When long standing musical stalwarts announce a new album there is usually a familiar buzz amongst fans, myself included as a long time fan, who expect to hear exactly what they love. But with this release Hawkwind have mixed it up a bit with a collection that blurs the lines between new stuff, reworking tracks and live recordings. This proving that, even at his advancing years, Dave Brock is still full of ideas and is an underrated songwriter.
As indicated, and what we have here is a mixture of new tracks, some live recordings, a number of re-imagined popular tracks and some unheard archive recordings taken from their vast catalogue. The album spans fifteen tracks, ranging from brief two minute pieces to more expansive seven minute journeys, presented by the current line-up.
The record opens with two new tracks with the intriguing titles, Four Legs Good, Two Bad and There Are Fairies in the Garden. Their titles are almost self‑explanatory, and musically they carry a lighter touch reminiscent of Hawkwind’s earliest work. Decades of experience give them a polished edge, though, with the opener blending spoken word, atmospheric keys, and playful sound effects, including birdsong and a buzzing fly drifting between speakers.
Two further new tracks showcase the current line‑up in full flight, each distinct yet unmistakably Hawkwind. Goonhilly Downs, an instrumental, sits comfortably within the band’s classic space‑rock territory, driven by throbbing rhythms and momentum. The Judge And The Fisherman briefly returns to the whimsy of the album opener, complete with tongue in cheek sound effects before moving into more familiar ground.
The album also includes live‑in‑studio versions of PSI Power and Traveller of Space, both of which highlight the tightness and energy of the present ensemble. Adding further variety are two unreleased pieces, Land of Min and Out of Luck from Brock’s Dance and Trance era, alongside Magnus Martin’s Ocean’s Spiral. Each track has been shaped to sit naturally within the Hawkwind world.
Psychedelic Selection features two notable back catalogue revisits, The Demented Man and Those Days of the Underground. Neither do not radically reinvent the originals, but they do underline the strength of the current line‑up. Of the two, The Demented Man stands out as the more effective reinterpretation.
The touching centrepiece of the release, however, is Hurry On Sundown, featuring the final recorded performance by Huw Lloyd‑Langton. His guitar work here is superb, a poignant reminder of his importance to the band’s evolution and a fitting tribute to one of Hawkwind’s influential contributors.
This is an unusual collection for a new release, but it hangs together surprisingly well, offering a cohesive and polished listening experience. Is it essential? I can’t really say, I suppose it depends on the individual fans impression of what they have tried to do here. It does feel as though the band may be testing the waters for a subtle shift in direction, particularly with the first two tracks, but overall, it’s refreshing to see a veteran group still experimenting with how they present their music.
TRACK LISTING
01. Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad (1:54)
02. There Are Fairies In The Garden (5:11)
03. Hurry On Sundown (5:13)
04. The Demented Man (7:36)
05. Tortured Mind (3:31)
06. Land Of Min (6:28)
07. Part Of Human Behaviour (No Sex Allowed) (2:16)
08. Those Days Of The Underground (6:28)
09. Out Of Luck (4:21)
10. PSI Power (6:51)
11. Human Zoo (6:12)
12. The Judge And The Fisherman (3:24)
13. Goonhilly Downs (4:14)
14. Ocean’s Spiral (3:52)
15. Traveller Of Space (4:47)
Total Time – 72:25
MUSICIANS
Dave Brock – Guitar, Vocals
Richard Chadwick – Drums
Magnus Martin – Guitar
Doug MacKinnon – Bass
Tim “Thighpaulsandra” Lewis – Keyboards
Huw Lloyd-Langton – Guitar (3)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Cherry Red Records
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 12th June 2026
LINKS
Hawkwind – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp (Cherry Red Records) | X | Instagram | CD info at Cherry Red Records
