X IN SEARCH OF SPACE

"This is your captain speaking, your captain is dead"

"In search of space" was the album which set Hawkwind on the road to mass appeal. The packaging no doubt helped, complete with a multiple fold out sleeve, plus an excellent booklet entitled "The Hawkwind log".

Even with all the innovation and rapid progression happening in music in 1971, this album was truly original. It starts with the 16 minute "You shouldn't do that", a jazz rock track (though not in the Chicago/Blood Sweat and Tears sense), starting with the futuristic sound of the "audio generator" before diving into a pounding rhythm and chanted vocals.

"You know you're only dreaming" is a softer more melodic affair, while the classic Hawkwind number "Master of the universe" restores the pace. The remaining tracks are conventional Hawkwind (if there is such a thing), including some great acoustic guitar on "We took the wrong step..".

The remastered CD is beautifully presented in a digipak fold out cover, and includes a shrunken version of the log (you'll need your reading glasses though!). It also has 3 extra tracks including the surprise hit single "Silver machine".

A really nice trippy album... But I woudn't really call it a masterpiece, I'm not sure if it's really prog rock... It's rather psychedelic hard/space rock on its early way of evolution to progressive. Nice musical ideas, and a great atmosphere but it's really hard to listen for fifteen minutes to "You shouldn't do that", a hard rock track played almost all the time on one chord, even if it has tremendous vocals, when you're not high...:) There are also some very nice acoustic songs, like "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago ", great, a bit psych-proggy experimental tracks, like "Adjust me", but just compare it with any prog masterpiece, like "Close to the edge" or "Red", and you'll think twice before giving it five stars... Even if it has a beautiful cover..

Probably my fave from Hawkwind , but if you can believe that the lesser track on here is the better known on. Effectively , Master of the Universe is not fantastic (at least in this version) and sounds rather sloppy (in a very relative way as this is Hawkwind) . Shouldn't Do That and Children and Adjust Me are the highlight. I think it is important to get a listen at the rythm section as this is not Lemmy and Simon King - they will come in with the next album. It is clear that the foundation of this band had been layed out before Lemmy and House.

Very different from the first and a lot more trippy. The first track is a little repetitive but catchy and gives you an idea of what to expect for the rest of the album. Pick this gem up, it is very good! psychedelic at its best!

This to me is THE Hawkwind album. Sure there were other elements to come but they all fed off this essential concept. I know for many people the Hawks of the Lemmy era are the real ones but I think both Lemmy and the Drummer Simon whatisname brought very strong limitations to the party. So this album is much freeer and more experimental. what a shame Terry Ollis got too off his face to continue. Just compare the drumming on this to the limited style on the next few albums. Hawkwind never really got much respect as a 'progressive' band and I think this is due to the restrictive Rock and roll cliches that both Lemmy and Terry Ollis's replacement introduced. Listen to this album now and you will see it was way ahead of its time. Brave concepts and brave musical experimentation. I didn't appreciate this album so much in its day but now when i listen I see how unique it was. Dave Brock's guitar sonics and acoustic compositions excellent; Nick Turners heavily processed sax doodling unique. The sound effects and production brave and daring .The albums concept deep and mind blowing. Terry Ollis's drumming unique and interesting, sometimes jazzy sometimes almost tribal. The synth parts are daring and the whole rhythm section tight. Give it an honest listen you'll see what I mean

If you like over simplified compositions then this album is for you. Take for instance the first track "You Shouldn't Do That" 15 minutes of the same two chords and rythym track over and over again. Of coarse they throw on plenty of sound effects with riffs and noodling throughout. This seems to be typical for Hawkwind. Most of their compositions seem to be elementry in this way. Actually the repeditiveness is very "unprogressive", I guess their "psychedelic" aspect gets them on this site. However, I should mention "Seven By Seven" and "Silver Machine" actually venture out and use more then two chords. I can't quite see why this album of repetitous music gets rated as good as it does, perhaps it sounds good when your stoned.

This is my favorite Hawkwind album, with Space Ritual... Here they experiment what is to become their distinctive sound with a heavy, repetitive riff underlining strange lyrics and psychedelic sound effects. "You shouldn't do that" is one of the best songs produced by Hawkwind, with a nearly hypnotic feel in it. definitely the highlight.

But what makes this album so exciting is that it manages to flow very well from start to end, with a great unity in it, without being repetitive or boring. At least in my opinion, even if some people can find a two-chords riff repetitive... I mean, hey, listen to Do Re Mi Fa So Latido, their next album, every song is the same ! Here, you can feel hawkwind's distinctive sound and trademark but composition is still there, with the melodic, quasi folk "we took the wrong step years ago", alternating with HEAVY and weird rockers ("adjust me", "you know you're only dreaming").

And the cover is top-notch too. Easily a gem.

The Hawkwind invented "space-rock", a hybrid of hard-rock and acid-rock that united the sonic power of the former and the free improvisation of the latter (and Robert Calvert's sci-fi visions). In Search Of Space refined the idea, but theirs was a cult phenomenon that focused mostly on the live performance (somewhat similar to what had happened in the USA with the Grateful Dead) while boasting the frenzied, noisy attitude of the MC5......... ........"Master Of The Universe": this is the power piece of the album, just a few chords, heavy sound, space and long, veeeeeery long sound...to me it's the symbol of space rock. We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago is the other great song of the Album, really good. A simple album, played following the typical Hawkwind style, don't try to analyze te skills of the musicians but try to listen the way the whole album is played... if you liked you should listen also to Pink Fairies and Sam Gopal, Deviants and Edgar Broughton Band (wasa wasa)...

The Final Frontier

It's only got a couple of chords - how can it be Prog Rock?

This is the question that Hawkwind answer with aplomb.

Like the rest of Prog, Hawkwind grew out of the psychedelic scene - but unlike the rest of Prog, Hawkwind didn't go for pretentious ideas of grandeur, such as borrowing from Classical music or high-brow literature, didn't stick with the Moogs, Mellotrons and Hammonds, didn't attempt dazzling displays of virtuosity and certainly didn't try to sell out stadiums - playing, as they often did, for free outside the gates of organised events.

Hawkwind's vision was completely different - they weren't trying to write Prog Rock, but the ideas of grandeur that they did have were heavyweight perceptions of Space Rock, founded in the early experimentations of Pink Floyd and such late 1960s luminaries as Twink. The music has more in common with Krautrock than "Symphonic" Prog, and as such is largely minimal and trance-like rather than expansive in terms of the musical parameters. On a casual listen, this will seem extremely repetitive - and more often than not, plain wierd.

Where Hawkwind's music IS expansive is in the explorations of germs of ideas - for despite the enormous amount of room left for improvisation, this is no simple jam session. When the music catches you in the correct receptive mood, it has a significant power that simply cannot be found anywhere else - except, maybe the genre of Krautrock.

Here, Hawkwind boldly go where no man has gone before - indeed, if you consider Stacia's contribution, then they also go where no woman has gone before... painting vast canvasses of remote corners of the universe, populated with strange and often destitute creatures of the future - presumably human - and their interactions with space and technology.

The Album:

"In Search of Space" serves up a barrage of insistent rhythms and powerful riffs, with lashings of spacey synth sounds, tempering these perfectly with dark ambience that you simply will not hear anywhere else. The band work constantly as a single unit, which is always the most amazing thing about almost any of Hawkwind's studio offerings - the way that the instrumentalists react to each other and colour the lyrics and vocals beyond perfection and into Hawkwind's sole domain where they rule absolutely. While much of their early material sounded somewhat rough and ready, discerning ears will "get" the sonic soundscapes that the space punks painted, with a vivacity and power that is sometimes frightening.

Unfortunately, the boxy production lets the whole thing down a bit, and Turner's infernal and incessant noodling spoils "You Shouldn't Do That" for me. Fortunately, the brilliant ambience of "You Know You're Only Dreaming" and the cosmic power of "Master of the Universe" more than make up for this. "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago" is a kind of "Hurry On Sundown II", or some kind of freaked-out Roy Harper song, but provides a necessary respite before "Adjust Me" runs the cosmic gauntlet.

"Children of the Sun" is an essential for your Sun-God ritual - don't enter the temple without it. The raw and earthy primaeval nature of this song seems rooted in Jethro Tull at times, although Turner in no way tries to imitate Ian Anderson. The best is clearly saved until last.

The Bonus Material:

The bonus tracks fit naturally to the end of the album - which makes a very nice change indeed, as most albums feel like gaffer tape has been liberally applied, and the so-called bonuses end up detracting from the overall experience.

"Seven by Seven" is a haunting slice of dark matter, that was the flip-side to the hit single "Silver Machine" - which everybody knows as the greatest space-rock song of all time. Chronologically, of course, this is out of place here, as the driving bass and gravel voice of Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister testify. The production and remastering also give this song a gloss and escape from the boxy production of the album - but in context, returns the power where it belongs.

"Born To Go" is a reasonable choice to round off these bonus tracks, and flows on well from Silver Machine - however, I feel that it gives an air of saminess to the overall experience of this collection, and the choice of bonus tracks does not allow the breathing space and ebb and flow in dynamic that the album in its original form would have had.

