HW: Review in Classic Rock

[K Henderson]

SAH said...

>Far be it from me to kick this off again but:-)
>
>The review in Classic Rock of Glasto 90 and Complete 79 includes
>the phrase;
>
>"Whichever hard-up former members...are pedalling these
>atrociously recorded live tapes should be put to death immediately."
>
>1* apiece and 79 only gets it for the reproduction of the tour
>programme.
>
>All abuse direct to Mick Wall at Classic Rock.  Don't shoot the
>messenger etc.

I dunno...perhaps it's just as well.  Anybody that has to read a magazine
review before deciding whether to buy a HW disc is not one of 'us'.  And if
they're not so much of a HW fan, best for them not to start (or restart)
their journey into Hawkwindia via these releases, eh?  As long as the word
gets out there that there is some other (recent) output there for the
choosing (if they can actually *find* them), IYA and hopefully some more
things like the Family Tree and some kind of new studio effort.  I've just
now gotten the three Voiceprints, and I fall somewhere between the
extremes...I'm not entirely happy with either of these two, esp. Glastonbury
(whose dog is that?!?!), but then they're not as awful as I expected.
Complete '79 sounds like it would have decent sound if it just didn't have
that 'tonal phasing' (what do you call that?  I'm no audiophile.) - was that
a recording problem, or something that happens to tapes over time?

Now, the 1982 thingy I quite like...except that *some* of Nik's playing
leaves a little to be desired (what *IS* that sound at the beginning of
"Magnu" and couldn't somebody have filtered that out?).  For whatever
reason, the early 80s were (IMHO) Nik's 'weird' period where he just didn't
fit with HW (to put it lightly), esp. juxtaposed with Huwy.  But some of his
parts come across pretty well, whereas others seem over-the-top and just way
too high in the mix.  In "Waiting for Tomorrow," we strangely see both the
good and bad of Nik's playing in the same song. Strange.  I liked Moorcock's
contributions here, and I guess that's why they chose this gig to release,
as I think Bernhard suggested.

So what did Classic Rock say about Live 1982?  Certainly it should've got
another star or two!

Keith H. (FAA)

P.S.  I think the "Solitary Mind Games" on Live 1982 is the best version to
date, Nik's flute a great addition to that track.   I like the Magnu/Dust of
Time pairing/seguetization also.

P.P.S.  Apologies to Dan W. and all for being so bored today as to get too
heavily involved in crazy off-topic rants, and for not changing the header
(as I usu. try to do in those cases).

P.P.P.S.  Congrats to Brian H. for the most inventive post of the day, a
perfect synthesis of the current BOC-L (un)consciousness.