From where he stands
Another classic Gillan clip — Mutually Assured Destruction from the Rock Goes To College show on February 23, 1981.
Thanks to steve4422 for keeping the track.
![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/mcbride1.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/mcbride1.jpg)
Another classic Gillan clip — Mutually Assured Destruction from the Rock Goes To College show on February 23, 1981.
Thanks to steve4422 for keeping the track.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
The lyrics are as heavy-handed as the music is cumbersome. Not IG at his most acerbic.
There is nothing wrong with a pacifist message, but if you do it, do it with some finesse.
https://youtu.be/6WMQYERIQqk
June 23rd, 2025 at 03:31They’ll only let the fools survive
Says it all
Great track
June 23rd, 2025 at 12:49@1
Ian is the essence of finesse!
Sometimes Uwe, it’s like you only say nonsense like that because you wanna stir up some controversy and drama..
June 23rd, 2025 at 14:25Never liked that number though I moved mountains to get the EP which wasn’t available in Germany. Both lyrically and musically clumsy.
June 23rd, 2025 at 15:56I think I’ve said this before but I’m sure this must have been a way of cashing in on the bands popularity at the time as it wasn’t on any albums and just sort of ” appeared” …mind you, great little booklet with it about the Americans and Ruskies nuking each other …and the B side ..” The Maelstrom ” …was absolutely brilliant…a real hoot !..and the ending was hilarious 😂…I think someone on here called that type of Gillan stuff..” speed rock ” .or something …and they weren’t wrong !
June 23rd, 2025 at 20:33@3
Of course Uwe does… he & I are a lot alike in many ways. Although he will deny that. I like to poke the bear once in a while to get a reaction, but I don’t like drama.
June 23rd, 2025 at 23:35Similarities between The Maelstrom and this here which preceded it are purely coincidental:
https://youtu.be/537yHK1T34k
June 23rd, 2025 at 23:42A good song, I like the quiet verses with the hard rock, plenty of light and dark, a good melody too. Where do I know this song from, I only ever owned albums, not singles. Was it on a live side or something. Anyway I have always liked it. Some don’t like that aspect to music, not sure why. There has to be drama, it is that simple. Each to their own. Cheers.
June 24th, 2025 at 01:06I heard John McCoy say in an interview that the lyrical idea was his when he heard about M.A.D. as a military deterrence concept in the news and discussed it with Ian, the chorus was also his while the verse music came from Bernie (or the other way around?).
When I first heard it, the lyrics seemed vague and hardly deep and the music unrefined plus that particular descending chord progression had been done to death a hundred times before in rock.
https://youtu.be/7uAUoz7jimg
In comparison, a lot of the previous compositions on GILLAN albuns had seemed cleverer to me, relying less on clichés. Time & Again with its smart minimalism is a great example for this.
https://youtu.be/H0MGMr2RY2Y
June 24th, 2025 at 22:23@6
…poke the bear…..?
Well, I’ve been called worse!
June 25th, 2025 at 18:03Hi Mac
June 25th, 2025 at 18:51It was on the live part of Double Trouble….with the extended guitar solo
Wise man Russ @6: Guilty as charged!
I find agreement in or by large numbers disconcerting. “Wenn alles richtig ist, dann stimmt was nicht …” (credited to Nena).
But if truth be told, after all the tribulations I underwent to finally get my grubby hands on the UK single, I was disappointed by the song at the time. GILLAN could and did do better.
And also: We have to contain Karin somewhat here or next thing we know she has turned THS into a Gillan cult with her as the high priestess! While her adulation of IG engulfs us, I have taken it upon myself to here and there whisper a cautious ‘Memento mori!” before St. Ian’s canonization is completed.
June 25th, 2025 at 20:07@ 11- thanks Steve, I did own the Double Trouble album a few decades ago. Cheers.
June 25th, 2025 at 21:36Mac
June 25th, 2025 at 23:29You should buy the recently released Gillan box set ….all the albums are on there ( including b sides and rarities etc ) …theres even 1 or 2 that I don’t ever remember hearing before.
I know I keep banging on about it …but its superb …brings all the memories back of what a truly great band they were .
It’s only 35 quid in pom money …I don’t know how much that equates to in Kangaroo tokens…but, it’s worth it
@12
“And also: We have to contain Karin somewhat here or next thing we know she has turned THS into a Gillan cult with her as the high priestess! While her adulation of IG engulfs us, I have taken it upon myself to here and there whisper a cautious ‘Memento mori!” before St. Ian’s canonization is completed.”
Don’t suppress me!
June 25th, 2025 at 23:48And I would never in a million years suggest Ian as a cannonball 😂😂
@10
“Poke the bear” is an expression meaning… oh, just look it up I don’t want to be accused of trying to mansplain it to you.
June 26th, 2025 at 01:25@12
“I find agreement in or by large numbers disconcerting.” Exactly… I too am disconcerted by the sheep-like behavior of the masses.
June 26th, 2025 at 01:38“And I would never in a million years suggest Ian as a cannonball …”
🤣
“Poke the BEAR”, not “… the BEAVER”, I just wanted clear that up on a zoological basis.
June 26th, 2025 at 07:39@16
🤣🤣
Oh I do know what it means!
