Reviews by tape-boy

This is #day62 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... strap on your cowboy boots, will you? I've never listened to an Eagles album before, sure, I know "Hotel California" and a few other hits, but this is my first dive into a full album. I was pleasantly surprised as someone who isn't a country fan. It feels like an amplified version of country to me, what they call country rock, with some folk, blues, and hard rock elements. Classic old-school rock, rich in acoustic arrangements and heartfelt vocals. One particularly standout track for me was "Most of Us Are Sad." Plus, the album artwork is beautiful and complements the music nicely. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day63.

This is #day61 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... how about some pedestrian chamber pop country with occasional ball-squeezing falsetto vocals? For music of this kind, this album is too goddamn long... Again, what's the peculiarity of this one to have made its way to the list? Sorry, this is yet another 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day62.

This is #day60 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... while I sympathize with the band's backstory and the hurdles they had to overcome before creating music, I agree that this album wouldn't have made it to the list otherwise. Generally, I don't mind blues, but this... I just can't relate to what I hear on this album. Maybe I'm numb. Sorry, this is a one-off experience for me. I'm giving it a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day61.

This is #day59 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's time for a lesser-known hip-hop gem from 2000. I've never heard of Mike Ladd before. There’s much more than just hip-hop here, though. Listening to Welcome to the Afterfuture reminded me of a couple of other records. First off, Lovage's Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, both share that loungy, crispy, trippy vibe. I also hear echoes of DJ Shadow’s Entroducing....., especially in those instrumental tracks. Maybe some Amon Tobin in there too? Anyway, I enjoyed the abstractness, edginess, and jazzy elements of this album; it was an interesting find. This is a 3 out of 5, particularly given its "old-schoolness." Looking forward to #day60.

This is #day58 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge and... finally, here's something truly enjoyable. My journey with PSB started in childhood when I first heard "Go West"... it must have been a football chant in the early '00s (I was very much into football then). Later, tracks like "Flamboyant," "Minimal," and "Numb" were staples on TV in 2005-2006, marking a significant part of my teenage years. It's safe to say Fundamental is my first conscious PSB album. Around 2009-2010, my interest rekindled with Yes (I still consider "The Way It Used to Be" one of their classic tracks). There's something timeless about Neil Tennant's voice, no matter what album you're listening to. Now, Very... Despite my preference for the more sentimental side of PSB (my favorite album is Behaviour), even here, there are more subdued moments, such as Liberation, The Theatre, To Speak Is A Sin... Very is (pun un/intended) very versatile, encapsulating all things 90s: synthpop, disco, and house underpinned by signature orchestral arrangements. This is a strong 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day59.

This is #day57 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's finally Friday, and I've found the perfect soundtrack for an early October evening gloom, though it's morning as I write this and listen to the album. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme is more than just music; its harmonies, orchestrations, and instrumentation weave a rich tapestry that captivates the soul. This is poetry in all its fragility and fleetingness: beautiful, breathtaking... I was literally sitting and drinking coffee during "The Dangling Conversation." It's a strong 3 out of 5 this time. Looking forward to #day58.

This is #day56 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here's to some generic early '90s pop-rock dragging on some '80s flair. Discerning one song from another can be rather daunting on this album. Nothing too terrible about it (although some lyrics are pretty darn corny), but again, I don't get the value of ending up on the list of albums you must hear before you die. A case in point when you absolutely don't have to. Should I still be hoping for a solid entry soon? I keep clinging to the thought that this list has loads of crap. I'm not giving up, though. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day57.

This is #day55 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... here we are with something from Manchester. If memory serves me right, I was introduced to Elbow by a friend, a grunge aficionado, which now feels a bit weird. Maybe it's because one of his nicknames was "Weirdo," inspired by that notorious Radiohead song, or perhaps it’s because Elbow's music carries a hint of that "radioheadness." Either way, I've come to appreciate this band's interesting sound. There's something idiosyncratic about them: Guy Garvey's melancholic lyricism and distinct delivery, the instrumentaiton that catches you off guard from one song to another, and, in this case, the album cover that evokes autumnal moods, rather on point as it's October outside my window. But, since it's far from 5 and not quite 4 either, I'm giving it a 3. Looking forward to #day56.

