Reviews (page 4 of 8)
The remix is better than the album track
I did not enjoy this. I actually winced when I saw this album come up; I remember "Brimful of Asha" when it came out 25 years ago and hating it back then. But I wanted to like this record..... unfortunately it has not aged well. First off, most of the songs on this record are barely songs - they are snippets, usually consisting of a sample of an Indian song or beat alongside a sample of someone talking. The "real" songs are incredibly repetitive, limited, and insipid. I think "insipid" is a great word for the whole album. There just isn't anything here, and what IS here completely lacks any kind of complexity. The lyrics are painfully dumb. The chord progressions, also painfully dumb. Oh it's all so dumb. However, marrying Indian musical sensibilities and rock music is cool. So while I'm tempted to give this a one, it has to be TWO STARS
This is one of those albums that feels like it’s trying to be about everything at once — and somehow mostly pulls it off. It’s a melting pot of styles: indie rock, hip hop beats, Indian instrumentation, a bit of lo-fi psychedelia, and even a Beatles cover for good measure. There’s a real sense of playfulness running through it, even when it gets political or philosophical. The mix of sitar drones and fuzzy guitars gives it a distinctive flavour that you don’t really find anywhere else. “Brimful of Asha” is obviously the big hook that anchors the record, and it still sounds great — both in its original, hazy form and the famous remix that came later. But there’s a lot more to explore underneath, from the trippy grooves of “Sleep on the Left Side” to the strange spoken word and experimental detours that pop up throughout. It’s eclectic, but it somehow manages to stay coherent thanks to that laid-back, almost deadpan delivery from Tjinder Singh. That said, not everything lands perfectly. A few tracks feel like ideas that don’t quite get where they’re going, and the constant stylistic shifts can be a bit exhausting by the end. Still, even when it doesn’t all click, it’s never boring. When I Was Born for the 7th Time is messy in the best way — bold, odd, and unmistakably its own thing.
Wow, surprised by this one! Brimful of Asha added to Liked Songs!
Anglo-indian beats. I did not expect this. It's groovy, weird, lo-fi, well-produced, uses found sounds I really like, and has some bops. I flows well the whole way through, has great anti-racist lyrics. Surprising good find!Could be leaner and a bit shorter but still good
There are some great grooves on this, and now I finally know what album "Brimful of Asha" is on (I know it's a disgrace that I didn't know that). People don't seem to put Cornershop in the acid jazz basket, but I think they definitely have some DNA in common with that genre, and I like it.
the music equivalent of chicken tikka masala but hey, i like it
I should have listened to this a lot earlier. Great Album "It's indian tobacco my Friend" is a find.
Yesssss! Brimful of Asha album. On the way to a perfect score. Perhaps a 4.
Couple of great songs. The rest not offensive
There were some alright tracks on here. Nothing that is jaw dropping or even worth a titty flash but still a couple songs to drive to.
Author must be british this sucks
Lets go go go ! Track 1: some great textures. Interesting beat and lyrics. Track 2 is a banger indeed. A legitimate hit. Super cool song. 3 another playful beat. Clumsy but nice. Great Indian touch. Track 4: Indian interlude 5 another Indian mix. Not as effective for me. Nice but that's it 6 a bit out of place, but a good song. 7 not sencesional at all. Track 8- something nice about that one. Love Allen ginsberg voice. But a rough section of the record. 9 good interlude 10 kinda cute kinda dumb. A fine listen but not incredible Track 11- Paula who joins in this track has a beautiful singing voice. Maybe the best writen song on the album. A bit of a 'the blue mask ' lou reed vibe. A lovely lovely one. 12: very smokey. Too much so. Nice but not inspiring. Like most 'beat' leaning tracks here. Glad it's done. Don't need to hear this one again. Track 13: was expecting for this one on the track list, but it didn't deliver much. Cool a bit lazy production and Dull rapping. 14- like 12. boring. Last one is a Norwegian Wood cover. One of my favorite songs of all time. A very nice Indian version. The song remains beautiful. Ending on a high note! This album is a mess, I'm afraid. Was hoping for better to start the challenge again But not amazing Still a fun listen overall So
A gloriously off-kilter blend of 90s genres, Brit Indie Rock, hip-hop, danceable pop and 90s Electronics, all tied together with some Indian/Asian stylings. Think the eccentric electronic funk of Bentleys Rhythm Ace with a dose of Kula Shaker, a punch of retro dance of the Propellerheads and the lo-fi 8-bit grooves of early 90s video game soundtracks. Unfortunately, just like some of their peers Cornershop seemed to be victims of their own innovative experimentation. Their later releases didn't seem to be as popular with the general public. A band that deserves a lot more recognition
If you played this album on vinyl and then played actual literal dog shit on vinyl after this, I would not be able to tell the difference.
A forgotten gem! Everybody *does* need a bosom for a pillow.
I enjoyed listening to this one. Not all of it was for me, and some of it was pretty out there. However, this album’s got range, and there were times when I had to check and see if I accidentally started listening to another album. A huge fusion of genres.
Giving this a 3 because I quite like the Asian touches and a couple of the songs, but I can’t stand the stupid squelchy noises in several other tracks. 2.5
A great listen. So good to go back to these songs
Was really disappointed by this one.
Not my usual vibe but I really liked it. The funk was funkin and the embrace of stereotypical British vs Indian culture and music was really cool.
This was a super interesting album spanning lots of different genres, but also some coherent. Reminded me a bit of Badly Drawn Boy and other late 90s, early 2000s indie rock bands.
Bouncy summer pop
This was pretty cool. A lot of big hooks and divers sounds. A good album
Couldn't wait for it to be over....
Back in 1998 when I was 12 I already loved Brimful of Asha, it was a huge hit and a very catchy, fun tune. At that time I've only heard the Fatboy Slim remix. Too bad other songs by this band weren't hits, so I wasn't familiar with them more. I was a bit afraid this album would be a bit disappointing but thankfully, I was wrong. The mix of britpop and indie tunes with Indian influences is really great. It's an exciting album that is consistent throughout, albeit a bit long. Even the original, slower and more laidback version of Brimful of Asha fits in perfectly. I'll check more of their albums cause I think I'd like them. The cover os Norwegian Wood, the first pop song that mixed Western and Indian music is a nice closing track of the album. Strong 4 stars overall.
Almost a 4. Some of these songs I will definitely listen to again, some are just not good.
Brought me back to 97'. Playing card in my sisters room with out SO's.
loved it
Never heard of this group. Music felt a little all over the place but it was pretty interesting and some of it gave me gorillaz vibes.
I do like this album and may revisit or look at some later albums.
Sung partially in Punjabi. Sitar was nice but was there also an accordion? The lyric "Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow" is an interesting observation. Overall, the instrumentals were distortedly grating and noisy to me, though I suppose there was an artistic meaning therein that I just missed. "Norwegian Wood" was good 😊 Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.
I was not familiar with Cornershop, so had no idea what to expect going into this. It was definitely interesting. Some tracks I quite liked. Others were...confusing. Why are we talking about canned goods? Anyway, I want potatoes now. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): We're in Yr Corner, Funky Days Are Back Again, Good Shit, Candyman ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it. Saved some tracks.
Some cool ass beats in this
3/5
it has its own style and its a decent listen but i somehow can't get excited for it
Had never heard this one. It was out during a really busy time in my life: raising children, moving, new work. So, wish I had heard it before. Nice sound.
Kinda cool
Indian 90s soft radio pop. "Brimful of Asha" was a throwback.
This album is really interesting. An alternative album that also has instrumental interludes with experimental, electronica and eastern influences. Definitely more sitar than I expected, but I enjoyed it overall. Highlights: “Brimful of Asha”, “Funky Days are Back” and “Good Shit”
Amigo con todo respeto que álbumes mas decepcionantes están saliendo, ni me los puedo terminar loco dale necesito que el algoritmo colabore. Not a big fan of whatever this is.
