Original Pirate Material (studio album) by The Streets

I rarely - if ever - listen to either this or A Grand Don't Come for Free these days - and when I do, they admittedly don't sound as good as they did back then - but I will always have a special place for them, I don't even dare to calculate how many times I listened to them starting from 2004/2005 and for more or less the next decade. This one might not have the central narrative that ties their sophomore album together, but when it comes to production this is on a completely different level, pretty much every track is addictive. His rapping barely qualifies as such, it resembles more spoken word than anything else - with his accent being the icing on the cake - but it somehow works into perfection in this specific environment.
To sum it up, hands down my favorite The Streets album.

I've definitley heard better... BUT still very interesting. Anyone with enough patience for something different should check this out. Over rated by critics in my opinion but not complete trash either.

From sguy157 01/18/2019 03:19

A great album with a very interesting sound! I can definitely see why people might be turned off by the way Mike Skinner raps, as it almost feels like spoken word. I'll admit, I was a bit iffy about the album at first, but after a little while I came to appreciate it. I do still think that the album has a few weak points here and there, but as a debut album, the quality on this thing is pretty impressive - especially after reading about the DIY nature of its production. The dude recorded his vocals in a wardrobe! On the lyrical side of things, I appreciate how he describes ordinary life in a way that isn't too flashy. As a result, this album feels like a glimpse into what regular life was like in central England during the early 2000s. Some of my favorites off of this include "Has It Come to This?," "It's Too Late," "Don't Mug Yourself," and "Weak Become Heroes." So if you're looking for something a little different that gives you a look into someone else's lifestyle and experiences, you should definitely check out this album.

Interesting, well-written garage tunes. The main problem? the "rapping". someone please stop brummie boys from doing so lol

From Graeme2 10/10/2015 22:28

I need to listen to this again like soon. I remember before I heard it having preconceptions that it was probably not going to live up to the hype and be some fad crap. As soon as the first lines on the first track kick in you know it's going to be great. A fantastic opening track sets up the whole thing.

From junodog4 03/14/2015 22:52

Kingy - don't be a moron. The Streets (while decent) isn't the epitome of modern music, and many of those who criticize this aren't fogey dadrockers. I can't wait to see your chart.

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Fantastic, what an album/experience.

You can learn quite a bit from this album.

From Necharsian 02/29/2012 20:50

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