EP's 1988–1991
Compilation album by
My Bloody Valentine
Released4 May 2012 (2012-05-04)
Recorded1988–1991 (1991)
GenreShoegaze
Length101:23
LabelSony, Domino[1]
ProducerMy Bloody Valentine
CompilerKevin Shields
My Bloody Valentine chronology
Loveless
(1991)		 EP's 1988–1991
(2012)		 m b v
(2013)

EP's 1988–1991 (also referred to as EP's 1988–1991 and Rare Tracks[2][3] and stylised in lowercase) is a compilation album by Irish-English shoegaze band My Bloody Valentine, released on 4 May 2012 via Sony.[4] It features four of the band's extended plays for Creation Records—You Made Me Realise (1988), Feed Me with Your Kiss (1988), Glider (1990) and Tremolo (1991)—and seven additional rare and unreleased songs.

Compiled and remastered by the band's vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields, EP's 1988–1991 was released as a two-disc CD set alongside remastered versions of My Bloody Valentine's two original studio albums, Isn't Anything (1988) and Loveless (1991).[5] Upon its release, the compilation received positive reviews from music critics and placed in several international charts, including Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, South Korea and Japan.

Background

Rumours of a My Bloody Valentine box set circulated amongst the general public in April 2008. Following a listing on HMV Japan's web site, media sources reported that a five-disc limited edition box set containing remastered versions of Isn't Anything (1988), Loveless (1991), a compilation of the band's EPs, a compilation of unreleased songs and a DVD were due to be released on 25 June 2008.[6] A listing was also made available on Amazon UK,[7] under the title Complete Box with an expected release date of 7 July 2008. In an article published in The Guardian in May 2008, Sean O'Hagan, a close friend of My Bloody Valentine's vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields, commented on the rumours, saying: "a representative from Sony (who now possess the band's back catalogue) emailed to ask if I would write the sleevenotes for a very imminent My Bloody Valentine box set featuring Shields's remastered versions of Isn't Anything and Loveless, as well as all the songs that appeared on their now hard-to-find EPs and several unreleased tracks. An interview was scheduled for the following week as soon as Shields had approved the CD artwork. In the meantime, the release of the box set has been postponed indefinitely."[8] Promotional copies of partially remastered editions of Isn't Anything and Loveless were leaked in June 2008[9] although neither compilations mentioned by O'Hagan or other media sources were released.

Release

EP's 1988–1991 was announced for release on 23 March 2012 through an official press release by Sony Music Ireland.[4] The album was released in Ireland on 4 May 2012, and three days later in the United Kingdom, on CD and made available as a digital download from various online retailers. A CD-only version of the album was released in Japan on 12 June.[10] Kevin Shields mentioned in an interview with Pitchfork Media that LP versions of the album are due "probably in a few months."[11]

EP's 1988–1991 charted in four countries upon its release. The album debuted, and peaked, at number 21 on the Irish Albums Chart,[12] falling to number 68 in its second week.[13] The album also debuted at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart,[14] number 192 on the Belgian Albums Chart in Flanders,[15] number 189 on the Belgian Albums Chart in Wallonia,[16] number 69 on the Gaon Albums Chart in South Korea,[17] and number 17 on the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan.[18]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
Beats Per Minute85%[20]
Drowned in Sound9/10[21]
The Irish Times[22]
OndaRock8.5/10[23]
Pitchfork9.5/10[24]
Record Collector[25]
Rolling Stone[26]
Sputnikmusic[27]
State10/10[28]

