Spirtualized + Elvis

it exists, yes. gimme a few minutes, it's on the way.

here. (admission: I usually skipped straight to "come together".)

Awesome. Thanks a lot.

I had no idea about this- thanks!

The holiday gifts keep on coming...

Awesome. I've been looking for this for a long time. This was only included on early promos that went out to critics, etc.

The original is, imo, far better than the version officially released.

I was listening to the album earlier today, and I found it interesting that after self-descriptive album titles like "Spiritualized: Lazer Guided Melodies" and "Spiritualized: Pure Phase" J.Spaceman would issue such an "earthy" album under the name "Spiritualized: Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space."

Mant seem to view "Ladies and Gentlemen..." as Spiritualized's best album. I disagree. It's a damned good record, to be sure, but "Lazer Guided Melodies," I think, or, perhaps, "Pure Phase" captures the band at its best. After "Ladies and Gentlemen...", the J.Spaceman seems to have entered a period of repetition and "refinement," which has resulted in a couple of quite good (though not great) albums that are beginning to show signs of diminishing returns.

"Amazing Grace" was certainly not the disappointment it was dismissed as originally, but it's not a particularly breathtaking album, either. One wishes that Jason and Sonic'd get back together for an album or two...

agreed - the original is *way* better. And by and large I agree about J's "career arc" - the last couple records I have enjoyed a lot for what they are, but its really him playing with more conventional sounds in different combinations (which you can hear the beginnings of on "Ladies and Gentlemen"). But a lot of my favorite Spacemen 3/Spiritualized stuff grows out of UNconventional sounds, these strange combinations of instruments that you can't quite identify or separate, creative mixing of drums, tons of unique guitar sounds, etc. But maybe he hit a wall with that approach, or just lost interest in it - became more enamored of the possibilities of large live ensembles and improvisation, it would seem.

wow...this is really good.

The original Elvis version is far better than the redo. I thought it was the only version for years because it was the one I downloaded on Napster....

Spiritualized has moved away from the simplicity that defined their early career (and Spacemen 3, for that matter).

I remember picking up a couple of Spiritualized records on the advice of a friend a few years back. I think I started with the then-current "Let It Come Down" and moved backwards to "Ladies and Gentlemen..." My first reaction to both records was "Well, this is pretty good, but what's the fuss about?"

Then I heard their first single (a cover of the Troggs' "Any Way That You Want Me") and I "got it." One of those epiphanic moments when you hear something that perfectly encapsulates what you like about music.

Nothing he's done lately comes close. All his "rockers" are beginning to sound like new versions of "Electricity" and all his "spirituals" are starting to sound like copies of "Lord Can You Hear Me?" which he was doing as far back as Spacemen 3's "Playing With Fire."

I'll still buy every Spiritualized record that comes out, but I've long since despaired of getting struck by it the same way I was struck by "Lazer Guided Melodies" or "Playing With Fire."

Thank you very much for this! Haven't listened to it yet, but I'm quite excited.

I remember seeing Spiritualized at the Virgin Megastore in Vancouver a couple of years ago. They played a stripped-down set of some of their current stuff, and it was actually quite remarkable - managed to transcend the bizarre fluorescent lights and basement vibe of the whole thing. Halfway through the performance, Elvis Costello and Diana Krall walked by, gave a bit of a peak, and then took off up the escalator. I asked to snap their photo, but got a sneer from Diana Krall as a response.

Spiritualized live >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EC live