Reviews (page 2 of 7)
Сара 3 Марко 2
*shrugs*
Just wasn't very good
2-3 marginal, perfectly palatable and some good ambience similar to the Gorillaz, but ultimately not much to write home about
Some moments
Utter waste of time
Not for me
This was okay, but definitely forgettable. 3
This was a little all over the place. Started with two songs with some interesting things but then as with many of the more unique sounding albums on the list, it went astray. The mix is off as the bass is way too prominent. Also, there are a few songs where it feels like each instrument is playing a different time signature.
Slick album art son of a friend of mine who is a fan of watches for his birthday and he has been working with me on this album since he got his hands in the car for a couple years now I think he has been doing it for years now but he has been working
Like listening to a whole album of Blur b-sides. Or occasionally Broken Bells without the tunes. If you like Damon Albarn this might do it for you, but it's really in no way essential.
This is an amazing album that has varied tracks, great mood and energy. It pulls forward a lot of late 60s and even punk sounds. Points deducted for occasionally giving Coldplay.
Had some amazing instrumental-y bits in 'Herculean' and the self-titled song. Can't say the rest of the album was much interesting though...
Surprised by this one! I like it so different from the gorillaz but still cool
somehow my cringe hipster gorillaz and danger-misc loving ass missed this, tho 2007 seems kinda late in that whole era for this. i know its millenial slop but at least theres no hint of the coming stomp clap storm
like the definition of a 3 star album not necessarily any skips but not any songs that are really playlist worthy either just okay
It's fine. There's a lot of work and craft involved in this. Music from this time (the aughts!) doesn't really resonate with me, but there's nothing particularly wrong with it. I just find it boring.
At times, it sounds brilliant. But for most of it, I’d say it really does feel a bit like white noise. I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but I don’t think I’ll remember it. I probably won’t come back to it either. 6/10
2-
Ihan kelpo levy, muttei mikään erityisen muistettava tapaus. Tältä kokoonpanolta, johon kuuluu Damon Albarn sekä soittajia Clashista, Vervestä ja Fela Kutin bändistä, odottaisi vähän enemmän.
Actually a pretty good album.
I tried to find a 5 star album with The Good, The Bad & The Queen but no matter how hard i tried, i just couldn't find it, but i can find a very high 4 star album here. This band has members from Gorillaz, The Clash, The Verve, and Fela Kuti's Afrika 70 band but this album mainly just sounds like a Gorillaz album with a tinge of The Verve and vocals that are more akin to something i would hear in Blur. I really do like this styles as they made all these songs sound very melodic and helped each one of them have their own identity and many of them worked really well. This would have been a 5 star but due to some songs that didn't work very well for me, it's getting a rather high 4. Best Song: Northern Whale Worst Song: A Soldier's Tale
Pretty good album, never knew how much different stuff Damon alburn had done! But this was pretty good
Definitely the dreariest most boring thing Damon Albarn's made. You can really hear the Danger Mouse too so it sounds incredibly 2007. And how is the album cover so low res? You can do that? Kinda fun when it turns a little ska. Maybe I'd be into it if I were more English.
Pretty good
damon albarn goes to karaoke and it gets on this list. competent but boring
Disappointed, i expected to like this one more
O nome e o álbum são geniais
We're making so much music we really don't know what to do about it. People are asking me: Please, please, please Mr Albarn, it's too much music. We can't take it anymore.
Northern Whale had synthesized whale noises. The vocals were repetitive, grating, and annoying. Arrangements were ok but lyrically I am drowsing.
The Boring, The Forgettable & The Unnecessary.
interesting
Some good songs but nothing amazing
Cool, not very 'catchy' to me... the melodies felt kind of random and wandering. Overall a good experience though!
This sounded like a solo record or “supergroup” and it was. Didn’t have a real cohesive band feel. But overall, decent enough to listen to.
Мне было очень интересно что представляет из себя The Good, The Bad & The Queen, поскольку Албарна я очень уважаю. Одновременно с тем, я боялся что услышу что-то среднее между Blur и Gorillaz. И знаете что? Я одновременно прав и не прав! Хахах Типа, если отойти немного в сторону и поговорить о Димоне как о композиторе, попомнив "великую битву бритпопа", где тот в конечном счёте уступил в популярности Oasis, !НО! как говорится, битву он проиграл, но выиграл войну. Войну - как композитор и талантливая творческая единица. Создав сверхпопулярный виртуальный коллектив Гориллаз, так ещё и не стеснялся распыляться на подобные сайд-проекты, которые звучат достаточно самобытно и интересно, но в то же время, приятно выдают музыкальную ткань, которую мы прослеживаем на протяжении всей карьеры Албарна. Тот же "80s Life" мне очень напомнило вещицу времен Blur эры "13 - Think Tank" к примеру. Туда же "Kingdom of Doom". А "Herculian" для меня вайбил Гориллами. В общем, это очень интересный арт-роковый альбом с пост-панковыми нотками, весьма психоделичной, иногда даже барочно-ярмарочной атмосферой, созданный, фактически, супергруппой из крутых, талантливых мужиков. Earworm'ов в стиле Clint Eastwood, или (простигосподи) Song 2 - вы тут не найдете, но это очень зрелая и интересная работа.
Didn’t sound bad but isn’t my bag. 2.5/5
Another mediocre English band makes the list Woo-Hoo! 2.5
A great and beautiful album that doesn't let you feel bored and at the same time is pretty relaxing.
It was fine. Did nothing for me really, but didn't hate it. 2.5 stars. Leaning towards 2 since I'll never put this on again
Perhaps the album title should be “The Good, the Bad, & the Boring”. You would think these successful guys would have come up with something better than this. The last track is ok, while the rest are snoozers. The bass player is very good, but the singing is subpar.
Got excited for a second because I thought this was Queen. Ah well. Instead it's some sort of Gorillaz-adjacent concept album. Sounds like a chiller Goriller, therefore: mid. The Good: '80's Life'
I admire Damons ambition and his desire to try new things and I'm a big clash fan, so when this came out i was very excited. At the time I gave it a listen and strggled to find anything to get excuted about. A relisten didnt change that opinion. All the consituent parts are good, it is well produced and the intent is pure, ut its just a bit meh. If this exact album was made by nobodies i'm sure it would have done ok, but would not have made this list.
Interesting album, songs are great and production is very good. Great collaboration between amazing artists, it felt like there's nothing similar. The mix of Damon Albarn and Paul Sominon, along with alternative rock influences, makes this album worth listening, over and over again.
reheated radiohead nachos
This was not bad, but my god was it boring. I will not listen to it again.
All star line up less than the sum of its parts. Enjoyable enough. On par with a middling blur album.
First Damon Albarn album from the generator in over a year. I forgot about this side-project supergroup from the 2000s and listened to this before any Gorillaz or solo album. Its a well made concept album that I had a good time listening to. Great use of the choir and the strings and the title/closing track was done well.
I was really surprised after a few songs that this didn't sound at all like Queen. Then I realized that it was a completely different band. Overall not terrible, but they could have a better band name.
