HAWKWIND
Psychedelic/Space Rock • United Kingdom
From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website
Formed in London, UK in 1969 - Still active as of 2018
Over their 30-odd year history, HAWKWIND were probably the most famous underground rock band in the world. The group was formed in the late '60s by guitarist/singer Dave BROCK, guitarist Mick SLATTERY and saxman/flautist/singer Nik TURNER. Dave BROCK was the leader of HAWKWIND and he was the captain, as it were. The band never would have made it for 30 years without Dave.
HAWKWIND's history has been marked by a series of confusing line-ups through 40 or so personnel changes. Their sound has continued to metamorphose and evolve: an almost jazz feel ("Hawkwind"), the "experimental" & acoustic sounds of early releases ("In Search of Space"), changing to the metal sound of their days (mid 70's), and a modern electronic feel on the latest ("Electric Teepee"). Yes, one can detect definite evolutions. With the primary use of the synthesizer, heavy and delay with the touch of techno, HAWKWIND practically created a genre of music that be called: psychedelic space-rock. Their creativity seems to be in the use of the synths to add to the intense moods of their songs. They were the master of the acid-space rock genre.
There are at least 100 total albums that are either compilations, EP's, bootlegs of live performances, etc. You can't go wrong with any of the 70's releases in my opinion.
"Doremi Fasol Latido" ('72) - A great album with a heavy metal space rock a-la lan Lemmy KILMISTER, who later founded MOTORHEAD.
"A Space Ritual" ('73) - The essential live album combining Space-rock music, and poetry. The GREATEST album in the world!
"Hall of the Mountain Grill" ('74) - A great album for FLOYD fans - very heavy, psychedelic music with lots of effects.
"Warrior at the Edge of Time" ('75) - In my opinion, THE classic album.
"Quark, Strangeness and Charm" ('77) - A return to a more traditional HAWKWIND sound.
"The Hawklords - 25 Years On" ('78)
"PXR 5" ('79) - This album really started the HAWKWIND tradition of semi-live, semi-studio albums.
Then you should consider the following efforts which I would recommend to the "Hawkfan":
"Levitation" ('80) - The last truly great HAWKWIND studio album.
"The Church of Hawkwind" ('82) - Really a Dave BROCK solo album. Very spacey and electronic.
"Chronicle of the Black...read more
HAWKWIND Videos (YouTube and more)
Showing only random 3 | Show all HAWKWIND videos (18) | Search and add more videos to HAWKWIND
Buy HAWKWIND Music
-
DOUG LARSON IMPORTS — Buy prog rock music and rarities (Free shipping on orders over 10 CD's)
- AMAZON.COM — Best-selling prog vinyls
HAWKWIND discography
Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums
HAWKWIND top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
3.38 | 328 ratings
Hawkwind 1970 |
3.64 | 431 ratings
X In Search Of Space 1971 |
3.76 | 393 ratings
Doremi Fasol Latido 1972 |
4.01 | 510 ratings
Hall of the Mountain Grill 1974 |
4.10 | 728 ratings
Warrior on the Edge of Time 1975 |
3.46 | 204 ratings
Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music 1976 |
3.69 | 256 ratings
Quark, Strangeness And Charm 1977 |
3.27 | 144 ratings
Hawklords: 25 Years On 1978 |
2.94 | 146 ratings
PXR 5 1979 |
3.99 | 287 ratings
Levitation 1980 |
3.20 | 115 ratings
Sonic Attack 1981 |
2.83 | 109 ratings
Church Of Hawkwind 1982 |
2.77 | 103 ratings
Choose Your Masques 1982 |
3.48 | 141 ratings
The Chronicle Of The Black Sword 1985 |
3.25 | 114 ratings
The Xenon Codex 1988 |
