You are spot on about the 'fill' - this was a trademark fill for Simon King. His drumming was 'loose' but powerful and relentless - perfect for Hawkwind. No Hawkwind drummer since has come close to representing this feel. Simon King's drumming in Hawkwind was such a distinct and unique sound.
In my humble opinion probably the most underrated band in British history. This album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire. The world's first residential studio. Guitarist Dave Brock, Lemmy and drummer Simon King, recorded all of their parts for the album in 72 hours. Sounds you are hearing which you think sound like Sabbath are as a result of the influx of new equipment hitting the studios at the time. Swirling sounds are coming from Colorsound flanging pedals and Sola Fuzz/wah/distortion. The band were formed in the summer of 1969. This was their third album. The previous album In Search of Space was co-produced by George Chkiantz who had done Hendrix Electric Ladyland, Led Zep, Rolling Stones etc.Hawkwind were supposed to share billing with Black Sabbath in 1970 in Nottinghamshire but Sabbath never showed up. They were incredibly heavy without Sabbath have a speck of influence on them. Drummer Simon King had only been in the band eight months when this was laid down. I saw them live about 12 weeks before this album was recorded. Absolutely blew my mind. Listen to the live version of this from Space Ritual (which BTW is coming out again in special editiaion later this year. 50th anniversary) Simon King was a bloody animal, when he quit he was replaced by Ginger Baker, which pretty much says it all.
Yay, Hawkwind (thank you, Mark)! The Guardian newspaper described them as the most musically influential British band other than the Beatles, having a huge influence on punk, grunge, and trance music, but so few people have even heard of them. I'd categorise particularly their early songs as having hugely repetitive rhythm and melody but almost fractally interesting sonic texture. They're unique IMO. I hope for more!
While in college in the mid 1980's, I introduced the younger punks to Hawkwind, started a thing, punks buying all the Hawkwind albums at the local record stores! And the fact Lemmy was in it, gave Hawkwind more punk cred!
Hawkwind used to play at Stonehenge at Summer Solstice and it would cost you no money to see it. Warrior On The Edge Of Time is another great album to check out.
Hawkwind paved the way for so much style . Through Lemmy and Motorhead they gave birth to extrem metal . Their track "Brainstorm" give birth to the punk genre (the vocals of Dave Brock influenced Johnny Rotten) , with their repetitive sound mixed with electronics they plant the seed of electro -techno music. Even their show is totally trance/ techno show.
I first bought this album in about 1976 as a 16 year old, was never into the whole drug thing but would listen to Hawkwind in a dark room with my eyes closed, wearing headphones and just go with the music and the live album space ritual was the same, they take you on a journey, bit like going into a trance. Pink Floyd was a similar thing, lock out the world and just hear the music, quite a trip.
Simon had double bass drums here. During the Space ritual tour he would keep those bass drum 8th notes going relentlessly for 2 hours. He had amazing stamina, considering he was stick thin and about 9 stone, its quite incredible. Simon and Lemmy were like a juggernaut of a rhythm section. And you are right, they were at their best live, with lightshow, strobes and naked dancers.
Great to see some Hawkwind on the channel, in fact it’s great to see Hawkwind on any reaction channel, now you’re really digging up my youth! More please.
This track (specifically the Space Ritual live version) is literally one of the main reasons I started playing the bass. There was this big thing about the relation between sound and space, and I think the glittering new world may have been destroyed by nuclear fire at one point, but I was left with the certainty that the bass was my personal key to becoming some kind of interdimensional warlock. So, pretty much your average first Hawkwind experience 😆
Space Ritual (1973)...is their best, try that live album sometime! Glad to see younger folks listening to Hawkwind, been a fan of the Lemmy era Hawkwind since 11 years old in 1973. Then Motorhead. Because of Lemmy!
Man, i used to get stoned out of my mind and listen to this album . It used to lift me off my feet! Gives me chills! Great reveiw , more Hawkwind please.
Finally! A TH-cam reactor that I watch reacting to Hawkwind... Simon King was master of the Hawkwind 'driving rhythm' - the repetitive, insistent drums you remarked upon... They often extended tracks live, trying (and often succeeding) to beat the audience into submission (if not total failure of certain bodily functions 😂😂). An example from 1972 - Born to Go from the Greasy Truckers Party album (th-cam.com/video/FsOLO9umGIw/w-d-xo.html). Fun facts - Ginger Baker was their drummer for one album, Levitation, and for two albums in the 70s, Simon King wasn't enough, they had a second drummer, Alan Powell, for a couple of albums...
They were great friends of Pink Fairies who had two drummers in 1970, Twink ex The Pretty Things and drummer with Syd Barrett in the early 70s, Russell Hunter who remained in the follow-up albums. Twink appeared on Robert Calvert's first solo concept album Captain Lockheed and The Starfighters as well as many collaborations along the way lives in Morocco these days!!!
The connection with The Pretty Things also started at the beginning of their long journey as founding guitarist Dick Taylor produced the first Hawkwind album.
