Customer Reviews

Once Above a Time

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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Steve Hackett's music is like a hidden pleasure, that is, so few people know about or remember this immensely talented guy, and his music, nevermind seeing him perform it, is just such a joy to experience, you want to share it with everyone you know.. if I had the money, I'd buy a case of this DVD and send them out as gifts to all my friends. This one is simply not to be missed by any fan.

This DVD, while quite a similar performance to "Somewhere in South America" from 2002, is a MUCH clearer, sharper video presentation than the Brazil concert DVD from a couple years ago. The camera work is far superior, and the use of split screen, in moderation, lets us see multiple members of the band when it makes sense. The technical director cuts from one camera to another right on the beat of the music, and he's pointing his lenses at exactly the right place at the right time. Much improved from the last one. The stage lighting and effects are spectacular, for what looks like a small venue. Perfetly timed and controlled.. this production was staged by real pros, both in front of and behind the cameras..

Like his earlier DVDs, Steve Hackett is an unquestionable Guitar God in every respect. Why so many other guitarists have risen to mightier fame than he has is a mystery I'll never understand. I'd go so far to say that he is probably the most talented guitarist walking this planet, surpassed by absolutely no one.

His band, the same four musical geniuses as on that earlier DVD, are all virtuosos in their own right. This band is as tight and well-rehearsed as any I've EVER seen or heard. Roger King is a wizard on his many keyboards and effects generators. Terry Gregory is an unbeatble bassist who plucks that monsterous five string and mashes those bass pedals as though he's one with them. Gary O'Toole's drumming and percussion is spectacular, and when he's caught in close-ups, he has this wonderful smile that says he's just having such a good time playing. And Rob Townsend's woodwinds fill out the overall sound nicely, never a note out of place from any of these guys..

The music is haunting, mysterious, ethereal, driving, explosive, memorable, and 1000 other adjectives. From prog rock to fusion to jazz to classical acoustic, to music that defies any kind of pigeonholed genre at all, Steve Hackett can do it all. Like most of his concerts, the tracks are about 90% instrumentals, Hackett isn't going to win any awards for his vocals, but the other members do a damn fine job backing him up when vocals are called for, and drummer O'Toole turns in a stellar solo vocal on the old Genesis "Blood on the Rooftops."

Drawing from his Genesis years and his twenty solo albums, Steve Hackett's concerts consist of all-original music. He doesn't play any covers of anyone else's. From his searing Genesis solos from so many years ago, like "Fly on a Windshield" and "Firth of Fifth" (perhaps his most famous solo, here with a new segue intro where Roger King actually uses what sounds like calliope music that melts into the legendary melody).. to his heavenly early solo work "Ace of Wands", "Please Don't Touch", to "Every Day", a song that starts out as nothing really special but then literally EXPLODES when he breaks into his phenomenal extended guitar solo and my favorite one on this DVD the beautiful "Spectral Mornings", to his later songs, the ominous "Darktown" and "Clocks".. I just sit literally mezmerized by the way this man can write such gorgeous, memorable music, in so many genres, and perform it with total mastery and perfection.

With his hands all over his guitar, bending the strings, neck-tapping, feathering and manipulating the whammy bar, (he uses his long fingernails, not a pick to work his magic).. his feet dancing over a huge bank of effects pedals, Steve Hackett just leaves me slack-jawed, speechless, at his utter mastery of his instruments.

Make no mistake.. he's good, and he KNOWS he's good.. it shows on his face..

Again, watch the faces of all the band members, as they give knowing nods and glances to each other, and often break into wide grins when they know they've hit the mark perfectly, or when they're literally one with the music. Steve Hackett gets the lion's share of closeups, as he should, both of his hands working that lovely golden Fernandes sustainer electric, which looks like it's loaded with custom modifications, and his face, as he grins, tilts his head back with his eyes closed, concentrates, grimaces, fingers flying in utter precision up and down the neck at mind-bending speed.. and he just looks like he's putting every ounce of his being into his performance, giving that audience their money's worth. I guess you could say he emotes :) ..

