Hawkwind | ||
| Allmusic Biography : One of Englands most enduring hard rock bands, Hawkwind were formed in London during the late 60s, just as art rock was coming into its own. Though lesser known than contemporaries like Pink Floyd, the band is widely hailed as one of space rocks early pioneers, thanks to seminal albums like 1973s live opus Space Ritual, and its 1974 studio follow-up In the Hall of the Mountain Grill. Their potent mix of psychedelia, prog, straight-ahead hard rock, and lyrics steeped in science fiction -- particularly the themes and imagery of author Michael Moorcock, who also became a member at various points -- and drug effects helped define Hawkwind and separate them from the competition. The groups history has been marked by a series of confusing lineup changes, as members began an almost revolving-door relationship with the band virtually from the outset. Throughout their many decades and incarnations, founding guitarist Dave Brock has remained Hawkwinds chief steward, while notable players like Lemmy and Ginger Baker have also enjoyed stints with the band. While the 70s are widely considered to be their heyday, Hawkwind have retained a loyal following and enjoyed periodic surges of popularity, in the 80s with the Moorcock-inspired concept album The Chronicle of the Black Sword and in the 90s with their embrace of rave culture and electronica on albums like Space Bandits. The 2000 reunion event Hawkestra saw the coming together of multiple eras of Hawkwind personnel and begat Space Ritual, a spin-off group of former members. Space Ritual competed with Brocks ongoing versions of Hawkwind, who continued to release both new and archival material throughout the decade. A contract with Eastworld Records in 2010 seemed to renew Hawkwinds commitment to new material, as they entered another prolific streak that included the 2016 concept album The Machine Stops and its 2017 sequel, Into the Woods. The seeds of the group were planted when guitarist/singer Dave Brock and guitarist Mick Slattery of the group Famous Cure, which was playing a gig in Holland in 1969, met saxman/flutist/singer Nik Turner, a member of Mobile Freakout, on the same tour. Once back in England, Brock, Slattery, and Turner hooked up again and, adding John Harrison on bass, Terry Ollis on drums, and DikMik Davies on electronic keyboards, called themselves Group X, later changed to Hawkwind Zoo, and finally to Hawkwind. They secured a contract with United Artists/Liberty Records in England. Before the group recorded, however, Huw Lloyd Langton replaced Mick Slattery on guitar. The fledgling band hooked up with two Pretty Things alumni -- drummer Viv Prince, who occasionally joined Hawkwind on-stage, and bassist (and onetime Rolling Stones member) Dick Taylor, who was recruited as a producer but played on their early records. Their first single, "Hurry on Sundown" (aka "Hurry on a Sundown") b/w "Mirror of Illusion," was released in July of 1970, just in time for Harrison to exit the lineup, to be replaced by bassist Thomas Crimble. Their first album, Hawkwind, was released to little public notice in August, but that same month the group made a modest splash by playing outside the fences of the Isle of Wight Festival. The following month, Huw Lloyd Langton quit the band along with Thomas Crimble -- the replacement bassist, ex-Amon Düül member Dave Anderson, joined in May of 1971, the same month that DikMik Davies quit, to be replaced on keyboards by Del Dettmar. In June of that year, two more new members came aboard -- poet Robert Calvert, who became lead vocalist, and a dancer named Stacia, who began appearing with the group on-stage. Meanwhile, the band also hooked up with artist Barney Bubbles, who gave Hawkwind a new image, redesigning their stage decor and equipment decoration, and devising distinctive new album graphics. Ex-bassist Crimble helped arrange for the groups performance at the Glastonbury Fayre in Somerset in June of 1971, which gave Hawkwind fresh exposure and brought them to the attention of writer Michael Moorcock, who was entering a vastly popular phase in his career as the author of many science fiction and fantasy novels. Moorcock helped organize some of their performances, as well as occasionally serving as a substitute for Calvert. Equally important, in August of 1971, Dave Anderson departed the group, and DikMik Davies returned to the lineup to join Dettmar on keyboards, bringing in Andersons replacement -- his friend Lemmy (born Ian Kilmister), an ex-roadie for Jimi Hendrix and a member of the rowdy mid-60s Blackpool rock & roll band the Rocking Vicars. Lemmy had joined the group just in time to participate on the recording of the bands second album, In Search of Space. Released in October of 1971, it proved a defining work, carving out new frontiers of metal, drug, and science-fiction-laced music, including one major classic song, "Masters of the Universe," which became one of the groups most popular concert numbers and turned up on numerous studio and live compilations. More lineup changes followed, as Simon King succeeded Terry Ollis on the drums in January of 1972. The group played the Greasy Truckers Party -- a showcase of underground and alternative music and politics -- at the Roundhouse in London the next month, parts of which surfaced on a pair of subsequent albums. All of these lineup changes and career steps had been compromised by a string of annoying bad luck and thefts of equipment, which were serious enough to threaten their solvency. Coupled with Bob Calverts shaky health, the result of a nervous breakdown, Hawkwind went into 1972 on very uncertain footing. The groups early sound, characterized by their singles up through that point, was essentially hard rock with progressive trappings. They slotted in perfectly with the collegiate and drug audiences, putting on the kind of show that acts like King Crimson and ELP were known for, but with more of a pure rock & roll base (not surprising, considering Lemmys background). Their commercial breakthrough took place when a version of the hard-driving rocker "Silver Machine," sung by Lemmy, made it to number three on the British charts in August of 1972. They were unable to maintain this unexpected flash of mass success, particularly when their follow-up single, "Urban Guerrilla," a surprisingly melodic rocker with lots of crunchy guitar at the core of multiple layers of metallic sound, was withdrawn amid a series of terrorist attacks in London, even though it had reached the British Top 40 and seemed poised to mimic "Silver Machine"s success. The British tour that followed "Silver Machine," their first major circuit of the country, gave them more concert exposure, and their third album, Doremi Fasol Latido, released in November of 1972, got to the number 14 spot on the British charts. This album codified the groups science fiction orientation, presenting an elaborate mythology about the history of the universe (or some universe) into which the group and its music were woven. By this time, they had a major reputation as a live act, and rose to the occasion with an elaborate concert show called the Space Ritual. Their fourth album, Space Ritual, was a double-disc set recorded in concert and issued in June of 1973; it got to number nine. By the time of their next album, In the Hall of the Mountain Grill in 1974, Bob Calvert had departed to work on a planned solo project (Captain Lockheed & the Starfighters), and violinist and keyboard player Simon House had joined the group. This was the heyday of progressive bands such as Yes, ELP, and Genesis, and Hawkwinds mix of dense keyboard textures and heavy metal guitar and bass, coupling classical bombast and hard rock, became the sudden recipient of massive international press coverage; though theyd never charted a record in the United States, they became well known to readers of the rock press, and their records were available as imports. The group toured the United States twice during this era, once in late 1973 and again in the spring of the next year. These tours had their usual share of problems -- the band and its entire entourage were arrested in Indiana for non-payment of taxes -- but it was after the release of their 1975 album, Warrior on the Edge of Time, that a major membership change ensued. They were touring the U.S. behind the release of the album when Lemmy was arrested on drug charges. He was fired from the band and went on to form Motörhead, a successful and influential metal band. His exit also took away a lot of the energy and focus driving the groups sound. There was talk about Hawkwind calling it quits, but they carried on with Lemmys replacement, Paul Rudolph, and with Bob Calvert back in the lineup. By this time, their chances for a breakthrough in America had been reduced considerably by the chart success of such groups as Kansas and Blue Õyster Cult, both of which melded proletarian rock with progressive sensibilities in just the right portions to appeal to kids on the U.S. side of the Atlantic. Hawkwinds revamped lineup did release a new album, Astounding Sounds, which performed moderately well, and followed it a year later with Quark Strangeness and Charm (1977), which had a good title song, among other virtues. Hawkwind were still