Space Ritual

This article covers the Hawkwind album. For the UK space rock band of the same name, see the "Space Ritual (band)" article.
The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London
Live album by Hawkwind
Released 11 May 1973
Recorded December 22, 1972 at
Liverpool Stadium
December 30, 1972 at
Brixton Sundown, London
Genre Space rock, progressive rock
Length 86:55
Label United Artists (most of the world)
Liberty (Japan)
Parlophone (2015 & 2016 reissues)
Producer Hawkwind
Hawkwind chronology
Doremi Fasol Latido
(1972)		 Space Ritual
(1973)		 Hall of the Mountain Grill
(1974)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork Media{8.6/10} [1]
AllMusic [2]
Head Heritage(Positive) [3]

The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London is a 1973 live double album recorded in 1972 by UK rock band Hawkwind. It is their fourth album, reached #9 in the UK album charts and briefly dented the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #179.

The album was recorded during the tour to promote their Doremi Fasol Latido album, which comprises the bulk of this set. In addition, there are new tracks ("Born To Go", "Upside Down" and "Orgone Accumulator") and the songs are interspersed by electronic and spoken pieces making this one continuous performance. Their recent hit single "Silver Machine" was excluded from the set, and only "Master of the Universe" remains from their first two albums.

The Space Ritual show attempted to create a full audio-visual experience, representing themes developed by Barney Bubbles and Robert Calvert entwining the fantasy of Starfarers in suspended animation traveling through time and space with the concept of the music of the spheres.[4] The performance featured dancers Stacia, Miss Renee, Jonathan Carney (later of the V8 Intercepters) and Tony Carrera, stage set by Bubbles,[5] lightshow by Liquid Len and poetry recitations by Calvert. On entering the venue, audience members were given a programme[6] (reproduced on the 1996 remaster CD) featuring a short sci-fi story by Bubbles setting the band in a Starfarers scenario returning to Earth.

The original release featured edits and overdubs, the sleeve notes explaining that "We had to cut a piece out of Brainstorm and Time We Left because they were too long", but the 1985 Space Ritual Volume 2 album contains the full unedited versions. A previously unheard edited version of "You Shouldn't Do That" (segued with an unlisted "Seeing It As You Really Are") from this concert was included on the 1976 Roadhawks compilation album, then subsequently included as a bonus track on the 1996 remaster CD. The full unedited version of the track can be found on the Hawkwind Anthology album. June 2007 saw another EMI remaster issue with different bonus tracks and DVD-audio.

"Sonic Attack" had been written by science fiction author Michael Moorcock, who often performed with the band when convenient and Calvert was unavailable. Here it is recited by Calvert and it was scheduled for single release, promotional copies being distributed in a cloth sleeve, but it never did receive a full release.

In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came #8 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".[7]

Track listing

Side 1
  1. "Earth Calling" (Robert Calvert) – 1:44
  2. "Born to Go" (Calvert, Dave Brock) – 9:56
  3. "Down Through the Night" (Brock) – 6:16
  4. "The Awakening" (Calvert) – 1:32
Side 2
  1. "Lord of Light" (Brock) – 7:21
  2. "Black Corridor" (Michael Moorcock) – 1:51
  3. "Space Is Deep" (Brock) – 8:13
  4. "Electronic No. 1" (Dik Mik Davies, Del Dettmar) – 2:26
Side 3
  1. "Orgone Accumulator" (Calvert, Brock) – 9:59
  2. "Upside Down" (Brock) – 2:43
  3. "10 Seconds of Forever" (Calvert) – 2:05
  4. "Brainstorm" (Turner) – 9:20
Side 4
  1. "Seven By Seven" (Brock) – 6:11
  2. "Sonic Attack" (Moorcock) – 2:54
  3. "Time We Left This World Today" (Brock) – 5:47
  4. "Master of the Universe" (Nik Turner, Brock) – 7:37
  5. "Welcome to the Future" (Calvert) – 2:04
Bonus tracks on 1996 Remasters CD
  1. "You Shouldn't Do That" (Turner, Brock) / "Seeing It As You Really Are" [unlisted] (Brock) – 6:58
  2. "Master of the Universe" (Turner, Brock) – 7:23
  3. "Born to Go" (Calvert, Brock) – 13:02

2007 Digital remaster

CD 1
  1. "Earth Calling"
  2. "Born to Go"
  3. "Down Through the Night"
  4. "The Awakening"
  5. "Lord of Light"
  6. "Black Corridor"
  7. "Space Is Deep"
  8. "Electronic No. 1"
  9. "Orgone Accumulator"
  10. "Upside Down"
  11. "10 Seconds of Forever"
  12. "Brainstorm" (full version) - 13:46
CD 2
  1. "7 By 7"
  2. "Sonic Attack"
  3. "Time We Left This World Today"
  4. "Master of the Universe"
  5. "Welcome to the Future" (full version) - 2:49
  6. "You Shouldn't Do That" - 10:38
  7. "Orgone Accumulator" (alternate nights performance) - 8:50
  8. "Time We Left This World Today" (alternate nights performance) - 13:22
  9. "You Shouldn't Do That" (alternate nights performance, from the Roadhawks compilation album) - 6:42
DVD Audio

tracks are in both DTS 96/24 and 24 bit/48 kHz Stereo format

  1. "Earth Calling"
  2. "Born to Go"
  3. "Down Through the Night"
  4. "The Awakening"
  5. "Lord of Light"
  6. "Black Corridor"
  7. "Space Is Deep"
  8. "Electronic No. 1"
  9. "Orgone Accumulator"
  10. "Upside Down"
  11. "10 Seconds of Forever"
  12. "Brainstorm"
  13. "7 By 7"
  14. "Sonic Attack"
  15. "Time We Left This World Today"
  16. "Master of the Universe"
  17. "Welcome to the Future"
  18. "You Shouldn't Do That"

Personnel

Hawkwind

Recording

Sleeve

The sleeve[8] was designed by Barney Bubbles and came in 3x2 panel foldout, the outer 6 panels being colour, the inner 6 panels being monochrome, the discs in psychedelic patterned orange & yellow inner sleeves were folded into this. It made Q Magazine's 100 greatest album covers list.