Peculiar is a way to describe this album. Uninteresting is another too. I find many ideas in here and a sonic direction that is a decision (which, in other words, means that it is bland and insipid). And, surely, there are good aspects, but the overall is very messy, redundant, as well as very tiring (the voice is just somniferous). I like the popish side of the record added to the strange arrangements that really complete the sound and make it something different, but it is still very indie in a bad sense. It becomes the same kind of "hey, I'm different, I'm strange!". But, rather than being different, this album is just a collection of boring songs with some strange sounds that do not add or complete anything in the songs. They are just there for the sake of it. But the songs are not even strong. There are no innovative melodies or anything else rather than those noises and effects that are over the songs, that feel put over the actual songs. And some arrangements also feel out of place, specially some strings. They do not feel to complement the songs, or to push further the emotion of them. However, some ideas work well at times. "The Buntling Song" is an example of a song that has nice effects and an original sound. It is not perfect, but it is an example of what is good in this record. It has some interesting aspects, but the whole project is simply collection of songs. Some are nicer, others are just boring. It fails at being a complete album. It is very tedious to listen to in its whole.
Taas yksi Damon Albarnin bändi. Taide rokkia, mutta ei mitenkään kokeellista. Kappaleet ok, mutta ei herätä kauheasti tunteita. Tunnelma on kivan jännä. Parhaat: The Bunting Song, Green Fields
I enjoy Damon Albarn always. More chill than I was expecting given the other band members. Great vibes, occasionally felt a bit slow. I may enjoy it more on repeated listens.
Haunting and modern. Quite liked it.
Reminds me of IDK how but the found me. Good vibes. 3.5
I expected to despise this. Maybe it's from breaking in the brand spanking new Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones with this one but it wasn't half bad. Bass lines were coming through beautifully, and Damon Albarn didn't annoy me as much as he usually does. More Gorillaz then Blur which is more my speed anyways.
Day947 - there’s no doubt that damon albarn is super talented but other than a couple of gorillaz songs he’s not my cup of tea
Surprised I had truly never heard of this before. Most Demon Days-Albarn, doing a vibey British pop throwback, produced by Danger Mouse, in 2007? This is all very me-coded, and yet, this was totally new to me! Really enjoyed listening to this yesterday and will probably keep it in my rotation.
Chatinho
i think damon can write a sad song better than anyone else around today, but so much of his 2000s non-gorillaz stuff is uniformly dour. 80s life and kingdom of doom are both great though.
Und ich wunder mich, dass der Gesang so nach Gorillaz klingt. Damon Albarn halt. Mag die Affen etwas lieber, aber das Album hier hat auch seine Momente.
Hatte einen Kumpel, der in der Schulzeit völlig vernarrt in dieses Album war. Den Sound finde ich interessant, aber beginnt nach einer Weile schon, mich zu nerven.
If the editor of this list was American this spot would be taken my Them Crooked Vultures. As it is this is a solid record made by a few very talented musicians. Probably not something I will go back to in its entirety. Favorites were 80’s Life, Kingdom Of Doom, Nature Springs, and the title track.
This is a great find. Never knew this Albarn led collaboration existed. Enjoyable twists from a great group of musicians with a little bit of Albarn magic.
#431/1001. File under Supergroups. Or Damon Albarn projects. Too bad it sounds a bit too much like the latter. I mean, you get Tony Allen and there is no Africa on the album, what a shame. It plays like a concept album, which often, as here, also means that at some point it gets tedious and boring. You would hope there is a dramatic arch but it is a bit hard to find - or perhaps the dramatic arch is what makes the record sound like a concept album instead of a set of songs a band put together and decided which order would work best as an album, not as a story. Anyway, kind of glad I heard it, but even happier I don't ever have to listen to it again.
A supergroup! Love it.
mr. albarn will always sound like childhood to me. always a treat to discover another one of his side project, one of his most cohesive ones as well ! i think this dude should try to make videogame music btw, i think his sound should lend itself well to the medium. also, i don't understand why this is on here ? why is this here but not demon days or plastic beach ? tf ?
Heard this on KEXP when it came out and it was nice to revisit. Favorite tracks: Northern Whale, Herculean, History Song
SUpeRgRoUp drivel
# An In-Depth Review of *The Good, The Bad & The Queen* (2007) In 2007, Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz) assembled a genuine supergroup—Paul Simonon (The Clash), Simon Tong (The Verve), and the legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen—to create an album that was less a rock record and more a cinematic meditation on a changing England. Produced by Danger Mouse, this self-titled debut remains one of the most singular and atmospheric albums of the 21st century. ## The Music and Production: A Sonic Noir The album's music is deliberately drained of color, favoring moodiness over melody. The sound is built on a unique interplay: Simonon's dub-heavy, loping basslines provide a thick foundation, Allen's nimble, polyrhythmic drumming adds an almost hypnotic pulse, and Tong's spectral guitar work drifts in and out like mist. Albarn's instrumentation—often using music hall piano and carnivalesque organ—adds a touch of haunted vaudeville to the proceedings. The production by Danger Mouse is key; he weaves these elements into a unified whole, constructing a tapestry that plays more like a film than a traditional album. It's a "murky, mud-streaked impressionistic rock noir," creating an atmosphere that's both sinister and seductive in its gloom. ## The Lyrics and Themes: A Portrait of Modern Britain If *Parklife* captured the exuberance of mid-90s Britpop, *The Good, The Bad & The Queen* captures the weariness and cynicism of the post-millennium world. The album serves as a conscious return for Albarn to writing about London, exploring themes of war, loss, and the decay of contemporary life. The lyrics are steeped in a pervasive sense of resignation. The track "Kingdom of Doom" encapsulates this perfectly: *"Friday night in the Kingdom of Doom / Oh ravens fly across the moon"* and *"Drink all day 'cos the country's at war"* . The album presents a world drained of color and certainty, where optimism has "calcified into weary cynicism". However, this bleakness is never despairing; it's more a comfortable, melancholic wallow. The final track, "The Good, The Bad & The Queen," even builds to a "psychotic guitar wig-out," offering a chaotic release before the album closes. ## The Pros and Cons | **Pros** ✅ | **Cons** ❌ | | :--- | :--- | | **Immaculate Atmosphere:** Creates a compelling, unified sonic world that is truly unique and immersive. | **Lack of Distinction:** Songs can blend into one another due to the consistently mournful mood, making it difficult for individual tracks to stand out. | | **Supergroup Chemistry:** The musicians are at the top of their game, with a chemistry that is both relaxed and masterful, highlighting their individual talents without ego. | **Restrained Production:** The subtle post-production work can feel too dominant at times, potentially burying the raw talent of the quartet and making you wish for a more natural "band playing" sound. | | **Lyrical Depth:** A poignant and intelligent exploration of the modern British psyche, capturing a specific national mood with poetic precision. | **Pacing:** The unrelenting, melancholic tempo can be a challenge for listeners looking for variety or upbeat moments. | | **Timeless Sound:** Resists simple classification as either retro or modern, giving it a timeless quality. | - | ## Influence and Legacy *The Good, The Bad & The Queen* stands as a testament to what can happen when iconoclastic musicians work a theme endlessly, relentlessly, and inventively. It allowed Albarn to continue his post-Blur exploration of collaborative projects, creating music that sat apart from both the cartoonish fun of Gorillaz and the indie-rock of his main band. While it may not have spawned numerous imitators, its influence can be felt in its success in crafting a singular, cohesive artistic statement—an album less concerned with hit singles and more with creating a powerful, enveloping mood. It remains a high-water mark for atmospheric, concept-driven indie rock and a brilliant showcase for a truly remarkable group of musicians.
