HW: Atomhenge/Quark Night

[christmu at EUNET.NO]

Doug Pearson <ceres at SIRIUS.COM> wrote:
>My guess would be Calvert/Rudolph, maybe even Calvert/Rudolph/Powell
>(although Dave is prominent on the backing vocals).  The reasoning being
>the announcement that Rudolph and Powell were sacked from the band for
>being "too funky".  I never quite understood that accusation (well, there
>is "The Aubergine that Ate Rangoon") until I heard "Time For Sale" - then
>it made perfect sense!  For the record, I like the song, even though it is
>pretty damn uncharacteristic for Hawkwind - I may even like the "funk" bent
>more than the reggae flavorings of the last few years.  Then again, this
>was the era (76/77) where it seemed like every band in the world had to
>release a disco cash-in album (or at least a song or two), so I think you
>have to give a lot of credit to Hawkwind for steadfastly refusing to do so.

I thought the whole "new wave" direction actually was bold as hell
commercially but artistically very natural, Hawkwind (mostly!) not being
prog-musos, and I guess thats why a disco Hawkwind would seem out of place,
whereas the dub/reggae/techno aspect these days is not so odd after the 80s
and 90s, or the straight up metal ala Black Sword. But I agree its very
cool and an intriguing thought and maybe there is a Long Lost Hawkwind
Disco Album?? Maybe Nik T sleeps with the tapes...


>
>All that being said, I like the groove on the 'Atomhenge' version of "Uncle
>Sam's On Mars" even better.  It shows Dave's love of Neu's music better
>than anything else Hawkwind have ever done, and I really like the way that
>it's a total contrast to the punk-ish version of the song that the
>Hawklords were playing a couple of years later (which I also really like).

Yeah! It does sound like NEU!. Hawkwinds dronerock influence is huge with
the Spacemen 3 etc. (just got a used pill box edition of Spiritualized
"Ladies..."!!!) drone camp, its funny that the noise/drone/ambient stuff
comes as natural to Hawkwind (being partial originators) as straight up
punk or metal (and being hugely influential to both) or whatever, and still
retain the Hawkwind 'sound' or identity. I was listening to Stooges'
Funhouse and can't help but draw comparisons to Hawkwind, especially "TV
Eye". That track wouldn't be out of place to appear in the middle of "You
Shouldn't Do That"! Somehow next to an electronic track...

>If anyone knows more about this, please speak up!
>Still eagerly awaiting my copy of 'Quark Night...'

Me too.

But Doug, how can you live with those track silences on Atomhenge?? :)

Christian