Hot Shots II

nae. har ändå gett det här en ärlig chans men det är inget vidare. man hör hur gärna dom egentligen vill göra triphop typ.

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.

2.5

Definitely a beta band.

Nothing outstanding. I almost fell asleep.

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

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

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.

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 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...

It thinks it's smarter than it is, which makes it a bit grating, but generally fine.

Accidentally put this rating on smokers delight. The review for that one is the same. Pretty boring

The Beta BLAND

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)

Harmonies. organ, trip hop, hi fidelity Al sharp Alleged

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.

Nothing stood out

Kinda boring, if I'm being honest.

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.

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 :/

zzz

It’s a decent album. Nothing groundbreaking. Just a decent album. Quite forgettable.

It's OK for a lazy Sunday morning, beyond that, temper your expectations.l

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.

Nah

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.

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.

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

A little too experimental for me

"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

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.

3/10

Squares is a nice song. Rest ok 2/5

I can see how this was cool when it was new but now I find it boring.

Blir kjedelig i lengden. Mest pga vokalen.

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.

A nice DIY vibe. It is pleasant though not groundbreaking. Worth 2.5, put 2 stars

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 really think I don't wanna hear this, but here goes anything .... Oh-kaaaay that was not what I expected at all. And it didn't hurt to listen to. Still not my brand of tea, alas

This is the second album by this band that’s been generated so far, and I still don’t know why this band is included at all. It’s not horribly bad, it’s just not good at all. Pointless inclusion!

it's funny bc you look at that cover and never expect the songs to sound like they do. way too bo burnham to me though, music and comedy shouldn't go together in my opinion but alas

# 486 : Hot Shots II : 22/05/2025 Yet another band that I'd never heard of. Not sure their music ever left Scotland. Occasionally great, occasional meh …when your only claim to fame is you are on this list…

This one seems pretty weak to me, like it has veen watered down somehow. I guess you shouldn't buy your music while it's still in beta. Favorite track: "Dragon," I think.

i hope you like the first song. if you don’t you’ll have a hard time listening to this one because EVERY SONG SOUNDS EXACTLY THE SAME.

one of the best albums ever made. a classic that sounds fresh to this day. a tour de force that bewilders critics and audiences alike. a must listen

4/10 This is not groovy, this is not exciting. Mid

Sounds like a barbershop quartet singing over Logic Pro bedroom beats 🤷🏾

This one wasn't for me. Kind of boring and I didn't enjoy the sound.

I don’t know. It was okay. I didn’t dislike it but also nothing really stood out to me. It felt like background music, I could fall asleep listening to this. I tried to give it a second listen because I couldn’t remember any of the tracks but even the second time didn’t leave an impression on me. Normally I like to write my top tracks but they all felt about the same. I kept trying to compare each track but I instantly forgot what the previous one sounded like. Probably won’t come back to it but I guess I enjoyed the listen.

2/5 not very enjoyable but not terrible either. Hard to pin down a genre on this one.

"I think we need some representation on our 1001 list from this so-called indie genre the kids are going on about!" "Oh, you mean like The Stone Roses?" "I'm pretty sure there's been some developments in the genre since, maybe we can seek opinion from some credible sources with ears close to the ground." "You mean someone like John Cusack's character in High Fidelity?" "That sounds about right..."

This album should have been called Lullabies For Fish. It’s so boring and one style and energy it could even put fish to sleep. There is no reason to listen to this, unless you have insomnia.

Not what I thought this album would sound like given the album artwork. I thought it was okay and probably ahead of its 'indie sad boy summer vibes' time in 2001.

This is not resonating with me at all. I’m not a fan of the vocal style and everything feels so bland.

The best part of this record is the sample at the beginning. “Life” is an okay song too.

4/10 - it was kind of boring and the parts that weren’t boring were not good enough to make up for it. Plus the last song was pretty weird

I have very mixed opinions on this

Incredibly dull.

It's got moments here and there ("Broke" comes the closest to being a good song), but it's mostly bland and forgettable. Not surprised it fell off the list. The title makes me want to watch the Hot Shots! movies instead, which is assuredly a better use of one's time.

what the hell, sure

Pretentious hipster shite

Decent album. I liked the variety and the production. It felt like the instruments/samples had room to breathe on each song.

