HW: OFF: New A-I.com issue is up

[Doug Pearson]

On Sat, 15 Jul 2000 22:07:31 -0400, K Henderson <henderson.120 at OSU.EDU> wrote:
>The July issue of Aural Innovations: The Global Source For SpaceRock
>Exploration is now online. Aural Innovations covers spacerock, psychedelia,
>related electronic music, plus lots of "out there" jazz and progressive
>rock. The new issue includes:
>
>Adrian Shaw (profile/interview)

Keith - great job on this article!  It was a fantastic read for the subway
ride home from work last night.  I hope you don't mind if I nit-pick on a
couple of tiny points in public ...

1) If you're going to interview bassists who play space/psychedelic music,
you need to spell the master's name correctly.  It's Jack CASADY.  Now, go
pick yourself up a copy of the Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship (despite the
moniker, it's a Kantner solo album, and not the gawdawful arenarock band
that he founded a few years later) album 'Blows Against the Empire' (or, if
not, try any live album by Jefferson Airplane, or their 'After Bathing At
Baxter's' or 'Crown of Creation' LP's), put on "Sunrise", the first track
on side 2, crank the volume, turn the bass up to "11", sit back & relax,
and experience what I felt here in the Bay Area in October '89.

2) Hopefully someone can correct me on this if I'm wrong, but I don't
believe that Adrian Shaw *ever* played "Death Trap" with Hawkwind.  The
studio version of 'PXR5' has Calvert, King, and all other instruments
(including bass & keyboards) by Dave.  And even though the Sonic Assassins
played it in '77, I haven't heard it on any Hawkwind live recordings from
77/78, nor even seen it on any tracklists/setlists from that era.  If I'm
incorrect about this, I would *love* to be corrected!  (hopefully with an
actual recording)  But truthfully, I don't think that song (great as it is
- one of my alltime Hawkwind faves) would have worked as well recorded with
House & Shaw.  It's too much of a direct rocker (the Hawklords live
versions with Swindells & Bainbridge rip!), while House & Shaw (IMO)
excelled at songs that required a great deal of musical depth ("Damnation
Alley"), subtlety ("Spirit of the Age") or understated beauty ("Fable of a
Failed Race" - good that you mentioned that one, Keith!).  No other lineup
of the band has ever played those songs as well as the original versions,
wheras I'd say that several lineups (current one included) have done
versions of "Hassan i Sahba" that are up there with the original (except,
perhaps lacking the violin).

3) No mention of "Jack of Shadows"?!?  (Adrian's lone songwriting credit
with Hawkwind!)

The funny thing is, today while walking down the street on my way to work,
I ran into an acquaintance who was wearing the Bevis Frond t-shirt that
says "Didn't you play on 'Silver Machine'?" on the front ...

        -Doug
         ceres at sirius.com