3.08 | 113 ratings
Space Bandits 1990 |
3.82 | 133 ratings
Electric Tepee 1992 |
2.88 | 91 ratings
It Is The Business Of The Future To Be Dangerous 1993 |
3.27 | 90 ratings
Alien 4 1995 |
3.25 | 68 ratings
Distant Horizons 1997 |
2.26 | 51 ratings
In Your Area 1998 |
2.90 | 50 ratings
Spacebrock 2000 |
2.65 | 83 ratings
Take Me To Your Leader 2005 |
3.20 | 42 ratings
Take Me To Your Future 2006 |
3.65 | 133 ratings
Blood Of The Earth 2010 |
3.64 | 106 ratings
Onward 2012 |
3.87 | 31 ratings
Hawkwind Light Orchestra: Stellar Variations 2012 |
3.61 | 55 ratings
The Machine Stops 2016 |
3.75 | 55 ratings
Into the Woods 2017 |
2.84 | 36 ratings
Road To Utopia 2018 |
3.14 | 31 ratings
All Aboard the Skylark 2019 |
3.72 | 32 ratings
Hawkwind Light Orchestra: Carnivorous 2020 |
3.78 | 36 ratings
Somnia 2021 |
3.91 | 30 ratings
The Future Never Waits 2023 |
3.60 | 10 ratings
Stories from Time and Space 2024 |
HAWKWIND Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
HAWKWIND Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)
3.87 | 11 ratings
Chaos 1996 |
3.00 | 8 ratings
Classic Rock Legends (DVD) 2001 |
3.42 | 21 ratings
Out Of The Shadows (DVD) 2004 |
3.08 | 16 ratings
Knights Of Space 2008 |
1.33 | 6 ratings
Winter Solstice - Live at the Astoria 2005 2009 |
1.20 | 7 ratings
USA Tour 1989-1990 2009 |
4.00 | 11 ratings
Live 1984 - 1995 2009 |
1.53 | 8 ratings
Treworgey 29th July 1989 2009 |
HAWKWIND Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)
HAWKWIND Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)
2.84 | 10 ratings
Hurry on a Sundown 1970 |
4.60 | 21 ratings
Silver Machine 1972 |
3.00 | 13 ratings
Urban Guerrilla 1973 |
3.82 | 11 ratings
The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke) 1974 |
3.50 | 10 ratings
Kings Of Speed 1975 |
3.80 | 10 ratings
25 Years EP 1978 |
2.85 | 11 ratings
Who's Gonna Win The War? 1980 |
3.18 | 11 ratings
Shot Down In The Night (live) 1980 |
3.73 | 11 ratings
Sonic Assassins (ep) 1981 |
3.11 | 9 ratings
Angels Of Death 1981 |
2.74 | 10 ratings
Motorhead 1982 |
3.25 | 8 ratings
Motorway City 1983 |
3.38 | 8 ratings
Your Last Chance EP 1983 |
3.64 | 14 ratings
Night of the Hawks (ep) 1983 |
3.67 | 9 ratings
Independent Days EP 1984 |
3.89 | 8 ratings
Needle Gun 1985 |
3.75 | 4 ratings
Zarozinia 1986 |
3.11 | 9 ratings
Decide Your Future EP 1993 |
3.00 | 7 ratings
Area 54 EP 1995 |
3.43 | 7 ratings
Love In Space 1997 |
3.00 | 6 ratings
Spirit Of The Age 2005 |
5.00 | 1 ratings
Take Me to Your Leader (Radio Interview EP) 2005 |
2.75 | 4 ratings
Silver Machine 2007 |
4.00 | 2 ratings
Green Finned Demon 2011 |
4.00 | 2 ratings
Solitary Man 2016 |
3.00 | 2 ratings
Rangoon, Langoons 2019 |
3.00 | 3 ratings
It's Only a Dream 2021 |
HAWKWIND Reviews
Showing last 10 reviews only
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by ProggyGoose62
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by Reynolds
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by Reynolds
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
The Dreamworkers of Time boxed set, however, is a solid release, as expected from the Atomhenge label, Esoteric/Cherry Red's home for Hawkwind material - the band and the Atomhenge crew perhaps realising that careful custodianship and curation of the archives is what's called for. It's a collection of various recordings the band made for BBC radio between 1985 and 1995, which means that it's not only a good companion piece to the At The BBC release (which hails from the early 1970s) but also has a decent sound quality.
