25 Years on

Yes, this is a Hawkwind album! NOT a spin-off project, despite all of the legalese. I knew that the minute I first picked up the LP in my old neighborhood record store. It was a secret no one was trying to keep.This is basically the same personnel as on Quark, Strangeness, and Charm and PXR 5. Ben Wiseman at The Audio Archiving Company did a faithful job with the remaster. Hearing this after putting it in the player reminded me why I still prefer physical formats to other ways of listening to good music. This whole record sounds really good, and all the songs have stood the test of time conceptually, but hearing Freefall with the full range of bass and its timbral character was revelatory. Hawkwind always stood at the crossroads of psychedelia, proto-punk, metal, and electronica. This album is a reminder of how they were able to plant their flag in that rare space. My only regret here is that I always loved what Nik Turner contributed to Hawkwind, and he isn't a part of this era. Having played in a few bands, I understand the esthetic and interpersonal fissures that can develop, so it is okay. Next I will probably pick up Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music, since that one reflects the jazzier, proggier aspect of the band. Meanwhile I'm immensely enjoying this!

This recording of Hawklords was a stunning find. Since few ever even heard of this recording, the fact it was re-printed on CD was shocking to me. I know of only one copy around here of the original album and I have a very large pool of friends that have/had extensive collections of albums. As Hawkwind albums go, this double album/CD is pretty good and very listenable. PSI POWER is the song I was introduced to on this release. It's as good as any of Hawkwind's better songs. The double album, as just about any double album, is full of fill. But there are at least 6-8 tracks on this rarity definitely worth listening to and very much worth the price this disc would cost you IF you're a HAWKWIND fan. For those that are curious, Hawkwind was a Space Rock genre type of band not strong on vocals but none the less a very stunning example of that type of music. They use an outrageous amount of phasing and stereo effects, utilizing guitars, synths, bass and percussion. For good examples, try songs 'Master Of The Universe', Lord Of Light, Brainstorm, and Spirit Of The Age. If you're a real fan of this band, this release is a MUST BUY....Period! Others are 'Doremifasolatido', 'In Search Of Space' and 'Quark, Strangeness and Charm'.

For years I had this LP on vinyl (imported) and have always loved it. It's more psychedelic than the usual Hawkwind music and has some subliminal stuff in the PSI POWER song. Was pleased that there was an extra CD to go with this original LP. Fantastic!

Big Fan, Just Getting Too Know, Thanks.

trust me if you know anything about this band buy it. Trust me if you know nothing about this band-- buy it.

****************Personnel Robert Calvert - lead vocals, acoustic guitar (track 7) Dave Brock - acoustic and electric guitar, keyboards, backing vocals Harvey Bainbridge - bass guitar, backing vocals Steve Swindells - keyboards Simon King - drums (tracks 4,7,8), Congas (track 6) Martin Griffin - drums (tracks 1,2,5,6) Simon House - violin (tracks 6,7,8) Henry Lowther - trumpet (track 1) Les McClure - whisper voice (track 4) *************Technical Info: I have the 2009 Cherry Records/Atomhenge remaster, and the 1989 Virgin/Charisma master. Neither suffers from any of the 'loudness war' problems that plague modern rock remastering. There is no clipping or mastering induced distortion, and there is very little in the way of dynamic range compression. Both issues are fantastic remasters. The eq of the two versions is surprisingly similar. I would buy the 2009 version though has more clarity and separation of the instruments. This probably comes down to better digital equipment and more computing power today than 20 years ago. Once again, thanks Cherry for not screwing this up and for giving us fans the best possible product. ***************Music Because of a legal challenge over the name Hawkwind, Brock dissolved Hawkwind and started Hawklords. It is essentially a Hawkwind album though, as the name change was not motivated by creative reasons, but only as a legal strategy. The music on this record like the previous "Quark, Strangeness, and Charm" is not what one thinks of when the name Hawkwind is seen. It is tight, professional, focused, and very New Wavey; and not at all fuzzy jamming space prog. The production and recording were like-wise top notch. Calvert again takes the lead, writing some of Hawk's best lyrics, touching on telepathy ("Psi Power"), sky diving ("Free Fall"), drug misuse ("Flying Doctor"), heroism ("The Only Ones"), espionage ("The Dead Dreams Of The Cold War Kid"), and the dehumanization of the industrial age "The Age Of The Micro Man". It is a real tour-de-force of writing. The 2009 bonus material is really nice addition this time around. The first three tracks are the least interesting of the material, featuring single versions of "PSI Power", "Death Trip", and "25 Years". Then we get the "Sonic Assains" impromptu gig headed up by Calvert and Brock, great stuff, and Mad Bob is in full rotation here. This is the best sounding version of that gig. Next is a wonderful acoustic version of "The Only Ones". There is a demo version of "The Dead Dreams of the Cold War Kid", that has a great raw feed sound. Alternate versions of "Flying Doctor", "25 Years", "Freefall", "The Age of Micro Man", and "Automoton" are included. They are all different enough from the final versions to make them interesting. "Assassination" (Some People Never Die) from "The Church of Hawkwind" makes an appearance. Ending the 2 disc set is "Digger Jam", which is a stream of consciousness lyrical flow from Calvert overtop of a great improv jam by the Lords. And if that wasn't enough, you get the tour booklet with the manifesto of Pan Transcendental Industries. *******************Summary This album is not space-prog, and some say it is not Hawkwind. Whatever the case, the music is top shelf, and the lyrics are some of the best rock lyrics you'll hear. The 2009 remaster is the version to get. It has the best sound and the best packaging and the best bonus cuts.

