Steve Hackett: 'Circus & the Night Whale' | How Good is it?

Steve Hackett's new album is a concept narrative that references Steve's biography, but also considers themes like the music business, re-birth and salvation through love.
The Circus and The Nightwhale out on 16th February. You can buy it here:
Inside Out Music: www.insideouts...
Hackettsongs: store.hacketts...
Amazon UK: amzn.to/3Ok3oF8
Amazon USA: amzn.to/3Ofo291
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DISCLAIMER: This video features materials protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. Clips are used with commentary for educational purposes.
#stevehackett #ranking #classicalbum

[@stuartwaby3081]

A new album from maestro Hackett is always welcome, the most prolific and best by far member of the classic Genesis ❤

[@filosphere]

One album by Peter Gabriel, and just after one from Steve Hackett: This is a great winter for us fans of the Genesis heritage! Thank to you Barry, I can't wait to listen to this album!

[@ilabelle1]

Steve has been making consistently great albums throughout the 21st century. For all intents and purposes it doesn’t sound like he’s skipping a beat. I’m looking forward to listening to this. 🤘😳🤘

[@classicalbum]

Great album

[@AlanReid-gl3wx]

Thanks for this, I already couldn’t wait to hear this album, and this review has certainly heightened my anticipation. For me Steve’s music has evolved wonderfully through the years, from the early classics of ‘Voyage of the Acolyte’, ‘Please Don’t Touch’ and ‘Spectral Mornings’ to the more recent great albums ‘At The Edge Of Light’ (in particular) and ‘Surrender Of Silence’! I for one greatly appreciate that Steve still blesses us with great music and I won’t be getting off the train until the last station!

[@CorkDave1]

A terrific album, seamless and eclectic. A huge treat for guitarists ❤️🎸👍

[@raymondvaughan6262]

Great player and band been seeing him since early 70.s and still today no who it is right away but sorry steve still buy the album but the last 3 or 4 albums started to sound the same needs something fresh now like each album year's ago or people be getting fed up with the music some can't tell one from another now sorry steve

[@perryedwards4746]

I like the calm, rolling way you put things..

[@classicalbum]

I like to roll

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

Hackett remains one of a very small handful of artists that I still purchase everything he releases, and attend as many of his concerts as is feasibly possible. I am going to see him on March 1st in Jacksonville, FL. and then twice in April, both here in Arizona and in Austin, TX. I am extremely excited about the new album, and your commentary and analysis of it has me all the more eager to get my hands on it. Naturally, I have pre-ordered it. Your detailed description and summation of the concept and all moving parts is a wonder to behold. How you manage to have such a command of the English language, and a vocabulary not unlike a walking thesaurus, is beyond my comprehension. I envy you in that regard. You have obviously done a lot of reading during your lifetime; so much so that you have assimilated most of what you've read into your memory bank and have become an expert on pulling from, and utilizing it at will when authoring your keen musical and lyrical observations. The combination of your written and verbal skills, coupled with your extreme passion and knowledge of music, is why we all love you and your shows so much!! Just keep doing what you're doing and all of us shall remain, whilst you continue to grow your channel and fan base. Simply put, you are the best... hands down! You are the "Live At Leeds" (or perhaps "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway") of the Music KZbinr World!!

[@TheAlbumReviewGuy]

Wow Barry. You have excelled yourself here. Much kudos and touching of fetlocks. A scintillating review and production as fine as any I have seen since being part of your channel for the last year or so. So well done again. I have my copy and hope to get my review done either tomorrow or Monday but realise I am up against it from the get go. Well done my friend. All the best. Dave✅✅

[@raymondvaughan6262]

Heard a few tracks off Steve's album loved him to bits for year's since early 70.s been seeing him since early 70.s and till last time about 3 year's ago my main artist for years great player and band live still buy it but never thought I would say this but getting to sound a bit the same as the last 3 or 4 albums

[@7cColin]

Passing Clouds was also a brand of upmarket unfiltered cigarette back in the day.

[@GlennPowell-ls3lg]

So was a brand called Strand that in the days of tobacco tv adverts famously destroyed themselves with a bloke under a lamp post lighting one up having been stood up by his date." The tag line being " Your never alone with a Strand".A real Ratner moment.

[@DavidLazarus]

I've been looking forward to this one since Steve first announced it on XTwitter. Thanks for the review!

[@classicalbum]

No problem!

[@nickcooper1260]

'The 'Pilgrim's Progress' by John Bunyan touches so many other works of art, your analogy , i feel is apt.

[@harrynewiss4630]

I've listened to this a few times now. I like it, largely because it reminds me of Steve's other work. There are some very nice moments but I think it lacks a real centrepiece. I'll keep listening though.

[@gburns671]

Brilliant album

[@lastditchefforts]

Great review thanks, frames it up nicely. Sorry people have ti hi into other albums when we can look forward to what you think is very good. Steve admitted he took risks in your interview. Nice to hear you say they paid off. For those of you posing negative comments without a listen, am sorry you are so bitter about life.

[@canturgan]

I remember he lived on Ebury Bridge in Pimlico.

[@capecyn]

Beautifully done, sir!

[@classicalbum]

Thank you kindly!

[@capecyn]

@@classicalbum I love your way with words! ❤️

[@RAFchurchlawford4469]

Steve Hackett's reaction to this review: 😇😂🥰🎉👍👏♥

[@tonyyeatropoulos6829]

it's a damn good thing I don't have my own KZbin channel, as I would be kicking off anyone that made a harsh, negative comment. There's simply no need to do so. As our parents used to say, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".

