Heroes to Zeros

Meh ?

More zero than hero. I tuned out pretty much immediately.

I’ve listened to the whole album, but I don’t think the music is very good. It’s not terrible either, so 2 stars...

Interesting. I can’t say that I’ve heard of them before this.

I don’t hate it!

Starts fine then gets annoying, didn't finish

Didn’t care for this. Sound was nothing great

Generic indie rock

Average if a little forgettable. Realized I owed this album but forgot all about it and that pretty much described it.

I need to get a copy of this book because I want to know why there are two Beta Band albums on this list. They’re certainly not bad, they are just not very interesting.

Based on the reviews I thought I'd absolutely hate this one, but eh, it's not even that horrible. Extremely forgettable though, and not something I'd ever feel inclined to revisit.

Hmm... I'm not sure what to make of this. Compared to the other albums we've had thus far from the 00s, this is by far one of the most listenable (low bar, I know), but I just can't seem to get completely comfortable with it. Maybe my hang-up is the abrupt jumping in and out of the dreamscape-like atmosphere they create? For example, 'Troubles' and 'Rhododendron' are rather ethereal tracks with tranquil fadeouts. They're then followed up by the 'Suicide Blonde' intro of 'Out-Side' and the choppy dissonance of 'Liquid Bird', respectively. These rough transitions are unsettling and counterproductive (i.e. the calm bits now feel boring, and the upbeat bits annoying). 'Space Beatle' is a good example of a single song doing this back-and-forth energy thing. There are some genuinely good ideas here, but I'm struggling to think of a situation where I'd be able to fully enjoy this caffeinated lavender tea in its entirety.

It wasn't horrible, but I thought a lot of their songs they seemed to be singing very quietly and softly, which I do not like.

this album don’t do anything for me

I got bored rather quickly

wasn't terrible i suppose

I dunno man... I actually quite enjoyed it on my first listen, but then just found it a bit dull on any subsequent listens. It's not offensively bad, but doesn't provide much for me to get excited by, and I found myself getting a bit annoyed by the lead vocals, like he kinda sounds like Matt Watson singing in My Two Lovely Uncles. Another questionable addition to the 1001. Favourite Track: 3 - Lion Thief Best Three Track Run: 6, 7, 8

Wasn't the biggest fan. It has its moments (1 min mark of Easy is phenomenal), but overall wasn't able get into it 6/10

Very chill

another not really sure why album

Harmonica! Synth! Dog barks, seagulls, and sleigh bells on the same track! Quirky indie rock for white men in their forties who are a respectful amount of perverted. The slower songs (Wonderful, Troubles) make me feel like I’m dozing off in the late afternoon with a fever (not sure if this is complimentary or not).

Very very dull. I genuinely can't think of much more to say about this, it just slid off my brain like a fried egg on a new teflon pan

This group was fine, but kind of boring. Nothing really stood out to me and it all kind of blended together. Just a big meh from me.

This is bland. There's a brief glimmer of hope that the whole album won't be boring white people music, but that is pretty quickly dashed. And then it also quickly devolves into bad music. Man, listening to this album sucks, because there's moments where you think they might actually be good, like "Space Beatle", but then there's also songs like "Wonderful" or "Out-Side" that just blow chunks. I think the biggest issue with this is the lyrics; they're pretty darn cringy. Because I think the music is actually pretty solid? It's at least vibey and gives a little bit of a space feel to it, which is something I personally like. The album as a whole never ends up being good, though. I'll add my favorite to my liked songs, which isn't something I do with a lot of songs from these albums, but this one was very nice. Favorite Song(s): Space Beatle

Boring.

Was fine. Didn't really think they did much original or otherwise exceptionally.

Eh it’s alright

2.5 - Meh

Couldn’t find anything about this to care about.

Not badly made, but hard to consider this "essential" listening. It wasn't unpleasant to listen to, but nothing really stood out.

Kinda boring

Not really interesting

Indie mixed with elements of progressive rock and alternative that gets a little “jam bandy”. Definitely showed a fair amount of industrial vibes and techniques that gained popularity with groups like Tame Impala. One thing that really hurt the album for me was the mixing. The instruments are too loud and the vocals too over worked, making the lyrics largely unintelligible. That said, I do want to note the track “Easy” for its funky beat and inclusion of ragtime and Wild West elements. That one is worth returning to, but I’m not sure if this is an album or even band that I’ll be seeking out any time soon.

