NIK: Space Ritual - Live at the Venusian Electric Ballroom

[Drill]

1980 and 2000? Undisclosed Files addendum is easily the most played of
my official Hawkwind live album collection. Also, I don't care what
anyone says Live Chronicles is really good (Brock's voice isn't nearly
as good as in the studio album, and Moorcock is being really
irritating/silly for whatever reason, maybe seeing what's going on
would explain that.). I've only heard a few live recordings (a few
individual songs) by Hawkwind from the late 80s up to now.

[LJ]
Saw Nik in Boston last October, there were 5 people there! In the
middle of the show I left the venue to crank up and they wouldn't let
us back in*! Spaceseed also had reasons to get amused by the callous
robots/pissy-student-employees at that place. There was a best-ever
version of D-rider, and I got to talk to N. Turner and the band, then
later to my astonishment as I was cruising around on a moped the bus
and I crossed paths again and had the self bestowed honor bestowed on
me of providing special escort to the highway! Apparently it was
needed - after doubling back on my own route I looked behind me just
in time to see the bus fuck up the very last turn, heading downtown
instead of taking a right- hah! Actually the driver probably decided
to got to another onramp down that way, anyway I hope it didn't delay
them alot-- it was probably 2 or 3 AM on a weeknight)

*same guy who said to my face that re-entry was permitted


On 5/3/05, Stephan Forstner <stemfors at pipeline.com> wrote:
> ...in the Cygnus 5 Galaxy.
>
> First impressions:
>
> Finally, a Space Ritual disc that sounds better than an audience recording!
>
> A whole lot better in fact - this may be the best-sounding HW or related
> release in yoinks, or at least the one with the sound that I like the most.
> Great not-muddy-but-giving-that-impression wall-of-sound production that
> still lets you hear the solos clearly - Slattery and Turner both turn in
> some very nice ones. Excellent though HLL is on so much HW material, I
> always thought he never quite nailed the proper feel for Space Ritual-era
> material (not necessarily his fault as the band as a whole usually didn't
> nail it either between 1980 and 2000, with the exception of 89-90 which was
> down to Simon House). Slattery however does. And its not just the frontmen,
> everyone here turns in solid performances, particularly the drummers who
> lock into a groove like nobody's business. Speaking of which, many of the
> tracks are played slightly slowed down, a too-rare choice and one which I
> much prefer to them being speeded up - it emphasizes the impression of an
> obliviously unstoppable juggernaut that is a highlight of the SR-era songs.
>
> Overall I'd put this disc in the same league as Nik's mid-90s live releases
> on Cleopatra. Of course, against the very good sound and the very good
> performance you have to weigh the fact that this is basically the same old
> setlist, played, despite some minor variations, in the same old way. For me
> though its a no-brainer: I definitely recommend this.
>
> Second impressions:
> Coming later if I should change my mind on subsequent listens.
>
> Stephan
>
> 666.00066600066600066600066600066602 - High-Precison Number of the Beast
>                                       The Devil is in the Details
>


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