Spiritualized: 3 Albums

Singer/guitarist Jason Pierce formed his group Spiritualized from the ashes of trance-rockers Spacemen

3, combining his prior band's trademark hypnotic minimalism with uplifting atmospheric lightness that reached a peak with their 1997 classic "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" and the 2001 international chart success Let It Come Down. With extended gaps between releases, Spiritualized continued into the 2010s with "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light" and "And Nothing Hurt".
                                                                                                         

Influenced by the Velvet Underground, La Monte Young, and Steve Reich, Spiritualized staked out a

common ground between minimalism and lush symphonics. While powered by simple, repetitious motifs, their songs simultaneously blossomed into rich, shimmering sonic panoramas inspired by the majestic studio wizardry of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. Their very name acknowledged the existence of other forces, further reflected in their heavy debt to gospel and soul music as well as an affinity for mantras and devotional hymns.
                                                                                  

In 1991, Spiritualized returned with a string of EPs -- "Feel So Sad, Run/I Want You", and

"Smile/Sway" -- before their long-awaited debut, "Lazer Guided Melodies", finally appeared the following year. The masterful, blissed-out result of Pierce's obsessive studio fine-tuning and endless remixing, the album was promoted by Spiritualized's slot on the high-profile Rollercoaster tour, where they appeared with the Jesus and Mary Chain and Curve. A limited-edition live document, "Fucked Up Inside", followed in 1993, trailed by another EP, "Electric Mainline", later in the year.
                                                                                  

In 1995, Spiritualized -- now a trio consisting of Pierce, keyboardist/guitarist Kate Radley, and bassist

Sean Cook -- issued "Pure Phase", a heady, dense production that boasted separate mixes from each stereo channel. With 1997's platinum-certified "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space", Pierce deliberately jettisoned many of the band's usual points of departure, including drones, tremolos, and phase tones; recorded with new drummer Damon Reece, it featured a cameo appearance from legendary New Orleans pianist Dr. John on one track, while Memphis studio legend Jim Dickinson appeared on another. Other guests included the Balanescu Quartet (also featured on Pure Phase), the London Community Gospel Choir, and Spring Heel Jack. The two-disc Royal Albert Hall October 10, 1997 live album followed in late 1998.
                                                                                      

The following year, Pierce gutted Spiritualized's lineup, firing Cook, Reece, and Mike Mooney, who

formed Lupine Howl soon after their dismissal; Radley left soon after she married Verve frontman and solo artist Richard Ashcroft. Only saxophonist Ray Dickaty and occasional keyboardist Thighpaulsandra (aka Tim Lewis) remained in the band. Pierce began writing and recording material for the next Spiritualized album at George Martin's Air Studios and recruited percussionist Tom Edwards, bassist Martin Shallards, Echoboy drummer Kev Bales, and guitarist Dogan (from Julian Cope's band), for the sessions. That critically acclaimed fourth album, "Let It Come Down" -- which featured an even lusher, more involved sound than "Ladies and Gentlemen" -- arrived in mid-2001. The effort was their highest-charting release to date, peaking at number three in the U.K. and marking the band's first appearances on the French and U.S. charts.
                                                                                   

The follow-up, 2003's "Amazing Grace" (Dedicated/Arista), was more of a back-to-basics record. Although it entered the U.K. charts at number 25, it failed to make a dent in international markets.

Their sixth album, "Songs in A and E" (Universal/Sanctuary), arrived in spring 2008 and saw Spiritualized bounce back toward the top of the charts. In 2010, Spiritualized embarked on a tour performing "Ladies and Gentlemen" in its entirety, writing new songs influenced by that album -- as well as by the Beach Boys and Peter Brötzmann -- while they were on the road. Pierce and company laid down the songs at studios in Los Angeles, Wales, and Reykjavik over the course of two years; the results, "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light" (Double Six/Fat Possum), were released in April 2012.
                                                                        

After a six-year hiatus, the longest yet for his band, Pierce wanted to make what he thought would be the last Spiritualized album. Not having the budget to record in a large studio, he opted instead to

construct the effort on a laptop computer, "playing" everything himself (the lush strings are sampled) save for horns, upright bass, and timpani; it was a process he initially found exasperating. The end result, "And Nothing Hurt", was released in September of 2018, followed by a full band tour as well as the admission that the offering may not be the final album from the group.
Artist Biography by Jason Ankeny

