Reviews (page 6 of 7)
Some of it is OK, but overall pretty boring.
I dunno, man. 2.5
It's ok, nothing special though, relaxing at least which is kind of nice, stoned really. I vibed slightly with Only love can break your heart and Spring, but I can see other people enjoying this more. Hmm actually after stoned is even chiller
Fine background album but not for me
Other than one or two tracks, honestly pretty boring, and at some parts annoying.
Choosing this for a 1001 Albums list, over the abundance of more exciting electronic albums released during the 90s, is like having the budget for Hawaii and the Maldives to be among your potential honeymoon destinations but instead opting for a bedsit in Peterborough. This well and truly puts the "down" in "downtempo". Justice can, and must be served in the new edition of the book scheduled for release later this year...
Not a fan of the album I felt a few of the songs were down right dreadful and the rest of the song’s weren’t anything special not a album I would listen to again
Another group I’ve heard of previously but never bothered to listen to closely. It will remain that way as this album did nothing to change that view. 2/5 30/3/26
This is unfortunately the influencer of the entire genre that I call "Chipolte Rock", that watered down ethereal bull$hit music they play at Chipolte all the time. Airy, lots of bass with little else, and usually female singers that sound like whispers rather than full vocals. I can't stand this style of music. I will give it two stars only because of the impressiveness of this album sounding timeless and not dated at all. Never would have guessed 1991.
Eh!!!
Some songs were good but it faded for me
Why?
It’s taken about 4 tracks before I’ve realised I’ve actually been listening to this. It’s not the most exciting. It’s another nice, sitting in the background kind of vibe, with not much to properly connect with. It’s nice enough I guess but it’s not for me. Too much of it I find boring. 2.5 rounded down.
meh
Realized I didn't review this the day of. It was given to me on 3/22/26 and it is now 4/8. I couldn't have this blank on my page. I have no memory of it at all.
I had high hopes when the second track kicked in, but unfortunately soon discovered the album is just an ambient wash of whimsical samey-sounds. It's ambient ways and prolific use of samples is vaguely reminiscent of Moby and Aphex Twin but Saint Etienne are doing that style in a way that's a LOT less interesting. London Belongs to Me is quite nice; has a sort of Corrs vibe which is ironic considering the name.
Goatee espresso wankers.
So, this seems to be people making pop music about pop music they love. Not for me.
Could have lived just fine without having heard this.
Now I know what to play when I can’t sleep. I saw this genre and was excited but way too poppy and sweet and boring.
1.5. I have already forgotten everything I heard.
Kind of a sleepy album that I'll probably forget I listened to in 2 days.
Brits cosplaying as French produce an entirely unremarkable album. -1 for the horrendous cover.
Dreamy indie dance and sophisti-pop built from gentle house beats, soft synths, light guitar touches, and airy, intimate vocals drifts with understated charm. Listening feels like wandering through a quiet city at dusk while distant club rhythms echo from open windows. The result is stylish and atmospheric, though its softness sometimes keeps it from leaving a stronger impact.
Most of this is meaningless music to me. I mean, Neil Young is probably turning in his grave with this version of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"... and he's not even dead yet.
1.5 - It had a few moments, but not near enough.
Way too much sampling for me, and not compelling enough material generally.
Fine but a bit flimsy
Insipid.
This sounds quite ahead of its time for 1991, maybe an influence on the later trip hop and downtempo scenes? But the production sounds bland and dated now, and the vocals and lyrics don't stand out. Doesn't compare well with other releases from the same era by the likes of Massive Attack or Cocteau Twins. 5.2 Fav track: Spring Least fav: She's the One
I didn’t hate it but I was glad when it ended
Mostly just white noise dance music for me, like a Blue Jam audio transition. A few atmospheric tracks.
adhd
This was basically a snooze-fest for me. I don't really recall any of the tracks I listened to yesterday and don't feel a need to return to this. 2/5
Wasn't really feeling this one. The description made me think it'd be more 60s sounds, but mostly I just heard the electronic stuff, which wasn't very interesting. Also, too long. 2.49/5
Ah, this is one of those albums that have a bunch of stuff just repeating constantly. Most of it was just a bit meh and even at times pretty annoying, but there was one song that was pretty decent, I guess it wasn't that bad.
4.5/10
Beyond the Neil Young cover this is not very good. Every time I think - that song wasn’t bad, maybe this is getting better - the next song blows chunks.
This comes across to me as a mix of dance/jazz/cafe style music with solid beats throughout. Some songs contained samples of various media materials and repetitive elements, and others gave me a chill and relaxing vibe. There's a lot of non-vocal music and sounds throughout. While interesting, this style of music isn't really my cup of tea.
Early Madonna-esque with odd movie dialogue sequences tossed in for added pretension. Really not my thing. 2/5
This is technically fine but it is exhausting to listen to.
Of its time. I certainly didn't need to hear this before I died.
Wasn't bad but wasn't great. For sure sounds like its from the 90s with its mix of low key house music with pop sensibilities of the 50s and 60s. Not sure I think I had to hear this before I died though.
