eclipsed No. 124 / 10-2010

JIMI HENDRIX
I don't live today

When Jimi Hendrix left the stage in Woodstock, he had 397 days left. The period after 18 August 1969 was marked by personal problems and attempts at musical reorientation. Protocol of a year that ended on 18 September 1970 in London with the tragic death of the guitar revolutionary.

THE FLAMING LIPS
Pink Floyd 2.0

It's not the first time a band has coverted a complete album. Pussy Galore made a run for it over "Exile On Main St.", Camper Van Beethoven got Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk" out of the water, Gov't Mule just recently replicated Led Zep's "Houses Of The Holy" and Phish perform top albums of rock history every year. If the Flaming Lips now update Pink Floyd's century opus "The Dark Side Of The Moon", this has a completely different significance.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION
No black country in this period

With their debut, Black Country Communion have already released one of the best hard rock albums of 2010. A miracle in the occupation, one would like to proclaim. After all, the band consists of blues rock prodigy Joe Bonamassa, singer/bass player Glenn Hughes, keyboarder Derek Sherinian and drummer Jason Bonham. Two Englishmen, two Americans - that sounds like a transatlantic supergroup, but ultimately BCC are 100 percent British.

SPOCK'S BEARD
A band and their Ultras

Since the departure of Neal Morse, Spock's Beards Dave Meros has made an amazing development as a songwriter. While he could only contribute one song to "Feel Euphoria", the 54-year-old has become one of the creative heads of the beards along with Nick D'Virgilio and Alan Morse - and their mouthpiece.

COLOSSEUM
Morituri Te Salutant

In 1969 and 1970 Colosseum released three studio albums that uniquely combined jazz rock, prog and blues. Then it was over. Since 1995 the group around star drummer Jon Hiseman has been actively involved again. But now Colosseum seems to have opened the last chapter of their band history.

SUPERTRAMP
"Fear of litigation? Not really!"

On the occasion of Supertramp's 40th band anniversary Rick Davies tours without ex-partner Rodger Hodgson. For fans of the 70s Supergroup an affront - for the greyed pianist a rather involuntary necessity, for which he has to justify himself permanently. Also in this conversation..

CARLOS SANTANA
At the Rock'n'Roll Louvre

Most well-to-do men compensate their midlife crisis with sports cars, golf and young playmates. Not so Carlos Santana: The 63-year-old old hippie prefers to flirt with the Mona Lisas of rock history, to go into upscale gastronomy and talk shop under the blanket with Lenny Kravitz' drummer.

ROBERT PLANT
"We were terrifying!"

Half a year ago Robert Plant amazed fans and press with his announcement to release a new solo album called "Band Of Joy". Band Of Joy - what was that?! Indeed, that was the name of the band in which the English singer made his first steps together with his later Zeppelin crew member John Bonham. Okay, Plants album is out now, but what in the world does this detour into the grey past mean?

More in the lyrics! cult songs and their meaning
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - CALIFORNICATION

The culture machine Hollywood brings spoil to mankind. Highly contagious, the virus takes California possession of heads worldwide. In "Californication" the Red Hot Chili Peppers criticize the omnipotence of a destructive system - ambiguous and full of allusions

SHOPPING LIST OF THE GRAAF GENERATOR
PINK FREUD

As the date of Van der Graaf Generator's first reunion concert approached in May 2005, Peter Hammill groaned: "Making Van der Graaf music is a difficult affair. It must be, after all, the musicians of the classical line-up - alongside singer/guitarist Hammill keyboarder/bassist Hugh Banton, drummer Guy Evans and the meanwhile retired saxophonist David Jackson - had pressed themselves almost three decades from appearing as a band again. And their comeback has once again made it clear that listening to Van-der-Graaf music is also a "difficult affair". The formation, founded in Manchester in 1967, seeks new paths precisely where few dare: in the abysses of the human soul. Her work is bulky and threatening, disturbing like a Bergman film. It's experimental like Pink Floyd's most daring works, and fearless in looking and naming drives and fears like a Sigmund Freud. The sometimes agonizing sound images in combination with Hammill's dark lyrics make Van-der-Graaf generator fans nolens volens Mitwisser or, as it says in the song "Man-Erg", acolytes of gloom. But even the "followers of darkness" could not lead the group to commercial heights. Despite a number 1 success in Italy with "Pawn Hearts", Van der Graaf Generator have remained a niche band to this day. Even progressive rock lovers often find their approach too radical. But this pariah existence ultimately gives Hammill and Co the freedom to do what is to be done: immortal art.