HW: Live Legends gig

[Doug Pearson]

<Disclaimer: This message consists entirely of opinions.  The only facts
expressed are those indicating other singers who sang Calvert songs.>

I have to say that I've liked a number of the renditions of Calvert songs
by other singers in Hawkwind ...

"Reefer Madness" with Bridget,
"Damnation Alley" with Alan,
"Kadu Flyer" with Nik,
"Silver Machine" with Lemmy (OK, maybe that's not a fair example!),
and most everything with Ron (esp. the 'Capt. Lockheed' material)

... although some have been merely acceptable/competent (Harvey's "Death
Trap", Dave's "Q,S & C") and some I *do* dislike (Alan's "Ejection", Dave's
"Spirit of the Age").

On Fri, 17 Mar 2000 19:30:12 +1100, Tim Gadd <lupercal at GEOCITIES.COM> wrote:
>>Regarding Sonic Attack, I think the 'Live 1997'
>>version with Ron Tree is the best I've heard for ages.
>
>If that is Ron reading it on the Love in Space 3-track, I agree, though I
>still don't think it's particularly effective. It sounds kinda like a cross
>between Johnny Rotten and Vincent Price to me.

I'm pretty certain that version (on the LiS CDEP) is a tape of Bob's voice
(circa 77/78) with new music overdubbed.  I could be wrong, but the voice
doesn't sound like Ron's rendition from live shows/tapes.  That being said,
I think that both Ron and Nik have done great versions of "Sonic Attack".

>Also, I strongly maintain that that poem DOES NOT WORK
>AT ALL with any sort of 'music' behind it,

I'll agree with the people that have expressed dislike for the early-80s
version.  That one does not work at all for me either.

>especially not with drumming.

I'd modify that to say "especially not with drums playing a beat."  I think
that the occasional drum roll or cymbal crash/wash to accent pertinent
spots in the poem works very well, but any attempt at putting a steady beat
to it sounds awful.

>It needs a sparse, nearly empty soundscape; the odd squawk from an audio
>generator.

It should *start* very sparsely, but should evolve from faint white noise
("you will hear a distant hissing in your ear") to a brutal, bludgeoning
racket ("you will feel the need to vomit ... there will be bleeding from
orifices") at the appropriate moments.  But definitely nothing that could
be construed as a "real" note or chord.

>Except I suppose nowdays someone would have to programme
>something to squawk at exactly 38 seconds into the performance.

I'm with you there, although I believe that this comment is less true for
the current lineup than it was 5 or 10 years ago ...

        -Doug
         ceres at sirius.com