Reviews (page 3 of 8)
This period of music in the UK was dreary. This offers nothing to change my view. Would I listen to it again? No.
I enjoyed most of the songs well enough. A high 3 stars, for sure.
This probably requires multiple listens for it to "click." I liked it, but probably won't be listening again.
Not bad. More varied than your typical Brit pop fare including elements of shoegaze and more jangly sounds. A lot too long though.
Meh
I kinda liked it Will I listen to again: 22%
Bardzo fajny album. Odpowiada mi klimat.
Its fine
not unlistenable which is high praise on this list
My judgement has certainly been altered by 8 pina coloadas but this is pretty sick
3.5 Enjoyed the listen but never really latched on to anything, I will try the pina colada angle next time
Geinspireerd door het sterke jazz album met de zelfde naam. Dat is ook voor mij wel het sterkere album van de twee, dit is meer rock-ish met zelfs wat kleine punkinvloeden lijkt het? Ik vind het interessant omdat sommige nummers heel klein beginnen, de muziek als het ware word weggedraait om dan in volle bak weer terug te komen. Jammer wel dat de 'kleinere' nummers een stuk interessanter zijn dan de bak herrie die je soms te verduren krijgt. Thinking of Ways gaat de lijn naar herrie bijvoorbeeld echt opzoeken met een overstuurde gitaar, maar ze gaan bij dit nummer specifiek de lijn niet echt over. Dat vind ik dus heel vet, jammer dat ze meestal juist er voor kiezen om wel echt een explosie aan geluid te produceren. Ja dit is wel echt een typisch voorbeeld van een album wat een stuk interessanter was geweest als iemand rond nummer 10 had gezegd "Ok jongens, nog max 2 nummers, anders word het echt veel te lang! " Nu zit me er zoveel filler in, dat het wel een gezicht lijkt van de gemiddelde Hollywood ster. Sommige nummers en stukken zijn echt wel interessant, maar te veel word te lang doorgevoerd of teveel de noise hoek ingeduwd waar ik gewoon echt he-le-maal niets mee heb. Het voelt nu ook gewoon lullig om in een nummer de hele tijd te benoemen "The end is near" en dan nog 3 nummers door te gaan... Dit begon best ok, maar uiteindelijk heb ik gewoon sterk het idee dat per ongeluk de verkeerde Giant Steps op de lijst is gezet. Wat een lange zit en wat zal ik nooit meer aan dit album denken zeg... FAVO: Thinking of Ways, Best lose the fear
Best Song: Wish I Was Skinny. A bit more upbeat in tempo than the rest, with a kind of silly/thoughtful lyric. Worst Song: Run My Way Runway. There's just noise in the background of the whole goddamn song. Overall: It is difficult to articulate exactly what I don't like about this album. It is very lyrics-forward, yet none of the lyrics spoke to me, and the delivery is done in this shoegazey, no-one-in-this-small-town-understands-me kind of way that I just find obnoxious.
I have to admit I would have preferred to listen to an album by "white noise," but that's not how things work here. I'd never heard of Boo Radleys before. After listening, I know exactly why. The album "Giants Steps" simply isn't worth listening to. For over an hour, the album is just boring and rather irritating. Again, I'm left wondering what's special about Boo Radleys' music, where is the outstanding or innovative element? What makes it beautiful? I'm sorry, I didn't hear anything. And I will never listen to this album again.
Again another album that starts with a cool opening track; the first 15 seconds should've probably been its own track so the other 3 quarters of the track can be allowed to shine on its own. Wish I Was Skinny is a bop, incredible instrumentation and the sappy delivery of the lyrics really sells the emotion. The sappyness doesn't hit the same on Leaves and Sand Butterfly McQueen is that real heat
i get some of the feedback of the varied styles on this album -- and the length. however, after listening to it a few runs through there were a number of songs that resonated with me... but as a % of the total album its lower, otherwise this would get a 4
I'd barely heard of the Boo Radleys before this, and I'm shocked at how much I like this. I'm not usually into this period of British alternative music, but this is different. It's like SF noise pop/indie pop or Elephant 6.
Doesn’t hit as well as it did in the ‘90s. I enjoyed the shoegazey elements more than the straight up indie rock. No lack of melodies or ideas in here, I understand why it’s on this list. The Boos just never really did it for me.
I have no idea why this album was included on this list. Also, it needed to be about 5 songs shorter.
I am so sick of britpop
Fun britpop
Working from memory, groundbreaking and inventive at the time
Boo
Hands down one of the best and most inventive albums of the 90s. The mix of musical styles and use of studio effects is up there with the greatest - to call it indie is missing the point. Move over Pet Sounds. 5*
7.5/10
Really brought back some 90's alternative vibes.
I didn’t hate it or love it.
My only familiarity with the Boo Radleys was from their cover of "There She Goes" on the So I Married an Axe Murderer soundtrack. I like this! It seems kind of weird to me that these guys are labeled "shoegaze" - this doesn't sound like what I consider shoegaze at all. It seems poppier, more melodic, and janglier, which I like. But I guess maybe not all shoegaze is My Bloody Valentine. It also seems kind of weird to me that a British band would name themselves after a character from To Kill A Mockingbird, but I like it. OK, "Leaves and Sand" I can see being called shoegaze. I get it now. "Thinking of Ways" is beautiful. "Best Lose the Fear" reminded me a LOT of Elliott Smith. I think I would have really loved this if I had listened to it back in 1993-94. I can't quite bring myself to give it 4 stars in 2026, so let's call it a 3.9
Psychedelic soft-punk. Surfin’
OK, but nothing to brag about.
So much meh. They were naff when I was a teenager, and are still naff and the definition of mediocre britpop now.
Odd choice for this list. Not sure if any of the songs really were a hit for me. Liked the vocals though
cant remember shit but didn't bother me either
Feel like this was added by mistake instead of Coltrane. It is a fine indie album, with the usual attempt at broadening to orchestration and “avant-garde” sections. Wouldn’t turn it off, but won’t be seeking it out again
I loved the Boo Radleys back in the day, which made me one of the two Americans who did. I only knew them because I worked in a record store. They were more interesting to me than other indie-ish bands at the time, which tended to be somewhat monochromatic, either shoegaze (British) or grunge (American). Boo Radleys were both more eclectic musically and more sincere lyrically. Shoulda been bigger! They probably would have had more success if they had come out 10-15 years later.
It's always nice to get a complete unknown in today's album selection (with full apologies to those across the pond who revere The Boo Radleys). Although I'm not sure this will become a cult classic for me as it apparently has for many others, I appreciated the larger than expected range in some of the tracks, from fairly straightforward tracks like "Wish I was skinny" (with a decent video) or "Barney (...and me)" (with a decidedly *un*interesting video) to a variety of sonic assaults (like "Leaves and sand", the Beatles-inspired "Thinking of ways", or "Run my way runway"), culminating in their (relatively) big single "Lazarus". I didn't have too many favorites on the too-long album, but I enjoyed "Upon 9th and Fairchild" and "Best lose the fear" more than most. It seems a shame that their label didn't show them much love or attention with this album, but perhaps the executives felt what I did: they're seemingly doing all the right things to have a well-rounded album, but it lacks...something? Maybe it just lacks a soul, although that sounds harsher than I intend (on the other hand, I was particularly disappointed by how vapid a song like "Rodney King" ended up being, and it seemed pretty insulting to name their album after Coltrane's much more famous album, so maybe not *that* harsh).
I enjoyed this new-to-me band / album --a good mix and a good sound -- but nothing ever stuck. The songs border on obscurity but they're good enough that you want to listen to it again. I think I have to listen a few more times to really appreciate it.