So painfully below-average that it makes me question the author's other picks.

A nice sound here. Kind of cozy… but then over the whole album, it also gets boring. Very boring.

This record is a little dark and opaque. I can’t quite put my finger on anything and none of the tracks have really stuck with me after the fact.

Totalmente inerte. Tenía cositas para que me gustara mucho más, pero es como si fueran a medio gas todo el rato. Canción destacada: Human Being

Ok album, not very memorable as I'm having a hard time recalling anything about it when I write this review the morning after listening to it. I remember it not being my thing, but I don't remember why. 2/5

It's better than the other Beta Band's album on the list, but it's still pretty awful.

This seems to be one of those records that is loudly celebrated as zany, bizarre, off-the-wall and innovative, but its actually just indie rock with a synth. To me, it sounds like the sombre end of britpop mixed with some bits of 1990s electronic sound. Maybe not a million miles from Gorillaz, whose first album came out the same year as this. The vocals are very monotonous. The songwriting has a few striking moments. The music ranges from slightly catchy to inoffensive. It's not doing much for me. 2.5*

Los he escuchado de pasada alguna vez en Radio3, pero nunca un album completo. Veo que tenía Squares como favorita de antes. Pues salvo esa, un peñazo en general, se salva porque es tranquilito y se queda en 2 estrellas.

I'll be honest, this album went in one ear and right out the other. Just completely did not hold my attention.

2.5/5

Ummm hmmm. A lot of this album consisted of me just continuously checking if it was over because I couldn’t find it incredibly interesting. Given that, I think it’s different and gave some good and new impact and such.

For one thing a better singer could have made this worth something. These monotone vocals made even the first track a bit of a sludge to get through and it literally never varies for the entire damn album. Also Mr Beta - I noticed your lyrics. 90% of the time for me that's a bad sign and oh yes it is the 90 %. These are banal and stupid stupid lyrics . Yeah this one just pissed me off - nearly always frustratingly stuck in 1st or 2nd gear. And many times it was *so close* to making something out of nothing that it almost made me mad. Plus it is way way too inorganic - not sure we get a sound of air from any element whatsoever and it really hit me for whatever reason - in the end made this an easy 2 at best. 4/10 2 stars

The Beta Band brings some soft electronic rock to the table that works at times and doesn't at others. There's some tracks I enjoyed and some others that did nothing for me. Second half of the album grabbed me a little more than what I heard initially. Not really sure what to say otherwise. It's a middle of the pack album for the most part. Wish this had been a soundtrack for the comedy masterpiece Hot Shots Part Deux instead. 2.42 stars

2.5

Pretty forgettable

Yet another album that doesn't deserve the acclaim this list is giving. Maybe if I ask nicely, they'll put the album my high school band recorded on this list and I can feel like a special boy too! This is the second album I've got for The Beta Band (Heroes to Zeros is also on here for some reason) and while this is the better of the 2, it's still nothing to write home about. Sure, I can hear it's influence on some of my favorite bands, but those bands just did it better. I was going to just skip it all together until I heard this is where Lupe Fiasco got the sample for "Daydream" and thought, sure, I'll give it a try, and about halfway through, I had to move on to something else. Incredibly mid snooze fest

It was okay, offered something a little different

The first two songs gave me a feeling of "okay, I didn't enjoy it, but the style is there, and I definitely enjoy music *like* it, so maybe it'll get there!" But it just didn't unfortunately

- Eh

Finally gave it a listen. Hmm. There are these moments when it catches you, all that laid back quirkiness, but most of the time it is rather a 'come to the point' feeling. A little bit too repetitive and same-feeling. I understand why this never became bigger, despite obvious talent.

This was a vanilla album. Nothing great but nothing bad either. Not sure why it’s on this list

Honestly, not that bad, but nothing about this grabs me to come back for more.

Why do people keep trying to make me enjoy the Beta Band?

I listened to this the whole way through and kept having to go back as it made such little impression on me I couldn't remember it at all. I still don't really remember it other than being a bit meh and not that interesting

They were looking to create a certain sound and they achieved it. Boring.

this album was well recieved by critics. im sure at the time this music seemed adventurous but today it sounds like very generic indie rock. i really do believe that this band was way more influential than there sales would suggest since a lot of bands aped this. im not rating its influence though.

