HAWKWIND

Hawkwind's debut sees them trying to find a sound of their own but very much failing at it. They don't seem to find a way to get beyond rehashing earlier Pink Floyd albums. Ok, I'll try to write this review without referring to Pink Floyd more then 10 times...

Hurry on Sundown is a pleasant psychedelic pop song that would have been quite a hit had it been released in 66 or 67. Three years later it sounds a bit out of date already. Pleasant tune though.

The Reason Is is a lot more remarkable, largely reminiscent to the opening section of PF's Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (Umma Gumma version). But Hawkwind took it a step further, adding dissonant flute- and voice-effect sounds. The result is very close to what Tangerine Dream would be doing in the following years. With its modest 3 and a half minutes, this ambient experiment is very effective.

Be Yourself is less impressive, a monotonous improvisation, using the exact drum track from PF's Saucerful of Secrets. Not entirely bad but too much of a rip-off really. And Paranoia? Shake and mix Umma Gumma (disk 2) for 4 minutes. This could be close to the resulting tune.

So far, the album lacked in originality but was still pleasant enough for anybody on the psychedelic and kraut side of rock. However, with Seeing It as You Really Are, the album collapses. A dry and uninspired improvisation it is. The same goes for Mirror of Illusion.

Bring it on Home must be a mastering mistake. This is so obviously a track from Jethro Tull's debut.

This is a weak album. Luckily, the Hawk would fly into totally different directions on the second album. For the fans this debut may be an interesting release, also kraut rock fans might want to give this a try. Other ladies and gents, there's plenty of more enchanting universes to explore.