Reviews (page 5 of 8)
mid
Mash up of 60s and 80s pop.
Some fun moments but overall boring and there's too much of it
This was generally a nice experience, although I did not enjoy the 'noisy' parts. I saved a couple of songs, though. 3 stars
"Shoegaze" if prancing Britpop found it 5 years late and Yes decided to play it.
3 out of 5. Sometimes pleasant but overstayed its welcome.
Meine Fresse das ist so Tod langweilig
Good listen, maybe got a bit long at the end but overall good songs on this.
A total unknown, aside from a passing familiarity with the name! Screaming guitars, swinging drums, big vocals, tasty bass and plenty of twists between genres/vibes. Started out very promisingly, got boring by the middle and kept on bloody going - would have been way cooler around 45mins. Does the list have any Wildhearts? Favourite tracks: Upon 9th and Fairchild, Wish I Was Skinny, Lazarus
Just because an album doesn't "deserve" to be on this list, doesn't mean that album can't be 5 stars. This album should neither be on this list nor is it 5 stars. But, it's still a very good album. There is an eclectic mix of sounds here that make for a very interesting album. Even more interesting is how much this band reminds me of a ton of indie rock that came out 10-20 years after this one. If I didn't know this released in '93, I'd be under the impression that The Boo Radleys just take a bunch of sounds for aight indie bands and are nothing original. The reality is that indie bands likely took inspiration from The Boo Radleys, and Giant Steps is actually well before it's time. I mean, there are definitely older sounds in here (60s Brit pop vibes in "The White Noise Revisited" for example), but more often than not I'm hearing shades of Sunny Day Real Estate, the Doves, Arcade Fire, Noah and the Whale and more. My favorite song from the album "Wish I Was Skinny" with its quirky sounds in the jam/outro part might as well have been released in 2012. It's *that* spot on to that era's sound. I didn't love everything on this album, and some of the noise pop was a bit much. But, overall, this was such an enjoyable listen and there are so many tracks I not only plan to return to, I will be sharing with others like, "Have you heard this?!? They're named after To Kill a Mockingbird!"
Decent band that does a good job of switching it up. They find good grooves and end them right on time. Seems like the singer is the weakest part (both in vocals and lyrics), but maybe the raw nature of his style is what’s appealing? The use of flute or clarinet is nice.
Good varied album
I had also never heard of this, but a fun listen!! Lots of variety and great instrumentation. Didn't love overall but prob like a 3.5
Cool sound! Came out of nowhere!
never encountered this or really heard of it at all but i quite liked it ! really solid :) I liked the noise rock and kinda psych touches to what would have otherwise been a really normal britpop-y album
It's alright and I appreciate the variety. There's a lot of good moments which outweigh the medium bits, but this hardly feels essential.
Interesting, but too long. Innovative, but few standouts.
Interesting but a bunch of songs are grating, noisy messes. A few worth potentially high-grading, but as a full album, probably not really worth the time.
Longest 64 minutes of my LIFE
90S college dorm groove music. Better than I expected and worth a listen for those so inclined to like this background.
A but boring 90s alternative with not a single in site
i hand suspended- 5 upon 9th and fairchild- 5 wish I was skinny- me too bitch. 6 or 7 leaves and sand- 5 butterfly mcqueen- 5 Rodney king- crazy thing to write a song about but i think it was done well? 6 thinking of ways- 5 barney- 5 spun around- 5 if you want it take it- 5 best lose the fear- 5 take the time around- 5 lazarus- 5 or 6 one is for- 5 run my way runway- 5 I've lost the reason- 5 the white noise revisited- 5
Quite fine. Martin Carr also has at least one good solo tune.
Wildly forgettable.
This is one which might grow on me given time. As it stands there's some interesting ideas here and I appreciate the band trying to synthesise a bunch of different influences into their work, but it doesn't quite hang together as well as I'd have liked. Some good stuff in here, but it's definitely a little inconsistent.
I wanted to like this, but honestly it was kind of a diddling mess. The styles throughout the album didn't meld well, and it sounded like uninteresting musical charcuterie. The vocals were soaked in reverb which didn't help. Some impressive instrumental work, and I like the elements of shoegaze and prog that are mixed in, but overall a negative experience. 2/5
Decent
Some people might say that their reliance on effects is a musical crutch, but I think that’s unfair. A crutch is supposed to actually help; these guys seemed to have been so focussed on sound that they forgot the music part completely. Almost imperceptible vocals followed by deafening guitar screeches do not make for pleasant listening
At the start of the album I was thinking this could be a potential 5, really liked the vibe and the mix of genres. As it went on it dropped to a 4, and towards the end almost to a 3 with a track of pure noise. But I'd definitely listen to more from these.
This was disappointing. Half of the tracks sounded muffled, as if I were listening to them with my head underwater, and it didn't need to be this long. I'm just relieved that I never have to listen to it again.
I really enjoyed the last song. It was a fun vibe but wasn’t enamoured. I’ve heard better albums called Giant Steps.
Okay, nothing special
Better than I expected.
Highlights: Wish I Was Skinny, Lazarus Generally enjoyed this, but a little overly long and didn’t completely vibe with everything.
A few songs they went after it and I thought they were solid. But tried to hard to be avant garde in several songs.
This feels like it's all over the place and requires a great effort from me just to figure out which music brain to apply to it—not happening.
Not special in the least
I think I thought that the Boo Radleys were like The Rembrandts, or Deep Blue Something, or Del Amitri. This is not right. These guys are British, and aimed for something a little higher. I applaud the effort, but they didn't hit the target.
Kind of long, but some good tracks early on.
I kinda liked it!
Very boring
There is some interesting stuff in here but also some stuff that is just weird to be weird.
Started well but no need to be over an hour long
Nor a band/album that I have any history with. Found it somewhat hard to really get into but there were some surprises in here to enjoy.
I'm not into this and the lead singer is the main reason. I don't find him very charismatic and his voice has a thin, almost whiny quality. The music is ambitious -- Britpop with a lot of different genres and styles mixed in, particularly psychedelic rock. But the songwriting doesn't grab me and there were a handful of moments when I felt the mix of styles didn't gel together.
Some nice 90's alt rock that dips its' toes into a lot of different genres on a track by track basis. I thought it was a nice listen, however it felt like their sound struggled with being cohesive and it seemed a bit aimless I think? The first three tracks go from: a straightforward alt rock tune with a catchy hook, to then an eerie bass heavy groove with heavily distorted vocals to then a chipper super clean guitar driven pop rock song with soft trumpets. By the time I was 10 minutes into the album, I really didn't have any idea for what would come next. I figured that that facet would be a weak point for me while listening to this, but I have to admit that as time went on I really started to like the flow of the album. When I got to the track "Thinking of Ways", it felt like I had been listening to a Sufjan Stevens record, with a soft tentative voice on top of cacophonous brass and synths. It ended up being a nice record but not really one that I would find myself reaching for.
It is definitely too long and some songs are bland. But there are many great moments in this.
One of the Most surprising albums so far
Not run of the mill rock; some interesting ideas but definitely doesn't need to be over an hour long.
i went into this with low expectations thanks to the genre listing on wikipedia but came out of it pleasantly surprised by how much i liked it. i wouldve given it a 4 if they made the effort cut a few of the weaker tracks
I am a big fan of noise rock and shoegaze, so this was a pleasant surprise. Not every song here is great and it does go on a tad too long, but I found plenty of songs I really enjoyed. Mid 4.
