ROBERT CALVERT

It is impossible to talk about Calvert without also mentioning the band with which he was involved so heavily during their golden years, Hawkwind. But he also released five solo studio albums before his demise from heart attack at the early age of 43. Of these, the one which is most fondly thought of by his fans is the debut, 'Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters', which is obviously referenced here in the title. Calvert was a true multi-media artist, being involved in poetry long before he joined Hawkwind, and I am sure he would have been intrigued in this bringing together of his music from throughout his career. The project features vintage Calvert tracks taken from both his solo albums as well as raw, unfinished demos, completely revamped by the likes of indie noise icons Xiu Xiu, chillwave group Small Black, post-punkers Soft Kill plus darkwave duos Xeno & Oaklander and Sixth June as well as veterans A Flock Of Seagulls and The Damned's Rat Scabies!

The one thing everyone has in common is that they are huge fans of the music and are trying to do their best to pay homage and tribute to someone they hold in very high regard. Of course, at the same time they are going to move and meld the music in their own ways, and it probably is not surprising that Die Krupps have shifted "Ned Ludd" into an area very much of their own making. For me, this is an album I can appreciate as opposed to wanting to play repeatedly, but that also has something to do with the fact that I would also much rather play classic Hawkwind as opposed to classic Calvert. This album appears to have been released somewhat under the radar, but I am sure there are may fans of his music who will find this intriguing even if I am not one of them.

There is certainly an unpredictable and therefore eclectic nature to Robert Calvert. Listening to "Space ritual" by Hawkwind you are served up one of the most fearful live-albums of all time, filled to the brim of psychedelic space prog delivered in it's filthiest form. And if you've come to know Calvert through that album you will certainly be surprised to hear the material on this album. That is not a bad thing, yet it might detract from the album's somewhat brilliant content if you stare to blindly into the sun that was "Space ritual". That was the case for me, when I heard this conceptual album för the first time.

The cover, if I'm allowed to start there, is one of simple brilliance. It is intriguing with it's blue ocean with that lonesome viking ship heading towards some distant shore. The tale revolves around the viking expedition to Vinland and the encounter with the native population already living there. The flipside of the cover depicts the Statue of liberty wearing a viking helmet, which is sort of hilarious.

How about the music, then? The album opens in grand fashion with a viking horn signalling the arrival of the tale and heads straight into the heavy "Ship of fools", which is a great and menacing track. And then the albums true heart of eclecticism goes berserk with "The lay of the surfers", a Beach Boys pastiche which is so different to what one might expect from someone with a past in Hawkwind but it works. Not as an isolated track but in the grand scheme of things it really works. The folky "VOyaging to Vinland" is the best track, in my opinion. Dramatic and grand with a glorious guitar that blows me off my feet in it's simplicity. "The making of Midgard" is a spoken piece with voice effects. Quite effective, actually. "Brave new world" is a gentle pop song, "Magical potion" bluesy rock'n'roll, "Moonshine in the mountains" recalls some Civil War folk song and "Storm chant of the Skraelings" is slightly more in the space prog category, with it's droneing melody. "Volstead o vodeo do" is reggae and "Phase locked loop" is a sound collage. It all ends with the great and magnificent "Ragna rock", a brilliant song.

Sounds messy? Well, it is. It is a messy and by the sound of it severely disjointed. Still, repeated listening will unearth the scheme of things and paint a picture of the mind of an artist boasting excentricity and brilliance. There are certainly moments that on it's fails to hold up to scrutiny but as a whole this is a really entertaining and rewarding album. If you are a fan of Hawkwind it might pass by as novelty and if you've never heard of Calvert this album might not come your way but I think it's well worth a listen, though a singular sitting won't suffice. As a whole it is "Good, but non-essential" though there certainly are tracks well worth four stars. I have a soft spot for Calvert and this album is quite dear to me, as is "Captain Lockheed". He never made "The album of the century" but he provided music that is both interesting and highly original. Clever chap, he was.

I'm afraid I must start this review by pointing out what I consider to be two errors in the review by Kev Rowland.

Firstly the material was recorded by Pete Pavli and not Simon House (although House does feature).

Secondly, and more importantly, there are five tracks on this CD. Read on to find out why this is so important.

These tracks are demo's and as such 'works in progress' rather than polished material destined for our lugholes. It's worth commenting that Calvert sounds uncannily like a young Bryan Ferry on three of these tracks..........in fact Brian Eno from Roxy Music appears on his albums so perhaps he was a fan of the first couple of Roxy albums (which are very progressive!!).

As the tracks are so basic and short there's not much one can say about them. 'Revenge' and 'Fascism / Futurism' pass almost unnoticed. The ears prick up slightly with the third track 'Bugatti' which is the most successful musically and the one where you're left thinking 'if only this had been completed, recorded with a band, mixed and released'. Track four (Isadora) sounds vaguely like a minimal Peter Hammill track (sung by Bryan Ferry!!!).

