Good morning! I hope you’re having a good day so far. For those of you who are not, hopefully the album I have for you today will help you! That’s right! It’s that good! That album would be “The Perfect Prescription” by the band Spacemen 3. Spacemen 3 formed back in 1982 in Warwickshire, England, and they continued to be active until 1991, with the two consistent members being Jason Pierce and Peter Kember. During their existence, the band released a total of four studio albums, a compilation CD of their singles, and a bunch of other unofficial CD’s, live recordings, and demos.
Their album, “The Perfect Prescription” was the second studio album they had, and it was originally released in 1987 on Glass Records. This is one of those albums that you need to start from the beginning, and not interfere with it for the entire length. All of the songs flow together perfectly, and it all starts off with the crashing of “Take Me to the Other Side“. This was a great song to put for the first track. It has a steady beat throughout, and the lyrics and guitar go hand-in-hand as Jason Pierce yells, “Take me for a ride/take me to the other side”. For the last minute and a half of the song, the band continues to crash and smash on their instruments while Pierce goes on about taking him to the other side…hmmm, I wonder what he’s gonna do? Isn’t it obvious? The next track follows up beautifully, and it’s part of a conversation between Pierce and Jesus. Jesus is telling Pierce “you ain’t coming to me no way/you’ve found heaven on Earth/gonna burn for your sin”. Oh man, looks like someone isn’t getting into heaven. Pierce asks Jesus for forgiveness and claims that “I could have done me worse.”, which is probably very true. The third track is almost like Pierce’s review of his time with Jesus, as they talk about the things that are hard to see in life, and giving into temptation. If you continue to listen past that track, you will figure out that every song is solid gold and very original (except for the “Transparent Radiation” cover of the band Red Krayola). It’s a surprisingly difficult decision to pick just ONE personal favorite from this album, but I think I would have to go with the track “Come Down Easy“. But why keep reading my thoughts? Check out the links below and find out what you think for yourself! Please enjoy and check back for more tomorrow!

Spacemen 3 on Myspace

The Perfect Prescription – Tracklist
1.) Take Me to the Other Side
2.) Walking with Jesus
3.) Ode to Street Hassle
4.) Ecstasy Symphony
5.) Transparent Radiation (Flashback) (Red Krayola cover)
6.) Feel So Good
7.) Things’ll Never Be the Same
8.) Come Down Easy
9.) Call the Doctor
10.) Soul 1 (Bonus track)
11.) That’s Just Fine (Bonus track)

The Perfect Prescription: TRY
The Perfect Prescription: BUY

Almost a year ago (when I began writing this particular entry), I went through my entire CD collection and arranged it in alphabetical (by artist) and chronological (by release date) order. Turns out, I have a lot of CDs.  Somewhere in the vicinity of 350, not including mixed CDs and my own, humble recordings.

Anyhoo, if you were to look at my CD collection, you’d see that a LOT of the albums are by the same artists. Why is this? Because despite the vastness of my collection, my tastes are not all that varied or eclectic. The one thing that ties many of the bands and albums together that keeps them in my pile is the prevalence of the conceptual continuity in the band’s work (that is, a pervading similarity and consistency of theme, message, musical motifs, etc from album to album).

Let me address that one of the reasons for my preference for conceptual continuity is that it is a common quality of progressive rock music. One of the staples of progressive rock is the concept album.

Let’s take a minute to define a concept album. Here’s what wikipedia says: 

“In popular music, a concept album is an album that is “unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical”. Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing to a single overall theme or unified story. This is in contrast to the standard practice of an artist or group releasing an album consisting of a number of unconnected (lyrically or otherwise) songs performed by the artist. Given that the suggestion of something as vague as an overall mood often tags a work as being a concept album, a precise definition of the term proves problematic.”

Now, in that definition lies the very reason why I love concept albums: a unifying theme or narrative.  I like music to tell a story. I like continuity. I feel like an album full of songs that aren’t connected might as well be sold off song by song as mp3s. Now, you know how I feel about the “music single” mentality and digital music. Long story short: a single is disposable, and cannot possibly be representative of a good musician’s work, because commercial viability is apparently more important than nuance, subtlety, production value, etc.  Likewise, the mp3, “shuffle” and, playlist schema propagates and perpetuates that single mentality, removing songs from their primary context: the album.  The crime of removing a song from its context is especially heinous when the album happens to be a concept album.

Before I get too lost in that topic, let’s talk about unifying themes and narratives. Some non-specific dorks say that every song tells a story. That might be true, but is it a simple boy-meets-girl story, or is it just a chapter in  a larger tome which has some kind of resonating relevance?

Well, rather than bother to try to answer that question, I’mma do a few features on a few concept albums that I like.

I shall begin with

Electric Light Orchestra – Time (1981)

A lot of people dismiss ELO as disco tripe, or a beatles rip-off band. Admittedly, Jeff Lynne’s fusion of orchestral music with progressive rock and pop music was basically both. Sometimes. Sometimes it was something more.

It can’t be denied that Mr. Lynne could write a great pop song, regardless of how schlocktastic the lyrics were, or how derivative his music sounded (of himself, or of others). By the 8os, ELO had gone from orchestral and string-oriented music, to a more rock’n'roll sound, to blatant disco, culminating in 1979’s ‘Discovery‘ (Disco? Very!). 1981’s ‘Time‘ was a whole new direction, with a clear leaning toward the new wave.

