Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Ya de por sí que un álbum dure DOS HORAS, es un descalificativo total. Apartando eso, no me gustó escucharlo, no me gustan esas voces que relatan y susurran en vez de cantar. Tiene demasiados ruidos raros y sin sentido, y son muchísimas canciones que no parecen tener relación entre sí. De lo peor que he escuchado acá
Some songs were really good. The lows were quite low too.
291/1089 okayyy the dramatic overture into a moody guitar led song, i’m liking the vision …and that was about it for what i was interested in. i think the sound’s neat for a song or two but the album dragged imo and isnt for me faves: (well) dusted, shiver, dirty from the rain 28/100
low key really enjoyed this
I found it a little weird when he would just talk. I liked his singing voice though. The album ad whole though is not my vibe
Interesting folk rock vibes. Good listening.
This wasn't offensive, but it wasn't good either. All of the Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed (who I both despise listening to) references in other reviews are, I think, spot on. I think maybe this is on the list to remind you that some people out there just like those stinky fermented fish in a can they eat in Scandinavia, and while you don't, it's ok they do ⭐⭐.49
Sorry I did not like this at all.
😐
It was fine, but eh, it didn't really move me in one way or another. I'd rather be listening to Bill Calahan or Justin Molina.
very very boring and pretentious.
Never heard of these folks. Sounds dull and cheesy at times. Stopped at song 9 as found no reason to continue.
Long album with much variation. Half listened, not to the whole thing (bonus tracks.)
There was nothing of interest in this for me
Yes, it was indeed a chore Like so many of the "must-listen" items on this list Almost 25% into this process, and there seem to be many more difficult days than moments of joy This was one of the dark days
Interesting indie rock, will return.
mm
I like the musical style of this album, but it is extremely one note. Also, the total lack of energy in the vocal department turns this into a snoozefest. A criticism that is wholly personal to me: I grew up in the 2000s, and was formed by 90s and 00s rock music. I’ve never heard of Giant Sand before. I have to conclude that it’s because it’s boring and not that good. Why is it on this list?
I quite enjoyed this and would play again. I don’t know Giant Sand so a pleasant surprise. Rounding up to a 4.
100% Chore, 0% Enchantment.
Pretty good, some whatever songs, some great songs
what a mess
This is ok - nowhere near as bad as a lot of reviews have it. Vaguely Cohen-sequel alt-rock, but it’s not very exciting.
Damn I genuinely hate this.
I had never heard of Giant Sand before but I love this album. It's the right kind of rock and chill vibes through out. Shivers is groovy. Glad that it's on there sever times. Dilemma is my vibe. There's a comparison to Neil Young that just tracks.
This man needs to learn to sing and stop growling into the microphone
I’m sorry this album was so fucking boring and such a slog to get through. I felt like I was actively falling asleep while listening to this. I can see why this album is appealing to some people but it was just not for me personally. This is one that I will not be revisiting anytime soon. (I did not listen to the bonus tracks because I was so bored and sleepy)
Heard Before? No, despite listening to almost every other No Depression era alt-country act. Notes: - the spare arrangements work well, although the synth flourishes and random samples seem out of place. - vocals are close-miked, uncompressed, pitchy and mostly too loud. the melodies (and often the lyrics) sound improvised, and not in a way i appreciate. the superor female vocalist is criminally underused. - in general the songs seem underwritten and would benefit from more structure and polish. - lots of well-recorded, simple and pleasant drum parts and bass lines. - I just felt like I was trying to enjoy it, looking for something that just wasn't there. Verdict: I was all set to uncover a treasure, but despite a lot of digging, found mostly junk. The second time through was a bit better, once I lowered my expectations. Listen Again? Unlikely. I might try one of their other releases, but I'd rather revisit Calexico, Red Red Meat, Uncle Tupelo, Gillian Welch, Havalina Rail Co, Neko Case, or any number of similar, much more satisfying performers.
(Looks at title) Seriously? You’re going with that? (Looks at runtime) Seriously??!! (Plays album for 22 minutes) You really were serious. God bless you.
Never heard of this group. I found it interesting, but not sure I will go looking for it again.
Idk what they’re trying to do
If this guy actual sang instead of whispering, this could have been something.
Am I missing something other people are hearing? The low speaking vocals with copious amounts of pretentious vocal fry are uninviting. There's this almost comically vocal impression of Mark Lanegan in a few songs. There is no doubt in my mind why I have not heard of this band nor why they have had 30+ band members over the years.
Bored and annoyed
Bailed on track 4 after the 3rd time I realized I was making a stink face.
This is what I image some Leonard Cohen songs sound like if you don't like Leonard Cohen
There is some good stuff in here but my god is it buried in some fluff
This bored me to sleep TWICE!
