 | Kevin GilbertArtist Profile |
Overview:Born: Kevin Matthew Gilbert Date: November 20, 1966 Where: Scotch Plains, New Jersey Died: May 17, 1996 Where: Eagle Rock, California Known As: synth-pop/neo-progressive rock singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist “Sometimes genius comes and goes without much notice or fanfare. Such is the case with the late Kevin Gilbert,” P “a musical prodigy” JS who “colleagues invariably called…‘the most talented musician I ever met.’” JS This little-known performer ranks as one of my favorite singers. When he died, he “left behind enormous unanswered questions about his potential.” JS Kevin “Gilbert was a moderately important figure in Californian rock music in the 1980’s and 1990’s.” DN “He was an accomplished instrumentalist and composer, who played keyboards, guitars, drums, bass and cellos, as well as singing vocals. His talents also extended to producer.” WK He “spent several years on the edge of stardom [but] could never capitalize on his talents.” DE ” He “might be the most talented American musician to be involved with progressive rock, with the possible exception of Frank Zappa. Although all of his work contains a very strong pop element, there’s usually a lot of prog underneath it.” DN I have said that if I were a musician, Kevin Gilbert best represents the kind of music I would want to make. His lyrics go beyond clichéd love songs and are infused with witticism. His musicianship showcase the tireless hours he spent in the studio perfecting his craft. It was a shame to lose such an astonishing talent at 29. His work, however, lives on and for those uninitiated in his music, I hope this post leads you down the same musical journey where KG’s music has taken me. Significant Bands:
On the Web:
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Awards:
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The Albums:Hover over an album cover to see its title and year of release. Click on the album to go to its dedicated DMDB page. 
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Live at Keystone
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Recorded: 1982, live at Palo Alto, California Released: October 25, 2022 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
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About the Album: From the liner notes: “It’s been more than 40 years since these songs came together inside the session that was NRG. The memories below are my best guesses about a long-ago time. I hope they offer you insight into a few songs that were never recorded in the studio.” “City on the Hill and Crooked Mile were some of our earliest musical ideas that came together the night we met in Tim Dunn’s barn after I auditioned Kevin for NRG. We hung out for hours beyond the audition (which lasted about 5 minutes once Kevin revealed his unusual talent at age 14). We spent that first evening trading musical bits into my cassette 2-track. These songs began to come together that night. It’s pretty easy to tell whose stuff was whose. My parts tend to be the verse guitar hooks and Kevin often created the choruses and bridges with his unique chord changes, harmonies, rhythms, and synth sounds on his brand new Prophet 5. Most of what we wrote was then complimented by Kevin’s lyrics.” “Tongue ‘N Cheek was a later collaboration. It was only after much exposure to the likes of Gentle Giant, Saga, Fripp/King Crimson, and UK et al that I began to experiment with guitar ideas like you hear here. I remember the opening hook as my attempt to learn to play like Fripp. Kevin added the odd timed conclusions to each of the segue lines commenting that it would be like Eddie Jobson, ‘just pick a chord and then play any unrelated bass note under it!’ A solo from Kev, then a return to the hook. It was obviously incomplete.” “I both smile and cringe when I hear this live gig. We were so young, wide-eyed and earnest. We were pretty nervous and rushed everything. But for a bunch of kids a decade younger than almost everyone else on the bill that night. I smile remembering how cool it was to be there – imagining that we might be rock stars one day. Kevin certainly delivered on that count. Maybe not a star in a typical commercial fashion, but a deep, honest star for so many of us.” – Jason Hubbard, 2022 |
No Reasons Given
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Rating: 
3.113 out of 5.00 Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Released: 1984 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
Total Running Time: 43:40 |
About the Album: In the mid-‘80s, while still in high school, Gilbert released his first album, No Reasons Given, with the group NRG. Gilbert was featured on vocals and keyboards along with Jason Hubbard (guitars, etc.), Mickey Sorey (drums), and others. The band’s sound fit alongside new romantic bands like Human League, Thompson Twins, and Duran Duran, but Gilbert’s progressive leanings are also already apparent. |
Beer Jam 2
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Recorded: 1986 Released: October 25, 2022 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
