Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Well, that was underwhelming, boring, meandering, and pretty lame, overall. I'd never heard of Slint before, and now I see why.
Too much grunge, not enough range
Kurzlebige Post-Rock-Pioniere. Sphärisch-schwerer Sound; gesprochenes Wort; Rhythmen und Stimmungen können sich plötzlich ändern.
Not sure how I missed this in the 90s. I would have been all over it.
An incredibly good album with a maturity that belied the ages of the band members. Their mastery of dynamics and atmosphere is incredible. Each listen reveals subtleties that make this one of the greatest albums of its era. 5 stars
Was ready for some 90s rock, but this went above expectations. First two songs are in 7/4 and 5/4 which was a nice surprise. The style is interesting with the lyrics usually being more of a story told in a speaking voice underneath the music. Loud soft dynamic is cool, and I can see how this would be influential. Definitely benefits from listening with headphones. The album doesn't overstay its welcome, but it does drag a bit at times, and it's bookended by the best tracks.
washer is one of my favourite tracks! The only thing why I don't give 5 stars is, that the other songs don't live up to this one.
Hideous. Nonsensical lyrics. No singing, just grunting, screaming and nastiness. Don't know how they were able to get this album produced.
Moody and quiet, well-crafted music. Long buildups leading to screamy breakdowns (most of the time). Reminded me of some mild Opeth songs. Stand-out: Washer, Breadcrumb Trail
Don, Aman påminner mig om echoes. Lång sång av Pink Floyd. Här har vi ingen kärlek och snabbare pågående smärta Man vet inte så noga vad de gör; ibland frågar man sig om de gör någonting. Jag tror och jag tror och jag tror mer. Vad de här albumen görar eller görar det ingenting.
Pretty decent stoner rock.
Dissonant, dark instrumentals, spoken lyrics. Avant-garde.
The choice to use spoken word is interesting. The music is very subdued except in a few choice places where the tone gets really dirty.
Never heard of the band or album before. Enjoyed the sound of the album a lot, a lot of the darker sounds of the early 90s, but not really metal and not really grunge either.
Moody and interesting! An easy 5 stars. I can see how this trends towards pretentious, but it's exactly my jam.
I thought this was a cool album! Hadn’t heard of the band before, but I dig it. Low key and heavy at the same time. File under Fugazi/Built to Spill. Will listen again.
One of the most frustrating albums I've gotten yet. The instrumentation and arrangements were fantastic, but... the lead singer mumble talking on every track was a poor decision. It didn't help that his voice was so low in the mix I could barely make out what he was saying. The few times he did try to sing or scream, the results were not impressive. 2 wasted potentials out of 5
Sonically spooky. Steadily grew on me over two listens. Favourite Track: Nosferatu Man
These dudes captured something very special in this. No idea what it is but you find yourself somewhere in the realm of mystery, rawness, uneasiness, recognition and empathy. A perfect dichotomy of terror and comfort that keeps you coming back for more. I absolutely love the cover photo as well; on the surface it's four mates having a swim but there's something (maybe it being slightly out of focus) unsettling about it too, like a bunch of post-rock sirens beckoning you into the water, only to imprison you in their harmonically dissonant soundscape for eternity henceforth. Highly recommend watching the documentary about them making this album at some point.
post rock te explicando pra te confundir, te confundindo pra te esclarecer
I’m not sure I like the sound of Slint. I don’t think I’ve heard them before, but that word feels a bit off and I don’t know why. Apple Music lists them as alternative, which can either be a great thing or a terrible thing. Let’s listen and find out! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Breadcrumb Trail What an odd album. Imagine your typical 90s alt rock with the overly distorted guitars, but then the apathetic singing is taken up a notch into apathetic spoken word. My opinion on this album went up and down for the duration, but it did end on a low note as the last track is simply fifteen minutes of ambient outside noise. Why? Not a clue. It was interesting to hear, but I doubt I’ll be returning.
Grungier than behind the deep fryer of a burger joint in the 90's. Sludge-like distorted guitar sounds, discordant at times, talking parts. Enjoyable and definitely represents the era well, but tough for an "active" listening session. Likely better with a J in hand.
My pirated this album off of a torrenting site maybe 13 or 14 years ago and, as sometimes happens, I never actually listened to it. What a fool I am.
great album. I'll claim it as a Chicago classic. appreciated looking this up on Wikipedia too to be reminded that Bonnie 'Prince' Billy took the photo on the cover
Had never listened to Spider-Man before but can definitely hear this influence in just a bunch of newer 'weird rock' bands. Very cool, and good
A bit too fuzzy for me
Kind of blah
Not a fan.
Never heard of them. I like it.
Meh 2 No 1
Naw
C’est comme écouter de l’air, mais de l’air qui pue
Distinctly average
A very nice sounding album. I was expecting something much harder, but enjoyed every second of it. Standouts: Good Morning Captain, Breadcrumb Trail Solid: 4
Not my thing
I love the atmosphere of this record. It's dark, moody and raw, while remaining ethereal with jangly, ponderous sound of shoegaze and post-rock. It's obvious this record has influenced tons of grunge, post-punk, post-hardcore and other alt music.
1991, Post-hardcore, post-rock, math rock Better than expected. Kind of mellow-metal. 3/5
I liked this album a lot better when I was in college. Still nice to revisit something I hadn't heard in years, though
i find it rather boring
Not for me, what a depressing way to start my day. "Washer" reminds me of the first Twilight movie - I'm not sure if it's a similar song on the soundtrack or the actual film score, but listen to 2:55 - 3:20. Can't you just picture Bella walking into the woods? I'm starting to think it might actually have been sampled... it's so similar. I looked it up, couldn't find any connection :(
2.9/5 Best Track: Good Morning, Captain
Might come to regret this in the future but it was hard listening… the 1st time
I've always heard about Slint, but never actually listened to them. This is good stuff. Very reminiscent of The Van Pelt and American Football, although I believe these guys are the OG. Favourite tracks: Breadcrumb Trail, Nosferatu Man, Don, Aman.
