HW: Hawkwind '97 in '99

[Keith Henderson]

Hi there...

Got my HW '97 CD in the mail yesterday!  I like it...every bit as good live
material as on IYA or LIS IMHO.

There's no doubt that this item comes directly from the Hawks themselves, as
the package was addressed by Baron Brock himself.  Thirty years on, and back
to the ole DIY method!  And for those curious, I planned to send some sort
of IMO, but when the guy at the post office said I had to mail in a form to
St. Louis and pay something like $8, I said the hell with that shit, and
simply sent US$ cash ($22 I think) to Honiton.  I guess they accepted it ok
(no angry note), but don't really know if this pisses them off or anything.
I imagine US currency is nearly ubiquitous these days (esp. with the
counterfeits), but still wonder if rural banks in Devonshire look funny at
you when you bring it in.

Couple comments on the album...

With the appearance of Gremlin, that pretty much means that HW have
'covered' nearly all of the Cap'n Lockheed album in the last decade.  Seems
odd, doesn't it??  Though I don't mind, as the music on that album was first
rate.  And this '97 Gremlin bit is pretty cool...I say leave it in the set
for the next year or two.

Phetamine St....when I first heard DH, I thought this was the worst goddamn
HW song I'd ever heard.  But shortly thereafter, it began to grow on me
until it was one of my favourites from that album.  I still don't like the
way it's recorded/mixed (perhaps the rumour of its demo status is true?), so
I'm glad this live version is included.  The great thing about this one is
that Richard Chadwick really branches out here into some real innovative
percussion.  Every day I appreciate his presence in the band a little more,
just like Alan Davey.  Again, I think this should be in the set for
awhile...I'm surprised it was only performed that one time (Leeds)...did I
hear that right??

Wheels is a really cool blanga riff....in fact, it sounds quite a bit like
'I am the Eye that Looks Within' the previous opener that it has replaced.
The difference being Richards' guitar sound, as opposed to Brock's.

Finally, to spout off a bit....

Songs to retire (for awhile at least)

Sonic Attack (simply too long, unless they make a 'song' out of it, like on
the album that bears its name)
Brainstorm (I'm just simply tired of it...maybe that's why I enjoyed Capt.
Rizz's bit...it broke up the 'chore' of going through it once more.
Is that sacrilege?)
Love In Space (How many versions are we up to already??  This one (HW97) is
a little different (in the way Brock sings it), but I've already
heard this one enough, thank you very much.)

Songs to keep

A&B/tGV (Every time, please!)
Aerospaceage Inferno (at least until I hear it in person)
Phetamine St. (see above)
Alchemy (cool riff)
Gremlin (see above)
Hippy (is it really the Starfire Mtn. Dreaming reworked??  I haven't
listened to them back-to-back.)

Songs to revive

The Age of the Micro Man (they did this twice in Canada 1995, with Brock
vocals. It was excellent!! And I want to hear it on disc...I've got
only a muddy tape of Toronto.)
Seven by Seven (one of my favourites...who would do the 'poetry' part
though?)  (Not Rizz, I hope.)  :)
Psychedelic Warlords (more like the original, not the HLL-altered version,
which I didn't like)
Nuclear Toy (why not??  With Chadwick coming up with his own drumming, I
think the base tune has a lot of potential for a new live version.         I
never have heard the Weird tape version...I gather this one is
quite different than the Levitation outtake?)

Suppose if the Death Generator becomes a true reality, the tunes chosen will
have to fit some sort of coherent theme.  PW certainly does, eh?

Keith H. (FAA)