Medicine "The Mechanical Forces Of Love"

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I've been unable to slsk it but will continue to try to do so. The fuzzy snippets I heard on amazon.com were encouraging but left me with no real idea what to expect and it didn't sound like something that would benefit from being served to the listener in tiny portions

"chew chew chew, yum" is one of my favourite bits of music criticism this year.

― Alex in Rotherham (Alex in Doncaster), Monday, 14 July 2003 11:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

Even if the first track does sound like Liberty X on DMT or some other extremely strong hallucinogenic. (And that's a compliment, BTW)

― kate (kate), Monday, 14 July 2003 11:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

Ned you are so wrong about Medicine that it hurts.

If this is wrong I don't want to be right! However, you at least make it sound like Brad is finally playing to his strengths, ie computer manipulation, when it comes to Medicine, because all the early stuff is and remains el craptastic.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 July 2003 12:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

i saw this but i didnt think it was that medicine. i didnt know they were still together as a band, and the fact that its on wall of sound threw me also. so, what, its better than short forth self living? really?

― gareth (gareth), Monday, 14 July 2003 12:49 (9 years ago) Permalink

Harrumph. I only saw kate's exhortations after I'd been into town. I shall pick it up at the earliest possibility.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 14 July 2003 12:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hooray Amazon. Ordered. (Along with Homogenic - only £6.66.)

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 14 July 2003 13:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

hey all, glad i found this forum ^_^ does anyone have a copy of their latest cd and a review of it? thanks!

― petrol, Tuesday, 15 July 2003 16:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

Saw the review on AMG. The guy hated it. Was only given 2 1/2 stars.
Heres a quote
"Overall the group comes off like a slightly more experimental Garbage only without the winning hooks. Lee's vocals are non-remarkable, the sound of the record is too busy and obtuse and they just didn't write that many good songs. It is very hard to make a good comeback with good songs no matter how much you trick it up with new fangled sounds and weirdness"

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=CASS70307151848&sql=A19klu3qaan4k

― Bronwyn, Tuesday, 15 July 2003 22:12 (9 years ago) Permalink

are they talking shite?

― Bronwyn, Tuesday, 15 July 2003 23:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

i've only heard the first five songs, but it definitely has the same sticky sweet cherry cough syrup fever dream sex vibe working that nobody else does.

i really wish that amg would allow you to click on the reviewer's name and bring up other reviews the person has written to give you context on where they're coming from. it's the kind of thing that computers do very well and shouldn't be too difficult.

― dan (dan), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 00:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

Maybe it is showing this reviewers old school prejudices but really the only tracks that sound good are the few with guitars in the mix

I think that's your answer there. At least the reviewer has the kindness to admit their bias. When he says it's got "no tunes" what he means is "no guitars". There are tunes aplenty. It's as pop as a Missy Elliot album.

This album makes sense to me because all that retrofetishistic guitar wank like the Warlocks and BRMC just sounds like shit to me. My head is at the sort of fusion of electronica and guitar psychedelia that bands like Capitol K and Manitoba are doing. If Medicine had made another guitar-ridden album like it's 1992, I'd have been sorely disappointed and written them off. Instead, they branched out in the direction that tracks like Heads and Brad's solo work were leading them. And are much more interesting for it.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 07:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

aaarrrggghhhh!!! The American version seems to have an extra track that mine doesn't have. :-(

I want Machines Inna Garden. And I want it now. ::pouts::

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 08:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

Astral Gravy is goofy up tempo electroclash

WHAT?!?!? That's the most straight-ahead RAWK song on the album.

Good For Me which switches very nicely between moody, trippy verses to a knockout Beach Boys on Mars chorus

Good For Me is the only song that sounds even vaguely electroclash to me, but mainly only cause of the Georgio Moroder bassline.

I think the reviewer just has the song titles mixed up, really. :-(

From the descriptions, I think he likes all the songs that I don't, and hates all the songs I think are strongest. Typical.

― kate (kate), Wednesday, 16 July 2003 09:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

I must say, this new Medicine is the first album in forever that I bought on a whim, without downloading something first, based on pure ILM love. I was skeptical. I was nervous. I was sure I would unwrap it then regret the purchase immediately and forever.

But I don't. It's a smash.

