Too LOW: ILM Artist Poll #111 - Low - RESULTS

i received 36 tracks ballots, 32 albums ballots, and 17 covers ballots

i'll start off with albums and covers today

thanks to everyone who participated & submitted a ballot

HERE!!!!

going through top 10 albums. 23 different releases received votes

https://i.imgur.com/a0Pz7zh.png
10. Ones and Sixes
Released in 2015
176 points, 18 voters, 2 #1 votes

LET'S GET LOW!
LET'S FEEL LOW!
LOW LOW LOW!
LOW LOW LOW!

yesssss!

my #9 album...my hivemind remains strong

SHORTY GOT LOW LOW LOW LOW LOW LOW LOW LOW

I'm going to stick my neck out and say I was the only voter for three of my album choices.

only two, actually

https://i.imgur.com/15UssxB.png
9. The Great Destroyer
Released in 2005
178 points, 19 voters

I ranked Ones and Sixes higher but in the context of how many albums they have released and how comparatively overlooked it feels compared to their subsequent two albums, I think 10 is a good result.

I actually ranked The Great Destroyer ninth so very happy with that outcome!

just realized we should have waited until the ILM Artist Poll # hit 116

we're doing top 61 tracks (starting tomorrow) so

obviously the great destroyer is more of a traditionally 'indie rock' album than usual from them but it's so so good at that, i really love it.

One thing that struck me about The Great Destroyer when I revisited it for the purpose of working out my ballot is how much its reputation seems shaped by "California" and "Just Stand Back". If you put those tracks to one side, it's a pretty dark and menacing album, and makes much more sense as an effective continuation of the previous two.

I didn't realise until the noms thread The Great Destroyer was so poorly appreciated. Even as an early stuff head I still think it's great.

you can hear a clear progression from "canada", "in the drugs", "last snowstorm of the year" etc. on it

it reminds me a bit of the rockier end of hail to the thief for whatever reason

https://i.imgur.com/bmbxf6P.png
8. Drums and Guns
Released in 2007
196 points, 20 voters, 2 #1 votes

Zak was just so disengaged on that tour (although we had a great chat about The Recidivist, which he was much more excited about) it coloured my opinion of it for a long time.

It wasn't helped by an inferior version of Silver Rider to the one on the Murderer ep either if I'm honest.

we're doing top 61 tracks (starting tomorrow) so

!!! that's awesome :D

drums and guns in at #10 for me, but tbh as far full-lengths go i have a pretty clear top 8 tier

xps he'd already committed to leave the band at that point (& had previously briefly done so after the trust tour), so that's not surprising

to me drums and guns is 4 or 5 great tracks that really justify the unique approach they took (though the panning is still really annoying) & the rest are just ok, it's unusually uneven for them

https://i.imgur.com/MK1b1sY.png
7. Secret Name
Released in 1999
278 points, 25 voters, 1 #1 vote

RONG

In my head Drums and Guns is quite uneven (the middle mainly), but when I return to it it doesn't really feel that way? "Hatchet" stands out (or rather, doesn't stand out) as a bit throwaway I guess.

I suppose it's more (for me) that the album has clear emotional peaks ("Breaker", "Take Your Time", "Murderer") and everything else kind of feels like the landscape formed around them - even if in another context some of that supporting material would seem really standout.

https://i.imgur.com/gUe9a6U.png
6. HEY WHAT
Released in 2021
298 points, 27 voters

not too shabby for an album that came out a little over two months ago

Gah Secret Name is TOO LOW

I'm happy to see I wasn't the only person to put 'Drums & Guns' at #1.

But it being #8 and 'Secret Name' (my #3) at #7 suggests I love some different things about Low than most.

secret name spent most of the voting period at #4, it only fell down to #7 near the end. it being that low is a little surprising to me, though it's not a personal favourite (it's a transitional record overshadowed by those either side of it imo)

i am a little surprised that people aren't higher on the fridmann period overall but i guess it's probably their most polarising? have not done the maths to confirm though

https://i.imgur.com/77jqytu.png
5. I Could Live in Hope
Released in 1994
300 points, 25 voters, 2 #1 votes

When I compiled my albums list the top 6 had two albums from the 90s, 1 album from the 00s (i.e. Low's commercial peak I assume) and 3 albums from after the 00s. Which kind of underscored to me that there's not really a "thing" or even a small number of things that I like about Low.

