Reviews (page 7 of 9)
This should not have been on the list. That is all. Ugh. Awful.
dude this fucking sucks
I’m a bit ambivalent about this one. It’s a great, and at times wrenching, story. Unfortunately, the delivery is pretty flat and gets tiresome quickly. I think if you approach it more as a spoken-word rather than a rap album it works better.
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.
The story arc was sort of an interesting idea, and I’m happy he found his money while learning a little bit about himself and his relationship. But he’s not a very good rapper and the beats were awful.
Comically bad album.
No I am not feeling this at all
This is a weird one. On the face of it it could be considered rubbish but with the concept and everything somehow it works and becomes glorious. I see all the Americans failing to get it though, which is amusing
The breakdown in Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way sounds like Flight of the Conchords! Love the choice to avoid hooks and fluid bars. There's something quite disarming about the main character, in many ways a beautiful loser.
Horrible. Could not listen to a full song. 1/5
i cannot take this accent seriously and i can't tell if the weird phrasing/flow is purposely bad or just regular bad. and all the lyrics suck!
One of the all time great concept albums.
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.
I really loved this, and just for being very British, one extra star...
yeah, not for me. the rhymes seem weird, like they've been written by a kid. half the time he seems to be running after the beat.
Fun!
Crappy Londoner rap.
Blinding lights is a cracking tune. I think this is one of these albums that is influential more than anything else. Skinner bridged garage and hip hop styles and talked about the mundanity of british life at a time that we had Keane and Katie Melua sitting at number 1 for weeks at a time. It likely paved the way for a lot of what came later- grime, dubstep etc.
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.
I reckon a whole lotta buggers think this album’s rubbish but I say that’s poppycock!! This was so intriguing I was engaged the whole time. Would not listen again but the experience was magical. I was lowk in an altered state of mind when listening tho. The English accent is the only reason this album worked, it’s very stupid tho. Cheerio bruvs! 12/10
This was perfect for the drive to ACO. Shit was so entertaining in the way that lil dicky is entertaining… slapstick and kinda self deprecating. I guess it wasn’t explicitly self deprecating but there’s no way anyone takes this seriously. Every track had the same beat and he was just talking at me the whole time, yet it was oddly gripping… he was off the beat as if he was trying to sound bad, but he varied the delivery just enough that it was engaging. And I loved listening to him speaking British… his accent is awesome. “You little twat!” No clue what the plot of the album was though, and I was even trying to listen to it. Not sure what to rate this. It was perfect for my post chipotle food coma in the back of Harty’s car. Not sure if I would dig it in other situations. But there you go. 8.5/10
2/10 - I like the call back to the first song in the second song. But most of these songs are absolutely terrible. Get out of my house is outrageously horrible. Dry your eyes was not that bad. Why was his TV broken in every single song, like he mentioned his tele in I think every song. I am so glad he found his thousand quid at the end of it all. How the heck did it get into his TV though? I have yet to decide what I think deserves a 1/10 but I think there will be an album that will earn that score.
Sounds like an snl skit of what British rap is, not sure if all British rap is terrible but it seems that way 2/10
Part of me wants to give this a 10/10 because it’s hilarious. But also I’m pissed that out of all the hip hop albums that could’ve been chosen this somehow made it. HOW? This album is easily the least deserving of a spot of all the ones we’ve had so far. At least it was entertaining. Super easy 1/10, actually sounds like a middle schooler made it.
Mike Skinner is instantly recognisable in his delivery. It seems like a load of mundane songs compiled initially until you realise it's one long cohesive story.
Nice concept, good listen at parts, funny here and there. But when he sings it drives me mad. Tough to get through overall.
I was at uni when this came out so there is a heavy nostalgia value.
Honest to god I couldn’t finish this album. I genuinely don’t understand how it made the list
We must never allow the British to achieve a cultural victory
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!
British spoken word? Definitely not music. Yikes.
I thought I was being punk'd. This album can't be for real???
This is fairly awful, although some of the lyrics are amusing.
Так, ну что-то интересное. Первый же трек это рассказ про "плохой день" от какого-то британца. Странный вокал, музыка зачем-то оркестровые духовые использует, это прям тоже странно. Но по крайней мере интересно слушать А, это рэп-опера. Ооооо... интересный жанр. Окей, оцениваем, оцениваем. Я не жалею, что открыл текст песен, потому что британский английский это кошмар конечно. Но альбом пушка. Интересный звук, интересная подача и вообще, сюжет, господа! Любовь, расставание, насилие. Мне очень понравилось. Эта пять.
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
I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS, THIS WAS FUCKING TERRIBLE AND YET CRITICS ARE FALLING ALL OVER THEMSELVES TO PRAISE IT HMMMM I WONDER IF HIM BEING A WHITE BRITISH RAPPER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HMMMMMMMMM
Is this a parody? Is this the Lonely Island? Seriously, the only reason I listened for as long as I did was because I found it hilariously bad. What rationale would the creators of this list possibly have for adding this?
