Hawkwind - In Search Of Space [Remastered] (CD 2001)

In Search of Space strengthened Hawkwind's science fiction-type brand of progressive rock, gaining bass player Dave Anderson and galactic poet extraordinaire Rob Calvert, while losing John Harrison at the same time. The album opens with the mind-numbing galactic haze of "You Shouldn't Do That," a spooky little 15-minute excursion that warps, throbs, and swirls with Dik Mik's "audio generator" and the steady drum pace of Terry Ollis. Then comes the ominous whispering of the title, set to the pulsating waves of Dave Brock's guitar and Turner's alto sax, with Dettmar's synth work laying the foundation. Wonderfully setting the tone, "You Shouldn't Do That"'s improvisational looseness and rhythmic fusion smoothly open up the album into the realm of Hawkwind. The peculiarity never ceases, as "You Know You're Only Dreaming" and "We Took the Wrong Steps Years Ago" delves even deeper into obscurity, sometimes emanating with the familiar jangle of the guitar which then has its acquaintance overshadowed by the waft of the keyboard. Just as "Master of the Universe" chugs and rolls with a foreboding rhythm, "Adjust Me" retaliates with its moaning verse and tonal fluctuations fading into oblivion. The groundbreaking sound which Hawkwind achieved on In Search of Space helped to open up a whole new avenue of progressive rock. This album would lead to their most successful release in Space Ritual, coming two years after In Search of Space, with their interplanetary groove already set for takeoff. [The 2001 British reissue includes three bonus tracks: the "Original Single Versions" of "Seven by Seven" and "Silver Machine" and also the "Live Single Version Edit" of "Born to Go."]

Wow, an album from my youth, fantastic. I listen now to of the heavier offering that are around and realize that much of it has been done before, Here 37 years ago. If you like your music heavy, then this album should be in your collection. I'm not going to review each track, but put this on with the volume high, very high, sit back and enjoy Hawkind at their best.

Reissue of In Search Of Space (Limited Edition)(1996 digipak) [EMI. UPC 724383755325]in standard jewel case. Remastered CD which includes 3 additional tracks - the original single version of Silver Machine (Hawkwind's most famous song and absolutely indispensable), Seven By Seven (the b-side of Silver Machine) and Born To Go (from the same gig as Silver Machine).
This album is the original space rock album with its repetitive rhythms and swirling, soaring synthesizers and Dik Mik's ever present audio generator adding bizarre explosions of sound. The production is murkier than on their first album, but this tends to lend itself to the overall atmosphere of the music. The album opens with You Shouldn't Do That, a rising synth soaring higher and higher until seemingly beyond hearing by which time the basic driving rhythm of the song has begun and the synth plummets back to Earth. This track is nearly 16 minutes long with a very simple rhythm, and a chanting refrain of "You should do that. You shouldn't do that". As with much of this album the synths, audio generator, saxophone and guitar are constantly shifting and there is always something to catch the ear. Nik Turner has an eclectic, quirky, chaotic alto sax style which at some points lends itself to the overall feel of the songs, but at other times is just plain irritating (his increasingly erratic playing was the main reason for his departure in 1976/7). Everything is awash with distortion and the chaotic fusion of sound is accentuated on You Know You're Only Dreaming, the brief vocal performance by Dave Brock quickly over leaving five minutes of drifting instrumental disappearing into the ether. Side two of the original album opens with Master Of The Universe, the first Hawkwind song I ever heard and still my favourite many years later. Another synth rising into the stratosphere leading into a bass riff to die for. This song embodies everything I like about Hawkwind with its spacey lyrics and myriad atmospherics underpinned by the repetitive rhythm. Even Nik Turner's godawful saxophone solo can do nothing to diminish how good this track is. We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago is an accoustic number with awful vocals which just doesn't fit with the rest of the album. Adjust Me is an interesting experimental curio with a bizarre sped up ending. The original album closes with Children Of The Sun, another accoustic song with a curiously haunting flute solo.
There is a misconception on some web sites I've visited that this was the first album to feature Lemmy Kilminster and Robert Calvert. This is not the case, but they are present on the extra tracks on this CD. Seven by seven is the original version, but its screeching vocals spoil it for me. I much prefer the "Space Ritual" version. Ditto Born To Go.
Hawkwind were never going to win individual prizes for being great musicians or vocalists, and what this album highlights is that the sum was very much more than the parts.

This album took me back to a place when I was much younger; it brought back all my hopes and fears and made me feel great! The CD hasn't lost any of the feel and absolute power of Hawkwind at their best. The added bonus tracks only made it better! I loved it so much, I bought a ticket to their gig in Bristol to celebrate their 40th birthday - it'll be a hell of a night!
The only band in this current age that gets anywhere near Hawkwind are SENDELICA (listen to them on myspace) who also have the same power and driving bass thats used so much (and so well!) by Hawkwind, especially on this album.
If you want to lose yourself in your music, buy this album!!!