Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
King of the fishes!, 26 Jan 2007
Another in the line of Virgin/EMI's most welcome re-issue series (we have had Peter Hammill, VDGG and Steve Hackett recently) sees Steve Hillage get his back catalogue remastered and repackaged. The first batch of four starts with "Fish Rising", recorded while Steve was still a member of Gong. Although later albums like "L" and "Motivation Radio" would be far more commercially successful, "Fish Rising" to many is his masterpiece. It's not difficult to see why. The album starts with the mighty "Solar Musick Suite". A lengthy, wonderfully developed piece where Dave Stewart offers up some of his best keyboard work ever. And superbly backed by the excellent Gong rhythm section of Mike Howlett and the late Pierre Moerlen. Lyrically Hillage was well known for his new age positivism, none better represented in this track with its richly oblique mystical references. But strangely within the context of the present world these songs come across as representing a refreshing spiritualism which is sadly lacking in today's mass consumer culture.
The stand-out on the album and which became a concert favourite is "The Salmon Song". Bearing one of Hillage's classic riffs, which he was so good at inventing, this is powerful and exciting stuff. Full of classic blistering guitar solos, which Hillage became so well known for. The other epic is "Afterglid" another beautifully executed piece which culminates in the ecstatic riffing of "The Golden Vibe".
"Fish Rising" is a superb first solo album from Hillage. In some ways the logical follow up to "Space Shanty" by his earlier band Khan. Actually some of the tracks on "Fish Rising" were meant for a second Khan album. This excellent remaster sounds clean and detailed. Nice work Paschal! Gone is the horrible murkiness of the original CD release. This recording now sounds alive and envigorating!
Hillage wasn't initially keen to have his back catalogue re-released having moved far, far away from this type of music, but once involved he actually embraced the project with much enthusiasm. To such an extent he remixed the bonus track "Pentagrammaspin", never before available on CD and found lost "power trio" performances, including "Aftaglid" added here featuring just Hillage/Howlett/Moerlen. The CD booklet has notes by archivist Mark Powell which includes new interviews with Hillage himself.
At long last Hillage's back catalogue is given the treatment it deserves. Hopefully a new generation will hear this original and inspirational musician in all his glory and "Fish Rising" is a superb place to start.
|
|
|
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At LAST I can hear through the murky recording!!!, 21 Mar 2007
I must confess that it was "L" that brought me to the wonderful musical paths of Steve Hillage and it was a year or two before I added the original LP release of this album to my collection.
I found the recording on LP incredibly murky, dull and thick sounding and for years it got in the way of my enjoyment of the music. I avoided the original CD issue too for this reason.
I MUST say, however, that although it would be wrong and probably impossible without a complete re-mix to totally transform the recording, the re-mastering here has done its best to make as near to a silk purse as possible from the murky sludge and AT LAST I can hear what was going on!!! "Salmon Song," in particular, drew me in like it had never done before, even on my cheapo computer speakers and I was spellbound!
The bonus tracks are great too. I'd never bought the compilation LP "V" from the mid seventies, so to hear the re-mixed (by Steve) "Pentagrammaspin" was hugely enjoyable. Also, the "Power Trio" compilation track that makes up the last "extra" track (thanks Steve and friends for hanging on to these private tapes so that we can enjoy them).
Once again, I recommend this new CD wholeheartedly to any fans of Gong, Steve & Miquette themselves and also the "Canterbury" scene, which played such an important part in the evolution of these tracks.
P.S. A final HUGE thank you to the mastering engineer, who has resisted the current trend to overdo the volume and rob recordings of their natural dynamics (Coldplay & Keane anyone?), but instead has restored the clarity and body that is often missing in rushed, early CD transfers of 1970's material.
|
|
|
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top draw psych-rock fom a true original., 4 Feb 2007
Not much to add to the Doc's good review except to say I echo his sentiments: probably among Hillage's finest and stands shoulder to shoulder alongside 'L', 'Green' and 'Live Herald'. The curious should buy without hesitation and for those with previous versions I would urge to buy also; the remaster (though not a quantum leap) is more detailed and the unreleased brand new bonus track is a an absolute doozy and slots comfortably in with the orginal track listing. Best of all it features oodles of Hillage's trademark liquid, hypnotic riffing. It's, like, totally far-out man! A unique sonic trip that never loses it's focus musically or atmospherically. Does it sound dated? Well anything that employs use of a bassoon could be accused of that but, like the best (dare I say it) prog it sounds impossible to pin down: this sounds simultaneously thirty years old and possibly many decades hence ('retro-futurist' anyone?).
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
