Heroes to Zeros

Another album that wasn't quite as good as I remember it to be. There must be a threshold where if you know an album well enough, and if it's good enough, hearing it for the first time in a long time gives a rush of nostalgia, but if a record comes short of that threshold, the feeling is a bit more like 'oh, I thought this was better than this'. That's not to say I didn't like it, because I definitely did, enough to get it over the four star line, but it wasn't as good as my memory said.

Weer zo'n random album in de categorie wat du fuck doe je in deze lijst. Ken wat ouder spul van ze, wat wel echt prima vertoeven is, maar dit is echt in een waas langs me heen gegaan. Psychedelica om het psychedelica, zonder voeten in de aarde te houden op momenten dat het moet. Daardoor blijft niks hangen. Duidelijk The Beta Band en niet The Alpha Band. 5/10

Lekker aangezet en vervolgens helemaal aan mij voorbij gegaan. Op papier wel leuk maar kon totaal geen indruk maken... 4/10

Decent, but nowhere near as good as their previous album. I love their previous album but this album should not be on this list.

Sometimes I think the algorithm is not coincidental, we had all those 60s psychedelic albums last week, and then it’ll give you like 3 Bjork albums in a row. Funny to be Beta Banding again so soon, this is real real good, but maybe because I heard the other one so recently it suffers in comparison. But still highly good.

Almost back to back in the Beta Band. I didn’t like this as much as the other one. It was still pretty good, but not a 4.

Liked this a lot. Reminded me a bit of Beck at times.

Ned so meins hab's Ned ganz gehört

There’s some interesting sounds on here but they don’t always quite take them interesting places. Maybe a 2.76 stars but much better than the garbage Byrds country album y’all made me listen to.

Meh. Get it for the time. Forgettable.

'I say the time has come for decision / Better steer my boat for a reason'; 'The milky way results from the crowding / Of extremely faint stars'; 'As the fruits of the loops of the friendships that droop.' That which is pretentious and/or nonsensical on this record is more than rectified by an energizing creativity. The instrumentation is erratic but strong, there's an interesting set of backing vocals, and the lyrics, while at times devolving into elective gibberish, are mostly compelling. Above all, there's a true assortment of sounds and ideas, a blending of influences from Simon and Garfunkel to The La's. More innovative than The Strokes (a contemporary), tho perhaps not as tangible, The Beta Band defines an under-the-radar gem. Bang-up.

Never heard of this band before, they are orginally from Edinburgh. I enjoyed the alumb.

Bien sans plus

I like The Beta Band, but this is not their best work and is not deserving to be listed.

Not bad, pretty soothing, but not super engaging

Just a bunch of confusing noise. No purpose

Apparent the Milky Way results from the crowding of extremely faded stars! There is great musicianship here. I used to borrow this CD from my local library. I'm guessing that I was initially attracted to the cover! It's been years since I've heard it and it still holds up. Liked Songs Added: Space Wonderful Troubles Simple

Sounds good but nothing of note that really stood out. Album washed over me, it was a good listen but I couldn’t tell you which song is which and I doubt any of these will make a playlist or warrant a second listen. Beta Band is right Lol

Liked this more than I thought I would. Eclectic, unique sound. Cool production. Interesting to listen to. I like the dreamy, echoey vocals too. Quite repetitive though, and not very cohesive.

Dosta bezvezan album, nije mi sjeo. 2/5, 3/10

Hmmm.. liker jeg det? Kanskje

this album would be better if they were a bunch of fuckers

I wanted to rate this 4 stars, but then I listened to it all the way through. It all seems fine, I don't understand what all the fuss is about.

not sure how much i’ll return to this one, but i quite liked it 3.5

First off, the cover artwork is stellar, so my expectations were high, despite never actually listening to The Beta Band (except for a snippet in the film, High Fidelity). It starts strong, but loses a bit of energy towards the end. It was a bit of a letdown, but overall it was a fine fun listen with a lot to like with plenty of catchy melodies and grooves. Nothing special here, so I question it's inclusion on the list, but there are a lot of worse gloomy shit to listen to on a warm sunny afternoon. Three thumbs up!

The Beta Band is a Scottish band with a short, but critically acclaimed career. Heroes to Zeroes is their third studio album, and the last released before the band broke up. The band opened for Radiohead's 2001 North American Tour, providing the band with significant exposure. Despite this, the band never found commercial success, which was reported to be a major factor in the band's breakup. The band combined folk like ballads with electronic effects that approaches trip hop, and added elements of funk and psychedelia to make their version of alt-rock. This is a very good album, from a band that could have been more famous...

Mellow rock, enjoyable but nothing stood out

Underwhelming

This reminds me of an 80s sci-fi movie, where they imagined the world would be like in 2025.

Chill

Oprecht goed album. Fuckte er niet zo mee deed eerste keer dat ik het luisterde (heb t toen ook niet ononderbroken kunnen luisteren) maar de 2de keer ben ik er echt voor gaan zitten om het hele album te luisteren, en het is echt een wereld waar je ingetrokken wordt. Heel erg creatief ik het schrijven van de nummers en de atmosfeer die het wilt creëren. Doet me heel erg denken aan ween en aan hoe zij muziek schrijven. 4sterren!

Ik heb eerlijk gezegd niet veel gedachten bij dit album, het is niet per se slecht maar wel heel erg forgettable. Ik heb het album nu meerdere keren geluisterd en herinner me nog steeds bijna niks. Alles voelde decent maar middelmatig, geen echt uitblinkers en wel een aantal slechte nummers zoals space beatle

They say "don't judge a book by its cover" but this is an album, and the cover tells me this is going to be some dated, niche white dude rock music. This was alright, kind of your typical weirdo late 90s/early 00s unfocused experimental rock. Some of the tracks bopped, some didn't. I think the strongest reaction I had to this record was to the cover art, which sucks.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

It's not bad at all but I doubt I'll ever listen to them again & I likely won't even remember what they sound like by the end of the day or ever think of them again.

Progehko indiepop, eli mun alueella. Pidinkin niistä elementeistä, joista tuli Flaming lips ja Death hawks mieleen. Easy on hyvä erottuva biisi (joskin uskon, että joistakin rasittava), lehmänkellosta pisteet!