A spoken word / hiphop album that tells a story of lost money, relationships, cheating, drug use, clubbing and gives a very 'common-UK-man' of the early 2000's vibe. Back when this came out, Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes were everywhere, but I was more enamored with the better storytelling of the one-pill-too-many-night of Blinded By The Lights. This album was a refreshingly original new direction for UK hiphop, but the execution was somewhat lacking. The production of the songs is all over the place and while the talking/rapping gets annoying at times, you do really want to keep on listening what he has to tell. I haven't heard this album in a while and it doesn't fully hold up with how strong I thought it was. 3,5*
5/5. I don't know what it is, it feels objectively bad but it has an energy that I really dig. The singing is mostly terrible but the beats go hard and there is a sense of amateur vibe that feels so real and raw. The story is silly and feels like an unreliable narrator that makes you second guess what you are listening to. It somehow ends really beautifully, making me really feel for the main character. This was a great listen, unique and well-written, and subverts a lot of expectations for what could be an enjoyable album. A 5 for sure.
Not for me
I’m sorry, I can’t even bring myself to give this a 2. It just seems laughably bad in both content and execution.
Good
Only an absolute clown would rate this album lower than a three…
Very unique sound and concept album
p901. 2004. 3 stars. Starts off sounding like the council estate offspring of Jilted John, and the drum machine gets tedious reallll soon. And yet... somehow it turns it round with the last couple of tracks. "Dry Your Eyes" is a thing of beauty.
After hearing the first 20 seconds of the first song, I really didn't think that I would like this album at all. But after about 3 minutes I was laughing and enjoying myself. It's likely not something that I would listen to again, but I really enjoyed my time with The Streets.
I thought I was going to hate this more than I did. The accents were sometimes hard to listen to, but there were a couple songs I kinda liked.
At points, this album sounds like somebody asked ChatGPT to put out a rap album with an English accent. Not sure — with all of the hip hop out there — why this album would rise above
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.
Before listening: Yeah, I remember this guy. I use to laugh at his songs 'cos I thought they were dumb. BUT I've heard a few rap albums on this thing and nearly all of them have been fantastic. I'll give this one the benefit of the doubt and I'm actually excited to listen to it. After listening: Fine, I'll the L on this one. It was amazing! I tend to hate concept albums but I absolutely loved this. I might actually listen to their other stuff now.
This is some poorly produced and executed rap album from a British guy. Honestly it sounds like Asher Roth if he was British. Get out of my house is one of the whiniest songs I’ve ever heard. There are some albums on this list that are musically important and may deserve to be on this list. Then there’s this album. Totally insignificant, no actually it’s utter rubbish. 2.8/10
Riktigt unikt album med två helt mixade sounds som kanske inte är mixade av en anledning 💀
Dog water.
Alt Hip Hop is definitely not a genre I'm overly familiar with, so take this with a grain of salt: this album was a blast and a half. The lyrics told some great stories. Fit but You Know It is hilarious. Incredibly witty writing combined with some really well done instrumentals make this a memorable album. I hope to get more like them.
Lyrics w attitude. Musically not interesting to me
Palpably British
Horrible. Just horrible.
Whole album tells a story, pretty entertaining.
terrible. could not finish.
Very fun and cute album. Felt like clapping and cheering and tossing my hat in the air at the halfway point of Empty Cans.
Absolutely not. Hard, hard pass.
Better than i thought, another album that makes me want to live in London, besides the other obvious banger i dig all the ballads, what a cool album. Even if its cringey white dude rapping.
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
Like a love letter from Withnail to Keely if she acted more like Amy Winehouse. I’m not a typical fan of Brit Rap and this is no Stormzy, but there’s an endearing sweetness to it all. Like a youthful spoken word love letter to your own drug addled and girl obsessed brain. A bad addiction that you can’t or won’t quit. It took a while for me to get over the seeming hilarious syntax and rhyme scheme but keep an open mind and it might surprise you. Plus is early aughts which is a time without incessant communication and it’s reflected in a lot of the messaging. Especially noteworthy the night at the club. 3.5/5
Loved this when I first heard it a few years after it came out but assumed that the emphasis on the storyline would make detract from it as a re-listen, but not too much. It's still a very funny and closely observed take on being at a bit of a loose end as an aimless youf all hanging on little details and clever lines expresses the quick escalation of a temper around minor irritations, the sense of purposelessness, being bored of your friends, the desire for something more but easiness of feeling defeated along the way, banal disappointments from everyone around you, the ordinary shitiness and small-mindedness of everyday life, simpe contentment turning into self hatred, the annoyance of going out and not really enjoying yourself but kind of trying, hearbreak and accrimony. The production is simple and effective, basic mood setting beats link the feel and emotions of the story to the rhythms and color of the music - the modal shift in empty cans is perfect, but mostly the music settles back, letting the verses take the lead moving things forward. Favorites: Blinded by the Lights, Such a Twat, Fit But You Know It, Dry Your Eyes
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.
