Entertainment For Lively Minds
Steve Hillage
It was many years ago. At this time I was still afraid to get caught listening to John Peel because it was past my bedtime. I used to keep my fingers poised over the record and play buttons on my little ITT tape recorder, one ear listening for the sound of maternal footsteps on the stairs, the other for something important to record. On this particular occasion I was too slow with my recording fingers; I heard something by Steve Hillage that I really liked and I didn't manage to record it. To make matters worse I didn't catch the name of it; probably distracted by my mum shouting at me to turn the radio off. Undeterred, the next day I gathered up my meagre savings and went to buy a Steve Hllage LP. I think it was called "Green". I didn't like it, and the track I heard was not on it. But this didn't put me off. I went and bought another Steve Hillage LP called "Rainbow Dome Music" (I think). To my ear this one was more boring than silence, or some other even more boring sound. I wondered if perhaps I had misheard everything and it was actually a track by, say, a one hit wonder called Dave Acreage.
I never did find anything listenable by Steve Hillage. I had used too much of my savings, and these were now redirected toward the Talking Heads.
Perhaps someone can point me toward something a bit more lively and listenable by Steve Hillage? Maybe I might even find the elusive thing played by Peel.
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Can you give us any more info?
Much of his stuff is fairly noodlesome but he's done a few 'tunes' which Peel might have played.
This one even goes for the punky vibe (it's '1988 Aktivator' for those than know Hillage)
http://open.spotify.com/track/0Qf2RA9QfvzRtRlZFIPUr4
I wouldn't be at all surprised...
... if the track turns out to be off Motivation Radio, which came out in '77 (I think). I was listening to Peel regularly back then and I remember hearing Hillage on the show. Despite being totally into the whole punk/new wave thing back then I bought Motivation Radio. I still love it.
You didn't feel moved by
The Glorious Om Riff from 'Green'!?
Maybe try The Salmon Song offa 'Fish Rising', if that doesn't work, give up it probably was Dave Acreage.
Seconded,
it must be The Salmon Song, it's rifftastic.
How long ago was it?
Maybe it was something he did in his System 7 guise.
What's not to like
From Motivation Radio
He did a cracking version of
the HJH's "It's All Too Much". Would that be it?
this is true
and Todd did a great production job IMO
I'm putting my money on...
...'Hello Dawn.'
Get L...
That's all I can say. I have found most of his albums to be curates' eggs (geddit!) but L is an absolutely superb album. The punks revolted against stuff like this. They were wrong about the music, but right about the beard.
A big favourite
chez Bargepole
Mischievous Gnomes
I still have a soft spot for Steve Hillage as a result of the following:
Gig at Newcastle Poly in the 70s. Steve breaks a guitar string, roady replaces guitar, Steve continues playing, snaps another string. Song stops and Steve blames the string breaking episode on "mischievous Gnomes". At another point in the gig the band stop to look at the full moon visible through the windows at the side of the room.
Very different from the gig featuring the Clash supported by the Slits that I saw at the same venue a little while later in my gig going career. But both wonderful in their own ways.
Steve and Joe S and the boys both still have a place on the old iPod and continue to give great musical pleasure. "L" is my favourite of his albums but they all have something to offer.
If you don't like Green...
Sea Nature, Palm Trees (Love Guitar), Unidentified (Flying Being) and the afore-mentioned Glorious Om Riff. If none of these floated your boat (or flew your saucer!) then I fear the Hairy Hatter is not for you.
Thanks
Probably was about 1977? I'll give these a try. A project I am looking forward to.