THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE

The inexhaustible guitarist has to be one of the hardest working musicians anywhere, dishing out studio albums at a consistent pace, touring the world in concert, paying his respectful homage to his first band and furthering, if not elevating its legacy way beyond the capabilities or desires of his former bandmates. More Fool Me indeed! He has no need to prove anything anymore, well entrenched in the Prog Hall of Fame and content do his thing his way. Master of the acoustic, nylon and electric guitars, using his legendary sustain and tapping technique, he is unique in not veering into fluffier jazzy stuff like so many other veteran electric guitarists. He actually has become a tad crisper in his sound, noticeable in the last few releases especially. And true to form, the tracks cover a wide range of stylistic niches, from acoustic workouts, brooding blues, some technical sizzle that borders on heavy rock and of course, some sublime prog compositions that are unafraid to infuse some world music tendencies. His usual seasoned road cronies are all on board, Roger King manning the keyboard duties, the amazing Jonas Reingold on bass, sax man Rob Townsend and drummers Craig Blundell, Nick D'Virgilio and Hugo Degenhart.

Strangely, I was truly mesmerized by the shorter pieces like the iridescent "These Passing Clouds", the bluesy "Found and Lost", the torrid sandstorm feel of Scipio's Roman Army in Africa on "Circo Inferno", the Zeppelin-esque thrashing on "Breakout", lest we forget that the Brits are an island nation devoted to the oceans on "All at Sea" and the classical acoustic finale on "White Dove", a magical farewell.

For those who are dismayed about him singing on all the tracks, hey, it's been like that for nearly 50 years, so suck it up and move on. Its his art, okay! For those who think he is just rehashing the same tired formula, listen to the monster rock steamroller exhibit on "Taking You Down", the totally enchanting Genesisian aroma of "Enter the Ring" with its fluttering John Hackett flute pirouettes and carnival atmosphere, the incredible six string method solo on the poignant "Get it Out", followed by the majestic prog epic "Ghost Moon and Living Lone", a series of typical Hackett solos that inserts some slide guitar outbursts, the soaring female vocal (Amanda Lehmann) intro is drenched in absurd beauty and rather amazing vocals from the Man with the Golden Guitar, BTW!

The furtive "Into the Nightwhale" certainly captures the gigantic proportion of the cetacean with some colossal orchestrations as well as the creature's relative meekness and gentle disposition in the second part, where a serene calm settles in, twinkling piano and a forgiving vocal glimmering brightly. Immediate segue into the bolder anthemic "Wherever You Are", a suave voice, leading to thumping drum patterns, another patented Hackett fretboard screech, rousing organ collisions and a fiery climax.

The lamp's warm glow flickers as Steve plays "White Dove", restrained notes that express deep felt emotions, a stellar neo-classical piece that suggest the need for kindness and peace. Mister consistency strikes again, another great chapter in a gloriously productive career, proving once again that being on one's own can be utterly rewarding artistically.

4.5 Carnival orcas. tszirmay@gmail.com

Steve Hackett is surely the most active member of Genesis and arguably the one who has stayed truest to his progressive rock roots, as his seemingly endless creativity drives him into releasing newer albums every other year, a creative force that might have been sparked by the intense Genesis-related touring and revisiting that Mr Hackett has become notorious for in recent years. As we have appreciated the busy release schedule for him in the 2020s, his most recent release titled 'The Circus and the Nightwhale' sees him diving head first into prog rock waters (which for many is what he does best).

And Hackett needs no introduction at all, as every prog fan would position him somewhere high up in the prog rock guitarists pantheon - and on his latest studio album (released as usual on Inside Out Music), it seems that he goes on celebrating the sounds and the style he is well-known for, at this point expanding his majestic catalogue with yet another pretty good album. 'The Circus and the Nightwhale' is a tight collection of seemingly thematically related songs that have been pierced by these shorter one- or two-minute instrumental vignettes on several occasions across the album. However, above all, as Steve Hackett had stated himself, with this album he had the intention of creating a "theater for the ears" and this is probably a very good way of describing his 2024 release. The album is quite cinematic, intricate and melancholic, as the music usually is when one considers the former Genesis guitarist. Occasionally the vocals might not be the most appealing, especially when it comes to Mr Hackett's singing, which has been the subject of discussion for decades, but the album works nicely and flows gently, as it works perfectly as another addition to the Hackett discography, not really introducing anything new or unheard of, just celebrating a specific genre of music.

