Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Scratching my head over how this ended up on this list. It’s not a bad album per se but it extremely forgettable generic “alt rock”. It’s not Kid Rock bad though so I’ll give it two stars. 2/10
Eh. 2.5
It was kind of interesting and different. 2.5
It's OK, but stinks of red stripe
Earnest. Dull.
I think I felt second-hand embarrassment from listening to this. People took this album seriously? “Universal acclaim” says Wikipedia. I can put an article about my ass on Wikipeida and say it had critical acclaim and it would feel just as accurate. It’s almost a bunch of sea shanties that were written by a circus. It feels like it’s trying to be almost every genre at once, but can’t do any of them right. Is it Britpop? Is it psychedelic? Who knows? Who cares. Thank god this shit only clocks in at over a half-hour. Favorite track: Goodbye Other hits: …I cannot name another song I liked
3/10
Not for me.
This is an unusual cocktail. At its core, this has the bones of early aughts coke-snot rock, a la Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, etc, but instead of drawing an aesthetic from the Lou Reed / Television NYC art scum world, this band instead takes their style (at least to my ears) from 60s re-hashers like Trip Shakespeare, Dukes of Straosphear, and the whole Paisley Underground set, with some extremely direct nods to origin acts like the Doors, the Byrds, and improbably, quite a bit of Beefheart. It's hard for me to read this as anything but kitschy pastiche, and I have to wonder who, apart from the band members, was interested in this exact stylistic collision... but the they do go at it with some gusto, and they keep things in a well-defined space with an overall nautical theme to the lyrics and a tremolo-drenched guitar sound. Good for them, I guess.
Not that great.
2nd artist in this journey where I'm confident I'd never heard anything from them before. This may be pretty harsh — it feels like a really talented cover band decided to release an album based on their group playlist of top 40 from the previous 4 decades. It felt like they watched Austin Powers before walking into the studio and wanted to capture that in sound, along with some reggae and ska tones. A few of the songs were fun, but it felt disjointed as an album listening experience — like hitting shuffle on some genre-spanning indie playlist — and that made me think of an album like Picaresque. That album from The Decemberists came a few years after this while successfully combining broad influences into a cohesive storytelling journey that I could listen to on repeat.
Energetic Enthusiastic Forgetful
Hmmm... It was ok until it got very pirate-y. And I'm really into pirate music outside of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Der eine Hit, ja gut, sonst hat es mir aber nicht so gefallen
I get a little worried whenever one of these albums is from some post-2000 rock band that I have never heard of, because there has to be a good reason why that is so. Now having heard one of their albums, if I never hear from them again I would be okay with that.
It's an easy listen. It's not bad for what it is. Didn't mind it while listening. OK that's the positive. It’s the sum total of absolutely nothing new, amalgamation of what they had in their record collection, which is how everyone starts but this does it without going anywhere different and just ends up sounding derivative. A good bar band, the new thing for the kids at the time, not essential 20 years on. It's an OK album, it is but that it, just feels like we have to meet quota from the 2000’s to say rocks just as relavant. Further reading indicates Mercury prize nomination and next big thing with the critics which explains a lot, and from this list so far is almost an immediate point reduction 2.5Star
Not bad, but felt like I'd heard tons of bands with this sound before.
A few decent hits.
Pretty much total crap but at least it was short.
not my least favourite, but certainly the least worthy of the list. who cares about this
Fannst þetta frekar slöpp plata
Ekki skemmtilegt.
One in a Million. Anhörbar, ohne besondere Highlights.
Started ok and then really annoyed me. Lucky to get 2.
It wasn't horrible. It wasn't good. It wasn;t unique. It wasn't groudbreaking. And it wasn't something I want to hear again.
Kinda boring
I saw a review here about how Brits are tone deaf for stealing music from colonies. It's good to remember that we did that with 2-tone music, whose bands were formed of a mix of Brits and Jamaicans, vocally anti-racist, and used their success to promote support for the Jamaican communities of Britain. This isn't one of those cases, and is just shit.
This singer kinda sounds like Neil Diamond. Other than that, terrible album on a terrible list.
Never heard of this group. Album was durorusingky good
I'd never heard of The Coral. This album is chaotic and not in a great way. Did they steal the guitar riff on "Goodbye" from Disney's It's A Small World? The early aughts were a wild time.
Okay album I guess? Listened to it yesterday and once again cannot remember it.
An unexpected blend of early aughts alt rock and late 60s psychedelic folk. The end result is periodically entertaining. But not entertaining enough to round up from 2.5*.
it's not baddddd but it's not top 1001?? This has maybe one very good song...
Aggressively average 2000's British rock music. Also, 1001albumsgenerator conspiracy theory. Two 5/5 ratings for this with identical reviews. Different profiles for each. Is it a computer glitch? Did someone simply decide they liked the other review and copy/paste it? Are The Corals are trying to game the system and boost their 1001 albums rating? Or is it a British psyop to try and convince the world that Brit rock isn't just the same 5 songs over and over? Maybe this entire list is British propaganda.
This gives off internet-age vibes, sort of like the kind of music someone mostly on Tumblr would listen to back in 2013, which is impressive considering this came out a decade prior, however that circus music-esque design just sounds goofy, especially when paired with a garage rock-lite sound. It has its moments of solid melodies where everything comes together, but then the singer will decide to make his voice sound like gravel, or they'll repeat the same lyric over and over, and it'll get tiring quickly. It isn't a bad album, it blows by pretty quickly, but there's nothing special here, or if there is, its buried under layers of mid.
Some of this is interested. I expected more of a generic garage rock sound, but was somewhat surprised by the bits of psychedelia, sea shanties, circus music, etc. mixed in. It's never too weird to stray from commercial palatability, which is where it fails in my opinion - it's just too middle of the road to be truly interesting.
Really not a fan of this
42 minutes of pure ear-grating material and yet I still cannot bring myself to give it a 1/5 because I know there are worse... much worse... in the days to come. Still, not a fan!
Ok… unique sound
I was considering a very generous 3. Then came a concluding track who's lyric ends by repeating 14 times, a chorus of 'Calendar & Clocks & Hickory Docks (Tick Tock)'. I guess it's meant to be hypnotic - trust me, it ain't.