working as a quintet, but by this time their chronic instability was about to reach critical levels: at the end of their 1978 American tour, Calvert quit the band again, and the entire group virtually disbanded. When the smoke cleared, Calvert had put together a direct offshoot group, the Hawklords, and abandoned an entire finished album to record 25 Years On with a lineup that included Brock, Martin Griffiths on drums, Steve Swindells on keyboards, and Harvey Bainbridge on drums. That record made a respectable showing at number 48 on the British charts with a supporting tour, but the new group wasnt much more stable than the old one, with drummer Griffiths gone by December of 1978. Then Calvert quit (again), while Simon King, who had been a Hawkwind member a couple of years earlier, rejoined on drums, replacing Griffiths. The group was left as a four-piece and resumed the use of the name Hawkwind in January of 1979. Huw Lloyd Langton was back in the lineup by May of 1979, while Tim Blake replaced a departing Swindells. This lineup proved relatively stable and recorded a very successful live album (number 15 in the U.K.), released as part of a new contract with Bronze Records. One big change took place in September of 1980 when Ginger Baker replaced Simon King, although Baker himself only lasted until March of 1981, when he was let go from the band and replaced by "Hawklords" drummer Martin Griffiths. This core lineup cut a string of decent-selling albums through 1984, which were embraced by the heavy metal community and initially propelled into the Top 30 and Top 20 in England, culminating with another live album. By the time of their 1984 album, This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic, released under a new contract with Flickknife Records, Turner, Brock, and Langton were back together again. By this time, the bands 70s recordings were starting to show up in profusion, in competition with their then-current work. Ironically, it was in 1985, just as Hawkwind were starting to compete with their own early history, that they released their most ambitious record yet, The Chronicle of the Black Sword. An adaptation of Michael Moorcocks sci-fi novels, the album was also a return to their old style. It was in this same period that Brock, Turner, Langton, Anderson, Crimble, Bainbridge, and Slattery attended the first Hawkwind Convention, held in Manchester -- Turner left soon after, but the remaining members held together for three years, a record for the band. Bob Calvert, who had quit the band twice at the end of the 70s, died of a heart attack in 1988. Hawkwind were still together, however, and the following year even managed their first American tour since Calverts first exit from the band. Performance artist Bridget Wishart began singing for the group, becoming Hawkwinds first and only female frontperson. By 1990, their fortunes were on the upswing again, when their sudden embrace of the rave culture on a new album, Space Bandits, gave them a new chart entry and a distinctly younger listenership. Their commercial revival was short-lived, however, and by 1991, they were busying themselves re-recording their classic material and toured America again the following year. They were left as a trio after a falling out among the bandmembers at the end of their 1992 American tour, and apart from periodic reissues of Hawkwinds classic material, the surviving group achieved a serious following on the underground, drug-driven dance/rave scene in England, ironically returning to a modern version of the bands roots. Subsequent albums featured far more electronics than traditional rock instrumentation. They played various major showcases (including the 12 Hour Technicolor Dream All Nighter at Brixton Academy), as well as benefit performances. At this point in Hawkwinds career, their entire catalog had been reissued on CD by numerous different labels (Griffin, Cleopatra, One Way, Magnum, etc.), in some cases recompiled and retitled (especially the live recordings), including various compilations and archival explorations numbering in the dozens. In 1999, Hawkwind celebrated their 30th anniversary with the release of a triple-CD anthology titled Epocheclipse. A reunion concert titled Hawkestra was scheduled to coincide with the release, but was postponed until October 2000. The three-hour set took place at Brixton Academy and included performances by 20 of the groups members. After the concert, the group toured with a core lineup of Brock, drummer Richard Chadwick, vocalist Ron Tree, guitarist Jerry Richards, and bassist Alan Davey, with guest contributions from several other members. Nik Turner also began gathering former Hawkwind members for a separate lineup, referred to as xhawkwind.com, but Brock pursued legal action, and Turners version became known as Space Ritual. Official lineups of Hawkwind toured and released live albums, and they organized a festival titled Hawkfest in summer of 2002. A subsequent concert at the Wembley Arena featured guest appearances from Arthur Brown and Lemmy. The studio album Take Me to Your Leader appeared in 2005, including Brown as well as Lene Lovich among its guests. Take Me to Your Future, a DualDisc CD/DVD, followed in 2006. Davey left the band by the end of the year and was replaced by Mr. Dibs. Jon Sevink of the Levellers occasionally began playing violin during Hawkwind gigs during 2009, as the band celebrated its 40th anniversary. In 2010, British magazine MOJO honored Hawkwind with the Maverick Award at their annual awards ceremony. The group released studio album Blood of the Earth on Eastworld Records, with a lineup including Brock, Dibs, Chadwick, returning keyboard player Tim Blake, and multi-instrumentalist Niall Hone. Following tours of Australia and Europe, the studio album Onward emerged in 2012. Keyboardist Dead Fred joined the group during the albums tour. In November, Brock released the solo album Looking for Love in the Lost Land of Dreams, and Hawkwind Light Orchestra (comprising Brock, Chadwick, and Hone) issued Stellar Variations. In 2013, Cherry Red reissued Warrior on the Edge of Time, and Hawkwind performed the entire album during their Warrior 2013 Tour. Brock received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Prog Rock Awards held in London that September, and the full-length Spacehawks appeared shortly after. In February of 2014, Hawkwind performed Space Ritual at a benefit concert titled Rock 4 Rescue. English actor Brian Blessed appeared on the song "Sonic Attack," and a studio recording was subsequently released as a single. The concert was eventually released as a CD/DVD set titled Space Ritual Live in March of 2015. A month later, Hawkwind made their first ever visit to Japan, performing two sold-out concerts in Tokyo. Brock issued the solo album Brockworld in November. In April of 2016, Hawkwinds The Machine Stops, a studio album based on the similarly titled sci-fi short story by E.M. Forster, was released by Cherry Red. A thematic follow-up album, Into the Woods, followed a year later, continuing the narrative of its predecessor. For 2018s Road to Utopia, Hawkwind teamed up with composer and conductor Mike Batt to reimagine songs from their catalog with new orchestral arrangements. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 44 Title: Hawkwind Released: 1970-08 Tracks: 11 Duration: 57:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hurry on Sundown (05:01) 2 The Reason Is? (03:30) 3 Be Yourself (08:06) 4 Paranoia, Part 1 (01:09) 5 Paranoia, Part 2 (04:09) 6 Seeing It as You Really Are (10:48) 7 Mirror of Illusion (07:08) 8 Bring It on Home (03:17) 9 Hurry on Sundown (05:05) 10 Kiss of the Velvet Whip (05:27) 11 Cymbaline (04:04) |
| Hawkwind : Allmusic album Review : Produced by former Pretty Things guitarist Dick Taylor, Hawkwinds first album was rightfully compared to Pink Floyds early sound: an appealing conglomeration of hippie rock grooves and interplanetary guitar trips set to the phosphorescent wandering of Dik Miks electronics and Nik Turners cool sax playing. Hawkwind may not have been their most lucrative album, but its where it all began. Hawkwinds initial galactic blues-rock sound is based on Dave Brocks guitar playing, rising smoke-like through the haze of lyrical space funk. The two opening tracks set the tone, with "The Reason Is" sinking in nicely to the mood of both Dave Brocks and John Harrisons guitar viscosity. After this, the real Hawkwind begins to emerge, as the eight-minute "Be Yourself" is delightfully plastered with echoed vocals and comic book ominousness, putting drummer Terry Ollis in the spotlight this time. "Seeing It as You Really Are" moves hauntingly forward through the blackness of space as a constant jam, with the keyboards, saxophone, and guitar set adrift on a nonstop instrumental voyage. What begins to materialize throughout this debut album is the bands trademarked sound as a whole, with each player making their instrument effectual and authoritative from the get-go. Hawkwinds sound indeed solidified as their career moved upward through the 70s, but their first album magnificently introduces the starting point of what was going to be a long and peculiar journey. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 44 Title: In Search of Space Released: 1971-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 57:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 You Shouldn’t Do That (15:41) 2 You Know Youre Only Dreaming (06:37) 3 Master of the Universe (06:16) 4 We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago (04:50) 5 Adjust Me (05:45) 6 Children of the Sun (03:21) 7 Seven by Seven (original single version) (05:23) 8 Silver Machine (04:38) 9 Born to Go (live single version edit) (05:04) |