Okay, the concept:

A man is hanging out with his girlfriend, but then some people from the future come and take him away to the future (the late 21st century- wait, that’s this one!). He wanders around all mopey-like, missing his girl. Eventually, it is revealed that the future sucks, and that the future-beings wanted him to see how shitty life is going to be if he doesn’t change things back in 1981. So they send him back, because he’s not a “21st Century Man” and in the end, he’s holds on to his dreams (in french, even!) and the future-beings look on, telling him how lucky he is to have learned whatever lesson they taught him.

Now, the focus of the album isn’t so much on how the ravages of time lay waste to all  as it is on how embracing technology leads to a cold and inhuman future. I’m no Luddite,  and I expect that neither was Jeff Lynne, considering that apart from his guitar and a small amount of string arrangement, the album is pretty much drum machines and synthesizers all over. So, you have to realize that the whole thing is just a story, which – if fleshed out to a much greater extent – could be pretty compelling (or could be the 1985 movie Back to the Future).

So, what makes this concept album great, despite my admitting that it’s a flawed album? Oh, I don’t know… Good tunes? Seriously, though, let’s get a little more in-depth, so I can flesh out what is not fleshed out, maybe.

The opener ‘Prologue’ sums up the whole thing pretty easily. Basically, it says that if you could see what lies beyond the border of your waking mind (the future), then you’d be pretty happy that you can’t go there.  Unfortunately for the protagonist, the voice in the prologue (a vocoder; which was a pretty prominent continuity element on this and the previous two albums) belongs to the future-beings, and they have a message from another time: “the future sucks, but you’re coming with me, bitch.”

Obviously, this would upset any normal person. The first real track on the album ‘Twilight‘ basically explains how upset this dude is.  It’s also pretty much the best song on the album, and the most reminiscent of the hallowed Out of the Blue era ELO (it has a similar keyboard-heavy upbeat quality to that of Turn to Stone).  The song basically describes the experience of having some bastards come down from the sky telling you lies and then taking you away to the future without so much as a ‘by-your- leave.’

So, he’s kind of peeved. What do they do to assuage his woes? They give him a sexy robot girlfriend in ‘Yours truly, 2095.’ Of course, he professes that he still loves his lady, and that until the day he can’t go without some sexy lovins, he’ll leave her alone.

Following that, we get two musical throwbacks with little relation to the story apart from an implicit “it sucks being out here in the future” message. However, the latter of the two, ‘The Way Life’s Meant to Be‘ is very catchy, features a not-bad impersonation of Roy Orbison, and a bit of exposition involving a rhyme of ‘avenue’ with ’say or do’ (a feat!).

One of the standouts on the album in terms of music and progression of story is the song ‘Rain is Falling‘ which features a pretty powerful vocal from Mr. Lynne, and some pretty good imagery. Again, the song is extra-good because it  is reminiscent of the ‘concerto for a rainy day‘ (a suite of  songs on Out of the Blue, culminating in the classic ‘Mr. Blue Sky‘) Indeed, it’s better than most of the songs in that suite.  The plot of the song is essentially that the people in the future have never seen rain- for some reason- and then it rains and everyone freaks out (not very important to the plot). However, there is mention of a brand new time transporter with which he might get away, but unfortunately, despite their best efforts, they can’t figure out how the hell to get him back, so he’s stuck in the rain.

To put it bluntly, ‘From the End of the World‘ is a disco mess. It’s not contributing anything, plot-wise, and the music is riding a dead horse all the way to disco town. However, the following track ‘The Lights Go Down‘ takes the amusing turn of having the protagonist reach the aforementioned point at which having sex with a robot seems desirable. Apart from conjuring images of man-vs-robot coitus, it’s a pretty fun reggae (more in the style of UB40 than Bob Marley) song with a catchy sing-along chorus.

‘Here is the News‘ hints vaguely that the protagonist’s desire to return to 1981 to see his girlfriend has led to his attempted escape from Satellite 2 (which is mentioned in Ticket to the Moon). The song has a driving beat and some sexy synthesizer use as well as some phoney (but realistic) news report audio pastiche all over it.

Another of my favourite tracks on the album is the pseudo-finale ’21st Century Man’ which is narrated by the future-beings again (sans vocoder), and explains that even with all the grand designs of the future, he’s not happy to have been taken out of his own time, so they’re sending him back, because he’s not a 21st century man. The verses aren’t of much interest, but the chorus has an emotionally evocative progression which builds in intensity as the song progresses, and basically gets to the heart of the issue: Nobody likes to be taken away from the things they really love, no matter what may lie in store for them.

Following that is a semi-superfluous track called ‘Hold on Tight‘ (which became a minor hit). One can imagine that it’s the sort of song that, if it were a musical, the entire cast would come out and be all “Yeah! even the dead people are here to sing the last happy song!” (see also: Les Miserables).  As I mentioned, occasionally the lyrics switch to French for no apparent reason. I don’t know. Blondie pulled it off on ‘Sunday Girl’ I guess I can’t complain. Anyhoo, picture, if you will, a dude in a time-machine singing this happy song about holding on tight to your dreams, so that when you’re taken to the future by a bunch of space-jerks, you don’t get depressed.

