Customer Reviews

Take Me to Your Leader

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

'Take Me To Your Leader' is the 21st all new studio album to come out under the Hawkwind banner since the bands conception in 1969. (The number would run into hundreds if you counted all live albums, compilations, and semi legal bootlegs). It is also a fine return to form by the original lords of Space Rock. Hawkwinds last studio album was 'Distant Horizons' from 1997 which quite honestly should of stayed on a distant horizon. The following year 'In Your Area' was released which was a better album, but being half live and half studio did not quite make up for the disaster of Horizons.
Part of this slump in form may be attributed to the fact that long time Hawkwind bass and keyboard player Alan Davey (He joined as a mere slip of a lad of twenty in 1984) temporarily left the band in 1996 to work with his own band 'Bedouin' who are worth checking out on their own, but then that is a story for another day. But the cat came back, and although Alan Davey joined the band fifteen years after its conception, he had become an integral part of the band, as is shown by Hawkwind's rejuvenation here. Hawkwind of course have been and always will be led by their captain Mr. Dave Brock, who's contribution here is stamped all over every nuance, a man still at the absolute peak of his creative powers. Dave Brock is joined on 'Take Me To Your Leader' by long time Hawknaut drummer Richard Chadwick who joined in 1988, and has stayed the flight ever since. Dave Chadwick had a tentacle in writing four of the songs on this album, one with sole credit 'Digital Nation' which has already become a staple of the Hawkwind live show, as I am sure it will remain for many years to come.
The album is topped and tailed by two tributes to their former front man Robert Calvert. The first story on this album is a re-recording of the Hawkwind classic 'Spirit Of The Age' written by Robert Calvert and Dave Brock in 1977 for the album 'Quark, Strangeness and Charm' The story of travel in deep space and being frozen in time, leaving behind your loved ones, so quite obviously upon your return, they are no longer still around, so if on your space journeys ,you have an android for company and she doesn't love you, things can become a little complicated! Sound a little strange? Well what do you expect from Hawkwind! Just to make things a little weirder, Matthew Wright a long time Hawkwind fan, and popular children's TV presenter in Britain has been invited into sing Robert Calverts words and what's even weirder is that it works perfectly. 'Spirit Of The Age' has been bought dragging and screaming into the year 2005, and even if you have the original it is well worth getting this album to get your story updated.
'Spirit Of The Age' is brought to a fine Hawkrock conclusion,and then blends neatly into 'Out Here We Are' the first Alan Davey song to materialize, emphasizing the importance of his role within the band. Beautiful layers of Hawkwind keyboards are layered one upon another to give you that sound that only the masters of Space rock can produce. This slow paced instrumental track shows you all the classic traits of the Hawkwind vibe, whilst adding a few twists of its own with a very jazzy feel in the mid section, leaving room for some stunning saxophone work for sometime Hawknaut Jez Huggett,the song lulls you along in a swish of sound, relaxing your ears to the sonic waves, but as the song drifts out, the second Alan Davey song 'Greenback Massacre' launches off from it's platform, reminding you never to turn your back on any hawkwind as it can instantly whip into a tempest at the flick of a switch. 'Greenback Massacre' is probably the best new Hawkwind rocker since 'The Secret Agent' on Hawkwinds album 'Electric Teppe' (1992).The unmistakable sound of Dave Brocks guitar leads us into another song this time written by Captain Brock 'To Love A Machine' you do start to worry a little about the bands, fixation with love and machines, but then those in glass space ships and all that. The title track is led in by some smoky blues piano, which shows the band are not afraid to delve back to their roots (Scratch any band hard enough and you will come up with a Robert Johnston riff) but as the song slowly appears the bass work is so heavy it will make your speakers rumble, and your windows fall out, I'm pleased to say the moggies for several blocks scattered when this first dropped out of the CD player. The perfect centerpiece to any Hawkwind album. This is strongly followed by Richard Chadwick's 'Digital Nation' everything a Hawkwind song should be, futuristic to an extreme. It also allows Chadwick's punk flag to fly high, frightening when you think about it that time has slipped by so quickly that although Richard Chadwick started out his musical journey as a member of the punk revolution, he has now been the mainstay of a band that are regarded as the oldest hippies in space. 'Digital Nation' also shows off some more influential work by Jez Huggett this time on the flute. As the songs are led up for inspection they just get better and better Next is an Arthur Brown song (Yes he, the very same god of hellfire) 'Sunray' twists the dials up a notch with the band giving rock solid support to a Brown crazed (sic) vocal. Arthur Brown has certainly lost none of his passion over the years and his screams as the song reaches its climax are as chilling as ever, whilst ex-Hawkwinder Simon House adds some sonically enhanced violin to the mix, whilst James Clemas plays keyboards as if being auditioned for the role of 'Phantom Of The Opera'.
'Sighs' is just a minute burst of some spaced out hawkwind to introduce the last proper song on the album 'Angela Android', which could be `Spirit Of The Age Part Two', more stories of consorting with metalloids, taken at a very fast space race time, with tongue firmly poked in cheek. (I Hope!) The songs closes out with an amazing cameo appearance by Lene Lovich who plays out the role of the afore mentioned android, when she springs into life, giving the androids side of events.
The final number on the album is a rant by Arthur Brown paying tribute to the eccentricity of Robert Calvert, who twenty years after his death still, has a great influence over the band. Brown plays it as if he is actually having a conversation with the great man, whilst the band jam up the Hawkwind groove behind him.
All in all a fine return to form from the spaceship Hawkwind. As 'Take Me To Your Leader' took three years to get together, we shall not be expecting any new product in the immediate future, but this will be a stand out album among the many highlights of Hawkwinds space journey.
If you still think that Hawkwind were a one hit freak wonder with 'Silver Machine' (1972) ,'Take Me To Your Leader' would be a good point to find out that there is more to the Hawkwind machine than a thin silver varnish.
The axis of Hawkwind has now expanded to a quintet with after his great contribution to this album on the keyboards Jason Stuart joining the band. The artwork on the front cover of an alien landing by Peter Pracownik is worth the price of the album alone.
The band is now out on the road in Europe, getting your musical appreciation improved by getting some Hawkwind.
'Take Me To Your Leader' is dedicated to the memory of John Peel and Tommy Vance.
Mott The Dog.

