How Slowdive Made Souvlaki

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Video info:
Slowdive is a band with a sound and history unlike any other. Formed in Reading just before the 90s the band consisted of key members and teenage couple Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead in addition to a revolving line-up that became more consistent over time. The band experienced early success and got recognition for being a great shoegaze band. Unfortunately they lost the attention almost as quickly as they gained it with the rise of more popular music like grunge and brit-pop. Their one shot at appealing to an evermore critical audience and press was their second album Souvlaki. And if facing pressure from their label and press wasn’t enough, the band was about to collapse. Goswell and Halstead broke up their relationship just before they started to work on the album. And neither of them knew how to function as a newly separated couple in a professional band. Because of this, making Souvlaki lead to isolation, even bigger let-downs, unexpected collaborations and a new beginning.
Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
1:30 - Early history
2:46 - Rise and fall in popularity
3:37 - The first 40 songs
5:26 - Brian Eno's influence
7:29 - Halstead's time in Wales
8:51 - She'll suck your c*** like souvlaki
10:13 - Alison
11:07 - Playing the verse on rhythm guitar
11:47 - How to get the Slowdive guitar sound
12:48 - Thanks to Luca and Coen
13:36 - Conclusion and patreon
Background music:
Melancholia - Godmode
The Joint is Jumpin - Joel Cummins
Stairway - Patrick Patrikios
Leave it Alone - Underbelly
Buckeye Bonzai - Vans in Japan
Sunset Strut - Dan Lebowitz
Fynestlyk - Noir Et Blanc Vie
Head High Swells - The Whole Other
A Trip Around The Moon - Unicorn Heads
Wehrmut - Godmode
Drown the Out - VYEN

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks for suggesting Slowdive. What band/artist should be next? 🎶🎸

[@NattyBat]

Converge

[@AdrianT48]

Khruangbin!!

[@Jace___42]

Hum

[@merzberd]

Sonic Youth

[@VISSEN0598]

panchiko maybe

[@joshmaior]

when the sun hits is one of the best songs ever made

[@LieLikesMusic]

No doubt about that

[@tttttttt607]

I second this

[@erikwaterson683]

That's a classic right there

[@danasatria1831]

my vers is sugar for the pill

[@Digital_PeterGriffin]

I prefer machine gun, but it’s like comparing one nugget of gold to another

[@BAMFlicous]

Alison makes me feel something I've never felt before.

[@LieLikesMusic]

I think it's a very positive feeling. Hopeful. But their song When The Sun Hits gives me all emotions at the same time. It's sad, happy and angry all at once i feel.

[@christiangasior4244]

When the Sun Hits gets me like that.

[@etyramone2000]

@@LieLikesMusic I knew nothing from them or even shoegaze until I heard this song and it literally gave me the chills. A rare discovery :)

[@unr3quited]

Of malice and the magnum heart also has the same effect for me

[@Matt-cu8ly]

@@LieLikesMusic when the sun hits is my favorite on the album and maybe my favorite song ever. You hit it spot on with all the emotions hitting at once

[@startervisions]

"40 Days" could be shoegazes finest moment

[@boywonders]

I'd have to counter that with "When The Sun Hits"

[@LieLikesMusic]

@@boywonders "When The Sun Hits" is one of my favorites too apart from Alison

[@boywonders]

@@LieLikesMusic same. I think that and Ride's "Cool Your Boots" are the ultimate shoegaze songs

[@feketefeher]

@@boywonders at one point in time, i was addicted to this song for about a month

[@hdufort]

One of the top 10 songs for sure.

[@vrombo]

What amazes me most, at that time these guys (Slowdive, Ride, Primal Scream etc.) were just teens, signed to a "label" of a red-haired guy, in a room just upstairs from a warehouse, and the impact all this turned into is just huge. Despite it took shoegaze some 20 years to properly return and receive recognition.

[@lyanggg3913]

Souvlaki is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written I cannot begin to describe how much I love this album.

[@battyboo3732]

Agreed. Souvlaki Space Station is the best song to ever exist. I’ve been searching for another song that comes close to it for years

[@ianvjac0b]

Souvlaki is a masterpiece. I can hear it front to back and never get tired of listening.

[@Childofbhaal]

Alison is a therapeutic song for me. Listening to it makes me sit back and remember to breathe and get in tune with myself and the earth. I have bad ADHD and anxiety so I’m always all over the place but no matter what this song just.. stops me in my tracks. Makes me reflect

[@ama2065]

do u have any other helpful songs as well..?

[@sofiaavaas]

fun fact: souvlaki is a greek "traditional" somehow food. its pieces of pork meat in a wooden stick!

