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I never ever rate compilation albums unless they contain some material that is not available on the artist's regular albums. In this case it is really very sparse with such material; only two tracks on this compilation are not from Steve Hackett's regular studio output, Don't Fall Away From Me and Prayers And Dreams. The former is a soft ballad apparently featuring Brian May of Queen, but I can honestly don't hear him in there. This is still a pleasant song, but hardly something that will interest any Prog fan unless they are really hard core Steve Hackett fans and completionists like this reviewer. And even for someone like me, this is not much worth searching hard for. Luckily this compilation is available on Spotify so there was no need to actually pay any money for it. If you want to hear Steve play together with Brian May, you should get the much better Feedback '86 album, there Brian's presence on guitar and vocals is more clearly noticeable!

The other previously unreleased track is a Classical guitar piece and as such it is certainly not among Steve's better ones. Indeed, the role of that track here is only as a refreshing little Classical interlude. All the rest of the material is from Steve's regular solo studio Rock albums and I must say that the choices made are by no means the most essential Hackett songs. Still, there are some really great songs here (Hackett To Pieces, Spectral Mornings, The Steppes, Air-Conditioned Nightmare, Cell 151, Slogans, Ace Of Wands), some good ones (Narnia, The Virgin And The Gypsy, Star Of Sirius) and some awful ones (Icarus Ascending, Hoping Love Will Last). But all of these songs are best heard in their original setting.

You should by no means make this your introduction to Steve Hackett's solo career. As always with compilations: simply forget about them and go for the regular albums! Or if you want a single release with an overview of Steve's career, try one of his recent live DVD's - they are all brilliant! If you already have all of Steve's regular albums and DVD's, you really have to be a completionist to want this one for those two unreleased tracks!

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