Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Again?
Genre: Indietronica This was bland, boring, and odd. I don’t know what was happening here in terms of selection of this for an essential collection. Again, this book has a penchant for quirky picks, but clearly omitted massive critical and commercial successes. Not necessary. Last track was god awful. 2/5
according to wikipedia members of both Radiohead and Oasis praised the Beta Band, which makes sense to me given that this album feels like the midpoint between those bands (Steve Mason of the Beta Band's assertion that nothing sounded like this before or since is pretty comical) except much mellower, not really coming alive in any meaningful way until the closing track. i won't say this is awful or anything, but the vocal style is too mumbly and reserved, the sound is too thin, and it's generally just sleepier than i am typically interested in
listening when: all morning thoughts: bangers back to back i truly got blessed. proving the point that 2009s music is the best ever rating: 8/10
A little bit fun.
# Playlist Track - Squares # Notes - Pleasant surprise! I think I heard the opening track be samples a bunch of times. Don't remember where. - All in all, this isn't an amazing album. I'll probably forget about it in time, but there are some inspired moments. - I should probably take a star away just for that stupid cover, tho.
Very, very calm, kinda nice?
Quite enjoyed most of this, I’d definitely listen again. But probably not enough to give it a 4
Threatened to get going but never did
Easy album full of music seemingly designed to be background sounds to a Gen X workday.
This was not very good. I don’t think I needed to hear this. It wasn’t that bad but it was boring and bland.
Ikke som sådan trælst at lytte til, men efterlader ikke noget nævneværdigt indtryk.
3 sterne
Спасибо тиктоку, наверное. Хорошая индитроника. Лучшая песня - Squares.
нормально пойдёт поквтиттсголмтч
Cool vibes that never quite paid off
I’ve stopped asking the question “why is this album on the list of 1001?; because I have asked it too often. Otherwise I would be asking that question again. This album is ok, but I won’t bother listening to it again. Pretty bland…musical pablum. Three unenthusiastic stars.
I prefer their first album more.
One interesting song after another starting with the highlight.
Pretty cool. I feel like I need to play it outdoors as the sunsets
Meh
Nothing amazing but not bad
I didn’t want to like this but it was really clever
Langweilig.
Teilweise recht catchy, übermäßig viel hängen bleibt aber nicht.
Kannte die Band überhaupt nicht, aber habe herausgefunden, dass sie mal in "High Fidelity" genamedropped werden, den ich mit 15 auf jeden Fall mal gesehen habe. Also liegt der Fehler ganz klar bei mir. In das Album selbst bin ich allerdings gar nicht reingekommen. Für ein Drogen-Album nicht psychedelisch genug, für ein Indie-Album fehlen spannende Melodien. Klingt irgendwie alles sehr kahl und trostlos und das ist vermutlich auch gewollt. Ein paar Songs waren ganz nett, aber zum Rest hab ich gar keinen Zugang gefunden.
Einfach nicht meins.
Schwimmt schön dahin. Ist leicht anzuhören. Aber definitiv kein Album von 1001.
Was soll das?!
Völlig zurecht kennt das niemand
Hätte wahrscheinlich mehr verdient, bin aber überhaupt nicht rein gekommen.
Das ist nicht so schlecht wie das Cover vermuten lässt, aber es ist auch nichts was ich mir jetzt nochmal anhören möchte
I liked it. It wasn’t AMAZING but I did like it. Will listen to it again today. Got a little bit of Hot Chip vibes.
6/10
Brits probably knew of this band when they first hit the scene - conceived of them as some sort of amalgam of Oasis and Radiohead - but Americans have Stephen Frears to thank for any exposure to The Beta Band: Cusack puts on 'Dry The Rain' from The Three E.P.'s to apparently sell five copies of the record. Unfortunately, Hot Shots II doesn't boast a track nearly as good as 'Dry The Rain' and is far flatter than Heroes to Zeros, their third and final release. Lyrically, it's wanting - tho I do dig this outburst: 'I never been the type to sing all night but Aaaaaaaaaah!' - and every song begins to sound the same, rhythmically as well as vocally, aiming but mostly failing (save on 'Quiet') to achieve a negotiation of the casual and the vigorous.
Kind of trippy & novel, if not a little same-y. Overall enjoyable.
Yeah, this is very similar to yesterday’s album (Fever Ray) for me. Not offensive but not very interesting either.
Wasn’t expecting much, but I liked it enough to hear it again. 2.5 rounded up to 3
I almost liked alot of these songs, but most of these songs were just a beat or degree off somehow....
pretty cool stuff i think
yeah no it's boring. i'll wait for The Release Band instead.
Not bad! Very smooth vibes, good bass, super listenable and some fun songs.
Very nice listening especially considering yesterday's album. I like the mellow voice and almost ethereal sounds. However, some songs almost sound like parodies of themselves, which is interesting, but I don't think that was where they wanted to go.
Zed
I really liked Squares and was optimistic for the rest of the album, but it just became a lot of the same with annoying vocals. It's not horrible, but it's also not very good.
This album was mediocre for the majority of it, but that last song is just earth-shatteringly bad. Maybe the worst of the whole list so far.
I was going to give this a 1 but the last song has a lyric about their music not being particularly good so at least they are self aware.
Eh. Forgettable. The only song I liked was the one that sounded like daydream bc that song is a vibe.
Scottish Beck meets Scottish Grizzly Bear. Who knew that this combo would not really work. Its really just ok. Kind of reminds of toddler television music. Like its strangely positive/wholesome but kind of tame. 5/10
123/1001 The Beta Band - Hot Shots II Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ Considering the god awful album art, this took me by surprise somewhat. Really enjoyed it on first listen. There's some interesting experimentation on here, some of it absolutely works and other times it doesn't always come off. It's the quintessential 3.5 star album, but I'm being generous this morning and rounding it up.