A couple good songs but not for me. 2.5 stars
This album was fine. It's early 90s club music. That's about it. I enjoy club music well enough but this didn't exactly blow me away.
listenable but overlong and only really had one song that excited me
"Mom, can we stop at St. Etienne?" "No, Billy, we have plenty of Portishead at home"
Cute but tiring
Singer is okay but the music is weak. 2 stars or D+.
This was fine. Not a fan of the style per se, but it was varied enough. 15 songs is too many.
Its really easy to come out when listening to an album like this, one that'd alright but not too interesting. As such I can't give as in depth a review as I'd like. The first(?) song was kind of annoying but it picked up and the rest was mediocre. High two, low three territory. Trying to avoid giving everything threes. 58/100
I do enjoy trip-hop, and the twee elements are also something I enjoy aesthetically, but Foxbase Alpha feels lacking. I generally enjoy what Saint Etienne is going for, but questionable songwriting/production choices, weak vocal performances (or going too soft) drag some songs down; there is stuff to like, but there's also stuff you have to suffer through.
Meh
Not my cup of tea, but it wasn't bad by any means. Solid 5/10.
Досить вайбово, є кілька треків, що запам'ятовуються, тому 2,5
Album 1027 of 1089 Foxbase Alpha - Saint Etienne (1991) Rating : 2 / 5 This one had its moments, but it never quite pulled me all the way in. There are parts of the album where the softer, melodic pop elements work nicely. When it leans into that direction, it’s pleasant and easy to listen to. Unfortunately, it also drifts into electronica territory, and that’s where it tends to lose me. It’s not bad — it just isn’t what I look for when I sit down to enjoy an album. Overall, this was a decent listen. Nothing here offended my ears, and a few tracks were enjoyable enough, but nothing really stuck with me afterward. It feels like an album that probably connects strongly with fans of the genre, even if it didn’t fully click for me.
This Is Radio Etienne n/a Only Love Can Break Your Heart 3 Wilson 2 Carnt Sleep 2.6 Girl VII 2.1 Spring 2 She's the One 2 Stoned to Say the Least 2 Nothing Can Stop Us 2.3 Etienne Gonna Die 1.8 London Belongs to Me 2.4 Like the Swallow 1.7 Dilworth's Theme n/a Score: 2.172727273
some good songs but overall unimpressive
British dance pop. Not as bad as I anticipated. 2.5 stars
2/11, 18%
I can’t give this a 1, just because it’s more compelling than it’s comparables, and I have to preserve the internal scale (between 1 and 2) of bad English music from the 90s. But imagine my disappointment when I saw this pop up and thought “Oh maybe some cool French pop music?” and then discovered it’s ANOTHER ENGLISH ELECTRONIC ACT. My GOD. Neil Young cover absolutely terrible. That’s a 1 star song.
It was fine. 3/4 through most songs I was like yeah ok I get it. Sounds like the type of music Jamie Oliver would choose as a theme song for his shows. It’s pretty creative and it’s cool that’s it’s female led. Nothing really grabbed me.
Imagine Massive Attack without any brooding or innovative soundworks. Imagine any of the French triphop or lounge acts without any good melodies. Imagine a machine making radio pop for a club where no drinks are served. It's this.
it was okay ! not my super favorite, nothing stood out to me much
I wasn’t super into this one. Some good vocals, but a lot of it was just repetitive beats over weird recordings.
Whispery dialogue, repetitive beats and lyrics, groove you can't groove to. It's a no for me dawg.
Fin d'année faiblarde...
Je sais pas si c'est le contraste avec Dead Kennedys, mais valider des ordonnances à 7h le matin ça faisait mieux avec le gros punk. Musique d'ambiance un peu sans saveur.
Plate plate plate. Les influences de club music vont que je ne sais pas quand j’écouterais ça
Not a real fan. It had a few moments but not something I will listen to again and frankly the occasional dialogue made no sense and the entire concept genre was rather boring.
I generally am biased against French music. It tends to be more lyrical, and I don't understand French. This album didn't change that opinion, but it wasn't bad. I just couldn't get into it. I liked the later more experimental style songs more than the earlier ones. I wouldn't probably put this in my top 1001 albums, personally, but it was a good journey.
One of the most boring albums in my life. Not terrible, just whatever
2.5
Ok but forgettable.
It started off OK, but then I lost interest.
Much better than Darkdancer, but not really that engaging.
No ei iskenyt. 2/5.
Does her version of Neil open a new angle or insight? Nope. So not a good way for me to start things off. Pretty steep foxhole to climb out of. Dance music not my style, sorry, so why include dance music in the 1001 list? Now I'm just irritated.
wow this was boring
At first, I thought it was a nice album with a good vibe, but it quickly became repetitive. At some point, I just wanted it to end. I guess that was the album's biggest mistake. For that, I’ll give it 2 stars.
Well, I didn't really care for it. I didn't really pay much attention. Not extremely bad, but not good at all.
I listened and immediately forgot.
Maso
I didn't spend a lot of time with this one, but it feels safe to assume it wasn't gonna surprise me in the third act. And I gotta catch up anyway.