Haven’t heard such dull bland uninspiring “indie”music for quite some time. Another album no one really needs to hear.

Never heard of them. Not bad, but not going to add it to any of my lists for a re-visit.

so... This is not their most well known album It is a pretty unknown band which means it probably didn't have any major cultural impact. It don't introduce anything new or ground breaking. Why is this a "Must listen"? I get why people like it, it is not that bad but if you don't Really resonate with the sound immediately or grew up listening to this i don't se why this is a must listen.

Not a fan. Not completely horrible IMHO but definitely unremarkable.

ok, not the most intriguing to me

U2 style opener before descending into something much trippier... I do wonder if it's one of those albums you could learn to love if you listened to it often enough, but sadly for the purposes of this review I didn't.

These greasy rat boys got the same number of albums in this list as Elton John so you bet I'm passed right now

The cover is more interesting than the album. This album was included because it was ✓ First and foremost British ✓ Lacked any excitement ✓ Needed to round out the numbers

Are you fucking kidding me? The Beta Band have two albums on here? Why?! What the fuck have these guys done to warrant getting 2 albums while Weezer doesn't get either of their 2 masterpieces?! This is fucking ridiculous. It's not even like they removed one and replaced it with a later one because it was better or anything. Both this and Hot Shots II were included in the first version of the 1001 Albums book with no good justification given in the book itself! Believe me, I checked. The Internet Archive is a blessing to humanity. That's all I'll say about that. I genuinely think the Beta Band may be the least deserving multi-album artist of the entire 1001 Albums list. And yes, that does include Morrissey, because at least he's a recognizable name with some admittedly solid solo albums under his belt. These guys? They fizzled out into complete obscurity after this album released and it's not even like they ended things on a high note. This album is just as mediocre as the other one they have on the list! Well, at least they removed both albums later on because the band didn't become legendary in 10 years time like the 1001 Albums guys wanted to. I guess I can try to be a little open-minded and not complain so much about this band's over-representation on this list, but it's not like Heroes to Zeroes is giving me much to work with. I feel like these guys are trying to be eclectic and varied, but they just don't have the songwriting chops to make songs that actually stand out from each other. Unless you're literally songwriting geniuses like Ween, I feel like it's probably better to stay in your lane for an album, you know? Build up those talents and then branch out, okay? I said that the music is okay, but the production on the album bugs me a little. One of the very few things that this album's Wikipedia article has to say is a quote from one of the band's main guys expressing disappointment over the band's own production job saying that they should've just let Nigel Godrich do all the work and I couldn't agree more. I will admit that I was kinda over-exaggerating my negativity towards the album early on in the album, but the album did eventually have moments that were genuinely annoying on songs like "Out-Side" so I don't think it's just me. At least the album's fairly short. Overall, The Beta Band are definitely one of the bands of all time. I don't really have much positivity to give them. They're horrible or anything. Their existence doesn't offend me in any way, but they're just so boring that I can't see a reason for them having an album on this list, let alone 2 of them. Speaking of 2, I'll be giving this album a 2/5. I do not plan on listening to this band again any time soon.

Heroes to Zeros was… OK. Like Beta Band’s Hot Shots II, this album is similarly forgettable. This album might have even had less of an impression on me. I’ve heard worse and have heard way better. I just don’t know why it’s here!

This was an odd little album. Intriguing in parts, but overall fairly forgettable. My impression of this album is that it was definitely alternative in genre, but dabbled in multiple styles, not staying bound to any one sound. Still, I just wasn't all that impressed with this.

Assessment

Some interesting sounds, but all the songs sound the same. All very flowy and legato.

I had never heard of this album or the band before listening, and I still feel like don’t understand either’s sound.

Inoffensively bad.

Altogether blah. Ambient but not interesting.

This was alright. I like the mixing a lot, but I kind of don't care about the songs themselves. I doubt I'll ever give it another thought, honestly.

A nice, forgettable album. It was pleasant but I now don't remember much.

This was interesting to listen to. Very studio sound and kinda reminded me of video game music.

Its too slow and boring but its quite a cool album cover

Okay. I really like Wonderful. Some interesting stuff but a lot also not so interesting. Almost Ween-like in some songs like Liquid Bird. Not a bad album, just feel like I’ve heard most of it before (even though I haven’t).

