STEVE HACKETT: "The Circus And The Nightwhale" (16 February 2024) - review online

    First listen of the new album this morning. It's not really good. The guitar solos aren't very inspired (always the same chord descents). Some melody ideas not exploited. I stand by my critical judgment: Steve's last interesting album was At The Edge of The Light.

    Edited once, last by Ben ().

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    First impression is not that bad. it's tough to pick highlights, and that may be a plus, since it's a concept album.

    "These passing clouds" is a nice one

    I also like "Taking you down" and "Enter the ring"

    The sound / production is a downer, nevertheless.

    ... any moment that we bring to life - ridiculous sublime

    First impressions....

    I'm listening to it now and I'm enjoying it, which I was not at all confident about.

    I like the cover! Now I've seen the whole package and can hold it as a proper LP cover, I think it works much better than the last few photo covers. The full package is nicely put together with lyrics and photos following the themes of the album. The autobiographical narrative is reasonably obvious I think but works well. The music is a big improvement on the last few albums, to my ears anyway, because - at long last - we have some light and shade, not as much as I would like, but it is there.

    There is a sense of a following a tale and it is easy to see how the music suits the moods of the story; some passages do draw you in and Steve sings really well throughout. There are at least three passages so far which have given me time to reflect and break up the frantic nature of some of the instrumentals. Steve also has returned to making the guitar sound radically different in places, once again making you listen to see if it's a voice, a keyboard, or a guitar.

    Now, its no masterpiece and doesn't need to be at this stage. But on one listen I like it more than the albums from Wolflight onwards, it stands up well against what I think of as his middle period (90s and 2000s) and in places there are little passages which would fit into his early stuff.

    Yes, there is too much going on at times, but sometimes that works and here it is broken up with more variety than we've had recently and also suits the story.

    I think it will repay further listens much more than the last few and I'm looking forward to getting to know it better. He certainly could and should play some of this live.

    He doesn't need the money, must be one of the hardest workers on the live circuit and yet has managed to produce what sounds like a very genuine and sincere effort, with something of a return to form in places. Good on him!

    Interesting to read, but I think the album is a bit better. I agree that soundwise it's rather dull, but the idea to have a compact 45 minute story told in quite short songs works. Can't make a final rating now, but it's indeed better than most of his more recent albums.

    On first listen I love his guitar playing and the music but I am sorry but Steve's singing just bores me. i know Nad is on the album but why didn't Steve ask him to sing on the whole album?


    The only track that stands out on first listen is " Ghost Moon And Living Love."


    I buy Steve's albums out of habit now, not with the hope that I will really enjoying it.

    Heard this yesterday - twice actually. Overall it's not really overwhelming, but has its moments, Like "Enter the ring" or the "Ghost moon..." track. Maybe the album will grow over time.

    ... good things come to those who wait

    A quick track-by-track review after a couple of listens.


    People of the Smoke: Average intro to the album. Better in context than as a single but not great.


    These Passing Clouds: a pleasant short interlude.


    Taking you Down: just about acceptable. An uninspired vocal from Nad and a very messy structure. Nice ending coda, mind.


    Found and Lost: Good acoustic guitar and a decent vocal by Steve. Reminds me of Many Sides to The Night on Guitar Noir. Am I the only one who doesn't like any of the saxophone in any of Steve's songs, on record or live?


    Enter the Ring: can't get on board with the singing but the guitar is good


    Get me out: a decent, if a bit of a meandering, rocker


    Ghost Moon and Living Love: good drums on this one. Messiness is kept a minimum and it's all the better for it. Great guitar sound. Possibly the best track on the album although I wish he hired a strong singer.


    Circo Inferno: first half is great but it loses all momentum at 1.30. It's only 2.30 but slightly too long!


    Breakout: a good, short dirty rocker.


    All at Sea: an atmospheric prelude to...


    Into the Nightwhale: finally, Steve allows the song to breathe without (seemingly) randomly lurching from one section to the next in 20 second bursts. Really good track this one. His vocals work well here too!


    Wherever You Are: another one that works better in the confines of the album. Average off it. Good on it.


    White Dove: a lovely acoustic farewell to the album.


    Overall, better than expected and a refreshing (albeit, slight) change-up in sound from the last 2-3 albums. Ghost Moon and Living Love and Into the Nightwhale the top two tracks but all the short linking ones work well.

    With this latest musical version of industrial roadworks involving a whale, or something :S , from Steve, how would Steve's fan base have evolved had this been an early "standard" from the days of leaving Genesis instead of what we know? Think of the wonderful singers of the past (Crawford, Havens, Walsh, Oldfield et. al.....), the instrumentals (too many to suggest...), the structures etc, etc. All this random minefield stuff, the overbearing saxophone, the choice of vocalists....... Anyway, it's a good job I'm loyal :rolleyes:

    Have been able to hear most of the album on YouTube (if only in rather disjointed fashion), and I'll say that it's far from Steve's best but far from his worst as well. Favorite is still "Enter the Ring." Will be looking for a good price for the CD...

    Little known fact: Before the crowbar was invented...


    ...crows simply drank at home.

    I like the album

    "Taking you dow"n and "Enter the ring" are good tracks. Then I like "Ghost moon and living love".

    The album is better than his last 3 or 4. And always remember, the man is 74 and the amount of new music from Steve is quite stunning ...

    ... there's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in

    Steve may return to the Top 10 in the UK with his new album


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    ... make tomorrow today!

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    Quote from dudeski

    Steve may return to the Top 10 in the UK with his new album


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    interesting. I think he deserves that, after all those years...