Maverick A Strike

Really fun listen for the first half. Dragged a little at the end

Good music. Terrible lyric.

The trip-hop faux reggae is about as far from my wheelhouse as you can get. I guess this is probably fine, but couldn't be any less interested in this kind of music.

Oh man, there are maybe two semi-cool songs on this album. That won’t do it for me. Insane dude, too.

Global Village Coffeehouse: The Album. If you bobbed your head to this album in a Starbucks while waiting for your Strawberry Refresher, that’s fine, because on face value, it’s fine. Basic, but fine. Based on the music alone, I wouldn’t turn this off, although most of it is uninteresting and some of it is noticeably bad. But just like GVC, there’s some inherent political elements at play that just…aren’t great. What I learned about this man from Page 1 of Google alone 😳 And that then reshaped how I heard Maverick A Strike entirely. The music is still too okay to drop to a 1-star for me, but it’s certainly not special, and it’s definitely got some built in problems, so….yeah, a 2 is me being generous. How this album made it on this list over other reggae or dub records....big yikes, Dimery!

One brilliant song, lots of filler

2.5 Was expecting worse from all the reviews here! Sure this dude I guess is a culture vulture but the music is fine. Way better first half than the second but I didn’t hate myself listening to this, probably won’t seek it out again though.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Pleasant background music. 2.5

2m

pop-reggae yrgh 2/5

Good start but got a bit grating over the course of the album. OK in small doses perhaps...

I apply "The Rule". See up there in the review section for what that "rule" entails. The first four tracks are nice enough I guess, from the dub instrumentation of the opener to the classic rhythm'n'blues feel of "It's Great When We're Together" and "Sunday Shining"--a minor 1997 hit I still remember today, after decades without any news from Finley Quayle. Unfortunately everything after (and by that I mean *absolutely everything*) lacks dynamics and clear endpoints. Those other songs go nowhere, and what's amazing is that a wide array of styles are experimented here, from dub and trip hop to electronica and world. And yet nothing jumps to your ears. You even have the impression that the record is *both* messy and one-note (at least within *each* genre and subgenre the record tackles with). Which takes the cake a little. Nothing is grating either, admittedly. But it's hard to believe anyone has ever considered *Maverick A Strike* an "essential album". Maybe the fault lies in Quayle's voice. This Horace Andy clone is a skilled vocal perfomer, yet his distinctive-yet-quite-mechanical inflexions can't fill the blanks left by his compositions. Under that light the useless cheesy effects on his voice in some of those cuts sound like a last-minute attempt to bring dynamics to those tunes, unfortunately to no avail. There's too much style and not enough content there anyway. Reading the way Finley wrote about himself to introduce his music on Spotify, you have the feeling he's a humble and unassuming individual. Basically a good guy. Tabloids say otherwise, but what do they *really* know about a man's life? The thing is, it's hard to have strong emotions about his music, whether positive or even negative. Hope Finley still enjoys singing to some audience out there, wherever he is now. Spotify suggests so. And glad that this record gave him the push he needed to keep on doing so decades later. Not that said record actually *deserved* a BRIT award. But awards have been given to worse things than this. 2/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums". 7/10 for more general purposes (5+2). Number of albums left to review: 176 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 358 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 206 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 262 (including this one)

Reggae

Not sure this qualifies as a must hear. Just okay.

Just couldn't get into it.

I thought this album was a cool rock-reggae ish mix but it quickly got kinda bland and I just didn't really enjoy it LMOAAAA. anyways I am still distraught I missed the Velvet Underground album, so this will probably be affecting my reviews for a week or so. Signing off, Luis

Nice trip-hop and Ska vibes but I just couldn't stand the guy's voice.

Nothing against it, just not a fan of the genre.

oh boy. this was... meandering, grating, and repetitive. that last track in particular was an absolute slog. wtf? i love "dice" (shoutout to the OC soundtrack!) and thought i'd like this too but it did not hit.

boy, this has been a rough week for albums. another one whose inclusion in this list is absolutely baffling to me. the instrumentation, arrangements, and production here are all pretty good, but the fake jamaican accent over the top just ruins it all for me. these tracks are all between 3-5 mins long with no variation beyond that, and i honestly struggled to get through some of them due to how aggressively boring they were. not coming back to this one, sorry. favorites: sunday shining, your love gets sweeter

Like the hits, very mellow. Didn't really like the guy himself from what I remember. Music for middle class white women who have had a few too many glasses of rosé at the garden party

Nothing exceptional here!

Boring reggae. What a shock that I didn't like it. Not one star bad but never again.

Special. Ideal for acompañar and make things while listen...

We go now to the internal thinkings of Robert Dimery as he assembled the list of 1,001 album you must listen to: - We should add a reggae album - you mean the music crafted on the Caribbean island of Jamaica that was pioneered by such greats as Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Peter Tosh, and Steel Pulse? - Yeah! We should totally add some reggae. How about a random guy from Scotland that nobody has heard of but blends the reggae with all of the bad tropes that are associated with Reggae - You mean, you don't want to add an actual Reggae superstar? - But he's from the UK! - 👀 2/5

so insubstantial it needs pinning down before it floats away. Not actually offensive, but so inoffensive it kind of comes out the other side and is offensive again.

Another one I've never heard of before. I absolutely hated the first track, but then quite liked the second. The entire album was a mixed bag of hits and misses for me, but sadly the misses far outnumber the hits.

This feels a very average British reggae album, not sure why it’s on the list.

