Search - Steve Hillage :: Introducing Steve Hillage

Electrick Gypsies unite!

Duncan Mason | Currently in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates | 10/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so maybe I never did sport a fuzzy crocheted hat and straggly beard(although those items were de rigeur in some circles), but way back in the seventies Steve Hillage ruled my corner of the Canadian prairie (alongside Zeppelin, Yes, Aerosmith, Genesis and a few others). His spacy guitar style, Miquette Giraudy's harmonic keyboard rhythms, and their signature New Age lyrics were a refreshing change of pace from AM radio schlock (not that he ever got on AM, or FM for that matter). Happily, people are beginning to recognize his influence and many acknowledge the later work he did with Simple Minds and System 7. If you would like a taste of his superb, often overlooked prog rock guitar genius, check out this great collection.

There are four tracks from the sublime album Green: Sea Nature, Ether Ships, Palm Trees & Activation Meditation, which alone are worth the album price. Additionally, Electrick Gypsies and It' s All Too Much are quintessential Hillage tunes from his album 'L'. I love his version of It's All Too Much, it has the same fuzzy depths as the Beatles tune and one hell of a guitar break in the middle. Incidentally, 'L' was produced by Todd Rundgren, and his band Utopia played with Hillage on all tracks.

Take a chance, expand your mind. If you like what you hear, there is plenty more where that came from. These days music like this brings a welcome note of refined optimism."