Chore of Enchantment

Kind of interesting, but I’m tired of interesting. I just was good music, not some guy talk-singing. This is not for me.

Favorite Track: Shiver

Honestly, not a fan, not sure why this one was on the list. Given Its the list of 1000 albums you should listen to before you die, I’m gonna give it a one out of five. Not for me.

Yes, this was a chore. Had to forward thru every song about midway

not my thing, but can see the merit

I won't like any rating I give this one.

Tries hard to be Lou Reed but it didn’t click with me.

goomy

2.53

As a whole, this ain't my thing at all. But there is so much unexpected strangenes and some really fun moments that I can't help but enjoy far more than I should.

This was a chore of no enchantment. So dreary. I guess this is the kind of album you make when you can’t sing.

Mixed

Oof, this was baaaad

This was a really good album. It’s amazing that this group has been around since 1980 and recorded lots of albums, and I’ve never heard of them.

Super cool variety of songs

Nice discovery

Chore indeed.

it's s subtly great record

Eehh… It started out as an interesting album but as the songs went on I was bored (which is rare for me), and yes, it felt like a chore to listen to. At first I accepted the vocalists voice as a unique part of the band, but I ended up being unable to stand it unfortunately. This wasn’t an entirely horrible album, but I’d certainly need to be in the right mood to listen to it.

Reminded me a bit of Lou Reed at times.

Listening to this was quite a chore. Nothing special over here. Move along.

This was one big cover version of Shawn Mullins' Lullaby. Did not enjoy this one as it was all the same song over and over again.

Nice surprise

It almost had a quality I liked, kind of like a moody Morrissey vibe. But then they’d wreck it a song or two later with something that was just awful and didn’t work.

Pleasant listening.

it's interesting, i guess, but why is it notable?

Temptation of an Egg?? In this economy??? Pretty much unlistenable tho lol. 1.5.

This was like a k-mart version of Bob Dylan Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 2/5

gtfo

A very average record. Not bad but also not very great. It has some very good tunes but most of it is just average.

Very chill and raspy, not my cup of tea but nice for an evening photographing Jupiter

It's not terrible, but it's so far from amazing. The number of tracks on this album turns it forgettable, but a good experience yet. Ends up in the middle of nowhere, and its potential is not well used.

This is kinda what I imagine people mean when they say "whisper sweet nothings in my ear". Not pleasantries, just barely audible statements of no consequence. This time, set to music.

No

I don't know where I stand with this - - I've heard and enjoyed later Giant Sand that I liked... this has its ups and downs, Maybe if it was just one album instead of a double, it would work better a true 3.5

A good album at its base but the lead singer's voice is so annoying

This is almost too relaxing at times...

Complete waste of time.

Kind of boring, and I just really need more music in my music. Too much Lou Reed-esque talking for me.

Really boring and obscenely long. 1/5 stars.

It was talking over slow alt rock , not my thing. Some songs on the bonus tracks picked up a little and had cool moments but they fizzled out

Well... at least Shiver was quite alright. But generally, between the singer who thinks he is Lou Reed and the self-important music, this was .... wait for it ... a Chore!!!! to get through. .... I'll see myself out. 2.5/5

"Mom, I want Leonard Cohen." "We have Leonars Cohen at home." Leonard Cohen at home:

What is going on here. Why is this noteworthy? I've heard worse things but I can't find a single thing about this to make it worthwhile to hear or revisit. They know how to play instruments.

This is slop. Basic slop. I don't know why this is here. Why is this here?

Supposedly Alternative Rock / Folk Rock? A boring depressing album that is neither folk nor rock. One reviewer praised this album's "raw but tender empathy in songs full of unexpected departures" - what a load of pretentious crap.

Think calexico or lambchop.

Another one that makes you say "why is this here" instead of (unrepresented but way better artist). Its better then Korn at least but didn't do much for me

Howe Gelb's voice is too glib and casual for this to be an impactful record, and the lyrics are never not pretentious, tho they don't always approach the following prattle: 'It's w/ great human OP8 for a headachy nation.' It's too bad, since a track like 'Temptation of Egg' has authentic groove, and 'Shiver' sustains a driving energy, but I can't deal w/ a title like that, and the latter harbors this drivel: 'The deliver of shiver.' More empty poetry: 'And I would ponder this disease like a peeling onion skin striptease.' Above all, the blues and country should never be whispered. Seeing that Gelb is only intent on whispering, it all collapses into something fiercely boring and has few saving graces. No 'furtiva lagrima' for me - just prominent irritation.

I was a little bored by this one. I can usually enjoy weirder, singer/songwriter in this vein, but for some reasons this one doesn’t really click with me. It may be the vocalist to some extent, but I also just didn’t feel very moved by the instrumentals, so it made for an overall pretty uninteresting listen for me. There may be more there lyrically that I could grab onto, but with the nature of this project of a single album a day, the music itself really needs to stand out if I’m going to spin an album from this list more than twice.

