Hawkwind Albums Ranked

Hawkwind is an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind has gone through many incarnations and has incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock. They are also regarded as an influential proto-punk band. Their lyrics favor urban and science fiction themes. Many musicians, dancers, and writers have worked with the band since their inception. Notable musicians who have performed in Hawkwind include Lemmy, Ginger Baker, Robert Calvert, Nik Turner, and Huw Lloyd-Langton. However, the band is most closely associated with their founder, singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Brock, who is the only remaining original member. Hawkwind is best known for the song “Silver Machine”, which became a number three UK hit single in 1972, but they scored further hit singles with “Urban Guerrilla” (another Top 40 hit) and “Shot Down in the Night”. The band had a run of twenty-two of their albums charting in the UK from 1971 to 1993. Here are all of Hawkwind albums ranked.

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10. Astounding Sounds Amazing Music (1976)

“This is Hawkwind moving to a new groove, enter here to go back in time and onwards into space with the mighty ship. Calvert & Brock driven magic, if they could have all got on for longer you just feel they may have added seriously big afterburners to the good ship Hawkwind. Jealousy and fear of loosing the good Captain’s control can have funny effects on your soul.”

9. The Chronicle Of The Black Sword (1985)

“This is one of HAWKWIND’S classic albums,brilliant, opens with song of the swords then shade gate, the sea king, the pulsing cavern, elric the enchanter,the awesome NEEDLE GUN,fantastic track.Then there’s zarozinia,the demise, sleep of a thousand tears,chaos army,horn of destiny.Then the bonus tracks arioch,night of the hawks, green finned demon, dream dancers and dragons and fables.”

8. Hall Of The Mountain Grill (1974)

““Hall of the Mountain Grill” (1974 release; 13 tracks including 4 bonus tracks; 58 min.) opens with one of the best songs in the entire Hawkwind catalog: “The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear In Smoke)”, with its delightful chorus and even better 2 min. outro. The song segues into “Winds of Change”, a space rock instrumental. Nik Turner contributes “D Rider”, a dramatic tune which I absolutely love. The original vinyl Side A concludes with “Web Weaver”. Side B opens with another Hawkwind classic, the 7+ min. hard charging “You’d Better Believe It”.”

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7. Electric Tepee (1992)

“This is one of Hawkwind’s best albums on par with Hall of the Mountain Grill. Starting with track one “LSD” the driving space rockers amaze with power and skill. This is followed by 2 trippy atmospheric tracks before the powerful “Secret Agent” brings the driving power back. The rest of the tracks also please. The most outstanding being track 9 “Rites of the underworld” which is dark, mysterious and tension raising.”

6. Doremi Fasol Latido (1972)

“Arguably the HEAVIEST rock album of all time. Hawkwind’s “Doremi” succeeds both as heavy metal and space rock in equal measure. Lemmy Kilmister’s rumbling bass lines are augmented by D. Brock’s fuzzed and waheed electric guitars as thunderous drums keep the tribal beat going. Certainly, the feedback-drenched segway from “Brainstorm” into “Space Is Deep” qualifies as rock’s most audacious song intro (-the sonic equivalent of the sky being torn in two! ). “Space Is Deep” being another strong point-combining twittering audio-generators with hamfisted acoustic guitar work. “

5. Hawkwind (1970)

“This album has many great things in it. For one it’s starts off with Hurry On Sundown, still one of my favorite songs of all time. Has great songs like Be Yourself which innovate Space Rock. Mirror Of Illusion is yet another one of my all time favorite songs and probably one of if the best Hawkwind songs for me. Than this version also includes bonus tracks. Normally I don’t like versions of albums with bonus tracks, because I like to hear the album the way it originally sounded, but that is not the case here.”

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4. Quark, Strangeness And Charm (1977)

“Quark, Strangeness and Charm (a sly reference to quantum physics), is a triumph in every way: ingenius lyrics, tight, well-crafted songs and a wealth of musical invention. Commencing with Calvert’s brilliant ode to faster-than-light space travel, “Spirit of the Age” immediately assaults the listener with its nightmarish sci-fried white noise overture, slowly building to a crashing momentum on Dave Brock’s simple but effective phase-shifted guitar progression.”

3. Warrior On The Edge Of Time (1975)

“This great album of space rock opens with the approximately 10’30” minute Assault and Battery>The Golden Void, which is ushered in with the pounding, chugging, Rickenbacker bass work of Lemmy, while keyboardist/violinist Simon House establishes swirling clouds of spacey mellotron pads. The rest of the band then joins in with the heavy, straight and double drumming of Simon King/Allan Powell “cutting through the clouds”, along with the “rough around the edges” vocal style of guitarist Dave Brock and great flute work by Nik Turner. This combination of spacey synthesizer textures (at times it reminds me of Tim Blake’s work with Gong), tons of mellotron, sometimes distorted electric guitar, and a thunderous rhythm section pretty much characterizes most of the album.”

2. In Search Of Space (1971)

“In my opinion, Hawkwind was at the top of their game with this album. Every song is good. There is doom, gloom, straight forward heavy metal, bizarre space noises, and even some acoustic thrown in with “Children of the Sun.” Best tracks are “Master of the Universe,” “Seven by Seven” and the 15+ minute “You Shouldn’t Do That.” The new CD/mp3 packaging adds “Silver Machine” with Lemmy (later of Motorhead fame) on vocals and “Born to Go.” Both are excellent additions to an already great album. If you like things a little on the heavy and weird side, this is required. listening.”

1. Space Ritual (1973)

“This is an album that sounds both dated and timeless. Hawkwind rock as hard as any band and were a strong influence on the punk movement. Johnny Rotten was a fan and you can hear echoes of their work in Joy Division. Closer to their time, their influence on Bowie is clear. Their music is powerful and driving, their lyrics dark and suiting the grim seventies perfectly. The spoken word numbers still resonate eerily after all these years. Lyrically, they are intriguing, their words contemporary and incisive. Hawkwind had a long career, but this album captures them in their pomp. They are so unique and startling – I cannot imagine anyone hearing Sonic Attack for the first time with indifference.”