Damn. Just like Christine and the Queens, I really wanted to like this. Good production, good sound overall, but the songs aren't good. Or at least not good enough. They all sound generic, in a bad way. An incredibly, incredibly mid album with a lot of potential. They have the tools, they know how to use it, but the results just don't work.

Sub average and forgettable.

Not particularly entertaining. No pop no fizz. Kind of boring Sort of like poetry reading. Best part? It was short.

Never heard of them, and seems there's a good reason. This is not interesting.

Snoozefest

why'd he sound like bill wurtz

I admit I fell for the hipster hype after seeing High Fidelity. But the 3 EPs is where that hype stopped for me. The vibe is right but the songs are completely hollow. Another better band, Elbow, got the vibe and the songs right and are The Beta Band's lunch. This record has the vibe. But it's boring. It doesn't go anywhere. It just sort of siren songs you in promising something it can't deliver.

Listen to this while at work and I think that was the right way to listen to it. Not much to think about here. 4/10

I like the track one remix of daydreaming but nothing else really does anything for me.

I think I'll wait until the Delta Band.

I have a vague recollection of hearing some of these before but it’s blandness overwhelms any memory

I think they have an interesting chill sound, and this should really suit me. While I found 'Squares' to be alright, I didn't find any of the other songs particularly interesting. Somehow the whole album also sounds very... weak, and bad? There is no punch in anything in the songs, and the singer's voice is extremely weak and sits behind everything else in the mix, so it just doesn't grab you at all. Also almost zero stereo image... just very bad sounding in general to me. Maybe a bit harsh, but getting a 2. Mostly because it's sounds so uninspiring, but also because it's a bit of a boring record.

Nothing really stuck out and while the general vibe was ok, I wasn't that impressed. The album art wasn't doing it any favours either.

No thanks.

I liked the chorus of "Squares" and couple of other moments on this album, but it was mostly just boring and forgettable. 2.5 stars

# Album Name: Hot SHots II # Artist: Beta Band # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: ANother album where i have no idea why its on this list. The opening some was decent. The rest could be background music from any random band. There was some decent melodies and layering at time. # Top Tunes: Squares # Would I listen to it again? No

Pre-listening thoughts: I have once again never heard of this band or album. Zero clue what to expect here Post/during listening thoughts: this is pretty chill and like lo fi. I can get behind it to an extent but this genre tends to bore me after a while. I’ll check back in towards the end of this album to see if it kept me hooked. This is like the exact opposite of the rage against the machine album we just got lol. Like that was overstimulating and this is understimulating and I’m way bored lol. This is like the Doves album from a while back. I thought I was at the end but I’m only on song three?! Yeah bye 4/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: not a chance Fav tracks: Squares Least fav tracks: can’t decide if I love or hate Broke.

One or two good points. Mostly not good though, middling 2.

Ok-aaay, so an experimental Scottish band goes straight; insoding surpises even themselves by making actual songs. The Album cover: an explosion in the vacuum of space. Sarcastic physicists? Id listen to this on a bus tour of Glasgow or Edinburough. Yes, how fitting. A soundtrack to commuting amoung the welcoming madlings of the Hebrides. Out of context its mirky at best. So, I re-label this to "Music for discovering the people of Scotland" . Because a knowing glance can say more than words. We could have been listeing to music that connects us and makes us dance and smile. But all we got more pudge.

This was no good

I’ve got a soft spot for early 2000s trip hop but this was kinda boring

Hmm... let's see. An obscure Scottish indie electronic rock album from the early 2000s with minimal success, a weirdly high amount of praise from one or two magazines, and a band where one of the first things the Wikipedia article mentions is that the band was praised by members of Radiohead and Oasis? Yep, I think I've found the album that most exemplifies the weird picks of this list. Only Robert Dimery could consider this album worthy of a list like this. I know I don't. This album's mid. The singing's kind of annoying to me. The sound is fine. It's not the most unique, but I respect the production. The writing exists. At first I was thinking that I was just not in the mood for this, but by the end I really started to feel that my complaints with this album were more legitimate than I thought. This thing kind of drags a bit near the end and is a bit repetitive. I just don't see why this is here. Apparently Kludge, a magazine I've never heard of, called this the best album of 2001. Really? You're joking right? I mean, how can you call this the best album of 2001 when albums like Is This It and Toxicity exist? Don't get me wrong, the release of Hot Shots II is not the worst thing to happen in 2001, but it might just be the least interesting. Hot Shots 2? More like, Hot Shots 2/5. It's a high 2 though. No wonder this got removed from the list.

