From Aural Innovations #11 (July 2000)
A native Londoner, Adrian Shaw first picked up the guitar as a teenager in the late 1960s, only switching to bass after some lineup changes left the group he'd joined with two other guitarists and no bass player. That band was J P Sunshine, whose lone recording session was only released in recent years by fellow bandmember Rod Goodway (see discography). After that group fell apart, another ex-member Andy Rickell (aka Android Funnel) asked him to come to Dorset (in the southwest of England) where the Crazy World of Arthur Brown were residing. Initially just running the lights, Adrian eventually was asked to fill in on bass, to which he readily agreed. Next door, their mates High Tide (the band that included Pete Pavli and Simon House) moved in. However, tensions grew in the Brown household and he left his 'Crazy World' behind to pursue other ventures. The remaining unit eventually coaxed Goodway to travel south from Bristol, and they formed Rustic Hinge and the Provincial Swimmers. Disputes about the direction of the band led to a quick separation and 'Rustic' Rod brought Adrian back to Bristol where they concocted the first Magic Muscle lineup. Behind Rod out front as lead vocalist/guitarist were Shaw on bass, Huw Gower on lead guitar, Kenny Wheeler on drums, Pete Biles on congas, and Thos Ensor handling the electronics.
Adrian was already friends with several Hawkwind members (apart from House, who had yet to join), and so they landed the opening spot on the famed 1972 Space Ritual tour that produced the classic 2LP album of the same name. Some recordings were made and survived to see a CD release in the 1990s as 'Laughs and Thrills.' Other memorable shows include the first ever Glastonbury Fayre (1971) and gigs at London's Roundhouse with the likes of the Pink Fairies. Around this time, Nik Turner and DikMik came by to see if he was interested in joining them in Hawkwind, as Lemmy had been 'misbehaving.' Turning that down to remain in Muscle, Adrian soon saw the band begin to grow weary of touring and going broke, and so but for a brief recording session with Rod, Simon, and Andy Rickell (posthumously released as part of 'The Pipe, the Roar, the Grid'), Magic Muscle was no more.
For the next few years, Shaw jumped from one unstable gig to the next, performing with the likes of Atomic Rooster, Steve Peregrine Took, Arthur Brown (cutting a single that got dire reviews), and Canadian Richard Moore (ex-Troggs) in the Reds, Whites, and Blues. A promising record deal for his old friend Keith Christmas led to a pair of albums and some touring, but again it didn't last long. Adrian tried his hand at fronting his own band Zarabanda for a time, accepting all sorts of odd gigs in questionable settings, until he suddenly heard from his old mate Simon House asking him to join Hawkwind once again. Of course, this time he accepted and after a very productive two years of writing/recording/touring, it all came to an end in San Francisco in September, 1978 with Dave Brock figuring he'd had enough of the whole thing (that didn't last!). House had already quit by then to join David Bowie's band. Shaw soon learned his wife was pregnant, so save the one-off gig with Nik Turner's Sphynx (including guest spots by Michael Moorcock and Pete Pavli), he left the music business for the better part of a decade.
In 1988, Magic Muscle received an offer to reunite for an album and tour. The next year, 'One Hundred Miles Below' was released both in the UK and US, and the band opened for Hawkwind at their 20th anniversary at Brixton Academy. Huw Gower by then had gone back to his home in New York, so Adrian's new friend Nick Saloman (who at that point was already recording as a solo artist under the name Bevis Frond) filled in on guitar. The group toured Europe billed as the Magic Bevis Muscle Frond, and in years since, Nick and Adrian have been virtual partners in everything from recording to touring to running Nick's Woronzow record label, home to them all and mutual friends The Outskirts of Infinity. Another brief Muscle reunion with Rod and Simon (Saloman and drummer Steve Broughton guesting) produced the Gulp CD in 1991. Adrian began to record solo material around 1990 (beginning with the 16-track cassette "Aerial Dance"), and has completed three full albums to date for Woronzow, with more on the way. Over the last few years, America has seen the Bevis touring band of Saloman, Shaw, and either Andy Ward (ex-Camel) or Ric Gunther (Outskirts of Infinity) on drums grace our shores on a regular basis, for which we are grateful.
Now let me go through a little album-by-album journey through Adrian's career... well, at least the albums I actually have.
