There seems to be no stopping guitarist Steve Hackett. Rising to fame with Genesis, then leaving in 1977 to forge his way through a solid career of 30 solo albums, he continues to delight audiences with his stellar live performances. These concerts showcase Hackett’s solo oeuvre as much as his reworking of Genesis songs. Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live In Brighton showcases the guitarist and his band — keyboardist Roger King, multi-instrumentalist Rob Townsend, singer Nad Sylvan, drummer Craig Blundell, bassist Jonas Reingold, and special guest, singer and guitarist Amanda Lehmann — recorded live during Hackett’s 2022 UK tour.
The first half of the set begins with solo material. There’s the high-flying, riffing workout instrumental of “Ace Of Wands,” from Hackett’s first solo album Voyage Of The Acolyte. From that same album, Hackett also revisits “Tower Struck Down” and the drum workout that always seems to end the solo set of his tunes, “Shadow Of The Hierophant.” We get the beautifully spacey “Spectral Mornings,” the title track from the guitarist’s third album from 1979 and always a crowd pleaser. The song is a study in Hackett’s precise playing, even when he is wailing, as he does plenty throughout.
The entirety of 1972’s Foxtrot, the fourth Genesis studio album takes up the second half of the set. From a heavy-hitting “Watcher Of The Skies” to King supplementing those sweet Tony Banks piano parts on “Time Table,” rarely played live, then onto the satirical bite of “Get ‘Em Out By Friday.” Hackett’s classic guitar piece “Horizons” gives way to the monumental “Supper’s Ready.”
Hackett and his band make their way through the Genesis canon and do so with aplomb. Each player rises to the task of recreating some very difficult passages, and “Supper’s Ready” is surely one of them. You can’t help but notice Sylvan’s vocal as he rounds those oh-so-distinctive Peter Gabriel parts while managing his own fine, strong blush across the pieces. Townsend’s horn work doubles many of Hackett’s leads, which also adds a unique touch.
There’s also a couple additional Genesis songs, namely “Firth Of Fifth,” with a perfect recreation of the famous piano opening from King, along with “Los Endos,” from 1976’s A Trick Of The Tail, the first post-Gabriel release, to end the entire set. There’s a wild discordant section, birthed from a run of riffs between Hackett and King that showcases the players’ chemistry while keeping to the intent of the original. As he has continued to successfully do, Hackett keeps the flames of his solo catalog with another Genesis classic burning on Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live In Brighton.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
