(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . IVH: Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Big Star walk into a bar... [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-02-02 Mojave 3: Ian McCutcheon, Rachel Goswell, Neil Halstead Mojave 3 rose from the ashes of UK shoegazers Slowdive. The selections below are from their second album, Out of Tune. Shades of Dylan, Gram Parsons, Big Star, Tim Buckley and Neil Young (and maybe a little Beatles here and there). . Some Kinda Angel [1998] . Imagine if mid-period Cocteau Twins sang in recognizable English and used more conventional rock structures, with three guitarists so steeped in echo and delay it's almost dizzying. And add irresistible melodies and male/female harmony cooing. Reading [England] quintet Slowdive never quite earned the respect they deserved — with the exception of some accolades heaped on their first three singles — but they were surprisingly one of England's most formidable bands when the tempest they whipped up was at its most swirling. Slowdive was dropped shortly after Pygmalion's release [the third Slowdive LP]. Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell (Slowdive's other singer) and drummer Ian McCutcheon became Mojave 3 and signed to 4AD. With the new name and label came a complete change in direction: On Ask Me Tomorrow, Halstead's once- billowing cathedrals-of-sound guitar becomes a teasing whisper, plucked as delicately as if someone were sleeping nearby. (McCutcheon has to resort to brushes in order to keep from drowning him out.) Out of Tune moved Mojave 3 even further from Slowdive's expansive, ethereal moodscapes. The album still has a dreamy quality, but the sound is more intimate and earthbound. Warm Hammond and Wurlitzer organs, strummed acoustic guitars, sunny brass, occasional pedal steel and sweet harmonies enhance the overall '60s West Coast feel, while several tracks pay more specific homage. On “Who Do You Love,” [not the Bo Diddley one!] the combination of keyboards and Halstead's soothing voice nods to Nick Drake's Bryter Layter, as does the lilting (and grammatically correct) “To Whom Should I Write.” With guest B.J. Cole adding some pedal-steel twang, “Give What You Take” recalls early Neil Young. But Halstead's chief muse here is Dylan. On the gentle acoustic number “Yer Feet,” which evokes “Visions of Johanna,” he playfully affects a nasal delivery. — Trouser Press . Who Do You Love [1998] . After Slowdive disbanded in 1994, principals Neil Halstead, Rachel Goswell, and drummer Ian McCutcheon regrouped almost immediately as Mojave 3, releasing their debut Ask Me Tomorrow in 1995. Quiet, elegant, and sparse, it seemed a flipside to Slowdive's then-final record Pygmalion, sharing its appreciation for space, though trading its electronic DNA for acoustic. As it turns out, Ask would serve as more of a transitional piece than a blueprint. With the next record, 1998's Out Of Tune, they bolstered their lineup with guitarist Simon Rowe (formerly of Chapterhouse) and keyboardist Alan Forrester and leaned into the dream-country sound that would be the band's calling card through their ten-year run. Some might have bemoaned their pivot towards more traditional songwriting and arrangements, but there's no arguing that Halstead's writing and lyrical skill grew immensely over the band's run. And while I missed having Rachel sing lead as much as anyone, having Halstead as primary vocalist bolstered by Goswell's harmonies made for spine-tingling moments that Slowdive never showcased. — Space Echo . Give What You Take [1998] . Ultimately, however, it just means it might take a couple of listens before you realize how gorgeous and compelling Out Of Tune really is. Halstead may not be the world's most technically gifted singer, but he adopts just the right wounded tone for his well-crafted lyrics. More important is the group's subtle and simple, yet surprisingly full-sounding, instrumentation, which includes doses of organ, horns, and pedal-steel guitar. On "Caught Beneath Your Heel," there's even a performance by Lisa Millet, billed as a "gospel diva." Out Of Tune ventures ever further from Slowdive's signature shoegazer guitar haze, sticking primarily to clear, somber pop and stately ballads. — AV Club . All Your Tears [1998] x YouTube Video . I'm not sure when Slowdive went from being a CD I had in my collection to becoming a musical totem for life, but I do know that I loved Mojave 3 first. I reviewed Out Of Tune for my university newspaper (which is lost to digital dust, probably for the best). Saw them live every chance I got – they were magnificent, the loudest quiet band you've ever seen – and while their later albums didn't quite reach the heights of Out Of Tune or Excuses For Travellers, I'll defend every one of them as being as vital to the Slowdive story as their own records. — Space Echo . To Whom Should I Write [1998] . WHO’S TALKING TO WHO? Jimmy Kimmel: Reese Witherspoon, Wesley Kimmel, "Science Bob" Pflugfelder Jimmy Fallon: Pedro Pascal, Kathryn Newton, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Armani White Stephen Colbert: Connie Britton, Daniel Ricciardo Seth Meyers: Jonathan Groff, Keio Stroud James Corden: Trevor Noah, Shania Twain, Jono Zalay Daily Show: McKinley "Mac" Phipps, guest host D.L. Hughley SPOILER WARNING A late night gathering for non serious palaver that does not speak of that night’s show. Posting a spoiler will get you brollywhacked. You don’t want that to happen to you. It's a fate worse than a fate worse than death. . Lastly, one from Big Star’s third LP, 3rd. . Big Star :: Nightime [1975] . LAST WEEKS POLL: FAVORITE MONOPOLY PIECE Boot 8% Cannon 0% Iron 0% Race car 17% Scottie dog 33% Thimble 25% Top hat 8% Wheelbarrow 0% Other 8% [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/2/2149733/-IVH-Bob-Dylan-Neil-Young-and-Big-Star-walk-into-a-bar Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/