Chronologically-speaking, the two Magic Muscle retrospectives are the earliest recordings of Adrian's work in my possession. 'Laughs and Thrills,' the live archive of the Space Ritual tour, is compiled from three different shows and includes multiple versions of four tracks, plus three others. The recording quality is naturally a little bit rough but the music does shine through. Like Hawkwind's other major touring partner Man of the day, many of the songs are of the garage-y blues flavor. Though "Fellowship" and their version of the Velvets' "Waiting For My Man" were both presented with that 'train kept a'rollin' feel (given Adrian's rumbling basslines), which would've been a perfect lead-in to Lemmy's bass attack to come. 'The Pipe, the Roar, the Grid' is a collection of recordings from those same early years, some of demo-quality, some apparently live. Tunes like "Wood Carver Man" again have that Spooky Tooth hard blues flavor (even sounds like a Spooky Tooth songtitle), but then tracks like "You Better See" are the sort of psychedelic freak-out jam that belongs at a free festival. "Schoolgirl Love" is the only common track between the two archival releases, Goodway's gritty vocals quickly giving way to another cool psych jam (titled "Feel It, Fear It") on this version.
The much-heralded 1977 'Quark, Strangeness, and Charm' album saw Hawkwind hitting one of their compositional and stylistic peaks. Among most song polls I've seen, "Spirit of the Age" always ranks very near the top, and the original version is almost certainly the one these voters are remembering...because since then, no Hawkwind lineup has yet recaptured that same hypnotic bassline of Adrian's, coupled with Simon House's synthesizer prowess, and of course Bob Calvert's inspired poetic imagery. This splendid combination persists throughout the album, carrying classic after classic from "Damnation Alley," to the title track, and then the ever popular "Hassan I Sahba" (aka "Assassins of Allah"). It's the Zelazny-inspired tune that contains perhaps my all-time Shaw highlight...the wandering underbelly bass of the extended bridge section is too dreamy for words, Simon's violin solo notwithstanding. And the seemingly forgotten "Fable of a Failed Race," again a thing of beauty. This was the very first Hawkwind album I ever heard (and the first space rock, save a couple of Pink Floyd tunes) and I was instantly hooked. How could anyone not be?
Shaw's only other album with Hawkwind was 'PXR5,' a totally different scenario because by the time of its release, he'd not only left the band but quit music. And Hawkwind itself had gone from non-existence to rebirth as the Sonic Assassins, then to the Hawklords, and then eventually to court to reclaim the Hawkwind name. So in 1979, the hodgepodge of live and studio recordings were collected up an handed over to Charisma and an album was born. Not quite the same magic as 'Quark' given its incoherent nature, but most Hawkfans do recognize this album for the timeless tunes it holds. "Robot" and "Death Trap" were recently brought back into the Hawkwind live set for Ron Tree to experiment with. "High Rise" is the tune where Shaw's fretless (?) sliding bass melody comes to the forefront. Of course, on the original Virgin CD re-release (so hopelessly out-of-print that another release seems imminent) they used the wrong version! But those of us who were fans back in the vinyl days knows what it was supposed to sound like.
The Muscle's first reunion output (released in both the US and UK under the title 'One Hundred Miles Below') was from a live gig at Moles Club in Bath, UK on 1 Aug., 1988, with a lineup including the formative trio of Goodway, Gower, and Shaw, but with Twink filling in for Wheeler on the drum stool, and honorary member Simon House coming by to offer his services. It took quite awhile for this album to grow on me (not sure why), but of the six tunes (newly written for this show), several are among the Muscle's best. "Waiting for Midnight" is a down 'n' dirty funked-up rocker, Rustic Rod's mocking-style vocals working out just brilliantly . That's followed with "The Road," which more than anything else sounds like much of Side 1 of the 'Quark' album, Simon's violin soloing playing off Gower's wah-pedal guitar, while Adrian's bassline keeps things rolling along. The eight-minute title track is another outstanding psych jam, built atop a fun, bouncy riff that allows everyone to have their own go at one point or another. In some ways, this album may be as similar to 1977 Hawkwind as anything else I've heard, and so I'm guessing it's probably overlooked by many Hawkfans. Or simply never seen!
