by Moby List Price:$13.00 Our Price:$12.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Product Details
Media: Audio CD
Release Date: Tuesday, June 01, 1999
Label: V2. / Bmg
Average Customer Review: 4.5 Based on 642 reviews.
Sales Rank: 459
Tracks
1.
7
2.
Run On
3.
Down Slow
4.
If Things Were Perfect
5.
Everloving
6.
Inside
7.
Guitar, Flute & String
8.
Sky Is Broken
9.
My Weakness
10.
Machete
11.
Natural Blues
12.
Bodyrock
13.
Rushing
14.
South Side
15.
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
16.
Porcelain
17.
Find My Baby
18.
Honey
Editorial Review
Those who have followed Moby's career are familiar by now with his deep convictions and spiritual connection. On his 1999 release, Play, he celebrates his faith in a masterful, unobtrusive way, channeling gospel and other inspirational samples through beats so earthy they could grow grass on a cement dance floor. It's impossible to separate the joy of the message from the joy of the grooves. --Beth Massa
Top Customer Reviews
Rating:
2 Someone was bound to mix Blues and Dance eventually...
This CD is very repetitive. The song structures are simple and there is no development. I don't consider this techno, it's Pop music (not that that's WRONG, but... if you're looking for TECHNO, look elsewhere - like Fluke, Underworld, Squarepusher, Plaid, Autechre, etc.) Porcelain is a good wholesome electronic song; I like it (who wouldn't?) The rest sound gimmicky - It's all very listenable, but it doesn't take your mind or emotions anyplace. You just sit, listen, ok ... it's fine for the dentist's office. I'll still listen to my copy (which was a very thoughtful gift after I showed interest in exploring it due to the ratings). Some songs are good -- porcelain and ... I believe it is track 9, machete... whichever one sounds techno-like... these are good songs. The rest is just very so-so. Some old blues line - and I mean ONE LINE, repeated incessantly over the same simple beat ... that is a good majority of this CD. Really, this disc should probably get a little more than two stars because it is more enjoyable than another cd I recently gave a 2-star rating to. But I just can't believe how overrated this album is. They'll be playing these songs in Meijer's in a couple of years.
Rating:
5 Amazing
Moby has changed the face of music with this album by mixing techno, church spirituals, and classical music. Moby can be really creative with this album and can perform great instrumentals along with mixing. My favorite tracks are Bodyrock, South Side, Natural Blues, Porcelain, Find My Baby, and My Weakness. It isn't really a dance album, it's more of an electronic soundtrack. On a 12-hour road trip I went on, I listened to this entire CD and enjoyed most of the songs as I was bored in the car. If you truly like music, do not miss the opportunity to get this album. This album is absolutely amazing from a man that produces REAL music. I recommend this album to good music listeners who have tastes in all kinds of music and for those who have nothing to listen to on a long car trip.5 stars is my rating and there is no good reason why you cannot rate this album one star. (Unless you are a big fan of grunge rock music or boy band oriented pop)
Rating:
5 Original
I have two complaints to do on this album. First, I find it too long (18 songs total, that's a lot). Second, on "Everloving" song, for 3 seconds in the begining the sound comes only from one ear (very disturbing for me).Moby is brilliant at mixing things together. My favorite songs in order are "Natural blues", "Everloving", "Why does my heart feel so bad?", "If things were perfect", "South side", "Body rock", "Honey and "Machete". Sorry but I am tired to hear porcelain. There rest is fine except for "Rushing" and "Down slow" which I don't like.Too bad my favorite song "That is when I reach for my revolver" is not on this album.
