A quick parish noticeboard thing before we get on with the business of catching up after an art festival adventure sucked us out of London and the Organ bunker over the weekend. This just in via Cherry Red Records, the details of the much anticipated re-mastered re-issued much expanded version of the Hawkwind classic Hall of the Mountain Grill, set for release as a massive 7CD/2 Blu-ray edition, a remastered vinyl edition and a remastered CD edition on 29th August 2025…
“Released in September 1974, the album is regarded as one of the band’s finest and featured a new line-up of the band which saw the departure of Robert Calvert and Dik Mik, but the arrival of keyboard player and violinist Simon House. Featuring such classic tracks as ‘The Psychedelic Warlords’, ‘Wind of Change’, ‘D-Rider’, ‘You’d Better Believe It’, ‘Lost Johnny’ and ‘Paradox’, the album was formed of studio recordings and over-dubbed live recordings made at concerts at Edmonton Sundown in London in January 1974. ‘Hall of the Mountain Grill’ was another UK Top Twenty hit for the band.
This limited-edition deluxe box set comprises seven CDs and two Blu-Ray discs and features a brand new remaster of the original album with seven bonus tracks drawn from studio out-takes and rare singles along with two full previously unreleased concerts mixed by Stephen W Tayler. The first was recorded at Edmonton, London in January 1974, a benefit concert for imprisoned LSD advocate Timothy Leary, which featured a guest appearance by Robert Calvert and Joanna Harcourt-Smith, Leary’s partner. The second is a full concert recorded at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio on 22 March 1974. In addition, the set also includes Stephen W Tayler’s new mix of the full 1999 Party concert at the Auditorium, Chicago on 21 March 1974.
The set also includes two Blu-Ray discs featuring a stunning 5.1 Surround Sound up-mix of ‘Hall of the Mountain Grill’, (the multi-track master tapes sadly lost) and a 5.1 Surround Sound mix of Hawkwind’s concert at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland from the original 16-track master tapes. The set is completed with an illustrated book with new essay, making this boxed set the definitive release of this legendary album”.
DISC ONE
Hall of the Mountain Grill remastered
1 The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)
2 Wind of Change
3 D-Rider
4 Web Weaver
5 You’d Better Believe It
6 Hall of the Mountain Grill
7 Lost Johnny
8 Goat Willow
9 Paradox
Bonus tracks – A & B sides of single – Released in Germany as United Artists UA 35 566 in July 1974
10 It’s So Easy (studio version)
11 You’d Better Believe It (Rockfield Studios version) 12 Wind of Change (alternate version)
13 It’s So Easy (B-side of single)
14 The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke) (single version)
15 You’d Better Believe It (single version)
16 Paradox (single version)
DISC TWO
Live at the Edmonton Sundown January 1974 Previously unreleased. Mixed by Stephen W Tayler
1 Introduction
2 Brainbox Pollution
3 It’s So Easy
4 You Know You’re Only Dreaming
5 America Poem
6 Brainstorm
7 Seven by Seven
8 The Watcher
9 The Awakening
10 Paradox
DISC THREE
Live at the Edmonton Sundown January 1974 Previously unreleased. Mixed by Stephen W Tayler
1 You’d Better Believe It
2 D-Rider
3 Sonic Attack
4 Master of the Universe
5 Welcome to the Future
6 Orgone Accumulator
7 Silver Machine
DISC FOUR
The 1999 Party – Live at the Auditorium, Chicago 21
March 1974
The New mix by Stephen W Tayler
1 Introduction
2 Standing on the Edge
3 Brainbox Pollution
4 It’s So Easy
5 You Know You’re Only Dreaming
6 Veterans of a Thousand Psychic Wars
7 Brainstorm
8 Seven by Seven
DISC FIVE
The 1999 Party – Live at the Auditorium, Chicago 21
March 1974
The New mix by Stephen W Tayler
1 The Watcher
2 The Awakening
3 Paradox
4 You’d Better Believe It
5 Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)
6 D-Rider
7 Sonic Attack
8 Master of the Universe
9 Welcome to the Future
DISC SIX
The 1999 Party – Live at the Allen Theatre, Cleveland 22 March 1974
Mixed by Stephen W Tayler. Previously unreleased
1 Introduction
2 Standing on the Edge
3 Brainbox Pollution
4 It’s So Easy
5 You Know You’re Only Dreaming
6 Veterans of a Thousand Psychic Wars
7 Brainstorm
8 Seven by Seven
DISC SEVEN
The 1999 Party – Live at the Allen Theatre, Cleveland 22 March 1974
Mixed by Stephen W Tayler. Previously unreleased
1 The Watcher
2 The Awakening
3 Paradox
4 You’d Better Believe It
5 Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)
6 D-Rider
7 Sonic Attack
8 Master of the Universe
9 Welcome to the Future
10 Orgone Accumulator
DISC EIGHT – BLU-RAY
Hall of the Mountain Grill
5.1 Surround Sound up-mix by Stephen W Tayler
1 The Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)
2 Wind of Change
3 D-Rider
4 Web Weaver
5 You’d Better Believe It
6 Hall of the Mountain Grill
7 Lost Johnny
8 Goat Willow
9 Paradox
DISC NINE – BLU-RAY
The 1999 Party – Live at the Allen Theatre, Cleveland 22 March 1974
5.1 Surround Sound & Stereo mixes by Stephen W Tayler. Previously unreleased
1 Introduction
2 Standing on the Edge
3 Brainbox Pollution
4 It’s So Easy
5 You Know You’re Only Dreaming
6 Veterans of a Thousand Psychic Wars
7 Brainstorm
8 Seven by Seven
9 The Watcher
10 The Awakening
11 Paradox
12 You’d Better Believe It
13 Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)
14 D-Rider
15 Sonic Attack
16 Master of the Universe
17 Welcome to the Future
18 Orgone Accumulator
Links: Vinyl version / 7 CD version / CD version
Previous Hawkwind coverage on these pages (and there has been a lot, Organ was originally launched as a hand made hand painted fanzine at a Hawkwind gig in 1986, there are lots of old interviews we should dig out)
THE ORGAN 