MBV Isn't Anything Appreciation Thread

[Unicorn Warrior]

Today I heard an Ozzy and Lita Ford collaboration on the radio from the 80s. Complete with Ozzy's talking/singing tactic

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Ozzy's contributions..but I feel that Dio was much more passionate. I still think the real talent of Sabbath was in Iommi.

[SadFuzz]

You can make a Sabbath/Ozzy/Dio thread if you want

[Grey]

You can make a Sabbath/Ozzy/Dio thread if you want

Is this not that thread?

[SadFuzz]

Unfortunately it has become so.

[budda12ax7]

The Ozzy solo stuff is a mixed bag......I would say the stuff he did with Randy jumped started his career. I am a big Brad Gillis (floyd rose fan), but after the first two solo cd's.....Meh.....

Dio's first 3 solo cd's are all in all very solid if not dated....Vivian Cambel and his pinky chord technique.....

STILL_____I got to go with Sab/Oz over all that.....makes me want to smoke weed and drop shrooms while watching a black light poster on the wall of my basement room when I was 10 or 11. Genrals gathered in their Masses...Name some Dio lyrics....

[Grey]

^ I could quote Holy Diver all day, and regarding early Sabbath I think Master Of Reality is a better album than Paranoid which really does nothing for me. I acknowledge its signifigance but I don't listen to it and it's not even a "i'm tired of hearing it" situation. I certainly don't find songs like "Iron Man" any less gimmicky in lyrical content than some of the stuff Dio has done.

[Unicorn Warrior]

The Ozzy solo stuff is a mixed bag......I would say the stuff he did with Randy jumped started his career. I am a big Brad Gillis (floyd rose fan), but after the first two solo cd's.....Meh..

Randy Rhodes was a musical genius. Very gifted kid. The ozzman was lucky. Most of Ozzy's more appreciated music was because of the guitarists he had with him. Imagine if MBV had Tony and Randy (Bringing the thread back into focus)

[CrookedRainJr]

Loveless had a better mood and vibe, but Isn't Anything is definitely better songwriting. There are more hooks and arrangements on IA, Loveless is pretty much just riff, verse, riff, verse, riff a lot.

Besides that point, my favorite MBV release is the comp of EPs. Like a perfect blend between the two albums, really.

[budda12ax7]

Yes, I would agree that Blizzard of Oz had more of a mood than the second Oz solo cd....however....Dio sets the mood with cool warlock voice and devil hands on Last in Line......great moody stuff. Vivian was great when he played his les paul....

[OffYourFace]

Loveless had a better mood and vibe, but Isn't Anything is definitely better songwriting. There are more hooks and arrangements on IA, Loveless is pretty much just riff, verse, riff, verse, riff a lot.

I understand why people think this way but to me it's all about perspective. i think Loveless is better because of how interesting it is with such basic composition. "Only Shallow" is probably the one of the best songs ever that has nothing but a verse that repeats 4(?) times. I love IA but it definitely never had the same impact as Loveless. I guess I think mood/vibe is more important than arrangement? Loveless definitely sounded like it came from another planet when it came out.

Many will disagree with me but I think it's one of the most important albums to feature sampling. From my recollection, in 1991-92 many 'rock' guitar players hated the idea of sampling and only associated it with Rap and Electronic music. After Loveless, guitar players became interested in sampling as a songwriting & production tool. That record proved that the sky's not the limit, there's a few universes out there. You know what I mean...

[shadowplay]

Loveless had a better mood and vibe, but Isn't Anything is definitely better songwriting. There are more hooks and arrangements on IA, Loveless is pretty much just riff, verse, riff, verse, riff a lot.

I understand why people think this way but to me it's all about perspective. i think Loveless is better because of how interesting it is with such basic composition. "Only Shallow" is probably the one of the best songs ever that has nothing but a verse that repeats 4(?) times. I love IA but it definitely never had the same impact as Loveless. I guess I think mood/vibe is more important than arrangement? Loveless definitely sounded like it came from another planet when it came out.

Many will disagree with me but I think it's one of the most important albums to feature sampling. From my recollection, in 1991-92 many 'rock' guitar players hated the idea of sampling and only associated it with Rap and Electronic music. After Loveless, guitar players became interested in sampling as a songwriting & production tool. That record proved that the sky's not the limit, there's a few universes out there. You know what I mean...

I agree, for me Isn't Anything has a residual whiff of C86 about it. Not 'smell the glove' as the rawk steady crew kerranging on about Dio would say but 'smell the duffle coat'. Too much floppy fringed bouncy indie for me. At the time I thought they were OK, saw them live and bought FMWYK onwards but I was no fan of the twee early stuff or anything twee ever and I was often biting my hand at some of the fey down the student union disco stuff like Sueisfine and Cupid Come which I could happily never hear again, though I do like Lose My Breath.

On the sampling thing,I think that a lot of bands in the UK had their heads turned towards it especially by The Young Gods but also by Foetus and The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord. The big leap in Disco Inferno's style was as a direct result of hearing The Young Gods, though unlike most folk inspired by another band they never sought to sound anything like them, they were just inspired by the method and of course this was also tempered by the influence of A.R. Kane* who with Talk Talk pretty much provided the blueprint for what became the original British definition for Post Rock (not the instro American one with the 20 word song titles). AR Kane even coined 'Dream Pop', which for me was always a better descriptor than shoegaze, which is merely an insult and they were a massive influence on so many UK bands with dreamy guitars.

I always say that MBV are pretty terrible influence on guitar bands (with very few exceptions like Bowery Electric) but a good influence on electronic music, which is fair enough since electronic music was a good influence on them.

That said I do think Loveless is an important album, it's just not a record I ever play these days, I'd probably lift the record, change my mind and then wander over to S and pull out some Seefeel.

D

*who I'd personally put a mile before MBV

PS you'd never see it mentioned but one of the key records influencing a lot of UK guitar bands in the mid to late 80's was Sloblands by Princess Tinymeat. Both in the sonics and also in the lack of rawkish projection in the vocals.

[PorkyPrimeCut]

...and Cupid Come which I could happily never hear again...

One of my favourites.

...A.R. Kane...

Apparently they're getting royally fucked over by One Little Indian at the moment.

[panoramic]

I think the record that made the first impression is often the one we end up favoring. I can think of a lot of cases where the record I heard first is still my favorite. With MBV, it was a more circuitous path than usual; the You Made Me Realize EP was the first thing I heard, and I moved forward after that, more or less. In 1991, I definitely preferred Loveless to IA, but my love for IA has only grown over the years, whereas I got a little burnt out on Loveless. These days, Loveless is the one I'm least likely to listen to. I still love it, but it's harder to get through these days for some reason.

same
I can rarely get through a full listen of Loveless but IA or you made me realize EP are golden, i can listen to them in a row a few times a week and still want to go back. This is not the same level of adoration as I would have for say swervedriver or television

[blacktiger]

...A.R. Kane...

The mention of AR Kane is like the Bat signal to me. The depth of their greatness is rarely appreciated.

[Singlebladepickup]

I like geezer Butler and bill ward.