Tag: space rock

636. UFO

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(March 2025) Episode 636 is UFO. There’s a category of rock bands that start out with interesting/innovative stuff in the late 60s/early 70s but then descend to decades of boring, rote hard rock. Think Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Status Quo … and UFO. Their first two albums were consummate space rock, followed by two good albums of heavy 70s rock, which was their commercial peak. But then their output flattened out into album after album of the most banal hard rock. I assume this is evidence such pablum sells, but not to me. That part was a slog (I listen so you don’t have to). However, UFO is cited as paving the way for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which is why I did this episode. The only song I recognized from classic rock radio was “Too Hot to Handle,” a cock rock gem.

Favourite album: UFO 2: Flying

Favourite song: Flying

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: The first four albums, especially the first two space rock ones.

483. Monster Magnet

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(March 2023) Episode 483 of the “opus project” is MONSTER MAGNET. I didn’t know exactly what I was expected, but overall what I got what less than that. However, the first three albums are a fantastic run of space rock, a mix of Hawkwind, Spaceman 3 and Alice in Chains. But in the mid-90s they dispensed with the fun insanity and switched (sold out?) to a more radio/music video friendly hard rock sound, which bored me for seven albums.  Their most recent two albums mark somewhat of a return to the spacey sound.

Favorite album: Spine of God

Favorite song: Black Mastermind

Best freakout dirge: Tab

Compared to expectations: ↓

Recommendation: the first three albums: Spine of God, Superjudge, Tab (technically an EP)

266. Hawkwind

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(June 2020) Episode 266 is HAWKWIND. My interest is their role as a pioneer in space rock. The acidly cosmic albums of the early 70s are good head trips. Their peak featured Lemmy before he founded Motörhead (from the name of a Hawkwind song). But then they became Yet Another British Band That Never Ends, with multiple lineup amid countless recordings over half a century. Their dip into New Wave wasn’t bad, but mostly it’s Dave Brock’s (the only consistent member) shifting efforts to put out spacey material (new age, techno, tepid prog rock).

Favorite album: Hall of the Mountain Grill

Favorite song: Silver Machine

Compared to expectations: ↓

Hawkwind-mountaingrill

238. Acid Mothers Temple

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(November 2019) Episode 238 of the “opus project” is ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE and its various emanations.*  In all my project, there is no greater gap between the love I have for a group and the revulsion that others have of it.  I adore Beautiful Noise, and they are masters — feedback, distortion, psychedelic, freakouts, weirdness.  AMT is a Japan-based collective of musicians with Makoto Kawabata at its center, producing prolifically (80 studio + 48 live albums).  They humorously honor their inspirations (Zappa, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Terry Riley, etc.) with clever word-play album and song titles.** A-E-D-A-G-D

Favorite album: Crystal Rainbow Pyramid Under the Stars

Favorite song: The Tales of Solar Sail ~ Dark Stars in the Dazzling Sky

Best psychedelic: Crystal Rainbow Pyramid

Best acid rock: Cosmic Soul Death Disco

Best space rock: Pink Lady Lemonade

Best ambient: The Holly Mountain in the Counter Clock World

Best drone: In D

Compared to expectations: ↑

AMT Crystal_Rainbow_Pyramid_Under_the_Stars

* Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno

Acid Maso Temple

Acid Mothers Afrirampo

Acid Mothers Gong

Acid Mothers Guru Guru

Acid Mothers Guru Guru Gong

Acid Mothers Kaidan

Acid Mothers Temple & Space Paranoid

Acid Mothers Temple & The Pink Ladies Blues

Acid Mothers Temple SWR

Tsurubami

Yamamoto Seiichi & Acid Mothers Temple

 

** Top 20 punny AMT album/song titles

  1. Son of a Bitches Brew
  2. Starless and Bible Black Sabbath
  3. 41st Century Splendid Man
  4. Absolutely Freak Out (Zap Your Mind!!)
  5. The Ripper at the Heaven’s Gates of Dark
  6. Does the Cosmic Shepherd Dream of Electric Tapirs?
  7. Minstrel in the Galaxy
  8. Pataphysical Freak Out MU!!
  9. Ziggy Sitar Dust Raga
  10. Are We Experimental?
  11. Doobie Wonderland
  12. Babe, I’m Gonna Reave You
  13. Hardcore Uncle Meat
  14. Electric Heavyland
  15. In Search of the Lost Divine Arc
  16. Shine on You Crazy Dynamite
  17. Just Another Band from the Cosmic Inferno
  18. Maggot Head Cheese
  19. Born Free Stone Free
  20. Close Encounters of the Mutants

136. The Grateful Dead

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(August 2017) I have completed episode 136 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: THE GRATEFUL DEAD. I attended five Dead shows in the mid-1980s. As for the recordings, I prefer the studio work, especially the early psychedelic and folky material; I’m not a jam band guy. This effort included the 22 contemporary studio and live albums, and a dozen retrospective live, bootleg, box and Dick’s Picks recordings. Yes, there is plenty more, but I got what I needed. Once you’ve heard ‘Playing in the Band’ for the 8th time, you know it’s time to move on.

Favorite album: American Beauty

Favorite song: China Cat Sunflower

Favorite period: 1969-71

Worst studio album: Go to Heaven

Worst live album: Dylan and the Dead (saw them together; it was bad)

Special sauce: Robert Hunter

Compared to expectations: same

Grateful_Dead_-_American_Beauty.jpg

130. Spiritualized

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(July 2017) I have completed episode 130 of my “opus project,” in which I listen to a band’s full discography. This edition: SPIRITUALIZED. Good space rock, especially early on. Later albums add emo-ballads and gospel.

Favorite album: Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

Favorite song: Hey Jane

Compared to expectations: same

Spiritualized_-_Ladies_and_Gentlemen_We_Are_Floating_in_Space.png

5. Pink Floyd

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2013) Completed phase 5 of my “opus project,” wherein I listen to the entire discography of a band in sequence. This phase: Pink Floyd

Favourite period: Syd/psychedelic
Favourite album: Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Best Album: Dark Side of the Moon.

Favourite song (early): Interstellar Overdrive

Favourite song (late): Comfortably Numb

Low points: anything after The Wall

Note: I’m completely saturated by Dark Side and the Wall, but the former has stood up over time; the latter not as well.

Special sauce: Syd Barrett

Compared to expectations: same

PinkFloyd-album-piperatthegatesofdawn_300