Oi bruv, dis reggae music is brilliant innit?! Do we know any Jamaican geezers that can make some for us? Finley Quaye? Isn’t he Ghanaian or summit? Ah, toss it. Sign ‘im to a record deal and put the kettle on! It is so stupid that this album is on this list that it makes it feel like doing this project is a waste of time and energy. I get it that "Sunday Shining" was big in the UK in 1997 but "Banditos" by The Refreshments was big in the US in 1996 and I in no way shape or form expect Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy to be on this list. For God's sake, there are no Toots and the Maytals albums on this list. A real reggae artist who made actual ground-breaking and influential albums that really do deserve to be heard. Instead we get this weird bland reggae imposter. This is insanity. Ultimately, this album is not bad. It is a completely nothing melding of reggae and trip hop that managed to strike a chord with a small group of people almost thirty years ago. That is fine. I am glad that Mr. Quaye had his moment in the sun. Or in the cold drizzle I suppose, since he was only big in the UK. There is nothing particularly offensive about this album, except for maybe the lyric "cause I'm a hero like Robert De Niro" and the fact that it is a Scottish person of Ghanaian descent doing a Jamaican accent. But why in the name of all that is holy would anyone need to hear this album before they die?! The answer is, they don't. Terrible pick.

Un álbum sumamente olvidable, al que no pude ponerle atención a ninguna canción. Ninguna experimentación destacable, si no más bien una reutilización en tono de "muzak" de los códigos del Reggae jamaiquino. La dilusión de identidad en este trabajo es tal, que carece de una identidad llamativa y se pierde como música de un growshop digno de Mall. No lo recomiendo, ni tampoco entiendo por qué está en la lista.

2*

Not my type of music

I am not a raegee enjoyer. Some songs hit, some miss. In this case, most miss. If there would be more songs like "Your Love Gets Sweeter"... maybe... 2.5/5.

It's OK I just hope there's some real dub Reggae type stuff on the list like King Tubby, Scientist, Prince Douglas etc

I'm not familiar with this album or artist, and since I'm not a big reggae fan, I didn't have high hopes for this album. This album certainly wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The lyrics and singing were the biggest weaknesses of the album by far. It felt like Finley wasn't singing with any conviction, and the lyrics just felt completely disingenuous. Maybe the vocals created that feeling, but either way, for a reggae album, this album felt pretty devoid of meaning and depth. Musically though, I thought this album had quite a few bright spots. On those bright spots, the arrangements were simple, but they sound great. Every element that Finley uses sounds great and placed really well. However, not being a big reggae fan, that wasn't enough for me to find this album really interesting or enjoyable. Overall, this was pretty below average for me, but people who like reggae might be able to get more out of it.

I liked Sunday Shining but couldn't get into any of the other songs

it's reggae that's not Bob

As not the typically biggest fan of reggaeton, this kinda soft and sanded off edges approach doesn't really do anything for me. It's also comically long and many of the tracks don't earn their runtime. 2/5

Not my strain of reggae.

Aldrig hört talas om karln. Helt okej men inte superspännande.

Wow, what a let down. I was excited for this, but other than even after all, it was a bit shite.

Totally irrelevant

Ei tehnyt vaikutusta

I did not care for it. It was reggae music but it wasn't good. The vocals threw me off. No need to listen.

nisam odusevljena

nije mi ovo bilo nes napeto

3/10 - It was kind of a slog to listen to the whole album. I listened to the first half and did not enjoy it took a break and listened to the second half and still did not really enjoy it.

Ok, but still meh

Thought it was going to be a full blown reggae album and was quite excited, but then it just descended into a mush of genres that just did not do it for me. Not unlistenable, hence 2 stars, but not great either.

annoying 👎

This was fine, but I am struggling to figure out why it's included here. Doesn't seem like the best example of the genre.

A very British reggae/dancehall album, can hear the influence of the likes of the Happy Mondays and the Specials. Quaye (is that pronounced “key”?) has an average to below average voice, which really dampens the potential of these songs.There are some decent tracks, but mostly this is as bland as elevator music.

It’s good. Perhaps good background music. Just not something I’m going to come back to much. Highlights were Sunday Shining, Even After All, and Your Love Gets Sweeter. Added that last one to my favorites, at least.

except "Sunday Shining" there's not much I enjoy

2.5

Reggae van de Xenos. Sommige nummers die wat meer weg blijven bij de reggae zijn wel wat beter, maar de missers overstemmen op dit album de dingen die wel goed gaan. Wat mij betreft een onbegrijpelijke entry op deze lijst, maar geen verschrikkelijke muziek. Hoger dan een 2 kan ik niet verkopen aan m'n volgers.

it's whatever sunday shining supreme i preme

Not sure if it was Island music or what.

Better than most run-of-the-mill Reggae music. The Dub and Soul elements brighten it up a bit. I can't find any credits for the additional musicians on the album. Did he play all the instruments himself? That being said... it's still just Reggae. "Reggae... It's a good song."

Not really sure this should be required listening

Not terrible, just kind of run of the mill. There are much better Reggae and Dancehall albums that are not in the book for some reason.

I didn't hate it, but I can't imagine anyone saying that it's "essential." it's just fine.

Decent reggae music though not quite understand why this album is on the list.

December 2, 2023 HL: “Supreme I Preme”, "Sunday Shining", "Even After All" Like the guy's voice, and where some of the reggae/electronic was going but ultimately this felt like a lot of nice filler 2.5

I found this to be a bit of an underwhelming reggae record that try to incorporate different elements but ultimately didn't bring too much to the table.

2.5

Almost reggae?

the production is good...

