▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Hawkwind ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: All Aboard the Skylark █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2019 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2020-01-11 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Psychedelic Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Cherry Red Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ ProgÆs 50th anniversaries are coming thick and █ █ fast. One of the most welcome and most surprising █ █ û given their wild acid-drizzled past û is █ █ HawkwindÆs. They remain one of the definitive █ █ outsider bands, as legendary for the years of █ █ disputes, personnel changes, and excess use of █ █ narcotics as their defining contribution to space █ █ rock. With 30-odd studio albums already to their █ █ name, All Aboard The Skylark shows the original █ █ psychedelic-punk-crusty masters crossing their 50 █ █ year in rude health. Released alongside Acoustic █ █ Daze û unplugged takes on some of the bandÆs most █ █ beloved tracks û Skylark is immense fun and a █ █ satisfying return to their space rock roots. █ █ █ █ Skylark pretty much has it all. The album begins █ █ with Flesh Fondue, a characteristically █ █ gruesome-funny tale of space aliens feasting on █ █ the flesh of those they colonise. Last remaining █ █ original member Dave Brock serves up a typical █ █ slice of tripped-out guitar and laconic vocals, █ █ while Richard Chadwick clatters out a drum groove. █ █ This is followed up with Nets Of Space, which █ █ takes the album ever further towards the territory █ █ the Hawks so memorably defined on albums such as █ █ In Search Of Space. █ █ █ █ However, it is the following trinity of tracks █ █ that truly conjure the days when the Hawks might █ █ be found playing from the back of a truck in a █ █ field in Somerset. Last Man On Earth oozes █ █ psychedelic cool, while We Are Not Deadà Only █ █ Sleeping is a reminder of the HawksÆ gift for █ █ trippy jazz. The title track is the stuff of acid █ █ dreams, that soars so deliciously itÆs hard not to █ █ start crazy-dancing like itÆs 1973. Equally █ █ irresistible is the nine-minute The Fantasy Of █ █ Faldum, based on a Herman Hesse fairy tale. As █ █ Brock sings, æEverything passes away in time, █ █ everything grows old,Æ itÆs difficult not to hear █ █ it as a wistful comment on the bandÆs future. █ █ █ █ Accompanying acoustic bonus disc Acoustic Daze is █ █ reminder of how û behind the swirling keys, █ █ ramped-up guitars and special effects û classic █ █ Hawkwind could write a damn fine tune. Tracks such █ █ as Psi Power and Down Through The Night genuinely █ █ hold their own in these stripped-back █ █ arrangements. It is a fitting tribute to 50 years █ █ of often underappreciated songwriting. █ █ █ █ If Skylark doesnÆt break new ground, who cares? At █ █ this point, itÆs clear that Hawkwind donÆt need █ █ to. The great news is that BrockÆs musical vision █ █ is unimpaired, and the rest of the band work █ █ seamlessly to deliver it. If the albumÆs title █ █ (taken from kidsÆ cartoon series Noah And Nelly) █ █ conjures images of the 70s, this music makes you █ █ ready to travel back in time. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Flesh Fondue 5:03 ░ ░ 2. Nets Of Space 3:03 ░ ░ 3. Last Man On Earth 5:01 ░ ░ 4. We Are Not Dead... Only Sleeping 3:21 ░ ░ 5. All Aboard The Skylark 5:25 ░ ░ 6. 65 Million Years Ago 4:11 ░ ░ 7. In The Beginning 2:00 ░ ░ 8. The Road To... 5:13 ░ ░ 9. The Fantasy Of Faldum 9:16 ░ ░ 10. Psi Power 5:16 ░ ░ 11. Hymn To The Sun 2:49 ░ ░ 12. The Watcher 4:54 ░ ░ 13. Generation Door 0:41 ░ ░ 14. Micro Man 5:08 ░ ░ 15. Intro The Night 2:11 ░ ░ 16. Down Through The Night 6:12 ░ ░ 17. Flying Doctor 5:46 ░ ░ 75:30 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░