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Hawkwind: Sonic Assassins
Hawkwind’s fusion of agit-prop and improvised space rock—including Lemmy and lyrics by Michael Moorcock—made them intriguing outsiders in rock. For over 30 years, Hawkwind have successfully existed outside the traditional music business, and spawned a fanatical fanbase. This high quality, authoritative biography contains dozens of new interviews with band members and over 100 rare illustrations, many published for the first time. With a cover designed by Hawkwind’s own sleeve artist Peter Pracownik and full co-operation of the all the key protagonists, this authoritative, high-quality biography is the definitive account of one of the UK’s most innovative bands.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2004
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249 people want to read
About the author
Ian Abrahams
4 books24 followersIan Abrahams (born 1963) is a freelance journalist and biographer. His books include 'Hawkwind - Sonic Assassins', 'Strange Boat - Mike Scott & The Waterboys' and, with Bridget Wishart, 'Festivalized: Music, Politics & The Alternative Culture'. He's written for Record Collector, R2 Rock 'N' Reel, Vive Le Rock, Shindig!, The Guardian, The Independent, Bass Guitar and others. Ian lives in Cornwall where his household includes two retired greyhounds who've never been to a muddy festival, tied on the end of a string.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 16, 2023
This book is very informative in regards to this legendary space rock band's evolution over its 40 years of activity in general. I'm most grateful for the clearing up of the constant internal conflicts between the many different members, it appears Hawkwind is something of a magnet for obviously talented musicians that also are very difficult to work with. I also appreciate that Abrahams' research went as exhaustingly in-depth about the band's place in a broader cultural context as about what happened inside the group. The appendix' walkthrough of Hawkwind's discography with a "what they said then vs. what they say now" comparison for each record further reinforces my impression of a huge generation between musicians who started in the 1970's or 1980's and those who started in the 1990's or 2000's.
Now, as for the negatives... it's a bit cursory at times, trying very hard to cram as much information into as little space at possible. I find this preferable to rambling on for too long about the same topics, but certain parts feel rushed. I also got some mixed messages about exactly how objective Abrahams set out to be. On one hand, when it comes to aforementioned conflicts inside the band he goes out of his way to present all points of view (apparently Dave Brock had a clear control freak phase in the late 1970's) but on the other hand Abrahams sometimes lets his own opinions slip through about the quality of respective albums.
Don't get me wrong, however: This book is definitely worth reading. I learned a lot that I didn't know before from the various interviews with the band to be found in here.
Now, as for the negatives... it's a bit cursory at times, trying very hard to cram as much information into as little space at possible. I find this preferable to rambling on for too long about the same topics, but certain parts feel rushed. I also got some mixed messages about exactly how objective Abrahams set out to be. On one hand, when it comes to aforementioned conflicts inside the band he goes out of his way to present all points of view (apparently Dave Brock had a clear control freak phase in the late 1970's) but on the other hand Abrahams sometimes lets his own opinions slip through about the quality of respective albums.
Don't get me wrong, however: This book is definitely worth reading. I learned a lot that I didn't know before from the various interviews with the band to be found in here.
May 17, 2007
Since the late '60s, Hawkwind has been one of the leading underground/alternative/progressive/heavy-metal/space rock bands; they were playing before many of those terms were coined. Led by Dave Brock and featuring an ever-changing cast of musicians including Lemmy (who went on to found Motorhead), Michael Moorcock (the fantasy writer), Ginger Baker (from Cream), etc. This book is an in-depth history of their first forty years, which was filled with more feuds and drama than any soap opera.
September 25, 2018
Loved this book. Love Hawkwind through thick and thin.
March 11, 2017
Very detailed account of the career of Hawkwind. The second edition brings up the story of the band to the present day. The author is quite objective in his description of the roles played by some big personalities, especially Brock and Turner, and also gives a fair amount of time to the recordings and tours of the later period of the group's activities, a time when they slipped off the radar for many rock music fans.
