Reviews by tape-boy

This is #day762 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I hate that Spotify doesn't let you listen to the original tracklist. Like, you have to hide a dozen songs to listen to what you actually need. Anyway, here's to those fuzzy wuzzy doodles from the late '80s by Spacemen 3. It all feels like noise for the sake of... noise, which I kind of don't mind, but I wouldn't choose to listen to this record again. Would The Perfect Prescription have been a more apt inclusion? Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day763.

This is #day761 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is one of those weird entries on the list. While it's an excellent electroclash/pop record from the early '00s, I'm not sure it's a must-hear before you die. "Laura" was all over the music channel M1 here in Ukraine back in 2004, and I loved that tune. It definitely pulls at certain strings, taking you places, you know. Interesting time for music, all in all. Another band that comes to mind from those years is Body Without Organs... Anyway, I listened to the whole record for the first time roughly two years ago. "It Can't Come Quickly Enough" is a gem. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day762.

This is #day760 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my third Neil Young record already, not counting Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Honestly, I don't get the praise this guy and this particular record get. "Heart of Gold" is the only listenable song here. "Words (Between the Lines of Age)" is a close second. Otherwise, my relationship with Neil Young isn't changing. I just can't get through his atrocious voice. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day761.

This is #day759 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… oh well, another country record. Honestly, I'm tired of this kind of music and its abundance on the list, regardless of the subgenre, be it outlaw or whatever. "We Had It All" is a lovely, poignant tune, though. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day760.

This is #day758 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… back to old school again, aka my second and final record by Megadeth. Thrashy and technical, as it's supposed to be. I wouldn't reach for it again, but I didn't mind it, even though Mustaine's vocals are among my least favorites in the genre. The record is turning 40 in a few weeks. No one still wants to buy peace. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day759.

This is #day757 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to one of those long-forgotten alternative rock gems from the '90s I haven't really been aware of. Pretty good record, bursting with youth and energy. Just what you need if you feel like rocking out on a Friday afternoon. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day758.

This is #day756 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… what if we jammed some jazz rock verging on prog and blues tonight? A kind of combo I don't mind, particularly given the jazz rock part. My very first time listening to a Chicago album. "Free Form Guitar" is, of course, one hell of a tune to put on a debut record. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day757.

This is #day755 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my fourth record by Tom Waits already. I mean, he's one of a kind. Tom Waits doing Tom Waits thing. And doing it entirely on his own terms. What's not to like? This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day756.

This is #day754 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's been a rough couple of days with this list. On to some worldbeat with an early-'90s flair, you're saying? I'm kind of fine with the track featuring Sinéad O'Connor on vocals, but I don't particularly care for the rest. No idea why you must hear this album before you die. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day755.

This is #day753 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… right from the get-go, the album isn't available on Spotify. Nor is it on YouTube Music, except for a single track. That's not the best first impression, is it? What about the music itself, though? Must-hear-before-you-die late-'80s indie/college rock. Well, I don't think so. The slowcore-adjacent numbers are fine. I'd rather have included anything from, say, Red House Painters or Mark Kozelek, though. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day754.

This is #day752 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my second and final record by The Undertones. Some good 'ol early '80s pop-punk here. Everything sounds tight and pleasant to the ears. Do we need two albums from this band on the list, though? I'm not sure. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day753.

This is #day751 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… another never-before-heard name for me. Oddly enough, "Step It Up" rang a bell, though. As a person whose country has been under invasion by a terrorist state for almost five years now, I wasn't a fan of the air-raid siren sound on "Chicken Shake." Otherwise, this feels like a love child of Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, and early Massive Attack. Pretty chill listening for a Saturday evening like today. Last Saturday of summer '26. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day752.

This is #day750 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I must admit this was surprisingly fine for a 2010s record. Alternative rock with a krautrock heartbeat, psychedelic dream pop, crowned with spacey electronics... Why in the world would you have to hear it before you die, though? I just don't know. There's a Stereolab record on the list already anyway. Let it be a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day751.

This is #day749 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this record is a bit like Kraftwerk's Autobahn to me. Essential for what it is, but not something I'd come back to often. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day750.

This is #day748 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… like it or not, you probably can't deny the fact that this band/album made a splash back in the day. Funny, I don't remember first hearing Daft Punk. The name always rang a bell, but I don't quite remember listening to them during my childhood in the early '00s. Some Modjo and David Guetta, yes, since they were on the radio. And yet, "Around the World" and a bunch of other tracks sound familiar. Maybe they were on the radio as well? Anyway, do we need to appreciate the craft behind putting all this together: disco, house, funk, and whatnot, and making it work? Probably. I'm wondering if I should revisit Justice's Cross, which I got way back on #day14 and wasn't really impressed by then. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day749.

This is #day747 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I'm giving credit, but I'm also acknowledging that this is way outside my wheelhouse. There's just no way I'm listening to an hour and a half of this. I'm landing on a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day748.

This is #day746 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… how about yet another country rock record? Well, given the year of release, it at least has some of that late-'60s haze I'm kind of after when it comes to music from this era. Otherwise, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day747.

This is #day745 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… what the actual fuck? I've seen comparisons to Frank Ocean, whose record I rated a 1 not so long ago. This kind of neo-soulessness follows suit and gets a 1 out of 5. I just can't. I'm pretty sure you mustn't hear this before you die. This is a 1 out of 5. Looking forward to #day746.

This is #day744 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to another classic from the golden age of hip-hop, this time, pun un/intended, straight outta Compton. I've seen the album cover countless times, but I'm only checking the record out now as part of this challenge. Funky, hard-hitting, and just what the doctor (Dre?) prescribed. Little to add. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day745.

This is #day743 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I can surely see this band as part of the '90s American indie rock scene alongside, say, Pavement, maybe even Sonic Youth, too, though it's not something I'd be willing to put on by myself. You have to be in the zone for these lo-fi indie rock sketches, and I don't think I'm quite there right now. Let it be a 3 out of 5 for now. Looking forward to #day744.