Why am I listening to the third Beta Band record? (It was fine)

I really didn't get this album... It was all over the place and couldn't really follow it.

One huge amalgamation of meh. "As the loops of the fruits of the friendships that droop". How profound. "I'm dysmorphic in doses Imagine trying to Shit out Twelve red roses". How thorny. So that one's over.

come on

#863. The title is somewhat apt as any time I think it's about to get interesting, it just kind of falls flat instead. 2/5: meh

Yeah, nah, another placeholder British album.

The cover is cool.

Forgettable. And probably mostly forgotten.

< the Beatles Can't say this did anything for me

Mega mega mega boring. Nothing more to say. I could fall asleep to this one. In a bad way dude. Not all that bad i guess but its milk toastness is so intense it hurts. There were like 2 funky bass sections that got me to slightly perk up but thats it. And even then it gets boring after a handful of seconds. This has nothing to do with the music but that album cover sucks too. It looks like that shitty invincible comic. Yuck. But its the music man. The painfully boring music

Boring, standard early 00s rock. Had to laugh at the top review tho, as if an American boring standard early 00s rock band would be any better.

Nahhhh

Ok - it’s all a bit generic to my ears. Recording almost sounds like it’s from the 60s. Was stunned this was 2004. Was ok-ish, I guess. 2 and no idea why this is on the list tbh. Won’t be coming back again

Some pretty sounding parts but mostly I don't really want to listen to this again.

Bad artwork. Alright album. Whole lotta gray nothing

This shouldn't even appear on the list of 1,001 Beta Band albums to listen to before you die.

5/10

Found it boring

Певні моменти наче й непогані, але загалом якось meh

Okay one time listen. Quickly forgettable. Apt title.

Is everything going to be this boring? It wasn’t awful, but not great either.

I am only giving this a 2 as it is not my type of music. It was produced well and had some soothing vocals. It is just not music I would listen to again.

most of this just sounded like a band going out of their way to copy beck’s sound. and if i wanted to listen to beck, i would play a beck album.

Nothing bad about this album, its just not my music

This is #day534 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I have no idea why on earth you'd have to hear this before you die. Wait, there's one more album on the list? Why am I not surprised any longer? This is a low 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day535.

Weird pick, just not a lot going on.

5% Beck 5% Flaming Lips 5% Radiohead 5% Elbow 5% Blur 5% Super Furry Animals 70% tap water (room temperature) 30% of things I like… out of 5 stars so erm… 2 stars I guess?

I think they should rename the band to “The Meh-ta Band”.

It isn't bad, but it certainly isn't good neither. In fact, I already forgot everything!

Meh, two last songs are ok

Trippy psych jangle with a nostalgic 60s feel, woozy shoegaze atmosphere, a touch of electronica production, some Bittersweet Symphony style string bombast. Perfectly nice, very well made stuff that's pleasant enough to have on - hazy and dreamy in an upbeat lifting way - but doesn't leave much of a mark.

Hmmm. Maybe I am setting the bar too high, but this is meant to be a best albums ever list. I enjoy early Beta Band, I think I had lost interest in them by the time this record came out. I'm surprised it is on the list to be honest.

I felt like this was exceptionally boring.

Could’ve not listened to this before I die

Not terrible but wouldn't listen again.

Straight up bland British tripe.

Blur on valium.

This is a total nothing burger. You listen to the whole album and completely forget it in the time it takes to open the app and review it. Can the editor just please mark his personal favorites or make an honorable mention list? Is it that hard to come up with 1,001 albums?

All boring british punk bands from this point on are getting a 1 star deduction

This one was hard to listen to. It’s not bad but it never hit. It’s a whole album devoid of hooks. I can hear influences from every popular genre, but there’s no pay off, the whole album I was waiting for it to get to the point.

