Random Access Memories
by Daft Punk
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: May 21, 2013
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 1206 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,050 out of 1206
  2. Mixed: 78 out of 1206
  3. Negative: 78 out of 1206
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  1. Bestpony
    Jul 21, 2013
    5
    Elevator muzak for cubicle dwellers, RAM mashes the sounds of a half-remembered past into golden, sticky goo that sounds good coming out of your laptop speakers. But check the list of ingredients and it says only this: corn syrup, food coloring, artificial flavors.
  2. jp_fal
    Jun 7, 2014
    5
    Nile Rogers and Pharrel Williams collaboration featuring Daft Punk. There is little here of what made Daft Punk great. The boundary pushing, the experimentation, the beats and the bleeps are sacrificed to be replaced by the soft disco funk that lived and died after a brief albeit enjoyable existence in the late 70's. Gone are the excellent yet unknown vocalists of Discovery to make roomNile Rogers and Pharrel Williams collaboration featuring Daft Punk. There is little here of what made Daft Punk great. The boundary pushing, the experimentation, the beats and the bleeps are sacrificed to be replaced by the soft disco funk that lived and died after a brief albeit enjoyable existence in the late 70's. Gone are the excellent yet unknown vocalists of Discovery to make room for big names, as if Daft Punk need to resort to adding featuring 'flavor of the month' artist to every other song. Nothing will date the albums of recent years more than the soon to be forgotten guest vocalists that must be added to the track name, seems that being hidden in the sleeve notes isn't good enough anymore. The exception is Julian Cassablancas on Instant Crush, one of the best songs on show and he is not afraid to have his vocal digitized till near unrecognizable. By removing all the Pharrell songs from your mp3 player you can have a much more enjoyable experience;you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd bought a new Nile Rogers album though.… Expand
  3. Duu
    May 28, 2013
    5
    This album sounds like a past-prime Daft Punk fading into the sunset. I think the album is competently done, although it sounds generally uninspired. RAM is nice lounge music and will be a shoe-in for some commercials. I can't be mad at Daft Punk because all good things must come to an end and when they were good, they were great, but this should be their last album.
  4. Crashs
    May 25, 2013
    5
    I was super excited about this coming out but after listening to it if feels bland and flat it defiantly does not sound like daft punk. Why are so many disco songs included? i can see one or two but the whole album is disco. Discovery and human after all are the two albums that got me into electronica because they were so different and it seemed like they were pushing in a entirely newI was super excited about this coming out but after listening to it if feels bland and flat it defiantly does not sound like daft punk. Why are so many disco songs included? i can see one or two but the whole album is disco. Discovery and human after all are the two albums that got me into electronica because they were so different and it seemed like they were pushing in a entirely new direction for music. Now ten year later it seems like they want to go 30 years into the past, disco is dead for a reason. leave it that way.… Expand
  5. Daftified
    May 21, 2013
    5
    I'm amazed by all the high reviews for RAM. I can only think that people are so willing to accept the message of this album, in a time of whats been called the "soulless dubstep era" that they're completely blinded to its faults. I'm a die hard Daft Punk fan. I'll be listening to their previous albums for the rest of my life. Even Human After All is one of my favorites. I never understoodI'm amazed by all the high reviews for RAM. I can only think that people are so willing to accept the message of this album, in a time of whats been called the "soulless dubstep era" that they're completely blinded to its faults. I'm a die hard Daft Punk fan. I'll be listening to their previous albums for the rest of my life. Even Human After All is one of my favorites. I never understood the dislike for HAA, because those same fans will turn around and go nuts whenever they hear Technologic or Robot Rock. That said, I'll be lucky to get through RAM more then a handful of times. While listening to the album I tried my best to imagine myself dancing to the beat at a live performance and I couldn't do it. The further I got into RAM I was slapped in the face with the realization that Daft Punk had no intention of making an EDM album. I would have known this beforehand by doing some research, but I wanted to embrace RAM with no expectation of what it would be like. Unfortunately, I'm sorely disappointed. It seriously pains me to rate a Daft Punk album anything lower then a 10. But it seems that for the first time, Daft Punk didn't make an album for us. They made the album that they wanted us to hear. To the point where its glaringly preachy. To me this is a serious problem because thats not what Daft Punk has ever been about. They wear those masks because they didn't want to be rock stars. They didnt need to show themselves or speak on behalf of their music. Their intent was always clear in their work. They wanted to make good dance music. It was never about sending a message or trying outright to be meaningful. And now they're trying so desperately to get the message of "real music" across to us, that wearing masks has become absolutely pointless. People seem to not realize (daft punk included at this point) that music doesn't need to send a message to be meaningful. Their old albums made me and millions of fans want to get up and dance. Dancing is the purest form of expression, so what could be more meaningful then that? Just one play through of RAM is enough to tell you that they've obviously become so upset with the EDM scene, that they wanted to completely remove themselves from the equation. There are some good tracks like Giorgio and the soaringly brilliant Contact, but for the most part, its a slow trudge that actually made me feel a bit depressed while listening to it. I still have hope that Daft Punk will release an EDM masterpiece One More Time, but it seems that they would rather give up on the genre they popularized, instead of trying to reshape it.… Expand
  6. Qiyamat
    May 23, 2013
    5
    I'm not a huge Daft Punk fan anyway, though of course I loved Discovery and enjoyed them whenever anyone would play anything else of theirs. But this is just dull and samey, there is plenty better music than this from the original eras. That said, of course it's good music. And to all the people raving, I say this: Emperor's New Clothes.
  7. smagous
    May 27, 2013
    5
    heard it all, not like at all. Monotonous, way too deep. 2 musics that really worth listening. the music with the crazy italian guy it´s nice, other ones it´s boring, kind like lounge music.
  8. nickyblaze
    Jun 27, 2013
    5
    Am I the only one who found this album to be simply boring? That's something I've never even said about music of any genre, however, I felt each track (with the exception of Touch) could've easily been 1min shorter and had more of an impact. Daft Punk pioneers in my book, RAM seems to be content with reDiscovery.
  9. mchlkirk77
    Nov 15, 2013
    5
    OMG how I tried to like this album, although, after at least ten listens, I am afraid that I can only give it a 5. I LOVE "Get Lucky" an I so appreciate a band making a daring, successful attempt at a disco beat in this day and age, and because of that, I wanted to try to like them, since I feel they are so courageous. However, the rest of the album's electronic, robotic, and generallyOMG how I tried to like this album, although, after at least ten listens, I am afraid that I can only give it a 5. I LOVE "Get Lucky" an I so appreciate a band making a daring, successful attempt at a disco beat in this day and age, and because of that, I wanted to try to like them, since I feel they are so courageous. However, the rest of the album's electronic, robotic, and generally lackluster and incoherent feel left me disappointed.… Expand
  10. sammydeedge
    May 22, 2013
    4
    I am quite the Daft Punk fan so I ran out and bought this soon after getting it. However, this is not your usual Daft Punk album. It has a much more jazzy feel, which I didn't expect. Sure the robot sound comes out at times, however this is definitely a highly jazz-influenced album. Whilst I like this new direction I miss the old Daft Punk, and ultimately the tracks blur into each other aI am quite the Daft Punk fan so I ran out and bought this soon after getting it. However, this is not your usual Daft Punk album. It has a much more jazzy feel, which I didn't expect. Sure the robot sound comes out at times, however this is definitely a highly jazz-influenced album. Whilst I like this new direction I miss the old Daft Punk, and ultimately the tracks blur into each other a bit too much for my liking. Ultimately, a new and interesting direction on paper, but Memories is rather unmemorable.… Expand