That was great! I actually listened to it four times today.
If the Gorillaz sucked worse.
One more "rock band" using electronic samples as one of their main instruments, seemingly. Sure, it has some interesting moments too. The album cover art is awful, though, and had me bracing for the worst.
Thought this was pretty good, completely new to me. Adaptation of Daydream in the first song was kind of cool.
The songs are fine. Production is really muddled. Liked it less as it went along
Echo Dave - this started fine but dragged. It feels amateur.
Totally serviceable vibey indie rock
I liked this
Is this what the kids call shoegaze? I don't *not* like it
Bandet alle musikere elskede men ikke forstod blev de kaldt. det er meget eksperimenterende og har trip hop lag til sig/down tempo. Teksterne er meget sjove synes jeg og igen eksistentielle (har lige haft cat stevens). Endte med at lytte til det her hele dagen, selvom jeg ved første listen følte jeg havde fanget lyden lidt. Men jeg endte faktisk med at tilføje nogle flere numre end bare første listen. Så det kan være jeg skal tilbage til at lytte til albums lidt mere end bare én gang. Men nu viste det her sig så også at være noget jeg rigtig godt kan lide. Elsker Electronica/indie rock/trip hop kombinationen og de lidt obskure tekster. Det er meget stemningsfuldt og kræver velsagtens også et lidt stemningsfuldt humør at lytte til det. Jeg tror fremover at jeg vil tilføje adjektiver jeg kan ctrl F søge efter til fremtiden, når jeg gerne vil vende tilbage til specifikke albums eller hvis jeg er et bestemt sted i livet. Drømmende Melankolsk Rolig Eftertænksom Reflekterende
Cool grooves and some awesome harmony with a little weirdness in there. Fun album
Was surprised by this one- it felt like it was ahead of the curve on the 2000s electronic/rock/pop/folk fushion sound. I enjoyed it- nice vibes music
Didn’t find this to be overly interesting. Wasn’t necessarily bad, but had a hard time paying attention after a while. 2/5 Won’t listen again
Funky vibe, i dont hate the voice, dont love it either. Sounds a little whiny. Sound guy is doing amazing tho
Fine nothing that interesting
Huge SFA vibes from this one, will listen again
Great 👍
Pretty cool
More like a 7/10 but still not enough great songs I think. Squares and Al sharp is 10/10!
Kind of cool spacey trip hop. It felt very empty though as a lot of it was harmonies with some songs a bit more full with instrumentals and sounds yet also lacking a bit with the vocals which felt a bit droney and repetitive. The album cover is a bit horrendous as well I have to say, it has like no link to the actual music. Favourites: squares and dragon. Overall, 5.5/10.
Was never really a fan first time round, although they do have some decent songs over their catalogue. Squares and Human Being on this are good.
I remember hearing this band fanned over by hipsters I the 2000s. Finally listening to this today, I'm underwhelmed. It's a decent alternative album. I might like it better if I listened to it again. I just couldn't get in to the repetitive songs.
Lowkey quirky.
Boring, melodramatic and samey. This one had its (very brief) moments but was just so bland. Also so far the worst cover art and band name of any album I’ve reviewed. It’s not quite a 1 star, but not something I’m itching to revisit.
Enjoyed more than I expected.
I bought this CD because of High Fidelity with John Cusack.
Solid bara, ekkert svaka hæðir né lægðir.
Alls ekki svo slæmt. Margt mjög gott en annað síðra. Sumt minnti mig á Beck.
Listened to it twice and it was fine. Kinda sounded like Beck at points.
Generic and background.
Not really into it.
Another good background music track
Not in my edition of the book! 2001. 2 stars. Well produced but tedious meandering background music for hipster bars. WTF is this bland shite doing on the list?
I really enjoyed "Hereos to Zeros" (which came up previously on this list), but I didn't have an overwhelming reaction to this material. Some interesting ideas in terms of sampling, but I don't know, nothing really stuck out to me.
Alternatieve muziek uit 2001, ik ga eerlijk zeggen, dat ligt mij normaal niet lekker. En bij de eerste beats van het eerste nummer weet ik al; dit wordt een lang album.. Alhoewel... Dit nummer ken ik ergens van! En is eigenlijk best leuk zodra het bass rifje erin komt. Hmmmmmm Bij momenten denk ik, dit is heel chill. Andere momenten denk ik, je valt nu in herhaling en dat wordt irritant. Maar het valt mij al met al best mee. En dat zegt wat. Al met al best een plesant album, met hier en daar wat irritaties. Maar die waren minder dan het plezier. Kom uit op een 3
Liked it! Knew Squares already but had not really ever thought to listen to this album.
Not bad but also not really my music. I enjoyed it a bit but wasn’t really convinced.
Not bad
Dachte, das wird nichts, war dann aber doch ganz spaßig.
Started strong but generally disliked the latter half of the album. Early portion definitely feels like it influenced a lot of of late 2000-early 2010 alt bands, which was nice.
Love me some Beta Band!
Squares is a great song and I enjoyed the rest of the album, but it did start to get a bit samey.
sympathiek plaatje... maar staat niet in mijn top 1001... ergens rond 101000 denk ik
I don't see myself listening too much in the future, but this was really unique and interesting. I'm really leaning to 4 stars on this one so I'm going for it!
Good lo-fi tracks, wouldn’t hate if it’s put on, but I’m not going to do it myself. 3/5
Some nice road trip tracks. I’ll listen again
I guess it’s OK?