To Summarise:

Darker and more powerful than - and a distinct progression from its predecessor, "In Search of Space" nevertheless feels more flawed - a band with a powerful vision that almost but not quite manages to give the necessary execution to that vision. One third of the album is almost ruined by directionless Sax playing, and your ears will probably need to do a lot of compensating for the production before your mind goes "ping!" and you get it - like looking at one of those cheap 3-dimensional pictures that looks like nothing but randomness until you see it with your eyes slightly squinted and stinging from the effort.

The original album had an intriguing cover, courtesy of the famous E.J.Day Group, that took the form of a pair of zig-zagged doors that fastened together with a tab in the middle, and a log book. If you have a turntable, and can actually track down a little-used copy, then get this, as it's part of the whole Hawkwind experience. This cheapo CD case just is not the same...

The award:

3 stars is a bit mean - if you're into Hawkwind's music, then this is an essential album - and as I would recommend 2/3 of this album to anyone else, 3.5 would be a better score.

However, your Prog Music collection will do just fine without it - but check out Hawkwind's later albums.

Heard the one about Hawkwind? (insert laughter). Yeah! Band too stoned to play, audience too stoned to notice!!!!! (audience collapses with laughter)

Did Hawkwind invent spacerock, or merely become the best purveyors of the genre?

One of their best offerings (serve with a little Space Ritual, and you are flying 'maaaan') comes in the shape of In Search of Space. A cunning mix of Acoustic and Electric numbers churned out in a suitably spacey style, by some suitably spacey looking guys.

The Presentation of this album is flawless. The booklet is a work of art in its own right, lacking anything vaugly coherent or possessing of clarity. Strange images (baby in the womb, Planet earth, random cosmic/religious symbols, line drawings of vast temples, minor nudity, stone henge, someone growing giant hogweed in their back garden, all the usual suspects really) seem to adorn every page, whilst the rest of the page is taken up with some rambling space monologue... All in wacked-out black and white. In the CD release we also get some concert posters, although they are a little home- grown looking, and advertise such venues as "Dreamland Ballroom, Margate" and "Carnon Downs, Truro". This is evidence that hawkwind hadn't shook off their Cult status, and were still touring the backwaters of Britain. Probably in a transit van with planets painted on it. Infact they probably are still playing in this fashion. Look out for them at the Dog's Dick pub in Slough.

The booklet also shows us the band itself. What a motley bunch! There is no lack of scalp grease here, although I presume they were all too stoned to really care.

Crazy.

Now onto the music. Hawkwind lead us gently down the garden path with their opener "You Shouldn't Do that". Where this track starts and their debut album's "Seeing it as you really are" is a mystery to me. Probably to the band as well. Still, two chords and 15 minutes aint a bad starter. The band show rudimentary useage of "dynamics", and Turner gets his fair share of wah-wahed Saxophone, which sounds like somebody cleaning a window with a squeeky cloth.

Not to Worry.

If you survived that sonic onslaught, not only is the rest of the labum managable, but the rest of Hawkwind's early career is also.

Next up is the more-easy-to-digest "You Know You're Only Dreaming". Here an automatically double-tracked vocalist (Turner or Brock?) Sings the words, made slightly jarring by the ADT effect. This gives way to a truley wonderful in-the-studio jam for which Hawkwind were famous. This jam features lots of open space, with instruments hanging off the drum beats in the limpest style, but never unmusically. This makes for a nice easy listen, and makes the track RELISTENABLE (and hey, the Hawksters have given us whole albums that are completely un-relistenable!)

Ok, enough sillyness, back to the heavy grungy smash-your-head-off-something- convenient driving rock that Hawkwind made their name for. Its the daddy... "Master of the Universe". Wonderfully strange, this track features Turner's voice treated with reverse-reverb, a cunning studio trick which doesn't sound out-of-place on this track. Of course the lyrics are peppered with space references, and I'm sure I (a cosmically/pharmaceutically un-hightened listener) am missing out on half this track! Stil its good, although Space Ritual's live offering is even more amphetamin-rush fast!

This is followed by "We took the Wrong step Years ago", a lovely acoustic number, which features the obligatory jam, and some wah-wahed flute this time (imagine a songbird being drowned in a canal... just for future reference). The Acoustic guitars add a stark new dimension to the album's tracks, sort of like finding a steam engine on the moon. This is a track you could possibly get away with playing to your girlfriend without fear of her walking out on you (although the name may give the wrong impression... y'know).

This is followed by the slightly lacking "Adjust me". Quite where this track came from or when has lost me, although it does feature another Jam! This time its Dave Brocks turn to whip out the wah pedal. Dave Brock is a unique guitarist. He had two different things he did. Firstly was to play a pentotonic scale with a wah pedal ontop. That was EVERY solo he ever played. hen when he got bored of that he switched on an echo machine and plunked the tiny guitar strings on the bridge of his custom guitar (which probably had lasers, boosters, jetpacks and an LSD dispenser). This tracks ends with an abrupt crescendo. Somebody in the recording studio control room must have had enough. Oh well...

Last but not least "Children of the Sun". More reverse-reverb vocals, and a stunningly effective Burmese Dinner Gong helps this track deliver the goods, although it clearly is just another one of those jams at heart. Some nice wah-wahed flute helps add to the proceedings enough that Black Sabbath promptly stole the sound and put it on their own "Planet Caravan", their own spacey offering. Although it has to be noted this track never breaks off into total tye-dye freak mode, which is part of its charm, and fades out earlier than expected too!

Being the freely communal bunch that Hawkwind are (obviously didn't have one rasor between them, but hey), there are som lovely bonus tracks.

First up is "Seven By Seven" The B-side to Silver Machine. A nice presentation, although the Space Ritual version flattens this one in its tracks. Some very emotive vocals help it along, and Brock delivers a solo which deviates from his normal standards considerably! Watch out for the non-pentotonic scales, they bite! Also note Lemmy on Bass. Very discernable as he played the thing like a guitar, strumming and picking out his own unique melodys the whole time (most notable during the spoken middle section).

Then its "Silver Machine". Everybody knows this track, its on 98% of all "best of the 1970s rock" compilations. Not much more I can say about it. The guts of it were recorded live, tarted up in the studio, then released on a single for the hell of it, then shot to number... errr... 6? in the UK, although it probably went straight to number 1 for 12 years in Belgium... oh well... Nice track.

Finally its "Born to Go". Similar to the bonus version on Space Ritual... because its the same version with an eq tweek and the vocal echoes removed. Nice to hear it, although its quoted as being a "Single version", no such single was released, although I could be wrong (lets ask the Belgians). This tack finished the labum on a nice groove.

And thus a masterpiece was born.

I think the reason I like this album so much is because it does have this Krautrock flavour to it. It's trippy, hypnotic and repetitive but oh so enjoyable.This is HAWKWIND's second album and this is where they chart their course to the far reaches of the galaxy. Count me in !

"You Shouldn't Do That" is a psychedelic jam with lots of spacey synths, sax, bass and drums keeping that hypnotic rhythm going. We don't get vocals until almost 5 minutes in. This is truly a trip ! We get another good jam on "You Know You're Only Dreaming", and more guitar this time. Vocals, vocal melodies, bass and spacey sounds early before the guitar and flute come in when the vocals stop.The song just sort of winds down to end it.

"Master Of The Universe" rocks out pretty good, heavy pulsating bass drives the tune. It opens with spacey sounds that rise up and build. Riffs follow, sax comes in late. "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago" has some amazing acoustic guitar in it. I really like this tune, it's kind of folky with a message. "Adjust Me" is spacey to open. Spoken words after a minute as guitar comes in. It settles back when the guitar and words stop 2 minutes in. It starts to get spacey again and stays that way to the end. "Children Of The Sun" features strummed acoustic guitar as the reserved vocals of Nik Turner come in. Flute follows after 1 1/2 minutes as the sound gets louder.

And now our trip is now over.

Reading the other reviews above I'm inclined to think that many of them were written by people who perhaps were not around at the birth of "Prog" music. Not that this is a bad thing but a little perspective is sometimes important. Hawkwind's X In Search of Space hardly qualifies as a Prog album by today's standards. But in 1970 (when it was recorded) just about anything that was album oriented rock was referred to as "progressive". This included the likes of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, even (god help me) Black Sabbath. The point being that it's JUST a word used to differentiate something from something else. Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore wanted people to distinguish between what they were doing and what Donny Osmond was doing so they latched onto the latest word, "progressive" as a way of separating themselves from the "pop" crowd. "Prog Rock" as it is known, loved and identified today was barely a glimmer in the eyes of Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman et al when Hawkwind's second album came out. If you are looking for an album that bears any kinship with "Fragile" or "Pictures at an Exhibition" then this is about as far away as you're going to get. Having said that, X In Search of Space would probably have been called "progressive" when it first came out. This album has much more in common with things like Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" or "Set the Controls" than it does with the clinically polished lavishly orchestrated music created by many of the world's top purveyors of "Prog Rock". Let's face it Hawkwind admitted to the press that most of them had never played an instrument before 1969 and they made no bones about the fact they were just a bunch of freaks having a good time. Having said that they managed to create something almost completely unique with this album. I defy you to find another album that sounds like this (even in Hawkwind's own lengthy repertoire). This is a totally unique kind of music made using, what at the time were, cutting edge audio generators and primitive synthesisers, with a Krautrock back beat provided by Amon Duul bassist Dave Anderson, and totally erratic sax "noises" from Nik Turner. It's not sophisticated, it's certainly not polished but it is completely unique. Forget looking here for "prog" music. This is space-rock at its most insistent and histrionic. If you don't like this album then probably about 60-70% of Hawkwind's repertoire will also turn you off. I, for one, have absolutely loved this record since I bought it in 1971. Switch off the Prog rock filter and open up to this as if you were hearing something unlike anything you've ever heard before. I've never done drugs in my life but this record sounds damn good to me.