I was also belatedly struck, after submitting my ballot, that when compiling my songs list it had not occurred to me to ever distinguish between songs sung by Alan, sung songs by Mimi and songs sung by both.

I Could Live In Hope is such an amazing album, a perfectly formed aesthetic straight out the gate. I find it really intriguing that it and Curtain are so captivating for me whereas Long Division mostly leaves me cold.

i remember reading in a fairly recent interview that they largely write songs separately but i'd never be able to tell that

xpost Drums & Guns, it was the album I moved up my list the most after re-listening for the poll. Ended up putting 5 tracks on my ballot as well.

long division is kinda an experiment with that early sound to see just how slow & sparse they could get but i agree the results aren't that compelling overall - the albums either side manage to push that aesthetic in much more interesting directions

'Seceet Name' cemented my emotional connection with Low. And I think it's wonderfully (simply, subtly, warmly) produced, and has some of their strongest songs. I remember finding it odd that (at least in the UK where I was at the time) 'Things We Lost In The Fire' was so beloved and was seemingly their "breakthrough" album, as (while I loved it) it felt more diffuse and a bit more indifferently or at least less richly produced.

I'm guessing 'Trust' isn't going to place, which I also found more coherent and more interestingly produced than 'TWLITF'...

HEY WHAT was my #2, but it really could have been 5th or something. it's in my top 8 for sure! I had Secret Name at 5th, as it goes, but it's probably my 2nd or 3rd all-time listened to low

xxpost in theory Long Division being the album of the 3 that sounds most like Durutti Column should appeal to me the most but I think the songs are mostly less strong and it also misses (for me at least) the beautiful guitar / bass interplay of the debut. Whereas the sound of the debut is totally hypnotic for me.

I always loved 'I Could Live In Hope' and 'Curtain' (the first two albums I heard circa '97), and always felt removed from 'Long Division' somewhat. Though I really love some of their tracks that push the minimalism sans prettiness to the extreme...

https://i.imgur.com/loL1fJX.png
4. The Curtain Hits the Cast
Released in 1996
348 points, 29 voters, 4 #1 votes

The album version of "Caroline" I like much, much less than the far starker and less pretty version on the 'Transmission' EP--maybe my favorite track of theirs for just pure desolation.

Surprised this is only 4th! But I guess it makes sense on reflection (will avoid spelling out my prediction of the top 3 order). This is definitely my most listened-to Low album albeit was not my number 1. Transfixing from the very first note of "Anon".

I would say that it does seem like my top 10 albums ballot and ILM's top ten results will match, which is surprising to me.

it's a masterpiece & could very easily have been my #1

Surprised to see 'Curtain' that low (though I had it lower at #6, personally). Always thought that was the most beloved of fans who jumped off at 'Trust' and 'Drums & Guns,' which I thought was most of their older fans...

My BF always complains when I play any other Low - he dismisses them as the Mamas and the Papas - but loves this album? But I don't know.

a gently flickering, barely there campfire. better at doing 'post-rock' than any 'post-rock' band

it had not occurred to me to ever distinguish between songs sung by Alan, sung songs by Mimi and songs sung by both.

Yeah I don't think it's a thing that makes sense to do with this band. It's not that you can't (wikipedia does) but sometimes the harmonies or counter lines by the other person are stronger than the "lead", it blurs the line of what an Alan-led or Mimi-led song is. The variation in that space is the band's strongest asset imo

xp--has your BF heard 'Double Negative,' 'Drums & Guns,' 'Bombscare,' 'Trust'? Mamas and the Papas wow (though I could see Low doing a great 'California Dreaming" cover)

xp - Agreed - a big part of their longevity for me is tied up in the way they find new ways to complicate that dynamic.

Great poll. Thanks to ufo for running it and to everyone for all the great discussion.

Silver Rider
In Metal
Words
Venus
Breaker
Amazing Grace
Sunflower
Weight for Water
Laser Beam
Canada
Everybody's Song
Dinosaur Act
Last Snowstorm of the Year
Congregation
Nothing But Heart
Drag
Below & Above
Shame
Starfire
2-Step
Murderer
Lullaby
Especially Me
Medicine Magazines
La La Song
Take Your Time
In Silence
Monkey
Cue the Strings
Dragonfly

Unsurprising ballot, unranked:

Throw Out the Line

Turn

Stay

Two-Step

Weight of Water

Whitetail

Medicine Magazines

Laser Beam

Embrace

(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace

In the Drugs

Last Snowstorm of the Year

La La La Song

Point of Disgust

Shots & Ladders

Anon

The Plan

Over the Ocean

Mom Says

Coattails

Standby

Laugh

Lust

Stars Gone Out

Do You Know How to Waltz?

