Hackett vs. Howe

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   Personally I've never gotten to like the 'staccato' feel of Howe. His dry and unsustained sound trademark just doesn't flow well enough for me. The rigs of the seventies wasn't very forgiving, but I just got one of his solo records, and yikes, he still sounds the same. But I guess his sound dates back to his day as a Country chicken pickin' guitarist. Still, their expression is too different to say one is better than the other. They're just different. Taste has got nnothing to do with good music and musicianship. 

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Svein-Frode Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: October 28 2004 Status: Offline Points: 44	Posted: November 04 2004 at 03:45
	Personally I've never gotten to like the 'staccato' feel of Howe. His dry and unsustained sound trademark just doesn't flow well enough for me. The rigs of the seventies wasn't very forgiving, but I just got one of his solo records, and yikes, he still sounds the same. But I guess his sound dates back to his day as a Country chicken pickin' guitarist. Still, their expression is too different to say one is better than the other. They're just different. Taste has got nnothing to do with good music and musicianship.

Man Erg Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 26 2004 Location: Isle of Lucy Status: Offline Points: 7456	Posted: November 04 2004 at 04:19
	It's Hackett for me. I've always loved that Fripp(ish) sustain that he gets especially on tracks like Firth of Fifth and In the Rapids/Ride the Scree

Easy Livin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: February 21 2004 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 15585	Posted: November 04 2004 at 15:15
	I'd go for Hackett. His playing seems to be to be more emotional than Howe's. Howe seems to be to be a very "technical" guitarist, playing precisly the right notes, but with little feeling. I love the msuic of both Yes and Genesis, and both guitarists are perfect for their bands, but I find Hackett's solos more satisfying. Has Howe ever matched "Firth of fifth" for a sheer spine tingling moment?

artbass Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Newbie Joined: June 16 2004 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 31	Posted: November 04 2004 at 16:12
	Whoever said that Howe is the better "technical" guitarist may be right, but don't forget - it was Hackett who invented the tapping-technique. I like Yes, but I'm a Steve Hackett-FAN. He plays in such a romantc way Howe never reached, and this is what counts.
	she feels wind around her she feels a warming sun she feels some raindrops wet her leaves since that time she lost her griefs

HaroldTheBarrel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: November 04 2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 81	Posted: November 04 2004 at 17:55
	Well, Howe is a great guitarist, maybe even one of the best, but I've always found his style a little... dry? I agree with all of you who say that technically, he is better. He can basically do more than Hackett, with better precision, higher speed and so on, but Hackett gets my vote. I've got two of his solo albums (though Voyage of the Acolyte is really just Genesis) and they're fabulous. Also, I have to agree with Easy Livin and others in saying that the Firth or Fifth solo is amazing. I think it's just that Hackett's playing has more style and emotional depth.
	Listen: Your friends have been broken. They've told us of your poison. Now we k now. KILL THEM!

greenback Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: August 14 2004 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 3300	Posted: November 04 2004 at 20:30
	Hacket's solos sounds on the Genesis albums are bland compared to his solo albums like Spectral mornings and Defector: the goal of his solos on SEPTP were to give melody to the sound of his guitar. On the 2 mentioned albums above, Hackett uses all the room available in order to create extreme guitar sounds: at last, one can really see how Hackett is capable of in terms of sounding like a hero! Regarding Howe, his solos are, like I've said before, amazingly bland. He is faster than Hackett, but he never sounded 1/10 of what Hackett did. Regarding little Bob Fripp, his solos are subtle, but desperately sissy, soundless and complaining. His solos are perfect for Crimson, but he tried too many experimental things that he forgot to work on a richer sound. (Or maybe he never has't really care). On the other hand, his rythmic may consist in an irritating grunge sound, or a pathetic punk style like on sailor's tale. I think he is a bit crazy! Things become interesting on "Bringing down the light" (Fripp/Sylvian's The First Day), but, again, he uses some volume pedal to create almost keyboards sounds. Edited by greenback

Cesar Inca Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 19 2004 Location: Peru Status: Offline Points: 4888	Posted: November 04 2004 at 21:35
	I find that Howe's most accomplished emotional moments are played on pedal steel and Spanish: of course, I don't intend to disregard the final lead on 'Turn of the Century', for example, but I thick that he's a damn good explorer on pedal steel textures. This aspect of his CV should be mentioned more often, I think. On the other hand, many times Hackett manages to make his regular electric guitar sound as an eerie pedal steel. Just a thought... Regards. P.S.: Now that I'm listening to HTM's latest effort, let me tell you that Stanley Whitaker is a great guitarist, vastly overrated. His artistic creativity should be praised more often.