Hot Shots II

I was really optimistic about this and I wanted to like it. They sound like a slowed down Django Django (my favourite band for the last few years). However, I just couldn't get into it as I wanted the songs to be faster. Some of the snappier tracks were alright, but this mostly faded into background music for me.

I love the 3 EPs so much but can't help but feel this is wasted potential. Some nice ideas, some moments of brilliance hidden inside a load of meandering. I do like some of the meandering but the album lacks something special

I love the don't give a shit attitude here. It's easy to see how the Betas self-destructed. The tracks build up with so many layers. Experimental Beach Boys are an easy comparison. It's always good to celebrate oddities. The Betas were right old odd ones.

It was fine.

Kinda cool.

it was decent, some good tracks some ass. 3.2/5

consistent, no stand outs but an enjoyable listen

I had fairly low expectations and was a bit surprised. Not too surprised.

The songs are a bit bland muted alternative rock, though it unfortunately treads more frequently into repetitive irritating land (Squares, Dragon, Eclipse) than something catchy. I do like the very subtle Gone, and Quiet is a bit more engaging. Its fine, but overall not very eventful.

I was on the fence with this album, it just didn’t really have anything particular that stood out to me Top tracks: Squares

Reminded me of the shins? Production was pretty unique as I hadn’t heard a trip hop band before

Äänimaailma on kovasti minulle sopiva, pidän tunnelmasta. Hiljainen mutta voimakas, indie, vähän grunge, ei lohduton. Mutta jättää kylmäksi silti! En erota biisejä toisistaan. Silti olen varma, että tokalla kuuntelulla kolmonen. Jää kiinnostamaan, vaikka ei koukuta.

Pretty okay, I guess?

I like this. Reminds me of a less trippy Massive Attack, or Cornershop. Or even early Blur.

I, Monster did it better. This wasn't a bad album at all. I mean, I'm literally never going to play it again, but if someone else played in my presence, I'd not exactly be upset.

Pretty good. But unfortunately not memorable.

Never heard of them before, nice new discovery

Not as bad as I expected, considering the album cover. This album contains some nicely made songs.

Not nearly as annoying as the Wikipedia article made it sound. Nothing I'd choose to listen to again -- it was not particularly interesting -- but I wouldn't mind if it were on in the background.

Actually didn't hate it Strange and samey but nonetheless atmospheric and entertaining

Only got half way through and thought I know what's coming next so switched it off. Quite a lot of the same

Hmm. A strange one. Not uneasy on the ears but won't feature on my listening list again I conjecture.

Hmmm

Everybody knows that the only Beta Band album anyone needs is the Three EP's compilation. This isn't too bad but it isn't anything special either.

Hey not bad! I wonder where's the Alpha Band at with their Hot Shots I?

Not bad, I enjoyed it more than I thought. The second half of the album, especially. That said, there's nothing to get crazy about. Why does it end on that list? I don't know.

Rock electrónico. Ni fu ni fa.

This album was fairly middle of the road for me. I really enjoyed the first track and had high hopes for the rest. Unfortunately, the layered textured quality that showcased the best of this album was not found throughout. I did enjoy the final track even if I did find the lyrics trying to seem deeper than they were. Overall I liked it more than I disliked it.

was ok. nothing stood out.

Nice music but why is it on the list?

More pleasant and chill than I was expecting, though it definitely got irritating at times. Best track: Squares Hovering between a 2 and a 3. I’ll be charitable and round up. Unlikely to listen again, though

Fun, but generally shapeless and indifferent.

It's one of the many "7 out of 10" albums on here. Good. Better than average, but not great. So it winds up at 3 stars.

Standouts: Broke, Quiet, Eclipse. This is a music !

Some nice songs. Some forgettable songs.

Beach boys meets wings and an education on where some famous samples came from. Never heard the Beta Band before and found it easy on the ear but not earth shattering, maybe needs another listen.

Similar to Heroes over Zeroes which I previously reviewed. Catchy and laid-back, enjoyed the listens. Not sure I would listen again after 3 listens, so 3/5 with a possible revisit at a later date.

Nice listening album, but I wouldn't say a must listen to album.

No los había escuchado. Sorprendentes.

