Roadhawks＜限定盤＞

Compiled by Hawkwind's own Dave Brock, as the band's farewell to longtime label United Artists, Road Hawks was the first ever Hawkwind compilation. It would not be the last. The inclusion of two songs from Hawkwind's debut album was an interesting decision. In the haste to crown the band the Kings of Space Rock, many fans overlooked their humblest beginnings, all the more so since the original album was rather hard to find at the time. The jangle of the folky "Hurry on Sundown," and a lengthy excerpt from the growling "Paranoia," were certainly powerful enough to send the listener scurrying back to Hawkwind in search of further spaciness. But, if they couldn't find it, Road Hawks served up plenty more unexpected delights -- beginning with the poster-sized version of the sleeve painting that was free with early pressings of the album. Though just eight tracks were chosen to highlight the group's career so far, still nobody could accuse Road Hawks of parsimony. Three cuts -- the singles "Silver Machine" and "Urban Guerilla," and a previously unreleased live version of "Shouldn't Do That" -- had never appeared on album before, while imaginative use of crossfading brought new dimensions to each of the songs. Indeed, the shifts between the closing triptych of "Space Is Deep," "Wind of Change" and "The Golden Void" is so powerful that the final effect is akin to hearing them for the first time, all over again. The link between "Shouldn't Do That" and "Silver Machine" is equally effective, one burbling out as the other bubbles in, and leaving all other presentations of the two songs sounding positively incomplete by comparison. Yes, there would be many more Hawkwind compilations. But few were as powerful as this. ~ Dave Thompson