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STEVE HACKETT

Eclectic Prog • United Kingdom


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Steve Hackett biography
Stephen Richard Hackett - Born February 12th 1950 (Pimlico, London, UK)

GUITAR BASED MUSIC WITH VARIOUS STYLES
(Blues, Classical, Folk, Jazz, New Age and Progressive Rock)


Steve HACKETT needs no introduction. He is definitely one of the major guitarists of this century. Ex-GENESIS, he is now a major force in the domain of music composed for guitar, rock as well as classical. Steve is a complex musician, drawing influence from a wide variety of styles and melding them into super compositions. His music has evolved over the years, and while some of it was not up to the standards that he set with other albums. They are still excellent.

HACKETT joined GENESIS as guitarist in early 1971 and featured across ten albums of their history. He replaced Anthony PHILLIPS, and stayed with the band during their successful mid-70s progressive rock period. I remember once reading that, if GENESIS lost their "brains" when Peter GABRIEL left, then they surely lost their "heart" when Steve left. In a way, it is easy to see how HACKETT was "crowded out" of Genesis in 1977. From "Nursery Crime" in 1971 to the double-live "Seconds Out" in 1977, he created in his solo albums his own style, dominated by his guitars, sometimes very classical or at times furious. His tracks go from a symphonic Progressive style to a more energetic rock.

From the first album "Voyage Of The Acolyte" while he was still with GENESIS to his most recent ones, all are MUSTS. For the most part, all of the compositions on HACKETT's first five solo albums are well-thought-out and impeccably well crafted. I would highly recommend "Voyage of the Acolyte" (missing GENESIS album), "Please Don't Touch" (powerful), his TRADEMARK "Spectral Mornings" (pure magic), "Defector" (another amazing album by Steve), and "Cured" (pop-oriented). This, along with "Time Lapse", "The Unauthorised Biography", "Guitar Noir", "Darktown" and "To Watch The Storms", are the best for people curious about the HACKETT "feel". However I believe these are his bests - it could rightly be called "THE HISTORY OF MUSIC ACCORDING TO STEVE HACKETT." Get them ALL...and HAPPY LISTENING!!!

Discography with GENESIS (1971-1982):
1971 - Nursery Crime
1972 - Foxtrot
1973 - Live
1973 - Selling England By The Pound
1974 - Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
1976 - Wind and Wuthering
1976 - Trick of the Tail
1977 - Second...
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STEVE HACKETT Videos (YouTube and more)


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STEVE HACKETT discography


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STEVE HACKETT top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.25 | 1568 ratings
Voyage of the Acolyte
1975
3.61 | 661 ratings
Please Don't Touch!
1978
4.15 | 963 ratings
Spectral Mornings
1979
3.66 | 539 ratings
Defector
1980
2.42 | 354 ratings
Cured
1981
2.93 | 313 ratings
Highly Strung
1982
3.35 | 283 ratings
Bay of Kings
1983
2.43 | 253 ratings
Till We Have Faces
1984
3.16 | 203 ratings
Momentum
1988
3.29 | 267 ratings
Guitar Noir
1993
2.87 | 165 ratings
Blues with a Feeling
1994
3.43 | 368 ratings
Genesis Revisited
1996
3.58 | 207 ratings
A Midsummer Night's Dream
1997
3.78 | 357 ratings
Darktown
1999
3.43 | 169 ratings
Sketches of Satie (with John Hackett)
2000
2.55 | 159 ratings
Feedback 86
2000
3.78 | 426 ratings
To Watch the Storms
2003
3.59 | 217 ratings
Metamorpheus
2005
3.74 | 353 ratings
Wild Orchids
2006
3.51 | 136 ratings
Tribute
2008
3.67 | 400 ratings
Out of the Tunnel's Mouth
2009
3.85 | 462 ratings
Beyond the Shrouded Horizon
2011
3.90 | 546 ratings
Genesis Revisited II
2012
3.74 | 433 ratings
Wolflight
2015
3.74 | 220 ratings
The Night Siren
2017
3.90 | 340 ratings
At the Edge of Light
2019
3.60 | 91 ratings
Under a Mediterranean Sky
2021
3.98 | 136 ratings
Surrender of Silence
2021
3.79 | 71 ratings
The Circus and the Nightwhale
2024

