Reviews by tape-boy

This is #day222 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... the band’s name and the album title sound like a joke to me. The Zutons… who the fuck are The Zutons? How did they get here? After I brief research, I found out that The Coral, who I rated a 1 a while ago, are label mates with them. Oh well... This isn’t my cup of tea at all. In fact, I’d rather have coffee. It's a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day223.

This is #day221 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... when I said I was looking forward to this day, I didn’t mean I was looking forward to another progressive rock entry. Thanks to this challenge, I realized that this is one of my least favorite rock genres. There are exceptions, like Pink Floyd, but I've never considered them pure progressive rock, more like art or psychedelic rock, and beyond. Now, Moving Pictures... I like the album artwork, but this is where it all ends. This over-technicality of the music leaves me completely cold. Also, I'm not a fan of the vocals, especially when the guy hits higher notes and ends up squealing. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day222. I really mean it.

This is #day220 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... Foo Fighters will always be Dave Grohl's band. This album makes sense as a way of dealing with grief, and it holds significance as one that helped shape the post-grunge era. The Colour and the Shape, huh? But still... Foo Fighters will always be Dave Grohl's band. "Big Me" is a standout, of course. I have a favorite record in the band's back catalog, though—arguably their best one: Wasting Light (released April 12th, 2011), featuring the incredible "I Should Have Known" with Krist Novoselic on bass. But that’s a story for another day. Wait, this appears to be the only Foo record on the list, so… end of the story. Alright, the moment "Exhausted" started playing, I got goosebumps. I've known this song for a while, like 10-15 years, I guess, but I always thought it was a B-side. Placing it as the album closer? Chef’s kiss. It’s one of Foo’s greatest songs and my all-time favorite. I was initially going to rate this a 3, but hearing "Exhausted" floored me. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day221.

This is #day219 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... anytime I see an 80s album getting a little more than a 2 out of 5, I get excited because chances are this could be fun. And I wasn’t wrong. Although I’d never heard of The Blue Nile, the music feels familiar. A Walk Across The Rooftops turned out to be what I love about 80s: the edgy side of new wave, in the vein of Associates, Japan, Japan’s spin-off Rain Tree Crow, David Sylvian, Talk Talk (circa The Colour of Spring and beyond), Mark Hollis, Duran Duran’s spin-off Arcadia, and others. That’s the kind of music I find peculiar. Of course, I'm giving this album a 5 out of 5. That bassline on the title track, though! Great find. Looking forward to #day220.

This is #day218 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… for reasons unknown, this band has always felt like a bit of a black sheep in the indie rock world for me. I first listened to this record around 10 years ago. While it has some good songs on it, like Neighborhood #1, #2, and #3 (Crown Of Love, Wake Up, and Rebellion (Lies) are also lovely ones)), it falls short of being a truly significant album. I might be wrong... Listening to Wake Up reminded me of the film Boyhood (2014)—there’s a similar thread running through the whole album. Had I connected with it more back in the day, or if it had hit me with more sentiment, maybe it’d be a 4. And hey, there are two more albums of theirs on the list... Why? Looking forward to #day219.

This is #day217 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here’s to some evening cocktail music, right? If I’d listened to this in the morning like I usually do with albums in this challenge, I might’ve called it "morning cocktail music," but who drinks cocktails in the morning? Well, anyway... Somehow, I ended up listening to this record later into the night. And, of course, I’m lying when I say "somehow." It’s just that I was busy working in the morning—because, you know, that’s what you do when you’re older. By a lucky coincidence, though, the music ended up fitting perfectly with the time of day. Even luckier still, the album is called Moon Safari, so it kind of hints at the nighttime—or, you know, the very early morning, when you might still catch a glimpse of a crescent or full moon in the sky. It’s a beautiful record. "La femme d'argent," "Sexy Boy," and "All I Need" rang a bell immediately, but there are also other great moments here. A downtempo, dreamy, spacey synth odyssey is probably the best way to describe this album. Or, Kraftwerk marrying Pink Floyd marrying Brian Eno. I'm giving it a 5 out of 5. No wonder I rated the Virgin Suicides score a 4 back in the day. Looking forward to #day218.