Woohoo! More weird stuff. Hooraay!! Yippee! I was half-expecting to read a Wikipedia entry that the singer of this album was linked to 6-15 missing women in the Tucson area because that's the general feel I get from this. There is a churning anxiety to this record that it is fascinatingly unsettling. I expected Foo Fighters lite but what I found was the catatonic mind of a psychopath set to to strange musical choices. Enchantment typically is such a chore, so I was happy to have somebody do it for me. Shame it was this medicated spree killer. Enchantment is enchantment I suppose. I don't know man, I think this one might get the revisitation. What are the visiting hours for the facility they keep this guy in anyway? 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Uhhhh hey look! It's that tophat guy from Thomas the Tank Engine!
Как-то концептуально, но фоном вроде бы ничего льется
We have Eels, Jeff Tweedy, and Nada Surf at home.
I've had a run of classic albums. Nice to hear it. Someone I haven't heard of before. Pleasant enough
Bissl langsam und schwer. Weis nicht wirklich.
I mean... The music is not bad. I really enjoy all instrumentals and vocals sometimes when I don't pay enough attention. But when I really listen to it I'm like: "another album ruined by vocals and weird placement of words into rhythm". Its hard to explain. When it just flows over you and you are concetrated on something different it's really good backround music. But when your full attention is on this it looses its spark. I don't know what to think now. Also this is really long album. Maybe bacause I'm lazy to find album on my own, the original short version (if it has one), and I right away click on the Spotify link.
Sadly, church these days.
Perfectly fine background music
I never really clicked with Giant Sand which is a shame as I love the dusty Americana of their close relatives, Calexico. I’d never listed to this one though and it really drew me in. I really enjoyed that slightly off-kilter sound - it feels very delicate, like it could all fall to bits at any moment. I’d long since written Giant Sand off as something I didn’t get on with so I’m glad to have heard this record, I clearly have some serious catching up to do.
There were moments of this album which I really enjoyed and yet others that just passed me by. Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention? Perhaps it didn't grab me and wasn't worthy of my attention? I think I need to revisit it, so may well amend this "review"
This is not on the current list anymore, so I'll skip this review and just rate.
The first two tags on the word cloud of reviews for this album are ‘Interesting’ and ‘Boring’, and for once I think that sums it up pretty well. There were definitely moments when I thought it would pique my interest - I always like an album with an overture and there were some snatches of opera thrown in too, as well as some nice bits of glitchy noise. However, it would soon drift back into a sort of Lou Reed style pastiche. Also, this album wasn’t in my edition of the book - always a worrying sign when a comparatively recent release (and yes, I’m old enough that 2000 does count as recent for me) is bumped for something else. In the words of the Chernobyl plant manager - not great, not terrible.
I like this album. Raw alt-rock which reminds me of Grandaddy's 'The Sophtware Slump', but not quite as interesting. Cool dark vibes and I enjoy the raw vocals... definitely a bit too long though, which brings it down from 4 stars to 3. 7/10
I was not in the mood for this album today - it did not land on my ears well. I was not a fan of his spoken singing. Even the sound of his voice itself irritated me.
Well, I'm in trouble. I played this Saturday morning while cleaning the house. Thinking it was the worst of Dinosaur Jr., Wilco, and a few others mixed in. Getting ready to skip and my wife who never has interest in any music says "I like this!" So I had to listen to the full thing.
This is, unfortunately, something I really enjoy. Should it be on this list? Probably not? Do I kinda love it? Yeah. This is exactly the kind of music I’d expect someone from Wilkes-Barre to make after hanging out in the desert for too long.
perfect if I wanted to lay in the desert ripped on heroin
eu sou fã de álbuns melancólicos, mas eles precisam ao menos serem bons: o que não é o caso desse. em alguns momentos, fiquei com a impressão que Giant Sand deve ter algum parentesco com quem fez essa lista. 1,5/5.
8/10 Canción destacada: Shiver
Good lyrics. Otherwise, boring and depressing. 2.6
I could literally name 1,001 other albums that should be on this list before this one.
Going for something quiet and somber isn't bad, but overdoing it makes the end result really dull
Dusty alt-country and desert rock built on loose guitars, organ textures, understated rhythms, and weary, murmured vocals drifts with hazy, nocturnal restraint. Listening feels like wandering through a half-lit desert town where sounds echo without urgency and time seems to stretch indefinitely. The result is hard to bear elusive monotony.
Dreamy 4.25
Was this album picked at random ? Its just so boring and bland and.. bad. The laughable attemps at being experimental/weird and the annoying voice of whoever that singer is make this album a chore to listen to. Its not the worst thing in the world .There is some ok tracks on here. Rarely. Can this shit just end pleeeeaaaaase. No I am not listening to the 14 bonus track than you Apple Music.
I’m a sucker for the alt/folk/country sound, and I really enjoyed this. The music was really good. The vocals are probably the divisive part here, but it was fine for me. Would listen again.
I wish this could just suck properly instead of occasionally threatening to get interesting.
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Not what I expected and just enough different styles that it wasn’t too navel-gazy.
Not my jam
A complete 180 from my last album (SOAD's debut) and quite lovely. I have to admit, I'm a sucker for Alt-Country, as this is that, but just a bit weirder. There is dissonance mixed with occasional electronic burbling, fiddles, slow paced melancholy and a hearty sense of peeking behind the curtain. Best Tracks: Punishing Sun; Temptation of Egg; Shiver
1 - just so boring plus his voice was not pleasant to listen too
forgot to rate this and lowkey forgot what this sounds like
An OK sound. I don't know the band and not really my genre.