STEVE HACKETT Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.78 | 84 ratings
Time Lapse
1992
3.92 | 63 ratings
There Are Many Sides To The Night
1994
3.97 | 166 ratings
The Tokyo Tapes
1998
4.50 | 88 ratings
Live Archives 70,80,90s
2000
4.22 | 18 ratings
Somewhere In South America... - Live In Buenos Aires
2002
4.07 | 15 ratings
Hungarian Horizons
2003
4.56 | 15 ratings
Live Archive NEARfest
2003
4.06 | 29 ratings
Live Archive 03
2004
4.25 | 32 ratings
Live Archive 04
2004
3.69 | 27 ratings
Live Archive 05
2005
2.86 | 23 ratings
Live Archive 83
2006
4.31 | 119 ratings
Rails Live
2010
4.54 | 144 ratings
Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith
2013
4.19 | 100 ratings
Genesis Revisited: Live at The Royal Albert Hall
2014
3.38 | 8 ratings
Access All Areas
2014
4.16 | 62 ratings
The Total Experience Live In Liverpool
2016
4.00 | 25 ratings
Summer Storms & Rocking Rivers (with Djabe)
2017
4.27 | 48 ratings
Wuthering Nights: Live in Birmingham
2018
4.72 | 49 ratings
Genesis Revisited Band & Orchestra: Live at the Royal Festival Hall
2019
4.13 | 39 ratings
Selling England by the Pound & Spectral Mornings: Live at Hammersmith
2020
3.83 | 29 ratings
Genesis Revisited Live: Seconds Out & More
2022
4.83 | 15 ratings
Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton
2023

STEVE HACKETT Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

3.00 | 1 ratings
Live!
1992
4.13 | 73 ratings
The Tokyo Tapes
2001
4.28 | 56 ratings
Somewhere In South America... - Live In Buenos Aires
2002
3.98 | 41 ratings
Hungarian Horizons - Live in Budapest
2003
4.02 | 25 ratings
Horizons
2003
4.39 | 94 ratings
Once Above a Time
2004
3.23 | 12 ratings
Live Legends
2004
3.73 | 33 ratings
Spectral Mornings
2005
4.14 | 14 ratings
Estival Jazz Lugano
2009
4.02 | 40 ratings
Live - Fire & Ice
2011
4.27 | 13 ratings
The Bremen Broadcast - Musikladen 8th November 1978
2013

STEVE HACKETT Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.89 | 35 ratings
The Unauthorised Biography
1992
4.31 | 13 ratings
Guitare Classique
2001
3.43 | 33 ratings
Genesis Files
2002
3.14 | 33 ratings
Genesis Revisited II: Selection
2013
4.80 | 20 ratings
Premonitions: The Charisma Recordings 1975-1983
2015
4.46 | 13 ratings
Broken Skies Outspread Wings
2018

STEVE HACKETT Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

4.50 | 10 ratings
Ace of Wands
1975
3.80 | 13 ratings
How Can I?
1978
2.61 | 12 ratings
Narnia
1978
3.18 | 17 ratings
Clocks
1979
4.10 | 10 ratings
Every Day
1979
2.07 | 8 ratings
Sentimental Institution
1980
2.14 | 13 ratings
The Show
1980
2.36 | 9 ratings
Hope I Don't Wake
1981
2.83 | 6 ratings
Picture Postcard
1981
2.80 | 18 ratings
Cell 151
1983
2.83 | 6 ratings
A Doll That's Made in Japan
1984
2.33 | 3 ratings
Timeless
1994
3.07 | 8 ratings
Your Own Special Way
1996
2.67 | 6 ratings
Days Of Long Ago
1999
3.00 | 1 ratings
Feedback 86 + Live 90's
2001
4.00 | 3 ratings
Live Recordings 70's, 80's
2001
3.67 | 6 ratings
Brand New
2003
2.50 | 4 ratings
Man In The Long Black Coat
2006
2.23 | 7 ratings
Til These Eyes
2012
3.68 | 16 ratings
Spectral Mornings
2015
2.28 | 6 ratings
When the Heart Rules the Mind
2018

