Reviews (page 3 of 6)
Vocalist from Blur / Gorillaz
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
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
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!
Reading the history of the band made me sad and happy at the same time. I really enjoyed listening!
7/10. I dunno, I suppose I liked it
Ah, Damon Albarn. That eternally restless Damon Albarn. If one band wasn't enough, he needs two, which then turns to three. The Good, the Bad & the Queen. A triumphant return to the chronicling of his fabled country with the wisdom and maturity that was lacking in his younger days, Albarn also sought to continue the musical diversification that had marked the second phase of his career, calling upon the talents of monolithic figures such as Fela Kuti's drummer (and one-time Blur muse) Tony Allen and bassist of The Clash Paul Simonon. Along with fellow traveler Danger Mouse and guitarist of The Verve Simon Tong, The Good, the Bad & the Queen stands singular as amongst Damon's most intriguing projects; a curio to check out once one has checked all the corners or Blur and Gorillaz. Favorites: History Song, 80s Life, Kingdom of Doom, Herculean, The Bunting Song, Three Changes, The Good, the Bad and the Queen.
Þessi er alltaf góð!
Nice
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.
solid 👍
Really good stuff. 4 solid stars.
Hadn't even heard of this, but really enjoyed it.
Damon is altijd wel goed, maar ik vind Gorillaz en Blur net iets beter
Como se fora um Blur desenvolvendo uma atmosfera mais contemplativa.
Probably very hypocritical of my latest Genesis review but I just have a soft spot for Damon (3.5/5)
Some very good tracks, bit more rocknroll than gorillaz, songs about England
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
This was fun listening. I enjoyed it.
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.
This was a trip! I enjoyed the sound, and the album is an interesting musical journey. Interesting and entertaining.
It’s like the Gorillaz if they went the indie rock/folk band rock.
These superbands always get me. I can't argue
Really liked this, its like a secret gorillaz project. The outro track is HUGEEEE.
Best wel chill
Solid
damon albarn has a very distinct voice so obviously this was gonna sound a little gorillaz-y at points. i love gorillaz though so it’s great! very nice fall listen
you're not going to make me hate damon albarn
I wish I would have paid better attention to this while I was listening because from what I heard I really liked it. The singer from the Gorillaz has a great voice to go along with instrumentals like this. I really like Three Changes and the title track to end it with the anxiety building breakdown for the last few minutes was a cool way to end the album. I will have to listen to this again to really pay attention but it was a great album all around.
Never heard of these guys either. Wow jk this is definitely Damon Albarn. This dude is insane he non-stop works. I wonder how he decides what's going to be solo, Blur, Gorillaz, or this. Love him though. Pretty excited now! Have this on in the background while working but I am digging it about halfway through. Crazy good production from Danger Mouse here. Damn the Good the Bad and the Queen song fucking rules. I can't wait to check more of these guys out.
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)
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.
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.
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.
4/5 Solid, but samey
This album missed me when it was released. I enjoyed it.
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.
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 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.
Stile da sigla di 'Peaky Blinders'
First, I gotta say that this album makes the case for the online 1001 generator vs. the various print editions. This particular record is apparently on some versions of the list, but not on all, as it wasn't on the spreadsheet I made from the version I've been working through. It's a cool record! I find it interesting and odd that it was dropped, but conversely, I've heard a lot of weird conversations online that the print editions have a lot of churn on the more recent selections, but the early material from the 1950s through the 1970s or so is basically left alone due to technical constraints i.e. the publisher doesn't want to completely repaginate the print edition when early pages are changed, so the author just leaves them alone, and when new stuff comes out that has to be included, it's usually something from the 1990s or 2000s that gets the axe. A shame, but again, thank you for the 1001 generator for having an exhaustive list including every record that's been in any edition -- I think that's correct, anyway. Anyhow, I only got four tracks into this and was like "OK, cool stuff, band I've never heard of, definitely glad that it was on the 1001". Oddly folky and psychedelic. A really great mishmash. (Much better inclusion on the list than the seventh Byrd album, or however many there are.)
Damon Albarn and I once groomed a young vole together. We washed it, clipped it's claws and styled its hair. We also chatted it up online, posing as other voles and fucked it when it was underage .
Pretty sick
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'
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.
Hadn’t heard this one in ages. One of the better albums I’ve had recommended to me!
Yes
4.0
this ain’t bad!
A thoroughly ok album. Doesn’t need to be on the list but not offensive necessarily.