Hints of early Britpop, some melodic indie vibes and flavours of shoegaze. But it doesn’t really lean hard enough into any one lane so it’s left me feeling a bit mixed. I like a lot of the ideas but as a whole album it just lacks coherence and direction. Somehow less than the sum of its parts, in spite of it having some cool parts. I feel a bit bad for them that it was the cheerily basic ‘Wake Up Boo’ that subsequently made them a bit of a name in the UK. This earlier stuff is far more interesting but maybe it’s a lesson (for us all?) in what sells. Unsurprisingly enough, if you want to sell a lot of records you kinda need to make something catchy. Three plays through of Giant Steps was very interesting but ultimately not enough of it really stuck with me.
Its best moments are like second tier Pixies tracks. This album is easily 30 minutes too long. All the meandering, “let’s put all the styles together” tracks just blend into one long, second half slog where you really struggle to differentiate anything. I found myself occasionally checking in to make sure it didn’t sneakily end on me and I was now listening to some other band going on and on and on, but that wasn’t the case. What a chore to listen to.
This was one I had never heard of and was a pleasant surprise. The stylistic blending on noise pop, indie rock, and even reggae sometimes was very enjoyable. I’m not sure I really got the vibe that this was a “shoegaze” album. Vocals are pretty good. Definitely one I will return to. Favorites songs were I Hang Suspended, Leaves And Sand, Barney (…and Me), and If Your Want It, Take It. BONUS: I also listened to the similarly titled album by John Coltrane that does not make an appearance in the book. That man is a wizard on the saxophone. The bass here is also really impressive. Just a constant sense of movement. Definitely one of my favorite jazz albums and probably the one I have listened to the most. 5/5
Too long but a decent listen
Really liked the first track and the bits that are experimental. Hate all the shoegazey bits. 2 stars I'll listen to a different non brit man alt rock band or the person they were influenced by
It’s fine but totally unmemorable. Why is this here?
too chaotic and long for what it is. Has some decent moments but overall it starts draggin to the end. This room has not enough air.
This is a perfect example of what's wrong with shoegaze. The music is pretty, sometimes very good then there's distorted, whispered vocals that are buried under the music somewhere. If this was just an alternative pop/rock album with traditional production it might be good but it isn't so it isn't And it just keeps going like that
This was an interesting 90s alt rock album, kinda felt like it was trying to be grunge but like just gave up halfway through and decided to make things weird, was it terrible no, did I enjoy it? Not a lot but it wasn't terrible 🤷
Shoegazie - I’m into it
some very, very cool stuff. some very bad, noisy grunge stuff. and a lot of very mediocre stuff
I feel torn on this album. On the one hand it deserves to be on the list - it’s interesting. But ultimately the songs just aren’t that great.
Eh
Not as good as the Beatles
Good alternative shoegaze
Feels like every other album on this list is some ‘90s British band. Who really cares to remember The Boo Radleys these days? What made them any more special than Super Furry Animals, the Stone Roses, Pulp? Nothing. I appreciate that they were a good band who made some nice sounding rock tunes and had some variety to them, but that describes SO MANY artists from the same place and time period. So why would I listen to this over any of the other aformentioned artists? What do they have to offer me that’s novel, unique, different or special? Seemingly nothing.
I'm....not sure why this album was on this list. It was entirely forgettable. It's not like it was bad, but there was nothing outstanding there. Maybe two songs were worth listening again, besides vibing out? Dunno about this one. Do love the band name though, 10/10.
There's a little too much going on with this album and way too long. Had me a bit interested in the beginning but quickly found myself asking what the heck is going on here? Not really anything that kept me interest and kept waiting for this to end. Just not a lot here for this listener. 2
3 I don’t really feel like I have a ton of strong feelings on this album. I saw this described somewhere as shoegaze, a genre I’m normally a pretty big fan of, and while I feel like it sort of is in some ways, mostly I would say it’s not? Which, honestly, is kind of a generalization regarding my feelings on this album as a whole - it’s almost something, whatever that something may be, it never quite reaches it. I’ve also seen some people hail this album as being pretty diverse, but once again, while I wouldn’t outright disagree with that statement, I’ve certainly heard much more diverse-sounding albums than this one. For every decent song, there’s one equally as annoying, and there’s no reason there needed to be 17 in total - though, it’s interesting that, despite that lengthy runtime, it still never seems to establish a solid sense of identity. Regardless, there are some enjoyable moments to be found, with Wish I Was Skinny, Rodney King, and Lazarus being a few choice selections, though far and away the best song here is Barney (...And Me). If there’s any appreciation I’m walking away with, it’s probably coming from that song. That, and the dude’s vocals - there’s a soft, tender quality to them I dug and that reminded me quite a bit of Elliott Smith in some places. Overall, I would describe this album as more good than it is bad, but it’s still a mostly unremarkable experience. Barney might find itself joining my Spotify shuffle at some point, but outside of that, I don’t think there’s much this album has for me.
I should like this more than I do. 20s Astrid probably would. Not that interesting but fine.
Waaaay better than I was expecting from the one song I know of there’s. This is like a different band. Some songs like Rodney King is almost like a lite-MBV. Flirts a lot with shoegaze at times but still has that britpoppy sound. All that said, it never really grabbed me in any way, not like shoegaze does anyway, and not like Blur do either from the other side of their spectrum. Surprisingly canny though!
This album sounds absolutely nothing like wake up boo, completely different band. Thile album was good, quirky indie rock, pretty impressive for 1993. Bit of a mash mash of sounds from that era, though reminded me most of blur I think. Really solid.
Listened to this album twice before starting to write the review - it is thoroughly enjoyable. I had some trepidation, I don't think the start of the album is fantastic, but it does help contextualize the rest of it. Best tracks are Wish I Was Skinny, Rodney King, Thinking of Ways, One is For, and The White Noise Revisited. I'll be back - the band are quite hard to pin down. I think they take everything I hate about shoegaze, and replace it with sensible music. Vocals are clear and useful, interesting lyrically, diverse musically. A generous score, but by the time I finished this review, listened to the album again.
Think I'd heard of the Boo Radleys, but I could be just thinking of the character from to kill a mocking bird...... My childhood dog was called Boo too! This really surprised me. I suspected I knew what they sounded like, I clearly didn't. I'm always a bit worried when albums are longer than an hour, but this flew by, it's so eclectic, but seemingly made up only of styles that I enjoy. Rock, shoegaze, kinda reggae/dub at times. Don't think it all works completely, but largely it does. Yeah I clearly didn't know who they were, I see they sang wake up boo! Listened again, probably not quite as good as I initially thought, they are borrowing a lot of different styles here... Beatles, new order. Bit britpop too. Superfurrys? Highlights: I hadn't suspended I wish I was skinny Barney and me Lazarus I've lost the reason The white noise revisited I'm still going to say 4.5. there's enough here I really enjoyed, but not quite enough for 5
Some kinf of mixmash with shoegaze, power pop, neo-psychedelia and britpop spread across one+ hour. The ingredients are there, but the recipe just doesn't work most of the time. You'll get some good songs or at least some good moments here and there, but it's all lost in the flood of all the other uneventful songs that clogs the album.
An alright brit-pop album with some psych influences. Not a bad listen, but why should it deserve a place on this list?