  11. xema25
    May 26, 2013
    4
    The album is too boring and repetitive for their style, just "Get Life Back to Music" are fun and maybe, not enough. For me it's the kind of music you would hear to relax or to chill out at some bar, but if you want to party, don't use this album for that. They can do it better :S
  12. greygoose
    May 22, 2013
    4
    Random is the correct word. The marketing deserves a 10, but unfortunately not the album which is a bit all over the place. "Beyond" seems to be built on a Michael McDonald baseline, "Fragments of Time" sounds more like Hall and Oates then Daft Punk, and "Touch" sounds like a 90s Disney musical number.
    I think there are going to be a lot of people saying this album is great because they    Random is the correct word. The marketing deserves a 10, but unfortunately not the album which is a bit all over the place. "Beyond" seems to be built on a Michael McDonald baseline, "Fragments of Time" sounds more like Hall and Oates then Daft Punk, and "Touch" sounds like a 90s Disney musical number.
    I think there are going to be a lot of people saying this album is great because they want it to be great, and have been told for weeks now that it's great but listen to it, and decide for yourself.    … Expand
  13. Searchel
    Jan 21, 2014
    4
    Completely disappointed with this album. I love Daft Punk and own all their albums. This is the worse of them all. It's just plain boring, with only 2 songs that are actually great. The rest is just forgettable, with an all time low at number 7 called 'Touch', what happened with that song?!
    I just really don't get the fuss around this cd. I threw it out and put 'Alive 2007' back in the    Completely disappointed with this album. I love Daft Punk and own all their albums. This is the worse of them all. It's just plain boring, with only 2 songs that are actually great. The rest is just forgettable, with an all time low at number 7 called 'Touch', what happened with that song?!
    I just really don't get the fuss around this cd. I threw it out and put 'Alive 2007' back in the cd-player. Make an album like that again guys...    … Expand
  14. StrawberryBlond
    Oct 11, 2013
    3
    Get Lucky was one of the most surprising hit singles I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. For a song by an act who'd only ever had one big hit and one reasonable hit in the 19 years they'd been making music, to achieve the success that they did with this track (which included #1's in regions that they'd never succeeded in before) was something of a miracle. To achieve that level of success,Get Lucky was one of the most surprising hit singles I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. For a song by an act who'd only ever had one big hit and one reasonable hit in the 19 years they'd been making music, to achieve the success that they did with this track (which included #1's in regions that they'd never succeeded in before) was something of a miracle. To achieve that level of success, it had to be a generic track that embodied all the current trends, right? No, it was a throwback to the 70's disco movement, the complete opposite to what the public wanted, yet for some reason, it took off and I knew it was pointless making predictions about what was going to be popular anymore. Due to the single's success, there was significant hype around this album, which puzzled me as while Daft Punk haven't released many albums, I had never been aware of this demand for them and certainly not when they were releasing 70's disco jams. After the album's release, there was considerable confusion among fans as to what the duo were thinking and genuine surprise among critics as to what made them decide to do something so avant garde. And I understand why: RAM is an album full of bizarre choices and is the opposite to what mainstream DJs are doing right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a big fan of modern dance music, but that doesn't mean I'd rather it became so low key to the point where it's undanceable. Ironically, the only kind of music that has never made me feel like dancing is disco music. It's so bland and soul-less to me and I have relatives who lived through the 70's who can testify to this. So, to listen to an album that consisted of this theme for 78 minutes was quite frankly, torture. If it's not throwing boring disco music full of repetition at you, it's making you stomach the rambling nonsense that is Giorgio by Moroder for 9 minutes. I have heard people say that this album is really cutting edge and revolutionary. What is cutting edge and revolutionary about singing banal lyrics like "We're up all night to get lucky" and "If we're doing it right, everybody will be dancing"? That's the sort of lyrics amateur songwriters can come up with in 5 minutes. The only rays of hope are, in an unusual theme, all the tracks composed of one word: Within, Touch, Beyond, Motherboard, Contact, and bonus track, Horizon. Here you will find relaxing, euphoric tunes that make me see, just for a moment, what the fans of this album saw. But the rest of it sounds like it's from a completely different album.
    What has really disappointed me more than the album's potential buried under a pile of stinkers, is the reaction from those who praised it. Predicatably, an album that splits public opinion like this will have those who have a sense of superiority regarding anyone who didn't like it to be uncultured, musically ignorant, you name it. If you're below the age of 30 and don't have a degree in music, your opinion isn't valid, apparently. Well, while I might still be discovering all the intricacies of music at my age and am not a professional music critic or expert, I do listen to lots of albums a year and open my mind to all music, which is a lot more than some of those with a superiority complex do. I also have a fascination with sound and am part of the ASMR community (look it up). As such, I understand that we all have different musical tastes for a reason and no one's taste is better than others. I would advise anyone listening to this album to not be taken in by music snobs who will praise anything just because it's "different" and listen to it with your opinion solely in mind.    … Expand
  15. b_rumblings
    May 23, 2013
    3
    If only itunes did returns. Listening to this album feels like purgatory with elevator music. Simply put, the duo proves that they can't hack it without the samples. I read a review where the reviewer called the lyrics "high-concept". All I heard were mindless encouragements to "dance" and melancholy assertions of "i am empty inside". Overall there is nothing impressive here. Not oneIf only itunes did returns. Listening to this album feels like purgatory with elevator music. Simply put, the duo proves that they can't hack it without the samples. I read a review where the reviewer called the lyrics "high-concept". All I heard were mindless encouragements to "dance" and melancholy assertions of "i am empty inside". Overall there is nothing impressive here. Not one banger, not one peak, not one song that flips the switch. Considering what we know Daft Punk can do, this leaves one longing...… Expand
  16. heizlegend
    May 31, 2013
    3
    I don't understand the hype around this album. I think after the song with the philosophical sounding German guy, people thought they were just supposed to like it, as if it were something deep. The beginning of the album feels like it is about to build into something epic which, quite frankly, never comes. After I had been listening to the album a while I look down and realize I had goneI don't understand the hype around this album. I think after the song with the philosophical sounding German guy, people thought they were just supposed to like it, as if it were something deep. The beginning of the album feels like it is about to build into something epic which, quite frankly, never comes. After I had been listening to the album a while I look down and realize I had gone through 8 songs without noticing they had even changed. I'm a big Daft Punk fan, but this album is drab and boring. There are no standout songs (except for contact, which is awesome) and it's hard to distinguish one song from the next. I think most people are giving this album rave reviews just because they feel like it's the intellectual thing to do, or because they were told so much how good this album is/will be, they convince themselves it's true.