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.
Lots of haters in the reviews for this one. I liked it!
Переслушай в будущем, пока что я не понял смысла альбома
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.
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.
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.
Just okay. Fav track: “80’s life”
Estuvo guay
Pretty good. I can’t say it stuck with me in any way though. 3/5
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.
Another Albarn side hustle. Decent if a little lacklustre
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.
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.
I’d never even heard of this album or (horrible term) ‘supergroup’. It’s very earnest but not all that interesting to listen to.
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
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.
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.
뭐라 쓰지
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.
Not necessarily bad but just exceptionally stale.
This wasn't what I expected, the cover art gave heavy metal vibes. It was ok.
Pure unfiltered albarn
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
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
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'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
JUZ MI SIE OKLADKA PODOBA okejka ale dupy nie urywa
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.
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.
I liked it enough, but kindda felt like a gorrilaz bside album
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.
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.
Herculean head and shoulders above the rest of the album, which is fine
This was pretty decent but I honestly can't remember any of it now. It all sounded the same 3 ⭐️
Starting to have aversion to albarn's voice. He seems to be incredibly nice person but just that voice. 2.8
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!
"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."
bueno, me gusta lamusicalizacion a veces e vuelve medis pesads igual
Enjoyed it!!
It all sounds fine but not nearly as memorable as Blur or Gorrillaz
Il mio amore per damon albarn è sconfinato
listened to it, reminded me of gorillaz, looked up the band, found out it’s gorillaz
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.
I like Damon Albarn as much as the next guy, but this didn't quite grab me as much as his other work in Blur and Gorillaz.
Good but not great
Мне кажется мне бы понравилось больше если бы я вслушивался в слова
Not Good, Not Bad, Just Mid
Unoffensive and boring, perfect for elevators and offices. +1 for the album cover though.
New to me. Dug a lot of the song writing and guitar sounds. Very solid. Made it thru the whole thing (which says a lot lately)
3/5
Tolerable but boring.
Boa experiência, a repetir algumas canções Destaques: History Song, Kingdom of Doom, The Good the Bad and The Queen
Not bad! Never heard of them before this.
3.5
Pretty nice.
Despite not being a Queen album (as I initially thought when I saw the title), this album wasn't bad.
enjoyable
How the fuck is this on the list over Demon Days? Favorite track: The Good, the Bad & the Queen
A great assembly of musicians on this record! Can't believe I had not heard of this before. It certainly has a bit of Gorillaz sound going on, mostly because of the vocals. Psychedelic dream pop very ambient. I was expecting a little more from this lineup, most of this sounds too safe. There are a handful of great tracks though so I am glad I know of this project now.
Interesting album that was all over the place.
- ehtaa damon albarnia vaikka tässä muitakin tyyppejä tietty on messissä - gorillazin suurena ja blurin keskikokoisena ystävänä ihan mielelläänhän tätä kuuntelee
Album No. 0191 on my list. When I stumbled upon this album, I had no idea what this would be. Never heard the name of the band, no idea about their music, their members, their history, nothing. This is probably one of these albums I would have never discovered had it not been for the 1001 album list. I quickly recognized the singer's voice though. It was indeed Damon Albarn, and The Good, The Bad & The Queen are a British supergroup that was completely lost on me so far. "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" is an interesting indie rock album. I didn't find most of the songs that catchy/memorable and I'm just not the biggest fan of Damon Albarn's style of singing. The sound on this is pretty good though and the whole album just feels pretty, well, interesting! The songs' topics are somewhat unconventional and I liked it overall. Won't become my personal favorite, but I'm still glad I discovered it. I will add "History Song", "80s Life", and "Herculean" to my playlist. 3/5 stars.
I like Damon Albarn but not feeling this. Might need to listen again
Good music. Good sound. First listen. Thanks
ist ganz okay, manche Songs sehr anstrengend
The sound of this is nice, but it does kinda go in one ear and out the other. A little more dour than I expected.
top 3 - Herculean, History Song, 80s Life. It's fine and I enjoyed it but I expected more. The melody and vocals are nice. Though I will add that I wasn't aware of this super group prior to this album. Don't know if it should really be on this list though...
Favorite track: Herculean There were some pretty nice sounds here, and the underlying dub influence all throughout the record along with Tony Allen's drumming makes this thing subtly groove, but this album doesn't really have a lot of standout tracks.
I liked this!
