Progradar
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LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT – Announce details for new album 'LTE3'
Review – Tiger Moth Tales – The Whispering Of The World – by John Wenlock-Smith
Charles Nolan on Interview With Steve Hackett by John Wenlock-Smith
067: Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern - Thousand Albums on Review – Mansun – Attack of the Grey Lantern (Deluxe Remastered Reissue) – by James R. Turner
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Russ Strahan on Review – Voivod – Lost Machine – Live
Mr Stewart McCall on Review – Moon Halo – Chroma
DVD/Blu-Ray Review
Gigs/Tour News
Progradar Recommends
The Wallet Emptier's Round Up
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Weekly Wallet Emptier
Tag: Steve Hackett
STEVE HACKETT Genesis Revisited – Band with Orchestra – TICKETS ON GENERAL SALE: Friday, 26th January
Following last year's sell-out Genesis Revisited tour, prog icon and former Genesis guitarist, Steve Hackett, announces a 6-date UK tour in October. Treating fans to many favourite Genesis and Hackett numbers, this time Steve and his band will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra.
The decision to undertake this tour was cemented following the critical success of last year's one-off US performance of the Genesis Revisited music with his band and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the charismatic Bradley Thachuk.
It went down a storm with the audience and sounded amazing, with the orchestra adding even more texture and colour to these classic tracks, prompting Steve to want to perform more shows in this way. Such was the gusto and verve brought to the performance by conductor, Bradley Thachuk that he will fly over to the UK to conduct the October shows. This show promises to be a transcendent experience!
Steve explains, "I always hoped that the Genesis music would one day involve an orchestra and I'm proud to say I'll now be able to make that dream a reality on my next British tour, involving my own extraordinary rock band alongside a full-sized orchestra."
The show will feature some of Genesis' best-loved songs, including Supper's Ready, Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, Firth of Fifth and more. Steve will not be neglecting his remarkable solo repertoire and there will be tracks included such as Shadow of the Hierophant, El Niño and The Steppes.
Tour details are as follows: –
Monday, October 1st Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
Wednesday, October 3rd Manchester Bridgewater Hall
Thursday, October 4th London Royal Festival Hall
Friday, October 5th Birmingham Symphony Hall
Sunday, October 7th Gateshead The Sage 1
Monday, October 8th Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Tickets available from http://myticket.co.uk/ http://www.hackettsongs.com/ and venue box offices.
Joining Steve on the tour are his regular musicians Roger King (keyboards), Gary O'Toole (drums/percussion), Rob Townsend (saxes/flutes) with Nad Sylvan on vocals. They will be joined on this tour by Jonas Reingold from The Flower Kings on bass.
Posted on 22nd January 2018 Categories Gigs/Tour News, NewsTags Bradley Thachuk, Gary O'Toole, Genesis Revisited, Jonas Reingold, Nad Sylvan, Rob Townsend, Roger King, Steve HackettLeave a comment on STEVE HACKETT Genesis Revisited – Band with Orchestra – TICKETS ON GENERAL SALE: Friday, 26th January
Steve Hackett Eleventh Earl of Mar Live – from Wuthering Nights Live in Birmingham
On 26th January 2018, Inside Out Music release Wuthering Nights : Live in Birmingham, the new live release from guitar legend Steve Hackett. Wuthering Nights was filmed at the Birmingham Symphony Hall during Hackett's recent, critically-acclaimed Genesis Revisited & Classic Hackett tour. Available as Special Edition 2DVD + 2CD Digipak, Blu-Ray, Digital album and Blu-Ray in stereo & surround sound, this is a must-have for any prog fan.
This tour marked the 40th anniversary of Wind & Wuthering, Hackett's last album with Genesis which reached number 7 in the UK album chart. To celebrate Steve and his band played 5 of the best-loved tracks from this iconic album: Eleventh Earl Of Mar, One For The Vine, Blood On The Rooftops, …In That Quiet Earth and Afterglow.
Other fan favourites from Hackett's Genesis days were 'revisited': Dance On A Volcano, Inside & Out, Firth Of Fifth, The Musical Box and the classic Los Endos. This mesmerising show marks the first ever live performance by Hackett & his band of the tracks One for the Vine and Inside & Out, and also includes many of Hackett's solo fan-favourites as well as material from his latest studio album The Night Siren.
Watch Eleventh Earl of Mar here:
Posted on 9th December 2017 Categories New album releases, NewsTags Steve Hackett, Wuthering Nights : Live In BirminghamLeave a comment on Steve Hackett Eleventh Earl of Mar Live – from Wuthering Nights Live in Birmingham
The Franck Carducci Band (Featuring Steve Hackett) Release Video For 'Closer to Irreversible' – by Progradar
Today sees the official release of the latest video from The Franck Carducci Band.