I have no idea why I had to listen to this.
Not for me. Good but meh
I actuelly liked the first track, so the second track was a massive letdown. From there on there were moments I enjoyed, om particular the 60’s influenced parts and some of the dub parts. However, in the end I tired of the album and wouldn’t revisit again anytime sooner or later
Interesting EuroPop rendition of Neil Young's Only Love Can Break your heart but the rest of the album is pretty forgettable mix of pop/dance/electronica. The 60's feel on Spring was ok.
I get bored so easily, I just don't think this is my type of stuff.
not my style
Not my cup of tea. Not a fan of dance music, was good though, but as said not for me. 4/10
Starts good, but then, no.
I always had a bit of a schoolboy crush on Sarah Cracknell. She looked like your mate's mum who was attractive and would come and chat to you about music and say things like "It's got a good beat." Anyway, she wasn't a proper member yet, BUT that is what this music is. Music a hot mum would make and tell you it's got a good beat. And sometimes it does. Best Tracks: Only Love Can Break Your Heart; Spring; Nothing Can Stop Us
I've never listened to this album (53). A bit forgetable, background music.
Not for me at all, found it kinda dull
Some nice highlights but unfortunately as a whole the album is a bit boring. Just not my thing, but I can appreciate why it's influential
Honestly, not much that is very noteworthy here. Their cover of Only Love Can Break Your Heart was ... fine? I found Wilson to be more interesting, with the layered vocal conversations, but this is basically Pink Floyd set to a beat. This music feels like a good substitute for ambient music - it's decent "mood" music for vibing to without giving it too much attention. When I was able to give it some attention, I was pleasantly surprised by some interesting lyrics. But getting to that point was a bit of a chore.
I can't remember the last time I had fairy floss. I don't want to either.
1.6
I liked a couple, didn't like a couple and didn't understand the rest!
I don't think I've ever heard of this band or album, so I have no expectations going in. Wilson was a nicely trippy track, slightly Avalanches-esque, Girl VII reminded me of Ramblin' Man by Lemon Jelly. Every other track was pretty bad, tedious and overly electronica. Also very London-centric. No thanks.
I guess maybe I would put this on during a long flight but some of the songs are too upbeat for that. I can't think of a context in which I would put this on during a time I intended to remain conscious.
I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is a sort of dream pop meets dance music. I did not really care for it. Even the most popular track, a cover of Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart did not do anything for me. I would not listen again.
I've crossed paths with this group but I find it odd that this album is on this list. Prior to listening to this album, I knew Spring and Wood Cabin(not featured on this album) both simply cute songs. The rest of the album doesnt really match that vibe, unfortunately kind of boring and repetitive...but theres still a charm to it. Not something id listen to again but I may look at their other stuff.
Repetitive early 90s electronic? It was mellow but boring.
Oh great, another spacey european style techno album 🍑💨
Some cool grooves and samples in here, but pretty boring to me.
When the best song on the album is a cover, that's probably a sign that you are missing creative inspiration. Most of the tracks on here are dull dance grooves with under-developed melodies. There are a few exceptions - notably "Girl VII" and "Nothing Can Stop Us" - but far too few. The general conceit has promise - 60s girl pop over a dance beat - but the songs simply aren't strong enough.
они хотели быть модными, сэмплировали, но "комбинацию" не скрыть увы)
Between a 2 and a 3 on this. IMO it felt like pretty generic 90s proto edm. There was one song I found maybe annoyingly catchy with a grandma asking a kid about candy
The 90s interpolation of the 60s is now (late 2025) roughly as far in past as the actual 60s were to those responsible for said interpolation. Shaggadelic, baby! What the 60s meant to the 90s (britpop qua revivified swinging soho and all that attaches itself to such claims of cultural hegemony) is however less interesting, to me at least, than what the 90s has meant to the 60s. That’s principally because of just how often I’ve been stood still by something that subverts my expectation that sixties fare be syrupy, saccharine silliness. At times I’ve actually struggled to believe that what I’ve heard coming out of the sixties was genuinely, actually made and produced all the way back then. Time out of joint, not quite. I’ve merely fallen victim to the twin forces of underestimating the primacy of the past (blame youth) and taking postmodernism at face value (blame the 90s). It’s with this perspective that I find myself encountering Foxbase Alpha. A lively cover of “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” (released in 1970, but I’m not sure the sixties strictly ended on December 31st 1969) starts the album; it’s an exuberant reimagining, and what it loses in replacing the chordal interplay of the original’s verse, bridge and chorus with a single loop it more than makes up for with general grooviness. (In the process achieving a thorough victory for postmodern hyperreality; a cover of a song somehow carrying more “of its time” characteristics than the original recording.) There are other gems scattered through this record – typically those most adherent to the sixties revival theme: “Spring”, “Nothing Can Stop Us”, “London Belongs To Me” – but also some pretty dreadful pap. “Kiss and Make Up” and “People Get Free” sound more like milquetoast 90s prime time reality TV pop than anything that’s time travelled its way onto the record; “She’s The One” is so extraordinarily bad that it makes my lower abdomen hurt a little bit out of second hand embarrassment. Here the 90s falters, and owes the sixties, a decade distorted by misrepresentation in my formative years, an apology. As with any act of impersonation, when it’s good you delight in the fact you didn’t even notice, but when it’s bad all you can do is try to find joy in spotting the flaws. And as for time’s habit of repeating itself, I guess we’re due a third wave revival. (Maybe “67” is early portents.) There are some lovely moments in Foxbase Alpha – but I’d struggle to call them era defining by either’s standards.
