Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Me gustó buen disco
I saw The Charlatans described somewhere as an obscure British band, which seems a little odd. Maybe they were obscure in America, but in the UK they had three number-one albums during the 1990s. That is not exactly a minor footnote. 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯’ 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 is enjoyable enough: catchy, confident, and still carrying traces of the band’s Madchester and psychedelic roots. But while I like the sound, the songs rarely hit me as hard as the best Britpop albums from the same period. So yes, definitely successful, definitely very British, and definitely not obscure. For me, though, it is a good Britpop-era album rather than one of the essential ones.
o nome não mente xD
parece que foi uma coisa grande no uk por conta da morte do tecladista, né. enfim, britpop genérico. e nem eh dos melhores nao. dobro e passo pro próximo
It wasn't bad. It reminded me a lot of Oasis. But I was mostly thinking I should just listen to Oasis.
My gut reaction was (and previously had been) “they’re an Oasis ripoff”. But I’d be wrong. They formed *before* Oasis, so if anything, Oasis are a poor man’s The Charlatans.
“Chat GPT, write me a Britpop album”…… I did like it though. I won’t look at the release date on Wikipedia so I can give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they are pioneering rather than plagiarizing (probably somewhere in the middle).
Maybe a little harsh but felt like brit pop by numbers
My copy of the book claims that this album has a "distinctive" and "neo-psychedelic" sound. Look, I wasn't there in '97. I can't say with any amount of accuracy if people were dropping acid and listening to The Charlatans. All I'm saying is after listening to this album, I doubt it. This album is fine. It's britpop, like 1/3 of this list.
area 51???? gwn rock.. idk het is fine
mid. wel leuk als achtergrond muziek
This seems like just another Oasis clone with slightly worse songwriting. It’s catchy and enjoyable, but not remarkable enough to stand out. They also borrow heavily from older music - “Tellin’ Stories” borrows melodies/instrumental parts from Led Zeppelin’s “Night Flight” and “Over The Hills And Far Away,” and the bassline of “Only Teething” directly copies Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues,” so blatantly that I wonder if they have to pay royalties. 3.5/5, rounding down. Also, there is way too much ‘90s/ early 2000s British pop/rock on this list.
6/10
Boring
Very good music! However it all felt a little monotonous :(
Whole album feels like a bit of a blurry psychedelic wash, which isn’t always the worst thing in the world for a baggy britpop album, but when you’re also sounding like you’re just doing impressions of the Stone Roses and Oasis despite not quite being from Manchester, it doesn’t really help the case. Just feels so inessential for me to hear an also-ran that feels pretty warranted in that status when there’s so much top shelf britpop and Madchester sounds I haven’t worn out before now.
Here’s one of those obscure English bands that I never heard of until now. They are an alternative rock band and this album tries to show off a variety of music. It would be good background music to listen to while you’re working in the garage or on some other related activity. There are a couple of instrumental tracks which are ok.
I assumed we had this band before, but we didn't actually! They're just very generic sounding. I wish they were tellin' stories, but they mostly weren't (unless they're very short abstract stories). I guess that's why they're called The Charlatans.
I liked them. Definitely worth a revisit. This was my first listen and it reminded me a lot of Oasis
It's like Oasis except not catchy
Catnip for me. Lush harmonies, a tight, crunchy modern rock guitar sound and all the bumping bass and soaring keys to push it along. Sounds a bit like Oasis to me but less self-important. Critics apparently liken it to Patti Smith and Let It Bleed-era Stones but I don't get it -- Smith is more dark and weird and it's just too 90's to sound much like the Stones; Tim Burgess doesn't have the pout of Jagger, the Mark Collins's guitar sounds too muscular to be either Jones or Richards. I can't entirely separate my enjoyment of this record from my affinity for the sounds of the time: it's like a more fully-realized Oasis (who always sound like they got 75% done and buggered off to the pub, assured of their own genius). The recording is lush, featuring enough reverb to give a dreamlike quality but not so much as to cause 80's-itis. The acoustic guitar sections are bright and cutting, the electric parts punch with the slightly nasal growl of what sounds like a Vox AC30. The drums (Jon Brookes) are down-mixed a bit; the quality of the kit doesn't come through but the rhythms are compelling and compliment the bass (Martin Blunt) perfectly. The opening of 'One to Another' demonstrates their driving synchronicity perfectly. Prominent throughout is the late Rob Collins, brother of guitarist Mark. Rob Collins died in a car accident partway through recording this album but his work on all manner of keys is probably where critics draw the comparison to Let It Bleed. The blues-inflected piano work, especially, is a welcome addition to a band that otherwise might sink beneath the din of 90's Britpop (or Britrock?). The sum of its parts is a polished (it's the band's fifth album), assured and compelling record that is easily better than any of Oasis's work overall; it lacks the sweet hooks of 'Wonderwall' or 'Champagne Supernova' but everything else is better (this might, against my will, be a moment of clarity in respecting the Gallaghers' ability to write a hook). If you'd like a summary of what 90's British rock music could do really well, I'd look no further than this album. Peak. 5/5
Alright britpop, trying too hard to be oasis and not their own thing but there's bangers here
Guy on the left has a frog in his mouth
Enough. There are a dozen of these bamds that sound the same. I gave lots of 3* as I like the sound but now it has just gotten ridiculous with imitations of imitations.
Heard a song from them before but I don't think I desperately need to know this random britpop band's music. This album just kinda exists. Almost sound like Oasis on some songs. Honestly 1997 was way too late to still be making this kind of music 2/5
less than mid. No thanks
This list really needs more Britpop that all sounds the same (sarcastic). Also is that 4 guys or 4 pictures of the same guy?