Musically I did not really hate this. The vocals are the thing I have the biggest problems with. The monotonous, bored delivery becomes annoying very fast. I could stand it for a little while but a few songs in, listening to the voice became really frustrating. This is just annoying, repetitive, boring and did not have to be that long. Favourite song: Shiver (probably the only melodic vocal moment on the album)

I usually feel great after listening to the album of the day. Not today

Chore of Enchantment is just okay. I do kinda like the idea the band seems to be going for, using some Leonard Cohen style vocals and putting them in an alt-rock album is certainly an idea for an album i would enjoy. The problem is though, the album just never does anything with a lot of the ideas it has and it makes a lot of the songs just feel pretty boring and safe. There were a couple of stand out tracks in this album but nothing i would feel like i would go out of my way to listen to again. This album is not a bad album, it just isn't really all that special and there is just far better stuff out there. Best Song: Wolfy Worst Song: Shrine

In my older age, I've grown impatient with most, if not all that surrounds me, music included. The music that used to bring me joy, is boring. It tries too hard, is too show-y or attempts to rebuild and improve the past. Sure, my mental state may sound like 'depression,' but I'm calling it old age. Giant Sand, includes a mild bit of reminiscence from the days I used to listen to Calexico, and I don't think anyone would accuse this band of trying too hard to impress. The slow tempo, and muted vocals and gimickless production make Chore of Enchantment make for an enjoyable album. This is the introverted, standing along the sidelines, house in the woods, music that I've been needing but unwilling to look for. Great find.

That was a chore to get through. This Giant Sand album has been removed from the list, but I’m not sure how it ever got on there to begin with. Joey Burns and John Convertino helped Howe Gelb make this unenchanted record, but they had already splintered off to form Calexico. Now that’s a much more worthy addition to the list. Calexico’s “Feast of Wire” is a terrific album, with a really cool blend of styles. Like Giant Sand, it was once on the list, but has been removed. And with less than 100 albums left to go, we haven’t hit it yet. It’s a five, I think - looking forward to that one.

Oh good more talking rhythmically and calling it singing. AND we are adding random sounds into otherwise fine songs in order to sound experimental and edgy. No thank you.

1014 albums in and I have no patience for bad vocals. And they occur far too often on this list.

There might be a worthwhile album hidden in there somewhere, but my lord would you have to do a lot of digging to find it. Some of the concepts, and even some of the melodies are actually great, but the lead singer is just so devoid of skill and charm that everything stops when he starts singing. Some tracks seem to be aiming for a Lou Reed feel and are almost passable, but some appear to aiming for a weak, weak, impersonation of the later version of Cohen. The lyrics absolutely do not carry the delivery though. Also the Spotify version I listened to was 2 hours long, but that appears to padded with remixes and bonus tracks, so I guess I can't blame them for that directly.

Not bad, not great, very mellow, it was an album that I listened to.

Meh, not terrible but often felt like it was being weird for the sake of weird.

Another one I am a little torn on. I had never heard of this and I would say overall it was a pleasant surprise. This feels like a rainy day album to me. Both literally and figuratively to be honest. The tracks that are good are REALLY to my taste but it goes on a little long and there are some stinkers on there too. Would have benefitted greatly from some paring down. If it had been it actually could have been a 5 star contender for me, or at least a 4.5. As is I'm waffling between a 3 and a 4. I'm going to round up to the 4 because I do think this is the perfect album for the right mood, just need to skip a few songs maybe.

Not even halfway in but this is painful. Would be less of a chore if he didn't sing.

It did not need to be 2 hours long 30 songs track list. No clear identity of what they wanted to have the album be like. Also I can't be arsed with men being poor singers anymore. Fully losing the plot. Only song I can tolerate is Shiver.

More like Chore of an Album. Yawn.

Although this fell away at the end the collection is pretty cool.

Vissa låtar är ganska trevliga men har väldigt svårt för hans släpiga prat-sjungande, det tar aldrig fart. Vissa låtar är också ganska tråkiga. Kommer nog inte lyssna på igen. 2 av 5

From one perspective there isn't much on this album. And in the same time this fascinating album that hit some nice vibe moment in me.

There was nothing in this album that I could get a firm grip on. Too monotonous a soundscape for my taste.

How interesting, another turn of the century band/album I've never heard of. After listening half way through I can already say this is not for me. Reminds me of Nick Cave to a degree... and Elvis Costello or someone like him, I don't like this kind of music, so I don't really remember their names. It's not bad as such, it just doesn't hold my interest. Folk music is not my think, I don't know what makes this "folk rock", I guess not doing it by the rules to the tee? It is mostly about the lyrics, but I'm a music guy, melody and riff dude, I especially like massive sound. Acoustic guitar or a piano does not fulfil the need at all, even if they add some support instruments to the mix. It's good enough that I can understand why someone would like this, but I just find myself thinking should I skip this track or just put on something entirely different. PS. Midway through I did just that. I put on Ultra Death Cult's "End Times Are Good Times", which was another artist I'd never heard of before, but immediately felt slightly better.

Don’t mind some of the instrumentation but the vocals drove me nuts. Far too often they’re too quiet to make out what they’re saying. When you can understand I don’t care. 2/5

Almost a four

Smog by way of Thrill Jockey Records was not something i knew existed, or that i needed it so much. "Chore of Enchantment" keeps in low gear with its eclecticism, always surprising you when something like a trip hop beat or a sample of an old movie pops in or a mellotron comes in on one of the tracks. my only real complaint is the horrible mouth smacking intro on "Temptation of Egg". alongside this, "Raw" feels less raw and more underbaked, a good idea that could have been a great song but never develops with ornamentation like the other tracks do. otherwise, all the little experimental flourishes feel at home here, introducing itself as a warm friend before walking right out the door. what a delightful variety of reunions.

