Reviews (page 6 of 9)
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
Most are really not what I'm into. Mixing ok.
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.
Answers that age old question: what if Michael Caine made a hip hop record?
No. Cannot do it.
Just not all that good, I don't understand the hype on the wiki.
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.
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
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
2 songs worth ur while here.
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.
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...
2/3
ovo je bilo toliko ogromno I popularno, ali meni oduvijek uzasno grata zivce
Sounds the way British food tastes
Maybe if I pay attention to the story more it would get a 3
Gracias, pero NO
Meh.
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.
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
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
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"
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)
2,5
This isn't for me
Two hits doesn't make an album.
White British rap. I know some people love it, but I can't wrap my head around it.
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.
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
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.
It's possible this Just Wasn't My Thing(tm), but besides a track or two, nothing really stuck with me.
don't hate it, don't love it 5/10
clunky
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.
Some fun talk singing here. Lyrics are fun and musically it’s like if Ross from Friend’s had talent. 2.5 goin fown.
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.)
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?
Rap in slo-mo.
Haven't checked out OPM which might be a better place to start, but idk
I feel like I need to listen to the actual story of the album
It's pretty bad. Maybe can see how this was influential, love the subject matter but the voice is just too grating and uneven. Loaded with dense slang and British street scum vibes that I could maybe appreciate if I didn't have no context for it. Musically it's meh and the recording quality is also meh.
I was avoiding this album. The streets are so uniquely British that I have no way of really understanding how this is supposed to be listened to. That being said it's incredibly well produced and the lyrics and sounds of life are quite effective. But it all just comes off as a really corny musical. Feels very much outside looking in and really inauthentic. But maybe that's how British listen to rap?
I'll never understand The Streets' appeal. Maybeyou have to be British to get it, idk. Musically it's fine but not stellar. File under "Not for Me" but also not wretched. 2.5
Didn't like it that much
Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes were massive when this album came out Would I enjoy the rest of this album? No, no I would not 2 stars for those songs The rest of this is the sound of the guy I walk away from in the pub
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free Apparently this is one of the best rap albums of the year according to critics, even though Madvillainy was also made that same year... As a hiphop fan, that first song really gave a bad impression to what I was about to listen, thankfully though, the second half made the album a little bit more bearable to listen. Lyrically speaking, this album tells an interesting story, and while it sounded good on paper, the execution on it was not very good. His rapping was very monotous and didn't have much substance, considering that at that time even british rappers were able to sound interesting, while telling great stories as well. At least the lyrics save this album from being bad otherwise, because this album is, okay... 1.- It Was Supposed to Be so Easy = 3/10 2.- Could Well Be In = 6/10 3.- Not Addicted = 5/10 4.- Blinded by the Lights = 7/10 5.- Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way = 6/10 6.- Get Out of My House = 4/10 7.- Fit but You Know It = 7/10 8.- Such a Twat = 5/10 9.- What Is He Thinking? = 7/10 10.- Dry Your Eyes = 8/10 11.- Empty Cans = 8/10 FINAL SCORE = 6/10
Immediately no...
I have a lot to say about this one. I was warned that there was a comically bad album coming, and during the first track, I knew it was this one. By the end of the first track, I was laughing at how absurd and disjointed it sounded. But then the underlying instrumental started getting catchier. And after reading on Wikipedia that this was designed to tell a story, I started paying closer attention as each song progressed. Even though this album is horrible from a musical perspective, it ended up keeping me engaged more than any 1 I've heard on this list. And that has to count for something.
This was a toss up between 1 and 5. Each track from the start, what style is this? Is it a hip hop variant? Is it some EDM/drum and bass thing? Spoken word, atonal verses with a vocoder, story telling, it was odd but somehow enjoyable. Get Out Of My House pushed it to the good side, but even if I liked what they were doing, it was repetitive with all 11 tracks being essentially the same shtick.
I remember listening to this for the first time when it came out and thinking it might be a modern classic. A concept album for beginners; pretty straightforward story, easy to follow, written in modern English and sprinkled with humour. With a happy ending, to boot. A fairly accurate snapshot of life in 2004. Not my life, though. The humdrum life of a bored druggie whose daily highlights include monging out on the sofa, cheating on his girlfriend and getting into drunken scraps on a night out. Listening to it 20 years on, unfortunately all I can muster is cringe. It has not aged well. Even the beats and Mike's rapping at one time seemed fresh and a bit different but in the cold light of day you have the sound of someone who can't rap, talking through the tracks with poor sense of rhythm and a lack of poetic nuance. He even struggles to hit some notes within his own songs. It's your song. Why not change the pitch instead of just accepting that you'll sing it badly?? Fit But You Know It was always the most fun moment, a bit of a working-class 'Parklife' for the garage generation, but its inane lyrics have caught up with it and rendered it skippable. I'm embarrassed to risk my children hearing this album, sadly. I can't slate it completely because it was something at the time, but that moment has passed and it's something different now. Something I don't really care to listen to anymore.
• 2/5 • I like this genre of hip hop. I don’t like this album. • The tracks generally have good beats, hooks and production • The flow, when its not strained, is pedestrian • The lyrics bounce between insipid and inane. The tracks are reminiscent of Kate Tempest, but he’s no poet . . .
Really just some Cockney guys kind of talking. Doesn’t really make for a good album.
Awww, baby's first mixtape! The beats are amateur, the spitting sucks, the lyrics bore. Dry Your Eyes was a bright spot, and Empty Cans was a nice narrative payoff for enduring that drag.
Looking back on yesterday’s listen and this album didn’t leave much of an impression on me at all. Not terrible, but I couldn’t relate to much of the subject matter and remember thinking this is kinda lame…
Interesting lyrics but his voice lacks emotion.
Mid?
