Kevin Shields- whats the fuss?

meltedbuzzbox

So being an offset enthusiast I keep coming across loads of other offset players banging on about Kevin Shields and MBV.

I have seen the amps, the 397 pedals and the offsets but I just dont get the appeal. 

He has a "sound" that reminds me of turning on all my pedals at once and doing hideous things with the vibrato.

Almost like crossing the irish sea on acid. 

Am I in the ball park here or have I not heard the right songs?

stonevibe

Great band live back in the day.

But it hasn't aged well. Because he took 20 odd years to make another album that sounded average at best.

Moss

http://i.imgur.com/3PwrwrL.gif

JookyChap

Yeah, saw them live a few times and it was incredible. 

Or maybe incredibly loud. 

Other than Loveless though, and then only when played very loud thru headfones, it's kinda meh now.

They were brilliant at the Rollercoaster concerts with Dino Jr, Mary Chain and err, oddly Blur, though. 

impmann

Sorry does bog all for me.

wayneirie

Loveless is a classic, he was a big part of xtrmntr by primal scream. I think they're his two finest hours. The gigs he did with primal scream on the xtrmntr tour were amazing definitely one of the best things I've ever seen, although I was in a somewhat wobbly state. The live shows are more the shock and awe aspect of it it is literally the most terrifying thing I've ever heard there's a lot of hard work goes into making it happen. I think a lot of the reverence comes from the amount of time he was away doing whatever.

ICBM

Someone I have never actually listened to (I'm sorry… ), but on the basis of the above damning criticism this sounds like a mistake that I will need to rectify as soon as possible.

jellybelly

I think loveless is one of my favourite albums. The other stuff is inconsistent but some nice stuff in there certainly. It's more mood music than rock though. In terms of the link with offsets, it's all about the vibrato for this big slow bends with loads of reverb and echo. My favourite tracks are Only Shallow, When You Sleep and Sometimes, all off loveless, as well as a B-side called You Made Me Realise. When 'Sometimes' hits about halfway through Lost In Translation, it's a pretty special moment.

Basher

wayneirie said:

Loveless is a classic, he was a big part of xtrmntr by primal scream. I think they're his two finest hours. The gigs he did with primal scream on the xtrmntr tour were amazing definitely one of the best things I've ever seen, although I was in a somewhat wobbly state. The live shows are more the shock and awe aspect of it it is literally the most terrifying thing I've ever heard there's a lot of hard work goes into making it happen. I think a lot of the reverence comes from the amount of time he was away doing whatever.

Saw him soundcheck at one of the xtrmntr gigs. Fantastic hearing all the swooshes, dives and general sonic mayhem in isolation. Some of it was a bit lost in the general sturm und drang of the later performance but nice to hear someone with a dramatically different approach to the guitar (and so much better than just having someone bashing out block chord backings).

JookyChap

Actually, just listened to Loveless again for the first time in years, and I retract the Meh - tis awesome. Shock 'n' awe is right

Deijavoo

Loveless is such a favourite of mine. Absolutely superb record in my opinion.

DesVegas

wayneirie said:

he was a big part of xtrmntr by primal scream. I think they're his two finest hours. The gigs he did with primal scream on the xtrmntr tour were amazing definitely one of the best things I've ever seen, although I was in a somewhat wobbly state. The live shows are more the shock and awe aspect of it it is literally the most terrifying thing I've ever heard there's a lot of hard work goes into making it happen. I think a lot of the reverence comes from the amount of time he was away doing whatever.

Well i didn't know that.. what a great album.

Deijavoo

Vanishing Point is by a million miles Primal Scream's best record in my opinion.

jeztone2

wayneirie said:

Loveless is a classic, he was a big part of xtrmntr by primal scream. I think they're his two finest hours. The gigs he did with primal scream on the xtrmntr tour were amazing definitely one of the best things I've ever seen, although I was in a somewhat wobbly state. The live shows are more the shock and awe aspect of it it is literally the most terrifying thing I've ever heard there's a lot of hard work goes into making it happen. I think a lot of the reverence comes from the amount of time he was away doing whatever.

This

wayneirie

Deijavoo said:

Vanishing Point is by a million miles Primal Scream's best record in my opinion.

I love vanishing point as well, the dub version of it in particular. Xtrmntr will always be one of my favourites of all time. There's just some thing vicious about it.

meltedbuzzbox

I like xtrmntr. Haven't listened to that for years. I will have to dig that out.

DesVegas

kill ALL hippies

Plukky

Loveless is one of my absolute favourite albums, and MBV at the Roundhouse in 2008 is probably the best gig I've been to.

None of that means you have to like it as well  FWIW, it took me a fair few repeated listens to really get into, it seemed impenetrable at the time.

markv

More love for Loveless, still absolutely astonishing. XTRMNTR is OK but "Shoot Speed/Kill Light" is the best thing on it by miles and sounds like MBV fucking New Order in a fetish den. Which oddly is roughly what it actually is. I don't think Primal Scream are in there at all.

GavRichList

Only Shallow is tremendous. Sometimes also gravy. I like the weird noises. I like weird noises.

Reverend

Second loudest band of all time?