Too LOW: ILM Artist Poll #111 - Low - RESULTS

I was the #1 voter for Immune. Secret Name was my route into Low after I had a real 'moment' with Immune during the John Peel Festive 50 countdown in late-Dec 1999 - it was played unannounced and felt so much more insistent and coiled and warm than I'd previously perceived them to be; I was really surprised and delighted when I found out who it was.

California also in my top 5 - such an addictive track!, and really interesting that this and Just Like Christmas haven't just defaulted to top 10 placings. I think that (from a UK perspective at least), these two are kind of 'the hits'.

A little shocked that Anon was so low, but then again I'm shocked that Curtain wasn't voted #1 album.

I'm starting to think I should have ranked my tracks so I'd agree with this list more.

Immune and California both in my top 10 - Immune is such a simple song but it's totally perfect; California maybe not totally representative of The Great Destroyer but it definitely unlocked that album for me.

only voted for one of these tracks so far, but I like a lot of them!

I've been thinking a lot about any reasons beyond sentiment and age that might influence my feelings toward Low's output, and I realize that there might be something about the earlier albums *lyrically* that could be part of it. The lyrics of the early records feel hermetic and cryptic yet strangely associative and narrativizing (I think of "Mom Says" or "Cut" as good examples). Starting around "The Great Destroyer," there was a sense (for me) that their lyric was expanding and becoming more outward-facing, and I think that the more recent records certainly put that in relief, in that they're pretty direct sociopolitical statements. And maybe that's why the more threatening and cryptic vibes of tracks like "Murderer" or "Take Your Time" or "Dancing and Blood" tend to be the tracks from the later records that feel most like older Low to me, and why I like them best of the newer stuff...there's something about suggestion that is much more interesting to me than directness.

That could just be me spitballing too much, tho.

so far:
61. Nightingale - 176 points, 5 voters
61. I Remember - 176 points, 5 voters
60. Gentle - 177 points, 6 voters
58. Spanish Translation - 186 points, 7 voters, 1 #1 vote
58. Like a Forest - 186 points, 6 voters
57. Days Like These - 202 points, 7 voters
55. John Prine - 206 points, 7 voters
55. Belarus - 206 points, 6 voters
54. Soon - 216 points, 8 voters, 1 #1 vote
53. Sleep at the Bottom - 233 points, 8 voters, 1 #1 vote
52. Dancing and Blood - 237 points, 7 voters
50. More - 238 points, 10 voters, 1 #1 vote
50. Especially Me - 238 points, 9 voters, 1 #1 vote
49. Immune - 250 points, 5 voters, 1 #1 vote
48. Anon - 257 points, 7 voters
47. Just Like Christmas - 266 points, 7 voters
46. Venus - 270 points, 11 voters
45. Always Up - 271 points, 6 voters
44. Lies - 273 points, 9 voters
43. July - 274 points, 10 voters
42. California - 276 points, 9 voters
41. The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off) - 277 points, 9 voters

https://i.imgur.com/9nQOrwL.png
40. Tempest
Released on Double Negative (2018)
278 points, 7 voters
Studio version
EarthQuaker Session

What is that thing on the cover anyway

some sort of mask i think

i really love "tempest", those waves of sidechained distortion are gorgeous

https://i.imgur.com/whaWxK5.png
39. Last Snowstorm of the Year
Released on Trust (2002)
279 points, 8 voters
Studio version

I love Tempest so much! I discovered that EarthQuaker session yesterday while following the rollout, and looked back in disbelief at how low I had it on my ballot. Really a perfect summation of what's so great about Double Negative: there are amazing, amazing songs at its core.

Last Snowstorm of the Year is also incredible. :)

https://i.imgur.com/XX4CDB1.png
37. Whitetail
Released on Things We Lost In The Fire (2001)
285 points, 8 voters
Music video

https://i.imgur.com/GpBCMwN.png
37. Landslide
Released on Ones and Sixes (2015)
285 points, 11 voters
Studio version

I know you can probably say something like this about pretty much any song so far, but how does the band that wrote Landslide have 36 better songs? They really might be the best band.

I am here for the content-free filler while everyone else is busy.

Oh shit, they're playing here in February! I should snag tickets.

