Souvlaki

Amazon.com
Two generations of head-rockers meet on Souvlaki, the second full album by England's ethereal Slowdive. Veteran ambient soundmeister Brian Eno produced, arranged, and played keyboards on two tracks, but his presence isn't nearly as obvious as it is with U2, which is more of testament to Slowdive's own dreamy Another Green World aesthetic than to any laziness on Eno's part. The lulling melodic undertow of the group's early EPs is present in subtle new variations on songs such as "Allison," "Machine Gun," and "Souvlaki Space Station," but Eno blurs the foreground and background, giving the album a pleasant, swirling mix that's never static or predictable. --Jim DeRogatis

Souvlaki,Slowdive,Capitol,Pop,Popular Music,Rock,Rock/Pop

Souvlaki

Average customer rating:

Wow
Decent "shoe gazer" album
Space Age Shoegaze
Your bottom jaw will never leave the f---ing ground.
Dreamy.

Souvlaki
Slowdive
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Shoegazing | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Just for a Day
Nowhere
Loveless
Ferment
Isn't Anything

ASIN: B00000DR7P
Release Date: 1994-02-08

Tracks:

Alison
Machine Gun
40 Days
Sing
Here She Comes
Souvlaki Space Station
When The Sun Hits
Altogether
Melon Yellow
Dagger
Some Velvet Morning
Good Day Sunshine
Missing You
Country Rain

Amazon.com

Two generations of head-rockers meet on Souvlaki, the second full album by England's ethereal Slowdive. Veteran ambient soundmeister Brian Eno produced, arranged, and played keyboards on two tracks, but his presence isn't nearly as obvious as it is with U2, which is more of testament to Slowdive's own dreamy Another Green World aesthetic than to any laziness on Eno's part. The lulling melodic undertow of the group's early EPs is present in subtle new variations on songs such as "Allison," "Machine Gun," and "Souvlaki Space Station," but Eno blurs the foreground and background, giving the album a pleasant, swirling mix that's never static or predictable. --Jim DeRogatis

Customer Reviews:

Wow.......2007-04-19

This album by shoegazers Slowdive is, in my opinion, an overlooked masterpiece. With some help from Brian Eno, Slowdive created a lush yet stark collection of subtle pop hooks and synth experimentation. It is unfortunate that MBV's Loveless seems to outshine everything else from the 1990s shoegazing scene when it comes to praise and recognition. Albums such as Souvlaki often get left behind.

I enjoy the dreamy aura surrounding this album. Songs like "Allison" can get stuck in your head for days. There is much creative playing on the synths throughout. Bass work is excellent. Overall, I guess one can classify this great album as a dream pop album...one of the very best.

The added bonus EP is great as well. The beat-heavy ambient electronic tracks are a pleasure to listen to. The band's cover of "Some Velvet Morning" is top-notch.

Decent "shoe gazer" album.......2007-04-02

I'm not a huge expert on the genre, but I thought this album was decent. Back in the day I listened to a good amount of MBV and Catherine Wheel, so I wanted to get back into the genre out of curiosity. I followed some of the reviews to Slowdive and ordered Souvlaki. I like a few songs more than others. Souvlaki Space Station is a great song, and some of the later songs on the album have some interesting early-nineties techno flourishes.

The album doesn't resolve itself like Loveless does... Most of the songs are similar and as a whole Souvlaki gets a little repetitive. Loveless is a roller coaster ride, Souvlaki is a coast. But besides comparing it to an obvious classic from a different band, Souvlaki is a good album if you want to revisit the genre.

Space Age Shoegaze.......2007-02-28

As a fan of My Bloody Valentine I decided to search last.fm for some good shoegaze and came upon Slowdive. The album is great - there are some really memorable tracks like Souvlaki Space Station and When the Sun Hits, and the album's overall cohesiveness holds up pretty well - there are one or two songs mid-album that get a little too sleepy and create that mid-album lull, but bottom-line, an album I was excited to add to my collection.

Your bottom jaw will never leave the f---ing ground........2007-02-04

LOL. As a rule I never use profanities in the headlines of my reviews and would not encourage such a habit but this record warrants it.
I wish I could give you a more detailed review about this long dead musical style (shoe gazing) and its pioneers Slowdive but I would prefer if you did this on your own. It is more fun that way.

