The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

I just don’t get it? I don’t know what people hear in this album that I don’t? What is on here that makes anyone swoon on about it like it was their first born? The music is not groundbreaking or genre defining. It’s neither a breakout sound or mesmerising enough to keep me on high alert for the start of each track. It’s the same indie sound that blends each song into the other due to the nondescript style of the music. I tried listening to the most played track, according to Deezer, over and over hoping to catch a peek of what the cool kids were revelling in...I didn’t even get a glimpse. 1 Star!

This album is no longer in the latest editions of the book, and I can't say I disagree.

What an odd and lovely little album. There's so much great music, melody, instrumentation, and vocalization on this one. Lyrically intricate and poetic. Great mix of "chill" and energetic energy, dynamic in a way that's interesting and not jarring to listen to. Loved it.

Well. That's just ... really boring, innit? Shame.

I’m familiar with a little Badly Drawn Boy, but this is the first time hearing this album. Mostly gentle and pleasant - but never boring - with some darker undercurrents that occasionally bubble up to the surface. The songs have a way of being unique and quirky without crossing over into annoying. There’s a lot of cleverness in the arrangements and the lyrics. Some Highlights: “The Shining” features some great horns in the opening the turns to a really nice guitar song that builds the orchestra back by the finale. Really nice. “Camping Next To Water” seems to be about someone stranded in the woods alone living on fish. Really great song! “Once Around The Block” has a pleasant, quirky vibe - a fun listen. “Magic in the Air” was very a really nice love song that has just the right amount of sweetness. “Cause A Rockslide” is interesting with cool lyrics (“your sweetness would cause a rockslide”) and a trippy second half I enjoyed. “Pissing In The Wind” takes things in a country direction with fun lyrics and a shambly feel. It is probably my second favorite song on the album after… “Disillusion” is a groovy dance track with a great beat and rhythm section Great song - my favorite on the album. “Say It Again” has some more really clever lyrics. Great song that builds and builds as it goes - “dried up thoughts but my nose is runny.” Just when you think you have THE HOUR OF BEWILDERBEAST pinned down the album throws a curve ball into the music and/or lyrics. The surprises really work and never feel out of place (except maybe “This Song” on headphones). With each listen there’s something new to discover. Somehow Badly Drawn Boy weaves all these unique pieces together into a cohesive, enjoyable album.

Here’s a good rule of thumb for a lot of these early 00’s albums (particularly the British indie ones) that the list curator loves to include: If you haven’t heard anyone talk about the band in 20 years, it’s probably safe to say that you don’t need to hear it before you die. This record plods along, doesn’t really offer anything revolutionary or particularly upbeat. It’s a bit depressing, isn’t it? Like if Elliot Smith stole Radiohead’s lunch money. As a counterpoint to this record, I’ll offer up Grandaddy’s “The Sophtware Slump”, also from 2000. It’s a well engineered, experimental indie rock headphone album and at least Jason Lytle sounds like he [gasp] had a little fun making the record.

This is a hell of an album. I had forgotten just how good. The melodies come fast and furiously and with beauty a subtlety. The listener is required to wade through some studio trickery which almost but not quite distracts from the incredible songwriting. Allmusic.com references Harry Nilsson as his closest influence, frankly I don't here it; First of all Damon's voice is not like Nilsson's and I think of him more as an interpreter of other's material. I hear a lot of Beatles (think Sgt Pepper's) but what I really hear is Todd Rundgren, I think of THOTB as Something/Anything for the year 2000. A brilliant debut that does now and always will sound fresh. 5 🌟

great album, still sounds fresh.

This one is a classic for me.

