Hawkwind
In Search Of Space

THE REVIEW

Hawkwind is an English band from the early 70s, which much of the criticism forcibly includes in the hard'n'heavy category. In reality, the group of Calvert and Brock invented a new musical language: space-rock. Hawkwind's musical proposal is much closer to acid rock, free jazz, and minimalist avant-garde than to hard rock. Hypnotic, intoxicating, and ethereal, their “space rock” takes the lesson of the Grateful Dead (masters of improvised jam) and adapts it to a new and original sonic blend that includes obsessive and pounding rhythms, slashing and repeated guitar riffs, languid and endless sax and flute solos, searing electronic stabs.

The opener “You Shouldn’t Do That” is the quintessence of the Hawkwind sound: 15 vertiginous minutes at a brisk pace, in which a simple bass line serves as the tireless engine for a series of variations on the theme, especially in terms of timbre and intensity (according to the minimalist lesson). It is music that, starting from simple cues, dissects them to reach moments of pure sonic roar. The “spatial” character of their sound lies not so much in the use of electronics, but in the concept of conceiving the tracks as nebulae in continuous restructuring: the overall impression is that of a compact and homogeneous sound block, always the same; in reality, by analyzing the piece in detail, one perceives, with each cycle of chords, small great upheavals that reveal, from time to time, new music, a new dimension, a new universe. Hawkwind's songs are perpetual motion sonic magma.
If “Master of the Universe” is the track on the album that most approaches hard rock practice, “You Know You’re Only Dreaming” and “Adjust Me” lean towards abstraction, chaos, pure enchantment. Both start with a brief vocal section (the Barrett-like dream chant of the former; the hypnotic recitation of the latter), only to launch into wonderful free-form adventures on the edge of reality. To draw a suggestive bridge between futurism and primitivism, there are “We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago” and “Children of the Sun”, two folk-inspired tracks accompanied by acoustic guitar.
The bonus tracks are closer to the song form: “Seven by Seven” (dreamy extraterrestrial prophecy), “Silver Machine” (titanic and overwhelming boogie), “Born To Go” (a whirlwind and tumultuous rollercoaster, recorded live).

A magical, unmissable album; an unforgettable journey through the wonders of the cosmos: “In Search of Space” is one of those experiences that remain.