Murderer

Words

Lazy

Lullaby

Drag

Thanks ufo! And thanks to all of you for putting up with me being annoying for days.

Fascinating that Double Negative took the album poll, yet its highest placing in tracks was #19?? Feel like that's gotta be unprecedented among these artist polls

xp I’ve liked reading your take on Low, table!

been distracted by family events the last few days but have enjoyed this thread. thanks ufo

curious how common it is for other artist polls to have that many different songs of theirs get #1 votes - seemed like there were a lot for this one?

Fascinating that Double Negative took the album poll, yet its highest placing in tracks was #19?? Feel like that's gotta be unprecedented among these artist polls

yeah this was something that stood out to me as quite unusual, but i think it lines up with a lot of people mentioning that they loved double negative but weren't finding it easy to separate out individual tracks from it

This band.

Silver Rider
Monkey
Witches
(That’s How You Sing) Amazing Grace
Always Trying to Work It Out
Don’t Walk Away
The Lamb
Broadway (So Many People)
Disappearing
California
Landslide

Candy Girl
Two-Step
Canada
No Comprende
Pissing
Time Is the Diamond
On My Own
Weight of Water
Shots and Ladders
Do You Know How to Waltz
Quorum
Hey
Breaker
Majesty/Magic
Violence
Dinosaur Act
Just Stand Back
Little Argument with Myself
Days Like These

Good lookin out, table

Two-Step
Whitetail
Nothing But Heart
Cue the Strings
Monkey
Violence
Time Is The Diamond
Canada
Whore
Throw Out the Line
Plastic Cup
Sunflower
Missouri
Dinosaur Act
Standby
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
Especially Me
So Blue
Hatchet
Just Like Christmas
Lullaby
Coattails
Don't Understand
On My Own
Shame
Just Make It Stop
White Horses
More
Transmission
I Started a Joke

Starfire
Words
The Lamb
In Metal
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
2-Step
Pissing
Poor Sucker
The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
Whore
Do You Know How to Waltz
Murderer
Don't Understand
Sunflower
Dancing and Blood
Over the Ocean
Always Trying to Work it Out
Coattails
Condescend
Violent Past
Anon
Throw Out the Line
Born By the Wires
Lazy
When I Go Deaf
Hey
Spanish Translation
More
In the Drugs
Dinosaur Act

I thought "whore" might be top-ten material. the lyrics, i don't know. i don't listen to them. everything else about it is stunning.

great poll, thanks so much for running it ufo!!

The only rock bands I want to listen to these days are Low and Ween, idk what that says about me

what do you have against the foo fighters?

I thought "whore" might be top-ten material. the lyrics, i don't know. i don't listen to them. everything else about it is stunning.

yeah it ended up being my favourite from things we lost in the fire. the lyrics are a pretty awkward biblical reference which is a shame compared to how good the rest of it is

The Lamb
Two-Step
Monkey
Broadway (So Many People)
I Remember
Fly
Over the Ocean
Canada
Immune
Lullaby
Shame
Do You Know How to Waltz?
Everybody's Song
Lazy
Because You Stood Still
Nightingale
Long Way Around the Sea
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
Words
The Innocents
Medicine Magazines
Pissing
Dancing and Fire
In Metal
Belarus
Plastic Cup
Sleep at the Bottom
Sunflower
Standby
Shots & Ladders 2 – I was apparently the only vote for this version, and contributed only 2 points vs. the 350 points that the Trust version received.

things we lost in the fire was my first low. i was 20 at the time (2003) and met this wonderful woman who would play it all the time. i hope this isn't tmi, but i really liked her and for a while we were a couple and would sleep in the same bed. we never made love (TMI), which was a smart move on her part, because she knew i was just a young whatever and not a good idea for anyone who was taking things seriously. i would always be waiting for the right time, and who knows what she was thinking, and then at some point it would be things we lost in the fire time, and it was so warm and intense. Sunflower wowed me of course, first time, but later it was Whore and In Metal and....every single other song...that would knock me out. it was really intense laying there in that bad, on the edge of some sort of horny mistake, not making it, listening to this music, wine drunk. i can never forget it

Thanks UFO!

