Alan%DCT.AC.UK%DUNDEE.AC.UK@ucl-cs.ARPA (08/03/85)
From: Andy Cobley <A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.arpa>
[I'm forwarding this for a friend (A.Cobley%Dundee@UCL-CS)
Apologies for the formatting --- Alan Greig <Alan%DCT@UCL-CS.ARPA>]
With regards to the discussion of sf in music somebody mentioned
HAWKWIND, being a great HAWKWIND fan I scuttled of to my record
collection to compose a suitable list of HAWKWIND tracks that are
related to sf.This list follows after this preamble, for those of you
who cant be bothered to read it all but would like some recommended
albums to get a taste of what the starship hawkwind is all about here
are three for starts:-
The Space ritual.(United Artists)
This is a double
live album recorded in 1973 on there legendary Space ritual tour.
Warrior on the edge of time
Recorded in 1975 this album
contains some poems by Michael Moorcock as well as some of HAWKWIND's
best tracks.
Quark,Strangeness and Charm.
This was the last Hawkwind
made with poet Bob Calvert, it was recorded in 1977.Now for the list
X in search of Space.1971
Master of the universe.This track crops up
all over the place and is essentially god (or some creator)
telling us how disappointed he is with our performance so
far.The album also came with a booklet telling the story of
the starship Hawkwind but unfortunately because of time
distortions the dates are not in order.
Doremi fasol latido.1972
Brainstorm. Possibly sf possibly not, difficult to decide
because of the obscure and difficult to hear lyrics. Space
is deep.A song about how vast space is.
Down through the night. I think this ones about suspended
animation to travel to other stars.
Lord of light. I believe that this song is based on a
book by somebody but i'm not sure who.It seems to be about
weird goings on on a hill and people joining together ever
seven years.
Time we left this world today. Generally about the bad
state of the world and its time we left to find a bit of
peace from the 'thought police'.
The watcher. Another song bemoaning the state of the
world only this time some alien race are threatening to blow
us all up if we don't clean our act up
The Space Ritual.1973
This was alive album and contains much of the Doremi fasol Latido
tracks as well as others. Side one seems to be the tale of a
trip (of some sort ) opening with 'Born to go' containing lines
like :-
We were born to blaze,
A new clear way through space,
A way out of the waste,
To help the human race.
This leads into Down through the night (see above) and ends with
'The Awakening' which is a poem by Bob Calvert about landing at
your destination and the awakening from suspended animation.
The black Corridor.This is a poem by Michael Moorcock taken
from the book of the same name,and is generally about the cold
unfeelingness of space.
10 seconds of forever.Another poem, this time relating the
thoughts of a person during the last ten seconds leading to take
off.
Sonic attack.Yet another poem, again by Michael Moorcock
involving frantic rantings about what to do in the case of a
Sonic weapons based attack,
'Do not Panic
Do not attempt to rescue friends relatives or loved ones
Think only of your self, only of your self' etc
Warrior on the edge of time.1975
This album is concerned more with Science Fantasy rather than the
space based earlier work.
The wizard blew his horn.A poem by MM again this time
relating to the calling of a champion to save the earth from some
disaster or other.
Magnu.Again a song calling for help but this time for the horse
MAGNU, a magical beast that can travel not only the earthly
paths at great speed but other unknown paths as well.
Standing on the edge.Another MM poem, about the despair of some
soldiers waiting on the edge of time for something or other.
Spiral Galaxy 28948.An instrumental but mentioned here for its
title.
Warriors.This continues on from 'Standing on the edge' but is
much more positive.
Kings of speed.Invitation to take a trip on Frank and Beasleys
rocket ship, step this way lads it aint no lie, we can turn you
into the human fly.
Astounding sounds, Amazing music.1976
The only piece of note on this disappointing album is
'stepenwolf' a rather long song concerning the madness of being a
wearwolf that has a very gothic atmosphere.
Quark,Strangeness and Charm 1977
Spirit of the age.This is split into two verses, the first
concerning the plight one space traveler finds himself in when
his 'android replica' of his girlfriend breaks down and starts
moaning 'anothers name'. The second verse concerns a clones
desire to be an individual.
Damnation Alley.Based on Roger Zelanzy's book tells the tale of
a post nuclear war trip across america much better than the
horrendous film supposedly based on the same book.
Fable of a failed race.In a post nuclear desert legends
have grown up around the war that caused the wasteland to the
point of considering the bombs to be the fathers of the race.
PXR5 1978
Jack of shadows.Again based on a Roger Zelenzy book of the same
name.
Uncle sams on mars.Written around the time of he viking landing
on mars this song bemoans the fact that man can put a ship on
mars to look for life but cant feed its own people let alone
control the pollution that threatens to turn earth into a parady
of mars.
Infinity.Story of man trapped by a beautiful witch into a
crystal eternity.
Robot.Parallels robots to the suburban man of today.
25 years on. 1978
Psi power.Tells the tale of a person with psi power and his
rejection of it, 'its like a radio you cant turn off, I'd like to
live inside a lead lined room and leave all this psi power
behind.'
The only ones.This song ties in with the tour concept of a
factory where people must work their way to the top in order to
escape and set up a life of there own.
The age of the Micro Man.Generally about the way people today
don't look at the whole scene only the details.
Levitation.1980
Levitation.Song about how great it is to be able to levitate.
Space chase.Instrumental
Sonic attack .1981
(contains a rework of the Sonic attack poem (see above))
Living on a knife edge.The dangers of database's and police
observance systems
Coded languages.Lyrics written by Michael Moorcock about a race
of people able to kill using words (or is it a political
statement???)
Disintegrate.short song about blowing up at a pretimed place
and time.
Church of Hawkwind.1982
side 1 space
Angel voices.The voices heard in the command centre of a space
ship
Nuclear Drive.Starship lands and takes you away for a ride
Star cannibal.Race of people use earth(or some other planet ) as
a feeding ground,we being the food.
The phenomenon of luminosity.This sounds like a recording of
astronauts talking over a backing track.If any one recognizes
the following please tell me what mission it was from and what
they are describing.
'I'd like to describe what i've got here, i'm near a mass of
small particles that are lit up like there luminescent, i
never saw anything like it, there around the moon ,there
coming by the capsule, a whole galaxy of little stars.'
Fall of earth city.The earth is completely enclosed by a city,
mind control is used by the rulers until a ancient tomb is
opened, bringing chaos and freedom for the subjects of the earth.
Choose your masks.1982.
Arrival in utopia.Arriving in utopia we find its not all its
cracked up to be.
Farenheit 451.Based on the book by Ray bradbury
For more info get in touch with one of the following ( send stamped
addressed envelope)
Hawkwind Feedback
29 Cordon Street,
Wisbech,
Cambs,
PE13 2LW
England.
(newsletter)
or
Trevor L.Hughes,
Zephyr,
PO Box 6
Wallasey,
England.
(specialist in rare records and free newsletter)
From A.cobley via Alan Grieg.
-------wildbill@ucbvax.ARPA (William J. Laubenheimer) (08/16/85)
Re the vocal background you describe in "The Phenomenon of Luminosity":
This sounds like John Glenn, describing what he saw outside his space capsule
just after using the urine dump.
Bill Laubenheimer
----------------------------------------UC-Berkeley Computer Science
...Killjoy went that-a-way---> ucbvax!wildbill