HW: Griffin Releases in Bargain Bins!

[Marshall Wood]

I had an exciting weekend, Hawkwind-wise.  Since no one I've met
is really a fan of the band, please permit me to gloat here!

I took Mike Habiby's advice and checked out a couple of the local,
over-priced CD chain outlets.  Mike had told me that the Camelot
chain was selling CDs from the defunct Griffin label in their
bargain bins.  He even proved this to me by sending me a CD of
_Levitation_ - thanks, Mike!

So I went to 2 stores.  The first one had a bin right near the
entrance, labelled "Our Biggest Import Sale Ever" or something
to that effect.  (Although the Griffin label is/was based in the
USA, right?)  Most of the CDs in the rack were priced US$5.99.
Another label on the rack declared "Buy One Get One Free".  So,
for a total of ~$3 each, I picked up the following Griffin CDs:

  Mighty Hawkwind Classics 1980-1985
  Independent Days Volumes 1 & 2
  Best of Friends & Relations
  Friends & Relations - The Rarities
  Simon House - Yassasim
  Mike Moorcock & The Deep Fix - New World's Fair

I also picked up a compilation by the band Gryphon called _The
Collection_ (also on the Griffin label) and _Freudiana_, a CD
from 1990 by members of the Alan Parsons Project.

I visited a second store where the prices weren't quite as good,
where I picked up _The Best of Eloy Volume 1: 1972-75_ for US$8.
I also saw the recently-discussed _Nuclear Waste_ CD featuring
Sting, Nik Turner, et al.  I might go back and pick that up, too.
It was packaged in a can, and I think it was just a CD single.

Other things of interest that I spotted:

  Mike Oldfield _Islands_
  Hawkwind _QSC_,_Levitation_, _The Business Trip_ (digipak)
  Psychedelic Warriors _The White Zone_
  Man _Call Down the Moon_

All on Griffin.  I have all of those except the Man CD.  Can
anyone recommend it?  Unless someone tells me it is terrible, I
may just buy it next time I'm in the 2-for-1 store.  Other CDs I
saw from other labels:  Camel's _The Collection_, Steve Howe's
_Beginnings_ (Japanese import), and many others.

So I'd advise anyone who didn't snatch up all the Hawkwind Griffin
CDs yet to pay a visit to one of these Camelot-related stores (like
Coconuts & Musicland) ASAP.

MWood