When I was 18yo, and a huge Genesis/Prog fan In ‘79, I moved from Detroit to San Diego. I got a good job delivering bottled water. With some extra cash I bought a really nice flute, because I heard John Hackett on this album playing “Hands of the Priestess” from this record. There was a tiny park across the street from my apartment, and I would go there in the middle of the night and sit on the ground with my back against a Eucalyptus tree, and teach myself the songs on this record as I taught myself how to play a flute. A few years later in 1989, I suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that permanently paralyzed my right hand. This record is so bittersweet to hear again. There’s a lot of things that i miss about being a two handed individual. But losing my ability to play my guitar, piano, and my beautiful flute, will always hurt my heart the most. God I love the album!
It’s all good Cyn, I kicked the Devil’s ass and survived a thing that few can boast about. I adapted and overcame, and became the best one handed piano players that i know! Thank you for your kind tear💕
Both Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford had lots of input in Steve's first solo album, Phil on vocals here of course. Star Of Sirius has a wonderful pure 70s feel about it. This album is pure 70s prog and, many of the tracks were put to Genesis but were rejected. Mike of course co-wrote Shadow Of The Hierophant with Steve. I believe this is the strongest and best debut album from any member of the band. The album has a beautiful flow to it The Lovers give Steve once again to show his brilliance with Nylon Classical guitar so soothing to start with and then it enters an almost dream stage before the impact of Shadow Of The Hierophant. This album is the 'true spirit' of Genesis a wonderful romanticism that Genesis really missed when Steve left.
We can thank Tony Banks for Steve’s leaving…that any of these pieces on this recording were rejected by the asshole is a testament to what a huge entitled little dick Banks is….every band usually has one.
Strange how Tony was always the odd one out. Among Genesis there had always been some solo collaboration - except Tony, who as far I know never appeared on anyone else's solo album and never had any of the other guys on his. (Unless maybe you include Genesis jam sessions that Tony later used himself.)
I really enjoy your reaction videos! You are always well prepared (“well-read” says my English dictionary) and obviously a Genesis+ fan, like me. I bought this album in December 1975 and last May, 48 years later, I brought it to Steve’s concert in Malmö (Sweden) where he signed it for me, with a personal dedication.
"He who knows love, knows who you are" - that refrain haunted me back in 75 and I've a feeling I'm going to be stuck with it for the rest of this week. I hope you can get round to Please Don't Touch in the not too distant future, the vocal contributions from Randi Crawford and the great Richie Havens are not to be missed.
Steve Hackett has a way of bringing atmosphere to his songs and timing is everything. Hopefully it is a talent that is not lost. You should listen to more from Steve. Maybe something early like "Please don't touch", "Spectral Mornings" or "Defector" or something from his 90s era "Guitar Noir" or from the 2000s like "To Watch the Storms".
My favorite 90s album from Steve is Darktown (and I'd love to see Justin's take on In Memoriam). But really, any Steve song/album that Justin covers is a treat.
...such a glorious album to get at the time... came out in the one year (1975), where Genesis for the first time didn't publish an album (after Lamb lies down...) and we desperate Genesis fans, always hungry for more, got indeed more brilliant solo stuff thrown at us almost annually: by Ant Phillips: 'The Geese and the Ghost' in 1977 (a 'must-listen' Justin!!), and then another legendary lost Genesis album in my books: Tony Banks: 'A curious feeling' (1979) - particularly the slow, atmospheric pieces on this one are outstanding... but everyone else of the family didn't let us down either: Mike's 'Smallcreep's Day', Peter's 1st, and Phil's 'Face Value' landed all in my record collection... PS. as we get to the finale now of Steve's 1st, the musical family connections increased, as Mike's sister Sally Oldfield is blessing us with her voice! PS. her first solo album 'Water Bearer' (1978) is amazing! - those were the years... 💖
This is amazing...what a blistering track. Steve Hackett,Phil .. magical Genesis vibe throughout..thanks Justin for this twosome ❤❤❤ Chills butty,chills ...🫶🫶🫶
Steve's early albums contained such variety, but it was all such beautiful music. I see a lot of parallels betweenb this album and Ant Phillip's 'The Geese And The Ghost', great creative talents set free!! (both with the help of Mike and Phil)
IMO the next one, 'Please Don't Touch', suffered from a bit too much variety, especially in terms of guest singers. But he clearly learned his lesson with 'Spectral Mornings!'
