A Grand Don't Come For Free

My opinion of English rap is well known. Having come off a few really solid rap albums (eg., Public Enemy, Ghostface Killah, Beastie Boys, Common, Missy Elliot, et al), I don’t know what to say about this album but simply: No, thank you.

Random thoughts: * I have adored this album for a long time. * I think this might be an acquired taste. His English flow is true to himself. But it is hard for American listeners to hear the British slang and accent and weird flow. * But I think that him being truly English is what makes this so great. I don't understand all the slang but there is no trying to water this down to be more mainstream in America. * Also, the way he takes both losing a £1000 in his telly and a relationship arc of finding a girl and going through a breakup into a compelling story is quite an impressive feat. * The music is also is quite well done, good production and cool beats. * Best tracks are: "It Was Supposed to Be so Easy", 'Blinded by the Lights" and "What Is He Thinking". * This is not a classic but is one of the better albums by showcasing a great story and soundtracking it withe some great beats and rhymes.

I simultaneously dislike and somehow enjoy this album. A very confused 2/5

Some of the tracks are repetitive and annoying, but the rhythms are generally decent. The first track is particularly grating, “Dry Your Eyes” is corny rubbish and the closer is meh. “Fit But You Know It” and “Could Well Be In” are fun, but despite these highlights, it’s difficult to rate this album too highly.

This is like a strange modern version of trapped in the closest, but it kind of works. I feel weird saying this but I kind of like this. It's better than I thought at first and I gave it a second listen and enjoyed it. This isn't masterful but it does take you into a world and does it in a style that's unique. This is a strong three or weak four.

Back in the day I stumbled on to the track Blinded by the Lights and it just did something to my brain. I would listen to it every now and then. It just paints that picture of obnoxious wasted nights in the club early 2000s well. I had never looked up more. This style does work better in small doses. Very much like the script of an indie English film of the late 1990s early 2000s. It is awkward and I like that it exists as a concept, but it isn't a strong album.

This one is not as good as Original Pirate Material. There are a couple decent tracks but not a great collection.

Well, I swear I try to be open-minded but... This was horrible! And I knew it even before listening to the album. At least it's not the worst thing I've heard of the list, but, why is it supposed to be an album I should listen before dying? I get there are many different genres on the list (and that one of the main goals of listening to those albums is to enlarge our musical tastes and discover new stuff), but, is it really that good for people who like rap and hip-hop? Because this sounded really really bad. Maybe it's that I don't get what people find interesting on those things, but I'm fine with what I like, and, no thanks, I can say I tried those genres, but that's not for me. I'm not going to pretend I like it, this album is boring, tasteless and sometimes (if not many times - just look at some lyrics!) stupid.

Endearing if juvenile

Oh my god what the hell os this holy brother monotone disgust

Make-A-Wish album of the year. I've given a fair number of 1s over the past 4 years but this one resets the definition. May be the least talent-driven entry on the entire list. 0/10 come tf on.

the british accent threw me off at the start, it’s definitely not my music. I liked that the last song was empty cans because of the symbolism but generally I am not intrigued enough to get into the lyrics

Pretty fun and some good tracks with a unique sound to them. The rap is too talky for me.

C’est l’instru de show me your genitals de Jon Lajoie sans l’humour pendant 50min

Voix terribles, beats terribles, shit stinks. Je peux pas croire que les gens écoutent ça.

Crickey mate, turn up that gas bruv. Jen peux plus de la musique anglaise holy shit c’est tellement ass comme album hahahah

Dur à écouter. Je comprend comme ca peut résonner avec des working class brits mais c'est pas pour moi du tout.

Not my type

Art, I guess, is subjective.

Rating: 1/10 This album is a disgrace to hip-hop. Absolutely dreadful flow, delivery, choruses, and lyrics. The production saves this from being a 0/10 but not even the production was that good either. Why is this shit on the list?

I wanted to rate this 3/5, liked it when it first came out and still like the style. I think it is quite unique - in a good way. I'm adding one star on top for all the haters that rated it with 1/5 🙂

Not my thing, but at least he does all on his own

What a painfully mid album... No groove, no flow, just a disjointed mess from start to finish. The beats are either basic and boring or pointless because there's not a single other thing happening in the song that connects to the beat. Some of the songs give "sad boy" vibes but the lyrics are completely juvenile and (I hate to repeat myself) have no flow and don't connect to the backing track at all. All said, I'll concede the track "Fit but You Know It" is comical and fun and probably the most well executed track on the record, but that doesn't save the rest of this dismal record. Skip this one.

Lmao british!! But on some real shit this is hard to listen to, might be worse than m.i.a. but at least that one had a good song

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. This is not something I’d choose to listen to again. The one song Fit has been featured on radio and playlists and is the only song that’s someone on beat. The rest of the tracks are like an English guy pretending to be Bukowski but with repetitive and bad lyrics.

Weird weird weird

En gromlåt. Mye surt ellers. Litt slitsomt, artig innimellom. Meh.

holy fuck that was bad

Well, I dont understand why this album is here when Otiginal Pirate Material is already in the list. I appreciate Mike Skinner is telling a story but, man, the execution sucks so bad. The way he raps, the half rhymes and most of the instrumental is so flat, boring and horrible to listen to that the narrative cannot be saved. . Not even the fact the song "Fit but you know it" is an inspiration for Arctic Monkeys song in their first album . . 1 out of 5

Thanks for reminding me about this performer! Downloading the rest of their discography to listen to today.

Not exactly my cup of tea, but pretty cool and certainly different.

This is greater than the sum of its parts. A lot of the tracks are a bit rubbish but tell a cohesive story making them all essential parts of the album. Highlights are Fit But You Know It, Cry Your Eyes Out, and Empty Cans (which is a great finishing track).

There's some good instrumentals here but the monotone, half-spoken, half-rapped vocals are tough to get used to. Blinded by the Light is worth it though, for the stabbing synths and backing female vocal over a broken up drum beat. The other two singles are maybe the best of the rest, especially the emotional Dry Your Eyes. It's not enough to save it. Sorry.

Eh. I liked Original Pirate Material when I heard it but Skinner takes a certain mood to enjoy as is and the songs on here just don't really seem as if they'd scratch that itch. And for as simple as the concept is it feels tricky to follow the narrative. You could do far worse though, the production is generally solid and there are a few gems: the title track, Blinded by the Lights and Empty Cans.

Listening to A Grand Don’t Come For Free felt like being trapped in a lift with a man who’s just discovered he can rhyme “television” with “decision” and isn’t planning to stop. It’s not even that it’s bad in an entertaining way it’s just utterly charmless, painfully self-satisfied, and delivered with the emotional range of someone angrily narrating their trip to the post office. The beats are limp, the storytelling is mundane, and the smug, monotonous delivery grated on me like sandpaper on sunburn. I get that it was trying to be a clever, down to earth, kitchen sink drama for the PlayStation generation, but it honestly made me long for the sweet release of static. If this is meant to be a modern working class epic, I’ll take silence and a blank wall any day.

Fuck I hated this. It was a real challenge to finish the whole album. If I were to try and make a satirical British rap album, it would most likely come out as bad as this one. Some stuff I liked: the concept was interesting, and the storytelling wasn't that bad; he did get his point across. Some beats were nice, a couple of them had pretty strings. a strong 1/5

I'm sorry, but why is this album on here?

