You can see the sadness in their eyes with all those bad reviews. it breaks my heart that something that is so beautiful, amazing and that fills my soul like no other music does, was so underestimated those days.
+Jade Skylar Morrison Yes all of their records were panned, I remember thinking at the time, did they even hear the same record I heard? This was Cocteau Twins like music done by very young people, and it sounded like they were on top of the sound at least to me.
+Jade Skylar Morrison they raved at oasis etc. They were just after different emotions and stuff with supposed 'attitude', but mostly because they didn't fit the 'britpop' fad. tbh it was probably like 5 people with vested interests, saved a lt of people from buying it, though those that did mostly like it.
A lot of those snarky British music critics back then were total Philistines. They were more interested in flash and pop sensationalism with bands like Oasis than something more subdued and arty.
Brenda Luna definitely agree with you but you have to think in 1993 the shoegaze sound was a bit played out to critics but of course another reason why this record is so great is the style twist they put on the genre.
Persona Video Actually I recalled that when Loveless by MBV was released earlier than this album release, it actually earn excellent reviews, as well as the previous album also receives accolades. That even surprised me more when I learned Souvlaki was panned, I thought it is actually the best album of shoegaze, second only to Loveless.
Thank you! A lot of people don't seem to get this but that is one of the best parts of being alive right now. I'm definitely getting Souvlaki on vinyl too once I have money again.
Not only that but music that is becoming less and less formulaic and industry curated. Tons and tons of that still but more experimentation is becoming more accepted and its lovely. Theres even some contemporary american Black metal bands that are incorporating shoegaze influences into their sound.
Thank god for someone saying they appreciate old music and NOT saying they're "bORn iN THe WRoNG GenErATioN", understanding that today we have more access to music than ever before.
LikeItDeep For the NME one, I think NME gave slightly positive reviews to Souvlaki, not like Melody Maker that he rather choke in a bath full of porridge than listen to it again, not giving reviews that is as enthusiastic as many Brit-pop shits though.
Big fan. Just saw them on tour. Excellent show. More than half the crowd was in their early 20s. Not even born when Soulvaki was released. That, to me, is proof Slowdive records are timeless.
Just seen them in Dublin. I'm 32 and even most of the crowd was people in their 20s. Definitely think the new albums have helped but their old stuff is untouchable.
@@acidreign6 I just saw them in Manchester!!! I'm not even 20 yet, and there's a TON of people in their 20s, but at the same time I talked to a few who's more than double my age. The person queuing behind me was 66 !!!
Japanese Shoegaze maybe when they do interesting documentaries instead of docking points from a sun kil moon review because he said something against one of their journalists. they have no journalistic integrity and their reviews are completely arbitrary. they're just a money making hog, for the majority of time.
Still crying over Rachel and Neil… they were honestly just so cute together, even after the break up, the chemistry between the 2 of them was truly immaculate
Like The Smiths, MBV or the Cocteau Twins, Slowdive is one of those very few bands that really manage to summit all of your feelings, memories, emotions and experiences into cinematic sound which really hits you every single time you listen to it. This Documentary was fantastic, it shows the record from the inside out and displays how humble and creative they were. Oh... and btw, they never left, just look at their legacy (bands like No Joy, Tamaryn, Be Forest... etc).
I discovered them just a few months ago. But i sense a big kind of nostalgia, yearning for a time far back, some 20+ years ago - without knowing the emotions those great guys are feeling. So happy for them that they receive good critics today. It's a nostalgia i face too. A very different time in the 90s compared to nowadays.
One of my favorite albums of the 1990s (alongside Spiritualized's Lazer Guided Melodies and Verve's Storm in Heaven.) Seeing Slowdive play "Souvlaki Space Station" live (April 29, 2016) in Austin was one of the greatest nights of my life--what made it extra special is that it was sold-out and I was sad because I had wanted to see them for such a long time so I messaged Rachel Goswell and she put me on her own personal guest list. I met her and had a photograph with her afterwards. What a memorable night.
uhhh..storm in heaven...one of my favs too.. and don t get me as a fool..but the Band "Palms" a sideproject of guys from deftones and isis using soundscapes i even found on catch a breeze an storm in heaven.... The Verve Storm in heaven feels so similar to me...and still nowadays..it never gets old... Ride did the same to me The Album nowhere is still overwhelming ..and after this they failed (in my opinion....thank you for your Post..
i saw rachel in Düsseldorf yesterday evening ..she signed my single cd of Morning Rise... she was there with "Minor Victories" check them out !! they are great!!
Great post. I couldn't agree with u more. I saw this album tour at the Metro in Chicago when it first came out. It was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen.
Hundreds of excellent bands were mistreated in their days, the internet literally made them comeback and justice done, and Slowdive is one of them. Bless the internet!
"I have no idea what she says, but I'm sure they are lovely." Neil's description of the "not very happy" (as Rachel put it) 'Souvlaki Space Station' sums up the sound and mood of Slowdive (and pretty much any shoegaze act) pretty definitively.
I love a lot of the early 90s shoegaze bands but there was always something special about Slowdive. They crafted their own totally unique sound. Rachel and Neil's vocals work so well together. They blend sweetly with the dense wall of guitars to create a beautiful soundscape. Britpop had to happen; it had more commercial appeal in the 90s but this music has really stood the test of time.
