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Negoba View Drop Down
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Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Tell me about Steve Hillage
    Posted: September 06 2009 at 10:30
I have just recently gotten Khan's Space Shanty and Gong's You, and I am fairly astonished that I did not know about Steve Hillage before this. I realize many here have been big fans for a long time, but the guy has some amazing skills. I daresay one of the best prog guitarists I've heard. I wonder why he doesn't get a little more props.
 
My plans are to get Fish Rising next, or possibly the Arzachel, as I really like the Khan album so the Hillage / Stewart combo seems like a good place to keep going.
 
Other comments or suggestions?
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Points: 32995 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 10:44
Green is a very good album too.
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Points: 3126 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 10:50
Fish Rising is a great choice to start with. Motivation Radio and L are decent choices. I like Fish Rising more because it has a style that is more in the Gong vain.  GREEN is my all time favorite record of Steve Hillage, He plays a new version of the OM RIFF which was on Gong's You. LIVE HERALD is totally essential and it features Jethro Tull's old drummer CLIVE BUNKER. It's a killer live album. There is another live cd which I have seen listed. It might be a different line up, I don't know. He is great on Gong's Angel's Egg(radio gnome part 2). He is fantastic on Gong live in Sherwood Forest 1975 where he performs 2 or 3 of original composition that ended up on Fish Rising. He plays wonderfully on Gong live in Oslo 1974 and Gong live in Bataclan 1973. All great titles and worthy to hear Steve Hillage with Gong. His guitar playing with Gong just as enjoyable as his own band. Good luck!
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 11:26
Echoing what has been said before - Fish Rising is 80% Gong and a damn fine album for that and worth the money for Solar Musick Suite alone, but my personal preference is for Green.
 
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Points: 6797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 11:29
Yep ^^ all good advice.  I would get Fish Rising as its closest to what you have heard before without buying other old Gong stuff.  Then get 'Green' as its fantastic but a bit of a jump from the early stuff. 
 
OR get Live Herald first. 
 
I'm not so keen on 'L' for some reason I am sure Tod Rundgren has something to do with this as he produced it and it has his band on it.  Maybe cos of the song choice.  Anyway I would avoid it as your next choice!  Big smile
 
 
 
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 11:44
'L' is a good collection of psyche-pop songs but 'Lunar Music Suite' isn't as satisfying as it perhaps should be, may be that was Rundgren's production adding too much polish to something that didn't need it.
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Points: 3577 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 12:10
Fish rising is the best place to start




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Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 12:56
Awesome!!!
 
I move from favorite artist to artist fairly frequently but this guy is definitely a great find.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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Points: 1317 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 13:03
Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

Awesome!!!
 
I move from favorite artist to artist fairly frequently but this guy is definitely a great find.
You're lucky to discover him,for me it's already done.This guy is very good and I can confirm he enjoys playing the guitar and exchanging with the audience:I saw him live in Amsterdam in 2006,very cool.It was at The Gong Convention so he played with his band and with Gong.
 
Here is my top 3
 
1 Fish Rising
2 L
3 Motivation Radio
 
Enjoy!
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Points: 9869 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 20:31
Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

I daresay one of the best prog guitarists I've heard. I wonder why he doesn't get a little more props.
 


Why I picked him as one of the most overlooked guitarists.  Seems strange that having been associated with big names of prog, he would still be rather obscure.  Space Shanty, Fish Rising and Gong are all I know as far as Hillage goes and you won't be disappointed with Fish Rising if you liked Space Shanty.  

And I am waiting for the day when the Crimson King gets a little more props. Just why is it all Hackett v/s Howe all the time, Fripp is as amazing as either and a superior composer.    
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Points: 31165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 06 2009 at 21:00
Sorry to be a party pooper, but I found Fish Rising to be a major disappointment.  It stopped me dead in my tracks from acquiring more Hillage.
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Points: 3126 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 12:53
[QUOTE=Padraic]Sorry to be a party pooper, but I found Fish Rising to be a major disappointment.  It
stopped me dead in my tracks from acquiring more Hillage. [/QUOTE
Did you listen to the early Gong material before Hillage? Fish Rising is a little muddy sounding at times. Angel's Egg and You by Gong are a much cleaner production. But then there is Green which the production rules for me and the composition draws me in. A very great record for Steve Hillage. Fish Rising material, performed live on Live Herald gives me a whole different impression.

Dave Stewart made a couple of statements regarding his guitar playing. He said it was a shame he stopped playing. This was back in early 90's. Steve Hillage has a writing style that is heavily influenced by the Gong band. I feel that way because I listened to Gong years before Hillage became a solo artist. Open was not one of my favorites however, I remember enjoying about 3 tracks. The following record I never heard and then he seemed to vanish for a while.
In 73 and 74 he was contributing writing ideas to the Gong band. Many of his writing skills developed during this period. On the 74 Gong tour he was already performing the Fish Rising material but with Bruford on drums.After the departure of Daevid Allen, Hillage took over with his new material and it's just great to hear Gong backing him on Live In Sherwood Forest 75. For me personally I would rather hear his guitar playing on the live Gong stuff then Open.
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Points: 31165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 12:55
Originally posted by TODDLER TODDLER wrote:

Originally posted by Padraic Padraic wrote:

Sorry to be a party pooper, but I found Fish Rising to be a major disappointment.  It
stopped me dead in my tracks from acquiring more Hillage.

