Lazer guided Melodies

Two fantastic new albums of old stuff

Spiritualized - Friendly Fire

1992 saw the release of Spiritualized's first album, Lazer Guided Melodies, a fantastic combination of drone rock, driving guitars and horns that saw Jason Pierce free himself from the constrains of Spacemen 3 and start moving towards the heady heights of 1997's Ladies and Gentlemen album. Recently the bass guitarist on this album, Willie B Carruthers, came into possession of 50 copies of a collection of demos and rehearsals from this period and was selling these online. It is amazing to hear the blueprints for songs such as Smiles, You Know it's true and Run. To hear the steady building pulse present in these songs even at this early stage is incredible. One set of the rehearsals was recorded in the front room of Pierce's flat and yet the guitars still manage to scale those euphoric heights and more than hint at the finished album's sound. Incredibly sad to be getting excited about a collection of rehearsal tapes, but this is a snapshot of a band at the start of their career. A band that only existed in this shape for a couple of years before dissolving acrimoniously. Reissue of the year for me without a doubt!




Saint Etienne - Nice Price

Another collection of demos and unreleased mixes is this by Saint Etienne. This covers their entire career from the early 90s right up to last year. Bob, Sarah and Pete have always strived to recreate the sound in their heads within a groovy classic pop framework. Beginning with the pure pop masterpiece of Nothing can stop us (clear to hear even in this demo form) and moving right up to the pocket symphony of last year's Milk Bottle Symphony where no audio trick is left out. This is an album bursting with sounds. Versions of songs like Hobart Paving and Angel surpass those already available. The demos show that their version of high concept catchy pop music is present from the earliest stage in the process. Only available to fanclub members, see here for more info.

The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics

I loved them before you did, in fact I loved them before they were even thinking about forming a band, except they weren't very good. They didn't get much better according to these ears until Transmissions from the Satellite Heart was released in 1993 (appearance on Beverly Hills 90210) Even then they were always coming up short in the psych rock stakes against the likes of Mercury Rev, Spiritualized, Verve etc. The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi saw the band push through their ceiling and led to glorious live appearances up and down the country with fake blood, animal suits and megaphones. This new album builds on this and pushes their sounds further more upwards and onwards. The stop starting singalongs of opener the Yeah Yeah Yeah song give way to the falsetto funk of Free Radicals tale of suicide bombing and the journey is well underway. Flashing a multitude of disparate influences including Prince, Beck, prog rock and Neil Young, this is a record that deserves to be listened to like an Lp. Stick on tracks 1-6 a couple of times and then finish off with 7-12. Sure fire winner every time.

Off to see Morrissey in Aberdeen and the BBC Symphony Orchestra the night before (hopefully). Reviews of both on return.

The Charlatans - Simpatico

Bought this yesterday in HMV and have already listened to it three times from start to finish. The Charlatans are never going to be my favourite band or even in my top 20 favourites, but they never fail to create something worth listening to. Comfort music perhaps, a link back to the summer of 1990 when all you heard from my bedroom window was the loose sounds of Madchester. Since 1995 and their eponymous album, the Charlatans have ploughed a furrow of classic rock/funk referencing the Stones through Gram Parsons and Curtis Mayfield with a bit of well studied Dylan thrown in for good measure. The new album is hardly breaking any new ground though there is a spot of "reggae" on Road to Paradise, not their finest three minutes. A good listen and worth spending a few quid on.

Slieve Meelmore and Bearnagh

Got up at 7.30 am and headed down to the Trassey car park with the dog. Arrived in car park at 8.45 am and was back in car by 12.30ish. Stopped twice, at top of Meelmore and at top of Bearnagh. Bearnagh from this side is a steep climb though doesn't take that long to do (25 minutes) Best time to go as I was only person at summit of both!! An abundance of people on way down back through the Hare's Gap. All pictures taken with my phone camera.