Taking Sides: Jason Pierce / Sonic Boom

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If this has been done, I can't find it. Who do you like? Why? Also talk about the latest Spiritualized album if so inclined.

― Mark, Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't like Spiritualized at all, and I like EAR's Phenom. 256 and Beyond the Pale, so I'll go with Sonic.

― Mark, Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

sonic. jason is too kitsch for me

― gareth, Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Can't decide. The dynamic between the two in Spacemen 3 was a if not the reason why it was such an amazing band, while both have created astonishing works on their own. Time has increasingly shown the differences between the two in terms of preferred sound and style, but somehow, some way, they seem joined at the hip forever.

That said, based on recent work -- Let it Come Down is enjoyable and I said as much in an FT piece a while back, but differs from earlier work only in the amount of overdubs. Live, the show was coldly impressive. A few moments worked, but I fell asleep more than once -- the mantras succeeded all too well -- and more than once I got a sense of what a post-Roger Waters Pink Floyd show must have been like. I've seen Spiritualized a total of five times, and this last time was a letdown in comparison -- this new band just wasn't jelling, presence of Thighpaulsandra aside. If Jason had just come out with an acoustic guitar and sang, I think it would have been wonderful.

As for Sonic, the revamped Spectrum lineup that toured did a great job at the first show here in OC, a touch tentative but still worthy. Too bad the tour then had to go and completely collapse towards the end, with everyone wanting to kill Sonic to various degrees by all accounts. The performances suffered mightily as well.

Ultimately I think their control freak natures would mean they're best suited for studio work on their own.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"Ladies and Gentlemen..." is a stupendous piece of music. So yeah.

― Gage-o, Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Pure Phase is even better...

― g, Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

seriously, I liked the initial Spectrum albums (esp. Soul Kiss) but now the analog bleeps and bloops ave gotten pretty hard to listen to for any length of time. Live, Sonic has always been a bit of tough going. Sure i like his commitment to vintage gear, but leave that bloody vox 12 string at home. it stayed in tuen for about 30 seconds. And all the calls to the soundman for more reverb on the vocals gotta stop. I had to skip seeing them this last tour. As for Spiritualized, i think there has been a bit of a backlash because they actually got popular, but I probably wouldn't trust the opinion of someone who doesn't think the albums are pretty special. Even the lateest one, though admittedly it hasn't done that much for me compared to the first 3 (first 2 mostly). Their live shows had the potential to be great, but also boring because of the detachment from the audience. The first time I saw them they blew me away, the next was good, but I was too lazy to go this last time...

― g, Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mark, I second your praise of 'Beyond the Pale'--I just got it, and I love it. That said, I think Spiritualized have some pretty goddamned amazing material, and it's really hard to decide. If I had heard them separately first, I'd have had a hard time believing they jelled so well in SP3.

― Clarke B., Friday, 28 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sonic. I prefer his S3 contributions, and his earlier solo work. But I don't particularly rate either of their recent work. Spiritualized barely move me at all.

― electric sound of jim, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Kate to thread!

― suzy, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Gareth's 'kitsch' criticism demands a few replays as up to LAGWAFIS Jason was pretty much untouchable for me, a hero for 'Lazer Guided Melodies' alone. He now seems stuck in a cul-de-sac, though I was sincerely happy to note he'd put on a some weight during an otherwise lacklustre concert two months ago.
Always approve of Sonic's desire to push the envelope without paying that much attention. When I have, such as 'Soul Kiss' or later EAR work with Koner + Shields (on paper a dream-team) its all been a bit monotonous, introverted and, well, 'smacked out'. I could forgive either virtually anything out of reverence for the god-like Spacemen 3.

― stevo, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

the kitsch criticism refers to post-ladies and gentlemen really, but it was always there, it just has the upper hand now. the irony is, i actually like kitsch.

― gareth, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

JP = hippy
SB = punk
S3 = fabled platonic whole or summat

― Tracer Hand, Saturday, 29 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

four weeks pass...

Sonic and Jason are not as Reed/Cale, Morrissey/Marr, Lennon/McCartney because these duos are made of Pop/Alternative dialectic. Sonic and Jason are both out of the mainstream forever and ever because their point of movement is "play what you feel in the way you feel" and they feel differently. Jason is the psychedelic, R'n'B side of good music, Sonic is the punk, garage side of good music and this perfect prescription realized one of the greatest bands of all times Spacemen 3 and after the divorce both of them continued to make great music separately, Jason in more psychedelic way and Sonic in more garagesque way. The first Spiritualized album is the best one but is the less known, anyway Jason had never flirted with mainstream but is well known now. Sonic' band Spectrum is as good as Spiritualized but he never had the chance to being known maybe he never wanted. Thanks to these two great men who changed my life. You can understand them by the dialectic of thier guitars Jazz Master-Jaguar!!!! U must have one of them, I have both of them, I understand well both of them, It's hard to make any complete album as Playing with fire with its both sides. Lord forgive my sins I can't stand this life without sweet Spacemen2!!!!

