Album Club - Week 127: 07/01/2014: Hawkwind - Space Ritual (1973)

[Album Club]

Martin(T) has given us another classic album offering for this week - thanks, Martin.
Don't forget to listen to the album in full before you vote and if you want to vote you should make some contributory comments too please.


Hawkwind - Space Ritual (1973)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61RZ8q8arfL.jpg

Spotify:
spotify:album:7wH3vXQZgy9a6PUvMXLayk


Back in 1974, when I was still in fifth year at school, a mate lent me Space Ritual as we were very much into vinyl swapping. Wow, a sleeve that opened up into a giant poster and FOUR SIDES of psychedelic, trippy music that just connected with me. Possibly even more so than either Pink Floyd or Black Sabbath, both of whom had captured my teenage mind. These were mostly extended pieces where I could close my eyes and really go somewhere else, interspersed with hypnotic poetry by Michael Moorcock. I never understood why more friends didn't like it. All of the trappings of Hawkwind's mystique came to me later, such as Stacia and Lemmy's leaving. I finally saw them twice during my university days.

So how can I persuade you to give it a listen and hear what I heard then? The live recording is crap - nothing more to be said there (although it does repay good playback gear or just playing loud in the car). The music, however, still works for me after all these years. Largely taken from the Doremi Fasol Latodi album, the live performances are more homogeneous, more together and just work better. More melodic than Tangerine Dream, more space trippy than Floyd, long and dreamy and with moments, like Sonic Attack, that predate many a great SF novel.

I find it difficult to quantify exactly why this album has always been on my playlist. Possibly because I am a dreamer and love large-scale SF such as the novels of C J Cherryh, Stephen Baxter and Iain M Banks. One of my ten desert island albums.

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Ritual-Hawkwind/dp/B00A6F9YRY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1387887379&sr=8-4&keywords=Hawkwind

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Ritual

YouTube:
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[MartinT]

For its longevity and trippy other-worldliness alone, I must give this a 10/10. It is one of the few albums where I can forgive the recording and not even register it after a while.

[Batty]

I bought this album in 74 too, I just love it, everything works well, who cares about the recording... I still have my original copy and it makes it to the TT on a regular basis, to me it fully represents the very best of Hawkwind.

[Bazil]

10/10 there is nothing like Space Ritual ,fabulous live space rock , includes most of their best songs, an album I never tire of, timeless.
Robert Calvert's eerie narrative on "10 Seconds of Forever" still has me spellbound just wonderful and he is just as frightening on Michael Moorcock's "Sonic Attack".
Seven by Seven, Master of the Universe , brilliant. Did I say 10/10 well yep you can't give eleven :D

[Roy S]

10 from me, 10 seconds of forever into brainstorm best segue ever

[synsei]

I'm sorry to spoil the party fellas but I must have been born without a Hawkwind gene or somet because I find this album painful to listen to, in fact it has given me a headache. I'm sorry Martin but I bailed out halfway through track one for my own health and continued harmony in my relationship... :eyebrows:

[John]

I do not mind the rhythm section but not for me my main complaint would be the vocals and just sounds repetitive Hard for me to listen all the way through I not vote as in the spirit of Album club I would need to listen to the whole album and I am not sure I could handle it

[MartinT]

I find this album painful to listen to

:rfl:

It's ok, Dave. It would be a boring old world if we all liked the same music!

[The Grand Wazoo]

I find this album painful to listen to, in fact it has given me a headache. I'm sorry Martin but I bailed out halfway through track one for my own health and continued harmony in my relationship... :eyebrows:

How appropriate!


Do not waste time blocking your ears.
Do not waste time seeking a "sound proofed" shelter.
Try to get as far away from the sonic source as possible
Do not panic
Do not panic....

....You have only a few seconds to escape
Use those seconds sensibly or you will inevitably die
Think only of yourself
Think only of yourself...

....You will feel the need to vomit
You will feel dizzy
You will have difficulty focussing
You will need to breathe more rapidly
There will be bleeding from orifices
There will be an ache in the pelvic region
You may be subject to fits of hysterical shouting or even laughter

LwRvWpsiM2w

[The Grand Wazoo]

Despite what I pointed out above, I love this album and will be playing it shortly.

[RichB]

Well a 7 from me. As much as I love the Hawks and have seen them a few times live I never really got into this era of stuff as much as as I enjoyed the early 90s stuff 'electric teepee', 'space bandits' and 'palace springs' to name but a few. These albums were how I was introduced to the band through some hippy raver types I used to associate with in them days. Every time they roll into town I'm still obliged to go see them though and you get a different show every time.

[Tarzan]

This album does not require ranking.:comatose::gig::fingers::smoking::yesbruv:

[The Barbarian]

Brilliant Live LP 10/10 from yours truly..

[pjdowns]

Sorry Martin, bit before my time and not really my sort of music so a 3/10 for me!

[loo]

Classic Hawkwind whats not to like:punch::brickwall::more:
7/10 from me

[The Grand Wazoo]

As I said earlier, I love this album, so playing it again is no chore for me.
I vividly remember the first time I heard it, loud and through headphones - 'Sonic Attack' scared the crap out of me!
The poor sound quality is kind of irrelevant to me because it sort of contributes to the whole experience. Most of the album tracks are better than their studio equivalents and the lack of too much audience noise is a major bonus!
10/10