Recorded live in December 1972 and released the following year, Space Ritual is an excellent document of Hawkwind"s classic lineup, underscoring the group"s status as space rock pioneers. As the quintessential "people"s band," Incorporating most of Doremi Fasol Latido, the show for the Space Ritual tour was conceived as a space rock opera, its blend of sci-fi electronics, mesmerizing psy-fi grooves, and heavy, earthbound jamming punctuated with spoken word interludes from astral poet Bob Calvert. Although his intergalactic musings date the album, coming across now as camp futurism, they still provide fitting atmospheric preambles to Hawkwind"s astounding, mind-warping sounds. Space Ritual will be available on 180gm 2-LP.