    Oh, and quit throwing around "dance" so much with this album... there are MAYBE three songs in the entire set that can be danced too.    … Expand
  17. iapetus
    Jun 2, 2013
    3
    Daft Punk are undeniably iconic, however an issue of argument remains as to whether this is a substantiated reality or simply a result of sly marketing. Random Access Memories is prolific and wholesome at its foundation however Daft Punk's attempts have fallen horribly short of their intentions, resulting in nothing more than a failed attempt at a musical documentary rather than aDaft Punk are undeniably iconic, however an issue of argument remains as to whether this is a substantiated reality or simply a result of sly marketing. Random Access Memories is prolific and wholesome at its foundation however Daft Punk's attempts have fallen horribly short of their intentions, resulting in nothing more than a failed attempt at a musical documentary rather than a respectable album.

    The duo have enlisted a all-star force of disco veterans to execute this attempt; a piece of news that swayed emotions of excitement in many. Bass lines and melodies on tracks like 'Give Life Back to Music' by Nile Rogers are invigorating and dance-inducing, reminiscent of the 70's Chic classics we all love. Heart pumping arpeggiators in 'Giorgio by Moroder' by the man himself breathe thick synthetic soul into the track. 'Touch', arranged by Paul Williams stands by far the most bountiful track on the album and while remaining unique, it is a brilliant emulation of game-changers such as Pink Floyd, underpinned by a broadway musical scale soundscape. Unfortunately for RAM, this is about as far as positivity seems to reach.

