Customer Reviews

Quark Strangeness and Charm CD & Book Set

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Novices to Hawkwind have the Herculean task of deciding which of the 113 or so releases (of which around 80 are compilations and live albums) clocked up by the band they should start with. Well look no further. QS&C is widely recognised as Hawkwind's masterpiece. The "All Killer, No Filler" tag certainly applies here - all the tracks are outstanding The music, Rob Calvert's lyrics, the sound - all top drawer. In fact, I would venture to suggest that Hawkwind was not quite the same without Mr. Calvert as he added a degree of intelligence and wit to the band that, without him, could at times sound a bit moronic. Compare the brilliant sci-fi clone song Spirit of the Age ("If you had ever seen us, you'd rejoice in your uniqueness and consider every weakness, something special of your own") with, say Silver Machine from the earlier Calvert-less line-up ("I've got a silver machine, and I'm feeling mean"). I know a lot of Hawkwind fans like the mindlessness of the early stuff but I would strongly advise anybody starting out with Hawkwind to check out this album. Don't take my word for it, listen to the Amazon.com samples.

I remember that when this CD reissue first came out that it took a LONG time to actually get released.Heard from a rep at Griffin that Dave Brock took some time to decide on the artwork,which ended up being a total different front cover.Like other Hawkfans,I awaited the arrival of this disc.Also remember the rep asking me as to WHY so many fans were interested in 'Quark:...'.I told her it was my guess that the disc had the original versions of some really great Hawk tunes that still get played during the band's live set while they're out on tour,like "Spirit Of The Age","Damnation Alley",the title track and "Hassan I Sahba".Keep in mind it's usually good to hear a song's ORIGINAL version sooner or later.'Quark:...' was the second lp that Calvert had pretty much taken over the lead vocals.Still more like 'space pop',but in my opinion a tad better than 'Astounding Sounds...'. Worth seeking out.

Hawkwind hits the mark with Quark, Strangeness and Charm (not the EP or the boxed set). Hawkwind, known for their spacey music and hypnotic ryhthms, normally alienate listeners not tuned into this style. Quark crossed these barriers and is an excellent album with supurb (and at times haunting) melodies and rich textures. For pure Hawkwind fans, they gave us "Hall of the Mountain Grill" and Warrior on the Edge of Time." For all of us they gave us Quark, a tasty treat for the ears. Why is it that an album this good is so hard to get?

This is a much slicker, cleaner sounding work, with less (or little) emphasis on outer space, more emphasis on Sci-Fi Mystery. And that ain't necessarily bad. Spirit of the Age is a criticism of the automated future of clones. The title cut is concise and funny, but the real strengths are Hassan I Sabha (ROCK OUT in the middle section), Forge of Vulcan (great spacey synth - a piece that engenders deep thinking), Days of the Underground, and Iron Dream (a driving relentless chord progression written by the drummer). The band was definitely trying to sound more commerical here, and they did so without selling out! A good introduction to Hawkwind, with many of their weaknesses minimized (excesses, repetitive chord progressions, raw sound quality, overly long meandering instrumental breaks); many strengths emphasized (creativity, ability to create moods, & ability to present intriguing fantasy).

This is the very first release I ever got by Hawkwind and it's been a journey since. The title song is TOO funny ( you could probably dance to it ), Hassan I Sahba "ROCKS" and "Spirit of the Age" well this tune is the Ultimate of Ultimates for you Space Cadets in training.

What can I say? This is one of those albums that is perfect to blast from the stereo during long-distance, late night drives. The usual S.F. themes in the lyrics abound: "Spirit of the Age" is about a future society of clones; "Damnation Alley" about a city-to-city courier in a post-nuclear war world. The title track can best be described as a love song for nerds. "Hassan I Sahba" tops them all: A hard rock song with Middle Eastern overtones, sung in Arabic. The musical style here is about five years ahead of it's time (this album was originally released in 1978) and groups like A Flock of Seagulls, and _Signals_-era Rush, owe a great deal influence-wise to this album. It rocks harder than either of those, however. If you're not already a Hawkwind believer this album will make you one.

As the 1970s went on, Hawkwind streemlined their sound. This is not saying the sound became more commercial. These guys were about as mainstreem as the elephant man in a frat house.

But they did begin to mix the floating electronics in their music back. This put the emphasis on the lean guitar and bass lines. The change does not make Quark Strangeness and Charm punk, or New Wave, although this might have been implied in the subtext.

Tracks like "Spirt Of The Age," and "Damnation Alley" have a stripped, driving feel, and this actually gives them a fresh energy. The vocals are more clear and up front then on the early 1970s albums, particularly Space Ritual. This emphasizes playing over wierdness, and shows how good this band is here.

The approaches are different, but both are excellent, and this is a great disc for both fans and staters.

My favorite Hawkwind album. There is a lot of variety on this one, and the melodies are more accesible to non-hawkwind fans.

This old faithful seems to phase in out and out of availability depending on fluctuations in the space/time continuum (also known as "who has the rights?")

It doesn't date because the music was considered somewhat cheesy at the time. What most sticks out in the memory is the comedy drumming. Any excuse to do a drumroll in an otherwise dependably uninspired metronome.

In my original sleevenotes there is scribbled tales of woe for the band and "the sacking of Nick Turner and the return of our old friend from "magic Muscle", whomever that could be. Business as usual then in the 31st Century.