When I first started getting into post-hardcore, I was of the understanding that Spiderland was the peak, the pinnacle of the genre. Eager to explore the best, I gave it a listen and was not too impressed. I simply did not "get" it. So I moved on. Now I have returned, a few years later, to revisit and reevaluate. There's really no other album like Spiderland. It's the most impressive use of dynamics, where songs go from blasting guitars and wails to tender strumming and whispers. It is an album that shouldn't be put into a box because it is so sonically detached from it's contemporaries that it makes it difficult to even define. On reevaluation, I like this one a lot more. The production in particular is superb, especially on those drums. It's an impressive show of composition. Incredibly unique in concept and execution, I can't help but feel they captured something special here. The extended quiet parts give way for incredible noisy parts, as exemplified in the closing track. I can't wait to revisit this in a few years.
I think there is some potential here and I'd want to give this another listen or two and form a better opinion. But my initial listen is a 3/5.
First listen to tis album. Impressed by the fluid sound,changing beat and tempo at will. Good morning, captain is one of the best songs I've heard in a while
Stuck between thinking this is a really good rock album and this is not the usual type of rock music I would choose and enjoy. Jury’s out…….
In another life I would fucking devour this album - not sure why but it’s just never really clicked with me. I appreciate what it’s doing and feel like I should like it but just don’t. My bad I guess
This is my kind of music, the distorted riffs and brooding sound plus the vocals, I thoroughly like this
Listened to it in Madison, over two days. Very weird kinda unsettling album
not really my style.
Takes a certain vibe for the day. When I'm in the mood this is a 10/10 Will I listen to again: 100%
možda da sam na heroinu
Noisy
Barely listenable
Meh, nada interesante, rock de fondo sin ganas
Dios santo bendito, lo que me ha costado terminar esto. No me ha gustado nada de nada.
Interesting at least. 3.1.
If your in the right mood/mental state this album is really good, not an album you put on at a party. Instrumentally the album is fantastic, the longer songs really give them life and sense of suspended time. Spoken word at times works really well but other times it doesn't and it feels forced. All and all great album especially on a cold grey late fall day.
I’m of two minds for this record. On one hand the music is terrific and the vocals work, quiet spoken word or sung just below the crunch of guitars or yelled in an outburst. On the other hand most of the tracks lacked much variety from each other. If this is what you’re in the mood for then you get a whole album of it. If not, well there’s not much of a differs from one song to the next.
I would have rated this higher if it was just instrumental. It's close as is, but the random vocals took me out of it.
Maybe this caught me on the perfect day. Or maybe it really is that good. But at 500+ albums in, this is only one of a handful that I listened to, never heard before, and had to play it immediately again. It was that good and/or powerful. Those loud/quiet dynamics are things I just love in music from this time period. Add in some of those super moody basslines and at times haunting guitars, and you have somethings really special here. Some band I really like are either huge influencers or influenced by this band, there's no doubt about that. Call it post-rock or whatever you want, I just call it really good. The few albums like this that I've found are one of the reasons I'm glad I'm doing this whole thing.
Loved this
I agree with that every song lasts a minute longer than it should but I actually enjoyed this. It has excellent moments
Kind of forgettable, if I'm being honest. Not bad, but not groundbreaking or outstanding. 3/5
Solid “speak your lyrics into a mic” alternative rock album. Had a good alt-grunge vibe going.
Eh. It was ok. I can see how it influenced some later bands, but not going to rate it very high on my list
The 1001 Albums book was incredibly and outrageously *unfair* to post-rock. No mention of Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Do Make Say Think, or Labradford. And only one mention of a Sigur Rós album (and maybe Tortoise, I think?). At least, they got the early initiators of that whole umbrella genre included with Slint's *Spiderland*. Heavy sigh nonetheless. Mysterious yet also abrasive, off-kilter, dark and menacing, yet also seductive at times, *Spiderland* is a treasure trove you can return to so as to find gems you don't necessarily notice the other times around. You have to enjoy charcoal-like tones and moods that are both melancholic and unnerving to appreciate it. But if you do, it's basically a timeless record. Number of albums left to review: 370 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 285 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 149 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 203
Moody post punk rhythmic noodling. Some cool song structure.
So I gave this two listens, and I liked it, but it didn't really rise to the level of being great or even particularly memorable. It reminds me of Wire, but not as good.
If any record deserved to be in this list it’s Spiderland. A record that has inspired so many, growing into a cult classic and an essential album for any collection. Best played on a late autumnal night in darkness. Find their version of Cortez the Killer on the deluxe edition and you’ll know where they got their groove.
J'ai trop peu de temps disponible dans ma vie pour écouter des punks barboter pendant 40 minutes.
Je sui scertain d'avoir écouté cet album mais n'en ai pas le moindre souvenir.
What is this garbs. A thousand and one bands in their garage sounded like this or better in the early 90s. Why is this here?
Trash.
Depressing. Atypical. Long chord progressions that provide the backdrop for Slint's storytelling. They go back and forth from slowly talking to singing. It's borderline creepy.
Huh.
Re-listen. I think this album is really interesting, although “Breadcrumb Trail” and “Good Morning, Captain” are the only songs I really listen to outside of it.
Post-rock. Tostonazo. Un 2.
Post soft rock. Agradable de escuchar tranquilamente.
Not bad at all
Never heard of this one, so no preconceived notions one way or another. It's very grungy. I liked the vibe in a couple songs, I think. I'm not really a fan of the tracks that use talking instead of singing. DNF
Terrible
Boring. Horribly delivered vocals. Every now and then there's a moment when it all sounds good. The rest is mud.
Such dark atmosphere while also feeling so raw is incredible. I see why this didn't hit and why it has grown into a phenomena since then.