90s electronique sound. Lots of repetition and a voice talking over music.
Some of the songs had some nice beats, the album was ok
Not my kind of thing really
Would be more enjoyable on ecstasy. Some interesting stuff, but too pedestrian.
not bad in any sort of technical sense, but i did not enjoy listening to it. i didnt mind when they actually focused on making music but tracks like wilson or the opening to like a swallow make this feel so a chore to listen to.
Way too repetitive. This album sounded like a parody of the music on repeat at Old Navy and Sears
Despite its French-sounding name, St. Etienne is a British band, but to me it actually sounded as if it were rooted in French culture. “Fox Base Alpha” is technically good but otherwise fairly insignificant 90s pop. I can't think of much else to say about it that's worth mentioning.
Solid background music. Gets bery annoying when paying close attention. What is going on here? Random people talking in the background saying the same lines over and over. I can respect it, but I won't listen again. I think the singer has a pretty good voice. The backing tracks are also fine. Just nothing stands out and it gets annoying at times
I literally fell asleep while listening to this. Do not operate heavy machinery while this is playing.
Very generic 90s pop. Not for me.
burbly french techno pop synthy background music. Meh.
Another day, another English album that doesn't make any sense to include on this list.
mah ok sicuramente è un fatto interessante però lo riteniamo tra gli album che devo sentire prima di morire? non direi
Forse l’album che mi è piaciuto di meno. Va bene magari come sottofondo mentre si fanno altre cose, ma verso la fine stavo impazzendo
I prefer the football team. It was a bit stuck between things. Sometimes verging on baggy, sometimes a bit house-y but didn’t really lean into it. Some nice moments but overall nothing I’m really excited to return to.
Pretty chill house music, but most songs on here sound fairly similar?
not memorable at all
Some creative 90s mixing. And sampling. But I don't think a single song stuck. Nice album tho.
Protest and stoner music. A bit too much of both for me, and repetitive.
Best Song: Kiss and Make Up Meh. A genre of music (house) I don't like and an average at best band at it. Uninspired. It felt like music you would have heard shopping for clothes at the Gap in the 90s. 2/5
Fair
A strong 1st album with a unique sound for the time. However it doesn't stand the test of time as it falls rather flat compared to the evolution of the genre. While I found myself enjoying a few of the songs, and was never outright disliking anything, I can't imagine myself listening to anything again or even particularly remembering this album. I'd summarize this as harmlessly and unremarkable enjoyable. 2.5/5
Dull dull dull.
Pretty forgettable but inoffensive
Definitely of it's time. Quite nice, but not particularly interesting - like lofi music, enjoyable to have in the background but bland if you're actively listening.
cover of only love can break your heart is good. otherwise has the vibe of elevator music.
Yawn. I recall hearing Only Love Can Break Your Heart in the past. The rest was very average.
Does nothing for me
what I'm listening? Not in 10.001
Fakin hippies madafakers
Just a little too repetitive and boring
I don't recall ever hearing of this band or this album. I guess that shouldn't be too surprising considering that they are in the "indie dance" genre, but it still seems strange. Maybe they had no MTV presence? Anyway, I don't hate this but I am just not into dance music and never have been. I did kind of like "Kiss and Make Up" though. Did NOT like "Like the Swallow."
Fine
too many skits.
Fine for one spin. No need to ever come back.
"Only love can break your heart" is nice, the rest doesn't interest me.
Bof. Pas mauvais mais ca me remue pas
Knew only love can break your heart. That's been played a lot and I guess stood the test of time.... But it was probably successful because of the Neil Young hook. The rest of it isn't bad, but it's definitely nothing special either... Not sure it's list worthy really. I liked the kinda dubby bass on some tracks. 2.5⭐️
haven't heard of it, don't care, will never listen again no way this is top 1001 ever i didn't necessarily dislike it but like what
There's some interesting samples here and there, but nothing stood out to me. I wasn't even aware that my music player had auto shuffled over to another artist. So meh.
meh
know it like it
No thanks. Didn't especially care for this.
This album sounds like early 90s house music you would hear in a clothes store. I don’t understand why it is held to such high regard. It’s fine but why? Also the one track totally rips off Madonna’s vogue which came out the previous year. Overall not my kind of music to listen to, but it’s fine as background music.
Another obscure British album that is just meh
No idea how this one snuck onto this list. Really nothing special about it at all. 4/10.
I don't like chill music. This album is too laid back and repetitive for me. Not bad, but feels just like background music and is not particularly engaging. 5/10
some pleasant moments, but oddly dated
Sounds very much of its day. Didn't really grab me.