This is #day216 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... my first time listening to XTC. I’ve seen one of their album covers with those letters on it before—Drums and Wires, I guess, yeah, that’s gotta be it. Now, Apple Venus Volume 1... There’s nothing harmful about it, but the album isn’t available on Spotify, and that's always annoying. I had to dig through YouTube Music, as it's not officially up there, and I ended up listening to a random track video from the channel SonyaTheSquirrel. As for the record itself, well, it’s orchestral pop... What else is there to say? Not something I feel like revisiting soon, if ever. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day217.

This is #day215 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it feels like a lifetime ago since I got The Score by Fugees. I loved that album and gave it a 5, but I never ventured into Lauryn Hill's solo work, even though this is her only album. Still, I've seen it pop up on the list, so here I am, diving into a concept album about self-education in love, touching on themes like relationship struggles, interpersonal conflicts, motherhood, and faith. The fusion of neo-soul and R&B with hints of hip-hop, reggae, and soul? I don't mind. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5, though. I'd rather revisit The Score. Looking forward to #day216.

This is #day214 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here we are with another late '50s record. I've heard of Ray Charles, but never had a chance to dive into his music until now. And, well... I can appreciate its historical significance, "the genius" behind it, and all that jazz, but it's just not my kind of music. That said, I prefer the quieter moments on this record, though. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day215.

This is #day213 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... guess who’s back, back again? Elvis is back, tell a friend. Or should you? This is my second Elvis Presley album on the list, and once again, I’m giving it a 2 out of 5. The cover of "Fever" is fine, but the rest of the album is dated rock 'n roll that I’m just not feeling. Looking forward to #day214.

This is #day212 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... following OK Computer with this one feels downright brutal. Another "alternative" country, an early 2000s country, to be precise. Who cares about country in the new millennium? Damn, I could name a dozen albums that deserve a spot on this list more than this one. Dude should definitely hold his horses—he’s been cranking out 15 albums since 2020. I was ready to bail by Bartering Lines. So I did. What do you mean there's another album by this guy on the list? Looking forward to #day213.

This is #day211 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... this is what you get when you mess with... a random album generator. My second Radiohead album on the list, the first being Amnesiac on #day4, which feels like forever ago. OK Computer has been talked about endlessly... haters gonna hate, while radioheads gonna... head? Count me in the latter camp. I truly believe it's one of the greatest albums ever created. When I say "album," I mean a cohesive, immersive body of work that takes you from the very first note to the final chord. It's not just about standouts like "Paranoid Android" and "Karma Police" or deep cuts like "Climbing Up The Walls," but how it all comes together in terms of music and production, lyrics and concept. There's so much to decipher here: alternative rock, hip-hop, jazz, and sampling influences, all seamlessly woven together. Jonny Greenwood's guitar work is front and center, and the result is a dense, multi-dimensional sound that showcases the band's technical brilliance and creativity. Then there's the atmosphere... anxiety, paranoia, and a sense of doom pervade the entire album, perfectly capturing the essence of the new millennium. If Black Mirror were a music album, it would be this one. It's been a while since I last listened to OK Computer, but every time I return to it, wow, what a journey. It's also home to one of my all-time favorite Radiohead songs, "Let Down." It gives me goosebumps every single time. Honestly, this album is a masterpiece, and it absolutely deserves a solid 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day212.

This is #day210 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... Eminem's "Without Me" pops into my head with the notorious line about techno. While that's aimed at Moby, it kind of fits here, too. Orbital has never crossed my orbit before, so this is my first time listening to them, and, well, it's techno... I can’t say much more beyond that. I get this is an early example of British techno and all that, but honestly, I could've lived my life just fine without hearing it. According to the Album Explorer feature, there's one more Orbital record on the list. Until then, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day211.