Not my style

First time hearing this and probably the last. Didn’t like or dislike.

boring

It's usually not difficult to predict what the album will be like when its entire Legacy section on Wikipedia is simply the fact that it's in the 1001 Albums book. There are many of these 90s or 00s indie/alt rock albums that fall into this category. While I don't mind listening to some of these albums, I do think that they tend to be the least worthwhile albums in the book. The 1001 list has an impressively varied selection, but I do think the albums like this (where the only notable thing about it is its inclusion in the list) are its biggest weak spot. I've got nothing against obscure album choices in theory, however. I definitely wouldn't say that just because an album is less influential and doesn't have as important of a legacy, it shouldn't be included. But I do think that makes them harder to justify. Not an unpleasant listen, but among the most forgettable.

too many soft edges. there's a song at the end that wakes up a bit, but otherwise . . meh

It took me e a while to figure out how to rate this album. I kept trying a few distracted listen attempts but I was never able to get a handle on the album as a piece until I sat down gave it my full attention. Since I have it as a 4 sided double album in vinyl I'll rate it in that way....side 1 is brilliant singer-songwriter fare that goes from bluesy to folky to even a touch funk. Side 2 starts off in the same and reaches the album's zenith with Shiver a beautiful country rock ballad that swings with beauty and grace. Things go kinda sideways from there rest of side 2 and side 3 are mostly forgettable. Side 4 is better but mostly because we revisit the earlier stronger songs with alternate takes of Dusted and Shiver. Overall a fine album with some beautiful poignant songs if it were a single album it might merit 5, but as is 4 stars

Elements of Sparklehorse to this Doesn’t quite have that magic though but it’s an interesting lo-fi Americana sound that I’m keen to listen to again

Blind album and artist. Honestly kinda boring but not dreadful. I have no clue why this is on the album list.

Album 693 of 1001 Giant Sand - Chore of Enchantment (2000) Rating : 2 / 5 Meh. Blend of alt-country, punk, and folk. Nice voice.

A chore to get through. It's kinda boring and too long. Also quite unpolished in places.

👌🏿

It’s alright, honestly I didn’t listen to it.

Very meh. Not sure how this got on the list. On the three side of a 2.5

It's like a slightly improved folk version of Lou Reed. I don't like folk music. I hate Lou Reed.

Stealing this from one of the global reviews: listening to this was a chore...

The deadpan delivery (particularly on songs like Raw) channel the spirit of Lou Reed. As a whole this is a pretty campy sounding record -- like something that would soundtrack a film or some quirky cross-country trip. I don't hate it, but the spoken word bits on X-Tra Wide are pretty goofy. I actually like Temptation of Egg quite a bit; nice little bopper. And the individual instrumentation can be quite nice and almost sparse (despite having over 10 members on the personnel list). Seems like one of those albums with strong "hipster" appeal. By that I mean it is music that feels a little off color generally, and is altogether interesting, but oozes of a certain pretentious spirit. A bit long winded, but I actually found I resonated more with the back half than the front. Satellite and Shrine were both standouts to me. Weird album straddling a 3/4 line. Going high 3 here because I don't feel any immediate urge to go back through the experience.

Slow and depressing. Reminds me of a worse Nick Cave. Was pretty much ready for this one to end once I started it.

Not sure why but that album really annoyed me. Might have been the weird way the singer whispered the whole time. Or could have been that sometimes it feels like the instruments were just playing whatever the hell they wanted to. Seems like music that I would normally really like, but just something about this did not jive with my ears. Anyways, like 95% of that album was pretty terrible, and 5% was mediocre to ok

I feel like if you're a big Tom Waits guy this album will be your jam. Unfortunately I am not a big Tom Waits guy. Temptation of Egg is tight though.

Giant Sand was band that I tried to get into in the '90s but I had given up by the time of this 2000 album. Nothing ever caught hold of me. I'm surprised to see anything by them on this list. Not that they're terrible. It's just that Howie Gelb's vision has never appealed to many outside the band's following. ...and this record, as it turns out, is more of the same. Meandering, understated, mood pieces that conjure remote places and broke-down people, not exactly Americana... not exactly like pre-Odelay Beck, sharing some sonic space with Jim White's more-compelling stuff from the same era... at an hour long, this is a slog of a record for the most part. The punky spurt of "1971" was a surprising interlude, and "Shiver" stands out like an actual song I'd want to hear again. Some of the lyrics carry some weight, and some of the atmospherics/production is cool, but not enough to save this record for me.

4/5

Unique sound, I have never heard anything like this before. A mix of alt rock, quite lofi, with a strong country influence. One point for originality for sure. Small problem is that I didn't like it. It wasn't that bad to listen to it, but certainly my mind was not entirely focused on music, it was too 'backgroundy'. But it's nice to know there are quirky bands around.

I really dug the first track, but then it just sounded like a smarmy guy mugging. Kept that first as a favorite. The rest is dispensable.

I'm starting to understand the real premise of the book's title, which is that some of these albums are intended to make you welcome death

It's a good album. Like early Josh Ritter.

Well, 'chore' is accurate. Just kind of drones on. Vocals aren't great. Couldn't recount a single track if I tried.

Pretty cool. I liked it. Listened a couple times

Never heard of this artist. But being from 2000 I have a feeling this is a little indie rock/electronic pop. Completely wrong. Sounds like Tom Waits. A little mellow. Not exactly what I was expecting. Going to wait for the 3rd track on this album. Too mellow for me. 2-3 stars

Fun with something I haven't listened to, or even heard of before! It's usually fairly easy to hear when something is from the 90s, but not with this. And I say that as a good thing. It feels like it might as well have been made today, so it definitely survived the test of time. It was very cool to hear this album, but it's probably not anything I'd put on again. I don't know what it is, but it just doesn't resonate that well with me somehow, and I'm a bit sorry for that honestly.

Very hard to pinpoint when this was recorded without looking at the release date. Felt a bit like Bright Eyes but with a lower voice. It started of ok but the longer I listened the more it started to bore me. I guess it could be a weak 3 but I don't want to listen to it again and no songs really caught my attention. It just felt a bit whiny. Still there it was different from what usually is on here.