Just trying to lift the mood in here a bit ☺️😉
June 26th, 2025 at 09:32Steve @ 14 – I will ask the local music retailer about that Gillan box set. He is chasing a Hawkwind one for me at present, the Charisma years four cd set, 1976 to 1979. Apparently about $65 Australian dollars. The Gillan one would be similar perhaps, either way the money isn’t an issue at all. As long as it is not over priced as some box sets can be. With all these later day sets being re released, it enables us aficionados to re set our collections. I sold off all my vinyl records 23 years ago. Cheers.
June 26th, 2025 at 22:20Mac
Can’t you get Amazon prime out there ? ..thats where I got mine from …I thought it was excellent value …all the albums ..plus ..for £35 ! …should keep John McCoy happy and boost his coffers!
I’ve been listening to your beloved Hawkwind on my Amazon echo dot …for free !
June 27th, 2025 at 10:24Steve, I fear most of the cargo trade there is still done via so-called “convict hulks” …
https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2022/10/PBADETsml-576d7bc.jpg?quality=90&webp=true&fit=620,413
June 27th, 2025 at 17:19…Uwe…
” Such is life ! ” ….last thing Ned Kelly said before they hanged him !
June 28th, 2025 at 17:48@ 23 – Indeed it was Steve. Well according to historical records or is that one a myth too regarding Ned Kelly? Anyway, as I have mentioned here before we do still get messages in a bottle out this way, so Uwe isn’t far off the mark with his ships ‘ahoy’ comment. Regarding your query as to the ‘Big’ river company out this way, yes they are here too, unfortunately. However about 15 years or so ago I abandoned them once hearing of their ‘work ethic’, as in treatment of workers etc. I have always preferred to support the smaller independent retailers in many ways, if possible. Back before I abandoned them (big river company), I did purchase quite a few imported live concert dvd’s, Rush, Porcupine Tree and a few others. Although we do have a few city import shops that did get some other rare dvd’s for me too. Multinationals are a curse in many ways. Although we have to use some of them at times, such is the way of things. The young lad running this local music store enjoys some of these ‘rare’ cd requests, it is a good challenge for him I believe. He seems to really enjoy it and he is well aware of the artists that I am ordering. His father is Dutch and probably about our age, so that could be where he developed his taste for ‘dinosaur’ rock music. I will ask him about the recent Gillan box set. It sounds like you are slowly becoming a Hawkfan, good to see. Cheers.
June 29th, 2025 at 03:49Hi Mac
Yes, I know what you’re saying about Amazon …theres a lot of people around here who think exactly the same, in fact, they seem to find the product they want …and then buy it on Ebay!
Personally, I absolutely love Amazon …9 quid a month and I get everything I want delivered the next day for free …plus, all their telly stuff…its an absolute Godsend for me ! …We used to have a lot of local record shops around here …but now…they’ve all gone ( probably because of Amazon! Lol )
Ned Kelly has always fascinated me for some reason …I’ll guess we’ll never know what he actually said …unless we ask Mick Jagger !
If you get the chance, check out Neil Youngs set at Glastonbury last night …I thought he was fu**ING brilliant! …now, that man can still sing !
June 29th, 2025 at 13:15Glastonbury is big in UK and on our local telly all weekend…why , oh why Purple never played it , is beyond me
Support your local record stores, yes.
Those two lovebirds don‘t really need your hard-earned kangaroo 🦘 🦘 🦘-Dollars for their modest festivities …
https://e3.365dm.com/25/06/2048×1152/skynews-jeff-bezos-lauren-sanchez_6951665.jpg
June 29th, 2025 at 15:07@ 25- regarding Ned Kelly, yes I agree Steve, a battler and rebelling against hard core oppression. I have thought for many years that Ian Gillan would have been a much better choice to play Kelly all those decades ago, not Mick Jagger, talk about a mis-casting there. Gillan has that same rebellious character and insight and I reckon that would have worked really well. I will have a listen to Neil Young at Glastonbury, not a big fan overall but I do like the occasional song, especially from the 1970’s. An old ‘riffmeister’ too. I have always had deep respect for him as an artist and even more so as a respectful individual. Another rebel indeed, giving it to the knobs, a ‘commoner’ dare I say. Go Neil. Cheers.
June 29th, 2025 at 22:37Hi Mac
I wouldn’t say I was a massive fan of Neil Young …but, I just think he’s super cool …and boy did he show a lot of twats at Glastonbury how it’s done !
Talking of your mate , ” Ned Kelly” …theres a film about a gut called ” Ben Hall ” …who was a bit of a Rogue outlaw around the same time as Ned …its quite interesting and a true story ….only trouble is …I saw it on Amazon prime tv !!
June 30th, 2025 at 18:20@ 28 – yes indeed, Neil Young still rocks out big time, I do enjoy the heavier side to his live music. I have heard about that Ben Hall movie, it was praised for it’s historical accuracy. From my part of this world, that southern NSW and nearby in northern Victoria. I do have access to the big river streaming site from a friend. That is where I watched the recent Nosferatu movie. I will try and get access again and have a look. Uwe will probably be thinking, ‘so that is where MacGregor is from and now he resides in Tasmania, says it all’, he he he. Thanks for the heads up with the movie. Cheers.
June 30th, 2025 at 23:30