| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Vikingrat9966 
Forum Newbie
Joined: March 26 2016
Location: Los Angeles.
Status: Offline
Points: 32
|
 Topic: Steve Hackett.
Posted: March 28 2016 at 17:18 |
|
Going through a HUGE Hackett thing along with GG as of late. I am knocked out by the melodies of Steve. Whenever something sounds a bit too pop or 80's sounding he pulls that X-factor out and saves it. What are your fave SH albums and why. Also your least fave and why.
|
 |
Atavachron
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 64333
|
Posted: March 28 2016 at 17:38 |
|
VotA, because it's simply one of the best albums of the classic Prog era; Spectral Morns and Def are good too for the songwriting.
Edited by Atavachron - March 28 2016 at 17:39
|
|
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy
|
|
The.Crimson.King
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 29 2013
Location: WA
Status: Offline
Points: 4591
|
Posted: March 28 2016 at 17:46 |
Love Hackett's solo work too!
Faves...
1) Defector & Spectral (both go together for me and are a tie for 1st...lots of different themes and sections and they flow together much better than on Acolyte where some of the transitions are too abrupt) 2) Acolyte (classic...this one always makes me smile because in Hackett's perfect world, '75 Genesis would have dumped Banks instead of Gabriel :-) Phil and Rutherford's contributions on this one are fantastic) 3) Tunnels Mouth (still getting into this one but love what I hear so far) 4) Sketches of Satie (brilliant...love Erik Satie and Steve/John's arrangements are sublime) 5) Bay of Kings (both are great but I much prefer his classical guitar work over his steel string acoustic work) 6) Shrouded Horizon (only heard it once and liked it but haven't put in the time yet to really rank this...soon!)
Tough to put down any of his work as there's always something to appreciate, but if pushed...
1) Please Don't Touch (Narnia is fantastic but I don't really care for the guest vocalists - especially Steve Walsh - and some of the songs are a let down after Acolyte) 2) Watcher of the Skies : Genesis Revisited (absolutely love his take on Fountain of Salmacis - my fave Genesis song of all time - but the others don't really grab me) |
|
|
|
Vikingrat9966
Forum Newbie
Joined: March 26 2016
Location: Los Angeles.
Status: Offline
Points: 32
|
Posted: March 28 2016 at 17:51 |
|
I don't know HOW I missed the boat with Steve the first time but now I am hooked. Thank you for the replies friends!
|
|
Atavachron
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 64333
|
Posted: March 28 2016 at 17:56 |
|
He has like fifty releases ~ probably more ~ you have plenty to explore.
|
|
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy
|
|
Dellinger
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: June 18 2009
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 12581
|
Posted: March 28 2016 at 23:25 |
|
Mostly only know Voyage of the Acolyte, but I really love that album... and Shadow of the Hierophant is something really special. I also got the Rails Live album, and from what I heard the album that was being toured sounded very promising too... many songs from it that I loved, and had a very special sound to them. Oh yeah, I also got the last one, Wolflight, but I felt it was missing something.
|
|
Intruder
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 13 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 2084
|
Posted: April 07 2016 at 10:37 |
|
Just saw Steve in Boulder, CO, on Monday night.....whadda show! I was listening to a lot of SH leading up to the show, and I still think his classical guitar albums - Metamorpheus, Momentum, Bay of Kings and Midsummer Night's Dream - rank right up there with the best recordings of Williams, de Lucia and even Segovia. Steve's genre experiments are also very interesting and highly listenable. There are only a few duds in the discography (Cured, Feedback, and the biggest disappointment - Please Don't Touch....not that it's a terrible album; it just seems out of focus....and pitch to hit the big time....if he'd put out another album as good as VotA, his star would have risen sharply, instead PDT disappointed a lot of fans and stalled his solo career a bit, especially in the US).