Someone included Once Around the Block on a mixtape for me a while back but that's all I know of Badly Drawn Boy. I've always liked Once Around the Block because it's in 3 and sometimes you just need a waltz so I'm interested. First track is called The Shining and I'm nervous. Oh, a cello. How lovely. And a French horn? Go on... O! It's about the sun! And it's pretty! I love it. Next song is Everybody's Stalking (good Midnight Cowboy/Nilsson reference) and I'm dancing at the bus stop! (Can't really understand the lyrics but they might be creepy since it's about stalking.) I love this one, too! Also on my love list are Pissing in the Wind, Say it Again, Epitaph, the disco sound of Disillusion, and Stone on the Water (another waltz). The piano at the beginning of Magic in the Air reminded me of Hard Candy Christmas from Best Little Whorehouse... This Song is very strange. I listened to it twice on speakers and would have absolutely believed it was Simon & Garfunkel. But then I was relistening on headphones on my walk home and thought I might be having a stroke. There is some very very strange (and off-putting) stereo effect happening there. I almost fell over. There are a few tracks on this long album that didn't do much for me but overall I really liked this and will listen again.

never heard of the band, but I loved the songs and music.

Very unique, thoroughly enjoyed

Enormous discovery, I love it very much!!!!

I know about Badly Drawn Boy from the About a Boy soundtrack- which I listened to pretty religiously for a while after I found it in a used CD store :). I hadn't heard this album but I like it too.

Me and my mate used to drink in the same pub him in Chorlton. He’s reyt grumpy when you ask him to song you a song. Indie!

What a record.

5 OUT OF 5 Blown away by the quality of this record. How had I never heard of this?

An artist that has never come up on my radar, with an album of songs I don’t recognise. This is why I love the 1001 Album challenge (if you want to call it that). It’s allegedly one of the best albums ever created, and I’m going in clueless but optimistic - I like the album art. Songs I already know: none Favourite after listening: Bewilderbeast, Everybody’s Stalking Songs I disliked: This Song - the weird rapid panning between each earphone gave me a headache Overall: 9/10 This album was near perfect, and very much to my taste. It reminds me a lot of Eels and that’s definitely no bad thing. It’s the kind of album where if I was listening to it and somebody spoke to me, I would want to pause the music rather than talk over it. It’s so beautifully composed, and he has such a nice voice. 90’s alt music it always going to go down well with me, and I’m going to be coming back to this album a lot (except that one song). Edit: turns out it was released in 2000, so it’s technically not 90s alt, but definitely feels like it.

Stone on the Water is great, mostly instrumental. Say it Again also good. This Song got annoying with the reverb, but it was short so it was fine. As an indie hipster, this is the kind of album I wish I could say I had found. Truly incredible.

Boring. Generic. Shouldn’t be on the list.

I used to love this album and I've very pleased to hear that it still sounds incredibly fresh 25 years later. Badly Drawn Boy shows how you can make a very chill album without any hint of ever being boring. Every one of the 18 tracks is completely different and a unique story that flows into the next. It's a a quilt created out of old memories. The whole is very comforting but each square has a lot happening. It's just a fantastic album.

You could throw the world's worst indie rock album at me, and I'd probably still give it like a 3/5. I'm a slut for whiny virgin music. I assume this guy is as well, because this album feels like somebody putting every single popular indie artist in a blender. It works better than I expected. I'd still much rather listen to actual Elliott Smith and Neutral Milk Hotel than the tracks on this album inspired by them, but it's a very pleasant collection of tunes. Some songs are huge. "Cause a Rockslide" especially sounded like the ADHD-ridden brain of somebody who's been trapped in the Shadow Indie Dimension for 7 years. I will now remind everybody that "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea" is not on this list.

Le Badyl Drawn Boy s'en est pas trop mal sorti, et nous a offert un album agréable qui dénote très clairement avec toute la daube ambiante. Je n'ose d'ailleurs pas imaginer l'odeur dans la chambre de Robert.

Was heading for a generous 3* but then went on for too long... inoffensive but bland

Just painfully boring - nothing about this is enthusiastic or exciting to listen to. Big snoozefest. 4/10.

This did nothing for me. Some parts were not too bad, but way too many songs were just boring.

Some good songs. Most not. Bit long, was bored by the end.

Very peaceful album that has an awesome flow.