It’s alright. Probably wouldn’t listen again
Jaunty rock, but it feels shallow. Definitely a unique sound, but it doesn't feel interesting or exciting.
The best parts are a 60s garage rock pastiches. Overall though this is still filed under landfill indie in my mind
No coherence, just a couple of good songs.
I feel bad because The Choral are putting a lot into this album to add flavour, to titillate, to entertain, but because I’m not wowed by the core ingredients it ultimately adds up to a boring listening experience for me. There are gorgeous guitar licks here and there, but there’s tepid guitar chords too, paired with plodding bass lines. No amount of unexpected sea shanty harmonies can solve that for me. There’s then Dreaming of You, gleaming from the middle of a beige tracklist, so obvious in its brilliance. It’s a finely crafted piece of pop which has earned every second of its airtime.
After seeing the year the album was released, I was wondering why I'd never heard of them. My guess is the band is British and this was going to be another bland, boring British album. I was mistaken, as it was a little different than the typical boring british bland rock and it wasn't bad. I wouldn't call it required listening though. Dreaming Of You and Waiting for Heartaches were decent tracks but Skeleton Key and Bad Man were super corny and I had to knock the score down. It sounds a little similar to Murder City Devils with the organ. Go listen to them instead.
Interesting, but not essential.
zzz...kind of boring and not very good. british rock used to be good. i like the bonus disc better but the entire album is pretty forgettable.
No conocía al grupo y he de decir que tampoco es mi estilo. Se puede escuchar y no está mal pero tampoco es algo que yo escucharía por mi cuenta.
Dreaming of You is brilliant, and overshadows everything else on the album. Next best song was Wildfire, but I'm not ranking them, as I had to skip a few out of annoyance (plus, I don't think I should be ranking songs). Overall, pretty boring. +1 for Dreaming of You/Liverpool area bias.
More Brit bias creeps in on this list with an album that is mediocre at best. This album stood out in no way at all, and nothing I heard sounded fresh, or even well done. It came and went like a fart.
Oh, for the love... early aughts "rock" that leans heavily on reggae, hold on - make that 60's psych, no... wait - polka? Ugh. it's a soup of mid rock that is trying to find a sound that sticks, but does not. None of it is bad, but none of it feels authentic.
Grindcore style album cover. Conjures images of Terrorizer or Brutal Truth. Ooh maybe Dystopia. They’re more crust/sludge or some other synonym for filth. Either way. I’m sure this won’t hold a candle to any of that, but that’s only based on about 11 months of terrible recommendations, so who’s to say. Throw me overboard, I need to collect some of this coral. Spanish Main - Interesting. Well, until the vocals come in. Jeeeeesus. Musical theatre. The music itself was pretty interesting, but the vocals sounded like Maroon 5. I Remember When - More Maroon 5 vo-kills. God, have you ever seen when cheesy bedroom black metal bands say things like “vo-kills?” I love it in an ironic sort of way. This song is alright but I can’t get behind this vocalist. Better than the last, especially during the verses. Shadows Fall - Oh noooo. It’s like post-ironic polka. Plus, it made me think of mid-2000s metalcore. And the associated swoop haircut. I experience zero nostalgia for like 2008-2014. What a lame era. Dreaming of You - I have been wracking my wrecked brain to try and recall where I’ve heard this song before. I also swore it sounded slightly different. I think it was in “Lego Rockband.” God I loved those rhythm games. This is actually a really sweet sounding song. I hate liking the popular ones, especially considering this was in an ad for “indeed,” but this is pretty undeniable. Simon Diamond - I always thought Simon Dean was Simon Diamond before, but it was actually just some club who teamed with CW Anderson in the dark days of ECW. When ECW stood for Even CW gets booked. Stinky song. Goodbye - I wish this was goodbye. I’m not having the best of times here. Fairly uninspiring. Waiting for the Heartaches - Man, this opening act has been going forever. When are the Heartaches going to get here?? This shitty reggae influenced band has been playing for hours. What’s that? It’s only been like 25 minutes? I’ve felt every second of that 25 minutes twice. Skeleton Key - Spooky! That weird funk break near the end broke the monotony of the previous few minutes, but then that was pretty lame too. Wildfire - Ringtone music meets the Clash. While that is what I believe to be the perfect combo for the creators of this list, I dislike both of those parts. Their sum? Even worse. Bad Man - Oh buddy we’re getting some sniffs. We’re getting some pounding drums. We’re getting mistakes on guitar. Ugh I just don’t care. Calendars & Clocks - This album feels like it’s measured in calendars rather than clocks. This song is really bad and has soured me on the whole album. I was leaning towards saying this was mediocre until that last stretch of songs. This thing sucks. 34 minutes felt like 134, and I hope this is the very last we see from this band. A cool album cover and one good hook can’t save you from the devastation that is receiving a poor rating from 1001albumsgenerator.com user 1617385. Truth hurts pal. The ska is coming from inside the album. Get me out of here. 1.5-2 HIGHLIGHTS: Dreaming of You
Other than 'Dreaming Of You', I wasn't that familiar with The Coral's music. After listening to this album, I can safely say I've not missed out on much. Let's start with some positives - the harmonies are on point, great vocals throughout. As far as the sound of the band goes, you can hear that this is them in an early stage still discovering themselves. It did get a bit same-y after a few songs though. Other than the big song on this album, the rest of the tracks aren't my taste. 'Bad Man' wasn't too bad either, but that's mainly because there was some life in that song. The rest of the album was very average though. I'm sure someone out there will love it, but it ain't for me. 2/5 is generous, but that's because there are definitely worse albums out there.
Unmemorable
hey schono kuul, v.a. am afang, aber mit de zit wirds lärmig und langwiilig
I didn't know The Coral and I will say the album cover did not inspire confidence in a great listening experience. I did of course realize that I DID know Dreaming of You, but that was also the highlight of the album. Too shouty and too ska-y.