There's an interview with the Guardian where he says that he wants "to read all the MI5 files on Britpop." Disappointingly, the Guardian doesn't question further than that. Shields is a bit of an eccentric, so who knows?
I was at my friend's graduation party when his younger cousin mentioned Slowdive to me. Went home and youtubed When The Sun Hits and Alison and my life has never been the same. Playing in a progressive death metal, I could never really connect with the music as much as i loved it and the guys i played with. Slowdive gave me a way to express myself in a way I always needed but never had. Aided by Mogwai, Diiv, Deafheaven, and GSYBE, I've been building my pedalboard and writing songs with gratuitous reverb and delay since. Thank you. It makes so much more sense now.
I don't even know where to start. I'll be 50 this year. I found slowdive in the mid 90's, Souvlaki. Instant love. I didn't know any of this before tonight. I had and have diverse musical taste, but Slowdive stands out as an important influence in my internal life in the 90s. It represents, to this day, a time when the future still existed, when hope was a thing, when even if you knew you weren't living right, there was always still a chance. And now I look at my teenage kids and deeply lament all of this. This eternal feeling Slowdive gave me and still gives me. To learn that they flopped, and now all this time later are more than they were is so relatable and fitting to me. Long live Slowdive. They tapped into something essential and I'm grateful for them in a big way. I hope I get to see them someday. A lot to be said for bands who draw old people like me, and younger people. That kind of appeal is rare and indicative. So glad I watched this tonight.
It's a timeless record. They mention that at some point they thought they should just put a "sale" sticker on the album, because no one was buying, but I discovered Souvlaki by browsing the "used" section at my local record store at the time (that's how I also discovered Loveless by MBV, and Nowhere by Ride). I think that's what saved this album and helped so many discover it.
I love the part when Neil says with a straight face he was really confused about being told by the record label to get leather trousers. I’m happy to see he continues to choose his own wardrobe.
Dave Simpson, who wrote the review shown at 45:35 ("I would rather drown choking in a bath full of porridge than ever listen to it again") just gave Everything is Alive at 4/5 review in The Guardian, ending on "the band deserve much credit for sticking to their guns and proving a lot of people wrong". Makes me wonder whether or not he falls into the "a lot of people" category, or still feels that way about Souvlaki. Or did he ever feel that way, and was just playing along with the trendy attitude of Melody Maker as it was buried under Britpop?
Zedfinite that sucks man. tbh being an american ive got access to a lot of stuff but i don't think i ever would have been as into the same kinda stuff i am as i am now. i think that the internet also makes it a lot harder to be in the know though.
Blown away anyone would think these folks music was anything less than pure magic. Hearing these tracks through the past 30 years and they still put a smile on my face, tear in my eye, quiver in my heart, and joy in my heart. SLOWDIVE did something very rare... Like Siouxsie, Pixies, Ride, Charlatans, Valentine, Smiths, and a blessed other few... they held up and made music an art like nobody had ever heard before that can't be copied or covered. They invented a new thing that is undeniably effective in its purpose. You feel it when you listen even if it is not what you want to feel in that moment. They make you feel there is someone on the other side of that recording.
whoever directed this and made it deserves a gold star, this is exactly how an indie version of classic albums(I think this is what it's called) would be.
God, I still come back to this video every now and then and it still fills me with such a love for these musicians and the music that they made. I can't thank Slowdive as a band enough for my emotional development, they deserve the world.
These Pitchfork Classics are terrific. So many albums I'd love to see covered. Fugazi "13 Songs" Lush "Spooky" & Throwing Muses "Real Ramona" to name a few.
+Matías Anríquez She's aged beautifully and gracefully. She's gone from that cute girl we had a crushed on to a graceful, inspiring, talented role model we all admire and respect.
YES YES YES! so great to see such amazing, lovely people vindicated, at least a bit, in the end... slowdive are really a tragic story, but one that 20 years later gets a surprise happy ending. thank you for this film, and thanks, slowdive, for the music.
true enough... I meant more not that the band had a happy ending, the documentary did. it was so sad to hear them talk about the album's reception after all that work, and I was glad that recent events have made it possible to put a happy ending on the documentary, instead of just leaving it at "and then slowdive broke up to the joy of the music press" :-)
jeremy true Your use of the word 'tragic' is frankly a bit melodramatic... no-one died, they just faded out of popularity when the musical landscape changed... sheesh...
I'd say the bands died... for some people their favorite music can be a travelling companion, and sometimes can feel like a close friend. when we heard slodive was breaking up in 1995, a lot of us were really sad. they were these fresh faced, great kids, who were growing up and making albums and a refreshing alternative to bands like Poison and Winger which was the big thing in the states. so yeah, it was really dramatic at the time! :-P
Souvlaki is one of my favorite albums of ALL TIME. Lucky to see all the "shoegaze" shows in the early 90s at a tiny little dive bar in Sacramento, CA. RIDE, Slowdive, Lush, Chapterhouse, Catherine Wheel, Pale Saints, Swervedriver...
I still give a scowl whenever I find out somebody like Oasis or Blur. But I'm so happy that Slowdive is FINALLY understood by the youth (and the world) 30 years later.
