Orchestra Of Distortion

When it comes to the band My Bloody Valentine the first point to mention is that sound, the very heart of the band in producer and guitarist Kevin Shields.

It was his almost reinvention of the electric guitar sound through endless experimentation which is the lifeblood at the very heart of this classic album ‘Loveless’.

It can also be said that Shields did not so much play the guitar, instead he utilized the instrument, transforming it into what you could easily describe as a distortion machine.

Do not be fooled by the name 'Loveless' as it is anything but what the title suggests, it is both loved and recognized internationally, sometimes hailed as the greatest release of the 90s and at other times coming in second place to Radioheads mammoth 'OK Computer' coincidentally one of the bands MBV influenced.

The album 'Loveless' hit the streets on the 4th November 1991 after a recording period of two years between 1989 and 1991,

the workaholic Kevin Shields kicked into gear leading the sessions and experimenting with guitar tremolo, tuning systems, samplers across roughly nineteen different studios.

The legendary bill of £250,000 soon becomes increasingly real when you dig into the perfectionism at the source of 'Loveless'.

From the opening eruption of; ‘Only Shallow', manic and menacing with tender, clear vocals, you realize very quickly all advances other bands were considering to take had already been achieved, your first play you are hooked in a beautifully distorted world.

The next track 'Loomer' may have a touch of ‘Metal Machine Music’ to it, perhaps ‘Loveless’ is that album repeated but with lyrics and drums.

The instrumental 'Touched' a break with distortion from the distortion,’

To here knows when', is the point the madness becomes realized, the vocals phased as the music, it slowly veers off the road here, brought directly back to the driving lane courtesy of the more straightforward 'When you sleep'.

An album which packs the alternative sound that music fans crave gives a healthy break from the normal run-of-the-mill, the track 'I Only Said’ sounds as if the blueprint for all 90s Brit-pop music.

The dreamy vocals of 'Come in alone' are genius set to the music, it can be quite difficult to withstand such a battering of noise churning as this although here it is done with such grace that the journey becomes pleasant.

The track ‘Sometimes' has the loudest recorded guitar you can expect to hear,

the crunch sinks into your teeth, you pray for release and then the striking of beauty that is 'Blown a wish' starts to flow, and calm is brought to the manic seas of ‘Loveless’.

The final tracks 'What you want' again bombards the senses whereas the closer 'Soon' opens with a sample of where the stuttering noise meets elegance.

It is a very clever mix, just as the listener is pushed closer to the edge sweet melodies pull you back in.

The orchestra of distortion Kevin Shields created led to the aforementioned huge production bill and in turn the record company Creation dropped them,

by 1997 the band had gone their separate ways.

There would be no new MBV music for another twenty-two years, when after the 2007 reformation and tour, the music Shields began to develop before the band folded, along with fresh recordings seen a release under the simply titled 'MBV’, highlighted that the perfectionism and talent within the band had not dissipated through the passing of time.

This year 'Loveless' has been released as a deluxe edition format along with an official vinyl release and the album is readily available for those willing to take the plunge.

Kevin BURKE
07/10/2018