It’s ok

I didn't hate this but I didn't love it either. I'll give it a 2 because there were parts that I enjoyed.

Ok, not really that great, kinda meh

Not what I expected. Not impressed. 2.5

Meh - shoulder shrug

The buzzing sound on the track of "Life" was annoying. Gone was probably the best track.

didn't like this one as much as the other Beta Band album

Felt too minimalistic

easy listening, ohne spezifisches highlight.

not what I expected.

Hmm!

Super boring music.

It's not bad - vocals are a little droney for me but musically it's alright.

Kveikti ekki í mér. Það vantar einhvern neista þarna.

I thought it sounded very aged, I can imagine people listening to this at the time it was released (which wasn't even that long ago) and convincing myself this was good for the time. Then I realised that so many other albums in this list stand the test of time and manage to be worth listening to after 50+ years and suddenly this album went down the drain for me.

A bit meh

This was chewing gum commercial bad

Dnf.

I remember when I purchased “The Three EPs” release after hearing “Dry The Rain” and being disappointed with how similar all of the tracks were. Hearing this release, I feel like they are working with expanding that sound. So that’s a positive I guess. But I think if ever a band could benefit from a change to their vocal delivery and patterns, it's them. If the music sounds interesting, there’s still those monotone vocals on top which sedates instead of excites. I wrote this^ with three songs left on the album, and was ready to give a 3/5, which for me means "it's fine, but nothing special". However, the last three tracks pushed me, and the final two bored me to death, and I landed on a 2/5. We'll always have that High Fidelity quote...

This is boring and horseshit.

Ei kyl iske enää, vaikka joskus näitä kuuntelin

miks tätä bändiä on kaks levyä?

Pretty boring and samey throughout. Squares is great, but that's about it.

Utterly uninteresting and unimpressive. Repeated lines over and over again. Background music for mindless tasks.

Another very bland album by the Beta Band - at least Heroes to Zeros had some interesting percussion in places. Every song just sounded the same, and like so many other songs from this era of indie. It is genuinely baffling that this band have two albums on the list when artists such as Gorillaz, The Strokes and The White Stripes only have one

I remember some of these songs, but I think I remember samples of them rather than these songs as is.

On one hand electronic music is under-represented on the list, when you consider its utter dominance of European pop culture the last 35-odd years. On the other hand it's not an album genre and a lot of it just isn't very good. Crossover with rock music are often not good at either genre. This is a good example of that. The first song is alright, the rest is boring.

I start to get why they are called The Beta Band and not The Alpha Band. 2.1*

Parempaa kuin viimeksi.. ei tähden arvoisesti... 2004 vuosi pilkkavuosi... 2001.. Ilon vuosi..

STANDOUTS: n/a OVERALL: 2/5; I'm unsure why this was necessary on a "must-listen" album list.

Eka biisi ok, loput huttua.

No kyllähän tän suht ilosesti kuunteli jalalla naputtaen, mut aika perushuttua

I have previously enjoyed a bit of Three E.P.s and was hopeful that this would be similarly interesting. That's actually the problem: it's too similar. More UK bias? Maybe. At least this one is relatively chill to have on in the background while I nothing of importance.

Beta

Didn’t grab me. Feels like early hot chip.

I listened to it the day before and it is so unremarkable, I can't think of anything to say.

No, I did not like this at all. For the most part, I think it was the vocals that put me off, but the music itself did not do much for me either.

Pretty forgettable, whiny soft rock indie boy stuff I’m not super into. Eclipse would be a favorite if I had to choose

In 2001 I actually saw The Beta Band tour Hot Shots II. You’d think I’d have to be a big fan right? No they opened for Radiohead who was touring Kid A/Amnesiac. In prep I tried to get into Beta Band, if Radiohead liked them they must be good! I tried again yesterday. 0/2 5.2

I can't force myself to be interested in this.

