Spiritualized: Let It Come Down 2001

British space rock band founded in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire. Spiritualized has always been Jason Pierce plus a rotating cast of supporting musicians.

When highly influential English psychedelic rockers Spacemen 3 splintered, singer/guitarist Jason Pierce (also known as J. Spaceman) formed his group Spiritualized, extracting his more melodic and plaintive songwriting from droning minimalism of his former band. Spiritualized evolved from the narcotic, Velvet Underground-inspired sounds of their earliest material to incorporate both gospel and blues influences and wistful orchestral pop touches that took cues from Brian Wilson and Phil Spector's teenage symphonies to God.
                                       

 
Jason Pierce has never shied away from changes in pursuit of his artistic goals. He traded

Spacemen 3's white-hot intensity for the gentler ebb and flow of Spiritualized, and took things a step further by firing the rest of the band after their greatest success, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. Let It Come Down is another step in Pierce's difficult, single-minded creative path. To craft the album's epic sound, Pierce sang the melodies into a Dictaphone, translated them to piano, and then transposed them into orchestral arrangements.
                             

This painstaking process results in an album that is equal parts intimate confessions and ambitious soundscapes, yet, despite the lineup changes and its lengthy inception, Let It Come Down doesn't sound

radically different from Spiritualized's previous albums, proving for once and all that Pierce is Spiritualized and Spiritualized is Pierce. Instead, it feels like a natural progression from the densely orchestrated space rock of the first three Spiritualized albums, especially on the bleak, bluesy "Out of Sight" and the plaintive "Don't Just Do Something." Sweeping, stratospheric string and brass sections dominate the album, with over 100 musicians surrounding Pierce's frail, desolate vocals on some songs.
                                    

Indeed, the lushness of the arrangements sometimes overpowers the album's relatively straightforward songwriting, particularly on tracks like "Anything More." While country and gospel influences bring

the beautiful "Do It All Over Again" and "Won't Get to Heaven (The State I'm In)" back down to earth, Let It Come Down's elaborate sound doesn't always make its songs particularly accessible. When Pierce dares to keep things relatively simple, as on the insistent, yearning "I Didn't Mean to Hurt You" and the finale, "Lord Can You Hear Me," the emotional impact is stunning; the rockers "On Fire" and "The Twelve Steps" also cut the album's scope down to size in a direct, gripping way. Let It Come Down is another masterfully made Spiritualized album, but its very ambitions sometimes overwhelm it.
By Heather Phares

Spiritualized – Let It Come Down
Label: Spaceman Records – OPM001CD, Arista – 74321882242
Format:    CD, Album
Country: UK & Europe
Released: Sep 17, 2001
Genre: Rock
Style: Space Rock, Psychedelic Rock

TRAXS

                          

01. On Fire    4:01
02. Do It All Over Again    3:48
03. Don't Just Do Something    6:53
04. Out Of Sight    6:11
05. The Twelve Steps    4:43
06. The Straight And The Narrow    5:11
07. I Didn't Mean To Hurt You    5:13
08. Stop Your Crying    5:16
09. Anything More    5:35
10. Won't Get To Heaven (The State I'm In)    10:33
11. Lord Can You Hear Me    5:37

NOTES

                             

