Road to Utopia | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 2018 | |||
Genre | Space rock | |||
Label | Cherry Red | |||
Producer | ||||
Hawkwind chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Classic Rock | [1] |
Mojo | [2] |
Uncut | [3] |
The Wire | [4] |
Road to Utopia is the thirty-first album by space rock band Hawkwind, released in 2018. It features new acoustic versions of the band's 1970s' repertoire with two new compositions.
The group's line-up had stabilised for some time with guitarist/singer Dave Brock, drummer Richard Chadwick, singer Mr Dibs and bassist Niall Hone being joined by bassist Haz Wheaton and guitarist Magnus Martin .
They had toured Britain in March through May 2017 in support of their Into the Woods album, [5] which featured an opening set performed acoustically. The Roundhouse main show from 26 May was issued as Hawkwind At The Roundhouse as a 2CD/DVD boxed-set on 8 December, [6] and the group made a promotional appearance playing an acoustic version of "Ascent" on Matthew Wright's Channel 5 daily morning television programme The Wright Stuff on 1 December.
The band started work recording this acoustic set in the studio when Brock had a chance meeting with Mike Batt at the US Embassy while both were applying for a travel visa. [7] Batt joined the project adding string and horn arrangements. Eric Clapton, who had been a teenage friend of Brock's prior to his rise to fame, contributed to the session alongwith their former sax player, Jez Huggett. Road to Utopia was released on 14 September 2018. [8]
A one-off concert at the London Palladium on 4 November billed as In Search of Utopia – Infinity and Beyond with Batt conducting Docklands Sinfonia was scheduled, but demand lead to an extended UK tour in October and November with a guest appearance from Arthur Brown and support from The Blackheart Orchestra.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Quark Strangeness & Charm" | 4:32 | |
2. | "The Watcher" | Ian Kilmister | 5:05 |
3. | "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago" | Brock | 4:56 |
4. | "Flying Doctor" |
| 5:51 |
5. | "Psychic Power" |
| 5:19 |
6. | "Hymn to the Sun" | Magnus Martin | 2:51 |
7. | "The Age of the Micro Man" |
| 5:31 |
8. | "Intro the Night" | Martin | 2:11 |
9. | "Down Through the Night" | Brock | 7:11 |
Hawkwind
Additional musicians
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scottish Albums ( OCC) [9] | 24 |
UK Albums ( OCC) [10] | 44 |
UK Independent Albums ( OCC) [11] | 9 |
UK Rock & Metal Albums ( OCC) [12] | 2 |