Searching For The Perfect Riff

Back in 1989 Spaceman 3 released their third record Playing With Fire an outstanding record in this time for this music. When all the other music drifted away mostly in singer-songwriting or club-sounds these guys took a walk back into psychedelic areas with heavy guitars and riffs galore. It is still a pleasure listen to the sound of a record that was released almost 30 years ago. I remember the first time Spacemen 3 got on my radar was when Alan Bangs, one of the only radio-DJ's played their songs on his late night show. He produced his show for a greater radio station in Germany and as well for BFBS. Some folks called him as an epigone for John Peel but for me he introduce me to the music of Lucinda Willams and Cowboy Junkies. He was always contrarian to mainstream and they stopped his show when he offered the music of Frederic Chopin in his two hour show. I remember when he made his last show playing all the music he agreed with and one of the songs was Revolution a highlight of the upcoming psychedelic sound. Another story I heard was that he had a record collection of 11.000 albums. At one time he announced that he will go for holiday for a couple of weeks and some guys caved into his home stolen more than 3.000 of his albums. What a loss for him, because I am sure they stolen just one of the records he loved much.

Revolution

I think I have posted this song minimum one time and I hope that you're not bored to death showing up once again. It is just the fact that I am sitting on my balcony on a beautiful summer evening with a glass of vine listening to music that accompanied me for ages. Spacemen 3 was one of them. I really love their raw, mean psychedelic sound especially Revolution which is only based on a few chords. But what they made out of it was genius. I remember when German DJ Alan Bangs had his two hour weekly radio show on broadcast in the 80's playing new and old music. I used to listen to his shows because I got new inspirations. You may call him the poor men's John Peel but he did a very good job in these days. Sadly German broadcast closed his show because it wasn't mainstream at all. Me and a couple of friends met for his last show knowing that he was sad about not going further with his show. In regular wise he announced the artists he played but on his last show he just played the music from the last decades he liked much. And I will never forget that he played this song at his last show. Still great after all the years and worth to be played from time to time.

New York

Lou Reed's output in the late 80s was fantastic. He made with Blue Mask a guitar-based record with a few great songs on it. And in 1989 he released his last masterpiece with New York. It's a bundle of great songs with lyrics you should listen to (if you didn't at least). It's his homage to the town he used to life and he loved - knowing the bad side of it. I remember when I drove home later at the evening from a business meeting and Alan Bangs (the very small version of John Peel in Germany) introduced this record. While driving I fell in love with this record and the day after I bought this record - and it was a very good decision. It's a record filled with recollections of his home town. Never heard a homage to his home town like tis before and after. The songs on this record are so full of power and political statements - and they are still actual. This record and the songs on it accompanied me for 25 years. And what can I say more to a record?

Lou Reed - Endless Cycle
Lou Reed - Hold On