Steve Hillage

[mandrake root]

A few years ago, I got into Steve Hillage. I'm too young to have heard some of his albums first time around.

Since I discovered 'L' and 'Motivation Radio' properly about ten years ago, they've become like a gift that keeps on giving. At some point this year, I plan on playing Steve's complete discography of albums - solo, System 7, relevant Gong discs etc - in order. Does anyone fancy joining me on my journey? I might even offer various thoughts along the way. It's bound to be interesting, as I've never heard Arzachel or a few other bits.

Since 'Motivation Radio' is probably my favourite (and I've also discovered this afternoon my thoughts on it are extensively linked at Wikipedia), I'm playing that again this afternoon before setting off on my proper voyage of discovery.

For anyone interested, here are my thoughts on that classic LP: http://www.realgonerocks.com/2010/10...ivation-radio/

[mandrake root]

Decided to jump straight in with the Arzachel LP. Sounds...interesting.

[Zappathustra]

You're sure you don't want to start a Yes or Genesis thread? Cause you're contributing to the decrease of ratio of Yes/Genesis threads to less than 80% of overall threads. And that can prove dangerous.

I am playing L right now. A strange record to my ears. I haven't heard a single note he played after that. I am more familiar with the earlier stuff. I am checking in here.

[mandrake root]

Excellent. If you've not heard anything after L, you're in for a hell of a ride. The later solo albums are more commercial, but I love them. As for System 7, my tolerance for dance and electronica is hit and miss, but it's time I gave them a proper listen.

At the very beginning, I'm liking this Arzachel LP a lot -- sort of psychedelic heavy blues. Will certainly be listening again. As for my complete Hillage run through, it's being delayed for a few days as a mate wants to start it with me...

[Steve983]

My favourite is Open I expect because that was the first one I got, The Fire Inside and Earthrise are just awesome.

[mandrake root]

Good to see 'Open' get some love. It's usually 'Fish Rising', 'L' or 'Green'.

[Udi Koomran]

Fish Rising his best

I also LOVE Studio Herald


I had the pleasure of mixing the I See You launch party gig and Steve joined the band with Mike Howleet - obviously one of the highlights for me they were so good !

[arturs]

This was my introduction to Hillage. A $2.99 cutout back in the early 80s. Changed my life...

Hillage_Aura.jpg

At the time I had no idea it was a compilation from Green, Open and Studio Herald (my copy didn't have the "featuring tracks from..." lettering). But it hangs together really well.

[calyx]

The later solo albums are more commercial, but I love them.

Well, that's if you don't count "Rainbow Dome Musick", which is a (superb) ambient album, and I would argue that "Green" is less commercial than its predecessor "Motivation Radio". In fact, it's my second favourite Hillage solo album after "Fish Rising".

[Luckie]

Fish Rising, L, Motivation Radio and Green form the classic solo tetralogy, but there's gold outside of that.

I got the feeling that he was running out of steam with the four Live Herald studio tracks and then Open, falling back on funk grooves without the earlier albums' sense of purpose, even though there's good music in there too.

And Not Or is ace, a gateway to his later electronic work. I didn't fully appreciate it at the time because I didn't warm to the companion disc For To Next, with its then-fashionable gloomy vocals, the apparent antithesis of the cosmic optimism of previous albums.

Arzachel & Khan are great.

[Udi Koomran]

I bought Fish Rising just as it came out in 75

[GuitarGeek]

Good to see 'Open' get some love. It's usually 'Fish Rising', 'L' or 'Green'.

All of Hillage's records are very good for what they are. Motivation Radio and Open get slagged for being more funk or "dance" oriented (don't use the "d word" here, please), but I think he came up with a really good take on that kinda sound. His guitar playing was still up front and center, and there's some good melodies on those records. And both records, as well as Studio Herald, have great instrumentals on them, too. Yeah, maybe the lyrics are a bit iffy (I forget who it was who described Hillage's lyrical bent as being "relentlessly optimistic"), but I think that was kinda of true even of his first couple solo records (actually, it's an issue with most art rock, but that's another debate for another time).

Motivation Radio also has a great album cover. Yeah, it's just a picture of Steve, superimposed against an image of a radio telescope. But what a great shot of his old Strat, which I always thought was a great looking guitar. It drove me crazy when the DVD's of the Rockpalast and Rock Goes To College shows came out on DVD, to see him mostly playing Gibsons (as Charlie Brown would say, "UGH!!!").

