Levitation (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Levitation
Type = studio
Longtype =
Artist = Hawkwind


Released = 1980
Recorded = 1980
Genre = Space Rock
Length =
Label = Bronze Records
Producer = Hawkwind and Ashely Howe
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:8y6ompe39f5o link]
*Prog Archives Rating|4|5 [http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=3948 link] (20 ratings)
Last album = Live Seventy Nine (1980)
This album = Levitation (1980)
Next album = Sonic Attack (1981)

"Levitation" is a 1980 studio album by Hawkwind. It reached #21 on the UK album chart.

The recording of this album began with the same line-up that had produced the previous "Live Seventy Nine" album, but King dropped out during the sessions and was replaced by Ginger Baker.

A good proportion of these tracks had been played on the preceding tour and so were well arranged, but here less boisterous than their live counterparts. In the absence of Robert Calvert, lyrics tend to be cursory and the number of instrumentals is increased.

"Who's Gonna Win The War?" was released as a single backed by the non-album "Nuclear Toy".

Track listing

;Side 1
#"Levitation" (Brock) 5:48
#"Motorway City" (Brock) 6:48
#"Psychosis" (Bainbridge) 2:22
#"World of Tiers" (Bainbridge/Lloyd-Langton) 3:30;Side 2
#"Prelude" (Blake) 1:28
#"Who's Gonna Win The War?" (Brock) 4:45
#"Space Chase" (Lloyd-Langton) 3:27
#"Fifth Second of Forever" (Brock/Lloyd-Langton) 3:11
#"Dust of Time" (Brock/Bainbridge/Lloyd-Langton) 6:22;bonus track on Griffin CD
#"Nuclear Toy" (Brock/Lloyd-Langton) 3:30

Personnel

*Dave Brock - guitar, keyboards, vocals
*Huw Lloyd-Langton - guitar, vocals
*Harvey Bainbridge - bass guitar, keyboards, vocals
*Tim Blake - keyboards, vocals
*Ginger Baker - drums

Credits

*Recorded at the Roundhouse, London, July and August, produced with Ashely Howe. This is one of the earliest rock albums to be recorded with the burgeoning digital recording technology.
*Sleeve by Linda Curry and Phil Tonkyn.

Notes

*"World of Tiers" is a reference to the series of science fiction novels by Philip José Farmer. It is musically reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well".

Release History

*Nov-1980: Bronze Records, BRON530, UK vinyl initial copies pressed on blue vinyl
*Jun-1987: Castle Communications, CLA129, UK CD and vinyl
*Dec-1988: Castle Communications, TFO17, UK 2CD and vinyl with "Live Seventy Nine"
*Feb-1992: Castle Communications, CLABX911, 3CD with "Live Seventy Nine" and "Space Bandits"
*Sep-1994: Griffin Records, GCD 230-2, USA CD
*Jul-1999: Essential Records, ESMCD736, UK CD digipak

External links

* [http://www.collectable-records.ru/groups/hawkwind/levitat.htm Collectable Records] - Original cover