It's so funky. This I did not expect. I got hung up on the Manitoba reference. It's way more soulful. Like the last Spiritualized album only not so fake sounding (this was the one beef I had with that thing, sounded put-on, the whole pseudo-gospel aspect). Missy's a cool comparison, cuz like Missy everything goes in the pot. I can dig it. Some unexpectedly key southern california hazy harmonies, too, a la Fleetwood Mac.

― scott m (mcd), Thursday, 17 July 2003 02:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

shoegaze Fleetwood Mac is seriously the best sounding recommendation ever

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 17 July 2003 02:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

Track 8, "Good For Me" - the breakdown on the chorus when that glass-shattering female vocal swoop of "Whyyyyy Noooooot" gives way to the glorious shape-note harmonies of "Meeeeeeee?" (Fleetwood Mac? More like the Carter Family!) - over a pumping silly Philip-Glass-Goes-Electro drum machine and then suddenly it turns into Duran Duran at the end, orgasm and all... HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS?!?!?

― kate (kate), Thursday, 17 July 2003 09:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

i picked this up today and i'm not sure what i think of it. it does seem a little messy, but maybe it'll fall into place with a few listens. i really liked the penultimate track, though, and there were bits here and there that i really enjoyed.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 17 July 2003 22:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

Hi !
Can anybody try to help me to find following records to buy or to download for free:
COCTEAU TWINS ep " snow "
ep " bluebird "
ep " violane " vol.1
ep " violane " vol.2

ALAN VEGA " collision drive/ jukebox babe "
BAD MANNERS " loony tunes "

It would be very kind to be informed somehow, as reply I got some rare stuff too.

Gleb from Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

― gleb demidoff, Monday, 19 January 2004 17:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

If this is wrong I don't want to be right! However, you at least make it sound like Brad is finally playing to his strengths, ie computer manipulation, when it comes to Medicine, because all the early stuff is and remains el craptastic.

Ned, I don't get you at all here. The first two Medicine albums are incredible. Why do you like a ton of noise pop and shoegaze, yet dismiss Shot Forth Self Living without a second thought?

Nick, what did you think of the album(s) you picked up?

― ilxor, Tuesday, 21 October 2008 01:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

The first two medicine albums are fucking great. MBV is the obvious comparison, but i think of Medicine as being sort of warm and inviting, while MBV is comparatively distant and icier. Different shoegaze for different moods, I suppose.

― Dog/Face/Chain (res), Tuesday, 21 October 2008 02:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

"One More" transcends the genre just as much as anything MBV did IMO. Laner's controlled-noise approach was, at its best, second only to Shields' in the pantheon of 'gaze effects-pedal freaks and differed almost completely from Shields' "glide guitar" method. I like their first two records alot, but there is far too much filler on both (especially SFSL) for them to be considered classics. If you took the high points from both and condensed them into one record it would make the 'gaze all-time top 10 easily. Maybe even 5.

― Pillbox, Tuesday, 21 October 2008 05:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

I like their first two records alot, but there is far too much filler on both (especially SFSL) for them to be considered classics. If you took the high points from both and condensed them into one record it would make the 'gaze all-time top 10 easily. Maybe even 5.

Definitely 5, in my opinion. I can't even think of other shoegaze bands that are even in the same league as MBV, Slowdive, and Medicine. Ride, Swervedriver, and Chapterhouse are middling at best IMHO.

― Dog/Face/Chain (res), Tuesday, 21 October 2008 16:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

Is personal for Ned. Brad killed his father. ;-)

― post-apocalyptic time jazz (Masonic Boom), Tuesday, 21 October 2008 16:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

SFSL is def in my top 5 but I never ever managed to get into that last 2003 album. For me it's a different band (which it is, I know I know)

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 21 October 2008 17:14 (4 years ago) Permalink

So what exactly is Ned's beef with this band? Honestly, I prefer the best songs of Medicine and Slowdive to the best songs of MBV any day of the week. I don't give a shit how that impacts my credibility. In fact, my favorite songs on "Loveless" are the ones that sound most like Slowdive ("When you Sleep" and "Sometimes").

― Dog/Face/Chain (res), Wednesday, 22 October 2008 05:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

Didn't like it, long since sold on, never investigated further.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 22 October 2008 07:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

Dude, and you raved about the Manitoba record. And Maps. SHAME ON YOU.

― post-apocalyptic time jazz (Masonic Boom), Wednesday, 22 October 2008 09:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

I did not rave about Maps; for two days I said it was good, and then I did a massive about-face and told everyone it was rubbish. And that Manitoba record is still fantastic! Plus he got better with the next two!