| In Search of Space : Allmusic album Review : In Search of Space strengthened Hawkwinds science fiction-type brand of progressive rock, gaining bass player Dave Anderson and galactic poet extraordinaire Rob Calvert, while losing John Harrison at the same time. The album opens with the mind-numbing galactic haze of "You Shouldnt Do That," a spooky little 15-minute excursion that warps, throbs, and swirls with Dik Miks "audio generator" and the steady drum pace of Terry Ollis. Then comes the ominous whispering of the title, set to the pulsating waves of Dave Brocks guitar and Turners alto sax, with Dettmars synth work laying the foundation. Wonderfully setting the tone, "You Shouldnt Do That"s improvisational looseness and rhythmic fusion smoothly open up the album into the realm of Hawkwind. The peculiarity never ceases, as "You Know Youre Only Dreaming" and "We Took the Wrong Steps Years Ago" delves even deeper into obscurity, sometimes emanating with the familiar jangle of the guitar which then has its acquaintance overshadowed by the waft of the keyboard. Just as "Master of the Universe" chugs and rolls with a foreboding rhythm, "Adjust Me" retaliates with its moaning verse and tonal fluctuations fading into oblivion. The groundbreaking sound which Hawkwind achieved on In Search of Space helped to open up a whole new avenue of progressive rock. This album would lead to their most successful release in Space Ritual, coming two years after In Search of Space, with their interplanetary groove already set for takeoff. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 44 Title: Doremi Fasol Latido Released: 1972-11 Tracks: 7 Duration: 41:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Brainstorm (11:33) 2 Space Is Deep (06:21) 3 One Change (00:50) 4 Lord of Light (06:58) 5 Down Through the Night (03:04) 6 Time We Left This World Today (08:43) 7 The Watcher (04:08) |
| Doremi Fasol Latido : Allmusic album Review : Doremi may not be Hawkwinds most renowned album, but it carries the same type of prog rock spaciness as their first two releases. Even though the keyboard playing is trimmed down just a tad, the introduction of Ian Kilmister, otherwise known as Lemmy of Motörhead fame, makes up for it. With Lemmys hard-lined guitar playing and Del Dettmars synthesizer stabs, tracks like "Space Is Deep" and "The Watcher" are infused with elaborate instrumental meanderings in perfect Hawkwind fashion. The longer tracks, both "Brainstorm" and "Time We Left This World Today," find Lemmy settling into the bands extraordinary milieu, but it ended up being the albums strongest cuts. Theres a harder feel to the songs all the way through, with the guitar and drums coming to the forefront ahead of DikMiks "generators" and "hot electronics." Doremi is the inaugural album for drummer Simon King, and with guitarist Dave Anderson and percussion man Terry Ollis now departed, Hawkwind still manages to muster up a firm intergalactic space-metal atmosphere, but with a more rugged thrust. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 44 Title: Hall of the Mountain Grill Released: 1974-09 Tracks: 13 Duration: 58:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) (06:50) 2 Wind of Change (05:08) 3 D-Rider (06:14) 4 Web Weaver (03:15) 5 You’d Better Believe It (07:14) 6 Hall of the Mountain Grill (02:24) 7 Lost Johnny (03:29) 8 Goat Willow (01:37) 9 Paradox (05:35) 10 You’d Better Believe It (03:22) 11 The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) (single version) (03:57) 12 Paradox (04:04) 13 It’s So Easy (05:20) |
| Hall of the Mountain Grill : Allmusic album Review : The bands best studio album, coming off of the success of Space Ritual. The groups rock roots are juxtaposed effectively with the swelling synthesizer flourishes and pretentious song ideas, creating the quintessential guitar-oriented space rock record. The highlight was the live recording of "Youd Better Believe It," with its crunchy guitars, but nobody minded keyboardman Simon Houses languid synthesizer-laden "Hall of the Mountain Grill" (especially as it was followed by the Lemmy-sung "Lost Johnny," a great all-out rocker). The sound, especially the mix of ballsy high-volume guitar playing and soaring electronic keyboards ("The Psychedelic Warlords," "D-Rider"), would later get co-opted by outfits such as Blue Öyster Cult ("(Dont Fear) The Reaper") and Kansas. Overall, this is the sound and imagery that the punkier kids and druggies who went to shows like Laserium were looking for, and if the producers of Laserium had devised something hooked around this record, it could have run 20 years or better. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 44 Title: Warrior on the Edge of Time Released: 1975-05 Tracks: 33 Duration: 2:27:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Assault and Battery / The Golden Void (10:08) 2 The Wizard Blew His Horn (01:58) 3 Opa-Loka (05:09) 4 The Demented Man (03:57) 5 Magnu (08:15) 6 Standing at the Edge (02:46) 7 Spiral Galaxy 28948 (03:46) 8 Warriors (01:58) 9 Dying Seas (03:03) 10 Kings of Speed (03:36) 11 Motorhead (03:05) 12 Soldiers at the Edge of Time (Michael Moorcock version) (02:06) 13 On the Road (01:11) 14 The Wizard Blew His Horn (Nik Turner version) (01:55) 15 Spiral Galaxy 28948 (demo) (06:15) 16 Soldiers at the Edge of Time (Nik Turner version) (02:03) 17 Motorhead (Dave Brock vocal version) (03:07) 18 Kings of Speed (instrumental version) (04:30) 1 Assault and Battery / The Golden Void (10:08) 2 The Wizard Blew His Horn (01:59) 3 Opa-Loka (05:07) 4 The Demented Man (04:00) 5 Magnu (09:31) 6 Standing at the Edge (02:44) 7 Spiral Galaxy 28948 (03:46) 8 Warriors (02:02) 9 Dying Seas (03:05) 10 Kings of Speed (03:35) 11 Motorhead (instrumental demo) (03:07) 12 Dawn (08:57) 13 Watchfield Festival Jam (11:48) 14 Circles (04:29) 15 I Am the Eye (04:25) |
| Warrior on the Edge of Time : Allmusic album Review : Hawkwinds fifth studio album found the band enjoying a rare oasis of stability after the multitudinous personnel shifts of the past five years. Only the recruitment of a second drummer, Alan Powell, disturbed the equanimity of the lineup that created the previous years Hall of the Mountain Grill, although it would soon be time to change again. By the end of the year, bassist Lemmy had departed, vocalist Robert Calvert had rejoined, and the groups career-long relationship with United Artists would be over. In the meantime, Warrior on the Edge of Time ensured that it was brainstorming business as usual. Decorated with a magnificent sleeve that unfolded into the shape of a shield, Warrior on the Edge of Time delivered some of Hawkwinds best-loved future showstoppers -- Simon Houses far-reaching "Spiral Galaxy 28948," the frenetic "Assault and Battery," and the monstrous "Magnu" all made their bow here, while the accompanying "Kings of Speed" single was certainly a big hit in the youth clubs of the day, even if it did steadfastly avoid the chart. Remarkable, too, is "The Golden Void," a stately bolero set, indeed, on the edge of time and buffeted by one of the bands most impressive ever instrumental performances. A handful of tracks do betray their age. Michael Moorcocks echo- and effects-laden recitation of "The Wizard Blew His Horn" is impossibly overwrought, although its worth sitting through simply for the segue into the throbbing "Opa-Loka"; in fact, the entire album is presented with minimal breaks between tracks, to deliver a seamless treat that -- in the light of Hawkwinds next musical moves -- has since seen Warrior on the Edge of Time described as the bands last true "classic." It isnt, but you can easily see why people think it might be. [The CD reissue includes one bonus track, Lemmys valedictory "Motorhead," recorded during the album sessions but released only as the B-side to "Kings of Speed."] | ||
 | Album: 6 of 44 Title: Roadhawks Released: 1976-04 Tracks: 8 Duration: 39:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hurry on Sundown (04:51) 2 Paranoia (04:10) 3 You Shouldnt Do That (06:51) 4 Silver Machine (04:21) 5 Urban Guerilla (03:37) 6 Space Is Deep (06:31) 7 Wind of Change (04:27) 8 The Golden Void (04:37) |
 | Album: 7 of 44 Title: Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music Released: 1976-08 Tracks: 10 Duration: 47:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Reefer Madness (06:02) 2 Steppenwolf (09:46) 3 City of Lagoons (05:09) 4 The Aubergine That Ate Rangoon (03:37) 5 Kerb Crawler (03:45) 6 Kadu Flyer (05:06) 7 Chronoglide Skyway (05:03) 8 Dream of Isis (02:50) 9 Back on the Street (02:57) 10 Honky Dorky (03:15) |
| Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music : Allmusic album Review : Hawkwind was at a difficult transitional point in 1976 when the band recorded Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music. Bassist Lemmy Kilmister had been fired after a drug bust the year before, and the band had been forced to scramble for a replacement, eventually hiring ex-Pink Fairies member Paul Rudolph. Whats more, the band had just released a series of successful, landmark proto-heavy metal albums with Kilmister, and the pressure to follow them up was sizable. It was fairly predictable, then, that Astounding Sounds was significantly lighter and less focused than previous records. Unfortunately, that also meant it was less interesting as well. Most of the album consists of moderately forceful hard rock, dense by most standards but nowhere near as corrosive as earlier Hawkwind albums. "Kerb Crawler," frontman Dave Brocks ode to his car, is a rollicking party tune, and the closing instrumental, "Chronoglide Skyway," is a lush, beautiful epic, but these are the only standouts. The remaining tracks are pleasant enough, but tend to blend into one another. Lyrically, the album is far quirkier, thanks to wordsmith Bob Calverts idiosyncrasies. Whether saluting a certain cash crop in "Reefer Madness" or claiming to be a werewolf in "Steppenwolf," Calvert tries hard to keep the album alive. Unfortunately, the music lacks the necessary punch to make these songs more than mildly amusing. Astounding Sounds is a nice complement to the early, groundbreaking Hawkwind oeuvre, but its not essential. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 44 Title: Masters of the Universe Released: 1977 Tracks: 6 Duration: 38:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Master of the Universe (06:19) 2 Brainstorm (10:45) 3 Sonic Attack (03:00) 4 Orgone Accumulator (10:01) 5 It’s So Easy (05:21) 6 Lost Johnny (03:29) |
| Masters of the Universe : Allmusic album Review : Not to be confused with any of the other Hawkwind albums of the same title (on EMI, UA and Simply The Best; let them become confused among themselves), Masters Of The Universe is, instead, a cheap and ugly repackaging of the 1985 In the Beginning CD, which itself was merely a reissue of the earlier Text Of Festival, minus the two-side long "Sound/Shouldnt/ /"Improvise"/"Improvise/Compromise"/"Reprise" medley jam. The bulk of Masters Of The Universe, therefore, is taken from two of the groups three BBC sessions recorded during 1970-1971, together with a clutch of rough live recordings, taped at an unspecified venue around the same time -- possibly the Cambridge Corn Exchange. The sound quality throughout is raw, to say the least; however, the albums reputation for unlistenability owes as much to Hawkwinds own performance, as to any screaming deficiencies in the fidelity. With the band locking into one solid groove after another, and wrapping up with the marathon bass riff of "I Do It" and "Come Home" (which may or may not be the songs actual titles), it is very easy to imagine that much more must have been taking place on the night that has been lost in the muddy mix. In fact, what you hear is what you got -- only with the strobes flashing, the light show exploding and Stacia dancing naked before you; it really did seem a lot more exciting. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 44 Title: Quark, Strangeness and Charm Released: 1977-06 Tracks: 8 Duration: 36:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Spirit of the Age (07:19) 2 Damnation Alley (09:08) 3 Fable of a Failed Race (03:18) 4 Quark, Strangeness and Charm (03:41) 5 Hassan I Sahba (05:22) 6 The Forge of Vulcan (03:05) 7 Days of the Underground (03:10) 8 The Iron Dream (01:49) |
 | Album: 10 of 44 Title: 25 Years On Released: 1978-10 Tracks: 8 Duration: 34:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 PSI Power (06:06) 2 Free Fall (05:14) 3 Automotion (01:12) 4 25 Years (04:31) 5 Flying Doctor (05:41) 6 The Only Ones (04:12) 7 (Only) The Dead Dreams of the Cold War Kid (03:50) 8 The Age of the Micro Man (03:30) |
 | Album: 11 of 44 Title: PXR 5 Released: 1979-05 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:14:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Death Trap (03:51) 2 Jack of Shadows (03:28) 3 Uncle Sam’s on Mars (05:44) 4 Infinity (04:17) 5 Life Form (01:42) 6 Robot (08:13) 7 High Rise (04:41) 8 P.X.R.5 (05:17) 9 Jack of Shadows (live studio version) (03:40) 10 We Like to Be Frightened (02:47) 11 High Rise (live studio version) (04:44) 12 Robot (first version) (09:27) 13 Jack of Shadows (Adrian Shaw vocal version) (03:54) 14 High Rise (alternate vocal mix) (04:36) 15 P.X.R 5 (alternate intro mix) (05:39) 16 Quark, Strangeness & Charm (live) (02:39) |
 | Album: 12 of 44 Title: Levitation Released: 1980-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 37:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Levitation (05:48) 2 Motorway City (06:44) 3 Psychosis (02:22) 4 World of Tiers (03:18) 5 Prelude (01:41) 6 Whos Gonna Win the War (04:45) 7 Space Chase (03:09) 8 The Fifth Second of Forever (03:27) 9 Dust of Time (06:19) |
| Levitation : Allmusic album Review : An excellent album that thoroughly dismisses any fears that recent personnel upheavals might have damaged Hawkwind in the slightest. Recorded with veteran drummer Ginger Baker as an absolutely astonishing replacement for the departing Simon King and with Huw Lloyd Langton clearly reveling in the guitar hero status accorded by the watching ranks of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Levitation captures Hawkwind at their most confident and brash. Certainly the mighty "Whos Gonna Win the War" has few peers within even the classic lineups vocabulary, with its drift out of Tim Blakes brief but beautiful "Prelude," a transition to be proud of. Feeling ever so slightly churlish, one could point to the absence of Robert Calvert and Nik Turner as a decisive blow in the songwriting departure -- there is certainly a hint of style over substance hanging around a few of the lesser numbers ("Space Chase," "World of Tiers," "5th Second of Forever"). But the relentless crunch that occasionally deputizes for melody has excitement of its own, especially when paired with a Baker/Harvey Bainbridge rhythm section that simply doesnt know when to quit. Just missing the U.K. Top 20 upon release in November 1980, Levitation has since fallen into a degree of disrepute on account of its contents ubiquity in the world of less than stellar Hawkwind compilations. Return to the original disc, however, and that reputation is certainly not deserved. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 44 Title: Sonic Attack Released: 1981-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Sonic Attack (04:45) 2 Rocky Paths (03:38) 3 Psychosonia (02:44) 4 Virgin of the World (04:22) 5 Angels of Death (06:02) 6 Living on a Knife Edge (04:49) 7 Coded Languages (04:53) 8 Disintegration (01:07) 9 Streets of Fear (04:12) 10 Lost Chances (05:45) |
| Sonic Attack : Allmusic album Review : By the time of Sonic Attack, Hawkwind, after losing virtually all of its original members save singer-guitarist Dave Brock, had made a complete transition from a psychedelic proto-punk outfit to a sleek, polished heavy metal band. Sonic Attack sounds like it could have been recorded by early-80s contemporaries like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. True, neither of those bands would have written a song like "Psychosonia," in which the lyrics "They are trying to rob us of our right to communicate" are turned into a cheerleading spell-a-thon. Nonetheless, that (and the title track, which originally appeared on 1973s Space Ritual) are the only concessions to the original, quirky Hawkwind style. Most of the lyrics are typical sci-fi and Dungeons & Dragons-style tales, which are not all that dissimilar from lyrics of other bands of the era, but not particularly notable either. The musicianship is clean, probably even more so than on Hawkwinds earlier, more classic albums. What results, however, is intricate hard rock that is only intermittently riveting. Sonic Attack has some impressive moments, but never really gels as a whole. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 44 Title: Choose Your Masques Released: 1982 Tracks: 11 Duration: 56:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Choose Your Masques / Dream Worker (10:29) 2 Arrival in Utopia (05:46) 3 Utopia (03:01) 4 Silver Machine (04:21) 5 Void City (06:48) 6 Solitary Mind Games (03:58) 7 Fahrenheit 451 (04:47) 8 The Scan (01:02) 9 Waiting for Tomorrow (03:45) 10 Silver Machine (long version) (07:24) 11 Psychedelic Warlords (04:54) |
