My Bloody Valentine - m b v

Maybe I'm showing my age, but when I ordered the CD of m b v and downloaded the accompanying digital copy in less time than it takes to listen to it, it still didn't feel as if I was really looking at a new My Bloody Valentine album. I mean here it is on a medium that didn't exist when Loveless came out, obtained by means that didn't exist as we know it. When Loveless was new, CDs had just snatched the market share from cassettes. To put it in terms of the musical landscape, it was a time when Kurt Cobain was alive and Justin Bieber wasn't.

The band's fans have a couple of legitimate fears regarding m b v - fears which, if they share my opinion, they can put to rest. Firstly, m b v isn't a retread of Loveless (or Isn't Anything or any other My Bloody Valentine release for that matter). It's a product of the same band mining the same ground, but it's not the same album. To call it so just because it trades in sheets of fuzz and buried vocals would be like saying Rain Dogs is the same as Swordfishtrombones because they both have growling and marimba. One fortunate similarity is the preservation of dynamics in the mastering.  Secondly, well, I'll just come out and say it: the album is damn good. No, probably not Loveless good, but damn good. Welcome back, it's been too long. There's beer in the fridge, help yourself.

m b v eases listeners into the idea of a new My Bloody Valentine album over the course of its first third. On the opener "She Found Now", the waves of distortion and a clean, tonally unambiguous guitar are both at the forefront as the drums, though barely audible, punctuate the tidal effect of the distortion. "Only Tomorrow", a likely single, reminds us that the wait has been even longer for an album featuring Colm Ó Cíosóig as a full time participant. Ó Cíosóig's drums are mixed to various levels throughout the album; they're pretty quiet on this one, yet they drive the song, which in this case is an upbeat number that reminds you that My Bloody Valentine can engage you physically as well as mentally. It also ups the stakes sonically, as a distorted lead guitar emulates brass. "Who Sees You" guides the listener further out into m b v 's strange world while sounding familiar thanks to Kevin Shields' whammy bar shenanigans.

While Shields is necessarily all over this album, it's far more of a band effort than Loveless, and the next three tracks serve as a welcome back to Bilinda Butcher, who sings on all three. It's a pretty gentle trio of tracks; all three emphasise Butcher's vocals and some interesting modulation effects over distortion and feedback, and the last one is built on tremolo'd guitar, a danceable beat and some of Debbie Googe's most audible bass work.

The last three tracks cease the hand-holding completely. Vocals are almost entirely absent ("Nothing Is" is completely instrumental) and all three tracks are rambunctious numbers driven by whims and, like most of the album's best material, the drums. The album ends with a "jet plane" flange sound, and if that signifies the end of a journey, it's one that gets less familiar as it goes while at the same time making it increasingly clear why the band still thought it was worth taking us after all this time.

Related: 5 Artists Who Should Have Been Nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame This Year
My 200 Favourite Albums of All Time

Atoms for Peace - Amok (stream)

http://amok.atomsforpeace.info

Top 10 Albums of 2012

10. Flying Lotus - Until the Quiet Comes

 

9. Grimes - Visions

 

 8. Swans - The Seer

7. Chromatics - Kill for Love

6. Beak> - >>

 5. Liars - WIXIW

 4. Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO

 3. Julia Holter - Ekstasis

2. Scott Walker - Bish Bosch

1. Lower Dens - Nootropics

2012: The Year in Music

It sucked.

My 200 Favourite Albums of All Time

Pretty self-explanatory, really. I didn't feel like telling you a bunch of shit about these albums that you already know (or can find out from a better and more popular blog), so here's the list and just the list in all its listy goodness.

200. Pavement - Terror Twilight (1999)

199. Smog - Supper (2003)

198. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse (2004)

 

197. The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole (1997)

 

196. Howlin' Wolf - The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (1970)

 195. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat (2004)

 

194. Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)

 193. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

 192. Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)

191. Scott Walker - The Drift (2006)

 190. Low - Things We Lost in the Fire (2001)

 189. The Breeders - Pod (1990)

 188. Skip Spence - Oar (1969)

 187. Cream - Disraeli Gears (1967)

186. Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

185. Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (1986)

184. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

183. The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional (1986)

182. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (2004)

181. Weezer - Blue (1994)

 180. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)

 

179. Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

 178. Scott Walker - Scott 3 (1969)

177. The Clash - Sandinista! (1981)

 176. Tom Waits - Small Change (1976)

 175. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

 174. Elliott Smith - XO (1998)

 173. Mogwai - Young Team (1997)

 172. Spoon - Telephono (1995)

 171. Magazine - Real Life (1978)

170. Les Savy Fav - The Cat & the Cobra (1999)



169. Midnight Oil - Diesel & Dust (1986)




168. Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward (1984)


 
167. The Roots - Game Theory (2006)


 
166. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (2008)



165. Elastica - Elastica (1995)


 
164. Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation (1977)


 
163. Mercury Rev - Boces (1993)



162. Liars - They Threw Us in a Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top (2001)


 
161. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead (1986)


 
160. Patti Smith - Easter (1978)

159. Mission of Burma - Vs (1982)

158. Devo - Duty Now for the Future (1979)

157. Wire - Chairs Missing (1978)

 

156. Weezer - Pinkerton (1996)

155. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret (1999)

154. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)

153. Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays (1969)

152. Portishead - Dummy (1994)

151. Television - Adventure (1978)

 

150. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1988)

 149. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (1967)

 148. The Church - Starfish (1988)

 147. Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)

146. The Cure - Faith (1981)

 145. Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains (1995)

 144. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992)

 143. Beck - Sea Change (2002)

142. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

 141. The Beatles - The Beatles (1968)

 

 140. Amon Duul 2 - Yeti (1970)

 

 139. Soundgarden - Down on the Upside (1996)

138. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (2002)

137. Portishead - Third (2008)

 136. Spoon - Girls Can Tell (1999)

135. Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights (1982)

 134. Throwing Muses - Hunkpapa (1989)

 133. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (1994)

132. Joy Division - Closer (1980)

 131. Beck - Odelay (1996)

 130. Guided By Voices - Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (1996)

129. Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining (1990)

128. Midnight Oil - Red Sails in the Sunset (1984)

127. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)

126. Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

 

125. Hunters & Collectors - The Jaws of Life (1984)

124. The Beatles - Abbey Road (1970)

123. Mercury Rev - All is Dream (2001)

122. Heatmiser - Mic City Sons (1996)

121.Throwing Muses - The Real Ramona (1991)



120. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)

119. Autolux - Future Perfect (2004)

118. Sparklehorse - Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (1995)

 117. Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000)

 116. Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

 115. Pearl Jam - Vs (1993)

 114. Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (1970)

 113. UNKLE - Psyence Fiction (1998)

 112. Eels - Electro-shock Blues (1998)

 111. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (1969)

 110. Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)

 109. Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)

108. Tom Waits - Heartattack & Vine (1980)

 107. Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

106. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

 105. Lower Dens - Nootropics (2012)

 104. Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking (1969)

103. Spoon - Kill the Moonlight (2002)

 102. R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)

 101. Magic Dirt - Friends in Danger (1996)

 100. Scott Walker - Tilt (1995)

99. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)

 98. Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues (1982)

 97. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)

 96. Neil Young - Tonight's the Night (1975)

 95. Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998)

 94. Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

 93. Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You (2001)

 92. Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979)

 91. Sonic Youth - Goo (1990)

 90. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (1992)

89. Pixies - Bossanova (1990)

88. Smog - Dongs of Sevotion (1999)

87. Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

 86. David Bowie - Station to Station (1976)

 85. Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (1971)

 84. Sparklehorse - It's a Wonderful Life (2001)

 83. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour (1982)



82. Fugazi - The Argument (2001)

 81. Pixies - Surfa Rosa (1988)

 80. Can - Delay 1968 (1968)

 79. Wire - 154 (1979)

78. Built to Spill - Perfect From Now On (1997)

77. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (1969)

76. Battles - Mirrored (2007)

75. Smog - Knock Knock (1999)



74. Fugazi - Red Medicine (1995)

 73. Magic Dirt - Young & Full of the Devil (1998)

 72. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love (1968)

 71. Blur - Blur (1997)

 70. Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)

69. Boris - Heavy Rocks (2002)

 68. Funkadelic - Funkadelic (1970)

 67. Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children (1998)

66. John Cale - Paris 1919 (1973)

 65. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

 64. Beck - Mutations (1998)

 63. Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes (1995)

 62. Helium - The Magic City (1997)

 61. Pixies - Doolittle (1989)

 60. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (1992)

 59. Helium - The Dirt of Luck (1995)

 58. Midnight Oil - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (1983)

 57. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

 56. Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R (2000)

