Saturday, July 26, 2008

6 String Johnny - Surf 'N' Turf

An all instrumental guitar driven main course of steamin' surf rock served on a bed of spaghetti western twang smothered in a spicy hot sauce blend of ska,country, 60's brit rock,latin and other melodic ethnic surf inspired delights.

NEW GANDY DANCER-

THE MAGAZINE FOR ROCK INSTUMENTAL MUSIC [ISSUE 54]

From Guelph in Ontario comes this exciting talent on his first CD. John is a guitar player and a guitar teacher and this is a series of his invigorating interpretations of surf music. There’s bits of everything absorbed like The Ventures, Dick Dale, Duane Eddy, classical and even flamenco, but the beauty is of the original music [most of it is] and the fresh, clear, active toe tapping sounds plus the fast, tricky and clever licks that just hypnotise. The supporting musicians are great too.

Trailblazer is a stoccato surfer and Surfer Across the Mersey has a Paul Johnson feel to it. Surfer Shuffle is a fast quirky rock guitar feature with lots of good things happening and for us the neatest track is the cool Spy Guy- tuneful, honest and immediately in your face with its strong melody. Shoreline Serenade is a meaningful tight Duane Eddy sound and Mike Beddoes of Vancouver’s Falcons will savour the rocking and rollicking of Sierra Sunset. Ethno Surfario 2001 is a wonderfully concocted medley of none originals for once in Hava Nagila, 2001,Greensleeves,, Rap City and Volga Boatman and it is a real album high spot.

Marvellous CD. Get the pen out and write for it - it is an indispensable Christmas present to treat yourself with. **** [Davey]

1 Intro 1965 2 Trailblazer 3 El Toro 4 Hey Eddie! 5 Club Med[itation] 6 Surfer Shuffle 7 Spy Guy 8 Ska Beach 9 Shoreline Serenade 10 Open Up [St. Peter] 11 Surfer Cross the Mersey 12 Sierra Sunset 13 Chuckwagon 14 Coyote Trail 15 Ethno Surfario 2001

6string

johnnygit

Friday, July 25, 2008

Department of Crooks - Plan 9 From Outer Space

Department of Crooks – Plan 9 From Outer Space

Marc Moreland founded this trio whose sound could be equated to a soundtrack inspired by an Ed Wood production of a science-fiction induced spaghetti-western set deep in the seedy heart of Las Vegas.

With a name like Department of Crooks, you might expect "Plan 9" to be another gangsta rap tirade about crack ho's and the like, but then you'd be wrong. DOC -- with its twangy Western guitar sound, pop hooks, and occasional strange sound effects -- plays very accessible, mostly mid-tempo tunes designed to pour out of a Mustang convertible while trolling down the interstate to Barstow. With regular airplay several of these tunes could be hits, especially among pop aficianados. So, if you're moshed out and your ears are glazing over after listening to another anonymous techno-industrial-jungle-acid-garage-trance-house mix, you can do a lot worse than these rather law-abiding and tuneful Crooks.

Accessible, mid-tempo pop with twangy guitars. Well done. -- Phil Dirt
1) Seven Weeks -- Straight-ahead pop reminiscent of the '70s British New Wave sound with an added surf guitar riff. It's well constructed and ready for radio airplay.***
2) Whatcha Wanna Do Now? -- A repetitive bass line and interesting instrumental drop-ins surround a low-key, spoken vocal. It's got a good groove that carries you along, but at 5:48 it's a bit long and could have used more breaks/bridges/choruses.****
3) Plan 9 From Las Vegas -- A medium tempo instrumental with a twangy Western guitar, a honky-tonk piano, banjo, and a variety of musical and spacey sound effects. It sounds like the soundtrack for a film of the same name that would play over the opening credits.***
4) X-Ray Vision -- Another retro-pop tune out of the Brit New Wave mold.***
5) Walking with Darla -- A moody, evocative instrumental that features nicely close-miked acoustic steel string guitars, a simple piano figure and a scratchy low-fi Country-Western recording of "Tennesee Waltz." This is one of the more original tunes on the disc.****
6) Oh-Oui-Anne -- Back to the simple Brit-pop sound, this time a ballad. It's got a nice, gentle, loping feel.***
7) One Night in June -- A mid-tempo rocker, again in the Brit-pop style. The twist on this tune is that at about 3:30 it ends and the closing chord's vibratory harmonics are looped and processed for the next minute before fading out.***
8) Falling On Down -- A more straight-ahead tune with a rocking chorus. It ends/transitions to the next tune with an excerpt from a horror film.***
9) Beggar Blue Sky -- The distorted lead guitars add an edge to this tune. It builds nicely at the end, turning into one of the hardest rocking tunes on the album.***
10) Whiskey & Cadillacs -- The pace slows again for this ballad that features a march-like drum pattern and bagpipe-sounding synth. The backing vocals add interest to the anthemic melody.***
11) Aunt Sadie's House -- A slow, acapela fade-in leads to an oompah tuba-like rhythm. The words, which sound like "nyah, nyah, nyah," add to the silliness of this throwaway.**12) New York City -- The twangy Western guitar sound returns to support a reverbed vocal (reminiscent of Johnny Cash) about how New York is not all it's cracked up to be. The chorus carries you along.***

