the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

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dselevan
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the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

xxx
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jack white
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by jack white »

a small part of me (heh) was expecting a link to a leak but alas...

on the way home today broken heart from the first union chapel bootleg came on and i was once again stunned and in love and daydreaming about doggens doggone harmonica and how utterly jawdropping and truly heart breaking it was and i remembered sitting behind the cameraman on that first night and how it seemed the only time of the night he took his camera focus from jason and how then i wanted dearly the official release of that film or any release of that film to come as quickly as possible.

but then i wanted the new studio album too cause even when i don't listen to them i find jasons records and song to make such a wonderful part of my music universe. i got an everly brothers record recently and one of the tracks is This Little Girl Of Mine to which This Little Life Of Mine seems to owe a huge debt (obviously so it does too this little light of mine, du'h i know) and how magnifcent his entire body of work is in both being a tribute to rock n' roll while being good enough to stand in it's own right as a masterful collection. Amazing Grace perhaps weighed down more heavily than anything post-SPCM3 but nonetheless is charming enough with it's ideas and tunes to transcend any fears. and i get excited to cover the same ground and learn new lessons and then cover new ground or something to that vague effect.

but yes, the conclusion is i would like a new studio record and official acoustic mainlines stuff like that union chapel dvd and live cd (we it not for that goddamn stupid shushing Edinburgh shoulda gotten a release - especially cause the latest acoustic mainlines tours have been FAR too light on Amazing Grace material which is a subject touched upon in another thread at another time but maybe deserves mention again as i really enjoy a lot of that record as strongly as a lot of the rest of jasons catalogue) asap.
but that'll pass and i'll be patient again in the morning or soon. it'll be a good year. lots of irish tour dates would be nice as well.
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dselevan
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by dselevan »

xx
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Hedspace
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by Hedspace »

jack white wrote:. lots of irish tour dates would be nice as well.

I second that emotion
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by sunray »

Hedspace wrote:
jack white wrote:. lots of irish tour dates would be nice as well.

I second that emotion
As long as they're a vast improvement on the Vicar Street gig of a few years ago, Amazing Grace plus lame-ass versions of early material did not make for an enjoyable night. :(

On the subject of the new album, i know i'm probably going to be crucified for saying this but i don't actually feel any excitement/anticipation for it yet. After been disappointed with LICD and AG and not enjoying the new material on Acoustic Mainlines i just feel that more of the same is on the way and that prospect doesn't thrill me. Don't get me wrong i shall be out buying vinyl and cd plus singles whenever they come out plus attending any gigs round my way, i'm just not expecting to be blown away by any of it. Fingers crossed this'll change as release date, track listings etc. are made public.
Nineteen...Nineteen...Six Five
dselevan
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by dselevan »

I'm with Sunray. Let the crucification begin. I will run out to the store and buy everything, I am a sucker for Spiritualized.

I saw acoustic mainlines twice in a row. It was a cool venue, fun show, I wasn't that excited by it. I was more interested in finding my wizard. Seeing Doggon play Sean Cook's harmonica solo note for note might be impressive, but hardly the excting every show is a different experience that Spiritualized displayed 10 years ago. The musicians were great, it was a fun night out. Doggon is an amazing musician, I just have plenty of video of Sean Cook playing the same exact solo. In LA they only played 1 new song, no The Way I Feel. When I saw the Pure Phase tour, they played Come Together, Electricity, Cop Shoot Cop. A lot of new material that didn't come out for 2 years!

I don't want to say boring, but a lot of people were bored. I couldn't make it through a whole Amazing Grace show. I know some of you love it, and that's great for you. It seemed that even Jason was bored. I did run into Sonic Boom at that show, he reminded me that Jason used to sit down during Spacemen 3 shows as well. I understand that he wants to sit down now. Still the show was full of drunk jocks and it sounded quite contrived. Didn't Jason say that he wanted to sound like the White Stripes? Not really my thing.

Let it Come Down sounds pretty sweet on vinyl, I reccomend re-evaluating that album. It has some amazing songs, both lyrically and sonically brilliant.

I know this board isn't here to talk smack about Spiritualized, I am just hoping for something better. I think J is capable of more.
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by SpacemanRob »

Not sure i agree at all. I remember being at the QEH and just feeling the sheer beauty of the evening. Just Jason stripping down the songs and enjoying a new feel to many songs we know & love. I remember walking out with my brother and feeling just exhilirated. Really enjoyed the support at Massive Attack, Shepherds Bush and then the Union Chapel.
Can concede that the rush of the LAGWAFIS tours and earlier made the high even better but after the LICD and AG tours this felt quite special. I definately can listen to the bootlegs and feel enthralled. I can't wait for 'Soul On Fire' to become an electric classic whilst still really working as an acoustic high.
But as always expectations are huge.............
dselevan
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by dselevan »

dddd
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by BzaInSpace »

dselevan wrote:I have to concede that I may have been too drunk - 1 bottle of rum and too much crack - to fully enjoy the show.
Man you don't say. What is this, a Babyshambles gig now?


