Orbital ‎– Blue Album

If you give this album a chance, it will grow on you. It may not be in the same league as the Brown Album or In Sides, but there is real some real mastery at work here.

If, like me, you first felt this was garbage, give it a few more listens. And use some really good headphones when doing so, because there are layers and subtle details in each track worth listening to.
Jason

Worth buying for the one amazing track, "One Perfect Sunrise". "You Lot" is OK and all the rest of the tracks are fillers in my opinion. Of course this album is essential for Orbital fans whether it's great or just OK (my rating). However, I got into dance music because of Orbitals gig at Glastonbury in 1994 on the (then) NME stage so they are very special to me. What an amazing evening, I'll remember it till I die.

This is nowhere near their past work, that is for sure. It sounds really lame at points, like Orbital was commissioned to make the new theme song for Sesame Street (Acid Pants, Bath Time). Some of the tracks are real nice, such as Tunnel Vision and Pants, but at best this was a decent release. If you want to hear the true Orbital, you have to go back to the Brown Album, which is by far their greatest work.

The announcement about Orbital leaving us came as a really sad message to me, after following their unique, wonderful music almost from their beginning. Orbital was one of the bands that brought my attention to electronic music for full back in the days, and their albums has given me tons of good memories and fantastic moments. This Blue album was their way of saying goodbye, and this way of doing it is like quitting on top in my opinion. This album is in my ears one of the best albums they ever produced, and for sure way better than the previous couple of albums. Here we get great variation, everything from chilled to uptempo stuff. My personal favourite track here is track 2 called Pants, which is a pretty relaxed track with a very typical Orbital sound. A track I have put into several of my sets around the world lately... Orbital is for sure a band that will be deeply missed...

Being an Orbital fan since I heard Belfast for the first time, I may say that I've been able to see "the rise and the fall" of Orbital. For me no doubt that the "Green" , "Brown" and "Snivilisation" albums were the rise, "In Sides" and "The Middle of Nowhere, the peak and "The Altogether" and "Blue Album" the fall. With the release of "Blue Album" I´m glad to know that such fall (almost "agony") is over. Without a doubt the Harnolll brothers have made Orbital a landmark in the Electronic Music hall of fame.

I can't believe what I'm hearing ! this is a terrible album ! their worst album ever ! it's not in the same league as the "Brown Album" or "Snivilisation" !! Fair enough it has got two good tracks on there "Pants" and "You Lot" but apart from those it's crap ! You can't put "One Perfect Sunrise" and "Halcyon + on" in the same category it doesnt even come close ! the collaberation with sparks is laughable and sounds like the music from a circus ! And as for "One Perfect Sunrise", it sounds like Paul Oakenfold's done a remix of the theme tune from the movie "GLADIATOR" and given it his usual septic commercial re-rub !
Orbital recently split up and if this is the best that they can do fair play lads you did the right thing ! Maybe for their next project they should collaberate with DJ Sammy ????!!??

I think this is their best album to date,only the Brown Album,or perhaps Snivilisation even come close.The last track on the album 'One Perfect Sunrise' is truly magnificent.Amongst a haze of euro-trance and trance-pop crapola,the Originators,i.e.The Hartnoll Brothers produce an epic tribute to themselves and dance culture itself - an all out emotive,uplifting and inspirational hard trance track,with a tear jerking vocal added courtesy of Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance,also responsible for classics such as 'Host Of The Seraphim' used in Orkidea's 'Unity',or the beautiful 'Sanvean',featured on Oakenfold's Goa Mix back in '94.Her contribution to this album shows the class and sophistication of Orbital's work,which the Blue Album exemplifies.Orbital go out with a bang that will echoe on forever,and I'm not even a die-hard fan to be honest !

Well let me see, the album has highs and lows. I'd say it's definately an Orbital Album in the old vein which i think is a good thing. Some of these songs are quite exceptional and others are just really really poor. Hearing One Perfect Sunrise at the end was the clincher for me though, hard to dislike this album with a track like that on it. Almost another halycon.