Steve Hillage – Searching for the Spark
A look back at Madfish’s astonishing career-spanning box set
There are box sets, and then there are Madfish box sets.
Over the years I’ve unboxed and reviewed quite a few of these beautifully produced archive collections, but every now and then I’m reminded that there are still one or two I never properly got around to covering. One of those is Steve Hillage’s Searching for the Spark, a truly monumental set that captures not just the music, but the whole world around it.
What prompted me to revisit this one was a recent post I made about Khan’s Space Shanty. Someone commented that they had gone off to listen to it for the first time and thought it was fantastic. And that really took me back, because it was this very box set that opened that door for me in the first place. That is one of the joys of these collections. They do not simply archive an artist’s catalogue. They expand it. They deepen it. They send you back into corners of a career you may never have explored otherwise.
And in the case of Steve Hillage, that journey is extraordinary.
The kind of box set that feels like an event
This is one of Madfish’s earlier deluxe multi-disc editions, and it has that same unmistakable sense of occasion the moment you lift the lid. In fact, if anything, these earlier sets sometimes felt even more extravagantly overprotected and overthought in the best possible way. Everything is packed with the sort of care that immediately tells you this is not just another reissue campaign.
I bought my copy from Burning Shed, who had apparently found a few copies tucked away at the back of the warehouse. That in itself added to the sense of excitement. This set had felt completely out of reach for a long time. I had seen it selling for around £450 to £500, which made it one of those dream items you admire from afar. Then suddenly Burning Shed listed a few remaining copies at £199, and I thought: that is now or never.
I am very glad I went for it.
Straight away, this feels like a box made for fans first. Not for speculators, not for people wondering what it might be worth in five years’ time, but for listeners who genuinely want to immerse themselves in an artist’s life and work.
What’s inside the box?
The contents are, frankly, astonishing.
This edition includes an authentic signed print, signed by Miquette Giraudy and Steve Hillage, which instantly gives the set a personal connection. That matters. It does not feel distant or corporate. It feels involved. It feels as if the artists themselves are somehow present within the experience.
Alongside that, there are three posters, including artwork connected to L, Fish Rising, and Motivation Radio. There are also two lyric books, gathering together Steve Hillage’s words in compact, beautifully produced volumes. Then there are the smaller memorabilia touches that collectors love: a Sky Drunk Heartbeat Band badge and a Steve Hillage plectrum tucked away in the box.
And then of course there is the music.
The albums are housed in individual gatefold sleeves, and the set stretches right back to Khan’s Space Shanty, which for me was one of the great discoveries here. That album alone is worth the journey if you have never properly spent time with it. But the set does not stop at the familiar titles. It opens up a huge amount of live material, rare tracks, BBC sessions, archive performances and material that simply has not escaped into the wild as separate releases.
That is one of the defining characteristics of Madfish. When they do this kind of set, they really do commit to the idea that the box itself is the destination.
A treasure trove, not just a discography
What elevates Searching for the Spark beyond a very good box set is the sheer amount of thought given to the printed material.
There are two major books here, and both are exceptional.
The first is more of a memorabilia and scrapbook-style volume, packed with press cuttings, photographs, adverts, concert flyers, interviews and snapshots from throughout Steve Hillage’s creative life. It feels less like a conventional booklet and more like being handed access to an artist’s archive. You can get lost in it. In fact, you want to get lost in it.
The second book goes even deeper, offering the sort of detailed, beautifully presented career overview that Madfish have made something of an art form. Full-page reproductions of album covers, background on the recordings, contextual history, visual documentation and an enormous amount of detail all come together to create something much richer than standard liner notes.
That is why I often say that these sets are like a day out or even a weekend away. You do not just put them on a shelf and admire them. You live with them for a while. You take them down, spread everything out, dip into the books, listen to an album you have not heard in years, follow it with a live disc, then find yourself reading an old press clipping or staring at a poster reproduction. It becomes an experience.
And that, for me, is what a truly great box set should do.
Discovering Steve Hillage as a complete journey
One of the interesting things for me about this set is that I did not come into Steve Hillage’s catalogue carrying a huge amount of emotional baggage.
That can actually be a real advantage.
Sometimes when you have followed an artist from the very beginning, every lineup change or stylistic shift comes with a reaction. You compare eras, you miss certain players, you decide that one period is somehow more authentic than another. But when you discover an artist more holistically through a set like this, you can simply enjoy the full arc of the music for what it is.
That is especially true with Steve Hillage because the journey here is so broad. At one end, you have the more cosmic, psychedelic and Gong-related material. Further in, you encounter albums like Fish Rising, Green, L, and Motivation Radio, each opening another doorway. Later, the story moves toward the more contemporary, more electronic, more ambient and dance-influenced System 7 territory.
And rather than seeing that as a problem, I found it exciting.
This set lets you experience the whole creative sweep as one evolving body of work. You are not forced to choose sides. You are invited to enjoy the journey.
Why Madfish continue to set the standard
I have said this before when reviewing Madfish releases, and I will say it again: they consistently produce some of the finest box sets on the market.
When you look at what they have done with Wishbone Ash, Gentle Giant, Horslips, John Mayall, and others, there is a clear philosophy behind these releases. The question always seems to be: what else would the fans love to find in here?
That is a very different mindset from many labels, where the feeling can sometimes be: what can we leave out and still get away with it?
Here, it feels the opposite. If something exists, and if it adds value to the story, Madfish seem determined to include it. That fan-first mentality comes through in every detail.
To me, that is why these sets justify their price when they are done properly. They are expensive, yes. There is no getting around that. But when you lift the lid and realise you are holding not just the music but the story, the imagery, the artefacts, the history and in this case even a signed print, you understand where the value lies.
Is it worth tracking down?
If you are a Steve Hillage fan, then yes — absolutely.
And if you are someone who only owns a handful of the albums, as I did, I would still say this is one of those rare sets that can pull you much deeper into an artist’s world. That was certainly my experience. I went in with a partial connection to the catalogue and came away feeling I had discovered an entire creative universe.
That is not something every box set can do.
So if you ever see Searching for the Spark come up on Discogs, eBay, or from a specialist retailer at anything resembling a sensible price, it is well worth serious consideration. Sets like this do not come around often, and they certainly do not tend to get repeated in quite the same form. The signed element alone makes that unlikely.
This is not just a luxury object. It is a deep archive, a musical journey, and a reminder of how rewarding physical media can be when it is created with imagination, respect and genuine love for the artist.
For me, that is what makes it special.
Key details
Artist: Steve Hillage
Box Set: Searching for the Spark
Label: Madfish
Format: Multi-disc deluxe box set
Includes:
- Career-spanning audio collection
- Rare and live material
- Gatefold replica sleeves
- Signed print
- Posters
- Two lyric books
- Memorabilia book
- Extensive hardback book
Standout points
- A beautifully curated career overview
- Excellent balance of albums, rarities and live material
- Khan’s Space Shanty is a real revelation within the set
- Superb books and memorabilia elevate it beyond a standard archive release
- Another example of Madfish doing what they do best
