Hiwatt Bob wrote:
probably sacrelig--but I've always thought Loveless was entirely overrated. I'll have to dig it back out again, but honestly, I think m b v is better after just a few listens.
Loveless was the IT album when it came out amongst the larger circle of people I knew at the time. I didn't get it either. Too busy being an insufferable punk snob probably, haha.
Later though, in the late 90's, it kind of grabbed me and never let go. For one thing, it is truly unique in a world that produces more and more output but less and less unique-ness. And for a record that in many ways sounds like shit (hardly any bass, overly compressed yet noticeably lost the dynamic wars of ITS time), it's amazing how amazing it sounds. If that makes any sense. The guitars growl and float at you while the vocals hover over and within the growling floating guitars. If you listen to it loud enough.
A few more observations about the new record after having a wonderful experience listening to it while driving in a snow storm at night:
1)It is significantly less compressed than Loveless
2)The vox are a bit louder and more pronounced
3)There is considerably more bass frequency in the production, not near as much high passing as Loveless. Though not necessarily from a bass guitar.
4)There is quite a bit of reference to the chord progressions and sound of Sometimes from Loveless, especially in the first three songs which makes me wonder if Lost In Translation influenced him to explore the ideas of Sometimes further.
5)As mentioned earlier in this thread, there is no reverse reverb
6)The whammy bar is considerably more pronounced.
7)There is echo and/or reverb on the vocals. I think on Loveless there wasn't.
8)They are both great driving records. There is nothing like getting into the car on a fresh spring blue sky day and Only Shallow providing the soundtrack. And as I just discovered driving during a snow storm at night, the new record does for the night time what Loveless did for the day time.
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