What Genesis Couldn't Give Steve Hackett

[@donaldanderson6604]

Steve's current Lamb tour is awesome. His playing is better than ever, his band are so tight and they are clearly enjoying themselves. I've seen most of his tours in the last 15 years and he is better than ever.

[@jbr2991]

Steve is an amazing guitar player. I love Genesis before and after Gabriel and Hackett. It’s my favorite band.

[@reneelyons6836]

Same

[@tribuneband1965]

same here, from France

[@bernieb.5365]

I love the last album "Circus and the Nightwhale" - Steve is playing at the top - so much creativity, melody, speed, ... it is not just a few songs put together. Listening to it is like going on a journey where you are constantly surprised.

[@alexknightma]

Thanks John! 🏆

[@jbytuna]

Great interview! Thanks!

[@jerrypotente872]

Great episode, I always thought it was some kind of cosmic justice that the guy that was kept down the most in the original or second iteration of Genesis after Anthony Phillips was the guy who went on to not only be the most prolific of all the members, but also to honor Genesis with the recent Genesis concerts he’s done with just absolutely awesome stuff and I love this man and his guitar work and his legacy OK brother happy holidays and thanks for this. Great episode Potente 872. Spectral mornings absolutely beautiful.

[@larrylanberg3552]

I been enjoying rock music since 1973. Steve Hackett is the only 'solo artist' (solo albums) that I can really get into. Save for Paul McCartney, with his band Wings.

[@olavirannisto3552]

Peter Gabriel to me.

[@oldbergben]

During the Hackett years, Genesis matured musically and produced its best albums artistically. They managed to create a pool of composers and arrangers who worked well to serve the music. Their collective writing was far more interesting than their individual ones. Banks was the music mastermind. His compositions stand out for their expertise and beauty. Hackett is the only one who still truly loves the music and keeps it alive by playing live the back catalogue.

[@baldyconnolly8577]

That Hackett is still playing the songs of a band he left decades ago to be a solo artist is nothing less than sad, sad, sad.

[@charleswagner2984]

​@@baldyconnolly8577I'm so very happy to see Steve play Blood On The Rooftops around ten years ago? I think that tour is the only time that song was played live. I'm so blessed.

[@killianlpc]

Once Steve left the band the beautiful romanticism was gone too. And Then There Were Three wasn't a bad record, but the loss of Steve was so evident on it, it seemed disjointed. In fairness to Steve on his live tours he always pays homage to Genesis music, and does an amazing job sticking to the authentic songs. As you say he has actually been the most prolific of all the members in his solo work. It is such a shame that a lot of the music he put forward to Genesis was rejected, if they had given his space to include more of his material within the band, it may have been different. Of course much of the material he put forward to Genesis he used on his own solo albums. One wonders if they had included Please Don't Touch, Shadow Of The Hierophant , Every Day etc how brilliant these would have been within Genesis.

[@paulbrookes413]

Those unused tracks would've been off - kilter ! And ATTWT is the perfect blending of Prog with Pop sensibilities ! Call yourself a Genesis fan 😂

[@dieterkiesel8625]

watching all those interviews I wonder whether Steve would have stayed if Peter didnt leave

[@sinkingisland7769]

He just couldn't hack it.

[@timstapleman]

And without him, their earnings were split 3 ways. They were laughing all the way to the banks.

[@songmanl1480]

Genesis last tour was sad. Phil is sitting on a chair entire show . That wasn't Genesis. Just sad .

[@simonal1989]

Steve sat down to play the guitar the entire show until 1976. Is that sad?

[@Loco4Poco27]

It really wasn’t . I was there. Would have been better having his head protected on a screen like the wizard of oz. Like the close up in the Mama video….

[@davidozolin8002]

@@songmanl1480 The last tour was most definitely Genesis as it could be today but it definitely wasn’t the Genesis of the past. When I saw the first clips of their live performances from these final shows sadness was my first reaction. But after absorbing what I had seen for a while my reaction became one of gratitude and courage. Phil played the drums with such a passion for decades and unfortunately the years caught up with him. The wear on his body from the past has led to the reality of Phil simply walking unaided and without a cane impossible today. So for Phil to have the courage to go up on stage in his current state and simply sing the songs we all know from a chair takes a lot of guts. I’m grateful they went out the way they did with the courage of living in the reality of now. Each one of us are all aging every single day so to see these artists giving the best they can as they face the same costs of time as the rest of us do should be an inspiration.

[@perry3928]

I've been to every show since And the there were Three. I said my goodbyes to them at the 2007 show. The last one didn't go, haven't even seen it. Agreed just too sad.

[@baldyconnolly8577]

@@perry3928 I agree that the 2007 tour was the perfect way for the band to sign off. The reason for the Last Domino tour was quite different and, whilst I had to desire to see those shows, I can understand that they needed to do it.

[@patrickhackett3878]

Steve and Phil pushed Genesis forward: from simple pop to breath taking Progressive rock. Losing Steve eliminated the edge that made Genesis stand out.

[@baldyconnolly8577]

Oh, I still think they maintained their individuality. Even at their poppiest - Invisible Touch, I Can't Dance et al - there was a quirkiness, something slightly left of centre to the music. The thing is, by the eighites, Genesis had proved themselves. Conversely, Hackett seems to be continuously trying to prove himself, which is in no greater evidence than his Genesis vanity projects which seem to be an attempt to justify what his fans think, that he was the Roger Waters of a band who didn't appreciate his talent. Bollocks, really.

[@paulbrookes413]

Trespass is a superb piece of Prog - Folk !

[@johnwebb167]

Spectral Mornings, Cured, Please don't Touch some of his early amazing stuff. Loved GTR with Steve Howe,wish they would have done a second album, did get to see them in concert!

[@fenderstratocastertelecast8479]

Actually as a fan of Steve Howe i always expect at least another show, Hackett Is so acomplished!!! And the GTR album Is one of the things that i.cherish the most in my life Kind regards from México

[@Mozart12201]

GTR was the first CD I ever bought.

[@larrylanberg3552]

I owned and enjoyed "Voyage Of the Acolyte" - an art rock classic, in my view - and "Highly Strung". Both different but both very good albums.

[@paulbrookes413]

Check out a track called 'SharpOn Attack' - It 's a Steve Howe piece that was originally intended for a follow-up GTR album.

[@paulbrookes413]

I didn't miss him on ATTWT - It could be my favourite Genesis album 🙂

[@baldyconnolly8577]

There really wasn't much to miss, though, was there? Hackett was a contributor, not a vital member of the band. He coloured the sound but, as the music wasn't guitar-dominated, his loss was minimal. As Tony said, "We were a part of his career". It was as though Hackett needed the band to bolster his confidence in order to eventually fly solo.

[@paulbrookes413]

So, you're a 80s Genesis guy ! 😂 I really missed Steve on everything after ATTWT! His work with Genesis is legendary - Something you'll just have to put up with 😂

[@charleswagner2984]

I always say that And Then There Were Three is their last great album. Then Duke and Invisible Touch are the only good albums after ATTWT.

[@harryhumstone3149]

I think that he left the right time because the stuff that they were putting out in the 80s in my opinion is garbage. I don’t like top 40 stuff.

[@timdrum3517]

His solowork is not bad but i am certainly not blown away by it. Genesis has making top notch music until Phil left the band. And even calling all stations has a couple of good songs.