AMG Review of Live at the BBC 1972

All Music Guide

A bonus-packed reissue of the 1991 BBC Radio 1 in Concert CD, this two-disc package not only repeats the original BBC broadcast from 1972, at the outset of the Space Ritual tour, it also adds on an alternate stereo mix produced for international markets, and -- at last -- an official release for the band's summer 1972 Johnny Walker radio session. These versions of "Brainstorm" and the then-current hit "Silver Machine" kick off the disc in magnificent style, but it's the stereo live show that is the revelation. True, a few songs were edited down from their mono counterparts, but the sound quality is dazzling, at least comparable with the classic Space Ritual album, and the only real disappointment remains the absence of Bob Calvert -- AWOL on the night, but effortlessly replaced by Nik Turner. Other improvements on the original release include the correct indexing of the 11 tracks that made up the show; and a spectacular remastering job. As the very informative liner notes remind us, the Hawkwind back catalog creaks with so many unofficial, bootleg-quality live shows that it's easier not to even bother with them, rather than try and wade through the detritus. Alongside the aforementioned Space Ritual, Rovi