Pretty meh reggae

Not my vibe

Wel oke maar niet top

Hmmm a Scottish man singing in a fake Jamaican accent... no thanks. Sounded ok if I switched my brain off to the reality of how in authentic he is.

Not a huge fan, liked a couple of tracks.

I was actually in the mood for reggae, but this album just kinda fell flat to me.

Some bits of this i like but they are outweighed by the cod fake reggae and roots songs that are cringeworthy at times. Not for me.

idk man i think the "must hear before you die" quality of these albums is very questionable from the 90s on. i knew sunday shining before listening to this album, but that's it. there's a couple decent songs here, but finley is just not a good singer. 2.5/5

Not my style.

Scottish reggae? Didn't know that was a thing. Couple songs I enjoyed, the rest of it didn't leave a mark. Reggae isn't really my taste in general, and this one didn't break the mold for me. Favorite tracks: Even After All, I Need a Lover. Album art: I take it that's a picture of Finley. Looks better than most portrait-style covers, I think it's styled well. Digital clock font is an interesting choice. Overall, not bad. 2.5/5

some VERY swanky background guitar you barely hear the fact he's scottish... 2,5* but lets round that down to 2

Good singer, but I found myself enjoying the instrumentals more than the singing. No real takeaways from this one.

I thought it was a nice pleasant album but when I read that this dude is actually Scottish and has been putting on a Jamaican accent so to fit it into the reggae sound it just felt... weird? Anyway, thought the music was generally positive. 5/10.

Not very exciting. Feels like a strong contender for "album you don't really need to listen to before you die"

Nothing special really

Svolítið conflicted hérna. Lögin eru oft í grunninn fín, ágætt grúv og áhugaverð, sérstaklega fyrri hluti plötunnar, en ég er bara ekki að dansa við þessa rödd og þetta wannabereggaevæb. Bara ekki.

There were a couple of songs I enjoyed but I would not listen to that album again front to back.

Sunday Shining got my attention as it was a rather interesting cover/interpolation of a minor Bob Marley tune. But the rest of it? Cool sounds, but I really didn't find his lyrics interesting, nor do I really see why this is a must-listen-before-I-die.

I am cringing at the fact he is utilizing a Jamaican accent whilst singing, but in interviews he has the accent of a Londoner... Besides that, the tracks were barely average with some standouts (that I definitely will revisit), kind of a forgettable record all around. Vocals are mostly not great, with the exception of a few tracks... Yeah this isn't passing the mid allegations I'm afraid. Favourites: It's Great When We're Together / Even After All / Your Love Gets Sweeter

One can live a full and complete life without ever hearing of this album, let alone actually listening to it. Yes, at the time there were a couple of hits from the album, but no, they left as much of an impression as a fart in the wind.

No thanks!

Why? 4/10

Decent but I don't miss listening to it

I just do not like raggae

PREFS : It's Great When We're Together, Sunday Shining, Your Love Gets Sweeter MOINS PREF : Supreme I Preme

Maybe they just thought there needed to be more reggae or dub on this list. Otherwise, this is incredibly forgettable. Can't figure out why it is on this list. Sounds like a white guy trying to do reggae.

2.5

2.5/5

Unfortunately I found this record quite boring and a bit too long.

I kind of like this. Pretty cool sound very original sound.

There are many interesting moments on this album, though overall, it does fall fairly flat to me. Seems at times to blend R&B aspects with traditional Reggae roots. Album takes advantage of lots of space, feels a bit unfulfilling at points, but that is more due to personal style.

Duktigt, bra sjunget, några fina retroreggaevibbar men rätt lättviktigt.

Ingenting bunger

very reggae

This was an interesting blend of reggae, soul, and dub but ultimately it feels as though it has a lack of depth. What we really have here is a Scottish musician who is putting on. Fake Jamaican accent and making very sanitized reggae-like music for mass consumption. It’s not a total loss as the music itself is inoffensive and occasionally had quite a nice groove to it.

Not into it, though I do like the first track. The dubbier stuff I'm into. Like the drum production.

When the first notes hit, I was super excited. Felt very reggae-ska. As it went on though, I became less and less into it.

Not bad. Odd for it to be on a list such as this but I’m sure there’ll be worse. Like George Michaels for instance.

Eh. It's alright. Inoffensive. Which, now that I think of it, is kind of a problem for reggae. Isn't this supposed to be a protest genre? Hmm. There goes another star...

Was going to rate it a 1 initially, but it actually, surprisingly, gets a bit better as you keep listening to it

Inessential

There's some songs on here that I enjoy like "Sunday Shining" and "Supreme I Preme", but the rest of it is either a bit boring or doesn't make me feel much. I hate "I Need a Lover".

I wad kinda excited about this album because I like the song Dice which was the only song I'd ever heard of. Didn't love this though

It has some fun lyrics

Es un disco plano, que muestra las bases del reggae como movimiento de protesta y hasta toma un poco la idea de los inicios del hip hop. Por más de que tenga el atrevimiento de hacer esto, es un disco del 1997, momento en el que ya se había visto bastante el hip hop. Algunas canciones están bien, otras son muy malas, pero no por ser conceptualmente malas, sino que son demasiado extensas. La letra no llama, los ritmos no cambian y tampoco tiene una cantidad de arreglos como para prestar atención detenidamente toda la canción en eso. Uno de los temas que me llevo es el penúltimo que a pesar de todo el lleve malo del proyecto logra asentarse y decir -Bueno, pongo algo diferente en este disco liso. 4/10

First album on the list I'd not heard of. Some interesting stuff but nothing that grabbed me.