I think I saw Hawkwind live more times than any other band, and it was always an event! Strawberry flavoured smoke, bubble machines, Liquid Len & the Lensmen, Barney Bubbles, Stacia.... what a time to be alive! Space Ritual - after hearing that for the first time I think I played it every day for a week! Of course, indulging in trendy adult chemical amusement aids all added to the experience! And if you like 'Space Ritual' try to find 'Greasy Truckers', a compilation album including Hawkwind and the Pink fairies!!
I've tried suggesting Hawkwind a couple of times, they've had a few interesting drummers since they started in the 1700's. Contemporary with huge acts like Floyd and Sabbath, i think they'll make an interesting study for our guy Andrew!
Guitarist Dave Brock is the vocalist in this one. Can’t believe you don’t know Hawkwind, absolute legends from the 70’s. The double live album A Space Ritual is one of the all tiem great live lp’s. Lemmie’s driving bass rythyms were a key feature, along with the psychedelic synth sounds that gave them the ‘Space Rock’ label. If you fancy a long song, Shouldn’t Do That from their In Search of Space album from 1971 is mesmeric… th-cam.com/video/GQV6KgmekXA/w-d-xo.html
So, I just spotted this, not many Hawkwind reactions around so thanks for this one. Just to let you know, they are still going strong and I'll be off to see them at the Royal Albert Hall this September. They are great live (I have seen them over 100 times) as you suggested they might be and there are some recent videos of songs on you tube and facebook.
Simply listen in detail to Lemmy’s playing. That signature Rickenbacker, played as a lead, and the signature stoner melody. It was amazing live. Truly something.
You were right, they just went into the studio and played with very little set up. I would listen to Earth Calling/ Born to Go of Space Ritual. As a side note Ginger Baker joined them in 1980 for a record (Levitation) and tour. They are still going strong, recording and playing live
The drumming is called Motorik style, used a lot by krautrock groups, pioneered by Simon King. The best live IMO is early 70's (good sound recordings 72 live only), 76-7 (recommend the 2 'Stonehenge 77' sides on the Weird CD's), 83-4 (not really anything outside bootlegs) and 89-90 (a few concerts available). Very influenced by the 60's Who, Stones, Beatles etc as well as Zep, Sab, King Crimson, Floyd, CSNY. Hawkwind covers a lot of styles and forms, with dancy and electronic stuff as well as a great body of songs. They are seminal too, and huge number of groups and artists cite them as an influence. This song has a Kasabian feel to it but represents the Doremi/Space Ritual era Hawkwind with strong punchy tunes and power pop riffs, a big influence on punk, New Wave, post-punk, later metal, stoner and grunge. My favourite album is PXR5, I'd suggest listening to Uncle Sam's On Mars, or maybe going through the albums. Yes, wall of sound is what they were going for, but it's quite sharp at 8:31 where it sounds like there's a violin (there isn't, but a Violinist joined a bout a year later), followed by a jet engine (no I don't think they had one in the studio?!). The production got sharper in the late 70's and the Levitation LP was AFAIK the first digitally recorded album.
Now you know. Welcome to the crew of Mothership Hawkwind, Andrew. Hawkwind is a very underrated but seminal band not only in Space Rock as its pure pioneers, influencing a lot of genres from rock, metal, punk, new wave, the electronic revolution in the 80's, the rave movement in the 90's, and so on... Thousands of bands are born from Hawkwind, carrying the sound and spirit of Space Rock across the Universe. The repetition of the drum pattern along with the riff that gives that Sabbath vibe that you accurately describe is the workhorse of the sound, comes from the Motorik beat (yes, it feels mechanical), a sound from the Cosmic Rock/Krautrock from Germany in the late 60's and early 70's, from bands like Kraftwerk and NEU! where Hawkwind went to drink to show us the infinite and beyond, sonicallly speaking. Dave Brock, the singer, isn't making an Ozzy pastiche. Has a unique voice and riffing style that came from busking in the streets with folk influences, this is the bloke who taught the first 3 chords to a guitarist named Eric Clapton. A legend. Cheers from Portugal from this Hawkfan!
And pay attention to when Arthur Brown shows up on a Hawkwind stage. (Btw, did you know that Arthur Brown was the first artist to use a drum machine in a live performance?)
My introduction to Hawkwind without knowing was Red River Rock by Johnny and the Hurricanes, a song I loved as a pre teen. When I was 13, I heard Silver Machine and and was hooked, I have seen seen them live many times and in every major incarnation. Only yesterday and over 50 years later did I realise Red River Rock and Silver Machine are exactly the same piece of music in rhythm, tempo and construction. Give it a Listen any HW fans reading these comments.
Back in my town ..rory gallagher..the beat club sessions..proper drummer ..tempo awesome...try sam gopel ..lemmy played lead guitar before he played bass 🔊 😮❤
Omg someone finally got around to Hawkwind...It's so cool to hear Lemmy back in the day you definitely hear his style of playing in this tune..I have this on my Spotify.. You should check out a live vid..Live they had a naked but painted woman dancing around on stage..Great vid Andrew ✌️🤘
If you are busy enjoying bands from this time and their drummers may I respectfully suggest you take a listen to Man and the excellent Terry Williams. A good starter would be Spunk Rock on the Greasy Truckers album recorded live at the Roundhouse. A real powerhouse of a performance and features two great Hawkwind tracks too. I grew up with The Hawks, The Fairies (Pink of course!) and Nektar. When DOREMI came out it wasn't off my turntable for at least a month. A great period for music and learning more about mind bending substances....
