Somewhere in our hearts, results won't be the same (Spacemen 3 & etc. ballot results - ILM poll #57)

whoah

"Don't Just Do Something" and "The Straight and The Narrow" were my #2 and #9 respectively. They're probably the most singable songs that Jason has ever written. There's plenty of black humour in the lyrics and he somehow comes off sounding anthemic while also invoking pity. There's a lot of depth there that he never came close to approaching in early SPZ songs (e.g. "Lay Back In the Sun", which is straight up "drugs are cool"-style anthemic, to name just one of countless examples).

Live versions of "Don't Just Do Something" on the 2001-2 tours were just about the greatest thing ever, with the final section building and building up to the finish. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it.

(youtube links are messed up there btw - its the Straight and Narrow for both)

agree that that's a fitting tie re: the LICD tracks (there is one song on LICD that's even better which I assume is going to place but we'll see)

Although I didn't vote for it, it's nice to see LICD get a bit of a critical resurrection here. It's funny to think how Amazing Grace was considered somewhat of a return to form after LICD, when in retrospect it's probably the worst Spiritualized record.

it is the worst, the songs just aren't there

Can't remember if Spiritualized led me to S3 or not but their cuts so far are just so...mopey. Lord can you Hear Me? is a similar emotion with all of that nonsense cut out.

^ otm. just listened to "don't just do something" for the first time since the release of let it come down. gak.

i like several tracks on amazing grace. so there. okay maybe not several but at least two.

Although I didn't vote for it, it's nice to see LICD get a bit of a critical resurrection here.

I'm still disappointed. The lead up to it was terrific: Jason fires the band, poaches Julian Cope's metal/Hawkwind group, talks about twenty minute krautrock jams, and then Mimi Parker guest on vocals. Instead it was a hour of mope. I'm glad "Rock And Roll" was shoved off onto a b-side because its one of his worst songs, if not, the worst to use "rock and roll" somewhere in the title.

Also: Will Let It Come Down be a Be Here Now or an Urban Hymns?

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/37-ibelieveit.jpg

37 - I Believe It
80 points, 3 votes, 1 number one
http://youtu.be/hhWLwJ3P_eI

(all images taken from drug abuse themed stock photo collections)

Also, TOO LOW!

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/36-anywaythatyouwantme.jpg

36 - Anyway That You Want Me
82 points, 4 votes, 1 number one
http://youtu.be/YleJPoKBqrw

Love "I Believe It," It's like an airplane crash survival kit equivalent of a Spacemen 3 song. No frills, just 2-chords, a farfisa organ and peons to the lord.

Lol

I'm always a bit confused when people say LICD is mopey. SPZ were always kind of mopey, I mean, didn't LAGWAFIS have "Cool Waves" and "Broken Heart" on it? If it's really about being a downer, musically, then LICD can rock out too -- "The Twelve Steps", "Out of Sight", "On Fire". I think it really comes down to favouring one approach over another -- free jazz/improv squawking and long jams, or full-blown Spector. In terms of lyrical subject matter I don't think LICD is too different than most other SPZ albums, although the lyrics themselves are far better than anything he'd written up to that point.

"Anyway That You Want Me" was my #1. It was partly a sentimental choice -- the first SPZ song I ever heard, and I was completely blown away.

I just don't like Spiritualized v much. In S3 the 'downer songs' it actually leads them v non-rock paths (at times I feel like Revolution is the weakest track on Playing with Fire, although of course its an absolutely brilliant cover).

(all images taken from drug abuse themed stock photo collections)

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, March 8, 2015 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

was wondering :-)

I Believe it was my #1.

Revolution is not a cover....?

Xpost

Yeah, what I miss from early spiritualized is that the downer songs went on some non-rock paths as well; there's a lot of Steve Reich minimalism and new age ambient vibes on LGM. They were starting to shed that style already on Pure Phase, however (perhaps non-coincidentatally related to the departure of Sean Carruthers?).

With regards to LICD, it's my favorite of the post Ladies and Gentlemen albums (sans Sweet Heart Sweet Light, which I admit I haven't given a good listen) because there are some new unusual ideas being thrown around there for a Spiritualized record...I mean "Out of Sight" has seventh chords ffs! My issue with it and with most later Spiritualized is that Pierce's vocals are upfront and unadorned, which really isn't playing to his strengths.

Fun fact: "Anyway that you want me" originally written by Chip Taylor aka James Voight aka Jon Voight's brother.

Revolution is not a cover....?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkx_lnNrQsM

They were starting to shed that style already on Pure Phase, however (perhaps non-coincidentatally related to the departure of Sean Carruthers?).