I wasn't familiar with this Gorillaz side project before. The vocals are solid, the instrumentation is pretty cinematic, full of strings and big walls of acoustic guitars. It has this sort of fairytale esthetic - but in a good way. I think it really falls on in the 2nd half with some pretty lackluster moments, but I'm glad I listened nontheless.
6 - AVERAGE
Álbum com sonoridade bem variada e interessante. Tangzu Wan'er 2 Bass Editon.
To slow for the time listened
Maybe I’m missing something. Is this supposed to entertain? What did these guys do to get on the list? It’s neither good nor bad, yet I’m disappointed.
Alright Indie rock. Liked the music a lot. Had some interesting beats, but the lyrics themselves, not vocals particularly stood out
6/10
Love Blur, Love Gorillaz, Love Danger Mouse, so it’s obvious that I love this… sadly no. I would put it in the “I liked it” category, but not something I would return to often. 3.25 / 5
Starts interestingly.
Pretty solid, but probably won't be coming back to it.
Never heard of this group before, but the voice was pretty recognizable. Of Albarn’s projects, blur and Gorillaz are far better (IMO) than this record. I probably like rocket juice and the moon more too… but don’t mean this album is bad… maybe will grow on me.
This was pleasant enough background music, but completely forgettable. It probably deserves more of a careful listen than I could give it today. 6/10 Pretty Good
"This sounds like some kind of Damon Albarn wannabe... Oh, it's actually Damon Albarn." Kinda funny he made a band just so he could write songs about England and London. Weird flex.
A “supergroup” from 2007 made up of two 90’s Brit-Poppers, the bassist from the Clash and Fela Kuti’s drummer? Maybe 1001 is just too many records.
Folky
There’s so much talent here but I found the album to be frustrating. There are elements of greatness, but none of the songs go anywhere. I like the rhythms and many of the individual arrangements, but this album lacks cohesiveness. It’s a pleasant but unremarkable listen.
Recognised the singer from Gorillaz. It was pretty good.
Album 1063 of 1089 The Good, The Bad & The Queen (2007) Rating : 2.5 / 5 I listened. I enjoyed. And yet, when it ended, I couldn’t tell you a whole lot about what I had just heard. It was pleasant. It flowed smoothly. Nothing irritated me, nothing made me reach for the skip button, and nothing really jumped out demanding attention either. It just sort of existed comfortably in its own lane. The best comparison I can come up with is flipping through the “What’s Happening” section of TV Guide (I'm dating myself, here). It fills the time. It’s fine while you’re doing it. But once you close it, you’re not carrying much of it with you. There’s certainly craftsmanship here. The mood is steady, the performances are controlled, and everything feels intentional. It’s not sloppy or uninspired. It just doesn’t carve out much of a lasting impression for me. A decent, easy listen but just not one that’s likely to settle into my long-term rotation.
This list is, conservatively, 20% Damon Albarn. That said, this was fine.
It was ok. Nothing really notable. It would be a good album to have on in the background during the day.
Pleasing and enjoyable if a bit meandering and lacking the power to make it something truly great
Great to listen to musicians being musicians, not rock stars. This sounds nothing like any individual musician soulded like or played like, very refreshing. Hard to rate this without many listens, but it is at least a 3 leaning upwards,
Like most supergroups, this album is ultimately less than the sum of its parts. It does have a lot of dense, layered instrumentation, and the production is fantastic. That said, most of the songs are pretty forgettable and don't really go anywhere in my opinion. Was hard to keep my attention after the first few. Still, is a pleasure to listen to on good headphones with that production! 2.5 -> 3/5 Also, crazy that I'm not even 1/5 of the way through the list and have already had 3 Damon albums (and zero Neil Young, amazingly).
It was okay. Nothing I'd listen to again
Not sure how I felt about this, I liked some bits and I like that guy from the Gorillaz, but was a bit boring at times. Didn't mind it though
нот май кап оф ті дуже фолкі, середньовіччя вайб
Good
Copy and pasting the best review for this album: "So every time Damon Albarn has a jam session with someone, is it gonna show up on the list?" It's not bad but like....c'mon now. D'you know what I mean?
A lot of different things going on and it definitely had me tapping my foot but it did not pull me in any further.
So, like, they are all individually very talented at the things that brought them to this supergroup, obviously. There isn’t much to criticize, but I also find myself without much to celebrate; nothing lagged behind, nothing stood out. Overall, the album felt lesser than the sum of its parts.