The issue with a super group is we know you're good. A lot of things that could be interesting or skilled or standout are expected so it has to higher. Emmerson, Lake, and Palmer were weirder and more bombastic together. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young were the highpoint for three of them. This isn't bad to listen to and I'm really glad they got to hang out and play together but this is worse than hearing Fela Kuti or Gorillaz. Worth the time to hear but not mandatory listening. I wonder how I'd hear this if I didn't know any of these performers other works.
The vocals are a mess, I gave up on deciphering them pretty early on. This has that 2000s audio engineering problem of having little depth to the sound. The instrumentation is well handled, and the compositions leave you questioning, who does this sound like. My favorite part was when things got a bit noisy at the end of the album on the title track.
Hard to justify a high score because the writing is sort of low-effort but the band he’s put together is rly good and more interesting than gorillaz I think
Forgettable, dubby, lo-fi sort of stuff. Damon Albarn's vocals don't really add much and seem oddly out of place on it. No moments where the light bulb came on and made me realise I liked it
If the idea of this supergroup was to create an album that would send you to sleep then they have hit the brief perfectly! Musically very good at times. However Damon’s voice just drones on and on. I will not be listening again and I’m pretty sure if a track ever appeared in the background I would not even notice it and it would stay unnoticeable. Not for me. Best track- ‘northern whale’ for the music not the voice! Worst track- ‘the title track seemed to go on forever 😵💫 All for the background music 4/10
Good Bad Queen Definitely not the sum of its parts, as one part dominates the other three. But its lo-fi simplicity does nag at me in an achingly fragile way as I listen. There's a delicate thread of Albarn looking for some hope within all these songs. Nowt stands out but I'd happily listen to this time and time again. Best Track - Herculean for Tony's pulsating, organic drumming. But the folkish, wistful yet sinister opener History Song and the closing title track are up there. Worst Track - Three Changes. Again Tony Allen's beats are sublime but the song just isn't quite there. 7.5/10
I keep thinking it's getting good when I realise the albums finished and spotify is playing Gorillaz D-Sides which I haven't heard before. So I guess this just sounds like the E-Sides? 3/5 Top Tracks: History Song, Herculean, The Bunting Song
this is a miss for Damon Albarn. I saw the write-up about them being a supergroup, but does that attempt ever really work outside of a couple songs here and there? Also I hate to make the comparison but it seems like they're just aping Gorillaz at points, minus the good. It feels like the production is a step behind everything on this one.
Gorillaz rejects. Not essential at all
The Good, The Bad & The Queen sounds like a stripped-down version of Blur, which made a lot more sense once I looked into who was behind it. As it turns out, it’s a supergroup fronted by Damon Albarn, the lead singer of Blur and Gorillaz, so the similarities aren’t exactly a coincidence. I enjoyed the album well enough, but while I don’t regret giving it a listen, I’m not convinced it’ll leave much of an impression. The bigger challenge won’t be whether I needed to hear it before I died—it’ll be remembering I heard it at all.
It's hard to ignore the voice of the Gorillaz when you listen, but this is fine albeit slow and plodding.
I think this would be a favorite of mine if I were from the UK. Overall rating-4/5
A funny one as I quite enjoyed it but not a single track has stuck with me after two play throughs. I do enjoy Damon Albarns voice though.
- meh .... -
Not for me
5/10
One of the more surprising entries so far. I like this album, and this band, conceptually more than the music itself. Like many super groups, the songs are half baked and don't feel fully fleshed out. I enjoy the album a lot, but as much as I think I should.
(Light 5/10) I don't know. This didn't do much for me. It really felt less than the sum of it's parts. I hardly felt Tony Allen's presence which was disappointing for me, and maybe it's because I'm not British but thematically I couldn't really connect with any of the songs. Damon's presence on the record felt too overwhelming too and the comparisons to Gorillaz music doesn't really help as I felt that these songs were lacking the flair or quirkiness that Gorillaz tends to have. This honestly felt more like a slog than a 37 minute album should feel like. I did find the final track to be pretty enjoyable though, that final jam was pretty nice. But yeah, idk this one went right over my head.
I'd listen to this again on a sunny afternoon.
final song banged, rest didn't like
Not for me.
I’d never heard this before which is kind of surprising - I’ve listened to so much of Damon Albarn’s output (Blur, Gorillaz, his solo albums, the Africa Express stuff) so not entirely sure why I decided The Good, The Bad & The Queen was the one I could skip. Anyway, it’s maybe not top tier Albarn but I still really liked it.
Admittedly this kinda ended up being background noise while I argued with my girlfriend, but my biggest takeaway is that it kinda just sounded like another Gorillaz album. I think Damon Albarn is a pretty talented guy, but a lot of his stuff is kinda pretty similar I think. Like obviously the different Gorillaz albums have different sounds to them, but I think there is an obvious like connection between them in terms of sound, and this kinda has the same sound. I don't know that it needed to be a whole unique project, it could've just been a Gorillaz album, but it's not bad. I like Gorillaz. Favorites: Northern Whale, Herculean, The Good The Bad & The Queen
I must be an easy mark. I wasn't all that impressed with the songwriting in the first half of the album, but it picking up by the end and having Damon Albarn singing made it a 7/10 anyway.
Some of the overly negative reviews are a little absurd. This was fine. I think I’m also learning I enjoy Damon Albarn’s singing infinitely more outside of Blur tunes
You get a bit of everything on this album, and I think it greatly showcases the strengths of all its collaborators. The slower, atmospheric/psychedelic feel they're going for is not 100% my cup of tea, but it's never bad and they do keep it interesting with incredible highs here and there. The climactic title track more than makes up for every underwhelming part of the album. Standouts: Northern Whale • Herculean • Nature Springs • The Good, The Bad And The Queen
This album feels like it occupies a spot held by the lesser Gorillaz albums (The Fall, Humanz, Song Machine) in that there are a lot of individually good ideas but they never really coalesce into something truly awesome or cohesive. Plenty of moments I liked, but as an album, not a huge fan.
Fine overall. Although the title track made me wonder “should I buy a piano”. Please don’t tell my wife. She will likely support that purchase.
Pleasant, I remember when this came out. Not good enough to revisit all that much but nice.
There’s a ton of super groups on this list. But I don’t think any Traveling Wilburys? Anyway, I kind of did not like this.
2.8
sounds like gorillaz somehow checks wikipedia oh i like gorillaz!
Compelling at the start but the album has lost all steam halfway through. It is a DRAG to finish but some songs in the first third make up for it. Weird album
This was slightly more palatable than I expected it to be. It has no place on a list like this though, and is absolutely none of my business.
Remember this one, I don’t really like it, prefer Gorrilaz, or Blur
Bo-ring
Good album throughout. That ending to the final track is particularly incredible.
I was vaguely aware of TGTBTQ as a side project of Damon Albarn's but never listened to them. Turns out it's an insane crossover of him, Fela Kuti's Tony Allen, The Verve's guitarist Tong, and The Clash bassist Simonon?? Wild. The songs are all vaguely about London and very good. Very similar to Albarn's solo stuff which I really enjoy. Very nice record
A cry for help
Meh.
Not unpleasant, but I just don't understand why it's on this list
2.5
3.0
#186/1001 🇬🇧 This album is an example of when the sum of its parts should equal something far greater than the end result. I have a copy of this on CD but it genuinely feels like the first time i've listened to it. I can only guess that it made a similar impression on me at the time. Best tracks: Northern Whale, Bunting Song, The Good The Bad And The Queen
Not bad. Never took notice of this collective before. Decent mid-00’s alt rock. Probably won’t ever listen again though.