Kevyen progeilevaa indietä. Höystetty vokaalityylillä, josta käyttäisin termiä "hupiukkomainen". Kädessä rautaiset Danit. Get the reference?

I've heard of The Beta Band before but didn't know much about them. Good album, but it's nothing special compared to the rest of the list

Absolutely boring. The end. 1001 album worthy: NOPE - 71/133

On another day I might have hated this. But today it worked for me. 4 stars!

Listened Before? N Very bland and non-descript. Not sure what this is doing on the list. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Troubles

I really loved the first half of the album, it was nicely arranged with some interesting experimental bits in it, while still being largely accessible for a casual listener. Unfortunately, I felt like the album lost a bit of steam in the second half, and several songs felt sleepy and redundant. It's still a solid record overall, so I'll bump up my score to 4. 3.5 stars

Bland with crap artwork (that's a bit like Limp Bizkit's Significant Other)

Judging from the album cover, I was kind of hoping to hear some NES-inspired, ultra nerdy ADHD-fest involving a whole bunch of chiptune; now that would have shaken this list up. Instead I got a kinda interesting, kinda quirky indie rock record, a bit like a Ween lite. I can't really complain in the end, although the overall sound definitely outshines the actual songwriting.

Was not expecting to love this album so much. It is absolutely brilliant.

I know I continue to say this but: unmemorable. I just found myself always checking to see if it was over yet because I was simply bored. I appreciated the quickness of songs but it still felt longer than it had to be. It didn’t bring anything noticeable or new to the table.

Didn't care much for their previous release but sure let's have a 2nd album by a band nobody knows outside of a few UK pockets - I guess you get Radiohead's producer and that'll elevate you in the NME. Hate the album cover so we're off to a rough start. And the music .... ok fine. It's not bad. It's a bit as I remember their last one - a singer with zero emotion - and I recognize my hypocrisy since I hate singers but this is approaching slackerdom which is probably what got me to hate singers in the first place. Better vocals and a tweak or 3 here and there would have made this something. Jeez even an all black cover would be better - you could see yourself in both sides.... It's fine. We do not need 2 from this band. We might not need 1. 5/10 3 stars

Just as boring as the other Beta Band album on this list.

Meh.

In line with the nth British (Scottish, but, yeah) artist in this book, these are another group of literally who's for me. This album is weird because on one hand it's nothing crazy or groundbreaking, in fact it reminds me a lot of Air's Walkie Talkie and some of the latter albums some Britpop bands made (think We Love Life by Pulp album or Be Here Now by Oasis) with more psychedelia and growing closer to the post punk revival that would become popular in the Isles during this time. Basically: all the crud that I enjoy in a pretty good package. Songs like Assessment, Liquid Bird or Simple give me the exact kind of psychey alt rock I wished more bands had done, but then other songs like Easy or Space Battle ease more into the chill and downer electronica of that time that I'm not super crazy for but I don't mind necessarily. If this album had gone more in the direction of the first songs I mention this would be an easy 5 for me but it's not. Still, a great time none the less.

Interesting.. modern psychedelia I guess?

2000's Scottish electronic rock. There was some interesting moments ("Lion Thief", "Easy", and "Out-Side") but for the most part it just felt like low-budget Gorillaz.

Perhaps the most beige album I’ve ever heard. If the cover had just been a stencilled ‘Live Laugh Love’ I wouldn’t have been surprised.

Just not very interesting as a whole piece. Some reasonable moments but didn’t make me want to listen again.

What I don’t understand is this: why is this album on this list. It’s a slightly below average album with little to no cultural significance. You’d be lying if you told me there was not another better album it could be replaced with. Also Troubles is a worse attempt at world peace than the COVID Imagine video.

I like the vibes overall, but nothing really stood out. 3 Stars.

Nothing to wow over

I almost liked it but it fell apart. What a poor advert for British music this list is

I really, *really* dig their arrangements and musical ideas. Vocalist sounds like a British Jim James. 3.5/5

It's not bad - but agreed with th comments. A lot of just nonsese

There’s no way you can convince me that the damn Beta Band deserved two albums on this list.

British Rock/Pop/grunge, dur à décrire, mais bon grooves et sonorités intéressantes

Aburridisimo. Algunos temas parecían armarse lindo y mmmm nada. Nota aparte, amé el simpleo a Painted Bird de Siouxsie, solo por eso le subo puntos. Nota: 2.7

The Beta Band doesn’t need 2 albums on this list.

Leaders of landfill.

Favourite is Rhododendron aka the wordless one. Just not about the meandery sleepy nature of their sound. It's pleasant, but forgettable stuff.

I ended up enjoying this album more than I expected. At first, I thought it was just a middle of the road listen, but once I let it restart, I found myself getting more into it. It’s like a neo-psychedelia album filtered through an early 2000s indie rock lens. It’s got all the elements I usually like with this kind of music, such as swirling sounds, spacey synths, and hypnotic structures. It doesn’t blow me away, but it’s definitely a good listen.

I liked it, but I didn't love it. The Beta Band have done better,

I really dig a few songs from their other albums, but 1st time listening to a full record by them. Good, but nothing really stood out. Maybe I need to give it a few more listens to really make a connection with it.

Like many have already stated, I find it generic and predominantly boring. Sounds like there’s another one of their albums on the list which I’m not looking forward to lol.

Budget Beach Boys meets half off Radiohead while Interpol is on sale. Meh.

Kinda boring and pretty forgettable. Not offensive or anything, just very meh. 3/5

This is the second Beta Band album on this list. Neither was bad by any means, but I'm struggling to figure out why I had to listen to them before I die.

Not bad. Not my favorite of their albums, but it’s ok.

I remember listening to this and then instantly forgot everything about it

Kinda quirky nerd-rock album. A little goofy and corny, but there is a charm present with this album that I appreciated. Nothing terribly interesting or groundbreaking, but decent. Top tracks: Space, Troubles, Simple

Jetzt wird es spacig? Elektronische Töne zappeln aus den Lautsprechern? Das Cover hat mich gar nicht angesprochen. Meine Erwartungen waren sehr niedrig. Weit gefehlt: rockige, anspruchsvolle, aber eingängige Arrangements. Sehr guter Sound. Und das spacige war war genau richtig.

