I'd been buying Steve's albums on day of release since Voyage of The Acolyte. It is so interesting to hear Steve's story on the composing for this album. There are so many high points to this album. . . . so many memorable themes. 'Always Somewhere Else' is a track I love but doesn't seem to get much attention. I love the album.
Camino Royale is an absolute giant live. Fun concerts in the 1980s. The opening melody comes back to me often, just out of the blue…and remembering watching Ian play those drums so effortlessly. And then there’s India Rubber Man, such a great song.
Happy birthday brother, ive always loved highly stung since it came out, but ive loved steves music always, spectral mornings was the firs song of his i ever heard, even before i discovered genesis, i own everything hes ever done, and going to st louis in april to see him again live, see u there in 2 row center brother!!! B safe and well
Really fascinating detail. , excellent work Paul. My brother and I were leaning on the front of the stage for that magical Guildford gig with ‘special guests’
Nick Magnus must have been listening to the main melody / instrumental middle section of Carrying No Cross by UK (from 1979, Danger Money album) when he wrote the Camino Royale melody... same key, same root bass note, same notes for the melody... he just changed the tempo and feel and added a flurry at the end.
Very well done video, great interviews. I loved hearing the dreams as sources and adapting the visuals to sounds. Very often a sense of place and space is evendient in Steve's songs. The trend in writing to a click track versus jamming has been "interesting".
You know what, I never told Steve that when I heard Matlida Smith-Williams Home For The Aged for the first time nearly 15 years ago, I immediately thought it was the melody from Camino Royale played backwards. 😊
It is interesting that in those days, Jan Hammer was recording with a bunch of guitarists who were influenced by his guitar like Moog soloing, namely Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola and Neal Schon and it seems Mr. Hackett was also influenced by Jan Hammer and mainly Mr. Beck because "Group Therapy" shows many similarities to the style Jan Hammer was divulging at the time.
Highly Strung was the first Steve Hackett album I bought (on CD, back in the 90s), so this was a particularly fun watch for me. TL;DR - Jolly good, more of this please.
Great album... One of his best in my opinion and almost perfect.. I think Steve was pitching a bit high on the vocal front in places but he was pushing himself as an artist and that is always to be applauded. Cell 151 and the album should have been bigger hits. Highly Strung was improved with real drums as the linn drum made Cured sound a little anaemic and opaque in places. Great stuff and happy birthday Steve.
I wrote a song while dreaming called "In Your Dream" It's about a recurring dream where I became friends with non existent people I recognized and they recognized me though we never really met. I had a dream where a friend played a song in a barbershop. It was about a story I wrote two years earlier about a man who took too much acid while conducting virtual reality on line content live streaming incident. Every one sang along in the second chorus. I woke up and wrote the whole thing down, never touching an instrument I arranged and orchestrated "Zombie in a Dream".
The melody is an eastern European gypsy folk melody. The accompanying dance "The Devils Dervish" choreography is performed blind folded and you spin around with your arms extended upward from the elbows till dizziness makes you fall over or you collide with or are struck by another performer. Similar to "moshing" with spontaneous violent blows and collisions. Similar to german slap dancing but more violent and less predictable it is hilarious to some but no one wants to sign on to a troupe..
A more coherent step up from Cured, but for 1983? I guess it could have enjoyed success as some sort of fluke like the Men at Work album. But competing against the likes of The Police and Michael Jackson? Poor Steve didn't stand a chance. Not with a failing record label and having to handle lead vocals by himself.
This album was always a favorite of mine. “Group Therapy” is a Top 10 Hackett song on my book.
Love Cell 151 and REALLY wish it would come back on the live circuit these days
Superb album, my personal favorite Hackett album.
Happy birthday to the 🎸 maestro! 🎉🎂🥂
The show in Guildford that John Hackett mentioned was the last time that Peter Gabriel sang any Genesis song live for 33 years.
I'd been buying Steve's albums on day of release since Voyage of The Acolyte. It is so interesting to hear Steve's story on the composing for this album. There are so many high points to this album. . . . so many memorable themes. 'Always Somewhere Else' is a track I love but doesn't seem to get much attention. I love the album.
Same here and seeing him live and with genesis 👍
It is wonderful to learn the famous Childrens' Encyclopedia editor is a lifelong Steve Fan!
