Reviews by tape-boy

This is #day502 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's my first of three Jimi Hendrix (or The Jimi Hendrix Experience) albums represented on the list. Funky, psychedelic/blues/hard rock, and whatnot by some of the greatest to ever do it. What else is there to add when it's just that good? This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day503.

This is #day501 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… Faith No More, much like Jane's Addiction, have always been a band I could never quite wrap my head around. Of course, I understand the influence and all that, but somehow this particular combination of vocals and music doesn't click for me. I'd rather put on some early RHCP instead (think Mother's Milk). This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day502.

This is #day500 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about some '70s psychedelic soul/funk on a rainy December morning? Well, I don't really mind this time. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day501.

This is #day499 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… yay, here's to my first The Byrds record on this list. As I've mentioned a couple of times, country is among my worst genres on this journey and will likely stay that way until the end of it. This kind of music just does nothing for me. This is a low 2 out of 5. Looking forward to, wow, #day500.

This is #day498 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… "picture this, a day in December," or here's to the late '70s punk/new wave essentials. I can't say it's my favorite Blondie record (I kind of like it when a band breaks free and delivers, say, Autoamerican). Still, Parallel Lines is a classic, boasting staples like "One Way or Another," "Picture This," "Sunday Girl," and "Heart of Glass." A couple of deep cuts to boot. Last but not least, I absolutely love Debbie Harry. She's one of the most iconic female figures in rock music history. It's crazy to think Blondie is releasing a new album in 2026, exactly 50 years after their debut. Anyway, this is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day499.

This is #day497 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… are we back on track with goodies? I came in with zero expectations, but am leaving with a nice impression. I'd never heard of this band before, but I'm really enjoying the sound here: gritty punk-on-the-verge-of-industrial kind of stuff. Super interesting. I wouldn't mind scoring myself a vintage vinyl copy. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day498.

This is #day496 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about some moody krautrock tonight? You bet. Listening to Neu! ’75, it's fun to trace the influence this band would go on to have: post-punk, post-rock, psychedelic and experimental rock/electronics, and plenty of other things in between. I think I even heard some Coil along the way. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day497.

This is #day495 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I remember occasionally listening to Norah Jones at some point in my life. Those must have been my jazz-exploration days or whatever. While this record has little to do with jazz, leaning toward a folky, country-tinged sound, there are still dashes of jazz sprinkled in. I don't mind this music years later. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day496.

This is #day494 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've heard of the band's name, but, as it happens, never gave them a listen. Listening to this record now, I kind of understand why. What I can't understand, though, is why you must hear it before you die. Dreary '90s space/psychedelic rock. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day495.

This is #day493 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… Method Man is a name that rings a bell from my childhood. I can't say I've ever listened to anything from his roster, though. This particular album is an OK '90s hip-hop, but I found it less enjoyable than another Wu-Tang member's solo record, which I got just a couple of days ago. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day494.

This is #day492 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… what's the percentage of country on this list, I wonder? This record, however, isn't the worst kind of country I've heard. It kind of has a Christmas feel to it. Or, these are just the December days that make me think that way. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day493.

This is #day491 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… most likely I wouldn't flip the station if this were on a classic rock radio. Otherwise, there's next to zero chances I'd ever choose to put this on my own. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day492.

This is #day490 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my third and final Cash record, meaning I'm ticking off yet another artist. Cash must be the only kind of country I can actually listen to. What else can you say when I found my foot tapping to "I Walk the Line"? Is it the name? The voice? The charisma? Who cares? This is a good, fun live album, and I'm giving it a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day491.

This is #day489 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to one of those "lowest" records on the list, the kind I usually end up liking the most. Chelsea Girl isn't an exception. There's something about Nico as a character that I can't quite put into words. The music on this record is weird, bleak, and melancholic, and I'm all for it. I only wish I'd bought that original Marble Index blue-colored vinyl five years ago when I worked at a record store here in Lviv... Still kicking myself for that. Otherwise, this is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day490.

This is #day488 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… so you're saying aside from 36 Chambers I also must hear Wu Tang members' solo albums? Well, I don't mind some '90s hip-hop now and then. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day489.

This is #day487 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… what looked like a promising endeavor, judging by the description, turned out to be a pretty dull experience. This is far from a must-hear before you die. So background-ish that you end up blending into it. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day488.

This is #day486 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how do you tell the difference between terrible and mediocre? Well, you listen to your second Paul Simon album because it walks a fine line. And then, you realize there's the third one that you'd have to hear eventually. I've read that around this period he was going through some personal and creative decline… and honestly, I think he should've stuck to the decline. As if three Simon & Garfunkel records aren't enough to hear before you die. Fortunately, there are no Garfunkel solo albums on this list. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to day #487.

This is #day485 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's my first Kate Bush album experience, and the first of three of her records on the list. Something tells me this isn't the right one to get familiar with her work. Had Hounds of Love been first, I might have had a better impression. Yeah, it's progressive pop, late '80s, but… I don't know. That said, the lyrics of "Deeper Understanding" made my eyebrows raise: "As the people here grow colder, I turn to my computer, and spend my evenings with it like a friend." Pretty much a description of today’s lifestyle from the perspective of 1989. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day486.

This is #day484 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… maybe I'm just not a fan of British rap. Most of my childhood rap heroes were American, after all. This one, though? A genuinely steaming pile of crap. The flow is atrocious, the music is hollow. I didn't feel like finishing it. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day485.

This is #day483 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this might be the most '80s-sounding record I've heard in a while: catchy, groovy, and above all, funky. This is a well-deserved 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day484.