Bro esto es lo que quiere hacer Damon Albarn en lo nuevo de Gorillaz, ¿conocerá este grupo? Seguro que sí. Easy-going quirky british music, la vieja confiable. Muy fan de los sonidos de la India que rompen la fórmula de siempre, espero que pongan grupos directamente de la India porque estoy muy a favor de descubrir esos sonidos en este momento Favs: We're in Your Corner, Sleep on the Left Side, Good Ships, Good to Be on the Road Back Home, Candyman, Norwegian Wood (qué bonita cover)
Extraña mezcolanza de sonidos y ninguno me suena particularmente bien. Distingo britpop, rock psicodélico, samples hip-hop, toques de música india... un collage atractivo sobre el papel, pero desigual al oído, y por momentos, cacofónico. Se supone que Brimful of Asha es la highlight del álbum, pero me resultó bastante annoying. El resto sigue la tónica de la dispersión y la ausencia de identidad cohesiva. Es de esos discos que parecen más divertidos de grabar que de escuchar. Valoro el espíritu libre, pero me costó no mirar el reloj hacia el final. Escucha durilla.
Mezcla de sonidos súper interesante que cuando pega, pega muchísimo. Fusionando elementos indios (especialmente los sitares molan demasiado) con britpop/hip-hop/trip hop, el disco es un muy buen reflejo del Reino Unido, que desde hace muchas décadas es un crisol de culturas tochísimo que va creciendo cada vez más con el paso de los años. Lamentablemente a veces las canciones duran más de lo que deberían (We're in Your Corner con dos minutos menos iría de cabeza a la playlist) sin dejar de ser una escucha curiosa. Se me ha hecho más ameno de lo esperado (pensaba que iba a ser más denso después de haber leído vuestras reviews. Pobrecitos los de Cornershop). ¿Esencial? A tope. Al menos para exponerse a música "distinta" y ampliar horizontes. Banco. A la playlist: Sleep on the Left Side, Brimful of Asha, Candyman.
Never heard of this group, so was hoping to discover some new music. There's nothing wrong with this album I just found it a bit boring. It has a laid back vibe that I normally like, but I just didn't connect with it. Nothing bad here, but nothing that really stands out either.
Lots of fun whimsy that becomes too repetitive. Brimful of Asha is obviously a classic though
Good mix great record
Lots of fluff and some nice songs in between.
Loved this album back in the day. Nice 90’s alt/indie rock. Favorites include Sleep on the Left Side, Brimful of Asha, Butter the Soul, Funky Days Are Back Again, Good Shit, Good to be on the Road Back Home Again. Really enjoyable straight through listen.
A much better listen than I was expecting. "Brimful of Asha", specifically the remix, was a massive hit at the time but didn't particularly excite me. I expected a generic Brit-Pop adjacent offering here, but it's not that. The last few tracks of the album display some trip-hop and hip-hop influence which is very unexpected. The variety of influences makes this far more interesting than I expected. It's not perfect and it's not a masterpiece, but it's good.
horrible crap
I had heard of one song, Brimful of Asha but had never known the bands name until today. It’s a decent song. The rest of the album is meh. Nothing at all revolutionary. It blends some Indian influences with way too many drum machines. Not something I would seek out.
I enjoyed the Indian spices with the British fare so much that I went back for seconds. And thirds. Eclectic but solid album. I had a good time listening.
Segundo día de octubre y vamos nuevamente con algo desconocido. De entrada, se siente la fusión entre sonidos indios y algo más indie rock. Álbum simpático, de fondo de oficina. Me recuerda por momentos a The Brian Jonestown Massacre pero sin la psicodelia de Anton Newcombe. Mucho más light. Hasta mañana, gente
Doodly, jammy,collage just isn't my thing. I like the more pop tracks, but those make up maybe 40% of the album. Also a pretty mediocre cover of Norwegian Wood.
I don’t know why I had to listen to a one hit wonder’s album. I knew Brimful of Asha. I never realized they were Indian before now.
2-3 real bangers but a lot of filler material
this was a bit annoying to listen to
Man, talk about a 90s time capsule! This album is such a product of its era that I don’t think it’s aged particularly well. It blends radio friendly alternative rock with the trip hop and hip hop beats that were everywhere in the mid to late 90s. There are even moments of Eastern raga rock influence that feel like throwbacks to 60s psychedelic pop. Despite some big names behind the production, like Dan the Automator, this album ultimately feels kind of dull and dated to me now. It’s an interesting listen for the sake of context, but nothing I’d revisit.
3.46
This slow version of Brimful of Asher made me want to end things. the rest of the album was a lot of nothing. Why is this here? This funky days song is tragic.
Hate it
Nice fusion of styles both musically and culturally.
This was a fun and funky record. It was easy to listen to, and I don't think there was any track I really disliked too much. Favourite Track(s): Brimful of Asha Least Favourite Track(s): It's Indian Tabaco My Friend
I hate this album and always have.
Pretty boring beach rock. Neat that it's an Indian(?) band so some of the later tracks were interesting. But yeah not inspiring. Like I'm walking past a tiki bar and definitely not drawn in... listenable but something for background music.
I like The cornershop good b ban brin full of ash is a fun song
#714. I'm pretty sure I had an opinion of this, but I forgot what it was. 2/5: something
Fairly listenable - and Brimful of Asha remains memorable - but no pressing need for this album to have left the 1990s. It might have been improved by cutting out the whole of the middle section.
A delightful snapshot of 90's pop, mixed with Punjabi rhythms and instrumentation. I had never heard of Cornershop prior to this listen, and I was delightfully surprised. Great vocals, cool trip-hoppy production, and while it gets repetitive at times, When I Was Born For The 7th Time stands out as a gem.
Most of this album isn’t even music, it’s just random noises, occasionally you pick up a rhythm but then they beat that death. Pure crap.
This one caught me off guard. What I got was a globe’s worth of sounds colliding. Honestly, pretty damn cool. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Brimful of Asha - Good to Be on the Road Back Home Again - Candyman - Norwegian Wood
Not a 5 star album by any means but there are decent enough songs rounded off by the massive hit single. Listening to it 30 years on it does sound dated.
Oh, so this is where that song is from
Este es un álbum bastante particular. Lo interesante es que toma elementos de la música de la India (instrumentación, fonética, palabras y sonoridades) aplicados a un estilo indie rock muy pertinente a los fines de los años 90. Pienso que suena muy original. Por momentos algunos beats tienen elementos del hip hop, y hay también algunas manipulaciones electrónicas. Sin embargo no puedo decir que haya conectado mucho con el material o que desee volver a escucharlo. Aparentemente el tema "Brimful Of Asha" y su remix tuvieron extrema popularidad en su época, y esto hizo que el álbum aparezca en esta lista, pero en lo personal no lo considero sobresaliente.
Very surprising album. I really liked the wacky genre fusions going on here. The album-is-a-radio-broadcast-concept has been done before and after, but it doesn't matter. This era of music, the late-90's, produced many stuff like this. Pan-genre, psychedelic, futuristic, dance-y, colourful, fun. And all of it still sounds great. Key tracks: Brimful of Asha We're in Your Corner
For every "Brimful of Asha" high there is a "What's is Happening" low. Included maybe because it was an oddity more than being a highly influential album of its time, because as much as music critics and Wikipedia want to make you believe it, the masses didn't really show up for this album, and it wasn't for a lack of not knowing about it. Favorites: "Brimful of Asha", "Chocolat" With the exception of "Brimful of Asha", I tend to prefer the pure instrumentals. Also, is it just me or on vocal performances like "Good Sh*t" does his accent end up sounding like a Southern American? If you loved this, check out the dub of Meat Beat Manifesto's ORIGINAL FIRE which also came out in 1997. "It's the Music" is a chef's kiss.