[@norlanderduwallis9074]

It is also exceptionally yummy.

[@sofiaavaas]

@@nodastsakonas8296 odoc

[@sofiaavaas]

@@norlanderduwallis9074 aint it??

[@azon9709]

@@sofiaavaas yes it is

[@azon9709]

@@nodastsakonas8296 οντως

[@xiugazer532]

Finally, my favourite album

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks for being patient ;)

[@sevastilouta5984]

One of my all time faves. You simply cannot get tired of this album and it always gives me goosebumps

[@LieLikesMusic]

Cool. When The Sun Hits has given me goosebumps every time i've listened to it this week.

[@festival3051]

Melon yellow drowns you in a sea of reverb, love it so much. I actually managed to meet Neil before a show a few years back. Great guy

[@Stonloy]

FYI most of the Slowdive songs that were scrapped can be found on KZbin, albeit in bad quality. Just look up Slowdive demos and lost tracks

[@chie7880]

Honestly they deserved way more attention I’m glad they’re sorta gaining recognition from young teens in this generation, shoegaze is def one of the most soothing genres and I personally think slowdive did a perfect job representing shoegaze

[@i.qena_]

i literally listen to this album through every other day

[@Rad18238]

When the sun hits is probably my favourite in this album

[@LieLikesMusic]

It’s my favorite too. Just thought Alison represents the album better as it’s the opening track

[@davidellis5141]

Souvalki is not just one of the best albums of the 90's but is one of the top 100 albums ever. Definitely the best of the shoegaze genre. Luka would agree 👍! & his channel is awesome 👌 , as is this one. Thanks for the presentation 😃

[@tylerharaf5901]

I think it’s the second best to loveless but it is definitely great

[@kennethguitarfiend4493]

@@tylerharaf5901 exactly what I wanted to say

[@spoonmeanie5644]

@@tylerharaf5901 basically this

[@MartinPEngebraaten]

Love this video man! Slow Dive and My Bloody Valentine are two great examples of utilising guitar pedals as instruments rather than "add ons"

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks dude. And right on. They take it to the point where it doesn't even sound like a guitar anymore. Which i think is interesting.

[@Vivec]

One of my very favourite bands, Shoegaze is such an awesome genre that never quite reached its full potential. Great video man!

[@CupofCloud]

Slowdive 2017 is one of the best comeback albums in music history

[@Cursiphemeral]

100% agree. Such a solid album, and what a wonderful surprise it was.

[@brainwave.spacestation]

yes yes and yes.. solid comeback.. ethereal af

[@andrewhirschi1026]

The slight muffled one key piano is dagger is so AAAAAAHHHHHHH the entire song gives me chills

[@Darticus42]

5:06 A lot of the Souvlaki demos, while unreleased, aren't lost entirely! Look up "Souvlaki: Demos & Outtakes" for more. "Sleep" is one of the best tracks of the bunch IMO, but includes a lot of interesting unreleased tracks, demos, and variations. For example, it includes an unreleased song co-produced with Brian Eno, "AB". This is just a tangent, but many of these unreleased songd (and more) are included on the unofficial "I Saw the Sun" EP. Highly recommend a listen.

[@spectrichor]

I've been putting the album on repeat and strangely the end and the first track feel so seamless that I dont even notice I'm on another loop but somehow I love the experience

[@pedalpartners]

it was nice working with you on this! one of my favourite albums & band! really informative video on a great album!! nice work dude 💗

[@davidellis5141]

Good Job ! - Made my day 👌

[@pedalpartners]

@@davidellis5141 thanks David!

[@LieLikesMusic]

Likewise! Thanks for putting in the work and helping out. It means a ton. Have a great weekend :)

[@jgrzinich]

Brings back memories... I was an early Slowdive fan and saw them live on their US tour after 'Just for a Day' came out. There was hardly anyone at the show in Kansas City but they played wonderfully.

[@SetsAndTheCD]

YES! Finally time to get that shoe collection out. Love this album ✨

[@ryantabor3026]

I actually like Just For A Day a lot more than Souvlaki. It felt like they were so free and careless and expressive and adventurous in that album. It felt youthful, well, they were teenagers when they started. It's a shame. People got too caught up with the hype of supposedly new and fresh grunge and britpop at the time when there's actually something unique and fresh about Just For A Day that is definitely different than most shoegaze. The band's confusion as to why people hated it actually tells so much about how they actually cherished that record. But Souvlaki is a great album also. It's very much more refined, but I like their first full length better. That's just me though. What can I say? I disagree with the people who shit on Just For A Day probably just because they wanted to kick shoegaze out that desperately almost like they're changing drug dealers violently or something. I don't know. It sounded fresh to me.

