SPECTRAL MORNINGS

I bought the record (CD) this spring. I was going to by Voyage of the Acolyte but the store didn't have that. A good thing though, now I can pre-order the new remaster of voyage with Steve's autograph. The bad thing is that I already own this gem, without autograph and bonus tracks.

The record is just a collection of songs and instrumentals, no real concept - just a rock album. Beautiful pieces like The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere shares the space of the record with the funny The Ballad of the Decomposing Man.

The album starts of with its best track, Every Day. It contains fine guitars, with a solo on the whole second part, and good lyrics. Paradise Island may be overcrowded but I stay in at my place, listening to this, instead. 4.5/5

The Second track is The Virgin and the Gypsy. It's a softer song, quite beautiful but not so good in my opinion, neither bad. I like the flute part. 3/5

Another beautiful "song", is The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere. This is a china-inspired instrumental and a quite good one too. 4/5

The next track starts of with a tick tock sound. At first it reminds me of Time by Pink Floyd but there the similarities ends. This is an instrumental, a dark one, quite atmospheric but not much melody. I can't put my finger on why I don't like it that mush, it has many elements I usually like in songs. (Instrumentals) 3/5

In the middle of all this suddenly comes a song very different from the others. The Ballad of the Decomposing Man sounds most like a funny calypso. It's not a bad song but I can't see how it would fit in with the rest of the songs on this album. 3.5/5

Lost Time in Cordoba is, I suppose from the name, some kind of a Spanish sounding instrumental. It's not as good as the china inspired track 3 but still it's ok. 3.5/5

Tigermoth is again a song of a darker mood. The first instrumental part reminds me a bit of track 4. Then before the second part starts of there is sounds of machine guns and aeroplanes. This is a song about war and the soldiers who dies in them. The second part is a sadder sounding one with lyrics about a soldier who dies and meets up with his already dead comrades. This is a good song, with the bridge between the parts as a highlight. It tells you better than the lyrics that this is about the horrible thing called war. 3.5/5

The last one is the title track. An instrumental again but Hackett is clearly better at them than the songs, Spectral Mornings being the best one of this album with the same name. It contains both atmosphere and melody (wish I like). If you want a good start of the day, listen to this! 4/5

This is maybe no masterpiece but still quite good. It's the only Steve Hackett album I own (Until I get the others of his first albums any day now.) so I can't compare it to anything else he has done.