The New What's On Your Cd/Turntable Thread.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Band of Susans, My Bloody Valentine

There's nearly an inch of sleet on the ground, and it's only going to get colder. So much for going out. In the meantime, at least I have Band of Susans' The Word and the Flesh and My Bloody Valentine's Loveless to warm my soul.

Band of Susans are best described as an intense, glorious, guitargasm. The Word and The Flesh is a scandalously underappreciated album that is almost a companion piece to Loveless - Kevin Shields could well have layered his masterpiece over top of this one. The difference between the two albums is much like the difference between their album covers. The Word and The Flesh features a tight shot of a guitar being played, slightly blurred and distorted by motion. Loveless takes essentially the same picture but xeroxes and distorts and saturates it beyond recognition. They share a similar beauty and intensity. This is less respected than the better-known Love Agenda, likely due to the departure of Page Hamilton (who had left in the interim to form Helmet), but this is the greater album - stormier, hazier, more dissonant, more ecstatic. Hamilton's departure is felt in the more narcotic, leisurely arrangements - the guitars skate and drift, building into walls and breaking apart like surf. Most stirring is the epic, winding, churning cover of Rhys Chatham's "Guitar Trio" (two members of the band had previously played with him). Best listened to at obscenely high volume, driving at absurdly high speeds.

(Saltyka)
Click to expand...
_____________________

Notes:

Saltyka. "Band of Susans (years active 1986-1996)". Music Blog of Saltyka and His Friends. May 2, 2007. http://saltyka.blogspot.com/2007/05/band-of-susans-years-active-1986-1996.html
 
Listening to the Arctic Monkey's latest offering - Favourite Worst Nightmare. The music is good and the lyrics are the best I've heard in a long time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top