Notes written on partial listen. I’m not sure I quite understand the approach of what the band was trying to achieve with this. The instrumentation quickly becomes quite monotonous. I wanted to say it is repetitive, but things change very very slightly throughout. Though if you were only half-listening it would all sound the same. Some of it isn’t all that bad, but every part of each song so far (I’m on 4 out of 6) is repeated too many times. The vocals, though, I truly don’t understand at all what is happening. As mentioned, I’m at song 4, and every song up to this point has just been a guy talking? Like not trying to sing at all, just talking like he’s telling a story. Track 4 is the first attempt I’ve heard at actual singing, if you can call it that. On top of all of that, there’s an excessive amount of sounds of fingers sliding up and down fretboards on guitar and bass tracks. There’s points where you can hear huge volume changes when an effects pedal is engaged/disengaged. There’s something to be said for the fact that much modern music is compressed to all hell and has almost 0 dynamic range. But holy shit, someone get this band some compressors. Things drop out and it’s so quiet I can’t hear it and turn it up and then suddenly the distorted guitars come back and it’s deafeningly loud. There’s such a thing as too much dynamic range. And if that’s what this band/producer/mixer was going for, they sure nailed it. On top of all of that, the songs are quite depressingly slow. This one is a big thumbs down for me. Into track 5/6 now. I’m feeling rather depressed now. I almost listened to this earlier in the day and I’m glad I didn’t because I had shit to do and listening to this would have made me less motivated to do any of it.
No idea of the idea of such music...
Ok. This is the 36th album I’ve received. Out of those 36, only 3 have been by women (Lady Soul, ArchAndroid, and Little Earthquakes). I’ve had to listen to a barrage of boring dad rock albums or uninteresting 90s alt-rock albums by “edgy” male artists (like this one). For every 5th boring ass album by a male artist I get, I’ll write a companion review for an album by a female artist that’s not on this list. I give Spiderland a 2. It’s not something I’d want to listen to again, and nothing about it stood out to me, but I didn’t hate it. Today, I’m also gonna review Whitney Houston’s self-titled debut from 1985. I was familiar with classics like “How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of All”, and “Saving All My Love for You.” I have to admit, I’m ok with Whitney’s dance pop and quiet storm songs from the 80’s but I prefer her R&B sound from the 90’s (think the Bodyguard soundtrack and My Love is Your Love). Of the songs I hadn’t heard before, I really liked Thinking About You. Take Good Care of My Heart is also pretty good. This album suffers from being made in the 80’s and having bland and dated 80’s production. But Whitney’s voice is so beautiful even on her first album so I’m giving it a 4. Reasons why Whitney Houston (1985) should’ve been on the 1001 list: besides being the introduction to one of the best singers in all of recorded music, it was the first album by a female artist to reach number 1 on the Billboard year end chart. It was also the best selling solo album by a Black woman in history (until Mariah Carey broke the record with Music Box in 1993). I don’t think a Whitney Houston album even appears on this list which would be shocking if I didn’t already know that this list has a strong rock bias (and Robert Dimery admits this in the book).
An album I enjoyed much more in my teenage years than I do now. Still has moments of brilliance like the end of Washer and Captain but is largely pretty boring and abuses the idea of build up.
A very unique album, its sounds as if it was from the 2000s, not from 1990 - it was way ahead of its time. It's dark, haunting, something different than I have ever heard before. It's more than an album - it is an experience.
Was not a fan, I can see why people would like it just not for me.
oooooh, starting well! Production seems quite awkward at the start, with it's frustratingly quiet voice. This is certainly a contextual album, very led by the mood you find yourself in. It's lyrics and rhythm are melodic and describe a dark time. 4 stars given, in assumption of how much I'd love this album in a "slump".
The first 2 songs were identical and there was too much dissonant talking but the later tracks weren't that bad (when they didn't sing) and actually had good backing instrumentation. Reminds me of bits of radiohead and binding of isaac soundtrack. Fitting for zombie movies. Again, I can't emphasise enough, when they don't sing they're ok.
not my vibe, didn't really get it maybe
This was kinda whack
My kind of music... it just wasn't done very well. Quite samey.
Ihme kähinää. Ei ollut mua varten yhtään. 2/5
Tästä ei ysärimmäksi rock mene. Ihan jees.
Kohtuullisen monipuolinen levy, mut eipä nouse listalla yli verrokkiensa. 3/5
Is this the birth of midwest emo?
Favourite songs: Nosferatu Man Least favourite songs: "Don, Aman" 2/5
Not a fan of the loud distorted guitar at random times. Sounds like good moody atmosphere music. Lyrics are good. Don, Aman is relatable but the music is bleh.
washer, specifically the end.
There's a few nuggets of gold in this insanely overrated turd.
I like the vibe, but there wasn't a whole lot of memorable content in there. I'll probably miss a question on Jeopardy about Slint even though I listened to this album.
Don’t know what to think about it
I love the grunge
Post rock, med en ambient, tense vibe, lidt Radiohead-ish
Not really my thing but there was a bop or two. Buc-ees tee came today, absolute banger shirt. Had a pretty good day today, not much happened but I felt good talking to people.
Felt almost demonic couldn’t finish it but might come back later
Early 90s grungey industrial -- not really my jam.
Not sur if i like it or not 6/10
Post-hardcore was already a highly experimental genre that took an artsy turn to the abrasiveness and emotional power and intensity of hardcore. And here, Slint takes it so much further. Not just post-hardcore, and not just noise rock (you could hear a lot of Sonic Youth). Really, it goes back to the poetic nature of Velvet Underground. They tell creepy surreal stories that evoke unsettling imagery and matching emotions. And how do they do this? The vocalist swaps between three vocal styles: spoken word, singing, and screaming. The melodies are often simple and quiet when he speaks in spoken word, allowing the audience to pay close attention to what's going on, while the screaming is shrouded by distortion and chaos, but relies on repeated simple lyrics to shift the audience's focus onto the combination effect. This record only has 6 songs, and each one leaves a mark. Even the instrumental "For Dinner..." near the end serves the purpose of reflecting on the record thus far, allowing the audience to analyze the strange melodic characteristics, and prepares them for the climatic finale. Each song tells a powerful story, and I'd immediately recognize each one if you gave them to me on random. It's an original sounding record that has influenced post-rock, emo, and math rock to come, but yet nothing that came after could ever top its folky vibe, thus allowing this record to stay fresh to this day.
Rock poetry and not in a good way. It didn't speak to me on any level and just sounded like an experiment rather than a finished album. Roll on tomorrow's offering...
This has some great elements to it.
