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. LeonardoF
    Jun 22, 2006
    3
    Very very poor and uninspired album. C'mon guys, hope you return next time with a new 'Vanishing Point', like you did after the catastrophic 'Give Out But Don't Give Up'.
  2. jons
    Jun 22, 2006
    2
    what a load of bollocks!!
  3. MichaelM
    Jul 30, 2006
    0
    All I can say is, "What the Hell?!?" At the first song, I thought they were kidding. By the last, I was still hoping that they were, because offering this turd of a Stones rip-off with a straight face would mean that this once mind-melting band has truly given out and given up.
  4. Dagger.
    Nov 21, 2006
    0
    This harkons back to the the southern bar rock shit storm that was Give Out But Don't Give Up. As much as I hate to side with Pitchfork, this record is indeed horrible. Primal Scream is such a weird band in that they can be so groundbeaking and refreshing on some albums, but totally devoid of any substance like we see with this release. "Little Death" and "When The Bomb Drops" are This harkons back to the the southern bar rock shit storm that was Give Out But Don't Give Up. As much as I hate to side with Pitchfork, this record is indeed horrible. Primal Scream is such a weird band in that they can be so groundbeaking and refreshing on some albums, but totally devoid of any substance like we see with this release. "Little Death" and "When The Bomb Drops" are probably the only decent tracks because they sound like nothinbg else on the album.… Expand
  5. nathanbo
    Apr 17, 2016
    0
    A sophomoric approach to blues and a lack of memorable content make this album feel rather empty when compared to contraries. I really don't want to this band or this album because you can really tell that they were having fun making this music, but with that being said there is a large degree of immaturity in their approach. For example, when you have pretentious song titles such asA sophomoric approach to blues and a lack of memorable content make this album feel rather empty when compared to contraries. I really don't want to this band or this album because you can really tell that they were having fun making this music, but with that being said there is a large degree of immaturity in their approach. For example, when you have pretentious song titles such as Suicide Sally & Johnny Guitar, Stone Ya to the Bone, and When the Bomb Drops you are asking to have people question your legitimacy. The sound feels so rehashed Primal Scream feels more like a blues cover band than anything else. Or maybe it is just the fact that this band does not have much experience with the blues, making it clear to their audiences that they did not no much about the attitude and personality that comes with it. Regardless I rather jump from the 99th floor of a building without a parachute than have to listen to this again. If something were to epitomize boring and forgetful it would be this.… Expand

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.
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  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.
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  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.
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