I was going to comment about the “graphic design is my passion” level album cover, but some of the reviews already beat me to it. Honestly, it not just that it looks tacky as fuck. It doesn’t even fit the music. What do “bling-bling” letters have to do with soft trip-hop? The band never gets going. They throw an occasional good song, but other than that, it’s really dull. Just one of those albums that get music critics moist for some reason. Favorite track: Gone Other hits: Broke, Quiet
Wanted to like more than I did. The 3 EPs have some great tracks and Squares is a great opener, but the rest just felt a bit limp. Another where I wouldn't turn it off, but I've no real desire to go back to it. Slap bang in the middle
7/10… indietronica / trip hop
I groaned at the prospect of even more electronica crap, and I was pretty bored by it, but it's better than most. Repetitive, not terribly exciting, but with a few high moments that make it stand out from a pretty bland crowd. Clears the mediocre bar, which is better than I expected. Best track: "Human Being," especially the breakdown at the end.
Loved it - great tunes thx!
From great album cover to terrible. Despite that, this was cool. Nothing stands out. I know what I like and this falls short, but trip hop is usually a hard pass for me.
I can see how it was ahead of its time, but that doesn't make it interesting.
We all know it's wrong to judge a book by its cover. Some great books just have really terrible covers, and vice versa. And for sure, if I was gonna base my opinion of this album and the band who made it on this cover, I don't think I'd be very kind to it. The heck is this title lettering? They bejewelled like they're supposed to be on a No Limit Records release. And the explosion in the middle? It's just a mess. I'd figure The Beta Band were just some nobodies who just happened to hit it big with the right Big Important Critics™ — big enough to get two whole albums on this list, apparently! But I wanted to be fair. I actually listened to the album, and... I mean, for one, it sounds nothing like its cover would imply. A fellow group member made an attempt at summarizing it as "proto-Gorillaz with a 60's psych lean." And I'unno how Gorillaz it **really* is, but keeping their debut album in mind... Yeah, yeah, it's a fine sound. Perfectly chill. There's a few legitimately pretty moments in there. I could see having this on as audio wallpaper; it'd work pretty dang well. Here's the thing about it being wallpaper, though. I never mean "wallpaper" as an insult — far from it. Wallpaper is as much art as any other kind, and there'll always be some kind of neat for it. With that said, however, I think this album only works as wallpaper as well as it does because there are so many parts that are... Just not that interesting? I mean, when this thing is good, it's never really **that** good, and when it lulls into "meh" it lulls **hard**. There were far too many moments when I just kind of... Detached from the record. I was trying to listen to it closely, honestly. But I was really never able to before too long — y'know? I can't call this a bad album. It really isn't. At the right time, it could be such a damn mood. And I was nearly there. But... Eh, no cigar. I'unno. I don't really have anything else I wanna say. Just that, I hope their other album is better... And, if nothing else, this is at least a better album than its cover would imply. That's not nothing.
Pretty chill stuff on this one. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
You know what? I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. It’s not an album for everyone, and I can tell you that immediately. This is an oddity, and sort of an evolving one. I think the opening track isn’t a great tonesetter for what this eventually settles into, which is a trance-inspired ‘60s-style psychedelic rock album with electronica / triphop elements lending a helping hand to set the tone, in a way that feels sort of like a prototype Gorillaz (ignore that they’re both from 2001) if Jim Morrison was a member. One’s ability to enjoy this album will come entirely in how much you allow yourself to be entranced by these beats; I’m generally predisposed to softer, somewhat ambient stuff, so the minimalist approach here worked for me. I also think these tracks layer upon themselves really nicely in a way where the longer fadeouts & outros on this album feel natural, feel earned, and almost feel rewarding. Normally, I’m one to bitch & moan whenever a long outro happens, because it usually happens once a track has felt like it’s run its course, and it’s just padding for time. That only happened a few times here, and even then, it never felt like that big of a deal. Sure, some of these COULD have been cut down a little, but I think doing so might take one out of the entrancing effect just a bit too early & abruptly. I say all of this like it’s an album actively trying to hypnotize you in a way, and I’m not entirely sure that’s the intent, but it gives that effect regardless. The vocal harmonies this album brings feels sort of like the Beach Boys with Beck leading the way, and the vocal structures of this album glide on the beats really nicely. I don’t think I really found myself actively trying to comprehend most of the lyrics, but it’s a testament to the album as a sort of aural experience that I caught them. Part of it is the repetition (this album REALLY hits lines over your head at times), but part of it is just getting lost enough in the beat that you can focus elsewhere and still stay in the rhythm. Again, it’s not for everyone; the floor here is a 3, and that’s if the beats just don’t feel appealing or if the repetition feels too prevalent. Perhaps my slightly distracted state while listening to the album helped a bit, but I think it’s very easy to get lost in the rhythm regardless. For as absolutely stupid as the cover art is (seriously, who let them pick THAT?), I think the album just really clicked with me. It feels like much more of a nighttime album than a daytime one, so that might help too. For how much I enjoyed this, even though I was sitting at a steady (but slowly rising) 4 for most of the album, I think it’s just consistently good enough and entrancing enough to get the bump up to a 5. Yes, it’s a “slower” 45 minutes, but much like David Crosby’s album from yesterday, it’s the sort of slow album that makes you really appreciate it by the end of it. I certainly have. Hopefully, their other album on the list sticks to this style.
nae. har ändå gett det här en ärlig chans men det är inget vidare. man hör hur gärna dom egentligen vill göra triphop typ.
Hippie as shit
Pretty boring. First song had an ok loop but the rest weren’t that great
2nd. album by this band, and I still don't get it. First track is fine (though not the best reuse of "daydream"), but it's all downhill from there.
I love these guys and, though this is not my favorite by them (that would be The 3 Ep's), this is a really good album. It's a bit more muted rhythmically than their other stuff but their weird, neo-psychedelic, ambient vibe shines through. "Shapes" is a great opener that sets the tone. Not as shaggy and tribal as some of their other stuff gets and I often wish they would break loose and get more chaotic. For the most part, this is quieter and more controlled.