Pretty decent. Enjoyable listen, like the instruments and the vocals are unique and fit the band well I think. The lyrics are nice. I really like the mix of piano and acoustic guitar with those like weird loud droning noises that come in at times.
pleasant background music
great drums. albarn veers close to radiohead with little success.
Wow, I've never heard of this, but what a cool story of this group's beginning. Nice lineup. It's a decent album, with no song really grabbing me by the crotch. Herculean was a nice, mellow, spacey song. Overall, nice side project from the Blur guy. I'll give this a 3.
It’s not unusual for a supergroup of members from bands that I love to let me down. This is sort of like the members took the least interesting parts of their better know acts and threw them into a forgettable side project. Didn’t grab me.
3.5
4 from Sian 3 from Deb agreed on overall 3
Meh.
Another OK album. why are we prolonging this??? 3 *
Took me a sec and then I was like "oh it's the guy from The Gorillaz". Only then to also find out he's the same dude as Blur. And like 20 other things. So a good listen from the musical learnings. Otherwise forget table.
Honestly, this was a pleasant surprise. We didn't get any play of this in the US, and it's a decent indie record. One of Damon Alburn's better projects IMO.
I’m a fan of Damon Albarn - particularly from interviews seen around the regrouping of Blur - but do find my reactions to his music extreme - several songs are personal top 100 while so many others the exact opposite. Hit and miss and very little middle ground. I gave this album 2 listens. It was enjoyable in spots but overall just mid (the don’t grab me category). Perhaps given time affection will grow. For. Ow 3/5
not super memorable to me
It was ok, but didn't excite me.
Interesting but weakens in the second half.
Another one of Danger Mouse's art projects with very talented artists. It is a very good listen, but never quite leaves the experimental or "interesting" category to end up in a regular rotation. Respect the artists and their work, but not a transformative album.
Has some good parts but only occasionally. Most songs feel like they didn’t have a coherent idea behind them. And that’s the main problem. It sounded good sometimes, but only, like, three songs managed to stay good throughout their run. It just felt too random and inconsistent. Still fine, and the closing track is fantastic, but I just wish it was more cohesive.
I liked this a lot. I need to listen to this again but off the first go I would give 3 stars. It was a very quick 40 mins. Very good.
Instantly you know it's the guy from Blur. Has some interesting moments and I liked the inclusion of various instruments. But its just a bunch of dudes getting together for a Jam and then putting out the result. And somehow they convey in the music that most people wont "get" this, and that's just because you are not hip enough ro be part of the London scene. Not amazing but I guess its a good stepping stone to what would become Gorillaz
Another good project from Damon. It's not quite a Gorillaz album, but it could be. A pretty cool supergroup from London.
An enjoyable Damon Albarn creation. Not his best music, but would I listen to it again? Yes.
Ok
This is just a middling Gorillaz album.
A 3.6. Good overall but nothing that stood out of the mix.
Interesting listen with a couple pretty good calming songs.
Very ambient and subdued. Sounds a lot like a cleaner Gorillaz album (not helped by sharing the same vocalist). Not bad, a little boring song to song but overall fairly solid. Top tracks: Herculean; Behind The Sun; The Good, The Bad, And The Queen
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: ⛪🔥🖼️ Production: 𝄢😌𝄢 Music: 🌀♨️🧖 Rating: 🦸🦹🫅/5
Unique mix of rock and almost western. I like the switch up between vibes of each song and switching the singers.
6/10
There're some nice songs, pretty lyrics. But overall, the album's dull and kinda boring
I like Damon Albarn and Blur well enough, but does this list need to include every side project of his? No, no it does not. 2.5 stars.
Day 141 This kind of washed over me, nothing bad by any means but not one I’m likely to return to 6/10 Highlights History Song Nature Springs History song
You know, the song The Good, the Bad & the Queen by the artist The Good, the Bad & the Queen from the album The Good, the Bad & the Queen. Super group making super okay music somewhat competently. A bit of a slog but saved by the tremendous final track. The Sufi video for it rules too.
Not bad. It's pretty good background sound, and a few songs stick out, especially the title song/album closer. Kinda feels like you're sitting a random jam session but it's cool I guess.
surprisingly boring and forgettable
What?! I never wanted to listen to this because of my dislike of Damon Albarn, but so far it’s so good! Dammit.
Pretty good albeit kind of weird. Still don't care for Damon Albarn but Paul Simonen adds a touch of class to this.
