The George Lite Zone

I was playing about with Last FM last night. Last FM is an application that keeps track of the last tracks you played on your PC, then allows you to display them on social networking sites such as Facebook or on blogs, such as this one. This is done via plugins to popular music players such as Windows media or Win Amp.

Sampling some of these goodies I’ve added, two music quilts on the right hand side of this blog. Far better than the sort that Grandma used to make, these cycle through the pictures of album covers. I created two. One for Hawkwind and one that cycles through the bands listed in my MySpace profile.

I also added a radio widget which allows you to play bands in my favorites or that are similar in nature. Hit the play button on this to get some quality music to listen to while you surf the net.

Finally I’ve added an RSS feed from the site to display the last five tracks I’ve played.

Check it out, I’ve got a feeling that Radio Motörhead will be appearing on a blog in the near future.

Watching tonights Horizon program, “What on Earth is Wrong with Gravity?“, I thought I’d google “Space Time” to get a bit of background gen on one of the topics being discussed. In so doing I found a nifty 3D browsing and searching utility called, strangely enough, Space Time. Taking this out for a spin I typed in Hawkwind and selected Google Image Search as my option. Among the myriad images resplendent on my desktop was this fine picture of the Hawks from 1973. Looking at Stacia the forces of gravity don’t appear to have affected her much in those days. Onward flies the bird.

Levitation, levitation, levitation….

© Calvin Ternent 2007

I just stumbled on this on You Tube. Hawkwind’s Assult & Battery/Golden Void as the backing to a Full Metal Alchemist video. Bizarre. Then again it should keep both me and Calvin happy for a while.

With two main characters in Full Metal Alchemist having a surname of Elric, a track from The Chronicle of the Black Sword might have been more appropriate. Any excuse to listen to Needle Gun again. Well Jerry Cornelius was an aspect of the eternal champion, as was Elric. A good enough connection for me.

I recently got an e-mail from Dave Hardy. The official Hawkwind site contacted him recently to ask about his connections with the band in the 70’s. The following item was then posted on their website.

http://www.hawkwindmuseum.co.uk/gallery20.htm

Am I mad, in a coma, or have I just been listening to the Life On Mars Original Soundtrack CD. Most excellent. Not surprising really as the picking ground for material, the 70’s, has been identified as the best decade for popular music.

My only criticism of it is the lack of any Hawkwind, not that I’m biased, especially as the show has featured Brainstorm, Silver Machine, Urban Guerrilla, Ejection and You Shouldn’t Do That over its two seasons. Still there’s always the potential for a second soundtrack album at some stage in the future and plenty of material still to chose from.

Track Listing

1. King Of The Jungle (dialogue)
2. David Bowie - Life On Mars
3. Roxy Music - Street Life
4. Wings - Live And Let Die
5. ELO - 10538 Overture
6. John Kongos - Tokoloshe Man
7. Atomic Rooster - Devil’s Answer
8. T Rex - Rock On
9. Free - Little Bit Of Love
10. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and the Upsetters - Jungle Lion
11. Armed Bastards (dialogue)
12. The Sweet - Blockbuster
13. The Faces - Cindy Incidentally
14. Ananda Shankar - Snow Flower
15. Slade - Coz I Luv You
16. Mott the Hoople - One Of The Boys
17. Lindisfarne - Meet Me On The Corner
18. Frankie Miller - I Can’t Change It
19. Thin Lizzy - Whiskey In The Jar
20. The Audience - I Had A Dream
21. Uriah Heep - Traveller In Time
22. Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
23. I Want To Go Home (dialogue)

For the curious and sad amongst you, a full listing of music used in the show follows.

Series 1

Episode 1.1

• David Bowie - Life on Mars
• Blue Öyster Cult - Stairway to the Stars
• Lou Reed - I’m so Free
• The Who - Baba O’Riley
• Deep Purple - Rat Rat Blue
• Deep Purple - Fireball
• Cream - White Room

Episode 1.2

• Wings - Live And Let Die
• Deep Purple - No One Came
• Willie Lindo & The Charmers Band - Drum Song
• Thin Lizzy - Saga of the Aging Orphan
• Deep Purple - Lazy
• Pink Floyd - One of These Days
• The Upsetters - Dream Land

Episode 1.3

• The Sweet - Ballroom Blitz
• Uriah Heep - Gypsy
• Free - Wishing Well
• Atomic Rooster - Head in the Sky

Episode 1.4

• Hawkwind - Brainstorm
• David Bowie - Jean Genie
• Jethro Tull - Cross-Eyed Mary
• Hawkwind - Silver Machine
• Slade - Gudbuy T’Jane
• The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses
• The Sweet - Blockbuster

