Just for a Day

Slowdive | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 14, 1992)
• Original Release Date: January 14, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00000DRDD
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,458 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #87 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Shoegazing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Shoegazing Masterstroke, May 12, 2005

By 

Sierra Wilson (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just for a Day (Audio CD)

My Bloody Valentine's brilliant "Loveless" is easily the most famous and acclaimed shoegazer record, but this sparkling debut from Slowdive, released the same year as MBV's masterpiece, is, in many ways, every bit as moving and beautiful. It is definitely one of my 10-15 favorite records of all-time, and I still prefer it to both "Souvlaki" and "Pygmalion," Slowdive's other two (phenomenal) albums. Written entirely by guitarist/singer Neil Halstead, "Just for a Day" stays true to its title, capturing alien ephemera within its breezy, hazy musical web. Guitars wash in and out like waves, drums and bass creep slowly along, and both Halstead and Rachel Goswell intone their beautifully insightful lyrics over the wondrously droning sea of sound. Opener "Spanish Air" is my favorite song on the album, lurching slowly like a funeral march with its martial drum beat and guitar washes until being finally punctuated by one of the best ever uses of a cello in a rock song. "Waves," "Celia's Dream," and the instrumental "Erik's Song" are my other favorites, even though almost every tune on here is a highlight and a musical world unto itself. Besides its aesthetic beauty, "Just for a Day" possesses a moving, understated emotional punch, ranging from the drearily melancholic to the overflowingly redemptive. One of my friends listened to this album incessantly in the wake of his father's death, and he says it struck a chord so deep that he can no longer listen to it without being driven to tears. Powerful, resonant, and fleeting, "Just for a Day" is an astonishing listen.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mothership of Blissed Out Music Movement, March 8, 2004

By 

M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just for a Day (Audio CD)

In the early 1990s Just for a Day became a cult following, sending out mellifluous dreamy dazed-out, blissed-out music, song after song in an album that spawned a new genre, sometimes called blissed-out, other times called naval-gazing or shoe-gazing. Perhaps the album's weakness, if any, is the long ponderous introduction to track one, which, unbelievably, plods too long in a monotonous fashion, so much so that a friend would not listen to the cd after being turned off by track one, only to love the album after I encouraged her to start the cd on track two, after which each song seques into the other with efforlessness and made her a fan. What makes Slowdive many fathoms better than new age or mood music is that Slowdive has melancholy, achingly beautiful melodies and soothing but never precious vocals. If you like this kind of thing, check out other blissed-out classic bands like Moose or the vintage Cocteau Twins album Victorialand. Even today some bands are carrying the Slowdive legacy such as Sway, Silver Screen (featured on Tonevendor Records),Titania, Beaumont, Lovejoy, and, as of five years ago, Blue Boy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have CD for any dream-pop/shoegaze collection!, June 21, 2000

By 

churchfan (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just for a Day (Audio CD)

What a great album! Don't hesitate to get this album if you like other Slowdive, MBV, Chapterhouse, or any other 'dream-pop' band. Slowdive helped shape the genre as much as anyone and this CD (along with the Slowdive EP) shows why. Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell's guitars positively shimmer on songs such as 'Waves' and 'Brighter'. If 'Catch the Breeze' doesn't send you on a trip, look for a different line of listening. And don't just think this is the bastard stepchild to Soulvaki. While that is a great CD as well, this one lays the foundation for everything to follow. Also check out Neil and Rachel's work as Mojave 3 for a bit of a different direction. Quite worthy as well...