@@yes_head He was very unsure of his singing ability at the time. But he managed to get some phenomenal vocalists on those songs though! Hoping Love Will Last was rejected by Genesis, but could you imagine hearing Phil singing it after hearing Randi Crawford sing her heart out on it? I can't.
This is an amazing album that was beautiful at the time, became “dated” very quickly in the 80s, but has resurfaced as a masterpiece in more recent years. If you’re going to go through his solo catalog album by album, it will be easy to spot his highs and lows and how they are impacted by the times in which they were written & recorded, even his acoustic/classical albums. I strongly encourage you to lean toward the stronger total albums which include, in chronological order, Please Don’t Touch, Spectral Mornings, Defector, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, To Watch the Storms, Metamorpheus, Wild Orchids, Beyond the Shrouded Horizon, Wolflight, and Under a Mediterranean Sky. The second Genesis Revisited album from 2012 is also astonishing, but clearly a reworking of music you already know.
@@DavidImiriThat’s the beautiful thing about personal taste. Everyone’s is different. I find his last few albums very self-derivative and lacking in his usual subtlety, but I seem to be an island on those points. That said, there are some beautiful tracks among them. Much like the largely underwhelming Guitar Noir album. It has one of my favorite songs - There are Many Sides to the Night.
Afternoon, Justin. Dave from Beyond The Sea. Star of Sirius is probably my favourite track from Steve's excellent debut album. Beautiful, stately melodies and textures, and it wouldn't have been be out of place on the following Genesis album, Trick Of The Tail. The February 2024 issue of Prog magazine is a Hackett special. He's interviewed about his new album The Circus And The Nightwhale, his 30th (!) solo album, out this month; and there's also a feature about the making of Voyage of The Acolyte. Also, Scot Lade ('Greetings, Salutations, Respect and Love' - yes, that guy!) interviews Steve this week on his channel, The Prog Corner
The Genesis of our Universe was furious. Many daughters and Suns, but The Lovers birthed only one. The Shadow Of The Hierophant is lit by the Star of Sirius. Peace & Love.
Steve Hackett and Mike Oldfield are so similar in the way their music affects me. Occasionally, their music is sublime and really hits the spot. Most of the time it meanders way out of my comfort zone whether it be too classical or whatever. But, play me "Shadow of the Hierophant", "Every Day" or "Hungry Years" any day and I'm happy.
I haven't heard this for ages. Soon as it started every hair on my body is standing on end... and that is not just because of the mighty Mellotron, but everything played and sung hits the right spot.
The Star is the Tarot card, the reference to Sirius is just added to extend the metaphor and add color. This album is such a masterpiece. And I agree with you, it's hard to pass over Hierophant, which truly is epic, but Star is definitely a contender for my fav track. Hackett's solo catalog is strewn with gems, and should be explored further - my pick for your next album would be 2019's At The Edge Of Light, which is a tour de force. Of course others will cite the early followups to Acolyte, Please Don't Touch and Spectral Mornings, and with good reason, I couldn't complain about that. But why not see where he's progressed to, and how he hasn't lost it at all...
Song that always pops up from the back of my mind, sometimes start singing its melody asking myself........what is this song? He who knows love............
I remember buying the UK import (on the Charisma label) just as I found it in the record store, not wanting to see it disappear from the racks never to find it again. And I'm glad I did, because it would take the better part of a year before Genesis would re-organize and release their Trick of the Tail album. So this album sustained me during Genesis' limbo time, when Peter Gabriel's solo career was taking off with the hit "Solisbury Hill", which was nice, but Genesis was a unique group of musicians. And this album told me that Steve, Michael and Phil, along with Tony, could still generate that sound. Nice album for that time.