I mean, it's okay... I wasn't a huge fan of the album all around. I thought the first song really sounded like a bond theme. Quite liked broke but other than that it's nothing remarkable

Squares is nice

Ça a parti de façon intéressante, mais après j'ai réalisé que tout au long de l'album c'était un peu du pareil au même. Loin d'être un mauvais album, mais pas grand chose qui fait en sorte de le démarquer et surtout au point de devoir l'écouter avant de mourir. On dirait par moment une version plus safe de Gorillaz, sans tous les artistes invités et moins hip hop. 6/10

Interesting enough

this sounds intense and fun. Maybe a 4? I just think it sounded kinda samey.

Cool stuff. Again, I question how essential this is, but cool stuff. 3.5/5

This one grew on me. Weird but strangely catchy

3.75

Pretty interesting. I liked the sparse electronic vibe and the fun accents but felt it went kind of downhill in the second half. It’s possible further listens could get this to a 4 but high 3 for now.

This was fine, but there really is a disproportionate number of Scottish artists on this list

So this is some Scottish guys in the early 2000s doing something that's been dubbed "folktronica", which honestly is a pretty apt description. It's definitely unique. I was actually pretty high on the first few songs, it's got this really unique, layered sound that's fairly captivating. Based on this, I actually expected to like it more than I ended up liking it. I think the uniqueness wears off a bit as it goes on, though it's certainly not a bad listen. This is one that's probably a 3.5 for me. I actually ended up adding quite a few songs to my playlist, but I just don't feel overly positive about it as a whole. I tend to round up in these cases, but this feels more like one that I'm going to completely forget about until I randomly hear a song one day and think "that was a nice album", and then promptly forget about it again. Also, I don't give ratings based on album art, but I need to comment on it in this case. It's just horrible. What were they thinking here. Favorite song: Squares Other: Al Sharp, Human Being, Gone, Quiet, Alleged, Eclipse 2/8/24

Rock electrónico. Ni fu ni fa.

Empieza mejor que termina... Electronicblackrock, pero luego soul ambiental ...

Started off ok but it's starting to get a bit wearing like most electronica. They do love their repetition, don't they. It reminds me of Grateful Dead and their ilk. What do they have in common? You need drugs to like this stuff.

Good. Not any more than good, certainly not bad, but not probably a band that would come to mind when looking for something to play.

Pretty generically uninspiring rock to me. It wasn't bad, just didn't pull me in much either.

I couldn't tell you exactly why this reminded, at times, of old Moody Blues; but it did. I'm not really sure how to describe what the hell I just listened to, or why I found it oddly pleasing. It was good to have on in the background today.

Crossover alternative indie pop, rock, electronica. A bit similar to Super Furry Animals, but maybe not as catchy. Some is quite good.

This album wasn’t bad! Just not my cup of tea.

It was totally fine but I have no idea why this would be in a best of album list. What am I missing?

Surprised by this one. Not my usual style but found myself really enjoying some of it. Probably every other song. Not consistent at all but I was more invested than I thought I’d be for sure!

The first song is great (and I just realized it was sampled by the trip hop group I Monster for their song “Daydream in Blue”). After that it got a bit repetitive for me.

Didn't mind this at all. Quite pleasant, not outstanding. 3*

With the names of band and album, I expected a funny, rock nonsense album. What I got was some interesting mix of electronica and rock that works at the beginning, but becomes very meandering later down the line. Solid, but this list has too much of this kind of music.

Nice trippy vibe with a sound that reminds me of quite a few other bands, all mashed together in a dreamy way that generally pleases. But the vocals are just lost in the mix, washed out, flat, and lifeless. In fact the whole album has a murky sound to it, like I'm listening to it with one ear under water with a head cold. It generally got more boring the further I got. Not unpleasant, but not as good as the first track had led me to believe. It hovered between 3 and 4 stars, but I'm voting it down as the lead singer sounded like he had places he would rather have been and was just dialling in his performance. I'm half sure this is what he was aiming for, some sort of disinterested cool thing? If so, then it fell incredibly flat for me.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Life, Squares

Beachboys reloaded

Interesting

Good!!

Pleasant

Can't stand his voice which is a shame because the band are tight as fuck. Great bridges and breakdowns

This was pretty good - not really what I expected out of a Scottish band from the turn of the century but I'm into it. Very experimental and varied instrumentation on here, but done in a really chill relaxing manner, made for a pleasant listen. At times invoked Moon Safari by Air, and even a little bit of the more experimental Beatles tracks. It doesn't stand out to me as a long-term listen, but I;m glad I got to hear it nevertheless. Fav Tracks: Squares, Gone, Life

Empieza mejor que termina... Electronicblackrock, pero luego soul ambiental ...