I know the name, I've tried a few songs over the years, but I had NO idea they'd been doing this since I was in college. Flying undercover! Sunny, fun, bland music with no soul, that's how I'd sum this album up. Background music. I definitely could have gone my lifetime without having heard this. There's no way this was influential, it has no hits, it has a couple songs with respectable listen counts (cover of "Only Love...", "Nothing Can Stop Us" & "Spring") which are all average at best & no one remembers them. I was hoping for a shiny penny on the ground, I didn't find it, not impressed with this one. 2 stars, maybe.
Not my cup of tea
p668. 1991. 2 stars. Tedious, repetitive 90s Brit electro pop. It speaks volumes that the best track on this is a cover of a Neil Young song. Not essential listening.
It’s ok. Cannot fathom how it got on a greatest anything of anything list
Gave it a good ol try. Just wasn’t feelin’ it..
Highlights: Carnt Sleep, Girl VII, London Belongs to Me. In a nutshell: poppy trip hop. I like the 60s pop touches (especially in Spring) but I don't hear enough to set this album apart from other trip hop/alternative dance releases. Massive Attack released Blue Lines mere months before Foxbase Alpha. Sarah Cracknell's voice reminded me of Shara Nelson (who performed on Massive Attack's Safe From Harm), early Goldfrapp, maybe Isobel Campbell? Cool band name, the music is very hit and miss for me. Overall: 4/10
Nope, I just don't understand the hype around Saint Etienne. On paper, danceable indie with trip hop influences should be right up my alley, but nothing from Foxbase Alpha stuck with me. Bland record.
More electronic pop…meh. Two stars.
It was meh. Some stuff reminded me of Madonna at her least exciting. Didn't offend me, but didn't surprise or excite me either. DNF
Groupe complètement inconnu. Que j'ai immédiatement détesté, entre l'intro sans intérêt, la reprise terriblement monotone et répétitive, et le pompon 'Wilson' avec les mêmes phrases qui se répètent pendant 2 minutes. A ce stade la note envisagée est 1/5. J'ai continué, le début de 'Carnt Sleep' et ses passages instrumentaux au piano étant plus réussis. Et j'ai aussi apprécié l'ambiance de 'Like the Swallow'. Le reste n'est malheureusement pas au même niveau, mais ces 2 morceaux le sauvent de la note minimale. =>2/5
some good vibes but generally booooring
All over the shop
5/10
4/10 not really for me
Only heard one song from it before. It's nice but other than the big hit I just didn't really pay attention to the rest 2/5
Boooo
2.5
Aussi essentiel que le troisieme extra olive sur ta pizza.
Bon disque pour tenir compagnie aux plantes à la maison quand tu pars en vacances. Surtout si elles sont artificielles. C'est fade.
kon deze niet uitbeluisteren.. begon redelijk met cover van Neil Young... daarna in recordtempo bergafwaarts
It has a certain appeal but not really something I’ll gravitate towards very often.
# Album Name: Foxbase Alpha # Artist: Saint Etienne # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Not my cup of tea # Top Tunes: Only love can break your heart # Would I listen to it again? No
I really couldn't get the image of the hip-hop dance class bit from Bob's Burgers out of my head. Rating: 5 Favorite Song: Nothing can stop us
4.5/10 It was perfectly fine. Just didn’t really feel like much was happening here. Favorite Song: Spring
Pop slop
This is ok, I like the dancier ones. Already knew Nothing Can Stop Us which is good, and the Neil Young cover is fun. I zoned out slightly at various points though, the 7min penultimate track was enough to relegate this from 3 to 2
Typical 90's music, very good really but not that interesting.
Nothing Can Stop Us was nice to listen to. Good vibe throughout, easy to listen to but didn't do a ton for me overall. They know what they're doing and it's an okay album but I wouldn't say this is one needed on the list.
A pretty interesting mix of genres. The intersection of trip hop with 90s dance music is something I can confidently say I've never heard before. I've always been favourable to trip hop, but I think it's a genre that's very difficult to get wrong but also really hard to get right. 90s dance music is a different story. I can appreciate this kind of music when it's purely an electronic affair, but I think it gets pretty bad when more traditional instruments are thrown into the mix. That piano/keyboard sound which is present throughout this album and common in UK music at the time sounds horrific to me. Talking more broadly about the music itself, the album starts out solid enough, but gets substantially weaker as it piles on 5+ minute song after 5+ minute song. There are a few moments on the album that showcase a creative and effective use of electronic sounds, but these moments are few and far between. Foxbase Alpha was substantially more draining than it needed to be. I listened to this album twice - once with the US bonus tracks and once without. I can't say that the experience was much different other than that I was glad it ended sooner.
Not really sure what was going on here but it was too slow for me.
It was just ok for me.
Only Love Can Break Your Heart was decent, but the rest were not notable enough for background music. Strong 1.5.
Fav song: Like The Swallow Kinda mid, not really a lot that stands out to me and the production sounds dated. Some of the synth sounds are quite nice though.
