Who is Steve Hackett? An Interview Teaser

 

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 second album Trespass set the blueprint for their early long form work. In 1971 Phil Collins permanently replaced a series of not very good drummers and added a new dimension to their vocal sound. Collin's softer voice melded perfectly with Peter Gabriel's harsh bleating and is featured prominently on their third LP Nursery Cryme.

The other addition to the band on this album was guitarist Steve Hackett. Hackett's guitar brought a new aggressiveness to their sound. He was a major contributor to the band's output through their 8th album Wind And Wuthering and the subsequent double LP live document Seconds Out.


But Hackett had become frustrated with the democratic selection of material for the previous few albums, a system in which he was often outvoted. He recorded and released a solo album Voyage Of The Acolyte but was told by the band that he would not be allowed to have a solo career and remain in the band so he made the brave, terrifying and potentially unwise decision to leave a band that was on a meteoric rise and become a solo act. 

Of course most music fans of a certain age know that, as a three-piece, Genesis went on to become multi-platinum pop superstars, while Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford also had massive solo careers on the side. But here's the thing - I can't listen to any of that stuff anymore. The work of Genesis in the late 80s and early 90s, along with the ubiquitous solo songs of Phil Collins, sound dated and most certainly have been overplayed on the radio.

The fact is, The members of Genesis seem to have been ham-strung by their massive success. They are no longer making music. Keyboardist Tony Banks is an incredible musician and composer whose talent has gone unused for decades because of pride, at least in my estimation. He was in one of the biggest bands in the world. He can't look back, he can't do something small.

Steve Hackett never achieved the commercial heights of his former band. He doesn't live in a castle, he is not a household name and he probably never will be. But he has been composing music, honing his skills, releasing albums and 'CULT-ivating' a fan base to this very day. He's the only guy still going - creating breathtaking music and delighting his loyal followers with a new album approximately every two years while embarking on endless world tours in which he and his band perform his complex music to perfection.

Additionally, Hackett has been the keeper of the flame for the early incarnation of Genesis, recording new versions of their classic songs and performing them live.

In January, 2019 - a few weeks shy of his 69th birthday - Steve Hackett is set to release his (by my count) 28th studio album At The Edge Of Light. I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with Steve about this, his career, how he stays creative, and more. Our talk will appear in transcribed form here in this space tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Eric Sandberg