Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Hackett, Steve
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2012
Length: 144:48
Rating: 4.5/5
Steve Hackett is incredible. The legendary guitarist, who first rose to fame as a member of prog-rock giants Genesis, remains a devoted musical workaholic who surprises us with excellent new releases almost every year. After the thrilling Squackett project, which he founded with Yes bassist Chris Squire, and their splendid debut »A Life Within a Day« (2012), he followed up just a few months later with »Genesis Revisited II«, the sequel to 1996’s »Genesis Revisited«, on which he re-recorded some of the most beloved Genesis classics with a range of prominent guest musicians. This time too he decided to re-record numerous longtime Genesis favorites from his years with the legendary band (1971 to 1977). »Genesis Revisited II« also includes four pieces that first came out on his solo albums but were originally meant for various studio albums by the aforementioned prog-rock champions.
The first disc covers Steve’s early creative period with Genesis (1971-1975), when the unforgettable and utterly unique Peter Gabriel handled vocals. Thanks to its artistic originality and atmospheric, lyrical depth, most fans still consider it their best-loved era, even if not their most commercially successful, and the lineup of the time is, quite rightly, regarded as the classic one. The new version of »Chamber of 32 Doors« opens things up with a classical arrangement on acoustic guitar, while being a touch more symphonic in structure than the original. Nad Sylvan does a seriously diligent job of imitating the legendary Peter Gabriel, with whom he shares a fairly similar vocal timbre, which is crucial for a convincing, theatrical take on this integral piece of »The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway« (1974), the conceptual masterpiece about Rael’s journey.
This time around, Steve plays the beloved instrumental guitar classic »Horizons« on acoustic guitar as an intro to the epic magnum opus »Supper’s Ready«, which many Genesis fans still consider their songwriting peak. No fewer than five different singers, Steve included, took part in this »Foxtrot« (1972) masterpiece. The mysterious opening section is sung in a highly melodramatic style by Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth, Storm Corrosion), followed by Simon Collins (Phil’s son), who proves a faithful heir to his famous father’s vocal tradition, and Conrad Kelly. The burlesque-avant-garde middle section, Willow Farm, where a convincing vocal performance and the portrayal of a colorful cast of characters call for a generous helping of vocal clowning, was sung/performed by Steve himself, who pulls it off surprisingly well. The epic closing section is sung by none other than former It Bites singer/guitarist Francis Dunnery, yet another superb guest vocalist who has always had a ‘Gabriel-esque’ timbre.
On »The Lamia«, the guitar harmonies between Mr. Hackett and Steve Rothery (Marillion) are especially impressive, while Nik Kershaw’s poetic vocal approach delivers a deeply felt reading of this beloved, rustic-tinged »The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway« evergreen. The old-English epic »Dancing with the Moonlit Knight«, which by Steve’s own words is his all-time favorite Genesis classic, features an excellent vocal performance directed by Francis Dunnery, who was really the best possible choice here for recreating the authentic magic of the early, Gabriel-era Genesis. As far as capturing its original atmospheric magic goes, this »Selling England By the Pound« (1973) classic is one of the best-executed tracks on the whole of »Genesis Rrevisited II«. The new versions of the orientally flavored »Fly On a Windshield« and »Broadway Melody of 1974«, the unforgettable burlesque on the American dream, feature vocals by Hackett’s drummer/singer Gary O’Toole.
This time, »The Musical Box« opens with the lulling melody of a music box, which soon turns into a ‘nightmare’. Nad Sylvan steps up to the mic again and once more delivers an exceptionally lived-in vocal performance, a copy of the original brilliance of the legendary Peter Gabriel that’s as close as it gets. On flute, Steve’s brother John Hackett is very much in the thick of it, having played music with him since their childhood days. The closing section with triple guitar harmonies is an interesting twist that Mr. Hackett surely had a lot of fun with while creating the new version of this evergreen. On »Can-Utility and the Coastliners«, the avant-garde-spiced tale of King Canute and the ‘little green men’, Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree, Storm Corrosion, Blackfield, No-Man) shines in the vocal role, almost unrecognizable in his ‘Gabriel-esque’ guise this time, but excellent.
»Please Don’t Touch« is a longtime classic that gave its name to Hackett’s second solo album and was originally intended for the Genesis album »Wind and Wuthering« (1977), where it was supposed to keep company with »Unquiet Slumbers« and »Wot Gorilla«. But the trio of Steve’s bandmates at the time (Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford) rebelled against it, which was one of the main reasons he went solo. This version of »Please Don’t Touch« makes heavier use of the sustain effect on the guitar.
The second disc, which opens with the pastoral-orchestral classic »Blood On the Rooftops«, where drummer O’Toole once again shines on vocals, is dedicated to Hackett’s late Genesis period between 1976 and 1977, when the legendary band briefly operated as a foursome and released two excellent albums, »A Trick of the Tail« (1976) and »Wind and Wuthering« (1977). The one chronological exception is the »Nursery Cryme« (1971) classic »The Return of the Giant Hogweed«, the first recorded instance of tapping in the history of rock music, where the central guitar solo is played by the legendary Swedish guitarist/singer Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings, Transatlantic, ex-Kaipa, Karmakanic). John Hackett again shows his worth with pastoral flute passages. This time the lead vocals are taken by cult American singer/multi-instrumentalist Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard, Transatlantic), backed in the rhythm section by bassist Lee Pomeroy (It Bites, Three Friends) and drummer Rob Townsend (Family). On the ethereal »A Trick of the Tail« ballad »Entangled«, where Mellotron once again rules in abundance, Jakko Jakszyck (21st Century Schizoid Band, ex-Level 42) is superb on lead vocals with his velvety approach, ably accompanied by Amanda Lehmann on the chorus vocal harmonies.