I don't like his quirky delivery, but an okay British hiphop album. 2.5 stars
What is this? lol
Great story, average music, terrible vocals. It ended up being easier to just read lyrics to all the songs intead of listening to them. I don't think that's a sign of good album.
nah sorry Ill give a 2 for the benefit of the doubt bc I didn't try with this album
weird
From his rented room in Brixton, London, Mike Skinner championed the underground garage sound and furthered UK hiphop on his first album Original Pirate Material. It was here that the Streets would become a focal point for modern UK hiphop, particularly in the 2000s. Those outside of urban UK centers may not be familiar with the subculture, but I was provided a primer via BBC3's comedy mocumentary People Just Do Nothing, which somehow landed on Canadian Netflix. Having binged the series a few years ago, the underground UK intersection of EDM and hiphop exposed me to garage, jungle, and grime. Skinner comes directly from this subculture and understands the importance as an MC in a country where hiphop is not nearly as dominant as the US. Regardless, the importance of Original Pirate Material cannot be understated as a product of the urban UK subculture. A Grand Don't Come For Free is the follow-up album. The Streets puts more focus on purely hiphop rather than pushing garage alongside it. It highlights Skinner's delivery on the mic which is, uh, distinct. Not only does his chav accent particularly prominent throughout, but his flow comes across as clumsy and unrefined as he struggles through each bar. At times it seems almost comedic, as if Skinner is purposefully delivering his lines like that for a laugh. I can't say for certain if he's playing a character or not, but A Grand Don't Come For Free does not land for me as a hiphop album.
Another one I haven't ever heard of. Brittish rap? This intro on the first track is cool. Yeah I don't know. It was okay. 2 Stars.
Rap opera concert gone wrong??? Was very strange listen, did not enjoy
Pretty o.k. and listenable for a hip-hop album. Strong two stars. 2,5
After the first couple of tracks, I found myself scratching my head. I couldn't tell if the frontman was rapping or conversing. But the whole discussion he was having with his girlfriend in "Get Out Of My House" was quite annoying. Although the album doesn't have to be completely relevant to me in every way for me to enjoy it, I had a hard time to connecting to this. There's a joke about "Cotton-Eye Joe" is what would happen if you give a redneck meth and a drum machine. This felt like if you gave a limey a pint of Guinness and a drum machine. NEXT. Top track: "Blinded By The Lights"
Fit but You Know It is great, but the rest is just okay. The style is definitely unique for its vintage, but I honestly wasn't excited when The Streets came out, and I'm still not.
Every song by the streets…….woke up, went to the pub, saw a bloke I didn’t want to, took some drugs, watched the football, did some gambling, went home, had a row with my girlfriend, went to bed sad…….is that relatable?….i feel like it should more be, woke up, did park run, had a coffee, went to a natural, organic wine bar, had a lovely pet nat, walked home, had a herbal tea, watched strictly, laughed with my wife, went to bed indifferent……. I can’t be the only one? Surely? It’s just lazy! Sounds like some bloke in a cap down the pub that’s had one too many callings and spotted the karaokes set up but thought they’d do ‘their own stuff’. 2.2
It's notable mainly for it's concept, telling the mundane story, which is probably an accurate account of inner city Britain, with each song recalling an event, much like a chapter in a novel. Unfortunately, the record just plain doesn't work, mainly because of the really annoying vocals/rap/singing clashing with the ok-ish musical segments. One of the pitfalls of technology is its accessibility, which means any old plonk can come along and record a record in their flat, regardless of actual musical/vocal ability. The net result being a dire release such as this, which bafflingly, people actually bought. An extra star for the vision and ambition, sadly not realised in the end product.
Poor loved the first album, however this was mushy and musically dull.
Interesting in that it's a concept album, so worth a listen right? Well, it's a bit too whiney and wasn't all that interesting. 1.5
Never really got it, and now I can see why. It's self-congratulatory, indulgent, and overly impressed with itself in a humble-brag kind of way, and "Fit but You Know It" sounds like an incel's cry for help now. "Blinded by the Lights" is admittedly pretty good. BUT, I do like the skag-addled Britrap that The Streets inspired: Sleaford Mods and Benefits, which are much more socially switched-on and authentically grimy.
Never understood the hype here… sorry
I’m with the Americans. This is pretty dreadful. Managed half but that was enough, perhaps unfairly. I don’t hate it at all, I really like Skinner as a person and I like how he captured that entire time and generation. Tells a good story about mundane life as a youngun in the early 00s, and everything sounds incredibly authentic and from the heart. It just really, really isn’t for me. Borderline novelty at times.
I'm with Graeme and the Yanks here - I really didn't enjoy this. Too abrupt and caustic. Repetitive, his delivery is exactly the same for every song and I don't find his lyrics particularly interesting or entertaining. Fit But Don't You Know It is fine, I suppose, but only because of nostalgia. +1 nostaliga points.
Lucky to get 2 stars for this mostly shit effort
Below average concept with a horrible execution. WASPY dude rapping off beat on some average at best beats isn't a recipe for success.
I spent the 2000s in the UK and I kinda remember the short lived belief that a new genre had been invented. Aged pretty badly. A couple high points, but These guys would probably prefer to be left off of the list so this embarrassing album could be forgotten
It could be better if every song was about a minute shorter. I see what it's going for, it's just not enjoyable
Nice concept to tell a story but pretty boring to listen to. Dry your eyes mate, there’s plenty more music to enjoy elsewhere.
I remember listening to mostly the two hits of that album „Fit but You Know It“ and „Dry Your Eyes“ as a teenager and was excited to listen to the whole album again, but to be honest: Almost every other song didn‘t excite me very much. It‘s mostly a british dude talking over some badly aged beats. Maybe you need to be british to feel it.
The best of the tracks sound like something a stand-up comedian who also makes music might write, but more professional. The rest are just mediocre pop-rap about relationships.
WOW, this is unique. Afraid it's gonna become redundant sounding tho... 2 stars
# Playlist track - Fit But You Know It # Notes - One of the worst albums I've ever heard. - Opening track would be enough to make me quit the entire album if I wasn't listening for this project. One of the worst chorus ever. - Pretty much every track flows in a weird way, but not like in a cool broken-but-it-makes-sense like in some prog rocks and jazz. Just wonky. - The only reason this album gets one star is because there are some very interesting beats scattered throughout. It's just a shame that we cannot enjoy them without the horrible vocals laid on top.