[@alleygoose9163]

I didn't even know people disliked just for a day until I watched this video

[@zterpz7332]

100% Agree. Not very often you here people say they prefer Just For A Day

[@johngarbutt]

I love Just for a Day very much too. However they have moved on a little by the time of Souvlaki and that's how it should be. Bands should and must evolve or it gets very stale.

[@jbasti227]

I never get tired of seeing content creators discuss my favorite album by one of my favorite bands

[@RC-gg1ib]

Thank you for making this video! Allison was such a great song. Love from America!

[@internet_humor_]

Great video! waiting on this one for a while and was well worth the wait

[@user-wq2iv3cq2h]

Ahhh thank u again for another great vid, lie! Such great timing that I started listening to slowdive💗

[@Soykuya1]

Been listening to Slowdive since I was 19 years old and happy to see someone did a video about a wonderful band.

[@derfgerps4016]

Glad I can still find new vids from you man. One of my fav albums of all time for sure

[@LieLikesMusic]

No problem. i'm back in the groove ;) This album is definitely approved in my book.

[@pete_kane]

Great work man. I love how you have been incorporating the live video and play throughs on guitar. Really awesome to see how your channel and musicianship has grown.

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks. I'm glad you appreciate it. I'm definitely learning more about music and video creation now than ever before. Btw, what's ur favorite Bill Burr bit?

[@Schellnino1994]

thanks for doing this. i love shoegaze and recently have been exploring deeper into the genre

[@LieLikesMusic]

No problem. Same here. I used to listen to mbv for the most part before.

[@Ayah594]

Thank you for all the information 🙏🏻🤍

[@lt.reubenrozeyt5716]

When the sun hits is the most terribly beautiful song ever

[@AMT99100]

Souvlaki all time favorite album it’s always my go to🙏🏻

[@cemeterygates7519]

Amazingly put together video, Lie :) Also loving the Primus tee!

[@thedondeluxe6941]

Love this record so much. One of the best ever imo. So happy they're back together and making more music again!

[@LieLikesMusic]

Yes same here! I'm hoping they release a new album soon.

[@thedondeluxe6941]

@@LieLikesMusic They're in the studio working on a new album now :-)

[@MajorKlanga]

Souvlaki was not named after an American comedy sketch, it was named after the Greek dish because there was a Greek restaurant close by the studio which they visited often.

[@Matt-cu8ly]

one of my all time favs

[@AlexandraStarr1974]

I loved slowdive from the off, their music was just so angelic and dreamy, most indie groups at the time shared the same DNA, I always thought slowdive were the chill version of the charlatans, and often overlooked because their music was not as loud or obvious as other bands from the time, however, their music has just grown in popularity over the years, rightly so, and while we may now be 30 years older, the music keeps us youthful and energised, which is vitally important these days!

[@outofoblivionproductions4015]

"There's no such thing as bad timing for a timeless album." - gold.

[@knoxieman]

Living here in Oxford in the 80s and early 90s I saw every single one of these shoe gazing bands live many times and enjoyed most of them apart from Slowdive, best band to ever come out of that Scene was RIDE, those early gigs were simply amazing and whilst the music went off the rails after the second album the early stuff was in a league of it's own, those early Slowdive gigs were full of students taking through every song.

[@LieLikesMusic]

Sounds like an amazing scene to be a part of. You're lucky. Btw you've got a really interesting and niche channel. All about walkie talkies and radios? So unique!

[@matteotarantino758]

Can't wait for their new album

[@sethmorrison9476]

very well made video!

[@koenotte7908]

Love your videos man!

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks! I'm glad you do. Any bands you'd like to se me cover in the future?

[@koenotte7908]

@@LieLikesMusic how about animal collective? :)

[@koenotte7908]

Other suggestions: ben howard, massive attack, beach boys

[@radio.ned1385]

got souvlaki, just for a day, and pygmalion in cd a few weeks ago, they’re all broken : ( , but that doesn’t take away from how much of a masterpiece souvlaki is. 40 days is a picture-perfect example of shoegaze

[@LieLikesMusic]

Broken?? 😱 Did they get crushed in transport?

[@radio.ned1385]

@@LieLikesMusic nope...picked them up from HMV, got home, played them, and they’re skipping all over the place. at least it’s a masterpiece...