Not super familiar with this band, but I dig this album. It definitely reminds me of a lot of other late 90s /early 2000s acts, but its not a bad thing. I don't think I'd like to talk to anyone about this band. I bet the fans are irritating as fuck.

Really enjoyed, at first I was a bit put off by the ‘amateurish’ vocals, but I now think that’s what makes it so good. I love the acoustic bits, the experimental and rockier bits, no complaints whatsoever. Favourite songs: first 2, camping next to water(especially this one), body rap and the last 2. Overall around 8/10 (I so want to say 9 but barely not quite)

I really enjoyed this album. I saw Badly Drawn Boy support Squeeze in November and meant to listen to this album the day after that and never got round to it. I am glad I did today. There are some lovely melodies and pop songs on this album. Favourite song: The Shinning is a lovely song, and I really enjoyed once around the block. Least favourite: I enjoyed all the tracks on the album. Album artwork: Cool cover

Really enjoyed the music. The variety of instruments, arrangements… Overall found this to be Slightly upbeat, but. very calming, Listen to it multiple times.

Pretty good. Will listen again. Fusion of a lot of genres folk-country, hip-hop, etc.

This guy clearly worships at the altar of Elliott Smith, whom I consider to be the wet dream of scruffy white hetero hipster men. There’s a lot to like here. His songs are good, interesting and full of variety, but his voice never truly wavers from the very limited range of Elliott Smith apathy. I doubt I could ever fall in love with this album because I don’t feel like his music is meant for me personally, but overall it is a lovely contribution to the world.

More British pop/rock! This list is loaded with it. It's fine for the most part, but if we're really talking about albums we must hear before we die, I don't think these late 90's, early 2000's British groups are what are meant to hear. There are a ton of better options. Oh well, on we go. This is a group I've never heard of before, and I have to say, I was mildly impressed with their album here. It's not outstanding, drop-dead, MUST listen to, but it's pleasant enough. A lot of weird, force fed commercial-like, "we need to sound trippy!" tracks on it. I don't get it, that was played out in the 90's, dudes. 3/5

A bit better than I expected. Some diverse tracks.

re chill banco

This album was almost good but nothing really stood out to me. If it was a color, it would be a pleasant beige. Not offensive, but not interesting either.

N'ayant plus aucun souvenir de cet album et accusant un retard d'une dizaine de critiques, j'ai ici reproduit ma technique consistant à réécouter cinq secondes au hasard et baser ma note celles-ci. Résultat de l'opération : deux-trois notes de piano et quelques percussions tardives. Un peu léger...

I suppose it suits a certain mood, I have never been in that particular mood yet.

I thought “The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast” was a pretty solid album… Had never heard of the artist before, and had never come across any of these songs before – so I was a blank slate… I sorta like his style, and I can honestly say that there weren’t any bad tracks on the album – but there weren’t a whole lot really jumping out at me either – which is not ideal for an album with 18 tracks, and over an hour in length… Best tracks in my opinion were – “Everybody’s Stalking – 5-stars out of 7… “Stone On The Water” – 4-stars out of 7… “Another Pearl” – 4-stars out of 7… “Once Around The Block” – 4-stars out of 7… So like I said, solid – fairly original, but nothing earthshattering for sure… Would probably give this a 2.50 if I could, but there is not enough there to reach a 3 when I consider other albums that I’ve rated as a 3 – so a well-earned 2 it is…

2.5

I can get how other people could like this, but I really didn't.

I dont hate it but stuff like this is very hit or miss for me. I actually think that if I was in the right mood it could grow on me. It's an "I'm sorry" 2 for now with potential to be upgraded to a 3 maybe if I ever give this another go.

Great cure for insomnia

Badly Sung Songs

This fucking sucks and I hate it. I won’t mince words today or waste time trying to find merit where there is none.