The Beta Band are a very different kind of group, this is another difficult one for me to rate. Ive been into the kind of kraut rock-inspired repetitive loops that layer lately, some of these do that very well. I really like the opening track and Human Being. Other songs are really forgettable though and kind of meander until they end. I respect what they were doing and appreciate the diverse range of influences, but an inconsistent one for me
The only person I know that likes The Beta Band is extremely annoying so I went into this with hesitation. Turns out it was a ‘Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made a Great Point’ moment, as this was actually pretty good. A bit meandering, but yeah some great songs on this thing.
2.5
Definitely a beta band.
the band name
Probably would have liked this had I discovered it in early 2000’s but I struggle with it now. Experimental and probably influential to artists like Beck and Alt-J
Ok
This sits right between 3 and 4 stars for me. It's pretty slick. I think re-listen would likely push to 4, but initial impression is 3.
Probably their best album, although there are a couple of terrible tracks hidden in there. Still, at least it doesn't have The Beta Band Rap on it.
Nothing outstanding. I almost fell asleep.
good
actually quite good, was expecting worse
Don't know what the hate for this album in the other reviews is about, this is a certified bop.
I love the 3 EPs so was desperate to love this but it’s just not very good is it Squares is good (but All Seeing I used that sample better) but the rest is just very pedestrian A huge disappointment
This band seems to me to be another case of those bands that want to sound different from the rest, distancing themselves from the common pop sound, but end up turning around and sounding like any other indie band.
I actually really liked this and listenes to it maybe 3 time
Listened to this while working, on repeat (by accident). I think I listened to it 3 times before I realized. All the songs sound the same. 2.5 stars
Favourite Track: Squares, Gone
Not really my cup of tea. Some classic tracks here for sure like Squares, but not something I would go out of my way to listen to.
This album has a cosmic whimsy about it and great use of layered harmonies. What's interesting to me is that it feels like the foundation of the oncoming indie music scene with bands like Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, MGMT, etc. I don't know if it'll be part of my regular rotation but I would be interested in listening to more of The Beta Band. The album ends with the line, "The people with the answers, lie. They lie. So no pizza for them" That alone deserves its own star rating.
I like Bets Band this is second album I’ve come across during this project. Liked the Day Dreamin’ song
I misread the album's release date as 1971. The low-budget album art likely contributed to that. "Hot Shots II" itself sucked with disappointing tracks throughout. The album is supposed to feature a mix of electronic music and rock. However, it fails at both genres. 2 stars for "Hot Shots II"
I really enjoyed, like kinda ethereal rock with electronic vibes but early electronic vibes would compare to some radiohead
Meh
Decent album. Was surprised by the song writing
I became familiar with The Beta Band from hearing them in High Fidelity, but never this album. There's a lot to like about Hot Shots II. The combination of trip-hop and alt-rock is refreshing, but I wish there was a bit more energy across the album. Sometimes it works ("Quiet"), but a bit more variety would make Hot Shots II a higher priority listen for me. That aside, very enjoyable.
I do not enjoy the beta band
There was always less to The Beta Band than met the eye. I guess we all lived in hope that they'd do something again that came even close to the transcendent glory of Dry The Rain...
Chill music, first track stands out of course, rest is not as recognizable but at least quite well produced.
Very chill ☆☆☆
First song's a classic! Rest of the album is kinda mehh
i’ll listen to the entire album and found it compelling throughout the first song of the project really surprised me because I knew it and it’s just amazing, but I didn’t know it was from this album. It had it strong moments, especially with the first song but it also had it mediocre moments I would say that’s why I rated a mid 7 out of 10.
I could see how this might not be for everyone, but it is undeniably good, and "original" in many ways. I think it is "very good," but nothing that blows my socks off. They found a formula to make very interesting songs in a style that cleverly mixes brit rock and electronica. I remember this album from when it came out but never truly got into them. However, I do like it and respect it.
I always liked John Cusack's understanding of The Beta Band in High Fidelity; when you put them on, everyone in the room will subtly bob their heads and agree that it is, indeed, good. Unfortunately, my appreciation for this band doesn't go much further than subtly bobbing my head.
I had completely forgotten about Squares before hearing it again leading off this album, and now I’ve completely forgotten every other song that followed it.
Best cool. Niet geweldig, maar wel origineel. Net 4
It thinks it's smarter than it is, which makes it a bit grating, but generally fine.
Didn't think I'd of this band but recognised Squares. Still, it was all new to me and I quite enjoyed the mellow laid-back minimalist vibe
Immerhin nicht schlecht. 2,8
6/10
Genuinely was very into this album from start to finish. The opening track squares is so familiar but I can’t remember what TV show or movie used the song. But it’s fantastic. The closing track also really grabbed my attention with a message that’s maybe a little too on the nose but a message some people need to hear. Will be listening again!
Accidentally put this rating on smokers delight. The review for that one is the same. Pretty boring
I enjoyed it more than expected. A little trippier/wavier. A little psychedelic. Cool aspects of 90's trip hop, weird sampling/production and dream pop aesthetic.
Mouais à part l’intro qu’est très cool après c’est plus trop mon style
Je m'attendais pas du tout à ça. J'ai été transporté instantanément
Similar to Radiohead’s electronic era, but without the gloom or heaviness—lighter instead. Some tracks had basslines I really liked.
This is better than I expected, and the opener is engrained in British consciousness by featuring in endless adverts and incidental music, but other than that I can’t really remember a thing about it.
Cool album, though nothing really stood out aside from the first few tracks
I guess I am a sucker for folk, psychedelia, electronica, post-rock, trip hop tunes.
The Beta BLAND
Theres a market for this, it isn’t me, great use of a sample in the first track though, I was scratching myself like where do I know this and I still don’t know but hey ho
Beta Band clearly are a band to listen to for getting into a flow state with work. Haven't listened much to any of the lyrics but managed to bosh through several albums back to back without any complaints or ever feeling bored.