Somehow cozy? Comforting? In all cases nice

Mweh

Utterly forgettable.

Fun

I resent all the Yanks saying there's too much British bullshit on the list. We get so much more of your shit. However, I don't care for this album, it's extremely forgettable. It's been a couple of hours and I can't remember a single song from this.

"I shall now sell 5 copies of The Three EP's by the beta band." That moment will be the most famous this band will ever be. Their music is fine. But nothing special. The movie should have picked Elbow or something for more impact. This particular album has two or three really good tracks. But the rest is filler.

I’m not sure how to feel about this. I had friends in bands as a teenager who sounded like this but less boring. So it’s familiar but sounds like teenagers first attempt at making music

We get two albums by this group and I have never even heard of them before. It's fine. It didn't blow my socks off and sort of faded into the background of my mind. I would need to hear the other album but it doesn't seem like this book needed one album by this band, much less two.

I took a break from Steely Dan for this? Ah well, they have a fun cover... Now, back to Steely Dan.

Not bad.

On replonge aujourd’hui dans les méandres de ma discothèque et, plus précisément, dans ce fameux pavé des « 1001 Albums qu'il faut avoir écoutés dans sa vie ». C’est parfois une bénédiction, souvent une malédiction, et aujourd'hui, c'est surtout un petit pincement au cœur. On va parler de The Beta Band et de leur chant du cygne de 2004 : Heroes to Zeros. Alors, remettons les choses dans leur contexte. On est en 2004 et pour moi, qui ai passé les années 90 à bouffer du son en radio indépendante et à conseiller les clients dans mon shop entre 96 et 2000, The Beta Band, c’était un peu les cousins bizarres mais géniaux qu’on adore inviter aux fêtes de famille parce qu’on sait qu’ils vont ramener des trucs improbables à boire. Après leurs premiers EP et cet album éponyme qui avait tout cassé, on attendait toujours d'eux l'impossible. Heroes to Zeros, c’est le disque qui clôt l’aventure. Et comme souvent avec les séparations, c’est un mélange de soulagement et de tristesse. On y retrouve ce qui a fait leur sel : ce grand mixage de folk psychédélique, d'électronique et de bidouilles sonores. C’est un album hybride, un peu hip-hop sur les bords, un peu funky, très pop mais toujours avec ce pied dans le folk. Le groupe écossais n’a rien perdu de sa science du mélange, et pourtant, le résultat me laisse sur ma faim. Le problème majeur, et je le dis avec tout l'amour que je porte à leurs précédents travaux, c'est le manque de cohérence. On a l’impression d'être face à un assemblage de morceaux disparates, jetés là sans véritable fil conducteur. Dans mon magasin, si je l'avais reçu à l'époque, j'aurais probablement eu du mal à savoir dans quel bac le ranger : "Expérimental" ? "Indie" ? "Fourre-tout" ? C’est accessible, oui, peut-être même trop par moments, mais la magie s'est un peu évaporée. Certains titres manquent cruellement de cette énergie brute, de cette folie douce qui faisait qu'un morceau du Beta Band pouvait vous transporter sans prévenir. C’est un adieu en demi-teinte. On sent qu'ils ont voulu bien faire, que la production est soignée, mais l’étincelle n'est plus là. C’est propre, c'est pro, mais ça manque de tripes. Au final, ce sera un 3/5. C’est un album correct, plaisant à l’oreille, mais qui ne parvient jamais à la cheville de leurs débuts. C’est le disque qu'on écoute en se disant « Ah, c'était quand même bien, The Beta Band », tout en sachant pertinemment qu'on va vite remettre The Three E.P.'s sur la platine pour retrouver le vrai frisson. Un départ honorable, mais sans les honneurs de la guerre.

not bad but not memorable

I wanted to like it but it was just SO DULL

Whereas the Hot Shots album hit the sweet spot, this anaemic album hit the zero spot. I don’t understand its inclusion.

Halvhyggligt album. Inga låtar som sticker ut något nämnvärt men samtidigt inga urusla spår heller.

Missed this one when it came out but enjoyed the listen.

2.5

Pretty good I guess, started slow but got better 3.5

ihan vibe

This is both familiar and experimental. The best new thing I've been introduced to on the list. How have I never heard of this band?

By the numbers British pop rock

This album could have been a lot better if it was a bit simpler and less busy in the production. As it is, it didn't really grab me. Also, it's not actually listed in the latest edition of 1001 Albums...

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Heroes to Zeros is an appropriately apt title for The Beta Band, the fearlessly eclectic Scottish group who had plundered through sonic whimsy from pillar to post, start to finish. While not as indelible as prior efforts, Heroes to Zeros couldn't have been made by any other group, who would have disintegrated the materials complied here with lack of care. Here, for the last time, The Beta Band gets the opportunity to show those who wonder how it's done. Favorites: Assessment, Space, Lion Thief, Wonderful, Out-Side, Space Beatle, Liquid Bird, Pure For.

Enjoyed listening to this again after 20 years. Not their best work, but mostly good with some enjoyable highs and only a few meandering lows.

Typical BB. Ok. Maybe a little on the weaker side. 2.5/5

I like the vibes overall, but nothing really stood out. 3 Stars.

Quite dull.

This makes supermarket music seem dynamic and exciting by comparison. Depressingly unimaginative in the extreme. Who told them it was worth making an album of this tedious bile?

Being assigned albums like this bothers me more than being assigned albums I hate. I have no feelings about this album whatsoever. It’s fine. I’ve heard generic, early-to-mid-2000’s indie pop a million times before. This is just a meaningless, nothing of an album. No lasting influence; not remembered as being a step forward artistically; not commercially successful. Just a bland inconsequential generic British indie pop album that the dude who made this list happened to like when he was at the age of liking current bands. Listening to this album is pointless, stupid and a waste of time. Albums like this make me feel like doing this project is a waste of time as well.

More varied then some of the examples I’m thinking of but I still maintain the only weak part of this whole endeavor is the authors insistence on including seemingly any British band he has ever heard of.

