Isn't Anything
Encyclopedia
Isn't Anything is the debut full-length studio album by My Bloody Valentine, released in November 1988 on Creation Records
after three years of issuing extended play
s, singles, and mini-LP
s.
, the band continued for a while in their previous noisy indie-pop style before Kevin Shields
returned to their avant-garde roots, and began to explore the possibilities offered by the studio facilities available after signing to Creation Records
in 1988. The first fruits of this experimentation was the single/EP You Made Me Realise
, released in July 1988, with Isn't Anything following later that year. Most of the album was recorded in a studio in Wales. While recording the album over a period of two weeks, the band got by on about two hours sleep a night. Bilinda Butcher described the effect of this on her vocals: "Often, when we do the vocals, it's 7:30 in the morning: I've usually fallen asleep and have to be woken up to sing. Maybe that's why it's languorous. I'm usually trying to remember what I've been dreaming about when I'm singing."
, in his book Alternative Rock, described the album's sound as "dry ice-piercingly intense guitar drones and hefty nods to miasmic hardcore soup, oozing a contrary trance-spun drone. Noise becomes beauty as feedback is layered over vocals over feedback ad infinitum". "Several Girls Galore" has been described as "a cubist take on the Jesus and Mary Chain".
The album proved to be a major influence on many bands that would subsequently be described as "shoegazing
".
s 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die, The Irish Times list of The top 40 Irish albums (#24), and The Guardians Alternative top 100 albums ever (#16). It was selected by Pitchfork Media
staff as one of the Top 100 Albums of the 1980s (#22), UNCUT
writer David Stubbs
called Isn't Anything "one of the most important, influential British rock albums of the Eighties".
UNCUT
writer Stephen Troussé said of the album on its reissue in 2008: "In rock algebra you might deduce that they'd worked out some new equation involving the barbed languor of the Mary Chain, the speedfreak urgency of Sonic Youth, and a dash of the Vaselines' sauce - but none of that accounts for the savagely sensual results".
, unless otherwise noted.
The initial vinyl LP copies came with a free bonus 7" which was packaged in a plain white sleeve. The songs on it were both titled "Instrumental". The A-side lasted 3:19 and the B-side 4:36, the latter featuring a Public Enemy drum loop (from "Security of the First World").
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
after three years of issuing extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s, singles, and mini-LP
Mini-LP
A Mini-LP or Mini-album is a short album, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered "full-length".-History:...
s.
Background
After the band's original vocalist Dave Conway left in 1987, to be replaced by Bilinda ButcherBilinda Butcher
Bilinda Jayne Butcher is a vocalist/guitarist for the rock band My Bloody Valentine.-Biography:Butcher was raised in London and then Derbyshire. She went on to study dance at Laban College in London, but she dropped out after a year due to developing a case of cystitis...
, the band continued for a while in their previous noisy indie-pop style before Kevin Shields
Kevin Shields
Kevin Patrick Shields is an American-born, Irish vocalist, guitarist, and producer of alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine....
returned to their avant-garde roots, and began to explore the possibilities offered by the studio facilities available after signing to Creation Records
Creation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
in 1988. The first fruits of this experimentation was the single/EP You Made Me Realise
You Made Me Realise
"You Made Me Realise" is a single and EP by My Bloody Valentine, released in August 1988. It was their first record for Creation Records. The promotional video for "You Made Me Realise" was directed by ex-Jesus and Mary Chain bassist Douglas Hart...
, released in July 1988, with Isn't Anything following later that year. Most of the album was recorded in a studio in Wales. While recording the album over a period of two weeks, the band got by on about two hours sleep a night. Bilinda Butcher described the effect of this on her vocals: "Often, when we do the vocals, it's 7:30 in the morning: I've usually fallen asleep and have to be woken up to sing. Maybe that's why it's languorous. I'm usually trying to remember what I've been dreaming about when I'm singing."
Style
Dave ThompsonDave Thompson (author)
Dave Thompson is the British born author of over 100 books, largely dealing with rock and pop music, but also covering film, sports, philately, numismatics and erotica....
, in his book Alternative Rock, described the album's sound as "dry ice-piercingly intense guitar drones and hefty nods to miasmic hardcore soup, oozing a contrary trance-spun drone. Noise becomes beauty as feedback is layered over vocals over feedback ad infinitum". "Several Girls Galore" has been described as "a cubist take on the Jesus and Mary Chain".
