HW: Covers again! (new ST37)

[Douglas Pearson]

'ello and Happy New Year!

... back from holidays with the folks, plus a week spent rockin' out with a
dozen friends in a snow-surrounded barn outside of Albequerque.

While shopping at my fomer flatmate's mail-order record operation (PLUG:
BlackJack Records / PO Box 2783 / Edgewood, NM 87015), I picked up a CD
compilation of "Texas PsychedelExperimental" bands entitled 'Acid Ranch
2000'.  The only act I was familiar with (although I think that some of the
bands are one-offs from ex-Mike Gunn members and the like, but maybe not)
were Crevice (whose two CD's of psychspacenoiseweirdimprov are pretty great
mindmelters).  But the reason I'm writing about the comp (besides the fact
that it's very good, ranging from heavy to twistedly weird to downright
acid-poppy) is that it includes a band called 101 Theremins (featuring Paul
Love) performing "Psonik Attahk", which, according to the credits, is
"based on 'Sonic Attack' (Hawkwind)" (sic).  A pretty wacky version, NOT
recommended to Hawkfans who don't like to see their favorite lyrics f*cked
with (something along the lines of "In case of Sonic Attack on your
district ... you better run like hell!").

Far more essential for Hawkfans is 'SpaceAge', the new ST37 CD/LP+7"
(haven't seen the vinyl format yet - the band only received 5 copies) on
Black Widow (the Italian label that released the latest Architectural
Metaphor album).  Not only is it a SUPERB space/kraut-rock album (up there
with the '97 releases by F/i and Alien Planetscapes), it also includes (as
mentioned on the list a week or two ago) a cover of "Orgone Accumulator"
that should probably be co-credited to Patti Smith, since it concludes with
a rant on Wilhelm Reich that sounds just like the rap she introduced
"Birdland" with in her live performances.  There are also covers of
"Vitamin C" (Can), "March of the Chrome Police" (Chrome) and "Deutsch
Nepal" (Amon Düül II), as well as 8 or 9 excellent originals (one of which
is based on the same J.G. Ballard novella that I was reading on the
airplane between Oakland and Cleveland).  This is the third ST37
full-length, and probably their best yet (the first, 'The Invisible
College' is quite good, but the second, 'Glare' is still a vast
improvement); it's HEAVY throughout, and even the slower tracks are still
powerful and menacing; lots of the songs have that unstoppable driving
Neu/Can groove; and, needless to say, all the heavy guitar riffing is
splattered with swirling synth/electronic noises.  I'm still annoyed that I
missed their set at Strange Daze (that damned construction on I-90!), as
it's been something like 5 years since I've seen them perform (that was the
only time they've been to California) ... anyone want to trade me a tape of
their set for some rare/unreleased ST37 material?

By the way, the F/i CD 'Heliscopium', which was pre-released at Strange
Daze, is officially out and should be in hip record stores everywhere by
now ...

        -Doug
         ceres at sirius.com