Downward Is Heavenward by Hum. What a beautiful heavy rock album. Love it. Layers and layers of guitars living within that expansive production. Almost like a heavier version of Built To Spill at times. Very nice sound too, almost an audiophile classic in modern rock, isn't it? Should be, if not. Seems to be for a lot of hifi fans I know out there. There was a short time in the 90s when all the majors were clamoring to find the next Nirvana, and all of a sudden a handful of truly extraordinary bands found themselves with the means to produce music that would live long into the future, whether the record companies that were paying the bill for the studio time knew it or not. And you know that they knew nothing because albums like this never got any promotion. But still the true fans of intelligent rock found them, and the cult was born, and lives on. This one on RCA was near the end of that cycle in 1997, and may go down as a lost classic of the 90s, but Hum still sounds great 8 years later!

funny i've always preferred the production on ypaa more. this one's always sounded too shiny to me

I think I need to check this out. It sounds right up my alley.

Definitely one of my favorite albums. I especially love the lyrics.

hey Davey, you feel like sharing a ysi of this album? i've yet to hear it.

In my top 10 of all time....

Is this more of that lost indie shit that Davey is always yammering about????

Hey Dalen, I'm not really set up for that at home but I'm sure there must be a bunch of people around here with this album since it's not really obscure or anything. I was just talking to someone else on another board about it and how it is one of those albums that I didn't really get into at first, but kept listening and it grew into a favorite and now I have no idea why I didn't get it at first. I can see it being called a classic 20 years down the road because it does have a timeless quality about it and still enough support to keep it from getting lost in the future. Just doing my small part, but yeah, you should find a way to hear it. It might not be a revelation at first, but just remember that it's gonna be a classic

Another classic from another classic band out of IL in the 90's. I'm still awaiting my tickets!!

np: Shadow-Right Thing

I gave up on this band after that abortion You'd Prefer an Astronaut

Electra 2000 is still pretty good though

seriously??

one of my favorite bands ever--i love both ypaa and dih equally though they don't sound exactly the same. ypaa is, for lack of a better term, more "foggy" sounding while dih has more of a prog/rush production aesthetic. both are great imho.

on a side note, i just got my swervedriver mix from kph (thanks!) and they are in the same ballpark of hum if not just a tad more pop in the vein of doves with some the detuned trippiness of my bloody valentine.

What's a good Swervedriver track to check out? Always heard the name, but never the music.

np: House of Pain-Back From the Dead!!!

'duress' and 'never lose that feeling/never learn' are two of my favorites, both from the album mezcal head (might as well just d/l the whole thing- its that good)

Are their songs really over eight minutes? I don't know if my attention span can handle much more than five. Downloading now though. Thanks.

np: Talking Heads-Psycho Killer

I'd check Duel and Last Train to Satansville off Mezcal Head as well. Great album.

ysi for dih just finished if anyone's interested

sure hook me up and Dalan asked for it upthread as well.

"harry & maggie" is the one stuck in my head right now. "other jesus" was their single, i think.

Perhaps my favorite album ever.

I've had this album just sitting in my collection for a while after reading lots of great reviews here and elsewhere. Found a dirt-cheap copy on Half.com, figured it was worth $3.50 total to check out. Listened a couple times, wasn't blown away. Ripped it and loaded it on my Ipod for checking out again today and I'm quite liking it. Must'a just been my mood when I bought it or something.

Y'all might like Bailterspace, as well...

'Apollo' is such a beautiful song.

think about it, if you'd grown up with a band that you loved for being rough around the edges and if they sold out some of their friends to go major (RIP Honcho Overload) and came back with a slick, radio-friendly version of their old sound, how would you feel?

better band

Great band! They remind me a lot of My Bloody Valentine