This album is full of recurring musical motives. The Lovers has the little backward section which is the end of The Hermit. Other melodies are interspersed in other songs. The end result makes all the songs tie together.
I believe that "James and the Giant Peach" is not that well known in the world outside the US. I know it because of the music score by Randy Newman. (When will there be any reaction fom You to a Randy Newman song, like "Baltimore", which is my favorite?) Steve Hackett - what could I add here - for me, Genesis folds where Hackett solo begins, to me the new Genesis after Gabriel is what I hear on Hackett albums, everything else is another band. Quite good sometimes, sure, but Hackett is always good or special in a positive way. He keeps the wheels moving while Banks stares to much into void.
Baltimore would be great, JP As would Any Randy song. Marmite maybe But Completely Unique beautifully & brutally tear- jerking wry and incisive in his observations and deceptively diverse in his repetitive arrangements and melodies. ... And then there's the orchestration...and his solo voice with piano.. Sail Away LP confounds me I need help with it
Steve granted Scot at Prog Corner an interview yesterday, so maybe he will light here as well. This was a great album, and one that was better than many of the full bands' albums to come. Chasing Mammon seems the ruin of all music, literature and art, but they had yet to go there to live, at this point. The upside is that a lot of new people may now discover their old gems, like this.
True. Genesis lost their heart, creativity and my respect after Steve left. There were elements of the 'true' Genesis on ATTWT, but it was the first slippery step on the slope of commercial mass acceptance.
first time I've listened to this in say 43 years - I was hooked on it for about three. It's very good but I prefer the singing of Phil Collins on "Me & Virgil" and the colossal "You Might Recall". Prime G Boys Deep Cuts. Yes U read that correctly. Please Don't Touch on the other hand , well Top 20 LP of all time..? Almost. Randy Newman says My Name is James and Gainsville and Feels Like Home and My Life is Good and Relax Enjoy Yourself Diolch JP.
I think you just have to listen to the whole album in one go. I bought the vinyl when it came out and just played it to pieces. The lost Genesis album.
The reputation of this album has grown over the years and the only reason I hesitate to call it Hackett's best is that it was his first, so you might think that he's been on a slow decline since then, which would be unfair. Not a bad track on the album though Hierophant (still played live to this day) is the best
I've always considered this an extra Genesis album. Steve Hackett should have had a much larger roll in the creation of Genesis music while he was there. This is like my 3rd favorite Genesis album, and it's not even theirs (lol)
I guess I'm out in left field as this is my least favorite track on the album. It's still good -- I don't hit the skip button when it comes up. It's just my least favorite. I enjoy the more ominous and the more pastoral tracks.
When I was 18yo, and a huge Genesis/Prog fan In ‘79, I moved from Detroit to San Diego. I got a good job delivering bottled water. With some extra cash I bought a really nice flute, because I heard John Hackett on this album playing “Hands of the Priestess” from this record. There was a tiny park across the street from my apartment, and I would go there in the middle of the night and sit on the ground with my back against a Eucalyptus tree, and teach myself the songs on this record as I taught myself how to play a flute. A few years later in 1989, I suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm that permanently paralyzed my right hand. This record is so bittersweet to hear again. There’s a lot of things that i miss about being a two handed individual. But losing my ability to play my guitar, piano, and my beautiful flute, will always hurt my heart the most. God I love the album!
😥
It’s all good Cyn, I kicked the Devil’s ass and survived a thing that few can boast about. I adapted and overcame, and became the best one handed piano players that i know! Thank you for your kind tear💕
Both Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford had lots of input in Steve's first solo album, Phil on vocals here of course. Star Of Sirius has a wonderful pure 70s feel about it. This album is pure 70s prog and, many of the tracks were put to Genesis but were rejected. Mike of course co-wrote Shadow Of The Hierophant with Steve. I believe this is the strongest and best debut album from any member of the band. The album has a beautiful flow to it The Lovers give Steve once again to show his brilliance with Nylon Classical guitar so soothing to start with and then it enters an almost dream stage before the impact of Shadow Of The Hierophant. This album is the 'true spirit' of Genesis a wonderful romanticism that Genesis really missed when Steve left.