It could have been great, there's a lot of nice ideas and sounds, but they just can't make it through an album that is so long winded.
Surprisingly good.
With a terrible band name, unoriginal album title, and frankly tired artwork, this had all the makings of a classic 1001 dud. Couldnt be further. A fun, catchy but psychedelic at times record that begs listen after listen
Never heard of them before. And it could have stayed that way. Not a nice experience.
This was definitely not what I expected, it's definitely a Britpop record but it also pulls a lot from shoegaze too so it reminded me a bit of the band Ride? Who kinda occupied a similar niche? And this feels like it has some pretty strong Beach Boys influences at times too. It's like Beach Boys meets My Bloody Valentine meets Blur. There's a little bit of jazz influence going on too. I liked it, but it's a little zany and try-hard, to be honest. I don't think it's a must listen but it scratches a lot of itches of things I'm already predisposed to liking which is why it's a 3 and not a 4 or 5. I just wish it didn't feel so try-hard about being eclectic intentionally because I really want to love this record, it has all the ingredients for something I would like. But as is it reminds me a bit of a Mike Patton project which is NOT a compliment coming from me.
Not one single interesting thing happens in this album
Take mediocre lyrics and add meh vocals then combine them with cacophony and you get this. Hard pass.
Oh boy, this was an endurance test. Started off as bland Britpop, but then the experimental genre-mashup songs began, each more irritating than the last. I do hear different genres and artists in here, but unfortunately I hate them all. This was riding the edge of a 2-star rating, but as I was actively waiting for this to be over it has to be 1 star. A real shame, I keep hoping that one of the albums which I have never heard of will be the hidden gem that makes it all worthwhile. Until then, there's Giant Steps.
Experimental Pop lost in the same "Whoops, too much water in my watercolours" vein.
Right album, wrong artist.
I'm not convinced that this album truly belongs on the list. There were some nice enough tracks but it hardly felt earth-shattering. I kinda felt like I could have listened to the rather similar-styled Belle and Sebastian and probably any of their albums would have outshone.
good pop rock
I quite liked it. It was fresh, great use of unique instruments, but keeps the collage rock vibes too.
Another one that's, you know, fine.
This is one of those 90's Indie Classics(tm) that never spoke to me. Maybe I should revisit it someday because right now I just don't get the hype. It being over an hour also doesn't help, it ends up diluting what little memorable moments there may have been. Key tracks: Wish I Was Skinny
Wild album. I've never listened to this band before. I think this is really good and I enjoyed just about all of it. There's a lot to take in and it requires multiple listens. Solid Shoegaze and Britpop stylings.
A lot of nothing. A much worse Weezer.
I was in awe from the third track and the last track was pretty good but this is NOT an essential in any way. Very tedious to get through all the BandLab production for an hour. Spend your hour on LYSFLAtH or even Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, or anything else.
That bassline on Upon 9th and Fairchild is a real groove. Very 3rd wave ska. Not sure I like the vocal effects...Also Digging Barney and Me. I wish we still had physical soundcards, so I could have listened to the end of Spun Around backwards and figured out what they were saying. Too many take your times at the end of take your time. Then we head right into a Clash-esque instrumentation in Lazarus. F yeah, throw some noisecore in. Why not? This was a fun album, and a fun band. I wouldn't mind listening to them, or this particular album again. :star: :star: :star:
Very first though, this sounds like the "always melodic Smashing Pumpkins". It's funny... listening through it the first time, I thought I didn't like this album. But then I heard Lazarus, and I loved the heck out of this song. It made me rethink about what I just listened to and now I need to listen to the album again with a difference perspective. This is an active listening album. There's a lot of layers to these songs that just won't go appreciated when listened to in the background. For example, Run My Way Runway has this really annoying helicopter sound that I absolutely hated and I probably never want to hear again. But the feeling it gave me, of being driven insane to the point where I was getting angry, if that was the goal of that track, it 1000% succeeded. Wouldn't have appreciated the feeling it made me feel if it was in the background without headphones! The layering that happens about halfway through The White Noise Revisited was absolutely brilliant. I also liked how they did the layering. To me, it sounded like the introduced instrument or voice was loud to start to get your attention that this is not being added to this repeating rhythm. And then it faded back into the music to then be introduced by a new sound. I feel like a lot of my annoyances from this record come from some of the distorted parts. Any time it's a simple melody over a simple guitar, I love it. I also feel like this album is a great choice to be a part of listening groups, because I feel like there's so much to digest musically and you can talk about parts you loved and parts you hated while everyone having a unique opinion. Overall, I really have mixed feelings about Giant Steps. There are just parts I absolutely love and are so beautifully written and performed, and then I completely opposite feeling a few moments later. I like the ambition of the unique sound, and I believe the intention of the album is exactly what it's meant to be. I would love to listen to this album again. But I might skip a few parts. 4
Album was cool, nothing spectacular. I think maybe I listened in the wrong setting but I wasn’t moved.
Giant Steps by The Boo Radleys is why this project is so cool! While it's not a masterpiece, I found it interesting how awesome this relatively unheard of album was. It's clear there are influences all over the board here, from Jazz (as is clearly shown from the title) to reggae, britpop and psychedelia. On top of it all, I'm a sucker for albums that flow well between songs. Best Songs: Wish I Was Skinny, If You Want It Take It, Lazarus Worst Songs: Leaves and Sand
нормалек. в моем вкусе.
I really can't quite classify what I just listened to there. I enjoyed this for sure, very unique mix of styles here. I think I'll go with a 4 overall
This album is all over the place. Highlight for me was Thinking of Ways. 3 stars.
This falls into the niche subset of generator entries that I like to call ‘albums by one-hit wonders that don’t include their one hit’. I’m torn. One the one hand I didn’t really love any of it, and 64 minutes is awfully long for an album without a single standout track. On t’other hand I didn’t dislike any of it - it was pleasant enough to listen to, with dreamlike qualities every now and then. I also respect the ambition and scope of the music, even if they don’t have the songs to match. 2.5 stars, generously rounded up.
I realised halfway through this album that I’d lost track of how long I’d been listening - and not in a good way.
Schizophrenic would not be a bad choice of word for this review - I genuinely couldn't get a read on what sort of band the Boo Radleys wanted to be here. Sometimes it's gangly Beatles-like pop, sometimes dub infused post punk, sometimes noise rock... This could be three decent albums, but flitting between these at seemingly random intervals starts to wear on me after a while.
What starts pretty conventional becomes a fuzzy masterpiece. Rusty indie with tons of ideas, catchy tunes, lovely titles and a great slacking attitude between the Longpigs and Pavement
surprisingly fresh and original
Didn’t mind it, at times the “alternative” side of things felt forced, unnatural and unnecessary. This sounded a lot like a band that had been pigeon holed into one genre that they were unable to move away from, because that’s what people came to expect. There were a couple of songs I quite liked, but overall the album felt a bit tacky, and as though the lead singer in particular was trying too hard. Not the first and not the last album I’m sure that I’ll hear doing this project that feels like someone is trying to be smart, clever and mysterious but just sounds a bit dumb. Not saying I could do it, cause I certainly could not.
A nice surprise - lovely record albeit a bit too long. Even then it’s never tedious - love the poppy positive vibes throughout - kind of like the Wannadies and early Cardigans.