Scott pilgrim vs the world vibes Yay they have accents Mellow I liked assessment Space is horrible it kind of feels like I’m in space and i don’t like that Lion thief is good nice harmonies I like the beat nice Funky Easy is quite funky nice bassline I feel like getting into some mischief Wonderful: I have mixed feelings. It’s good but also bad but I like the random scales and the vocalizing nice bridge ok enough with the random scales Troubles: I don’t like it very much but good message nice little guitar interludes Out-side: YES finally some more upbeat stuff the singers voice is perfect for this type of music this is okay ok it’s getting slower. Cool vocal echo effects Space beatle: I’m not sure about this one thanks for loving me to pieces Rhododendron: okay synth! Is that a xylophone… and an organ do I hear? Liquid bird: amazing intro riff. Nice use of dynamics. Nice harmonies. This is a cool riff. Simple: it’s alright. The chorus doesn’t match the rest of the song. Pure for: no This band sure does love their lyrical repetition. Every song sounded virtually the same. The only songs where I really thought the singers voice was best and the guitar part also made sense was when the tempo was faster and the guitar had distortion. I don’t understand their use of random instruments in a lot of the songs. They also made no sense. I give this album a 4/10

Not bad

smbeh

The cover is the most interesting thing about this album. Some neat ideas and instrumentation, but absolutely not deserving of being on this list.

Very boring

Equal measures of LCD-esque hipster shit and lush orchestral tracks. I want to say that this is a genre hopping album of millennial optimism but usually it comes off as mild white guy stuff.

Had high hopes after they were name-checked in High Fidelity, but this was a stinker

Was excited to listen to this album. Was very disappointed. It sounds like Pink Floyd meets Beck meets Ween (without the humor). All of the songs except one seemed like sketches of song ideas that had no hooks and no cohesive idea. It sounded like demos of ideas for an album. Maybe I'm missing the point.

Some tracks were ok but a bit boring overall.

non eventful Will I listen to again: 0%

Pretty uninspiring electro indie that was best left in 2004

This completely passed me by. I had no idea even that the album had finished because the impression was minimal. It’s not that I didn’t”t like it, it’s that it was like eating air.

There is no rational justification for including this album. But the fact that this band has not one, but TWO, albums on this list is just absurd.

This is very meh to me. On top of that, I feel like the electronic sounds are going to date this album pretty badly in the coming decades.

Não sei direito o que dizer desse álbum. Realmente me cansou uma surpresa. Mas as faixas pareciam...perdidas? Pareciam que ritmos diferentes foram misturas ao ponto de criar algo que soe sonoramente aceitável. Como uma explosão em um laboratório, misturado açúcar, sal, sazon e tudo que há de bom, algo sai. Se é bom ou não, depende muito do paladar. Mas o que fazer quando todo o resultado parece uma bagunça? As vezes, pode funcionar. Mas nesse caso, cada faixa parece estranhamente estruturada. Não de um jeito criativo ou ousado, mas como uma completa bagunça. E não é que o álbum não tenha identidade. Ele tem em excesso. Sua identidade só, para mim, é algo que não consigo apreciar. Faixa favorita: Easy

Didn't gel with me, I can see it may have had an influence on other bands coming through but there was something missing to make me interested.

5/10 Favourite: Assessment Least Favourite: Wonderful

Alright album, it wasn't too bad having it in the background, but there were some songs that were very meh.

Album 964 of 1089 The Beta Band - Heroes to Zeros (2004) Rating : 2 / 5 Some days the album generator hands me something that sparks a fire… and some days it hands me The Beta Band’s Heroes to Zeros. Nothing terrible here just one of those listens that floats by without really taking hold. Compared to a lot of the electronica-leaning albums I’ve heard in this project, this one at least has more structure and a bit more songcraft, but even with that, nothing really stuck with me or made me perk up. It’s pleasant enough background music, the kind you let run while you do other things, but it doesn’t leave a footprint once it’s over. A fair way to pass some time, but not much more than that.

Eh

I liked this album fine. There wasn’t anything particularly mind blowing about it and the songs aren’t very memorable. Overall, I felt kind of meh about it and I probably wouldn’t give it another listen in the future.

Började helt ok men som vanligt blev jag uttråkad..

Was this painful to listen to? No, so it rises above a 1. Would I ever want to hear it again? No, so it rises no higher than a 2. I found this to be dull, bland and forgettable.

Ind af det ene øre, ud af det andet. Total glemt i dag

Good music to have on in the background or whilst focusing. Not overly catchy or interesting but fairly melodic.