A pleasant, good rock album. Damon Albarn's vocals sound great, the production is bright and clear but the the best thing about the album is hearing Paul Simonon on bass! All that said there's nothing ground-breaking on here. Three stars. 1 "History Song" (3/5) 2 "80's Life" (3/5) 3 "Northern Whale" (3/5) 4 "Kingdom of Doom" (3/5) 5 "Herculean" (featuring The Sixteen) (3/5) 6 "Behind the Sun" (3/5) 7 "The Bunting Song" (3/5) 8 "Nature Springs" (3/5) 9 "A Soldier's Tale" (3/5) 10 "Three Changes" (3/5) 11 "Green Fields" (3/5) 12 "The Good, the Bad & the Queen" (3/5) Total - 36 Average - 3 374/1001 200/374 albums reviewed were new to me.
Irks me when an artist presents interesting ideas in the beginning and dials it back for the rest of the project.
Damon Albarn generally makes pretty decent and interesting music, but this is all a bit dull. Nothing really happens it just plods along.
A supergroup where nobody is at their best and the lyrics are laughable and the instrumentals are (mostly) weak... Sure, put it on the list.
Nice use of piano
Not bad, but completely inconsequential, so no idea why it’s on the list. I’d never heard of this despite being a fan of danger mouse and the Gorillaz at the time this came out.
I can’t imagine there a single person in the world who thinks this is ‘must hear’
I couldn’t think who this was, but then I remembered Damon Albarn, I couldn’t get into it at all, prefer Gorillaz.
For an album cover that features a mob catching something on fire… this album is certainly lacking in the blowing shit up meter.
Blur + others = NOT impressive.
This was pretty good but it won't appear on my favorites list.
For as singular - and singularly English - as Damon Albarn's voice is, it's striking how relatively infrequently his music has relied on just his own solo vocals. A key component of Blur's signature sound has almost always been Graham Coxon's harmonies; very little of *Parklife*, for example, would work without them. And Gorillaz, of course, is famously as much a vehicle for Albarn's collaborators (from Del the Funky Homosapien to Dennis Hopper) as it is for Albarn himself. So it's uncomfortable to hear Albarn as the sole authorial voice here; you're constantly listening for some harmony to support him, some counter-phrase to argue with him, *something*. And yet it's just him - a decision that deepens the sense of alienation on display in these songs. The England of *Parklife* and *The Great Escape* felt positively teeming with human stories - house-poor exurbanites, corporate drones, eccentrics who bulldoze their own places of residence. The England of this album feels deserted by comparison. Albarn cryptically referred to the album as “a mystery play about London,” and it seems clear his target is specifically the Iraq War-era Blairite version in which the quiet but persistent unease of a conflict happening somewhere else is always filtering out into daily life like the repressed wound it is. "A Soldier's Tale" puts an ironic twist on the iconic whistle figure from the Scorpions' 'Winds of Change” in service of a vignette highlighting the absurdity of trying to marshal a militant mentality for the mundanities of life. "We make our own confining time," Albarn sings, identifying in a seemingly tossed-off line the inanity of picking a fight on behalf of the nation, seemingly just to have something to fight about. "Three Changes" similarly takes Albarn's own "This Is a Low" and turns it on its head, transmuting the comforting shipping forecast of the original into discomfiting Murdoch-coded cultural shit-stirring. No wonder the isolation is so bad - that's what you get when you're encouraged to see an enemy in every face you meet. If there’s a downside here it’s that the all-star lineup Albarn has assembled–Paul Simonon, Simon Tong, and Tony Allen, plus producer Danger Mouse–seem to have less to do than you’d expect; the closing title track is really the only time they get to stretch out into anything longer and jammier. But if anything the experience of making a Blur-like album with non-Blur personnel seems to have made Albarn miss Coxon; this album was made toward the end of their famous estrangement, as within a few months of its release Blur would announce their reunion proper. That figures: when the world feels like it’s quietly ending then the thing we all really want is to see our best mates more often again. This isn’t quite as good as that band’s mid-Nineties peak (how could it be) but its downbeat energy is worthy as both an attempt to recreate that magic and a signifier of the odd, calm-before-the-storm period of history in which it came into being.
this ain’t bad!
This wasn't bad or good it was just a chore
Amei
I don't mind some of these, some of the tracks have a cool sound to them. Love that Tony Allen is involved, but don't expect this to sound anything like Fela Kuti. It's a high 3 for me, but I liked it and will probably go back, so could see it bumping to a 4 for me in the future.
Really boring stuff, nothing creative in it. Not what you would expect from a "super group". The last song was the most interesting one but I'll probably forget about it in an hour.
This was honestly pretty bad. I’m not too sure why it’s here. Albarn’s voice can’t carry it here and he probably should have had some help on vocals. Overall, an entirely forgettable album.
Definitely not as essential as Blur or Gorillaz but still great music from Damon Albarn, etc.
A thoroughly ok album. Doesn’t need to be on the list but not offensive necessarily.
This is not particularly good or important. It's only on this list because the compiler is impressed with the cast. These songs are "fine" but the album is not a statement.
Ooo i loved it! I love gorillaz
I think that some of the potential here is a bit squandered. The album’s not bad by any means, but I feel it could’ve been great.
this sounds like Gorillaz. how interesting. oh. because it's literally a Damon Albarn project. what a freaking super group. now THIS IS WHAT SHOULD BE ON THE LIST Would I listen again: oh yeah. Deserves to be on this list: put Damon Albarn in the hall of fame 4.5
Lots of haters in the reviews for this one. I liked it!
just sort of generic, nothing you couldn't find elsewhere and nothing poignant about the sound, finished strong though
helt okej
Interesting experiment with the names involved here. The end product...wasn't as interesting. Sounds like Damon Albarn wanted to create a Radiohead-like record and this is what we got. I'm sure some will eat this up, however.
Переслушай в будущем, пока что я не понял смысла альбома
Never heard a Damon Albarn project before and then i get two in a row. Funny. Yeah i mean not as good and way less focused than Gorillaz but theres some quality musicianship on display here, for sure.
Cool! sounds like a mix of Radiohead and Blur. 4 stars
Na I’m good. 2 stars
I’ll listen to anything Damien does. I didn’t know this existed and am grateful to the list for showing me.
I thought, "oh great, another mid-tempo, Brish pop/rock album. but this wasn't that! Once the vocals came in and I recognized the singer's voice, I was ready. this was a fun album with a lot of interesting instrumentation. I listened to it through twice.
Supergroup? More like Supermeh. This was nothing at all more than mediocre
Good album.
I remember it not being bad
Nice side project
I remember wanting to like this when it came out, then being distinctly underwhelmed. That hasn't much changed, though I quite enjoyed this playback. I think it's alright; not much more or less to it than that.