There's some duplication of the songs performed on this DVD and the last one, but so what.. it's wonderful to hear some of these magical tracks again, in a different setting, with slightly different arrangements. And again, on this DVD, the stage setup is almost exactly the same as it was in Brazil, albeit with much more inventive state lighting, although the audience seems more subdued than their South American counterparts. Maybe they're just stunned. I know I am, every time I watch this concert.

I'm just glad that Steve Hackett and his wonderfully talented band are still out there, making music, and touring.

If this DVD was a vinyl album, I would have worn it out and bought another by now. It's just very special. It reminds me of albums that I bought back in the 60s and played over and over again, always finding new nuances in a performace.

The only thing that could make this concert film any better is if it was twice as long..

My,oh my! Great concert. Some new stuff, even more old stuff, and some stuff from the middle. Hackett is great as always. I don't understand how arthritis hasn't set into the fingers of old timers like Steve Hackett. The sound and picture on this DVD is superb as well as the band. It's the next best thing to being there, seeing how Steve rarely tours the states. I guess there are just too many hip hoppers here and not enough of the chosen few with actual musical taste. Come on over Steve. there are still a bunch of us old proggers left to fill up a club or two. If enough people rally together with a positive review, maybe he might take some notice of us.

Steve Hackett's latest live DVD is a quality release, and from the respose of his fanbase, his best yet.

Here Hackett plays a number of his classics, in a way, this is like a "best of" live. From newer pieces from his latest rock album 'To Watch The Storms' including the riotous 'Mechanical Bride' the beautiful and tranquil 'Serpentine Song' and the quirky, Genesis-like 'Circus Of Becoming'. All are highlights, all are expertly played and feature Hackett's stunning and influencial guitar style.

As for other classics here, Steve turns back the clock and rolls out some of his old band, the great Genesis, best songs. He plays 'Fly On A Windshield', a full band version of 'Blood On The Rooftops' and THAT solo from 'Firth Of Fifth'. Oh and he throws 'Los Endos' in at the end as well...

And then their are the series of standards from his own solo back catalogue. The sinister and genuinley frightening 'Darktown', the brilliant 'Every Day', a bunch of instrumental classics like 'Slogans', 'Hammer In The Sand', 'Ace Of Wands', 'Please Don't Touch' the epic 'Valley Of The Kings' and the heart rending, all time Steve Hackett classic, 'Spectral Mornings'.

Anyone who likes Genesis, is into Steve Hackett, or appreciates genuinley innovative and marvelous guitar work, BUY THIS!

Amazing concert, amazing man, amazing band, amazing songs. This DVD is even better than last years Somewhere in South America. If you love progressive music or outstanding original guitar work, old Genesis, etc. then this is well worth owning. Excellent DVD picture and sound as well. Some of the best music ever written in modern times.

Can't add much that the other reviewers haven't already mentioned so eloquently; but this concert is very satisfying on all levels.
The audio in 5:1 is superb, and the Hungarian camera crew really knows what it's doing. As for the compositions and musicianship; it doesn't get better than this. Interestingly, the audience would appear to be comprised of as many women as men - most unusual for a 'rock' concert.

I greatly appreciated Steve's 70s and 80s material, but for some reason lost track of what he was up to during the 90s. DVD is one reason for my rekindled interest in such artists, and for a few years I've been looking out for a Steve Hackett DVD exactly like this one. The track list is just right in terms of having material from throughout Steve's career, and it includes Spectral Mornings - a must as far as I'm concerned. The performances of all band members are as good as it gets, and the DVD production is pretty much faultless. I also think that the backstage extra is perfectly sufficient as a nice intro to the actual concert. This is certainly not a one-watch DVD.

My only regret .... that I decided not to make the trip to Italy to see him on this 2004 tour. Having seen this DVD, I'll not make the same mistake in 2005.