I listened to this a little when it first came out because it was talked about so much. I didn’t like it then. I like it even less now. Hearing this guy with a British accent rap always reminded me of Monty Python. Plus, unlike Eminem, there was no real beat to the music.
Not for me
Really unique style, didn't like it at first but I can see why it's popular. Respect to the dude
It was kinda alright. Loved fit but you know it though
After part of a listen, I have a vague recollection of hearing about "The Streets" in the mid 2000s and being told to listen to them. I don't know if I ever did then, and wiped the memory, or just shrugged it off at the time as not for me, but this is truly, truly TERRIBLE in every sense of the word. I think, more than the inane lyrics, and his awful accented singsong, is that he can't even match the beat. This has to be a put-on, someone's joke of a British "gangsta"/grime rapper. I'd give no stars if possible. This is among the worst albums on the list.
Вообще не мой жанр
some songs sound kinda like a british and worse version of Tyler the Creator. It‘s funny and sad at the same time but musically i don‘t like it
Det her har jeg lyttet latterligt meget til. Tingene skal ikke nødvendigvis rime for at fortælle historien. Kæmpe bangers, og et anderledes take på hele hiphop genren i 00ernen.
Endnu et hip-hop album med gode sange, men hvor det bliver for ensformigt til et helt album
After the first couple of tracks I really though I was probably not going to enjoy what seemed like a very amateurish hip hop record, but by the end he managed to actually make me feel like his character, Mike, in this Rap Opera, actually learned something among all the acts of pillock and spliffs. It just goes to show that sometimes a listener really does need to give the whole album a chance, because sometimes, just sometimes, there really is a alchemical thing that makes the sum of an album, better than its parts.
There was absolutely nothing here for me, I hated it.
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..
Yeh, thats a’right.
Not as consistently emotionally resonant for me as the debut, but still a brilliant listen. The story is great, and empty cans is genuinely moving.
The Streets is the work of British hip-hop artist Mike Skinner. A Grand Don't Come for Free is a concept album about the narrator's loss of on thousand pounds (a monetary loss) and his relationship with a woman. The album had very few moments that could be called melodic. "Dry Your Eyes" stands out as a track where some sense of musicality accompanies the spoke word monologues. Most of the album is brash and atonal. The narrator's tale has a few interesting moments, but far from enough to overcome relatively unpleasant background "music."
I fucking love this album. Wore it out. Thought this dude was going to be the biggest musician on the planet. An epic story. Great production. Grime/Drill before we all fell in love with it. This would have destroyed on TikTok. Maybe it still will.
Horrible
Don’t love the boom-bap, don’t love the vocal style, the flow is interesting, but not worth my while…
What the hell is this?
This ain't it chief.
This was decent. The through-narrative of the album was neat, and sometimes tracks really came together for me, but some of them also just did not click at all, partly due to the vocal style.
Liked this more than I thought I would. Looking into the album and learning it's like a single narrative through it, I'm into that. 3.5/5
C+
Shitty Brit rap. Not good
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.
Now, I get this album. It’s a lil episode in Mike Skinner’s existence. Where he loses a grand, bums on a bird name Simone’s couch cause she’s got a better tv that he can watch the game on whilst he punts and fiddles the fruit machines trying to win back his 1000. Mix this with the drugs and the paranoia and the inevitable heart break when he’s finally booted from Simone’s couch cause she’s shacking up with a new bloke, only to end it all in jubilation when he finds the grand with his buddy Scott. I get all of this and if you can get on board with Mike’s specific delivery? It’s a decent follow up concept record. But does it need to appear on a must listen list? I wouldn’t know how it ended up on one. Someone has to explain that part to me.
Put this on the list of 1001 albums I hope I never hear again! Absolutely trash
cool
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.
dnf im afraid, his voice was not for me
Very fun album. Not something I would listen to all the time but will definitely come back to it.
Not my jam at all. Can't tell if they want to sing or speak.
Was this supposed to be hip hop? It was just talking. I tried to listen to the lyrics. Overall, this album was boring and I listened to half the songs.
Might be one of the worst albums I have heard in a long time. Poor beat making, awful lyrics and just overall not good... 1 star out of pity...
I think I would enjoy this more if I were British but I dk how to classify this album
UK-Rap in Oper-Style. Nice!
Why is this on here
Fun album, spoken word style. Repetitive beats bring the storytelling to the front. Prefer original pirate material but still a good album that's unique. 7
Ikkje så bra, men kudos for at dei holdt seg til 50 min
Bit of British gold. You can see its influences on grime and dub step. Only slight issues - 1) a couple of weak tracks including the last one. Probably would have been better to end on Dry Your Eyes. 2) Original Pirate Material would have been the better album to include
did not like it.
Hab nur die ersten Stücke angehört. Das erste hat einen lustigen Text.
Very funny
The millennial equivalent of boomer Facebook poems. Rubbish
I liked it when he fought the TV man. Reminds me of my youth it's kinda rubbish but fun. Different at least
not terrible
pure garbage...
