― alex thomson, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― ethan padgett, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― sundar subramanian, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― Josh, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― Jens, Saturday, 17 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 18 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
I think they're alright, I think their obvious dedication to their sound and art is fairly admirable, but the resulting records don't move me (the Christmas one is quite nice).
In some of the praise of them there's an undertow of virtues-of- simplicity stuff, and I can see why - when I listen to Low the word that often comes to mind is 'quaint'. You feel a little better for owning a Low record, I suppose, like a piece of handmade furniture or something. They're not classic.
― Tom, Monday, 19 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― Josh, Monday, 19 February 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 13 March 2001 01:00 (eighteen years ago) Permalink
― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (seventeen years ago) Permalink
― Josh, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (seventeen years ago) Permalink
― Phil, Friday, 20 July 2001 00:00 (seventeen years ago) Permalink
― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (seventeen years ago) Permalink
― anthony, Saturday, 21 July 2001 00:00 (seventeen years ago) Permalink
― gareth, Sunday, 22 July 2001 00:00 (seventeen years ago) Permalink
ha I never said on this thread that 'the curtain hits the cast' is one of my few most favorite albums ever.
― Josh, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink
― Julio Desouza, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (sixteen years ago) Permalink
i watched that low documentary on cable last nite. maaaaaaaan, was that boring. not even two members of napalm death could pep things up. HOW IRONIC LOW DUDE THEY ARE IN NAPALM DEATH AND YOU ARE IN LOW AND YOU ARE IN THE SAME BUILDING WHAT ARE THE ODDS. on the other hand, it made me want to listen to low records. i do like low. and watching low live from my couch is, if you ask me, the best friggin' place on earth to watch low live.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:25 (eleven years ago) Permalink
hahah, interesting post. a boring documentary that made you wanna listen to the records. i can see that. good documentary i guess, rather slow, i own it but have only watched it once, so far.
― stephen, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:33 (eleven years ago) Permalink
the live footage is indeed superb.
that's the Low In Europe thing, right? I've got that DVD too, should really watch it again too
― StanM, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:43 (eleven years ago) Permalink
they should have set up the most boring people alive premise even more than they did. they sould have called the doc: HOW LOW CAN YOU GO:THE DIRTY DULUTH 3 LAY WASTE TO EUROPE! with girls gone wild cover art.
― scott seward, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:49 (eleven years ago) Permalink
Maybe the sequel will be even lower
― StanM, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:52 (eleven years ago) Permalink
Low & Lowerer, with new bass player Jim Carrey
― StanM, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 20:53 (eleven years ago) Permalink
ultimately characterless and forgettable
lol. Heard Drums and Guns?
― Daniel, Esq., Wednesday, 9 January 2008 22:20 (eleven years ago) Permalink
it hadn't been released back then
― electricsound, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 22:27 (eleven years ago) Permalink
i have "low in europe" and only got halfway through it. hmm. and as you all know, i adore them.
vvv tickled to see the original post -- it was alex who got me into low, some ... fucking hell, 12 years ago now. christ.
― grimly fiendish, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 22:30 (eleven years ago) Permalink
which album do I listen to right now if I've never heard any of them before? quick!
― Preview of the Matrix 12, Sunday, 27 January 2008 23:44 (eleven years ago) Permalink
I think The Great Destroyer is very accessible, so that may be a good entry point. But I guess Things We Lost In The Fire might be a more representative disc.
A handful of songs on the new disc (called Drums and Guns) are also an excellent introduction to the band. Try, for example, this killer (no pun intended) version of Murderer, from a live, in-studio performance last year.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 27 January 2008 23:48 (eleven years ago) Permalink
Things We Lost in the Fire is a great introduction. I'd also recommend Secret Name, which was my intro, also very good.
― stephen, Monday, 28 January 2008 20:19 (eleven years ago) Permalink
Things We Lost in the Fire, definitely. Worked for me at least, from the first chord change.
― Z S, Monday, 28 January 2008 20:26 (eleven years ago) Permalink
Anyone see that film about Low that's now showing on Pitchfork.tv? It's called You Might Need A Murderer. I didn't know how troubled Alan Spearhawk was. Semi-boring film, but a totally compelling band.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 01:34 (ten years ago) Permalink
Oh it's on Pitchfork.tv? Sweet, I saw it in the local record store today and passed on it ($20 brand new) but i'll totally watch it for free. One of my all time favorite bands, love these guys.