5/10 I have no real prior relationship with this album, having only listened to the odd track or two here and there in the past, so no nostalgia hit for me. I think my key issue with this album is that my primary focus on music is the music itself, whether that be tonal or rhythmical elements. Lyrics are always a secondary factor and the music here is just not very interesting most of the time, often just a two bar sample or synth line repeated for the whole track. Also, there are occasions (not loads, but enough) when Mike Skinners delivery just seems not that good either. He’s obviously written something that was narratively important to him, and had to sort of cram it into the space with rhythm being a secondary consideration, so it jars. Those assessments aside, there are some highlights to this. The last two tracks are great, and the general vibe of the album very clearly summons up clear characters, environments and a real space in time. It also feels like a very realistic portrayal of a lived experience and I do appreciate that narrative flow that exists through the album. I’m a sucker for a concept album, so that helps tick it up a little in my consideration, but I probably won’t be hurrying back to this one. Twice was enough. It Was Supposed to Be so Easy - Not the most auspicious start to an album. Mike Skinner is no singer. The sample used for almost the full duration is quite annoying and very oddly edited. Not very interesting either. Could Well Be In - This is much better. He backs up his singing with some backing vocals that help ground it a little. The music is pretty samey throughout, but this is more about the narrative really. A much more pleasant listen though and very much establishes its place in working class Britain at the turn of the century. Not Addicted - The singing here is a bit annoying again. The verses are decent, but the chorus rubs me the wrong way. And there are bits when the lyrics just don’t fit with the rhythm, so doesn’t scan well at all and sound forced, which is pretty criminal for rap based music. Blinded by the Lights - Better again. It’s obviously pretty repetitive, but focusing on the narrative, it really works. When he leaves the melodic elements to another vocalist, it is so much for the better. Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way - Another one where the singing is better, but I feel it may have been better with a more legato delivery. The whole thing is pretty relentlessly juddery. It does reflect the indecisively jittery nature of the lyrics though, so I guess it makes sense. Get Out of My House - This one is just a bit annoying. A return to a bit of Mike Skinner singing on his own, which is so weak. The melodic content is relentless. Fit but You Know It - Back to something a bit better. Again, it’s not musically interesting, but at least there’s a bit of variation between sections. Such a Twat - Another two bar sample that provides almost the whole musical content of the track. It’s just not very interesting. What Is He Thinking? - Here we go. Another two bar sample. The lyrical cadence here is often very irritating too. As with other tracks, this moves the narrative along, but musically it’s repetitive and pretty uninteresting. Dry Your Eyes - Best track on the album by quite a long way. Musically, it’s got a bit more variety to it and it’s also subtle enough that the vocal really takes the lead and the narrative is centre stage in a way it’s not on many other tracks. It’s his strongest singing performance too and the limitations of his voice actually really work with the tone of the song. Empty Cans - I really like the ambience that this one builds. It’s dark and brooding and the tonal content sits back in the mix to leave the vocals more prominent. The synth that echoes the vocal line in the chorus is just annoying though. I fell like he should have chosen an ending though, rather than taking the cowards way out and including two endings. The second version is by far the better. If he’d have blended the two with things starting off badly and getting better it would have been very satisfying both narratively and musically.

As someone living in the UK I neither get it nor understand it. It does sound decent though and it didn't bore me to death. Dry your eyes is a good song and I remember hearing it when it first came out. So it gets a solid 3.

Está bien, buenos rapeos que de pronto se tornan en canciones excesivamente azotadas por el amor, pero tiene su ondita. No creo que volvier a escucharlo pero me la pasé bien.

I kind of like the concept: a chapter in the life of some random idiot. The story proves you can't really fix stupid but, money makes everything feel better. The laughable execution borders on entertaining in a juvenile but inoffensively bad way. It's really quite shit. But British rap without a single "bruv" is remarkable in at least that way. All-in-all, it's shit but my god don't you know it.

What a horrible British rap

Wow this was even shitter than I remember. 50 mins of a guy just talking shit. One of the most embarrassing things to ever come out of England.

Have basically missed out on seeing these lads twice now. Once at Boomtown (and Chase and Status were shite), then again at Glastonbury although did catch a bit. Which is shame because they seem to put on a hell of a show. This was very good, a few big tunes, and a FIFA one in there too. Simpsons: No

Really good, solid FIFA tune.

Not the best on here by a long distance, however, it has a solid FIFA tune on it and that deserves recognition and an extra star.

I could probably say a lot about this but I won’t. Genuinely felt like a near perfect album, took me on a journey and loved it. The end of the something i did not want to end, Begining of hard times to come. But something that was not meant to be is done, And this is the start of what was.

I enjoy the narrative and the beats are pleasant if a bit unexciting. His very strong British accent makes it a bit hard to take the darker elements seriously a bit though not gonna lie.

- boring ... so much better out there from this time period. Why? -

Absolutely worthless.

This album (and The Streets as a whole) is a product of UK pirate radio. 9/10

Herregud for noe drit Skjønner hvorfor alle hata britisk rap før grime-æraen

Hard to think that this is a great album

If this came out now I would say it was a bad AI song. Does that make it innovative for making music so bad that the only possible explanation is that it must have been created completely by a computer program?

Great album

Yeah, no thanks. I never liked his voice, or his style. The lyrics are dull, embarrassing even. Maybe the character he is embodying is an accurate depiction of an element of society at the time, but it was never one I could relate to. I remember when "Dry your eyes" was all over the radio and the music channels 20 years ago. I thought then that it was dreary and mawkish, and time has not softened my opinion.

oh woaw, that I was not prepared for. definitely a vibe, but most sounds are almost ear torture. Fit but you know it surprisingly really good, the rest not so much.

great album

album made me wonder who selected this list

Not my usual cup of tea but definitely found myself grooving to it. Will listen again for sure

Never heard this guy before but its alright maybe listen again.

I liked that one. Really smooth.

Oef, ik kan me heel erg goed voorstellen dat dit een van de laagst gerate albums op deze site is. Mike Skinner heeft een ontzettend... Interessante manier van rappen. Ik ben er zeker ook niet altijd fan van, maar bij nummer als Blinded By The Lights hoor je wat er mee bedoeld word. Namelijk een soort glitchy hiphop rap over een dubby achtige beat. Je moet er van houden, ik doe dat soms. Maar het grootste deel? pfoee, het is lastig hier door heen te komen. Mike zn manier van rappen is gewoon nauwelijks op de beat. Nauwelijks op de maat. Zn raps gaan voornamelijk over een soort ontzettende Engelse loser. Is het een conceptalbum? Is Mike een lul? Ik heb eerlijk waar geen idee... Ok, rond Fit but you know it denk ik het toch zeker te weten: Dit is een soort parodie op een English Lad. En het is misschien iets te goed gelukt. Dit hele album zwalgt in zelfmedelijden, maar dat is meteen ook het concept. Tenminste... Dat hoop ik dan. Sommige beats zijn echt dramatisch. Sommige raps zijn verschrikkelijk, Mike is echt lastig om te tolereren soms... Maar toch, maar toch zijn er een paar highlights, en dan inderdaad vooral de 'hits'. Maar nee, ik durf te zeggen dat ik 100 hiphop albums kan noemen die ik persoonlijk beter vind dan deze. Smaak is persoonlijk, laten we maar zeggen. FAVO: BLinded by the lights, Fit but you know it,

funny

Is this a joke? If so I’m not in on it. I had to double check that this is what I’m actually supposed to be listening to.

Yeah, go on. Better not be any other Streets albums in this book though. Honestly can't believe the hate this is getting. Website needs more chavs. The Streets hit hard on NZ - both this and the previous album. 4.5 million chavs.

This might be the worst album I've ever heard. Seriously. How did this end up on the 1001 albums list?? The rapping is arrhythmic and the rhyme scheme is awkward. The beats are rudimentary. The story line is childish. What am I missing? What does anyone see in this?

utterly unexpected & stunning cover

Pésimo

I really wanted to like this so much more than I did. This project is great because it exposes us to so much stuff that is different. And this is definitely different. A British rap outfit doing a concept album about a random dude who gets dumped and is sad about it. You don't get a lot of breakup songs about sad dudes. And the guy is painfully normal. There are like 5 songs where he is upset because his TV is broken. But the vocals are bad. For every one clever rhyme pair, there are about eight that are awful. The staccato delivery ("SHAH...GING") was off-putting. Bad clichés. By the end, I was hoping he would fall in love with the TV guy. How would these songs work in a concert? "This next song is about a character, see, and he's having a whinge about his broken telly. But it all comes together in a song later on that we probably won't play at this concert." Anyway. I was entertained. And even impressed. But not by the music.

It was fine

I've never heard of The Streets or this album before, but that's definitely an intriguing cover. Before taking a peek at the reviews, I had no idea what genre this album was, but now I feel a bit foolish that I didn't guess that it was rap; The Streets would certainly be a weird name for a jazz ensemble or a bluegrass band. Speaking of the reviews, they don't give me much hope that I'll enjoy this album, but I'll do my best to give this a fair shake! Right off the bat, I really hated this album. If the whole album was going to be like this, then these reviews really undersold how bad this album was. I hated the beats, I hated his accent, and I hated his storytelling. The flow felt like some sort of fibonacci sequence or something; there was no pattern to the bars at all, and the vocal overdubs were abysmal. What did I do to deserve this? Thankfully though, the second song was infinitely better. The piano, drum, and bass were all solid, and I liked the backing vocals too. But on the third song, this album was back on the downswing. I couldn't stand the robotic vocal delivery, and the beeping in the background is really annoying. The fourth song put me back on the love-hate seesaw. I liked the pulsing beat and the backing vocals. There was an atmosphere to this song that I enjoyed; it matched the cover art really well, which I liked. From there, the album more or less evened out in terms of quality. There was definitely still some stuff that I didn't like ("Fit But You Know It" was really annoying, the whole 'roach and a spliff' bit on "Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way" felt juvenile), but there was also some stuff that I enjoyed (the strings on the last two tracks were really good). The overall concept of this album was really interesting, but I just wasn't drawn in enough to this album to care about the characters or the story, and I found myself pretty disinterested in it over the last half. While this album was built on a unique idea, the final product was very uneven in terms of overall quality.