|
|
I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
|
|
Tillerman88
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 31 2015
Location: Tomorrowland
Status: Offline
Points: 495
|
Posted: April 07 2016 at 14:21 |
 Intruder wrote:
Just saw Steve in Boulder, CO, on Monday night.....whadda show! I was listening to a lot of SH leading up to the show, and I still think his classical guitar albums - Metamorpheus, Momentum, Bay of Kings and Midsummer Night's Dream - rank right up there with the best recordings of Williams, de Lucia and even Segovia. |
Ditto! Man his recent show in downtown L.A. has rendered a lot of chops, joyful and passionate playing by an old-school rock star, that even though being relatively unknown he has steered much chattering around there about him. I'd already heard some of his progressive stuff which although interesting I never was that impelled to explore, more familiar though with his stuff with GTR, which I found more enjoyable than his jazzy/bluesy solo tracks that I also happened to know. But wow man, what a fascinating new world of music Steve is introducing me on these days! Ironically I was never aware of those other solo works, well I'd already heard Satie, but that sortof music never was my cup of tea. Up to some past days, the classical music that I knew was just the atonal and electronically mixed stuff, far from exciting me to the blowing point that Steve's has managed, oh boy I'm enthralled by those passional melodies coloured by his fantastic classical guitar playing (particularly Metamorpheus and Midsummer N.D.), such an orgasmic experience really, and by extension it was kind of a 'curtains opening' to an unimagined universe-like of music that this time I'm so keen on exploring, centuries of great 'new' old music! Well, I hope so  .
Edited by Tillerman88 - April 07 2016 at 14:25
|
|
Lewian
Prog Reviewer
Joined: August 09 2015
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 14102
|
Posted: April 08 2016 at 20:12 |
|
To Watch the Storm is great, so much variety. I also love Spectral Mornings.
Cured & Highly Strung bore me, but generally I appreciate his work a lot, his versatility and curiosity trying out various styles, his melodies and of course the guitar. I saw him live twice and both times it was very enjoyable. He's a safe bet for a great evening.
|
|
dr wu23
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20451
|
Posted: April 08 2016 at 22:37 |
|
To tell the truth I have been disappointed in everything he has done after Voyage.....imo none come close to the power, songwriting , and 'progginess' (yes there's one of those damn adjectives....) of Voyage.
|
|
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
|
|
HackettFan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 20 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Status: Offline
Points: 7946
|
Posted: April 20 2016 at 13:06 |
|
Voyage definitely has a different atmosphere. Then again, they all do. I consider Spectral Mornings as potentially his best, and easily equal to most of the Old Genesis classics in quality. Another I would put right up there with Spectral Mornings is To Watch The Storms. Also great are Defector, Guitar Noir, Beyond the Shrouded Horizon, and the live album, Time Lapse. For his non-rock albums, I especially like Momentum (classical guitar) and Blues With a Feeling. That's not all I absolutely love, staying shy of listing his whole discography, these are the ones I'd single out.
Edited by HackettFan - April 20 2016 at 13:11
|
|
A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
|
|
kenethlevine
Special Collaborator
Prog-Folk Team
Joined: December 06 2006
Location: New England
Status: Offline
Points: 8849
|
Posted: April 20 2016 at 20:27 |
there's something to enjoy in almost all his work While I understand those who place VOTA high above the rest, I think it's just too soft, too Genesis-like I think Spectral Mornings, Defector, Highly String and Guitar Noir are all superb, but I admit I also really like Cured. Please Don't Touch is the worst I have heard. The more recent ones are more hit and miss, but the hits make it worthwhile I need to hear more of the 1990s albums
Edited by kenethlevine - April 20 2016 at 20:28
|
|
timothy leary
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 29 2005
Location: Lilliwaup, Wa.
Status: Offline
Points: 5319
|
Posted: April 23 2016 at 12:31 |
|
Darktown is my favorite Hackett album.
|
|
HackettFan
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 20 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Status: Offline
Points: 7946
|
Posted: April 24 2016 at 15:01 |
timothy leary wrote:
Darktown is my favorite Hackett album. |
. Been looking, but I can't actually find my copy of Darktown. I'll have to get a new one, I guess. I recall another PA-er on here, Mirror Image, thought very highly of that one too.
Edited by HackettFan - April 24 2016 at 15:01
|
|
A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
|
|
Man With Hat
Collaborator
Jazz-Rock/Fusion/Canterbury Team
Joined: March 12 2005
Location: Neurotica
Status: Offline
Points: 166178
|
Posted: April 24 2016 at 16:25 |
Spectral Morning and Voyage... are my favorites of the early batch, with Defector not too far behind. I really love the modern 'trilogy' of Darktown, To Watch The Storms, and Wild Orchids as well.
|
|
Dig me...But don't...Bury me
I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive
Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
|
|
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
Steve Hackett.