''Recurring'' is the fourth and final

Spacemen 3 Spacemen 3 were an English neo-psychedelia space rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of "tr ...

studio album, released in early 1991 on Fire Records. The band had broken up prior to the release of the album. During the recording, the relations between band members had soured to the extent that the record is in two parts – the first side by

Peter Kember Peter Kember (born 19 November 1965), also known by his stage name Sonic Boom, is an English singer and record producer. He was a founding member, vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist of alternative rock band Spacemen 3, lasting from 1982 until ...

, and the second by

Jason Pierce Jason Andrew Pierce (born 19 November 1965 in Rugby) is an English musician. Currently the frontman and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized, he previously co-fronted the alternative rock band Spacemen 3 with Peter Kember from 1982 ...

. The album includes "

Hypnotized Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

", a Pierce composition that was released as a single in the UK in 1989. ''Recurring'' peaked at No. 46 on the UK Albums Chart.

Versions

The original UK vinyl pressing had only ten tracks, with shorter edits of two tracks. " Big City" was cut in half and "Billy Whizz" faded out before its "Blue 1" crescendo. The cassette release contained the same track listing but with full versions of all tracks. "Just to See You Smile" originally appeared on the B-side of "Hypnotized", in an alternate mix listed as "Just to See You Smile (Honey Pt. 2)", owning up to the track's melodic affinity to the earlier

tune "Honey". Elsewhere, "Why Couldn't I See" is another song whose main guitar riff is largely derived from the 45-minute improvisation ''Dreamweapon'' (the others were "Honey" and "How Does It Feel"); and "I Love You" features an uncredited sample of a

Jan and Dean Jan and Dean was an American rock music, rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf mu ...

radio jingle for

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

(possibly written or cowritten by

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

, from 1963.)

When Tomorrow Hits

The only track on which both Pierce and Kember appear is "When Tomorrow Hits", a cover of a

Mudhoney Mudhoney is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988, following the demise of Green River. Its members are singer and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison and drummer Dan Peters. Orig ...

song. It was originally intended for a double A-side split single, with Mudhoney covering "Revolution" from ''Playing With Fire''. This release was scotched when Kember caught wind of the fact that Mudhoney had fitted "Revolution" with somewhat irreverent lyrics about methadone suppositories. The Mudhoney recording eventually surfaced as a b-side. There's a subtle continuity between both tracks, specifically duelling references to

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

; the Spacemen 3 track opens with the "look out!" invocation that began "Loose", and "When Tomorrow Hits" is mostly a rewrite of "I Wanna Be Your Dog".

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' called ''Recurring'' an "undated adaptation of ’60s folky acid-rock with elements of the Beatles, Stones and others" and a "lullingly pleasant album." ''

The New Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' called the album "bad imitation acid house." Peter Kane in Q Magazine called highlighted the rave-inspired "Big City" and described the rest of the album as "wispy voices atmospherically draped over guitars that sparkle lightly".

Track listing

;Original vinyl release (Fire FIRELP23) ;Original cassette release (FIRE MC23) ;Original CD release (FIRE CD23)

References

{{Authority control Spacemen 3 albums 1991 albums Shoegazing albums by English artists Fire Records (UK) albums RCA Records albums Dedicated Records albums