Rating:
5 A Dissed Classic
Every once in a while, a classic album comes out that nobody really screams about. The hype is low, everyone who loves the album considers it their personal treasure, and then a year later it wins tons of awards and the mainstream public scratches its collective head in confusion and says "who's THAT?"The most recent example I can think of is Radiohead's "OK Computer." I think that clearly, Moby's "Play" should be added to this list of sleeper masterpieces.After his last album, the dismal "Animal Rights," Moby strikes back with a beautiful, schizophrenic, emotional album. The grabber for those hearing "Play" for the first time is the sampled re-workings of old blues vocal recordings. This is a little gimmicky, but after repeated listenings, the truth of the idea comes to the surface and transcends mere novelty.The beautiful "Porcelain" is sad, mellow French pop. The funky "Run On" is a study in worship of African American spiritual music. Sprinkled throughout the album are dozens of other musical influences, from rap to hip-hop to rock. No matter what style he's playing with, though, he manages to layer on to it a film of calm and emotion. There's definitely a through-line connecting the wildly varying styles of each song.This is one of the most accessible, playable, thoroughly enjoyable albums I've heard in a long time. Heck, I'm sending my mother a copy.
Rating:
5 Soundtrack for a new millenium
Rarely does an album of this genre verge on brilliance, but Moby has pulled off something quite unique with Play. It is an album which draws upon many influences and styles which on paper really shouldn't work, but on Play it all flows so perfectly. It covers a wide range of emotions from summer bliss to pure and edgy electro. Sampled blues vocals are used so effectively on this album which is demonstrated on the haunting single Natural Blues, but strong melodies is the key to the album's success. Lush orchestral chords dominate most of the tracks with delicate piano that simply reaches the parts of the mind that other albums fail to reach. As soon as the album comes to a memorable close, you will find yourself immediately hitting the repeat button of your cd player. A perfect soundtrack to those long summer evenings and so infectious. Highlights include the beautiful Porcelian and Rushing which you will want to hear over and over. Moby has created an album full of complex soundscapes, and if you buy just one album in the year 2000, make it Play.
Rating:
5 Well-known now!
Moby has come along way from his very first album entitled 'Moby' which was his early techno works to his most recent album 'Play'. We got a taste of what Moby can really do with ambient music, pop-techno, dance, and rock in albums such as: Everything Is Wrong, Ambient, Rare: The Collected B-Sides 1989-1993, etc... Now, Moby takes another step up and brings a lot of gospel and soul music into his keyboard and electronic music works. 'Play' gives you a wide variety of different styles of gospel and soul. The song "Honey" starts with a simple catchy and rhythem and builds in a nice and light techno beat. Others like "Find My Baby" and "Why Does My Heart Feel so Bad?" combine more of a soul feeling into melodic piano and light dance beats. His most successful song in the album was "South Side" which features Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) leading Moby in the chorus. The song also became a hit single along with it being a hit song all by itself. 'Play', towards the end of the album, steps into more slow and ambient textures in songs like "Down Slow", "Inside", and the poetic-like songs "If Things Were Perfect" (I think that's one of them that he just TALKS in) and "The Sky Is Broken" which is very visionary-like with its slow and soothing melodies and beginning beat throughout. The ending song "My Weakness" starts off with a beautiful choir background and later builds in a beautiful orchestral texture in. This makes the song, with it's orchestral sound, a most remembering moment in what Moby can do...My Weakness makes for a fascinating ending for the entire CD. 'Play' was a platinum-selling album worldwide. He later released "Play The DVD" which includes numerous videos of some of the hits off of the CD. It also includes a MEGAMIX that gives you a variety of industrial, rave, dance, and trance mixes of songs off of Play. These are both things that one should own if you are a fan of Moby. That's my review, Thanks!
Rating:
4 A little bit of everything
Primarily a rock music fan, I was naturally skeptical about Moby's music. Even after listening to the album 3 times, I still was not understanding what made this so special... it's just a guy sampling repetitive old gospel lyrics with techno beats and other instruments. On the fourth listen, I said "this is just a guy sampling repetitive old gospel lyrics with techno beats and other instruments....BRILLIANT!" I finally understood... this was a groundbreaking form of music by combining many genres together to form music that has 'a little bit of everything'. If you're a fan of the hip-hop beats in rap music but don't go for a lot of the lyrical content, this will be a light in the darkness for you. The beats are excellent and the added elements of guitars, strings, piano, and gospel voices is nothing short of super-cool. All 18 tracks succeed in conveying spiritual messages (some without saying a single word!) while making you want to dance like a maniac. This in itself is a tremendous accomplishment. Best of 1999.
