Pygmalion
Rejected cover to latest Boards of Canada album.
An eagle-eyed eMusic user pointed out a stunning new arrival on the message boards yesterday and I couldn’t be happier that they did. Like most of the staff at the site, I scour the new arrivals pages each day, looking for inspiration and hoping for surprise additions to our catalogue. In a lot of ways, each day is kind of like Christmas. Well, yesterday was a lot like opening up all the presents and then being told that there was the official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock that I had somehow missed right behind the tree. Oh. I’m talking about Slowdive’s Pygmalion, by the way.
In a recent review of Seefeel’s debut record, I mentioned that Slowdive’s Pygmalion was of a piece with that generous collection of slow-motion dream pop—except for the fact that it was created a few years later. What I failed to say, though, was that Pygmalion benefited greatly from the extra time. Along with Talk Talk’s Spirit of Eden and Bark Psychosis’ Hex, it’s probably one of the only post-rock records crafted in England that you need to own. Seriously. It’s that good.
Most people, of course, know the Slowdive of “Alison” and “Machine Gun.” (“Dagger” is probably one of the most heartbreaking songs I’ve ever heard, hands down.) It’s the reverb-laden guitars-set-to-decay that drew most of their fans in their sound world (that sounded suspiciously a lot like almost every other shoegaze act going). But with Souvlaki the group began to experiment a bit with the template. On that record, they began to rely more on simple acoustic balladry – the aforementioned “Dagger” being a prime example. Pygmalion went in the other direction. I believe it was the group’s artistic zenith. It was also the record that tore the group apart.
Neil Halstead had always been the leader of the band, but Pygmalion is essentially a solo record that reflects his interests at the time (Eno, ecstasy, ambient music). It features some vocals from Rachel Goswell and light drumming from Ian McCutcheon, but little else contribution-wise from the rest of the group. (Most of the album’s beats were synthesized. Former drummer Simon Scott had left the band after the 5 EP because he presumably saw the writing on the wall.) Perhaps because it’s done with fewer members or perhaps because Halstead crafted it this way, Pygmalion may be the group’s spacious record of all. The classic opener, “Rutti,” glides along on a guitar riff and a prayer for its first three minutes before adding a hypnotic bass and drum machine to the mix. It’s a song that, simply, you feel less like you’re listening to and more like you’re living in. If you get one track from Pygmalion, make it that one.
I’ve got a lot more to say about this record, but it’s already getting a bit long, so briefly:
-This is the first time you’ll see this for non-import prices in America. Creation, the group’s record label, dropped the band shortly after its release amid the prevailing Britpop hysteria of the time. There was a reissue a few years ago, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen it “available” in the States. (Commenters feel free to correct me on this point, as you may frequent better record shops than I!)
-Halstead, Goswell, and McCutcheon would go on to record dreamy country music as Mojave 3.
-If you’re loving the electronic elements to this record, do yourself a favor and check out the Morr Music imprint’s tribute to Slowdive, Blue Skied An´ Clear. Disc one is a set of covers of classic Slowdive material by contemporary indie/electronica artists and the second is a collection of original material from those artists done with the group in mind. Some of the stuff on there is brilliant and I plan on spending the day remember exactly what that stuff is.
My two cents… From ‘92-’95 or so, I probably listened to Slowdive more than to any other band. So when Pygmalion came out I ordered it from a local record store and waited for a few weeks for the import to come in. When it arrived, I rushed home to hear more beautiful washes of guitar, etc. Obviously, none of that was on the cd. At the time, it was a disappoint for me, since the music I’d associated them with had been put to bed. But I will admit that over the years the album has grown on me.
But I’ll also add that some of the demos from Pygmalion did sound like the Slowdive of old–and are great songs, too. And for those songs not to make the album seems (to me) to be more a part of their relationship with Creation at the time–instead of turning in a “Slowdive” album, it’s like Halstead gave them the finger and turned in something completely different and, for Creation, unmarketable, especially at the time.
absofuckinglutely correct. this album, _spirit of eden_, and _hex_ are three gigantic monolithic important records. i actually only discovered _hex_ in 2001, and i felt i’d been duped for for almost a decade because nobody told me about it. had i heard it when it came out…man, i would maybe be a different person now.
oh, anyways, the original topic: yes, _pygmalion_ is a damn beautiful album. and blair is right - there is some interesting stuff in the demos, but i do ascribe to his theory of halstead doing what he wanted (hey, much like talk talk
).
I have a copy of Pygmalion that appears to be part of Castle Music/Santuary’s 2005 reissues of everything Slowdive. Soulvaki and Just for a Day both have bonus discs which cover the EPs some demos and peel sessions.
Pygmalion is a perfect example of what an intelligent, creative, and capable pop band can do when they’re artistically unrestrained. Pygmalion is a gorgeous album that transcends every norm. Slowdive has been a wonderful discovery for me.
To quote the liner notes “…as that tombstone doubtless reads: “Slowdive. They could of had the world, but decided to put their name to three impossibly beautiful albums instead.” RIP Slowdive, Love live Mojave 3.”