Considering the lineup, I thought I would like this more than I did. Too much Gorrilaz, and not enough Clash in their sound for me to want to give it a second listen, though.
Indistinguishable from lots of other indie stuff I've heard. Not bad, but nothing special.
I really didn’t care for it. The first listen through, but by accident it was on repeat and a day later when I got in the car, it was on again. It sounded pretty good.
норм, но бенгеров не найдено...
its... not bad
Just a little bland for me
I mean it was alright. Not sure how much i needed to hear this before I die though
I'd never heard of this and it's good, but nothing really stood out to me
2.8 2x
This just sounds like Gorillaz lite so I’ll stick to the real thing.
6/10
never heard this before...it was fine. Interesting concept and I like many/all of the musicians participating, but probably won't return to it
I had no idea this supergroup existed, pretty cool discovery. For 2007, I truly wonder if these guys got together with Damon and wondered "what if we made our own version of the Gorillaz, but less exciting?" That's what this felt like. Very bland Gorillaz. Which isnt even that awful.
Best Song: Herculean. I really liked the almost "static" fuzz coming off the snare drum here. Worst Song: Nature Springs. The protracted outro with the whistling was not for me. Overall: Slick production, appropriately evocative of the Gorillaz. But, like the music of the Gorillaz, I find that this really only works as light background music for me. It sits completely out of the way and avoids any attention, so it almost doesn't matter how smooth or chill it is. I won't much notice.
I like this. I should listen again sometime.
Tunnelmallista, lo-fi kamaa jossa on näitä brittiläismeininkejä Blurin ja tällaisten tapaan. Mukavaa meininkiä
Mediocre
Correcto
Never heard of this one. Interesting!
It definitely sounds like Blur and Gorillaz, but it doesn’t seem as rocking as Blur or as interesting as Gorillaz.
Составчик у группы интересный
26/11/2025 It was interesting, I recognised Albarn's voice from the off, I had no idea he had other projects like this. Spotify listeners: 63.6k
I’m a huge fan of Damon Albarn, and have listened to most of what he’s recorded on a religious level for over 25 years now. The same could be said for Paul Simonon. Tony Allen and Simon Tong are also great. There’s no shortage of talent on this album, but like so many super group bands, this one has always fallen a bit short of my expectations. Every few years I return to it thinking I’ll uncover something new, find what others are praising here, but my opinion has largely remained unchanged since the day I first heard it. It’s good, it’s a good album, but everyone involved has put out much better material. Maybe it’s the Danger Mouse production (though I do give credit to that fat sounding bass), maybe it’s because they left off the Oxford comma in their name, or maybe it’s because this is one of those British albums I’m too American to understand, but it’s never quite clicked with me in the way I want. Solid all around, and there is a vibe to it that I do find quite unique, but I’d rather listen to The Clash or Blur again instead.
Eh
A friend of mine loved this album in high school and played it a lot. Hearing the opening track immediately took me back to driving around my hometown mall’s parking lot. The music has a sort of overcast mood. It’s definitely a vibe, though maybe a bit murky for me to want to put it on. The songwriting feels particularly influenced by The Kinks. Damon Albarn kind of sounds like Ray Davies occasionally too. A few highlights here but it’s mostly middle of the road for me.
Pretty cool album. Lots of classic chord progressions but the spin is on the composition experimenting and deviating just enough to be interesting while still grounded in classic familiar sounds. I enjoyed this. Songs like "Herculean" are a good example of the added weird interesting ideas. There's some throat singing in there? And it's also filled with really cool production ideas- stuff that you'd hear in electronic music like distant reverb'd vocal layers and a slow drum n bass type beat. It took me way too long to realize it's Damon Albarn singing hahah. I dig it! With a little bit more memorability this would be a 4 for me, but as it is it's a 3.
A English Supergroup with a concept album about life in London? OK, it’s good, but for the life of me, I did not and will not remember this. 3⭐️
It’s a quirky blend between Damon Albarn’s other projects (Gorillaz but with a sprinkling more guitar), add a bit of The Shins indie vibe.
Nett, bissl langweilig
Kann man hören
I needed two listens to fully understand that this record is actually not bad. Still not my favourite by Damon Albarn but definitely worth a close listen.
