Hawkwind: Days of the Underground: Radical Escapism in the Age Of Paranoia

by Joe Banks

Fifty years on the English rock band Hawkwind continues to inspire devotion from fans around the world. Their influence reaches across the spectrum of alternative music, from psychedelia, prog, and punk, through industrial, electronica, and stoner rock. Hawkwind has been variously, if erroneously, positioned as the heir to both Pink Floyd and the Velvet Underground, and as Britain's answer to the Grateful Dead and Krautrock. They have defined a genre—space rock—while operating on a frequency that's uniquely their own.

Hawkwind offered a form of radical escapism and an alternative account of a strange new world for a generation of young people growing up on a planet that seemed to be teetering on the brink of destruction, under threat from economic meltdown, industrial unrest, and political polarization. While other commentators confidently asserted that the countercultural experiment of the 1960s was over, Hawkwind took the underground to the provinces and beyond.

In Days of the Underground, Joe Banks repositions Hawkwind as one of the most innovative and culturally significant bands of the 1970s. It's not an easy task. As with many bands of this era, a lazy narrative has built up around Hawkwind that doesn't do justice to the breadth of its ambition and achievements. Banks gives the lie to the popular perception of Hawkwind as one long lysergic soap opera; with Days of the Underground, he shows us just how revolutionary Hawkwind were, and their ongoing legacy's incendiary potential.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

528 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[John Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book for the Hawkwind fan, though I doubt it would be of much interest to anyone else. I am a lifelong Hawkwind fan and I have already read lots of books about Hawkwind, but this still managed to find new and interesting things to talk about.

The book isn't just a history, which is good as I already know the history. In addition to the history it adds interviews, album reviews and essays about various Hawkwind related subjects. The essays are unashamedly opinionated, but that's OK as I'm always interested in the opinions of people who know a lot about the subject. You just need to bear in mind that it is an opinion and exercise due scepticism.

[Herwin Tros · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting story about this underground band and its influence on several other bands and artists and whole genres, like punk. the set-up is also very nice, which makes it possible to choose to read the chapters about the bands history, the essays, the interviews or the album reviews the way you like (or just read the book form front to back).
highly recommended.

[Lynds Perrott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive, with wonderful interviews and fascinating information.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of descriptive filler copy but a beautiful book with a ton of great information

[Roger Irish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It's a very in-depth history of Hawkwind from the bands beginnings up until the release of the album 'Levitation' in 1980. It isn't the typical adulatory piece of band worship that so many music books are. It includes interviews with key band members and associates , though with the notable omission of Dave Brock and, perhaps more understandably, Lemmy.

It's largely a chronology of the band, reviewing each of the albums at the point in the timeline they were released but with a strong cultural bias to set the band in and beyond the times they were living. There are several long essays scattered through the text which present the band in context, as banner carriers for the underground scene / counter-culture, and latterly as influencers on punk and the rave scene which they overlapped with in spirit if not always in sound.

Clearly the book is aimed at fans of the band, though its not for the faint-hearted - running to over 400 pages, plus another 30 pages or so of appendices. It's well illustrated with band photos, promo shots and related ephemera, some of the pictures being rarities. The book also serves as a useful addition to the ranks of books on the history of the underground and counter-culture, even if you aren't a fan of the band. All in all, Joe Banks has put together a really good book and the essays which form the heart of the book and it's purpose are worth reading in their own right, without the rest of the material. If you like the band, you really should read this.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible mine of information about Hawkwind. This has obviously been a labour of love and is a very comprehensive history of the band, its concerts, personnel, releases, etc, up to 1980. As the band is still going strong in 2021 there is scope for another book!! It includes interviews, discographies with track listings and critiques, photographs, essays and more. A fantastic treasure trove of information for the Hawkwind fan and well worth getting hold of.

[Benjamin Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A deep dive into the first ten years of Hawkwind's existence. Some of the essays - notably, the one on Hawkwind and science fiction, possible influences - I found tedious, but for the most part, Banks kept things interesting. I wouldn't describe myself as a Hawkwind fan - I like songs here and there, but not albums - but I have always found the band fascinating, and this book satisfied my curiosity around them.
I did take a big break in the middle of reading it as it was due at the library and I couldn't renew it, and then I had to wait until the book was available again, but I didn't feel that the break effected my review.

[Phil James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellently entertaining read, but I suppose even then it's one for the fans. The stylistic choices work really well and should be repeated in other band biographies. A mixture of discography, timelines, album breakdowns, interviews and the all important essays putting the band in context(s).

Hawkwind are seen in relation to Science-Fiction, hard-rock, end of/or continuation of the counterculture, post-punk, krautrock/electronica and as an alternative to mainstream music business.

Now something on Gong and family?

[Richard Hakes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had great hopes, I started reading and wandered off.

I went to see them in Liverpool on Jan 18th 1975 Interesting evening, open my eyes to another darker world. I suppose I was never a true fan but I have always played there music but maybe there just isn't as much depth (thickness of book) as some would like to believe. Nothing wrong with that but maybe I would be better just playing an album now and again and read something with more story.

[Gregory Kuchmek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A VERY detailed and concise history of the band. Maybe a tad too dry for the casual fan; definitely seems like a work of passion here! Either way, even a casual fan of Hawkwind knows what they're getting into here. I'm waiting for a book devoted solely to the Quark/Hawklords era, but those get covered here in the meantime.

[Jim Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best band books that I have read - an excellent mixture of chronology, discography/review and essays. A fascinating history of the 70s as well as a superb guide to this seminal band.

[Stagger Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's amazing that such a chaotic, hedonistic underground band could lead to such a dull, uneventful, joyless account. Reads like an excerpt from a particularly incompetent fanzine. There's room for a great book about Hawkwind but this isn't it.

[David Wimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great info about the band that's tainted by an overly opinionated author.

[Nigel Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very partisan history of Hawkwind up to about 1980. Full of interesting details.

[Arthur B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history of a unique band. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/202...