Ich glaub ich bin sogar bei 4. könnte ein perfekter Soundtrack sein und mega abwechslungsreich
was alright, but damn this album is long I Hang Suspended - 5/5 Upon 9th and Fairchild - 4/5 Wish I Was Skinny - 4/5 Leaves and Sand - 3/5 Butterfly McQueen - 3/5 Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce) - 4/5 Thinking of Ways - 4/5 Barney (...and Me) - 5/5 Spun Around - 2/5 If You Want It, Take It - 4/5 Best Lose the Fear - 4/5 Take the Time Around - 5/5 Lazarus - 5/5 One Is For - 3/5 Run My Way Runway - 2/5 I've Lost the Reason - 4/5 The White Noise Revisited - 3/5 Average score: 3.8/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s fine like I like it It’s good but not great 3.3
3.5
I really like the mixing on this kick drum one song in. Exciting intro song in general. The second one didn't do anything for me but Wish I Was Skinny was a pretty indie tune. They're cool as hell for Leaves and Sand, that song just kept getting gnarlier. By Barney (And Me) I couldn't really tell one song from another but in a good way, their playing is pretty immersive. Honestly near the end, I've Lost the Reason speaks for itself and loses a bit of cohesion with this and weaker previous songs. 50 minutes or so with the right cuts would've made this an easy five, but man, at least The White Noise Revisited is a six on its own.
ok
Okay so why is this amateur hour anti-catchy shit on this list when the ACTUAL GIANT STEPS by Coltrane isn't??? WTF???
Moments of interest on here but it was painfully long and the noise elements were not to my taste at all.
Probably the most schizophrenic album I've ever heard.
Not my thing.
Lack of sleep was the main factor for me not making it through this album. I was not in the mood for it and I really didn't want to try the next day (again, lack of sleep is the culprit). I could tell this style of music is not for me. A quick note, I found the about page on Spotify to be oddly written. It was written by the band, or a band member, and not very well. Anyways...
Love the cover pretty cool
Högt och lågt
I actually really like this. I could see myself listening to this on a rough day at work just to settle myself and lock in. Tune the world out. I like it. Love the clarinet in Best Lose the Fear.
much longer than I wanted, but pretty enjoyable listening overall
had a fun time with this. deeper cut in brit pop. learned a bit about the beatles influence on this genre and now motivated to read more pitchfork and rolling stone album reviews.
Ciekawe i odważne zagrania muzyczne. Do słuchania jeszcze raz
I somehow never listened to this band in high school, despite being the right age, and this sort of aligning with my tastes. In another universe I could see myself really getting into this, but now, many years later I’m just not interested in what it’s offering.
Pretty bold at times, overall likeable 3.6
begon heel wat beter dan verwacht... helaas werd het na enkele nummers wel wat ik verwacht had... jammer
This band got by me in 90’s. I would imagine if you attended any engineering school during that time period you listened to this band on college radio. Singer puts me in the mind of Elliot Smith, however this is not that.
A couple of good songs on this album but mostly meh.
This is some OG indy rock. Very good.
A very good surprise, I wasn't excepting something that takes so many swings. Of course, with an album so long, some are misses, but overall I think they truly are mining for a sound that is their own and I liked most of it and was pretty impressed.
Very Britpoppy, but not very catchy. Some nice moments, but overall it lacks interesting melodies and progressions if you ask me. I think the British bias of this list shows in albums like this. Faves: I Hang Suspended, Wish I Was Skinny, Barney (...and Me)
Did not enjoy this. Didnt feel special at all.
Not my thing. It got a bit weird here and there.
No real cohesion to this album. Felt like they'd heard other successful bands and songs in the 90s and tried to copy what they were doing instead of making a name for themselves. Nothing really stood out, well not in a positive way. Just really boring, was glad when the album finished.
this album was scientifically engineered to make my benis the bone benis
Didn't have any clue what to expect from this, but I really enjoyed it! Great vibe
Think this was pretty good? I kinda forgot since I listened.
Me ha gustado y no estaban en mi radar. Distorsión con algo más.
Strong 3,5
I really tried to have a take on this.
After glancing at the reviews, I was a little worried. However, I was actually impressed by the album. Maybe it was the chill Saturday morning mood I was in. This is the kind of eclectic that I like. Definitely had some indie, psych, and Beatles vibes.
Great 90s sound. Hadn’t heard the whole album before
This was interesting, I only know the Boo Radleys for the summery pop song 'Wake Up Boo' but this has quite a different sound considering it only came out 2 years prior to that hit. Much more of a shoegaze / noise rock type vibe with distorted guitars and more lo-fi vocals. Not sure there are enough good tunes to sustain a 64 minute run-time but it's pretty good
Weird music
Completely forgettable. Not sure why this is on the list
Hey lookit, first one I don't recognize at all, album or artist or songs. Cool. I don't really even know what shoegaze constitutes, though I have a pretty good idea. Not sure it'll be my thing but you never know. Let's do it. Ohhh! Exclaimed Italianly. 64 mins. 1. I Hang Suspended - cool, that's what I thought shoegaze was. Hrm, I'm gonna try to get through this whole thing but I'm not sure I can do 64 mins in one sitting. The melody is nice on this one, I like the kind of non-functional cadence on the "I hang suspended on your word". Singer's voice is surprisingly soft? I thought it'd be a little more screamy. 2. Upon 9th and Fairchild - both songs so far have started with that ambient space. But ooh I do like the bassline on this one. It's funny, this isn't quite the kind of music that your parents would hate like grunge was in the US in the 90s, but it's getting there. I did enjoy the initial groove but midway through, I think the chorus, it gets sorta generic again. The tinny vocals remind me of some of the Gorillaz stuff later on, Damon Albarn used that a lot. Again that initial groove is cool, but then it's just loud. The distorted guitar doing the Sun Ra gag sorta. It reigns it back into melody later though. Hey a string section! That's neat actually, nice addition to the soundscape. Gives it body. 3. Wish I Was Skinny - and now something totally different, very clean tones. This is closer to the toothless sort of alt rock that I don't associate with what I thought shoegaze was, but I guess it counts fine enough. Hand claps and bright cymbals. Melody ain't bad. It's a cute song, but a little dull. I do like the horn addition, and I appreciate that these folks are incorporating more into their sound than just fuzz guitar wall of sound. Weird ending but it's kinda funny. 4. Leaves and Sand - there's that sound I expect. I hate to be this way, I'm not sure it's my favorite kind of sound. Still kinda noisy but without real gumption behind it. I think the lack of any syncopation contributes to that. The wall of sound thing is this case I understand and it's a sound of extreme loud to extreme quiet for effect. Subito over many bars. But I dunno. If you're gonna be that loud you better be playing something I can move to. I did like the melody contour when the singer started up though. 5. Butterfly McQueen - okay I actually would rather not have the trumpet here. I dig the groove a little before the wall of sound starts wall of sounding. Yknow this album was inspired by Coltrane apparently, but I wonder if that's just in the title and the wall of sound phrase? His wall of sound doesn't mean the same thing it does here. I like the way this one ends and leads into the next song, Youtube's endless ads and DIAs endless bullshit kinda ruined the transition but I still got the idea. 6. Rodney King - have to pause here to do something but so curious what this will be like. Hmm the beat gives me pause but I'm letting it ride. This track is p simple but I like that the volume is used in conjunction with the higher pitched softer melody. I probably still wouldn't dance to this, but I could see someone doing so. Someone that dances like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. Hey the lyrics are pretty clever here. Just 3 lines, but fairly powerful for what they are supposed to be. Not the most powerful I've heard about the subject matter, but not so bad for some white British guys right after it happened. Synth ending was nice, if not a non-sequitur completely. 