Editor of this list must be a huge The Beta Band fan...2 down 1 to go I guess...not my band...best song was sample driven (Daydream by The Wallace Collection...curious if that band made the list...should be on it, if only for this classic song)
to me these guys are the melancholy beach boys. i like this album, i’ve added it to my library. had a huge ‘OHH!!!’ moment at the first song, recognizing it from I think severance. the song ‘alleged’ makes me think vaguely of alt-j, think it’s the harmonized speak-singing. i like the ambiance of the album, i tend to like synth and kinda wet-sounding bass, with a solid amount of strange instrumentals. i know this is classified as pop, but i really don’t know what you would call this sort of music. adding to my rotation of albums to do work to.
Harmonies. organ, trip hop, hi fidelity Al sharp Alleged
not my cuppa
This album is over 24 years old, and all but one song have less than 1m plays. There is a reason for that.
If ever a little known album by a little known band deserved to be on the list this it. I know and like 'Dry the Rain' but hadn't heard any of these tracks before and absolutely loved it. Played it end to end on headphones and got really into it. Really imaginative stuff, really unusual, great sound, great sequence of tracks throughout. A whisker away from a 5 on first listen 🎶
An odd and directionless album. Not unlistenable but not good either. The lyrics in the closing track are comically bad.
Tolerable. Would not actively choose to listen again. Often repetitive.
was pleasantly surprised by this one even tho i don't normally like trip hop. 3/5
Nothing stood out
Günter Kallmann Choir – Daydream
Although the music is quite understated and unobtrusive, there's something really strange about this album. I'd say they're somewhere inbetween trip hop and folk indie rock. Two styles that couldn't be any more different from each other. At least for this record, it kind of works. Some cool ideas and decent execution. Not one I'll likely revisit, but cool enough for a spin.
"And the music we make is not particularly good" Okay, I can agree on that, Actually, not really, just with that particular song with those hurried syllables to make them fit with the rhythm and the corny lyrics. The rest of the songs are not that bad though, but they leave a lot to be desired. This is just a decent indietronica album with some vocals which reminded me a lot to the style of choir that was made very popular in the 60's, specially with the Beatles and their copycats. The problem with the voices is that they stay exactly the same through the whole album, and at the end of it, they just feel uninteresting. It wouldn't be a problem if they had more personality and charisma, since there's a lot of artists and bands that successfully use this style of singing without feeling tiring after some time. To the previous point I need to add that there are moments that they work quite well. The main example would be the opening track, which sounds very nice. Nevertheless, I think this clarifies the argument that the best material from the record is in the start. What truly shines in this album are the beats and instrumentation. I don't think they do anything spectacular, but in comparition with the voices, they are a lot greater and interesting as they blend different genres of music such as trip-hop and neo-psychedelia. I also want to mention that my favourite moment of the whole project is the very upbeat ending of the track 'Human Being'. In the end, the group manages to create an enjoyable album, in spite of it feeling a bit boring towards the end.
So great. Hadn’t listened to this album Im like 20 years, and it holds up.
Kinda boring, if I'm being honest.
Neat!
Прослушал и забыл
Not my vibe. Felt like a jam band version of Massive Attack. Kind of boring.
Lyrics from the last song - "and the music we make is not particularily good" Hm you don't say... 2 ⭐️
Not for me.
I have mixed feelings, but it's not awful.
I liked their style and the vocals. Nice voice!
Not terrible. I don't have any desire to listen to it again, but if I were making a movie, I could see using a couple of songs on my soundtrack. "Squares" just has that kind of vibe.
I’m sure it’s more common for bands to last longer than they probably ought to, than to not last as long as they should. But The Beta Band definitely fall into the latter category. Three great EPs, a shaky debut and a rather less shaky final album sandwiched Hot Shots II; the sophomore album where they finally found their happy medium. Tight, accessible songs that had structure, hooks and the best of their songwriting prowess, while also pushing genre boundaries, fusing psych-folk with hip-hop and trip-hop and exploring the human condition through wide-ranging, ever refocusing lenses. The perfect storm that occurs when experimental music actually yields rewards worthy of the risks. It’s genuinely gutting that they never quite caught lightning in a bottle again but we’ll always have this record and the giddy memories of some spectacular live shows of the time. Squares is the hit single they deserved but never got, Dragon is the most blissful five minutes of trip-hop this side of Bristol that morphs into a raucous dub-rock chorus and crawls back out the other side, before ending on a lo-fi psychedelic mood. Quiet is a xylophone-tinged rocker that became a different animal live as the band hopped around the stage in a frenzy of instrument-swapping and improv drums. Life is a looming, introspective folk-hop lament. “I want to be somebody else, I feel I wanna be free… is this me for life?” It’s one of those albums that invites you to listen in closely to hear all the intricate details but simultaneously gets better the further you step back and appreciate it as the sum of its parts. An absolute masterpiece.
Chociaż różnorodny to spięty onirycznym klimatem. Squares, Broke, Life on top
Cool sounds. Sometimes haunting and creepy, sometimes psychedelic and beautiful. Love the trip hop elements.
Interesting music. Not my usual vibe. Not sure I would go back to it. I digged some songs. Like the first one but towards the end less songs :/
First song sounds familiar but Im unable to place it. Overall an enjoyable album, which I had a fun time running to.
zzz
Not what I was expecting, especially after the first track. Just ok. Rest of the album sounded kind of the same.
It’s a decent album. Nothing groundbreaking. Just a decent album. Quite forgettable.
own
It's OK for a lazy Sunday morning, beyond that, temper your expectations.l
4/5
Didn't really wow me or anything, wasn't particularly memorable. There was that 'one' song, that was it.
Daydream sample ‼️ (not as good as Lupe’s though). Decent album
It was a bit floppy - not a lot really happened. I'd say I'd go back to it as it wasn't unpleasant, but I can't really say I remember much of it immediately after listening?
