Riot City Blues
by Primal Scream
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 31 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 31
  3. Negative: 6 out of 31

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  1. BenG
    Oct 23, 2006
    7
    Pitchfork are not the gatekeepers of quality. Sometimes music should be fun, not innovative. I like Primal Scream's forays into electronic music, but it's nice to hear some Give Out-type tunes again.
  2. Giulio
    Jun 14, 2006
    9
    classic 70's stones sound but extremely amusing! It's only rock'n'roll... and I like it!
  3. malfaitk
    Jun 14, 2006
    9
    This is certainly something completely different than Evil Heat and Exterminator, which both were great records. Anyway, it still is fun, different but OK.
  4. Johno
    Jun 24, 2006
    8
    Great refreshing good-time rock n roll. For a band that continually pushes their limits (as they did marvellously on Xtrmntr) , its great to hear them just enjoying themselves. The lyrics are ocassionally lame, but the spirit and the energy gloriously carry the album to the last minute. Takes me back to the exciting early days of Supergrass. This is the album 'Give Out..' should Great refreshing good-time rock n roll. For a band that continually pushes their limits (as they did marvellously on Xtrmntr) , its great to hear them just enjoying themselves. The lyrics are ocassionally lame, but the spirit and the energy gloriously carry the album to the last minute. Takes me back to the exciting early days of Supergrass. This is the album 'Give Out..' should have been… Expand
  5. PaulK
    Aug 30, 2006
    10
    fuck Pitchfork
  6. AlexA
    Sep 18, 2006
    8
    It's good.
  7. BarryM
    Feb 14, 2007
    8
    Are these people so up their own "I'm such a muso" arse that they can't see this for what it is? A bit of fun, a bit of letting loose and jamming. Having fun in the studio after the mind melting previous albums. A lil bit of folkie whimsical nostalgia as we sip on whisky and let ourselves go with the flow. What rubbish some of these reviewers talk. Go find the next best Chilean Are these people so up their own "I'm such a muso" arse that they can't see this for what it is? A bit of fun, a bit of letting loose and jamming. Having fun in the studio after the mind melting previous albums. A lil bit of folkie whimsical nostalgia as we sip on whisky and let ourselves go with the flow. What rubbish some of these reviewers talk. Go find the next best Chilean mountain band playing "break through" never heard the like of it, next-best-thing- for-wankers-like-us-to-try-appear- all-cool-and-musically-superior-with our friends we've ever heard. Piss off. Go listen to a telephone ringing and tell us how it's "sonic pleasure". This album is fun. Very listenable. Not ground breaking, not re-writing musical history, just pure undiluted fun and games...and what is more...great to listen to while getting drunk on a nice single malt. I approve.… Expand
  8. AndrewA
    Oct 30, 2006
    7
    There are some good old rock songs in this cd. Primal Scream is a band to have fun at, not to really think it.
  9. [Anonymous]
    Jun 15, 2006
    8
    Rawk and Roll
  10. MarcoR
    Jun 27, 2006
    8
    This album completes the rock triad together with Primal Scream (1989) and Give Out.. (1994).
  11. BeanoF
    Jul 18, 2006
    9
    Class album, all ya'll need to chill the fark out and listen to a bit of guitar music, ok it's different than their last album, but if you want to hear that then listen to that and leave this album to people with a more varied taste
  12. moschops
    Sep 16, 2006
    7
    So they've retreated from doing the more experimental stuff of their best work to do an album of big, dumb, retro party songs. But they are very good at doing big, dumb, retro party songs. You can kind of bet that the next album will be wigged-out electronica...
  13. gastonm
    Nov 12, 2006
    10
    It's a great album.and with this album they show they're just not electronic music. pd1:i love the mandolin solos pd2:the song when the bomb drops is fuckin' great pd:fuck pitchfork and stylus magazine
  14. sbastow
    Jan 17, 2015
    9
    Just a great rock album really. With enough 'alternative' thrown in to make it interesting.

    The tempo's high, the riffs great and although the lyrics aren't all gems, the overall effect is memorable. It was a surprise to me after sampling some of their previous efforts. I hadn't expected the full-on rock, but it was a pleasant surprise, a very pleasent surprise! I spent the whole    Just a great rock album really. With enough 'alternative' thrown in to make it interesting.

    The tempo's high, the riffs great and although the lyrics aren't all gems, the overall effect is memorable.

    It was a surprise to me after sampling some of their previous efforts. I hadn't expected the full-on rock, but it was a pleasant surprise, a very pleasent surprise! I spent the whole album waiting for a weak track to appear and, unusually, it never did.

    The gentle closing song "Sometimes I Feel So Lonely" hits just the right note as well.

    Well done 'Scream!    … Collapse

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 4 out of 19
  1. Dot Music
    40
    "Riot City Blues" starts fairly poorly and gets progressively worse.
    Read full review
  2. musicOMH.com
    80
    Stupid, clichéd, utterly ridiculous for sure, but done with so much pizazz that you can't help but fall for its charms.
    Read full review
  3. Pitchfork
    23
    It's as if Primal Scream have run completely out of ideas and so they've reverted to the detestable fallbacks of honking harmonicas and bar-band choogles, acting like college freshmen who just discovered blues.
    Read full review
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