slowdive: classic or dud?

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Yes, one of my favorite songs ever and it always conjures such a very specific time of my life (ie. May 1994)

Baaderonixx says DANCE!! TAKE A CHANCE!!! are you ready for... TRUE ROMANCE (baa, Tuesday, 8 November 2005 10:51 (eighteen years ago) link

no bonus junk for pygmalion?

Christopher Costello (CGC), Tuesday, 8 November 2005 18:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Anyone know if there are there plans to release the new CDs with bonus tracks in the US? Amazon only has the remastered ones as imports:

here's one: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000BJRJAO/

all the CDs they have by slowdive:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=music-artist&field-artist=Slowdive

lyra (lyra), Tuesday, 8 November 2005 20:16 (eighteen years ago) link

three weeks pass...
So has anyone heard any of the re-issues? I have all the stuff on the bonus discs, so I'm wondering if the remastering job makes them worth my money.

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link

How much do you really care about sonic profile? They sound a little more full and more dynamic, as usual, but it's not as if there's much keeping the originals from the way they were presumably meant to sound -- not a whole lot that was asking to be "fixed."

nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 21:22 (eighteen years ago) link

I NEED MORE GAUZE DAMMIT

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 21:24 (eighteen years ago) link

My overall sense is that these remasters are less about provoking re-buying from Slowdive fans, and more about just packaging this stuff neatly into someone's back-catalog: now everything's in print and available, and all the singles and EPs you won't see anymore in used shops are collected up on the bonus discs. Sort of archival more than exciting! new! expanded! Which is reasonable, because I'd expect some small level of interest in these records to continue indefinitely; I don't they "date" or get surpassed by new things.

nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 29 November 2005 21:29 (eighteen years ago) link

So Pitchfork reviewed these today and gave them very high ratings: Just for a Day 7.0, Souvlaki 9.3, and Pygmalion 8.7. I love this band so have no problem with the ratings but do these seem a little high? I just think Slowdive were about the fifth best band out of this era. My favorite era for music so I have no problem but just really surprised is all.

BeeOK (boo radley), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 06:10 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm not too concerned about the exact rating, but the albums are ranked properly, which is more important.

The early EP's absolutely obliterate "Pygmalion" though, while not quite reaching the heights of "Souvlaki", so maybe that 8.7 is too high after all.

MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 06:15 (eighteen years ago) link

i've never heard pygmalion but neither of the other albums is what i would call a "great" album. 9.3 is surely way too high for Souvlaki, even by a hardcore fan's standards

xpost

jim p. irrelevant (electricsound), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 06:16 (eighteen years ago) link

I think Souvlaki is damn near perfect, but could take or leave the other two.

jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 06:20 (eighteen years ago) link

i'm excited to get the just for a day reissue because i only have the early singles on vinyl and haven't heard them in a while. pygmalion is probably my favorite of the three, it's the one i certainly listen to the most.

fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 06:37 (eighteen years ago) link

Speaking not just for Pitchfork, but generally, I don't think 7.0 is an outstandingly high rating. 8.7s are given out frequently to (imo) all sorts of average flotsam, and 9.3 is perhaps a touch excessive, but for an album that (allegedly) stands up as a shining example of the genre a decade on it's perfectly understandable. And lets face it, the majority of broadly guitar-based music in this particular section of the marketplace has taken a collosal dive downwards in creativity levels since that time. I'd expect "Loveless" would be a straight 9.9 these days if up for reissue?

I think you have to use your own sense of adjustment with these things. I'm in aggreement with that scaruffi person frankly (http://www.scaruffi.com/music.html) ratings are over-inflated right across the board. They could sorely do with bringing in line with reality, but it's never going to happen whilst commercial pressures exist. Ratings kinda suck anyway but they're still useful (as the most limited gauge of quality possible).

fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 06:54 (eighteen years ago) link

I think 9.3 is actually pretty low for 'Souvlaki', while, granted, 'Pygmalion' is pretty high.

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 08:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Souvlaki and Pygmalion are rated about right, although Slowdive have always been one of my favourite bands.

I'd of given JFAD less than 7.0, even though i still enjoy it. The bonus stuff on JFAD is great though, alot of their best non-Souvlaki work was on those early singles.

They could have put bonus tracks on the Pygmalion release though, all the demos are avaliable on your favourite p2p (as well as the Souvlaki demos) and are pretty good as far as demos go.

splates (splates), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:08 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, I know, I'm gutted that all these unreleased songs (from the Souvlaki era I imagine) have not been added to the bonus discs..

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:15 (eighteen years ago) link

If it's really as good as it's meant to be (I only heard Souvlaki Space Station, the track a few weeks ago & I'm inclined to believe it may well be so) a 9.0 is still a huge mark of approval.

I'm not sure quibbling about decimals matters that much (retract what I said above ok?). I'd only consider it 'low' in an environment where everything else is absurdly exaggerated. 9 to me = exceptional, close to essential, a clearly influential & groundbreaking release (for reissues).

