slowdive: classic or dud?

At this point I would pay good money to see see slowdive play a full reunion set consisting entirely of them arguing about taste and the semantics of not liking things. And I would pay even more if I knew Neil halstead didn't want to do it.

"Hi, we're Slowdive. We really don't want to play this show, so here's Pygmalion in its entirety."

I think you missed a joke somewhere down the line.

> The way I recall it, it was Ride - Ride EP, Lush - Mad Love EP, and Pale Saints - The Comforts of Madness all released in quick succession at the start of 1990 and shown on Snub TV and those bands were often talked about together. The rest came later.

Ride and Pale Saints played together (along with Teenage Fanclub and Pastels) at ULU (17 nov '89) just before those first eps and toured together afterwards (i think) to the point where ride covered Sight Of You on their first peel session (feb 1990)

but this:

"Also Spoonfed Hybrid >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Mojave 3."

is a pile of wrong 8)

No, what I'm trying to get through to you is that "I don't like this" is not the same as "this is bad."

I don't disagree with you-- and honestly i'm finding it a little perplexing that you think i'm trying to tag all the wikipedia articles for Pale Saints and Swervedriver with the category "Objectively Bad Artists from the 90s." it's just an opinion; you are free to disagree, just as all people are free to disagree about anything. i'm fine with admitting that my opinion on anything is not the be-all-end-all, and that i may have wrongly maligned Chapterhouse. :)

Nevertheless, I think it's only fair to point out that your line of argument would also hold that guys like Thomas Kinkade are good artists-- it's just that people who don't like Kinkade don't like that kind of art. I'm actually quite fine with this; I consider art completely subjective. Even if 100% people think it's terrible, it's still subjective to me because there's no objective way to measure artistic quality. I've actually had people try to convince me that Thomas Kinkade is objectively bad; i find this proposition ridiculous.

"you're not allowed not to reform" lol call the whaaammbulance

This is all very entertaining. I might have to listen to some of these records again later. As someone who always thought there was little interesting about Slowdive after Alison and She Calls, I really should listen again to Pygmalion. Is there any substance to the reforming thing, or are you all just winding each other up? I forget.

Chapterhouse were bad bad, though, yeah?

pygmalion is incredible. "rutti" is the best opening track on any album EVER

I know Pygmalion gets most of the hipster love but for me the second album is the one.

Interesting. I don't remember any of it being as stunning as those first magnificent EPs. I shall listen again.

Hipsters don't tend to know what a Slowdive is at all in my experience.

All three are great albums, and they are all very different from each other.

Yes, Rutti is lovely and sounds a lot like "Laughing Stock" TT.

Chapterhouse were bad bad, though, yeah?

― kraudive, Friday, August 31, 2012 3:27 PM (3 hours ago)

No "Whirlpool" is great!

Ride and Pale Saints played together (along with Teenage Fanclub and Pastels) at ULU (17 nov '89)

There's a pic from this gig in the booklet of Deep Fried Fanclub and I frequently used to cry myself to sleep in the late 90s that I was born 5 years too late.

That does sound incredible. I saw Ride touring Going Blank Again in 91 - it was my first proper gig. Looking back they weren't so great. I thought for a long time Ride didn't ever really cut it live but I've read so many people say different that I guess I must have caught them on an off night.

I never saw Slowdive and demand they come back NOW to show me how good they were.

Oh God Avalyn I & II are so great.

I think I wrote on another thread that Avalyn II sounds very, very good on the wrong speed - 33 instead of at 45.

I don't remember any of it being as stunning as those first magnificent EPs.

the early stuff, though i like it, sometimes gets really close to being borderline new-agey

I saw Ride touring Going Blank Again in 91

Must have been 92 (or not Going Blank Again)

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/1013169_636582649685551_2058742074_n.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZhygqZr2MA

My favourite of the unreleased stuff.

will we remember this in the near future as the first step towards Slowdive's return? Anyway great stuff from Neil, didn't expect it from him at this stage

http://www.spin.com/articles/black-hearted-brother-i-dont-mean-to-wonder-stream/

no interest, really?

you know what these lot are like

I'd be plenty interested in a Slowdive reunion but I don't necessarily think this presages it

i quite like it, though i probably need to spend more time with it. some of the production choices seem a little odd.

It's really nice to hear THAT sound in a new context, I'll certainly check it out.

I looked up Rachel and she's got her hands full with a special needs child, unclear if she's doing it as a single mom.

also the whole health problems thing

yeah Rachel seems to have been dealt a pretty difficult hand in life - not sure she could ever get back to touring

I like this band; they are the kind of good, dreamy/hazy-sounding-but-not-in-a-dull-or-half-assed-way music that I cite when my bad-taste-having hipster friends accuse me of backwardness for not liking yellow beach dream or w/etf

this spring I came to appreciate "Country Rain", which I had previously overlooked, via going thru my itunes for songs about rain—it cheered me up so much, I had to get stoned to properly appreciate my own feelings

Looks like Neil and Rachel are doing a couple of shows together:

http://www.creation-records.com/slowdive-members-reunite-for-london-gigs/

Aaand... they're sold out already.

:-/

I love how everyone's screaming about this being a Slowdive 'reunion' of sorts across the web when I'm all "Uh...probably just Mojave 3 songs, guys." Not that I mind those at all!

"(i don't mean to) wonder" sounds way more wall of gaze than any mojave 3 though

I'd be very surprised if they didn't do one or two Slowdive songs.

xp

I'm sure if they pull out "Dagger" people will freak.

I think they were known to do that song outside of Slowdive a fair number of times. Probably easier to play and remember how to play.

: P

I saw Neil solo a couple of months ago and he played Alison and 40 Days

That's honestly good to hear! Took him long enough.

yeah that was a nice surprise - hearing him do 40 days on his own on acoustic guitar confirmed that his path has been one of gradual evolution rather than the tabula rasa Mojave 3 seemed at the time

didn't get a ticket. hope there's someone yelling PLAY TRELLISAZE the whole time

Neil on FB
"Am very pleased to say my dear old mate Rachel Goswell will be joining me for a few songs in London at Cecil sharpe house in a few weeks . This is NOT a Slowdive reunion !! seem to be few posts on the Internet suggesting it is ... Not sure why ...ok then .. x"

Well of course they played Slowdive songs, two of them in fact. Have to say though, Rachel looks a bit uncomfortable in these clips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN_MQs3CNrw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56WxxC-Z3DM

http://i.imgur.com/Sx4cwoj.jpg

you don't say...

Alison would be my POO for Slowdive.

Rachel looks likes she wants to be anywhere but there. I guess a Slowdive reunion is not to be expected

The acoustic Alisons Halstead does are lovely.

So having contributed to this thread once or twice over many years... I wrote something about Slowdive on my blog. You might be interested, or you might not be.

http://agoldfishcalledregret.wordpress.com/2013/11/15/november-music-2/