It could be that I've got a headache and feel a bit under the weather at the time of listening to this, but I did not care for this album at all. It's not that anything I listened to was bad, I was just bored the whole way through. The album failed to grab me at any point. Where as with albums like Nowhere I was able to put it on in the background and enjoy; I found my self clock watching all 12 songs. I'd probably partially blame this on the album art for setting me up to believe I'd be listening to something more energetic. I'd give it a 2.5/5 but I'm going to round down. It may be better if I gave it another go another day but I don't feel like I will atm

By 2004 the enlarged and overly-scoped umbrella category of “alt rock” or hell even just alternative was so saturated with better, more interesting talent that I am struggling to understand why this album made the cut. Granted, I hadn’t even heard of this band before, so maybe it makes the list as a way of showcasing who was doing what in various decades that time or more notable names may have overshadowed; that being the case, that’s fine. But I literally almost fell asleep listening to this album. I just can’t find anything to really like that other groups in this same window did better, sorry to say.

It's pretty great that you can hear how Scottish these guys are during each track. I'm also a sucker for album art that is made by comic book artists -- Kaare Andrews is a legend. Never heard these guys before (to my knowledge), but I mostly dig their sound. It didn't hold my attention throughout, unfortunately. Certainly an album that came out in 2004.

Pretty boring. Not sure how this was influential?

I liked this well enough. "Must hear before you die" feels like a stretch but it is a good album.

It was okay.

More boring 2000s psychedelia pastiche. What else should I have expected from this book when they handed me a band from the 2000s that no one ever talks about any more?

This was okay. It had a strong start and tapered off towards the end of me. Not super memorable, unfortunately.

Sometimes I Can Be Up Like This 1001 Albums Generator 141 (10/16/2025) I have never heard of this band or album before, but it definitely fits on this list. That isn't to say that it is truly one of 1001 albums that must be heard before one passes, but rather that the Robert Dimery team would certainly choose this album for such a list. It's not bad, but I felt no draw towards it either. It is kind of strange in some ways, but also feels very run of the mill in other ways. At the very least, Heroes to Zeros is an interesting listen in many ways, as can be seen even in the eclecticism of the first four tracks, which run the gamut from alt rock to funk-inspired trip hop to the almost folky psychedelia of Lion Thief to finally the upbeat funk/folk of Easy, which is one of the finest moments here. The album continues in this vain, constantly switching styles, but I think this lack of a central sound is to its detriment. The more rock-oriented songs, such as Out-Side, were quite good, but a lot of the softer and more psychedelic moments throughout the tracklist were misguided. The middle of this album is especially wrought with these ideas that just kind of go nowhere. This does not feel like a necessary album for the list, but it's not the worst thing here either. I don't see myself coming back to it, but there are a couple songs I genuinely enjoy a lot. Feels like a 2.5/5 to me, rounded down to a 2. Favs: Assessment Easy Out-Side Least Fav: Troubles

I love Assessment and have always thought of it as a great lost rock song The rest is patchy Like it more than hot shots II but it is still light years away from the 3 EPs

2 because I don’t remember a thing about it

Listening to this felt like an exercise in endurance; by the end, it seemed as though I had outlasted the band itself. The performances come across as listless and detached, even bored at times, and while some tracks try to build momentum, only “Liquid Bird” generates enough juice to lift the band out of the doldrums. The last two tracks—“Simple” and “Pure For”—slide into repetition, like they're totally out of gas. Disconnected and uninspiring.

¿Está portada de mierda qué coño es?¿Qué edad tenemos ahora? No sé, me abruma un poco este disco. Está entre el rock y un sonido de tragaperras. No me dijo absolutamente nada.

It's okay - not gonna lie only got halfway through and had other stuff to listen to

kinda boring, didn't make it to the end but i don't plan to finish

Kinda a nothing album for me. There wasn't a song that really stood out. Sickass album cover though.

*checks where the Beta Band is from* *sees that they’re from the UK* ah, now i see how they got 2 placements on this list

★★½

Lo-fi Beatles wannabe sound. Didn't grab me.

I concur with the consensus here. There are plenty of musical elements that are interesting in this album but the overall effect is oddly boring? I think it's the vocals.

Well. It’s interesting. U can say that. Can’t say I enjoyed it too much but definitely didn’t hate it. I like to think I have an established rating system so while I won’t ever come back to a single song on this album, it’s not the worst.

just ok

Some of this is somewhat interesting and I certainly respect their creativity. At the end of the day, however, there is too little here that is compellingly melodic or lyrical.

Didn't leave anything after listening to it.

