Doves : best band in the world - discuss

As an old Joy Division fan I was well pleased with Doves first album "Lost Souls". The new album "Last Broadcast" has now completely blown me away.

If you think about it Doves' career has been like New Order's only in reverse. Whereas, New Order started as a rock band (Joy Division) and up in with a dance sound. Doves started as a dance band (Sub Sub) and ended up with a rock sound.

"Get Ready" with it's overt rock sound is New Order trying to go back to their roots. To me all the cliches of dance music are now old hat. Nobody is doing anything new or exciting with dance music today. When I hear a New Order remix it just makes me think of the 1980's. When I were a lad (cue Hovis music) the shift from Joy Division to Blue Monday was genuinely exciting.

To sound modern today I feel you need to get rid of all the 1980's dance baggage. It is frustrating that New Order seem incapable of doing this. Compare the recent single releases from New Order and the Doves :-

NEW ORDER - endless redundant remixes spread across 3 separate CD singles.

DOVES - "Here comes the fear" released and deleted on the same day for 99p. Single contains A-side and Video - nothing more, nothing less.

Now tell me which approach you prefer. New Order dilute the effect of their singles with these unnecessary remixes.

Don't get me wrong I still love New Order - they just need to catch up with life in the 21st century.

'Lost Souls' is the best thing i have heard in 10 years. i like 'The Last Broadcast' but it isnt a shade on the debut for me.

Compared to New Order, Doves are definately more experimental at the moment but to be fair to New Order they were groundbreaking for years and have helped change the face of music. It's hard to be groundbreaking all the time. I remember when Crystal came out, thinking that there still wasn't anything else that sounded like it. They are still relevant after all these years and who else from their original era is still relevant?....can't think of anyone

I don't think Doves will change anything personally but they are easily the best new(ish) band around at the moment.

Doves will always be number 2 behind NO for me...

The new album is stunning, the debut was excellent but had a couple of dud tracks ("lost souls" and "melody calls"), the new album has no bad tracks.

originally posted by Adam Tate

To sound modern today I feel you need to get rid of all the 1980's dance baggage. It is frustrating that New Order seem incapable of doing this. Compare the recent single releases from New Order and the Doves :-

Admittedly dance/house is no longer the new modern sound, it's also no longer a flash in the pan. The advances in studio techniques and general progression of technology for the last decade seem's less apparent on 'The Last Broadcast than on most of the music buy todays prominent dance acts. What exactly is it about The Doves you consider so modern? Is there anything tangible in their sound or any kind of expirimental techniques that are pushing back the boundaries in 2002? To me they actually sound less advanced than the Stone Roses did in 1990. P.S. I do quite like the album but in know way could I say there's anything remotely great about it and I still say the singer's voice is a weak link.

I lost the fucking thing trying to quote something, don't know if i can be arsed typing it again.

Originally posted by ShugZV If yer as lazy as moi - I wouldn't bother mate;)

I gave it a whirl, in future I think if I have something long-winded to right I'll use 'Word' at least then you can see what you're writing and spell check the bloody thing.

Doves are not the best band in the world. Get real.

"Lost Souls" is one of the best records of the past five years / ten even...it's sad but uplifting at the same time. Not many records have that effect on the listener do they? So fullest credit goes to the band for surviving all the shit that befell them over the years to turn out such a cracking record, which still gets welded to my CD tray from time to time.....

They're good, but come on, why do people keep overdosing on the hyperbole?? It just stinks of all the usual press-induced hysterical bullshit. Even Doves - the most unpretentious and down to earth folks around - admit they already feel bemused and even a tad cynical at the fooking NME's attempt to hype THEM up now in the same way they did Radiohead et al... Let's face it, it can only signal the inevitable backlash that much sooner can't it? It's like every single band of any kind of decent capability gets this tedious fawning treatment on their overzealous "conveyorbelt of cool". It just happens to be Doves turn now, just like it was Starsailor, Coldplay, Travis, The Verve, Radiohead etc etc... before them.... And look what happened there - as soon as the latter got their inevitable Number 1 album, they got this huge paranoia complex and started going weird on them all - which, I gleefully have to concede - peeved the fawning NME masses (and a lot of their fans...haw haw haw...) no end....

Let's hope Doves pull the same stunt then... They're more intelligent and focussed than most to do anything as spurious and desperate as to believe in their own needless NME-endorsed hype.

i'd just like to thank Liv for calling me live from Paris so i could hear doves playing "here it comes" :D

Why the hell weren't YOU there matey???

Originally posted by Oh Shite! There Goes The Paranoid Android Again!! Why the hell weren't YOU there matey???

Because i seriously can't afford it....

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I don't know anything about Doves'albums, as I discovered them yesterday (they were New Order's guests in Paris). All I can say is that Doves on stage = noisy sleeping pills. Their performance resulted in me having a headache and falling asleep and not willing to see or hear them again. Should try to listen to their albums: they might be better.

"Noisy sleeping pills": oh baby, that sounds like the greatest compliment ever. Bring on the 'mazzies.......

I have to agree with Martin (Gray) about the Doves hype in the British musical press. However, as they are somewhat older than many other 'hyperboled' bands, I hope they won't give into this game and be intelligent enough to continue making good music.

BTW, I find a lot of similitudes between "Last Broadcast" and the Boo Radley's "Giant Steps" -maybe due to the (super)production.

Originally posted by Monster Sub Sub were better. ;)

Nevemind trivial matters, what about an epic Paris review?

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doves are good compared with what else is around at the mo but no way are they the best band ever. their stuff isn't new or different or unique or groundbreaking - if i heard a random song of theirs on the radio i wouldn't immediately know it as their sound unless i knew the song. sorry!

Doves get the big thumbs-down from me; their stuff just seems really tuneless and depressing. Maybe I'm missing something.

I must be slacking - I ain't got their latest album yet.... still trying to get my lugs round the surprisingly different new Breeders one at the moment....

Just come across this thread - can't see what all the fuss is about the Doves myself.

Thought that last single was pretty boring.

IMHO the Order aren't doing enough electronic music these days. It was that experimental electronic side of the Order that really got me into them in the first place.

I also don't like endless remixes or even overly 'dance orientated' stuff but it is still possible to experiment with electronic music without making it a 'bangin house' tune.

If the Order are to release another album I hope the keyboards, programming and sequencers make a huge return rather than another straight forward 'rock' album like Get Ready.

Doves the best band??????????? What about New Order?????????? I heared one Doves song and liked it But it's nothing compared to NEW ORDER!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by Oh Shite! There Goes The Paranoid Android Again!! Doves are not the best band in the world. Get real.

The best band in the world is the non-band fronted by Janaki, Martin, and me. Period. Were we to play even once, the universe would collapse inward upon itself.

Print that, NME, if you dare.

I still have not listened to The Doves. Not real sure if I really should either. Am I the only person who hasn't listened to The Doves yet? Sheesh, I need to get out more often!

Hey there Marty

the cedar room is simply epic + they were Rob's band after all. can't wait for old trafford.

Doves are a wicked band, their last single was NOT boring! It was one of the best things released this year! Doves are really really good, and I'm a bit disappointed they're not supporting the Order on sunday.

I'm undecided about Doves. There's a bit too much 'The Bends' era Radiohead about them for me to think they're the best new band around. For a bit more opinion about them check out my live review of their recent Portsmouth gig here.

Regards, Andrew Morrison Email: morriso@btinternet.com ICQ No. 52250781 Website: http://www.trustnoone.org.uk