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Post by dem on Mar 22, 2016 9:51:14 GMT
Roger Zelazny - Jack Of Shadows (Corgi, 1974) He awoke - if it could be called waking - in the Dung Pits of Glyve. He was naked, on a mound of offal in the middle of a vile, polluted lake, and when he recalled how he came to be there he swore vengeance on his enemies. . .
Through a world half of light, half of darkness, he carried his vendetta, through realms peopled by monsters, witches, vampires.
until finally he came to a place where he could destroy his arch enemy the Lord of the Bats. . . I seek your advice. Have had a copy of this malingering on shelf since Methuselah was a foetus, never got past the cover. Blurb seems enticing enough. Is it about space vampires? Should I investigate further? (Blame Pulp Horror 2)
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Mar 22, 2016 11:55:27 GMT
I found JACK OF SHADOWS absolutely fascinating at the age of 12 or so. Some years ago I looked at it again and it seemed unreadable. It is not about space vampires. I hope this is helpful.
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Post by franklinmarsh on Mar 22, 2016 15:30:02 GMT
Top cover! Immortalised in song (like Ballard's High Rise) by those sons of fun Hawkwind in their late 1970s lean mean (silver) machine incarnation when the late great Bob Calvert was at the top of his game. The lyrics don't suggest space vampires.
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Post by Shrink Proof on Mar 22, 2016 16:53:24 GMT
Hawkwind also immortalised Zelazny's "Lord of Light" - the live version is one of the high points in the truly excellent "Space Ritual" album (serious contender for best live album ever).
And yes, when the late, great Bob Calvert was at the top of his game he was a rock & roll force to be reckoned with...
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Post by dem on Mar 22, 2016 21:50:35 GMT
I found JACK OF SHADOWS absolutely fascinating at the age of 12 or so. Some years ago I looked at it again and it seemed unreadable. It is not about space vampires. I hope this is helpful. Most helpful! Thank you. Top cover! Immortalised in song (like Ballard's High Rise) by those sons of fun Hawkwind in their late 1970s lean mean (silver) machine incarnation when the late great Bob Calvert was at the top of his game. The lyrics don't suggest space vampires. Speaking of High Rise, is that right the end credits are accompanied by The Fall's peerless Industrial Estate? |
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Post by mcannon on Mar 23, 2016 4:38:39 GMT
I found JACK OF SHADOWS absolutely fascinating at the age of 12 or so. Some years ago I looked at it again and it seemed unreadable. It is not about space vampires. I hope this is helpful. Oh dear - I also read it when I was 12 or 13 and thought it was excellent. I always thought I'd reread it some day, when my "too read" pile drops to only a few storeys in height. Now I'm rather afraid to do so, in case my fond memories are ruined. Not the first time that's happened as a result of revisiting youthful favourites, of course...... But yes, there's zero Space Vampire action in "Jack of Shadows" - the paperback cover is deceptive, and rather a contrast to that of the original magazine serialisation.  The novel does have an pretty original fantasy world with an interesting title character and an intriguing take on semi-immortality / rebirth - or at least that's how I remember it. I hadn't thought of that particular Hawkwind song in years! Bob Calvert was brilliant - though a complete nutter by many accounts. Mark |
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Post by Shrink Proof on Mar 23, 2016 8:35:24 GMT
I hadn't thought of that particular Hawkwind song in years! Bob Calvert was brilliant - though a complete nutter by many accounts. Mark Bob Calvert had bipolar disorder (probably not helped by Hawkwind's legendary consumption of benders and twisters) and was Sectioned more than once. The BBC documentary "This is Hawkwind....do not panic" features one of the band members reminiscing about waking one morning in a Paris hotel when they were on tour and passing Bob's open bedroom door. Inside he'd laid out loads of bits of paper on the floor in patterns and was chanting to himself. On seeing the figure at the door he became very paranoid and very threatening, as he felt the intruder had somehow upset the ritual he was performing. His bandmate (can't remember exactly who) was totally spooked and scarpered terrified, woke the others and they all grabbed their stuff to flee. Things degenerated rapidly and the story ends with them all crammed in a hastily commandeered taxi, careering down the Champs Elysee pursued by a ranting, near-naked Calvert armed with a Samurai sword... |
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Post by pulphack on Mar 23, 2016 8:36:51 GMT
Have to confess I bought the book BECAUSE of the Hawkwind song, but never read it. Calvert & Brock were on fire during their signed to Charisma period, but Bob was always bad with pressure - read Carol Clerk's 'The Story Of Hawkwind' and Bob's madness gets rather grim. The book itself is mostly people moaning and Brock replying 'when I said X what I meant was...'
And you're right, Shrinky, 'Space Ritual' IS the best live album ever. No content.
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Post by franklinmarsh on Mar 23, 2016 10:04:46 GMT
Getting further away from Zelazny but I do like this Calvert story - related by Arthur Brown -
"He was, as are many artists, a mixture of dare-devil irresponsibility in his life, and responsibility to his art.
This bright-eyed exuberant child energied cynical fellow was full of enthusiasm. He was a true artist to my mind, beleagured by life's onslaught, and confused by its vagaries.
This lead to a hilarious but alarming incident.
He had himself committed to one of our then fashionable mental-homes. When he came out he came to visit me.
His red hair had been cut to 1/4 inch. He sported black leathers and wore black flying boots. He had been subjected to chemicals and shock treatment.
He was still speeding out of his skull.
It put me in mind of Vivian Stanshall, leader of the Bonzo Dog Band. A year previously he, being subjected to depressions and mystical symbols, committed himself also to the same mental home. When he came out, his red hair was also 1/4 inch long. He too sported black leathers and flying boots. I wondered if it were some effect of the shock treatment that made them seem like unlikely artistic twins - especially as they both carried rather snazzy black briefcases.
