Space Art

Space Art

Track Listings

1. Capricorn

2. Aquarius

3. Pisces

4. Aries

5. Taurus

6. Gemini

7. Cancer

8. Leo

9. Virgo

10. Libra

11. Scorpio

12. Sagittarius

Tracks:

Earth Calling
Born To Go
Down Through The Night
The Awakening
Lord Of Light
Black Corridor
Space Is Deep
Electronic No.1
Orgone Accumulator
Upside Down
10 Seconds Of Forever
Brainstorm

Tracks:

7 By 7
Sonic Attack
Time We Left This World Today
Master of The Universe
Welcome To The Future
You Shouldn't Do That
Master Of The Universe
Born To Go

Album Description

UK remastered & repackaged reissue of the British progressive rock act's 1973 album with 3 added bonus tracks 'You Shouldn't Do That', 'Master Of The Universe' & 'Born To Go'. 2001.

Album Details

Digitally remastered with 3 bonus tracks!

Customer Reviews:

Mott's Ritual.......2006-10-10

In the lead up to Christmas 1972 there was a massive disturbance in the force as the mighty Hawkwind had a freak hit single with their `Silver Machine ` reaching Number three in the singles chart. I am not saying that this exactly made Hawkwind into pop stars, but it certainly gave them access to a far wider audience.
`Silver Machine' was even more of a freak than it appears. For a start it was a live recording, which was almost unheard of in singles land, especially as it was nearly five minutes long (even if it had been heavily edited with Robert Calvert's vocals completely erased and replaced with the far more aggressive growl of Hawkwind's bass player Ian Kiliminster, known to all as Lemmy). The sight of the Hawkwind video being played next to the Nolan Sisters on Top of the Pops did bring a smile to the face, but imagine if they had let Lemmy into the same studio as the Sisters?
It's not as though Hawkwind had not already enjoyed success, as their first three albums had already charted in the U.K. `Hawkwind' (1970), `In Search of Space' (1971) (complete with fabulous foldout cover and Hawklog), and `Doremi Fasol Latido' (1972) which had a vaguely space concept.
But with the money generated by a hit single Hawkwind decided to take their Space Ritual on the road for a massive tour of the United Kingdom and surrounding planets. A road crew was brought in, the most impressive display of lights were acquired under the auspicious eye of Liquid Len accompanied by his crew of Lensmen, costumes were fashioned, famous English D.J. Andy Dunkley was appointed Mothership control, one of the most impressive stage settings was put together to house the band for their rocket ride, actual dancers were put on the payroll and given chorography, and most impressively the band put in some rehearsal time.
The band had been stable for a whole year, which for this bunch of space cadets was in itself an event. Baring in mind that there had already been three other bass players before Lemmy secured the job, a lead guitarist had been lost and nobody had bothered to replace him, whilst the drum stool had already moved into Spinal Tap mode. It was almost a rule in the band that they never did two studio albums with the same line up.
From these early beginnings, though, nobody could have ever imagined that over the years Hawkwind would have such a heavy influence on such diverse musical threads as Ambient, World, Disco (seriously), Trance, Stoner Rock, Heavy Metal, and of course Space Rock.
Fortunately for us all several of the shows were recorded, and the best of two of them from Liverpool and Manchester have been spliced together to give the complete experience, all done in the correct running order. This was first released as a double album in 1973 at the price of a single album, Hawkwind being Hawkwind and always giving value for money. As well as a poster size foldout cover, you also got two booklets, one telling the story of the Space Ritual joining the dots between songs, the other giving you all the information you could possibly want about the tour.
In 1996 EMI went one step further and re-released the Space Ritual in Digi-Pak form reproducing the original artwork, whilst adding some extra photos from the tour. The music itself has been wonderfully re-mastered to give a much clearer sound than the original vinyl, or for that matter the first CD release. Due to time constraints first time round (you could only get eighty minutes of music on four sides of vinyl) the encore of `You Shouldn't Do That' had to be left off. Well no more; here you get the full concert encore and all. As if that was not enough over twenty minutes of bonus live Hawkwind has been tacked onto the end with two tracks from the hard to get Greasy Truckers benefit concert.
The concert starts with the Starship Hawkwind on final countdown for its rocket ride. Robert Calvert, Hawkwind's resident poet, gets things underway with `Earth Calling' amidst an array of Hawkwind, bubble music, audio generators, countdowns, swazzles, electronic robot music, swishing, and after burns.
Blastoff occurs with Dave Brock blazing out the riffs from his sonic axe of `Born To Go'; then the rest of the band comes thundering in. Now you must remember that nobody had ever bothered to mention to Lemmy that the bass guitar was a rhythm instrument, as he goes note for note with his captain's guitar. Simon King on drums may have had his failings, but subtlety was not one of them as he thrashes away for all he is worth.
Everybody's favourite, hippy Nik Turner hoots and honks his way through every song on his battered saxophone, only reverting to the flute for those short quieter moments when Robert Calvert would get up to read out some of his poetry or to speak out the words of Michael Moorcock the famous science fiction writer who had written special passages for the Space Ritual. `Sonic Attack' is particularly disturbing in the concept of the Space Ritual, with the whole band echoing the narrator's speech. Then behind this you had the twin attack of Del Dettmar and Dik Mik on synthesisers, audio generators, and electronics giving out that very special Hawkwind wall of sound. The songs were most of `Doremi Fasol Latido' plus any songs that fitted in from the Hawkwind back catalogue. `Masters of The Universe' for example fitted in very well, plus material specially written for the mission. This was Heavy Metal at its very best, no matter what different wrapper you want to give it.
Of course Hawkwind was a very visual band in every way. Out the front of the stage for the journey was the larger than life Amazonian dancer Stacia, who somehow during each performance managed to lose every stitch of space garb adorning her ample body. As there were always a lot of spotty sixteen year old boys down the front of the stage, it probably means that Stacia was the first naked female seen by thousands of young lustful teenagers. To answer your next question, "Yes, those thoughtful people from EMI have included a few snapshots in one of the booklets," purely for historic reasons you understand. I know this has nothing to do with the music, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
More than thirty years later, Hawkwind are still flying, sadly without Stacia, who went off and married drummer Roy Dyke, which makes her Mrs Dyke, hmmm. Lemmy has of course gone on to become the founder of Heavy Metal with the mighty Motorhead. Whilst David Brock, with new Hawknauts, still leads Hawkwind, who released a new studio album in 2005 called `Take Me To Your Leader', their first album since `Distant Horizons' in 1997. Hawkwind's Space Ritual is a great trip.
Mott the Dog.

