HAWKWIND – SONIC ATTACK LP – Nr MINT A1/B1mtx UK

Hawkwind – Sonic Attack
(RCA Records  1981  RCALP6004)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing

 Sleeve in Very Good+ condition
– wear along spine (title not legible) – hype sticker on right
No Insert

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)
 

Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures.

Formed in November 1969 by singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Brock, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and styles of music. Critic Jim Green describes their trademark sound as characterised by “that gargantuan and impenetrable pre-metal/hardcore drone, those great riffs, that inexorable drive to destinations unknown.” In the early 1990s, the word “blanga” was coined by Inner City Unit and Robert Calvert guitarist Steve Pond (who currently plays in Krankshaft with 2012 touring keyboardist Dead Fred) and music critic J. Eric Smith via the Hawkwind Blanga Guide to summarise this sound, and the word has become a common descriptive term for the music created by Hawkwind and the bands they have inspired. Dozens of musicians have worked with the group; fantasy and science fiction writer Michael Moorcock was an occasional collaborator.

Sonic Attack is the eleventh studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1981. It spent five weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #19.

After the departure of drummer Ginger Baker and keyboardist Keith Hale following the previous album Levitation, former Hawklords drummer Martin Griffin accepted the opportunity to re-join the group, while guitarist Dave Brock and bassist Harvey Bainbridge decided to forgo a dedicated keyboardist and to handle synthesisers and sequencers themselves.

The album was recorded June through August 1981 at Rockfield Studios, but during recording drummer Griffin contracted German measles, curtailing his contributions and resulting in him having to overdub some of his drum parts. Of Brock’s tracks, Bainbridge explained the recording process as “Dave turned up with his eight track, dumped what he had onto the multi-track and the rest of us somehow had to play around what he’d done”. Science fiction author Michael Moorcock, a long standing associate of the group, contributes lyrics and vocals to the album, his theme being social control through the use of language.

Musically it is one the group’s most heavy metal influenced albums. The title track, “Sonic Attack”, is a re-recording of the Space Ritual spoken piece with a new electronic backing. “Virgin of the World” is credited as being from Church of Hawkwind, and it appeared on that album in a different form as “Experiment with Destiny”. “Angels of Death” was released as a single backed by the non-album “Transdimensional Man”.

The group undertook a 28 date UK tour in September and October to promote the album, with support from Mama’s Boys. An additional seven date Christmas followed, which saw former members Robert Calvert, Nik Turner and Moorcock guest on the London Rainbow date. A 13 date European tour in March 1982 followed, supporting Krokus.

Track listing

Side 1

1. “Sonic Attack” (Michael Moorcock, Hawkwind) – 4:47
2. “Rocky Paths” (Huw Lloyd-Langton) – 4:00
3. “Psychosonia” (Moorcock, Hawkwind) – 2:32
4. “Virgin of the World” (Harvey Bainbridge) – 4:32
5. “Angels of Death” (Dave Brock) – 5:42

Side 2

6. “Living on a Knife Edge” (Brock) – 4:48
7. “Coded Languages” (Moorcock, Bainbridge) – 4:50
8. “Disintegration” (Brock) – 1:05
9. “Streets of Fear” (Brock) – 4:09
10. “Lost Chances” (Moorcock, Brock) – 5:44

Personnel

• Dave Brock – electric guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Huw Lloyd-Langton – electric guitar, vocals
• Harvey Bainbridge – bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Martin Griffin – drums
• Michael Moorcock – vocals (on “Coded Languages”)

Credits

• Recorded at Rockfield Studios, Wales, June to August.
• Engineers – Ashley Howe, Pat Moran, Paul Cobbold.
• Sleeve designed by Jim Mountjoy and Andrew Christian.