Quark, Strangeness And Charm (1977)

With robert Calvert firmly at the conceptual controls, this is Hawkwind’s smartest album, casting a satirical eye over everything from cloning and quantum physics to Middle Eastern terrorism and nuclear apocalypse.

After the hazy stoner funk of 1976’s Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music, and a subsequent split in the ranks, Quark… is bracingly up to date, tracks such as Spirit Of The Age and Damnation Alley sounding taut, polished and chromium-plated.