Reviews by tape-boy

This is #day482 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's something from the late '70s again, right? I'd never heard of this band before, but I'm pretty into this era (especially early post-punk), and this record feels like one of those documents that capture its fleeting spirit. "On the Roof" and "Bombsite Boy” are probably my favorite cuts. Also fun to learn about Gaye Black, "one of punk's first female icons." The bass is really prominent throughout. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day483.

This is #day481 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to my penultimate Joni Mitchel record. Funnily enough, I'm getting them in the order they were released. So I only got Hejira left. At least this time around, I found the music occasionally interesting (the first couple of tracks, actually). Still, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day482.

This is #day480 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about some cool late-'70s pop rock? I've never actually listened to Billy Joel before, though the name sounds familiar. As is often the case with this kind of music, I loved the sax and piano, but I did prefer the softer songs. Very musical, all in all. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day481.

This is #day479 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... one star goes for "Bongo Bong," a song from my childhood. That same soundbite, used throughout the whole record, also rings a bell, like the low-battery whine of an old toy or gadget, if you know what I mean. It was fun to learn about the album's recording process and that "the songs that resonated most with the children were the ones that ultimately made the cut." Otherwise, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day480.

This is #day478 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… by now, I've had two Neil Young & Crazy Horse records, one Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and now a Neil Young solo record. If you ask me whether I can always tell them apart… well, I don't really. Anyway, this is a revisit review after Tonight's the Night, and despite the vocals, I'm actually kind of fine with the bluesier side of the record, even if I'm not quite buying the country side of it. Let it be a 3 out of 5 this time. Looking forward to #day479.

This is #day477 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's been a while since this list threw some country at me. It's still one of my worst genres on this journey and will probably stay that way, but this record isn't the worst specimen. I'm just not into the western-cowboy thing and all that jazz. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day478.

This is #day476 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second Stones record on the list, aka their breakthrough one, or so they say. I'm kind of fine with it, but I'd honestly rather listen to something like its predecessor, Their Satanic Majestic Request, which is more experimental and therefore more interesting to me, or It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, which has probably my favorite Stones track, "Time Waits for No One." Anyway, I didn't know the "toilet" cover was rejected for the original LP but used on later reissues. "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man" are the standouts and classic rock all-timers. I'm landing on a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day477.

This is #day475 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I got a Soft Machine record back on #day159 and gave it a 3. That was experimental jazz rock for the most part, while this one leans more toward progressive rock and whatnot, yet still retains that free jazz spirit. Pastoral, if you will. I was going to give it a 3, but then I remembered those vocals... So, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day476.

This is #day474 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second and final Lou Reed record. I gave Transformer a 5 back in the day, but I'd never really listened to Berlin in full until today. The album feels like the lights dim and the atmosphere turns murky. No wonder Wikipedia calls it a tragic rock opera about a doomed couple, addressing themes of drug use, prostitution, depression, domestic violence, and suicide. Very much '70s art rock with a little too many orchestral/operatic undertones. Still a fun, though perhaps occasional, listen. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day475.

This is #day473 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it looks like three Blur albums and one Gorillaz album to hear before you die wasn't enough. This is a low 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day474.

This is #day472 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to one of the earliest specimens of electronic music that would go on to influence the likes of Nine Inch Nails and IAMX, to say the least. Innovative and retrofuturistic, The Pleasure Principle is easily one of the genre's essential records. The obvious standouts are "Metal" and "Cars," but the whole thing is of just the perfect length to derive pleasure from. A great mix of live instrumentation, synths, and unmistakable vocals. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day473.

This is #day471 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about something from some of the most important figures in alternative and electronic music of '70s-'80s? Experimental, daring, and eccentric, this record is an adventurous sonic experience that intertwines ambient, world music, and more. Such fun to listen to. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day472.

This is #day470 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… oh well, how about yet another album that will make you think something like what the hell is it doing on the list of albums you must hear before you die? Not entirely terrible, but infuckingessential. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day471.

This is #day469 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… there are always things in life you get to do for the first time, right? Like, this is my first time listening to Cuban rumba, and what can I say? Not much. It was certainly worldly, but I'm not sure I'm that open-minded. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day470.

This is #day468 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here we are, back to square one: album blocked on Spotify, not available on YouTube Music, so I found a random YouTube upload with the full thing. It's been a hell of a day, literally. Russia's missile strike killed 34 civilians in the neighboring city of Ternopil; a direct hit on an apartment block, a couple of the top floors gone in a flash. With all that in my head, I finally put this record on. Frantic, relentless, an absolute jazzcore... Even though it's hard to follow what's going on here most of the time, I'm oddly inclined to embrace it. Now I need to check out some Ornette Coleman. Wow. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day469.

This is #day467 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… you must be fucking kidding me. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day468.

This is #day466 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've always liked this record cover. For some reason, I'd never actually listened to it before, even though I've always been aware of it. As much as I want to like this music, it's just not happening. I get that it's influential and all that jazz, but... I don't know. What I did like is the way it's recorded: every instrument is so prominent and crisp, and is genuinely fun to listen to. Also, I've always liked the record cover. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day467.

This is #day465 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how am I supposed to listen to this album if there are only three songs available on Spotify? I checked YouTube Music: nothing. Then I went to YouTube and finally found it on a random channel. So here I am, actually listening. Now, this sounds unlike anything else from the time. And the band's whole story is just mesmerizing: "an American rock band formed in Gelnhausen, West Germany, in 1964… assembled by five American GIs stationed in the country who grew tired of the traditional rock format…" And the rest is history. That organ, though. This is a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day466.

This is #day464 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… yeah, aside from some experimental/free forms of jazz, this list may well be an indicator that I don't mind some jazz fusion/funk once in a while. Never heard either of the artist or this particular record before. Glad I have now. This is a strong 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day465.

This is #day463 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… who doesn't like some Frank Sinatra? This record, which also happens to be my last album from 1956, represented on the list, is all-out '50s: big band, swinging jazz, and the unmistakable crooning of the Chairman of the Board. It can be hard to tell the songs apart, aside from a handful of all-timers like "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "How About You?"; it all kind of blends into one song/story, but I'm fine with that. We'll see what his other two albums have in store. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day464.