Some reviewers wonder how to call it progressive... well: if progressive is classical contamination and the good job of some "virtuoso", this is not the case. But if your regard "progressive rock" as equivalent to "forward looking" and "mind opening" music, this album is fully prog. "In Search of Space" is a real trip: Hawkwind used to experiment with drugs, which we wouldn't recommend. But listening to this album is the same as setting on a long mind trip through space and time. The opening track really tread this way: "You shouldn't do that" is one of my favourite tunes. It opens with that weird moog cadence, then grows like a giant whirl, leading to the vocalsl, allucinating, rich in free-form improvisation which, despite reminding free jazz, still remains pure rock. Live electronics flash here and there like crazy comas and even in the apparent chaos, there is a clear form and a strong coherence. The trip is just over that you start another adventure with "You know you're only dreaming", one of my favourite riff by Hawkwind and a lysergic experience, spacey (great job by Nick Turner here, with his filtered flute) and involving. "Master of the Universe" may be taken as not that interesting because of its semplicity: a straight forward heavy riff, 4/4 time signature (or 2/4? I'll never tell them apart)... but the heavy riff is really claustrophobic, as well as the iterative, minimalistic structure of the song. Spacey and obsessive in the same time: this is not a bad result! "We took the wrong...", at this point, is a "cosmic relief", a pastoral, folky tune with a beautiful fingerpicking guitar and a good vocal melody. "Adjust me" is again improvisation, not so far from what in the same period was happening in Germany - the bass player then was David Anderson, coming from Amon Duul II - and most critics think that German "krautrock" and "kosmische musik" changed things a lot in the rock scene. Finally, the ballad "Children of the sun" is simple and not so interesting as the rest of the album, but it's a good way to put an end to it. So, if you want to hear the most intricated arpeggio on earth, of to have exeptional musicians, stay away. But if you really want to travel far...

2nd album of the spaceship Hawkwind. Far away musicly from the debut. You can't find jazz influences here. Only pure space sound. Just 6 tracks, but every one of them is a classic. Starts with the longest You Shouldn't Do That. Very hypnotic this one is. You Know You're Only Dreaming and We Took The Wrong Steps Years Ago are some kind of a Hawkwind ballads. You can really fly off with that two. Master Of The Universe is a Hawkwind standard even today. Great strong rock track. We have a mighty guitar riff here, it could fit well on thier 3rd album. Adjust Me and Children Of the Sun are not the highlights, but are strong titles in Hawkwind catalog. Hawkwind at it's best. 5 stars.

Leaving no indication of what lane the band should take in their previous and debut album, HAWKWIND's "In Search Of Space", their second official release, clearly sets the band's course in the direction of the so-called space-rock - a genre where HAWKWIND would soon become the lords, the masters, the kings. The search ended and it took only 2 albums and less than 2 years.

The starting point, 'You shouldn't do that', leaves no doubt that we are departing to the stars. What a trip (apparently in all senses)! A miscellanea of sounds, strong guitar and bass, weird sound effects, haunting voices and much more - all done exactly to catch the hearer.

'You know you're only dreaming' while still a space-rock is frankly connected to band's roots related to psychedelics (and psychotropics, no?). Initial vocals are fine but song's middle section is a bit dull and fatiguing. The following track, 'Masters of the Universe', takes us again to the galaxies. Surely one the most known HAWKWIND songs: a classic in its genre. Music tunes are basic, simple and plain but the result is agreeable.

'We took the wrong step years ago' brings some folk touches which reminds us their debut album. A certain smell of 'Hurry on sundown', their first hit is felt here. The song however goes more frantic and crude only to finish in the same folk way it started. 'Adjust me' is only a flushing of madness looking like a filler but very characteristic of the band. The rock part is interesting. 'Children of the Sun' mixes folk & rock and once again psychedelia. Recorded probably to be a radio-friendly track, something went wrong here and the song didn't happen.

CD bonus tracks are noticeable: the quaint 'Seven by seven' together with two HAWKWIND standards, the easy 'Silver machine' and the live version of the impacting 'Born to go'.

Evaluating album original tracks plus the bonus tracks, we may hear at least 4 band's classics here and the rating increases consequently. Total: 4.

In Search of Space Rock

As the second album from HAWKWIND, "In Search Of Space" clearly shows a change of musical direction and a big evolution for the band. The sound is rawer, more agressive, more powerful and floating. However, jazz inflences are still present. In fact, the britishs space rockers begin to define their own personality as well as the space rock genre.

The opener, "You Shouldn't Do That" features nothing but simply 16 minutes pieces of heavy jazz-rock psychedelia. Pulsing bass playing, energic sax, electronic effects, bizarre vocals and catchy guitar reverbs make this song unique in terms of spaciness. "You Know You're Only Dreaming" introduces a softer music to then develop a kind of ambient sonic jungle gathering various types of intruments. Very enjoyable. Then comes the killer track of the disc, one of the first space metal song in history, the destroying "Master Of The Universe". Slower than its different future live versions, the melody is terrific and could easily serve as an anthem for galaxy warriors. The introduction with instrument appearing one by one is great, vocals brings a mystical touch and jazzy improvisations in the middle of the song work very well. Mindblowing! Back to calm with the acoustic oriental and relaxing "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago", and then to freak'n'roll with the weird acid "Adjust Me". The record finishes with "Children Of The Sun", which ressembles a softer version of "Master Of The Universe".

Concerning the bonus tracks, they are well worth the try. "Seven By Seven" and "Born To Go" are two HAWKWIND's essential powerful space rock songs that will be played live on "Space Ritual". And... there is also the hit single "Silver Machine".

"In Search Of Space" is one of the most rock-oriented album from the space crew (with "Doremi Fasol Latido") and develops HAWKWIND's trademark style of the early 70s'. Stoning!

While still searching musically, Hawkwind finds a niche.

Welcome to space, where everyone can hear Hawkwind scream. This album may have been the first to have kicked the English psychedelics down a, albeit short, commercial road, but it is still likely one of their better offerings to date. Granted, the album does sound a lot more scattered than their later works, with some vocals and sometimes instrumental work sounding very sketchy, but that's all in the essence that is Hawkwind. Really, when you get right down to it, right into the core of the album, there is a lot to get lost in here, the progressive, spacey, psychedelic soundscapes are enough to blow your mind even if you're not on drugs. Right from the 15 minute epic You Shouldn't Do That you're blasted with bizarre instrumental directions that will course over the rest of the disc, this is a truly fanatic track that sets the stage for the album, even if the lyrics and vocals are a little less than the best. If you want to get really really into the story of the album as well, there's a whole epic to be had, as Hawkwind does, a lot to indulge in. Other standouts on the album include the excellent Master Of The Universe, and the sparatic dark-insanity of Adjust Me, which features some very interesting vocal effects, further proof that even the voices are merely meant as a way to further the spaced out sound.

There are some points where the vocals can tend to almost drag down the songs, and this is mostly in the slower track, We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago. This is the only song without the sparatic behavior of the remainder of the album, making it appear a little bit more than out of place, still a good song if you are one for the vocals, which are clearly an acquired taste as of this album (not so on later albums such as Hall of the Mountain Grill).

Ups and downs aside, this is a great point of evolution by one of the more overlooked bands gracing this genre. If you're looking for some freakiness, this is definitely a great place to look. 3.5 silver machines out of 5, a very good addition to any collection.

This was my first Hawkwind album and at first i was pretty let down by it, but it has grown on me still its not as good as Doremi fasol latido and Space ritual wich both rock much harder, this is a much softer and wierder album. It sure has Master of the universe wich has a good and heavy riff, buth the other ones are more like long wierd jams like the starter You Shouldn't Do That. On the other hand Nik Turner seem to take more place on this album then the 2 that follows on this one you can even hear his sax very clearly, and he co wrote many of the songs. The album to me sounds very unfocused but i gues thats a Hawkiwnd tread mark, there is not much singing mostly instrumental with lots of wierd space sound effects, probobly a great album to get high with, but even if your not the album will pretty much make you feel high anyway. I got the 1998 remaster with the 3 bonus tracks and i must say thos 3 are almost my favorites they rock much harder and are much more focused the great singel Silver machine realy rocks. Well all in all its a good album, the ultimate space trip i have heard some say about the album and meby they are right.