This is not a great album but contains one of my favourite duets ever about drinking and travelling. Good To Be On The Road Back Home Again should've been a smash hit! Lyrically 'Drinking is the devil that drives one apart, leaving memories of what should've been but wasn't' and 'I lost myself searching for what i ain't' particularly hit home The album version of Brimful of Asha is plodding and unremarkable on here compared to the mix by Fat Boy Slim which really brought it to life. Lots of the other tracks are sort of like Beck and a little half baked. Make way for a lady......
Really enjoyed this, I think it contains much of what made the 90s a good decade musically - eclectic, irreverent... Older me may even prefer this OG Brimful version. Last track Norwegian Wood a genius touch - taking the 1st modern Western song to include Indian instrumentation, and throw it back updated with Punjabi lyrics (sounds a little like Portuguese to my tin ear!) - the cyclical nature of culture and the benefits of multiculturalism.
It’s been a long time since I last heard this. Totally forgot how slow the album version of BoA was. Enjoyed it. It was different, eclectic, and a pleasing trip down memory lane, but not enough to make me come back for another listen.
One hit wonder with a mixed bag of samples and recordings. Still Desi influence represent
Un disc estrany. Melodies variades, sense gaire estil propi. I bastant facilones
Surprised this isn’t labeled as Electronica. I liked “Candyman” ok enough but man was this album dreadfully boring. I managed to spend the day listening to it and I seriously don’t think anything has stayed with me at all. It’s just very repetitive base level EDM beats and other similar aspects and not much else. I mean, I didn’t hate it, but there’s thousands of other bands I’d rather be listening to. Will likely not be returning to this one either, sorry Cornershop. The fact that their most popular song on Spotify is a remix of one of their own songs made by Fatboy Slim is fairly telling, give it to someone else and they’ll make it better. Nothing personal, this one just wasn’t very enjoyable unfortunately.
Meh.
Eh, not bad but didn't find it that interesting either.
This starts out strong, but the quality decline sets in at the 3rd track and continues going, until we reach the absolute nadir with a Indian version of Norwegian Wood.
We all heard "Brimful of Asha" because it's an undeniable song. But it's a song that really makes sense inside of the pastiche that makes this entire record. Also, "We're in Yr Corner" should have been a second hit. It could have been a brilliant career.
6/10 nothing really stood out, kind of cool to passively jam out to tho
Utter crap. Imagine buying the album based off the single released in the 90s, then ending up with a) the wrong version of the single b) an album full of drivel.
Banger
Beetje zeurderig.
low 4s for me
Don’t really care for it…
This was awesome.
Think I bought the CD when it came out and barely listened to it. That was a mistake! Great album full of crackers and you're never sure what's going to happen next.
Who? A mix of Brit-Pop, Electronica, Raga-Rock, and Avant-Pop that seems to be heavily influenced by large amounts of "wacky baccy". Supposedly, the track "Brimful of Asha" was a big international hit, but I must have missed it? My favourite track was the Raga-Rock track "We're in Yr Corner" and the album contains an interesting version of the Beatles song "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", however, the rest of the album I could quite happily live without.
Other than a Brimful of Asha the rest of the album was just a bit meh. It’s a high 2 but there was nothing that really grabbed my attention other than the one song I knew.
brimful of asha is incredibly catchy but like it's to the point where the chorus randomly pops into my head unusually often. very fun song regardless
it’s usually a bad sign when the best song on the album is a cover. the rest, frankly, was a snooze fest.
Why
Eh
I wish I could give it 3 for the interlude musical bits. I kind of find their lyrical composition to be noisome.
Disappointing, too disjointed, had nice moments
meh
This was fun! Good beats, good vibes
Sleep On The Left Side - 6/10 Brimful of Asha - 8/10 Butter The Soul - 5/10 Chocolat - 5/10 We’re In You’re Corner - 6/10 Funky Days Are Back Again - 5.5/10 What Is Happening? - 6/10 When the Light Appears Boy - 4.5/10 Coming Up - 6/10 Good Ships - 5.5/10 Good to Be on the Road Back Home Again - 6.5/10 It’s Indian Tobacco My Friend - 5/10 Candyman - 5.5/10 State Troopers - 5/10 Norwegian Wind - 5.5/10 56/100
meh
I didn’t know what to expect but it certainly wasn’t this! A wild variety of songs on the album, including lots of instrumentals that lean towards electronic loops. I was pleasantly surprised and happily listen again
cool
Great album. Very funky and drumming is amazing. The cover of Norwegian Wood is superb. Not sure why you would not like this unless of course you were a supporter of Farage or Trump. But unfortunately that's where we are now. I, for my part, love the cultural mix and Anglo/Punjabi fusion of this album.
I wanted to like this more! The description sounded cool but it didn't grab me. "Brimful of Asha" was way too repetitive for me, but the Fatboy Slim remix is okay. Did enjoy "We're In Yr Corner" though
Worth listening to but I don’t like it, would be better if singing less
Mado
I enjoyed the first 2 tracks, but didn’t care for much of the rest of the album. ‘Butter the Soul’ I hated enough that I wanted to stop listening, and my vow to listen all the way through (for this project) is the only thing that saved it. Few flashes in the pan were enjoyable enough but few and far between. 2/5
Really enjoyed some of the songs, some were not my thing but I liked how they were playing around with different genres. Thought the cover of Norwegian Wood was fun too. Fav song: Sleep on the Left Side, also enjoyed Brimful of Asha, Good to Be on the Road Back Home Again and Funky Days Are Back Again Least fav: When the Light Appears Boy
Thought Chappell roan had hopped on a feature on one of their songs. Overall an alright album. Hit or miss really. I like brimful of asha, never knew the words just the tune before. Bit too sitar heavy. Liked the version of Norwegian wood too. Specific rating- 3.5 Fav song- brimful of asha Least fav- what is happening?
We've had a few albums with songs where English people get really into playing a sitar cause they went to India once (cough cough George Harrison...) but this is the album they all wish they were making. Unsurprisingly it takes an actual south Asian brit to make great songs with Indian influence (also a rouge gorgeous country song!), I think George Harrison would have been absolutely obsessed with this version of Norwegian Wood. A couple songs were a little electronic for me but over all I thought it was a great album! Favourite song: Brimful of Asha (and We're In Your Corner and Good To Be On The Road Back Home Again) Least: Butter the Soul
Good but inconsistent
Ok
no I'M the Candyman
Rolig indie rock, lättlyssnat.
NEED TO RE LISTEN NO LE PRESTE ATENCION AJJAJAJA
Was soll ich zu einem Album sagen, dessen bester Song ein schlecht gecoverter Beatles-Song ist?
I may be influenced by personal nostalgia here but I love this album. It’s a great example of style mashups that results in great songs
Me gustó bastante, muy eclectico, muy 90's.
It was a nice idea, but like curry and chips, this doesn't really go together. One good song does not an album make and even that song (Brimful of Asha) gets tiresome. Norwegian Wood is particularly awful. Sorry.
Ok 2/5
Brimful of Asha is an iconic tune
Yeah really enjoyed it, good fun times good lyrics
It’s as if I’m writing code in a Mumbai cafe. Lo-fi Indian beats. I always wondered if there were more beyond Brimful…the answer is not much.
нигде не нашла его кроме ютуба, тяжело. та одна песня что знала ничё такая. в целом довольно психодел, повторять не будем
Good
Teilweise nur Instrumentals & kein Gesang Klingt wie Volkstanz Mir hat kein Lied davon gefallen
ba pocetku dobar posle samo meh
The album is ok. I guess it's kind of interesting incorporating elements of Indian music into a more typical indie rock kind of approach, and there's some other quirky elements in here, but it's not really hitting for me overall. It's pretty dull in a lot of places. The original Brimful of Asha doesn't hit anywhere near the level of the Norman Cook remix version. It sounds like a demo in comparison, although it does have its own charms with nice bits of violin in there. 2.5 rounded up.