As you suggested, Simon King was an absolute machine. Here's a link to the full live version of Brainstorm from their 1973 Space Ritual album where it's just non stop drumming at quite a high bpm. th-cam.com/video/KdQ6TNe5fjY/w-d-xo.html I actually prefer his drumming on the Live '79 version but the purists would be out for me if I didn't suggest the Space Ritual version. Ps, here's a link to the Live '79 version 😉 th-cam.com/video/Un9vjCHn7rs/w-d-xo.html
Hawkwind came together in the late 60's. You are listening to a song off of their third album. The band is still active. They have released about 30 studio albums and the number of live albums, including bootlegs, is at about 50 or more. To have made it to 2023 without hearing Hawkwind is some kind of an achievement.
You should try The Space Ritual album which is a LIVE album...(considered one of the best live rock albums ever).....Close yourself into a room ,switch off any lights, light a candle ,put on your headphones and press the Play button....You will experience something totally different...no need to thank me......cheers
Hard to believe they were from the same scene as Pink Floyd and Moody Blues. Def more out there, than the other two, yet at its core, rather simple. Very cool and interesting band! Of course, my faves are Silver Machine, Brainstorm, Master Of The Universe, and Motorhead, but they had a lot of great stuff. Very experimental sound and production, which makes it a more difficult listen, until youve heard it a few times … or perhaps a few dozen.
If anyone mentions Hawkwind and a drumming reaction channel in the same sentence I immediately think of the World of Tiers track from the Levitation album.
Hey Andrew . Great channel ! Really enjoying your analysis of the various drummers . Have you ever listened much to the " Live At Leeds " album by The Who ? Keith Moon may not have been the most technically accomplished drummer you may have listened to , but by God .. he certainly put a shift in when he played . Especially on the track called " Young Man's Blues " . Amazing showmanship from Moon and energy overload in triplicate ! The album version , for me , is his best performance of it , but there is a live clip of the track from when they played at the Isle of Wight festival UK . Sometimes actually watching Moon playing can enhance the overall experience ! Keep up the good work my friend ... Richy B from Liverpool , England .
You gotta do "Magnu" from "Warrior On The Edge Of Time"...great riff...2 drummers!!!...backwards reverb on the vocals...great driving rhythm...fantastic orchestration...all tied up in one great song...the whole album is great too...th-cam.com/video/ZfGmpPvxElw/w-d-xo.html ...2nd choice would be "Assault & Battery/The Golden Void"...th-cam.com/video/cEwmz6YvyI4/w-d-xo.html
Hawkwind had a pulsating, driving sound which they were noted for. Simon King, yes a great drummer, shame he decided to hang up his drum sticks in the early 80's
Hi Andrew, If you want a cool heavy drummer who is very groovy and knows when and when not to play I would like to suggest Vinnie Paul most famously of Pantera. He isn't as flashy as some of the metal people you have seen but he is really, really great. I have also mentioned Jimmy chamberlain previously of smashing pumpkins. Thought I would put his name out here again for you.
there is a whole raft of stuff to check out another thing to look at is the long standing women drummers Denise Dufort for example who was Motorheads drummer (on St Valentines day Massacre EP ) while Philty Animal recovered from his broken neck she is still playing with her original band Girlschool @@AndrewRooneyDrums
Waking up brain cells one song at a time. Geez, I forgot about these guys. On musical writing: More often than not when listening to older bands where the 'professional skills' of some members can come into question, I've often come across 'improvisational' passages where it's quite obvious not all notes are in tune or in the proper key. While I find it jarring, I did notice this has been going on long enough that classical musicians have a term for it - "Passing notes".
You really should give a listen to Hawkwind's "Space Ritual" double live album. I believe that you can find it on TH-cam. The last time I listened to that album it played for about 10hrs.
Cracked me up when you compared this to Sabbath's music, to me this is almost classical, Beethoven with balls :). Part of the sound was due to the fact that they were tripping when they recorded it, and were also tripping when they mixed it, seriously. The live version off Space Ritual is my go too.
The whole DoReMe album is well known for sounding very muddy. The live version of Lord Of Light is much cleaner. Try just about anything from Levitation, with Ginger Baker on drums. He was drafted in at the last minute and recorded the drum track for the whole album in 3 days. It's also one of the very first recordings done on digital, so sounds a whole lot better.
Hello from France: Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 and Hawkwind in 1969. But they played at the same time and certainly had a convergence of ideas when it came to their respective music... [Black Sabbath s'est formé en 1968 et Hawkwind en 1969. Mais ils ont joué à la même époque et avaient certainement une convergence d'idées quand à leurs musiques respectives... ]
You need to listen to Hawkwind's golden years which were all their albums between 1970 and 1984....it's filled with absolute gold (both musically and lyrically.....especially the lyrics during the main Robert Calvert years between 1976 / 77 to 1978 / 79....many of his songs sound more relevant than ever and indeed predicted what is happening now.....including songs such as 'Spirit Of The Age, High Rise, Uncle Sams On Mars, The Age Of The Micro Man, Robot to name but a few....Robert Calvert and Hawkwind were the main inspiration for the Punk movement from 76 onwards , and then later the Rave scence from approx 89 onwards...There is no other band like Hawkwind, they are a true people's band, that carried the true counter culture with them...the were never in it for fame nor money...only to help wake the world up and open people's minds to more wholesome , indigenous ways of living...they are a true force of Mother Nature.
