eclipsed No. 137 / 2-2012

ECLIPSED ANNUAL REVIEW 2011

Even in the second year of the new decade, no new, all-dominant trend emerged. In the numerous ramifications of rock and pop, some bands have excelled with grandiose works. But the "Zehner" still owe a new style to them. But a lot has happened in the meantime.

THE HISTORY OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK,
PART 7 ITALY

Italy was a prog bastion in the seventies. Here British musicians were celebrated like otherwise only teen idols. Here a huge, hardly to be surveyed scene developed, whose best-known representatives could celebrate also international successes. The fact that Italy occupies a special position is also proven by the great prog revival that has not only produced numerous new bands since the nineties, but has also inspired the old warriors to new exploits.

DAVID BOWIE
Ziggy Stardust on tour

40 years ago a comet appeared in the rock sky with a dazzling tail of rouge, mascara and glitter. David Bowie had turned into Ziggy Stardust. Together with the Spiders From Mars he set off on the long interstellar journey to earthly concert stages. We visit again important stations of the galactic "Ziggy Stardust Tour".

THE SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND
Scottish Skirt

Her account's The Faith Healer. But despite this timeless rock hit the Sensational Alex Harvey Band is more and more forgotten. The colourful troupe, which was surrounded by its active namesake, bundled all the currents of the seventies like hardly any other formation of its time. Alex Harvey died exactly thirty years ago. eclipsed is reminiscent of the Rock'n'Roll circus director.

FRANK BORNEMANN
"We're going to revolutionize this ailing industry!"

Eloy mastermind Frank Bornemann has entrusted his work to major record labels for four decades - with ever-growing displeasure. But now the measure is full for him, because the music industry is digging its own grave in his eyes. For this reason, Niedersachsen has founded its own company, Artist Station Records, which puts music back in the spotlight.

BJÖRK
A virus app, please!

Björk had announced an extremely ambitious multimedia project in advance. Although what the Nordic bird of paradise has so far released under the name "Biophilia" is limited to one album and one iPhone/iPad app each for the ten new songs, it is already clear that "Biophilia" is indeed an ambitious work of art.

ARENA
Risen from the dead

For six long years Arena let their fans wait for the new studio album. Finally Clive Nolan, Mick Pointer and John Mitchell have put the long-awaited "Pepper's Ghost"-successor at the start and have gone with a two-week tour of Europe also directly into the tour offensive

ECLIPSED PURCHASE SHEET
VAN HALEN - eruption at all levels

When Black Sabbath were swept off stage by their supporting band Van Halen in 1978, it was like a changing of the guard. Significantly, the rookies were called Rat Salad for a short time before their renaming in 1974, after a song from Sabbath's second LP "Paranoid". But at the latest with the Van Halen debut and this tour a new age for hard and heavy rock music had begun..

Keep the text up! Cult songs and their meaning
STEVE EARLE - JOHN WALKER'S BLUES

Bad politics makes good art. Steve Earle said the same thing when George W. Bush provoked him to death with his policy. But he did not react bitingly, but in true peace fighter manner with a gentle ballad. Earle's "John Walker's Blues" is one of the most system-critical songs of the Bush era, which is still valid today against the background of Guantanamo.