...delving into this music and finding the hidden gems is what makes listening to this compilation so rewarding. Cherry Red have hit the jackpot once again with this magnificently informative three-disc retrospective of the space rock / psychedelic movement over the last two decades of the 20th century. If we’re honest, most of us have..
Hawkwind – Dreamworkers Of Time: The BBC Recordings 1985-1995 (Cherry Red)
Two hours and forty minutes of prime recordings from the undisputed heavyweight champions of space rock... It can be so boring to be a Hawkwind collector, as we're rarely treated to much in the way of archival releases or boxed sets… …okay, I tried to say that with a straight face and failed. Yes, the..
Interview – Lawnmower Deth – Pete Lee and Chris Parkes
It has been nearly three decades since thrash band Lawnmower Deth released an album but are now back with the quite brilliant Blunt Cutters. Velvet Thunder talks to Pete Lee and Chris Parkes about their surprise new album, the reaction and did someone say Pookiesnackenburger? Photo: Nick Parkes When it comes to the music industry,..
Pink Fairies – Duo / Pleasure Island / No Picture (Cherry Red)
Duo is not only an excellent compilation of mid-‘90s Pink Fairies, but also an excellent introduction to the band for those unfamiliar with them. Ah, the Pink Fairies. A group with a curious status in the history of rock. Everybody knows the name but not everyone could name an album by them, and some might..
Lawnmower Deth – Blunt Cutters (Cherry Red Records)
Hardly short of a social conscience or politically incisive lyrics, thrash metal is known for being serious business. Back in its 1980s heyday, the world was in the throes of the Cold War and nuclear annihilation always seemed to be a button press away – there was plenty to be angry about. Laughs were available..
Eliminator – Ancient Light (Dissonance / Cherry Red)
Eliminator is obviously a great name for a heavy metal band; so great in fact, that a quick search on Google brings up no less than six bands on the first page, and none of them are country and western duos. The one we’re interested in here is a five-piece retro-metal outfit based in Lancaster,..
Hawkwind – Dust Of Time: 1969-2021 (Cherry Red)
...anyone who has more than a passing interest in Hawkwind really must own this superbly comprehensive six-CD box set. I know, I know. You are probably thinking ‘oh no, not another another Hawkwind compilation album’. After all, there have been so many Hawkwind compilations that if you laid them back-to-back then you might be able..
Breakthrough – Underground Sounds of 1971 (Esoteric / Cherry Red)
One of the perks of this job is that you get to listen to music of various types that probably wouldn’t have come across the threshold under normal conditions. It’s a further perk that you sometimes get to compare it with something else you also wouldn’t have come across in any other way. For instance,..
Al Stewart – Time Passages (Esoteric / Cherry Red)
Last year I did an interview for Velvet Thunder with Eric Bloom and the conversation turned to Blue Oyster Cult’s most famous song, (Don’t Fear) The Reaper. Asking about its longevity, Bloom said that certain songs simply ‘have legs’ and they just keep on getting played and played until they burrow themselves into the public..
DEAR MR TIME – Grandfather: The Anthology (Cherry Red / Grapefruit)
What we have with these three albums - though not in this order - is one which is very good, one which is quite exceptional, and one oddity which couldn't be more schizoid if it heard voices telling it to kill your CD player... Well now, here's something which really did NOT turn out in..