After a very long break following the disappointing Distant Horizons, this new album represents a clear return to form for Hawkwind. Long term fans may be initially disconcerted by the wide musical breadth of the album, which includes influences as diverse as techno and jazz (the latter courtesy of new collaborators Jez Huggett and Jason Stuart), but this is still a Hawkwind album through and through. There's a very clear sense of purpose in this album- that this is just the launchpad for new journeys by the mothership, with strong songwriting and musicianship and a promise of much more to come.

Highlights including the chilling "To Love A Machine" which features some fabulous guitarwork by Dave Brock (and, as throughout the album, powerful rhythm work by Chadwick and Davey). Angela Android, a kind of light-hearted sequel to the classic Spirit Of The Age, is an absolute blast of joyous space-rock, as is Sunray with Arthur Brown on vocals. Digital Nation, by (and sung by) Richard Chadwick, is a (nice) surprise- a low key and folk influenced ode to the joys of online gaming. And the last track, the controversial "A Letter To Robert" engages and challenges with a compelling monologue by Brown about the changing times, cramming in everything from changing gender roles to a theory that the holes on golf courses are made by extraterrestrial spacecraft!

Hawkfans have waited a long time for a new Hawkwind studio album. It's finally arrived, and does not disappoint. Definitely an album that rewards repeated listening.

A very good effort for the long-running British space rock pioneers. Starts off with a modern day re-working of the Bob Calvert gem "Spirit Of The Age" with Mathew Wright on vocals, which was nice to fully take in. Then you get tracks like the typical later-day HW compostion "Greenback Massacre" (where bassist/vocalist Alan Davey takes control-glad you're back,Alan!), "Digital Nation", the awesome "Sunray" (with guests Arthur Brown on vocals and Simon House on violin), the off beat "Angela Android" with guest vocalist Lene Lovich (remember her?)and "A Letter To Robert", which turns out to be a spoken word cut with Arthur Brown once again as guest vocalist. Better than their 1997 'Distant Horizon' release (see my review). Comes with a full color 12-page booklet complete with new artwork and song lyrics. What true Hawkfan could ask for more? Highly recommended.

I have read all of the reviews posted for this album and all are not only accurate, but it is obvious they are written by true Hawkfans! That is, people who know their subject well, and knew what was necessary for the members of this band to achieve in order for the new album to live up to those of the past. And what a long, glorious past it has been for the technicians of spaceship Hawkwind!