Fine, and some talented people involved, but not very interesting or essential
there were some bright moments but overall a bit beige
I had no idea that there was a supergroup named "The Good, The Bad & The Queen", nor did I know about the majority of the members of these other groups being a part of any supergroup. The members of other bands that make up this supergroup are incredibly diverse and span across multiple genres of music. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that this album's music is incredibly diverse in its stylings. Wikipedia says this is "art rock", and honestly, I can't think of a better term for the amalgamation of all these bands' styles. An interesting and unique listen!
The Good, the bad & the Queen is a supergroup consisting of members from Blur, The Clash, The Verve and The Africa 70', which is PRETTY eclectic might I say and stacked. The album cover gives off a great feeling and many emotions. One example would be it gives off a very old-timey feel with a familiar voiced man that compliments the feel when people lived life slow. This album isn't too crazy, It's alright but It's not an album I would seek out again. Highlight Song/s: History Song
I liked it pretty good, but though I think Gorillaz albums tend to be more versatile than this one. Most of the songs in this sound about the same. I liked the sound but it did make the 45 min stretch as bit. 7.2 ★★★½
I like a few tracks, but smostly find this mediocre and boring. 3 stars
3.5
Cool
that dude sounds just like the gorillaz
History Song 3.4 80's Life 3.5 Northern Whale 2.4 Kingdom of Doom 3 Herculean 3.2 Behind the Sun 3.2 The Bunting Song 3 Nature Springs 3.3 A Soldier's Tale 3.3 Three Changes 3 Green Fields 3 The Good, the Bad & the Queen 3.2 Score: 3.125
Pretty decent blur side project. Nothing really stood out but some decent songs
With a lineup like this — Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Simon Tong, and Tony Allen — you’d expect fireworks. Instead, you get fog. Not in a bad way, necessarily; more in that soft, gray, London-in-winter kind of way. It’s reflective and moody, a record that feels content to hover in the background rather than demand attention. The musicianship is excellent — how could it not be with this crew? — but the songs seem more about tone than movement. Nothing truly bad here, but nothing that grabs me either. It’s all texture and atmosphere, without much emotional lift. A fine record to have on, but not one that keeps you coming back.
Helt okej, inte nått mästerverk eller så men rätt mysigt och trevligt på vissa ställen! Inget jag skulle lyssna på flera gånger men hade inte klagat.
Supergroup. Blur meets the Clash and Afro-Drums.
Interesting, jangly rock - evocative of American Western movies. Good overall.
I quite liked this. There are cool hooks, interesting rhythms and ideas, and the tracks are chilled and laid back. At times it does sound like a slightly less upbeat Gorillaz, which I guess is to be expected. I also feel like the songs don't really go anywhere. It's like they're building up to something and then they just end before anything happens. But not in a bad way if that makes sense. Until the last track that is, when all of a sudden it explodes into a loud, heavy garage rock sound seemingly out of nowhere. There's ambience, texture, and space and the album evokes imagery of a dreamlike landscape. I only had the chance for one listen and another quick flick through and I think I'd enjoy it more with repeated spins. I'll give it a very high three, but could be a four this time next year.
Pleqsantly surprised after a slow start. Rainy.
It's not bad, but a bit boring
Had its moments.
Maybe I’m missing something on a first listen that I’ll pick up on in subsequent runs through this album, but I’m not picking up on what makes this album significant enough to land on this list. It’s not that it’s bad music, and I wouldn’t fault someone for liking it. But to my ears it just feels unremarkable. I knew nothing about this group or album before listening, but could pick up on strong Brit pop influences that made more sense once I saw the makeup of the band. It also explains my ambivalence to the album, since I’ve never grown to love Brit pop the way many others do. I think the concept of the album is has a lot of potential, and I’m hoping that as I revisit the album moving forward I’ll appreciate it more. Unfortunately I’m not hearing enough musically right now to make me want to come back to it immediately.
It's a pretty unique art rock album at my first listen. It's Damon Albarn's side project so it must be good...The ending song was a banger. I don't really remember the melodies of the rest. Perhaps I need more listens.
It was ok
It's the best album I've had all week. That's to say "Self-Titled" isn't too bad. It started off poorly, but then it got better. Some "Self-Titled" songs feel like they could've once been Gorillaz demos. Sometimes I imagine 2D singing. 3 stars for "Self-Titled".
nice sound, nothing crazy
Nothing bad about it but completely unmemorable
Interesting mashup of British music styles. Always like Paul Simonon's base playing
This feels like Damon trying to atone for the whole Battle of Britpop thing, with a more cerebral romp through the culture. I felt like I had to give this more attention than I had while also doing other things, so maybe didn't get as into this as I could have. Or maybe it needs to be a bit more visceral in places. Not bad, but not majestic.