I listened to one song and concluded I absolutely could not work while listening to this so maybe I'll come back and listen properly later

1. Would give a 0. Is this a joke?

Most are really not what I'm into. Mixing ok.

Prog-rap? Høres ut som Fattern (oh ye ye) til tider. Interessant.

Mike Skinner at his storytelling best. Does this edge out the debut? Probably. A banger from start to finish.

What is worse than all British rock bands on this list? A white British guy rapping

Why? Why do I have to listen to this? I DON'T LIKE THIS ALBUM! I really don't! This album pisses me off! Okay. I can't keep yelling through text like this. I should probably explain why A Grand Don't Come For Free annoys me so much. To put it as bluntly as possible, this album is so aggressively British that it physically hurts to listen to. I'm serious. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't hate British people nor do I hate their music. Some of the greatest bands and artists of all time are from the UK. The Beatles, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Elton John. You get the idea. Hell, there are even albums that are distinctly British that I actually really love! Blur's Parklife is a great example of this. However, I still feel like those albums put music first in regards to what they want to be. This album? It's basically just some British lad speaking in rhymes about how he lost money or something. Mike Skinner's voice annoys me. He's barely even rapping. I wouldn't even call it that! This is basically just speaking in an over-the-top British accent. I hate it. There's no flow here at all! To be fair though, if there was an album as aggressively American as this one is aggressively British, I'd probably hate that album too, so it's not a bias against one culture or country. Let's talk about the writing. This is a concept album, which is something that I can usually get behind. Usually. Admittedly, I can see the vision with this story. I feel like it could work decently well as a story in some other medium. Perhaps a short film of some kind. But an album? An album like this? Doesn't work for me. Once again, the writing has no flow to it. As far as vocals are concerned, this barely even feels like music to me. It's just some guy talking about his story in loose rhymes. But what about the other aspects? Well, I'll admit. The production does feel musical. That doesn't mean I like it though. There are some parts that kind of work for me, but other times just don't sound good to my ears. There was one song in particular that just felt a bit too "loud." I think it might have even been the album's biggest hit, "Fit But You Know It." Not a fan. So, what do I like about the album? Well, I don't know! There are a few moments that work, particularly near the very end of the album. However, I don't think the experience was worth slogging through. Why is this album even on the list?! The Streets did apparently have some level of cultural impact in Britain when they started, but there are so many problems that I have with this album's inclusion that I need to acknowledge, with two in particular that really grind my gears. Firstly, this isn't even the most acclaimed album these guys have! This is another case where they chose the wrong album! Apparently, the Streets' debut album, Original Pirate Material, is considerably better! Why didn't they choose that one?! I wouldn't really want to listen to anything from these guys myself, but I'd at least be more understanding of that album's inclusion! But there's this one comment I found from a magazine mentioned on this album's Wikipedia article that just makes no goddamn sense to me. Apparently, an article from The Austin Chronicle called this "the first hip-hop classic of the new millennium." WHAT (and I can not stress this enough) THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN?? HELLO?? Stankonia? The Marshall Mathers LP? The Blueprint? Hell, even if we JUST include 2004, this album's release year. Maybe someone could reasonably call this the first great hip-hop album of 2004. This album released in May, which is pretty early in the year. Problem is: The College Dropout released in February and Madvillainy (WHICH ISN'T EVEN ON THIS SHITTY-ASS LIST FOR SOME FUCKING REASON) released in March! There's no reason to make that claim! I'm upset that I had to listen to this. You know what that means? 1/5. I hope I never have to listen to anything from The Streets ever again.

Drivel.

So bad it makes you angry

Blinded by the Lights was ahead of its time, and the last half of Empty Cans is pretty beautiful. Unfortunately, it's just musically not enjoyable for most of it, and the kind of homebrew mixing quality sounds more suitable for a website like Newgrounds than standing among the best 1001 albums.

Really enjoyed this, which came as a surprise as I don't usually enjoy spoken word. I want to listen to it plenty more times!

Some of these tunes are classics, but the low-tech DIY nature of the whole album left my attention petering out towards the end. Decent, but not great

2.5

Answers that age old question: what if Michael Caine made a hip hop record?

Brit hip hop. Not sure how this made the list. As they say in England : Total rubbish.

I really enjoyed this. Tally ho.

Can I do lower than 1

It would be easy to pass over this album after a first listen and not think much of it because of its amateur sound but i think that's its best quality. This album sounds like an average guy went and bought some second hand music equipment to have a crack at making a couple of tunes about what's going on around him. These songs are brought to life by Mike's lyrical abilities. On the surface these songs seem to be amateur grime beats focusing on girls he fancies, trouble returning a dvd and a broken tv but really he's exploring deeper themes of relationship issues, addiction, self deprecation and personal growth. All strung together with witty, dry lyrics and packaged up as tracks about an average English lads experience in life. Furthermore, Mike's ability to weave the narratives of this story into individual tracks whilst maintaining a sense of flow, only speaks to his genius as a song writer. This album is so bad, it's good, but the "bad" element of it is really just a disguise for a well crafted, sonically appropriate record. Enjoyed it very much, even made me laugh aloud a couple times: Fav tracks: - It Was Supposed to Be so Easy - Blinded by the Lights - Get Out of My House - Fit but You Know It - What Is He Thinking? - Empty Cans

No. Cannot do it.

Just not all that good, I don't understand the hype on the wiki.

This is the exact type of album that belongs to this list. Everyone needs to listen to this type of music at least once before they die. These other reviews are filled of people hating on this album for awkward rapping, terrible flow, and a horrible beat. They aren't wrong. This is the least musical work of music I've ever listened to. However, the lack of polish really make you think about the artists and why they chose to make this music. What inspired them to produce this album of questionable quality? It certainly wasn't another pop band trying to make another million dollars by hitting the top charts. There's something about this album that uniquely flawed. And that's what makes music so appealing to us as human beings. I'll never do my ears the disservice of listening to this again, but I'm glad I listened to it once

Favorites: Blinded by the Lights, Dry Your Eyes, Empty Cans Wasn’t a fan of this one. I thought the vocal mixing was way off and it sounded jarring against the production, and the hooks just annoyed me. Guess UK hip hop isn’t my thing.

The Dunning-Kruger Crew.

Masterful storytelling propelled by British slang and homegrown beats. Don’t love it all but respect must be given.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. I liked the track Dry Your Eyes, but that was about it. I hate the vocals. Had to skip this to get through it. Would not listen again.

This is not very good. He shouldn’t sing. The rapping is an acquired taste I haven’t acquired yet. The samples seem out of sync sometimes. But it’s different. Different for a reason (normal people wouldn’t think it’s good enough to be released), but I can imagine some people like it because it is. I only liked one song: not addicted

its.. okay? not for me though

This whole thing is hilariously dumb. Very excited by the time i got to Dry Your Eyes, not because it’s a great song but just because I knew I was very near the end

Listened to about two songs before quitting. This sounds like a British kid released his music on SoundCloud. Production sounds so amateur. Weird

This was fun but I’m not sure if it was for me. It was definitely saying something.

I was optimistic at first. But man... I hated it. I don't have anything against UK rap. Grime has to be one of my favorite genres and I have huge respect for its uniqueness. The vocals sound as if they were recorded through a pair of dirty buds. I can't rap by any measure. But I've listened to enough hip hop by now to understand that the lyrics are not good. The beats that sound as if it was made by someone on their 1st day of using FL Studio didn't help. The story is pretty interesting if you're able to follow the not so great music.

Honestly hated it, I tried flipping through some of the songs to try and see if there’s something redeemable about any of the track, I didn’t find anything. I found the voice to be annoying, didn’t care for the story too much, overall unlistenable for me.

I thought I would like this more than I did. I love it when artists perform in their native accents and although this is no exception. I found the tracks very average. Perhaps if there was more flow, I would have rated it higher?

Obligatory "Why isn't this 1001 listing for Original Pirate Material?" a superior album which would have got a 5 from me! I still really like how quirky it is and the story thats told through the tracks - I think that's the kind of hip hop I'm into. I get why people don't like it, but I think there's something really fun about listening to basic beats with someone talking about how shit their day was, or the girl they fancy, or wondering where their phone is.

at first it was going to a be a real low review but honestly I kinda vibed with the story even though musically this was bad

2 songs worth ur while here.