4.5/10
Not for me
I found this album a bit meh, other than the track “dreaming of you” which was released all the other songs were very samey
never heard of this. apparently it's super common in charity shops in, you guessed it, the uk. even at its best (Shadows Fall) it's not terribly original or interesting. derivative. deserves to be one of the 1001? no
While the Beatles are not directly to blame, all those Yellow Submarine style awnings and playpark fixtures around Liverpool must have some effect on the children. The Zutons, The Wombats, and The Coral, all from Liverpool, and all amiably pop and psychedelic. You can go back to The Teardrop Explodes and Echo and the Bunnymen for more psychedelia, and Ian Broudie and Lee Mavers for more pop. Can the city do anything else? If you read that list with an honest heart, the returns clearly diminished over time, growing more and more childish and less challenging. It would be harsh of me to criticise the Coral too much though - I played that same sort of bouncing fifths bassline a lot in 2002 - but I can't say that anything from this album is worth listening to nearly twenty-five years later. I went to Liverpool as a kid and rode on a Blue Meanie spring rocker. I imagine it's still there, but eaten through with rust. Not so whimsical anymore. A guaranteed death trap. 1.5 ‘I shall give you a new song, it’s in the modern idiot and it goes something like this…’ The Coral display plenty of confidence on their debut album. Confidence in their playing, and in James Skelly’s singing in particular. They are confident too in their constant display of their debt to their great forebears in English pop music; XTC, The Specials, and of course Benny Hill. But why didn’t they cover ‘Dustbins of Your Mind’ or ‘Gather in the Mushrooms’, songs which sprung to mind irresistibly throughout my listen to their album? I would say it’s because the lyrical heft of Benny’s work might have shown up a lot of the empty dogshit-about-nothing (‘Simon Diamond’, ‘Bad Man’) that populates this album; songs that are all nudge and wink without any evident implication. ‘Dreaming of You’ is a banger though, even if I was already sick of hearing it about 20 years ago. 1.5/5
These guys don’t know who they are. I have some suggestions for replacing this album. This is not the best 1001 albums but the 1001 album that need to be listened. There is a difference. This did not need to be listened to, though.
Mostly ok, some good music in there, singing was passable. Best song: Dreaming Of You
Which one? They're all slimy.
Blending psychedelic rock and ska, there are some interesting musical ideas and a good album in here somewhere, it just never quite comes together as a whole.
Decent
no
Really not a great folk album. Pretty messy and wandering with lifeless paint by the numbers instrumentals, and bad vocals and lyrics. Some moments were OK but not close to deserving of a spot on the list. 1.5/5 - > 2/5
Thankfully it was only half an hour long. Otherwise entirely unremarkable.
It’s okay, nothing really stands out. 2/5 Probably won’t listen again
This could have been a good album if half of the songs were just better.
This takes me back. Dreaming of You will forever and always be a real jam. Calendars and Clocks was really good as well. Could live without the rest of it though.
Kind of all over the place.
Ehhh
Britpop after the fact.
Love a couple of the songs, but the reality is that this just isn’t up there with the best albums ever.
nahh
2.36
I've always really liked The Coral, some of their songs I absolutely adore. But they've always appealed to the slightly naff side of my music taste. And in no way is this a *Good* Album. And actually, having always loved Dreaming of You, now that I listen to the whole album, I like Dreaming of You a little less...
Crazy in a good way but still not good
It feels like they swept up all the abandoned ideas left behind at the recording studio, and strung them all together in one record.
A spacey 60s style psychedelic-sounding album with some interesting songs but mostly sounding a little parody-like. I enjoyed it somewhat but I do ask myself is this really an album I needed to hear before I died. The answer is no! 2.5 stars for nostalgia purposes only
Hard to understand why this one is on here. Nothing particularly remarkable about it.
custom_rating: 5
This is not for me. I feel like they have interesting ideas and could make a cool concept album with some follow through. But I didn't understand this collection of songs as a whole on any level. I found a lot of it kind of annoying honestly. My playlist song is Goodbye.
Not bad.
Almost a 3. A little too noodly
low mid
is it a hot take if i say it’s a cheap knockoff of 70s rock? ffs this is a 2002 album not 1971
The Coral was probably a breath of fresh air when it came out and we all collectively felt like we heard rock music again for the first time. In 2025 this sounds like The Kinks doing pirate rock.
If this had popped up on a playlist on Spotify or found in the bargain bin at the local record store I might have liked it. I do like my early 2000's rock, but on a list like this it was just unnecessary and janky. 3/10
Not really sure how to rate this one. It wasn't bad, but I definitely feel like it a weirdness that sometimes worked, sometimes didn't woth the pop-punk-esque sound. And I respect the weird, even if it didn't always click. Not bad, but not sure if it's something I'd come back to. Top tracks: Simon Diamond, Wildfire
Some interesting takes on a very 60s sound but not overly original. Lack of lyrical depth and memorability makes the band seem better suited to a concert opener than a headliner.
Vähän kädenlämpöiseksi jäi. 2/5
I especially don't like the plodding drumming.
I've never heard of the band The Coral in my life, and I don't have the energy to Google them, so I'll just focus on what I've heard. This album played hot and cold with me - one song will start well, it will interest me, and then 30 seconds later I'll lose interest. Another will sound like classic rock, so - hey, this could turn out great, only to be smothered with the next one. I don't know what the problem was, but it was a very inarticulate album, which I can't define at all. And since I gave Roxy Music 2/5, I can't give anything more than that here either, because I don't know how this got into the top 1001 albums list.
It’s okay but just okay. Nothing more.
⭐⭐– – – - 2[.4] of 5 stars. Really psychedelic and all over the place, can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing. This album is definitely stuffed with a lot of ideas, with some tracks going for a more "spacious sound," and others feeling kind of cluttered. Kind of made me feel uneasy - but again, idk if it's in a good way or not. Really average - there weren't any major standouts in my opinion, but, I didn't actively hate it. Also, if you were to tell me that this was a 2000s album, I wouldn't believe you - this one sounds really dated. "Goodbye" kinda felt like the only finished idea, with a pretty cool noise guitar break near the middle and the end, but, the rest kinda just felt like awkward and uneasy demos? Favourites: Goodbye⭐. Mid: the rest of the album.
