"Only philosophers embark on this perilous expedition to the outermost reaches of language and existence. Some of them fall off, but others cling on desperately and yell at the people nestling deep in the snug softness, stuffing themselves with delicious food and drink. 'Ladies and Gentlemen,' they yell, 'we are floating in space!' But none of the people down there care." Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder.

It's been a tumultuous time, 2010. It would be convenient to align this with my turning 30 just before the start of the year, but it's probably just coincidence. There's a lot of flux going on in the House of Bandito at present. And this isn't necessarily such a bad thing. One of the happy changes that I can reveal is that I'm moving out of the bunker that's been my home for five years, and into a flat with a friend. Hugely exciting stuff. We've already had deep and important conversations in the pub over the importance of Dr Who & Mastadon, the infallibility of David Mitchell and whether Lucozade is more than just a "poorly drink", so it promises to be a flat full of debate and controversy. There have been other things changing too, but you can most likely guess at those from the earlier post below. Let's leave it there, eh?

But in such times of turbulence, it's characteristic to cling to something warm and familiar. This weekend my security blanket has been the expanded reissue of Spiritualized's wonderful album Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. A collection of songs essentially about getting over your broken heart by taking a shitload of drugs. The fact that this resulted not only in a listenable album, but a stone cold classic, is down to the genius that is Jason Pierce. That there's two extra discs of outtakes and sessions to geek over is testament to his obsessive attention to detail.

I'll admit, I listened to the album to death when it first came out in 1997. And as such, I've not listened to it much since, mainly concentrating on Spiritualized's other albums (principally Pure Phase and Let It Come Down, the LPs that sat either side of their masterpiece). Going back to it now, it's clear that my earnest teenage self missed much of the deep, dark black humour underpinning the heartfelt yearning. Much like a lot of Pulp and The Smiths' back catalogues, Spiritualized's records reveal more to me as life does the same. Which, I must confess, is the polar opposite to what I actually expected to feel about music as I got older, and is therefore a wonderful surprise! Long may it continue.

1. Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (I Can't Help Falling In Love With You)
2. Ride - Leave Them All Behind
3. Blood Red Shoes - Light It Up
4. Pulp - Lipgloss
5. The Smiths - Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
6. Jacuzzi Boys - Island Avenue
7. Gorillaz - Stylo
8. Light Pollution - Good Feelings
9. Le Tigre - Deceptacon
10. Spiritualized - I Think I'm In Love (Acapella)

Sun so bright that I'm nearly blind,
Cool cos I'm wired and I'm out of my mind,
Warm as the dope running down my spine,
But I don't care bout you, and I've got nothing to do.

And that's just from a cup of tea and some Green & Blacks. I'll let Jason take the drugs so I don't have to...

Labels: getting old, music, top 10's