I give it 2 stars, one star to shit on and the other star to cover it up.
I felt bored. Nice background music, but most likely won't listen again
*Shake It Bake It Booty Quake It ends* No!
In the first 10 minutes of any Saint Etienne album I convince myself I’m going to like it. But I never really do.
Liked this in parts, but was pretty disappointed overall.
Meh, peak meh. It's not even essential for the year it was released, let alone 1001 albums before you die. Yet it is here because it is another album you are supposed to like. I must be honest, most electronic music does nothing for me. I will sub an album from a genre that gets no love with this poppy list and I suggest you do as well...Death - Human.
Not quite
I don't do enough drugs to like this type of music. This one is particularly frustrating for me, because I enjoyed ~1 minute of a lot of these songs, then they'd repeat themselves over and over until I no longer liked what I previously had been enjoying.
Wasn’t really into it. Sorta boring.
Okay- the more popular tracks are good "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", "Spring", and "Nothing Can Stop Us". But the rest of the album is kind of boring, especially the instrumental tracks. "Stoned to Say the Least" sounds like a free Garageband backing track.
Boring - so repetitive
Boring when it was released now it's dated and bieing
Dull
There is just wayyyyy too much going on here. Strange album, didn't enjoy it much. Felt like genre whiplash. If she had stuck with one of the genres it might have turned out great.
The music was suitable for background listening while working, but it wasn't engaging enough to capture my full attention.
The beginning really annoyed me. Thought I was going to hate it. Warmed a bit to it with Nothing Can Stop Us but not enough
Oh, to live in early 90s England, where this type of music is all the rave in the Dance clubs...so glad I I didn't. I get what this band is trying to do, and in some ways they're like an early version of Chainsmokers, but it's just a lot of samples, covers, experiments, and slow jams. I'll have to check out some of their newest stuff to see how they've evolved, but even their hit song from the album doesn't do much for me.
Dance music is so close to being my thing EVERY time. But it always peters off into a repetitive bore. That Neil Young cover is crazy though.
Oddly enough, I find that the song most played on Spotify, their "big hit", the cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", is the worst song on the album Look, covers are hard. If you do it exactly like the original, what was the point in doing it? I will give them credit that they changed the feel of the song, but it just... doesn't feel right. It's like using vanilla flavored almond milk to thin out mashed potatoes. Sure, in theory it works, it's milk, but... it just doesn't taste right. The other songs were decent, and at least they were short...ish. The vocalist is very light and airy, but the songs are the same way, so there you go. NEXT. Top tracks: "People Get Real," "London Belongs To Me"
The remake of Only Love Can Break Your Heart reminded me of The Cardigans, and a bit of C&C Music Factory by the end of the song with its more over the top synth. I didn't mind Moira Lambert's guest vocals on the track, but the rest of the song was not great. And then the next track - Wilson. No Willie would not like some sweets! Sooooo annoying. That was the start of me skipping through parts of the annoying songs or interludes. I also like Sarah Cracknell's vocals so I wish there was more of that with beats that played into it (like on Carnt Sleep, and Kiss and Make Up) rather than overpowering or excessive beats and muted/distorted/talking Cracknell (like on Girl VII or Nothing Can Stop Us). Overall, I wasn't a fan of this sound. Nominated for a Mercury Prize eh? The Brits are so weird sometimes.
Wow, what a lame album. The only reason I'm not giving it a 1 is because it was inoffensive - there was nothing bad about listening in the background, but damn this is some soulless dance music. How can you take a song as great as "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and make it boring?? Tracks that were ok: Spring, Stoned to Say the Least, Like the Swallow.
I wanted to like this, as dance is usually I genre I love, but it felt repetitive in a very inorganic way and bored the heck out of me. I also was not a fan of Sarah Cracknell's vocal style. Way too breathy for me. The only track of theirs I truly enjoy is “Like a Motorway” from their 3rd album.
2/5
2.5
All sounds the same. Too long.
holy fuck talk about repetition within the songs. If I hear “WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SWEETS WILLIE” one more time in my life I will scream. Knowing nothing about the history of this album or artist, it feels like this lady was really good at making fun 30 second songs and then repeated the hell out of them to fit the benchmark for song length. RIP saint etienne, you would’ve loved TikTok music culture. (Just googled, they’re still alive, but keeping my comment bc it’s a meme format). My review is gonna end here bc I feel like the music isn’t bad it’s just too repetitive even for elevator music. Any further bashing would be too rude and only anger-based due to the repetition. Oh did I mention it’s too repetitive or am I repeating myself? SEE HOW IT FEELS This could’ve been a 3 or a 4 but it’s a 2/5 for me.
Okay 2.5
Alright. Not keen on vocals
Entirely too long. Wasn’t horrible but not good.
Only Love Can Break Your Heart //
Do you like pop music? If you do then this album is for you. This album is decent, the lyrics of the songs are also decent, the beats are pretty good, the album cover sucks. But over all the album aint bad, I would recommend it
This album was ok. Do I think that it is one of the 1001 albums that I must listen to before I died? No. It was an ok album.
