OFF: relevance & irrelevance (was HW: Swindon)

[K Henderson]

Nick M. asks...

>Talking of ex-Spacemen, I have somehow managed to not hear anything by
>Spiritualized, despite them having become really rather famous. Anyone got
>any comments on them?

Hmmmm....and I *just* saw them performing on Jay Leno within the hour, which
gives you an idea of just how famous they've become.  Last year, one of
their tunes was used for a car commercial here in the states also.

Well, I've only *just* gotten the new album ("Let it come down") and
"listened" to it just once (without paying much attention), so I won't
comment on it just yet.  I need to sit down one of these days and compare it
to Lupine Howl's debut album (basically the entire rest of Spiritualized
that Pierce fired, from what I understand)*, which I also just got.  Nice
artwork on that one.  :)

But the Ladies & Gents, We are Floating in Space album is quite fun IMHO.
Most of it is real laid back and soothing, but the occasional outburst like
"Electricity" really snaps you back awake again.  Great tune.

Grakkl (FAA)

P.S.  The Leno live performance was a little um....overblown.  Maybe the
whole tour is like that I dunno.  Let's see, we need to fill up this stage
with a whole bunch of extraneous horn players, chorus singers, extra
percussionists, etc. because we're such a hugely important band we have to
look like one.  No matter whether it makes the music any better or not, it's
all just perception after all.  Next stop - costume changes every third
song!  :)

P.P.S.  "Let it Come Down" was coproduced by a J. Coxon, and an E. Coxon
assisted in orchestration.  Any relation to G. Coxon, ex-Hawkestra (without
even performing once)?

*Dark Star is to Levitation, as Lupine Howl is to Spiritualized.