Did you listen to the early Gong material before Hillage?


Yes.
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Points: 6797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 13:14
More about Stevie baby!  (As you ask)
 
I believe (Although I will get a flood of abuse if I'm wrong) that because Mike Oldfield was too shy to play infront of huge audiences which was obviously the case after the huge success of Tubular Bells.  It was Stevie Hillage they drafted in to perform it live!  Shows what a remarkable guitarist he is!  I wonder if there exist any recordings?  (Answers on a postcard to PA at blah blah blah blah ).
 
You might have to listen to System 7 if you want the whole up to date story though = I like some of this when he does pick up his gitarrrrr!
 
Wink


Edited by akamaisondufromage - September 07 2009 at 13:15
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 13:44
Originally posted by akamaisondufromage akamaisondufromage wrote:

More about Stevie baby!  (As you ask)
 
I believe (Although I will get a flood of abuse if I'm wrong) that because Mike Oldfield was too shy to play infront of huge audiences which was obviously the case after the huge success of Tubular Bells.  It was Stevie Hillage they drafted in to perform it live!  Shows what a remarkable guitarist he is!  I wonder if there exist any recordings?  (Answers on a postcard to PA at blah blah blah blah ).
 
You might have to listen to System 7 if you want the whole up to date story though = I like some of this when he does pick up his gitarrrrr!
 
Wink
A live version of Tubular Bells (part one) exists as a BBC recording from 1974 with Steve Hillage, Fred Frith, Tom Newman, Mick Taylor and Mike Oldfield all on guitar - the reason for so many guitarists was not Oldfield's shyness, but just because the piece needed that many guitars.
 
This was released on DVD as part of the Mike Oldfield Elements DVD: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=9511
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Points: 6797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 13:47
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

Originally posted by akamaisondufromage akamaisondufromage wrote:

More about Stevie baby!  (As you ask)
 
I believe (Although I will get a flood of abuse if I'm wrong) that because Mike Oldfield was too shy to play infront of huge audiences which was obviously the case after the huge success of Tubular Bells.  It was Stevie Hillage they drafted in to perform it live!  Shows what a remarkable guitarist he is!  I wonder if there exist any recordings?  (Answers on a postcard to PA at blah blah blah blah ).
 
You might have to listen to System 7 if you want the whole up to date story though = I like some of this when he does pick up his gitarrrrr!
 
Wink
A live version of Tubular Bells (part one) exists as a BBC recording from 1974 with Steve Hillage, Fred Frith, Tom Newman, Mick Taylor and Mike Oldfield all on guitar - the reason for so many guitarists was not Oldfield's shyness, but just because the piece needed that many guitars.
 
This was released on DVD as part of the Mike Oldfield Elements DVD: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=9511
 
There you go!  Shot down before I got out of the trenches!  Embarrassed Interesting thanks for that Deano
 
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Negoba View Drop Down
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Points: 5208 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 13:51

Well I have some homework to do.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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Dean View Drop Down
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 13:55
^^ and ^^^  no intention of shooting you down or even pilling on the abuse akamaisondufromageo, (or NotGivenO ... I actually may just shoot you to small pieces for the application of a superfluous and unwanted vowel to the end of my name as if it is in someway required to force a rhyme in a poorly constructed sea shanty... Ermm ...o), just pointing out the facts. Tongue
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Points: 6797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 07 2009 at 14:02
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

^^ and ^^^  no intention of shooting you down or even pilling on the abuse akamaisondufromageo, (or NotGivenO ... I actually may just shoot you to small pieces for the application of a superfluous and unwanted vowel to the end of my name as if it is in someway required to force a rhyme in a poorly constructed sea shanty... Ermm ...o), just pointing out the facts. Tongue
 
Sorry, I will take the unwanted unprovoked superfluous vowel and put it somewhere less irritating instead. 
 
I will put it in the football thread I'm sure there's room for it there.  ?
 
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moshkito View Drop Down
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Points: 16140 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 09 2009 at 12:19
Quote
A live version of Tubular Bells (part one) exists as a BBC recording from 1974 with Steve Hillage, Fred Frith, Tom Newman, Mick Taylor and Mike Oldfield all on guitar - the reason for so many guitarists was not Oldfield's shyness, but just because the piece needed that many guitars.
 
This was released on DVD as part of the Mike Oldfield Elements DVD: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=9511
 
 
Nice ... very nice, and thank you for posting this ... I was going to say just that before I located your information.
 
I see the difference as this ... Daevid is a free spirit and he just happens to play a guitar ... has nothing to do with anything else or his music, and for all intents and purposes it is just an instrument that accompanies him ... and he can do that with a piano as well as a synth as well as his voice.
 
Steve on the other hand, is probably more musically defined/inclined and if anything he probably brought a measure of discipline and care into the production and work of Gong ... and later his own work which at the least on the recordings is very disciplined and polished and usually very well done ... and the best of these albums is GREEN, which is produced by Nick Mason.
 
I like Steve's forays into 777, and that whole thing ... some of it is really adventurous and nice, and at times really pretty. I would almost say that I missed his guitar on top of it, and often think that he is the one with the soaring solos over Daevid Allen in Gong ... that to me, made the whole thing even more special ...


Edited by moshkito - September 09 2009 at 12:20
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