2nd album d'un Scottish group. C'est doux, grosse influence des Beatles on dirait. J'aime bien. Moins de wow vers la fin qu'au début.

Rating: 7/10 Very good album overall. Really enjoyed the chill vibes throughout, nice combination of electronic elements and rock. Every sounds very similar after a while though. Favorite songs: Squares, Human Being, Gone, Broke, Life. Least favorite song: AI Sharp.

Dragon, Quiet, Life

There are some interesting beats on this trippy album. I listened to it as background yesterday and listened to it again today with serious volume. It’s an interesting one. I like the way the guitars come in and obnoxiously interrupt the beats on Human Being and Broke. I realize that if I don’t give this a 4, I will likely forget it and never listen to it again. I can’t get there. and I want to listen to it again.

I find the addition of electronics combined with guitar gives this a more interesting sound than the Beta Band release we received last week. The end result however, is a bit bland for me, due largely to the low-key vocal delivery. I'm surprised to see two albums from this outfit on 1001, when IMO many noteworthy artists have zero entries, among them Laurie Anderson, Grace Jones, Al Stewart and the Alan Parsons Project. Oh well....

Really solid album. And 'Gone' is beautiful.

New to me and very pleasant. 3/5

Good opener but the rest was meh.

So so

Quirky, melodic tunes that are also rather same-ish after a while. 3.5 rounded down to 3.

I liked this pretty well, it had an interesting and distinct sound. The album as a while would have benefited by more variety in tone though.

Not bad.

Interesting, but really really simple folk rock.

I remember the original Beta Band buzz and how it was unfulfilled promise, so I went into this with a little trepidation, and was immediately blown away by the opening track, "Squares", but that might have been more to do with the "Daydream" sample/interpolation and how it reminded me of another song that also came out around this time. Where was I? Oh yeah, they close the album with a song called "Eclipse" about questions and answers and people lying but proclaim "And the music we make is not particularly good" and I'm undecided if they deserve the pizza or not.

Perfectly pleasant chilled listen, but not an awful lot more. Squares (the opener, and by far the most listened to song) is basically a less good ripoff of I Monster's take on Daydream In Blue from a couple of years earlier. Nice and trippy, would be interested in hearing more of them if they've done stuff with a bit more depth to it. 3/5.

Good background album. Enjoyed the chill vibe with a little bit of variety.

The Beta Band has already graced my smokin and jokin playlist - more of the chill stuff here

A cozy album that doesn't ask too much of you. I'm convinced that this is on here because of the first track, which you've probably heard before. This list's author loves to throw a whole album (or 2 or 3!) onto here for the sake of 1 semi-popular track from 20-40 years ago.

Oh man. We talking overrated again? It has a certain original hazy charm but I much prefer Steve Mason’s more mature Boys Outside album. This is kind of dopey hipster music for dopey hipsters

I’m a bit surprised by the Portishead sampling. This is the second album I’ve listened to on the list where I heard it. The album is a bit dreamy and plays well as background music.

Some tracks were great, some were just ok.

Pretty interesting sounding for their experimental design. Positive disposition.

C'est vrai ue par moment on ese laisse prendre par cela. En course c'était bien. Mais réécoute peu pas probable. 3,85

Decent stuff, quite musical and enjoyable overall

Think they're our first Scottish band. I liked it fine. The sampling was cool. I'll give this another go sometime

3.5 I think - started off strong but by the end I was a bit bored

Ik kon dit wel waarderen, al mag het wel een tikkie spannender allemaal.

Started off really good, sorta Radiohead vibes but it became sort of repetitive. Even though their style was quite wide, the music was always similar. Great but unfortunate it wasn’t more varied.

Super interesting, but I probably won't come back to it

Some time around 1991 or 1992, I used to travel to Lansing, Michigan regularly for my job. My coworker and I would always go to this bar in East Lansing where the same band was playing every week, and I swear they were called the Beta Band (although it's possible I'm wrong). Obviously not the same band as this, since it was before they were formed and this was just a local band. They were kind of a hippy-dippy band, and they had this one song called "Don't Drop the Potato" that was not intended to be funny but it never failed to crack us up. But that's all irrelevant. This album is pretty good, but for some reason the vocals are just sort of "there". They're not bad, but they sort of just cause this whole thing to fade into the background for me. I've listened to it twice and I'm not sure I've really heard it yet. It might grow on me over time. 3 stars.