You can see the full video for the brilliant 'Closer to Irreversible' here:
Franck had this to say about the song and the video:
"I co-wrote 'closer' with my friends Francesca Laneri and Toff 'crazy-monk' a few years ago when I was living in Amsterdam. I recorded the song for my second album 'Torn Apart' [2015] and was thrilled when Steve Hackett offered me to play the final guitar solo, especially because of its psychedelic bluesy feel which is a bit unusual for him. But I totally love the final result!
I wanted to make a music video for it after that, but never got the opportunity until I met the team of La Koloc Production in my hometown of Lyon, France. They're a gang of youngsters all passionate about video making, and they brought a really fresh touch to the song. The video contains a fictional part and a live part with the band performing on a TV and a smartphone screen. When looking for someone to play the main female character in the fiction, it was pretty obvious it had to be our own backing-vocalist, and tiny dancer: Mary Reynaud I have to say, I was totally impressed by her performance"
Posted on 6th December 2017 7th December 2017 Categories General News, NewsTags Franck Carducci, Mary Reynaud, Steve Hackett, The Franck Carducci BandLeave a comment on The Franck Carducci Band (Featuring Steve Hackett) Release Video For 'Closer to Irreversible' – by Progradar
STEVE HACKETT Wuthering Nights : Live in Birmingham
Watch the trailer for the DVD here:
Steve recalls the Birmingham performance… "I'm excited about imminent release of 'Wuthering Nights'. It felt special to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Wind & Wuthering, the Genesis album I had the most songwriting involvement with and a favourite among many fans. Songs like One for the Vine, Eleventh Earl of Mar and Blood on the Rooftops come across powerfully on this release, which also features other Genesis and solo Hackett favourites along with songs from my latest album The Night Siren… Sit back and enjoy!"
The band are: Roger King (keyboards), Gary O'Toole (drums/percussion), Rob Townsend (saxes/flutes), Nick Beggs (bass, stick & twelve string) and Nad Sylvan on vocals plus special guests John Hackett and Amanda Lehmann.
The DVD / Blu-Ray also includes fascinating behind the scenes footage, most of which was filmed on the day in Birmingham. There are also three videos for tracks from The Night Siren: Behind the Smoke, Fifty Miles from the North Pole and West to East.
Full tracklisting is:
The Steppes
In The Skeleton Gallery
Behind The Smoke
Serpentine Song
Rise Again
Shadow Of The Hierophant
Eleventh Earl Of Mar *
One For The Vine *
Acoustic Improvisation
Blood On The Rooftops*
In That Quiet Earth *
Afterglow *
Dance On A Volcano *
Inside And Out *
Firth Of Fifth *
The Musical Box *
Los Endos*
DVD 1 – Concert Part 1:
– Bonus –
Wuthering Nights, Live in Birmingham –
Behind The Scenes Documentary 32:32
Blood On The Rooftops *
Afterglow 4:34 *
The Musical Box*
Los Endos *
Bonus: (Official videos)
Fifty Miles From The North Pole
West To East
*Genesis Tracks
About Steve Hackett
Steve Hackett is renowned as an immensely talented and innovative rock musician. He was lead guitarist with Genesis as part of their classic line up with Gabriel, Collins, Banks and Rutherford, who produced several of the band's most acclaimed albums including Selling England by the Pound (a favourite of John Lennon) and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. With Steve's extraordinary versatility in both his electric guitar playing and his composing, he involves influences from many genres, including Jazz, World Music and Blues. He is equally adept in his classical albums that include renditions of pieces by composers from Bach to Satie, his own acoustic guitar compositions that have gained the admiration of many, including Yehudi Menuhin, and ambitious guitar/orchestra albums such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic.
Pre-sale Link:
https://store.hackettsongs.com/
Special Edition 2CD + 2DVD Digipak – 88985473862
Blu-Ray- 88985473879
Digital Album – G010003778599D
Posted on 22nd November 2017 Categories New album releases, NewsTags Progradar, Steve Hackett, Wuthering Nights : Live In BirminghamLeave a comment on STEVE HACKETT Wuthering Nights : Live in Birmingham
Review – Nad Sylvan – The Bride Said No – by Tony Honour
(All artist pictures by Tom Wild)
After deciding that he wasn't busy enough touring with Steve Hackett, in 2015 Nad Sylvan signed a Solo contract with InsideOut music to bring us his first solo album, the excellent 'Courting The Widow'. May 2017 sees the arrival of the eagerly anticipated follow up, 'The Bride Said No'.
Whilst 'Courting the Widow' contained heavy overtones that were firmly routed in 1970'sBritish Progressive Rock, perhaps not surprisingly heavily influenced by Genesis, Nad has fairly and squarely put his own stamp on this new album whilst still acknowledging those influences. The album opens with Bridesmaids, a haunting melody played by Nad, with backing vocals from Jade Ell and Sheona Urguhart, which is used as a recurring theme throughout the record. It segues directly into The Quartermaster, a powerful song based around Nad's exquisite keyboards which acts as an introduction to the Bride's suitor and sets the plot for the story. It is also to be released as the first single and contains a very abrupt ending which caught me completely by surprise on first listen!
