HW: HW/Ozrics

[Dave Berry]

There's been a short thread on rec.music.progressive "comparing" HW and the
Ozrics.  That's "comparing" as in:

   "HW did everything the Ozrics have ever done, only better"

   "No way!  HW have none of the synth textures of the Ozrics, and no
    rhythms beyond a steady rock beat!"

So this is what I wrote...  (BTW, another completely unrelated thread
included a BOC fan asking for HW recommendations, so I told him about boc-l).

----------

Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles co-headlined a solstice gig in London last
Friday, so we got the chance to compare them back to back.  It was a
good night!

I have to agree that the bands are quite different.  Hawkwind are more
into structure, dynamic contrast, theatre, lyrics, and varied synth textures.
They're also heavier.  The Ozrics are more into instrumental virtuosity,
continual danceability and lots of flashing lights.

Hawkwind were in excellent form, with Ron Tree taking various costumes
(e.g. a Wolfman, a Secret Agent) and mixing well with the dancers,
fire-eaters, and trapeze artists.  I found the first half of the Ozrics
set rather dull, all flash and no substance, everything turned up to 11
and no variation.  But I might have been comparing them too much to Hawkwind;
later on I got into what they were doing as a different type of music from
Hawkwind, and enjoyed them on their own terms.

I don't agree with the suggestions that the Ozrics use more synth textures
or rhythms to Hawkwind.  This seems to both to underrate Hawkwind and to
overrate the Ozrics, IMO.  E.g. Hawkwind's "It Is The Business Of The Future
To Be Dangerous"  has loads of synth work; on the other hand most Ozrics
material has a "steady rock drum beat" (less so on "Erpland" than on their
other albums).

Are either band progressive?  I think they're both marginal.  The Ozrics
have the instrumental virtuosity and long instrumentals; Hawkwind have
continually progressed during their career, and have the "rock theatre"
approach.  But neither have the classical/jazz influence, the non-standard
time signatures, or the heavy reliance on keyboards or non-standard
instrumentation that seems more central to prog-rock.

Dave.