Search - Steve Hackett :: Voyage of the Acolyte

One of the Best Prog Albums

Mark D Burgh | Fort Smith, AR United States | 11/01/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Many of the best Prog albums after 1973 were not group works but so-called "solo" albums. Steve Hackett, fed up by his work being excluded from Genesis albums, and taking advantage of the hiatus forced by Peter Gabriel's departure, went into the studio and worked out his frustrations, producing a fine album of extended pieces that were better than any Genesis work that followed. The opening of the album, "The Ace of Wands" is a paradigmic prog composition; meters run rampant, thematic material swoops from mood to mood, minor to major, instrument to instrument, with melodrama and muscular playing depicting this figure from the Tarot deck and establishing Hackett's credos as a guitar god. The album follows through with this form; changes in mood, from acoustic reveries to near-heavy metal shriek fests occur throughout. Phil Collins appears to sing the "Star of Sirius" to good effect. All the songs work in their own way, though they lack the absolute focus of Banks/Rutherford, they still are creditable works. Maybe it's wrong to think of them as songs and think of them as compositions, which is truer, I think to the actual work and to Hackett's intentions. Other prog solo albums of this time, Squire's Fish out Water, and Jon Anderson's Olias of Sunhillow exhibit similar scope and determination, somewhat familiar to fans of their home bands, but still outside the expected. Hackett's solo work in point: far more jazzy and frenetic than Genesis' was or would ever be, yet recognizable as part of the Genesis sound world. The joke was on Steve; when he left the band, Banks and Rutherford hired a studio dude to mimic the sound Hackett forged; that's the trouble with a style: unlike mediocre unimaginative playing, a style can be copied. Here is Hackett shaking off the shackles, showing he can out-prog the progiest. Name another 1975 rock album with this much daring. Well worth your time and money."

Steve Hackett's Incredible Voyage

progrock86 | Los Angeles | 04/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Steve Hackett's first solo album, a largely instrumental group of songs, remains something incredible, almost 30 years after its release.
The tracks on this disc are predominantly instrumentals, featuring lots of trademark Hackett guitar leads as well as some delicious synth playing and acoustic guitar. "Ace of Wands" is a magnificent mini-epic full of outstanding playing, memorable compostition and perfect instrumentation. "Hand of the Priestess" pats 1 and two as well as "the Lovers" are soft, pastoral pieces featuring delicate acoustic guitar and superb flute leads. "The Hermit" and the "Star of Sirius" feature vocals by Phil Collins and Hackett himself. "Star" has particularily impressive guitar/mellotron textures accompanied by synth and vibes, which border on spacey at times.
"Shadow of the Hierophant," the disc's lengthy closer is a very nice operatic sort of tune featuring vocals of that style by Sally Oldfield. The epic fadeout of the song is not to be missed, but it drags on for far too long, which explains the detraction of a star. "A Tower Struck Down" is the only tense song on this otherwise mellow, often pretty collection of songs.
Fans of Hackett's later work will find this somewhat different from his other material, but most of his followers as well as fans of early Genesis and prog in general will find this incredibly melodic album a real treat."

Voyage of Steve Hackett

Mark D Burgh | 06/25/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Voyage of the Acolyte is actually the first Genesis solo album (one minor error in Paul Clark's nice review). This solo album came out before Peter Gabriel's first solo album. It was recorded in June & July of 1975 just after the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Tour. Peter Gabriel had just left the band, and Genesis had yet to record Trick of the Tail (November, December 1976). Steve Hackett's first solo voyage shows the depth of creativity which he only continued to expand throughout his post-Genesis solo career which began after his departure following the Wind & Wuthering tour. Steve continues to this day to do things most rock musicians wouldn't, or couldn't, do (like record a CD with the Royal Phil, or play the Vivaldi guitar concerto with the English Chamber Orch). The cover is one of many of the beautiful pieces of art work done by Steve's wife, Brazilian artist Kim Poor (greatly praised by Salvador Dali)."