listen with your ears not your mouth .......2005-11-28

i'd like to say to the other reviewer who said don't kid yourself that this is nonsense hello it's called space rock for a reason because it doesn't have to make sense and being spacey and trippy is kool man better try it something you may enjoy it
than working the 9 to 5 circle

but hey anyway a truly great live cd from the pioneers of space/rock hawkwind yeah the drumming is repative but it's cool
man way kool and if your a pot smoking hippy there's nothing better than listening to this album.. hey man i must sound stoned well maybe i am, who knows?

a classic album without a fiddle of an orange

Psychedelic Warlords!.......2005-10-01

I have been a HawkFan since the acid daze of the early 70's and I highly recommend this album (and most others) by Hawkwind! They are unique and not widely known in the U.S. although they have an almost cult following around the world. Their "Live" perforances are legendary (which is why I chose to review this album). The British fantasy/sci-fi author Michael Moorcock is a huge fan and has collaborated on some Hawkwind lyrics from time to time. The band members change often (Dave Brock being the only constant) and that is part of their mystique. If you like Heavy Metal/Space Rock you will Love Hawkwind and "Space Ritual"!

One of the best live cds ever.......2005-03-09

The bad things first. Yes, it is a bit overlong, and yes, some of the spoken poems are a bit insipid. Having said that, this cd contains some of the best live music I've ever heard.

The heart of the cd is the old (side 2 + 3) from the original album - that is, from "Lord of Light" to "Brainstorm". "The Black Corridor" is one of the spoken poems that actually works. You then get 8+ minutes of a monster song "Space is Deep" that is truly amazing - music so thick and nuanced that it could be sliced with a knife.

After some electronic noodling comes "Orgone Accumulator". You don't need to know what an orgone accumulator is to enjoy (though it doesn't hurt - try googling for it). "Upside Down" is fairly forgettable, but then comes another halfway decent poem "10 Seconds to Forever" and then, what may be one of the best live songs ever (any genre any musician). "Brainstorm" is one of those songs that you can listen to again and again - the lyrics don't mean much (though they set an interesting vibe) but the music...o the music. This is a song that deserves to be played as loud as you can get away with.

As for the rest of the cd...well, some interesting bits and some embarrassing bits ("Sonic Attack" in particular is outstanding in a bad movie sort of way). But who cares. Edit it down to 40-50 minutes and you have something to enjoy again and again. Hard to believe this came out five years after the beatles broke up...hard to believe hawkwind never became more than a cult success. Get it and enjoy!

Don't Kid Yourself.......2005-01-04

I loved this when it came out, but I also loved lots of things then that weren't good for me. Not that this is harmful in any way... it's just that it is really, really awful.

Lemmy is the only one in the band that could play with any facility or sense of melody, and even he wasn't exactly at his best then. The drummer is an unsteady, two-lick metronome, and Dave Brock continuously uses a wah pedal on his guitar solos to try to cover up for the fact that he sounds like he's playing with his toes. Overlay it all with undifferentiated sonic sludge, add a flute/reed player who seems to have never learned half the notes on either instrument, and sprinkle with "cosmic" lyrics that weren't so much goofy as stupid - that was Hawkwind.

Don't buy the hype. Hawkwind was always terrible, if terribly sincere. They were a joke then, and if you pay what they're asking for this idiocy, the joke's on you. Want space rock? Buy Gong, or even Planet Gong, not this mud.

Average customer rating:

wonderful melodic pop circa 1969 london
Joan's Review of Space Oddity
The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party.
The Sun Machine is coming down...
Great but not phenomanal

Space Oddity
David Bowie
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Man Who Sold the World
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Aladdin Sane
Heroes

ASIN: B00001OH7M
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

Space Oddity
Unwashed And Somewhat Slightly Dazed
(Don't Sit Down)
Letter To Hermione
Cygnet Committee
Janine
An Occasional Dream
Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud
God Knows I'm Good
Memory Of A Free Festival

Amazon.com

This 1969 release features David Bowie's first hit single, "Space Oddity," and sets the tone for the spacey Ziggy Stardust to come. But other than the title track, Space Oddity isn't a glam-rock album. For that phase, one must move ahead to 1970's The Man Who Sold the World. These folk-based tracks largely present Bowie as a surrealist singer-songwriter. The uncharacteristically bitter and sarcastic "Letter to Hermione" is the most impassioned track here, presenting, as it does, the angry side of this master of cool. While still earlier recordings are noted for their Anthony Newley affectations, Space Oddity is where the Bowie myth begins to take shape. --Rob O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

wonderful melodic pop circa 1969 london.......2007-02-28

great melodies & pop hooks throughout & sprinkled generously with twelve string acoustic. kind of an atmospheric feel to it like the moody blues pre 1970 . if only david could have borrowed justin hayward from the moodies in that summer of 69..... oh well :(....david jones actually could sing decently when he wanted to & this release proves that. I guess after this release he never again felt the need to try & sing decently. still amazing to me that someone all of 22 years old could produce such wonderful product

Joan's Review of Space Oddity.......2007-02-08

This is one of David's favorite works of mine. Every song has words that make you think about life and God and what we should and should not be like. The music is inspiring and lifts you up. The songs start out calm and then lift you up.

The Sun Machine is coming down, and we're gonna have a party........2007-01-29

This is David Bowie's first "rock" album, and his second album overall. That first album cast him as a Bob Dylan wannabe, and the less said about it, the better. Recorded several years before the title track became a hit in the U.S., Space Oddity marks the emergence of a different beast, a slippery rock & roll chameleon. Aside from the alien resonance of "Space Oddity", the album flounders amid indistinct writing and playing. The album does have it's moments, especially on "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed", "Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud" and "Memory of a Free Festival"; but Bowie is still trying too hard to emulate Dylan, rather then developing his own style. A decent album, but better things came later from Bowie.