Maybe ran a bit long, but it was enchanting throughout

Атмосферно. Альбом как саундтрек к какому-то фильму

An album of pure majesty which manages to be so traditional, yet so innovative at the same time. BDB looks like a busker but by god he’d be the best busker there was. Tracks like Once around the block, , Disillusion, Pissing in the wind and the Shining. BDB also made great videos for this album, who can forget him perched on the edge of Joan Collins’s bath

I was so pleased to see this pop up - I bought it on CD when it was released and still listen to it 25 years later. This is such an incredibly accomplished debut album. The instrumentation is beautiful on all these tracks - haunting and gentle and soaring one minute then slightly discordant and off-kilter the next. Personal favourites are Everybody's Stalking, Once Around The Block (the reason I bought the album in the first place), Magic In The Air, Disillusion, and Bewilderbeast is my favourite of the instrumentals. My only real negative is that listening to This Song with good headphones is one of the most discombobulating things ever, as it pans between ears. It's a bit like the audio form of standing on a ferry when the sea is a bit choppy. However, for me this album was always going to be a: 5/5

Oh my god yes yes

4.5

9/10… chamber pop

felt the vibe in the moment. might change by grade later

This was once upon a time one of my very favourite albums. Often on repeat in my teenage bedroom. In fact. Damon was perhaps the first “famous” musician I ever met? I somehow scored tickets to a small live performance at the Cornerhouse in Manchester when I was maybe 16 or 17. My girlfriend of the time was a really big fan too. And I remember being a little star stuck when I went to say hello after the gig. It was maybe even the launch party for this album. Or maybe he was number 1. It’s still a beautiful album. Full of gentle honesty with that beautiful northern lyricism and musicality. It might not be the coolest album to admit to liking but this was very much a part of growing up in Manchester at that moment in time for me.

While I this isn’t my favourite Badly Drawn Boy album it is still brilliant. Been an age since I’ve listened to it but it will be in my regular rotation for a while now

Excellent

Genre classic. No notes.

Honestly surprised by this album. Very simple yet compelling guitar work. The voice works well with the rest of the composition and the musicianship throughout every instrument adds to the overall sound to create a masterpiece of an album.

Great melodies, fab production. Also this album got me through a transitional period in my life and will always be a sentimental favorite. 10/10 would recommend.

A slower burn than I remember, but still really good.

Ce piace

Elliot smith style songwriting with its own unique sonic palate, right up my alley and it was a strike

This album isn’t groundbreaking or genre-defining, but it’s a solid addition to my list of chamber pop albums. It has great vocals, melodies, and instrumentation, with a subtle quirky edge. Overall, it blends classic singer-songwriter elements with modern production in a way that works really well.

Adored it. Felt like a poppy nick drake— every song felt so well thought out and beautifully arranged.

It's a strange mixture of quirky pop psych and slightly melancholic acid folk and it reminds me of bands like Super Fury Animals and Gorkys Zygotic Mynci. It's not at all very mainstream and probably just a bit too odd for most people but it is a very musical album. It's got some arrangement flair, likeable vocals, witty lyrics and all in all, it's quite a charming listen. It's not perfect but the fact that it strives to be a record that isn't the usual rock or rap or punk or hip hop or country has my full admiration.

It's unfortunate that subsequent albums didn't stick to this playbook, but to have had a single album this good, who am I to complain?

BDB’s finest hour. Everything is just so damn lush! I wish more albums took these kinds of stylistic leaps — every song has a unique personality. I applaud the inclusion of all the slighter interlude tracks like “Body Rap” and “Bewilderbeast” because they make the more prominent songs around them even more grand. Boner fuel: “Everybody’s Stalking”, “Once Around the Block”, “Cause a Rockslide”, “Epitaph”

This record is like a warm hug. Damon Gough has an incredible knack for melody, and at times lyrics. It’s experimental, but not annoying (besides Body Rap maybe?). This is carefully constructed weirdness. No two songs sound alike, and most don’t even use the same “instruments.” Lots of obsessively layered noise combine to make something that rewards multiple listens but isn’t excruciating to dig through. I’ve heard this record a thousand times and I was happy to hear it again today. I guess that means it gets a

Classic 90’s Brit pop

Волшебный альбом. Очень мелодичный и совершенно не попсовый для инди-альбома. Со своим стилем, не повторяющим The National и другие подобные коллективы.