0815 Brit Pop, absoluter Einheitsbrei, weg damit
nichts besonderes, nicht schlecht, nicht gut
Britpoprock Album #100 Kriegen alle 3 Sterne von mir, ist okay zu hören, aber muss ich wirklich 1001 gleiche Alben davon hören bevor ich sterbe?
"Oasis, but the relationship issue are with romantic partners, not their sibling"
Forgot all the songs already.
Once again, I find myself in a valley in this list. One gem followed by a bunch of whiny 90's English rock. This is the English beating a retreat.
Ah, knockoff Oasis
Seems there were a hundred bands like this in the late 90s.
This really just isn't my thing. I don't care for the whiny BritPop vocal style. There's a couple of good songs on here, but it just ain't my thing and I don't care to hear it again.
No private session used for Spotify. The second Charlatans album on this list, but they still haven't had me listen to my favorite. Good rock, nice to hear a keyboard in use, I could definitely listen to this again.
#417 I’m not a big Charlatans fan but I do know and like a few of their albums, I’m not sure this is the best one though. Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? 🫳 Fave track(s): North Country Boy Rating: 6/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bunch o'guitars played loudly and lazily in an attempt to substitute swagger for actual songwriting. Singer Tim Burgess' vocal affectations also wear out their welcome fairly quickly.
I have heard that this album is good.I This is the type of music I like. Intelligent pop music. Good vocals and lyrics. Guitar based. A lot of catchy hooks Lots of great songs: North Country Boy, you’re a big girl now, Tellin’ Stories and Too High. Nice variety of songs. A very good album. Four stars. Almost a five.
оч напоминает оазис, поэтому всплывает вопрос: "почему они, а не они?"
Tellin' Stories is a landmark record for The Charlatans, earning them rave reviews while building off of the recognition they earned opening for Oasis at their historic appearance at Knebworth. It was no easy task getting noticed in the sea of insanely talented bands in the United Kingdom, and harder still to break through in America. The Charlatans managed to do both with Tellin' Stories, but true greatness is just beyond its reach due to multiple jam sessions, two of which close out the album.
I didnt like them. They are like oasis but without being oasis
At least they chose their band name aptly....
4/10
Début très Oasis mais bien rattrapé après
Not bad, but a few of the songs sound the same. In fact, at one point during listening I noticed what I thought was one song was actually two songs later because it just sounded like one long song.
Really struggling to write a review for this one. It was just a standard Britpop album that didn't leave much of an impression on me. There were a couple standout tracks, like the upbeat piano grooves of One To Another, the Oasis-esque bombast of How High, and the bugged out instrumental cut Area 51 but the quasi-danceable drum patterns and fuzzed out guitars of the rest of the album ended up blending together for me. If you really enjoy Britpop you might like this, but other than that I don't see why this would be considered essential.
Charlatan is a good name because this is literally just oasis lite
Oh nee, oh nee toch... Ik had net een ontzettend interessant duister industrieel album. En dat word opgevolgd door... Dit? Oei, dit kan wel eens heel matig worden, ik hoor meteen dingen waar ik niet vrolijk van word. Ongeïnteresseerde zanger? Check. Nietszeggende gitaar riffs? Check. Dertien in een dozijn productie? Check. Britse band? Dubbelcheckkk. God dit doet me ontzettend denken aan Oasis, en ik ben totaal geen fan van Oasis... Maar zo mogelijk een nog verder verwaterde versie van Oasis, zeg maar als ze nog een flink stuk saaier waren. Zoals zo vaak bij Britpop; beste nummer is een instrumental. FAVO: Area 51
fine but completely irrelevant
Temu Oasis
Good album - very late 90s rock. Very British and Oasis-esque? Consistant throughout
After listening to the album, I wanted to write a story. The plot goes like this: a time-traveler to late '60s England convinces The Beatles not to release their album "Magical Mystery Tour," which is too clownish for a band like them, and pits Deep Purple against their cover version of "Hush." Upon returning to his own time, he discovers that Britpop doesn't exist in his world. This entire album is Britpop squared; it's built on these two works; it's the quintessence of the genre, sometimes taken to the extreme, like Oasis on energy drinks. And it works! Overall, all the songs here are imbued with the English spirit; Britpop is multifaceted, you know? There's acoustic psychedelia, '70s rock, and semi-hip-hop beats of the fading Madchester wave — all the right elements are there. So, even though we've heard it all before, the album deserves its meager three-star rating. That is, of course, if you're even remotely close to the British guitar wave of the 90s.
Oasis with smoother vocals.
What it would sound like if Coldplay tried to do a punk album
Review - fuck me this is absolutely horrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible music. Gallagher brother belly button fluff with a wah pedal, truly pigshit sounds. One of the few albums on this list I've DNF'd, absolutely nothing of value to be found in this album. Not even bad in an interesting way that teaches you something about what makes good music good. Just a smelly turd of an album. Score - 1/10 Need to listen? NO
Chill
Brit rock
I love a good whiny alternative album One of the first ones I can see myself going back to listen to
lads singing Bout being lads
Like if Oasis or Blur were cool and made good music. I was thinking on giving it a 4 but it has too many bangers not to give it a 5. I mean come on an instrumental like "Area 51" in the middle of the album is just so cool
Perfectly serviceable 90s indie, but these will always remain a Greatest Hits compilation band in my world Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆(6/10) Total reviewed : 399 Already owned : 89 Purchased : 21 To buy : 3 Nope : 286
Kinda like a mix between the stone roses (good) and oasis (bad). Very of its time it both a great (music/vibes, really like the instrumation) and bad (vocal style is the whiny oasis nasal style yuck)
Not my thing.
Not quite oasis or the verve.....
