V/A :: In Search of Hawkwind

This might be the easiest review I’ve had the honor of throwing out into the ether: get this. The line-up alone, covering Hawkwind no less, says more than I ever could:

Kinski :: Master of the Universe
Mugstar :: Born to Go
Magoo :: Space is Deep
Bardo Pond :: Lord of Light
Mudhoney :: Urban Guerilla
Acid Mothers Temple & the Cosmic Inferno :: Brainstorm
Moon Duo :: Hurry on Sundown
White Hills :: Be Yourself
Mugstar :: Paradox

Take out the Hawkwind and you’d still have a smoking platter for blast-off. But by these fine, fine folks turning their lights on a band that has defied time itself they have made one of the best tribute/cover records to come down the pike in a long time. Hands down, every band sounds infinitely comfortable assuming control of Spaceship Hawkwind and they all handle the controls like a seasoned voyager. Each cut renders unto Hawkwind what is Hawkwind’s without once under-cutting their vast and monolithic legacy and at the same time lets each band shine. Started as a small one-off by Mugstar, and compiled from recordings between 2005 and 2008 {except for Mudhoney who recorded the seminal Urban Guerilla in 2002 for the John Peel Show} the project grew into this slab of prime space/psych-rock once other like-minded bands caught wind of it.

Kinski kicks it off with an invigorating run through the formative Master of the Universe, setting the stage for Mugstar’s frenetic Born to Go, which not only highlights Hawkwind, but plays to the formidable strengths of the mighty Mugstar.

Magoo turns it down a notch for Space is Deep’s quieter side before taking it full flight into Bardo Pond doing what only Bardo Pond can do with Lord of Light, stretching out to a tasy 10+ minutes.

And there’s Mudhoney’s John Peel session which works as both a centerpiece and a rest-stop {I say that loosely … very loosely … }. Urban Guerilla of course mines the greasier side of Hawkwind and who better to tackle that than Mudhoney? Being not so much space or psych-rock than rocket-fueled rock and roll, Mudhoney highlights what we all already know: Hawkwind didn’t just blast through space 24/7. They could ratchet it up and grease it up with the best of them.

Acid Mother, Moon Duo and White Hills each turn their tracks on their ears providing a sonic hat-trick that will pin you to your seat.

And who better to wrap the whole thing up than Mugstar, the instigators, with their gravity-breaking take on Paradox.

That’s it. What more can I say? Not much: this record says it all with impeccable credentials. Again, look at that line-up. In Search of Hawkwind is a must have for fans of not only Hawkwind, but any of the bands and their like-minded brethren. They all may have set out in search of Hawkwind, but they found pure sonic gold.

I’m not remotely hip enough to have a rating system, but if I did, it would be charted out of the solar-system. Absolutely essential.

:: Review of Mugstar’s  … Sun, Broken …

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