The Sun Machine is coming down..........2006-10-01

Mr. Bowie's sophomore effort is a lot better than most people give credit. Although there are a couple of lame songs (mostly the soft acoustic stuff), a glimpse of greatness can be seen and in some slight cases, that greatness is realized. "Space Oddity" the song has been called out-of-place and may have been better served as a non-lp single, but the song is so great that as an album opener it's a no-brainer. His first real classic, this tale of a lost spaceman may seem to foreshadow Ziggy, but I don't believe that is accurate due to the latter being sci-fi in nature as opposed to the science fact (by 1969 anyway) of "Oddity". Other favorites include "Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed", a great acoustic tinged rocker (phallus in pigtails??); "Cygnet Committee", a long number that doesn't really seem that way as the anger in David's voice continues to build to a crescendo; "Janine" a catchy rocker with a great singalong chorus; and last but not least "Memory of a Free Festival" (did Oasis know this song before they did "Champagne Supernova", they are very similar). "Wild-Eyed Boy" I think is slightly overrated being not as memorable as some of the aforementioned tunes, but maybe that's me. I don't get the glam rock references in the other reviews, this has NO GLAM ROCK!(at least in how I would define the term.) As stylistically different from his debut as it would be from succeeding records, 'Space Oddity' is a decided step away from his greatest albums(the next one being his first true masterwork), but it is still an essential piece of work and definitely his first truly serious record.

Great but not phenomanal.......2006-08-11

David Bowies album named for the song Space oddity is one of his greatest. Two songs people stand out in particular. Cygnent Comittie and God knows I'm good. CC is a great song about the down fall of the hippies. The lines like I gave them life I gave them all they draind my very soul dry showshow hippies have no charesmatic leader. God knows I'm Good is a song about theaving from a story. THe other songs are not worth mentioning >>
--

Average customer rating:

You must be joking if this gets 5 stars?!
Way underrated
Hot Space.
Even when they're mediocre, they're still good
hot space rocks!

Hot Space
Queen
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Jazz

ASIN: B000000OAE
Release Date: 1991-03-05

Tracks:

Staying Power
Dancer
Back Chat
Body Language
Action This Day
Put Out The Fire
Life Is Real
Calling All Girls
Las Palabras De Amor
Cool Cat
Under Pressure - Queen/David Bowie
Body Language (1991 Bonus Remix By Susan Rogers)

Customer Reviews:

You must be joking if this gets 5 stars?!.......2007-05-26

Be honest people! This is probably the worst album of their catalog. Yes, I said album. I used to buy every Queen album when it came out and I was a HUGE fan. However, I could NOT listen to this. The only decent songs were Under Pressure and Put out the Fire. I saw them in Seattle on this tour and they were, as usual, without peers live. I recall that they played just those 2 songs mentioned earlier in this show. My question to people is this: If you give Hot Space 5 stars, then what do you give The Game or A night at the Opera? All of their cd's do NOT deserve 5 stars!!

Way underrated.......2007-03-29

News of the World was my first Queen record. This was my second and I liked it even better. To this day, as much as I enjoy all of Queen's catalog ... this still may be my favorite. I am mystified when people bash it. It's fun and groovy. You can drive and dance to it - what's wrong with that? So it's not bombastic arena rock, so what? It's catchy and fun and not a bad song on it.

Hot Space........2007-03-09

Hot Space is a great album. It is an especially good album to get for any Queen fan.

Even when they're mediocre, they're still good.......2007-02-13

Queen moves forward into the dance rave scene of the times of the 80's. It's not that bad considering. Just don't expect the heavy rock of early Queen here. It's all enjoyable, Freddie's "Song for Lennon", "Put out the Fire", "Calling All Girls" and "Under Pressure" are among their best. Remember, a mediocre Queen album is still better than no Queen album and even a mediocre Queen album is better than most bands could dream of producing.

hot space rocks!.......2006-11-13

yes, I said hot space rocks. If you don't like it too bad. The songs are much better when performed live, but these versions are also good.

Average customer rating:

Very excellent packaging...

Space Ritual
Hawkwind
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Hall of the Mountain Grill
Year Zero

ASIN: B000OYCN98
Release Date: 2007-07-02

Tracks:

Earth Calling/Born to Go
Born to Go
Down Through the Night
Awakening
Lord of Light
Black Corridor
Space Is Deep
Electronic No. 1
Orgone Accumulator
Upside Down
10 Seconds of Forever
Brainstorm

Tracks:

7 by 7
Sonic Attack
Time We Left This World Today
Master of the Universe
Welcome to the Future
You Shouldn't Do That
Master of the Universe
Born to Go

Album Description

2007 special three disc (two CDs + PAL/Region 0 DVD) Collector's Edition of the veteran UK Space Rockers' 1973 live opus. The CDs in this edition feature the original album with some extended tracks (they were originally edited due to the time restrictions of vinyl) plus three bonus tracks. The DVD is more a DVD album than DVD video; it allows the listener to enjoy the album as it was originally recorded: as one long continuous piece of live music. There is a brand new 5.1 mix as well as the standard stereo mix and a visualizer will appear on screen while the music plays. The DVD also features two promo videos which are previously unreleased - 'Silver Machine' and 'Urban Guerilla'. EMI. 2007.

Album Details

Collectors Edition of Two CDs and One Dvda.

Customer Reviews:

Very excellent packaging..........2007-07-20

This is packaged in a clear slipcase and 8 panel fold-out digipack, similar to the legacy or universal deluxe re-issues that have been released lately. The DVD worked in my DVD player even though it's PAL, and I don't have any fancy player, it was some 80 buck radio shack thing.. great art, great booklet and cool visuals on the DVD. the 5.1 mix isn't that radical, but it's good to hear it all at once instead of on 2 dvds..

Average customer rating:

Down to earth space jamming
"The Greatest Psychedelic Jam Recording Ever" just got better!