Really enjoyed this
2.5
Back when this record came out I was persuaded to buy it by the bloke behind the counter at a record shop, and it was a wonderful introduction to the mysterious world of Howe Gelb. Might still be my favourite Giant Sand record. Amazingly sparse and hushed with a wonderfully ambiguous quality to every tune.
Never heard of 'em. Really like 'em. Kinda like Mark Lanegan and Jonathan Donehue had a weird Americana-ish love album. With some of that Rev weirdness.
I enjoyed this one. Which was a surprise after I read the reviews. It’s a very chilled out album. And it does border on dull. But kept me interested all the way through.
Sounds like a support act at every gig I’ve been to. Pairing notes: best enjoyed standing up whilst drinking beer out of a plastic cup. Be sure to politely but unenthusiastically clap after each song and wait for some better music to come on.
Seemed good in parts but slightly too off beat for me 3*
Way too long, there were some good songs, but it was really difficult to get through the whole thing.
Did not like it at first and it grew a bit on the second listen but still.... Happy to forget this even if there's some interesting bits in it.
Thought i'd enjoy it more than I did after the first track. Another good track or two scattered throughout, but not one to revisit as a whole album.
The lyrics are interesting enough to listen to this once, but like an audio-book, I can't imagine listening to it twice. 3 stars or C-.
A bit of a chore indeed, but not that much enchantment
Un álbum demasiaaaado largo, al pedo. Se me hizo denso. Realmente cansador. 3/10
I can't decide if I like this or not, definitely an album that takes some time to settle in. For now, some tracks were really promising, but I feel like the majority of the album never gets out of first gear. It was a decent listen overall, though.
Альт кантри… Я как будто послушал ничего Возможно надо вслушиваться и понимать текст
Better than Coldplay
Eddie veder wannabe soms. Heel raar dat dit in de top 1000 staat
Solid 2000s indie rock
Forgot about this album... Mostly pleasant
Long album 2 hours
No
Eurb
Prog/Alt/Experimental Leonard Cohen
1: Wolfy 2: X-tra Wide 3: Satellite
A serious Bob Dylan vibe here. I will pass.
This is decidedly not for me dog. The vocals are an acquired taste to be sure, and worked for me on a couple of occasions but overall a slog.
This album didn't impress me early, but by golly it kinda grew on me. I stopped at the end of the normal album, before the 5000 bonus tracks. I just didn't have that much free time. But the regular portion of the album is actually kinda cool 3.6/5
As a whole, this is pretty good. But with music like this, with such interesting compositions and arrangements, if you don't identify with much of the lyrics, it can leave the whole thing feeling that. That's the case here. A few songs that went on my liked list but moody just blended together. 3/5
It's odd but also pretty dull at times. It's Tom Waits-y. How you feel about that will determine how you feel about this.
Did not relate to the advertised eccentric lyrics. i did hear the sparse quality that tucson dessert mimics. Won’t remember tmrw, sorry.
Meh. Some of the tracks were terrible, the rest were the type that I wouldn't drop everything to turn off if it came on the radio, but honestly nothing here I ever care if I hear again, and a few that were awful.
Tried 4 or 5 times with this one but it just didn’t want to stick somehow! Not horrible but I just couldn’t get a handle on it.
This low-effort whisper singing makes this borderline unlistenable. The only props I can give it is that everyone else does their job.
Way too long. Not very good. Some decent moments though
Oddly weird
I've never heard of Giant Sand before, but apparently the prime songwriter is quite prolific. However, I always wonder about records like this, especially with bare bones Wikipedia pages, how influential or groundbreaking could they be? Is this another early 2000s alt-rock with a country influence, with touches of studio experimentation that always gets lauded by critics? Yes. Is it essential? I don't know, but it is a style and sound that I'm particular to liking, and there were a bunch of moments that stuck with me and make me want to revisit.
Interesting album that I feel would be rewarded with repeat listening. Very strong Lou Reed vibes. 3 star. Fave track. - punishing sun
I didn't mind this too much, but wouldn't revisit it again.
It took a few goes around to get into the album, but pnce i got there i was happy i perservered Will it be appearing frequent on my playlist? Probably not. But i wouldn't turn it off if it did
Chore being the operative word. Sprawling, eclectic but ultimately tedious.
dull uninspiring droney mush
Bonny Prince Billy or Bill Callahan did this better. Check out Charlie Par. IDK, there are options. 30 tracks for 2 hours?! Damn it. This is ok, but definitely not a full album I want to listen to. Give me a couple of their top tracks and call it good. 2.5 rounding up (so generously) based on about 8 or 9 tracks.
I wasn't so enchanted by this chore
I'm 26 days away from the end of this list and they hit me with the bottom layer of the vacuum sack. Seriously??
