Steve Hackett "japan"

Steve Hackett's last release for Charisma Records in Britain is one of his strongest efforts. Hackett once again handles all the lead vocals, but sounds more assured in the role than he did on Cured. This album spawned Hackett's one and only solo hit single, "Cell 151," which charted in Britain…

For the live recordings of his acclaimed album To Watch The Storms, Steve Hackett put together a new band. Already before its release in 2003 he had performed a few pieces on a tour of South America, including the breathtaking "Mechanical Bride" and the enchanting and wonderful "Serpentine Song".

Though you will see Till We Have Faces often mentioned as the first rock album to draw from world music influences, that's not quite true. Santana, John McLaughlin, Os Mutantes, the Police, Jade Warrior, and others were doing it long before. That said, the album was done before Paul Simon ushered it in as a trend with Graceland. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro and mixed in London, it's a step away from the progressive rock he'd become recognized for and is a mostly successful venture. A couterie of Latin percussionists flesh out the almost all Brazilian band that graces the album, adding layers of complex rhythms. These rhythms are the core of the album and make such songs as "A Doll That's Made in Japan" and "What's My Name" more exotic and interesting; they creatively juxtapose Oriental and South American styles…

A blues album by prog rocker and classically trained guitarist Steve Hackett? It may seem a bit of a surprise, but as Hackett himself explains, his first musical affinity was for the blues, and his first instrument of choice was the harmonica, not the guitar. So he returns to his roots on this release, unknown as they are to most of his audience. Most of the songs are original compositions, and the tunes are well written. Hackett plays a mean harmonica throughout, and shines in particular on a couple of instrumental numbers, "A Blue Part of Town" and "Footloose" (mercifully not the Kenny Loggins song). Hackett sings lead vocals on the other songs, and unfortunately his voice just doesn't lend much conviction to blues material, even though it's treated to sound much deeper and grittier…

Till We Have Faces is the eighth solo album by guitarist Steve Hackett. The album is rock, with elements of world music. The majority of the album was recorded in Brazil, while the final mixing was done in London. The name of the album comes from a novel by C.S.Lewis, whose work is a long-time influence on Hackett. As with most of Steve Hackett's records, the sleeve painting was created by his wife at the time, Kim Poor, the Brazilian artist, under the title Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats, after an instrumental piece by Hackett's former group Genesis, on the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

The Broadsword and the Beast is the 14th studio album by Jethro Tull, released on 10 April 1982 and according to Ian Anderson in the liner notes of the remastered CD, contains some of Jethro Tull's best music. It mixes electronic sound, provided by Peter-John Vettese (a characteristic that would be explored further on the next album Under Wraps), with acoustic instruments. The album is a cross between the synthesiser sound of the 1980s and the folk-influenced style that Tull had in the previous decade. The Broadsword and the Beast is one of Steve Hackett's favorite albums.

Japanese edition of 2000 solo release for the former U.K. and Asia vocalist. Additional artists include Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald (King Crimson), Steve Hackett (Genesis), John Young (Asia/Qango), Martin Orford (IQ/Jadis) and John Mitchell (Arena). Tracks include, 'Heart of Darkness', 'No Ordinary Miracle' and 'Second Best'. Japanese edition includes two bonus tracks, 'Love Is' and 'Space And Time'. It was re-released in 2001 under the title Sinister without the bonus tracks but with a different cover.