Rating:
4 Wow... How Diverse An Album, Eh?
I had never heard of Moby until I bought this album. I kept hearing his name and bought "Play" on a whim. And I'm glad I did because I would've never ventured into the field of techno (i.e. Daft Punk). Although I'm not a vegan, I respect Moby's faith, because I'm a religious person also. I'm a fan of all genres of music, but I assumed techno was strictly ambient/electronic/dancy music. Moby sets himself apart from the techno bunch with this negro spiritual-inspired, 18-track opus. It's amazing how you can take a plain ol' sample, add some tranquil, melodic background music and create a compelling work out of it. Add that to the fact that Moby is practically a one-man band and did all of the musical work himself. From classical to rock to techno, there's a song for everyone. All in all, this album is a classic. And you don't even have to be a fan of the genre. I would've given this 4 1/2 stars, but that's not an option, is it? Nope. My top 5 are "Porcelain" (my favorite one), "Southside", "Rushing", "Bodyrock", and "Inside" (my second favorite one). An honorable mention to "Run On" as well, because the lyrics coupled with the beat makes for a quite catchy song. If you don't own anything by Moby because you don't like techno, you should at least give it one complete listen. I didn't think I would be too thrilled about it either. Granted, there could've been less repetitiveness with the samples, but it's something that you can listen to straight thru. You can scoff at Moby if you want to, but do you think today's generation would even consider listening to late 1800's/early 1900's plantation music? I'd probably squirm in my seat...
Rating:
5 A Hands Down Must Buy
When you say the word "techno", people tend to imagine loud, obnoxious electronic dance songs with loads of annoying sound-effects. Rest assured that if that's your defintion of techno, this ain't techno.Moby takes 18 tracks and tackles multiple genres: rock, hip hop, blues, gospel, accoustic, and many more. Many tracks contain samplings of other songs (ranging from Love Rap by Spoony G and The Trecherous 3 to Run On For A Long Time, a 1937 gospel piece), while others are true original compositions with Moby doing the vocals himself. It creates for a rather confusing effect: you won't know exactly who you're listening to--but believe me, you'll be enjoying yourself too much to care.Moby is a devout Christian, and his spirituality shines in every one of these 18 tracks. It would be wrong, though, to call this religious music--it's not looking to convert anyone, if that's a worry of yours. I'm an Agnostic myself, and I loved the spiritual, empowering feelings of these songs.I've noticed other reviews say that some songs are great while others fail, but I honestly believe each and every one of these songs has something to offer. Some, like "7", "Down Slow", and "Inside" don't have any lyrics and do resort to a more traditional techno sound, but are enthralling nevertheless.So go on and add it to your shopping cart. If you don't absolutely love it, then--well--feel free to write me an angry e-mail.
Rating:
4 Very enjoyable and strangely affecting
Moby is usually referred to as a wizard or iconoclast of techno, but I am afraid you won't find any cutting-edge techno here. Rather than indulging in brand-new sounds, Moby has an absolute ear for the sounds of yore, not unlike Fatboy Slim and Beck. Fatboy Slim mixed reggae and fifties' pop; Beck is at home in the seventies. In this CD Moby goes for the gospell/blues afroamerican tradition, and mixes it with his dance roots. Blues and trance share one thing: the possibly endless repetition of the same musical phrase and sometimes of the same verse. Moby uses this link to create very coherent and effective songs, like "Honey", "Why does my earth feel so bad", "Find my baby", "Natural Blues", "Run on", "My Weakness". After a few listenings some of them (Why does my earth feel so bad", "My Weakness") sound as sincere invocations, and are strangely affecting. This is definitely a more spiritual album and low-key work than "Everything is Wrong".There are other are very good songs: "porcelain", "rushing" are slow and catchy: they make a good musical background and perfect soundtrack music. "Bodyrock" belongs in the techno-trance of "Everything is wrong" and will appeal to die-hard dancers.Overall, "Play" is the most intimate and mature work of Moby to day. While it is never cerebral or annoying, some songs require repeated listenings to be enjoyed.