All in all, 'The Circus and the Nightwhale' is a fine release, perhaps nothing too special, just a very well-crafted album by a prog rock veteran who displays all of his technical and vocal abilities to very positive results. Hackett fans will be enjoying this one for sure, and I think it might also appeal to rock fans in general, too.

Although he's been out of Genesis for well over 47 years, STEVE HACKETT more than any other member of that band has retained the spirit of the progressive rock 70s and has done more as a solo artist to celebrate the prog years of Genesis than that band has ever done for itself. Add to that HACKETT has been quite prolific in his output since his debut "Voyage Of The Acolyte" all the way back in 1975 and despite nearly 50 years of releasing well over 30 albums, it seems there's no sign of him slowing down. And here in 2024 we find ourselves with another installment of the STEVE HACKETT universe with THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE.

After spending the last decade more or less revisiting his symphonic prog roots, THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE takes on a different stylistic approach which is more varied and more theatrical with touches of hard rock, flamenco and jazz mixed in with the usual symphonic prog and classically tinged guitar magic that HACKETT has been cranking out for almost five decades. As a legend in the world of prog, HACKETT now has the luxury to record at his own leisure and finds an army of supporting musicians to assist him on this one including Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums) and Amanda Lehmann on vocals. Nick D'Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt return as the percussionists with Benedict Fenner on keyboards.

The album title gives a hint of what to expect with this one. It truly is an eclectic work that doesn't really fit into any particular categorization. The CIRCUS really has come to town and the NIGHTWHALE is ready to deliver a great show, STEVE HACKETT style. Supposedly a concept album of some sort (well aren't ALL prog albums these days?!!!), i honestly am not sure what the theme really is and it doesn't really matter too much since it's the music that counts. STEVE delivers a wide array of sounds and styles throughout this run of 13 tracks with his outstanding guitar and mandolin playing heard all throughout. At 74, HACKETT may not be breaking any new ground on this one but he certainly holds his own and crafts catchy compositions that showcase some nice production and diversity.

The album features plenty of slow burners such as the tender ballad "Ghost Moon And Living Love" as well as more upbeat rockers such as "Get Me Out." The mandolin-rich "Circo Inferno" with its Arabian musical scales takes you for a journey east bound only with some hard rock outbursts and a sizzling sax solo. "Breakout" jumps into an unexpected heavy metal style with blistering guitar workouts and delectable lead guitars which demonstrates that HACKETT has lost none of his guitar playing mojo over the years. "All At Sea" offers yet another surprise with an ambient synthesized abstractness with a few guitar tricks thrown in and basically serves as an intro for "Into The Nightwhale" which remains dreamy and laid back never really shaking the ambient backing.

THE CIRCUS AND THE NIGHTWHALE demonstrates quite clearly that STEVE HACKETT is still alive and going strong and its filled with some really enjoyable music but like the majority of his output he simply fails to take the extra steps necessary to offer something truly compelling that will beckon return visits. In fact he seems on simply recycling various experiments that he's been cranking out his entire career. For true fans this album won't disappoint at all but if you're seeking something comparable to his debut or "Spectral Mornings" then you won't find that consistency here. HACKETT suffers from the age old problem of quantity over quality and most of his albums reflect that. While he never delivers an unlistenable product, very few of them deliver something revolutionary or applicable to the modern day. A decent album but not an outstanding one either.

