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Rating: STEVE HACKETT - GENESIS REVISITED II - LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH - May 2013 - DVD October 2015
In general
This is a recording of one of the concerts from the "Genesis Revisited II" tour that Steve is still taking around the world today.
The venue, London's Hammersmith Theatre, has already seen him triumph in past performances.
The setlist is one to take the breath away from any lover of the Genesis golden era. Songs like "Supper's Ready," "Firth of Fifth," and "The Musical Box" alone make it worth the expense. But then there are many others that make this live performance truly exceptional, with very few moments that are less than fantastic. Steve has fully respected the original versions, making few and always well-thought-out modifications. The improvised central part of "I Know What I Like" is stunning.
On stage are the musicians accompanying Steve on tour, and some welcomed guests take turns joining them.
Steve's well-coordinated group consists of:
- Roger King: keyboards - An excellent keyboardist with experience as a session man. Good touch and musical sensitivity.
- Gary O'Toole: drums and vocals - left-handed like Phil, he has a long resume as a session man and has grown a lot in the last two years, both in technique (already very good) and in creativity and musicality. He also has good vocal abilities and an interesting timbre.
- Lee Pomeroy: bass and 12-string guitar (really good)
- Rob Townsend: sax, flute, percussion, keyboards. Excellent on sax and flute.
- Nad Sylvan: lead vocals (a mix between Gabriel and Collins without trying to imitate either, very balanced and personal, truly remarkable)
Guests: Nik Kershaw, John Wetton, Jakko Jakszyk, Steve Rothery, Amanda Lehmann
Audio
Very good quality, with attention given to the spatial imaging of the instruments and the accuracy of the timbre. You especially notice an excellent 12-string and 6-string acoustic guitar. The drums are well recorded but do not entirely convince with the level of mid and high toms (they are a bit faint). The vocals are excellent (the choruses are present but not overwhelming) and the performance of the wind instruments (sax and flute) is impressive.
I recommend listening in Dolby 5.1 as it is the most balanced. The stereo listening is also very convincing. It depends on personal taste.
Video
Some marginal flickering of little consequence, otherwise the quality is more than acceptable. In HD, you notice some slight imperfections in the color rendering of the lights and the rear mega screens, but these defects are really minimal.
The stage
Simple and well laid out, with the singer having two possible positions, a highly suggestive high one, and one at the same level as the others.
The drums are on the right, slightly elevated, as is the position of the keyboardist. Beautiful well-defined rear mega screens and lights of great effect, very elegant, well placed, and programmed.
Setlist
1. "Watcher of the Skies" - A spectacular start, played and sung very well. Splendid King on keyboards (mellotron and then hammond)
2. "The Chamber of 32 Doors" - Heartfelt, Sylvan has a truly evocative voice
3. "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" - Again, a great vocal performance by Sylvan
4. "Fly on a Windshield" - Instrumental played wonderfully
5. "Broadway Melody of 1974" - Beautiful, simply beautiful
6. "The Lamia" - I didn't like Nik Kershaw's vocal performance at all. Too bad, because the song is one of my favorites
7. "The Musical Box" - Stratospheric, at the end the whole theater gives a well-deserved standing ovation
8. "Shadow of the Hierophant" - It's a piece by Steve written with Rutherford. It never thrilled me, too repetitive.
9. "Blood on the Rooftops" - Delicate, heartfelt, nice voice of Gary O'Toole
10. "Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers" - One of the Genesis instrumentals I like the most, played very well
11. "In That Quiet Earth" - See above
12. "Afterglow" - Dreamy and ethereal just right, excellent voice by Gary
13. "I Know What I Like" - Fun, with an almost jazz instrumental central section
14. "Dance on a Volcano" - Explosive, disruptive, breathtaking vocals
15. "Entangled" - Delicate but a bit dull. Amanda's voice is beautiful but makes the piece a bit soporific
16. "Eleventh Earl of Mar" - Beautiful, evocative, great vocal performance by Sylvan
17. "Supper's Ready" - 22 minutes of pure musical delight. Fantastic Sylvan when he goes to the elevation to sing "666 is no longer alone..." illuminated from above...
Encore
18. "Firth of Fifth" - Played as it should be, with all its beautiful piano intro and the dreamy finale. Wonderful
19. "Los Endos" - Epic finale, with brief inserts of Steve's pieces ("Clock" above all) and a very refined ending (with Sylvan's voice singing the two stanzas of "Supper's")
Final Score: 9
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
05 Watcher of the Skies (09:11)
Watcher of the skies watcher of all
His is a world alone no world is his own
He whom life can no longer surprise
Raising his eyes beholds a planet unknown
Creatures shaped this planet's soil
Now their reign has come to end
Has life again destroyed life
Do they play elsewhere, do they know
More than their childhood games ?
Maybe the lizard shedded its tailThis is the end of man's long union with Earth
Judge not this race by empty remains
Do you judge God by his creatures when they are dead
For now the lizard shedded its tail
This is the end of man's long union with Earth
From life alone to life as one
Think not now your journey done
For though your ship be sturdy
No mercy has the sea
Will you survive on the ocean of being
Come ancient children hear what I say
This is my party counsel for you on your way
Sadly now your thoughts turn to the stars
Where we have gone you know you never can go
Watcher of the skies watcher of all
This is your fate alone, this fate is your own
07 Supper's Ready: I. Lover's Leap / II. The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man / III. Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of Merry Men / IV. How Dare I Be So Beautiful? / V. Willow Farm / VI. Apocalyse in 9/8 (Co-Starring the Delicious Talents of Gabble Ratchet) / VII. As Sure as Eggs Is Eggs... (27:34)
11 Firth of Fifth (10:32)
As daybreak breaks the mist upon the earth
It came to pass that beauty settled there forever more
And as the steam clings close to things to come
It came to pass that solid rock did part for humble life
Once upon a time there was confusion
Disappointment, fear and disillusion
Now there's hope reborn with every morning
See the future clearly at its dawning
Forever drifting slowly towards a hazy emptiness
As water slips into the sea
The father's sad to see it free
As shadows creep towards their master night
It came to pass that trees defied the wind who shook their leaves
And as the peace descended all around
It came to pass that nature's creatures came to face the world
Once upon a time there was confusion
Disappointment, fear and disillusion
Now there's hope reborn with every morning
See the future clearly at its dawning
Forever drifting slowly towards a hazy emptiness
As water slips into the sea
The father's sad to see it free
Once upon a time there was confusion
Disappointment, fear and disillusion
Now there's hope reborn with every morning
See the future clearly at its dawning
Once upon a time there was confusion
Disappointment, fear and disillusion
14 Shadow of the Hierophant (10:13)
Veiling the nightshade bride stalks a flower revealed
Nearing the hour make haste to their threshold concealed
Lost in thought in search of vision
As the moon eclipsed the sun
Casting the same steps glimpsing his own fate to come
Melt in the dream void from which he never can run
Lost in thought in search of vision
As the moon eclipsed the sun
Tears fill the fountains breaking their promise to heal
Rippling the waters mirror an ended ideal
Deep in thought but robbed of vision
As the moon eclipsed the sun
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