Fish Rising
Steve Hillage
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Motivation Radio
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Third

ASIN: B000H3098I
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Tracks:

Solar Musick Suite
Sun Song: (I Love Its Holy Mystery) / Canterbury Sunrise / Hiram Afterglid Meets The Dervish
Mediatation Of The Snake
The Salmon Song: Salmon Pool / Solomon's Atlantic Salmon / Swimming With The Salmon / King Of The Fishes
Aftaglid: Sun Moon Surfing / The Great Wave And The Boat Of Hermes / The Silver Ladder / Astral Meadows / The Lafta Yoga Song / Glidding / The Golden Vive / Outglid
Pentagrammaspin (2006 Remix)
Aftaglid (Original 'Power Trio' Backing Track)

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of the former Gong guitarist's 1975 debut solo album featuring bonus tracks from Hillage's personal tape archives. Compiled with Steve's full co-operation and featuring rare photos and memorabilia plus liner notes written by Prog expert Mark Powell. 2006.

Album Details

One Time Member of Gong, Steve Hillage Released Seven Studio and One Live Album in his Time with Virgin Between 1975 and 1982. Playing an Integral Part in Gong's Rise to Prominence after Joining in 1972 He Pursed Other Music Interests Outside the Band and with These Eight Albums Proved to Be as Prolific as He was Out-there. A String of Top 40 Albums Including the Top 10 Album "l" Cemented Hillage's Place at the Heart of the Acid Generation and to this Day He is Still Making Music Be it as Producer, Re-mixer Or Artist. Features Remastered Music and Include a Number of Bonus Tracks from the Hillage Tape Archives. They Are Put Together with Hillage's Co-operation, Come Packaged in Jewel Case with Liner Notes Written by Prog Expert Mark Powell and Include Photos and Memorabilia from the Hillage Archives.

Customer Reviews:

Down to earth space jamming.......2007-03-22

Arguably Steve Hillage at his best. Known for his work with Kahn and Gong, Steve Hillage (not to be confused with Steve Howe or Steve Hackett) should be ranked right up there with the best of the prog rock guitar wizards. Not as spacey as his work with Gong. Includes some straight ahead hard rock mixed with that european eclectic jazz flow thanks to help from his Gong band mates. Don't waste time on the cheap copies, go for the remaster. I had this album going back 25 years and I wore it out. Extras are a curiosity at best and the remaster does capture the spirit of the original but still could use some help on the high end of the spectrum, otherwise would have given it 5 stars.

"The Greatest Psychedelic Jam Recording Ever" just got better! .......2007-02-06

I know there's some competition for that title, but this would AT LEAST be in the top 5! It's certainly one of the most psychedelic AND most virtuosic performances you are ever likely to hear.

Steve Hillage spews one face-melting solo after another, Dave Stewart (one of the greatest rock keyboardists ever) goes toe-to-toe with him in Mahavishnuesque style, over Pierre Moerlen's pummelling jazz-rock drums and Mike Howlett's hypnotic bass lines--while the rest of the Gong crew and some special guests (e.g. Lindsay Cooper on bassoon!) add to the thick swirling stew of psychedelia.

The only point of reference is Gong's "You", but this time in the service of Hillage's pleasant hippy vibe. It's more accessible than Gong, since Daevid Allen's whimsical weirdness is absent. All in all a dreamy cocktail of licks, spaced out melodies, and effects, not like any other album you have ever heard, unless of course you are a Gong fan already. And certainly Hillage's greatest album ever.

The remaster is very well done, and sounds much better than the previous CD release--and better than the original vinyl release as well. Some subtle noise reduction must have been used, because all earlier versions had a disturbing amount of tape hiss. The EQ is just right, the guitar licks are clean, and the sonic power of the mix is about as good as I imagine you could get from the somewhat limited source tape. The packaging is as lovingly executed as the music deserves. I'm a little disappointed in the "Pentagramaspin" bonus track, because I had the "V" sampler on vinyl back in the day, and thought the original mix was just fine--unlike SH, who remixed it with too much reverb (IMHO) for this release. The "power trio" mix of "Aftaglid", however, is pretty damned cool, I must admit. All in all a deluxe package at a very reasonable price.

Please take note: This album is ESSENTIAL for any fan of psychedelic guitar!

Sacred Treasures III: Choral Masterworks from Russia

Average customer rating:

Absolutely FANTASTIC CD !!
Sacred and a treasure!
Absolutely wonderful
More Divine Beauty and Peace!
It Doesn't Get any Better!!!

Sacred Treasures III: Choral Masterworks from Russia

Manufacturer: Hearts of Space
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00003XB5E
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

Alleluia, Behold The Bridegroom
Sourp Sourp (Holy Holy)
Lord Have Mercy
The Mercy Of Peace (Excerpts)
Komm Susser Tod (Bach)
Serenade
Grant Us This O Lord
Our Father
Gloria (Excerpt)
Peaceful Light (Kiev Chant)
Praise The Lord O My Soul (Greek Chant)
Blessed Art Thou O Lord (Kiev Chant)
Chorale
Amen Alleluia

Amazon.com

What could be more sublime than a wall of dark, rotund Russian voices shimmering against the rising, ornate walls of a great cathedral? Not much, and this compilation of absolutely magnificent music proves it. The label Hearts of Space returns on this third choral collection to the ominous Slavic chant of their first choral album, Sacred Treasures I, which gathered together recordings of stunning Bulgarian and Russian choirs portraying the sacred works of Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and other composers. Whereas Treasures I pulled from varied sections of sacred liturgies, including solo passages, Treasures III most often stays in harmonic chant with select voices occasionally rising and rolling in polyphonic heavenly calls. The collective voice draws the emotive tension taut here, as on Rimsky-Korsakov's "Our Father," which uses the absence of darkness to later juxtapose bold, rising drama. The Kiev chant "Blessed Art Thou O Lord" sends chills down the spine as the whispering consonants of the Russian language skip across the ancient repetition like sand skitters over a stormy beach. This is a collection as breathtakingly beautiful as the Cathedral of the Dormition itself. Not to be missed. --Karen K. Hugg

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely FANTASTIC CD !!.......2007-06-28

I'll keep this short: I'm not new to chant or choral music but there are SO MANY options out here that it's hard to know which ones are worth buying. I've got a few titles in my budding collection but I have to say that this particular recording is FANTASTIC. It is at once awe inspiring, meditative, and peaceful. Simply wonderful...

