In a fit of nostalgic insanity or fanboy lust, whichever makes the most sense I just managed to acquire Choose Your Masques by Hawkwind.
I believe this may be the result of the regression caused by too much Dungeons and Dragons or a physical real time in the moment acknowledgement that Hawkwind are actually in my DNA and I will always have some amount of affection for just about every album.
Of course the albums from the 80’s while not even close to the peaks of the early 70’s are the albums I bought on the day they came out. These are the concerts I went to three or four times a year until the early 90’s. This is the band that I saw at countless festivals and despite their silly name I still mumble as my favorite when asked by anyone who your favorite band is. This causes some puzzled looks in the USA, of course my back up favorite does the same with Airport Convention.
The truth is that at this age I am well past having to feel ashamed of the music I listen to, this is the realm of the teenager or adulting and not the grizzled veteran of the rock’n’roll wars I have become. So these days Graham Parker, the Grateful Dead, Hawkwind and Sabbath rub shoulders with Fleet Foxes and Iron and Wine and others happily filling the gaps between the constant hubbub that life sometimes feels like it has become.
So Hawkwind really are a part of my DNA, that part that confuses doctors and passersby.
It must be an excellent element of your DNA. Love that album cover. 🙂
Never heard this one, Levitation aside (surely you must have that bad boy on blue vinyl?) I don’t know 80s Hawkwind at all, apart from the track ‘Needle Gun’ which is also great.
Yes Levitation on nice blue vinyl, the 80’s are a misunderstood period.
I love this album, Neil. Bought it for a buck on a whim and never regretted it!
Meanwhile, I suspect that Hawkwind don’t so much get into your DNA as change it. Permanently. Which probably means that your children will play D&D and/or grow wheels.
Yet they seldom think only of themselves.
I too find I’m past that stage of feeling embarrassed about liking this or that artist – I think our friend Rich had a series, All Pleasure, No Guilt, where he acknowledged such great artists that there was no need to feel guilty about enjoying!