[@frankgarnevicus1187]

Being a critic is easy. Being a good player and writer is brutal. Doing it solo since 1975 is near incredible.

[@sportster16301]

Fantastic review, Barry.

[@classicalbum]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jimmycampbell78]

The new album may almost be as good as Steve's hair, truly one of the wonders of modern prog. How on earth does he keep it so dark, thick and lustrous?

[@rael2099]

Hair dye?

[@jimmycampbell78]

@@rael2099 It's almost as much a work of art as his music is

[@frankmurphyburr3598]

CAR is my fav channel along with Rick Beato, I'm biased because I'm a huge prog fan 😊

[@mishypoo]

This is a great album.

[@weitzen]

Great review! I've always loved Steve's studio work but am always disappointed that his latest work is so underrepresented on stage focussing as he usually does on that band he used to be with! I hope that changes for the next tour.....c'mon Steve , take a leaf out of your former colleagues last tour , namely Mr Gabriel, and focus more on the new stuff!!!

[@yeswolf1]

Steve's studio albums explore the territory Genesis abandoned when he left. Very little pop crap in his catalogue. I always buy his new albums and have never regretted it.

[@MrGrassysound]

Where did you purchase The Police shirt?

[@classicalbum]

On-line from one of those Eastern european knock off t-shirt shops

[@bigjohndavid1]

I don’t have to listen to it now, because Barry described it in detail.

[@JeffRogers1962]

Great review not to sure about the religious undertones

[@classicalbum]

Not religous, just themes of re-birth and the whale...

[@SwisstedChef2018]

It is a bit too progy for me mate, and I am a big Hackett fan but this one did not do it for me that hasd nothing to do with his HUGE talent

[@froggy556]

Naw. What in the world made you think you'd get a proggy album from Steve Hackett?

[@franckbizouard3357]

WARNINGS: I won't be positive. Listened to the first 2 tracks for some days, then the whole today: boring. Always the same kind of heavy production without subtleties, no evident melodies, world rock without inspiration. I'm sorry, because I love Steve very much, but since 2009 and Out of the tunnel's mouth, he has lost the inspiration for me. And that's a shame because he's still an awesome musician, and he has got fantastic musicians with him on this album. It simply does nothing on me. Far, far, far away… from his masterpieces: Voyage of the Acolyte, Please don't touch, Spectral mornings, Defector, Guitar noir, Darktown, To watch the storms. I'm not happy to have to write that I'm completely deceived and frustrated, I won't buy this album, besides the cover art is awfully ugly.

[@wizardofoz6811]

I think that Steve should have used different singers in all his albums, they would have been far more listened to

[@crumblefest]

How can You review an album with no musical samples?

[@martynharper2779]

Have you never read a music magazine?

[@classicalbum]

You have to be careful, as KZbin sting you with a copywrite claim

[@peterscaramouche6317]

Well, no. Like someone else stated, it started to sound the same. Like the previous albums its overproduced and using the same recepie like the last 4 or 5 albums. Hackett has been the one and only music for me, visited many of his concerts, but lost intrest , somewhere around To watch the storm. The problem is the melodies are not strong enough. Its not strange in anyway, not many composers can keep a high standard for ever and ever. But for me, Hackett was the light in my life and it was highlightened with a fantastic concert in Gothenburg, some years back now. Nowadays i never ever listen to him. By coincedence, i heard Rebecca from Watch the storm, just the other day. And i realised how good he was, the wonderful melodies, just awsome. Nowadays, if i compare to this ,the last album, its not about the melodies,its about the production. And for me it is utterly boring.

[@paulmaurice3634]

You are despicable, you are makingme buy more albums and now t'shirts !

[@acolyte1873]

I primi due singoli usciti sono brutti, se il buongiorno si vede dal mattino.... La copertina dell' album fa schifo.

[@JohnSmith-x8s5g]

Has KZbin made new dictate(s) for 2024 ? You are one of two channels I watch where you're suddenly making lots of insert video edits. Some of us can still use our brains (you said "the sea" and cut to a clip of The Sea) and/or don't have ADD. Personally, I can watch a whole video of you talking (as in days of yore) even if you're not dreamy Brad Pitt.

[@classicalbum]

I know what you mean, but my analytics show people engage with the video for longer if it is a more rewarding visual experience...

[@stuartraybould6433]

I have a problem with Steve Hackett, a fan since the seventies but didn't buy the last album and probably won't buy this one either. It's not because they are bad albums, they're good but they have all started to sound the same. Since the Wolf album, it's all got the same sound. I think he needs to change the musicians he's playing with and I don't think there is much chance of that. Still, he is in his seventies so maybe it's time to retire?

[@clust11]

His more recent albums have really great tones and riffs.

[@harrynewiss4630]

Give it a listen first though eh?

[@harrynewiss4630]

Give it a listen first though eh?

[@Kitski365]

Has everyone forgotten, at the edge of light, album,, it's my favourite SH. album,,, check it out,,,, a prog masterpiece,, but you gotta give your brain a chance to decipher it, in all it's glory,,,, 10/10

[@stuartraybould6433]

@@Kitski365 I've got it, can't remember the last time I actually played it though. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I played any album. Seen him live too many times to mention, I'm a big fan but I stand by my comment. I'll listen to it, obviously but from the little I've heard so far, I'm not confident there is anything different and if not, I've got plenty of his albums and don't need another that just repeats the same type of things. All the last five albums, except his acoustic one, have been the same album replayed over again, no progression, don't need another one. I wish he'd at least change his keyboard player but they now work so closely together, there's no chance of that but for me, that's the problem.