When The Music Dies is considerably more melancholic and shows off Nad's vocal range to its imperious best. The story continues with The White Crown which has very strong Medieval overtones. Jonas Reingold's distinctive guitar riff gives the song a harder edge and is a great contrast to Nad's guitar throughout the rest of the track. What Have You Done is my personal highlight. It opens with gentle piano from Nad and backing vocals from Jade and Sheona with Jade also sharing the lead vocals with Nad beautifully. Steve Hackett and Guthrie Govan share the guitar duties with Steve starting the incredible soloing and they complement each other magnificently. Crime Of Passion follows and is a much more powerful song that still retains a wonderful melodic balance. A French Kiss in an Italian café begins with a tasteful guitar intro, Nad's vocals then set the scene and we are led to a meeting with a stranger. Wonderful guitar work from Steve and Nad accompany the vocals along with Tony Levin's ever expressive bass and there is a beautiful saxophone solo from Sheona to close the track.
The Bride Said No is the albums finale and at first glance is a nigh on 20 minute magnum opus. It lasts however 12 and a half minutes and magnificently concludes the album. Tania Doko this time shares the vocals with Nad who also contributes with a wonderful "Emersonesqe" solo added to more splendid guitar work and an incredible solo from Steve.
Drums and percussion are shared throughout by the excellent one-time Jethro Tull drummer Doane Perry and Big Big Train's Nick DiVirgilio. Bass is provided by Jonas Reingold (of Swedish progsters Kaipa) and Tony Levin. The vinyl edition is three sided with the fourth being occupied by an etch in the manner of his stablemates Kansas' last album. Doubtless, in the 1970's, the likes of Todd Rundgren would have squeezed this on to two sides of plastic but I for one am ecstatic that we have three sides of pure listening pleasure which I am counting down the days to receive.
Released 26th May 2017
Pre-order 'The Bride Said No' from InsideOut Music
Posted on 19th April 2017 26th April 2017 Categories Album Reviews, ReviewsTags Doane Perry, Guthrie Govan, InsideOut Music, Jonas Reingold, Nad Sylvan, Nick D'Virgilio, Progradar, Steve Hackett, The Bride Said No, Tony Honour, Tony LevinLeave a comment on Review – Nad Sylvan – The Bride Said No – by Tony Honour
Review – Steve Hackett – The Night Siren – by Rob Fisher
The bewitching call of the Sirens is reported to have been irresistible. Mesmerised by the enchanting beauty of their songs, sailors were lured to their inevitable destruction on the rocks surrounding Scylla and Charybdis. Only two people are recorded as having escaped the compelling singing of these beautiful hybrid creatures: Odysseus returning home from the Trojan War who ordered his men to fill their ears with wax whilst lashing himself to the mast of his ship and Jason, leading his Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece, who overcame their siren call with the equally enthralling playing of Orpheus.
The parallels between the mythological narratives of the Sirens and Steve Hackett's 25th solo album 'The Night Siren', are as fascinating as they are disconcerting. The two rocks, starkly framed on the album cover against the captivating aurora of the northern lights, may well be a nod to Scylla and Charybdis but it is also a clarion call to the need in these present dark times to carefully steer our way between the rocks and the hard places which threaten to engulf us.
Hackett believes that "it seems the world has been plunged into darkness. Wherever you look, extremism and intolerance are dominant, and people are getting fed up with politicians. They are losing faith in the way they behave." We live in a time of discord, animosity, fighting and bitter divisions. 'The Night Siren' is a wake-up call, an unsettling shaking of the foundations on which we stand designed to open our minds, rouse us from our complacency and heed the urgent call to empathy, unity and peace.
Photo by Tina Korhonen © 2016, all rights reserved.
To that end, much like the Sirens themselves, the album is a hybrid mosaic of songs featuring instruments, collaborators and musicians from around the world. Indeed, the graceful, elegant beauty of T'he Night Siren' lies precisely in the delightful diversity of its songs as well as the endearing variety of the instruments and sounds heard within each song. The sound of the Indian sitar, the strings of a Peruvian charango, Celtic Uilleann pipes along with the tar and oud originating from the Middle East all contribute to the wonderful montage of musical voices which inspire hope and the desire for peace.
The album openly elevates, celebrates and embraces our unity within diversity. Unlike other recordings on which he has worked, 'The Night Siren' took Hackett well over a year to make. Recording took place in multiple locations, in a variety of different countries, using studios, rooms, wherever they could get the musicians together. "What I wanted to do was show that we can all communicate through the universality of one language – and that is music. It brings us all together."
