Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Space Ritual is a wild, swirling dive into cosmic chaos — part live album, part spaced-out fever dream. When it works, it really works. Tracks like “Brainstorm,” “Time We Left This World Today,” and “Master of the Universe” tap into a heavy, hypnotic groove that feels like the soundtrack to a sci-fi trip gone sideways. The energy is raw, the ambition is huge, and the atmosphere is thick with fuzz and phasers. But then there are the moments that pull you right out of the experience. The vocals, at times, veer into full Dr. Frank-N-Furter territory — theatrical, campy, and unintentionally hilarious. Some of the interludes and spoken-word bits sound less like serious space rock and more like a glam metal parody on a sketch comedy show. There’s something admirable about how far Hawkwind leans into the madness, but it’s a double-edged sword. Space Ritual is a fascinating listen, but not always for the reasons it intends. Great in doses, exhausting in others. Favorite song: Master Of The Universe
This was jammy, self-indulgent, and kind of a slog. But in general I like some jammy, trippy music. I think if this were trimmed way down it would sit better but as is, no one has time for all this.
Tried to listen to them over the years but it’s not for me. It’s meant to sound trippy and futuristic but comes across as dull and a bit wank.
Too weird and psychedelic for me I’m afraid !
Never listened to Hawkwind before, and I suspect this isn't a good place to start. I quite like the hypnotic repetition in some of the tracks, but the muddy sound doesn't help. Finally, the spoken word tracks are terrible, sounds like a Spinal Tap sequence spoof.
Pretty cool
Something tells me this would have hit a fair bit harder had I been there live back in '73 after having ingested at least three mystery substances and while dancing along to a woman clad in nothing but phosphorescent body paint. As it is, I am instead listening to this in my living room while engaged in the riveting act of solving sudokus. The music's still pretty cool, but without the aforementioned scenery, it does undoubtedly start to wear thin after some some 40 minutes of spacin' and rockin'.
Pour it straight into my brain. Very very very very much my BS. Peaks and valleys of 5 star songs tempered with occasionally excessive noodling.
It’s apparently psychedelic week! This was for a good portion of its runtime my jam. I liked the long drony grooves, they reminded me of krautrock. There were some spoken word bits that I could’ve done without though.
Maybe this could have benefited from a closer listen, but it was pretty just OK.
Hawktuah. Not the right moment to listen. Soz guys. Actually you know what, just a bit unremarkable for me
Stoner/Space rock, lots of droning repetitive fuzz guitar, I really liked their sound, album is far too long, would have been stronger if it was edited down.
2/5
Way too long but good moments.
Energetic and interesting
Rolón
3.5
The first song I thought "on maybe these next two hours won't be so bad :)" and then the two hours passed.
It’s a long ride, but overall pretty interesting. Not sure if I’ll revisit, it is a big commitment and I think I got the gist of it.
Maybe a bad copy-live
Kinda just meanders. Maybe some chemical enhancement helps
Психи закрылись на кухне в столовой психушки, стучат по посуде 2 часа, вот и получился альбом
Bruh. So mid. Please don’t give me a third straight miss tmr 🫠
These freaks had stamina and while enjoying this all the way through, imagining the light show and weed fog, I’m unsurprised Lemmy turned to the short form. Still it’s admirable, and more fun than listening to the Allman Bros strain of jam band.
My first ever Hawkwind album, and it's a long 'un. Sat through a whole school basketball game and it was barely halfway over. Fun and quite charming in places, although my teenager opines "it's not bad, but it's the same riff over and over"; I couldn't really argue otherwise
you know what hell yeah
Earth Calling 2.8 Born to Go 3.3 Down Through the Night 3.5 The Awakening 3 Lord of Light 3.7 Black Corridor 3 Space Is Deep 3.4 Electronic No. 1 3 Orgone 3.5 Upside Down 3.5 10 Seconds of Forever 3 Brainstorm 3.8 Seven By Seven 3.8 Sonic Attack 3.6 Time We Left This World Today 3.7 Master of the Universe 3.8 Welcome to the Future 3 Score: 3.376470588
Has a sense of fun messing around to it so that when it doesn't land it's still ok. Great contrast with the previous Emerson, Lake, & Palmer screaming "look at me! look at how sophisticated I am! *harsh Moog solo*". This one says "hey you can just rock out and play some wild noise stuff and it'll be pretty cool", and then other people did too & it was pretty cool. Probably 4 stars if cut to the best stuff at half the length. frickin around: appreciated. (⌐■_■)
In Lemmy’s later years he was still complaining about his falling out with Hawkwind and how he felt wronged by them. That’s a bit like if Dave Mustaine was kicked out of Megadeth and started Metallica, and resented it.
way too long but it fucking slaps, stellar space-y heavy psych rock
A live album? I have a really difficult time getting into a band for the first time with a live performance. Typically, I need to be familiar with the music to be able to enjoy them live. The exceptions would be 2 Skinnee J's and Dial7. Those were bands that were introduced to me live, and I immediately got hooked. This performance sounds psychedelic and fun. I could imagine being stoned and enjoying this, but it isn't doing much for me while I'm at work. I'll need to give it a proper headphone listen. Cool, spacey noises, and driving rhythm. Lemmy was in this band, so that's nice, and they have a million albums. Apparently, they influenced several musicians I like. I guess it was groovy enough for a 4. Lord of Light was a favorite. The spoken word on The Black Corridor and 10 Seconds of Forever reminds me of something on FishHawk's 2010 album Spacehawk. If you haven't heard that album, I highly recommend it.
This was pretty cool! I was unfamiliar with these guys before, but I guess it turns out they are fairly well known. There was a lot going on here. A busy, driving, heavy sound with the bass and drums, with a lot of abstract, soaring, shredding guitars blasting you out to the stratosphere, and then occasionally Stewie Griffin would talk about space. Druggie party music.
What a waste of potential. This band never reached world fame not because of their singing, drumming, guitar playing, or even their songs. All of that is enjoyable and ahead of its time. The thing that makes this band unlistenable is the terrible decision to have someone play an instrument that is best described like the sound of a goose with someone shoving their fingers up its ass the whole time. If they kicked their friend out of the band that played that instrument, they could have been rock stars.
I'm glad that Lemmy left and formed Motorhead. This one bored me. The songs are waaaaay too long. And nothing really special is going on.
Not for me.
essentially skipped it. could see how this is significant as a live performance, and quite influential. not terrible tunes either, just a little too jammy for moi.
Yet another example of a rando UK band that doesn't seem like it belongs on this list. In this case some of the music was actively annoying to listen to. In particular: "Electronic No 1", "Brainstorm", "Sonic Attack", "Time We Left This World Today" (both versions), "You Shouldn't Do That". This is somewhere between a 1 and a 2.
With it's fuzzy guitars and space sound effects, I like the bones of these songs. Any time a band leans on genre fiction, I'm that more interested. But, ultimately, too overlong and self indulgent to get a high rating, but makes me curious about their studio releases.
Like a shittier Doors? Way too long for what it is. The album cover is okay.
Got on my tits very quickly
I lost interest pretty fast. Not bad, just for me.
