Well we’ll Scott. What an ABSOLUTE treat that run down was. Just the best video ever and featuring my #1 musician EVER (Checkout the use of them CAPITALS man! 😂😂) First off, I haven’t listened to his classical stuff as it’s not my bag at all. Then, some of your comments about his mid 80s stuff is too kind. Some of it was drivel. Then, the order of your rundown - just perfect, just perfect. Then your #1 choice - it couldn’t be anything else really could it. It’s the best way EVER (there I go with them capitals again) to start a snowy Wednesday in the U.K. We’re not worthy man, we’re not worthy. Peace and respect to you on this gem of a video. My heroes. Scott and Steve. R E S P E C T!!!!
Way back in the day, I became a big Genesis fan and a big Peter Gabriel fan. For some reason, I was never aware of Steve Hackett's solo career. I discovered it decades later, so I knew some of the later stuff before I knew the early stuff. I love those 70's albums, but I'm never quite sure why everyone ranks them at the top, when there's so much great music from more recent years. I am a huge fan of Under a Mediterranean Sky AND Surrender of Silence. Contemplate the fact that this dude gave us both of those albums in one year! On second thought, rank'em any way you want, it's still Steve Hackett. Hackett forever!!
Funny you're talking about Steve Hackett right after Jeff Beck passed on. Hackett is, in many ways, like the recently deceased Jeff Beck(RIP), an exquisite guitarist who wanted to do what he wanted, and wasn't seeking fame and fortune, he just wanted to be a working musician. He is prog's Jeff Beck, IMHO, and, like Beck, rarely disappoints
I would swap "Spectral Mornings" and "Please Don't Touch", but my obvious choice for number 1 will always be "Voyage of the Acolyte". And I have fond memories of it. In the summer of 1984 I was 16, about to turn 17, and in my head I had the sounds of "Close to the Edge", "Trespass", "A Passion Play" and "Voyage of the Acolyte" spinning in my head.....and there was this girl. It was a hot summer.
i love steve hackett. i saw him every tour from 77 until 1982. i still remember john shearer standing up on his drum chair! sat on the floor wearing clown nose right in front of him in boston in 81. voyage is a great record/cd! i worshipped it in high school and college. please dont touch and cured have deep emotional connections for me. and i have to agree with scott, year by year, PDT moves closer to VOA. 40 yrs ago i would never thought that possible. music is great! i love prog music. i be full of gratitude and appreciation. thanks scott. i love what you do.
Outrageous comprehensive ranking, my friend! Bravo. I was happy to see his new album so high up there, too, truly impressive. I do have to take issue with the classical albums being so low, Bay of Kings is one of my most cherished albums, his recent one was stunning, and even Tribute - while not original compositions - shows what an extremely accomplished classical player he is. Really, I don't know how he does it, impeccable player and a true legendary ambassador of prog rock.
It was unfair to rank them all together!!! Those acoustic LPs were going to fare poorly no matter what: Steve is a rock guy, I’m a rock guy. Too much bias to overcome. But no one had ranked all of them on RU-vid yet so…
That's easy. 1. Voyage of the Acolyte 2. Spectral Mornings 3. Defector 4. Please Don't Touch! Done. And I'd put those albums alongside the best of Genesis. Yeah yeah some of the later stuff is glorious but none of it none of it can touch the early works.
Thanks Scot, that must have been a tough one! Spectral Mornings is one of my all time favorite, currently on my turntable. I haven't heard his recent albums yet, now I know which one to check out first.
Thanks for this Steve Hackett album countdown/review. I am a big early Genesis fan and have consistently followed the works of both Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett. In fact, Steve Hackett is the artist I have seen live more than any other. Nonetheless, there are still quite a few Hackett albums that I have not heard. So it was great to delve into some unheard songs based on your recommendations. The quirkiness of Dolby's writing contribution works well on "The Devil is an Englishman" and "Turn This Island Earth" is such an excellent rendition of what Steve does so well - majestic soundscapes. I have been following The Prog Corner since I first stumbled upon the site, and I do love your constant enthusiasm in the way you present. So thanks for everything! 😎😎
Wow!!! Great review!! Interesting ratings! Wonderful job at ranking the Steve Hackett discography. I really enjoyed this video. You put your heart and soul into this for sure. I've watched it 3 times! You are very informative.
How on Earth did I know Acolyte was gonna be #1?! Highly Strung has been my #1 for basically ever, last year I called my big coming-home road trip CAMINO ROYALE, and every time I put on India Rubber Man I'm left in a trance. Please Don't Touch and Spectral Mornings round out my top three, me always skipping 'carry on up the vicarage' on the former and the latter possibly being the first prog solo album I ever got into following my enlightenment Used to like Cured and Till We Have Faces, not so much anymore. And not to mention the genesis revisited stuff....TOP NOTCH!!!
And I can't wait for this new one coming up...apparently it's Steve's first concept album since Lamb....now that Rio's out I know what to hype next!! 😁
This is going to be very useful because I have a ton of Hackett albums to buy or pass up. Good job! On "Genesis Revisited", Hackett has a different singer on every song block. Regardless, Hackett does vocals on "Dance on a Volcano", but with some heavy voice processing. Yuckeeee!
Great Ranking, even if i didnt fully agreed. Cured should be higher, and Darktown is probably 2 or 3 places too high ! Voyage of the Acolyte, The LOST Genesis album ? Hmmmm, I can see that, but what of Anthony Phillips Geese & The Ghost, Could also be in the same sentence ! Peace
Kinda humorous... Please don't touch and Voyage of the Acolyte are the only ones I have and know. I'll have to rectify that. Would you consider doing one of these ranking videos for Big Big Train?
Great List! Love Steve Hackett and have heard (and really like) most of his albums. But there were a few here I have not heard, such as Darktown (really need to check that out since you ranked it high), Wild Orchids, and Feedback 86 (never even heard of that one). Overall, I agree pretty much with your ranking, especially with those first 3 at the top. However, I still would put Spectral Mornings at #1 above Voyage, as that has always been my favorite Hackett album, but Voyage is great as well. The only major disagreement for me would be Cured. I know it really gets dumped on in Prog circles, but I really like that album. Sure, it is not Prog (and yes, the drum machine sucks), but its got some great pop-rock songs, and again shows Hackett's versatility. Certainly not one of his best albums, I just always enjoyed it as a nice change of pace, and would probably rank it more towards the middle (maybe around 17-18). But great job tackling this very large and diverse catalogue.
Hey Scot! Did you wait to post? I actually have volume. LOL. Currently getting into Hackett's Revisiting Genesis cd/dvds. Another one is Currently out for delivery from Amazon. Ordered this one from Australia. Keep the great vids coming. You rock Scot❗❗❗😎
And you know tomorrow I’ll probably go on a Wild Orchids bender and regret the ranking. But that’s the way that works. It’s fluid (unlike myself!!!!) 👍👍👍
Beyond The Shrouded Horizon is an album I can't stop coming back to. It manages to go in every possible direction and remains a very cohesive and ambitious album throughout that continues to feel fresh with every subsequent listen.
Wow, that's great work. I'm a Hackett fan but I couldn't talk about all those albums. I could do quite a few though and the ranking looks pretty good to me.
Phil Collins has said Voyage Of The Acolyte is one of the best Genesis Albums not by Genesis! Absolutely agree, better than anything they attempted without Steve and better than a couple of their "classic" albums too ❤
Great review glad to see Voyage Of The Acolyte at the top I was expecting it to be there, I thoroughly enjoyed this review of Hackett's studio albums I've got his first 4 releases and then his next album Cured left a really bad taste and then a bunch of acoustic stuff so I stopped following him...BUT I love Hackett's live releases I've got 5, so what if there's a lot of repetition to the songs on these releases and to top it off they're mostly double cd's with 3 of them with DVD or Bluray of Steve in concert Woo Hoo. I've seen Steve Hackett twice the first it was unbelievable it was at a local bar in 1980 and this was a very small Tavern they blew the doors of this place the stage barely fit all their equipment, still to this day I'm amazed they played at this small Tavern which always had live music but always local bands never a British performer...unheard of! Then October of last year my 35yro son and I saw Hackett and his band doing his Foxtrot At Fifty tour 👍👍 I was grinning from ear to ear we both loved the show.
I love most Hackett albums - the biggest exception being GTR. I pre-ordered the 12" single and as soon as I saw the logo on the sleeve I knew it would be bland MOR rock. It was. I never bought the album (heard it once). I've seen him live many times, and have never been disappointed - great performer.
Cured is from 1981 (not 1980), and I would have ranked it higher. Otherwise, I agree with most of these rankings. Spectral Mornings will always be my number 1 Hackett album though, with PDT and VOTA right behind.
I just listened to "Cured" & "Highly Strung" together and needed to then go and listen to "To Watch The Storms" after that to soothe my ears and brain. I came here to see if you had any comments about Steve's albums and lo and behold! Having just listened to all three mentioned in succession, the growth between them is very obvious. I am also glad his voice was able to find a lower register.
I would probably rank the albums otherwise, but I love Steve Hackett so much, and the guy in video is so good that, oh man, who really cares! What a great run-through! Thank you bro!
I like the subtitle captions on the thumbnail before we click on. It translates/writes Prog Corner as 'Prague Corner' haha. Doing the show in the Czech republic eh
At the edge of light is by far my favourite Hackett album,,,, voyage is a little lightweight but still fantastic, I listen to at the edge of light everyday for over a year,,,,
That’s exactly how I feel about Dark Town. They were both reissued recently so I’ve listened to Guitar Noir a few more times since and it’s really good, isn’t it?
i think Voyage of the Acolyte is the one i like the most. the other albums have some great tracks, but they don't gel well as albums. having said that. i am looking forward to see him live again in October! : )
'Cured' was kind of an instant disappointment, the main reason being that he tried to sing. Steve is a great guitarist, but God bless him, he can't sing.
