Steve Hillage - Open (1979)

Artista: Steve Hillage

Álbum: Open
Año: 1979
Género: Escena Canterbury / Ambient / Space rock
Duración: 65:50
Nacionalidad: Inglaterra

Lista de Temas:
1. Takling to the sun
2. 1988 aktivator
3. New age synthesist
4. Heeling feeling
5. Earthrise
6. Open
7. Definite activity
8. Getting better
9. Day after day
10. Getting in tune
11. Dont dither do it
12. The fire inside

Alineación:
- Steve Hillage / electric guitar, vocoder, sequencer, Moog (7)
- Andy Anderson / drums, percussion, gong, vocoder
- Paul Frances / bass
- Miquette Giraudy / synthesizers, voice, vocoder
- Dave Stewart / slide guitar, voice

Otro disco de Hillage que nos comparte Lino, ahora en su disco que en mi opinión es el más flojito de su carrera pero ojo que no por ello es malo.
Yo no tengo mucho tiempo, les dejo el disco y algunas consideraciones de terceros que los pueden guiar, además de los sabidos videos de algunos de algunos de los temas que van a encontrar aquí.

Open had to contend with Green as a previous comparison and whilst totally different in terms of direction it does ROCK in places. ' Day after Day' is one helluva rocker to start your day with. Hillage then shows what punk rock or new wave is all about with ' Getting in tune'. I think he was basically sticking his tongue out at the whole new genre hitting the world at the time. Afterall he had been playing stuff like that years before. The title track is also a great song bringing you back to a sense of reality. There are a couple of weaker moments like ' Don't dither do it' and another punklike effort in ' Definte activity' but Open steps up a gear with the wonderful ' The fire inside' and ' Earthrise'. Maybe Green was his peak but Open was not far off it either.

Chris S.

Steve Hillage was the first artist I saw play live.The year was 1979 and the tour was the 'Open' tour.I was'nt really sure what to expect.I had a back row ticket for the Glasgow Apollo,and I really can't remember why I was going.Maybe I was accompanying some friends.What I do remember,26 years later,is that two songs into the set I was down the front worshipping my new hero.He had an effortless style and a superb guitar mastery that was hypnotizing.Talking to the Sun is a breathtaking track,full of shimmering synths and dazzling guitar.Open and Don't Dither Do It are prog-funk and demonstrate the ease with which all the band interact and generate rhythyms and riffs which make you feel GOOD.Earthrise has an arabic style groove to it and still captivates me today.I never saw Hillage again.He never came back to Glasgow,and I regret never having had the chance to recreate the feeling I had as a 17 year old.

Horza

This album is different from Hillage's early works. But it doesn't mean it's bad work.
Hillage guitar is still very competitive, even great at the moments. Miquette Giraudy's keyboards are very spacey and really attractive. Even Dave Stewart participates on recording.
Music there is kind of eclectic and transitional mix of spacey keyborads-based compositions with plenty guitar soloings, electronics and new wave elements. In some places you will really feel strong influence of Robert Fripp Gentlemen's music. Progressive rock for late 70-s.
I believe some prog purists will criticize this album. But in whole, it is really strong work of great musicians, with some influences of it's time. CD version is longer, contains 5 additional tracks (comparing with LP version) what makes the album even more eclectic.
Possibly more on emotional level I really like this work. Not essential, but really pleasant and interesting music.

Slava Gliozeris

This is a really good record. At first I didn't care much for it but i gave it a chance and now it's a fave. The sequence on the record is better that the cd but Ithink he does a good job on "It's Getting Better." I really like "Getting in Tune," Open" and "Earthrise."

jdogblog

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.

Marty (Sydney)

7th album by Hillage in less than 5 years and the third one originally released in 1979 – a very busy year for him. As already mentioned (see Live Herald) the album opens with four studio tracks originally included as side 4 of the Live Herald album and then continues with the tracks recorded a few months later as the original Open album. As usual most of the music was written by Hillage and his partner Miquette Giraudy, with just one cover of a Beatles song and a most surprising instrumental track based on a song by the legendary Egyptian singer Oum Kalsoum. This proves that Hillage was looking everywhere for inspiration and his openness to music outside the strict rock circles was always obvious. Just two months after the album was released the Steve Hillage band would play a couple of farewell concerts and disband and it would be three years until the next Hillage album would be released. The album stands the test of time beautifully and the remaster upgrades the sound considerably, so this is another must for SH fans.

Jazzis