    I’ve always been a fan of ambient music (and of Daft Punk) however, enter tracks like ‘Game of Love’ and ‘Within’ and somehow all that changes. Half-baked yet over-reaching are thoughts that come to mind. What used to be creative and hearty vocoder stylings have transformed into weak noise suggestive of the default pre-sets one hears by pressing a button on a 90's Casio keyboard. Giorgio by Moroder, starts well yet transforms into a tasteless, cringe-worthy scratch party by the finish. That’s right, there’s something like 30 seconds of a feeble attempt at vinyl scratching overlaid onto the song for seemingly no particular reason other than to try and smash as many genres together as possible, leaving nothing but a sour taste in the listener's mouth. Large scale genre blending is a difficult task and success is seldom; look to ‘Imaginary Sonicscape’, an album by the Japanese black metal band ‘Sigh’ for a good example of said success. Look to any works from Flying Lotus as evidence for how a contemporary artist seamlessly melts multitudes of genres while remaining forward thinking.

    This album shows the same elements are repeated through and through, yet not in the respected classic Daft Punk manner. The drum line used at the end of ‘Giorgio by Moroder’ is almost identical to that on ‘Contact’, then slowed down and used once again for ‘Beyond’, all to translate their new material to a different type of live show than the last. The shift from digital to organic isn't some genius ‘robot2human’ reference as other critics seem to ignorantly assume. It is however a response to the current era of downloads, where live shows are the money-makers. Justice did the same, as did Digitalism; but change should never occur at the expense of quality. Tracks like ‘Doin’ it Right’ and ‘Instant Crush’ are filler tracks at their core, and that's being kind. This is a real shame for the legitimate feature artists which each have excellent music to offer in their own right.

