Last years made being a Steve Hillage fan a satisfying, and quite expensive, experience again, with the veteran’s archives regularly letting out another piece of history for rediscovery of his talents as composer and performer. There have been career-spanning box sets and assorted concert recordings made available for sheer enjoyment, and while most of them tend to revolve around the British axeman’s late ’70s period, each new live report seems too unique to miss, and the forthcoming release titled “Paris Bataclan 11.12.79” will fit the bill as well.
Scheduled to hit the shelves on February 24th, this 2CD package is notable for the only known on-stage recording of “Earthrise” that was performed on that night alongside other cuts from Steve’s then-latest album, “Open” – altogether, six out of seven tracks of the platter – which had seen the light of day in June 1979 and has its artwork referenced here, and the French document couldn’t be more different from a show Hillage’s ensemble played in England in February. Included here and rubbing shoulders with “The Salmon Song” and a few more staples of the guitarist’s repertoire, are half of the numbers from 1978’s “Green” – but, amazingly, not “U.F.O. Over Paris” – and a couple from 1977’s “Motivation Radio” and what was issued as “Studio Herald” a bit earlier, plus a GONG piece. What’s not to like, especially when sound quality is great?
Paris Bataclan 11.12.79
CD 1:
1. Earthrise
2. The Fire Inside
3. 1988 Aktivator
4. Crystal City
5. Activation Meditation
6. The Glorious Om Riff
7. Day After Day
8. Getting In Tune
9. Palm Trees (Love Guitar)
10. New Age Synthesis (Unzipping The Zype)
11. Healing Feeling
CD 2:
1. Open
2. Saucer Surfing
3. Searching For The Spark
4. Definite Activity
5. It’s All Too Much
6. Castle In The Clouds
7. The Salmon Song
8. Unidentified (Flying Being)