2.5 Seemed like One long song….

E kje nåke reggaemeneskje

Who let this onto the list?

This was pretty lame 90s reggae with shitty production. It got decent for a couple songs in the middle, namely even after all and ride on but the rest was sad. Honestly a little comforting getting a couple of twos after the last month of 4s; back to the old giveth and taketh list.

I just couldn't get into this album. Something was off about the sound, then I found out the guy is from Edinburgh, not Jamaica, and recently he headbutt a guy with cancer because the guy said Game of Thrones was more relevant than him. Aside from that, the sound isn't for me.

pretty meh, some good songs but felt baffled at times cuz i couldnt believe it was still the same album with how often it changes genre

2.9 - Music for those once free-spirited white dudes I used to meet at music festivals and youth hostels who have since “graduated” from listening to bootleg recordings of Phish concerts. Now, at the urging of their wives, they have cut their dreadlocks, and traded in their Bob Marley tee-shirts for smart business casual attire. They've settled into their mortgages. "I Need a Lover" and other cuts from this album may pop up on their “Smooth 90’s Reggae” playlist. As they drive their kids to soccer practice, their fingers tap to the beat against the minivan steering wheel.

2/13, 15%

More like a 2.5

This was all over the place. Like the songs came from different albums

I really don’t like reggae 3/10

Had some moments but overall pretty resident sleeper

Just wanna bend my knees and bop

Although this album isn't completely without its charms, it starts rough. The quality improves on the second half, but it's ultimately fairly forgettable. I had a hard time connecting with that vocal, which is frequently tuneless and doesn't sync with what's going on musically at the same time. Fave Songs: Your Love Gets Sweeter, Red Rolled and Seen, Sweet and Loving Man, Supreme I Preme

I don't get why this is on the list. It's just ... not that great. Inoffensive, but also uninteresting.

This was fine -- but not sure there was anything about it that seemed like it needs to be on a list like this. Oh well

Não entendi bem, tem alguma coisa de reggae.

Reggae is...already a tough genre for me to enjoy. Bob Marley can make it listenable, nice even. Finley Quaye cannot.

jahas chillia pokkaa sellasta se on no joo kiva ku nkuuntelin mutta jos kerran on 1001 parasta albuia kuulemma koskaan niin eihän tässä ovi eihän täässä eihän tässä nyt voi pisteitä montaa antaa kiva oli joo maverick a strike

There were some good songs, and even more good arrangements, but this man just cannot make a catchy melody for his life, and his vocals probably couldn't pull one off anyway. Couple that with some honestly bland attempts at reggae and soul, and we have a pretty mid album.

Nothing special

Not immediately off-putting or anything, but not sure how this ended up on the list. The album got more annoying as it went on, particularly when it hit "Ride On and Turn the People On."

This is the debut album by Scottish musician Finley Quaye. It is a reggae pop album that peaked at number 3 on the UK Albums charts and has been certified double platinum in the UK. This was a relaxing, and vibey album to listen to during my workday. I only wish there were more songs that stuck out to me as amazing.

Really hated this at the time, background music for hipster students trying for street cred. Now the highlights sound a bit like TV on the Radio (a compliment) but the whole thing is pretty weak and inessential. Shouldn't be on this list, poor effort

Listenable but it wasn’t hittin

Decent musicianship and the Indie Rock/Reggae is... experimental. A dear and trusted friend recommended this album to me 25 years ago. He really shouldn't have. The two stars are for me committing to the project and getting through those 52 minutes again.

Starts off with a couple of decent tracks, but after that gets more and more boring.

I'm a very casual reggae fan but this is fine if somewhat middling. Hits a variety of styles but nice and upbeat and chill throughout.

Maverick A Strike occasionally hits a nice groove, Your Love Gets Sweeter especially, but only a 2/5 as it's quite bland at times.

Not listened to this before, I knew one of his songs that wasn't on this album, and don't have any nostalgia for this at all. Not particularly fond of it to be honest, it's fine background music but doesn't offer a lot more than that (although it goes a bit weird sometimes). Voice sounds quite similar to Maverick Sabre, but compares unfavourably I'd say? Can't give this any more than a 2, there's a couple of good tracks (I liked Sunday Shining most) but nothing much more.

Reggae is just not my thing, and Finley Quaye is trying too hard to be the next Bob Marley. 2/5

there isn’t much to say about this album… like words just don’t really come up. i feel like it was interesting for what it was but i wouldn’t voluntarily listen to it again and that’s all.

Don't have my usual litany of words for this one, I've just never been drawn to reggae so I was never going to love this album. It sounds good, has a clean production, good playing. It's probably a decent mix of 90s pop/reggae - I can see how people might like it, although it's just not my bag. 5/10 2 stars.

First three tracks so awful I couln't bear any more.

Na 5 seconden wist ik al dat dit niet iets is voor mij, toch het einde gehaald. Erg trots op deze prestatie, vandaar 2 sterren; 1 voor het album en 1 voor mijzelf.

I thought this was mostly boring. There's artistic merit here, it's just not doing anything for me.

It's fine. Reggae isn't really my jam so after a couple of songs I just feel like I'm listening to any reggae.

I won't ever listen to this again and will forgot just about everything about it. It's not that is bad it's just that its nothing exciting.

I remember the name from the 90s, because it's a bit like mine. Didn't listen to it then and that was a pretty good decision based on how much I wanted to punch myself in the face whilst listening to it today.

I’m not a huge fan of most reggae. There want too much for me to hold on to here to overcome that.