.....and so on to the fifth untitled track. This is BY FAR the highlight of the album and lasts for over ten minutes. It starts off as if it's going to be a little message before the run out groove of the vinyl with Calvert saying 'Turn It Over' (ELO did a similar thing on Out Of The Blue) over a very repetitive synth backing. Amusement becomes mild irritation as little seems to happen other than Simon House's violin being plucked above the synths. Then you slowly get drawn in and hear the added synth lines, the intricate violin and the 'whole' becomes hypnotic and rather transcendental. I'm not sure how much of a hand Robert Calvert had in this track but it really is superb.

I'm going to give this CD two stars but in reality the 'extra' fifth track deserves three or more. So, for Hawkwind completists only but if you get the chance hear 'Untitled'.

What day is it today ? It's the start of the World Cup (soccer) of course. And since it's in South Africa this time I thought i'd honour the occassion with a review of Robert Calvert's debut "Captain Lockheed & The Starfighters". Robert of HAWKWIND fame was born in South Africa so that's the connection, although his family moved to England when he was very young. Lots of HAWKWIND alumni helping Calvert out on this one including Brock, Lemmy, King and Turner. Heck even Brian Eno and Arthur Brown are on here.

This could be listed under Comedy or Psychedelic at a record store. In fact the first time I heard it, it took me back to when I was in grade seven and the teacher let one of my class mates play Cheech & Chong. It was so funny. "Dave's not home man". Wer'e talking in the seventies and vinyl records. Anyway back to this album.

Calvert tells the story of a German who's trying to get the German Airforce back up and running to revenge what happened in WWII. Of course Clavert casts this guy as a bumbling idiot who buys faulty planes etc. Just about every other track is a comedy bit while the music is very HAWKWIND-like for the most part. So many funny parts including the "G" is for Germany bit and also the drug checklist for his flight which of course includes a glass of water. A unique album that will make you laugh but also some great tunes too.

This wins the weirdest album in my collection award, pretty much hands down. I was completely unprepared for this enigma, while enjoying his quirky "Captain Lockheed & the Starfighters release, as well as his massive work with Hawkwind and the rather brilliant Hawklords disc. "Freq" is an odd ball collection, encapsulating the themes of the ugly struggle of English coal miners back in the 80s, that gentrifies the true oblique nature of this incredible talent, certainly the schizoid behavior had something to do with it (such as locking himself in a room dressed in the uniform of a WWI fighter ace). "Ned Ludd" reminds of John Foxx, ponging sequencers ablaze with Calvert's dirgy monotone voice. Devilishly insinuating and hypnotic, recalling the first mechanical age saboteurs who feared that one day soon, machines would take away jobs from all workers. Hmmmm! Next is the first of a series of voice and sound effects, "Talk1 " is a political argument that finds itself enveloped in gurgling washes. "Acid Rain" is bleak, hideous and macabre piece that has a definite doomsday feel that only a basket case like Calvert can exult in. A stunning slice of kismet and shadow, a sonic treat and a real anti-pollution rant. Another lip service to the Talk interludes and we dive into real bliss with the appropriate "All the Machines Are Quiet", a rumbling synth-pop jewel loaded with sardonic rage and sarcastic victory, a definite 60's punk attitude in an electro- prog veneer, Calvert ripping into the injustices of the industrial behemoth. If this is pop, well God help us all, should you believe in both! Robert defines his odd talent here and forever more. Talk 3 and "Picket Line" has the metallic synths ablaze once again, a harsher, raspier mood that rages and rolls, even as P.G. Martin crunches on electric guitars, pummeling pitilessly like some deranged strikers in the riotous melee. The highly acerbic "The Cool Courage of the Bomb Squad Officers" would have gotten him jailed (or worse) in many countries but jolly England had long lost its alleged conservatism , preferring outspoken freedom of expression and some semblance of freedom, period but it came after many struggles (the debatable Thatcher era and recently Blair). This is appealing not pretty, a sinking drone with marshalling drums and bleaker spew from the uniformed Calvert, another classic example of his iconoclastic reputation; the man was so bizarre and so utterly talented, most definitely a richly deserved prog icon. "Work Song" is leaning towards robotic Kraftwerk/John Foxx territory, wispy synths and harder rhythms, the scarf-shrouded Calvert's encouragement is delivered in a somber monotone once again. Cold, cool almost polar (or perhaps even bi-polar), this loops along in a restrained frenzy that is really hard to resist, ("memories of the first World War" he intones). The next two numbers are extracted from the final Hawkwind tapes, manned by such space masters as bassist Lemmy, the incredible Simon King on drums as well as Steve Swindells (Hawklords) and steady guitarist Hugh Lloyd-Langton. No sign of Dave Brock anywhere! This is tough-ass space rock, simple, tortured and brutal with some of the widest vocals ever on "Lord of the Hornets" (great song title) and the disc closes with the obtuse " The Greenfly & the Rose", a fitting goodbye that has the exalted Calvert singing with conviction and despair in his own peculiar and inimitable way, a platform for a legend that left us way too soon. Recommended to the true prog adventurists.The Cleopatra release has much cooler atrwork, Easily 4 fractured appliances.

