HW: Review - Hawklords 25 Years On (1978)

[Paul G Ward]

                     Record Review: HawkLords '25 Years On'
                     --------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I've done this a few times now, but I still have *NO* literary
            talent whatsoever! In fact it's getting harder as I go :-(
            My humble opinion is mine, and no-one elses! I do know what I
            like though, and that means HAWKWIND!

            Any reference to record labels & catalog numbers reflects what
            my copy is, and is not necessarily the only (or original)
            release.

Artist/s:       Hawklords
Title:          25 Years On
Label/Cat#:     Charisma 9124 032
1st Release:    1978 (but mine says '79)
Lineup:         Bob Calvert, Dave Brock, Harvey Bainbridge, Steve Swindells,
                Martin Griffin, Henry Lowther, Simon King, Les McClure,
                Simon House


Hey, this is different! Due to legal reasons, the band had to release this
record and tour under the name of 'Hawklords' rather than Hawkwind. The legal
problems also stopped the band from releasing the previosuly recorded _PXR5_
LP until the following year. This recording comes across as very tight and
proffesional, and really sounds (at first) nothing like the Hawkwind of old.
This is not say that it is not a good album, and some of the tracks from this
album were played live by the band many times in the following years.

The gentle backround keyboards, crystal clear acoustic guitar and exception-
-ally smooth Calvert vocals introduces us to the first track, "PSI Power",
fading out at the end with 'Psychic Noises' reminiscent of voices in your
head as the slow bass and drum line of "Free Fall" begin. Once again, key-
-boards are used more for backround 'ambience', and the bass guitar provides
the melody. Part way in to this track the gentle tones are replaced by a
more sinister bass line and almost sublimal vocals. You can feel yourself
falling from the sky (first in panic, then in harmony) as this track prog-
-resses. "Automoton" is hardly a song, but rather a Brock/Calvert synth/tape
freak out!. Tweeks and squawks build in intensity, along with an increasingly
higher pitched and faster robot voice, to a crescendo which BLASTS it's way
into the next track, "25 Years", the 'punkiest' track on the album (though
definitely not in the Sex Pistols sense of the word). This track is dominated
by guitar and keyboards much more than the previous ones, along with a congl-
-omeration of whispering and 'stuttered' vocals.

Side Two opens with a track that you would swear (if you didn't know better)
had to be recorded after an Australian Tour - "Flying Doctor". Fast paced,
rythm guitar oriented, complete with the sounds of propellor driven aircraft,
digereedoos (sorry - digereedon'ts), wobble-boards, and other instruments
reminiscent of Aussie Bush Bands, this track about a drug-crazed member of
the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service is hilarious, if not altogether
accurate. The Aussie 'twang' in the 'bush radio' sample is almost right, but
the chorus is BLOODY ANNOYING. I do vaguely recall this track getting airplay
for a week or so in Australia in the late 70's tho!

"The Only Ones" is a definite change in pace. This is basically a 'ballad'
about historical greats of Greek legend, Icarus and Daedalus. "(Only) the Dead
Dreams of the Cold War Kid", the tale of a spy during the Cold War, picks up
the pace again to some extent. The album's concluding track, "The Age of the
Micro Man" has the feeling of a requim (IMHO), it really makes you feel like
it's all over; even the re-hashing of the "25 years of social research" lyric
from the 'title' track sounds mournful.

Overall, this album is VERY different from other releases, allthough you can
feel bits and pieces of 'Quark' coming through in places. Like all the
Charisma albums, the energy is predominately in the lyrics, rather than
through the use of a 'wall of sound' (qouting Brain Tawn of HawkFan), as in
their early recordings. The quality of the sound is markedly improved as well,
and only partly due to better technology. This is a more polished Hawkwind,
but may not be for everyone. I would not omit this release from my collection
for anything however.

--
Paul Ward        aka: Assassin Sonique'          .---.  __  .--------   Long
R & D Manager, P & C Micro's Pty Ltd            /     \( o`-,  -----   may
mail: sonique at aardvark.apana.org.au            ////    '~ (    ---   they
http://aardvark.apana.org.au/~sonique/my.html /////// :    ; ---   Fly!