Customer Reviews

Dreamweapon: An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

One thing about 'Dreamweapon' is that it's quite a bit different from their other live recordings, at least the ones that I've heard. Originally released in 1990 and reissued in 2003. The tracks on 'Dreamweapon' were recorded at a UK concert that took place in August,1988. Really enjoyed the 44-minute epic "An Evening Of Contemporary Sitar Music" which, of course features some top notch guitar (though it sounds like sitar) playing. Best described as dreamy neo psychedelia. The disc's other two cuts are "Ecstasy In Slow Motion" and "Spacemen Jam", which were penned by Sonic Boom. Basically,if you're a Spacemen 3 fan and you even somewhat dig sitar playing, you SHOULD have no problem digging on this CD. A must-have.

La Monte Young's classic band (archival material has been released by John Cale) was the seed of the Velvet Underground and is clearly where Spacemen 3's influences lie. Most of their albums are focused around trippy psych punk jams. However, this cd leaves out the harsher edges and is a punked out modern day equivalent of what La Monte Young and Terry Riley were doing in the sixties. On first listen you may find this album to be repetitive and unfocused but if you try to use it as an ambient experience rather than trying to relate to it as a song you will really enjoy it. This is ambient music that "goes somewhere"

I just finished listening to this for the 5th or 6th time. This is not really a CD more of an experience and you have to treat it like one.

Not something to casually put on and go about doing other things. You also should have become well aquainted with the rest of the Spacemen 3 catalog first. Then turn down the lights lay back and be prepared not to get up for 45 minutes.

It can be a long bumpy ride escpecially after a half hour and the pulsing drone can seem annoying but just relax. After its over get up you will feel totally refreshed and somewhat high!

By the way this was recorded live as an art exihibit in a gallery in 1988. On the credits there is no drummer listed or bass but there is a "joint roller".

The 45-minute "evening of contemporary sitar music" is the reason to buy this. It is droning, repetetive and utterly sublime. If the 45-minutes part along with the droning and repetitive commments don't sound like your cup of tea, that's ok, too -- it is not much like "perfect prescription." But this is a tremendous record to go to sleep or do other nighttime stuff to...spacemen three say: relax.

too bad this is out of print again! the first track is revelatory (and not just because it reveals fragments of many songs that would appear on 1989's Playing with Fire). in addtion, it's a fantastic album to fall asleep to!

An enlightening performance. Every listening takes me out of my mind. Spacemen have redefined minimalism and provided a rich and flavorfull sonic experience by acknowledging the healing power of music without melody.

Yes, this CD has 3 tracks. Yes, it is over an hour long. Yes, you should own this if you have any interest in Sp3. Recorded live at the end of Spacemen 3's long run in obscurity, Dreamweapon proves Sp3 knew what they were doing. The first track, An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music, provides the listener a rush if they listen closely. Focusing on tightly knit, sparse chords with backgroud reverb, the high comes from the subtle changes in chord structure. Sonic and Jason are the focus on this live album, and perhaps thier creative spark was finally burned out: it seems that they try to out do eachother on each track. One fighting for recognition of reverb and the other proving his point with minimalist chord structure. This album proves Sp3 will be the next Velvet Undeground: never popular but never forgotten.

A massive Spacemen fan when i bought this some years ago, i partially agree with the other comments in terms of the music itself, but have to confess that although the music should indeed be hypnotic, unique and well worth listening to, the atmosphere is (for me anyway) largely spoilt by the fact that it was recorded in the foyer/cafe of an arts centre.

This means there's constant chatter and clinking of cups of tea (obviously due to unappreciative heathens...) in the background, plus occasional announcements for people to take their seats for that evening's movie...

These things made it ultimately something i didn't want to listen to again, so off it went to the second hand record shop...

It's an interesting curio, but just be warned.

To start off - there is no sitar played in this recording. It's all guitar and some effects. That's where they're going with the "An Evening of *Contemporary* Sitar Music" title. The style is eastern influenced, and tonally reminiscent of Indian/sitar music. Vox vibratos more masterfully crafted than anything pulled off by Marr in "How Soon is Now?" and guitar rambles which are both totally captivating and completely simple. You hear soul. You hear passion.

The primary, 44-minute recording is as influenced by marijuana as anything else, and if you're of the aesthetic subscriptions that appreciates music of such influences, this is a maioribus opus. A prime candidate soundtrack for modern meditation, a massage, and afternoon nod, quieting a restless mood or indeed restless children. Getting on an airplane? Pump this into your earbuds as you sit, close your eyes, and drift. External stimuli cease to pertain.