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In 2003, four years after "Darktown," probably the darkest and musically hardest episode of his solo career, and interspersed with "Sketches Of Satie," one of his now habitual forays into the classical realm, Steve Hackett returns with "To Watch The Storms," an album characterized by less "metallic" sounds compared to its predecessor, while maintaining all the characteristic elements of a style that the English guitarist has forged over the years and with the advance of his solo career, establishing himself as one of the most original and personal composers in the contemporary music scene.
It can be rightly stated that the term "hackettian" now precisely identifies a world of sounds explored by the English guitarist, which are not confined within the progressive but go far beyond.
The keyword in Hackett's solo adventure is "eclecticism." In one of his albums, you can find episodes where the classical guitar paints elegant frescoes, suddenly torn by electronic, cold, and industrial sounds. Moments where Steve's electric guitar manages to say more with a few notes than thousands of guitarists can with a cascade of notes. Others where the guitar accelerates or even falls silent because, contrary to what one might think, a Steve Hackett record is not a pretext to showcase sterile instrumental skills.
What is stated above is, of course, also found in this "To Watch The Storms," one of Steve Hackett's most successful albums, who, in the 2000s, didn't miss a beat, listen to "Wild Orchids" and "Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth" for confirmation.
Except perhaps for Thomas Dolby's cover "The Devil Is An Englishman," in my opinion, the least successful episode, the rest of the tracks travel on very high standards, starting with the opener "Strutton Ground," dominated by voices and a great guitar riff, moving on to "Frozen Statues," which instead rests on a few piano chords on which Steve's voice is counterpointed by saxophone interventions from the brilliant Rob Townsend and serves as a launch pad for the furious "Mechanical Bride," a fixture in live settings, perhaps one of the heaviest pieces written by Hackett.
Classic moments are not lacking, represented by "Wind, Sand and Stars" and "The Moon Under Water," nor are the slower tracks, namely the excellent "This World," "Rebecca," and "Serpentine Song," also now a staple live. Also noteworthy is the percussive and hypnotic "The Silk Road," perhaps the most experimental piece of the entire album, characterized by Arabic sounds, often found in Hackett's production.
The album also exists in a special edition, where four additional tracks are present, including "Fire Island," a blues where Steve also tries his hand at the harmonica, his first instrument.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
02 Circus of Becoming (03:48)
As the roaring day towards
The night forms
Look at us like a double decker bus
Climbing to the top of St. Paul's
To watch the storms
Stand clear of the doors there's
Handel in the Strand
You'll find a better class of
Ventriloquist on the radio
Calling you back to a time
That's never been
In the Circus of Becoming
It all starts with a spark
Once below a time
Set fire to the stars
Over the Eternal City
Somewhere between
The hills and the columns
And the carcass of Rome
Alone but close to spirit
Sitting Bull says there is more
05 Mechanical Bride (06:40)
Dance into the meat grinder
Ethnic cleansing sharp reminder
You're no better than the other side
Just can't hide the Mechanical Bride
Electric chair burned hair
Framed fried you could be there
Wedded to remaining dumb
You just can't hide the Mechanical Bride
Fox hunt bullfight animals' curse
Born again with the roles reversed
Enter the arena under-rehearsed
You just can't hide the Mechanical Bride
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