Sunday, September 30, 2007

FOR ALL THE FUCKED UP CHILDREN OF THE WORLD

The egomaniacal heroin addicts in Spacemen 3 perfected their style of MAXIMALISM thru minimalism by 1988 with the English hit single, Revolution. The entire song is comprised of 2 distorted power chords, dead pan monolog, basic snare/cymbal hits, one awesome bass roll, and a cyclone of pure noise. Political without getting specific, the lyrical content is a call for revolution on the individual level, where "It takes just 5 seconds, of decision, to realize that time is right, to start thinking about, a little...revolution!"
Spacemen 3's controversial promotion of intelligent drug use for personal pleasure and expansion of consciousness is what got the press's attention in 1980's England. But more interesting was their approach to sound. In a decade rife with sonic masturbation and grotesque manipulations the Spacemen stuck to their guns and wrote two chord songs (3 chords max) and let the atmosphere of the piece achieve its natural potential without flailing after virtuosic displays or affected cock waggling for the camera.
Registered methadone addicts, they were never allowed to tour the United States, and broke up before the 90's. The individual members continue to live in baffling good health to this day (considering their purported drug habits) and main guitarist Jason Pierce has risen to international fame with his band Spiritualized, based on the MAXIMAL/minimal principles first established here.

Well look out

Well I’m sick
I’m so sick
Of a lot of people
Tryin’ to tell me
What I can and can’t do
With my life

And I’m tired
I’m so tired
Of a lot of people
In a lot of high places
Don’t want you and me
To enjoy ourselves

Well I’m through with people
Who can’t get off their arse
To help themselves change this government
And better this society
‘Cos it’s shit

But hold on a second
I smell burning
And I see a change
Comin’ ‘round the bend
And I suggest to you
That it takes
Just five seconds
Just five seconds
Of decision
To realise
That the time
Is right
To start thinkin’ about
A little…
Revolution!

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