221 - My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

I admit, My Bloody Valentine, has been in my musical periphery. I listened to Loveless when it came out. I liked the music, but since its release coordinated to my arrival at the Univ of Alabama and diving into the deep end of the college radio pool, I found myself exploring lots of new music at the time. For some reason, MBV became a group I heard while around others and yet the music never pulled me in for closer inspection.

For me, shoegaze always seemed to demand to be ignored. When screening albums of bands of this type, I struggled to keep the music within focus without slipping into background music. Whether we are talking Ride, Swervedriver, or Lush, there were songs of theirs I liked, but after two or three songs my attention would wander. However, through it all, MBV stood out from the other bands and while I had greater respect for them, I didn't really listen to them much more than other shoegaze.

It's been 20ish years since I've listened to Loveless. As I cued up the album for the my first listen, I braced myself to fall in love with the band - for this experience to suddenly reawaken a part of me that has loved MBV-like elements that other bands folded into their music. I was caught offguard with how my interest has been good but not excited. I keep finding myself hearing hints of the bands that influenced MBV (Jesus & Mary Chain and Cocteau Twins, in particular) and bands that were influenced by MBV (Silversun Pickups, M83) and logically giving MBV credit for making some great music based on the construction, recording, mixing, and atmosphere. But, unlike many other albums I've (re)discovered while going through the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums list, when I reach the end of Loveless I'm not instantly wanting to hear it again. "I've had my fill, but thanks."

So I've found myself repeatedly listening to the album pondering why my level of interest is what it is. I want to love Loveless, not just like it quite a bit. For some reason, I just can't get emotionally attached to the album.

Songs I Knew I Liked: None

Songs I Now Like: "Only Shallow," "Loomer," "When You Sleep," "I Only Said," "Come In Alone," and "Soon"

Songs I Can Go the Rest of My Life Never Hearing Again: None