Hawkwind — Hall of the Mountain Grill (Super Deluxe Edition) • Now Spinning Magazine Review
Hi, Phil Aston here from Now Spinning Magazine. Time to dive into Hawkwind’s 1974 classic Hall of the Mountain Grill—now reborn as a seriously impressive Super Deluxe edition from Esoteric/Cherry Red. I’ve unboxed every title in this series and this one might just be the pinnacle
Formats & packaging (collector’s eye)
Single CD (digipak): gatefold presentation with session photos (the famous scaffold shots), a concise booklet, and 7 bonus tracks. Great value if you want the album plus extras without going all-in.
2LP set: faithful artwork with a 12″ EP at 45 RPM for sides 3–4. Nicely pressed; label colours nod towards the original United Artists aesthetic.
9-disc Super Deluxe: 7 CDs + 2 Blu-rays in the now-standard Hawkwind clamshell. Big, photo-rich softback book: contemporary press cuttings, tape-box shots (catnip for archivists), and detailed essays on the studio record and the live material.
One nitpick from this collector: the two Blu-rays are loose in the main tray rather than housed in a fold-out panel. They can slip out when you’re rummaging—an avoidable design quirk I’ve flagged on previous sets, too. Everything else is beautifully thought-through and shelves perfectly with the series.
What’s on the discs (highlights)
Studio album: new remaster, stereo remix, and 5.1 HD on Blu-ray—choice is the keyword. Hawkwind in surround feels purpose-built: swoops, swirls and Mellotron mist drifting around the room without losing that gritty engine-room drive.
Live treasures (all from multitracks):
Edmonton Sundown, 25–27 Jan 1974 — two parts, searing and atmospheric.
“The 1999 Party,” Chicago & Cleveland, March 1974 — multiple sets, remixed from the original multitracks, and frankly among the most powerful Hawkwind live documents I’ve heard. “The Watcher” is a monster; “7 By 7,” “Brainstorm,” “Sonic Attack,” and “Orgone Accumulator” are hair-raising.
Credits worth noting: the new mixes by Steven W. Taylor and mastering by Ben Wiseman are outstanding—clear, muscular, and respectful of the original tape character.
Why this album matters (and why this box wins)
Hall of the Mountain Grill was released 6 September 1974, Hawkwind’s fourth studio album and the first to really foreground Simon House—keyboards, Mellotron and violin—alongside Dave Brock, Lemmy, Nik Turner, Simon King, and (on the way out) Del Dettmar. That additional harmonic colour shifts Hawkwind into a different cosmic-rock animal; you hear it immediately in “Wind of Change,” “D-Rider,” and the title track. The title itself nods both to Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and to a beloved Ladbroke Grove café the band frequented.
Chart notes
UK Albums Chart: peaked at #16 in 1974. (Fun modern footnote: the new edition also landed on specialist UK charts in October 2025.)
Official Charts
US Billboard 200: peaked at #110 in November 1974.
Sound & feel (my verdict)
I’ve loved Warrior on the Edge of Time for years, but this set has nudged Hall of the Mountain Grill into the top spot for me. The 5.1 elevates the studio album, and the three full multi-track live shows capture Hawkwind at maximum thrust—raw, hypnotic, and strangely beautiful. Simon House’s textures are the secret sauce; Lemmy’s bass is the gravity well. It’s a 10/10 from me.
Collector’s PS to the label: there’s real appetite for bringing Warrior on the Edge of Time back in this matching form factor. The shelf wants it!
Should you buy it?
Casual fan / testing the waters: the single CD with 7 bonuses is terrific value.
Vinyl-first listener: the 2LP + 12″ 45 sounds big and clean.
Deep-space traveller / surround listener / live tape nut: the Super Deluxe is essential.
If you’re on the fence, don’t ponder too long—this series tends to move quickly once word spreads.
ORDER THE SINGLE CD VERSION
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
