"Doremi Fasol Latido" is the third studio album by the English space rock band Hawkwind, released in 1972. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios and released on United Artists Records. The album reached No. 14 on the UK album charts.
In this album, the band's lineup changed with Lemmy Kilmister and Simon King replacing Dave Anderson and Terry Ollis. Lemmy, a guitarist who became a bassist by accident, contributed his unconventional bass playing style, which was more akin to a "deep guitarist" than a traditional bassist. His arrival marked a shift in the band's musical direction, particularly with his forceful and distinct bass style, along with King's more straightforward drumming style compared to Ollis's jazz-influenced beats.
Doremi Fasol Latido was recorded at Rockfield Studios, which was still in its early days and had a spartan environment. Lemmy noted the studio's simplicity, describing it as a "barn" with mattresses on the walls. Some members of the band, such as Simon King, felt that the album's production quality was lacking, calling it "thin and tinny," with issues such as low bass levels. Dave Brock, the band's leader, explained the recording process, which involved live takes of bass, guitar, drums, and vocals, followed by overdubs and improvisational work to create a flowing, live feel.
The album features several tracks that became staples of the band's live performances. "Brainstorm" is a track written by Nik Turner and became a signature song for the band, featuring an extended middle section that would be reworked in live performances, including a drum solo by Ginger Baker in 1980. "Space Is Deep" was inspired by Michael Moorcock's "The Black Corridor," combining acoustic and electronic sections, blending both spacey instrumentation and lyrical depth. "One Change" is a brief instrumental with a heavily echoed keyboard contribution from Del Dettmar. "Lord of Light" is a song that would later be released as a single in Germany, influenced by the science fiction novel Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny. "Down Through the Night" is a Brock-penned acoustic number with layered electronics, flute, and reverse-echoed vocals. "Time We Left (This World Today)" is a complex, multi-movement song that critiques society and features a dissonant instrumental passage and powerful bass and guitar interplay. "The Watcher" is Lemmy’s first composition for Hawkwind, a spacious acoustic track with fuzz bass, written from the perspective of an observer watching humanity destroy itself.
The album's title and artwork, created by graphic artist Barney Bubbles, follow a thematic thread that was introduced with their previous album In Search of Space. The title refers to the diatonic scale and the "music of the spheres," a Pythagorean concept that imagines the universe as an immense monochord, where the planets produce sound as they move through space. This philosophical theme, along with the cosmic imagery, ties into the band's space rock ethos. The music of the spheres was thought to create intervals and harmonies as planets and stars moved, each generating a specific tone or harmonic. This idea of the cosmos resonating with music fits into the band's broader exploration of space and sound.
Doremi Fasol Latido solidified Hawkwind's place in the space rock genre and set the stage for their later iconic Space Ritual live performances.