Was not familiar with this artist. Basically Adult contemporary reggae. It was decent, I doubt I'll listen to the whole album again but might got back to a few tracks.

I must admit this isn't my usual cup of tea when it comes to music, but it was an enjoyable listen. There was nothing that stood out as particularly bad, but on the flip side nothing really struck me as being amazing. It was an easy going, generic reggae album.

Even After All was the only song I was familiar with, and the only one I kind of liked. Ultra Stimulation got me optimistic that it might be a more dub reggae flavor, but nope.

Was ok, 2, not bad thou

Meh 3/10

Langweiliges Reggae Zeusch

Nothing exciting here.

ganska trevligt emellanåt

I can see why this is on the list, it's just not very engaging for me.

Full Reggae, chiant Sunday Shining bien

The only good song is "Sunday Shining". The other ones pretty much consist of a beat with some talking over it.

Ach i dunno ein Song war gut der rest blendet zusammen

I guess for reggae it could have been worse. Just barely.

Did not enjoy this much, thought this was a mediocre attempt at fusing reggae with other sounds but it wasn't very successful. His voice is interesting but I didn't enjoy most of the songs

I wanted to like this album. I like reggae, but I feel like this was very light on the reggae. Just not a fan, overall.

This album is like a plane that taxis to the runway but doesn't take off. It seems like the pieces are there and I kept waiting for it to get good but it didn’t come together.

Generally anything reggae related gets a big fat ZERO stars for me. But I found myself kinda getting into this a little bit, bobbing my head, and taking giant bong hits in between songs and was able to chill out. Finley Quaye is an artist I'd never heard of and despite the British slant to this I was able to tolerate it much better than I thought.

Ok, trip hop reggae, this could be interesting. I am not sure it really worked.

It's a Scottish dude doing chill reggae. Not as bad as that description, but not good, either. Best track: Even After All

no idea lol

Couldn't really keep my attention.

Could barely pay attention to it, just real boring.

A lot of forgettable nothing

Finley Quaye asks the listener if they would like a little more straight reggae to go with their trip-hop, and I think I can live without it. He's got a pretty good voice for the music, and the album has its moments when it moves its needle closer to the dub end of the spectrum, but the lyrics are a little too repetitive (drink every time you hear "ultra," "satellite," "sonic," etc.) and there's a lot of simply unremarkable music to be found here. My best guess as to how this record could've possibly ended up on this list (beyond a bias towards UK artists) is that its radio-friendliness serves as an example of trip-hop breaking into the mainstream, but it's not like this album really charted outside the UK. Just listen to his (disputed) cousin Tricky's debut from two years prior. It's much more interesting than this. Key Tracks: Supreme I Preme

so boring

Pretty meh album. Definitely not pop closer to reggae but didn’t feel like it had enough to be something special. Got through it but didn’t feel excited to hear it again. 4.4/10

Not great. I liked "Sunday Shining" and that's it. Completely forgot about that song until I heard it again. Probably going to forget about the rest of these songs real quick.

I should like this since it's largely reggae (or at least reggae-adjacent), but it's not doing it for me.

So-so

Just OK

Had not heard of this artist or heard his music before. It's nicely done - kind of pop-reggae (I think that's how to describe it?), with some nice grooves. After most of the tracks, things kind of blending together, maybe a little to same-sounding, but it's not bad. Don't think I'll come back to it or seek out his other work, but glad I got to hear it.

2/5

Dull and uninspiring. Some decent (not great) tracks that blend reggae and soul: "Ultra Simulation", "Sunday Shining", "Even After All", and "Your Love Gets Sweeter". But everything else is utter garbage.

This genre wasn't my style.

is pleasant reggae

not the vibe, too experimental/groovy

Cheesy Reggea, Even after all allerdings großer Hit. Mir auf Dauer bisschen zu seicht.

mais qui diable écoute et apprecie le reggae, quelles sont vos revendications, laissez nous tranquille par pitié

ну. что-то в этом, наверное, есть, и какого-то своего слушателя это находит. Но для меня это вообще самый худший вид музыки, даже в концепции. Какое-то водянистое регги с дебильной наркоманской улыбкой на лице, скрипучим и одновременно писклявым вокалом, отсутствием внятной структуры, а также припевов, проигрышей и вообще чего бы то ни было цепляющего. Ну да, песни 2 и 3 в целом напоминают обычные песни с претензией на хитовость, но весь остальной материал — это болото какое-то, завеса непродыхаемого конопляного дыма и ленивых спокен-вордов поверх унылой музыки. С трудом заставил себя дослушать.

Безликая аморфная масса регги-попса, положительные моменты которой не вытягивают альбом даже на середняк. Более того, некоторые моменты скорее раздражают. Кто-то, может, скажет, что это - треки для расслабления. Но, внимание, вопрос, нахуя врубать аморфную массу, когда можно врубить внятную чиловую музыку? Или сразу ASMR на худой конец. Радует: Supreme I Preme Душит: Ultra Stimulation

Three great tunes, the rest is 100% filler. Listening with a critical ear you could have predicted his critical downward spiral due to his anemic lyrics.

This album looks like it smells bad.Thank god I only have to listen to it once. Best Tracks: Ultra Stimulations, Sunday Shining, Your Love Gets Sweeter

A pleasant enough listen, but didn't really grab me.

Not as bad as I was expecting considering it's reggae. Only knew 1 song

false

Feo feo

Finales de los 90, suena bien. Me trae recuerdos el Sunday Shining pero puedes morirte sin haberlo escuchado.

