Search - Hawkwind :: Palace

Hawkwind - 'Palace Springs' (Roadracer Records)

Mike Reed | USA | 03/28/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Another decent live Hawkwind effort that was recorded on the band's U.S. tour in 1990.Line-up is as follows:Brock,Bainbridge,Alan Davey,Richard Chadwick,Simon House and vocalist Bridgett Wishart.This CD has got to feature the QUIETEST live audience I've ever encountered.I've spoken with two fans that actually attended a few dates of the band's 1990 tour and both confirmed it was,indeed a quiet crowd.The disc's track listing is somewhat impressive with older tunes such as "Lives Of Great Men"(actually "Golden Void"),"Time We Left" and "Damnation Alley".Then there's a couple of songs that are exclusive to this CD,like "Acid Test" and the mind blowing "Treadmill".Great sound mix."

A surprising gem

Gary L. Quay | Portland, OR United States | 05/31/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hawkwind was coming out of the worst peoriod in their creative history with the addition of a female singer (Bridget Wiseart) and the readdition of violinist Simon House. With Richard Chadwick on drums, Alan Davey on bass, and Harvey Baimbridge on Keyboards, they had a really accomplished lineup--as the quality of the sound will attest. Band leader Dave Brock was taking Hawkwind into the 1990's with a new sound that would see a greater emphisis on the techno / electronica sound mixed with metal overtones. Palace Springs represents the dying gasps of the previos era where the band strugdled with its identity and put out a series of lackluster albums with truely awesome names like "Sonic Attack" and "Choose Your Masques" and "Zones." Simon House, the boomeranging violinist, seems always to have a positive effect on the band's sound, making it smooth and dreamy. On Palace Springs his influence is felt in Songs such as Treadmill (the most awe-inspiring track on the CD) and "Void of Golden Light." An era of stasis was ending and Hawkwind was on the edge of the exodus of most of the band, and this album was a fitting link from old to new. Buy it for Treadmill, if nothing else. It's worth the price."