Reviews by tape-boy

This is #day702 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… somehow those Latin vibes throw me straight into a time machine headed for early '00s radio. That's about all I got out of it. Otherwise, I don't think this is an album you have to hear before you die. Also, the fact that it isn't available on Spotify is rather annoying. Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day703.

This is #day701 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to crossing another band off the list, as this is my second and final Belle & Sebastian record. There was a time in my life, a little more than ten years ago, when I probably wouldn't have minded this kind of music. Today, though, not quite. That kind of cheery, cozy mood isn't for me. Let it be a 3 out of 5 as well (the same rating I gave If You're Feeling Sinister a while back). Looking forward to #day702.

This is #day700 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… as it happens with this challenge, I'd never heard of either the band or the record. I found it quite pleasurable, probably because of the time of day I got to hear it. Late evening. But also because of its nature. Jazzy, artsy, ocassionally quiet-stormy, if you will... A very cool side of '80s experimental pop I'm after. A song featuring Tracey Thorn on vocals was a lovely surprise. I'm not always a fan of Paul Weller's vocals (I did rate The Jam's record a 4 back in the day, though). For this one, I was going to go with a strong 3, but those instrumental jazz tracks... I just can't resist them. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day701.

This is #day699 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is my first time hearing this particular record, let alone Pantera. As someone who enjoys some Metallica once in a blue moon, I dig this, even though I get that this band belongs to a different branch of metal, yet still sits on the periphery of thrash. The music is tight and heavy, exactly as metal is supposed to be. Would I actively seek it out again, though? I doubt it. Do I acknowledge it as a pivotal record in the genre? Absolutely. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to, wow, #day700.

This is #day698 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… it's definitely interesting to see this record on the list. There was a time, some ten years ago or so, when I played it a lot. I like to think of it as Portishead's Radiohead record. I can hear bits of "Reckoner" in "Hunter," while "Machine Gun" echoes "Idioteque." But it's more than that. Third is the band deconstructing itself. The atmosphere permeating this record is something else: anxious, dreadful, formidable, and at times somber. I'm not sure you must hear it before you die, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're into some wicked, fucked-up shit. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day699.

This is #day697 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I mean, at least the piano is beautiful. Also, I loved the sax on "Blues for Billy Whitecloud," which is probably my biggest highlight on the record. Otherwise, this all feels a bit too theatrical and pompous for my taste. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day698.

This is #day696 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I didn't know Belinda Carlisle was in a band. I hadn't really heard of this band until today either. What a shame. This is a great new wave/pop record, on par with Blondie and The B-52's. "Automatic" is a personal highlight among many others. I wonder if Automatic, an LA indie rock/post punk band took a name from that song. Anyway, great find. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day697.

This is #day695 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this record isn't available on either Spotify or YouTube Music, so how am I supposed to hear it? I was only able to find the first two songs on Ute Lemper's official YouTube channel. The rest of the tracklist is hidden, and the audio quality of those two uploads sucks. I wasn't particularly impressed by what I did hear anyway. "If sex were an Olympic sport, we'd've won the gold." Oh... okay. Based on what I could actually listen to, this is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day696.

This is #day694 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's my third and final Velvet Underground record. Unhinged, abrasive, experimental lo-fi noise rock and whatever else you want to call it. It's almost as if the record is doing its very best to be unlistenable. And, in a way, it kind of succeeds. Totally different from what was going on at the time, and hugely influential on what was about to come over the next decade or two. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day695.

This is #day693 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… the fact that Michael Stipe once called Fuzzy "the best album of the year, hands down" is quite the statement, considering 1993 also gave us Siamese Dream, In Utero, and Songs of Faith and Devotion, to name just a few. The album is fine... It's very '90s, but I'd rather revisit some R.E.M. The title track and "The Hook" are my personal standouts. Otherwise, this is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day694.

This is #day692 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… industrial/conscious hip-hop from the early '90s, you're saying, aka when hip-hop was golden. Well, bring it on! This is a strong 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day693.

This is #day691 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this is some great stuff to have as a background in an Irish pub over a pint or two. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day692.

This is #day690 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… well, yeah, that was fucking noisy and, I must admit, unenjoyable for the most part. I have nothing else to add, except that I'm not a fan of garage rock. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day691.

This is #day689 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to crossing out another artist off the list. So you're saying this record ended up here because it marked Fiona Apple's comeback. I see. Well, it's so all over the place and "artsy" that it holds little merit to me. I genuinely don't get the level of acclaim for this artist. I felt relieved (actually pretty annoyed) when this was finally over. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day690.

This is #day688 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… as much as I understand where this all is coming from with its vintage flair, and all that jazz, is it really an album to hear before you die? It does have its moments, but... I don't know. Too contemporary indie-schmindie? Let it be a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day689.

This is #day687 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's my third Tom Waits record already. An apt comparison I came across while reading about this album is that it's like hearing Allen Ginsberg backed by a jazz band. Yes, it is. The whole thing is atmospheric and makes for a perfect Friday afternoon listen. The fact that it's performed live, with no lyric sheets in sight, gives it a special kind of spice. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day688.

This is #day686 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… from yesterday's an hour and a half of mid-'70s funk, soul, jazz, and whatnot, to today's almost equally an hour and a half of early '70s psychedelic blues jamming. I don't really mind! This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day687.

This is #day685 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… apparently, some records just need the right time of year. Like this one, which happened to pop up in the second half of June. It might just be the ultimate summertime record, or at least one of them, just like, perhaps, any Stevie Wonder album from his classic period. With a cone of raspberry ice cream in my hand, I'm digging into an hour and a half of mid-'70s jazz, funk, and soul. One of the first records to make extensive use of the synthesizer. Ain't it fun? While it's summer, I should probably revisit his other records I've already had. Looking back, I feel I rated them far too low. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day686.

This is #day684 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's to my final record by Metallica, represented on the list, aka the slow, deep, and hard one. Now, I've known plenty of songs before, but it has been my first time blasting it from start to end. What is there to say? A whole hour of goddamn heavy metal and... nothing else matters. "My Friend Of Misery" has always been one of my all-time favorites of theirs. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day685.

This is #day683 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I've never quite gotten around to grunge bands like Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, or Stone Temple Pilots, so this list is a good opportunity to catch up. This record does feel like an important branch of the genre, though I can't say I'm hell-bent on revisiting it soon. The garage-punk production is fun and helps it stand out from other albums in this vein. Otherwise, let it be a 3 out of 5 for now. We'll see what their other record has in store when the time comes. Looking forward to #day684.