Hawkwind: 27 Years On

Hawkwind: 27 Years On

From Expose, Summer 1997...photos added by me, today!

Two founding members...Dave Brock (above) and a despondent Nik Turner (right)

27 Years on...how many bands can claim that lifespan? Though in reality, Hawkwind isn't so much a band as a person - Dave Brock, the captain of the ship SS Hawkwind. For 27 years he has been the driving force of Hawkwind. Guiding her through the genres of prog rock, space rock, hard rock, disco, punk, new wave, heavy metal, Modern, alternative, ambient and techno. Never compromising, always flying in the face of fashion, as Dave himself has said, "We're like Barbarians let loose with Technology." Never caring for stardom, just wanting to give the people a good show. What do you think of when you hear the name Hawkwind? A naked chick dancing in strobe-lights? A bunch of LSD-dropping hippies? That shitty band whose songs just go on and on? Or as a group, who despite constant line-up changes, have survived for nearly 3 decades.

I have been a follower of Dave Brock and Hawkwind for damn near 20 years. My first encounter with Hawkwind was PXR5. It was in Rather Ripped Records in Berkeley, in those days you could give the counter guy a stack of LP's and he would play them for you on the store system. "...From the back of my mind I can feel a strange sensation, feels like the crisis of all creation..."

At the time I was listening to both Progressive and Punk/New Wave music. PXR5 seemed a little like both. From fast, jerky 4/4 type rhythms to synthy, swirling, violin-laden space rock. I bought it and loved it, and was quickly to become a serious Hawkfan. I soon had bought up the current catalog. Me and Mr. Bong would ride the groove provided by Hawkwind at high volume, or better yet, headphones. I was the only person I knew who 'really' liked them, most people I knew hated them ("they suck" was a common remark.) What was it? I just loved this band. They were psychedelic, they were hard rock, they were progressive. The music was very spacey, stereo crossovers abound. To me, they are the black sheep of prog.

When I decided to write this article, I assumed my love of the band would be enough. A profile should provide readers with both history and insight, give an account of all the band has done, and report on the members who have been a part of it. And not to bore the crap out of you.

Without ever hearing the music you know what to expect. Their album covers are wild. Pyramids, Spaceships, Stonehenge, Aliens, American Indian motifs and Science Fiction are common themes. They frequently collaborated with SF&F author Michael Moorcock, creator of Elric, Jerry Cornelius and my favorite, Jherek Carnelian. Up until 1984, they gave yearly free concerts at Stonehenge. Their songs cover everything from The Inner Mind to the Outer Limits: Space Travel, Nuclear War, Drugs, Hallucinations, Fantasy Characters, Paranoia and Society.

Hawkwind was born in the fading light of the magical 60's. Street musician Dave Brock, along with Mick Slattery and John Harrison, combined with an idea of forming a band just a bit different. Drummer Terry Ollis and Saxophonist Nik Turner (who also had a van) came along next. For lack of any other ideas they called themselves Group X. A gig in All Saints Hall, lasting all of 10 minutes clinched it. They had a manager, and were soon signed to United Artists. No sooner had they recorded their demo when someone quit, a trait that has clung to the band. Guitarist Mick Slattery left, and was replace by Huw Lloyd Langton. 1970 saw Hawkwind gigging constantly, their sound beginning to be defined, a melange of lights, pulsing rhythms and chant-like vocals.

In 1970, they released "Hawkwind." Upon which bass player John Harrison left, replaced by Thomas Crimble. "Hawkwind" is blend of Folk, Blues and Rock. Tracks like Be Yourself and Paranoia are true Hawkwind classics. Hawkwind was a people's band (certainly a lot of people played in it!) They were a common sight at free festivals, and most notably the Isle of Wight Festival. Hawkwind played outside the gates, collecting fans and publicity. It was soon after this that guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton quit. Dave Brock was certainly able to take over the duties of lead guitarist so no replacement was sought, he preferred to let the instruments all blend into each other, with electronics being the only lead sound.

