Glenn Phillips

Glenn Phillips is a critically acclaimed guitarist and composer with a dozen albums released under his own name. He's also played on many other recordings, including those by his first group, the legendary Hampton Grease Band. Phillips was a founding member, guitarist and songwriter for the Grease Band, which formed in 1967. Their double LP Music to Eat was released on Columbia Records in 1971 and went on to become a much sought after collector's item. It was also cited as an influence by later groups like Widespread Panic, Phish, and Pere Ubu. In 1996, it was rereleased by Sony to a great deal of acclaim ( [http://www.spin.com/ Spin Magazine] June 1996 gave it a 9 out 10 "Near Perfect" rating). Over the course of the band's six year career, they played with a wide variety of groups, including The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers and Frank Zappa. Zappa was a big fan of the band, and they played with him at the Fillmore East; Phillips jammed with Zappa that evening, as did John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Phillips' [http://www.glennphillips.com/ solo career] began in 1973. He frequently sat in with Little Feat back then, and in an interview, Lowell George called him "the most amazing guitarist I've ever seen." Phillips' first solo LP, "Lost at Sea" came out in 1975, and he recorded it in his home and put it out himself. The record both predated and influenced the do-it-yourself movement that later overtook rock music. The highly influential British DJ John Peel played the LP regularly on the BBC, and it came in 2nd in a reader's poll held by London's leading music paper, Melody Maker. At that point, Phillips was contacted by the head of Virgin Records, Richard Branson (later known as the head of many other companies, including Virgin Atlantic Airways). Branson signed Phillips, who then toured extensively overseas, including a show at London's famous Rainbow Theater.

Since then, Phillips has toured frequently, and the fact that his music fits into no particular niche has led to a wide spectrum of double-bills over the years with groups as varied as Captain Beefheart, Eric Johnson, Bo Diddley, Patti Smith, Roy Buchanan, Talking Heads, Albert King, Joe Satriani and The Ventures. During that time, his albums have garnered a great deal of critical acclaim, and those reviews focus on the unique, unclassifiable nature of his music; its intensely emotional impact; and his seemingly limitless virtuosity. [http://www.guitarworld.com/ Guitar World] (Nov. 1983) compared him to Hendrix and Jeff Beck, and his double-CD retrospective "Echoes" received a 4-star review in [http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] (Jan. 21, 1993), as did his Supreme Court album with Jeff Calder (of the the [http://www.swimmingpoolqs.com/ Swimming Pool Q's] ).

Phillips has also collaborated with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and Pete Buck of R.E.M., who said this about him in [http://emusician.com/ Musician Magazine] : "One of the reasons I don't play solos is because I grew up listening to Glenn Phillips. He never ceases to amaze me." He's also recorded several albums with Henry Kaiser (one of which received San Francisco's coveted Bammy award), and Phillips' music has regularly been played on NPR since 1990.

elected discography:

SOLO RECORDINGS:

*"Lost at Sea" (1975 Snow Star 1 in U.S. & Caroline 1519/Virgin overseas)
*"Swim in the Wind" (1977 Virgin 2087)
*"Steve Hillage/Glenn Phillips" (1977 Virgin VDJ 23, promotional tour single contains "Lies" from album)
*"Dark Lights" (1980 Snow Star 3)
*"Flyback/She Don't Know" (1980 Snow Star 3.1, single from album)
*"Razor Pocket" (1982 Snow Star 4)
*"St. Valentine's Day" (1984 Snow Star 5)
*"Live" (1985 Shanachie 82006)
*"Elevator" (1987 SST 136)
*"No Age Compilation" (1987 SST 102, contains "Vista Cruiser" from album)
*"Scratched by the Rabbit" (1990 ESD 80432 in U.S. & Demon Records fiend cd 180 overseas)
*"Echoes 1975-1985" (1992 ESD in U.S. & Virgin overseas, double CD compilation)
*"Walking through Walls" (1996 Shotput/Sony WK3700)
*"Angel Sparks" (2003 Gaff Music)

With HAMPTON GREASE BAND:

*"Music to Eat" (1971 Columbia 30581 & 30582, double album)
*Playback (1971 Columbia AS 23, promotional ep contains "Maria" from album)
*"Music to Eat Double CD reissue" (1996 Shotput/Sony/Legacy C2K 67483)
*"Audio Rumbles Vol. 1" (1997 Ptolemaic Terrascope, on "Live Impro 1970")

With SUPREME COURT:

*"The Supreme Court Goes Electric" (1993 DB Recs, DB156) With BOB WIER and HENRY KAISER:
*"If 6 Was 9" A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix" (1990 Communion 18 in U.S. & Imaginary overseas, on title track)
*"Guitar Party" (2003 Gaff Music)

With HENRY KAISER:

*"Marrying for Money" (1986 Minor Music 1010 in Germany, on "Murder One")
*"Remarrying for Money" (1988 SST 222, same track as previous)
*Those Who Know History Are Doomed to Repeat It (1988 SST 198, on "Dark Star/The Other One")
*"Passed Normal Vol. 6 & 7" (1993 FOT Records, FOT PN67, on "Cobra")

With HELEN WHEELS:

*"Helen Wheels and the Skeleton Crew" (2001 Jargon Records JRCD 1101).