After the great "Starfighters" theme album, this Viking expedition to Vinland does not succeed very well in my opinion. Album starts with horn fanfares, leading to messy and tired sounding hard rock riffings. The melodies are guaranteed Calvert style, but there doesn't seem to be much enthusiasm in the stuff. Along the trip we get Beach Boys resembling surf-pop pastiches, multivocal march hymns, stoned rockings not leading to anywhere, annoyingly echoed reciting reminding a poor Monty Python joke, and lots of jolly funky loungings in country music spirited melodies, all treated in a light Hawkwind-styled manner. Funnily named "Ragna Rock" (Ragnarök is the apocalypse of Viking sagas or something such boring) is the best track here, direly placed as the last song of a quite dull album, so it is possible the some fans never get it to the end and hear it (well, they do not miss terribly much even in this case). I would recommend this only to the Hawkwind completionists, at least listen trough it carefully before purchasing.

Twinkle, twinkle, little Starfighter...

A bit of a curio, this one - and the track titles would fill out this review faster than my normal analysis would. If you're looking to expand your Hawkwind collection, though, this is a good addition, very much in the right sort of style - and, given that nearly everyone's here, plus some bonus names, including the welcome additional talents of the legendary Arthur Brown and John Twink Alder, you'll have some idea of what you're letting yourself in for - and it's quite a trip.

But this isn't just another Hawkwind album - it's a fashioned concept, with wooey noises a-plenty, and lots of voices conjouring up all manner of scenes... mainly concerning aeroplanes, instead of space travel, and mainly concerning a dubious fantasy theme around the reconstruction of the glorious German Luftwaffe. No spoilers here, but there are some comical monologues and dialogues around this theme between the songs.

The songs themselves are what you'd expect - average Hawkwind-style songs with a high wooey-noise quotient, tasty little guitar licks and sax bleeps. But they're also not what you'd expect at all, and not what they sound like on the surface - as with all Hawkwind, you may need to dig deep for the massive payback.

Obviously, there's nothing any more complex than two or three chord progressions, but that's never been what Hawkwind are about. There's nothing here on a par with Psychedelic Warlords, Brainstorm or Master of the Universe, but there's plenty of Hawkwind space-punk energy, driving the lyrics, which are explorations of various parts of the developing story (no spoilers here), and the songs are all fun, as well as very trippy, as you'd expect.

Picking out highlights is next to impossible - the quality is consistent throughout, and all the songs are equally enjoyable for what they are, which is the original psych-space-punk-rock which made Hawkwind the unique outfit they were. Received in the right mood, the power here is just as overwhelming as on anything else Hawkwind released - and the material increases in quality as the album progresses, so don't be put off by the boxy sound of the opening songs.

If you're not accustomed to the ways of Hawkwind, this isn't a bad introduction to their material, and will certainly make you appreciate their sense of humour better. If your ears aren't spoiled by modern production and fine-grain quantisation, and you're not looking for dazzling displays of virtuosity or precision of any sort, then you will definitely enjoy the raw resonance and sonic splendours of this album, especially given that it was released in 1974. If you can do that thing with your ears which is the equivalent of seeing the picture in one of those 3d posters that looks like random stuff until you kind of squint a bit, then it pays dividends.

Listen end-to-end at high volume for best results - this is not an album to dip into at random.

I agree with the consensus here - this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. 4 solid stars.

Good vibrations

The late Robert Calvert recorded this his second solo album in 1975, a year after his debut and two years after leaving Hawkwind. This time he called upon the services of Brian Eno as producer, and took his concept from the pre-Columbus visits of the Vikings to America.

The music is surprisingly accessible, ranging from the more melodic side of Hawkwind to folk and pop. Various notable guests appear along the way, including Nik Turner on sax, Michael Moorcock on banjo, and Simon House on violin. The highly gifted Andy Roberts also appears on a range of instruments.

The opening "Ship of fools" turns out to be one the album's highlights, offering a mid paced pop based song whose simplicity disguises a fine composition. "The lay of the surfers" is a tongue in cheek tribute to the Beach Boys including the lyric "I guess you could call us Barbarians" sung to the tune of "Barbara Ann". "Voyage to Vinland" ventures towards folk territories, the acoustic basis of the song suiting the melody well.