An extra star for the attempt to tell a coherent story. But every other aspect is just awful.
Muito ruim 👎
Sigh. No. Sterile. Passionless. Dull.
I discovered The Streets when, on spec, I bought a 7” single of When You Wasn’t Famous, off their 3rd album, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living (2006)from the discount bin at Redeye Records. So I didn’t know the A Grand Don’t Come For Free CD (2004) until I found it in an op-shop much later. I have to say that the opening track, It Was Supposed To Be So Easy, is very reminiscent of When You Wasn’t Famous. I had not played A Grand etc. for years & I have to say that I don’t think it’s aged well. Mike Skinner’s voice & delivery are just a bit too repetitive for me.
I am actually having a very difficult time rating this one. I've only listened to it all the way through one time. Through so much of it, I was thinking "I do not like this." I don't dislike the sort of "awkward speaking" style of rap(especially with his accent,) and I think it gives the album a lot of character that I really did like. The concept wasn't even bad! I'd assume it hits much harder if you're from the UK. The last song, where it presents 2 resolutions to the narrative is really clever, and emotionally affecting in a way, it was the best one on the album by far for me. But there's something about the album that stopped me from being all in. I love sort of funny but emotionally raw rap. I love concept albums. I even love it when rappers are British. But I don't know... felt like there was something on every track that annoyed me. The beats... nothing to write home about, man, I don't know. Got too repetitive. Overuse of hooks. I was doing some research on this and everyone seems to love it. I think I really just must be missing something here. Maybe it takes a few tries. On first impression though, I'm just not completely sold.
Great album cover, but too bad it houses shit music I want nothing to do with.
just can't get into the purposefully off-beat rapping and somewhat out of tune tone of voice 😭 the only songs i tolerated were "get out of my house" and "fit but you know it" (which i had heard before and thought was kind of funny), and "dry your eyes". i definitely see the comedic appeal in some of these songs (is that the goal? to be funny? or do i just think British accents are funny when paired with rapping?) but it's just not that enjoyable for me to listen to especially not the entirety of the album. i gave each song a chance but ended up skipping all of them partway through.
BORING
Not really my style but I can understand why it’s liked it is goodly executed and i like the accent
This was a rough, rough listen for me. Didn't jive with my morning, didn't catch me. I appreciate the art behind the story, and I don't mind concepts.
I remember when that came out, and I don’t remember liking it then. So not much has changed.
A very British rap album. Not particularly good but at least not full of violence and misogyny in every track.
Non parte bene. Dovrebbe essere un'opera corale, ma il trait-d-union è che tutte le canzone sono dimenticabili. Si salva "Fit but you know it"
2 cause i was entertained
My people failed me
Parts of this album were 0/5 and parts were 4/5. An interesting listen.
WTF was that? I understand that it was supposed to be a story of some sort but that may have been the most ridiculous thing I have ever listened to. Going to give it a 2 because it made me laugh at some points because of how strange it was
I thought it was just another hidden, unknown British stuff that is so common on the 1001 list. Indeed, it is, but I liked the concept of rap opera, so I'll give it credit.
Listened Before? N What an odd little record. Never thought I'd listen to a white guy with a cockney accent rap for an hour but here we are. I do love a concept album but I can't identify with this one. I think I'll give this one a miss for the rest of my life. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Blinded by the Lights
Cockney guy reads the diary of his boring and pointless life in a rhythmless monotone over sick beats. Gave it an extra star because it is truly like nothing I've heard before.
L'histoire de l'album est marrante mais difficile a suivre quand tu fais autre chose
This is definitely better than a lot of the reviews, but more from the, I like the concept and the story more than musically this is interesting and complex. I only knew the song Fit and You Know It from this. That’s the best track by leaps and bounds because it has a good chorus. This is basically spoken word, and it never evolves or really gets going. I wonder what this would be like with someone talented rapping it.
Really starting to question some of these choices. At first, I almost thought it was a parody album. Maybe it's just not being immersed in UK rap culture.
This is going to sound stupid and contradictory given I love the song Blinded by the Lights, but I appreciate it’s a concept album made for entertainment but it comes across as so disingenuous, it may well all be true but it feels very fake. But Blinded by the Lights is cracking, I can’t reiterate this enough
Everything, from the flow to the beats to the features, was laughably bad. I couldn't take this seriously. Edit -- While this was bad, it was fun to listen to. Bumping to 2.
Nice concept, good listen at parts, funny here and there. But when he sings it drives me mad. Tough to get through overall.
Just when I start thinking \"okay this track isnt so bad\", it gets terrible. If it wasnt for the track Dry Your Eyes, this would be a 1 star
No more rap, please. Eps! This is a little bit more elegant!
This is fairly awful, although some of the lyrics are amusing.
I see what the dudes shooting for but musicals are already bad and with what seems to be a sorry attempt and masking low effort and something artistic, this is still just bad
Not for me
A lot of the beats are very stripped down and dated. It hits its stride here and there, but I think what really ruins this for me is when the vocalist(s) sing along with these crude, dated synth melodies. It's absolutely unmusical. I friggin hate it.
Riktigt unikt album med två helt mixade sounds som kanske inte är mixade av en anledning 💀
Lyrics w attitude. Musically not interesting to me
This man just whined for an hour and I listened to it all. He has no flow it’s like listening to Christopher walken rapping
maybe the worst hip hop album i have ever heard
The Streets va ici réaliser son rêve d'enregistrer un album entier sans aucune préparation ni matériel ni technique ni rien du tout.
Très touchant de la part de Robet d'avoir donné sa chance au foyer pour jeunes de sa ville, malheureusement leur présence dans les 1001 albums est difficile à justifier.
