My Bloody Valentine

DarnWeight

Just to counter all the "Loveless", erm, love, that's going here...I genuinely think "Isn't Anything" crushes it.  Weirder moments ("No More Sorry" for one), actual drums (Colm's crazy Moon fills and runs), not as overworked and processed...oh, and "Feed Me With Your Kiss".

Always preferred it to "Loveless" as an album.  YMMV.

wesker123

Hootsmon said:

Got the Loveless  album in....yikes! it's like an album of white noise and 'orrible distortion throughout and somewhere DEEP in the background someone is attempting a vocal with a blanket over their head...I think

That's the last time I am askin' you lot for a recommendation

PS It's mibbe my age...32

Best description of Loveless I've heard is:

Nothing prepares you for it the sound of an angel falling into a black hole.

It is a classic, but like many classics it takes time and repeated listening to get it because it takes you somewhere else, out of your comfort zone.

A few others that take time are Spiderland by Slint, Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart, 1st Tortoise album, and Sunbather by Deafheaven.

I can remember clearly in about 1993ish buying Spiderland and I thought it was fucking terrible.

I persisted and it completely changed my perception on what music can be.

digitalkettle

wesker123 said:

Hootsmon said:

Got the Loveless  album in....yikes! it's like an album of white noise and 'orrible distortion throughout and somewhere DEEP in the background someone is attempting a vocal with a blanket over their head...I think

That's the last time I am askin' you lot for a recommendation

PS It's mibbe my age...32

Best description of Loveless I've heard is:

Nothing prepares you for it the sound of an angel falling into a black hole.

It is a classic, but like many classics it takes time and repeated listening to get it because it takes you somewhere else, out of your comfort zone.

A few others that take time are Spiderland by Slint, Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart, 1st Tortoise album, and Sunbather by Deafheaven.

I can remember clearly in about 1993ish buying Spiderland and I thought it was fucking terrible.

I persisted and it completely changed my perception on what music can be.

I love ‘earning’ an album like that…mine were Mercury Rev’s ‘Yerself Is Steam’ and American Music Club’s ‘Mercury’…that was a while back, come to think of it.

Cranky

Vintage65 said:

Bill Murray failed to consummate his onscreen relationship with Scarlett Johansson because of this band.

That was my intro to MBV and shoegaze.  Actually kind of a pivotal moment in my life.

ewal

Vintage65 said:

ewal said:

Mezcal Head - of course! My brain is addled!!

Duel and Never Lose That Feeling both excellent. Duel is an arranging and mixing masterpiece - I love the way the distorted guitars layer up for the noisy bit. I was trying to play it just recently - even using an alternative tuning, the initial arpeggiated bit is tricky to nail.

Duel is relentless and it keeps on coming in waves, and you're never quite sure what's going to be next. Did you hear the live version at the Astoria? Those dudes can play too. Rick Beato interviewed Adam a while back and he went through some tunings with him.

Will look both out. I'm interested to know if the tuning I was using for Duel is the right one. Pretty sure it was. Just me being out of practice.

Vintage65

ewal said:
Will look both out. I'm interested to know if the tuning I was using for Duel is the right one. Pretty sure it was. Just me being out of practice.

I think it's F C E G C E

Vintage65

Cranky said:

Vintage65 said:

Bill Murray failed to consummate his onscreen relationship with Scarlett Johansson because of this band.

That was my intro to MBV and shoegaze.  Actually kind of a pivotal moment in my life.

Reverend

Sporky said:

Ah - maybe try some Merzbow instead? 

too commercial Only Sutcliffe Jugend will do in this case. 

ewal

Vintage65 said:

ewal said:
Will look both out. I'm interested to know if the tuning I was using for Duel is the right one. Pretty sure it was. Just me being out of practice.

I think it's F C E G C E

FCDGCD for Duel and GCDGCD for other songs from this era. I watched the Adam Franklin interview.

Vintage65

ewal said:

Vintage65 said:

ewal said:
Will look both out. I'm interested to know if the tuning I was using for Duel is the right one. Pretty sure it was. Just me being out of practice.

I think it's F C E G C E

FCDGCD for Duel and GCDGCD for other songs from this era. I watched the Adam Franklin interview.

That's it, I knew there was a F on the bottom string and a C in there. It was a good interview too  

Heartfeltdawn

Whitecat said:

Agree with most of what's been said. 'Loveless' is THE seminal shoegaze album. Start there and just fan out... Isn't Anything definitely second-best. m b v has moments, but isn't quite the stone-cold classic. The EPs are all good to great.

Which is why it isn't the seminal shoegaze album. It's an entity all on its own from songwriting to production. 

DarnWeight said:

Just to counter all the "Loveless", erm, love, that's going here...I genuinely think "Isn't Anything" crushes it.  Weirder moments ("No More Sorry" for one), actual drums (Colm's crazy Moon fills and runs), not as overworked and processed...oh, and "Feed Me With Your Kiss".

Always preferred it to "Loveless" as an album.  YMMV.

Isn't Anything sounds more lo-fi, more clattery. and it feels like a band who have just started to explore how far they can push the gear at their disposal. Bits of it are very good but for me it's a work in progress album. All I Need is my favourite track.

MaximumZargon

DarnWeight said:

Just to counter all the "Loveless", erm, love, that's going here...I genuinely think "Isn't Anything" crushes it.  Weirder moments ("No More Sorry" for one), actual drums (Colm's crazy Moon fills and runs), not as overworked and processed...oh, and "Feed Me With Your Kiss".

Always preferred it to "Loveless" as an album.  YMMV.

Total agreement. I feel that Loveless got much bigger coverage than Isn't Anything, and thus was most people's first exposure to MBV, which is always going to have greatest impact. Isn't Anything is a far better record, with way more ideas IMO. Loveless is one idea, done to perfection in the track 'Soon' and then repeated to lesser effect.

SPECTRUM001

MaximumZargon said:

DarnWeight said:

Just to counter all the "Loveless", erm, love, that's going here...I genuinely think "Isn't Anything" crushes it.  Weirder moments ("No More Sorry" for one), actual drums (Colm's crazy Moon fills and runs), not as overworked and processed...oh, and "Feed Me With Your Kiss".

Always preferred it to "Loveless" as an album.  YMMV.

Total agreement. I feel that Loveless got much bigger coverage than Isn't Anything, and thus was most people's first exposure to MBV, which is always going to have greatest impact. Isn't Anything is a far better record, with way more ideas IMO. Loveless is one idea, done to perfection in the track 'Soon' and then repeated to lesser effect.

Yep, Isn’t Anything is the one. Better songs, hungrier, more direct and a wonderful rawness. As much as Loveless is a ‘masterpiece’ its indulgence always renders it as flawed. 

Heresy ! There, I said it !!

Also love that Isn’t Anything was recorded at Foel Studios.

Sporky

I like both.

Can we at least agree that mbv was rambling tuneless nonsense?