Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666
Studio album by HIM
Released 3 November 1997
Recorded Summer 1997
Studio MD-Studios in Munkkiniemi
Peacemakers Studio in Jokela
Genre Gothic metal[1]
Label BMG
Producer Hiili Hiilesmaa
HIM chronology
666 Ways to Love: Prologue
(1996)666 Ways to Love: Prologue1996		 Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666
(1997)		 Razorblade Romance
(2000)Razorblade Romance2000
Singles from Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666
  1. "When Love and Death Embrace"
    Released: October 1997
  2. "Your Sweet Six Six Six"
    Released: February 1998
  3. "Wicked Game"
    Released: September 1998

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 is the debut studio album by Finnish gothic rock band HIM. Released 3 November 1997, the album was recorded in fifteen days in the summer of 1997 with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, whom vocalist Ville Valo has credited as the honorary sixth member of the band for his help in honing the band's sound. Musically Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 has been described as a combination of heavy metal and 1980s rock and goth, with lyrics centered around themes of love and death. The album also features the only writing credits from guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström in the band's history, and is their only album to feature keyboardist Antto Melasniemi and drummer Juhana "Pätkä" Rantala.

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 received positive reviews from critics, who commended the album's diversity and overall sound. The album peaked at number four in Finland and at number 50 in Germany, later going platinum in the former. Three singles were released, two of which reached the top ten in Finland and received music videos. HIM would later go on to win "Debut Album of the Year", as well as "Newcomer of the Year", at the 1997 Emma Awards. After a supporting tour across Finland, Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 received its international release in late 1998, which was followed by the band's first tour abroad in Germany.

Production

Producer Hiili Hiilesmaa has been credited as the honorary sixth member of the band for helping them hone their sound

HIM began recording their debut album in the summer of 1997.[2] Drums, bass and guitars were recorded at MD-Studios in Munkkiniemi, while vocals and keyboards were recorded at Peacemakers Studios in Jokela.[2] All in all the recording process took fifteen days, while the album was mixed in approximately one week.[2] HIM had minimal studio experience prior to recording Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666, and vocalist Ville Valo has later credited producer Hiili Hiilesmaa for helping to "build HIM's sound", and touted him as the honorary sixth member of the band.[2][3] When entering the studio, HIM had eight songs ready for the album, two of which ("Wicked Game" and "The Heartless") were previously recorded for their 1996 EP 666 Ways to Love: Prologue.[3] After initially finishing recording, the album clocked in at 32 minutes, which the band's record label BMG felt was too short.[4] As a result, HIM opted to include a cover version of Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) the Reaper", which the band demoed the previous winter.[5] The version also featured guest vocals by June Hyde, an old school friend of Valo's and guitarist Linde Lindström's ex-girlfriend.[5] During the album's mastering process, Hiili Hiilesmaa and Pauli Saastamoinen added an effect at the end "It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)", where the stereo sound breaks, which caused many people to later return the album back to stores, believing they had received a faulty copy.[6]

Valo had originally envisioned the album's front cover to feature a replica of his body that would slowly turn into a skeleton as it went down.[7] Due to minimal funds and time constraints, the band were unable to realize this idea, so they opted for a traditional photo session with Vertti Teräsvuori, where Valo posed as a "Jeanne d’Arc -style tortured figure".[7] The cover art was also meant to represent a combination of goth and eroticism with its dark red color scheme.[7] BMG was not fond of the finished artwork, feeling that it evoked too much of a "Billy Idol -vibe" by just having one band member on the cover.[8] The label also protested to the band's idea of having the name HIM barley visible on the cover.[8] "For You" was also chosen as the first track on the album at the insistence of BMG, with the word "intro" in parentheses. According to Valo, this was done because the label didn't want people just listening to the long opening of the song, thinking the whole album would be like that.[8] "Your Sweet Six Six Six" was later switched out as the opening track on the international edition of the album.[8]

Music and lyrics

The sound of Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 has been described as a combination of heavy metal and 1980s rock and goth music.[9] Lyrically the album is heavy on symbolism centered around love and death, which would continue through the band's later work as well.[3] As a whole however, Valo has described the album as much more "serious" than the band's later releases, stating: "I guess I was a bit humorless back then. I thought we were really making some fucking fine art or something, and in hindsight I realized, that maybe it wasn't quite like that."[4] Valo has later singled out Type O Negative as the main influence on Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666.[10]

