Posts by Chessman

  • Steve Hackett - Highly Strung (40th Anniversary, review added)

    Personally, I love this album and put it in my top ten Steve albums. I think it's quite underrated by many. Funnily enough, Walking Through Walls is probably my least favourite track on it, but I still enjoy it. I've still got the 12 inch single for Cell 151. For me, an album I often go back to. (Played it about two weeks ago in fact). 8)

  • QUEEN

    I was a big fan in the early days, when Seven Seas Of Rhye came out, which I duly bought. Loved the layered guitar and vocals myself. For me, their first six albums are head and shoulders above anything else they released after that, though Innuendo is the best of the rest. Their early albums are very experimental and almost progressive at times. They were very influenced by Led Zep in the early days. Interestingly enough, both the first Queen album and the first Rush album were considered very Zep- like by critics, even though Queen and Rush don't sound anything alike. I felt they started to lose their way from the Jazz album onwards and by the time they were releasing stuff like 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' I'd lost most of my interest in them. Funny thing about Queen, I've known many people over the years who call themselves Queen fans, yet when I've asked them what albums they have, they almost always say one of the Greatest Hits albums. When I ask these supposed 'fans' what they think of Sheer Heart Attack or Queen 2, they look at me blankly. For me, their best songs are more often album tracks, not single releases. In my top five seventies bands though, behind Genesis, Yes, 10CC and Pink Floyd.

  • STEVE HACKETT - Your favorite solo albums

    Quote from Witchwood

    It was one of the last electric albums he did that I really liked.

    The one thing that always sticks in my mind whenever I play that album though is the fact "Four Winds East" which is credited to Hackett/Fenner is really an uncredited cover of "The Supernatural" composed by Peter Green.

    I'd love to ask Steve about that.

    Indeed, it is, and it sounds very similar to Gary Moore's version on his album 'Blues For Greeny' which he did as a tribute to Peter Green. Great track!

  • STEVE HACKETT - Your favorite solo albums

    I've ticked my top five:


    In no particular order:


    Voyage Of The Acolyte

    Please Don't Touch

    Spectral Mornings

    Highly Strung

    Wild Orchids.


    Out of interest, my next five would be:


    Defector

    To Watch The Storms

    Blues With A Feeling (Been playing this a lot recently, funnily enough. Very underrated imo).

    Guitar Noir (Love the atmosphere and the harmonies on that)

    Beyond The Shrouded Horizon (I actually like the bonus disc even more than the main one!)


    I haven't included his Genesis revisited stuff as I rate that very highly but wouldn't count it as 'solo' stuff, even though there's some on it. Also didn't include his classical albums, which are a very different, and thoroughly enjoyable, beast.


    I actually like everything Steve's released, and I can't say that about many bands or artists.

    Out of interest, least favourite? Till We Have Faces. (I still play it sometimes though). ;)

  • Which five bands?

    My recent five most played bands / artists, in no particular order:


    Steve Hackett

    ELO

    The Musical Box (via youtube)

    Strange Kind Of Women (via youtube)

    Chris Rea

  • Which five bands?

    Recently my most played five are (again, in no particular order):


    Jadis

    Steve Hackett

    Stackridge

    Focus

    Camel


    (All rubbish, but I can't find my Britney Spears albums.....:D)

  • STEVE HACKETT: 40th "Please Don't Touch" anniversary

    Quote from Nanunami

    never really liked this one. Don't know why, I know it's a favorite of many fans.


    My favorites are the title track, Narnia and How Can I?

    Each to their own of course, and it's good that different people like different songs, it just shows how strong the album is, and how diverse. For me, How Can I is not one of my favourites, though I don't mind it. Generally, I've always preferred the funnier and quirkier side of Steve which is why I love Carry On Up The Vicarage. I've always liked Kim as well, though it's not likely he'll be playing that one again!