We can thank Tony Banks for Steve’s leaving…that any of these pieces on this recording were rejected by the asshole is a testament to what a huge entitled little dick Banks is….every band usually has one.
Strange how Tony was always the odd one out. Among Genesis there had always been some solo collaboration - except Tony, who as far I know never appeared on anyone else's solo album and never had any of the other guys on his. (Unless maybe you include Genesis jam sessions that Tony later used himself.)
I really enjoy your reaction videos! You are always well prepared (“well-read” says my English dictionary) and obviously a Genesis+ fan, like me.
I bought this album in December 1975 and last May, 48 years later, I brought it to Steve’s concert in Malmö (Sweden) where he signed it for me, with a personal dedication.
"He who knows love, knows who you are" - that refrain haunted me back in 75 and I've a feeling I'm going to be stuck with it for the rest of this week. I hope you can get round to Please Don't Touch in the not too distant future, the vocal contributions from Randi Crawford and the great Richie Havens are not to be missed.
Agreed. Voyage is Steve's best album, but all three of his 70s albums are highly enjoyable.
A genius of an album. Saw Hackett play a couple of these tracks acoustically a week ago.
Are we talking Trading Boundaries?
This is so good! Steve Hackett shines on this album. Great tunes.
Steve Hackett has a way of bringing atmosphere to his songs and timing is everything. Hopefully it is a talent that is not lost. You should listen to more from Steve. Maybe something early like "Please don't touch", "Spectral Mornings" or "Defector" or something from his 90s era "Guitar Noir" or from the 2000s like "To Watch the Storms".
My favorite 90s album from Steve is Darktown (and I'd love to see Justin's take on In Memoriam). But really, any Steve song/album that Justin covers is a treat.
...such a glorious album to get at the time... came out in the one year (1975), where Genesis for the first time didn't publish an album (after Lamb lies down...) and we desperate Genesis fans, always hungry for more, got indeed more brilliant solo stuff thrown at us almost annually: by Ant Phillips: 'The Geese and the Ghost' in 1977 (a 'must-listen' Justin!!), and then another legendary lost Genesis album in my books: Tony Banks: 'A curious feeling' (1979) - particularly the slow, atmospheric pieces on this one are outstanding... but everyone else of the family didn't let us down either: Mike's 'Smallcreep's Day', Peter's 1st, and Phil's 'Face Value' landed all in my record collection...
PS. as we get to the finale now of Steve's 1st, the musical family connections increased, as Mike's sister Sally Oldfield is blessing us with her voice! PS. her first solo album 'Water Bearer' (1978) is amazing! - those were the years... 💖
This is amazing...what a blistering track.
Steve Hackett,Phil .. magical Genesis vibe throughout..thanks Justin for this twosome ❤❤❤
Chills butty,chills ...🫶🫶🫶
The 1975 missing Genesis album having 3/4 of the band playing here. No doubt the best he ever made despite the huge quality of all his work.
Steve's early albums contained such variety, but it was all such beautiful music. I see a lot of parallels betweenb this album and Ant Phillip's 'The Geese And The Ghost', great creative talents set free!! (both with the help of Mike and Phil)
IMO the next one, 'Please Don't Touch', suffered from a bit too much variety, especially in terms of guest singers. But he clearly learned his lesson with 'Spectral Mornings!'
@@yes_head He was very unsure of his singing ability at the time. But he managed to get some phenomenal vocalists on those songs though! Hoping Love Will Last was rejected by Genesis, but could you imagine hearing Phil singing it after hearing Randi Crawford sing her heart out on it? I can't.
This is an amazing album that was beautiful at the time, became “dated” very quickly in the 80s, but has resurfaced as a masterpiece in more recent years. If you’re going to go through his solo catalog album by album, it will be easy to spot his highs and lows and how they are impacted by the times in which they were written & recorded, even his acoustic/classical albums.