The closing track “Epilogue” is the sort of thing where one might imagine the future-beings using some fancy glass device apropos of  some Logan’s Run-esque sci-fi romp looking regretfully upon the protagonist as he lives happily ever after, warning that he should be so happy to get his wish… to go home after they abducted him, the jerks.

Now, I’d also like to mention two additional conceptually linked B-sides from the album “When Time Stood Still” and “Julie Don’t Live Here Anymore.” The former is another depressing ballad, describing a moment at which time has stood still, which is ultimately very sad because it’s a very lonely existence. The latter, Julie, is on par with Twilight in terms of music. The content is interesting (and reminds one of the second half of Back to the Future II) in that the protagonist runs around trying to find his girlfriend’s house after having been transported through time, only to discover that she doesn’t live there, because… well, it’s the future, isn’t it? She moved away. As I said, it’s musically a great pop song, with bombastic descending piano lines and a catchy 60s pop revival style popular in 80s new wave. Both tracks would have been welcome additions to the album (and were fortunately included in the remastered release).

So, now that I’ve wasted a pile of text on a track-by-track review and plot outline, I suppose that what makes this a great concept album is not so much a richness of plot (because half the songs are barely related) as it is a potential for richness of plot. That is, the plot is vague enough, but also interesting enough for me to think a more detailed one up with the power of my imagination (insert finger-wiggle here). Additionally, I refer to my initial statement: good tunes. The album is hook-tastic. It has good vocal performances, great melodies, and as one might expect from Jeff Lynne (who also produced the Beatles’ Anthology unfinished Lennon singles “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” ) very well produced.

… So… That’s it. I like ELO’s ‘Time.’ It ended up being the band’s last album that didn’t have to live in the shadow of Face the Music or Out of the Blue.  It could stand on its own, and it ended up being their last truly great album, and one of my all-time favourite albums.

… good tunes.

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge:

Album of the Year?

This was easy, and my selection is totally biased. Many great albums this year but these guys are a top favorite with me. Very little wrong they can do in my eyes, no matter how quirky and far-out they get.

…

One day I asked a friend if it would be possible for a band to successfully depart from a trademark sound to a polar opposite. This question came about when I read that Muse were big fans of 311. Pause. A long, head-scratching pause.

What else is possible? Could the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beirut switch musical styles? Could Pearl Jam make an electronic dance album? Could Dave Matthews Band try out nu-metal? I know the suggestions sound preposterous but, if the transition were done masterfully, then what would be the harm? If I enjoy such a wide spectrum of musical styles, then why couldn’t I accept one band that jumped around from style to style?

Genre-hopping music strikes me as such a positive that I am puzzled at how fans react to the musical evolution of their favorite artists. It becomes personal, this deviation from the comfort zone. It’s okay to transform into something more polished, more aggressive, or to even exhibit the slightest nuances of experimentation. But any marked revision in sound is usually met with obscenities and protest — and that’s a best-case scenario.

Yeah, it’s personal. Fans are loyal to rabid proportions until bands “defy” them.

To a certain extent, I suppose I am the same. Sure, I justify my waning U2 interest with the argument that their sound has been diluted with commercial drivel. Sure, I pine away for the days of “Bad” and “In God’s Country”. But in the end, it really boils down to my inability to let go of the past and embrace a new mellow sound. My hang-up, not theirs. I shouldn’t expect them to remain zealous rebels in Pilgrim clothing forever.

Change makes music grow.

…

Ironically, the initial previews of Muse’s The Resistance elicited the less tolerant reaction from me.

It sounded like sing-songy, bombastic showtunes. Seemingly gone was the guitar frenzy of Absolution or the exotic dance sounds of Black Holes and Revelations. It wasn’t the Muse that I knew and loved. I was crestfallen. I held out hope that the 30-second previews on iTunes were robbing the magic, were obscuring the ambitious songwriting and not doing the album justice.

I was right.

Like your typical classical pieces, and like typical Muse, the songs are comprised of movements, tempo-shifts, and stylistic changes not conducive to the mini audio extracts on iTunes. Each song must be listened to in its entirety. Even segmenting the album into convenient parts degrades the genius behind it. The album is one cohesive unit, not meant to be unraveled or deconstructed.

More piano/synth heavy than previous efforts, this album is majestic, operatic and essentially unclassifiable.

Where else could you find a mish-mash of hard rock, classical music, jazz, operatic arias and…melancholic space rock? Obsessions, the origins of humanity via space aliens, and otherworldly topics are encapsulated within songs that only Matt Bellamy could string together.

Yes, there are the comparisons to Queen, and yes, unfortunately, there will be irritating comparisons to Radiohead (brilliant but different). Those are old words, an old skin shed off and left in the dust far, far away. The band is ten years older now, and the sound of today continues to reflect their ever-changing moods.

“Undisclosed Desires” evokes 80’s synth pop a la Depeche Mode. “Unnatural Selection” recalls the arpeggiated frenzy of “Muscle Museum,” at least until it unwinds to a sultry guitar swagger that is more sensual than extraterrestrial.

The first single, “Uprising”, is anthemic, a thundering declaration of defiance punctuated with hand claps and a Dr. Who-esque synth line. They demand your union, to join in the subversive chorus, a manifesto of resistance.

Don’t be forced! Don’t be degraded! Don’t be controlled!