7. Thinking of Ways - oh nvm it's a transition again. I should have hit this on Spotify or my own cpu. I see some people making connections to the Beach Boys here, I think I would have gotten that too. I like this guy's voice, wish it was on more Brian Wilsony stuff like this instead of loud pre-emo. "I'm thinking of ways I can get out of things just like always" has a great contour and they stick the melody line on it to boot. Pretty nice there. It is around this time however that I begin to look at my watch, I think the run time here is going to knock this one down a peg or two. Plus they love that guitar that sounds like an ewe and a large metal door being fed through a chipper a little too much for me. 8. Barney - kinda Blues Traveler-y? Again, nice melody but a bit toothless. I think there's a middle ground between their wall and this, and I think it lies in a little bit of syncopation. A line or two, not just held chords. Oh as I say that, there's a hit on two to lead into the chorus. Immediately made me pay attention and blew some life into this, so I think I'm right on that. I like the bassist's tone, overdriven enough for the verses then that real fuzz for the instrumental breaks. The harmony vocal thing in the middle didn't really work. There are more than a few non-seqs that don't FULLY work. I know that's subjective by their nature almost, but eh. Not my thing, at least I don't think it works well here. 9. Spun Around - a little Doors intro with the organ and dry bass and stuff. But, I visibly made a face of slight disgust when the vocals come in with that noise around them. Again, I think the actual melody is quite nice and I'm sure the soundscape is just right for some people. I think it's distinct and interesting, but I wouldn't put it on my stuff or seek it out to listen. 10. If You Want It, Take It - yeah that Albarn style of singing again. I guess it's actually Boo Radley style. This sounds like what would be ubiquitous in a 90s or 2000s film about a freshman at college "just trying to score". I guess I don't mean that in a derogatory manner, that kind of thing has surely aged poorly but has its place as a time capsule to a specific emotion. For me, at least. Never looked up any of those soundtracks though... 11. Best Lose the Fear - thought we were dropping into 7 for a second there. Again, I like the addition of the organ here. Good extra texture. Again, nice enough melody - I like the chorus. Looser feel on this track than the rest. It works for the vox but everyone kinda on their own in the rhythm section, ehh. And I liked the organ, but the clarinet isn't really working. Sounds sorta like a school band and there was one friend that played clari so just let him noodle around a bit. 12. Take the Time Around - so loud upfront, that's actually unpleasant to me. That fuzz is drowning the whole track, it had to be deliberate but man I don't like it very much. Goddamn and the double solo is even louder. I sound so old but like, this is approaching noise just for the sake of it. If you wanna be loud, be funky! Damn. Be loud and have a sick ass groove that's stank worthy, otherwise it's just pain. I didn't even pay attention to anything else in this track aside from how noisy it is. 13. Lazarus - mkay some New (Nu? Neo?) Reggae, kinda. OH SHIT WHY DO I KNOW THIS SONG?? OH SHIT ITS THE END CREDITS TO THE TELEVISION SHOW LAZARUS BY THE COWBOY BEBOP GUY! WATANABE! That's really a funny thing I never thought of, his other shows are so funky. Bebop and Space Dandy are in rotation for me all the time cuz they're so good. I do like the synth melody that is played here and the half-ambient bit in the middle. Was this a hit for them? It's probably one of the better ones on the album. Again, dudes regular old melody writing is pretty good. Very sound and smart. I think it comes through better here than some other songs. 14. One Is For - interesting arranging choice again, cello and vibes. Short one, more of an interlude. Not much to say here from me. 15. Run My Way Runway - again, I get that they're going for a thing here but I don't like it. The oscillating noise, the trumpet back to noodle. I'm trying not to check out for the rest of this album but I'm really struggling. Even with the melodies, which again are very strong and singable! It stinks cuz I think they could be on a better album. Stopped this one 20 secs early, legit hurt my ears. 16. I've Lost the Reason - breath of fresh air here, chill and quiet. Same thing as before, nice changes and melody. Unfortunately, we have a U2 problem here. Kinda too little too late. Plus, after the intro we're back to the standard fare about 1.5 mins in. 17. The White Noise Revisited - sadly, I just couldn't be arsed. I kinda skipped through this one and then shut it off. Getting really really tired of the sound now, vocal effects etc. Sorry. Some things to note: I like the melodies a little more often than not, I like their use of the orchestral and jazz instrumentation, and their changes on the songs are kept interesting and not so predictable. I think I like the feeling this album evokes. I was never into shoegaze or emo when it was popular but of course I was around people who were. It gives me nostalgic feelings for childhood, like middle school time. But aside from that and some nice melody writing on maybe 70% of the thing, it was just sorta loud and incoherent to me (oh god that's the Weird Al lyric in his Nirvana parody). Incoherent musically, I mean. Like, the addition of brass and wind could have been neat but it seems like they just got a cat and let the person noodle over grooves that don't fit that vibe. Not even particularly good noodling, just noodling. In addition, this album is waaaaay too long. Like 20 mins too long. I could have cut it at 45 and it still may have been a tad much. I had to cut it in half because I left work and went home, came back a few hrs later. Still was a bit of a slog. But, I'm glad I did cuz I'm not sure I could have taken 64 mins of this sound. I can't tell whether this should be a high 2 or a straight 3. I think I'm gonna settle on 2 for now, may change later. **coming back later, I think straight 2 is appropriate actually.
I enjoyed this album, although not sure why it deserves a spot on the list.
There’s a really good 35-40 minute album here. This fucker is 64 minutes long, though.
Meh
High 3? Fine enough listening but nothing grabs me and likely won't revisit
I've never really cared much for shoegaze, but Giant Steps has led me to appreciate it a bit more. I really like how the more average 90's alt rock/britpop sound melds together with the more psychedelic aspects, I definitely think the genre has some potential for me to like it. That being said, I feel like this album definitely isn't making the most of that potential. My biggest issue is that they tried taking the album too far by making it a double album, I really feel like it fell apart at the end. Despite that, there were some very good moments here and there, and "Lazarus" stood out as my favorite from the album. I especially love how psychedelic it sounds, it's really well executed and exemplifies the mix of alt rock and psychedelic rock I mentioned earlier. I also enjoyed "Wish I Was Skinny" to a lesser degree, but other than that, nothing particularly jumped out at me throughout the album. Favorite Song: "Lazarus"
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Quite a lot of different things going on but hey I was entertained!
Very interesting sound this album has, the album cover is literally straight outta Summer Of Love, whilst has a very 90s sound with the shoegaze and noise pop elements. Sending mixed signals as the album cover doesn't give a clue or hint on the actual contents; unlike some other albums like Kid A (Radiohead.) Some songs literally take some shoegaze elements to the extreme, like the subdued vocals in "Leaves and Sand." The last 4 tracks were a huge dip in quality, which is unfortunate. Highlight Song/s: "Wish I Was Skinny", "Barney (...and me)" and "Take the Time Around"
Not my thing, but not actively offensive
niet mijn ding
A lot going on, most of which isn't that great.
I really think this has potential, but they made some really annoying choices in distortion, volume dynamics, effects and some instruments that sound like it was the first time they touched them.
Starts surprisingly strong before being bogged down by mediocre songwriting. My guess is that if a BR fanatic made me a comp I would enjoy it. Dunno. Might revisit this one.
This has ambition to spare and a mostly-appealing Britpop sound. I will say I found elements a little tedious or annoying more than once and I couldn’t name a standout track. It’s the rare album I can’t say hit with me but I’m intrigued enough to go back to it again… probably sometime soon. I sense it could be a grower but on first play I don’t know that it justifies its hour+ runtime.