A slow burn. In many ways, that's what this is. And yet, this album singlehandedly contains some of the most crushing, heavy, and chilling instrumentation ever. But not heavy in a rock/heavy metal sense. I've definitely heard heavier and more technically proficient pieces of music before. But heavy like being hit by a freezing cold waterfall straight to the face. This album wants you to turn your volume all the way up and wallow away in the corner of your room, because that is the feeling it gives off. It's incredibly desolate and depressing, and even took a toll on the singer himself. But really, the heavy parts aren't the focus. The band spends far more time drowning in creepy and paranoid ambiance, just slowing creating tension and making it's vice grip on your soul tighter and tighter, until it's damn near white-knuckling you. And this is often accompanied by haunting spoken word passages performed by McMahan. Like Good Morning, Captain for example, which tells the story of a sailor lost at sea. Some people might be put off by the amount of time these songs just spend in the build-up phase. And sometimes, the release is so short, it can seem almost unsatisfactory. But trust me, when Brian finally lets loose, and they hit you with those absolutely gargantuan walls of guitar, you will be blown straight to Antarctica. Just put on a good pair of headphones and let yourself sink into the atmosphere of Breadcrumb Trail. That track alone could bump this album to a ten. It is one of the most unique songs I've ever heard, and sends chills across my body every time. Even if For Dinner... isn't exactly the most interesting song on its own, as a part of the full puzzle, it works. This album is truly a masterpiece. It is exemplary of every element that an experimental post-rock album should have, and more. And anyone that doesn't look to this as a benchmark in early 90's hardcore rock should rethink their inspirations. Rating: 10/10
Lots of spoken words over calmly trance'y rock backdrop
This is definitely one that you need to let marinate. Legendary stuff to come out of a legendary year in music. I had only known a few isolated songs from podcasts and playlists, but this really blew me away... dark, chilling, tragic and oddly beautiful. While reading more into it, I found that there is a Lance Bangs documentary on them that focuses on this album available on YouTube for anyone interested... https://youtu.be/GsRpS6XGiOs
Absolutely awful
Incredibly boring
This album has been a fascinating of mine for 30 years.
Nothing made me want to hit repeat but it keep me interested start to finish.
Took me about a year of monthly visits to Piccadilly Records in Manchester to finally snag this CD, and was initially disappointed that they didn’t sound like Sonic Youth. I can’t remember whether it was during the third or fourth listen in a row when I fell in love with it, and over that summer it became my favourite album. (Displacing Daydream Nation, arf.)
what a treat, haven't heard this in ages. a classic of the '90s, I was surprised to see it came out in 1991, seemed much more recent, probably a reflection of its later influence. The guitars and drums tie together so intricately, this is basically the indie Marquee Moon. Breadcrumb Trail and Washer are highlights but it's all incredible. The former reminds me of Galaxie 500 at their best (mild praise but accurate). I believe Mark likes this too
Slow and steady. Not my style but I’m sure their fans don’t mind.
I primarily listen to math rock/post hardcore/midwest emo, but I can't tell if I like this or not.
Great post punk sounding post rock. Lots of post there - almost as much as the Royal Mail. Had a good time listening to it - cannot knock it but I wrote this review a couple of days later and completely forgot what the record sounds like except that it sounded good.
Superhans from British TV phenomenon “Peep Show” said it best; “What we need to do is create a powerful sense of dread”.
Come on now everyone knows this album is great and influential to this day
Better than I thought it would be and stayed that way which is great!
Went back for a 2nd listen, but there won't be a 3rd
knives in ears, slowly.
Such a unique take on post-rock, sparse and dark atmosphere with crunchy guitars and bursts of drums that makes you think you're listening to hardcore for a second. This is where this genre began and pretty much peaked imo
Much better than I remember. I'll need to listen to this more often.
Slowcore, math rock, post-hardcore, emo, post-rock? What is this? I don't know, and that's perfect like this. A lot of feelings and emotions in this record. Brilliant!
Decent listen. Solid 3.5 here
Interesting to hear the early stages of post-rock, which I know more from later successors (esp Mogwai). But there's something a bit adolescent about the vocals, in particular - this would have been a much much stronger album if wholly instrumental.
2*
Nokkuð gott. Áhugaverð tilraunastarfsemi m.v. tímasetningu.
Got through two songs . It’s a nope from me
Definitely not for me either
adoro os arranjos de guitarra aqui, mas é tudo muito pesado pra mim, pelo menos agora. as letras faladas encaixam perfeitamente com o instrumental. as progressões tambem são fudidas de boas de nojeira. é um grunge progressivo que soa muito com os primeiros trabalhos do pink floyd. enfim, não é pra mim esse estilo, mas puta que pariu eu entendo. é um album que a tempos quero ouvir mas nunca tinha me levantado pra realmente experimentar, e não me arrependo, por mais que não volte a escutar ele por um bom tempo eu imagino.
This sounds like some kind of early punk, but the mixing on this album isn't good. The instrumentals are so much louder than the vocals, it makes it difficult to understand anything. Maybe this is a good album, I wouldn't be able to tell you.
interesting listen. different. every song is a patchwork of musical pieces. certainly willing to give it another listen.
I'd never heard of this band before, but with the exception of the last song, I really dug this album. It was dark and broody if a little over-instrumental. I've recommended this to a couple of people now and I'll put it in the rotation.
Meh.
Album 120 of 1001 Slint - Spiderland Rating : 1 / 5 From the album summary : "Spiderland is the second and final studio album by the American rock band Slint.". The key word in that quote is 'final'. That doesn't surprise me, at all. This simply sucked. I apologize to the ether for exposing it to this, again.
Can't listen to this one very often, it's just so unsettling to my soul. Love it a lot though.
ASMR Post Punk sounds like a cool YouTube channel, but it makes for a pretty unlistenable album. The sad part is, the instrumentation is fantastic at times and the atypical time signatures/feels can be very welcome. But I am going to hear the vocals in every nightmare I have for the rest of my life.
Some of the spoken word sections felt a bit pretentious and started getting annoying but overall was an ok listen, not something I'll be going back to.
