My Bloody Valentine Albums
My opinion of my Bloody Valentine is probably not like most people’s. I think one of their albums is among the greatest ever made (like most critics and people that hear it, Loveless (1991)). I think their other album has some bold ideas but falters a bit in the execution (Isn’t Anything (1988)). What this band does very well is introduce new way to make noise rock, one of the 1980’s most valuable genres, viable to the future and incorporate pop and dance elements into it. Certainly, after Loveless came out music was changed forever. The Irish band is made up of two women and two men in its core line up. MBV are a band of synthesis, as they took what came before and made it something unique all of its own. Guitarist Kevin Sheilds and vocalist Bilinda Butcher are among the greatest at what they do, even if they only really made two full length albums in their original incarnation.
Band Members:
Kevin Shields (guitar, vocals, sampler)
Bilinda Butcher (guitar, vocals)
Colm O'Ciosoig (drums, sampler)
Debbie Googe (bass)
Biggest influences:
Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, The Doors, Dinosaur Jr, The Beach Boys, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix
Best Album:
Loveless
Albums Chronologically:
1988 – 70% - Isn’t Anything
1991 – 96% - Loveless
2013 - 50% - MBV
1988
Isn’t Anything - 70%
The first full album my MVB is quite the shocking blow. It merges a lot of influences together, with mixed results. The Jesus and Mary Chain is the biggest influence, as the tortured vocals come out with a lot of background guitar noise on “Cupid Come” or the psychedelic bliss of rapid fire chords on “You’re Still A Dream” which mixes in lots of Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr guitar patterns and song structures. Like all of those bands, MBV are ‘detached’ from reality in the truest sense. These songs are truly great, forming a friendly kind of noise rock and sticking to that template. “No More Sorry” has no rhythm traditionally (like Enya), but floats along as an existential ballad. Cocteau Twins are another huge influence, the dreamy element seeping in on the opener “Soft as Snow” as only that band had made a song prior to MVB in that exact way. The final two songs of the album might even be the best – “Nothing Much to Lose” could even be a single on the radio despite all the blasting noise, with a melody to die for; “I Can see It” leaves a lasting impression as the last song, more slow, haunting vocals and guitar feedback drenches while killing you with sweetness.
However, on many tunes the lack of focus does not yet create sustainable music- “All I Need” is a fine version of rock n roll with traits of psychomancy, but there really is no music at all besides the droning guitar and vocals that are incomprehensible (purposefully). Ditto for “You Never Should” (a stab and the glorious sound of Washington D.C.’s Unrest) and “Several Girls Galore”, which are songs that should have stayed in the vault and never have been let out. “Feed Me With your Kiss” and “Sueisfine” don’t fare much better, songs that drift with no purpose. These are solid ‘ideas’ but not fleshed out yet, and the middle of the album is an uninteresting blur of sounds that sort of sound dirty and unfinished. Something not many reviews point out- almost all the songs are around 3 minutes long, sort of a strange trait for an album to have as for music with psychedelic background nothing really ‘floats away’ or jams for any great length of time; this album is very compact like pop music is. Isn’t Anything has somewhat of a classic reputation, especially coming out in one of the best years ever for music 1988, and I would disagree with that- I think only half this album is good/ great and it does not deserve such a good reputation as it’s a bit of a mess. However, the songs that do work point to a bright future for the group if they can figure out which parts of their instantly trademark sound work.
Best Songs: Nothing Much to Lose, Lose My Breath, Soft as Snow, I Can See It
1991
Loveless - 96%
Imagine a world enveloped in pure guitar bliss, sort of like if the feedback itself had come to life and you stepped into a lake of it. Better yet, it opens your mouth and peeks inside and tells you how good things can be if you just join this new sound in an alternate universe where people talk only in soothing vocal tones while everything else around you screeches. Then you might have some idea of what a step in a magical direction this album was for music in general.
Their forefathers Sonic Youth, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Band of Susans, and The Beach Boys dared to make noise and ultra-production a new kind of musical notation, but guitarist Kevin Shields takes that idea and throws it up into the universe where loss of gravity takes over and keeps it there. There are individual songs here, as it's still rock music with traditional instruments, but layer after layer has been applied to keep things sounding consistently blissful. “Sometimes” is a folk ballad, “Come in Alone” is a trippy 60’s Jefferson Airplane style rock song and one of the best psychedelic rock songs ever made, one that draws you in with its open nature and feminine declaration but pummels the lister into submission. “Soon” is a disco track that never ends, while untraditionally you can’t understand the vocals at all but all instruments are buried in pink guitar bliss from which there is no real escape. Somehow the most lasting song might be the opener “Only Shallow” in which guitars sound fierce until Bilinda Butcher comes in with her trademark motherly vocals that keep us feeling loved.