Just ungodly slow. Pretty dull.

Why does the opening track sound like it was composed for a SNES game? Overall this is boring. The singer sounds like he's trying really hard to sound cool. I don't get the sense that his singing voice actually sounds like that. He probably idolizes Nick Cave and early Tom Waits, not that there's anything wrong with that. It's in the ballpark of some great indie releases from the same era, but misses the mark. The try-hard lyrics and imperfect, barely-singing vocals ruin some otherwise decent instrumentation. How you gonna put this on here but not Sparklehorse or Grandaddy? OR BUILT TO SPILL FFS

This record falls together too rarely for it to be a classic for me. I like records that are loosely held together but this is a little too loose. And the last track is suuuuper tight! Like wth?

ok but kind of shit 2/5

Uninteresting dross

this was decent, i didn’t dislike it i found it fairly enjoyable

3.3 2x (extended 1h57m)

Not in my edition of the book! 2000. 1 star. Dull hipster bar noodling that goes on for far too long, with a vocalist channelling a stoned Lou Reed. Who decided this was essential listening?

More like sand in your bathing suit at the beach.

Not sure what it's supposed to be

I am giving it a 2 because of the bonus tracks. Without them, it would have been 1 star. The beginning was not great but it picked up a little at the end. It's not an album I will visit again, but it doesn't mean that I won't give the band another try with a different album.

Couldn't really get into it.

All of the tracks are the same

Good, weird. Probably won't listen again

Worst album ever...a chore?YES....enchantment? FUCK,NO! music played on the elevator to HELL ...1 star, wait, no stars for this ...sorry Giant Sand....even your name is fucking stupid

OK album. It was a bit of a chore to get thru though.

oh wie langweilig das dahin plätschert. und der vergleich mit young schmeichelt ebenfalls nicht, auch wenn er passt. ohne highlight, ereignisloses album.

Interessanter Indiesound der gefällt, aber irgendwann auch etwas gar relaxt wirkt.

banging my head against the wall

Okay not a fan of his voice but sometimes there were really cool music arrangements that I liked and then they’d be ruined imo by some crazy sound. I hypothesize Alex likes this album or will at minimum listen to it twice lol

This album sucks. Like Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Silver Mt. Zion but bad. Temptation of Egg is maybe the only halfway good song on this album. 1

This is like a less interesting sparklehorse - but i love sparklehorse, so i kinda linked this. the vocals are too Bill Callahan-y for me though. 3.5 down to a 3

not a fan of the vaguely grungy vocal style

An alright album, I liked Overture and Way to End the Day.

Great indy in the same vein as the Flaming Lips.

Never heard of them. I was a bit scared when I saw that on Spotify most songs from this album have under 100k streams but I didn't have a terrible time listening to this. Doesn't sound like a groundbreaking album but I needed some calming music so that's nice. Giving it a generous score. 3/5

I should've taken chore being in the title as a warning.

Another in the long list of I’m guessing this might be really interesting with more listens. Until then I can say I enjoyed moments but not consistently.

Está tranqui, es bastante lindo el disco, pero no es la gran cosa. Se hace largo.

Seems like mood music...just caught me in a good mood so it didn't work for me...I am trying to get away from sad b@atard music....but everyone needs a cry sometimes.

Struggled to get through the bonus tracks

That was completely unknown to me, not just the album but the band as well. It was absolutely delightful, listened to it three times today.

damn 2 hours again :O pretty chill guitars and vocals, kinda a raspy country voice? and at times lovely piano and experimental stuff I think my dad would like this, I didn't connect to much with it although I feel like there are a couple of good messages and more that I missed. Overall a 6/10 but man No Reply is lovely! Bottom Line Man and Way To End A Day are also new topics to me. Shrine is great two so I seem to prefer the second half of the album, that chill guitar and outro is calming. I didn't listen to the Bonus Tracks or Remixes, sorry, didn't have the energy.

I like this a lot. Getting Lou Reed vibes tho less dark, Germanic sleaze and more sunny, desert vibes.

A proper curate's egg this one!!

Not a bad album but pretty boring. Background music at best, though not sure what situation I'd put this on in the background

This was entirely new to me again and i think it struggles to justify its place here. Some perfectly serviceable but unassuming low fi indie folk, that just doesn't seem to stand out

A curious mix of Lou Reed, Wilco and Neil Young that I had never heard or even heard of, but ended up enjoying very much. I will be listening to more Giant Sand.

Great!

It’s a Chore alright.

This sounds like it would be the soundtrack of an indie film with a cult following

Very long, very dreary, very boring

Far too long, and I didn't even listen to the bonus tracks.

There was definitely no enchantment here and it was a chore to get through it. Would have given 0 stars if I could have

Wasn’t too much of a chore, really enjoyed the chill vibe of this. Especially the song with rain in the background

Shiver, Satellite and others that were more melodic and often had female backing vocals were enjoyable whereas the monotone talk singing became tedious. Overall I enjoyed the album on the whole.

Chore indeed. Would be revolutionary if Lou Reed hadn't already done it 25 years earlier.

Gran descubrimiento, uno de esos álbumes por los que me gusta hacer este challenge. Una mezcla de folk/country muy ambiental, una especie de Ry Cooder pero más country. Una banda sonora perfecta para conducir por el desierto, aunque también algo largo y un poco pesado a veces.

Not Bad. Chilling. Pleasing to the ear. Just some folk songwriters minding their own business.3-3.5/5.

