This release from the vast Hawkwind catalogue covers their period of recordings, both live and in the studio, between the years 1977 and 1978. This could be viewed as the productive Robert Calvert years, as he and Dave Brock are the two constants throughout the albums collected here.
Once again, Cherry Red Records have created a detailed and well presented box set, comprising eight CDs and two BluRay discs, with 5.1 and stereo mixes of Quark, Strangeness and Charm, 25 Years On and PXR 5, plus some video footage and a comprehensive 64-page booklet. The booklet has numerous photos and lots of well written information documenting this era.
Now that said, I must point out that this review is written from a download copy. No problem with that, but I was only provided with the audio for the first eight discs. I can understand not being given the BluRay audio 5.1 content, but it is a shame that the stereo version and the video content could not have been made available. As a result, I am unable to comment on the content of these two discs, which is somewhat disappointing.
With that out of the way, let’s move on to what we have got here. As one would expect, the Steve Wilson remixes of Quark, Strangeness and Charm, 25 Years On and PXR 5 are excellent, clear, sharp and with great instrument separation, but all the while they manage to maintain some of the original recorded feel and atmosphere.
Wilson’s remix of Quark, Strangeness and Charm, which includes three bonus tracks on Disc One, is followed by The Rockfield Studio Sessions 1977 on Disc Two. This is an interesting recording with many of the Quark tracks included, with the addition of Cake Out and two other jam sessions. Following straight on from the remixed tracks, they do seem a little thin, but that is not to say that the quality is poor – far from it – just that there’s a noticeable difference.
Discs Three and Four contain 25 Years On and PXR 5, both of which contain a selection of bonus material, the former including a selection of demos, acoustic takes and live versions from the album plus Digger Jam. PXR 5 has a first overdub version, live and single versions and one alternate vocal track from the album, plus We Like to be Frightened. As with the other remix, the sound is excellent.
This brings us to Discs Five and Six, which feature live recordings made during the tour in September 1977. These are from gigs at the Fairfield Hall, Guilford and the Gaumont, Ipswich with Disc Six featuring the gig from the De Montfort Hall, Leicester. These recording demonstrate a band at the top of their game, their playing is tight, full of energy and powerful when needed, and Robert Calvert’s vocals are in very fine form. There is some duplication of tracks across these disc as the gigs are from the same tour, but this does not distract from the enjoyment in any way, it just demonstrates the band’s consistency during this tour.
As most fans of Hawkwind know, the band entered a temporary hiatus towards the end of 1977. Robert Calvert and Dave Brock became involved in two further incarnations of the band,
Disc Seven has a live recording from the Sonic Assassins at the Queensway Hall, Barnstable on 23rd December 1977. This concert has been remixed from the original master tapes, and a fine job has been done, the sound quality is good and clearly shows a band that are together, tight and have not lost any of their Hawkwind impetus in their performance of classic Hawkwind songs.
Disc Eight features the Hawklords performance at the Brunel University in Uxbridge on 24th November 1978, with a slight change in personnel on keyboards from the previous Sonic Assassins concert. Again, the mix from the 16-track master tapes is very good and the sound quality is fresh and vibrant. Here the band are clearly on fire, powering through the set list with gusto, Robert Calvert’s vocals in particular showing that he may have been at the top of his game for this tour.
This is a quite comprehensive set of this period in the band’s history, well presented with plenty to discover and enjoy. It also shows the band’s ability to successfully ride the rising punk wave and deliver a period covering what could be one of the highlights of their long career. This is a set that should attract the attention of fans, collectors and casual listeners alike.