The latest solo album from former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett (and his thirtieth overall) is alright. It's no Voyage of the Acolyte, but it isn't bad. It's your typical, slightly-bland classic prog fare. A lot of the music here is mid-tempo with some relatively heavy guitar lines. There's a lot of flowery, impressive guitar soloing, but it rarely amounts to much. This album's folkiest moments are its best, like "Enter the Ring", though that track's Yes-like vocal harmonies come off as weirdly thin and overprocessed. (In fact, I'm really not nuts about the record's production overall.) The ending to this album is pretty overwrought and cheesy in a way that reminds me of '90s and '00s prog acts like Spock's Beard and Moon Safari.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/04/01/odds-ends-april-1-2024/

The latest from guitarist extraordinaire Steve Hackett (and something like his 30th album), this one is a concept album with a story based on Steve's own life experiences, and is something special, his best album in many years. At 74, and a career spanning more than 55 years, Hackett seems to be stronger than ever, with his Genesis Revisited tours and regular releases of live and new solo albums. This album mixes together songs of many different styles, ranging from classical guitar stylings to dark and ominous heavy prog metal riffs, as well as lighter more melodic pop and rock, with international stylistic flourishes, strong harmony vocals, and yes, even some Genesis-reminiscent passages. Steve has his powerhouse backing band (same as his touring band) as well as some guest artists to bring these songs to life, and the result is a tour de force album of delights, 13 tracks comprising a compact 45 minutes, telling his story in one of the prog highlights of the year. Best tracks: Enter the Ring, Wherever You Are, Ghost Moon and Living Love, Get Me Out, Into the Nightwhale. Rating: 4 stars

Well, this is probably the best album that Steve Hackett has released in the last fifteen years. Not that there's anything wrong with the others that were released in that time. By no means are those releases sub par in any way. I've got most of them. It's just that The Circus And The Nightwhale tops them all for me. I've got the transparent red vinyl issue of the album and its been manufactured perfectly, with no pops or crackles. The liner notes and inner lyrics booklet command repeated reading because its all just really very interesting. I've listened to the album more than a couple of times now (back to back some of those times) and will do so many more times. It has just drawn me in. What SH has done here is put together a very coherent concept album, composed of 13 tracks of various lengths. But the genius here is that each track can also quite easily stand on its own two feet, independent of all the others. It's a masterful achievement. I'll be seeing SH live, with his band later in the year in Milan, almost right at the end of his tour and I sincerely hope he plays the entire thing! As far as I'm concerned, this is an essential addition to any prog collection so I just have to award it 5 stars.

While most progressive rock musicians cannot even find Aotearoa on a map, Steve Hackett has played here twice in recent years, and while there has been plenty of Genesis in his set there were also plenty of classics from his solo material. To be honest, I would love to see him play a concert which only contains material from his own albums, such is the consistent quality over the years. Whereas his last release, 2021's 'Surrender of Silence', was based around his touring band this one has Steve much more to the fore and while Roger King (keyboards, arrangements) is still heavily involved, singer Nad Sylvan only features on one song, Rob Townsend on two, with Jonas Reingold and Craig Blundell on four each. Steve provides most of the vocals here, along with electric, acoustic & 12-string guitars, mandolin, harmonica, percussion and bass.

This is a concept album, a rite-of-passage story with a young character called Travla at its heart, but arguably this is autobiographical, and one gets the impression that Hackett used this to get some things off his chest. Sadly, musically this rarely lives up to the heady heights he has often climbed, and it feels somewhat boring, but then we get songs like "Enter The Ring" with its harmonies and rock stylings which makes one think we have been thrown back in time to the classic first three albums (can it really be that 2025 marks 50 years since the release of 'Spectral Mornings'?). To my mind it is the Genesis albums which have Hackett playing which are the most complete (none of this Gabriel/Collins malarkey for me), and I have always relished seeing him play live, and even though this is not exactly essential Steve is showing no signs whatsoever of slowing down. This may not be classic Hackett, but there are times when he shreds and shows no sign whatsoever of his years in the business, and the touches of brilliance are still there. It may not be his best album ever, but is a damn fine listen all the same.

Today I am going to be taking a deep dive into the 30th solo album by former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett entitled "The Circus and the Nightwhale." The album was released in February of 2024. Hackett has stated that the album is a concept album in various interviews. On the website hackettsongs.com, the concept is described as such:

A rite-of-passage concept album with a young character called Travla at the centre of it, 'The Circus And The Nightwhale's' 13 tracks have an autobiographical angle for the musician who says about his 30th solo release: "I love this album. It says the things I've been wanting to say for a very long time."

