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From the Vault...
07/05/2015
#1471 |
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info
Hawkwind
"P.X.R.5"
© Virgin Records
Year of Release: 1979
Rating:
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track listing
Death Trap
Jack Of Shadows
Uncle Sams On Mars
Infinity
Life Form
Robot
High Rise
P.X.R.5
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Hawkwind "P.X.R.5"
Hawkwind has reappeared again, as our Album Pick of the Week, with their 1979 release, P.R.X.5. Just as previous releases, Hawkwind's music
is still hard to describe. Progressive? Rock? Hard Rock? Psychedelic? Yes, they're all there. We can even add Punk Rock to the list, as (only) the
first track from PXR5 sounds like what could be a Punk Rock classic. Of course, at the time of this release in the late 1970s, Punk Rock was just
getting started. Also to mention, one year ago this week, Hawkwind's album from 1992 was our Album Pick of the Week,
Electric Tepee. And... last September,
their debut album was chosen. Three reviews within the past
year a record? I think so. Most artists have had two reviews within a year. Hawkwind breaks the record, with three.
Hawkwind seems to travel with the latest trends in music in their history. Punk Rock was getting more attention. "Death Trap" definitely
has the Punk sound. Yet the rest of the album, is basically the typical and usual sound we have heard Hawkwind famous for -- Hard Rock, Rock, Progressive.
"Jack Of Shadows" gets the Rock and Progressive Rock feel. "Uncle Sams On Mars" has a Moody Blues feel, yet Progressive, and strange
as the early Frank Zappa. "Infinity" is strange, just strange. How strange? You'd have to hear it for yourself. "Life Form" is a gradual
build into Space Rock, and it has an abrupt stop end, which catches you off-guard. "Robot" journeys into Hard Rock, Motorhead'ish. Punk Rock?
Hmm. Maybe. And like "Infinity," the last two tracks are strange -- "High Rise" and the title track.
This is a your typical Hawkwind album, yet it has some Punk in with the mix. And like previous albums, Strange, and Mysterious. Hawkwind is an
experience. Lots of interesting music from any Hawkwind album. P.X.R.5 is no exception.
From the Wikipedia article on P.X.R.5 -- The Virgin CD issue was
mastered from different tapes from the original vinyl version. The most notable difference is that "High Rise" is the live version without studio
overdubs, so starts with a clunk rather than the smooth bass intro and has a coarser vocal from Robert Calvert. Also "PXR5" gains an introduction
that's missing from the original. The Atomhenge CD issue restores the original album, and includes the different versions of "High Rise" and
"PXR5" as bonus tracks 14 and 15 respectively. The original 1979 release on the Charisma label -- the first 5000 contained Pete Frame's Hawkwind
Family Tree poster. The original cover had artwork of an incorrectly wired UK electric plug which caused controversy on safety grounds, so subsequent
copies were released with a supposedly unremovable sticker covering the offending artwork. Subsequent prints had the artwork blanked out. In 2009, the
Atomhenge (Cherry Red) Records UK CD release had the extensive sleeve notes including a reference to the artwork controversy, and the original image is
reinstated. The booklet also includes the Hawkwind Family Tree.
Hawkwind's P.X.R.5 meaning: In researching this, there isn't really anywhere to states what it means. When asked what it means to bandmember
David Brock, he just basically laughed. Some may have thought it meant Personnel eXtremely Reduced to 5, meaning they'd cut the
number bandmembers down to five. Since there wasn't a defintion, I guess we'll never know. But P.X.R.5 does exist in sound, by Hawkwind. It's
another journey in sound, different, strange, unique. It's Hawkwind.
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
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