TRACK LISTING
Disc One: CD
Quark, Strangeness and Charm – The Steve Wilson remix
01. Spirit of the Age (7:24)
02. Damnation Alley (9:07)
03. Fable of a Failed Race (3:33)
04. Quark, Strangeness and Charm (3:43)
05. Hassan I Sahba (5:21)
06. The Forge of Vulcan (3:04)
07. The Day of the Underground (3:11)
08. The Iron Dream (2:00)
~ Bonus Tracks:
09. Damnation Alley (live studio version) (10:34)
10. A Minor Jam Session (9:49)
11. Spirit of the Age (demo excerpt) (2:59)
Time – 60:41
Disc Two: CD
The Rockfield Studio Sessions 1977
01. Damnation Alley (first version) (10:36)
02. Spirit of the Age (full version) (11:22)
03. The Days of the Underground ( first version) (5:39)
04. Quark, Strangeness and Charm/Uncle Sam’s on Mars (9:20)
05. Fable of a Failed Race (extended version) (6:51)
06. Cake Out (4:35)
07. Fahrenheit 451 (jam session) (2:49)
08. Century X (jam session) (3:45)
Time – 54:57
Disc Three: CD
Hawklords: 25 Years On – The Steve Wilson remix
01. PSI Power (6:04)
02. Freefall (5:15)
03. Automoton (1:14)
04. 25 Years (4:35)
05. Flying Doctor (5:34)
06. The Only Ones (4:13)
07. (Only) The Dead Teams of the Cold War Kid (3:50)
08. The Age of the Micro Man (3:42)
~ Bonus Tracks:
09. The Only Ones (acoustic demo) (4:38)
10. (Only) The Dead Dreams of the Cold War Kid (demo) (3:30)
11. Freefall (take two) (5:28)
12. Automoton (full version) (2:30)
13. 25 Years (take one) (8:00)
14. Flying Doctor (live studio rehearsal) (5:37)
15. (Only) The Dead Dreams of the Cold War Kid (take two) (3:16)
16. The Age of the Micro Man (take one) (5:44)
17. Digger Jam (2:37)
Time – 75:56
Disc Four: CD
PXR 5 – The Steve Wilson remix
01. Death Trap (3:51)
02. Jack of Shadows (3:30)
03. Uncle Sam’s on Mars (5:49)
04. Infinity (4:17)
05. Life Form (1:43)
06. Robot (9:13)
07. High Rise (4:40)
08. PXR 5 (5:27)
~ Bonus Tracks:
09. Jack of Shadows (live studio version) (3:40)
10. High Rise (live studio version) (4:44)
11. We Like to be Frightened (2:46)
12. Robot (first overdubbed version) (9:27)
13. Jack of Shadows (Adrian Shaw vocal version) (3:55)
14. PSI Power (single version) (4:25)
15. 25 Years (single version) (3:31)
16. Death Trap (single version) (3:52)
Time – 74:56
Disc Five: CD
Live September 1977 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon & The Gaumont, Ipswich
[All tracks mixed from original master tapes by Ben Wiseman (with Mark Powell) at Broadlake Studios Herts, Sept. & Oct. 2022]
01. Brainstorm (live Croydon 1977) (7:12)
02. High Rise (live Croydon 1977) (4:48)
03. Robot (live Croydon 1977) (8:13)
04. Wind of Change (live Croydon 1977) (3:55)
05. Jack of Shadows (live Croydon 1977) (3:31)
06. Spirit of the Age (live Ipswich 1977) (6:38)
07. Sonic Attack (live Ipswich 1977) (4:49)
08. Damnation Alley (live Ipswich 1977) (6:48)
09. Uncle Sam’s on Mars (live Ipswich 1977) (5:12)
10. Quark, Strangeness and Charm (live Ipswich 1977) (2:30)
11. Master of the Universe (live Ipswich 1977) (4:30)
12. Welcome to the Future (live Ipswich 1977) (2:00)
Time – 60:22
Disc Six: CD
Live September – De Montfort Hall, Leicester
[All tracks mixed from original master tapes by Ben Wiseman (with Mark Powell) at Broadlake Studios Herts, Sept. & Oct. 2022]
01. Brainstorm (7:39)
02. Steppenwolf (9:51)
03. High Rise (5:37)
04. Robot (8:22)
05. Spirit of the Age (6:02)
