Has Steve Hackett ever done "a power chord"?

funny question 

definitely in GTR  he would play mostly electric guitar (while Howe would play preferentially acoustic). That kind of songs required the typical power chord accompaniment here and there just to give the rock flavor.
BTW, dubbing the 1st with the 5th does not add much harmonic information, so to play a power chord or just the root but very loud and distorted doesn't make much difference. 

Eureka!!!

We've been poking about, looking here and there for some power chords - but, to me, the real find was always going to be something from the classic era.

Minutes ago, iPod on shuffle, up came...

"The Return of the Giant Hogweed"  -  Genesis Live (1973)

Of course - how could I have missed it all this time (classic Genesis fan that I am)?!  At the end, after Gabriel cries "Revenge!", Mr. Hackett plays power chords one after the other.  At the very least they're "power fifths" on the lowest two or three strings of his guitar.  You can tell it's him because Rutherford can be heard on bass.  I don't have the time to check the original Nursery Cryme track right now.

IMO these chords, played in this way, are there to serve a purpose, rather successfully I might add.  The grandiose anger that carries the end of this song begs such guitar playing; along with what Banks is doing this is like a Mahler-or-Strauss-sized orchestra's brass section slamming long and full chords ff, perhaps with strings playing tremolo beneath.  The fact that this isn't used elsewhere (is it?) shows the imminent taste and poise of bona fide composers at work. 

Hercules Unchained kind of covers that area.

From 2:09 onwards, Hackett plays a plethora of power chords!! 

cstack3 wrote: American Khatru wrote: ^ I think you're right.  I for one love that the OP put this up because it really shows something unusual, putting aside any silly ideas of rock-guitar propriety (not propagated by OP; maybe by his friend - unimportant).  I mean, the first finger barred across the neck, the other fingers arranged and all strings struck together for the power chord - such a staple in rock guitar work - it looks like you have to go far to find just a handful of examples.  Heck, in the video of "Moonlit Knight" above, at 3'40", watch him do those chords during his solo (m3-2-4-1-repeat).  Sure they're not truly power chords, but even these he takes at a fast arpeggio, first up then down, and it's a thing that a lot of other guitarists probably would have just hit the strings all together.  He really is special in subtle ways, on top of kicking butt when he wants to. Great comments!  Hackett's guitar-playing fits into the context of the group....."power chords" are played on the Hammond organ or Mellotron by Tony Banks, or occasionally, as barre chords by Rutherford on 12 string, etc.     Hackett approaches the guitar very much like a cello/viola, using single notes or combinations of notes.  He never seeks to overwhelm, unlike more bombastic chordal players like Bob Fripp!   I always found his approach to be very sophisticated and never really missed the power-chord aspect.  Their music doesn't really need it.   However, if you ask him nicely, I'm sure he'll play some power chords for you!

Great comments y'self cstack3!  You're 100% on with "context".  The responsibilities were so well shared in that band; I still discover things in these records, records that I've known longer than I've known most people.  With you on his classical instrument approach as well.  "Sophisticated" for sure - and I think this, among other things, gives their music such longevity.

cstack3 wrote: American Khatru wrote: ^ I think you're right.  I for one love that the OP put this up because it really shows something unusual, putting aside any silly ideas of rock-guitar propriety (not propagated by OP; maybe by his friend - unimportant).  I mean, the first finger barred across the neck, the other fingers arranged and all strings struck together for the power chord - such a staple in rock guitar work - it looks like you have to go far to find just a handful of examples.  Heck, in the video of "Moonlit Knight" above, at 3'40", watch him do those chords during his solo (m3-2-4-1-repeat).  Sure they're not truly power chords, but even these he takes at a fast arpeggio, first up then down, and it's a thing that a lot of other guitarists probably would have just hit the strings all together.  He really is special in subtle ways, on top of kicking butt when he wants to. Great comments!  Hackett's guitar-playing fits into the context of the group....."power chords" are played on the Hammond organ or Mellotron by Tony Banks, or occasionally, as barre chords by Rutherford on 12 string, etc.     Hackett approaches the guitar very much like a cello/viola, using single notes or combinations of notes.  He never seeks to overwhelm, unlike more bombastic chordal players like Bob Fripp!   I always found his approach to be very sophisticated and never really missed the power-chord aspect.  Their music doesn't really need it.   However, if you ask him nicely, I'm sure he'll play some power chords for you!

You can be sure i will ask him a personal version of Smoke on The Water

^ I think you're right.  I for one love that the OP put this up because it really shows something unusual, putting aside any silly ideas of rock-guitar propriety (not propagated by OP; maybe by his friend - unimportant).  I mean, the first finger barred across the neck, the other fingers arranged and all strings struck together for the power chord - such a staple in rock guitar work - it looks like you have to go far to find just a handful of examples.  Heck, in the video of "Moonlit Knight" above, at 3'40", watch him do those chords during his solo (m3-2-4-1-repeat).  Sure they're not truly power chords, but even these he takes at a fast arpeggio, first up then down, and it's a thing that a lot of other guitarists probably would have just hit the strings all together.  He really is special in subtle ways, on top of kicking butt when he wants to.

I fail to see why 'power chords' are necessary for someone to be labeled as a rock guitarist.

I mean, Mark Knopfler is certainly a rock musician (and he did much more than 'Money For Nothing').

There were some power chords on GTR----Jeckel and Hyde--for example

anyone ever heard the band Hackett was in before Genesis, Quiet World, album The Road from 1970 ?   I haven't, but he may have been more rock-chord oriented back then (the album features him on both a & e guitars)