The Xenon Codex

The Xenon Codex
Studio album by Hawkwind
Released	25 April 1988
Recorded	February and March 1988
Studio	Loco Studios, Caerleon; Rockfield Studios, Monmouth
Genre	Space rock
Length	43:54
Label	GWR
Producer	Hawkwind, Guy Bidmead
Hawkwind chronology
Live Chronicles (1986) The Xenon Codex (1988) Space Bandits (1990)

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 cover is by Bob Walker, who had also illustrated the inner sleeve for The Chronicle of the Black Sword and adapted Michael Butterworth's Ledge of Darkness in graphic novel form. It is an Art Deco design derived from the hawk by Barney Bubbles on the rear cover of Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music. Initial copies came in a fold-out sleeve with a die-cut front.

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 the 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.