HW: Choose Your Masques Review

[Paul G Ward]

            Record Review: Hawkwind 'Choose Your Masques'
            ---------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: I've done this a few times now, but I still have *NO*
            literary talent whatsoever! In fact it's getting harder
                  as I go :-(
            My humble opinion is mine, and no-one elses! I do know
            what I like though, and that means HAWKWIND!

            Any reference to record labels & catalog numbers reflects
            what my copy is, and is not necessarily the only (or
            original) release.

Artist/s:       Hawkwind
Title:          Choose Your Masques
Label/Cat#:     RCA RCALP6055
1st Release:    1982
Lineup:         Dave Brock, Harvey Bainbridge, Huw Lloyd-Langton,
                Martin Griffin, & Guests: Nik Turner, Ian Holm,
                         Pascoe Brock, Dr. Technical

The cover of this LP is so incredible, you should buy this one even if
you hate the music (not that this is terribly likely IMHO). Set on a
background of stars and planets, with a sun shining brightly in the
center, is a robed and hooded Grim Reaper-ish being holding a silver
hawkmask. It is quite obvious that RCA made more funds available than
previous record companies for the quality cover artwork for both this
and the previous release, 'Sonic Attack'.

But that's not what we bought it for ..... is it?

The album opens with the 'title' track, "Choose Your Masks". There's
no slow intro here - the drums, keyboards and guitar just blast
straight through the stylus, and the vocals aren't far behind! It's
time to choose your weapons, and whose side you'll take in the inter-
galactic war which is just breaking out! Sequed into the explosive
ending, the voice of the "Dream Worker" introduces the slower, more
experimental piece. The first minute or so of this track could have
been taken straight out of a sci-fi flick, with various beeps and pops
accompanying an alien-sounding spoken vocal. Pulsating energy noises
in the background become more dominant as the 'lyric' is spoken.

"Arrival in Utopia" puts the pace back where it belongs. Not as hard
as the opening number, it nonetheless has all the bass, and drum work
necessary, along with some cool lead breaks and background electronic
swishes and noises. Possibly 100% correctly, it tells the tale of an
imperfect 'perfect world'. "Utopia", full of weird, almost spooky
noises and vibrations, concludes with a single vocal line 'If you want
to get into it - You've gotta get out if it' repeated over and over.
Weird!

Side two opens with a reworking of Hawkwind's classic "Silver
Machine". It's pretty much the same as the original, just made more
'modern' sounding. The drum work and vocals are much more dominant
than the bass and guitars, and you can distinquish the electronic bits
panning from side to side more readily - but it just isn't as good as
the original. If this album was your first introduction to Hawkwind,
you would like it, but it isn't as memorable as some of the other
tracks. If your not new to Hawkwind, I'd say that you would agree with
me and prefer the raw appeal and rough edges of the old cut.

The next track begins with what sounds like a voice sample taken from
some 60's sci-fi movie, over a relatively slow, but catchy keyboard
melody. The vocal bit later in the track sounds like a gentle alien
(thanks to the voder effect), eager to arrive at his destination,
"Void City". "Solitary Mind Games" starts off slower again, but is
distinctly more powerful. The pace soon picks up a little, but
maintains the sense of loss portrayed by both the lyric, and the
music. The build up of sound in the opening of "Fahrenheit 451"
signals the start of another punchy rock track, based on the Ray
Bradbury novel of the same title. This (like the opening track),
should be played really loud!

Another experimental track, "The Scan", it is really a synth based
intro to "Waiting for Tomorrow", sequed nicely with a fading scream
seperating the synth from the guitar of of the final track. Like
"Solitary Mind Games", "Waiting for Tomorrow" is a very powerful
track, without being heavy. Dominated by the bass line and Langton's
vocal style, it tells the tale of a world in the middle of
apparent impending nuclear holocaust. Yet again, another great closing
track (how do they keep doing it?)


While this album is relatively experimental in places, it includes
some great 'Space Rock' tracks. The sound is technically brilliant,
with a good clear mix. I love this album when I listen to it, but for
some reason it doesn't get as much time on my stereo as some of their
others. Did I mention the fantastic cover?

Buy it!

Assassin Sonique'
--
Thought for the day:
    Anatomy (n): something everyone has, but which looks
    better on a girl.              -- Bruce Raeburn.

Paul Ward        aka: Assassin Sonique'      .---.  __  .--------   Long
R & D Manager, P & C Micro's Pty Ltd        /     \( o`-,  -----   may
mail: sonique at aardvark.apana.org.au        ////    '~ (    ---   they
http://aardvark.apana.org.au/~sonique/    /////// :    ; ---   Fly!