»Eleventh Earl Of Mar« likewise follows in the footsteps of the original, only with Nad Sylvan (again) on lead vocals, who is not just an effective imitator of Peter Gabriel but of Phil Collins too, and with the guitar lines a little more prominent and clear in the production, which could really be said of most of the other Genesis covers on »Genesis Revisited II«. On the poignant ballad »Ripples«, Mr. Hackett allowed himself a risky experiment by opting for a female voice, and although Amanda Lehmann’s vocal register by no means reaches the emotional depth of the original in Collins’ domain, she did a solid job all the same. This is followed by three interconnected »Wind and Wuthering« pieces that also make up the closing stretch of that legendary album in the original. The instrumentals »Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers…« and »…In that Quiet Earth«, enriched with Mellotron and acoustic-guitar classicism, flow into the epic finale »Afterglow«, where the legendary bassist/singer John Wetton (Asia, ex-Mogul Thrash, Family, King Crimson, Uriah Heep, UK, Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash, Phenomena, Wetton-Manzanera, Qango) shines as lead vocalist. Mr. Wetton, who already took part in »Genesis Revisited« back in 1996, sings this evergreen with exceptional pathos, as expected, and once again offers a vivid answer to how Genesis would have sounded with him on vocals. Among the prestigious guests on »Genesis Revisited II«, it’s worth also mentioning Hackett’s longtime collaborator and touring band member, bassist/singer Nick Beggs (Kajagoogoo), who especially stands out on the Chapman Stick.
At the end of »Genesis Revisited II« there are three more pieces from Steve’s solo career that nonetheless have their roots in his days with Genesis. The cataclysmic »A Tower Struck Down«, originally released on Hackett’s debut »Voyage of the Acolyte« (1975), is played far more aggressively when it comes to the thunderous guitar phrasing, and verges on heavy metal. In all honesty, apart from a few exceptions like »The Knife« (which dates back to before Steve joined), »The Musical Box« and »Return of the Giant Hogweed«, Genesis never sounded even half as punchy. »Camino Royale«, a standard from the album »Higly Strung« (1982), featuring the Hungarian fusion band Djabe this time, got a much jazzier treatment with extensive trumpet parts, and so sounds even more interesting than the original.
Right at the end of this double set of Genesis covers comes an excellent version of the epic masterpiece »Shadow of the Hierophant«, which has its roots in the period when Genesis were creating their studio classic »Foxtrot« but only came out on Hackett’s debut »Voyage of the Acolyte«. This version, which doesn’t skimp on Mellotron and bass pedals, was played at a somewhat faster tempo, yet it still manages to capture the spirit of classic Genesis, which is what matters most. Amanda Lehmann rose to the daunting task of replacing Sally Oldfield’s brilliant original vocal performance, and amid the vast waves of Mellotron she does it surprisingly convincingly, with a timbre similar to that of her famous predecessor.
»Genesis Revisited II« is a treat for longtime fans of Mr. Hackett’s musical legacy, and above all a warm trip down memory lane to his days with the legendary Genesis, who spent their ‘golden era’ with the guitar maestro in the lineup between 1971 and 1977. At the same time, this double document of re-recorded Genesis classics is yet another vivid proof that of all the former Genesis members, Steve is by far the most diligent when it comes to preserving their legacy. So if a Genesis reunion ever does happen (the odds, to be honest, are admittedly very slim), organizing it and having the final say on the concert setlist should be left to him, with the mutual support of Peter, Phil, Tony and Mike, of course.
Lineup
Steve Hackett – guitar, vocals
Roger King – keyboards
Amanda Lehmann – guitar, vocals
Jo Lehmann – backing vocals
Christine Townsend – violin, viola
Dave Kerzner – keyboards
Dick Driver – double bass
Francis Dunnery – guitar, vocals
Gary O’Toole – drums, percussion, vocals
John Hackett – flute
John Wetton – bass guitar, guitar, vocals
Mikael Akerfeldt – vocals
Nad Sylvan – vocals
Nik Kershaw – vocals
Phil Mulford – bass guitar
Rachel Ford – cello
Roine Stolt – guitar
Steve Rothery – guitar
Nick Magnus – keyboards
Neal Morse – keyboards, vocals
Jeremy Stacey – drums
Conrad Keely – vocals
Nick Beggs – bass guitar, Chapman Stick
Steven Wilson – guitar, vocals
Rob Townsend – saxophone, flute
Jakko Jakszyk – guitar, vocals
Simon Collins (Phil Collins’ son) – keyboards, vocals
Lee Pomeroy – bass guitar, Chapman Stick
Production
Steve Hackett and Roger King
Track list
CD1:
1. The Chamber of 32 Doors
2. Horizons
3. Supper’s Ready
4. The Lamia
5. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
6. Fly on a Windshield
7. Broadway Melody of 1974
8. The Musical Box
9. Can-Utility and the Coastliners
10. Please Don’t Touch
CD2:
1. Blood on the Rooftops
2. The Return of the Giant Hogweed
3. Entangled
4. Eleventh Earl of Mar
5. Ripples
6. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers
7. In That Quiet Earth
8. Afterglow
9. A Tower Struck Down
10. Camino Royale
11. Shadow of the Hierophant
