Spacemen 3 "Transparent Radiation" EP (1987) oop & RARE

$

91

Baron Elmo Enterprises proudly presents a mindblowing vinyl rarity from the discography of psychedelic warriors SPACEMEN 3: Transparent Radiation, a first edition UK import ep released in 1987 on the Glass label. This is essentially a 12-inch single that contains over 35 minutes of music, kicked off by their killer version of the Red Krayola title track. Utterly ignored by the mainstream press on both sides of the Atlantic (who preferred the flashier, more sensationalistic Jesus and Mary Chain), it's clear that, two decades after the fact, the importance of Spacemen 3 in the alt-rock lexicon cannot be overstated. While plenty of Brit bands of the day paid lip service to psychedelic pop (usually via the Beatles), these guys were the first to immerse themselves in the full-octane acid groove of Yank bands like Red Krayola, Thirteenth Floor Elevators and Quicksilver, updating that lysergic vibe for the post-punk era. The S3 could grab a single glorious riff and ride it into rapturous infinity, sailing for the heart of the sun on wings of dayglo. Their two-guitar lineup wrapped your head in a warm blanket of six-stringed haze that soothed and rocked simultaneously. At their best, Spacemen 3 were the definitive psych-rock band of the decade… and Transparent Radiation captures our guys at their trippy best. This ep was an appendix of sorts to The Perfect Prescription, their lp from earlier in the year, and features material from that album in different versions. In particular, the lp track "Ecstasy Symphony," gets expanded from two minutes to nine. But the money shot on this ep is the ten-minute version of the Sun Ra/MC5 classic "Starship," which was not included on the album. (The track length is listed as being 10:61… how strangely appropriate.) Transparent Radiation is currently available on CD – as bonus material tacked onto the Perfect Prescription disc – but we at Baron Elmo Enterprises find that much of the essence of Spacemen 3 is somehow lost in the transition to the digital format. No, this band's groove was meant to be absorbed on good old-fashioned vinyl – and we've got a gorgeous, near-mint copy of an S3 classic that's just waiting to turn you on, tune you in, and drop you out. The upper left hand corner of the jacket is slightly dented; otherwise, this record is in flawless shape. A $5.00 charge will be added to the winning total for shipment within the USA, $7.00 to Mexico and Canada, $13.00 to anywhere else. We accept PayPal, for those so inclined. No personal checks, please. Thanks for the visit – hope to hear from you soon!

Track listing

Transparent Radiation

Ecstasy Symphony

Transparent Radiation (flashback)

Things'll Never be the Same

Starship