I can understand the 1’s. No question it’s towards the bottom of my list. But 5’s? Seriously? Who are you fucking people? Clearly not sober. Are you in prison? Hospital? If not, then fellas, you’ve got options. I feel sorry for your ladies, if any exist in your life. I have heard worse. 2 for going live with this misery.
Sounds like a proggy synth sort of Dead inspired band, but very repetitive and boring, like late stage Dead. Not all bad, just not much substance.
Not the worst album to be stuck in traffic on a rainy Saturday in Toronto. But just like traffic, it does last forever.
Ever wondered what it feels like to be on some mind-bending cosmic drugs but don't do drugs? Fear not. Play this amazing live album by the end of it, you'll know. The flashbacks never end.
Mixed feelings here. Do I love it or hate it? Sometimes this is very weird. Sometimes the rock really hums. I might give Hawkwind another try. I'll vote in the middle for now.
Rambly space rock. Actually didn't feel like a slog, despite being 2 hours long
The album cover announces what the music confirms: these are psychedelic wannabe space rockers. But they forgot all the good songs back on earth - most of the material is very jam-like and sprinkled with lyrical nonsense - just listen to The Awakening. Nope, I didn't finish this one. 1.5/5
I'm not huge on space rock but this is pretty great for the gendre
It wasn't too bad, but not one I would want to listen to again
I started out really liking this raucous, high energy, rocky sound, but then the tracks of weird, narrative monologues started. I suppose it's the influence of the times, Revolution #9, the acid tests, but even in the 70s someone in production should have known enough to take away the microphone.
If you just took the 30-45 best minutes of this album it would be great. Even though I like these guys, a two hour live album is always tough to get through
Hawkwind remixing the 3 big hits again
very strange and far too long
3.5
Its so long —- pending when I have 2 hours to go through it
This was mega-weird but a lot of fun for me and I definitely loved the proto-"stoner rock" sound. When they would lock into a groove and just rock out it was pretty magical actually.
There is some good music underneath all the madness on this album. However, the mix is shocking and it drags on forever 2/5
Too nonsensical, repetitive hard rock for my taste. And all the songs were so long!!!
Fun to get a live album
Rozumiem, dlaczego włączono ten krążek do listy, ale z drugiej strony absolutnie nie nadaje się on dla mnie do słuchania w dzisiejszych czasach. Zwyczajnie koszmarnie się zestarzał. Dla mnie jest bardzo słabym reprezentantem wszystkiego, w czym starał się być pionierski - prog rocka, albumu koncepcyjnego, imersyjnego koncertu (choć być może wizualizacje i pokazy taneczne, które ponoć były bardzo rozbudowanym elementem koncertu poprawiłyby odbiór - ale to też nie pomaga albumowi, jeśli wydaje się go w formie CD, a wymaga obrazu, żeby się nim cieszyć), albumu-opowiadania. Elementy z recytacją były irytujące, w opór pretensjonalne, a do tego dla mnie cała ta sci-fi tematyka brzmiała trochę jak książki Zajdla - może to i klasyk, ale napisany tak okropnym językiem i z tak małym literackim wyczuciem, że aż człowieka odrzuca. Kiepski storytelling, kiepskie podanie. Perkusja na tym albumie to dramat, jednostajne stukanie, najprostsze przejścia, zero polotu. Gitara w sumie podobnie, choć tu się nie kłócę, bo mało słuchałem, nic mnie do tego nie zachęcało, może tam coś było pod spodem, ale nie zwróciłem uwagi. Plus za wyeksponowaną sekcję basu i elementy saksofonu oraz fletu.
The cover is the most intresting part of this album it wasn't bad it wasn't really great. It existed and I listened to it.
Fajnie się do tego obierało ziemniaki.
Okay, I’m starting to think I shouldn’t have two ‘projects’ going at the same time. I already reviewed this and hated it. My colleagues and I have a chat group where we each take turns suggesting a song to listen to. One of my colleagues suggested “Orgone Accumulator” from this album just recently as well. “Organ Accumulator” isn’t half bad. The album has grown on me a little, but I won’t up the rating because I still find it a little boring and repetitive. Lemmy’s bass work is something else though!
...and to think I was looking forward to some "Hurry On Sundown" kinda Hawkwind...
This feels like one of those kinds of albums which are progressively cooler the more drugs you are on. It probably also requires multiple listens to really get. And I just don't think I'll ever get around to giving it that. Standouts The Black Coridor 2/5
Thoughts before listening: I think this is the 2nd Hawkwind album I have gotten from this list. They are pretty good, kind of a prog rock metal mix...and a major influence on both genres. Lemmy was in the band for a while but I'm not sure if he is on this album or not. Should be good. Review: I could do without the weird spoken word tracks, but this album definitely rocks. Lots of long, jammed out songs that maintain a solid pace throughout means that this is certainly not a boring album. Maybe its just because this is a live recording, but this isn't really prog rock in my opinion. Prog bands are all about very orchestrated and technically proficient songs where as this is essentially "simple" rock songs with long jams. More akin to modern day psych rock bands than lets say King Crimson. I am enjoying this quite a bit. 4-stars
Space prog that didn't do much to lure me and hook me, and I normally enjoy prog style groups. There are parts I enjoy, and it gets a point for staying on theme, even with the intermissions, but as far as live albums go, not sure what specifically makes this one special. And it's longer than it needs to be.
Space is the place
"Lemmy was kicked out of Hawkwind in 1975 due to tensions arising from his drug use, particularly after he was caught with amphetamines while crossing the US-Canada border, which led to his arrest and the cancellation of several shows. This incident ultimately resulted in the band deciding to fire him, despite his significant contributions to their music." Space Ritual is painfully repetitive and wears you down to the point where you wonder if you can continue listening or abandon the record altogether. Naturally, I stuck with it as I am a sadist; I played it on repeat while slicing my nipples with paper and Salo on the old tele—a delightful time. 1973 did yield a worthy space rock album, Carmen—Fandangos in Space. It is not repetitive, has no spoken word nonsense, and is enjoyable. Sadly, it does not have Lemmy on bass. Seriously, Lemmy rules, Hawkwind, not so much. One star for Lemmy on bass, glad he was into meth and sent packing because Motorhead, well, its Motorhead and thank God for that, or thank Lemmy, same person.
this was a drug fueled, sex romp, groovy, psychedelic rock, wacky, space alien, and frankly weird adventure through music
Likte det. Deilig syttitallsstøy. Bra å lese til
Absolute fucking tosh. I really went in with an open mind as this website has told me, time and again, that I should try to move beyond my musical biases. Made it to track 7 and pulled the plug. The weird Germanic voice cropping up a few times was off-putting.
Interesting! Felt Pink Floyd-esque.
I'm a fan of weird campy spacey stuff. This was a but much even for me. A lot of potential but didn't quite get there. Maybe you need to be high?
Probably 2.5 but I’ll give it a three.
Another live album? Why?! I disliked it before I played it. I liked it even less after playing it. Samey, psychedelic space rock junk all wrapped up in poor quality live recording. 2 because I disliked it, 1 because on top of that it’s live.