Rating:
2 Oh...How the mighty fall...
Is it Trance? No. Is it Techno? No. Is it House? No. Is it even Electronica? No. So what is it? I have no idea. It is truly sad to watch one of the original gods of electronica fall to such...trash. The CD is simply a pop CD for the masses. Nothing more. It is 18 tracks of piano, slow beats and 70s "wawaah" guitars. There is no life in this ablum. Now I know why he was jumping on the cover; he is smashing his soul to please the masses. I suppose to the average person this Muzak-esque mix might not be all that bad. But to those of us who embraced Moby when he was new, and understand Electronica, it is a dark betrayal that really deserves nothing, much less the multi-millions of dollars that he has earned through copywriting and album sales. It is, in all honesty, one of the most successful albums of all time. But does that make it a good CD? No. That makes it Pop. On a brighter note, the song "Natural Blues" is extremely well done. And "Why does my hear feel so bad?" can be also passed as music. But you can get a Katcha remix of "Natural Blues" on the Gatecrasher Global Sound System CD that is much faster and club worthy. ATB also has a remix of "Why does my heart..." on the Ibiza '99 CD that is better than the original. Both remixes have more life, more beat and more energy than this entire CD. So why bother picking this one up? If you are looking for good Electronica, go somewhere else. If you are looking for pop, you've come to the right place. Sadly, the true Moby that we know and loved is dead.
Rating:
5 a brilliant piece of music - the iggy pop of techno is back
What can I say about this album? I could say that it is as good as any other Moby-album which would mean that it is perfect, brilliant, marvellous, beautiful, sad, happy - in short words: THE ALBUM OF THIS DECADE! What I like best is that this album presents again a new style of music which I would call: downtempo-techno-guitar-retro-gospel-music. If you listen to these CD you should close your eyes and let your mind flow with the music. Its music which can be used for every situation in life - for sad or for beautiful moments. Nevertheless is it not meanstream-music. Titels you cant afford to hear are: "Why does my heart feel so bad ?" (the new single), the marvellous guitar song "Everloving", the powerful techno song "Machete" and one of the best songs made of hip-hop-beats "Honey". I could have named every other song of this album - it's all brilliant! Get it! Hear it! Enjoy it! Love it! Buy also all the other CD's of Moby - they are exellent too! What's your opinion?
Rating:
5 Dozens of "Background" Plays Won Me Over
Like I usually do, I listened intently to each cut after I bought this album (by an artist I'd never heard of but saw highly recommended by many of you amazon.com reviewers). My reaction was mixed as I wondered whether the sampling of old blues masters was a rip-off...or a gift from the past to younger ears that may have never heard the originals. I remained undecided and really not too enthusiastic since what I was looking for was a smoother techno ride ala Underworld. This album went through too many changes. I decided I respected MOBY for his ambitious eclecticism, but passed the CD onto my 19 year old daughter. A month later, bored by most of my other techno CDs, I took MOBY to work and set the player to repeat the album ALL day long at a relatively low volume. Now I wasn't "listening" as much as just hearing. The repetitiveness of the first two cuts which bothered me at first, turned into satisfying mantra music. To make a long story a little shorter, I kept the CD in my at-work player for days, then weeks. No question about it, although it took me awhile, PLAY is super! It deserves all the kudos so many have given it. My way may not be your way, but sometimes backing off from "hard" listening can make all the difference.
Rating:
5 One of the best techo stars today
I think one of the reasons why Moby's music has become hot lately is because the diversity of all of his albums. One of 2 discs by Moby in 1997 had a dance- hard beat to it. "Play" had many songs on it I've heard before I bought it. I heard "Run On" first, then "Bodyrock," "Natural Blues" "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad" and so on. After that, my favorite track, even on the whole album "Porcelain" and the beautiful words to "South Side." The tracks on this album are those that get the imagery in your mind. He was nominated for Best Male Video for a VMA but didn't quite win. My dad loves his songs too. On MTV2 was what convinced me to buy it, and it's not redundant like Fatboy Slim. This is like African-American folk mixed with dance, electronic, techno, and rock. This is also comparable to BT's "Movement In Still Life" though this is less repetitive in the chorus. This is stuff i'd expect to hear at a dance club. Also hip-hop is mixed to it. This is a good effort, on his 6th album. Also "I Like To Score, Moby's other '97 release, has songs featured on certain soundtracks. He also mixes guitars, and did every instrument on this album.