LAZER GUIDED MELODIES 1992 (Reissue 1998)

Spiritualized ‎– Lazer Guided Melodies
Label: Dedicated ‎– DEDCD 004, Dedicated ‎– 74321 60525 2
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Repress 1998
Country: Europe
Released: 1992
Genre: Rock
Style: Space Rock, Psychedelic Rock

TRAXS

01. You Know It's True     3:40
02. If I Were With Her Now     5:44
03. I Want You     3:47
04. Run  (Written-By – J.J Cale, J. Pierce)  3:52
05. Smiles     2:15
06. Step Into The Breeze     2:44
07. Symphony Space     5:55
08. Take Your Time     6:53
09. Shine A Light     7:16
10. Angel Sigh     5:46
11. Sway  (Written-By – J. Pierce, M. Refoy)  6:54
12. 200 Bars     6:16

MP3 @ 320 Size: 151 MB
Flac  Size: 341 MB

PURE PHASE  1995

 

Spiritualized ‎– Pure Phase
Label: Dedicated ‎– DEDCD 017S
Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition, Special Edition, Glow-in-the-dark
Country: UK & Europe
Released: 06 Feb 1995
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock

TRAXS

 

01. Medication     8:15
02. The Slide Song  (Vocals – Caroline Crawley)  3:52
03. Electric Phase     1:33
04. All Of My Tears     3:09
05. These Blues     3:04
06. Let It Flow  (Vocals – Helen White, Marilyn McFarlane)  5:30
07. Take Good Care Of It     4:36
08. Born Never Asked (Laurie Anderson)     2:10
09. Electric Mainline     7:34
10. Lay Back In The Sun  (Drums – Chris Sharrack)  5:08
11. Good Times     4:54
12. Pure Phase     6:30
13. Spread Your Wings     6:17
14. Feel Like Goin' Home     5:38

MP3 @ 320 Size: 168 MB
Flac  Size: 403 MB

AND NOTHING HURT 2018

                                                                                    

As a songwriter and arranger, all of Pierce's strengths are readily apparent. The strummed ukulele intro

to opener "A Perfect Miracle" blossoms into a Baroque psychedelic waltz that Ray Davies might have constructed during the Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society period. "I'm Your Man" is drenched in the warmth of Stax-style horns in kaleidoscopic R&B. The sunshine-drenched "Here It Comes (The Road) Let's Go" weaves a strolling NOLA-style horn chart through a gospelized vocal chorus, pulsing analog synths, and shambolic guitars. "Damaged" is a country waltz à la Mickey Newbury with slide guitars in place of pedal steel and a lonesome, lyric that sounds simultaneously exhausted and needy.
                                                                           

"The Morning After" continues the story of Jane from "Hey Jane," and gives way to a squalling boogie

garage rock orgy built on a two-chord vamp and peppered with bleating saxophones, brass, and backing vocals. "The Morning After" nods toward the Loaded-era Velvet Underground with its textured yet frenetic attack, underscored by a howling harmonica and framed by a female chorus that transforms the tune into mutant gospel. Two other tracks here, "The Prize" and the closer "Sail on Through," are hazy, languid assemblages of orchestral psych pop and narcotic gospel.
                                                         

During the recording process, Pierce felt he was creating the final Spiritualized effort; pleased with

results, that seems no longer to be the case. In full, And Nothing Hurt stands alongside the very best outings on the Spiritualized shelf. Its finest moments are consequently its most tender, revealing how much Pierce has grown as a writer. If he continues to record, this will be the album that opens a vibrant new chapter in the saga of Spiritualized.
By Thom Jurek

Spiritualized ‎– And Nothing Hurt
Label: Bella Union ‎– BELLACD800Hz
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK & Europe
Released: 07 Sep 2018
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock

TRAXS

 

01. A Perfect Miracle     4:46
02. I'm Your Man     4:29
03. Here It Comes (The Road) Let's Go     4:42
04. Let's Dance     5:11
05. On The Sunshine     5:01
06. Damaged     4:58
07. The Morning After     7:42
08. The Prize     5:25
09. Sail On Through     5:58

MP3 @ 320 Size: 122 MB
Flac  Size: 307 MB

Siritualized on Urban Aspirines HERE
Spacemen 3 on Urban Aspirines HERE