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About the Album: These songs were recorded live by Kevin Gilbert (vocals, piano) and Mickey Sorey (drums, vocals) at Sensa Recording Studio in Sunnyvale, California in 1986. Sorey wrote the following liner notes: “Beer Jam II was 1986. We were at Sensa to redo the drum tracks for Mephisto and a couple other songs.” “Firth of Fifth: I told Kevin I’d been listening to Seconds Out by Genesis and he said, ‘I know it,’ so we got some beer and ya!” “The Only Thing She Needs: We performed this in a cover band called In Color with some other guys back in the late ‘80s. We did some Heart – it was this weird cover band! We played two shows at the Keystone in Palo Alto. It was pretty hilarious.” “UK Suite: Kevin turned me on to UK’s Danger Money and it has been my favorite album ever!! It sucks that it’s out of print. Anyhoo, I hope Bozzio & Jobson never hear my attempt at this. I think I can play it now!” “Masques: This is my favorite song we ever recorded (next to ‘Mephisto’s Tarantella’). I never got a chance to re-record the drums when it was left off the album.” “City on the Hill: This was a new song that was in the direction Kevin wanted to go. I never really figured it out. It wasn’t really his style. Kevin was just starting to go more commercial and less progressive…bummer. I really liked the stuff he wrote when he didn’t care about the ‘business.’” “Crooked Mile: I kinda worked on some parts for this & we played it live once.” |
Call Me Kai
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Rating: 
2.678 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: 1984-1987 Released: April 16, 2021 Peak: 14 DF Sales (in millions): -- Disc 1: Decent Exposure (1985) (1) Suitcase Living (2) Staring into Nothing NRG (3) Carpet Man CV (4) Simpler Times (5) Circling Winds N (6) Walking in Your Shoes (7) Goodman Badman NRG (8) Rain Suite: (a) If I Ever Rain… (9) Rain Suite: (b) Broken Ties (10) Welcome Home VH Disc 2: Sometimes Why (1986) (1) Never Say Never (2) Another Day (3) Until I Get You Back (4) God’s Been Tapping My Phone B (5) Imagemaker PS (6) Livin’ in the U.S.A. (7) Child in Your Arms (8) One of Those Days (9) Tired Old Man Suite: (a) Tired Old Man N (b) Terpsichorean (c) Still Aire (d) Back on the Shelf Disc 3: Point Blank (1987) (1) Nightmares (2) Shannon Elizabeth N (3) One Bad Habit (4) Goodbye L.A. (5) Staring into Nothing NRG (6) Only 1 U Need (7) More for You (8) No Big Deal (9) Danarae (10) Suits Me Fine Disc 4: Mixed Bag (1984-87) (1) B-Men 1 (2) Sherwood (3) Tersichorean (4) Sometimes Why (5) B-Men 2 (6) Tracy (7) Never Gonna Change (8) This Rain (9) Finale (10) Yo Yo Yo (11) Just Can’t Stand (12) Sail Away
NRG also on No Reasons Given
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About the Album: Over the next few years after releasing No Reasons Given, Kevin set a goal for himself to create a new album each year to give to his family and friends. Those works were collected and released in the posthumous four-disc Call Me Kai box set in 2021. |
The Power of Suggestion
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Rating:
3.139 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Released: April 1988 Peak: 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
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About the Album: In the late ‘80s, Gilbert spent a year as a film student at UCLA and took a gig as Eddie Money’s touring keyboardist before launching the group Giraffe. All the songs on The Power of Suggestion were produced, engineered, arranged, and written by Gilbert at the Recording Studio in Sunnyvale, California during the winter of 1987. |
The View from Here
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Rating:
3.137 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Released: March 1989 Peak: 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
Total Running Time: 48:58 |
About the Album: After they released their debut album, Giraffe entered and won a national unsigned-bands competition. They followed up with their second album, The View from Here. |
Giraffe
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Rating: 
3.385 out of 5.00 |
Recorded: 1988-1989 Released: 1999 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
VH also on The View from Here Total Running Time: 73:46 |
About the Album: This compilation pulled together most of the songs from the two Giraffe albums. Three tracks were omitted from each album. |
Toy Matinee
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Rating: 
3.831 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Released: July 10, 1990 Peak: 129 US, 13 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
Total Running Time: 45:44 |
About the Album: When Giraffe won the unsigned-band competition, Gilbert caught the attention of Patrick Leonard, a producer who had worked with Madonna and others. Leonard suggested a collaboration and the group Toy Matinee was born. Their only album was released in 1990 and produced two moderately successful album-rock tracks in Last Plane Out and The Ballad of Jenny Ledge.
