Live '74

Audio Mixers: Dave Brock; Paul Cobbold.
Liner Note Author: Hugh Gilmour.
Recording information: EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England (03/21/1974); The Chicago Auditorium (03/21/1974).
Far more fuss should have been made about this concert recording when it was first unearthed from the archive back in the mid-'90s. Touring the U.S. in 1974, Hawkwind were in ferocious form. True, the sheer cohesion of 1972's Space Ritual performance was behind them, but a live show that brought in material from the recently released Hall of the Mountain Grill, alongside established older favorites, was still among the most dynamic of the day, and the ensuing The 1999 Party -- Live at the Chicago Auditorium album ranks among the best live Hawkwind documents around. This set takes the original double disc and prunes it down to one CD, shedding seven tracks while retaining the best of the original set, at the same time avoiding too much duplication with Space Ritual. Yes, "Seven by Seven," "Master of the Universe," "Brainstorm," and "Welcome to the Future" all reappear, but evolution has seen all four broaden out from their "familiar" incarnations, while the change of surroundings, too, benefits all. "Brainbox Pollution," "Psychedelic Warlords," and "D-Rider" are all newfound classics and, while one can bemoan the absence of "It's So Easy," the original album's most sparkling highlight, Live '74 still makes a welcome substitute for the now long-deleted double set. ~ Dave Thompson