Yes, there are campy elements to the song, and there are rocking elements to the song. Combined, Muse has created one of the catchiest protest songs around, and if in the end you’re not victorious as Matt instructs, then at least you have a cool jam to drive home to.

My favorite track at the moment, “I Belong To You/Mon Coeur S’ouvre A Ta Voix”, dwells somewhere between The Beatles’ “Lady Madonna” and Queen’s “You Take My Breath Away.” Jazzy, playful, and groovy, the piano gives way to a delicate French aria that would make Jeff Buckley proud and then reverts back to the irresistible tempo and ivory keys.

The aspect of the album that has garnered the most attention, of course, is the 12-min, 3-part symphony – “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture), Symphony Part 2 (Cross-pollination), Symphony Part 3 (Redemption).” Ranging from haunting vocals to ethereal guitar wails, from soaring crescendos to a classical music celebration, “Exogenesis” is unlike anything I have heard in a while.

If you can imagine Muse’s “Ruled By Secrecy”, the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Chopin, Pink Floyd, Rachmaninov, and Queen in a single sonic cocktail, then you are just that much closer to the daft mind of Muse. Daft but gorgeous.

…

I no longer follow the same musical styles that I did 20 years ago. Why should I expect a band to remain stagnant? It’s only logical that my beloved artists have diverse tastes as well, and it’s only fair that they will reflect their eclectic influences in their music. Most leak it out in little doses here and there, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if a band were to open up the floodgates of diversity, no?

Muse may have culled ideas from some of the greats – from some of my musical muses – but they shattered all of my expectations. They took a sharp turn somewhere, and I love them even more for it.

The Washed Out album was a lovely listen in 2009…dude really has that whole lo-fi “beach vibe thang” downpat. Here’s a very tasty lil mix he put together recently.

“It’s unclear what was imagined first – the band name, the music, or the artwork – but the entire Washed Out aesthetic coheres effortlessly to form a beautiful dream wave of eternal youth and endless Sunday afternoons. Nothing feels like an after thought, but equally, it doesn’t feel overly calculated either, blurred just enough around the edges to comfort like sunshine through a window. It’s fitting, then, that when we asked Ernest to make a mixtape based around his recent marriage, he instead chose to pop out a 20 minute soporific beauty designed to evoke one long continuous dream. Contrary, but yes, you guessed it, perfectly conceived.” – Via Platform

1. Arch M – “Bedrm Band at Caf NVA (edit)”
2. The Samps – “Magnetic Thys”
3. Samiyam – “Wrap Up”
4. Toro Y Moi – “Brubek”
5. Koushik – “Homage”
6. Osborne – “Afrika (Bullion Remix)”
7. Iasos – “Inter-Dimentional Music”
8. Jack Nitzsche – “Untitled (edit)”
9. The Khalsa String Band – “Song of Bliss”

LINK

Space Rock.

This is one of my love/hate genres (along with electro) because the tendencies of its performers is to accentuate the aggravating traits. In the case of space rock, this means bypassing the lyrical content and swooshing guitars in favor of some 18-minute rundown of the last D&D session over a flute and dulcimer digression.

When it works, it nears the worlds-away sound and escape-velocity transcendence the creators were aiming for. Hawkwind spends a lot of its time divided between the two, mainly depending on which revolving cast member was helming the songwriting.

Chrome/Helios Creed can be fun, as they eschew the 8 and 9-minute epics for 3-5 minute speed runs through waves of distortion. Of course, they also spend too much time dicking around with malfunctioning reel-to-reels making scary noises and stoner in-jokes.

And so it goes with the remaining genre practitioners. You take the good, you take the bad, etc. Monster Magnet, Pressurehed, Nik Turner’s solo work, Dinowalrus, etc. There are some bands out there that grab a small portion of the “space rock” dynamic and run with it. You’ll find hints of it in Holy Fuck, Muse, A Place to Bury Strangers, Lightning Bolt, the Fuck Buttons and Spiritualized.

But enough about me… Here’s the fucking music.

Previous volumes (with shorter intros here):
Heavy Rotation Archives

That Fucking Tank – Stephen Hawkwind
“Tell me only the good things you remember about… Space Rock.”

This is what Leeds duo That Fucking Tank does. Trimming all the excessive prog and psychedelia fat off the bone and reaching cruising altitude in mere moments. Just a guitar and a drum set surging skyward, bringing to mind everything anyone loved about Hawkwind, Chrome, Monster Magnet or even Kyuss, without the attendant wankery and occasional flute solo.

Hawkwind – Spirit of the Age
Speaking of Hawkwind… The godfathers of the space rock genre. Formed in the late ’60’s by flautist (you read that right) Nik Turner and featuring the lyrical and instrumental input of Lemmy Kilmeister (Motorhead), Hawkwind was the embodiment of all things space rock.

Conjuring up visions of time travel, alien abduction, wormholes and intergalactic travel, Nik Turner and co. engaged the imagination of a million forward-thinking hippies, who wouldn’t look out of place at a Dead show except for their excessive use of tin foil and amphetamines.

In this particular track, Hawkwind addresses the effects of cloning and cryogenic sleep on the average long-distance relationship.

