BAY OF KINGS

Steve Hackett made an entirely acoustic album here: acoustic guitars having a slight Baroque style. The comparison with Anthony Phillips is inevitable, since they both played guitars for Genesis: Hackett is more structured, fluid, accessible and catchy than Phillips: Hackett's sound and style is closer to Jan Akkerman and Liona Boyd. One must say that his atmospheric echoed recording helps very much here. Nick Magnus plays on some tracks accompanying floating keyboards in the background; the flute parts, like on "Kim", a track originating from the "Please don't touch" album, are just graceful and relaxing. He nevertheless adopts the Anthony Phillips' style on the less accessible "St.Elmo's fire". The melancholic "Second chance" is absolutely beautiful: the melodic flute parts perfectly fit with fast & fluid acoustic guitar arrangements. "Horizons", from the Genesis' "Foxtrot" album, is played here with a more rich sound. The fast notes on "Black Light" should remind you the acoustic elements he made on the first GTR album. "Calmaria" really approaches the Liona Boyd's style.

Rating: 4.5 stars