Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space

[Levis]

I bravely foray into the much feared album reviews section to review stuff. Here we have my interpretation of [color:navy]Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space by [color:navy]Spiritualized.

[color:navy]

"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" – 3:40

"Come Together" – 4:40

"I Think I'm in Love" – 8:09

"All of My Thoughts" – 4:36

"Stay With Me" – 5:08

"Electricity" – 3:46

"Home of the Brave" – 2:22

"The Individual" – 4:15

"Broken Heart" – 6:38

"No God Only Religion" – 4:21

"Cool Waves" – 5:05

"Cop Shoot Cop..." – 17:13

I'm not too good with musical imagery. I wish I was, because that's really what this album needs. Spiritualized specialises in dream pop (not so shoegaze, imo)- it's all very spacey and psychedelic. So you have these swirly, loopy riffs through all the songs. You have orchestras and choirs. You have delicate intros and chaotic outros. You have horn sections and harmonicas. It's a pretty marvellous album.

The title track is understandably the most popular. It starts softly and sadly and builds up to culminate in this 'mess' of layers and noise and music and voice. The second track I knew before I got the album was [color:navy]I Think I'm In Love. I just looked and I see it's 8 minutes long. Wow. I don't even realise it while listening. I think it's just mesmerising. Same with [color:navy]Cop Shoot Cop.... At 17:14 probably the only song over ten minutes that I can listen to without getting bored. [color:navy]Broken Heart is - honestly - heartbreaking. With its gradual orchestral intro and the shaky voice that sings about broken hearts and broken dreams. Words cannot express how pitifully, beautifully sad this song is. It breaks your heart.

The songs have a very slow, dreamy (hence the genre name) rhythm. But the loud-soft contrast is so great, they're not something you could fall asleep listening to. Not at all. Not that you'd want to, either... The gist is - they start cautiously and end in a wall of sound.

Right, I hope the Spiritualized-fans approve of what I say. Any corrections in facts or description are welcomed.

[Farin]

The title track is understandably the most popular. It starts softly and sadly and builds up to culminate in this 'mess' of layers and noise and music and voice.

that's called 'canon' ji

[Levis]

What is this canon? I do not know it. I am uncultured. To me it a mess of layers and noise and music and voice.

[TheLizard]

A canon is sort of that, but I definitely wouldn't call it a mess. Here's probably the most famous Canon.

[Levis]

I dunno the words to describe what I hear so I do the best I can

... so... does anyone here like Spiritualized?

[Farin]

here *raises hand*

sorry that I didn't mention that before

[TheLizard]

I can take them or leave them, I guess.

[c_s_1987]

I'd almost describe the title track as a cacophony. Not that cacophonies are bad. Prog rock is full of cacophonies, so I love them.

Anyway, it's a good song. I might listen to the other tracks on YouTube sometime.

[Lucky]

... so... does anyone here like Spiritualized?

I do. At least I liked the title song, and I don't find it to be a mess at all, just many layered. The underlying melody is lovely though. I really liked it Radhi!

A canon is sort of that, but I definitely wouldn't call it a mess. Here's probably the most famous Canon

I think this may be one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

[Levis]

I use the word 'mess' ... poetically. Mebbe it did not work.

[The Seeker]

Are you all literary critics or here for the music? 'Mess' makes sense to me, 'canon' would just confuse me.

I like the title track. It's relaxing but not sleep-inducing... whoever called it 'dream pop' came up with quite an accurate description.

Nice one

[Lucky]

Ah, she focuses on the "mess" and not the fact that I liked it. I was using mess in a joking fashion ... in a way that I would expect a rebel jokester to understand!

K, I will simplify. I like it!

Edited November 1, 2008 by Guest

[Levis]

Oh right... see all this discussion of my writing style shifts my (and everyone's) attention away from what I'm actually writing about. 'tis a tough crowd

Thanks for listening and liking, Lucky

[Batman]

beautiful album. I don't listen to this band nearly enough

[Levis]

*bump*

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've built up an iota of culture over the past month and I learn that a canon is - to paraphrase GEB - one single 'theme' played over itself with variations in timing and/or key. There may be extra voices present to 'harmonise pleasantly', but that's about it.

However, LaGWaFiS (aiyo ) ends with different bits of the song being played over each other - not the same theme repeatedly. That's not a canon then, is it?

[blind-fitter]

I do know that one feature of LAGWAFIS (the track), the underlying motif, is a facsimile of a piece of classical music. Alas, I don't know which piece it is lifted from. Possibly "Where Sheep May Safely Graze" by....oooerr, I'm not very au fait with the classical scene.

[blind-fitter]

J.S. Bach.... But anyway; nope, its not the sheep-grazey one.

[blind-fitter]

Got it! Pachelbel's Canon In Dmajor

I claim my £5.

[Levis]

that's the link Tim posted earlier when the whole canon thing came up

[blind-fitter]

Wow! Small world.

[Levis]

Sheepgrazer

[blind-fitter]

There's no call for that, ye cheeky so-and-so.

Sheesh. If I hadn't nominated LAGWAFIS in a Top Ten many moons ago, it's doubtful we'd even be having this conversation.

[Levis]

Rubbish, I'd have found them out eventually

[blind-fitter]

Yeah, sure. Whatever.

[Levis]

Sure, we may have had this conversation next year, but we'd have had it.