A chore, indeed.
kinda fuck with this, but its got male manipulator energy
I didn't need this on my list. Reminiscent of less interesting versions of music I don't really like.
a 2 hour long yawn
I found this moody in a nice way for once instead of a whiny dragfest. It made me think of The Wallflowers which is maybe just saying it's a 90s sort of indie rock alternative whatever band? 3.5
Didn't do much for me.
That was just fine
🎧Kind of sounds like a less adventurous Lambchop. Souled American might be a better comp. Didn’t love it but appreciate the bold, obscure pick by Dimery!
"(Well) Dusted" sounded like a ripoff of "Six Blade Knife" by Dire Straits. That's as good as this album got. This wasn't a bad listen to at all. But it was so monotone that I had to go back and listen to some tracks because nothing stuck out as memorable. For some reason this band sounded like either a Lou Reed, or a Leonard Cohen cover band.
Doesn’t really stand out to me. Unintrusive
Damn that was an absolute SNOOZE FEST
This was fine I guess. I see comparisons to Lou Reed but to me this sounds like a slowed down, crappier Pavement. The songs aren't objectionable or anything but it's just kind of a drag. Shiver is a standout though - decent song.
Unknown to me beforehand, good find
Enjoyed this, but found it a little one-paced, which made it kind of a chore to listen to all the way through.
Millennial mellow, slightly mysterious low fi Americana featuring a lead singer heavily inspired by Lou Reed. They create a few moods but if this is something I need to hear before I die, I sincerely hope there will be some considerably different sounding ones leading to the inevitable……uncut magazine would no doubt have given this 5 stars!
Not bad, but too long and rather just listen to Smog
Didn’t like this. Very bizarre and too long
Mostly not exciting, although plenty listenable. I did enjoy "Way to End the Day", though, with the female backing vocals. And the overall mood of the track is great.
This list does throw up some "individual " choices. I'm quite familiar with the Americana/alt. country movement that Giant Sand is are a part of, and wouldn't have thought this was anything like a good representation, where's Uncle T. Guessing its Maybe the added tones of list favourites Lou Reed and Len Cohen type sounds that got it onto the list, as it's a fairly pleasant but nondescript record to these ears, , a pleasant enough sounding record but no tracks jump out nothing is memorable. It's just that damning middling, not bad or great to be of interest, Americana for those who dare not say country. 3 Star.
This is a good album, nothing more, nothing less. I wouldn’t say that you have to listen to it before you die, but there are certainly worse albums on the list.
This was fine.
Troisième jour où je ne suis pas emballé par ce que j'écoute...
Omg wie geil. 4-5. sexy 90s aura
Kinda weird but still cool
The fuck was this
It's hard to be distinctive at this point in music history. I enjoyed this album well enough but it did seem quite derivative. Should give it another go in case I start to hear some actual innovation there.
I’d never heard of Giant Sand before, but I thought this was pretty good. I’m not a fan of the raspy, delicate vocals here, but I was able to get past that and enjoy the musical elements here. The album was a sort of mashup of sounds from genres like country, grunge, alt-rock, and folk, but it all came together into a cohesive, creatively ambitious, and admirable piece of work. Probably not something I will listen to all that often, though.
I'm not a huge fan of country music, but at least this album had some interesting elements that made some tracks enjoyable.
I would have really liked this one if not for the “Lou Reedesque” vocals. As it is, I will give it three stars. Although the vocal style is not inappropriate for these songs, there is just too much of the tonelessness. Once again, another album spoiled for me by the vocals.
Chill and eclectic, which I dug while listening to but nothing stuck with me
Take Lou Reed and suck out any remaining energy and you get this guy. It was the most low-key chill performance I've heard and I'm not sure that I mean that as a compliment.
This was fine! Not anything I'd seek out more of, but fine for getting going on a Monday morning
Nice background music.
The real chore is listening to this. It's like listening to the same song over and over for nearly an hour. Obviously an exaggeration but it just meandered along and did...nothing. Also the random opera/record/tape bits are just incredibly weird, man.
Somewhere between Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and Lou Reed fits Giant Sand...except not as interesting as any of them. This was fine, but not much stood out of the slow paced droning that fills a majority of this album. Probably won't revisit this.
ganz interessant eigentlich
made me realize that I am subjugating myself to listening to a man’s opinion for 1 hour and 57 minutes. enjoyed it nonetheless.
I found this one really boring
Respectfully, I really can’t get over the “man finally finding himself (he’s a genius btw)” of it all.
boring
Yesterday I reviewed Lou Reed, and Giant Sand strike a very similar note, at least musically. However, Lou Reed was around 30 years earlier and was therefore something of a pioneer of his style. Giant Sand, on the other hand, take a different approach to individual songs, which makes “Chore of Enchantment” reasonably varied. Nevertheless, there are only a few moments that give an impression of inspiration, independent creativity, or even innovation. Overall, it's an unremarkable album.
Loved the music vocals not so much
A very subtle, low key set of music representing a diversity of musical styles and influences
2/10
disjointed, hippy, moody, not really my style. Definitely not produced for the masses. This might hit if u r in a trippy mood.
