Robert Calvert Test Tube Conceived Extremely raresigned vinyl Demi-MondeDMLP1010
£
125
$
166
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
Robert Calvert-Test Tube Conceived signed vinyl Demi-Monde DMLP1010. Condition is "Used".
The plain inner sleeve is signed by Bob, Dave Anderson, Martin Holdcroft & Brian Snelling. The vinyl is unplayed and looks in perfect condition. The Outer sleeve is in near perfect condition with no creasing etc., There are some minimal signs of ring mark on the sleeve, but I do stress this is minimal. Please photos for condition and also to view the autographs
Please see album review below of this truly gifted and talented poet / lyricist. Interesting reference to John Lydon and punk in this piece.
Test-Tube Conceived was Robert Calvert's last album before his death, from a heart attack, in 1988. In some ways it is the culmination of his career; the themes are familiar from his Hawkwind days - we have cloning, psychic powers, androids, and so on. This is Bob as very much the 'Space-age Oral Poet' he wanted to be.
The album is very minimalist in terms of production. Some would say the tunes are simplistic. But there's nothing conventional here, and nothing that fails to hit the mark. Following the curiously compelling mire that was Freq, the songs here are even more stark and stripped-down, but more melodic. The vocals are some of Bob's best, and you get the sense that this album really meant a lot to him. At roughly the same time as its release, Calvert wrote the play 'Test-tube Baby of Mine'.
Calvert was always fascinated by science and technology. While many dismiss Bob as simply 'sci-fi', the fact is that he was far more in touch with real human issues than most musicians, particularly in the 80s. Calvert always had the poet's wonderful way with words, the wit, and observational acuity, to explore complex issues with a few, well-chosen phrases. Hence: 'I use high level language, and I just grab a sandwich', from the wonderfully aggressive "On-Line".
All the songs are here are gems. The opener, "In Vitro Breed" and the final track "Test-Tube Conceived" share most of the same lyrics, but only some of the same tune. On the 2003 CD re-issue, a bonus live track entitled "Test-Tube Conceived" is included, recorded by Bob with the Maximum Effect in 1986, on the same tour from which the Live at the Queen Elizabeth Hall recording is taken. The live version is energetic and compelling. The album is generally moody, intense, and thought-provoking. It's not throw-away pop, but it's hard not to like.
"Thanks to the Scientists" is a wonderful mock love song for a 'biotronologic bride' (compare Calvert's classic 1972 poem, "The Starfarer's Despatch"). Calvert's vocals are surprisingly tender, in a hammed-up, almost Elton John type way. We also get to see Calvert's first instrumental - the impressive "Fanfare for the Perfect Race".
As Calvert's final album, this is also possibly his finest (if not his most accessible). Calvert's influence on the music world has been subtle, but significant. As a teenager, John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) would go to Hawkwind gigs. It's hard to see how Calvert's manic performance, his aggressive rendition of tracks like 1972's "Urban Guerrilla", could have failed to influence the Punk movement. Test-Tube Conceived is a unique and surprising album. It is impossible to give it anything less than five stars.
Dispatched with Royal Mail 2nd Class to UK only. Payment via Paypal.
price rating
