10 Perfect Progressive Rock Albums With No Bad Songs
3. Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - Spiritualized (1997)
Jason Pierce made a name for himself during the nighties with his project Spiritualized. Incorporating elements of gospel music, psychedelia and indie rock, Pierce solidified himself among the reining kings of space-rock.
Augmented by the The London Community Gospel Choir and no other than Dr. John, Spiritualized crafted an incredibly soulful album, that follows the prog rock code, but exists in its own universe entirely.
For the most part, Pierce's lyrics float somewhere in the ambiance created by the musical textures. You can make out what he's singing, but setting the vocals further back in the mix helps imbue a sense of tranquil calm to the album. Much of the record feels like a voyage through unspecified planes of existence.
The piece de resistance comes at the end of the record. Cop Shoot Cop... , is a 17 minute sprawl of expressive synthesisers, heavy guitar crescendos and enigmatic lyrics. The intensity is built atop a repeated blues lick, augmented by a simple piano part. It's about as smooth as you can get, until a wall of heavy guitar comes crashing down. If you were to purchase this record, for this track alone, it would be worth your money.