HW: Hall of the Mountain Grill

[Carl E. Anderson]

> >         As a confirmed "Primal Thunderist" Hawkfan, the last HWHWHWHWHW
> > HW album was _HotMG_.
>
> You realise that if they release HotMG today, people would complain
> about the wishy-washy ambience of "Wind Of Change", the silly/experimental
> pieces on side 2 that are totally out of place, and the track that's just
> an ego-trip by the bass-player which sounds nothing like the others. :-)

        Fiddle-dee-dee!  OK, I agree that "Lost Johnny" is a bit out of
place on that album (though I enjoy the song on its own).  But I think
the level of wishy-washy ambience and silly experimental pieces on
_HotMG_ is just fine.  They are the exception rather than the rule.
I like Hawkwind's ambienty *side* but I don't think it's good to dominate
with it.  "Wind of Change" is very cool, and segues out of a great Hawkwind
rocker (one of my favorite Hawkwind rockers).  "HotMG" and "Goat Willow"
are both very short--they serve to accent, to spice, yea! to season the
album.  And the very rock tracks have a certain ambient ambience to them,
even as they chug along.

        My complaint with contemporary Hawkwind is that the ambience has
seized to much control.  I mean "Vega" from _A4_ is a really nice piece.
I think it compares well with "Wind of Change".  And the intro to "Alien
(I Am)" I think works really well.  "Alien (I Am)" is not bad for a
slow rocker, but "Festivals" and "Xenomorph" fall into the sort of OK
level.  Only "Sputnik Stan" *really* shines, IMHO.  Well, I quite like
the "Death Trap/Wastelands/Are You Losing Your Mind?" bit actually, but
Death Trap doesn't count since its too much like the original (good though
it is--nice Brock wah flailing :)  But I really expect a couple of more
pieces of high caliber--even retreads which are sufficiently interesting
like "Mask of Morning" (which rules, IMHO) or "Treadmill" would be fine.
Drag out some of the old chestnuts from the "Weird Tapes" and retread 'em
if they've got "riffer's block" or something :)

        No, I'd definately be very happy with the level of ambience and
silly experimental pieces that _HotMG_ has.  I'd even accept a bizzare
outing from the bass player these days! ;)

        You wouldn't find me complaining about the ambio-acoustic pieces
as seen on _Doremi_ either ... :)

Cheers,
Carl

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Carl Edlund Anderson              "So that's Terra.  Oohwee, look out
ASNAC Dept., Cambridge U.          wenchlings, here come the Hawklords."
cea20 at cus.cam.ac.uk                -Lord Lemmy (Hawkwind, _Space Ritual_)
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