I'd usually not get this worked up over a spectacular new release, much less a reissue of an album from decades ago... but we are talking My Bloody Valentine, making these easily what? The reissues of the year? Of the decade? Finally, after delays, delays, delays and baffling convoluted scenarios of "missing master tapes", what was scheduled in 2008 (and even listed on Sony/Amazon UK) the remastered double disc of "Loveless", "Isn't Anything" and a (near) complete EP's Collection by the, and I do mean THE, genre Shoegaze/Noiserock expanding/defining act of the late 80's/early 90's. With the EPs collection only falling short of being literally comprehensive by the omission of "Ecstacy & Stawberry Wine" (according to that tracklist). Regardless, these releases are of such mythical status as to deserve it's own 'MBV Watch' thread and whispered anticipation on the hyperbole/tastemaker machine that is Pitchfork for the last four years... HERE THEY FINALLY ARE. I'll not be waiting for a domestic pressing/release, but instead going for the UK editions this coming week on Sony which look pretty fine indeed.
This week there's an unusually revealing interview with Kevin Shields hosted by Quietus where the years of near-inactivity between these album's genesis and the present day are addressed and Shields talks the insanity at work in attempting to bring them back into the world for Pitchfork: "The process actually started in 2001, when we managed to come to an agreement with Sony, who inherited us from Creation. Part of the Sony deal was that I wanted all of the EPs made into one package because, back in 2001,you could get the albums pretty easily but not the EPs.So it was basically a compilation of all the EPs, and that was it. "Then we decided to do Isn't Anything and Loveless as well - if we're gonna remaster [the EPs], we should remaster everything. In 2002, I tried to start working on it, but the studio that had the tapes, Metropolis Studios, lost them; the analog multi-tracks were all missing for a year. Only after I started threatening to get Scotland Yard involved did they magically, suddenly reappear. The true story is as yet to be determined, but we'll fight that one out in the near future. That took us to 2003. And then Sony fell into complete breach of contract due to various issues, and it took until last year to fully sort it out. In the meantime, I started the work anyway in 2006, and I completed it in 2007 - those are the ones [that leaked] on the internet, that was the near-completed work. And then Sony behaved very badly again - like most sociopathic companies do, they can't help it - and I had to re-adjust the situation until it was slightly fair again, and that's why stuff is coming out now."