Rating:
5 Moby continues to amaze and fascinate!
Yeah, Moby's repiddling of the James Bond theme was the coolest thing that ever happened to the piece since Monty Norman wrote the thing way back in the sixties. Sure, sure, Moby's last album, ANIMAL RIGHTS was an impressive mix of depression and punkness that left you feeling worse than an extra in a spaghetti western. We all know Moby IS the man, and with PLAY, he continues to make music that is just awe-inspiring. PLAY is so addictive, so grand, so beautiful, so blues ridden, so fuh-rikkin cool that we've had it in our deck since it came out and still haven't gotten tired of it. Our friends, like us, haven't been able to stop listening to it since they bought it, and even though it goes on for well over sixty minutes of your time, it rolls around and keeps things fresh so well that there's never a moment of "Allll right, that's enough. Where's my Static X album?" Want specifics? "Honey" and "Find My Baby" kick off the album with bluesy rootsness that makes you realize you're far away from the proverbial Kansas of ANIMAL RIGHTS. "South Side," "If Things were Perfect," "7," it's all just, man...get this album. Whatever you need to do to get this album--short of illegal acts--do it. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
5 DANCING TO SPIRITUALS? WHY NOT!
The last time someone took a handful of old spirituals and blues, and made it danceable, we called it Rock & Roll. And we called that someone Elvis. Okay, so Moby might not change music history, but at least he will go down as the musician who has been cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for producing the fastest single ever.On tracks like "Honey", "Why does my heart feel so bad" and "Natural Blues" we hear the raspy, aged voices of black singers layered with cool breakbeats. The result is at once fun, mellow and groovy. Though it is essentially dance music, the pathos of the songs is not sacrificed.On some songs, the melody sounds so fragile, you feel like you're dancing on a frozen lake pressed in on all sides by a bleached out horizon. Which was why the track "Porcelain" was ideal for the movie The Beach, manifesting when those blokes lay their eyes on that perfect stretch of paradise for the first time, not aware that this dream is soon turning dark. Moby is not a singer, but he knows how to use his voice, sometimes rapping, sometimes whispering; on this track he sounds like he is singing a poem. Mixed with his simple beatific piano playing, this is a haunting song that will grow on you.But fear not, there are also rocking dance tracks here with the kind of energy found on his famous remix of the James Bond theme. The first single from this album has been the manic "Bodyrock". Listening to the wall of sound and trying to comprehend that Moby is playing every instrument here, from the distorted guitar to the ambient synthesizer, is an awesome undertaking. I have introduced this album to many. Without exception, they all like it. It does not mean that "Play" is generic. It just means that Moby has creatively combined genres in such a way to make it accessible, entertaining and even moving to all who listen.
Rating:
5 Takes Electronica to new heights!
This is one of my favorite CDs of all-time, along with mr.deviant's "Techno Obsession". With "Play", Moby takes techno and electronica into a whole new place, a more emotional place. For years critics have panned electronica because they claim it can't "have soul, or feeling", Moby shatters this myth with virtually every track on "Play".Believe the hype surrounding this one. It's a classic, and belongs in everyone's CD collection. Just buy it, and thank me later.
Rating:
5 I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO WITHOUT THIS CD!
Moby's Play is definately without a doubt one of my favorite albumbs ever. These are strong words coming from me--I am not one who appreciated most current music. I bought the album because I loved the beautiful song Porcelain. At the time I knew nothing about Moby, and I was just feeling a little lush that day so I bought the album, but I didn't expect anything special. Over the course of the next month, I started to listen to Play more and more, and I began to love it. It never left my CD player, and I could finally boast that I owned a CD that didn't have one bad track on it. Some of the songs are great for winding down and doing work to, and others are great for dancing and partying. It's such a diverse album! I went to see Moby perform in Detroit, and it only made me love him more! He's the cutest person ever, and he's so talented. I recommend this album to anyone who likes the more popular songs South Side and Porcelain, and also to the people who aren't so into mainstream music--it's a universal pleaser! DEFINATELY BUY THIS ALBUM!