STEVE HACKETT Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 The Circus and the Nightwhale by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Studio Album, 2024
3.79 | 71 ratings

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The Circus and the Nightwhale
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Steve Hackett is surely the most active member of Genesis and arguably the one who has stayed truest to his progressive rock roots, as his seemingly endless creativity drives him into releasing newer albums every other year, a creative force that might have been sparked by the intense Genesis-related touring and revisiting that Mr Hackett has become notorious for in recent years. As we have appreciated the busy release schedule for him in the 2020s, his most recent release titled 'The Circus and the Nightwhale' sees him diving head first into prog rock waters (which for many is what he does best).

And Hackett needs no introduction at all, as every prog fan would position him somewhere high up in the prog rock guitarists pantheon - and on his latest studio album (released as usual on Inside Out Music), it seems that he goes on celebrating the sounds and the style he is well-known for, at this point expanding his majestic catalogue with yet another pretty good album. 'The Circus and the Nightwhale' is a tight collection of seemingly thematically related songs that have been pierced by these shorter one- or two-minute instrumental vignettes on several occasions across the album. However, above all, as Steve Hackett had stated himself, with this album he had the intention of creating a "theater for the ears" and this is probably a very good way of describing his 2024 release. The album is quite cinematic, intricate and melancholic, as the music usually is when one considers the former Genesis guitarist. Occasionally the vocals might not be the most appealing, especially when it comes to Mr Hackett's singing, which has been the subject of discussion for decades, but the album works nicely and flows gently, as it works perfectly as another addition to the Hackett discography, not really introducing anything new or unheard of, just celebrating a specific genre of music.

All in all, 'The Circus and the Nightwhale' is a fine release, perhaps nothing too special, just a very well-crafted album by a prog rock veteran who displays all of his technical and vocal abilities to very positive results. Hackett fans will be enjoying this one for sure, and I think it might also appeal to rock fans in general, too.

 Cured by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Studio Album, 1981
2.42 | 354 ratings

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Cured
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by zampino

2 stars I recently returned to this album while listening to Steve Hackett's studio discography in sequence. I wasn't particularly looking forward to this one, as it was the album that made me turn my back on his career for more than two decades, until ""Beyond the Shrouded Horizon" made me look again at his career and realize what I had been missing.

I had reservations about some aspects of "Defector", but "Cured" pushed me over the edge with its strained vocals and absolutely horrible album cover. The first three songs are painful, out of character, and far too commercial as regards his previous work. It's only on the instrumental, or mostly instrumental, pieces like "The Air Conditioned Nightmare", that Hackett shines. But even here he would have been better served ditching the drum machines and hiring a real drummer.

In retrospect I can see that many of his future vocal tendencies, particularly using multiple voices to create interesting harmonies, are evident, and had he stuck with his natural range when singing solo perhaps these songs would be less forced. Clearly this was a challenging extension of his abilities, and it would be years before he found his real voice in song, and developed into an expressive singer and song-writer. However, on this album, as he sings "I don't want to be here" on "Picture Postcard", I can't but help feel the same.

For those perusing his discography, I would jump from "Defector" to "Guitar Noir", jump again to "Darktown", then make one more big leap to "To Watch The Storms", at which point the modern, confident, experienced Steve Hackett begins a string of exceptional studio albums.

