Watcher of the Skies: Genesis Revisited [Import]

 

 

Create your own review

For starters the Banks/Collins/Rutherford trio was making a lot of bad albums and tarninshing their own name. Steve Hackett shows the true meaning of Genesis as a respectable Progressive Rock band not a stupid pop band of the 80's. This is a great cd!

Imagine Genesis with a better drummer, a better bass player, a better singer..... that's precisely what this retrospective of Steve Hackett's contribution to his days with Genesis is. For those who think G was the creative brainchild of Peter Gabriel and the marketing tool of Phil Collins, think again, as this document sets the record straight.
On board for definitive renditions of every Genesis song covered here are Bill Bruford on drums (Phil Collins is justifiably a tambourine player by comparison) and Chester Thompson on drums, both significantly more sophisticated than Gabriel, Silver, Burns and Collins on the kit. Bass is handled with protean power by Tony Levin and John Wetton. Mike and his various mechanisms were definitely earnest but less than superb. Vocals are delivered authoritatively by Wetton, Paul Carrack and Hackett (why he sings is anybody's guess: stick with the 6 string, Steve-O). Wetton actually delivers the lines so convincingly, they actually almost make sense. His take on "Watcher of the Skies" absolutely commands the higher ground. Former Zombie, Colin Blundstone" essays a forgotten Hackett/Gabriel composition, "For Absent Friends" that is one of the finest songs the two of them have written even now, with all their history behind them.
If you were a Genesis fan, this is as devoted and lovely and powerful setting of Hackett's side of the story as you'll ever hear. By recasting "I Know What I Like" as he does, Hackett lets you know how diametrically opposed to Gabriel's neo Goth tendencies he really was, and "The Fountains of Salmacis" never glistened quite as they do here. This is a high water mark for Hackett as well. I'm generally less than moved by his solo outings post Genesis. But this is a CD for the ages. Hackett, in interviews, often joked [... that they were 5 lads trying [recast] Latin and Greek myths into progressive rock structures.] He might have done better on his own. there was never anything sexy or seductive about Genesis when Gabriel was with them, and the best of their work really came forward from SELLING ENGLAND through AND THEN THERE WERE THREE (an exercise in how to sound like you haven't lost your creative direction), with TRICK OF THE TAIL and WIND AND WUTHERING two of the finest CDs of the 70's. Hackett deserves a great deal of credit for resurrecting these compositions and actually delivering them better than as they were originally, all of which serves to shine a very flattering light on absent friends.

When someone who belongs to a classic group like SH has, you really wonder what would have happened if they had total control of a song. As it was, SH wrote with the other folks in Genesis... so, with this release, you get a chance to see how SH would have shaped the songs, and what he did with them.

Song by Song look:

Watcher of the Skies opens up the CD and I really must tell you that this song is just fantastic. The use of the Philharmonic of choice here is very good, since throughtout the cd SH does not let the orchestra be anything other than texture. Much like YES did in their Magnification release.

Dance On a Volcano. I love this song. It is just the best remake of any of the songs in the mix. The use of electronica on the voice over is just great. Makes the voice sound like it is actually coming from a volcano. The music is just so open and a bit experimental.

Valley of the Kings. A very good song, not familiar with it from earlier incarnation.

Deja Vu. this is a real treat. Apparently Peter Gabriel had this song up for grabs during the SELLING ENGLAND period, but for whatever reasons, it was not finished. SH receieved permission from PG to finish it up. Very good.

Firth Of Fifth. This song is done so well. I simply think that this version can hold up very well with the original. Matter of fact, I am going to burn both copies of both songs from the orignal cd's and from this release. Everyone who loves this song will really like this version.

For Absent Friends. I was not really wild about this song in its original release, but this version is no worse off.

Your Own Special Way. I didn't like this version originally, but I really do like the Paul Carrack version a lot. Here is a case where the redone version is way better than the original. Way better.

Foutain of Salmanacs. Again, not all that nuts about the original version, but this version is better. Could be that the original version seemed restrained but these versions on this release are much more expressive, the orchestra on this cd really helps out.

Waiting Room Only. Intersting. In a LLDOB way.

I know what I like. This is very good, and I think that the vocals from SH are just fine... i don't understand why people crack on SH voice. It is just fine. The music shines.

All in all, a fantastic release. Even on songs that I didn't really like originally were often done even better. I think folks can see the expressive emotion of the fantastic guitar playing from SH.

A must buy of early genesis fans and SH fans.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 21 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, Except When Hackett Sings.
For a member of the band who left more than two decades ago, Steve Hackett still has a deep connection to the music of Genesis. Read more

Published on July 21 2003 by James Kasprzak

4.0 out of 5 stars Here is the best "Fountain of Salmacis"'version of all time.
Well there are some choices here like the flaw and not useful track "Your own special way" or the usual "I know what I like", which nowadays is not interesting... Read more

Published on Nov 6 2002 by Lethe

5.0 out of 5 stars W O W ! A worthy addition to the Genesis Canon
I did not want to like this album.

I thought to myself: "Who does Steve Hackett think he is cashing in on the old Genesis stuff? What, the solo career isn't working? Read more

Published on Oct 22 2002 by 718 Session

3.0 out of 5 stars An unnecessary rehash of Hackett's Genesis years
For some reason [...] Steve Hackett chose in 1996 to look back 20 years at his Genesis career. He brought along many guest stars, including John Wetton, Tony Levin, and Bill... Read more

Published on April 17 2002 by woburnmusicfan

5.0 out of 5 stars Un regreso a epocas gloriosas
A este señor lo conoci realmente a traves de algunas grabaciones aisladas que tenia de Genesis y por su trabajo en los dos albumes que saco GTR, los cuales estos dos son... Read more

Published on Mar 10 2002 by Alfredo Mendoza

4.0 out of 5 stars His Consistently Best Post-Genesis Effort, This Look Back
I suppose the recent passing of George Harrison, who was in some respects the most musical and creative of the Beatles, made me want to revisit Steve Hackett, whose timbral... Read more

Published on Dec 7 2001 by Karl Henning

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed bag for Genesis fans.
Genesis Revisited is, as the title explains, Steve Hackett's own reworkings of early Genesis material, performed by an array of top musicians. Read more

Published on Jun 8 2001 by Mons

3.0 out of 5 stars A must for Genesis fans, but quite uneven.
I bought this because I was intrigued at an original Genesis member revisiting the material. As other reviewers have stated, this CD's versions of "Watcher of the Skies"... Read more

Published on Oct 20 2000 by Lavesh Bhola

5.0 out of 5 stars The spirit of the "old" Genesis lives on
Steve Hackett and an entourage of other terrifically talented musicians (including Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, and Chester Thompson) cover the sturdy old wheels of 1970s Genesis... Read more

Published on May 29 2000 by joe_n_bloe

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than you might expect
Steve Hackett takes a number of Genesis songs and adds his own interpretation. Some of it sounds like Genesis, some of it sounds like a Hackett solo album and some of it is... Read more

Published on May 29 2000 by kireviewer

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 21 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!