Sacred and a treasure!.......2007-06-11

Wow! This is as good as the first Sacred Treasures if not better. These holy and divine works are truly "the speech of angels".

Absolutely wonderful.......2006-12-28

I've really become taken with Russian choral music as of late. I've tried to get my hands on every recording I can, and amongst them all this is one of the very best. The phrasing, tonality and selection is terrific.

More Divine Beauty and Peace!.......2006-12-03

I am the producer of this CD and also of the first CD in the Sacred Treasures series called "SACRED TREASURES: Choral Masterworks From Russia" as well as of "SACRED TREASURES IV: Quiet Prayers" and "CELTIC TWILIGHT 7: Sacred Spirit". In each case, my intention was to bring together the very best performances of exceptionally beautiful, slow and peaceful sacred music. Most of the pieces on this compilation (as on the other compilations mentioned above) are filled with lush harmonies sung by large mixed choirs. All the selections are deeply nourishing to the soul.

In many cases, I chose to use excerpts from longer pieces, omitting the exultant huge crescendos and very fast sections that are typical of Russian sacred music, presenting only the slow and quiet verses. Different types of music serve different needs, and in today's stressful and fast-paced world, one of the most important and often neglected needs is for time out from that world--to "lay aside all earthly cares" (as the text to a Russian "Cherubic Hymn" prescribes) and to rest in a magical, quiet space of slow, peaceful, beauty. That peaceful beauty is available to you on all of these compilations, including this one, "SACRED TREASURES III"...

It Doesn't Get any Better!!!.......2006-10-09

Having collected a decent library of sacred music over the years I can readily attest that this is the best sacred music CD that I own, my second favorite being a requiem chant by the monks of Solesmes. Further, upon listening to this CD everyone I know seems to respond to it with the same enthusiasm. Track 10 is my personal favorite, but there are no weak pieces here. The entire production hangs together well. Can't recommend it enough to novice or seasoned liturgical music listener.

Average customer rating:

Shanty Town
Heavy and melodic "space prog" from this Canterbury band
Blast Off!
A rediscovered piece of music wonder!
5 stars - a forgotten gem

Space Shanty
Khan
Manufacturer: Eclectic Discs
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002O39A2
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Space Shanty (Inc. The Cobalt Sequence and March of the Sine Squadrons)
Stranded (Effervescent Psychonovelty No. 5)
Mixed Up Man of the Mountains
Driving to Amsterdam
Stargazers
Hollow Stone (Escape of the Space Pirates)
Break the Chains [#][*]
Mixed Up Man of the Mountains [First Version][#][*]

Album Description

UK reissue of the British progressive rock act's 1972 album includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks, 'Break The Chains' & Mixed Up Man Of The Mountains'. Eclectic. 2004.

Album Details

Remastered Reissue featuring Previously Unreleased Tracks. Bonus Tracks Are "Break the Chains" and "Mixed Up Man of the Mountains (First Version)".

Customer Reviews:

Shanty Town.......2007-04-10

This is my ALL TIME favorite record. Where have all the good musicians gone? They just do not make them like this anymore. Highly recommended, very enjoyable tunes.

Heavy and melodic "space prog" from this Canterbury band.......2006-12-23

This is a very interesting album from 1972 and certainly one of the heaviest that I have heard from the Canterbury scene. In fact, the riff heavy nature of this album took me a little by surprise - I think I was expecting something a little lighter. Khan is (and was) however a quintessential Canterbury rock band; especially with the dense ensemble work, high level of musicianship, and the ever-present sense of humor. Come to think of it, this album is somewhat stylistically similar to Gong's Camembert Electrique album from 1971 - except not as crazy!

The musicians include fantastic guitarist Steve Hillage (acoustic and electric guitar; vocals); incredible keyboardist Dave Stewart (organ, piano, celeste); Eric Peachey (Drums); and Nick Greenwood (electric bass and vocals). The musicianship on Space Shanty is top notch and there are loads of instrumental passages that show off some pretty dense ensemble work and fantastic soloing by Steve and Dave (they are impressive throughout). Eric and Nick are no slouches either and comprise an excellent rhythm section - in fact I would love to track down some other recordings by these guys but would not know where to start. The vocals and vocal harmonies are excellent by the way.

Although I have described the music as heavy (and believe me Steve rips it up on the electric), there are some very spacey and quieter sections that feature Dave's soft organ playing and Steve on acoustic guitar. In fact, some folks have described this album as space rock, although I think there is far too much going on each composition to call this space rock. In general, each piece features an excellent blend of heavy riffing played in unison on the bass and the electric guitar; intricate ensemble work; and more relaxed passages that feature vocals. The six pieces are highly melodic and it is clear that they spent just as much time on the vocal melodies as the fancier instrumental passages. The tracks are not too long (by prog standards) and range in length from 5'32" to 9'22" - they are all well put together and arranged.

This remastered album is pretty good and has great sound quality, restored cover art, song lyrics, and loads of liner notes. The short bonus tracks include the short (3'31") Break the Chain and an early version of Mixed up Man of the Mountains. Break the Chain is OK.

Space Shanty is very highly recommended along with Camembert Electrique. Steve Hillage went on to join Gong after this album and two heavy/spacey/proggy albums including Angel's Egg (1973) and You (1974) are both highly recommended.

Blast Off!.......2006-08-16

The above reviewers do a great job with the factual information on this disc. I'll just say that if you have any or all of the Steve Hillage solo works or Gong albums with him on guitar, then proceed on to this treasure. If you don't and have an interest in prog, this album will launch your journey into a discovery of the best Hendrix disciple on the planet.