Rating:
5 Very diverse, compelling music
I bought this CD becasue of a few songs I had heard and liked and then found out they were all by the same guy: Moby. His style fluctuates amazingly between tracks unlike any other artist I've ever listened to. There's only about 3 tracks that I ever skip. And considering there's 18 tracks, that's pretty darn good. I must say though, a lot of the songs are very repetitive so you might like it less depending on how much you value the sound of music compared to lyrical content. But even for those of you who appreciate strong lyrics, there's plenty on here to satisfy. After you buy this and listen to it, you won't classify Moby as techno/dance anymore. If you're like me and like a lot of different stuff, get this album now.---TRACKS---1)Honey- Upbeat, energetic, fun nonsense song. Great opener.2)Find my Baby- This song just sounds cool. The lyrics aren't anything to speak of but I like the little "woo!" with the great instrumental accompaniment.3)This Is Goodbye- This song has been used in a lot of movies and TV shows. I actually didn't even know it was by Moby until I bought the album. One of the slower, more meaningful, powerful songs.4)Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?- Another song with lots of piano. Great mixing of sounds. Kind of like a slow version of "Find my Baby"- repetitive lyrics with a great sound.5)South Side- Truly a hidden gem. I've never heard this one on the radio but it should be. Great audio effects AND lyrical substance. One of the few spots on the album where Moby manages to achieve this. My personal favorite.6)Rushing- Slow, boring and pointless. With 18 tracks, you gotta have a few duds here and there. This is one of them.7)Bodyrock- Probably his most well-known song. It's just great. Lots of energy. This song is probably the main reason people classify Moby as techno/dance. It gets me pumped up every time I hear it.8)Natural Blues- This one got some radio play too. Has a deep, heavy sound to it and some very cool percussion undertones.9)Machete- The most techno-sounding track. Crisp, smooth, electronic lyrics with an incredible rhythm. Another one of my favorites.10)7- Another pointless track. At least this one is only a minute long.11)Run On- Wow! Not what I expected when I bought this album but nonetheless excellent. Fun lyrics that you'll find yourself singing along to with some neat sound effects thrown in.12)See #1013)If Things Were Perfect- If you took 5 or 6 audio effects and threw them in a blender, this is what you would get. Dark, cold lyrics in front of a unique mixture of sounds.14)Everloving- Just some humming in front of an acoustic guitar with some piano thrown in. Nothing special but it's tolerable. Kind of soothing and relaxing, actually.15)Inside- Heavenly sounds with a techno beat. It works.16)Guitar, Flute & String- As the title implies, it has some guitar, it has some flute and it has some string. It sounds more like something that should be on a movie soundtrack. 17)The Sky Is Broken- This song actually has more of a rap or hip-hop beat to it. More cold, dark lyrics from Moby along with more piano. Pretty good. If you bought this album for his more popular stuff though, you're not going to like this one at all.18)My Weakness- Once again, a very heavenly, uplifting sound. I like this track a lot.
Rating:
5 A masterpiece from a truely talented individual
I've never been, what I would consider, a huge Moby fan. I've only recently become associated with him from his work on the "Saint" and "The Beach" soundtracks. Boy oh boy, do I wish I had discovered this talented individual sooner! My friend bought this CD and let me borrow it. Although I don't like the first two tracks, I immediately was hooked in by "Porcelain," which is also featured on the "Beach" soundtrack and in a recent Neiman Marcus commerical. I used to think that Orbital was the best techno artist around, but after this CD, Moby takes the cake! I've never known any techno artist to put so much feeling into a song, without saying anything. This album gets you grooving and relaxing all at the same time. Some tracks to defintely listen to: "Porcelain," "Rushing," "Bodyrock," "Machete," "Inside" and the last track, "My Weakness." "My Weakness," "Porcelain" and "Inside" have a spirituality that is rarely seen in techno music. So haunting and beautiful all at the same time. If you saw the episode of the X-Files where Mulder finally finds out about his sister, you heard "My Weakness" in the final scene with the ghost children. When I heard it there, i immediately wanted to know who did it. This is without a doubt the most moving techno song I've ever heard. It just hits you right in the gut. This CD is a MUST have for all Techno fans. Look out wallet! I'm buying more of his work! Look out Moby, you've got a new fan who looks forward to more years of this awesome music!