I would’ve liked you to have been deep frozen too
And waiting still as fresh in your flesh for my return to earth
But your father refused to sign the forms to freeze you
Let’s see you’d be about 60 now, and long dead by the time I return to earth
My time-held dreams were full of you as you were when I left, still underage
Your android replica is playing up again it’s no joke
When she comes she moans another’s name
But that’s the spirit of the age, that’s the spirit of tha age

I am a clone, I am not alone
Every fibre of my flesh and bone is identical to the others
Everything I say is in the same tone as my test tube brother’s voice
And there’s no choice between us
If you had ever seen us you’d rejoice in your uniqueness
And consider every weakness something special of your own
Being a clone I have no flaws to identify
Even this doggerel that pours from my pen
Has just been written by another twenty telepathic men
Word for word it says:
“Oh, for the wings of any bird other than a battery hen”.

Alien Sex Fiend – Silver Machine
One of my all-time favorites with a stripped-down but incredibly effective cover of a Hawkwind classic. ASF spent a lot of time moping around with the goths in London’s Batcave scene, but they were always too, I don’t know, “madcap” to wander the darkened streets pondering the futility of existence.

They loved the Cramps and took a bit of their twisted humor, added a few pounds of pancake makeup and some deadly flashpots and called it their own. Call them “goth” if you must, but keep in mind they have praised various parts of women’s anatomy and the occasional fast car in song, which just doesn’t mesh.

Here they grab ahold of a space rock classic and send it soaring, all driving bass, searing guitars and some loverly echoey vocals, courtesy of Nik Fiend and his partner in crime/life, Mrs. Fiend (who adds some electronic wizardry of her own).

Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve – Get Ready to Fly
Previous Heavy Rotation favorites BTWS return with a low-key take on Pressurehed’s Silver Bird.

Pressurehed were a short-lived L.A. industrial space-rock band that put out three killer albums before splintering into a million shards of noise, resurfacing as Anubian Lights Destiny (featuring Nik Turner and Robert Calvert of Hawkwind, among others). They were always more Chrome than Hawkwind, with their layers of blistering, howling guitars and tape loop experiments. But this isn’t about them, although they may get their moment in the reflected glory of Heavy Rotation later.

This is about Erol Alkan and his studio wizardry, which turns the superheated guitars of the original into a shimmering psychedelic journey, without all the usual pointless “jamming.”

Spacemen 3 – Big City (Erol Alkan Mix)
Speaking of Erol Alkan… Mr. Alkan puts his hands all over drone-rock antagonists’ Spacemen 3’s ode to Suicide. While the original version dwelled on repetition and post-punk antagonism, the remix gently coaxes something approaching transcendence from the drones and reverb, proving that not every meditation on a single chord needs to be disorienting and strobelit.

All files in one fully-contained zip file:
Heavy Rotation Vol. 25
(link opens in new window)

-CLT

[All music posted on Fancy Plans... is kick ass and too awesome to be contained. All music is also posted temporarily and, due to its high level of ass-kicking, should not be distributed without a prescription and care should be taken while operating heavy equipment or dancing around the living room (clothing optional, but do remember that the blinds are open/kids are still awake).
Should you wish to have your brilliant artistic statement forced back into confinement, please email me at 2timegrime@gmail.com. Feel free to leave a comment, as that will probably be noticed sooner.
By all means, if you like what you hear (and you will), please support the totally rocking artist(s) by purchasing some music or heading out to see them live.]

Another tune to crush leaves to. enjoy.

“Filled with french perverse 70’s LSD funk, some monstrous jazz + samba flipouts, several cult and very influental songs mixed with ridicule of The Beatles and the non-existent hippie-parody Dewey Cox himself.

This small collection went through some big changes over time. At first, I made it the most obvious way – indie experiments with japanese and NY noise bands (OOIOO, Optimo, Pullsallama etc.) but that was simply to simple, raw and it was’nt “romantic” and humorous enough. So I basically shifted entirely from that direction into sex, retro, french, jazz, kinky, ridiculous direction and tried to make a sort of a “soundtrack” that is not that tough at rhythm but more into the freedom loving atmosphere of the swinging sex organs.

Standout tracks, and maybe tracks that make this comp a must have (for those who never heard them before) are definitely: the gorgeous and life-fulfiling, jamming Andrew Bird’s Coney Island Shuffle, Janko Nilovic’s by far the best composition Xenos Cosmos from 1972 (the last 1 minute of the song is golden and the rest of his work is mostly crap), magickal Senor Coconut’s – Rydeen, of course Serge Gainsbourg’s cult classic Bonnie and Clyde, Sohail Rana’s Soul Sitar – a perverse take on bollywood humour (Guys from Ninja Tune label had lots of fun remixing this gem) and the infinite Piggies - spitting humour from The Beatles. Also, I should mention Marsha Hunt with her nipple shaking (Oh No! Not) The Beast Day, a strangely missed groovy 70’s funk club hit.” – Bleeding Panda

