The Return Of My Bloody Valentine

Yeah fuck that limey shit.

Still loving it, letting it settle in, honestly hearing new things each time. It wasn't until today I actually heard the drums at the start of "Wonder 2" underneath the roaring murk. I can sense why Simon's conclusions are as they are but...*shrugs*...hey, I'm not him!

i guess i'm just really glad that i'm not a super intense fan of MBV and i can just listen to this as a new album of a band that i think is cool & has a good sound and not really have to compare it to some romanticized personal experience of college or whatever

― downton arby (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, February 8, 2013 2:36 PM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol

He seems to be expecting the old, unchanged friend. Has he thought this old friend also has his head in a completely different place, too?

with the comment on 'wonder 2' what SR seems to be saying is that his friend is, if anything, not changed enough from 15 years ago. They haven't gone to a different place.

I'm quite happy with the place they're at, thanks very much.

You're full of RETROMANIA!

I'm also wondering if the emphasis on lows and mids has anything to do with Shields hearing. He did, after all, surround himself with really heavy noise at high frequencies.

Thought it went the other way around? That as we age we hear fewer high frequencies so we're more likely to add treble because that's what sounds right, or balanced or whatever.

source: fifteen-year old Aphex Twin interview

I'm not trying to say anything new. Just clarifying that his friend's mind might be elsewhere and that it simply doesn't coincide with SR's. And that they may be so far apart from each other, that they can't understand one another.

I can't hold it against KS for making music he likes to make and force him, instead, to make something that is vastly different from before. But I think this complaint already lies in the realm of the discourse of the job and importance (or lack thereof) of the music critic. You have people pushing sound and being more inventive, such as Woebot (who SR likes), and then you have the other extreme which is people playing because it feels right or 'good'. I guess in a perfect world, musicians would find some middle ground, but I don't think we should be harsh with those that do not, especially when that 'middle ground' seems to be so elusive and ever-changing depending on what (moving) extremes you choose. Just my thoughts.

Eris Bueller, I guess what I meant to say was he might be sensitive to brighter sounds. I know people that have gone to too many live shows and find bright sounds discomforting, whereas mids are still bearable. But it does vary depending on how you've ruined your ears. Take it with a grain a salt because this is anecdotal and I do not have any scientific data to back this up.

xposts you are correct

doesn't this just sound bassier and fuller because, uh, it wasn't made with tech from the arse end of the 80s. we're missing something that made loveless great, 'pop-noise-pop' all focused in a narrow freq range. loads is left up to the imagination and the listening situation with loveless. loveless sounds great super quiet and super loud and they feel like two different things to me.

not that i'm complaining about m b v, this is a great sounding record. reminds me of portishead 'third', mastery of the recording situation, very mature melodically, patient, focused record that you want to give time to becuase you know what the people that made it are capable of

There's something rhythmically suppressed, aurally suffocated about the bulk of it

So if people really wanted some further thoughts...

*clicky*

As I recall SR doesn't like the bulk of Loveless nearly as much as Isn't Everything and the EPs?

Correct. And he said as much at the time!

Alex otm. Rhythmic suppression and aural suffocation are sort of WHAT THEY DO. And picking the last song as a counterexample of what they should've done is just.... he does realize "Wonder 2" is probably the least rhythmically-driven track on here, and the most suffocated?

Re: the lack of high end, it's almost certainly a conscious decision. Loveless has a similar sonic spectrum. If there are any extenuating circumstances to consider it's probably not hearing loss-- I mean, how many shows has KS played in the last 20 years-- but a by-product of repeated listening at high volumes, long hours at the mixing desk

I confess to being totally wrong on my initial assessment. On subsequent listens this album really shines. However I always skip the last 3 songs.

Whereas the last three songs for me are the best of the album by far!

you guys should just split one copy of the vinyl!

http://eastgatesdachurch.org/sites/default/files/images/solomon%20baby.JPG

I guess they just seem to busy. Too layered. Like several songs played back simultaneously. Not sure where to focus my listening.

