DEFECTOR

Here is the CD I like to call the forgotten HACKETT album. It's not his best but without it, you'd be missing out on some essential HACKETT. The opening track "The Steppes", is a very dark piece with a heavy bass line and ominous guitar passages that truly convey images of frigid winds sweeping over the lonely Siberian steppes. "Time to Get Out" is very similar to "Carry On Up the Vicarage" whereas "Slogans" is a nice little jazzy tune. "Leaving" is a delicate, moody ballad (the introductory guitar notes sound like MIKE RUTHERFORD's 12-strings). "Two Vamps as Guests" is a short acoustic, classical guitar piece that would have fitted well on his "Momentum" album. "Jaccuzzi" is a dazzling, whirling instrumental as only Hackett can concoct them whereas "Hammer in the Sand" (one of my all-time HACKETT favourites) is a beautifully haunting instrumental with a moving melody. "The Toast" is a slow, slurry waltz that conveys the floating state during the last stages of inebriation (which, for me, is about 2 glasses of wine!). "The Show" is a tongue-in-cheek rocker, a crowd-pleaser on concert nights. The album closes with "Sentimental Institution", a spoof on 1930's ballads, complete with old 78 rpm scratchy sounds, nasal vocals and foxtrot flavour (not to be confused with the big G's famous album title!).

As I said, not HACKETT's best and if you're a fan, you already know this. But you wouldn't trade it away, right?