OK Robert Dimery. I get it. You fancy British artists. But this? THIS? Ugh. The beats are stilted and disjointed. The rhymes have no flow. The story is somewhat cringey and his voice is wankish. I can't believe a brilliant album like Check Your Head by The Beastie Boys is left out but this trash is listed. Ugh!
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.
Þetta er svona tónlist sem ég er vanalega ekki mikið fyrir en þetta var samt lúmskt skemmtilegt. Ég var reyndar kominn með smá leiða um miðbikið á plötunni en svo duttu inn nokkrir slagarar sem toguðu mig aftur inn
A spoken word rap opera with a train wreck of background beats and samples just honestly ruined my day
Unique, British, slow narrative raps witht interesting beats.
Very fine
Some fun stuff, but I've listened to this in the past and thought I liked it better than I did on this listen. Which I suppose indicates that it's not aging well. Much of the singing on the album is hard to listen to, whether it's him or someone else. His lyrics are clever and funny, sometimes vulnerable, which I appreciate. In the end though, there were only a couple songs that didn't make me flinch in one way or another.
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...
Rap Opera... Hmm. Well there are interesting things going on in term of cadence and... British-ness. It feels like music definitely not relatable for me. I feel like I need to be a 15-25 year old British lad. It's fine but not the style of hip-hop I'd care to listen to.
One of the worst albums I’ve ever listened to.
Nice concept that actually works.
Not against something new but this is annoying ... sorry.
Just not a lot to like here. Beats are off and the rapping leaves a lot to be desired.
Decent, Production is a bit rough / dated.
first listen this is sick, innit?
1: It’s a narrative-driven concept album where basically nothing happens, narrated by a man who sounds like he’s never rapped before in his life. I was going to provide a whole list of other reasons why this album is excellent, too, but honestly if you need it explaining then you’ll probably never get it anyway (and you’re probably not from the UK). Besides, it’s hard enough remembering my opinions without remembering my reasons for them.
Honestly, I was expecting worse. This is definitely not my thing, but it was quirky enough that it made it kind of bearable (enjoyable?).
Not to my taste
Not my music. I liked one song and stoped the record after 2/3.
Not my cup of tea sadly.
This isn’t even rap. I don’t know what it is but I don’t like it
Mike Skinner took the grandiose rock opera and turned it into a unique account of everyday mundane life in Britain anno 2004. It's hilarious, riveting, and touching, and an immensely rewarding listening experience, although demanding your full attention. Some people have an issue with Skinner's flow and rhyming. Those people are plain wrong.
If “So You Think You Can Britain” was a competition, Mike Skinner would win every year. His flow is unique and might take some getting used to, but he’s always on point, sharp-witted and fun with a knack for storytelling. A Grand Don’t Come For Free is so British it hurts. And I just love it.
I was surprised to see this on the list. I would be absolutely the right demographic for this album being English and of the correct age, but the first album by Mike Skinner is so far above this in terms of quality and importance that its much better inclusion. What Mike Skinner does well is he writes really good music of his time and his lyrics accurately describe my life. His singing/wrapping isn't for everyone and if you compare it to US rappers then it's not going to impress anyone. This album has a scattering of good tracks but he very quickly found the edges of his talent. If you enjoyed this or wanted to hear a better version, go find 'origional pirate material'
fuck british people.
I remember when this came out. There was this sort of fever for indie British stuff around here so of course we would listen to this. The sound is not bad and there are some good tunes but it is a bit clownish and it carries this vibe of “you had to be there” that clearly walls up the album to the general listener
I didn't listen
It's an innovative idea for sure that works in a storytelling perspective, but it's not something most people can get into without feeling emotionally invested into the story, which unfortunately is not so relatable in 2023 times where these activities are replaced by normalized excessive smart phone and computer usage. The beats and samples are clean and fit the mood, a bit too simple for me. On the plus side, it brings more attention to the lyrics, but has little value in itself. The way he raps stands out to bring out word emphasis and meter. It allows him greater freedom to express the story in natural conversation, but the forceful ways he brings out elements of his language are artificial. The vocal style is reminiscent of Phil Daniels in Blur's "Parklife", but I didn't need a whole album of it. His vocal style is also reminiscent of the contemporary grime movement, which I feel much better blends this rapping style with UK garage and jungle. His choruses are catchy and add pop appeal, but I feel they're primarily used to keep people from drifting off. 3rd star is given for innovation, clean production, and coherent storytelling. Favorites: Get Out of My House, Fit But You Know It, Dry Your Eyes
Interesting stuff, not a huge grime fan but the roots are there. 3 stars.
cool idea with a fairly mediocre execution. some of the lyrics were funny at least
I feel like this went over my head. Like I'm sure somebody who understands music theory stuff would love this, to me this is a man rapping badly over a bad track
Fun and entertaining songs. Storytelling across the album was entertaining. Most songs had a spoken-word component with the beat hitting behind it, sometimes it worked and other times it was a bit lame. It Was Supposed to Be so Easy and Blinded by the Lights were my favorite songs.