Sly Shoddy Turpentine

I played it for the first time and it had the same effect as Loveless. Completely "what the fuck...?" Terrible. Twenty years for this shit?

Again today and it's starting to unravel.

I can't wait to play it again. It sounds so fucking woozy

fwiw,Loveless is a desert island disc for me.. It took me a while. I couldn't believe how low "come in alone" was on a ballot on here."Swallow" is on there too

There are no songs on MBV that match these two or "to here knows when" . It's really OK

I guess they just seem to busy. Too layered. Like several songs played back simultaneously. Not sure where to focus my listening.

― calstars, Friday, February 8, 2013 6:04 PM

Of course, I blame everything that I like outside of metal for my love of metal so my hypothesis might be full of shit.

just starting a 4 hour DJ set, opened with "if i am" and "new you"

sounds dope on these giant fucking vintage monitors in the DJ booth!!

What, right now? Got any Bobby Brown?

no :(

and a really cute girl just requested "that steve aoki song"

has someone already received the cd/vinyl? right now there are offers at 147 euros at ebay for the cd+vinyl.

I don’t think it’s being shipped for another couple of weeks.

And it’s still available online too!

my guess would be that cd and vinyl do not exist as yet.

and a really cute girl just requested "that steve aoki song"

― ❏❐❑❒ (gr8080), Saturday, February 9, 2013 5:01 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

wonder 2?

I don’t think it’s being shipped for another couple of weeks.

One week in & I am pretty much unreservedly loving this. Something I've noticed is that it isn't until you've familiarized yourself with the many (indelible, awesome) textural elements that you can start to parse the melodies, which ARE very strong on this album overall, but much subtler and more oblique than a lot of older MBV.

If another song comes along this year that I like more than 'in another way,' it will have been a very good year for songs.

Wait, is there a new album coming out !?!?

When you say "Wait" ....

Wait for it...

didn't Kevin say there was going to be an EP of new material soon as well? lol

to here knows when?

In MBV years, that's 11 years. Yes! Half way there!

I'm officially in love with the new album and I'm sorry for the people who are not enjoying it (this includes Simon Reynolds with whom I bumped into some years ago. I was completely drunk and said 'are you the famous Simon Reynolds?'. god, I'm embarassed now)

I took my first crack at the album over the weekend. First listen was on the drive up to Vermont Friday morning, just ahead of the snowstorm, set at top volume. Yes, this experience pairs nicely. The two that clicked with me the most were "new you" and "wonder 2." The jungle track seems oddly misplaced until I think about how much nostalgia has pervaded indie culture ("Remember the 90s!" and whatnot), then I realize it's pretty much the perfect closer, since in the act of remembering, jungle was pushed along to memory's wayside. (For me, at least. I'm sure there are electronic enthusiasts here who will disagree.)

Here's the strange thing that happened on subsequent listens: My dog got *really* into this record. With every track, he'd close his eyes, his head would bob, and then he'd just zone out. I wish I was kidding. Since every track on here ends abruptly, he would be jolted out of his vibey bliss, stand up and look at us, like "Where'd the music go?" Since the dog is really bad with cars, we pretty much listened to it non-stop on the 9-hour drive home with zero barking, or other anxiety issues. (Also, driving through snow, rain, and dense fog will forever now be linked to the experience of this album.)

Has anyone had their pets react to the album in a similar fashion?

ahah, sounds great !
dunno about my dog, though, cos whatever happens, he zones out...

I should note our dog has never shown any reaction to music prior to this. Going to experiment with other MBV/shoegaze albums and see if there's a similar response.

You could make money on YouTube!

Listened to this this morning, albeit half of it on a busy train to Kings Cross. Seemed very good, if a little subdued compared to Loveless (not a criticism). Will need to take another listen tonight.

I know people are sick of me asking, but has anyone heard whether there'll be a way to buy this outside of their site?

Oddly enough, my cat also loves this record, and has shown no prior interest in music! But she will sit enraptured with her ears perked up and listen to the whole thing.

xposts