SPACE CADETS

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

There is ability
There is exploitation
There is craftsmanship
The First we all have and perhaps use several times a day. The Second is implicated by those using the First as an incidental activity to generate profit.

The Third calls for a fundamental study of a genre based on the First - which leaves outsiders the chance to take the Second and screw those using the First to perfect the Third, because they haven't got time to bother about safeguarding self-interest - that is the concern of the Second.

HALE (born 1950), BENTLEY (born 1951) and COXON (born 1950) are all mid-century products. They have all been victims of the Second and they all possess the Third. The First is inborn - then used spontaniously or methodically. Likewise the SEcond. Only the Third can be achieved through the First, the Second and the passing of time.

These three SPACE CADETS are on a collision course with the 21st Century making music crafted against the grain of what is considered the accepted way of music making.

If the SPACE CADETS were educated 'proper', and had a firm grounding in administration - they would call themselves a 'contemporary classical ensemble'. If they pretended to duck proper education (but got their degrees to please parents) and spent their time digging 'Bix', 'Satch', 'Bird', and the 'Herd' - they would call themselves 'the new sound of jazz today'.

Having witnessed, listened, worked and learnt with the SPACE CADETS as individuals since 1976, I would hesitantly offer the term 'Acid Jazz' - a label currently applying to anyone under the age of 25 with a crucial haircut, an ability to drop words like 'Pharoah' and 'Coltrane' and anyone else to the right note with a sharp suit and a re-issue on BLUE NOTE. For I have experianced more hallucinogenics, more imbibing of exotic substances, more total crack-ups from these three than the entire list of musicians who have ever had the misfortune to be termed 'Acid Jazzers'.

Realistically their experiances and lineage say the SPACE CADETS are 'Acid Jazz:- from seminal Virgin cosmic folkers COMUS; through a retake of Island Record mystics QUINTESSENCE; through Arista signing BLOOD DONOR and a thorny association with JOHN CALE; Bentley holding the bass chair with SQUEEZE through their best period; Hale guiding TOYAH into the top ten with his song 'It's A Mystery', then pegging out with Hawkwind for two albums before pairing up with Ginger Baker to make more musical mayhem rouns Europe, Coxon dabbling with DAVID CUNNINGHAM and the FLYING LIZARDS...

But such terms as 'Acid Jazz' belong to the Second.

The SPACE CADETS are the Third.
And there are three of them.
The Harry Lime theme three times in close canon 3D form.
I call it folk music.
FUNDAMENTAL EXPRESSIONISM OF THE PROFOUND KIND

Eat your heart out Steven Spielberg - you haven't experienced like these boys.

BILLY JENKINS

SPACE CADETS
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