HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL

Although Hawkwind's previous two studio albums were excellent, neither succeeded at capturing the power and might of their live set; Hall of the Mountain Grill, however, pulled this off masterfully. The album juxtaposes some of the most complex and intricate material had cooked up to date, like the title track - spiced up to no end by Simon House's delicately handled mellotron and violin contributions - with some of their heaviest rockers, like the Lemmy-penned Lost Johnny, which adds a psychedelic space rock edge to the dark, bass-driven story of an out of control drug addict. This and the subsequent Warrior On the Edge of Time represent the absolute peak of Hawkwind's studio work.