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Here are the first two solo recordings by Hawkwind guitarist and singer Dave Brock. Earthed to the Ground was done completely solo on synths and other keyboards, and feels like a bad-seed, biker Kraftwerk album. No, that's not necessarily a good thing. Brock's excesses as both a producer and engineer with Hawkwind are well documented. None of the songs stand out except for "Green Fin Demon," which was issued previously as a Hawkwind B-side; the rest is just drunken keyboard swirl, apocalyptic vocals, and tripped-out silliness. The Agents of Chaos, from 1988, fares far better in that Brock's wildness is balanced -- and set off sometimes -- by Crum, a songwriting pal of Brock's. While the deep Kraftwerk groove is evident on very nearly every track, so is the Neu!-ish pulse and ringing guitar work associated with Brock's other band. However, the vocals sound as if they were recorded by Throbbing Gristle's Genesis P-Orridge. The song selection is varied, and standout tracks include the blackly humorous "In the Office," the metallic "Hades Deep," the spacy, near synth pop of "Wastelands of Sleep," and the Manuel Göttsching and Bill Nelson-inspired "Mountain in the Sky." ~ Thom Jurek