In 1971, they attracted the attention of Poet, Artist and resident madman, Robert Calvert. Bob liked the idea of a "Space Rock band," and thought he could add another element to the show. They released "In Search of Space" which featured odd packaging and a book, The Hawkwind Log, written by Bob with artwork by Barney Bubbles. The log is a Sci-Fi chronicle about a spaceship, the SS Hawkwind and its star journey. The album is a hard-core star journey of its own. Building on the space rock sound they created, it's a psychedelic mix of electronics and rhythm. Hawkwind staple, Master of the

Universe appears here. Throughout 1971 Bob Calvert would appear more and more with the band, performing his poetry and backed by mesmerising electronic sounds. Live, Hawkwind was refining its sound further, using subliminal sonic frequencies to mess with peoples' heads. Dave told a newspaper, "We just wanted to freak people out, portray different trips, you know acid trips, because we had been there and knew how to get through to people."

Before ISoS was released, Dave Anderson quit. Though a fine bassist, he fancied himself a bigger star than the rest of the band, who by now was set to either beat him up or blow up his car. Again Hawkwind were in need of a new bass player and Dik Mik had a friend who was just right for the job. Enter Ian Kilminster, known to all as Lemmy. And though he had no bass, his exuberant stage persona (fuelled by a passion for uppers) bordered on the manic. He was a perfect fit. Also joining the band was the one and only Stacia. Yes,

the naked woman. Having no formal dance training, she too was caught in the sonic assault. Supposedly she had once asked Nik T. about dancing and he replied to the effect that she could if she was nude. This was 1971, and dancing in the nude at a concert was no big deal. Unfazed by Nik's request (she was apparently quite proud of her body) and so dance she did. Drummer Terry Ollis was into downers, and 1971 saw his problems worsen. At times so far gone he could barely sit on his stool. Hawkwind recruited Viv Prince to fill in when Terry was out of it. Eventually Terry quit, and an old mate of Lemmy's, Simon King got the job. Dik Mik also "quit" the band for a while in 1971, only to return a few months later. During his absence soundman Del Dettmar was given the job of keyboard effects.

Early in 1972, Hawkwind played at the Greasy Truckers party, the concert was recorded and released. For the gigs Hawkwind debuted a new song, Silver Machine. The live vocals weren't quite right, and Calvert was unable to do the remix, so Lemmy took the mic. Silver Machine went to Number 2 on the charts. Hawkwind had a hit, and the hit brought in money. They beefed up their light and sound systems and hit the road. The tour was called The Space Ritual, and it must have looked like a UFO landing. Or your brain exploding. Commenting on the upcoming tour, Nik T. said, "Just tell people to come and have their minds ripped apart." Indeed. Space Ritual was Sound, Music, Light, Dancing, Poetry Reading, Street Artists and a liberal amount of non-prescription pharmaceuticals I would imagine. The Space Ritual tour was a big success, and the 1973 album released of it still stands as a classic live album. Hawkwind were riding high. The Space Ritual tour was actually in support of album number 3, Doremi Fasol Latido. DFL and Space Ritual capture many of Hawkwind's finest moments; 7X7, Down Through the Night, Time We left, Lord of Light, Sonic Attack. Songs that define the early Hawkwind sound.

In 1974 with the funds made on the Space Ritual tour Hawkwind embarked on a tour of the States. Minus Calvert who left to record a solo album. And Dik Mik who had finally, really quit. Also missing on the US tour was much of the elaborate staging. Despite all this the shows were a success. Calvert released "Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters" with much of the band guesting on it. This album received critical acclaim and stands as one of the oddest concept albums. It's the story of the Lockheed F-104 Starfigher, a supersonic jet, shaped like a needle that had a habit of crashing early in its career (until pilots learned how to fly it.)

With Dik Mik gone the Hawkwind sound was missing something, his audio generators had created the tones and subliminals that helped to give Hawkwind their LSD reputation. So Hawkwind sought out violin/keyboard player Simon House. Already set to tour the US, there was no time to obtain a work permit for Simon so he just went along, managing to jam at a few gigs. Upon returning to the UK the band went to record "Hall of the Mountain Grill." Simon's presence really added another dimension to the band. Songs like Wind of Change and the title track highlight his violin playing. With Simon on stage, Del moved his gear to the mixing board, where he could control the sound better. However in June he left the band, and emigrated to Canada. This brings an end to the two keyboard player era of Hawkwind and starts a brief two drummer period. In July Simon King broke a few ribs playing football so Alan Powell was brought in as a replacement. When King returned they kept them both. With Calvert gone they also had no poet! So Michael Moorcock joined the band for a time. In September of '74 they returned to the states for another tour, however problems arose in Indiana. It seemed the band owed $8,000 from the previous tour, so all their equipment was seized, forcing them to return home until the situation was resolved. By October they were back in the US finishing up the tour.