Line-up / Musicians - Steve Hackett / electric, acoustic & 12-string guitars, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass, vocals

With: - Roger King / keyboards, programming, orchestral arrangements - Amanda Lehmann / vocals (1,5,7,8,12) - Nad Sylvan / vocals & guitar (3) - Benedict Fenner / keyboards (7,9) - Rob Townsend / tenor saxophone & whistle (3,8) - John Hackett / flute (5) - Malik Mansurov / tar (8) - Jonas Reingold / bass (1,3,6,12) - Craig Blundell / drums (3,5,7,12) - Hugo Degenhardt / drums (9) - Nick D'Virgilio / drums (1) - Daniel Rawsie / voice (8) - Jorge Araujo / voice (8)

So, let's get into it!

Track 1 - People of the Smoke

The track fades in slowly with a collage of sounds including marching bands, sirens, cheering crowds, newscasts, "Are you sitting comfortably," (from the BBC show "Listen With Mother"), a train and more. Following that, a bit of orchestral music comes in. At around the 1 minute mark, Hackett's guitar comes in for the first time as the orchestral music begins to ascend. The rhythm section of Jonas Reingold and Nick D'Virgilio enter with a slammin' beat at around 1:15, followed by vocals from Hackett himself, I assume. There are nice vocal harmonies at around 1:35, followed by a KILLER guitar fill. Keep in mind that Hackett was doing pick-hand tapping on the fretboard several years prior to Van Halen's debut, and he is a master of the technique. A second verse follows. I believe that Amanda Lehmann is the one harmonizing with Hackett here. At around 2:45, the music pauses, and more sound effects come in. Instruments gradually join in, and Reingold and Hackett play some unison lines. The guitar solo comes in at around 3:20, and it's amazing. The steady beat returns at 3:40 and the solo continues. The orchestration and rhythm section compliment Hackett's dazzling guitar skills! The song ends with some more sound effects that lead to track 2.

Track 2 - These Passing Clouds

Ominous orchestral chords begin, then Hackett joins on his guitar with a tone reminiscent of Brian May. This is a moderately slow instrumental of just around a minute and a half, but played beautifully by Hackett.

Track 3 - Taking You Down

A short descending sound brings us into a mid-tempo rockin' riff with Jonas Reingold & Craig Blundell. The riff reminds me of Pink Floyd's "Young Lust," but isn't exactly the same. Nad Sylvan joins in on vocals at around the 35 second point. After the chorus, the riff returns for one round and leads to a second verse. I love the descending chorus line. After a second round we have a fantastic sax solo from Rob Townsend. Another verse follows but after the ensuing chorus, the music mostly drops out briefly, before Hackett takes a solo. At 74, Hackett plays with more ferocity than many players ⅓ his age. Great track, I just wanted more!

Track 4 - Found and Lost

This begins with classical guitar playing with synth-strings backing him up. At around 40 seconds, though, it becomes like a 1930s/40s jazzy-bluesy thing, with Hackett singing. This is another very short one at 1:50.

Track 5 - Enter the Ring

Storm sound effects start this one off, with cascading instrumental sounds leading to the harmony vocals. There is 12-string guitar, piano and various other tuned percussion instruments making a nice atmosphere with the haunting harmony vocals. At around 1:50, however, the vocals sustain and we go into a seriously Jethro Tull vibe. Steve's brother and frequent collaborator John Hackett provides the flute, but it's more than that that gives it the Tull feel. The underlying shifting meters are equally responsible when the rhythm section of Blundell & presumably Hackett himself on bass (Reingold is not credited for this one) kicks in. Hackett plays a lead at around 2:10. Quick- tempo vocal harmonies follow with Lehmann back onboard. Another brilliant guitar solo follows at 2:50. Hackett is still very much at the top of his game on the guitar. The harmonies are very Yes-like, and alternate with guitar lines. A 3-4 circus-music passage closes out the track, with Hackett on the last 10 seconds or so. Fantastic track! It goes directly into?

Track 6 - Get Me Out

Reingold and (I assume) Blundell and Hackett lay down a solid 6-8 groove here. The music lays back for the vocal parts, sung by Hackett again. Hackett has a nice singing voice that goes unrecognized. Wonderful harmonies join in. He plays a bluesy solo on this one. The meter suddenly changes at around 2:20, and Hackett goes into solo overdrive! Wow! The beat returns to 6-6 at around 2:50, but Hackett keeps on rolling! At around 3:55, the band sustains a note and the song fades over the next 20 seconds. For only 4:15, that was an action packed track!