Totally fine, completely inessential Britpop.
Oasis maar beter
***A good easy listening album
Hmm, like Oasis pt2 (North Country Boy). Definitely some coattails being ridden on here I feel like I've heard One to Another before? But I can't fully place it It's not terrible overall actually. Bit of a Happy Mondays vibe on Only Teethin Best track - North Country Boy, One to Another 3 stars
Never heard of these guys but they rock.
I mean yeah it's not Oasis, but it does a damn good impression.
I listened to this while catching up from a vacation, but forgot to rate it. three days later when I checked my history and realized I had to rate it, I had forgotten most of it... even though timeline wise they are right in my wheel house. That tells me something. 2+
Overall, not a bad album. It has this kind of vibe as the type of music that was kind of popular a bit before that, so I feel like this may have been a bit too late, but it seems to be getting quite a lot of listens, so it has its fan base. Overall, nothing too exciting but it's okay leaving in the background.
Ok enough album with some good songs. Minus for being a total replica of Oasis. He even sounds exactly like Liam.
Ah yes, that slightly psychedelic, slightly woozy, cookie-cutter Madchester sound from the mid-90s. I have fond memories of being completely underwhelmed by this the first time round.
It’s fine. In its day, probably great. Will probably get a nostalgia bounce from anyone familiar with it, but otherwise (as a first listen) it just sounds derivative of everything Gallagher-esque that soundtracked TFI Friday in the mid/late 90s - e.g. the heavy guitar riffs, and that now slightly irritating way that one syllable words used to get stretched into two syllables (“Yeee-oooh” instead of “you”).
I don't know... it's not bad but outside the singles (which are alright but not stellar) it just doesn't catch me at all, except for maybe the final track. It doesn't help that the vocals remind me of Oasis.
Sounds like every other bucket hat wearing Oasis like album from Manchester in the 90's. It's fine, if you like that sort of thing.
An album of b sides by a great band, just nothing that grabs me.
Kind of a poor man's Oasis. But not bad overall. Some pretty good songs.
Pretty cool. Its like Jane’s addiction with a better singer
This was ok
Just really generic britpop. Not bad or annoying per se, but there are so many albums within the genre that are better than this one. I’m really starting to understand more and more the people that hate how bloated this list is with britpop.
Liked a couple songs but most were just average.
Once again, not bad music just doesn’t move the needle for me.
Three-leaning-four
These guys really like Oasis.
This album is so mid; it has absolutely no reason to be on the list
Was ok, but better examples already exist on the list (Oasis, Verve, Blur).
Great tunes
i’ve been meaning to check out the charlatans since FOREVER… very nice first exposure, i like how area 51 and rob’s theme lean more into an electronic / trip hop kind of sound, sure it’s not groundbreaking for the genre or anything but i don’t really care i still like it. plus i love primal scream so them getting their keyboardist in for this album did a fair bit to form my opinion on it
It's not TERRIBLE but it does feel like a pretty blatant attempt to rip off bigger bands and I don't like that what I can discern about what makes this different is that it's bluesier.
Brit-pop still isn't my thing. This one isn't terrible though.
This was a fine example of 90's British pop-rock. Like Oasis, but maybe better? The vocals were just as whiny and annoying. Musically it seemed fine, though mostly uninteresting.
Some good songs, others I might have enjoyed back in the 90s.
Annoying rock sounds
They really want to sound like oasis, people hate them for this but tbh I think they did quite well and also added their own twist to it which makes it a pretty complete and good record. Biggest fault is poor lyrical depth which bars this album at a 4 for me. Really confused about the immense amount of hate that their is out their for this record... I love Oasis as much as you guys do I promise.
Completely inoffensive, but also completely boring. 2.5/5.0: Mixed
oasis wannabes; still not bad though
Didn’t enjoy this. Mediocre album on a bad day. I guess it sounded like Oasis or something. In theory I might have liked it idk.
In general, I like this kind of music, but this isn't the strongest example of it. Inoffensive, but blended into the background for me.
Middling 90’s album. Didn’t get through it
Meh. I was squarly in the 2 category here but I found some of the later tracks pretty groovy, and I'll give it a charitable 3 here.
I’m overall tired of the overly 90’s and 2000’s British bias on this list, but this is a good album!
Fine enough, but if I didn’t already know better, I would just assume this is a record full of Oasis deep cuts that I hadn’t heard before. I know the selector of these records is British because of the just overwhelming amount of British artists featured. This is ok, but kind of generic, and I disagree with this being a record that needs to be heard. 6.5/10
Pretty good
The year is 1997. The market can tolerate an infinite number of Oasises. Enter The Charlatans with their OK album Tellin' Stories. The nation of England crumbles into the sea under the sheer weight of Oases. The world watches silently - not a tear is shed. For although the world would not have wished for this fate, they knew that it must be so.
Ah so this was the era when bands got greasy trims and tried to be oasis
The last dregs of the Britpop/Madchester scene. Sure this was well received at the time, but now it is so clear The Charlatans were just a generic mishmash of The Stone Roses/Primal Scream/Oasis/Happy Mondays etc etc.
Totally middle of the road 90s Britpop… but bit of a guilty pleasure
Enjoyable but somewhat run of the mill 90s Britpop.
Yet another Brit pop album
⭐⭐ Vet att de har låtar jag gillar men de är inte med på detta albumet. Spåren här är inget som är direkt frånstötande men heller inget som sticker ut som riktigt bra. Tycker produktionen är grumlig. Detta känns safe och mellanmjölk, inget jag kommer lyssna på igen det blir en 2a. Bäst är Tellin' stories, Get on it
Fine
Sounds like a combination of Oasis and Kasabian. They have some cool guitar riffs - I really like the one on One To Another. A few songs are a little anonymous, but overall a pleasant surprise. Favourites: One To Another, With No Shoes and Area 51
walmart oasis
just a collection of oasis side Bs
Dull, generic, and bland.