― Ali Ece, Monday, 28 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Greg Shaw is loose! Look out!

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes Ali!! Great post! Just to be clear, I think Sonic Boom beats Jason by a country mile, these days at least.

(byw I am listening to Tubeway Army by Gary Numan right now and HEAD... IS... EXPLODING)

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 28 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Had you never heard early Gary before? GIVE IN.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I never could tell them apart until after they split up. I still can't tell listening to old Spacemen 3 albums, except for the side-for-side breakdown on Recurring. Is it a case where you can always pick out track-by-track who did which?

btw, it's Sonic Boom all the way, just based on the kind of sound he favors, although I do like Laser Guided Melodies.

― Curt, Monday, 28 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Jason of course because he has way better hair. :)

I still haven't heard anything by Sonic Boom post Spacemen 3 so on a musical level that's sorted then. First three Spiritualized albums untouchable aural delight for stoned angels and all that. Let It Come Down of course isn't very good.

But I was surprised to notice last time I played Playing With Fire that 'How Does It Feel' is a Sonic song.

― Omar, Tuesday, 29 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Undecidable. As so many others have said, the first three Spiritualized albums are amazing, though I find the newest a serious disappointment, way off into parody. Sonic's stuff, though, while it doesn't grab me as instantly, is consistently great. I love drones, so E.A.R. filled a need for me, and Spectrum is great for the poppy side of things. How can you choose?

― Sean Carruthers, Tuesday, 29 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

two years pass...

Woo! Revive!

I might actually be seeing Sonic Boom *and* Jason Pierce in the same week! (Though I haven't actually made up my mind on the SPZ show yet, so we shall see.)

Monday, 26th July at the Spitz, London! Wooo!!! Anyone want to go with me? It's a Kosmische night, so it will be wunderbar.

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 08:08 (twenty-one years ago)

can't we get gus van zant or some such tangentially hollywooder to pony up some dough for a soundtrack cut, whereby stipulation is that it's for a whole new spacemen song? like one day in the studio together and enough $$$ to make it worth their while? it seems like they might do it if someone would bother to ask. or am i dreaming? wait i know the answer

― duke recurring, Friday, 23 July 2004 08:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Sonic has already stated that he would work with Jason again, (of course, adding the dig that nothing that Jason has recorded lately has been as good as S3, and that Sonic could sort him out and all) but Jason, quite predictably, has not even responded.

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i choose sonic by about the width of the universe. Jason wrote some lovely songs for the Spacemen, but once he got his hands on the production reins he turned out nothing but middly, muddy sounding slop. He's a classic case of being spoiled by excessive budgets. they should just give him a guitar, a space echo and 3 days in a cheap tinny studio to record his albums.

― dave amos, Friday, 23 July 2004 08:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Does anyone want to go with me to Sonic Boom at the Spitz on Monday, then?

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

i would be happy to, but unfortunately will won't be in london on monday night. is he playing as spectrum or e.a.r? enjoy the wonderful drones and out of tune starstreamer in any case!

― dave amos, Friday, 23 July 2004 09:06 (twenty-one years ago)

He is playing as "Sonic Boom" which means I'm guessing it will be more E.A.R. type stuff - oscillators and drones and the hummmmm, oh, the lovely HUMMMMMMMMMMM of the digital tamboura.

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 09:08 (twenty-one years ago)

see, now i'm jealous.

― dave amos, Friday, 23 July 2004 09:09 (twenty-one years ago)

You know... I SWEAR at the Northampton show, he said it was the last show he'd be doing all year. But then the thing in Hull (granted, that was a digital arts conference, not a concert, but still, he set up his stuff and wubbed) and now this... Mr. Boom, you are spoiling us!

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 09:12 (twenty-one years ago)

You know I would so be there. Damn that ocean!

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Friday, 23 July 2004 10:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, and it's the Spitz! The stage there isn't very high! We would be staring at, well, the middle of his chest, rather than his crotch!

(boombie-boombie-boombie...)

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 10:28 (twenty-one years ago)

(Hey, Kali, do you remember Maxwell's? "She got a TV Catastrophe, she got a big TV - take a look at Max!")

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 10:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, you mean unlike that other time? ;-) Hopefully he'll bring his wub-ness here soon.

(boombie...)

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Friday, 23 July 2004 10:41 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG! Yes, of course I remember! Well, now I do!

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Friday, 23 July 2004 10:43 (twenty-one years ago)

(I hate to tell you this now, but I didn't know before... according to his website, he was just *in* NYC...)