Loved the first song and was annoyed by the end. Little ability to change pace or play with my emotions
I opened my window, facing a motorway, then turned on noise cancellation—still sounds just like the album. But then I realised the album was recorded in 1972 when the motorway was probably not as busy as today. It was a nice attempt and a good imagery work for the space and “future”!
I appreciate that this is just 2+ hours of rocking out, however sitting in my office chair while not being in a crowd in front of a live band, not drunk, not high, and not sweating while headbanging is making me aware that this is 2+ hours of rocking out. Some really cool parts but not a lot of moderation. It’s hard for me to judge this because it was good but it was kind of boring after a while. A double album with two repeats is just self-indulgent. I would read a fantasy/sci fi novel based on the lore of the lyrics though. High 2 low 3.
i mean... truth be told this wasn't the worst album that we've had on here. i mean sure - is jumping into a 2+ hour live album from a band that I know nothing about the best way to get introduced... probably not. but as I listened to this album, I thought about if I was at a show with some friends, perhaps partaking in the devils lettuce, that this could be more fun to listen to. as with this album/band, I figure its more about the experience and vibe rather than the recordings themselves. i think I would feel the same way about a Phish live recording - though ultimately I think their sound is more approachable. not the worst thing i've heard... but definitely a slog to get through on a random wednesday.
It was fine to have on in the background, but way too long and not interesting enough for me to finish the entire album.
You know that scene from friends where Ross plays the keyboard at central perk? This. With more acid.
Too long and boring. Couldn’t tell you a single song.
The only Space Ritual I want to take part in is the Friday night drum circle in downtown Asheville, where I can leave after like 30 minutes to go drink on South Slope. This is definitely something you had to be there for to fully enjoy. Listening to it as a double-length album fifty years later, I don’t know that I fully appreciate it. Not bad, way too long, and probably need to be tripping on acid in the 70s while experiencing are the characteristics of a two.
Damn it! I was hoping that I would hate this so I could skip through some songs, but I'm a sucker for some psychedelic rock. I found the whole album really enjoyable. Songs flow into each other and the lyrics are few and far between. It's super easy to lose yourself in the music. I was jamming all day to this two hour monster. That's not an exaggeration either. I started at 7:30am and finished at 5:15pm. I would never recommend this album to anyone, however, I can see the perfect situation of having this record on while getting stoned in a basement with a buddy. We're about 30 minutes in and he leans over to me and asks "Who is this?". I get to respond while blowing out a bong rip with "It's Hawkwind bro". If I had one recommendation for this album, it would be shrooms.
Two live albums of space rock. Which sounds like old doom metal or stoner rock. Not bad and I’m sure it was something to see live. Just never going to listen again. I do like the occasional Hawkwind song
Never heard of these guys. Definitely giving off a Yes (the band) vibe based on the song length and never-ending, sonic-inducing instrumentals. I SHOULD like this more than I did on first listen. But 2 hours is a long-ass time and I had to fragmentally listen to this album. Also it being live recordings made some of the lyrics hard to understand (in the first disc at least). There are elements here I really enjoyed and I vibed to the songs Lord of Light and Space Is Deep, while the 2nd disc was more of a mixed bag. I couldn't quite get to a 4, but solid 3 though.
I'm thoroughly confused how I never encountered this album, much less ever heard of Hawkwind before this moment. This seems like something I should have stumbled upon on my voyages through Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead. Though this is decidedly a spacier rock than either of the former two (which is saying something). This is like a weird love child between Deep Purple (a la Child In Time) and Black Sabbath sprinkled with a heaping dose of jam spirit. Love the end result even if some of the spoken word lore is a bit corny. I will definitely go through for another listen, but based on a fractured first listen this is an easy 4 for me.
Solid from start to finish. Reminded me a bit of the Deep Purple live set with a skosh of acid.
Some of this was really awesome prog rock. But some was really strange and corny rock opera-esque which got a little stale, especially with the length of the album. Sonic Attack and Time We Left specifically with the interludes that were so strange were when I was ready for this album to be over. Overall though this live album ripped hard for the majority and I found myself really enjoying it. Surprised I have never heard of this band cause this is my style of music.
Holy hell this is long! Though it looks like the last few songs are bonus material. What a weird album after the first disc. Super spacy, proggy, Pink Floydy. Not a huge fan of all the spoken word stuff but it fits with the vibe of the album. Trippy. Had me bouncing a lot and got lost a few times. Fun album.
Wow it was long
Really didn’t like this sound.
Schrott.
y'know, i thought i would hate the length (and how difficult it was to find 'the' version of this album - eventually i gave up and just listened to the 116-minute version), but i still thought it was pretty solid the whole way through.
Over 2 hours of crap.
Could not finish this. The production on this is dreadful. So many songs are just a muddy wall of noise with the few bright spots being when the bass cuts through, or they strip everything back to maybe one of two instruments.
Got through it once and that was enough.
Sure it's a little long, but i don't think i was ever bored at any point. It's a truly space-y and psychedelic journey, love the atmosphere. The spoken word interludes make it feel like a full experience rather than just a random live recording.
There is no place for live albums on this list (aside from Nirvana). I am even more certain that there is no place on this list for a 2hr+ live wank fest of an album.
Nope, can't do it. Maybe I'll try this again at another point if I'm more in the mood, but this noisy (progy?) rock shit ain't for me.
Anything with Lemmy in it gets extra stars from me and hot dang as this overblown monster of a Live album ambled along it seeped into my inner being. I was a true disciple.
Didn’t like at all Couldn’t listen with headphones
Wish I heard of these guys earlier, great space/stoner rock
Ovo je vojkecu možda najdraži album i često citira sound biti s njega od kojih mu je omiljen "do not panic, think only on yourself" i naravno vikat "sonic atttack!!!!"
That was really something... Some cringe lyrics but the music was good 4/5
No need to get high for this album, this album IS the high
Probably wasn’t the right introduction for me. I only found the longer 2007 remaster version. With that it was just too much. I think I would have done better with a single album 44 minute long intro. Clearly they were doing something interesting and out there. This album was just too much of it for me. About 3/4 of the way through I started to think maybe this is interesting but the feeling passed.
Classic psychedelic, ok 2.5
# Album Name: Space Ritual # Artist: Hawkwind # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Poor album imo. Too fucking long as well. Just when a song gets going, its turns into a mess. Not for me. # Top Tunes: Orgone accumulator / Brainstorm # Would I listen to it again? No
There are some really good rock-n-roll passages scattered throughout the album. But the "space rock" stuff got in the way.
First listen. Yeah, sure, cool. Nobody cares, Luka got traded!?
3.25
Back in the early eighties I hand several friends who were into Hawkwind, but I could never quite get it. Then one of them said about them appearing at Queensway Hall in Dunstable (now sadly no longer. They put a supermarket on the site) so we all decided to go. Well, they are a band best appreciated live. It was an amazing night and from then on I have been a total convert. And they are the band I have seen more than any other, as I rarely pass up on the opportunity to see the perform. And this album does well to capture a lot of the magic of seeing them live, but, as with any recording, can never fully replicate the atmosphere. So it's got to be a high 4 from me.4
I can completely forgive the spoken word nonsense, all the space-noise-twiddly business and the terrible production. Because behind all of that is a solid rock album.