    This piece had potential, but never as an album. The result is nothing more than a tasteless homage to the eras of synthetic disco, thrown together with barely associable genres in an attempt for variation and modification. From day one, this ‘album’ should have been a documentary. As such, it would have been congruent with their intentions to source disco veterans, solidify their legacy in the electronic music realms as well as act to further reach new market segments in a productive and lasting manner, rather than through mere-exposure. If the millions that were spent on flood-marketing were instead used to hire a brilliant cinematographer and set up worthy, vivid and revitalising interviews with said veterans (as opposed to the half-arsed attempts of the ‘collaborators episodes’), a truly historic mark could have been made. Instead, this album will be forgotten. The hype will die, the mere-exposure effect will run its course and the clone masses will either jump on the next bandwagon or go back to listening to the brilliant works Daft Punk have released in the past. In a few years, no one will care about a launch party in the rural Australian town of Wee Waa, no one will care about their high scale ‘unboxing’ videos released a week previous to launch, about the collaborator episodes, the late show clips, the ‘accidental’ leaks of get lucky or the garish videos played during festivals.

    If another album is in sight, I hope they go back to making the gold they once did. Perhaps the reality I’m finding hard to accept is that their creativity has run its course, a circumstance usually evidenced by enlisting a mass load of collaborators on a new album. Only time will tell. For now, throw ‘touch’ on repeat for a decent journey, or simply stick with Discovery.    … Expand
  18. WadeVS
    Aug 28, 2013
    2
    This is an overrated mess of an album. Too random and no access, this will not make any good memories. "Get Lucky' is the only highlight on this stain of a record.
  19. Foam
    May 24, 2013
    2
    I'm glad I tormented the album and then deleted it. After the first couple of songs, I ended up skimming through the rest in about a minute. I grew up in the early 90's listening to Daft Punks classics. Songs like Revolution 909, Da Funk and One more Time come to mind as big hits among many others. Random Access Memories had no doubt millions pumped into marketing. People who don't evenI'm glad I tormented the album and then deleted it. After the first couple of songs, I ended up skimming through the rest in about a minute. I grew up in the early 90's listening to Daft Punks classics. Songs like Revolution 909, Da Funk and One more Time come to mind as big hits among many others. Random Access Memories had no doubt millions pumped into marketing. People who don't even like electronic music were touched by RAM's marketing. Commercials, web & radio advertising were everywhere. They even play "Get Lucky" here on radio stations not associated with European electronic music. Without a doubt this album was all Hype, no delivery. I feel many people cannot come to terms with how bad this album is, so instead jump on the safe opinion that the album is great, edgy and intelligent. The marketing machine has told them for months that it is good. Thus, they believe, the album IS good. RAM consists of nothing more than soft rock and breakbeat type music. The only song that is decent is "Get Lucky", and only when the classic robotic style voice kicks in. All the other songs are either soft rock featuring mainstream singers. I give this an album 2 because Daft Punk can do whatever they want and if this is the direction they want to go in I respect that but it's definitely an album that is unmemorable in the strictest sense. If any unknown artist released this exact same album instead most people would laugh at it. But since a famous group like Daft Punk did it, most people scream "OMG SO ORIGINAL!". Many teens will be playing this over speakers believing themselves to be edgy, cutting edge & original.… Expand
  20. Redzomby
    May 30, 2013
    2
    Terrible. Thankful for Spotify so I did not purchase this rubbish. I love most of their stuff but this is mostly insipid. Lacks balls! The Paul Williams track is so bad I nearly coughed up my breakfast!!! Reminiscent of a Michael Crawford track!!!! If you like Jamiroqui you'll love this album!!!
  21. orangelaser
    Jun 4, 2013
    2
    I'm in my 20's and this album makes me feel like I'm already out of touch with what's "in" these days. That's saying a lot with how interested I am in current music. First, I have listened to Daft Punk from their start to this album, which I think qualifies as their finish. The hype for this album should get a higher review than the actual track listing, as it totally erased the fact thatI'm in my 20's and this album makes me feel like I'm already out of touch with what's "in" these days. That's saying a lot with how interested I am in current music. First, I have listened to Daft Punk from their start to this album, which I think qualifies as their finish. The hype for this album should get a higher review than the actual track listing, as it totally erased the fact that this is recycled and flaccid disco pop that could have been made by anyone. It doesn't even excel in what it's trying to do, and the over-inflated scores I'm shocked to see make this a great example of marketing at work. Everyone getting a music boner over this now will forget about it when the next big album of '13 comes out. Enjoy lying to yourself about the staying power and quality of this dump-in-a-jewel-case. This doesn't even hold a candle to Human After All, which was the first album people realized Daft Punk really were human and capable of releasing sub par tracks.… Expand
  22. delusionn
    Jun 9, 2013
    2
    This is a fantastic album if you were waiting for Daft Punk to release an Earth Wind and Fire album.

