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Album Details

• Artist: Hawkwind
• Album: Hawkwind
• Label: Liberty
• Year of Release: 1970
• ME Rating: Indie Classic
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2012-12-06

While the first Hawkwind album laid the seeds of their sound, it was also different than anything else in their catalog. Part of that comes from the fact that the lineup is different than on any of their other albums. There was also a bit more of a pure psychedelic sound to it, perhaps seeming connected to Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd. The extended CD even has a cover of the Pink Floyd song, “Cymbaline” as a bonus track.  Overall, the sound on this album was more organic in some ways, than some of the other music in the Hawkwind catalog. Interestingly enough, the set somehow manages, to this day, to feel both dated and fresh at the same time.

There was one track on the set that became a Hawkwind classic. “Hurry on Sundown,” with its progressive rock like lyrics “Look into your mind’s eye / See what you can see,” had some moments that seemed related to The Doors and included a guitar solo that seemed to feel a bit like Jimi Hendrix. The psychedelic one-two punch of “Paranoia” (parts one and two) has been featured in medleys of Hawkind music over the years in their live performances. The links to early Pink Floyd were quite apparent in that pairing of songs.

While the album’s sound and lineup was only present on this one disc, the space rock foundation was formed by the self-titled Hawkwind album. It holds up well to this day. It’s the kind of thing to put on and just “space out.” There are sections that will have you singing along and others that will lull. Still other points will challenge you to higher levels of consciousness. It’s really a quintessential Hawkwind album that is recommended to this day. It’s well worth having in any rock fan’s collection and certainly required for any real Hawkwind fan. Sure, it sounds different, but it sounds great and has a real “cause and effect” sequence with the music that followed.

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