― stephen, Sunday, 22 June 2008 01:58 (ten years ago) Permalink
npr interview with the sparhawks a while ago that touched on his issues
― mookieproof, Sunday, 22 June 2008 02:00 (ten years ago) Permalink
Catch it now, Stephen. It's the "One Week Only" feature on Pitchfork.tv.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 02:14 (ten years ago) Permalink
That NPR interview is fascinating. Sparhawk dances around his problems some, but this is the first time I've heard he was suicidal.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 02:41 (ten years ago) Permalink
Thanks Daniel, I'll be sure to check it out Sunday morning when i get up :D
― stephen, Sunday, 22 June 2008 03:53 (ten years ago) Permalink
Retribution Gospel Choir (Alan's new, catchier, LOUD, rock band) played a sparsely attended show in Montreal on Friday that was fucking amazing. PLayed their hearts out for we seated folk, left my ears so happily ringing. Was sad to see him loading up the van alone in the street afterward (last time I saw Low it was at ATP with another 1000 people). If Retribution Gospel Choir come to chez toi, go go go. terrific.
― sean gramophone, Sunday, 22 June 2008 16:52 (ten years ago) Permalink
Low have subtley crept, over the course of about ten years, into the position of being my favorite existing band.
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:28 (ten years ago) Permalink
"subtly"
Some good discussion on this thread, methinks.
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:41 (ten years ago) Permalink
Retribution Gospel Choir (Alan's new, catchier, LOUD, rock band) played a sparsely attended show in Montreal on Friday that was fucking amazing.
ARGH I was on the list for this but couldn't go, damn you, job.
― Simon H., Sunday, 22 June 2008 18:44 (ten years ago) Permalink
I've seen them 7-8 times since 1997 and have observed as the venue/audience size has grown in tandem with the expanse of the band's dynamic (louder choruses, distortion pedals and such). The songs from their last few records are perfectly suited to the mid-size theatres they play these days. But my favorite gigs were one in the mid-to-late 90's, when they would come through the Ann Arbor/Detroit area quite regularly and play at little hole-in-the-wall spots: The (small) audience would generally sit on the floor and remain dead silent until the band finished playing (save for the occasional applause). There was a communal reverence, churchlike almost, unlike anything else I've experienced at rock gigs (even a "seated" Yo La Tengo show from their And Then Nothing.. tour, in which the band/venue provided the audience with folding chairs, didn't come close). It was a beautiful thing to be a part of, really.
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 19:12 (ten years ago) Permalink
I totally get that. I'm sure you'd agree, though, that they deserve all the additional attention -- and higher audience attendance at shows -- that they now get. I'm with you: Low has become one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, band of the moment.
― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 22 June 2008 19:34 (ten years ago) Permalink
I'll third that. Best band going today.
― stephen, Sunday, 22 June 2008 19:37 (ten years ago) Permalink
i saw RGC a few years back with Kozelek and they were alright but the drummer was really stiff; if it's the same guy I'm sure they've loosened up a bit. I'm assuming Kozelek isn't on this tour.
― akm, Sunday, 22 June 2008 20:06 (ten years ago) Permalink
the best thing they played though was a crazy ass cover of "the carpet crawlers"
I'm sure you'd agree, though, that they deserve all the additional attention -- and higher audience attendance at shows
Yeah, it has actually been very rewarding to watch a humble little band like Low build and expand their aesthetic over the years, and at the same time gain popularity because of the sheer quality of their art. Even thought I have those fond memories of tiny quiet shows, I have no problem sharing Low with The World.
Strictly in terms of popularity, though, I know Low is bigger in Europe than The States, at least circa early-2000s. Was it that way in the mid-to-late 90's too? I'd been used to Low concerts being generally as described above. But then, in 2000, I moved to Dublin for college and twice saw Low in sold-out concerts at The Olympia, a fairly large theatre (fantastic shows both, one with cello!).