Britpop for the American mainstream rock fan meant "Wonderwall" or "Song 2" and the UK music press mediated rivalry (perhaps "Connection" if you were open to female fronted Alternative bands), Although there are some 4AD disciples who would argue that the shoegazer genre proliferated during the 1990s with My Bloody Valentine producing record label bankrupting albums of blissful sound and fury, it just wasn't being spun by Casey Kasam. Britpop aficionados would protest apoplectically about Pulp, Cornershop's Brimful of Asha, St. Etienne, Suede, The Stone Roses and any number of NME's Next Big Thing on an Island, but some of the retrospectively revered were obscure in their own time. Eventually Britpop both would and would not reach a fevered pitch with perpetual critics' darlings, Radiohead. The Boo Radleys had a hit record and single in 1995, but it flew above or under my radar. Giant Steps starts out with guitar feedback and audio samples, a staple of what passed as underground music in the UK (see Huggy Bear's "Our Troubled Youth" a split LP with Bikini Kill), and it builds to a catchy neo-psychedelic hook laden "I Hang Suspended." "Upon 9th and Fairchild" is build on a Reggae rhythm adorned with feedback saturated guitar. "Wish I Was Skinny" is melodic power pop with handclap beats and strummed guitars, vocalist is trying to out-Dando the Lemonheads vocalist with sweet yearning, but the music is more complex than anything on "It's a Shame About Ray." I appreciate the chameleonic nature of the Boo Radleys, their consistent distorted guitar unifies everything. "Leaves and Sands" begins softly strumming before a jarring dynamic shift, effects pedals deployed strategically as the guitar tone evolves throughout the song, alternating between soft and ear bleeding. Butterfly McQueen begins as an homage to the Beatles "Blackbird" before morphing into the horn heavy psychedelic wall of noise from Magical Mystery Tour, before becoming a stummed power pop song with vocal harmonies, and then swirling psychedelic tones. "Rodney King - Song For Lenny Bruce" is better than the best My Bloody Valentine track, lurching like a psychedelic merry-go-round. "Thinking of Ways" starts like "Scarborough Fair" that morphs into Syd Barrett demented chamber pop with Beach Boys harmonies and inevitable The Velvet Underground noise with Freakbeat tape experiments. "Barney (...and Me)" reminds me the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" and then the flute comes in, stunning! The Boo Radleys don't seem content to simply let a simple pop song exist without melding it with studio experimentation, sonic allusions, dynamic and genre shifts. It doesn't make Giant Steps an easy listen because the comfort of repetition is discarded, melodies start off find a groove and then the song changes completely. Not every song works, "Spun Around" is just buzzing distorted vocals bereft of melodic ideas, interrupted by backwards vocal samples and nothing memorable. "If You Want It, Take It" comes to the rescue, vintage organ and guitar noodling. "Best Lose the Fear" starts off sounding like the theme song of a 1970s sitcom before it becomes a breezy pop song. "Take The Time Around" has the feedback freakouts of Dinosaur Jr. and quietly contemplative pop passages. "Lazarus" sounds like a dub outtake from the Clash's Sandinista album, shimmering tones alternating in stereo until it hits the one minute mark and it turns into a distorted horn section over electric guitar, before becoming a soft summery pop song with chiming strummed guitars and "ba ba ba ba" background vocals. "One is For" plucked guitar and ambient noise. Considering that the album was originally mastered to seamlessly transition from one track to another, listening to digital versions with even momentary disruption is a less than ideal introduction to Giant Steps. This album demands repeated listening. "The White Noise Revisited" (which name drops the Beatles) and "I've Lost the Reason" are a bit too heavily invested in effects which make it sound like the vocalist is singing into a rotating fan blade, the unadorned pop choruses are not enough to temper the distracting stylistic choices.
The Boo Radleys? The same Boo Radleys who did 'Wake Up Boo!'? I didn't expect them to sound very much the opposite of that happy, upbeat song. This was a bit of a mixed bag. The more happy upbeat pop tunes were decent, the more rock orientated tracks weren't too bad. But mixed in between was the more shoe-gazey songs. I don't like using the words "just noise" to describe music, I think it's lazy and simply not true, but genuinely some of it sounded like just noise. It often changes tone quickly as well. From one nice pop track to droning, wailing guitars. I'm not against that type of music at all, but on this album it gets very irritating quite quickly. It didn't seem like it was a good fit, it's quite a jarring shift in tone and volume. Listen to 'Spun Around' to hear what I mean. Still, there were some good tracks as well. The more radio friendly it was, the better. Cut the length down by 20 - 30 minutes and you'd have an easy 4 star album, perhaps even full marks. As it is, it's a bit bland and bloated.
Grating, janky, and very unappealing. Strikes such an awkward tone and sound that is very hard to enjoy. Unfortunately not much nice to say
a couple gems on here. overall it was ok. added a couple songs to my playlist.
I've heard of The Boo Radleys before, but I'm completely unfamiliar with their music. After some brief reading, I see that these guys are shoegaze and also Britpop, and I tend to enjoy both of those genres, so I imagine that I'll enjoy this album. This album was pretty good, but I wouldn't say that I loved it. Giant Steps had a really good sound overall, and it nice to listen to. The Boo Radley's unique blend of shoegaze and Britpop allowed them to achieve that sense of place that Britpop strives for, but in a way that sets them apart from the likes of Blur, Oasis, and Pulp. As far as individual songs go, I really loved "Barney and Me." The main guitar melody was really great, and the flugel horn and other horn parts were outstanding. There were some really great electronic elements on this song too, and it was easily the best and most fun song on the album. "Spun Around" had some really great shoegaze elements to it, and it really left me wanting more of that type of sound on this album. The other songs on the album were really good, and there weren't any songs on the album that I had a strong dislike for. My biggest beef with this album was that its sound meandered around quite a bit, and I think the overall experience suffered from that overall lack of direction. The length of this album only exacerbated that problem in my opinion, and when it was over, I had reached my fill of it. It was a really good album, but there were too many things that held it back from being great. However, I'm definitely interested in checking out some more albums from The Boo Radleys that are more firmly cemented in shoegaze.
Far, far too long
2,5
Enjoyed it more than expected, but not sure why it's on here, doesn't sound revolutionary.
I dont know why they just didnt add in enough distortion so you couldnt make out anything else instead of some things. This sounds more like people experimenting with their new instruments and recording equipment than anything else.
Long and annoying noises. At one point I thought “how much longer do I have to listen to this?”, checked and saw I was only halfway through, bailed. Don’t waste my time with garbage rock like this
What we need to do is create a powerful sense of dread. See, the longer the album, the more dread.
Apparently this is one of the more 'britpop' sounding releases from this group and I must say what a shame. The more distorted shoegaze elements gave this some flavour that it desperately needed to not feel like completely boring filler. I dunno if I would be able to pick it out of a lineup of indie crap that would come later in the decade and spill into the 2000's but props for being a bit earlier to the party. While I did like the more surreal sound of this I do think the audio mixing does a bit of a disservice when the singer decides to go quiet for moments in some songs. The mood it wants to establish doesn't really work for me when I genuinely can't hear what he is saying. Lastly I think it also overstayed itself a bit too long unfortunately.
British Weezer and also bad. And boring. And too long. The English should not have been given CD recording equipment. This is like direct to video coming of age movie soundtrack bytes. Calling this album shoegaze is insulting to shoes and gays. There are like 3 good bits in this whole fucking 64 minute waste of my life. Fuck England and fuck music critics.