1. Seven Weeks 2. Whatcha Wanna Do Now? 3. Plan 9 from Las Vegas
4. X-Ray Vision 5. Walking With Darla 6. Oh-Oui-Anne 7. One Night in June
8. Falling on Down 9. Beggar Blue Sky 10. Whiskey & Cadillacs
11. Aunt Sandie's House 12. New York City

dept.

plan9er

The Sex Mob - Does Bond

Sex Mob – Does James Bond

Trumpeter Steven Bernstein is not your typical jazz cat. First off, he plays a slide trumpet. Secondly, it's not often you find a downtown musician interested in playing music that is both accessible and humorous. Thus, it's no surprise that his band the Sex Mob (with special guest John Medeski on organ) does select renditions of songs from five James Bond flicks. Bernstein captures the original sophisticated feel of the music, mostly composed by John Barry. Tunes like "Battle at Piz Gloria" are subdued and dreamy, while the carnival-like "007" is more upbeat, sounding like it was played by a bunch of drunken spy-sailors on furlough. Something that will make you scratch your head, tap your foot, and giggle, Sex Mob Does Bond captures everything that is fun and quirky about this band, and makes a great tribute album in the process. Mission accomplished. --Tad Hendrickson

If you are a Bond fan this is for you. Many different variations on this make it a gem - even with no guitars. Although, it sometimes goes a little experimental which some people find to be a bit annoying. But those tracks that stick out are GREAT, but prepared for some acid jazz and experimental jazz thrown in the mix. Good for parties.

1. Dr. Yes 2. Teasing The Korean 3. This Never Happened To The Other Feller
4. 007 5. Battle At Piz Gloria 6. You Only Live Twice 7. Bond With Bongos
8. Oddjob's Pressing Engagement 9. Bond Back In Action Again
10. Over And Out 11. Dawn Raid On Fort Knox 12. Nobody Does It Better
13. Dr. Yes (Reprise)

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Ben Roger's Instrumental Asylum - Reberb Rehab

This time we are going to the land down under for some SERIOUS surf and twangs. This Australian power trio presents 17 tracks of surf/spy/guitar noir. "A guitar player whose genre bending technique, taste and eclecticism place him among the world’s great guitarists." (Billy Pinnell, JB Mag Nov 2007)

Ben Rogers was listening, learning and stealing everything he could from Django Reinhardt, Hank B. Marvin, Duane Eddy, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, JJ Cale, and Peter Green. Having now left the primordial ooze, he's ready to unleash his fearful blend of surf/gypsy/tarantino rock solid pulp guitar truth and fiction to the masses. Ben Rogers' Instrumental Asylum is a trio made up of electric guitar, bass and drums and features reverb-drenched guitar music that echoes some of the best work of The Shadows, Ventures and Surfaris, but with an extreme left turn towards the surreal. All done up with an Aussie accent. OUTSTANDING throughout. Highly recommended.

1 Mr P.C. 2 Wet Suit Dream 3 Torquay 4 Prickly Pear 5 Strawberry Fields Forever
6 Seasons of Change 7 Bondi Stomp 8 Paisley Dayze 9 All the Things You Are
10 Goodbye Bluehaze 11 Elegy for Pluto 12 Ballad of Private Mitchell
13 She's Not There 14 55 Customline 15 Ginchy 16 First Light at the Aussietron
17 Conversations With a Frog

revvy

lunatics

Martin Cilia - Revenge of The Surf Guitar

OK, this is officially it...the disc you can't stop your foot from tapping. Get out your air guitar and prepare to be surf rocked. Man, this cd just rocks. There's not one dud tune on the whole cd. All rockers, except Mermaid Beach. And it's cool too! All songs have a driving guitar sound played on an authentic '63 Fender guitar & Fender amp. Now how much more surf do you need than that? Really authentic sounds -- and it works. As a guitarist for the Atlantics, Martin knows surf music and now he's done it "his" way. Authentic and rockin'. Buy it now. Cool digi packaging too that looks like an old vinyl album cover.

