyyu

Some good songs, some overplayed

Really liked this. Haven't heard it in YEARS.

Mange fede numre. Elektronisk med blues beats. Nogle svipsere men overordnet rigtigt fedt. Føles lidt "dated"

What starts off as this upbeat banger central album ends on a poignant note. It's a ride, for sure. Perhaps Play really is the best title for it, because its encompassing all the stages of play. The hype at the beginning, to the somberness at the end.

Overlong, but decent LP. The hits are still good. Why Does My Heart and Machete are overlooked. The back half of the album is a downbeat EP in itself - really good. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

false

Thike hai not really something i enjoy

A firmly alright album. Not the most intuitive genre mashup but it mostly works. At the time it came out I didn’t think about it, but it’s really rare for a US electronic artist to have mainstream success. I’m still not really sure why this album in particular managed to do it.

interesting, would listen further

All the tracks sound like they'd be good as background music for tv and film (which i think they are?). Interesting sounds but feels maybe a bit repetitive to listen to as an album. Favouite tracks: Porcealin, Run On, If Things Were Perfect

Hearing porcelain won me over because I’ve heard that song sampled before

Several repetitive songs, along with the well deserved hits.

Interesting. My ears always perk up when I hear his music and I never know that it is his until I ask or research. He is diverse and creative for sure.

I liked the guitar riff on “Find my Baby”; I remember being young and hearing “Porcelain” on a commercial or something and scouring the internet for the artist (no Shazam!) and finally finding it and grabbing it on LimeWire or Napster. Have never listened to this album in full, though. I suppose this has its place in history but I found it challenging to listen to.

His best, but it meanders and sounds like a billion adverts

A chill listen

Thought I’d hate this but the first half of the album was fairly pleasant. It’s very of its time, which for some reason I find less interesting for 90s albums than 70s or 80s ones.

this entire album sounds like a 2000s pac sun ad

Nice vibe,

Was alright

90s edgy whiteboy music

Who knew Jason Statham could make music? Looks like he's having a good time, or he's jumping in anger? Hell idk As far as this album goes, I truly do appreciate the versatility in sounds, it is quite the rollercoaster to listen to this album end to end. I looked out for the big hits and I was entertained. However, I gotta be honest, while the production and versatility is awesome, I dont know if I ever see myself re listening to this album again. By no means a bad album, but not for me. 3/5

When this came out / became popular, I was very much rallying against anything that I thought was populist / selling out and took against this instantly. Obviously with every song being in almost every advert since you couldn’t really get away from it…. Having just listened through for the first time, I will say I did not mind this anywhere near as much as I thought I would with some nice tracks such as ‘inside’ and ‘the sky is broken’. It may even just edge 3 stars much to the utter dismay of my younger self.

I already know a lot of Moby's music and so I tried to go into this with an open mind. I don't know a lot of these songs but I had heard them due to Moby licensing them out over the years. After hearing Play, I don't know if my mind on Moby has been changed. This is good music to listen to while I do other activities and there is a lot of different things he does here compared to the other 959 artists in his genre from this book. It's good and it's not necessarily for me. I think it has a place in this book because of the popularity of the album and it did have an impact on music. My favorite tracks: Honey Porcelain Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? South Side Natural Blues Run On The Sky is Broken (I normally do not like spoken-word songs)

Alldeles för långt men ganska nice ändå

Såklart bra men lite för ambitiöst. Känns som att han vill hinna toucha väldigt många olika stilar och jag tycker inte att allt blir bra. Sen är albumet alldeles för långt också. Han hade kunnat slopa låtarna som han sjunger på.

Bra 3.4/5

ich ha irgendwie s gfühl ich han jede vo dene schomol ghört. porcelain sicher, aber irgendwie sind alli chli cool aber au seeehr lounge. why does my heart isch reeeecht geil. aso kenni obviously. samples eigentli? he s isch huere kreativ und afoch irgendwie kinda insane 90er aber au chli guet? so zimli guet? das isch es guets album au wenns mer mengmol chli z loungig isch.

432/1093 Moby 'Play' 1999 Enjoyed revisiting this. It's been on the shelves since release, but doesn't get too much airplay these days. Probably too long. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆☆(7/10) Total reviewed : 432 Already owned : 98 Purchased : 21 To buy : 5 Nope : 308

This is fine. Not unpleasant.

I loved moby as a kid.

Surprised by how many of these songs I’ve heard before. Solid record.

Moby's cure for pre-millennium tension wasn't my favorite at the time, but there's no denying how big this thing was.

I would like this album more if Moby wasn't such an interminable dweeb

Bom album, nao esperava que tivesse um foco tão grande instrumental e foi uma otima surpresa. A primeira metade é melhor que a segunda, mas mesmo assim, bom

No doubting Mobys skill as a sampler, I did find the album started slowly but once it got to porcelain it got much better. It was also a bit long so not one I’ll go back too regularly

I liked this! I had heard some of these before very cinematic

het is een random collectie van liedjes die niet echt op 1 album passen. MAAR ze zijn wel goed.

Not familiar with these previously, do I somehow manage to avoid the commercials that some seem to associate these with? Nor is it the genre I’d typically listen to, some of these were still worth experiencing though. Ohh Lordy though - I don’t think I’d have gone there, nor with some of the others that seem too close to cultural appropriation for comfort. The others - listenable enough not that I think I need to experience again.

