SPECTRAL MORNINGS

Significantly less muddled and unfocused than Please Don't Touch, Hackett's second post- Genesis solo album sees Hackett pioneering a progressive style focusing around shorter songs structured to give his guitar skills centre stage. It is by no means perfect - the opening of the first song, Every Day, is pretty lousy pop, but the song soon transforms into a soaring guitar piece, and The Ballad of the Decomposing Man is just bad from beginning to end - an unpleasant and unnecessary dig at the working class on the part of a grammar school boy, not exactly tasteful or respectful.

But the rest of the album is a sheer delight. Hackett's solos here are surely a great influence on the neo-prog bands that would follow in its wake - I think I can hear its influence in early work by Jadis, IQ and The Lens in particular. With styles ranging from classic rock to classical guitar to world music, this album manages to combine the diversity which Please Don't Touch possessed with the focus and confidence of Voyage of the Acolyte.