Posts by foxfeeder

  • What is a "Stepp"?

    It was a bit more than just a guitar synth. It was the world's first (only?) Digital sampling guitar. Steve used it on one track on his "Momentum" tour in 1988, which I was lucky enough to see at Manchester Opera House. He set up a tape loop with an electric guitar (years before KT Tunstall was doing it, and decades before Ed Sheeran got himself in unjustified lumber with it! :)) then picked up the Stepp DG1, which looked a bit like a transistor radio (a high end one like a Sony ICF-2001D or a Grundig Satellit 700) with a fretboard, and proceeded to create what can almost be described as a religious experience! You could assign different samples to each string, so one had female choir, another male, another organ, and so on.


    The opening of "Concert for Munich" was it's first appearance on a Steve Hackett record.


    Stepp marketing video:

    External Content www.youtube.com
    Content embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.
    Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.

  • What movie have you watched?

    Rocketman. It seems inevitable that you would compare it with Bohemian Rhapsody, more so given that John Reid is portrayed in both! Though I enjoyed both films, I have to say this one is more satisfying, perhaps because I know less of Elton. Being a Queen fan from almost the start, the many "history rewrites" grate, and seem pointless. Here, as you may know, they didn't set out to be historically accurate, but to see things from Elton's drink-and-drugs fuelled memory. The songs are not chronological either, but used as the lyrics best fit the moment.


    I'm sure many Elton fans will find fault, but in the end, as a film, I feel it was the better of the 2. I also enjoyed seeing 2 cars exactly as I owned them back in the day, a Cortina mk3 in "evergreen" (the colour) and a mk 1 Escort in the same colour. But that's just me! ;)

  • RIP Thread!!

    Quote from Noni

    Though this is rather old news. Being a F1 fan...


    RIP Niki Lauder, who survived the odds, given the last rights in bed during the Germany grand prix back in 1976, where he crashed and got extremely burnt..

    He was a key figure in the F1 paddock and will be sorely missed. I was extremely gutted hearing this news.:(;(

    Indeed, one of the true greats!

  • What TV shows have you been watching ?

    Chernobyl on Sky Atlantic. As I'm currently reading the book "Chernobyl" by Serhii Plokhy, a historian with a local perspective, it reinforces the story of the event, which makes any conflict between the FBI and CIA seem like playground fighting. It is also, ultimately, a tale of bravery and personal sacrifice few could write about in fiction and get away with.

  • STEVE HACKETT - Defector - album review

    Very good album, but the weakest of his first 4. Would still give my right arm for a new one this good, though! ;)


    The line "joints were smoked at lunchtime" is preceded by "23 and one half billion", explained in an interview I heard at the time of the album release as being inspired by McDonald's marketing slogan "90 million sold daily" (Or something like that!)


    The Optigan was originally designed/made by Mattel, the Hot Wheels/Barbie people, and was only intended to be a toy. Steve was one of the first to adopt it for a more serious role, see the website http://optigan.com/ run by Pee Hicks (no relation!)

  • Mike Rutherford rerecords "Smallcreep's day" for 40th anniversary release

    Quote from jwckauman

    Ahh! That was you. OK, i have the connection now. Maybe someone can put together a list of all the active "Genesis fan" sites/services and sort it all out for me.


    So let me say, your strategy was brilliant. At first, it seemed like you were just trolling us fans, but now i see your master plan. If Mike does go back and remaster/re-release Smallcreep's Day, we may have you to ultimately thank.

    For a list of forums etc, you could do worse than Steve Hackett's links page!

  • STEVE HACKETT - Genesis Revisited with Orchestra & Choir - Wuppertal 2020

    Ah, now! Wuppertal! That makes more sense than Dresden as a UK word for disaster - The Slow Show


    As Cosa Rosa sings on the semi-title track of her album "Kein zufall":

    Wir fanden schließlich einen Laden

    Doch der war auch schon stickig und voll

    Genau wie all die andern

    Und die Frau am Klavier die sang:

    "Die schönsten Männer auf der Welt

    Die gibts nur in Berlin und Bielefeld"

    Doch wir warn leider nur in Wuppertal!

  • The Slow Show

    Quote from Christian

    I love their debut album but like you, I couldn't really dig into the second one.


    Since I live in Dresden, I was interested in the story behind the track "Dresden". I learned that this is a word for disaster in the UK. Nevertheless a beautiful track.


    I also do like the new single.

    News to me! :/

  • Mike about Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited tours

    Quote from CountingOutTime

    Sugar Mouse is correct, SCD. You know naught of what you speak. If you can't see that Hackett is the only ex-member of Genesis who is capable of carrying the torch for the band, then it is you who are the deluded soul (to use your own words).


    I've been going to SH gigs since 1980 and have never been disappointed. He surrounds himself with best musicians, each of whom carries a lot of cred in the music business.


    It appears you've got a thing out for Steve; don't know why. He has the right to play whatever Genesis songs he had a part in composing. I do agree his solo stuff has gotten samey, but the guy can play his ass off.

    For that matter, he has the right to play ANY Genesis song, as long as he pays the royalties! ;)

  • Mike about Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited tours

    Quote from StillCan'tDance

    Well, Steve is really preaching to the converted isn't he? I mean, the only people who are going to see him are his fans and, without his solo albums having any significant impact on the mainstream charts (which is probably harder now than it ever was, given the how the market has changed so much in recent years) I can't imagine he's picked up many new fans during his career. So those fans are already well aware of his past with Genesis. I just think it's a sad indictment of his solo material that the old Genesis tunes now form such a major part of his performances.


    That said, I watched the video promo for Wolf Light the other day and if that song is indicative of his current solo material then it's small wonder he's not selling many records!


    If I want to hear old Genesis stuff, then I want to hear it being played by Genesis. In which case, I turn to my library of bootlegs or official live product from the band. Although I like what Phil has done with the Genesis material in concert - his Hot Night In Paris album being the best example of a reinterpretation of the material and Invisible Touch with the horn segment arranged by Harry Kim is brilliant - there's really only one way to listen to Genesis stuff...and it doesn't feature Danny La Rue on vocals!

    And yet, bizarrely, he's had more solo chart success since GR2 than he had before! And given that many online comments giving a positive spin to his new stuff are clearly not from long term fans, as most of us think his new stuff lacks the spark of originality he has shown for years, it seems he HAS picked up a whole bunch of new fans, some, maybe many of whom, are old Genesis never followed his career when he left. Wrong again, eh?

  • THE MUTE GODS

    Hmmm! I seem to recall both Steve Hackett and Nicky Horne giving Nicky Horne the credit for coming up with the idea of GR2. Although, with hindsight, "credit" might be a bit strong, as neither the album was very good, lacking the "vision" of the first album back in the mid-90's, not have any of Steve's subsequent albums hit the heights of the pre-GR2 era. Commercially successful, granted, and maybe the new fans it brought like the new stuff, but the long-term fans don't seem so enamoured!