I like the album artwork and that’s all I can say that’s nice about this album. It’s extremely long, very one note, and not particularly interesting.
Enjoyable listen. I really liked the beginning songs the best with the later slower songs not as enjoyable.
Sings like Lou Reed but the music's boring
This was interesting. Really enjoyed parts of it. Overall a bit too slow and melancholy to repeat listen though.
Nothing inspirational or made me sit up on my seat. Very samey start to finish, one long song.
*Adam Sandler voice: "Chore of Enhancement? More like BORE of Enhancement!"
Interesting With some highlights
at first, was alarmed at the number of tracks... but give a run through and it has some ephemeral magic to it. a musicians album.
Leonard Cohen sounding-ah alternative rock.
Bro thinks he’s Lou Reed or something
this album is a chore to listen to, might be the worst one yet
Aggressively dogshit
Grew on me
Yksipuolinen näin pitkäksi, ei kovinkaan hyvin aikalaisarvosteltu, eikä juuri kuule puhuttavan. varmaan listalla lähinnä koska amerikasta. 2/5
Moody alt rock with mellow drawl and interesting instrumentation. Should remember to look up their other stuff
Flott
Very excited after the first two songs but then became a bit of a 'chore'
naja
Eh. A bit of Leonard cohen thanks for the dance but not for me
The album consists of songs most of which are standard boring singer songwriter stuff and some are more on the alt side with distorted guitars and noise. I liked the "alt" ones but the "normal" ones bored me to death
I listened, but I don’t really understand why this ended up on this list.
Feel like I'm so close to enjoying a lot of these songs, it's like I have an itch to scratch and these songs are almost doing the job but not quite, very unsatisfying.
Teases you with a great first half but loses momentum and ends with a whimper
This was really boring. I was constantly waiting for this to end. There vocals were bad and the instrumentals were boring. It also was kinda just weird. Actual rating...1.5. Liked Songs: "(Well) Dusted" , "Punishing Sun" , "X-Tra Wide" , "Shiver" , "No Reply" , "Satellite" , "Rock Opera" , "Shiver (In Tucson)" , "Dilemma"
A lot of Lou Reed, a little of the National and a remarkably odd choice for 1001 albums I must listen to before I die. A few good tracks, but largely forgettable.
When to listen: On drugs and want to see sounds. As an opera nerd I liked the integration but it wasn't enough to get me into the album.
This is a pale imitation of American slowcore and it pains me. Bill Callahan could have had a record on this list instead, but all that said this particular record isn't terrible
I liked this for what it was which was kind of forgettable and kind of ambient. I played it at the gym and it passed them time. I should have saved some songs to relisten to because there were a few moments that made me happy to be listening.
This was ok, nothing really spectacular. The singer has the habit of falling in to the Bob Dylan style of TALKing liKE THIs instead of singing, which I really hate, but he can at least sing in some of the songs so it's not all bad. The whole thing was a nice sort of downtempo album for relaxing and thinking. The songwriting is pleasant and the instrumentation choices are largely good. It felt like more of a collection of related works more so than anything with a bag of obvious singles. In this case, that works, it's mostly a nice cohesive little (well, not so little) album. Some of the songs just go in to these floppy finishes for no reason, Wolfy was the worst offender for example. Lot of words for an average work.
Did not enjoy any of this
Many of the songs felt the same to me, but I liked them.
A couple moments that caught my attention, but otherwise kinda boring. Am I broken?
Kinda of different striped down sound. Reminds me of something I can't put my finger on. Would be interesting break and refresher in a compilation. Entire album was a little boring and made me sleepy.
Aging gen-x white dude music.
Never heard about this band or album before. It gives a “different” vibe, quite calm and easy but with many creative twists and turns. I quite like it as an easy listening/background experience. But I doubt I will go back to listen to it later.
Day 158 Hadn’t even heard of this band before, you can definitely tell they own more than one Velvet Underground album between them. Highlights Shiver No reply Satellite
I really liked this! Maybe I needed this vibe to fit my current melancholic mood, but I think this deserves more praise than it gets.
God, I thought the whole thing was two hours. I didn’t see the bonus tracks at first. I'm not making myself listen to those as well btw. I’m not really a fan of his voice or how he basically talks, sometimes sings, trying to be all seductive or whatever. I’m not sure what his end goal is here. Is sounding attractive actually the point? Because as a woman, I’m dry as sand hearing his voice. Also this is a chore for sure, so they got that right as well. WHAT THE FUCK IS A WOODPECKER DOING HERE? What was this album, man? The first song wasn’t that bad, but it just kept getting worse and worse. It’s kind of the same thing over and over again, honestly. Why did I have to listen to this? Such a shame, because the instrumental sometimes feels like it’s getting somewhere, but then this guy comes in and ruins everything.
