SPECTRAL MORNINGS

I used to assume the reason Steve Hackett felt constrained while with Genesis and was not allowed to cut loose with more guitar solos but I think the real reason is his actual songs were being rejected with "Please Don't Touch" being the classic example. Having said that I was expecting him to show of his considerable chops on his solo albums. His first two albums confounded those expectations in some ways. Yes there was plenty of superb musicianship to be found and some quite sophisticated compositions as well but not a lot in the way of blistering solos. All that changes with his third album -Spectral Mornings. The opening track "Everyday" starts as another catchy song but after barely two minutes and twenty seconds through he just lets rip with some of his best electric guitar playing ever and it is not a brief interlude either- he just blazes away for another four minutes with some exquisitely melodic lines until the song finally fades away. What a great way to start an album. "The Virgin and the Gypsy" is another showcase for his compositional skills with some beautiful flute soloing by John Hackett. The brief instrumental "The Red Flower of Tachai" shows a different side to Hackett-a lovely bit of exotic World Music featuring Cantonese Koto and bamboo flutes. The next major piece "Clocks-Angel of Mons" refers to British soldiers believing they were assisted in holding of a German army by guardian angels during the battle of Mons.It's Hackett in full aggressive prog mode with an insistent riff possibly inspired by the beginning of Carmina Burana. It also features an explosive drum solo by John Shearer. Hackett cannot resist the temptation to include a humorous song to round off side1-"Ballad of the Decomposing Man" Side2 opens with "Lost Time In Cordoba" a serene and melancholic instrumental featuring some lovely guitar classical guitar. The track actually leads directly to the WW1 epic "Tigermoth" It is another slab of intense heavy prog starting with a particularly menacing staccato riff which then dissolves into a highly atmospheric synth section with Hackett providing some extroadinary sounds presumably intending to evoke an aerial battle.After the original staccato riff reprises even more menacingly with a huge organ sound backing the tracks mood lightens dramatically with some gorgeous flutes giving the sense of being in the air but after a battle.The acual song section has an almost Music-Hall ambience and lyrically is about a recently killed pilot being reunited with the ghosts of his comrades who have also perished. The mood far from being depressing and sad is actually quite buoyant. After all the drama of the preceding comes the real showcase of the album which is title track. This instrumental arguably represents the absolute peak of Hackett's guitar prowess.For all those fans who wish he would sol more often is treated here to an almost non stop impassioned solo that seems to go on forever.

For me Spectral Morning is the moment Steve Hackett finally delivers the goods and is arguably his greatest ever album.This is Hackett well and truly playing to his strengths

A very solid 5 stars