Sus canciones sonaban bien para el año en que salió, a principios de los 2000 Hoy se escucha atrapado en el pasado, algunos ritmos agradables y otros se repiten mucho

Gefällt mir gut

Something just brutally boring about this. The vocals sound like he's never been excited in his life. Music is an eclectic mix that isn't bad, just the combo of everything is very vanilla.

This was dull as dishwater

Some really good songs on here, the firdt one and then wonderful are class. Probably won't come back for another listen but a strong mid 4.

Ok spin. 3 out 5. Not much to say. Easily overlooked I suppose.

I liked 'Hot Shots II' a lot, so I was expecting to enjoy this as much (if not more, since it came out later.) I didn't hate it, but felt kind of let down. Their mix of rock and electronica is interesting, but the production this time around doesn't feel as inventive or fluid. It sounded like someone trying on a bunch of different suits and none of them fit quite right. 'Hot Shots II' was focused and interesting; this sounds meandering, forced, and lost. I'm unsure why 'Heroes to Zeros' is included here, to be honest.

In a nutshell: sleepy time. A bit synth rock, a bit psychedelic, a bit indie rock. You know, the kind of music you heard overly keen musicians in the 20s rehearse for an upcoming Battle of the Bands heat. It was so drony I dozed off a few times and had to restart some tracks. Overall: 1/10

Fav: Liquid Bird Least Fav: Space In the running for most boring album on this list, and not harmless boring that’s atleast easy listening - this is the sorta stuff that makes you think it’s nearly finished only to find out you’ve got another 25 minutes left

Definitely heroes!

The cover art is incredibly bad but the music was actually pretty good.

Didn't stick to the bones yet. I liked one of their albums form the late 90s a lot. This sounded a little different, but could definitely grow.

Nice, sort of dreamy rock music. I have never heard of them but it's not bad at all. Pretty chilled out music that I can listen to while doing other activities. Nothing really stood out on the album but that isn't necessarily bad. It's nice to hear something a little bit different.

Had some synth-y vibes, pleasant but uninspiring to me. 3.5

Cool album, glad I listened, didn’t wow me

Pretty good album. Was pleasantly surprised and might give this one another listen.

More interesting and enjoyable than I thought it would be.

A really good album, it's not a bad I've heard before but each song was hit after hit. Hard to narrow down to favourites but I did really like the more peaceful sound of Space Beatle.

This is such cool instrumentation and great song writing let down by lackluster vocals. A few voice lessons could have made this top tier.

Some good songs, but overall not very memorable, and really drags when trying to listen to the whole thing.

shit man good but idk it kinda resonates me, but these dudes sound like their singing through a mossy muddly log with a giant totoro doll sitting on them

Nothing Special sounded rather Cheap and uninspired

not their best album, but a real psychedelic grower

Spacey alt rock tracks With somewhat sappy lyrics And breathy vocals

Way cooler than I thought! It has a unique sound. Very enjoyable to listen to. I'll give it 4 stars today.

nothing wrong here, but nothing that moves the needle for me. Bland semi decent Brit rock.

I think what killed this for me was the vocals, bland and insipid, hardly changing throughout the entire album. I was left with a slightly sour taste of something bad, like Maroon 5 levels of badness. The musical accompaniment was nice, sounding like the Stone Roses in places, if they were making an album of B-sides. The production was awful, murky and badly mixed. There's a bit of a high point mid-album, then it sort of gives up and shuffles off in an understated, mumbly way. This hovers between 2 and 3 stars for me, but the boring end lingers.

Ok

Mediocrity reigns

They are hard to get a handle on, for sure, which seems very much the point. The unpredictabiity is likable and appealing as it mixes the relatively straightforward and toothsome indie rock of the opener and "Liquid Bird" and "Out-side" with the lysergic funk of "Easy" (what a nfifty stolen Hall and Oates opening lick) and several charming and woozy ballads. One likes that it sounds good in many different contexts – interesting enough for a long drive of considered listening and energetic enough for the gym, and sounds equally good on headphones as in one's office. Further, the songs and bands get served up on Spotify are also tribute to TBB's utter and unimpeachable coolness. The maximalistc, kaleidscopic vibe overall is also to one's taste– the Avalanches were up to something similar though in a more club-oriented context. Sure, maybe less mighta been more on a few cuts, and maybe some ideas aren't fully developed, but who cares? It's a good ride. Overall, it seems that lyric "the trouble with doing your own thing / is you end up on your own" would apply to their career. Or perhaps they just weren't quite sure what they wanted to be so kept trying anything and – more to the point – everything.

At least twice I thought I was going to like a song then it kept playing and I fell back out. It's not a terrible album, but for me there's no replay value

Sounds like a bad Weezer. Not to mention it was just weird throughout. Some songs and riffs were cool, while others fell completely flat. I disliked it more than I liked it. Almost fell asleep while listening to it

boring. 2 out of 5.

Superheroes

This is kinda a weird inclusion in the list. A 2000's release doing psychedelia music that sounds like it should be 30 years older. I didn't pick up on anything especially new or experimental with this. I maybe started to see the Radiohead connection (from the wiki page) on the latter half of the album. Also, the album cover does not fit the vibe of this music at all. Overall, I didn't get super into this and will probably forget I ever listened to it.

The Good: Self-Depreciation is a lovely thing! The Bad: When this turns out to be true… The Ugly: Were the Beta’s ever Heroes? Another one of those bands who’ve slipped my radar in the “naughties” because, let’s face it, most music that was published in that decade was not really worth much of our attention… So why is this album on the list? What am I missing here? There was 1 tune that made me look up and go “that sounds interesting”… 1 out of 12… that’s a massive Fail as far as I'm concerned. Now, I understand that there will be fanboys/girls of this band, with tattoos on their bodies to show off how cool they are… and I’d like to know what makes the Beta Band so special? Or why Heroes to Zeros needs to be included on this here 1001 list? Back in 2000 a band called 3 Doors Down released their freshman album The Better Life. These guys are NOT included in this list… and their album is lovely, and worth 4* easy… So why do I have to sit through another generic band that used this ridiculous sound as if we’re all standing in a valley—best analogy I can give for this reverbed distant singing style that was prevalent in the ‘00s—instead of some of the, if only few, albums that did come out in that period? 1*

Beta is damn right. This whole thing is crying out for someone to have the confidence to lay down a killer guitarist riff or actually commit to singing a chorus, rather than whispering whatever half-arsed shit they settled on. Listen, if my stoner, bedsit mates made this album I’d be very proud of them. I’d treasure the limited edition CD after only half listening to it once because it’s Boring as Fuck.