For whatever reason, this really worked for me and I completely enjoyed it. Even looking back, it feels somewhat generic, but damn it it was fun, and I honestly think it's good music. 4 stars, take it or leave it.
When your mum says you've got Oasis at home.
That's sure some Britpop. I didn't love it, but it's not the worst I've heard.
Muy chulo
Basically Oasis. Alright I guess.
Guitars played loud in the service of pop songs. A dying breed in '97. Sounds good to me.
This was fine. Nothing to special but also not terrible.
This sounds like an absolute copy of Oasis. The singer sounds very similar, and so does the rest of the show. A bit more poppy perhaps. But if you put that aside, it's actually not too bad. 'With No Shoes' is quite an annoying opening songs. The lyrics doesn't flow well together, feels forced somehow. But most songs are actually mid-to-quite-decent throughout the album, which I never expected going into this. Still, it's hard for me to look at this through any other angle than it being an Oasis copy, which makes it feel unoriginal. Strong 3 in the end!
I had to remind myself multiple times that I wasn’t listening to Oasis. It felt very similar though I’m not sure how copied or inspired who. Obviously, Oasis has had more impact on music than these guys. Compared to Oasis I missed any type of real hit. Even their most popular song sounded quite boring to me. Then again I’m not a big fan of Oasis either. Strong 2, weak 3 territory.
My first thought was that while this was decent, it kind of felt like refried Oasis. Maybe UK bands are like UK dishes...gotta find another way to make the same meat and potatoes? Overall, this isn't bad, but I didn't find myself gravitating towards any tracks except for the two instrumentals...which kinda sounded like refried Beastie Boys instrumentals from the early 90s. Easily a 3.
After yesterday's disappointing listen to HMS Fable, it was time for a proper Britpop classic. I’ve always loved Tellin' Stories by The Charlatans, so I was really looking forward to revisiting it. I’ve always been a big fan of The Charlatans’ early studio albums. I do have one confession though, as much as I love their records, Tim Burgess is probably one of the weakest live performers I’ve ever seen live. Thankfully, that doesn’t take anything away from how good these albums are. Their first four or five records are packed with quality, and Tellin’ Stories is the best of them. This album contains some of the band's biggest songs, but it’s more than just a collection of singles. It captures everything that made Britpop and indie music so exciting in the mid-90s: great melodies, memorable hooks, brilliant guitar work and that unmistakable Charlatans sound. For me, this is very close to being the perfect indie album. There are one or two tracks that feel more like filler, but the quality of the standout songs more than makes up for it. Favourite tracks: “North Country Boy”, “How High”, “Tellin’ Stories” and “One to Another” are all absolute indie classics from my youth Least favourite tracks: “You're a Big Girl Now” and “Only Teethin'” feel more like filler, but they're the exception on an otherwise excellent album Album artwork: Classic Charlatans album cover
Et bah pour du rock indé anglais des années 90, c'était étonnamment bien.
Its fine but pretty generic
Its very much rooted in the 90s in style, but it's rather boring.
Ok band that I never really listened to in the 90s, I more gravitated to pulp,blur and oasis, they to me sound like a laid back version of oasis, solid Brit pop album that didn't reach the height of some other bands of that time.
Un britpop clásico, bastante en el estilo Oasis. Está bien, pero tampoco sale de la media. 6/10
Very 90's British music
I think I liked it
what started playing in my head when i bought my first vintage real leather red ferrari jacket back in trieste
One of the better britpop groups. Really like this record, but overall it isn't really strong enough to get the full score. 4/5
So Brit pop is just bands trying to be Oasis. I’ve never been much of an oasis fan, so knockoff oasis is pretty boring to me.
One to Another is a pretty cool track. I like their sound.
What a lovely little surprise of an album. Will definitely return to this.
Only really knew North Country Boy formally as it was on one of those Shine britpop indie compilations. Never inspired me to learn more about Charlatans. This is actually a very good album, one of the best British indie albums I would say. Sorry I didn't listen to it back in the nineties now. Probably missed some good gigs too as I had some mates into them and I just didn't get it. Ah well.
Slightly less bland Oasis
sooooo 90s (and very Oasis reminiscent). v solid album
watered down oasis...think ill just listen to oasis. but omg my mad fat diary theme??!! extra point for that
A pleasant Britpop album that lacks the replayability of peak Oasis or Blur. Still an enjoyable listen. Would have given 3*, but I'll bump it up to 3.5* just to keep upsetting the American centric reviewers who are angry at the inclusion to British bands they haven't heard of.
Man, a lot of Brit Pop really has a playbook and a uniform sound. Could have been any one of 6 or 7 bands.
Really good album.
Nothing to listen again to me. Ok but not my jamz.
3.75
Cool sound, Beatles-esque
Overall very chill. Said with no harsh shade, but it's often like Charlatans doing Oasis doing The Beatles. Which isn't terrible, but it also doesn't grab a lot of my focus as a listener. It looks like The Charlatans were around before Oasis, though it's not clear to me if there was any direct mutual influence or just the fact that they both came up in the same circle. I could see a lot of these songs on a playlist for a sunny day, early summer, all 90s kind of vibe.
amazing
Strong sense of the Manc sound even through they were a little distant from it. It was ok but I wouldn't have included it in a list to hear before I die
Na 3. Ani dobre, ani słabe.
