Play
by Moby
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Splendid
    80
    This time out, Moby manages to establish himself not only as a talented multi-instrumentalist and genre-jumper, but as someone who can write interesting songs in a variety of genres -- a point he's missed in the past.
  2. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    100
    But though the blues and gospel and more gospel testify not just for song but for body and spirit, they wouldn't shout anywhere near as loud and clear without the mastermind's ministrations--his grooves, his pacing, his textures, his harmonies, sometimes his tunes...
  3. Q Magazine
    80
    Play's inventiveness will restore his reputation as a puck-like, maverick talent.
  5. AllMusic
    90
    Moby shows himself back in the groove after a long hiatus, balancing his sublime early sound with the breakbeat techno evolution of the '90s.
  6. Armchair DJ
    90
    The most consistently lovely album of his career.
  7. MTV.com
    80
    It's a well-thought-out, catchy, and complex body-rocker of a record from beginning to end, with only one or two minor missteps.
  8. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    In ploughing a unique furrow in pop music, he demands your enjoyment as much as your respect.
  9. Pitchfork
    50
    In short, it's fun and functional, yet disposable.
  10. Nude As The News
    70
    Unfortunately, the last third of the CD isn’t nearly as good as the first two-thirds.
  11. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    What could've been a condescending gimmick yields some of the year's most haunting, and haunted, music.
  12. Sonicnet
    60
    Play is a modest, charming little record built on a few simple ideas, and a winner on its own low-key terms: Moby has made the first electronic blues album.
  13. E! Online
    91
    Unlike so many other cut-and-paste experiments, this actually sounds like music and not a clever science project.
  14. Rolling Stone
    80
    The ebb and flow of eighteen concise, contrasting cuts writes a story about Moby's beautifully conflicted interior world while giving the outside planet beats and tunes on which to groove.
  15. Village Voice
    80
    A perfect blend of sacred and secular--exactly what Moby's been looking for all along.
  16. CDNow
    90
    Although it may appear frantic, Play is an eclectic and coherent work where Moby accesses an array of sounds from his milieu of influences.
  17. Launch.com
    80
    At the risk of once again alienating fans--as well as purists who may consider this treading on sacred ground--Moby has taken another set of disparate influences and "translated" them into a futuristic language that's all his own.
  18. Almost Cool
    80
    It's a fun, varied excursion.
  19. The A.V. Club
    80
    His most accessible, mature work to date.
  20. Salon
    80
    On his cunningly crafted CD, the restless techno composer cleverly constructs a bridge between electronic dance music and the black Southern styles that form the basis of most American rock and pop.
  21. Austin Chronicle
    89
    Much of Play sounds like it was beamed directly from planet Sad Guy, but it's far and away Moby's most cohesive and affecting work to date.

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Album of 1999
5
#5 Most Discussed Album of 1999
4
#4 Most Shared Album of 1999

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 134 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 123 out of 134
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 134
  3. Negative: 10 out of 134
  1. DanMetacritic94
    Feb 5, 2013
    10
    I can’t think of anything to say that hasn’t already been said about Moby’s Play album. The one thing that I can say though (and I know it isI can’t think of anything to say that hasn’t already been said about Moby’s Play album. The one thing that I can say though (and I know it is typical) is that it's his best album he has ever made throughout his entire career.

    The music was flawless, the beats are nice and catchy, the samples he used is brilliant, and it has a fantastic pace.

    I love how the first couple of tracks were all fun and throughout the course of the album, it starts to get darker, more meaningful and really emotional.

    Overall, Moby’s Play is a fantastic album. It left a huge impact on the electronic music genre and it certainly had left a huge impact on me for the rest of my life.

    Track Picks: Honey, Porcelain, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, Rushing, Bodyrock, Natural Blues The Sky Is Broken

    DW Rating: 5 out of 5 stars *Album Pick*    … Full Review »
  2. Ricko
    Feb 28, 2012
    8
    Groundbreaking might be a bit OTT, but this album really brought dance and ambience tracks to the mainstream in a major way. It's got a lot ofGroundbreaking might be a bit OTT, but this album really brought dance and ambience tracks to the mainstream in a major way. It's got a lot of great tracks on it, however there are a few tracks that just crawl along and don't really serve any purpose as far as I can hear. Every other track on this seems to have been either features in some film, tv show or advert. Fans of the X files will recognise "The Sky is Broken" and "My Weakness" from some of the later episodes. Natural Blues, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad and Porcelain and instantly recognisable.… Full Review »
  3. Andremax
    Aug 9, 2018
    9
    Forget about boring and repetitive phrases inside the songs and just trip along piano melodies, blues and jazz lapses, hip-hop influences at aForget about boring and repetitive phrases inside the songs and just trip along piano melodies, blues and jazz lapses, hip-hop influences at a semi-organic universe. Album's title for itself says what to do.… Full Review »
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