I was going to to skip this album… gladly, I didn’t

These beats feel oddly out of time and I do NOT like the rapper's voice. I liked the girl's voice until "Get Out of My House" tho. These beats and lyrics feel like ones you would make in middle school in like garage band. Like... "why did I have to go and do a stupid thing like that? I'm such a twat" lolol SMH. "Fit but You Know It" was kinda great tho. "Dry Your Eyes" had some moments for sure. Actual rating...a 1.5. Liked Songs: "Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way" , "Fit but You Know It" , "Dry Your Eyes"

liked songs: none. They all blow. What the actual fuck is this. It's completely devoid of musicality. It's the dumbest fucking plot for a "concept" album I've ever heard. If this was a satirical album, it might be a little funny. But this sucks so bad. I'll never get these 50 minutes back. How could anyone willingly listen to this? 0

Reviews The Streets - A Grand Don’t Come for Free This is an album that I’ve listened to a lot but never listened to properly until now. I hadn’t realised it was a concept album and that has literally blown my mind, it wasn’t until the last song ‘Empty Cans’ that I’d even noticed it was a concept album and then everything knit together in my mind and I love it when that happens! Concept albums are my fave. This one is about the protagonist trying to recover a grand to try and get his TV fixed, finding a relationship in the meantime and dealing with the ups, downs, and eventual dissolution of it. It’s very matter-of-fact and clear in the lyrics what the narrative is. Highlights of the album are ‘Could Well Be In’ - a song about analysing the behaviour of a woman to try and determine if she’s into him. Simple and a bit sweet. ‘Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way’ - About wanting to stay in with your girlfriend instead of a night out with the lads. Both quite sweet songs, very unique for ‘love’ songs. There’s no need for big gestures or loud proclamations, just enjoying the reality of life as it goes by. I also think ‘Not Addicted’ is a really cool song. It’s quite an easy listen album, the music itself is quite fun. Some of the songs are a bit janky though. I was speaking to Jack about it and he wonders how much of that is intentional. It’s usually the songs that are about him being angry or upset that are a bit unrefined or have moments that are out of time, so you have to wonder if it’s meant to be a reflection of the protagonists mindset. Jack put forward an interesting point that the album is likely presented from a character point of view; a young guy who doesn’t really know what he’s doing with his life, with his DJ decks in his bedroom, writing songs about his girlfriend and his broken telly. Which makes me warm up to the jank a bit more. Definitely a couple of skip songs which are on the album for the narratives sake rather than for being good songs in their own right. 6/10

this is not bad, for its kind of music

This is trash. Albums like this make me not want to deal with this list.

As a comedy album, it’s not bad. Kinda like a Brit Weird Al… loads of albums with tracks trying to parody American black rap. Worth a giggly. Sadly, I think these lads want to be gangsters. Such rubbish.

i dont want to be mean but this shit is execrable. genuinely abominable shit. making me listen to this shit is inicuos behaviour. this that contemptible shit

I was worried this wouldn’t hold up because I hadn’t listened to it since high school. I figured the impact would have worn off a bit now that I’m not a teenager, but it’s…. somehow better? I think it works top to bottom. It’s one of the most successful concept albums/operas I’ve ever heard. It is a top-tier work of fiction about the mid 2000s. I can’t believe it.

Mike Skinner is such a parody of himself haha. Non-Brits must be like ?????. Dry Your Eyes always reminds me of my mum - good nostalgia value Why is Original Pirate Material not on this list instead. I really like The Streets but I can't pretend this is a necessary or great album album.

Whenever somebody said "white people don't have a sense of rhythm," I always felt defensive. Now I'm not so sure.

Meh

Awesome

Jesus christ.

I had low expectations but this was actually great!

Not my thing

I left my first listening thinking that this album is a bit messy. The choruses fail to be catchy, and I say fail because I could feel they were trying. The beats and the singing didn't at anything to the experience. What I heard is that there's great lyricism, which I totally missed and I don't really want to put myself through this experience again...

No where near as good as the first album. This geezer needs excitement.

This was really... really... not worth listening to.

This album is a tough one to sit through. The spoken-word delivery might be seen as inventive by some, but to my ears, it just sounds flat and grating. The vocal style often feels more like a monotone diary entry than a musical performance. Even Dry Your Eyes, the big single that got radio play, comes off as painfully awkward and melodramatic. The album feels more like a rough experiment than something fully realized. It may have cultural relevance, but musically, it's just bad. Making an album like this on purpose should be held against them for life, and never allowed to record music again.

Freaking gold

I can't really complain about all the people who hate this. It's so quintessentially working-class British that the Americans on here must be fuming. But even within the UK, it's still quite an acquired taste, particularly as so much is quite monotone and delivered in such a specific way. I'm somewhere in the middle. The Streets were very much part of the cultural zeitgeist back in the day, but I was never really into the scene or particularly up on it. In fact we'd take the mick out of the delivery and content, being alternative kids and all that - "I'm going down to the chippy to grab some tea - I'm 'avin a can or two and knockin out some mad bantz with Gaz and the boys - and we're off our 'eads and we're giving it large'. Etc etc. But you know what, over time I came to appreciate them / Mike Skinner more. It's got a lot of personality, and personality goes a long way. And I'm absolutely bopping my head to Fit but You Know It - it's a genuine tune!

Fantastisk

I was captivated by how awful it was but then really enjoyed it. The birth of grime.

Quite funny at times; impossibly British. I could have sworn this was released in 2006; the singles got old very quickly.

This is so seriously shit. The entire album relies on the story being told since the flow and production seem almost intentionally terrible...and the story could not be less interesting or even coherent

I do remember The Streets and what felt like Mike Skinner's 15 minutes of fame. At least on an international level, the novelty of a white British rapper wasn't ever likely to last. Sure enough, when was the last time anyone heard from him? So I expected to find this one to be very dated. But actually I kind of love this album. The idea of a concept album around a standard shitty day is actually kind of brilliant. There are so many artists telling powerful stories of love, crime, war, depression, etc. But there's something very refreshing about such a simple and relatable story of mundane things going wrong one after again. Skinner's delivery on experiences of finding an empty bank account and a dead phone battery make the listener remember being there (who hasn't?). Intertwined with the end of toxic relationship, Skinner also depicts a specific time and place, of youth culture in London in the early 2000s. The album is refreshingly simple, and driven by straightforward storytelling. And it even has a (mostly) happy ending. For me, this one stands up surprisingly well and is lyrically quite different from most rap albums.

An odd one, this. It’s not my type of music, and the production and Mike Skinner’s delivery is, to be blunt, a bit shit. But here’s the odd thing - it’s intended to be a bit shit, and it’s endearingly so. It probably helps being British and only a couple of years older than the protagonist of the rap opera so I find this sort of relatable, but I really didn’t hate it.

British ass (genuine), there’s absolutely no way this is a top 1001 album of all time

Most mundane concept album of all time. But our protag finding his missing money down the back of the TV? That's true magic, beyond any song about elves or celestial beings. Not every line scans, so at times its barely held together, but i quite liked it. I enjoyed the mundanity, and every song had something that caught me. Dry your eyes is more honest and devastating than most of its ilk, and even more so when you follow the preceding 10 song story. I'm sorry for ever saying that it's crap.

Didn't really enjoy this style of music. There were only two song I could get into.

A school project sounding album, my goodness I can’t believe I had to listen to this

Horrible.

2/3

I know this won’t be popular with a lot of listeners, but as a Brit, the streets are great, telling a story over some music and it makes for a funny, bopping album. 7/10.

I must have gone through a period of really liking The Streets, as there are green ticks all over their first couple of albums. However, this hasn't aged too well, and there's a lot of dips between the bangers. It's still a strong 3 star album, but not quite enough for 4.

Ridiculous bullshit of an album.

The first track was a "crock of shit" and I didn't want to listen to any more of it.

so british....i dont usually listen to music for lyrics, so the rap opera concept album is lost on me. i feel like twenty one pilots loves this.

ovo je bilo toliko ogromno I popularno, ali meni oduvijek uzasno grata zivce

Vidi pod boy in da corner😃ali blinded by the lights je i dalje najtužnija party pisma na svitu

Good

Fav: Fit But You Know It Least Fav: Get Out Of My House Always liked Fit But You Know It, shame that the album is just kinda terrible with a lack of flow

This dude has no rhythm, he doesn't rap to the tempo of his music? Why tf is this on here? This is offensive to opera.

Yeah, this was not great. Unsure how it even got on this list.

absolutely not lol pitchfork put this higher on their year-end list than Madvillainy lmaooooooo

How did this make the list? It’s good though

a british rap concept album, a story about a guy who mysteriously loses a thousand quid; the album detailing his story, struggle, and relationship. british rap music is an acquired taste for me. the concept is something else, but i can't get into this sound at all. the production of the beats, as well as the verses and raps... it all feels a little sloppy. there's potential here, but the entire album is kinda messy.

Should have been an audio book. Really not great for me.

Terrible.

