Reviews by tape-boy

This is #day442 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second VU record on this journey. It's a different beast, though: less edgy, more warm, but that's probably what makes it special. "Candy Says," "Pale Blue Eyes," and "I'm Set Free" aren't just some of their best; they're among the most signature songs of the '60s. Intimate and beautiful, there's still a "leftover" from the band's earlier days in the form of "The Murder Mystery." Still, this is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day443.

This is #day441 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… all right, here's some chanson. I appreciate this record being on the list, though at times it felt a little too French for me. I'll land on a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day442.

This is #day440 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's a sunny October morning here in Lviv, and the music matches the scene. I'd never heard of this artist before. Wikipedia lists "country" among the genres, though I'd argue with that. Signature '90s folk/pop-rock singer-songwriter music. It was fun to learn that "Constant Craving" inspired The Stones' "Anybody Seen My Baby?" This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day441.

This is #day439 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how am I supposed to listen to this album in the streaming age? Half of the tracklist is blocked on Spotify, and there's no such album on YouTube Music, my second platform for exploring records outside my usual wheelhouse. I was genuinely ready to immerse myself in samba-funk and all that, but alas. Having only checked out the tracks available on Spotify, I'm giving it a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day440.

This is #day438 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I read the news today, oh boy! It's rather hard to approach this record without a bit of prejudice. I mean, "all-time classic," "an early concept album," "one of the most definining records of the 1967," and all that jazz... Musically, it's a fascinating album, and I bet they had a blast in the studio. "With a Little Help From My Friends," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "When I'm Sixty-Four," and "A Day in the Life" are my highlights. It's probably my first time listening to it front to back, but I can confidently say this is the kind of Beatles I'm after. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day439.

This is #day437 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… is she really going out with him? Here's to my penultimate album from 1979 on this list. Even though I think the band's debut would've been a more relevant inclusion (it kicked off British punk, after all), Machine Gun Etiquette is pretty versatile, blending hard rock, hardcore, and psychedelic rock influences. The presence of Lemmy and Strummer adds an element of genuine surprise. I'm giving it a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day438.

This is #day436 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second and final Sly & The Family Stone record. The funny thing is, when it comes to albums of this kind, my musical vocabulary shrinks to words like "funky," "groovy," and "trippy." This one's a bit bluesy, too. I'm sure it's an important record, both sonically and historically, given the times and all that. Still, I'm probably a little less impressed than I was with Stand!. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day437.

This is #day435 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my first of five Tom Waits records on this journey. As with Sonic Youth, I think three albums would've been absolutely enough. Instead, you have to go through almost a third of an artist's discography. Oh well... I had my Tom Waits "moments" around fifteen years ago, during the winter of 2010–2011, when I was exploring some jazz and all that (I was very much into "All the World Is Green" in particular), but I haven't really listened to him since. Although "Goin' Out West" is a definite standout, as are "Who Are You" and "Jesus Gonna Be Here," I'd probably have preferred something from his '70s or early '80s work. That said, I can't deny the record's experimental nature, and that always appeals to me. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day436.

This is #day434 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's been 295 days since my first Fela Kuti album, which I rated a 3. It's fun to learn that Ginger Baker from Cream is on drums here. One of the better live records on the list: very jazzy, funky, and groovy, but jazzy most of all. I gave it a spin on my Technics SU-7300 (because it's the '70s), and it felt just right. This is a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day435.

This is #day433 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I believe them bones are me! Over a little more than ten years of listening to grunge, I've concluded that Alice in Chains is my favorite band in the genre, with Layne Staley being my favorite vocalist. What sets this band apart is the partnership made in heaven (Heave Beside You?) between Cantrell's guitars/vocals and Staley's vocals... Dirt is all things grunge. A masterclass in melodies, riffs, and lyricism. A sickening trip into a junkhead's darkness... My favorites are the holy trinity of "Rain When I Die," "Down in the Hole" (I love the fact that my wife loves this one too, as much as their MTV Unplugged performance, especially the video version), and "Angry Chair." But honestly, the whole damn record. Fucking perfection. This is a 5 out of 5, of course. Looking forward to #day434.