Meh
Lazarus
Yet another positive surprise. Never heard of this band before, although a relatively extensive active stretch. What surprised me thr most was the constant change of genres. Little Britons here, little shoegaze here, mixed with a splash of noise and psyche. That what was kept me attentive and interested. Although playing in the background, I had to stop to listen more carefully. It got my attention. Big plus for the name of the album. Hence John Coltrane. Four for now, if id let it sink in more it would probably be a five.
Shite
I went to see them once, in Cardiff Uni, when they had that hit single, not a bad show but that was the beginning and end of my interest to be honest. This album is OK but a bit dull.
Pleasant enough, but not essential. I won’t remember any of this in a week, let alone a month.
I couldn’t finish this album
Pretty average album. The last song was pretty outstanding though. It reminded mit of Spacemen 3.
Never really listened to a lot of The Boo Radleys, this album was OK, it was pretty good. A lot of it felt extremely of its time - not necessarily in a bad way, it was cool and kind of nostalgic. At times they pushed the boat out and got a bit weird, which I enjoyed. But overall nothing really cemented itself in my mind. 3.0/5.0 Best song: Take The Time Around
I didnt mind this, i really wanted to love it, and it kept on threatening to be really good. It sounded a bit like so many things i love, Ween, SFA, Stone Roses, 60s psych, but sort of landed flat with a lot of it. I wouldn't rush to chuck it on again, but i didnt mind it.
Дивний альбом, багато експериментів, частина з яких вдала, частина (на мою думку більша) -- ні
Funky, got better toward the end
definitely an album out of my usual variety, but it was good nonetheless. although i don't have any real issue with the album, i don't really see myself going back to most of the tracks. with that being said, due to the fact that there were so many songs, it was unlikely that i would connect with every song, and they were enjoyable to listen to as a whole work of art. 3 / 5 stars
Das gefällt mir sehr gut. Irgendwo zwischen BritPop, Garage, Alternative. Abwechslungsreich ohne komplett auseinander zu fliegen. Ich mag die blechernen Schrammelgitarren, z.B. bei Upon 9th and Fairchild extrem gerne. Die Stimme trift auch einen Nerv. Nice.
I like it. I think I need to relisten as I didn't get a good once through.
This is not bad, but it just got really boring really fast. I actually enjoyed it a bit, but it still bored the hell out of me. Also, it's way too long for what it is.
Over an hour of really bad noise pop, almost every song physically hurt to listen to
Funk
Va det her det va bestilt et album som høres akkurat ut som nokka laga av menn i 1993? Ja? Værsågod, kos dæ.
// hmm alt tilsier at jeg burde like dette, men det gjør jeg bare ikke! prøver for hardt. insists upon itself. føler meg ikke bra når jeg hører.
I think I’m discovering I’m not a shoegaze guy. This to me was pretty boring and it never really gripped me. When it would get a little more psychedelic or experimental it had me, but it would then veer back to the indie sound which I found extremely bland. It’s all produced well and the instrumentals are nice enough, but never more than that. And these types of vocals are just not for, they don’t stir any type of emotion in me. Yeah won’t be coming back to this.
Ei
Sonically interesting and also enjoyable, hard to get the two
Sometimes the amount of streams per song on an album are quite telling. Ignoring the singles, it starts around 177k and gradually decreases until 66k. Which perfectly reflects my opinion on the album, the album isn't even that long, but holy hell does it drag on and on and on at around the halfway point.
Liked this. Never heard these guys before but it’s giving Flaming Lips an Elephant 6 in the early 90’s and I’m here for it! 7/10 Favorite tracks- “I Hang Suspended” “Take the Time Around” Lazarus”
Britti alt rokkia, tulee mieleen elementtejä ehkä sellaisesta varhaisesta Musesta ja Radioheadista. Suht poppeja kappaleita, mut sit niihin on lisätty vahvoja särökitaroita ja muita äänekkäitä synia ja muita soittimia. Tulee myös Oasis mieleen. Parhaat: If You Want It Take It, Lazarus
Coming from a period when there were so many interesting things happening in Alt Rock, this album is best described as..."competent." Maybe their earlier works were more exciting, but I'm not gonna spend any time to find out. Minus one half-star for the album title. This ain't even close to Coltrane-level music.
A decent album. An essential album? No
I’ve learned that the set of my favorite albums is not convex. While this album is a convex combination of Neutral Milk Hotel, MBV, and Smashing Pumpkins, this doesn’t quite do it for me. Still good though.
This album once again proves that if you write a song called Lazarus, it is not allowed to suck (Bowie; Lazaretto by Jack White; etc.). I was surprised that this album was so good. It felt a little Beatles (Thinking of Ways); a little psychedelic (I’ve Lost Reasonable); a little ‘90s Alt (Barney); a little Grunge (SpunAround); a little Radiohead (If You Want it, Take It); and a whole lot of Bo Radleys. This album was all over the place, and so wanted to be in that place. I think my favorite song was Upon 9th &Fairchild. I am going to return to this album again for a better listen.
Random thoughts: * I wanted to like this one so badly but it just didn't match my expectations. I was looking for an album's worth of "There She Goes". I did not find that and instead found a psychedelic 90s album. * I really couldn't get over my expectations. I listened to this one on and off most of last week. I would kind of lose track of the music and then hear some crazy psychedelic sounds and I'd stop and say "whoa, what is this?" * I might need to revisit this one with altered expectations.
Too long for its own good. A lot of the songs sounded just like each other.
Not list worthy. Boring cautious light rock.
Not a great album but there were a few good songs. The vocals were ok. The electronic/psychadelic parts ruined it for me
This was cool. I enjoyed it but nothing amazing hit me.
Upon 9th and Fairchild.has good bass riff, but the rest stuff is boring and annoying.
Had never heard this before but genuinely enjoyable. High 2s, almost a 3.
EDIT: Some of my thoughts changed after listening to this album a bit more. Here is my original review after the first listen: The opening track, "I Hang Suspended" was amazing. It marked a great start for the album so I started with a good predisposition for the rest of the album. However, I feel that Giant Steps didn't keep up the quality as I started to lose interest by the second track. I definetly like the overall sound; the compositions and interpretations are good, and the singer has a very nice voice, but I couldn't feel very invested in it. As always, this might be a matter of just needing one or two more listens to really get into it, especially considering this album is labeled as a few styles I usually like (including Britpop, which I apparently like much better than most people in this web page). I wasn't too disengaged, though. I still found the album likeable and discovered other highlights in it beyond the first track, like "If You Want It, Take It", "Lazarus"; and especially "I've Lost the Reason", which was easily my favourite. I also liked in particular the noisier parts like "Run My Way Runaway". As a final note to self, I actually quite enjoyed the second half. Maybe if I listen to the first half again soon I'll appreciate the album much more. EDIT: After listening a bit more to it I regret saying previously that this wasn't very engaging. I was right with my final note and I just needed to give it another chance. "Wish I Was Skinny", "Leaves and Sand" and "Barney (...and Me)" are great songs too. In the latter, I love the contrast between the noisier and the brighter sections. I was originally going to rate this a 3/5, but after giving it a second chance I'm rating Giant Steps a 4/5.
Pretty solid enjoyable stuff.
I feel like I didn’t get this album, I like moments of it, but I was listening to it on and off, feel like I didn’t give it a great shot. Maybe on further listening it would grow on me. Felt really disjointed, but perhaps I was just disjointed.
I enjoy this, but why is this on the list? Best Song: Wish I was Skinny Rating: 6.0/10 Stars: 3
Another "jennell likes this genre" hit!
not offensive to the ears
This is another album that suffers the fate of just being too long. It’s very good, there’s a lot of variety, the sounds and influences all work together, most of the songs are well written… there are just some that are a lot stronger than others. And at 17 tracks this could have easily been pared down to something not only more manageable, but also higher quality. This albums could have easily lost 4-6 songs and been great. But because it’s too long and has too much filler material it gets relegated to the land of “good”. It’s kind of a shame really. They really had potential but they over did it.