Hawkwind are a bunch of amazing Space Cadets - Dave Brock and Co. never cease to amaze me, album to album, with ever shifting line-ups and different approaches to their brand of psychedelic Space- Rock. 'In Search Of Space' is their 2nd offering, and is so much in line with Krautrock, sometimes I think I'm listening to an Amon Duul II album with this one. Starting out with sweeping synthesiser ( Del Dettmar on a VCS3, if I'm not mistaken, but electronics whizz/Lemmy's Speed-Freak partner Dikmik is credited with 'Audio Generator' as well, adding to the trippiness), the band takes us on a relentless journey throughout the cosmos, with repetitive chanting and endless jamming - 'You Shouldn't Do That' is totally hypnotic. I can really speak highly of Nik Turner's manipulated Sax sounds and ex-Amon Duul II Bassist Dave Anderson contributing a simple but effective Bass-line to the proceedings. Next up is an almost 'Floydian' work-out with 'You Know You're Only Dreaming', with slightly jazzy drumming from Terry Ollis, Turner's wah'd Flute playing, and spacious, liquidy guitaring from Brock. 'Master of the Universe' is a live classic, seemingly played at almost every gig to this day, is no less brilliant - Dave A's excellent Bass-riff is just so catchy. Fantastic song. 'We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago' is a jangly 12-string acoustic 'hippie' number (possibly from Brock's busking days) and is fitting with their counter-cultural direction. 'Adjust Me' is a fully democratic composition, credited to 'Hawkwind', and is almost a free-form 'rock' jam (as opposed to blowing, 'Jazzy' free-form) and quite representative of the Space-Rock genre as it existed in 1971. The final track 'Children of the Sun' is another hippie tune with a very stoned sounding Turner at the mic. Highly recommended.

The second of Hawkwind's [nearly countless] albums, In Search of Space, does not fail to deliver. The album(with the bonus tracks that I highly recommend getting) is unusually long in comparison to many progrock records around the early 70's, but keeps you intently listening for the entire ride. Any psychedelic fan cannot pass this one up.

"In Search Of Space" is a substantial improvement in comparison with their debut album.

This one is fully psychedelic during the epic track "You Shouldn't Do That". It doesn't hold brilliant passages nor subtle moments : only heavy and hypnotic beat. If ever you are allergic to repetitive music, you might get bored with this one. Don't expect any melodic portion, 'cause you won't get it. Still, this is a great snashot of a specific era. And I like it.

But still, I far much prefer " Know You're Only Dreaming". If ever you have appreciated "Piper", there are no reasons to ignore this track. The disjointed approach of "Interstellar Overdrive" sits here and it is nothing but great. I guess that to accept this wild beat and totally crazy number you really have to be in love with the psyche movement of the late mid sixties. "Hawkwind" probably came some years too late (as "Eloy" did) but regardless of this, it is a wonderful track. At least, I feel so.

The psyche mood goes on with "Master Of The Universe". It might sound as a 67-68 album but who cares some forty five years later. It is just great music IMO. But I'm keen with such records, and probably biased as well.

The second part of the album (in terms of tracks, not length) is somewhat weaker. Did you say fillers? Probably that "Adjust Me" can be considered as such. Improvised and structure less. It is not really the type of attractive track one could have expected after the three very good opening numbers. The weakest one so far. Even the acoustic "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago" sounded OK in comparison.

The closing number "Children Of The Sun" would have deserved a longer treatment IMO. Sounds as an introduction of an epic that won't ever exist. Too bad.A good and spacey song which could have deserved much more if extended in an appropriate manner.

The bonus tracks of the remastered version don't do any harm. They are fully in line with the spirit of the original album : psyche with "Seven By Seven" and Born To Go, heavy with "Silver Machine".

Three stars for this good album.

In Search of Space is the second album from space rockers Hawkwind. I like their debut very much. It´s a very enjoyable album which has both normal song structures and spaced out jamming. It´s been one of the more positive surprises for me this last year. In Search of Space shifts the weight towards more spaced out jams while there are only a few normally structured rock songs left.

The music is generally psychadelic jamming with lots of repetition and spacey sounds. The first song called You Shouldn't Do That is a great example of that style while We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago and Children Of The Sun are the most normally structured songs on In Search of Space. Those three songs are also among my favorites here while the remaining three songs also are very good. There is not a dull moment on this album. Krautrock lovers should definitely be able to enjoy In Search of Space too as there are lots of similarities between Hawkwind´s style and for instance a band like Can.

The musicianship is very good. Besides bandleader David Brock´s limited but pleasantly distinct vocals and his psychadelic guitar delivery I will also note the strange spacy sounds which is think is made by synth. Those sounds add a lot to the atmosphere of the music. Some people think it´s too much, but I find it enjoyable. Nik Turner´s sax playing has to be noted as well, as it plays a big part in Hawkwind´s music.

The production is very good. Very powerful mix.

In Search of Space is a very good album and I think Hawkwind´s identity is heard more clearly on this album compared to the debut. I still like the debut a bit more though. In Search of Space is the kind of album I have to be in a certain mood to appreciate as it can seem a bit repetitive at times and even though this is part of it´s charm it´s also a it´s biggest flaw. I´ll rate In Search of Space 3 big stars and will be looking forward to listening to the next album from Hawkwind. SPAAAACY.

You Shouldn't Do That is like an endless nightmare of noise to my ears, no tempo changes at all, not even any chord changes! Monotonous and repetitive are words that readily apply to this track, indeed the whole album, indeed most Hawkwind albums. Master of the Universe has at least a decent riff, but the drumming is horrible - even I could do better than that! - and again repetitive and monotonous to the extreme.

The only half- decent songs here are the acoustic ones We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago and Children of the Sun. But not even these two songs or Master of the Universe can save this album from the lowest possible rating. Overall, a very amateurish effort. Still, it is a major improvement over their debut!

I don't see what people like about this album.

Space Rock came into the forefront of rock with this incredible effort from the Space Gods Hawkwind. A lot of the material from this album was used on the live "Space Ritual" epic. Del Mik, Brock and Anderson are at the peak of their powers on this classic.

It begins with the overlong 15 minute mini-epic 'You Shouldn't Do That' which is much better in edited form as found on some compilations. 'You Know You're Only Dreaming' is a terrific song that has a great hook and melody throughout.

'Master Of The Universe' is the first classic from Hawkwind and one of their best recordings found on every compilation. It's chug-a-chug rhythm pounds incessantly with relentless driving bass and drums and the familiar trademark metallic fuzz guitar. The lyrics are characteristically simple - forming a central theme of being the centre of the universe and space and time revolves around this figure. I adore this track.

'We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago' is a weaker track but still has drive and compelling rhythms. 'Adjust Me' is just plain weird and progressive in its structure abandoning familiar rock trademarks but fits well on the album generating ethereal soundscapes.

'Children Of The Sun' finishes the album off beautifully with a nice guitar lick and Brock's vocals are exceptional.

The bonus tracks are excellent particularly the bonafide classic 'Silver Machine'. This track is how I was introduced to Hawkwind and I have loved it as a child up to the present day. It has never lost its trance like mesmiric power as it cruises effortlessly through its 4 minutes 40 seconds. The lyrics are terrific - "Its an Electric line to your Zodiac sign." Whats it all about? Nobody really cared as long as its futuristic space theme was evident and it rocked hard. Also worthy of mention is another classic 'Born To Go', that is a heavy handed rhythmic crunching rocker. It is also featured on "Space Ritual" in an elongated form complete with weird space effects and pounding drums.

This album is a great way to be introduced to this eclectic space rock band - an absolute triumph.

3.5 stars really. This is definitely psychedelic space rock and I like it a lot, but it's relatively simple and I am having trouble thinking of this as a four star album. There are a lot of things to like here. Strange spacey noises mixed in with kool guitar riffs and some trippy lyrics. The drumming also fits in well with the whole mix. If you enjoy traditional pschedelic rock this is definitely worth acquiring. I really wish we could give half ratings, because this is better than your average 3 star album, but still not quite worth 4 stars in my books.

At the risk of rolling my eyes at anyone reading who may enjoy Hawkwind and/or In Search of Space-- I offer the opinion that this record is a tedious exercise in useless, trance-inducing rhythms and Buck Rogers sound effects. Add to this drug-inspired non-rock the terrible vocals and neutered guitar of Dave Brock and one has a guaranteed recipe for boredom (or anger, as the case may be).

I have genuine difficulty understanding what people see in this set of songs: "You Shouldn't Do That" doesn't ever start, ditto "You Know You're Only Dreaming". Things get slightly better in "We Took the Wrong Step", if only because there's some semblance of musicianship-- and hey, "Children of the Sun" actually has some real energy. Of course, by this point any listener expecting something other than noodley sci-fi scat will be so frustrated by this over-rated mess that they will have probably moved on to something more interesting (which wouldn't be very hard).