A rediscovered piece of music wonder!.......2006-03-26

It was eleven years ago, when in the Cheapo record store (God Bless her) in Uptown Minneapolis, going through the shelves of used cds, I stumbled with one with the strange name of "Khan: Space Shanty", I looked at the back cover and there they were, four long haired guys, one of them even with a long beard. Among them was Steve Hillage, whose fame rang a little bit my bells, and there was Dave Stewart, of whom I had heard in the two vinyls I used to own of Hatfield and the North. Even so I took it to the desk and asked for a hearing of the disc. Well, it sounded good and it had a good price, four dollars if I recall well. I took it home, and played it, played it, played it..., my goodness, this disc grew and grew in me. 1972, impressive guitar work by Hillage, dreamy keyboard work by Dave Stewart, sound and fascinating rhythm section of Eric Peachey (drums) and Nick Greenwood (bass). The latter and Hillage perform the vocals, which are quite good and coherent with the style of the music played, authentic progressive rock characterized by awesome instrumentation, lots of time signatures, structured improvisation, long instrumental passages punctuated by nice and moving vocals that reinforce the epic feeling pervading the music. Besides, the lyrics composed mainly by Hillage not only transpire the spirit of the seventies, but reach out to a more universal subject, that of the questions and answers that the Human Being keeps on asking and wanting during its existence, set in a science-fictional frame.
It was quite strange for me that discovering such a disc in that marvelous Cheapo Record Stores of my adored city of Minneapolis was really a matter of much luck for me, because Space Shanty had been out of print for a long time!!! And not even the few reviews that I found in the internet, even some in the Amazon site, made justice to the value of this masterpiece.
I celebrate the reissue of such a wonder!!! I bought it again in Amazon, and here I give testimony that the purchase is worthwhile. This reissue contains two bonus tracks, plus a valuable commentary by a critic called Mark Powell. It is sad that this is the one and only record that this group made. That what did I do with my old disc? Well, after graduating in the University of Minnesota I live in my country now, the Dominican Republic, and thinking that good music must be shared, and already having the reissued one, I donated it to a former student of mine, 23 years old, who was struck by this awesome music.
Isn't that enough proof that this disc is worthy of all this praise? Buy it, and you will be grateful.

5 stars - a forgotten gem.......2005-09-22

before joining Gong, steve hillage gathered this ensemble to perform the music that had been fermenting within him while at college. This is some of his most progressive and complicated songwriting with elaborate time signatures and dense arrangements. the music has a thick texture of progressive improvisation and elaborate composition thanks in no small measure to the presence of dave stewart on keybords fresh from his work with egg; in fact this resemble very closely some of egg's great albums but apparently hillage wrote the material. in fact hillage and stewart started their musical careers together in a band 'uriel' in high school actually recording a very psychedelic jam session together under the pseudonym 'arzachel' which is also excellant but very differant from this. on this album steve hillage brings all his emerging talent to the table. hillage and stewart have a keen telepathy and the intelligence on this album soars. the music (like egg) is very involved and will probably require keen attention or several listenings to hear the canterburian magic of this great album. every single track is fantastic, including the two bonus tracks. hillages guitar is superb and abundant all thru as is stewart's keywork. the high level of craftmanship never falters and this ends up being one of finest recordings of hillages career. he actually composed material for a second khan album which ended up being used on 'fish rising' which also utilized the talents of his friend stewart. while not as psychedelic and quite a bit more progressive than his later work, this is an absolutely beautiful example of canterburian space rock.

Average customer rating:

It's never "All Too Much" when it is this brilliant!
It's not too much!

L
Steve Hillage
Manufacturer: Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live Herald

ASIN: B000H3098S
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Tracks:

Hurdy Gurdy Man
Hurdy Gurdy Glissando
Electrick Gypsies
Om Nama Shivaya
Lunar Musick Suite
It's All Too Much
Eight Miles High (Backing Track)
Maui (Early Version Of 'Palm Trees')
Shimmer

Album Description

Digitally remastered reissue of the former Gong guitarist's 1976 sophomore solo album featuring bonus tracks from Hillage's personal tape archives. Compiled with Steve's full co-operation and featuring rare photos and memorabilia plus liner notes written by Prog expert Mark Powell. 2006.

Album Details

Customer Reviews:

It's never "All Too Much" when it is this brilliant!.......2007-06-14

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.

Steve Hillage is known to many fans of progressive/psychedelic music for his brilliant guitar work on Gong's three records "Flying Teapot", "Angel's Egg", and "You." Those encompassed what are referred to as the "Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy."

When Hillage stepped out on his own the newly found freedom and ability to feature his incredible strengths of soloing and improvisation turned a plethora of heads in the progressive and psychedelic communities.

His admiration and love of the sixties sound clearly shines on the "L" album. Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" opens the recording with a tasty and intelligent rendition. "Electrick Gypsies" and the "Lunar Musick Suite" are Hillage originals and pull out all stops to take you through a musical odyssey. Before the ride on the Hillage express comes to an end there is the ultimate experience. His cover version of the Beatles (George Harrison's) "It's All Too Much" is one of the finest interpretations of a Beatle recording anywhere!

To further solidify the foundation of this effort it is not always hand in hand that both those looking for an initial CD of an artist and those that have been fans for years can come to the same conclusion. The newbie and the old-timer can get the same satisfaction.

This release is the gift that keeps on giving. With the bonus tracks you can enjoy one more terrific 1960's cover the Byrds "Eight Miles High."

Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

It's not too much!.......2007-05-19

Before he decided to concentrate on producing trancy dance-music, Steve Hillage did a number of psychedelic music albums (hey, if the shoe fits....) with lots of guitar. Lots and lots and lots of guitar! And it's still a lot of fun to listen to, even if the "supreme wisdom" of the lyrics goes no deeper than a thimble. Who cares? The music is a trip in all of the best senses of that overused characterization, and I'd rather listen to Hillage's cosmic meanderings than dance to all the trancy dance-music in the universe. So there!

Average customer rating:

Best Hawkwind Album
Light Years Ahead Of Their Time
'You Shouldn't do That' track ruins half the album!! Because it's 15 minutes long!!
Their best studio cd?
Stepping Forward

In Search of Space
Hawkwind
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Space Ritual
Hawkwind
1999 Party

ASIN: B00005MCX0
Release Date: 2001-08-27

Tracks:

You Shouldn't Do That
You Know You're Only Dreaming
Master Of The Universe
We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago
Adjust Me
Children Of The Sun
Seven By Seven (Original Single Version)
Silver Machine (Original Single Version)
Born To Go (Live Single Version Edit)

Album Description

UK remastered & repackaged reissue of the British progressive rock act's 1971 album with 3 added bonus tracks 'Seven By Seven' (original single version), 'Silver Machine' (original single version) & 'Born To Go' (live single version edit). 2001.

