ROAD TO UTOPIA

When hearing beforehand Hawkwind was going to release an acoustic album from old songs with string quintet, sax quinted and brass section, I wasn´t sure what to think. But now when listened this album few times to my big suprise it really works! This really isn´t typical "let´s make boring acoustic versions from old hits"-album. First: songs in this album are not the biggest Hawkwind-hits. Second: Mike Batt has really made a great work with the arrangements of these songs, he really just doesn´t add those strings and brass into original song arrangements, like in these cases too often is done.

When "Quark, Strangeness & Charm" starts the album, you don´t believe it Hawkwind-album if you don´t know it. This very cheerful version has texmex-style brass in it. In the version of "The Watcher" Hawkwind goes nearer of rhythm`n`blues boogie than ever, both Eric Clapton with his guitar and Dave Brock in his harp doing fine job. Also Mr. Dibs sings this Lemmy-song very great way. Next "We Took Wrong Step Years Ago" goes into country music direction with it´s very beautiful string arrangement. "Flying Doctor", "Psychic Power" & "The Age Of the Micro Man" is from 25 Years On-album that I haven´t yet listened, so I can´t compare them to original. Anyway first is again glad boogie with great strings behind it, second has again a little bit texmex-style brass and the last has strings creating very calm atmosphere. "Hymn To the Sun" is the only new piece here, it´s beautiful acoustic instrumental. The final track is really great version from "Down Through the Night" where are both strings and brass, also Brock & Mr. Dibs sings together.

I really would like to give this four stars just because it´s made so great and also it´s really positive atmosphere. Both times I have listened this it has made me into really good mood. But to be honest this isn´t essential album to proglisteners, so I give it three. This album is not recommended to those Hawkwind-fans, that are not ready to hear them in very different environment as usual. But this is highly recommend to all, who like the music with good feelings and also music with very natural sounds.

Hawkwind do the "unplugged" idea, whipping out acoustic takes on their old material. When some bands do this, magic can happen - Marillion, for instance, were able to tease out new levels of beauty in already sensitively-composted songs in their occasional experiments in this vein. Hawkwind, however, have pretty much always been about electronic space rock cyber-rock futurism. The overall effect of switching their songs to this style is to make it come across as a novelty album - fun, amusing, but clearly not how these songs were intended to be heard, and the treatment here doesn't yield alternate versions which have their own distinct charm. Once you get past the amusement value of hearing them in this style, it palls quickly.