A big old meh.

Some bangers on the first half but really faded into mediocrity towards the end.

It looks like it took Moby for me to enjoy an electronica album! Repetitive at times but I found this to be a fun and interesting listen.

very repetitive and very long, but not bad

lots of interesting ideas, but a frustrating insistence on putting as few of them as possible into any one track.

I thought I hadn't really heard anything from this album until I got to "Porcelain". The leadup and release of this album was interesting to read about, as Moby was originally planning on this being his final album. His team also licensed most of the album for commercial use after its release, which ended up giving it a lot of wanted exposure later on. You can hear it, as some of these tracks could double as support for an ad spot, or a radio hit. Not necessarily all of them, however. Focusing on the album itself, I thought it tailed off a bit around the late middle section after a stellar start. Blues and roots music being used as the backbone for electronica is interesting and not something you'd hear often in the genre then. Just wished the listening experience wasn't as uneven as it was here.

Late night subway ride music POV Well, this is out of my typical wheelhouse as far as music goes, but the music isn’t bad. It’s a fun and digestible album with quite a variety for electronic music. I deff prefer the more rock based/leaning tracks here. Honestly, I’m surprised I don’t hate this more considering how long it is. This is a lot more tame and simple than some of the other electro/dancy shit we’ve seen on here, and maybe that’s why I enjoy it more as a novice to the genre.

At times rockin', at other times etherial, which I didn't mind too much. Goes on for a way bit too long though - some cuts could have been made to get this under 50 minutes or so. Still, it's pleasant enough and some of the more unique or "to-my-taste" songs did get saved.

Okay, but not really exciting. 3 stars

Quite a few impressive humdingers on this, or to put it in another way ‘hmm lawdy, humdingers so hard’. The fact that it samples a bunch of real folk blues recordings from Alan Lomax is cool although the actual tunes themselves are rather hit n miss. Natural Blues is a surefire maudlin poppy standout, Porcelain is emphatically chill - S-tier chillout advert music along with Fleetwood Mac Albatross and Groove Armada At The River. Bodyrock is really funky, big-beaty and rockin and probably the template track for Run Rabbit Junk on the Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex soundtrack. Overall there are too many bitty dud songs and it did not need to be anywhere near let alone beyond 60 minutes. This wasn’t going on my 4 star wall anyway unless Moby was jumping more to the side so he was off-shot or at least wore a big hat, maybe a sombrero to cover his nosferatu head.

Can’t tell if I’m being unfair because the first few tracks were so omnipresent in the late 90s and early 2000s or if I’m too familiar with Moby being a douchebag or if I just don’t like these songs that much anymore, but…I don’t know, very few of these do it for me anymore. Used to love it though. Owned it!

I was surprised to find this album has aged much better than I had expected, much better than Moby himself at least. Still, the back half is pretty lifeless.

As much as I sometimes loathe this list, it has made me more aware of earlier pioneers of sounds and approaches than I would have otherwise been - and it's interesting to listen and maybe start to understand why Nirvana was SO huge but Mudhoney and Dinosaur Jr. failed to break through. With Moby, though, I've been exposed to so much really fantastic electronic and DJ music that I kind of scratch my head that Play was so huge given how great Mylo and Chemical Brothers and Tricky and so many others were by comparison. It maybe says something that he never replicated its success. Which isn't to say I don't still enjoy it (I'm pretty sure I had this on CD) or that it doesn't hold up - but time, and more exposure to music in this vein - certainly isn't kind to Moby in retrospect. 21 year old me might give this a 4 but current me thinks it's more of a 3.

Farty dad rock, slightly embarrassing, can't quite figure out why

Tem músicas extremamente famosas, mas nunca tinha ouvido falar da banda. Parece música de comercial que tu só ouve e nunca vai atrás pra saber quem é o artista.

Honestly liked some of this more than I expected. The last half of the album is a bit boring though

Gonna have to come back and rate this after i listen

This is very good

Pretty good I think. Been a while since I got one that I've already listened to. End of the album drags a bit. Has some strong moments. Pretty unique all things considered. Don't feel that strongly for the non-single tracks though. 6/10.

cool

Some really big singles but not really for me.

Some songs I really liked and some I didn't like at all: almost no mid-term. It's a pretty complete album, I guess.

vaca come back

had heard a lot of this already but not the whole thing, was pleasantly surprised by some of the deep cuts

Fun pre techno album. Very experimental

It's just repetitive and has the same vibe, but I still support it because it's vegan.🌱

The first five songs are good, but then they are a bit repetitive and the album is SO EFFING LONG, and I didn’t even listen to the extended version.

So, after lots of jump scares when I get what I believe is a dance album. I have now redefined ambient as dance music that doesn’t make me want to grind my teeth in despair. This was an energetic yet thoughtful delight. It didn’t make four stars due to my usual dislike of samples and due to its running length, which meant that it outstayed its welcome somewhat.

There's a few fun songs on there ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It aged, and the record is kind of messy and too big. The start is great, and there are many cool things and ideas, and I'd say that it should be heard but in its entirety ? No, not really. I dare anyone to argue that there are no skips here.

Don’t hate this. Probably should. But it works.