The album opens with "For You (Intro)", which features a '50s-style intro taken from Chris Isaak's original "Wicked Game".[12] The main riff of the song is also taken from the song "Bloody Hammer" by Roky Erickson.[12] "For You", along with "Our Diabolikal Rapture", are the only two HIM-songs to date to be co-written by guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström.[2] The latter of the two came to be after Valo heard Lindström playing a riff, which was then modified to be more "stonery".[12] This eventually evolved into "Our Diabolikal Rapture", which Valo described as "progressive, yet catchy".[13] "Your Sweet Six Six Six" is a love song about how "when another person does you harm, but still it's so fucking hard to let go. You're not even sure if you want to let go".[12] The title was inspired by the alleged backmasking featured on Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven", where TV evangelist Paul Crouch claimed that, when played backwards, satanic messages can be heard in the song, including the phrase "Here's to my sweet Satan".[12] The use of the number 666 was seen by the band as purely "symbolic" and "traditionally rock 'n' roll", not indicative of satanism.[14][15]

"The Heartless" was inspired by Valo's first crush, who fell in love with his best friend, whom Valo felt was being "completely heartless" to her.[12] "When Love and Death Embrace" was chosen as the first single from the album by BMG Finland's Asko Kallonen, who felt that the song "represented HIM at its core",[6] to which Valo agreed, touting the song as being a good representation of the band overall.[16][17] The verse-chords of the song are taken from the soundtrack of the TV series Twin Peaks, and "When Love and Death Embrace" is also the band's first song to make use of a Moog synthesizer, which Valo later called a "trademark of HIM".[13] The banging sounds featured on "The Beginning of the End" were achieved by the band hitting the trash bins of the Munkkiniemi youth center in a cellar.[13] The opening riff of the song is also performed by Valo, as Lindström was not present at the studio, and the band wanted "the world's shittiest sound played badly", which they believed Lindström could not provide.[3] "Wicked Game" was originally released in 1989 by Chris Isaak on his album Heart Shaped World. The song was used a year later in the David Lynch film Wild at Heart, which is where Valo was first introduced to the song.[18] Around this time, the band, then known as His Infernal Majesty, were low on original material and thus decided to add "Wicked Game" to their repertoire.[18] According to Valo, the song was an integral part of the band's evolution and helped them find their own sound.[18] "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" was originally released by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult in 1976 on their album Agents of Fortune. The Romeo and Juliet -theme of the song inspired Valo to record it as a duet with June Hyde.[5] He explained his decision, stating: "I never understood the manliness of the original by Blue Öyster Cult, as [the song] is clearly an exchange between a man and a woman. I thought it would be more interesting to make a version, where a boy and a girl decide you don't have to be afraid".[5]

Release and promotion

"When Love and Death Embrace" was the first single released from the album and debuted at number twelve on the Finnish Singles Chart, before peaking at number nine two weeks later.[19] A music video, directed by Mikko Pitkänen, was also produced for the song.[20] "Your Sweet Six Six Six" and "Wicked Game" were also released as singles, with the former charting at number nine in Finland and the latter receiving a music video, directed by Markus Walter.[19][21]

HIM performing at Provinssirock in June 1999

Before the release of Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666, HIM held a showcase in October 1997 for members of the music industry at the Music and Media Expo in Tampere.[22] Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 was released on 3 November 1997, and debuted at number eleven on the Finnish Albums Chart, before peaking at number four a week later.[22][19] The album would eventually be certified gold a year later and platinum in 2000.[23] On the day of the release, HIM held a special album release party at King's Kakadu, a strip club in Helsinki, where they performed three songs by Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki, dressed in suits with slicked-back hair, as well as '50s-style instruments.[24] Afterwards HIM performed at the Tavastia Club, which was sold-out.[24] The official supporting tour for Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 began in mid-December 1997 at the Maxim in Kuopio.[25] Later that year, HIM would go on to win "Newcomer of the Year" and "Debut Album of the Year" at the Finnish Emma Awards.[26]

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 was released internationally a year after its initial Finnish release, and charted at number 56 in Germany.[27][28] The album would re-enter the German Albums Chart in 2000, peaking at number 50.[28] Prior to the album's release, HIM were invited to play two festival dates in Germany, followed by a fourteen date tour across the country in the fall.[29][30] Before the start of the tour, keyboardist Antto Melasniemi was let go from the band, being replaced by Jussi-Mikko "Juska" Salminen.[31] After returning to Finland, HIM decided to part ways with drummer Juhana "Pätkä" Rantala as well, who was replaced by Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen before the start of another German tour.[32]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Rock Hard9/10[1]
Allmusic[9]
Soundi[33]

Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666 received positive reviews from critics. Holger Stratmann of Rock Hard gave the album nine out of ten, and declared it "one of the best debut albums of the year".[1] He singled out "You Sweet Six Six Six" as a particular highlight, and described the album as a "good start for a newcomer band".[1] Allmusic reviewer Antti J. Ravelin awarded the album four stars out of five, and commended the album's "diverse sound" and the band's "sense for dynamics instead of playing just quiet or loud".[9] Ravelin concluded his review by stating that the album "succeeds in pleasing everyone, whether they're into rock or pop", and singled out "It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)" and "The Beginning of the End" as particular highlights.[9] Marjo Kreku of Soundi, who also gave the album four stars out of five, felt similarly, commending the album's versatility, and stating that "the band achieve an unparalleled whole" with Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666.[33] Kreku concluded that the album "is a great record, that only needs candlelight and red wine to keep it company", and praised "When Love and Death Embrace" as the album's "most fruitful piece".[33]

In 2017, Valo revisited Greatest Lovesongs Vol. 666, and called it "a first-timer's endearing virginal exploration", stating: "First you're ashamed of it for a couple of years, then you understand its good parts".[11]

Track listing

All tracks written by Ville Valo, except where noted.

Original track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."For You (Intro)"Linde Lindström, Ville Valo4:00
2."Your Sweet Six Six Six" 4:12
3."Wicked Game"Chris Isaak3:54
4."The Heartless" 4:03
5."Our Diabolikal Rapture"Teemu Järvinen, Linde Lindström, Ville Valo5:21
6."It's All Tears (Drown in This Love)" 3:44
7."When Love and Death Embrace" 6:08
8."The Beginning of the End" 4:07
9."(Don't Fear) The Reaper"Buck Dharma6:30
Total length:41:59

Personnel

Charts

Chart Peak
position
Finnish Albums Chart[19] 9
German Albums Chart[28] 50
US Heatseekers Albums[34] 31[A]
US Vinyl Albums[35] 13[B]
Notes
A.^ Peaked on 1 October 2005
B.^ Peaked on 10 January 2015

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[36] Platinum 68,719[36]

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 Review". Rock Hard. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.69. WSOY
  3. 1 2 3 4 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.70. WSOY
  4. 1 2 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.71. WSOY
  5. 1 2 3 4 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.72. WSOY
  6. 1 2 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.76. WSOY
  7. 1 2 3 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.73. WSOY
  8. 1 2 3 4 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.74. WSOY
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  10. ↑ "H.I.M. Frontman Talks About Songwriting Process For 'Dark Light', Breaking U.S. Market". Blabbermouth.net. November 25, 2005. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  11. 1 2 "Jäähyväiset HIMille – Ville Valo kertoo, miksi Suomen suurin rockyhtye lopettaa ja mitä siitä seuraa". Helsingin Sanomat. 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.80. WSOY
  13. 1 2 3 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.81. WSOY
  14. ↑ "HIM – Loud Legacy documentary". YouTube. 2015-02-25. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  15. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.29. WSOY
  16. ↑ "HIM Interview - Ville Valo on his source of inspiration & biggest flaws | Metal Hammer". YouTube. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
  17. ↑ "Interview: Ville Valo (HIM) @ Soundwave 2014". YouTube. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  18. 1 2 3 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.50. WSOY
  19. 1 2 3 4 "HIM Discography". Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  20. ↑ "HIM – "When Love and Death Embrace" (Music Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  21. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.234. WSOY
  22. 1 2 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.85. WSOY
  23. ↑ "IFPI - Tilashot - Kulta- ja platinalevyt". IFPI.fi. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  24. 1 2 Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.87. WSOY
  25. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.88. WSOY
  26. ↑ "Emma-winners". Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  27. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.97. WSOY
  28. 1 2 3 "GREATEST LOVESONGS VOL. 666" (in German). Offiziele Deutsche Charts. Retrieved 2017-06-08.
  29. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.98. WSOY
  30. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.99. WSOY
  31. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.100. WSOY
  32. ↑ Juho K. Juntunen (2002). "HIM – Synnin viemää" p.104. WSOY
  33. 1 2 3 "Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 Review". Soundi. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  34. ↑ "HIM - Heatseekers Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  35. ↑ "HIM - Vinyl Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
  36. 1 2 "HIM" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 July 2017.

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