Demasiado RITMO SIIII
Das englische Supergroup-Projekt versammelt vier Ausnahmekönner: Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), den Clash-Bassisten Paul Simonon, The-Verve-Gitarristen Simon Tong und Fela-Kutis einstigen Schlagzeuger Tony Allen. Aufgenommen 2005 und 2006 in zwei West-Londoner Studios – Studio 13 und den Townhouse Studios – und unter der Regie von Danger Mouse entstanden, erschien das Debütalbum im Januar 2007 bei Parlophone und Honest Jon's. Das Ergebnis ist ein dezidiertes London-Album: thematisch auf den Verfall und die Widersprüche der britischen Metropole fokussiert, von Albarn selbst als „Liederzyklus und Mysterienspiel über London" beschrieben. Musikalisch pendelt die Platte zwischen gedämpftem Art Rock, Dub-Elementen und kammermusikalischen Streicherarrangements. Tonys Allens federleichtes, zugleich präzises Drumming gibt den Songs einen pulsierenden Unterboden, der sich wohltuend von konventionellem Rockschlagzeug abhebt. „Herculean" eröffnet mit stiller Wucht, „Kingdom of Doom" verdichtet die politische Schwermut zu eingängiger Melodik, und „Green Fields" trägt eine fast elegische Traurigkeit. Das Album debütierte auf Platz zwei der britischen Charts und wurde binnen Tagen mit Gold zertifiziert – bemerkenswert angesichts geringer Radiorotation. Die Platte klingt nicht wie ein typisches Supergroup-Produkt, das seine Zutaten zur Schau stellt, sondern wie ein geschlossenes, ja eigensinniges Werk: kontemplativ, niemals selbstgefällig, mit einer unaufdringlichen politischen Haltung, die 2007 bereits auf den Brexit-Bruch vorauszuweisen scheint. Wer einmal in diese melancholische Londoner Topografie eingetaucht ist, kehrt immer wieder zurück.
Not bad. I’m not a huge fan of supergroups. They usually lose something that made the individuals so great in their own bands. This album was ok, The Good, The Bad & The Queen is a strong song.
Wasn't expecting a Damon Albarn album. Luckily it's more Gorillaz than The Blur.
Just okay. Fav track: “80’s life”
Ok, this band is a supergroup. But this album is far from super. I really didn't enjoyed it. 2/5
Bland, boring and unmemorable.
Estuvo guay
Never heard of album/band. Generally not a fan of alt especially from this time range. Actually like history song a lot. Really good production. Not too whiny. Really good keys and bass. A lot going on with 80s life. Not a bad song but not great either. Cool production again. I’m enjoying northern whale a lot. Not as in your fave as the first few songs but still good production again. Good lyrics too. Kingdom of doom is more of the same. Nothing too special. Herculean is a really fun song and the production again is so good. Love the end of it. Really really cool song. Hard to follow that up. Dissapointed with behind the sun. This song isn’t that good. Good writing but that’s it. Cool production again on the bunting song but not really a fan of the vocals/lyrics. Nature springs is better. Much catchier. Cool production again. Soldiers tale is forgettable. Nothing really to it. Three changes is cool, really like the horns. Interesting drums/production as a whole. Good writing. I like having the title track as the closer. Love the piano to open. Really good production all around. Cool musical outro, good way to wrap up the album. Very pleasantly surprised. One of the best alt albums I’ve heard. 3.5/5 stars.
Pretty good. I can’t say it stuck with me in any way though. 3/5
Sounds like music for disenfranchised oompa loompas, not my bag
Instantly recognizable Damon Albarn project, with interesting choices in the rest of the band pulling from other britpop (guitar), foundational punk (bass), and legendary afrobeat (drums), and produced by Danger Mouse. This album is a chiller arty alt-rock sound, but often with a bit of a cloudy, gloomy, or dark foreboding sound. Both very British and influenced by worldly music styles at the same time. I can see the Gorillaz-adjacency here. Well-arranged tunes, spacious but not bare with all types of guitar sounds and bleeps and bloops and orchestral aspects. The heavy lifting is done by Simonon’s dubby basslines with that deep booming tone, and Albarn forward vocals. There’s some interesting songs, but also a bit too much downtime - but perhaps I could feel differently if I revisit over time…but for now it was enjoyable enough with some memorable moments, but it’s not sliding into the regular rotation.
Last album for me after 5 years of this list. And we don't go out with a bang but a whimper. This sounds like rejected Gorillaz songs to be honest. The quality is there but I'm barely retaining anything.
Another Albarn side hustle. Decent if a little lacklustre
I thought I was being clever with my review of “This is a long lost Blur album and no one can convince me otherwise “ not knowing this was a Albarn side project. So glad I did not post that
Listened totally blind, had not heard of this before. Ok, Damon Albarn on vocals. The bass is really loud, did they think it would somehow cover up how boring the songs are? Is this a collection of Blur songs that weren't good enough to put on Blur albums? Almost rated it a 1 just to spite the list for wasting my time today but I guess it's not that bad. Didn't hear a song that stood out as good or interesting enough to add to my 1001 playlist and I can't be arsed to give it another go. I adore Blur - Parklife, loved it when it came out and rated it a 5 just a few days ago. Wonder if I'll dig anything else from Damon that, I assume, is on this list.
folk, rock, pop. 2007 -> 2
meh. 2/5
history song is an all timer
thank you damon for my life
ovo mi se dosta dopalo! album mi je na neki način poznat odavno, ali samo činjenicom da na njemu svira paul simonon iz clasha te omotom te me nije nešto privlačio, no drago mi je da sam ga ipak evo preslušao. sigurno ću još slušati, ali nije vrh vrhova, tako da jedna lijepa četvorka
Wasn’t sure what to expect, but this one gave me strokes/arctic monkeys vibes. I enjoyed it
De eerste keer dat ik dit opzette, ging ik door met werken en merkte ik pas bij track 6 op dat ik überhaupt muziek had opstaan. Vage indiemuziek die niet per sé slecht is, maar ook geen enkele attentiewaarde heeft. Het schijnt een supergroep te wezen. Kan zijn, maar ze hebben niet supergoed hun best gedaan.
Dit album klinkt (expres) hopeloos verouderd. Ik krijg echt jeuk van stukjes als het "pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom, pom pom, pom, pom, pom" van het tweede nummer. Verder vermaakt de band zich met spacy geluiden, of het geluid van tegen een glas aan tikken. En als je dan toch aan het klooien bent is het ook fijn om de zanger weg te drukken. Ach, dat laatste snap ik eigenlijk wel...
Typische artrock uit de 00s, waarbij wat elektronische en spacey geluidjes uit de kast worden getrokken. Naar mijn idee is er heel veel van dit soort muziek in die tijd gemaakt, en het is niet omdat het een supergroep is, dat het dan beter of slechter gedaan is dan wat anderen hebben gedaan. Al komt het vernieuwende of briljante toch vaak van jongere artiesten en minder vaak van oudgedienden. Het is allemaal wat aan de trage kant, je zou dat sfeervol kunnen noemen, maar het is ook vrij vergeetbaar. En dat klopt ook, want ik wist niet meer dat deze band heeft bestaan (en inmiddels niet meer bestaat). En zo velen met mij gok ik. The Good, The Bad & The Forgettable 3.
Felt like it was raining in my office
Instantly recognised Damon Albans voice and instantly slipped into a coma Instantly forgettable
7/10 Pretty good indie rock album, but nothing really stood out to me.
I’d never even heard of this album or (horrible term) ‘supergroup’. It’s very earnest but not all that interesting to listen to.
Everything that gorillaz guy touches turns it into mediocre slop. It sounds like an imitation of what pretentious music snobs would like. It has the occasional interesting melodic bit in it.
This album does absolutely nothing for me, being a boring and monotone album that I swear did nothing. It sounds like the time, being this pretentious sound that only the most enlightened music fans would enjoy. For those fans, seriously, get a life.
la verdad q e gusto, ya no recuenro bien como sonaba pero recuerdo que dije queme habia gustado
Works well as background music, but otherwise the record is rather forgettable.