Making the album in this way not only adds greater flexibility to the music but also brings people together – and sometimes people who are unnatural allies – to demonstrate in a simple fashion that the multi-cultural approach offers us light in the darkness. Hackett is adamant that the album "represents a bird's eye view of the world of a musical migrant ignoring borders and celebrating our common ancestry with a unity of spirit". Bringing together singers and musicians from Israel and Palestine, the USA and Iraq he firmly believes the spirit of cooperation, collegiality and the bonds of friendship which can be formed through music make this his best album yet.
It is hard to disagree. If the Sirens of war, division, destruction, envy, spite and brutality are seducing the world in which we live, Hackett's performance on 'The Night Siren' is no less akin to the enthralling musicianship of Orpheus leading us through these troubled waters. Music, he believes, "breaches all defences" and there is no doubting that his playing exudes an assured, masterful confidence and authority which is as infectious as it is inspiring.
There is an exhilarating sense of anticipation in hearing the way his guitar work interacts with and responds to the unique and dynamic combinations evolving within each song. Even with all the different styles, rhythms and tempos, he displays a blistering, stand-out musicianship which is wholly organic to, and of a natural piece with, the flow and momentum of the music. It feels right. Each and every time, it feels so right, so perfectly suited to the context of the other instruments and immaculately aligned with the way the song unfolds.
This has always been Hackett's singular gift; a magical combination of exceptional talent and a nuanced insight which allows him to draw on the momentum present in the natural flow of the music and then rise above it with a passion and brilliance that often defies imagination. At times his playing is simply sublime. The space opens up for the guitar to speak and he fills it with riffs and solos that are beautifully refined, deftly played and charmingly sumptuous. He brings an understanding to the music which is movingly perceptive, poignant and evocative.
When you listen to music which is this articulate, played in ways which carry an unrivalled eloquence and charm by virtue not just of the central figure but also because of the virtuosity of those who surround him, the message he wants to convey cannot but be heard – and heard with a persuasiveness that only music can achieve. Forget about the boundaries, the walls, the frontiers, the borders. 'The Night Siren' will shake the ground on which you stand and make you feel the world anew through music because of the coming together of people from across the world who show the way to us all exactly what humanity can achieve when we come together in the name of unity and peace.
Released 24th march 2017
Pre-order 'The Night Siren' from Hackett Songs
Posted on 5th March 2017 Categories Album Reviews, ReviewsTags Progradar, Rob Fisher, Steve Hackett, The Night Siren2 Comments on Review – Steve Hackett – The Night Siren – by Rob Fisher
Steve Hackett – The Night Siren – Released 24th March Through InsideOut Music
Guitar virtuoso and rock legend, Steve Hackett (formerly of Genesis), releases his latest album The Night Siren on 24th March 2017 through InsideOut Music (Sony). As implied in the title, The Night Siren is a wake-up call… the warning of a siren sounding in this era of strife and division.
The Night Siren showcases Steve's incredible guitar playing as strongly as ever, along with regular Hackett collaborators and also musicians from several different countries who Steve invited to join him in celebrating multicultural diversity and unity. This includes singers from Israel and Palestine, who both actively campaign to bring Jewish and Arabic people together. There are also instrumentals from the USA and Iraq and a multiplicity of sounds, including the exotic strains of Indian sitar and Middle Eastern tar and oud, the ethnic beauty of the Peruvian charango and the haunting Celtic Uilleann pipes.
Steve is widely travelled, making friends everywhere he goes and has always embraced multicultural diversity. In these times of unrest, he has been inspired to express his belief that the world needs more empathy and unity. His wish to involve a range of musical sounds, instruments, musicians and singers from different parts of the world is both a development of his eclectic approach to music and shows how people can be brought together, even from war torn regions.
Talking about his latest work, Steve says, "This latest waxing represents a bird's eye view of the world of a musical migrant ignoring borders and celebrating our common ancestry with a unity of spirit, featuring musicians, singers and instruments from all over the world. From territorial frontiers to walled-up gateways, boundaries often hold back the tide. But while the night siren wails, music breaches all defences. To quote Plato, 'When the music changes, the walls of the city shake'."
The musical journey takes us from 'Behind the Smoke', focusing on the plight of refugees throughout the ages, to the penultimate track 'West to East' which reflects on the damage of war and the hope for a better world. From personal to universal, the themes celebrate the life force, breaking free from chains of repression.
