STEVE HACKETT : FOXTROT AT FIFTY + HACKETT HIGHLIGHTS: LIVE IN BRIGHTON

STEVE HACKETT : FOXTROT AT FIFTY + HACKETT HIGHLIGHTS: LIVE IN BRIGHTON

Disc One (54:14)

Intro / Ace Of Wands
The Devil's Cathetral
Spectral Mornings
Every Day
A Tower Struck Down
Basic Instincts
Camino Royale
Shadow Of The Hierophant

Disc Two (78:51)

Watcher Of The Skies
Time Table
Get 'em Out By Friday
Can-Utility And The Coastliners
Horizons
Supper's Ready
Firth Of Fifth
Los Endos

Label : Inside Out Music

Venue : Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK

Recording Date : October 9, 2022

Release Date : September 15, 2023

Review (The Prog Report) : You might think Steve Hackett’s Genesis Revisited juggernaut has run its course, after more than a decade of reprising the band’s 1970s heyday. But you’d be wrong. Hackett’s latest live retrospective album, “Foxtrot at 50 + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton,” confirms there is much yet the former Genesis guitarist can bring to this satisfying project. Like the prior eight live Genesis Revisited releases, “Foxtrot at 50” transcends nostalgia and sentimentality. It captures Hackett and his talented band of musicians delivering a crackling-good performance that updates 1972’s classic “Foxtrot” album — the band’s fourth and the first to chart in the U.K. (No. 12). It also showcases a handful of well-chosen solo works the multitalented guitarist/composer/bandleader has produced since leaving the band in 1977. As usual, these performances are the next best thing to seeing Genesis live back in the day. But what’s most striking is the degree to which each band member brings a new sheen and shine to these timeless prog masterworks. The combined result takes these well-known pieces in surprising new directions, while remaining loyal to the originals. Perhaps more than any other Genesis Revisited release, this double-disc set demonstrates how well Hackett’s individual works hold up against the older Genesis material. As if to emphasize the point, this rich collection ends with an inspired mashup of the jazzy Genesis instrumental “Los Endos” and Hackett’s own “Slogan’s” from his 1980 “Defector” solo album — perfectly marrying the two halves of this live release. The upshot: This is a satisfying 50-year overview of one of prog’s most prolific and engaging elder statesmen that honors his past yet also confirms he is still breaking new ground at age 73. The first half of album showcases a best-of collection of Hackett’s solo works, dating to his 1975 debut, “Voyage of the Acolyte,” recorded while he was still in Genesis and the same year Peter Gabriel departed the band. This set includes three tracks from that brilliant debut —the wildly eclectic prog-fusion instrumental “Ace of Wands,” the haunting “A Tower Struck Down” and “Shadow of the Heirophant,” featuring vocalist Amanda Lehman (an epic suite initially proposed to, but rejected by, his Genesis bandmates for inclusion on 1976’s “Trick of the Tail”). Hearing these tracks side-by-side with the “Foxtrot” material, a strong argument can be made that “Acolyte” just might be the best Genesis album that Genesis never made. The first set also features more recent material, including “The Devi’s Cathedral,” a gothic story-song from his 2021 album “Surrender of Silence” that plays like a soundtrack from a Wes Craven horror film. Roger King’s churchy organ backdrop and Hackett’s ghosty fretwork provide the perfect backdrop for Nad Sylvan’s chilling baritone vocal. In addition, the setlist includes the jazzy title track from Hackett’s third solo album, 1979’s “Spectral Mornings,” the sprightly “Every Day” (from the same record) and the driving “Camino Royale” from 1982’s “Highly Strung.” The second half of the release features Hackett and Friends’ replication of the groundbreaking “Foxtrot.” There’s no point in analyzing why this was the transitional album that brought Genesis international acclaim. It’s probably enough to simply say that the music here stands on its own merits and still manages to sound fresh and original after all these years. But it’s worth noting that classic tracks like “Watcher of the Skies,” “Get ‘Em Out by Friday” and the 23-minute seven-part suite “Supper’s Ready” can still raise gooseflesh in these new live versions. A close listen reveals new textures and liberties the band takes that gives these tightly orchestrated pieces a new freshness. In particular, Sylvan stands out, channeling both Peter Gabriel’s quirky ancient-mariner croon and Phil Collins’ elfin tenor, yet somehow bringing something uniquely his own to his vocal delivery. His dramatic interpretation of Gabriel’s shape-shifting vocals on “Supper’s Ready” approaches Broadway-like theatricality and the result is nothing short of remarkable; it’s a true tour-de-force. Roger King also shines on keyboards throughout. He masterfully reworks Tony Banks’ symphonic intro to “Watcher of the Skies” (matching the original, which was performed on a mellotron famously bought from King Crimson). His classical-piano turns on “Time Table” (this being the first Genesis Revisited take on this track) and the rarely performed “Can-Utility and the Coastliners” bring a new luster to these high-water marks in the early Genesis cannon. And noteworthy performances are delivered by reedman Rob Townsend — whose sax and flute lines add new depth and tonal color to the proceedings — and the thunderous rhythm section of bassist Jonas Reingold and drummer Craig Blundell. (Reingold even gets his own solo bass spot and Blundell unleashes wildly unhinged melodic drum fills in the closing coda of “Hierophant” and during the “Apocalypse 9/8” interlude of “Supper’s Ready.” Throughout, of course, Hackett’s searing and emotive fretwork cut like a foghorn through the darkly turbulent storm of sound that defined “Foxtrot” and some his best post-Genesis efforts, both anchoring and pushing the band to new heights. Highpoints include his resplendent Bach-like acoustic etude, “Horizons,” a staple of his live shows and fan favorite, and the jawdropping electric-guitar solo he unleashes on the classical-prog-rock “Firth of Fifth.” Worth noting: If you’re a Genesis fan who feels you just don’t need to hear yet another version of “Supper’s Ready,” you should reconsider — if only to take in the wildly unhinged solo Hackett unspools at the triumphal conclusion of this transcendent epic: This new version is a keeper and worth your time. For audiophiles, the sound production throughout is crystalline, featuring gem-like clarity. Mixed by Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Ted Jensen, it is available in various formats, including a four-LP edition and two-CD/Blu-ray and two-CD/two-DVD sets, all loaded with bonus extras and 5.1 surround sound mixes. With “Foxtrot at 50,” Hackett has reached a bit of a milestone — producing live Genesis Revisited recordings of half of the eight albums he originally recorded with the band from 1971 to 1977. Which begs the question: Might Hackett tackle next the one album many fans and critics regard as Genesis’s finest hour (plus 34 minutes) — 1974’s “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway,” which has not received the full start-to-finish Genesis Revisited treatment? What say ye, Mr. Hackett?