The first disc presents a 1986 appearance at the Reading Festival that was previously released as the Friday Rock Show Sessions disc - the version here has all the material on that, with a sufficiently careful sprucing-up as to render that disc redundant. The other two discs, however, represent rarer material. There's a 1988 show from the Xenon Codex era that's pretty solid, and then the third disc rounds off the collection with two live-in-the-studio sets, one from 1985 and one from 1995 - this one having a different line-up from the rest of the set, from the incarnation of Hawkwind who would give us Alien 4.
None of the material here will make you radically rethink your opinion on Hawkwind's work in this era, but if you enjoyed the sound of The Xenon Codex you'll find a lot to like here.
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
So what's with the favourable rating? Well, it turns out that those two albums tell only half the story. The rest comes in the form of two live releases - The Business Trip from the tour for It Is the Business of the Future To Be Dangerous and Love In Space from the Alien 4 tour. Hawkwind live albums aren't exactly thin on the ground, but those two are especially good, taking the material from their respective albums (plus more besides) and really showcasing them well.
In fact, I would say these two live albums, which showcase Hawkwind as a sort of space rock/new age mashup trio, perhaps represent the best place to start when exploring this box, since they do a far better job of bringing the listener around to what the band were doing sonically speaking at this point in time than the studio albums do. Consider this a modestly-priced way of getting two absolute classic five star live albums, and treat the studio albums as interesting bonuses, and you will perhaps get the best out of this.
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by Sidscrat
I my opinion, the best of the band is contained in this and the above mentioned "Hall" and they are back to back in the chronology. On "Hall" they added a few new players and instruments and they were a huge addition to their sound in a very good way. The bands other albums I can find a few songs or a handful I may think are good but this one is great throughout. They reach their spatial peak if you will.
"Assault & Battery" starts off the album with the soaring mellotron and a flute compliments the sound well. "The Golden Void" is an extension of the first track as they flow well together. Other than King Crimson I really am not that fond of horns on a prog band but they are definitely part of the band's sound and they work well. "The Wizard?" brings back the poetry which I can take or leave but it works well as it flows into the instrumental "Opa Loka" which is pure Hawkwind. It then flows into one of my all time favorite Hawk songs "The Demented Man." What is weird is I have no idea why I like this song so much. It has an acoustic guitar and voice but the sonic synth atmosphere is where I am mesmerized by it. It sounds emotionally tragic. The song just reaches into me and pulls me into its emotional pit.
The next few songs are good including another poetry rendition. The next song that really amps it up is "Spiral Galaxy 28948" and the sonic soaring synths and drumming are really good in this one as another great instrumental. It rolls into "Warriors" another poetry journey. Again I am not all that fond of the poetry segments but they are part of who the band are and they do them well. "Sonic Attack" is of course their signature poetry session and it is great! "Dying Seas" oddly sounds a lot lie a pop tune from the early 60's to start with but then it comes into its own instrumentally. The band is the best jamming band I have ever heard. "Kings Of Speed" is an all out rocker without anything spacey about it. "Motorhead" ends the album and it is a lot like a 1950's rocker including the fact that it is basically a song done in mono with very little stereo. The end gets a bit spacey.
In all, this album spells out who Hawkwind are. A big High 5 Star.
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by Sidscrat
When I heard this album, it defined who the band is at their best. It is my all time favorite by the band and the next album, "Warrior On The Edge Of Time" is number 2. On this album, there is not a weak track at all. From start to finish it is a wonderful journey into prog fantasy. "Psychedelic Warlords" is a great start with a fast beat. This band knows how to use a mellotron to its fullest and on this record it soars. "Winds Of Change" is a great little instrumental almost like a ballad with an organ, mellotron and violin. It conjures up emotions which is the essence of prog and is what lured me to this genre as my favorite type of music. The entire record is an emotional journey. "D Rider" is a space fest with the pulsing synths. I love the first half of "Web Weavers" as it surrounds you when you drop on a pair of good headphones.
