PLEASE DON'T TOUCH!

This album is a bit of a grab-bag, a ranging collection of songs that show not only the considerable talents of Steve Hackett as a composer and arranger, but also his diverse musical tastes. The strength and variety of his choices of guest musicians really make this more of collaboration and less of simply his second solo effort. It strikes me that a company like Pixar or Disney could easily adapt this as a soundtrack to a modern-day children's movie, and not simply because of the leading track "Narnia", which of course has recently been the subject of an animated movie.

Of course Narnia is the fictitious world of C.S. Lewis, and the opening song on this album ("Narnia") is based on one of the books in that series - "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Steve Walsh, who was riding high in a year where both Leftoverture and Point of Know Return achieved platinum status performs the vocals here, and he does an admirable job on what is a considerably toned down track compared to his work with Kansas. Hackett's acoustic guitar work is mellow but very appealing leading into the vocals and throughout, and while most of the various percussion and strong instruments (and even a bit of whistling) are relegated well into the background, they lend some texture to this rather simple song. The only disappointment here is that there aren't any extended instrumental solos here, or even additional sung verses - this could easily have been developed into a considerably longer piece than the short fours minutes it became.

"Carry on up the Vicarage" is a strange tune, with a child's verse-like intro, then an abrupt shift into some sort of pipe organ and electronic-voice medley that is actually kind of creepy. This is another of those songs that I could see being part of a children's movie, although probably something by Tim Burton. This is a tribute to murder mystery novelist Agatha Christie, and tells the tale of some mysterious deaths including a young lady stung to death by bees and a drowned veterinarian. Odd stuff. The liner notes point out that the pipe organ used on this track was destroyed in a fire shortly after this recording.

Walsh sings along with Hackett again on "Racing in A", a song about losing oneself on a drive in the country. This one is full of guitar and keyboards, including some heavily synthesized passages. Not one of the more memorable tracks on the album, but it is at least another facet Hackett shows us on the album. Walsh's voice seems particularly dated here, and this reminds me a bit of groups like the Zombies and maybe even some of Manfred Mann's milder stuff from that period.

"Kim" is a well-known instrumental that Hackett has re-recorded several times on various subsequent works. More acoustic guitar, heavy use of a flute and some piccolo (all by the multi-talented Hackett). This is a short, quiet tune that provides a brief respite on the album, and also one that would not be out of place on a child's lullaby album.

The front side of the vinyl album closes with 'How Can I?", with lyrics courtesy of Motown icon Richie Havens. This gives Havens the interesting distinction of being one of the small number of Woodstock veterans who have appeared on an official 'progressive' music album. Havens' voice is rich, reassuring, and quite warm on this track. He has the kind of voice that was really made for movie music, and this is yet another song that could fit in this children's movie I'm busy building in my head. This is a love song I guess, or maybe just some meandering thoughts by a guy who's a bit overwhelmed by life and circumstances. Lots of strings on this one.

"Hoping Love Will Last" is a full-blown love song, and the most unusual yet on the album, with lyrics by the then largely unknown Motown diva Randy Crawford and backed by opera soprano Lucia Maria Bonvino. This is a beautiful song with quiet drums and percussion, lots of violin and cello, and not at all a prog song in any sense. This is almost bluesy mood music, but once again Hackett surprises with the range of sounds he can muster. Every time I hear this song, at the point where Crawford gets to the point in the chorus where she sings "hoping love will last", I keep expecting her to break out in the refrain of "Natural Woman". This song is a real treat, and probably (along with "Please Don't Touch") the best of the many good songs the album has to offer.

"Land of a Thousand Autumns" is just a short strings and keyboards interlude into "Please Don't Touch", a synthesizer and strings heavy instrumental that Hackett prefaces on the album cover with the instructions "for maximum effect, this track should be listened to as loudly as possible with as much treble and bass as your system can muster. Not to be played to people with heart conditions or those in severe hallucinogenic states of mind". I'm not sure it's all that, but if you really crank it up it will give you a nice rush.

Hackett gets weird again on "The Voice of Necam", with some more organ doodling that sounds like background movie music, and some electronic dabbling from the studio mixing machine he calls Necam. Another argument for finding a way to wrap a movie around this album which is a soundtrack waiting for a film.

The album closes with "Icarus Ascending", and almost fatalistic mini-epic musical tale of Icarus, with the excellent line "Splendour wings of ambition, melted by the sea. To the sea of remorse, graveyard come". Richie Havens again lends his masterful voice to this one.

So this is not your average solo work from an established artist in a successful progressive band. Hackett shows on many levels his ability to bring in other talented artists to achieve a wide range of works in a single album, while at the same time demonstrating his appreciable talents as a songwriter and arranger, not to mention musician (at various times he plays electric and acoustic guitar, flute, piccolo, bass pedal, mellotron, all kinds of percussion, and sings). This is a very engaging album that doesn't make a single statement about anything in particular, but each time I listen all the way through it, I find that I feel better about life, my indigestion is gone, and my vision suddenly improves. Sometimes I even find that I've shed a few pounds and my teeth seem brighter. I guess that's just my way of saying that I like this album for reason that I don't try too hard to understand, and I think you'll like it too. Four stars.

peace