PXR5
Encyclopedia
PXR5 is the ninth studio album by Hawkwind
, released in 1979. It reached #59 on the UK album charts.
in January and February 1978. "Uncle Sam's On Mars", "Robot" and "High Rise" were originally recorded on the preceding UK tour but were overdubbed in the studio, significantly Robert Calvert
's double tracked
vocals. "Infinity" and "Life Form" were originally to have been part of a solo album Dave Brock
was working on.
After the album was recorded and mixed, the band fell apart during a US
tour in March when Simon House
left to join the David Bowie
band and Robert Calvert suffered a bout of clinical depression. With the band in temporary hiatus and no pending promotional tour, the album's release was shelved.
The band re-emerged in mid-1978 as the Hawklords
to record the 25 Years On
album with two single releases "Psi Power
" and "25 Years
", which featured "Death Trap" and "PXR5" on the B-sides respectively. The PXR5 album was eventually released on 15 June 1979, and the cryptic message on the cover "This is the last but one" refers to the fact it was recorded prior to the previous release.
The Atomhenge CD issue restores the original album, and includes the different versions of "High Rise" and "PXR5" as bonus tracks 14 and 15 respectively.
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
, released in 1979. It reached #59 on the UK album charts.
Overview
The album was recorded and mixed at Rockfield StudiosRockfield Studios
Rockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
in January and February 1978. "Uncle Sam's On Mars", "Robot" and "High Rise" were originally recorded on the preceding UK tour but were overdubbed in the studio, significantly Robert Calvert
Robert Calvert
Robert Calvert was a writer, poet, and musician.-Biography:Born Robert Newton Calvert in Pretoria, South Africa, Calvert's parents moved to England when he was two years of age and later attended school in London and Margate. He began his career by writing poetry and in 1967 formed a Street...
's double tracked
Doubletracking
Double tracking is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or "bigger" sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. It is a form of overdubbing; the distinction comes from the...
vocals. "Infinity" and "Life Form" were originally to have been part of a solo album Dave Brock
Dave Brock
David Anthony "Dave" Brock is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He plays electric guitar, synthesizer, bass and oscillators. He is best known as being one of the founders and musical focus of the English space rock group Hawkwind...
was working on.
After the album was recorded and mixed, the band fell apart during a US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour in March when Simon House
Simon House
Simon House is a composer and classically trained violinist and keyboard player, perhaps best known for his work with space rock band Hawkwind. His arrival in 1974 introduced a new element to the band's style...
left to join the David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
band and Robert Calvert suffered a bout of clinical depression. With the band in temporary hiatus and no pending promotional tour, the album's release was shelved.
The band re-emerged in mid-1978 as the Hawklords
Hawklords
Hawklords were an English music group active between 1978 and 1979. They were borne from the disbanded Hawkwind and a local Devon group named Ark with the addition of former Pilot keyboardist Steve Swindells.The use of the name Hawklords instead of Hawkwind may...
to record the 25 Years On
25 Years On
Hawklords is the eighth studio album by Hawkwind, released in 1978. It released under the name Hawklords for legal reasons, as there was a dispute over ownership of the name "Hawkwind" at the time. It reached #48 on the UK album charts. It was originally titled 25 Years On and the first 25000 were...
album with two single releases "Psi Power
Psi Power
Psi Power is a 1978 song by the UK rock group Hawkwind. It was originally released as a single in the UK on 6 October 1978, being a slightly different version to the one on the album Hawklords....
" and "25 Years
25 Years (song)
25 Years is a 1978 song by the UK rock group Hawkwind. It was originally released as a single in the UK on 18 May 1979, being a slightly different version to the one on the album Hawklords....
", which featured "Death Trap" and "PXR5" on the B-sides respectively. The PXR5 album was eventually released on 15 June 1979, and the cryptic message on the cover "This is the last but one" refers to the fact it was recorded prior to the previous release.
Lyrical References
- "Jack of ShadowsJack of ShadowsJack of Shadows is a novel combining elements of both science fiction and fantasy written by American author Roger Zelazny. According to him, the name of the book was a homage to Jack Vance. In his introduction to the novel he mentioned that he tried to capture some of the exotic landscapes so...
" lyrics are inspired by Roger ZelaznyRoger ZelaznyRoger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series...
's book of the same name. - "Uncle Sam's On Mars" evolved from the Neu!Neu!Neu! was a German band formed by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother after their split from Kraftwerk in the early 1970s...
-esque "Opa Loka", with a Calvert anti-US rant over the top of it. Its first performance was at the Cardiff Castle Festival, (Summer 1976) as 'Vikings on Mars' read by Calvert from his clipboard notes, and with the aid of a megaphone, on stage after Opa Loka. Robots also made a brief appearance as a poem at this historic gig. The song title itself is a pun on Gil Scott-HeronGil Scott-HeronGilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
's Whitey On The Moon. - "Infinity" uses a Calvert poem from Space RitualSpace RitualThe 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, reached #9 in the UK album charts and briefly dented the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #179....
. - "Robot" lyrics are inspired by Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's I, RobotI, RobotI, Robot is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. The stories are...
book. - "High RiseHigh RiseHigh Rise is a 1975 novel by J. G. Ballard. It takes place in an ultra-modern, luxury high-rise building.-Plot summary:The building seems to give its well-established tenants all the conveniences and commodities that modern life has to offer: swimming pools, its own school, a supermarket,...