@@christopherhau3974 the comment was like 3 years before yours lol so idk maybe I'm 2014/15 they were but yeah like when people say shoegaze 2 albums come to mind and its souvlaki and loveless lmao
@@MrLucozadeFTW I just think shoegaze as a whole is kinda underrated and forgotten. Me and I just happen to know about it, but ask the average person what shoegaze is, what my bloody valentine is, what slowdive is, they will look at you as if you're an alien
@@Lakigigar I'm deep in the comments. In regards to forgotton shoegaze, check out All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors. Songs like "All the Time" and "Your Imagination". It's so fuckin sick. Swingy drums like cocteau and oooohs like goswell/butcher. Oh yeah!!!
Slowdive - Far From Forgotten I saw this documentary in my UA-cam feed and nearly lost consciousness! As others have noted, the film is absolutely inspiring for fans of *Slowdive*, old and new alike. There's much to admire about _Just for a Day_ and _Pygmalion_ but I honestly love _Souvlaki_. It is seminal work. By degrees - I'll dare to say - as personal to the listener as it was to the band members themselves from writing to production. Best of all, the album is timeless! Can't get over the fact that 20 years have passed since _Souvlaki_'s release!! The documentary chronicles a journey that is - at once - amazing, heart wrenching, and redemptive in the end. Now Slowdive has/is receiving the respect the band deserves. So glad to hear the they're touring again. I would love to see them LIVE! Big Thanks to Slowdive, Pitchfork and Creation Records for the media. You've made my day.
Watching this again after seeing them live the last three nights in a row. Imagine not liking them, doesn't make sense. I hope they stick around forever.
i remember when i listened to slowdive for the first time about 5/6y ago on spotify. They're unique, and one of my favourite bands to this day. They introduced me to shoegaze, and lots of other groups and genres. Im really happy they're getting the recognition they deserve. This documentary helped me to get to know them a little and to understand the artists behind the art i suppose. I wasn't born in the 90s so i didn't get to experience them first hand on their debut so, thank you pitchfork ❤️
Slowdive of the 90s is a casualty of useless professional criticism, a bunch of trend-following men jumping on a bandwagon and ruining the chances for a band that probably would have had several good albums left in them if the nasty reviews hadn't deflated any self-confidence that the band had left in them. The story of them playing to an empty room with the janitors already sweeping the floors was heartbreaking. Now, in the age when anyone can sample a piece of music instantly on any device, the power of critics is greatly diminished. They were a bunch of useless, bitter "mean girls" geezers, and I'm happy to see them go.
There are very very few songs nvm albums that have been able to bring me to tears. This album has been the soundtrack to both my darkest as well as happiest and most euphoric of times in life. This album truly is worth more to me than words could express
I'm 41 years old and I just discovered these guys last week. So good, and honestly so much more fresh sounding now than pretty much any of the music that surpassed its popularity in its time.
I've been listening to shoegaze ever since I was 16 (I'm 23 now) and it started with bands like The Jesus and Marychain all the way to Beach House but I came across Slowdive 2 years ago and they have changed my life. Their songs transport me to another dimension, I feel like I'm one with the universe and their music is all that matters in that moment. When the Sun Hits was the first song I ever heard by them but Alison is one of my favorites, it takes me to a time in life that I haven't experienced yet, and though it fills me with happiness it also makes me feel empty. Slowdive might not have been successful in their own time which is hard to believe, but they have thousands of fans now more than ever as well as bands that are similar to their sound.
Admittedly I would be biased since this is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I think this is a wonderfully made, insightful documentary about a critically underrated band. It has fantastic archival footage, insightful interviews, and great editing. Plus--who doesn't love a happy ending? I finally saw them last year and it was handily one of the best shows of my thirty (plus) years of concert going.
What a fantastic documentary about one of the very best, most beautiful albums of the 90s. In some ways it's easy to be nostalgic about the days of the Melody Maker & NME of the last 80s and early 90s. But they had too much power and could crush bands on the whim of some young writer having a bad day. Unlike the bands who replaced them in the favors of the cool journo kids Slowdive produced music which has lasted. Now they're touring again if you haven't seen them live you really should, it'll be one of the best concerts you'll ever experience.
Thank you, Pitchfork, for creating this documentary! I was born in ‘87, so I was not able to take an active part in this musical movement during its respective era. I truly appreciate discovering the context behind this awesome band, & specifically this album. For me, Shoegaze & Dream Pop are such lovely genres! 🐻❄️
This was well done Pitchfork! It was produced well. Very intimate. Pitchfork should do more quality docs like this for other artists. I'm thinking Massive Attack, aphex twin, portishead, animal collective
As someone who only discovered Slowdive recently and have fallen in love with their music, I am shocked how little success they had when they released souvlaki. Can’t believe it!
Thats crazy to me. Love that they had supporters, but I just assumed that they were super successful. Did not even consider the possibility that they had to find new jobs! @@user-wu8sj3ee3d
What a beautiful documentary. Thanks to this incredible person I met who was there back in the day, I found out about Slowdive this year. As a music nerd, I can't believe I overlooked them and other shoegaze bands (was into britpop mostly), but better late than never. I am a full shoegazer now and Slowdive fan and have all their records and saving up for a band tee. I hope they tour because I will most definitely see them live. Can you please do one on MBV's Loveless? :)
to me, slowdive are the epitome of "cool". a band of outsiders that just dont care what everyone else is doing. they were my generations velvet underground. i dont think this current generation has anything that comes close to compare
And the best bit? This film came out 9 years ago and they are bigger now then ever. I saw them in 91, 23 and 24. The last time was last month in DC. Thousands there. Biggest Slowdive gig I’ve ever been to. And I’ll see them in Boston in Feb too.
