The Funnel

Here it is! Your introduction into shoegazing. What better way to start than with one of the best albums...ever? This is one of 2 albums on my list that is going to stretch you. It's going to take WORK to understand this record and to *gasp* like it. That's right, this album won't be a nice instantly accessible record for you to spin casually. No, this album demands your attention in full, and nothing less.

Here's what WIkipedia has to say about Shoegazing:

"Shoegazing is characterised by the use of distortion and the fuzzbox, droning riffs and a Phil Spector-esque wall of sound from the noisy guitars. Vocals are typically subdued in volume and tone, but underneath the layers of guitars was often a strong sense of melody."

There are layers and layers of this album to peel away, and the first ones will be the hardest. Most of you (who am I kidding? all of you) will probably give up on this album. My challenge to you is to work at peeling back the layers. It's worth it, trust me.

This album is just has that 'thing', that indescribable 'thing' where, even if you don't like the music, you can just hear that what is going on is beyond you. I think all of my Top 5 albums have this. It's a weird thing to notice at first, but it's there. You just get this feeling that even if you hate it, you have to respect it, because of what it does.

The first thing you will notice about this album is how low the vocals are mixed. It's supposed to be that way, and the record is better because of it. Kevin Shields mixed the vocals just like any other instrument, the melodies are there, just like wikipedia says. But they're only there for someone willing to hear them. Beneath the droning guitars and pitch-bending synthesizers lies a BEAST of an album.

When I first heard the album, I heard nothing special, until about the 3rd listen. It hit, the first layer had been peeled away. I think the ticket was a song getting stuck in my head, from that point on the rest of the album started to unfold. It just takes work, work that a lot of people don't want to do.

This isn't so much a review, as it is a challenge. It's a challenge to give it a chance, just play it in the background while you work on other stuff. Put on headphones and listen to it as you fall asleep. TRY THE RECORD OUT. I guarantee, it will be worth it in the end. The record has a beatiful way of revealing itself. The $500,000 was well worth it, and your time will be too.

Give it a chance:

http://s50.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0CBFNOR1LGHPF3DZH9S7MZV4IV

It's worth it.

-Ben