Originally published in 1994 but out of print for more than a decade, “Space Daze: The History And Mystery Of Space Rock” is Goldmine contributor Dave Thompson’s fiercely personalized and hilariously opinionated guide to the history of Space Rock. From Hawkwind, who he convincingly argues was the band that started it all, through Ozric Tentacles and Orb, who were the genre’s mid-1990s apex, “Space Daze” leads us by the hand through a host of brilliantly selective biographies and albums, to offer us a genuine glimpse into the machinations of the music.

He has his favorites, and he paints them in glowing colors: classic-era Hawkwind, Gong and Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd. But there are other heroes, too: Tangerine Dream, the Edgar Broughton Band and Sky Cries Mary are all discussed and detailed, with exclusive interview material bolstering Thompson’s beliefs and the musicians’ own claims. What comes across most of all, though, is the music; it’s impossible to spend any time at all with this book without rushing to the CD player and popping on one of the records Thompson goes wild for. And that is what a good rock book should do, isn’t it? Eno (another of the book’s superstars, by the way) once said that writing about music is like dancing to architecture. “Space Daze” turns that equation on its head and leaves us dancing to the writing.

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