The album proved to be a major influence on many bands that would subsequently be described as "shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
".
Critical reception
The album met with positive reviews on its release and has subsequently become regarded by many as one of the greatest albums of all time, being included in The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die, The Irish Times list of The top 40 Irish albums (#24), and The Guardians Alternative top 100 albums ever (#16). It was selected by Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
staff as one of the Top 100 Albums of the 1980s (#22), UNCUT
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
writer David Stubbs
David Stubbs
David Stubbs is a British journalist. He was born on 13 September 1962 in London, but grew up in Leeds. As a student at Oxford University he was a close friend of Simon Reynolds; together they worked on an influential fanzine called Monitor before joining Melody Maker in 1986...
called Isn't Anything "one of the most important, influential British rock albums of the Eighties".
UNCUT
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
writer Stephen Troussé said of the album on its reissue in 2008: "In rock algebra you might deduce that they'd worked out some new equation involving the barbed languor of the Mary Chain, the speedfreak urgency of Sonic Youth, and a dash of the Vaselines' sauce - but none of that accounts for the savagely sensual results".
Chart history
The album spent seventeen weeks on the UK Independent Chart, topping the chart in December 1988.Release history
The album was initially released in the UK in November 1988 by Creation Records on LP, CD, and cassette format, with an initial limited edition of the LP format including a bonus 7-inch single featuring two instrumental tracks. The album was released on the Relativity label in the US. The album was reissued on CD in 1993 by Warners, and again in 2001. It was reissued in remastered form in June 2008, and it was first made fully available as a digital download in August that year.Track listing
All songs written by Kevin ShieldsKevin Shields
Kevin Patrick Shields is an American-born, Irish vocalist, guitarist, and producer of alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine....
, unless otherwise noted.
- "Soft as Snow (but Warm Inside)" (Shields, Colm Ó Cíosóig) – 2:21
- "Lose My Breath" (Bilinda ButcherBilinda ButcherBilinda Jayne Butcher is a vocalist/guitarist for the rock band My Bloody Valentine.-Biography:Butcher was raised in London and then Derbyshire. She went on to study dance at Laban College in London, but she dropped out after a year due to developing a case of cystitis...
, Shields) – 3:37 - "Cupid Come" (Butcher, Shields) – 4:27
- "(When You Wake) You're Still in a Dream" (O'Ciosoig, Shields) – 3:16
- "No More Sorry" (Butcher, Shields) – 2:48
- "All I Need" – 3:04
- "Feed Me with Your KissFeed Me with Your KissFeed Me with Your Kiss is the lead track of an otherwise untitled EP by My Bloody Valentine, released in November 1988. The lead track was also included on their debut album, Isn't Anything, released the same month.-7-inch:...
" – 3:54 - "Sueisfine" (Shields, O'Ciosoig) – 2:12
- "Several Girls Galore" (Butcher, Shields) – 2:21
- "You Never Should" – 3:21
- "Nothing Much to Lose" – 3:16
- "I Can See It (but I Can't Feel It)" – 3:10
The initial vinyl LP copies came with a free bonus 7" which was packaged in a plain white sleeve. The songs on it were both titled "Instrumental". The A-side lasted 3:19 and the B-side 4:36, the latter featuring a Public Enemy drum loop (from "Security of the First World").
Personnel
- Kevin ShieldsKevin ShieldsKevin Patrick Shields is an American-born, Irish vocalist, guitarist, and producer of alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine....
– guitar, vocals - Bilinda ButcherBilinda ButcherBilinda Jayne Butcher is a vocalist/guitarist for the rock band My Bloody Valentine.-Biography:Butcher was raised in London and then Derbyshire. She went on to study dance at Laban College in London, but she dropped out after a year due to developing a case of cystitis...
– guitar, vocals - Colm Ó Cíosóig – drums
- Debbie GoogeDebbie GoogeDebbie Googe is the bassist for the rock band My Bloody Valentine.-My Bloody Valentine:Before joining My Bloody Valentine, she lived in Yeovil, Somerset and played for a band called Bikini Mutants, who gigged with The Mob...
– bass - My Bloody Valentine – production
- Dave Anderson – engineer
- Steve Nunn – engineer
- Alex Russell – engineer
- Joe Dilworth – photography