SPIRITUALIZED

The complete works. Volume one

“Taking drugs to make music to take drugs to”. Once you clocked the title from years ago by Spacemen 3, you could easily see that Jason Pierce was a character definitely worth taking a closer look at. Mister Pierce’s current group, Spiritualized, overcame their minority music boundaries about six years ago when they released their meaty “Ladies & Gentlemen, we’re floating in space”. This new double record called “The Complete Works Vol. 1” is made up of material that was sidelined and unused from old recording sessions. The songs are b-sides and versions, but be warned, these songs are not leftovers by any means. The music on this record contains most of the reasons why Spiritualized have attained the heights they have. This an alternative to the traditional way of understanding music. That’s what this record is all about and it’s certainly worth checking out. The exit is always closer than you think.

MACY GRAY

The trouble with being myself

If you look at the title of the record, you could be forgiven for thinking that the trouble with being herself refers to side effects left over from her first record. After her “On how life is” (1999), there was no end to the praise and recognition heaped on the record because there simply hadn’t been a record of such class in Soul for ages. This third record can be seen as some kind of liberation. She doesn’t have everybody watching and judging every step she takes, and that has been very much to her advantage. She takes the influence of the soulmen previously mentioned and mixes that with the likes of the funky Parliament, Sly & The Family Stone and others. That’s what Miss Gray’s new record boils down to. The good news as well is that there is the odd nod to her first record (“She don’t write things about you”, “Things that make me change”). Even better news is that it seems she has gotten over the hangover headache left behind by all the hype. Her future records, hitches notwithstanding, could just be absolutely amazing.

RADIOHEAD

Hail to the thief

The unauthorised bootleg copy of the master that I have is not the official Radiohead release. More than likely there’ll be a few changes in both the songs and the production when the official version hits the shop shelves. It would be better if they left it the way it is. It’s not a case of the record surprising me or me liking the record; the thing has absolutely blown me away. The recorded versions are far, far stronger. I can’t think of “Amnesiac” or the electronic “Kid A”. This record is more than those two put together. It hurts, ties your insides up in knots and then undoes them, whenever it wants, depending on the song. If that weren’t enough, Thom Yorke goes and breaks all his previous boundaries when it comes to vocal expression. When it comes to writing about a record of this magnitude, it wouldn’t really matter if I only used vowels to write about it. I still wouldn’t come near to describing what “Hail to the thief” is like. I’d still be miles off.

YO LA TENGO

Summer sun

It’s easy to love Yo La Tengo. That old album called “Painful” is probably the reason. There was something about their melodic vigour that just can’t be explained. Or maybe the fact that they are one of the most underestimated rock bands in the US (them and Urge Overkill methinks) makes them more endearing to us. Or lastly, maybe Yo La Tengo were nothing special until they turned Bob Dylan’s “I’ll threw it all away” on its head. Back then they certainly had earned their place in heaven. Anyway, this is a new album, so I’m gonna look at it with new eyes and... I have to say that “Summer Sun” is a mediocre Yo La Tengo album. That means, of course, that it’s up there with the best thing most bands will ever come up with, so don’t think for a moment that there is nothing on this record worth noting. However, when they are inspired (“How to make a baby elephants float” – best song title of the year so far), no-one can hold a match to them.