Divertido, mas não segue muito minha vibe, fora as músicas mais amadas
Not bad! Not great.
Well hot diggety damn this takes me back. I played this CD a lot in my junior and senior year of college. Some sentimental shit. And, unexpectedly, I like it more than I liked it then. Back then it was all about Sleep on the Left Side, Brimful of Asha, and then often skip to Good to Be on the Road Back Home Again. But the whole thing sounds pretty perfect to me now. And somehow I feel nostalgia without too much painful longing which is kind of a rarity, or maybe the therapy worked.
Loved all the mixed genres and a solid Norwegian Wood cover!
Chill vibes, very 90s. Unremarkable but would be great as the soundtrack to an hour of a road trip through the US.
This is like a 90s sitcom clip show. A bunch of undeveloped ideas that could have been cool in other contexts. The one difference: clip shows are much shorter.
The fusion of indie, electronic, and Indian music is really cool. There are some great tracks on here but for some reason the middle is forgettable. 6/10
Part indie, part Britpop, all fun.
I was surprised to hear that Brimful of Asha song. It's one that I obviously had heard from tv / movies, but never intentionally listened. This was a decent album over all from a band I had never heard of.
Upbeat pop, with heavy indian influences
Got a bit long, but it's good.
Brimfull of asha is such a banger, too bad the rest of this isn't :(
Loved it all the way through. Upbeat and easy to listen to. Didn’t want to skip any of them
Wasn't my favorite. Bland vocals trying and failing to be poppy didn't really do it for me. There were moments it dabbled in experimentation with sampling that half the time were kinda cool and the other half sounded like a kid discovering a soundboard. The Indian flair on some of the songs sounded good but for the most part was rather bland. Not a bad album, but it was boring. Was surprised to see that it was Allen Ginsberg doing the little beat poetry bit on When the Light Appears, so that's kinda cool, even though I didn't really find the lyrics that interesting. I fell asleep during the last quarter of the album :/
Should be 3.5. It runs just a tad long but it set the standard for the goa breakbeat/downbeat scene. Fun listen
Not memorable
Reminded me of some high school hippy shit
New to me and I like it.
An intriguing concept—melding Brit-Pop, Indian music, and dance-pop—but the execution doesn't quite land. The vocals lack energy, and several tracks just don’t hold attention. That said, there are glimpses of promise, especially on “We’re in Your Corner.” & "Candyman". If you're into an Indian-tinged, danceable pop sound, give Peter Cat Recording Co.’s Memory Box a spin instead. 5/10.
Weird little album with a lot of middle east / indian stylistic influences, drum machines, and a semi-banger as the 2nd song. Reminiscent of Sugar Ray. 3.1
that cover on Norwegian Wood is funny asf
Great album!! When I first heard this album in 1997 it was original and unique!!
I enjoyed this. Bit of filler in the middle but lots of interesting stuff. Loved Norwegian Wood version.
Initial thoughts were there were some good moments but unfortunately it all felt a bit too disjointed with so many different styles of song. But then I listened to it a second time and it grew on me. More songs sounded like they worked. Third listen I was really starting to enjoy a lot more of it. Ok so a couple of songs still seem out of place and I think had a few songs been chopped and the album slightly shorter it would have been even better. One to revisit for sure.
A unique and innovative sound that really sounded fresh when it was released. Love the first two tracks - the album version of Brimful is better than the saccharin sweet Norman Cook remix! Other great tracks are Good Ships and Good to be.. A few throwaway tracks diluted it but a decent listen all these years later.
Rolled my eyes when I saw this come up. I’d filed it in my head under ‘comedy one hit wonder album’ at the time it was released. Actually it’s quite fun in a 90s lo-fi yet upbeat some times hip hoppy beat vibe. Starts strong and then fades somewhat until you hit the standout Candyman track. S’ok innit.
Not what I was expecting. Not terrible.
An explosion of genres, creativity, positivity, and catchy hooks. A love letter to musicians and the people that are affected by their music. This album is full of wonderful surprises and keeps pulling more tricks out of its bag through the very last track.
I still don’t really know what a brimful of Asha means if I’m being honest.
A unique indie blend of rock, hip-hop, funk, and Indian elements. Not quite my taste, but I didn't think this was a bad album at all.
I've never heard of this group/arriving before but it was lots of fun!
a couple of summers ago i was ADDICTED to the song ‘sleep on the left side’ for some reason. idk why but it is sooo catchy and sunny and i still really like it. the whole album is fun and deserves to be included in the britpop-adjacent canon IMO. fav tracks: sleep on the left side; we’re in yr corner; funky days are back again; brimful of asha; norwegian wood; candyman; good to be on the road back home
I enjoyed! I had heard their cover of Norwegian Wood but not the rest of the album. I like the combination of influences here but there weren't too many songs in particular that stood out to me but that probably has more to do with what I'm doing at the same time and I'm sure on a relisten would find some more I liked on their own. Fav tracks: Funky Days Are Back Again, Norwegian Wood
Not for me
Favorite Track: Brimful of Asha
The back half really saved this one, but not by that much. Candyman and the Norwegian Wood cover are both solid.
Started off strong but was a roller coaster of highs and lows overall.
This album is like a Chicken Tikka Masala; which takes the worst parts of Indian and British cuisine and meshes them together to make a disgusting slop that only a British person could enjoy. This is worse than Britpop normally is holy shit. I think this was almost unlistenable.
54 Minutes of this. You truly have to admire the cultural exchange at play here, as the exotic instrumentation of the Tamboura plucking away from India attempts to breath life into the musical equivalent of stale bread that is Britpop. Another painfully boring album really exacerbated by its runtime. Would have been a lot funnier if this was just a bunch of white dudes who got really into India
For a brief moment upon seeing the artist photo on Spotify I thought one of the fellas in this band actually had Down’s syndrome. Yet another inclusion of dogshit britslop on the merit of a single hit. Absolutely damning that the first result searching for this band was a playlist titled “one hit wonders”. A painfully long 54 minutes. The authors of this list should be publicly executed.
Evil new age indie rock enjoyed by Satanists. Reminded me of bad Trip-Hop Actually kind of ahead of its time for '97 5/10
What a fucking joke. The biggest hit on this album (and of Cornershop's entire career) is Brimful of Asha. This honestly felt like torture. There have been a few albums in this project that have been painful to listen to and this is one of them. A repetitive chorus of nonsense. Music is supposed to make you feel something? I feel like setting myself on fire. Chocolat is is arguably the most evil song on here as it represents that the band are capable of making decent music, but it's sandwiched between awful fucking music. The rest of this album can be described as repetitive riffs, hamfisted sitars and bongos, dogshit vocals and a guest appearance from king of the hacks Allen Ginsberg. It's Indian Tobacco My Friend is a genuinely good song and you have to wade through chest-high toxic sludge to get to it. It doesn't belong on this album and is the only thing here that comes close to being a reason that this album is on here. It's been a long time since an album pissed me off in this project but by golly it's happened again. 54 minutes of dogshit. The most notable thing on this album's Wikipedia page is that the song Candy was in a nike commercial. The Norwegian Wood cover is fine but really who gives a shit this album is boring as fuck. I can appreciate the artistic merit in an Indian guy singing this song of all songs but really this album lost all its appeal to me around What Is Happening? (what a great question) this shit blows. "The band also toured Europe with Beck, Stereolab and Oasis." I reacted to this sentence the same way as Ethan Hawke' character in First Reformed. Highlights: It's Indian Tobacco My Friend
Zuhause, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Gut, wenn auch oft weird.
From the very start I knew this just wasn't for me.
