Best Ever Albums

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Anonymous — Sat, 2 Mar 2019 02:31:08 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/02/2019 07:31

Sandinistar wrote:

Daydreamer wrote:

Yann wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

[quote= "Yann"]

sethm adsen wrote:

Anyone have any insight on why they like one over the other more?

For me, I was able to connect with the songwriting and musical landscapes way better with the self titled album.

Slowdive has beautiful musical landscapes indeed, but the songwriting..

Do you feel it's not great compared to other artists or other Slowdive albums like Souvaki?

What I meant wasn't that I think Slowdive are fantastic songwriters (I don't think I could really say that, not that they are bad, but definitely not top 20 songwriters of all time or whatever), rather that the songwriting seemed much better on their self titled album than Souvaki. Of course there's a bunch of people who disagree with me, but I'd love some context to an album I've yet to understand. Yes Souvaki is a classic shoegaze album... but is it any good and, if so, what attracts you to it?

I was talking of Slowdive in general. I mean, this summer, on the beach, at sunset, will people play some Slowdive song with a guitar around the campfire ? : ) Whereas I know a few MBV or Ride songs suitable for that.
I like Slowdive because of their classic shoegaze sound. That scene really invented a very distinctive sound and this alone is an achievement. But it's even better if you have tunes.

I completely disagree, almost half the songs from Souvlaki could still be good songs in a stripped down setting with just an acoustic guitar, whereas I don't think any song from Loveless could be good if you played it with an acoustic.

From experience, "When You Sleep" sounds awesome on an acoustic, but...[/quote]

I also had "Sometimes" in mind

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Sandinistar — Sat, 2 Mar 2019 00:12:50 GMT

Author: Sandinistar

Posted: 03/02/2019 05:12

Daydreamer wrote:

Yann wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

Yann wrote:

sethm adsen wrote:

Anyone have any insight on why they like one over the other more?

For me, I was able to connect with the songwriting and musical landscapes way better with the self titled album.

Slowdive has beautiful musical landscapes indeed, but the songwriting..

From experience, "When You Sleep" sounds awesome on an acoustic, but...

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Murphski — Fri, 1 Mar 2019 23:18:27 GMT

Author: Murphski

Posted: 03/02/2019 04:18

Because souvlaki tastes better than a gyro. I prefer beef to lamb, I must say.

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Skinny — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 12:08:54 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 02/28/2019 17:08

I agree with whoever said it that Pygmalion is their best. Then Souvlaki.

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Tha1ChiefRocka — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 11:49:28 GMT

Author: Tha1ChiefRocka

Posted: 02/28/2019 16:49

I saw them live in 2017 (I think I wrote about it in the concert thread) and they were amazing. Any track they played from any of there albums held there own. Sound quality was incredible and the music was huge, enveloping. I actually like "Just For A Day" the best. I think it has more of a post rock vibe than the others, and it was released before Bark Psychosis' "Hex".

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

ForegroundNoise — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 03:43:29 GMT

Author: ForegroundNoise

Posted: 02/28/2019 08:43

On the topic of preferring other Slowdive albums to Souvlaki, am I crazy for thinking this is their best??

Pygmalion by Slowdive
It may lean heavily on Talk Talk (RIP Mark Hollis) but since Laughing Stock and Spirit Of Eden are two of my favourite albums it's unsurprising I'd be a fan, but surely the codas of tracks like J's Heaven and Blue Skied An' Clear have some of the band's best moments?

Yann wrote:

Slowdive has beautiful musical landscapes indeed, but the songwriting..

... and on the topic of songwriting All Of Us is a gorgeous cut that is nearly acoustic to begin with, if you want an example of brilliant songwriting.

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

mickilennial — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 03:40:10 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 02/28/2019 08:40

i think we have to look at those iconic shoegaze albums contextually with the time they came out in.

but personally, the songwriting--the soundscapes particularly are just more realized and most certainly less repetitive and recycled. this kind of dream pop/shoegaze middle ground is about the atmosphere, not the OOMPH of the guitar tones. the self-titled 2017 album is not bad, mind you, its just something that shoegaze bands have emulated for over twenty years; people who are familiar with the genre have heard them a thousand times. the only i could imagine someone things the self-titled has a leg up is someone who really doesn't care about shoegaze all that much or hasn't followed it very extensively because everything on soulvaki is just like... more delicate; it's more carefully crafted beyond the simpler approach. soulvaki is more patient, more intricate.

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Daydreamer — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 03:28:57 GMT

Author: Daydreamer

Posted: 02/28/2019 08:28

Yann wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

Yann wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

Anyone have any insight on why they like one over the other more?

For me, I was able to connect with the songwriting and musical landscapes way better with the self titled album.

Slowdive has beautiful musical landscapes indeed, but the songwriting..