Sadly most music critics aren't musicians themselves but feel good enough to critique those who are. If it sounds good, then it is, regardless of a critic's point of view, who is a person you'd probably never hang out with anyways
"I think avalyn was the point where we were felt 'Okay so this is something it's doesn't just sound like My Bloody Valentine or the Cocteu Twins'. You know it has it's own thing happening. And that was a big moment i think for us as a band. That was the point when we started the sound like, Slowdive."
I discovered Slowdive and shoegaze in general as a sample off a Trippie Redd record a few years ago and never looked back. Slowdive is seminal regardless of what some hipster reviewers in the 90s wrote. Glad they won and continue to win!
What a great piece. As a teenager I always felt that Slowdive was my band, that no one else got them. Now my 25 year old coworker just discovered them. So we got tickets to the Toronto show. I took my 14 year old son too - it was his first concert and he was blown away. So great to see the magic up close.
You can see the sadness in their eyes with all those bad reviews. it breaks my heart that something that is so beautiful, amazing and that fills my soul like no other music does, was so underestimated those days.
The world wasn’t ready for slowdive. Now they’re welcomed with wide open arms.
Yeah it’s pretty shortsighted of critics because they are amazing
Agreed.
Turned out well in the end though. . Luckily they're still around & recording a new album
@@William.H.Bonney most critics are fickle. Build you up to knock you down again... trust your ears not critics I say.
I can't believe that critics didn't like souvlaki, I think it's one of the best records of the 90's.
+Jade Skylar Morrison Yes all of their records were panned, I remember thinking at the time, did they even hear the same record I heard? This was Cocteau Twins like music done by very young people, and it sounded like they were on top of the sound at least to me.
+Jade Skylar Morrison they raved at oasis etc. They were just after different emotions and stuff with supposed 'attitude', but mostly because they didn't fit the 'britpop' fad. tbh it was probably like 5 people with vested interests, saved a lt of people from buying it, though those that did mostly like it.
A lot of those snarky British music critics back then were total Philistines. They were more interested in flash and pop sensationalism with bands like Oasis than something more subdued and arty.
Brenda Luna definitely agree with you but you have to think in 1993 the shoegaze sound was a bit played out to critics but of course another reason why this record is so great is the style twist they put on the genre.
Persona Video Actually I recalled that when Loveless by MBV was released earlier than this album release, it actually earn excellent reviews, as well as the previous album also receives accolades. That even surprised me more when I learned Souvlaki was panned, I thought it is actually the best album of shoegaze, second only to Loveless.
I’m 19 years old, Souvlaki was the first vinyl I bought. I’m just so glad that we live in a time where we have access to so much music
Thank you! A lot of people don't seem to get this but that is one of the best parts of being alive right now. I'm definitely getting Souvlaki on vinyl too once I have money again.
Not only that but music that is becoming less and less formulaic and industry curated. Tons and tons of that still but more experimentation is becoming more accepted and its lovely. Theres even some contemporary american Black metal bands that are incorporating shoegaze influences into their sound.
You have great taste
Thank god for someone saying they appreciate old music and NOT saying they're "bORn iN THe WRoNG GenErATioN", understanding that today we have more access to music than ever before.
do you still have the vinyl?
How many people are reading the ramblings of a bunch of NME hipsters from the early 90s? NONE. How many people are still enjoying Slowdive? THOUSANDS!
LikeItDeep near a millions
LikeItDeep For the NME one, I think NME gave slightly positive reviews to Souvlaki, not like Melody Maker that he rather choke in a bath full of porridge than listen to it again, not giving reviews that is as enthusiastic as many Brit-pop shits though.
Got this on vinyl man, listen to it at least once a week. Great album
I enjoy the neu-psychedelic ramblings and outright shoe-gazery of early 90's hipster band Slowdive!
Totally!
The music industry is a joke. Slowdive, were and still are, utterly brilliant.
I wish I could update 50 times
Big fan. Just saw them on tour. Excellent show. More than half the crowd was in their early 20s. Not even born when Soulvaki was released. That, to me, is proof Slowdive records are timeless.
Just seen them in Dublin. I'm 32 and even most of the crowd was people in their 20s. Definitely think the new albums have helped but their old stuff is untouchable.
@@acidreign6 I just saw them in Manchester!!! I'm not even 20 yet, and there's a TON of people in their 20s, but at the same time I talked to a few who's more than double my age. The person queuing behind me was 66 !!!
oooookay Pitchfork you can be cool again
Japanese Shoegaze maybe when they do interesting documentaries instead of docking points from a sun kil moon review because he said something against one of their journalists. they have no journalistic integrity and their reviews are completely arbitrary. they're just a money making hog, for the majority of time.
anonymousDerp Meow much?
Charles Heath ?
Japanese Shoegaze HEY IT'S YOU AGAIN =D
+Japanese Shoegaze
I don't know what the hell 'Pitchfork' is, (some kind of publication, I'm guessing) but, they are automatically cool now. Hehe.
Still crying over Rachel and Neil… they were honestly just so cute together, even after the break up, the chemistry between the 2 of them was truly immaculate
"People get Slowdive 20 years later......They've won finally"
- Alan McGee drops the mic at 50:40
+Zedfinite you go Alan McGee
that ending made me emotional af
And they didn't even have to wear leather pants.
