The Return Of My Bloody Valentine

how would they even know how much this sold?

kevin writes it all down on post-its

assumed that releasing this at practically 0:01 AM on Sunday was to do with maximising sales for the chart week, but is thing even eligible? or maybe they're having problems sorting out the uk sales figures?

― Jaap and roids (NickB), Wednesday, February 6, 2013 12:50 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i am assuming this was because of what turned out to be justifiable concern over traffic to the website

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kBfc64WlOE

xp assumed it was because it was the end of 2/2, end of 22 years

^ good point

the dates are the other way around in Britain though

I saw MBV maybe a dozen times between Feb 13, 1986 (first time) and Aug 26, 1989 (last time). Everyone wanted to be really loud back then so they were not unusually deafening at first. They got progressively louder during 1988. When they were opening for eg. Sonic Youth or Dinosaur Jr tours in larger venues it was fine but if they headlined in smaller venues it got a bit much. Like some of the posters upthread I remember walking out of a couple of gigs because it was just an uncomfortable roar.

From 2013 it seems natural to dismiss the pre-Bilinda days as inferior if you are only listening to the records. But at the time the recordings were so rare they were practically irrelevent. The only record you could ever find in the shops (if you were lucky) was Sunny Sundae Smile and maybe the bootleg compilation that went around. It was as a live band that they earned their initial reputation. And they were actually a phenomenal band in those days - the first time I saw them I was completely blown away. Rooted to the spot. It was like Husker Du with Keith Moon on drums. I and most of my friends on the scene at the time thought they got worse with the new line-up. Although obviously the records suddenly got awesome the day "You Made Me Realise" came out.

^ interesting, thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxf6wQvRQ0s&NR=1&feature=fvwp

did they often close with Lovelee Sweet Darlene, or is this the show referenced upthread?

different show, but hey

Did so done say up thread that they wished KS would do a new mix of something off Loveless (ideally Soon, iirc) as they think he's now much better at sonics? Because, iirc, the analogue remaster of Soon on the new CD set from last year IS a new mix? Or maybe the digital one? But basically each of the three versions of Soon on those rereleases (including the EPs disc version) is different, and one was done very recently because the original version had been lost. I'm sure he said that in the P4K interview he did last year.

Someone not so done. Damn iPad.

Yeah, bears repeating: Check out the analogue remaster.

New MBV song titles: Someone Not So Done.

so not gonna heppen

that one, too.

That One Too

That One 2

Saw God supporting Bark Psychosis at the Garage in London, they were fantastic live.

Did so done say up thread that they wished KS would do a new mix of something off Loveless (ideally Soon, iirc) as they think he's now much better at sonics? Because, iirc, the analogue remaster of Soon on the new CD set from last year IS a new mix? Or maybe the digitalone? But basically each of the three versions of Soon on those rereleases (including the EPs disc version) is different, and one was done very recently because the original version had been lost. I'm sure he said that in the P4K interview he did last year.

― they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, February 7, 2013 2:14 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That was me, that's cool, I'd love to hear it, a little upset the cd was never given proper release in the u.s., I'd really like to hear it on cd, so pricy to import :-(

6 hours and no new updates?

is everything ok??

anyway, the more i listen to mbv, the more i prefer it to Loveless. the main reason i think is that the production seems fuller and more compressed. it's not loud chorus/quiet verse (Only Shallow for example), but loud chorus AND verse. also, the melodies are great, and the vocals are a bit clearer which is also great.

In Another Way sounds like a Faith Healers.

I am toying with the idea of thinking this too (that I like it better). Quite hard to figure out though. I actually don't get the stuff about the new one being 'more straightforward' and 'less vague' etc. Loveless has a lot of stuff on it that to me, sounds like guitars being strummed.

I am loving this album but at this point there isn't one single song that I would say is better than "Only Shallow", which I consider to be the platonic ideal of a My Bloody Valentine song (and is the only one besides "Soon" that I've actively listened to in the past decade)

ask me in a month how I feel about "Only Tomorrow", though

but Loveless is the more straightforward one!
xpost

Funny that - lot's of people have said that too. I never much rated Only Shallow. In fact, I just put Loveless on after I posted there and skipped to Loomer (which I think is the best track on it, along with To Here Knows When). And all the other tracks.

Nostormo, yes that's what I think... Just that it doesn't appear to be a widely held opinion (as far as I read anyway).

otm
xpost

Only Shallow is MBV for the masses (read: accessible): very melodic, use the quiet/loud 90's formula etc..
there are better songs in Loveless (Soon, Loomer..)

only shallow will always be one of my faves

After a few days now, I am actually still struggling to come to terms with the fact that "mbv" is really great.

I only knew "Soon" for the longest time, and then I bought the album on a whim during the summer of '98 while driving around DC and when I popped the CD into the car stereo "Only Shadow" blew my face off and I have been entirely beholden to it ever since

I also think that people who think mbv is more straightforward than Loveless are not actually listening to the music, but rather the end result of production techniques they've been soaking in for 22 years. Musically, mbv is a good bit more complicated.

"Soon" is way more "MBV for the masses" than anything else on the album btw

my platonic ideal melodic MBV song is What You Want
my platonic ideal noise MBV song is Feed Me With Your Kiss
my platonic ideal melodically noisy MBV song is (When You Wake) You're Still in a Dream

mbv is also more focused

still not into the sequencing of this one. feels very lumpy to me, like when you're making a duvet and you shove it inside the cover and somehow all the bulk ends up being all squished up at one end. favourite track is actually the first song, i think people are passing over it cos it's seemingly a bit slight as an opener, but really it's gorgeous.

See, Dan - to my ears, it sounds more complicated production-wise too. In that it sounds vaguer and less like guitars. Other people have said it sounds much closer to a live band. My ears say WAHT.

It actually makes me wonder if what Kevin Shields has been working of for the past 22 years is to make a record that actually sounds completely different to everyone who listens to it.

Loveless is obv more straightforward because every song is verse-instrumental-verse

"favourite track is actually the first song, i think people are passing over it cos it's seemingly a bit slight "

its a great song

yeah the instrumental is the chorus
xpost

First song is amazing. Way better than Sometimes, which it's getting compared with.

I wouldn't go that far, but it is great. I do wish it was sequenced closer to the middle or end, though.

i never thought i could think a new shoegaze record is so great, even if it's by MBV, which says something.

yeah i think the slow 'uns on m b v compare very well with loveless, the melodies and textures are delicious. the louders ones are all individually good but never really glue together.

I like it better than "Loveless!"

But I also like "Isn't Anything" better than Loveless.

I don't think I like it better than "Say Anything" though.

(Which isn't to say I dislike "Loveless" even a little bit.)

(Yes, I know this is sacrilege.)

I like it all and you must obey me.

you got lesslove for loveless

I like it all. And did before Ned's decree.
Though the decree was reassuring that I was doing SOMETHING right.

I like it better than "Loveless!"

I do too!