X IN SEARCH OF SPACE

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.

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