Perhaps one of the more obscure selections on this list, Giant Sand/Howe Gelb is not a band/guy that I hear too much about. That scene of music in Arizona in general doesn't get enough attention compared to other music scenes of America. Twin Cities Minnesota is a smaller are in population but have much more documented history than the variety of weird music that comes from the desert. Shout out to a band probably not on this list: Yawning Man. Kind of easy to just summarize the band as an Arizona/Southwestern version of Silver Jews or a softer Pavement or "Wilco-esque" but I strive to avoid cliches as much as I can. Chore of Enchantment has an interesting variety of sound on the album, perhaps not to the level that Calexico's Feast of Wire surprised me by. Something like "Satellite" is stylistically different from the rest of the album's more indie/alt-country dominant sound. X-tra Wide, Temptation of Egg and Astonished (In Memphis) were other highlights for me in ways that I felt too lazy to transition that last sentence to this one. That indie/slacker sounding stuff isn't much for me, though I dig the alt-country/southwestern sound influence. I'd prefer something like Silver Jews or Calexico, but this album definitely would scratch those that like that sort of music (I guess Calexico is less lyrics-focused than previous bands mentioned in comparison). Not quite sure how this album landed on the list, by streams alone it appears to be one of the least-heard albums on the list. But I think its uniqueness within the genre is worth noting, it's a bit more than it looks and seemingly not (if you know that Wilco/Silver Jews sound) at the same time. Overall as an album: not bad. Not necessarily a legendary or otherwise phenomenal album, but kind of an album that experience is like side-eying something modestly interesting from a long road trip, and that being one of the core memories of the trip that your brain, for one reason or another, just can't shake off. Not in a negative sense, but because brains are fucking weird and hard to control many times, sometimes, for people.
So very boring.
I really did not enjoy a single part of this experience
Ummmmmm...... no
Often boring, at times interesting, rarely (though not never) enchanting.
Ok, suponho que algum membro da banda seja amigo ou parente do autor da lista. Isso explicaria. É um disco verdadeiramente obscuro, pouco conhecido. Não foi uma escuta ruim. Achei um pouco pretensioso, talvez, mas não acredito que ser pretensioso é algo inerentemente negativo. O disco possui uma sonoridade variada, com elementos combinados de folk e um certo indie sleaze. Há algumas faixas mais lentas, como baladas e até umas valsas, também possui algumas canções mais animadas, que me agradaram mais. Essa mescla de Folk Indie Sleaze não me pegou totalmente, mas certamente manteve minha atenção. Um corte ou outro do álbum foi dolorosamente entediante, mas sua duração total não é tão longa, e é algo bem diferente. Mediano, mas inofensivo. Iria dar 3 estrelas, mas o disco é desnecessariamente longo, acabou se tornando uma verdadeira “Chore”, igual o nome do grupo. 2.5/5
1 no thanks
Loved this album! Have always heard of this band but just never bumped into them. Very conversational singing style, very down. You can hear nods to Neil Young, Lou Reed, and touched from contemporaries like J. Mascis.
This is late 90s pop folk - post emo-core, post glib.
This was a funky little album, can feel the desert listening to it.
Pleasant, although completely inessential, Lou Reed style strumalongs periodically punctuated by tracks with frankly annoying production (presumably a forced way of giving the album some variety)
Country fried alternative
Aight
This was a very interesting album. Not always my type of music but had some good songs. I think it would have made a really good single CD.
Didn't click with me. Reminded me a little of Mark Every, but i just couldnt find the hooks that grabbed me.
some cool stuff but nothing exceptional imo
Very melancholy kind of same-y from song to song
Chore by name........
Mix of weird
OK.
boring bland and someone who thinks they are being avant-garde but actually just cringey?
Well, this was terrible.
Not a whole album of this please.
Enjoyed this listen, it felt pretty fresh and unique, if not a little understated.
A weird record, but one that I ended up quite enjoying. Very eerie, kind of like a super minimalist Nick Cave. Goes on a bit
7.5/10 Best songs: (Well) Dusted, Wolfy, Satellite Although I've never heard of this band before (unusual since I'm fairly well-versed in music from this genre and time), apparently they later turned into Calexico, who I AM familiar with. The album has a very toned-down, nearly but not quite acoustic vibe, with heavy country/folk influence. Music and lyrics alike are quite understated. I understand how people could find this album dull - it lacks very many peaks and valleys and overstays its welcome, but I quite like it.
I'm a fan of a lot of Calexico's work, and listened to the somewhat obscure one-off Calexico/Giant Sand/Lisa Germano collaboration OP8 for a bit, so this is right down my aisle and I enjoy this album's vibe. I'm honestly not that sure this belongs on this list, but I'll allow it, given I enjoy it which is more than what I can say about a lot of the other albums that shouldn't necessarily be in this list.
J’ai trouvé l’album monotone et la voix du chanteur qui voulait trop sonner comme Lou Reed / Leonard Cohen :/ pas de personnalité
Not for me. 1/5
On first listen I kinda dug a few songs, but god on relisten it was such a chore to get through. The recording quality is poor, and it sounds like you went to your friend' roommate's singer/songwriter performance at a local café and his mom recorded it on her phone. Not something I'd return to for another hour, despite the pleasant moments. 2.4/5 -> 2/5
Yeah, nothing particularly special or remarkable about this for me. I’d never heard of Giant Sand prior to this coming up. Nice production, and everything is played well but that’s about it. All a bit dull and maudlin.