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Toy Matinee Acoustic
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Rating:
2.507 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
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Recorded: November 27, 1990 – April 21, 1991 Released: November 2014 Peak: 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
CV also on Covers |
About the Album: Toy Matinee lost momentum when Patrick Leonard moved on to other projects. However, Gilbert enlisted guitarist Mark Bonilla to help him do radio interviews and performances in which they promoted the group while playing cover songs and showcasing their witty and fun sides. This set gathers songs (tracks 1-6) recorded by Gilbert with Marc Bonilla and Spencer Campbell on November 27, 1990; one song (track 7) by Gilbert and Bonilla on December 20, 1990; and a few live cuts (tracks 8-10) recorded on April 21, 1991 at the Ventura Theatre in California. The live cuts feature Gilbert, Bonilla, and Campbell with Sheryl Crow on keyboards and Toss Panos on drums. |
Live at the Roxy
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Rating:
3.554 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: May 1, 1991 (live) Released: March 1, 2010 Peak: 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
CV also on Covers |
About the Album: Gilbert assembled a touring band which included Marc Bonilla and a then-unknown Sheryl Crow on keyboards, to promote the album. Their 1991 performance at the Roxy was recorded and released posthumously. During this time, Gilbert also did session work for established pop musicians, including Madonna and Michael Jackson. He also produced Keith Emerson’s album Changing States. Throughout the ‘90s, Gilbert worked as “a producer, film scorer, and session musician.” DN |
Tuesday Night Music Club
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Rating:
4.027 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Released: August 3, 1993 Peak: 3 US, 8 UK, 5 CN, 12 AU, 13 DF Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK) Tracks:
Total Running Time: 49:42 |
About the Album: In 1992, Gilbert and Bill Bottrell, who’d produced the Toy Matinee album, assembled a loose collective of musicians dubbed the Tuesday Night Music Club. They gathered weekly at Bottrell’s studio to hang out and make music. Gilbert brought Crow, with whom he’d struck up a relationship, and the gang carved out what would become her multi-platinum selling debut named after the crew. Gilbert had co-writing credit on many of the the song’s albums, including 1995 Grammy Record of the Year All I Wanna Do. “Crow later acrimoniously split with most of the musicians in the collective…[The rest of the TNMC’ers] worked with singer-songwriters Susanna Hoffs and Linda Perry on two more albums.” WK
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Progfest ’94: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
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Rating:
2.969 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: November 6, 1994 (live) Released: 2014 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
Total Running Time: 68:68 |
About the Album: In 1994, Gilbert performed Genesis’ rock-opera masterpiece The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway with a newly assembled version of Giraffe. Gilbert’s manager, Jon Rubin, “sent a copy of the recording to Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford who were searching for a new Genesis front man to replace Phil Collins.” WK Gilbert was rumored to be planning to fly to London to audition for the spot DE when he died. |
Thud
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Rating: 
4.337 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Released: March 21, 1995 Peak: 15 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
Total Running Time: 49:33 |
About the Album: Gilbert worked tirelessly to open his own studio and, in 1995, released a solo album called Thud. He also contributed songs to tribute albums of some of his favorite progressive rock artists as well – Genesis, Yes, and Gentle Giant. His cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” was bumped from the Encomium tribute album, but it was packaged as a CD single with some pressings of Thud. |
Live at the Troubadour/Welcome to Joytown