Fascinating results I'll spend more time parsing--but I feel like the take-away is basically that Low may be even more amazing than we often remember. They're so consistently great that perhaps sometimes we become innured to really seeing it.

My tracks:

01. “Will The Night (Secret Name, 1999)
02. “So Easy (So Far)” (Bombscare EP, 2000)
03. “Belarus” (Drums & Guns, 2007)
04. “Fly” (Double Negative, 2018)
05. “Little Argument With Myself” (Trust, 2002)
06. “Because You Stood Still” (Last Night I Dreamt EP, 2001)
07. “Soon” (Secret Name, 1999)
08. “Breaker” (Drums & Guns, 2007)
09. “Hand So Small” (Bombscare EP, 2000)
10. “Down By The River” (In the Fishtank EP, 2001)
11. “The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)” (Hey What, 2021)
12. “Do You Know How To Waltz?” (The Curtain Hits The Cast, 1996)
13. “Two-Step” (Secret Name, 1999)
14. “Don’t Understand” (Secret Name, 1999)
15. “Bombscare” (Bombscare EP, 2000)
16. “Hey” (Hey What, 2021)
17. “Landlord” (Songs For A Dead Pilot EP, 1997)
18. “John Prine” (Trust, 2002)
19. “Sunshine” (I Could Live In Hope, 1994)
20. “Always Fade” (Drums & Guns, 2007)
21. “Disarray” (Double Negative, 2018)
22. “Dragonfly” (Drums & Guns, 2007)
23. “The Plan” (The Curtain Hits the Cast, 1996)
24. “On The Edge Of” (The Great Destroyer, 2005)
25. “Always Trying to Work It Out” (Double Negative, 2018)
26. “Murderer” (Drums & Guns, 2007)
27. “Drag” (I Could Live In Hope, 1994)
28. “Words” (I Could Live In Hope, 1994)
29. “Poor Sucker” (Double Negative, 2018)
30. “Laser Beam” (Things We Lost in the Fire, 2001)

And releases:

01. Drums & Guns (2007)
02. Double Negative (2018)
03. Secret Name (1999)
04. Bombscare EP (2000)
05. Trust (2002)
06. The Curtain Hits the Cast (1996)
07. I Could Live in Hope (1994)
08. Hey What (2021)
09. The Great Destroyer (2005)
10. Things We Lost In the Fire (2001)

I'll continue to push for more folks to hear the 'Bombscare' EP, which more and more feels like the secret fulcrum of their oeuvre...

Thanks for sharing that, Karl. Long Division was my first, but TWLITF was the one that really hooked me.

My take on the last two is that Double Negative is the better album length statement, Hey What has higher highs but a couple duds. Between the lyrics and the vocal I don't like "Days Like These" at all.

Songs

More
Words
Belarus
Quorum
Shame
Lazy
Hey
Pissing
Witches
Violence
Two-Step
Sunflower
Murderer
Disarray
Lullaby
Soon
Anon
Fear
Lies
Cut
Stay
Drag
Take
Gentle
I Remember
So Easy (So Far)
Born by the Wires
Breaker (Dub Plate)
Do You Know How to Waltz?
Venus (Time Stereo Dub Mix)

Albums

I Could Live in Hope
Double Negative
Long Division
Ones and Sixes
Hey What
The Curtain Hits the Cast
Songs for a Dead Dreamer
Drums and Guns
Secret Name

*Songs for a Dead Pilot 8/

Tracks

1. Murderer
2. Lazy
3. Don’t Carry It All
4. When I Go Deaf
5. All Night
6. Words
7. Do You Know How to Waltz
8. Violent Past
9. Lullaby
10. In Metal
11. Take Your Time
12. Nightingale
13. White Horses
14. Condescend
15. Pissing
16. Rome (Always in the Dark)
17. Starfire
18. Dancing and Blood
19. Sunflower
20. Canada
21. More
22. Breaker
23. The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
24. Venus
25. 2-Step
26. Landslide
27. John Prine
28. What Part of Me
29. Like a Forest
30. In the Drugs

Albums

1. Drums and Guns
2. Hey What
3. I Could Live in Hope
4. Things We Lost in the Fire
5. The Curtain Hits the Cast
6. The Great Destroyer
7. Double Negative
8. Ones and Sixes
9. In a Fishtank
10. Trust

TWLITF was my gateway years back. Someone put it on the morning after a night of heavy partying and the mood of “Sunflower” and on just clicked.