Sigh

Listening to this album evoked exactly the same response as when I listened to Hot Shots II, so I will replay my review of that album below, substituting "Heroes to Zeros" for "Hot Shots II": I hated, _hated_, that bit in the film of "High Fidelity" when John Cusack smugly announces that he will now sell 5 copies of The 3 EPs by the Beta Band, pops it on the turntable, to instant grooving and interest from the shoppers. I worked for years in a store almost exactly like the fictional Championship Vinyl and I never, _never_, played a record in an attempt to intentionally sell a copy to unsuspecting shoppers, let alone the unmitigated arrogance to attempt to sell five! Sometimes shoppers would ask about what was playing, but you can't force people to like something just like that. Musical taste is so personal, and works on so many levels, you can't just spin a record you think is good to instant acclaim. That scenario is the wet dream of every white-boy collector-scum record nerd who ever lived. "I will play this secret undiscovered gem that only I -- the ultimate arbiter of taste and refinement -- know, and the ignorant throngs will instantly recognize my genius and bow before me, thrusting their dollars at me as fitting tribute for me imparting this gift of knowledge to them". ("I know" smirks Cusack). So, the Beta Band is reputationally besmirched in popular culture before I ever really gave them a listen. I am predisposed to hate them already, not even at their own fault. In fairness, Dry The Rain (which is the song Cusack plays in the store) is a pretty good song. So I gave Heroes to Zeros a fair listen. And they are a fair band. They can craft a pleasant tune, with some nice harmonies, with a charmingly sloppy, lo-fi, laid-back production aesthetic that I kind of dig. But it's all a bit the same-same (like a series of fading carbon copies off Dry The Rain, really), and I wish they would break out a bit and try and catch my attention with something different. I note that this album no longer appears in the latest edition of 1001 Albums. But I might consider buying a copy of The 3 EPs. Curse you, Cusack, you got me in the end! 2.5 stars, rounding up.

3.8

Solid 3.

This was ok but nothing too exciting. Couple songs almost got me. I think it is good and they would be worth seeing live but it’s nothing I think I would actually go looking for.

Ok, I guess I might be becoming a Beta Band fan, that's two 4 stars for me. Something nice and cosy feeling about this album. Faves: Space, Out-Side

I like The Beta Band's schtick - it's a shame seeing them get so much flack here, but I guess a lot of that is Dimery's fault. (Plus, you know, it REALLY shoulda been "The Three EPs" on the list rather than anything else.) Fave tracks - "4 Easy", "Space Battle" and "Liquid Bird"

6/10 Favorite Tracks: Outside, Pure For Least favorite: None

6/10. I can respect that they’re doing it well, but the vibe isn’t my favorite. Another album let down by weak vocals. Psychedelic, but not weird or narratively strong enough.

6/10 A band I am very familiar with as a late 90s Scottish indie kid, got all their stuff & seen them live. So a slightly baffling choice for selection, as this is probably their weakest release. It is the most normal one though, and that fits in with the constant basicness of the list. Lacks the charm, weirdness, and rambling of other releases. This is more accessible, more melodic, more heartfelt, but also more boring. It does have its strong moments. A few good beats, Mason is always good lyrically and vocally, and they play with genres including psychedelic and a little funk. Best: Pure For

Meh

Lambda as fuck. Une grande soupe tiède de pop intello chiante qui fait mumuse avec une boite à rythme et des synthés. C’est générique, c’est déjà entendu partout en mieux, ce sera oublié demain matin. Peut être “Wonderful”.

Good background music

In hindsight, yesterday’s album was a 4, I think. This one is a solid 3, good listening but I’ve never heard of the band or any of the tracks.

I feel cool for liking this. Psychedelic in a way I could really get into.

zzzzzz

Note sure why this would be on this list. Nothing new innovative or great.

It had a bunch of interesting parts in it. I heard a lot of Post-Punk and a bit of Psychedelic Rock in the album and really enjoyed it. The album sorely lacks hooks of any kind though. The meandering parts take too long and the fun parts aren't really present enough. I don't hate it but there just isn't enough action packed into the album as I'd like. I also really dislike the album cover and the band name, makes it look like some 2000's Nickelodeon show.

It is kinda nice. Dreamy Brit pop of the 2000's. Not really memorable but very listenable.

Very polished for an indie , beautiful samples but doesn’t blow your mind. I can def see myself coding to this

Astoundingly shitty

Much duller than I was hoping for. It's ok, but nothing to get excited over.

I am surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. I’ll probably give this one a revisit.

Kind of nothing.

Aggressively average

Not all heroes wear capes. But Houmous and Chutney always will! 3.0

Loved. Never heard before but was familiar with the name. Listened 3 times. Will go into my faves file.

Wasn’t expecting to like this but it was quite captivating

Best Song: Outside. This had a funky, space-y feeling that could have benefitted the rest of the album. Worst Song: Space Beatle. I really dislike this oppressively affectionate kind of lyrical conceit. Overall: Not bad, but also seemingly quite ordinary. The funkier, upbeat tracks were nice, but when they took their foot off the gas it sounded like it could be any of a dozen post-U2 rock bands.

It must be tough, constantly being measure against your best work. Especially when that is close to the first thing you ever did.

not bad not good a secret third thing (ok and formulaic) could i write poetry to this? n

Sharing a producer with Radiohead is bound to invite comparisons. But, let's face it... Radiohead is wayyyy better.

I forgot this album as it was playing

This band is pretty formulaic. Can't tell one song from another. Low 3,high 2.