So many high points on this album yet so little consistency. It feels like every song is standalone and that the band were using this album as an opportunity to try 20 different styles before finding one that sticks. Having said that, the high points are great, and within the chaos I find there are 5-6 absolutely brilliant indie / alternative songs that would easily find their way onto a 90s indie playlist.
Listenable.
Hey look at that, another Britpop album. I'm convinced that's like at least 80% of this list. This one may be a bit less Britpop-y than others but I think it still counts. It's fine. Some cool parts here and there. I felt like the recording was a bit uneven as far as dynamics though - some parts are super loud and other really quiet. It's fine to play with that a little as a band but I hate having to adjust volume while listening to an album. Overall I don't think I'd come back to this one. It wasn't bad, there just wasn't anything that I'd really care to hear again. 2.75/5
Definitely booables
Ya 30 minutes de rock très correct dans tout ca. Dommage que l'album dure 1h.
Generic 90s indie. Bailed after a couple of songs as felt very predictable.
A remarkably ambitious album - especially so for what at the time was a jobbing indie toilet band back in 1993. And you know what? They just about get away with it. I love the New Order pastiches on Wishing I was Skinny and Barney. The cod reggae attempts are brave, if nothing else. Giant Steps offered optimism as to where toilet indie could go back in 1993. Sadly flag waving hijacked the possibilities.
I know a couple of their songs, and knew they were more than that britpop hit. Starts strong and stays strong. Bit of a revelation, though some less interesting songs. Could easily drop some, but overall impressive. 4 Heard before? 1 song Owned: No: 45/179 (25%) Will I get: Yes
3.5/5
The inclusion of this album is a head scratcher for me. It is an excellent example of non-grunge 90s music - along with 100 other albums. I was in my 20s during that decade, so I lived through this, and the Boo Radleys - in the US at least - were completely unremarkable, and had little impact on the music scene. But great for inclusion on alternative radio, and there's really nothing wrong with this album at all. Maybe this was bigger/more important in the UK? For me its a nice reminiscence for the sound of the time and otherwise forgettable. Also, naming it after John Coltrane's absolutely epic album is, at best, a real eye roller.
non-descript 90's rock
A fun album. Kind of like early 2000s indie rock for its diverse approach but still rock riffs at heart
pretty good, only listened to some
This album is a nice surprise. I had never listened to them before but love how ecclectic their sound is. I love how the sound jumps around from Reggae, to some Britpop/Shoegaze, and into some orchestral type sounds that remind me of Mercury Rev. This is one I will come back to at some point to give it the much needed multiple listens. Biggest Hit - Barney (and Me) Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - One Is For Hidden Gem - If You Want It, Take It
I hated this. I don't know if it was partially bad timing for me to get this album, because I did have a headache the day that it was my album to listen to. Upon 9th And Fairchild was hell to get through because of that. That being said I also don't enjoy this type of music in general, so the headache factor probably only played a very small part in my dislike of this album, but it's still something to keep in mind. Wish I Was Skinny was a highlight for me, at least it was until I got to the last couple of seconds of it. A similar thing can be said for Thinking of Ways. For a lot of the songs there's a good song in there somewhere, but then a guitar screech will come in (and I do mean screech) or some weird effect and it just ruins the whole thing.
No... just no...
Not my favorite listen. Some songs were okay but for me just a little to noisy and chaotic throughout.
There were a couple of songs on here that felt very relevant but I fear that is only because it is January and I would have liked this less if I got it in July. Regardless, 4 stars
First listen, I did not enjoy. It was just another Britpop band from the mid-90s. However, subsequent listens proved me wrong and I really started to enjoy the sound. A few of the songs really grated me and I either had to skip entirely or miss the end. I liked the songs that I liked, and hated the ones that I hated.
Standouts If You Want it, Take it Best Lose the Fear I've Lost the Reason
Dope
3.6
Te chaotisch
Heel leuk! Ook onverwacht Sommige vond ik super Andere werd ik een beetje misselijk van 🤣
Nicht viel von hängengeblieben, aber kannte ich vorher nicht
Never heard if them, but pretty good, loud party music, or lawn mowing music.
Very interesting dreamlike experience
I've heard of the Boo Radleys before but never really listened to them intentionally before. This album was just fine - nicely listenable and representative of early 1990s. But it didn't really do anything special for me, at least not listening decades later. - Heard before? No. - Will I listen again? No. - Does it inspire me to listen to more of this artist? Sadly, no.
Full of songs with different styles. Closest comparison I can think of is Jesus and Mary Chain. Brit pop, chamber/psychedelic pop, folk, dub, noise rock, all are in there somewhere. Guitars do strange things, horns pop in every once in a while. There are some good ideas, but it really is all over the place, and even if it starts out with a nice groove, there is no guarantee it'll end that way and vice versa. It's like they had to prove they were not like every other band just by sabotaging the good stuff with random noise in every song instead of keeping the noisy stuff all in a few songs and saving the good stuff for other songs. For example Thinking of Ways starts out a very pretty quiet pop song, and then it devolves into an explosion of horn dissonance. Would probably be a 4 or 5 star record, but I have to take off 2 stars for the deliberately off-putting abrasive chunks.
I was impressed by the number of different sounds, styles, and instruments on this album. The musicians have an impressive repertoire along with some laid back vocals.
Grade A shoegazing. I wish I was skinny is especially poignant and feels so of its time in a great way.
Meh, it's fine, it's extremely 90s coded. That's not always a bad thing. I just don't know how well this specific 90s sound on this album holds up. It's for someone, I'm just not that someone.
It was pretty inoffensive for a while, and then I got bored of it and really struggled to finish it. Especially with the nails-on-chalkboard third from last track. It was mid at its best, but averages out to lower. Funny band name.
Mostly noise.
Shite. What on earth is it doing in this list? Beatles-ish psychedelia 25 years late. And so fucking self indulgently over long.
I bought a cheap copy of this on vinyl when it came out on the strength of reviews and was utterly disappointed. I liked some of the sounds but I thought the songs were pretty dreary on the whole. They're a bit better than I remember if I listen to this as a lavishly produced example of middling 80s style indie rather than the earth shattering groundbreaking work of genius it was billed as in 1993. I still find the vocals a bit charmless and off putting. And it outstays its welcome by about fifteen minutes. Lush jumped the rails from shoegaze to britpop but these guys were like the intersection of the two.
6,7/10
Nice! I hsven't heard anything by this band except "There She Goes" from the "So I Married an Axe Murderer" soundtrack, which is a sweet jangle pop ditty that isn't trying too hard). On this album, The Boo Radleys do try very hard, and are somewhat successful. Muscular riffs contrast with the quaint vocals (which are over-processed on occasion for psychedelic effect), giving this a little enthusiasm that a lot of stuff from the era just needs more of. Good dynamics, excellent musicianship, great sense of pop melody along the lines of XTC or (dare I say) The Jam, a little pretentious, a little long maybe. The standout songs (Lazarus, Wish I Was Skinny, Butterfly McQueen...) sound great. Semi-psychedelic. I especially enjoyed their infusions of dub and noise into the lite-pop. Cool stuff.
I thought the sound was buzzy and muddled. I was listening through Beats Studio Pro-Premium headphones.
Some catchy songs. Probably would listen again.
Alternative rock. Kind of a mix between Smashing Pumpkins and the Beatles. Pretty good.