I’m in love with Highly Strung now. Great interview. Thanks for sharing it. ✌️
Wishing you a very happy birthday Steve.👍😊🎂
Camino Royale is an absolute giant live. Fun concerts in the 1980s. The opening melody comes back to me often, just out of the blue…and remembering watching Ian play those drums so effortlessly. And then there’s India Rubber Man, such a great song.
Happy birthday brother, ive always loved highly stung since it came out, but ive loved steves music always, spectral mornings was the firs song of his i ever heard, even before i discovered genesis, i own everything hes ever done, and going to st louis in april to see him again live, see u there in 2 row center brother!!! B safe and well
Still recovering from the India Rubber Man move to Hackett to Pieces. Love it!
A very under-discussed album which is among my absolute favourites of those issued under the Steve Hackett name.
Exquisitely Produced Paul
Simply Fantastic…..ff
Smashing interview ! Highly Strung is such a mind blowing UFO ! Thks Crooked Hand Prod.
Really fascinating detail. , excellent work Paul. My brother and I were leaning on the front of the stage for that magical Guildford gig with ‘special guests’
Amazing musician.. I can relate to your thinking and experiences, thank you!
Nick Magnus must have been listening to the main melody / instrumental middle section of Carrying No Cross by UK (from 1979, Danger Money album) when he wrote the Camino Royale melody... same key, same root bass note, same notes for the melody... he just changed the tempo and feel and added a flurry at the end.
Interesting.. now I cannot unhear it!
I remember getting the Charisma print when it came out.
Very well done video, great interviews. I loved hearing the dreams as sources and adapting the visuals to sounds. Very often a sense of place and space is evendient in Steve's songs. The trend in writing to a click track versus jamming has been "interesting".
You know what, I never told Steve that when I heard Matlida Smith-Williams Home For The Aged for the first time nearly 15 years ago, I immediately thought it was the melody from Camino Royale played backwards. 😊
It is interesting that in those days, Jan Hammer was recording with a bunch of guitarists who were influenced by his guitar like Moog soloing, namely Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola and Neal Schon and it seems Mr. Hackett was also influenced by Jan Hammer and mainly Mr. Beck because "Group Therapy" shows many similarities to the style Jan Hammer was divulging at the time.
Finest gentleman progressive rock player..
Mr Steve Hackett.
Highly Strung was the first Steve Hackett album I bought (on CD, back in the 90s), so this was a particularly fun watch for me.
TL;DR - Jolly good, more of this please.
My first Hackett album too, but I bought it on cassette in 1983.
Camino is a fantastic album opener!
Great album... One of his best in my opinion and almost perfect.. I think Steve was pitching a bit high on the vocal front in places but he was pushing himself as an artist and that is always to be applauded. Cell 151 and the album should have been bigger hits. Highly Strung was improved with real drums as the linn drum made Cured sound a little anaemic and opaque in places. Great stuff and happy birthday Steve.
Cell 151 was Steve's answer to Abacab even the extended outro solo section on a static bass line.
Happy Birthday Steve - can't wait for you to travel down under when the impediments of the last two years are sorted.
❤️
I wrote a song while dreaming called "In Your Dream" It's about a recurring dream where I became friends with non existent people I recognized and they recognized me though we never really met. I had a dream where a friend played a song in a barbershop. It was about a story I wrote two years earlier about a man who took too much acid while conducting virtual reality on line content live streaming incident. Every one sang along in the second chorus. I woke up and wrote the whole thing down, never touching an instrument I arranged and orchestrated "Zombie in a Dream".
Cell 151
The melody is an eastern European gypsy folk melody. The accompanying dance "The Devils Dervish" choreography is performed blind folded and you spin around with your arms extended upward from the elbows till dizziness makes you fall over or you collide with or are struck by another performer. Similar to "moshing" with spontaneous violent blows and collisions. Similar to german slap dancing but more violent and less predictable it is hilarious to some but no one wants to sign on to a troupe..
A more coherent step up from Cured, but for 1983? I guess it could have enjoyed success as some sort of fluke like the Men at Work album. But competing against the likes of The Police and Michael Jackson? Poor Steve didn't stand a chance. Not with a failing record label and having to handle lead vocals by himself.