Dit is een ideaal album als je de Gallagher broertjes écht niet kunt uitstaan. Een geluid dat helaas voor deze band moeilijk anders omschreven kan worden dan het Oasis geluid. En ook wat U2-achtig. Ik kan me hier geen bult aan vallen. Het doet me zowel positief als negatief niet heel veel. Dit kan neem ik aan iedereen gewoon lekker luisteren, ongeacht je smaak. Een solide, misschien wat commercieel album. Licht overgeproduceerd. 3,5 ster. Ik maak er een 4 van.
You've got to be fucking kidding me if you are trying to make the argument that this 3rd rate, derivative pablum is somehow essential in any way shape or form. Selections like this are a complete joke.
Not sure what to make of Ian Gallagher or Liam Brown
Pretty chill, fun Britpop in the same vein as Oasis. I’d rather just listen to Oasis, though. “One to Another” and “How High” are great!
Good 90s album. Reminds me a lot of Oasis. Good pop-alt tunes.
First time I’ve ever heard of this band. The album was okay, yet forgettable. They sound like every other Brit rock band of the time.
It's ok
Love that more soulful dance style of Britpop on display here. Some really cool stuff throughout and gotta be a solid 7/10 record
Some great tracks on this.
Like Oasis but with more calories.
singles are big I guess, I hated this at the time and not much fonder of it now
Listening to "Tellin' Stories" was like listening to a coat of Eggshell paint dry for 46 minutes while quietly and badly humming songs by Oasis and The Stone Roses from memory. The end result is boring and derivative, and not worth listening to. 1/5
Have you heard of oasis Have you listened to everything oasis has ever put out? Have you listened to so much oasis that you think yourself I need more oasis? Look no further than this album The charlatans sound exactly like an oasis cover band. They sound like a band that was inspired directly by oasis... and if you go to iTunes and you look up oasis and click on their inspired by playlist, sure enough there is a song from this album on that playlist But to be clear, this is not oasis This is the charlatans and I can hear Liam Gallagher saying dryly "charlatans, that's a fitting name"
Never heard of the band but knew immediately they were from the UK. Generic Oasis
Make Oasis more boring than the Verve with a completely nondescript singer and you get this.
This was much better than the reviews and global average made it seem. Very similar to Oasis in my head, but as I’m not much of a music scientist/historian I could be way off. Overall 3.75/5 easy
Not unlistenable but not particularly memorable either. 2.5/5 charitably rounded to 3.
Solid indie
Bello, classico sound britpop con una serie di brani interessanti
321/1001 The Charlatans - Tellin' Stories Heard before? ✅ Revisit? ❓ The Charlatans are a band that I feel I should like more than I actually do. Whilst there's nothing inherently wrong with the album, it never really captured me on re-listen this morning.
Some nostalgia for a nostalgia act - I am familiar with more of these songs than I realised. They chug and keen away companionably. Going through most of the records on this list before this one makes me realise how this stuff, The Charlatans and the like, sounded distinct from the records they admired. The vocals - regional, slightly closer to the ears - might be one cause. A certain polished precision to the classic rock sounds might be another. Also an earnestness that came off fake at the time, naive now. The rock’n’ roll star schtick feels unique to the era. They believed it.
I really liked The Charlatans in their baggy era (when any and all Roses-alikes were welcome, each usually tuneful and interesting within their limits); their first two albums still raise a song and a smile today. Unfortunately, fashions changed and the subsequent Stones/Oasis-lite incarnation on display here triggers only a bored nod. A pity.
What’s not to like? I’m over halfway through this 1001 list so I’m no longer taking the “must hear before you die” part seriously. If I can just get an enjoyable album that’s a good day. So… enjoy! (And don’t miss the latter tracks that have a great groove to them… “Get On It”!)
The pop accessibility is almost in constant conflict with nasal/whiny Oasis vocal styling, and while this is enjoyable enough, it can wear thin. This was most obvious when I found myself enjoying the instrumental track.
Another britpop record. It's okay, just kind of boring. Favourite Track(s): One To Another Least Favourite Track(s): With No Shoes, Rob's Theme
More folks that I’m sure it would be a pleasure to know.
I'm finding it hard to write anything here. This album was entirely forgettable. Nothing stood out to me. It wasn't actively bad, but just nothing compared to some of the great albums on this list.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
This was like a better Oasis, which I think tells more about my feelings about Oasis rather than The Charlatans. I'd give it an extra half star actually, but 4 seems too much. It's not annoying at least.
Totally bland. Utterly unremarkable. I can't even bring myself to give it a 1 because at least 1-star reviews were indicative of strong feelings. My strongest feeling from this is just being perplexed how it made this list to begin with. I could maybe see this as a foundational album if it came out in the very early 90s. But 97? Way too late for this.
1995. Britpop. Guitarist said that artists like the Beach Boys and Beastie Boys inspired the album.
alright
The first half of this album felt very 90's and then the 70's called and hijacked the last half. Feels like some tracks would have definitely been on the radio during its heyday but I can't recall making mixtapes with The Charlatans on it.
A lot of British people on this website and on the subreddit will get really mad if we make fun of the awful Britpop that infests this list, but honestly, we probably don’t make fun of it enough. This is so dire. Why is it here? Answers the question “What if The Stone Roses sucked?”
The bristsh are at it again. A bit catchy, but overall not great.
Boring and British in an oasis kind of way
Just really wasn't in the mood for this one today. Sounded like a basic rock record. nothing special.