I strongly encourage you to lean toward the stronger total albums which include, in chronological order, Please Don’t Touch, Spectral Mornings, Defector, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, To Watch the Storms, Metamorpheus, Wild Orchids, Beyond the Shrouded Horizon, Wolflight, and Under a Mediterranean Sky. The second Genesis Revisited album from 2012 is also astonishing, but clearly a reworking of music you already know.
All great, but what about At The Edge Of Light? I think that's one of his strongest from the last decade or more - certainly a favorite of mine.
@@DavidImiriThat’s the beautiful thing about personal taste. Everyone’s is different. I find his last few albums very self-derivative and lacking in his usual subtlety, but I seem to be an island on those points. That said, there are some beautiful tracks among them. Much like the largely underwhelming Guitar Noir album. It has one of my favorite songs - There are Many Sides to the Night.
"I knew it was coming, but I still got scared" Brilliant.
Afternoon, Justin. Dave from Beyond The Sea. Star of Sirius is probably my favourite track from Steve's excellent debut album. Beautiful, stately melodies and textures, and it wouldn't have been be out of place on the following Genesis album, Trick Of The Tail. The February 2024 issue of Prog magazine is a Hackett special. He's interviewed about his new album The Circus And The Nightwhale, his 30th (!) solo album, out this month; and there's also a feature about the making of Voyage of The Acolyte. Also, Scot Lade ('Greetings, Salutations, Respect and Love' - yes, that guy!) interviews Steve this week on his channel, The Prog Corner
Such a SUBLIME album from A-Z that is rich with pure Hackett sensibilities!
The Genesis of our Universe was furious. Many daughters and Suns, but The Lovers birthed only one. The Shadow Of The Hierophant is lit by the Star of Sirius. Peace & Love.
Fantastic album very proggy from in my opinion one of the best ever guitarists ever
Steve Hackett AND The Chameleons??!!!!!!!
What a freaking great day!!!!!
Thanks, Justin!!
Anytime John!✌️
Songs like this really do make it the "lost Genesis album." Loved your reaction and review, JP.
Love the harmonic warmth and charm of Star of Sirius.
Steve Hackett and Mike Oldfield are so similar in the way their music affects me. Occasionally, their music is sublime and really hits the spot. Most of the time it meanders way out of my comfort zone whether it be too classical or whatever. But, play me "Shadow of the Hierophant", "Every Day" or "Hungry Years" any day and I'm happy.
I haven't heard this for ages. Soon as it started every hair on my body is standing on end... and that is not just because of the mighty Mellotron, but everything played and sung hits the right spot.
You can see why people call this a lost Genesis album. Steve's finest work, imo and one of the Top 20 albums ever.
In this song, you can hear several of the melodic lines that recur throughout the album. It's an album that should be listened to in its entirety.
The Star is the Tarot card, the reference to Sirius is just added to extend the metaphor and add color. This album is such a masterpiece. And I agree with you, it's hard to pass over Hierophant, which truly is epic, but Star is definitely a contender for my fav track. Hackett's solo catalog is strewn with gems, and should be explored further - my pick for your next album would be 2019's At The Edge Of Light, which is a tour de force. Of course others will cite the early followups to Acolyte, Please Don't Touch and Spectral Mornings, and with good reason, I couldn't complain about that. But why not see where he's progressed to, and how he hasn't lost it at all...
Can't wait for your 'please don't touch' (1978) review
Star of Sirius is my favourite song by Steve Hackett (that I've heard to date) - it's the sort of song that you just don't want to end!
Best song on the album
And now it’s time to move to Genesis the way we dance
This whole album evokes springtime for me. I bought it in April of 1984 and it enveloped me and made its mark.
Song that always pops up from the back of my mind, sometimes start singing its melody asking myself........what is this song? He who knows love............
