He was never as progressive as Steve Howe or as pretty
as Peter Frampton, but Steve Hillage is an interesting British guitar player who
has never gotten the attention or due he deserves. Associated most frequently
with England’s “Canterbury Scene,” a group of musicians somewhat on the
periphery of what the scores of other British musicians, from Yes to Humble Pie,
were doing, Hillage was his own man and never enjoyed the success, especially on
American radio, that so many of his contemporaries got. He did gain some acclaim
as a member of Gong, but it was short-lived.
On
the new CD/DVD set Live In England 1979, fans of progressive and British rock
who had been unaware of Hillage can now check him out after a relatively long
period of obscurity. With a band that owed as much to what was happening in
American rock as much as to the British prog rock scene, Hillage performed
material in this live show at the University of Kent that was written largely by
him and longtime companion/keyboardist Miquette Giraudy, though he wasn’t afraid
to cover fellow countrymen like George Harrison (“It’s All Too Much”) and
Donovan (“Hurdy Gurdy Man”).
Hillage
also is known as a producer for such acts as Simple Minds and Robyn Hitchcock,
but he’s really a guitar player at heart and it shows on this set. For those who
are looking for a new (albeit old) talent to be introduced to, or get a kick out
of good musicians stuck with bad video footage on the DVD, Live In England 1979
is a good bet.
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
 | Live in England 1979 CD - £9.99 |
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