Revolution

AMG Review of Revolution

Ned Raggett
All Music Guide

The teaser single for the full length masterpiece Playing With Fire, "Revolution" wasn't merely one of Spacemen 3's best tracks but an honest-to-goodness standout of full-on ock & roll insanity. With Sonic Boom and Jason Pierce's guitar playing pushed to the max, delivering a Stooges-inspired riff with utter intensity -- and while Will Carruthers kept the rhythm moving on bass, Sonic took advantage of the slightly calmer moments to coolly deliver a lyric threatening destruction for those who want to keep people down. As political and potent as anything the MC5 wrote and better than anything Primal Scream tried in the same vein, it's sheer power and freedom incarnate. The B-sides, both covers, pay tribute to two of the band's many influences. "Che," written by avant-electro rockers Suicide, gets a ock band arrangement from Kember while retaining the original's downbeat creep-out atmosphere. Meanwhile, the gospel roots of the band get a fine nod via the traditional "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?," unsurprisingly sung and arranged by Pierce and delivered in a gentle, jaunty style.