business hawkwind (was chrome tour - or so...)

[John Majka]

>the bleeding business trip...
>there is absolutely NO excuse for putting out an album like The Business
>Trip - (Live album) --
>apart from being just a rotten album musically
Wow, pretty strong stuff there!  I liked "The Business Trip" quite a bit.  I
think it has a really good production sound (particularly the drums).  [my
favorite hawkwind drum production sound is either this album or "It is the
Business of the Future to Be Dangerous"]  And it also is just plain GOOD.

 >changing a brilliant song like the original "Quark,
>Strangeness and Charm" - a true gem of POP music (yes) into such a
>SHITTY tune like the live version on the Business Trip live album -
>well, this is just a very sad statement of your musical burn-out.
I liked that version of Quark.  Hey, it's a different arrangement.  It's not
meant to be a carbon copy of the original.  I think it's cool.  It's not
like the Hawks tried to play it and said "Gee, we keep trying to play this
song the right way but it only comes out slow and melodic."  Duh!  Obviously
it was their intention to rearrange it in such a way, and I like it, though
I can understand why people wouldn't.

>I am not writing this because I am a born again Calvertian - but its
>just an obvious fact that the band never again had
>a single innovative moment since Calvert left the band - i.e. after the
>Hawklords album.
Oh I think the Hawks have never been particularly focused on the innovation
vs. non-innovation issue.  They just make the sounds they like to make, god
bless them, whether they are cliched or avant garde or whatever.  I think
their most remarkable quality is their total lack of musical fashion sense!
I wish more bands could be so disregarding of what's "cool" or what's
"cutting edge" or whatever--all of that is largely an accidental conspiracy
of circumstances anyway.  Of course the Hawks had many many bright moments
after Calvert's departure.  Because new wave/punk rock later become a big
mainstream sound, I guess we're supposed to assume that Calvert's Hawkwind
was more innovative than the later incarnations of the band?  Perhaps your
tune will change if in another ten years the sound we hear on "Church of
Hawkwind" becomes a model of standard radio fare.  Not that this will
happen, but you see my point, I think.

>
>but why on earth do so many people demand that the band is getting back
>to "their roots" - or however you'd like to call it - sounding like
>they've sounded some twenty or more years ago. thats the worst you could
>ask from ANY (true) artist. its an insult.
>if you think they're not as good as they're ought to be - why bother
>buying their records - or even talk / write about it? they are musicians
>and they're ought and MUST develop.
Now here's a good point!  I DON'T WANT anyone trying to redo space ritual.
That was then, this is now.  I like Hawkwind the way they are.  It's silly
to be a stick in the mud and try to always strive backwards, being
anti-progressive.  I'm amazed at how forward-going Hawkwind has been, all
things considered.  I do, however, agree that Brock/HW are slowing down and
or running out of energy and ideas, as evidenced by the lack of new songs on
the new albums.  In place of new songs, we often get remakes of old ones, or
just some synthesizer noodling as a filler.  Distant Horizons was the
biggest letdown yet, but I'm not really down on the band.  I'm sure they
still have some great albums in them.  And oh, by the way, "It is the
Business of the Future" was one of the good albums!
John Majka
flossbac at wcic.org