For a reviewer of a ‘certain age’ it is frightening to think that Genesis ‘Foxtrot’ was released 50+ years ago! And even more remarkable is that it still stands as one of the greatest Prog albums of all time and is still the album that influences so many new musicians today. Steve Hackett was a part of that band and that album, and he decided to play the album in its entirety, for the first time, on its fiftieth birthday. Plus a whole album worth of Steve Hackett’s solo material and most of that sounds fresh and enormous.
Of course, it is superb. Sumptuous sound, a stellar lineup of musicians, an aural scale that is simply awesome. As well as Hackett on guitar and vocals: Roger King on keyboards, Nad Sylvan on lead vocals, Rob Townsend on sax & woodwind, Craig Blundell on drums, Jonas Reingold on bass. Plus a plethora of other technicians who all served to put this magnificent throwback together.
Yes, a throwback. To a day when artists were not afraid to put a huge performance on tour, and record companies were able to see the worth of that. To a time when writing was the top creative art – all of Genesis were writers – and complexity was not ‘smoothed out’ by AI and Music Bots.
So much of this is familiar but so much sounds as though hearing it for the first time. For fifty years, the vocals were by Peter Gabriel but Nad Sylvan does a superb job. The entire performance is top notch and any Genesis or Steve Hackett fan should be rushing to get a copy.