Very unique alternative country. One track will be a straightforward song with hints of americana, and then next will experiment with instrumentation, style, or songwriting. Some certainly work better than others, but they're all highlighted with the deep, smokey singing voice of Howe Gelb. Does it do enough to warrant a spot on the list? I would argue no, it just isn't consistent enough in quality, especially given it's runtime. Chore of Enchantment could have something special in there, something better, but it needs some editorial revisions and a stronger creative vision.

Horrible indie/alt rock garbage. Singer has the most monotoned voice ever. They got the word Chore right.... It is a Chore to listen to. While listening to Temptation of Egg, my 4yr old son put his fingers in his ears and said he didn't like it. He has more sense then the complete morons who thought this album belongs on this list. This is absolute hipster indie/alt rock garage. Nothing about this is good. Favourite songs: Dirty From the Rain, Shiver Least favourite songs: Temptations of Egg, and the rest of this piece of shit record... 1/5

yfirleitt hægt alt-köntrí. minnir á tweedy og þess háttar. er frekar gott. ég vil meira.

This sucks.

Some pretty songs but overall rambling

It’s like Smog, but just the boring songs

Dollar store Lou Reed. Inoffensive, but ultimately uninspiring.

Meh. Coney island baby without Lou Reed or decent tunes and with horrible dischordant guitar solos.

interesting

B0000000RING

Dude seriously tried to rhyme Cohen with Own. Also sampled about four different genres and was terrible at all of them.

Listened Before? N I have never heard of these folks. After looking at their Spotify page I'm not surprised. Their biggest hit has only about half a million listens. Not to say this is bad, but I'm not sure what it's doing here... I didn't really dislike it, but it's very mellow and stripped down. Feels very local to the desert they are from. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Shiver

What a chore it was listening to this.

Pretty good. Kinda reminds me of Beck

Interesting and entertaining.

Right up my alley but I don't know if this is something I will revisit. The atmosphere is great, as well as the production. Everything has it's place nothing feels too busy.

What is it with 90s indie music and bass/baritone voices? Alabama/A3, Morphine, the Magnetic Fields, Giant Sand etc... Could you imagine any of these breaking through in another decade? As for the album itself, it's eclectic and wordy americana with great arrangements and playing. But despite how varied the music can be, Howe Gelb's voice still manages to become a drone by the second half. A great argument for splitting records into Side A and Side B like you would on vinyl.

Not too bad, it was alright having the album play in the background. There wasn't anything too exciting but it was somewhat enjoyable. Nice little rhythmic music.

Ah yes, quite enjoyable. Certainly something I'll dig further into. Faves: Shiver, Satellite

Yeah, I really dug this - slowcore-adjacent, often dreamy, often cinematic - this project has definitely opened my eyes to alt country! Will be digging into these folks' back catalog. Fave tracks - "(Well) Dusted (For The Millenium)" is phenomenal. "No Reply" and "Satellite" work well together. Really, though, this is more about the album taking you on a little slacker journey than individual tracks...

This was pretty cool. It is a pretty low key affair with some interesting lyrical content and kind of a lounge-y, countryish vibe.

Could someone please explain to me why I need to listen to this painfully drab album?

A chore, yes, I agree. Also a bore. Creepy, Leonard Cohen, hard-R pronouncing singing along with some nice music at times.

This was most definitely no an album I had to listen to before I die. It wasn't the very worst, but I couldn't hear anything good in it either. The Wikipedia page is also pretty empty, leaving me clueless as to why I should care about this one.

There were a few songs toward the back half of the album that stood out, but you had to listen to 7 tracks to get there. Too dry and low energy for my taste. I think I would've liked it better as an instrumental album I'll probably never listen to this again. Super forgettable. Not sure what this album is doing on this list

Tough one to get through. The vocals ruined it all for me, I just don’t enjoy the singers voice or delivery. The music wasn’t half bad at times, there are some interesting surprises throughout, but the time between surprises really drags. Not my thing.

Lo-fi alt country. I’m kinda into it

- War mir bisher gänzlich unbekannt - Ich stehe wie an der ein oder anderen Stelle ja schonmal erwähnt auf so ziemlich alle Country Subgenres. Alternative Country und Americana stehen dabei ganz weit Oben auf meiner Liste. Auf diesem Album ist beides wunderschön vereint!! - Der Dude hat eine ziemlich coole, laidback Surfer Stimme. - Insgesamt alles sehr entspannt - Wunderbare Sonntagsmucke Rating: 3,75-4/5

- kam überraschend, dass das ein so geiles Album ist - abwechslungsreich, kreativ - hat einfach Bock gemacht

Meh

I'll give it points for at least being a pretty interesting listen, they try a lot of different styles and while it doesn't always stick, it's better than being boring. Might even grow to enjoy it with more listens, but that won't be for a while if ever.

Tuntuu ettei levy etene ja lähinnä lepää paikallaan. Hyviä yksittäisiä elementtejä, mutta yleinen taso tappavan puuduttavaa.

Harvinaisen tylsä

This was homework

Ujdzie. 2/5

Well 2 hours is a bit much, but I think this was the extended version it was OK but too long in reality. I'll give it a 3.

I’ve never heard of them and a quick read of the Wiki thread didn’t give anything away at all. With an open mind I had a listen whilst on a long drive. Very interesting album, and one that can’t really be labelled by a sticking a genre on it. I wasn’t blown away by the first few tracks but then the step change from ‘X-Tra Wide’ to ‘1972’ grabbed my interest. What followed was such a varied catalog of songs and instruments and arrangements and tempos. Will give it another listen when I’m not as distracted by the idiot drivers on the M3.

I've heard a few Giant Sand songs a long time ago, and I never realised they were still going! This album was pretty good for them, I'm pretty sure they were more experimental and off the wall than this, but that does shine through in places. Maybe a bit too Americana folksy for my tastes though.

