The Good, The Bad & The Queen

So every time Damon Albarn has a jam session with someone, is it gonna show up on the list?

10/10 I FCUKING LOVE DAMON ALBARN

That was a delightful surprise. Exceptional musicianship, great performances, and out-of-this-world production. The only reason this doesn't get a full-5 score is because several of the songs feel like they're... stuck. They build tension and feel like they're heading to a climactic bridge or something... but never quite get anywhere. They just fizzle and stop. They're great songs. But they don't go anywhere. I really did enjoy the hell out of this. I just wish the band hadn't been content to just let these songs circle the hole without ever sinking the putt.

Pretty good, but for the life of me, I will not remember this.

Rancid. Has to be one of the worst 'supergroup' experiments that ever came to light. Damon Albarn has the most grey, most boring, most featureless singing voice imaginable.

I had never heard of this band so as soon as I heard Damon albarns voice I guessed that it was another one of his projects just like the gorillaz or blur or something but apparently it’s the 2000s art rock version of blues traveler, which is pretty cool. I had the same reaction to this as I normally do to Frank Sinatra/big band stuff in that I thought it was totally fun and pleasant all around even though nothing really stuck out to me. The first track and Herculean were my favs.

English super group, huh? Feels less than that. Certainly something from 2007. It didn’t really stick with me kinda in one ear out the other. Cool cover though!

Amazing album. I love Blur, the Clash and other associated acts. Only makes sense i would love this album. Going in regular ritation

Didn't have to listen to this to give it a 5. Probably one of Damon Albarn's top 3 albums of any of his projects. I love this! The atmosphere; the British 80's come to life. The instrumentations (the bass playing by Simonon), the song writing, lyrics and melodies and the production are great!

Coming off from one of his most commercially and critically successful albums, Gorillaz’s Demon Days, it’s surprising that Damon Albarn would go in a more Baroque-esque direction on his next album but it ends up working remarkably well Favourite tracks: History Song, Northern Whale, Kingdom of Doom, Herculean, Nature Springs, Three Changes

I would call this psychedelic prog folk dub. Too psychedelic for my taste, but it's good (if you can stand Damon Albarn's singing). Favorite song: Herculean

This was a lot of fun. I marked it for further listening later on. Did they call the queen ugly? Feels like they called the queen ugly. Best track: Kingdom of Doom

Man this album is boring. I forgot I was even listening to it at one point, I had to double check it was still playing because my brain had tuned it out as white noise. I only 'came to' because of how shit The Bunting Song is. There's really not much to say about this, it's not offensive or bad necessarily, it's just boring as fuck. I constantly kept looking at the track list hoping I was close to the end. Go listen to the Gorillaz instead.

Damon Albarn is extremely overrated. 4/10

Amazing lineup of musicians but I found it boring until the last tune, which I liked a lot. Should have been a single instead of an album.

If this wasn’t made by a supergroup of legends who play better on their worst days than 99% of the global population, no one would say this album is well made, memorable, or noteworthy. Too British and too bland for me to care.

I actually loved this album. The sound of this group kind of reminds me of other bands I listen to so it was very enjoyable.

This is fascinating, it sounds equally like it could have come out yesterday and as if it couldn’t have come out any time other than 2007. It’s the echoes of Burial’s Untrue that really sell it for me, but there’s an element of folkiness that I also really enjoy. It’s a mix that I don’t think should work, but it’s just kinda fun, mostly because I think Damon Albarn sounds like he’s having fun, experimenting with stuff that he couldn’t get away with in either Blur or Gorillaz. I think I might have to give this a five. The excellent closing track is clinching it for me

how is this so good 9/10

Dunno how I originally stumbled across this but I've been a fan for like 15+ years now. Love hearing the Gorrilaz guy do something a bit different.

better than Gorillaz

Absolutely amazing album, one of my favorites. I remember listening to this album while traveling around the UK. Will forever be a 5/5 for me.