The 'Gulp' album (1991) turned out quite nicely as well. Nick Saloman's guitar leads are an easy fit to the rompin', stompin' brand of psychedelia on tracks like "Hailer of Taxis" and "Umbrellamental." Simon House (hard not to call him an official member by this time) again added his touches on violin, and he really pulled out all the stops to create a host of particularly otherworldly sounds. "Spaced and Displaced"...well, you know that's going to be good! Adrian lays down a simple lazy bass track, the perfect canvas for Simon and Nick to paint colorful soundscapes upon, and they all go to town. The violin/guitar melodies of "Psymonic" might just be the prettiest moment of Muscle Music, but that cheerful mood is quickly thwarted by Rod's scary and intimidating vocals on "Leaders," the splash of fuzz guitar giving it extra emphasis. And Adrian is given a more interesting task here and takes full advantage, frequently ad-libbing his 'walkabout riff' wherever it chooses to go. The Muscle's finest moments on record may have been captured on this reunion effort, oddly enough. See if you can find yourself a copy.
Shaw's first full-length solo CD 'Tea for the Hydra' was released in 1996. Writing every song and playing most of the instruments (and providing all of the vocals), 'Hydra' is a peculiar mix of the kind of psychedelic rock he's been known for, and then a handful of more experimental numbers (e.g., "Son of Sam" and "Iron Curtain") that are really out there. Some impressive guitar soloing exists on this album, including individual shots by Saloman, (Outskirts of Infinity's) Bari Watts, and son Aaron, though I was just as impressed with Adrian's own go at it on tracks like "Teeth of the Hydra" and "Trillib." A clean, light and cosmic touch he's got. Not all of it works for me but it's an interesting album nonetheless, obviously made with the safety taken off.
'Displaced Person' has a similar overall feel and the same trio of guest guitarists offering their services. "The Only One," a laid back and spooky number, is perhaps my favorite of all his solo tunes and features a particularly strong vocal performance from Adrian. "Ascension Day" is more upbeat, and getting darn near something that a Radio DJ wouldn't be fired for playing...very nice. And Adrian's guitar has gotten a bit edgier now, a touch of fuzz here for good measure. Next, he turns around for perhaps the best taste of space-bass blanga since his Hawkwind days on "Northern Lights." "Stalking Horse" sees Adrian branching out with the acoustic guitar (even some flamenco stylings) and a very impressive piano solo. Presumably his anthem for decades of touring, he signs off with "One Last Drink for the Band." In the end, while 'Displaced Person' suffers a bit from the exclusive use of drum machines (the other albums each include a pair of tunes with a live drummer), I think his best songwriting was done for this album.
Adrian's latest (bar the newest one he's working on) is the 11-track 'Head Cleaner,' perhaps less challenging than previous efforts but yet offering a couple of big winners. The bookend tracks are among my favorites, both featuring the excellent violin playing of old friend Simon House. During the bridge sections, the violin, synths, and guitar on the opener "Symbiosis" are all intertwined to the point it's hard to distinguish one from the other...the result is a very colorful cosmic trip. The finale "You and Me" is a gentle, folksy number with Simon's violin melody drifting across the sky like a bird in flight. "Mobius Trip" (sic) is another of Adrian's most psychedelic tunes, once more having his own go on the guitar (freaky gliss!), giving the 'three amigos' a break for a change. "Drowning" is another interesting tune...a cool bluesy opening with virtuous guitar work by young Aaron; though soon, it thickens up into a slow, heavy riff that gives credence to the song's title. Then the older Shaw pulls out one of his most interesting bass riffs for "Things I Learnt," a song telling about his start in music back in 1968. Over the 32 years hence, Shaw has obviously learned a few more things and I gather he's still got a few ideas left in the tank for a couple more albums.
Despite not appearing on much of the recorded output of the Bevis Frond (oh, by the way...the correct pronunciation of Bevis is with a short 'e'), Adrian has still had to build a great deal of Nick's songs into his repertoire for all the touring they've done lately. And he apparently showed up in the studio the day that my favorite Bevis tune of all time was being recorded, as Adrian is credited with providing vocals on "Right On (Hippie Dream)" from the 'Sprawl' album. Perhaps the best way to catch Adrian in full flight with the Frond is on the recent 'Live at the Great American Music Hall' album on both Woronzow (UK) and Flydaddy (US). The dual guitar/bass riff of "Maybe" is one of my favorites, and the live performance here brings out so much life to tracks like this, compared to the early lo-fi recordings that Nick did in the late 80s. Adrian gets his own riff to carry "Stoned Train Driver" (through to the chorus at least), allowing Nick to throw out the random lick here and there between verses. Over the remainder of the live set, the Frond trades off between the gritty rockers (like "Well Out Of It") and Nick's more emotive ballads (e.g., "Stain on the Sun"), eventually signing off with Love's "Signed DC."
