Spacemen 3 Discography

There are so many Spacemen 3 releases that a newcomer may be a bit overwhelmed. Rather than list everything chronologically, I have tried to split them into groups to make things more manageable.

If you are new to the band and want to know which are the “main” releases, then get the core albums first. These are the studio albums put out when the band were originally together (well, Recurring wasn’t released until after they had split, but you know what I mean). There are also some great tracks on the core singles, but they are hard to find in their original form. The first three singles are collected on Translucent Flashbacks (UK) and The Singles (US). The extra tracks from the Revolution EP are included on reissues of Playing With Fire.

Of the live albums, Performance is the official one released during the band’s existence. Dreamweapon is interesting but not one to play to the family. The others are great for enthusiasts, but are made up of audience recordings, so don’t expect too much (although the recording of the New Morning gig is very clear).

There have been releases of a large number of Spacemen 3 demo tapes, alternate takes, outtakes and rehearsals, and these make up most of the other albums. Best not to start with them, but if you have the core albums and want to know more, there is much to enjoy here.

I have only included appearances on compilations where the tracks are either exclusive or appeared on the compilation ahead of their official release. This rules out things like the Shelter benefit compilation Take 5, which includes the 17 minute Rollercoaster, which had already been released as a B side. It also rules out a large number of late 80s/early 90s indie compilations that included one of ‘Revolution’/’Hypnotized’/’Big City’.