Spacemen 3 - Forged Prescriptions [2CD] (2003)

Forged Prescriptions is a collection of alternative mixes, demo versions, and outtakes from Spacemen 3's Perfect Prescription era. Not only is it a boon to die-hard fans, but it also holds up pretty well on its own. Indeed, it would be a decent introduction to the band if it had been whittled down from a double to a single album. The relatively cohesive first disc is almost an alternate version of Perfect Prescription, while the second disc is more of an odds and sods collection for fans. The alternate mixes tend to feature overdubs and other effects that the band couldn't reproduce live (supposedly the reason why these mixes weren't chosen for Perfect Prescription). The layers of guitar on the first disc's "Things'll Never Be the Same," which manage to sound simultaneously hypnotic and hard-driven, are particularly appealing, although some may prefer the rougher-sounding demo of the song on disc two. Forged Prescriptions also includes two versions each of "Walking With Jesus" and "Come Down Easy." The cover versions include songs by the Red Krayola (an alternate mix of "Transparent Radiation") and Roky Erickson's pre-13th Floor Elevators band, the Spades (a previously unreleased cover of "We Sell Souls"), as well as a couple songs previously revised by MC5 (Sun Ra's "Starship" and the Troggs' "I Want You"). The influence of the Velvet Underground is also evident, particularly in the tribute instrumental (the previously unreleased "Velvet Jam") and the ode to Lou Reed's "Street Hassle" ("Ode to Street Hassle"). Plus there are tasty remixes of Perfect Prescription originals such as "Ecstasy Symphony" and "Soul 1" to make this a generally appealing collection.