You Made Me Realise

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and then in the middle, goes..

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before reprising with

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1. You Made Me Realise
2. Slow
3. Thorn
4. Cigarette In Your Bed
5. Drive It All Over Me

1. thorn (screaming jet guitars + jangly pop song = rules)
2T. you made me realise
2T. drive it all over me
4. cigarette in bed
5. slow

i spent a long time 3 years ago trawling ebay for an affordable copy, and finally ended up paying $25 or something for the CD. totally worth it in retrospect - way more worth it than the $20 i paid for the feed me with your kiss EP (although that one is also good).

All of them. Hooray!

1. ymmr
2. drive it all over me
3. thorn
4. slow
5. ciggies

But I think the others are very good too, but I cannot be sure which is which.

Pretty sure this came out in the summer just before I went off to University for the first time. First heard it on Peel (of course) and loved the way that the song just came racing out of the blocks and knocked me flat within the first few seconds. Won't say I was totally amazed by the sound of it cos I'd been hammering You're Living All Over Me to death for about the entire year before, but I was pretty shocked that this crappy up-till-then indie band had suddenly made such a huge sonic leap forward.

they all mention the titles in the lyrics so it shouldn't be hard to match them up now you know the names.

and welcome to 1989!

Though, yes, surely it's not 1989. Alas!

What a lovely record sleeve!

I like to read those memories of people hearing the record.

what a fight!

I can do it in my head, but I haven't got it.

I am enjoying doing it in my head.

This is what life is all about.

It owes a lot to Daydream Nation, but it is better. Perhaps due to its HEART.

Oh, I see - you agree, it is. Still.

ah, maybe. the lp is forever ingrained in my mind with my final year degree project which was 88-89. the cassette version had both the lead tracks from the eps on it whereas the vinyl didn't.

(xpost, daydream nation was another. as was house of love lp)

(i always find the holes in the pinefox's musical history fascinating and am kind of envious that he is still discovering things as good as these at this stage in the game) have you heard 'ecstasy and wine' joe?

my secret shame - i taped that peel session when it went out but never transfered it to the archive because i wasn't convinced by it.

[x-post with the Nipper:]

I listened to the whole first HoL LP while doing the washing up the other night. OK, maybe it was a big pile of washing-up (I cannot decide whether that phrase needs a dash), but still I felt, gosh, this LP's short! I suppose 'Love In A Car' and 'Salome', oh and OK, 'Christine', are the best things on it. This *does* feel like old and much-rutted ground, though... [but JtN has revived it, planted seeds and made it grow afresh!...]

That is what I think.

The rest of the EP isn't bad, either. :)

MM Albums 1988
Surfer Rosa - The pixies
Life's to good - Sugercubes
Isn't anything - My bloody valentine
Green - REM
69 - AR Kane
Blue bell knoll - Cocteau twins
Hairway to Steven - Butthole surfers
All about eve - All about eve
Fisherman's blues - The waterboys
Bug - Dinosaur Jr.
The house of love - The house of love
Lovesexy - Prince
VIVIsectVI - Skinny puppy
Spirit of Eden - Talk talk
So far so good - Megadeath
The walking - Jane Siberry
Tender pray - Nick Cave
In the Spanish cave - Thin white rope
Live! You goddamned son of a bitch - Revolting cocks
House tornado - Throwing muses
Miss America - Mary Margaret O'Hara
Shiva Burlesque - Shiva Burlesque
Provision - Scritti Politti
Daydream nation - Sonic youth
Here come the snakes - Green on red
The eight legged groove machine - The wonder stuff
California - American music club
It takes a nation of millions.. - Public enemy
Dusted - Live skull
16 Lovers lane - The go betweens

MM Singles 1988
The mercy seat - Nick Cave
You made me realise - My bloody valentine
Freak scene - Dinosaur Jr.
Gigantic - Pixies
Destroy the heart - The house of love
L'amourir - The young gods
Christine - The house of love
Sidewalking - Jesus and Mary chain
Feed me with your kiss - My bloody valentine
Martha's harbour - All about eve
Follow the leader - Eric B & Rakim
Alphabet street - Prince
UP home EP - AR Kane
Crash - The primitives
Teardrops - Womack & womack
Collision EP - Loop
O Patti - Scritti Politti
The race - Yellow
Revolution - Spaceman
Headhunter - Front 242

Youtube also has a clip of them on RAPIDO!

