Steve Hackett brought a one two punch of classic British prog rock albums to Edmonton’s Winspear Centre recently. He is celebrating 40 years of Spectral Mornings and treating fans to a brilliant rendition of Selling England By The Pound, Genesis’ outbreak album of 1973. The acoustics of the Winspear Centre are perfectly suited for this show. I’d have to say its a far better fit than any other venue I can think of in Edmonton or western Canada.
When you think of prog rock, names such ELP, Yes, Pink Floyd, Rush and Genesis immediately come to mind. Each of these bands are considered pioneers of the musically layered sound also known as art rock or acid rock. When you think of Genesis, people often remember Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Rarely do they consider the impact that Steve Hackett made to the band. That, is left alone to the die hard fans of yesterday, and judging by the age differences in the crowd, a few newer fans as well. Hackett’s contribution to the early styling of Genesis’ sound is evident in many of his later solo recordings that came after his departure in 1977. A sound that earned the band a place in the Rock in Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010.
We’ll return to the Genesis tribute Steve presents in his second act in a moment. Let’s focus on the first part of the evening, after all, it’s not just about the band you used to be a huge part of, but the music you made for the past 40 plus years afterwards too. Steve Hackett’s career has been vast and prolific crossing several genres. His latest outing, At The Edge Of Light, was prominently featured with the tracks Beasts In Our Time and Under the Eye of the Sun both wonderfully layered songs that still pack a punch with Hackett’s riffs. Modern guitar players owe a lot to Steve Hackett; conversely he owes a lot to modern guitar players as well as he still considers himself a student of the craft. He played a Fernandes Les Paul one of his favourites from his vast collection. The sweet sounds and amazing fret work suited the night perfectly. The stunning acoustics of the Winspear Centre played a huge role as well to which he commented, “What a wonderful room you have here.” He also complimented some of his more classical pieces with a 1973 Yairi nylon classical guitar he describes on his website as, “An acoustic classical guitar I bought because of its projection. Almost pianistic in its sound especially in the bass strings.”
Behind Steve Hackett, and forming the backbone to the wall of sound that prog rock is known for, included some amazing talent. One of the main instruments in many prog bands has always been the keyboards.. Joining the band on keys was Roger King, a well seasoned session musician who has worked with everyone from Snoop Doggie Dog to Gary Moore, and many in between. The multi talented Rob Townsend was the horn section, often switching between saxophone and clarinet, in one song. He also played flute, recorder and some effects processors filling the voids. On percussion sitting behind a drum kit that would rival the late Neil Peart was Craig Blundell. There seemed to be far too many cymbals on his kit, but he used each and everyone of them to perfection. Laying the bottom down was Jonas Reingold (from Flower Kings) who mainly played the work horse of all rock sounds, the Fender Precision. He did break out the punchy sharp sounding Rickenbacker at times and also played a neat combo of double necked 12 string guitar with a bass. Singer Nad Sylvan, who was American born and raised in Sweden, was present for a few numbers in the early set but was the main focal point in the second set.
After a quick break the Genesis Revisited portion of the show took the main stage. A welcome treat from the opening notes to the surprise ending that was well received by the very appreciative crowd. Nad Sylvan’s vocals were a fitting tribute to Peter Gabriel so much so a non fan might have difficulty telling the two apart. When they broke into what was, at the time, Genesis’ first ‘hit’ I Know What I Like, the audience burst into applause. They were carried away on every note and when the album was perceived to be over, the very knowledgeable fans jumped to their feet with a heartfelt raucous standing ovation. Pleased with what was presented to them, the audience was content to leave feeling fulfilled but there was a little more left. Steve Hackett then told the story about how the album was rushed to completion back in the day as the label wanted them back on the road. Peter Gabriel had one more song but it was never completed. Hackett, with Gabriel’s permission, finished the song and has included Deja Vu on this outing of Genesis’ Revisited debuting it just a few months ago. He then wrapped up with The Musical Box and Watcher of the Skies.
Although created in 1973 and named for the perceived Americanization of England at the time and the loss of folk culture, the title Selling England By The Pound fits well with today’s headlines of Brexit. As a matter of fact, much of the gear on stage is adorned with fckbrx a hashtag and movement for those who loathe the separation. Politics aside, this was a wonderful trip back to the heady days of the early 70’s when many bands were creating works of art instead of just hammering out album after album. Judging by the smells outside the Winspear, many people captured that same head space for the performance. Hackett refers to Selling England… as his favourite Genesis album. He treats it with all the respect it deserves. His close to three hour show was full of highlights from both aspects of his career, but the swan song was well produced and what everyone was waiting for.
Unfortunately there was only three Canadian dates for this leg of his tour. Hopefully he’ll include other cities at a later date. For more information stop on over to http://www.hackettsongs.com/index.html. This is one of those shows that many who missed it will be disappointed. Perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to catch this show.