Pretty uninspiring, but wasn't unpleasant

Didn't really care about anything here

Might have to be British to get this? I mean, it's fine, but this changes my life not at all.

This album is... boring but with some interesting tracks. It has a kind of bland rock I don't end up liking, and the electronic incursions are not that well delivered at times. However, it has some songs that are not that bad, though, but most of it is uninteresting. This album is just not really of my liking.

Age of aquarius

Tönt im ersten Lied wie Coldplay heute. Also der Zeit voraus. Aber sehr englischer Pop.

Divague total

It serves no purpose

The album art tells me that they definitely are The BETA Band. Seriously though, the album art is atrocious and the only memorable thing about the record. Favourite Track(s): Out-Side Least Favourite Track(s): Troubles, Rhododendron, Pure For

Had some ok stuff, but mostly meh.

HEADLINE: interesting production for all 15 seconds it stuck to one idea. Lyrics Bad when present, but often blessedly absent. No single track I would choose to listen to again, but wouldn’t switch off the album if I needed to sleep. Starts very U2 Ooh funky brass on the outro Why is song 2 giving Human League? Maybe the vocals being slightly background to the synth Ooh funky in a head bob way, not a body moving way Oh I like the synth outro again! Track 3 starts Scarborough Fair if it had a rhythm And now we’re folk Kashmir instrumental? Plonky synth. Synth heavy but interesting noises! I like it! Tbf they are not heavy on insightful lyrics but I feel like the production is more of the point here Oh I recognise this track 4 synth. Where do I know it from?? Seriously this is going to drive me insane Harmonica with the steel chair?? That SYNTH. It’s kind of Bowie? But I can’t think of which song The vocals are pretty Bowie too Track 5 Beach Boys?? Woozy near-acapella harmonies Although a hint of Karma Police PAINT IT BLACK they straight up stole the mandolin. Or maybe this came first? I like it though! Lyrics dull af though. ‘She’s so wonderful’ three million times I get it babe Track 6 very first note: Dido Sand in my Shoes Then the plucky Air in Kyoto pizzicato strings And the underlying low piano notes as well? Did somebody do a plagiarism lol It didn’t feel like there was a lot of song in that song Track 7 brings us back to U2 with… is that a dog barking? Ohh someone found the reverb/echo button These songs are like four WHAT WHY IS THERE A DIAL UP NOISE I was about to say these songs are four different songs in a trench coat. They were not written, they were collages of a notebook draft turned in like late homework and the producers did the extra credit Track 8 is once again in the Beach Boys experimental phase. More like the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend parody song Lyrics still not strong. “I love you to pieces” ad nauseam Oh we found the Casio keyboard synth on track 9 and we’re trying to save it with steel drums and a xylophone. At least there are no lyrics to ruin it? I was enjoying myself for a bit but I’m getting a bit bored of the ‘all synths every time’ Aaaand just like that track 10 gives me solid guitars Oh we’re getting proper guitar riffs as well! Did he just say “Is this the legend of liquid brain”??? Unfortunately I think I’d struggle to listen to this again as anything more than background due to the absolute NONSENSE that is our lyrics. Shame because the production vibes are cool Ooh slightly hollow Tears for Fears Shout drums and I’m here for it Xylophone’s back jumpscare Oh don’t start track 11 with an acapella lyric, you don’t have the poetry for it Is that a woman doing backing vocals? Have we discovered women? We are now constantly repeating “can you hear me” and the answer is unfortunately yes because we’re now back to saying “it’s a Tuesday” and no it’s Wednesday Mr. Beta Band you are not Taylor Swift this is not a typical Tuesday night “The trouble with your own thing is you end up on your own” wow that was almost a lyrical insight Track 12 cricket synth and Bob Dylan harmonica with alien abduction flashback synth And now we are clapping along to a song that has whatever the opposite of a beat is These people must have been high. I simply do not believe that anyone sober laid a finger on this album. It’s what I imagine a weed-LSD trip must feel like We seem to be finishing on the prototype for Lofi Girl Oh it didn’t really end it just stopped

2 Stars (5/15)

Mostly just unmemorable, soft indie with bleeps and bloops. A bit dull.

