PXR 5

Released in the late seventies after bickerings over name rights were resolved following the mediocre Hawklords 25 Years On album this album sort of picks up where Quark Strangeness and Charm left off and if you liked that album you should have no problem getting into P.X.R 5.

First, some trivia. If you`re able to obtain an original vinyl pressing of P.X.R.5 you`ll have a bit of a collector`s item. The wiring on the back cover art was inncorrect and the album was pulled and a sticker placed over the faulty electrical work. Then it was changed completely. Well, we can`t have a technically imperfect Hawkwind album, it would put the whole universe out of sync. Wouldn`t it?

Hawkwind is still in a kind of punk mode and has much the same sound as on the Quark Strangeness and Charm LP but Rob Calvert`s cynical sci-fi musings and dark visions offer a contrasting spphistication with the late seventies toned down Hawkwind musical approach. This would also be the last Hawkwind album appearance for Calvert.

Highlights include Uncle Sam`s On Mars which addresses the United States` fanatical obsession with space exploration with total disregard for our decaying environment. Infinity, a spacey balad which embraces our uncertain future is reminicient of We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago from the second Hawkwind album, In Search of Space. Asimov`s laws of robotics is used metaphorically to illustrate how mankind has been reduced to programmable walking carbon units in the age of automation in 1979 and even more true today in 2006. Perhaps one of the most ominous songs from Hawkwind was Highrise about over-urbanization whose lyrics can also be taken as references to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the WTC. Spooky when you listen to it with this in mind

P.R.X. 5 is a must have for Hawkwind fans. Although it appeared during a shakedown period for the band and despite the onslaught of punk-rock, Hawkwind slagged on in the late seventies still producing material which was true to the Hawkwind tradition. Add ½ gold star.