More harmonic and cohesive than I was expecting, especially after seeing the dreaded "shoegaze" label associated with the album. Well, sort of I guess. Very much avant garde in a sense, as the sounds will deviate from time to time. It wasn't totally unlistenable, but can be a bit jarring at points. I'm not sure how you'd label this, genre-wise.
Decent tracks but some real obsure shit keeps it from anything but a 3 for me.
Cool arrangements and a unique sound. Love the mixing of genres even within tracks. Well done album, especially with a decent set of earphones. Does get a bit long, but at least stays interesting.
Holy shit how had I never heard of these guys? I absolutely loved this. So many influences and sonic textures! It was a little long and got a little weird near the end, but by that point I was fully on this journey and even enjoyed those parts. Great album and a band I’m going to have to explore further
I purchased this when it first came out and played it a lot at the time - although probably not too much in the 30 years since (!) It is an album that requires a few listens to works its charms. I think I also saw them play this album live (but it may have been the follow up that took them mainstream). Some great moments - a few patchy moments - and a bit long but overall a great nostalgia trip.
Giant Steps Looking at their list of albums on Tidal it jogged a memory that I had C’MON KIDS, the album after the one with Wake Up Boo, on as I really liked the title track. That’s nothing to do with this album, as I’ve never listened to Giant Steps before. It's hard to get a handle on it as a whole album experience I think. Some albums are varied and disparate and all over the shop in a charming way, eg SFA, and some just feel a bit of a mess. I think this falls somewhere in between, and boils down not to the stylistic variance but the quality of the songs. There are a handful of very good songs, and it certainly has a degree of scattershot charm, but there are also a few clunkers and it falls back on their shoegazey instincts a little too often, meaning it feels like it gets a bit stuck in places, especially when it runs to over an hour over 17 tracks. But I do like a lot of the country touches, and a lot of the brass is excellent. The obvious Belle & Sebastian influence on Wish I Was Skinny and the Cure-esque Barney (...and Me) are both great, as is that brass and the woodwind of the lovely Thinking of Ways. Some of the dubbiness is fun too, particularly in the intro to the probable stand out Lazarus, a track that moves nicely to a fuzz guitar mariachi horned conclusion. Some of the shoegaze and Pavement-esque moments are where I get a bit lost. I do like their eclectic approach, and they do hit some little seams of indie-pop quality, but in comparison to someone like their labelmates Super Furry Animals, it doesn’t feel like they are quite at the same songwriting level, or don’t have quite the same self editing skills, so I think this settles as a solid 3. 👻👻👻 Playlist submission: Lazarus
Knowing the Boos exclusively from the insufferable 'Wake Up', I was surprised by some of the more Britrock style numbers here. The (horribly) distorted guitars on 'Take the Time Around' or 'I Hang Suspended'. 'If You Want It, Take It' is similar, and there is a certain level of b-side quality here. The problem is, it all sounds a bit of a pale imitation of Bandwagonesque which is much the better album. Crucially, TFC smothered the vocal (which is fine but not the strongest) in lush warm arrangements, jangling guitars, great harmonies and twin-tracking. With 'Giant Steps' the vocal is at best feeble and often left exposed (unless they mask it with pointless noise such as on the annoying 'Run My Way Runway', or the grating vox via Leslie speaker in 'The White Noise Revisted'). Being of 90s UK scene, a time of lo-fi folk, a time of burgeoning Britpop, a time of acid-house indie, a time of ambient electronica, I find this hard to justifiably fit into the canon. lt's aimless, trying a range of styles in the hope it'll hit on something, which it rarely does. I spent a lot of time thinking this sounds like a shit Beatles. Or a shit Oasis. Or a shit Bluetones. Or a shit Jah Wobble. Or a shit Supergrass. Or a shit Lightning Seeds. Most of whom have produced enough of their own shit without this being added to the pile. A torpid, unoriginal, oft grating affair, that completely misses the mark.
love the name but the band sucked
Solid, took a minute to get through but enjoyable. 6.3/10
that sure was an album
fairly interesting shoegazey britpop that's at times noisy and grungy. i didn't hate it, but records like this are a dime a dozen on this list. i remember enjoying certain tracks as i listened to them, but couldn't recall what they sounded like now if you had a gun to my head. favorites: i hang suspended, wish i was skinny, leaves and sand, barney and me, spun around, lazarus
Good indie vibes
I only knew their hit song Wake up Boo, which is a happy jangle pop tune, so I wasn't expecting this blend of shoegaze and brit pop. It's alright. Not essential at al, but pleasant to listen to. Should have been shorter. Favorite song: Barney (...and me)
90s shoegaze done right! Even though they were moving away from pure effects-pedal-rock at this point... If you want to hear the Boos doing pure shoegaze, check out their first album, Ichabod and I, my personal favourite of theirs. Although their best song - Barney (... And Me) - is on this album. NME'S Album of the Year for 1993, which is why it's on this list. It loses a star for being 20 minutes too long, but then it was Peak CD Era when every other album was unnecessarily bloated.
This feels like my thing — like something I should love. But ultimately it’s too long and meandering. I’ll admit I got bored. I also think it’s funny when an album ends, and the rest of an artist’s discography keeps playing, and I don’t even notice the album ended. i.e. the rest of the artist’s discography is indistinguishable from this album. So, what makes this album the one to qualify for this list?
Ungefähr das 27. beste Shoegaze/Britpop Album der 90er.
Typical British Oasis-adjacent pop-rock slop.
Has to be the worst band name of all time. That said, I enjoyed this way more than I had expected. Kind of a more upbeat My Bloody Valentine. A lot of interesting things going on here.
Ha, The Boo Radleys! I came across this a few weeks ago, when I was playing my collection randomly on the Plex player. Having collected well over 15,000 records, I like to be surprised, as surely there are albums or artists I do not immediately recognize. As it was with The Boo Radleys -"Upon 9th and Fairchild" played, and I was intrigued. What is this loopy dub reggae with fuzzy, distorted guitars and dreamy chords? So, I decided to listen to the album as a whole, and was equally impressed. Great eclecticism, great sound - Britpop without being Britpop - and well-crafted songs. A top album! 4/5"
This isn’t bad but I need some context why this album is on the list when I could just listen to Failure
Interesting
This had some fun upbeat tracks and nice variety but, by the end, it felt like it was running together for me
I listened to it a few days ago and can't remember any of it besides a generally positive impression.
This was a pretty mixed listen for me, but there were a couple moments that stood out. “Upon 9th and Fairchild” had some really nice guitar riffs and a cool reggae feel that worked way better than I expected. “The White Noise Revisited” was another highlight. The outro instantly reminded me of the end of “All You Need Is Love,” trumpet and all, which was a fun surprise. I didn’t dislike the album, it just ran a little too long for me.
Boooorrriiiing. And overly long.
Solide Gitarren Musik ohne Wiedererkennungswert
Tut gar nix für mich. Klingt wie ne schlechte Version von New Radicals
Excellent album. Very interesting and enjoyable with some nice variety. Sometimes moody and sometimes beautiful alt rock. I like the singer's voice. Favorites: Upon 9th and Fairchild, Wish I Was Skinny
An album I was a fan of at the time of release, due to their previous album Everythings Alright Forever being a shoegazy obsession. This one was wildly different, varied in scope and universally lauded by the music press (if largely ignored by the masses). I voluntarily listened to it a couple of times recently so this was hardly a trial, it's just really enjoyable and full of hooks ideas grooves and squalls.
It’s a nice listenable album, it really is. But enough of the largely unremarkable 90s albums.