The new album is going to be a total classic... it's got 'Baby, I'm Just A Fool' on it right?
dselevan
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by dselevan »

Never heard babyshambled but who preeches sobriety at a spititualized show you weirdo
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by toomilk »

dselevan wrote:I have to concede that I may have been too drunk - 1 bottle of rum and too much crack - to fully enjoy the show.
Ah yes, the image of you tripping over that wheelchair is still vivid in my mind....
dselevan
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by dselevan »

yep...I went aa..that night was fucked. A wizard appeared with pure phasers and my buddy spiked my drink with rum.I spent much of the night trying to find a wizard who dissapeared into thin air. I'm clean now
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by Stuart X.Hunter »

dselevan wrote:...you weirdo...
Multiplied by this
dselevan wrote:...A wizard appeared with pure phasers and my buddy spiked my drink with rum.I spent much of the night trying to find a wizard who dissapeared into thin air...
Equals...well you do the maths.
Shoulders back, smash it
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by phaseGlyn »

To dselevan,

Whats a drunk jock?
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by jack white »

dselevan wrote:A wizard appeared with pure phasers.I spent much of the night trying to find a wizard who dissapeared into thin air.
this is you disillusionment with spiritualized (& jason).

to those dissenters worried about the new material what is it that you're looking for that you no longer find in the music?
i understand the anguish of passing out of a love affair with a band and i have found ever more things i love that little bit more than spiritualized so i'm not being a jerk about it or taking it as a personal insult to my tastes if you think i'm being so.
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dselevan
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by dselevan »

Jack White hit the nail on the head. The Wizard not only represents the connection, but also is a metaphor for Jason Spaceman who put together magical bands and was able to hypnotize a whole crowd in Los Angeles.

I spent most of the evening looking for one wizard, as the wizard Spacemen, who brought us Pure Phase, was clearly not in the room.

It still was a nice and relaxing show, quite beautiful for those who didn't see the wizardry of past endevors.

I too think this new album could be a triumphant comeback, but not based on what I saw at the Vista (they only played 1 new song I think).

A drunk jock..Think of someone either in high school or college who plays a lot of football. I don't mind noise, it was nice to hear people clapping at the Vista. Generally these drunk jocks get violent and make a lot of rude comments. They usually aren't a problem except I was 5'9, 125 pounds. Difficult to see over, around them, and they are likely to not move aside to let a little guy in.

When I saw Spiritualized in 1995 in high school, the older folks were kind enough to let us stoner kids get to the front row without and hassle.

SO I was disillusioned with both Spiritualized and the crowd.

Nothing against Jason, Spiritualized is a business enterprise, Jason is just a man.
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Re:

Post by BzaInSpace »

dselevan wrote: The Wizard .......
Forget Babyshambles, I really meant Lord Of The Rings.

Preaching to no-one mate. I just thought it was pretty crazy to put down on a gig where you had been 'spiked' (aye, right!) with a bottle of rum. Nevermind the crack....besides, what's wrong with a little sobriety?

You weirdo.
And also : what the fuck are you talking about Dave? Sorry, just baffled.
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Re: New Spiritualized Album

Post by Shaun »

Whats a drunk jock?

Friday night or Saturday night ? Can make all the difference, allegedly.
What more can the heart of a man desire?
dselevan
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Re: Wizards, Rum, Crack and the new LP

Post by dselevan »

The rum wasn't good for a show. I saw the show 2 nights in a row, no rum night 2. Also, I wasn't putting it down. It was better than Amazing Grace shows. I just didn't hear any new material except one new song. I'm used to the days when they played songs from Pure Phase before Pure Phase, songs from Ladies and Gentlemen made up much of the Pure Phase tour. Spiritualized used to be about working out new material in a live environment. I am disillusioned, it is much more professional and polished now. The Babyshambles comment was weird because of the obvious. We are on the Spiritualized message board, in a section called Outpatients. The show was called Acoustic Mainlines. Almost every single song refers to drugs. In my Spiritualized video collection, this band smokes and drinks on stage more than any band I've ever seen. I don't know this bambyshabbles, it's some rock star married to some model right? Who cares. No one has capitalized on drug referenced more than Jason Spaceman. That comment was weird. I've never even heard of the babyshamples but do you think they do more coke and booze than Spiritualized? Give me a break.

I actually had no intention of doing either Rum or Coke the first night. They both sort of came my way, unexpected surprise. I'm sober 22 days now so you don't need to convince me to try it.
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Re: Re:

Post by spzretent »

BzaInSpace wrote:
dselevan wrote: The Wizard .......

Preaching to no-one mate. I just thought it was pretty crazy to put down on a gig where you had been 'spiked' (aye, right!) with a bottle of rum. Nevermind the crack....besides, what's wrong with a little sobriety?
.