Didn't Clap Your Hands Say Yeah get a 9? =)

fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:16 (eighteen years ago) link

But then, that fits with what Nabisco's saying, how these reissues aren't meant for the obsessive fans. A box set full of goodies would be nice for them/us.

xpost

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:17 (eighteen years ago) link

My take:

I saw Slowdive around ten times in and around Los Angeles for those first two albums. That drummer brought Just for a Day to life and was a madman on the kit. Some of my favorite B-sides are on those early EPs and are the extra traks for the first release. So I actually think JFAD is underrated because of the bonus disc. Souvlaki is right because it really is that good. I have owned Pygmalion since 2001 when I bought it at Amoeba San Francisco for cheep and never got into it. People love that album and I should find out why but that is around a 7.0 for me at the moment. Slowdive live blew me away because of their amazing drummer that you can’t really experience that aspect on record but live he made you pay attention.

BeeOK (boo radley), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Were you at that Roxy show on the Souvlaki tour?

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:38 (eighteen years ago) link

You can't really justify rating JFAD for the bonus disc and giving it a higher mark. You have to rate the album not the bonus tracks. Definitely right though, the JFAD extra tracks are swell.

xpost

splates (splates), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Were you at that Roxy show on the Souvlaki tour?

Was the date Monday April 11, 1994? Yes I was at that show, and was also at the raggedy place that was upstairs (maybe) can't find a stub for this show but was the only show I saw at this place. If I remember right it was off Hollywood Blvd, maybe Sunset and was a great show as well but bands shouldn’t have played this place but they did.

BeeOK (boo radley), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 09:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Yep, on Sunset in 1994. Great great show. I has such a crush on Rachel G at that time that my little teenage heart melted when I got to say hello after the show...

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 10:40 (eighteen years ago) link

I shall be buying the Pygmalion reissue, as I completely blanked it first time out. Of course I'm taking youse guys' word for it that it's any good at all. (I am aph34r3d it may be as rub as Mojave 3.)

Anyone want to buy my copy of Souvlaki + Blue Day in 2CD set? I could then happily get the other 2 reissues.

Jeff W (zebedee), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 12:42 (eighteen years ago) link

Wasn't at the Roxy show but the show in Fullerton the day before (or day after). And that was mighty fine. I did see them at the Roxy the previous year opening for Catherine Wheel, though.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 13:21 (eighteen years ago) link

i would have switched the pfork ratings for souvlaki and pygmallion.

AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 30 November 2005 13:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Haha, yes I know the Roxy is on Sunset. I was actually talking about another time I saw them at this place that was in an upstairs club off Sunset I think. It felt like it was someone living room or something like that, never did see another show at that place. I was also head over heels in love with Rachel as well. Never did know they played in Fullerton the next night as that was just right around the corner of where I lived at the time and would of went to that show if known. I did see Ride/Slowdive at the Coach House the tour before however, great double bill that one was.

BeeOK (boo radley), Thursday, 1 December 2005 01:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Saw Ride/Slowdive at the Palace the day after -- and the day after that the Pale Saints opened instead! And this was the last tour with Ian in the band too. Swank.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 December 2005 01:29 (eighteen years ago) link

This is what I saw in about one month in 1992:

April 24 - Teenage Fanclub (Fairfax High School)
April 25 – The Charlatans (Palace)
April 28 - The Sugarcubes (Palace)
May 9 – Catherine Wheel (Whisky A Go Go)
May 18 – Blur (Palace)
May 28 – Ride with Slowdive (Coach House)
May 29 – Ride with Slowdive (Palace)
May 30 – Ride with Pale Saints (Palace)
June 2 – Pale Saints (Whisky A Go Go)

Not to forget the Cure twice at the end of June that year.

Time of my life…

BeeOK (boo radley), Thursday, 1 December 2005 02:01 (eighteen years ago) link

"Rutti" = best opening song to any album EVAH!! must... find... guitar tabs...

Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 1 December 2005 03:50 (eighteen years ago) link

i remember the days when you wanted to see both bands at a show ride/lush, ride/slowdive, slowdive/catherine wheel, catherine wheel/house of love(i have blacked out ocean colour scene although they were still sorta swirly at that time), curve/majesty crush, curve/spiritualized/jamc, revolver/drop nineteens, kitchens of distinction/bleach, pale saints, chapterhouse. now i must sit through four bands i don't want to hear before the one band i sorta want to hear.

keyth (keyth), Thursday, 1 December 2005 04:21 (eighteen years ago) link

Keyth were you in Los Angeles in the early 90s as well? I saw almost all those shows: ride/lush (yes), ride/slowdive (yes), slowdive/catherine wheel (yes), catherine wheel/house of love/ocean colour scene* (yes), curve/majesty crush (nope), curve/spiritualized/jamc/medicine (yes), revolver/drop nineteens (yes), kitchens of distinction/bleach (nope), pale saints (yes), chapterhouse (fuck yeah).

I don’t make that many shows anymore, since moving back to Los Angeles, because 1) in San Francisco they were right outside my door and didn’t have to drive miles and miles. 2) Ticketmaster can go to HELL!