Del Dettmar, before he left the stage lineup...

In 1975 they were back in the studio recording "Warrior on the Edge of Time." An early single was cut, King's of Speed. The b-side was a prophetic little number by Lemmy called Motorhead. Another classic album, WotEoT was built around Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion themes (It's COLD on the Edge of Time!) Assault & Battery, Magnu and Spiral Galaxy 28948 (Simon's birthday) are standout tracks. The band was on a roll, and they embarked on another US tour, however while crossing the border from Canada into the US, Lemmy was busted for Cocaine, a felony (actually, it was in reality Amphetamine Sulfate, a misdemeanor). In a panic the band fired him, a decision Dave Brock has regretted and Lemmy has prospered

by. Paul Rudolph (Deviants, Pink Fairies) was flown over to replace Lemmy for the rest of the tour. He then became a regular member.

Also in 1975 Robert Calvert went to work on his second solo album, Lucky Lief and the Longships (Produced by Brian Eno) this album was not as well received critically, though I think Voyaging to Vinland is a pretty great song. In August Hawkwind headlined the Reading Festival after which Stacia quit and Calvert rejoined.

Hawkwind had been growing and improving steadily for 6 years; this was to end in 1976. For starters Hawkwind left Doug Smith/Clearwater Productions and UA for Wizard Artists and the Charisma label. To bring you up to date, Hawkwind is now Dave Brock, Nik Turner, Simon King, Alan Powell, Simon House, Paul Rudolph and Robert Calvert. They release "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music," to me the most inconsistent of all Hawkwind albums. It wasn't so much of a group album, as an individual effort. ASAM has a few highlights; Steppenwolf, Chronoglide Skyway and Kadu Flyer are particular favorites, and of course Reefer Madness.

Both the album and the tour began to unravel Hawkwind. The new label maybe wanted to see HW on the charts more, and a couple of members agreed. After the tour, Hawkwind's "Night of the Long Knives" occurred. First to fall was Nik Turner, whose playing was beginning to irritate the others as he would just sort of go off on his own. Then Powell and Rudolph went as they actually wanted to add a disco/funk groove to the Hawkwind sound. God forbid.

The ensuing couple of years get very complicated as the fall of Hawkwind had only begun. In 1977 Dave pulled together a band: himself, Calvert, House, King and Adrian Shaw on Bass. In June they released Quark, Strangeness and Charm. This album is generally considered a classic, I agree. The sound is still Hawkwind, spacey, rhythmic and many tracks based on Science Fiction books, but also shows the band maturing, using the quirkyness of the new wave bands to add a pop element that works very well. The band toured the UK twice with great success and Europe. It was during the second UK tour that the live tracks used on PXR5 were recorded. Feeling bored Dave decided not to do the usual Christmas gigs, instead he formed a band for a 'one-off' show, The Sonic Assassins. He called upon Robert Calvert, and three members of Arc; Harvey Bainbridge, Bass; Martin Griffin, Drums; Paul Hayles, Keyboards. Ark had opened for Hawkwind and were well known to Dave.

Then came the 1977 American tour. I do not know what was clinically wrong with Robert Calvert (Manic Depressive?), but he was a showman who lived his parts; from his apparent belief that he was a WWI flying ace to mad cavorting on the stage while wielding a sword. All during the tours of 1977 Robert was in full swing, I know the tapes I have heard of this era are among the best. 1977 was a great year for the band. However each American tour had proved worse than the last for the band, so when Hawkwind hits the states in 1978 it was fatal. Simon House had already been hired by David Bowie to join his "Stage" tour, so Simon was only doing half the tour. The emotional high Robert Calvert rode in 1977 had crested sometime before the tour and left him burned out and depressed. Almost paranoid. As the tour progressed tensions got worse. Paul Hayles was called in to replace Simon House, and Calvert continued his downward spiral and the gigs were spotty and tense. When the last show (in San Francisco) came, Dave had sold his guitar to a fan and disappeared into the night.

