Original Album Classics [Box set]

Slowdive are a very overlooked early 90s band from Reading, England that had the misfortune to release their first album, Just for a Day, shortly before My Bloody Valentine released Loveless and then to release their next two albums after the British music press decided they now hated the shoegaze scene--and this band in particular, for no real good reason--and loved all things Britpop. Slowdive's albums therefore disappeared into a black hole of sorts, a situation not helped by some really flaky record label promotional decision making, especially in the US. But the ever-fickle music press was missing a lot of great music here, and this little box set collects all three albums by Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, and company at a pretty good price. Just for a Day is blissful, slightly narcotic pop music that recalls dream pop bands like Cocteau Twins. The album sounds like it was a source of inspiration for a lot of the current crop of dream pop revivalists in the 21st century. Highlights include: Catch the Breeze, Erik's Song, and Primal. Souvlaki is widely regarded as the band's creative highpoint, featuring collaboration on two songs with Brian Eno. The album blends narcotic dreamy pop music in songs like Alison, Machine Gun, When the Sun Hits, and Here She Comes with more ambient musical touches on Sing and Souvlaki Space Station. It's a truly beautiful, dreamy listen. Pygmalion is the third album that sounds very little like the other two. It's a very ambient album written and recorded largely by Neil Halstead with only limited input from the other band members, and its release led to the band's being dropped by their record label and splitting up. It's definitely not the album to start with, being very minimalist and lacking the song structures of the other records, but when it works it is intensely beautiful. The album is reminiscent of the later Talk Talk albums. The song Blue Skied an Clear is Pygmalion's highlight, a minimalist track that has real emotional intensity, particularly in its chorus lines. So, three albums recorded from 1991-1995 by a really good band fronted by a really talented songwriter, Neil Halstead, for about the cost of one full priced CD. Definitely a worthwhile musical investment.