Very few people reach "master" status at their chosen profession, particularly guitarists. But Steve Hackett, the former GENESIS guitarist proves his mastery over the guitar in two DVDs. These two extraordinary concert videos are entitled "Somewhere in South America...Live at Teatro Coliseo, Buenes Aires" and "Once Above a Time" which is live from Budapest, Hungary. Both DVDs feature the same band- Hackett, Rob Townsend on sax & flute, Terry Gregory on bass, Roger King on keys and Gary O'Toole on drums. "Somewhere.." was recorded during their 2001 tour and "Once Above.." was recorded on their 2004 tour. There is some overlap of songs on the two DVDs. However, if you are a Hackett fan as I am, the overlaps are few and the performances are equally great on both DVDs.
Technically, "Once Above..." is the better of the two. There are better camera angles, better post processing, and clearer images. The sound tracks are very good on both and are in Surround 5.0.
As far as the performances go, "Somewhere.." has a kind of raw feel to it as the band was fairly new. But the performance was stellar. You can see the admiration these musicians have for Steve Hackett and how playing in this band has made them really notch up their own playing to a higher level . Some highlights, in my humble opinion, were the "GENESIS" pieces including an abbreviated "Watcher of the Skies" the solo from "First if Firth", "Hairless Heart" and "Los Endos". There is not much singing on either of these DVDs but what there is, is very well executed. "Serpentine Song" is an example. Also, kudos to Rob Townsend for the excellent soprano sax on "Gnossienne". One of my personal favorite on this DVD is "Sierra Quemada" which features some wonderful melodic playing by Hackett in what is a very emotional piece. There's some very nice wooden flute from Rob Townsend and a great bass solo from Terry Gregory in a song one would not think of as a song for bass solo. All in all, this DVD has a rawness and freshness to it that makes it a very appealing concert video.
"Once Above a Time" highlights a more polished and confident ensemble that has rose to Hackett's musical level. Every song is crisp and well executed. The biggest surprise for me on this DVD was a complete version of the old "GENESIS" tune "Blood on the Rooftops" with drummer Gary O'Toole very ably singing the lead vocal originally done by Phil Collins. Hackett's band drew out all the emotion and subtle melodies of one of "GENESIS" most finely crafted songs. I do not think that "GENESIS" ever performed that song in concert so hearing and seeing it here is a real treat for all of us Hackett-era "Genesis" fans. Another highlight for me is the version of "Clocks" performed on this DVD. This version is much better than the original studio version. It comes on heavier and is performed with more emotion than the original. Again, the singing songs are excellent on this DVD also. I think the band became more confident in their vocals as there are 3 heavy harmony-laden songs on this DVD. There is "Serpentine Song" (again), "Brand New" and "Every Day". All performed very well.
I did not find any "duds" on either of these DVDs. But there are a few tips I will give you regarding both of them. "Somewhere.." is coded REGION 0 and is supposed to be for everyone everywhere. But, be aware that it will not play on some of the more inexpensive DVD players. Also, the CD of "Somewhere.." is currently out of print so if you want it you may have to pay upwards of $40 or more for an import. The CD to "Once Above a Time " is actually called "Live Archive 04". It can be ordered only from Camino Records and runs about $25.00.
These DVDs are a real treat and a great value if you are a Hackett/"GENESIS"/prog rock fan. It's great to be able to watch a real master at work up close.

This is probably the best produced live concert DVD I've ever seen. The sound is fantastic,great camera work, no annoying edits. Hackett is in top form and his fellow musicians are top notch. The song selection is good but I still have trouble with the vocal numbers. Other than Blood On The Rooftops, the vocal songs just feel like something I have to suffer through until the next great instrumental. Sorry, but Steve Hackett is not a great lyricist. He is one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time and this DVD proves that.

My review won't contain the following meaningless adjectives, which have been used far too much and thus lost their true meaning: "amazing", "incredible", "unbelievable", "mind-blowing", "jaw-dropping" and similar exaggerations. Nevertheless Steve Hackett's latest dvd is musically, sonically and visually a superb release, which is definitely worth acquiring especially if you are into progressive rock and more demanding music. Like the previous reviewers I'm also more fond of this dvd than Somewhere in South America (from 2002), which is also interesting.

