HALL OF THE MOUNTAIN GRILL

This album is one of the best Hawkwind albums and each track merges in to one another to provide an overall sound experience unlike any other Hawkwind album.

Before we get in to the music, the cover alone has become an icon of rock, voted as one of the all time best album covers in many respected album lists. The Hawkwind spaceship has crashlanded on this cover, a prophetic symbolism perhaps of albums to follow that at times miss the mark.

It begins with the awesome 'Psychedelic Warlords' that has that patented chug-a-chug rhythmic pattern that has become a statement of space rock. Del Mik, Brock and Anderson have an amazing sense of timing as they churn one track after another.

'Wind of Change' and 'D-Rider' are interesting diversions in pace. The lyrics are characteristically simple with driving bass and drums forming mechanised hypnotic rhythms.

'Hall of the Mountain Grill' is just plain weird and progressive in its structure abandoning familiar rock trademarks. In fact every time I hear it, this track sounds uncannily like the theme to "Picnic at Hanging Rock" where the school girls climb the mountain to their fate mysteriously disappearing off the planet. Listen to both and you will be amazed.

'You'd Better Believe It' is definitley one of the best with killer guitar riffing and a wall of sound with fuzz guitars and charging drum salutes throughout. It is a 7 minute prog blitz. This is one the band loved to perform live on many occasions.

'Lost Johnny' is one of my favourites with Lenny at his best, both vocally and his bass performance. Simply wonderful.

'Paradox' finishes the album off well, and then the bonus tracks are excellent especially 'It's So Easy'.

This album is another one of the Hawkwind fan faves and with good reason. It is bettered by previous releases but this was one of the last times everything seemed to work perfectly for Hawkwind. You'd Better Believe It!

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