Originally written by Chris Chellis.
Spacey, trippy, and every other word you can think of that somehow alludes to being so drugged up that you can’t even fathom the thought of walking describes this album perfectly. Science fiction effects and a general 70s vibe courtesy of laid-back guitar tunes create an unnecessarily long and meandering drug-trip atmosphere that overstays its welcome.
Can this band actually ask its audience to take this trip along with them? How many bought this with the goal that they were going to last the full 32 minutes that the first track demands of them? This is pure self-indulgence. I could certainly validate the existence of this track if it were solely produced for the artists’ pleasure, but Monster Magnet actually expects you to put down your hard-earned money on this stuff, and that should register as nothing but an insult. Sure, certain passages are pretty cool, but as a whole, this is a spit in the face to every person looking for an honest effort at appealing to fans. “Tab” is ridiculously stupid, and that is simply that.
The three tracks that follow, however, are infinitely better, because the band puts its collective feet on the ground and decides to root itself on the crazy notion that music is made for the enjoyment of people not only within the band itself but outside the band as well. Still, it’s third rate Hawkwind’s Space Ritual and its not exactly something worthy of your money. “25” is rollicking, rocking, and king of excess, but it’s neither calculated nor “cute” in its execution, which makes it worth one or two spins and little more. “Longhair” is the most noteworthy track, and I imagine that if you were on an unfathomably decorous high you might find something valuable in its desert adventure but the rest of us will find little of substance to sustain interest. “Lord 13” is a live track and needlessly meandering in the same way that the tracks that come before it are.
To tell you the truth, I actually looked forward to hearing the Tab reissue, because I had heard a few later Monster Magnet tracks and found them to be excellent, but this excursion into the masturbatory is not worth your money.
