CD Preview: Steve Hillage's Live In England 1979

Guitarist Steve Hillage is one of the most influential and innovative musicians in the prog-rock universe. Since his late 1960s and early '70s work with bands like Egg, Khan, and Gong to his ground-breaking, acclaimed solo albums like 1975's Fish Rising and 1977's Motivation Radio and his ongoing musical project System 7, Hillage has continued to push the boundaries of rock music.

On July 16, 2013 Gonzo MultiMedia UK will release Hillage's Live In England 1979, a two-disc CD/DVD set that captures an incredible performance by the Steve Hillage Band. The line-up of Hillage's band at the time included guitarist Dave Stewart (his former bandmate in Egg and Khan), bassist John McKenzie, drummer Andy Anderson, and synthesizer-wrangler Miquette Giraudy, the same musicians that recorded live and studio tracks that were used for Hillage's 1979 album Live Herald.

Live In England 1979 includes performances of songs like "Unidentified Flying Being" (from Hillage's 1978 album Green); covers of George Harrison's "It's All Too Much" and the Donavan hit "Hurdy Gurdy Man" from 1976's L; and "The Salmon Song" from Fish Rising. Bonus tracks added to the CD include a live 1977 performances of "Hurdy Gurdy Glissando" and "Electrick Gypsies," both recorded with the L album tour line-up. The DVD includes short promo videos for "Radio" and "Light In The Sky" from Motivation Radio as well as recent in-depth interviews with Hillage and Miquette Giraudy.

Hillage has been busy lately writing new rock-oriented material for a possible 2014 Steve Hillage Band album but, first, his long-running outfit System 7 and Japanese avant-garde rockers Rovo will be releasing a joint album in September 2013, samples of which can be heard on the project's Bandcamp page. Check it out!