I have to give credit where credit is due, I never heard anything like this album, which is something that I usually appreciate it. This record feels very unique thanks to the combination of different styles like indie rock, trip hop, and, most notable, south asian music. Apart from the unusual melt of genres, my favourite parts of this album are the more indie rock oriented songs, specially the ones with lyrics, as they usually have a very positive message. With that being said, there are a pair of aspects that I didn't really enjoy. One being that there are a lot of songs which are instrumental passages, and they feel very weak in comparition to the type of songs I mentioned before. This makes the album feel a bit inconsistent. The last one being that I feel the performances could be more engaging. When they sing, they sing pretty well, but I always left the songs with this sensation of expecting a little more. Overall, it is a decent experience and the production is quite nice. Before ending the review, I just want to say that the first time I heard this, I dislike a lot, but I'm glad I decided to give it another try, as I left with more positive feelings than negative.
Album 848 of 1089 Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time (1997) Rating : 2 / 5 This one didn’t land for me. The album felt a bit all over the place — some might praise it for genre-bending variety, but for me it just never came together in a way that felt cohesive or compelling. That said, I can see how others might find something to latch onto here. The standout for me was Brimful of Asha — a track I was already familiar with and still enjoy. Overall, though, this one sits just below “meh” in my book. Onward.
I'd heard Brimful of Asha but not this album. The cover of Norwegian Wood is good. I really enjoyed this!
z cornershopem mam tylko skojarzenia jednego traka brimfuil of asha, ale nigdy nie przyesluchalem calego ich albumika, az do dzisiaj, okazalo sie ze to nie takie popowe rokowanie, ragowanie czy popowanie indyjskie jak na wspomnianym traku, ale bardziej instrumentalno eksperymentalne klimaty, no i okreslenie indyjskie tutaj odnosi sie nie tylko do podziemnosci brzmienia, ale takze od pochodzenia przynajmniej dwoch glownych czlonkow bandy, bo sporo ludzi bylo zlistowanych, a nie chcialo mi sie czekowac wszystkiego, no ale sama nazwa zespolu do tego pije, wiec w ich brzmieniu rowniez nie brakuje akcentow orientalnych jak brzmienia sitar, tabourow, egzotycznych bebenkow i tym podobnych dziwow, a laczac to z elementami elektroniki czy hip hopu, trak candyman ma nawet aktualne rapowanie, wychodzi nietypowe sluchowisko, na plejce mialem juz brimfula wspomnianego, a teraz dodam jeszcze candymana, no i jeszcze ciekawostka jest tu nawet cover norwegian woodsow beatlesowych prawdopodobnie w hindi, wiec orginalne 54 minuty
Just dreadful really. The lack of coherence in this album is so jarring. There are songs that sound like run on the mill late 90s/early 00s pop/soft rock, others with heavy Bhangra/south Asian influence then others that are relatively benign electronic sounds. None of which are particularly enjoyable. On multiple songs I got transported to some sort of purgatory and I truly feared for the wellbeing of my soul. I’ve only ever heard the sped up remix of Brimful of Asha and assumed it was the actual track, how wrong I was. It’s telling the remix has 12 to 13x the plays compared to the original. I imagine for some people this was an important album but I just found it dire.
It's like the equivalent of the window tax in the 17th century. Just this time it's on lyrics, was the writer on commission for each unique verse so the band's saved money by just repeating them? Maybe that's why they turned to Indian in the middle. Nobody would have know it's the same words they already paid for? Honestly the Indian stuff and the lady singer gave them something to get a star behind bottom feeder. Loved the bit of Sitar rifting! Rest of it is soft mush. Secondly it's just so wimpy and rubbish.
This seems like another example of an album making the list on the basis of one very popular song and potentially a severe lack of decent music being made that year. This felt like forcing down fifty four minutes of rocky road ice cream: lots of random, sweet bits and bobs that don't actually taste very good.
👍🏽
Funky. I've never even heard of this before. Somehow feels a little nostalgic? Maybe it's the blend of 90's pop and the music that some of my Indian friends in elementary school listened to. Enjoyed it more at first, but less as it went on. Seems very repetitive. Not really for me.
Too quirky for repeated listens. Doesn’t speak to me. Production seems more important than the songwriting. Peeled the whole onion in one listen.
7/22/25. Was familiar with one song, but pretty decent listen. The Indian fusion sounded cool to my western ears. Also a couple songs on here I had no idea was by this group!
A few real high points, particularly at the start, but felt very bloated as an album. 3.5
love
Really liked this. Such a mellow groove.
Blended several genres well and kept my attention, but didn't care for every track. Actually liked just the instrumentals like Coming Up the best. 3/5
This feels like madness with an album with Brimful of Asha to not be a smash but it really is not great after that. I enjoyed Where in your corner and candyman but most of the rest is not great, the score is massively probed up by one song but what a banger it is.
Surprisingly good. Its a catchy type of music. Good beats and melody. The lead has an excellent voice.
This was quite bad. I did not enjoy this.
you know what? everyone does need a bosom for a pillow
This felt so 90s in all the worst ways
Pleasant but forgettable. Right down the middle for me. Rounding up because it's pleasant.
Really nice, interesting blend of styles, language and instrumentation. Nostalgic 90s feeling and a cool inclusion on this list.
This album had a strong start and end. As the album progressed, I was taken on an unexpected journey of electronic, indie-esque music with an indian flair. I appreciated the blending of Western and indian influences, I wish that it was a little more consistent on the album. I don't think I would listen to this album again, aside from resisting the songs I enjoyed.
The Funky Days, They're Back Again 1001 Albums Generator 69 (nice) (07/08/2025) Cornershop are an indie band out of the UK that I was not previously familiar with. Formed in 1991, Cornershop were part of a growing wave of indie artists that maintained the underground feel of the indie OG's in the wake of the mainstreamification of indie through the grunge scene in the US and the britpop scene in the UK. Founding members Tjinder and Avtar Singh were British-born Sikhs that wanted to take their inspiration from both the British indie rock/pop of the time and from Punjabi music. Although their first two albums were not widely accepted commercially or critically, their third album, When I Was Born For The 7th Time, was a hit and is often seen as their creative peak. Amazingly, Spin Magazine had When I Was Born as their top album of the year in a year that included OK Computer, Homogenic, Dots And Loops, F#A#∞, and many other albums that are seen as all time classics nowadays. This had me very interested in this album. And what an album it is. This is really quite difficult to categorize. From the accordion in the intro of Sleep On The Left Side, this album is clearly not your standard indie slop affair. It is quite psychedelic and showcases some trip hop elements as well. I just love the accordion solos that appear throughout. Brimful Of Asha is Cornershop's biggest hit, but I hadn't heard it before. It's fun, but it's honestly not my favorite song. That chorus is the catchiest earworm on the album though. This is where the album gets truly strange. This is probably a hot take, but I love Butter The Soul. Cornershop decided that the third song on their indie rock album should be a strange bit of turntablism interspersed with raga. It's so cool, but I get why some people wouldn't enjoy it. We're In Yr Corner is the best song on the album. The way the sitar drones on with the rock instrumentation (expecially drums) in the background is great. The song ends on a wonderful jam. Unfortunately, the middle of When I Was Born For The 7th Time takes quite a dip in quality. Funky Days Are Back Again is kind of fun, but also kind of annoying. What Is Happening?, When The Light Appears Boy, and Coming Up all feel like experimental interludes that could perhaps have been better if not placed subsequently on the tracklist. But, we return to form with Good Sh**, which is another song on the poppier side of things, and while not as memorable as the earlier indie pop songs, it's still fun. It almost has an island vibe in the guitar and the synth at the end is great. Good To Be On The Road Back Home is relatively unremarkable except for the wonderful addition of female vocals that sound beautiful on top of the almost country-esque instrumental. It's Indian Tobacco My Friend is another really weird experiment, but this one really works. I don't know what it is about this song, but the constant 7/8 beat over the psychedelic pads and weird reverbed wordless vocals just really does it for me. The last song I will mention is the wonderful Beatles cover that caps off the album. Norwegian Wood is one of my favorite Beatles songs ever (I'm sure I will get Rubber Soul one day), and the emphasis of the Indian elements of that song in this cover are really nice. I won't say that this is better than the original, but it is a worthy homage. When I Was born For The 7th Time is not the best album of 1997 (sorry Spin Mag), but it is really quite an underrated one. Cornershop are a truly creative force that blend genres in a way that I have not ever heard before. Although these experiments don't always work, when they do, they really do. 3.5/5, rounded up to a 4. Favs: Sleep On The Left Side We're In Yr Corner It's Indian Tobacco My Friend Least Fav: When the Light Appears Boy
One of the best songs of the 90’s is not on this album The original Brimful of Asha is just a plodding disappointment compared to the joyous Fatboy Slim remix. Good To Be On The Road… was quite good but rest was a bit hard to care much about sadly
I didn't really care for this on my first listen betond Brimful of Asha, but on my second listen I liked it a lot more. I like the idea of a British Indian fusion because it highlights so much of the muddy history between those cultures, but this album is just too bloated. Overall, Brimful remains the best here, but I also like Butter the Soul.