We do.
I get in kind of a melancholic mood watching this, wishing I did something similar
same here, let's go for it dude c:
@@GBCACHO did you go for it mate?
Sadly I doubt it
i'm going for it rn. check out my band: big sister - candy apple daydreams
@@damiengreen5141listening to it right now
Like The Smiths, MBV or the Cocteau Twins, Slowdive is one of those very few bands that really manage to summit all of your feelings, memories, emotions and experiences into cinematic sound which really hits you every single time you listen to it. This Documentary was fantastic, it shows the record from the inside out and displays how humble and creative they were. Oh... and btw, they never left, just look at their legacy (bands like No Joy, Tamaryn, Be Forest... etc).
💚💛💜💓💕💖loeuf 'em all. So CHIC
cinematic is a great word for it, thats brilliant and ive never heard someone describe it as such. it is a totally cinematic feeling
One of the greatest albums of all time.
Leanne Woodfull Easily.
It’s good but That’s a little much
@@emocoreuwu1198 no it’s not
@@oliverweaver3070 lol ikr
Yes. Yes. Yes.
man this got me emotional
Omg glad I'm not the only one haha
Same
honestly teared up when machine gun came in
I discovered them just a few months ago. But i sense a big kind of nostalgia, yearning for a time far back, some 20+ years ago - without knowing the emotions those great guys are feeling. So happy for them that they receive good critics today.
It's a nostalgia i face too. A very different time in the 90s compared to nowadays.
It still moves us 30 years later. Timeless music.
One of my favorite albums of the 1990s (alongside Spiritualized's Lazer Guided Melodies and Verve's Storm in Heaven.)
Seeing Slowdive play "Souvlaki Space Station" live (April 29, 2016) in Austin was one of the greatest nights of my life--what made it extra special is that it was sold-out and I was sad because I had wanted to see them for such a long time so I messaged Rachel Goswell and she put me on her own personal guest list. I met her and had a photograph with her afterwards. What a memorable night.
Great story mate :)
uhhh..storm in heaven...one of my favs too.. and don t get me as a fool..but the Band "Palms" a sideproject of guys from deftones and isis using soundscapes i even found on catch a breeze an storm in heaven.... The Verve Storm in heaven feels so similar to me...and still nowadays..it never gets old... Ride did the same to me The Album nowhere is still overwhelming ..and after this they failed (in my opinion....thank you for your Post..
i saw rachel in Düsseldorf yesterday evening ..she signed my single cd of Morning Rise... she was there with "Minor Victories" check them out !! they are great!!
Nice
Great post. I couldn't agree with u more. I saw this album tour at the Metro in Chicago when it first came out. It was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen.
Finally a documentary about this flawless masterpiece
just the most humble and down to earth band. so happy for them
***** rachel's living room could be better tho, not feelin that lime green
"There were just so much fucking delay going everywhere" LOL
Hundreds of excellent bands were mistreated in their days, the internet literally made them comeback and justice done, and Slowdive is one of them. Bless the internet!
pitchfork classic of loveless? that'd be tight.
it would but we need a pitchfork classic for ITAOTS first
+Jeff Mangum you and I both know that you would never do an interview for pitchfork
I could make it happen
Nah; Isn't Anything...the more blurry Loveless is, the better lol
isn't anything is incredibly overlooked
"I have no idea what she says, but I'm sure they are lovely." Neil's description of the "not very happy" (as Rachel put it) 'Souvlaki Space Station' sums up the sound and mood of Slowdive (and pretty much any shoegaze act) pretty definitively.
I can't stop watching this, it's one of the best made music documentaries I have ever watched.
I literally cried when the movie finished with them finally winning. I will always love this band completely
I love a lot of the early 90s shoegaze bands but there was always something special about Slowdive. They crafted their own totally unique sound. Rachel and Neil's vocals work so well together. They blend sweetly with the dense wall of guitars to create a beautiful soundscape.
Britpop had to happen; it had more commercial appeal in the 90s but this music has really stood the test of time.
Now I know why Kevin Shields thinks Britpop was part of a government conspiracy.
Care to elaborate?
Yea I wanna know more about this 😂😂
There's an interview with the Guardian where he says that he wants "to read all the MI5 files on Britpop." Disappointingly, the Guardian doesn't question further than that. Shields is a bit of an eccentric, so who knows?
Well, the beatles was obviously a curated project, so who knows
That's why Shoegaze was called "The Scene That Celebrates Itself" because Britpop was ya....
Simons face is the most iconic part of the album cover, imo
I was at my friend's graduation party when his younger cousin mentioned Slowdive to me. Went home and youtubed When The Sun Hits and Alison and my life has never been the same. Playing in a progressive death metal, I could never really connect with the music as much as i loved it and the guys i played with. Slowdive gave me a way to express myself in a way I always needed but never had. Aided by Mogwai, Diiv, Deafheaven, and GSYBE, I've been building my pedalboard and writing songs with gratuitous reverb and delay since. Thank you. It makes so much more sense now.
