HW 40th Anniversay Show

[Carl Edlund Anderson]

On 25 Feb 2009, at 09:12, Paul Mather wrote:
> Maybe I am in an minority, but I actually found Alan's interview to  
> be rather informative and refreshing.  I certainly learned a lot!


If you are in the minority, then at least you are not alone in it. :)


> Maybe it is more "dignified" not to tell your side of the story, but


Speaking only for myself, as a fan, I have an interest in knowing  
what's going on with the band -- and I strongly suspect that hearing  
only the view from within the current band (itself not always  
dignified ;) is not going to provide the full story for me.

Historically, there has been a lot of bitterness evidenced both from  
without _and_ from _within_ the Hawkwind camp, and though we're  
always going to have to read between the lines if trying to divine  
"what's really going on" (or "what really went on"), at least hearing  
from all sides affords us a better chance at that opportunity.


> One thing that reassured me about the interview is that I  
> discovered I am not the only one appalled by the modern method of  
> Hawkwind recording.  I was absolutely horrified when I read in one  
> of the Hawkwind book bios that everything is methodically  
> sequenced, even the drums---the drums, for God's sake!  It just  
> ain't right, I tells ya! :-)

This is a truly horrific thing to have learned (or, perhaps, to have  
had confirmed).  Richard is a very fine drummer live, IMO, so why on  
earth is he not playing real drums in the studio?  I realize that  
this question may entail a very long answer ;) but: "What drugs are  
they on?" ;)


> But, it does add to the general body of evidence that states that  
> Hawkwind is very dysfunctional.

As if more were needed! ;)

> I don't know if trying to whitewash that fact away will help  
> matters any.  Perhaps being aware of how screwed up and badly  
> organised the band is will make us appreciate all the more what  
> time we have with them together with Brock at the helm putting out  
> new material, for surely a ship as leaky as this can't sail on too  
> much longer...

I have the feeling it will sail on for exactly as long as Dave wants  
it to sail, regardless of anything else.  If everyone but Dave quit,  
and he still wanted to keep Hawkwind going, I have no doubt he could  
still recruit new members from somewhere.  Which actually doesn't  
bother me too much -- I've always had the feeling that Hawkwind  
should be a _concept_ that is given shape by whichever avatars happen  
to be present.  I feel more worried about the state of the _concept_,  
than its membership, though, given that it's sunk to programmed drums  
on the albums. :/

I have to agree with Alan that that's just not right!  (Assuming, of  
course, that this isn't a vicious bit of slander .... :))

Cheers,
Carl

--
Carl Edlund Anderson
http://www.carlaz.com/