I liked the mix of styles. I'll listen to this one again
7/10
Decent album. Didn't give it my full attention. Nothing really stood out.
Interesting album. It's rich and diverse, and a bit weird at times, and challenging and glorious and full of soul and spirit. Just like anglo-Indian food.
3.2 2x
Sorti en 1997, et alors que la scène musicale britannique était dominée par les guitares tapageuses d'Oasis et la pop astucieuse de Blur, Cornershop, mené par le charismatique Tjinder Singh, proposait avec "When I Was Born for the 7th Time" une voie radicalement différente. Une voie qui se veut comme une déclaration d'indépendance musicale, un carrefour foisonnant où l'Orient rencontre l'Occident, où l'indie rock flirte avec le funk, le hip-hop et les traditions musicales indiennes. Si on ne devait retenir qu'un titre de cet album, ce serait bien évidemment le single monumental "Brimful of Asha". Cette chanson est un petit miracle de la pop. Dans sa version originale, c'est un morceau décontracté, presque nonchalant, une ode touchante à la culture populaire indienne et à son industrie cinématographique, citant les chanteurs de playback légendaires comme Lata Mangeshkar et Mohammed Rafi. La mélodie est simple, le rythme entraînant, et la chaleur qui s'en dégage est immédiate. Mais l'histoire de ce titre ne serait pas complète sans évoquer le remix de Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim), qui a transformé cette charmante chanson indie en un hymne planétaire. En accélérant le tempo et en y ajoutant une ligne de basse irrésistible, Cook a catapulté Cornershop au sommet des classements. "Brimful of Asha" est la porte d'entrée parfaite à l'univers du groupe et reste, à ce jour, l'un des morceaux les plus joyeux et fédérateurs de la décennie. À côté de ce géant, l'album contient d'autres pépites qui confirment le talent du groupe. "Sleep on the Left Side" en est le meilleur exemple. Avec son riff de guitare entêtant et son rythme bondissant, c'est une chanson indie pop parfaite, infusée de cette saveur unique propre à Cornershop. Elle prouve que le groupe pouvait créer des tubes sans renier son identité. Dans un registre plus funk et décontracté, "Good Ships" séduit par sa ligne de basse groovy et son ambiance lounge. Ces deux ou trois titres sont le cœur battant de l'album, ceux qui justifient à eux seuls son écoute et qui démontrent une maîtrise évidente de l'écriture pop. Là où l'album devient plus complexe à évaluer, c'est dans son exploration musicale tous azimuts. L'audace de Cornershop est louable. Qui d'autre aurait osé reprendre "Norwegian Wood" des Beatles en la chantant intégralement en pendjabi ? L'idée est brillante et le résultat, bien que déroutant pour certains, est une réappropriation culturelle fascinante. De même, la collaboration avec le poète de la Beat Generation Allen Ginsberg sur "When the Light Appairs Boy" est un moment suspendu, un spoken word étrange et planant sur un fond de cordes et de rythmes électroniques. Ces expérimentations témoignent d'un esprit curieux et sans frontières. Des titres comme "We're in Your Corner" ou "Funky Days Are Back Again" explorent différentes facettes du son du groupe, mêlant sitar, percussions dholki, et guitares avec une aisance déconcertante. Cependant, cette profusion d'idées finit par créer un sentiment de dispersion. Si les grands singles sont des modèles de concision et d'efficacité, le reste de l'album peut parfois sembler manquer de direction. L'éclectisme, poussé à son paroxysme, frôle parfois l'éparpillement. Certains morceaux instrumentaux ou interludes semblent moins aboutis, comme des esquisses ou des idées qui n'auraient pas été menées à leur terme. L'écoute de l'album d'une seule traite peut s'avérer une expérience décousue, passant d'un tube pop à une expérimentation absconse, puis à un instrumental ambiant, sans véritable fil conducteur pour lier l'ensemble. Cette hétérogénéité, si elle est la marque de fabrique du groupe, empêche l'album d'atteindre le statut de chef-d'œuvre cohérent, à l'inverse d'autres classiques de l'époque. Au final, "When I Was Born for the 7th Time" est un album à l'image de sa pochette : coloré, dense, et un peu chaotique. Il est porté par l'un des plus grands singles des années 90, "Brimful of Asha", et une poignée d'autres chansons excellentes qui démontrent le génie mélodique de Cornershop. Pour son ambition culturelle, pour sa fusion audacieuse des genres et pour son refus des conventions, il mérite le respect et l'admiration. Il capture parfaitement un moment où le multiculturalisme britannique trouvait une voix vibrante et intelligente dans la musique populaire. Toutefois, son manque de cohésion et ses quelques longueurs l'empêchent de figurer parmi les albums parfaits. C'est une oeuvre importante et profondément sympathique, un "bon album". Un 3 sur 5 solide et mérité.
“Everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, everybody needs a bosom” 38/100 Favorite: Coming Up Or the Norwegian Wood cover if that counts
I’ve been trying to decide whether this album is just boring (two stars) or affirmatively annoying (a single star). I’m rounding up and giving it two stars—on the strength(?) of Paula Frazer’s vocals on “Good to Be on the Road Back Home” and the Punjabi cover of “Norwegian Wood.” “Brimful of Asha” has *not* held up well over the last 25+ years…. There is no universe where this album is one you *must* hear before you die. Sheesh.
Pretty good, less 'rock' than I was expecting, quite a majority of the songs feel more inspired but hip hop and electronic stuff. The sampling is quite interesting, but can get repetitive in some areas where there's just a clip of people talking repeated. The Indian instruments and samples are for me what makes it quite unique, as I don't think I can think of another example which does it, and this does it well. Also some really catchy stuff on here. Quite a lot of the songs are a bit nothing though. Favourite songs: butter the soul, chocolat, we're in your corner, coming up, good ships, good to be on the road back home, It's Indian tobacco my friend. Overall around 6/10
-this is certainly one of the more.. baffling releases i’ve seen on here. genuinely had no idea what to make of the genre or purpose most of the time -there was very little here that was memorable imo. Brimful Of Asha is a good song, the Indian influence is cool, but other than that… just no. couldn’t see myself listening again -Favorites are Brimful Of Asha and Butter The Soul
I love the one hit from the 90’s. The entire album feels kinda boring (at times).
Pretty interesting, cool production! Never heard of this before
An interesting album! I think I've heard mateen singing Brimful of Asha before. Happy to have listened
plenty of cool sounds but I suppose ultimately it was not my fav thing i ever heard
Gives me smokeshop music vibes.