I determined to introduce them. One early afternoon found me taking Robert to visit Vivian's suburban domicile "Chez Gevêra" (as Vivian's signpost announced). We entered and were met by Viv's wife who entertained us with information about Vivian's turtles.
I must preface the incident by saying that Vivian was one of the most fearlessly rude persons I have ever met. He could insult anyone deliciously, and seemed to take delight in it. Robert was no slouch in this area either. So I thought, being both artists of a like temperament, they might understand each other.
I stayed downstairs, listening to turtle-news, while Robert went up. He had been up there less than a minute when we heard a dreadful commotion.
There was the sound of breaking glass. Through the downstairs window I could see something flying across the lawn - obviously thrown through the upstairs window. Suddenly, Robert appeared, running speedily down the stairs with Vivian in close pursuit. Vivian shouted: "And don't you ever come back again!", as Robert scampered hastily down the path.
So much for artistic camaraderie!
Apart from this, I worked with Robert on Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters. I don't remember much about it, except he gave me free rein melodically, whilst requiring an accurate performance of the text - i.e. he gave me the backing tape in the studio and said 'Sing to this one'.
Asked by Lee Broughton on the same subject, Brown replied:
It was because we did various concerts in the early days when Hawkwind were just starting out. In those days, they would support Kingdom Come.
Robert just liked our theatre and we got to know each other. He was real fun.
A real artist - if you know what I mean - in the classical idea of what an artist is."
Nicked from aural-innovations - a Calvert site.
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Post by dem on Mar 23, 2016 12:00:38 GMT
Nicked from aural-innovations - a Calvert site. God is also a fan. From the same site, Peter Hammill on Rob CalvertAnd you're right, Shrinky, 'Space Ritual' IS the best live album ever. No content. *Ahem* The Velvet Underground Live 1969Type O Negative - The Origins of the Feces (even if it does redefine the meaning of 'Live') Martian Dance - Marquee: November 1980 (Bootleg) .... Lovely surprise bumping into you in Spitalfields yesterday, Mr. Hack - Hope your meeting went well! Must admit, your manifesting from the ether like that so threw me I couldn't concentrate, and had to return again this A.M. to check I'd not missed anything on the last bookstall in town. Not sure if either were there yesterday, but I snagged a second copy of E. S. Turner's Boys Will Be Boys (3rd impression, but with the original dust-jacket mine was lacking) and a hard-cover of Lord Halifax's Ghost Book (Bellew, 1989) introduced by Colin Wilson. P.S. The Bride was very impressed when I told her we'd joined the Temperance Society  |
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Post by franklinmarsh on Mar 23, 2016 12:31:02 GMT
Wot no Rock 'N' Roll Animal? Where's Glampunk when you need him? I'll vote for Space Ritual. Although if we're talking bootlegs, I've a terrific (pause for jeers) Adam & The Ants at the Roundhouse in 1978 that not only features the Ants in three chord thrash mode, but has audible audience chants that wouldn't have been out of place on the terraces...
...now about Roger Zelazny....
...didn't he write Damnation Alley? Immortalised in song by....
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Post by Shrink Proof on Mar 23, 2016 12:37:06 GMT
The Stanshall/Calvert tale is a weird one, particularly as Viv Stanshall provided much of the narration on Bob Calvert's first solo album, "Captain Lockheed & The Starfighters". So presumably they must've tolerated each other to some extent. And yes Dem, The Velvet Underground's "1969" is one cracking live album too.
Apologies, I seem to have been complicit in totally derailing this thread...
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Post by franklinmarsh on Mar 23, 2016 14:05:05 GMT
G for Germany!
Is the Velvets the one that was recorded on someone's hand held tape recorder , and they do Femme Fatale?
Back to Roger Whatsisname - I'm fairly sure I once owned a copy of Lord Of Light (for the same reason Pulps picked up Jack Of Shadows) but miserably failed to make any headway. I see Mr Z penned a tome called Trumps Of Doom - just call him Mr Prescient...
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Post by dem on Mar 23, 2016 17:48:20 GMT
The Stanshall/Calvert tale is a weird one, particularly as Viv Stanshall provided much of the narration on Bob Calvert's first solo album, "Captain Lockheed & The Starfighters". So presumably they must've tolerated each other to some extent. And yes Dem, The Velvet Underground's "1969" is one cracking live album too. Apologies, I seem to have been complicit in totally derailing this thread... The threads where we go off topic are often the more enjoyable ones. Which reminds me. The Eurovision Song Contest will soon be upon us ... Is the Velvets the one that was recorded on someone's hand held tape recorder , and they do Femme Fatale? That's Live At Max's Kansas City. A few years back Rhino reissued a "deluxe edition" - still not sure how they managed that. |
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Post by pulphack on Mar 24, 2016 9:39:05 GMT
I would have liked to have seen Hawkwind do the Eurovision, meself...
'No content' should have read 'no contest' of course - though I can think of many live albums over the years that would qualify for the former. I've never quite got the Velvets live album; it seems poor next to the studio stuff to my ears. Though when I add that I also think Van Der Graaf's corruscating (certainly by the encore of Nadir's Big Chance) Vital (Live) runs Space Ritual close, that may make sense. Or not.
As for poor old Roger Zelazny, the supposed subject of the thread, I don't think I've ever actually read anything by him, even though I have plenty of records that nick his titles (Brock must have loved him). I do think he has a great name for a sci-fi author though, like Asimov.
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