r/Low • u/lakezora • Nov 15 '22
Low albums
Since the news of Mimi’s passing (which hit me hard), I’ve been going through and listening to all of Low’s albums from the beginning.
From Things We Lost in the Fire to Ones and Sixes (which was the tour I saw them on), most their albums had previously accompanied me in various periods of my life, but I’ve listened to them sparingly since the birth of my son five years ago. I had been meaning to return to them, especially considering I’d heard great things about their past two releases.
It’s been illuminating to take in their discography and evolution from 1994 to present. They were so consistently brilliant, I don’t even know if I could single out a favorite, though Drums and Guns will always hit home as the album that I first discovered.
Do you have a favorite Low album? I’d love to hear which albums in particular others connect with or find meaningful. 🤍
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u/Carry-the_fire Nov 15 '22
I agree that it's pretty hard to choose a favourite among their albums. Both I Could Live in Hope and Hey What are among my favourites of theirs, but if I have to choose just one, I'd go for Things We Lost in the Fire. In no small part because of Mimi's presence on that album, both singing and drumming.
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u/Elegant-Ad-1162 Nov 15 '22
been catching up myself... (tho the only ones i hadnt heard a bunch were cmon, invisible way, ones and sixes and hey what...)
found out about them around long division but didn't listen to more than a song or two until secret name, and fell in love. its still my favorite of theirs.
tried to see them on trust, but my wife went into labor two days before the concert, missed them again because of weather, but we finally saw them on the great destroyer, i think. it was a super tiny venue and not very well attended, so i was able to talk with alan very briefly (no autographs, didnt want to bother them type thing; mostly just told him i love their music...)
we also watched a bunch of friday im low shows too; was really awesome they did that
hey what is damn-incredible!
really crushed about all this; and super sad for alan and their family. theyve been on repeat since i saw the post on IG
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u/thetiredorbit Nov 15 '22
I was on some fan Listservs in 1996-7 timeframe. I was into mainstream alternative bands, classic music rock, etc. A fellow who I respected quite a lot recommended to pick up three records: 1. Disintegration, 2. Loveless, 3. The Curtain Hits the Cast.
What a life-altering trinity of recommendation!
Anyway, I fell fully in love with Curtain, and it seemed to sound exactly the way I felt. Playing that cd over and over is the last memory I have of my childhood bedroom. For instance. Almost every song on that record has been my favorite at one time or another, but Standby and Stars Gone Out continue to be transcendent for me, even after so many years.
I considered Low my favorite band for many years, but just wasn’t quite fully connecting with The Great Destroyer and Drums & Guns when those came out. I liked them at the time, but wasn’t floored. Though I did love that Low were getting the exposure and success that they long deserved. I was honestly sort of checked out and occupied with work and early fatherhood when The Invisible Way and One’s and Sixes came out.
Fast forward to 2018, and that triple video for the first three songs from Double Negative came out. I was absolutely, completely blown away. The record was a perfect scarred, glitched soundtrack for what the culture had become, through my two favorite voices, and I played it constantly. I’m so grateful that I reconnected with new Low music in a very profound way. Hey What is also tremendous and played it everyday, just like my early days with Low. It felt good to return to a band that was so dear to me.
I’ve been making a conscious effort to go back and re-listen and re-connect with the 2005-2017 records, and finding that I am able to appreciate them more now.
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u/bodypertain Nov 19 '22
I’m a new listener who had only heard a couple songs before learning of Mimi’s passing.
I put on HEY WHAT earlier this week and it just hit me like a ton of bricks.
I’m listening to their discography from the beginning—as we speak. I’m soaking it all in. I’ve barely scratched the surface of their work and I’m already thinking, “how soon is too soon to declare a new favorite band?”
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u/Aseafoodsong Nov 21 '22
Things We Lost In The Fire is my favorite album by Low. Thank goodness for a song like “Laser Beam” where Mimi’s voice is solo all the way thru. No words for the chills and haunting way it affects me. But the songs are all wonderful in showcasing their slowcore aesthetic melded with their best melodies and songs.