I feel like this could have been a great album, but the jerky lyrics and off-key singing just took me out of it.
It was kinda alright. Loved fit but you know it though
Вообще не мой жанр
Not for me
Joe Fazer gym influencer type puhevika kaveril Hyviä kappaleita ja hyvä että uskalletaan pitää oma soundi.. siitä propsit.... Edelleen syntymävuosi häpäistään.... se harmillista..
Lots of VERY off-time rapping. Is it intended to sound amateurish and shitty? I really can’t tell. I do appreciate the narrative nature of the album, so it’s at least interesting enough to warrant an extra star for that.
I have to admit, I don't think I get The Streets. You would think that if you are adopting this arrhythmic, monotonous flow, you would compensate with witty lyrics or intelligent writing.
First time with this album and I can't help that I'm missing something from the early '00s zeitgeist to completely understand. After listening, I put on the Streets first album Original Pirate Material and things made more sense. The first album was clearly UK garage/grime and carried well versed wordplay. This sets up the second album as a more ambitious undertaking, a spoken word concept album. While impressive in concept, I felt the album falls flat, especially when you see what Mike Skinner is capable of as an artist. Wordplay feels stretched and hollow. Tracks often feel like the non musical interludes in the Wall, hokey and forced. There are highlights on the album. I enjoyed Fit but you know it and the immediate follow, Such a Twat. The final track is one of the better tracks as well and does a nice job of wrapping up the story. I don't regret listening and will likely listen to other albums from the Streets but I can't say I enjoyed this album.
I think I would enjoy this more if I were British but I dk how to classify this album
Ikkje så bra, men kudos for at dei holdt seg til 50 min
The lyricism, the flow, the clever rhymes just are not there, but this is an interesting concept. This may be the most British thing I've ever heard.
I had a feeling the final album I reviewed on my 1001 journey was going to be something mediocre from the UK. Turns out I was wrong. It was a downright cringe worthy album from the UK. Alas, it was statistically inevitable. Not with a bang but a whimper...
Just not a lot to like here. Beats are off and the rapping leaves a lot to be desired.
Not my music. I liked one song and stoped the record after 2/3.
cool idea with a fairly mediocre execution. some of the lyrics were funny at least
I enjoyed listening to something so different but the music didn't click with me.
More spoken word than rap in my mind. Good story, good beats, but nothing I need to listen to again. Really didn't need to listen to it in the first place.
Não terminei de ouvir, não fez muito meu estilo…
Just an odd cadence, and the lyrics don't really resonate with me. Most of the beats on the album are lacking as well. Not a completely terrible album, but also just not very good. 2/5 Won't listen again
If Lin Manuel Miranda wrote a Skins musical
Only English rapper I like is Slick Rick. This……is not Slick Rick.
I should be the perfect demographic for this: white boy, into hip hop, taking pills, pulling girls, drinking beers, early 20s when this came out. So theoretically it should speak to me… And while it is a cool concept, and I did listen a few times… GOSH, the delivery is annoying.
Just ok
I really don’t think you could make a more stereotypically British LP (derogatory)
I just don't get The Streets...I try and try, but it just always falls really flat for me. 2/5
20/04 all skin
I really don't like The Streets. I don't like the rhymes, the vocal, the flow, the themes, the music, the fake amateurism, the sexism. It should be a 1 but I'll give it an extra point for the pure commitment to being consistently crap throughout.
Wtf is happening. The first song doesn't sound like it is supposed to be good. Probably british humour? It seems people like it. It really is not my cupa tea. 2/5
I'm not really a fan of spoken word I guess
A Grand Don't Come For Free sounds like exactly what the early 00s in England on the streets would have sounded like, think very much like Ali G. The concept is sound, and thematically fits in well to the genre of spoken word rap with heavy regional English accent. It's a nice change to the generic-ness of American rap, but can be a little jarring if you can't really decipher the accent. The huge hit of Fit but You Know It couldn't bump up the rating much further. Best: Fit but You Know It Worst: Empty Cans
Nope
I've found the concept story interesting but I don't like how the band executed it. Musically it is way too boring, simplistic as an album and I didn't care for the rapping either.
It's a weird album. I just didn't get into it. It's British hiphop but it doesn't really come across well. The beats seemed simplistic and the lyrics were meh. I have no desire to listen to it again or explore more music by this group.
det här var lite weird. jag fattar nånstans att det här kan vara bra och säkert nyskapande men för mig var det dåligt.
Very British. Wanted to give it 1 but it took balls to make this
I do actually feel bad for not being able to take this seriously
I feel like this is just a British wutang album. Meaning a different but similar style could've worked here. But after all said and done, too cringy
Ugh
bad everything. brutal 50 minutes. i can't wait to forget about this album. not bad enough for a 1 (which makes it worse in a way) and I never want to see or hear about this again. thanks, o'british guy.
Original Pirate Material should have been on this list instead, this was bloody rubbish innit. FS: Dry Your Eyes
This is the least-cool thing I have ever heard. I think that's supposed to be the point, but it still doesn't make me want to listen to this.
choto
This was the moment when I realised that I was no longer in touch with contemporary culture.
I had high hopes when I read the album description. The story was interesting but I really didn’t like this guys flow and rhymes. Just grating and weak
Great now I know what it would be like if Sleaford Mods was a sad boy band. Rubbish.
DNF
Hard to do a full album
Inspiring lyrics, but not.
I remember enjoying their debut but man did this suck. The production sounds so dated and the vocals are awful for almost every track - the two big singles are the only ones that actually sound decent
Mielenkiintoista genrekikkailua, mut ei mulle.