| Choose Your Masques : Allmusic album Review : One of Hawkwinds stronger 1980s releases, their last U.K. Top 30 hit, and certainly the high point of their two-year/three-album stint with RCA, Choose Your Masques boasts a vision and energy that neither of its predecessors could match, coupled with some excellent songwriting and -- again, unlike its predecessors -- more than a couple of songs that demanded revisiting. Part of the improvement was surely down to the return of saxophonist Nik Turner, absent since 1978. Both his pen and his instrument are eminently visible across an album that matches a newfound sense of high drama with Hawkwinds traditional emotional punch, with the title track, the "Arrival In Utopia"/"Utopia" suite, and the closing "Waiting for Tomorrow" not only proving their worth in the studio, but restoring Hawkwind to the highest standards in concert as well. Six of Choose Your Masques ten tracks are also featured on the Collectors Series, Vol. 2 live album, documenting the groups 1982 U.K. tour, and the power of those tracks is again worth the price of admission. Similarly, the re-emergence of the decade-old "Silver Machine," first as a purportedly remixed single, then as the halfway point on this album, brings a lot more to the party than, say, the tired revamp of "Sonic Attack" did on the 1981 album of the same name. Arguably, without the original "Silver Machine"s unexpected chart success, Hawkwind would never have survived as long as they have, and the doughty old warrior is here treated with all the respect it merits. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 44 Title: Hawkwind, Friends & Relations Released: 1982-03 Tracks: 8 Duration: 40:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Whos Gonna Win the War (05:55) 2 Golden Void (04:43) 3 Robot (08:17) 4 Raj Neesh (02:16) 5 Good Girl, Bad Girl (03:48) 6 Valium Ten (07:52) 7 Human Beings (02:53) 8 Time Centre (04:34) |
 | Album: 16 of 44 Title: Independent Days Released: 1984-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Night of the Hawks (05:06) 2 Dream Dancers (01:25) 3 Dragons & Fables (03:19) 4 Arioch (03:26) 5 Kiss of the Velvet Whip (05:25) 6 Angels of Death (05:42) 7 Kings of Speed (03:25) 8 Watching the Grass Grow (03:40) 9 Assault & Battery (05:40) 10 Sleep of 1000 Tears (04:09) |
 | Album: 17 of 44 Title: The Chronicle of the Black Sword Released: 1985 Tracks: 16 Duration: 56:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Song of the Swords (03:23) 2 Shade Gate (03:01) 3 The Sea King (03:23) 4 The Pulsing Cavern (02:32) 5 Elric the Enchanter (04:48) 6 Needle Gun (04:10) 7 Zarozinia (03:21) 8 The Demise (00:56) 9 Sleep of a Thousand Tears (04:16) 10 Chaos Army (00:53) 11 Horn of Destiny (06:22) 12 Arioch (03:24) 13 Night of the Hawks (05:06) 14 Green Finned Demon (06:05) 15 Dream Dancers (01:28) 16 Dragons & Fables (03:19) |
| The Chronicle of the Black Sword : Allmusic album Review : Hawkwind and science-fiction/fantasy author Michael Moorcock had been hovering around each others vicinities for years before they finally got around to recording this adaptation of Moorcocks Elric novels (long a favorite on the old DAW paperback line). They seemed made to order for the project, and by and large they are; the band rocks their way through the story of Elric and the sword that becomes the basis for his survival and his doom, breaking it up with a few ethereal keyboard-dominated interludes. "Needle Gun" could have been a single by the original band had it been released a few years earlier. They arent quite as melodic here in their writing, singing, or playing as they might have been, say, a decade earlier, and some of the songs are a bit predictable, but overall this is a fairly successful contribution to rocks rarefied body of literary adaptations, well suited to its subject. The lineup here is Brock (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Bainbridge (keyboards, vocals), Langton (lead guitar, vocals), Alan Davey (bass), Danny Thompson (drums), and Dave Charles (percussion). | ||
 | Album: 18 of 44 Title: In the Beginning Released: 1985-07 Tracks: 8 Duration: 49:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Master of the Universe (06:06) 2 Dreaming (04:05) 3 Shouldnt Do That (06:02) 4 Hurry on a Sundown (06:23) 5 Paranoia (02:59) 6 Seeing It As You Really Are (09:30) 7 I Do It (06:36) 8 Came Home (07:20) |
| In the Beginning : Allmusic album Review : Editing down the earlier Text of Festival double album to fit onto a single CD, In the Beginning is the Hawkwind At the BBC album that never was. All but the final four tracks, "Paranoia," "Shouldnt Do That," and the otherwise unavailable "I Do It" and "Come Home," date from sessions recorded for John Peels Top Gear on August 18, 1970, and fellow DJ Stuart Henry on May 27, 1971, and -- the distinctly off-air sound quality notwithstanding -- represent some of the finest available recordings of early Hawkwind. Thats the good news. The bad news is, the live jam that makes up sides three and four of Text of Festival is not the only casualty. Scissors have also been taken to several of the BBC performances, creating short but noticeable edits, while the minimal sleeve information that attended the earlier release seems even more minimal here. Its still a crucial release, at least in a historical sense, but only if you cant find the original double album. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 44 Title: Anthology Released: 1986-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 47:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 High Rise (05:42) 2 British Tribal Music (03:53) 3 Spirit of the Age (08:00) 4 Urban Guerilla (06:33) 5 Master of the Universe (03:29) 6 World of Tiers (05:16) 7 Whos Gonna Win the War (04:47) 8 Ghost Dance (05:34) 9 Silver Machine (04:00) |
 | Album: 20 of 44 Title: The Collection Released: 1986-10 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:09:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Silver Machine (04:03) 2 Born To Go (05:08) 3 Dealing With The Devil (02:13) 4 Urban Guerilla (06:31) 5 Master of the Universe (03:28) 6 Whos Gonna Win The War (04:43) 7 Hash Cake 77 (04:22) 8 Motorhead (03:07) 9 Quark, Strangeness and Charm (02:36) 10 Douglas in the Jungle (06:46) 11 Space Is Deep (08:31) 12 Bring It On Home (03:12) 13 Earth Calling (02:12) 14 Angels of Death (04:18) 15 Spirit Of The Age (07:53) |
 | Album: 21 of 44 Title: Angels of Death Released: 1986-11 Tracks: 14 Duration: 55:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Angel Voices (01:21) 2 Nuclear Drive (03:39) 3 Rocky Paths (04:00) 4 Solitary Mind Games (03:58) 5 Living on a Knife Edge (04:49) 6 Fahrenheit 451 (04:47) 7 Looking in the Future (04:03) 8 Choose Your Masks (05:29) 9 Joker at the Gate (01:51) 10 Waiting for Tomorrow (03:45) 11 The Last Messiah (01:27) 12 Arrival in Utopia (05:46) 13 Virgin of the World (04:32) 14 Angels of Death (05:42) |
| Angels of Death : Allmusic album Review : Some five years after Hawkwind left RCA but just a year or so after The Chronicle of the Black Sword restored the band to a modicum of fashion, the label rounded up the best of the three LPs that Hawkwind recorded during the early 80s, presumably to compensate fans for the long unavailability of the original releases. Four cuts from 1981s Sonic Attack and five apiece from Church of Hawkwind and Choose Your Masques (both 1982) certainly hit the high spots of those records. Perhaps the drab Church of Hawkwind is somewhat over-represented, but one would not argue with the inclusion of either "Nuclear Drive" or "Looking in the Future." Similarly, the presence of "Waiting for Tomorrow" utterly crushes any suggestion that Hawkwind were now a spent force -- the return of original saxophonist Nik Turner for Choose Your Masques absolutely reinvigorated the band, even if he would depart again before the Black Sword saga got started. Despite its usefulness to newfound fans, however, Angels of Death did little at the time, and the absence of any rarities renders it more or less redundant for collectors. Today, it is most noticeable for its scarcity. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 44 Title: Out & Intake Released: 1987-05 Tracks: 13 Duration: 47:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Turner Point (02:19) 2 Waiting for Tomorrow (04:45) 3 Cajun Jinx (05:03) 4 Solitary Mind Games (05:09) 5 Starflight (01:49) 6 Ejection (02:16) 7 Assassins of Allah (03:55) 8 Flight to Maputo (05:14) 9 Confrontation (03:03) 10 5/4 (02:18) 11 Ghost Dance (03:47) 12 Coded Languages (04:20) 13 Warrior on the Edge of Time (03:33) |
| Out & Intake : Allmusic album Review : Out & Intake serves up another go-round for the formless mass of early-to-mid-80s recordings bequeathed by Hawkwind to the Flicknife label and is most notable for its attention to recent material, as opposed to one more trawl through the vintage catalog. Once past the occasionally brittle sound quality, it is a generally enjoyable set, its highlights stretching from the near free-form sax opener, "Turner Point," through to a turbulently dramatic "Ghost Dance," while the handful of cuts drawn over from other compilations (most notably Night of the Hawk) were at least chosen with an eye for continuity. However, not even the most patient Hawkwind fan really requires yet another reprise of "Assassins of Allah," while the oddly truncated rendition of departed member Robert Calverts "Ejection" is simply frustrating -- although the song has since become a Hawkwind catalog staple, the opportunity to hear it is still one to be savored, not regretted. [The CD reissue adds two tracks, "Coded Languages" and a chilling "Warrior on the Edge of Time."] | ||
 | Album: 23 of 44 Title: British Tribal Music Released: 1987-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 59:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hurry on Sundown (04:50) 2 Space is Deep (08:36) 3 Motorhead (03:08) 4 Magnu-Angels of Death (04:20) 5 We Do It (10:35) 6 British Tribal Music (04:00) 7 Ghost Dance (05:34) 8 World of Tiers (05:20) 9 Urban Guerilla (06:29) 10 Earth Calling (02:11) 11 Silver Machine (03:59) |