 55. Silver Jews - American Water (1998)

 54. Faith No More - Angel Dust (1992)

 53. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

 52. Slint - Spiderland (1991)

 

 51. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)

50. Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong with Love (1993)

 

49. Not From There - Sand On Seven (1998) 

48. Faust - Faust IV (1973)

 

47. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969)

 

46. Nirvana - In Utero (1993)

45. Neu! - Neu! (1971)

44. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

 

43. Depeche Mode - Violator (1990)

42. The The - Infected (1986)

 

41. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1968)

40. Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992)

 

39. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)

 38. Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)

 37. Richard & Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (1975)

 36. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)

 35. Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern (1996)

 34. The The - Soul Mining (1983)

 33. Sparklehorse - Good Morning Spider (1998)

32. Can - Ege Bamyasi (1972)

 31. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

 30. The Clash - The Clash (1977)

 29. Can - Future Days (1973)

28. Lou Reed - Berlin (1973)

27. Neil Young - On the Beach (1975)

26. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

25. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones (1983)

24. Pavement - Wowee Zowee (1995)

23. Pavement - Brighten the Corners (1997)

22. Pearl Jam - Vitalogy (1994)

21. Blur - Parklife (1994)

20. Blur - 13 (1999)

 19. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger (1991)

 18. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

 17. Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)

 16. Augie March - Strange Bird (2002)

 15. Augie March - Sunset Studies (2000)

 14. Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog (1991)

 13. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)

 12. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)

11. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses (1987)

10. Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (1998)

 9. Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)

 8. Can - Tago Mago (1971)

 7. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (1985)

 6. Mansun - Six (1998)

 5. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)

 4. The Clash - London Calling (1979)

 3. Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

2. Television - Marquee Moon (1977)

 1. Smog - A River Ain't Too Much to Love (2005)

Statistics and Trivia (mostly interesting if you are me):

Note: Live albums, EPs, posthumous releases and compilations were ineligible.

The most dominating artists are:

Radiohead, Tom Waits, Pavement: 5
Can, Neil Young, Smog, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Midnight Oil: 4

All five Pavement albums are represented, with Terror Twilight scraping in at 200. Nick Drake's three albums and Jimi Hendrix's three albums with The Experience all made the cut, as did both Helium albums. One album wonders Jeff Buckley, Skip Spence and Temple of the Dog are also included. The new #1 was the only one of Smog's four entries to make the top 50. Bob Dylan and Midnight Oil are the most represented artists not to have an entry in the top 50, peaking at #58 with Highway 61 Revisited and #59 with 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.

The breakdown of countries of origin for the albums goes like this:

US: 112
UK: 60
AUS: 13
CAN: 7
GER: 7
JAP: 1

And the decade breakdown:

10s: 1 (0.5%)

00s: 34 (17%)
90s: 79 (39.5%)
80s: 27 (13.5%)
70s: 38 (19%)
60s: 24 (12%)

The most represented release year is 1998 (13), followed by 1995 (11), 1969 (9) and 1996 (8). 1985, 1987 and unsurprisingly 2012 are represented by only one album each, although the former two are both in the top 20 (Tom Waits' Rain Dogs at #7 and Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses at #11. Every year from 1964 onwards is represented except 1966 and understandably 2009-11. The Beatles' Revolver was edged out during last minute fine tuning.

Both Mission of Burma and Pearl Jam's Vs made the list, at 159 and 115 respectively.

Mansun's Six is at #6.

In 2008 I made a top 50 (http://sexwarrobots.blogspot.com.au/2008/08/my-50-favourite-albums-part-1.html). The following stats relate to the similarities and differences between the two lists:

• 35 of the albums from my 2008 top 50 appeared in this list's top 50. The remaining 15 all made the top 200 except Tom Waits' Alice. The biggest move up was the new number 1, which ranked 43 last time. The biggest move down was Depeche Mode's Black Celebration from 31 to 185.
• Lower Dens' Nootropics is the only album released in between my 2008 top 50 and this top 200 to make the 200.
• Blur's 13 and Parklife retained their positions at #20 and #21.
• Last time, Pearl Jam's Vitalogy beat Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by one spot. This time, it beat Brighten the Corners by one spot, with Wowee Zowee immediately following and CR, CR another two spots down from that.
• The highest ranking artist/album absent from the 2008 list is Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea at #13.

Related:
My 50 Favourite Albums Part 1