Phil. Thanks, one of my top three Hawkwind albums. Will probably go for the two cd set. Father Christmas is bringing me the new live album released last week. Can’t wait. Kind regards
The Greasy Truckers album was my introduction to Hawkwind. I remember bunking off school to buy it at one of the first Virgin stores in Liverpool for a great cheap retail price. How things have changed, £87 retail for this set is not on. It's my favourite Hawkwind album and it looks like a great package but I'll wait in the hope it goes down in price just like the In Search of Space set. Great review as always Phil.
I completely agree with everything you say here. The Greasy Truckers Party was my first introduction to the band and it's wonderful to have this improved version. In my own review I described the original "Space Ritual" as "muddy" but "muffled" is possible a better description. The new mixes have real clarity and separate out the sound stage. The surround sound mixes are superb. If ever there was a band that surround sound was made for, it's Hawkwind. As you say the price is high for what you get. Not only are the loose blu-rays cheap and tacky, the lack of the original silver foil embossed sleeve which the vinyl has should have been included at the price point this set is being sold for. But the music is fantastic and has never sounded better, so this is a "must buy". I've just been doing the "Vinyl Tag 2025" exercise and one of the questions was "Best album of 1974" and "Hall of the Mountain Grill" was my pick as I have strong memories of a Saturday job and waiting to get paid so I could pop out at lunchtime to buy it and loving it. Like you, I would love it to be the next release in a similarly-styled package.
I've bought all the reissues thus far - massive Hawkwind fan. The first couple did seem VFM but the last couple have been pricey for what they (especially compared to the Rory Gallagher BBC set which I also bought - box set addict). BUT those new remixes are stupendous to my ears and the books are wonderful to have. On the downside, loose Blu-rays are a ridiculous idea. Bring on The Mountain Grill!
Because of your reviews Phil , i have purchased the three box sets and i will purchase the 4 th . I agree with your critique of the packaging . Two loose blu rays ? A major oversight . Thanks for another insightful review Phil .❤😂
This was the first Hawkwind album i bought over 40 years ago and it sounds just as good today as it did back then. I started listening to Hawkwind around the same time i started listening to Barclay James Harvest, two bands at different ends of the spectrum. I agree with you Phil on the blue ray discs, it would have better if they were slotted in like the CD discs. Another great review thanks Phil.
Not forgetting the absolutely excellent B-side on the Urban Guerrilla single, Brainbox Pollution. I never stopped playing that on repeat. And why is Robert Calvert more or less a forgotten man? It's disgraceful. Still have my original vinyl album in virtually mint condition - I never leant out my albums - and with the poster and inner sleeve intact.
am hopeful they will do the first lp in this size too and mountain grill i reckon first lp be hard to find much extras wise to fill it out but hotmg seems like there will be some extra stuff and the 1999 party warrior been done to death cant see it would do that well given we been there remastered wise then theres the astounding lp but being a mad fan id love every studio lp in this format would look fantastic on shelf
Phil, can I ask you about what hi-fi set-up you use because go back 40 years and I used to sell the stuff but I am so "out of touch" with it now. I've survived for years playing CDs only on a Cambridge Audio amplifier and CD player through Kef Monitor speakers, they're about 30 years old now but have done me okay. I just bought a "nearly new" Pro-Ject turntable from a friend of my cousin's and very pleased with it - *BUT* I discovered my Cambridge Audio amp doesn't have a phono pre-amp stage, which means the sound from the turntable is just too quiet, I'd need to buy a pre-amp as well to use that amp with it. (I've never used the phono on it up to this point so never knew about that.) I've had a look at a Marantz amp that my cousin has and thinking about picking up one of those, possibly also the matching CD player. How do you play your Blu-Ray audio discs? Do you have a combined CD player and Blu-Ray player? Do you also use it for video playback into a TV also? And I presume you've got a surround sound system too? I've got all of these Hawkwind box sets and looking forward to playing the Blu-Ray mixes at some point, just trying to work out the most efficient way of doing it. Having said that, I leave that question open to anyone else here...
I've had a Pro-Ject turntable for nearly 30 years and play it through the Marantz PM6005 and it sounds great to me - no pre-amp required. In fact, when I saw the amp at a hifi show they said it was particularly good for turntables. I also have the Marantz CD6005. The latest model, CD6007, has an issue with the DAC: the factory that made the original burned down and Marantz replaced it without telling anyone. It has a different sound, but I can't tell you what the difference is. There are plenty of videos about the issue on UA-cam. I don't have speakers, so listen on headphones and have the Sennheiser HD599 SE, the best headphones I've ever had. I'm not an expert or audiophile, it's just what I have. Hope that helps.
@@TractorCountdown Thanks for the info. I am looking at the Marantz 6007 amplifier as it happens. I was thinking about the CD6007 also but I will check the reviews - my Cambridge Audio CD player does play CDs fine but the LCD display has gone very dim and "washed out" due to age. Do you play the Blu-Ray stuff through that 6005 amp?
