The clues to this CD are in the title, its character very much the signature of Dave Brock (Producer and Engineer) the constant member and co-founder of the band in 1969/70. There is a strong flavour here of "Church Of Hawkwind" which itself was essentially a Dave Brock solo album although technically 'Hawkwind'. "Spacebrock" has so many lyrical and musical 'Hawkwind' cross-references/samples as to be worth a Hawkfans attention on that level alone but that would do a great disservice to a very complex and challenging recording. A good example is "Earth Calling" (Track 10) which as a title is circa 1972 (Robert Calvert) it has the electronic pulse of "Lighthouse" a Tim Blake number from "Live'79" and incidentally part of the 2001 Autumn Tour live set list together with a sample chanted/coral lyric from "Tibet Is Not In China" circa 1993 ("It Is The Business Of The Future To Be Dangerous") and the finishing distant strains of "Earth Calling" from "Space Ritual" and that is just what I can recognise there will be even more informed fans who can go much further. This happens on a variety of levels right through the CD.

Enough what about the tracks? Well it opens with two pieces from two films, "Life Form" from "Any Given Sunday" and "Some People Never Die" from "Assassination" which also featured on "Church Of Hawkwind" (1981/82). "Some People" is a gasping, panting collaged lyric and heartbeat over the sampled recording of two 60's news commentaries, one of Lee Harvey Oswald's shooting and the other of Senator Kennedy. "Get his thumb and break it if you have to". Then into "Dreamers" with Crumb (Keyboards) and Richard Chadwick (drums) well into the fore, "it was like a dream" (spoken) is descriptive as well as narrative and dream like swirls emerge again in "Earth Breath" and the dream reference and metaphor arguably links the whole album with a few sprinkles of love, sex and space, even the noteworthy "Artwork" is credited to Dream World. "You Burn Me Up" is classic Dave Brock/Hawkwind synth, guitar, vocals etc. and a 'love song' to boot before one of the standout tracks "Sex Dreams" whose 'lyric' once heard will possibly affect the rest of your life!! "ever thought about having a dream during sex? and how surreal it was." Dave then renews acquaintance with an old writing partner of his, William Shakespeare, they worked together on "Winter Of Discontent" a track from "Earthed To The Ground" the 1984 Dave Brock solo album and also Weird Tape 107 this piece being moody and dark followed by "Kauai" an atmospheric reflective and short instrumental popping up first on "Distant Horizons" (1997) and subsequently "Memos and Demos"(2001). The CD then feels and sounds like the "space" of the title "Earth Calling", "Starkness of the Capsule" "Space Brock" "Space Pilots" and "The First Landing". The complexities of the links within the lyrics and titles here is not for the feint hearted suffice it to say Dave appears to be having fun! The music ranges from parody as a comment on mental illness ("Behind The Face"), to driving rock ("Space Brock", which I now recognise as "Money Tree" from "London Astoria", see my review, it has caught me out.) through the classic "First Landing On Medusa" onto "The Journey" finishing with my favourite "Do You Want This Body" a throbbing swirling swooping piece with just about every Dave Brock trademark "do you understand finally?"

Phil Sawdon