Hawkwind thread.

[Massed Gadgets]

Prelude/Who's Gonna Win the War from Levitation was the first Hawkwind song I ever heard...it was back in my early high school daze, and I had taped an FM concert that was being broadcast on the radio, and left the tape running, and they played WGWTW after the concert, but the DJ never said what it was, so for years I wondered who did that song? I got into Hawkwind and bought a few of their albums, then one day picked up Levitation on vinyl, and OMG, it's that song! I couldn't believe it was Hawkwind. I do have Levitation on CD now, but the sound is a little muddy, so I might pick the Cherry Red/Atomhenge re-issue when it comes out, hopefully remastered for a crisper sound.

[Massed Gadgets]

Does anyone know how they got the sound that opens up Lord of Light? I presume it's guitar, rather than synth, but what effects did they use? Any guesses?

[my breakfast.]

Does anyone know how they got the sound that opens up Lord of Light? I presume it's guitar, rather than synth, but what effects did they use? Any guesses?

Hmmm, Hawkwind seemed to use a VC3 for a lot of audio processing during that era, ranging from drums to guitars and vocals. To me the sound at the beginning of Lord of Light is that of a plectrum being scraped on the strings of Dave Brock's guitar which is then processed through some kind of echo unit, possibly a Binson Echorec. I think in-studio tape flanging was added to this sound.

[Massed Gadgets]

Thanks for your thoughts, Alan. I may try some of those out. Not that I have a Binson Echorec at my disposal, but I may be able to come up with a reasonable approximation anyway.

[my breakfast.]

Yeah best of luck with that!

[mojoman]

Calverts first two solo albums are a good listen

[milesalbert]

Captain Lockhead is probably one of my top 5 fav albums, Lucky Leif is probably one of my all time worse albums. But i have them on lp and one day they gonna make me a billionaire. Also two of Hawkwinds not so rate albums are also in my opinion classics. The first being " CHURCH OF HAWKWIND" and the other is the studio version of "CHOOSE YOUR MASQUES". But these choices can be explained by my having spent a bit of time with their on tour photographer who hppen to spend all autumn pickin mushrooms in and around Billericay. Ya gotta get into, it before ya get out of it.

[Jimi Dean Barrett]

I realise how this post might sound, but it is not an anti-Hawkwind post!

My memories growing up was of one person I hated who loved Hawkwind! So I stayed away out of spite from looking at them and got into Pink Floyd.

Still haven't got further than having In Search Of Space on second hand tape and that Castle Communication Hawkwind collection?
To be fiar, I do enjoy them when I listen to these. I should make the effort... but that's just it. What I've heard of Hawkwind doesn't give me the urge to hear more of like Floyd, Crimson etc?

Out of curiosity, what would you say were the best albums from each decade there's been a Hawkwind?
In all my years of indifference I've only just realised today I could have called them "Wankwind" but never thought of doing?
It was the person I hated, not the band.

And is it true at an 80's (?) Stonehenge gig, Nik Turner invaded the stage on skates and David pushed him off the stage saying "Fuck off! You aren't in the band anymore?"

[Massed Gadgets]

What I've heard of Hawkwind doesn't give me the urge to hear more of like Floyd, Crimson etc?

Try the album Warrior at the Edge of Time. It's their most proggy album, and Dave Brock even says today that he thinks it was their greatest achievement. After that try Hall of the Mountain Grill, also a quite progressive album. Listening to those two might ease you into the Hawkwind sound then allow to explore further into their discography with fresh ears.

As for the best album of each decade, since there are so many live albums, I will stick with the studio albums:

70's: Warrior on the Edge of Time (so many great albums to choose from this decade though)
80's: Levitation
90's: Electric Teepee
00's: Hard to say, but I am quite enjoying the new album Blood of the Earth (but it came out in 2010, so I guess technically then it's from the next decade)

[Sonic Destruction]

Sadly, the Hawks have been very quiet over the last decade, so it is almost as difficult to rate them as, say, Roger Waters' post-millennial output. I am still waiting for my 2CD version of "Blood Of The Earth", but, as far as I am aware, the only other full length studio album of (almost) all new material they have put out since 2000 is "Take Me To Your Leader" which was not actually bad, but for hard-core fans only.

As regards the earlier poster who rated "Church Of Hawkwind" and "Choose Your Masques" from the 1980's - I have always enjoyed those two, especially "Masques", which features a lot of 80's hard rock guitar (in a good way). In contrast, its predecessor "Church" is very synth driven, even though it was recorded by the same line-up.

Ignore any of those Castle Communications compilations; they are all crap, and do the band an awful disservice.

[Jimi Dean Barrett]

What I've heard of Hawkwind doesn't give me the urge to hear more of like Floyd, Crimson etc?

:

70's: Warrior on the Edge of Time (so many great albums to choose from this decade though)
80's: Levitation
90's: Electric Teepee
00's: Hard to say, but I am quite enjoying the new album Blood of the Earth (but it came out in 2010, so I guess technically then it's from the next decade)

I've seen Electric Teepee around now and again and I remember reading reviews that it was a return to form. And ha! Levitation was the favourite album of the person I didn't like! lol
Thanks for the road map!

Sonic Destruction wrote:
Ignore any of those Castle Communications compilations; they are all crap, and do the band an awful disservice

.

Well I should look forward to hearing the studio versions of High Rise and others then! Wonder what sort of management cock up happened to make Castle Communications release stuff? (And yet, I'd like a cheapo half live compilation of PF? Go figure!)
I still love the keyboard drone intro to the Castle Con. version of "Silver Machine". Even though it fades out...

[Sonic Destruction]

Check out the under-rated gem "PXR5" for the original version of "High Rise".

I will grant that there are a few nuggets (such as the alternate "High Rise") on those endless Castle compilations, but most of the material consists of bootleg recordings and outtakes rereleased hundreds of times in varying formats. The best way to gather them all up is to buy the triple "Anthology" CD set, but only after buying all their legit albums first.

[Sonic Destruction]

Just been listening to the MC5 album "Kick Out The Jams" - some of it (such as "Starship") sounds so much like the early Hawkwind space jams, they must have been a big influence on the Hawks.

[MY RRRRS]

HAWKWIND! i think they are just super.

so glad when they got rid of Bridget as her screeching just got in the way of the music. Dave Brock rocks. i especially like the inventive drumming.

[Sonic Destruction]

HAWKWIND! i think they are just super.

so glad when they got rid of Bridget as her screeching just got in the way of the music. Dave Brock rocks. i especially like the inventive drumming.

I dunno; I thought she was okay.