Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music

Hawkwind | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: January 20, 2009
• Label: Atomhenge
• Copyright: 2009 Esoteric Records
• Genres: Rock/Progressive
• ASIN: B001QR277A
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,173 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When Calvert took center stage..., June 22, 2009

By 

S. Joy "Look Listen Learn" (New Haven, Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Astounding Sounds Amazing Music (Audio CD)

I own an earlier CD release, so this reviews the music, not the Cherry Red Records/Atomhenge remastering. Here we find Hawkwind stepping away from a powerful lineup (including Nik Turner and Lemmy Kilmister) that had sadly degenerated (relationship-wise mostly, but arguably musically too - to my ear, Warriors on the Edge of Time, the release just before this one, represented a decline from the standards set by the previous three or four albums) and searching for a new sound, a new identity. The return of Robert Calvert, probably their best lyricist ever and a superb collaborator for band leader Dave Brock, moves them in new directions. The sound sometimes resembles Bowie or Roxy Music as much as Hawkwind blanga: it is more lyrically and melodically complex, less hard-driving for the most part, with fewer skirls of sax or audio generator. So if you only like Hawkwind for Brainstorm or Master of the Universe, it will be a shock at first and you may or may not wind up liking this one. But it is a remarkable achievement. As I understand it, the original idea was to develop a set of songs that would resemble the stories in a pulp SF magazine (hence the title), with perhaps a distinct little stage show for each. Until I picked this one up a year or so ago, I couldn't imagine how the band got from Warriors to Quark, Strangeness, and Charm - this fills in the gap. They aren't yet sounding New Wave, but then, in 1976 nobody else was either!

Anyway, it isn't perfect, but it is very good. Highlights include the lengthy Steppenwolf (Calvert's take on the Herman Hesse novel), Kerb Crawler (another bid for a smash hit single that didn't chart well but probably should've), and Kadu Flyer (Calvert's continuing obsession with piloting has him fantasizing an ultralight flight into the Himalayas). Most of the other numbers are pleasant instrumentals, more background than most earlier Hawkwind.

The older CD release (and there are probably used copies around still) had a raft of live material tacked on at the end, some just okay, but some outstanding - a good live Back on the Streets (yet another failed bid for the singles charts) and a totally berserk Urban Guerilla (with Calvert screaming 'bullets are the only way'). The new one has the key advantage of remastering from the original tapes and a different set of bonus material. It looks like the actual single version of Back on the Streets is there, which is a nice touch, since it was left off the Sonic Boom Killers compilation of singles. I'm curious about the other pieces, though probably not curious enough to buy a second copy of the record.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Life after Lemmy, sort of..., April 2, 2010

By 

E. Oslan "fickifickmaster" (MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Astounding Sounds Amazing Music (Audio CD)

As a big Hawkwind fan, I was thrilled to see more albums given the reissue treatment, about time! Cherry Red/Atomhenge focus on the albums that came after 'Warrior on the Edge of Time' (when's that one going to be reissued?!) right through 'Sonic Attack' (I think?) and make a damn good argument that there was life after Lemmy. The CD reissue is fantastic, with amazing packaging, bonus tracks, extensive liner notes and photos and of course, excellent sound. The music on the other hand tells another story. It seems that after firing Lemmy (all Hawkwind fans know the whole story), the band were confused what direction to take and it shows. For one thing, the group had seven members, two of whom were drummers, both playing the standard 4/4. For a second thing, the music is just all over the place. Not diverse in a good way but just confused. After "Reefer Madness" and "Steppenwolf" two terrific, although a bit more generic then typically expected rockers, there are several instrumentals that either sound like Roxy Music or incidental background music for a bad 70s sci-fi flick and honestly "Kerbrawler" sounds a bit to heavy metally with its high pitched whales. And probably, one of the most important elements is missing - Lemmy's driving, pulsating bass, the very thing that defined space rock and classics like 'Doremi Faso Latido', 'Space Ritual' and 'Hall of the Mount Grill' ('Hawkwind' and 'In Search of Space' are great too!). With that all said, Robert Calvert's taking over on lead improved the band's lyrics of course, unlike when guitarist/singer Dave Brock's lyrics were the same two lines repeated over and over ("be yourself/see yourself"). And the rockers are great, starting with basic glam rock riffs and expanding with Simon House's keyboard and viola and Nik Turner's sax. The concept is also a treat, designed like a 30s-40s sci fi mags. But the basic point is that this album is more *interesting* from a band historical aspect than outright good. I would not recommend this as a place to start your Hawkwind collection. However, if you are a fan and own the aforementioned classics, it is interesting to see what (mi)steps the group took after firing Lemmy. Incidentally it's no wonder they fired a few more members before they released their next album.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Peak musicality, June 12, 2009

By 

Brian W Beck (MA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Astounding Sounds Amazing Music (Audio CD)

This album is a gem. It is a little different and may take a few listening sessions. Reefer Madness is a swipe at the anti-drug government movie. Steppenwolf is one a Calvert classic. The Aubergine That Ate Rangoon is a masterpiece of space funk. Kadu Flyer, a Nik Turner trip. The other tracks meld together some of the most subtle of SparrowFart's work. If you like Hawkwind for Silver Machine, this is probably not for you. Tracks 8 thru 11 were not on the original and apart from The Dream of Isis, should be left off the CD. Marketers suck.