Weird CD's Review

Weird CD's Review

The reviews of Weird 101 - 105 were originally posted to the BOC/Hawkwind mailing list by Doug Pearson (thx Doug!) with some minor amendments made by me. The reviews of Weird 106 and 107 are mine. Some parts of the Weird 102 and 103 reviews, relating to Stonehenge 77, are also added by me. Thanks to Sean McMahon for correcting me on the actual running order on Weird 7

The original artwork which inspired the Weird 5 cover. See also the artist's webpage here

Weird 101 - Sonic Assassins live 77 / Dave Brock demos (49.30)

The Sonic Assassins tracks contain a bit of extra material (already on the tape, I assume, but never on vinyl/CD). There's Bob's rant (and a lot more jamming) at the end of "Angels of Death", as someone else mentioned. And a little more at the end of "Death Trap", too. The tracks also sound like different mixes than the releases on Flicknife etc. - the synth noises are a bit

-Over the Top (7.49) [7.53]
-Magnu (3.19) [3.12]
-Angels of Death (5.16) [1.11]
-Free Fall (8.00) [7.54]
-Death Trap (5.03) [4.30]
-Nuclear Toy
-Who's Gonna Win the War (4.54) [5.55]
-The Dream 1
-Assassination
-The Dream 2
-Satellite

more prevalent in a few places, but it's not a significant difference. Unfortunately, the one other song from the Sonic Assassins set ("Golden Void" [4.44]) isn't included. The version of "Who's Gonna Win The War" sounds like the one on Flicknife (it's Hawklords, not Brock solo), but appears to fade prematurely. This may be the only volume without any mistakes in the credits.

Weird 102 Hawkwind live 77 / Hawklords studio 78 (41.16)

-Quark, Strangeness & Charm (2.38) [2.38]
-Master of the Universe (4.44)
-Welcome to the Future (2.10)
-Spirit of the Age (5.50) [5.57]
-Sonic Attack (5.27)
-Valium 10 (7.57) [7.51]
-Douglas in the Jungle (6.55) [6.53]
-Time Of ... (5.33) [4.07]

"Quark" is the 'Anthology'/'Acid Daze'/etc. version. "Spirit of the Age" is the Flicknife version (there's a bit of microphone feedback in the second verse @2.20 to verify), but the full fade-out/destruction into "Sonic Attack" is included. The first 5 tracks are from Hawkwind's live set at Stonehenge Free Festival on 21st June 1977. The final

three tracks are Hawklords studio recordings. "Valium 10" and "Motorhead" are the released ('Acid Daze'/'Anthology') versions and were paired as a single on Flicknife. "Time Of..." sounds like an alternate version or different take - a bit rougher & rawer than the one from the "Who's Gonna Win The War" B-side. The credits for "Sonic Attack" make no mention of Michael Moorcock.

Weird 103 Free Festivals 77/75 (42.01)

-High Rise (5.37)
-Damnation Alley (parts 1&2) (8.00)
-Uncle Sam's On Mars (6.33)
-Robot (7.21)
-Hash Cake 77 (4:44)
-Circles (4.29)
-I Am the Eye (4.26)
-Slap it on the Table (0.50)

The '77 stuff is great, and blows away other versions you've heard of these songs ('PXR5', 'Acid Daze', 'Friends & Relations'). The version of "Uncle Sam's on Mars" is STILL different from the other 3 released versions (geez!). And includes the "Iron Dream" (King) finale. Who's singing the

falsetto in "Robot"?! The first 4 tracks are the opening numbers from the Stonehenge set on 21/6/77. The remainder are probably all different portions of the Watchfield festival than the "Watchfield Festival" track on 'Anthology'/'Acid Daze', but I'm not completely certain; more listening is required! A few errors ... "Damnation Alley" is (Calvert/Brock/House), not (Brock/Calvert). "Uncle Sam's on Mars" is (Brock/Calvert/House/King) - sorry Ade, and its credits are confused with: "Slap it on der Table" (Brock/Rudolph/Turner/Dunkley/Powell). Slap It On Der Table is a feeble 50-second musical joke. "Aidran" Shaw's name is misspelled, and Hash Cake 77 isn't listed at all, but is present on the CD....

Weird 104 Hawklords live 78 (47.55)

As previously noted, "Uncle Sam's on Mars" is (Brock/Calvert/House/ King), not (Brock/Calvert). And it again includes the "Iron Dream" finale (King). This is a great show! A different one than the previous 'Hawklords Live' CD. (The Weird 104 recording is from Plymouth, 23.11.1978 and the Hawklords Live recording is from Uxbridge, 24.11.1978.) While admittedly the talents of Swindells / Bainbridge / Griffin

-Death Trap (6.21)
-Micro Man (3.40)
-Spirit of the Age (9.25)
-Urban Guerilla (5.18)
-Steppenwolf (9.07)
-Free Fall (5.28)
-Uncle Sam's on Mars (8.33)

don't quite match (who could?) those of House / Shaw / King, the new members more than acquit themselves with loads of raw energy. This is one of the most rocked-out Hawkwind-related recordings, and Bob is amazingly over-the-top on "Urban Guerilla" and a punked-up "Uncle Sam's On Mars" (throughout the CD, really).