Will Carruthers, Jon Mattock, and Mark Refoy (who were all there for the second half of Spacemen 3) were already gone by the time of PP's release.

(great live version of this)

http://youtu.be/266HkM7LESE

Spacemen 3 - I Believe It - live @ Drummonds, Euston Road (Sonic Boom) - 15.11.88.
"Actually Jason didn't play at all, Will Carruthers played bass and Sonic played guitar and keyboard. Snippets of Honey and bits of his first solo album. Jason stood at the bar all night with his girlfriend."

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/35-callthedoctor.jpg

35 - Call The Doctor
87 points, 5 votes
http://youtu.be/mfO45AVQBLE

I'm biased in much of the "which version of Spiritualized?" posturing because I was already on board when LGM first came out. On the whole, I like Spiritualized when Jason can't afford to record as much as he wants.

"Call The Doctor" = what comes after "O.D. Catastrophe" irl, love its hushed urgency

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/34-cometogether.jpg

34 - Come Together
99 points, 5 votes
http://youtu.be/j9G7n8DBpO8

I'm biased in much of the "which version of Spiritualized?" posturing because I was already on board when LGM first came out.

Me too, although I prefer the '94-'97 version, for me that was the most complete version of the band that could do the most number of things well.

I was going to say those last two are the first to come from my ballot, but I've just checked and I didn't actually vote for Come Together, it must have just missed the cut.

Yeah yeah i know black to comm still a stretch to call it a cover imo. I mean half the s3 catalog is similar reappropriations but i wouldnt exactly call i love you a cover of mr. Brown, y'know?

Xxp

Bardo Pond - Call the Doctor

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/33-doitalloveragain.jpg

33 - Do It All Over Again
100 points, 4 votes
http://youtu.be/ivW_bVUtH9E

The best track on LICD, like an All Things Must Pass track

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/32-electricmainline.jpg

32 - Electric Mainline
102 points, 5 votes
http://youtu.be/o3IXbJTv_uM

peons to the lord

amazing, mine

38 - Lord, Can You Hear Me
36 - Anyway That You Want Me
35 - Call the Doctor

^ TOO LOW

and "revolution" is not a "black to comm" cover

"Revolution" is to "Black To Comm" as "Suicide" is to Suicide.

"Come Together" may be the most overrated SPZ track. There's something very ordinary about it, like it could have been recorded by a hundred other bands.

I didn't expect to see three LICD tracks in the top forty (even if they're all fairly low) ... actually four tracks if you were feeling generous and wanted to tack on "Lord Can You Hear Me", or even five tracks if "Out of Sight" shows up later.

I assume "Out of Sight" will make it, because this duffer voted for it.

xpost

ugh yeah, Will Carruthers not Sean Carruthers. Although I like the songwriting better on LGM, the band is really on fire on Pure Phase. That double-time Jam at the end of "Good Times" is something else. It's a sharp contrast to when I saw the band Summer of 2003 and they were awful. They played like they were hungover from a night of doing ecstasy in which nothing of note happened. This was Field Day Fest in a rainy June in Giants stadium. Beck apparently broke his ankle or something dancing to Blur's set and I got spared an hour of mopey Sea Change songs. Elliot Smith played a muffled set in which he forgot a few of his songs halfway through (this was a few months before his death). My jam band friend hated everything except a young My Morning Jacket, which is so completely appropriate. Radiohead headlined and they killed it, which made me all the more disappointed in Spiritualized because I had heard both bands were neck and neck when they were touring together in 1997.

waaay to much Spiritualized already, hope this improves soon

totoo

A little something for "Come Together" fans (from 1984): http://youtu.be/X_HxpiD39rA

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/31-contemporarysitarmusic.jpg

31 - An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music
104 points, 5 votes
http://youtu.be/l7-61FEHhAA

my #6 :(

I kinda wore this out back in the day, but it really is more than the sum of its parts

was Fierce a bootleg label?

largely yeah

http://qc-ckb.s3.amazonaws.com/sp3_poll/30-rollercoaster.jpg

30 - Rollercoaster
112 points, 5 votes
http://youtu.be/p-XzevUTKkI

Wow, v eased w "Electric Mainline" placing

Had a v profound moment in college where I was walking listening to it really loud and it was about to rain but it was SO DARK AND GREY but for like several minutes on end and a torrential downpour was so imminent (like you could see it several blocks away) but instead there was just a humid stillness and it took forever to actually start raining and when it did the sky just opened instantly

So weird like being in a dark grey thunderstorm with no rain happening though and just this weird glow everywhere