Hawkestrel: “SpaceXmas” (2020) CD Review

This year has seen a lot of holiday CD and vinyl releases, even more than usual, it seems. Hawkestrel, the project created by Alan Davey last year as a sort of spinoff from Hawkwind, offers us “SpaceXmas.” And yes, with a goofy title like “SpaceXmas,” I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. But I trusted the musicians enough to dig into this one, and was pleasantly surprised. The album features musicians from the Hawkwind family, such as Nik Turner and Huw Lloyd Langton, the latter of whom died in 2012 and appears on this album through recordings of sessions he did for Cleopatra Records. This album also features the work of Robby Krieger and Rick Wakeman on certain tracks. We are treated to some traditional Christmas songs, some original material, and even a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” And yes, there is an otherworldly sound to these songs, many of which are presented as instrumentals. These tracks mostly move from one right into the next, creating a continuous piece of holiday music.

The album opens with the Christmas classic, “O Holy Night,” here listed as “Oh Holy Night,” featuring Glenn Hughes on vocals. You probably recall Hughes from his vocal and bass work with Deep People in the mid-1970s. This is a striking and rather pretty rendition. “Oh Holy Night” leads directly into a rendition of “We Three Kings” that has a heavy, full sound, yet manages to retain some of the song’s beauty. This is an instrumental rendition. Alan Davey plays bass, guitar and synths, and Adam Hamilton plays drums on this track. It leads straight into the album’s first original composition, “It’s A Wonderful (Funny Old) Life,” the title obviously a reference to the Frank Capra film that is shown every year at this time. This piece was composed by Huw Lloyd Langton and Alan Davey, and it features Huw’s work on acoustic guitar. There is a wonderfully timeless vibe to this tune, and it leads directly into an instrumental rendition of “Silent Night” that features Steve Leigh on strings and synths. “Silent Night” is probably the most beautiful of the traditional holiday songs, and this rendition does tap into that, but what I find most appealing about this rendition is that section in the middle when it kicks in to become more of a rock number. Alan Davey plays bass, guitar, synths and drums on this one.

Huw Lloyd Langton composed “Seasons,” and he provides the vocals for this track. It begins in a mellow place, with the sounds of nature, and becomes more exciting once it kicks in, like a minute into it. “Sitting close to the fire now, all the trees are bare/Winter’s taken her toll now, how I wish that summer was here.” Jurgen Engler plays mellotron on this track. That’s followed by “Little Drummer Boy.” I’ve always loved Joan Jett’s rock version of “Little Drummer Boy,” and this rendition has something of the same vibe, though it is an instrumental track. Also, Robbie Krieger joins on sitar, helping to make this one of my personal favorites. Adam Hamilton is on drums.

“Für Kirsty” is a beautiful instrumental piece composed by Huw Lloyd Langton, who plays acoustic guitar, synth and triangle on it. Alan Davey is on upright bass and mellotron. This track combines a classical feel and that space-like element, and is another of my favorite tracks. That’s followed by “Ein Weihnachliches Lustobjekt,” an odd track composed by Jurgen Engler, who also provides the vocals. The lyrics are presented in German, so I have no idea what he’s saying. The vocals have an electronic sound, like a robotic voice, and this track has an even more electronic sound than the others, but with a nod to “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” in the middle. Rick Wakeman joins Alan Davey on piano and synths for “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and certainly adds his personal touch to this spirited instrumental rendition. That leads straight into “Jingle Bells,” one of my least favorite Christmas songs. But this version sounds like no other that I’ve heard. It’s kind of scary. You might not even recognize it at first, and that is a good thing.

Leonard Cohen is my all-time favorite songwriter, and his most popular and covered song is now “Hallelujah” (it used to be “Suzanne”). Hawkestrel delivers a somewhat unusual and yet beautiful rendition, with Nigel Potter on vocals and guitar, and Nik Turner on flute. I’m always interested to see which verses an artist will pick when covering this song, and Hawkestrel delivers five verses, the same five that Jeff Buckley chose for his version. This song doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the album, but no matter. I love it, especially that section with flute before the final verse. The album then concludes with “Twelve Daze Of Drinxmas.” There are many variations on the “The Twelve Days Of Christmas” theme, my favorite still being “The Twelve Pains Of Christmas.” This one is a rock song, with Danny Faulkner on vocals. The first day of Christmas, in which he gets a cold beer, reminds me of the Bob & Doug MacKenzie version of “Twelve Days Of Christmas” from the Great White North album. But this one is all about drinking, making it the perfect version for Christmas in 2020. This is not the year to be sober. Good luck to us all.

CD Track List

1. Oh Holy Night
2. We Three Kings
3. It’s A Wonderful (Funny Old) Life
4. Silent Night
5. Seasons
6. Little Drummer Boy
7. Für Kirsty
8. Ein Weihnachliches Lustobjekt
9. O Come All Ye Faithful
10. Jingle Bells
11. Hallelujah
12. Twelve Daze Of Drinxmas

SpaceXmas was released on December 4, 2020 on Purple Pyramid Records, a division of Cleopatra Records.