Shades of Radiohead and Tool. "Breadcrumb Trail" was a great opener. I liked this album quite a bit.
this might just be in my top 10 of all time
Kuulee kyllä, että pian on Bright eyesin ja Death cab for cutien aika, eli edelläkävijä (?). Hyvin tarkkaa, välillä voisi irrotella tunteella enemmän.
Onko väkinäinen yritys muuttaa rakenteita mitään muuta kuin skeptisyyttää sen suhteen, että rakenteet voisivat muuttua?
For about the first 15 minutes I thought that this was gonna be another sleeper hit album for me but unfortunately it got much less interesting as the intensity mellowed out in the second half. I liked the harsh noises and singing when it appeared but it was mostly outnumbered by a lot of talking which I found much less interesting. Fortunately the overbearing feeling of dread comes back in the last track for a while which only makes me more conflicted on whether to give a 3 or 4. Much like the velvet underground/nico album, I can also see the influence this had on rock music in the 90s from grunge to alternative to experimental with the heavy bass guitars and such so I appreciate it on that level.
buenardo
Not my thing, pero no estuvo mal
This is not good. I don't know what they are trying to accomplish but the music is all over the place and the lyrics or just speaking parts are garbage. It was just there. It is probably better than a one but it is not a two.
This isn't as interesting as some suggest. It's also pretty far from music most would qualify as listenable. But I listened to the entire thing in full just to see if something would jump out at me and not be, you know, annoying. Whatever. This is MY journey.
One of those albums I half missed when it came out but I was very aware of as my muso friends would speak about it in such reverence. Slow and lumbering angry music like coiled spring
Очень замысловато
Interesting in theory.
Breadcum trail: good stuff overall Nosferatu trail: i like the trippy guitar loop Don, aman: I really like this one actually. Kinda mentalica vibes a little. Washer: im really into these music vibes of the album. Very relaxed but still cool. Really like this one a lot too For dinner...: simple good vibes. I easily get lost in the sauce with this kind of music. Very good for me Good morning, captain: its all the same. But it's all very good 5 stars for me, I added two of these song to my Playlist. This is just the kinda shtuff I like to listen to. It has variety and simplicity and keeps my brain entertained and suddenly 7 minutes have gone by. Very nice👌
Just one of the 100 most beautiful albums of all time. Simply perfect from start to finish. A true masterpiece.
One of my all time favorites and still listen to it frequently
There is a form of experimental that seems to be obtuse, annoying and different just for the sake of it and I find myself to be more and more impatient with it. You can be artsy and experimental and use uncommon time signatures and also sound good at the same time.
No
Hmmmm. Not awful. Not my thing. Some good stuff. Some self indulgent stuff. Play songs, not maths formulae.
(if you skip track 1) it's Stylishly made music of seething perfectionism. Akin to listening to eloquently phrased pain, there are some very atmospheric moments, with "Washer" we get a taste of something a bit more cinematic, with building a menacing undertone, oh yes the foreboding is rising, especially if you listen to the lyrics .... It's an 8 minute track. The kind of music a pensive serial killer might unwind and do the dishes to. I admire the art, but in the end, I dislike it.
Alright, I'll happily admit that Slint came to me via my oldest son Morris Gleitzman fans, he raved about, bought the vinyl, got the t shirt and told me to stop listening to 1965 for a day and get into this. It is forty minutes of pop music perfection, great, great guitar sound, fine songwriting and some very creative drumming. The whole piece stands as one, shuffle off the mortal coil to this one if you about to rage against the dying light..love it.
Well I read the Wiki entry & thought I probably wouldn’t like this. At first, while listening to Breadcrumb Trail, I was trying to think what the spoken vocal delivery reminded me of - it was Detachable Penis by King Missile, which was released a year after this album. The big difference, of course, was that Detachable Penis was funny, whereas, even when struggling to hear the words, this stuff was not funny. By the time aI got to Track 3, Don Aman, I was becoming so frustrated at not hearing the words that I googled the lyrics. What I found was more like poetry - an extremely well-written narrative -than a lyric sheet. And as I listened & looked, I found that most of the songs were like that. As for the music, I found it to be so interesting. Totally guitar-driven but never boring. Extremely moody. And something I’ll definitely be listening to again.
What a great story; the unheard album that becomes a cult classic and effectively establishes a genre. Loving this album becomes a shibboleth of "you wouldn't have heard of them" coolness. I worked in an independent record store in Australia during 91/92 and was totally and completely unaware of this record. And it was my job to be across stuff like this. No reviews, no advertising, certainly no touring. I did not hear of this album until the early 2000s. I had dipped my toe into post-rock, but generally, I generally like a steady driving rock and roll beat (that I can bug out to), so the stop-start nature of post-rock gives me the irrits. I think that was always my problem with this record; the first song, Breadcrumb Trail, is particularly stop-start, changing time signature, far too clever-clogs for my taste. But listening to the rest of the album, I found much more tolerable as that aspect was much reduced. And by the time you get to the closer, Good Morning Captain, we are into driving two chord rock. The whispered, occasional screamed, lyrics are almost inaudible and completely devoid of tune, which makes hem seem a little superfluous. I think that, if I listened to this about 25 times, I would learn to love it (it sounds great; really immediate and un-fussy). But does it fill me with the desire to run out and form a band, or even just buy a copy of this album? Sadly, no. I am generally too old and settled to buy records just because they make me look cool and knowledgeable, and so, Slint, I will, with regret, walk past your record and purchase something else. PS- I do appreciate that CD copies of this album have "this recording is meant to be listened to on vinyl" printed on the back. Especially at a time when vinyl was basically wheezing its dying breath, this is a cool gesture. Also, the front cover photograph is pretty damn great.
I typed a whole essay for this joint, but it disappeared somehow, and I’m not redoing that shit the TLDR: sonically good, but structurally weird album
boooooringgggggg. i understand why people have a cult following around this album and understand why i usually want to make fun of those people. This album is giving me sonic blue balls, all these build ups for either a weak payoff or no payoff at all.
Decent, good background music for when I'm working
Not for me: personally have no clue how this is so critically acclaimed but it just wasn't that good. It started with some moaning, almost whingeing like singing and then got progressively worse with just random guitar notes and feedback loops (I think they were). Started to like the record when it was almost like a song off In Rainbows but at the end of the day was just bad.