" lyrics are inspired by J.G. Ballard's book of the same name. - "PXR5" lyrics deal with Hawkwind's transitory period between Astounding Sounds, Amazing MusicAstounding Sounds, Amazing MusicAstounding Sounds, Amazing Music is the sixth studio album by the British rock band Hawkwind, released in 1976. It reached #33 on the UK album charts....
and Quark, Strangeness and CharmQuark, Strangeness and CharmQuark, Strangeness And Charm is the seventh studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1977. It spent 6 weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #30....
CD Versions
The Virgin CD issue was mastered from different tapes from the original vinyl version. The most notable difference is that "High Rise" is the live version without studio overdubs, so starts with a clunk rather than the smooth bass intro and has a coarser vocal from Calvert. Also "PXR5" gains an introduction that's missing from the original.The Atomhenge CD issue restores the original album, and includes the different versions of "High Rise" and "PXR5" as bonus tracks 14 and 15 respectively.
Side 1
- "Death Trap" (Robert CalvertRobert CalvertRobert Calvert was a writer, poet, and musician.-Biography:Born Robert Newton Calvert in Pretoria, South Africa, Calvert's parents moved to England when he was two years of age and later attended school in London and Margate. He began his career by writing poetry and in 1967 formed a Street...
, Dave BrockDave BrockDavid Anthony "Dave" Brock is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He plays electric guitar, synthesizer, bass and oscillators. He is best known as being one of the founders and musical focus of the English space rock group Hawkwind...
) – 3:51 - "Jack of Shadows" (Calvert, Simon HouseSimon HouseSimon House is a composer and classically trained violinist and keyboard player, perhaps best known for his work with space rock band Hawkwind. His arrival in 1974 introduced a new element to the band's style...
, Adrian Shaw) – 3:28 - "Uncle Sam's on Mars" (Calvert, Brock, House, Simon KingSimon King (musician)Simon King is an English drummer most noted for his work with Hawkwind. He was described in 1985 by British rock magazine 'Sounds' as 'definitive rock drummer.'...
) – 5:44 - "Infinity" (Calvert, Brock) – 4:17
- "Life Form" (Brock) – 1:44
Side 2
- "Robot" (Calvert, Brock) – 8:14
- "High Rise" (Calvert, House) – 4:36
- "PXR5" (Brock) – 5:39
Atomhenge CD bonus tracks
- "Jack of Shadows" [live studio version] – 3:40
- "We Like to Be Frightened" – 2:46
- "High Rise" [live studio version] – 4:43
- "Robot" [first studio version] – 9:24
- "Jack of Shadows" [Adrian Shaw vocal version] – 3:54
- "High Rise" [alternate vocal mix] – 4:37
- "PXR5" [alternate intro mix] – 5:40
- "Quark, Strangeness and Charm" [live 1978] – 2:38
Personnel
- Robert CalvertRobert CalvertRobert Calvert was a writer, poet, and musician.-Biography:Born Robert Newton Calvert in Pretoria, South Africa, Calvert's parents moved to England when he was two years of age and later attended school in London and Margate. He began his career by writing poetry and in 1967 formed a Street...
- vocals (tracks 1-3,6,7) - Dave BrockDave BrockDavid Anthony "Dave" Brock is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He plays electric guitar, synthesizer, bass and oscillators. He is best known as being one of the founders and musical focus of the English space rock group Hawkwind...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals - Adrian Shaw - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(tracks 2,3,6-8) - Simon HouseSimon HouseSimon House is a composer and classically trained violinist and keyboard player, perhaps best known for his work with space rock band Hawkwind. His arrival in 1974 introduced a new element to the band's style...
- violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(tracks 2,3,6-8) - Simon KingSimon King (musician)Simon King is an English drummer most noted for his work with Hawkwind. He was described in 1985 by British rock magazine 'Sounds' as 'definitive rock drummer.'...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(except 5)
Credits
- Tracks 1,2,8: Recorded at Rockfield StudiosRockfield StudiosRockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
, Jan-1978 - Tracks 3: Recorded at Hammersmith Odeon, 5-Oct-1977
- Tracks 4,5: Recorded at Week Park Farm, 1978
- Tracks 6,7: Recorded at Leicester De Montford Hall, 29-Sep-1977
- Mixed at Rockfield StudiosRockfield StudiosRockfield Studios, near Monmouth in Wales and just outside the village of Rockfield, Monmouthshire are where many of British rock music’s most successful recordings have been made.-History:...
, Feb-1978. Engineered by Dave CharlesDave CharlesDave Charles, also known as David Charles is a British drummer, recording engineer & record producer. He often appears under both names on the same album, e.g. Help Yourself's The Return of Ken Whaley, where Dave Charles is credited with drums and vocals and David Charles as producer.Charles'...
and Anton Matthews. - Artwork by Phillip Tonkyn.
Release history
- Jun 1979: Charisma, CDS4016, UK vinyl - first 5000 contained Pete Frame's Hawkwind Family Tree poster. The original cover had artwork of an incorrectly wired UK electric plug which caused controversy on safety grounds, so subsequent copies were released with a supposedly unremovable sticker covering the offending artwork. Subsequent prints had the artwork blanked out.
- Mar 1984: Charisma, CHC25, UK vinyl
- Apr 1989: Virgin, CDSCD4016, UK CD
- March 2009: Atomhenge (Cherry RedCherry RedCherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
) Records, ATOMCD1010, UK CD - the extensive sleeve notes include a reference to the artwork controversy, and the original image is reinstated. The booklet also includes the Hawkwind Family Tree.
External links
- Atomhenge Records
- Collectable Records - Original cover