"Pawn Hearts" is considered the opus magnum of one of the greatest prog bands of the 70s. It was a groundbreaking album in many respects - with its mixture of melodiousness and aggression, a long track covering an entire LP side, dark, psychedelic passages and, last but not least, Peter Hammill's expressive vocals, which still fascinate, but also disturb music lovers worldwide. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the work, eclipsed spoke with the musician about an exciting but also exhausting time in the history of England's most uncompromising prog formation.
Two years after their collaboration with Steve Hogarth, Isildurs Bane dare to start another cooperation. This time they make common cause with Van der Graaf Generators mythical Peter Hammill. The lone wolf is known for only entering into musical collaborations in exceptional cases. With "In Amazonia" the Englishman and the Swedes have presented a wonderfully complicated, demanding album.
Peter Hammill is, what you might seldom believe as an outsider, once again in a very good mood during the interview and is very willing to provide information as usual. Just like Mats Johansson, mastermind of the Swedish prog collective Isildurs Bane, he is enthusiastic about the collaboration, which could perhaps grow, as both indicate in the interview.
eclipsed: How did your cooperation come about?
LED ZEPPELIN - The Last Remaster?
"That's it," my ass! Jimmy Page has charmingly told us about the new editions of "Presence", "In Through The Out Door" and "Coda". With "The Complete BBC Sessions" the 72-year-old Englishman once again enters the Remasters-Ring and adds eight songs to the live recordings from the late 60s and early 70s as well as a lot of discussion needs. We report what awaits the fan and discuss with Jimmy Page the new extended and revised re-release - possibly the last remaster.
THE BEATLES - Always on the move
Contrary to his gloomy image and his often melancholic compositions, Peter Hammill is a good-humoured and always joking interlocutor. His joy to record further records with his innovative, always experimental fellow musicians - keyboardist Hugh Banton (67) and drummer Guy Evans (69) - even at the advanced age of 67 is clearly noticeable in the interview. And even though he has increasingly complained about the pitfalls of old age in recent years, his creativity remains unbroken.
eclipsed: Like its predecessors, the new album explores new possibilities for your trio playing. It sounds completely different than the rather compact predecessor "A Grounding In Numbers"..
STEVE HACKETT - Die Stunde des Wolfs
Lange Steve Hackett has held up the flag of progressive rock of the seventies with his releases, to finally celebrate this high phase in his own cause once again with "Genesis Revisited" and at the same time reap the deserved harvest of his steadfastness. For this and above all to the new album, the concept album "Wolflight", the smart Brit is our question and answer.
TOTO - contract is contract
Van der Graaf Generator don't want to bore their audience and especially themselves. That's why the last tour of the British progunicates came up with a program the band had never presented before - peppered with the most elaborate rock epics of their career. This spectacular approach is documented on her latest live album "Merlin Atmos: Live Performances 2013".
Since their reunion about ten years ago Van der Graaf Generator have always released a live album after each studio release. What distinguishes "Merlin Atmos" from the previous tour recordings is the concept of the 25 concerts that the band played in North America and Europe in 2012/13: they mainly included long, complex pieces - with "Flight" also one from Peter Hammill's solo repertoire - in their program. eclipsed spoke with the three musicians about this extraordinary concert tour.
BLACK SABBATH
Four for Eternity: Sabbath's "Vol. 4."
"Vol. 4" is perhaps the most underrated album of Black Sabbath by the music interested public. Fans and connoisseurs see it differently, however, because the LP with the low association title is one of the most important in the career of the band that is so decisive for the history of hard rock. The fact that the album was released in September 1972 still borders on a miracle in view of the massive cocaine consumption of the band.
THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRESSIVE ROCK,
Part 13 The great discussion on the present and future of the genre
ROBERT PLANT
The showman must go on
62 years old, nominated for the BRIT Awards - Robert Plant doesn't give the impression that he wants to hang up the microphone so quickly. On 22 January, on the verge of his two appearances in Toronto, Canada, the legendary shouter talked about how he became the musician he is today and why a Led Zeppelin reunion would give him nothing.
JOE BONAMASSA
Blues traveller
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
eclipsed at Rockpalast
"Tschörmen tellewischen praudli prisents..."
"Rockpalast" - this name still awakens happy memories of long nights, great parties and extraordinary concerts for rock fans decades later. And the palace still keeps its portal open today. But it was the early "Rockpalast" nights that gave the musical building its historic glory.
100 memorable events in rock history
