Sonic Attack (album)
Encyclopedia
Sonic Attack is the eleventh studio album
by the English
space rock
group Hawkwind
, released in 1981
. It spent five weeks on the UK albums chart
peaking at #19.
After the departure of drummer Ginger Baker
and keyboardist Keith Hale following the previous album Levitation
, former Hawklords
drummer Martin Griffin accepted the opportunity to re-join the group, while guitarist Dave Brock
and bassist Harvey Bainbridge
decided to forgo a dedicated keyboardist and to handle synthesisers
and sequencers
themselves.
The album was recorded June through August 1981 at Rockfield Studios
, but during recording drummer Griffin contracted German measles
, curtailing his contributions and resulting in him having to overdub some of his drum parts. Of Brock's tracks, Bainbridge explained the recording process as "Dave turned up with his eight track, dumped what he had onto the multi-track and the rest of us somehow had to play around what he'd done". Science fiction
author Michael Moorcock
, a long standing associate of the group, contributes lyrics and vocals to the album, his theme being social control through the use of language.
Musically it is one the group's most heavy metal
influenced albums. The title track, "Sonic Attack", is a re-recording of the Space Ritual
spoken piece with a new electronic backing. "Virgin of the World" is credited as being from Church of Hawkwind
, and it appeared on that album in a different form as "Experiment with Destiny". "Angels of Death" was released as a single backed by the non-album "Transdimensional Man".
The group undertook a 28 date UK tour in September and October to promote the album, with support from Mama's Boys
. An additional seven date Christmas followed, which saw former members Robert Calvert
, Nik Turner
and Moorcock guest on the London Rainbow date. A 13 date European tour in March 1982 followed, supporting Krokus
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
space rock
Space rock
Space rock is a subgenre of rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early, mostly British, 1970s progressive and psychedelic rock bands such as Hawkwind and Pink Floyd, characterised by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by electric organs, synthesizers, experimental...
group Hawkwind
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 1981
1981 in music
See also:* Timeline of musical eventsThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1981.-January–April:*January 10 – A revival of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta The Pirates of Penzance opens at Broadway's Uris Theatre, starring Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith.*January 24 –...
. It spent five weeks on the UK albums chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
peaking at #19.
After the departure of drummer Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
and keyboardist Keith Hale following the previous album Levitation
Levitation
Levitation is the process by which an object is suspended by a physical force against gravity, in a stable position without solid physical contact...
, former 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...
drummer Martin Griffin accepted the opportunity to re-join the group, while guitarist 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...
and bassist Harvey Bainbridge
Harvey Bainbridge
Harvey Frederick Bainbridge is an English bass and keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind....
decided to forgo a dedicated keyboardist and to handle synthesisers
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and sequencers
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
themselves.
The album was recorded June through August 1981 at Rockfield Studios
Rockfield 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:...
, but during recording drummer Griffin contracted German measles
Rubella
Rubella, commonly known as German measles, is a disease caused by the rubella virus. The name "rubella" is derived from the Latin, meaning little red. Rubella is also known as German measles because the disease was first described by German physicians in the mid-eighteenth century. This disease is...
, curtailing his contributions and resulting in him having to overdub some of his drum parts. Of Brock's tracks, Bainbridge explained the recording process as "Dave turned up with his eight track, dumped what he had onto the multi-track and the rest of us somehow had to play around what he'd done". Science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
author Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
, a long standing associate of the group, contributes lyrics and vocals to the album, his theme being social control through the use of language.
Musically it is one the group's most heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
influenced albums. The title track, "Sonic Attack", is a re-recording of the Space Ritual
Space Ritual
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, reached #9 in the UK album charts and briefly dented the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #179....
spoken piece with a new electronic backing. "Virgin of the World" is credited as being from Church of Hawkwind
Church of Hawkwind
Church of Hawkwind is the twelfth studio album by Hawkwind, released under the band name Church of Hawkwind in 1982. The name change reflects the fact that this was a musical departure for the band, being a more experimental electronic offering rather than the usual heavy rock that the band were...
, and it appeared on that album in a different form as "Experiment with Destiny". "Angels of Death" was released as a single backed by the non-album "Transdimensional Man".