A weird mix of (too many ?) influences, that unfortunately never coalesce into a clear musical identity. It’s not an unpleasant album, far from it ; I enjoyed it as background music, thanks to its meditative and melancholic vibe. But I’m not sure I quite understand what they were trying to do. It somehow feels unfinished and a amateurish, like a very well-produced demo. Overall there was nothing truly memorable for me here. I’ll probably have forgotten everything I just heard in a few days. They could also use a better artistic direction... With a terrible band name, terrible album name and terrible cover art, it’s like these guys don’t really want to sell records.
I feel like it’s rare to hear music in this genre that injects humor into the mix and doesn’t take itself too seriously. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, particularly the last song “eclipse”.
Nah
I was skeptical that I'd like this upon reading the Wiki, it sounded like it'd be overly hip-hop (not my jam), but it didn't turn out that bad. Based on my limited exposure to The Beta Band, they're generally forgettable, but this album was ok. Better than Heroes To Zeroes.
Hot Shots II is a rather weird album in my eyes. There were points when it would sound like a 2 star album but there were also points when it would sound like a 4 star album. Though one thing was fairly consistent on my opinions on these song, and those were that the songs with more electronic elements were the ones i enjoyed more. The songs were fairly groovy and could have some fairly relaxing qualities but i also did feel like some of the songs didn't flow very well in terms of vocals with Eclipse probably being the worst offender of this. Other than that, i couldn't really find too many issues with this album. It's a decent listen, just i do think it could be better. Best Song: Squares Worst Song: Eclipse
This one is a really odd sounding album. It's quite dreamy at points (which is relaxing and nice), but it's also just bland, LIKE really bland. As well it being insanely repetitive. Let me cut to the chase, what I'm saying is the terribleness outweighs the good parts.
Yeah. It’s alright.
Great stuff
Honestly pretty relaxing. Not amazing but I'd be happy to have it in the background again
I think the reason this one made it on the list is because it does a pretty decent job mixing genres. It has hints of electronic, psych, and hip hop all while sounding pretty indie still. The production was pretty solid on this one. I enjoyed it a decent amount but I could see how this might be a bit boring for other listeners.
This was cool. Its what I would have described as "chill indie" back when this came out. I like the kind of r&b elements to it. (notably sampled by Lupe Fiasco). The dream like vibes of this are really smooth and easy to groove to. I listened to this on a tram going up to the Aiguille du Midi this morning and it was kind of perfect for that sunrise solace. It does kind of start to get repetitive and one song from the next gets hard to distinguish, but overall, I enjoyed this!
Indie rock with some electronica mixed in. Pretty good music but a bit sleepy at times. But just when I started to want a little more oomph, the album delivered and upped the bass and rhythm. This charmed me little by little. I liked it.
This was an interesting listen. I kind of felt like this sound has been done before / is done today (I even got some kind of Twenty One Pilots vibe when I think of a modern band), but at the same time that this is a pretty distinct set of musical styles. "Squares" is the big track, and I thought it was a pretty good one. I'm not sure if it sounds familiar because of the sample that it uses though. Ultimately this is a 2/5. It was a nice listen but I didn't really gel with it too much and I question its inclusion on the list. It could just not be my style.
Reminds me very much of Django Django by Django Django. Favorites: Broke
It’s fine I guess. Pretty mid. Kinda just bg music with some nice sounding moments every once in a while. Probably won’t ever listen again.
A standout album. Strong songs good groove, excellent.
What a strange, comforting listen this was! The influence from Radiohead is obvious, but it's like if 00s Yorke and co. decided to make some easy listening music instead of trying to alienate the listener.
Laid back, relaxing - and almost a bit lazy. Considering how minimalistic Hot Shots II is, I have a hard time focusing throughout then relatively long runtime. There are a few highs and I ultimately enjoyed it, but I’m not sure it’s a great and necessary fit for this list.
i wasn’t on board with this from the beginning. well that’s not really true because the first song was great but the first half (minus song 1) was underwhelming. the second half i think found its footing more and really made the album for me. high 3
I actually liked the vibe of this a good bit I think! I wanna relisten to it more but there's a good few tracks I liked immediately.
I probably would've loved this in high school or college. Squares in particular was a standout. But it never really sticks the landing, unfortunately.
I vibed with it while it was on, but don't actually remember anything from it anymore.
There were some interesting things happening here but overall it was pretty middle of the road.
So the Gorillaz comparisons aren't entirely wrong, and I was excited whenever some trip hop elements popped up here and there.... But it's mostly pretty bad in execution. Lots of blandness and repetitiveness. Standouts: Human Being • Gone • Alleged
This album had the potential to be a 4 but they never stuck with any good ideas. It is more like a collection of unrelated songs that are good, not great. Gone is a truly awesome song but it's just one song.
A nice enough listen but nothing memorable. 3 stars. Would I listen to this album again? No! Would I buy this album? No! 1 - Squares - 3/5 2 - Al Sharpe - 3/5 3 - Human Being - 3/5 4 - Gone - It's beginning to be a touch monotonous - 3/5 5 - Dragon - These are now all too similar, with the mellow, dreamy sound. - 2/5 6 - Broke - 2/5 7 - Quiet - A little more dynamics provided by the drums! Best track so far. - 3/5 8 - Alleged -A sweet little ditty. - 3/5 9 - Life -2/5 10 - Eclipse - 2/5 Total - 26 Average - 2.6
fairly chill album
A little too experimental for me
Over all enjoyable album form a genre I typically don't love.
Never listened before and for some reason had low expectations. Rather enjoyed it though.
This was a good listen. I liked it more then "Heroes to Zeros". Had a similar sound to the 3eps.
I quite enjoyed this one, but I like The Beta Band. I liked this one more than Heros to Zeros.