Weird 105 live 76/77 (43.12)

This probably has the poorest sound quality of any of the Weird CD�s - it might have been sourced from bootlegs, possibly. "Back on the Streets" has the full three verses, but like the 'Atomhenge' version, is missing a couple chords that made it into the studio version. Is it Brock -

-Back on the Streets (Calvert/Rudolph) (3.50)
-City of Lagoons (House) (5.09)
-Brainstorm (Turner) (7.25)
-Wind of Change (Brock) (4.07)
-Assassins of Allah (Calvert/Rudolph) (7.17)
-Forge of Vulcan (House) (2.33)
-Steppenwolf (Calvert/Brock) (10.29)
-Where Are They Now? (Brock) (2.19)

keyboard, Rudolph - guitar, House - violin on "City of Lagoons" [which is a mislabelling of Chronoglide Skyway]? "Brainstorm", "Assassins" & "Steppenwolf" all rock (*blistering* violin solo on "Steppenwolf"), and the instrumentals provide atmosphere. Very nice. The last minute of "Steppenwolf" is the US 'Quark, Strangeness & Charm' LP ad. Is "Where Are They Now" a Brock demo? It is obviously an early version of what would become PXR5. No songwriting credits whatsoever on this CD ... could it be that it's the only one with more than one or two non-Brock songs? Nah ... Who the heck is "Aidrain" Shaw?!? And why do they keep spelling his name differently?

Weird 106 finally got re-pressed! ...thanks to http://www.glitterhouse.de for my copy :-)

1. Make What You Can (7.11) - rather muddy sound and a rather plodding song. The verse sounds like a prototype version of It's So Easy. Recognisably from the Space Ritual era (wah guitar solo is not bad) but not up to the quality of that album.

2. Born to Go (12.49) -and- 3. Master Of The Universe (7.18). These are the versions that appeared on the Greasy Truckers album and have since reappeared, considerably cleaned up, as the bonus tracks on the EMI reissue of Space Ritual.

4. Jam (3.25). The same basic riff as Seeing It As You Really Are from the 1st album (which is not as good as this version) and the coda to the live version of You Shouldn't Do That, originally issued on the Roadhawks compilation, and now also one of the bonus tracks on Space Ritual. The You Shouldn't Do That coda is far superior.

5. Hurry On Sundown (4.49). A hitherto unheard version, primitive and jangly on the verses, but with a great psychedelic guitar solo and pumping bass riffs in the middle, which really beef it up.

6. Come Home (2.11). Comedy value only. Cowboy blues. The closest Hawkwind ever came to sounding like a jug band. The repetitive riff with which it fades out is more typical 1970 Hawkwind.

7. We Do It (10.35). The same turgid drone already inflicted on us in rip-offs past.

8. Earth Calling (3.28). Previously released on the Friends and Relations albums, but a nice alternative to the Space Ritual version. This track is not listed on the CD label.

Well after waiting so long for this, it's a bit disappointing as most of it has been previously available elsewhere, and nothing here is that special, really. For the committed fan only.

Weird 107 Dave Brock demos (46.37)

What the label says
1. Streets of Fear
2. First Landing on Medusa
3. Touchdown
4. Winter of Discontent
5. Choose Your Masques
6. Looking In The Future
7. Space Travellers
8. Circles
9. Speed of Light (Transdimension Man)
10.Bombed Out

This is pretty good, definitely better than expected. My subjective ratings (marks out of ten) of each track are shown below. This CD is superior to some of the Captain's other solo stuff like the Earthed To The Ground album. Way better than Agents of Chaos. As is usual the demo versions are slower paced & occasionally show up the limitations of drum machines compared to the real thing...

Actual sequence
1. Choose Your Masques (6/10)
2. Looking in The Future part 1 (7/10)
3. Looking in the Future part 2 (7/10)
4. Space Travellers (4/10)
5. Disintegration (8/10)
6. Circles (aka Fifth Second of Forever) (7/10)
7. Speed of Light (Transdimensional Man) (8/10)
8. Bombed Out (8/10)
9. Streets of Fear (8/10)
10. First Landing On Medusa / Touchdown (7/10)
11. Winter of Discontent (4/10)

Track 5 (Disintegration) is almost identical to the version on the 1981 Sonic Attack album. Streets of Fear is another one that ended up on that album and it was pretty much unchanged from the demo version here.

Track 10 obviously ended up as a couple of different things on the Church of Hawkwind album. There are similarities to The Fall Of Earth City, and then it goes off in another direction completely. Track 11 shows us Mr. Brock's hitherto unsuspected Shakespeareian talents...all I will say about this is, don't give up the day job Captain!

19th May 2006: Here's a riposte regarding Weird 107 from Graham Hawker - and if you too would like to comment on anything I've put on my website, your contribution will be welcomed and posted (so long as it's not offensive)...email me here... And now, Mr. Hawker takes the podium:

Listening to the original Weird Tape, where the tracks are in the order as shown on the CD cover, compelled me to add an opinion or two to this review. Overall this is fairly stunning stuff. Looking back I find I have some problems with the period when the bulk of this was recorded, especially Sonic Attack and Church of Hawkwind, but those problems disappear here. Many of the tracks are better than the album versions. The good thing about the use of the drum machine is that it�s mixed very low which works so much better than an up front drum machine would. I find Street of Fear and Choose Your Masques much more interesting in this form because you hear the best bits more clearly, even though Choose Your Masques is my favourite track from the album of the same name.

I don�t think Mr Brock can be blamed for the voice on Winter of Discontent. In fact it may even be favourite lovey Laurence Olivier � well it doesn�t sound much like Dave. Space Travellers features some of the Motorway City lyrics but the main thing is the synth work is very reminiscent of Del and Dik in the Space Ritual days. It�s a great track. Circles just knocks the Levitation version 13th Second of Forever into the biggest cocked hat in history. The big finish of Trans Dimensional Man and Bombed Out is simply Dave Brock on some of his finest form. In fact I suggest you rip the album move the tracks into the original order because it makes it an even better album.

Weird 108 - "Live 66-73" has been reviewed separately on its' own page