I don't even know where to start. I'll be 50 this year. I found slowdive in the mid 90's, Souvlaki. Instant love. I didn't know any of this before tonight. I had and have diverse musical taste, but Slowdive stands out as an important influence in my internal life in the 90s. It represents, to this day, a time when the future still existed, when hope was a thing, when even if you knew you weren't living right, there was always still a chance. And now I look at my teenage kids and deeply lament all of this. This eternal feeling Slowdive gave me and still gives me. To learn that they flopped, and now all this time later are more than they were is so relatable and fitting to me. Long live Slowdive. They tapped into something essential and I'm grateful for them in a big way. I hope I get to see them someday.
A lot to be said for bands who draw old people like me, and younger people. That kind of appeal is rare and indicative.
So glad I watched this tonight.
It's a timeless record. They mention that at some point they thought they should just put a "sale" sticker on the album, because no one was buying, but I discovered Souvlaki by browsing the "used" section at my local record store at the time (that's how I also discovered Loveless by MBV, and Nowhere by Ride). I think that's what saved this album and helped so many discover it.
it's strange, but ride were a far bigger band back in the day than slowdive, but i want to say slowdive has a bigger following today
talktal absolutely
And don’t get me wrong, I love Ride. But there’s something astrological going on in Slowdive’s music.
We appreciate they're sounds more than some people that actually grew up hearing them back then.
Weird
I dunno man
I love the part when Neil says with a straight face he was really confused about being told by the record label to get leather trousers. I’m happy to see he continues to choose his own wardrobe.
Dave Simpson, who wrote the review shown at 45:35 ("I would rather drown choking in a bath full of porridge than ever listen to it again") just gave Everything is Alive at 4/5 review in The Guardian, ending on "the band deserve much credit for sticking to their guns and proving a lot of people wrong". Makes me wonder whether or not he falls into the "a lot of people" category, or still feels that way about Souvlaki. Or did he ever feel that way, and was just playing along with the trendy attitude of Melody Maker as it was buried under Britpop?
and shoegaze/dreampop is coming back now too with bands like Nothing, Turnover, Title Fight, Deafcult, Wild Nothing, Beach Fossils
+patrick miller IKR? It's great to see the new generation of bands inheriting Slowdive's legacy and evolve their music from there.
I'd take any bands like Deafheaven that's inspired by shoegaze than none at all. Shoegaze still remains obscure to this day.
Alcest and whirr
Zedfinite that sucks man. tbh being an american ive got access to a lot of stuff but i don't think i ever would have been as into the same kinda stuff i am as i am now. i think that the internet also makes it a lot harder to be in the know though.
+patrick miller wouldn't really call Turnover shoegaze/dream pop. They just sound more like post-punk/indie pop from the 80s
Blown away anyone would think these folks music was anything less than pure magic. Hearing these tracks through the past 30 years and they still put a smile on my face, tear in my eye, quiver in my heart, and joy in my heart. SLOWDIVE did something very rare... Like Siouxsie, Pixies, Ride, Charlatans, Valentine, Smiths, and a blessed other few... they held up and made music an art like nobody had ever heard before that can't be copied or covered. They invented a new thing that is undeniably effective in its purpose. You feel it when you listen even if it is not what you want to feel in that moment. They make you feel there is someone on the other side of that recording.
whoever directed this and made it deserves a gold star, this is exactly how an indie version of classic albums(I think this is what it's called) would be.
God, I still come back to this video every now and then and it still fills me with such a love for these musicians and the music that they made. I can't thank Slowdive as a band enough for my emotional development, they deserve the world.
Thanks Pitchfork. This was great.
I just feel so happy right now
These Pitchfork Classics are terrific. So many albums I'd love to see covered. Fugazi "13 Songs" Lush "Spooky" & Throwing Muses "Real Ramona" to name a few.
Real Ramona is a stunner ! A 4 🌟 LP.
slowdive needs to officially release those demos...joy is one of my favorite songs of all time
crying like a little child at the end.
Rachel is so fucking beautiful.
+Matías Anríquez She's aged beautifully and gracefully. She's gone from that cute girl we had a crushed on to a graceful, inspiring, talented role model we all admire and respect.
+Zedfinite I'll still smash
+Matías Anríquez So is Allison
Rachel is the OG goth gf
I thought I would never see them live. I saw them two times last year and now this lovely doc. I do not ask for more. Thanks gods of music.
Me too Philly and nyc
so cool, I really want to see them live aswell :D
One of my biggest influences. I own all of their records and they are my most prized possesions.
Got a lot of goosebumps from this.
I love the honesty in this documentary
YES YES YES! so great to see such amazing, lovely people vindicated, at least a bit, in the end... slowdive are really a tragic story, but one that 20 years later gets a surprise happy ending. thank you for this film, and thanks, slowdive, for the music.
jeremy true Who says about the ending? I hope it's only a beginning!
true enough... I meant more not that the band had a happy ending, the documentary did. it was so sad to hear them talk about the album's reception after all that work, and I was glad that recent events have made it possible to put a happy ending on the documentary, instead of just leaving it at "and then slowdive broke up to the joy of the music press" :-)
jeremy true Your use of the word 'tragic' is frankly a bit melodramatic... no-one died, they just faded out of popularity when the musical landscape changed... sheesh...