The album features: Steve Hackett (guitar & vocals), Roger King (keyboards & programming), Nad Sylvan (vocals on Inca Terra), Rob Townsend (all things wind), Amanda Lehmann (vocals), Gary O'Toole (drums), and Benedict Fenner (additional keyboards & programming). Also featured are singers Kobi and Mira (Israeli and Palestinian), Nick D'Virgilio (drums) from the USA, Malik Mansurov (Tar) from Azerbaijan & Gulli Breim (drums & percussion) from Iceland. Additional musicians who add to the rich flavour of the album are Christine Townsend (violin & viola), Dick Driver (double bass), Troy Donockley (Celtic Uilleann) and Leslie Bennett (keyboards on The Gift).
Full Track Listing:
Martian Sea
Other Side of the Wall
Anything but Love
Inca Terra
Steve Hackett is returning with an exciting new show Genesis Revisited with Classic Hackett for a 15-date UK tour in April 2017. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the classic Genesis album Wind and Wuthering, Steve and his band will be performing several tracks from the album as well as fan favourites such as 'The Musical Box' and other Genesis numbers never performed before by Steve's band including 'Inside & Out,' 'One For The Vine' and 'Anyway' as well as material from The Night Siren.
Tickets available from www.myticket.co.uk and venue box offices. Steve onstage at 7.30pm.
www.hackettsongs.com
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Posted on 17th January 2017 Categories New album releases, NewsTags InsideOut Music, Steve Hackett, The Night SirenLeave a comment on Steve Hackett – The Night Siren – Released 24th March Through InsideOut Music
Steve Hackett: The Night Siren – New Album
'The Night Siren' showcases Steve's incredible guitar as strongly as ever, along with musicians from several different countries who Steve invited to join him in celebrating multicultural diversity and unity. This includes singers from Israel and Palestine, who both actively campaign to bring Jewish and Arabic people together. There are also instrumentals from the USA and Iraq and a multiplicity of sounds, including the exotic strains of Indian sitar and Middle Eastern tar and oud, the ethnic beauty of the Peruvian charango and the haunting Celtic Uilleann pipes.
Full Track Listing:-
In addition to singers Kobi and Mira (Israeli and Palestinian), also featured on the album are Nick D'Virgilio (drums) from the USA, Malik Mansurov (Tar) from Azerbaijan & Gulli Breim (drums & percussion) from Iceland, along with regular Hackett collaborators: Roger King, Nad Sylvan, Gary O'Toole, Rob Townsend and Amanda Lehmann. Additional musicians who add to the rich flavour of the album are Christine Townsend (violin & viola), Dick Driver (double bass) and Troy Donockley (Celtic Uilleann).
Steve Hackett is returning with an exciting new show Genesis Revisited with Classic Hackett for a 15 date UK tour in April 2017. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the classic Genesis album Wind and Wuthering, Steve and his band will be performing several tracks from the album as well as fan favourites such as 'The Musical Box' and other Genesis numbers never performed before by Steve's band including 'Inside & Out,' 'One For The Vine' and 'Anyway' as well as material from The Night Siren.
Tickets available from www.myticket.co.uk
'The Night Siren' will be released through Inside Out Music on 24th March in the following formats:
Special Edition CD/Blu-Ray Mediabook featuring 5.1 surround sound mix & making of documentary: 88985410452
Standard Jewel case CD: 88985410462
Gatefold black 2LP vinyl + CD: 88985410471
Posted on 16th December 2016 Categories New album releases, NewsTags Christine Townsend, Dick Driver, Gary O'Toole, Gulli Breim, Kobi, Malik Mansurov, Mira, Nad Sylvan, Nick D'Virgilio, Rob Townsend, Roger King, Steve Hackett, The Night Siren, Troy DonockleyLeave a comment on Steve Hackett: The Night Siren – New Album
Steve Hackett Announces 2017 Tour including tracks from Wind and Wuthering, new album & Genesis revisited
Former Genesis guitarist and prog legend Steve Hackett is returning with an exciting new show for a 15 date UK tour next spring after his outstanding performance at this year's inaugural Stone Free Festival.
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the classic Genesis album Wind and Wuthering, Steve and his band will be performing several tracks from the album as well as fan favourites such as 'The Musical Box' and other Genesis numbers never performed before by Steve's band such as 'Inside & Out' and 'Anyway'.
"I'm excited to bring my latest show involving a new set of Genesis and Hackett numbers to the UK in 2017!" – Steve Hackett
With an established solo career spanning over 40 years, Steve will also be performing some of his popular hits such as 'The Steppes', 'Serpentine', 'Every Day' and the first ever live performance of 'Rise Again' from his 1999 album Darktown. Steve will also be introducing fans to new music from his forthcoming album, which is due out early spring 2017.
Joining Steve on the tour are musicians Roger King (keyboards), Gary O'Toole (drums/percussion), Rob Townsend (saxes/flutes), Nick Beggs (bass, stick & twelve string) and Nad Sylvan on vocals.
Since the 1970's Steve has had a remarkable musical career, releasing more than 30 solo albums, seven Genesis albums and working alongside Steve Howe of YES with supergroup GTR. Renowned for being one of the most innovative rock musicians of our time, in 2010 he was inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame.