Track 7 - Ghost Moon and Living Love

This is the longest track on the album, but at only 6:43, it's relatively short by prog-standards. In fact it's the only one over 5 minutes long. A-Capella choir style vocals fade in with a solo wordless melody by Lehmann soon joining in. A drum fill at around 43 seconds brings the band in with a moderately fast tempo, and Hackett's vocals begin. Blundell is playing a nice drum part on this. I assume Hackett is playing bass. The harmonized guitar solo follows with an interesting effect on the sound. This has an easy-going feel to it. Another guitar solo starts around 3:15; of course the playing is impeccable. This solo is extended and goes until around 4:35. At that time there is a brief vocal harmony, then what sounds like a clean electric guitar through some sort of harmonizing effect, such as what Steve Vai used in the Passion & Warfare era of the early 90s. Some nice harmony vocals sing over the top of that. Then a descending arpeggiated guitar line follows. The chord progression reminds me of something but I can't put my finger on it. Great track!

Track 8 - Circo Inferno

Here is another fairly short track at only 2:30. This one begins with Asian string instruments, then a mighty beat comes in at 20 seconds. The vocals follow close behind. The beat is similar to Zeppelin's Kashmir but slightly faster. Cool series of instrumental runs hit at around 1:15. Then there is a brief drum solo (Blundell, I suppose, even though no drummer is shown on this track from my source). Then Hackett plays some lightning fast licks after the whistle blows. After a few seconds of sound effects, a wild sax solo takes over. The song fades out on the echoing harmonized words "around and around?." Amazing track, especially being so short.

Track 9 - Breakout

Another very short one at just 1:37. This begins with a rockin' riff that reminds me of Deep Purple. Hackett is jamming on this one! At around 50 seconds there are harmony high "ahh" vocals. The riffs return afterwards with hot soloing over the top. The incredible guitar continues on the next track without a pause?.

Track 10 - All at Sea Unaccompanied lead guitar with accents from the rhythm section start this short one (1:46) off. The music pauses at around 15 seconds except for some synth sounds that kind of bubble. Some quieter, more distant sounding guitar kicks are present. I believe this is supposed to be the "Nightwhale" about to swallow us!

Track 11 - Into the Nightwhale

This is a bit of a more standard length song at 4:06. It begins with ominous synth sounds fading in. They definitely conjure up images of a whale in my mind. At around 1:20, a rhythm begins to fade in. Guitar notes go on top at around 1:50. The tension resolves at around 2:20. Vocals emerge at around 2:50. This segment wouldn't sound out of place on a Tales era Yes album. There are Howe-like guitar volume swells. Then it leads to?

Track 12 - Wherever You Are

A drumbeat takes over as the final note of the previous song fades out. The band locks into a rhythm , then vocals enter. Again if this is Hackett singing, he is a fine singer indeed. There are wonderful guitar fills between vocal phrases. There are nice harmonies at 1:19 on the phrase "beyond the edge of time," then there is a brief pause and a drum fill brings the beat back for a guitar solo. At around 1:50, it sounds as if some of the music is being played in reverse.at 2:03, however, a big riff takes over until the next guitar feature, which has some mind-blowing playing. There are some more big riffs, then some Queen-like chording. The Queen vibe continues with some very Brian May style guitar orchestration that continues until around 3:15. At that time A-cappella harmony vocals enter with an effect on the voice. Then the drums kick back in and other instruments follow with a reverse-sound playing some very complex lines. Another verse comes in around 3:33, but then the song concludes with a monster drum part that fades out.

Track 13 - White Dove

A masterful classical guitar part opens this one. Or actually the whole thing is a classical guitar solo. He is playing in a tremolo-style, which I can tell you from experience is not easy to master. A beautiful piece to close out this amazing album.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

WOW! Hackett has not lost any playing abilities to age! He proves himself to be one of the finest guitarists on the planet! But not only is he a great player, but a great composer, arranger, and vocalist as well. Color me impressed! My only complaint is that some of the tunes are too short! A Strong 4.5 out of 5!

Clicked 4, but really 4.5.