Spiderland

Slint | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: March 15, 1991
• Label: Touch and Go Records
• Total Length: 39:32
• Genres:
• ASIN: B001HOIMCG
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,068 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Spiderland rewards a patient listener.", March 9, 2004

By 

D. K. Malone (earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spiderland (Audio CD)

A previous reviewer said that, and I don't think truer words could be said about this album.

Back in 1991, I was writing for a fanzine. I'd become friends with one of the other writers, and he was the one who generally got first pick of the many pre-release copies that were sent in for review. Whenever I went over to his place he'd turn me on to stuff from the latest batch that he thought was worthy of our attention. One day he seemed particularly excited and said "This record is... it's... You need to hear this." He put Spiderland on and the first song, Breadcrumb Trail, began playing. After a couple of minutes I became restless and so he skipped to the next song. Another couple minutes later, to the next. As he turned the record over to side 2, I asked something like "So... is that all they do?" He deflated and said "Man, you don't get it." And he was right, I didn't. Back in those days I was listening almost exclusively to heavy, thunderous, scary stuff like the Melvins, Jesus Lizard, Helmet, Laughing Hyenas, etc. Meanwhile, much of the music on Spiderland is barely half a step above pure silence. Lyrics are muttered or whispered. The crystal clean guitars sound like their strings are made of delicate spun glass that would shatter if strummed too hard. This music was so incredibly subdued and low key, it simply did not compute for me. But it did for him, and it seemed like any time I went over to his place after that, he was always listening to Spiderland. I made it a habit to basically ignore it as background ambiance.

A few weeks or maybe months later, I was browsing around in a mom & pop record shop. The clerk was playing something on the stereo. It was very familiar and pleasing to my ears, but I couldn't figure out what it was. I had to ask him to find out that it was, of course, Spiderland. It had taken some time, but it had finally managed to worm its way into my brain and into my heart. That was when I bought my own copy. It's been somewhere in my All Time Top 5 ever since.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars genius, genius, April 3, 2007

By 

Alex Fencl (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spiderland (Audio CD)

I love Slint to pieces. This record is so unique on so many different levels. Words may not do justice here, but i always think of "Spiderland" as a concept album: that being a monumental night terror one night.

You are falling asleep at the beginning, and by the end of "Breadcrumb Trail," you are in R.E.M. sleep.

...Now begins the nightmare ("Nosferatu Man")

...The night-terror takes hold of your body ("Don, Aman")

...and now the aftershocks ("Washer")

..you reconcile your inner-demons and begin to wake from the night ("For Dinner...)

...finally, you wake from the dream and your life will never be the same ever again ("Good Morning, Captain")

I still find nuances that I have not yet experienced in this record. Oh, another plus, one of the best album covers/promo photos ever

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I liked the product so much, I bought the company" --S. Albini, March 4, 2006

By 

T.A. "washingmachinemouth" (South Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spiderland (Audio CD)

Slint are the forefathers of Math-Rock, or whatever you want to call the Shellac-Fugazi-Jesus Lizard-Clutch sound. If you are a fan of these bands, get all three of Slint's releases. Trust me--after one listen, you'll wonder why you waited so long! Everything the other reviewers say is true, including Steve Albini himself. This CD is, in a word, perfect.

I will say this: Spiderland affected producer Steve Albini so deeply, he formed another one of his "crazy, self-indulgent" bands and based it primarily on the foundation of Slint's sound. He called this new band SHELLAC. Shellac's first CD, "At Action Park," almost sounds like Spiderland part II, ("Bosche's dick" is a song about Slint's sound guy; they also had help from Slint techy Jennifer Hartman) as Steve and his band mates recreate and nearly pick-up where Slint left off after their 1992 break up.

Shellac (and other bands like it) are influenced so deeply by Slint, their recordings almost sounds like an homage. But don't call Shellac posers or copy-cats; the members of Slint were playing hard core and punk in the mid-80's, as was Steve Albini and his bands Big Black and Rapeman (which coincidentally included Jesus Lizard's bass player in its line-up). In fact, these artists are so closely and simultaneously linked, where else will you find a label claiming analog recordings rule? Only on a Slint or Big Black recording, my friend.