It's kinda crazy how ahead of its time this was given how it sounds identical to the mid overproduced indierock thay dominated the 2010s 5/10 Fav tracks - Upon 9th and Fairchild, leaves and sand, Rodney king, the white noise revisted
Great opening track, wouldn’t exactly call this shoegaze based on what I normally listen to. Later in the album I realise what they mean by shoegaze is “in a lot of these songs the producer/band decide to spill beer on the pedals and recording equipment”. Shockingly, this worked really well for me. The vocals here aren’t exactly what I expect from a shoegaze/dream pop band, not necessarily a bad thing but not exactly my bag. It works well for the albums sound despite apprehension early on in my first listen. At times it seems they want to dip into slow baroque pop (which they do really well on Thinking Of Ways) and other times they go whole hog 90s shoegaze. The musical whiplash between really makes this album feel like the first time I tried black coffee. Initially I thought “who on gods grey earth likes this shit?” but that’s quickly followed by “fuck that’s not bad actually”. I really wanted to deride this album for the absolute dogshit track names here but the variety of sounds, styles and songs here really gives this album a charm as a colourful mosaic of sound (some of which is a little bit shit/an acquired taste!!!) Slightly front and middle loaded, albums slightly falls off around Run My Way Runway where the band discovered washing machine modulation. In short, expected to shit on it, loved it. Highlights: I Hang Suspended, Wish I Was Skinny, Leaves and Sand, Rodney King - Song For Lenny Bruce (begrudgingly adding this, great song with such a stupid fucking name), Barney (…and Me), Take the Time Around, Lazarus
Some pleasant songs
What a pleasant way to start the beginning of the year.
This wasn’t bad and could have been on any 90s playlist of mine. But I don’t get why it’s in the list.
Listen, generator. We need to talk. It’s the last day of 2024. Everyone is doing stuff to celebrate, whether they are partying or jerking off. Or both if they are in an orgy. Why the fuck are you giving me an hour-long album by a band I have never heard of and threatening me with genres like “shoegaze”, “britpop”, and “indie”? I mean, it wasn’t bad. Surprisingly, it just a mixture of harmless alternative 90’s music and semi-wannabe My Bloody Valentine. But I have two questions: 1. What about this is “must-do before dying” material? 2. Why a fucking hour? It’s way too much. It’s eventually going to drag. Look, it’s been nearly 100 albums. You given me some good stuff and some questionable stuff. I don’t mind that you given me two Leonard Cohen albums back-to-back. I don’t care that you gave me a lot of live albums. But I do care when you give me long albums on holidays, especially mid ones. So please, in 2025, be nicer to me. Here’s to a new year of music. Favorite track: Wish I Was Skinny Other hits: god, I guess Hang Suspended, Lazarus, If You Want It,Take It maybe. You think I fucking remembered them all?
No idea what to expect here. Only indication of what to expect is that it’s released in early 90s. The song Barney was quite good. Good little record.
Weird, but strangely enjoyable.
Now I'll admit, I didn't mind that "Wake Up Boo!" song when it came out, and that was my only exposure to Boo Radleys in any detail outwith "To Kill A Mockingbird", but, as usual, I digress.... Nothing redeemable here, generic indie shoegaze synths and horns nonsense.
Pleasant surprise
just sounds like some generic 90's rock.
Alternative rock meets psychedelic rock. These guys had to have been listening to some Pink Floyd and some Jimi. The standout track for me is track two, Upon 9th and Fairchild.
21/12/24 Don't really have much to say about the album, it was an alright listen.
This was mostly fine and reasonably enjoyable, but it got aggressively bad at the end. Way to end on a sour note, guys. 2.7
I am going to need to spend a lot more time with this one. I am fond of it.
Shoegaze for normies I guess. Feels like an attempt to fuse several genres together without trying to understand what makes each genre good. Not that bad, but didn't like it still
meh azarus was decent
Enjoyed considerably! Spacey fun
Fun listen. Wasn’t familiar with it.
weirdly enough got a good kick out of this one. elliot smith vocals + the beatles = whatever this was. a lot of annoying tracks, a lot of beautiful ones, kind of too long i think, but i liked it enough to bump it from 3 to 4
Pre-listening thoughts: I’m not sure what’s going on with the album cover but that about sums up my feelings about what I’m about to walk into. A 90s album by a band I’ve never heard of named after a famous jazz album? Curious. Post/during listening thoughts: This is almost good. There’s a little bit too much “noise” in here for me but I have to say on the whole I am more keen on it than other 90s albums of this genre that we’ve gotten before. Still doesn’t save it from a 3 star rating. I’m just not a fan of the “shoegaze-y” songs sorry 5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: I Hang Suspended, Wish I Was Skinny, Thinking of Ways, Barney (…and Me), Best Lose the Fear Least fav tracks: Upon 9th and Fairchild, Leaves and Sand, Spun Around, Run My Way Runway
So, unlike yesterday’s 90’s Psychedelic inspired album that lasts over an hour, I actually enjoyed this one. Sure, I think Giant Steps is also too long, that it’d be better if it were cut down to about 40-50 minutes, but it also had a sense of dynamics and a decent set of lyrics, and while it blended into the background somewhat towards the end, it was an enjoyable background listen
Don't know what I was expecting from this but just seemed to be a lot of noise
Not sure what makes this one essential.
I thought this album was about 10 years newer than it is. It has more of a 2000s indie vibe to my ears. I didn't mind it for the most part, but it was a little boring to me. I doubt I'll remember this in a month from now.
I personally wasn’t a fan but they had some good stuff in there.
1 star
Meh
A relic from a time when Creation Records stood for something. Boo Radleys hit a rich vein of form starting with this record. Sunshine melodies crossed with shoegaze distortion, and plenty of studio experimentalism. I hear some parallels with labelmates like Super Furry Animals, Teenage Fanclub, Ride. Ultimately though, it runs a bit too long and the high spots (Wish I Was Skinny, Lazarus) are spread just a wee bit thin.
This was not nearly as bad as I feared. Still British and shoegaze-y, but some decent riffs.
Sounds like TV in the 90s
Overall, I like it. It's chill rock, perfect for hanging out and cooking dinner, or cleaning around the house. In some ways, feels like a precursor to American Emo music. I would listen again.
I am Thinking of Ways to like this album more but ultimately it was kinda boring tbh.
It was fine. Kept a good pace. Can hear the things it will influence pretty easily. Not sure it's one of the greatest albums ever though.
I didn’t mind this one, and found the music very representative of that era. But it was just too damn long, and it would benefit from the concept of addiction by subtraction. There are just too many throw-away songs on this album. Still, I will give it a 3.0. Probably won’t bother to listen to it again, however.
Eh
It does nothing for me, once again.
Niet slecht, maar of dit nu hierop hoort is een ander verhaal. Supergrass-achtig album. Ik heb het al in een tiental reviews geschreven, maar hier had Weezer moeten staan he. 2.6
It was okay. A lot going on and it was a long album. So it was hard to process one day
It was fine, verrrry 90s. Palatable, pleasant, fun, but also really unoriginal. Perhaps this band was very influential and thats why it all sounded vaguely familiar, but I wasnt wowed
Interesting blend of whimsical rock feeling with slightly harsher sounds
At best, some smooth but forgettable easy listening. At worst, so experiments with how much irritating noise a listener might be able to tolerate.