Quite Enjoyable! I really liked how everything came together. Excellent instrumentals and good vocal work. Production quality seemed really good as well! 'Another Pearl' was my fave.

Really dug this one cause of the dreamlike sound of it. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’m gonna very easily bump up to a 5. I’ve learned it before, I should learn it again; never judge a late-90s/early 2000s album by its strange, strange cover. Everyone was collectively on one back then. I thought for sure, going into this, it would be some indie rock art album that got a little overrated at the time, aged sort of awkwardly in its avantgarde-ness, met with too much critical acclaim, and only ended up on the list with a bit of bias adjacent to that time period. I feel like it’s happened before. This, however, was just a great album. There’s a really strong variety of styles here, some great production, some good vocals and lyrics throughout, and it just clicked extremely well for me. It wears a lot of inspirations on its sleeve, but it does so without ever sounding like a ripoff or a pastiche; the influence from the 60s & 70s is prevalent in spades here, but it blends it so well with 90s instrumentation that it just sort of morphs into that era. Even past that, though, you can hear the future of late 2000s / early 2010s indie rock here – Cause a Rockslide, even if it becomes a bit directionless and flat around the middle, starts off sounding like a mix of Cage the Elephant & Tame Impala. The entire 63 minutes is full of flavor like this that consistently kept me engaged and on my toes as a listener, and I don’t think there’s ever a dull moment or a part that feels like a repeated track. It’s extremely well done for the time. It certainly helps that there’s a semblance of a front to back narrative throughout the album, but it’s not an extremely clear one to me – that’s not necessarily a negative, because it just means I was really entranced in the general soundscapes to fully invest in the lyrics to that extent of finding winding plots, though it’s not like I wasn’t paying attention. When this album hits on its more emotional tracks though, whether in a happy or sad way, it hits incredibly well. His vocals do a great job of finding the tone of the song and just getting it across, enhanced by some great lyrics on those tracks. When this album wants to go full rock, it nails it too – Disillusion feels like it could’ve fit right into Persona 5 or one of its many spinoffs. Look, I could keep gushing, but I’m just surprised that this album managed to exceed my expectations that much for a guy I’ve never heard of, with an album cover like that, in a time period where it does feel like people were really glazing everything (no offense to Limp Bizkit) to try and make a new star in a sort of stagnant genre. This does feel like an album that should have at least one award under its belt, and I’m glad it does. It’s probably the reason why it’s on this list, and I’m also glad about that too. I thought this was really good, and I have no problems bumping it up to a 5.

One of my favorite albums so far!

4-5 (nochmal anhören)

Holy shit I’d fuck to this

Made me feel things

In 2001 I was playing pool in the Cavendish on west street in Sheffield with a mate when a bunch of scruffy looking lads took the table next to us. On closer inspection it was Badly Drawn boy and the Doves who were playing later on. I was weak at the knees as it loved both albums but was too chicken to talk to them which I regret to this day. This is a beautiful album from start to finish with a warmth, a complexity, a heart and a soft melancholy that makes it timeless. The record gets regular play in my house and today was a good day to listen to the album.

Best discovery so far

Love it

I feel like we are over-indexing on UK artists, but that's cool. I loved the About A Boy soundtrack and Damon Gough's 2000 album release is as beautifully crafted. Original and smooth melodies layered with guitar, horns, and strings. Would listen again and again.

Never, ever heard this before. Absolutely spectacular! Definitely going into my "best of music" category!

Really enjoyed this. Chill, folksy vibe, but clean sounds.

I don't mind being reintroduced to this album

I love this album! Everytime I listen to it it just brings a smile to my face. The first three songs are nearly perfect. The Shining with its oh so sad cello and French horn; just absolutely gorgeous, than Damon comes in with his simple acoustic guitar strumming and direct vocals...brings shivers. And there's not much let up after those near perfect 12 minutes or so. The entire album is full of hooks and melodies that stick in your head for days. One of my favorite albums of the 2000s 5 stars

Idk what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I really enjoyed it.