"sunflower" is the ultimate low gateway song imo

it's imo because it was my gateway i guess

i'm surprised that When I Go Deaf didn't place

this poll has prompted me to reassess the great destroyer. it was always one of my least favorite of theirs, but after giving it 10 or so years since the last listen, i can really recognize several fantastic songs on it.

Yeah, that one screams big crowd singalong when played live

“All Night” became my new favorite Mimi song. She’s holding everything together for around 4 minutes before it sounds like she’s getting pulled into a telephone.

Pardon the interruption, but the gorgeous David Gilmour song "The Blue" sounds a lot like Low "Shame," and the first word in the song is "shamelessly."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1kJfdfrzIM

Most of them placed but I'm still shocked at Caroline. Seriously people ?

Spanish Translation
Lazy
Caroline
The Lamb
Anon
Murderer
That’s How you sing Amazing Grace
Gentle
Lies
Shame
Always Trying to Work it Out
Words
White Horses
Congregation
Especially Me
Quorum
Lullaby
Weight of Water
Sunflower
July
Dancing and Blood
Fly
Dinosaur Act
Monkey
The Innocents
The Plan
No Comprende
Shots & Ladders
Down
Silver Rider

Most of these placed but more love for Bombscare and Tonight please. Trust is the favourite album and Tonight is crucial flickering warmth relative to the general chillier nocturnal vibe.

Immune
Bombscare
Murderer
California
White Horses
Violent Past
Shots & Ladders
No Comprende
Fly
More
Tonight
Hand So Small
Canada
Monkey
Belarus
Quorum
Soon
Pissing
Sunflower
Just Like Christmas
Time is the Diamond
Sleep at the Bottom
Do You Know How to Waltz?
Days of…
July
Point of Disgust
Violence
Breaker
In the Drugs
Condescend

Trust
Bombscare EP
Secret Name
Drums and Guns
HEY WHAT
Double Negative
I Could Live in Hope
Things We Lost in the Fire
The Great Destroyer
Christmas

Courtesy of this poll I've finally found a route into Curtain which for years I found rather unapproachable. Today it feels really lush and stretches of it are pretty new to me still - the ultimate treat of quasi-new old Low to immerse in.

I’ve been traveling and I missed this rollout. I must be a casual low fan because I had no idea Murderer had a chance at the top 10 let alone would be the winner of this poll. I would have betted on “Words”.

Happy “sleep at the bottom” made it albeit way TOO LOW.

Great poll ufo, thank you!

Here's my ballot

Songs

Soon
Starfire
Violence
Words
Sunflower
Dinosaur Act
Like A Forest
In Metal
Point of Disgust
Murderer
Just Like Christmas
Long Way Around The Sea
One Special Gift
Breaker
Hatchet
Just Make It Stop
Quorum
Below & Above
Throw Out The Line
Swingin’
Over The Ocean
Lion/Lamb
Two Step
Don’t Understand
Kind of Girl
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
Canada
When I Go Deaf
Taking Down The Tree
Missouri

Albums

Things We Lost in the Fire
Secret Name
Long Division
Christmas
The Curtain Hits The Cast
Trust
The Great Destroyer
I Could Live In Hope
Double Negative
Drums and Guns

I’m not sure if double negative was my#1 album vote but it feels to me like the absolute climax of what Low is. I had a hard time picking a song I’d recommend off it because it’s the one Low album that works as a full album imho. It’s a crushing experience if you listen to it in one sitting with a good pair of headphones. No other album of them works in the same context for me. It’s a bit masochistic, while it’s my favorite I’ve only listened to it 3 times fully. You really need to be in the mood to be dragged into the ground.

It was difficult to decide whether I wasn't so hot on the Low 'standards' - top 15 or so - due burning out on them being part of the live set for many years. But no, turns out they just have ridiculous amounts of good material on all the records and they all get crowded out when you're only picking top 30. Great fun though!

Violence
Silver Rider
July
Shame
No Comprende
Will The Night
Whitetail
Nothing But Heart
John Prine
Embrace
Lullaby
Dragonfly
When You Walked
Disappearing
Amethyst
On The Edge Of
Hey
Dancing and Fire
Breaker
White Horses
Little Argument with Myself
Violent Past
Time Is The Diamond
Do You Know How To Waltz?
I Remember
Especially Me
Murderer (EP version)
I Hear... Goodnight
Witches
Last Snowstorm of the Year

Things We Lost In The Fire
Trust
Drums and Guns
Double Negative
HEY WHAT
The Great Destroyer
I Could Live In Hope
Secret Name
The Invisible Way
Curtain Hits The Cast

Thanks a lot for running this ufo, really enjoyed reading the different takes on the Low catalogue.

