HW: low points and giving up

[reset]

Troy Harris writes:

>   People,
>
>   Just as a matter of discussion and interest, and I address this to
> verteran Hawkfans, can any of you ever remember a point in the band's
> illustrious history when you thought they were finished as a good band,
but
> later they gained your loyalties back?

IMO they are teetering damn close RIGHT NOW as a matter of fact. Distant
Horizons was an instantly likable (though very patchy) effort but without
much lasting appeal (IMO) and probably the "least HW" in awhile. Brock is
retreating more and more to the side in an almost all-new band where
drummer Chadwick is the (!) longest standing member next to Brock (ok, but
10 years is like a split second in the career of the Hawks and Brock's 30
year unbroken stint :) Let me backtrack abit...

I had a similar feeling around It Is The Business... I hate that album less
now, it has grown ever so little on me in the light of retrospect - at the
time it was a BIG letdown for me on the heels of the magnificent Electric
Teepee, probably because it was more an ambient album. But then Biz Trip
restored my faith. Then I got Psychedelic Warriors which I thought was
twice as boring as It Is The Business... Then Alien 4 came out and... I did
not like it very much, even with new blood and some rockier stuff I thought
things were going off the rails for the band as a creative unit (tho I had
faith as I'd seen HW w/Bastard same year (95) and it was an extremely
energetic show if nothing else). Then the ensuing Love In Space live album
gave me more of the material I didn't like from A4 and I still never play
the damn thing, I think it is an extremely bland sound they had cultivated
during this period.

Finally Distant Horizons came out, with a seriously rockin guitarist.
Expectations were high - the album hit - bang! wow! This ROCKS! Well, some
songs really do... but...? It has little unity, no real "band feel" IMO,
and I also sort of wonder... where are the *songs*... we get to *buy* that
crap song Love In Space AGAIN?? You gotta be kidding. I've already bought
enough sneaky recycled versions of of old songs from Brock & co, and that's
ok I guess, but in the case of LiS the expiry date was instant. The
best/possibly wishfully realistic thing to happen would  for Bainbridge to
make his return. He was one of the main driving forces creatively, twin
engine with Brock (now falling asleep back there), with Davey, Huw &
various drummers in tow, during his 10 year stint... I think Bainbridge
would be the man to bring the band "back" from its stop-go creative
halflife/endless recycling these days. Because this time it looks worse
than ever - including Griffin shutting down, EBS/hawkwind.com seemingly
vanishing etc. And that grotesquely cheap DH cover art :)

Christian






>   By virtue of you being on this list I assume you are still a Hawkfan.
: )
>
>     Troy
>
>




>
> ===========================================
>         Troy Harris
>
>         fiskare at webconcept.com.au
>
>
>