This first track is not good. This is almost too British for hip-hop. It feels like his flow and rhyme scheme are super rudimentary and like he started rapping about a year before this album at best. Some lines feel like they were written by a 40-year-old boardroom guy who only knows that you rhyme in rap and that is it. I really hate the way he does an asynchronous speaking voice over the beat that just seems like he is talking over the beat and not trying to follow. Sometimes the production is good, but other times it is just super generic. I'm trying to see hear what his influences are, but it's so hard to really pick one out. I guess E40 but that is only because he doesn't rap on beat a lot (and it sucks). He has the talent, but the sound he has on this album is just not hitting me. I feel like there isn't much energy behind this. I think this is just a high 2/5 Not a fan of this. And I like a lot of hip hop
Not my style, though there were a couple great songs
Wow. The fuck is this? White British garageband rap? Nah.
3/10. So, the sound of this is like a 1/10 for me, just felt like spoken word over beats that were usually pretty irritating to me. That said, I enjoyed the rambling, moralizing story of the lyrics, and I enjoyed the humorous tone. But goddamn I never want to hear this again.
https://youtu.be/EHUeUk9dJc0 3/10
Bri'ish
Gar nicht mal so gut gealtert, auch nicht das damals allgegenwärtige Fit But You Know It.
This sounds like an album Naboo and Bollo would make together
I imagine this is the equivalent to Rebecca Black learning to rap from Peppa Pig’s brother. Horrendous. The beats, which are not too bad with their piano focus, cannot make this easier to listen to.
Rather painful to get through, the rapping skills were essentially non-present
I've never heard of The Streets before or any of the tracks on a A Grand Don't Come For Free. I made it through the album. I was not a fan of the talking, talking, talking over slow beats. I quickly began to ignore the lyrics as much as I could - so many f-bombs and content that I couldn't relate to. I can't imagine deciding to listen to this again. ¿I didn't hate it?
Chav Macklemore without the benefit of good beats
I get the storytelling part, but the music itself is not my kind of taste.
2/11, 18%
This album is really difficult to rate. On one hand it's one of the worst things I've ever heard. The vocal melodies and lyrics sound like they were written and delivered by an absolute dimwit and the music is overall terrible. However, there is something somehow charming about this massive simpleton character trying to communicate his very basic thoughts and feelings by recording noises and sounds. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Dry Your Eyes Date listened: 21/03/23
Listened on NME 500. Not my fav.
There are a lot of different styles of music but I did not know there were rap concept albums. Half way through, I came up with a name for the genre: "art hop". Then I checked wiki and the genre listed is "rap opera". Yeah OK that's a good one too. Rap is spoken word and words spoken with an English accent always sound a bit more sophisticated. But only a bit. If I wanted to invest time understanding this my rating might be higher, but I just don't want to invest in this one. Now if the genre was called art hop, it would be a different story.
This is an interesting concept, and I hear the roots of dub step forming. Unfortunately I didn't have the time or patience to listen carefully to the story that he was weaving so I let it play in the background. As background music it got pretty boring fast though as there's not a lot of variety going on here.
People from England will defend this album until their last breath. Neither the music nor the story arc were interesting at all though. Favorite track: What Is He Thinking?
Some individual songs are great (Dry your eyes, fit but you know it) but overall its just too similar for me to enjoy more than 1 song at a time.
Eh, I don't rate this. In theory narrative-focused hip-hop with a regional UK accent should be right up my alley, but in practice it's just not done well enough. The rhyme schemes and rhythms are basic, and not because it's elegantly simple. (Also, the chap is from Wolverhampton but sings in mockney 😠 ) I have no enthusiasm for giving this a second listen. Fave track - "Blinded By The Lights" for the storytelling, I guess...
Not my thing. Just don't get the vocal style at all.
Kuuntelin tätä aikoinaan muutaman kerran ja totesin, et niitä kahta hittiä lukuunottamatta aika lame
First impression is dogshit. Has a bit of naive art charm but the beats are horrible. The last song is decent - maybe the terribleness of the beginning of the album is meant to show character growth? Not gonna give it the benefit of the doubt - 2 stars
Really weak. Very little to like
2.5 What? What is this? It sounds like a British AI attempting to rap. I think there’s supposed to be a narrative to this album, but the dude’s vocals are so distracting that I can’t even focus on that - though something tells me there isn’t a whole lot of substance in there anyway. There are a couple tracks with really solid beats that feel like they’re juuuuust on the verge of being good, and right when I’m about to be sucked in, the vocals pull me back out again. That’s the album at best though - there are also some really grating beats in there as well, like on Blinded by the Lights and Get Out of My House in particular. Really, most of this album is an awkward mesh of robotic vocals and beats that just don’t seem to pair well together at all. Anyway, those were my thoughts after my first listen, and I was prepared to give a fat 1. But after re-listening, I’ll admit there’s a certain charm that grew on me, and a couple of the tracks are actually kind of catchy despite their quirks. Yeah, it still has a lot of bad, so I’m not sure I could go higher than a 2.5, but I miiiiight give Could Well Be In and Fit But You Know It a re-listen. Maybe a little more if the mood strikes. Hell, this album may grow on me more to be honest. One of the more interesting ones I’ve heard thus far for sure.
I don't know if it was just me, but the beats and the lyrics just never fit in my head. There were moments where it did, and I think on "Dry Your Eyes", there was something my ears could kind of understand. Otherwise, I was often left confused regarding delivery vs. the beat. Rather than stop to listen to the goodness, this album made me stop and say, "what?". As someone who loves lyrics, I picked up on some lines that I thought held some merit. However, it was difficult to pay attention with the music the lyrics were set against. I was thinking of giving this a 1, but I'm going to go with a 2 because there were moments I didn't absolutely hate.