I was surprised to see The Beta Band on the list first time round, but that’s fine; we all have blind spots. However, I find it very hard to believe that there’s a band pretty much in my wheelhouse (i.e. noughties British indie) that released TWO of the top 1001 must-hear albums of all time, without me ever hearing of them. Surely this is a case of the editor’s personal tastes running away with them? Anyway, I marked their other album a little on the harsh side so will at least use this opportunity to set that straight a bit. I quite enjoyed Heroes to Zeros - I’d describe it as lightweight and inoffensive, but not in a way that succumbs to blandness. The tunes are subtly inventive and often kinda catchy.

A chill record. Cool mix of Trip hop influences & The Beatles

Wasn't bad.

I just couldn't get into this. Nothing resonated for me.

When you listen to a lot of different music and the songs and styles get kinda jumbled up like mixing colors into a brown color, this is what you get. Lion Thief, Easy and Liquid Bird stood out.

Never heard of these guys before, but I enjoyed this. There's a combination of humor, self-deprecation, inventiveness, and whimsy that made this one fun. Not quite as good as Klaatu, but a very similar style.

Meh. Not horrible, but no interest in listening to this again.

It's good. Fun ole guitar oriented rock, alt style. I could see myself listening to this again. It's easy on the ears. Yet... not a classic. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 7 (good, but not great). Rounding down to 3.

A bit boring...

Not too bad. Pretty interesting. I liked it.

Heroes to Zeroes defies the “must hear before you die” part of the “1001 Albums” list. Without hearing this album I would’ve been able to die in peace. I’m much more familiar with The 3 EPs album, immortalized brilliantly in the film High Fidelity.

I had never heard of them, but I really liked this album. Not something I will listen to again and again though.

What a shame this band didn't enjoy greater longevity. Another new discovery to add to my Tidal library courtesy of this project. What I really like about this album is the neat fusion of traditional and electronic instrumentation. It's getting five stars from me.

Pretty good - not earth shattering but very nice and very listenable. This has really good variety while still staying on theme. It's got an Air + 311-ish? Sometimes Lou Reed vibes like Wonderful. Easy is a bit Franz Ferdinand-ish. Outside is a killer track. Lots of good stuff here.

Not my favourite Beta Band album. It’s good, but not great.

3.75

i knocked some points off because the other beta band albums are so much better and this felt a little bland, but i still really enjoyed listening to it while working. groovy baby groovy…but not quite as groovy as it could be. fav tracks: assessment; easy; space beatle

Okay that was cool! I enjoyed that. Not many thoughts. Fav tracks: Space, Easy, Space Beatle

Super cool! A lot more experimental and complex than other similar bands from the same scene, but still manages to be entertaining. I vaguely knew who they were, but happy this came up.

It's funny, there was a certain sound I was expecting based on the cover art that I'd say I just was not getting. It put a slight damper on my listening experience, as my expectations were just not being met track after track. The album itself is decent. Solid instrumentals and decent vocal work. Nothing that stood out too strongly, but the overall composition was good. I just really wish the cover art reflected that better. I'm also open to checking out the album again and relistening to it all or checking out their discography. 'Out-Side' is my choice for a fave.

- klingt alles sehr experimentell, aber so richtig hängengeblieben ist von den Tracks leider keiner

3.5

I enjoyed this a lot a more upbeat affair than the 3 EPs which can get a little slow and plodding in spots, this album bristles with energy and infectious vibes. No song quite reaches the heights of Dry The Rain, but a lot of them come close. Overall my new favourite Beta Band album. 4 stars

Their more energetic songs, like Lion Thief and Easy, were miles better than the softer ones. Not to say they were terrible, but pretty generic and forgetful. Not sure the mixing of the album helped them necessarily Still a decent one nonetheless Sick ass cover too

I have found this to be pretty forgettable each time I listened to it

I had conflicting opinions about this. I enjoyed some parts. I think I always over think the post 2000 albums.

5/10 - The songs were all sort of interesting but none of them are hits. There are no popular songs. It sounds similar to so many other albums on the list. Overall I am just confused as to why it is on this list.

More early 2000s pretentious indie stuff. First half was pretty bland, second half was a little less bland but still didn’t do much for me

Pretty generic and hasn't got much to say. This goes to prove that without a 'spark' of genius it doesn't matter how well you play or how good a Producer you hire what you end up with is bland.

Hmmm

Eh

Good album, surprised me, usually not a fan of the genre but this album was well produced and all elements came together nicely.

very bland and generic british rock/electronica. “troubles” is a stand out among otherwise boring tracks.

Some interesting sounds here. The singer sounds kind of like Gene Simmons singing clean. Lots of effects here that feel unnecessary, like super loud bass and echoes. Best track: Out-side. It reminded me of the Monkees Not Your Steppin’ Stone.

Never got into these guys for some reason. It’s solid 2000s indie rock. I think there’s better options but I can’t complain either.

Someone in Dimery's team (Dimery himself?) had a very strange obsession with The Beta Band---a British act whose leader decided to terminate not long after the release of this third album, apparently because they had not met the commercial success they intended to have. Oh the ego. Yes, a couple of UK critics had hailed the band as some sorts of geniuses, inexplicably, hence maybe the high expectations of said band leader. The thing is, if really that man was sincere in his musical endeavor, did he really need to sell *huge* numbers to motivate himself? Sounds rather proud and capricious to me. Especially when you listen to the music itself, some sort of kitchen-sink, pot pourri-flavored ditties sung through rather banal and bland vocals, lacking all the dynamic marvels someone like Beck had already explored in that genre *ten years before*. Opener *Assessment* is pretty OK. Yet most of everything after is a snoozefest, simply put. File next to "The Bees", also found in the 1001 Albums book. *Yawn*. 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums 7/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2), and I'm feeling incredibly generous here Number of albums left to review: the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past editions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions. Number of albums I'll keep in my own list: half, approximately Number of albums I *might* keep: a small quarter, approximately Number of albums I won't keep: a large quarter (including this one)

snoozefest

One of the more shockingly good albums on this list. Happened to be a wonderful little listen with some great tracks and atmosphere. 6/10

Sounds like the cover... Cartoon superhero show music. Not the good kind though... Very boring not gonna lie. Like is it trying to put me into a psychedelic type sleep. Swear the last song "Pure For" is off either Jeffrey Dahmer or The Menendez Brother...

