Starcastle

So, is there anybody else here that's ever heard of them?

The name certainly rings a bell... what type of music do they play?

Hard to describe. They were always compared to Yes, except they had two guitar players who used to do these incredible riffs and runs throughout entire songs. Amazing harmonies as well. Back when I first started playing I thought the band was amazing, but never really appreciated the complexity of the guitar players until much later.
A bunch of us got totally hooked on them years ago, but since then it's like nobody else has ever heard of them.

i shall have to check them out

Yep, they were always considered to be Yes clones, but I feel they went beyond that.

Ron

I was fan of Starcastle ages ago. I saw them once in 1979 (they were coming apart by that point and singer Tery Luttrell had already left the band).

I did an intereview with Stephen Hagler (lead guitarist and principal songwriter) about three years ago after finding out from an interview with the bass player (now deceased) that Hagler lived about 30 miles away from me. I am meant to be submitting the interview to their website at some point (http://www.starcastlemusic.com/) Hagler used a Gibson Firebird for the the first album (Lady of the Lake). I still need to finish transcribing the interview for submission.

Kewl... sometimes I think I'm the only one who ever heard of this band.
Like... excellent and complex guitar playing as well as the most awesome harmonies you've ever heard. Not to mention mixed at Trident studios so the quality is amazing.

I happened upon them by accident in my early teens. A bunch of us guys rented a motel room so we could um... smoke... and one of the guys got the major munchies and went out to find a store. Nothing was open, so he broke into a variety store, took a bunch of junk food and an 8 Track tape of Starcastle.
We ended up playing it for hours and got totally hooked.
The thing I liked was that the guitar players totally filled in constantly doing runs and stuff... so much that you forgot it was guitar.

A friend of mine thumbed a ride down to Toronto once to see them at Massey Hall... didn't have tickets but hoped we'd be able to scalp some.
Never got in though.
Next day, all the reviews had to say was that Starcaste was boring and didn't move around much on stage.
We were like "well of course they didn't move around... they were friggin playing... it's the music that was important."

The first album was great, but Fountains of Light still remains my favorite.

Originally Posted by: schmange

The first album was great, but Fountains of Light still remains my favorite.

I downloaded that song just now. Don't like it much so far - although the musicianship is very impressive - but perhaps it will grow on me.

You have to let em grow on you.
The first album took me about a month to start to enjoy it.
After a year I was hooked.

Same thing with the second album.
I was down in the basement with a friend of mine checking it out for the first time. After it finished we didn't really have much of an opinion of it except that it was well made.
After months of listening to it though, it became our favorite album.
Years later now, I can greatly appreciate the guitar work involved.
Back then I didn't understand it very well.

The one thing that blows me away are the harmonies. Bery much like Yes, but even better.

Definite stoner music. :D

Originally Posted by: schmangeDefinite stoner music. :D

D'oh! I was gonna check them out but you ruined them for me.

Why??
Being stoned while listening to them was a good thing. (not that I'd promote drug use or anything.) but we're talking pot here.
Excellently understated guitar playing filling in the background parts... excellent harmonies over top of it. Synth, drums and a great bass player.
Each song lasts about 12 minutes and has multiple changes.
And the songs don't follow any preset pattern like a/b/a/b/c/b/b/b/

Think of them like Yes, without the discordant melodies and with 10 times better harmonies.

Download the first album and spend a month with it. Then move on to the second album and you'll be hooked for good.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonD'oh! I was gonna check them out but you ruined them for me.

You don't have to be a stoner to appreciate stoner and psychedelic music. I've never touched drugs in my life, and my favourite band is Pink Floyd, especially their earlier psychedelic stuff. Go figure. :D

Originally Posted by: jiujitsu_jesusYou don't have to be a stoner to appreciate stoner and psychedelic music.

I know that. Regardless, when I think "Stoner Band" I think ****ty music, like Syd Barret Pink Floyd or Trey Anastasio. Or some other mindless wanking that's supposed to pass as music. Most Radiohead, perhaps.

Originally Posted by: Jolly McJollysonI know that. Regardless, when I think "Stoner Band" I think ****ty music, like Syd Barret Pink Floyd or Trey Anastasio. Or some other mindless wanking that's supposed to pass as music. Most Radiohead, perhaps.

:eek: I love all those bands! Except Trey Anastasio.

Originally Posted by: PhotoglyphI was fan of Starcastle ages ago. I saw them once in 1979 (they were coming apart by that point and singer Tery Luttrell had already left the band).

I did an intereview with Stephen Hagler (lead guitarist and principal songwriter) about three years ago after finding out from an interview with the bass player (now deceased) that Hagler lived about 30 miles away from me. I am meant to be submitting the interview to their website at some point (http://www.starcastlemusic.com/) Hagler used a Gibson Firebird for the the first album (Lady of the Lake). I still need to finish transcribing the interview for submission.

What ever happened to this interview? Did Hagler talk about the lyrics much? When I met that band after a performance in 1976, I asked about the lyrics and if memory serves me correctly, he wrote most of them. By the way, I agree with what people are saying about the delicate duo-lead guitar passages on the first album especially-- intricate harmonies and totally unique in the rock field.

Hi soulquest7
Welcome to Guitar tricks.
I don't know if you realized you are responding to a posting from July 2006..
So you may not get a responds from previous writers