Whats wrong w/a little crack? :shock:
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dselevan
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Re: Wizards, Rum, Crack and the new LP

Post by dselevan »

Well, it's kind of hard to just do a little crack, although a good ringer always goes well with Pure Phase.
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Re: Wizards, Rum, Crack and the new LP

Post by spzretent »

i'll just have to take your word for that Dave.
The little that i do indulge in altering my consciousness(other than alcohol) always seemed centered around LGM for some reason.
Perhaps I should try Pure Phase?
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Re: Wizards, Rum, Crack and the new LP

Post by dselevan »

xdfsdgsd
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Re: Wizards, Rum, Crack and the new LP

Post by spzretent »

There is my entertainment for the evening then. Pure Phase wheadphones.
Thought I have been sober by choice for 8 days(not by choice but by flu!)
So its going to be sober.
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dselevan
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Good call. I wish we could expect something that expansive out of Spiritualized in 2008.....
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by alan_cohaul »

Did someone really ask what a "drunk jock" is? Heh, that's funny. I guess it's North American slang over here that others don't have.

I've never seen Spiritualized live. They usually only play Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, which are 20-30 hour drives. If they're playing things note for note, it's probably because Jason demands a certain perfection and an exact show. As thrilling as that can be, part of the problem with that is that--like the Royal Albert Hall live show--the live versions really don't differ that much from the album versions, and years ago, I would have said that would be a good thing, but i've grown a bit tired of bands that do the exact same show night after night, choreographed to a precision.

Anyone who's heard Doggen in Brain Donor with Cope, knows that he's an amazing lead guitarist and that, judging from his efforts and contributions to Spiritualized, it's clear that he knows where his paycheque is and that he's hired as someone to "play it Jason's way". I could be wrong on that, but if Doggen had his way, he'd be playing many more leads, as evidenced by Brain Donor. Or maybe he just didn't want to shred in every band. I'm not saying that Jason is impossible to work with--but every visionary becomes somewhat structured and somewhat difficult to work with, because it's their band, you know it, and if you don't like it, then you just find another project. The problem with Jason's grip on the band, is that I feel that a lack of outside ideas has allowed Jason to finally get what he wants--things to sound exactly his way. Seeing as that he fired the best band that he had in the lineup on LAGWAFIS (and although Lupine Howl isn't the great project that many hoped for), I think that Jason needs some ideas to bounce off people, because even visionaries' wells run dry, eventually--all my favorite bands ran out of gas after awhile. But by the time that stagnation sets in, the "brand" is already established enough that hardcore fans tend to not really like the template and the "sameness" to be tinkered with.

Amazing Grace was good, but I rarely listen to it, anymore. I think that alot of fans, when they think stripped down (and when they heard AG was a stripped down album), think that it's gonna be the fuzz pedals droning to one riff for 15 minutes. I think at this point--if I was Jason--i'd dip back into the Spacemen 3 stuff a bit more. FWIW, Cope said in a Brain Donor interview that he "used to like them (Spiritualized)....now it's coffee table music for smackheads". Which I don't necessarily agree with, but don't necessarily disagree with. I think that he's gotta make a less anti commercial record this time around---"Amazing Grace" was technically rawer and more stripped down, but it was still structured in a more commercial way--at least way more commercial than SP3 ever were. More "Dreamweapon"....i'd like to hear a slightly more accessible, yet much heavier and chaotic.

See, Jason's limitations on vocals and guitar hang him up a little bit. I don't mean that as a slag--he's one of the few musicians that knows his comfort zone very well, as a result of those limitations. However, I get the impression that he doesn't want anyone to outshine him (ie: that would explain why Doggen is severely underused), and that's created a stylistic rut in that it's been "all Jason, all the time".

For better or worse, he's got it. And also, be careful what you wish for--as they say, you just may get it. Jason has no one to vie for power struggles, creatively; unfortunately, as Spacemen 3 would prove with the Kember/ Pierce dichotomy, a little competition never hurt things at all. Every up needs it's down; every black needs it's white; every shade needs it's contrast; every yin needs it's yang.
dselevan
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Well said, although if you saw them on the Pure Phase tour - you saw a band working out new material, really improvising. It was electrifying and exciting.
I'm not going to pretend to know what Jason thinks - I do think he is a genius.

Around Pure Phase, Spaceman said he wanted Spiritualized to be like a jazz band. An outlet for live performances. He wouldn't have to tell people what to play. He said most bands used sequencers to sound just like the album, only louder, with more people standing around. I believe most of that was on the MTV 120 Minutes interview and other tapes I had.

I believe he lost touch with what used to excite me about seeing Spiritualized. I can only speak for myself, maybe Jason is really happy, "not treading the same water" but that's not how I see it.