Continuing to impress with his outstanding live shows 'Genesis Revisited with Classic Hackett' is a tour not to missed in 2017.
Tickets for UK shows go on sale on Friday 7th October at 10am from myticket.co.uk and venue box offices. Dublin tickets go onsale on the same day at 9am.
2017 TOUR DATES
Wed 26th Dublin, Vicar Street
Fri 28th Cardiff, St. David's Hall
Sun 30th Reading, Hexagon
Mon 1st Birmingham, Symphony Hall
Wed 3rd Sheffield, City Hall
Thurs 4th Bristol, Colston Hall
Fri 5th Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
Sun 7th Liverpool, Philharmonic
Mon 8th Portsmouth, Guildhall
Wed 10th Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
Thurs 11th Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
Sat 13th Oxford, New Theatre
Sun 14th Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Tues16th Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
Wed17th Sage, Gateshead
Fri 19th London, Palladium
Posted on 3rd October 2016 3rd October 2016 Categories Gigs/Tour News, News, UncategorisedTags Gary O'Toole, Genesis, Nad Sylvan, Nick Beggs, Rob Townsend, Roger King, Steve Hackett, Wind And WutheringLeave a comment on Steve Hackett Announces 2017 Tour including tracks from Wind and Wuthering, new album & Genesis revisited
Review – The Gift – Why The Sea Is Salt – by Leo Trimming
Let's get straight to the point – 'Why the Sea is Salt' is a truly exceptional album, and deserves to propel The Gift in to the higher echelons of current British Progressive Rock Music. Simple as that – it really is that outstanding. Very few albums indeed have the potential to attain the status of a potential 'classic' album, which will live long in the memory like 'Why the Sea is Salt'. This is a work which greatly appeals to the heart and mind in equal measures, and similarly beguiles and stimulates in its beauty and drama.
This album is a considerable step up in ambition and achievement by a band that has evolved very significantly over the last year. Commencing as a studio project by Mike Morton and Leroy James in 2006, The Gift released promising debut anti-war album 'Awake and Dreaming', then went to sleep for a few years due to other life commitments. Morton then teamed up with talented song writer David Lloyd to re-form The Gift and record the excellent album 'Land of Shadows' in 2014 as one eclectic label Bad Elephant's first ever releases (The third to be precise). This hard working band has been playing live over the last couple of years to develop their sound, skills and audience at venues across the UK and even a first trip to Europe in 2014 to play in the Netherlands. Stalwart Stefan Dickers has been their rock on bass for that period. They successfully appeared at last year's Summer's End Festival in Wales, and it was clear then they were on an upward trajectory.
The Gift have wanted to take a different and more ambitious musical approach requiring some changes in personnel, with no disrespect to their able predecessors. They recruited new drummer Neil Hayman from BEM label mates progressive hard rockers, Konchordat. He definitely adds more experience, creativity and power to the band. Leroy James also 'came home', rejoining the band late in the writng process of this album and just before recording started, adding his deft guitar skills and a more rock oriented approach to David Lloyd's subtle flowing guitar work. The last but possibly most significant piece in bringing The 'New' Gift Jigsaw puzzle together was the recruitment on keyboards of an Italian bona fide Classical Music star, Gabriele Baldocci, who performs piano recitals around the world, alongside teaching at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire in Greenwich. Morton heard that Baldocci loved Genesis, Queen, Yes, Beatles, Crimson, Camel and Tull, and wanted to use his classical skills in a progressive rock band. The Gift were delighted to recruit him, and on the evidence of this album it is clear that his undoubted incredible keyboard skills, eminent classical background and love of great rock music adds something really special to the mix. He is a real gift to The Gift!
'Why the Sea is Salt' is a rich presentation of musical styles and sounds, social commentary, mythological references, and touching expressions of personal feelings of loss and mourning. This is an album with very strong and distinctive individual songs. However, 'Why the Sea is Salt' has even more impact if consumed as a whole with lyrical and musical themes threading through the tapestry of the album, producing a remarkably consistent and resonant piece of work. The focus is upon man's sad disconnection from life's real meaning, with the poetic sense that in human existence our collective tears 'salt' the sea. This description may make it sound like a 'weighty' piece of work, but crucially The Gift never forget that the Song is Key, and it is filled with memorable melodies and harmonies which make it accessible, entertaining and interesting for a wider audience. In fact, this album is notable for the balance between lyrics and music. They compliment each other, but crucially the lyrics allow enough space for the music alone at times to breathe and convey the spirit of the song.