"You'd better Believe It" is pure space music when it starts with the violin. I had never heard anyone do that with that instrument before. I remember sitting in my car a bit zoned out on top of a view of downtown Spokane Washington at night and listened to that intro over and over. That being said, a true measure of good prog music is that you do not need to have mind altering substances to truly enjoy it and since I have not been there in that zone since I was in my early 20's and I love this record to this day I would have to say it stands the test of time and substance! The title track has nothing to do with grills or halls but it is a good little instrumental track and would be the only spot on the album that is less than thrilling. "Lost Johnny" is a good tune that prods along; it is in ways a change of scenery on the album. "Goat Willow" like the title track is just a little instrumental jam. The finale "Paradox" is a great song with the vocals far off in the left and right channels and not in the center and the mellotron is in its usual place and strong. It turns into an emotional soaring instrumental and in the end it quiets down and makes a gentle exit.
If you are new to Hawkwind, this is the best place to start but be warned: If you start here, everything else will be second best with this band. IMHO. It does not have any of the poetry reading but I was never much for that anyway.... Except in the case of "Sonic Attack." I give it a RARE full high 5.
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
As well as those three albums we get a disc of studio sessions from Rockfield Studios from January 1977, which captures the band working out much of the material which would form Quark, Strangeness & Charm. You get early versions of most of the songs there - a bit trippier, looser, and more jam-like than the more polished takes on the album, and so perhaps to some tastes better - as well as a clutch of improvisations.
A brace of live shows from September 1977 showcase how the band sounded promoting Quark, Strangeness & Charm (and test-driving material which would make it onto PXR5) on the road. The best of these is probably the Leicester show, but all of the live extracts here show the band taking an approach which blends their classic style with just a touch of manic punk energy. Of all the psych-space-prog groups of the early 1970s, Hawkwind's DIY approach and political forthrightness perhaps left them best-placed to be adopted by the punk era, and these live shows demonstrate why.
The legendary "Sonic Assassins" gig from December 1977 is also included here - a one-off gig which experimented with folding some members of local Devon band Ark into the Hawkwind line-up. Subsequent lineup changes would lead to some of the Ark lads becoming members of Hawkwind more full-time; in particular, Harvey Bainbridge would be a lynchpin of Hawkwind's 1980s sound. Whilst Robert Calvert had to be gently coaxed into performing the gig - he was concerned about the lack of rehearsals - the injection of new blood into Hawkwind here gives things a new dynamic, with the keyboards in particular taking a significant step forwards.
Last up is the Brunel University live recording originally released as Live '78, an excellent release capturing the Hawklords-era band in fine form, both in CD form and with some extracts presented in video form on the supplementary Blu-Rays.
This is the sort of Hawkwind set we need more of. A lot of the live and unreleased studio material has been released before, sure, but aside from the Live '78 show a lot of it has been in the form of a few tracks here and a few tracks there on a disparate range of sometimes quite hit-and-miss compilations and EPs. By contrast, this is a one-stop shop which will give you not only all three albums from this period of the band, but a generous helping of live shows at that. I sincerely hope they intend to do more of these, at least for those periods where Atomhenge have the rights to the relevant albums; a collection covering the period of Warrior On the Edge of Time and Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music would be grand, as would a set spanning 1979 to the early 1980s or one doing a deep dive on the Chronicle of the Black Sword period.
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
Hawkwind Psychedelic/Space Rock
Review by
Warthur
Prog Reviewer
On the whole, it feels like something of a resurgence of the direction taken on It Is the Business of the Future To Be Dangerous, another album recorded by a trimmed-down studio lineup - and that's fine by me, because that was a pretty good album. This might put off fans of the band's more rock-oriented side, but for those who enjoy their electronic landscapes this is quite neat.