This is the perfect example of how mediocre and forgettable an album can be. Sometimes I feel like the author of this book just walked into a CD store blindfold and randomly selected CDs.
Mira, puede ser un poco agotador, pero al menos es breve. No sé si amerita un lugar en la lista, pero tiendo a creer que no.
I ... don't know what that was. It was a weird amalgamation of '60s folk(ish) and psychedelia and '90s noise. I don't want to listen to it again.
In a lot of ways, it feels like they swept up all the abandoned ideas left behind at the recording studio, and strung them all together in one record. So much hokey shit all in one place. Also, why is there more than one record on this list, that features sea shanties?
This feels like a vanload of ideas trying to be a band. I wasn't sure if it was for me until I heard the reggae number and knew it was not
Es un rock bastante pesado, coqueteando con el punk sin llegar a serlo. Bastante flojo y cansador.
They are very talented musicians performing music that I hate. This is someone's favorite album, I'm sure.
Eh
I am always surprised when I come across a late 90s to early 2000s Indie album from England that I haven't heard of on this list. But each time I a reminded of why that is...that era of music from the UK just doesn't resonate with me at all. So boring!! 2/5
Felt kimd of generic throughout but I'll have to check it out again someday when I'm not working
Not a bad listen, but nothing outstanding
unnecessary could i write poetry to this? n
A Brit Rock mess of multicultural influences. I can understand why it may have been popular in the U.K., but we never heard a lick of it in the U.S. I do not feel that this was a big loss on our part.
2.5. Not sure this is required, but a decent listen
It was okay, not particularly remarkable.
you when something is on, and even when you try to listen you can't hear it so you just kinda sit there and wait for it to be over
Would never have guessed dreaming of you was written by these considering the album fell flat compared to that dream boat of a song. If it was just that one song id give it a 5/5 but that song carries it
Trailblazers for the Hoosiers and Fratellis. Embarassing.
Steve the pirate started a band.... They're not great...
Честно сказать, по большей части мимо. Лучшая песня - Dreaming of You.
I had never even heard of this band. A bit derivative but okay.
Nah. 2
Wow, Simon Diamond is basically Blur circa 1993 (doing The Kinks circa 1967). I love Blur, but can't say I'm bothered about The Coral.
No thanks
The early 2000s are increasingly seeming not a good time for music
Not my favorite Coral album.
Haven't listened to this one in quite a while, interesting to see how aged it is now. Dreaming of You is still a great song, and there are a few other good ones in the first half. But the quality dips dramatically in the second half. And it gets way too pirate-y!
Not really my cup of tea. The genre is okay but I'm not a fan of either the vocal style or instrumentation and songwriting.
I will say this one falls into a strange place in my heart. On one hand, I kind of like the instrumentals and the psych-vibes; however, something about the actual compositions and vocals specifically really rub me raw. At its worst (Spanish Man, Dreaming of You) it reminds me of Maneskin; at its best (Goodbye, Calendars and Clocks) its like a more blissful My Morning Jacket. The middle ground (Waiting for the Heartaches) isn't terribly inspiring or offputting. It just kind of feels underdeveloped in some hard to define way. Yeah I'm very soft on this one. Some of the instrumentals are okay, but I really hated the vocal production -- too far forward and clean for how bad the vocals are. I also found the variations here to be pretty quirky, but not in a good way. I mean we've got some dub (Shadows Fall), polka stomps (Dreaming of You), Spanish(?) pirate inspired (Skeleton Key), acoustic deluge (Calendars and Clocks). All of it loosely held together... This is a soft to middling 2 for me.
It was fine I suppose but like a lot of British acts, it lacked any real enthusiasm and felt forced. I’m projecting my annoyance at the 1001’s never ending favouritism to British acts, at least a little but that doesn’t change the fact that this album was mediocre. It had pops of cool gypsy rock sounds, the single Dreaming of You had something to it. Sketon Key was a bizarre mess of a song, I guess they were going for a pirate thing, Bad Man and Calendars were both annoying and then it was over. Even the album art is a mess, The Coral, how about the Bore-al Yea, I didn’t care for this. 2 stars
Somewhat good but somewhat annoying at times. The Coral is a weird combo of folkie cowboy sound with rockabilly and alternative. It's interesting but not that engaging. I like the lead but don't agree with the Skelley-Morrison comparison even remotely. Can't see how this made the list but wasn't a waste of time...1.9.
iwie zu dadcore für mi
Thoughts before listening: 00s era British dancey indie rock I believe is what this is. Probably doesn't need to be on this list, but might be enjoyable none the less. Review: Ok so its not really dancey indie rock. More just your run of the mill 00s era alt rock with a few catchy songs but nothing really standing out all that much. Reading reviews it seems like critics liked this because it mixed together a bunch of different styles (i.e. 60s psychedelic rock, 80s new wave/ska, etc), which is true, but I feel like a lot of bands were doing that around the time of this release. As is usually the cause with bands on this list from the 90s and 00s, it feels like there were likely better examples of this sound that could have been added...and I only tend to really like the albums from this era if its something I actually listened to a the time. I did not listen to the Coral and I am having a hard time really connecting to this album. 2-stars
2.5/5 stars
It's okay
This album is the audial equivalent of getting farted in your face by a hipster who just walked out of 2003 who constantly goes in about "being born in the wrong generation" and how "no good music was made after 197X".
eh. didnt move me
They were trying a little too hard to sound like an early-70's band.
why oh why was this on the list? 60's psych rock vibe & that is not a good thing. forgettable music
Clearly into their 60s Pop and Psychedelia, I didn't feel like they added much of their own into this. And the lyrics didn't mean anything to me. Seemingly lots of maritime references, which I guess at least fits with the name.
One redeemable song that saved it. Western music that just didn’t swing
Not bad. Familiar with a couple if the songs. Don't get the comparison with Eric Burdon or Jim Morrison , especially the latter , Jim was in a different class
Magic and Medicine was the The Coral album I liked more during college in the mid-00s; their sound aged pretty lousily, as a lot of throwback music can tend to do. So take a wild guess how I feel about my less-favored album by a group I haven't bothered to think about for twenty years. When I saw the Zutons on here I was like “get The Coral on here;” now I’m like burn em all
Never heard of these guys. Are they culturally significant or talented enough to make a “must listen” list? I guess it’s better than another album from The Police.