01 Medeski Martin & Wood – Pat A Cake (2008)
02 RJD2 – 1976
03 The Pinker Tones – L’Heros (2006)
04 Serge Gainsbourg – Bonnie and Clyde
05 Georges Garvarentz – Nues Dans L’eau (1970)
06 Sohail Rana – Soul Sitar (1970)
07 Marsha Hunt – The Beast Day (1973)
08 Paul McCartney – Coming Up (Thumbs Aloft Edit 2007) M
09 The Mystic Moods – Honey Trippin’ (1975)
10 The Delfonics – Funny Feeling (1971)
11 Os Mutantes – A Minha Menina M
12 Andrew Bird’s Bowl Of Fire – Coney Island Shuffle (1999)
13 The Beatles – Piggies (1968)
14 Walk Hard The Dewey Cox Story – Black Sheep (2007)
15 Der Dritte Raum – Swing Bop B (2008)
16 Senor Coconut and His Orchestra – Rydeen (2008)
17 G. Bordonneau & DJ BNX – Ultra Bossa (2000)
18 Janko Nilovic – Xenos Cosmos (1972)
19 Funkadelic – Can You Get To That (1971)

LINK

The second mix from Meatskull this week – you lucky people. Starting out with some heavy hitting remixes from the 90’s involving the masterful Andy Weatherall, disecting Red Snapper and Percy X. Another rare Bob Marley dub and another cut from the newest Floating Points joint. Gorgeous textures from Peter Broderick & Machinefabriek and more, more, more.

Meatskull

Red Snapper – Bogeyman (Two Lone Swordsmen Blue Jam Cologne Mix)
Percy X VS Blood Sugar – -3 (Emissions 2) (Remixed By Andy Weatherall & David Harrow)
Tobacco – Gross Magik
Keith Murray – The Most Beautifullest Thing In The World
The Dylan Group – Some Kind Of Lullaby
J.Rogers – Meditation Point (Eskmo Remix)
Luke Hess – Meaning Matters (Mikkel Metal Mix)
Sinner DC – Afterland
Metaform – Love & Loss
Anubian Lights – In Flight
Cooly G – Love Dub (Refix)
Peter Broderick & Machinefabriek – Rain
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Forever Loving Jah (Dub Version)
David Alvarado – Spoken Word
Floating Points – Argonaut
The Ghost Orchid – Warm
Yppah – Almost In That Category
Sr. Aye – Yo Mate a Bejamin Linus
Marmoset – Peach Cobbler

LINK

“For this week’s XLR8 mix installment we head south into the wilds of Los Angeles for a heavy dose of spaced-out future-hop, courtesy of native son Nosaj Thing. With a litany of unreleased and exclusive tunes at his disposal—many of them coming from Low End Theory compatriots like Flying Lotus, Daedelus, and The Gaslamp Killer—Mr. Thing assembles a mix that captures the boundary-pushing spirit and chilled-out vibes of Southern California.” – XLR8

01 Teebs “My Whole World” (Brainfeeder)
02 Flying Lotus “Unreleased”
03 Free The Robots “La Lune” (Alpha Pup)
04 Tokimonsta “Doing It My Way”
05 Exile “Summer Sun (Take Remix)” (Plug Research)
06 The Gaslamp Killer “Anything Worse” (Brainfeeder)
07 Ras G “Disco 4000″
08 Daedelus “LA Nocturn” (Friends of Friends)
09 Samiyam “My Buddy”
10 Kab & Tully “Unreleased” (My Hollow Drum)
11 Teebs “Unreleased”
12 Nosaj Thing “Us” (Alpha Pup)
13 Flying Lotus “Camel (Nosaj Thing Remix)” (Warp)
14 Nosaj Thing “Ice Cube Remix”

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By Marilyn Roxie

WHEN: 1982 – 1991

CULPRITS: Jason Pierce/J. Spaceman (guitar, vocals), Peter Kember/Sonic Boom (vocals, guitar), Pete Bain/Bassman (bass, 1982-88), Nicholas Brooker/Natty (drums, 1984-87), Stewart Roswell/Rosco (drums, 1987-88), William Carruthers (bass, 1988-91), Jon Mattock (drums, 1989-90), Steve Evans (guitar, 1990), Mark Refoy (guitar, 1990)

ALBUMS: Sound of Confusion (1986); The Perfect Prescription (1987); Performance (1988); Playing With Fire (1989); Recurring (1990); Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To (1990); The Singles (1995)

HOW: I was recommended Spacemen 3’s Playing With Fire by Jakob Battick (a quite talented musician and artist who is part of the Tea and Oranges collective) sometime in 2008 because he’d noticed I had been listening to Suicide (70s electronic pioneers) a lot and thought I might like them as well. I noticed it was in Robert Dimery’s 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, which I’ve been soldiering on to finish for some time, so I thought I might as well … and I was blown back entirely!!! I wondered why I hadn’t heard of them before, why didn’t everyone know about them (only just now approaching 100,000 listeners on Last.fm, at the time I’m writing this). The Suicide association made sense, because of the drone-riff repetition throughout, and of course an 11-minute jam called “Suicide” as an homage to that band. Some months later, I obtained The Perfect Prescription, which is now one of a very few albums I’d give 5/5 stars. I hesitated a bit before getting Sound of Confusion, since people seemed not to think highly of it, but I absolutely loved it, despite the fact that much of it is covers (13th Floor Elevators’ “Rollercoaster”, Juicy Lucy’s “Mary Anne”, and The Stooges’ “Little Doll” — “O.D. Catastrophe” might as well be a cover since it’s a lift from The Stooges’ “T.V. Eye”), as well as their last album, Recurring, which is curious to listen to because of it being split between a Sonic Boom/Peter Kember side and a J. Spaceman/Jason Pierce side. I had previously heard Spiritualized’s (J. Spacemen’s band, post-Spacemen 3) Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space and Lazer Guided Melodies a couple years prior; Spiritualized is certainly more well-known than Spacemen 3, and both are further still more listened-to than Spectrum (Sonic Boom’s post-Spacemen 3 band), which is a shame, because I love them all!

