Album Review: The Steve Hillage Band – Live at the Gong Family Unconvention
Steve Hillage was (and/or is) the guitarist from British/European hippie collective Gong. Always possessed of a mystical bent, Hillage’s songs straddled the space between psych-jam and wide-eyed folike sensibility. His music is as likely to feature loopy analog synth bleeps as it is to deal with subject matter you’d expect from Syd Barrett or Robyn Hitchcock. He’s an impressive and entrancing guitarist who makes intelligent (and non-clichéd) use of any number of effects pedals. His voice, however, is a somewhat limited instrument. His longtime partner Miquette Giraudy provides wacky synthesizer backing – especially tasty and textured on a cover of the Beatles‘ “It’s All Too Much” – but her vocals – at least as represented on this live document – are even more, er, humble than those of Hillage.
But fear not: the focus of this 2006 live recording is mostly on the music. The extended “Solar Musick Suite” is particularly exciting. Hillage’s music and sensibility foreshadows the musical approach of Ozric Tentacles, though Hillage’s music leans a bit more in a pop direction. A companion DVD version of this set (with a slightly different set list) is also available. After an extended period out of the music and performance scene, Hillage’s Live is a welcome return (and return to form).
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About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.