I read several interviews about Amazing Grace where he mentioned the White Stripes. I think that album was clearly an attempt to become more commercial. Generally record labels want more rockers out of their rock bands. This is obvious, the big singles from LAGWFIS were Electricity and Come Together. To me, Amazing Grace sounds like a whole album of Electricity and Come Together, only with a band that is trying to sound like Spiritualized. Electricity and Come Together were cool live, but if I had to see another video tape with those two songs over and over I'm going to have to start smoking crack again.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by moop »

really interesting thread.
great to hear people vent their frustrations.
i shared many of the same thoughts as you guys (often contradictory, but there you go).

i definitely agreed with the concerns that the jazzy/spontaneous element which was so important around pure phase has slowly become sidelined. doesn't it drive anyone else nuts that the recent spz incarnation sounds so safe/commercial, when on the other hand jason continues to release/participate in such out-there projects as guitarloops and spring heel jack??

and the funny thing is that in that PP interview he was never talking about jazz itself, but the jazz approach (ie. the organic, band members feeding ideas off each other thing). instead he seems to have ended up inadvertantly heading toward that other aspect of jazz which i personally hate; the whole overly-portentous, overly-disciplined thing. (that's where the comment about the Royal Albert Hall recording fits in. not only does it echo the kind of 'choreographed' feel that only a few years earlier jason cited as being the big problem with live music, but (please correct me if i'm wrong) it also has overdubs to cover up any flaws/make it sound that much more perfect) Anyone who's caught spiritualized live knows that this isn't what they're about.

of course the proof is in the pudding, and we'll have to wait to hear the final versions of the new tunes to see just what he/they have done with them. on a more positive note, i have a vague recollection on the subject of the new album sessions that (someone mentioned) he said the band had a tightness/spontaneity that reminded him of captain beefheart's magic band. i can only hope this feeling makes it through to the final lp. so............i guess what i really want to say is that while i have the same concerns as many people on this thread, so far we've only had deliberately simplified versions of the new tracks, and we all seem to have amazing grace in the back of our minds. well that was a long time ago, and a lot's happened to the guy since then. let's give him a break and stop judging him on something we haven't even heard yet!
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Man who has heard the new sessions? That's why I started this thread. Who is even in the band?

I remember he used to say samplers were used to make the live show sound like the album.

There I was, standing in front on the Ladies and Gentleman tour, in San Francisco, and I hear a sampled gospel choir. I was right up there in front, there were more samples going on than I could handle.

So there you go, I'm 30 and have been disillusioned since 1997.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by spzretent »

seems bizarre to see all these posts slating Spiritualized on the cusp of a new release.
now I am not the biggest fan of the last two records(compared to the first three) but that doesn't stop my pent up excitement for the new record.
it almost seems like some people have already written it off. which is too bad.
and i still dont understand the criticism of the Acoustic Mainlines shows. It enabled Jason to strip the songs down to the core and at the same time orchestrate not only a string section but a gospel choir.
No, it didn't rock electric style, but to me it made the songs even more powerful.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Well no one has heard anything of the new release. I only heard one new song at the 2 acoustic shows I saw. I'm questioning if there even is a new release. I'm just kidding of course, but where are the promos for radio stations and record shops? No pre-release EP like all those singles that came out before Lazer Guided Melodies? Where is this new release?
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by SpacemanRob »

Having been lucky enough to Spz on every tour since they formed i am not sure you arguement stacks up? Sure we all have really special times live when Spz first played songs from PP, LGM and LAGWAFIS but the beauty of Spz is they always move on and make great music. Like many other posts on this thread we are all clamouring for them to hit that special high again but at least they are moving on. As already mentioned i really enjoyed the acoustic gigs and genuinely felt J was again moving on with stripped down versions of songs we love. High expectations for the new album but it has to go forwards.
After witnessing The Verve at the Roundhouse it really brought home how bad it is to watch a band you love give up to indulge the masses. The new album will be awful and Richard after shit solo albums will never capture the wonder of the early gigs/songs. This is a real travesty and must be seen in context of your arguement. Otherwise we might as well all go and watch Motorhead never move on at all just to appease highs that now seem a distant memory.
Lets wait and just maybe the anticpated high will be here again.....
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by spzretent »

there are probably 1/3 the number of record shops there used to be 10+ years ago. And record companies dont carry near the same weight they did 10+ years ago. CD singles dont really exist as a viable format anymore.
Add internet leakage into the mix and its no wonder there hasn't been any reviews.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

LA and San Diego both have more record shops than they did 10 years ago. LA has an Amoeba now. Some of the great Spiritualized vinyl was available through mail order or give aways at shows. Some of it would only show up at places like Amoeba and Off The Record. And Ladies and Gentlemen We're Floating in Space promos were sent to record shops months before it came out. I guess Jason doesn't have a label, that would explain it, but I'm really hoping for something like the Let it Flow 10" or something. Maybe this iTunes session will end up on a 10". If Jason stops making really cool looking albums I'm going to be even more bummed.