Aggressively mid. Is this guy related to the author, why is this here? I almost want to give it a 1 because its so bland and uninspiring. But its not solely bad, its just not good either. Disappointing. Why is this on the list?

2.5

Some parts definitely surprised me, but damn, what an overly long self important album

Very boring. Didn’t keep it in the library.

This is like if the Flaming Lips singer wanted to make an album that sounded like Bruce Springsteen. That’s not a good thing. I found myself getting distracted by everything but this album. I actually forgot I was listening to something, which says a lot since music is my thing. There is nothing good about this one, sorry. 2 failure of albums in a row? Sheesh

This is a cool album cover. Kinda cool album title. This is boring music. Sometime last year Center of the Universe was mentioned somewhere as an essential, and I listened to a tiny bit of Giant Sand before deciding it wasn't for me. If not for that my review would be saying this is forgettable music that has no business on the list, but apparently there's something enduring about it. Has a bit of a "buddy don't you know you're not Bob Dylan yet?" vibe to me. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

I like the name Giant Sand quite a lot. Is it a giant grain of sand? A giant area of sand? Not all that much to say about the record. Mostly forgettable, with a couple of Moments throughout. Lots of that on this list. Decent, maybe not essential.

I just couldn't get past the lackluster vocals paired with laid back instrumentation, just nothing to grab attention or hold interest.

I don't really know what to think about this album. It feels like it never starts, but I'm on the 11th song already. Luckily that means I only have (looks at track list) THERE'S 19 SONGS LEFT ON THIS FUCKING ALBUM? WHO HAS THE TIME FOR THIS SHIT? 3/5 The music isn't bad, but it's long and boring all the same

Total surprise, quirky and raw, but also melodic and relatable.

Giant sand? Giant shit more like. Who decides to put this on these lists? Why is it great because it isnt...

Nah

I mean. Sure.

Would have rather Eno- and that is saying a lot.

I'd never heard of this group before. I liked this, it gave me 'if Eels went country' vibes at times. I may need to return to this one for a closer listen.

Felt like a Willie Nelson album that wasn’t written or sung by Willie, I would have preferred if it was. Also waaaaay too long.

When it started I thought I was going to like it more but I didn’t. 2.5

Giant Sand’s *Chore of Enchantment* is an album that offers a mix of poetic depth and eclectic musicality. While the music itself didn’t resonate with me personally—it felt a bit outside of my usual preferences—I can still appreciate the unique blend of styles and the ambition behind its sound. What truly stood out to me were the lyrics, which are often profound and sometimes delightfully whimsical. One line, in particular, caught my attention and stuck with me: *"You can get Leonard Nimoy to play the part of Leonard Cohen."* It’s such a clever, evocative phrase that encapsulates the band’s knack for pairing the unexpected with the profound. Even though the music wasn’t entirely to my taste, I can see how it might strike a chord with fans of Giant Sand's distinctive approach. If you’re someone who loves thoughtful, offbeat lyrics and a willingness to experiment sonically, this album is worth exploring.

Kind of a generic alt rock sound. Nothing bad but nothing really stood out

Чилловый

Way too chill with nothing of interest to grab my attention.

Never heard of this guy so was interested in listening to something new. It’s difficult to categorise this album. Some good music arrangements but soon tired of the talking monotonous vocals. Not certain why or how this album made the list. Not so much an enhantment but more of a chore. 2/5 21/11/24

Slow, plodding, reasonably enchanting. This didn't grip me.

Yeah a chore. Seriously why is this on here? Maybe it's because I'm at the very end of this but really? So much boring ass shit. And too damn long.

Unacceptable

There are a lot of annoying noises and whines scattered throughout the songs. So, it’s hard to get through a whole song. This is misophonia hell. Stopping early.

A wonky, blurry and intimate-sounding dose of Americana. It never really got too loud, and at its quitest Chore of Enchantment became little more than dark mutterings over muted guitar. More curious than enjoyable - but curious is fine, too.

++: (Well) Dusted (For the Millennium), Temptation of Egg, Wolfy, Satellite, Bottom Line Man +: Overture, 1972, Raw, Shiver, Dirty from the Rain, Way to End the Day +-: Punishing Sun, X-Tra Wide, Astonished (In Memphis), No Reply, Shrine 7,7/10

The interminable droning of the vocalist handicaps the talented musicianship on this album, ensuring that three stars is the most it will get from me.

Someone tried and failed.

Aldrig hört förut men det finns något.

Never heard of this band. Kinda like a sleepy Low, Wilco Americana. Decent. May explore more.

I had never heard of this band before. They are pretty good. I will be listening to more of their albums.

Amazing to me how some folks are able to create their own world. I mean no doubt he's a child of something and he has siblings and peers with similar sounds, but the way all his songs feel like they accrue to some larger thing on purpose. Now that I'm writing this is all seems basic and obvious haha

Sounds too much like Lou Reed. Stand-out: No Reply

Dollar store Lou Reed. No thanks.

I would have loved to discover this 20 years ago. (ntm.)

Alright

Just a boring album. Nothing particularly interesting or groundbreaking to speak of. The songs usually just have one musical idea and don’t go anywhere. The talk singing might have been okay for an EP but listening to that for 16 songs (30 with all the bonus tracks!!) is just exhausting.

Yes, hmm. Nice aspects to it, some songs are actually really good, but followed by plain bs "raw" and then the unbearably boring "Wolf". The singer is not an asset here. Not enough raw empathy to get me up and applaud...

J'ai trouvé ça plutôt monotone et pas tellement mémorable. Comme une version moins bonne du Bill Callahan. 4/10

It has moments but on the whole not for me

2.5

Bore off mate

Just ok.

