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my bloody valentine, "ecstasy and wine"

When I think back to the early 1990s, three albums stick out in my mindas being timeless classics: The Las, The Stone Roses, and 'Loveless'from My Bloody Valentine. Unfortunately, these bands had recordingsbefore these records (and in one case after), which fail (miserably) toreach the stunning climax of their staple album, leaving their mark onthe world as an imperfect existence. To its credit, the recent MyBloody Valentine collection of older EPs is much better than both fromthe Las and Stone Roses 'Garage Flowers'. If you're looking for thenext best thing to a follow-up from 'Loveless', however, you will be infor a disappointment. While the airy open voice male and female vocalsand heavily distorted guitars are recognizable, it's a cross betweenjangly pop and the occasional dark distorted track, often giving aretrospective nod to more obscure 1960s rock stuff. My Bloody Valentinewere certainly not in their own element quite yet. There is a certainalmost indescribable charm to it however, despite the poor production,embarassing lyrics and crummy artwork. Perhaps they were trying toohard not to sound like The Smiths but couldn't escape the traps of thecontemporary music as these EPs most likely doubled as a demos backthen. It's worth the cheap price but if you see the disc going for ajacked-up import cost, there's no need to bother.

 

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