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I think the major thing HW and MP have in common is the ability of constantly re-enventing themselves in quite different, but always recognizable styles.
I first saw HW in '87 – before they were nothing more than a rumour in Germany, with reminiscences of the early 70s and Silver Machine being played on my favourite radio station throughout my youth in the 80s. Met them backstage in Nuremberg (withoug Brock!) in 91 and was allowed to have a go on Alan's Rickenbacker bass for a minute. Have seen them eight or nine times since then – mostly excellent gigs except for the last one in 2010 which was really just a shadow of Hawkwind. Hawkwind stands and falls (just like MP) with a driving prominent bass, so I can't really understand how Brock committed the same mistake twice by firing Alan Davey in 2007 – but of course you don't know what happened behind the scenes. I thing the latter day Hawkwind were exceptionally strong between 1988 and 95 – with some good live albums around 2000.
btw – One thing HW and Motorpsycho definitely have in common is that you leave their concerts happily and totally exhausted.
The funny thing is I didn't have to edit too much – it really falls together into one massive sight/sound experience. Just a little time-stretching there and then – and I moved a calmer section of the trippy sequence to the front. The rest is coincidence – or sheer genious of the movie author & sound directors.
"Uncle" Lemmy, space operas – it's obvious, isn't it? Probably MP do not show off their Hawkwind influences as Bands like Monster Magnet do (I like them, though…), but there's some Hawkwind in MP's genetic code along with all the progressive and heavy heroes mentioned in that other thread.
If I'm not mistaken, they did a cover of Master of the Universe once or twice in their early days. Golden Cores and Golden Voids…
Definitely not! Experience comes first! It's like dreaming – first you get thrown into the most confusing experiences and only later – sometimes – you grasp a glimpse what it yould all tell you.
As for making MP converts – don't try to hard, it won't work that way. The best thing I could do is meet some old friends at a MP concert as a kind of social event – and then sometimes they get it. Sometimes not – but that's up to them.
If you're eagerly trying to convince others, you keep all the good feelings for yourself – there's nothing left for them to discover. It's hard sometimes, I know – from experience
There are even those who are left cold or even appalled by Motorpsycho's eclectic approach to rock music! Quite a few of my old friends have difficulty getting close to a musical phenomenon that combines beloved characteristics of Рlet's say Sabbath and Yes, Moțrhead and Grateful Dead.
And yes, music is a highly subjective thing – but still I'd always like to find some objective reasons why I like or don't like stuff – what makes me tick, what sends me into what direction. And especially what attitude is behind the music is quite important for me – not ideologically, but it seems to influence my way of digesting in some esoteric way.
And yes – I was even moved by Yes sometimes. For me it was in most cases the ectstatic and somewhat kitschy Anderson melodies that conclude long stretches of noodling close to the edge of insane instrumental delirium. And you and I! But somehow I prefer real oceans to topographic ones – that's why I prefer ELP in the Eddie – Lemmy – Philthy lineup (old joke). And don't spook the Horse!
Probably I should have said abstract chord structures instead? But even that's not the point – cause some abstract structures really get me, if they're not too complicated (Crimson, German progressive/post-rock band "Couch"). So what causes the sterility? Merely (lack of) attitude, as supernaut said? Surely that plays a major role, but is it all? I do not have any answers here. Just wondering.
Certainly highly technical music has its admirers – like there's people who constantly turn every screw and bolt of their cars and know every detail of their engine. I prefer driving though (to remain within the metaphor) – or getting a ride next to the driver, with lots of fun, good sights and sounds and so on. People are certainly different.
"Spanish lady comes to me, she lays on me this rose.
It rainbow spirals round and round it trembles and explodes.
It left a smoking crater of my mind I like to blow away.
But the heat came 'round and busted me for smiling on a cloudy day.
Skippin' through the lily fields I came across an empty space,
It trembled and exploded, left a bus stop in it's place.
The bus came by and I got on, that's when it all began,
There was cowboy Neal at the wheel of the bus to never ever land."
By "excessive artistry" I do not mean musical adventure and indulging in full-on jamming – I'm a Deadhead, by all means. As long as the joy of playing reigns over the effort of amassing complicated chord structures for the sake of itself I'm always with the musical adventurers.
So I don't see MP falling into the described progrock trap on "The Tower" – but that's only my humble perception
Having pointed out that, I think one could see DDU as the perfect – if probably unconscious – self-perception of MP as a band – first naive and adventurous, then facing various dangers of sea-(or craft-)manship, but somehow surviving that maelstrom and always aware of the various sea-monsters of the deep – and remaining a unique mythic beast (unicorn). With lots of humour left, as the Unicorn tour programme and poster proved.
For me there's a big difference between Motorpsycho and Bands like Rush or Yes. Despite the musical brilliance of the latter they don't touch me emotionally most of the time – at least not as much as MP does so throughout their massive history. While MP offers melancholy, joy and/or aggression and regularly full psychodrama, bands like Rush and Yes come over as emotional castrates to me – not necessarily due to the vocal heights their singers reach but the emotional depths they fail to transport.
This is not a criticism of progressive rock as such – Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, early Genesis or Magma do offer the full emotional range in massive, often more than satisfying (over-)doses to me. And yet I feel there's a tendency to fall into the "artisan trap" with many of those other so-called "progressive" bands then and now and to neglect emotion over excessive artistry.
Imho MP were also in danger of doing so in the Kenneth era, but regularly avoided most of those cliffs of musical sterility with their psychonautic abilities. That's vikings for you!
It doesn't take much too feel superior intellectually compared to many Ayn Rand supporters. Don't see why this should be wrong in any way, as long as one doesn't get corrupted by the feeling of one's own superiority. This would be indeed an Ayn Rand trap for Ayn Rand opponents
This discussion is way to esoteric for me, having digested Rush only sporadicly in my adolescent years. But if they release "A Passage To Trondheim" on the next album I'm convinced
That reminds me of my adventures as a young taper – smuggled a cheap cassette walkman into Frankfurt Festhalle in my trousers (used to do so for several concerts) only to find a written sign on the actual entrance: "Taper's section behind the mixing desk".
It was the 1990 Grateful Dead gig of course…
"war, death, politics and octopi" – sounds like the famous Greek band Van der Graaf Generator to me
Not a bad point to start off…
Marty Balin dead – quite a loss. Doubt the boys will remember him with a freak appearance of House at Pooneil Corners on the setlist tonight…
@ ffbernie:
that's the way I understood it from the beginning. the only thing I'm not able to do is to check with MP if it is ok to upload the video in question, as there was a special agreement with the filmmakers. And I wouldn't upload anything without consent of the author.
Hope there's gonna be a whole lotta new MP videos, even if I doubt they'll come anything near your fantastic quality.
@ ffbernie:
There is a very good video featuring the full Herzberg 2011 gig that was made by friends of mine (3 cams). The agreement was that MP should approve the clip or decide on using it themselves before any distribution. As this has obviously not happened I suggest the Herzberg 2011 clip could be published here. If no more available in the MP camp the makers could surely deliver another version. I have a full version on DVD that would have to be cut and remastered for web – but better first try to contact the original authors.