Beauty of this being British-based is that I sometimes get exposed to things that were completely off my radar. Very unlikely that I’d have listened to this is the moment, so very fun to learn about it now.
The Good, the Bad & the Queen was a supergroup that I'm not sure I've heard of before, but I'm guessing they were in the 1001 Albums books for a brief time because of the band members' pedigrees. Damon Albarn is well known for his time in Blur and Gorillaz. Paul Simonon was the bassist for The Clash. Simon Tong was the guitarist for The Verve during their Urban Hymns album cycle. Finally, Tony Allen served as drummer and musical director for Fela Kuti's Afrika '70 group. It seemed that the latter three had all come into contact with Damon at one point or another, and the group started to form naturally from there. So with such an eclectic group of musicians coming together for an album, produced by Danger Mouse no less, surely the results would be amazing, right? Well... I'll be honest, I had the hardest time connecting with this record, and I can accept that it's just not for me. This is an art rock album conceptually themed around modern life in London, complete with references to the locale, political parties, and industrialization that took place there. I'm sure that for Damon, a lot of the changes that happened in his hometown had a profound impact on him and led to some earnest songwriting that needed an outlet separate from Blur and Gorillaz. But I'll admit, as someone who lives across the Atlantic and has never once been to London, it's hard for me to fully grasp his perspective outside of some painfully broad strokes. The tracks that resonated probably the closest were the doom of repeating mistakes on "History Song" and the environmental destruction outlined in "Green Fields," and that's largely it for me. As for the actual music, it's fine enough around Damon's wispy vocal delivery, if not playing to the strengths of its individual members, given their previous projects. I can still pick out a few good basslines from Simonon, and Tony Allen's drumming is still solid, like with the shuffle beat on "Three Changes", and there's some nice subtle keyboard work from Damon and neat electronic flourishes from Danger Mouse. There's an overall laidback, folk-adjacent feel to a lot of these tracks in contrast with the more confrontational lyrics. I just can't help but look at what each of these gents had previously done and wish I were listening to their better output instead. At the end of the day, The Good, the Bad & the Queen put out a fine enough record that probably resonated more with British music critics who were already into the group's individual members. They would put out one more record before disbanding in 2019, and I'm left feeling that I did not miss out on much.
This is fine. Just some random Damon Albarn thrown together which isn't the worst thing but not really memorable. 6/10
favs: 80s life northern whale nature springs rating 1.3/5
Never heard of this and didn't know what to expect. I found it to be quite enjoyable.
Good enough but nothing that grabbed me.
A strong, interesting, unique sound that transcends the sum of its parts. It seems to really get into some fascinating territory in the second half. Noticeably lacking a lot in the way of percussion but it feels like a definite choice particularly given how sporadically the dub bass lines support the rhythm in a straightforward way. I dig it.
I don’t know what to do with this album. There are some interesting ideas here and there, but the vocals seem to turn every song into a sort of depressing malaise. I thought it was a good effort, just didn’t click with me.
Very good album by Damon Albarn and Co. There are two songs on this record that I love so just for that alone, I think this is a very good recording.
Damon Albarn’s voice is distinct enough to not be sure who he’s fronting. It’s not Blur or Gorillaz so it’s different enough. Enjoyed it that all said
Average
An album that passed me by at the time and I am fairly sure forgotten about pretty soon.
I’ve never really understood what they are trying to achieve with this album. I still don’t really. That being said, I rather enjoyed it today. Very chilled, lots of subtle instrumentation and touches with Damon’s ear for a melody on top. Defo one for a sunny summers day (which it is), probably would have hated in winter.
뭐라 쓰지
Great album from Albarn with a fantastic flow I'd never heard of before, but also makes it way weirder that there's not demon days or plastic beach on this list Favourite Song: A Soldier's Tale
I was a little cold on this one on the first listen, but it’s really grown on me with the second. It’s a very low key, atmospheric record that you can just kind of soak in.
Landing on a Damon Albarn-led supergroup you’ve never heard about is one of those nice expectation-resetting things, where you’re not necessarily thinking you’ll hear anything great because supergroups aren’t always a lock but the talent at least gives you a drive to want to dig in. And lo and behold, here we are at the weird dismal circus having a good old time. It’s on a few knives’ edges of being downbeat but interesting, clean but worn down, working out all the members presences, but for the most part it sits pretty well across them all. I also can’t lie and say it didn’t click more for my tastes once I realised how it had a similar musical tone to post-Songs for the Deaf QOTSA in a fair few places, which is an easy sell if I’ve ever had one. Pleasant surprises abound, honestly.
4,5
Not necessarily bad but just exceptionally stale.
This wasn't what I expected, the cover art gave heavy metal vibes. It was ok.
Thankfully I read about the album before reviewing so I didn't make a fool of myself saying this could be a gorillaz cover band.
Pure unfiltered albarn
This is (and, unlike others, I mean this in a mostly non-derogatory sense) sure a Damon Albarn album. It's pretty darn good, musically. Its lyrics are probably about how modern life in London sucks or something. And of course, I can't hear Damon sing without just hearing 2D from Gorillaz. I'm just not 100% sure why it's here, honestly? Ultimately, I'm glad it is, 'coz I really liked it, but... I'm not entirely sure what this told me about Damon that I didn't already know? There's three blur albums on this list and one Gorillaz record. That seems like enough. I mean, it might be for the pedigree of the rest of the supergroup, including members of The Clash, The Verve and one of Fela Kuti's bands. But I'd've never noticed them if I didn't already know. Hell, I **know** and I still think of this album as a Damon project first and foremost. So... I'unno. If you're like me and you've liked what you've heard of Damon's work, you'll probably get a kick out of this. I guess I just expected a bit more from a supergroup, is all.
The tracks feel a little bit samey, but it's a Damon Albarn project, so it's decent nonetheless. 3.5 bumped up to 4.
I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3. I’ll try to keep this one short, because I don’t want to come across too negatively to an album that I ultimately liked, but… damn, I just could not latch onto a single track here from a lyrical standpoint, save for “Green Fields”, if only because the imagery was that apparent. The rest of these tracks are all very Britishly written, and while I’m not opposed to Damon Albarn’s use of the language to make broad societal complaints, I am a little bit opposed to making them as broad as they are. I can capture the air of each critique & I think the instrumental atmosphere enhances that air in a way that ultimately gives each track enough substance to work. However, without being able to contextualize them in a way that gives the album a bigger purpose past loose bitching & moaning about the ‘state of the world’, no matter how warranted it may be, it just never gives the album enough of an overall form. The substance is there, but it’s not shaped into something concrete enough to flow together as a cohesive album. These are enjoyable tracks, yes, but they’re not memorable once you move past them, in part because of rather similar soundscapes / vocal tones on a lot of the tracks, & in part because of the lyricism here; however inventive & evocative it usually tries to be, it’s usually just a little too flowery for its own good. It’s an album with a lot to say & not enough of a concise structure in how it says it, leading to an overall disconnect that leaves the listener out of Damon Albarn & friends’ loop. Damon knows what these all mean. It’s hard for the listener to grasp, and that disconnect is just biting at me in a way that goes against my tastes. I know I’m complaining, but I did enjoy this album. I might’ve just caught it on a more distracted day for me, and maybe on any future relistens, it’ll click a little better across the board. For now, I just can’t shake the non-cohesive vibe, and I’m not one to reward an album on “great atmosphere but with no clue what they mean” unless the atmosphere is that unbelievably strong. It is strong, but it’s not THAT strong. Hence, a 3.5 bumped down to a 3, but I’m glad it’s on the list.
