OFF: Dr. Hasbeen

[K Henderson]

Mark gave us the rundown with..

>At last I've got something, mainly for Keith H's benefit
>but some others may be interested.
>
>I had to tie Martyn down and rack his brains to get this info, it
>is straight from the memory so forgive any minor errors.

Thanks for the effort...it'll help decide what I need.

>The list you have (below) is the completist list and should now read:-
>
>Inside Your Mind        CD 73 minutes
>Compilation + 2 unreleased tracks
>from 1995 - 1998
>Tracks are remixed versions of 2125 & Spirit of Brock
>All studio versions.
>
>Prophetic Verses  CD 68 minutes
>Released 1998 - All studio versions
>Tracks are Prophetic Obscurities remixed + extras
>All rhythm and programmed drums

I assume 'remixed' means simply 'improved the mix,' rather than some sort of
'dance remix,' right?  :)

>BTW Keith, Martyn wondered, purely out of interest, where'd ya get
>the disc from ?

Henrik in Sweden.  The Visions of the Afterlife I just ordered from Andy Gee
here, and I just wanted to see where I stood in the thick of things, Hasbeen
wise.

Keith H. (FAA)

P.S. Here was my review of SoB.  :)  Note it'll soon appear on
www.aural-innovations.com when it's launched (soon).  From AI#6, Spring 1999
or thereabouts.

Dr. Hasbeen - Spirit of Brock (1998) Self-released/Foundry Studio CD-R
(DRHAS 007CD)

No, it's not Dave Brock himself at work on this one, but rather one Martyn
Needham (of Derby, England) who has 'appropriated' the Hasbeen moniker for
himself.  From what I've heard, he's also released two earlier CDs, entitled
"2125" and "Prophetic Obscurities."  On "Spirit of Brock,"
vocalist/guitarist/synth-master Needham and his cohorts (Daz Fletcher on
lead guitar, Sue Annable on drums/vocals, and Jake Billington on bass)
quickly crank through six space-rockers very much in the Hawkwind vein.

Funky synths and a bit of guitar fanfare kick off "Beyond Control," and
although some chant-style vocals chime in eventually, this isn't really a
fully-fledged tune.  But a nice opening statement nonetheless.  Heavier
rhythm guitars start off "Mugs of War" with that effects-laden sound that
Pressurehed use so often.  The problem here is the vocals, bass, and drums
are all mixed down well below the twin guitar tracks.  "Why Syb" is a tad
better in this department, and is a nice astral journey with
ebbing-and-flowing synth tones and syrupy vocals offered by Annable.
Sequenced electronic pulses lead into "Man's Greatest Enemy," where Fletcher
demonstrates his chops on guitar and Needham contributes echoed poetic
vocals over the spacey-synth backdrop.  Truly the "Spirit of Brock."  In
fact, the title track follows next, and is a true tribute to the Hawkwind
baron.  I can't pick out all the lyrics, but there's no doubt who their
heroes are.  "Mugs of War (Part 2)" bears little resemblance to the earlier
track, relying on more layers of pulsating and swirling synths and
Fletcher's melodic leads.

This is pretty good material, but doesn't stray too far from the
time-honored tradition of 70s space rock.  Whether Needham's truly a
'hasbeen' or not I can't say, as I'm not certain where he came from.   But
I'd like to hear more from this quartet anyway, especially since this disc
only runs about 23 minutes.  And I'm not so happy with the quality of the
mix here.  The lower-end rhythm section needs to be brought out more, a
mistake that Brock himself would never make.