While I would like to give a tune by tune critique, it is my belief that each album from this band is a different spiritual, and psychological journey, and must be undertaken by each listener in order for its value to be measured. It is up to each of us alone to find our particular niche in the auditory trip Hawkwind unravels for us on every studio endeavor. That being said, I was pleased to find that the current trio of Brock, Davey, and Chadwick have not only lost none of their grit and electronic savvy, and are not content to merely hover, but are still moving forward at light speed!

The only complaint I have is the final track, which I was anxiously awaiting (being a fan of the late Robert Calvert). Strange and somewhat experimental, it simply seems to have been put together on the spot and without much effort toward its construction. Unfortunately, this track could have been left off in favor of one or two more songs by the band.

Conversely, the first track, a remake of the Quark, Strangeness & Charm classic, Spirit of the Age, was not only excellent, but done very much in the Spirit of Mr. Calvert. The rest of the album is excellent as well, and I seem to grow more and more fond of it with each listening.

As for those who are for the first time discovering this band, I can only advise you that while some Hawkwind albums are stronger or more unique than others, there is no such thing as a poor studio Hawkwind album! As I stated at the start, each has its place in time, space, consistency, and intention. 'Get your mind right', put the headphones on, turn the lights out, and let Hawkwind take you where they must. Your only regret will be that you must eventually and inevitably return to earth!

Hawkwind is a good band, an some of there songs sounds a little like Ozric Tentacles and Pink Floyd.

I discover Hawkwind because I heard that their kind of like space rock just like Ozric Tentacles...at 1st I thought hawkwind was just some regular rock band...until I some of their songs on myspace so i gave em a shot an it turned out to be good music....I don't believe in buying live cd's..I just like the studio albums they made.

As someone with 50+ Hawkwind albums who was extremely disappointed with "Distant Horizons" and "In Your Area", I looked forward to this latest release with mixed feelings. After purchasing it and listening to it nonstop for the last few days, I still have some mixed feelings. If you are new to Hawkwind, this is not the place to start. If you're a longtime Hawkwind fan, I'd say it's worth getting, but I'm not as ecstatic about it as some of the other reviewers here.

The first question to ask is, do we really need another version of "Spirit of the Age"? The answer, actually, is yes. Matthew Wright's vocals sort of threw me the first few times I heard it, but they've grown on me. The song has always been more spoken/chanted than sung, in imitation of a clone's voice, but he still comes off as a little too stilted at times. On the other hand, the guitar work and other instrumentation are excellent and when the singsong line "oh for the wings of any bird other than a battery hen" comes in, the shivers still run down your spine. All in all a pretty good updated effort and a solid start.

Track 2, Davey's instrumental "Out here we are" has a very different feel from the usual Hawkwind instrumental, due to the jazz saxophone presence of Jez Huggett, which is very far removed from Nik Turner's aggressive approach. Quite nice.

All the instrumentals here come off as more space-electronica than heavy space rock--which is OK, it's a very updated sound for the band, with the vocals washing in and out in snippets and with the sax and keyboards. It's kind of like Dave Brock meets Thievery Corporation, and I mean that as a good thing.

"Greenback" is a Davey political song that starts out with very aggressive guitars and effects, but these soon become too muted for my tastes. Davey's voice also sounds really rough, and frankly the lyrics aren't all that great. Has sort of a "Palace Springs"-era feel.

"To love a machine": Well, again, the lyrics aren't particularly awesome, but this is the most quintessential Hawkwind-ish song on the album, that tribal psychedelic stomp and instantly recognizable sound. This is their first memorable song for me since probably "Love in space" back in 1993 or so. This is the highlight of the album.

"Take me to your leader" is mostly instrumental with some fragmented singing, as alluded to above.

"Digital Nation" is sort of a filksinging ode to online gaming. You can sort of get into it, but it's kind of silly.

"Sunray" with Arthur Brown is a solid rocker, but it just doesn't move me. The vocals and guitars just seem too muddy. Sometimes it seems they try too hard to make things sound "spacey" and end up with "swampy."

"Sighs" is another short instrumental.

"Angela Android" is a sophomoric ode to robot sex and I happen to think Lene Lovich's singing on the second half of the song is abysmal. It's like French lounge or something. It just doesn't work here.