Comparing it to The Three EPs and Heroes to Zeros, this one is much tamer and sparser, but more consistent in its dreamy optimistic melodies and mood. Utilizes some cool spacey electronics that remind me of modern krautrock (e.g. Stereolab) and space rock (e.g. Spiritualized). A largely forgettable experience with no standout tracks, but it's a laid-back style dispersed with some cool tricks.

Not terrible but I little boring for me

Blind album and artist. Its like a DJ got flacid and stopped trying. I wouldn't say its a 1 but god.

Big yawn

Listened Before? N I found this one pretty unremarkable. Not sure what it's doing here. It's not bad - per se- but I feel like maybe the author was struggling to find Scottish bands for representation. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Squares

2 - My partner and I were discussing this album and decided that it sounds like if Jack Johnson was trying to be Beck. It's a really boring album. Like, I would tell people to just go actually listen to Beck. I don't really get why this album is one I gotta listen to before I die, but it did get removed in later versions of the book, so I guess they figured that out too. Also, this band had another album on the list, also removed. Why? Were they really big in England or something? Anyway, I don't see this album doing anything new or inventive. It's just boring.

An album with spacious production and eclectic arrangements that ultimately falls flat due to being highly repetitive.

Going by the cover I was expecting a joke band. Like seriously, why name yourselves the Beta Band? And then name your album after an old Charlie Sheen parody movie. Listening to this I kept swaying between this is insipid and boring, and oh that bit was interesting. Ultimately this is too hipster wannabe for my taste.

Fairly chilled lil album

unremarkable and forgettable

Quite disappointing based on what I had heard previous to this of the band. I find it funny that the review in the 2005 edition of the book says that this album is under appreciated now but in 10 years people will appreciate it more. However it was removed from later editions of the book.

I really like Dry The Rain. I also quite like Hey Jude. This seems to be various versions of Dry The Rain, with varying degrees of success. The album is pleasant enough, but too pleasant for me. This cruised along happily with no rough edges and no seeming deviation from the indie-late-Beatles path. Inoffensive to the point that I zoned out about half way through.

These guys sound like Pink Floyd if Pink Floyd didn’t know how to write catchy songs. I guess that’s all I can say about this album. Choice cut: Human Being

I wish it was the movie

Boring but inoffensive

Boooooring

2, me aburría

idk

Gone is really beautiful. The rest is really forgettable.

A hard one to evaluate. Definitely not something that I felt was an essential pick for the list. Sometimes interesting but sometimes boring in more or less equal measure. At the end of the day I just didn’t enjoy it very much. Best song: Human Being

I feel like this album nosedives a bit on the B side. The A side isn’t that great either. Kind of a weird inclusion.

this is the sort of album where it feels like it should have amazing lyrics to make up for the mid-to-bad quality of everything else. except the lyrics also suck.

"Hot Shots II" by The Beta Band, released in 2001, fails to live up to the promise of their earlier work, offering a collection of songs that feel unfocused and uninspired. While tracks like "Squares" and "Al Sharp" show glimpses of the band's trademark sound, much of the album lacks the experimentation and creativity that made their debut album so compelling. Instead, many tracks meander aimlessly, lacking the catchy hooks or memorable melodies that would make them stand out. The production also feels dated, with some tracks sounding like relics of the early 2000s rather than timeless classics. Overall, "Hot Shots II" feels like a missed opportunity for The Beta Band, failing to capitalize on the potential shown in their earlier work. While there are moments of brilliance on the album, they are few and far between, earning "Hot Shots II" a 2/5 rating for its lack of cohesion and overall underwhelming nature.

Another bog average early 2000s indie/electronica record that I couldn’t wait to get to the end of.

Eh

Basic rock songs fill this album. Theres no real hook to anything. It’s good music and I like the sounds made so that’s a plus but I’m failing to see…hear…what makes this album a necessity to listen to.

Not interested.

I’m irrationally resentful of the gulf between the pedigree of praise the Beta Band receives and how bland I find them.

A good mix of styles presented in a new way. Easy listening.

Squares only good song

Bit tedious. Think the vocalist needs to smile when he sings

Meh

This plays like DJ Shadow Muzak. Chilled out The Books. Radiohead except all beats instead of guitars and vocal aerobatics. It doesn’t live up to the hype of High Fidelity.

Background music. Borink

Ok but forgettable. It was more background music and anything of note.