The song which may inevitably attract the most attention from some is The Tallest Tree, featuring contributions from Anthony Phillips and Steve Hackett of Genesis fame, alongside the more recent emerging talent of Peter Jones from Tiger Moth Tales. Anthony Phillips provides characteristically beautiful and shimmering 12 string guitar with Peter Jones playing a touching Irish whistle to add suitable pathos to the intro. This is a heartfelt song of loss about the passing of vocalist Mike Morton's father with deeply felt and succinct lyrics, based on a poem Mike Morton wrote for and recited at his father's funeral. Towards the end Steve Hackett perfectly reflects the elegiac feeling with a tasteful and distinctive guitar solo, and then perhaps appropriately the song fades away wistfully into the distance. I do not mind sharing with you that the first hearing this song reduced me to tears as it touched on my own parallel loss of parents with Morton. Memories of holding my own mother's hand as she passed away were reflected in similar images of Morton taking his father's own hands towards the end:
'I Take Your Hands… Now as Fragile as a sigh,
As through this Veil of Tears, We say our last Goodbye
Now the Tallest Tree is Falling, Our Faces Feel the Rain,
As Darkness Turns to Morning, Love is What Remains'
It is unusual for this reviewer to share such a personal memory in a review, but it is done to show how The Gift's lyrics and music can truly touch the listener. Such is the simple beauty of the music and honest expression of deep emotions, which will touch many listener's hearts, that it seems clear this song could become regarded as a classic.
To go back to the album's beginning, 'Why the Sea is Salt' commences aptly with the suitably nautical and mythical At Sea, premiered to great acclaim at the recent 'Power of Three' gig in London. Mainly written by David Lloyd, this acts like an overture for the album as Gabriele Baldocci shows his classical piano excellence with a softly undulating piano solo with hints of Ravel as we start our musical voyage, leading onto Lloyd's gently floating guitar. Like a sudden storm rising, the tempo and power suddenly builds with Hayman pounding away and Baldocci running a sinuous synth line above the backing in a scintillating instrumental section. The guitars and keyboards intertwine to great effect, and then Dickers' melodic bass line leads us into a short but expressive guitar solo, before we settle back into a piano section… and after six minutes a 'Becalmed' singer Mike Morton finally enters the fray. Quite an opening to an album. This is Morton as Greek chorus with sonorous but vulnerable vocals, setting the scene including some mythic images (… but have no worries, this album is no corny 'sword and sorcery' epic!) The finely judged concluding guitar solo completes the 'overture' and takes us on into the main body of the album.
The Gift next take us into a horror story with Sweeper of Dreams, a baroque intro leading into a powerful song full of characterisation reminiscent of Alex Harvey. This is a dramatic 'story' song with lyric writer Morton singing menacingly in character as 'The Sweeper'. One can only imagine what Morton will do to portray this scary character in concert. Baldocci and Morton wrote the majority of the musical themes, Gabriele showing that he can really rock alongside his classical skills, as the song alternates between hard rock and scary 'evil clown' carousel sounding interludes. Writer Neil Gaiman was pleased to permit The Gift to use the theme and name of one of his short stories for this song. Fittingly, the images evoked by the memorable music and lines such as 'Dispose of the Debris, Lying around in your Brain' may well enter the dream worlds of many listeners.
The Gift take us in a very different direction with the touching and delightful Tuesday's Child , based on a lyrical idea from Baldocci, shaped and developed by Mike Morton, telling a personal story of an older sad man woefully looking back to the beautiful but forsaken joy and innocence of childhood. The Road of Ashes instrumental opening draws us in beguilingly with keyboards creating a lovely soundscape for an emotionally delicate, floating guitar line. Acoustic guitar then takes us into a beautiful sung lyric in the First Flower section. This is subtle, intelligent and heart felt lyric writing, characteristic of Mike Morton, and for which he should become much more well-known. He makes the connection between emotions and the sea in touching but catchy choruses :
'Someone's been waiting for me, somewhere not quite light enough to see
Is this the one I used to be? Cast adrift amongst the Shadows and Salt Waters, That Flow from Me'
Alongside such insightful and emotive lyrics this song of redemption and self-realisation is also expressed perfectly with finely crafted music as the bass and drums deftly back Lloyd's flowing and sensitive concluding guitar solo – demonstrating the skill of The Gift in marrying words and music together with skill and insight in conveying the 'feel' and message of a song.
The main inspiration for the album title 'Why the Sea is Salt' comes originally from a Norse legend in which a man finds a mill that grinds out anything he wants. However, he gets too greedy, and when he asks it to grind out salt for his food, the power behind it grinds endlessly, swamping him and everyone. The mill then falls into the sea, where it still churns, thus making the sea salty. This mythological source is re-interpreted by The Gift on this album as modern man's greed for 'stuff' which consumes and hurts us. Nowhere is this better expressed than on the epic song cycle of All These Things, a piece largely written mainly by Lloyd and Morton. Apparently this song cycle was originally called Black Friday but that title was felt to be too specific as the piece had a wider perspective. Lloyd's love of Jethro Tull and early Strawbs is demonstrated by the opening acoustic guitar and vocal harmony section in The Vow, portraying marriage as a transaction, a swapping of rings, underlining society's pre-occupation with possessing things, including each other. Church organs resound as a slight dig at organized religion before we flow into the Harvest of Hollow. The use of understated flamenco guitar shows that The Gift are not afraid to stretch their boundaries. Indeed, it appears that this is a band who wanted to avoid simply repeating previous patterns as they used previously unexplored sounds and styles.
