My Bloody Valentine – Ecstasy and Wine

My Bloody Valentine – Ecstasy and Wine

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

You’ve led a relatively unsuccessful gothic/post-punk band for a few years now. Your records have failed to make an impact critically or commercially. Conventional wisdom would suggest packing it in. And then you get a new lead singer who helps to change everything.

So was the story of Kevin Shields and My Bloody Valentine in 1987. The Irish-via-Queens, NY guitarist named his group after the 1981 slasher film about a miner who stalks a group of young adults. None of the characters led particularly successful lives, and it was an apt metaphor for Shields’ music endeavors – albeit an unintentional one.

None of the groups albums singles and EPs from up to this point show much of anything to write home about from Geek! to This Is Your Bloody Valentine to “Sunny Sundae Smile” – a bizarre song about necrophilia – My Bloody Valentine looked to be stuck in second-rate mode.

That is, until Bilinda Butcher joined the group. Having relocated to London, Shields found Butcher like a ray of sunshine in a rainstorm. It was discovered very quickly that Butcher and Shields could harmonize incredibly well.

Her soft, airy vocals offered a nice contrast to the fuzzed-out guitars that the band was know for. And Shields was adding new influences to his sound. From The Byrds to The Jesus and Mary Chain to the twee indiepop of the C86 compilation and 14 Iced Bears, Shields was concocting his own sound which would later influence bands such as Slowdive and Ride.

While “shoegazing” hadn’t formally been invented yet, it was this period which would define what the genre would sound like. The music on the band’s first two Eps with Butcher - Strawberry Wine and Ecstasy – would be compiled into an album, aptly titled Ecstasy and Wine put out by Lazy Records in 1989.

By then MBV had moved onto even more experimental territory, fusing their hard-charging post-punk sound with a method of guitar playing known as “glide guitar.” Shields would use the tremolo arm on his Jazzmaster while strumming barre chords so that the strings were constantly fluttering in and out of tune.

The groups 1991 album Loveless was a sonic breakthrough, going into even dreamier territory. It was their last for 22 years. Shields has since distanced himself from Ecstasy and Wine, not performing anything from the record live since 1989. But how does this early material with Butcher hold up? Does it deserve a second look?

“Strawberry Wine” starts the album in jangly fashion with layers of dreamy guitars and Shields harmonizing with Butcher on every line. The C86 influence is out in full swing, with ethereal textures and soundscapes. It evokes the end of a beautiful summer day as the sun sets on a beach with fireworks in the distance. And of course, plenty of fruit wine.

“Never Say Goodbye” is even more powerful, with fuzzy rhythm guitars, jangly leads, and Keith Moon-inspired drumming by Colm Ó Cíosóig (whose name I can’t pronounce, despite my Irish heritage.) The call-and-response vocals by Butcher and Shields describe a perfect day where they “never say goodbye” and they “chase the clouds away.” The effect is again evocative of the free spirit of summertime.

“Can I Touch You?” is The Beach Boys via The Mary Chain in the best possible way. Shields sings this one alone in a voice highly reminiscent of Jim Reid. The majestic backdrop of an ascending guitar riff and Ó Cíosóig’s tribal drumming gives the song a primitive 1960’s pop feel.

“The Things I Miss” features hellish keyboards and fuzzed out guitars contrasted with Butcher’s sweetest cooing vocals. It’s largely different from the later work of MBV, but unlike their goth period, it holds up really well.

Strangely absent from the majority of the record is the sound of Deb Googe’s bass. Her thundering, metallic sound was a hallmark of latter MBV records. Here her work is buried deeply in the mix. Which is ironic, because she contributed lyrics to “Never Say Goodbye,” a trebly sounding recording with almost no audible bass.

But perhaps the strongest tune is The Byrds via R.E.M. jangle of “(You're) Safe in Your Sleep (From This Girl)." With more prominent bass and sounding like one of Mike Mills’ compositions from Murmur or Reckoning, it is the poppiest song on the album.

Shields sings in an upbeat voice about a relationship that is fraying at the seams. It’s the mark of a great songwriter to be able to compose uplifting music to contrast melancholy lyrics. And Shields does so in stride here. What makes the song special is that MBV would never attempt such straightforward pop again, despite succeeding at it. Oh well.

In the coming years, Shields would disown Ecstasy and Wine. Part of this had to do with Lazy Records putting it out after My Bloody Valentine had signed to Creation to cash in on the success of the group’s 1988 album Isn’t Anything. Which is a shame, because – while not as experimental as their later work – the seeds of creativity were clearly sown here.

While their early records showed almost no signs of innovation, My Bloody Valentine proved the value of persistence. On Ecstasy and Wine, the group showed that they had a knack for original sounds. And they helped inspire an entire movement to follow them.

Lazy Records/1989