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Rating: The cult aura surrounding the fraternity group Hawkwind is not comparable to that of other bands from the early '70s; it is certainly less evident (have you ever seen someone with a Space Ritual shirt? In a better world, they would sell them at the tobacco shop along with Sandoz bars), it resembles more the overused metaphor of the karst river, which occasionally appears on the surface, just to grab some glory and vague memory before going back to mind its own business. Thus the hawkwindian cultist usually listens to the sacred albums alone, also because no revival has yet seriously touched Hawkwind, even though many do not realize that the psychedelic swirls of the young Kyuss-era Josh Homme owe everything to tracks like “Master Of The Universe” (the first one laughing and making jokes about He-Man, Skeletor, and the Madonna of Greyskull will be slapped by the enormous breasts of Stacia).
And I must say I've always been a bit happy with that, it gives you that sort of secretive vibe, even a bit nerdy, allowing you to indulge in headbanging on the space highway mapped out by “Brainstorm”. And if I somewhat understand how the music biz works, I don't think they will ever be idolized, partly because their golden phase is quite short, and partly because they were decidedly unpresentable, much like their covers often were, and therefore hardly marketable now as then. But it would be a mistake to miss the joy of the journey into deep (mental) space that “You Shouldn't Do That” offers.
That's why such a well-done tribute like this “Hawkwind Triad”, serves both as a starting point for newbies and a periodic refresher for enthusiasts. And it also keeps quite a distance from the cold and self-satisfied reproduction/recreation of the originals.
Commendable first and foremost is the choice of three rather dissimilar groups: U.S. Christmas are the most Hawkwind-like by vocation, Harvestman is the solo pseudonym of Steve Von Till from the very dark Neurosis, a world apart from Brock and the gang's atmospheres, and Minsk are an ensemble that could be defined as metal, but fundamentally steer clear of the stereotypes that come with the designation, blending everything into their music. It's logical then that the American Christmas offerings contribute the least of their own in their pieces; and it's a pity because “Master Of The Universe”, “You Shouldn't Do That”, “Psychedelic Warlords”, and “Orgone Accumulator” are sacred texts for the aforementioned cultist. Harvestman fares significantly better, reinterpreting tracks in an ethereal psych-folk key with space effects (which would have delighted Dik Mik) “D Rider”, “The Watcher”, “Magnu”, and the beautiful “Down Through The Night”.
The best, as you might have guessed, are indeed the cheerful Minsk (with a name like that, they couldn't have ventured into dub-reggae), who start with my favorite Hawkwind track, “7x7”, complete with a crazy sax and cavernous voice, navigate through the cosmic whirlpool of the duet ”Assault And Battery/The Golden Void”, and finish with an acid folk version of “Children Of The Sun” that makes you want to tear out the few hairs left on Del Dettmar's head.
So consider yourself warned, listening to Hawkwind is a duty, it helps with erections, delays orgasms, and keeps you young and broke.
“This is your captain speaking, your captain is dead”
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