What is this doing here?
A debut that throws everything at the wall with youthful abandon, but despite its creative ambition, nothing quite sticks.
A hard to categorize rock album. There's stuff here I like, Dreaming of You and Goodbye to name a couple. Wildfire has some nice keyboards on it and a carnavalesque bassline. Neat track. I didn't care much for the first two songs and Skeleton Key was tough to get through. Bad Man is also not working for me. Vocals can be obnoxious at times. ** 1/2
Indie band starting off sounding quirky and novel, but overstayed its welcome.
I'm not down with this at all. A lot of indie from this era was just terrible, floppy haired, happy-go-lucky music with no oomph to it. And of course, this is no exception. Maybe they're a bit more varied than some of their contemporaries in what they're doing musically, but it still has no bite to it at all.
It has moments but not enough of them to make a good album. Also, the singer's voice is annoying. Meh.
A real mixture of rock influences on this, but overall a bit messy and unmemorable.
Horrible
Just a little all over the place. Its not bad, I just couldn't really get into it. It has some Sublime and Shack and The Specials vibes and I can see some merit to the movability of the music. But I don't think I ever need to listen to another Coral album again.
I know this list has a strong UK bias but how is this on the list!
A real mixed bag of genres, sounds like they are having fun but really lacks consistency. 2.5*
Yet another newer record that sounds old. I get that the people who compiled this list miss being young and discovering artists, but if it sounds like the 70's it's not automatically the best thing ever.
Quirky Tom Waits type music but with a more modern rock band. Sometimes tolerable, often annoying. No thank you. Favorite tracks: Dreaming of You, Waiting for the Heartaches. Album art: A collage of a ton of pictures, colorful but I don't know what I'm supposed to make of it. Are these band photos? No idea. 2/5
Un álbum poco destacable en muchos sentidos. La composición es poco inspirada y reiterativa. Se escucha como si Kings of Leon y Blur vivieran juntos en un barco donde solamente existen "sea shanties" que en realidad no dicen nada. El favoritismo de esta lista a artistas "under" británicos es realmente molestoso. Lo he dicho en críticas anteriores, pero encuentro realmente un delito que el debut de un acto que no impacto absolutamente a nadie y a nada esté por sobre trabajos como "Good News For People Who Love Bad News" de Modest Mouse, un trabajo relativamente similar pero mucho más importante para el desarrollo de la música alternativa, llegando a impactar incluso en los tabloides musicales internacionales. Habiendo dicho esto, no creo que The Coral sea un mal disco debut, pero definitivamente no es un "álbum que tienes que escuchar antes de morir". Esto no va a cambiar la vida de absolutamente nadie.
Proof that the Mersey music phenomenon is often one of quantity rather than quality
They sound like a talented band, but despite their best efforts to create an entertainingly eclectic album, I found myself bored throughout.
It wasn't bad by any means, but to think this was an album I needed to hear before I die is a joke. Not every rock revival band from the early 00s must be exalted from on high.
wank
Such a forgettable album.
Ok. Not hating it. Or loving it two stars
indie dreaming of you
sin pena ni gloria
inoffensivo al punto giusto, niente di eclatante, ma veramente non è niente di speciale. ogni tanto mi chiedo perchè certi album siano inseriti in questa lista, ma va bene così, non voglio prendermela con i poveri Coral che non hanno fatto del male a nessuno.
Okay. Yeah. This was fine.
This doesn't feel at all like 2002. More like the 1970s
Not my thing.
Nothing new here. It's just another one of those albums that you listen to and think 'okay, this is kinda cool.' But then you never ever think about it again after that one listen.
An album chalked full of contradictions. Late 60s psychedelia meets ska meets folk rock meets klezmer meets sea shanties. They sure do love their sea themes, but man…this coral should’ve remained at sea.
Huh? Who? Is this the author’s cousin’s band or something?
Not terrible, not great. A couple jams that were ok. Felt like they were trying VERY hard to be unique. 2.25/5
Incredible lead single in Dreaming of You. They lost it after that though
If Smashmouth and Mother’s of Invention had a love child, it would this album! It was a reflection of the post-grunge-indie revolution made famous by Napster. Personally, not my thing but not unlistenable, just weird and jam-band on ‘shrooms. Key songs Skeleton and Spanish Man
2.5
2.5
Why this album of all the “guitar revival” albums…
I like the musicianship. I like the bravery of trying many genres on one album. It's called folk rock, but I didn't sense any of that. I heard rock, pop, reggae, ska, and psychedelic. Unfortunately none of the songs stuck with me after listening to album.
🙂↔️👎
In terms of originality, they really went for it and achieved it. In terms of listenability, it fails. But they are strong musicians and vocalists.
Thought the opening couple songs were OK. This was a step up from the most recent 5-6 album stretch, but really, there was nothing here that stood out and make me think I'm really happy to have listened. Nothing adverse to the ears, but really just one big shoulder shrug and mediocre listening experience. Going the 2.5. Not rounding up. 2.5
2 This is probably the least British-sounding British band I’ve ever heard. Despite that, I was kind of hoping to hear some Britpop, but I’m not exactly sure what the hell this was - or who exactly it’s for. Wikipedia says it’s a mix of neo-psychedelia and folk rock, but I feel like I listened to a series of shanties where the band tried to push themselves to see how un-catchy they could make the melodies. There are also supposed parallels people have drawn with this dude’s vocals and Jim Morrison’s, but I really didn’t hear that - instead I feel like I was getting more of an Eddie Vedder thing with maybe a Steven Tyler attempt on the high notes. At the very least, there’s some kind of weird attempt at Aerosmith I was picking up on, but it lacked any of the edge of the band - and I say that as someone who can’t stand Aerosmith, so you can imagine what it was doing for me here. Far from the worst thing I’ve heard, but I didn’t find anything here to be particularly enjoyable. I have no idea what would draw people to this band or 159 million people to Dreaming of You specifically, but they’re clearly hearing something I’m missing.
meh
found myself pretty unbothered by this
An album so good that even the Wikipedia summary on top of this page is speechless. Weird pirate Psychedelic Rock if it was sung by the Imagine Dragons guy. Goes from "kinda cool" to "annoying as fuck" in a record time of roughly three songs.
a lot of these albums grow on you the more you listen This one had the opposite effect. If i had listened once i would have said, fairly fine, unremarkable, but fine, 3 but by the third listen i just find it incredibly annoying. I don't like it, its not bad, just annoying. I think the known single is a song that i'd rather never ever hear again Dull, insipid, boring, low 2
Kind of exhausting.