The title made me approach this with a bit of a side-eye, but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Chill and a little spacey with nuanced arrangements. Worth coming back to. Fave Songs: Quiet, Alleged, Gone, Al Sharp, Human Being

I'll agree that it doesn't sound like anything else. What it does sound like is a little bit dated. It's OK.

Liked Squares but the rest was a disappointment to me.

I think I saw them perform live once, maybe as the opening act for someone else (looks like they toured with Radiohead). The album is extremely "meh". I think it's missing a captivating vocalist. It kind of sounds like a bunch of people around a campfire singing the songs of a band they like, versus the actual band. The general sound/production is OK.

dik az a sample elaludtam

This is a really good record but I think it never quite gets me amped up enough to get over the hump to a 4. I've heard this music a bunch in the past, mostly just randomly bumping into it on playlists/shuffle... it's a good collection of tunes and enjoyable, but not exciting to me. I get that it's very laid-back music, and it's good at doing that job for sure.

Didn't know what to expect, wasn't bad wasn't my favorite. Mid Beck

Nice, cheesy cover. This was actually pretty good. I might even listen to it again.

Very nice listen.

I like the mood, mysteriousness of the sound. Interesting that they were relatively short lived, only producing 3 albums before breaking up despite critical acclaim and support of powerhouse bands like Oasis and Radiohead. I like this well enough, might dig into the rest of their catalog.

I like much of what they're doing musically, but for me it's the vocals that bring it down. They're so flat and lifeless. I'm mean they're consistent in their relaxed, chilled out way, but there's hardly any emotional dynamics throughout. Makes it so nothing really sticks out.

I knew their song "Dry the Rain" which I liked so I had some expectations here. Unfortunately I was not very much into it and don't feel much. Meh.

This was an interesting and cool album. The album isn’t that old but it sounds like it mixes older styles with modern alternative. I found it to be similar to a precursor of bands that I like now. It is a bit dated compared to modern chill alt music but it has the same structure. Overall pretty solid. 6.9/10 (nice)

Rock. Alternativo

całkiem przyjemne, chlociaz nic co tkwi w pamięci

Interesting and well made! Refreshing for a 2000’s electronic music album included on this list. Strong 3

It was ok

A variety of trip-hop quietly smothers everything else. The record's quiet but not slow, starts and ends with opposite bookends. It's a nice project; Doesn't sound quite like anything else, is reminiscent of much.

Strangely this was just what I needed on the bus on a dark Tuesday morning.

Pretty groovy and very easy to listen to even on first passthrough. May not see myself listening to it constantly but it may come up again

Okay

A lot going on with many interesting ideas and sounds. I wasn't that focused in on the music, but it was enjoyable enough with an eclectic sound somewhere between Beck and the Flaming Lips. Ambitious and worth a listen.

Que ce générateur se termine au plus vite.

A little on the boring side, but not horrible. 3/5

I really waffled on the score here and ultimately settled on a lower one because it has a feeling of incompleteness about it that I think can be attributed to the weak lead vocals. Go get yourself a frontman and you've got a good thing going. Best track: Squares

Songs on this kinda blended together, they all sounded roughly the same, but I didn't mind it. Granted, I was double-tasking, clipping my toenails and reading Grapes of Wrath as this played in the background. Needless to say, I got through the whole album with a newfound empathy for drought, Oakies and the dust bowl, and feet 1.5 sizes smaller without feeling the need to turn this off.

Who needs John Rambo when you've got Topper Harley? Rambo might have been all the rage in the 70s and 80s, but Harley was the hero we needed in the 90s. In a post-Cold War world, after Rambo's exploits in Vietnam and Afghanistan, a new action hero was needed for a new era. An era kicked off by the Persian Gulf War, with the specter of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein plaguing US interests abroad. Only Harley was capable of dealing with Hussein. And deal with him he did. Could John Rambo have infiltrated Hussein's palace in Baghdad? Could John Rambo have fought valiantly against Hussein himself in a swordfight? Could John Rambo have pushed a piano out of a helicopter to crush Hussein? Only Charlie Sheen's Topper Harley could have accomplished such heroics, which is why "Hot Shots! Part Deux" was such a huge hit. The Beta Band's "Hot Shots II" was not a sequel to "Hot Shots." It did not include Topper Harley (or John Rambo). It loses a star right there for falsely purporting to be a sequel. The original is almost always better (almost). Why would you want people to think you're a sequel when you're not? Despite the lack of a buff, mulletted Charlie Sheen, the Beta Band were still a decent listen. I enjoyed the "folktronica," though none of it stuck with you the way Topper Harley beating a man with Skittle-dipped fists will.

