SPECTRAL MORNINGS

I fell in love with this album on first hearing and proceeded to play it to death. Every track is a gem. The perfromances by Steve and his band are superb all round, and the production is brilliant. This is Hacketts third album. For most artists the third is said to be the most difficult, but the challenge doesn't seem to have phased the ex Genesis guitarist at all. The opener 'Every Day' is alittle dissappointing as a song, in that it's quite 'poppy', but it builds up to a guitar solo which epitomises the Hackett style and sound. It's how a prog rock guitar solo should be; melodic and emotional. 'The virgin and the gypsy' has a simplistic acoustic beauty and is one of my favourite tracks on this album. What follows is a taste of how Genesis may have sounded an album on from 'WAW' had Hackett remained a member of the band. 'Clocks (The Angel of Mons)' is a prog rock classic, including a thounderous drum break, reminiscent of Collins and Thompson dueling away prior to Los Endos when performed live. I'm sure Hackett was trying to recapture some of that old magic and excitement on this piece. It worked! There are a few token lighter numbers on the album, 'The Ballard of the decomposing man' starts by sounding almost like George Formby through a vocoder. Its a light hearted song about your average working Joe and is not to be taken too seriously.

The title track speeks for itself. Classic Hackett, rich in melody and dripping with melancholy, as is the whole album. Cant think of anything I dont like about it. 'Spectral Mornings' easily deserves four stars.