Search - Hawkwind :: Golden Void 1969-79

A Golden Retrospective

Eddie DuPre' | New Orleans, La. | 04/27/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I found this compilation to be quite interesting as well as satisfying. It's a great collection for long time fans as well as an excellent starting point for newcomers to the Hawkwind phenomenom. The liner notes give an incredibly detailed summary of the history of the band as well as a visual package that is stunningly retro and modern at the same time. As the "Collectors Gold" label on the cover states, the two discs are indeed shimmering metallic gold. However, I'm not sure if it really does anything to enhance the sound quality of the discs, which is excellent with the exception of a few of the early live cuts. Most of the material is rare or unreleased and spans every incarnation of Hawkwind. Disc one starts off with the then named "Hawkwind Zoo" doing "Hurry on Sundown" and "Sweet Mistress of Pain", two Dave Brock compositions from 1969 which have a very 60's psychedelic "More" era Pink Floydy kinda acoustic pop feel. These tracks are followed by "We Do It" and "Earth Calling", two low quality live recordings that are still interesting for the atmospherics and sound effects. Next up is a really cool rocking version of "Kings of Speed" which is all instrumental and with more prominant synth/effects than the original track off of "Warrior on the Edge of Time". After this we have a killer version of Lemmy's "Motorhead" with Dave Brock slamming out lead vocals as well as a mind boggling lead guitar solo. The next two tracks are "Spirit of the Age" and "Robot" which are from Hawkwind's Bob Calvert led "New Wave" period around 1977-78. "Spirit" sounds like a studio version and "Robot" appears to be a live track that starts as a basic new wavey pop number that evolves into an incredible space jam/lead guitar ramble reminiscent of something off of "Space Ritual". Closing out Disc one are 4 live recordings by the Brock/Calvert side project called "Sonic Assassins". These tracks were culled from a Christmas 1977 Festival gig with track one being an amusing add libbed/improvised version of "Over the Top". This is followed by "Freefall", "Death Trap" and a great live version of the Hawkwind classic "Golden Void that incorporates the new wave synth sound of that time period. I found this live portion to be quite entertaining and very well recorded considering I never really liked much of the Calvert led Hawkwind. Disc two starts off with two tracks by the second version of the Hawklords. The second version of the Hawklords heard here is Dave Brock finally taking the forefront again with "Valium Ten" and "Time Of" which rocks with a reminiscence of the jams heard on "In Search of Space" and "Space Ritual". The new wave elements are still there, incorporating more keyboard/synth sounds of the time rather than spacey elements (as heard here on "Robot"), but it still leans more towards heavy rock. Finally we have a return to the feel and vibe of "Warrior on the Edge of Time" era Hawkwind with the inclusion of the rare "Earth Ritual Preview EP" from 1983. This is the kind of Hawkwind material I truly love. Etheric, mystical medieval fantasy rock with heavy Blue Oyster Cult influences permeate "Green Finned Demon" "Dream Dancers" and "Dragons & Fables".These songs also feature the phenomenal guitar work of Huw Lloyd Langton accentuating Brock and the rest of the band. Disc two ends surprisingly with a rare Dave Brock interview from 1987. At first I wasn't to thrilled at this inclusion since they could have filled the space with music but I changed my mind after I heard it. It's very informative and Brock comes off as incredibly witty and playful. He also fills you in on a lot of Hawkwind history as well as his insights and influences. This collection overall is incredibly well done and it's the price of only ONE cd and both discs are GOLD too....if you really get off on Hawkwind and you don't have any of this rare stuff on vinyl already, you need to seriously check it out....you won't be dissapointed."

Hawkwind -'Golden Void 1969-1979' (Cleopatra)

Mike Reed | USA | 03/04/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Basically,this is a repackaging of everything from 'Mighty Hawkwind Classics' with a half a dozen bonus tracks added. Don't get me wrong, it's a good disc to own as it's nice to hear another version of "Spirit Of The Age" as well as "Golden Void".There are two live cuts here,of "Earth Calling" and "Robot" but my favorite on the entire 2-CD release would have to be their old B-side single "Time Of The Hawklords".Other worthwhile songs are the 12" version of "Valium Ten","Hurry On Sundown","Death Trap" and "Night Of The Hawks" where Lemmy guests.I also liked the half-hour conversation with group founder Dave Brock.He speaks of several topics,like Hawkwind should've been six Dave Brocks or about the time the entire band did hashcakes before a gig.Then by the time show time had arrived all the members stood around on stage like a bunch of zombies forgetting what they were there to play.Nifty eight-page fold-out CD card that tells about each song in detail.What a great buy."

Some Quality, Rare Gems

Eric DiStefano | 08/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many tunes for the dollar. Great sound quality of rare items. The rendition of Brock singing "Motorhead" and instrumental "Kings of Speed" are particularly satisfying. I enjoyed the (bonus) 30-minute, relaxed interview with Brock and, yes, can listen to it repeatedly. See the other reviews for details."