Ladies and Gentleman We Are Spiritualized

I first heard Spiritualized in 1992. I heard enough to know they were something. I did not know about the project that Jason Pierce was in before Spiritualized called Spacemen 3, but something tells me that I would have loved to see them when they were around. A mix of Velvet Underground, Steve Reich and lush symphonies Spiritualized is amazing. I know I might have picked their best album to report in this blog, but all their albums are amazing and should be heard. I always thought they were really ahead of the curve that we know about music. Each album is got it's greatest highs. I always was a fan of music that can make sounds like lush broad sounds that make the album sound like there is forty people on it.

Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space is full of this beautiful, lush sound. I like that it the album just does not have to be the general basic guitar, bass and drums and occasional keyboard. Spiritualized makes it sound so great with these full arrangements. Some of the music is so well done that it even crosses genres like Gospel, Blues, Soul and Electronica. The music just flows so well together. The music is so great with headphones and makes you feel like you are in a dream.



One thing you notice about this album is the fact that their are horns, organ, bass, keyboards, guitar, harmonica, drums and heavy vocals. You put that in a blender and you have a masterpiece. Even better it does not really fit the music of the era of when it came out. It feels like something more from the future. The date says 1997 on the CD, but it is no way from that time. Even though it was released the same day as Radiohead's OK Computer it makes the case on how wonderful two great pieces of music can take over the musical spectrum. They even toured together and had the pleasure of seeing them both and it blew my mind how this stuff is created by humans. This stuff is what legends are made of.

Each song is got something that Rock and Roll never head before it. I mean sure the Beatles had lush sounds. The stuff Spiritualized do is full of stuff that thanks to the Beatles they can do it too. Every song has a great twist and requires a bit more of listening the average one or two. I mean I will pick a few songs and tell what I hear. One called and greatly titled "No God, Only Religion" has horns, cello, guitar, strings, and spacey keyboards and that's just on one level. It is a great piece of work. All instrumental and it gives the listener a trip like no other. Another song it's the last one on the album is seventeen minutes of just about everything you heard on the rest of the album. It includes Dr. John on Keyboards. It includes some lyrics by the great John Prine.



If you need an album that makes you want to take a trip out of your head this is the one for you. It's full of wonderful goodies that just scream all kinds of thoughts and ideas. It will make you want to hear more Spiritualized and beg for more. A band that once you hear in the studio, you want to hear live. I have seen them a few times and hopefully get to see them next week and they are and will be one of the best shows to see. If you want true headphone music then you can start here. Listen to a band that is still crossing boundaries. This album will definitely be one that will be talked about for it's great sound and more for it's not quite so simple thoughts and ideas. Enjoy! This will lead you to floating in space quicker then you can think. Repeated listening's is the way to go.