This is #day54 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and.... my annoyance started when I hit the Spotify button. Tracklists on Wiki and Spotify differ. I looked for an album on YT (as I mentioned earlier, I listen to all the entries on the list, no matter the music), and it's the same. I got back to Spotify and listened to what was there ("instrumental mixes"), except for the last two 1-hour-long tracks. I don't think I'd miss anything had I listened to the "proper" tracklist, though. A bad UX is enough to get me down. But, there's also music... When drum and bass was big here in Ukraine (early '00s), it passed me by... I was a trance/hard trance/hands-up kid then. Now, a drum and bass compilation to listen to before you die? My answer is a 1 out of 5. Again. Looking forward to #day55.

This is #day53 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's Monday, and it's country again. Or, is it? Diving into this record, you're learning there was someone who was doing punk before it was a thing. How come? Well, what could be more punk than playing a gig for prisoners in one of the U.S.’s highest-security prisons, something no one had done before? This is my first full Johnny Cash album, aside from a few select songs and covers like "Hurt" and "Personal Jesus." I agree, it's all about atmosphere: the cheers of the inmates, the warden's announcements, and Cash’s anecdotes create a cinematic experience without visuals. I like Cash's self-composed deep-voiced delivery as he tells poignant stories, like in "Green, Green Grass of Home." Still, his style gets monotonous over time, making it easy to lose track of the narrative. The concert also evoked in me mixed feelings due to the audience... some of these folks may have committed terrible crimes, while others... Well, I don't know. Either way, it's a daring act to perform in such a setting, and it makes me reflect on the complexity of the happening. I'm giving this a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day54.

This is #day52 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's a cold gloomy Sunday afternoon in late September... The artwork looks comfortingly promising, but, sadly, this is where it all ends. Underneath is some low-information country with pretty lame lyrics and a horrid delivery to boot. I would never even choose this as a background. Actually, I think playing music as a background is disrespectful toward the music itself. But this is not music. An album to listen to before you die? That's not even funny. How about joining the company of those 1 out of 5, and never hearing it again? Looking forward to #day53.

This is #day51 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's time to drop some old-school beats! Hip-hop, along with rock and electronic music was an essential genre in my formative years. In a way, artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and D12 shaped my musical landscape, especially Eminem. Later, this led me to explore nu-metal, but that's another story. When I see the '80s-'90s hip-hop, by default, it equals quality for me. The production, live instrumentation, rhythms, and delivery create a unique vibe that’s hard to find today. Although this is my first time listening to Ice Cube, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is packed with those elements. The album does get repetitive toward the middle, but it ultimately picks up again, making it an engaging listen. As for the lyrical content mentioned by some reviewers, like with any hip-hop artist of that era, I think it's important to view it through the lens of its time rather than a modern perspective. It's a solid 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day52.

This is #day50 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... "if you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair!" Somehow, the late '60s music scene has always drawn me in... it's a true sign of the times. With artists like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and the early Doors, you feel the era's spirit. Jefferson Airplane's signature blend of folk rock, psychedelia, and blues, highlighted by Grace Slick's otherworldly vocals, is delicate and dark. Standouts like "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit" are just the beginning; There are also "She Has Funny Cars", "Today," and "Comin' Back To Me." This is a 5 out of 5 this time around. Looking forward to #day51.

This is #day49 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... the list has taken a linear path through the late 90s to early 2000s alternative rock recently. I discovered Incubus relatively late, thanks to my best friend, a die-hard Nirvana fan and grunge aficionado, who once shared some live version of Drive with me. Now, Make Yourself... My first Incubus album ever. It has to be one of the most cohesive mainstream alternative metal works I've heard. It blends funk rock, nu-metal grit, and alternative rock melody seamlessly. The scratching is a nice touch, giving it a Linkin Park feel, who blasted onto the scene only one year later, though. The juxtaposition of the vocals might seem out of place at first, but they enhance the overall experience as you go along. Some standouts for me include "Privilege," "The Warmth," "Drive," and "I Miss You," among others. Well done. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day50.