Bottom line-- In Search of Space is best left for two kinds of listeners: those for whom it holds nostalgic relevance... and those who are stoned out of their heads. New listeners be warned!

Songwriting: 1 Instrumental Performances: 1 Lyrics/Vocals: 1 Style/Emotion/Replay: 1

The great thing about In Search of Space is that Hawkwind have found their own spot in musical history. They stopped sounding like anybody else and reached an entrancing groove that was truly their own, a very original blend of 33% catchy strumming hard-rock, 33% improvisation and experimentation and 33% psychedelic essences. On this album they also retained some of their anarchistic kraut poise.

The not so great thing about it is that they still appear very insecure of what they're doing. As if they were all trying very hard not to play too loud in order not to get noticed. Suppose somebody could hear this? What would mom say?

Hawkwind lacked the confidence and oomph to pull off their ambitious space rock to optimal effect. Of course this is largely due to the production. Whoever was on the knobs here, he didn't know how to make this immense wall of sound come alive. A second reason would be that one more ingredient was missing in their space stew: they needed somebody to kick them out of their lethargy. That somebody would be Lemmy, who made his introduction on the forceful Silver Machine.

I'm a bit in doubt with my final verdict. I've never been entirely enthused by this album and it has never really grown on me. However, the re-mastered edition from 1996 has added 3 essential tracks to this package and sounds just a bit better. Given this is Hawkwind's most original statement it surely deserves 3.5 stars.

In Search Of Space (1971) is one of the iconic albums of the early '70s but I've never been able to appreciate its cosmic-tribal meanderings. Juxtaposing primitive single chord jams with trippy electronic soundscapes, space-rock pioneers Hawkwind fail to really take off on this album. For me, the level of musicianship falls short of excellence and songwriting seems to take a back seat, with unremitting hard rock riffs dominating the album. They do however manage to lay the groundwork for future sci-fi exploits with the space-themed Master Of The Universe.

The basic nature of the music is exemplified by You Shouldn't Do That, which features lengthy monotone jamming and a relentlessly pounding rhythm. Synthesizers warble and burble like percolating magma, but it's all too repetitive for my liking. You Know You're Only Dreaming is in a similar vein, but there's finally a bit of melodic interest with Master Of the Universe. This features a nice bass line and good guitarwork, some stop-start moments, and there's even a bit of phasing thrown in for good measure. The acoustic folk-rock of We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago is a lament for the direction mankind has taken, while Adjust Me consists of rather aimless noodling. Children Of The Sun is much better, featuring a slow riff and some spacey flute. Of the three bonus tracks the classic Silver Machine is the obvious highlight, but it can't save the album from mediocrity. In my opinion there are far better Hawkwind albums out there for prog fans, most notably those involving Simon House. I think this one is best left to fans and collectors.

This was the record where the magic started to happen. The band managed to move onwards from the incipient psychedelic delirium to something more solid, producing some of their classical material. This record also marked the beginning of the band's collaboration with Robert Calvert, whom would start the futuristic lyricism that marked some of the band's finest moments.

Calvert started reciting poetry during the band's performances at the invitation of Nik Turner, the two being acquainted professionally (Turner is a car mechanic and Calvert worked then at a tyre shop). Calvert would then evolve to singer and composer, writing some of the band's most lasting material, regarded as a New Wave pioneer and Punk Rock inventor.

The distinctive sound of the band in this period comes from three "instruments": . the audio generator ? actually an electric engine passing through a wha-wha pedal; . Nik's filtered saxophones and flutes ? I use the word "filtered" since I'm not certain which equipment he used, also a wha-wha, but possibly more; . Synthesizer ? which model I don't know, but used in ways to especially mimic the sounds present in 1950s and 1960s sci-fi movies. It is the folk imaginary of space pre 2001 and Also Sprach Zarathustra .

The tracks:

You Shouldn't Do That ? it starts with what could be described as the cacophony an alien space-craft produces during take off. It rapidly evolves to a repetitive psycho riff immersed in sound effects and never ending sax improvisation. The same line is repeated to exhaustion with repetitive lyrics (a single phrase) making it hard to endure beyond some point. Those brave enough to resist are grated with some final minutes of pure free jazz. A difficult track to hear for most, still pretty much along the lines of early Hawkind; but if you're in the mood to it and appreciate free saxophone playing, Turner has plenty to offer.

You Know You're Only Dreaming ? still a trippy track but on a more solid format. Mostly instrumental, all musicians seem to find space to stretch their legs without diluting the basic direction. Brock improvises along Turner, who uses the filtered sax during most of the track. The soothing ending is set with real saxophones, where you seem to get dragged into deep space without destination. One of the strongest tracks here.

Master Of The Universe ? my favourite space song, it is a defining landmark of the genre, produce of one of the moments when Dave Brock and Nik Turner were able to sat down and work together. It all starts on a languish guitar riff around which the band builds a fantastic environment with all the spacey sounds from the audio generator and the synth, hypnotic drums and a rich bass line. On top of all this Nik does his magic, either singing or improvising with the sax. The track is characterized by several stops after which the band takes off again, leaving the listener anxious for a new streak of distorted sax, some guitar work or more eerie vocals. The whole ambience owes much to some serious studio work with two rhythm guitar tracks (different distortions), two improvisational sax tracks (also both filtered) and backward vocals. At some point the band stops and doesn't take off again ? you feel like they could continue with that for hours. Some say Hawkwind invented a new music style, this track is possibly the most defining piece of the genre. Master Of The Universe is still an absolutely mandatory live number by the band as it was for Nik Turner and Robert Colvert during their solo careers. The main riff can morph to an heavy cavalcade (as it was during Hugh Lloyd Langton's time) or to dark, sluggish trip; many different versions exist in bootlegs and the numerous live releases by Hawkwind.

We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago ? beautiful track reminiscent of Brock's busker years. The folkish start is accompanied by seagulls (yes, seagulls) that are eventually replaced by the synth producing similar sounds. The rest of the band briefly joins midway, but eventually leaves the busker again alone with the synth. This track seems to reflect the Environmental concerns arising at the time.

Adjust Me ? another trippy track where the band makes the bridge from the pure psycho to space, with audio generator and the filtered sax featuring prominently. Also one of the first examples of the band's usage of manipulated voices, resulting in an interesting robotic rendition.

Children Of The Sun ? starting with Brock on the folk guitar and Turner on his eerie vocals it evolves nicely with a strange filtered flute and the electric guitar. Without the rhythmic session this sounds like folk from a distant future.

Somewhat after the release of the record the band changed drummer and bass player, taking on board Simon King (whom would remain for a decade) and Ian Kilminster, better known as Lemmy, whom had never played bass before. Robert Calvert slowly assumed a more prominent role as a singer just to have a depression that hospitalized him. From this period, the CD version includes three tracks that were never released in LP; they are a real plus.

Seven By Seven ? a creepy song with Calvert reciting poetry along the way, it could perfectly be the soundtrack of some 1950s horror picture with space invaders, immersed in alien sound effects. Brock explores the highest range of his voice hiking the creepy feeling. Without being outstanding musically it is another ground breaking track on format terms, that would last ages in live sets.

Silver Machine ? this is the most famous track by the band and what can be considered its one and only commercial success. It eventually led the band to an awkward playback "performance" at The Tops Of The Pops. Composed by Robert Calvert, it evolves pretty much along the lines of Master Of The Universe, but with a simpler riff, embryo of what would take Calvert close to Punk. This track was recorded live with Robert Calvert on vocals (after the release of the LP) and the band decided to release it as single ? including live material in studio recordings would become a common practice for Hawkwind. During pre-release production it was decided to re-record the vocals but Calvert was already hospitalized. After auditioning the other vocal-worthy band members the producer decided to go with Lemmy, which may have upset some egos but provided the final touch to another space rock landmark. In this track the audio generator produces sounds that makes the listener feel like inside some high speed sky travelling object. It is all so strange, the distorted guitar melting with the synthesized sounds, the filtered flute (or sax?), Lemmy's voice. Pretty much music from outer space.

Born to Go ? one of the band's classics that lasted in live sets for decades to come. It features the traditional Brock riff with Turner's vocals and plenty of space for the saxophone to lead a trip across the skies. Only listening.

The Veredict

I don't hesitate giving it 4 stars with the bonus tracks included. But even without those 3 classics it deserves such classification for 2 reasons: it's ground braking material and Master Of The Universe. This isn't yet a Masterpiece though, some moments are bit to rough for regular prog listeners and the band luckily proved able to produce even better music.