Rap-ooppera? En nyt ihan vakuuttunut. Verbaalisesti ihan lahjakasta, mutta osittain vähän enemmän ”speaken words” kuin varsinaista rappia. Lisäsin yhden biisin lenkkilistalle, mutten kyllä kuuntelisi koko levyä uudelleen lenkillä. Tästä tulee mieleen se jokin random rap-musikaali, joka tuli syksyllä televisioista. Hyvin erikoista, mutta ei totaalisen huonoa.
Gear: Nectar Sound Bee Mische: nix Besonderes Mucke: was Besonderes Wertung: 3/5
This album is almost at the very bottom of my ranking, but I guess I can appreciate that it has a concept and isn’t as boring as some of my other 1-star albums. The rapping on this album is extremely grating, though, which is the biggest problem since there’s not much else going on. The instrumental parts are just generic. I don’t understand why this is here at all.
December 10, 2023 HL: "Could Well Be In", “Blinded By the Lights”, “Dry Your Eyes”, “Empty Cans” I’ll need time to stew on this one. Having only heard “Dry Your Eyes”, the grime-y parts came as a bit of a surprise. The production and performances are sometimes inspired (the overlapping argument in “Get Out of My House”) sometimes irritating (the hook in “It Was Supposed to Be So Easy”). My first instinct is that Mike Skinner isn’t a good enough actor to portray the emotional hills & valleys, but then I remember this is a hiphop album, not a radio play. The fact that I’m interested at all in the story is more than I can say for a lot of concept albums.
Yeah this is awful. I'm usually generous and look for a positive, so I guess this album is... unique. Never heard anything like it really-- conversational boring cockney gibberish "rapped" out of rhythm over sparse generic dub beats. This album just kept pissing me off more and more, and actually made me feel physically ill after a while. Fitting recipient for my first 1-star. Maybe if I grew up on the streets of London I could find something to enjoy here, but alas. This is gross. 1 - will definitely not listen again
Is this a joke? Evidently this album has near universal acclaim. I think it’s awful. I don’t know what I’m missing. How could so many people find purchase here? The whole thing sounds like a five year old made it. Not a fan.
Didn't like it, not even one song
Struggling to believe that this is someone’s favorite album
Did it sound amazing? No. Was it exceptionally engaging? Yeah. Warrants a relisten.
Jesus christ.
I don’t care for this album
I just don't get it, I never have and I guess I never will.
I heard some from the other room and have no desire to seek out the rest
Just as good as finding an envelope full of money in the back of your TV.
WASS ALL DIS PISS?
Just sounded like he was talking most of the album
I enjoyed listening to something so different but the music didn't click with me.
норм; как оперу не расслушала
I think its one of the worst things I've listened too. I hate how much he plays into the Cockney aspect and feel like he really hams it up, lyrically his links between lines are very poor and feel super forced, I don't think the beats are that interesting... fine it tells a story, but it tells a story that I don't think is very interesting. I also wish to state that I quite like spoken word rap (Scoobius pip, Sage Francis and Aesop Rock being highlights) but this is just bloody awful.
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
C’est pathétiquement mauvais, le gars il est pas capable de chanter sur le tempo. Anyway, “chanter” c’est un grand terme, il fait juste chier des phrases avec sa voix nasiarde dans le pauvre micro
This is pretty terrible.
Some good songs and a bunch of rubbish ones
Don't like this style of talk albums
If Lin Manuel Miranda wrote a Skins musical
going into this challenge, i knew there would be “filler”. i mean, 1001 is a LOT of albums. but sometimes i feel as if the person who compiled this list is playing a joke on us with some of these albums… thus we get entries like the streets’ 2004 album “a grand don’t come for free”. where do i begin? as i had stated on a previous album in this challenge, something about rapping with Ana english accent that just doesn’t work. not only do you have a primary vocalist who is gratuitously bri ish, every time he raps or “sings” (yes he does both for some reason), it seems as he is about half a second behind the beat. and this becomes even more evident when there are multiple singers concurrently. and from what i could tell, this seems to be some sort of concept album about something or other… but i really couldn’t care less about any of it. as i have stated on a review of a previous concept album (pink floyd’s “the wall”, i think), concept albums are meant to be listened to as an entire work, and you couldn’t pay me enough to listen to this piece of shit again. while it’s not the worst album on this challenge that i have encountered so far, it’s definitely up there. do yourself a favour and avoid this one. it is borderline unlistenable.
This was terrible.
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.
