VOYAGE OF THE ACOLYTE

This album came about because of material HACKETT wanted to record for GENESIS but the band didn't record them (in fact it was that very reason that caused him to leave the band two year later, in 1977). Despite that, Mike RUTHEFORD and Phil COLLINS appear here, as well as Sally Oldfield (Mike's sister) and John Hackett (I presume Steve's brother, who also appeared on Steve's following solo albums). The music varies from nice guitar-oriented numbers to the more sinister "A Tower Struck Down" (complete with what sounds like a crowd chanting "Sieg Heil" over and over, but if you listen more carefully, the crowd is actually chanting "Steve Hackett" over and over). There are also some more gentle acoustic numbers complete with Mellotron. One of my favorites, without a doubt is "Star of Sirius" in which Phil COLLINS handles the vocals. Unsurprisingly this is by far the most GENESIS-like, and it gave listeners a clue on how GENESIS would sound like after GABRIEL (since "Voyage of the Acolyte" was released in October, 1975, in which GABRIEL was no longer with GENESIS, and "A Trick of the Tail" was still four months away).

But I have always had a problem with the cut Sally Oldfield sings on. I might be a minority, but I find it really difficult dealing with her high-pitched singing. Many people call it the album's high point, but I just find it difficult listening. But, still, it's definately one of the best solo albums from a GENESIS member (which is ever more so when you hear the string of mediocre and downright horrible albums Tony BANKS gave us, not to mention Phil COLLINS solo career, which was basically corporate pop sold to the masses - and sold they did).