· 1963 · Surf’s Up · Reverb Beach · Under the Hood · Return of the Surf Guitar
· Surfabilly · Freakout · Point Danger · The Worm · Black Jaguar
· Flight of the Surf Guitar · Queen Kahuna · Cronulla Point · Surfride · Riff A Go Go · Mermaid Beach

myman

Guitar Masters Vol.1

The first volume of BHP's Guitar Masters compilation is a fun comp that goes zany throughout tons of musical genres. Among the 18 cuts are fun cover versions of such widely divergent tracks as the traditional American folk ballad "Shenandoah," ( Who knew it could rock and not be weepy), Edgar Winter’s "Frankenstein," and Stevie Wonder’s hit, "I Wish." Some excellent originals that incorporate smooth jazz ("Stay with Me"), an acoustic ballad ("What Can I Say"), and a bombastic rocker ("Space Talk"). A combo of instrumentals and vocals - B fingers is a standout.

1. B Fingers - John Paul Jones 2. 54-46 Was My Number - Toots & The Maytals
3. I Wish - Randy Coven 4. Unleash the Beast - Billy Sheehan
5. Hair - Stanley Clarke 6. Minute Mouse - Randy Coven 7. Skippy - Allan Holdsworth
8. Rumba - Marcus Nand 9. Shenandoah - Will Ray 10. Picture Of a Purple Sky - Violet Samudra 11. Frankenstein - Doug Stapp 12. The Nag - John Scofield
13. Jack Hammer - Brian Tarquin 14. What Can I Say - Carl Tosten
15. Space Talk - James Ryan 16. Stay With Me - Martin Winch17. Kruununvuori - Jason Carter 18. Zero Gravity - Doug Doppler

mas1

mas2

mas3

Guitars That Rule The World

Richie Samoboa, Dickey Betts, Zach Wylde, Richie Kotzen, Nuno Bettencourt, and others! Yes, you have to have grown up in the late 80's to know these people, but this is a really fun bunch of songs. Who knew how well these guys can actually play!

The theme is to let a bunch of well known guitar heroes compose songs and perform them outside of the normal music confines of their normal band. The creativity here is fantastic and the types of "guitar music" is greatly varied giving it a constant interest (vs. say hearing all of a Satriani CD, which is great music, but can sound the same).
This perfect to mix in a playlist. They are all cool songs and can be used to spice up some of your usuall music themes.

1.Black Magic - Reb Beach 2. Mr. Sambo - Richie Sambora
3. Leviathan - Yngwie Malmsteen 4. I Understand Completely - Paul Gilbert
5. Walk On Walden - Elliot Easton 6. Farm Fiddlin' - Zakk Wylde
7. Bumble Bee (Crash Landing) - Nuno Bettencourt 8. Fielt Of SOul - Alex Skolnick
9. Chype Fluxx - Richie Kotzen 10. Blues For Stevie - Albert Collins
11. Wille And Poor Bob - Dickey Betts & Warren Hayes
12. Why Do I Feel LIke I'm Bleeding? - Reeves Gabrels
13. Surfer Junkie Dude - Earl Slick

gitz1

gotz2

Friday, July 11, 2008

Hawaii Mud Bombers - Mondo Primo

A cross between the Ramones and The Beach Boys, the Hawaii Mud Bombers are a Swedish band that play fun, energetic, surfy rock and roll. Half instrumental, half garagey vocal. They have performed all over Sweden for years, while building a sizable fanbase in other territories, like Japan (where they have toured!). Mondo Primo is their FIRST U.S. release. "Johanna Beach" was voted 5th best song of the year on Little Steven's Underground Garage. Absolutepowerpop.blogspot.com calls it "a darn near perfect power pop tune.

