THE AMBIENT ANARCHISTS

The thing that really bug me big time about HAWKWIND is their discography is nothing short of a total nightmare. The newcomer must be awfully careful about where to start or he might be turned away from this band for good. This 1997 2-CD collection, luckily, doesn't come from bootlegged live shows or one of their lousy bootleg albums, but from their official albums and official singles. Here you get a 1980s version of "Psychedelic Warlords", the sinister "Utopia" (from "Choose Your Masques"), the 1975 single "Motorhead" (which was obviously by Lemmy and no doubt how Lemmy got the name for the infamous heavy metal band he formed after leaving HAWKWIND), "The Forge of Vulcan" (sounded like they got this title off a Star Trek episode, this song came off "Quark Strangeness and Charm"), "The Joker at the Gate" (from "The Church of Hawkwind"), and so much more. One song worth noting is "Confrontation", as you hear the music, you hear news footage of the British authorities raiding the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1985 (this was the festival that HAWKWIND were regulars, as well as a then-up and coming band called OZRIC TENTACLES), not forgetting this was smack in the middle of the Thatcher administration.

You even get two versions of "Sonic Attack", one from the 1981 album of the same name, and another with Michael Moorcock narrating (not sure where this version came from). But then the problem you get with HAWKWIND compilations is you always don't get the best picture of the band, and this one in places seem a bit drawn out. Luckily you don't get crap sound quality like you do their unofficial and bootleg releases, that's good. Basically "Ambient Anarchists" is basically give or take, a lot better than a lot of their crappy bootlegs, and not quite nearly as good as many of their other official releases.

If you are going to buy your first Hawkwind CD then buy this is one because it contains a fantastic selection of songs. The sound quality and production are excellent and I cannot find any fault with this double album. Most of the other compilation/boxsets pale against this one, this has all that you need to become aware of the Hawkwind experience. Of course there maybe a few songs that you are not over keen on but I liked them all. Even oldtimers will find that this album is an excellent addition to their collection. So do the right thing because you have the right to decide that this is the album for you.

Yet another Hawkwind compilation, this one released in 1997 with tracks mostly from the 80`s & 90`s. For younger listeners Hawkwind, as a result of numerous squables with record companies and line-up changes which lead to the band being heavily anthologized since it`s inception in 1969, the band can be a difficult band to follow Chronologically. Updated versions of songs add to this confusion.

However, The Ambient Anarchists provides a good synopsis of the band during the 1979-1997 era. Thankfully, here you get all original album versions of Hawkwind`s spaced out themes and sounds with a few exceptions. A long time Hawk Fan by the time this album was released in`97, I snapped it up right away for these reasons. A rarity appears on the album in the form of an alternate version of Sonic Attack narrarated by sci-fi / fantasy writer Michael Moorcock who collaborated with the band periodically both as a performer and writer since the early `70s. I have no idea where this came from and have not heard it anywhere except on this excellent compilation.

The notorious omission from this collection is anything from Chronicle of the Black Sword album from 1985 perhaps due to recording rights. Hawkwind`s music in the 80`s & 90`s sort of returned to the heavier edge it had on albums of the early `70s after mellowing out on 1976`s "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music " up to 1980`s "Levitation" album which regained the heavier approach and only four tracks from this period are to be found here. Another track from 1975 appears here in the form of Motorhead for which Lemmy`s band was named after once he got sacked from Hawkwind that year. It doesn`t really fit in and should have been placed at the end of the album sequence as a bonus track along with a live version of Urban Guerrilla which also dates from the early`70s.

This is perhaps the least confusing compilation of Hawkwind music and a good spring board for the new listener which wiil invite exploration into their earlier `70s stuff. 3½ stars for a ( finally) well done semi-comprehensible Hawkwind anthology.