Damn. I didn't realize how many plates he cooked. I loved Genesis mid 7eventies. #1 and #2 is the shiat. There's an obscure album by Peter Banks compilation w/ Hackett, etc. It's rather groovy. Peace on earth.
As someone who only knows a couple of Steve's solo songs (Wolflight, Love Song to a Vampire, Everyday, The Wheel's Turning), would anybody have any recommendations of songs that fall into the same style as these? I really dig them
I hate to say it, but I would take "Till We Have Faces" over "VOTA" anyday! Do not get me wrong, I LOVE "VOTA" as it is my very first introduction to Steve Solo, (like most of us), and is an important and impressive, but highly overrated, Awesome (Other Genesis), album IMHO. Not that I have even heard 1/3rd of Hackett's albums BTW, but I would like to, but these things take time.. I will try to listen to more of Steve! Thank you for your videos!
Actually, I only have Voyage... on vinyl. I do have spectral... and Genesis Revisited I and II on CD but no longer have a CD player??? Keep up the good work Scott...
Great video. I love that you love Please Don't Touch. For me it's def no. 1. Y'know, every time I listen to Acolyte I feel like something's missing. There's all the beautiful stuff, but he fluffs the big finish! The last 7 minutes of Hierophant go nowhere - they are just begging for a classic Steve solo, instead they just repeat over and over.
I'd personally put Spectral Morning at the top but it's a minor detail and the main point IMO remains; his top 3 albums were released either while in Genesis. or immediately afterward and it doesn't speak well of a decade long career. I have many of his albums and I came to the conclusion that while a brilliant guitarist, he's nor the greatest songwriter.
It’s an uneven discography hindered by his singing voice. He is a decent songwriter. But his chops are second to none. He is my favorite guitar player. But yeah, his first four albums were in my Top Five. But his latest, Surrender Of Silence, is definitely worth listening to!!!
Great rankings! We have similar favourites for sure - Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth really landed with me so I probably rate it a couple of places higher but I honestly can't quibble. The original Genesis Revisited is a cool artefact, especially for Valley Of The Kings! Consistency is a bit of a thing for Hackett's albums, but with an output so prolific they can't all be winners, and most albums pack an absolute gem or two.
@@TheProgCorner would be amazing to chat with you and your viewers! Hit me up any time. I've got another big collaboration announcement coming up shortly (hopefully) 🤣
@@TheProgCorner off the cuff....and it ain't failed yet! It reminds me of a Supertramp song on Crime ofvthe Century. At the end of one of their magnificent tracks is an echoed cuckoo sound! I love it it!
Voyage of the Acolyte is far and away Steve's best album for me. The next three are good, and contrary to you, I hate that Richie Havens song. I can't stand his voice. That song ruins an otherwise good record. Then I lost touch with his entire middle and late period releases. I did sample the Darktown disc after your recommendation and it sounded pretty good. Usually when a band or solo artist goes awry for my tastes through multiple releases, I give up on them and never listen to any future releases. Marillion is a good example of that. Marillion is awful for me and has been since after Brave. Steve's work with Genesis is his stellar work that I refer to when I say he is my all-time favorite guitarist.
Spectral Mornings is the best by a good margin, then Acolyte, Darktown and Guitar Noir that is way too low on your list. After that Please don't touch and Defector have really great pieces, but lack consitency. I also like Bay of Kings on the acoustic side.
About Voyage Of The Acolyte being "the lost Genesis album" I would also avoid going that far BUT knowing that 75% of the band was there, seems like that's not that far from the truth. Proggy yours !
Thanks man for putting this discussion together. Loved every minute of your rankings of my favorite musicians discography. With so many releases, my rankings would differ slightly in a few spots, but with the exception of a few LP's, most of the stuff this man has done, I just love. I was blessed to see Hackett live twice by the time I was 16, the first at a small club in San Francisco during the Defector tour where I was so close to the stage, I could have reached out and untied the shoes of his brother. The second time was the Cured tour where I smoked my first ever joint, really didn't need it though as that concert just blew me away it was so incredible! Keep up the great work, your energy and passion for prog is unmatched!
@@TheProgCorner He is still going strong, so hopefully you will get the chance to see him. If he comes around my neck of the woods again, I will definitely see him again. Are you aware if Heel Pier or Sarabande ever released an LP? I have a copy of the Quiet World and Canterbury Glass LP's...the Canterbury Glass LP is excellent..
@@TheProgCorner I know it’s a deep dive but like I said get your water wings on and jump on in. Maybe 5 year increments? Or how about just your fave Frank albums? It’s all good.