A decent album, enjoyed some of the psychedelic touches on a few of the tracks
Not bad. Okay
I was prepared to hate this record when I saw it was seventeen songs and by a band whose name I vaguely recalled not liking the first time I heard it/them decades ago. Listen, I even managed to type this pre-review in the first 30 seconds while the backwards tape and other sampled bits built up some tension... "17 songs doesn't sound like Giant Steps to get over the '1-hour with the Radleys' mark. It sounds like too many little steps to get there. Boo!" — yeah, I was eager to announce my displeasure. But wait, here's the twist: despite all this ready-made hate, I thought it wasn't bad. Yes, a little too long, with a back-half quality dip, but I'm glad I took the leap.
I was hooked from te opening song. One of those rare discoveries that deserves a five start rating
Musical whiplash. nothing on this album really sounds the same but the guitar parts are all nice. 3/5
7/10
Goede plaat
Gosh, shoegazing was awful. I know that the editor of the book is British but couldn’t he have left his favourite bands out? This went pretty much nowhere via seventeen songs, and got three stars only thanks to “Thinking of Ways” which was nice.
Digga dette, catcha oppmerksomheten min med ein gang Beste sang: I Hang Suspended
A couple straight up bangers but the whole album felt really unfocused. Extra point off for how cringe it is to name a song “Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce)” and have it be the softest song
meh…
This fell flat for me. It was like a 90s buzz band decided to make a psychedelia record without ever actually getting psychedelic! I imagine the members of this band to be a bunch of white dudes that dress like George Clinton.
Interesting… but doesn’t really keep my interest. Maybe another listen down the road will give me a different impression.
Shoegaze marathon continues after Loveless yesterday. But this is more like shoegaze-Brit pop-island music-chanting. The best drumming on the album is buried under the guitar heavy mix.
Pretty typical early '90's alternative. Nothing earth shaking. I hear influences from or on from a lot of groups from that time: Pearl Jam, Sublime, STP, Live, etc. The vocals and lyrics were really dull, and the rest of the mixing wasn't great either. Seemed really unpolished.
3 stars
Had some nice moments but I don't think it grabbed me enough to listen again.
Interesting
Too long and repetitive, not horrible though.
good songs, just too many!! they could have cut off 4-5
La verdad que no tengo del todo claro que pienso de este álbum, hay canciones que me gustaron mucho y otras que me parecieron medio una ensalada de conceptos y géneros. Lo sentí poco cohesionado, pero entretenido porque no sabes que esperar. No me veo volviendo a este album tho (3,5) Favs: I Hang Suspended, I Wish I Was Skinny, Lazarus
I’ve seen this band’s name on all kinds of shoegaze laundry lists but despite being a fan of the genre I’ve never listened to them. Wiki says this is supposed to be the album they transcend the shoegaze genre. I didn’t listen to their earlier stuff for reference but this is very much shoegaze, kinda reminiscent of Lush. It’s fine I guess. The writing is kinda disjoint and the spots where they try to be not-shoegaze are painfully obvious and don’t really transcend anything. I mean just because you worked in a trumpet doesn’t make it jazz. The presumption of the album title is so bad. Anyway ok shoegaze album. Not top 10 of the genre or even of the genre in the nineties. Two stars.
listening when: in the morning thoughts: ok i only listened to half !! but i did add it to the playlist to go back and listen to. i had this on while i was journaling and honestly forgot it was even on. i liked it and would listen again but need to give it another listen for a proper evaluation. rating: come back for this
I don't know how into this I am but it's not objectionable
This sounded better than I expected for a band with that name. Too long probably though
Nice. The TIDAL link sends me to the Coltrane classic. Listened to that for a bit before diving into this one. The Boo Radleys Giant Step is also a cool, pleasing experience. I would enjoy this even more if it was a bit shortened and more reigned in. Though, this is another, that if I owned a record store, I would put on for my vinyl shopping patrons.
I think the album can definitely be edited down -- trimming some of its superflous portions. But the core of the album is solid enough to warrant a listen
Interesting album. It's tough to nail down a genre when each song sounds a little bit different. I enjoyed most of it.
In which Shoegaze, Britpop, and Psychedelia are all fused together as one, and not altogether successfully. There are moments where it all comes together, but on the whole, this an overlong, unfocused hot mess – ambitious, interesting and occasionally brilliant, but still a mess nonetheless.
I like it, but it all starts to sound the same. In retrospect it also could be a 100 bands of this time frame.
It's okay but didn't win me over enough to want to give it deeper listens.
Meh. Sounds like every general alt rock band from the early to mid 90’s. Very apathetic and unremarkable.
Two shoegaze albums in a row. yay. I think the thing that bothers me the most about the pioneers in this genre (mbv) is the muffled fuzziness of it all. This band (or this album at least) clears those spiderwebs a bit into a world where I can actually understand what's happening with the music and the lyrics. Despite the fog being lifted though, I still didn't connect with it much. It was fine, but I wasn't blissfully gazing at my feet either.
I’ve heard the name but never checked these guys out. Probably because it’s corny to name a band after a book you read in high school. I was wrong to avoid em, this is very much up my alley. Probably a lesson to be learned here, but I won’t be learning it.
There was a time that all I listened to was bands that sound just like this. Indie power pop with infectious hooks, layers of guitars, creative additional instrumentation, a barely ok singer but still great melodies and harmonies. I somehow completely missed out on these guys back then, but will be digging into them now for sure!
Nice indie artefact. In the end a bit bland but showing the Boo Radleys were a load more than wake up Boo. 3.4
The Boo Radleys nuzzle into your ears like a rare spotless leopard being hunted by the original cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The sheer cheek of them to try and pass this off as a piece of music is both terrifying and arrogant. The disregard for planet earth is deeply disturbing and frankly disgusting and I wish them nothing but pain.
In the pantheon of giants steps, this one isn't up there with that one what that man did on the moon, is it? It's fine.
Unmemorable. Sunny Day Real Estate did it MUCH better.
Good enough to be on the list? Maybe for some. but not for me.
Disappointingly dull
Yes, it’s Britpop maximalism gone slightly feral, but every song sounds like it was written by someone who just discovered joy and refused to stop. Exhausting? Sure. Perfect? Obviously.
With better production and mixing this album could be an easy four. 3/ 5
Second rate indie. 3 out of 5
If the word sprawling hadn’t existed before, it would have been invented to describe this 1993 outing by The Boo Radleys. Giant Steps is one of the best albums to emerge from under the broad – and itself not easily defined – umbrella of the Britpop-interwoven-with-Shoegaze era. Giant Steps is one of the best of the Brunch because it nearly bursts at the seams. Instead of choosing to focus solely on melody or texture, The Boo Radleys combined both. And that makes sense, because Britpop and shoegaze were never cleanly separated categories to begin with; both are porous, overlapping, and stylistically fluid. Where Slowdive aimed for a cohesive, enveloping sonic world, and Blur and Oasis leaned into more straightforward pop ambition, The Boo Radleys wore their influences in jazz, noise rock, and even hints of ragga/reggae openly for everyone to hear (as in the brass-tinged exuberance of “Lazarus” or the genre-blending shifts in “I Hang Suspended”). It’s a nod to their heroes, and yet they created something unmistakably their own. The record is opulent, it’s beautiful, it’s intentionally stacked - in the best possible sense - and it’s kaleidoscopic. I was skeptical at first about diving into the record again, because the recent shoegaze and dream-pop revival of the 2020s has begun to wear on me. But the abundance of ideas, the marvelous sound design, the inventive production, and the buoyancy of their multi-genre blend make it stand out even after all these years. A record to behold. Period.
3 estrelles.
