Smaller Spiritualized still produces big sound

ROSS RAIHALA, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Friday, March 29, 2002

A leaner version of Spiritualized will return to Seattle Tuesday night.

The highly acclaimed British band led by Jason Pierce is back in the States for a tour with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Unlike the last time around when Pierce took a full brass section on the road, he's stripped down to a seven-piece band.

"It was to get back to the core of the excitement in the song," Pierce said recently. "Without the horns it puts pressure back on everyone else to find a way to play the songs. It doesn't make the sound any smaller. The volume of music is the same, it just means the guitars get louder."

Seven musicians on stage may not seem all that economical for most rock acts, but Spiritualized is a whole different beast.

Pierce began toying with the idea of Spiritualized in the waning days of his former band, Spacemen 3, which specialized in minimalist psychedelia that owed as much to the Velvet Underground and Suicide as it did LaMonte Young and Steve Reich.

In Spiritualized, Pierce took all of those influences and expanded on them with forays into gospel and blues forms.

The first two Spiritualized records, 1992's "Lazer Guided Melodies" and 1995's "Pure Phase," showcased Pierce's slow blossom into a latter-day Phil Spector with his love of multi-layered, epic productions.

But it was Spiritualized's third effort, "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space," that caught the attention of the world.

Pierce invited dozens of musicians to contribute, from Dr. John to the Balanescu Quartet, and spent a year and a half alone in post-production tinkering.

London's New Musical Express deemed the result the best album of 1997. Rolling Stone simply dubbed it "damn gorgeous."

Pierce then took an extended break to work on the fourth Spiritualized album, "Let it Come Down," which was released last year. He fired his core band that had collaborated on the first three records and eventually made "Let it Come Down" at Abbey Road studios with a cast of more than 100 musicians.

Critics weren't quite as kind this time around. While the album received generally warm reviews, some noted Pierce's tendency toward excess was starting to catch up with him.

Never one to listen to anything but the sound in his own head, Pierce has spent much of the last year touring the world to support the record. And it doesn't sound like that will end any time soon.

"Spiritualized has always been primarily a live band, and I'll tour (this album) until the money runs out," Pierce told one reporter. "That's what I enjoy doing most."

Ross Raihala covers entertainment for The Olympian and can be reached at 360-754-5406 or rraihala@olympia.gannett.com.

Spiritualized

- What: The acclaimed British band performs with support from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

- When: 8 p.m. April 2.

- Where: The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., Seattle.

- Tickets: $17.50 in advance, $20 at the door.

- For information: Call Fastixx at 800-992-8499 or see www.fastixx.com.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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