Hackett Steve Defector

A selection of 5 classic studio albums packaged together in a new slim-line slipcase by the legendary prog guitarist and former Genesis member, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steve Hackett. Includes the albums: Voyage Of The Acolyte, Spectral Mornings, Defector, Highly Strung and Please Don’t Touch. Stephen Richard Hackett is an English musician, songwriter, singer, and producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP before he left to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

A selection of 5 classic studio albums packaged together in a new slim-line slipcase by the legendary prog guitarist and former Genesis member, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steve Hackett. Includes the albums: Voyage Of The Acolyte, Spectral Mornings, Defector, Highly Strung and Please Don’t Touch. Stephen Richard Hackett is an English musician, songwriter, singer, and producer who gained prominence as the lead guitarist of the progressive rock band Genesis from 1971 to 1977. Hackett contributed to six Genesis studio albums, three live albums, seven singles and one EP before he left to pursue a solo career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010.

Prog rock pioneer Steve Hackett is releasing "Premonitions - The Charisma Recordings 1975-1983", a comprehensive reissue project that includes his first 6 albums, together with a wealth of previously unavailable recordings as well as remixes by Steven Wilson. ‘Premonitions’ comes in a super deluxe box set featuring a total of 135 songs on 10 CDs and 4 DVDs, plus an extensive booklet. Also included in this version are 67 previously unreleased recordings between old and new tracks, live and remixes.

Tracks taken from his albums 'Bay Of Kings' and 'Genesis Revisited' with members of King Crimson, Yes, Asia and The Zombies assisting. There is nothing older than two pieces from '83 acoustic guitar album Bay of Kings (except 'Horizons' from it appeared originally in Foxtrot, and 'Steppes' from Tokyo Tapes live album in Defector '80). Each song is served with liner notes and thus clearing the 'Genesis' concept also in tracks that at first seem to have nothing to do with it. Two instrumental tracks from '99 Darktown? As well or better could have been some (new versions perhaps) from earliest solo albums that are closer in style to Genesis. But this kind of limited compiling principle suits well. The sense of compilation is almost absent if you haven't heard all the source albums. It's principally just an extended version of "Watcher of the Skies - Genesis Revisited" (96) and it works as that.

Although Steve Hackett had made several albums under his own name since his departure from Genesis, 1981's Cured was the closest thing yet to a true solo Hackett album. Having disbanded the group with whom he's recorded two successful solo albums - Spectral Mornings and Defector - Steve retained only keyboard player Nick Magnus to help out on this effort. Magnus played keyboards, Hackett handled guitar and bass, and the drums were provided by a drum machine. But the most noticeable change was in the vocals. Previous albums had featured the occasional vocal excursion by the guitarist, but Cure was the first album on which Hackett handled all the lead vocals himself. Combined with the revamped musical backing and a more straightforward songwriting style, the new sound threw some Hackett devotees for a loop…

In a lengthy and prolific solo career dating back to the 1970s, Steve Hackett has dabbled in numerous musical styles ranging from blues to classical. But he seems to understand that his core audience, the people interested in buying tickets to see him perform in concert, sees him primarily as a progressive rock guitarist of the ‘70s and ‘80s. At least, that seems clear from this double-disc live set, in which he fronts a band and pleases his listeners by delving deeply into his catalog of most popular recordings. That includes selections from his early solo albums…

Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection
I consider this album to be the most sentimental one from Steve Hackett, and it is also among his best ones.

Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett stepped out on his own in the late '70s with several solo releases, including Defector. The 1980 release doesn't stray far musically from early Genesis, containing a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on your tastes) dose of progressive rock. Five flute- and keyboard-heavy instrumentals appear, as well as five vocal numbers with Hackett taking the singing chores. Of the vocal numbers, "The Toast" sounds a bit like Pink Floyd - it's light, with John Hackett's flute stripping away all menace from a melody line that could easily have fit on Dark Side of the Moon.