Wikipedia

Souvlaki(album)

Souvlakiis the secondstudio albumby the EnglishrockbandSlowdive.It was recorded in 1992, and released on 1 June 1993 byCreation Records.

Souvlaki
Studio albumby
Slowdive
Released1 June 1993(1993-06-01)
Recorded1992
Studio
Genre
Length40:26
LabelCreation
ProducerSlowdive
Slowdivechronology
Outside Your Room
(1993) 		Souvlaki
(1993) 		5
(1993)
Slowdivestudio album chronology
Just for a Day
(1991) 		Souvlaki
(1993) 		Pygmalion
(1995)
SinglesfromSouvlaki
  1. "Alison"
    Released: February 1994

On its initial release,Souvlakipeaked at number 51 on theUK Albums Chartand was greeted with tepid reviews from critics. It has since received retrospective critical acclaim and has been hailed as a classic of theshoegazegenre.

Background

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Prior to the writing ofSouvlaki,Slowdive co-vocalists and guitaristsRachel GoswellandNeil Halsteadhad ended their relationship and Halstead began to spend more time writing songs alone, a process that had been completed by the full band in the past.[3]

The album's title was taken from a skit by American comedy duoThe Jerky Boys,where one of the duoprank telephone callsa hotel manager asking him to perform sexual acts on his wife. Upon learning the manager is Greek, the caller says: "My wife loves that Greek shit... She'll suck your cock likesouvlaki."[4]

Recording

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While touring Europe in early 1992, Slowdive began tentative work onSouvlaki,writing and recording multiple takes of around 40 potential songs.[4]According to the band's chief songwriter Neil Halstead, these early songs were influenced byJoy Divisionand theDavid Bowiestudio albumsLow(1977) andLodger(1979).[3]Alan McGee,the head of Slowdive's labelCreation Records,was unimpressed by the band's material and rejected it, though he later decided to give Slowdive full creative control over the album.[3][4]

After returning to the United Kingdom following a May 1992 tour of the United States, Slowdive contactedBrian Eno,of whom Halstead was a "big" fan, and requested that he produceSouvlaki.[4]While Eno declined, he did agree to spend a few days recording with Slowdive, and out of these sessions came the tracks "Sing" and "Here She Comes".[4]Following the sessions with Eno, Halstead began to take greater influence fromambient musicin his songwriting; he has citedAphex Twin,dub music,and earlydrum and bassas influences for the track "Souvlaki Space Station".[3]

Meanwhile, Halstead was in a fragile emotional state due to his recent breakup with Goswell.[3]At the suggestion of Slowdive's manager, Halstead temporarily exited the recording sessions forSouvlakiin the summer of 1992 and travelled to Wales, where he stayed in a rented cottage for around two weeks.[3][4]In Halstead's absence, only bassist Nick Chaplin and guitaristChristian Savillpersisted in recording material, though Savill would later recall that he and Chaplin ended up merely recording several "joke songs".[4]By the time he returned, Halstead had written a new batch of "stark and much more personal" songs, including "Dagger", which would make the final album.[4]He has said that the lyrics he penned during this period were informed by both his solitary living conditions in Wales and his feelings about the end of his relationship with Goswell.[3]

Souvlakiwas mixed byEd Buller,who had previously worked withSuedeandSpiritualized.[3]

Release

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Souvlakiwas released on 1 June 1993 by Creation Records.[5]It peaked at number 51 on theUK Albums Chartdated 12 June 1993, 19 places lower than Slowdive's debut studio albumJust for a Day(1991), and spent one week on the chart.[6]Eight months later, the album was released in the US bySBK Records,on 8 February 1994.[7]The US release included four bonus tracks: a previously unreleased cover of "Some Velvet Morning"(written byLee Hazlewoodand originally recorded by Hazlewood andNancy Sinatrain 1967), and three tracks from Slowdive's 19935extended play(EP).[8]

