EARTHED TO THE GROUND

Hawkwind albums are rarely, with a few glorious exceptions, solid and spectacular from start to finish. Most times I find that the albums sort of disjointed. There are always brilliant stuff but there's also quite alot of, what I consider to be, fillers. I love Hawkwind but still, I cannot say I love all of their music.

Having said that I believe that Dave Brock, the one who has been steering the Hawk for so many years, is a true genius. That is especially true when it comes to the more ambient and electronic side of Hawkwind. Before I bore you to death with this introduction, I think that this album, alongside a handful of others, are really excellent and solid Hawkwind.

Why Hawkwind? Isn't Dave Brock a musician in his own right? Bloody right, he is! But on this album of demos and oddities, really, lies the embryos of several Hawkwind recordings. Being overwhelmed by the might of Hawkwind I find these to be ever so interesting.

The songs later "covered" by Hawkwind are very interesting. "Assassination" is one of the most evocative and interesting songs. Later put on "Church of Hawkwind" and named "Some people never die", we get a longer and I think superior version. The combination of actual broadcasts from when Lee Harvey Oswald and Robert Kennedy was assassinated and electronic, fierce and harsh, music makes for a surreal and highly intense piece. This is one of the most dramatic pieces of music I have ever heard. "Green finned demon" is another track later "covered" by Hawkwind. Slightly more electronic it is quite mellow, almost narrative in some way. Great track.

The remaining tracks are all of the highest quality. "Now is the winter of our discontent" is similar to "Assassinations" by way of music over narratives. Taken from the Shakespeare play Richard III it is equally dramatic, almost furious in execution. "Spirits" is an eerie instrumental, as is "Machine dream". The track "Sweet obsession" I had trouble with at first but now I love it, just as is the case with "On the case". Both are sort of poppy tracks but really good. Bound by time, perhaps, but still good.

I consider this album to be great, genial even, almost all the way through. Repetative? Why, yes. But in a good way, though. Despite being almost loopy at times, the album keeps my interest at the highest level, giving me a fantastic trip through the ambient space of Dave Brock.

I am keen to give this album five stars but realise that it is probably not fair. However, this album has become a favorite of mine and it has not left my ears, or mind for that matter, for a really long time. I think it deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated by a wider audience. I think that lovers of prog and electronica could find a whole lot to take to their hearts and bossoms. Great stuff from a great man.