I'd say the bands died... for some people their favorite music can be a travelling companion, and sometimes can feel like a close friend. when we heard slodive was breaking up in 1995, a lot of us were really sad. they were these fresh faced, great kids, who were growing up and making albums and a refreshing alternative to bands like Poison and Winger which was the big thing in the states. so yeah, it was really dramatic at the time! :-P
Souvlaki is one of my favorite albums of ALL TIME. Lucky to see all the "shoegaze" shows in the early 90s at a tiny little dive bar in Sacramento, CA. RIDE, Slowdive, Lush, Chapterhouse, Catherine Wheel, Pale Saints, Swervedriver...
Slowdive are the soundtrack to my life. I'm very grateful they didn't give up. ❤
I still give a scowl whenever I find out somebody like Oasis or Blur. But I'm so happy that Slowdive is FINALLY understood by the youth (and the world) 30 years later.
slowdive is so underrated. They are a hidden gem in the world of shoegaze.
Nevilla Pierre Not really a hidden gem now, they are now one of the most beloved and well-known shoegazers.
No they are not
@@christopherhau3974 the comment was like 3 years before yours lol so idk maybe I'm 2014/15 they were but yeah like when people say shoegaze 2 albums come to mind and its souvlaki and loveless lmao
@@MrLucozadeFTW I just think shoegaze as a whole is kinda underrated and forgotten. Me and I just happen to know about it, but ask the average person what shoegaze is, what my bloody valentine is, what slowdive is, they will look at you as if you're an alien
@@Lakigigar I'm deep in the comments. In regards to forgotton shoegaze, check out All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors. Songs like "All the Time" and "Your Imagination". It's so fuckin sick. Swingy drums like cocteau and oooohs like goswell/butcher. Oh yeah!!!
Slowdive - Far From Forgotten
I saw this documentary in my UA-cam feed and nearly lost consciousness! As others have noted, the film is absolutely inspiring for fans of *Slowdive*, old and new alike. There's much to admire about _Just for a Day_ and _Pygmalion_ but I honestly love _Souvlaki_. It is seminal work. By degrees - I'll dare to say - as personal to the listener as it was to the band members themselves from writing to production. Best of all, the album is timeless! Can't get over the fact that 20 years have passed since _Souvlaki_'s release!!
The documentary chronicles a journey that is - at once - amazing, heart wrenching, and redemptive in the end. Now Slowdive has/is receiving the respect the band deserves. So glad to hear the they're touring again. I would love to see them LIVE! Big Thanks to Slowdive, Pitchfork and Creation Records for the media. You've made my day.
s hall Now 25 years after its release, and it's still sound beautiful just as usual.
Fucking ethereal.
Watching this again after seeing them live the last three nights in a row. Imagine not liking them, doesn't make sense. I hope they stick around forever.
Who cares what the critics have ever said, this is one of the best albums of the 90s! ❤
i remember when i listened to slowdive for the first time about 5/6y ago on spotify. They're unique, and one of my favourite bands to this day. They introduced me to shoegaze, and lots of other groups and genres. Im really happy they're getting the recognition they deserve. This documentary helped me to get to know them a little and to understand the artists behind the art i suppose. I wasn't born in the 90s so i didn't get to experience them first hand on their debut so, thank you pitchfork ❤️
first found slowdive souvlaki when i was 14 there was a period where i listened to this everyday
I managed to miss these 1st time round, and found them thanks to UA-cam. Have all the albums now and absolutely love them.
Slowdive of the 90s is a casualty of useless professional criticism, a bunch of trend-following men jumping on a bandwagon and ruining the chances for a band that probably would have had several good albums left in them if the nasty reviews hadn't deflated any self-confidence that the band had left in them. The story of them playing to an empty room with the janitors already sweeping the floors was heartbreaking. Now, in the age when anyone can sample a piece of music instantly on any device, the power of critics is greatly diminished. They were a bunch of useless, bitter "mean girls" geezers, and I'm happy to see them go.
There are very very few songs nvm albums that have been able to bring me to tears. This album has been the soundtrack to both my darkest as well as happiest and most euphoric of times in life. This album truly is worth more to me than words could express
Years later, here I’am watching this again
I'm 41 years old and I just discovered these guys last week. So good, and honestly so much more fresh sounding now than pretty much any of the music that surpassed its popularity in its time.
Imagine being in love with Rachel? And Rachel loving you back..
she seems to be like that difficult girl to get, scares me
And then it utterly collapsing under the weight of mutual misunderstanding and heartbreak
Geoff Morrison 😳😳😳
Halstead's Eno quip is amazing. To go in there not knowing a thing beyond Bowie is awesome.
I loved it then, ignored the reviews and love it now. We were right. They were wrong. They just wanted to sell magazines. We wanted this.
I've been listening to shoegaze ever since I was 16 (I'm 23 now) and it started with bands like The Jesus and Marychain all the way to Beach House but I came across Slowdive 2 years ago and they have changed my life. Their songs transport me to another dimension, I feel like I'm one with the universe and their music is all that matters in that moment. When the Sun Hits was the first song I ever heard by them but Alison is one of my favorites, it takes me to a time in life that I haven't experienced yet, and though it fills me with happiness it also makes me feel empty. Slowdive might not have been successful in their own time which is hard to believe, but they have thousands of fans now more than ever as well as bands that are similar to their sound.
Gorgeous piece for a gorgeous album and band. Thanks Pitchfork
Yes, they've won finally :)
ive watched this video an unhealthy number of times
souvlaki is genuinely one of the best albums i’ve listened to
This was so beautiful, feeling inspired.
