Search - Hawkwind :: Space Bandits

Hawkwind says it allHawkwind fans know how hard it is to des

James B. Whitney | Minneapolis, MN. USA | 02/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hawkwind faithfull know how hard it would be to describe the band's sound for those who have not heard the calling. I wil not even try since I assume all those reading this are already aquainted with Dave Brock and the lads.

This is a great album with, as far as I know, all original material. The disk has a somewhat lighter tone than some of Hawkwinds' other offerings. There is more of an emphasis on songs rather than the self indulgent ambience in which the boys have been known to indulge.

That having been said, the music is still recognizable as being Hawkwind. This recording reminds me a bit of Choose You Masks. Thematically, there is an definite nod to environmental protection. There is also a talented female vocalist on some tracks. If you like Hawkwind you will like Space Bandits. I cannot say more."

The Message Is Still Poignant

Jack Gold | Seattle, Washington United States | 05/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I found a copy of this CD at the local library right after moving to a town in Idaho where I didn't know anyone, and from the moment I put it on it completely grabbed me. Dave Brock's guitar work is heavy but not in the way that it is on some of the earlier albums, and the drummer, Richard Chadwick, shows an amazing amount of skill. At first I almost expected to hear something reflective of the prog-rock/post-metal genre of the late '80s and early '90s, but when Bridgett Wishart started to sing any expectations I had went out the window. You can hear the punk/post-punk influence in her singing but in a very deep and meditative way. Listening to her vocal style, her approach to music, made my mind feel at ease.



The message, like other Hawkwind albums that I have heard, can be taken in a variety of contexts, and it is what I would consider to be very intelligent. It is one of awareness of the environment, of the earth, and of the consequences of our actions -- past, present, and future. The music on this disk is very outside in places, particularly during the spoken word recital of the tune "Black Elk Speaks." As poignant and as important as the message is, it is delivered with grace and skill, and with heart. Out-rock is a timeless genre, and Hawkwind are some of its greatest pioneers. Dave Brock and his band are on their game on this one."

A Typical Hawkwind Album

Fritz Gerlich | admin@audioetc.info | 12/24/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"**********************Personnel



* Bridget Wishart - vocals

* Dave Brock - electric guitar, keyboards, vocals (track 4,6)

* Alan Davey - bass guitar, vocals (track 3)

* Simon House - violin

* Harvey Bainbridge - keyboards, vocals (track 7)

* Richard Chadwick - drums

Big changes for this one. Huw Lloyd-Langton's virtuosic guitar is gone, dedicated keyboardist Harvey Bainbridge is gone, and Danny Thompson's drums are gone as well. Simon House returns with his violin, and the Hawks hire a female vocalist for the first time.



**********************Technical Stuff

I have the 1992 Castle mastering and it sounds very good. There are lots of dynamics, solid bass, and good clarity. It will be interesting to see what Cherry Hill does with this one when it comes up for it's reissue in 2010.



**********************The Music

The album is another tight and solid Hawk album: spacey instrumentals in between hard rocking space rockers with one exception. Aside from the female vocals, there isn't much different on this one. Bridget Wishart's voice fits surprisingly well with the music. The Hawks have also taken notice of the rise of Industrial music, and incorporated some of those elements into the tracks.



The first song is a fast tight hard rock song, typical hawkwind. It leads into the one different track on the album. Black Elk - a Sioux - recites a prayer to 'Grandfather, Mysterious One' over top of a tribal beat; which is followed by a short poem by Bridgett.



"Wings" is next, which is a mid tempo number written in response to the Valdez oil spill. It is a somber tune, not quite in keeping with the rest of the album, but still very good.



The next track is another hard rocker, in the same vein as the first one. Brock takes the vocals on this one for some reason.



"Realms" is a spacey instrumental very much in keeping with all the other spacey instrumentals from prior Hawk albums.



"Ship Of Dreams" is a sequencer based number with lots of effects. And aside from Houses violin, it would be quite forgettable.



The last song "TV Suicide" is another sequencer and effects song, using sampled audio from TV. It's an interesting Hawk experiment.



*******************Summary

The band starts using more modern sequencers and synths on this album, and consequently the electronics lose their dated feel. There is some quality songwriting and playing on this album, but there isn't really anything new here or different here to distinguish it from other, better Hawk albums.



It is a recommend album for seasoned Hawk fans, but for newcomers I would get something else."