OFF: GONG in LA, 6/2/99

[Christopher Bruce]

<< Fortunately, in the US, one inevitably gets to see Hawkwind up
close and
 personal in fairly small clubs.  Indeed, Dave has always appeared to
favor
 cheap flatware for this purpose.  I was raiding the silverware drawer
and
 cranking up the delay the day after I first saw Hawkwind (fall '89)
and saw
 how Glissando Guitar works!

         -Doug
  >>

---Interesting. Allen's style must be pretty unique, though, 'cause
I've
never heard anything like it in HW or anything else.
BTW, what is the origin/meaning of the word "glissando"? Chuck

Hey now,

***Glissando*** is a classical music term; in notation it refers to
moving the pitch evenly up or down from one note to another without
reference to any interval scale, though usually from one 12-tone note
to another, it is frequently used in microtonal or atonal music and on
analog synths in electronic music. The proliferation of MIDI digital
synths has made it more difficult for the player to "gliss" very
widely, only a couple of notes up or down usually, using the 'pitch
wheel'. Its a much easier proposition on stringed instruments and
voice, especially fretless strings like the cello and violin.
   Aside from Daevid Allen and Dave Brock from HW, the only other
instances I can point to as examples are Jimmy Page of led zeppelin
(Whole Lotta Love, Dazed & Confused) and Bill Buitenheys
(ex-Architectural Metaphor, on their Oddyseum Galacti CD), Bill used a
#1 Phillips screwdriver held by the tip with the handle touching the
strings.
   "Bottle-neck" guitar playing in the Blues and pedal-steel in rock
or country music (listen to Buddy Cage on Finally Balanced's "Fondue")
have quite a bit of glissando.

BTW-  Mary and I are back on the list after a couple of years; we're
writing a book about HW at Dave Brocks invitation. If anyone has any
anecdotes or stories, or reviews of the band in the US before 1978,
please send them along. The Kadu Flyer as a hardcopy newsletter is
gone, there was just no way to support 5,500+ subscribers for free...
but we will continue to pass any info we get from the band on, through
this list and our coming website.

Chris B/kaduflyer at worldnet.att.net