The Machine Stops | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 15 April 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2015–16 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 58:29 | |||
Label | Cherry Red | |||
Producer | Hawkwind | |||
Hawkwind chronology | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 65/100 [2] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
The Machine Stops is a concept album by space rock band Hawkwind, released on 15 April 2016. It is inspired by the E.M. Forster short story of the same name. It is Hawkwind's twenty-ninth studio album, Hawkwind's first album recorded without the involvement of Tim Blake since 2010's Blood of the Earth and the first to feature bassist Haz Wheaton.
Following Spacehawks, which was a compilation album largely consisting of re-recorded songs, and Stellar Variations which had been released under the Hawkwind Light Orchestra moniker, The Machine Stops is Hawkwind's first studio album composed entirely of new material released under the Cherry Red label.
Mr Dibs had first mentioned the production of a new album at a 2014 concert in Manchester. The official Hawkwind Twitter account first announced that the album was in the works in December 2015. [4]
The band played "The Machine" and its preceding spoken word counterpart "All Hail The Machine" at a performance at The Coronet in London on 20 December 2015.
Hawkwind released one single from the album for free on their Facebook page, "A Solitary Man" with an accompanying video in March 2016. [5]
Tim Blake left the band before the album's release to pursue his Crystal Machine project and does not feature on the album, with his usual contributions being replaced by increased synthesiser work by Niall Hone and Dead Fred.
The album also marks the first official appearance of Haz Wheaton. Wheaton had appeared with the "skeleton crew" spin off live band, Technicians of Spaceship Hawkwind some years before joining the band at The Coronet performance in December 2015 to play bass. Following that performance and the release of the album, he was a feature of the live shows for the next couple of years, as well as playing on the band's next studio album Into The Woods. Here, he contributes bass to the final two tracks, "Tube" and "Lost In Science".
The album entered the Official UK charts at number 29. This was the highest chart position since Choose Your Masques in 1982 which achieved the same chart position.
All tracks written by Dave Brock except where stated.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "All Hail the Machine" | Brock, Jonathan Darbyshire | 3:24 |
2. | "The Machine" | Brock, Darbyshire, Richard Chadwick | 4:39 |
3. | "Katie" | 0:56 | |
4. | "King of the World" | 2:51 | |
5. | "In My Room" | 3:43 | |
6. | "Thursday" | 4:09 | |
7. | "Synchronized Blue" | 5:24 | |
8. | "Hexagone" | Phil Reeves | 4:52 |
9. | "Living on Earth" | 6:27 | |
10. | "The Harmonic Hall" | Niall Hone | 4:56 |
11. | "Yum Yum" | 1:04 | |
12. | "A Solitary Man" | 5:03 | |
13. | "Tube" | 4:28 | |
14. | "Lost in Science" | 6:33 |
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scottish Albums (OCC) [6] | 24 |
UK Albums (OCC) [7] | 29 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [8] | 4 |
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [9] | 2 |
Hawkwind are an English rock band known as one of the earliest space rock groups. Since their formation in November 1969, Hawkwind have gone through many incarnations and have incorporated many different styles into their music, including hard rock, progressive rock and psychedelic rock. They are also regarded as an influential proto-punk band. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes.
Space Ritual is a 1973 live double album recorded in 1972 by UK rock band Hawkwind. It is their fourth album since their debut, Hawkwind, in 1970. It reached number 9 in the UK Albums Chart and briefly dented the Billboard Hot 200, peaking at number 179.
Electric Tepee is the seventeenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1992. It spent one week on the UK albums chart at #53.
Levitation is the tenth studio album by English rock group Hawkwind, released in 1980. It peaked at No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart.
Doremi Fasol Latido is a 1972 album by English space rock band Hawkwind. Recorded at Rockfield Studios and released on United Artists Records, it was their third album since their debut, Hawkwind, in 1970. It reached No. 14 on the UK album charts.
Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music is the sixth studio album by the British rock band Hawkwind, released in 1976. It reached No. 33 on the UK album charts.
Sonic Attack is the eleventh studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1981. It spent five weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #19.
Church of Hawkwind is the twelfth studio album by Hawkwind, released under the band name Church of Hawkwind in 1982. The name change reflects the fact that this was a musical departure for the band, being a more experimental electronic offering rather than the usual heavy rock that the band were known for at the time.
Take Me to Your Leader is the twenty fourth studio album by UK rock group Hawkwind. Released in 2005, it was their first studio album in five years. It featured guest appearances by Arthur Brown, Lene Lovich, the television presenter Matthew Wright and past member Lemmy. The first 2000 copies came with a DVD containing interviews with band members and some live and "behind the scenes" footage.
Roadhawks is a 1976 compilation album by Hawkwind covering the years 1970-1975, and it peaked at #45 on the UK album charts. It is the first compilation release from the group, marking the end of the group's tenure with United Artists Records. The music was compiled and mixed by the group's Dave Brock.
Greasy Truckers Party is a 1972 live album by various artists recorded at a February 1972 Greasy Truckers concert at the Roundhouse in London. The concert featured three bands, Man, Brinsley Schwarz, and Hawkwind, and musician Magic Michael. Originally a double vinyl album, in a limited edition of 20,000 and sold at just £1.50, it rapidly sold out, and became a collector's item.
In the world of British underground rock, the Greasy Truckers Party ... ... looms about as large as the Monterey International Pop Festival does in American rock lore; it wasn't the biggest gig ever played by the bands involved, but for reasons of exposure, and resulting word-of-mouth, and the excerpted live album that followed, it came to define what they were capable of.
Blood of the Earth is the 26th studio album by the British space rock group Hawkwind, released on 21 June 2010.
Onward is the twenty seventh studio album and a double-album by British space rock band Hawkwind. It was released in April 2012 by Eastworld Recordings.
Niall Hone is an English musician, best known as a member of the UK space rock band Hawkwind from 2008 to 2017, and May 2018–2021. Hone has also been heavily involved in electronic dance music since the early 1990s.
Jonathan Darbyshire, widely known by his stage name Mr Dibs or Dibs Hawkwinder, is a British musician, best known as a former member of the space rock group Hawkwind.
Space Ritual Live is a live album by Hawkwind recorded at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on 22 February 2014 and released in March 2015. It is released as an audio (2xCD) and video (2xDVD). The concert was in aid of various animal rights groups.
Into the Woods is the thirtieth album by space rock band Hawkwind, released on 5 May 2017. It peaked at number 34 in the UK Albums Chart. In an interview with Phil Alexander for Planet Rock, Brock described the album as "a continuation of the story of The Machine Stops".
All Aboard the Skylark is an album by space rock band Hawkwind; released in 2019 on Cherry Red Records, it was their thirty-second album since their debut, Hawkwind, in 1970.
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.