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 20:13 (ten years ago) Permalink
"thought" = though
― Pillbox, Sunday, 22 June 2008 20:15 (ten years ago) Permalink
stop all the clocks, quieten all the whisperings about low's republican tendencies:
low are playing an obama benefit somewhere.
they're also doing christmas shows in the uk, in november.
― schlump, Thursday, 17 July 2008 11:32 (ten years ago) Permalink
Maybe it's some fluke of the Youtube algorithm? I don't know if it gives different recommendations by country.
― jmm, Sunday, 17 February 2019 20:53 (three months ago) Permalink
Also people (parents?) probably just search “lullaby” and streaming / video services count plays even if you don’t listen to the whole song.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Sunday, 17 February 2019 20:55 (three months ago) Permalink
but.....why Turkey?!
― bhad bundy (Simon H.), Monday, 18 February 2019 05:12 (three months ago) Permalink
Simon you should ask them.
― macropuente (map), Monday, 18 February 2019 06:27 (three months ago) Permalink
tried to put some of those Turkish comments through google translate and it's like this track has become some sort of anthem for the depressed/suicidal somehow (with a bit of 4llah sprinkled in amongst them as well)
― StanM, Monday, 18 February 2019 08:30 (three months ago) Permalink
found no clues as to how/why Turkey though
probably similar to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luM6oeCM7Yw
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Monday, 18 February 2019 09:32 (three months ago) Permalink
view count: 77 million
― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Monday, 18 February 2019 09:33 (three months ago) Permalink
damn there's like a whole suicidal ideation support group formed in the comments on that one
― bhad bundy (Simon H.), Monday, 18 February 2019 17:46 (three months ago) Permalink
Very excited to see the show in SF tomorrow
― that's not my post, Saturday, 16 March 2019 05:06 (two months ago) Permalink
well that was something else
― akm, Sunday, 17 March 2019 15:07 (two months ago) Permalink
xpost, yeah, it was something else. awesome ambient noise & light show. crystalline vocals from mimi and beautiful harmonies as usual. and yet, i didn't love it as much as some of their other shows. it was a difficult list which may have been the point.
― that's not my post, Monday, 18 March 2019 02:45 (two months ago) Permalink
yeah almost everything from the last two albums and the state set up definitely put them at a remove from the audience where previously I've found Low shows to feel quite intimate. It got really late and we had to jet before the encore, to my dismay I'm guessing they did Over the Ocean and Sunflowers? No Murderer which is my favorite Low song of all time. But it was still pretty great. If you'd told me 20 years ago that Low would have a midset freakout that rivaled You Made Me Realize I'd have looked at you askance.
― akm, Monday, 18 March 2019 03:07 (two months ago) Permalink
OTM. The show here back-when was more ... theatrical than I'd come to expect from them. OK, maybe not theatrical, maybe more transcendent? Something more ineffable, but that may just be projection on my part. I always liked that they were the sort of band to just casually walk on stage, set up their own stuff, plug in and start playing, like a punk band. Not that this was that different, and in fact Alan's banter (as such) was as chill and funny and approachable as ever. But watching them fill a packed gorgeous cathedral with perfect oppressively gorgeous and at times ugly sound was something else.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 18 March 2019 12:07 (two months ago) Permalink
relistening to Double Negative today and I just need to say: ILM otm
― Simon H., Sunday, 7 April 2019 16:53 (one month ago) Permalink
ILM not wrong
― StanM, Sunday, 7 April 2019 18:14 (one month ago) Permalink
afaik I've never listened to a Low song in my life before today but decided to try Double Negative since it won the yearly poll here. holy shit is it good. need to make my second listen a proper one, feel like there's so much detail in these tracks
― Vinnie, Friday, 17 May 2019 15:00 (one week ago) Permalink
If you like this one there is lots of Low you'll likely also like, though no other Low is quite like this.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 17 May 2019 15:05 (one week ago) Permalink
heh, yeah i had a similar post in the works
Low: Recommended if you like: Low
― these are not all of the possible side effects (Karl Malone), Friday, 17 May 2019 15:09 (one week ago) Permalink
they're a fun band to get into at this stage, i imagine, because they've been consistently good and their catalog is large
― these are not all of the possible side effects (Karl Malone), Friday, 17 May 2019 15:10 (one week ago) Permalink
Actually, the number of albums they have was sort of preventing me from even starting, but after hearing this, I'll definitely dive into more
― Vinnie, Friday, 17 May 2019 15:52 (one week ago) Permalink
idk that I'd ever describe getting into Low as "fun" but there's really no bad points of entry, other than The Invisible Way (and even that one has some gems)
― Simon H., Friday, 17 May 2019 15:56 (one week ago) Permalink
It''s a good question, though. If you are a fan of the most recent album, which is probably their most challenging album, which album do you go to next? Ones and Sixes? Drums and Guns? Things We Lost in the Fire?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 17 May 2019 15:59 (one week ago) Permalink
D&G seems the most logical to me. I consider O&S mostly just a lesser, dry run for Double Negative now
― Simon H., Friday, 17 May 2019 16:00 (one week ago) Permalink
I'll try Drums and Guns next, but I think I'll want to listen to Double Negative many more times first!
