DOREMI FASOL LATIDO

According to A.R.I. - Atkingani Research Institute, this was probably (I enjoy the accuracy of this 'Institute') the first Hawkwind release in Brazil but I discovered it only after "Mountain Grill" and "Warrior" meaning that I heard newer material before the older ones what dimmed the impact of "Doremi Fasol Latido".

Also I believe that the LP copy I had in the 70s (really not mine but a borrow from a friend) included the hit 'Silver Machine' that appears as a bonus track for the 1992 CD release. Well, the copy I listened to could have been a bootleg, who knows? Or could have been a product for the Brazilian market where we had a tradition of at least 12 tracks per album?

But I remember vividly seeing in the TV, the clip or demo of 'Silver Machine', with the song and the band being presented by Stacia amid bubbles and lights; it happened more than 25 years ago when MTV didn't exist but we had here many musical programs dispersed thru several channels.

Perhaps, hearing the songs again, if I had initiated with "Doremi." I should be a less devoted Hawk-fan. Perhaps. I remember the tracks didn't affect me the same way "Mountain Grill" did. Turning back to the 70s I also observe that line-up 'ranks' did not help since we hadn't Google or other gear to do a research then - why did we import with a bunch of aliens making a strange sound? It didn't happen because the album copy I listened to was certainly a piracy display or a copy specific to suit our national taste.

About the songs, 'Brainstorm' is a long and dull rock that could have been cut by half; 'Space is deep' is fair, probably the best track; 'Lord of light' is audible and amusing, the second best while 'Down through the night' is soft and neutral, making the middle section of the album, not counting the short 'One change', the peak of this work; 'Time we left this world today' adds few being also boring just like the opening track; 'The watcher' adds even fewer.

It is sad to say that CD bonus tracks (1996 release) are better than the original track list with 4 good songs although one is repeated, 'Lord of light', but with a different approach. 'Urban guerilla' and 'Ejection' are wild rocks well in the hard line very popular around 1972; 'Brainbox pollution' is interesting. Some shall disdain the mix of songs from different times, but without these bonus tracks the album is restricted to 6 songs and 2 or 3 of them could be better fitted with less time.

Not considering the bonus tracks it should be a 'collectors/fans only' work. With the bonus track, that's the present case, "Doremi Fasol Latido" is good, but non-essential. Total: 3 stars.