Fine. Unremarkable.

I don't get it. I little weird alternative funk reggae. Nothing too unpleasant but nothing i really want to listen to again.

This is not for me.

Dope album of modern reggae. I was really groovin' on this one.

Era regae? era Pop.... era Regae-pop... Igual no me terminó de convencer.

Strike this off the list. I just wasn’t in the mood, which is fine, but I tried. Generic reggae turned into WTF?!? I heard enough.

Bastante bastante bastaaaaante aburrido disco. El raggae lo tolero en dosis controladas y agregarle su ondita triphop o lo que sea no le ayudó nada. No le veo mayor caso de estar en la lista (vamos, ni en Wikipedia está el disco) pero igual rescato una rola (Your Love Gets Sweeter) que de hecho hasta ha sido covereada.

Was alright for a bit but got really boring

got bored halfway through tbh

Why is this here?

Oh hells naw.

Reggae, 8 eme album =>1/5

What a complete wank. boring, lazy, uninspired, faux whatever it is supposed to be. Really dragging the line here Dimery.

It’s a real trip when you’re listening to some crud from the 90s and it sounds like it’s used a bunch of AI tools. What does that mean. What does anything even mean

This was pretty unbearable within 5 seconds. I did kinda like Sunday Shining. 0/5.

No. No no no no. Was dreadful reggae-lite on it's release, and brings out the same utter loathing in me now. Sometime I can only assume Dimery is completely fucking with us.

The only Quaye I need in my life is one of the Maxin- variety

Did not enjoy this at all, incredibly dull, really struggled to finish

just a dub album that sounds really bored and just like some background music not a huge fan 2/10 Favourite: None Least Favourite: Ride On and Turn the People On

The phrasing drove me crazy. Not for me.

Pop reggae made for a British audience descending from the frenzy of Britpop - there are some trip hop production touches and some indie rock accents. It's mellow, a stab at the vibe of roots reggae but too plastic - it ends up sounding thin and superficial - a disposal simulacrum with generic upstrokes and bland upbeat one love messaging.

Bad reggae.

mijn aandacht ging uit naar een mier die een dode vlieg trachtte vooruit te slepen... ze is er uiteindelijk in geslaagd

I have no idea why this album has been included on this list.

Never really a fan of this when it came out Funny to see the level of hate in the reviews for a Scotsman doing a reggae-lite fusion

Neo-whatever

Hard pass

no thanks

No. -TomB

Save your minutes and avoid!!

Didn't listen

First rule of reggae: never mention Robert DeNiro

Chill reggae with influences from downtempo electronica. I found the music too sparse and boring and the singing/spoken word poetry wasn't doing it for me either.

Really surprised to find this pop up. Seems like a mistake. This can't be included when so many other, better options are out there.

So far my lowest point. It's just a derivative blend of reggae, pop, soul and r&b without committing to anything. I try by best to be objective regardless of my personal taste but I don't understand why this is in this list. The fake jamaican accent killed me.

I have never heard of this person before. It’s reggae? Scottish reggae? And this record sold 600,000 copies?

I once heard a comedian say "you don't like reggae music, you like sitting on the beach with a coconut rum in your hand while reggae music plays in the background." He may have been right, this reggae adjacent album did absolutely nothing for me while sitting in my basement. It probably would have hit different on the beach.

why

I think it's kind of awesome that, in addition to all-time classic albums, indisputably important albums and just really interesting albums, every so often we get an album that they guy who did this list just happened to really like at some point. No snark - it's actually fun to get one of these.

Another one of these albums that I've never heard of. Wow, this starts off so badly! Really, really bad reggae! Nope, I can't even get through a single song, also that cover of Bob Marley was abhorrent. Zero stars, this is some absolute crap.

🎧Idk I just don’t like this. Sounds like music they’d play at the Gap or Starbucks in the early 2000s. Soulless.

El disco no está mal y en cuanto a voz, el cantante canta bien. No termino de conectar con este estilo y ritmos, pero las letras son bonitas y el sentimiento. Reggae puro

I hated this when it was released. Time has only deepened my hate.

Made the mistake and read about the guy... i could not condone, hence the low rating, even though i like reggae.

Nope

this guy lowk weird and sings with a fake accent

Cafe Del Mar-core snooze fest.