And I don't agree that Spiritualized ever did the same thing over and over. To me, Pure Phase was COMPLETEL Y different than Lazer guided. Ladies and Gentlemen was so much different than Pure Phase. Amazing Grace just sounds like the big hits off Ladies and Gentlemen over and over. Acoustic Mainlines was somewhat different, but Spiritualized have done a lot of acoustic sessions at radio stations. They just did more shows, but I have lots of acoustic spiritualized cds.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by spzretent »

dselevan wrote:LA and San Diego both have more record shops than they did 10 years ago.
I find that absolutely amazing! Indie shops are closing down all over the country except for S California I guess.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Yeah man we got an Amoeba and my buddy Mike opened a shop up down in Hillcrest.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

I tried Amazing Grace again. Sure I just have the mp3s so maybe it sounds better than a bad porno music band covering Spiritualized if i had the FLAC version?? Based on this recording I think Spaceman gave his band way too much freedom to come up with their own riffs. And did someone compare this to Beefheart's band? MAYBE if I had the FLAC version of amazing grace. The mp3 version is one of the worst pieces of music I've ever heard.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by moop »

dselevan wrote:I tried Amazing Grace again. Sure I just have the mp3s so maybe it sounds better than a bad porno music band covering Spiritualized if i had the FLAC version?? Based on this recording I think Spaceman gave his band way too much freedom to come up with their own riffs. And did someone compare this to Beefheart's band? MAYBE if I had the FLAC version of amazing grace. The mp3 version is one of the worst pieces of music I've ever heard.
no offense, but you make it sound like mp3s of the album are of an entirely different mix. i'd like to confirm for you that the 'inaudible' frequencies cut out by mp3 conversion don't make any substantial difference to the album. i know (or at least i really hope!) your comment was tongue in cheek, but come on now, music is about the vibe you get from hearing something, not obsessing with quality. sure i have issues with that album myself, but i'd suggest if you're trying to think of ways to click with it maybe you should forget about mp3s and flacs and think in terms of context. listen to it really loud when your angry/driving too fast/getting drunk with friends/whatever. and if you just don't like it, just don't listen to it. there's no point getting fixated on what a disappointment you find it every time you force yourself to listen.

like i said, i have issues with the album too, and i'm not gonna bore people with a big ol' diatribe on that. one thing i'd like to say is that i saw them on the AG tour too and (for me) it was great. the reason why being mostly because the AG album didn't really do any of the songs justice, so when i heard them live it was like 'oh right, so that's how it was supposed to sound!' maybe you just caught them on a bad day (yours or theirs). there was a sweet AG bootleg from canada posted on here a while back. that was pretty much how they sounded to me (though i saw them in the uk), so maybe you should track that down and give it a chance. maybe with a crate of beers? headphones? sat in a rocking chair with a pipe and comfy hat, right next to the speakers or out in the garden (maybe a little cold for that right now)? ice and a slice? lying down? in a space-suit? i dunno.

i'm sure someone on here will still have that canada gig if you're interested.
let me know if you have a breakthrough! :)

(oh and the beefheart comparisons were for the new album sessions. think it was namedropped in a slightly ambiguous way, so i think maybe it was just my interpretation of what someone said)
SpaceLine
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by SpaceLine »

mp3=compression, not just inaudible frequencies :x

rated x is one of spaceman's best songs spaceman has ever written even if the rest of AG isn't 'so hot'. i love all the other records and i think LICD is criminally underrated particularly straight/narrow and don't just do something(the live version they did with the horns in 2001 is pure heaven). i cannot wait to hear what is coming up next...if i thought spiritualized had sucked for the past 10 years i wouldn't hang around here, that's for sure.

bruce swedien - "Personally, I love transients and what they do to dramatize music. Let them live! If a recording is over-compressed, it will always be over-compressed. In other words, it will sound dull and lifeless forever!"
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by moop »

SpaceLine wrote:mp3=compression, not just inaudible frequencies :x
good point. was kinda thinking that as i was typing. my bad. :roll: but i honestly think (if it's a decent quality) the fact that it's an mp3 version won't be what the problem's about in this case. i mean, when i think of the years when i played music from tapes (often copied many times)/through crappy old car speakers and systems with crappy EQs etc, but still loved it... it didn't matter then, so why should it now? if someone's got a problem with an mp3 version of the album, it aint gonna be suddenly cured by hearing an uncompressed version. what i was trying not to get into earlier was that i think the damage was already done with the album by the way it was produced in the first place or in the way the songs themselves were played, whatever. (though i'll definitely agree that it has its moments of greatness too)

and i'm with you on LICD. loved that album, great songs and truly amazing production. i find when i leave it for a while and come back to it i always seem to notice something new. weren't some of the AG tunes written around the time of LICD? i wonder how they'd have ended up if they were recorded with the fuller production...etc
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by simonkeeping »

