Road to Utopia is the thirty-first album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 2018. It features new acoustic versions of the band's 1970s repertoire with two new compositions.
| Road to Utopia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2018 | |||
| Genre | Space rock | |||
| Label | Cherry Red | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Hawkwind chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Classic Rock |    [1] |
| Mojo | [2] |
| Uncut | [3] |
| The Wire | [4] |
The group's line-up had stabilised for some time with guitarist/singer Dave Brock, drummer Richard Chadwick, singer Mr Dibs and bassist Niall Hone being joined by bassist Haz Wheaton and guitarist Magnus Martin .
They had toured Britain in March through May 2017 in support of their Into the Woods album,[5] which featured an opening set performed acoustically. The Roundhouse main show from 26 May was issued as Hawkwind At The Roundhouse as a 2CD/DVD boxed-set on 8 December,[6] and the group made a promotional appearance playing an acoustic version of "Ascent" on Matthew Wright's Channel 5 daily morning television programme The Wright Stuff on 1 December.
The band started work recording this acoustic set in the studio when Brock had a chance meeting with Mike Batt at the US Embassy while both were applying for a travel visa.[7] Batt joined the project adding string and horn arrangements. Eric Clapton, who had been a teenage friend of Brock's prior to his rise to fame, contributed to the session along with their former sax player, Jez Huggett. Road to Utopia was released on 14 September 2018.[8]
A one-off concert at the London Palladium on 4 November billed as In Search of Utopia – Infinity and Beyond with Batt conducting Docklands Sinfonia was scheduled, but demand lead to an extended UK tour in October and November with a guest appearance from Arthur Brown and support from The Blackheart Orchestra.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Quark Strangeness & Charm" | 4:32 | |
| 2. | "The Watcher" | Ian Kilmister | 5:05 |
| 3. | "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago" | Brock | 4:56 |
| 4. | "Flying Doctor" |
| 5:51 |
| 5. | "Psychic Power" |
| 5:19 |
| 6. | "Hymn to the Sun" | Magnus Martin | 2:51 |
| 7. | "The Age of the Micro Man" |
| 5:31 |
| 8. | "Intro the Night" | Martin | 2:11 |
| 9. | "Down Through the Night" | Brock | 7:11 |
Personnel
editHawkwind
- Dave Brock – vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesiser, harmonica
- Magnus Martin – vocals, guitar, keyboards, viola
- Niall Hone – bass guitar
- Richard Chadwick – drums, percussion, vocals
- Haz Wheaton – bass guitar
- Mr Dibs (Jonathan Darbyshire) – vocals
Additional musicians
- Mike Batt – piano on "The Watcher", orchestral arrangements
- Eric Clapton – guitar on "The Watcher"
- Jez Huggett – saxophone on "The Age of the Micro Man"
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] | 24 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[10] | 44 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[11] | 9 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[12] | 2 |
References
edit- ^ Fortnam, Ian (September 2018). "Hawkwind – Road To Utopia album review". Classic Rock. p. 91.
- ^ "Hawkwind – Road To Utopia". Mojo. October 2018. p. 93.
- ^ "Hawkwind – Road To Utopia". Uncut. November 2018. p. 30.
- ^ "Hawkwind – Road To Utopia". The Wire. September 2018. p. 59.
- ^ "Into The Woods: Deluxe CD Edition". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Hawkwind At The Roundhouse: 2CD/1DVD Boxset". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Road To Utopia Press Release". Cherry Red Records. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Hawkwind: Road To Utopia". Cherry Red Records. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
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