Oh, and is that a Captain Beefheart allusion I hear on Lights In The Sky? I swear I hear Miquette say, "It's a blimp, Frank!".


The last one he did, For To Next, and it's companion record, And Not Or, are pretty good synth pop records too. The latter is all instrumental. I know it's not trendy to look like synth pop in these quarters, but I think Hillage again did a good job on it, and though it's a stylistic shift, and it still sounds like Steve Hillage to my ears.

I would argue that "Green" is less commercial than its predecessor "Motivation Radio"

Interestingly, apparently, the material for both albums was conceived at the same time. The working title of Motivation Radio was Red, and I suppose the two records together were meant to represent some kind of yin/yang thing. But it's kinda funny than we funky on Motivation Radio, and though there's still a bit of that on Green, it feels more psychedelic, going back to the sound heard on L, for instance.

I got the feeling that he was running out of steam with the four Live Herald studio tracks and then Open, falling back on funk grooves without the earlier albums' sense of purpose, even though there's good music in there too.

The interesting about side four of Live Herald is, it followed the Green album and tour (in fact, some of the live tracks are from the Green tour), yet there's no songs from Green on it at all. He also left out the full Saucer Surfing/Searching For The Spark/Octave Doctors suite, using just the middle piece, with it fading out as they segue into Octave Doctors. Live Herald could have easily been a full double live album, but I guess he felt he just "had" to include the studio tracks (which I gather were the result of a "burst of inspiration" or whatever, while working on mixing the live material, or something like that).

[alanterrill]

You may have see the earlier thread about Khan, but just in case you missed it, you need to hear this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h90JILgBdQ
I think Steve's ability to improvise is absolutely staggering given how young he was at the time.

[olivetti]

Found this single in my collection.

[Kavus Torabi]

He can still play the ass off the guitar today.

[Kavus Torabi]

Jesus! Gilli Smyth and Sting on a record together. Who knew?

[Scrotum Scissor]

Well, that's if you don't count "Rainbow Dome Musick", which is a (superb) ambient album, and I would argue that "Green" is less commercial than its predecessor "Motivation Radio". In fact, it's my second favourite Hillage solo album after "Fish Rising".

Yes, yes and yes. Seeing as Hillage wasn't initially a "clear cut" ambient artist by any measure, Rainbow Dome Musick is nothing short of -sensational-. I remember being heavily into Fish Rising, Green and partly L when discovering RDM, yet I was surprised at how well I enjoyed the latter - it's same, same but considerably different. And you could tote that transparent vinyl against a sunlit wondowpane and voila! There'd appear an actual rainbow in the livingroom of my student dorm.

Great days of youth.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Isn't "L" pretty much Hillage being backed up by Utopia except for Todd, who was producing? Also, didn't Open have Randy Jackson of American Idol and Journey fame on it? I thought the music was great on his solo records. When he added vocals, not so much. I never got into the ambient stuff, so can't comment.

[chalkpie]

This guy can really tell a story within his guitar solos - similar to FZ yet stylistically quite different. No wanking to be found. Great musician, some great albums. Fish Rising, Angel's Egg, Green, Space Shanty, and You are probably me favorite albums with The Hillager.

[chalkpie]

Jesus! Gilli Smyth and Sting on a record together. Who knew?

Not this asshole! (...pointing to myself)

[bRETT]

Isn't "L" pretty much Hillage being backed up by Utopia except for Todd, who was producing? .

Kind of, but there were other players (Miquette Giraudy and jazzman Don Cherry), so it didn't really sound like a Utopia record. Also it was the first thing done by the classic Utopia lineup.

[GuitarGeek]

Also, didn't Open have Randy Jackson of American Idol and Journey fame on it?

I don't think so. I believe the bassist on that album is Paul Francis. (Checking Discogs) Yes, it's Paul Francis.

[wilcox660]

I'm John Wilcox. The other John Wilcox.

[Zappathustra]

Not this asshole! (...pointing to myself)

[Scrotum Scissor]

This guy can really tell a story within his guitar solos - similar to FZ yet stylistically quite different.

He was of the Peter Green-school of British guitarism, though breaking from the blues and redeveloping on detail. But characteristically, he combined technique and "feel" in a sense which was rare in 70s progressive rock, championed by players like Hladik (Modry Éfekt) and Akkerman.