I’m a bit late getting a copy of Hawkwind’s the Machine Stops given it hit the market in 2016. As a “lapsed” Hawkwind fan I’m very pleased to say it’s a cracking album.
Just like the Hawkwind of old. It’s a good old fashioned concept album to boot being based on E.M. Forsters prophetic novella.
Going back a few decades – Quark, Strangeness and Charm was one of the first records (proper vinyl back then) I bought.
It triggered a deep journey in to the band’s music with how strong their stuff was at that time and the wonderful Bob Calvert at his peak too.
However for me after Calvert, Hawkwind were not the same. I still bought their output with, until buying the Machine Stops recently, the last being the excellent Chronicle of the Black Sword which, in my opinion, was the last truly great offering from the Hawks.
Now I’ve picked up the Machine Stops on something of a whim after stumbling on some good reviews – and pleased I have.
It’s a “proper” Hawkwind album with all the elements which hark back to the 1970s/early 1980s glory years.
Spacey, the familiar and unmistakeable chugging riffs and vocals of the ever-present Dave Brock aided by the swirling keys to complement the guitar making that “classic” sound, excellent drumming from Richard Chadwick which drive the things along with a few of those short, sharp instrumentals thrown in.
The bleakly spoken opener All Hail the Machine is in the style of Sonic Attack with the starkness being an appropriate scene-setter given the subject matter. That leads in to The Machine – which is real “old school” Hawkwind. A proper, proper jaunty up-tempo rocker pumped along by the Brock riff and excellent key stabs. A real foot-tapper too. Set the time machine for 1975!
They mix it all up with some quieter paced elements which add to the feeling of the concept – even a bit of un-Hawkwind like balladry here and there – which all works so well too.
Synchronised Blue (space) rocks it all up again being a jaunty beast of a song. Have a listen:
The Harmonic Hall a bit “doomy”, A Solitary Man back to the space-rock. Tube and Lost in Science bring things to a close excellently.
It all fits together so well. All fresh sounding and a big production job (listen to it with the headphones on).
Old Hawkwind fans such as myself who have been er “absent” for a while will lap it up as I have and return to the fold. First class stuff from start to finish. Set aside an hour of your life to give it a whirl.
>> HAWKWIND THE MACHINE STOPS ON AMAZON HERE <<
All being well coming up next/soon will be a couple of “lost” NWOBHM bands. Zenith and Traitor’s Gate (the version from Somerset). Their stuff from the old days being subject to a limited run on CD. I’ll post up when the CDs arrive.
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