EP's 1988–1991 has received positive reviews. AllMusic rated the album four out of five stars.[19] Drowned in Sound reviewer Dom Gourlay awarded the album a 9 out of 10 rating and said "although marginally falling short of perfection as a complete package, [the album] is a fascinating collection detailing the unassailable rise of arguably the most influential guitar band this past quarter of a century."[21] Writing for The Irish Times, Tony Clayton-Lea said the release, along with Isn't Anything and Loveless, "highlight once again how traditional musical structures can be subverted and inverted to the point where it's simultaneously familiar and comforting, yet odd and uneasy," awarding it four out of five stars.[22] Mic Wright of musicOMH noted that "for anyone who has been mesmerised by the power, beauty and oddness of MBV, it's yet another opportunity to get obsessed," describing the album as "the sound of sweet sedation, like being serenaded by angels as you come out from under a general anaesthetic."[29] Pitchork editor Mark Richardson awarded the album a rare 9.5/10 rating and referred to the album—along with Isn't Anything and Loveless—as the "best new reissue". Richardson selected the "crunchy pop tunes at the tail end of the disc" as the highlights of the album, noting that the songs "complement to the superior material on the EPs."[24] RTÉ's entertainment network, RTÉ Ten, referred to EP's 1988–1991 as "the real treasures in these re-releases" and called it "a cause for celebration."[30] State magazine awarded the album a full ten out of ten rating and praised the collection of EPs individually, calling You Made Me Realise "a massive step-up" from their previous material and the preceding Loveless EPs as "similarly revelatory".[28]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kevin Shields unless otherwise noted

Disc one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Made Me Realise" (from You Made Me Realise, 1988) 3:47
2."Slow" (from You Made Me Realise, 1988) 3:12
3."Thorn" (from You Made Me Realise, 1988) 3:37
4."Cigarette in Your Bed" (from You Made Me Realise, 1988) 3:30
5."Drive It All Over Me" (from You Made Me Realise, 1988)Shields, Bilinda Butcher, Colm Ó Cíosóig3:06
6."Feed Me with Your Kiss" (from Feed Me with Your Kiss, 1988) 3:57
7."I Believe" (from Feed Me with Your Kiss, 1988) 3:02
8."Emptiness Inside" (from Feed Me with Your Kiss, 1988) 2:50
9."I Need No Trust" (from Feed Me with Your Kiss, 1988) 3:37
10."Soon" (from Glider, 1990) 6:59
11."Glider" (from Glider, 1990) 3:11
12."Don't Ask Why" (from Glider, 1990) 4:03
13."Off Your Face" (from Glider, 1990)Shields, Butcher4:16
Total length:49:12
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."To Here Knows When" (from Tremolo, 1991; sourced from a 2006 DAT)Shields, Butcher5:49
2."Swallow" (from Tremolo, 1991) 4:53
3."Honey Power" (from Tremolo, 1991)Butcher4:33
4."Moon Song" (from Tremolo, 1991) 3:28
5."Instrumental No 2" (from Isn't Anything bonus 7-inch "Instrumental", 1988) 4:44
6."Instrumental No 1" (from Isn't Anything bonus 7-inch "Instrumental", 1988) 3:22
7."Glider" (full version from Glider E.P. Remixes, 1990) 10:15
8."Sugar" (from a split 7-inch flexi-disc with Pacific, 1989) 4:16
9."Angel" (previously unreleased) 4:42
10."Good for You" (previously unreleased) 2:31
11."How Do You Do It" (previously unreleased) 3:32
Total length:52:11

Personnel

My Bloody Valentine

Technical personnel

  • My Bloody Valentine – production, mixing
  • Kevin Shields – remastering
  • Dave Anderson – engineer (disc one: 6–9, disc two: 5–6)
  • Steve Nunn – engineer (disc one: 6–9, disc two: 5–6)
  • Alex Russell – engineer (disc one: 6–9, disc two: 5–6)
  • Alan Moulder – engineer (disc one: 10–12, disc two: 1–4)

Chart positions

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[15] 192
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia)[16] 189
Irish Albums Chart[12] 21
Japanese Oricon Albums Chart[18] 17
South Korean Gaon Albums Chart[17] 69
UK Albums Chart[14] 33

