Moorcock - The Rock Poet

[Foxbat]

My first introduction to this man was not through one of his many books but through a rock concert. As teenagers, there were a group of us who made going to see Hawkwind an annual occurence. In those days you could get a ticket for about £3.50 ($8 ?). His words were amazing in this setting - the lights go down, a strange swirling synthesiser in the background and then "We are the warriors on the edge of time....."

He spent much of the seventies working with this band of anarchic reprobates (meant in the nicest possible way).

So, if you want to give your bleary eyes a rest, kick off your shoes, sit back and listen to Moorcock and his psychadelic warlords pound through your speakers - it's a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Moorcock on disc for the beginner: A tough one to find now, but look out for Warrior on The Edge Of Time (one of Hawkwind's finest) and see this man through another lens of his own little multiverse

[knivesout]

Hawkwind rocks. Moorcock's weird spoken-word piece for them, Sonic Attack is just - well - the weirdest thing I've heard, and that's saying a lot. These are the words ( a bit explicit at times, be warned*):

In case of Sonic Attack on your district,
follow these rules.....
If you are making love, it is imperative to bring all bodies to orgasm simultaneously
Do not waste time blocking your ears
Do not waste time seeking a soundproof shelter
Try to get as far away from the sonic source as possible, but do not panic.....
Use your wheels, it is what they are for
Small babies may be placed inside the special cocoons, which should be left if possible, in a shelter
Do not attempt to use your own limbs
If no wheels are available, metal, not organic, limbs should be employed whenever practical.....
Remember, in the case of Sonic Attack,
Survival does mean every man for himself
Statistically more people survive
if they think only of themselves
Do not attempt to rescue friends,
relatives, or loved ones.
You have only a few seconds to escape
Use those seconds sensibly or you will inevitably die
Do not panic
Think only of yourselves....

These are the first signs of Sonic Attack:
You will notice small objects, such as ornaments, oscillating.
You will notice a vibration in your diaphragm
You will hear a distant hissing in your ears
You will feel dizzy
You will feel the need to vomit
There will be bleeding from orifices
There will be an ache in the pelvic region
You may be subject to fits of hysterical shouting,
or even laughter
These are all sign of imminent Sonic destruction
Your only real protection is flight
If you are less than ten years old,
then remain in your shelter and use your cocoon
But remember: You can help no-one else,
No-one else,
No-one else......

[Foxbat]

Ah yes. Sonic Attack. One of my all-time faves.

Another good one (though I can't remember it all) is the poem in the middle of Seven By Seven. Must go and hunt it out right now

[I, Brian]

I erally never knew that Moorcock had such a close connection with HAwkwind - whom I've more heard of than actually heard.

[Loch_Etive]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

I erally never knew that Moorcock had such a close connection with HAwkwind - whom I've more heard of than actually heard.

Then you should hear more! Epoch-Eclipse is by far the best Hawkwind compilation to get hold of.

Sonic Attack, Warriors on the Edge of Time, Coded Languages and many more of Hawkwind's best were written by MM.

Also "Michael Moorcock and the Deep Fix" were excellent. Their album "New World's Fair" can be downloaded for free at Multiverse.org, there is also talk of a recent re-release.

[High Eight]

Originally Posted by Loch_Etive

Then you should hear more! Epoch-Eclipse is by far the best Hawkwind compilation to get hold of.

Sonic Attack, Warriors on the Edge of Time, Coded Languages and many more of Hawkwind's best were written by MM.

Also "Michael Moorcock and the Deep Fix" were excellent. Their album "New World's Fair" can be downloaded for free at Multiverse.org, there is also talk of a recent re-release.

'New World's Fair' is one of the great concept albums.

[iansales]

Moorcock also wrote lyrics for Blue Oyster Cult.

[j. d. worthington]

Will definitely have to look for that re-release... I tried at different times to lay my hands on the album, but something always went awry....

And those interested in following this up may care to look up a book I just heard about, by Brian Tawn (how I hadn't heard of this one before, I'll be darned if I know): Dude's Dreams: The Music of Michael Moorcock.

Also, theses may be helpful:

Music

The Outbound Muse's Despatch - The Science Fiction Poetry Of Calvert And Many More

[Ice fyre]

Woah

That is a truly strange lyric/poem. Could be wrong (I usually am ) didnt Mr Moorcock play guitar for Hawkwind for an album or two?

I havn't heard much Hawkwind just silver machine. But being a Heavy Metal fan I think I'm going to try and lay me hands on some, which albums would you all recommend?

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by Ice fyre

I havn't heard much Hawkwind just silver machine. But being a Heavy Metal fan I think I'm going to try and lay me hands on some, which albums would you all recommend?

Eeep. Depends, really, on what you're after. For classic early Hawkwind with some Moorcockian influence, Doremi Fasol Latido, and for outright connection to MM, the aforementioned Warrior at the Edge of Time. For that transitional early-mid period, I'd have trouble picking... Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music has some very good stuff on it, but I might just go with Quark, Strangeness and Charm. For a heavier sound, Sonic Attack (which has some Moorcock pieces on it) and Choose Your Masques. And then, if you're really interested in the Moorcock connection, there's Chronicle of the Black Sword and Live Chronicles of the Black Sword, the latter of which has more material but the sound isn't as crisp, of course. The Xenon Codex has some very interesting stuff on it, too, as does Space Bandits. There's also Zones, which is an uneven album, but some of it is quite good, and it does have Moorcock's "Running Through the Backbrain" on it, with vocals by Mike. Personal favorites: Doremi Fasol Latido, Warrior, "Steppenwolf" (from Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music), PXR-5 and Quark, Strangeness and Charm, and Sonic Attack and Choose Your Masques... and the first side, especially, of Space Bandits.

Here's a fairly decent (though by no means complete) discography:

Hawkwind Discography