 The Circus and the Nightwhale by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Studio Album, 2024
3.79 | 71 ratings

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The Circus and the Nightwhale
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by tszirmay
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars The inexhaustible guitarist has to be one of the hardest working musicians anywhere, dishing out studio albums at a consistent pace, touring the world in concert, paying his respectful homage to his first band and furthering, if not elevating its legacy way beyond the capabilities or desires of his former bandmates. More Fool Me indeed! He has no need to prove anything anymore, well entrenched in the Prog Hall of Fame and content do his thing his way. Master of the acoustic, nylon and electric guitars, using his legendary sustain and tapping technique, he is unique in not veering into fluffier jazzy stuff like so many other veteran electric guitarists. He actually has become a tad crisper in his sound, noticeable in the last few releases especially. And true to form, the tracks cover a wide range of stylistic niches, from acoustic workouts, brooding blues, some technical sizzle that borders on heavy rock and of course, some sublime prog compositions that are unafraid to infuse some world music tendencies. His usual seasoned road cronies are all on board, Roger King manning the keyboard duties, the amazing Jonas Reingold on bass, sax man Rob Townsend and drummers Craig Blundell, Nick D'Virgilio and Hugo Degenhart.

Strangely, I was truly mesmerized by the shorter pieces like the iridescent "These Passing Clouds", the bluesy "Found and Lost", the torrid sandstorm feel of Scipio's Roman Army in Africa on "Circo Inferno", the Zeppelin-esque thrashing on "Breakout", lest we forget that the Brits are an island nation devoted to the oceans on "All at Sea" and the classical acoustic finale on "White Dove", a magical farewell.

For those who are dismayed about him singing on all the tracks, hey, it's been like that for nearly 50 years, so suck it up and move on. Its his art, okay! For those who think he is just rehashing the same tired formula, listen to the monster rock steamroller exhibit on "Taking You Down", the totally enchanting Genesisian aroma of "Enter the Ring" with its fluttering John Hackett flute pirouettes and carnival atmosphere, the incredible six string method solo on the poignant "Get it Out", followed by the majestic prog epic "Ghost Moon and Living Lone", a series of typical Hackett solos that inserts some slide guitar outbursts, the soaring female vocal (Amanda Lehmann) intro is drenched in absurd beauty and rather amazing vocals from the Man with the Golden Guitar, BTW!

The furtive "Into the Nightwhale" certainly captures the gigantic proportion of the cetacean with some colossal orchestrations as well as the creature's relative meekness and gentle disposition in the second part, where a serene calm settles in, twinkling piano and a forgiving vocal glimmering brightly. Immediate segue into the bolder anthemic "Wherever You Are", a suave voice, leading to thumping drum patterns, another patented Hackett fretboard screech, rousing organ collisions and a fiery climax.

The lamp's warm glow flickers as Steve plays "White Dove", restrained notes that express deep felt emotions, a stellar neo-classical piece that suggest the need for kindness and peace. Mister consistency strikes again, another great chapter in a gloriously productive career, proving once again that being on one's own can be utterly rewarding artistically.

4.5 Carnival orcas. [email protected]

 Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Live, 2013
4.54 | 144 ratings

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Genesis Revisited: Live at Hammersmith
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by TenYearsAfter

5 stars This Hackett playing Genesis is superior to Genesis on Seconds Out!

When Steve Hackett performed his first solo gig in The Netherlands on October 19th in 1978 (Congresgebouw, The Hague) the venue was half empty I remember, early July 2024 Steve Hackett will play 3 evenings in a row (De Boerderij, Zoetermeer), no more tickets available (lucky me got a ticket on the final night), all concerts were sold out within a few months, the times they are a changin' .....

Another fact about the difference between early Hackett and Hackett nowadays: in the past he hardly played Genesis songs, anno 2024 his setlist is loaded with tracks from 70s Genesis, he even played entire Genesis albums in the last 10 years. A great example of Steve Hackett playing Genesis is this 3-CD/2-DVD box set, featuring known guest musicians like Nick Kershaw, the late John Wetton, and Steve Rothery.