| British Tribal Music : Allmusic album Review : British Tribal Music is a 12-track collection that draws its contents at random from across the three-disc span of the Acid Daze anthology. The inclusion of some of Hawkwinds best-known numbers should not, therefore, be taken as any guarantee that youll be getting the best-known takes. Rather, the murky provenance of this material, and the absolute paucity of any annotation, simply conjures vision after vision of muddy fields, forgotten festivals, and half-hearted studio outtakes, all with half-listenable sound quality to match. Opening with the earliest tracks on the earlier box set, the 1970 versions of "Hurry On Sundown" and "We Do It" that first appeared on Text of Festival, British Tribal Music then meanders across the next decade, snagging material that ranges from a Dave Brock-led version of "Motorhead," to the Live 79-era "World of Tiers." There are a few moments that spark more than a disinterested grunt from the listener but, really, if you truly need to hear this material, there are a lot more generous collections than this to pick up. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 44 Title: The Xenon Codex Released: 1988 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:08:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The War I Survived (05:24) 2 Wastelands of Sleep (04:17) 3 Neon Skyline (02:05) 4 Lost Chronicles (05:34) 5 Tides (02:57) 6 Heads (04:58) 7 Mutation Zone (03:55) 8 EMC (04:53) 9 Sword of the East (05:25) 10 Good Evening (04:42) 11 Ejection (live) (04:36) 12 Motorway City (live) (06:40) 13 Dragons and Fables (live) (03:19) 14 Heads (03:58) 15 Angels of Death (live) (05:31) |
| The Xenon Codex : Allmusic album Review : Coming from the late-80s period of the band, this is a strong album from a fertile period in the musical history of this group. Although not considered the classic era of Hawkwind, the band released albums that were consistently quite strong during this era. Xenon Codex, although not the strongest album from that time, has a lot of very good material. Cuts that really set themselves apart from the rest include "The War I Survived" and the awesome "Sword of the East." | ||
 | Album: 25 of 44 Title: Spirit of the Age Released: 1988-09 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:14:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Forge of Vulcan (03:03) 2 Flying Doctor (05:33) 3 Steppenwolf (09:42) 4 Hassan I Sabha (05:21) 5 Twenty Five Years (05:39) 6 Jack of Shadows (03:26) 7 PSI Powers (06:05) 8 Reefer Madness (05:59) 9 Fable of a Failed Race (02:59) 10 Highrise (04:39) 11 Quark Strangeness and Charm (03:38) 12 Back on the Streets (02:56) 13 Kerb Crawler (03:43) 14 Only the Dreams of the Cold War Kid (03:42) 15 Spirit of the Age (07:59) |
| Spirit of the Age : Allmusic album Review : Historically, one of (if not the) first Hawkwind CDs to hit the shelves, Spirit of the Age is a 15-track round-up of the bands years on the Charisma label, 1976-79, and a microscopic inspection, then, of the total sea-change that the group underwent throughout that period. No longer the human embodiment of deep space in all its miasmic, claustrophobic, throbbing splendor, the band now specialized in virtual vignettes, cut through with witty lyrics and sharp, clean, instrumentation -- even when the song itself was driving towards its customary epic proportions. Both "Reefer Madness" and "Steppenwolf," from 1976s Astounding Sounds album, pulse with a sonic DNA that older fans would instantly recognize. But move on to excerpts from Quark Strangeness and Charm, Hawklords, and P.X.R. 5, and the landscape changes considerably. "Flying Doctor" is all but a post-punk novelty song, while the galactic gallantry of "Spirit of the Age" retains Hawkwinds time-honored love for science fiction, but translates it, brilliantly, into a quirky pop cartoon. Elsewhere, the presence of such off-kilter classics as "Hassan I Sabha" (a successor, of sorts, to 1973s "Urban Guerilla") and "Highrise" are as much a feature of the collection as the so-readily-accessible "Psi Power," "25 Years," and "Quark Strangeness and Charm," while collectors are catered to by the inclusion of a brief outtake snippet of "The Forge of Vulcan" and the 1976 single "Back on the Streets," finally taking its long-playing bow. Spirit of the Age would, eventually, be supplanted by a second compilation of this same era, Tales From Atomhenge. For the moment, however, it stood as an indispensable guide to one of Hawkwinds most intriguing eras. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 44 Title: Zones / Stonehenge Released: 1988-11 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:13:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Zones (00:46) 2 Dangerous Vision (05:05) 3 Running Through the Back Brain (06:17) 4 The Island (03:17) 5 Motorway City (04:57) 6 Utopia 89 (02:06) 7 Social Alliance (04:39) 8 Sonic Attack (05:47) 9 Dream Worker (05:28) 10 Brainstorm (08:30) 11 Psy Power (05:09) 12 Levitation (07:18) 13 Circles (05:40) 14 Space Chase (03:23) 15 Death Trap (04:42) |
| Zones / Stonehenge : Allmusic album Review : A two-CD repackaging of two primal Hawkwind collections, 1983s Zones and the following years This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic, both of which brought together a remarkably cohesive smattering of live and studio material dating from earlier in the decade: a late-1980 studio session with newly (and surprisingly!) recruited drummer Ginger Baker, plus concerts at Lewisham Odeon in December 1980, Stonehenge in June 1984, and Bristols Colston Hall that same year. Despite the time lapse, the two discs offer a strong survey of Hawkwinds state of health during what was an extraordinarily tumultuous period in the bands history. Having risen to fresh heights on the back of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal boom, the group was then unceremoniously dropped back into obscurity once that movement paled; it would take them the best part of the decade to return to anything approaching their earlier prominence, with the difficulties of the task doubled by the morass of semiofficial compilations and live recordings that now flew out in their name. Zones and Do Not Panic did not, initially, fall into that category. However, the haste with which they themselves were repackaged into innumerable other collections did, and this set, enjoyable though it is, was simply one more brick in that particular wall. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 44 Title: Space Bandits Released: 1990 Tracks: 7 Duration: 39:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Images (09:33) 2 Black Elk Speaks (05:14) 3 Wings (05:22) 4 Out of the Shadows (05:01) 5 Realms (03:26) 6 Ship of Dreams (05:09) 7 T.V. Suicide (05:21) |
| Space Bandits : Allmusic album Review : Many Hawkwind fans have never heard this album, and thats a shame because it is one of the strongest and most consistent discs of the bands career. Yes, it is a little weird hearing a female voice singing Hawkwind cuts, but Bridgette Wishart has a great voice and truly captures the Hawkwind spirit. The tracks are some of the most multi-dimensional and dynamic to come from the group, and the presence of violinist Simon House lends a bit of a Hall of the Mountain Grill texture in places. With a disc this strong it is hard to pick standouts, but a couple of pieces do rise above the rest. The album-opener "Images" is pure hard-edged Hawkwind with some wonderful changes. The violin really adds a lot to the number. The environmentally conscious prog ballad "Wings" is definitely another winner. At last check this one was out of print, but if you are a Hawkwind fan and can find it, by all means pick it up. You will not be disappointed. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 44 Title: Ridicule Released: 1990 Tracks: 5 Duration: 34:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ten Seconds of Forever (02:10) 2 Brainstorm (12:14) 3 Seven By Seven (09:03) 4 Master of the Universe (07:45) 5 Welcome to the Future (02:52) |
 | Album: 29 of 44 Title: Electric Tepee Released: 1992-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:14:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 LSD (08:16) 2 Blue Shift (04:18) 3 Death of War (04:47) 4 The Secret Agent (08:11) 5 Garden Pests (02:09) 6 Space Dust (05:20) 7 Snake Dance (03:52) 8 Mask of the Morning (08:50) 9 Rites of Netherworld (00:36) 10 Dont Understand (07:04) 11 Sadness Runs Deep (05:58) 12 Right to Decide (04:25) 13 Going to Hawaii (07:52) 14 Electric Tepee (02:49) |
 | Album: 30 of 44 Title: It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous Released: 1993-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:03:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous (06:26) 2 Space Is Their (Palestine) (11:46) 3 Tibet Is Not China (Part 1) (03:39) 4 Tibet Is Not China (Part 2) (03:20) 5 Let Barking Dogs Lie (09:01) 6 Wave Upon Wave (03:12) 7 Letting in the Past (02:53) 8 The Camera That Could Lie (04:55) 9 3 or 4 Erections in the Course of a Night (02:03) 10 Techno Tropic Zone Exists (04:31) 11 Gimme Shelter (05:33) 12 Avante (06:02) |