A very good "rap opera" portrayal of chav culture in Britain, as well as the unflattering poorer side of the country commonly seen north of London. The sound is very amateurish from an artist that is anything but, however I think it helps with the immersion of the story. The singles and the final song are the highlights of the album. It's worth noting that this album isn't being entirely serious, at the end of the day it is a dramatic representation of someone losing £1000

I'll always have mixed feelings about The Streets. On one side, they definitely made their mark in electronic music, especially UK garage, and they've made some classic songs. But on the other side, there are also a lot of songs where his conversational way of talking the lyrics just doesn't work and doesn't sound good with the music. I'm not a music theory expert, but sometimes it seems like he doesn't really know how to hit the right notes. So overall, The Streets is one of those groups you really have to be in the mood for, and if you're not, then their albums don't really have the same effect as they used to.

and i was thinking i was being too generous with my ratings given the fact that i haven't had a 1 star rating yet amongst the 90 something albums... but hey here you go buddy you deserve this

Not really understanding why this is on the list

I didn’t care for the music as much as I enjoyed the fast that it was a story. I didn’t realize until the last song it was a story until I realized that he keeps talking about this damn TV.

at first i was going to give it a 2 because it was a tough listen at times BUT on second thought the storyline was interesting and it was original. however i do think we can blame this guy for the birth of hobo johnson

Sounds the way British food tastes

Maybe if I pay attention to the story more it would get a 3

Gracias, pero NO

A few fantastic songs and a few duds. Overall, a good album

Meh.

I like this band and want more.

Not really for me, the music was a bit disjointed from the words which were mostly just spoken. Nothing wrong with the style at all, just not for me.

I'm feeling between a 3 and a 4 and I'm tempted by 4 to give an up yours to the 1001 boomers. This is a cool portrait of how drab and grey it is to live in Britain and how little there is to actually get excited about. My real thoughts are probably 3, just because I think the debut is better.

Irrelevant, banal lyrics under the guise of a "concept album" delivered with the rapping skill of a drunken chav trying to teach his bastard child to talk, and the charisma of a soggy biscuit.

I could’ve gone the rest of my life without listening to this album and I wouldn’t be missing out on anything. No idea why this is on the list, it’s shit.

Pretty cool album. I will always appreciate albums that just straight up tell a story. They’re almost never perfect, but they do leave an impact by the end, and the “happy ending” on the last track was legitimately impactful. Admittedly he’s not a good singer, and the mundane details and straight delivery can get grating at times, but I still think this is an achievement in writing and execution. Must-listen #116.

Love a story telling rap album

A slice of life about a British loser hooligan type who loses money and his girlfriend. Almost ironically bad lyrics, beats, and production. not great but probably a pretty realistic depiction of that style of life in the early 00s. 2/5

British hip-hop? You gotta be kidding me... 2 stars. I could've died before hear that for sure.

If Frank Turner was a hip-hop artist....

You can't blame Mr Skinner for creating something unique and recognizable. But is it good? I was annoyed by The Streets and the "Mockney" accent back in the days. I am still now. It's not just that though. Especially the music on the hooks sounds like bratty teenagers who can't hold a single note play around with their keyboards. And for what? A story between two lovers who don't like each other anyway? It all feels too forced and any good idea is instantly buried by some other shit.

Dude talking tired raps With a stoic expression And whatever beats

Interesting concept, mediocre listening experience

Wild, I was just thinking yesterday that I bet this album would come up soon. Kind of a challenging sound (this is a nice way of saying it fails with respect to traditional musicality) but a lot of fun for some down material. Mike's flow is "bad", but he's remarkably consistent, which somehow makes it good? It's not like he sucks, he's doing this thing like oi bruv spoken word. A single song leaves you going, "is he serious?" but you follow along, maybe hit it again and all of a sudden it starts coming together. And maybe, if you weren't really listen, you figure out it's a concept album, and one that actually holds together. If I hadn't heard this when it came out, I'd probably drop a 1 or 2 on this one, but you know what? No apologies: I like this one, man.

Verrückter Brite mit eloquenter Ausdrucksweise

I have no fucking idea what that was. It felt like an hour of snaredrums paired with a drunk karaoke impression of a Brit. Definitely not my cup of tea.

I’ve heard this praised as a concept album masterpiece. More like a rambling diary set to mediocre beats, with a delivery that teeters between spoken word and uninspired rap.

As rap and hip hop albums go this one is quite palatable to me. In fact I actually possess it having bought it cheap from a charity shop. There are one or two melodic tunes on it which I can relate to. Chiefly I suppose Dry Your Eyes. Didn’t realise or know that this album was conceived as a rap opera. Puts a different slant on it but it ain’t no Tommy or Quadrophenia. Mildly amused by the comments of my fellow American 1001’s who seem to complain about the Englishness of this album. The lack of gangland culture, misogyny, knife killing and boasting about penis size actually endears me to this album. 2.5/5 27/3/25

Fun at times. Good gardening background music?

Nah. 1

I want to be fair to this album, an album that is definitely one of the most unique on this list. But I couldn't enjoy it because of the British accent. I mean, I found other reasons to dislike it! For one, A Grand Don't Come for Free, which is a very true album title, isn't exactly a rap opera but so much as a spoken word album with bits of electronic added. The vocals were either out of tune or not singing/rapping. Like, would we really call this music? That said, I do love a concept album. The story kept my attention.

It's kind of like British spoken word over half-baked beats? It wasn't the worst, but it definitely seemed a little flat overall and wasn't incredibly listenable. Certainly a unique listen, but unique isn't always a good thing.

It's somewhere between awful and "well, not that terrible"

I had never heard of The Streets. This seems like an ambitious project, a rap opera or whatever. I commend the output as unique and interesting, and it's compelling enough.

crazy british. this album could be pretty good when the delivery was not that sloth. felt really tiring but sonically it has so much more potential. Should re record it with more energy imo. (2.5/5.0)

Uhhh, is this a joke? With alllll the other albums out there this one made the list?

Superb!!

I did enjoy this some just for how laughable it was, but this may take the cake for the least musical album on the list, in terms of that it felt made by some random British guy. Not a random musician, just some guy.

DNF

The money was in the back of the TV for some reason. That's saved you 50 minutes.

Actually one of the more interesting albums from this list. The storytelling is definitely a bit slow paced at times but it accomplishes two tasks quite well - being goofy and funny, and getting you to have some compassion for the central character. When he finds out Simone is cheating on him with Dan (bastard), I genuinely got a little down for him.. 6/10

Look. I get that grimes important or whatever in the UK. But I’m pretty sure Dizzie Rascal is already on the fucking list and he raps extremely British and helped invent grime but he’s actually good. Fucking bollocks innit?

I was surprised at how good this was. The cockney rapping and humourous choruses were so entertaining. Even with the predicable ending, the story was told so well using rhymes. Liked Songs Added: Not Addicted Fit But You Know It

2,5

This isn't for me

Mary Poppins Rap

Unexpectedly enjoyed much of this as I followed the somewhat silly story. But it feels like the genuine expression of how an early 20 something would tell a story. I’ll never listen again but it was a bit of fun.

I didn't like this style of rapping. The songs themselves were boring and about boring people.

I didn't connect with this at all. I'm not sure if it's because I just didn't like it, or if it's because it's truly terrible

Two hits doesn't make an album.

This album is fucking awful. Like it's laughably bad. I cried when this was generated because I knew it was fucking dogshit, and I laugh cried at how terrible the lyrics are and how STUPID the delivery is all over this album. Any decent beat is ruined by the vocals, and the decent beats are like 5 second loops with barely any change or addition at all. I hate this fucking album. I hate this fucking album. I hate this fucking album. I hate the stupid ass "oh the cash I needed was in the T.V. the whole time!" cop out shite ending this shit had "Dry Your Eyes" is aight tho

Their accents make everything funnier, can’t take it seriously. A lot of it is just talking. Too much repetition. I don’t like this album. Not much more to say haha.

ROIGHT! ISS A WEE BITT-A CHEWSDAY IDN'T IT? FINK OLL GO DOWNDATHA PUB N GRAB A POINT N SUM CHIPPS N WOLCH VA MATCH HEH? I'm not sure if the bars, lyricism, or production on this album are meant to be taken seriously. Maybe they're not, and I'm the idiot here. Either way, it's not fun or interesting. It's an unfortunate symptom of the Eminem era and a shitty record not worth anyone's time.

I'm a sucker for the exceedingly English, and, mate, listening to these South London slices of life rapped in Skinner's spoken-word (while I was coincidentally preparing a steak and Guinness pie) had me proper chuffed.

It was s’posed to be so eaaaaaasyyyyy! This was a fav when it was new, we’ll see how it holds up. Yeah, honestly, it still holds up! Lots of criticism about the flow in the reviews, but I think it helps to think of this more as a piece of musical theater and less as a rap album. Solid easy 4.

Very bad

Dit album is als geheel geweldig, goed concept, mooie cirkelvertelling. Veel goede nummers, en redelijk divers.

