BAY OF KINGS

This is the first of Steve Hackett's entirely classical guitar inspired albums, and it is a beauty. Everyone should know by now, since "Horizons" on the Genesis album Foxtrot (also appears on this disc), that Hackett is an incredible classical guitar composer. His compositions have an unmistakable contemporary sound, yes, but they often have baroque and renaissance style overtones similar to compositions by J. Bach or D. Scarlatti.

There are some problems with this album, however. The compositions may be fantastic, but the guitar doesn't sound like an actual classical guitar; the guitar sounds like an amplified electric guitar played through a classical-effect filter. It gives the guitar a really drowned sound that vibrates unnecessarily and has always made me prefer Hackett's later classical works. Another problem here is the presence of synthetic orchestral sounds that give the music a very strong taste of new-age music. Steve's brother, John, makes an appearance on flute though (a real flute) which is a nice touch, and would later appear again in great form on Sketches of Satie and Momentum.

I would recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of classical guitar and doesn't mind any new-age touches.