Hoping this had Edge of a Cliff on it but was disappointed. I love the spoken word story telling aspect but it's not his strongest
4.5
3.5
Just ok
Top notch opera rap
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
Overrated sh*te
YAAAAAY. i love the streets so so much, from every single one of their albums there is something great, im not much of an album listener i guess, i just pick all my favourites and keep it moving so this will be fun to listen to the whole thing in order, but i love them and will be surprised if i don’t like it, in my head it’s already 5 stars ngl. One of the best albums of all time, i fucking love mike skinner so so much and it made me so nostalgic for the early noughties and this will be in my weekly rotation from now on, but not just single songs, as an album because the story makes so much more sense all put together and i just think the streets are perfect, i would give it more than 5 stars if i could, and i miss authenticity like this in music, and originality.
This album is pure rubbish. Do not waste one minute of your life listening to this.
What the heck was this? The first album I just couldn't get through the whole thing
meh
20/04 all skin
Beyond original pirate material, the streets aren't that notable.
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.
Really good album, have heard it before. The story telling angle is a fun, unique approach and the beats are pretty good too.
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
The album has it's ups and downs. The vocals at times are unpolished (on purpose) and can seem unprofessional. However, once you get used to it - I think it's a great album
This is a tough one. One the surface, it is kinda crap. The beats are great, don't get me wrong, but the raps especially just feel off. But as a whole, it just drives the theme down of a normal bloke who is a bit of a loser, who lost his girlfriend and is going through it. From that context it all comes together for me. Idk, always had a special place in my heart for the Streets.
A very interesting style of his own. I enjoy the narrative and the ride, but not an album I'm drawn to relisten to.
As a Brummie of twenty-five years standing got to love Mike Skinner, even if he was responsible for one of the worst-sounding gigs I ever attended at the old NIA. This is The Streets most coherent statement, a rap odyssey in which Mike loses a grand, goes out, loses the girl, finds another girl, finds the grand. A lot of this is insanely catchy, and despite its well-chosen ultra cheap beats can't hide the fact that he's got some real craft as a songwriter. Listen to it in the album order pls, and marvel how everything comes together in the epic last track that could even be termed prog hig-hop/grime. It's definitely a concept album.
What is even going on with this album? The lyrics are absolutely whackkkkkk and buddy's flow just isn't where it really needs to be. It's like a comedy album.
It’s funny how a couple of years ago I’d have said that I didn’t understand the appeal with The Streets and that they were naff. Then around a year ago I listened to Original Pirate Material by them which I loved, and since listened to this album too. I didn’t review this album at the time, so I’m excited to have been generated it today. Songs I already knew: all of them Favourites: Dry Your Eyes, Fit But You Know It, Get Out Of My House, Could Well Be In If you’ve heard any of the above songs but haven’t heard this album in full, I’d recommend it so strongly. Plenty of songs here can stand out as good, but when listened back to back as an album it is something incredible. The album follows a narrative of stolen money, love and breakups and it had me hooked as if it was a drama tv show, whilst also being catchy enough to make me want to dance. This is probably up there as one of my top 10 albums of all time.
I use to listen to the streets back in the day. I loved British rap, or UK Grime but this album is a bit slow for me.
Distinct sound, but not in a good way. I instantly remembered the artist from the early 2000s. I assumed “Blinded by the lights” was a one hit wonder. Surprised to see this album here.
Not as good as original pirate material
BRIT RAP
Every beat and every rhyme here tell stories. That may seem like the standard but truly their amazing tales. Told by an expert teller. Heartbreak, love and the mistakes we make are all front and center and I for one was more than happy to be in the audience to experience it!
Le genre d'album que je ne comprends aucunement l'inclusion ici et pourquoi en premier lieu ça a été bien reçu par la critique. Je pense qu'une fois de plus il y a un gros bias UK. Je n'aime vraiment pas comment c'est mixé, souvent la voix sonne tellement trop "par-dessus" les instrumentations. En plus, d'une pièce à l'autre c'est mixé différement. Le style de rap est ultra moche et les paroles sont vraiment ordinaire, voir quétaine/cringe. 2/10
this pretty lame. the flow is so stilted, and cant speak in tune. This guy is just pathetic. HE LOSES A THOUSAND QUID DOWN THE BACK OF A TV?!?!?! Fuck this record.
3.5/5. A concept album about an unlucky deadbeat who doesn’t always make good choices.
I was understanding and liking this one much more by the end. Might be worth a relisten and jump a star later.
What the fuck is this?
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
On their own, some of these tracks are laughable but it's a good idea of example of the whole being greater than the sum of its part. A lesson in arrangement.
Really really liked this. Like the concept of a drama in every song, seemed very timely. Don't know much about rap, but could relate to it and enjoy the artistry of the supporting sound enfolding the lyrics.
Cute little story to hold the whole album together. Highlights would be the catchy “fit bit you know it” and the chill “blinded by the lights”. Funny one liners thought out. Album I’ve listened to many times and had no issue listening to again.
Oi went doon the poob but then I fegot me fiver fo the poobie to git a pint so i caled me moom but then ah didne hav the money to cal me moom so i went an hoom to see me moom e.t.c
At times I found the delivery too disconnected from music. But I do like the concept. Lyrically it's really strong
surprisingly interesting but probably don't need to hear it again
Love this one. The first time I listened to this, I had no clue what I was listening to. But it grew on me and it’s in the regular rotation now.
