Interview with the Spaceman: Spiritualized gets high acclaim
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In the war on drugs, Jason Pierce — a k a "J Spaceman" — is something of a conscientious objector. He started his music career in 1982 with Spacemen 3, whose first release was originally titled "Taking Drugs to Make Music to Take Drugs To" (later changed to "Sound of Confusion").
In 1991, Pierce launched Spiritualized, and his latest album shows he is still interested — at least lyrically — in higher planes. Check out some of the lyrics to "The Twelve Steps":
"... Do some knitting, get some rest,
Group therapy gets me depressed,
You might get banned if you relapse,
They'll take you back when you got the cash,
Just as likely find inner peace,
By buying the stuff from off the street. ... "
While the lyrics range from altered-state references to Brian Wilson-esque love songs, the album "Let It Come Down" is also a spectacular musical affair, using 100 classical musicians for an intense rock-pop sound.
Critical acclaim for "Let It Come Down" has been nearly unanimous. Rolling Stone said the album "comes on like side three of 'Exile on Main Street' with Keith on vocals and Brian Wilson conducting the orchestra." Entertainment Weekly called it "startling, and startlingly good," and one of the best 10 albums of 2001. New Musical Express: "Modern masterpiece."
In the fall, Spaceman brought a dozen musicians with him to the Showbox, creating an almost deafening wall of sound. On Tuesday, Spiritualized returns to the Showbox; this time around, he's cutting his support band down by about half.
Pleasant but cagey, the 36-year-old English slacker recently called from the east end of London, where the Rugby native has lived for the last decade.
Q: What was Rugby like?
A: Like any small town, I guess. You have to make your own entertainment.
Q: When did you start playing music?
A: When I left school. I was 16, the first record I bought was (Detroit punk band) the Stooges' first album. ... I just sort of liked the (record) sleeve, knew nothing of the music.
Q: How old were you when you left home?
A: Sixteen, as soon as the law permitted.
Q: How old were you when you had your first experience with drugs?
A: (after long pause, a chuckle) Are you with the FBI? ... Probably 14, like most people.
Q: But most people don't write songs about doing drugs that get on a big label (Arista), you know what I mean?
A: I think for Spacemen (3) it was kind of fundamental to where we were at as kids. With the exception of the Butthole Surfers and a few bands, nobody (in pop music) was addressing anything to do with drugs. We were like, "Come on, this happens — this is every street corner, this is every small town the world over."
Q: Does the name "Spaceman" have to do with being stoned, or does it have some deeper meaning?
A: (pause) Probably the former.
Q: What do you think of Seattle?
A: I love it. That sounds like a fake answer, doesn't it? But it's one of the few places I really look forward to going. It's got its own character. It's chilled, it's a beautiful place.
Q: Does the Seattle music scene mean anything special to you?
A: (pause) I guess Hendrix. Nirvana and that stuff, maybe not so much. ... We loved American music but it all came from a decade before that or two decades before, Texas stuff, garage stuff, bands that sounded like the Rolling Stones but chewed acid.
Q: What inspired you to make an album with classical instruments?
A: Nothing at all. What inspired me was the same thing that inspired me to do my last record, which was to put myself in a position I was totally uncomfortable in.
Q: Is there a theme to the record?
A: There's not any kind of concept.
Q: How about the song "Twelve Steps," is that meant to be funny or serious?
A: Both. "Twelve Steps" has lines that are obvious jokes, but it's not a funny song.
Q: In the song, is it like when people in desperate situations find humor?
A: There's no desperation at all. There's none across any of it to me. ... It's an absolute acceptance of the highs and lows.
Especially, one imagines, the highs.
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