DEFECTOR

Hibou shares my thoughts about Defector: "It's not his best but without it, you'd be missing out on some essential HACKETT." On the whole this shortish album is not as great as the three earlier ones, but it has some very beautiful music on which the romantic and melancholic side of Hackett comes into perfection. You could call it the "Wind & Wuthering" atmosphere you get glimpses of from the Genesis album, the last one featuring Hackett. Out of ten tracks five is with vocals and even two of them, 'Leaving' and 'The Toast', are slow-tempo beauties with emphasis on that wuthering soundscape. Album's weakest spots to me are the faster songs 'Time to Get Out' and 'The Show', especially the latter. 'Sentimental Institution' sung by Pete Hicks is a humorous pastiche of really old entertainment song, probably a bore to an average progger but I feel sympathy for it.

On the instrumental side this is pure Hackett quality all the way. The powerful 'The Steppes' has became a concert classic. 'Two Vamps as Guests' is a nice acoustic guitar ballad. 'Jacuzzi' is a fast tune sounding like certain soli from Spectral Mornings. 'Hammer in the Sand' is a lovely moody piano-centred piece. If you dig Hackett enough to get more than a couple of his best albums, this is warmly recommended to get its place on the shelf next to Voyage of Acolyte and Spectral Mornings.