45 years of levitation

levitation - hawkwind's  tenth studio album 

released october 17th 1980 

eagerly awaited by a young horsemouth

so why is it so good?

erm. because it is a unique hawkwind album. it's not about the lyrics (no bob calvert, no michael moorcock). it's not about the concept (warrior on the edge of time, chronicle of the black sword).

it benefits from both a super clear digital production giving it a radically different sound to hawkwind albums before or since and some quality musicians playing on it. the album is distinctly short on grunt but it is punchy. this is the only 80ies album where 80ies production does it any favours. 

it is an album of (mostly) instrumentals powered by the drumming of ginger baker and the hunger and skill of huw lloyd-langton. tim blake is in there too. harvey bainbridge from that ARC/ hawklords/ sonic assassins line up also. huw has a variety of guitars and techniques and brings the drama to the songs (notably space chase). 

this is a work gig for ginger baker. he shows up and gives a solid performance while including just enough fills, displacements and substitutions to keep himself entertained while doing it.

horsemouth often refers to this era as the bronze age because of the record company that this line-up were on, but that's not to disparage it.

horsemouth went to see the tour (08/11/1980) with his friends from caerphilly. by some mischance they conspired to miss the train into cardiff and had to get a lift (all wedged into one car) over to the venue (the polytechnic of south wales). 

right now (when horsemouth types this) it's the thursday 

horsemouth's mum is away buying things. having got off to a tetchy start (surprise phonecall in the morning). horsemouth believes things should calm down in the afternoon.

he's been for a stomp about on the common. 

it's the afternoon. horsemouth is hiding out before going bell-ringing.  (the bell-ringing is going well, he seems to be finally getting the hang of it). 

horsemouth is pleased with this photo of himself by max from max's friday 13th gig 2017 (he seems to be cradling something in the palms of his hands in a very meaningful way, as if telling a complicated story,  but he's probably just putting on the guitar slide). 

a chat with richard over the internet phone. possibly a gig plan.  

friday morning

horsemouth awaits the visit of his uncle, aunt, cousin and cousin's wife. his thoughts are turning to how to give a good account of himself.