*I know ILM hates OCS but they were a great live band and became much better as the years went on. Everything doesn’t need to be new and inventive all the time, stealing from the best is OK every once in awhile.


I don’t make that many shows anymore, since moving back to Los Angeles, because 1) in San Francisco they were right outside my door and didn’t have to drive miles and miles. 2) Ticketmaster can go to HELL!

BeeOK (boo radley), Thursday, 1 December 2005 04:48 (eighteen years ago) link

April 24 - Teenage Fanclub (Fairfax High School)
April 25 – The Charlatans (Palace)
April 28 - The Sugarcubes (Palace)
May 9 – Catherine Wheel (Whisky A Go Go)
May 18 – Blur (Palace)
May 28 – Ride with Slowdive (Coach House)
May 29 – Ride with Slowdive (Palace)
May 30 – Ride with Pale Saints (Palace)
June 2 – Pale Saints (Whisky A Go Go)

In order -- remember hearing about it, missed it, saw it (but it was the Wiltern!), missed it, saw it (I remember Damon ambling out on stage with the Moz quiff and everyone going "MORRISSEY!"), missed it, saw it, saw it, missed it (so annoyingly because the Red House Painters opened!).

In there, though, I did see the Wedding Present/Poster Children, Verlaines/Yo La Tengo, and Soundgarden/Swervedriver/Monster Magnet.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 December 2005 04:51 (eighteen years ago) link

will these ever see domestic release? all three of them were calling to me from the other music shelf today, but they were all $24 or something.

poortheatre (poortheatre), Thursday, 1 December 2005 06:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Nothing that was put on on Castle UK has been put out in the USA. (speculation that this won't change anytime soon.)

BeeOK (boo radley), Thursday, 1 December 2005 06:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Not actually true, if you mean in general -- for instance, a large number of the Fall reissues were released over here as well.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 December 2005 06:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Pygmalion is unbelievably great - my fave of theirs (and this is from someone who originally switched off after the first couple EP's).

Paul (scifisoul), Thursday, 1 December 2005 07:13 (eighteen years ago) link

You actually do lean something new everyday. Still I don't think Slowdive will be one of these that will see release in the US.

BeeOK (boo radley), Thursday, 1 December 2005 07:39 (eighteen years ago) link

Rutti love seconded. It's got that pacific surfer mystique that Neil H. seems to have eventually absorbed. Sucha

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Thursday, 1 December 2005 08:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Rutti love seconded. It's got that pacific surfer mystique that Neil H. seems to have eventually absorbed. Such a great opener

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Thursday, 1 December 2005 08:41 (eighteen years ago) link

rutti love thirded.

i'm not sure you'd get much out of a guitar tab though :)

AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 1 December 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link

The packaging of the souvlaki reissue sort of sucks: the original cover(?) as shown on allmusic seems a lot prettier, the typography on this is hideous and seems like an afterthought and "40 Days" is consistently mentioned as "Days". Aside from that: nice reissue..

barnaby69, Sunday, 11 December 2005 22:51 (eighteen years ago) link

do they come in fancy cardboard fold out packaging thingies?

Christopher Costello (CGC), Sunday, 11 December 2005 23:58 (eighteen years ago) link

and are they released in the US yet?

Christopher Costello (CGC), Sunday, 11 December 2005 23:58 (eighteen years ago) link

99% of sane people agree that slowdive is probably classic. but the real question is this:

"MOJAVE 3: DUD OR CLASSIC DUD?"

is there such thing as changing a posts title?

corey c (shock of daylight), Monday, 12 December 2005 06:40 (eighteen years ago) link

The packaging of the souvlaki reissue sort of sucks: the original cover(?) as shown on allmusic seems a lot prettier, the typography on this is hideous and seems like an afterthought and "40 Days" is consistently mentioned as "Days". Aside from that: nice reissue..

OTM. Maybe it's all in my jead but I do think the sound has been impoved nicely, adding texture here and there, and I'm glad to have 'So Tired' and 'In Mind', but jeez talk about awful packaging. But that's the original cover afraid (the superior black one was for the susbequent US domestic release).

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Monday, 12 December 2005 13:25 (eighteen years ago) link

Souvlaki and Just For A Day are available at indie record stores that have bothered to order them- I picked both up at Amoeba in LA last week, though there were only a few copies each. No sign of Pygmalion, yet, and I called around a bit.

jsoulja (jsoulja), Monday, 12 December 2005 15:32 (eighteen years ago) link

The original Souvlaki cover is better. The re-issue is nicer by design, but the original has a larger image of Rachel Goswell, who at least in those days was smoking hot and my total dream girl...

jsoulja (jsoulja), Monday, 12 December 2005 15:37 (eighteen years ago) link

Well, I think you will find that she still is...

Baaderonixx weaves a daisy chain for... SATAN!! (baaderonixx), Monday, 12 December 2005 16:14 (eighteen years ago) link

not after that solo album of hers she aint

jim p. irrelevant (electricsound), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 00:03 (eighteen years ago) link


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