On the plane ride home Doug Smith met with Brock, and things began to look up. Brock wanted to break with Wizard and return to Clearwater and he already had the band to do it with, The Sonic Assassins. Charisma owned the name Hawkwind for a few years still and Sonic Assassins was familiar to hard-core fans but not the general public, so in the end Hawklords was decided upon. Still contractually under obligation to Charisma the Hawklords album featured enough Hawkwind members to fulfill that obligation, but not enough members to step on Wizard Artists' toes. The Hawklords were Brock, Calvert, Bainbridge, Griffin and Steve Swindells replaced Paul Hayles on Keyboards. Simon House and Simon King guested on the album, King was not interested in staying on. The Hawklords' album is even more 'new wave' than QSC was. The songs are all short and very Calvert style pop. The album cover and tour used the Factory Worker/1984 motif. They toured a bit but did not receive their usual support. The music world was changing, and a new crop of musicians were popping up, many Progressive bands felt the same change.

In 1979 they began work on the second Hawklords album. Calvert wanted Griffin fired or he would quit, so Griffin was fired but Calvert quit anyway. Simon King rejoins leaving us with Brock, Swindells, Bainbridge and King. For the first time Hawkwind/lords had no tour booked and none being planned. "PXR5" was released, an "obligatory" album, some live tracks and some Hawklords type stuff. The title track is a killer. Then it happened, the bird was rising. They could legally use the name Hawkwind again. Steve Swindells quit and was replaced by another Clearwater artist, Tim Blake (Gong, Hillage). With Tim came the fantastic laser show of Patrice Warrener. Huw Lloyd Langton also accepted the offer to rejoin. When this new incarnation of Hawkwind hit the stage, they kicked ass! For me "Live 79" is a monster album, it is a hard-rocking, synth-swirling, guitar-wailing kick-ass bit of space-rock. The album only featured two new songs, Shot Down in the Night (a Hawklords song) and Motorway City. It also featured a Tim Blake song, Lighthouse (live he did the stellar New Jerusalem as well), and what Hawkwind gig would be complete without Master of the Universe and Brainstorm, both done with a new vigour. This album is definitely an 11. With the laser show and the great music Hawkwind were back in force, having to turn away people from the packed halls.

So 1980 saw Hawkwind very much in demand again. Once again personnel shifted. Simon King was having "problems" that affected his drumming, so much so he quit. In a bind, Hawkwind hired master thudman Ginger Baker as a session player, however he liked the job and stayed. This band recorded "Levitation," another more rocking Hawkwind album, with lots of guitar and synthesizer, and those wonderful drums. Hawkwind had dropped the new wave pop influence and was now in a heavy metal space rock mode, fitting as they were on an essentially heavy metal label, Bronze. How long Hawkwind can go without group changes is unknown as very soon Tim Blake's penchant for long phone conversations with his girlfriend led to him being left by the band, they drove off without him. In came Keith Hale, not quite the spacey twiddler Tim was, but a solid player. Also a problem with Doug Smith over money caused Hawkwind to look elsewhere for management. Throughout it all, the band performed well, having a successful tour.

Ginger Baker was not Hawkwind material, he was a Superstar, in some places he got a photo instead of the band or maybe getting billed as Ginger Baker's Hawkwind. Hawkwind have always been a people's band, and a superstar doesn't fit in this environment. To make matters worse Ginger wanted Harvey sacked in favor of Jack Bruce (an interesting idea in any event.) So Ginger was sacked instead and Keith Hale left with him. The band was unable to complete some gigs so Ginger and Keith went to Italy and played as Hawkwind. For the first time Hawkwind was unable to find a new keyboardist, Dave and Harvey were becoming quite good with the synths, and they decided not to hire anyone. Martin Griffin returned to fill the drummer position. Hawkwind, now signed to RCA, went into the studio to record "Sonic Attack". Martin caught the measles, so Dave and Harvey used the time to further their experimentation with keyboards, actually working on a second album. Martin returned and they completed "Sonic Attack". The album is another rocker, featuring many solid tracks. Michael Moorcock also guests on one track.

In 1982 the band returned to the studios and finished "Church of Hawkwind", the album Dave and Harvey had started. This album seems to be more of a Dave Brock solo project than anything else. With Dave going under his pseudonym, Dr. Technical. The album is good but I find some cheesey keyboard effects on it. During the summer tour for "Church" Nik Turner begins appearing and, of course, rejoins. In the fall the band releases "Choose Your Masques". This is another on the RCA Active label. And its' sound is in the same vein as "Sonic Attack". Huw Lloyd Langton begins to show his songwriting abilities on these two releases. Some standout tracks for me are Solitary Mind Games, Lost Chances and Rocky Paths. Once again the dice roll and Griffin quits, he is replaced by Andy Anderson for a few gigs. Hawkwind also leave RCA.