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 22 October 2008 09:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

Ned?

― ilxor, Friday, 24 October 2008 00:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Cool house!

― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 25 February 2010 10:52 (3 years ago) Permalink

Wow, I'm not really a fan of California moderism, but that house really does make me rethink that stance, it is gorgeously done.

(I think probably because I'm used to seeing only bad knockoffs, or else houses in that style that have been customised so much as to turn them into something else, something ugly.)

The subject of this thread remains one of my favourite albums of the 00s. I imported it onto my iPhone the other week and it still makes me happy every time I hear it. It combines so many different aspects of so many musical aesthetics I love that it's almost perfectly like it was made for my listening pleasure.

― There's Always Been A Dance Element To (Masonic Boom), Thursday, 25 February 2010 10:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

awesome! Jeez how I sometimes miss SoCal...

― saaberonixx (baaderonixx), Thursday, 25 February 2010 11:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

― No, YOU'RE a disgusting savage (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 25 February 2010 12:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

Between that and the shots of Wayne Coyne's place that surfaced after the remodel, clearly the new frontier for musicians is interior decorating.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:41 (3 years ago) Permalink

I somehow missed Wayne Coyne's crib. Can you point me in that direction?

― There's Always Been A Dance Element To (Masonic Boom), Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

Go nuts:

http://gizmodo.com/5471139/the-flaming-lips-crib-is-even-more-psychedelic-than-their-music

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

unhappy911truthers.tumblr.com

― I miss Edith Bowman's great music taste she played rock and indie (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

I don't think I could live in either of those. But I suppose that's the problem with Statement Architecture. :-/

― There's Always Been A Dance Element To (Masonic Boom), Thursday, 25 February 2010 14:55 (3 years ago) Permalink

could never live in Coyne's but Laner's house seems very easy to live in!

― saaberonixx (baaderonixx), Thursday, 25 February 2010 15:11 (3 years ago) Permalink

I'm way too messy to ever live in a house like Laner's.

But then again, I suppose his studio probably was completely tidied up and everything packed away for the photo shoot.

― There's Always Been A Dance Element To (Masonic Boom), Thursday, 25 February 2010 15:20 (3 years ago) Permalink

The subject of this thread remains one of my favourite albums of the 00s.

This is interesting. I love my other Medicine albums and Kate, I think we have a lot of overlapping tastes, but I consider this album to be one of the worse "final" albums out there by a band, kind of in the same league as Tarantula or something... I just can't get into it at ALL.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Thursday, 25 February 2010 16:39 (3 years ago) Permalink

I dunno, in retrospect, I might almost like it *more* than the other Medicine albums. I probably play it more often than the others. Though that could have more to do with my changing tastes in music than the quality of the other albums. I recognise that it is two different bands that made the first 3 Medicine albums, and then this one. It's just more like the final one is more where I'm at now, musically, than the others.

― There's Always Been A Dance Element To (Masonic Boom), Thursday, 25 February 2010 16:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

wowee zowee, who knew that shoegazing paid so well? did Brad Laner marry into money?...trust fund?...The story says his mom's name is Koenig...there must be some connection to the famed Case Study House architect Pierre Koenig...I am loving his digs!...wasn't there a rendering of such a house on one of his LP covers?

― henry s, Thursday, 25 February 2010 18:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

Holy shit I love Medicine!

― Evan, Monday, 1 March 2010 19:20 (3 years ago) Permalink

That's what Jason Pierce said...

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 1 March 2010 20:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

Oh wait.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Monday, 1 March 2010 20:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

Brada Laner appears to have a solo record coming out, had a listen to one track and it sounds pretty great.

http://home-tapes.com/Hometapes/HAUS_HT031.html

― SoftDog (MaresNest), Friday, 5 November 2010 12:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

Brada, duh!

― SoftDog (MaresNest), Friday, 5 November 2010 12:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

This is relevant to my interests...

― Wheal Dream, Friday, 5 November 2010 12:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Got the CD from HomeTapes yesterday, sounds great on first listen.

― let's all go down the strand.....galifianaaakis (MaresNest), Thursday, 18 November 2010 10:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 60 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yeah this is crazy talk - Slowdive, MBV, Medicine and Ride are the only shoegaze bands worth giving a damn - but, damn, what a damn.
It's always a bit simplistic to stick bands in genres, but there was not much gazing involved when it came to Medicine - as argued upthread, beyond the wall o' feedback, they had a mighty groove on (eg. One More).

