LIVE CHRONICLES (1986)

Brock and Company now throw self-restraint to the wind and go on tour, mixing CHRONICLES with a swath of classic Hawk material and dragging in Moorcock (himself) to groan and rave in-between the songs.

I have actually read reviews of this album that compare it favorably to Space Ritual. Don't believe the hype, kiddies... The whole crux of the problem is summed up nicely in a lyrical comparison of the two albums. Ritual contains such jolly deep lyrics as "We were born to go"and "Time we left this world today" and "(Space) it is so deep it is so dark."

Even the most BLANG-addled festival casualty could get his thinking parts around those concepts and feel part of the show. But tell me, what are we supposed to do with lyrics like (and I'm not making this up) "Moonglum and Elric hunting Theleb K'aarna, Mishella now replacing Queen Yishana?" A bloody singalong it's NOT!

Once again, my bile against the hideous fantasy stuff (sf, guys, it's sf you need!) is fueled by the fact that this is a damn tight, damn BLANGA record wrecked by lyrical dreck? Sigh...

P.S. The latest CD edition of Live Chronicles(Griffin Records) actually comes with a special reprint of a Moorcock story upon which Chronicles was based. Be still mine trembling heart!

BLANGA SCORE: 5.