I was kind of digging the vibe despite this being a strange like... gypsy pirate sound. I recognize Dreaming of You from some movies or shows or something. I kind of enjoyed listening to this just since the sound was a bit different from what we've gotten from the list recently, but I don't know if this is especially noteworthy in any direction. Nice it wasn't too long. Second half of it probably could've been mostly cut.
The build to start the album is pretty cool. High energy. And it drops off. This didn't need to be here. If I was out on a boat today this might have hit better.
It started out ok, but quickly nosedived.
I dont get it
'Chris Long for BBC Manchester Music saw it as an "interesting debut. [... D]espite it's derivations and blatant robbing", the album was "original, challenging and above all, fun". AllMusic reviewer Bryan Thomas wrote that the "fantastic voyage that is The Coral [...] is the real discovery", citing an amalgamation of various influences, often within a single song. Pitchfork contributor Chris Dahlen wrote that the band "seems more curious than inventive", tackling various ideas "but don't always have an original hook or clear idea to attach them to". John Mendelsohn of Blender said that very "[l]ittle else here [...] is quite as glorious" as "Dreaming of You". He added that there was "enough moments to suggest that, should they ever concentrate on, say, just 10 of their favorite styles, they could be fab" ' OK. I guess The Coral was a somewhat noticeable act in that early-noughts retro-rock-revival scene that also saw the likes of The Strokes and The White Stripes emerge. And yet today, this album feels more like an example of the impact of passing fads and trends than a truly timeless record. The art of truly "essential" albums should try to be a little tighter, more cohesive, and more convincing than that. In other words, you need more memorable tunes... To write this review, I used the same template as the one I used for the first Joan Baez LP and The Notorious B.I.G.'s *Ready To Die*, by the way. Make of that what you will. 🙃 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential records. 7/10 for more general purposes. (5+2) Number of albums left to review: less than 200, approximately - I've temporarily lost count here. Number of albums I'll include in my own list: half so far, approximately. Number of albums I *might* include: a quarter, approximately Number of albums I'll never include: another quarter, or just a little more (including this one, many other albums are more important to me)
Another one where I didn’t hear anything essential. Not very excellent pop music.
Not as good as I remember. The 2nd star is purely for Dreaming of You which is still a brilliant song.
listening to this felt like pulling back the curtain on the music they played at the coolest places (aka Urban Outfitters lmao) i would dare visit as a teen in the mid-late aughts who desperately wanted to get \"into\" music but had v strict parents. or like what the disgruntled ex nyc/la bartender/photography blogger/do turned barista/proprietor at the only coffee shop w a powder coated espresso machine and a pourover menu in a college town would play on vinyl during the day to discourage people from taking work phone calls from inside. sounds like Spoon x the Arctic Monkeys + weird 70s psych rock & a touch of piratesque gang vocals. i mean. it was fine but nothing particularly memorable for me.
A shitty little bit of graverobbing that ultimately sounds like the soundtrack to a sad, haunted funfair.
Nothing really original here. Moving on.
It’s okay but very short.
Such a confused album
If you’ve never heard of it before this challenge then it’s guaranteed to be British. Annnnd yup! British. Now the toss up on if it’ll be iconic, moderately listenable, or absolute tripe. Ding ding ding! We have another hot steaming pile of absolute tripe! Thanks for coming out and wasting my Sunday. It has no cohesive identify that I can latch onto. Who are you trying to be Coral? You can’t be Jim Morrison or Eric Clapton. Those dickheads already exist.
I had heard two songs by The Coral which I liked. Was surprised by the sound here, which was quite different than those tunes. I was also surprised at how bad some of the tunes were on this album. They are playing with some interesting sounds and styles here, but I don’t think they were successful in implanting them into coherent songs.
If they were my friend's band I would think they were really good!
girl why am i trapped in 2002. hello. get me the hell out of here. 1.5.
how did this make the list
Not a terrible albums, but this isn't the 1,001 Not Terrible albums you must listen to. No amount of rationalization outside of "UK Pop" could justify this album's place on this list. 2/5
Instrumentally interesting, but runs its one-trick shanty sound into the ground well before its short runtime concludes. The vocals are challenging from the get-go and only get worse as the LP goes on, and the situation isn't helped by some truly brain-dead, repetitive lyricism. An interesting idea and sound overall, but the execution could have been way better.
pub life
Oof. Dated AF. Somewhat 'wacky' wordplay is a blight nowadays
This album is messy, chaotic, and forgettable. The vocals are really not great and there is next to no coherence between songs. It definitely isn't unlistenable, but I really did not enjoy this.
Not any where as good as fellow scousers, The Zutons. I really enjoy Dreaming of you, but the rest isn't even very good sea-shanty indie rock. Poor and disappointing given the fame at the time of release. Makes sense why I didn't listen to the album in the early 2000s!
The Coral's eponymous album is the recasting of old English rock in a sterile and emotionless form.
Like many people, I bought this record off the strength of Dreaming of You expecting more or same. But it was a trudge then and it’s a trudge now, lacking any substance and imitating progenitors you did it far better.
I’ve never forgotten an album quicker.
Why? It was not good. Thankfully it was short. No need to listen or even consider.
Mietin että meneekö tää yliyrittämiseksi välillä: koetettu saada mukaan kaikenlaisia biisejä, vaihdella tempoja. Vaivattomalta se on saatu silti vaikuttamaan. B-puoli notkahtaa kumminkin, ei yllätä enää. Dreaming of you on jostain syystä ollut mun soittolistoilla, siitä on pitänyt oppia tykkäämään, kuten varmaan koko levystä.