Episode 1.5

• Thin Lizzy - Call the Police
• Status Quo - Good Thinking
• Thin Lizzy - The Rocker
• Cream - White Room
• T. Rex - Jeepster
• Roxy Music - Would You Believe
• Hawkwind - Urban Guerilla
• Hawkwind - Ejection
• Coloseum - I Can’t Live Without You
• Roxy Music - Mother of Pearl
• Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free

Episode 1.6

• Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World

Episode 1.7

• The Hollies - I Can’t Tell the Bottom From the Top
• Britney Spears - Toxic
• Peters and Lee - Welcome Home
• Pulp - Disco 2000
• Nina Simone - Sinnerman

Episode 1.8

• Atomic Rooster - Friday 13th
• Atomic Rooster - The Rock
• John Kongos - Tokoloshe Man
• Atomic Rooster - In the Snow
• Atomic Rooster - Devil’s Answer
• Wizzard - See My Baby Jive
• David Bowie - Life on Mars
• Lindisfarne - Meet Me on the Corner
• Free - Little Bit of Love

Series 2

Episode 2.1

• Atomic Rooster - Head in the Sky
• Roxy Music - Street Life
• Atomic Rooster - Break Through
• Chicory Tip - Son of My Father
• Three Degrees - Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon
• Dusty Springfield - Spooky
• Three Degrees - Year of Decision
• David Bowie - Star Man

Episode 2.2

• Mott the Hoople - Sweet Jane
• Mungo Jerry - In the Summertime
• Derek Wadsworth - Ain’t Got No
• Uriah Heep - Love Machine
• Uriah Heep - Bird of Prey
• The Hollies - Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress
• Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Episode 2.3

• David Cassidy - How Can I Be Sure
• Audience - The Big Spell
• The Sweet - Hellraiser
• Lindisfarne - Poor Old Ireland
• Barclay James Harvest - When the City Sleeps

Episode 2.4

• Frankie Miller - I’m Ready
• Lindisfarne - Court in the Act
• Santana - Samba Pa Ti
• Slade - Coz I Love You
• David Bowie - Aladin Sane
• T Rex - Rock On
• Barclay James Harvest - When the City Sleeps
• Gilbert O’Sullivan - Alone Again Naturally

Episode 2.5

• Hawkwind - You Shouldn’t Do That
• Roxy Music - Just Like You
• ELO - 10538 Overture

Episode 2.6

• Cozy Powell - Dance with the Devil
• Atomic Rooster - Breathless
• Ananda Shankar - Snow Flower
• Elton John - Rocket Man
• The Audience - I Had a Dream
• Shocking Blue - Hot Sand
• Uriah Heep - Traveller in Time
• Thin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar

Episode 2.7

• Traffic - Many a Mile to Freedom
• Traffic - Evening Blue
• Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
• The Faces - Cindy Incidentally
• The Sweet - Done Me Wrong Alright
• Cream - Crossroads
• The Sweet - Rock ‘n’ Roll Disgrace
• Mott the Hoople - One of the Boys

Episode 2.8

• Alvin Stardust - My Coo Ca Choo
• Elton John - Funeral for a Friend
• Atomic Rooster - Decision/Indecision
• Tom Waits - I Hope I Don’t Fall in Love with You
• Israel Kamakawiwo’ole - Over the Rainbow
• David Bowie - Life on Mars
• Mott the Hoople - One of the Boys
• David Bowie - Changes

There’s nothing like a top music list to stir up a bit of controversy. In this case I stumbled on this list of the Top 25 Live Albums on IGN.COM

Gaping omissions for me are Hawkwind’s - Space Ritual, Motörhead’s - No Sleep Till Hammersmith and Thin Lizzie’s - Live and Dangerous.

If anyones got any other great live album suggestions that you think should have made the grade, feel free to post them.

TOP 25 Live Albums

1. 801 - Live (EG, 1976)
2. U2 - Under A Blood Red Sky (Island, 1983)
3. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison (Columbia, 1968)
4. Neil Young - Live Rust (Reprise, 1979)
5. Boogie Down Productions - Live Hardcore Worldwide (Jive, 1991)
6. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York (DGC, 1994)
7. The Talking Heads - The Name Of This Band Is The Talking Heads (Sire, 1982)
8. The Who - Live At Leeds (MCA, 1970)
9. James Brown - Live At The Apollo (Polydor, 1963)
10. Jane’s Addiction - Jane’s Addiction (Triple X, 1987)
11. [TIE] Peter Gabriel - Plays Live (Geffen, 1983) and Genesis - Seconds Out (Atlantic, 1977)
12. The Quintet (Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, Max Roach) - Jazz At Massey Hall (Debut Records, 1953)
13. The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert (ABKCO, 1970)
14. The Band - The Last Waltz (Warner Bros, 1978)
15. Cheap Trick - At Budokan (Epic, 1979)
16. Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum (Astralwerks, 2005)
17. Blue Oyster Cult - Extraterrestrial Live (Columbia, 1982)
18. Rush - Exit Stage Left (Mercury, 1981)
19. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Live! (Tuff Gong, 1975)
20. Iron Maiden - Live After Death (Capitol, 1986)
21. Sting - Bring On The Night (A&M, 1986)
22. The Roots - The Roots Come Alive (MCA, 1999)
23. KISS - Alive (Casablanca, 1975)
24. The Grateful Dead - Live/Dead (Warner Bros., 1969)
25. Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive (A&M Records, 1976)

