VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE

Steve Hackett´s first solo album, recorded and released while he was still in Genesis, is a mixed bag. It has some wonderful tunes and some that are less than that. At the time I thought it was a bit of a frustration. I was expecting more, specially considering the fine musicians involved. I still have the same feeling. It sounds like a Genesis record that is somewhat incomplete, without some of that magic touch all Genesis albums had so far.

Most of the time my feelings were that the tunes were good, but not fully developed. Some more, some less. Even in the best songs (Ace of Hands, Star Of Sirius) I cannot help but thinking that something´s missing. Don´t get me wrong, the playing is great, the production is good and the overall sound is above average. I really love that guitar sound! The problem is really the songwriting and maybe some arrangements that could bring more life to the tracks (lack of time pehaps? After all, Genesis was still the priority).

All in all, a good record, even though I expected more from such talented musicians. 3 stars.