For a short while Hawkwind looked like they might make the jump into another league. The key albums were 'Quark Strangeness and Charm' and this one. The difference in direction was startling and well timed. Along with it's extraordinary sleeve and the tour programme the music seemed much more focussed and direct. The bonkers concept behind this album was so well written that it seemed like a communication from some ruthless global corporation. The tour itself was also something different from the usual Hawkwind offering. Unlike previous shows where we got the band in usual rock formation these gigs were very disciplined performances with dancers wrapped in bandages manipulating large illuminated symbols. At one point the audience was showered with circular stickers with a flaming hand symbol bearing the words 'Reality You Can Rely On'. A classic imaginary strapline perhaps for a commercial trip into the mind of Philip K Dick. The music too was clean, precise and beautifully written. The production still sounds great today and as a whole the music flows beautifully from track to track. From the wondrous opener 'Psi Power' onwards we get a series of excellent set pieces. 'The Only Ones' still makes my hair stand on end and the fabulous '25 Years' reveals just how good a combination Calvert and Brock could be. This release will be welcomed by many as both the original album and the 'Hawklords Live' CD have been long deleted. The inclusion of demos from this period make this an essential purchase. After the final departure of Calvert the Hawks returned to their original style (although with much higher production values). This album represents the pinnacle of that brief phase with Calvert and although many may prefer the stunning 'Quark Strangeness and Charm' this is nevertheless a class album.

On retrouve dans ce premier album d'Hawklords les mêmes qualités que dans les albums d'Hawkwind que j'apprécie beaucoup. Musique psychédélique dans une ambiance tribale, voyage spatial. Hawklords a été fondé en 1978 par Dave Brock, un des fondateur du groupe Hawkwind et ceci explique celà.

Das "Hawklords" Album war ewig nicht oder nur sehr teuer auf CD zu bekommen. Als (ein) Höhepunkt der Calvert-Phase mit knackigen Rock/Punk-Songs und eleganten/softeren Titeln ist es unter Fans ein Muss in der langen Bandgeschichte von "Hawkwind". Die zusätzlichen Live- und Demotitel sind aber das eigentliche Highlight dieser Neuauflage. Das Original-Album ist gut remastered, die Livestücke der "Sonic Assassins" so top wie bisher nicht zu hören; die von den original 16-Track Masters remixten "Unreleased Tapes" aber zeigen erst das Potential der eigentlichen Aufnahmen. Spitze alternative Versionen - imho oft klanglich besser wie die Albumtitel. Und das ganze noch in einem schicken Schuber ...

Wszystko zgodnie z opisem - polecam.

Excellente remasterisation, très attendue, d'un album majeur de Robert Calvert avec ses copains de Hawkwind, accompagné de nombreux bonus, versions demo et un petit live des Sonic Assassins ! Tout ça est très bienvenu ! A recommander !