    For those of you expecting more vocoder rock, this is a more tepid offering.

    For those like me who were fans of their earlier, more aggressive electronic work, "Contact" is a true gem, and "Doin' It Right" is catchy pop, but the first 11 tracks are your father's R&B funk.
  23. JamieM
    Aug 8, 2013
    2
    I did expect the album to be good, especially taking into account all the hype. And I really, I mean REALLY, wanted this album to be good. (I have to admit I actually liked ‘Get Lucky’ when I first heard it, way before it started being played every 5 min by all the radio stations and started getting on your nerves).
    I remember I got RAM the day it was released, put it on my car’s stereo    I did expect the album to be good, especially taking into account all the hype. And I really, I mean REALLY, wanted this album to be good. (I have to admit I actually liked ‘Get Lucky’ when I first heard it, way before it started being played every 5 min by all the radio stations and started getting on your nerves).
    I remember I got RAM the day it was released, put it on my car’s stereo hoping for something extraordinary to happen and… Nothing happened. My reaction to the album is best described by ‘MEH’. I found it quite mediocre and most of the time incredibly bland. For two consecutive weeks I listened to this album in my car hoping that it would grow on me. It didn’t. Well, ‘Loose yourself to dance’ and ‘Contact’ sort of did, although I found that the latter resembled ‘Aerodynamic’ too much for me to really enjoy it.
    I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t be called a ‘music defining’ album if released by somebody else, but it’s cool to like Daft Punk and RAM in particular, so everybody does. Better go out and actually get lucky.    … Expand
  24. Davolicious
    May 24, 2014
    2
    Average album with some decent tracks, most of them are bad. People think because it's Daft Punk and it has some weird elements means it's good and redefining music. Well that's false, nothing about this album is new nor special.
  25. Heaviermetal
    May 21, 2013
    1
    This is the by far, the worst thing to ever come out of Daft Punk but here's a 1 for trying to do something new. For me, its far from what made them good and therefore will not support this or any further albums if this is the crap they want to shovel.
  26. Dangles
    Jun 1, 2013
    1
    The universal acclaim for this album is entirely confusing to me. It sounds nothing like Daft Punk and ventures into a disco/jazz realm that is nice if you are into that stuff, but since when did the masses enjoy this type of music? I certainly was disappointed to see them take such a direction.

    Get Lucky, the biggest hit of the album, felt like it was from the 70s. It was and IS played    The universal acclaim for this album is entirely confusing to me. It sounds nothing like Daft Punk and ventures into a disco/jazz realm that is nice if you are into that stuff, but since when did the masses enjoy this type of music? I certainly was disappointed to see them take such a direction.

    Get Lucky, the biggest hit of the album, felt like it was from the 70s. It was and IS played out yet everyone is raving about it? What gives?