This came out in 1997… I was 17 and was deep into music and these guys didn’t even blip on my radar… and good… sooo, as the kids say, mid. 2.4
Pretty generic. There was an instrumental track late in the album that I was digging. The rest of it wasn’t very memorable. 6/10 Pretty Good
This was a real coming of age for the Charlatans, delivering a strong cohesive album. North Country Boy is an outstandingly catchy song (and another nod to messers Mark and the boy Lard). Tellin Stories manages to capture the floaty Tim Burgess vocals of previous albums and marry it with a more straight laced Britpop backing. One to Another takes it further, building on songs like Weirdo snd delivering a monster of a son that summons up the spirit of Madchester to deliver a massive tune that demands you to move. The following tracks maintain the high quality before How High blows the bloody doors off. Only Teethin is an underrated track could hide in the shadow of How High, but like much of this album has such a strong groove to it, it cant be denied. Get On It again delivers that combination of rock and soul that works so well for the Charlatans, providing a chance for the opportunity for the respective parts of the band to shine, before coming together again giving the track a real live feeling to it. The keys are what gives a lot of Charlatans tracks their trademark feel, so it’s astonishing to remember that they lost Rob Collins part way through and closing what must have been such an emotional with Rob’s theme seems very fitting. When i saw this was today’s album, I was confident this was a 4/5, but having listened to it it all the way through for the first time in a while i actually feel this is 4.5-5/5 album
I knew I wouldn’t particularly like this when it popped up as I’ve never liked The Charlatans. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t like it either.
When I started this project, I never expected to reference Mark Radcliffe and the boy Lard (Marc Riley) so much. But here, once again, is a song I remember more fondly through the Shirehorses' parody that the original: North Country Boy by The Charlatans becoming West Country Boy, featuring the line "You scrumpy-guzzling, carrot-crunching tosspot"... ...anyway, I enjoy The Charlatans but they have never set my world alight. And so this album gets a very middling review. It's alright, but I don't find it sets itself apart from other artists of the Britpop era. Part of that problem for me, is how much Tim Burgess's voice reminds me of Liam Gallagher. I probably should enjoy this more than I do, but I don't have the emotional connection to it that I have with other bands of the era, as I didn't really listen to them then. I have a stronger attachment to bands like Joyrider, who were nowhere near as popular, but I bought a lot of their singles as a teenager. I do like the singles from this though, particularly One To Another, which has a great catchy riff. How High is also pretty fun. Generally fine. It would get a 3.5 in a world of half marks, but: 3/5
It’s like oasis but even worse
Aika mitäänsanomaton aikatyyliin sopiva boooring... mut hyvin soitettu kai
Eh
It's fine. I have nothing bad to say and am simultaneously quite uninspired.
Listened Before? N If the word "meh" was a person, and formed a band, and recorded an album... this would be what it would sound like. Even the dudes on the cover embody the meh-ness here. This gets a 2/5 as an album and a 5/5 as an exhibit in boring. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: One To Another
Expected more from this. Was easy enough listening but ready for it to finish
Oikein kivaa brittipoppia, ei ollu entuudestaan tuttu bändi itelle. On tosi stereotyyppinen 90-luvun brittibändin indiesoundi, kitara helposti kuuluvin soitin.
Oli entuudestaan tuttu bändi, muutama biisi on jo omalla listalla. Kyseiseltä albumilta oli kans yks tuttu. Muutama uus biisi löysi tiensä mun listalle, mut levy aika mid. How high oli entuudestaan tuttu, ihan ok biisi. Osa biisestä liian pitkiä kyl, tuntu välillä et yritetty saada pakolla sisältöä levylle. Olis voinu pari biisiä olla minuutin lyhyempiä. Solid levy mutta ei mikään mestariteos. One to another kova biisi mut 3/5 on kyllä aika osuva arvio
2.9 3x catch up on 5/18
Not really deserving of a spot on this list. Indistinguishable from every other band within the continental radius of britpop and alt rock of the 90's. ROUGH vocals that sit in a nasally register for just about every song. The only bit of mercy is that it stopped after 11 songs. No techinically impressive instrumentation to bail it out, no great hooks buried under the shitty presentation of the music. Sometimes the mix even felt off, like the random keys barging in at 1:36 on "How High". Felt dead on arrival 1/5
liked, nothing special
Thoroughly enjoyable, barely memorable 90s brit-rock.
I really like this Brit Pop. Similar to Oasis who I like, and while I have heard of them, I am not sure I have heard the Charlatans.
A really great album, with a strong beginning and a lot of great songs. It almost felt like oasis and blur at the same time, very rock/britpop in the best way
Bracing myself for the eye rolls of others on this page. Yes, it’s Brit pop, yes it can feel safe, and perhaps a B-tec version of Oasis/Stone Roses, but HEAR ME OUT. Like others I only really know The Only One I Know and always enjoyed it as a song, reminding me of my time at uni being carefree and living like any other British teenager experiencing life away from home. The album is fun, the songs are catchy, they bring nostalgia, there’s a common thread through the songs but at the same time provide enough variety. Reading around the album and seeing that it was their fifth surprised me, so perhaps I will accept that it’s slightly playing safe. It reminded me of the later more polished Oasis albums where Liam’s vocals become less screechy and more melodic. But as a SOUND, do we enjoy? It’s a yes from me.
Save you time, you can never get it back
Was expecting another britpop album but I actually think they did a better job than others of the era being more experimental and trying different sounds and I think it works really well.
Didn't do it for me. Just a bit bland
I know a few of them from younger days, and they're fine, but I really didn't get on with this. I'm not a fan of Tim Walker's vocal delivery, and honestly there didn't seem to be a lot of dynamic to the album. One To Another is enough of a banger to raise it above a 2.
Wasn't really my thing. Definitely fell into that 90s britrockpop feel.
Sorry to my UK people out there reading this, but I hate Brit-Pop. This is what I’m getting out from listening to so many Brit pop bands from this list. It’s boring, lifeless, soul-less, uninteresting, and just plain bad.