Btw, Hawkwind began around 1969 and they are still in business, releasing albums and touring. When folks talk about long-lived bands Hawkwind is never mentioned. What are they afraid of?
Sounds like black sabbath nah you ain't got a clue it's about a travel through time on a voyage of lsd and space cadets you need to listen to each album ypu get it then it's journey through the years
Tbh he'd have been better off listening to Brainstorm, but then again Psychedelic Warlords(Up in Smoke), Damnation Alley,Sands of Time, Master of the Universe, Orgone Accumulator would all have been better choices than Lord of Light. Hawkwind have such a huge catalogue with different era's,this being early Hawkwind.
2 problems with sabbath they had no naked stacia painted up naked up in grease paint dancing for the crowd Second ozzy was a huge failure day one took terence butler to write most his lyrics
Deep cut, Mr. Rooney. I’m making this comment before even finishing the video because I’m amazed that you’re doing an early Hawkwind track. Just when I thought I couldn’t love the channel more.. 15 minutes later: OK now that I’ve watched the video, Hawkwind doesn’t really hold up. You can hear flashes of Lemmy’s brilliance, but the vocals are recorded awfully and the whole production value is so awful. I forgot that about Hawkwind. Their place in my memory, well I’ll put it this way, it’s sort of like an old movie you loved as a kid, when you go back and watch it as an adult it is so ridiculous. That’s the feel that I got from listening and watching you react to Hawkwind.
![Hawkwind -𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐓𝐨 𝐆𝐨 [Live] -Dad&DaughterFirstReaction](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/seYpVCqJuzQ/mqdefault.jpg)
You are spot on about the 'fill' - this was a trademark fill for Simon King. His drumming was 'loose' but powerful and relentless - perfect for Hawkwind. No Hawkwind drummer since has come close to representing this feel. Simon King's drumming in Hawkwind was such a distinct and unique sound.
Hawkwind, when Lemmy was in the band was awesome 😎! Wait till you hear the live Space ritual album....
You know what you talking about my friend..my favourite band ever ..you cant compare to sabbath..ffs
Still an awesome band, they just finished a tour this week.
Hawkwind..my favourite band of all time .and still going .
In my humble opinion probably the most underrated band in British history. This album was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire. The world's first residential studio. Guitarist Dave Brock, Lemmy and drummer Simon King, recorded all of their parts for the album in 72 hours. Sounds you are hearing which you think sound like Sabbath are as a result of the influx of new equipment hitting the studios at the time. Swirling sounds are coming from Colorsound flanging pedals and Sola Fuzz/wah/distortion. The band were formed in the summer of 1969. This was their third album. The previous album In Search of Space was co-produced by George Chkiantz who had done Hendrix Electric Ladyland, Led Zep, Rolling Stones etc.Hawkwind were supposed to share billing with Black Sabbath in 1970 in Nottinghamshire but Sabbath never showed up. They were incredibly heavy without Sabbath have a speck of influence on them. Drummer Simon King had only been in the band eight months when this was laid down. I saw them live about 12 weeks before this album was recorded. Absolutely blew my mind. Listen to the live version of this from Space Ritual (which BTW is coming out again in special editiaion later this year. 50th anniversary) Simon King was a bloody animal, when he quit he was replaced by Ginger Baker, which pretty much says it all.
Space Ritual - double live album from 1973 - is their magnum opus
*cough* PXR5 or Chronicle of the Black Sword.. my personal favs
Yay, Hawkwind (thank you, Mark)! The Guardian newspaper described them as the most musically influential British band other than the Beatles, having a huge influence on punk, grunge, and trance music, but so few people have even heard of them. I'd categorise particularly their early songs as having hugely repetitive rhythm and melody but almost fractally interesting sonic texture. They're unique IMO. I hope for more!
While in college in the mid 1980's, I introduced the younger punks to Hawkwind, started a thing, punks buying all the Hawkwind albums at the local record stores! And the fact Lemmy was in it, gave Hawkwind more punk cred!
Only the hawklords know hawkwind.
This is your captain speaking..your captain is dead...
Hawkwind used to play at Stonehenge at Summer Solstice and it would cost you no money to see it. Warrior On The Edge Of Time is another great album to check out.
Stonehenge, acid and Hawkwind. Great memories.
Hawkwind paved the way for so much style . Through Lemmy and Motorhead they gave birth to extrem metal . Their track "Brainstorm" give birth to the punk genre (the vocals of Dave Brock influenced Johnny Rotten) , with their repetitive sound mixed with electronics they plant the seed of electro -techno music. Even their show is totally trance/ techno show.