Name of the album says it all - Heroes to Zeros. Started with a little head jiggle but that soon wore off. Yeah... nah - not my thing. Felt like it had no substance to it, which made it meh to listen too. Not sure it's even good for background noise when focused on something else. Tuned out for a good 98% of it.

Found some new music I can fall asleep to! This music does not match the intensity of the album cover. in nor rush to tell anyone about my music listening today.

My favourite was Space Beatle. Decent album.

Unique. Pretty groovy. New to me.

Fine surprise. Won't make a difference in my life, but fine surprise.

Very generic. Nothing outstanding. Not really bad.

There have been more than a few albums on this list that made me wonder -Why…. Add this one to that list.

I have no problem with this - good as background album.

It was a cold, foggy, dark morning as I drove to the airport for an early flight. And this album hit perfect. Some real gems here. Glad to find out about this group.

I was attacking a tedious and frustrating task while listening to this. It was helpful. The task still frustrated, though.

Disappointingly generic. I feel like they are only famous because of a quirky reference from High Fidelity and that may have been done ironically.

Fine

Very electric!

The best thing about this album is the cover. Music reminds me of Coldplay but even more trivial.

Este álbum me gustó mas de lo que creí que haría, fue divertido de escuchar, me gusto mucho la producción y el sonido que manejan. Decae un poco en la segunda mitad pero sin dudas necesito escucharlo mas para darle una calificación mas precisa. Assessment - 75 Space - 80 Lion Thief - 80 Easy - 90 Wonderful - 60 Troubles - 60 Out-Side - 80 Space Beatle - 65 Rhododendron - 50 Liquid Bird - 76 Simple - 65 Pure For -55 Total album: 69

3.5

A couple songs I really liked... Strangely enough it was the two singles (atw). The first half of the album I kinda liked, second half was ok. Over all. It's an album. It has music. Some actually work... But I think I'd ve better off throwing those single on a playlist and forgoing the rest. (6.7) ★★★

A nice listen, but nothing really out of the ordinary. Low 3.5 stars

Very average album. Not bad, but pretty forgettable. 3 stars.

2.5

Cool band. Album cover is cool.

I really enjoyed this album. Moody (but driving) indie pop. Why did I always think these guys were electronica?

The authors are trolling us. C'mon man. This? Mind you, this is not a 1, it's music. But it is just so blah to my ears overall.

At least they were honest in the title.

emmmm

Catchy and peaceful. Very surprising given my only prejudgment was the ridiculous album cover being so corny looking.

I hated this. Indescribably annoying with almost zero redeeming features. Garbage of the highest order.

Kind of a nothing album if you ask me. Not bad, not good.

i can say this with confidence: there is no way this is anyone favorite album. this the most nothing, whatever ass album i've ever heard

A nice surprise, didn't knew this band, I enjoyed a lot listening to this album ;.-)

What? Beta Band made it on this list but not for The Three EP's with "Dry The Rain", the song that gets everyone to buy the album when they hear that song for the first time? The opening song, Assessment, was a good intro to convince me to listen to more. The rest of the tracks were equally good in different ways. Happy to have listened to this one now for the first time too.

Remarkably uninteresting

Never heard of this band, some nice sounds but not remarkable. 2*

Pretty uninteresting. Some fun little modern electronic ideas here and there, but for the most part it had all been done before 2004, and Heroes to Zeros remain as stragglers chasing after a previously-claimed pioneership of an already mediocre genre. The singing is bad and almost offensively inoffensive. It's mixed down to take away from the focus, but man, I hear you, vocal boy. And you're bad. Get a solid rock screamer or jazz scatter and you might have yourself something worth listening to, but this music hinges on the vocals being good and the talent just isn't present. See tracks like Wonderful, Lion Thief, and Liquid Bird to sample aforementioned poorness. The opening track, Assessment, is easily the strongest in the set, particularly when the singing is ignored. It's bright, catchy, and guitar-laden. Troubles used overlapping pizzicato, arco, and something glockenspiel-adjacent to pretty good effect – but again is only really enjoyable when considered without the vocals. Easy is fairly good, though it does rely quite a bit on the four-bar guitar/drum loop. 2/5 Key tracks: Assessment, Easy, Troubles

Pretty good.

I remember some friends really flipping for Beta Band back at the turn of the century. I can understand it but I'm not fully on board with it.

How can something with so many spry little tricks, so many pops and bleeps, end up so spirit-crushingly dull in execution? Perhaps the gnawing sense that these songs were grown in a lab? Maybe it's the stilted production? Consider the vocals, which are delivered in the tenor of a person doing a 'proof of life' hostage video? A bit like my car, this looks okay from a distance, dodgy close up, and is chronically underpowered.

Interesting.

Beta band - psychedelic flavored alternative rock. It was kinda cool. Space was cool. Pure For was nice.The vocals are a bit to soft neutral speaky/ chanty for me almost sounds like there’s only bgvs and no lead they are generally pleasant and not offensive but might want something with a bit more unique. They don’t really bring much dynamically to the music. I was hoping each song would have a stronger melody. Idk felt pretty neutral about this one 2.5- 3

I didnt find anything interesting about this. Zoned out a lot and forgot i was listening. Not that theres anything bad about this, but this album seems so inconsequential and uninteresting i dont know why it would be featured on this list

I think the lyrics and song structures are cool but I despise the percussion and the space noises

What a delightful surprise

Mix sounds of more electronic. Assessment and Out-Side are bangers!

As I woke up this morning on Nov 6 2024 and found that we are now looking down the barrel of a fourth Reich and another national depression in America, I am hard pressed to find anything redeeming about this album. 1/5

Another "it's okay for background music, but rather unmemorable" Gave me Django Django vibes though and after reading the Wiki, I understand why.

I'm not sure the music scene really needed this in 2004, but it was okay overall and in fact good in places. Agree with another reviewer who said it was like Britpop plus AltJ. Some pleasing tunes and sounds, but too many dull moments.

Another Beta Band album... "yay". I actually don't understand what the list creator sees in this band. While this wasn't as bad as the other record (Hot Shots II) we had just last week, it's still pretty bland and boring. Most critiques for previous album holds true here as well; singer is quite tedious to listen to, and no real oumph in the songs. I hope we don't get any more Beta Band albums on here, there are more deserving artists for those spots.