Tried but couldn't get on with this one
Enjoyable and somewhat interesting. I liked the spoken word and time signatures. Overall a strong 3. First track is a favorite.
Había escuchado algo antes de ellos pero no tengo nada añadido en favoritos. El disco me ha aburrido bastante. A medio camino de los temas oscuros de Smashing Pumpkins o Sonic Youth. Para mí pueden ser 2 estrellas pero entendería que mucha gente le ponga 1.
If I wrote this, I'd break up band too. There is one cool moment toward the end of washer for about 30 seconds. The rest of this is a waster of time.
I agree with other comments that I dunno if I like this. I am not a math rock fan and this album seems to be an originator of the genre so it was good to listen to for that reason. Still didnt like it though.
4.1 - I picture a heavily tatted Cedar Rapids barista who’s also wearing some kind of high-maintenance facial hair. This album is for and by that type of dude. He’s got refined taste, and definite veiled snootiness. He’s also pale. Very, very pale. Good spoken word sections. I also like how fluidly they change time signatures without hitting you over the head with it.
A pretty cool album. Complex, dark and heavy, and quite unsettling at times, with how it wasn't afraid to go completely quiet for a while and then ramp up again. Sometimes it got too quiet, and almost sent me to sleep though. This was good regardless, and I might have to come back to listen to it again soon. Favourite: Washer
Intrigued - always wanted to listen to this!
njds
You know, just because 1001 albums is a nice even/catchy number doesn't mean we should force crap albums into a list to get to that 1001 number. And first on the chopping block is this one - good god what a horror. Horrid singing and mundane instrumentals, dare I say garage band-ish. The only saving grace was that it was short. 4/10.
As a big classic indie affcianado, I had tried to get into Slint in the past with little success. However, on this more critical listen I felt it ended up being far better than I ever thought before. 4/5
Ok so assuming this is the band on the cover... from the US (not from the UK as it has people swimming) and it's going to be Americana, the good old days etc. Genre not sure. Ok Americana theme yes, but it's some kind of alternative/hardcore thing... not actually too bad at all. Singing is off a lot but the strange time signatures and dirgey riffs are doing it for me. Just the right amount of dissonance. 4/5.
Highly influential. Very much an album that the cool kids like; I don't really mean that in a disparaging way either. It's good and I'd probably give it a 4 for my own enjoyment, but I'm bumping it for a 5 for being such an important album and I want to sit with the cool kids too.
I recently learned about this band, and was surprised that my son was a fan of their music. It was a way slower pace than I wanted out of them.
The first time I became aware of Slint was in the late 1990s. My housemate at the time was sleeping with the editor of a sadly departed TV listings magazine, and after coming back from London where they'd engaged in a threesome with a relatively well known television pundit, one of the pairing was wearing a Slint tshirt. I remember this very well, because the format of the text spelling "slint" coupled with the folds of the fabric to make the "sli" very much look like a "cu". I thought this was a particularly splendid tshirt to be worn by anyone, the editor of a sadly defunct TV listings magazine. The Slint tshirt went on to make many appearances at my house. One evening was spent in deep analysis of the film "Nightbreed" - written by Clive Barker and based on his short novella, "Cabal". Cabal has a very fond place in my heart, as me and my friend Gareth were thrown out of English class, aged 11, for laughing so much at the sex scene between Lori and Boone. Of course, I'm pretty sure that Clive Barker, a gay man, would be delighted to know that his heterosexual sex scenes were a source of such amusement to two pre-teenage boys in 1991, but we laughed and laughed and laughed. Anyway. Yes. So I've known about Slint for over 20 years, however this is the first time I've actually heard them. They're OK.
Meh...
Post-rock. Tostonazo. Un 2.
I like the gothic scarcity of the guitar. I don’t like the spoken word
Math rock does not rock if you ask me. Too moody for me
I had never heard of this group or this album and was going to say something snide about obscurity begetting obscurity, but then I heard Good Morning, Captain and had an epiphany. This is the American shoegaze masterpiece. And no, I’ve no clue what ‘math rock’ is but I don’t mind it.
not a single hook on the record and i know they didn’t want any but i do, sorry
How has this just gone straight past me all these years? I would've loved this in the 90's, and enjoy it even more today. I can hear where a lot of my current favourite (post-rock) bands like Mogwai learned the trade. And if there ever was an album that deserved the 'rough diamond' moniker, it's this one. The music is not easy to get through on first listen, but after a few listens, more and more is revealed between the grimy layers of guitar, dark lyrics and almost illogical drumplay. One of the most tensive and captivating albums I've heard. What a discovery.
SLAPS
Creepy as hell and overly long. But at the same time strangely engrossing. I’m not a fan of long songs which means it’s odd for me to say that Washer, as the longest song, had an effect on me. Actually pretty good…
rubbish self indulgent
Lo fi
Quite an uninteresting album
Starting to think that whoever put this album list together just REALLY likes grungy rock
10 stars!!!
Was going to give a 4 but I haven't given a 5 in a while so why not? Very nice, atmospheric ?math? rock
Good album.
Can’t believe I’ve never heard this before. Proto-post-rock. Fantastic.
This album is excellent when considered in context of when it came out. A forerunner to the "quiet to loud" aesthetic that came to define alternative rock in the 90s. Essential to math-rock as well. It's a tight and succinct sound that packs a punch, a really great listen.
This is so up my street. I love the whole genre and can pinpoint signs here that will later blossom and bear fruit. If only they had realised at the time how influencial they would be but I guess they just played what was in their heads.
A special type of music that doesn't seem to be getting anywhere.
Slow
Interesting sounds!the more I hear it, the more Im interested. 3/5
The perfect postrock album and it already appeared in 1991. Probably one of the albums that I listened the most to in the nineties.
I think I would have preferred this if it was instrumental only, but still, this was very good. Vibrant recording, especially the drums sound very crisp. Low end five stars.
Interesting early post rock album.
Black Country New Road make a lot more sense now
Had heard this once before but liked it much more this time. Non-abrasive hardcore; reminds me of Minutemen. Listened to the original release, then remaster and remaster bonus disc. Next up is their other album Tweez.
