GENESIS REVISITED II

'Genesis Revisited II' is the twenty-seventh studio album of Steve Hackett and was released in 2012. This is a different album because we have new versions of some original Genesis' songs plus new versions of some compositions of his solo career, rather than new songs. Somehow, it's a sequel to his studio album 'Genesis Revisited' released in 1996.

'Genesis Revisited II' has been in the offing for a considerable time because it was released sixteen years after the first volume 'Genesis Revisited'. So, it isn't really surprisingly that the personal for volume II has shifted dramatically with only Roger King, Nick Magnus, John Wetton and his brother John, which are the sole survivors of the previous album.

So, the line up on the album, beyond Steve Hackett (vocals and guitars), is Mike Akerfeldt (vocals), Nick Beggs (bass), Simon Collins (vocals), Dick Driver (double bass), Francis Dunnery (vocals), Rachel Ford (cello), John Hackett (flute), Jakko Jakszyk (vocals), Conrad Keely (vocals), Nick Kershaw (vocals), Roger King (keyboards), Dave Kurzner (keyboards), Amanda Lehman (vocals), Nick Magnus (keyboards), Neal Morse (vocals), Phil Mulford (bass), Gary O'Toole (vocals and drums), Lee Pomeroy (bass), Steve Rothery (guitar), Jeremy Stacey (drums), Roine Stolt (guitar), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Christine Townsend (violin, viola, flute, soprano and tenor saxophones), Rob Townsend (soprano saxophone and whistle), John Wetton (vocals), Steven Wilson (vocals and guitar) and Djabe. 'Genesis Revisited II' is a double studio album with twenty-one tracks. Hackett, in contrast to 'Genesis Revisited', stays closer to the original versions and chooses only pieces from the six studio albums in which he was involved, enriched by some of his solo pieces that are closely related to Genesis. So, from Genesis we have: 'The Musical Box' and 'The Return Of The Giant Hogweed' from 'Nursery Crime', 'Horizons', 'Supper's Ready' and 'Can-Utility And The Coastliners' from 'Foxtrot', 'Dancing With The Moonlight Knight' from 'Selling England By The Pound', 'The Chamber Of 32 Doors', 'The Lamia', 'Fly On A Windshield' and 'Broadway Melody Of 1974' from 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway', 'Entangled' and 'Ripples' from 'A Trick Of The Tail', 'Blood On The Rooftops', 'Eleventh Earl Of Mar', 'Unquiet Slumbers For The Sleepers'', ''In That Quiet Earth' and 'Afterglow' from 'Wind And Wuthering'. From Hackett we have: 'A Tower Struck Down' and 'Shadow Of The Hierophant' from 'Voyage Of The Acolyte', 'Please Don't Touch' from 'Please Don't Touch' and 'Camino Royale' from 'Highly Strung'.

The first impression is good. As far as the style of the interpretations is concerned, the album is more homogeneous than 'Genesis Revisited'. There, the pieces are more varied when compared to the original. The changes are bigger than here. So, 'Genesis Revisited II' is very homogeneous and much closed, keeping the past successful. As far as the instrumental implementation is concerned, the individual pieces are played very close to the original. This time, Hackett refuses to reinterpret the old material and simply plays it one-to-one. This overall impression isn't changed by the fact that Hackett has made changes in a few places. It remains consistently with homeopathic orders of magnitude. Daring is nothing here. On the contrary, the listener is bathed in the 70's sound. The musical changes mostly refer to details and accents, mostly in favor of the guitar. Occasionally, the instrumentation is varied. The wind instruments and strings subtly expand the sound spectrum. Concrete innovations can be found in specific places, in which then selectively added or changed. When Hackett introduces something radically new, it's usually an extra intro or a solo variation that allows a new perspective on the individual pieces. Hackett does a great job adding some of his solo tracks in here too.

'Genesis Revisited II' follows a similar ideal, unleashing a guest list of musicians talented enough to make you wince on songs we all know and love, or should love. Vocally alone we have some of the current names of the prog scene. However and in fact, with musicians of the calibre of John Hackett, Steve Rothery, Nick Beggs, Lee Pomeroy and Roine Stolt, among others, let's say that the quality of the performances isn't, and will be never, a question of lack of quality.

Conclusion: As happened with 'Genesis Revisited' this is also a very personal work of Hackett. Still, in contrary to 'Genesis Revisited' where Hackett revisited the world of Genesis modifying many of the original songs, sometimes with some controversial options, on 'Genesis Revisited II' Steve preferred plays it straight, which is certainly the case of almost everything here apart some invigorated versions. I particularly like the new version of 'Supper's Ready' with five different vocalists. Of course we can always question the needing of revisit some of the old songs and if it's better to play those songs in a straight way or re-writing them in a new format, running huge risks when we are speaking of an important band like Genesis. But I must say I like very much of this album, as happened with the other, and that for me, like Ivan Melgar M, Hackett can always revisits Genesis as many times he wants because I'll always buy those albums.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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