I first bought this album in about 1976 as a 16 year old, was never into the whole drug thing but would listen to Hawkwind in a dark room with my eyes closed, wearing headphones and just go with the music and the live album space ritual was the same, they take you on a journey, bit like going into a trance.
Pink Floyd was a similar thing, lock out the world and just hear the music, quite a trip.
Simon had double bass drums here. During the Space ritual tour he would keep those bass drum 8th notes going relentlessly for 2 hours. He had amazing stamina, considering he was stick thin and about 9 stone, its quite incredible. Simon and Lemmy were like a juggernaut of a rhythm section. And you are right, they were at their best live, with lightshow, strobes and naked dancers.
I still go watching Hawkwind . Seeing them at the end of April . Probs my 150th gig .
They still goin!? EXCELLENT
Yes ,absolutely . 52 years .
Loving the Rush vids on the channel .my fave band .was lucky enough to see them 14 times .
One of my fav songs EVER....fav Hawkwind for sure. Its a banger
Hawkwind! Wow. They never had the most technical drummers in the world, but my God Simon King drummed like his life depended on it.
ginger Baker
@@grahamcrichton9177 I stand corrected! Levitation would be a great reaction series.
Terry Ollis was pretty good, the sweatiest drummer ever, looked like a racehorse after a steeplechase when the sets were over.
i have a lot of respect for richard chadwick. solid drummer.
Great to see some Hawkwind on the channel, in fact it’s great to see Hawkwind on any reaction channel, now you’re really digging up my youth! More please.
Now we are talking!! Hawkwind are one of my all time favorites
If you do more Hawkwind, then the "Levitation" album has Ginger Baker playing drums and it's stunning.
Yes! The whole thing if possible.
This track (specifically the Space Ritual live version) is literally one of the main reasons I started playing the bass. There was this big thing about the relation between sound and space, and I think the glittering new world may have been destroyed by nuclear fire at one point, but I was left with the certainty that the bass was my personal key to becoming some kind of interdimensional warlock.
So, pretty much your average first Hawkwind experience 😆
Live "Space Ritual" CD it's the Best Classic Hawkwind ever to listen to !! 🛸🎶🎸🎹🥁🎤🎷🎛🎼✌
Space Ritual (1973)...is their best, try that live album sometime!
Glad to see younger folks listening to Hawkwind, been a fan of the Lemmy era Hawkwind since 11 years old in 1973. Then Motorhead. Because of Lemmy!
Man, i used to get stoned out of my mind and listen to this album . It used to lift me off my feet! Gives me chills! Great reveiw , more Hawkwind please.
Finally! A TH-cam reactor that I watch reacting to Hawkwind... Simon King was master of the Hawkwind 'driving rhythm' - the repetitive, insistent drums you remarked upon... They often extended tracks live, trying (and often succeeding) to beat the audience into submission (if not total failure of certain bodily functions 😂😂). An example from 1972 - Born to Go from the Greasy Truckers Party album (th-cam.com/video/FsOLO9umGIw/w-d-xo.html).
Fun facts - Ginger Baker was their drummer for one album, Levitation, and for two albums in the 70s, Simon King wasn't enough, they had a second drummer, Alan Powell, for a couple of albums...
They were great friends of Pink Fairies who had two drummers in 1970, Twink ex The Pretty Things and drummer with Syd Barrett in the early 70s, Russell Hunter who remained in the follow-up albums. Twink appeared on Robert Calvert's first solo concept album Captain Lockheed and The Starfighters as well as many collaborations along the way lives in Morocco these days!!!
The connection with The Pretty Things also started at the beginning of their long journey as founding guitarist Dick Taylor produced the first Hawkwind album.
I think I saw Hawkwind live more times than any other band, and it was always an event! Strawberry flavoured smoke, bubble machines, Liquid Len & the Lensmen, Barney Bubbles, Stacia.... what a time to be alive! Space Ritual - after hearing that for the first time I think I played it every day for a week! Of course, indulging in trendy adult chemical amusement aids all added to the experience!
And if you like 'Space Ritual' try to find 'Greasy Truckers', a compilation album including Hawkwind and the Pink fairies!!
I've tried suggesting Hawkwind a couple of times, they've had a few interesting drummers since they started in the 1700's.
Contemporary with huge acts like Floyd and Sabbath, i think they'll make an interesting study for our guy Andrew!
Hawkwind! Its been a while. Used to listen to the Hall of The Mountain Grill quite a lot.
Guitarist Dave Brock is the vocalist in this one. Can’t believe you don’t know Hawkwind, absolute legends from the 70’s. The double live album A Space Ritual is one of the all tiem great live lp’s. Lemmie’s driving bass rythyms were a key feature, along with the psychedelic synth sounds that gave them the ‘Space Rock’ label.
If you fancy a long song, Shouldn’t Do That from their In Search of Space album from 1971 is mesmeric… th-cam.com/video/GQV6KgmekXA/w-d-xo.html
So, I just spotted this, not many Hawkwind reactions around so thanks for this one. Just to let you know, they are still going strong and I'll be off to see them at the Royal Albert Hall this September. They are great live (I have seen them over 100 times) as you suggested they might be and there are some recent videos of songs on you tube and facebook.