I didn’t really connect with this album, I found it pretty boring overall. There’s some nice instrumentation and melodies, it has a lush sound it just drags a little.

21/100 Based on this scale: 1 star - 0 to 19 2 stars - 20 to 39 3 stars - 40 to 59 4 stars - 60 to 79 5 stars - 80 to 100 When I loaded up the album, I saw that the first song on the album had far more listens than the other songs. While that's not always indicative of much, I sort of felt like this album was going to blow its load on the first track and the rest would be boring. It turns out that as far as blown loads go, "Squares" wasn't much of one in the first place. "Human Being" wasn't a complete waste of my time, but otherwise...

Boring.

Dit album is het net niet voor mij. Ik kan er goed naar luisteren, maar het is een beetje een bord smaakloze pap. Wanneer track Y aan staat heb je al geen idee meer hoe track X ook alweer ging, terwijl je die 20 seconden geleden nog aan had staan. Veel herhaling, maar niet dat lekker dromerige/hypnotiserende. Het lekkerst vond ik eigenlijk de laatste anderhalve minuut van de track Dragon, alleen had dat stukje een stuk zwaarder aangezet mogen worden en langer mogen duren. Dan heb je een lekker depressief sfeertje te pakken. Laat na een minuut onverwacht nog wat drums die opgenomen zijn in een leeg pakhuis aanzwellen en kom dan nog met een dreigend bassloopje voor een Massive Attack-achtige vibe. Dat had heerlijk kunnen zijn. Maar dat hebben ze dus niet gedaan. Jammer. Ik rond omlaag af naar een 2.

Struggled to enjoy this one.

In a nutshell: Folktronica. Let that word settle in. How does it make you feel? The Beta Band play with trip hop, electronica, experimental rock and a touch of folk to make an album "something completely incredible, that didn't sound like anything else..." You have to give the band credit - they succeeded in their brief. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Overall: 3/10

Wat een slaapverwekkende ellende is dit.

Wel grappig, maar niet helemaal mijn ding

When I saw the cover I was very skeptical. Then the first tune spun and I thought, "OK, this is better than expected." Then, by the second song, I was already losing interest, and by the end I was thinking it was a whole lotta wank. A sound in search of substance.

I'd much rather watch Hot Shots! Part Deux than listen to this.

Maybe I'm still wildly overstimulated from Trout Mask Replica, but this was just... bland. Like if early Beck/Gorillaz didn't know how to actually achieve their sound well.

2/5. Not good and not bad. Plain and boring. That’s it.

So, electronica not my thing, I really don't get it. However, there is definitely some early Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd sounds in there, sadly it doesn't progress into anything memorable.

Bit of a dud for me. A sort of rock album, with some electro elements, but nothing crazy jumped out at me. Apparently acclaimed by Pitchfork too but I really don't see why. Not bad at all, but doesn't seem special or worthy of this list, especially considering it's from 2001. Favorite tracks: Al Sharp, Eclipse. Album art: An explosion in space, plus some cool bling era font that doesn't really make sense for the band or music. But hey, it's pretty cool. 2.5/5

Bruh

Good production, nice sounds, nice vibes, but a little middle-of-the-road.

Mostly boring. This would've been way better if they fired chickens like arrows rather than trying to make music (yeah, that was a stretch. Leave me alone)

Spoken word poetry was not really what I was expecting out of this band, some flashes of fun here and there when they verged on being an earlier incarnation of Django Django but the sheer wordiness and banal lyricism crater any interest I may have had here.

Hello, my name is Cornelius, and I...like The Beta Band now? Or do I just like this album? I've always maintained "Dry The Rain" is an all timer. But that song isn't on this album. And the more I listened for it, the more I began hating this album. Plus it made our dog go crazy, which is never a good sign. I began believing the Beta Band recorded this album just to reach our sweet dog. Well guess what? She's now sleeping comfortably next to me in front of the fireplace on October 14th, the anniversary of The Departure. Also, my name isn't Cornelius. Don't fuck with me, Beta Band!

First listen Saved 3/10 Top track: Squares

Another album where you just wait for it to become interesting, then it’s over

The Beta Band I just cannot get to grips with. Is it the voice that is off putting? They attempt to make a modern retro sound? Is it the arch distance and lack of investment in emotion? Whatever, I find them unappealing and cannot get the buzz about them.

