Search - Steve Hillage :: Open (Mlps)

At his peak

Marty | Sydney | 03/18/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Steve Hillage's music really has moved with the times. We've seen him progress from the seventies sound to the eighties 'pop' to the nineties 'techno' (System 7). So if you dig that late seventies funky sound then this could be the album for you. I would place it on a par with Green, but whereas Green takes you to another world, this recording stays in this one but turns your world into a paradise. Talking to the Sun climaxes in what I call 'aural orgasm'. How can anybody write a tune that sounds that good? This really is music to put you in a good mood. If you're feeling low, these songs just say to you, "everything's going to be alright." 1988 Aktivator is a bit out of place, being very manic, but Open is just Love. Definite Activity and Don't Dither Do It are good for getting that motivation back into your life. Then there are some more mellow instrumental tracks but very pleasant listening nonetheless. Those spacey keyboard sounds are just great. This is feel good music."

Open plus Studio Herald and a bonus track

kireviewer | Sunnyvale, Ca United States | 05/31/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"When Steve Hillage's album collection was released on CD, it was done right. Albums were combined to make the full use of CD space. This CD is a combination of the original Open album, plus the studio side of Herald and one extra track. It is 65 minutes long.The first four tracks on this ablum come from the album called Herald. Herald was originally a double LP. The first three sides were live, and the fourth side was studio material. The live material was released on a single CD called Live Herald. And the studio tracks are included here. The remaining tracks are the original Open album, except with the bonus track "Getting Better" placed in the middle.The first four tracks (Studio Herald) are by far the best things on the album. These tracks are close to his best material, but not quite. They are lively and spacy.The rest of the ablum is some of his weakest material. It is a combination of his spacy style, with pop and disco/new wave. It is as if he molded his music for the times and was trying to create a hit. It comes out boring and repetitive."Getting Better" is the Beatles song. Hillage's version is nothing special, and you wonder why he bothered. There must have been a law in England that you had to include a Beatles song on your albums. Nearly every major English group has covered a Beatles song, including Deep Purple and Yes.Hillage's best studio albums are L and Green. And both of his live albums, Live Herald and BBC1 Concerts are fantastic. Search those out instead of this one."

3 & 1/2 for Open

Chromefreak | 08/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Well, Open certainly isn't Steve's worst stuff. And of course it's great to have "Talking to the Sun," "1988 Aktivatior," "New Age Synthesis" and "Healing Feeling" on CD. These are unquestionably the best tracks on the disc: groovin' psychedelic spaced out jams for neo-electrick gypsies. Of the other material, "Earthrise" is a killer middle-eastern influenced instrumental that reminds one instantly of "The Glorious Om Riff." "Definite Activity" and "Don't Dither Do It" are also pretty bouncy, as well as rocking pretty good. So, three and half stars for this one seems appropriate."