The Good, The Good & The Good

Just posted phenomenal. These songs are moody and interesting. Of course, it’s all anchored by an all time rhythm section.

Better than Blur for being quieter, moodier, less reaching after cleverness, and considerably less impressed with itself. And for DA's obvious decision to make a Radiohead record. Musically it's interesting, vocally pretty flat, and not especially dynamic, with a vaguely ominous feel throughout (hello Danger Mouse). Feels decidedly non-AfroBeat-y given the drummer. Glad to have heard. Not especially likely to hear again though wouldn't rule it out completely.

Really liked this, it's going into my regular playlist.

Fuck England. Your music is too highly represented on this website.

This album is full of stupid songs, which tracks with the past productions of the lead singer of Blur. whinge whinge whinge

If you like artists that wear their influences on their sleeves, but have zero interest in exploring their influences at all, Damon Albarn might be the guy for you.

Very cool!

Loved it.

Really like this album, and it is holding up well. Each member of the band brings something special to the ensemble, and there's a pleasing amount of space in the mix where you can hear and appreciate each individual part as well as the whole. I first hear this when it came out, was already a fan of Damon Albarn & Danger Mouse, who produced it, and it led me to becoming a big fan especially of Tony Allen as well - his drumming really stands out and is a defining feature of their sound.

obviously

Vraiment une belle surprise, dans sa subtilité et ses thèmes, des arrangements mélodieux sans être trop doux.

2007 - Similar to Gorillaz - Art Rock; Alternative Rock

Reminiscent of the trippy '60s psych rock and the inventive '70s art rock. This album is a melancholic, dreamy, modern rock masterpiece.

Catchy, fun, and unique. You can hear the similarities to the members’ other bands, but they come together to create their own new thing. If I had to explain them briefly I would say an analog version of the Gorillaz.

Damon alborn again baby

Top Three Songs: 1) Three Changes 2) Kingdom of Doom 3) Behind the Sun Bottom Three Songs: 1) ‘80s Life 2) Herculean 3) Nature Springs

It is a good music.

Brilliant album. Another masterpiece by Damon

If there is one excellent side effect of the BritPop fetish this list has, it is more exposure to this excellent album. I've loved it for so many years. It is so hypnotic between the keys and the amazing rhythm section (RIP Tony Allen). Very happy to have listened to it once again this morning.

Well, I wouldn't have known that this is a super group, didn't recognize the names of any of the musicians and although I do know their bands, I don't think any of those bands are amazing (although they do all have a couple of good tracks). Nonetheless, this was a good album. Musicianship was great, songwriting was tight and effective. Not even much more to say about it. Just a good album at the top of its genre's game. Enjoyed this one a lot.

I remember reading a long time ago that Damon Albarn had another band as well as Blur and Gorillaz, but for some reason I just never got around to listening to The Good, The Bad & The Queen until now. It sounds closer to the slower Gorillaz songs to my ear that it does to Blur. I wish I could have a Damon on standby to sing to me - his voice is just so delightfully imperfect and human. This album as a whole was exactly what I wanted it to be. It’s hard to find anything I didn’t live about it.

How could it not be great? The king of drummers, a bass player with attitude and riffs aplenty, a guitarist happy to play his part without overstepping, and a vocalist and lyricist who barely writes a duffer. Oh, and one of the great producers of the era! One of the defining supergroups - such a shame they shone so briefly.

Gorrilaz singer chill vibes

Ya decía yo que la voz me sonaba ...

9/10. Very unique sounds while keeping a steady rhythm on each track, made for a very interesting listen through. Added History Song, 80s Life, Kingdom of Doom, Behind the Sun, Nature Springs and the title track to the playlist.

great!

Ya decía yo que la voz me sonaba ...

The album immediately caught my attention. Every few tracks I would have a thought that the novelty had worn off and that the rest of the album would be a slog. But then the next track always seemed to bring just enough intrigue to keep me interested.