The video presentation on "Once Above A Time" is clear and the camera work is handled by true professionals. It's also a joy to watch a concert where the camera angles won't change every two seconds. The cameras seem to be at the right place at the right time following the flow in the music. Yet the change of the camera angles is executed in a smooth and "unrestless" manner. On this dvd about 60% of the tracks are from older albums, which I personally prefer to Hackett's more recent material. On the other hand the music performed in this concert is very variable. Most of the material is instrumental.

Steve Hackett is both unique as a guitarist and a composer. As a musician he is far too underestimated in my opinion. Hackett is not technically as fast and fluid as for instance Al Di Meola, Mike Stern or Pat Metheny, but he has other qualities in his technique and music, which makes up for this aspect in his guitar playing. Also technique without substance (structure, harmony, melodies) is often like "talking much, but saying nothing". In this regard Hackett's playing and music says a lot for me on an emotional level. As a vocalist Hackett is mediocre and should delegate these duties to his more capable co-musicians. In this regard Steve Hackett shares the same "problem" as Camel's Andy Latimer, who's also a talented guitar player/composer, but a somewhat poor singer. Hackett's drummer Gary O'Toole on the other hand seems not only to be an excellent drummer, but also a promising vocalist. His singing on "Blood on the rooftops" (an old Genesis song from 1976) is a good example of this. The other musicians in Steve Hackett's present line-up are masters on their respective instruments as well. This is a dvd, which I will return to with interest many times in the near future.

I don't have any complaints about this dvd except maybe for the extras. The bonus feature "backstage in Budapest" is slightly insignificant and hastily done. This document could have been replaced or augmented with a more in-depth interview with Hackett and his band members or a document about Steve Hackett and his musical career.

Steve Hackett's DVD output has been generous and prolific these past few years. From the superb Hungarian Horizons to 2004's Once Above a Time, Hackett has proved he can still look back while breaking new ground. To Watch The Storms was eclectic, to say the least. It was a challenging listen, with beauty and humor living side by side. Many of those songs find their way onto this DVD, along with some of Steve's richest pieces from solo albums past, and with Genesis. Following opener, "Valley of the Kings", we are treated to three new songs from To Watch the Storms, showcasing a myriad of styles within each piece. "Slogans", the heavy-handed instrumental from Defector sets up a contrast to what follows. For my money, here is where the magic begins. "Slogans" gives way to the tranquil serenity of "Serpentine Song", one of the most beautiful of Hackett's songs to date. From here on, song after song unfolds in a lush presentation of textures and faithful arrangements, all performed by a sparse ensemble of five musicians. "Hammer in the Sand" is a perfect example of why Steve Hackett transcends the simple "Rock Guitarist" tag. His harmonic/melodic pallet is extremely wide. He can conjure up sonic landscapes that are haunting and beautiful. Keyboardist, Roger King excels at reproducing all the nuances of the original recordings. Drummer, Gary O' Toole, does a fine job singing the lead vocal for "Blood on the Rooftops", delivering a performance worthy of Phil Collins. "Please Don't Touch" is both playful and dark, complete with steam calliope keyboard patches, and flutter-tongue flute by multi-instrumentalist, Rob Townsend. Hackett's brother, John, must have been unavailable at the time, but Townsend ably fills the void. Rounding out the band is Terry Gregory on bass and bass pedals, as demonstrated in "Fly on a Windshield" ("Broadway Melody", anyone?). "Firth of Fifth" once again displays Steve's unique tone, as his famous solo soars.

The DVD is easy on the eyes, with an uncluttered stage visual presentation of color and light. Sound is wonderful, even on my less-than-telling stereo TV. A bonus feature, "Backstage in Budapest" is gravy. Steve displays a friendly and modest stage presence. Looking not unlike Clint Eastwood in a black T-shirt, he often smiles and nods in mutual recognition of a song or piece of music to which the audience has responded. Some vocals are sampled ("Brand New"), but that is forgiven. This ensemble hardly skimps. Steve Hackett was never a formidable singer, and he still sings live along with any samples used for effect.
I can't say enough good things about this DVD. Considering the reasonable price, one should pair it with Hungarian Horizions and enjoy one of the most sophisticated guitarists in Rock and beyond.