TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER (2005)

And, so, form a new band did Mr. Brock, with his trusty sidekick Richard Chadwick and a singing-bassist by the name of Alan Davey, back from Bedouin. The freshly reunited power trio brought in some friends new and old for guest spots on their first studio album together in a decade, with Arthur Brown, Lene Lovich and Matthew Wright offering guest vocal spots, and Jez Huggett, Simon House, and a collection of keyboardists offering color and texture.

The results are certainly more powerful than anything offered during Davey's hiatus, with a few legitimately memorable tunes, including the Brown-sung "Sunray," which gets close to "Right to Decide" as a claimant to the best latter-day singalong Hawk-anthem. Davey plays hard throughout, apparently trying to make up for lost time, and "Greenback Massacre" is one of the chunkiest, crunchiest things he ever recorded with Hawkwind. Also of note, Brown's "A Letter to Robert" isn't particularly BLANGA, but it does offer some fun insights into Hawkwind's craziest, latest member.

Unfortunately, to offset these new strengths, Hawkwind opens their latest album with one of the all-time biggest stinkers in their remake/remodel pantheon, with Matthew Wright "singing" (and I use the term very loosely) "Spirit of the Age," perhaps the most Calverty of Calvert songs, and a tune that does not merit desecration of this flavor. Just skip this one when you put the album on. Trust me. It's better than way.

BLANGA SCORE: 6