Inspiral Carpets hall from Manchester, England, birthplace of the much-heralded psychedelic-dancemusic scene that British pundits are pronouncing dead even as America is just beginning to fully absorb the belated hype. On their first album, Life, from 1990, the Inspirals zipped through a hardy batch of danceable, catchy pop tunes; the linchpin of the songs was Clint Boon's cheesy-breezy organ, the...

Too many of the bands that sprang from the late-'80s rave scene in Manchester, England, delivered little more than the quick buzz of the drugs that fueled that environment. But with this fivesome, the ecstasy was furthered by raw talent and impressive musical ambition. In a novel move, Clint Boon treated his Farfisa organ less like a gimmick than an actual instrument, and Tom Hingley didn't just...