References

[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] - by Parke Puterbaugh, Aug. 20, 1981
[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] - by Errol Somay, March 17, 1983
[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] - by David Fricke, Nov. 15, 1990
[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] - by Parke Puterbaugh, Jan. 21, 1993
[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] - by Parke Puterbaugh, Feb 10, 1994
[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] - by David Fricke, March 21, 1996
[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling Stone] - by David Fricke, June 12, 2003
[http://www.richieunterberger.com/ulrhome.html Unknown Legends of Rock 'n' Roll by Ritchie Unterberger] , 1998, Miller Freeman Books ISBN-0-87930-534-7
[http://www.mensjournal.com/ Men's Journal] - by Anthony DeCurtis, Dec. 1996
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - by Jim Schwartz, Aug. 1981
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - by Mike Varney, Aug. 1982
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - by Tom Mulhern, Sept. 1983
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - by Tom Mulhern, Aug. 1984
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - by Bruce Malamut, Jan. 1986
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - Glenn Phillips: Have Guitar, Will Flail by Mark Dery, March 1988
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - by Jim Ferguson, May 1991
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - Glenn Phillips' Voice In the Night, May 1992
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - June 1996
[http://www.guitarplayer.com/ Guitar Player] - Sept. 2003
[http://www.spin.com/ Spin Magazine] - by Byron Cooley, June 1996

Stereo Review - Dec. 1996

Stereo Review- November 1990
[http://emusician.com/ Musician Magazine] - Glenn Phillips' Psycho-Guitar: The Triumphs & Trials of Being Yourself by David Fricke, Feb. 1983
[http://emusician.com/ Musician Magazine] - by David Fricke, Aug. 1984
[http://emusician.com/ Musician Magazine] - by Jon Young, Jan., 1986
[http://emusician.com/ Musician Magazine] - April 1991
[http://www.relix.com/ Relix] - by Mick Skidmore, May 1992
[http://www.relix.com/ Relix] - by Mick Skidmore, Nov. 1993
[http://www.relix.com/ Relix] - by Mick Skidmore, June 1996
[http://www.relix.com/ Relix] - Glenn Phillips: Independently Minded, by Mick Skidmore, June 1997
[http://www.relix.com/ Relix] - by Mick Skidmore, April/May 2003
[http://www.guitarworld.com/ Guitar World] - by Bruce Malamut, Nov. 1983
[http://www.guitarworld.com/ Guitar World] - by Bruce Malamut, Nov. 1984
[http://www.guitarworld.com/ Guitar World] - by Tom Mulhern, Jan. 1986
[http://www.guitarworld.com/ Guitar World] - July 1988
[http://mixonline.com/ Mix Magazine] - Glenn Phillips: Tales Of The Unknown Guitar Hero by Bill Milkowski, June 1988Guitar - June 1996
[http://www.vintageguitar.com/ Vintage Guitar Magazine] - Glenn Phillips: On His Own Terms by Willie G. Moseley, March 1998
[http://www.vintageguitar.com/ Vintage Guitar Magazine] - by Ken Johnson, July 2003
[http://www.goldminemag.com/GeneralMenu/ Goldmine Magazine] - Interview with Glenn Phillips by Russell Hall, 1996
[http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/ The Hartford Advocate] -- by Alan Bisport, July 2003
[http://www.metroland.net/ Metroland] (New York) - by [http://www.duplexplanet.com/visitorcenter.html David Greenberger] , Sept. 2003
[http://www.nme.com/home New Musical Express] (UK) - by John Lober, July 10, 1976

Sounds (UK) - by Tony Mitchell, Nov. 5, 1977

Melody Maker (UK) - July, 1976

External links

[http://www.glennphillips.com Official Glenn Phillips site]
[http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/glennphillips/hamptongreaseband.html Official Hampton Grease Band page]
[http://www.angelfire.com/ga2/glennphillips/supremecourt.html Official Supreme Court page]