Search results for ""Author Gary Steel""

In this era of lavish box sets and extravagant vinyl reissues, the sheer economy of Talk Talk's output feels terrific, refreshing and just right. During the group's ten-year lifespan, they released just five studio albums, but in the process, redefined contemporary music and spawned a whole new movement that would come to be known as 'post rock', influencing legions of bands in their wake, including the likes of Elbow, Mogwai and Sigur Ros. Leader Mark Hollis's determination to carry out his musical vision would see the group mutate from a synth-pop/new romantic outfit moulded in the shadow of Duran Duran, into the most determinedly unique and unclassifiable art pop act of the late 20th century. More than 30 years later, the group's astonishing last three albums are still blowing minds and being studiously examined by those who seek to break their mysterious code. This book examines the whole of Talk Talk's oeuvre song by song, telling their bizarre and somewhat unlikely story along the way as we cast light on the essence of the group through their work. While a book on this compelling band necessarily discusses the tortured genius of singer/guitarist/writer Mark Hollis, it also casts light on the surprising apres-Talk Talk careers of foundational members Lee Harris and Paul Webb as well as that of producer/keyboardist Tim Friese-Greene.

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The ultimate cult progressive band - as revered as Yes or Genesis by those that have 'found' them. Poorly served by literature, very little long-form material has been written about the band. Though the band have never reformed, several members have taken part in the UK-based tribute group Three Friends. They lasted only a decade and never lit up the world's charts, but progressive rock connoisseurs always knew what today's audiences are now beginning to discover: that Gentle Giant belong in the pantheon of great bands of the era. At times edgy and experimental but also capable of great beauty (not to mention some of the greatest riffs known to man), the group's explorations of medieval music gave their sound unique character. But it was the thrilling complexity of their compositions - which Frank Zappa might have called the "statistical density" of their writing - together with the instrumental ability of its players that make their music as potent today as they were at their peak nearly 50 years ago. This book takes a microscopic look at each of Gentle Giant's eleven studio albums and provides fresh assessments of the many live and 'odds'n'sods' recordings, as well as rounding up existent DVD/Blu-ray documentary and performance footage. In doing so, it tells the story of one of progressive music's most fascinating groups and the thrilling - and occasionally tortuous - ride the Shulman brothers and key band-mates like Kerry Minnear and Gary Green experienced along the way.

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