After meeting on one of the Frond's American tours, Country Joe McDonald (of …and the Fish) asked Nick and Adrian to see if they'd like to put together a backing band for some shows CJ was planning in England. (They said "Yes.") One of those shows (also featuring Aaron Shaw on keys/guitar) was recorded and released as 'Eat Flowers and Kiss Babies' on Woronzow in 1999. Ten tracks covering Country Joe's first three albums from the 60s are done here in a very spirited way. Being a tad too young to have lived through the Woodstock era, only the "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" (you know, "One, two, three...what are we fighting for?") was something I recognized. "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" is the one tune I really liked a lot - a groovy little romp that brings out the Steppenwolf fan in me (my first favorite band). The James Brown shtick of "Rock 'n' Soul Music" is also a bit of fun. I'm not sure why "Bass Strings" is named such...Adrian does his usual spot-on performance here, but the song itself is a slow blues number without such a memorable bassline. (Perhaps it's about bass fishing?) Aaron's eerie organ and Country Joe's expressive high-vibrato voice are really the things that takes center stage on this one. I would guess that I would prefer this live set to the original recordings, so I suppose the idea of bringing 30-year old tunes back to present to a new generation is working. A quick note to add: The Frond and Country Joe will be meeting up again for a performance at the 4th Terrastock, planned for November 3-5, 2000 in Seattle.
Well, with all that out of the way now, let's allow Adrian to speak for himself finally! He was kind enough to answer my needling questions without hesitation, and tell us what's he's up to.
AI: You recently came across the pond with Frond to play a show at the South-by-Southwest Festival in Texas. How did that go?
AS: Well, unfortunately our show at SXSW could have been better. It was a little disorganised, not so much for us but the Lucky Bishops who are on our label. They found that the hired Hammond organ which is an integral part of their sound didn't work. We went on to play CBGB's in NY with them, the Alchemysts and Tom Rapp and that was a great show.
AI: Andy Ward is back playing in the band again I see...how's he doing? I heard that he had undergone some rough times.
AS: Andy has severe health problems. He has had several breakdowns including suicide attempts. At the moment he's fine and we just used him on the new Frond album and for some German gigs. He's always walking a tightrope though. One thing we do know is that he can't take long tours anymore, they just do his (and consequently our) heads in. We are lucky enough to have another superb drummer available called Joe Propatire who's played with the Silver Apples and Will Oldham. The drawback to Joe is he lives in Providence, RI. Which makes London gigs a little problematical.
AI: On that same note, I see that Simeon is again working with your old touring mates, the Alchemysts. I guess he's recovering well from his auto accident?
AS: Amazingly enough Simeon's made virtually a full recovery. He's one tough guy. We hope to follow up the Simeon and the Alchemysts album with a new Silver Apples release in the not too distant future.
AI: Bevis Frond has been touring pretty heavily over the past few years, a big change from Nick's earlier days when he was all alone holed up in the studio. What's changed in his attitude?
AS: Well, what happened was that Nick's experience of gigging had been pretty dire in his formative years. If you're familiar with the UK gigging scene, it can be pretty rough if you haven't got a name. For years Nick was in bands doing pub gigs where at best no one was interested and at worst the audiences were hostile. As a result he thought that playing live just wasn't worth the hassle. When I met Nick, about 11 years ago this was most definitely the case. Then I got offered a slot for my old band, Magic Muscle, at the Hawkwind 20th (I think) anniversary show at the Brixton Academy. Now Muscle hadn't played together for a year or two at that point and our original guitarist, Huw Gower, had relocated to New York. I asked Nick if his friend Bari Watts might be up for doing the gig with Muscle knowing that Nick himself didn't play live. To my surprise he offered his services. To cut a long story short, the gig went very well indeed and Nick, for the first time in his life, experienced playing at a big venue to a highly appreciative audience. As a result of this he realised that gigging could actually be fun. The lineup of that gig went on to do the first Frond tour.
AI: Although the Frond seems more-or-less a full band, why does Nick still do most of the writing/recording himself? Any plans to change that approach?