| It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous : Allmusic album Review : It may or may not be the business of the future to be dangerous, but it certainly is the business of Hawkwind to do the unexpected on this album. This disc seems to be the groups effort to merge trance/ambient/techno sounds with that of the space rock that they pioneered. The resulting CD is a bit sleepy, but does have its moments. "Space Is Their (Palestine)" has segments that feel a bit like Kraftwerk covering Hassan I Shaba (aka Assassins of Allah). However, at over 11 minutes those moments are stretched a bit thin. "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" is a harder-edged cut that comes closer to Hawkwinds more typical sound, but it still feels a bit off of its mark. A highlight of the disc is "Wave Upon Wave," which has a great proggy, atmospheric texture. The track "Letting in the Past" is a truly Hawkwind space rock number based on "Hurry on Sundown." The group also tries to break some new progish territory with "Techno Tropic Zone," a cut that seems to combine the weirdness of a piece like "Sonic Attack" with those other elements. The group also puts in a unique covering of the Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter." This disc certainly will not go down as one of their best, but for those with a taste for the unusual it should be entertaining. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 44 Title: Silver Machine Released: 1994 Tracks: 11 Duration: 59:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hurry on Sundown (04:52) 2 Space Is Deep (08:37) 3 Motorhead (03:08) 4 Magnu - Angels of Death (04:21) 5 We do It (10:35) 6 British Tribal Music (04:00) 7 Ghost Dance (05:34) 8 World of Tiers (05:20) 9 Urban Guerilla (06:28) 10 Earth Calling (02:12) 11 Silver Machine (live) (03:57) |
 | Album: 32 of 44 Title: Church of Hawkwind Released: 1994-03 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:01:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Angel Voices (01:21) 2 Nuclear Drive (03:39) 3 Star Cannibal (05:32) 4 The Phenomenon of Luminosity (02:40) 5 Fall of Earth City (03:23) 6 The Church (01:38) 7 The Joker at the Gate (01:54) 8 Some People Never Die (03:34) 9 Light Specific Data (04:06) 10 Experiment With Destiny (02:46) 11 The Last Messiah (01:41) 12 Looking in the Future (04:09) 13 Angel Voices (extended version) (02:21) 14 Harveys Sequence (03:00) 15 Fall of Earth (alternate version) (04:49) 16 Water Music (Light Specific Data) (04:41) 17 Looking in the Future / Virgin of the World (10:23) |
| Church of Hawkwind : Allmusic album Review : A drab sleeve does little justice to an imaginative (not to mention evocative) album title, but Church of Hawkwinds problems were only just beginning. Stumbling uncertainly into a new day, following their brief encounter with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Hawkwind were very much a ship in search of direction, but it would take the return of founder Nik Turner the following year to wrestle the group back on course. Church of Hawkwind finds them simply drifting, without even the isolated highlights of the previous years Sonic Attack to look forward to. Never a band to eschew electronics, Hawkwind here embrace the early-80s fascination with blips, burps, and squeaking with a little too much enthusiasm. Church of Hawkwind is very much a child of its time, but whereas the groups take on contemporary fashions traditionally sent them soaring away in another mood entirely, here they seem bereft of even the self-belief to look away. Dave Brocks songwriting is distinctly below par, while Huw Lloyd Langtons guitars have seemingly become stuck on metallic stun, lacking both the subtlety and the wit that were hitherto his forte. The result is an album that, though it maintained Hawkwinds decade-old romance with the U.K. chart, was nevertheless insistent that the affair was finally coming to an end. So, without drastic surgery, might Hawkwind themselves. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 44 Title: Alien 4 Released: 1995 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:03:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Abducted (02:45) 2 Alien (I Am) (07:46) 3 Reject Your Human Touch (02:21) 4 Blue Skin (07:08) 5 Beam Me Up (04:10) 6 Vega (03:51) 7 Xenomorph (04:51) 8 Journey (03:12) 9 Sputnik Stan (07:03) 10 Kapal (05:10) 11 Festivals (06:48) 12 Death Trap (03:57) 13 Wastelands (01:23) 14 Are You Losing Your Mind? (02:32) |
 | Album: 34 of 44 Title: Distant Horizons Released: 1997-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Distant Horizons (05:20) 2 Phetamine Street (05:41) 3 Waimea Canyon Drive (04:53) 4 Alchemy (03:13) 5 Clouded Vision (03:49) 6 Reptoid Vision (07:39) 7 Population Overload (06:50) 8 Wheels (06:24) 9 Kauai / Taxi for Max (02:08) 10 Love in Space (04:50) |
| Distant Horizons : Allmusic album Review : This CD, recorded between January and July of 1997, was released on Hawkwinds own Emergency Broadcasting System label. The lineup of the group on this one was band founder Dave Brock, Richard Chadwick, Ron Tree, and Jerry Richards. The opening title track is in a techno/trance-ish style, a sound that is one of Hawkwinds newer modes. However, lest the listener be fooled by that fact, that one and the album closer are the only two pieces that are in that vein. The rest of the disc has a texture that is more along the lines of the music the group produced during the tenures of Nik Turner and Robert Calvert. The second track will quickly shatter that techno inclination on its own. Called "Phetamine Street," it feels much like "Uncle Sams on Mars." There are also several progressive rock-leaning compositions present on the album. Of the harder-rocking material, "Alchemy" really stands out. It is one that feels at times a lot like "Hassan I Shaba" (alternately known as "Assassins of Allah"), but features a section that is full on heavy metal. It makes for an interesting twist on the tried-and-true Hawkwind sound. Curiously enough, although there is a listing for "Love in Space" as track 11 on the CD, the aforementioned techno book-ending number (entitled "Taxi for Max") comes in at number ten, with no "Love in Space" to be found. | ||
 | Album: 35 of 44 Title: Dawn of Hawkwind Released: 1999 Tracks: 13 Duration: 42:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Come On (02:28) 2 My Babys Gone (03:32) 3 Dealing With the Devil (03:45) 4 Roll em Pete (02:08) 5 Bring It on Home (03:17) 6 Illusions (04:48) 7 Get Yourself Together (00:50) 8 Whats the Matter (01:02) 9 Bottle Up (01:13) 10 Diamond Ring (02:10) 11 Hurry on Sundown (06:57) 12 Cymballine (04:07) 13 Master of the Universe (06:37) |
 | Album: 36 of 44 Title: In Your Area Released: 1999-01-05 Tracks: 12 Duration: 52:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Brainstorm / Hawkwind in Your Area (11:08) 2 Alchemy (02:46) 3 Love In Space / Rat Race (05:51) 4 Aerospace Age Inferno (05:32) 5 First Landing on Medusa (01:41) 6 I Am the Reptoid (03:19) 7 The Nazca (00:44) 8 Hippy (05:45) 9 Prairie (02:39) 10 Your Fantasy (05:04) 11 Luxotica (03:09) 12 Diana Park (04:21) |
| In Your Area : Allmusic album Review : Like Zones, Palace Springs, and a few other Hawkwind issues, 1998s In Your Area is a combination of concert recordings and original studio tracks. The first six numbers feature live performances caught during the bands 1997 campaign. Fans in possession of an "Earth Visitor Passport" might prefer the Hawkwind 97 collection for a more complete documentation of this particular touring version of Hawkwind. There doesnt appear to be much studio tampering on this live section of In Your Area, which isnt necessarily a good thing as the recording quality is only decent at best. The spirit of each performance translates well in spite the occasionally murky sound. "Prairie" and "Hippy" are clear standouts among the discs original tunes. Much more modern than the metallic space rock of their live set, these quasi-ambient cuts stand up to the groups best 90s material. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 44 Title: Spacebrock Released: 2000 Tracks: 17 Duration: 52:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Life Form (01:42) 2 Some People Never Die (04:02) 3 Dreamers (03:40) 4 Earth Breath (01:36) 5 You Burn Me Up (04:34) 6 The Right Way (00:53) 7 Sex Dreams (03:48) 8 To Be or Not to Be (02:12) 9 Kauai (01:35) 10 Earth Calling (03:47) 11 The Starkness of the Capsule (03:13) 12 Behind the Face (03:15) 13 Space Brock (04:47) 14 Space Pilots (02:01) 15 1st Landing (01:46) 16 The Journey (02:48) 17 Do You Want This Body (06:33) |