Hawkwind's sophomore release "In Search Of Space" was the official statement of affirmation and maturation for the sort of space-rock standard that thsi combo led by Brock & Turner was aiming to achieve. Now that the seacrh was over, the next step in the band's musical mission was to reinforce its elements and strengthen teh whole framework: so, all thing considered, this album happens to install the Hawkwind ideology in its first full fruition. The long opener 'You Shouldn't Do That' is a magnetic delivery where frenzy and good vibrations combine among a display of black magic and electronic surrealism. Ollis' drumming and the guitar's constant riffs are samples of how deeply rooted in the immediate legacy of garage rock and 60s psychedelia the band's essential motifs were, but also there are signs of moving forward toward new, weird territories in the way that the whole band manages to build an unearthly atmosphere, and more specifically, the relevant audio generator input that encapsulates both the excitement and the terror of travelling through space across a mysterious darkness that might as well bring you joy or destruction. Sometimes the resulting cacophony sounds captivating, other times it tends to appear amateurish, but one thing is clear, it is defined by a serious commitment to psychedelic explorations in music. 'You Know You're Only Dreaming' starts a bit less crazy although it retains mush of the emotional tension of the preceding track, only that it is framed in a more reflective mood: definitely, the sound production makes it sound overwhelmingly cosmic. In fact, once the guitar settles in after teh sung section, the track displays a better accomplished sense of darkness and doom. More caustic and edgy, 'Master Of The Universe' opens up the album's second half with a catchy display of sheer dirty rock flourished with intruding sax solos and augmented by Anderson's thundering bass lines. In my opinion, the album's second half is the better one, and so, 'We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago' brings quite a convenient change of pace with its dominant acoustic guitar passages, in this way leaning a bit closer to acid-folk. 'Adjust Me' is just amazing, a half-chaotic half-dramatic instrumental set of cosmic moods in which the distorted sax and the audio generator synthesizer take center stage among the wild sonic scheme that goes on developing with an iron will. Hawkwind states a sonic allaince with "Ummagumma"- era Pink Floyd and their German krautrock cousins. FInally, te halbum ends with Anderson- penned 'Children Of The Sun', an acoustig guitar-driven chant about the dreams of spiritual freedom, very hippy indeed. It will be in "Doremifasol Latido" and other following albums that Hawkwind will concretize its musical voice in its ultimate definition, but "In Search Of Space" shows that the band is not only right on track, it is seated on the right spot from where the culminatio and subsequent progress can be properly started. I give it 3.3 stars.

This is a quite lopsided album in my opinion. Fortunately, the good parts (Master of the Universe, Children of the Sun, We took the wrong step), outnumber the bad parts (2/3s of You Shouldnt Do That, and all of Adjust Me).

I like the start of You Shouldnt Do That. It really gives you the impression that you're blasting off into space, and you're in for an amazing ride. However, i generally skip the track after the first bit of chanting, because from then on nothing changes. If you're already in a trance-like state, you will probably like it.

You Know Your Only Dreaming is an alright track too.

Masters of the Universe should be their most well-known song, but it usually gets overshadowed by the far-inferior Silver Machine (which by the way is a bonus track on the CD). The lyrics in this song are the best on the album!

We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago doesnt sound too good to start with but the middle section makes up for it, with some of the loudest acoustic guitar strumming I've ever heard! Listen to it with headphones definitely!

Adjust Me is a load of rubbish though I'm afraid. Loads of disembodied sounds that don't go anywhere. The only purpose this song serves is to lead up to the final track, because right at the end there's this really annoying electronic buzz that is just starting to overwhelm you when it stops and the soothing strumming of Children of the Sun kicks in.

Children of the Sun is undoubtedly the best track here. I love how different it sounds to the rest of the album, and as the last track it provides the albums salvation in my mind. It only uses three instruments: a steady, strumming acoustic guitar, some subtle electric guitar and a flute that sounds like its coming up from underwater.

The best bonus track is 7 by 7. As mentioned before im bored of SIlver Machine and i've never listened to Born To Go

Featuring Amon Duul II's Dave Anderson's powerful riffs on bass (before the legendary Lemmy of Motorhead fame took up the position), the second Hawkwind album is a clear and impressive step up from the band's debut. The band attains its spacey atmospheres not through quiet keyboard noodling but through loud, hypnotic, pulsing bass and drum patterns which form a framework from which guitar, keyboard, sax and flute solos emerge and fade back into, with the singing on offer here being more like a tripped-out chant at points (the opening You Shouldn't Do That being a case in point). The overall impression is of a cross between the more repetitive, drone-like elements of Krautrock and the more riotous psychedelic-era Pink Floyd material, resulting in a fusion that sounds light years away from either.

The first truly top-flight Hawkwind album might be overshadowed by the albums following it, but it's still more than good enough to recommend to anyone wanting to explore the band's work. Four stars.

I like Hawkwind's sound and style and I like several moments of their sophomore IN SEARCH OF SPACE. That space between my ears has heard Hawkwind through later releases and is either bored with how little the overall change has come along or disappointed that a chronological journey wasn't taken into this group. It's the same feeling I have about Koenjihyakkei's second effort; I would have enjoyed it much more had I discovered it earlier.

''You Shouldn't Do That'' got old, not because the jam is bad, but because the song has less to offer than later jams that are shorter. Hawkwind jamming out a song was always an unsure thing, but here it sounds slightly transparent. Beneath the raucous exterior, we get slightly better than average ideas extended for a bit too long. That or maybe the production is somewhat thin. ''Adjust Me'' and ''We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago'' are perfect examples of the band letting the tape run for too long. I never have figured out the former track, especially the odd poem recited at the beginning which goes through someone fooling with the knob that controls the playback speed.

The acoustic moments are nice, especially the closing ''Children of the Sun'' (the high point of the album). ''You Know You're Only Dreaming'' could have been the same way except it goes into familiar Hawkwind territory (and for too long). I enjoy the proto-psych-metal sound of the whole album like on ''Master of the Universe'', but by now you know my familiar gripe. I think I've burnt out my love for Hawkwind on DOREMI and WARRIOR to the point where I start phasing out on other Hawkwind releases.

The Hawkwind people are nice enough to give us some bonus material to fawn over, even if they aren't really THAT worthy of fawning over. Of note is their big number (I don't know if ''hit'' is the right word to use) in ''Silver Machine'' with a tempo that seems to pull a BATMAN THEME in that I can never figure out what the tempo really is.

"We are the children of the sun, and this is our inheritance"

For my 50th review on progarchives, I decided to review one of the classic albums in my vinyl collection. After little thought, I decided on Hawkwind's space-rock masterpiece "X In Search of Space", a record which I consider to be the definitive space-rock album. This record, repetitive as it is, sports some of the genre's finest jams, and the general atmospheres that are created throughout the duration of this psychedelic journey, prove the release to be an essential psychedelic album.

Of all the psychedelic rock bands of the 70s, Hawkwind is perhaps the one that is the most commonly associated with the label of "space-rock". The band's unique blend of riff-driven hard-rock and acoustic acid-folk has acted as a bridge between hippie and punk culture, influencing a large string of psychedelic rock musicians since the release of their self-titled debut. Of all Hawkwind's releases, "X In Search of Space" exploits this aspect of their sound most evidently, representing both of the major sectors of their fan base with an equal amount of power and enthusiasm. While the instrumental work on this album is impressive, the use of synthesisers takes the spotlight, embellishing this record with a tremendous cosmic power.

The album begins with the 15 minute jam, "You Shouldn't Do That". This repetitive psychedelic jam opens the album with a mysterious layer of synthesiser, beckoning the listener into further attention. The track then moves into a heavy riff, driven by guitar and bass, soaring on the wings of a warm analogue synthesiser. Nik Turner's saxophone is cunningly woven into the barrage of sound, adding a sense of quirkiness and individuality to the otherwise stark and brazen sound. The synthesisers are superb, bubbling and soaring above the mix in an incredibly cinematic fashion. Once the introduction is concluded, the vocals are added, chanting warily to the listener. After the vocals have ceased their chanting, the track continues in the same repetitive fashion, a tempest of heavy psychedelia growing ever more intense with every repetition. The final few minutes are a real treat, summarising the track with an ambient drone of saxophone and guitar, followed by a tumultuous roar of sound from the band and a swirl of manipulated vocals. "You Know You're Only Dreaming" follows the incessant psychedelia of the previous track almost instantly, with an exciting ambience that restores balance to side one of the vinyl. Turner's manipulated flute sound caresses this track with a subtle beauty, creating a soundscape on which the rest of the band's sound is built. The improvisatory jamming of this track moves in giant waves of sound, combining brittle, distorted timbres with mellow, aspirate timbres to create a dense musical landscape. A truly magical end to side one of the vinyl.

