Epoch - Eclipse 30 Year Anthology [CCCD]

hronicling the entire career of the band, this box set really is a wonderful collection. The three CDs show the diversity of Hawkwind in all their varying styles. Although a bit pricey for a first Hawkwind addition to a music collection, in many ways it would be perfect for that. It contains many potent tracks that would give the new listener a taste of all the various phases of the band. Epoch Eclipse certainly would be a great complement to the established Hawkwind collection. Even those with fairly extensive collections of Hawkwind music should find a number of tracks included in this package that are not already in their possession. The booklet accompanying this set is very nice. In fact, the packaging in general is quite superior. The progression of music on this compilation shows a band that has played in their own style for years while crossing into many musical modes. Looking at the release dates of much of this material, and hearing the musical leanings, it becomes apparent just how many musical trends Hawkwind foresaw. The songs are arranged in chronological order, adding a historical and progressive flow to the set. The tracks presented here include many Hawk classics, ranging from the hard psychedelic rock of "Master of the Universe," "Silver Machine," and "Brainstorm" to the weirdness of "Sonic Attack" and "Orgone Accumulator." The track "Motorhead," written and sung by Lemmy and later recorded by his band of the same name, is another solid addition. The disc includes tracks for the group's more progressive rock side, as well as the classic "Hassan I Shaba." Songs like "Uncle Sam's on Mars" represent the Robert Calvert era of Hawkwind. The closing piece is a new, techno take on "Silver Machine" "infected" by the Scourge of the Earth. ~ Gary Hill|