Cool delivery on the vocals. I liked the style. My favorite track by then is let's push things forward but that's not on this album. Anyway, interesting album

Mike Skinner is a genius!! I love this and the debut.

One of the best alternative rap records ever made, certainly in the UK. rating: 84/100 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was a bit chavvy, very stereotypical British culture, I enjoyed a few songs off it, Fit But You Know It is a really bad song though, every song had better quality than that, overall it was decent.

great

I was so close to giving this a 1 AND calling it my least favourite album so far. Honestly, just listening to a chav be irritated about things, getting into arguments and fights, it is highly awful. Honestly I would rather have the "rare parrot" in the Stephen Fry clip shag me in the ear than listen to this again. I am only giving it 2 because the ending song makes it come full circle and at least gives a point to the journey, but what a shit journey that was. Edit: Actually, not many albums since have been as bad as this. It's a 1.

I never seem to know what to do with a spoken word album like this. I really enjoyed it this time, but have no desire to listen to it again. The story is a nice slice of life that you are better off having heard, but don't need a repeat.

i could not. i would like to have missed this one. could i write poetry to this? n

More of a spoken-word narrative than typical Rap album. The Streets' Mike Skinner spins a first-person story that reminds me more of "Catcher In The Rye" than anything by Jay-Z or LL Cool J. The backing music is appropriately sparse, keeping the focus on the lyrics. I found the concept to be similar to John Cooper Clarke's "Evidently Chickentown."

A couple tracks in I was ready to give this a one star. By the end I was totally invested. Then I listened to it again immediately after. What is this sorcery? I do wonder if a "rap" album was the best choice for this story to be told. He's got a way with words for sure, but could that translate to a short film or novella?

Awesome! Pretty funny too. It’s a UK take on white guy rap.

This album is such a time machine back to the early 00’s: taking dodgy pills, 241 on smirnoff ices, Nokia phones with shitty reception, paying with cash, spliffs with mates, and heartbreak

Näää, tristaste sortens hiphop. Pinglade inte någonstans.

This is ridiculous lol

White British rap. I know some people love it, but I can't wrap my head around it.

I think this is the most actually, really British sounding hip hop album I've heard, I mean Michael is not hiding his accent and nor the kind of humor and sounds it brings. His flow is weird and awkward for it but genuinely it makes it a charming album because of it, as well as the tight beat production. I'm not wholly in love with it but I think if I check more UK hip hop stuff I think I would be into it more

This sounds like it was recorded in some dudes basement and he put it together on garageband. I really couldn’t take it seriously, and I don’t think I NEEDED to hear this album and it kinda sucked.

This shit was so bad I could not get through it lmao. Also I accidentally hit “did not listen” for let it bleed so I want to say I meant to give that a 4/5, with my favorite song being “Gimme Shelter”

Nah this was actually atrocious

This was comically bad. It was so hard to listen to lmao. I just... I have no words

Rap with an English accent is just rap with another name. And why do all these rap artists think music is a radio play? Just no.

When this came out, it was treated like a masterpiece. I treated it that way too. It is not a masterpiece at all, there are far too many tracks on it that are aimless, clunky and bring the record down. Three classic tunes on it though. Blinded By The Lights is an excellent dreamlike, hazy, club beat experience of being on a face melter in a club and slowly falling under the influence of the dodgy pills you’ve been shovelling into your neck. It’s greasy and cloudy and stumbling finishing up with our narrator exclaiming that “I’m mashed” and honestly, we’ve all get that way! Dry Your Eyes was the all conquering, ubiquitous mega single that came with it. A refreshing (at the time) honest appraisal of a relationship breakdown from the eyes of the man who doesn’t want it to end and the sadness, frustration and anger that comes with having your heartbroken. It was all conquering for a reason. Still sounds fresh today. Empty Cans, the album closer, is a tremendous double take of how decisions and attitudes shape you and your life. It’s brilliantly done with the repetition of lyrics in different scenarios and a beautiful, whimsy and hopeful message implanted at the end. Too much of this album is filler looking back at it, but it still holds a place for me.

Nope! Next!

A true classic, we wore this one out.

Stan meets Macklemore, but he’s a British wanker. Shockingly entertaining. More so that all the Brits who champion some of the worst music tank this guy. Extra point round up just for that reaction.

Interesting concept, and a completely unfamiliar album for me. I don't plan on listening to it again. Nor do I plan to adopt "Fair Play" as a saying, as featured in every song.

Overall was just dreadful, barely gets to 2-stars for originality

I hope I never have to hear this album again. (:

This album gave me a new perspective on how bad music can be. Nevertheless, the first track is so bad that the rest of the album doesn't feel quite so terrible. Still even just giving out one star feels too generous.

this may be one of the worst things I’ve ever heard. i genuinely can’t tell if it’s a parody or an earnest attempt at making music. if it’s a parody, then whatever he was mocking was rightfully lost to time, and he succeeded in turning it into songs so absurd they made me laugh out loud. if it’s serious, then this is another Robbie Williams situation—where the Brits somehow think this flavorless, beans-on-toast-esque music will appeal to a wider audience. between the monotone rambling, lifeless beats, and lyrics that sound like they were written on the back of a nandos napkin, i can confidently say that anyone who unironically enjoys this needs their head examined. a grand don’t come for free, but somehow, this garbage did

I had not realized this was a concept album even though had played it on reasonably heavy rotation when it came out. Back in 2004 was living in London and perhaps it all felt more relevant and contemporary - roll forward 20 years and living in the country it all feels a little dated/ basic with the vocal delivery a little bit grating with its fake cockerny. Still really like Blinded by the Lights - but would not return to much else. A low 3.

A Grand Don’t Come For Free I’m mmmmassshhhhed I loved this album when it came out, I really listened to the shit out of it. I have revisited it intermittently over the years since, and I still think it’s great, it wasn’t really like many other albums at the time, and is pretty unique now, with it’s homemade beats, Brummie accented slightly awkward flows, and very British and wryly observed lyrics and lines. That many of the choruses and hooks sound like they were created by someone who can’t sing just adds to the whole thing for me. I’ve always really liked horns on It Was Supposed to Be So Easy, and I love the Birmingham twinge on ‘money’. It's a great track, one of the stronger songs alongside the brilliant Blinded By the Lights, the bouncy holiday fun of Fit But You Know It and the beery heartache of Dry Your Eyes. I do actually like all the songs to varying degrees and they all work with the overall story. The only real misstep for me is when it gets a bit Craig David at the end of Wouldn’t Have it Any Other Way, ‘the ash tray needs emptying…’ One other thing that has always bothered me too, is how did the £1,000 fall into the back of the TV? Even if it was twenty £50 notes and it was a CRT TV with air vents I don’t know how that could actually fall in the back? But ultimately it’s a great album, with a unique, singular feel to it. I get why people hate it and hate his rapping style, but to me he’s not so much a rapper as rhyming colloquialist, and I just really like his music. Cusp of 4 and 5, I’ll tip over to 5. 💷💷💷💷💷 Playlist submission: Fit But You Know It

Aside the catchy tunes, its other charm ends up being the sixth form poetry and his unapologetic, conversational style using his Brummy accent; and rapping about the everyday and the mundane. The references to British life are so hilariously at odds with gangsta and American rap (where everything is overblown and grand, or behind a massive cause, and the rappers ego is always the most important thing), talking about having a pint in the Wetherspoons or betting on a footie game. 'Empty Cans' is a masterclass in taking the achingly quotidian and making it into a three minute rap, down to the minutiae of the 'bit round the back of the TV' being broken, the power supply being broken, unscrewing 15 screws to remove the back panel. The complete inconsequential nature of the narrator's life and stories are what make it funny. I wouldn't seek most of this out again. The singles are the highlights, and the rest of it was an enjoyable listen due to the sheer audacity of presenting the mundanity of life. The biggest mystery is why 'Original Pirate Material' is not here instead, which is an album of wall to wall bangers.

is this a joke

Het leven van een Engels joch in een gare buitenwijk: bij z'n vriendin thuis op de bank zitten, breedbeeld-tv-kijkend vette happen eten en klagen over het bereik van z'n (Nokia-)telefoon. En toch is het wel grappig. Op een bepaalde manier is zo'n sappig plat Brits accent een stuk sympathieker dan dergelijk gemekker uit het land van Uncle Sam. Kennelijk is het album een doorlopend verhaal, maar daar heb ik dan weer niet op gelet. Desondanks nog wel een onderhoudend geheel.

