HW: Amorphis (and other recent acquisitions)

[Christian Mumford]

I just picked up a CD by the Finnish band Amorphis titled "My Kantele".
It is a mini album (about 25 mins) of 5 GREAT tracks... one of them being
a cover of Hawkwind's "Levitation"! I'm not kidding when I say it nearly,
if not
actually, outdoes the original!! I'd seen it advertised in the psych issue of
Mojo awhile back and suddenly found it by chance. It's great stuff, and any
Hawkwind/space/psych or even straight hardrock fans would like it. Hard to
describe... maybe Amon Duul II ca. "Wolf City" meets Levitation-era Hawkwind.
Lots of that wonderful whoooooooooshy sound (and some nice raygun blasts to
boot), but fairly conventional song structures. Definetly file under
"spacerock".
There is also a cover of "And I Hear You Call" by Kingston Wall, a Swedish (?)
band I have seen mentioned on this list. I will definetly seek the Amorphis
album
"Elegy" out.

Also, oddly enough winning a Julian Cope radio contest, I got a buncha crap
CDS's
the DJ needed an excuse/got paid to get rid of :) One of them was an Eat
Static
remix thing which I thought was very cool after a few listens (not being your
average raver whatever type person :). Isn't Eat Static an Ozrics spinoff?
Also
got a great Olivia Tremor Control EP and a worthwile Soundgarden (RIP) CDS.
Strangely enough an editor I have done work for played piano on a (Norwegian)
EP by the band The Tables (quirky cool 60s-esque pop). The rest: off to the
second
hand shops to trade off!

...and on the subject of Cope: got his new "Interpreter" CD - excellent/far
out/groovy/righteous etc. etc. It's got a great send-up (?) of spacerock
called
"s.p.a.c.e.r.o.c.k. With Me"... Judging by the back cover, I think Mr. Cope
better lay off the hallucinogenics awhile, before he thinks he's the
Messiah or
something.

Not stopping there, browsing the bargain bins, I picked up a GREAT Cardiacs
comp
(thanks Jon B.!!! Ya turned me on :-) and a Third Ear Band radio session CD.
Now the strange bit here is that one of those cheap "Champions of Rock" comps
there hade the ROBERT CALVERT song THE WIDOW MAKER!!!!! It was even listed
on the
front cover - sandwiched between Accept and Scorpions of course. Where else?


Christian