Never heard this before. Not horrible but pretty bland with a couple of okay moments. Shouldn't be on this list. A soft 3 stars

I really like his voice, and how low and crackly it is. The sparse instrumentation compliments it well and knows exactly when to jump in and out. I'll have to explore them more.

Crap.

2 Stars (5/15)

Really dreary. Some songs were OK, but most just made us want to die.

how did this end up on this list⁉️his singing is awful and the instrumentation & lyrics are so bland

This is somewhere between Wovenhand and Silver Jews and isn’t bad, but is not as good as those other bands.

I kind of like 1972, I almost like Wolfy

3.5

Ok, but a bit boring.

I actually really enjoyed this one... Musically really kept me interested. The vocals were really not to my liking, but actually worked with the feel of the music but as the album. The latter half of the album is what really sold me on it as a whole "Dirty as The Rain" stuck me as a left of center Van Zandt tune. The solo on "No Reply" just soars, but my favorite song on the album is "Satellite". It's dirty groove really pulled me in from the start I'm starting this off at an (8.15) ★★★★ with room to grow on me.

There are some interesting features here, but I don't like the vocals and the production. 3 stars

I like that they kind of build off an Americana sound, but end up in a place that isn't what you'd typically associate with an Americana/Alt-County artist. At times, it's reminiscent of what I like about Meat Puppets II, but it's a more modern, less abrasive, more eclectic version of it. My favorite tracks are "(Well) Dusted (For the Millennium)", "Raw", "Shiver", "Astonished (In Memphis)" and "Satellite". 4.5

3.5

More like ‘Bore of Enchantment’… oh wait, that doesn’t sound much worse than its current name. ‘Snore of Encrapment’? Either way this is a very lacklustre, completely non-essential album. The closest thing slacker and alt-country has to Shack. And because it was officially taken off the 1001 list I didn’t even have to listen to it anyway.

ahead of its time in that it sounds just like the albums i didn't want to listen to in 2008

There were a select few songs in here I enjoyed but overall I just felt like the album ran way too long and didn’t provide enough variety. Everything sounded relatively similar.

Don't know em; don't like em. Lou Reed posers.

Очень напоминает Марка Козелека, но без драмы и надрыва?.. Чувствуется очень затянутым. Лучшая песня - Astonished (In Memphis).

This was interesting - very mellow and pleasant to listen to. Didn’t motivate me to learn anything more. Good record glad I listened.

This album was very interesting and had my attention right from the start, mainly for the Lou Reed vocal style. And with each listen, all I could think, this is a Lou Reed album. I am a Lou fan so I enjoyed this album. It did get a little slow at times, but I appreciated more and more with each listen. And with each listen different songs seemed to stand out. Very much Lou style. Some times you think wtf, then it hits you and you smile and say, there it is! Some songs that stood out for this listener include, Way to End the Day, Bottom Line Man, Temptation of Egg, Astonished and Dusted. But really, I thought most of the songs were solid. What can I say, I liked this. To explain is difficult, and much like Lou, you get it and like or you don't. Not much middle ground. 3.5

2 Behind on my reviews, but the last few days have called for punk rock and Rage Against the Machine - especially yesterday. Anyway, I’ve never heard of Giant Sand, but it seems that the frontman is a big Lou Reed fan. I mean, he’s basically doing an impression of the guy on just about every track here, but in this case, without the matching musical ability behind it. I respect the guy for at least trying to do his own thing musically so it doesn’t sound fully copycat, but I found most of this kind of boring. The only track I thought was decent was Satellite, which bears a similar name to one of Lou Reed’s most iconic songs because of course it does. Once again, it’s very different from Lou’s work from a musical perspective, but in this case, I actually appreciated how it had a bit of a rawer, heavier sound to it as compared to most of the other lame piano and acoustic stuff found here. Overall, pretty forgettable album in my books, and one that drags on far too long. Ironically though, if you do end up listening to the Deluxe Edition on Spotify, a lot of the bonus tracks are actually pretty solid - no idea why that wasn’t just the album instead. Oh, and Fuck Trump and anyone who voted for him. I don't know how anyone of sane, rational mind can witness the words and actions of the man from the past eight years and think he’s suitable to run a country. What a joke and absolute embarrassment for America. In the words of Rage’s Zack de la Rocha (who himself was quoting MLK): “How long? Not long, because what you reap is what you sow.”

Boring album. I don't know why it is in the list in the first place. It's something I can only imagine people listening to in the deep States. It has nothing.

If you'd told me the guys out of Calexico were in a different band in the 90s and doing Lou Reed-style alt-country, this is, to be fair, the exact album I'd imagine. Luckily, I like all the words in that sentence.

This album seems to be “Let’s throw together any old shit and see what works.” Some does, some doesn’t, but they’ve neglected to take the bad ones out. Seriously, 31 tracks? Also, its like Mountain Goats fronted by Lou Reed. Didn’t work for me.

Sorry, but this was awful - the husky not-quite-singing mumbley nonsense might work for some, but it's definitely not doing anything here. Not a fan, going to definitely need to listen to something with a bit more variety to contrast with this.

I was today years old when I discovered that mumble-triphop-alternative rock is apparently a thing.

Before mumble rap there was mumble rock. Don’t care that much for either. I understand that the vocal is an aesthetic choice and all… It’s just a boring one.

Ihan kiinnostavaa mutta ei olla tarpeeks tupakkaa vetänä että yllettäisiin äänen kanssa top sijoituksille..