Started out strong with Squares. Was pretty decent for a while after that. Then petered out.

I definitely got Beck vibes from this, so I was glad to read the comments and see other people feeling the same way. This was definitely a curious album that didn't really fit quite into any one genre. This wasn't a bad listen by any stretch, but it was also incredibly average. I was left feeling pretty indifferent about it. I GUESS this is a very middle-of-the-road 3?

3.4 - This reminds me of "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" by Wilco - nice guys with ambitions to create something beyond the limits of their nice-guy rock sound. Despite some stilted electronics, these songs are well-composed with lyrics that swipe lightly at philosophical truths rarely delving deep intellectually or emotionally. Overall, this sounds like fine background music for a nighttime work session at a coffee shop - enough ear candy to keep you focused, and a middling vibe that won't distract. Standouts: "Quiet", "Alleged."

"Hot Shots II" is the second album by Scottish musical group the Beta Band. Electronic and rock are the listed genres. That's appropriate. This album was a change from their more experimental previous album to a more minimal style influenced by R&B, hip hop and electronica. I heard the electronica. It was produced by Colin "C-Swing" Emmanuel and the Beta Band. Commercially, it did well on the indie charts reaching #1 in the UK and #11 in the US. The album starts out with clapping and electronic samples in "Squares." An electronic beat, a synth and background piano. Very chill. Lead vocalist Steve Mason singing about dreaming and feeling numb...nothing can touch him. In "Al Sharp," they add a xylophone, string samples and a groovy bassline. Layered vocals. His girlfriend left him for Al Sharp and money. "Human Being" is the most rockin' song on the album. It builds with real drums, guitar and a jam outro. "Life" adds ominous strings, laser synths and a cowbell. Yes! It's about unrequited love with the last verse commenting on big corporation and the Iraqi War. The last song "Eclipse" brings in a droning and washout synth and piano. An electronic beat. Nice vocal harmonization. Books, pizza, questions and answers. Sounds like my life. The song is very chill and ends the album the way it began. This is a decent album. It reminds me somewhat of Radiohead's "Kid A" and the Flaming Lips' "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" with its electronica aspect and concurrent albums at the time. There's nice harmonies. The songs build and usually have some aspect that's catchy. There's not a song the caliber of "Dry the Rain" but most of them are solid.

Sehr gediegen, aber auch etwas langweilig. 3.4

it was interesting but got boring incredibly quick broke was decent

I've never listened to a Beta Band album before, but I liked The Aliens' 'Astronomy for Dogs' record back in 2007. You can tell this is by the same people given the vocals and overall sound. It's less poppy and more groove and rhythm based than The Aliens and is overall pretty enjoyable. Squares is yet *another* track to sample/interpolate that 'daydream, I fell asleep amid the flowers...' song. Rating: 3.5/5 Playlist track: Squares Date listened: 15/09/23

The Beta Band are high on cool points with me because of Dry The Rain, that is a killer track. I haven't gotten into any of their albums or deep cuts though. This album was a pleasing listen. It didn't blast my tits off, but it was cool in it's own subtle and unique way. I can dig it.

Shots could have been hotter.

would have preferred the alphas good self-knowledge tho

This is music, and I listened to it.

me gustó bastante!! 7/10

Empieza mejor que termina... Electronicblackrock, pero luego soul ambiental ...

This is a top album? Ok

6/10. Pretty good, nothing outstanding but glad I listened to it

Not bad

Great opening track, but the rest of the album is quite unremarkable

Nice early 00’s sounds. Reminds me a lot of Beck. I like the sound but don’t think it will stick with me. 3.5

Superbly boring but with some nice moments. Felt like I was waiting for something to turn, alright to listen to and felt a bit more 'retro' than early 200s

Vocals remind me of 60s psychedelia a bit. A pretty smooth and unassuming record that was just ok. Didn't grab me in a noticable way. 2.5/5.

I really do not get The Beta Band

Plutôt chiant;

See my previous review on this band.

Second straight album I have gotten hurt on here that feels like parody

This was interesting, I don't think I'd heard it before. The Beta Band have that aura around them but if you weren't there at the time, I don't think you get it. Still, it's interesting music. High 2s.

