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Hawkwind

Live at the Royal Albert Hall

Review by Gary Hill
I’m a self-proclaimed Hawkwind fanatic. So, as such I’ve heard a lot of Hawkwind live albums and gotten to see them live four times. Given that information, when I say that I think this is one of the best live albums they’ve released, that says a lot. I mean, nothing is ever going to touch the original Space Ritual, but this is an amazing album. It was recorded late in 2023 and features excellent performances and a nice selection of music. In addition to the two CDs of concert audio, there is a third CD of rehearsals.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.
Track by Track Review
Disc 1
                            
Levitation

A dramatic introduction to the concert is heard. They fire out from there into a smoking hot rendition of this Hawkwind classic. It’s energetic and really feels both close to the studio take, but also fresh. This is actually one of the best renditions of the track I’ve heard. The transitional jam later brings some real science fiction rock soundtrack textures to bear. The hard-edged section later is on fire, too. The guitar soloing has such great melodic lines to it.

You’d Better Believe It

Keyboards start things here. The cut builds out gradually, but isn’t recognizable for a time, instead feeling like some cool psychedelia. Then it drives out to the song proper. It’s so great to get a live version of this number. It’s not one of the more common entries in the live set, but I love everything off of Hall of the Mountain Grill, so it’s very welcome for me.

Psychedelic Warlords

The transition section between the two songs is more electronic stuff. They really bring some fresh angles to this number with some of the keyboard tones. Still, the main vibe of the track is absolutely intact, and given that it’s another track from the same album as the previous one, I absolutely love this. They bring some of “You Know You’re Only Dreaming” into the later parts of the track.

Arrival In Utopia

This seems a bit modernized at times, particularly in some of the keyboard elements. Beyond that, though, it’s a cool driving, rocking rendition of another Hawkwind classic. They put in some killer space jamming on this thing.

Rama The Prophecy

This is another killer Hawkwind jam. It’s a raging slab of space rock with so much style and charm built into it. While it’s a newer track it really fits in well with the catalog.

The Beginning

Now, this more modern Hawkwind groove has a different flavor from a lot of we’ve heard. Yet, it’s still decidedly Hawkwind. The space and science fiction elements are on full display. I love the movement that takes over later with more of an acoustic guitar sort of texture to it. This mini-epic has some cool piano in a balladic section at the end of the track.

Spirit Of The Age

This is one of my all-time favorite Hawkwind songs. They put in a great live rendition here, keeping it pretty true to the studio take. That’s not always the case with this song.

Underwater City

Acoustic guitar based, this is a newer track that feels very classic in nature. Keyboards bring a lot of magic to this instrumental.

Assault and Battery

This comes out of the previous track very smoothly. The contrast between the more straightforward rocking parts and the more soaring space rock sections is great.

The Golden Void

Another of my favorite Hawkwind songs, they put in a strong live rendition here. This is great stuff.

Disc 2
                                       
Peace

This mellow keyboard solo is primarily a piano piece. It’s also quite pretty.

Right To Decide

We drive out into some hard rocking sounds as this thing gets underway. This has some strong hooks. It also has some killer twists and turns and a lot of great space rock jamming at its core.

10th Second of Forever

This classic bit of space poetry is so cool. This has both a modern vibe and a vintage one.

Born To Go

This vintage Hawk rocker drives out with so much power and style. It’s a killer track and a great live rendition. This is a pretty standard version of the song in a lot of ways, but later parts do feel a little modern. They bring a little “Peter Gunn” to this late, and the whole instrumental section in the second half of the track is on fire.

Star Explorer

The melodic space rock that gets us underway here feels almost like an extension of the previous piece. This instrumental piece drives forward with space rock style and charm. They bring is tack out into “Born To Go” for the second half of this.

Brainstorm

Driving and still quite spacey, they deliver a fierce, but faithful version of this Hawkwind classic.

Neurons

Feeling like a continuation of the previous number in some ways, this instrumental piece is an electronic space rock journey with a rocking core underneath it.

Black Corridor

This comes in with trippy sounds in the backdrop. The spoken section comes in over that. This is much trippier and weirder and any other version of this track I’ve heard. We get a weird sung section late. The guitar from “Brainstorm” returns around the halfway mark. It eventually evolves into a stomping reprise of that song.

Master Of The Universe

Another Hawkwind classic, this gets a smoking hot live rendition. I’d say this is a highlight of the whole set, but honestly, everything here is so cool.

Welcome To The Future

This dramatic type piece is another with a poetry type thing at play. It’s not the strongest closing they could have pulled off, but it does work well. I mean, it’s Hawkwind. It’s not going to be a failure.

Disc 3 Rehearsals
                       
Frozen In Time

This feels more guitar-centric and less space based. It’s still a strong tune, although it feels less classic. I really love the guitar work on the track. The jamming later seems to combine some bluesy slide guitar style playing with more mainstream Hawkwind space rock.

Practical Ability

The bass stands out nicely on this cool Hawkwind jam. The instrumental section on this gets so powerful and enchanting. That segment is extensive and really turns into some classic Hawkwind jamming later.

Lost Chances

Driving, hard-edged Hawkwind space rock is on the menu here. This is classy stuff. It has some great rocking grooves on the instrumental jam later.

Second Chances

This comes directly out of the previous track. The space jamming on this killer instrumental track is so cool. It’s classic Hawkwind with some modern freshness. Keyboard dominated stuff ends this and takes it into the next number.

Underwater City

Spacey balladic music is on the menu early. This gradually builds out from there. This instrumental is all class.

Mask Of Morning

This is classic Hawkwind, melodic, driving space rock. It’s actually part of “Mirror of Illusion.” It does have a modern vibe to it.

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