Spiritualized: The Complete Works Volume 1

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * *)

The English outfit's urges towards psychedelic rock grandeur finally got the better of them on bloated and lacklustre last collection Let it Come Down, having delivered three great earlier albums.

That explains this 24-track double CD which collects singles, b-sides and BBC radio sessions up to the mid 90s and shows their humble beginnings - a cover of the Troggs' Anyway That You Want Me.

From there, band mainman Jason Pierce employed his famous adage "taking drugs to make music to take drugs to" to convincing effect, though frequently, er, tripping across great songs such as the space-blues of Run, the towering I Want You (here in two versions) and make thrilling instrumental noises whether it was the delicate You Know It's True or the mad sonic pile-up of Smiles.

You'd have to be mad or heavily medicated to listen to this lot all in one sitting, but within is much proof of Pierce's grand, if addled, rock vision.

Label: BMG