Steve Hackett's fifth solo album Cured was released 40 years ago today (same day and anniversaary with the Abacab single)
Read our review here:
https://www.genesis-news.com/c…ed-album-review-s385.html
What do you think about Abacab? Did you buy it back in 1981 or later?
I will be in the minority here but Cured is my favourite SH album
It's not my favourite but I don't share in what seems to me widespread dislike of it. It's got catchy tunes, and Nightmare & Sleeper are two favourites of mine.
At the time of its release, I thought it was a horrible misstep by Steve.
There was so much I didn’t like about it: the tinny production, the vocals, the artificial drums — and the fact he was no longer touring with the same cast of musicians that I had seen him tour with the previous year.
In hindsight, I don’t think it’s as bad or weak of an album as I felt it was at the time.
I’ve gained some appreciation for it but it's certainly not one my favourites.
Probably one of the best examples of the Linn LM-1 Drum Machine. It gives me a good vibe.
This could be my least favorite of all Hackett albums. Never got into it.
When I first bought this and saw the cover my heart sank, it must be up there with the worse covers ever and sadly to me the music lives up to the cover. By far my least fav of Steve's albums.
In fact it is so long since I have listened to it I think I will dig it out and give it a spin to see if it still sounds as bad ?
Had a little re-listen to this and Can't Let Go is a hidden gem. I really like the atmospheric intro. Steve is always better in my book when he lets the music breathe a little rather than going full throttle from the get go.
Cradle of Swans is another beautiful acoustic instrumental too.
Shocking cover, don't like the drum machine- although it's used as well as it possibly could be- and Steve's voice, as I have read him say subsequently, was reed thin at that time. Yet there is a genuineness to it and some really nice songs, plus of course air conditioned nightmare which sounds great with drums live. I'd like to hear him re-record these songs with his new vocal techniques and re-arranged for a band. I'd also like him to re-discover some of the variety here on his next album.
Not his worst by any means. I seem to remember around that time the music press praising this album and its vocals and also Acting very strange and its vocals, but still resolutely hating anything by Genesis. I saw Steve on this tour and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I'd like to hear him re-record these songs with his new vocal techniques and re-arranged for a band. I'd also like him to re-discover some of the variety here on his next album.
Interesting notion of the re-imagining, and wholeheartedly agree with how it would be good to rediscover the nuance and variety of this earlier phase. My only fear with the re-recording idea is that he's lost his previous pencil-sketch clarity and economy, and has a tendency to overdo things now. With eg Nightmare the original was as 'fiddly' as he got back then but was still economical. If he re-did it now I suspect he'd go nuts on it and destroy its charm.
Interesting notion of the re-imagining, and wholeheartedly agree with how it would be good to rediscover the nuance and variety of this earlier phase. My only fear with the re-recording idea is that he's lost his previous pencil-sketch clarity and economy, and has a tendency to overdo things now. With eg Nightmare the original was as 'fiddly' as he got back then but was still economical. If he re-did it now I suspect he'd go nuts on it and destroy its charm.
yes that’s probably true on reflection. To stretch the point further- it would probably work with the band he recorded Guitar Noir with. I do like his current live band but as soon as he gets in a studio he seems to just reorganise songs from Wolflight onwards- such a shame.
You realize that Steve has already re-recorded "Air-Conditioned Nightmare," right? The new version is called "Reconditioned Nightmare" and, as I recall, it was an extra track on the Japan edition of WILD ORCHIDS and later showed up on the special edition of BEYOND THE SHROUDED HORIZON.
You realize that Steve has already re-recorded "Air-Conditioned Nightmare," right?
No. Thanks, I'll check it out.
You realize that Steve has already re-recorded "Air-Conditioned Nightmare," right? The new version is called "Reconditioned Nightmare" and, as I recall, it was an extra track on the Japan edition of WILD ORCHIDS and later showed up on the special edition of BEYOND THE SHROUDED HORIZON.
Correct. And IMO it's no better.
Yes I’d forgotten about that and I have it somewhere. Thanks
It was a disappointment after SM and Defector, but I've still played it a lot more than Abacab!