Not exactly meaty compared to Blur, but generally meatier than Damon Albarn's more famous side-project Gorillaz. With sidekick Simon Tong, Albarn managed to gather a hell of a supergroup line-up, with The Clash's Paul Simonon on bass, and Fela Kuti's drummer and musical director Tony Allen (RIP). The end result is rather soft on the ear, poppish and stylish. No bad song on this record (even if most of those found on side B are a little understated). The best string of tracks logically turns up towards the end of side A, with "Northern Whale", "Kingdom Of Doom" and "Herculean". And album closer "The Good, The Bad, and The Queen" also slaps, thanks to its extended noisy build-up at the very end. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums (rounded up to 4). Which translayes to a 8.5 grade for more general purposes. Number of albums left to review: 262 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 323 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 184 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 237

They throw a lot of different styles at you early, the one constant being Damon Albarn's voice. I was wondering when I was going to hear something that would hint that Paul Simonon was playing bass or that TonyAllen (of all people) was on drums. Finally, "The Bunting Song" featured some reggae-inflected bass and the drumming started to loosen up on the next track, "Nature Springs". This is a creative effort, nicely produced with well-written songs and I may check-out their follow-up, which came out a decade later. I'm listening to the MC recommended "Go Back" which I agree is a great song! Maybe Spotify sent it to me because it was on hi-rotation at the Chung residence?

It definitely has a singular vibe - I can see that this would get old to some people, but I really like it. I'm a big fan of Danger Mouse's production (I wonder how many albums he has produced on this list), and more than anything I think it's an interesting album from his body of work.

This was a trip! I enjoyed the sound, and the album is an interesting musical journey. Interesting and entertaining.

This album missed me when it was released. I enjoyed it.

i <3 damon albarn!!!! my faves were history song, northern whale. the bunting song

It was just a good album. Quite enjoyable. "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" (the song, not to be confused with the album or the band) is a great final song to close the album.

Some of the tracks on here I really enjoyed. Good album

This was fun listening. I enjoyed it.

Quite good right off the bat - sounds a bit like Damian Albern/The Gorillaz. Because it is, it’s a mix of him and people from Blur/The Clash! I’m a fan of this, adding to the library.

Really enjoyed this

4/5 Solid, but samey

2007 Art Rock album. Fantastic album - lots of great songs. Never knew these guys before. 4/5

Never heard of them before. First listen. Genre: Art Rock 2007 Singles: -------------------------------------------- Herculean: #22 UK Kingdom of Doom: #20 UK Green Fields: #51 UK Standouts: Herculean, Kingdom of Doom, 80's Life Others: Green Fields, History Song, Behind the Sun, Nature Springs, The Good The Bad and the Queen. 3.5/5

history song, northern whale

il faut appeler damon albarn pour lui dire qu un mec le plagie je pense

High highs low lowz

I've enjoyed most of Damon Albarn's projects over the years. This one isn't the most exciting, but it's still a solid album throughout.

It’s like the Gorillaz if they went the indie rock/folk band rock.

I liked it. The songs had variety and managed to keep my interest throughout. There's not much more to say about it than that.

fucks my brain just in the right way

I really liked the album. It was the music. The lead singer was kind of annoying. I would definitely listen to this again.

Didn’t know Damon had a side band like this, how cool! His voice is pretty unique so it stood out but I quite enjoyed the energy as the melody and instrumentals are different enough from the Gorilaz. 3.6

I definitely need to give this another listen, but I’m a sucker for a good Danger Mouse album. I think it’s far from perfect, but a cool effort that hit me right.

Really liked this, its like a secret gorillaz project. The outro track is HUGEEEE.