Side two opens with "Masters of the Universe", a legendary hippie anthem that sees the record move into a more vivid direction. The music here is more riff-oriented than the previous tracks, and the general atmosphere is rather more intense, due to the relentless pounding of bass that drives the track along. The hypnotic vocals chant lyrics in standard Hawkwind fashion. This track ends with a distorted explosion, a fitting conclusion to the explosive psychedelia that has been explored. And then, from the ashes of the unabated pounding of "Masters of the Universe", rises the phoenix of "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago", casting rays of shimmering acoustic guitars onto the unexpectant ears of the listeners. This incredibly moving highlight moves the album immediately into a softer and more thoughtful direction, acting as somewhat of a revelation in the abyss of pounding guitars and aggressive drumming that surrounds it. The acoustically driven sound is warmly welcomed after the cascade of aggressive distortion, and the glitter of guitars adds well needed contrast to the album. The lyrics in this song are of beautiful simplicity, a significant call to the citizens of earth to care for their habitat. After this meaningful journey through the realms of our earthly home, Hawkwind enters their psychedelic space shuttle once more and sets fourth on another welcome voyage into the realms of space-rock. "Adjust Me" follows a similar format to the previous psychedelic jams that are featured on the album, but this time there is a patient and more subtle approach to the improvisation. This track has more of an exotic flavour than the previous jams, which is created through the lack of distortion and the abundance of acoustic instruments that characterises it's sound. The album closer, "Children of the Sun", is another predominantly acoustic track, which concludes the album with the hippie acid-folk sound that is laced throughout the entire album. This track brilliantly summarises the sound of the record, with a repetitive guitar and bass riff, softly embellished with an aspirate flute sound and the deep reverberations of a gong. This charming resolution to the album leaves the record steaming in the turntable, a souvenir of the journey that has taken place.

I consider this Hawkwind release to be the definitive space-rock album. The album fuses Hawkwind's aggressive signature improvisations with the folky and melodious acoustic sounds that were visited in their self-titled debut, creating an intriguing blend of spacey atmospheres. "X In Search of Space" is riddled with imperfections, but that is simply the space rock sound that is characteristic of the era. Hawkwind had many years and many more releases to develop their sound, but while many of their subsequent albums are masterful, every subsequent release brought them further from the true cosmic power of their original space-rock sound.

"X In Search of Space" is an essential addition to any space-rock collection and the definitive space-rock album.

The title of Hawkwind's sophomore album was chosen well: this was indeed a band reaching for the outer cosmos, and their aim was improving despite a residual tug of earthbound gravity on the new music.

After an unfocussed debut in 1970, the blueprint for a more distinctive group style was starting to coalesce, with help from graphic designer Colin Fulcher, aka Barney Bubbles, who gave the album its title and illustrated the elaborate Hawkwind Log included in early LP pressings. And the band itself was learning the secret of the Hawkwind trip: push the jams forward with relentless momentum, and limit the chord changes to a bare minimum.

Any lingering trace of blues from the first album was forever bulldozed under the churning guitars and twittering synthesizers driving "You Shouldn't Do That" (filling most of Side One of the original vinyl) and the space-punk concert favorite "Master of the Universe". Add a steady motorik rhythm, Nik Turner's treated flutes and saxophones (to these ears the defining element of the Hawkwind sound), and some effectively spacey acoustic guitar ballads (like the stoner requiem "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago"), and the result is a rough sketch of a roadmap leading toward the upcoming Space Ritual epiphany.

The band was still a work in progress, busy repaying its debt to PINK FLOYD, with a little Krautrock added to the principal loan. But there was always a critical difference between the two groups: while members of The Floyd were attending architecture classes at London Polytechnic, the Hawkwind gang was flunking out of the Notting Hill School of Hard Knocks, and finding their true voice along the way.

Three-plus stars for sonic progress...plus a further half-star for some essential bonus tracks added to later CD reissues. The non-album classic "Silver Machine" is still the ultimate Hawkwind head rush; the B-Side "Seven By Seven" introduced poet Robert Calvert into the performance line-up; and the lyrics of the live single "Born To Go" (recorded at the same Roundhouse gig as "Silver Machine") summed up the band's newfound confidence and clarity of purpose: "We were born to go / We're never turning back / We were born to go / And leave a burning track..."

HAWKWIND's second album IN SEARCH OF SPACE should more appropriately be titled "In Search Of Stability" for it has one of the most chaotic revolving door episodes in rock history! This is all about the bassist. After the debut album John Harrison hit the road and was then replaced briefly by Thomas Crimble who was barely around long enough to warm up for band practice and then was replaced by Dave Anderson from Amon Düül II who stuck around long enough to help record this album and then HE took off to be replaced by the legendary Lemmy of future Motorhead fame. If that isn't space rock taken to the extreme i don't know what is! I'm dizzy and spaced out just learning all the info about the makings of this album :P

"You Shouldn't Do That" begins with hypnotic repetitive guitar riffs as the electronic pitches whizz up and down the musical scale in seemingly erratic ways and sound like rogue quantum particles oscillating into infinity and back again. This is the longest track on the album and continues where the eponymous debut left off only the hard rock guitar rhythms have become fiercer and more energetic while the space trippin' has taken a complete journey around the solar system. The electronic audio generator effects are in full play and the syncopated elements of the instrumentation which includes various styles of drumming, sax and synthesizers all wend and wind around a steady rhythmic path and a concentration of 2-chord simplicity of the guitar and bass.

Tracks like "You Know You're Only Dreaming", "We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago" and "Children Of The Sun" have more of an early Pink Floyd feel to them as there is a mellower acoustic feel that includes more interactive types of instrumentation bringing the spacier aspects even further into the limelight. The guitar riffs are slightly more varied and joined in by flute as well. The instruments also have more license to weave a tapestry of sound around a kernel of rhythm rather than obsequiously adhering to a traditional rock aesthetic but always keeping that harder edged rock energy in motion. The guitars and bass are always electrically charged keeping the energy levels of all musicians on board high and this album usually feels like the energy vibrational patterns are truly going to accelerate into infinity to a state of anti-gravity where time and space merge into one. Like way cool! My kinda space rock and this was all the way back in 1971! Whereas Pink Floyd were creating mellow surreal soundscapes, HAWKWIND were pioneering the hyperdrive branch of psychedelia. I also love the drums as there is ample cymbal action as well.

Personally i think HAWKWIND were at their best for their sound on their first three albums which are probably their least progressive in terms of songwriting but at their peak in pure hypnotic Krautrock-style trippiness turned up to 11. While the repetitive guitar riffs that often revolve around two chords trading off for minutes at a time can be a turn off if that were the main focus of the listener, what makes this standout for me are all the improvisational skills that surround these never changing chord tradeoffs. Between the unprecedented electronic hopped-up signal generator effects, the crazy use of saxophone, flute and the liberal use of slightly off-timed syncopation between the instruments for me creates an ecstatic monospastic mind trip that makes me feel like i'm in a space portal traveling a million miles per second without going anywhere. The occasional vocals punctuate the trip and connect to an earthly reality but overall i find this to be one of the most successful space travels that incorporate harder edged guitar rock EVER! I've been trying to talk myself out of giving this a five star rating but every time i listen to this one just sends me to Saturn and makes me want to make hoola hoops out of its rings.

The most complex music ever? Of course not, but this album really takes the listener to unexpected places while keeping the melodic aspects as an underlying subterfuge. Hypnotic and energetic space rock of the highest degree. I guess enjoying this as much as i do is putting myself in a certain state of mind. One that divorces itself from all expectations and melting into the hypnotic and monotonous grooves and letting the periphery sensations become the driving force. I can totally hear how this early HAWKWIND music became the influence for countless modern trance and psybient bands as well as earning the respect of the more guitar oriented punk and grunge musical worlds as well. For me this is simply psychedelic munificence that incorporates space rock ideas of the time and steers them into hyperdrive to Alpha Centauri. Spastic space rock pleases me immensely!

Even though 'X in Search of Space' was only Hawkwind's 2nd album, the band was already experiencing the curse of the revolving door on the band members. Most of this had to do with the use (and even non-use) of drugs. Trying to explain the personnel changes is way too confusing. However, the change in the band's style and music is the most important thing to pay attention to on this album. This sophomore album would bring more attention to the band especially in the UK and send them on their way to establishing their sound and style. This album is a very important step in the creation of a new sub-genre, that being space rock. It is based mostly around extended jams with the lyrics and melodies coming in around it all.

Though the album does not show the band quite at its peak yet, it is a huge step in the right direction. Even so, I do prefer the debut album to this one even if it is further away from the direction that the band would take. However, it is still and enjoyable album and one can't deny it's importance. It also marks the time when their most famous bass player Lemmy would join the band. Even though he is not on he original album, he was made a member of the band right after the album was released and he does appear on all three bonus tracks on the 1996 remastered CD version of the album. Owning the version of the remastered album is worth considering as the bonus tracks are all quite strong and fit right in well with the rest of the album even if they are a bit heavier than the other tracks and less jam- centric.

You Shouldn't Do That - This is a fifteen minute long space jam that shows the band using krautrock, psychedelic and space rock influences right from the beginning of the album. Right away, the listener will notice the difference between this album (which would also mark where the band would go with it's sound forever more) and the previous one. No blues influence is apparent here. The long jam never changes the key and even barely changes chords except for some sections that do some quick chord changes. The vocals are quite garbled and there is a repeated chant that sounds off over and over while the undecipherable and somewhat monotone singing goes on. But for the most part, this is quite a nice, spacey foray and would create the niche that Hawkwind would create and stay in for the rest of its long life.