A two-discremasteredreissue ofSouvlakiwas released in 2005 byCastle Music,a subsidiary label ofSanctuary Records.[9][10]The second disc featured the "Some Velvet Morning" cover, two tracks from Slowdive's 1993Outside Your RoomEP, all tracks from their5EP, andBanduluandReloadremixes of5track "In Mind". Another two-disc remaster was released byCherry Red Recordson 16 August 2010, featuring the same bonus tracks on the second disc.[11]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Chicago Tribune[12]
NME6/10[13]
Pitchfork9.3/10[9]
Q[14]
Record Collector[15]
Select4/5[16]
Uncut(2023)9/10[17]

Souvlakiwas released in the UK to middling reviews from critics.[18]Dave Simpson ofMelody Makerwrote:"'Sing' aside, I would rather drown choking in a bath full of porridge than ever listen to it again. "[19]John Mulvey ofNMEreacted with muted praise, callingSouvlaki"another exemplary product from spangly guitar heaven" yet ultimately deeming it a "pretty, but unfulfilled" album.[13]In 2015, Slowdive and Alan McGee stated that they felt thatSouvlakiwas released at a time whendream popandshoegazehad become unfashionable and the music press were more interested inBritpopbands such asOasis.[3]

In later years,Souvlakihas been met with more widespread acclaim.[20]In a retrospective review forAllMusic,Jack Rabid praised the album as "quiet, moving, and aggressive simultaneously, mi xing trance-like beauty with the deepest delayed guitar sounds around, a sound at once rela xing, soothing, and exciting, and most of all harshly beautiful."[8]Nitsuh Abebe ofPitchforkdescribed it as "a bit of anEssential Slowdivein itself ", with songs that are simultaneously" pillowy-soft and passionately deep ".[9]Paste's Zach Schonfeld calledSouvlaki"the definitive shoegaze statement".[21]

Legacy

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In 1999, critic Ned Raggett rankedSouvlakiat number 83 on his list of the best albums of the 1990s forFreaky Trigger.[22]Pitchforkreleased a documentary about the album in 2015 as part of itsPitchforkClassic series.[3]The following year, the website listedSouvlakias the second best shoegaze album of all time.[1]Souvlakihas since been recognized asone of the best releases of the 1990sand one of the greatest shoegaze albums of all time by the websitesNMEandPopMatters.[23][24]

Track listing

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All tracks are written byNeil Halstead,except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Alison"3:51
2."Machine Gun"4:27
3."40 Days"3:14
4."Sing"
4:48
5."Here She Comes"2:17
6."Souvlaki Space Station"
5:57
7."When the Sun Hits"4:46
8."Altogether"3:41
9."Melon Yellow"3:52
10."Dagger"3:38
Total length:40:26
US edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Some Velvet Morning"Lee Hazlewood3:22
12."Good Day Sunshine"5:06
13."Missing You"4:15
14."Country Rain"
  • Halstead
  • Goswell
3:33
Total length:56:42
2005 reissue bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Some Velvet Morning"Hazlewood3:22
2."So Tired"4:02
3."Moussaka Chaos"
6:23
4."In Mind"3:44
5."Good Day Sunshine"5:06
6."Missing You"4:15
7."Country Rain"
  • Halstead
  • Goswell
3:33
8."In Mind" (Bandulumix)8:04
9."In Mind" (Reloadmix)10:26
Total length:48:55

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[26]

Slowdive[3]

Additional musicians

  • Brian Eno– keyboards and treatments on "Sing" and "Here She Comes"

Production

  • Ed Buller–mi xing
  • Guy Fixsen –engineering
  • Giles Hall – engineering (assistant)
  • Chris Hufford – engineering
  • Yvette Lacey – engineering (assistant)
  • Marcus Lindsay – engineering (assistant)
  • Martin Nichols – engineering
  • Slowdive –production,mi xing
  • Andy Wilkinson – engineering

Design

  • Steve Double – sleeve photography

Charts

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Chart (1993) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27] 79
UK Albums(OCC)[28] 51
UK Independent Albums(OCC)[29] 3

