Spacemen 3 - Transparent Radiation

Following on from the Walkin' With Jesus single, Transparent Radiation was as crucial a step in the transformation of Spacemen 3 into a truly unique band, heralding the upcoming Perfect Prescription album in just the right way. continue→

The core of the single was two different takes on the title cut, a gentle cover of the Red Krayola psych classic, drumming barely there, with guest violin from Owen John. The first take features double-tracked vocals and sudden bursts of higher volume, while the second is the full version from Perfect Prescription itself, with a longer instrumental beginning. In between the two versions was an equally fascinating song, "Ecstasy Symphony," an instrumental drone/flange/feedback composition of textures by Sonic that's pure electronic bliss and float. Appearing only in an edited form on Perfect Prescription, here it's at its full sweeping length, including spoken word portions at the beginning and end by Sonic, plus violin from John. Two more cuts filled out this striking (and practically album-length) release, the first being another song familiar from The Perfect Prescription, "Things'll Never Be the Same," here in a slightly different version with clearer (or perhaps simply different) vocals and varying guitar solos. The final song, meanwhile, also visited someone else's material -- "Starship," the Sun Ra composition reworked by the MC5 and made famous via its appearance on Kick Out the Jams. Spacemen 3 do the song proud, kicking up a loud noise and then some with its halfway to freeform megasprawl.

Tras el single "Walkin' With Jesus", Transparent Radiation fué un paso decisivo en la transformación de Spacemen 3 en una banda verdaderamente única, anunciando de la manera correcta su siguiente álbum The Perfect Prescription. El núcleo del disco fueron dos diferentes tomas del corte del título, un amable cover del clásico psych de Red Krayola, con apenas batería y el violín invitado de Owen John.

La primera toma se caracteriza por double-tracked vocals y repentinos estallidos de mayor volumen, mientras que el segundo es la versión completa de Perfect Prescription, con una larga intro instrumental. Entre las dos versiones una canción igual de fascinante, "Ecstasy Symphony", una composición instrumental de textura drone/flange/feedback por Sonic de pura beatitud electrónica.

Dos cortes más completan este notable EP (y casi LP), la primera es otra canción conocida de Perfect Prescription, "Things'll Never Be the Same," aquí en una versión ligeramente diferente, con mayor claridad (o tal vez simplemente diferente ) en las voces y variaciones en los solos de guitarra.

La última canción, por su parte, también visitó material ajeno - "Starship", la composición de Sun Ra reelaborada por MC5. Spacemen 3 lleva con orgullo la canción, levantando un fuerte ruido de jams libres.

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