I don't know whether I should admit this, but I really liked this. Long thudding repetative tunes, filled with swirly noises and loads of effects. I always love a good bit of wah wah pedal action too. Stylistically it's not a million miles from many bands I love in alternative psychedelia. It might have got a 5 star rating, but it gets knocked down by the pseudo mystical bollocks about space and stuff.
I'm suprised a live album is included in this list! It's hard for me to quantify this, as live albums are a total crapshoot due to the nature of it all - venue, crowd, mixing, playing, etc. Some live songs sound significantly worse than their studio counterparts, some sound better. Which side of the equation does this fall under? Speaking individually on the album though, this is pretty fun! The tones are super heavy at times, most of the songs have a lot of range in them. Brainstorm was probably my favorite. Overall, it sounds like an epic show to have been at, regardless if this is a good showing from the band or not, cause they certainly seem on point! I will definitely check out some other stuff from them so I can judge this better, but for now, rating as very good!
I guess I just didn’t find this interesting. Album was too long and most of the songs are meandering. 2/5 Won’t listen again
fine
Very long and repeat
Seems kinda straightforward for prog, even in its harder-rocking, more heavily metallic manifestations. In fact one likes how they launch right in to rocking on several cuts with extended solos and don't mess around too much bizarre-o song structure and tempo shifts or too much world-building (as if music were just an extension of Dungeons and Dragons). The more theatrical and operatic gestures seem pretty safe to ignore. The sound effects are meant to be trippy, but mostly aren't, which works to their overall advantage in that hey don't anchor too much on them or soon enough get back to just, you know, rocking. In fact, the best effect might be the extended sax playing on a few cuts. "Space is Deep," for sure, but that song ain't, though certainly wider than average. One is increasingly of the belief that Hawkwind might have been – perhaps still is – very much in on the joke here. Still, it's this kind of record that gave the '70s a bad name and forced a reformation in rock and roll, too.
Didn’t listen to all of it. Not for me.
Enjoyed it!
first listen definitely cool to explore from a historical perspective, very of the times, little too long for me
Meh, a bit pretentious
This is the 17th album I’m rating. I don’t know what this is or who this is. I think it’s metal based on the cover though. Earth Calling - Not Adding to my Playlist. This isn’t good but it feels like an introduction song. I guess this is a live album. Born to Go - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is boring and long. Down Through the Night - Not Adding to my Playlist. Same as Born to Go. The Awakening - Not Adding to my Playlist. Short and bad. Lord of Light - Not Adding to my Playlist. I don’t like the singing. Black Corridor - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is not a good album. Space is Deep - Not Adding to my Playlist. This song is pretty good but way too long. Electronic No. 1 - Not Adding to my Playlist. 1973 electronic stuff sucked. Orgone Accumulator - Not Adding to my Playlist. I tend not to like songs longer than 21st Century Schizoid Man. Upside Down - Not Adding to my Playlist. I really don’t like this. 10 Seconds of Forever - Not Adding to my Playlist. Space Rock isn’t a real genre it’s kinda like Riot Grrrl in that way. Brainstorm - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is too long and Space Rock sucks. Seven by Seven - Not Adding to my Playlist. I can tell why people like this but at the same time it’s bad. Sonic Attack - Not Adding to my Playlist. I’d rather listen to The 8th Cumming. Time We Left This World Today - Not Adding to my Playlist. I think Pussy Whipped is a better album and I hate Bikini Kill. Master of the Universe - Not Adding to my Playlist. I wonder if any Pop Punk is on this list. Welcome to the Future - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is terrible. All in all I liked 0/17 songs. This was like 10 minutes longer than Double Nickels on the Dime at 90 minutes and somehow worse. This was just a terrible album. Who thought a live double album would be a good idea?
[7/10]
Original album length: 86:55 2007 Expanded edition: 132:59 >:0 1001 Book listing: 115:32 Apple Music: 88:00 I think the album length in the book is j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶u̶l̶l̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶a̶s̶s̶/from a 1996 remastered CD. I'm going with the A.M. version January 21st, 2025 HL: “Lord of Light”, “Space is Deep”, “Brainstorm” Unlike some other albums with tedious spoken word sections, I actually enjoyed the scifi poetry on display here. Of course, if that's my main takeaway in a 90 minute album, there's a problem. The 2nd problem is that I can't be arsed to go through the instrumental passages I did enjoy: a departure from the last few albums this week that got at least 2 full listens. Despite the cosmic grandeur the tour was going for, I found some of the music itself straightforward, vanilla even. There are some cool saxophone solos strewn about, so thank you *checks notes* Nik Turner (1940-2022). 2.5
Psychedelic space travel? Sign me up
This shit bangs, get ya ears checked
blah
What a whirlwind, desperately thrusting all what they‘ve got. A strange mixture of first wave Drug Rock close to some instrumental postrock outfits around the millenium (Trans Am).
Ok
That album cover is pretty freakin sweet. Music is alright.
A long album that was good for background music, I liked Down Through the Night the most.
Took me about 3 days to get through this monster of a live album, but it's actually cool as hell (and I did not have high hopes)
This feels generous
LSD is a crazy drug
Had high hopes
It is astonishing that this was a live album, though it did go on for far too long.
a bit too long
This would work as an instrumental, as I do like the music a bit. But the singing brings it down quite a few notches. It also probably loses something without the visual portion of the “audio-visual experience”, where you’re just left with long stretches of not much happening, between poetry sections that are incredibly dumb by themselves.
earth calling- 5 born to go- 3 down through the night- 4 awakening- 3 lord of light- 3 the black corridor- 4 space is deep- 3 electronic no 1- 3 this shit is so boring
4* No song on here jumps out to me but i like the vibe of the album as a whole. Although it is way too long
Too weird for my taste. Skipped many tracks.
Sounds bit Floyd-ish.
Rock psychédélique. S'écoute super bien en musique de fond. Des longues tounes instrumentales et des très courtes. Pas mauvais.
Ok
Nope
Argh. Schrecklich.
These guys are a less interesting version of Pink Floyd.
Rock + Poetry. Meh.
I think there are enough live albums on this list already, and I'm only about a third of the way through. Never heard of this group before, and sitting through this double album didn't really sell me on them. They're just another psychedelic rock outfit to my ears. Reading up on this live album, it sounds like more was put into the accompanying visual experience for their live shows. Perhaps this was better experienced in-person (and/or under the influence). Regardless, I can only comment on what I hear. It's all very unintentionally corny in the lyrics, and the arrangements are obviously lengthy but mainly come off as disorganized and amateur-ish. Uninspiring when it's trying to be something more I guess. Obviously this is a live double album, so it was created with the audio-visual experience of the group's live shows in mind. It just never peaks at any moment; disorganized chaos that never amounts to anything. I guess I've had it good for too long, 'cause it has been a while since an album on this list has done absolutely nothing for me.
Terribly noisy
Ok background music. Bit long. Left little impressions
Waste of time, a group of punk amateurs trying to sound explicit while reading quotes like Weird Al Jankovich, why?
