Selected Ambient Works Volume II

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Does anybody agree that this album both induces insanity and is enjoyable to listen to?

― David, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

And does anybody agree that the sixth track on the second disc is probably the best thing that this boy will ever do and if not could you suggest something better, you crazy person?

― David, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the first three tracks on disc one. (especially three.) ;)

― jess, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

With Jess. Especially about that third track.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yup, that's the one for me. Best thing he ever did and he's no slouch when it comes to good stuff.

― Billy Dods, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Track seven, Disc one is my fave. It always makes me think of gliding across a lake in the grounds of an English mansion on a very damp, misty day. Kind of the like the one in 'Don't Look Now'.

― Johnathan, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The whole thing......it's actually the CD I listen to the most, believe it or not. It is my #1 sleeping CD, without a doubt. I put one of those discs on at least once a week. Unparalleled late night listening, I think.

― patrick, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Induces insanity is right. This album is little Richie's big practical joke on the chill-out room crowd. I think RDJ laughs whenever he hears someone taking it seriously.

― Dan I., Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I actually had this for a while and then sold it a couple of years ago. It just never did anything for me. It's something I've considered buying again to see if I can figure out why it means to much to so many. It's even more puzzling because I like Aphex Twin very much, and dig ambient music in general. I just have to start over with this one, I think. Not sure why it never clicked, but would love to hear from others who've had the same experience.

― Mark, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I will back track three as well. One of the most beautiful and sad thing I've ever heard. Something to shut up any foo' who claims electronic music is souless. I think the reason SAW II works so well is that its ambient but jittery. I could never imagine sleeping to it.

― bnw, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Patrick: It's better for sleep during the day. At night, is when it induces insanity taken in full dose. I'd never use it to go to sleep then. That's fucked up.

― David, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah that first disc, specially the first song.mmmm drone goodness. All album c'est bonne.

― Mr Noodles, Saturday, 27 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's scary in the way so many of the pieces on the album just sort of sit and lurk there and in so doing start to tear at my sanity (like the second-to-last song on CD2),and subversive the way it turns out something really gentle and melodic,like the aforementioned third song on disc one,and that one on the second disc that sounds like Discreet Music.

― Damian, Sunday, 28 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

CD2 Track 6 is the aural incarnate of all things pant-shittingly sinister. "Bine" by Autechre is the only thing that's come close to scaring me that much. I actually invented my own titles for each track. It's a good way of getting into the descriptive aspect of the album. For instance, CD1 Track 7 is called "Fairground" - i don't know why, that's just what i like to think of. My favourite one is CD1 Track3 also. The long silences between tracks can be very interesting late at night.

― dog latin, Sunday, 28 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

David: I can understand why you'd find it madness-inducing, but strangely enough, I find it a very pleasant sleeping album at 2AM. Maybe it's because I'm already mad To me, the sounds simply creep into my brain and induce sleep.

― patrick, Sunday, 28 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

blabla....utter classic...blabla...Favorite tracks: nr.1 CD1 and nr.2 CD2 (great how that sound goes nasty at the end). Damn, should have brought it to work I really want to hear it again.

― Omar, Monday, 29 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Patrick: It just seems that listening to it at night with lots of thoughts in your head will confuse all of them, tire you out so much that you can't be bothered to leave your sitting place (provided you're not in a sleeping position)and then also not wanting to turn it off because it will kill the consistency of the madness and your mind will move to somewhere less preferable.

― David, Monday, 29 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What about "At The Heart Of It All" or "Ventolin"? Better than CDII Track 6!

― Kodanshi, Tuesday, 30 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Interesting conversation so far. Only prob with SAW2 discussions is the lack of track names means you get conversation like "Oh I think track 23 on CD2 is better than track 4 on side b of the third disc on the vinyl version!!" or "'Blucalx' is pretty pants but that 'Looks Like an Out-Of-Focus Funny Stripey Tree-Shaped Thingy' track is really cool!!!

Harumph!!! Still the vinyl version is a nice caramel colour tho... And some of the tracks are pretty cool. When I was playing it one day and one of my old friends phoned, he heard it bleeping away in the background, and asked if there was something wrong with my ice-cream van!!!!!!!!

Old Fart!!!!!!!

― Old Fart!!!!, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

four years pass...

So I guess I shouldn't really write this here yet, but I'm thinking of pitching this as my contribution to the 33 1/3 series. More thoughts, ideas and memories please!

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 01:44 (twenty years ago)

No, we hate you.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 01:48 (twenty years ago)

i don't listen to this much because my brown (!) vinyl version of the record sounds like shit as well as looking like it.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 01:50 (twenty years ago)

:-(

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 01:50 (twenty years ago)

whaddit i done ned?

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 9 November 2005 01:53 (twenty years ago)

fifteen years pass...

All this chatter before the songs were given official names is so weird. “CD 1, Track 7 sounds like a fairground!” Ah, but are we including “Hankie” in that track sequence or not? For those who don’t know, there is a bonus track outtake called “th1 (evnslower)” on the streaming version of this album. It’s amazing and would’ve fit perfectly if included on the original album. The best way to listen to this album and the way I’ve always done it is with all the songs in alphabetical order, from “Blue Calx” to “Z Twig”. Starts out mellow and super-quiet, then builds in its intensity and weirdness culminating in the absolute WTF insanity of the two “White Blur” songs, and then “Z Twig” is a nice awakening moment akin to the sun coming up in the morning. Obviously one of the best albums I’ve ever heard, definitely top ten. I listened to this whole album once a day every weekday for over a year. It’s good for office productivity.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 27 February 2021 14:32 (five years ago)

I think more than half the songs on this were used in Adam Curtis' Can't Get You Out of My Head

― octobeard, Saturday, 27 February 2021 21:15 (five years ago)

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