Had a few redeeming songs, so I wouldn’t mind listening to parts of it again, but overall pretty bad. I think I just do not like British accents and this form of a more spoken “rap”. Beats were not as bad though
64 albums generated and this is the first rap album we’ve done? Hmmm. Something seems off. Which editors put this list together anyway? Ah…I see now that 1001AYMHBYD is edited by one Robert Dimery, an *English* writer and editor. That explains some of the more obtuse English albums we’ve gotten. Not that A Grand Don’t Come For Free is necessarily one of those… BUT, the first edition of 1001AYMHBYD was published in *2005*, just one year after Mike Skinner’s sophomore LP as The Streets. Which explains why some selections from the early aughts/late 1990s—including Skinner’s—might retain honors despite not aging all that well. But I digress. This is not a bad album. I would have liked this if I knew about it in high school, I’m sure. A time when I was listening to a lot of Atmosphere, Eminem, and Australian rap for some reason. Now, it sounds dated. The half-singing sounds…kinda bad, but in a charmingly amateurish way I guess. I appreciate the simplicity of the production. Skinner’s inclination and knack for melody too. I half-heartedly appreciate Skinner’s flow. How focused on the storytelling he is. On rhythm, inflection, and simple patterns between words rather than braggadocio. His rapping would be nice at, like, an open mic poetry night where you have zero expectations and are just happily impressed with your fellow citizens. But here? Very mid. However, I am a sucker for storytelling in music. So my ears perk at the idea of a rap album with a “Plot” subsection on its Wikipedia page. My plan was to listen to this album twice: once to listen, once to read and follow the plot. Listening: By the time we get to track 7 I’m a little tired of this sound. And track 8’s called “Such a Twat…” oh, joy. I’m skipping a few songs now. I am not digging this angry stuff. “Dry Your Eyes” gets back to the stuff I like a bit more. Like the beginning stuff. The stuff I would have liked in high school but that sounds dated and amateur now. Definitely don’t care for the 8-minute closer. Despite some mid highs, not a lot here to keep me engaged. Mostly lows. 2/5 on this listen. Reading: Honestly, I couldn’t muster another listen. But reading the lyrical plot summary on the Wiki page, I don’t think I missed much. The storytelling seems incidental and slice-of-life. Which isn’t bad, just isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I read “rap opera” and “concept album.” Still 2/5.
Finally had a breather after a crazy week to review… a funny album. The Streets’ “A Grand Don’t Come For Free.” An album I’m already a little endeared to. Perhaps unreasonably attached. I kept thinking “I’ve heard this before!” But I just couldn’t remember where. I think it was midway though a heavy alt hip hop phase I had. Here’s what I’ll say. It’s an ambitious concept. Some blending of musical theater, lyrical storytelling, multiple characters, etc. And all about such a mundane life and characters, with mundane problems, that it’s pretty funny. I actually like the cheap 2000’s production… you get the sense that the main character is so strapped for cash that he could only afford the absolute cheapest sampler and a Casio keyboard. A few of the songs sound basically unmixed. Something about it kind of works. It’s a pretty unique album because you get the sense this could have almost been cleaned up to be a… musical? Maybe it just wasn’t the right time. With a good editor, maybe broadening the other characters out, I could see it. But I mean, some of the lines are just grating to hear… after a while, are you sympathetic to the main character, or just annoyed at his stupidity? I guess that’s kind of the point. But it doesn’t make you want to return to the album a ton. But yeah, this kind of storytelling is kind of normal for hip hop, you hear some version of this everywhere. Mundane problems, gossip, axes to grind. Which is all really fun if the music grooves. This music is intentionally not tight and almost low effort, which again, fits with the story, but makes it less of a fun listen. I’ll still feel vaguely affectionate to it if it were to come on randomly, but I don’t think I’ll be returning by choice. 2/5
Fine
Not for me. "I'm English, I rap, and my phone sucks". That's what I got from this album. The rhymes here are decent, but the lyrics itself are confusing. At some points, this album makes me think this is a satire album. But he seems to take himself pretty seriously.
Def not my style
Britischer Rap geht mir nicht rein. Davon werde ich wsl. kein Fan.
I really don’t like the streets, but can appreciate this was an important 00’s album so it gets more than 1 star
Pitäisi kuunnella useammin, että pääsisi sisään - selkeesti listauksen arvoinen albumi. Tosin joka biisi on tavallaan toisensa kaltainen, saa miettimään, mikä on se Streetsin biisi jonka tiedän jos se ei ole tämäkään. Fit but you know it on kunnon bilebiisi
A really experimental album, boring sometimes. The lyrics are great and the albums seems more like an excuse to have an audiobook with poems and a beat to "rap". Only two songs can be saved from the album, but even those are strange
Not for me
british rap.
found the worst accent
Nope
didn’t hate it, but probably wouldn’t listen again.
Spoken word from a person I cant relate to. The beats are amateur. I will pass
Overall the album wasn't terrible but it wasn't my cup of tea. The lead track from the beat to the lyrics seemed very basic. This definitely wasn't my style of rap. To be fair however, after listening to the album I read the album description on Apple Music and it seems that this is a concept album with one theme running throughout. I may or may not go back and listen more closely keeping that in mind.
Pretty annoying yet there were some elements that made me wish that I actually enjoyed this. Somewhere between bad and mediocre. Another album for the "I dont get why this is here" pile.
Sounds a bit dated now. A couple of tracks were fresh and ok at the time. Just sounds a bit juvenile these days.
Not sure where I stand with this album. On one hand, I admire the documentary of a certain type of familiar lifestyle. Skinner manages to explore romantically, but critically the position of a man in his 20s, stuck in a teenage drug phase, comfortable in his uselessness, but clearly with an itch to scratch, knowing there is probably more, but not quite getting it. His petty dramas, are never more than that. That all said, at points the album feels badly constructed, both musically and lyrically. While the narrative is always entertaining, he often sounds like he's reading his words over beats that don't quite match.beats that are simple in an obvious way. On occasions this works, the warmth of the story and his delivery keeping us engaged, on others it sounds flat and awkward. I found it frustrating, wanting to like it more than I did. I found myself less critical the further I got, but not sure if that was because the content got better, or because the story had pulled me in.
I can’t believe we turned out backs on Diggable Planets, De La Soul and Arrested Development to listen to this. It’s not bad per se, but not as cool or innovative or musical or intriguing as any of that stuff. This hasn’t aged nearly as well as Massive Attack or Tricky, which I’m sure nobody worried about when it was new. Oh welll.