FACT: The Autumn of 1988 was the peak of Melody Maker "Blissed Out" era

Some of the records in those lists, I like a lot. They are almost enough to make me think music was better then. But some of the other records in the lists, I don't like. (x-post with Martian!)

I have just watched the video!

Among them: WHO songs done like BBC theme tunes - 'My Favourite Station' and a 'Boris the Spider' remake. Also 'Substitute', 'I'm A Boy', 'Happy Jack', etc. But best of all, really, is the commentary from Brian Matthew: 'That's Pete Townshend', he begins as the riff for 'The Seeker' begins ... 'and, who else could that be but The WHO, Mr Townshend's amazing band, putting in the punch [?] on his own composition - "The Seeker"!'. Or is that for 'I'm Free' - yes, maybe: same thing. Also funny discussions between Matthew and Townshend - whose claims that 'I'm A Boy' is just a bit of fun (BM: 'It just means you're a boy?') doesn't ring quite true - and towards the end, tremendously worthy comments from Bob Harris, who has scripted a brief tribute to their dedication, excellence and thoughtful commitment to their craft.

Then it's MBV!

Mmmm... but I'm not convinced by this!! Mudhoney didn't tour here with Sonic Youth till '89 I think. SY did play a few London dates, possibly with Dinosaur jr and definitely with Rapeman, but I was Ooop North by then. They did tour with Lunachicks at some point though, can't remember when. Totally anecdotal evidence this, but I have firm memories of blowing some of my first grant cheque on Daydream Nation in Eastern Bloc in Affleck's Palace. Think probably that Graham Massey from 808 State sold it to me, not that I knew who he was then of course. Came with a signed poster, which went straight on Halls' walls.

Mooro taped me that tape, of The WHO, without MBV.

Perhaps I should buy it now, to go with my other WHO CDs.

I have no means of playing tapes.

Yeah, definitely, and I don't think they denied it much. Think they mentioned listening to Husker Du quite a lot in interviews round that time too. I guess I can hear some Grant Hart in the drums, but more generally there's that whole melody + noise thing going on.

Perhaps I need some Husker Du, too.

Hmmm. Think it's safe to say that if they never really grabbed you before, they probably wouldn't now.

I think I quite liked Husker Du, I just never bought any records.

"Quite like" is now as much as I can hope for from anything.

But you're right, I don't need any.

I remember listening to it on a Walkman riding the bus and wondering why nobody was writing about it - it beat Isn't Anything in terms of consistently strong songs, although it wasn't as extreme in its embrace of fuzzy sonic blurriness.

Both Sonic Youth and MBV were heavily influenced by Dinosaur - but MBV was influenced by SY as well. Keep in mind that Daydream Nation was not Sonic Youth's first album, nor was it their first attempt to meld dissonant gtr freakouts w/ dream pop impulses (check "Starpower" or "Expressway To Yr Skull" from '86's EVOL, even "I Love Her All The Time" or "Halloween" from '85).

I saw MBV & interviewed them at the TLA in Philly in '89. The band later stated in Melody Maker that this somewhat confrontational interview was the worst they'd ever experienced.

Ugly American: Do you have day jobs?
Kevin Shields: No, we don't work.
UA: You're professional entertainers.
KS: We don't make enough to live off our records yet.
UA: So you squat?
KS: Yes, something like that.
UA: We kill squatters over here.
KS: Is that good?
UA: Beat them with firehoses.
KS: Is that good?
UA: Put cigarettes out on their faces.
KS: Is that good, though?
UA: If you're into pain, I guess.

