Anniversary 40th Gift Pair of White Wine
Fully washable wine glasses standing 22cm high and holding 25cl of your favourite tipple.Hand Painted in the UK.Design and Wording as shown, comes gift boxed with a card of authenticity.
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Used Price: ?20.74
Customer Review: Sunny Chainsaw Smile
I recently came across ‘Ecstasy and Wine’ in a Soho record shop and went for the plunge. It had been one of those ‘must buy’ items at the back of my mind for years. At the time of this early compilation’s release in February ‘89 MBV were none too pleased, branding it a cash-in by their former label Lazy Records as they enjoyed their new-found high profile with Creation. 1988’s ‘You Made Me Realise’ EP is generally written as the explosive tour-de-force that transformed the group from candypop lightweight janglers to sonic distortionists riding a wave of alt-American inspired decibel-driven intensity. But listening to these ealy recordings, just before ‘the breakthrough’, the question is , when exactly WERE My Bloody Valentine lightweight? Certainly not here. The Lazy single ‘Strawberry Wine’ and mini-album ‘Ecstasy’ (both ‘87) that form this compilation contain all the sweetheart melodies of the later stuff - Bilinda’s ghostly vocals whispering from some blissed-out dimension over an attacking dirge of sound - except here the overall sonic influence is more Mary Chain than Sonic Youth; massed effects and droning open tunings still waiting at the wings. Admittedly, some of the songs may chime along in an early Love/Byrdsian jangle - not leaping out and grabbing you in a distorted throttle - yet isn’t that rough/smooth changeability the case with all MBV records? There’s a particular distinction in the rhythm section, an undeniable power, that separates MBV from the whole disposable-jangle/second-rate Primitives thing of that particular era. Even in their softer moments it was discernible they were made of meatier stuff. Like the Velvet Underground, there’s an awareness of darkness, menace, a messed-up sensibility beneath the mock softness. At least four songs here wouldn’t go amiss on ‘Isn’t Anything’. First track ‘Strawberry Wine’ kicks off with all the hallmarks of classic MBV minus the background layer of fuzz that familiarized the later sound. But on the second song ‘Never Say Goodbye’, there it is, a furious wash of killer distortion that dresses the boy/girl vocals in gleaming black pearls, Bilinda ghosting in with loved-out promises to Kevin’s moody, stoned propositioning (”Take me by the hand/Let me show you games we can play”). ‘Can I Touch You’ rings like a homage to The Beatles’ ‘Rain’, shimmering in a hazy-eyed, mid-sixties sensibility. ‘The Things I Miss’ is a bass stomp that thuds along with menace and swagger, and Pyschocandy vocals (”The touch of your kiss/Leaves me in a mess”), pure nihilism meets lust. ‘Clair’ swirls in a familiar catatonic rage, juxtaposing what MBV are best at: sweetheart girl vocals in the shadow of lurking paranioia and danger, at times kicking in for the kill, or crashing like a train wreck. And final track ‘(Please) Lose Yourself in Me’ merges nervous energy with tranquillized melancholy in the kind of treble fizz and choir vocals emulated by shoegazers such as Lush and Slowdive. This record may not cascade in the strange open tunings and varied sonic dissonance of ‘Isn’t Anything’ and beyond, yet it sounds like a natural precursor rather that an early embarrassment, highlighting a band before they hit (too) dizzy heights. I recently saw Kevin Shields backing a Patti Smith poetry reading at the South Bank, watching for two hours as he endlessly riffed his trademark ‘Loveless’ glide sound (the man next to me slept throughout). It seems sad that ‘Loveless’ was the zenith but also the fall - the mark on the map where it all ended. The ‘Xtrmntr’ and ‘Lost in Translation’ tracks were fair enough but NOT enough. Shields was at his best with the chemistry of his four-piece set-up (although I’m willing to be proved wrong - apparently he has “delivered hundreds of hours of guitar based material to Island”. But that was in ‘99). Any chance of a reunion perhaps? ‘Ecstasy and Wine’ shows a band before the complications of high expectation and over-exposure set in to work their damage. There’s a purity to the music - not apparent in the perhaps over-worked ‘Loveless’ - that rides high above so much of the British indie of its day. In a way, the record sounds like a companion piece to ‘Isn’t Anything’, like its less demon-ridden sister, before the sonic trip to outer space and the resultant crash and burn.
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List Price: ?39.99
Amazon Price: ?17.98
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The superior drinking game for wine experts, wine lovers, and those who simply enjoy the occasional drink. A delightful journey through vineyards, wine tasting, wine bars, wine parties; you may be lucky enough to take the gourmet wine tour, the grand tour or the mini tour; you will glide effortlessly round the board, answering a question or two about wine (red - hard, white - easy) and being asked to take a drink or two from your glass, which always seems to replenish itself This is essentially a superior drinking game, which will increase your appreciation of wine and will provide a very entertaining evening for 2-8 players. Contents: Folding Board, Playing Pieces, Question Cards, Dice, Instructions. Dimensions: 34.5cm (13.5 inches) x 26cm (10.25 inches)
Used Price: ?6.00 Read more..
Spray Gonzo Wine Out works like magic?on red wine spillages.?Always keep a?12oz bottle of Gonzo Wine Out in case of accidents for at drinks or dinner parties and not only will you eliminate the stain but you will also impress your friends!Gonzo doesn’t smell and its non-toxic. We use it on our new linen tablecloth - food spills on shirts can now be saved, and I’ve just proved that it works on carpet too. Buy it - you will tell all your friends.
List Price: ?17.76 
