Though the very fine Carol Clerk book The Saga of Hawkwind does a fantastic job at covering the entire career of Hawkwind from the bands inception up until the early 2000s, space rock fans have been waiting for some words of wisdom from someone who was actually in the band during the classic early period, namely one Nik Turner, to shed some additional light on this unique band. Along with Dave Thompson, Turner has crafted an in-depth look at this influential time period in the history of Hawkwind, complete with a wealth of unbelievable photos from the archives. A very large book, The Spirit of Hawkwind 1969-1976 comes close to coffee table tome territory, a gorgeous looking package that is part text and part photo album, with a host of little goodies included for the serious Hawkwind fanatic. Ironically, Turner doesn't talk a ton about himself throughout the book, other than a close look at his childhood, the story more revolves around the band and all the different musicians and characters that made their way in and out of the ranks during those inaugural seven years, including himself. Plenty of discussions about the late Lemmy, the often nude Stacia, the wild & crazy Robert Calvert, and more, though there's very little said overall about main man Dave Brock, probably due to the strained relationship the two founding members now have. For fans of early '70s rock, the Turner's vast recollections of the many festivals and live gigs the band played, along with the other groups they shared the stage with, will be a special treat, and though the drug & alcohol stories of course can't be avoided, he doesn't dwell on these too much. The authors also discuss each of the albums released during this period, which will instantly have you pulling them out of your collection for another listen in the process.
In short, this is a beautifully crafted book, one that every Hawkwind fan will want to own and cherish for years to come.
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