Album Details

Digitally remastered with 3 bonus tracks.

Customer Reviews:

Best Hawkwind Album.......2007-04-28

I love this album pop it in maybe 1 time every week, all you really need to know is You Shouldn't Do That, it has to be my faviret song of all time.

Light Years Ahead Of Their Time.......2007-03-13

Worth the price of admision for the 2 tracks-'You shouldn't do that', and "Master od the universe'. Absolute masterpieces. Firsy track clocks in at over 15 minutes and I never get tired of it. Sensational feel, full of synths, sound generators, hippy vocals, all backed by solid drumming and Rickenbacker bass (Dave Anderson,-whatever happened to him?)-superb line up! A must have for any Hawkwind fan. Forget about the rip-off compilations and live stuff-get this, and the later 'Electric Tepee'

'You Shouldn't do That' track ruins half the album!! Because it's 15 minutes long!!.......2007-02-03

I went through a big Hawkwind phase in the early 90s and remember the excitement and joy when this CD arrived at the local mall from being specially ordered (This was before the internet was big, and odd, weird, unpopular stuff had to be special ordered by phone or catalog)

On first listen, I was let down. 'You Shouldn't Do That' can be described as one of most atrocious instrumentals known to man. It does start off cool enough with an eerie, trippy special effect intro simulating something taking off into space. Then as soon as the saxophone kicks in, everything turns to crap! It's one thing to know how to play the sax and quite another to just mindlessly blow into the stupid thing. Anyways, when all the key instruments get introduced in the beginning and kind of work their way up into the main riff, it then sounds like the sax and guitar start vomiting on eachother, and then it repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats until they vomit on eachother again; then repeats a few more dozen times for a total of 15 painful minutes!! At one point, everyone in the group seemed content to plunk out any old note which made the song barely listenable at all. By then, the only musician holding this fiasco together was the drummer. And the lyrics? Why would you put non-sensical hippeeisms into a so called 'space rock' song? I dont know. Out of the 30 or 40 times I heard this song, I only sat through the WHOLE thing twice!! Apologies to die-hard fans for slamming this track, but it really IS that bad and puts a big dent in the album considering its length.

Now that that atrocity is out of the way, on to the rest of the album- the other songs aren't really that bad and make for some interesting soundscape music. 'You're Only Dreaming' has a wonderful 'breath of fresh air' motif as a backing to it's graceful swirl of electrics. 'Master of the Universe' was the sinister heavy metal track about the all supreme being- the guitar chords to this are nice fat and distorted. I do prefer this version to the 'Space Ritual' version because even though the Ritual's version is faster and heavier, it repeats itself beyond all levels of tolerance. 'In Search of Space's' version seems slower but shorter and to the point at the same time.

'Adjust Me' is another exploration of atmosphere and fuzzed out electronics. It conjures up images of an android assembly plant and one of them seems to malfunction beyond control: 'adjust me... adjust meee adjust meeeee adjust meeeeeeeeeeee'. Very cool.

'We took the Wrong Step Years Ago' and 'Children of the Sun' are very extremely well played acoustic works that draw beautiful, lush, vivid images. I would say that mr. Brock fares better with the acoustic guitar than the electric. He has very good rythm.

All in all, a decent early 70s space rock album save for the first 15 minute bowel movement. It renders this album rather short but thankfully, the re-issue has bonus tracks to make up for this.

Their best studio cd?.......2005-03-17

I came to Hawkwind through their live cd "Space Ritual", which is one of the outstanding live cds of all time. This studio cd is from about the same time period, and is the only cd that replicates the power of Hawkwind's live performances.

The opening cut, "You Shouldn't Do That", (which clocks in at 15:41!) is a good test of whether you are or are not going to be a Hawkwind fan. Many of my friends find the song boring and repetitive - but in fact it makes good use of a repeated themes intermixed with background variations, and is in the same league as songs like "The Sheltering Sky" by King Crimson. The next three cuts keep things moving at a nice pace. "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago" is particularly noteworthy - it is a powerful acoustic song that in some ways reminds me of some of the acoustic pieces on Led Zepplin's zoso cd (Led Zepplin 4). The final two cuts on the cd are a bit weaker, and the three bonus tracks, while good enough, are hardly essential (though one of these, "Silver Machine", has achieved near legendary status among some Hawkwind fans because of a rumored live cut of the song that was apparently left off the "Space Ritual" cd.

The question mark in my review refers to the fact that I have yet to listen to any Hawkwind cd more recent than "Quark, Strangeness, and Charm". Certainly "In Search of Space" is their best early studio effort, and though not perfect, it is well deserving of a five star rating.

Stepping Forward.......2005-03-12

The second album from legendary star-traveling metalloids Hawkwind is a big step up from their charming if flawed debut album...and almost where they'd plant themselves with their magnificent third album. They're getting there, though, and for the most part it's an engaging listening in. Especially since the beginning of the best-known Hawkwind lineup is now in place: aside from the early mainstays (guitarist Dave Brock, saxophonist/flutist Nik Turner, drummer Terry Ollis, keyboardsman/electronicat Del Dettmar), second guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton is gone, bassist Dave Anderson is succeeded by Ian (Lemmy) Kilmister before the album is done (Anderson co-wrote two songs), poet/vocalist Robert Calvert is aboard, and Dik Mik Davies (who seems to have exited briefly after the debut album) returns to team with Del Dettmar (who joined when Davies first departed) on keyboards and electronica.

The good news: It has their first bona-fide band classic, the extraterrestrial thrust of "Master of the Universe" (which beats the bloody hell out of Black Sabbath and their "Masters of Reality" any day of the week, and has probably been beaten to death for its popularity in concert over the years) and a pair of exquisite electro jams, "You Know You're Only Dreaming" (written by Brock) and "Adjust Me" (a group composition). Not to mention a pair of sweet acoustic dreams, "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago" and "Children of the Sun."

