太空仪式 (1973)

Space Ritual (officially known as 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 since their debut, Hawkwind, in 1970. It reached number 9 in the UK Albums Chart and briefly dented the Billboard Hot 200, peaking at number 179.

Background and recording

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 travelling through time and space with the concept of the music of the spheres. The performance featured dancers Stacia, Miss Renee and Tony Carrera, stage set by Bubbles, lightshow by Liquid Len and poetry recitations by Calvert. On entering the venue, audience members were given a programme (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 2CD remaster issue with different bonus tracks and DVD-audio - this remaster would be reissued in 2013, minus the 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.

The album was recorded at Liverpool Stadium, 22 December 1972 and Brixton Sundown, 30 December 1972 by Vic Maile and the Pye Mobile. It was produced by Hawkwind, then mixed by Vic Maile and Anton Matthews at Olympic Studios, Barnes. The bonus track "You Shouldn't Do That" was recorded at Brixton Sundown, 30 December 1972, and originally released on the Roadhawks compilation album. "Master Of The Universe" and "Born To Go", bonus tracks on the 1996 2CD release, were recorded at The Roundhouse, 13 February 1972, and originally released on the Greasy Truckers Party various artists album.

"The Awakening" is a spoken piece which had previously been printed in the Hawklog which accompanied the group's 1971 In Search of Space album.

"Black Corridor" is a spoken piece, adapted from the Michael Moorcock book of the same name.

"Orgone Accumulator" lyrics were inspired by Wilhelm Reich. Pop Will Eat Itself covered the song in 1987 on their "Love Missile F1-11" single.

Music

Wilson Neate of AllMusic characterized the album's style as an "unhinged meld of prog, acid rock, proto metal, science fiction, fantasy, and jazz." Eduardo Rivadavia of Loudwire called the album "a thematically linked listening experience, so immersive, so hypnotic (with or without stark naked stage dancer Stacia), that chemical assistance wasn’t even required."

Sleeve

The sleeve 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.

Reception and legacy

In the Q & Mojo Classic Special Edition Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, the album came number 8 in its list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums". The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

In 2020, Vlad Nichols of Ultimate Guitar wrote: "If Pink Floyd provided the initial explosion that took space rock off the ground, it was Hawkwind that propelled it beyond the atmosphere and kept it orbiting around the planet. Although a lot of people know it as the band in which Lemmy Kilmister played before he came up with Motörhead, Hawkwind's unique contribution to rock and metal is largely disregarded, which is a damn shame."

Wilson Neate of AllMusic stated that the album had aged well, and that Hawkwind were "prophetically influential."

Personnel

Hawkwind

Dave Brock – guitar; vocals (tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 15)

Nik Turner – saxophone, flute; vocals (tracks 2, 19, 20)

Lemmy (Ian Kilmister) – bass guitar; vocals (tracks 6, 7, 13, 15)