Listening and watching Steve Hackett on this box set I am blown away by his distinctive guitar sound and his skills, this is one of the most underrated guitarists in rock and prog history. For example, the huge variety he creates with techniques like tapping, slide, tremelo and using the volume pedal. He also switches easily from heavy electric guitar to tender Spanish guitar. And in my opinion Steve Hackett has delivered the most compelling guitar solo ever played, in Firth Of Fifth, what a build-up, grand finale and afterglow, wow! He also shines in Fly On A Windshield, The Musical Box, Blood On The Rooftops, Supper's Ready and Los Endos, and in one of my highlights, Shadow Of The Hierophant (the only solo album track). There was no longer room in Genesis for Hackett playing like this in 1977, what an unique symphonic rock sound, especially the blend of volume pedal driven electric guitar, the unsurpassed Mellotron and the mighty Moog Taurus bass pedals, goose bumps!

A strong bonus on this box set is singer Nad Sylvan, I love his voice, more pleasant and intense than Phil Collins on Seconds Out. I am only not really pleased with the extra brass and woodwind elements in the music, but that is purely personal, I am not very up to saxophones and that kind of instruments.

CD-1, 2 and 3 feature the entire Hammersmith Apollo in London concert (May 10th, 2013, "thunderous applause from an ecstatic audience" and "the tremendously successful sell-out Genesis Revisited tour"), DVD 1 and feature the full show (2 hours and 41 minutes) show and Behind The Scenes (close to 40 minutes).

HACKETT PLAYING 72-77 GENESIS : NOT TO BE MISSED BY ANY SERIOUS PROGHEAD AND SYMPHOMANIAC!

 Surrender of Silence by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Studio Album, 2021
3.98 | 136 ratings

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Surrender of Silence
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by BBKron

4 stars Guitarist extraordinaire Steve Hackett has followed up his earlier 2021 release, Under a Mediterranean Sky, which was a mostly laid-back, acoustic, instrumental excursion through the music and influences in and around the Mediterranean countries, with this much bigger, bolder, and more diverse collection of songs. Still somewhat of a travelogue in that it includes musical styles and influences from around the World, but this time showing heavier and darker themes and passages amidst some lighter fare. Possibly Steve's most diverse album, highlighting many different styles and musical structures, and strong songwriting, making this one of his best overall albums. 4 stars
 Genesis Files by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Boxset/Compilation, 2002
3.43 | 33 ratings

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Genesis Files
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by [email protected]

4 stars Hmmm... I'm still not 100% sure what to make of this album, in one sense. I picked this up about 15 years ago after having found it heavily discounted in the music section of a big chain store. It was originally released in 2002 by the respected Snapper Music label, via their mid price double cd reissue subsidiary label, RECALL 2CD (I wonder how they got the rights to the music). The cover art is by artist Kim Poor, Hackett's first wife. All of the tracks on Hackett's official 1996 Genesis Revisited album (which I don't have), appear among the twenty tracks on this album. So there's no doubt, it's got pedigree all over it and right through it. But I can't find (anywhere online, that is) where Steve Hackett endorses this album as a legitimate release of his music. Maybe I'm just being picky. Maybe he's not being paid for his work here, which for me would be very wrong, if that's the case. Anyway, the bottom line for me is that I really like the album. It contains a selection of some of his and Genesis' best music, performed to Hackett's own arrangements and tastes. The names of some of the other very accomplished artistes Hackett has utilised to deliver these twenty pieces is very impressive. I give it 4 stars for the musical content, the art, the inner extensive liner notes and the fact that it come's out under a known respected label. It loses one star for me, because of it's unsure history...
 Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Live, 2023
4.83 | 15 ratings

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Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by Fercandio46