The group undertook a 28 date UK tour in September and October to promote the album, with support from Mama's Boys
Mama's Boys
Mama's Boys were a 1980s hard rock/heavy metal group from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland featuring the three McManus brothers Pat, a.k.a. 'The Professor", , John , Tommy . Later in their career they became a four-piece adding Rick Chase on vocals in 1985 who was later replaced by Keith Murrell...
. An additional seven date Christmas followed, which saw former members 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...
, Nik Turner
Nik Turner
Nik Turner is a British musician, best known as a founding member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner plays saxophones, flute, sings and is a composer...
and Moorcock guest on the London Rainbow date. A 13 date European tour in March 1982 followed, supporting Krokus
Krokus (band)
Krokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed moderate success in North America during the 1980s.Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1974 by bassist Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer...
.
Side 1
- "Sonic Attack" (Michael MoorcockMichael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
, Hawkwind) – 4:47 - "Rocky Paths" (Huw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-Langton is an English guitarist, best known as the guitarist for Hawkwind. He also had his own band, the Lloyd Langton Group with bass player Kenny Wilson and drummer John Clark , and is the session lead guitarist for UK band The Meads of Asphodel.As a member of Hawkwind he appeared on...
) – 4:00 - "Psychosonia" (Moorcock, Hawkwind) – 2:32
- "Virgin of the World" (Harvey BainbridgeHarvey BainbridgeHarvey Frederick Bainbridge is an English bass and keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind....
) – 4:32 - "Angels of DeathAngels of Death (single)Angels of Death is a 1981 song by the UK rock group Hawkwind. It was originally released as a single in the UK on 18 October 1981, being an edit from the one on the album Sonic Attack....
" (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...
) – 5:42
Side 2
- "Living on a Knife Edge" (Brock) – 4:48
- "Coded Languages" (Moorcock, Bainbridge) – 4:50
- "Disintegration" (Brock) – 1:05
- "Streets of Fear" (Brock) – 4:09
- "Lost Chances" (Moorcock, Brock) – 5:44
1996 CD bonus track
- "Transdimensional Man" (Brock) – 5:05 (last 60 seconds is filled by silence)
Atomhenge bonus CD
- "Angels of Death" [single version]
- "Transdimensional Man" [single B-side]
- "Sonic Attack" [first version]
- "Out of the Void"
- "Lost Chances" [extended alternate version]
- "Streets of Fear" [alternate version]
- "Devilish Dirge"
- "The End of Earth City" [demo of "The Fall of Earth City" from Church of HawkwindChurch of HawkwindChurch of Hawkwind is the twelfth studio album by Hawkwind, released under the band name Church of Hawkwind in 1982. The name change reflects the fact that this was a musical departure for the band, being a more experimental electronic offering rather than the usual heavy rock that the band were...
] - "Living on a Knife Edge" [extended version]
- "The Speed of Light" [demo of "Transdimensional Man"]
Personnel
- 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...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, 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...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Huw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-LangtonHuw Lloyd-Langton is an English guitarist, best known as the guitarist for Hawkwind. He also had his own band, the Lloyd Langton Group with bass player Kenny Wilson and drummer John Clark , and is the session lead guitarist for UK band The Meads of Asphodel.As a member of Hawkwind he appeared on...
– electric guitar, vocals - Harvey BainbridgeHarvey BainbridgeHarvey Frederick Bainbridge is an English bass and keyboard player. He is best known as the bass player and keyboard player in Hawkwind....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, keyboards, vocals - Martin Griffin – 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 ....
- Michael MoorcockMichael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
– vocals (on "Coded Languages")
Credits
- 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:...
, Wales, June to August. - Engineers – Ashley Howe, Pat Moran, Paul Cobbold.
- Sleeve designed by Jim Mountjoy and Andrew Christian.
Release history
- October 1981: RCA/Active, RCALP 6004, UK vinyl - initial copies came with a lyric sheet insert.
- October 1996: Emergency Broadcast System Records, EBSCD123, UK CD
- October 1996: Griffin MusicGriffin MusicGriffin Music was an independent record label created in 1989 in Toronto, Canada by author/publisher Robert Godwin. It was originally created to finance and record the second album of Led Zeppelin tribute act, Michael White & The White...
, GCD612-2, USA CD - February 2010: 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, ATOMCD2019, UK 2CD