Steve Hackett: Genesis Revisited II – Selection
Steve Hackett
Genesis Revisited II: Selection
(Universal)
Once again, Steve Hackett “revisits,” if you will allow me, his past. His second re-imagining of Genesis and solo tunes, Genesis Revisited II, was released a year ago. This nine-song sampler showcases some of those great covers as well as a new stab at an old tune not on the original two-disc set.
The trilling, recognizable keys behind “Carpet Crawlers” (one not on last year’s release) features a perfect Peter Gabriel-like vocal by Ray “blink-and-you-won’t-realize-he-was-the-third-lead-vocalist-of-Genesis” Wilson. Gary O’Toole’s drumming (of which we get a lot here) on “Eleventh Earl of Mars” and “The Lamia” is especially spectacular (as is his vocal on the last tune on this album, “Blood On the Rooftops). “Lamia” also features truly great end-of-the-tune wailing from Hackett.
“Shadow of the Hierophant,” from a Hackett solo release, features Amanda Lehmann on vocals. She also kicks it out of the park on the Genesis cover, the soft and sweet “Entangled.” The always spectacular John Wetton leads a note-by-note perfect recreation of “Afterglow,” also from Genesis.
One must take these kind of things on two levels, I believe. I am a huge fan of the first foray the amazing Hackett took asking guests to recreate Genesis classics on his first Genesis Revisited, and I am always a huge fan of the man’s guitar playing. But one as much listens to recordings like these to hear the perfect copies Hackett and company manages as one does the blazing talents of the men and women Hackett collects around him to lend him a hand on these great songs.
Genesis Revisited II: Selection is quite the selection of a wonderfully played and written collection of songs.