Steve Hackett
Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth

The homemade album. Yes, this is the definition one could give to this work that I immediately define as exceptional. Made at home because the great guitarist from Plimco had no choice but to equip his living room for the creation of this work, given the situation that arose with the other boss of his record label (Camino Records), Billy Budis, who conspired with Steve Hackett's ex-wife (Kim Poor) to ruin our hero over copyright issues and other legal matters. As the album was produced during the height of a legal battle, Steve couldn't use the usual recording studio. The court later sided with Hackett when the album was already completed. Another detail is that "Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth" can only be purchased through the former Genesis member's website.

Having said that, it should be added that for acoustic reasons, it wasn't possible to use a real drummer, and so all the "percussive" parts were realized by the great Roger King, and I must say he succeeded in giving the sampled drum sound exceptional realism.

Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth was released on October 6, 2009, and includes eight tracks that, as always when it comes to Hackett, need to be digested after more than a few listens. The pieces of this album slowly but steadily penetrate your mind and conquer you with each new listen. Hackett has always been considered one of the greats of progressive music, but here we can actually talk about such crossover that the term progressive is truly reductive.

The album begins with "Fire on the Moon", a song with melancholic tones and characterized by two poignant and, as usual, marked, strong, vibrant guitar solos that intersperse the verses with vocals. The beautiful bass work by Chris Squire, which gives the piece a beautiful Bolero-style tempo, is noteworthy.

Then we move on to "Nomads", and here you might say you're struck by the magic of this track which starts with a classical guitar solo in perfect flamenco style (highly recommended for Hackett's detractors, to make them realize the kind of talent that emanates from those fingers). After the intro, the vocal part begins over a rhythm still in flamenco style with the percussion and backing vocals of Ann Lehman providing a sonic backdrop. After an abrupt stop of the vocals followed by a typical Spanish handclap over a very fast classical guitar solo, you're hit with a punch in the stomach by the violently rocking, robust break where the electric guitar in full Hackett style gives shivers galore right through to the end of the piece. And it leaves you breathless... perhaps the most beautiful track on the entire album.

A soprano sax played with sweet harmony by Rob Townsend leads us to "Emerald and Ash", a song with a seemingly banal melody but actually full of emotion. King's keyboards discreetly mark the path not bombastic but "full". And here we have the magic of the 12-string guitar played by an exceptional guest, Anthony Phillips (the early Genesis guitarist). The song proceeds on the gentle tracks of the ballad for about four minutes, until reaching a break that leads to the most psychedelic part of the piece in question where Steve's six-string distortions give life to real delirium. True experimentation, yet based on a certain harmony. A decidedly controversial but fascinating song

The following track is an exercise in pure guitar virtuosity with a rock rhythm bordering on hard. Perhaps not a gem (the title of this piece is "Tubehead"), but always of extreme class. In this piece too, Chris Squire's bass is noticeable (oh, indeed).

The next piece takes us back, thanks to the intro in pure Morricone style (the master won't be offended), to rarefied atmospheres where Hackett's classical guitar gives chills thanks to the melodies and Roger King's orchestral effect on keyboards and the collaboration of Amanda Lehman on violin and Dick Diver on double bass. We immediately plunge into the midst of "Sleepers"; dreamy pace with piano and classical guitar intertwining with Steve's voice singing about "sleepers". Then again here, sudden explosion with a very hard rhythmic base and a vocal and musical mix in a rather Beatles-ish style, leading up to moments of intense evocative lyricism where the electric guitar performs incredible embroideries interspersed with orchestral type stops. Then everything returns to the dreamy tones with which "Sleepers" began... A truly fantastic moment of "Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth".

We arrive at "Ghost in the Glass", an instrumental piece in which Steve Hackett's technique is exalted thanks to some typical and poignant laments of his electric guitar. A short but of stunning intensity piece.

"Still Waters", is the next track, a not particularly original nor particularly fascinating blues standard, but at least you can hear Hackett navigating the typically blues scales, and you know that blues was our hero's first love...

"The Last Train to Istanbul" closes this album. Here we are faced with a highly ethnic piece with a very oriental flavor featuring Hackett on the electric sitar. Rarefied atmospheres and a rhythm that, when you close your eyes, truly take you to the gateway of the East. All this is seasoned with a certain presence of Rob Townsend's saxophone.

What to say in conclusion? I believe that the artistic maturity, especially compositional, of Mr. Hackett (his six-string skill has been well-known for an aeon now...), reaches very high peaks here and that this album continues a certain musical discourse started with "To Watch the Storm" seven years ago now.

For those who love this intelligent, refined artist and for those who, on the other hand, continue to think of him as just the former Genesis guitarist, I recommend going to his upcoming Italian concerts next July. The former will once again relish the crystalline class that Hackett possesses, while the latter may finally truly understand who they are dealing with. Long live Mr. Hackett!

STEVE HACKETT: GUITARS AND LEAD VOCALS / ROGER KING: KEYBOARDS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING / NICK BEGGS: BASS AND CHAPMAN STICK / ROB TOWNSEND: SAX / CHRIS SQUIRE: BASS / JOHN HACKETT: FLUTE / DICK DIVER: DOUBLE BASS / ANN LEHMAN: VIOLIN / AMANDA LEHMAN: BACKING VOCALS / ANTHONY PHILLIPS: 12-STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Release: 06/10/2009. Available only online