    As artists, they have every right to take whatever direction they wish. I simply do not like it and will not be buying the album. This was an oldies album, not a an electronic powerhouse the way Discovery and Homework were.    … Expand
  27. Nanga
    Jul 24, 2013
    1
    It's more than overrated, it has its moments but most of the time it just sounds like something Pharrel Williams could do by himself (and in that case I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be a hype for the album like this), at some points I could hear Justice instead of Daft Punk.
  28. Skydog
    May 26, 2013
    1
    I don't get the hype people...
    The 70s feel is nice and the beats are wonderful, but it lacks so much.
    It's like they wanted to just throw a bunch of sounds together to make some of the longs long (and not actually listen to someone who is good at making the longer songs; Rush & Zeppelin). It drags on, the singing is monotone on 50% of the album, and you hear the same thing over and    I don't get the hype people...
    The 70s feel is nice and the beats are wonderful, but it lacks so much.
    It's like they wanted to just throw a bunch of sounds together to make some of the longs long (and not actually listen to someone who is good at making the longer songs; Rush & Zeppelin).
    It drags on, the singing is monotone on 50% of the album, and you hear the same thing over and over and over... That's not music IMO.    … Expand
  29. uabab
    Jun 26, 2013
    1
    As usual, the longer you make people wait the more enthusiasm you'll get just check this graphic http://www.ziemianiczyja.pl/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Good-To-Be-Back-Ziemianiczyja.pl_.jpg
  30. branopopulous
    Jun 27, 2013
    1
    I remember being nine years old and picking up "Discovery" for the first time back in 2001. I fell in love with it instantly. I liked every song on the album and I feel like that is extremely rare. Random Access Memories felt like a tragedy to me. Daft Punk were the first artists that I got into and I had received much inspiration from them. Each song sounds like a long and dull drone. GetI remember being nine years old and picking up "Discovery" for the first time back in 2001. I fell in love with it instantly. I liked every song on the album and I feel like that is extremely rare. Random Access Memories felt like a tragedy to me. Daft Punk were the first artists that I got into and I had received much inspiration from them. Each song sounds like a long and dull drone. Get Lucky is what really boggles my mind. How do so many people like this song or this album for that matter? The way I see it is that Daft Punk didn't put any real effort into making the album and that it was basically full of egotism. They really seem to be acting like their virtuous in their music and that they started the genre. No way. They lost all of their humility and they aren't making real music anymore. Their viral marketing campaign is definitely the reason for the hype. It really got me, but the difference between me and everyone else is that I was able to see past the marketing and hear how awful this album really is when it came out. I'm a fan of Panda Bear and Animal Collective, but "Doin' it right" it doesn't feel like a collaboration at all. It sounds like Daft Punks Vocoder chanting next to Lennox singing. The process is just repeated and then a dull house beat is placed over it. The lyrics are HORRIBLE in every song. I would have some tolerance in my heart, but I feel like this is just terrible and ridiculous. Usually when a band that I like makes a bad album, I look past it and give them another chance, but there is no excuse for this album. It is probably the biggest disappointment in music that I've ever heard in my life. It is in no way practical to listen to. If Daft Punk wants to self-masturbate over how they think they are the masters of electronica, I'm done. Pretty Lights has an album coming out this year that I know will be amazing.… Expand
  31. nuph
    May 23, 2013
    0
    Bloated soft rock, cheesy soft soul/funk, laughable seventies goofballs, terrible lyrics, organ solos... if any other artist had done this (or, say, any of the feature artists like Paul Williams, the guy who wrote that Mupppets song) had come out with this album, it would have been ignored, or savaged. But it's Daft Punk, and it had over 500 five star reviews on iTunes even before it wasBloated soft rock, cheesy soft soul/funk, laughable seventies goofballs, terrible lyrics, organ solos... if any other artist had done this (or, say, any of the feature artists like Paul Williams, the guy who wrote that Mupppets song) had come out with this album, it would have been ignored, or savaged. But it's Daft Punk, and it had over 500 five star reviews on iTunes even before it was heard, so it's a crowd that refuses to acknowledge the emporer has no clothes.

    Lionel Ritchie and Toto and Peaches and Herb as inspired inspiration? Or just an attempt to, as the critics are all loving saying, "be human after all"? As human as a hallmark card.    … Expand
  32. FirstTenMinutes
    Jun 1, 2013
    0
    I opened up an account to share my deepest regrets to listen to something outer of space than this. I used to be a big fan in the 90ies like everybody here expecting something beyond the what I call "PRINCE"-effect. What does that mean to me Well, if you consider all the albums of PRINCE until the "Around the world in a day"-album they where all great, when he left Warner it suddendlyI opened up an account to share my deepest regrets to listen to something outer of space than this. I used to be a big fan in the 90ies like everybody here expecting something beyond the what I call "PRINCE"-effect. What does that mean to me Well, if you consider all the albums of PRINCE until the "Around the world in a day"-album they where all great, when he left Warner it suddendly felt like something got lost. All the releases after that lacked of unique and creative work. Same is with Daft Punk. The first two albums where amazing, soundtracks of a generation, musical masterpieces of the digital industrial revolution, this kind of sound will still go to Mars Mission. But Random Access Memo will straight go to hell of indifference. They wasted a lot of money for all their strings and regular analog studio arrangements. Maybe they used samples that sound so real, so they could save a lot of money..but I don´t care. If your in the postproduction business you know all the readymade soundbanks, don´t you RAM is worse than that. I don´t understand who put this on air. It just tells me that innovation is a precious state of mind that you have mostly, when you stay hungry. The minute people get crazy about your work, you become a star and everybody wants your stamp on his package, you have to take care a lot to stay in this "breaking the rules"-state of mind. Random means random..at least a waste of energy, time and CDs, uploads, advertising....just Duff Punk … Expand
  33. totallyfriendly
    Jun 6, 2013
    0
    As the streets sings of the 'joys' of Thomas and Guy's new musical collaboration fill the air, I cannot be left with any feelings but sadness and disappointment.