Just been reading through this and I thought I’d add my thoughts on it. I think the thing with Amazing Grace is whether or not you like or not. It is something that he’d never done before. Whether the songs resembled old ones is imho also irrelivant to a point. The whole point of that album is that up until then Jason Pierce spent ages and ages recording. Building songs up and creating them slowly. Sometimes then ditching the mix he’d made and started again. If you believe some of the stories Julian Cope has come out with in the past. When he made this album he let the other members of the band know the structure in the morning and then a few hours later they would record. People have said its not a very ‘Jazz’ album but in the respect of recording its the most ‘Jazz’. Coming off the back of playing with people like Evan Parker and Matthew Shipp and on the Spring Heel Jack tour. The Amazing Grace album is the sound of musicians reacting to each other in a live setting. So in a respect its more of a live performance piece than a more conventional album session. Up until this album was made Spiritualized had never made a record like this. In interviews he constantly went on about capturing the sound of the room. the amps buzzing, the snares rattling on quiter tracks, and also about getting a really dry sound (also very Jazz). It wasnt about audio perfection (I dont mean it was badly recorded, more that it was an live and thats how it sounded). He also mentioned in an interview about perhaps re-recording Amazing Grace at the end of the tour. So you can hear how its changed and evolved from its original recorded version.

The comments about the White Stripes are also taken out of context. Jason actually said he was inspired by the ‘energy’ of the band rather than there sound.
Jason says, “I was excited about people putting guitars around their neck and making noise again, rather than showing fantastic ability or showing the kind of intellectualism that sometimes comes into music.

“The thing that excited me when I started was the energy of music, what you could call the rock ‘n’ roll in it.”
A back to basics approach should always have been expected after touring for so long with a band promoting such a ‘Massive’ sounding album as LICD. I remember him saying that the idea was to tour with the choirs and brass players like an old big band sharing music and stuff, but it just got too much. They let it desend into free Jazz to much which became predictable and a too comfortable. So he ditched them and went back to basics for the rest of the tour.

Everyone keeps harping on about another Pure Phase or another LAGWAFIS but its never going to happen! Everyone knows it. The whole point of Spiritualized is that Jason does something new everytime. Thats the crux of what keeps him so inspiring as a performer. If you didnt like Acoustic Mainlines, sorry but I really dont see how you couldnt be moved by those performances. I dont think I was the ony one close to tears at points. Youre never going to get a rawer Jason that at those gigs.

anyway I better do some work, I just wanted to clear a few things up.
cheers
si
dselevan
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Yes I'm being very tongue in cheek. Amazing Grace isn't that horrible, I was sort of hoping someone would help me listen to it properly.
noOne
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by noOne »

dselevan wrote:Yeah man we got an Amoeba and my buddy Mike opened a shop up down in Hillcrest.
i don't even live in L.A. but i can say that 3 of my favorite record stores to
shop at when i go out there have closed down in the past couple years.

the only one i remember the name of is Wax. which was a Dj specialty store.
i can't remember the name other two, all i know is that i always found
dope shit in those stores and now they are no longer there.
Lord Please Fuck My Mind For Good
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by alan_cohaul »

Tons of great words in here, guys!

I dunno where to start, but I should say that I still like Amazing Grace for being a more rock album, but as dselevan (I think) said, the big singles from LAGWAFIS were "Come Together" and "Electricity", and that's what Amazing Grace felt like, as a whole. It's not the first time that a band has taken a specific direction from a couple of tracks of a past album and created an album that sounds primarily like one partial direction of that past album, but I find that bands can be hit and/ or miss when they do that.

To me, he needs some more stretched out long stuff like "Cop Shoot Cop". The dirty swamp blues that he had happening on that is amazing. I think they need more free form stuff. Maybe Jason has tired of the jams and unstructured thing (i'm quite sure that "Suicide" didn't really have a set ending time....or did it? Did they just sort of ebb it out when they felt it was natural?). I'd love to produce (or have produced) this album.....just to help Pierce get a bit back to his roots. There comes a time when every artist needs a bit of reassurance to go back to their earlier stuff, when they're awhile into it. Sometimes they're like, "do the fans want to hear that stuff again?". That's why you always hear of these bands making a "back to their roots" type album. I don't have the clout or the creds right now, but I would have loved to have done it. Even reading this board every now and then may give him insight as to how to make his new material, based on fans' reactions.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Finally something positive.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

It's awesome, in Glato 04 when they go from Smiles into Things'll never be the same and Jason starts freaking out and screaming. I love that stuff. It's real.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by moop »

dselevan wrote:Yes I'm being very tongue in cheek. Amazing Grace isn't that horrible, I was sort of hoping someone would help me listen to it properly.
hehe. tis all i was trying to do. :D i was serious about that bootleg. do you know the one i'm on about?
dselevan wrote:It's awesome, in Glato 04 when they go from Smiles into Things'll never be the same and Jason starts freaking out and screaming. I love that stuff. It's real.
yeah, he did that at the hoping for palestine gig too. you could tell he meant it. made it feel really special.