Ok
Ikke veldig givende. For lavmelt.
Chill men kjedeleg.
This was disappointing because it was almost good. It had moments. But then... it wasn't.
This album is fine in the most literal sense of the word. I didn’t dislike anything, but nothing really grabbed me either.
Definitely a long listen, 2hrs is absolutely nuts. But thats cos of the remixes, i think its really long winded and cld rly do with the fat. Liked the way it shifts genre with each song though a lil lyrically full of itself
When the Wikipedia page is only 4 sentences, you know you're in for something weird. And I guess it kinda was. But it wasn't very interesting or good either. It's too long, has zero memorable songs, and just isn't important enough to be on this list. I have no idea why this album is anywhere near the 1001 albums, let alone on it.
Very dark and grimy. EXTREMELY long album. I’m kinda scared of these songs… Fav song is ‘(Well) Dusted’.
2 out of 5. Nothing for me here really but more power to those that like it.
If I have to go 10 clicks deep in Wikipedia to figure out why the folks in this band are in any way relevant, it doesn't need to be on this list. 2/5
Such a forgettable album.
On first hearing it, I thought what an odd album to make the 1001, but I’ve listened Again this morning, and it reminds me a bit “Moby” mixed with country vibes, quiet got into it actually 👍
от полушепота у меня даже не встал(
Just fine.
Utter shite
Inconsequential utter dugshite. Terrible Tom Waits-like singtalking but without even having interesting storytelling. An instrumental version would be fine.
Alt rock continues onward in the TRL era
Me ha sorprendido muy positivamente, tiene algunas canciones super molonas. No entiendo por qué tiene tan mala puntuación!!!
Alright people, let's not pretend this is anything other than shit. Sounds like the stuff my uncle made from his bedroom 20 years ago.
Is this worse than the Beatles? This was a horrible experience made especially worse by the spoken word vocals, wish I could give this 0 stars. Can't do it sorry, just not for me.
hat mich nicht umgehauen. Klingt wie Eines von 100.000 und nicht 1001
Ich fands teilweise ganz angenehm, schönes easy listening.
I don't know how I feel about the vocals. It fits the vibe though. Temptation of Egg was a good kind of weird. The singing style in Raw reminds me of vampire by Olivia Rodrigo. Didn't listen to the remix or bonus tracks.
Budget Lou Reed and friends. That temptation of egg song was a bit too r*pey.
The voice reminds me a little of Lou Reed, but I never found Lou Reed this boring. I have no idea how this album got a positive review. There's nothing new, nothing innovative, nothing fun – the album is simply lame.
Not good. First album I intentionally didn’t finish.
It was okay.
Howe Gelb does an alright Lou Reed impersonation, but who needs that when you can just listen to Lou Reed? It’s very chill and has a laid-back sound (like a lot of Lou Reed stuff), and isn’t unenjoyable for what it is… it just feels like a knock off. The lyrical content is interesting enough as well, but not enough to save this from the “Meh.”pile.
I have a soft spot for Calexico, whose two members formed the core of Howe Gelb's backing back in Giant Sand, at least during this record's era, though I never fell in love with Giant Sand's massive discography or had the attention span to investigate even a fraction of it. I did, however, see Gelb play solo once in 2003 at the Knitting Factory in NYC (along with Kristen Hersh and Andrew Bird), and I remember being pretty impressed with his storytelling ability and charisma. He came across as a Dylan or Waits-esque troubadour in a way I just hadn't gotten, and still don't get, from the records. These songs have all the poetry and all of the sultry, smoky affect but none of the hooks. Regardless, Gelb did pick the right guys to back him: Calexico's John Convertino and Joey Burns are masters of southwestern atmosphere. They sound so perfect that you almost don't hear them, perfectly placing their frontman at the fore without distraction while still immersing him in sound. I want to like this more than I do; the songwriting just doesn't move me. But I love the sounds and I love the album cover! And I love anytime Juliana Hatfield is on backing vocals. Favorite song: Temptation of Egg
Not for me. Very dull. Some interesting bits
клевая обложка + классно звучат барабаны, но столько песен в альбоме это минус балл как обычно.
This was an interesting ride. Very hummable, and kinda groovy, but a little bit like listening to the random musical dribbling of someone with a lot of inspiration and motivation but not much actual experience of know-how. I liked it well enough, but I probably wouldn't listen to it again. Three stars.
Decent, if not disposable. 3.5/5
Not as bad as previous ratings suggested, not an album I needed to hear though
Put me to sleep. 2/5
Never heard of these folks. Weird, atmospheric, laid back. I liked it. Tonally it reminds me of the soundtrack to "Until the End of the World" which I was just listening to earlier today, strangely enough.
An ok album in its own right with some nice guitar and singing. The songs feel meaningful and heavy. They definitely get the vibe they want across with these songs. That vibe isn't something I want to listen to often though. Maybe I will find this again one day when I'm more in the mood. Or maybe I will forget about Giant Sand today, never to return. I don't feel sad about any of those outcomes.
yikes...