This was ok, pretty standard 90s indie rock. Nothing offensive but nothing riveting either
90’s classic from a quintessential 90’s band. Strong singles and some solid album tracks - one or two that I can take or leave but nothing terrible. Overall quality + nostalgia makes it a big thumbs up in my book. 4.2
Decent 90s indie rock. It's likeable enough but there's nothing here that makes me want to seek out any more either.
This band REALLY wishes they were Oasis
Me gustó mucho, creo que agregué todas las canciones a la playlist
Really enjoyed this
In *my* 1001 best albums. Yeah - could well be, the album positively ooooooooozes "baggy" and there's not many more tracks guaranteed to get me to STRUT down the road than "One to Another". The best 1001 ever? Feels unlikely.
It's okay, songs get a bit monotonous. I did like the nod to the riff from "Fearless" in "Here Comes A Soul Saver". A lot of these songs sound like a Pepsi commercial.
I was getting a fair amount of Oasis vibes from this but I enjoyed it.
This was a fun album. Strong britpop but a lot more soul than Oasis and Blur and less dramatic than Pulp.
I was a student in Britain in the late 1990s, so obviously I've danced to One to Another at a lot of indie discos, but beyond that, the Charlatans were never a band I could get that excited about. This hasn't really changed my mind - it's fine, I quite enjoyed it, but I'm unlikely to actively seek it out again. (It's also made me wonder if part of the reason I never fully embraced them is Tim Burgess' voice - it's like Liam Gallagher with twice the whine and half the conviction.)
this was fun but not gonna remember much of it tbh
/sees album cover "Oh boy, what kinda British bullshit is this?" Here's the thing: If I want to listen to something that sounds like Oasis, I'll just listen to Oasis. I don't know enough Britpop history to know whether it's fair to accuse these guys are being derivative. For all I know, they invented this style. But the album *sounds* like an incredibly derivative, pale imitation of Oasis. Now, to be fair, I love Oasis, so listening to off-brand, cereal-in-a-plastic-bag Oasis isn't *awful*, but it's not good by any means. Two things I'll note. First, "Area 51" was a great track, sounded like it could've been something used in a Guy Ritchie movie montage (complementary), and for all I know it actually was. What distinguishes that song? NO GODDAMN SINGING. Second, "How High" wasn't terrible, but there are already 3 songs called "How High" by Method Man and Redman that I'd prefer, so these blokes can get those words out of their goddamn mouths.
Loved this album, the first half was sensational but the second half did tail off. Probably enjoy more on a second listen
The forgotten side of britpop
This album is... well, not my thing. And, actually, it's something pretty bland and uninteresting. So, I'm surprised I've liked some parts. And maybe it is because there are some nicer songs and some quite different stuff, but the overall is britpop, which is a genre I tend to dislike. Not because I think those songs are horrible or something disgusting for the ear, but because they are so plain and boring that I can't find anything to really like in them. And that applies to this album. So, just because I liked some parts, I will consider this a bit better than other albums of the genre. But it is not something I would be willing to listen to ever. It was nice at times, I suppose. But just for one listen. It's not bad, although.
More generic, non-descript Brit-Pop.
la primera parte se me hizo muy repetitiva y genérica, pero después de la mitad hubieron algunos temas destacables. Pero como un todo es dificil de escuchar
Classy
Completely fine, but so exceptionally boring. The whole album sounds like songs that didn’t make it onto an Oasis record. Just too many of these bland UK bands on this list. They aren’t bad, but there are so many unique artists that should have made the list instead.
This is just music you know it’s just average kind of like music that you hear and don’t remember it cause it’s what everything sounds like
That’s ok but nothing I need to listen to again.
Quite enjoyable. Good old fashioned indie pop / rock
When to listen: need somewhat angsty background music. This felt a little generic, all of it blended together, an easy listen.
I dislike Oasis profoundly. This has the same sort of needless self-affirming swagger, but, at least the music is marginally better. I find it sort of dick-less and and I feel like the album cover art sums up what is inside the tin. \
Pleasant surprise. Harkened back to the mid-90s Britpop era. Talented musicality.
I've been trying to pin down why this one didn't grab me more. It's not for lack of trying.. it's like they're still wearing the training wheels of influences. Overall, it feels like they're still shouting from the schoolyard. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - North Country Boy - One to Another - How High
One album from the Charlatans on this list. Doesn't include their biggest hit currently (as measured by Spotify listens). Never heard of them. It is competent Brit pop I guess. Not too much to me. Didn't Oasis and even Blur do this better and before these guys? Their biggest hit is from 1990 so I guess they were contemporaries now lost in the mist of time. If I heard one of the tracks on the radio I would probably just assumed it was early Oasis in my ignorance. Competent without standing out.
This one feels like a lost Brit pop/rock album, and the band look like a cross between the Beatles and Oasis. Definitely sound like it too. I actually quite liked it, especially the first song. I’d call this a 3.5 rounded down.
Late 90s Britpop. Very standard fare.
There are at least 3 Charlatan albums I like more than this with “Some Friendly’ being their best album by far. However, I love them and can listen to this all day.
Great Britpop
not as good as i expected tho. i liked the simpsons reference
Okayish
Old school cool
Výborný album. 4,5*, bavil ma od začiatku do konca. Skvelá atmosféra 90. rokov.
Lackluster vocals let this fade into the background which wasn’t the worst thing.
It was just OK for me.
2.8 just a b side oasis
Incredibly generic britpop. Why would I listen to this when I could just listen to the Stone Roses? Some OK tunes on this but most of this fell pretty flat for me.
Oasis but worse?
