eclipsed No. 106 / 11-2008

RICHARD WRIGHT
28.7.1943 - 15.9.2008

Richard Wright died surprisingly at the age of 65 - after a short fight against cancer. Many call him the soul of Pink Floyd, and his musicality and almost unearthly keyboard playing gave the group its unique sound. In the following we pay tribute once again to the musical merits of this exceptional artist.

YES
Game without Borders (Part III)

After their grandiose successes in the previous two decades, Yes lived through comparatively difficult times in the 90s: Frequent changes of line-up, legal disputes and a dramatically changing music market were a serious problem for the British. Nevertheless: The band has survived and is planning a big anniversary tour for 2009. Part III of our great retrospective describes the path from Yes from 1988 to today.

DONOVAN
Prince Charming. Poet. Musicians

Donovan played a major role in colouring the 60s. His songs were appreciated by the anti-war movement, paid homage to by the hippies and loved by the general public. Later labelled a folk fossil by critics, the 62-year-old succeeded in setting accents every decade. With the voice of the born "storyteller", the musician, who has now released the documentary DVD "Sunshine Superman", reveals details from his eventful career.

IQ
The old diva gets dressed up

After 27 years, eight albums and several reshuffles IQ want to know it again. After a four-year break, the Neoprog institution has returned to the studio - with a new drummer, a new keyboarder and a fresh spirit. The band only survived because the fun at work always prevailed.

MERCURY REV
Absolute Beginners

What do snowflakes and the midnight hour have in common? Nothing at first sight. More obvious, however, is the difference. The snowflake is white, the midnight is black. For Mercury Rev, however, "Snowflake Midnight" is more than just an album title. Behind the mysterious logo is a program.

LUNATIC SOUL
Near-death in the Orientexpress

Detached from all compositional compulsions and expectations, Riverside singer/bassist Mariusz Duda has achieved a creative breakthrough with the debut album of his solo project Lunatic Soul. In an interview, the shy Pole talks about near-death experiences, midlife crises and a bargain at the Herzberg Festival.

QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS
Fight From The Inside

13 years after "Made In Heaven" and 18 years after Freddie Mercury's death, one of the most successful British rock bands is back with a new studio album. At the microphone stands the former Free-/Bad-Company-Frontmann Paul Rodgers. Brian May, Roger Taylor and Rodgers emphasized that this cannot be a new edition of Freddies Queen during the interview on September 4th in London in unison.

Keep the text up! Cult songs and their meaning
PETER HAMMILL - THE LIE (BERNINI'S SAINT THERESA)

WHEN PETER HAMMILL, WHO TURNS 60 ON NOVEMBER 5TH, STOOD IN FRONT OF BERNINI'S "THERESA" FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE DID NOT SEE THE SACRED IN THE FAMOUS SCULPTURE, BUT THE SENSUAL BEING. THE TEXT TO "THE LIE" IS AN EXPRESSION OF HIS STRUGGLE WITH GOD.

eclipsed
Shopping List NEKTAR - Charming Bombast

In 1976, nectar put everything on one card. After their surprise success with "Remember The Future", guitarist Roye Albrighton, bassist Derek "Mo" Moore, keyboarder Allan "Taff" Freeman and drummer Ron Howden exchanged their domicile in Seeheim, southern Hesse, for the new headquarters in New Jersey. From here they wanted to conquer the States. Nectar bet everything - and lost..

KINGS OF LEON
Rock'n'Roll Farmer

Wild parties with wine, women and singing? How boring! Means Caleb Followill. And he needs to know: For years, the 26-year-old priest's son from Nashville was regarded as an expert on all kinds of excesses. But with the release of the fourth Kings-Of-Leon album "Only By The Night", he proves to be a clarified Hellraiser who relies on monogamy, cattle breeding and spherical stadium rock. eclipsed met him in Paris.

TORI AMOS
Leave it alone!

The recently released DVD "Live At Montreux" features two concerts from the early days of Tori Amos' career. eclipsed spoke to the US artist.