Release history

Region Date Format Label Catalog
Ireland[4] 4 May 2012 2×CD, digital download Sony Music Entertainment 88691941692
United Kingdom[5] 7 May 2012
Japan[10] 12 June 2012 2×CD SICP20382

References

  1. ↑ Reilly, Nick (31 March 2021). "My Bloody Valentine sign with Domino Records and release back catalogue on streaming services". NME. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  2. ↑ ep's 1988-1991 and rare tracks, retrieved 12 April 2021
  3. ↑ EP's 1988 - 1991, retrieved 12 April 2021
  4. 1 2 3 "My Bloody Valentine – New Releases – Friday 4th May". Sony Music Ireland. 23 March 2012. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. 1 2 "My Bloody Valentine to release new compilation album EP's 1988-1991 | News". NME. 22 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  6. ↑ Thiessen, Brock (16 April 2008). "My Bloody Valentine Box Set For Sale Through HMV Japan • News". Exclaim!. 1059434 Ontario. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "Complete Box: My Bloody Valentine". Amazon. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  8. ↑ O'Hagan, Sean (16 May 2008). "Sean O'Hagan hails the noise-rock trailblazers that are My Bloody Valentine | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  9. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (26 August 2008). "My Bloody Valentine Digitally Releases Two Albums, EP | Music News". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  10. 1 2 "EPs 1988–1991 – My Bloody Valentine | Release Information, Reviews and Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  11. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (30 April 2012). "Interviews: Kevin Shields | Features". Pitchfork. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  12. 1 2 "Top 75 Artist Albums, Week Ending 10 May 2012". Chart-Track. GfK. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  13. ↑ "Top 75 Artist Albums, Week Ending 17 May 2012". Chart-Track. GfK. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  14. 1 2 "2012-05-19 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  15. 1 2 "My Bloody Valentine – EPs & Rarities 1988–1991". Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  16. 1 2 "My Bloody Valentine – EPs & Rarities 1988–1991". Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  17. 1 2 "Gaon Album Chart | 2012년 5월 3주차 (2012.05.06 ~ 2012.05.12)" [Gaon Album Chart | Week of 3 May 2012 (2012.05.06 ~2012.05.12)] (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  18. 1 2 "ＥＰ'ｓ１９８８－１９９１ マイ・ブラッディ・ヴァレンタインのプロフィ" [EPs 1988–1991: My Bloody Valentine profile] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  19. 1 2 Buchanan, John D. "EPs 1988–1991 – My Bloody Valentine | Songs, Reviews, Credits and Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  20. ↑ Shae, Edwin (9 May 2012). "ALBUM REVIEW: MY BLOODY VALENTINE – ISN'T ANYTHING / LOVELESS / EPS 1988-1991 [REISSUES]". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  21. 1 2 Gourlay, Dom (3 May 2012). "My Bloody Valentine – EPs & Rarities 1988-1991 / Releases". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  22. 1 2 Clayton-Lea, Tony (11 May 2012). "My Bloody Valentine – Isn't Anything/Loveless/EPs 1988-1991". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 12 November 2012. (subscription required)
  23. ↑ Matteo Meda (24 May 2020). "EPs 1988-1991". OndaRock. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  24. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (11 May 2012). "My Bloody Valentine: Isn't Anything / Loveless / EPs 1988-1991 | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  25. ↑ Johnstone, Johnnie (May 2021). "War Of The Roses". Record Collector. p. 107.
  26. ↑ Fricke, David (5 June 2012). "EPs 1988-1991". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  27. ↑ Irving (staff) (24 June 2012). "EPs 1988-1991". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  28. 1 2 Harrison, Daniel (8 May 2012). "My Bloody Valentine – Isn't Anything / Loveless / EPs 1988-1991". State. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  29. ↑ Wright, Mic (15 May 2012). "My Bloody Valentine: Loveless / Isn't Anything / EPs and Rarities | Features". musicOMH. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  30. ↑ Corr, Alan (14 May 2012). "My Fuzzy Valentine". RTÉ Ten. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
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