They’re nobody’s buzz bands anymore. But since 1993, MAGNET has discovered and documented more great music than memory will allow. The groups may have broken up or the albums may be out of print, but this time, history is written by the losers. Here are some of the finest albums that time forgot but we remembered in issue #75, plus all-new additions to our list of Lost Classics.
:: SPAIN
The Blue Moods Of Spain // Restless, 1995
The Blue Moods Of Spain demonstrated what happened when the son of a jazzbo set forth to create a downcast, West Coast take on pure atmosphere. The cover art’s Blue Note quotation and Spain bandleader/bassist Josh Haden’s kinship to Ornette Coleman bassist Charlie Haden put the preconception of “jazz” on the tip of many listeners’ tongues. But Blue Moods was less about improvisational flair than it was about evoking a smoky, confessional vibe. Thankfully, all that ambience was backed up by considerable chops and Haden’s bottom-of-the-bottle baritone. Despite its immersion in the hipster Silverlake scene of the early ’90s (which included That Dog, featuring Haden’s sisters, Petra and Rachel), Spain had little patience for indie-rock preciousness.
Catching Up: Spain released two more albums before disbanding in 2001. In addition to various solo projects, Haden has collaborated with the Blue Man Group, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Donovan and others. Guitarist Merlo Podlewski has appeared on albums by Jack Johnson and Handsome Boy Modeling School. Haden has resurrected the Spain moniker and has plans for a new album and tour.
“Ten Nights”:
5 replies on “Lost Classics: Spain “The Blue Moods Of Spain””
[…] was named a “Lost Classic” by Magnet. There’s a little piece about it here. Spain plays at Create Fixate on March 7th. The Supermarket | WordPress | Sandbox […]
Haven’t listened to this in years, but “World of Blue” was a tiny masterpiece.
While we’re talking about really slow music, might I suggest Year After Year by Idaho for a future “lost classic” entry?
[…] appeared in Magnet #75 in April (?) 2007; reappeared on the Magnet blog Feb. 23, 2009. ▶ Comment /* 0) { jQuery(‘#comments’).show(”, change_location()); […]
[…] Lost Classics: Spain “The Blue Moods Of Spain” (magnetmagazine.com) – February 23, 2009 […]
[…] Catching Up: Spain released two more albums before disbanding in 2001. In addition to various solo projects, Haden has collaborated with the Blue Man Group, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Donovan and others. Guitarist Merlo Podlewski has appeared on albums by Jack Johnson and Handsome Boy Modeling School. Haden has resurrected the Spain moniker and has plans for a new album and tour. – Magnet Magazine […]