Rating:
5 Potential Realized
With 10 years in the music wilderness pumping out quality tunes like Go, Moby may have been forgiven for giving up music and living off what little royalties he had gained. Luckily for us he didn't and instead decided to show us how a great album should sound. The first half of Play is much stronger than the second half but this isn't a bad thing. With memorable songs like Find My Baby, Honey and South Side at the start you are instantly entrapped in Moby's genius like world and this is further confirmed by the hughe hits Porcelain and Natural Blues as well as the utter classic Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad. With a start like this at first the rest is a little disappointing at first but the more you listen the more you appreciate it and understand the more downbeat melancholic music which lets you unwind after a strenuous start and you grasp its true quality.Every song here has its own distinct identity yet the all combine together to produce an amazing album and undoubtably one of the classic albums of the late 90's and one which is a must.
Rating:
5 Incredible And Beautiful Life-Affirming Music
Five years ago I was obsessed with Britney Spears and not much else. I don't like her as much as I used to, because I'm older, but I also remembering loving Moby at the same time. I find this quite strange because I was listening to, essentially, teeny-bopper music and also the amazing music of Moby. Ever since I heard the singles from "Play" in early 2000 I knew I had to have a copy of this album. I planned on buying it but never got around to doing so. I saw it on sale last week in a record store and bought it straight away. I had sort of forgotten about the songs from this album, but once I took a listen they all came back to me.I also remember around five years ago I was in school talking to my form tutor and she told me I had to have a copy of this album. She was a really great woman and meant a lot to me through a tough time in my early teens, so I was reminded of how good a soul she was when I listened to this album again. Even thought this album was released in January 1999, it took a full year to make even the slightest dint in the UK album chart. Once it started climbing, though, nothing could stop it. This album was absolutely huge over here and spent 6 weeks at No.1, selling over 2 million copies. The fact that every song on the album has been licensed and used in advertisements or TV shows makes this a familiar sound, so there shouldn't be too many shocks when you hear this for the first time.I have been very interested in the blues samples that Moby has incorporated into many of these songs. I think the sampling of these soulful vocals is not only haunting but very eerie when juxtaposed with the ambient, modern electronica. There's a sense of old versus new on a lot of these songs, but they are both tied up by an incredible sense of loneliness; the music is sparse and diverse, epic and daunting, while the arrangements remain rather simple and chilled.The album opens with the strange "Honey." This samples the blues vocals of Bessie Jones and is a very funky opener. You can't really understand what she's singing, but this adds to the mystery. The instruments are quite heavy and make for a foot-stomping intro. "Find My Baby" is a superb song which samples Boy Blue's 'Joe Lee's Rock'. This is quite a repetitive song because the same line of "I'm gonna find my baby! WOO! Before the sun goes down!" is repeated over and over. It's insanely catchy and stands out a mile because the vocal is just so strong. The guitar is very funky too and the addition of more electronica is very surreal. "Porcelain" is probably the most popular song off this album and peaked at No.5 in the UK. The strange intro soon makes way for a beautiful piano solo and some altered vocals by Moby. This song is so pure and natural, it's like a flower opening for the first time in reaction to the sun. Very delicate and fragile yet powerful and moving. "Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" is a very sad and sombre song that tells the tale of a man who feels so low because he is alone. Everybody in the world can relate to this song; even when you're surrounded by people you can feel completely alone. The vocals are very emotional and the soundscapes that undulate in the background are so poignant. The sharp female vocal-yelp in the background tops off a classic song."Southside" is another incredible song is probably the most commercial song on the whole record. The guitars are quite heavy on this song and work a treat against Moby's voice in the chorus. I love the idea of travelling through a sort of underworld with your friends. The way the vocals rise and fall also makes for quite an anthemic song. "Rushing" is not on a par with the previous five songs but it's still a great track. The female vocals on this song are incredibly relaxing, accentuated more by the piano in the background. "Bodyrock" was used in the credits to Veronica's Closet, and is a great dance track with some funky lyrics. This