    From what the advertisement and early reviews told me, this album was to shake the earth, leave cracks in the foundations of music, fill the air with the thunder it so lacked, and yet all I observed was a small push at what was    As the streets sings of the 'joys' of Thomas and Guy's new musical collaboration fill the air, I cannot be left with any feelings but sadness and disappointment.

    From what the advertisement and early reviews told me, this album was to shake the earth, leave cracks in the foundations of music, fill the air with the thunder it so lacked, and yet all I observed was a small push at what was meant to be brilliance.

    As I listened to the artist who's music literally shaped my tastes in music, and my childhood, I found myself nearly crying with disappointment, around eight years of waiting, eight years of promises, and this is what is thrown to the masses.

    The bigger, kinder part of me wants to dismiss the album as a mistake, but I know that all of the reviews claiming this is one of the 'best' and most 'redefining releases of modern times, are all wrong, coming from people who were forced into bad music, and even worse rappers.

    This seems to me to be some mighty call out to re-ignite the passion of Daft Punk that hadn't been allowed to breathe for so long. And yet, we receive some let down of a bestial war-cry of god-like proportions.

    I can only pray that releasing the ten minute song, of Giorgio Moroder giving us his life of music in some verbal biography was intend as a in-joke for the team. I can only hope this proves example to the pair that they should stick to what they know, which is making heavenly noise of samples.

    I do not care how much the masses cry, it will take more than one song that sounds half decent to change my opinion of this pile of good wishes, and bad noises to sound good to me.    … Expand
  34. KopfSache
    Aug 17, 2013
    0
    It's like they killed the old (good) Daft Punk and made a marketing strategy out of the dead corpse. I am really disappointed as a long time Daft Punk fan. I was expecting something like a reboot to the good old times, some fresh 'different' electronic music style like they always had. I still love to hear the old albums, and hopefully Daft Punk will find back to their own style and makeIt's like they killed the old (good) Daft Punk and made a marketing strategy out of the dead corpse. I am really disappointed as a long time Daft Punk fan. I was expecting something like a reboot to the good old times, some fresh 'different' electronic music style like they always had. I still love to hear the old albums, and hopefully Daft Punk will find back to their own style and make music like they always did.… Expand
  35. El_Mastero
    Sep 26, 2013
    0
    This is simply just pathetic. Whats worse are you ignorant, pandering sheep who claim to like it. Give it a rest people. This is pure horsesh*t...........................................................................................................................
  36. arpitdelrey
    Oct 18, 2021
    0
    it's just a bad album.
    can't listen to it at all. it makes my ears bleed.
    please do not listen to this boring album.
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best Album of 2013
7
#7 Most Discussed Album of 2013
46
#46 Most Shared Album of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. cokemachineglow
    Jul 12, 2013
    60
    As a record standing almost entirely on nostalgia, sure, it gives schmaltzy ’70s dance music a fine, not-sacrilegious update and sets it to a pleasant neon glow, but it’s a trip through history that’s almost more educational than immersive.
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  2. Austin Chronicle
    Jul 3, 2013
    89
    RAM has the immediate appeal of disco, but never overstuffs with candied hooks, even when we want it to.
    Read full review
  3. RapReviews.com
    Jun 26, 2013
    75
    They've wisely chosen to not compete with the younger generation of DJs, and shown the upstarts the roots of dance music. They've also proven that they are not one-trick ponies who can only build beats on samples. They do just as well with a completely different sonic pallette.
    Read full review
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