THE BREMEN BROADCAST - MUSIKLADEN 8TH NOVEMBER 1978

Originally broadcast in the German TV early in 1979, this small-sized gig captures the ex-GENESIS guitarist at the very early stage of his live solo performing career. Despite that fact, there are material from three different albums; Spectral Mornings hadn't yet come out at the time. To many these first three albums are the best ones too. So the track list is really fine! One could almost say, too fine for this sextet. I'm referring to the songs that originally featured guest vocalists (Steve Walsh of KANSAS, Sally Oldfield, Phil Collins) and are now sung by Pete Hicks. He manages to sound quite a lot like Walsh on 'Racing in A' and 'Narnia', but his high, falsetto-approaching vocal performance on 'Shadow of Hierophant' is a rather disturbing mockery of Sally Oldfield's soprano excellence.

That's about the only fault I can find in this set. The playing is energetic, highlighting Hackett's versatile guitar technics. Brother John's flute graces several tracks, and Nick Magnus is great on keyboards. Mellotron on 'Hierophant', wow! The camera work and sonic quality are both fairly good.

There are two previously unreleased bonuses from the same gig: 'Carry On Up the Vicarage' (I wonder how Hackett makes himself sound like a little squirrel), and 'Star of Sirius', in which the vocal parts sound a bit blurry. Despite some tiny minuses, this is a totally recommendable release for all Hackett fans.

'Fourty years ago Steve Hackett started touring solo.'

For Old School Genesis fans the year 1978 was one with extreme contrasting musical experiences. On one hand Genesis decided to get rid of their lush 70-77 symphonic rock sound, in exchange for a kind of progressive pop on their new album And Then There Were Three. On the other hand ex-Genesis guitar player Steve Hackett released his second solo effort entitled Please Don't Touch, a very tasteful and adventurous progressive blend of styles. And featuring an awesome list of guest musicians, from Steve Walsh and Randy Crawford to Phil Ehart and Chester Tompsson.

This DVD is incredible 1978 live footage, I have seen all his solo tours between 1978 and 1986, I consider this as the most emotional one. Because he was released from his frustrations within Genesis and got artistic freedom. Now Steve Hackett was happy and cheerful as a solo artist, eager to deliver his adventurous and inventive musical ideas. This has been perfectly registrated by the experienced crew of the popular tv music program Musikladen (the successor of the legendary Beat Club), a kind of German Old Grey WhistleTest. The shots are taken very tastefully, from several positions, with the focus on Steve Hackett. But also divided over the other members, you can watch the huge drumkit from John Shearer and the wide range of vintage keyboards around Nick Magnus. The first 10 minutes are 'progrock magic' with the instrumental opener Land Of A Thousand Autumns: it's dark, only a spot from behind on Hackett, playing on the Roland guitar synthesizer (a novelty in those days), with an ominous orchestral sound, then Nick Magnus takes it over with soaring Mellotron violins, as a bridge to the propulsive and dynamic Please Don't Touch, Hackett shines with fiery runs on his black Fender Stratocaster, and sensational use of the tremolo arm, how exciting!

During the concert Steve Hackett delivers lots of interesting musical ideas.

The use of the Optigan keyboard ('early sampling technology', like the Mellotron), with a funny flute sound, a fine humorous idea from Hackett.

Bass player Dik Cadbury delivers a crystal clear soprano voice in the epic Shadow Of The Hierophant, what a surprise, and what a high quality performance.

An 'acoustic set', Hackett was ahead of his time, 10 years before MTV Unplugged! We can enjoy Hackett his virtuosic guitar play, alternating between classical - and Spanish music, then a short medley featuring parts of Blood On The Rooftops and Horizons, and in the end a duet with his brother John on flute, simply beautiful.

On this DVD you can also get an excellent impression of Hackett his varied guitar technique: from 'flageolets', 'sustain' and 'tapping' (many years before Van Halen!) to the use of the tremolo-arm and the volume pedal (a Hackett trademark). And inventive 'ticking' in the intro of Clocks (great interplay with brother John on the Moog Taurus bass pedals).

During the compelling instrumental Spectral Mornings the camera crew used a 'soft focus' lens, this matches perfectly with Steve Hackett his howling runs and Nick Magnus his floods of Mellotron violins, goose bumps! The musical and visual highlight is the epic Shadow Of A Hierophant, wonderfully caught on camera: from the dreamy start with sensitive volume pedal driven electric guitar and soaring Mellotron violins to the breathtaking sumptuous final part, with majestic Mellotron and howling electric guitar, topped by John Hackett on the pedals of the mighty Moog Taurus bass synthesizer, I am carried away to Symphonic Rock Heaven!

This DVD contains two bonustracks that were not originally broadcasted: melodic poprock in Carry On Up The Vicarage and vocal harmonies and a wonderful guitar solo in Star Of Sirius.

In 1978 it was officially announced: The King Of Symphonic Rock Genesis is dead, long live The King Of Symphonic Rock Steve Hackett, and anno 2018 King Hackett still rules!