The second "The Beta Band" album in a week. At least this was way better than "Hot Shots II", still don't see what is special about this band to warrant it being on this list. It started off with "Assesments" which had a good guitar intro and the whole album managed to feel quite groovy. Even the album art while not good was better than "Hot Shots II". An ok album but nothing to write home about. Mid 3.

Did not use a private Spotify session for this one. I have listened to some songs of the Beta Band, but never sat down for a full album. It was good, worthy of another listen.

Surprisingly fun album. Never heard of these guys before.

I get easily bored of The Beta Band. I just find the whole thing too much in the way of vibe and not enough in the way of substance

eiginlega sísta plata merkilegs bands. skelli 3,5 á hana, hlustað minna á hana en aðra og á aðra umferð skilið.

Like a less quirky, less memorable Gorillaz. Still had a good time. 3.5/5

I wanted to like this, as I love 'Dry The Rain' but although there were lots of good ideas, well executed, nothing really grabbed me. Perhaps it's a 'grower'.

Very 00's. An ok listen, but not my taste

"Heros to Zeros" is the third and final studio album by Scottish musical group the Beta Band. Electronic and rock are the two Wiki-listed genres. They both fit. The album was produced by Nigel Godrich and the band. Commercially, it hit #18 in the UK. The first single, "Assessment" opens the album. Layered guitars, bass and drums in a straight-ahead rock sound. Layered vocals. He's struggling to say the things he wants to his girlfriend. Horns close the song very dramatically. It sounded very 80's-ish Hunters & Collectors. "Wonderful" starts out slow and subdued with weird synth sounds and a keyboard melody....pyschedelic. Drums kick in with the guitar now carrying the melody. There's a soft-loud back and forth. A dramatic outro with the vocals gets louder. A poor man's "Dry the Rain?" Actually, a decent song. "Outside" is the album's other single and a rockin' song. Rockin' in part since it similarly bounces back and forth between the loud and soft. 60's electric guitar, rapid drumming and sometimes a dog bark is the loud part. The slow part is echoing vocals and reverbing guitars. The band goes post-punk in "Liquid Bird" sampling the guitar part in Siousie and the Banshees' Painted Bird." They add strings halfway through. And synth strings and a falsetto start the next song "Simple." A pretty standard rock beat with handclaps settle in. High-pitched guitars are added. A vocal chorus repeating "can you hear me." One of the better songs on the album. I found this album having trouble identifying itself. The music styles between and sometimes within songs include straight-ahead rock, electronic, dreamy ambient, funky, bluesy, pyschedelic and post-punk. There's 60's-sounding guitars and 80's-soundings synths. No really bad songs but none great either....some very good ones but no "Dry the Rain." A decent album but I'd recommend their earlier albums and EP's.

1.75

Sounds like a compilation album, in a good way, with a dizzying variety of styles. I rally liked it, and they get the Scottish bonus point too!

Liked the energy...low key yet somehow deliberate.

the boring band

Fine

Alright Beta Band. I put up with your first album on this list - heck, I even enjoyed it for how different it was! I defended you!!! But there is absolutely ZERO reason for a second Beta Band record, one that sounds EXACTLY LIKE THE FIRST ONE, to be on this list!!! What new aspect of The Beta Band was not covered in their first album on the list?? Absolutely no to this!!!

Such an Alpha Band

Never heard of this band before, and I'm quite pleased about that. I couldn't get into it at all. The vocals were annoying, the music was soft and boring. If it was a colour it would be beige. If it was a food it would be porridge. Just bland, boring, nothingness. I did just about make it all the way through, so it gets 2 stars.

I surprisingly liked this a lot. Maybe because I am emotionally vulnerable right now, but it's good. Not my usual thing.

Never heard of them before, but I kind of enjoyed the album and thought the songs were pretty good. They reminded me a little of Beck at times.

Unexpectedly good

Can’t remember it 3

Sounds over mixed and produced. So much so the lyrics sound like they are drowned out at times. Absolutely nothing stands out about this album or band.

Better than expected based on the cover. It was great! Love me a psychedelic chill trip hop band.

I did not enjoy it, the album was pretty low impact and samey throughout, didn’t notice when it rolled into other music afterwards.

What an aggressively mid record. It truly doesn't know what it wants to be, and I don't mean that in an "every song has it's own sound" kinda way. Every track is a mishmash of half baked ideas that never quite land. Seventies singer/songwriter esc at it's core with overwhelming drum loops, disconnected sound effects, ambient repetitive vocals. And that cover?! Some 14 year old boy probably saw this in the shop and thought it was going to be the coolest album ever, and then he listened to it...

Erm. Love The Beta Band and I know the Three EPs isn't technically an album but it's so much better than this. Another review says there's a second BB album to come (I'm nearing 900 and haven't seen it, and neither are in the book) which considering they famously didn't ever really make a consistently good album is certainly a choice. I think the one about biscuits or whatever was better than this one, even. Their career is dotted with great stuff though so we'll see what it is. Yeah, sadly I only really remember Assessment, and I just listened to it. I see some people really enjoyed this, if you're that person and you haven't already followed Dry the Rain to The 3 EPs then you're in for a treat. Dr Baker. Needles in My Eyes, Push it Out, Dog's got a Bone. Also Squares off Hot shots. Also check Steve Mason's solo career.

No matter what the writer of this list says, this does NOT belong anywhere near a top 1000 list.

I had no idea who this was, the first on the list so far. It was fine, nothing exciting but I liked it overall. I don't get its place on this list though.

It was fine - bit unremarkable

High 3, po pire pantoute

Good overall, they are near 4

Let's take some acid and try to get that 60s feeling back with some modern twists. Inoffensive some nice musical bits but really not my cup of tea since I stopped smoking the old Mary J...

Bland 00s rock album with no cultural impact? Yep, on the list!

Feels like a filler album. As if they reached 1.000 and just needed 1 more. It’s okay and I don’t mind it, but there’s no need for The Beta Band to take up room, when so many albums seem to be missing.

Solid album. Interesting moments.

Another band I have never heard of. Interested to see what they sound like. First track is cool. NOt really what I expected more of a big-band, from the 50s-60s.