I wasn't aware of this band at all prior to today, and after listening to this album I am very grateful for that fact. It wasn't band in a "I can't listen to this shit" way, but it was just humdrum and monotonous.

2 stars

Interesting but not for me

Another brand new to me. This is an odd one to me because I recognize that the music is complex and good and the recording well produced...but I'm having a hard time connecting to it. It's like there's some subtle tonality that grates on me. Fascinating, but not for me.

Listenable but nothing that stood out other than the first song which I think is mostly because it had samples I was familiar with. Not awful or anything but just meh

I liked the first few songs and thought I was going to be pleasantly surprised by this album. They had a nice flow/beat and a unique vibe and I was enjoying it. But it didn’t last beyond that. I don’t know if the songs became weaker or the sound just grew too repetitive, but the album quickly lost my interest and started to feel monotonous.

The more I listened to this album, the less I enjoyed it. It started as being good background noise while I was busy but by the end I was being overly critical. Shortened version is this isn’t anything special and I don’t see any value for why it belongs on this project.

Beck b-sides but boring.

I liked it more than expected. Some great flows and beats, first few tracks in particular but album loses steam as it goes on. Got a bit muddy.

Meh.2

Didn’t fuck with

Це один із альбомів, яких я чув. Там був вокал, інструментарій, навіть продакшн був. Пісні, пісні там теж були. А так, окрім пісень було мало чого. Обложка була, наприклад, ще назва була, тааак... Оцінка: середня-висока 5

Not for me

Psychedelic indie pop and folktronica built from loose grooves, dusty acoustic textures, mellow electronics, and hazy vocals drifts like falling asleep in a hammock while someone quietly changes the radio station every few minutes—warm, strange, and at first deceptively immersive. The album’s laid-back surface hides intricate layering and subtle experimentation that gradually pull the listener deeper into its atmosphere while verging on shapelessness, which leaves more bored in the process.

langweilig

starts with that one meme song. it's aight

Boring

Nice album art. Shame about the album. Dull.

Sophomore Jocks.

Very unremarkable, a kind of cheesy!

I've played it three times and, while I’ve been mildly enjoying some parts, the whole thing keeps slipping away - like being flashed by the Men In Black after every tune. A release so amazingly dull, that it becomes a masterpiece in that aspect. Now I know how sparrow's fart sounds like.

This is pretty average to me, cool sounds but overall not doing anything that other trip hop or psychadelic haven’t done better. 3 EPs is better but I’m not sure I’d say either of these are a must listen even if I had enjoyed them more

It's kinda like a less exciting Gorillaz. Some decent vocal work and the writing isn't terrible, but I'm just a little bored.

One thing I enjoy about this experience is the generator showing me artists that I would have never sought out on my own. This group is a perfect example of that. It was cool at times and kind of sleepy and boring at times but I didn't hate I had to listen to it. However, the misses outnumber the hits, especially towards the end. I did enjoy the song I recognized from tik tok. 2/5

..

It was cool, then fine, then eh.

ehhhh

🎧Dimery, respectfully, what are we doing here?

Wow brutal

I will never be listening to this again

Boring and shockingly self important

OK.

Another fine electronica album that doesn't do much for me.

If you call yourself the beta band and under deliver. You're lik ironically genius or just sad.

Groupe inconnu. Electronica, 77 eme album, pas désagréable en musique d'ambiance => 2/5

I found the album to be pretty boring

Goes on a great three song run part way through but overall I'm just completely indifferent to this. Could easily see if someone said this was the worst album they ever heard.

I didn't hate it, but it's nothing I would ever willingly put on again. I guess I can add trip hop to the list of genres I don't really care for? Because this is the second album I've had in that category that I haven't enjoyed.

Early 00s thirty something dinner party music.

Bland

we already had these guyss

i only like the first song

I like Squares and the production is interesting... I should have rated Heroes to Zeroes lower. This might be a better album... but at the same time... it's so boring... this has to be a 2... let's say 2 retroactively for both of these...

Need to turn the levels up, to quiet.

587/1001 2026.04.08 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑

Favorite Song: Human Being

The only compliment I can give is that it is better than Heroes to Zeros, at least Im done with the Beta Band for the rest of my life 2/5

I don't understand why this band deserves 2 albums on this list.

6/10 - A warm reception from me. Pleasant to listen to, but I don't find myself saving or wanting to come back (for now). However, I loved the ending Eclipse; the build after a slower album is really nice. Ultimately, I found every song a little too samey, and everything blended together leaving me wanting more memorable moments However, I could totally see myself coming back to this slowly over the years, i do believe it is very well made.

