Steve Hillage Open featuring Studio Herald Virgin CDVR2135 || 26.02.2007 (1979) || £10.64  $ € ¥  + p+p +tax Click for big pic The Electrick Gypsy Service "Unzipping the zype" and a tight, bright, ripe for re-enjoyment 'Open'...remastered & with two bonus tracks A certain double whammy, 'Studio Herald' - "guaranteed to expand your awareness" and a sparkly, re-mastered version of a lovely and focused album. When 'Open' was moved to CD in 1990 the studio side of 'Live Herald' double album was placed in front of the actual 'Open' tracks (a decision based in part on when they were chronologically recorded), and the 'Open' tracks were re-ordered by Steve to make a more musical flow to the entire release. This system has been kept in place on this re-mastered version. The bonus tracks are a very different 1974 'Power Trio' backing track of 'Don't Dither Do It', which was labelled 'Dither Blues' on the original 1/4" reel box, and rather surprisingly, an alternative mix of part of a track from the ambient 'Rainbow Dome Music', which appears here rather than the re-mastered RDM CD. Perhaps Steve didn't feel it appropriate to mess with that ambient classic by adding any bonus material. Both bonus tracks are previously unreleased. "Unzipping the zype can be defined as - the spontaneous inner exorcism by which a person can neutralise the harmful, consciousness-distorting effects of the artificial elemental spirits (zypes) formed around each word of everyday language. The zypes are built up by the identification process by which we manufacture "reality". Occultists refer to them as "astral glamour", yogis as "the web of Maya" - but no word is zype proof, the even zype. Cherish this phrase - it's a royal flush!" With a 16 page illustrated booklet with liner notes by Mark Powell with loads of input from Steve himself. Track Listing: Total Runtime 79.45 Studio Herald Talking to the Sun 6.00 (Hillage - Giraudy) 1988 Aktivator 2.28 (Hillage - Giraudy) New Age Synthesis (Unzipping the Zype) 8.52 (Hillage - Giraudy - Anderson - McKenzie) Healing Feeling 6.07 (Hillage - Giraudy) Original Open tracks Earthrise 8.35 (Hillage adaption of Arabic music by Oum Kalthoum) Open 5.17 (Hillage - Giraudy - Francis) Definite Activity 4.43 (Hillage - Giraudy - Francis - Anderson - Stewart) Getting Better 2.59 (Lennon - McCartney) Day After Day 6.19 (Hillage - Giraudy - Stewart) Getting In Tune 3.15 (Hillage) Don't Dither Do It 5.05 (Hillage) The Fire Inside 6.18 (Hillage - Giraudy) Bonus tracks:- Don't Dither Do It - (1974 'Power Trio' backing track) 4.46 (Hillage) Four Ever Rainbow - (Part 3 Alternative Mix) 8.55 (Hillage) Studio Herald musicians: John McKenzie: Bass, triangle Andy Anderson: Drums, percussion Miquette Giraudy: Synthesizer, sequencer Steve Hillage: Guitar synthesizer, glissando guitar, lead guitar, vocals. Open musicians: Steve Hillage: Guitar, voice, sequencer, vocoder, moog solo on 'Earthrise' Andy Anderson: Drums, percussion, gong, vocoder Dave Stewart: Slide guitar, voice Miquette Giraudy: Synthesisers, voice, vocoder Paul Francis: Bass guitar Special guests Jean Philippe Rykiel: Prophet synthesiser, first moog solo 'The Fire Inside' Dave Stewart: Second moog solo on 'The Fire Inside' Bonus track 'Power Trio' musicians: Steve Hillage: Guitar Mike Howlett: Bass Pierre Moerlen: Drums