Point me in a good starting direction.

The listings on Amazin and allmusic are way to long and comprehensive. rather here from a fan..

is there a standard best of, i can buy first off?

I don't consider myself an expert by any means but I like:
Space Ritual
Doremi Faso Latido

Forgot to mention:

If you're at all a fan of Blue Cheer's Vincebus Eruptum, then by all means, pick up Space Ritual.

Edit: This thread got me in the mood to pull out Space Ritual for the first time in a while, and it's even better than I remembered it being. What a criminally overlooked record. Maybe I'll look deeper into the band's catalog after this.

I would go with Space Ritual...

I got my starting point.....thanks

Space Ritual... no question.

I just ordered Space Ritual.

Been meaning to check out this band for a while.

Somebody mentioned in the "2nd bananas" thread that Lemmy was in Hawkwind.
really?
Weird.

According to AMG:

"Equally important, in August of 1971, Dave Anderson departed the group, while DikMik Davies returned to the lineup to join Dettmar on keyboards and brought as Anderson's replacement -- his friend Lemmy (born Ian Kilmister), an ex-roadie for Jimi Hendrix and a member of the rowdy mid-'60s Blackpool rock & roll band the Rocking Vicars. Lemmy had joined the group just in time to participate on the recording of the band's second album, In Search of Space.

...

Their commercial breakthrough took place when a version of the driving hard rocker "Silver Machine," sung by Lemmy, got to number three on the British charts in August of 1972.

...

The group toured the United States twice during this era, once in late 1973 and again in the spring of the next year. These tours had their usual share of problems -- the band and its entire entourage were arrested in Indiana for non-payment of taxes -- but it was after the release of their 1975 album, Warrior on the Edge of Time, that a major membership change ensued. They were touring the United States behind the release of the album when Lemmy was arrested on drug charges. He was fired from the band and went on to form Motörhead, a successful and influential metal band."

So apparently Lemmy was on board Space Ritual.

I was in England when Lemmy got kicked out of Hawkwind. It was front page news in the music press - and Lemmy was pissed. At the time, Hawkwind were sorta big and it seemed like Lemmy had just lost his place on the gravy train, and in an interview I read Lemmy said that he was gonna start another band with his sole intention being to completely eclipse Hawkwind. Score one for Lemmy. (actually, give him a thousand points, 'cuz Hawkwind facking suck bumgravy)

revival:

Listening to Hawkwind and watching eps of the Young Ones.. fun

seconded. not just because it's Lemmy, but because the majority of what i've heard from Hawkwind's catalog is crap.

I can't believe I agree with Rads about something.


Never heard a Hawkwind song that was any good...sounds like self-indulgent wankery.