Oh wow! Enjoy!
Simply listen in detail to Lemmy’s playing. That signature Rickenbacker, played as a lead, and the signature stoner melody. It was amazing live. Truly something.
👌
I am 62 and have been a fan from being 14 years old. Try warrior on the edge of time studio album.....two drummers!
Fantastic live, back in the day (70's) used to travel all over to see Hawkwind. Every gig was a good one
You were right, they just went into the studio and played with very little set up. I would listen to Earth Calling/ Born to Go of Space Ritual. As a side note Ginger Baker joined them in 1980 for a record (Levitation) and tour. They are still going strong, recording and playing live
I concur
Master of the Universe is my favorite HAWKWIND.
I actually saw Hawkwind and Motorhead live at the same gig, back in the day, on Hasting pier in England.
The non stop, pounding momentum, banging tunes were designed to work alongside quite a wide variety of drugs. :)
The drumming is called Motorik style, used a lot by krautrock groups, pioneered by Simon King. The best live IMO is early 70's (good sound recordings 72 live only), 76-7 (recommend the 2 'Stonehenge 77' sides on the Weird CD's), 83-4 (not really anything outside bootlegs) and 89-90 (a few concerts available).
Very influenced by the 60's Who, Stones, Beatles etc as well as Zep, Sab, King Crimson, Floyd, CSNY. Hawkwind covers a lot of styles and forms, with dancy and electronic stuff as well as a great body of songs. They are seminal too, and huge number of groups and artists cite them as an influence. This song has a Kasabian feel to it but represents the Doremi/Space Ritual era Hawkwind with strong punchy tunes and power pop riffs, a big influence on punk, New Wave, post-punk, later metal, stoner and grunge.
My favourite album is PXR5, I'd suggest listening to Uncle Sam's On Mars, or maybe going through the albums. Yes, wall of sound is what they were going for, but it's quite sharp at 8:31 where it sounds like there's a violin (there isn't, but a Violinist joined a bout a year later), followed by a jet engine (no I don't think they had one in the studio?!). The production got sharper in the late 70's and the Levitation LP was AFAIK the first digitally recorded album.
Now you know.
Welcome to the crew of Mothership Hawkwind, Andrew.
Hawkwind is a very underrated but seminal band not only in Space Rock as its pure pioneers, influencing a lot of genres from rock, metal, punk, new wave, the electronic revolution in the 80's, the rave movement in the 90's, and so on...
Thousands of bands are born from Hawkwind, carrying the sound and spirit of Space Rock across the Universe.
The repetition of the drum pattern along with the riff that gives that Sabbath vibe that you accurately describe is the workhorse of the sound, comes from the Motorik beat (yes, it feels mechanical), a sound from the Cosmic Rock/Krautrock from Germany in the late 60's and early 70's, from bands like Kraftwerk and NEU! where Hawkwind went to drink to show us the infinite and beyond, sonicallly speaking.
Dave Brock, the singer, isn't making an Ozzy pastiche. Has a unique voice and riffing style that came from busking in the streets with folk influences, this is the bloke who taught the first 3 chords to a guitarist named Eric Clapton. A legend.
Cheers from Portugal from this Hawkfan!
Hey! Thanks for that!
And pay attention to when Arthur Brown shows up on a Hawkwind stage. (Btw, did you know that Arthur Brown was the first artist to use a drum machine in a live performance?)
i think Arthur's Journey album was the first album to use a drum machine for the entire recording , a bentley rhythm ace
My introduction to Hawkwind without knowing was Red River Rock by Johnny and the Hurricanes, a song I loved as a pre teen.
When I was 13, I heard Silver Machine and and was hooked, I have seen seen them live many times and in every major incarnation. Only yesterday and over 50 years later did I realise Red River Rock and Silver Machine are exactly the same piece of music in rhythm, tempo and construction. Give it a Listen any HW fans reading these comments.
I used to have several of their albums. The drumming never really stood out to me but I found their stuff quite interesting back in the day.
Even though Dave Brock is the one and only member left in every line-up, he still has it on the new album The Future Never Waits.
Awesome pick! Lemmy being booted from the band for doing “The Wrong Drugs” lol. And then we get to have Motörhead. What a gift
Back in my town ..rory gallagher..the beat club sessions..proper drummer ..tempo awesome...try sam gopel ..lemmy played lead guitar before he played bass 🔊 😮❤
Omg someone finally got around to Hawkwind...It's so cool to hear Lemmy back in the day you definitely hear his style of playing in this tune..I have this on my Spotify.. You should check out a live vid..Live they had a naked but painted woman dancing around on stage..Great vid Andrew ✌️🤘
If you are busy enjoying bands from this time and their drummers may I respectfully suggest you take a listen to Man and the excellent Terry Williams. A good starter would be Spunk Rock on the Greasy Truckers album recorded live at the Roundhouse. A real powerhouse of a performance and features two great Hawkwind tracks too. I grew up with The Hawks, The Fairies (Pink of course!) and Nektar. When DOREMI came out it wasn't off my turntable for at least a month. A great period for music and learning more about mind bending substances....