This album is so much more than the one song that got air time in the 90s
Cornershop pulls off something I did not expect. Making a Punjabi cover of “Norwegian Wood” feel both reverent and revolutionary, while dropping Beck-esque oddities like “State Troopers” along the way? I'm here for it. Who knew I had a sleeper appreciation for the Sitar. Doesn't get a full 5 stars from me because let's be honest, that was some weird shit.
Swore I’ve heard “Brimful of Asha” before. Surprised by the album, would listen to again.
Brimful of Asha is a certi banger. Appreciate the influencers and the mergering of sounds but the production feels a little lazy, repeated samples and melodies throughout.
Hm, haven't heard of Cornershop. But boy does this first track scream mid 90s. Love it! Oh WTF!! Of course I know these guys, no wonder that first track sounded so familar!! They sing Brimful of Asha!! Awesome.
Could be used as a drug test
Confusing.
Cute vibe, indie, very 90s early 2000s teenage movie soundtrack. Kinda boring? Not too special. Best songs: sleep on the left side, we’re in yr corner, good sh**
Sure. Why not.
Pleasantly weird. Just the right amount of diversity
This album was very much a produce of its time, and fortunately for us, it was a good time. The first song, Sleeping on the Left Side, started and my instinctual thought was College-radio stoner techno. Then when track three, Butter the Soul, hit and the sitar started, I knew I was right! I actually enjoyed this album a lot. It reminded me of Fatboy Slim or Lionrock about that same time, just more chill. The first half the album was pretty solid. The later half was odd with the skit-like interludes, but then came back with songs like It’s Indian Tobacco, and vocal variations like the rap on Candyman and female vocals on Good to Be. I’m coming back to this one (or maybe I already have….).
Random thoughts: * I distinctly remember buying this album. It was because Spin magazine said it was the best album of 1997. Sort of dubious now considering it was the same year OK Computer and Daft Punk’s Homework came out. Welp?!? * Brimful of Asha is still a fun and catchy tune. It doesn’t get enough play. * I also enjoyed the Sleep on the Left Side. As it gave me a shot of nostalgia. * I didn’t remember the Norwegian Wood cover but maybe because it’s not that good. * I will probably always be a little bit mad at this album just because Spin magazine oversold it. Solid music and interesting with the mash up up of pop and traditional Indian sounds.
Favorite songs: Brimful of Asha, Sleep on the Left Side, Good to Be on the Road Back Home Again, We're in Yr Corner, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), Butter the Soul, State Troopers (Part 1), Good Shit Least favorite songs: Funky Days are Back Again 4/5
Decent sound but repetitive and long
Only familiar with Brimful of Asha, which I've always liked. Overall, this is more interesting than average Britpop because it has a slight Indian twist. The influence is definitely there but doesn't overwhelm the sound.
Interesting mix of sounds here but not really sure why it is on the list.
Really great. Would be a 5 except I felt there were a few too many Raga freak outs watering it down. 4.5/5
Loved this when I was in High School - still one of the worst concerts I've ever seen but a good album
Starts unbelievably great and descends into a spiral of nothing much
What a pleasant surprise! This is why I enjoy the 1001 album challenge. Very listenable and groovy.
Interesting as a concept. Some of the songs were nice but many of the songs just pissed me of and were annoying. It would still be useful to have it on vinyl as background music when having friends over.
Brimful of Asha
Weird but not enjoyable
I can see the merits. BFA was a hit and holds up to this day but the rest is uneven and, while there are some fun ideas and culture mashing, I can’t see it rising to needing to be included on this list.
Some catchy tunes, but eh.
It's a UK alt rock band with Indian members, so I guess it makes sense that it would have a fusion of Indian sounds and rock/etc sounds. Still, the sound is all over the place. I only knew the one popular track: "Brimful of Asha".
This is a much more interesting blending of South Asian and Western music than the sort of anonymous techno Talvin Singh served up on OK. Still, this is probably only a 4 star, but bumping up to 5 because it was a maintain of one of my years in College.
I only knew the single and my recollection of a singer who couldn't really sing (mainstay of the 90s given Cake and Soul Coughing's success) with some Indian instrumentation held true for surprisingly few other songs. There were far more instrumental tracks than I expected, some hip hop beats, and even Allan Ginsberg spoken word samples. It was also surprisingly cohesive given the genre sampling - perhaps indicative of the overall theme of blurring/blending the lines between things. That said, I don't know this really rose to the level of being great given the singer who can't really sing, and the solidly dated sound. It could only sound more 90s if it came with a Delia's catalog and pucca shell necklace.
45
Wow, this one's all over the place, and lots of fun. I really like it.
Boring
One day I was enjoying a burger in Five Guys and Brimful of Asha comes on the sound system in the restaurant. Sounded great so I Shazamed it and that's when I discovered Cornershop. Of the 15 songs on this album 6 are instrumental explorations that make the album a difficult listen. None of these instrumentals are bad, but they're charms are not always redily apparent. However when the decide to display their pop-craft the results are almost always absolutely first rate. Highlights for me are the afore-mentioned Brimful of Asha, Sleep on the Left Side, We're in your Corner, Good Shit and the gorgeous country-tinged Good to be on the Road Back Home. A happy discovery that reveals morenuance with each listen. 4 stars
This was the same old boring britpop this list loves but with a different wrapper on top 4/10
This seems to have made it onto the list due to the short-lived popularity of Brimful of Asha. There is a reason it was short-lived.
Cornershop created such a fresh, vibrant album, one that still sounds new in 2025. The combination of electronic, rap, and funk with Indian music wasn't created by them, but something Cornershop does makes them sound so unique. I feel like a lot of Indian-inspired music includes the sitar and nothing else. While I'm a huge fan of the sitar, Indian music is way more than that one instrument. Cornershop's single and their most well known hit, "Brimful of Asha," wasn't even that remarkable to me. The songs they created with stronger Indian elements were more fun and interesting. Could I have done without the R2-D2 beeps? Yeah, but I'll take the good with the bad.
This album was definitely eclectic, as if the album title didn't already clue me into that. The album is pretty hard to pin into a genre, as well, as it contains a lot of unique sounds. Ultimately, it was not hard to believe that this album was recorded with a lot of drugs going on.
I don't really know what to do with this one. It's all over the place.
I found this to veer between very good, a bit weird, very weird, bad, average and pretty much every point in between. Some fantastic tracks. The original of 'Brimful Of Asha' was good, but the Fat Boy Slim remix elevated it to a whole different level. I wouldn't actively seek this album out again, which I think means it's either 2 or 3 stars. I'll give it 3 as the good outweighed the weird/bad.
Very different, very enjoyable.
7.5/10
incredible indian culture defiled.. petturit, kengänpohjaimijät. miten kehtaa sitaaria soittaa kuin ravi shankar konsanaan ja sitten heittää indierockkia kekoon ja luulee olevansa jotai.. ryhmän jäsenet olivat todellakin ylpeitä teknisen osaamisensa puutteesta, heh. cornershop hylättiin suurimmaksi osaksi epäpätevinä, heh. eiii eii tosi päteviä.. tehdään british indie rock albumi ja todistetaan pätevyys heh. vittu mitä kusetusta, vittu mitä puijjatusta, vitte ku vedetään vaan matto alta ja saatana petkutetaan kun ei olisi rehellisyyttä nähnykkää.. tomorroooow,,, neveeeer knooows... ding ding ding blang tomoorrroooowww neverknowsss... were in your cornerx§
Cornershop’s breakthrough album is a colorful blend of Britpop, Indian folk music, hip-hop, and lo-fi pop. It’s a playful and eclectic work, where everything from sitars and tablas to funky basslines and spoken word performances melt together in a warm, laid-back soundscape. The album has received widespread praise for its creative fusion of East and West, but personally, it didn’t grab me. The style feels too pop-oriented and polished, and the whole thing lacks the edge and grit I need to really get engaged. It’s undoubtedly an original and accessible album – it just doesn’t quite hit the mark for my taste.