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Lowkey — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 14:16:52 GMT

Author: Lowkey

Posted: 07/23/2018 18:16

Both are solid but Souvlaki is more transcendental and provides mores of that wonderful atmosphere

Souvlaki is like an 8-9
Slowdive is a 6-7

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 13:34:43 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/23/2018 17:34

sethmadsen wrote:

Yann wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

Anyone have any insight on why they like one over the other more?

For me, I was able to connect with the songwriting and musical landscapes way better with the self titled album.

Slowdive has beautiful musical landscapes indeed, but the songwriting..

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Antonio-Pedro — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 12:09:45 GMT

Author: Antonio-Pedro

Posted: 07/23/2018 16:09

I mean I love it.

It just makes me feel good with myself

Shoegaze and dream pop in general do that. Jah bless

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

syptixed — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 11:06:44 GMT

Author: syptixed

Posted: 07/23/2018 15:06

the one with in mind is the best

just joking but that track is 1337

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

RoundTheBend — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 23:34:55 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 07/23/2018 03:34

craola wrote:

for me, i got into slowdive quite a few years back and had exhausted their discography long before the self-titled album came out. i was pleased enough with it in that it's definitely a good record. but i also felt it was rather superfluous, which is unfair to say. to be honest, i've only listened to it half a dozen times. i've listened to each of souvlaki, pygmalion, and just for a day at least 50 times a piece. but i guess the self-titled lp came out after my shoegazing phase of life.

souvlaki is a really great breakup album though and has way more depth lyrically than any other shoegazing album i'm aware of. it came right on the heels of a breakup inside the band between halstead and goswell, and the songs are all tinged with that heartbreak. it's interesting how well the two play together musically considering their apparent lack of chemistry relationally. i mean, they're singing these tracks together and everything.... just kind of wild and beautiful in its own right. i've never experienced a breakup like that.

i don't really know the background to the self-titled record, but it can't possibly eclipse the magic of Souvlaki. it can't.

Thanks mate. That's great insight I haven't taken the time to find out and will probably help me see that album in a different light.

I can only speak from my experience and say that their self titled album immediately clicked for me and Souvlaki didn't. Sometimes growers are the best though. After about 10 listens I consider their self-titled album a top album of 2017 and really glad I got into it, whereas Souvlaki I listened to about 3 times and had no interest to listen to it again. Idk... sometimes stuff grows on you/you aren't in the right mood to listen to a certain type of music, etc. and sometimes it just isn't your thing. I haven't dismissed Souvlaki completely, but looking for reasons to listen to it again considering my experience with their self titled album. Thanks again for the insight!

Anyone else care to explain why they love it/find interesting value in it (other than it's good shoegaze).

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

craola — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 22:28:22 GMT

Author: craola

Posted: 07/23/2018 02:28

for me, i got into slowdive quite a few years back and had exhausted their discography long before the self-titled album came out. i was pleased enough with it in that it's definitely a good record. but i also felt it was rather superfluous, which is unfair to say. to be honest, i've only listened to it half a dozen times. i've listened to each of souvlaki, pygmalion, and just for a day at least 50 times a piece. but i guess the self-titled lp came out after my shoegazing phase of life.

souvlaki is a really great breakup album though and has way more depth lyrically than any other shoegazing album i'm aware of. it came right on the heels of a breakup inside the band between halstead and goswell, and the songs are all tinged with that heartbreak. it's interesting how well the two play together musically considering their apparent lack of chemistry relationally. i mean, they're singing these tracks together and everything.... just kind of wild and beautiful in its own right. i've never experienced a breakup like that.

i don't really know the background to the self-titled record, but it can't possibly eclipse the magic of Souvlaki. it can't.

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

RoundTheBend — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 17:51:45 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 07/22/2018 21:51

Yann wrote:

sethmadsen wrote:

Anyone have any insight on why they like one over the other more?

For me, I was able to connect with the songwriting and musical landscapes way better with the self titled album.

Slowdive has beautiful musical landscapes indeed, but the songwriting..

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 16:24:05 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2018 20:24

sethmadsen wrote:

Anyone have any insight on why they like one over the other more?

For me, I was able to connect with the songwriting and musical landscapes way better with the self titled album.

Slowdive has beautiful musical landscapes indeed, but the songwriting..

Re: Why do you like Souvlaki better?

RoundTheBend — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 13:56:33 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 07/22/2018 17:56

Anyone have any insight on why they like one over the other more?

For me, I was able to connect with the songwriting and musical landscapes way better with the self titled album.

Why do you like Souvlaki better?

RoundTheBend — Sun, 22 Jul 2018 13:26:09 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 07/22/2018 17:26

Which is better and why? I can't get into the former but love the latter...yet the former seemed to have been a classic for some ya'lls.

Souvlaki by Slowdive

Slowdive by Slowdive