Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Hackett, Steve
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2014
Runtime: 120:24
Rating: 4.5/5
Legendary guitar virtuoso Steve Hackett has clearly decided to squeeze every last drop out of the ongoing ‘Genesis Revisited’ tour. »Genesis Revisited: Live At The Royal Albert Hall« is already his second official (double) live album from the same tour, following »Genesis Revisited: Live At Hammersmith«, and one more in a string of Hackett shows at England’s most prestigious concert venues. This time he played the aristocratic Royal Albert Hall, a place that was tied to extreme snobbery and elitism right up until the early nineties, when Keith Emerson (ELP) was finally allowed to play there after years of being banned for burning an American flag. Still, even in traditionally conservative England, things are slowly turning for the better in places.
While all the former and current members of the English prog-rock legends are busy with everything except Genesis (Peter Gabriel is reviving memories of the most commercially successful album of his solo career at his current live shows, Mike Rutherford is out on tour with his band Mike + The Mechanics, Tony Banks still swears by classical-leaning solo collaborations with an orchestra, and Phil Collins is slowly easing his way back out of retirement), Steve has done everything in this time to keep the legacy of the prog legends alive on concert stages, and for that he deserves a really deep bow.
Plenty has already been said about Hackett’s ‘Genesis Revisited’ exploits in past reviews and reports, so there’s really no point in hammering home yet again that this is an unrepeatable live experience that no fan of classic progressive rock should miss for anything in the world. Steve’s ambitious mission of reviving Genesis classics live with the help of his superb backing band, which in 2013 included bassist Lee Pomeroy (It Bites), while at certain shows around England he was also joined by some prestigious musical guests. This time they were John Wetton (Asia and UK), Ray Wilson (ex-Genesis, Stiltskin), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings and Transatlantic) and Amanda Lehmann.
At the Royal Albert Hall show, which had a top-notch atmosphere from start to finish, Steve’s in-great-spirits crew delivered an outstanding set that covered every Genesis album from the period between 1971 and 1976. Singer Nad Sylvan has a voice quite similar to Peter Gabriel’s, while the woodwinds, led by flute and saxophone courtesy of Rob Townsend, add a special pastoral and occasionally jazzy charm to individual classics, making for a very successful blend of the old and new approach to playing Genesis evergreens. It’s hard to single out the best moments across both discs of this spoiling live experience, since nearly every rendition of a Genesis classic at the Royal Albert Hall came out truly superb.
Still, among the most interesting moments of the evening are the ones with special guests, namely the evergreens »Carpet Crawlers« and »I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)« with Ray Wilson on lead vocals, »Firth Of Fifth« with John Wetton handling the vocals, and »The Return of Giant Hogweed« with Roine Stolt on extra guitar. The weakest turns out to be the unforgettable power ballad »Ripples«, which, with Amanda Lehmann’s guest vocals, never quite reaches its proper emotional effect. The other atmospheric highlights of this live document are the Mellotron feast »The Fountain Of Salmacis«, the epic magnum opus »Supper’s Ready«, the ethereal adventure »Watcher Of The Skies« and the traditional bombastic closer in the form of the unforgettable instrumental »Los Endos«.
Mr. Hackett has absolutely no intention of letting up on spoiling his devoted followers. »Live At The Royal Albert Hall« is already the second terrific official live album from the ‘Genesis Revisited’ tour. Let’s be surprised, and let ourselves dream that his hugely successful ‘Genesis Revisited’ tour is a sort of warm-up for an imminent reunion of the classic Genesis lineup. The big question is how a live album by the classic Genesis lineup would turn out today if they got back together, a thought most fans of the English prog legends have been toying with for almost four decades now. The biggest question marks here are Peter Gabriel, who surely couldn’t sing certain classics the way most people expect him to anymore, and Phil Collins, who has been half deaf for a long time and would have to relearn a lot of the classic material from scratch. Either way, the final word on the setlist should belong to Steve Hackett, who has by far remained the most faithful keeper of the Genesis legacy to this day, and for that he can pin a special medal on his chest in the category of absolute loyalty to his musical roots.
Line-up
Steve Hackett – guitar, backing vocals
Roger King – keyboards
Gary O’Toole – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Rob Townsend – saxophone, flute, percussion
Lee Pomeroy – bass guitar
Nad Sylvan – vocals
GUEST MUSICIANS:
John Wetton (Asia) – vocals
Amanda Lehmann – vocals
Ray Wilson (ex-Genesis) – vocals
Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings) – guitar
Production
Steve Hackett
Track list
CD1:
1. Dance on a Volcano
2. Dancing With the Moonlit Knight
3. Fly on a Windshield
4. Broadway Melody of 1974 (Vocals: Gary O’Toole)
5. The Carpet Crawlers (with Ray Wilson)
6. The Return of the Giant Hogweed (with Roine Stolt)
7. The Musical Box
8. Horizons
9. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers…
10….In That Quiet Earth
11. Afterglow
12. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) (with Ray Wilson)
CD2:
1.Firth of Fifth (with John Wetton)
2. Ripples (with Amanda Lehmann)
3. The Fountain of Salmacis
4. Supper’s Ready
5. Watcher of the Skies
6. Los Endos
