The Xenon Codex

The Xenon Codex is the fifteenth studio album by the English space rock group Hawkwind, released in 1988. It spent two weeks on the UK albums chart peaking at #79.^[1]

The group's line-up remained unchanged for three years. The album was recorded at Loco Studios, Caerleon and Rockfield Studios, Monmouth in February and March 1988. It was produced with Guy Bidmead, who had previously been Vic Maile's assistant.

The lyrics to "The War I Survived" and "Heads" were written by Roger Neville-Neil, who was a Hawkwind fan. "Lost Chronicles" is banded as separate track, but it forms the instrumental middle section of "Neon Skyline".

The group undertook a 25 date UK tour in April to promote the album.^[2] The Hammersmith Odeon show on 21 April was recorded by BBC Radio 1 for broadcast as a 60-minute in-concert programme.

After the tour, drummer Thompson left the group. He was replaced by former Dumpy's Rusty Nuts drummer Mick Kirton for some September dates, but the group felt he was unsuitable. Richard Chadwick, a veteran drummer of groups involved with English free-festival scene, then joined for an 18 date UK tour in November and December. The Nottingham Rock City show on 7 December was recorded, and part released on Undisclosed Files Addendum (1995), with these tracks being included as bonus tracks on the 2010 re-issue.

Tracks

Side 1

"The War I Survived" (Dave Brock, Alan Davey, Roger Neville-Neil) – 5:25
"Wastelands of Sleep" (Kris Tait, Brock) – 4:18
"Neon Skyline" (Davey) – 2:18
"Lost Chronicles" (Harvey Bainbridge) – 5:21
"Tides" (Huw Lloyd-Langton) – 2:54

Side 2

"Heads" (Brock, Neville-Neil) – 5:04
"Mutation Zone" (Bainbridge, Brock) – 3:56
"E.M.C." (Bainbridge) – 4:55
"Sword of the East" (Davey) – 5:25
"Good Evening" (Hawkwind) – 4:35

Atomhenge CD bonus tracks

"Ejection" (Calvert) – 4:29
"Motorway City" (Brock) – 6:47
"Dragons and Fables" (Lloyd-Langton) – 3:19
"Heads" (Neville-Neil/Brock) – 3:52
"Angels of Death" (Brock) – 5:36

Personnel

Dave Brock – electric guitar, keyboards, vocals
Harvey Bainbridge – keyboards, vocals
Huw Lloyd-Langton – electric guitar
Alan Davey – bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Danny Thompson Jr – drums

Credits

Recorded at Loco Studios, Caerleon and Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, February and March 1988.
Produced with Guy Bidmead.
Cover by Bob Walker.

Release history

April 1988: Great Western Records, GWLP 26, vinyl and CD - initial vinyl copies came in a fold out cover.
1989: Enigma/GWR, 7 75407-1, USA CD and vinyl
February 1992: Castle Communications, CLACD 281, UK CD
July 1999: Essential Records, ESMCD 737, UK CD digipak
May 2010: Atomhenge (Cherry Red) Records, ATOMCD1022, UK CD

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[3]

External links

Atomhenge Records

References

↑ "Hawkwind". Chart Stats. UK albums chart. Archived from the original on 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
↑ Youles, Steve. "Gig and Set Lists 1988". Starfarer's hawkwind Page. self-published. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
↑ The Xenon Codex at AllMusic

Hawkwind

Dave Brock Richard Chadwick Mr Dibs Niall Hone Dead Fred Haz Wheaton Nik Turner Dik Mik Terry Ollis John Harrison Mick Slattery Huw Lloyd-Langton Thomas Crimble Del Dettmar Dave Anderson Simon King Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister Robert Calvert Simon House Alan Powell Paul Rudolph Adrian Shaw Harvey Bainbridge Paul Hayles Steve Swindells Martin Griffin Keith Hale Ginger Baker Andy Anderson Robert Heaton Rik Martinez Alan Davey Clive Deamer Danny Thompson Jr. Bridget Wishart Ron Tree Jerry Richards Jason Stuart Tim Blake

Studio albums	Hawkwind In Search of Space Doremi Fasol Latido Hall of the Mountain Grill Warrior on the Edge of Time Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music Quark, Strangeness and Charm 25 Years On (as Hawklords) PXR5 Levitation Sonic Attack Church of Hawkwind Choose Your Masques The Chronicle of the Black Sword The Xenon Codex Space Bandits Electric Tepee It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous White Zone Alien 4 Distant Horizons In Your Area Spacebrock Take Me to Your Leader Take Me to Your Future Blood of the Earth Onward Stellar Variations (as Hawkwind Light Orchestra) The Machine Stops

Live albums	Space Ritual Live Seventy Nine Live Chronicles Palace Springs The Business Trip Love in Space Hawkwind 1997 Yule Ritual Canterbury Fayre 2001 Spaced Out in London Knights of Space Space Ritual Live

Archive albums	The Weird Tapes Hawkwind, Friends and Relations The Text of Festival Zones This Is Hawkwind, Do Not Panic Bring Me the Head of Yuri Gagarin Space Ritual Volume 2 Hawkwind Anthology Out & Intake BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert The Friday Rock Show Sessions Hawklords Live California Brainstorm Undisclosed Files Addendum The 1999 Party Glastonbury 90 Choose Your Masques: Collectors Series Volume 2 Complete '79: Collectors Series Volume 1 Atomhenge 76 Live 1990

Compilation albums	Roadhawks Masters of the Universe Repeat Performance Angels of Death Spirit of the Age Stasis (The UA Years 1971 – 1975) Tales from Atom Henge Epocheclipse Future Reconstructions – Ritual of the Solstice Masters of Rock The Collection Spirit of the Age Anthology The Dream Goes On Spacehawks

Singles	"Hurry On Sundown" "Silver Machine" "Urban Guerrilla" "Psychedelic Warlords" "Kings of Speed" "Kerb Crawler" "Back on the Streets" "Quark, Strangeness and Charm" "Psi Power" "25 Years" "Shot Down in the Night" "Who's Gonna Win the War?" "Angels of Death" The Earth Ritual Preview EP "Needle Gun" "Zarozinia" Decide Your Future EP Quark, Strangeness and Charm EP Area S4 EP "Love In Space" "Spirit of the Age" Sonic Attack (with Brian Blessed) A Solitary Man

Associated acts	Ant-Bee Sonic Assassins Hawklords Space Ritual Hawklords (2008)

Related articles	Discography Members Videography Barney Bubbles Liquid Len Stacia Hawkfest Michael Moorcock

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