Sounds like four british boys with identical haircuts and outfits in a white void
Yet another subpar Britpop album. Don’t care for this at all. Uninspired Oasis knockoff.
Meh
Jak ścieżka dźwiękowa serialu dla nastolatków tamtych czasów. Wpada w ucho, ale nie jest specjalnie ambitna. Skoro Smashing Pumpkins dałam 6.5/10 równane w dół to tu nie mogę dać więcej. Chyba nawet dam 6/10, pomimo całej mojej sympatii do takiego grania.
Another bland Britpop. The music is alright, but it had absolutely no impact on me. I can barely remember a thing about this album right after finishing it Favorite Track - With No Shoes Least Favorite Track - Rob's Theme ⭐️⭐️
Catch up #11 October 20 2026 I was expecting another typical 90s britpop album in the vein of Oasis, and that’s exactly what I got. Not great, not terrible. Also not a total waste of time. The perfect 3/5. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Veel beter dan verwacht. Relaxed maar toch goed
Tip: doe alleen swasi met al je vijf fingers om de score te bepalen, als je niet al een tekstuele review hebt geschreven. Je loopt de kans dat je score niet overeenkomt met je tekst.
fine. forgettable for sure
Really liked this one, they definitely sound a lot like the Stone Roses, real strong Madchester sound. Pretty consistent all the way through
Hubo varias canciones q me gustaron
More Brit pop/rock. Inferior version of Oasis.
Best Track - "How High"
While I didn’t love it, I am surprised I enjoyed this one a decent amount. I see Brit Pop and I just ready myself for disappointment, but it wasn’t a bad album at all. 3.25 / 5
It's alright. I can see why people like. Singer sounds like Noel Gallagher. Mid - I'll give it as most on this list a 3
Not too bad.
At its worst genetic sounding BritPop - at its best the better of the generic BritPop?
Very similar to Oasis. But on some of the song here that’s not a criticism. Some catchy tracks like North Country Boy and One to Another. Will be back for more listens
Again very much a lesser Britpop band. Fairly boring and validates my decision to fast forward through them on Jools Holland over the years.
A descent album, but personally I prefer the bouncier Madchester sound of their debut, Some Friendly. Any song off that one plays, you instantly know it's The Charlatans. This one, while by no means bad, just isn't as instantly catchy and unique.
Wait ... are these the cousins of Oasis!? More 90s recycled drek!
Already knew from the apostrophe in the title that this wasn’t going to blow me away. It’s discount oasis but I can only be so mad at a band that fills me with that good old new labour naive optimism.
It's good. These guys sound like Oasis; or does Oasis sound like them?
Impossible not to hear the Oasis comparisons, though not familiar enough with The Charlatans catalog to know if that was developed after Oasis hit it big, or if these guys actually influenced them. Either way, a pretty good album.
First listen
Me sonó a pop rock, con algunos toques estilo Oasis.
We need to abolish Britpop
Too similar to Oasis
Me hizo acordar un montón a Oasis. Me gustó pero no me voló la cabeza
I guess it's a good example of that kind of motown/northern soul influenced strain of britpop that they do. Kind of sounds like a perkier version of late oasis. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but none of the songs made me feel anything and I didn't feel any differently when it finished
Surprisingly good!!
Not exciting but not terrible.
Bizarro world Oasis comin in hot
Fauxasis, ongeïnspireerd en beter door anderen
empezo a sonar y ya me sentía en inglaterra en 1997. las vibes immaculate
A pretty disappointing set of Oasis b-sides. The Charlatans are at their best when they're working a funky Madchester organ groove, so I guess it makes sense this is their first album after their keyboardist died. Take it off the list, add Some Friendly.
Man, I love Inspiral Carpets. 4/5
Pre-Listening Notes This list has quite a number of British bands that an average American wouldn't know. That can be good, but it can also lead to albums that have a questionable presence on this list compared to other albums that have critical acclaim and popularity when they came out, that missed the cut. I think of Lady Gaga's The Fame, Ramones' Rocket to Russia, and [insert your favorite example here]. I will say that replacing your keyboardist with the keyboardist from Primal Scream is a baller move. Post-Listening Notes Much more madchester sounding than the britpop I was reading about, in no doubt to Rob Collins's contribution to Tellin' Stories. That and the jammier sections in songs like Get On It, Only Teething and Area 51 (personal favorite on the album). Puts the album in a nice groove, especially from their signature track One to Another. It sounds mad familiar to me but I can't picture from where, especially that keyboard intro. The parts I don't like: North Country Boy is kind of what I thought the whole album would sound like, which to me would be that britpop dullness that this list gets good criticism for. Or maybe I just don't care for Oasis and for bands to sound like that when you're in (checks notes) 1997 when OK Computer and Urban Hymns came out. Tough competition. You're A Big Girl Now is simply not good and Only Teething takes a little too long to be a good song, with the best parts at the end and fading out. Overall, Tellin' Stories seems like a semi-important album for music in the UK and some parts of Europe. Maybe I'm too critical about its placement for how important the Madchester scene was. As much as I like to learn music and music history, that part is a bit of a blind spot to me other than the biggest names a yank like me would know (Primal Scream/Stone Roses). Madchester certainly deserves more spots on this list than the overly represented nu metal (we're lumping Kid Rock on that too even though he was more country than metal but it helps my narrative damn it). Tellin' Stories is underrated, and with the aforementioned really big albums that came out in 1997, easy to be overshadowed. Other than that, ladies and gentleman and benevolently powerful queer people we have another random British band that I didn't know about until this selection that gets a 4 ranking!!!!
More generic Britpop. This list has way too many of these albums. Almost all of them are the same. It's ok, I have no problem listening to it, but it doesn't really register.
Boring