Spiritualized - Why Don't You Smile Now? (Alternate Mix) (1990)

Gorgeously, mellifluous Velvet Underground cover from the 'Lazer Guided Melodies' era.

It's possible to view Spiritualized as something of a one-trick pony. They arrived fully-formed with their brand of blissed-out Gospel Blues Spacerock fantasia. It was present and correct from their earliest releases - like this Velvet Underground cover - and then refined the blueprint through a sequence of albums over the next twenty years.

This is beautiful though.

Download Spiritualized 'Why Don't You Smile Now? (Alt Mix)' (indie, alternative, Spiritualized mp3) (Box.net)

Chapterhouse - Breather (Dedicated, 1991)

Euphoric, rushing, swooning, indistinct.

'Pearl' is, perhaps, the more obvious choice when it comes to Chapterhouse, but I love how this track bowls along in a rush of hormones and floppy fringe.

It was the opening track from their debut album and, whilst it does feature waves of swooning guitar and vocals in a Shoegaze style, it also has a delicious headlong energy and purpose to it. More 'Like A Daydream' than 'Catch The Breeze'.

Sweet.

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Gene - For The Dead (Demo Tape, 1993)

Early promise on Gene's demo tape.

I received a copy of the Gene demo from their publicists of the time who must have handled a band who I fawned over. To be honest, I fell in love with 'For The Dead' and picked up the 7" when it eventually came out.

However, I never really took to Gene much beyond that track though it still stands up as a nicely-structured, well-crafted song with a certain loucheness, 'Drowners'-style dynamics and a very telling Morrissey growl towards the end.

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Pink Floyd - See Emily Play (EMI, 1967)

Classic 60s Pink Floyd whimsy.

Fantastic smorgasbord of sound, noises, psychedlic ephemera, sped-up tapes, searing organ and, at the heart, a song.

Welcome into the world, Emily.

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The Durutti Column - Arpeggiator (Factory, 1987)

Filmic, epic beauty from 1987 Durutti Column album.

I think it was actually the sleeve - which is truly beautiful - and the label that persuaded me to buy this album. My awe of Factory told me that I should probably like The Durutti Column but it was a long time before I tried some.

'Arpeggiator' was the first thing I heard - the opening track of the album - a Windham Hill ambience drifting across the urgent, staccato drum machine and, of course, guitar arpeggios.

Poised and correct for the most part, cello cutting an austere shape across the track, it builds until a distorted, disruptive bass-y guitar comes in, tripping off skysoaring guitar.

Beautiful like a desolate moor in the snow.

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