5 stars Steve Hackett has become over the years the true guardian of the Genesis symphonic legacy, he has put together a band that executes it perfectly, but not only from the technical aspect, but also capturing the spirit and magic of it epoch. And not only reinterpreting the repertoire of his old band, but also creating separate solo albums, which have nothing to envy of those from the classic period of the 70's. Since the album Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth in 2009 he has revitalized his compositional flow, and far from becoming stagnant as a guitarist, he continues playing the complex parts with the fingering to which we were accustomed. Every year he and his wonderful band have released live shows in luxurious CD/DVD or Blu-ray editions and each of them has a different slogan, as well as a different repertoire, fueled not only by the legacy of the past but by their wonderful studio albums. One might think how much another volume has to contribute...and the answer is yes, and it not only contributes but enhances the proposal, since Foxtrot at Fifty... proposes a more dynamic and energetic approach, they are provocative versions, a song from their latest studio album The Devil's Cathedral is included, followed by the classics Spectral Mornings and Every day with that unprecedented immediacy to which we were referring. And hearing Foxtrot performed with that aura of the original recording is a pleasure only surpassed by the slight interpretive differences that those who know the original perfectly will appreciate. There is only one noticeable difference at the beginning of Horizons, and that is Steve's always welcome love of Spanish Flamenco. In short...it is not just another live album, but a piece of the puzzle that makes up and adds up to the progressive path.
 Voyage of the Acolyte by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Studio Album, 1975
4.25 | 1568 ratings

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Voyage of the Acolyte
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by yarstruly

4 stars OK, so I must admit that I have never listened to this album in its entirety until now, which I know is a classic. This may come as a surprise to some of you. However, I am remedying this situation today! Hopefully, I'll get to keep my Prog Club Card. This was written in real time as I was listening.

Track 1 - Ace of Wands:

Brilliant playing, of course. Eye opening intro! Hackett seems to be making a statement of intent here! He wanted to blow the listener away right out of the box with a wide range of styles, tempos and textures in just under 5 and 1/2 minutes. Absolutely brilliant.

Track 2 - Hands of the Priestess, Pt. 1

This one takes a more pastoral mood with a flute solo taking the lead, played by his brother John. Its a beautiful piece, which seems to have the effect of letting the listener catch their breath after the high energy opener

Track 3 - A Tower Struck Down

While I am no expert, I know enough about Tarot Cards (which is, of course, the theme of the album) to know that the Tower card is the most menacing card to draw out of the deck. The music here certainly reflects that! Mid Tempo, yet spooky, it would be a good track to include on a Halloween mix! The chanting in the middle has been interpreted by some to say "Seig Heil", but in actuality, it is chanting "Steve Hackett". A very peaceful yet mournful ending closes this track out.

Track 4 - Hands of the Priestess, Pt. 2

Definitely continues the mood of the first part. Again, possibly to kind of clear the mood after the spookiness of Tower Struck Down. John sounds as if he is classically trained on the flute.

Track 5 - The Hermit

Vocals for the first time, sung by Hackett himself. A bit of a harpsicord ballad, with Hackett's lower register vocals almost buried in the background. Very peacefully sad and remote--Much like a Hermit would be.

Track 6 - Star of Sirius

Ballad-like with Phil Collins on vocals. An ethereal beginning. And then the tempo and rhythm picks up at around 2:30. This one seems to take us on a musical voyage, as promised in the album title, with many different textures and dynamic levels. Again, the vocals are there, but not "out-front" in the mix. A bit of a jazz-fusion feel in the higher tempo sections.

Track 7 - The Lovers

Starts with a very distant sounding classical guitar part. Then it sounds like a backwards recorded section with mellotron and winds. Seems to be an interlude before the grand finale.

Track 8 - Shadow of the Hierophant

The Epic closer. Soprano vocals by Sally Oldfield, brother of Mike Oldfield. Peaceful beginning, with a big, albeit brief, dynamic change at just under 3:00 in. The piece has the feel of something you might hear on a classical recital hall, up until around 4:45, excepting the louder mellotron segments. At around 5:30, it begins to take on the feel of a Genesis track, until everything drops out for an unaccompanied glockenspiel solo. Becomes orchestral in nature starting around 7:30. A slow building crescendo is happening after this until around 10:45 (over 3 minutes), when the track begins fading out.