This record is not easy to get into. It takes me at least two weeks to break into a new style. (Took me years to like ska) I actually considered it boring at one point (yes, I am not very intelligent) Now in my early twenties and hopefully a lot more musical adventures to experience, I can tell you that if you are looking for the most awe inspiring melodic, dynamically sophisticated shoegazing record available as of 4 am the 4th of February, with the exception of their masterpiece Pygmalion this album is it.

One of the reasons why this record, and genre is so difficult to get into is because every element blends into the other and the other and the other until to the new ear it almost sounds like nothing more than noise. It takes time to dissect and appreciate and this is probably one of the reasons why the genre never lasted; who has the bloody time? A shame too because this is one of those records you could spend months dismantling thoroughly and you will still most likely find an additional element, or in a more familiar scope of shoe gazing, a particular element that matches up with other familiar elements to create a different listening experience.

I wish I could be more thorough but this is a really tough genre to review if you aren't a guitarist or a professional musician or at the very least intelligent. If you wish to test this theory of the illusion of elements try listening to the Allison track at least thirty times (not at one sitting! It is not a punishment!). You may probably see why this very positive review is so vague and inarticulate. Shoegazing does that to you.
Don't even get me started on soulvaki space station

Dreamy........2006-07-20

"Souvlaki" shimmers and floats. Layers and layers of hauntingly ethereal melodies and gentle, soothing vocals create shadowy dreamscapes in the mind of listeners. The excellent studio production allows for a full, rich sound that nearly bursts at all the right times. The overall mood of the album is sad, but not depressing or melancholy. Said sadness usually comes in the form of a vague overtone of loneliness ("40 Days" is a prime example of this) My choice track is "Souvlaki Space Station," which showcases beautifully hollow reverb guitar and paints a mental image of floating through starry skies. If you prefer your shoegaze in relatively abstract form and appreciate pure atmosphere, "Souvlaki" is perfect for you.

And if you have no idea what the heck shoegazer is, pick it up anyway. The songs are beautiful no matter how you look at it. Take a breather from standard pop song structure and venture into the dreamy aural universe "Souvlaki" creates. It's really a shame that shoegaze fell off the face of the earth - the musical world continues to suffer a great (if not well known at all) loss.

Average customer rating:

worth the extra cash
great album, great remaster, great extras

Souvlaki
Slowdive
Manufacturer: Castle Music UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Dream Pop | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Shoegazing | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Just for a Day
Pygmalion
Catch the Breeze
Whirlpool
Nowhere

ASIN: B000BJRJAY
Release Date: 2005-11-28

Tracks:

Alison
Machine Gun
Days
Sing
Here She Comes
Souvlaki Space Station
When the Sun Hits
Altogether
Melon Yellow
Dagger

Tracks:

Some Velvet Morning (Outside Your Room) [*]
So Tired [*]
Moussaka Chaos [*]
In Mind [*]
Good Day Sunshine [*]
Missing You [*]
Coutry Rain [EP in Mind Remixes][*]
In Mind [Bandulu Mix][*]
In Mind [Reload Mix][*]

Album Description

Remastered version of the band's 1993 studio album. Includes a bonus disc of 9 B-sides and remixes. Sleeve notes by Melody Makers Ian Watson and compiled by band memeber Rachel Goswell. Castle. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

worth the extra cash.......2006-08-22

the remastering is great on both discs although i find the second disc of ep's amazing. the flow from the first to last track is an load and play album in itself. do yourself a favor and shell out the extra cash for the double disc set.

great album, great remaster, great extras.......2006-03-22

Sanctuary Records have been busy lately, remastering old classic albums and making concerted efforts to bring past glories to new audiences. As someone who was around when Slowdive first started releasing music, I can say that "Souvlaki" is a fantastic all-around package with a thoughtful remaster and a smattering of b-sides and remixes. With such a careful remaster of "Souvlaki", it isn't difficult to hear how timeless their music was. "Days" and "Souvlaki Space Station" still sound as beautiful as they ever did and "In Mind", included on the second disc, reminds us of how well they could depart from their own signature sound and explore electronic worlds with ease. Also included are the original remixes of "In Mind" from Bandulu and Reload (Mark Pritchard of Global Communication). Having all been on Creation Records at the time, one gets a feeling of family respect with these remixes and there is a tender and genuine understanding of the material evident within the interpretations. These remixes are worth the price of admission alone, taking an already gorgeous experiment and leading it down an ever-winding digital road, awash with lush beats and ambient textures. All of the recent Slowdive remasters are worthy of purchase but if you buy only one, make it "Souvlaki"!