― Vinnie, Friday, 17 May 2019 16:11 (one week ago) Permalink
no ones and sixes is almost equally amazing!!!
― american bradass (BradNelson), Friday, 17 May 2019 16:15 (one week ago) Permalink
It has some great songs but some filler too ("Kid in the Corner")
― Simon H., Friday, 17 May 2019 16:23 (one week ago) Permalink
Considering Double Negative is a fairly big departure for the group, I recommend you go to "Things We Lost in the Fire" next - one of the best versions of more typical Low. Just prepare yourself that it's not going to be all distorted and fragmented the way DN is. But assuming you dig that too, then you know you can move freely about their discography and let them surprise you. They have albums that are softer, and albums that are edgier.
I think if your departure point is the new album and you dig into their discography in search of something similar, you're setting yourself up for disappointment--which would be very sad because there are very few disappointing moments in their 25 years' worth of albums! But even a more anxious/dark album like Drums & Guns is not like Double Negative.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 17 May 2019 19:53 (one week ago) Permalink
Yeah I definitely want to check out Things We Lost, I know everyone loves that one. The distorted production on DN is definitely part of what's appealing to me, but I think the way the sounds are applied, the song construction, is also quite unique, so I'm interested to hear whatever people like from this band (which sounds like most of their work)
― Vinnie, Saturday, 18 May 2019 00:39 (one week ago) Permalink
There's very, very little from this band that isn't that great, and what little there is that isn't that great is only not that great compared to all their great stuff. Which is most of it. I mean, honestly, you can probably start with the first album and see what you think, since I can't imagine someone disliking that album but liking the rest.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 May 2019 01:19 (one week ago) Permalink
amazing how their sound went from minimalist to maximalist up to The Great Destroyer, and then expanded in other directions from there
― Dan S, Saturday, 18 May 2019 01:31 (one week ago) Permalink
Silver Rider is one of my favorite tracks of theirs
― Dan S, Saturday, 18 May 2019 01:35 (one week ago) Permalink
Longtime fan of Low, also a huge fan of the new record. My ranking of their records certainly finds one era of theirs at the bottom (don't have much use for TIW, Cmon, or TGD, though love D&G), but I love tracks from each other those records, too. Low are easily my favorite "band" of all time.
Re: records that folks new to them should check out if they like DN, I actually think that 'Trust' is the record from another era that is most similar to DN in terms of feel, its brilliant mixture of minimalism and threateningly ominous production (claustrophobic, almost) really making it and D&G the obvious predecessors to Double Negative.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Saturday, 18 May 2019 01:50 (one week ago) Permalink
The show in late November that I went to was pretty good, but nothing beats my first Low concert:
it was my 18th birthday and I saw them support 'Trust' (which might explain why it is my 2nd favorite Low record) in the basement of Oberlin College's student union. At one point, Alan asked the audience not to yell out curse words because their kids were with them on tour.
Mark Eitzel opened, supporting 'The Invisible Man.'