....and then the primals played. hehe...

i watched the dvd not too long ago and couldn't help but laugh at bobby (especially on jailbird). oh and thanks to whoever put the dvd together for keeping the spz set intact! (i'm guessing they were a fan) :wink:
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

I don't have that bootleg anymore, I'd love to hear it if you have time to post it.
The Glasto 04 DVD rules. Great show, I think the BBC shot the tape..Someone did a nice job with it. I've iPoded it down to a 250 meg file here:http://idisk.mac.com/dselevan-Public?view=web
David
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by moop »

here ya goes:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NI5B03LO

i gave it another listen as i was uploading. it's even better than i remember. definitely one of the best spz bootlegs i've ever heard, esp of recent material. i think if you don't like the AG tracks as they appear on here, you probably never will... despite the fact that they're in 128kbps mp3 format :mrgreen: .

something which only testifies to the true genius of this gig....i noticed at 6:46 of the second mp3 jason alters one of his most famous lyrics to 'cop shoot cow'. inspired! :wink:

let me know what you think!

laters
moop
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by alan_cohaul »

moop wrote:jason alters one of his most famous lyrics to 'cop shoot cow'. inspired! :wink:
It's all about the bovines, baby!
dselevan
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Moop - this sounds great.
Does anyone know if John Coxon rejoined the band at some point? I was watching my Glasto 04 DVD and noticed someone with long hair playing guitar on the left. He had short hair when I saw them in 1995. I always thought he worked better with Jason than any guitar player they ever had, including Doggen (I like the noise better than the metal shredding).

I think that might be the reason why this sounds so awesome compared to some other shows. They even have the Pure Phase intro....

This show sounds amazing, by the way.
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Re:

Post by BzaInSpace »

I saw the Amazing Grace band in Scotland pretty much exactly four years ago [time flies...my rambling, space-shocked review is on the old pages somewhere] and it was one of the best gigs ...ever!
Smaller, immediate venue helped - as possibly the lack of smoking ban at the time - but that show was absolutely incredible. The Electricity > Shine A Light intro was unbelievably intense...

Gotta say that gig made me appreciate the AG songs all the much more - 'Oh Baby' and 'Hold On' were fantastic that night i remember.

Although I liked that album from the start - the first three songs in themselves were and continue to remain absolutely brilliant and an amazing intro sequence - I think in time it will reveal its true worth.
Maybe like 'Let It Be' or 'Loaded' but with the end-of-the-line sentiment those titles may invoke.

Even 'Let It Come Down' was initially viewed as disappointing although particularly on here its had a revival of late - if you can still see the blue pages it got totally written off! Fuck, its probably the Spiritualized album i'd take if could only take one.

I still like the idea of re-recording the songs at the end of the tour. Highly unlikely but there is always the bootlegs.

And finally, Mr Simonkeeping, thanks for a beautiful post.

Cheers!
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by toomilk »

dselevan wrote:I don't have that bootleg anymore, I'd love to hear it if you have time to post it.
The Glasto 04 DVD rules. Great show, I think the BBC shot the tape..Someone did a nice job with it. I've iPoded it down to a 250 meg file here:http://idisk.mac.com/dselevan-Public?view=web
David

Jesus Christ, thank you. You are awesome.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Not a problem. I really enjoyed it, I fell asleep watching the 2004 Glasto gig. Great. Is that Coxon on guitar? Amazing. I have another copy of the DVD, this one might skip here and there....tell me if it is ok with you. I could have made it bigger, but it was nice to get it down to 250megs.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by toomilk »

It is Coxon on the guitar. You can tell from the Gibson Firebird he is using.

The skips are few and far between. They did not bother me at all.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Coxon is a genius. When I saw Spiritualized in 1995 at the Whiskey I was standing right infront of him, my ears were ringing for days. About 12 people left the show half way through Cop Shoot Cop. It was like he was reading Jason's mind. I've never seen anyone assault a crowd with that much sonic force.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by simonkeeping »

Dam right Dave! John Coxon has such a dirty style of guitar playing which is perfect for Spiritualized. REally muddy. (thanks for the Vids to Dave! top work!)


oh and BzaInSpace thanks man!
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Do you have any information about what years John Coxon played with the band, what albums if any, and how his other projects are?
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by toomilk »