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 10:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Very, very tempted to go to the Spitz.

There's a new Spectrum compilation out at the mo, which might be interesting to casual fans. Nutters like me will have all the songs already.

I simply can't take sides. It's like having to choose which of your children you like best.

― Ian Edmond (ianedmond), Friday, 23 July 2004 10:53 (twenty-one years ago)

that's easy, you like the talented interesting one best!

― dave amos, Friday, 23 July 2004 12:19 (twenty-one years ago)

No, I mean, I understand what Ian says! They're like my children! I like the weird, ker-azy arty one, and I also like the sensitive, obsessive-compulsive one who feels the need to record the same album over and over.

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 12:25 (twenty-one years ago)

(Yes he was just in NYC, but not actually playing. DJing and other stuff? In Brooklyn I think? So I can't complain too much, though the DJ thing may have been pretty nifty to catch.)

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Friday, 23 July 2004 13:07 (twenty-one years ago)

B-b-but Kate, aren't they both the "obsessive compulsive one who feels the need to record the same album over and over?"

― Iggy Bliss, Friday, 23 July 2004 13:32 (twenty-one years ago)

No, not at all. Sonic has at least three different albums he likes to record over and over.

― Ma$onic Boom (kate), Friday, 23 July 2004 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

1) variations on one song
2) soft wash
3) hard wash

― sexyDancer, Friday, 23 July 2004 14:01 (twenty-one years ago)

as a tiebreaker for those having trouble taking a side, maybe you want to consider their appearances. Jason has the mussed shaggy black hair+stubble+whatever look, but Sonic (at least on his 2001 tour and in every photo i've ever seen and i assume still to this day) has a BOWL cut and those huge black blind-person sunglasses. the man's got a vision, you know?

― common_person (common_person), Friday, 23 July 2004 14:11 (twenty-one years ago)

sonic boom = gareth keenan

― common_person (common_person), Friday, 23 July 2004 14:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Sonic Boom woke up one day and said, "Motherfucker, I'm going to dress like a hot-air balloon for the rest of my life."
That's modernism, dicks.

― sexyDancer, Friday, 23 July 2004 14:19 (twenty-one years ago)

"according to his website"

could somebody shoot a link i'm lazy

― duke link, Friday, 23 July 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Sonic Boom all the way!

(Space Age Recordings is re-releasing Recurring, does anyone know if there will be extra stuff on it? There is probably a thread on it somewhere. I still have my old copy, so if there is no bonus crap....)

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 23 July 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.sonic-boom.info/home.php

― sexyDancer, Friday, 23 July 2004 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

There's no new stuff on Recurring, but the cover is a bit different and it's remastered. If you've only got the vinyl you need the CD anyway - there have always been extra tracks on it.

― Ian Edmond (ianedmond), Friday, 23 July 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I have the original cd.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 23 July 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

There were three different cds of Recurring with three different tracklists. One for the US, UK, and EU.

― sexyDancer, Friday, 23 July 2004 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm pretty sure I have the U.K. one, but I will check.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 23 July 2004 16:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, good point. You need the 15 track one on Fire, or the new re-issue.

― Ian Edmond (ianedmond), Friday, 23 July 2004 16:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I've got the U.K. one. I also have the gel-pack version of Soul Kiss! Which I'm gonna put on right now.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 23 July 2004 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Man the gel-pack version of Soul Kiss is great. Any version is really, but I loved that package better than any of the Pierce packages except maybe the twelve-mini-discs-in-foil version of "Ladies and Gentlemen."

― Iggy Bliss, Friday, 23 July 2004 16:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Listened to Soul Kiss yesterday for the first time in about about a year. It's still my favourite post-Spacemen album by either of the mainmen. Absolutely gorgeous.

Sonic once told me that rough handling of packs of records including the Soul Kiss oil pack resulted in lots of them getting split and ruining the other records they were shipped with, apparently scuppering what would otherwise have been the first top ten placing for Manic Street Preachers...

― Ian Edmond (ianedmond), Sunday, 25 July 2004 17:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Such a plan.

I am always envious of Sonic or Jason shows where I am not, so I hope Kate rocks out at both.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 July 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

I listened to Forever Alien last night and realized that it was about a decade ahead of its time.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 19 January 2007 17:54 (eighteen years ago)

E.A.R. is playing at the Hemlock tonight. I am debating going.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 19 January 2007 17:57 (eighteen years ago)

ooh I forgot about that... hmmm....

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 19 January 2007 17:58 (eighteen years ago)

Listening to them now, it's hard to believe they were ever even in th same band. Time has told - Mr. Boom wins on every count. Especially the hair.

― Shoes and Shoegazeability (kate), Friday, 19 January 2007 18:01 (eighteen years ago)

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