STEVE HACKETT / STEVE HOWE - GTR turns 35 today ... your thoughts?

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    I still can't really get into this album. I appreciate the AOR potential of When The Heart Rules The Mind and I always likes two or three additional tracks, like Imagining and The Hunter - but as a whole album, it always seemed to be below standards...

  • There's little doubt it is, indeed, less than the sum of it's parts, but it's not SHT as the "famous"* reviewer said. And many of it's problems can be laid at the door of the management, producer and fashion of the time.


    * famous for that, and nothing else. The old saying "those who can, do. Those who can't, criticize" springs to mind!

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • The old saying "those who can, do. Those who can't, criticize" springs to mind!

    I've heard that saying but with, stupidly unfairly and in total ignorance, the word teach at the end instead of criticise.


    I wouldn't blanket-condemn critics as all being unable to "do". I'm not much of a reader of reviews but sometimes (and I'm talking across genres) it's obvious the reviewer has good technical and historical knowledge and a flair with words, and fashioning those things into a concise critique* is a skill in itself. And bear in mind sometimes the critic is a practitioner of the medium in question - eg some music reviewers are musicians as a hobby, authors sometimes do book reviews, etc.


    * EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not counting "SHT" as a concise critique!

    Abandon all reason

    Edited once, last by Backdrifter ().

  • I've heard that saying but with, stupidly unfairly and in total ignorance, the word teach at the end instead of criticise.


    I wouldn't blanket-condemn critics as all being unable to "do". I'm not much of a reader of reviews but sometimes (and I'm talking across genres) it's obvious the reviewer has good technical and historical knowledge and a flair with words, and fashioning those things into a concise critique* is a skill in itself. And bear in mind sometimes the critic is a practitioner of the medium in question - eg some music reviewers are musicians as a hobby, authors sometimes do book reviews, etc.


    * EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not counting "SHT" as a concise critique!

    Agreed, but I'm pretty sure (as I seem to recall it being said this moment was what he was famous for) that SHT crtc is neither good at in depth criticism, or able to make music.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • I listened to an interview yesterday on Rolling Stone.com. The host was interviewing Andy Greene (who was introduced as one of leading “experts” on Genesis, though I must admit I’ve never heard of him). At one point they started discussing GTR, and one of them (I don’t recall which one) claimed that Steve Hackett was driven to record the GTR album by his jealousy over the commercial success of Genesis as well as Phil and Mike’s solo careers. I’ve never heard such a claim before. Just wondering if anyone else has heard this explanation? It just sounds so “un-Steve.”

    • Official Post

    I listened to an interview yesterday on Rolling Stone.com. The host was interviewing Andy Greene (who was introduced as one of leading “experts” on Genesis, though I must admit I’ve never heard of him). At one point they started discussing GTR, and one of them (I don’t recall which one) claimed that Steve Hackett was driven to record the GTR album by his jealousy over the commercial success of Genesis as well as Phil and Mike’s solo careers. I’ve never heard such a claim before. Just wondering if anyone else has heard this explanation? It just sounds so “un-Steve.”

    That’s sounds like an opinion statement. Where is the source for that type of comment?

    • Official Post

    I’m pretty sure Steve was looking at Genesis in the eighties and thought ‘I’d like to be that successful as well”, who would not? Then again, he had the chance to be part of a band like GTR and I am pretty sure his major force was to make great music that people would like and not being as successful as Genesis

  • My thoughts exactly. I was trying to be polite, but Rolling Stone throughout history, has seemed to be off the mark a lot, wouldn’t you say?

    Agreed, it not just recent, and it's not just Genesis. They are one of those magazines whose prime purpose is to be cool, I take very little note of.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • I’m pretty sure Steve was looking at Genesis in the eighties and thought ‘I’d like to be that successful as well”, who would not? Then again, he had the chance to be part of a band like GTR and I am pretty sure his major force was to make great music that people would like and not being as successful as Genesis

    Agreed. If I was at that level of ability, and had the chance to work with either of them, I'd be mad to say no.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • Interesting post-GTR album project 'FEEDBACK' which was nearly a GTR 2.0 except with Brian May... Interview here -

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