I had no memories of this super group at all.
Enjoyable
Dulllllll
A lovely little side project lost in time.
This is like an entire album of gorillaz deep cuts. Thought it started and ended well with a muddled middle.
Väldigt slätstruket för att vara en "supergrupp". Den enda riktigt bra låten är nature springs. Resten är verkligen "jaha" i sitt esse. Känner mig otroligt ointresserad.
Supergrupp it is alltså, då stiger ju förväntningarna! Tyvärr blev det ett ganska platt fall då detta visade sig vara alldeles extraordinärt alldagligt. Inte en enda låt sticker ut - inget är dåligt men inget är heller särskilt bra. Det bara puttrar på i en rätt färglös trea hela vägen. Tråkigt.
Never heard of the band before to be honest - but enjoyed listening for the first time - need to revisit it
This album is extremely well-produced (I've always loved Danger Mouse's production), but just not very good or interesting. The last song is great, though!
3/5 good stuff nothing rly that caught my attention tho
интересно,ама пак не се закачих 3
not great not terrible
3/5 Fine. I'd pick it up in a thrift store just for clout but I don't think I'll ever listen to it again.
Entertaining but I'm not going to listen to it very often. Title song I like.
If I had ever known of The Good, The Bad & The Queen I’d completely forgotten about them until today’s album suggestion. Damon Albarn certainly likes his projects doesn’t he. Shame they mostly sound more-or-less the same. There is a track I like on this album, but most of it does sound very samey. It’s not a *bad* album, just a little dull.
Grew on me as I listened
History Song - 3/5 80's Life - 3/5 Northern Whale - 3/5 Kingdom of Doom - 5/5 Herculean - 5/5 Behind the Sun - 4/5 The Bunting Song - 3/5 Nature Springs - 5/5 A Soldier's Tale - 3/5 Three Changes - 2/5 Green Fields - 4/5 The Good, the Bad & the Queen - 3/5 Average score: 3.6/5 (rounding down) interesting. had no idea this was a project of Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz, etc) until i did some digging. thought that voice sounded familiar that being said, i was a little surprised by this album. i was certain i wouldn't like this based on first impressions, but this was an alright listen overall. even the tracks i didn't care much for weren't that hard on the ears i couldn't help but feel like i'd still rather listen to Blur's self-titled album or 13 for this kind of sound (there's just a ton more substance to those album in comparison). however, i'd give a few tracks a listen in the future. i'm still glad this came up on the list of albums to hear. i don't think i would've seeked it out otherwise.
Don't understand the vitriol in the reviews. It's fine. Some interesting ditties here. A good listen, but not one I'll need again.
Not in the mood, maybe another day would hit better. 3/5
This is a really good cohesive album, despite, or maybe because of, there being no standout tracks. It’s another example of how well Damon Albarn can move from one project to another quite often with different styles.
This sounds like Spiritualized with heavy a Blur influence. Actually at times it could pass for an experimental Gorrilaz album. It’s a British band from what I can tell. Anyways, nothing groundbreaking here. It’s passable but that’s really I have to say about that Jenny.
Sounds like Blur.
3/5. Niet echt spannend
I’m a pretty big Gorillaz fan so I was surprised I’d somehow missed this what is basically a side project of several members including of course frontman Damon Albarn but having listened now it’s pretty missable. I did enjoy it overall, and also thought it was a cool little coincidence that Tony Allen was also on yesterday’s Fela Kuti album. The opening track History Song is the best of the bunch. It’s just a bit sort of slow and quiet for me in general.
Unmemorable.
This is OK as an album. It doesn't really match my taste, but I do wonder if it's a 'grower'. I may play this a few more times.
I love most everything Damon Albarn touches past the year 1999 but this is a bit of a vanity project and vanity pick imo. The entirety of this album sits in one register. It’s all laid back slices of life over a dub bass. That’s it, that’s the entire thing front to back. “Herculean” actually escalates its instrumental a bit towards the end of its runtime, but only so much. I appreciate that this project only runs just over 40 minutes because anything longer than that would get on my nerves. Nothing here is bad, but it sure is all the same. My highlight is the slowing/beat switch on the last third of “Three Changes”. Soft 3/5 the ending pushed it just over the edge