AS: The latest Frond album has both Andy and myself on it throughout. Nick likes playing drums and bass so does so on a lot of his albums. The way the Frond works is that Nick calls the shots on the recording side of things but he and I run the touring band as a partnership.
AI: Let's go back to the beginning...presumably, you were present at a lot of the early Hawkwind gigs in and around London at places like the Roundhouse, often supporting them with Magic Muscle. Any good stories about what that whole scene was like?
AS: I have a lot of memories of the old days, not all of them printable unfortunately! Muscle were on the Space Ritual tour when Hawkwind were at their peak, popularity-wise. I'd known them from the very early days before I left London and ended up in Bristol. They shared offices with friends of mine, a band called High Tide who lived in Abbey Road, just round the corner from where I was living. The problem with being in Hawkwind's support band was that we always arrived at a gig before them and as a consequence always got jumped by the local police who thought we were them. I remember very clearly our percussionist being throttled by one custodian of the law who was attempting (unsuccessfully) to stop him swallowing his stash! We would never go on stage without our customary 1/4 tab of acid and humungous hash pipe. After one particular bust when our drummer had been arrested and taken to the local police station I remember that on his return I had to get the police out of our dressing room by saying we needed a little time to meditate before the show. The suckers fell for it and I then retrieved our pipe from the toilet cistern, filled it, smoked it and then, pushing past the bemused constables, staggered spluttering onto the stage. It was a matter of principle.
AI: With Muscle, you got on the free festival circuit and were coveted by the biker crowd. Did that have any influence on the direction of the music, i.e., more towards the raunchy blues-rock and not-so-much towards the psychedelic side of things? I say this, because in retrospect upon hearing the four MM releases to date, the newer reunion albums actually seem to embrace more of the 70s-style psychedelic jamming than the original (posthumously-released) recordings.
AS: Unfortunately the recorded output of the original band really doesn't reflect what we were like musically. For a long time we didn't even have any songs, we'd just adjust our brains chemically and go and improvise for an hour or so. Being adopted by the Angels was a mixed blessing. They were good guys, for the most part and definitely better to have them on your side than against you. We certainly didn't change our musical approach as a result of their patronage. We did get banned however from a lot of venues as a result of the Angels presence.
AI: I guess there were probably some rough and tumble times on the road with MM as well. On the live recordings, Rod mentions an incident with the police while introducing the tune 'Bridewell.' What's the story there?
AS: To be honest I can't really remember. Bridewell was the main police station in Bristol.
AI: Muscle has reunited several times over the last few decades. Do you think Rod will phone you up again to give it another shot?
AS: Somehow I doubt it. Rod's not at all well. He's on the list for a liver transplant and as a result really isn't up to touring. We did get back on stage together again at last years Terrastock 3 festival. The 29 minute result of this will be part of the upcoming Acid Jam 2 album which is the next Woronzow release.
AI: Hawkwind has been attempting (with little success) to put together a big 30-year reunion show (which may have to wait until 35 it seems). Have you been asked about joining in, and do you plan to do so when the time comes?
AS: I haven't been asked yet. If I am (assuming it ever happens) I'd do it if it didn't clash with my Frond commitments.
AI: I guess you joined the Hawks during a somewhat turbulent phase, with members coming and going in rapid succession. However, despite the abrupt turnover following Astounding Sounds, something magical must have happened in the studio, as the Quark album turned out to be such a classic. What are your recollections of that time in the studio?
AS: That actually was a very happy and creative time for the Hawks. Paul Rudolph and Alan Powell had been trying to take the band in a different direction from the one the rest of the band had wanted to go in. As a result they left and I was asked to step in. I have to agree about "Quark", I think it's probably the band's best album and I promise I'm not just saying that because I'm on it. Bob Calvert was at his peak at that time and produced some superb lyrics. It's a shame that the "Quark" lineup didn't last longer as I think it could have achieved an awful lot more.
AI: Then, of course, after what was reportedly a great high point in Europe, the band came to America to embark on that fateful tour with the abrupt end happening in San Francisco. What I've read is that Bob Calvert was quite over the edge and generally bringing the band down into his own personal misery. Is that the way you remember that time?
