Post 900. It's been almost two years since 800, and despite my inactivity we made it through another 100. Thus, another milestone band is required to honour this. Not only that, but 900 posts means we are obligated to make it to 1000, which will hopefully not take another two years to get to. As always, thanks to anyone still sticking around after all these years, this band probably doesn't need any introduction but we'll do a quick one anyway. Enjoy.
My Bloody Valentine are a four-piece band from Dublin, Ireland that began in 1983. They are best known for creating the template for shoegaze, a genre marked by heavy distortion, reverb, glide guitar, and quiet, low-in-the-mix vocals. This is mostly credited to the release of their seminal 1991 album Loveless, an absolute classic and landmark album that has proved to be infinitely influential to this date. This is not to discredit their work prior and after it, which we'll get into into now.
MBV (as they shall be known henceforth) was started by guitarist/vocalist Kevin Shields and drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig, who would both remain consistent members of the band. They were joined by a revolving door of band members early on, with the other notable one being vocalist David Conway, who appeared on their first few releases. Their early sound was a mix of post-punk and gothic rock, with a clear nod to the punk rock sound they had played in bands prior to this one. Bassist Debbie Googe joined in 1985, and became an essential member to this day.
They quickly evolved and started playing with a jangly twee/dream pop sound, especially around the release of
Strawberry Wine and
Ecstasy. These were the first releases to feature Conway's replacement, new guitarist/vocalist Bilinda Butcher, whose hushed vocals and added guitar layer became instrumental in defining MBV's classic sound. Under the influence of The Jesus and Mary Chain, who had recently released their own landmark albums
Psychocandy and
Darklands, MBV's final form began to take shape. With their line-up solidified, they began crafting pop songs buried beneath guitars lathered in effects and feedback. They also started incorporating their seminal "glide guitar" technique (bending the whammy bar as a chord is strummed). 1988 brought both the
You Made Me Realise EP and their debut LP
Isn't Anything, both absolute essentials to their discography. Though it can be overshadowed by the monolith of
Loveless, their debut is still an absolute staple in the development of shoegaze, with some of their best songs on it that blur the line between pop and experimental music.
The
Glider and
Tremolo EP's were released in 1990 and 1991 respectively, and can be seen as stepping stones to the finished product of
Loveless, even including songs that would later appear on the LP. The sound they have become renowned for clearly takes shape here, with the reverb and distortion being turned up, and the vocal mix being turned down. Finally, after a relentless two-year recording process that allegedly nearly bankrupt their label,
Loveless was released on November 4, 1991. There aren't many genres that have an undisputed crown jewel the way that shoegaze has
Loveless. That's not to discount albums like Slowdive's
Souvlaki or Ride's
Nowhere, which are incredible in their own right. It's just that no other album has quite captured the same fervor and legacy that MBV's sophomore release did. I could go on about the heavenly euphoria this album exudes, how listening to it feels like being wrapped up in a warm dream, its cosmic elation of euphoria, its auditory perfection, etc. It's been told a thousand times with a thousand metaphors. It's an experience to say the least, and an album I find myself returning to time and time again just to submerge myself in its 50 minutes of bliss. There is not a misstep on it, and its critical praise and fan regard is every bit deserved.
Following the release and tour of
Loveless, the band signed to Island Records to work on their follow-up. Despite multiple recording sessions, that material was all scrapped. By 1997, MBV had virtually dissolved, with Cíosóig and Googe leaving the band, and Shields becoming somewhat of a recluse (though he did contribute to the soundtrack of
Lost in Translation). In 2008, the core four members reunited and began touring again. In 2012, their two LP's were remastered and re-released, along with a compilation that included all their EP's from their Creation Records years, in addition to other previously released and unreleased tracks from that era. A year later, 22 years since
Loveless, they released their long-awaited follow-up album,
m b v. This consisted of some material recorded prior to their breakup in 1997, as well as new material from as early as 2006. Despite the huge gaps in time during its recording, this album flows flawlessly. The band did the unthinkable and culled together an album that served to further their legacy as titans of their genre. with another one of the best releases in its respective decade. Since then they have been fairly quiet, with talk of a fourth album coming up. Considering their release history, I wouldn't get my hopes up for it until at least 2035, but we'll see.
MBV are without a doubt one of the most essential bands ever posted, so I do hope you find something to take away from here. As I said previously, they are a massively well-known and popular band so most people are more than likely already familiar with them. If you are, I encourage you to continue revisiting them (especially their earlier work, which is often overlooked). For the few that might not be, I implore you to give them a listen. Again, thanks for numero 900, and I'll see you at 1000.
1. Forever And Again
2. Homelovin' Guy
3. Don't Cramp My Style
4. Tiger In My Tank
5. The Love Gang
6. Inferno
7. The Last Supper
1. Scavengers
2. The Devil Made Me Do It
3. The Love Gang
4. Inferno
5. The Man You Love To Hate
6. Homelovin' Guy
7. A Town Called Bastard
8. Tiger In My Tank
1. No Place To Go
2. Moonlight
3. Love Machine
4. The Sandman Never Sleeps
1. Lovelee Sweet Darlene
2. By The Danger In Your Eyes
3. On Another Rainy Saturday
4. We're So Beautiful
1. Sunny Sundae Smile
2. Paint A Rainbow
3. Kiss The Eclipse
4. Sylvie's Head
2. The Things I Miss
3. I Don't Need You
4. (You're) Safe In Your Sleep (From This Girl)
5. Clair
6.You've Got Nothing
7. (Please) Lose Yourself In Me
1. Strawberry Wine
2. Never Say Goodbye
3. Can I Touch You
1. You Made Me Realise
2. Slow
3. Thorn
4. Cigarette In Your Bed
5. Drive It All Over Me
1. Feed Me With Your Kiss
2. I Believe
3. Emptiness Inside
4. I Need No Trust
1. Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)
2. Lose My Breath
3. Cupid Come
4. (When You Wake) You're Still In A Dream
5. No More Sorry
6. All I Need
7. Feed Me With Your Kiss
8. Sueisfine
9. Several Girls Galore
10. You Never Should
11. Nothing Much To Lose
12. I Can See It (But I Can't Feel It)
1. Strawberry Wine
2. Never Say Goodbye
3. Can I Touch You
4. She Loves You No Less
5. The Things I Miss
6. I Don't Need You
7. (You're) Safe In Your Sleep (From This Girl)
8. Clair
9. You've Got Nothing
10. (Please) Lose Yourself In Me
1. Soon
2. Glider
3. Don't Ask Why
4. Off Your Face
1. To Here Knows When
2. Swallow
3. Honey Power
4. Moon Song
1. Only Shallow
2. Loomer
3. Touched
4. To Here Knows When
5. When You Sleep
6. I Only Said
7. Come In Alone
8. Sometimes
9. Blown a Wish
10. What You Want
11. Soon
Disc 1
1. You Made Me Realise
2. Slow
3. Thorn
4. Cigarette In Your Bed
5. Drive It All Over Me
6. Feed Me With Your Kiss
7. I Believe
8. Emptiness Inside
9. I Need No Trust
10. Soon
11. Glider
12. Don't Ask Why
13. Off Your Face
Disc 2
1. To Here Knows When
2. Swallow
3. Honey Power
4. Moon Song
5. Instrumental No. 2
6. Instrumental No. 1
7. Glider
8. Sugar
9. Angel
10. Good For You
11. How Do You Do It
1. She Found Now
2. Only Tomorrow
3. Who Sees You
4. Is This and Yes
5. If I Am
6. New You
7. In Another Way
8. Nothing Is
9. Wonder 2