Both put on an incredible show, but I still can remember Alan and Mimi harmonizing on 'Sunflower' and just losing it. No 'popular' music had ever made me cry up until then.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Saturday, 18 May 2019 01:57 (one week ago) Permalink
They have so many great great covers, but I think about this one a lot, given how far it departs from the original, but also because of that nice warm drone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FHBxseoXvc
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Saturday, 18 May 2019 01:58 (one week ago) Permalink
that sounds amazing
― Dan S, Saturday, 18 May 2019 01:59 (one week ago) Permalink
xp
xp. It really was. Eitzel was also in top form that night. He did a very wild acoustic guitar version of "The Boy With The Hammer in the Paper Bag" that was like 8 or 9 minutes long? Really great.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Saturday, 18 May 2019 02:02 (one week ago) Permalink
There aren't any bad Low records, really - some stand as front-to-back complete works that are genuinely hard to pick apart (Double Negative, Things We Lost in the Fire, Trust), and those (Invisible Way, Ones & Sixes, Secret Name) with some highs and some less-than-highs. The band seem to have a self-awareness of this too which makes their concerts never fail to deliver.
I always felt Invisible Way got its reputation unfairly at the time from not pushing too many boundaries - return to more often than I do C'mon.
― matt h, Saturday, 18 May 2019 13:44 (one week ago) Permalink
Agree that IW is maybe too maligned but I really love C’mon.
If you listen to Drums & Guns, then watch the documentary, then listen to C’mon... the documentary is so raw and you see Alan at such a low point. In the wake of that, I feel like C’mon is this beautiful attempt to return to the light. Mimi’s songs are so strong, Alan’s still raw but more hopeful.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Saturday, 18 May 2019 16:08 (one week ago) Permalink
huh I've always considered Secret Name one of their classics
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 18 May 2019 17:20 (one week ago) Permalink
Throw a dart, really.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 May 2019 17:33 (one week ago) Permalink
you can’t go wrong with any Low album imo. Lost a bit in the discussion is how much of a classic their debut remains, and Long Division + The Curtain Hits the Cast are both absurdly good too.
― omar little, Saturday, 18 May 2019 17:52 (one week ago) Permalink
Most bands would be happy with those three as their peaks.
― omar little, Saturday, 18 May 2019 17:53 (one week ago) Permalink
C'mon was the one I was least impressed with when it came out but I listened to it the other day and I don't know what my problem was really
― Colonel Poo, Saturday, 18 May 2019 19:44 (one week ago) Permalink
I think The Curtain Hits the Cast is my favorite. It's the one that I return to the most.
but except for IW, any album is fine imo. (IW sounds like a Wilco record, other than a track or two is kind of useless to me tbh)
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Sunday, 19 May 2019 21:28 (one week ago) Permalink
one interesting thing is that i was obsessed with Low when I was around 19/20, had Lifetime and all the records, etc.... but then TGD came out and i HATED it. like couldn't believe how bad it was.
almost ten years passed by until i listened to it again, and i think that i was more than a little too attached to what i'd come to expect from them. now i think it rates higher than the rest of the records from that time period except D&G.
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Sunday, 19 May 2019 21:31 (one week ago) Permalink
I started listening to them with Secret Name, an incredible album, but thought Things We Lost in the Fire was their peak. Then I was unexpectedly floored by The Great Destroyer. Now think Double Negative is their real peak
― Dan S, Sunday, 19 May 2019 23:49 (one week ago) Permalink
― blue light or electric light (the table is the table), Sunday, May 19, 2019 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I had a similar experience. I went from being total obsessive completist--every 7", every comp appearance--to being lukewarm on Trust and really not into TGD. Wasn't swayed by D&G at first but came around to it. But altogether probably 8 years went by where I didn't listen to very much Low, they became relegated to a past version of myself. And somewhere between D&G and C'mon I dove back into the early stuff and gave the later albums a new try... now I'm back to being obsessive fan again.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Monday, 20 May 2019 16:37 (one week ago) Permalink
the first time i saw them live was in 2002 and the opener tom liwa who used to be my favourite german songwriter announced them as the best band in the world and i thought he was exaggerating a little but finally i have come to the conclusion that he was probably right, for the last couple of years they have been my fave live band in the world. they have got the capability to create a spiritual atmosphere of total silence and attentiveness like few other bands. i have seen them four times but they never played the song which made me discover them though i asked for it once. their awesome cover of transmission.
― je est un autre, l'enfer c'est les autres (alex in mainhattan), Monday, 20 May 2019 21:35 (one week ago) Permalink