Hi Terry, I use a Roksan CD transport and a Chord DAC for CD. Turntable is a Technics. I use a Sony Bluray player and a Denon AV amp. I also have a Cambridge Network Streamer. Speakers are all Tanoy.
I'm a big Hawkwind fan, and I appreciate that reissues keep these things alive, but I've never been tempted. This is mostly because a lot of this material seems to be padding to either justify or inflate the price. It's not just this package, this criticism could be levelled at any number of other releases. I watch with interest, and do enjoy your content, but it seems apparent to me that there's a smidgen of, shall I say, gouging going on?
There is, we are leaving the era of the remaster and entering the remix era. The pressings will have a shorter run and the price will be higher to reflect to smaller target audience.
More niche then? There seems a critical point approaching. Will there be a dwindling of audience, or a rejuvenation? How will rock music fare? There's no doubt that it has become a very mature genre.
It has become a mature niche although there are many young rock bands out there. It’s difficult, I am trying to think of ways of using what I do here to help new bands in 2025. Phil
Blue ray disc may be a design fault but I guess you have to consider how often you are realistically going to open it up to play given how many sets there are around and how many we often own. I am just sceptical about these sets I’m afraid. The more I listen to remasters/ remixes the more I feel originals are just as good or good enough again given how often they are played. Although Hawkwind are quite often murky and muddy sounding
Hi Chris, I know what you mean and I do agree with you. I’ll make an exception with Hawkwind as I have been sticking the Blu-ray on as the original mixes sound so muddy.
The quality of the audio is A++++, the quality of the 'cardboard' used for the box set on the other hand is virtually PAPER. very poor quality in deed, certainly not worth anywhere near the money charged for this set.
Hawkwind all the damn time.......and that's a good thing!
Legendary Album❤️🔥❤️
Wow. HAWKWIND. 3.Delux cd. And blurey... Doremi Fasol.Latido..and Lemmy..great. spacerock 🛸
Phil. Thanks, one of my top three Hawkwind albums. Will probably go for the two cd set. Father Christmas is bringing me the new live album released last week. Can’t wait. Kind regards
This was another nice unboxing with Hawkwinds Doremi Fasol
Latido album and i really enjoy listening to Haekwind thanks Phil.
🎶🎤🎸🎸🎹🥁🎶
Thank you 🙏
Brilliant! I'll be getting the 2CD set.
Bought this album when it came out and it's still my favorite Hawkwind album
The Greasy Truckers album was my introduction to Hawkwind. I remember bunking off school to buy it at one of the first Virgin stores in Liverpool for a great cheap retail price.
How things have changed, £87 retail for this set is not on. It's my favourite Hawkwind album and it looks like a great package but I'll wait in the hope it goes down in price just like the In Search of Space set.
Great review as always Phil.
Thank you 🙏
I completely agree with everything you say here. The Greasy Truckers Party was my first introduction to the band and it's wonderful to have this improved version.
In my own review I described the original "Space Ritual" as "muddy" but "muffled" is possible a better description. The new mixes have real clarity and separate out the sound stage. The surround sound mixes are superb. If ever there was a band that surround sound was made for, it's Hawkwind.
As you say the price is high for what you get. Not only are the loose blu-rays cheap and tacky, the lack of the original silver foil embossed sleeve which the vinyl has should have been included at the price point this set is being sold for. But the music is fantastic and has never sounded better, so this is a "must buy".
I've just been doing the "Vinyl Tag 2025" exercise and one of the questions was "Best album of 1974" and "Hall of the Mountain Grill" was my pick as I have strong memories of a Saturday job and waiting to get paid so I could pop out at lunchtime to buy it and loving it. Like you, I would love it to be the next release in a similarly-styled package.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts - Phil
I definitely have this box love the surround
I've bought all the reissues thus far - massive Hawkwind fan. The first couple did seem VFM but the last couple have been pricey for what they (especially compared to the Rory Gallagher BBC set which I also bought - box set addict). BUT those new remixes are stupendous to my ears and the books are wonderful to have. On the downside, loose Blu-rays are a ridiculous idea. Bring on The Mountain Grill!
Because of your reviews Phil , i have purchased the three box sets and i will purchase the 4 th . I agree with your critique of the packaging . Two loose blu rays ? A major oversight .
Thanks for another insightful review Phil .❤😂
Thank you 🙏
This was the first Hawkwind album i bought over 40 years ago and it sounds just as good today as it did back then. I started listening to Hawkwind around the same time i started listening to Barclay James Harvest, two bands at different ends of the spectrum. I agree with you Phil on the blue ray discs, it would have better if they were slotted in like the CD discs. Another great review thanks Phil.