WHY: Spacemen 3 have quickly become one of my most-listened to bands and part of an elite club of music that actually makes me somehow more relaxed and even help me to fall asleep (The Kinks and Natural Snow Buildings also often do the trick). As much as the band were linked with and lyrically/thematically revolved around drugs, there is also a more profound spiritual element and unabashed sensuality in the music and words that one would be hard-pressed to ignore. To me, Spacemen 3 are nothing short of musical magic.

SONGS: The song selection here comes from highlights on their studio albums (chosen with assistance from polling people on Tumblr), as well as an alternate version of “Hey Man” (“Amen” from Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To), a Perfect Prescription demo (“Walking With Jesus“), the single version of “Transparent Radiation” (Red Krayola cover), and a live track (“Things’ll Never Be the Same“). It was tough to narrow down the essentials, but I think this better than any singles/greatest collection around previously — it’s the best compilation of Spacemen 3 you’re apt to find anywhere!

LINK: Click the list below to hear our 80MFL SPACEMEN 3 iMix.

__________________________

Marilyn Roxie is a 19-year old music blogger at A Future in Noise and an electronic, instrumental composer. She’s just released her first single “Zug der Krautrock” (a tribute to the genre that Can and Kraftwerk both share) and is getting ready to launch her own record label, Electronic Angel.

1. “Uprising” – 5:02
2. “Resistance” – 5:46
3. “Undisclosed Desires” – 3:56
4. “United States of Eurasia (+Collateral Damage)” – 5:47
5. “Guiding Light” – 4:13
6. “Unnatural Selection” – 6:54
7. “MK ULTRA” – 4:06
8. “I Belong to You (+Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix)” – 5:38
9. “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1 (Overture)” – 4:18
10. “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 2 (Cross-Pollination)” – 3:56
11. “Exogenesis: Symphony Part 3 (Redemption)” – 4:37

[RS] [MultUp]

Another mix from our favorite physician of the psychedelic school. Dr. Andy Votel has prescribed this finely blended sonic tincture of Finders Keepers herbs and potions and other assorted exotic elements to keep you on your toes. – via Dublab

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What a combo – The Black Dog and a selection of stunning Kraut grooves. You know it’s gonns be a winner.

“It’s now so hard to imagine a time when there was no synths and a time when musicians/artists didn’t stick to the tried and tested formulas  that would become rockisms of modern music. Many of the original Krautrockers paved the way for much modern electronic music, influencing all that bands that influenced us in turn.

We’ve gone for a pretty wide mix of artists and included people like Stockhausen and Nono because they are pretty much the godfathers of everything electronic. We hope you enjoy it.” – The Black Dog

1. Klaus Schulze – Irrlicht – Caroline Records
2. Ash Ra Tempel – Cosmic Tango – Kosmische Kuriere
3. Karlheinz Stockhausen – Oberlippentanz Fur Trompete Solo – Acanta
4. Kluster – Klopfziechen Part One – Schwann
5. Luigi Nono – Y Entonces Comprendio – Deutsche Grammophon
6. Cluster – Plas – Brain
7. Harmonia – Sehr Kosmisch – Brain
8. Cluster – Live In Der Fabrik – Brain
9. Faust – Mamie Is Blue – Polydor
10. Popol Vuh – Ah! – Pilz
11. Neu! – Negativland – Brain
12. Neu! – Hallogallo – Brain
13. Can – Spoon – United Artists
14. Harmonia – Vamos Companeros – Sony
15. Eno, Moebius, Rodedelius & Plank – Pitch Control – Sky Records
16. Kraftwerk – Tanzmusik – Crown Records

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Band: The Flaming Lips
Label: Warner Brothers
Release: October 13, 2009

1. “Convinced of the Hex” – 8.8
2. “The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine” – 8.4
3. “Evil” – 8.5
4. “Aquarius Sabotage” – 7.7
5. “See The Leaves” – 8.0
6. “If” – 8.5
7. “Gemini Syringes” -  7.3
8. “Your Bats” – 7.5
9. “Powerless” – 7.5
10. “The Ego’s Last Stand” – 7.2
11. “I Can Be A Frog” – 7.4
12. “Sagittarius Silver Announcement” – 8.3
13. “Worm Mountain” – 8.6
14. “Scorpio Sword” – 7.4
15. “The Impulse” – 7.9
16. “Silver Trembling Hands” – 8.4
17. “Virgo Self-Esteem Broadcast” – 6.3
18. “Watching The Planets” – 8.8

Comments: I can reason why this album is getting great reviews. The Flaming Lips have been around since 1983. They’ve been making pretty good music over the years. Initially it sounds sort of boring…at least in contrast to what it’s hyped up to be. Yay, space rock. It’s not exactly a surprise to me that Flaming Lips are covering Dark Side of the Moon. “Evil” sounds like a leftover track from that classic. I don’t know maybe this album is too far out for me, but I don’t see a lot of replay-ability in any of these songs. Somebody answer me this: is there anything on here as awesome as “The W.A.N.D” or “Do You Realize?” Please inform me if there is because I might have missed something.

