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░ ██ ██ Artist: Hawkwind ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: All Aboard the Skylark █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2019 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2020-01-11 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Psychedelic Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Cherry Red Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ ProgÆs 50th anniversaries are coming thick and █
█ fast. One of the most welcome and most surprising █
█ û given their wild acid-drizzled past û is █
█ HawkwindÆs. They remain one of the definitive █
█ outsider bands, as legendary for the years of █
█ disputes, personnel changes, and excess use of █
█ narcotics as their defining contribution to space █
█ rock. With 30-odd studio albums already to their █
█ name, All Aboard The Skylark shows the original █
█ psychedelic-punk-crusty masters crossing their 50 █
█ year in rude health. Released alongside Acoustic █
█ Daze û unplugged takes on some of the bandÆs most █
█ beloved tracks û Skylark is immense fun and a █
█ satisfying return to their space rock roots. █
█ █
█ Skylark pretty much has it all. The album begins █
█ with Flesh Fondue, a characteristically █
█ gruesome-funny tale of space aliens feasting on █
█ the flesh of those they colonise. Last remaining █
█ original member Dave Brock serves up a typical █
█ slice of tripped-out guitar and laconic vocals, █
█ while Richard Chadwick clatters out a drum groove. █
█ This is followed up with Nets Of Space, which █
█ takes the album ever further towards the territory █
█ the Hawks so memorably defined on albums such as █
█ In Search Of Space. █
█ █
█ However, it is the following trinity of tracks █
█ that truly conjure the days when the Hawks might █
█ be found playing from the back of a truck in a █
█ field in Somerset. Last Man On Earth oozes █
█ psychedelic cool, while We Are Not Deadà Only █
█ Sleeping is a reminder of the HawksÆ gift for █
█ trippy jazz. The title track is the stuff of acid █
█ dreams, that soars so deliciously itÆs hard not to █
█ start crazy-dancing like itÆs 1973. Equally █
█ irresistible is the nine-minute The Fantasy Of █
█ Faldum, based on a Herman Hesse fairy tale. As █
█ Brock sings, æEverything passes away in time, █
█ everything grows old,Æ itÆs difficult not to hear █
█ it as a wistful comment on the bandÆs future. █
█ █
█ Accompanying acoustic bonus disc Acoustic Daze is █
█ reminder of how û behind the swirling keys, █
█ ramped-up guitars and special effects û classic █
█ Hawkwind could write a damn fine tune. Tracks such █
█ as Psi Power and Down Through The Night genuinely █
█ hold their own in these stripped-back █
█ arrangements. It is a fitting tribute to 50 years █
█ of often underappreciated songwriting. █
█ █
█ If Skylark doesnÆt break new ground, who cares? At █
█ this point, itÆs clear that Hawkwind donÆt need █
█ to. The great news is that BrockÆs musical vision █
█ is unimpaired, and the rest of the band work █
█ seamlessly to deliver it. If the albumÆs title █
█ (taken from kidsÆ cartoon series Noah And Nelly) █
█ conjures images of the 70s, this music makes you █
█ ready to travel back in time. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Flesh Fondue 5:03 ░
░ 2. Nets Of Space 3:03 ░
░ 3. Last Man On Earth 5:01 ░
░ 4. We Are Not Dead... Only Sleeping 3:21 ░
░ 5. All Aboard The Skylark 5:25 ░
░ 6. 65 Million Years Ago 4:11 ░
░ 7. In The Beginning 2:00 ░
░ 8. The Road To... 5:13 ░
░ 9. The Fantasy Of Faldum 9:16 ░
░ 10. Psi Power 5:16 ░
░ 11. Hymn To The Sun 2:49 ░
░ 12. The Watcher 4:54 ░
░ 13. Generation Door 0:41 ░
░ 14. Micro Man 5:08 ░
░ 15. Intro The Night 2:11 ░
░ 16. Down Through The Night 6:12 ░
░ 17. Flying Doctor 5:46 ░
░ 75:30 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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