STEVE HACKETT - Surrender of Silence (release date: 10th September 2021)

Quote from Ben

I am much more excited by this cover which refers to lyric abstraction.

does it? Please explain ...

It's a movement of painting (and photography) that can be found in a certain "cosmic" aesthetic of the 60s and which finds a field of exploration in many experimental filmmakers (Jordan Belson, Kubrick) or in Terrence Malick's work (The Tree of Life).

Any idea when we actually get to hear one of the tracks? There's usually an early video release.???

Maybe it will grow on me, but not impressed with "Wingbeats" on first listen

Quote from Henry Hamilton-Smythe

Maybe it will grow on me, but not impressed with "Wingbeats" on first listen

I don't know why Steve's videos have all this superimposing him over scenery. It worked for the Mediterranean track but not for this one.

Quote from FeelItComing

I don't know why Steve's videos have all this superimposing him over scenery. It worked for the Mediterranean track but not for this one.

It's because he's about to unleash violent storms with howling gales and thunderous rain, tempestuous lightning splitting the sky and roiling waves smashing onto the land on said scenery.

Quote from Christian

Funny, out of all tracks, Wingbeats was the only one I would NOT have chosen to be a video single (apart from the first and last track, which are short instrumentals). It's also the track on the record that sounds most like previous Hackett. The album has far more to offer.

I’m glad you said that Christian because I watched it and thought ‘ here we go again, another painting by numbers track, same harmonies, same guitar sound and an off the shelf world theme, this time ‘African’ . So I braced myself for another album of the same. Hopefully it won’t be like that this time, much as I like Steve and admire his work ethic. I long for some simple stuff and a bit of variety. A ballad, a straight ahead rocker, an ‘English’ world track if he must think in those terms. I wish he’d dust off the twelve strings from

time to time. Then, he could put these tracks in and they would stand out more.

and again ... a hundred different vinyl versions. Is there a list of the different editions somewhere? Looks like these are again exclusive editions for some stores?

Quote from Nanunami

and again ... a hundred different vinyl versions. Is there a list of the different editions somewhere? Looks like these are again exclusive editions for some stores?

Being prepared as we speak...

And yes, store-exclusive editions, as is fairly standard, these days.

Quote from thewatcher

It's because he's about to unleash violent storms with howling gales and thunderous rain, tempestuous lightning splitting the sky and roiling waves smashing onto the land on said scenery.

Oh yeah. Forgot about all that.

Quote from Thelawnmower

I’m glad you said that Christian because I watched it and thought ‘ here we go again, another painting by numbers track, same harmonies, same guitar sound and an off the shelf world theme, this time ‘African’ . So I braced myself for another album of the same. Hopefully it won’t be like that this time, much as I like Steve and admire his work ethic. I long for some simple stuff and a bit of variety. A ballad, a straight ahead rocker, an ‘English’ world track if he must think in those terms. I wish he’d dust off the twelve strings from

time to time. Then, he could put these tracks in and they would stand out more.

I assume you heard the last album Under A Mediterranean Sky?

Quote from Christian

Funny, out of all tracks, Wingbeats was the only one I would NOT have chosen to be a video single (apart from the first and last track, which are short instrumentals). It's also the track on the record that sounds most like previous Hackett. The album has far more to offer.

That song did less for me on first listen than almost any other new Hackett song I've heard in a while. It's not hard to believe that there will be better things on the album.

Quote from FeelItComing

I assume you heard the last album Under A Mediterranean Sky?

I did and really like it as an acoustic,

travelogue sort of album. I think those acoustic albums are great, in the way that Ant’s Private Parts series are great. I’m a huge Steve fan but I am wearying of the sameness of the last flurry of albums. There’s no denying his sincerity, work rate and talent but I just wish he’d vary things a bit. His early albums, like Genesis, had variety within and between albums. The last three or four rock albums sound like one big album. Hopefully, as Christian has hinted, that may be about to change, but this track doesn’t show it yet. I’m really hoping for something memorable this time.

I like Wingbeats..... clearly a homage Phil Collins Tarzan period.......bravo maestro!!!!!

So. Nothing New since 2003. The videos are getting more and more ridiculous. At first view I thought it was bad comedy. Wingbeats is the same old song we already know for almost 20 years. Maybe STeve should stick with Genesis stuff or better quit. The only new thing seems to be the fact that you cannot even use the album cover as a wall decoration because it is as silly as the video. So sad but true.

I knew it was a hopeless mission but watched Wingbeats anyway. Oh dearie me... from about halfway through I actually was watching through my fingers. It's not good.

Quote from Thelawnmower

I did and really like it as an acoustic,

travelogue sort of album. I think those acoustic albums are great, in the way that Ant’s Private Parts series are great. I’m a huge Steve fan but I am wearying of the sameness of the last flurry of albums. There’s no denying his sincerity, work rate and talent but I just wish he’d vary things a bit. His early albums, like Genesis, had variety within and between albums. The last three or four rock albums sound like one big album. Hopefully, as Christian has hinted, that may be about to change, but this track doesn’t show it yet. I’m really hoping for something memorable this time.

Particularly upsetting, as variety used to be his strong point.

I quite liked the early guitar solo in it, his classic sound, but the rest was, as others said, more of the same.

Not my cup of tea. Still looking forward to hearing the whole piece though !