I didn't even like Brimful of Asha that much, so what hope did the rest of this have. Proof that weed produces bad albums. 1 star.
Brimful of Asha was an instant classic back in the day but the rest of this is a little boring. My wife and I also spent a long time feeling like this wasn't the definitive version of this song but couldn't find another one that sounded right. We probably listened to 4-5 different remixes and they all sound wrong now and I don't know if it'll ever sound right again.
Although I didn't initially think I'd ever heard anything by Cornershop, when I saw that "Brimful of Asha" was on this album, I was happy to *finally* put a band's name to that insidious late 90s earworm (although I now realize that I might have heard Fatboy Slim's remixed version of the song more than the original). And unlike a few other bands we've had in this collection where their breakout hit didn't seem to fit with the rest of the album (with The La's "There she goes" a perfect example), the remainder of "When I Was Born for the 7th Time" has a similar vibe to "Brimful of Asha", which is nice (although I *still* don't really understand most of the lyrics to that song, I'll admit, even after watching the fun video). The album is a bit long in the tooth for what it delivers, and it probably could have done without a number of the instrumental and sample-heavy tracks, but it's still a fun listen and an interesting blend of Indian and British styles; my favorites (in addition to "Brimful") were "Sleep on the left side", "Good shit" (and hilarious that both Target and MTV Europe changed the refrain to be more family-friendly ("Stuff" and "Ships" respectively)), and the strangely-country-influenced "Good to be on the road back home again" (with an equalyl odd video). And what an impressive journey for a band that started off emulating The Fall and somehow got to this low-fi-ish/groove style, and I like it that they ended the album with a sardonic take on the Beatles' Indian fascination.
Wow, this was a treat! Brimful of Asha is an incredible ear worm. Great album which reminded me why I did this project: I'd never heard of these guys and now I want to listen on repeat.
I wanted to like this because I think I was so I fair to Brimful of Asha when it came out and some of the tracks are very good and groovy but there were too many other tracks that were just noisy IMO. This is unfortunately going to be the first victim of my harsher grading system where you need to earn a 3+.
Better than I thought it would be.
Didn't start out great, but grew on me a little as it progressed.
What a fantastic album. Fatboy slim adjacent but with influence of traditional Indian instrumentation. I will keep this album for many return visits.
This was interesting. Brimful of Asha and We’re in your Corner were the standouts for me. The rest was a little scattered. Strong 2, weak 3. 2.5/5
I can appreciate the variety here, as there are a lot of styles colliding. And even though I recognized a few tracks, the overall lack of cohesion between the songs made for a messy listen. Almost as if the band couldn’t decide if they wanted to be an indie-pop band or a world beat trip-hop outfit.
I thought this was an artist I’d never heard before, until the unmistakable theme song of taking a Lebomb James came on… IYKYK. Apologies to the staff at Corner Bar. This felt like the work of several bands, which is probably what they were going for. But personally I found it distracting.
I thought these guys just made commercials for LeeeeeeBrawn Jaaames. Was it Nike? Man, that would get me hyped…for going to the bars and drinking. This thing was all over the place but I guess kept me interested. Rounding up to 3 for that bass line.
Truth is anything would sound like a minimum 3* a day after suffering through yet another Steely Dan album. This album is a bit of a mess, but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed the first 3 or so minutes of Brimful of Asha...had me teetering between 2* and 3* at that point, but then I was pleasantly surprised by Candyman towards the end of the album. Blast from the past! Forgot it was by these guys. 2.75/5
Legit surprised to discover that Cornershop has a wee bit more to offer than their eternal one-hit-wonder, "Brimful of Asha." Not a terribly exciting album, but listenable enough. Short tracks, many of which are instrumentals vibing off of a spoken word sample. Solid bkgd music. Totally inoffensive. Can't decide if I'm gonna give this a 2 or a 3.
This SHOULD have been the blueprint for Britpop. Playful, fun and not taking itself too seriously, its influences diverse and many. There are some great tunes on here, as well as some filler tracks which really show their age. I still prefer the remix of Asha, but Good To Be Back is a strong contender for best track here. Fun, fun,fun.
I love the deliberate wonkiness on this album. It's as though the band are trying to slow down their pace, yet can't resist the odd sprint here and there. This is proper DIY music. There's an inspired choice of covers. Norwegian Wood comes close to bettering the original.
Interesting
Interesting album to review. I really enjoyed the creativity of the music (Butter The Soul is so different and almost weird but good?), but anything with lyrics I did not enjoy. The singer has a boring monotonous voice that I can’t stand, and he definitely ruined the songs. If it was all instrumental I would probably listen to this on repeat. Listen again: probably not Purchase for my collection: no Favourite Song: Butter The Soul
Listens: 2 Standout tracks: Sleep on the Left Side, Candyman The music is all over the place. I initially misread the album date and thought this came out in 1987, to which I would be quite impressed. I would have said it was way before it's time, likening the music to a combination of electronica with soft trap elements. In 1997 this is so much less impressive. It's repetitive and not in a good way. It's funny, I definitely enjoy some definition of "electronic" music, but whenever an album comes up here, I usually rate it really poorly. :( Candyman features someone rapping, which is a nice change of pace, and Norwegian Wood being a cover (albeit in Hindi?) was also pleasant to listen to. I appreciate the spin they put on the track. I don't think these two positives qualities save it though. 2.5
As ok as it gets
What in the wide world is this?
Not able to really get into the music.
I think this is above average Britpop. It's a 3.5, but I'll give it a 4 for creativity.
Surprisingly enjoyable on the first listen. Not sure how it will hold up over time, but for now I enjoyed it a lot.
So 90s in the best ways
Enjoyed the East Indian influence and arrangements, but overall it's pretty lightweight British pop that doesn't really resonate for me.
This is fine. Lives in that 90's Beck-like world I guess. I don't think this is must-listen or anything, but I suppose it's a 3.
Not for me. I think it’s Brit pop like super grass or blur or oasis but also with some Indian influence.
I'd never heard of Cornershop before, but this was great. It was a nice, light, poppy sound with cool-sounding lyrics and great production value. My only complaint was that it was too short, but I listened to it twice to help make up for it. Four stars.
Would I come back to this? Yes. Never really listened to them or really heard anybody talk about them but I liked it. A little too long, as everything in the CD era is though it has a groove and you can just let it play out
It was solid.
Hark, gentle listener, upon the strange and winding road of the nineties musical tapestry. Cornershop remains but a fleeting phantom—a "one-hit wonder"—whose name vanished into the ether, even as their solitary anthem, Brimful of Asha, echoed loudly through the halls of thy 20s. These modern bards didst attempt a daring alchemy, blending the exotic, rich sitars of the far East with the distorted, clanging lutes of Western Indie rock. 'Tis a clever marriage of disparate worlds, a novelty that initially puckers the tongue and pleases the curious intellect. Yet, once this strange potion is swallowed, what substance remains? Truly, very little. Beyond the cleverness of its design, the feast grows barren. It is a grand experiment that, in the final accounting, leaves no lasting impression upon the heart.
Starts off strong, but then peters out with too much filler. There's probably a tight 45 minutes somewhere in here.
can't find it
Revisit this
2.5/5
Fun and goofy at times. Appreciated the sitar and rhythmic dynamics. Hard to understand how its on the list.
If a band's music consists of ultra-basic chord progressions and singsong melodies over simplistic, repetitive beats, they better have some secret sauce to compensate for that, but Cornershop doesn't deliver the goods. The album aims for a loose feel but comes across as unstructured, a hodgepodge of vocal and instrumental numbers with no rhyme or reason. There are a few decent tracks. "We're in Yr Corner" has muscle but overstays its welcome by a third. "It's Indian Tobacco My Friend" conjures up an eerie atmosphere with its vocal and strings samples over a beat laden with dub effects.