Oh no, we’ve had such a good run and now they give me a reggae album. Ugh. I’m not a fan of reggae. I just never could get into it. It all kind of sounded the same to me. I know that makes me sound like a boomer. Are the kids still using that term? I’m not a boomer. I was 16 years old, and I disliked reggae. It just doesn’t speak to me. Now, it could be because I don’t partake in the pot. Are the kids still using that term? But I thought Pink Floyd would be the same, andI love them with none of the pot. Finley Quaye is a Scottish dude, Maverick a Strike was his first album. It kind of exploded in the United Kingdom, selling over 600,000 units. Not sure he made a dent in the U.S., but he put out several other albums. Now, our good friends at Wikipedia told me Quaye’s music was reggae, as I get into track 2, It’s Great When We’re Together, it doesn’t sound so reggae like. Maybe the bass line, which a funky reggae bass line is pretty fire. Are the kids still saying that term? Anyway, our good friends at Wikipedia could be wrong. Track 3, Sunday Shining, is not a reggae song. It has reggae leanings, as Quaye is singing in a reggae style with a Jamaican accent. Which is a bit weird as he’s Scottish, but what do I care? Sunday Shining has a great horn section and a nice little riff on guitar, and it’s just a rather fine pop song. So far, I think I’d classify this album as a soulful pop album. Quaye isn’t a great singer. He kind of talk sings, again, with a Jamaican accent. It’s fine. In fact, I think it adds a cool touch to the music. You don’t really expect to hear his voice with such smooth pop soul. Oh, here comes the rapping. I guess it could be that he is Jamaican but came to Scotland as a kid. He has a Scottish accent when talking, I checked. But what do I care? Even though I keep bringing it up. Track 6, The Way of the Explosive, has a great funky bassline. This song sounds more reggae than the last 3 or 4. Now, the way Quaye seems to just be stream of consciousness, this does sound like a real reggae song. Now the funky bass line is just annoying, as there has been no change in the music since the beginning. I’m 8 songs in, and I’m not sure why this album was selected for the list. It’s fine, I guess, but I imagine there are many better examples of reggae or whatever this music is to represent. I’m not offended by the music, but it’s just not making me lose my mind like Todd Rundgren, Joni Mitchell, and Sparks did this week. In the end, this is just not an album I’ll ever listen to again. It didn’t have a spark for me. Though I can see how a ton of people probably love this album. For someone who likes easy listening pop music with a hint of Jamaica, this might be one you’ll love. I need something to make me feel anything, love or hate. This album just left me feeling meh. Are the kids still using that term?

Я щось взагалі не викупив цей альбом. Якийсь фейк реггі. Не сподобались взагалі виконнаня Фінлі. Навіть дабовий бас не рятує для мене загальну картину.

Didn't even finish. Truly hated.

Not for me. Mostly forgettable, a few songs I remember from the original chart hits, but too few to lift it.

This is awful. Horrible. I hate this deeply. Why is it so reggae-y. Lowkey, reggae was only done well by one guy and Bob Marley this ain't. This sounds so repetitive and annoying the vocals are ass. It's truly just so awful.

Meh

Not for me. Did not finish.

This is possibly the least “essential” album I’ve encountered on this list. Schlocky, dull, generic, inauthentic, and almost sounds like a caricature of pop-reggae.

Didn't enjoy it. Think I've come to the conclusion that I just don't like reggae that much. I'm sure some people love it. It's not my thing.

Reggae, Calypso, cheesy. I didn't like it

Scottish reggae? Hmm Adds nothing interesting to the genre, except another whitewashing of a non-white genre. Does not deserve to be on here.

Rating: 3/10 Assigning my first 1. Completely unenjoyable to me

It’s a pale, watered-down imitation of reggae, utterly uninspired and lacking any spark. I have no intention of listening to it again.

No,

A scottish person impersonating a jamaican person. As the scottish would say, this is rank!

I've seen this album cover before while flicking through my copy of the 1001 albums book - it's pretty eye-catching. Were I to take a crack at a genre prediction, I would venture to guess that this is something hardcore. I'm inclined towards screamo, though I think that genre came about in the 2000s. My next inclination is something Marilyn Manson-ey. What genre does he belong to? Industrial metal? What the fuuuuuuuuck? Reggae? This is the biggest curveball I've ever been served in the history of this list. Upon closer inspection of the album cover it also appears that Finley is not screaming intensely but instead has a joyous expression plastered across his mug. I've been mandela effected, there's no way. Whuh? Oh yeah, the album. I was fooling around with this yo-yo I found in my belongings while listening to this one. It's fun in a mindless sort of way. The axle kind of sucks, so I have to be precise with my technique so as to keep the yo-yo going. I should learn a trick or two sometime. I remember when I lost one of these things between the train tracks. My point is that this shit is BORING. How can the Britoids - the world's most ill-fated and lowly race - ever possibly give a damn about this album. It sets no mood and goes nowhere. I attribute the bore-inducing nature to Maverick a Strike to Quaye's vocals. They're characteristically reggae, though I do not think they sound good. There's some unique genreblending in the instrumentals, though they're overall pretty minimal and done in a way that frustrates me. "Even After All" has a nice, warm, rippling sound with the guitars. The bassy sound is a nice accompaniment, too. "Sweet and Loving Man" has kind of a reggae, funk, electronic, ska sound going for it, which is pretty interesting. The song is only okay, though I respect the ambition. Book time. Very Bob Marley-adjacent, though I don't know what that means. Quaye is apparently a controversial figure for adopting a sex, drugs and rock & roll lifestyle after achieving success with this album. Yeah, not convinced yet. Over to Wikipedia I go. Performed very well on the UK charts and had some successful singles. Yeah, snippy snip time. Fuuuuck, I hate doing thisss I'm running low on replacement albums. In place of this album, I humbly submit Katamari Fortissimo Damacy for inclusion on the list.

1. ultra - 1 2. together -1 3. zunday - 1 4. Even - 1.5 5. Ride - 1 6. Explosive - 1 7. Sweeter - 1.5 8. Supreme - 0 9. Man - 1.5 10. Red - 1 11. Falling - 1.5 12. Lover -1 13. Strike - 1.5

so this album went double platinum, is critically acclaimed, and even won Finley an award, but it still does not seem influential in the way I would expect. even if I am not fond of an album, I can at least appreciate the impact it has had on the industry, but I just do not see that here. maybe it was more of a breakthrough in the UK? maybe my stupid eastern european brain just cannot comprehend that. still, I would not say this album is worthy of being on this list this was kinda close to a 2 cuz the instrumental can be interesting. still, it lacks a lot, and if you are a nepo baby (a small one, but still), at least use your connections to make better music

Familiar with Sunday Shining, but not really my thing.

What a tosser. Shit album, too.