Don’t let that fool you. "Mondo Primo is simply a great pop record, unafraid to be overtly commercial, but achieved with a real passion for catchy melodies, a very impressive album." --sohostrut.co.uk

1. The Act 2. Johanna Beach 3. Wolf n' the Lamb 4. Mondo Primo 5. Torpedo
6. Mr. Menage a Trois 7. Natsu No Hi 8. Suzuki Samurai 9. Birds and Bees10. Intermission 11. MTV 12. When I Sway 13. Hit The Beach

bombsaway

The Tarantulas - Monster Wave 100 Ft. High



Phil Dirt: This debut effort is very cool. Randy J - guitar, Ken Baugh (Ten Penny Heroes), and Chris Valentino - drums have come together with excellent chemistry and original sounds. Their primary basis is spaghetti western, but there's a lot of surf influence here as well. Solid throughout.

"Barney Rumble" ***
This is a tasty crunchy surf progressional track, with fine whammy and solid reverb. Vibrato lead work and low-E rumble, with glissandos and a Fall at the beach feel. Nice track. Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Bullrushes" ***
"Surf Beat " sorta crunch, mid tempo double picked moody leads, and vibrato chords swimming beneath. Chunky and satisfying. Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"'78 Honda" ***
Chorded car song ethics, relentless drive, and very little melody. By the time they get past the long intro, they break into a tasty riff. It works well, like an early Surf Report tune. Western Surf Instrumental Stere

"Lonerider" ****

Excellent Spanish spaghetti western chords, shiny vibrato lead work, cowboy beat... a fine track indeed. It's infectious and rhythmic, shimmering and playful. Dig it! Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

Black Diamond" ****

Rhythmic and enticing, "Black Diamond" shimmers with vibrato and dribbling double picking. Gentle and rainy day pretty, but with flair and energy. Excellent track. Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Mojave Surfrider" ****
Desert surf punkabilly reverb smooth... those adjectives may sound like juxtaposed incongruities, but the describe the elements that are morphed and blended to create this song. While not very melodic, it is very engaging and charming, with power and crunch without relying on volume and speed.
Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Sun Valley Serenade" ****
An exercise in precise picking and intricate western imagery, with the kind of suave riffs that only bands from the Southwest seem to develop. Very enjoyable, and quite picturesque in the break. Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Dual Flying Kings" ****
Ultra twang, shimmering tone, a post Duane Eddy feel, and a sub Insect Surfer structure. Western surf with a sense of charm and style. Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Amazon-Legged Woman" ***
Real twang meets surf playfulness, while the chops display a sense of engrossed pluckery. The melody structure is not surf, but the warm tone sure is. Quite nice.
Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Ride To Tucumcari" ***
This reminds me somewhat of Death Valley, with that kind of charm and vibrato spaghetti cactus coolness as viewed from a Pullman. Western Surf Instrumental Stereo

"Tucumcari" ****
Great slow damped reverbed chords, dramatic smooth flow, shimmering vibrato, artful guitar lines, and a relaxed open air feel. Very nice track. Western Surf Instrumental Stereo


"A Fistful Of Dollars (Overture)" ****

Enio Morricone's spaghetti western theme, played out with all the pasta sauce available. Eerie and deluxe, this is simply endearing and smooth. Even the faster parts drip suave and rhythmic engagement. Excellent.

spiderwave

Action Figure Party

Rock? Jazz? All great fun. Eventually, you ask yourself where one ends and the next begins. You might find the answer in Action Figure Party, the eponymous brainchild of Geggy Tah co-founder Greg Kurstin.
Reading like a guest list from the after-hours party at an alternative rock festival, this album boasts the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea, Buckcherry's Yogi on guitar, alumni of Garbage, No Doubt, Air, Soul Coughing, and, not least, Sean Lennon (cutting wax, no less). Normally, all-star casts have all-star egos with which to contend, but all seems to be in harmony on these twelve tracks, only two of which feature vocals from multi-instrumentalist Kurstin. Instead, the writer/pianist/producer chooses to share the spotlight with the bevy of outstanding talent that he has assembled, including a two-piece horn section, four drummers, five bassists, and Kurstin himself helming the operation at either the piano or an organ that sounds fresh from the ballpark. The result hovers somewhere between Medeski, Martin & Wood and Bootsy Collins on the funk-meter.

This is one for your collection.The mixture of jazz, rock, ska, and fun MUST be heard to be appreciated. Give it a try - a worthy addition. Party Hardy.

