Mention Hawkwind to anyone who even halfway knows their onions and the response will probably be one or a combination of the following: Silver Machine; Lemmy; Stacia; space rock. Formed in London (Notting Hill, when it was the got-to anarcho-hippie retreat) in the late 1960s, they were post-Beatles, pre-punk, proto-punk and out on their own.
They enjoyed high-end singles chart success in 1972 with Silver Machine but were much better known among the alternative community as the progenitors of freak-out stage shows that included drone-zone psychedelic rock, squiggly lights and the semi-naked dancer Stacia (now quietly residing, with ne’er a spotlight around her, in rural Ireland).
Hawkwind didn't know it at the time (they were probably otherwise engaged in pursuing various pharmaceutical activities), but they were originators of a music scene that evolved into a form of acid rock and metal. Hawkwind continue to be steered by original founding member Dave Brock, but this offering – available in a sprawling six-CD set or a neater two-CD package – is more for the curious fan than completists who have all the albums.
What is most apparent, however, is just how musically adventurous the band have been throughout their lengthy career. The baseline may be sci-fi-influenced psych-rock with a side order of freak scene mischief, but if you care to dig beneath the surface, sonic substance will be discovered.