Review (At The Barrier) : A souvenir release of the show we reported from in Manchester and Liverpool, on a very extensive tour – just like the old days when a UK tour wasn’t just a handful of arenas but a trek around the theatres of the provinces. Possibly, someone will no doubt confirm, the most extensive UK jaunt Steve Hackett has done in his solo career. Back to the days of the early Seventies indeed when he was a member of Genesis, doing the legwork up and down the nation with a new progressive rock album to promote. Who’d have thought…? Having accrued a selection of live releases from London to Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester, the choice of location for the current set is Brighton. Not known as a place as a home for classic live albums, here’s a chance for the fashionable seaside location to make its mark in the annals of rock history. By now, the MO is well and truly rehearsed – the usual crack Hackett band that comprises Townsend, King, Blundell, Sylvan and Reingold, plus Amanda Lehmann making a welcome appearance, accompany the boss with much aplomb, skill and having seen the show (and watched the DVD/Bluray) no shortage of humour and ‘knowing’ looks. The CD version rather cleverly keeps Foxtrot on one disc; if you want the authentic experience, then refer to the DVD/Bluray for full uninterrupted version of the show. With the majority of the Foxtrot tracks featuring in one or another incarnation of Genesis Revisited, the muscle memory serves them well with key pieces – Watcher Of The Skies and Supper’s Ready in particular – performed consistently well and after being around for fifty years, greeted as old and familiar friends despite being in storage for decades. One Foxtrot track that came very late to the party is Can Utility And The Coastliners which receives the full majestic organ and mellotron effect and delicious ringing opening. Nad Sylvan reclaims the vocal from Steven Wilson’s Genesis Revisited II version, to add his more Gabriel-esque delivery. There’s the added bonus of the debut for Time Table that by watching the video footage, was treated to a really nice lighting arrangement and of course Supper’s Ready never fails to excite when the guards of Magog begin their journey through the apocalypse. the New Jerusalem. Roger King is a star reproducing the keyboard parts While Jonas Reingold is the perfect man to have by your side for the accompanying parts as Hackett wrings every note he can out of the neck as the climax rings to a close. While Foxtrot in full might be the main attraction, the aperitif of the much underrated Hackett catalogue gets its surface scratched – with gems surfacing mainly from the early days. Ace Of Wands leads the show and heads a Voyage Of The Acolyte / Spectral Mornings heavy selection. A Tower Struck Down takes on an even more ominous hue; a slightly more subdued tempo emphasises the dramatic effect of light and shade Classic solo deliveries in a sprightly Every Day and Spectral Mornings. The letter has, in recent times, had the full pastoral opening sequence restored and here sounds full and glorious and along with the Every Day solo, still remain arguably Hackett’s best two solo segments. By the time Camino Royale, with Rob Townsend improvising some jazzy wind lines, takes us on a ride through the fair, there’s an appreciation that the band are playing these numbers with some gusto, not allowing the tempos the become pedestrian. These tempos are stately enough as Shadow Of The Hierophant emerges from the vocal section to build from the most simple of riffs into the tsunami of a spectacular tour de force that rattles the roof and while PROG magazine might snub their nose at more versions of Firth Of Fifth and Los Endos, not many present in Brighton have the need to complain. 2023 is the first year for a decade that we haven’t had a UK Hackett tour, but revisiting Foxtrot is some form of consolation. Until the next time – and as Joe Elliott of Def Leppard always says, “and there WILL be a next time!“

Review (The Spirit Of Progressive Rock) : Since setting out on his Genesis Revisited venture, about a decade ago now more or less, there’s no doubt that Steve Hackett’s profile has risen more than a little. Promoters and venues warm to the Genesis heavy setlists, although the guitarist has always ensured that highlights from his solo career are performed too. If you’re not a fan of tribute acts, your only chance of hearing classic Genesis tracks from the 1970’s played would now be at one of Steve’s gigs given that Genesis themselves are pretty much on ice following their last tour, if not defunct, and Peter Gabriel has long since refrained from throwing the odd Genesis song into his live performances. In a way, that leaves Steve as the last man standing when it comes to seeing and hearing classic live material from the band. Which is both a joyous blessing and a drawback. The drawback is that Steve’s solo material has to take something of a lower profile live than it could. The days of a totally solo Steve Hackett gig are very rare to non-existent now. A string of his own classic tracks will get played, just about always including something from his latest release, but many of the attendees at his gigs are drawn to witness the Genesis material. Which is a huge bonus of course. Hearing such wonderful classic tracks is an unmitigated highlight for any gig goer, but when it is achieved with such beautiful elan that Steve and his successive bands have produced then live performances become just that bit more special. Steve has always managed to imbue these performances with something different from the mother band that is Genesis. It might be the subtle interweaving of varied instruments, such as the combination of reed instruments with keyboard soloing, the highlighting of the jazzier aspects of certain songs, the segueing of songs, the inclusion of the sections of songs that never used to be played for various reasons, such as the music that became lost in the fading out of a track. It is safe to say that Steve and his band(s) have given the Genesis material their own style. This particular release celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the Foxtrot album, a highlight of the band’s 1970s output. It features Supper’s Ready, the epic, multipart suite that so many fans found transcendent. The inclusion of that track, and some others, on this collection underscores an enviable issue – just how many versions of Supper’s Ready, Los Endos and Firth Of Fifth and others do you need in your collection? On the strength of this display, the answer would be as many as possible! No two versions of a track are the same, there are far too many variables for that to be so. Steve releases his brand-new live audio/visual spectacular, Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton on the 15th September, 2023. It was filmed and recorded live on his 2022 UK tour, in the English south coastal city of Brighton, and documents Steve and his magnificent band celebrating the much-loved album. Played in full, this album features fan favourites including Watcher Of The Skies and Supper’s Ready. It is good to hear rarely played songs too, such as Get ‘Em Out By Friday and Can Utility And The Coastliners. The show also features a set of Hackett solo material, including The Devil’s Cathedral from his latest studio album Surrender of Silence, the powerful Ace of Wands and Shadow of the Hierophant along with the perennial Every Day. The production on the release is really quite exceptional. The sound has been mixed by Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, the album is available on Limited 2CD+Blu-ray & Limited 2CD+2DVD, both including bonus behind the scenes interviews, as well as 5.1 surround sound. A Limited Deluxe 180g 4LP edition will also be available. The concert has been shot by long-time collaborator Paul Green. The audio has great definition, and is pristine without becoming cold and clinical. The visuals are equally excellent. It is a very high-quality release indeed. Besides the quality of the songs themselves which are considered progressive rock masterpieces, the phenomenal soloing from all the members of the band including Steve himself, an excellent takeaway is the brilliance of the ensemble playing. The interplay of the players is quite wonderful, not least between Roger King on keyboards and saxophonist/flautist Rob Townsend. There are, potentially, some quite tricky moments to navigate by the pair but they do so with artful skill. Jonas Rheingold on bass and Craig Blundell on drums provide an enormously solid rhythmical foundation around which the music proceeds. Amanda Lehmann is almost a ubiquitous part of a Steve Hackett gig these days, being essential to the playing of Shadow of the Hierophant and giving the song some of its added energy when playing her guitar. All the players sound easy with one another, and there is great power rather than heaviness in the music. These are high quality interpretations of the tunes – Camino Royale is joyful, Shadow Of The Hierophant powerful, Supper’s Ready triumphal, Firth of Fifth emotional and descriptive. Throughout it all, Steve is assured and incredibly skilled, keen to allow his band to shine rather than claiming the limelight all for himself. His playing is precise but flowing, deft but robust as befits the track. There is quite a library of Steve Hackett live releases under the Genesis Revisited banner now, with this the eighth such release in the last ten years. It is an exceptional release as it deals with one of the progressive rock genre’s most respected albums from the classic period with great respect, but not in any way being stilted or restricting. Indeed, one of the features of the music is how warm and joyful the performances are. There are no weak links, all the band are exceptional musicians and they gel well as a unit. The musicians quite obviously know, appreciate and enjoy the pieces and feed off the enthusiasm of the crowd. Everything about this release oozes quality – the standard of musicianship, the clarity of the visuals, and the definition of the sound. Steve reflects; “Foxtrot is a must for fans of the early Genesis work. Fifty years ago? It doesn’t feel like those ideas are fifty years old because it was-genre defining, rather than following trends. It still sounds current, now.”