Not my cup of tea

Hans am aafang meega geil gfunde und denn gmerkt es bliibt immer gliich. Sing bitte ei mol tön

erste song nöööd mis bier. han au ultra scheisse pennt aber sie helfed gad nöd. punishing sun au bitz weird, s wär eigentli no schön. aber wiso chönd die ganze indie guys nöd singe? s nögste lied isch mega breit ok. ich merk etz scho da chunt nöd guet ich fründ mich glaub nöd mit dem album aah. okay eventuell findi de songtitel "temptation of egg" seeeehr funny und de song scho bitz groovy. ah jo uf raw isch wieder de lamsam indie stuff und de obligati indie-glockenspiel-melodie im refrain irgendwenn. UF WOLFY HETS AM SCHLUSS VIER COOLI SEKUNDE GITARRE shiver isch kinda cute aber joooo so indieee no reply isch tz gad no cool gsi cooli gitarre recht moody. kenn s operestuck nocher aber weiss nöd wases isch. bottom line man findi etz wieder chli wenig melodie für so e langwiligs instrumental. aso isch afoch seicht. gseh wies eim meega chan berüehre

oeeeff oke mal luege was da passiert well dusted findi na spannend? aber er redt halt nur punishing sun AARRRSCH ok s solo findi na cool HAHAHAHA X-TRA WIDE ISCH MEGAAA ASSSSS ER CHAN NÖD SINGE UND DENN GAHTS VOM LINKE UND RECHTE IHR WIE DEVIATION CHLI VOR SICH HER MURMLET HAHAHAHAHAHA ok hiee und daa findi de groove na spannend, mite orgle (?) im hindergrund raw isch eig na herzig wolfy passt wieder gar nöd zum ganze? fuck isch das arschlangwilig satellite isch en neue tüfpunkt aso das die gschissne schisslieder auno mind. 5 min münd gah, isch fast scho tortur

This is really long and feels like a guy just like moaning in my ear about weird shit. Musically not horrible but ⭐️⭐️.

This was super interesting and I'm glad its on the list. Its a little bloated, though

I'm on a bad streak lately. This one is simply boring. Nothing more, nothing less.

dusty. baked. crafted. resonant. wise.

Some of it sounds like the kind of music Bob Dylan would be making if he were still alive The harsher tracks were a pleasant surprise, it would've been very boring otherwise

a horrible soundtrack to roadtrip to punishing sun was the only song that didn't make me want to turn it off. kinda liked it tbh

They weren’t wrong. It was a real chore to get through it. Very dull.

Not sure I would seek this out to listen to, but if I saw it used on vinyl I may be tempted to pick it up. It’s got a good Tom Waits like feel to it.

All a bit dull and samey. Felt like it should be good in theory, but not executed well.

Not what I expected but overall I rate it positive

Quite dull. Very whiny.

Putting 14 bonus tracks on this flaming pile of garbage is perhaps the most delusional thing I've ever seen. Do yourself a favor and just watch an ASMR video instead of subjecting yourself to this crap

Shiver

De cara foi enormemente ignorado.

Nun ja.

Fav: Shiver Least Fav: (Well) Dusted This would’ve been a 1/5 if the second half wasn’t as good as it was

This wasn't awful, but it was pretty dull. Nothing really ever rose beyond, "this is pleasant. " I'm beginning to think there aren't 1000 albums i have to hear before I die.

Not really entertained by this Leonard Cohen wannabe. Or maybe its trying to emulate the worst of Robbie Robertson. The music behind was somewhat interesting with unexpected directions and distortions. But the spoken word thing gets tedious, fast. 2.4

I was in a great mood this morning. It took about 5 minutes of this shitbrick of an album to change that. I loathe this with the passion of 1,000 suns.

Sometimes it felt like a 4, other times it seemed that it was only a 2. In the end, however, it was just another 3.

Kind of boring. Nothing really wowed me.

A couple nice songs on here. I could see this growing on me if I listened more. If you like this in 1999, indie music is about to get so much better.

An interesting journey through the dusty southwest. The man who invented alt-country kind of feels like flipping through a radio dial: some cool, some interesting, some boring. A less raspy Tom Waits and a less Shakespearian Neil Young. Too much meandering for me in one album but I'll probably spin it again.

Jesus needs to return and snatch this crap up.

I sometimes wonder if the authors of the list are just trolling us, this is one of those times.

Shit music. If you will.

I kind of liked it

bom pra fazer planilhas com esse som de fundo

I’ll be really honest - I didn’t make it through the whole album. What I listened to was fine. Didn’t leave me wanting more but I didn’t dislike it.

Weirdly ok.

I got far into this, but at the end of my commute to work I was still five songs from the end and hadn’t enjoyed a single minute, so I’m calling it. I didn’t *hate* it, exactly, but it’s firmly in the bottom 20% of albums in this project, so I’m giving it a 1.

bit dull

I'm not sure why this album is rated so low. It's not bad at all, I enjoyed it. It's sort of reminiscent of Tom Waits. Maybe like dollar store Tom Waits. A lot of the reviews talk about how bad his voice is but I don't get that. I mean it's not fantastic but it's not off-putting at all. I feel like this record has got some interesting things going on, and I really like how most of it is arranged. The lyrics are sort of pseudo-pretentious, like if you weren't really listening you might think he was saying something profound. He's not. I feel like he based the whole record on a thought of "if I play a quiet, slow, and simple guitar part and sort of talk-sing in a deep voice it will sound better than it actually is." There's definitely something about this album that feels like it could be any singer/songwriter that's playing at a local brewery on a Tuesday night. Does that mean it's bad? No. But I can see why no one has ever heard of this before. Did I get a little bored with it by the end? Yes. 2.5/5 but I'll round up to 3.