06. Sonic Attack (4:52)
07. Damnation Alley (7:19)
08. Uncle Sam’s on Mars/The Iron Dream (6:51)
09. Master of the Universe (3:06)
10. Welcome to the Future (2:56)
Time – 62:39
Disc Seven: CD
Sonic Assassins – Queensway Hall, Barnstable 23rd December 1977
[All tracks mixed from original master tapes by Ben Wiseman (with Mark Powell) at Broadlake Studios Herts, Sept. & Oct. 2022]
01. Golden Void (8:09)
02. Magnu/Angels of Life (9:25)
03. Freefall (8:15)
04. DeathTrap (5:48)
05. Over the Top (7:35)
06. Master of the Universe (5:25)
07. Welcome to the Future (2:24)
Time – 47:03
Disc Eight: CD
Hawklords – Brunel University, Uxbridge 24th November 1978
[All tracks mixed from original 16-track master tapes by Ben Wiseman and Mark Powell at Blitz Studios, May 2009]
01. Automoton (1:36)
02. 25 Years (6:37)
03. High Rise (4:59)
04. Death Trap (5:46)
05. The Age of the Microman (3:50)
06. Spirit of the Age (9:19)
07. Urban Guerrilla (6:12)
08. Sonic Attack (7:08)
09. PSI Power (6:07)
10. Brainstorm (8:19)
Time – 60:00
Total CD Time – 8:16:34
Disc Nine: BluRay
Quark, Strangeness and Charm – Steve Wilson’s 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo mixes (96kHz/24-bit)
01. Spirit of the Age
02. Damnation Alley
03. Fable of a Failed Race
04. Quark, Strangeness and Charm
05. Hassan I Sahba
06. The Days of the Underground
07. The Iron Dream
Bonus visual content:
08. Quark, Strangeness and Charm (Marc TV show 1977)
Disc Ten: BluRay
25 Years on – Steve Wilson’s 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo mixes (96kHz/24 bit)
01. PSI Power
02. Freefall
03. Automoton
04. 25 Years
05. Flying Doctor
06. The Only Ones
07. (Only) The Dead Dreams of the Cold War Kid
08. The Age of the Micro Man
Bonus visual content:
Hawklords – Brunel University, Uxbridge 24th November 1978 (Video)
09. PSI Power (promotional film 1978)
10. 25 Years (promotional film 1978)
PXR 5 – Steve Wilson’s 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo mixes (96kHz/24 bit)
01. Death Trap
02. Jack of Shadows
03. Uncle Sam’s on Mars
04. Infinity
05. Life Form
06. Robot
07. High Rise
08. PXR 5
MUSICIANS
Discs One & Two:
Robert Calvert – Vocals
Dave Brock – Guitar, Synths, Vocals
Simon House – Keyboards, Violin, Anvil (disc 1)
Adrian Shaw – Bass, Vocals
Simon King – Drums & Percussion
Disc Three:
Robert Calvert – Vocals, Guitar
Dave Brock – Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Harvey Bainbridge – Bass, Vocals
Steve Swindells – Keyboards
Martin Griffin – Drums
~ With:
Simon House – Violin (tracks 6,7 & 8)
Simon King – Drums (tracks 4,7 & 8)
Henry Lowther – Trumpet (track 1)
Les McClue – Whisper Vocals (track 4)
Discs Four, Five & Six:
Robert Calvert – Vocals
Dave Brock- Guitar, Synthesisers, Vocals
Simon House – Keyboards, Violin
Adrian Shaw – Bass, Vocals
Simon King – Drums & Percussion
Disc Seven:
Robert Calvert – Vocals
Dave Brock – Guitar, Synthesisers, Vocals
Harvey Bainbridge – Bass, Vocals
Paul Haynes – Keyboards
Martin Griffin – Drums & Percussion
Disc Eight:
Robert Calvert – Vocals
Dave Brock – Guitar, Synthesisers, Vocals
Harvey Bainbridge – Bass, Vocals
Steve Swindells – Keyboards
Martin Griffin – Drums
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Cherry Red Records
Country of Origin: U.K.
Date of Release: 31st March 2023