"A letter to Robert," the last track, is more of a conversation than a letter. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be based on a real conversation, or what. This kind of thing--spoken word over music--has been done before successfully, but not here. The "conversation" is twaddle marred by misogyny and a paean to golf courses as E.T. landing points. Why would you invoke Robert's memory with this? Sometimes the space rock pioneers come off as parodies of themselves. Mentioning space craft or sexy robots doesn't necessarily a good song make, and frankly what I expect from Hawkwind is a good song more than a science-fiction theme.

Overall thoughts: A decent half-album's worth of material. Best new song in a dozen years or so. But the guitar work was often too muted, the singing was sometimes sketchy, and most of the lyrics were throwaway.

In the Hawkwind discography, I'd rate it somewhere above "Distant Horizons", "In Your Area", "Love in Space" and "Alien 4." Almost on a par with "It is the business of the future to be dangerous" and "Electric Teepee," although those aren't damaged by any clunkers like tracks 9 and 10 here.

I'd buy it again, but then I buy a lot of Hawkwind releases. If you try to keep up with the band, then get it. It's interesting, but not awesome. (If you're looking for a recommendation for awesome ultra-heavy psychedelic rock, check out Acid Mother Gong'sLive in Nagoya

***********************************Personnel

* Dave Brock - guitar, vocals, keyboards
* Alan Davey - bass guitar, vocals, keyboards
* Richard Chadwick - drums, percussion and programming
* James Clemas - organ (tracks 1 and 7)
* Matthew Wright - vocals (track 1)
* Jez Huggett - saxophone (tracks 2 and 6)
* Jason Stuart - keyboards (tracks 3 and 4)
* Simon House - keyboards and violin (tracks 7 and 9)
* Arthur Brown - vocals (tracks 7 and 10)
* Lene Lovich - vocals (track 9)

************************************Technical Stuff
The recording and mixing are very good. The mastering, not so much. This is a moderately bad 'loudness war' (google for more info) disc. The dynamics have been compromised, but not eliminated; and the clipping and mastering induced distortion occur only on about 10% of the album. So it is still very listenable, however the mastering is not very good.

************************************The Music
After an eight year absence from the studio (as "Spacebrock" was a Dave Brock solo album, not a true Hawks album), Hawkwind finally released a new studio effort in 2005. Aside from the first track "Spirit of the Age", it is all new material. And I think the first track was included as an homage to Calvert and to serve as a bookend with the last track. The last track is a spoken word piece by Dave. It is a letter to Robert Calvert that sometimes changes into an imaginary dialog with the departed vocalist. I really liked it as it showed Brock's humor and love. I don't think I'll be listening to it more than twice though.

True to form, they reinvent their sound on the rest of the tracks. This time it is an amalgam of trance, techno, smooth jazz, and space rock (of course) in to a throbbing pulsing ball of energy. If you're looking for strait ahead space rock, you'll be disappointed with this one. There are drum machines, sequencers, and synths aplenty in addition to the guitars. But for me, it works very very well.



************************************Summary
File this one under Trance-Techno-Smooth-Jazz-SpaceRock. It is essential for Hawk fans, but not the best place to start for newbies.

Today's version of Hawkwind features only Dave Brock as an original member, but the spirit of the band is still alive and well. Alan Davey and Richard Chadwick have both been with the band for over 20 years so these guys have had a long time to work with each other. The sound is definitely updated with modern dance beats and electronics bubbling to the surface throughout the album. Hints of Ozric Tentacles and even Radiohead abound. The album starts off with a re-working of an old Robert Calvert Hawkwind tune "Spirit Of The Age". The album ends with a tribute of sort to Calvert "A Letter To Robert" which is a spoken word piece done as a conversation between guest Aurther Brown and an imaginative Calvert with droning trans beat music accompaniment. In between these two songs are what I consider a good, but not great Hawkwind album. Brown also guests on a cover of one of his own song "Sunray", and Lena Lovich lends vocals as the main character of "Angela Android". Overall this is a decent Hawkwind release that does not blow me away, but did not make me want to sell it either.

Another outing from Captain Dave and Crew..Seems to be another good cut of the Hawklords.....Glad to add it to my collection. . .

Well, the last track "Letter to Robert" is basically rubish.
Apart from that, the album is great!