HW: NiXtar - Nikwind

[Stephen Swann]

Lurking Girl writes:
>
> Steve wrote:
>
> > You know, I was thinking about *why* it is that Brockwind still sounds
> > like Hawkwind to me, even when their current incarnation doesn't
> > really play in a style that I like all that much.  (Mostly ambient,
> > not often enough instersperced with tight, hard-driven rockers).  And
> > I think it boils doen to this: Dave's guitar.  Seriously.
>
> I gently point out that, when we went to see HW this past summer, Dave
> did not TOUCH his guitar.  (Maybe for one song?)  And this is why I
> think Nikwind sounded much more HWesque.  QED.

Well, I can think of two right off: Hassan I Sabha, and Master of the
Universe.  And I'm sure he picked it up a few more times, as well.
But I agree, it was still not nearly enough.

And I've said it already, but I liked Nik's selection of material
better than Dave's, too.  But when the guitars *do* come out, Dave
is still the beating heart of the band, and nobody can match his
sound.

> I've never quite reconciled why it is that my favorite (fine, tied for
> first with Live Chronicles; put the 2x4 down, Steve!) HW album is HotMG,
> but I really don't care for this new ambient schtuff.  Yes, of course
> there's much more rock going on, but it's much closer in sound to the new
> stuff than it is to, say, Live Chronicles.
>
> Must be 'cause of Simon House :)

"Wind of Change" may be gentle on the ears, but it doesn't have the
errr... sparcity of modern Hawkwind.  I wouldn't even really call it
ambient - it has much too focussed a melody.

Not to mention that violins are just *cooler* than synths.  ;-)

Steve