This is #day209 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... well, more jazz. Yay? I’m not sure what to say about this one. It’s fine, I guess? Not exactly background music, since it does have some unexpected turns. I’m not a jazz expert, you know. I did dive into jazz history a bit around the early 2010s, probably because of the Jazz Bezz festival in my hometown of Lviv (which I mention in other jazz album reviews), and I should probably stop saying that. But if I’m being honest, I wouldn't choose to put this on by myself. I've read that Dave Brubeck is regarded as a seminal cool jazz pianist and all that, and I respect it, but that’s about it. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day210.

This is #day208 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's my second R.E.M. album here. Once again, a strong effort from the band. Their breakthrough record, if memory serves me correctly? As a Technical Documentation Engineer by day, I can't help but appreciate this album, after all, it's called "Document." Jokes aside, it's clear why this album solidified the band's signature style, one that would only continue to evolve with their next few releases, all the way to New Adventures in Hi-Fi. The anthemic Finest Worksong, the still-so-relevant It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), the pre-90s alt-rock classic The One I Love... and then Michael Stipe singing "Crazy, crazy world, crazy, crazy times" on Fireplace... Hey, Mike, was it really that crazy in 1987? How about now? Collapse into now, right? The saxophone in that song caught me completely off guard. I loved it! This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day209.

This is #day207 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this turns out to be my first ever listen of a Leonard Cohen album. By chance, it’s his debut. What can I say? I find the whole thing rather inoffensive, though it’s easy to lose track of the narrative, and I guess that's typical of the folk-rock and singer-songwriter genre. As a result, I can’t tell the songs apart. I'm quite unlikely to revisit this record anytime soon, if ever. The Album Explorer feature here says there are 4 more albums of Cohen down the road. Oh well... This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day208.

This is #day206 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... oh well, another late ‘00s indie-schmindie album... I’ve heard of this band’s name but never gave them a shot. They always seemed too indie for my taste, and I don’t mean the good kind of indie. No surprise that there’s nothing on this album that grabs me. The semi-falsetto vocals, in particular, grate on the ear. Prove me wrong, but like a lot of stuff from this era (at least the stuff picked for this list), this record holds little to no significance in the history of music. The only ground it breaks is the ground of sheer boredom. I couldn’t finish it. I know I’ve mentioned this in other reviews, but I’m going to say it again, especially since we’re on the topic of ‘00s indie rock/post-punk revival, or whatever you want to call it: I can’t believe there isn’t an album by, say, Interpol on this list... But, actually, given the amount of crap I’ve already shoveled through and still have to shovel through, I’m starting to believe… Come on, panel of critics who compiled this, Turn On The Bright Lights, will you? Meanwhile, this gets what it deserves: a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day207.

This is #day205 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here we are with the second Tim Buckley album on this list. Surprisingly, given how vibrant it is, I always thought he was more of a folk-rock guy. The music itself is okay, though I can’t say the same for the delivery or his persona. I just looked at some of the lyrics, and they're absolutely atrocious. Sweet Surrender was the last drop for me. Save yourself some time, you don't have to hear this before you die. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day206.

This is #day204 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about a record from 55 years ago? As I write this, it's the last day of winter 2025 in my hometown, Lviv, with a temperature of +3°C and drizzling outside. I was initially skeptical when I saw the name Santana and the genre Latin rock, among others. I figured it would be a solid 3 at best. But after giving it a listen... wow! This album turned out to be incredibly fun. Of course, I recognized "Black Magic Woman" (though I didn't know it was a cover) and "Oye Como Va," but there's so much more to explore here, from jazz fusion to psychedelic rock and beyond. The guitar work and Latin American and African rhythms are out of this world. I honestly think this is one of those albums you must hear before you die. A very pleasant surprise. This is a 4 out of 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day205.

This is #day203 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... I feel nothing when listening to this album. Aside from boredom and irritation, maybe. So, we're back to square one, not understanding how stuff like this makes it to the list... Some valueless, bland bleep-bloop mess. It's criminally long to boot. I'm being generous and giving it a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day204.