1. Everybody Ready 2. Action Figure Party 3. Pong Baby 4. Gamera 5. No Sleep
6. Clock Radio 7. Where's The Moment 8. George & Cindy 9. Gettem 11. The Clapper
12. Flow

actionfig

partay

30 Seconds Over D.C. - Punk comp

Although the Washington D. C. area wasn’t as notorious as New York or London during the heyday of punk, it had a good scene. The Bad Brains were the most notable group from that period but others were here, too. This is a comp of some of the folks in that scene during the first wave of punk/new wave. The DIY ethic is evident throughout these raw cuts. Standouts – Slickee Boys, Billy Synth ( like Suicide), The Nurses, Mark Hoback and my personal fave - Stay Limp. Get it - you'll feel like a 17 year old hopped up on MadDog and caffeine pills all over again.

1. The Break - The Penetrators 2. Imagination [Live] - The Rudements 3. Thank You for Sending Me an Eno - The Mock Turtles 4. Attitude [Live] - Slickee Boys 5. Jet Lag Drag – Chumps 6. Every Time You Give Me a Call – Billy Synth 7. Get Up 'N Dance - Jeff Dahl 8. I Want Something New - Half Japanese 9. I Hate - White Boy, White Boy 10. I Can Explain – The Nurses 11. No Fun – Mark Hoback 12. Martyr Me – Judies Fixation 13. Knocking Down Guard Rails - Tina Peel 14. Murder One – Young Turds 15. Mr. President [Live] – Da Moronics 16. Stay Limp – The Raisinets

wash

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Big Surf - Action Heros

Happy 4th of July! We're starting the fireworks with some killer surfin'.
Phil Dirt- 2003 http://www.reverbcentral.com/Classical roots, progressive inversions, surf reverb and visuals, Big Surf have created a unique and infectious brand of adventurous surf. Action Heroes is a playful romp through a comic book world of Surf. Go from a Journey to the Stars to the dark world of Gotham, from a cowboy spaghetti western to a mad scientists lab and his monstrous creation, from a Navel Patrol to a Stormwatch. Action Heroes is an action packed surf ride that will leaving you screaming to do it again.


1. Tarfoot 2. Diamond Head 3. Monsta Stomp 4. High Plains Marinara 5. Darkwave 6. Blue Surf 7. Rap City 8. Navel Patrol 9. Prowl 10. Ace 10 11. Falafel 12. Gotham Blues 13. Bareback 14. Journey to the Stars 15. Stormwatch 16. Ebb Tide





Phil Manzanera - Quiet Sun

Quiet Sun was Phil Manzanera's pre-Roxy Music endeavor. (Few people realize that he was originally Roxy Music's sound person. He joined Roxy Music when their original guitarist--David O'List, formerly of the Nice--was not working out.). Quiet Sun came perilously close to gaining their own record contract in 1971, but their complexity and radical style did not gel with the appetites of the record execs they auditioned for. They broke up in 1972, and when Manzanera had money and studio time, they reformed.

The Soft Machine influence is obvious, but in execution Quiet Sun created something completely different. Phil Manzanera simply sears on guitar here, leading a Canterbury-style jazz-rock band with all the edge of "Red"-era King Crimson, AND the Latin passion of Santana. The production and mastering on this are amazingly hot, so the highs do tizzle a bit at times, still - the compositions are interesting and diverse, and the performance is brimming with spontaneity and band chemistry.

It is a shame that the album was a one-shot deal--they apparently have other material from the sessions--as the playing and intensity are awe-inspiring. You'll never look at Phil Manzanera the same way again; I guarantee it.

As a fan of the edgier sorts of progrock, this qualifies as one of my prize possessions. This OOP beauty is a magical album, too bad they didn't do another--but it's doubtful they could have topped THIS sizzling slab of raw beauty. Do yourself a favor and get it.

1. Sol Caliente 2. Trumpets With Motherhood 3. Bargain Classics
4. R.F.D. 5. Mummy Was an Asteroid, Daddy Was a Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil
6. Trot 7. Rongwrong

sunny

Phil Manzanera - Diamondhead

This is really a wonderful album, one of the not-so-well-known gems of the '70s Roxy Music-related canon. Despite not being a singer, guitarist Phil Manzanera put together a surprisingly coherent, witty collection of (mostly) vocal rock. Backed by the Roxy Music rhythm section (including the great drummer Paul Thompson) with plenty of help from Eno, Eddie Jobson, and Andy Mackay, this is the closest thing extant to a Roxy album sans Bryan Ferry. And that's actually not a bad thing.

Manzanera's guitar and compositional skills come to the fore here, but he rarely showboats as a lead guitarist, as one might expect in a solo album by a "guitar hero." As with Roxy, he's more interested in creating textures with his guitar, and he does it in many different styles: hard rock, funk, jazz, and more.