You Know You're Only Dreaming - Dave Brock, the main force behind Hawkwind, has stated that The Steve Miller Band was a big influence on him. Of course, he was talking about Steve Miller's psychedelic years, the years that most of the public don't know about. This track takes inspiration from Miller's crazy psych tune 'Jackson-Kent Blues' by using the main riff and retaining the tone of the song, heavy and totally unlike anything Miller would become famous for in later years. The vocals this time are quite a bit clearer, and the spooky descending background 'ooooooo's are straight from Miller's song, along with a lot of the psychedelic effects in the guitar. Interestingly enough, this is less progressive than Steve Miller's own song as it melts into another one-chord krautrock style jam. Nik Turner's saxophone and flute effects push the instrumental section forward.

Master of the Universe - Nik Turner does the lead vocals on this one, the only track on the album that has a space theme. The lyrics follow the belief that humans are the central most important being in the universe. The verses are separated by a guitar riff which the rest of the band builds off of. Synth and treated sax give it all a kooky, spacey feel during the long instrumental section. The band breaks a bit more away from the single chord jam this time around by utilizing a simple ascending chord progression based off of the main riff.

We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago - This is the first track to stay under 5 minutes. The verse sections are accompanied by a 12 string acoustic guitar while the synths play out their usual spacey effects. The melody is much more accessible than most of the music on the album.

Adjust Me - This is an instrumental track taken from a jam session.

Children of the Sun - Another short acoustic guitar-led song with some electric embellishments towards the end.

The 1996 remastered CD would also include three more tracks:

Seven By Seven - This one is a non-album b-side that was recorded a little bit later as are all of the bonus tracks. The riff for this track comes from another band called 'Leviathan' called 'Flames'. This one has some warbly, spooky sounding synths. Robert Calvert, who would work more extensively with the band on subsequent albums, guests on vocals and also, by the time of the recording of all three of the bonus tracks, Lemmy (later of Motorhead fame) plays bass and Simon King has also replaced Terry Ollis on drums and plays on all three of the bonus tracks. It's actually a pretty good track and the playing seems much tighter here especially in the last half of the track.

Silver Machine - This is the A-side to the previous bonus track and features Lemmy on the lead vocals. This one is also a non-album track. Though the single was unheard of in North America, it actually did a decent job in the UK and generated enough money to completely fund the band's third album. The guitar is quite heavy in this track, as could be expected, and the effects are very prominent throughout.

Born to Go - This bonus track is also a non-album track recorded live. This particular version is an edit which was used on a single. This does a swell job of portraying the heaviness of the band when playing live.

Though it's not their best album, it is the most important step that the band would take in their history establishing their sound which would create and influence many space rock bands that would follow in its wake. Hawkwind would continue to experience turbulence in the band line-ups and this would be a curse to them through their history, but the band would continue to grow so that by their next album 'Doremi Fasol Latido' they would be making important and essential space prog.

When we talk about space rock the first thing that comes to mind for most people is that more atmospheric side of the genre, say bands such as Pink Floyd or Ozric Tentacles, but not often do we hear about the more experimental, jammy, psychedelic, and krautrock influenced side of the space rock coin. Bands such as 35007, Far East Family Band, and even Gong are such bands that have influenced and evolved through the space rock formation. Though, it would be a shame to not talk about one of the bigger, more underground, and more enriching bands that are Hawkwind.

Formed in the late 60s by Dave Brock, Mick Slattery, and Nik Turner, they've been around for a long, long time, with an album output of mostly every year or so since their debut album. This band and I have a strange history. To me their album output can be very mixed, with some albums I think working well, but some others I feel are mediocre. With such a big discography it is to be expected to find some duds here and there, but I feel like with Hawkwind they can never seem to be truly amazing, but never truly terrible either. They are strange, and hypnotizing, but very easy to break out of their grasp when you feel like it. I have tried to get into them, but I never seem to fully get into their music, no matter how many albums I have heard from them. My thoughts are out of the way, this is their sophomore album after their considerable mediocre first effort, here they fully embrace their jammy, space rock side of things they'll be highly known for in their career.

How the album starts with a jam session named You Shouldn't Do That, which takes up most of the first side. Considerably it is a 15+ minute epic that goes for that more psychedelic enriched krautrock flavors, with a tiny bit of jazz-rock influence. To me, this song does capture the adventurous and wild side of space travel, and it succeeds in the aspect of how bouncy and wild it is. The guitars and saxophones mesh well with one another, and I find myself grooving along with all of it in some form or another. Despite being 15 minutes it never feels too long or repetitive. If I had to give a modern example, it'd be The Dripping Tap by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. That song is 18 minutes long and in itself is a jam session, however, it never feels too long or arduous to listen to. This is the same feeling I get for this song, the momentum and how it all meshes well together no matter what makes it a great song. The album's highlight.

However, after this point the album dips in value for me with You Know You're Only Dreaming. I do like how the guitars and drums create a more structured environment and how the flutes in the back continue the more thematic space apparel the band would be very known for, however, I feel like it never goes anywhere with the idea of what they want to do. Hawkwind, for me, has a problem where they create a good setup, but never fully create a good execution. With the last song, it was fine since it was truly a jam session, something where a golden ending would be obtuse, but with this song, I would love to have some kind of payoff, since it by every aspect of how it has a good start, it should have a good finish, especially when the song isn't a jam session and more of just a regular song. I bet with this sound they'd make their dues with bigger payoffs, but for what it stands they missed out a bit on this song.

I will say though that Master Of The Universe does make up for You Know You're Only Dreaming with a more structured, and rewarding song. I think with this song they are truly at their A game. The guitars are crisp, the drums are sound, the bass is lush, the saxophone is weird but good, and the space sounds in the back help add to this track. My main issue with it however is Dave Brock's vocals. I never really liked Hawkwind for their vocal arrangements, they aren't awful by any means but I much prefer their more instrumentally sound works than ones where the key feature is the vocals, which they rarely have luckily but even then I still am not a fan of them in that regard. I find his voice to be very monotone and doesn't reflect on the fun-filled music here, which creates a rather poor flavor to this otherwise good song. It is like, say you are trying a new cookie you got from the store. The bread is good, it's nice and soft but has a good crunch to it, and it is very sugary and sweet. It's good, right? Well, sadly there are also raisins and pretty mediocre raisins at that. This metaphor fits into most songs by Hawkwind, a good cookie but it has mediocre raisins in it.

To allow the two sides of the album to be different from each other, side two is more acoustical in style. As you can expect due to this and a lack of focus on most of the more electrical instruments with a softer sound and a distinctiveness in the vocals, you might think I would hate the second side of the album. Well, that isn't entirely true, but I still do not like the vocals, but I do think they fit better with a more soft psych rock sound. For example the song, We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago. The more folk arrangements do let the vocals fit more in with the song's mood and atmosphere, but still retain the more fun-filled nature this album all around has. I gotta give credit where credit is due, the band does know how to maintain their more jovial attitude.

While every song I have given at least some praise to, I just cannot with Adjust Me. Where in some parts of songs you can hear a tiny bit of a krautrock sound, here we are fully delved deep into that more avant-garde side of the spectrum. With bands like Faust and Neu where that avant-garde music works well, here I think they fall flat in the mud. It is not fun to listen to, which is a strange thing to say about a Hawkwind song, but it is not interesting either, which is also strange to say about avant-garde music. I can tell this song has inspired a bit more of the weird, and trippy side of psych and space rock, especially with the vibrating guitars and keyboards, but even then I cannot help but think this song was a huge misstep.

Though, despite this misstep, the album does end fairly well with Children Of The Sun. It takes a page from We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago by being a more acoustic song, but it does blend a bit more of that space rock stylization from their other songs. With this, I'd say it ends the album on a pretty good note. The acoustics are all well mixed, and the flute playing here does build more into that nice atmosphere. I am still not a fan of Dave's vocals, they could be so much better even if they fit into this song.

So at the end of the day, this album is pretty alright. I do like a good deal of the songs here and I think the fun moments here can be plentiful. The issues I have with this album though are also plentiful, and I think they make the album suffer more than it should. It's an album that I think, at the end of the day, is pretty much ok, but I do see it as an important look at that more fun-filled, and jammy side of space rock that we don't hear from many people nowadays.

This is one of the best Hawkwind albums, thanks to the gigantic You Shouldn't do That, a song that is difficult to describe due to the spacey Synthesizer Explorations, touches or jazz rock (with lots of sax improvisation) and some cacophonic repetitive sounds that create a very psychedelic effect. Not only that, the song lasts more than fifteen minutes, which was not so common in 71. Definitely, a true statement of the anarchic art of these fellows.

Besides that, the album features different things, with Master of the Universe being the closest to what would be known as the trademark Hawkwind sound, while You Know You're Only Dreaming and We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago are very spacey, but gentler and even a bit folkier, giving a nice flavor for the album, with it's different moods. It is like they were doing calm and contemplative counterpoints to the intense and denser songs of the album.

The band would still need some years to evolve to the more recognizable and polished sound of their mid and late seventies album that became their trademark sound. But X in Search of Space is a raw diamond that makes it one of the most interesting prog albums of 1971.