This is #day432 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I really like Soul Mining, but since it's not its time just yet, why not dive into Infected, which I'd never heard before? But then, wouldn't one album (Soul Mining) from this band have been just fine? I bet it would have. The sound is great, plenty of '80s marks all over, which I don't mind, but is this something you must hear before you die? Why not replace it with, say, INXS - Kick, or whatever? This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day433.

This is #day431 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is my first time listening to a Sinead O’Connor record. Yes, I've heard "Nothing Compares 2 U," but aside from that, it's a completely new experience. I'm fine with the harmonies and some of the production choices (it's the '90s, after all), but otherwise, I'm not sure... "Nothing Compares 2 U" is a great tune on its own. I guess I'd rather have gotten acquainted with her debut, but since it's not on the list, I doubt I'd do it purposefully. Let it be a 3 out of 5. I was close to a 2, though. Looking forward to #day432.

This is #day430 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it makes me wonder what someone has to do in their life to need to hear this album before they die. What makes me wonder even more is how much more of this kind of crap is on this list. Like, fucking seriously. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day431.

This is #day429 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is the 1325th day of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, my home country, where I'm based. I've always liked early U2, particularly October and this one. Sure, Joshua and Achtung are the band's masterpieces (and, as I've mentioned before, I've got a soft spot for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, my first U2 record from my teenage years). Still, there's something about those early albums: youth, romance, rebellion... "New Year’s Day" is one of my favorite songs by the band. Also, the cover art is one of the most iconic out there. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day430.

This is #day428 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… if this book is about albums you must hear before you die, then this one clearly isn't. I do have a sentiment toward another of her records, Ultraviolence, since it contains a song that soundtracked me and my then-future wife's relationship, but that's about it. So, not giving it a 1, I'll award an extra star for that sentiment. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day429.

This is #day427 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've always overlooked this band. Not sure why. I've been aware of their existence, but I've never felt the urge to dive in. I had a brief infatuation with stoner/desert rock about ten years ago (think Get Your Gun), and that was that. Now that I've heard this record, there's little that draws me back. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day428.

This is #day426 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… my second Funkadelic album, the first being Maggot Brain precisely 200 days ago on my #day225, which I rated a 4. One Nation Under A Groove is, you guess, groovy, funky, and... perhaps not as essential as Maggot Brain. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day427.

This is #day425 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… time to sign off another artist from the list. As unintelligent as it may sound, I can't help but feel prog rock bands like Rush (Yes also comes to mind) are just trying too hard. I think my problem with this band in particular is that I lose focus very quickly and can't follow what's going on. I don't deny their influence, the technicality, and all that; I just can't force myself to like what I'm hearing. This is another 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day426.

This is #day424 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… Californication was a significant part of my later school years (mid-to-late 2000s). Those were the CD-R years, like when someone with a PC in your class had an album on their hard drive, ripped from hell knows where, and you'd come over to burn your own copy. Or, if your parents gave you some allowance and you were lucky enough to buy a licensed CD (like American Idiot), you became the source for ripping. Anyway, this album (along with By the Way and Stadium Arcadium) holds memories, and always will. It's a great record, though dragged down by a bunch of fillers. I think, however, Blood Sugar Sex Magik is greater and more essential. Still, this is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day425.

This is #day423 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… yay, another record with Rod Stewart on vocals. Oh, wait, somebody else (I've learned that's Ronnie Lane) takes a few turns as well. Either way, what we've got here is classic '70s hard/blues rock. I probably wouldn't switch the station if it came on a classic rock radio, but if I were to put on something in a similar vein myself, I'd most likely land on some Rolling Stones. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day424.