Why ‘Pygmalion’ by Slowdive Failed
In early 1995, Slowdive released an album so misunderstood that it effectively ended their career. But today, Pygmalion is hailed by some as a masterpiece. How did something so ahead of its time fail so spectacularly? This is the story of that ill fated album and why it ultimately led to the band calling it quits.
👉 Subscribe for More Vinyl Videos: https://youtube.com/c/AndyFenstermaker/?sub_confirmation=1
WATCH NEXT:
✓ My Bloody Valentine’s Goth Days: https://youtu.be/yuWq-VPD7JA
✓ Blonde Redhead’s Chaotic Beginnings: https://youtu.be/pXQQsIPqTkg
✓ The Rise of Niravna: https://youtu.be/cCbufj7nskY
🎥 All Poetic Wax Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLylroYWVYWWXL84MH1T4Qr0wrRzjwlGMR
Get Pygmalion on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/3EeMndi
Get Slowdive on Vinyl 🎧 https://amzn.to/4axNXTn
Poetic Wax is hosted by Andy Fenstermaker.
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Slowdive and the Story of Pygmalion
1:05 Slowdive’s Early Days and Constant Criticism
3:14 The Lost Second Album & Souvlaki
5:00 Recording Pygmalion
7:42 The Breakdown at Creation Records
10:23 The Band Critics Loved The Hate
12:59 Aftermath & What Happened to Slowdive
CLIP CREDITS:
https://youtu.be/R4Vww5Tey3w?si=pLkJ-bg7TB55cxif
https://youtu.be/5PqjpPKLpac?si=qzOSI841rYDfTsr7
https://youtu.be/b-ypXdiyG54?si=ZrHvsZ87agXsTUP5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6BFKNIKoRM
https://youtu.be/UdwdMNfzMTc?si=2Og2usj8cVgBhDdp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id3nEc7mYxQ
#slowdive #slowdivehistory #slowdivedocumentary #documentary #videoessay #shoegazedocumentary #mybloodyvalentine #neilhalstead #rachelgoswell #vinylcommunity #vinylrecords #vinylcollection #andyfenstermaker #fensepost #vinylchannel #poeticwax #musicessay #musicstory #albumstory #musichistory #albumhistory #musicdocumentary
@AndyFenstermaker
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Before Loveless, My Bloody Valentine was a goth band. Check out the story of their early days next 👉 https://youtu.be/yuWq-VPD7JA
@yowhatup45
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
This is a good video
@WebelaCom
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
That’s a greatest way to try explaining without ever explaining anything. You’ve got to become a politician mate!
@RSBurgener
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
This album wasn't a hit with me. I have tried more than once to appreciate it, and I may again, but it has eluded me so far.
@xamdontplay
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I love and will always love this record to death
@ZMAQWE
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I loved Slowdive (when they were noisy) but I disliked Pygmalion because the music didn’t bring me anywhere. But it’s also the album that brought me to Seefeel. Quique is one of my all time favourite albums !
@adamgorsky8422
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
13:51 "The break-up marked the end of an era for the band"…..YOU DONT SAY?! 😂
I kid I kid wonderful video and really informative I didn't know the full story so glad I found it, and your channel as a whole, im obsessed with music history, I binge Trash Theory & Middle 8 constantly so im glad I have another music nerd for the roster, keep up the great content!
@7374-t8m
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Album so ahead of it's time I believe it's still too ahead… I still wait for "ambient rock" genre to be a thing
@vxvxvxv
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
This is actually my favorite SD album
@mippim8765
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
…try shaving ok..
@natenathan5612
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Love Pygmalion
@soarornor
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Its a brilliant album. Critics be damned!
@castelien
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Pygamalion is one of the best albums ever made, along with Slowdive's Everything is Alive. I think it's unfair to compare Neil and Robin Guthrie. If you listen to interviews, they are each their own supreme creative force.