Wow. Never had heard of this before and its great. Psych, space, fuzz rock in all its goodness.
It was great that it was selected on December 24th, given that today would have been Lemmy's birthday. My only complaint about this album is that I found that often the vocals were lost in the mix, but I'm guessing that since it's a remaster, it's probably a purposeful choice. I'll also admit I was in the right state of mind to enjoy this album, given the holidays, and our current laws around intoxicants. I loved it.
One of those "set and forget" kind of albums. Meaning you put it on, and you can just let it play on for a while without needing to change any songs. That's probably the one benefit of this album being over 2 hours, otherwise, it's way too long of an album to actively listen to. Great to have on in the background though. That being said, there were a lot of riffs and sections that were really cool that'd I'd go back to the song just to jam out. Particularly the bass line in Down Through the Night. But then you get to songs like Electronic No 1 and it's literally (not figuratively) just noise. I think overall, I still enjoyed my time with it and I can safely give it a 3/5
Long listen but OK.
Live performances shouldn't be on this list but it was solid background music.
I’ve never heard of Hawkwind before, but I’ve come across this album cover quite a few times when marking my progress on the album checklist site. It’s a pretty striking album cover, and I always wonder what this album sounds like. Well, I guess today is my day to finally solve the mystery of this naked space lady and her space panthers! I thought this album was really good, and I had a great time listening to it. I was promised space rock, and Hawkwind delivered on that promise. The overall atmosphere of the album was great, and I really enjoyed how the guitars and synthesizers were layered to create a really unique sound. The use of the flute was great too, and I liked that it wasn’t used in a way that felt gimmicky. Early on in the album, I was afraid that things would get repetitive, but the songs were really unique and varied in sound, and each song was like its own fun little journey. The lyrics were kind of goofy, but they were incredibly fun; it was refreshing to see a band really commit to a niche sound on every front. One of the only elements that didn’t land with me was the spoken interludes. I don’t mind them in theory, but in practice, they were kind of jarring compared to the smooth and peaceful atmosphere of the album. Granted, the shorter songs in general were the worst part of this album, and most of them felt kind of jarring compared to the longer songs that made up the bulk of the album. Maybe that was the point of them, to create a more solid interlude between the epic longer songs, but it was a miss for me. I’m not a big Motörhead fan, but it was a really cool surprise that Lemmy was on this album. As far as the individual songs go, “Space is Deep” was really great, and “Orgone Accumulator” was probably the most fun song on the album. This was a really fun and unique experience, and I wouldn’t be opposed to adding this album to my vinyl collection.
i didn’t like any of this
Pre-listening thoughts: god damn it 😭 it’s live, it’s psychedelic rock, and it’s long as hell. I wasn’t even a concept when this was made but I feel like they made this album to spite me. Post/during listening thoughts: going to be really candid here I didn’t make it through two hours of this before deciding I didn’t like it. In all honesty, it took me thirty seconds to decide I didn’t like it. I still sat through another few tracks though, just to be nice. The spoken parts are so bad. The electronic parts are even worse. Half of this is pretentious guitar solos lasting 8 mins a piece and yelling resembling Radiohead’s MTV beach house crash out where Thom Yorke jumps in the pool. This is so dookie bro. 1/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: no Fav tracks: huh Least fav tracks: everything
I am not sure what makes this influential. Was it the first time a live album audience never made a sound because they were too high? Was it the longest recorded LSD trip? Was it the first time dolphin mating calls were used in an audio recording? Nothing was terrible, just nothing was interesting. It was just indie psychedelic rock. Maybe they were the first but others have done it better. Down through the Night gave me Garden of Eden vibes. There were some cool bass parts, guitar parts and the flute was interesting at times, but everything just kept going and it wasn't something I wanted or needed to keep going. Also the lyrics were just random and so pretentious. All in all not something I need to hear again.
This album has super cool cover art. As much as I like the vibe of this music, it's a bit too much of it and all sounds pretty much the same and I'm not really into the spoken word segments. Love the bass playing but the vocals never really hit on any interesting melodies to give my ears a discernable "song". And while I appreciate extended jams and instrumentals... it's all a bit much. And just putting space sounds over top of 70's jam band rocking out, isn't really that innovative.
I shouldn’t go into live albums from artists I don’t know very well with such a bad attitude but I do. I hate slogging through SO MUCH music that I wasn’t there to witness, and is rarely indicative of whether the band is good or not within a formal recording. Live voices are typically sloppier than polished recordings. I don’t even like live recordings, for the most part, from my holy trinity bands. Hawkwind is a good prog band. The songs unfurl in epic fashion, as prog goes. These songs are groovy but they don’t torch my soul. Decent enough stuff, but being a live album, I won’t come back.
This was long and felt like the same jam over and over and over. And over. With some trippy stuff about space sprinkled about. Not terribly impressed with this show overall. A little too noisy and samesy.
Not for me.
This would be like listening to indie rock for the first time when you are in your classic rock/dad rock phase. Otherwise it's some decent overly long jammy space rock. Some weird vocals/spoken word stuff and impressive they did this live but i'm more interested in the actual soundscapes they create. Regardless wouldn't listen too outside of this album website.
It’s music, I guess. 3/10
Holy shit - This is great stuff. Such a great dirty driving hard rock sound, this is an outstanding album. Note: listen to this under the influence of something for maximum effect. Remember, everyone was high AF in the 70s. 5/5
I do love me a bit of space rock and am happy to add a band like this to the pile. Fave: Organe Accumulator
I'm a Hawkwind fan - seen em live a couple of times and everything - and this still seems like an odd choice to add to the list. Pick a studio album, damn it! Still, the amount of outraged 1 star reviews is pretty amusing - I guess I appreciate the bit. 😏 Fave tracks - "Born To Go", "Orgone Accumulator", Brainstorm", "Sonic Attack"
SPACE IS NOT LARGE AND IT IS NOT SMALL SPACE IS DARK. SPACE DOES NOT CARE
Overall: 7/10 I think I appreciate this a lot more than I enjoy it and I think that has a lot to do with Hawkwind's visual presentation rather than the music. Their live performances were basically performance art for people on shrooms, and they even credit poets and dancers as band members because of it. The music itself is very trippy and spacey. I think I would have rather watched a performance than listen to this but it's still a great piece of music worth checking out. Also, Lemmy from Motörhead played bass in this band! Fav Song: Brainstorm Least Fav Song: Lord of Light
It’s good but not really my taste
weird - good weird
a pretty cool album when all's said and done. a fun iteration of early 70s psych rock, a bit harder edged at times and bordering on prog. when it really goes, it's a blast. the poetic interludes are a bit generic, of the time, and dated, but i think that adds to the charm of this one. i enjoyed it a lot, and it's one i think i could come back to in the future.
It’s been *years* since I’ve been stoned enough to enjoy something like this. 2 plus live hours of this band is too much. I got through ~30 minutes before I could go no further. That said - a brisk 35 minute studio record from Hawkwind might be enjoyable. 🤷♂️
This was an odd and interesting listen to say the least. When everything clicked in the music, there were some truly killer songs and moments that I'd argue would rival any other contemporary prog performance. The space stuff was a little goofy, a little too goofy at times, and does take away from what is otherwise a stellar album. Also could definitely use a remaster since the recording is less than optimal
This is not an Album, this is a Journey...