| Spacebrock : Allmusic album Review : Spacebrock was released as a new Hawkwind album in late 2000. (It feels necessary to be precise about this after all the archival material issued during the 1990s.) Dave Brock is in full control of the spaceship, handling vocals, guitar, keyboards, and special effects. Dr. Technical contributes drum tracks, while Hawkman handles bass and violin. Many other guests provide material on specific tracks, but this is basically a Brock album. It begins with two pieces taken from movies. "Some People Never Die" (which includes TV host commentaries at JFKs shooting) had appeared in a slightly different form as "Assassination" on The Weird Tapes No. 1. It is one of the most powerful tracks on this CD. "Dreamers" has beautiful spoken lyrics. "You Burn Me Up" is a typical Hawkwind rock anthem and should be an instant live favorite. "Sex Dreams" is two inches away from being a club track ("Do You Want This Body" crosses the line), and features a sexy female voice asking the question "Ever thought about having a dream during sex?" over and over. Hawkwinds message is still true to the original: take care of Mother Earth, free yourself from the alienating corporate world, have fun, and dream. The musical vision oscillates between dance tracks and ethereal space songs with the bands hard rock stylings still standing firmly in the middle; the whole picture is of kaleidoscopic proportions. Spacebrock is enjoyable, but there are more important items in the bands discography. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 44 Title: Take Me to Your Leader Released: 2005-09-12 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Spirit of the Age (06:43) 2 Out Here We Are (05:56) 3 Greenback Massacre (04:14) 4 To Love a Machine (06:00) 5 Take Me to Your Leader (05:50) 6 Digital Nation (05:25) 7 Sunray (03:55) 8 Sighs (01:22) 9 Angela Android (05:08) 10 A Letter to Robert (06:07) |
| Take Me to Your Leader : Allmusic album Review : Whereas space rock pioneers Pink Floyd soon turned their back on the style they helped invent (and created another musical style: prog rock), fellow space rock pioneers Hawkwind have stayed put on their spaceship throughout the years. And they continue to do so, as evidenced by their 2006 release, Take Me to Your Leader, which manages to combine a modern edge with the all trippiness that abounds. The band -- still led by mustachioed singer/guitarist/songwriter Dave Brock -- continues to have a soft spot for soundscape detours ("Spirit of the Age"), isnt afraid to crank up the old Marshalls ("To Love a Machine"), and can morph into Radiohead-esque shapes in the blink of an eye ("Digital Nation"). While the majority of their space rock comrades have gone the way of the Death Star, Hawkwind continues to lean heavily on the hyperspace button all these years later. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 44 Title: Blood of the Earth Released: 2010-06-21 Tracks: 11 Duration: 59:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Seahawks (06:14) 2 Blood of the Earth (02:59) 3 Wraith (06:07) 4 Green Machine (04:04) 5 Inner Visions (04:29) 6 Sweet Obsession (04:45) 7 Comfey Chair (04:54) 8 Prometheus (05:48) 9 Youd Better Believe It (07:11) 10 Sentinel (06:03) 11 Starshine (07:11) |
| Blood of the Earth : Allmusic album Review : Hawkwinds 2010 album serves mostly as a warning -- that too much drug-taking will permanently destroy your aesthetic barometer, and your ability to recognize when its time to pack it in. None of the churning hard rock vigor of their early-70s work (when the bass was being manhandled by one Ian Kilmister, whod go on to form Motörhead) is present here; the drums on opener "Seahawks" are a loop, over which some chanting, bits of noisy metal guitar that are way too low in the mix, and heavy-handed synths are laid. Oh, and ocean sound effects. Cant forget those. The title track is nothing but whooshing and humming synths; it sounds like a slice of a boring in-between passage from a particularly uninspired DJ set by the Orb circa 1993. Things do finally rev up to Space Ritual levels of intensity on "Wraith," but while the bands talent for writing garage rock riffs and riding them to the edges of the universe hasnt abated, modern production techniques make the music too slick. "Green Machine" is a journey to the land of synths, 80s Tangerine Dream style; "Inner Visions" features more looped percussion and synth electric violin; while "Sweet Obsession" tries to rock and fails, as does the bands re-recording of "Youd Better Believe It," an anthem from the glory years. This isnt a good album, and it will only disappoint people who thought Hawkwind still had something to offer post-1975. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 44 Title: Masters of the Universe / Hall of the Mountain Grill Released: 2011-10-24 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:37:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Master of the Universe (06:19) 2 Brainstorm (10:45) 3 Sonic Attack (03:00) 4 Orgone Accumulator (10:01) 5 It’s So Easy (05:21) 6 Lost Johnny (03:29) 1 The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) (06:50) 2 Wind of Change (05:08) 3 D-Rider (06:14) 4 Web Weaver (03:15) 5 You’d Better Believe It (07:14) 6 Hall of the Mountain Grill (02:24) 7 Lost Johnny (03:29) 8 Goat Willow (01:37) 9 Paradox (05:35) 10 You’d Better Believe It (03:22) 11 The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) (single version) (03:57) 12 Paradox (04:04) 13 It’s So Easy (05:21) |
 | Album: 41 of 44 Title: Onward Released: 2012-04-30 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:03:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Seasons (05:40) 2 The Hills Have Ears (05:08) 3 Mind Cut (04:54) 4 System Check (01:06) 5 Death Trap (03:51) 6 Southern Cross (06:42) 7 The Prophecy (04:13) 8 Electric Tears (00:56) 9 The Drive By (04:42) 10 Computer Cowards (05:28) 1 Right to Decide (?) 2 Aerospace Age (06:32) 3 The Flowering of the Rose (08:25) 4 Howling Moon (02:12) 5 Trans Air Trucking (02:38) 6 Deep Vents (00:32) 7 Green Finned Demon (?) 8 [unknown] (?) |
| Onward : Allmusic album Review : Onward, the 26th studio album from legendary space rockers Hawkwind, coincides with Dave Brocks 70th birthday, and while it may not be the bolt from the blue that longtime fans had hoped for (painting by numbers on a canvas this big is hardly a deal breaker), its as expansive, trippy, and overflowing with Hawkwind staples as anything the group has put out in its later years. Featuring the small army of Brock, Richard Chadwick, Tim Blake, Mr. Dibs, and Niall Hone, the two-disc Onward feels both familiar and ephemeral, from the retro acoustic vibe of "Mind Cut" to the straight-up epic prog rock of "Seasons." | ||
 | Album: 42 of 44 Title: The Machine Stops Released: 2016-04-15 Tracks: 14 Duration: 58:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All Hail the Machine (03:23) 2 The Machine (04:38) 3 Katie (00:55) 4 King of the World (02:51) 5 In My Room (03:42) 6 Thursday (04:09) 7 Synchronized Blue (05:24) 8 Hexagone (04:51) 9 Living on Earth (06:27) 10 The Harmonic Hall (04:55) 11 Yum-Yum (01:03) 12 A Solitary Man (05:03) 13 Tube (04:28) 14 Lost in Science (06:29) |
| The Machine Stops : Allmusic album Review : The mere fact Hawkwind still exists well into the 21st century is a remarkable thing. And its little short of miraculous that Dave Brock is still leading the space rock pioneers in the year 2016, with Brock poised to celebrate his 75th birthday. So how much more surprising is it that Hawkwind released a new studio album that year, an hour-long sci-fi concept effort based on a story by E.M. Forster? The Machine Stops imagines a future world where people live beneath the surface of the ruined Earth, where the all-powerful Machine satisfies all their needs. But Kuno is a restless man who has decided to escape to the surface and see what the natural world is really like. Brock and his bandmates have followed Forsters story fairly closely, and make sure listeners see the parallels between his tale (published in 1909) and the present day. From a musical standpoint, this certainly follows Hawkwinds long-standing stylistic templates, though theres a greater emphasis on keyboards these days and a good bit less guitar soloing. (The audio effects and signal processing also recall what pretty much anyone can do on a computer these days, unlike the weirdly esoteric audio of Hawkwinds glory days.) But the long instrumental passages are still suitably trippy and theatrical, and the albums thematic embrace of science both good and evil is seemingly made to order for them. The Machine Stops sounds like Hawkwind -- a diluted version of what they sounded like at their peak, to be sure, but still Hawkwind, as eccentric and individual as ever. No one else does dystopian sci-fi prog rock quite like this band, and if that sounds like a good thing to you, then The Machine Stops deserves a place in your living quarters. | ||
 | Album: 43 of 44 Title: Into the Woods Released: 2017-05-05 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:03:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Into the Woods (06:16) 2 Cottage in the Woods (03:52) 3 The Woodpecker (00:52) 4 Have You Seen Them? (06:58) 5 Ascent (03:41) 6 Space Ship Blues (06:35) 7 The Wind (04:09) 8 Vegan Lunch (05:18) 9 Magic Scenes (06:12) 10 Darkland (02:14) 11 Wood Nymph (05:57) 12 Deep Cavern (02:27) 13 Magic Mushroom (09:28) |
 | Album: 44 of 44 Title: Road to Utopia Released: 2018-09-14 Tracks: 9 Duration: 43:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Quark, Strangeness and Charm (04:32) 2 The Watcher (05:05) 3 We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago (04:56) 4 Flying Doctor (05:51) 5 Psychic Power (05:19) 6 Hymn to the Sun (02:51) 7 The Age of the Micro Man (05:31) 8 Intro the Night (02:11) 9 Down Through the Night (07:11) |