Sounds like a bored Stephen Merchant doing a shitty hour-long SNL sketch. BUT it also has a strange earworm quality to it. I can see this growing on me over repeat listens, but I don't want it to.
Well this was kinda weird. Not a big fan, the rhythms were weird and I found myself tuning them out more often than not.
Rap-opera, alternativt, elektronisk, snakkende, dramaturgisk
Best Song: Blinded by the Lights. Interesting and introspective description of a drug trip, helped massively by someone else taking over the vocal hook. Worst Song: It Was Supposed to Be so Easy. The chorus sounds like a failing student in an adult education centre trying to read aloud to the class. Lyrically, the song is just on the line of self-awareness so I can't actually tell if it's satire. Even if it is, that doesn't redeem the song. Just explains it. Overall: The stream-of-consciousness, intensely sincere, story-telling lyrical approach is (at times) really interesting here. Sadly, literally everything else isn't. The lead singer would have been better off writing dialogue for movies and TV than trying to cut it as a rapper.
ol’ shakespeare if thy haddeth backing tracks
Tja, toch de 2 mini-hitjes die ik leuk vind..
Interessant en best grappige teksten, maar verder kon het me niet zo bekoren.
Ik heb dit nooit helemaal begrepen. Een gast met een sterk Engels accent die verhaaltjes vertelt, op wel geinige beetje weirde electro.
"A Grand Don't Come for Free" has a interesting structure as a rap opera, mixing alternative hip hop with electronica to tell a mundane story of a british young middle class man. But the structure is the only good thing here, as the songs struggle to be anything more than a white man's hip hop experiment.
Couple of catchy tunes but mostly pretty dull stuff.
El disco chido es el anterior. Tiene como cuatro rolas buenas.
The bright spots in this one are extra bright, because the dim parts are soooo shit
Real close to a 1, tbh....
Apart. Mensen die praten als robots. Verder beetje raar kletsverhaal met wat geinige beats. Ik vind de spraak best slecht eigenlijk. Sommige beats weten me wel te boeien. **
Nunca había oído hablar de este músico ni de este proyecto. Y eso que creía que conocía bastante música British! Sinceramente me ha parecido un peñazo. Supongo que la gracia está en las letras y mi inglés no llega para entenderlas completamente. Así que como ni la música ni el ritmo me interesan no creo que le de más de 1 estrella. Se salva por "Fit but you know it" y un poco por "Dry your eyes".
It's a big ("grand") attempt at a rap opera and I respect the effort, I really do, but it's just not enjoyable to listen to.
In good faith, this album is pretty poor. As a hip hop fan, it was awfully cringey to my ears, the rapping was terrible and the beats were very cheesy. That's just my opinion, though.
It is certainly entertaining enough to listen to once (just like his debut, which sounds exactly the same) - same kind of vibes as an arbitrary Arab Strap record, with these daily-life stories. But unlike Arab Strap, the music is a bit too straightforward to give anything more than two stars - you listen to it once and then that's it.
I could see why people like this album, but the combination of time and the fact that The Streets is not a very strong rapper makes this not work for me. The idea is cool, and I think this album could have been a classic in the hands of a better artist. The music is cool most of the time, though the spare style of the beats and the spare style of the rapping are not a good combination together. His rhyme schemes are pretty simple and outdated, even for 2004 2/5
Kolejny z niecodziennych pickow, bo wyspiarski rap z wczesnych lat 2000, wiec czuc frytki i smazona rybe wylewajaca sie z flow pana Mike Skinnera ktory jest glownym rapowym wokalem projektu the streets, ktory troche czlonkow musial miec, co slychac glownie na hookach czy skitach, tak samo na bitach, ktore brzmia bardziej jak elektroniczne downtempo czy garage jukejowe niz instrumentale do ktorych murzyny sie uciekaja, bo album jest zdecydowanie jednym z bardziej bialych rapowych albumow jakie ostatnio slyszalem, z pewnoscia nie jestem wystarczajaco biegly w wyspiarskim slangu zeby docenic kwieciste liryki pana majka, ale z pewnoscia moge stwierdzic, ze to najbardziej drewniane flow jakie slyszalem w tym roku, miejscami jest to bardziej liryczna recytacja tekstu, ktory niezle jest stakowany w barach, a w innych nieudolne zawodzenie pseudo spiewaka, wiec co stoi za pojawieniem sie takiej plyty na liscie, najprawdopodobniej koncept wokol ktorego kreci sie cale nagranie, ktory zawarty jest juz w samym tytule A Grand Don't Come For Free, plyta jest opowiescia o przygodach pana majka, w ktorych glowna role odgrwa tytulowy grand funciakow i dziewczyna zwana Simone, wiec jest tracenie piniedzy, odzyskiwanie, to samo z baba, ale jednak wieksza drama, bo wlasnie plyta stara sie budowac dramatyczne napiecie, wiec taki storyteling pozwala to osignac, bo ma to rece i nogi jesli chodzi o zwiazki przyczynowo skutkowe, wiec ten bogato rozwiniety epos jest powodem dla ktorego warto dac szanse temu nagraniu, na plejaka dodam fit but you know it, czyli songa o wyrywaniu lasek na nocnych pijatykach w barach szybkiej obslugi i what is he thinking opisujacy paranoje pana majka na temat tego kto mogl zajebac piniadze za las i babe jego ruchac, kawalek zawiera takze najlepsze rapowe zwrotki featurujace pana Wayney G
Different but ok
First listen. Interesting sound. 2/5
I didn't get the sound
They sound like Jamie Oliver... OK but not worth writing home about
There were a couple times during the album i noticed that i was able to enjoy it, but the spoken lyrics with an almost artificial sing-songy pacing were too distracting too much of the time. Layered frequently over minimal music, but the lyrics/stories seemed to be a strength.
I like The Streets but this album didn’t do it for me, too abrupt
2/5 something was off with this. hiphopish but also something else.