Alto Vocals – Emer McParland, Heather Cairncross, Rachel Weston
Bass Clarinet – David Fuest
Bass Trombone – Andy Waddicor, Dave Stewart (2), Roger Argente
Bass Vocals – Michael Dore, Simon Grant (4)
Bass [Fender Jazz Bass, Fender Musicmaster, Fender Bass V❘, Burns Bass, Fender Telecaster], Banjo, Piano – Martin Schellard
Bassoon – Celia Birkenshaw, Gavin McNaughton
Cello – Tony Pleeth, Cathy Giles, David Daniels, Jonathan Tunnell
Choir – London Community Gospel Choir
Clarinet – Anthony Pike, Richard Addison
Countertenor Vocals – Nigel Short
Double Bass – Diane Clarke, Mary Scully
Drums [Gretsch Drum Kit] – Kevin Bales
Flute [Contra-bass Flute] – Andy Findon
Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Flute – Andy Findon, Dave Heath
French Horn – Dave Lee (3), Hugh Seenan, Martin Owen, Michaela Betts, Nigel Black, Paul Gardham, Richard Ashton, Richard Bissel
Guitar [Fender Telecaster, Fender Jaguar, Gibson Firebird], Organ [Vox Continental, Farfisa Compact], Piano, Synthesizer [Juno 106], Acoustic Guitar [Martin] – John Coxon
Guitar [Fender Thinline, Fender Jaguar, Epiphone Olympic, Vox Starstreamer X❘❘], Acoustic Guitar [Martin], Banjo, Organ [Vox Continental, Farfisa Compact], Piano, Harmonica, Vocals – Spaceman
Guitar [Gibson Les Paul Gold Top, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Fender Telecaster], Effects [Vox Bulldog], Acoustic Guitar [Martin], Harmonica – Doggen Foster
Harp – Helen Tunstall
Oboe – Chris Cowie (2), Margaret Tindale
Organ [Hammond C3, Vox Continental, Farfisa Compact], Synthesizer [VK7, Kurzweil K2000, Minimoog], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Piano – Thighpaulsandra
Piano – Chris Clark (4)
Saxophone, Clarinet – David Temple, Pete Whyman, Tamar Osborn
Score [Music Scores] – Martin Schellard
Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Raymond Dickaty*
Soprano Vocals – Jacqueline Barron, Sarah Eyden
Tenor Vocals – Andrew Busher, Andrew Gray (2), Gerard O'Beirne
Trombone – Colin Sheen, Graham Lee (5), James Adams (2), Mike Hext, Peter Davies, Roger Brenner
Trumpet – Andy Crowley, Ben Edwards (2), Bob Farley, Ian Balmain, Nick Smart, Paul Archibald, Paul Beniston
Tuba – David O'Carroll
Vibraphone, Marimba, Timpani, Bells [Tubular Bells], Percussion – Tom Edwards
Viola – Bruce White, Kate Musker, Philip Dukes, Roger Chase
Violin [First] – Cathy Thompson, Christina Emanuel, Everton Nelson, Ian Humphries, Jackie Shave, Laura Malhuish, Patrick Kiernan, Steve Morris
Violin [First], Leader – Edmund Coxon
Violin [Second] – Ann Morfee, Dai Emanuel, Jeremy Morris, Jonathan Rees, Miffy Hirsch, Perry Montague-Mason, Sonia Slaney
Vocals – Mimi Parker
Vocals [London Community Gospel Choir] – Aaron Paul Sokell, Carmen Smart, Donovan Keith Lawrence, Irene Forrester, Jasette Barratt, Jenny Graham, Jenny La Touche, Michelle John-Douglas, Samantha Smith, Travis Jae Cole, Vernetta Meade, Vimbai Shire, Wayne Hernandez, Wendi Rose
Written-By, Arranged By – J. Spaceman

MP3 @ 320 Size: 145 MB
Flac  Size: 415 MB

SPIRITUALIZED on Urban Aspirines HERE

 

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

Spiritualized : Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space 1997

Spiritualized are an English space rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. The membership of Spiritualized has changed from album to album, with Pierce—who writes, composes and sings all of the band's material—being the only constant member.

Spiritualized have released seven studio albums. The best known and most critically acclaimed of these is 1997's Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, which NME magazine named as their Album of the Year.
Following a breakdown in relations between Spacemen 3 co-frontmen Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, the group's bassist Will Carruthers, drummer Jonny Mattock, and guitarist Mark Refoy were asked by Pierce to form a new group alongside local friend Steve Evans, subsequently calling themselves Spiritualized. The band

took their name from an adaptation of the text on the back label of a bottle of Pernod.
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" is the third studio album by English space rock band Spiritualized, released on 16 June 1997. The album features guest appearances from the Balanescu Quartet, The London Community Gospel Choir and Dr. John.

( Spiritualized's third collection of hypnotic headphone symphonies is their most brilliant and accessible to date.
Largely forsaking the drones and minimalistic, repetitive riffs which have characterized his work since the halcyon days of Spacemen 3, Jason Pierce re-focuses here and spins off into myriad new directions; in a sense, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, with its majestic, Spector-like glow, is his classic rock album.

"Come Together" and the blistering "Electricity" are his most edgy, straightforward rockers in eons, while the stunning "I Think I'm in Love" settles into a divided-psyche call-and-response R&B groove, and the closing "Cop Shoot Cop" (with guest Dr. John) locks into a voodoo blues trance.

Lyrically, Pierce is at his most open and honest: The record is a heartfelt confessional of love and loss, with redemption found only in the form of drugs -- designed, no less, to look like a prescription pharmaceutical package, Ladies and Gentlemen is pointedly explicit in its description of drug use as a means of killing the pain on track after track.

Conversely, never before have the literal implications of the name "Spiritualized" been explored in such earnest detail -- the London Community Gospel Choir appears prominently on a number of songs, while another bears the title "No God, Only Religion," pushing the music even further toward the kind of cosmic gospel transcendence it craves.

A masterpiece.

 AllMusic Review by Jason Ankeny )

TRACKS

01."Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (I Can't Help Falling in Love)"    3:54
02."Come Together"         4:40
03."I Think I'm in Love"    8:10
04."All of My Thoughts"         4:36
05."Stay with Me"         5:08
06."Electricity"         3:45
07."Home of the Brave"         2:35
08."The Individual"         4:02
09."Broken Heart"         6:38
10."No God Only Religion"    4:21
11."Cool Waves"                 5:06
12."Cop Shoot Cop…"         17:00

Total length:    69:41

Label : Dedicated – DEDCD 034
Format : CD, Album
Country : UK
Released : 16 Jun 1997
Genre : Electronic, Rock
Style : Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock

FLAC  Size : 447 MB