Dinosaur Act
Sunflower
In the Drugs
Do You Know How to Waltz?
Sleep at the Bottom
Immune
Slide
California
Shame
Murderer
Weight of Water
More
Shots & Ladders
Because You Stood Still
Lazy
Venus
Medicine Magazines
Fly
Bright
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
Cut
Over the Ocean
Everybody's Song
You See Everything
Like a Forest
Time Is the Diamond
Joan of Arc
On the Edge of
Little Argument With Myself
Starfire

Things We Lost in the Fire
Trust
I Could Live in Hope
HEY WHAT
A Lifetime of Temporary Relief
Double Negative
The Curtain Hits the Cast
The Great Destroyer
Secret Name
C'mon

my ballots:

Lullaby
Murderer
Over The Ocean
Do You Know How to Waltz?
Tempest
Just Stand Back
Always Up
Fly
Always Trying to Work It Out
White Horses
Breaker
Laugh
The Plan
Quorum
Gentle
Pissing
Whore
Coattails
Down
Violence
Hey
Nothing But Heart
When I Go Deaf
Violent Past
Rome (Always In The Dark)
Landslide
Will the Night
Shots & Ladders
More
In Metal

Double Negative
The Curtain Hits the Cast
The Great Destroyer
HEY WHAT
I Could Live In Hope
Things We Lost in the Fire
Drums and Guns
Ones and Sixes
C'mon
Trust

Down by the River
I'm On Fire
Let's Stay Together
Nowhere Man
Transmission
Stay

I forgot to post my albums and covers, which were ranked:

Albums:
The Curtain Hits the Cast
Trust
I Could Live in Hope
Things We Lost in the Fire
Secret Name
Long Division
Drums & Guns
Double Negative
HEY WHAT
Bombscare EP

Covers:
Blue-Eyed Devil
Stay
Carnival Queen
I Started a Joke
Little Drummer Boy
Silent Night
Down by the River
Surfer Girl
...I Love
Open Arms

My ballots:
Songs (in ranked order 1-30):
Weight Of Water
Whitetail
Murderer
Do You Know How To Waltz?
Cut
Two-Step
Lies
Lazy
Dinosaur Act
Fly
Canada
You See Everything
Drag
Congregation
Pissing Low
Over the Ocean
Laser Beam
(That's How You Sing) Amazing Grace
Transmission
Point of Disgust
Alone
Nothing But Heart
Breaker
The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
Down By The River
Starfire
Lullaby
Stay (Rihanna cover)
Days Like These Low
Just Make It Stop

Albums:
Secret Name
I Could Live In Hope
Things We Lost In The Fire
Ones and Sixes
Trust
C'Mon
The Curtain Hits The Cast
Drums and Guns
Hey What
Double Negative

Covers:
Transmission
Down By The River
Stay
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Surfer Girl
Lord, Can You Hear Me?
Back Home Again
I'm on Fire
Let's Stay Together
Nowhere Man

Thanks ufo for picking up the ball

My ballots (yeah, I thought it was 50)

Over The Ocean
John Prine
Silver Rider (Murderer ep version)
Do You Know How To Waltz?
La La La Song
Joan of Arc
(That’s How You Sing) Amazing Grace
Little Argument With Myself
Monkey
David & Jude
Last Snowstorm Of The Year
Venus
Will the Night
I Started A Joke
Two-Step
The Plan
Throw Out The Line
Weight Of Water
If You Were Born Today (Song for Little Baby Jesus)
Just Like Christmas
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Transmission
Peanut Butter Toast and American Bandstand
In The Drugs
Dinosaur Act
Soon
Alone
Especially Me
Stars Gone Out
Always Fade
Long Way Around The Sea
When I Go Deaf
Violent Past
Blue Christmas
I Remember
Sunflower
Pretty People
From Your Place On Sunset
Try To Sleep
Don’t Understand
Down By The River
Always Trying To Work It Out
Lazy
Into You
Pissing
Violence
Hand So Small
Caroline
Laser Beam
Condescend

Curtain Hits The Cast
Trust
Secret Name
One More Reason To Forget
Songs For A Dead Pilot
OWL
The Great Destroyer
The Exit Papers
Long Division
Things We Lost In The Fire

I Started A Joke
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Transmission
Blue Christmas
Down By The River
Surfer Girl
Long Long Long
Fearless
Carnival Queen
Lord Can You Hear Me

Thanks so much, ufo! Love the images.