4/5
Pretty fun sound. History Song sounded familiar, but maybe it's the familiar chord progression.
... This does not equal the sum of its parts
It was alright but nothing really worthy of
It’s fine I guess. Nothing groundbreaking, and nothing that grabbed me deeper than at surface level. The only thing I really enjoyed was the tone on Simonon’s bass which was punchy and cut through well here. I get the impression that Albarn is relentlessly creative but that funnelling it into an overall creative vision is more challenging.
This was a nice surprise - I totally forgot about this band. It’s pretty good
Such a unique and cool sounding album that goes on longer and has more bangers than I even remembered. Damon Albarn holds the records for being in the most coolest bands
I felt like I wanted to like this, but it was a bit blah for me. Not offensive, and a couple songs kinda stuck out to me. But overall it was dull for me today. 2
Too twee by three quarters. They finally decided to rock out a bit on the last track but I'd completely lost interest by then. (LOL, of course the album I found twee and annoying is 100% written by known musical pestilence Damon Albarn.)
Fair play if this is someone's favourite album but honestly, so many of these picks are questionable, it's no wonder music is subjective
A good example that a so-called supergroup not automatically creates super music. 2,5
I’d listen again. Good bike riding music
I've not listened to this before, although aware. The soundscapes created have real depth and it feels more relatable than Gorillaz
I really enjoyed this. I've known Kingdom of Doom and Herculean since they came out, and I'm a big Damon Albarn fan in general so I'm not surprised this is good too. I always love art rock, and Damon has always loved working with people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, which shines here.
I remember being excited when this came out, but in the end it mostly sounds like a Damon Alburn side project.
I’m a huge Damon Albarn fan (seen him many times in concert) and somehow this album slipped through the cracks. With that said, I’m okay with having missed this one. It’s definitely not near Damon’s best work.
I don't recall hearings this before. It's fine, gets played in the background, and I hardly notice it, until I start hearing Damon Albarn's voice and start to think if I was done with the album and spotify discovery is taking over. I probably won't be seeking this out again. Maybe if I had discovered this almost 2 decades ago, I would feel differently.
Just another Brit Pop (mistake, apparently this is Art Pop) album with Damon Albarn. I'm sure he is an awesome musical, singer songwriter, but 6 entries (in various incarnations) is just too much, unless you are David Bowie. Give it a rest, just sounds like a bunch of Blur B-Sides.
I feel like I might get in trouble for this - but we all know have a music crush on Damon Albarn. I will preface this by saying, I don’t think this album should be on the list. (Especially seeing as Gorillaz has been cut (actually I just looked it up and The Good, The Bad & The Queen has also been cut too!)) There’s more than enough on this list of these artists already. However - I’m super pleased to have been introduced to it, because I loved it! Great chunky bass, some nice harmonies, floaty stuff - I’ll be coming back to listen to it again! I really like the idea of these musicians getting together with other musicians the admire to make new music together, I’m envious of how fun that must of been! I’m imagining them all fan-boying out about each other - bless.
Poor man's Radiohead. Radiohead themselves are bad enough.
La voce di Albarn a me piace, vibes molto chill
Good album, pop rock kind of stadium rock vibes from the early 2000’s. Sometimes reminded of Rufus Wainwright, sometimes Elvis Costello, also bands like the Killers etc.
I'd much rather listen to Gorillaz.
Good
Cool album from a supergroup, just not something I see myself returning to all that often. Very hit or miss when it comes to Damon Albarn singing
The Queen was probably outraged, and rightfully, so, at being included in the title of this less than stellar offering.
Strong late-'00s hipster folk rock vibes
JUZ MI SIE OKLADKA PODOBA okejka ale dupy nie urywa
1. hiztory - 1 2. life - 2 3. uuhale - 1 4. doom - 2 5. herculean - 1 6. zun - 2 7. bunting - 2 8. nature - 1 9. zoldier - 1 10. three - 0 11. green - 2 12. queen - 2
The last song on this record rocked. Everything else was vanilla boring vocals it was fine.
Wasn’t expecting to find this here. I bought this on CD when it came out, and “Herculean” was one of the first songs I ever downloaded on iTunes. Important context is that this was the follow up collaboration between Damon Albarn and Danger Mouse following the (now celebrated) Gorillaz album Demon Days. Like that album this one is infused with a funky, world music vibe, here from Tony Allen and George Simonon, layered over concern about the post-Iraq Imperial vibe. I’ve always admired the overall project but revisiting this was reminded of how much stronger the first half of the album is. Of the second half were as strong this album would be a much more compelling inclusion on the generator.
It’s fine. But comparing it to other Albarn projects not on the list (like plastic beach and demon days) is damning.
damn! didn't even know they existed but when I heard Albarn's voice I was like oh hey dude, what's this new project. Quite the line up, Verve & Clash alums ****
Mediocre, nothing special.
This is like my current mood. A bit dark, definitely reflective, somewhat scattered, with a side of friction.
FFS Why? Thera are 6 other Damon Albarn related albums on the list - 3 Blur albums and 3 Gorillaz. And this? Nothing wrong with it - at all. It's a solid listen if a bit restrained. But essential? 2.5 stars.
I'm not completely convinced this belongs on the list, but a welcome reminder of how frickin talented Damon Albarn is as a songwriter. I enjoy the consistent theme running through the album, and the interesting production too.
British bias yet again. This but no Demon Days or Plastic Beach is CRAZY
3/4
Not too bad, but nothing was really great on here.
meh. forgettable
I liked it enough, but kindda felt like a gorrilaz bside album
album #43 unfortunately this 'supergroup' got so lost up their own arses they forgot what makes an album interesting. also, as someone from the UK i am sick to bastard death of hearing about london. ꩜ average track rating: 2.6/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): the good, the bad, and the queen ꩜ least favourite track(s): the bunting song, history song ꩜ album rating: ★★☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,046 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 25 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 9 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 34
After the first track, I was really excited to listen to the rest. However, as the album went on, track after track, with no obvious highlights, electronic mood settings that don’t go anywhere, vocals without variation, and dull songs, I just waited for the album to end. Two last tracks are probably ok.
Last song had a vibe
The opening chords of the first song definitely caught my attention. This could be the previously unknown (to me at least) alt-rock album to give me hope! Alas, it kind of petered out. The music was decent, but the monotone vocals killed the overall effect.
How did this get here?
This was decent, and I didn't really hate any of these songs. I guess I'd rather listen to Gorillaz/Blur/The Clash/The Verve though. Favorites: History Song, Three Changes, The Good, The Bad And The Queen
The first album so far that I was truly baffled by it being on this list. It's fine... but entirely inessential. Everyone involved has done better work. And while it's never bad, it also never does anything to stand out. Only "Three Changes" really delivers on the promise of putting these players together. The most middle of the road 3 stars you can imagine.
Just so-so for me.
Just so boring ugh 2 stars
Wow, I did not enjoy this at all. Something about this album reeks of pretentiousness. Hard pass.