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.
In some ways I find this album hilariously bad but it really works, like really works. It’s probably one of the easiest concept albums to follow as it’s in spoken word chav voice which works in its favour, the beats are very good as well but don’t go expecting something super high brow or anything. Personally though it’s still a 5.
I liked it back in the day and haven't listened to it for about 15 years, it's still good but very much of its time. Mike Skinner was trying to do something a bit different here and to a point he succeeded, however if you really want to listen to a story in an album then you have to listen to The Defamation of Strickland Banks by Plan B, it's far better executed and delivered. Still give it a four stars though because it was very listenable
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.
“I just stopped sharking for a minute to get chips and drinks.”
threepenny opera
Didn't think it was as bad as some of the other reviews make out on here. Probably would have been received better as a rock opera than a hip-hop concept album, but I enjoyed it. Definitely nails that working-class British culture of the mid-oughts, even if the previous album was more deserving of a place on the list (in my opinion).
Why does this sound like a 12 year old kid recording in his room with a keyboard and the voice memo app on his phone. What is the global societal impact this album had on the world that it belongs on this list?
det här var lite weird. jag fattar nånstans att det här kan vara bra och säkert nyskapande men för mig var det dåligt.
SLAPS
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
Nope. Whiny voice.
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
Today's album is by The Streets, who is a British rapper. The music wasn't bad, but his lyrics were very simplistic. If you listened to someone in Grade 5 rap, that'd be the same level as this guy. Not to say that it's bad, it's just the kind of rap that someone who is just discovering rap would like, or its like... Bible camp Rap.... Super clean. At least there isn't N bombs dropped every 10 Seconds though, so that's a positive. The whole record is a concept album. It starts with some lad misplacing $1000.... He then meets a chick, they date, they break up, he gets fucked up on pills, later on the album ends with him finding his money behind the tv. A really weird concept, but not bad. This guy is cockney as hell too, which makes him hard to understand by times. Overall, not a bad album, just not the hard, fast Gangsta rap that I'm used to on this side of the pond. This stuff, as I said, is cleaner and softer. I'd listen again, but nothing really jumped out at me upon first listen. Favourite songs: Fit But You Know It, Not Addicted Least favourite songs: It Was Supposed to Be So Easy 3/5
Hated this at the time, loads of people since have tried to tell me it's great, and maybe it is, but I don't like it. At least it doesn't have that sodding dry your eyes mate song on it. Oh shit, it actually does! Blinded by the Lights isn't bad I guess. Not Addicted was alright as a skit. Too much of this I can't really understand wanting to repeat listen, it's like a comedy routine or a podcast with some beats behind it. Most songs are just vaguely irritating to me. Some are stupendously irritating like Get out of my House. Was wavering up to a 2 but more of that and it's getting a 1 and it better be grateful. Fit but you know it can fuck all the way off. That and dry your eyes still to come secured the 1*
Ugh
Love how authentic the lyrics are but the start-stop delivery isn’t my favorite thing
Great album
Now this one was good. Chill and beautiful I saved multiple songs and the album as a whole. That's says alot. I'll be happy to hear these songs popping up on shuffle. I've always heard I should try these guys but never got around to it. Glad this made me. Worth it all around. I love her voice. 4*
Cracking wordplay and hilarious narrative. Tawdry British young people’s social low life (drugs, gambling, pulling, late night chippies, stealing lovers), but so cleverly described. Humourous and worth hearing the whole album for the final conclusion.
Trots att jag inte gillar den här typen av musik så var det ingen katastrof.
I don’t care about this dude’s grand. Where’s my grand and maybe I’ll care. The beats and flow are hairable. Get Out of My House is one of the worst songs ever. 🗑️
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 is not even rap at this point. This is just a British man talking over GTA loading screen music. One of the worst things I've ever heard. 1/5 is too generous, please change my rating to "Banished to the Shadow Realm". Thank you.
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
holy shit this entire album just sounded like a parody making fun of british rap. absolutely terrible. the only okay song was Dry Your Eyes because at least that one had a singing chorus. i’m not anti-rap by any means but apparently i’m anti british rap
It's a bit cringey but bless I remember these guys. Urban British white rap dealing with their 'real' council house issues. It's interesting to listen back to, funny at times and I'm glad it was made but I wouldn't put it in my top 1001.
Cool beats but ... I don't know.
A mix between Eminem's "Stan" and some random knob down the local pub who doesn't know when to shut the fuck up, he is constantly babbling as if anyone gives a shit about the inane bullshit he spouts that no one gives zero fucks about. "Yeah people want to hear this" he thinks in his head like an absolute twat he is.
Great now I know what it would be like if Sleaford Mods was a sad boy band. Rubbish.