2.5
näitä on pökäleittäin... Muutamat biist upeita.... Toisissa kurakone käynnissä..
Think of a song name, repeat it over and over again, put in some basic tunes and boom this album.
Hm. It's not bad per se, but unclear why it is on this list. Probably need to educate myself. The lady singing tracks are the strongest and the willie wonka one gets very annoying.
fucka ikke helt med
Bummer, by the description I thought I would like this a lot more! A lot of songs felt really repetitive and her voice got annoying.
Terrible day to hear this on. I might not be giving it a fair shot but it is what it is.
waiting room music - and not awesome like Fugazi couldn't get into it
I will not get myself manipulated. Again the creator of the list bashes me with the trippy British DJs. This time it was more subtle. Some songs weren't even as shit as expected. Still not worth a listen.
Maybe I’m dumb, but I don’t get any 60s vibes from this. It’s just 90s dance music to me.
It was fine i guess, wouldn't listen again
You can’t open with a terrible cover of Neil Young and expect me to like the rest of your album
I knew exactly what it would sound like by the album cover.
J'avais des grosses attentes avec comment la première chanson partait. Par la suite j'ai reconnu que c'était une reprise de Neil Young, mais au moins elle était bonne. Puis ensuite j'ai réalisé que c'était la seule bonne chanson de l'album. Vraiment ennuyant, répétitif et monotone. J'imagine il faut faire partir de la scène house indie anglaise pour comprendre. Un autre album que je soupçonne un gros biais UK. 4/10
Teach these people what melody is
27/09/24 Did not appeal to me.
😴
Winnipeg? Not my style. I'm not always against dance music but I usually am. Too repetitive, too simplistic. Too easy listening, if that makes sense.
Catchy songs with an upbeat groove, but some of the sample interludes are a little to long and repetitive ("would you like some sweets willy?"), but overall sounds exactly like what I remember from early 90s dub and house music. Sarah Cracknell's vocals are soft and sweet and offer a nice break from the otherwise over repetitiveness of the album. I don't feel like this is required material, even if it may have been influential on the genre, it doesn't do much to excite me
It’s a 70s disco album. Thought it might be French but it was not.
Not very memorable nor interesting
A bit less boring
Day235 - the sounds of early nineties electo dance are kinda fun. only love can break your heart is good
i've tried to listen to this album exactly twice in my life now and each time, it's a big yawn
Its vibe-ee
It's an okay album. Music to scratch your itchy feet by.
Parts were okay, parts were weird, nothing special either way
Kind of music only played at restaurants for old people. Absolutely juiceless
Just drifted into background music. Why this album?
Another album I was fairly bored listening to. It's sort of pretty, at times, but overall not my cup of tea.
1. radio - 1 2. heart - 2 3. uuilzon - 1 4. zleep - 2 5. girl - 1 6. zpring - 1.5 7. the one - 1 8. get real - 1 9. ztoned - 1.5 10. nothing - 2 11. etienne - 1 12. london - 1 13. kizz - 1.5 14. zuuallouu - 1.5 15. diluuorthz - 0
just bland
Interessante Musik.
Sort of hipster techno
I missed this when it first came out. To me sounds very of its time and didn’t age as gracefully as, say, Massive Attack or Portishead.
gay witch music
Nothing that I enjoyed but I wouldn't say it was bad. Maybe a high 2.
mmm
Apparently, repetition & sampling is not my preferred genre. Kinda relaxing...I could maybe put this on while working...but not very enjoyable to listen to in any engaged way.
A bland boring collection of background music. “Oh what a perfect album to halfway pay attention to while you do other things” is about the best you can say for this.
Eh
Electronic music is just not my thing. It's fine, I found myself bobbing to the beat a few times, but it's definitely nothing I'd listen to regularly.
Inoffensive background music. Bass lines with reasonable melodies over the top. One step up from muzak, but nothing to hold my interest. I don't remember any of it, except for the very poor version of 'Only love can break your heart' - if he heard this, I suspect Neil Young would be inclined to change his mind.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Hitillä sisään, loppu olikin sitten fiilistelyä. Hyvin kesäinen, siitä kiva, mutta en nyt ihan syttynyt, ei vedonnut (paitsi se Only love can break your heart, tosi hyvä). Vahva kaks puol mutta jää kakkosen puolelle
You’re in a bad way is great Beyond that nothing particularly stands out
Only Love Can Break Your Heart + Carnt Sleep are good, and Like the Swallow is incredible (though it feels incredibly short despite being 7-minute, mostly due to the fact that the short verse is preceded and followed by minimalistic instrumental work), but otherwise not much here grabbed my attention.
Not my thing at all.
Well, for some reason the version of the album on Spotify in the UK omits the two best tracks. Harrumph! We spent a fair bit of time at uni chewing over signs, signifiers, simulacra and the ilk. All that chat seems to coalesce here, a dream pop album that features ghostly hints of many different shapes and forms but ultimately floats untethered in its own soupy little bubble of ephemera. Some silly words to describe what is ultimately an inoffensive, okayish listen. The club culture aspects sound horribly dated. The Neil Young cover sucks. You know who did a good electronic cover of a Neil Young song? Neil Young, on his masterful (you read it first here, folks!) Trans album.