Maybe I'll post the interview if I can be arsed to scan it in. It's kind of funny in a social train wreck sort of way.

I'm honored, but c'mon now, the day is young!

I know it is not their first record. Sonic Youth, I mean. I just had my chronology mixed up. I don't hear much Dinosaur Jr in SY or MBV, to be honest. I think Dinosaur Jr were a minor group, a footnote. I like(d) them though. They would play to about a tenth of the crowd SY or MBV got.

sleepy makes sense though. how else could they support their concerts with you made me realise with that loud guitar noise at the end which never finished?

-- the bellefox (pinefo...), February 7th, 2006 8:26 AM.

Tautologies aside, Ugly American was a fanzine.

I don't hear much Dinosaur Jr in SY or MBV, to be honest. I think Dinosaur Jr were a minor group, a footnote. I like(d) them though. They would play to about a tenth of the crowd SY or MBV got.

Dinosaur's influence on MBV is pretty widely acknowledged. As far as audience size, MBV *opened* for them in the US.

And, yeah, technically Shields is an American!

They were to me. Right now, I think this may be the greatest single of the 80s.

And why has nobody yet mentioned the Mary Chain with regard to bands who might have arrived at the sound on this record before MBV? 'Drive It All Over Me', especially, could be an out-take from 'Psychocandy' (with female vocals of course).

I am excited about the Chapterhouse rerelease. I guess that sentence had to be typed. I am not sure I can see myself buying it, though.

I never get tired of praising that incredible EP and the "Feed Me With Your Kiss" single, that half-hour of 1988 music just barely predating Isn't Anything. So sexy and terrifying...if all their stuff was as great as "You Made Me Realise" I'd call 'em the best band ever, or close to it. I really do wish their albums measured up to that standard, but I don't think they do, not even close. I actually prefer Isn't Anything to Loveless. I'll never understand nor forgive their sudden aversion to actual drumbeats as played by an actual flesh-&-blood drummer. An inexplicable decision and a poor one.

(Mercedes, if you're reading, Mike.)

21: Is Colm really playing drums on "Loveless"?

Yes and no. Most of the drum sounds on 'Loveless' are triggered and sequenced; Colm played either electronic drums or natural drums on tape triggered to electronic sounds into a computer sequencer. The drum pattern was then quantized (each trigger was put to the nearest beat) and replayed. Colm's drum playing is characteristic but usually off-time. The drums on 'Loveless' have Colm's characteristic playing, but they are all exactly on the beat, re-done by a computer. From an interview with Kevin Shields: "Actually we started the album with live drums, but Colm got very ill so we sampled his drums and his rolls. So even when a track is programmed, it has elements of his feel."

and i love loveless which was my first encounter with them and i maybe now love isn't anything even more as i have not yet played it to death, only to coma or something.

I think they were good at making simple chord changes very exciting, by doing and singing other things over the top.

This saddens me. I would have thought that MBV's swirl could have accomodated some imprecise beats. They're hardly The Meters.

Run run away run run away
’cause there’s nothing left to say
Got no one to talk to
Leave me alone, I’m happy to die today
Run run away run run away
’cause there’s nothing left to say
Oh, the travel always gets me
Get in the car and drive it all over me

i listened to this and the other ep's last night and it struck me that colm's slightly off-kilter machine gun fills are a big part of why i prefer 'isn't anything' to 'loveless'. really drives home that lovely 'we might self-destruct at any moment' feeling that the guitars already give off. the sequenced drums on loveless kill a lot of that.

That just does not compute. He is one of the all time great drummers.

YES! I voted it my number one in the ILX 80s Poll-whose-results-will-never-be-revealed.

-- Jarvis Chow (mmmhm...), February 10th, 2006.

just cause hes great doesnt mean he kicks ass.

I love this! It sounds like Screaming Trees. This is way more interesting to me than Loveless was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwOGBtel2j0