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 12:24 (11 months ago) Permalink

There seems to be a definite split between people who love Slowdive & ppl who saw them live & thought of them as "that BORING band I had to sit through to see Ride or whoever."

I've just come to the conclusion that ppl who rate Slowdive (and don't rate e.g. Lush) are just listening for such different things from shoegaze that it's pointless to argue.

― Dixie Narco Martenot (White Chocolate Cheesecake), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 12:56 (11 months ago) Permalink

Still loving your house, Brad, if you're reading.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 13:05 (11 months ago) Permalink

what a powerful testimonial

― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 30 May 2012 13:58 (11 months ago) Permalink

Not sure how many people dismissed Slowdive for good after hearing the first album which admittedly is rather boring

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 14:01 (11 months ago) Permalink

I still like the first album, but "Souvlaki" is mindblowing. The production work is something else; you could get lost in those huge, warm blankets of sound.

― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 30 May 2012 14:11 (11 months ago) Permalink

I was content to dismiss them after Holding Our Breath tbh... ;)

― that mustardless plate (Bill A), Wednesday, 30 May 2012 14:12 (11 months ago) Permalink

I could never understand all the retrospective love for "Souvlaki". It's half a good album IMO. "Just for a day" can be a bit tedious at times but really picks up towards the end and didn't really fulfil the promise of their early EPs. However the "5 EP" and "Pygmalion" stuff was great.

― Rob M Revisited, Wednesday, 30 May 2012 14:48 (11 months ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

Great, great band worth revisiting in the wake of mbv... The Buried Life is my personal favorite. Blows my mind that Van Dyke Parks did the arrangement on...

― afriendlypioneer, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 19:11 (3 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Unh, this appears to be the only Medicine thread on ILM, but NEW TRACK FROM A NEW ALBUM!!!

https://soundcloud.com/capturedtracks/medicine-long-as-the-sun

― Johnny Fever, Monday, 1 April 2013 20:21 (1 month ago) Permalink

This band never got its due THANKS TO NED

― Poliopolice, Monday, 1 April 2013 20:30 (1 month ago) Permalink

j/k ned, it was probably a confluence of factors

― Poliopolice, Monday, 1 April 2013 20:31 (1 month ago) Permalink

Holy jeezus. Vey exciting! This year is turning out to be such an incredible one for albums I never expected to see

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 1 April 2013 21:09 (1 month ago) Permalink

What other albums are you referring to?

― Evan, Monday, 1 April 2013 21:40 (1 month ago) Permalink

Wow I'm digging the single. Who's singing now?

― ben kvelertak (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 03:13 (1 month ago) Permalink

I just listened to a tape my hsgf made me with the Sounds of Medicine ep, The Buried Life, plus the song "One More." That all fits nicely on a c90.
This new track is coool

― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 03:58 (1 month ago) Permalink

It's the original lineup reunited.

― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 04:10 (1 month ago) Permalink

Cool! Though I did like Mechanical Forces a lot.

― ben kvelertak (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 08:36 (1 month ago) Permalink

What other albums are you referring to?

probably mbv

― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 13:54 (1 month ago) Permalink

Oh true, should have been obvious!

― Evan, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:07 (1 month ago) Permalink

hah - thought you were joking!
well mbv obv, but also new JT and Daft Punk (and to lesser extent Knife)

― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:15 (1 month ago) Permalink

I generally sincerely ask things without first thinking about it for a second.

― Evan, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 14:45 (1 month ago) Permalink

Doesn't a guy from Medicine post here? Or used to?

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Tuesday, 2 April 2013 16:05 (1 month ago) Permalink

Brad Laner rarely posts here; I think he's frustrated by Ned's intransigence towards Medicine. If I recall correctly, Ned described them as "total crap" (or somesuch) and then went on to give middling reviews to reissues of their albums on Pitchfork. See this very thread.

― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 16:46 (1 month ago) Permalink

Though his Pitchfork reviews were written with a "giving it another shot" vibe, right? That's what I remember.

― Evan, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 17:03 (1 month ago) Permalink

OK just looked back on this thread and yes I remember and still agree that perhaps a more undecided writer should have taken on those reviews.

― Evan, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 17:16 (1 month ago) Permalink

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