This backs made two albums and they are both in this list? FML

Ok

If there’s a band from the early 2000s that I haven’t heard of then there’s probably a good reason. In this case the Beta Band are perfectly named - they’re fine, average, middle ranking, unlikely to trouble the charts and most likely to cover for a replacement afternoon slot on the second stage somewhere like Latitude or Truckfest. They won’t frighten the horses or upset your nan. I quite enjoyed the 60s vibe on some of the tracks and the dog barking on Outside. That’s about it.

I listened to this, did not write something right away and... realized, when I wanted to rate it, that I had no memories of it. Relistening to it did not trigger any memory until the end (Liquid Bird, the only vaguely interesting song on this album). It speaks by itself.

I forgot that I had listened to this immediately after I finished Best Song: Assessment Rating: 3.5/10 Stars: 2/5

I did not need to hear this album

Twee albums van The Beta Band is echt wel een overkill. Ik heb het uitgeluisterd en heb geen enkel nummer opgeslagen. Bij Easy heb ik wel even getwijfeld. 1.6

I don't get why this one is on here. It's tolerable.

Not terrible but also nothing much else. I know most music is derivative but you don't have to be so obvious about it. A beta band? Should never have been released.

No esperaba un álbum tan... olvidable de esta banda.

Not that bad, but it didn't clicked to me.

Another British (Scottish) band that isn’t very good and clearly made the list due to personal taste in lieu of greatness. This album is a mix of folk rock and electronica - two genres I have discovered through this list that I don’t really like. I definitely won’t explore the rest of their catalogue when this is all over. 2⭐️ (would have been 1, but I dig the album art)

Unsure how this album made the cut for the Beta Band. I remember them being a better than this and based on popularity, this one doesn’t have many big songs.

The whole time I was listening to it I was waiting for it to end

ok but kinda forgettable imo

B for boring

These guys are Zeros alright. Just boring and uninspiring. 4/10

Maybe not in the right mood to appreciate this today but also this was so entirely forgettable to me I don’t see why it was included. Hopefully this isn’t a silly blind spot but I’d never even heard of them. They didn’t stand out to me. Like the songs were all fine. But it sounds so early-00s and blenderish. (2.5 stars)

Kind of interesting, but not something I see myself going back to again

dawno nie slyszalem tak dziwnego polaczenia, bo albumik z zero czwartego, a brzmi jak cos o wiele nowszego przez swoje elektroniczne brzmienie, bo jest to popowy rok utrzymany troche w konwencji spejs operki, co juz widac nawet na okladce, czy trak liscie, ale to nie epicki spejs, a cos bardziej jak spejs z gierki typu mobilkowej, przystepne sluchowisko ktore latwo wchodzi, ale po skonczeniu juz nie wiesz czego sluchales, taka ciekawostka od the beta bandu ze szkocji, na plejke dodam space beatle za ciekaw harmonie wokalowe

Unlike some prior reviewers, this is not my last album. This is album 980 for me. However I will echo their perfect statements in that this album is: Boring ☑ Forgettable ☑ British ☑ Bullshit ☑ 2/5

Another beta band and it still isn't 3 eps. Seriously man.

My issue with this album is that while it has nice instrumentals throughout, it utterly lacks a unique identity nor focus. The sequencing seems to be hit or miss and the vocals are entirely plain. Can't say this screams "must listen" but almost OK enough to be a 3. 2.4/5 -> 2/5

This did.l nothing for me.

This is my five hundredth generated album. I have been going onto 1001 Albums every day for a whole year and a half, and letting the course of my day depend on an album: → The Smiths: My day can only get better. → Johnny Cash: I break down into sobs and curl up on the floor. Admittedly, I have not been listening to the albums properly but I've had fun. I'm still determined to finish the challenge for bragging rights, and so that I can add Badfinger's "Straight Up" to the glorious catalogue of user added albums. That being said, I would rather listen to a user added album than "Heroes to Zeros" again. I've seen "Weezer" on that list, and I damn well trust your taste more than whatever ts can offer.

Bland, bland, bland. I had it playing and not once did my ears prick up and go, that’s a tune or this sounds interesting! I do wonder if like some songs on albums some of these albums on this list are just filler. I can’t believe this is really something I needed to hear before I die!

It tries a lot of cool things, but doesn't succeed in sounding anymore than mediocre.

Just fell flat for me.

Completely uninteresting. Sounds like the soundtrack to a The Monkees-wannabe TV show that was somehow geenlighted decades too late.

