Knock and Knowall

Steve Hackett is one of the most enduring rock artists working today. Despite a long, fruitful solo career. with close to thirty solo albums in his catalog, he is still closely associated with the band he left in 1977. Steve does not avoid, but rather embraces, the association. In addition to releasing a new solo album of original material every two years or so, he has also created modern, sonically superior versions of those classic Genesis songs and goes out of his way to feature them live on massive world tours that would tire a younger man. At the end of January, just weeks before his 69th birthday, Hackett will release a new studio album At The Edge Of Light and embark on a 160 plus date world tour featuring Genesis music, classic solo material and select tracks from the new album. Steve was kind enough to call me late one cold evening from his London home. Here is what we talked about. Eric Sandberg: How are things in London? Steve Hackett: Very cold at the moment. ...

  Photo by Armando Gallo I am endlessly fascinated by the subject of popular music career paths. Who was in what band? Why did this one leave that band...who flourished...who sank like a stone...what were their motivations? I have spent countless hours studying Pete Frame's hand-sketched Rock Family Trees book and contemplating these scenarios. For example, take Bryan Ferry's relationship with Roxy Music. He was making solo albums concurrently with them but they mostly consisted of cover songs. When Roxy scored an international hit with "Love Is The Drug" he went solo. Everybody floundered after this so Roxy Music returned, releasing two uneven albums culminating in the creation of their timeless classic Avalon.  This accomplished, Ferry jettisoned his Roxy Music band mates once again to rebuild his solo career and never recorded under the name Roxy Music again. Genesis is a different story. Genesis' first album was a Moody Blues facsimile, while the...