I had a strong negative reaction to the first song, so I thought this would be an awful listen given its length. It ended up casting some kind of spell over me. Great melodies and thoughtful instrumentation. I could see myself revisiting it and loving it even more.
Did I hate it? No Will I listen to it again? Probably not Will I murder someone if I ever hear the words, "Hey what's that noise? Do you remember?" ever again? You bet 3/5
It's fine as a little more avante garde than typical 90's alt rock-y brit pop, but not super noteworthy outside of "Lazarus" which is great.
I wish they just picked a style… it felt way too chaotic or overloading at times. Probably wouldn’t listen front to back again… just a lot left to be desired. Lazarus was fun
First time I'd heard anything apart from "wake up Boo" which weirdly isn't on this album. It's OK, it's very bouncy, guitary, bit hippy revival. Once again on this list but nothing that has stood out for me....
Highly competent
3.5
Interesting concept, execution left a lot to be desired.
Very unique. I kind of liked it.
nicht langweilig aber warum über 1h lang?
A lot of different genres all shoehorned in here, but it works. We've got rock, reggae, country, a bit of psychedelic freakout, all swirled around together. I dig it.
Pretty standard 90s alternative to me.
Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🌈🎱🟦 Production: 🎧😐🆗 Music: 🌌🥱🙄 Rating: 🌈(🌈)/5
Album 595 of 1001 The Boo Radleys -Giant Steps (1993) Rating : 3.75 / 5 Usually when I see something that includes "Shoegaze" as part of the genre classification, I don't really expect it to be to my liking. This one bucks that trend. This was a nice listen. Shown as Rock/BritPop/Indie/Shoegaze, it does hit on each one pretty well while the Rock/Indie part stands out a bit. Good album.
A good album. I like the way it flows, and the instrumentals are fun and psychedelic. Vocals are a bit wispy, not not terribly so. Blends in nicely with the instruments. 'Barney (...and Me)' was my fave.
Accidentally turned it off halfway through and didn’t notice for about 40 minutes.
Fine.
I was torn with this one. Some songs I loved. Others were a straight no.
I’d listen to it again
This album started off strong, but descended very quickly into the typical indie nonsense
Kinda nice. Kinda boring.
Wow, this is exactly the sort of super weird, High Art stuff that would tempt me to four stars. But it's grounded in 90s rock, which is generally pretty meh for me. So I'm sticking with three stars. Still, great job, guys!
Half the tracks and a tuned guitar could have scraped two stars.
noo
The vocals are probably the weakest thing on the album. Honestly, it has some really good moments, but then some real head-scratchers, like "The White Noise Revisited" which goes on WAY too long. I did like some of the "guest" instruments on some of the songs. I wonder if they were able to reproduce the brass and flute in some of those songs live. And why such a long space silence in that first song? A lot of the tracks ran together, but it felt like forever for it to kick in. I just think with a more dynamic singer, and cutting a few songs out, this could have gone up a notch for me. As it is, it's... middling. Top tracks: "Lazarus," "Upon 9th and Fairchild," "Leaves and Sand," " I Wish I Was Skinny"
I vaguely recall these guys, or at least their band name, from the 90's. Shoegaze with a twist. Sometimes that twist was cool - the start of I Hang Suspended, Leaves and Sand, If You Want It Take It, Take the Time Around. Sometimes it was not - Upon 9th and Fairchild (was that reggae shoegaze? ugh), Rodney King (shoegaze meets dub...I dunno), Spun Around and Run My Way Runway (not even sure what they were pairing on those two). Sometimes they had too much of that Madchester / baggy sound that I don't love (Lazarus). Sometimes they went more jangly pop rock (Barney (and Me), Wish I Was Skinny), which wasn't bad. All in all it was a so-so, ambitious album. I'll give it an average score.
Shoegaze slacker singer, noisy guitars - these are some of my least favorite things. Singer doesn't put an ounce of effort into singing. Every time I started to think I liked a song, they ruined it with feedback and noisy, often sloppy guitar playing. Big no from me on this one. Least annoying tracks: Best Lose the Fear, Lazarus.
It's somehow nice. Somehow it floats by without any highlights. Somehow I'm not sure - therefore a "3"
All over the map, like the shoegaze stuff
gitarrenrock direkt aus den späten 80ern? nein, frühe 90er mit viel verzerrer und melodie. widerspruch ja, zum hinhören. hinten im album viel füllmaterisl mit democharakter - hätte man bei vielen bands verdankenswerterweise weggelassen!
Long and bland
Just dull.
Quite enjoyable 3.5
The poppier tracks tend to lose me, but the walls of sound are interesting enough to keep me engaged. Pleasant surprise. Some tracks guitar tone reminds me of Dinosaur Jr.
Some light British-invasion-ish songs mixed with discordant walls of noise. If I had half-stars, this would be a 2.5.
Boring.
Could only make it until "Thinking of Ways" and had to skip from track to track from there on. What a mess of an album. Its saving grace is that it's mostly boring and only sporadically annoying in its over one-hour length.
2+
There's three things that kill this album for me. First is the awful memory of the band's one big hit, "Wake up Boo!", which I remember being everywhere at the time, and is truly a dreadful song. Second is the syrupy, harmonising vocals, which I detest. Third is the length, it's over an hour long, which was pure misery. I actually think I could have enjoyed this if it had been shorter, with a different vocalist, and a different band.
Nothing wrong with this, but not overly interesting either. Pretty average. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
Would love to hear a pared down version of this album. I love what I’m hearing, it’s just that they keep interrupting their own songs. Nevertheless, I’m rounding up to 4 because it’s more than just a middler, and it started out strong.
duas estrelinhas bem mirradas
On my summary page on the 1001 list website, Shoegaze appears as one of my worst genres. I'm unsure if I agree with this, but I finally discovered what was missing: Shoegaze Orchestral Music (SOM for short). SOM is delightful. I'm amazed by it. Hey! What's that noise? It's SOM
77% Best: I Hang Suspended; Upon 9th And Fairchild; Thinking of Ways; Barney (...and Me); Best Lose the Fear; Lazarus Must-Hear? Not quite
What is this besides an average if not meandering 90s rock album? What am I missing here?
Opened up with a banger! Lost me with white guy reggae meets The Smiths on track 2 though. Rest of the album seems to ping pong between "Hey, this is sort of interesting" to "What the fuck is happening here?" Hard to get onboard with this.
- Noch nie vorher von gehört - Hat mir richtig gut gefallen, ich steh einfach sehr auf sowas - Klingt ein bisschen wie eine Mischung aus Pixies und Smashing Pumpkins - Diese Bläserparts fand ich absolut mega! - Werd ich mir definitiv wieder geben Rating: 4/5
- gefiel mir insgesamt gut, einige Parts mehr, andere weniger - ordentlich Abwechslung und tolle, kreative Ideen dabei - werde ich definitiv mal wieder hören
Couldn't finish. Too weird!
All over the place, genre and style wise, but most was not bad.
I like this kind of music so much more now than I did in the 90s. I must be about 30 years behind the zeitgeist. Scuzzy-sounding guitars and a nice quiet male voice, mellow and relaxing.
Not my cup of tea
I hated every part of this. That last song was like the band was punishing you for having been so foolish as to waste your time on their album.