Thought i was gonna be a bit dismissive about this but it really is quite charming in its scope as a small scale concept album. Hard to fault even for someone who doesn't like any kind of rap/grime whatever. Wholesome
I really like this in small doses. The beats are great, the rapping is unique. But after a little while it starts getting tedious for me.
On one hand, you could admire the work put in to make something sound so awful on purpose. On the other hand, fuck this shit.
Great album. spent all day listening to the The Streets after this was suggested.
That was unexpected. Heard of the band and even knew the name of the vocalist, but I don't know if I've ever heard anything produced by The Streets. I'm not sure I've ever heard anything quite like this actually. And I quite like it, actually. I think. It's different and a bit out of my comfort zone at times, but and interesting enough listen and it kept me engaged, despite being a bit long perhaps. Having read some reviews of it I may have to go and take a look at Original Pirate Material which seems to be recommended but not on this list. It might help that I get the cultural references - ITV and so on. It is very routed in this country certainly. I got the odd Randy Newman album with Rednecks on yesterday and struggled a bit with the references on that. So that helps here I think. The cover, by the way, is lovely. Just my type of shot. So, I think this is a 4. It almost deserves it for rhyming nowt with out.
This album reminds me of that friend who asks, "HAVE YOU HEARD *song you've never heard of*?!?! IT'S SO FUNNY" and then proceeds to show you YouTube clips of whatever the fuck. I guess it's funny, maybe if you like stuff that sucks.
DNF
The story is interesting. The rapping is jilted but functional. But the music is way too repetitive. The beats were fine. They just didn't switch anything up enough. That's the only thing here I'm marking off for. This is good otherwise. Not great. But good. Otherwise.
Hard to do a full album
Inspiring lyrics, but not.
3.5
3.5
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
2 good songs
Mielenkiintoista genrekikkailua, mut ei mulle.
Wow. No sabía que se podía ser TAN malo haciendo música. Estaba por calificarlo como el peor álbum que haya escuchado, pero luego leí que se trataba de un concept álbum, que contaba una historia, y decidí perdonarlo un poco, por lo que pasó de ser un 0.1 a un 0.3. Que cuente una historia no compensa lo TREMENDAMENTE MAL que se escucha. Es como si tuvieras una historia en la mente, una muy buena historia, pero fueras consiente de que eso no era suficiente, así que pensaste "Qué puedo hacer para venderla mejor?", te quemaste la cabeza y, de repente, por suerte divina, se te ocurrió "Y si lo vendo con música??", pero, por un bloqueo creativo, lo único que se te ocurrió fue pedirle a un niño de 7 años tararear la primer melodía que le llegara a la cabeza, diario, por 11 días, luego le pusieras un poco, muy, muy poco de producción, metieras la historia de la forma más forzada y poco natural posible y, así como así, lo publicaras como álbum. Definitivamente es de lo peor que he escuchado.
Not my style
A really unique pice of art... For some reason I thought UK rap started in the 2010s :( A very real album, which I didn't think would put me through a journey like this The first song made me think of the movie Beau is Afraid lol
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
And on today's episode on brilliant or awful...
Top artist. This almost can be classed as a concept album of sweary stoner, beer boys from the bleak suburbia of England. Grim and joyous at the same time. Great album but I prefer Original Pirate Material and think Everything is Borrowed is his best work
Not my style, though there were a couple great songs
Absolute genius
Interesting concept album, not a big fan of the rhyming or backing tracks. Push Things Forward remains to be the only track I’ve enjoyed from the artist.
This music on this album is clearly inspired by British electronic music, but the lyrics and delivery are more akin to. Spoke word style than a straight rap style. The lyrics themselves are effective if not occasionally forced. I found this album to be interesting to listen to even if there were bits I didn’t think worked as well.
Wow. The fuck is this? White British garageband rap? Nah.
This grew on me. These guys seem honest, juvenile at times, also very focused on tv, money, and women. But I liked it. I love the full story arc and closure at the end.
I must be getting old because this didn't even sound like music to me.
Unadulterated filth of an album. Best of the 00s.
Fuck off.
Hated this album since I first heard it in like 2007. Nice to see some things haven’t changed.
Not going to lie, I went into this planning this one star, and it stuck through for the five minutes I could muster before I started skipping through. Each song is musically terrible, tone-deaf, and boring, and the story is not the perfect tale people (who obviously grew up with it and don't want to admit it's bad) say it is. The only reason I could see someone giving this a five is because it made them laugh so hard it's their new favorite comedy album. Seriously terrible. When the best song is still worse off than most other songs on albums I've given a one star too, then this is all the more terrible. God, this makes me angry.
Solid and humourous brithop, almost grimey
Ain't bad mate innit
This is totally terrible. The flow just isn't there and every line just seems jerkied away. A white british man whinning about his first world problems "boo hoo, my biscuit broke and got soaked in my tea, I'm sad". Ridiculous.
Where'S the rythmn.
This album was too long-winded, sometimes bad, sometimes very nice. I loved the atmospheric and introspective vibe and enjoy this listen.