@picawat
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
i love pygmallion tho 🙁
@scottmaxwell418
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Great Video. Better channel!
@paulboggan
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
i grew uo during that 90s era and slowdive were always hugely loved by all except the music industry.
one of the most joyous things ive witnessed is slowdives return and the fact the new music is as good or even better makes it even more wonderful… as for a live act…. well you gotta witness them.
@Md.HabiburRahmanNakib
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Sleep by slowdive, i don't know which ablum it is from,
But sleep along with catch the breeze are my one of all time favourite songs
@vousandi8673
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I really wanted to listen, but after the 5th “pygmAHlion”, and 1st “etherEal”, I could not.
@TheHSIHP
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Fleet Foxes completely ripped off the first track.
@TheHSIHP
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I just discovered this album. I love it. Critics are fools.
@chrisknowlton9460
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Please explain how Slowdive were "derivative" of Ride. That's like people who say The Chameleons ripped off U2. When two bands start in approximately the same year, one cannot rip off the other or be derivative. Pygmalion was basically Halstead doing home demos of electronica influenced stuff. Tacked on some parts by the others and it got released as Slowdive. It is no masterpiece IMO and definitely the weakest of the three initial albums. Some other things you said about the release and about Brian Eno were not accurate either.
@matthewclark1674
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
If the press doesn't like it, you know it's good.
@regfries8279
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I saw Slowdive play live last Tuesday night. There must’ve been 400 kids in their early twenties queued around the block waiting for the doors to open so they could race inside to get a good position in front of the stage. I’m a shoegazer from the early 90s and I loved Slowdive at the time. I know this video is about Pygmalion, but I remember listening to Souvlaki on repeat in the early 90s wondering why nobody else got it. I’d love to know why the next generation has latched on so tightly to a band that very few people understood at the time.
@DrWittyBanter
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I had that one and loved it too. The movie, The Doom Generation used the final track, Blue Skied 'n Clear for the end title theme. Pygmalion is pronounced with a long a as in may not ma, your welcome.😊👍Have a good day, nice vid btw.🎯
@eviataryarhi6708
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Don’t pot your address many people would come for those epic albums
@yawninghyaena
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
honestly, is the answer to your final question not that it would have thrived were it released on another label?
i get that if you weren't listening to autechre, seefeel or labradford this album was too alien.
but I've always cherished it as the best guitar-made ambient record of all time…
creation should have passed it on to Warp or Kranky. Maybe even Touch.
that's my opinion 🙂
Finally a video that sheds some light on an album decennia ahead on its time ! to me their best work is the early EPs and Pygmalion
@corkscrewfoley
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I dunno why everyone was so shocked by Pigmaylion. The b-sides & eps from Souvlaki were signaling that change.
@tristangotristan
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
The reason we felt a little suspicious about 'Slowdive' was because they wore their influences on their on their sleeve, and arrived on the scene at the tail end of a certain sound, which had been done to death. Furthermore, when you consider that JAMC had modelled themselves on a pretentious 60's group, who were themselves the apotheosis of faux art, the exponential pretentious index became somewhat tiresome, and above all – contrived. When you push the indie element too far, it leads to absurdity -and absurd bands – that only people who hate music, would take pleasure in: Pulp, Suede, Blur, Radiohead, Coldplay, The Killers, etc. If your only goal in life is to be 'cool', those bands will be the perfect match for you.
@stevethefishdotnet
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
In any case, Grunge music was an insult to humanity.
@lucasoheyze4597
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Had to turn it off, you shouldn't make videos about albums you can't even pronounce the title of correctly.
@mark_verbos
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Grunge sucks.
@spaceengineer-music
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
Pyg MAR lian ??!! Wtf ??! MAY lian…like it's written.
@orenges
October 24, 2025 at 3:18 am
I honestly want those who harassed, hated and threatened them for no reason to meet the brazen bull for all the trauma they caused.
Comments are closed.