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Rating:
3.540 out of 5.00 Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: June 1, 1995 (live) Released: 2009 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
* only on remastered Welcome to Joytown, not on the original Live at the Troubadour
TM also on Toy Matinee
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About the Album: Gilbert’s 1995 live performance at the Troubadour was released in 2009 as a CD/DVD package called Welcome to Joytown: Thud Live at the Troubadour. |
The Shaming of the True
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Rating:
4.082 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: 1996 Released: February 13, 2000 Peak: 18 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
PS also on The Power of Suggestion VH also on The View from Here LT also on Live at the Troubadour Total Running Time: 67:27 |
About the Album: On May 17, 1996, Rubin found Gilbert dead at his home just outside of Los Angeles. KG was wearing only a black skirt and black hood over his head, which was “slumped against a leather strap chained to the headboard of the king-size bed in the sparsely furnished living room.” JS “The coroner listed the cause of death as ‘asphyxia due to partial suspension hanging.’ Friends and MTV more explicitly reported the cause as autoerotic asphyxiation” MA caused when people go a “step too far in depriving their brains of oxygen while they reach orgasm.” JS The Los Angeles County coroners’ office reports four or five such deaths a year. One can only imagine the possibilities of what Kevin Gilbert could have continued to contribute to the music world. Rubin, who once fronted ’70s pop band the Rubinoos and is now the executor of Gilbert’s estate, says, KG’s “death was tragic, but his life was not a tragedy.” RS As friend Tim Van Den Berg said, “I would like to believe that he is now blessing another world with his beautiful music.” TV At the time of his death, KG was working on a second solo album, the rock opera The Shaming of the True. It “was largely incomplete, but Gilbert’s estate asked Spock’s Beard drummer Nick D’Virgilio to complete it based on the extant tapes and Gilbert’s notes. It was released in 2000. |
The Kaviar Sessions
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Rating:
3.102 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: 1996 Released: 2002 Peak: 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
* includes unlisted bonus track |
About the Album: In 2002, The Kaviar Sessions, which Gilbert was also working on in 1996, were released. |
Nuts
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Rating:
3.390 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: 1984-96 Released: October 19, 2009 Peak: 14 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
CK also on Call Me Kai PS also on The Power of Suggestion TH also on Thud |
About the Album: In 2009, a two-CD set called Nuts and Bolts assembled previously unreleased recordings from throughout Giibert’s career. The estate of Kevin Gilbert has reissued much of his work alongside other merchandise available at PopPlusOne.com. |
Bolts
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Rating:
3.359 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
Notes: See the DMDB page here. |
Recorded: 1984-96 Released: October 19, 2009 Peak: 14 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
TM also on Toy Matinee TH also on Thud LT also on Live at the Troubadour CV also on Covers |
About the Album: This is the second of the two archival volumes (the other is Nuts) that were released in 2009 covering Gilbert’s entire career. |
Covers
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Rating:
3.145 out of 5.00 Awards: (Click on award to learn more).
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Recorded: 1985-96 Released: November 22, 2021 Peak: 15 DF Sales (in millions): -- Tracks:
LR also on Live at the Roxy TN also on Tuesday Night Music Club LB also on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway LT also on Live at the Troubadour KS also on The Kaviar Sessions N also on Nuts B also on Bolts |
About the Album: This is a collection of songs covered by Gilbert throughout his career. |
Resources and Related Links:
First posted 11/20/2011; last updated 11/8/2022. |
Outstanding. Thank you.
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