in praise of... ((( HAWKWIND )) (( SPACE RITUAL ))) oO0OoO0OoO0OoO0OoO0OoO0OoO0Oo

ok, digression over.

(I might make an exception for a used copy of the Neu! tribute CD, if it's reaaallly cheap)

Cobra Verde, I thin', covered that this year. Didn't make much of an impression.

i have this dodgy looking thing but it's great live recordings, esp. "you shouldnt do that." also "silver machine" = overfuckingrated

"Thou art doing well on the path of Valor. But thou art not yet an avatar."

However, "Yessongs" -- as far as Seventies hard rock goes -- crushed "Space Ritual." The descending riff on "Starship Trooper" is what Hawkwind aspired to, but couldn't manage, because their guitarists were inept. And I like inept guitarists. And there was nothing on "Space Ritual" with impact of "Roundabout."

"Space Ritual" does exceed "Welcome Back My Friends to the Show that Never Ends" (ELP). Placing it squarely in the middle, although the first and last greatly outsold it.

As for me I should probably own Space Ritual but I don't. Someone needs to write a beginner's book of Hawkwind because they only have about 6 billion things to choose from. I still remember dancing in a club to a track of theirs in 1990, though. It was fantastic but of course it could be one of any of the billion songs to choose from...it's a bit overwhelming for a novice. I bet they have even more releases than The Fall.

Never picked up "Yesshows," so I can't contrast them. I was always satisfied with the vinyl and the Japanese remaster sounded fine to me so I've no idea how the domestic copies are.

I guess I'd better pick up a copy of the new remaster and listen to them both over the weekend. "Space Ritual" was a double, not a 3 lp, though.

Possibly I was swerved by the sleeve/poster which unfolded all over the floor. The endless medium-fried boogie of it was different, too.

Ultimate in '70's live album power? "Live at Leeds", no doubt. Why and when did our hard rock bands start sucking so much compared w/the '70's?

That's a good question.

That's a good question.

Indeed. And it reminds me of another similar question I posed in a recent thread: Why were only the 70s able to produce breakthru live LPs? (Performers whose first true HIT records were live: Cheap Trick, Frampton, Humble Pie, Allmans, Bob Seger, Rush, etc.)

For the hard rockers, after playing the same songs for a year or two on the road, they sounded more electric, just MORE everything. And the bands had reputations as good live acts, which suggested the live recordings didn't have to be stepped on in the studio after the fact to get them ready for release. Anyway, Cheap Trick dudes always yakked about how little fiddling they added to "At Budokan," if you believe them.

Plus, the way to work a hard rock act was to have them do one or more albums a year, at least. So there was always a push to keep the name in the market and the act in front of concert-goers. A live album was another easy way to do that.

Now, even many the crappiest and most low budget hard or heavy acts can't can't put albums out with less than two years between releases.

OK quick question ...

what's the diff between

space ritual and space ritual sundown vol 2

i have the former, bumped into the latter at a shop today and was wondering whether it was the same versions as i already have on the former or not. ..

oh i should make it clear: i have the 2cd 2001 (?) reissue of space ritual.

The original "Space Ritual" double is compiled from 2 gigs on the tour, one at Liverpool, one at Brixton. The "sundown vol 2" disc is the Brixton gig, complete and not overdubbed/mixed. It's interesting (rawer sound quality, you get the bit off the end of "Brainstorm") but not worth paying much $$ for. Be warned that this recording is available under multiple different titles.

A list of them here:
http://www.starfarer.net/bringme.html

Basically, it's worth buying, but only if it's REALLY cheap.

I shelled out for the new (Dutch) reissue of <i>Space Ritual</i>. The restored "Brainstorm" kicks much ass. Bonus "Orgone Accumulator" and "Time We Left this World Today." 2 encore takes of "You Shouldn't Do That." And a fucking PAL DVD audio version with videos for "Silver Machine" and "Urban Guerilla." I have no self-control.

It's affecting my ability to format.
The booklet goes into great detail over Barney Bubbles art direction.

Basically, it's worth buying, but only if it's REALLY cheap.

Got it in a car boot sale for £2! Hurrah!

... that's "Space Ritual Sundown Vol 2"

i knew it would happen at some point.

yesterday this arrived :

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81vfDUdE%2BYL._SL1500_.jpg

i have held back from buying any HW knowing that if i got one album i would definitely need to get the complete set (of the UA era), so the boxset does the job perfectly.
these are new remasters, with the extra tracks/single edits etc that were on older editions are collected together on a seperate disc which is the best way to do it if you ask me.
so far i have heard HW and now onto Doremi.
needless to say, this is fucking insanely good.

I've been blasting "Space Ritual" all week. Close to perfection.

If they lost the spoken word segments then it would be perfection imho.

saving that one for this evening with a glass of wine or two.

I had a previous set of remasters (Castle/Sanctuary) at one point, but got rid of the physical versions and kept the files in my iPod. Just bought this set on eBay. Not 100% sure I need three double live sets (Greasy Truckers, Space Ritual and The 1999 Party) but what the hell. At that price it's impossible to go wrong.

I haven't heard Greasy Truckers, but the other two are damn essential.

My copy of the box arrived today. I am extremely excited.

If they lost the spoken word segments then it would be perfection imho.

Nah the spoken word bits are an important part of the whole vibe of it imo.

yeah I love that aspect of them - WE ARE WARRIORS AT THE END OF TIME AND WE ARE TIRED OF MAKING LOOOOOVE

i can't imagine it without the spoken word bits. "and never, and never, and never, and never....." then, kaboom!!!

Crazy talk upthread, the spoken word parts (with wibbly electronic noises) are fucking ace!

Yeah you guys are probably right it's just I've been spinning it over and over while playing Dark Souls so I'll be rocking out for a solid 30-45 minutes and then "Sonic Attack" happens and suddenly what was once righteous droney space metal is a guy talking about "You will feel the need to vomit" and "There will be bleeing from orifices". Which I guess is probably appropriate for Dark Souls but whatevs.

And yes Hawkwind can do whatever the hell they want, obviously.

i once played "sonic attack" in its entirety at a fairly large rave in the early 90s. many years later a guy came up to me and told me the experience had been so brain shattering and traumatic that he ended the night in a psychiatric unit. oops!

well done!

Yes I can imagine lots of people on acid at that Hawkwind show losing their shit

Yes I can imagine lots of people on acid at that Hawkwind show losing their shit

When I interviewed Lemmy a few years ago, he told me they used to lock people in at their shows.