Wild Orchids (Ltd.Ed) [Special Edition]

I don't hand out "fives" very often but I'll give one to Hackett's latest effort. "Wild Orchids" sounds like an extension of the work he started in "To Watch The Storms." But where "Storms" sounded like Hackett had a pocketful of ideas that didn't all get fully realized, every selection on, "Orchids" sounds like one of those ideas with more polish and coherence.

Hackett indulges every one of his musical personalities here: cinematic-sounding themes (Transylvanian Express), gentle ballads (Set Your Compass), blues (Blue Child), lighthearted and silly (Down Street), solo nylon acoustic guitar (The Last Butterfly), Indian/Middle Eastern (Waters of the Wild) and so on.

Hackett's voice at its best is adequate. He uses a lot of processing to tailor his vocal sound to the selection and he does so to great effect. His guitar playing is, as always, top-shelf.

Aside from musical refinement, the presence of Hackett's "Underworld Orchestra" is the primary difference between this and "Storms." Some would call that presence a link between this album and his "Metamorpheus," but stylistically, this is a pop-rock album, not anything resembling one of his more "serious" compositional works.

It's impressive that 30 years after leaving Genesis, Hackett is still producing very listenable albums, long after some of his former colleagues have run out of steam.

Following the success of the rock-based To Watch the Storms and the classical Metamorpheus, Steve Hackett has decided to marry these two albums in order create a powerful synthesis. Mind you, Wild Orchids is no where near as cohesive and homogeneous as its two successors, but to make up for his over-eclectism, Hackett has created one of his most musically satisfying works in years.

Wild Orchids features a wide array of instruments, blending the strongest sides of classical music and rock, and also exploring bits and pieces of world music. The opening song "A Dark Night in Toytown" immediately signifies the importance of Hackett's new experiment, bringing to fore the beautifully arranged string sounds strung across enormous drum beats. The attentive listener will also notice that the song is underpinned by a vague electronic keyboard patch towards the end. Indian percussion and upbeat Eastern elements permeate "Waters of the Wild", a great song with gentle flute and electric sitar sounds. Hackett branches out even further when he injects some folk elements into the acoustic "Set Your Compass" before one of the album's weirdest songs kicks in. At over seven minutes, "Down Street" is highlighted by an ever-present narration amidst unconventional rhythms which are almost industrial sounding. A myriad of instruments collide in order to deepen the chaos: thick, pulsing drums blend into strange melodies and soaring synth lines. The piece seems to calm down during Hackett's wonderful solo, only to pick up momentum with the arrival of an insane saxophone and accordion duel. This is eventually replaced by a cool piano coda that wouldn't seem out of place on an obscure movie soundtrack.

Gary O'Toole's drumming deserves special mention. This album has a full and excellent drum sound through and through. As a matter of fact, so laser-precise is the timing on the song "Wolfwork" that it could be mistaken for a drum machine. The tone is fresh and organic and complements The Underworld Orchestra's performance brilliantly. Hackett's vocals on this piece vary from processed bits to clean, fragile segments. The slightly industrial feel makes itself audible on this track as well, and unlike the other songs, this one also contains a somewhat agile guitar solo by Hackett. One of the most unique songs on the album, it travels from one passage to another, the tranquil section when the samples are filtered through melodic threads being the most striking.

The album's most moving songs are the predominantly acoustic ballad "To a Close", where Hackett sings in a low tone as if he is whispering a lullaby into the listener's ear (and he's later joined by great female backing harmonies); and the classical instrumental "She Moves in Memories", a song track featuring cello, oboe, and enchanting acoustic guitars. Hackett plays plenty of guitar solos on the album, his work on the aforementioned "To a Close" being incredible. So few notes, yet so so much expression. Similarly, on "Man in the Long Black Coat", Hackett proves that he is out of this world. Though a Bob Dylan cover, Hackett really adds his own spin to this piece. Every note, every break, and every little nuance has an absolute purpose in this solo and gives me goosebumps. Also, his voice is sort of like Nick Cave's, but it could be just me.

While I've heard from many a Genesis/Hackett fan that they dislike the artwork of this album, I think Kim Poor's work is excellent. Actually I happen to think all Steve Hackett albums have incredible artwork and Wild Orchids is no exception. This is one of the most diverse albums Hackett has produced. I wonder if he can get more eclectic than this. One moment he digs deep into Irish folk and then it's a gentle classical piece and then he touches on world music. There is no way his fans will be disappointed.

In his solo career, ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett regularly jumps back and forth between rock and classical genres. His last album, "Metamorpheus," was a classical recording, but now, Steve is back in a rock state of mind with his latest release, "Wild Orchids." This is easily the best rock album Steve has made since 1993's "Guitar Noir." The material varies widely in styles, and Steve handles them all brilliantly. From the powerful instrumental "Transylvanian Express" to the gorgeous "Set Your Compass," from the menacing "Down Street" to the beautiful pop of "A Girl Called Linda," from the excellent cover of Bob Dylan's "Man In The Long Black Coat" to the short-but-sweet "Why," from the phenomenal rock of "The Fundamentals Of Brainwashing" and "Howl" (my personal favorite tracks on the album) to the lovely nylon-guitar piece that concludes the disc, "Until The Last Butterfly," and all the songs inbetween, this is truly incredible music. Steve's guitarwork is flawless, his singing and songwriting here excellent. "Wild Orchids" is a triumph for Steve Hackett, one of his very best albums. Congratulations, Steve!

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