Another album in the why the heck is it on this list category. Even for 1993 it offered nothing more than their contemporaries had done before and after and a whole lot better. Also another example that when released it was boom time for the CD so bands were filling up the available extra time with sub standard filler tracks. This album would have been better if restricted to the 35 to 40 minute mark. 2/5 8/10/24
more like The Boo Sucks
You get one chance to name a band. First failure. The recommended stuff looks good but there is already a mountain to climb after experiencing U2 yesterday. Yeah. Very much shoegaze. This song is too saccharine. NO REGGAE. This fucking blows. Why is the vocalist so bad? This could’ve been cool. Good music is really hard to make. The vocalist doesn’t fit and I prefer this kind of music to be sad or at least weird and introspective. The vocalist is genuinely really bad. I feel like I need to like this. Ok, I do like this part. No vocals, driving instrumentation, insane saxophones. Back to garbage. Stop singing please. The Rodney King song goes HARD. I don’t even hate the vocals with this stupid beat. It’s fun. Ooh we’re back to shite. I can hear the singer’s saliva man. This is bad. The music. I can’t keep up the song by song review for this one. From here on out, I will just give a summary of what has been a boring, overdramatic mess thus far. Small update: this thing is ROUGH. More reggae guitars at one point ( the worst genre ever conceived) and just overall nothing memorable. Nothing sweet. Nothing interesting. Nothing dark. Just nothing. A trudge to the finish line. The final song has cool ideas and constitutes a highlight as it finally grabbed me. Not enough to make up for this thing, but a final enjoyable moment. Although TWO MINUTES of repeating the refrain. Way to ruin the only good idea this thing has produced. I wanted to like this, I really did. There was just nothing to grab onto. It’s not good. There were glimmers of brilliance but they were so elusive and often immediately faded into something dumb or a sequence of abhorrent vocalizations. Not in a cool way either. There are far better 90’s alt albums. It feels like most of them would be. 1-1.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Rodney King - Song for Lenny Bruce (part of it anyway), The White Noise Revisited (first half)
Felt like I was listening college radio in the 90’s.
I really wanted to like this album. I remember hearing about them, but I never real had or took the chance to explore their discography. Listening now, I was underwhelmed. I felt like most tracks started strong but became less enjoyable as I listened. The high reviews suggest I should give them multiple listens, but I am not excited about it. Maybe I am missing something.
is this any good i dont know im not sure
While boldly sharing a title from one of the greatest albums in jazz, The Boo Radleys prove their worth with their own, gargantuan in contrast, breakthrough. A tapestry of shoegaze, psychedelia, power-pop, jazz and whatever suited their fancy, The Boos throw everything, including the kitchen sink, and come away with the most astonishing record of their career. One small step for band, one great leap for mankind. Favorites: I Hang Suspended, Upon 9th & Fairchild, Wish I Was Skinny, Butterfly McQueen, Rodney King (Song for Lenny Bruce), Thinking of Ways, Barney (...and Me), If You Want It, Take It, Take the Time Around, Lazarus, Run My Way Runaway.
In 1993 alternative music had gone a little bit stale. The Stone Roses had disappeared off the face of the earth, and the highs of 1991 couldn't be maintained. In the midst of all this The Boo Radleys burst from their shoegazing origins and unleashed angels and demons alike in a whirl of horns, dub-reggae, jazz, Beatlesesque melodies, and harmonies to die for. The album might be called Giant Steps but the Boo Radleys dared to fly.
3.5/10
Not bad
Quite samey
Listened Before? N Hey, I've heard of these guys but never once listened to their music. This was a great 90s shoegaze style record. Reminds me of Dinosaur Jr. a bit. I like it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Wish I Was Skinny
I mean, yeah.
It's fine. Makes the token stab at noisy angularity, but ultimately these guys wanted to sell records.
Good, 1 song saved
I'd say good music, but the last two songs had sounds that really messed with my head, (or it was my headphones).
They were really trying to do the "make every track a different style" thing, but none of them were really special and it felt kind of tryhardy. Also the production was jarring, lots of big volume fluctuations
After a string of pretty uninspired hair rock, I was happy to get this album. I like the Boo Radleys - this is the music I really grew up on. Still, I’m not sure it belongs in the same conversation as some of these other great albums.
Feedback sculpting pop savants in the vein of early Mercury Rev or Hit to Death in the Future Head-era Flaming Lips, but maybe a little less (or more? I can’t decide) acid damaged. Enjoyable, but doesn’t rise to essential status.
"Giant Steps" is the third album by English rock band the Boo Radleys. The band expanded on the shoegaze style of their previous album and added pop, reggae, noise pop and orchestral sounds. Yes, they did. The album was produced by Martin Carr (guitarist, singer), Tim Brown (bass, keyboards) and Andy Wilkinson. The album received favorable reviews and, commercially, reached #17 in the UK. Wavering strings and people talking open "I Hang Suspended." The band kicks in with guitar feedback. A nice melody. "Wish I Was Skinny" continues the nice sounding melodies. Acoustic guitar. A clap beat. String. A country vibe and a gorgeous song. They still remind us that there's plenty of shoegaze left in the tank as they rock on with "Leaves and Sand." A wobbly, feedback guitar. And a blazing guitar solo with the drums all over the place. They go a bit pyschedelic in "Barney (...and Me)." Acoustic guitar. A clarinet. The keys give it that pyschedelic edge. It goes harder. Horns. Layered guitars. Great song. Swirling layers syths introduce "Lazarus." That's gives way to a majestic sound with the horns. The album ends with "The Noise Revisited." A song with a catchy vocal chorus and horns. Very 60's sounding. This a fantastic, powerhouse of an album. 17 songs that are gone in a flash. Melodic and very well produced. They seem effortless as they change styles within their shoegaze/Britpop base. At times they reminded me of My Blood Valentine and other time, the Flaming Lips. One heck of a fun ride that everyone needs to hop on for.
hálfgerður grautur. tilbrigði við ýmsar stefnur. þarf líklega aðra yfirferð. 3,5.
Igual me gustó
A good album, I liked Thinking of Ways and Barney (...And Me) the most.
Wow, this album is finger painted in a simple, beautiful way. It's kind of soft alt rocky with way more psychedelic and experimental influence.
This is some pretty solid pop/rock, but progressive and experimental enough to keep it interesting.
Overall pleasant but some extended ear pain here and there
No bad, I have not heard this album before. They reminded me of Catherine Wheel.
Sounds like an influence of Oasis
3 - wild ride
I actually really enjoyed this album.
#340. Before listening to this album, the only thing I had heard from the Boo Radleys was a mediocre cover of an already mid song. Now that I have listened to more of their work, I want to listen to less of their work. It's pretty terrible, if we're being honest. 2/5: please don't. Song added to playlist: If You Want It, Take It I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
This was OK. Fairly standard indie of the time. Not sure what made this stand out to the compiler
Great indie rock album. Kind of extrovert shoegaze
Dynamisch, verrassend, origineel, maar toch pakt het me niet echt. Het is wel een leuke variatie op een bepaalde sound, maar misschien net te weinig nummers die echt aanspreken. Dit had het op-een-na-beste album dat Giant Steps heet moeten zijn in deze lijst!
разноплановый альбом, с приколюшками.