Try Wikipedia?
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

I already tried Wikipedia. Downloaded some Spring Heel Jack. There's just so much of there stuff out there, in so many genres, that a little direction would help. Also would like to know what albums/tours he played on. Wikipedia is not specific enough.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by moop »

for me 'amassed' was the one. at first i hated it, but then i recall hearing it on 'random' one night. somehow not knowing who it was just helped me listen to it on its own terms (if that makes sense). Some of the stuff on there is really heavy (in the sense of being dark, dangerous and mystical). I found in places it reminded me of miles davis, angelo badalamenti (check out 100 years before) and i guess, a teensy bit of spiritualized. All those twitching, scraping and crunching sounds can seem a bit too much at first, but basically i realised that you shouldn't listen to the record and try to 'get it'...you have to just let it play, especially when it starts to give you the creeps! and despite all the strange, often dissonant sounds, it's actually great to fall asleep to (though i can't guarantee your dreams will be all sweetness and light :wink: )

i'd love it if that creepy darkness would happen to form a part of the new spz album, especially given that amazing quote from jason about it being “the work of the Devil...with a little guidance from me.”
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Thanks for the info., I'll be sure to check it out.
When I saw Spiritualized in 1995, John Coxon certainly seemed dark. He appeared to enjoy causing us pain. Not a smile, just a grimace and than that wild noise pedal. WHAT WAS THAT THING? I dreaded every time he would hit it. Of course I loved it, "get those hippies!" I needed a good ass kicking. I wasn't quite sure how Jason could handle all that noise, night after night, but it was definitely the most intense performance I've ever seen. The 1997 tours seemed like soft rock compared to that. A lot of the noise was replaced by samples and keyboards, there wasn't anything painful or abrasive.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by simonkeeping »

If you like John's Brutal guitar moves get yourself Han Bennink – Amplified Trio from the pharmacy. It is one of the most abrasive, futuristic and downright dirty albums I own. He plays on it with Ashley Wales of Spring Heel Jack.

In terms of tour/recording info. He played on Amazing Grace plus the tour. LICD and the tour (check the acoustic performances from that morning radio show. Amazing!). He joined Spiritualized when Jason was looking for a guitarist for the Pure Phase tour. Geoff Travis (head honcho of Rough Trade) hooked him up with Jason. He played on LAGWAFIS but I dont think he played on the subsequent tour. Hes not listed on the personel for the Royal Albert Hall gig. Sorry I've just re-read your post and you dont ask about this at all? too much wine tonight....

He runs a nite in London called Boat Ting which used to be Back in your Town. Im ashamed I only made it along to one of the gigs (run by fellow Spring Heel Jack'er Ashley Wales) but it was mind blowingly full on, proper Euro free Jazz. It blew my fucking head off. One of the greatest musical performances I've ever witnessed. Coxon was there on guitar.

Spring Heel Jack albums to check out. Masses and Amasses and the tour Album are great. The Tour album especially! Which feature Han Bennink mentioned earlier. The second half is a real slow burner drone piece which is just beautiful. Really atmospheric and one of those bits of music you don't want to end. They've just re-released one of there older albums which is reviewed in the last issue of the Wire magazine. If you can afford It i'd get yourself the full set of treader releases because they really do open your ears. As moop says sometimes you dont get it straight away but they do seap into your concious and make you much more aware of abstract ambient sounds and improv. John plays on a fair few of them, Also the free download in the complimentry medicines section. And theres some footage on youtube of them playing a festival which is just noise. Hes still got that pedal Dave....
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Thanks for all the surprisingly delightful info (reminds me of why I like this message board.) That pedal - his secret weapon. I'll have to check out some more shows from the Amazing Grace tour. I am assuming it's some messed up Fuzz Wah. I have a Vox Fuzz Wah - it doesn't sound nearly this crazy, but you can open it up and modify the results.

I definitely thought the Pure Phase tour made a dramatic move towards noise/free jazz. Before that show, an old friend from Hillcrest played me Fucked Up Inside. Certainly beautiful, but much much less noisy and improvisational than the show I saw. I missed that sound afterwards!!

I'm not putting down one guitarist over another - just personal preference.

When I get home I'm going to check out all that stuff you mentioned. Digital downloads make life easy..
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by alan_cohaul »

Good to note that they had some wild, free form live jams near the "Pure Phase" era.....unfortunately, that was much before I got into the band. I like all eras of Spiritualized in their own way.
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Re: the man behind the curtain and the new lp (no wizards no cra

Post by dselevan »

Alan - I'm burning a few DVDs for a fellow. Unfortunately, I don't have the show I went to, or anything from the Pure Phase era. I have some audio bootlegs. One from Slims San Francisco (Pure Phase tour), one from Oregon (Pure Phase Tour), One from Canada (Pure Phase tour).

Take your pick and I'll upload the mp3s for you.

Let me make it very clear that this is nothing like what it was like seeing them live. First of all, they must have hauled a million dollars worth of lights and crammed them into the small Whiskey. I couldn't believe it. Also, being that close to them..Everything was so cool. Especially Kate playing bass on these blues, the lights were strobing so fast I could see through her long legs.
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