It may not technically be directly in the ska category but dagnabbit I'm calling this a ska record and no one can stop me. It's funny that almost every professional review runs in a similar way - "One fantastic song (Dreaming of You), among other decent tracks", when there's not much to make that track standout between so many of the others here. It's not especially catchy or profound or anything, just another decent funky ska song. 4/10
This album just made me shrug. Yep, that was definitely an album. Not good, not terrible. It just exists. There are so many albums that deserve a place on this list that didn't make it. Piss off.
It's OK British pop rock. 2/5
meh
Hated pretty much every moment of this, but it gets a two cause it’s not like - offensively awful.
Jeg kan ret godt lide stilen, men synes bare at andre har gjort det bedre....
wa oooooooooooooo wa oooooooooooooo
I remember this from when it came out, and I'm sure it used to be better!? Dreaming Of You was the instant classic, I Remember When is also decent, but there's really nothing else, plumbing new lows when they borrow some pretty reggae sounding beats to warble over. Just checked, and the next album is the better one (without the standout single though). 2/5 for this one.
Not bad but nothing truly remarkable, ultimately becoming rather forgettable. This sounds like a very good bar band who are still trying to gather their bearings and have some good ideas, but they rarely land. And maybe this band sounded great live but this recording doesn't capture the same energy.
Yeah never heard of this band before and I came defiantly see why. Absolutely nothing special about these guys. Is there even a summary for this album? This may be the most phoned in random band on the list. 2002 alt rock that’s not even popular. Wasn’t the worst album to listen to but probably one of the more undeserving. 4.4/10
I mean I definitely wasnt expecting that lol. I think it was okay just bc it was different to most albums on here. The first two songs are pretty cool
Not for me. Kind of a weird late 60s pirate vibe
Meh uninspired
This album was alright but I’m not sure it is listworthy.
The oompah-Strokes found the "backwards reverb" button on their digi-pedals. I guess it's nice that they're playing instruments? Listen to Man Man instead!
i just don't like it that much. some tracks get up to decent for me but it's just not a genre i enjoy. i think the lyrics kinda fuck it up for me, both his voice and what he's actually saying. instruments sound nice but it's a lil muddled with so many things going on.
Least fav album of the 12 i've listened to. Not my type of music i'd say.
This is one of those "wouldn't it be cool if" kinds of art works. Wouldn't it be cool if we sounded like the Beach Boys, man? And for the next track let's like do like a surf-rock but make it like modern you know? I have not felt a single emotion listening to all this. Just reminds me of all that pretentious indie that was going around in that era of rock and roll. It's two stars because it is technically competent, but that's all it is.
This was ok. Not a big fan, I've listened to a few psychedelic albums here and there but it's hit and miss for me.
I had never heard of this band. Album sort of annoyed me, can’t put my finger on why. After listening, I immediately forgot what it sounded like.
Mishmash of styles all played competently, but with no distinctive hook. I would be excited to see them play in a bar, but I don't see how this is one of the greatest 1000 albums of all time. It wouldn't even make top 1000 in my collection.
I don't know man... Maybe there are only 500 records I must hear before I die. This wasn't one of them. But it's not a 1 star either. I just don't know.
ok
Its not that great.
Didn’t really care for this. Felt like the same song for 35 minutes.
Really enjoyed the first track, Spanish Main... off to a good start. I Remember When - pretty good too. Shadows Fall - slow ska. Not so great Dreaming of You - too Pop. Simon Diamond - too ska. Goodbye - fairly good. Waiting For the Heartaches - not so good. Skeleton Key - ska on steroids. Silly stuff Wildfire - ok. Bad Man - not bad. Calendars And Clocks - straight out of The Divine Comedy. OTT nonsense. So, good start but quickly became lame and boring. It's a 2
Me ha parecido un peñazo. Me ha recordado a The Last Shadows Puppets pero sin ningún tema que levante el disco. Prescindible aunque no sea malo.
Oh I really did not like that
A couple of fun sounds but mostly kinda lame
So many different music styles in every song but shoehorned in and all over the place.
2 - I'm writing this, like, a week after listening to the album, and I just remember it being boring. It could do things I like for a few seconds, and would become boring again. It never kept my attention long enough to consider giving it a 2.5. The vocals were annoying, from what I remember. Not really sure why this is in the 1001 albums you must listen to before you die? I mean, it sounds more like something from a decade later than something from 2002, so maybe that has something to do with it? Overall, forgettable.
Solidly mediocre. Not sure why it's on the list, I'm not surprised it was removed.
2.5 potentially
ehkä paras album summary tällä sivustolla.. poppi rokkia, pientä kultesque sävähdystä . toki paljon paljon paljon paljon paskempi miksi edes vertailin mitä vittua teen piiskaa.. piiskaa ansaitsen tollasesta, mitä vittua liikkuu päässä rn miten kehtaan british boy band paskasa aivan hriveä albumi mitä hevettiä selitän jotain k... ei, en saa sanoa enään sitä sanaa... en ansaitse... piiskaa..piiskaa..piiskaaa shadows fall
Not feeling it!!!
Tråååkigt... slöseri med tid
If sea shanties were indie rock. Very much an acquired taste.
Liked the singles, the rest was a bit meh.
Apas vraiment inspirant je connais probablement une 100 d'albums qui aurait passé avant et rendu à mon 1060 reviews c'est juste vraiment ordinaire 2.75
This was so grating after a while and it’s only 35 minutes long. Not my cuppa tea.
2.9 - This rock sound combined with ska, gypsy jazz and punk just isn’t doing it for me. I feel like I’m hungover, standing out in the hot sun, watching an opening act at a music festival. Some hippie dude near me is dancing aggressively, constantly getting in my space.
Not my thing
i didn’t like this record and i’m surprised it seems to be rather well-regarded
The Zutons followed by The Coral - have I been teleported to early 2000s Liverpool? I like that the Coral have a unique, sea shanty sound. The highlights of this (their debut) album are very good, but there is also quite a lot of filler. Rating: 2.5/5 Playlist track: Dreaming of You Date listened: 03/12/23
Well - I thought I'd like this - given the era and the producer. But what a lame effort this was, completely forgettable. Derivative but not done well.