I liked this well enough, but I seek out triphop and lofi so this is right up my alley. the vibe was good and dancey in that slow, flow way that I enjoy. I added 2 songs to my liked songs playlist so this gets 4 stars. Best songs: Squares and Human Being
"i don't wanna be the type of guy / who lives alone, reading books / and never eats a pizza pie" as someone who both reads books and enjoys pizza, i could not relate to their music
I really liked the first song because a great Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott song samples the same song that this one samples. Other than that the album was not bad but also not noteworthy. I like rock music that uses samples and even music that is sometimes sorted as "phundephonics" so it stands to reason that I would like this. However I couldn't really get into it and even listened to some of the songs 2 or 3 times. 2/5
Really enjoyable
Ok. Just that, ok.
Less interesting version of Beck. Fine but boring. Two stars
Not bad per se, but not really good. Kinda weird and ethereal at times but didn't really hook me.
Very in the middle.
If I had a nickel for every time an album on this list sampled Daydream, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.
I think have listened to this 3 times now - although cannot be certain as it sorts of blends into one pleasant background hum. I liked the tempo and the whimsy and choppy nature of the tunes - although ultimately nothing really grabbed me or moved me - so its a solid 3.
Hot Shots II I haven’t thought about this album in years. I remember buying it when it came out, having been into the 3 EPs, and I must have listened to it quite a bit as it all came back pretty quickly. I really like the quiet tone, the slightly languorous, hip hop and trip hop sounding beats and rhythms, with a nice density and sense of meticulousness to the production. His voice and melodic style are pretty distinctive, and it it takes a while for everything to percolate, but once you tune into it there are some great off balance melodies, nagging, memorable hooks and some excellent arrangements - I love the vocal melody and then the outro to Squares for example, and AI Sharp is fantastic, from the earwormy verses and the lovely, atmospheric instrumentation and shuffling rhythm. In fact, including Human Being, the first 3 songs are excellent. Dragon is another great catchy melody with great drums and rhythm, and Broke has some great 8 bit sounding synths and yet another nagging, catchy sense to it. Quiet has a very UNKLE feel and is another great track, while Alleged mixes nice motown-esque drums with some lovely guitar and an overall dreamy atmosphere and touches on the sound of some of the 3 EPs tracks. I got more and more into this the more I listened to it, reminding me that I must have listened a lot when it came out. It’s a great album with a distinctive sound and atmosphere, making a high 4. 🥵🥃🥵🥃 Playlist submission: Broke
This is like a scenic journey on a bit of a dilapidated trainline. Very pleasant; at times could do with some network upgrades. I get the sense the Beta Band hold it in higher esteem than it deserves - this isn't a classic by any means. But - well, like I said, very pleasant, and I can't get much past that. I can't help but compare to early Beck, given the hip-hop feel of some of the loops and rhythms. But it pales in comparison, not having the same energy, humour nor eccentricity. And so I leave it thinking, so what? And yet I thought it was fine. The odd bit of something great. Some great harmonies. Never a bad tune. A 'three' rating almost feels a little too much - but it's certainly better than a two.
Well that was disappointing. I can't say it's not musical or well produced but it feels vapid without being fun. You can be one or the other but not both.
I had never heard of this before, but it was super chill and I found myself liking it way more than I thought I might.
3- Stars (7/15)
I'd never heard from this band before, but it was alright. Admittedly, pretty forgettable but fine
Decent listen, probably wouldn’t come back to it
Very chill groove that sounds more like something from a 70s soft rock band than a 2001 alternative band. Nothing special, but easy listening. Low 3.
Listens: 3 Standout tracks: Squares, Gone So, the first song... started off quite weird; Muted and lacking in instrumentation and I was like okay.... and then it started to coalesce into something ... something .... familiar, upon which I had that eureka moment that they were sampling Daydream/Daydream in Blue. I really really quite like what I Monster did with Daydream (Daydream in Blue) and have listened to that album (Neveroddoreven) extensively, but I digress. Squares turned out to be a good song. Beyond that, things sort of went down hill. With the exception of one or two songs, the album was not too impressive. Some tracks are really muddy or fuzzy sounding. The audio clarity is severely lacking. Bad recording techniques? Poor copies on YTM? On purpose? I am not sure. There's a lot of repetitive lyrics on several tracks on the album, with verses being the same line over and over again. There is no album "Hot Shots", so I'm not sure where Hot Shots II came from. I get Flaming Lips vibes on some of the tracks. Evening though this album seems mostly electronica, there is a prog rock quality to it. Music aside, the album cover is cursed. Gaudy "diamond studded" text on a fake star background with a fake... explosion in the center. Duly noted. Edit: I'm torn on this, and am bumping it up to 3 stars. It has some allure to it. I am thinking about it two days later, and can't really understand why. I may go listen to it again even :/
3/10
Mostly just boring I would never play it again but since I didn't hate it with a passion, I won't give it one star but what a painfully dull album.
Squares is a nice song. Rest ok 2/5
Alright, but nothing too special.
Meh
Listened in the truck via YouTube music. I had not listened to this album at all before today. It could have been made anytime in the past 40 years. Mixing elements of rock, dub, and some electronic sounds it is an album of grooves. Most lyrics are simple except for the last track which is also the longest. Will for sure be checking out more Beta Band after this.
Liked it,
Excellent work sounds indie and atmospheric. Great vocals and choruses. Solid and reliable work.
A great album.
One of those "vibes" kind of album. No particular highlights, but a pleasant experience nonetheless.
I feel like this album is a personal favourite of the 1001 Albums list compiler. It's ok but it's not brilliant.
A solid album. I’ve listened to The Beta Band a long time ago but it was nice to revisit. Will need more repetitions on this one to go 4 or above.
Beats are freaking awesome
Chill electronic indi music. Good vibes. First song reminded me of completely different song and that song is now stuck in my head, nothing from this album
I thought this was a pretty good album. It was soothing and a nice, easy listen. I don't know that it really stuck out to me in any way, but I didn't NOT enjoy it either. It makes for nice background noise!
