Spiritualized

One of the very few modern psych bands of the 1980’s worthy of the title were English band Spacemen 3. In 1990 when they broke up, guitarist, singer, songwriter Jason Pierce (also known as J Spaceman) formed a band called Spiritualized. Over the course of the last 30 years they have released 8 albums, countless singles and have played some of the most mind-bending concerts I’ve ever seen. Pierce’s writing pays tribute to some of the best bands of the past - The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, Suicide - while forging an intense modern sound of his own. All of the albums are great, but Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (released in 1997) remains my favorite album in the world of modern rock. Not only is their music a swirling miasma of psychedelic greatness, but their album covers are always arty and awesome and best of all - Jason has been a good friend and supporter of Twist And Shout. At their last Bluebird Theatre show a few years ago Jason dedicated the evening to Twist And Shout. We all glowed with pride. Here are some of my best Spiritualized collectibles.

- Paul Epstein