Performer Notes:
- Hawkwind: Dave Brock (vocals, guitar, audio generator); Nik Turner (guitar, flute & audio generator, saxophone); Dave Anderson (guitar, bass); Del Detmar (synthesizer); Terry Ollis (drums, percussion); Dik Mik (audio generator).
- Remastered U.K. edition features three bonus recordings.
- Personnel: Dave Brock (vocals, acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, electric guitar); Nik Turner (vocals, flute, alto saxophone); Dave Anderson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Huw (electric guitar); Del Dettmar (synthesizer); Terry Ollis (drums, percussion); Stacia (dancer).
- Recording information: Rockfield, Monmouth, Wales (02/13/1972); The Roundhouse (02/13/1972).
- Unknown Contributor Roles: Phil Franks; Robert Calvert.
- On Hawkwind's second album, the seminal space-rockers began to assemble the pieces that would come to be regarded as their signature sound. While some elements of leader Dave Brock's folkie past were still extant (most notably the surprisingly poignant "We Took the Wrong Step Years Ago"), the heavy guitar riffs, wooshing electronic effects, and science-fiction lyrics that typified the eventually predominant Hawkwind style all came into play on IN SEARCH OF SPACE. Though bassist Lemmy (who would later found Motorhead) had yet to hop aboard the spaceship, Hawkwind's proto-metal tendencies were already apparent in the downright Black Sabbath-like "Master of the Universe." The acid-damaged "Adjust Me" and the monomaniacal, one-chord jam "You Shouldn't Do That" attest to the growing freakiness of the band, a quality that would only continue to endear them to a hardy contingent of fans as their far-out tendencies increased.
Professional Reviews: Rolling Stone (6/22/72, p.58) - "...This is music for the astral apocalypse...their sound as well as their message is much closer to Pink Floyd than Black Sabbath, with a little bit of Sun Ra thrown in, even..."
-Lester Bangs
Q (7/96, p.138) - 3 Stars - Good - "...IN SEARCH OF SPACE...held two genuine classics in `You Shouldn't Do That' and `Master Of The Universe'..."
Mojo (Publisher) (6/96, p.121) - "...digitally remastered and lovingly repackaged by EMI Premier, [IN SEARCH OF SPACE is] complete with extra tracks and loads of squinty eye memorabilia..."
NME (Magazine) (4/27/96, p.51) - "...their own space-metal sound start[s] to emerge and `Master Of The Universe' is one of the greatest cosmic rockers ever..."
Uncut (magazine) (p.73) - "The band's second album saw Hawkwind mutate from acoustic Ladbroke Groovers into dystopian sci-fi rockers."
Producer: Dr. Technical, George Chkiantz, Hawkwind
Format: CD (1 Disc); Stereo
Country: USA
Studio/Live: Studio
Release Date: 20 August, 2001
Label: EMI Music & Marketing
Dimensions: 12.8 x 14.4 x 1 centimeters (0.06 kg)