Original released on LP Liberty LBS 83348
(UK 1970, August 14)
Any sci-fi fan with a long memory probably remembers those 1970s' DAW paperback editions of Michael Moorcock's sword-and-sorcery novels, with their images of heavily armored, very muscular warriors carrying large swords and standing against eerie landscapes and starscapes. Take that imagery, throw in some names and terminology seemingly lifted from the Marvel Comics of the era (and particle physics articles of the period), and translate it into loud but articulate hard rock music. That's more or less what Hawkwind are about. One of England's longest-lasting hard rock bands, Hawkwind were formed during the late '60s, just as art rock was coming into its own. They combined bold guitar, synthesizer, and Mellotron sounds, creating music that crossed paths with Chuck Berry and the Moody Blues without sounding like either of them. At their best, Hawkwind's early records sounded like the Beatles of "Yer Blues" combined with the Cream of "I Feel Free." (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)
Produced by former Pretty Things guitarist Dick Taylor, Hawkwind's first album was rightfully compared to Pink Floyd's early sound: an appealing conglomeration of hippie rock grooves and interplanetary guitar trips set to the phosphorescent wandering of Dik Mik's electronics and Nik Turner's cool sax playing. "Hawkwind" may not have been their most lucrative album, but it's where it all began. Hawkwind's initial galactic blues-rock sound is based on Dave Brock's guitar playing, rising smoke-like through the haze of lyrical space funk. The two opening tracks set the tone, with "The Reason Is" sinking in nicely to the mood of both Dave Brock's and John Harrison's guitar viscosity. After this, the real Hawkwind begins to emerge, as the eight-minute "Be Yourself" is delightfully plastered with echoed vocals and comic book ominousness, putting drummer Terry Ollis in the spotlight this time. "Seeing It as You Really Are" moves hauntingly forward through the blackness of space as a constant jam, with the keyboards, saxophone, and guitar set adrift on a nonstop instrumental voyage. What begins to materialize throughout this debut album is the band's trademarked sound as a whole, with each player making their instrument effectual and authoritative from the get-go. Hawkwind's sound indeed solidified as their career moved upward through the '70s, but their first album magnificently introduces the starting point of what was going to be a long and peculiar journey. (Mike DeGagne in AllMusic)
