Performer Notes

Hawkwind: Dave Brock (vocals, guitar, synthesizer); Huw Lloyd-Langton (guitar);, Tim Blake (keyboards, synthesizer); Harvey Bainbridge (bass); Ginger Baker (drums).
Producers: Ashley Howe, Dave Brock, Harvey Bainbridge, Huw Lloyd-Langton.
Engineers: Ashley Howe, Jools Cooper, Nick Rodgers.
An excellent album that thoroughly dismisses any fears that recent personnel upheavals might have damaged Hawkwind in the slightest. Recorded with veteran drummer Ginger Baker as an absolutely astonishing replacement for the departing Simon King and with Huw Lloyd Langton clearly reveling in the guitar hero status accorded by the watching ranks of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Levitation captures Hawkwind at their most confident and brash. Certainly the mighty "Who's Gonna Win the War" has few peers within even the classic lineup's vocabulary, with its drift out of Tim Blake's brief but beautiful "Prelude," a transition to be proud of. Feeling ever so slightly churlish, one could point to the absence of Robert Calvert and Nik Turner as a decisive blow in the songwriting departure -- there is certainly a hint of style over substance hanging around a few of the lesser numbers ("Space Chase," "World of Tiers," "5th Second of Forever"). But the relentless crunch that occasionally deputizes for melody has excitement of its own, especially when paired with a Baker/Harvey Bainbridge rhythm section that simply doesn't know when to quit. Just missing the U.K. Top 20 upon release in November 1980, Levitation has since fallen into a degree of disrepute on account of its contents' ubiquity in the world of less than stellar Hawkwind compilations. Return to the original disc, however, and that reputation is certainly not deserved. ~ Dave Thompson

Professional Reviews

Record Collector (magazine) (p.82) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[W]ith returning founder member Huw Lloyd Langton delivering spellbindingly crisp lead lines to contrast the backbone of Dave Brock's grungy guitar..."

Uncut (magazine) (p.73) - "[Huw Lloyd-Langton's] devastating modal guitar playing instantly sharpened up the band's game."

Fishpond works with suppliers all over the world to bring you a huge selection of products, really great prices, and delivery included on over 25 million products that we sell. We do our best every day to make Fishpond an awesome place for customers to shop and get what they want — all at the best prices online.

About Fishpond

You can earn a 8% commission by selling Levitation [Deluxe Edition] [Box] on your website. It's easy to get started - we will give you example code. After you're set-up, your website can earn you money while you work, play or even sleep! You should start right now!

Are you the Author or Publisher of a book? Or the manufacturer of one of the millions of products that we sell. You can improve sales and grow your revenue by submitting additional information on this title. The better the information we have about a product, the more we will sell!

Submit Information