AS: This was a strange time. I read in a book on Hawkwind that Bob's behavior was so extreme that it nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. Well, Bob's behavior was certainly erratic but it didn't bother me very much. In fact I had a great time on that tour. It was my first tour of the States and I was taking full advantage of it in every department. If anyone was on the verge of a breakdown it was Dave Brock who apparently sold his guitar after the last gig (in San Francisco) with the intention of giving up playing! Not that I was even aware of that, I was too busy enjoying myself. Bob was difficult to deal with at times. He suffered from manic depression and had periods where he couldn't sleep for days on end. I remember him waking me at about 5.00 AM in Holland, black froth around his mouth, as he had an idea for a song he had to share with someone. It's not as if it was drugs that did him in, he was the one band member who didn't use them.
AI: In your online bio, it mentions that while you were in the Red, White, and Blues band with Roy Dyke on drums (who married Stacia, the infamous Hawkwind stage performer), you worked on the soundtrack for a 'blue movie.' Just curious...did Stacia appear in this movie by any chance?
AS: No, she didn't. An old friend of mine phoned me up some years ago to mention he'd been watching this particular masterwork and was surprised to see me with a credit for the music at the end of it. Fame at last.
AI: Your son Aaron has played guitar on some of your solo material. Does he play in any other bands on his own?
AS: No, if only! Without playing the proud father, Aaron has a huge talent but doesn't show any sign of doing anything with it. He augmented the Frond for our Country Joe McDonald shows playing keyboards and guitar and did a great job. Unfortunately he's busy with his work (as an Internet web designer), playing football, clubbing and hanging out with his friends and girlfriend and it doesn't leave a lot of time for playing guitar. A definite set of wrong priorities at work, I'd say. He does talk about getting a band together....we'll see.
AI: Is he considering a career in music or does he have other ambitions?
AS: I know that if he got offered a good gig tomorrow he take it. He would definitely rather be a musician than anything else.
AI: So who's idea was it to create Woronzow Records, and are you looking to expand the catalog of artists, or are you just maintaining the label for Frond & Friends, so to speak.
AS: Nick started Woronzow as an outlet for his own talents and then subsequently started putting like minded musicians albums out. He asked me to get involved a few years ago and now we run it together, We are always looking to expand our roster. At the moment, apart from the Frond we have the Green Pajamas, Tom Rapp, Country Joe, Simeon, the Alchemysts, the Lucky Bishops, Magic Muscle and a great new Australian band called Vic Conrad and the First Third amongst others.
AI: What does the name Woronzow mean, anyway?
AS: It's the name of a road near to where Nick grew up close to Abbey Road.
AI: I see mention of 'Acid Jam 2' in the upcoming Woronzow catalog. I'm afraid I missed Acid Jam 1. What exactly are these recordings?
AS: Acid Jam 1 was basically the original Outskirts of Infinity lineup of Bari watts, guitar, Ric Gunther, drums and Nick on bass and guitar. They just went into a studio and jammed. The new album has a huge lineup doing a mixture of jams and songs. We have the following musicians on it: The Frond, Alchemysts, Lucky Bishops, Magic Muscle, Pete Pavli, Tony Hill, and Debbie Saloman, Nick's 16 year old daughter who has a wonderful voice.
AI: I've been listening to a lot of your recordings lately, and you seem to have a recognizable bass-playing style no matter what sort of music it is. It's hard to describe, but to my ears you seem to like to 'walk' the notes up and down through the staff with an even tempo....do you know what I mean? And that works really well on the longer tunes where the 'lead' instruments really stretch out. Am I off-base here, or is there a real 'method to your madness' there that I'm hearing?
AS: I couldn't really describe my bass playing. I could tell you who I've been influenced by in my early years and that would be Jack Bruce, Phil Lesh and Jack Cassidy. Not for a moment am I implying I'm as good as they are though. I just do whatever feels right at any given time. I very much enjoy both the jamming discipline and the more studied sympathetic approach you have to adopt in the studio.
AI: So what's in your immediate future? Do you plan to keep touring with Frond, and making solo albums along the way, or are you thinking about forming/joining a band full-time?
AS: I think I'll carry on touring with the Frond for as long as there's a demand although both Nick and I are getting a little road-weary. I definitely won't join another band full time, I've seen too many hotel and dressing rooms. I'm just in the early stages of getting another album together which will probably be ready around the turn of the year. My last solo album, "Head Cleaner" will be out on Rubric Records in the States in a couple of months.
AI: Finally, what kind of music do you listen to these days? There seem to be quite a few newer bands returning to psychedelic rock, in many forms both modern and retro. Any of these groups catch your ear? Have you done (or are considering) any production work for the younger generation?
