#101

If that’s all they played it’d be annoying. I feel like DYKHTW is the perfect length though to be honest. Doesn’t feel boring when played live

#102

^this. At EotR this yr, there was a palpable ‘whoa’ moment amongst the audience as this happened, especially as the light rig is pretty intense.

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#103

Midway through thw second track, “i am enjoying listening to Low, but i haven’t listened to any music this evening, can we listen to… anything else”. I’m not sure she is enjoying listening to Low.

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#104

Oh this is back to the gear stuff isn’t it?

Still don’t think it’s as great as hope but it’s close and it’s a huge leap forward from long division. This lp is where mimi really comes into her own as a vocalist I reckon, “coat tails” gives me goosebumps.

#105

Can I suggest we stick in Transmission and Songs for a Dead Pilot next week?

Both because (a) after banging out this first trio in quite a short amount of time, there was quite a long gap before the next one, and it’ll show a bit of what they were up to in that time, and (b) it’s a bit of a lighter / more optional week for anyone struggling to keep up or who maybe wants to give one of the other records a bit more attention?

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#106

I didn’t get a chance to comment last week on Long Division but I was going to make the point about the evolution of her voice from ICLIH to that album. And listening to Curtain again last night the jump in quality is as big again. Pretty much the fully formed thing of beauty we’ve had for the last 20+ years.

As with Mimi’s voice i think the band evolved greatly with a linear jump in quality with each one of the first three albums (and again with the next one … but that’s for next week …). If I was making a Low best-of the first song chronologically I’d choose is ‘Over the Ocean’.

I probably saw them live for the first time around this album, at Dingwalls. It was the chattiest of chatty wanker crowds which left the band pretty much inaudible. If it’d had a guitar I’d gladly have chucked it into the crowd to decapitate their inane conversations.

But much as I like Curtain I’ve probably listened to the two EPs - Finally … and Transmission - that were released at a similar time more than the album. They are easier bite sized chunks and they are (at least) as good quality-wise compared to the album. Some stuff on those that aren’t on temporary release too. And possibly my favourite ever use of a secret track on the Transmission ep.

#107

I still haven’t worked out if this version of over the ocean is incredibly naff or actually quite good:

#108

Just listened to this album for the first time. Christ its bad.

#109

Half of it doesn’t even flow. Some of the laziest remixing I’ve ever heard, a lot of it is just putting different beats on top. Dreadful.

#110

It’s fucking awful.

#111

Have listened to a grand total of about 3 Low songs ever, so I’m going to join in this now I think to finally get myself aquainted

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#112

For those unfamiliar with the remix record, (unsurprising) the band had nothing to do with it as per this old interview

Pitchfork: Do you ever listen to the Owl remix album?

Sparhawk: That one we were definitely more far removed from. That was seriously something that Caroline and Astralwerks put together. They were like, “Hey wouldn’t it be cool to have a remix CD?” “Yeah that might be an interesting idea” and then a month later, “Hey we got it done!”

Pitchfork: So you didn’t have any input on that at all?

Sparhawk: No, at the time we were-- and we still are-- somewhat ignorant of that realm.

(And then he goes on to talk about how it led to him liking some of the people who did the remixes - Alan always seems like such a nice guy)

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#113

I listened to The Curtain Hits the Cast this morning at work. My gosh, those guitar tones. For some reason I’d had it in my head that the production on those first three was very reverb-y – a bit like the very first Slowdive album (which I think lays it on a bit too thick) – but man, this one in particular was just lovely.

I’d maybe say it’s a bit very loooong for what it is, but I wasn’t complaining about that while I was listening to it so what the hey.

Next album on the list is one I actually own so that’ll be easier to listen to in more detail.

#114

Whatever happened to songs for a dead pilot? Can’t remember if that is an lp or a collection of? What even is that record?

#115

EP, one of the songs was later re-worked for Secret Name

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#116

Ah cool. Bought the CD in track records in York in the late 90s,never quite knew what to make of it

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#117

Feel like I should mention Alan and Mimi’s track w Pan American while along this sorta line

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#118

There was a Vice article a few months ago in which Alan ranks the Low albums in order. This is his take on TCHTC (ranked #5 of 11):

This was the first record where we thought, “We can do other things in the studio? Oh, okay, let’s try it then.” It was just a little on our end, but it was the first time we felt we could do something crazy, like write a really long song.

Like the near-15-minute “Do You Know How To Waltz?”?
Yeah. Around Long Division we were touring a lot and getting our feet, but also expanding and figuring things out. Steve Fisk, who produced this, is an eclectic artist who plays keyboards and is really up for anything. We mentioned keyboards and then he showed up with five or six vintage keyboards and organs for us to mess with. Kramer was cool, but he had his way of doing things, whereas Fisk was like, “What can we do in the studio now? What can we add?” I think that’s why this is higher up on the list, because it was the first time we were trying something different.

This was your third album in three years. That’s impressive.
It was weird because that wasn’t so uncommon in the 90s for indie bands to churn something out every year. We’d do seven-inches, split singles – bands would just go into the studio and put it out all the time. Obviously, over time, bands would get a bigger budget and spend more time on records.

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#119

have to be honest, i groan inwardly when it starts up (live)

#120

Best thread in the history of the world

A band i had never got into at all. But they’re absolutely mega

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