Admittedly I would be biased since this is one of my favorite albums of all time, but I think this is a wonderfully made, insightful documentary about a critically underrated band. It has fantastic archival footage, insightful interviews, and great editing. Plus--who doesn't love a happy ending?
I finally saw them last year and it was handily one of the best shows of my thirty (plus) years of concert going.
I got to see them live last year in Montreal and it was amazing.
Stanley Chan was also at that show! low was great too
Emmett McCleary Best show ever.
Stanley Chan That was such a good show!
+Stanley Chan I was JUST starting to get into them when I heard they came to Montreal :( I was soooo sad. They have to come again soon...
+Emmett McCleary how the fuck did I miss that
I cried throughout this whole documentary.
Slowdive is all my high-school memories in one album best years of my life, thank you Slowdive.
pitchfork, more things like this and less awful thinkpieces pls
What a fantastic documentary about one of the very best, most beautiful albums of the 90s. In some ways it's easy to be nostalgic about the days of the Melody Maker & NME of the last 80s and early 90s. But they had too much power and could crush bands on the whim of some young writer having a bad day. Unlike the bands who replaced them in the favors of the cool journo kids Slowdive produced music which has lasted. Now they're touring again if you haven't seen them live you really should, it'll be one of the best concerts you'll ever experience.
beautiful documentary cant even type, thank you so much for this.
Amazing.. Slowdive are amazing...
incredible album I was 25 in 1993 and missed it. Discovered it in 2010. what a band, what a piece of music.
souvlaki songs ranked:
10: you
9: can’t
8: rank
7: the
6: songs
5: they’re
4: all
3: equally
2: unique
1: Altogether
Altogether is the best!
great rating completely agree
even with other shoegaze & dreampop bands they can't be at odds
Can’t argue
Thank you, Pitchfork, for creating this documentary! I was born in ‘87, so I was not able to take an active part in this musical movement during its respective era. I truly appreciate discovering the context behind this awesome band, & specifically this album. For me, Shoegaze & Dream Pop are such lovely genres! 🐻❄️
Discovered Slowdive last year and it was one of my highlights for sure!
Kind of a shame that they didn't get Eno to sit down for 10 min and ask him a few questions.
I could listen to Neil Halstead talk for days at a time.
this video...I will treasure it forever.
This was well done Pitchfork! It was produced well. Very intimate. Pitchfork should do more quality docs like this for other artists. I'm thinking Massive Attack, aphex twin, portishead, animal collective
As someone who only discovered Slowdive recently and have fallen in love with their music, I am shocked how little success they had when they released souvlaki. Can’t believe it!
They were obsessed over by a small core of us fans though. I always adored their Mojave 3 material as well, although it’s more traditional.
Thats crazy to me. Love that they had supporters, but I just assumed that they were super successful. Did not even consider the possibility that they had to find new jobs! @@user-wu8sj3ee3d
It was the grunge era
Absolutely amazing. Very well done.
What a beautiful documentary. Thanks to this incredible person I met who was there back in the day, I found out about Slowdive this year. As a music nerd, I can't believe I overlooked them and other shoegaze bands (was into britpop mostly), but better late than never. I am a full shoegazer now and Slowdive fan and have all their records and saving up for a band tee. I hope they tour because I will most definitely see them live. Can you please do one on MBV's Loveless? :)
to me, slowdive are the epitome of "cool". a band of outsiders that just dont care what everyone else is doing. they were my generations velvet underground. i dont think this current generation has anything that comes close to compare
Fuck u U don't know what Ur talking about
Here you old people go again with that bullshit.
@@basedaudio1 I love arguing with boomers in Beatles comment sections
It does, it just isn't in the field of rock imo
woodman YEAH LIKE KANYE!!
And the best bit? This film came out 9 years ago and they are bigger now then ever. I saw them in 91, 23 and 24. The last time was last month in DC. Thousands there. Biggest Slowdive gig I’ve ever been to. And I’ll see them in Boston in Feb too.
Sadly most music critics aren't musicians themselves but feel good enough to critique those who are. If it sounds good, then it is, regardless of a critic's point of view, who is a person you'd probably never hang out with anyways
Thank you for this movie, I used to overlook Slowdive my whole life and now I know I need to take a look into their work. Thanks again.
"I think avalyn was the point where we were felt 'Okay so this is something it's doesn't just sound like My Bloody Valentine or the Cocteu Twins'. You know it has it's own thing happening. And that was a big moment i think for us as a band. That was the point when we started the sound like, Slowdive."
a beautifully done documentary, I love it!
I discovered Slowdive and shoegaze in general as a sample off a Trippie Redd record a few years ago and never looked back. Slowdive is seminal regardless of what some hipster reviewers in the 90s wrote. Glad they won and continue to win!
which trippie record ? :)
@@danielapereira6495 Back Back Back by Trippie Redd :)
What a great piece. As a teenager I always felt that Slowdive was my band, that no one else got them. Now my 25 year old coworker just discovered them. So we got tickets to the Toronto show. I took my 14 year old son too - it was his first concert and he was blown away. So great to see the magic up close.
what a passionnant documentary wow, their story is really inspiring, love them
After watching this documentary I love and appreciate Souvlaki even more than ever before.
This was such a rollercoaster - a must see for everyone who got Slowdive
Beautiful documentary. Goes to show that critics only have as much power as you offer to them.