Fuck, that's just great. And sufficiently different for me to have just blown $50 on the vinyl. I'd usually wait and buy it in a store, but I don't wanna miss out. I am a sucker for this stuff, and that's ok.

I remember those early King Kong fanzine interviews in which Buckler complained that Tweez sounded like soulless poop and his band had been hijacked. (Probably had as much to do w/the other members' youthful awe than Albini's touch.) He would go on about blues and fusion jazz influences, although I'm still not sure how vividly those will come thru. Maybe more so on a tune like "Pat" or something?

I like the freaky-sounding coldness of the original Tweez, but this certainly comes across as less alien (dare I use the word "warmer"?) and the quasi-industrial (noise, not dance) Big Black-influenced edges seem mostly gone (but not completely). Breathes a bit more, and sounds like a weird, noisy punk band. Open your mouth, here is my money, Touch and Go...

amar wrote: Sun Sep 15, 2024 5:07 am old FM BER

I'm still waiting for him to unleash the complete live and demo recordings of Malignant Growth... That posthumous French seven-inch from ages ago was not widely heard enough.

Albiz expressed a lot of regret inserting his ideas into Tweez, using that as an example of why he maintained a more neutral stance with later recordings.

..Listening to some of that interview Buckler still seems adamant that Albini leaves too strong a sonic thumbprint that either works with a band's sound or doesn't. I think there's some truth to that. His working methods were so specific that some "Albini sound" is inevitable.

Talking to a friend who recorded with him several times, he said by the 3rd record working together the band was confident enough to get what they truly wanted out of the experience. Similar to this new Slint mix, it sounded closer to a well-recorded band practice with a lot of instrument separation and less like the room-dominant sound you hear on so many of those recordings. It takes some guts to tone down those tendencies that have been used to famous effect realizing it might not be a good fit for your own band.

I always thought Tweez sounded terrible. I really hate the guitar tones on that record. Everything sounds like its going through a flanger that isn't modulating.

Spiderland is good despite the vocals, most of the time.

Slint is only fine.

Kniferide wrote: Tue Oct 01, 2024 4:35 pm I always thought Tweez sounded terrible. I really hate the guitar tones on that record. Everything sounds like its going through a flanger that isn't modulating.

Spiderland is good despite the vocals, most of the time.

Slint is only fine.

Jesus, people have been killed for less here

You’re right about Tweez though. The guitars sound like HM2s through Peaveys… hang on…

Gramsci wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2024 3:23 pm Jesus, people have been killed for less here

I mean, I'm not trying to start a war, but I just think Spiderland is an ok 90's record. The vocals that sound like a guy whisper reading articles about shipwrecks and autumn while his band is tuning up never did it for me. Cool drums and guitar parts though. It's fine. I stand by everything I said about Tweez

Kniferide wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2024 4:37 pm

Gramsci wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2024 3:23 pm Jesus, people have been killed for less here

I mean, I'm not trying to start a war, but I just think Spiderland is an ok 90's record. The vocals that sound like a guy whisper reading articles about shipwrecks and autumn while his band is tuning up never did it for me. Cool drums and guitar parts though. It's fine. I stand by everything I said about Tweez

Thank you, that pretty much sums up my experience as well, though I never could put it in words.
Another one of these albums I'd like to like, but does nothing for me.
I've listened to Tweez more, but can't for the life of me recall anything off of it.

So... The Tweetybird mix of the first record probably won't change many minds out there. I think it's great though.

A hell of a lot more midrange. Probably a bit more bass, as well. Less emphasis on that clicking, attack-driven aspect of Buckler's sound. The metallic, chorus-enhanced, harmonics-heavy guitars (Pajo?) are way more subdued and seem more integrated into the mix. Much less reverb everywhere. And very few sound effects, noise overdubs, and pitch-shifted vocals compared to the OG.

It's cool. Maybe not $50 cool, but I'm happy enough to have it. And the Albini liner notes, among the last things he wrote, are terrific. That opening line is piss-your-pants funny.

Cons: Why didn't they just just press the celebrated (by both Steve and Ethan Buckler) Tweez rehearsal tape onto vinyl? And speaking of that, my copy is a little ticky and noisy right out of the shrinkwrap. Probably b/c it's white. Why the fuck does everything need to be on goddamn colored-gimmick wax nowadays? I don't care what it looks like on TikTok, junior...

I haven't listened to it all yet (the deluxe is too much for me but a digital version from BC will suffice) but it made me appreciate the album way more. While the guitar tones will still be too solid state metallic for some people here I think Pajo was pretty phenomenal even as a teenager. Everything is just so much easier to hear now that it's been un Big Black-ified. I never really thought of Slint along the lines of stuff like Confessor or Breadwinner but it seems clear now.

The Ethan mix is an okay thing to have. It’s sounds different… Tweez was a weird album recorded early in FMSteve’s recording career. The liner notes from Steve make it clear he was making up for inexperience with gimmicks. The Ethan mix does sound more like a demo… but don’t think that’s an excuse to make the drums flat and shitty sounding. It was his project so more power to him. I’d probably have said “make it sound more normal”… and killed its charm.