Notes

Release history

Volume 2

Space Ritual Volume 2
Live album by Hawkwind
Released May 1985
Recorded Brixton Sundown, 30 December 1972
Genre Space rock
Label American Phonograph – APK8
Hawkwind chronology
Bring Me the Head of Yuri Gagarin
(1985)		 Space Ritual Volume 2
(1985)		 Hawkwind Anthology
(1985)
Alternative cover
Space Ritual Sundown V. 2 (2002 Remaster)

Space Ritual Volume 2 is an archive live album by Hawkwind released in 1985 consisting of a live performance from 1972. The tapes were licensed by Dave Brock to former Hawkwind bass player Dave Anderson for release.

This recording is part of the performance that was processed for disc 2 of Space Ritual. Here it is in its original state, with no edits or overdubs, notable differences being a different middle section to "Orgone Accumulator", "Paranoia" included as the middle section of "Time We Left This World Today" and "Wind of Change" leading into "7 By 7". "Space Is Deep" and "You Shouldn't Do That" / "Seeing It As You Really Are" from this tape were released on Hawkwind Anthology.

  1. "Electronic No. 1" [listed as "Space"] (Dettmar/Dik Mik) – 2:15
  2. "Orgone Accumulator" (Calvert/Brock) – 8:45
  3. "Upside Down" (Brock) – 2:45
  4. "Sonic Attack" (Moorcock) – 2:50
  5. "Time We Left This World Today" (Brock) / "Paranoia" [unlisted] (Brock) – 13:20
  6. "10 Seconds of Forever" (Calvert) – 2:10
  7. "Brainstorm" (Turner) – 12:00
  8. "Wind of Change" [unlisted] (Brock)
    "7 By 7" (Brock) – 8:50
  9. "Master of the Universe" (Turner/Brock) – 7:40
  10. "Welcome to the Future" (Calvert) – 2:55

Space Ritual Live 2014

Space Ritual Live 2014
Live album by Hawkwind
Released 30 March 2015
Recorded 22 February 2014
Label Gonzo Multi Media
Hawkwind chronology
Knights of Space
(2008)		 Space Ritual Live 2014
(2015)

On Saturday 22 February 2014, Hawkwind performed a one-off show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London in conjunction with Rock 4 Rescue in aid of various animal charities (Wet Nose Animal Aid, Animals Asia Foundation, Team Badger and Doris Banham Dog Rescue).[9] The night consisted of two sets, the second being an almost entire run-through of the original Space Ritual album - "Electronic Number 1" being replaced by a new electronic instrumental piece titled "A Step into Space". The event was compered by TV presenter Matthew Wright, and the group were joined by former Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge on "Down Through The Night" and "Space Is Deep", while "Sonic Attack" was recited from a pre-recording by Brian Blessed who had been involved in other Team Badger projects including the "Save the Badger Badger Badger" single with Brian May.

The recording was released by Gonzo Media on 30 March 2015 in three formats: 2CD, 2CD/DVD-Video (set 2), and 2CD/2DVD-Video (both sets).

Disc 1

  1. "Seasons" (Jonathan Hulme Derbyshire, Niall Hone, Richard Chadwick)
  2. "Steppenwolf" (Robert Calvert, Dave Brock)
  3. "Arrival in Utopia" [listed as "Utopia"] (Michael Moorcock, Brock)
  4. "Opa Loka" (Alan Powell, Simon King)
  5. "Spiral Galaxy" (Simon House)
  6. "Reefer Madness" (Calvert, Brock)
  7. "Sentinel" (Derbyshire, Hone, Chadwick, Tim Blake)
  8. "Spirit of the Age" (Calvert, Brock)

Disc 2

  1. "Earth Calling"
  2. "Born To Go"
  3. "Down Through The Night"
  4. "The Awakening" [listed as "First Landing on Medusa"]
  5. "Lord of Light"
  6. "The Black Corridor"
  7. "Space is Deep"
  8. "A Step into Space"
  9. "Orgone Accumulator"
  10. "Upside Down"
  11. "The Tenth Second Forever"
  12. "Brainstorm"
  13. "Seven by Seven"
  14. "Sonic Attack"
  15. "Time We Left (This World Today)"
  16. "Masters of the Universe"
  17. "Welcome To The Future"

Personnel

Release history

References

  1. ↑ Pitchfork Media Review
  2. ↑ Allmusic Review
  3. ↑ Head Heritage review
  4. ↑ Melody Maker, 28 October 1972 - Watch This Space
  5. ↑ Music Scene, 1 December 1972 - Hawkwind Musicnauts
  6. ↑ Tour Programme – An extract from the Saga of Doremi Fasol Latido
  7. ↑ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
  8. ↑ Collectable Records – Original foldout cover and inner sleeves
  9. ↑ "O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire Rock 4 Rescue & Hawkwind Event information". o2. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  10. ↑ "Hawkwind - Space Ritual Live (DCD)". gonzomultimedia. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  11. ↑ "Hawkwind - Space Ritual Live (2CD1DVD)". gonzomultimedia. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
  12. ↑ "Space Ritual Live - Special Edition (2DVD/2CD)". gonzomultimedia. Retrieved 2015-03-27.
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