Each individual song works: on the noisy more traditional side, “Loomer” and “What You Want” sound most like MBV of old but the sound and melodies are tighter and the guitars are more uniform. “Touched” is brief but so important on the record, sort of like the howls of a creature lost in the snow or underwater, with the most prominent keyboards. “I Only Said” takes that sound to its logical full-length conclusion, a melody that is at peace with the universe. “When You Sleep” is lost in the ether, a fairy tale for the entire world. “Blown a Wish” actually has a decipherable verse to it and the vocals sound the most awash and magical on this song. If I had to nitpick (oh geeez this guy) I would say "To Here Knows When" could have been left off, if only because it’s the least interesting song and was on a separate EP the year before. But it feels like too much of a good thing still, like eating too much candy, so I still am ok with it.
In all, Loveless helps make 1991 one of the most important years in rock album history while also transforming the group’s sound into something that can only be described as 'holy' rock music. It has the power to change the perspective on anyone who hears it, and makes something very fresh and friendly in the realm of psychedelia. It is not overproduced because each layer of sound crafted absolutely matters in making the songs work- somehow too much production is a good thing here. You cannot not be entertained for one second while listening to Loveless because each second of sound matters; in fact, time itself stands still.
Best Songs: Come In Alone, Only Shallow, Blown a Wish, Soon
2013
MBV – 50%
Well, over twenty years later they tried to follow up Loveless, which might have been an impossible feat. The results is a lot of confused noise tracks that don’t amount to much, basically what a lot of other artists sound like when trying to emulate Loveless itself. “Is This and Yes” sounds like they heard Stereolab, a band THEY influenced heavily, and said ‘let’s try and do that droning keyboard thing’ but failed in every way. The moments that sort of say something unique would be the vocals in the chorus of “Only Tomorrow” and “In Another Way” with the tribal drumming. Oddly, this music is the opposite of MBV’s best stuff as it is murky in the production and quiet when it should be loud. MVB…..should be loud and bold, not confused and immediately dated sounding. Look it didn’t work, by all means MBV- try again. It’s ok to miss sometimes.
Best Songs: Only Tomorrow, In Another Way
Compilations
EP’s Chronologically:
(1985) This is Your Bloody Valentine – 65%
(1987) Ecstasy – 72%
(1988) Feed Me with Your Kiss – 84%
(1988) You Made Me Realize- 85%
(1990) Glider – 95%
(1991) Tremolo – 82%
*- the final 4 EP’s were collected on the compilation Ep’s 1988 – 1991, which was a staple in many of our cd’s collections back in the days.
80’s Ep’s
All of MVB’s Ep’s sort of play like B-sides to the albums themselves, though the first two were before a full length. with This is Your Bloody Valentine 1985 showing them sort of finding their sound among all the dark punk influences. Ecstasy (1987) is even more of a step forward, lost in the hippy influences with decent stabs “Never Say Good Bye” and “Can I Touch You.” The two EP’s from 1988 Feed Me with Your Kiss and You Made Me Realize have a couple of great songs as well, the title track of the latter in particular and “I Believe” from the former. “Emptiness Inside” is as good as anything on Isn’t Anything and really better than title track “Feed Me with Your Kiss.” “I Need No Trust” owes something to Big Star’s “Take Care” as an album closer. “Slow” and “Drive it All Over Me” had a huge influence on the Brit Pop of the 1990s.
1990
Glider EP – 95%
Glider (1990) is probably the best EP of MY Bloody Valentine, introducing the classic dance song “Soon” which also closes Loveless a year later. “Soon” incorporates elements of disco and dance rock, grabbing and morphing what is popular around the time and the “Madchester scene” sound but of course warping it all with their classic guitar bliss foundations- it is the type of song that could go on forever and that would be perfectly alright. I’d love to be at that party! “Glider” is a pure noise track that manages to be entertaining as well, where “Don’t Ask Why” might be the most innocent and pretty song they ever made. “Off Your Face” is off putting a bit, not going along in any conventional way and mostly a vocal tour de force. In all, Glider’s four tracks make up one of the more significant EP’s ever made and what bursts forth is pure potential.
Tremelo (1991) is the final one, featuring “To Here Knows When” (my least favorite track on Loveless) but making up for it are two great songs in “Swallow” and “Honey Power” which could have fit on Loveless just as well as “To Here knows When”. An after thought to Loveless, it’s more like a single with extra songs then a proper EP.