'Starcastle'
by Starcastle
(1976)
(1976)
Alongside the likes of Journey, Kansas and Styx, Illinois' Starcastle were one of just a handful of progressive rock acts to emerge from the USA during the 1970's, concocting a lush, gleaming and highly-symphonic brand of cleanly-produced prog-rock that owed a stylistic debt or two to both British pioneers Yes and their fellow countrymen Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Although they were possibly the most adventurous and definitely the most Anglicized of the American set, and despite enjoying major-label backing from CBS and releasing a strong debut in the shape of 1976's self-titled 'Starcastle', they ultimately appeared far too late in the day to make any real lasting impression on either the European or American markets. Overtaken in terms of both popularity and sales by the emerging soft-rock giants Foreigner, Boston, Survivor and REO Speedwagon as the 1970's turned into the 1980's, Starcastle would eventually split after being dropped from their label, leaving behind a frustratingly unfulfilled career that had initially promised so much.
Although they were possibly the most adventurous and definitely the most Anglicized of the American set, and despite enjoying major-label backing from CBS and releasing a strong debut in the shape of 1976's self-titled 'Starcastle', they ultimately appeared far too late in the day to make any real lasting impression on either the European or American markets. Overtaken in terms of both popularity and sales by the emerging soft-rock giants Foreigner, Boston, Survivor and REO Speedwagon as the 1970's turned into the 1980's, Starcastle would eventually split after being dropped from their label, leaving behind a frustratingly unfulfilled career that had initially promised so much.
Originally named St. James and formed in 1969, Starcastle were a hard-working outfit heavily influenced by the emerging British progressive rock scene. The group's early years were characterized by the usual intense gigging schedule, and, as the group relentlessly travelled the Mid-West club circuit playing a mixture of popular covers and original material, frequent line-up shuffles. The key turning point seems to have been the moment bassist Gary Strater joined, the newcomer swelling the Starcastle ranks to six and encouraging the rest of the group to adapt to a new, disciplined lifestyle that embraced vegetarianism and new age philosophy, all the while attempting to get his new band-mates to develop a more complex and adventurous playing style.
With a line-up now featuring Strater, Terry Luttrell(vocals), Stephen Hagler(guitar, piano, vocals), Matthew Stewart(guitar, vocals), Herb Schilt(keyboards) and Stephen Tassler(drums, vocals), Starcastle became an impressively-tight live unit, building up a large following throughout the Mid-Western states and eventually signing a deal with the Sony imprint Epic Records in 1975. Paired with producer Tommy Vicari, the group's glistening debut album 'Starcastle' was released a year later, just as punk rock was beginning to cast it's ugly shadow over Great Britain. Critical reaction was generally positive, especially throughout North America, though the group were often accused of borrowing a bit too liberally from their British cohorts, especially from the highly-influential, fellow symphonic outfit Yes, a frequently-repeated criticism that has some justification.
Putting the Yes-clone accusations to one side however, the music of Starcastle really does deserve to be experienced on it's own merit. The six-piece's debut album is a gloriously-upbeat and slickly-produced mixture of keyboard-drenched symphonic prog, highly-strung guitars and emotive AOR-tinged pop featuring some deceptively-complex vocal harmonies. The commercially-tinted blend isn't that far removed from, say, the hard-edged melodic rock of Anglo-Americans Foreigner bonded with the instrumental invention of Yes, only with that thoroughly anthemic American touch that would come to dominate the 1980's rock scene.
'Starcastle' begins with the sweetly-toned ten-minute fantasy epic 'Lady Of The Lake', very much one of group's signature tunes and a staple of their live show. 'Lady Of The Lake' features all the hallmarks of Starcastle's richly-symphonic early sound, with Hagler's affective guitar curling delicately over Strater's galloping bass whilst lush keyboards and lightly-drummed percussion bubble away underneath the boyish vocals of Terry Luttrell.
The obscure fantasy theme continues deep into the album, and the fanciful faux-astrological names also continue, with 'Lady Lake' backed by the drilled guitars and dancing keyboards of 'Elliptical Seasons', the overtly neo-classical lilt of 'Stargate' and the jaunty instrumental filler 'Forces'. 'Sunfield', the album's second-longest piece, is less cohesive, featuring an awkward vocal chorus tracked over a jerky celestial melody, thus making for a rare duff moment, though the bulk of the album's second-half does manage, for the most, to retain the wide-eyed appeal of the first, with the Crosby, Stills & Nash-style harmonizing getting a funky accompaniment on 'To The Fire Wind', a mellow, space-age rocker fused with yawning synths, twinkling electronic pulses and chiming keyboard effects. Finally, the album closes with the brief, brisk 'Nova', as yet more slinky synths and crisply-laid guitars swirl effortlessly over the Strater's clipped bass-lines.
After middling success 'Starcastle' would be followed up by a further three albums before the Illinois group were finally forced to call it day sometime during the early 1980's. Their second album, 1977's 'Founatins Of Light', saw the group paired with Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker, though faced by the rising tide of Punk in the East and AOR in the West, the group were, by the fourth final album 'Real To Reel', forced to abandon their progressive principles in order to broaden their appeal, a move which saw the group produce an awkward brand of keyboard-heavy pop that pleased no-one. Even with Baker's assistance, none of their subsequent albums attained the same kind of commercial or critical success as their debut, and the usual rash of line-up changes, management issues and contractual squabbling typical of American record companies negated any progress the original six-piece had made during their time together. However, despite a short and, overall, unsuccessful career, Starcastle will always be remembered for their first two albums, and in particular their self-titled debut, an album brimming with hope, passion and genuine charm. And one really does wonder how their career arc would have developed had they started five years earlier.
Definitely on the lighter side of rock and with a carefully-layered symphonic sound based on complex keyboard patterns, high-pitched counter-melodies, three-part harmonizing and metronomical bass-lines, Starcastle's debut album was probably the most unashamedly progressive of all the decade's American output, featuring all the hallmarks of the genre both instrumentally and lyrically. A wonderfully naive set of songs tinged with fantasy-inspired themes, 'Starcastle' is the very essence of North American progressive rock. Despite their shortcomings, these were a group who really did deserve better.
After middling success 'Starcastle' would be followed up by a further three albums before the Illinois group were finally forced to call it day sometime during the early 1980's. Their second album, 1977's 'Founatins Of Light', saw the group paired with Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker, though faced by the rising tide of Punk in the East and AOR in the West, the group were, by the fourth final album 'Real To Reel', forced to abandon their progressive principles in order to broaden their appeal, a move which saw the group produce an awkward brand of keyboard-heavy pop that pleased no-one. Even with Baker's assistance, none of their subsequent albums attained the same kind of commercial or critical success as their debut, and the usual rash of line-up changes, management issues and contractual squabbling typical of American record companies negated any progress the original six-piece had made during their time together. However, despite a short and, overall, unsuccessful career, Starcastle will always be remembered for their first two albums, and in particular their self-titled debut, an album brimming with hope, passion and genuine charm. And one really does wonder how their career arc would have developed had they started five years earlier.
Definitely on the lighter side of rock and with a carefully-layered symphonic sound based on complex keyboard patterns, high-pitched counter-melodies, three-part harmonizing and metronomical bass-lines, Starcastle's debut album was probably the most unashamedly progressive of all the decade's American output, featuring all the hallmarks of the genre both instrumentally and lyrically. A wonderfully naive set of songs tinged with fantasy-inspired themes, 'Starcastle' is the very essence of North American progressive rock. Despite their shortcomings, these were a group who really did deserve better.
Key songs: Lady Of The Lake, To The Fire Wind
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