I remember buying the UK import (on the Charisma label) just as I found it in the record store, not wanting to see it disappear from the racks never to find it again. And I'm glad I did, because it would take the better part of a year before Genesis would re-organize and release their Trick of the Tail album. So this album sustained me during Genesis' limbo time, when Peter Gabriel's solo career was taking off with the hit "Solisbury Hill", which was nice, but Genesis was a unique group of musicians. And this album told me that Steve, Michael and Phil, along with Tony, could still generate that sound. Nice album for that time.
Wow! I almost forgot about this album....! thanks for re-entering it into my consciousness!
Sirius, is The brightest Star in The Sky.
Ahh, the era of the mellotron.... good times. I believe Hackett has around 25 solo lps, I'm slowly wending my way through them.
I keep meaning to pick up this album. It is so good.
Please 🙏 please 🙏 please Please Don't Touch next ... pretty please 🙏
I bought this album in 1975 If I am right. One of my first LP's
If you're not terribly committed to doing Steve's discography in chronological order, I recommend "To Watch The Storms" next.
This album is full of recurring musical motives. The Lovers has the little backward section which is the end of The Hermit. Other melodies are interspersed in other songs. The end result makes all the songs tie together.
I believe that "James and the Giant Peach" is not that well known in the world outside the US. I know it because of the music score by Randy Newman. (When will there be any reaction fom You to a Randy Newman song, like "Baltimore", which is my favorite?)
Steve Hackett - what could I add here - for me, Genesis folds where Hackett solo begins, to me the new Genesis after Gabriel is what I hear on Hackett albums, everything else is another band. Quite good sometimes, sure, but Hackett is always good or special in a positive way. He keeps the wheels moving while Banks stares to much into void.
Baltimore would be great, JP
As would Any Randy song.
Marmite maybe
But
Completely Unique beautifully & brutally tear-
jerking
wry and incisive in his observations and deceptively diverse in his repetitive arrangements and melodies.
... And then there's the orchestration...and his solo voice with piano..
Sail Away LP confounds me
I need help with it
"My wife cleaned the room" 🤣 Do you do the cleaning yourself sometimes ? ;-)
Gorgeous song of Voyage of the Acolyte, perfectly sung by Phil.
Beautiful first part, but I've always been a bit cold regarding the poppy, upbeat chorus section. "The Lovers" is sublime, of course.
Steve granted Scot at Prog Corner an interview yesterday, so maybe he will light here as well. This was a great album, and one that was better than many of the full bands' albums to come. Chasing Mammon seems the ruin of all music, literature and art, but they had yet to go there to live, at this point. The upside is that a lot of new people may now discover their old gems, like this.
True. Genesis lost their heart, creativity and my respect after Steve left. There were elements of the 'true' Genesis on ATTWT, but it was the first slippery step on the slope of commercial mass acceptance.
first time I've listened to this in say 43 years - I was hooked on it for about three. It's very good but I prefer the singing of Phil Collins on "Me & Virgil" and the colossal "You Might Recall". Prime G Boys Deep Cuts.
Yes U read that correctly.
Please Don't Touch on the other hand , well Top 20 LP of all time..? Almost.
Randy Newman says
My Name is James
and Gainsville
and Feels Like Home
and My Life is Good
and Relax Enjoy Yourself
Diolch JP.
THE BIG SONG IS THE SHADOW OF A HIEROPHANT
I think you just have to listen to the whole album in one go. I bought the vinyl when it came out and just played it to pieces. The lost Genesis album.
The reputation of this album has grown over the years and the only reason I hesitate to call it Hackett's best is that it was his first, so you might think that he's been on a slow decline since then, which would be unfair. Not a bad track on the album though Hierophant (still played live to this day) is the best
Yeah more prog rock!
I've always considered this an extra Genesis album. Steve Hackett should have had a much larger roll in the creation of Genesis music while he was there. This is like my 3rd favorite Genesis album, and it's not even theirs (lol)
“Star” is the Best song Genesis never did.
wow am I the first?
Thanks for the laugh, I can see your face when you typed that, lol.
Looks like it.
I guess I'm out in left field as this is my least favorite track on the album. It's still good -- I don't hit the skip button when it comes up. It's just my least favorite. I enjoy the more ominous and the more pastoral tracks.