Thursday, November 24, 2011

Slow: Against the Glass (1986)




The theory goes that Vancouver's Slow invented Grunge. The authors of a six-hundred page book on The Canadian Underground of 1985-1995 [!], argue that when Slow brought their anguished but hooky psych-garage-punk-metal sound, all wrapped up in flannel, down south they lit some kind of inextinguishable subterranean coal fire. While there is definitely some truth to this theory, it's too tied to this erroneous single-band-who-invented-a-genre kind of thinking. First off, it's pretty clear that the endlessly-dissected grunge phenomenon had numerous for-bearers both ancient and contemporary. Secondly, who wants to be known as the inventor of 'grunge' and go around arguing 'If it wasn't for me there'd never have been a Candlebox or even a Nickleback"? Yes, yes here during the 20th anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind we're only supposed to talk about the the more vital aspects of grunge but since the garbage utterly outweighed the gold, let's give Slow credit for more than just being a foundational influence in a dead-end genre.





"Have Not Been the Same" is a total head-fuck. That compellingly repellant guitar riff hypnotizes, while those whoo-hoo-hooo backing vocals pull the listener, like sirens of yore towards the rocky coast of self-disgust ("It seems like lately I just can't keep myself in line) only to deliver you to a possibly glorious horizon in the forum of that ferociously buoyant chorus - "Have not been - have not been - have not been the SAME!




Is there anything else that matches that odyssey on this mini-album? No. But then I'd trade this single song for 99% of all albums labelled 'grunge'.




So what do you make of Slow and their legacy? Let us know in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Against the Glass link).


Update: Roy Pearl said...
If anyone's interested, I put up a Slow family tree here:
at

18 comments:

  1. jeffenNovember 24, 2011 at 7:05 AM

    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!


    SLOW!



    http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?o19eh9srxronwm7

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LindsaySeptember 17, 2012 at 3:34 PM

      Oh, so disappointing (link no longer works). Does anyone know where mp3s of Against the Glass can be had? Much appreciated. My album was stolen at a party, and now I can't even find digital versions of these songs to buy. It's a crime.

      Delete
  2. Rinjo Njori!November 24, 2011 at 8:01 AM

    Where does Mudhoney fall? I would say Slow are comparable...

    ReplyDelete
  3. DougNovember 24, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    Hey Jeffen

    I am definitely enjoying this latest series of posts!Thanks.

    Doug

    ReplyDelete
  4. CallPastorJerkfaceNovember 24, 2011 at 8:47 AM

    @ Rinjo Njori!
    Mudhoney started up in 88' but the Melvins and Green River were already up and running by 85'.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousNovember 24, 2011 at 8:55 AM

    slow is fast enough

    ReplyDelete
  6. Roy PearlNovember 24, 2011 at 10:01 AM

    Nice post, Jeffen! One of my favorite bands ever. And if anyone's interested, I put up a Slow family tree here: http://unherdmusic.blogspot.com/2010/09/slow-family-tree.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Marcel FeldmarNovember 24, 2011 at 12:06 PM

    nice one - between this and the enigmas - and some old vancouver oversoul seven sounds at wilfully obscure - i'm having a full on high school flashback. i loved slow - remembering the expo 86 fiasco - then there was (c) or circle c - or copyright, and of course tankhog... makes me wonder about my other memory bands - the Hip Type... anyone remember them? and of course - brilliant orange.....

    ReplyDelete
  8. chris yakNovember 24, 2011 at 8:25 PM

    I saw someone ask Hugh Dillon who the best Canadian bands ever were. He said Slow were the most influential Canadian rock band and that they were one of the forerunners of grunge. I liked him more after that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. biopunkNovember 24, 2011 at 9:08 PM

    This EP was always a bit of a "Holy Grail" for my group of friends.

    Older siblings sending home mixed tapes from UBC fueled that by including 'Against The Glass' or 'Have Not Been The Same' made us try desperately to get it to no avail.

    I don't know if it was the crappy Zulu distro or limited pressings, but none of us were able to get our paws on it until 1992, likely rekindled by the release of 'Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988' in '91.

    But as to The Grunge Theory, that just sounds like more CANCON-tonguing revisionism. Blargh!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousNovember 25, 2011 at 12:50 AM

    I've got the Slow 7" (I Broke The Circle / black Is black) as well as the Circle c album. any interest in posting these?

    tl

    ReplyDelete
  11. fuzzpsychNovember 25, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    Still have this on vinyl. Saw them in Guelph years ago, and they brought the roof down--literally! Still have the gig poster, too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. grantweNovember 25, 2011 at 12:19 PM

    I thought I was the only person who purchased this record. I have bragged about what a great disc it is to many a deaf ear. Thanks for posting it.

    ReplyDelete
  13. MarkDecember 1, 2011 at 7:13 PM

    Thanks!

    I remember when MuchMusic used to have some sort of edge (for a brief moment in history) and played the crap out of Have Not Been the Same.

    ReplyDelete
  14. postbearDecember 3, 2011 at 2:51 AM

    again, one of the better bands that just somehow evaporated and seemed to leave a lot of footprints for other musicians to follow but when you play their material for mere mortals, no-one recognises or remembers them. maybe it's a geographic thing, since some of my west-coast friends know them, but here in toronto (and montreal, in my experience), the response is always spmething like "who are these guys and why have i never heard of them?"

    great band, great release, and many thanks for bringing them a new audience.

    ReplyDelete
  15. jeffenDecember 3, 2011 at 2:32 PM

    Rinjo
    Well Mark Arm was in Green River around the same time as Slow *And they would have been more known nationally than the early Melvins).

    Doug
    regionalism!

    Anon
    Amen!

    JC
    We'll talk more about the mid-late-80's Vancouver scene on Sunday (and it'll be GOOD!)

    CY
    Yeah that did increase my respect for him too (even though he used the 'founders-of'-grunge' rationale) .

    Bio
    Did someone mentions "'Last Call: Vancouver Independent Music 1977-1988' in '91."

    "CANCON-tonguing revisionism" perfect!

    tl
    you can reach me at jeffen69@hotmail.com if you want to send the circle c my way. I'm sure some readers here would appreciate it!

    fuzzpsych
    If you ever scan the poster let me know...

    Grant
    I'm still doing my part to spread the word, even 20+ years later.

    Mark
    i swear between Indie Street, Going Coastal and The Wedge they did cover some great stuff...

    Postbear
    Yeah like any idependant thing in the 80's this moved around the country in fits and starts. It must've made some impact in Ontario as those Ontario guys who wrote the book on CanRock named it after the title track.

    P.S. Thanks for all your comments, each one is appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousJune 7, 2013 at 9:24 AM

    Atta boy

    ReplyDelete
  17. AnonymousFebruary 4, 2014 at 5:14 PM

    I dug out my copy of ATG... it looks to be in mint condition. I intend to make a flac and share it someplace, and I'll include a single plus any compilation tracks I have. Anyway, yes, awesome band; I deeply regret not going to see their Expo gig, but it was a weeknight and I'd seen them live a bunch of times already.

    ReplyDelete

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