I expected a little more energy from this after seeing the album artwork. Just kinda boring to me. Tepid vocal deliveries and unremarkable instrumentals. This isn’t bad but nothing stands out enough where I can say I enjoyed it. The best song here is Squares but it’s 90% interpolation of another song.

To borrow a line from a friend, I know I listened to this yesterday, but I don't recall anything about it

Slow boring album

Another Beta Band miss for me. Once again there's nothing on here that necessarily rubs me the wrong way, but it also does not engage me at all. Sometimes I feel like even the band is bored with what they're playing. 2.4/5

I made it 5.5 songs. These guys have to be stopped. Two stars because of the Daydream sample in the first song.

Beta album

I'm 875 albums in and this is among the worst if not THE worst album cover I've seen. This was not so hot shots for me. I didn't hate it but it was meh and instantly forgettable. I won't ever revisit this. 2.5/5

Huh?

(2/7) I don't see how this can be a "must listen"

There’s an annoying scene about this band in High Fidelity, isn’t there

The artwork is laughably bad and feels like a jab at flashy hip-hop album art. If that is intentional, none of that humour shows up on the actual album. On first listen, this failed to make much of an impression on me. This is a laid-back affair, with characterless and wimpy vocals. 'Squares' was the big single from this album and it sounded like they're trying to be the next Portishead, but they do not have the vocal chops to make the music engaging and they bring anything new to that trip-hop flavoured sound. There are moments of greatness with the instrumentation, but all good stuff happens as the song reaches its crescendo and you already stopped caring by that point. I wasn't offended by anything on here, but I certainly wasn't engrossed at any point nor do I think I will ever return to this.

I thought this was just ok

mja wel leuk. ze vonden het zelf blijkbaar "volledig uniek en als niks dat ooit gemaakt was" maar ik zie niet echt in wat dit in de lijst doet

I didn’t like this because it sounded like beck but worse.

It's quite nice, but I won't remember any of it, and won't be coming back.

Meh.

Not my thing

Boring

No progresa...

The Beta Band is difficult to categorize, and “Hot Shots II” is a mixture of electronic beats, rock guitars, and harmony vocals, embedded in a random pop mix. That doesn't hurt anyone, but I was waiting the whole time for something catchy or remarkable. As a result, Hot Shots II is largely boring, though not in an easy listening kind of way, but rather with an alternative vibe. It has been written that there is nothing comparable to it—which makes sense: the audience for this kind of music is likely to be rather small. At least the record was well produced.

Every time I see the Beta Band anywhere I think about the scene in High Fidelity where Jack Black's character comes in and complains about Dick's Sad Bastard Music (even though that was Belle and Sebastian). I've seen Beta Band live opening for Radiohead, and have heard them hundreds of times on KEXP, but still only can think of Dry the Rain. Update: I made it three songs in and remembered nothing about each song as soon as it ended.

Much like the other Beta Band one in that it was very boring

In the movie High Fidelity the main character puts on a (different) The Beta Band album in a record store and says, "I'm going to sell five copies." It's immediately obvious that the film is fictional — I doubt anyone in real life would buy the album after seeing something like that. Similar artists include Beck and The Flaming Lips; they're right on target: it's lo-fi electronica with occasional guitars, a bit monotonous in some ways. I don't know how else to describe this music, but I can say that after this album's release, the band was booked as opener for Radiohead tour, which might give some insight. A very uneven record. Sometimes it sounds pleasant, sometimes it's so dull that you want to turn it off. At first, I wanted to give it three stars, but then I remembered the book's title and thought, "Did I really need to listen to this album before I die? Naah..."

It's not bad enough to give a 1 but also not memorable or interesting. Weird inclusion on this list.

Every review and comment I came across compared this band to others that I really enjoy. They've included Radiohead, Beck, even Wilco. I can only hear a hint of those sounds in this album. Most of those reviews also really dig heavily into Beta Band's other albums and the wild experimental sounds they came up mixing sampling, folk, and more. They often name this album as the "accessible" sound. To me it sounds watered down. I guess I'll have to listen to their other work to find out who they really are.