Bit meh, Dreaming of You is a great song, the rest sounds (as it did at the time) like pretty generic post-Britpop stuff
These early 2000’s British alt/indie records are such bullshit. Bullshit, I tell ya.
Fun, engaging, though forgettable psychedelic/folk rock. Dreaming of You is the best, most catchy tune, but like the rest of the album, the whole thing just sort of disappears after the song is over.
Hmmm. Went by really fast and I took nothing from it. + Goodbye + Waiting For The Heartaches
Een zoutloos eitje, zo kan je deze muziek wel zien. Op zich gewoon best wel te eten, maar toch saaier dan nodig is.
Ik zag deze band ooit in New York en wat ik er van onthouden heb is dat het voorprogramma véél leuker was. Wat een saaie bende die Coral.
Ehh this album teetered on being good multiple times but just kept blowing it. One listen was enough.
I get that its hard to decide what albums will be classics in this century, but this album, with its poor rhymes, weak rhythm section and bland structure is an obvious poor choice. An especially odd inclusion when modern classics such as Daft Punk's Discovery and Frank Ocean's Blonde are strangely omitted.
Generic rock at best
Wasn’t very thrilled by this album, but had to give it two stars because I actually enjoyed listening to I Remember When. Other than that, this album was nothing special for me.
What the hell happened? I used to listen to this album. I used to like it! But when this came up, my only reaction was "Oh, yikes". It's garbage to me now. How the turns have tabled. Dreaming of You still bangs though.
ca partait bien, jamais décollé. mélange rock, ska par boute. just not sure its place on this list 5/10
Yet another horribly awkward and subpar indie rock from the early 00's that tries to go all over the place make up for their abysmal songwriting
This album was exceptionally average and very forgettable. The reggae and ska elements were a good touch and gave the album something, but it wasn’t enough to raise it above the other British alternative albums of the time. The use of those elements is not a unique thing either in British rock music. Overall, the album just didn’t hit.
I often appreciate quirky. I didn't like this. Lacked real personality; performative quirky. Not sure they accomplished anything I actually needed to hear.
Reggae, shanties, britpop. Doesn't come across as groundbreaking but it is a fun record when they're leaning more into the harsher sound. Favorite tracks: Skeleton Key, Bad Man
this sounds like a less creative california by mr bungle
kind of annoying sorry!
Showed some promise but it just ended up being silly nonsense.
This just sounds like a parody of British rock history more than anything else.
Hadn't heard of them or heard any of their music. I found it mostly fun and listenable, and they are very skilled musicians. Don't feel interested enough to come back to them, but I can understand why people do.
Nice 60's feel to it, free love and all that. Lyrics are a bit simple for me. It had a few tracks i really enjoyed but on the whole it was not a keeper
AVR. 5.6 TOP 3: 1. Waiting for The Heartaches (+6.1) 2. Dreaming of You (+6) 3. Goodbye (+5.9) TRACKLIST 1. Spanish Main (+5) 2. I Remember When (+5.6) 3. Shadows Fall (+5.7) 4. Dreaming of You (+6) 5. Simon Diamond (+5.7) 6. Goodbye (+5.9) 7. Waiting for The Heartaches (+6.1) 8. Skeleton Key (+4.8) 9. Wildfire (+5.5) 10. Bad Man (+5.9) 11. Calendars and Clocks (+5.2)
Not my thing. Kind of drifted off while listening. Could be I'm just tired but I also don't find this very compelling. As usual, it is mostly due to a distaste for the vocal style. This sort of sounds like it is a from a musical to me. There's this sense of a forced theatricality to it.
Apart from Dreaming of You, I found everything else quite dull. Sorry.
Based on the description in Apple Music ("...this eponymous debut from psychedelic Wirral peninsula sextet...") I expected something much different. This was more up-front and brash than I'd expected, and of course nothing at all wrong about that. There's a strong musical ability throughout each of these songs, demonstrated by excellent arrangement among the instrumentation and layered vocals. Unfortunately the end-result to me is that it sort of bashes me over the head without much in the way of memorable songs, or anything I can sink my teeth into. Rhythms end up as a wash of UK-white-raga that doesn't stick out as unique or catchy. I'd not heard of this band and can see they have quite a decent discography so perhaps they've developed songwriting past the first impressive attempt, but in the end this isn't for me.
Not great retro-rock. Prefer much more Tame Impala and Motorpsycho.
Just alright.
Sonido setentero. Rock tipo LOVE. Psicodélico
fuck english people
Really wanted this to be better than I remembered but it wasn’t. 2 seems harsh but it’s not a 3!
Meh. Didn't hook me but fine to listen to.
Not really my thing, every song was the same and basically young adult singalongs
Part of that mid-00's indie rock that I really don't like I'm afraid.
Eponimowy albumik grupy koralowej, wczesne lata 2k0, wyspy brytowe, pierwsze skojarzenie to muzyka radiowa z hispsterskiej stacji, kawalki nie sa nieprzyjemne dla ucha, mieszcza sie w czasie 2-3 minut grania antenowego, wiec muzyka ktora ma byc popowym rockiem lub rockowym popem z nuta psychodelicznego klimatu, choc wiki okresla go jako indi rock neopsychodeliczny, wiec calkiem blisko tego grze ja go rzucilem, nazwa zespolu jest bardzo nieprzypadkowa, bo wydaje mi sie ze morskie klimaty sa spoiwem lirycznym plyty, zaczyna sie kawalkiem spanish main, sa pozegnaniowe songi, szkieletowo skarbowe, czyli zycie marynarskie pelna geba, jakby sie uprzec to nawet motywy instrumentalne z szantow by mozna bylo wylapac, na plejke leci dreamin of you i wildfire
Very quirky, they sounded like it was fun to produce/record.
Probably had it's time and place. Nothing really unique in it for me.
'Dreaming of you' was a solid track, but there was way better music that came out in 2002. Come onnnnn
I remember living ‘Goodbye’ back when it was released, and it gave me a chortle. The rest of the album is a bit lost in weird ska/carnival/rockabilly weirdness