Honorable Mentions

Isaac Hayes - Live at the Sahara Tahoe
Cypress Hill - Live at The Fillmore
Donny Hathaway - Live
Marillion - The Thieving Magpie
Rage Against The Machine - Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Gov’t Mule - The Deepest End
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live Alive
Miles Davis - Live - Evil
Marillion - Real To Reel
Miles Davis - Live @ The Plugged Nickel
Al di Meola, John McLaughlin, & Paco de Lucia - Friday Night In San Francisco
Supertramp - Paris
Live Phish - 11/30/94
Pink Floyd - Ummagumma
Ween - Live @ Stubbs
Grateful Dead - Reckoning
Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall 1971
Matisyahu - Live at Stubbs
DMB - Live at Red Rocks
Bob Dylan -Bob Dylan Live 1966, “The Royal Albert Hall Concert”
Wilco - Kicking Television
John Cale - Sabotage
BB King - Live at the Regal
Dave Matthews Band - The Central Park Concert
Ozzy Osbourne - The Randy Rhoads Tribute
Yes - Yessongs
Stevie Ray Vaughn - Live at Carnegie Hall
Van Morrison - Too Late to Stop Us Now
Jimi Hendrix - Live at Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers - Live at Fillmore East
Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same
The Clash - Live: From Here to Eternity
Johnny Cash - Live at San Quentin
Angra - Rebrith World Tour: Live in Sao Paulo
Iron Maiden - Death On the Road
Metallica - Binge and Purge
Pink Floyd - Pulse
Otis Eedding - Live at the Monterey Pop Festival
Frank Sinatra - At The Sands
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr. - Summit: In Concert
Woodstock
Wattstax
Derek and the Dominoes - Live at the Filmore
The Band - Rock of Ages
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Muddy Waters - Newport
Violent Femmes - Viva Wisconsin
Sam Cooke - Live in Harlem
Duke Ellington - Newport
Wes Montgomery - Smokin’ at the Half Note
Oscar Peterson Trio - Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Bill Evans - Sunday at the Village Vanguard

Along with “Greasy Truckers Party” the original Triple Album “Glastonbury Fayre” album has always had legendary status amongst Hawkwind fans. Back in the days before commercialism came to town you could enjoy bands like The Grateful Dead, Gong and Hawkwind for free, whilst indulging in exotic mind altering substances, like tea.

The track listing of the Glastonbury Fayre album reads: -

CD One
1. THE GRATEFUL DEAD: Dark Star
2. BRINSLEY SCHWARZ: Love Song
3. MIGHTY BABY: A Blanket In My Muesli
4. MARC BOLAN: Sunken Rags
5. PETE TOWNSHEND: Classified
6. DAVID BOWIE: Supermen
7. HAWKWIND: Silver Machine; Welcome to the Future
8. SKIN ALLEY: Sun Music

CD Two
1. DAEVID ALLEN AND GONG: Glad Stoned; Buried Fielding; Flash And Fresh; Fest Footprint In My Memory
2. THE PINK FAIRIES: Do It
3. THE PINK FAIRIES: Uncle Harry’s Last Freak-Out
4. THE EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND: Out Demons Out

Silver Machine on this album is the original version with Bob Calvert on vocals, these were replaced by Lemmy’s in the chart conquering single.

The Dead, the Wind and Gong, what’s not to like?

Hawkwind: Do Not Panic

Told for the first time, the inside story of Hawkwind, one of Britain’s wildest acid rock bands.
Includes interviews with Lemmy, Terry Ollis, Nik Turner and writer Michael Moorcock. Strong language.

BBC Four, Fri 30 Mar, 21:00-22:00 60mins Stereo Widescreen

“You Shouldn’t Do That” opening Life on Mars last week and now this. Someone at the BBC has excellent taste in music. It’s quite ironic that an episode with Sam speeding should feature a Hawkwind track without Lemmy on bass. They should have gone with Motörhead instead.

Nice to have an excuse to blog the Hall of the Mountain Grill album cover. It goes well with the print of Dave Hardy’s artwork I picked up at Novacon last year that’s hanging on my wall.