Overindulgent, but in a good way.
I'm not familiar with Hawkwind's music, and while I'm not sure I'd particularly want to listen to this album again, and I certainly won't add it to my Tidal library, it is good enough to make me want to explore more of this band's material. I like the music, but the album just seems a bit corny these days, what with the over-dramatic spoken-word interludes and seventies "space noises".
I play this "game" by listening to these records only once before rating them. In 2024, it isn't easy to listen to a 90-minute album, so I probably missed all the details. That said, I enjoyed a lot of moments of this album. I wanted to give it 5 stars. But my millennial attention span has its limitations, unfortunately. So I'll rate it with a 4 and setting a mental reminder for myself "listen to this in the car".
Inspired by the Clangers!!
Way too long, but it sounded alright.
I feel I listened to this band's whole discography just by going through this one album... I bet for the audience people on LSD this whole thing was AMAZING, but for me, it was just alright :)
How essential is 2 hours of live 70's space rock before you die. That is quite a question to pose? One answer is can I have it in a couple of sittings?
What a fabulously weird album. There is some interesting playing on here in between the nonsense storytelling. That was an experience, not sure I am going to listen again.
Unoriginal, boring and bloated. Scraped a 2
All sounds like Silver Machine. Bloody awful.
Nah
Lemmy on the bass. Strange. Psychedelic rock live. Not much cooler my friends just noise for me
70s UK rock. Live album. Opens with ominous wall of sound. Straight into hard driving guitars and drums. Long, fairly traditional rock songs. Well presented but pretty standard. Not objectonable but not very original either.
Live psychadelic rock? 2+ hours? Strap in for a terrible time! Nah its not terrible but its just too much, the freedom and exploration of psychadelic rock combined with the live nature of the performance makes this a real slog. The Awakening is just making me mad, I cant help but think this is something you had to be present for. I cant knock it too hard, they did something really different and experimental and I'm sure it resonates with some, but its a dud for me.
Strike one its a Live album that was meant to be experienced as a live event with very engaging visuals. Strike two is its over 2 god damn hours long But there’s no strike three. As background music while you live your whole god damn afternoon it’s pretty good! I wouldn’t recommend it but I did enjoy my time with it well enough
6/10 What is the point of a live album being on this list if you can barely notice it's live... Feels like a sneaky way to get a compilation album on here, so basically cheating. (Although nobody could accuse this of being a "greatest hits" album) A lot going on but it's too much to keep track of and I already forgot most of it. Really it's just waaaaay too long. I can imagine I might appreciate it more if I listened to it a couple times, but who has time for that?
Bit of a messy live record, but love the spacy psychedelic yet straight to the point rock from a band I had never heard of before.
Live albums are cheating and I was totally ready to trash this one. The word psychedelic appears in the genre and that’s enough to set me off. You have to ignore the guff voice over tracks. Next you need to try to block out the memory of This Is Spinal Tap. If you can do both it’s not bad.
Fesselndes Live-Album, das Rock, Wave, Psycho, Avantgarde und Rap Stile verbindet .. und das Anfang der 70er. Das Album - zum Wiederhören - war seiner Zeit weit voraus. Respekt
Great background rumble!
ähm jo jamrock i guess hä. sie sind etz sit irgendwie acht minute am umenoodle. i ha nöd gern weni bis musig denke "jo uf da wäri etz auno choo". aaaaha. es isch de lemmy am bass. jetz machts sinn. he ihr mönd nöd betone dases live isch mer ghörts. und ich glaub wemmer nöd komplett zonked devor stoht ischs au nöd soo geil. space is infinite jooo isch guuuuet. soace is deep joooo ich weiss nöd wiso ich gad so greizt uf die musig reagiere aber s entspricht mer nöd. orgone accumulator okay. jo. okay. ES ISCH NUR NOODLING ES ISCH NUR NOODLING ES PASSIERT NÜT. boah im ernst. brainstorm hani au katastrophe gfunde etz bi 7by7 singeds wenigstens? i ha nüt geg instrumental aber wenns afoch ungrichtets saxophon genudel isch isch nöd geil. und etz redter wieder. aber würkli wieso isch die original version nöd uf streaming dienst? ich bruch d cd reissue nöd etz mueni immer uf wikipedia luege öb d rehefolg stimmt und brainstorm uf dere version wo ich etz los isch afoch 13 minute gsi anstatt 9 ich bruch die vier minute nööööd. NUMENO vier lieder lesgo. shit sonic attack nur 3 minute aber er seit afoch pseudo deepe scheissdreck. time we left hassi au gad, de bass vom lemmy isch s einzig wos no chöönti rette. ich check scho dases für '73 meeega hert isch und so aber etz 7 minute master of the universe hani keeei bock druff. okay jetz numeno welcome to the future, da isch guet. HERTS 1. Z LANG. z ungordnet möchtegern tüfgründig soundtechnisch nöd ahsprechend nai.
iwie kennis vo iwo?? muss paper fragen aber es isch na easy hert für 73 hahahaha finds bis jz na cool aber mal luege LAAAMMMYYY hahah bi the awakening merktmer d droge joo lord oflight passiered sache lenny am gäse geh am bass live sicher huuere geil aber so zum lose naja jo das electronic no 1 wird arsch sii isch klar gsi 10 seconds of forever gaht na dumm in the fourth second of forever, I could remember nothing that I did not love DUMM hahahaha omg so vill droge jaa han relativ wenig z sege momentan, es isch iwie na nice aber au ener als hindergrundmusig als zum aktiv lose joo es isch natütlich z lang und alles. grundsätzlich find ichs aber (sicher au us nostalgische gründ?) sehr cooli musig
didn't finish but was unreal and dreamy
Meh
Meh
Old memories
Awesome at times but it gets too jammy for my taste. Sometimes it just sounds like a bunch of dudes jamming and the songs loses it's structure. It's cool that Lemmy plays bass on this album.
Too long, but it was alright otherwise. Bass and drums were the highlight.
I could get into some of this, but the recording is really not good. Makes it tough to listen to. Also, this is way too long. By like an hour and a half. Again, I kinda like the music. I just don’t like this recording. LSD seems mandatory for this epic. Tedious otherwise.