Pima album, maar hoeft niet in de lijst

Best wel chill

On paper if Paul Simonon in it’s going to be cool. And it is - yet only after 17 years of trying to warm up to this record did I finally get it. And it’s quite a gorgeous one.

i think i liked the last 3 tracks the best: Three Changes 29:17 Green Fields 33:32 The Good, The Bad & The Queen 35:58

These superbands always get me. I can't argue

A side project led by Damon Albarn of blur and Gorillaz, the Clash's bassist, Verve's guitarist, and Fela Kuti's drummer. Very Beatlesesque, it's ethereal and lush featuring slow, dreamy grooves, Baroque vocals, and orchestral synths. It's a supergroup that works well, everyone plays their recognizable style and comes together well. The bass has a distinguishable dark, anxious sound, the guitar is patient and entrancing, and the drums are rhythmic and punchy. Highly consistent with strong start and end. No hits, but a few get close. Second side is slightly weaker but just as experimental.

Yes

Oooh. A Queen album. Never heard of this one. Oh, it’s not Queen. It’s some band I’ve never heard of in my life. Yet they’re one of 1001 albums I should listen to. So I should probably already know of them, yes? Well, 2007 was a bad year for me, personally, so maybe it just slipped under my radar. Why does this sound so familiar? Oh. It’s Gorillaz. Well, I like Gorillaz. This is the most British album since Dark Side of the Moon. I dig most of it. Dunno why it’s not more popular. Songs added to Spotify: 4

Vocalist from Blur / Gorillaz

I remember when this album came out, it was sometime after Blur and Damon Albarn's Gorillaz project and I was quite excited to hear it. There are the same catchy hooks and it's a decent album

you're not going to make me hate damon albarn

Reading the history of the band made me sad and happy at the same time. I really enjoyed listening!

what a great project!

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Behind the sun, Nature springs

Interesting. Not sure why it did so well??

1/9/24. Always a big fan of anything Damon Albarn touches. No idea is off limits in his music, and that concept shines on this album.

Why have I not heard of these guys before? I was completely shocked and surprised how much I like this! 2007, Art Rock Singles: ------------------------------------------ Herculean (#22, UK) Kingdom of Doom (#20, UK) Green Fields (#51, UK) Standouts: 80's Life, Kingdom of Doom, Herculean, Love every song! An easy 4/5. Can't wait to hear more of this one!

I had completely forgotten about this Damon Albarn (plus random other luminaries - The Clash! Fela Kuti! The Verve!) side-project. Like a weird cross between Blur and Gorillaz - how about that then? Some great stuff, Damon always impresses me with his enthusiasm.

Un dels pocs treballs editats per supergrups creats per l'ocasió que realment mereix la pena i la seva transcedència en el temps. Les personalitats dels seus components s'aglutinen en un sol caràcter de pop independent, amb una sonoritat lànguida però efervescent i amb temes tan bons com 'History Song', 'Kingdom of Doom' o 'Behind the Sun'

Nice

Surprised to see this pop up. I can’t help but think there are other, more ‘essential’ 21st century albums that could’ve been included in its place. Don’t get me wrong, I own it on CD and think it’s really good. Like most Albarn projects it’s stuffed full of pretty melodies, and there are a handful of real gems here, like the aptly titled Herculean. The production is good too - it’s got a slightly rustic quality that brings to mind England’s past, but it’s not clear exactly when. For this project I’ll cap my score at 3.5 but for personal enjoyment it would be a solid 4.

Not The Music I expected when I saw the album cover. I still like it. I don’t know if it deserves a 4. And I thought that I recognized the voice! It was Damon Albarn (front singer of Blur)

Þessi er alltaf góð!

I haven't listened to them before this point but after no more than a few songs I was already feeling nostalgic. Their music has a very distinct old vibe unique to the early 2000s. After looking into who they are more I must say Damon Albarn is incrediby talented, whether its gorrilaz or blur his music always manages to evoke that same nostalgic feeling. I'm incredibly happy I was recommended this and I'll definitely be listening on the regular. For better or worse this sounds like home, granted with a bit of england mixed in.