References

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  1. ^ab"The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".Pitchfork.24 October 2016. p. 5.Retrieved22 September2018.
  2. ^ab"The 25 Best Dream Pop Albums of All Time".Paste.24 August 2020.Retrieved9 May2021.
  3. ^abcdefghijk"Watch the Pitchfork.tv Classic on Slowdive's 'Souvlaki'".Pitchfork.15 June 2015.Retrieved8 May2016.
  4. ^abcdefghWatson, Ian (2005)."Slowdive:Souvlaki".Souvlaki(liner notes).Slowdive.Castle Music.CMEDD 1245.Retrieved3 December2017.
  5. ^Creation Records(29 May 1993). "Souvlaki".Melody Maker.London: IPC Media.new album available June 1
  6. ^"Slowdive".Official Charts Company.Retrieved8 May2016.
  7. ^"Upcoming Releases"(PDF).CMJ New Music Report.Vol. 37, no. 7. New York. 7 February 1994. p. 61.Retrieved9 May2021.
  8. ^abcRabid, Jack."Souvlaki– Slowdive ".AllMusic.Retrieved31 January2015.
  9. ^abcAbebe, Nitsuh (28 November 2005)."Slowdive:Just for a Day/Souvlaki/Pygmalion".Pitchfork.Retrieved31 January2015.
  10. ^Souvlaki(liner notes).Slowdive.Castle Music.2005. CMEDD 1245.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^"Slowdive".Cherry Red Records.Archived fromthe originalon 21 November 2010.Retrieved10 May2021.
  12. ^Caro, Mark (24 March 1994)."Slowdive:Souvlaki(SBK) ".Chicago Tribune.Retrieved9 August2019.
  13. ^abMulvey, John (29 May 1993). "Slowdive:Souvlaki".NME.London. p. 31.
  14. ^Roberts, David (August 1993). "Slowdive:Souvlaki".Q.No. 83. London. p. 100.
  15. ^"Slowdive:Just for a Day/Souvlaki/Pygmalion".Record Collector.London. p. 86.Souvlakiappeared as a fully-formed masterpiece...
  16. ^Collins, Andrew(July 1993). "Slowdive:Souvlaki/ Verve:A Storm in Heaven".Select.No. 37. London. p. 92.
  17. ^Martin, Piers (October 2023). "The Road to Everything...".Uncut.No. 317. London. p. 20.
  18. ^Trunick, Austin (11 August 2014)."Slowdive on Their Reunion, 'Souvlaki,' Creation Records, 'Pygmalion,' and Shoegazing".Under the Radar.Retrieved8 May2016.
  19. ^Simpson, Dave (12 June 1993). "Slowdive:Souvlaki".Melody Maker.London. p. 30.
  20. ^"Rachel Goswell of Slowdive Reflects onSouvlakion its 25th Anniversary ".KEXP-FM.17 May 2018.Retrieved9 May2021.
  21. ^Schonfeld, Zach (31 January 2014)."Five Reasons Slowdive'sSouvlakiTrumpsLoveless".Paste.Retrieved8 May2016.
  22. ^Raggett, Ned."The Top 136 Or So Albums Of The Nineties".Freaky Trigger.Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2011.Retrieved6 March2011.
  23. ^Beaumont, Mark (6 January 2017)."The 10 best shoegaze albums ever".NME.Retrieved2 September2022.
  24. ^"10 Essential Shoegaze Albums That Aren't 'Loveless', PopMatters".PopMatters.12 November 2020.Retrieved2 September2022.
  25. ^abcdefghijkSouvlaki(liner notes).Slowdive.Cherry Red Records.2010. CDBRED 462.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ^Souvlaki(liner notes).Slowdive.Creation Records.1993. crecd 139.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ^"Dutchcharts.nl – SLOWDIVE – SOUVLAKI"(in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  28. ^"Official Albums Chart Top 100".Official Charts Company.Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  29. ^"Independent: Albums"(PDF).Music Week.London. 19 June 1993. p. 18.Retrieved28 May2021.
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