Still going strong .. 50 plus musicians .. i know them
Saw them over 200 times . Some magical albums ,a way of life
As you suggested, Simon King was an absolute machine. Here's a link to the full live version of Brainstorm from their 1973 Space Ritual album where it's just non stop drumming at quite a high bpm. th-cam.com/video/KdQ6TNe5fjY/w-d-xo.html I actually prefer his drumming on the Live '79 version but the purists would be out for me if I didn't suggest the Space Ritual version. Ps, here's a link to the Live '79 version 😉 th-cam.com/video/Un9vjCHn7rs/w-d-xo.html
Master Of The Universe from Space Ritual. The definitive Simon King, those machine gun fills are absolute trance.
Yes, Space Ritual is the Best !!!! 👍🚀🎶🎼🛸✌
Hawkwind came together in the late 60's. You are listening to a song off of their third album. The band is still active. They have released about 30 studio albums and the number of live albums, including bootlegs, is at about 50 or more. To have made it to 2023 without hearing Hawkwind is some kind of an achievement.
You should try The Space Ritual album which is a LIVE album...(considered one of the best live rock albums ever).....Close yourself into a room ,switch off any lights, light a candle ,put on your headphones and press the Play button....You will experience something totally different...no need to thank me......cheers
Was at the Liverpool stadium for that gig 1972
You're spot on about live band, I've seen them many times.
Just listen to Space Ritual, and in particular Born To Go, Brainstorm, Orgone Accumulator and Master Of The Universe.
Look at the stars and have a joint when listening to the masters of the universe. HAWKWIND mmmmmm
Hawkwind is a classic!! Essential to any classic rock playlist!
Mick Slattery, Hawkwind's guitarist has just departed from this dimension. RIP
RIP
Well i've seen written that Simon king had struggled with some drum pieces. When Baker joined for a while he mastered it all.
Hard to believe they were from the same scene as Pink Floyd and Moody Blues. Def more out there, than the other two, yet at its core, rather simple. Very cool and interesting band! Of course, my faves are Silver Machine, Brainstorm, Master Of The Universe, and Motorhead, but they had a lot of great stuff. Very experimental sound and production, which makes it a more difficult listen, until youve heard it a few times … or perhaps a few dozen.
At one stage they had two drummers - King and Alan Powell - at the same time
and before that Simon shared the stage with Terry Ollis for a while.
@@HeidiLandRover Only for one gig, I think before Ollis collapsed and was let go?
Simon King was an absolute beast of a drummer. There wasn't much of him but he beat his drums into submission.
you should look at Hawkwinds Michael Morcock material
If anyone mentions Hawkwind and a drumming reaction channel in the same sentence I immediately think of the World of Tiers track from the Levitation album.
Brilliant
Fun to hear Hawkwind. We really need you to listen to King Crimson's, "21st Century Schizoid Man." The 7 minute or so album version.
Hey Andrew . Great channel ! Really enjoying your analysis of the various drummers . Have you ever listened much to the " Live At Leeds " album by The Who ? Keith Moon may not have been the most technically accomplished drummer you may have listened to , but by God .. he certainly put a shift in when he played . Especially on the track called " Young Man's Blues " . Amazing showmanship from Moon and energy overload in triplicate ! The album version , for me , is his best performance of it , but there is a live clip of the track from when they played at the Isle of Wight festival UK . Sometimes actually watching Moon playing can enhance the overall experience ! Keep up the good work my friend ... Richy B from Liverpool , England .
You gotta do "Magnu" from "Warrior On The Edge Of Time"...great riff...2 drummers!!!...backwards reverb on the vocals...great driving rhythm...fantastic orchestration...all tied up in one great song...the whole album is great too...th-cam.com/video/ZfGmpPvxElw/w-d-xo.html ...2nd choice would be "Assault & Battery/The Golden Void"...th-cam.com/video/cEwmz6YvyI4/w-d-xo.html
Hawkwind fan since albums hit U.S.
an outstanding track
Hawkwind had a pulsating, driving sound which they were noted for. Simon King, yes a great drummer, shame he decided to hang up his drum sticks in the early 80's
Oh right. I wonder why
Hi Andrew,
If you want a cool heavy drummer who is very groovy and knows when and when not to play I would like to suggest Vinnie Paul most famously of Pantera. He isn't as flashy as some of the metal people you have seen but he is really, really great.
I have also mentioned Jimmy chamberlain previously of smashing pumpkins. Thought I would put his name out here again for you.
also you should also look at Silver Machine with Lemmy sing lead
I'm on it
there is a whole raft of stuff to check out another thing to look at is the long standing women drummers Denise Dufort for example who was Motorheads drummer (on St Valentines day Massacre EP ) while Philty Animal recovered from his broken neck she is still playing with her original band Girlschool @@AndrewRooneyDrums
Re Denise Dufort if you want calf muscle workout check out Girlschool's Cold Dark Heart from this years WTF45@@AndrewRooneyDrums
Their current and longest serving drummer Richard Chadwick is definitely worth checking out for all drummers!!!
Waking up brain cells one song at a time. Geez, I forgot about these guys.