J'ai presque cru au miracle, le premier titre de l'album étant plutôt sympa. Mais non toujours RAS, c'était bien un album de merde.

That first track really swings and I love how it samples the 1969 track of 'Daydream' by the Wallace Collection. If it seems instantly familiar to you, that's why. It took me a little while to hunt that down. Excellent composition. Second track is far less appealing. And so it goes for the rest of this bouncy atmospheric album... It's fairly typical of other works by Beta Band that I have heard previously: pleasant, not exciting.

This is not my style of music. Very challenging to enjoy while listening to this. There were some bright spots here and there but for the most part it was not something I’d want to listen to again.

definitely an album that's just okay. it didn't leave me with strong feelings or thoughts, so that means it was neither outstanding nor terrible. for an album released in 2001, hot shots ii didn't sound particularly new or old. the electronic aspects, for what it's worth, was the kind of electronic that i enjoy since it wasn't overly repetitive and remained different enough to keep my interest. the sample choices, too, seemed unusual. i'm not mad carole king's "it's too late" was sampled!

Strong beta energy. Was a bit enjoyable but not for long

Decent enough indie rock, electrofolk with a little trip hop mixed in. Always remember that scene in High Fidelity when John Cusack’s character says I will now sell copies of 3 EPs by the Beta Band and then proceeds to play Dry the Rain, which is probably their best song and not on this album. This album doesn’t really have any memorable songs. It’s just chill music that you’d probably hear in the background in an independent record shop. I can’t really stand behind something more than a 2 here.

I think there's potential here and some great moments, but just the overall feel of this album I didn't really vibe with to be honest.

I listened to this a couple of times but I still remember almost nothing about it.

It was not good, but not bad. Pretty unremarkable. No need to relisten.

interesting

I became bored rather quickly with this album.

Boring

Standouts: Squares 2.5

Uninspiring

Two sleepy albums in a row! 4/10

Pop tranquilo y sosegado sin grandes estridencias. Grupo totalmente desconocido. No aporta nada.

Good background music at work, but kinda boring. Sounds like a good Ringo Starr album - which isn't a compliment.

Underwhelming, not really a standout album. Some unique instrumental parts, but nothing too interesting. 2/5

Ok, that album art IS a bumhole of fire, isn't it. ahahaha. That's fuckin fantastic. Deserves a prize. I'll even overlook it if it turns out to be from the UK (it will). Sadly though, there's no way it'll live up to that cover. I feel like unless it's super-catchy gay disco a la scissor sisters, it's gonna be a disappointment. Yeah, it didn't maintain the momentum. Boring vague electronica... and UK. What a shame. 2/5.

Better as a kids band

I didnt think music could get more boring and bland than this. No wonder I have never heard of these guys.

An album seemingly begging to open up and embrace its interesting concepts but feels consistently tamed and kept quiet. Wished more from this.

Meh

eh

I can't explain why but I hate them

Not for me. 1/5

I enjoyed their other album on here a decent bit so I’m surprised how much I didn’t like this one. The songs just never came together for me. Rating: 1.2

Did not enjoy this one bit.

I am a Beta Band hater. Both Beta Band albums on the list were removed from later editions of the book. It's like they were only added at the start because they needed some 2000s albums that just came out. And then it was realized they really didn't need to be on the list

This is shit other than 1 song it has no structure.

Not my thing

The first song sounded a bit like a super watered down Flaming Lips. The second song was worse. By the third song I’d lost interest completely.

Milquetoast

What is this, lofi indie Beck? I have heard lofi, I have heard indie, I have heard Beck. I don't need them all in one place.

1. zquarez - 1 2. zharp - 1 3. human - 0 4. gone - 2 5. dragon - 1 6. broke - 2 7. quiet - 1 8. alleged - 2 9. life - 1 10. eclipze - 1

Nice

Background music. Weird album. I will not listen to this again. 😐 Rating: ⭐️

I came across several albums from the list that are enjoyable background music. This one didn't make that cut. 3/10

I don't even know how this style of music is called... I just felt so bored beyond recognition

Forgettable wank

Langatmig, dröge, aufdringlicher Bass - selten so was langweiliges gehört!

This is the worst music I have ever heard!

Is it over yet

Got about half through. Maybe the second half gets beyond meh 😐. Not feeling it.