This is #day48 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... da-boom-da-da-mmm-dum-na-ee-ma! Love them or hate them, KoЯn will always hold a special place in the 90s alternative and nu-metal music. I first discovered them circa 2003—I had never heard anything like "Did My Time" until then. As unpopular as it might be, Take A Look In The Mirror is my go-to KoЯn album. Looking back, I realize that this era might have felt like a beat-a-dead-horse moment for the band, but who cares? "Counting On Me" is still one of my all-time favorite KoЯn tracks. Then there was 2005’s See You On The Other Side, with a cover that still creeps me out. I also remember reading a wild teenzine article about Davis that claimed he once had sex for like ten hours straight until... his cock started to bleed. What a time! As for Follow The Leader, while it features classics like "It's On", "Freak On A Leash," and "Get A Life," it can be a tough listen from start to finish. The dark, groovy sound encapsulates KoЯn’s signature style, but I grow weary of Davis's angst after a while. Or, am I just growing older? The collaborations with other artists are also a downside for me. But, since it's the only record of theirs and they're kind of an important band to me, especially given the nu metal era, I'll bump it up to a 4. Looking forward to #day49.

This is #day47 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... coming back to this one for what must be the third time already. I decided to revisit it after getting the Circle Jerks record today, and it felt like the right moment to spin the Germs album I got a while ago. Am I in a hardcore punk mood? More yes than no. Either way, the truth remains the same: you're unlikely to find such a mix of hard rock, funk, metal, punk, reggae, and whatnot coming out of the mid '80s. The rhythm section is deliciously tight, and the riffs are next level. Guess I'm settling on a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day48.

This is #day46 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... in a parallel universe, Tame Impala has gone Pink Floyd, creating a concept album full to the brim with psychedelic noises and sounds, telling a story about A Girl, the Pink Robot Battler... The girl in question happens to be the drummer for a Japanese noise rock band, Boredoms, and is credited among the additional personnel for the album creation. Well, at least this way I learned about Japanoise (the term denoting the noise music scene of Japan). It was quite an enjoyable listen, though. But, as I doubt I'd be returning to this music anytime soon, this is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day47.

This is #day45 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... that's some great music for a sunny September afternoon. I don't know what else to say, except that everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. Or, maybe I'm just being too lackadaisical to pick words. The music says everything, and I don't want to interfere. This is another solid 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day46, but also not very much because yesterday was so good that I don't want today ever to end.

This is #day44 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... ladies and gentlemen, I'm floating in space!!! Oh, wait. That's a different album. But still, I should be kind of floating... Right? Well, I thought I would die sooner than I finished this album. I like some dream pop and shoegaze, but this was way too fucking much of nothing in particular. If it was meant to make me feel high, it didn't succeed because I feel low. Perfect prescription to your annoyance. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day45.

This is #day43 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it's a sunny September Friday here in my hometown, Lviv, signaling the first Indian, or old women's summer, as we call it in Ukrainian. I'm revisiting what I believe is the first of many David Bowie albums on this list. It’s hard to say anything new about Aladdin Sane (I mean, it's iconic no matter what angle you look at it. For example, I could only stare at that album cover forever), so I'll share a couple of personal Bowie moments instead. If memory serves me right, this was the first album of his I was introduced to (the year was 2008, I believe), thanks to Anton Corbijn's film Control, which I mentioned in my Unknown Pleasures review. Remember the scene where Ian Curtis dresses up in front of the mirror and applies eyeliner while "The Jean Genie" plays? You bet. I must admit I haven't yet listened to Bowie's entire discography (though I consider myself a fan), but I find myself drawn most to his experimental period, the Berlin years. Let's face it, though: Bowie was all about experimentation, and that's the beauty of his music. Each era offers something unique for different ears. Even my wife, who isn't a Bowie fan at all, has a song she loves ("The Heart's Filthy Lesson"). As a vinyl collector, I'm lucky to own an NM copy of the first UK pressing of this album, complete with an insert and an "I Love You David" postcard. Listening to the title track and “Lady Grinning Soul” on vinyl (actually, the whole album) is mesmerizing. Those Mike Garson piano solos chill me to the bone... I can see how the avant-garde jazziness of Blackstar might have its roots here. Each song is a jewel on its own, contributing to the crown of one of Bowie’s countless masterpieces. This album earns a solid 5 out of 5 from me. Looking forward to #day44.