At this time the doors began to open wide. I can recall a wealth of Hawkwind material pouring out. Most was provided by a new independent label called Flicknife. Flicknife began releasing much rare and Hawkwind related stuff, they also released 1983's "Zones". This album comprised of some live material from the 1980 tour and several new tracks. My favorite cut on this is Dangerous Visions, a Keith Hale song that is quite nice. We also began to get numerous early 1970 live albums and best of's, the vultures were feeding on Hawkwind's foolish record deals. Much of what came out wasn't really getting back to the band, and was of poor quality at times; Bring Me the Head of Yuri Gagarin, Live 1970/73, among others. Flicknife released several LP's called Hawkwind: Friends and Relations. These are all worth owning, as there are many great songs on here. The bands are all either Hawkwind spin-off's or bands they knew. Ex-High Tide Pete Pavli, Harvey's Alman Mulo Band, Michael Moorcock, Huw Lloyd Langton, Nik's Inner City Unit, and cult favorites Underground Zero.

Hawkwind waited until 1984 to tour, releasing a EP, "The Earth Ritual Preview", what many hoped was a new, major project. And another live album, "This is Stonehenge: Do Not Panic". A live album with EP. One again Hawkwind and Nik Turner part company, permanently it would seem. Kris Tait's book of the same name came out as well.

In 1985 Hawkwind finally did what Elric fans had wanted for a while. Michael Moorcock's most well known book series is the saga of Elric of Melnibone, albino warrior, drug addict, the last of the his race. And his soul thirsty sword, Stormbringer. WotEoT first toyed with this concept, now Chronicle of the Black Sword finished it. I know I was a bit disappointed by this release as I felt it could have been a lot better. And the video of the tour too closely resembled Spinal Tap at times. However a strange thing was occurring, since "Sonic Attack" in '81 the line-up was becoming fairly static. Nik Turner being the only one out. The trio of Brock, Bainbridge, Langton remained intact, and they were the core writers. Alan Davey would join on Bass, and Danny Thompson would take over on Drums. For anyone less than satisfied after Chronicle, 1986 gave us a live album of the tour, a 2 record set called "Live Chronicles". This was more like it.

CotBS could have been a 2 record set as well, as there was a lot missing and most of it is pretty good stuff. "Live Chronicles" is, in my mind, an essential Hawkwind album. The CD adds extra tracks the LP was missing. The songs are played with energy and spirit. The CD also has a nice Robert Gould cover and features a mini-pulp issue of the first Moorcock Elric story, The Dreaming City. LC has a generous amount of guitar based rock, spacey instrumentals and Hawkwind favourites (and Brainstorm is NOT on it!) A Hawkwind convention was started this year, Hawkon, and has always done well.

1987 gave us a lesser contribution, "Out and Intake." It features a few covers of old Hawkwind and some new stuff.

In 1988 Robert Calvert died of a heart attack. He was busy at work on a new album. His contributions to music are mostly unknown. He was a real character and will be missed. Hawkwind's 1988 release, "Xenon Codex" is a pretty solid effort. The band was getting into a rocking groove here. Standout tracks to me are Wastelands of Sleep, Lost Chronicles (a beautiful guitar track) and Sword of the East. They toured the states in 1989, playing small clubs to many happy fans (ME!), as it had been quite a while. However, one member did not come. Huw Lloyd Langton called it quits and went solo.

1990's "Space Bandits" brought a big change with the addition of a vocalist, Bridgett Wishart. Bridgett was known to the band as she sang for a "festival" band, The Hippy Slags. I liked Bridgett quite a lot, and "Space Bandits" is a great release. It also brought my favorite player back into the fold, Violin/Keyboardist Simon House. Simon is ripping it up on Images. SB was the first to feature Richard Chadwick on Drums. Again Hawkwind toured the states, sadly Simon did not come due to a family problem. Two live albums emerged from this tour, 1991's "Palace Springs" (with Simon) and 1992's "California Brainstorm" recorded live at the lovely Omni in Oakland, CA. I like Bridgett's take on Golden Void, Reefer Madness and she performed a couple of unreleased tracks as well this tour, Eons (Snake Dance) and Star Song, both are excellent. She was a performer as well, wearing several different outfits and managing to bring some class to the dreary little club I saw them in. 1989 began the downsizing of Hawkwind, first Huw Lloyd Langton left. House bowed out on the eve of the US tour. Wishart bailed out after the tour finished, then longtime member and keyboardist Harvey Bainbridge quit to pursue a solo career. And Then There Were Three. Dave Brock, Alan Davey and Richard Chadwick.

