Tweet

Album Details

• Artist: Hawkwind
• Album: Onward
• Label: Eastworld Recordings
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2012-12-12

Onward isn’t really (at least on first spin) what one would expect Hawkwind to release in 2012. First, as a double CD set it is pretty massive, in a time when listeners are often looking for short and sweet in the era of MP3s. Of course, the demographic to which Hawkwind appeals probably doesn’t fit into that category of listeners, anyway. Additionally, in some ways it doesn’t feel like a logical progression for this point in their career. Instead, it almost seems to capture various periods (or at least provides sonic nods to those eras) of the group’s history while also taking them in new directions. There’s also a bit of an oddity in that the songs billed as “bonus” tracks are set in the middle of the second disc, rather than at the end as is traditional.

Different eras of the band seem to be represented by different songs. For instance, “The Hills Have Ears” seems connected to the Levitation album in some ways. “Computer Cowards” seems like it might have fit on Xenon Codex. On the more “unusual for Hawkwind” end of the spectrum, “The Drive By” has an almost club kind of vibe in places. “Mind Cut” seems to have elements of alternative rock. “Howling Moon” even seems to incorporate some jazz. Those are just a few examples of the kind of variation present on the album.

This is not the kind of thing that grabs you on the first spin. However, with each repeated time through, it seems to sink in more.  I wouldn’t say that it’s my favorite Hawkwind disc (but the catalog is so deep and diverse that it’s a hard thing to pick one out, anyway), but it’s definitely a great one that’s well worth acquiring. Old time Hawkwind fans will find plenty to like here. It might earn them some new fans, too.

User Reviews and Comments

Log In or Register to Rate Albums