July 19, 2024
Came to this book after bailing on Nik Turner's terrible ghost written effort. That book had no objectivity, was a myth maker for Turner, and badly written. This one was better researched and more neutral. There aren't many books on Hawkwind, so this is an essential read for the fan.
With a band like Hawkwind, where you have idealistic hippies doing free gigs, frightening pure grade LSD consumption, guys with mental issues and bona fide eccentrics, the truth, drama and egos are going to be difficult to separate from personal recollections, or retributions. But this book does well to work through it.
Turner was clearly a creative catalyst, but turned out to be a malicious dickhead, Dave was quietly ambitious, but often accused of being a control freak. That isn't surprising, no one could keep a revolving door of players going for 50 years with a creative democracy. Most bands would just implode.
All key members are represented here, especially those in the seminal years. Turner, Dik Mik, Dettmar Lemmy and some names I wasn't aware of. I enjoyed the background to the revolving door of Hawkwind, the explanation of the changing dynamics of new members and exits when things go bad between people or stale musically.
I was less interested in the blow by blows of each album, just too much detail for me. The early and latter parts are best, as they illuminate their beginnings and the later goes into the many fractious periods with key members. Nik Turner comes out with a balanced but very critical reading. Which I think is fair enough. He took the piss onstage and off, and when out of the band, and tried to justify it with his lifetime hippie ideals.
With a band like Hawkwind, where you have idealistic hippies doing free gigs, frightening pure grade LSD consumption, guys with mental issues and bona fide eccentrics, the truth, drama and egos are going to be difficult to separate from personal recollections, or retributions. But this book does well to work through it.
Turner was clearly a creative catalyst, but turned out to be a malicious dickhead, Dave was quietly ambitious, but often accused of being a control freak. That isn't surprising, no one could keep a revolving door of players going for 50 years with a creative democracy. Most bands would just implode.
All key members are represented here, especially those in the seminal years. Turner, Dik Mik, Dettmar Lemmy and some names I wasn't aware of. I enjoyed the background to the revolving door of Hawkwind, the explanation of the changing dynamics of new members and exits when things go bad between people or stale musically.
I was less interested in the blow by blows of each album, just too much detail for me. The early and latter parts are best, as they illuminate their beginnings and the later goes into the many fractious periods with key members. Nik Turner comes out with a balanced but very critical reading. Which I think is fair enough. He took the piss onstage and off, and when out of the band, and tried to justify it with his lifetime hippie ideals.
October 29, 2017
Quite a well researched book that would be enjoyed by any hardcore Hawkwind fan. I'm sort of glad that I waited to buy this one as the 2017 updated version brings the story up to date.
There are a couple of things that would have made the book a bit better. There are a number of black and white photos scattered throughout the book. They seem to be out of place. It may have been better to include them in their own section in the middle of the book. It's also strange that Stacia who was an integral part of the band's performance visuals is not pictured at all!
Although album releases are detailed during the normal course of the story, it would have been nice to have a thoroughly annotated discography at the end of the book. Sure, people can look up that stuff online. But, why not have it right there in your hands while you are reading the book?
There are a couple of things that would have made the book a bit better. There are a number of black and white photos scattered throughout the book. They seem to be out of place. It may have been better to include them in their own section in the middle of the book. It's also strange that Stacia who was an integral part of the band's performance visuals is not pictured at all!
Although album releases are detailed during the normal course of the story, it would have been nice to have a thoroughly annotated discography at the end of the book. Sure, people can look up that stuff online. But, why not have it right there in your hands while you are reading the book?
July 10, 2023
Great book for Hawkwind fans like me!
July 8, 2007
A biography and overview of psychedelic band Hawkwind. I can hardly complain when the book quotes me (even though the quote is an attack on the band I love). One of the better of the several books about Hawkwind floating around out there.
July 21, 2010
8/10. Well-researched and detailed.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews