STEVE HACKETT - Voyage of the Acolyte (1975-2005) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Voyage of the Acolyte is the debut solo album from progressive rock guitarist Steve Hackett. It was released while he was still a member of Genesis. The album was recorded two weeks after the last show of the The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour and was released in 1975 on Chrysalis Records in the U.S. and Charisma Records for the rest of the world.

It featured heavy contributions from Genesis bandmates Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford. In an interview with Phoenix FM Hackett stated that some of the tracks, particularly "Shadow of the Hierophant," were rehearsed by Genesis during the writing and recording of Foxtrot in 1972.[2]

The album went silver in the UK. In a 1987 MTV interview Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks stated that the album didn't do much for Genesis, however it is considered by many Genesis fans to be a lost Genesis album.

The tracks are named after, or with reference to, the Minor and Major Trumps of the Tarot card deck.

The album was reissued in 2005 by Virgin Records, and in the U.S. in 2006 by Astralwerks, featuring bonus tracks.

Best known as the main guitarist for Genesis from 1971 to 1977, Steve Hackett has long been regarded as one of the leading progressive rock guitarists of his generation. This remastered pressing of his 1975 album features 10 tracks including the 2 bonus tracks 'Ace Of Wands' (live) & 'Shadow Of The Hierophant' (extended playout version). EMI. 2005. 

This is rightly considered one of the masterpieces of progressive rock. It has the whole spectrum of the genre-- great, unpredictable arrangements (Ace of Wands), esoteric lyrics (The Hermit, Star of Sirius, Shadow of the Hierophant), manic instrumental sections (The Tower Struck Down), astoundingly beautiful moments (Hands of the Priestess), and the drama of classical-like buildups (Shadow of the Hierophant.) In order to perform progrock, you had to have the skills to pull off a wide range of musical moods.

Three vocalists contribute a variety of styles-- Steve himself delivers a quiet folkish song, Phil Collins his high and airy style, and an operatic approach from soprano Sally Oldfield (sister of Mike Oldfield). Steve's brother John Hackett is superb on flute and ARP synthesizer, while John Acock provides moody keyboard backdrops. Steve himself gives a more restrained performance than you would expect from a lead guitarist let loose on his first solo album, but his allegiance if first and foremost to compositional development, as was the tradition in progrock.

I'm not much of an audiophile, but I noticed the improvement in this disc immediately. This was one of the first albums I bought on CD, and I was glad to purchase it again for the improved quality. If you want to begin to explore Steve Hackett's career, or just want to relive a peak of the genre, start right here in 1975 when progrock was still one of the most commercially uncompromised genres in the history of popular music.

Recorded in June/July of 1975 (soon after Peter Gabriel left Genesis), this debut solo album by Steve more or less pointed in the direction that Genesis would travel following the Lamb Lies down on Broadway (1974). The album was also somewhat successful and reached No. 26 in England and No. 191 in America, which was a source of encouragement for the guys in Genesis (they were recording A Trick of the Tail at the time). More importantly however, Voyage of the Acolyte gave Steve an opportunity to record music that had been dismissed by some of the guys in Genesis.

Joining Steve (electric and acoustic guitars; mellotron; harmonium, bells, autoharp, vocal, effects) were Genesis mates Mike Rutherford (bass guitar, Taurus bass pedals, fuzz 12-string); and Phil Collins (drums, percussion, vibes, vocals); along with Steve's brother John Hackett (flute, ARP synthesizer, bells); keyboardist John Acock (Elka Rhapsody, mellotron, harmonium, piano); Sally Oldfield (vocal); Robin Miller (oboe, cor anglais); and Nigel Warren-Green (cello). For those of you Brand X fans out there (like me) Percy Jones contributes an excellent bass part on A Tower Struck Down. The musicians on this album are all excellent and I loved hearing Phil's drumming, not to mention his vocal contributions. Steve of course, shines throughout and his playing is both delicate and adventurous.

The eight tracks on the album range in length from 1'34" to 11'45" - the pieces are all superb and it is clear that Steve was (and is) an excellent composer. This is a very well recorded and soft album loaded with dreamy mellotron and warm synthesizer tones all over the place. Steve contributes some absolutely gorgeous and haunting acoustic guitar pieces and the proggy group workouts on tracks like Star of Sirius are a great deal of fun to listen to. All of the tracks flow together nicely and seem to form a larger work of sorts. I have to admit that this is easily my favorite Genesis - related solo album.

This was a well recorded album to begin with and the sound quality is simply excellent.

Voyage of the Acolyte ultimately gave Steve the impetus he needed to break off from Genesis (after having his ideas squashed) and strike out on his own. A simply superb album that is very highly recommended along with the Genesis albums A Trick of the Tail (1976) and the moody Wind and Wuthering (1976). By the way, Wind and Wuthering would be Steve's last album with Genesis and presents some of his finest playing with the group.

I bought this on import LP in 1975 and have been listening to it a couple of times a year for 32 years. I know this recording. At least I thought I did. The remastering of this music is steller. I am hearing things in this original mix that I have never heard before. I even compared this to the initial CD release and there is no comparison. The acoustic instruments have much more depth and presence. The electric soundstage is well balanced. For the first time, the bass and bass pedals can be heard in full depth and brilliance. There could be some serious foundation shaking with the right subwoofer. I always believed this LP could have fit comfortably between Foxtrot and Selling England if Genesis had recorded it. The only thing that keeps this work from being a true Genesis project is the absence of Peter Gabriel's vocals and flute playing. This recording IS that good. It has always been my favorite Hackett release. You need to add this to your collection. web

Tracklist

1 Ace Of Wands 5:25

Written-By – Steve Hackett

2 Hands Of The Priestess (Part 1) 3:29

Written-By – Steve Hackett

3 A Tower Struck Down 4:52

Bass [Extra Bass] – Percy Jones

Written-By – John Hackett, Steve Hackett

4 Hands Of The Priestess (Part 2) 1:35

Written-By – Steve Hackett

5 The Hermit 4:49

Written-By – Steve Hackett

6 Star Of Sirius 7:08

Bass – Johnny Gustafson

Written-By – Steve Hackett

7 The Lovers 1:49

Written-By – Steve Hackett

8 Shadow Of The Hierophant 11:45

Engineer [Engineering Help] – Louis Austin 

Written-By – Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett

Bonus Tracks

9 Ace Of Wands (Live At The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane) 5:25

Written-By – Steve Hackett

10 Shadow Of The Hierophant (Extended Playout Version) 17:00

Engineer [Engineering Help] – Louis Austin

Written-By – Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett

Credits

Bass Guitar, Pedalboard [Bass Pedals], Twelve-String Guitar [Fuzz 12-string] – Mike Rutherford

Drums, Vibraphone [Vibes], Percussion, Vocals – Phil Collins

Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Mellotron, Harmonium, Bells, Autoharp, Vocals, Effects – Steve Hackett

Flute, Synthesizer [ARP Synthesizer], Bells – John Hackett

Oboe, Cor Anglais – Robin Miller

Painting [Album Cover Paintings By] – Kim Poor

Soloist, Cello – Nigel Warren-Green

Synthesizer [Elka Rhapsody], Mellotron, Harmonium, Piano – John Acock

Vocals – Sally Oldfield

 STEVE HACKETT - Voyage of the Acolyte [1975]

[2005] RM / Virgin / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless 

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Steve Hackett - Please Don't Touch! [1978] FLAC / Remastered 2005

Please Don't Touch! is the second solo album by English guitarist Steve Hackett, and his first after leaving Genesis in 1977.

The album featured several guests including R&B singer Randy Crawford on "Hoping Love Will Last", American folk icon Richie Havens on two songs, the drummer and vocalist for the progressive rock band Kansas (Phil Ehart and Steve Walsh respectively), Frank Zappa alumnus Tom Fowler, Genesis concert drummer Chester Thompson (also a Zappa alumnus), and Van der Graaf violinist Graham Smith.

This was also Hackett's first album to feature his pioneering use of the Roland GR-500 Guitar Synthesizer.

Please Don't Touch! was the first solo album that Hackett released after leaving Genesis during the mixing of the 1977 live album Seconds Out.

Hackett had previously released a solo album, Voyage of the Acolyte, while still a member of Genesis, but he was frustrated by the collaborative process of Genesis which left much of his creative work unreleased. He wrote a song, "Please Don't Touch", that Genesis rehearsed but ended up setting aside, partly because the other members of the band did not want to use it. He also wrote a second song, "Hoping Love Will Last", that he felt was appropriate only for a female singer, which was something that the band could not use. Eventually, the track Wot Gorilla? was decided on as the last track on the first side of Wind and Wuthering, and this decision sealed Hackett's decision to leave Genesis. Hackett quit Genesis and began to record the album Please Don't Touch, using the rejected Genesis song as the title track.

"Narnia" is based on the children's book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. Singer Steve Walsh and drummer Phil Ehart of the American rock band Kansas appear on the song. According to Hackett in the liner notes of the 2005 re-release, "Narnia" had been considered as a possible single. "Unfortunately," Hackett stated, "we weren't allowed to release the version featuring Steve on vocals as his record company objected. No-one at Charisma felt the alternative version [a version with vocalist John Perry and a bonus track on the 2005 remaster] was strong enough to release as a single without Steve's contribution."

"Carry On Up the Vicarage" is a musical tribute to Agatha Christie. It features vocals from Hackett himself. The vocals during most of the song consist of a double line of an artificially high pitched voice and an artificially low pitched one. Hackett has often used similar distorting effects on his vocals in his solo career.

"Racing in A" also features Steve Walsh on vocals. The song is electric for most of its duration, but the last 1:15 is a classical guitar piece which decreases in pace throughout, finishing on a relaxing note to set up for the fully acoustic instrumental track "Kim". Which consists of Steve Hackett on classical guitar with his brother John on flute, it was largely inspired by Erik Satie's "Gymnopédie No 1".

"How Can I?" is the last track on side one of the original vinyl. It is a slow song which features Richie Havens on vocals.

Side two of the vinyl consists of a suite of songs which flow directly into each other. It begins with "Hoping Love Will Last" with Randy Crawford on vocals. It has a heavy R&B/soul influence but with some classical style guitar parts as well as atmospheric sections featuring synthesisers. The second of these sections segues into "Land of a Thousand Autumns", an instrumental, atmospheric track which contains references to the main theme of the title track. A sudden drum fill leads into the next track.

"Please Don't Touch" itself is an instrumental track with many time signature changes that features prominent use of Hackett's Roland GR-500 Guitar Synthesiser. The track was originally offered by Hackett to Genesis for Wind and Wuthering, but was rejected by the rest of the band. This rejection contributed to Hackett's eventual decision to leave Genesis in 1977. The track was written as a variation on the main theme heard in the Wind and Wuthering track "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers...". This theme was also eventually incorporated into the song "Hackett to Bits", which was included on the 1985 GTR album featuring Yes guitarist Steve Howe. Owing to the Genesis connection, Hackett included a re-recording of "Please Don't Touch" in his 2012 album Genesis Revisited II.

"Please Don't Touch" abruptly transitions into "The Voice of Necam". This track also features references to the "Please Don't Touch" theme at the beginning, but in the middle it becomes more of an ambient piece featuring a computer called Necam. The last 1:20 of the track is a classical guitar piece backed by the aforementioned computerised chords.

"Icarus Ascending" is the last track on the album and is sung by Richie Havens.

The cover was designed by the artist Kim Poor, as were many of Hackett's album covers. It shows a Victorian couple being attacked by automata in a toy shop. This became the inspiration for a scene in Blade Runner, where the character Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) is attacked in a flat full of replicant toys.

Steve Hackett left Genesis in June 1977 (following the tour that would be documented on Seconds Out), and started his solo career in earnest with Please Don't Touch. Unlike Voyage of the Acolyte, which was a largely instrumental concept album steeped in the progressive rock idiom, this record is primarily a collection of songs featuring guest vocalists Richie Havens, Randy Crawford, and Kansas' Steve Walsh (their Phil Ehart also chips in here on drums). Although the sum effect is something of a patchwork, the individual pieces are often lovely. Over his career, Hackett has shown a propensity for extremes, in this case letting the jazzy and sentimental "Hoping Love Will Last" segue into the musical maelstrom of "Land of a Thousand Autumns" and "Please Don't Touch" (which will delight fans of Hackett's first record, although the Caroline CD inexplicably pauses too long between the two). In a nod to King Crimson (specifically Lizard), the title track is quickly cut off with the quirky carousel sounds of "The Voice of Necam," which itself dissolves into a mix of airy voices and acoustic guitar. The best tracks belong to Richie Havens: "How Can I?" ("Hackett"'s take on Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill") and the conclusive "Icarus Ascending." Hackett is no singer, so he wisely masks his voice in a "laughing gnome" effect on the delightful "Carry on Up the Vicarage" and hides behind Walsh's lead on "Narnia" and "Racing in A." Perhaps taking his cue from Gabriel (whose debut had appeared in 1977), Hackett seems eager to show his range as a songwriter. While he clearly has a closet full of good ideas and a genuine knack for interesting arrangements, Hackett is too much the eccentric Englishman to appeal to broad commercial tastes. Please Don't Touch remains a uniquely effective amalgam of progressive rock and pop; like his first album, he never made another one quite like it, perhaps because he again taps the concept's full potential here.

Track listing

    "Narnia" – 4:05

    "Carry On Up the Vicarage" – 3:11

    "Racing in A" – 5:07

    "Kim" – 2:13

    "How Can I?" – 4:38

    "Hoping Love Will Last" – 4:23

    "Land of a Thousand Autumns" – 1:38

    "Please Don't Touch" – 3:39

    "The Voice of Necam" – 3:11

    "Icarus Ascending" – 6:27

All tracks written by Steve Hackett.

Personnel

    Steve Hackett – Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, Roland GR-500 Guitar Synthesizer, vocals (2), backing vocals (1, 3, 9, 10), keyboards, percussion

    John Hackett – flute, piccolo, bass pedals, keyboards

    John Acock – keyboards, engineer

    James Bradley – percussion

    Phil Ehart – drums, percussion

    Tom Fowler – bass

    Richie Havens – vocals (5, 10), percussion

    Dave Lebolt – keyboards

    Hugh Malloy – cello

    Graham Smith – violin

    Chester Thompson – drums, percussion

    Steve Walsh – vocals (1, 3)

    Maria Bonvino – guest female soprano (6)

    Randy Crawford – vocals (6)

    Feydor – vocals on "The Voice of Necam"

    Dan Owen, Dale Newman – guest vocals on "Icarus Ascending"

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