That….was not pleasant to listen to.
Ugh
that one fell pretty flat for me.
One of the most important post-rock albums ever made. Doesn't reach the heights of it's successors, but it's influence is undeniable.
Cool tim signatures, weird choice of lyric delivery
Impressive for a group of teen boys. Not really my taste though.
It was pretty meh.
Was that one track or eight? Actually I don’t care.
Spiderland is crap, it has loads of odd high-pitched guitar breaks that annoy the fuck out of me, the rest is a grungey mess punctuated by bad vocals. 1.
This is odd. Moody, jarring, dark, without really any singing but the creepy murmurings of a miserable man. It establishes that haunting mood really well, but I don't think it does enough with it to really deserve a top rating. 3/5 again, I'm back in a rut.
Enjoyed this, the percussion really drives the songs forward and is equal to the guitar. Washer and Nosferatu Man are highlights for me. 4/5
I liked this album quite a bit, though I think it started to get a bit tedious towards the end (definitely a me problem, I tend to get bored when songs go for too long). Like some others mentioned above, I think my favorite off the album was Washer. 4/5.
Interesting heavy music.
Ah, Slint! That band I have pretended to be into for years, to impress people that don't even care. It sounds like the very beginning of things that I would come to love. I can see a copy of this record on every single Discord band's shelf, and it is well-worn. I was worried that "Don, Aman" had taken all the momentum out of things, but then "Washer" comes in and blows everything away, never to be the same again. Life-changing. I miss you. 4 / 5 stars.
Muy under, "Don, Amar" nefasto, pero el album en si ta cheta, las melodias piola y me gustan las canciones para una impro de contempo. 8/10
Interesante, pero exigente.
This entire album sounded like the quiet intro to a Deftones song, but the band never kicked in.
Mostly clean, yet often dissonant, "rock"-ish music. Pretty cool.
Just...wow. I accidentally had found the last track ages ago and I loved. I can't believe this came out in '91.
Foi realmente desolador perceber que o potencial apresentado pelo instrumental para se confirmar como um disco colossal de post rock se esvaiu pelo incômodo provocado pelo vocal.
Not for me. Kinda gives me the creeps, along with a dose of anxiety.
3.75
Weird album, didn’t enjoy the listen. Not terrible, but not my thing. More spoken word than singing and a lot of aug chords
I don't get it at all. Maybe it's too much high level for me. Good album
Another band that disappeared without trace - for good reason. Mediocre music with no content of any interest and vocals that are below standard for your average garage band made up of high schoolers.
An incredible album front to back.
Tylsä, mutta onneksi kovin lyhyt.
Sekava, en saanu kii
I'd never heard of Slint before, but this is an awesome album. Veers seamlessly from gloomy introspection to all-out brash rock with some epic riffs. 5 stars!
Found it interesting - particularly what the album itself consists of. Quite raw in a good way, but honestly no one I’d go back to I don’t think
Thought this was a really solid raw album. Do like spoken lyrics, probably weakest track for me was Washer were there is singing but each track has decent guitar behind it.
I really enjoyed this album. This is the best thing about this album club, I would of gone my whole life without hearing this. It's dark and half grunge. It's boss. Big fan of Good Morning, Captain. Will go back to this again.
Music ok, wierd talk-singing isn't my favorite
essential
I don’t get it.It just seemed to be an assault on the ears.Not as bad as locust abortion technique but at least that album had one good song.Maybe if i gave it a Relisten i would get it more but I don’t really want to.At least it’s short?
This album grabbed me immediately. It seems to reject both punk and rock while embracing a musicality that prizes unusual rhythms and a sparse minimal melodies, proto math rock essentially. This is the type of album that cannot simply be left on in the background, but demands active listening. There were moments which sound like OK, Computer, and some which sound almost like grunge. Overall, it was a very compelling album that I can imagine was incredibly influential.
Com uns Teelvision transportats al món del rock alternatiu de començaments dels '90. El treball de guitarres recorda a aquells, però tenen una actitud i sonoritat pròpia. Passa per ser un dels discos maleïts de la década, i amb raó. Per destacar en un any tan boig com 1991, s'ha de tenir una qualitat excel.lent. I 'Spiderland' la té
The album predates Nirvana, but it sounded a LOT like them to me, but without the screaming vocals. The vocals by themself are a lot quieter, more... directed. They're purposeful. Reading the wiki, they mention the band as math rock. I don't think I notice that as much the first pass-through, but it was more on specific songs, like "Don, Aman." I usually only give bands a once through, but this one was warranted. I felt I was missing something, so I had to give it another try. Kinda glad I did, I liked it more on the second listen. I still think there's times that the songs drift a bit into noodling, so I don't think it's like "yeah, man. Slint is da stuff!" But considering the album came out in the same time of grunge, and it still seems to be talked about, that's saying something. What it is, I can't say.
Ugh. No thank you. Like Pavement or Fugazi or even Sonic Youth or Drive Like Jehu, but worse. Barely go through one listen (even the bonus track of white noise, Utica Quarry - WTF was that?). There may be some revered songs in here by others that I didn't pay enough attention to but I am not going back for another listen. Next.
What an odd album. I enjoyed it but I have to admit that it didn’t really hit me until my second listen. The guitar style on here is what sold it for me. The riffs are hypnotic with a wide-open sound that keeps the mood going for the entire album. One of the descriptions I read talked about 70s King Crimson going emo. That might be one way to describe it. The vocals on here do sound a little whiny at times (the emo bit!) which does take away from the spooky vibe being brought in by the guitars. “Washer” was the standout track, especially when the guitars let loose later in the song. “For Dinner…”, and instrumental, was another great listen. The use of dynamics in the song created an underlying tension that stays with the listener long after the song is over. Not a masterpiece to me but definitely something I’ll be putting on again in the future.
Nice, underground, dark, deep... Nice...