Bij een rap-opera heb in inmiddels het beeld van Hamilton. We kunnen toch veilig stellen dat er muzikaal bij dit album minder sprake van opera is. En ook wel minder sprake van rap. Deze rapper lijkt in eerste instantie weinig zijn best te doen. Het is soms meer mompelen of praten dan rappen. Komen we verder in het album, dan ga je er aan wennen. Of heeft hij gewoon op een gegeven moment de juiste combinaties gevonden met de muziek? Af en toe pakt het mij wel. De rap-stijl doet me sterk denken aan Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip. Zij gebruiken de stijl om meer te suggereren dat ze dichter zijn in plaats van rapper. Zoiets zal er nu ook wel aan ten grondslag liggen. Dichter gaat mij wel wat ver, maar Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip laten mij hierdoor wel naar de teksten luisteren. Dat lukt The Streets niet. Terwijl ik inmiddels heb gelezen dat het album een totaalverhaal is (lijkt mij beter de lading dekken dan rap-opera), lukt het mij nauwelijks om echt naar de teksten te luisteren. Misschien zijn een vrouw en een zak geld gewoon niet interessant genoeg? Het album is niet slecht. De beats zijn soms erg fijn. Maar de presentatie is behoorlijk overschat. Een rap-opera met matige rap, geen operageluid en een niet opgepakt verhaal. Dan blijft er maar weinig over van het concept.

Ik heb nooit geweten dat dit een concept-album was, met een soort van compleet verhaal. Terwijl ik het album wel ken, want het stond op mijn mp3-vergaarbak. En dat vind ik dan toch wel gaaf. Mike Skinner laat zien dat hij een prima storyteller is. Het was me al wel eens opgevallen, stukken tekst die me bij bleven of verhalen van de nummers. Vervolgens zoekt hij daar ook zijn muziek bij uit. Zoals bij Blinded by the Lights heb je echt het idee dat hij dronken in een disco loopt, doordat je die vertraging van die housebeats op de achtergrond hoort. Op het moment dat de nummers wat eentoning beginnen te worden (het blijft wel rap natuurlijk), komt er weer een hitje voorbij, elke keer op het juiste moment. Fit but You Know It en Dry Your Eyes. En als heerlijke afsluiter Empty Cans, waarbij hij 2 alternatieve eindes voor zijn verhaal heeft. De laatste is een positief einde en de muziek erbij zorgt er dus ook voor dat je een blij gevoel krijgt. Je voelt dat het positief is. Ik vind dat echt heel knap gedaan. Een allround album gevoel dus, met fijne muziek, hitjes op het juiste moment. Ik ga gewoon lekker een 5 uitdelen. En dat voor een hiphopplaat, het kan gewoon.

this is definitely the worst album i’ve heard in this project so far and quite possibly the worst album i’ve heard in my entire life. when i saw that it was described as a “rap opera concept album” i was like oh that’s interesting and unique! and foolishly trusted that its inclusion on this list meant that it at least had some baseline of musical standards and quality. i was wrong. if i wasn’t committed to listening to the full album for this project i would have turned it off halfway through the first song. the beats are terrible, ranging from pathetically thin to downright annoying to actively dissonant with the vocals, and this guy has the worst flow of rapper i’ve ever heard- there is absolutely no rhythm and it is so syllabic and repetitive that it is actively grating to listen to. and his singing is even worse! my guy, if you wanted to practice your shitty spoken word poetry over the worst beats ever recorded in human history go do that at a basement open mic night instead of terrorizing the general public with it. the guy doing the spoken verse on blur’s “parklife” is a better rapper than this!! finally, the album’s story itself has no direction or structure and just plods from one boring scenario to the next, and the conclusion of him finding the lost 1000 pounds on the back of his broken TV feels very much like a “and it was all a dream” cop-out. the whole idea of a rap opera concept album is interesting in theory but with this execution feels self-indulgent at best and delusionally pretentious and downright masturbatory at worst. if this is what british rap is like i think we just need to throw the whole island away and start over. i am truly baffled by the amount of 5 star ratings on the website because i have to assume that those people have never heard a good rap album or a good concept album in their lives- the only thing saving my sanity rn is the large percentage of people also giving 1 star ratings. i definitely didn’t need to hear this album before i died and actually i think my life is worse now that i have.

This must be the band that gave UK hip-hop its bad name. Ugh! Thank goodness that they've stepped up as of late.

surprisingly enjoyable!

What one earth is this, some british guy is yelling at me in the most british way possible, ignoring whatever music is going on behind him. Almost so bad that it's good, I was laughing a bit at how absurd it was but at the end of the day it was just so bad

This isn't the worst album in the world but it has no business on this list. None. There are so many great bands with no albums on this list and we get this nonsense instead. I'm giving it a 2 because it's not it's fault it's on this list and it's not totally unlistenable (unlike Robert Wyatt who remains the garbage barometer to which all other albums on this list are still compared) but its still just completely forgettable. Maybe just change the name to 1001 greatest albums as they occur to a British guy.

The whoopee cushion of rap music. If you find any of the hapless criminals in Guy Ritchie films endearing, you might like this album. It is just about an hour of listening to simple beats overlaid with some schmuck 'rapping' about his day-to-day life about money, and lady problems in a British accent. The term 'rap opera' is as ridiculous as this album is. But I think that's the point.

I was a fan of this album when it first came out. But then any time I’ve returned to The Streets in the years since, I start off wondering what I was thinking and that it isn’t going to hold up. And each time, I quickly realize I’m wrong and Mike Skinner is great. Yet I can’t for the life of me explain why I think The Streets sound and vibe work so well. “A Grand Don’t Come For Free,” while clearly by the same artist, feels very different from “Original Pirate Radio.” More piano and strings, even closer to spoken word in many places, but the same swagger and ability to create an atmosphere is there. The narrative that Skinner creates on “Grand” may be what carries this album. Hip hop is known for storytelling, but this album takes that to another level.

Wow. Can’t fathom how something this bad got made.

This music is actually pretty terrible but they’ve banked on the fact that I (along with many others, presumably) could listen to this guy’s accent all the live long day.

The music is basic AF. The vocal flow is the worst Ive ever heard in professional rap. Only one track is redeemable, Fit But You Know It. Terrible album.

Fuck this album sucks. Even the Circle Jerks have more sense of rhythm and musicality than this guy. The beats sound amateur, everything sounds badly mixed and he's out of tune almost every time he's not "rapping" and attempts to sing. And when he's rapping he's annoyingly behind the beat. But it doesn't sound like he has a certain groove behind the beat. It just sounds like he can't keep the correct timing. How the hell is this shit part of the book????. The whole lack of musicality makes me not even want to care about the whole "rap opera" OR whatever the fuck he's talking about. I would give this album a negative ranking if I could. It doesn't even deserve 1 star. UPDATE: I gave this album a 2nd try while reading the lyrics... Nope. It still sucks. Couldn't make it past the 2nd "song". Sounds like the story of an asshole kid. Damn this sucks. I wish I haven't gotten this album.

It's possible this Just Wasn't My Thing(tm), but besides a track or two, nothing really stuck with me.

If there was going to be a Hip-hop opera/concept record included on this list, why on Earth would anyone choose this over Deltron 3030? Ambitious record, but ultimately uninteresting. Production goes nowhere and I couldn't muster a fuck about the narrative. It's bad.

don't hate it, don't love it 5/10

It grew on me but I couldn’t go 4 stars.

what the fuck man HFKJHSFJKFHS. much to think about... ive heard the streets debut before but its been years, and nothing i vaguely remembered from it prepared me for the pure shock of Stubborn Aesthetic Displeasure that this is, borderline a novelty record in pure garishness. rigid, obvious, embarrassing, maybe a little bit genius? mike skinner deploys hip hop's musical language in a context that couldnt help but make him a kind of Pathetic Cosmic Fool even if that wasnt the character he's playing on most of these tracks. honestly the chemistry probably goes off as a little bit offensive,,,part of the "silly" contrast with hip hop culture is that its mundane and "relatable" (read: not black). that being said, the longer the album goes on the more it became unavoidable that it was winning me over HFJFHSJFSHJ its a really fugking weird concoction but ultimately the combination of Obviously Constructing A Character and Obviously Earnest Emotional Reality becomes more and more endearing and involving as i get over the initial novelty...and tbh i do think the album is constructed in a way that makes room for that experience, there really is an almost The Mollusk-esque arc to it. not rly one of my favorite new experiences of this project but certainly among the most purely memorable

Good but long

what the hell

clunky

George Russell talking

Ven aquí por Fit But You Know It, quedate por las letras de todo el disco.

Starting out I thought "well I've never heard something quite like this before" and was slightly taken with the unfolding story. As the album went on, not evolving into anything, you know, better or more interesting, and the "concept" likewise offering nothing of substance, I slipped from mild curiosity to disinterest to active dislike. Unfortunately even the moments of valid, wry social commentary sink under the stilted delivery. On a little bit of a second listen maybe that's a little harsh, but man, this isn't good.

THIS IS SHITE

284/1001 La peor basura que me ha salido hasta ahora... The worst piece of junk I've gotten so far.... 🌘🌑🌑🌑🌑

I think you have to be british to fully enjoy this one.

