Track Listing

1. R.K. Intro
2. Right Behind You (Mafia)
3. R.K. 2029
4. In Repair
5. Life
6. Middle of Yesterday
7. Are You Sad?
8. R.K. 2029 (pt. 2)
9. Made To Heal
10. R.K. 1949-97
11. Everyone's A Junkie
12. R.K. On Death
13. All My Friends
14. If You Believe
15. The Wonderful Future

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #70290 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-13
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
While Spiritual Machines is not strictly a concept record, much of the CD's lyrics were inspired by the Ray Kurzweil's book The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence. That explains the spoken-word bits--performed by Mr. Kurzweil himself--between some songs, as well as the general themes of spirituality, and technology versus humanity, that permeate the music and lyrics. "Are You Sad?" is soaring, layered, and almost churchlike, while "Middle of Yesterday" is a cool cut with dynamic, machinelike musicality matched with an acoustic warmth. "Life," with its nearly a cappella intro moving into gently chiming musicality and spare drums, is another dramatic (but not overblown) entry in an album that's sure to garner fan adulation for its diverse intensity. Nonetheless, Spirtual Machines is an accomplished, creative, and fully realized effort from this gratifying, nearly decade-old Canadian lineup. --Katherine Turman

Customer Reviews

One of my favorite travel albums - Wow, this is awesome!
When I was poor, I won this album from a radio station promotion. I played it, and just couldn't get it at first.

Then, my brother died, and I really got into Clumsy, and then realised that this was them.

I would drive with this in, not really aware that I was being taken over by these robots and automatons that they sing about.

Yeah, Everyone's a Junkie has contrived lyrics, at times, but you'll find yourself looking forward to this track and humming it during the day.

Life is just what everyone else likes, but I really liked how the rest of the album felt so different from everything else out there. I really like the weird Radiohead stuff that everyone else doesn't get, but I don't think that I would have ever been able to get it without hearing and loving this album first.

This album was more than worth the time put into it. Your friends won't get it, but that's okay. Just enjoy it alone, and you will be well rewarded by how you feel when you're driving around and listening to the positive messages and catchy tunes of Spiritual Machines.

Amazing album
Quite possibly the most well-balanced album ever made.

OLP started out as a grungy, heavy-rock band with very deep and thought-provoking lyrics. OLP, more or less, remained true to their "classic" style for their first three albums. While OLP's older style remains deeply loved by many fans to this day, it is evident that many "mainstream" listeners tend to not be attracted to this style of music.

It is obvious that the band realized their lack of recognition in the mainstream community and it appears as if, during the Spiritual Machines era, the band started experimenting with a more mainstream sound. This of course would eventually lead to "Gravity" (an album that is, in my opinion, over-produced and lacking in many areas).

I consider Spiritual Machines to be an album that has both elements of OLP in it (their newer mainstream sound, mixed with the cryptic lyrics and deep song meanings of their former selves). Because of this, I feel that Spiritual Machines has a quality that I have very rarely heard in a rock album: a mainstream sound without making the sacrifice of having boring, shallow lyrics. In fact, I would go as far to say that I never heard this quality in a rock album before; the vast majority of today's radio friendly bands fuel their "catchy tunes" with pointless garble that is considered to be lyrics.

It is truly a rarity to hear an album of this calliber. I would strongly suggest picking up this album regardless of whether or not you're an OLP fan.

Happiness is an album that you have to give a chance.....
I totally disagree with the person that said 'Happiness' was a mess. (I am a huge fan that has actually met the band on several occasions just by going to so many of their damn shows.) Happiness just threw people for a loop because it was so different, especially those who aren't big OLP fans.

Happiness is my second fav. OLP album now, after Naveed. If anything, Spiritual Machines lacks spirit(especially in the production area, but Bob Rock's production of them just sucks). Do yourself a favor, pick up Happiness first, and if you don't get that, you will not fully get this album either. Take it from someone that has been a fan since the 1st album.