Thank you - Phil
Bought the cd set, ripped it to flac and stream to the hifi... as you say it sounds amazing, esp. on headphones....
??? Why don't you just play the CD?
Not forgetting the absolutely excellent B-side on the Urban Guerrilla single, Brainbox Pollution. I never stopped playing that on repeat. And why is Robert Calvert more or less a forgotten man? It's disgraceful.
Still have my original vinyl album in virtually mint condition - I never leant out my albums - and with the poster and inner sleeve intact.
am hopeful they will do the first lp in this size too and mountain grill i reckon first lp be hard to find much extras wise to fill it out but hotmg seems like there will be some extra stuff and the 1999 party warrior been done to death cant see it would do that well given we been there remastered wise then theres the astounding lp but being a mad fan id love every studio lp in this format would look fantastic on shelf
great unboxing and yup music 10 content seems lacking a tad for the price v the sr set so give it a 8 and packaging i was disappointed and gave it a 6
Totally agree
Phil, can I ask you about what hi-fi set-up you use because go back 40 years and I used to sell the stuff but I am so "out of touch" with it now.
I've survived for years playing CDs only on a Cambridge Audio amplifier and CD player through Kef Monitor speakers, they're about 30 years old now but have done me okay.
I just bought a "nearly new" Pro-Ject turntable from a friend of my cousin's and very pleased with it - *BUT* I discovered my Cambridge Audio amp doesn't have a phono pre-amp stage, which means the sound from the turntable is just too quiet, I'd need to buy a pre-amp as well to use that amp with it. (I've never used the phono on it up to this point so never knew about that.)
I've had a look at a Marantz amp that my cousin has and thinking about picking up one of those, possibly also the matching CD player.
How do you play your Blu-Ray audio discs? Do you have a combined CD player and Blu-Ray player? Do you also use it for video playback into a TV also? And I presume you've got a surround sound system too?
I've got all of these Hawkwind box sets and looking forward to playing the Blu-Ray mixes at some point, just trying to work out the most efficient way of doing it.
Having said that, I leave that question open to anyone else here...
I've had a Pro-Ject turntable for nearly 30 years and play it through the Marantz PM6005 and it sounds great to me - no pre-amp required. In fact, when I saw the amp at a hifi show they said it was particularly good for turntables. I also have the Marantz CD6005. The latest model, CD6007, has an issue with the DAC: the factory that made the original burned down and Marantz replaced it without telling anyone. It has a different sound, but I can't tell you what the difference is. There are plenty of videos about the issue on UA-cam. I don't have speakers, so listen on headphones and have the Sennheiser HD599 SE, the best headphones I've ever had. I'm not an expert or audiophile, it's just what I have. Hope that helps.
@@TractorCountdown Thanks for the info. I am looking at the Marantz 6007 amplifier as it happens.
I was thinking about the CD6007 also but I will check the reviews - my Cambridge Audio CD player does play CDs fine but the LCD display has gone very dim and "washed out" due to age.
Do you play the Blu-Ray stuff through that 6005 amp?
Hi Terry, I use a Roksan CD transport and a Chord DAC for CD. Turntable is a Technics. I use a Sony Bluray player and a Denon AV amp. I also have a Cambridge Network Streamer. Speakers are all Tanoy.
@@NowSpinningMagazine Thanks for the info, I'm beginning to catch up on my lack of recent hifi knowledge now!
I'm a big Hawkwind fan, and I appreciate that reissues keep these things alive, but I've never been tempted. This is mostly because a lot of this material seems to be padding to either justify or inflate the price. It's not just this package, this criticism could be levelled at any number of other releases. I watch with interest, and do enjoy your content, but it seems apparent to me that there's a smidgen of, shall I say, gouging going on?
There is, we are leaving the era of the remaster and entering the remix era. The pressings will have a shorter run and the price will be higher to reflect to smaller target audience.
More niche then? There seems a critical point approaching. Will there be a dwindling of audience, or a rejuvenation? How will rock music fare? There's no doubt that it has become a very mature genre.
It has become a mature niche although there are many young rock bands out there. It’s difficult, I am trying to think of ways of using what I do here to help new bands in 2025. Phil
Blue ray disc may be a design fault but I guess you have to consider how often you are realistically going to open it up to play given how many sets there are around and how many we often own. I am just sceptical about these sets I’m afraid. The more I listen to remasters/ remixes the more I feel originals are just as good or good enough again given how often they are played. Although Hawkwind are quite often murky and muddy sounding
Hi Chris, I know what you mean and I do agree with you. I’ll make an exception with Hawkwind as I have been sticking the Blu-ray on as the original mixes sound so muddy.
The quality of the audio is A++++, the quality of the 'cardboard' used for the box set on the other hand is virtually PAPER. very poor quality in deed, certainly not worth anywhere near the money charged for this set.
I agree, the music has never sounded better but the presentation has seen some corners cut.