On musical writing: More often than not when listening to older bands where the 'professional skills' of some members can come into question, I've often come across 'improvisational' passages where it's quite obvious not all notes are in tune or in the proper key. While I find it jarring, I did notice this has been going on long enough that classical musicians have a term for it - "Passing notes".
Flying is trying is dying.
Is no one going to mention, Roger Zelazny's novel Lord of Light, which inspired this?
love this track but brainstorm takes you to more places
You really should give a listen to Hawkwind's "Space Ritual" double live album. I believe that you can find it on TH-cam. The last time I listened to that album it played for about 10hrs.
Cracked me up when you compared this to Sabbath's music, to me this is almost classical, Beethoven with balls :).
Part of the sound was due to the fact that they were tripping when they recorded it, and were also tripping when they mixed it, seriously. The live version off Space Ritual is my go too.
Simon King is one of the best drummers, hands down
The whole DoReMe album is well known for sounding very muddy. The live version of Lord Of Light is much cleaner. Try just about anything from Levitation, with Ginger Baker on drums. He was drafted in at the last minute and recorded the drum track for the whole album in 3 days. It's also one of the very first recordings done on digital, so sounds a whole lot better.
Hello from France:
Black Sabbath was formed in 1968 and Hawkwind in 1969. But they played at the same time and certainly had a convergence of ideas when it came to their respective music...
[Black Sabbath s'est formé en 1968 et Hawkwind en 1969. Mais ils ont joué à la même époque et avaient certainement une convergence d'idées quand à leurs musiques respectives... ]
You need to listen to Hawkwind's golden years which were all their albums between 1970 and 1984....it's filled with absolute gold (both musically and lyrically.....especially the lyrics during the main Robert Calvert years between 1976 / 77 to 1978 / 79....many of his songs sound more relevant than ever and indeed predicted what is happening now.....including songs such as 'Spirit Of The Age, High Rise, Uncle Sams On Mars, The Age Of The Micro Man, Robot to name but a few....Robert Calvert and Hawkwind were the main inspiration for the Punk movement from 76 onwards , and then later the Rave scence from approx 89 onwards...There is no other band like Hawkwind, they are a true people's band, that carried the true counter culture with them...the were never in it for fame nor money...only to help wake the world up and open people's minds to more wholesome , indigenous ways of living...they are a true force of Mother Nature.
Btw, Hawkwind began around 1969 and they are still in business, releasing albums and touring. When folks talk about long-lived bands Hawkwind is never mentioned. What are they afraid of?
That's truly amazing!
Gong-Sprinkling of clouds:brano pazzesco
hawkwind .... Super
I'd suggest Space is Deep off the same album. Banger.
Sounds like black sabbath nah you ain't got a clue it's about a travel through time on a voyage of lsd and space cadets you need to listen to each album ypu get it then it's journey through the years
But... Brainstorm is a much better song! :D
Silver Machine, Master of the Universe or Magnu would be nice. Hard to pick a short Hawkwind song :)
Have you done Dio- Last in Line...yet? Its an epic drumming rock song
You would like Liliac, big fans of Dio
hey man if you could. go react to Karol DIers of Gorod playing The Mystic Triad of Artistry
This takes me back to stonehenge
New Chris Turner has dropped! His drum playthrough of 'Paradigm' is insane. Would be great to see you check it out :)
Tbh he'd have been better off listening to Brainstorm, but then again Psychedelic Warlords(Up in Smoke), Damnation Alley,Sands of Time, Master of the Universe, Orgone Accumulator would all have been better choices than Lord of Light.
Hawkwind have such a huge catalogue with different era's,this being early Hawkwind.
listen to Hawklords LP from Hawkwind
How many female drummers are there? And how many of them sing along while playing the drums? Here's one: th-cam.com/video/4frMgTrgd4Y/w-d-xo.html
Hawkwind: Teir of Worlds
It's all about LSD...
Synthesizers, generators, saxophone
Try listening with a head full of ACID to appreciate fully.
Simon King is the greatest drummer no one has heard of.........and Black Sabbath can't hold a candle to Hawkwind.
Drums real low in the mix. Sign of the times.
Want a good drummer from hawkwind? Levitation...Ginger baker was was a rude man but great drummer
2 problems with sabbath they had no naked stacia painted up naked up in grease paint dancing for the crowd Second ozzy was a huge failure day one took terence butler to write most his lyrics
Deep cut, Mr. Rooney. I’m making this comment before even finishing the video because I’m amazed that you’re doing an early Hawkwind track. Just when I thought I couldn’t love the channel more..
15 minutes later: OK now that I’ve watched the video, Hawkwind doesn’t really hold up. You can hear flashes of Lemmy’s brilliance, but the vocals are recorded awfully and the whole production value is so awful. I forgot that about Hawkwind. Their place in my memory, well I’ll put it this way, it’s sort of like an old movie you loved as a kid, when you go back and watch it as an adult it is so ridiculous. That’s the feel that I got from listening and watching you react to Hawkwind.
Did you fry your brains on some bad acid?
I know what you mean, they were never hot on melodies, but you have to admire the shear strength of their convictions...
Drums not very well recorded on this, they keep getting lost.