HW: Live 79 (An invitation to a 1 minute hate)

[Doug Pearson]

Hey, I haven't gotten in my say on this thread yet!

On Tue, 30 Mar 1999 16:41:56 +0100, Jonathan Jarrett
<jjarrett at CHIARK.GREENEND.ORG.UK> wrote:
>On Sat, 20 Mar 1999, Carl Edlund Anderson wrote:
>
>>      Gee, and I thought "Shot Down in the Night" was *excellent* :)

I completely agree with Carl - I like everything about this song.  The way
the intro builds up with the audience chant and Tim & Dave(?)'s bubbling &
droning synths ... then Simon counts off and blam!    A Hawkwind concert
opener that nearly rivals the buildup from "Earth Calling" into "Born To
Go" on 'Space Ritual'.  Someone else commented on not liking the "cheesy"
synth/organ chords, but I think they're a great expression of the 60's
garage band influence that HW sometimes shows (as with the way the verses
of "Brainbox Pollution" mirror those of the Count Five's "Psychotic
Reaction") ... I love the version of "25 Years" on the 'Hawklords Live' CD
for the same reason.  Great "future negative"-type lyrics that sound
totally Hawkwind even though they were written by a very short-serving
member.  Great melodic guitar solos by Huw both on the bridge and the outro
(and I tend not to be a big Huw fan).  One of my favorite Hawkwind numbers
(although I'm not real big on the 'Do Not Panic' version) of all time.

>> while I found "Lighthouse" sort of a non-event.

It would be much better without Tim trying to sing (ouch!).

>> That said, I
>> thought the "Brainstorm" on _Live 79_ was extrordinarily lame.
>> But, as Steve S. points out, the "Silver Machine" has an excellent
>> start before, sadly, it blows up!
>
>        Funny, I think that 'Brainstorm' is one of the best - builds into
>rhythmic trance very nicely. Not exactly blanga, but as close as you can
>get with an essentially NWOBHM line-up.

I have mixed feelings about the version of "Brainstorm" ... it's a good,
hard-driving version, just like Jonathan says, but I really prefer hearing
that song with Nik (given the choice for that era, I'd probably prefer both
the Inner City Unit version and the 'Zones' version).  The only song on the
album I don't particularly like is the version of "Spirit of the Age" - the
rhythms are all wrong on that one.  The studio version (and live versions
by Calvert-era Hawkwind/Hawklords) really flow with a Krautrock-like beat;
the 'Live 79' version sounds constipated all the way through to me, and
also loses the melodic flow.  I've always liked the version of "Motorway
City" better than on 'Levitation' but I think I'll have to give that a
side-by-side comparison since everyone else seems to unanimously disagree.
And I like the (non-LP B-side) version of "Urban Guerilla"; even more so
after hearing the Calvert-sung version from the Hawklords tour on which the
'79 version was clearly modeled (I'd still rather hear it sung by Bob,
though).

>But then it was on the first Hawkwind record I ever owned

Me, too! (Well, I heard "Psychedelic Warlords" on my college's radio
station one night during my first year, then went down to the record store
the next day and bought second-hand vinyl [there were no Hawkwind CD's at
this point] copies of 'Space Ritual', 'Roadhawks' and 'Live 79'.)  So
perhaps I, too, am biased.  It's my favorite Huw-era album except
(possibly) the two 'Chronicle' albums and anything with Nik on it!

>        Ha - I got a doom-fan to buy 'Live Chronicles' the other day! One
>of my greatest victories. His expression of torture as he admitted he
>liked it rivalled that of the Prince of Melnibone himself...

Does he like Harvey's "dramatic recitations"? ;^)

        -Doug
         ceres at sirius.com