Definitely sound like a band of Betas….
Wasn’t very impressed. Very meh. Last song annoyed me a little, but overall, very inoffensive. Mostly just forgettable. This is a very high two, but it’s closer to a. 3/5
Len Houmous can recite the entire script from Hot Shots Part Deux right off the bat. It’s his favourite film. 3.1
This is just what you'd get if the Flaming Lips were Scottish and occasionally incredibly whimsical.
Didn’t know what to expect from these guys, but it’s a good one. I’m sure I’ve heard Squares before - on The Beach album? Antway, listened to it straight through twice.
Indie plus electronica. Great vibe to this, loved the songs.
I can see how this was cool when it was new but now I find it boring.
Blir kjedelig i lengden. Mest pga vokalen.
Not bad not great
The songs were kinda repetative, but not awful, nice sound, just boring
Very underwhelming from a vocal standpoint. The sound is somewhat unique I guess, almost hip/trip-hop like at points. The album never really takes off and remains a bit one-note all throughout, though.
Nothing that stood out to me. Rock
Electronica rock mix
This is probably the most coherent offering from this notoriously eclectic band and also the only one of the three studio albums they were actually happy with. It dates from the era when they where favourite support act for Radiohead and you can hear why that worked so well. This record is at the same time somewhat interesting and somewhat underwhelming, exactly what you would expect from a band who never really worked out what their sound was.
Hadn't heard this one before. Honestly, I thought the Dry The Rain album was their only one - delighted to be wrong!
I've enjoyed The Beta Band over the years, so it's nice to get one of their albums (one of two in this collection, it appears). I'm also impressed at how many songs on this album are also in the compilation album that I own--this is almost a greatest hits album on its own (it probably helps that they only produced three albums, though). I suspect their sound isn't to everyone's taste, but at least they can judge the band on a really solid album. My favorites are most of the tracks that I'm familiar with from the compilation album--the opening track "Square" (and its fun accompanying video), "Human being", "Gone", and "Broke"--plus "Dragon", the highly eclectic "Quiet", and "Life". A shame that they never really got the breaks they deserved to make it and stay big.
Confession: I was one of those people who bought The Three E.P.s after watching "High Fidelity". And I felt kinda ripped off, which shouldn't have been a surprise considering it was also how I felt after watching the movie. And now I feel even more ripped off. It's like the Beta Band got onto a good thing with the repetition in "Dry the Rain" and decided to just do that all the time. Go to hell, Beta Band.
sans plus
I've listened to Heroes to Zeroes but not this. This was more laid back but that also meant it was less memorable on first listen. Life was the standout. Often amusing too. Almost certainly a 4 with more listens.
This is nice. They have developed a very distinctive sound which I like, but I do find a lot of the songs are similar and I realised that I thought a lot of them sounded like dry the rain (of their 3 EPs), but none of them felt as good as dry the rain (of their 3 EPs) which is a bit of a shame. Still a nice listen.
The Beta Band is a group I only started hearing about earlier this year, from catching one of their earliest hits, "Dry the Rain", on my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. They're a Scottish indie rock group that combines elements of folk, psychedelia, electronica, post-rock, and trip-hop. They were rather big in the early 2000s, with their music featured in a couple of comedy-drama films and even opening for Radiohead after impressing them. After giving their second album, Hot Shots II, a few listens, I have come to respect them. It took a bit for this album to click with me, given its rather minimalistic approach in composition. I will say that there are moments where the arrangements sound gorgeously produced with Steve Mason's soft-spoken delivery and reverbed guitar lines, John Maclean's light keyboard flair paired with quaint electronic elements, and Robin Jones's lo-fi accented percussion. The record is a tad demanding to listen to, as the quieter playing and surrealist lyricism necessitate more of the listener's attention to pick up on the more subtle flourishes in the mix. But it is rewarding upon relisten. The spare cowbell under the chopped-up guitar strumming of "Alleged", the soft piano melody of "Gone", the backmasking used as the rhythm before crescendoing to the full-on drum blitz of "Human Being"; these are a few of the textures I enjoyed in my second listen. I ended up appreciating Hot Shots II and will consider paying more attention to the Beta Band, especially now that they reunited this year.
A nice DIY vibe. It is pleasant though not groundbreaking. Worth 2.5, put 2 stars
An English Air? I knew "the square". It's very pleasant to hear and a very good sound of its time. Like Air it's simple and does the job.
As every track of the album I will use one word to describe the album : boring. Nothing reluctant to listen but just so boring !
There’s a lot to take in, some Beck vibes, a bit of Air, psych phases that flow nicely into solid little grooves, with a touch of art rock… At first, I got a bit carried away after randomly landing on some much cooler tracks by the band … but they weren’t from Hot Shots II. The album itself isn’t exactly groundbreaking. It ends up feeling a bit too smooth for my taste. Yet, an interesting discovery.
I loved this album. I hadn't really listened to the several albums I have of The Beta Band, but I am impressed. I need to get more of this and give it a listen. Well done
Harmless enough. I knew only one song of theirs from before (not on this album), so I'd expected more. This was fairly bland. Don't think I'd be interested in listening to it again.
var nokkuð efins um verk þeirra eftir stutt skífurnar þrjár. fyrir fáeinum árum hóf ég endurhlustun og sannfærðist um að sérstaklega þessi og forveri hennar væru snilld. hún fær því...
Spacy computer rock that's kinda just mediocre. The first track Squares was OK and I liked the drum fills in Quiet.
Album fits together pretty well. I thought it wasn’t as good as their next album.
Pretty good band, nice songs, use of Daydream always welcome. Happy to explore this band further.
It’s the Beta Band. They don’t disappoint
That was a bit of a yawn festival...