SPACE RITUAL – OTHERWORLD (ReDISScovery) (2007)

In an occasional series of ‘blasts from the past’, Nik Turner’s Space Ritual was reviewed in “Acid Dragon” #48 if memory serves. As you might have guessed there is a big Hawkwind connection here, with music by Dave Anderson and lyrics mainly by Nik Turner (Some by Del Dettmar) and some narration from Michael Moorcock’s “The Black Corridor”. ‘Bubbles’ wallows in nostalgia recalling Robert Calvert era Hawkwind with lyrics about Pythagorian love machines (!). ‘Sonic Savages’, also a single, is based on a heavy guitar riff with parping sax and atmospheric synth and a slight touch of Pink Floyd. ‘Droid Love’ has a dreamlike Jan Garbarek inclination. ‘Notes for a Cold Planet’ is on the subject of nuclear holocaust survivors. The album got some mixed reviews at the time but worth having a retrospective listen and a tour followed. In fact, Space Ritual released three live albums in total: “2001: A Space Rock Odyssey”, “Live Glastonbury and Guildford” (2002) and “Live Venusian Electric Ballroom in the Cygnus 5 Galaxy” (!!) and a video “Satiricon” (2006).