When I was growing up, prog rock was a wholly British thing, English in fact. It never seemed to occur to us that America might produce prog bands too. And by and large, they didn’t. That classically-inspired, pastoral music, often with Tolkein references, seemed quintessentially English and didn’t belong in the midwest. But Starcastle absolutely were a prog band formed in Champaign, Illinois, in 1969. They had a symphonic sound and shared significant musical similarities to the British progressive rock band Yes, particularly in their early material. But who cares? There’s too much snobbery about such things, in my view. Is it good? Yes it is. That’s the only question to ask.
The band initially played under names like Pegasus and Mad John Fever (strange name) before settling on Starcastle, which does sound proggy. The original lineup featured former vocalist on the first REO Speedwagon album and keyboardist Herb Schildt, along with bassist Gary Strater, drummer Stephen Tassler, and guitarists Matthew Stewart and Stephen Hagler. They spent several years on the road eventually signing with Epic Records in 1974.
They released their self-titled debut album in 1976. Despite criticisms of sounding too much like Yes (due to Luttrell's high tenor vocals, reminiscent of Jon Anderson, Strater's Rickenbacker bass work, and Schildt's elaborate keyboard arrangements), the album sold well and received extensive airplay, especially in the US and Canada. They gained significant exposure opening for major acts like Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Fleetwood Mac, Kansas, Boston, Rush, and Journey.
They quickly followed up with two more albums in 1977, "Fountains of Light" (often considered their musical peak by some fans) and "Citadel." While these albums continued their symphonic progressive rock style, their final album for Epic, "Real to Reel" (1978), saw them attempt a more commercial, soft rock sound, which was not as well-received and ultimately led to the band disbanding in 1980. Stick to your guns, lads, right down to your airbrushed fantasy novel covers.
After several lineup changes and a hiatus from 1987, Starcastle reformed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Sadly, founding bassist Gary Strater passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2004. The band's final studio album, "Song of Times," which featured contributions from members across different eras, was released posthumously in 2007.
In 2018, the band announced a new lineup and released "Alchemy," an archival collection of studio and live material from their 1980s San Francisco-based lineup, which included George Harp (vocals) and Bruce Botts (guitar). Starcastle continues to be active.
I must say that I never heard them in the 70s and I was more cognizant of American and Canadian bands than most, so it seems likely they never came to the UK. I recall listening to Citadel in 1980 in my cold, manky student flat and always liked it.
Starcastle remains an important, if sometimes debated, part of American progressive rock history, outside of Kansas and Styx, more famous American prog bands, both of whom also moved into more melodic rock territory.
The band initially played under names like Pegasus and Mad John Fever (strange name) before settling on Starcastle, which does sound proggy. The original lineup featured former vocalist on the first REO Speedwagon album and keyboardist Herb Schildt, along with bassist Gary Strater, drummer Stephen Tassler, and guitarists Matthew Stewart and Stephen Hagler. They spent several years on the road eventually signing with Epic Records in 1974.
They released their self-titled debut album in 1976. Despite criticisms of sounding too much like Yes (due to Luttrell's high tenor vocals, reminiscent of Jon Anderson, Strater's Rickenbacker bass work, and Schildt's elaborate keyboard arrangements), the album sold well and received extensive airplay, especially in the US and Canada. They gained significant exposure opening for major acts like Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Fleetwood Mac, Kansas, Boston, Rush, and Journey.
They quickly followed up with two more albums in 1977, "Fountains of Light" (often considered their musical peak by some fans) and "Citadel." While these albums continued their symphonic progressive rock style, their final album for Epic, "Real to Reel" (1978), saw them attempt a more commercial, soft rock sound, which was not as well-received and ultimately led to the band disbanding in 1980. Stick to your guns, lads, right down to your airbrushed fantasy novel covers.
After several lineup changes and a hiatus from 1987, Starcastle reformed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Sadly, founding bassist Gary Strater passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2004. The band's final studio album, "Song of Times," which featured contributions from members across different eras, was released posthumously in 2007.
In 2018, the band announced a new lineup and released "Alchemy," an archival collection of studio and live material from their 1980s San Francisco-based lineup, which included George Harp (vocals) and Bruce Botts (guitar). Starcastle continues to be active.
I must say that I never heard them in the 70s and I was more cognizant of American and Canadian bands than most, so it seems likely they never came to the UK. I recall listening to Citadel in 1980 in my cold, manky student flat and always liked it.
Starcastle remains an important, if sometimes debated, part of American progressive rock history, outside of Kansas and Styx, more famous American prog bands, both of whom also moved into more melodic rock territory.
