Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Hackett, Steve
Label: Camino Records
Release: 2008
Rating: 4/5
Steve Hackett, one of the greatest guitar innovators and composers in the history of rock music (long before Eddie Van Halen popularized tapping in the ’80s, it was already a staple guitar technique for Steve on some of the best Genesis creations) and one of the most sensitive players of his instrument, proves once again with his new release that he remains the most “industrious” of all the former and current Genesis big names, who usually put out something new only once every ten years.
After the excellent, prog-rock-flavored album “Wild Orchids” (2006), on which he stylistically went looking for inspiration in his best creative years of the ’70s, this time he’s put together a completely instrumental, classically conceived record where the only active instrumental force is his first love, the classical guitar (something he will surely never admit to his wife, and the regular illustrator of his covers, Kim Poor, even though you can’t deny the truth). All his fans have known for a long time that Steve is not just a top-notch (prog) rock guitarist, but has also proven himself many times as an excellent and unique classical guitarist, one who knows that a classical guitar can often draw out more pathos than its electrified cousin. Steve already has a whole pleiad of acoustic moments behind him where he shone with a unique use of the classical guitar, but on no record has he come close to it in such an authentic and pure way as he does now.
“Tribute” is the master’s homage to some of his classical “teachers”, both
classical composers led by Bach and some of the main innovators in the use of the classical guitar. Among them, in Steve’s case, the legendary Spanish classical guitarist Anders Segovia stands out. Steve has expressed his fascination with Segovia many times in the past and stressed the huge importance the latter had on the development of his classical guitar playing.
“Tribute” features 13 solo guitar performances by Steve of works by masters of classical guitar and composers of classical music, plus three original Hackett pieces. Those are “The Fountain Suite”, “Cascada” and “Sapphires”. Two of them came about during his last tour, on which he performed as an acoustic trio with his longtime collaborator and brother, John Hackett. This time Steve performed completely alone, with no keyboards, flute or rhythm section to accompany him, but he was surely not lonely, since while playing the guitar he was undoubtedly spiritually connected with his classical “teachers” the whole time.
The first three pieces on the album are Steve’s homage to Bach and, fittingly, contain plenty of Baroque elements. In them you can pick up not just the master’s polished technique, but also the special, delicate fire with which they were played. According to Steve, “The Fountain Suite” is his key homage to Segovia and a fairly complex piece in which the influence the latter had on Steve’s classical guitar technique is most obvious. “The Earle Of Salisbury” is an original by William Byrd, and it’s a delight with its medieval atmosphere, the kind that’s usually more typical of the work of Steve’s predecessor in Genesis, Anthony Phillips. Next up is “La Catedral”, a lovely homage to yet another Spanish classical guitarist, Agustin Barrios. “Ely Noya de la Mare” has a pleasant pastoral and romantic mood. Then come three more tributes to Bach, where you’re charmed by the technical complexity and the variety, as well as the apparent ease with which the master demonstrates his love of classical music and his outstanding command of the guitar. On the closing “La Maya De Goya”, which is dedicated to Granados, Steve returns to Spanish soil once more and carries the listener off into a pleasant rapture of authentic romantic-pastoral atmosphere, otherwise so characteristic of most of his best work.
Not only Steve’s devoted fans, but also all passionate players and lovers of the classical guitar will surely be charmed by “Tribute”, as the classics of legendary composers and classical guitarists come alive in the unique interpretations of one of the finest classical guitarists in the popular/rock music of our time. Of all Steve’s releases so far, “Tribute” gets closest to classical music he’s ever come, which also makes it his best classical album to date. Once again he proves that at heart he remains first and foremost a classical guitarist, and in that way a singular oddball among guitarists who became famous mainly for their achievements in rock or popular music. Anyone who really wants to get to know the immense stylistic variety of Steve’s body of work absolutely mustn’t overlook this album, while for his fans it’s of course a must-buy.
“Tribute” is, by the way, the first of two Steve albums that were announced for this year. The next release is supposed to be more rock-flavored again, with two more music legends joining in: the legendary bassist Chris Squire (Yes) and drummer Simon Phillips (Toto). So the second half of the year promises another new treat, in all likelihood prog rock, from one of the music legends most devoted to his craft.
Line-up
Steve Hackett – classical guitar
Production
Steve Hackett
Track list
1. Gavottes BWV 1012 (Bach)
2. Courante BWV 1009 (Bach)
3. Jesu Joy BWV 147 (Bach)
4. The Fountain Suite (Hackett)
5. The Earle of Salisbury (Byrd)
6. La Catedral (Barrios)
7. El Noy de la Mare
8. Cascada (Hackett)
9. Sapphires (Hackett)
10. Prelude in D, BWV 998 (Bach)
11. Prelude in C min, BWV 999 (Bach)
12. Chaconne BWV 1004 (Bach)
13. La Maja de Goya (Granados)
