LIVE - FIRE & ICE

"Fire and Ice" ranks high as one of Hackett's finest DVD's. This was a special night, augmented by London guests (Steven Wilson, John Wetton) and great HD quality. Hackett hasn't done "Shadow Of the Hierophant" on stage since the late 70's, and Amanda Lehmann's vocals on that one are almost as good as Sally Oldfield's.

With 20 tracks, you get your money's worth - it's a long show. I've attended Hackett's in Tel Aviv a short time after buying this DVD, and the DVD was much better. Why? the post-production dvd mix is better than the live mix Hackett can produce. Second, Hackett used his best musicians for this document, and all of them had a great evening.

Visually speaking, bassist Nick Beggs give a striking show. Dressed in a bizarre "Dr. Death" outfit (hat and all), he really steals the limelight from humble Steve. Beggs' chapman stick work is pretty good, too. The others are all pros, but Beggs is the DVD-star here.

The Genesis classic "Firth Of Fifth" get a decent re-working on the DVD, as part of the encore set. "All Along The Watchtower" with Wetton is not as attractive. Hackett emphasizes his latest studio effort, "Beyond The Shrouded Horizon" (2011), but it doesn't interrupt the show.

The setlist is a good compilation of old & new: solo stuff from the 70's, a bit of classic Genesis (in the Hackett-era only, of course) and fresh stuff that Hackett feels comfortable with.

In summary, it's just as good as the "Once Above a Time" DVD from 2004. Only you get more songs, a slightly better video quality, and better audience response (no wonder, it's a local show). You can also feel that it's a special occassion for Hackett, with all the guests and friends around.