"The Making of Midgard" is an odd, unaccompanied poem recital with the reading multi-tracked and offset, along the lines of Queen's "The prophet's song". It contrasts well with the following "Brave new world", a wispy upbeat song with a country style chorus. "Magical potion" is a funky but cynical look at modern America while "Moonshine in the mountains" lives up to its name by diverting into a backwoods style Dukes of Hazzard sing-a-long.

"Storm Chant Of The Skraelings", the second longest track but still under 5 minutes, has more in common with Calvert's work with the British Amon Duul The slightly distorted vocals and sundry sound effects make the track the most intriguing here. Despite its lengthy sub-title, the reggae influenced "Volstead O Vodeo Do" is the low point of the album, even if I does sound like plenty of fun was had recording it. The brief "Phased lock loop" fares little better, apparently being the sound of someone re-tuning a radio. We close with "Ragna rock", the longest track on the album at a shade under 6 minutes. The song returns us to the accessible rock of the early songs on the album, the track benefiting from some strong guitar rhythms.

"Lucky lief.." was the cause of some divide among Calvert fans, mainly due to its diversity. It seems there was some friendly disagreement between Calvert and Eno about how best to present that diversity, with Calvert wanting to add brief linking narratives. Eno won the day though, and the tracks are left as isolated and disjointed pieces. This has the effect of rather annulling the concept of the album, as there is no continuity whatsoever. On the plus side, the diversity of sound means that there is something for pretty much everyone here. On the whole, a decent album by Calvert, with plenty to enjoy.

Calvert was responsible for some amazing concept albums, my favourite being Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters.

It's a darkly comic tale of death and destruction with musical contributions from Hawkwind, Pink Fairies and Arthur Brown. The Luftwaffe is persuaded to buy an unsafe jet fighter with sub plots of official incompetence, cover-ups by the manufacturer, and fighter pilots wearing make up (but only a little).

Those familiar with mid 70s Hawkwind will have a fair idea what the music will be like, driving spacerock propelled by Lemmy's bass. In fact, Hawkwind often include Ejection, and occasionally The Right Stuff, in their live sets.

Between the musical tracks are short pieces like extracts from radio plays. Some still make me laugh out loud 25 years after first hearing them (... and all that was left was her false eyelash!).

Standout tracks: Aerospaceage Inferno, Ground Control To Pilot, Ejection, Interview.

Talk about original. Robert Calvert was probably one of the true oddball prog figures, a combination poet/iconoclast/rebel/punk/weirdo and a true prog personage with no peers. This South African became famous as a Hawkwind stalwart, performing on numerous albums including the quivering Hawklords -"25 years On" album and released this first solo foray back in 1974. Calvert was your original space cadet, wanting to be a jet fighter pilot but rejected because of health (drug?) problems.

Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters tells the slightly morbid yet mildly amusing true story of a massive fighter plane sale in the early 70s to then West Germany, in particular the outrageously designed F-104 Starfighter. It seems that the Yanks at Lockheed were more interested in the sale than providing a decent plane, as the German variant ("G for Germany") kept crashing in flames in droves killing young German pilots in the process! Like fellow weirdo Frank Zappa, the spoken humorous dialogue is part droll and part outright gruesome, courtesy of Viv Stanshall and Traffic's Jim Capaldi, among others. The cockpit check is hilarious ( " Haloperidol 5 mg, .. check, Benzedrine 20 mg, .. Check, Demerol 20 mg,.. Check, Glaaaass of Water...cheeeeck.. Jet takes off and promptly crashes.). Ha, ha, ha...Nicht lustig (not funny).The music is a fascinating bastardized schism of the Hawkwind sound, with Lemmy, Rudolph, King, Brock, Turner & Dettmar morphing with Eno, the wild Arthur Brown and the quirky Adrian Wagner on keys. The take-off 4.5 minute "The Aerospace Age Inferno" is just plain masterful, gritty, lewd, turbulent, brash and leaves a pungent aroma of burnt kerosene in its wake, definitely a track for the ages. All the other songs bathe in sheer genius, interfaced with more sarcastic dialogue , giving space (sic!) to such tunes as the lurid "The Widowmaker", the tantalizing cynical charm of "The Right Stuff", the petulant "Hero with a Wing", the brutal punko-hard prog of "Ejection", the funereal dirge of "Catch a Falling Starfighter" and the smirky 2 part "Song of the Gremlin".

Great original artwork on the vinyl, simply not reproduced on subsequent CD versions, proving again that the LP generation had access to a stronger art sense. A delightful, whimsical monument to a 'fallen Star.fighter". A very unique recording that deserve entrance into any worthy prog collection.

Rest in Space, Robert.

4 crashed jets.