Overall impression.

I definitely see why this album is so highly regarded. Hackett could have recorded an entire album of tracks like "Ace of Wands" to show off his guitar prowess, but he didn't. I know that Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford are essentially the rhythm section on this album, but really, not much of it (save for a couple of minutes in "Shadow of the Hierophant") feels like a Genesis album. Honestly, much of it feels closer to true classical/chamber music with a few rock instruments added in. I did enjoy listening to it and would gladly do so again. However, while a strong album, It does not quite reach the 5-star level for me personally. I give it a solid 4-Star rating.

 Highly Strung by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Studio Album, 1982
2.93 | 313 ratings

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Highly Strung
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by Hector Enrique
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Often the cover of an album tries to transmit, in an image, its musical proposal, and thus give it a visual aspect that reinforces it. And from that place, and with "Spectral Mornings" and "Defector" as clear graphic references, "Highly Strung", Steve Hackett's sixth album, seemed to have taken up the path again after going astray with "Cured". Moreover, and now referring to the purely musical aspect, recruiting Ian Mosley, Marillion's renowned drummer since "Fugazi", who joined Nick Magnus on keyboards, also gave a hint of what the album could be.

And beyond the promising first minute of "Camino Royale", with its keyboard variations and scratchy guitars that Hackett rehearses halfway through the song, "Highly Strung" ends up being more of an illusion that doesn't materialise than a reality. Carrying the reminiscences of his discreet "Cured" on his back, Hackett doesn't abandon the line of composing catchy and accessible songs, like "Walking Through Walls", "Give It Away" and "Weightless", which move between the weightless and the self-indulgent, without the sensation of leaving anything more than easily digestible melodies.

But there are some bright spots, certainly. Passages on the upbeat "Cell 151", Hackett's guitars on the instrumentals "Always Somewhere Else" and "Group Therapy", and the heartfelt "India Rubber Man" with an accomplished vocal performance from Hackett properly tucked in by Magnus' keyboards, end up being the album's highlights and make up the final result.

The irregular "Highly Strung" finally ranks a few steps above "Cured", but also a few steps below the guitarist's first albums.

2.5/3 stars

 Cured by HACKETT, STEVE album cover Studio Album, 1981
2.42 | 354 ratings

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Cured
Steve Hackett Eclectic Prog

Review by Hector Enrique
Prog Reviewer

2 stars With a cover that is more than suspicious given his shy personality and style traditionally oriented to hide behind mysterious and spectral imagery, and bearing whimsical summer similarities to E,L&P's ill-fated "Love Beach", Steve Hackett presents "Cured", his fifth solo album. Assuming the role of lead singer and correctly using the least compromised tones possible and bent layers given his vocal limitations, Hackett relies on Nick Magnus, survivor of the band formed for the predecessors "Spectral Mornings" and "Defector", to accompany him on keyboards and drum programming.

And as soon as the first tracks resound, such as "Hope I Don't Wake", "Picture Postcard" and "Can't Let Go", of a commercial pop character, "Cured" confirms what the cover would presage: a change not only aesthetically but also in their musical proposal, aiming towards more accessible and sweetened territories, reinforced by the also light "Funny Feeling".

The album is saved from the fire, partially at least, by "The Air-Conditioned Nightmare", an effortful instrumental exercise where Hackett manages not to forget his recent past, and takes some shine with the beautiful and acoustic "A Cradle of Swans", his proud habit of paying homage to classical influences, complemented by the initial arpeggios and some faint lights of the incongruous "Overnight Sleeper". But that's not enough.

Finally, the dull "Turn Back Time", a soporific ballad with no major aspirations, contributes to the overall lightness of the album and, closes it with more sorrow than glory.

"Cured", without further ado, is the beginning of a series of Hackett albums that will alternate, in the following years, both lights and shadows.

Discreet.

2 stars

Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to NotAProghead for the last updates

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