Finally! Some quirky indie! This had some really dirty guitars and indie sensibilities. I was doing work while listening and felt that perhaps it didn't get my full attention. I also heard some things I would associate with that bad side of britpop. 4 stars
This album is like being a college dropout and running into your old school crush. She asks what you are doing with your life these days, and you update her on your work as a builders apprentice. Your heart isn't really into it, but you can smoke weed on the job and it gives you plenty of time to focus on your passion, abstract photography. Your crush shows genuine interest, so you decide 'why the hell not?' and you shoot your shot. She agrees to a coffee. The conversation flows quite well initially, but after a while it becomes painfully obvious that you are no longer the pie-eyed 14 year old that used to crush hard for this girl. Similarly, she realises that you have no passion or direction in life. You go your separate ways. You'll take a photo of a dying rose and print it in black and white to signify this moment. The metaphor doesn't even really make sense, but you don't realise that.
Genuinely surprised by how much i enjoyed thos album, having never heard of these guys before. A nice mix of tunes.
They had me at the name of the band. This was such a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed the experimental melodies and thought-provoking lyrics, especially on Wish I was Skinny and Lazarus. I'm going to have to give this another listen before I award it an immediate five stars, but this is up there with my favourites I have heard so far.
First shoegaze album I've listened to. There were some pretty neat songs, but there was too much trudging in between them and the album was too long. I loved the sudden guitar shredding in "Leaves and Sand," and the intervals of quietness and loudness. But the album melded together after a few tracks. By the end of "Spun Around," the noisepop elements started to get too absurd and annoying. 4/10, 2/5
Ok album for sure, not convinced it’s one I “must” hear. Decent pop sensibility, but just not really very interesting to me.
It is pretty good
First thought, they must like Harper Lee A lot of horns, good rifts
4/10
It’s striking listening back to Giant Steps how much the Boo Radleys influenced my subsequent listening. As a band they perfectly balanced the melodic light and shade of calm harmony and crashing explosion. In particular the use of brass is very evocative of Elbow. It’s difficult to single tracks out as this is one of those albums where it just works as a whole and perfectly captures Martin Carr’s songwriting. However Butterfly Mcqueen, Barney and me and Lazarus (obviously) are particularly wonderful. The only downside is that whilst this is genuinely a great album it is not the best Boo Radleys album. C’mon Kids definitely deserves to be on this list and should be listened to whether you enjoyed Giant steps or not
The first time I listened to this, I fell asleep. The second time, I longed for the days when the only thing I knew about The Boo Radleys was “Wake Up Boo!”
Considering I only really know The Boo Radleys through Wake Up Boo, this turned out to be altogether weirder than I ever expected. I really liked the dub baselines whenever they appeared, and the Beach Boys style harmonies, the occasional bit of Beatles influenced instrumentation. This album jumps between styles pretty much every track, which I'm sure people label as "inconsistent and muddled" but is something I really appreciate in a record. Upon 9th And Fairchild was a highlight for me, sounding quite Clash-like. I also really loved Butterfly McQueen and Thinking Of Ways. On the negative side, it's too long. I think sometimes bands forget that just because they can, doesn't mean they should - a tight 45/50 minutes is far preferable in my book. I could also have done without the chorus of Best Lose the Fear being repeated what felt like approximately 42 times at the end. Ultimately though, I really enjoyed this album so 4/5
Nothing outstanding
Another boring shoegaze album. I don't think I'll ever understand shoegaze.
Yeah. This album is interesting. Kind of boring, kind of fun maybe. I like the shoegaze elements, but they aren't that prevalent. It's really just another British soft rock album that doesn't stand out
***An ok album, some easy listening tracks, some not.
The single best thing about this album is the band's name. Shoegaze is for people who want to be in a band but cannot play guitar.
this was alright aye, decent sounding guitars and all the rest but i don’t remember a lot of it
Pretty great in some parts, but drags to a halt in places. Overall, the entire package being over an hour long is entirely unnecessary.
Half as long would have been a factor of many more enjoyable
picks: upon 9th and fairchild, lazarus
Tonal Whiplash—the album. Definitely interesting, but way too long and inconsistent.
Unfortunately this record made literally no impact on me at all. I’m writing this an hour after it finished and I can’t even remember what it sounded like
Fairly middle of the road
All the mush and inferiority of Thom Yorke's vocals with none of the artistic elitism. All the alternative with none of the rock. All the britpop with none of the pop. ALL OF THE LEAD GUITAR with none of the mix balanced. An identity crisis in a 64-minute package. At least it also fails to be abjectly terrible, so you get a star for somehow avoiding making me actively hate it.
Not bad
Unausgegorener Mix, deswegen kein Album zum Durchhören!
Had its moments. Fine album
This just felt like they were trying to be the Beatles and go in a different direction that just didn’t pan out.
Am I getting into shoegaze?
Meh
The Boo Radleys. I’d heard of them, but never gave them much attention. 1993… hard to remember what I was listening to at the time. It was the year before my first kid dropped, and for those that have children, and love them, y’all know it can be difficult to remember what it was like before parenthood. I think I was listening to Nirvana, Green Day, Barenaked Ladies, Alejandro Escovado, Replacements, Lemonheads, The Jam. Damnit, I missed this album! Hands down, one of my favorite discoveries from this project! Not sure what to think of their more recent work, but this baby is a stone-cold Star.
Nice
Pretty good, just overstays its welcome a bit
Dated production, esp on the rough-hewn vocals and the scratchy, borderline annoying guitar tone. Despite some good tracks (Wish I Was Skinny, Thinking of Ways) the entire thing is too long and mixed so poorly (way too loud) that I did not like it overall.
Not bad, not great.
I disliked more than I liked and wouldn't revisit this.
Not the kind of Boo I was hoping to get on Halloweek (2.5/5)
The album was quite interesting, but I only really liked one track. I probably won't listen to it again. 3/5
I hear a lot of influence on later psych rock bands. I like it! Favorite track: Take the Time Around
I like the atmospheric wall of sound style but after a 1h04 it just sounds annoying and pretentious
The bass tone gave me PIL/Jah Wobble vibes (I like that). I really like how if you dive into thinking about the bass, it is quite prominent. It is there, waiting for you to focus on it
This list has too many 90s Britpop acts. British bands love ska. There's nothing like some annoying noises at the end of a song to improve an album. This isn't terrible, but it sounds like 100 other albums that came out in the mid 90s. Oasis, Pulp, Blur...a bunch of bands that came out around that time or immediately after just sound the same and so much of it is just "meh". British bands love to weigh in on American politics. This album sounds like 1993. In the 90s, America gave us grunge and gangsta rap...great Britain gave us Britpop and it apparently won based on the albums on this list. Ridiculous. It doesn't help that this album is over an hour long. It just keeps spiraling down. This is too much music for an album for anyone except the really great artists. You don't have 17 good ideas for an album. I bet Ludwig Goransson listened to Spun Around before he started writing the music for the Mandalorian. Some backwards talking, sweet. The album swings between generic 90s British pop-rock and terrible 90s British pop-rock. This is one of the least interesting albums on the list so far. God, this album drags. Run My Way Runway is just a jumble of stupid sounds and stupid lyrics. The repetitiveness of The White Noise Revisited is grating.
The Good: A clear band name… The Bad: Using “Boo” in said name… The Ugly: When you find out that Radleys is slang for boobs in some distant corner of this here globe… Yeah, I took Giant Steps in creativity right there before. So, album actually started with a bang… but then it slowly started losing me when the music, to my ears, started turning into nothing but noise… Either that, or I starting to lose my mind. Anyway, I might listen to The Boo Boobs again, if I can remember them, though the band name does help. For now, shooting down the center… and to think that I really like boobs...
Not bad but I doubt I'll ever bother looking it up to have a second listen
What is this shit dawg. A third is pretty good britpop and the rest was just....random stuff. Some was okay most was...not.
Nice
Meh
I liked it mostly but the end of the album sort of devolved into noise and I'm not sure I liked it.