What a fun discovery this one is! Reminds me at times of Sufjan Stevens, Cloud Cult, Eels. Interesting to read the comparisons to Nick Drake and Elliott Smith—I suppose I can hear it, and those other artists I mentioned came after Badly Drawn Boy, but I think this is clearly distinct. Imaginative, interesting arrangements, memorable melodies. “Once Around the Block” is a highlight, but I actually liked everything on this album! So excited to explore Badly Drawn Boy further!

Loved this. A lot of influences are obvious from the differing sounds. 10 years ago, this would’ve been in a regular rotation for me. Might find its way into that category today anyway.

I haven't listened to this for 10 years. Fuck I feel old. I was obsessed with this album in 2008. This is why I love this website.

My favorite album of 200 - it still holds up. An underrated classic.

I hadn't heard of Badly Drawn Boy before this record and of all things, the album art here definitely drew me in. In hindsight, it's a lot like the album itself, colorful, with a strange, almost tacky aura that only adds to its enjoyability, charm, and endless stream of creativity. There's a certain punch to the instrumentals that's hard to pinpoint here. This album's unique fusion of folk, baroque, electronic, and country rock works well to showcase Damon Gough's ear for effective genre fusion. "Camping Next Week" is a perfect example of this, with a prominent bassline and bizarrely placed guitar solo layered on top of a boilerplate folk instrumental. I love the imagery here relating the typically refreshing feelings invoked by a cool morning on a camping trip juxtaposed with the feelings of loneliness and a sense of longing. There's something almost unsettling and surreal about the way the instrumentals are layered here. It's difficult to describe but it could have to do with the plethora of string arrangements, bizarre sound effects, and slightly overblown mixes. Just check out the first half of "Stone on the Water" and the strange ambient/noise interlude on "Cause a Rockslide". I also love the synth layer driving the groove on "Once Around the Block". The instrumentation on this album is so diverse that even throughout its hour-plus runtime, it never felt tired nor like it was retreading old ideas. The lusciousness of some of these tracks cannot be understated, like the country-rock-driven "Disillusion" that breaks into a bizarre and sinister grainy piano segment. These sudden switch-ups are scattered throughout this album. Damon's singing style is subtle. While not entirely whispery, it's soft-spoken and is ever so slightly overpowered by some of the harder instrumentation here. Nevertheless, I enjoy the slightly off-kilter delivery and he's able to complement whatever direction the instrumental goes in here. The album's themes primarily deal with loss, grief, and forgiveness, with the feelings of a nostalgia-filled day out in the loose grip of nature. The song "Magic in the Air" is utterly gorgeous in its nostalgic portrayal of a seemingly inseparable emotional bond between two lovers. I can't emphasize enough how well Damon's lyrical imagery on any given track complements the form the instrumental is taking. I'm blown away by how much I enjoyed this album that had gone completely under my radar. Not many negatives on my end relating to this thing and, safe to say, it's been the best first listen on my 1001 journey so far.

amazing album my god a gem. very reminiscent of my fav elliott smith !!! i would buy this on vinyl in a heartbeat great listen 5/5

Great album. Good to listen to it as a whole again. Many of these songs are on my various playlists.

I’ve never listened to Badly Drawn Boy until yesterday, but have listened to this 4 or 5 times since already. Soooo much better than the image I I had in my head and I’m annoyed I didn’t bother earlier. I think because he was a big star during a time when pop was pretty poor, I had written him off. Was expecting something like early Coldplay for some reason, but instead got very intricate, lofi indie, more similar to Beck or Belle and Sebastian than Coldplay. I think this is the album on this list so far that has surprised me the most. Big fan. Love it.

Great hooks and polished melodies topped with surrealistic interludes within songs. This is a really interesting mix. All the songs are pretty strong on the album but Camping on the Water and Bewilderbeast are standouts. It doesn't seem too surprising that I think the strongest songs on the album were singles. Great album.

4.5

I loved it!

What a wonderful, wonderful album. Loved every second of this.