Still, it's primarily an album of songs. Even the instrumentals are more about composition and mood than chops, including the exceptional title track and the complex and riveting "East of Echo." The vocal tracks are highlighted by two cool Brian Eno songs: "Big Day" and the bizarre and rocking "Miss Shapiro." Robert Wyatt pitches in with the sung-in-Spanish but still catchy "Frontera." The usually horrid (as a singer) John Wetton even turns in a credible performance on the funky "Same Time Next Week." Few albums featuring multiple, unrelated vocalists come off as consistently listenable or coherent as this one.

Get it for "Diamondhead" alone. You will not be disappointed.

1. Frontera 2. Diamond Head 3. Big Day 4. The Flex 5. Same Time Next Week
6. Miss Shapiro 7. East Of Echo 8. Lagrima

philly

Funkadelic - Funk Gets Stronger

Musicologists love to debate where Jimi Hendrix may have ventured had he not tragically died in 1970. It is true the master was going to work with Miles Davis, and that would have been monumental. It is worth exploring the possibilities of a foray into the newly developing funk scene as well, and nobody came closer to carrying on the Hendrix legacy than Funkadelic.

If Hawkwind had listened to nothing but Herbie Hancock's Blue Note records, then I have a hunch that they would've sounded like Funkadelic or like Miles Davis, ca. 1975. Either way, they would have been just as good -- only much, much different. But the differences between heavy Funkadelic and electric Miles are not that many or that great. The point is that Funkadelic cherry-pick elements from rock, funk, jazz, heavy metal, and space rock, and they do so very, very well. Unlike records that simply sample a diverse number of styles or genres, this record seemlessly combines, mixes, and matches those genres. The end result is a wonder to behold, and so this record should appeal to many people with different musical tastes. If the Jimi Hendrix Experience had covered CAN, then they would have sounded like this. Soul music meets Krautrock. While that may sound contrived, it's not so difficult to imagine how sensuous would be just such a sound.

This is a nice intro – something of a best of – hitting all but one of their longer funkier jams from their mid period. Cosmic Slop and Maggot Brain are absolute guitar standouts, no collection should be without.

1. Funk Gets Stronger (Killer Millimeter Longer Version) 2. Cosmic Slop
3. One Nation Under a Groove 4. Maggot Brain [Live] 5. If You Got Funk, You Got Style
6. Cholly (Funk Gettin Ready to Roll) 7. (Not Just) Knee Deep
8. Electric Spanking of War Babies 9. Icka Prick 10. Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!

pfunk

adelicious

Hawkwind - Complete '79

Very worthwhile 2-CD release of the band's UK tour recorded sometime in November,1979. Starts off "Shot Down In The Night" and "Motorway City", neither have ever been my favorite, but I liked these live versions. Perhaps because of the 'new' life synth-wiz Tim Blake(ex-Gong member)provides. Also good to hear are "Spirit Of The Age","Urban Guerilla","Lighthouse" and "PXR 5" again. I've completely forgot about "World Of Tiers" as I haven't heard it in awhile now. I really enjoyed th Tim Blake pieces, "New Jerusalem" and “Lighthouse” – which are more lively than the versions on Blakes own solo release. Satellite" is short, but one of the better cuts of the entire show. Of course,there are a few Hawkwind staples present,like "Brainstorm"(shouldn't be played without Nik Turner),"Master Of The Universe" and a superb performance of "Silver Machine".The encore number,a great aural assault of "Levitation" . Plenty of swirling synth/keyboard action really seems to make this gig pull together.

Most fans say that the commercial release- 'Live 79' is a better document of their performance of that time period – it certainly is recorded better. This, though, is what a full show would be like, not edited performances. This was recorded while the Hawks were out of contract, having left Charisma, and they self-recorded these shows and hawked(!) the tapes around until Bronze picked them up release. Yea, the sound is muddy in places and the bass is damped – I can live with that, this is as real as it gets. Line-up:Dave Brock,drummer Simon King(he left after this tour),Tim Blake,Harvey Bainbridge and original HW guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton. A must-have for all true Hawkfans.

Shot Down In The Night 2. Motorway City 3. Spirit Of The Age 4. Urban Guerilla 5. Who's Gonna Win The War 6. World Of Tiers 7. New Jerusalem 8. Light House 9. Brainstorm 10. Satellite 11. Pxr 5 12. Masters Of The Universe 13. Silver Machine 14. Levitation

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