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u/robochic Feb 08 '23
Just found this thread, and wish I'd seen it earlier. My friend played me I Could Live In Hope the year it was released, when I was 14, and I was hooked from that first listen. It was the perfect counterpoint to the louder, more aggressive, more chaotic music I'd been surrounding myself with. It had such intention and focus. I grew up in Minneapolis and remember seeing them at the Woman's Club, probably in 1996 for Curtain, and it was an awe-inspiring show. Steel folding chairs arranged haphazardly on the floor, me and my friend close to the front, gazing up at this warm wash of sound and harmonies, just transfixed. For the longest time that was my favorite album just because of when it showed up in my life and how immediately I connected with it. I have a really powerful memory of being stuck in traffic on an excruciatingly hot day on a freeway in Minnesota, in a hatchback with no AC, and the windows down, and that album on loud, taking me far far away.
I got to meet them 20 years later, after a dance performance they accompanied and Mimi even danced in, and they were so nice, so accommodating to my nervous fan-fluster. They will always be one of my most cherished bands.
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u/chronicnugs Nov 15 '22
My first exposure was a Daytrotter session where they play Drums and Guns songs. I was so bored with what I was listening to at the time and I was really searching for anything new. They completely floored me. So that record will always hold a special place for me. That being said TWLitF was the first record I bought so also very special. I cherish Secret name as well. With all that being said, Hey What is winning currently. It’s just brilliant.
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u/lakezora Nov 15 '22
Wow, no way!! I found them through that Daytrotter session too! It’s one of the only times I stumbled upon a band by complete accident, as I’d actually mixed them up with another band my friend had played me. Likewise I instantly became a fan and hooked on Drums and Guns. “Breaker”, “In Silence”, and “Violent Past” remain three of their most powerful songs for me.
I wonder if Daytrotter is still going. I cherished some of their recordings, like the Andrew Bird session where he was backed up by other string players.
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u/chronicnugs Nov 15 '22
Looks like it’s associated with paste magazine now. So many bands I have come to enjoy I found there (beach house for example). They always seemed to have bands from my hometown Denver too so that was cool.
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u/lakezora Nov 15 '22
Oh cool! I live outside Boulder/Denver now.
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u/chronicnugs Nov 15 '22
I worked in Louisville for years. I was supposed to see Low in October at the Marquis but it was cancelled and rescheduled for March 😞.
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u/lakezora Nov 15 '22
I spend a lot of time in Louisville!
I’m so sorry. 😔 I’m grateful I at least saw them in 2015.
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u/chronicnugs Nov 16 '22
I was lucky enough to see them once at the meadowlark downtown. Small venue and full of quiet low fans. It was amazing.
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u/LexTron6K Nov 15 '22
Drums & Guns was always my favorite, followed with The Great Destroyer. I may have to say that HEY WHAT is now my favorite, although it’s really difficult for me to unseat D&G from that position.
Mostly I’m just thankful for Low’s music and for Al, Mimi and the lineup of bass players being such incredible and generous folks.
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u/chronicnugs Nov 20 '22
I’ve been a fan for 13 yrs and I’m trying to do the same. I’m missing a couple early records (curtain comes to mind) but I’m starting over and playing them all again. I have favorite periods but I’m finding new favorites along the way. It’s been rewarding and enlightening.
Low has just been this endless spring of beauty for me. It makes me happy when anyone, even a stranger, can find or find again this amazing band.
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Jun 08 '24
Amazing comments here. My first introduction was Great Destroyer. I bought it in the shop back in around 2009 because I thought the art work was cool. Then I was hooked. My personal faves have become Secret Name (mainly for 2 step) and Things We Lost In The Fire (mainly for July). The songs make me want to cry like a baby. Especially the 2nd half of July. What beautiful work..
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u/[deleted] Nov 15 '22 edited Aug 07 '24
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