“tempest” didn’t make my ballot but it’s a really incredible track - those last 30 seconds where it sounds like the band is drowning

https://i.imgur.com/nEItCQr.png
35. Weight of Water
Released on Secret Name (1999)
291 points, 9 voters, 1 #1 vote
Music video

https://i.imgur.com/cUMZQMo.png
35. No Comprende
Released on Ones and Sixes (2015)
291 points, 11 voters
Studio version

“whitetail” otoh did make my ballot - amazing creeping dread

I had Weight of Water at number one and I can't quite believe that it's so far down in the rankings
Same for Whitetail which was second in my list

Hearing "No Comprende" the last time I saw them live was the precise moment where I recognized, whoa, I clearly didn't give "Ones and Sixes" the time and attention it deserved.

https://i.imgur.com/nm1a8s8.png
34. Broadway (So Many People)
Released on The Great Destroyer (2005)
302 points, 7 voters
Studio version

https://i.imgur.com/PtF6Tfu.png
33. The Lamb
Released on Trust (2002)
303 points, 7 voters, 1 #1 vote
Studio version

I guess for the 25th time I am going to need to give Trust another try to see why you all rate it so highly amongst all their albums. Like all things Low I love every album but I still have always placed this album near the bottom of my personal rankings. And I only nominated one song in my top 30.

Whitetail way too lowwwwwwwwww

https://i.imgur.com/09hXPao.png
31. Violent Past
Released on Drums and Guns (2007)
310 points, 10 voters, 1 #1 vote
Studio version
Live 2013

https://i.imgur.com/3HepswN.png
31. Will the Night
Released on Songs For A Dead Pilot (1997) & Secret Name (1999)
310 points, 11 voters, 1 #1 vote
56 points for the Songs For A Dead Pilot version
Songs For A Dead Pilot music video
Secret Name version
Peel Session
Demo

Woah. Some serious TOO low placings here. Weight of Water - I thought was a lock for Top Ten. I adore Broadway but I can see how it may not be everyone's idea of Low.

I'm a Dead Pilots voter for Will The Night. In retrospect it's another of those recordings that sound a little like the early stuff. A bit more ambient maybe.

Dead Pilots was my entry level to Low and I'm a little concerned my Number one might not make it?

There are number one places all over the place here. This is unprecedented, right?

https://i.imgur.com/xstlYtJ.png
30. White Horses
Released on HEY WHAT (2021)
331 points, 10 voters
Music video

there is not a huge amount of consensus with the #1 votes yeah

not sure exactly how unusual that is though

The Lamb was my #1. Every distant creak and reverberant stomp is magical to my ears.

I could probably have specified the Dead Pilot version to be honest because that's the one I prefer.

The Lamb is astonishing.

I think the fitting irony of “Too LOW” is that the complaint really applies to anything in the roll-out that misses the top ten.

love all of the last three

"will the night" is great in both versions, the dead pilot version is proto-grouper & the secret name version makes the most of strings out of any of their tracks

"white horses" is my favourite from hey what, those guitar textures are incredible

https://i.imgur.com/Jsn50Td.png
29. Shots & Ladders
Released on Trust (2002)
352 points, 14 voters
2 points for "Shots & Ladders 2" (from the "Canada" single & A Lifetime of Temporary Relief)
Trust version
Shots & Ladders 2

a lot of the ones I voted for are now showing up. The Lamb is the first track so far that is top 10 for me

https://i.imgur.com/qwaodUD.png
28. Breaker
Released on Drums and Guns (2007)
370 points, 13 voters
20 points for "Breaker (Dub Plate)"
Music video
Live at L'Omnibus 2007
Retribution Gospel Choir version
Breaker (Dub Plate) (yes, it's mislabeled)

while the live version would have been great on a great destroyer 2, the sparseness of the studio version's arrangement has a real power to it

my hand just kills and kills
there’s gotta be an end to that

D&G stuff got a big bump for me thanks to DN and HW- and the “Breaker” video is top tier

https://i.imgur.com/MaRXqke.png
27. Shame
Released on Long Division (1995)
394 points, 13 voters
Music video

I voted for the Breaker (Dub Plate), and earlier for Venus (Time Stereo Dub Mix). After the first few records I get most excited about Low when their template gets distressed or abstracted.

the time stereo dub mix of "venus" is great yeah

i'm not huge on long division but "shame" is one of the real gems from it

I never knew they had all these alternative rock-era music videos for their Vernon Yard records!

I love Long Division as a limit-case of their early form, but I get how it can be kind of a tough hang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbCF2OqZOfE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AESrPcQRgc0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_3q0_m7JCY

didn’t specify this version on my ballot but the IG live performance of “breaker” literally brought me to tears

https://i.imgur.com/YKedsTm.png
26. In The Drugs
Released on Trust (2002)
397 points, 14 voters
Studio version

last one for today

i think “shame” was my sole long division vote