If you are going to be influenced by a Scottish band, don’t make it UB40.

Sounds like reggae made for middle class white people who wear their the thifted tie-dyed harem pants and Birkenstock sandals just to prove how culturally diverse they are. Truth is, this just seemed to have sucked the soul out of the genre. Odd, because I suspect the enduring mass appeal of it was probably a shock to Quaye himself, but cannot see this as being deserving to be on this list whatsoever.

I think the only people who listen to this are users of this website.

Not for me.

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with this album. It just doesn't work for me, for some reason. This is still one of my first albums, so I know that this page is going to say that I hate reggae for a long time (which is not true). But this is the first on the list that I actively disliked.

It’s uncomfortable to declare cultural appropriation on someone of another culture who’s appropriating a third culture. A Ghanaian Scot making pop-adjacent Reggae (with a fake Jamaican accent?) is a British colonial fever dream I didn’t have on my bingo card. I appreciate that this album sold well in the UK in the 90s, but it didn’t make a splash in America. In fact, if you exclude Ska, I don’t recall Reggae as a genre having a meaningful moment in America in the 90s. I understand America isn’t the center of the universe, but I’m trying to suggest that this was a very regional success that didn’t have any impact on the broader music industry. Putting it on this list is like me finding my copy of Sugar Ray’s hit 1997 record “Floored” in my CD case and deciding the whole world needs to listen to it because I remember liking it when I was 11. Or insisting that this list include an album by The Urge because they were huge in my city in the 90/00s. For the most part, this is a nice, relaxing, ‘feel good’ record but it doesn’t make a lasting impression (except for the cultural appropriation). It should be firmly below the cut line for the next list update.

A couple of half-decent songs near the start, but nothing special. Then any goodwill from a cover song was soon squandered by the rest of the album. By the end, I was extremely glad to see the back of this, and even gladder that I'll never have to listen to it again. One star.

I have found the inclusion of those non-name English bands to be a series of terrible artists with bad music. Interestingly, the exception has generally been in the R&B and rap categories, where there has been some excellent stuff like Michael Kiwanuka and Tricky. Unfortunately, this fell into the former camp. It was just awful. Very derivative and unoriginal, with lyrics that were incredibly subpar.

reggae poser…

listened to one song didn’t like

Not music.

What is this? Who even is this guy?

Wow, dette var sjokkerende dårlig! Ekstra minuspoeng for elendig falsk aksent.

Not for me. Couldn't get through it

Sometimes I Feel Lighter Than The Air 1001 Albums Generator 124 (09/23/2025) Dude what did I do to deserve 2 reggae albums in a row? It's one of my least favorite genres and this album is a particularly poor example. If Bob Marley was boring, Finley Quaye is offensively bad. You know, I had some relatively high hopes during the first couple of songs. There is a sort of psychedelic edge to this poppy reggae that gives it a bit of an intrigue. Supreme I Preme features this as well. However, the other 40 minutes of this album have next to nothing to offer. The instrumentals are all boring and blend together, and the vocals are quite bland. This was one of the few albums that I only listened to once because I just can't justify spending almost 2 hours of my life listening to it twice. 1/5 and fuck you Robert Dimery. Favs: Ultra Stimulation It's Great When We're Together Supreme I Preme Least Fav: Red Rolled And Seen

Listening to the Explosive song, which has a prominent baseline drone accompanied by an unintelligible pseudo Rasta babbling. Sometimes I wonder why I listen to these 1001 albums that can be so incredibly painful. The song Supreme goes absolutely nowhere, there’s no emotion, no sense that he cares at all about what he’s singing.

no me gusta reggae

Kinda like pop reggae... a lil too clean for me

Reggae gfallt mer eher nid so. "Sunday Shining" aber en banger.

A handful of the songs were ok, but I wouldn't listen to the album again.

Snelle inhaal review #18: The fuck is dit man. Halve indie rock reggae vibes met echt de meest ongeïnspireerde teksten in deze lijst tot nu toe. Misschien moet het nog klikken, maar ik weet niet of ik daar ooit achter ga komen.

Er zat eigenlijk 1 leuk nummer in (even after all), de rest trok mij niet bij eerste keer luisteren.

Shouldn't be on this list. imho

Fav : Sweet And Loving Man A part ça, plutôt mid, monotone, très instrumental mais pas soulful et c’est pas très bien recherché dans l’écriture

Starts off Finley Okay Enough even though it is pretty lame, soupish, generic pop reggae. About 5 tracks in is Ride On And Turn The People On which is an insufferably cheesy turning point though and the album becomes Finley Definitely Not Okay. Also the guy ended up having a long history of violence, domestic abuse, bankruptcy and being chucked out of venues for being shambolic so is a bit of a Finley Qunt.

Should be zero stars.

Super boring and bland. Pretty forgettable rhythms, really middling cover of Sun is Shining. I felt drained listening to it.

Initially I thought this was another random admin fav, but nope, it’s right there in the original book. I could see myself having liked a few of these had I heard them back in 97 and mostly being indifferent to the rest. Maybe I would’ve thought it bought me some cred for being into a reggae-influenced soul singer from Scotland? Maybe I’m hoping for too much from music sometimes.

Sunday Shining is the only song that is both tolerable and has something remotely interesting going on. Almost every other song can’t check off either of those boxes.

This album is the reason the Scottish invented the word “shite.”

Im a fan of reggae and many of its offshoots. And also this sucked.

This was some of the most disappointing Dancehall/reggae/dub I've had the displeasure of hearing in a long while.