We already had one album by these mediocrities.

not for me

Maybe it was a bad day to listen to an album like this, but man I was BORED listening to this album. Nah after finally finishing the album, I hated this. The final song was the nail in the coffin of this just being awful. No pizza for you.

This album being on the list pretty much makes the whole list invalid. There is never a reason to listen to this. NO ONE dies with regret over not hearing this album. I'm sure people LIVE with regret that they've heard it. It's like some guys got together in their basement and made a thing ... anyone could do it (and 90% would do it better)

nah

Again?

Langweilig.

Schwimmt schön dahin. Ist leicht anzuhören. Aber definitiv kein Album von 1001.

Was soll das?!

Völlig zurecht kennt das niemand

Yeah, this is very similar to yesterday’s album (Fever Ray) for me. Not offensive but not very interesting either.

yeah no it's boring. i'll wait for The Release Band instead.

Zed

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.

As every track of the album I will use one word to describe the album : boring. Nothing reluctant to listen but just so boring !

That was a bit of a yawn festival...

Squares

not quite my genre, and too slow

Not for me

Not hot, even after II shots. There are betta bands out there. Pass.

Erm..

1 star. I didn’t get this. It was dull and boring and uninteresting and forgettable. It felt like a chore to get through. It was difficult to determine how sincere the music was and I felt confused why this album received so much acclaim in its time, while not surprised I hadn’t heard of it before now.

Never would be too soon to try and listen to this again

Meaningless, boring nonsense. "Beta Band" is probably a bit of an exaggeration. "Omega Band" is much more appropriate.

This stuff sucks. If I had a company that had a help line, this is the kind of music I would have playing for the people on hold to make them hang up so I wouldn't have to deal with them.

I like the band and this album is fine, but just because an album is likable doesn't necessarily make it worthy of some rando best albums list, does it? I don't see what this album does that's notable that makes it worthy.

I got through about half this album. More generational discord emanating from this list. Not sure what this genre is called, but I dislike it. I don’t understand why this one is in the 1,000 list. Don’t like it, don’t appreciate its contribution to music in general.

no

Really soft and melodious kind of boring and cringy. Didnt like any song

This was way to experimental for me. I couldn't vibe with it at all. Most songs are just so slow and a lot of the background notes physically hurt my ears.

Fuck me sideways. Not one but TWO Beta Band albums. Arbitrary award winner, worst album covers for a band featured more than once on this list. Jesus Christ. Is it better than the other album? Maybe. I don’t remember that one. I don’t really remember this one either. It’s trying to be smug and carefree in a real 2001 way that just doesn’t happen anymore. I just can’t be asked. Parts of it are fine, there are moments of shine but like. There are times when I’ve had diarrhea twice in a month and there were parts that were bearable there. But I’m not gonna give it more than one star. Fuck you.

This was bad.

Not my thing.

What did fucking beta bands sponsor this thing?!

Motorhead only gets one album. Thin Lizzy only gets one album. No Mastodon. No Death Metal. No Black Metal. But there are generic Britpop/Alt bands for days. Fuckin nerds

Snore fest

Why the fuck do these knobs have 2 albums on this list? I feel like this is Robert Dimery's personal playlist moreso than an "essential albums" list, because I definately could have went my life without hearing 1, let alone 2 Beta Band albums. The last thing I need in my life is to listen to more shitty British indie. Classless garbage. Bland and depressing. I'm beginning to realize that the lions share of UK music doesn't translate on this side of the pond. Too bad this list is made up of 85% of this trash. Favourite songs: Squares Least favourite songs: Gone ... I don't know, I lost interest.... 1/5

Urg!

The opening track is memorable, but not amazing or anything, and the rest is just indietronica whateverism. F

Começa bem, clima interessante com uso de elementos eletrônicos e depois soa constantemente como uma derivação fria do Paul McCartney

A while back this would have been a 2. It's inoffensive. It doesn't make me want to turn it off. But then I got to Kollaps. That was an album that was so offensive to the ears that it got a reaction and made me reevaluate how I feel about these bland, generic albums. Kollaps was not a good album, but it at least got a reaction out of me, which is the purpose of art, to speak to someone, whether that be in a good or bad way. Kollaps spoke to me so I gave it a 2. This doesn't say anything to me. This is a 1.