OK
Entretenido
Tried too hard and ended up sounding like an even more boring Elliott Smith.
Jee jee isoja askeleita.. HÄÄÄÄH VAUVANASKELIA VAUVAMUSIIKKI =!=! 101 tässä mitä hevlttttiHIÄ!! conceptual baby music..
This album is not bad, but not very memorable either. It also is very repetitive at times.
The only exposure that I'm aware of to this band before was via a compilation album from 2009. I certainly found the album enjoyable enough to warrant another listen and found it interesting how some songs start off sounding familiar but them completely fall apart at the seams, like Spun Around. Faves: Upon 9th And Fairchild, Barney (...and Me)
Huh, definitely had these folks mixed up with someone else in my head - I was expecting something much more poppy, and definitely not anything shoegaze adjacent. This was an engaging listen - I enjoyed the different genres they dabbled in - will definitely have to revisit this in the future! Fave track - "Butterfly McQueen" - I like the dubby basslines dropping in...
Boo Radley was a particular character. As a character Boo Radley was a misunderstood shut in, sort of an extreme introvert; pre-internet. Yes, he becomes a hero at the end but for the most part remained on the margins. The Boo Radleys, like their namesake, have hero qualities and a couple of good moments in the sun, but generally, as a HUGE college radio fan back in the day can attest -- they more often than not kind of sat in the background as other more well known and popular bands slipped forward. Again. (I almost sigh) they are a very good, even top notch band. It's just that so were a lot of bands, especiially of the same era. Revisiting this album makes me feel exactly the same as I did then: they kind a sort of remind you of OTHER bands that more easily come to mind.
A variety of styles that blend together well. Good post-punk, alternative album. Pretty upbeat.
The guitar tone on here was really great. For some reason Apple music has this labeled as "pop" and I did not think that made sense until I got to the second half of the album. The whole album created a vibe and I would listen again.
struggled between 3 or 4, went with 4 even though theres not a standout track, just overall good
Way too experimental for my tastes. Not only did many parts feel extremely harsh, but the mixing is some of the worst I've seen so far. Incredibly big jumps from quiet music to deafening
Don't really get what they're going for here, seems a bit all over the place and is a struggle to get some enjoyment out of
Maybe a 4, but it was a little too meandering in style and composition for my taste.
Saddled up and riding to any direction. 1993 with Giant Steps as well as 2023 with "Eight". No idea, why's on the 1001 list. Clear 0 Points.
I heard this and thought "this must be something foundational to be on the list" but seeing it came out in '93 I'm confused. This is too long and doesn't really do a ton. Possible I missed something but I'd like this tighter or more out there.
Interesting compositions. Very much the indie sound of the early 1990s with a little something to stand out. I enjoyed 2 listens on a small road trip, but ultimately nothing really stuck with me.
Empieza muy bien, luego se pone muy raro, pero en general me pareció buen disco.
# 304 : sigh! Just reading the 3 line bio put me off… this was pretty awful, I feel like sometimes this list mistakes "you must listen to this ALBUM before you die" with "Hey this was popular once, or had a couple hits on it" with importance. If You Want It, Take It was an alright track.
I feel about this album the same way I feel about some modern or minimalist art. "I suppose somebody had to do it, so why not them?" But that means it's a one-time listen from me, dawg.
I wasn't a massive shoegaze fan back in the day, so I'm pleased to listen to this album, which displays a bit of diversity in style. As so many albums of that time, this one kind of overstays its welcome at well over an hour. But still, a solid piece of work.
No real killer (mockingbird) songs for me. Pleasant enough but not sure why it’s on this list.
So this was just before the Britpop explosion. Suede had probably already released their debut album in March 1993 - yeah, just checked out, this came out in August of that year - and so the Butler-esque guitars might not be as original as they might have been if they'd appeared six months earlier. And there is absolutely some early Teenage Fanclub in the vocals which I know was 1990 or so. But here is the thing. The Boo's were defined by their own hit single, 'Wake Up Boo'. Which was so fucking annoying and absolute shite. This stuff is much better. Without that massive hit they might have been taken seriously within the Brit pop circle. One songs sounds exactly like Petula Clarke's 'downtown'. Which would not have been cool in 1993. Rubbish name too. Wasn't it a character out of 'Catcher in the Rye' or something?** Again, Uriah heep - amongst others - had already played that trick. ** to kill a mockingbird. So now someone will get offended when reading this review because they did the same thing with their eldest :)
Inoffensive music from a band trying to find their niche. Sadly, they never did.
ended weird but pretty good overall
A weird mix between actual songs and just a lot of noise. Oddly enough I kind of dig it...
Very far from essential but not terrible. A bit of a puzzler for inclusion on this list, the 'Wake Up!' album was the one with the few hit singles on. This is jangly British Indie not completely typical though, it owes nothing to Oasis-Blur-Pulp-Suede, but it does have a bit of a sense of humour and some musical diversions. *Shrugs*
I'm doing a 3.5+ on this one... because it really hits a set of genres that I enjoy. That noisy indie neo-psyche mix...
Sounds like soft alternative pop rock…or something like that. It has just enough distortion and minor chords to almost make it feel edgy. But only just almost. All in all, not terrible, though. I feel like it’s just taking up a place on this list.
90s pop. Ok but forgettable
Decent enough.
6/10… abwechslungsreiches Album aber wieder mal Brit Pop und was das Genre so hergibt
Calm and easy listening. Reminds me a bit of Sufjan Stevens. 3.5
Amazing album
The experimental song construction and instrumentation is the highlight here. Lyrics and vocal performance are run of the mill 90s britpop, but the use of jarring tempos and various synths and sirens brings a unique flavor to this effort. That being said, the lack of cohesiveness does make it difficult to find a through line at times. Clear influence on Tame Impala at points. Listened to: on a train in New England. Favorite tracks: Leaves and Sand, Rodney King
Holy bloated Britpop/shoegaze/indie/noise batman! Perhaps try ending your songs in different ways?
The Boo Radleys have no idea what kind of band they are. Giant Steps is all over the place and almost feels like a compilation of different genres or a random playlist. I will end on a conversation that must have taken place during recording: “Guys, this song is also kind of bland. Can we do something about it?” “You know what worked the last 11 times?” *all band members in unison* “AN OUTRO WITH NOISY GUITARS!”
Aiuta molto nella concentrazione. alcune canzoni mi son piaciute ma nel complesso è un bell'album.
Never heard them before. Ok sound
Generic boring
Was fine but nothing special really.
Another just totally fine album. Nothing remarkable or even good. Just completely decent and nothing else
This album really caught me off guard. I had not heard of the Boo Radleys before and wasn't expecting much, but sure enough each song had me listening intently. Seems like they had a ton of influences since nearly every song was different than the next one. I'll definitely be giving this one another listen.
I wanted to like this more than I did. Kind of flew by me without resonating any chords of pleasure. Wasn't bad. Just wasn't something I wanted to hear. Could have been mood.
Honestly? Some of the reviews got me super worried, but this was actually pretty rad. It was not nearly the most eclectic or off-putting album on the list.
An interesting discovery! In a way, I'm not sure what to think of it, it is an eclectic mish-mash. There's 60s, surf, glam rock, a bit of grunge,... but it's really well done. I need to listen to this more and see how it develops. Extra stars for creativity and musicianship, and it's made within miles from where I live!
It was a bit overrated...
Interesting