The musical equivalent to a Coffee table book. Its just there.
Loungy triphop rijkelijk versierd met samples, uit films blijkbaar. De openingstrack doet me meer denken aan NOS Langs de Lijn of Radio Tour de France. Dat doet wel goed voor de nostalgische gevoelens. Jammer dat het over Frans voetbal gaat, wat dan weer beresaai is. Verder is de muziek wat kaal en klinkt het af en toe wat gedateerd. En dan bedoel ik dat het ouderwets is voor die tijd, dus het doet me denken aan de 80s (ik hoor er zelfs Madonna in), terwijl dit een (early) 90s plaat is. Ze waren hun tijd dus niet ver vooruit lijkt het. Dat ben ik niet echt gewend van de snoblijst. Waarom dit er dan wel in staat, is me een beetje een raadsel. Ik vind het maar saai. Ze schijnen in het vervolg van hun carriere ook afgegleden te zijn naar nog meer ambient muziek. Een soort Brian Eno adepten dus, en daar hebben we hier een hekel aan. We hebben al veel betere triphop en lounge muziek in deze lijst mogen horen, dus ik ga streng zijn met een 2.
Was cute for a little while, but got boring and then was too long. 2/5
Pleasant ambient stuff. Got off to a bad start but improved. Nothing really to write home about a solid 2.
Not for me. Bland and uninteresting and boring and repetitive.
I'm starting to consider skipping anything I haven't heard of from the UK during the 1990s. This is another perfect example of an album that does nothing for me from then and there.
"Yo, Robert, I've been thinking... shouldn't we have some electronic music in here? I mean, this stuff kinda blew up in the 90ies?" "Hm, you're probably right, but I don't know any." "Me neither. Shit. What do we do?" "There must be chart hits from some albums, let's look them up." ____________ And here we are. In my memory I had put Saint Etienne somewhere close to The Cardigans. Which is wrong but it's also not. Fox Base Alpha may well be The Cardigans, but after they'd been off their tits on some rave the night before, hungover, drowsily playing with a sampler. On cheap opiates. Don't do drugs, kids! In 1991 this may have been the shit, or some shit, but those early electronic albums "YMHBYD" are like a child's drawing of a house where the chimney is perpendicular to the roof. And I'm not a proud parent here. Bad. Not good.
I understand the talking parts but I don’t fully grasp how they fit in maybe I just was not paying that close of attention to it
This was, once again, not an album I needed to hear before I died. It was boring, uninspired, lackadaisical, and generally kinda stupid. I could not tell you what the point of the album was at all. The samples were just strange (the one asking Willy if he wanted any sweets was particularly stupid and annoying). Was this supposed to be revolutionary or impressive cause it was neither. Does not deserve to be on this list at all.
nope. not my style at all. too many samples, repetition, and didn't care for vocals or lyrics
Foxbase Br
Vähän lame pilluunpuhaltelu. Paikoin 3 tähden toimivaa, mut ei riittäny
Not my favorite but an interesting listen
Dance music, not much bass
2.85
Interesting, but not excessively so. I confess I don't get house/techno that well. This is OK, maybe it's just my mood today, rainy, overcast, and I'm tired.
It’s nice enough, I guess, but nothing to write home about. It seems like we’re getting many more of these ethereal moody albums than is really warranted.
Kinda just went by me. Not my genre, seemed ok though Will I listen to again: 0%
Not my favorite genre and kind of all over the place for me as an album. I’d give this a 2.5 if I could but rounding down due to the likelihood of me listening to this again (low).
#167. I kept getting bored listening to this. I ended up skipping the end of a lot of the songs. I feel like drugs might make this more tolerable? 2/5: two
Rating: 4.5/10. Almost good. Some redeeming qualities. Probably overrated. Genre: Indie Dance, British pop Only Love Can Break Your Heart: Fun beat. Immediately appealing. The rest of the album falls off pretty hard. Definitely feels more "indie" than "pop," but it needs to lean "pop" to be a good dance album imo.
All right. A bit boring after a few tracks.
Not much to say about this one, as for what they were doing - it was fairly well done - just not all that interesting to me... Certainly better than the albums that I have given a 1-star to, but just kinda meh... Would give it probably a 1.50 if I could, but begrudgingly I'll give it a 2...
How the hell did this album make the list? I quite enjoyed the cover of Only Love Can Break Your Heart, but damn. Not very memorable or groundbreaking or important historically.
Pleasant enough as background music. Feels representative of 90s trip hop/lounge electronica
album started fairly strong, i enjoyed the unconventional cover of neil young's "only love can break your heart" despite me being slightly offput by how different it is from the original. but that's sort of where my interest in this album stopped. the rest of this album is... fine. but honestly a bit boring for me. i thought i would like the combination of twee sounding oldies inspired music and dance music but for some reason this album just became a practice in lethargy. not my favorite.