Listened Before? N I've actually never even heard of this band, much less the album. I'm surprised, I knew a lot of people into indie stuff in the 90s... but it looks like they barely made it to the 90s. Anyway, it reminded me of primitive Dinosaur Jr. in a good way. I really loved the music. The mumbling lyrics under the sounds seemed more like a gimmick but maybe I just don't appreciate his art. The surprise heavy guitars near the end of a few songs really rocked too. Overall, however, it seems like a great get high and chill album... I will listen again. Added to Library? Y Songs added to Playlist: Breadcrumb Trail
Definitely glad I listened. It's interesting, I really like the overall sound and definitely want to listen again.
Hey what sorry was i snoozing
New band to me, I liked this but something held me back from a fourth star and nothing grabbed me enough to make me want to go back to find out why.
Like Bauhaus meets the Velvet Underground or Godspeed...
I can't tell if I liked this or not. There were points where I thought I did, but then got annoyed with the repetition and track length, and other parts where it felt pretty cool. 2.5
Interesting listen. I didn't particularly like it but I appreciate that this was an early influence on indie & post rock stuff.
Quickly grew on me. Creates a kind of hypnotic groove
I have already listened to this album, its a great album though
Gave me some Smashing Pumpkins feel at times.
Sailed under my radar for years and years until I discovered music Twitter goes absolutely batshit for this. I've tried it a few times and like several tracks but don't revere the whole album as others seem to. It's still getting a 4 because it's great but I'm leaving wiggle room for stuff I like more. Could be a case of loving the influenced before hearing the influencer, a huge fan of Godspeed and Mogwai both of whom arrive several years later and owe a lot to this record certainly, though I think in general they are the ones to push the sound to the next level where it gets REALLY good. Both bands which are notably absent from this book as well which is an oversight. Exceptions, Breadcrumb Trail, and the deliciously understated Washer, plus Good Morning Captain, which are fantastic and fully realised.
eDgY. So far not bad (on washer), not afraid to change pace and throw random surprising sections in. But so far not blown away by the choices and sounds like an angsty teen a little too much. Just checked RYM, may have been a bit to critical, but I honestly have not been blown away yet. Also looks like they only had one proper album. Solid 3
Probably the first album on hear that I thought I was not gonna like from the beginning but actually started liking more and more further in. Kind of weird that it’s a whole album of songs that sound like it would be the one gloomy experimental song on an album. Not a fan of the whispery vocals. Very moody stuff but I’d say it captured the kind of emotions that I had as a teenager. Last tune is the best one I think. The guitar player went on to play on two Tortoise albums that I was pretty into in college. 2.5
This album was bizarre and cool, I like the loud guitar noise. The last song’s guitar parts are so unhinged. Washer and the last song are my favorite I think. I really enjoyed it but not sure if I’ll listen to it again. 3.5 I think?
THE DRAMA. I love it. I added Washer to a playlist of mine. Maybe I should try and write spoken word. I enjoy this more than Mewithoutyou.
Couldn’t get into it
Not my cup of tea.
Listens: 1 Enjoyed: No Just not really for me. It seemed pretty tight and I can see why people may view this as a great album
Kod mene postoji top 3 albuma iz '91, a to su: 1. Talk Talk - Laughing Stock, 2. Slint - Spiderland, 3. ATCQ - Low End Theory. Ko što vidite, album je u top 3, definicija post-rock/post-hardcore glazbe. Isto tako u taj žanr spadaju i dodatci kao što su math-rock i slowcore. Savršen album, naravno - posjedujem vinyl. Itekako vrijedi ovo poslušati, nokturalne je prirode, depresivnije - tad se hvata za tebe kao čičak za vestu.
Very carefully crafted soundscapes and moods. Meticulously prepared
I really like the darker vibe and riffs but it is quite redundant at times, I feel that it needs more ups and downs to keep me more interested through the album.
Was a decent album I would say but I have a hard time remembering anything at all. 2.5/5
Prefs: Breadcrumb Trail, Nosferatu Man, Washer, Good Morning, Captain Moins pref: For dinner... (still good)
Rock contempóraneo un tanto psicodélico y poco sustancial con respecto a lo que aporta. No muy cómodo de escuchar.
The atmosphere, the tension, the shivers. Music that feels to fit precisely into some of your mood and makes you feel uneasy and uncomfortable in so many others. Lyrics and their vocal delivery makes you think this might be a project of setting some beat generation poetry to music.
Not bad at all! Very grunge-y
Generally speaking, I greatly appreciate both post-rock and math rock - so I would like to thank these guys for their contribution and for laying some groundwork. That said, the groundwork they laid was for vastly better bands. Knowing these vastly better bands, I really can't get into these album. Too jarring, too dissonant without any really interesting or rewarding parts, bad vocal performance.
Interesting. Liked it, but probably not going into my rotation. Kind of had some stoner rock vibes.
Cool slow heavy Alt stuff. Too long/slow at times, but with some of the music I like, that's the pot calling the kettle black. Very glad to have listened! 3.5
This was vg. Reminds me a little of the pixies. Bit overly rocky for me at times but really enjoyed the brooding ominous soundscape. Much more than American rock going on here. One for the re-listen pile for sure
Veel herhaling. Gepraat is amper te horen.
Actually pretty great. The mix of spoken word over these cool riffs and rhythms is surprisingly compelling. At times the lyrics come close to stepping into pretentious, but I still enjoy the weird metaphors that are used. Best thing I've listened to yet.
To much mumbling
Perfectly pleasant ‘thoughtful’ 90s indie rock. Made me think of the odd occasion I still tuned into John Peel in the 90s. Nothing really jumped out from this set. Six tracks is probably a couple too many, given their length. 2.5.
This album was new to me. I don't think I've missed out on much over the past 30 odd years. The vocals were far too low in the mix. I liked the atmosphere, but found found the mumblings a distraction. I wanted more emotion. JUST SPIT IT OUT, man. He did, but not until the final track.
Meh. I can see why they didn't make it big in the 90's
Enjoyed.
Interesting and influential but I need more tunes!
Another nice proto hardcore emo album
Absolutely amazing album. Creative, dark, unique, very nice
The proper definition of a cult band. The songs tell strange tales of isolation, fairgrounds and other things that don't seem to have any link to each other. Quiet loud dynamics, odd rhythms and hushed apoejn word vocals. Best Tracks: Breadcrumb Trail; Nosferatu Man; Good Morning, Captain