Herculean head and shoulders above the rest of the album, which is fine
Never heard of these guys. Meh. It’s kinda whiny and doesn’t sound like anything special to me. Totally forgettable music. (2)
This was pretty decent but I honestly can't remember any of it now. It all sounded the same 3 ⭐️
I enjoyed this
Starting to have aversion to albarn's voice. He seems to be incredibly nice person but just that voice. 2.8
Review - this album isn't very good. I'm not a huge fan of any of the musicians involved in the first place, but I often find with "supergroups" there's a bit of a self conscious artsiness that creeps in. I don't know if they're all trying to impress on each other that they're real musicians or what but it gets to sounding a bit clinical in my opinion. Like, you can't often tell it's a Paul Simonon bassline. Although I've not heard any of his stuff since The Clash, maybe he got boring. Some good songs but not particularly interesting, and I'm sure there's a better album that could be on this list. Rating - 5/10 Need to hear? NO
Está raro el disco. Me gustó igual, lo sentí como una historia.
Just shitty. One of the most well liked reviews asked something like...if this wasn't Damon Albarn and Paul Simonon, would anyone care? And I don't care about either one of them, but I get the point. I've somehow mostly avoided Damon Albarn's output outside of Gorillaz which was something you were forced to confront if you were alive in the early 2000s and Song 2 by Blur. Gorillaz were cool mostly because of the visual art surrounding them, Song 2 has been licensed to death in commercials and movies. The rest of Albarn's "projects" I couldn't care less about, this one included. This is just one of those albums where I'm forced to wonder what else could be on this list instead. I was reminded that yesterday was the 10th anniversary of Prince's death...so I'm gonna stop this album a few tracks short and listen to him instead.
Pretty standard, all songs are pretty similar tbh
Damon Albarn is obviously a musical genius. Blur are superb, and Gorillaz are different and brilliant, but this project just does nothing for me at all. The Good, The Bad & The Queen feels surprisingly flat given the talent involved. Nothing here sounds particularly groundbreaking or especially catchy, and it’s hard to see why it earns a place on a list like this. For a supergroup, it lacks impact and identity. It’s not a bad album, but it’s not a good one either, it just sits in the middle and ends up feeling a bit dull overall. It certainly doesn’t come close to something like Traveling Wilburys in terms of quality or presence. There are moments where it improves as it goes on. Tracks like Soldier’s Tale, Three Changes, and Green Fields are decent and show glimpses of what it could have been, but they’re not enough to lift the album as a whole. Favourite tracks: Soldier’s Tale, Three Changes, and Green Fields Least favourite track: History Song, a very dull way to open the album Album artwork: Strong cover, dramatic and fits the tone well
Why this was part of the list?
You know, as much as this album was perfectly pleasant, don't we have enough Damon Albarn? Between Blur and Gorillaz (both bands I love, btw), did we need this super group side project of a side project?
It's alright!
als grote fan van The Clash, iets mindere fan van Blur, was dit een tegenvaller van formaat.. te classeren onder de T van teleurstellend
Took me like 5 songs to think, “that guys sounds like Damon Albarn” and 7 songs or to think “that has to be Damon Albarn” and 8 to conclude “that’s Damon Albarn”.
Mucho rock, pude trabajar sin problemas y como es rápido, te hace que pienses más, cada acorde era para seguir dándolo, muy bueno para disfrutar
History Song - 4.5/5 80s Life - 5/5 Northern Whale - 4/5 Kingdom Of Doom - 4/5 Herculean - 4/5 Behind The Sun - 4.5/5 The Bunting Song - 4/5 Nature Springs - 4/5 A Soldier's Tale - 3.5/5 Three Changes - 4/5 Green Fields - 3.5/5 The Good, The Bad And The Queen - 3.5/5
"The Good, The Bad & The Queen" is the debut studio album by English supergroup The Good, the Bad & the Queen consisting of Damon Albarn (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Simonon (bass, backing vocals), Simon Tong (guitar) and Tony Allen (drums). It was also produced by Danger Mouse. The Wiki-listed genre is art rock. It is a concept album with songs centered around modern life in London. Commercially, the album reached #2 in the UK and #49 on the US Billboard 200, and, critically, had mixed to positive reviews. The album opens with "History Song." An acoustic guitar and Albarn's weary and melancholic vocals reflecting on the inevitability of history on a fragmented London. A swirling organ and a horse-like marching beat. The second single "Kingdom of Doom" quickens the pace with a faster strumming acoustic guitar. An underlying synth and loud piano keys. The drama level gets amped up with various noises - crashes, thunder and other random noises. The first-released single "Herculean" has more of a pop beat. An edgy electric guitar and synth noises. Albarn employs his megaphone-Gorillaz-ish vocals in another song about urban decay and anxiety. This song sounding a lot like "Yoshimi"-era Flaming Lips. "Green Fields" adds a reverbing organ to the acoustic guitar and underlying synth. The song gets louder into the outro with an electric guitar. The album closes with the self-titled "The Good, The Bad & The Queen." Loud piano keys give a melody with a drum beat. Albarn with clean and heartfelt vocals. A guitar joins and the pace picks up. It picks up again with an edgy guitar and ends chaotically loud. Where has this been all album? Albarn's vocals can be melancholic, designated, muddled or clean. The music follows suit and also can be whimsical and definitely atmospheric. Dangerous Mouse's production is one of the highlights as he throws in various synth sounds, noises, crashes and thunder. At its best, the music reminded me of "Yoshimi'-era Flaming Lips and latter-day Radiohead. I have to be honest, on the first listen, I was not very compelled until the last two songs; I thought the album kind of dragged. With further listens, I began to appreciate the musical nuisances and songs in general. So, overall, a mixed review for me. I'd say if you're a Damon Albarn fan, this is probably worth a listen but if you're a Paul Simonon fan, realize this is no "London Calling."
I really like a lot of Blur and Gorillaz output, so was looking forward to listening to this to fill in a gap in my Damon Albarn knowledge. Unfortunately I didn't find much in it to enjoy. In fact about halfway through I was on the verge of ripping my earbuds out to make it stop. The bass playing is very prominent, which gets tedious after a while. All credit to Damon for his prodigious creativity, but this is one record I can do without.
bueno, me gusta lamusicalizacion a veces e vuelve medis pesads igual
Is this on here because it was a "super" group? Unendingly dull, monotone, I don't get it.
Nada mal. Lo disfruté más en una segunda escucha. La primera me gustó, pero sí le noté varia cosa por ahí que hizo que quisiera darle una segunda vuelta. Art rock con buenos temas, casi todos son efectivos y en general hacen que se pase un buen rato escuchando este disco.
This is just such an unmemorable, bland album. Musically it’s … fine, I guess - at least there was nothing too upsetting that I remember. And there’s the problem, because I don’t remember ANYTHING about the album.
Enjoyed it!!
Meh, pretty boring, would probably listen again as background
It all sounds fine but not nearly as memorable as Blur or Gorrillaz
Album incredibile, ma in generale il gruppo è proprio top, non capisco perchè abbiano così pochi ascoltato. Hanno il cantante dei gorillaz! e cavolo se si sente, è una band sicuramente meno energetica e più calma, introspettiva. Top canzoni herculean, northern whale e green fields.
un po’ mi ha gasato
Il mio amore per damon albarn è sconfinato
listened to it, reminded me of gorillaz, looked up the band, found out it’s gorillaz
Gorillaz meets Blur. I really enjoyed this
3/10
A less annoying, but equally uninspiring Blur.
Knew exactly who was singing the moment the first lyrics hit my ears. This sounds like a Gorillaz side project, mainly because it basically is one. Several tracks feels like Gorillaz by way of indy folk. Didn't love it, but it was alright.
first listen it's okay
ehhh
Knew the voice immediately. Decent ride but didn’t strike me as amazing.