AS: There's quite a lot of music around at the moment which I like. I think Cotton Mather are excellent, and without beating a Woronzow drum here, the Lucky Bishops are the best young band I've seen in 25 years. What's more they're even better live than on record. I like Eminem quite a lot too, pretty musical for a rap artist and I like his complete irreverence.
An Adrian Shaw Highlight Reel (makes a nice compilation tape/CD-R):
Magic Muscle:
Hello-ship (aka Fellowship)
You Better See
The Road
One Hundred Miles Below
Spaced and Displaced
Leaders
Hawkwind:
Spirit of the Age
Damnation Alley
Hassan I Sahba
Robot (Live)
High Rise
Bevis Frond:
Right On (Hippie Dream)
Stoned Train Driver
Maybe (Live)
Well Out Of It (Live)
Adrian Shaw:
Teeth of the Hydra
Red and Grey
The Only One
Northern Lights
Symbiosis
J P Sunshine
1. J P Sunshine (LP): (1968/1996 Uncle Glitch UK UG 001)
Magic Muscle (archives)
1. The Pipe, the Roar, the Grid (Comp.): (1970-72/1988 5 Hours Back UK Tock 009)
(material also available on 'Living Weeds from Ancient Seeds' cassette)
2. Live 1972 - Laughs & Thrills: (1972/1991 SPM-WWR GR CD-0021)
Magic Muscle (reunion)
3. One Hundred Miles Below: (1989 One Big Gtr UK OBG 9005)
(1989 Skyclad US TRIP 48CD)
4. Gulp: (1991 Woronzow UK WOO 17CD)
Reds, Whites & Blues
1. Sensations (Soundtrack) (LP): (1973 Falcon Records UK)
Arthur Brown
1. Gypsies / Dance (single): (1974 Gull Records UK Gull 4)
Keith Christmas
1. Brighter Day (LP) (AS appears on My Girl): (1974 Manticore UK MA6-503S1)
2. Pigmy (LP): (1977 The Waiting Grounds UK Nova-LC3311)
Hawkwind
1. Quark, Strangeness, and Charm: (1977/1989 Virgin UK CDSCD 4008)
(1977/1995 Griffin US GCDHA 162)
2. PXR5: (1979/1989 Virgin UK CDSCD 4016)
3. Best of Hawkwind, Friends and Relations 'a': (1988 Flicknife UK Sharp 1724)
4. Best of Hawkwind, Friends and Relations 'b': (1993 Anagram UK CDMGRAM 61)
1995 Griffin US GCD 535)
(3. and 4. each include versions of 'Robot' and 'Spirit of the Age' w/ AS)
(also Weird Tapes 102, 103, 105 - imminent CD release on Voiceprint)
(also appears on several recordings with R. Calvert and M. Moorcock)
Bevis Frond
1. New River Head: (1991 Woronzow UK WOO 16CD)
(AS appears on Miskatonic Variations II and Solar Marmalade)
2. Sprawl: (1994 Woronzow UK WOO 22CD)
(AS appears on Right On (Hippie Dream))
3. Superseeder: (1995 Woronzow UK WOO 26CD)
(AS appears on six tracks)
4. Live at the Great American Music Hall, SF: (1999 Woronzow UK WOO 39CD)
(1999 Flydaddy US FLY-038)
(plus other cassettes and ltd. releases)
Adrian Shaw
1. Aerial Dance (16-track cassette): (1990 Cyborg UK Cyborg 1)
2. Tea for the Hydra: (1996 Woronzow UK WOO 27CD)
3. Displaced Person: (1997 Woronzow UK WOO 29CD)
4. Head Cleaner: (1999 Woronzow UK WOO 32CD)
(2000 Rubric US)
(plus other singles and ltd. releases)
Bari Watts
1. Soulcatcher: (1997 Darkskies UK DS003CD)
Country Joe McDonald & Bevis Frond
1. Eat Flowers and Kiss Babies: (1999 Woronzow UK WOO 33CD)
Tom Rapp
1. A Journal of the Plague Year: (1999 Woronzow UK WOO 35CD)
Mick Farren & the Deviants
1. The Deviant Have Left The Planet: (1999 Captain Trip JP CDDEVIADISP)
Acid Jam
1. Acid Jam 2: (2000 Woronzow UK WOO 41 CD)
2000 Rubric US RUB 13)