L

Apparently bereft of much of the energy that characterised his solo debut, Hillage was joined by Todd Rundgren's Utopia to produce something much glossier. I don't know what was going through Rundgren's mind at the time. He doesn't seem to have understood half of the artists he got to work with (he completely emasculated Patti Smith for her fourth album, the dismal WAVE). Steve Hillage was let down by his choice of material as well. Since Hillage has a rather whiny voice and is not a great vocalist (a fact that was kept hidden by FISH RISING's frenetic energy), it was NOT a bright idea to include cover versions of not just one but TWO of psychedelic pop's more plaintive ditties: Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" and George Harrison's "It's all too much". Hillage's own songwriting hardly proved better. From the beginning (I bought L as soon as it came out), "Electric Gypsies" made me shiver with embarrasment. Where does a grown-up man get the idea to sing something so childish? Fortunately, throughout this album Hillage's guitar playing remains remarkably eloquent. L's two extended instrumental pieces are superb. "Lunar Musick Suite" is one of Hillage's supreme achievements (the one track where Rundgren's production technique bears fruit), and in addition it is blessed with a wonderfully dreamy solo by jazz trumpeter Don Cherry, backed by lush, moonlike synthesizer washes.