The Skinny- Loveless is the second studio album by alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine. Released on November 4th, 1991, Loveless was recorded over a two-year period between 1989 and 1991 in nineteen recording studios. Lead vocalist and guitaristKevin Shields dominated the recording process; he sought to achieve a particular sound for the record, making use of various techniques such as guitars strummed with a tremolo bar, sampled drum loops, and obscured vocals. A large number of engineers were hired and fired during the process, although the band finally gave credit on the album sleeve to anyone who was present during the recordings, "even if all they did was make tea", according to Shields. The recording of Loveless is rumored to have cost £250,000, a figure that came close to bankrupting the band's record label Creation Records.
My Bloody Valentine's relationship with Creation Records deteriorated during the album's recording, and the band was removed from the label due to the difficulty and expense of working with Shields. While the album was not a great commercial success, Loveless was well received by critics. Widely regarded as a landmark of the alternative rock genre, the album has been cited by several artists as an influence, and by critics as one of the best albums of the 1990s.
The Verdict- Loveless is a masterpiece. It is the definitive shoe gaze album, and combines loud with beautiful in a way that hasn't been seen since. The vocals on this record are interesting to note because in the mastering process, Shields stated that he felt vocals were themselves an instrument, and should not dominate a song, hence the vocal levels at the same range as instruments. First time listeners may find this to be difficult but the sweeping emotional tracks become more and more appreciable the more you listen to the record, and eventually, the vocals seem to fit like a glove. An epic gem of a record, go listen to Loveless, perhaps the best record of the 90s.
Five stars out of five *****
2 comments:
basically one of my favorite albums ever!
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