Favorite track(s): Quiet, Life

I always imagine that I love this band, but in practice I can't quite get there. I bought the nice CD set of their 90s-00s albums 10 years ago and found it hard to get through all of it once. This album has a chill, lo-fi approach, with most of the songs setting out a repetitive groove that never really goes anywhere. And that's how I feel about it overall: a few nice songs that sound good in the background, but nothing really moved me or made me shut up and listen.

If Muzak had vocals

Very meh. I have already forgotten it all

This is a band I never heard of before. I did like how minimalist the arrangements were. I liked the songs Dragon and Broke. The rest was a little bland though. I found the song Eclipse to be particularly irritating.

Meh outside of Squares.

Meh. Forgettable? Appreciate the music in some places though.

Shitty version of Beck with bland vocals. Please no more UK rock.

There is nothing good on this.

Nothing offensive, but this did nothing for me.

It was fine? Kinda background music. Didn't really pay attention, didn't really grab my attention

I kind of feel like there is depth there and this could really grow on me, but in the first couple of listens this passed me by a little bit. I tend to like these kind of sounds usually. The mix somehow feels as though major elements are whispering at you and inviting you to lean in.. Put almost in an annoying passive aggressive way

It isn't that it was...bad? It was just so lackluster there were times I forgot I was listening to music.

This was incredibly boring.

Yet another Brit band whose music never really crossed the Atlantic, other than as a punchline in the terribly pretentious High Fidelity TV show. I thought this was fine but nothing special. Too many like this are on the list (and I understand this got dropped from the most recent print edition). 2⭐️

Jetzt weiß ich mal, von wem „squares“ ist. Reicht dann aber auch, brauch ich kein zweites Mal.

Really not for me.

Electronic Soft Rock from a band I've never heard of. Insipid, nothing grabs my attention.

Quite pleasant. Also a bit goofy. I didn't connect with any tracks on this, ultimately. 2.5 stars, rounded down, which does feel harsh as I didn't dislike this.

Really want to like this, but outside of a couple of songs, it's kinda dull.

The first song felt familiar but never really connected and that was the peak of my enjoyment

Not really for me but didn’t hate

About as mediocre as their titling and cover art. 2/5

Given this band's name, they are clearly self aware of their own mediocrity. And yet, they still decided to persevere and make an album they presumably thought was good. I almost respect their dedication to not caring, but that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the most bland albums I have ever heard in my life.

Good musicians, I guess. But, the music is lethargic to my ears. Try as I might, I couldn't keep my attention focused on it. Disappointing.

Tästä ei jäänyt mitään mieleen. Tulipahan kuunneltua.

Boooooring

Favourite track: Square

Could not keep my attention. A little too low-key for me.

Literally put me to sleep. I did not enjoy this at all. It wasn't terrible, just boring.

Quite surprised this album is here as I thought the earlier efforts were more acclaimed. I wouldn't say this has aged particularly well and was quite bored. The echo/reverb on absolutely every vocal really grinded on me. One or two tracks are OK but on the whole I wouldn't listen again.

I recognize the first song because it’s sampled on a great Lupe Fiasco track. Aptly singing daydream this album announces exactly what you’re in for. This is a great background album, cool beats and sounds and I can just set it and forget it and go about my day, this is a nice one to look out the window and stare of into space and listen to as the music drones on and lyrics loop. Not much happens but I guess that’s ok. The only downside is I can’t remember a thing I heard, nothing stands out.

It was ok, closer to the trip hop genre, which I love, but this is not as good as some of the things from that time. The vocals are not good and the instrumentals are just ok-ish.

This sure is an extra ordinary album. Not extraordinary. Just ordinary. But REALLY REALLY ordinary. Yawn.

Do not like this.

Some people listen to podcasts to fall asleep, others take medicine. I strongly recommend this album.

Something strange

This was a nothing album. Only cool thing was the daydream sample

Forgettable. One of the band must be Dimery’s drinking buddy or something for there to be 2 of their albums in this…

Where is the Hot Shot? This album doesn't have it. 2/5

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

A little bit fun.

Very, very calm, kinda nice?

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.

I prefer their first album more.

Meh

Nothing amazing but not bad

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.

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 almost liked alot of these songs, but most of these songs were just a beat or degree off somehow....

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.

If the Gorillaz sucked worse.

The songs are fine. Production is really muddled. Liked it less as it went along

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

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.

Generic and background.

Not really into it.

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?

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.

sympathiek plaatje... maar staat niet in mijn top 1001... ergens rond 101000 denk ik

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

I can see how it was ahead of its time, but that doesn't make it interesting.