|
I suppose this is just what happens to fans of bands that never quite
hit the mainstream during their own time… I spent a lot of time
and money tracking down all the import EP's from Slowdive's
three records, reveling in the glorious otherwise unreleased tracks,
many that most folks would never hear. And then, some ten years later,
Sanctuary Records comes along and re-releases all three of the seminal
shoegazer band's records and includes all those hard to track down
b-sides and EP tracks. On top of that, they throw on a really amazing
set of performances from the band's John Peel Session. Wow. Great
for the music buying public, but a bit of a slap-in-the-face to us
old school diehard fans. I suppose I'll live.
Sometimes in the rush of the everyday, or in the ever-present flood
of new music, we forget to take a moment to listen to those older
records that remind us why we love music as much as we do. Slowdive
is like that for me. Taking a few hours to bury my ears in the washes
of gentle guitars and keyboards of Just For A Day is, simply
put, heavenly. Hearing this music transports me back to the days of
scavenging record shops for the newest imports from the other side
of the pond, and finding many an aural treasure. It cheers me to relive
the happy memories of ordering ten dollar import singles and eagerly
waiting for the day when they might arrive so that I could hear those
mysterious tracks that were not included on the full length record.
Included here are all the extra songs from the Just For A Day
singles, including the amazing "Slowdive", which still hits
me with the full impact that it had when I originally heard it, sending
shivers down my spine and tingles through my ears. The haunting "Avalyn
1 & 2", the droning and supersonic "Morningrise",
the slow atmospheric rise of "Losing Today" are all included
here. The band's brilliant cover of Syd Barrett's "Golden
Hair" is almost indistinguishable from the original, but somehow
maintains that timeless sense of purpose that many of Barrett's songs
still have. And let us not forget to mention the timeless near-pop
perfection of the most beautiful Slowdive track of all, "Shine".
I've got all these b-sides on their original release EPs, but the
true bonus on this disc is three songs from a Peel Session that are
simply stunning. The mixing on these tracks is stark and really highlights
the live abilities of Neil Halstead and Co. These tracks prove
just how much of that lush, swirling maelstrom of sonic loveliness
was real musicianship and not studio trickery. This version of "Catch
The Breeze" is worth the re-release alone, but coupled with all
the other bonus material that many people have probably never heard,
this is quite a treasure trove for shoegazers.
Also re-released with accompanying bonus material are Slowdive's
second and third records, Souvlaki and Pygmalion. Souvlaki
includes the b-sides from the EP releases, many of which were on par
- if not better - than the actual album tracks. Listening to all of
these records in succession leaves a true appreciation for the talent
of the band and the strides they made in their sound in such a brief
amount of time… and just how did they go from electronic bleeps
to the haunting country-style melodicity of Mojave 3? Perhaps
with a few more listens, I can better determine that.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. Spanish Air
2. Celia's Dream
3. Catch The Breeze
4. Ballad Of Sister Sue
5. Erik's Song
6. Waves
7. Brighter
8. The Sadman
9. Primal
10. Slowdive
11. Avalyn 1
12. Avalyn 2
13. Morningrise
14. She Calls
15. Losing Today
16. Golden Hair
17. Shine
18. Albatross
19. Catch The Breeze (Peel Session 4-21-91)
20. Song 1 (Peel Session 4-21-91)
21. Golden Hair (Peel Session 4-21-91)
Check out more
reviews
 Talk
Back
e-mail the chief
Like this article?
e-mail
it to a friend!
|
Slowdive