Some of the songs were a bit repetitive to me ("Born To Go," "Time We Left this World Today"), it felt like you had to "be there," in the moment. Having said that, I had always wanted to hear what Lemmy did in Hawkwind. It's such a different thing than Motorhead. The bass does work with pieces. I did not care for the spoken word stuff. Calvert could have toned it down JUST a tad. Some of the songs had lyrics that were a big... goofy (Looking at you, "Orgone Accumulator"). Jon Anderson had some lyrics that were a bit nonsensical, but this is more space-y than that. Apart from some of the lyrics, and the spoken word thing, it wasn't bad. Rocked out a bit on some of the tracks ("Master Of The Future," "Lord of Light"), but it's not something I would come back to over and over. Top tracks: "Master Of The Future," "Lord of Light", "Welcome To The Future," "You Shouldn't Do That," "Seven By Seven"
Just strange. As I started listening I was reading about the album and band, and ... strange. But as much as Earth Calling was just a spacey intro, the opening of Born to Go had some nice rocking guitar and drums. 2 minutes in and I found myself rocking along to the beat. Did it need to be 10 minutes long? No, but the cool sound was undeniable. The spoken word or interlude pieces throughout the album didn't really do it for me. But the songs themselves had such interesting blends of sound. It takes some real talent to do that. This is not my new favorite album, but I totally get why it's on this list. I've never really heard anything like it. I'm not sure the album kept me at the same heights as the second track all the way through, but Orgone Accumulator and Upside Down to start side three were cool and Master of the Universe on side four was super cool. Kudos to the effort and novelty but it needs a little more consistency (and less run time) to creep up to a 4.
On the one hand, "you had to be there" and "you had to be on drugs." Lots of truly weird moments and waaay too long. On the other hand, this album rocks. Surprisingly heavy, driving tracks throughout. Can't help but bang your head along to the beat. Not an album I'd focus on for two hours again, but would probably put on just to get a good heavy groove going. Favorite tracks: Born to Go, Lord of Light (particularly the part with the bass groove and sax interplay), Upside Down, Time We Left this World Today.
Considering Lemmy was more into speed than psychedelic drugs, I'm not surprised he left this band to form Motörhead. The tracks are good for about 3 or 4 minutes, but when they're going on for 8, 10, 12 minutes with very little variation, we have a problem. They're much too samey to keep my interest. Its a shame really because the riffs here are absolutely fucking great. If you told me it was Black Sabbath, I'd believe you, it sounds very much like them. They're heavy and catchy. But then you have space noises, overly long songs and awful spoken monologues to contend with. The guitar solos are great and the rhythm section drives the tracks, really thumping away making you want to headbang. It could have been a fantastic 40 minute album, there's some solid stuff here, but unfortunately this is just too much space wankery.
I feel like, given the dates on this album, that this is what everyone copies. I expected to not like it, but I found that it was rather well put together.
Noisy
meh. okay for a British rock band.
I completely understand that this is not necessarily the best 1001 albums ever, but albums you have to listen to before you die. I get that Lemmy was a huge presence, but this is not Hawkwinds best album, but you can see the beginnings of motorhead.
Meh. Cool that they quote excerpts from Michael Moorcock's books and that he also plays with the band occasionally. I'm a fan of prog rock but I didn't really care for this album. Struck me as a little pretentious.
This is really not for me. Lots of spoken word verses about space. Noodly songs that don't really go anywhere. A live album, which I don't think really needs to be on this list. Overly long even without the bonus tracks. Only enjoyable to people on drugs, which I am not. Basically it's a lot of the ingredients for an album I dislike
2+ hours is too long for this, plus a live album. bleh.
Space Ritual would be fine if it was just heavy 70s rock grooves and bang average singing on top, nothing fancy or flashy, just good old fashioned rock. They even got Lemmy on board for a few years for this reason, but when you're off your tits on every substance known to man you end up bastardising it like this with a litany of random noises and choices that go on for fucking AGES. There are large portions of this I'm happily jamming along to as background music, chugging heavy guitars, easy stuff, then I'm instantly turned off by the space/psychedelia/prog interludes. Gets a 2 because it's okay in places but fucking hell, don't do drugs kids.
I liked this a fair bit more than you guys. Agree that the monologues are rubbish and cringe-inducing, but the instrumental work was strong enough to make it a really good listen whilst working and it flowed nicely. Obviously, it's too long and is drawn out in places, but there's enough there to like. 3/5.
I was going to say that this is one of the all time greatest live albums, but really it kind of transcends that and is easily one of the all time greatest albums, period. It’s heavy duty, man.
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would, it chugs along nicely.
Too much of the same
My love of lemmy might be entirely cancelled out by my dislike of most live albums. This is some kind of scifi proto-punk, but I don’t think I care for it. It feels lazy and uninspired. The recording quality is pretty poor as well. I like the distorted basslines, but that’s about all I can say that’s good here. There’s so many.. noises? Sound effects? I dunno, but it’s very unpleasant. “Space is deep” is about as deep of a sentiment as these lyrics go. I’m sure glad Motörhead exists, because it would be very depressing if this was Lemmy’s only legacy.
A wonderful album. The title track is, of course, an all-timer and is just one of those songs. The rest of the album is mostly covers and a few original tracks, including the fantastic “Behave Yourself”, all instrumental. What I love about this album is the way the electric organ serves as the main melodic device and serves a role in each song that would otherwise by served by either vocals or perhaps a lead guitar. In some tracks, the organ is played more like an organ, and in some it’s used for fast licks; the licks give a very interesting effect because the particular organ used doesn’t allow the notes to “overlap”. The effect is a very digital sound that belies the 1962 release date. The vibes of this album are second to none. It’s summertime backyard cookout, after you’ve already eaten and twilight is setting in and the heat is starting to relent. Beyond the vibes it’s also just excellent musicianship and interesting production. I don’t have any negatives to report really. 9/10
This started out a bit artsy fartsy but finished stronger at the end. This is one of those albums you probably need to listen to a couple times to fully grasp.
Terrible production quality. I know it's live but it sounds like it was recorded on a Radio Shack cassette recorder.
It’s not “bad”, but it’s long, boring and forgettable. Which might be worse
This is pretty awesome. Never listened to this before really. Cool to hear early Lemmy bass. I like a lot of the drawn out jam parts.
The Space Ritual Alive in Liverpool and London (commonly known as Space Ritual) is a live double album by Hawkwind, originally released in 1973. I've always hears Hawkwind being discussed in psych rock circles, but never gave them a fair listen. This is the first time I'm diving into their music. This is a double live record and man do they jam on here. A lot of these songs are very drawn out and delve into ambient territory at times. They were pretty ahead of their time sonically. I hear their influence in modern bands like Slift. The lyrics can be a bit corny at times but the instrumentation makes up for it imo. I also really dig their spacey vibe.
Good tekkers probably never listen again though
Bro is a generational yapper
trippy shit
Pretentious and interminably long. I want my 2 hours back.
Not one of the best jam bands I’ve ever heard but their energy is undeniable.
A real slog to get through
There were a few listenable moments, the rest was, to be polite, rubbish. Not even remotely deserving a place on this list.
I might like this in a studio setting where all the fat is trimmed and the vocals are cleaned up, but as a 2 hour live album? Nope
Nah
This is a turgid mess of nothing in particular. My oh my it was hard work.
Way too long. It's its own special thing, but I like the idea of it more than the execution.
Awful continues.