[@thepilgrimplays]

Wow man, another human being on Earth who loves stoner rock as well as shoegaze, which are two completely different attitudes, two different sides of the deep musical inner spectrum, both necessary. Indeed I'm trying to blend them into the style I'm playing with my band now. Almost nobody has tried it... Slowdive is one of the most spiritual mystic music you can find in rock music, with a classy melancholic touch, they make me cry... And each record is different from the other. Neil Halstead is a great songwriter, and Rachel Goswell is a goddess. I also love the other band they formed after Slowdive collapsed: Mojave 3, that was completely different from Slowdive.

[@melrose4580]

Lie, I love your videos so much. This Slowdive video was incredible. Will you Pleaseee make a video about The Fall?

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks for the love. The irony is that i watched a live show on KZbin of The Fall just an hour ago. But i was doing research for a different band who's inspired by them. I'll keep them in mind.

[@alkeryn1700]

such a great band.

[@philippeinyt]

They also made another song with Enno. Was the song called 'AB'. It's so beautiful!

[@hideyereyes4915]

It’s one of the best songs I have ever heard

[@Mikecat2019]

They also made song called Whales On Land with Brian Eno but it was scrapped and lost but AB managed to be posted online.

[@shaneharrington3655]

A video I didn’t know I needed

[@rekanlanksbd]

you shouldve watched the pitchfork souvlaki documentary

[@jubran7469]

Yes! I will listen close...

[@LieLikesMusic]

also don't be stoned...

[@zombie_______]

40 days hits sooo good

[@oliverblue7958]

Hey lie, i think it would be worthwhile to explore this version of the chords, basically just an A major bar shape but leaving b and e strings open, then sliding up two frets to b major leaving the same two frets open, then sliding down to open E. I think you'll hear much more of at least one of the original guitar parts with this progression. it lets those open strings drone and creates a bed behind the changes that contributes to the wall of sound

[@milkmedia1657]

When the sun hits is one of the best songs ever

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

When... The... Sun... Hits. So epic.

[@LuisTorres-bu3ti]

You should do more videos on Shoegaze related stuff

[@carljuztine3328]

One day, while scrolling through my recommendations and I saw a video with black n white photo of a girl as the thumbnail, the video is captioned 'Sleep - Slowdive' so i clicked it, because she's quite cute (lmao) and since then, I listened to a lot of their stuff. I remember listening to 'Alison', 'Catch the Breeze', and obviously 'When The Sun Hits' for the first time and loved both of them, then I listened to their most critically-acclaimed album 'Souvlaki' (it's the first Shoegaze album I have ever heard) and made me experience things that I have never felt before, basically Slowdive is my first Shoegaze discovery. mbv's 'loveless' is considered as the quintessential Shoegaze album but in my humble opinion, Souvlaki will always be number 1. *btw, I'm a young zoomer so you'll get the point why I prefer Souvlaki that loveless, it's because of its lyricism.

[@liawasadiver]

Basically my story xD

[@zeilian]

i really don't want to live in a world where this album doesn't exist. it's probably my favourite album of all time.

[@johanneskulesza6841]

Very nice video! Also, great collab with Pedal Partners!

[@user_voluntarylife89]

gracias, buen video.

[@LieLikesMusic]

De nada :)

[@dontwrite9s4ever86]

it would be awesome to hear your take on Skinny Puppy.

[@benjaminfowler4513]

Nice golden sun poster 🌞

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks. One of my favorite RPGs!

[@rjflores438]

Slowdive made some phenomenal records, cant believe I only discovered them recently. Even their b sides of souvlaki and just for a day are phenomenal. Cant believe they didnt get the recognition back in the 1990s, far better than other overrated brtish bands like blur and oasis. Far more creative with their sound, ethereal as well as having a really hard edge sound as well. They have made some absolutely beautiful records like blue skied and clear and primal amd shine on just for a day, ro name a few. The juxtaposition worked well and all their albums are different and interesting, their songs have a good balance to them and most dont sound the same throughout. Great band.

[@hildalilja6649]

Ah yes!!! I love slowdive

[@shaneturner4635]

This is the best album of ALL TIME !!

[@azon9709]

finally some representation of greek culture!!!!!

[@Omar.Tharwat]

Souvlaki space station is truly impeccable. The mood it creates is something that I don't know if I'll ever be able to describe.

[@Flibbybibby]

The demos pre-souvlaki are available.

[@ttobisas_]

Hermoso álbum

[@emmettthompson5036]

Would love to see a video on Incubus! I feel like they don't get talked about enough on KZbin

[@shaneharrington3655]

Morning view please!

