Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra Records [Release date 13.09.19]

It gets quite confusing now with so many Hawkwind-related permutations: Hawklords, Hawkwind Light Orchestra and so forth, and the various solo endeavours.

Alan Davey – bass player originally  in the mid-eighties to mid-nineties  – has produced the latest variant but this time with some 9 members of the wider family including the sadly departed Lemmy (‘Bad Boys For Life’) and Huw Lloyd-Langton (on the attractive ’12 String Shuffle’).  And that legendary space cadet William Shatner (yes Captain Kirk) makes an appearance on a reworking of ‘Sonic Attack’.

The opening ‘Do What You Need To Do’ is promising and sounds like an outtake from ‘In Search Of Space’ complete with Simon House’s violin.  It has that classic grungey sound that permeated the early seventies Hawkwind sonic, er, attack.  Interestingly Davey plays all other instruments on this piece.

‘World Of Fear’ adds Nik Turner and Paul Rudolph (guitars) whilst ‘Sea Of Sand’ features Ginger Baker who drums on five of the thirteen tracks.  Baker was in the band (Hawkwind) a decade before Bridget Wishart who provides vocals.  Wishart sounds like a more racy Bridget St. John.

‘Nyx Of Khaos’ with Turner back in harness sounds like something early Van Der Graaf Generator might have produced.  This time we also get Mick Slattery (original guitarist) doing his best Steve Hillage impression against an empathic synth backdrop.

The title track develops into a suitably raucous wig-out whilst Shatner’s take on ‘Sonic Attack’ is a little more urgent than the original.  Maybe, in 2019,  we need this approach.

Davey at the helm evidently provides some degree of quality control throughout, he also provides the essential synth textures, vocals, as well as bass. This is well displayed on the upbeat ‘Goodbye Death Valley’ and the album’s title track.

‘Hawkestrel’ should appeal to the hardened Hawkwind fan who remembers when great coats and a ‘Doremi…’ pin badge was de rigeur.  ****

Review by David Randall

---

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

---

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

---

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)

---

---

Popular (last 10 days)

---