song has a very urban, underground feel to it that is of course repetitive but very addictive. "Natural Blues" was the first Moby song I think I ever heard. I was in absolute awe at the video starring Christina Ricci, which shows the idea of death and old age. It's incredibly moving and very emotional. The vocals are very strong here, and this song is a classic that everyone has heard. "Machete" is the most upbeat, hardcore song on the album. The beat is heavy and races like blood through the veins. It really gets your adrenaline pumping! "7" is seen by many as a pointless interlude, but I really like it. It breaks the album up a bit and has a very eerie quality to it. "Run On" is totally not what I expected from this album, because it's just incredibly strange. The song opens with an up-tempo piano solo and strange blues vocals are soon added. It's very traditional of the area it's from in terms of lyrical content and especially the deep harmonising in the background. "Down Slow" is another short interlude and yet again I love it. This is followed by the beautiful "If Things Were Perfect." This song is very sparse and alienated with the odd lyrics "Give me summer!" being echoed across the electronic baseline. The record-scratching is also very chilling and calming. "Everloving" opens with a soft guitar and some deep humming. This song definitely tries to get across a message of peace, tranquility, and most of all, love. The song begins to open after around a minute with this high pitched tone that rises and rises like the sun in the sky. Definitely one of the most beautiful songs on the album. "Inside" is another excellent song that opens with a deep throb that continues on throughout the length of the song. This song is so beautiful and sensual because the beat that rides on the back of this throb is so perfectly aligned. The two dance this unique dance for almost five minutes as a piano joins in at the end to close things."Guitar Flute And String" is probably my least favourite song on the album. It's still quite interesting though, and the flute brings out thoughts and feelings of loneliness inside you that you never knew existed. "The Sky Is Broken" is a very dark and quite unnerving song. The beat is sparse and very direct, as it echoes around your ears and back. Moby's voice is very content and relaxed, almost dead. The piano that creeps in during the chorus is very atmospheric, as are the ambient strings that come in later on. The album closes with the amazing "My Weakness." This song almost makes me cry, it is so beautiful. I haven't cried to it yet, but I just know it's going to be one of those songs that I will cry to at some point in the future. This song was also used in Season 7 of The X-Files, and with good reason. This is like the sound of a celestial choir descending from the Heavens, giving us a brief glimpse of the beauty contained within. The reason I feel this is because it's almost too beautiful to describe, like you've been trusted with a secret that you feel honoured to be a part of.OVERALL GRADE: 10/10There's a total of 18 songs on this album, and at first you might think you'll have trouble getting through every song. This is totally not true. The music on this album seems to all bleed into one, yet many of the songs are different in style. For example, compare Find My Baby to My Weakness, and they are world's apart! I'm glad I took the advice of my form tutor from five years ago because this album will be with me for life. Eminem is SO wrong when he says nobody listens to techno. Arrogant little fool. Moby is a true genius, and so what if he's a bit of a simpleton? He makes awesome music and that's all that matters. Play is essential in any true music lover's collection.
Rating:
5 There really is little to say...
...about Moby that stretches beyond remarking on his understated musical genius, wry humour and exquisite creativity. This album was a classic from it's first pressing and will live on and on tirelessly. Thank the lord for intelligent, creative souls like Moby, the weightiness of his album sales speaks volumes about how starved of this kind of musical genre people are today. LONG LIVE MOBY!
Rating:
5 What is it with you Moby haters?
First of all, I've noticed in a lot of these reviews that you all think the song Honey goes "gunna gunny gum bag" or whatever. You must be deaf, the lyrics are obviously "When my Honey comes back"I loved this album, It never fails to make me smile. Honey- Great beat, fun to dance to, and sing to if you aren't deaf and can understand the lyrics...Find My Baby- It wasn't my favorite, but I definitely liked itPorcelain- One of the first Moby songs I ever heard, I was in love immediatelySouth Side- I loved this song, It's my favorite one to sing to other than HoneyBodyRock- This one just made me want to stand up and dance immediatelyNatural Blues- Loved this song, love the beat to itRun On- My favorite one to sing to, after Honey and South SideThe other ones I liked, but I didn't find anything exceptional about them, but the songs I listed above made up for that...