The Gift are not afraid to make political points of social commentary, with Morton particularly animated by his distaste for the current politics of the UK as a 'crop of bitter weeds'. The Gift direct their focus on the futile emptiness of materialistic consumerism, leading to endless acquisition but never enough to satisfy:
'So which of us is satisfied? Tell me, are you satisfied?
The Roulette spins in empty eyes, Our Hungerbeasts prowling and growling inside
It's an unhealthy appetite, Take another bite… Having is Nothing, Hunting is All'
This song cycle takes an ever darker turn as we enter Feeding Time in which The Gift have never sounded so brutal and menacing with an angry and coruscating guitar duo between David Lloyd and Leroy James – the instruments cinematically telling the story as powerfully as any words. In contrast, the next lilting section The Jackdaw, Magpie and Me commences with bird sounds and a gentle acoustic guitar motif as Morton intones with such clarity about the selfishness and emptiness of collecting things trinkets like magpies. Dickers and Hayman's subtle bass and drums underline the piece with skill, showing that they are not all about power. The animal imagery is carried on into the gentle re-birth or turning point of the Swan and Butterfly section, with perhaps even a subtle or subconscious reference to previous album's highlight The Willows. The lyrics encourage the notion that if we reconnect with Nature, both its external aspects and our inner selves, we have no need to complete ourselves through 'things'. The gentle pastoral feel of this section with piano and flute sounds accentuate this as a more meditative section in which the song's protagonist realises he is as free as creatures of both water and air if he chooses to free himself of the distractions of the media and possessions and reconnect with the earth he walks upon.
As this reviewer is rather melancholic at times I did have some initial reservations about the finale to this song section as Heartfire concludes this piece on a more celebratory almost hymnal note, an echo to the ecclesiastical hints in the opening part, The Vow. However, with repeated listenings it became clear that The Gift were right to conclude this remarkable song cycle with a more upbeat conclusion after the gentle pastoralism of the previous section. Morton urges us to 'come to your senses' , encouraging us to let the world outside fill our senses because there is enough joy and thrill in those experiences to keep us fulfilled all our lives. Cleverly, all five senses are lyrically engaged with the sight of 'silver cloak of winter', the touch of 'summer heat', the 'taste of joyful tears', the 'scent of gardens' and hearing 'whispers in the dark'. These positive feelings are evoked by sun filled backing which skips along with a joyful synth line, and harmonic backing vocals, concluding 'Take Heart'.
The coda to this album is the haunting Ondine's Song. Baldocci's eerie synth soundscape backs Morton's mournful vocals, bringing us full circle to the sea based and mythically imbued lyrics of the opening At Sea. Ondine is a legendary elemental being associated with water, whom has inspired an opera by Debussy, a ballet by Henze and even The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson… and now a song by The Gift! The story involves her marrying a human to gain immortality, but if the human is unfaithful they are fated to die. On a more fundamental level in this song Ondine stands for the essential nature of Water as Life itself, and a plea not to pollute the world – without water there is no life, leading to the elegaic fading refrain:
'Every Mortal Breath, By Her Grace Alone…. By her Grace Alone…'
In the legend the man's infidelity breaks Ondine's heart, and in this song Ondine's heart is broken by Man's treatment of the world. Her sorrow and man's sorrowful salt tears run into the oceans. Once again the music sensitively expresses the flowing almost wraith like feeling of this piece.
The Gift have really stepped up a few levels with this remarkable album. They have not stretched the boundaries of music – very few artists truly do that. What they have undoubtedly done is skilfully and beautifully draw upon a variety of influences, inspirations and ideas and artfully crafted them into an imaginative and enjoyable musical experience that touches the heart and stimulates the mind. What more could one want from an album?! Do yourselves a favour and just go and buy it!
Released 28th October 2016
Buy 'Why The Sea Is Salt' from Bad Elephant Music
Posted on 28th September 2016 Categories Album Reviews, ReviewsTags Anthony Phillips, David Lloyd, Gabriele Baldocci, Leo Trimming, Leroy James, Mike Morton, Neil Hayman, Peter Jones, Progradar, Stef Dickers, Steve Hackett, The Gift, Why The Sea Is SaltLeave a comment on Review – The Gift – Why The Sea Is Salt – by Leo Trimming