Steve Hackett
Wuthering Nights: Live in Birmingham
(Inside Out Music)

Steve Hackett’s new CD/DVD Wuthering Nights: Live in Birmingham, celebrates the 40^th anniversary of Genesis’ Wind & Wuthering album, and the last studio release from that band that Hackett played in. Here we get two CDs and a stunning DVD of a bunch of Hackett’s solo music, plus Genesis nuggets played with his stellar band, recorded live in concert.

CD one gives us “Behind The Smoke,” featuring a strong Steve Hackett lead vocal, and “El Niño,” from Hackett’s last studio album The Night Siren. The crowd-pleaser (and drummer Gary O’Toole’s moment to shine) “Shadow Of The Hierophant,” from Voyage of the Acolyte is here too, as it is in most all of Hackett shows.

CD one ends with “Eleventh Earl Of Mar,” a tune from Wind & Wuthering, the album that is featured on CD two.

Hackett’s band here, Roger King on keyboards, Nad Sylvan singing lead vocals, drummer (and singer) Gary O’Toole, reed man/keyboardist Rob Townsend, and bassist/guitarist Nick Beggs, are about the best around. Lest we forget how truly complex Genesis’ older music is, these guys play it all perfectly and interject lots of their own personality into the parts.

CD two opens with, “One For The Vine,” into “Blood On The Rooftops,” and “In That Quiet Earth.” We also get the first live performance of Hackett’s perfect gem, “Inside & Out,” which was left off of Wind & Wuthering. It’s one of the highlights of the whole set.

Genesis classics “Firth Of Fifth,” “The Musical Box,” and Hackett’s star turn, “Los Endos” end the night.

Wuthering Nights: Live in Birmingham is killer stuff indeed. Steve Hackett and his band are at the top of their game.