Come on now, really? What’s this supposed to be? Kind of a mid bluesy rock album by a wanna be Tom Waits. It’s not bad or anything but also not a must or a should listen at all. Two stars.
2000s rock. Slow, minimal guitar rock.
Vocals are weird as fuck I think the backing tracks are really cool, and some of the transitions between and within songs are fun. His voice is really bad and I'm struggling to get past that, but its really interesting. Also, apparently he's like super in love with Tucson, which is cool. I think I disliked this album at first but by the end it's really grown on me. I think this is pretty good. Have I said his voice is bad though?
Why was this on here?
Fine.
An unexpected treat. There's parts of it which remind me of Morphine, but it's very much its own thing. Surprisingly tender at times but avoids edging towards saccharine. Will have to delve more into their other albums.
This is definitely art, I’m not sure I like it though. That last song is beautiful though.
why is this so long?
Yes, this was definitely a chore.
These bullshit wannabe Lou Reed vocals are completely awful. Musically, this has a brief few moments of interest but for the most part stays safe and in doing so just becomes forgettable. Another "Why is this on a must-hear list?"
Got boring fast. 4/10 Favourite track: (Well) Dusted
This was actually a pretty good listen, a pleasant surprise. I've got to stop peaking at the reviews before I listen to an album myself! Though it's a good album, I have a hard time believing this is one of the 1001 albums I absolutely MUST hear.
Sounds like a less enthusiastic EELS. Not terrible but not really for me. The singer sounds like someone else but I can’t quite place it. But it’s a 90s song. It’s not Shaun Colvin because that who sang Sonny came home. Overall and by the end I was into this.
Giant Sand can go pound sand. Dreadful.
I like the sound but too religious.
Nice sounding with uniqness
DNF
4/5
Good, but way too long
Enchantment isn't taxing, because being under a spell is inherently seductive. If you feel it's a chore, as this is, it's because there's no magic there. I'm sorry, Howe, but this isn't really working out. It's not me, it's you.
Chore is right.
A chore to listen to indeed. Another completely unnecessary and forgettable inclusion on this list. Elementary lyrics mixed with overall boring and unoriginal music makes for a nice arrangement of drivel. Only rounding up due to some interesting production sounds.
Unnecessary
🥱
Listened to this on Friday and had to pull it up again on Monday to remind myself what the heck it was... totally forgettable I guess. Could be better than I (don't) remember, but I am rounding down. 2.5/5
3.60 nice, folky vibe.
It's fine. Whatever
bits of goodness
Als je net Justin Timberlake hebt moeten luisteren, is het op zich een verademing dat een plaat niet aan elkaar hangt van gelikte loopjes die de doelgroep willen behagen. Dus prima als je Giant Sand bent en je lekker maakt wat je zelf wilt, maar... dan moet je wel wat interessants te melden hebben. Geen slechte muziek hoor, maar er zit ook niks bij waar je warm of koud van wordt. Lauwe indieklanken met vervormde gitaren en dito zang, het ontstijgt nauwelijks het niveau van het gruizige poppodium op de hoek.
Giant brengt absoluut een eigen geluid en sfeer en verdient wat mij betreft zeker een plekje op de lijst. Maar wat luistert dit lastig zeg. Instrumenten en stem lijken soms eerder bestreken te worden dan aangeslagen. De volgende keer worden ze weggedraaid. Of overstemt door een raar geluid. Terwijl er volop tijd is waarin Giant de elementen tot hun recht laat komen. Uiteindelijk zijn de uitschieters, met name als de zang à la Dylan verdraaid, voor mij bepalend.
Mijn Brabantse luistermaat omschreef dit als "mompelrock met fluisterinvloeden" en dat omvat wel een groot gedeelte. Af en toe pakken ze nog uit met een bak gekke geluidjes, wat van mij niet had gehoeven. Ik merk dat ik er niet heel veel over te melden heb, omdat ik het lastig te plaatsen vind. Ik kan even geen goede vergelijkingen met andere bands of artiesten bedenken. Dus laat ik het maar bij of ik het leuk vind om te luisteren. En dat antwoord is: ja, toch wel. Het is wel chill verder, de gekke dingen storen me niet al te veel. 3,5 ster.
I liked this. It was melancholic and esoteric. It has a Lou Reed kind of vibe to it. It is albums like this that keep me coming back to this list. I doubt I would have heard this any other way. Is it patchy? Sure, but I still enjoyed it.
Really struggled to figure out how I feel on this one. There's some really cool bits of music scattered across an album that (even ignoring all the bonus tracks) feels like it drags on a bit long. It's probably not helped by an inability to properly end a song. It either ends abruptly, resulting in a jarring shift to the next track, or there's a little coda which feels at odds with the rest of the track. But the big hurdle is Howe Gelb's vocals. At times he sounds great. A slightly gruff edge to his voice that lends the songs a certain bar room melancholy, but all too often the songs are delivered in this hushed whisper that feels so limp it drains the songs of any impact.