Grade: 7.9

Hawkwind - Hall of the Mountain Grill (EMI, 1974)

Do you find irresistible that intoxicating duo of sideburns n’ mustache known as “mutton chops”? Do you also pine for druggy, guitar-overdriven, prog-rock songs about muscle-bound, sword-bearing warriors in space? If so, then you’ll love 1974’s Hall of the Mountain Grill by England’s own pre-Motörhead-Lemmy-sportin’ Hawkwind, who described the band as being “like Star Trek with long hair.” You owe it to that D&D-playing, fantasy-novel-reading, not-any-getting younger self to hear songs like “Web Weaver” while coding alone in your darkened office or “The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)” while dodging the spouse and playing WoW. But, seriously folks, songs like “You’d Better Believe It”, with its experimental synths and repetitively driving guitar lines, connect stylistic evolution dots (think: Pink Floyd in its early years, The Velvet Underground in its prime, and that mid period between the end of Spacemen 3 and the beginning of Spiritualized) in ways that are exciting and satisfying to discover.

The LP front-cover artwork, created by Barney Bubbles, adds to the sci-fi tension with its darkly fantastic image of a spaceship crashing into (or, is that emerging from?) alien waters. Very much a product of its psych/prog-rock times and befitting the record’s interstellar preoccupations. It would be nearly a shame to have a mere 5″ x 5″ CD insert.

Lastly, a bit of Lemmy trivia for that arse. Lemmy:

• Served as a roadie for the Jimi Hendrix Experience
• Wrote Ozzy Osbourne’s hit single “Mama I’m Coming Home”
• Is God

It’s been a while since I posted my ‘Angle mixes here, which is kinda funny, as showcasing them was the reason I set the blog up in the first place! So here’s not one, but two new creations that I hope will bring you some joy. Volume 37 is chock full of brand new material from Massive Attack, Joy Orbison, Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins, Real Estate, Andy Weatherall and more. Pass it around on facebook, your blogs or to friends – i’d really appreciate it. – Meatskull

Fjordne – Torn Out
Pingarosa – Temprano
Falty DL –  Paradise Lost
Shlomo –  Ghosts Pt.2
E.R.P – Lament Subrosa
Vincent Gallo – Honey Bunny (Desert People Remix)
Larry Gus – Shackled (Kids)
Massive Attack – Bulletproof Love (Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid Remix)
Lake – Madagascar
Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins – The Name Game
Real Estate – Pool Swimmers
MF Doom feat. Apani B Fly – Can I Watch
Broadcast – Innocence In Orbit
Meanest Man Contest – Carpal Twist
Pete Astor – The Lovers
Loftus – Penguin Boy’s Love Story
Lady & Bird – Forward & Reverse (Live)
Andrew Weatherall – Built Back Higher
Steel Pulse – Macka (Dub)
Joy Orbison – J.Doe
2562 – Lost
Orbital – Belfast/Wasted
Bert Jansch – The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face)

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The second mix from me tonight. From the jazzy 60’s jamming of Randy California and his band Spirit, to the heady constructed samples of Jay Bahardia and running the whole musical gammit inbetween. It’s yet another Another Angle! – Meatskull

Spirit – Fog
The Parasails – Skylife 7
The Laughing Windows – Southern Lights
Kerogen – Hope
Buddy Peace – Austen Funeral Stress Tapes
Belove – Paintbrush Fingers
Sorcerer – Raydio (Play It)
Rachel Grimes – She Was Here
Neil Young (with CSN) – Country Girl
Biosphere – Poa Alpina
Childs – Oliver
Sukh Knight – Faith
Dub 1 – Trafficante
10-20 – Hallow
We Are The Arm – So Intelligent
The American Analogue Set – A Good Friend Is Always Around
Tor Lundvall – Dark Roads
The Clientele – I Know I’ll See Your Face
LV feat. Dandelion – CCTV
Jay Bahardia – Un Beau Jour

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Some psydeways killers here from Gel-Sol entering a world of silly hats, liquid solos and jazzy interludes for days. It’s prog kids, but not as we gnome it.

Mad Puppert’s Laugh – Goblin
We Are Crazy – M. Frog Labat
Der Losverkaufer – Panta Rhei
Il Sieco – Quella Vecchia Locanda
Death Dies – Goblin
Missing Link – Supersister
Silvia – Focus
Harold the Barrel – Genesis
The American Metaphysical Circus – The United States of America
The Whirlpool – Kingdom Come
2nd Movement – Clearlight Symphony
Time and Space – Bo Hansson
ESP – Lucifer (Mort Garson)
Turtles Have Short Legs – Can
Welch Ein Unfall – Uschi Bruening
Moving theme – Moving Gelatine Plates
Tropical Hot Dog Night – Captain Beefheart
Nocturnal Voice – Aunt Mary
Looking On – The Move
Anasazi Noodle – Silver Apples
Little Neutrino – Klaatu
Sunset in he Golden Horn – Mogollar
Flight – Pulsar
Face the Crowd – Demian
Drag Dilemma – Nine Days Wonder
Strada – Ibis
Borne on the Solar Wind – Jade Warrior
Funny Ways – Gentle Giant
Mad Puppert’s Laugh – Goblin

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