Can you even call this hiphop? Its not really traditional. Its just some british guy talking over some rock anthems. There are just some annoying and stop themes in the songs here, like "Get Out Of My House" or "Fit but You Know it" It's just... annoying. I found it hard to sit through most songs without getting bored. 4/10 (As of July 9th, 2021) Best Tracks: It Was Supposed to be So Easy, Blinded By Thr Lights Worst Track: Get Out Of My House
Boring, woozy, thoroughly detestable pop/hip-hop, saved somewhat by a catchy couple of tracks.
Difficult to listen to - brit accent and rap style is an uncommon mix that didn't work for me.
Not really feeling this. Can't give it the listen it probably deserves.
I use to love this album in high school and I still find it super cheeky and funny. Musically sounds amateur at certain times.
British talking rap and rock. This stripped down album, does little to show the creativity despite speaking about the young adult experiences that would seem relatable.
Wow, I really don't think I've ever heard british rap before. It sounds different, I'll give it that. But I really just don't like rap with very few exceptions, so there's that. I'll also give it that the concept is something different and that the symphonic touches are nice. However, the bare bones, minimalist production offsets that again. This one simply isn't for me.
Odd entry, Dry Your Eyes built on Original Pirate Material, the rest is a bit choppy for my taste
4.5
Was a labor to listen to this whole record. I just can't get into super-"English" hip hop or whatever this is. I do remember hearing a couple of the tracks and the biggest single was fun enough, but this record was a lot to get through.
It's an interesting concept, definitely unique, but I don't love it. Just not much musically to really get into. 2 stars.
Not for me. Focus on vocals for poetry
false
Concept album. Rap in the suburbs. Cheeky.
Not for me, though I do love "Fit but You Know It" and "Dry Your Eyes Mate"
Love his accent and the background music... Don't love the rap.
So, this album is not that good, but "Fit But You Know It" is a fucking banger.
Not really my style, it's not so bad, but it's like a mix of rap and fif music....
Not my thing really
Nothing special, I can understand the lyrics so there is that.
Interesting but unusual.. not sure, probably because not the type of things I'd listen to usually
The story is kind of interesting, but the beats are very quiet and the rapping is very stilted. I could tell it was self-produced before looking it up. Overall very eh. Favorite track: "Fit But You Know It"
This is probably the stupidest bullshit I've ever had to listen to.
I'm sorry but I just can't take this dork seriously. Might be the worst flow I've ever heard from a rapper. He either sounded like a stiff robot or sounded like a random dude who stumbled into a recording booth and the producers just went with it. 2/10
🤢
Album : 46/1089 Songs known going in : 0 favourite song : Fit but you know it album cover : actually sick really dynamic it looks british rating : 2/10 notes : his flow and the beat tend to clash It sounds british tbf the start of not addicted has that scaryspoon numberjacks beat the story is a bit immersive i will give them that but that doesnt mean its good, reminds me of musical theatre Ok its the beat the beat is the issue because I actually really like fit but you know it. its got jamie T vibes
genuinely horrific, how is this an album i have to listen to before dying? what a horrible opening song and it definitely doesnt get better throughout. i cant wait to never listen to this again
TL;DR: Shit but you know it. Don't bother. BEFORE: Fine, I'll listen to it. I really don't like what little I've heard of The Streets. AFTER: Sounds like a drunk chav trying to explain an Eastenders episode over middling instrumentals. Bro cannot rap or sing. The lyrics are inane, cringey and needlessly misogynistic. There are no actual hooks and Skinner's mockney horseshit only gets more embarrassing over time. Some of the instrumentals would have been fine - maybe even good - with different and/or no vocals. It was bad when it came out and now it's bad and dated. There is plenty of good British hip hop out there. This has no reason to exist. HIGHLIGHTS: Blinded By The Lights would almost be a coherent song if Skinner could just get out the way. Some of the other tracks are decent until he opens his mouth. LOWLIGHTS: Pretty much all of it. VERDICT: Utter shite. I couldn't wait for it to be over. Not enough bright spots to redeem the rest.
What can I say, this is a 1-star album. The only good thing I can say about this album is the talent he got to sing on the album is pretty decent. That said, I feel like this album only got picked because at the end of the day the author of this book realized they had 1000 albums and needing to be different than other lists, decided to add one more song. So, they let a computer do a mad lib and it choose this album for the "Name of an Album from 2004" blank and the author was okay if it is popular enough to get picked by a computer, in it goes without ever listening to the album itself. This is almost certainly number 1001, right? RIGHT!??
Always loved Blinded By The Lights because it's sort of spoken word poetry and the backing is so nice but the rest is fucking dreadful.
Really just not good.
This shit pissed me off
Legitimately might be the worst album on this project. Hard to believe this isn't a joke.
Gross
absolutely unlistenable
Dumb album about sports betting, not understanding women, and acting like the victim. Then a deus ex machina bailout at the end. It’s like a right wing origin story.
Wow! This was really bad! I think I'd rather listen to Kid Rock again. "Fit but You Know It" is clearly the most listenable track; no wonder that's the only song I know this band for.
Wow this... sucks! He is so tone deaf. The songs are just bad, the flow and pace is strange in most songs. I thought I was finished giving out 1 stars but you're never really safe I guess..
bro i laughed at this first song for 5 minutes and then put real music on what a fuckin joke
This was unlistenable babble, with one redeeming quality the song "Fit but You Know it", which sounded familiar. 1.5 just for that song, everything else was 0.5 to 1
This is so unbelievably bad by any metric in any culture and no matter how good or bad your teeth are. Mac Miller if he was a cheeky wanker from sussex. Super Hands would make a better record
I'm honestly trying to figure out how much of this is intentionally bad and how much of it is just bad. Like, it is clearly making fun of chav culture, but I can't tell if the spoken word "raps" and the poorly written/metered refrains are intentional or just due to lack of talent. If it's intentional I'm inclined to give it a little more grace than if it's just a bad album. But either way, I didn't enjoy listening to it.
Haha. Absolutely not. Nothing worked for me here.