EPOCHECLIPSE: THE ULTIMATE BEST OF

Space Rock came into the forefront of rock with this incredible band - the Space Gods, Hawkwind. Del Mik, Brock and Anderson have an amazing sense of timing as they churn one track after another.

The compilation is really a scaled down version of the 3 CD set 'Epocheclipse: 30 years'.

It works as an introduction to the bnand and i grabbed this after buying my fisrt Hawkwind 'Space Ritual' as I was mesmirised by their sound and style. There are all the great tracks that Hawkwind fans worship such as 'Master Of The Universe', the first classic from Hawkwind and the bonafide classic 'Silver Machine'. This track is how I was introduced to Hawkwind and I have loved it as a child up to the present day.

Other standouts include 'Sonic Attack', 'Motorhead', 'Night Of The Hawks' and 'Needle Gun'. The edit of 'Psychedelic Warlords' has that same familiar chug-a-chug rhythmic pattern that has become a statement of space rock. The chronological approach is very welcome. It is apparent as time wore on these time bandits, that the music became more mainstream and at times punkish. The Hawkwind spaceship virtually crash landed after 'Warrior at the Edge of Time'. I especially liked the new lengthy version of 'Silver Machine'. The tracks on this CD set are found at times in longer verions on the 3 CD package and there are 2 tracks here that are not on that compilation, 'Alien I Am' and '25 Years'. There are some notable tracks left out such as 'Whose Gonna Win the War?' and 'Born To Go' but overall the best of Hawkwind is here in an expurgated version. It captures all that we love about the band therefore, this CD collection is perhaps the best way to be introduced to this eclectic space rock band - an absolute triumph. The 3 Cd set is way better of course. The booklet is very informative and packed with pictures too, different that than the 3 CD package and even Stacia gets a pic.

So grab this if you want a collection of Hawkwind but do not want to locate the CDs themselves. I still recommend the 3 CD package that I bought later along with all their albums up to 'Warrior' as a supplement to this compilation. At least then you have the classics in the retro period and the best of their more recent tracks.

A nice compilation for a quick Hawkwind fix. Some hits, some misses but all spaced out Hawkwind.