[@emmettthompson5036]

@@shaneharrington3655 or Make Yourself.or both.. Both would be nice

[@ardyjan035]

pedal partners (eew) never miss an opportunity to advertise their collabs lmao

[@inphanta]

I always thought "souvlaki" sounded almost alien and ethereal. I had no idea what it referred to until I saw this video. In a way, I wish I didn't know. I recommend the "Blue Skied and Clear" compilation on Morr records to,anyone reading this. It's a compilation of electronic covers of Slowdive songs and it's fantastic.

[@saeedSiahkali]

I love slowdive, thanks for your work. There is a new young band called Julie in Los Angeles , listen to it!

[@aaronrobinson8394]

Should do sisters of mercy

[@FetishonyoutubeURL]

There is a reason why souvlaki is no.1 for best album of all time on my list.

[@est6464]

One of my favorite bands. Sugar for the pill. ❤️

[@jbasti227]

Slowdive can do no wrong 🙌🏼

[@LieLikesMusic]

SFTP has been stuck on my mind since i started making this video :) Fantastic band and song

[@kevinsmith9502]

Dagger is just an amazing tune

[@muttiilpomodoro4354]

The demos unreleased songs are even better 👀

[@killslay]

Allison is one of my favourite tracks of all time, but I kinda wished I'd heard solvaki before their last self titled album, that album is such a banger end to end it kinda ruined their older stuff for me

[@DanmakuNyanNyan]

Woah you collabed with Pedal Partners! I love 'em

[@jamesjennings-yd2bc]

I remember reading NME and MELODY MAKER at this time. Shoegaze bands were lauded in both papers for a short while, then slagged off terribly, very quickly.

[@eddieoneill8864]

I just noticed the fretboard haha, haven't seen that before

[@1234SLUR]

great video! also really love the golden sun poster

[@aspie-anarchist9854]

Yesssss you did it!!! I hope you saw my comment. I saw them in 2015 it was magical I couldn't believe i was seeing them.

[@LieLikesMusic]

I don't know if i saw yours. A lot of people have recommended Slowdive over the past months and years. I hope they'll make a new album and tour again. Would love to see them.

[@Yetiman152]

Could you do a video on Swirlies?

[@awolsurf-TC]

I applaud the effort on this, but I'm starting to notice a popular trend of "The Making of Souvlaki" videos on KZbin. By and large they just seem to be rip & read from the Wikipedia page. (with a healthy dose of b-roll) I think as fans, we all got what we needed from the excellent Pitchfork doc which is on KZbin. I always end up watching these and hearing the same stories about Stereolab's model racetrack, Brian Eno's clock and Neil shaving his head. Well, at least your video effort had some nice musical interpretations of the album.

[@jag5014]

Shoegaze musicians were treated dismissively by some back then, sort of like "soyboys" or emos today. Many came from upperclass backgrounds and played introspective music in a subdued way with their mop top hair as opposed to the other edgier and hard living bands of the day

[@rafael-fk5ts]

make a video about Mojave 3 plss

[@smokernoker]

lie likes music : uploads "you had my curiosity" its about slowdive "now you gained my attention"

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks for watching 🤘😊

[@mc.5942]

3:37 I want to listen to that cover but I can’t find it on that channel :(( u got the link? Or is it even uploaded

[@LieLikesMusic]

I haven't uploaded it. But i might consider doing that with all the covers in the future.

[@mc.5942]

Lie Likes Music yesss upload it I like this cover a lot

[@johnrosario4280]

@@LieLikesMusic that would be awesome to listen to in full, sounds beautiful!

[@tidalphantom0277]

nice chrono trigger poster~

[@jason.h]

I beg you make an understanding the libertines video, that era of music need some more love

[@Jack-hm3gg]

“Sing” is what I feel like after getting really high 🤟

[@kennethguitarfiend4493]

This was ace

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. Any band you want me to cover in the future?

[@kennethguitarfiend4493]

@@LieLikesMusic oh man, sooo Many things come to mind...! adorable/polak/Pete Fiji/the bardots would be nice or moose, the underrated bands of the 90’s... there are so many... what ever happened to th’ faith healers for example, or revolver, or all other less known but genius creation bands...

[@theundercoverscene7247]

Thanks so much Christian! 🙏 Thanks for the opportunity! And my compliments for another great video: I learned a lot about Slowdive from this episode! I'll post the full drum cover of Alison on my channel asap. We stay in touch 🤟!

[@LieLikesMusic]

Awesome my man. It was a pleasure to have you on :) Thanks for the commitment!

[@qnnikqs]

Everyone should check out Whirr (a small shoegaze band) they have some cool songs