Hawkwind
Palace Springs
Cherry Red Records
Double CD
Out Now
Hawkwind is one of those bands that doesn’t need a lot of introduction. So, let’s just jump right to Adrian Bloxham’s review of their recently reissued Palace Springs album.
You already know what this sounds like. Hawkwind have been steadfastly ignoring fashion and the outside world for longer than I’ve been alive. The original counterculture band, they have been touring forever and have released God alone knows how many albums. Of course you could check Wikipedia, but that’s not very Hawkwind is it?
This was recorded across America on the 1989 tour, their first foray Stateside since the late seventies. This is Hawkwind in all their swirling, long haired, inhaling glory. I’ve only seen Hawkwind once, in 1986 at the Reading festival, and I have hazy recollections of the gig. I imagine that’s fairly par for the course and having a soundtrack to the gig would have been enjoyed in just as hazy circumstances. I’m being coy here. It’s a smokers album and really, for full enjoyment should be listened to while holding the record cover on your knee while producing complex paper constructions. I think you all know what I mean.
If you are a Hawkwind fan you will know all the songs. For the record, they sound great, theatrical, spiraling and as loose as they can be. The songs are open and easy, they are flowing and organic. Most of the songs extend out into psychedelic jams, repetitive beats a plenty. It’s impossible to categorize Hawkwind. They may well be ‘a bunch of hippies’ but the music they make is a million miles away from other so called hippie bands.
They go from freak out jazz to hard rock chugging, all with the trademark Hawkwind whooshes over the top, often in the same song. The songs stretch out in front of themselves and loop back again into the void. It’s the sound of the Hawks blasting off the planet and circling the universe. It’s crystal clear and rough at the edges just like a live album should be.
You get two discs, the original album and what is called Californian Brainstorm, more of the same, more live jams and freak outs, more Hawkwind. The thing is with Hawkwind, the songs really are better depending on what state of mind you are in, if you catch my drift. Indeed drifting is a very good place to be when you have this on. It’s no secret that Lemmy was allegedly sacked due to his use of ‘the wrong drugs’ and it sounds like the rest of Hawkwind have carried on dabbling with the right ones. It’s music to dance like a lunatic under purple and green skies, to have echoing around the room as you sink into the sofa craving crisps, to have on your headphones as you watch the world slowly dissolve.
I imagine Hawkwind are no doubt playing somewhere right now, sounding the same as they ever did and surrounding themselves with like minded drop outs and peaceful hooligans, carrying on their legacy into another decade.
All words by Adrian Bloxham, more writing by Adrian on Louder Than War can be found here.
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