A live double album by a psychedelic band....this is truly going to be a test. Space sounds are the entire first song, not an auspicious start. Maybe those sounds are the Hawkwind. The singing on Born to Go sucks, but the music is cool. Psychedelic jams are not my jam. Who doesn't want some flute in their rock music...the girl from American Pie definitely does. The music could be Blue Oyster Cult. The Awakening....a reading of a stupid poem with space sounds behind it again. I bet this album syncs up with something. And now another poem over cosmic noises. It's ZZ Top meets Jefferson Airplane on Orgone Accumulator, cool blues riff. 10 Seconds of Forever is another stupid slam poetry moment. These guys are like the Isaac Asimov version of Led Zeppelin with Tolkien. The lyrics and vocals are terrible. There are parts of this that are good, but songs drag on forever and the space sounds and poetry readings are laughable. If Flight of The Conchords made this album as a joke, I would believe it. The talking segments are absolute nonsense. There's a hint of something cool in this and it just never gets any space to breathe with all the psychedelic jabbering and jamming and space noise. Closes with another little chat.
The Germans had Kosmische. The Brits had … this. Ok, and Amon Dul too. Not much of a competition. (Yes, this is unfair. Up to a point. In any case, i did crush hard on Silver Machine, so I probably have no standing for my sniffy-ness)
You have to be on drugs to enjoy this
++: Earth Calling, Born to Go, Lord of Light, Black Corridor, Space Is Deep, Orgone Accumulator, Master of the Universe +: Down Through the Night, The Awakening, Electronic No. 1, Upside Down, 10 Seconds of Forever, Brainstorm, Seven By Seven, Time We Left This World Today, Welcome to the Future +-: Sonic Attack 7,6/10
Definitely too long. Definitely fucking ruled.
great album, want to listen more! probably a 4.5 out of 5.
Meh. It was fine. I actually even liked it... But it was just way tooooo long.
Now this is music! I went to buy a suit today (very not Hawkwind, I know), and the suit guys plied me down with several glasses of scotch before lunch. I left, feeling like a million drunken bucks, popped in my headphones, and walked around Manhattan for the next two hours, enjoying a glorious autumn day, propelled by Space Ritual. Far fewer ultimate scenarios exist in this life.
Honestly this is just too long and not particularly interesting.
Not advisable to be listened to sober…. Obviously heavily prog rock enthused, reminds me of some PF early years songs particularly from saucerful of secrets but what they lack is coherency and a live album as fun as it is high, showcases the writing and instrumental flow flaws more than highlighting them. 3 because prog rock rules and it’s still fun high but not one of my more memorable live albums
Too out there for me.
3 - Not sure, a bit too much weird shit with some great soundscapes and then it goes a bit bat shit
Pretty cool, I get that this was way ahead of its time. Still have an aversion to live albums though and this was another odyssey to listen through. 3.3/5
**An ok album. Not my cup Of tea.
I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me other this, but I just wasn't moved by this and gave in before the end, as I couldn't commit to over 2 hours of very samey music. I'll give it 2 stars as I respect the technical abilities of the band. 2/5
This was rough AF, theres a pretty good guitar solo in one of the songs. Then a kazoo kicks in, then it just beeps for 2mins then I think something dies, then a fax machine boots up, it's dogshit, I didn't finish it and I never will 1
I can see how people might hate this but I didn't hate most of it. Kinda good for putting on in the background while working. Maybe I've just listened to too much King Gizzard so my taste for fuzzy jam rock has been altered. 3 stars
They had me at “…the jeweled forests of Venus…”
Haha, I mean.. at least they're honest about it being a "Sonic Attack" 😅 Although I would say not nearly as much of a grind as the live Metallica album. Relief to be past this one though. Onto the next!
trip out
I think I’d really like this if I was high, but I’m not so it’s a little bit much.
2.5
Songs are hit or miss. Some are fun jam band tunes while others are experimental sound/noise and not in a good way. Overall, I didn't hate it but I won't revisit it.
look man i do dig what you're doing here but this acid trip only lasts six hours and i got some trees i gotta look at
This one was out there! Reminded me of Pink Floyd's more experimental days in between the Syd Barret era and the Dark Side of the Moon album.
Decent sounding at times, but it was pretty strange and way too long.
This is the album that never ends. 2hrs 12 minutes. A very talented editor/produce might have been able slice together a brilliant 40 minute album out of it. Maybe.
You know how sometimes in movies you see that old, stoner, hippie guy that drives a van painted with wizards, and dragons and shit? That guy loves this album.
I do like space rock but there is better
Mid af 1/10
Incredibly goofy, and I will not rate this below a 5
I like a good jam band, but not this.
This is jam band music. I think I need to be a little high to enjoy it more but it's not terrible. But it's insanely too long. I'm not listening to this for 2+ hours
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Возможно я тупой, но я не совсем понял музыку :)
Awful
Very mid
Sooo long
Album gets better the further you delve into it. Some of the tracks commanded attention and sounded a bit like proto-Boris while others were too drawn out and boring for my taste. Did have some great highs though, like Brainstorm.
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Space rockpsychedelic rockprogressive rockproto-punkhard rock. Un poco rollo.
Hard pass
This was some crazy stuff. I kind of liked it but it's just a bit too long.
6/10. I liked the creativity but it felt a bit slow to develop song to song for me and the vocals were “meh”.
Live albums are usually tricky. What may sound joyous and magical on the day can sound a bit garbled when on vinyl. That's the issue here - while there are great sections, with the band in a groove and jamming away, there's also a lot of discordant fluff, where I can imagine the band members all deciding to play what they wanted, and to heck with everyone else. Listening was a bit of a chore.
Ugh, this is really just not very good. It sounds like a parody (which I guess could give it point for being influential?) I think they might have hit a grove about 30mins in, but way too little too late. I have zero interest in getting to the end of this live, 2 hour, prog rock, space jam.
Sounds cool but is pretty long and eventually boring. Not bad but probably won't revisit. 3
Ever song is 100 years long but the instrumentals are very cool.
This record has space rock, psych rock, hard rock, blues rock, proto-punk and a whole bunch of stuff. Just to long
Day236 - any band that can stay active with some original members for over fifty years is impressive especially if one of those members was lemmy kilmeister. this album is long and loud with a couple songs worth listening to
Hawkwind and this album were about during peak Prog rock so I was naturally attracted to them. As such I’d bought a previous album to this one, In Search Of Space and later bought another yet to be recorded Quark Strangeness and Charm. I struggled to like Hawkwind as much as their Prog contemporaries so never followed them closely. So largely unfamiliar with this album. A lot of fellow reviewers question why live albums are on this list. But this is a good example of an album which answers that question. When comparing the studio versions the live ones on this album have a lot more energy and power. To have been present must have been a great experience. So listening to this album today was better than I thought. Perhaps a bit longer than necessary as after a while my attention began to waver. Would never buy the album but OK to put on a streamer shuffle with other similar artists. I thought at first the album was a 3 rating but on listening it is a very good 4. Then I saw the low global rating which reflects the Prog haters out there who obviously outnumber the Hippity Hoppity Rap crap haters like me. So fuck it, it’s Prog so it can have a five. 3(5)/5 28/8/24
Some of the music was good But overall I absolutely hated this. It is genuinely one of the worst listening experiences on this list so far and I have reviewed nearly 500 albums. 1/5 doesn't do justice to how unejoyable this was. Utter pish
Underground Rock 1972, perfectly captured. Long instrumental sections ("wig-outs"), wobbly synthesisers, saxophone, and lots of songs about space, with portentous voice-overs.