I love albums that tell a story so I loved this album. I got really into the story that was being told and the album kept my attention for its entire runtime.

I absolutely hated it 30 seconds in. But was locked in the rest of the time. Who knew British people could have emotions like normal people

It’s no wonder they lost the war. This was painful to get through.

Alors voilà. On en est à l'année 2004 dans ce grand foutoir qu'est le projet "1001 Albums". Une année où, si ma mémoire ne me joue pas des tours, la musique commençait sérieusement à sentir le réchauffé, le recyclé, le déjà-vu. Et puis, au milieu de ce marasme, débarque un type, un Anglais de Birmingham, l'air de sortir du pub du coin, avec un survêt et une mine pas très réveillée. Mike Skinner, alias The Streets. Son premier album, "Original Pirate Material", avait fait un peu de bruit, mais c'était resté de l'autre côté de la Manche, une curiosité pour les branchés. Et là, on me colle entre les mains ce deuxième opus au titre improbable : "A Grand Don't Come For Free". Littéralement, "Mille balles, ça ne tombe pas du ciel". Le programme est annoncé. On n'est pas là pour déconner avec des concepts fumeux ou des solos de guitare de douze minutes. Non, on va parler de la vie, la vraie. Celle où tu perds un billet de 1000 livres et où toute ton existence part en couille. J'avoue, j'étais sceptique. Un album concept qui raconte une histoire ? À 55 balais, j'en ai bouffé, des albums concepts. Des trucs pompeux sur des voyages interstellaires, des opéras-rock sur des messies du flipper... Sauf que là, le concept, ce n'est pas une épopée cosmique. C'est l'histoire d'un mec lambda, Dave, qui se lève un matin et constate que le grand billet qu'il avait mis de côté a disparu. Point de départ d'une spirale d'emmerdes qui va durer le temps de onze morceaux. Et c'est là, précisément là, que Skinner réussit son putain de tour de force. Il ne nous emmerde pas avec des démonstrations techniques. La musique, ce fameux son "UK Garage" ou "Grime" qui faisait fureur à l'époque, est réduite à son plus simple appareil. Des beats minimalistes, boiteux, bricolés sur un coin de table. Des boucles de piano mélancoliques, des samples de cuivres un peu miteux. Tout ça n'est qu'un décor sonore, une toile de fond pour la seule chose qui compte vraiment : l'histoire. Le flow de Skinner n'est ni du rap, ni du chant. C'est de la tchatche. Le type te parle à l'oreille, avec son accent à couper au couteau, il te raconte sa journée de merde, ses doutes, ses petites joies et ses grosses galères. Chaque morceau est un chapitre. "It Was Supposed to Be So Easy", où il se rend compte de la perte du fric. "Fit But You Know It", la description hilarante et tellement juste d'une tentative de drague foireuse dans un fast-food, sur fond de frustration et de désir. C'est du Ken Loach sur un beat de garage. C'est cru, c'est drôle, et c'est d'une authenticité désarmante. On suit notre anti-héros chez le médecin, où il s'inquiète d'une possible tumeur au cerveau qui n'est qu'une angoisse passagère. On le voit parier le peu de thunes qui lui reste sur un match de foot. On assiste à ses engueulades avec sa copine, Simone, jusqu'à la rupture inévitable sur la ballade la plus déprimante et magnifique des années 2000, "Dry Your Eyes Mate". Qui n'a pas eu envie de chialer en écoutant ce morceau a probablement un coeur en granit. C'est la bande-son universelle du mec qui vient de se faire larguer et qui essaie de faire bonne figure devant ses potes. Pathétique et sublime. Ce qui est génial avec cet album, c'est qu'il ne se prend jamais au sérieux, tout en étant profondément sérieux. Skinner a un talent d'écriture monstrueux. Il arrive à rendre épique une histoire de téléviseur en panne ("Could Well Be In"). Il transforme une gueule de bois en une analyse existentielle. Il y a une humanité folle dans ses textes, une tendresse cachée sous des couches de cynisme et de langage de la rue. On est à des années-lumière du bling-bling et des clichés du hip-hop américain de l'époque. Pas de flingues, pas de putes en bikini, pas de liasses de billets. Juste un type, ses potes, sa copine, et un quotidien merdique qu'il essaie de traverser sans trop de dégâts. L'album se termine sur une double résolution. Celle de son histoire d'amour, et celle de son histoire de pognon. Je ne spoilerai pas la fin, ce serait un crime. Disons juste qu'elle est à l'image du reste : douce-amère, surprenante et terriblement humaine. A Grand Don't Come For Free est un ovni. Un feuilleton sonore, une tranche de vie d'une justesse inouïe. En 2004, au milieu des guitares saturées et des productions R'n'B surproduites, Mike Skinner a fait le pari de la simplicité, de la narration, de l'intime. Il a prouvé qu'on pouvait raconter une histoire universelle avec les mots de tous les jours et la musique de son quartier. Ça a l'air simple dit comme ça, mais c'est une des choses les plus difficiles à réussir en musique. Alors oui, la note de 5/5 est amplement méritée. C'est un de ces rares albums qui ne ressemble à aucun autre, une oeuvre cohérente, intelligente, touchante et drôle. Une capsule temporelle qui nous plonge dans le quotidien de la jeunesse britannique du début du siècle, mais dont les thèmes résonnent encore furieusement aujourd'hui. Un chef-d'oeuvre, tout simplement.

Some fun talk singing here. Lyrics are fun and musically it’s like if Ross from Friend’s had talent. 2.5 goin fown.

3 maybe 4

Is this Lilly Allen's little brother making fun of her? If so, needs more cuss words. That would be more fit!😜🤣👍🏻 Almost felt like a bad Saturday night skit that the Dick in the Box guys did an entire album and were selling on the Ronco label! Lastly seemed like a cheesy movie where they have a rapper doing an album and it's like TV movie grade compared to a theatrical release. I was cracking up most of the time then got annoyed.

Possibly the most asinine addition to the list. Everyone associated with this mess should be embarrassed.

Didn't like it in any way.

Not really for me at all. BUT, another reviewer claims that Original Pirate Material is good though. Maybe I'll listen to that. Empty Cans reminds me of Postal Service

This shit is hilarious and it really saves the entire album, can't really hate an album when you are smiling through the entire thing because of the immense amount of british energy. (Would be a sin to give this more than two stars tho.)

I can't say that this was good, but surprisingly pleasant as background noise, which is more than I like most rap music.

LOL. ASS

Did not love this album. Sounds like it had a big grime influence though. Its giving a British football lad taking the piss out of rap on a microphone in the pub. And maybe that’s the point?

Definitely not feeling this, not for me and I'm getting nothing from it. I actually can't stand the vocalist and the beats aren't enough to hold my attention

Interesting beats/loops. Actual rap seems very conversational and free. Interesting stuff. 4 stars for the creativity, even though I probably won't come back to this one.

A grand quest to recover 1000 pounds. A simple concept executed well amplified by solid production. May become one of (but not my absolute this year has Madvillainy) my favorite albums of 2004 in due time. Favorite track: Dry Your Eyes

hyi hyi hyi ole hiljaa ole hiljaa ole vittu hiljaa turpa kiinni pliis pliis pliis pliis ole vittu hiljaa hiljaa hiljaa hiljaa ääääää lopeta lopeta lopeta lopeta lopeta lopeta britti paskiainen.. ei kuulu tämmösten avata suuta,, mene vittu pellolle kuokkimaan saatana. mahdotonta kuunnella tätä paskaa . miten vitussa britit päästää tämmöstä kuraa mitenkään kuuluisuuteen.. mikä vittu teissä on vikana? joo yksi tähti mitä vittua, tämä kuulostaa joltain vanhalta youtube räpiltä jota katotaan nykyään pelkästään myötähäpeällä. miten on mahdollista että tämä on professionaali produktio.. paskin albumi tähän mennessä gg ei vittu mikään

This blows hard.

Why would anyone listen to this on purpose? Aside from this project, of course. But then, I couldn’t slog all the way through the 50 minutes (50 minutes?!?!?) of this, so the question still stands. This had to have the worst flow of any rap I’ve ever heard, and that includes when I’ve heard grade school kids “rap.” I’m a 51 year old white guy from the suburbs and I can flow better than that. This is so bad that I don’t even want to meet someone who does like it. I wish any of that was hyperbole.

I'm not British enough for this

Holy shit this is bad. I’m not British so maybe that’s why I hate this. It sounds like an American trying to make fun of a British accent while rapping over extremely repetitive beats and melodies. Top 10 least favorite albums I’ve ever heard. Was a struggle to get through and thank god I’m done with it. I would give it 0/5 if I could, but I can't so a very very LOW 1 star.