My ballot below. Thought for a bit I was Mr Hive Mind when it comes to Low, given my #1 LP and #1 cover were also the poll's #1s. However, I didn't for any of the top 7 in songs.

Songs

In Metal
Just Make It Stop
Canada
In The Drugs
Days Like These
Don’t Carry It All
Try To Sleep
Because You Stood Still
Those Girls (Song For Nico)
Belarus
Lies
Way Behind (w/ Spring Heel Jack)
The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
Below & Above
Monkey
Hatchet
You See Everything
Sea
Whitetail
Be There
Death of a Salesman
Joan of Arc
Overhead
Violence
Sleep At the Bottom (w/Transient Waves & Piano Magic)
Weight Of Water
Prisoner
What Part Of Me
Venus
Plastic Cup

Cover versions

Down By The River (w/ Dirty Three)
Fearless
Little Drummer Boy
Back Home Again
…I Love
Sunshine
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Heartbeat
Lord, Can You Hear Me?
Transmission

Albums

Double Negative
HEY WHAT
Trust
Bombscare EP (w/ Spring Heel Jack)
Drums and Guns
Christmas
Things We Lost In The Fire
In The Fishtank 7 (w/ Dirty Three)
Long Division
C’mon

Songs:

2-Step
Laser Beam
Words
Murderer
Just Like Christmas
Stars Gone Out
Do You Know How to Waltz?
Tempest
Always Trying to Work It Out
Medicine & Magazine
Down
Starfire
Violence
Over the Ocean
Nothing But Heart
July
Nightingale
Violent Past
The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
Be There
Sleep at the Bottom
Venus
Silver Rider
Anon
No Comprende
Lullaby
Quorum
Hey
Condescend
(That’s How You Sing) Amazing Grace

Albums:

Things We Lost in the Fire
Double Negative
The Curtain Hits the Cast
C’mon
HEY WHAT
I Could Live in Hope
Long Division
Secret Name
Songs for a Dead Pilot
Ones and Sixes

Songs:

2-Step
Laser Beam
Words
Murderer
Just Like Christmas
Stars Gone Out
Do You Know How to Waltz?
Tempest
Always Trying to Work It Out
Medicine & Magazine
Down
Starfire
Violence
Over the Ocean
Nothing But Heart
July
Nightingale
Violent Past
The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
Be There
Sleep at the Bottom
Venus
Silver Rider
Anon
No Comprende
Lullaby
Quorum
Hey
Condescend
(That’s How You Sing) Amazing Grace

Albums:

Things We Lost in the Fire
Double Negative
The Curtain Hits the Cast
C’mon
HEY WHAT
I Could Live in Hope
Long Division
Secret Name
Songs for a Dead Pilot
Ones and Sixes

Thanks ufo for your hard work on this poll!

I don't know why I left Murderer off my ballot (and voted for the blander Belarus from the same album) but I guess that's what happens when you compile your ballot quickly and mostly on instinct.

Songs:

Violent Past
When I Go Deaf
Laser Beam
Always Trying to Work It Out
Broadway (So Many People)
Lullaby
Closer
Quorum
Dinosaur Act
Words
In Metal
Canada
Shots and Ladders
John Prine
Monkey
California
Landslide
Nothing But Heart
Tempest
Try To Sleep
Fly
Over the Ocean
Do You Know How to Waltz
Two Step
Sunflower
Walk Into the Sea
Belarus
Especially Me
Plastic Cup
On My Own

Albums:

Double Negative
The Great Destroyer
Things We Lost In the Fire
I Could Live In Hope
Trust
Drums and Guns
Christmas
C'mon
The Invisible Way
The Curtain Hits the Cast

I didn't do a relisten before voting. With Christmas on just now I think Little Drummer Boy might have got top 20. SO MUCH NOISE.

There's a few i haven't heard but no way do Low have 10(!!) albums that are even better than Long Division.

i might be biased cause it was the first one i picked up, but i was under the impression it was their highest regarded release for a time pre-TWLITF? Secret Name or maybe Christmas was their current release then.

I *love* Long Division AND, according to my ballot, therr e are a solid six Low albums that are better.