The not-so-good news: "You Shouldn't Do That" is fifteen minutes of grandly pounding rock and roll with perfectly understated electronic lacing and transdimensionally spare flute and guitar lines, as if the Velvet Underground had scored a 1950s sci-fi B-movie, but disrupted rather unconscionably by a lyric which doesn't exactly sound like it really belongs to this music.

The bonus news: Two brilliant earlier singles--the underrated "Born to Go" and the coming major hit "Silver Machine"--are included with this remastered version. So as a package of stepping forward and then kicking themselves right into their own future, the new "In Search of Space" probably outpoints the original album.

The best news: "In Search of Space" is a direct line to the beginning of their best studio work and, probably, their best-remembered period.

Average customer rating:

Somewhat sleepy but definitely awake
Gong - 'Expesso II' (Blute Plate/Caroline)
Definitive jazz fusion gem!!
Ahhhh those mallets again
Expresso II ~ Gong

Expresso II
Gong
Manufacturer: Blue Plate Caroline
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Shamal
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Angel's Egg (Radio Gnome Invisible, Pt. 2)

ASIN: B000000HTW
Release Date: 1990-07-23

Tracks:

Heavy Tune
Golden Dilemma
Sleepy
Soli
Boring
Three Blind Mice

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat sleepy but definitely awake.......2007-07-20

By 1977, Gong was well integrated with the jazz rock world and this album nicely demonstrates that. Although perhaps not as vibrant and energetic as Gazeuse! (1976), I still feel that Expresso II (1977) is a great album of jazz rock that features mallet instruments and some tight playing. I have to say that this stuff is very different sounding from other jazz rock bands active at the time; and certainly in comparison with the American jazz rock bands - Gong's music seems to be more melodic.

The lineup on this album is different from the Gazeuse! lineup and includes the excellent electric guitar playing of virtuoso Alan Holdsworth (Soft Machine, U.K.) along with the superb drum/percussion work of the late Pierre Moerlen. Unfortunately, Alan is not featured as prominently on this album I would have liked - it is likely that his duties with U.K. at the time were preventing him with contributing as much (although he does rip it up on Sleepy). Other musicians on the album include fretless bassist Hansford Rowe, Benoit Moerlen on vibraphone, tubular bells, glockenspiel, claves, xylophone); Mireille Bauer on vibraphone and marimba; Ben Lozaga and Mick Taylor (lead and rhythm electric guitar); and Francois Causse (congas). Former Curved Air violinist Darryl Way even turns in a nice violin solo on Boring and Sleepy. All in all these guys are great players, with Pierre demonstrating his mastery of the drum kit throughout.

The pieces are well-constructed and solos are not too intrusive - generally speaking, ensemble work is favored and solos are only used as colorful accents. The pieces are also pretty interesting, with nice dynamic contrasts, and I love the use of the mallet instruments: they introduce a nice, earthy, textural element. I do feel however, that the energy levels are just a bit low on Expresso II and there are times when it seems like they are just going through the motions.

My complaints about energy levels aside however, this is generally a good album and is recommended to fans of jazz rock, open minded prog heads, and Gong completists. Recommended along with Shamal (1975) and Gazeuse!. For those folks that are curious about the psychedelic space-prog days with Daevid Allen, check out Angels Egg (1973) and You (1974). Both are incredible albums and extremely different from Gong's jazz rock output.

Gong - 'Expesso II' (Blute Plate/Caroline).......2006-02-10

Originally released in 1978,as this CD reissue turned out to be a bit better than what I had expected.I mean,with percussionist Pierre Morlen(R.I.P.)acting as band leader,plus the fact that guitarist Allan Holdworth was now in the group makes this a decent Daevid Allen-less Gong album.I've heard numerous long-time Gong fans mention how they really like this,yet more jazzy/Canterbury styled catalog title.Give it a chance.

Definitive jazz fusion gem!!.......2005-04-19

This disc is one of the works that defined the genre. Worth the price for Holdworth's playing alone. Simply a must have...

Ahhhh those mallets again.......2004-09-16

This version of Gong sure had a unique sound, utilizing a twin vibes/mallets frontline and propelled by Pierre Moerlen's firey drumming.

While not as compositionally strong as Gazeuse/Expresso, it still has more than its share of gems, enhanced by contributions from the likes of violinist Darryl Way and guitar maestro Allan Holdsworth.

Among my favoorite tracks are "Sleepy" which is anything but. This track features some of the spookiest Allan Holdsworth playing along with great eerie violin from Darryl Way and a cool hypnotic vibes/bass figure throughout most of the piece. The closer "Three Blind Mice" just tears the roof off the joint with everyone playing their hearts out, "Golden Dilemma" features a unique angular, piercing Bon Lozaga guitar solo and lots of mallet pyrotechnics.

The only weak track on here for me is "Heavy Tune" where Holdsworth takes a back seat playing a grinding rhythm guitar as ex-Rolling Stones axe-meister Mick Taylor takes center stage, and it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. Not terrible by any stretch but not great either.

Despite that one misstep, "Expresso II" is sure to perk up the ears of anyone who enjoys unique progressive/fusion, and it's a double treat fo drumming and percussion/mallet percussion fans.

Expresso II ~ Gong.......2003-10-19

This album comes at the end of an era in the 70's when jazz rock bands such as Brand X, Bruford & Weather Report, injected some badly needed refreshing novelty value into jazz which had, & indeed has, seemingly become a tired art form, based on the same old cliches & licks.
Allan Holdsworth is as significant in the development of jazz rock guitar as Jimi Hendrix was to blues & pop rock guitar.
All the more surprising then, with Holdsworth being such an important instrumentalist, that someone pressumably chose to only utilise his instrumental skills on just three tracks of 'Expresso II' !
Fortunately this was not the case on Gong's excellent album 'Gazeuse' as Allan Holdsworth played a more significant role & the album is better for it. However, I still like 'Expresso II' if only for some of it's quirkyness.

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