In 1992 the question is what can these 3 guys do? "Electric Tepee" answered with quite a lot really. "Electric Tepee" shows Hawkwind reclaiming its' turf. ET is an ambient, layered, synth-heavy, sonic wonder. And the tour of it was pretty awesome as well. Using MIDI, Dave and Alan can create a sound not expected from 3 people. With the recent popularity of Rave and Techno and the emergence of Ozric Tentacles and others, original space rockers Hawkwind began to be more appreciated. "Mix" style ambient groups sought out samples to play with. "Electric Tepee" is a continuous Hawkwind sound painting. LSD, Blue Shift, and Sadness Runs Deep are very good. A year later, "It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous" tried to continue on in the same vein, and while not a bad album it isn't a great one either. It goes farther into the ambient realms. Space is their (Palestine), Tibet is Not China. My favorite is The Camera that Could Lie. It also features a rather unnecessary cover of Gimme Shelter.

The 1994 tour and subsequent live album, the brilliant "The Business Trip" had Hawkwind still a trio and performing space rock at its' best. Only now it was more space techno, as it wasn't the guitar laden, pounding rhythms of space rock. It was all built on layers of synth and guitar synth. This is another must have in my book. Hawkwind got so into this effect they decided to go all the way and do a more Techno album. However they felt like separating themselves a little from the Hawkwind banner. In 1995 they released "The White Zone" under the name, The Psychedelic Warriors. A very tasty blend of synths, more Hawkwind really than Techno, it still has a few fans glad it was a side project.

Realizing this might wear thin, 1995 had Hawkwind once again adding a dedicated vocalist. Ron Tree came from more of a punk type of band. And he reminds me of Robert Calvert a little, vocally they are of the same style and both are true performers. Hawkwind's '95 album was called "Alien 4," I guess in reference to the Sigourney Weaver movies. The album is a concept of sorts concerning alien abduction. And the full blown 1996 release of the tour, "Love in Space" is a better listen in my opinion. Tree, not a poet, uses narration to convey some of the story. LiS has the band playing in the more sci-fi style of old, and songs like Alien I Am are just plain great. The Calvert connection really hit home for me when Tree launches into Death Trap. The LiS tour also featured more of a stage show than last couple of tours with Ron, Aliens and Flame Swallowers.

During a lull, bassist Alan Davey records a solo album and likes it, so in '96 he quits Hawkwind (if anyone can really quit) and forms a band, Bedouin, with ex-HW

drummer Danny Thompson. Dave B. has to look no further than Ron Tree to fill the slot as Tree was a bass player as well. 1997 has Dave adding another guitar player, Jerry Richards (Tubliah Dog). Mr. Richards is again well known to the band and has played with them before in a "Hawkdog" gig. Having Jerry around gives Dave a backup so he can also do the synth parts. Hawkwind is currently preparing for their '97 world tour. Only this time they are asking the fans to organize it, so they can actually break even and maybe earn a little spare change as well. I see this tour once again changing the sound of Hawkwind. Tree is a thrashy type of player, so he's a cross between Lemmy and Calvert in many ways. The band has been rehearsing and it will very interesting to see where the go.

Through the years Hawkwind saw many labels, different management and a huge number of line-up changes. The count is at 48 members since 1970, and two guys named Twink! Their tale is told in an excellent book by Kris Tait, This is Hawkwind: Do Not Panic. A funny account of the early years, complete with numerous drug stories. If you haven't heard EMI has re-mastered the first 5 HW albums. These are brilliant works, the packaging is incredible, all digipak, with many folds, lots of art, more than the LP's had. And Space Ritual has been repaired a little, for a better flow. Also all the CD's have bonus tracks, these remasters are highly recommended. Also to be released is two 1974 concerts, one from Chicago and the other from Edmonton Sundown. And later in the year a possible reunion of sorts of the 1974 band. For this article I would like to thank Hawkwind, Dave Brock, Doug Smith, Kris Tait, Mike Holmes, Jill Strobridge, Paul Ward, John Chase and Brian Tawn.

-Dane Carlson