Forgettable

The background music to an ambivalent stupor.

I thought the album was okay to listen to without any particular highlights. It felt like very generic brit/pop. Liked the upbeat vibe throughout but this one won't get stuck in my mind. 2.5/5

One of those albums where after the first few songs I start to question how this made the list and I go in search of other albums that year that aren't included. Interpol - Antics didn't make this list. Jesus wept. This is boring music that nobody needs to hear before they die. 1.5/5. Raising to a 2.

Twee, drie keer gedraaid, niets heeft indruk gemaakt. Een staalkaartje softe popklanken anno 21e eeuw. Wat samenzang, een gitaartje, en ik sukkel erbij in slaap. Slappe hap!

I wish I enjoyed High Fidelity but I enjoyed the song they used from this band in that film. This is a later album that's just fine. Nothing stands out.

Meh

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🦸🦸🦸🤖 Production: 🤔😐👍 Music: 0️⃣➡️0️⃣ Rating: 💥💥/5

Best: Simple Ihan hyvä levy, mutta ei omaan makuun.

2,5

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

Not bad, pretty soothing, but not super engaging

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

Underwhelming

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.

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

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

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.

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

Meh.

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.

Nothing to wow over

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Mweh

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’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 wanted to like it but it was just SO DULL

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...

Quite dull.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Nothing Special sounded rather Cheap and uninspired

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Kind of nothing.

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

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

A bit boring...

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.

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

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

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

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)

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.

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

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

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

2.5

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

the boring band

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!!!

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

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

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.

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.

Nothing special, truly “beta”

Not much on this album that I really liked. Falls very squarely into the "not bad but quickly forgettable" bin for me. 2.4/5

Snorefest. I saw these guys open for Radiohead in 2001 and I didn't like them then either. There were a few moments where I thought I was gonna like them, but overall they were a disappointment. 2.25/5

Need to draw the line somewhere. Average indie album, but not groundbreaking or notable.

Perfectly pleasant but completely unremarkable.

Sometimes this album has something to give, it certainly feels more fulfilling than their prior album, Hot Shots II, but this album tends to come off as weaker takes on far better bands' shticks. Whether it be Animal Collective, XTC, Radiohead, or even themselves at points, this album feels like it's trying to be all over the place to be quirky and unique, but instead I just keep thinking "oh, they got that from ____." It can be an exhausting listen because of this, and every time it does something "better" it seems to refuse to elaborate on those ideas, and goes back to mellow jams that feel like they could've never escaped 2004, and it seems that was indeed the case, as the band disbanded the same year this released.

Very background. Nothing came forward as particularly interesting.

Very interesting sound, but nothing that jumped out at me. 2.5

Beta Band is 0/2 in trying to justify the case for inclusion. Mediocre rock, who really thinks we need to hear this before we die? Favorite tracks: Lion Thief, Out-Side. Album art: Fairly cool comic book-style cover, but a little soulless. Compare, for example, to the Czarface comic book covers. This is decent, but also dated. 2.5/5

cercano di suonare tipo REM?

Pleasant enough but it all became a bit of a background blur after a few songs.

Alright little early 2000s indie rock record with a uniquely futuristic and sci-fi aesthetic. The subtle futurism the production is coupled with is the main thing this album has going for it, it's what makes it stand out among the many Indietronic albums of its time. Otherwise, I don't have much to say about it - it's relatively run-of-the-mill in this ally of somewhat laid-back indie rock. I really liked 'Lion Thief' and 'Easy' is also incredibly catchy and funky, I love the little high-pitched synth interlude. 'Liquid Bird' has the most electrifying instrumentation with the arpeggiated electric guitar and sporadic volume levels dominating the majority of the track. Again not much to say about this guy, was mostly enjoyable - but also pretty dull at times.

I'm normally one for self-depreciating jokes, but for some reason the fact that they named themselves The Beta Band and have an album called "Heroes To Zeros" rubbed me the wrong way. The music... doesn't do much for me. It's a little sad, maybe a little stoned. Wikipedia mentions that they blend trip-hop influences into this but man, I do not hear much of that. I think this may be the first album on here to get in because friends in higher places (i.e. Radiohead) vouched for it. Favorite tracks: "Space", "Lion Thief", "Simple"

You're allowed to like this if you want. I do not. Pretty boring It's actual music, so it gets more than one star, I guess