HW: Not of this Earth 3-CD

Jon Jarrett jjarrett at CHIARK.GREENEND.ORG.UK
Sat Apr 12 17:31:44 EDT 2003


On Thu, 23 Jan 2003, Henderson Keith wrote:

> Hawkwind's contribution is a new (or I should say 'yet again different')
> version of Sonic Attack, entitled "This is Hawkwind Sonic Attack" the lyrics
> of which seem unchanged.  The lineup is given as Brock/Davey/Tree/Chadwick,
> so this is from a few years ago (and would seemingly match up with when this
> project was started).  The vocals are a dead ringer for Calvert, but I guess
> it's really Ron doing an amazing likeness, or else Dave uncovered an old
> track of Calvert's from the distant past.  I dunno...I've only given the
> thing a quick cursory listen.  The music seemed totally different than any
> other version...no real bass guitar I don't think, but kinda trancey
> synths/percussion along with some guitar playing from Dave.  Not sure what
> Alan was doing...wave sequencer stuff perhaps, whatever that is.  It's 7
> minutes long, and I think it's just fine though not superior to actually
> hearing something that's not already 30 years old in part.  Interestingly,
> it's associated with "When Worlds Collide" but I really don't know how -
> they have a writeup about said SF story, but nothing about how it connects
> to Moorcock's words.  Or if it even does.  The writing credits go to
> Moorcock, Calvert, Brock, Chadwick...not sure when/why Calvert was ever
> awarded writing credit here, but you know how these things have continually
> evolved over the years!

        As Alisa pointed out, this is in fact the same version of the
track as that on the `Love in Space' CDEP. Which makes Hawkwind the only
band that didn't do a new track for the compilation, which is a bit poor
I think. I would guess that there *is* no connection with `When Worlds
Collide', they just sent them something obscure they had in the can.

        As for the actual track, the vocal is Calvert, it's the one from
the version on _Atomhenge 76_, and therefore _Thrilling Adventures_ if the
track's on that disc. I'm 100% sure of this. I assume therefore that the
other credits are the new backing, in `The Dream Goes On/Has Ended'
style. But why Calvert himself gets a credit I couldn't tell you, he
doesn't change any of the words except `possible' for `practical', which
to my mind isn't enough, no?

        I did think this was a bit of a zero effort syndrome all round for
Hawkwind when it came out. Yours,
                                  Jon

ObCD: The Sons of Selina - _Fire in the Hole_
--
"I recognise that I have transgressed many of the precepts of the divine
law, and that I am subjected by various vices and iniquities, disobedient
to the words of the divine mystery brought unto me and a worshipper of the
delights of this military age." Marquis Borrell of Barcelona, 955 A.D.

             (Jonathan Jarrett, Birkbeck College London)



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