Customer Reviews

Steve Hackett - Hungarian Horizons (Live in Budapest)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Recorded in early 2002, Steve Hackett is joined onstage by his brother John Hackett on flute as well as Roger King on keyboards. The concert is not just about Steve Hackett expressing himself on acoustic guitar, but space is given to all instruments and the result is sublime. Musically, the concert incorporates everything that has been a major part of Hackett's career, including both Genesis and GTR, as well as a number of classical influences from Giuliani to Vivaldi and of course Satie, in whose honour both Hackett brothers released an album.

Something else that I feel should also be mentioned is the warmth of this concert which "finally" includes the onstage dialogue between various numbers allowing the development of a rapport between Steve Hackett and the listener. This is something which I felt was sorely lacking on all other live albums from Steve Hackett and omitting this feature from the acoustic concerts would have resulted in a very cold run through the numbers.

Describing each an every track would be madness, especially when a number of them involve no more than snippets of the original track. One could dissect the live album into the various styles that one can come across on the album. Of course one should start with the classical pieces which dominate the whole of this live recording, and one should also mention that the pieces normally associated with a "rock" presentation are given a classical makeover.

Hackett has professed an interest in Eric Satie, so much so that he released an album with his brother John dedicated to the works of this composer. The Gymnopedie #1 and Gnossienne #1 are played out flawlessly together with the three humoresque "encores" Idyll, Aubade and Meditation. The set is augmented by pieces by Bach (Bourée), Debussy (Syrinx), Vivaldi (Concerto In D), Giuliani (Andante In C) and Carcassi (Etude In A min.), all of which show Hackett's prowess on the guitar and many a times also serving as a showcase for his brothers' flute playing.

The Genesis days are also revisited with snippets from Firth of Fifth, Blood On The Rooftops, Hairless Heart as well as Horizons, played out as it was always intended to be played and heard! Even GTR is given a mention with Imagining. However, the highlights on the album are most definitely Hackett's solo compositions. Some pieces already had a strong classical mood such as Cavalcanti, Kim and By Paved Fountain to mention a few but my favourites have to be Ace Of Wands which sees the whole of the band blending in perfectly whilst pieces such as Concert for Munich and Walking Away from Rainbows sound so delicate and touching.

The music has all been played before and is definitely owned in one form or another by anyone who can boast to be a progressive rock lover. On the other hand, the music has never been presented in this format before and the listener will be taken aback at how works can be overhauled and yet still sound fresh and interesting.

So what about the DVD? Everything about it is fantastic from the various camera angles to the lighting to the intriguing short documentary which gives an insight to the hectic life of a musician. We tend to think that it is all about partying and then playing the gig. In fact it is a demanding lifestyle especially for dedicated musicians such as Steve Hackett and his crew. The concert itself is an excellent work incorporating most of the styles that have made this guitarist one of rock's real legends. A must for your collection!

I completely agree with the other reviewers that this DVD is a grand sensory experience becoming one of my favorite DVD concerts. The disc features some wonderful acoustic accompaniment from Steve's brother John on Flute and his faithful synthesizer companion on keyboard, Jonathan King. John Hackett compliments Steve's lyrical guitar style perfectly luring the listener into the musical passages with his almost surreal sounding flute. Jonathan King as always brings a measured blend of powerful sounds without overpowering Steve whether it is within the acoustic or electric domain.

In this DVD, Hackett sticks to the nylon strings for the duration of the concert mixing an abundance of styles from classical, Asian, to some old Genesis for which he still extends respect. In fact, what is uniquely frustrating is the notable absence in recent years of all the other Genesis members who haven't lifted a finger. Phil Collins, with the exception of some jazz stints, has gone commercial and frankly has become lazy in his song writing. This is not to say that something tagged as commercial is inherently bad. It is that Collins level of skill is far beyond what he is currently producing. As for Tony Banks, a songwriting genius who influenced thousands of keyboardists, is virtually dead. Michael Rutherford, following the death of one of the Mechanics, appears incognito. It seems Steve Hackett is the only one left truly improving on himself with fervor and passion. He has the torch!

I was telling a fellow musician friend that the last year was a great year for concerts. After seeing Steve Hackett, Yes, and Rush perform at 50+ years old, we witnessed a rejuvenation of the progressive player. We saw performers in their prime playing more relaxed yet tighter than we have ever seen them.

Steve Hackett is a rare pleasure and unfortunately not appreciated in the masses. We are very blessed to have an antique treasure that gets better with age.

It is beyond doubt that Steve Hackett is one of the worlds most influential and extraordinary guitarists. Besides being an innovative electric player, Hackett is also a virtuoso at playing nylon-string classical guitar.
The DVD "Hungarian Horizons" is a 110 minute acoustic concert recorded in early 2002 in Budapest, Hungary. Steve plays nylon guitar exclusively here and shows flawless technique and versatility. Joining him are his brother John Hackett on flute and Roger King on keyboards. Both John and Roger provide an unparalelled accompaniment for Steve during his performance. The flute/guitar duets between the Hackett brothers is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Throughout this wonderful concert, Steve performs his own original material both solo and with John and Roger-some of which was written specifically for nylon guitar and some which was adapted. He also throws in snippets of material from his years with Genesis and GTR. These parts of the show get the most applause obviously. Also, Steve shows off his Classical side by performing works by Erik Satie, J.S. Bach, Debussy, Vivaldi and Giuliani. All of which are beautifully interpreted.
Also included is a bonus mini-documentary which includes behind-the-scenes footage, soundcheck performances and interviews with Steve, John and Roger.
"Hungarian Horizons" is a definite must for any Steve Hackett fan. The music as well as the concert itself provokes a warm, tranquil feeling. It's also amazing to watch Steve's effortless guitar technique in full motion here. He never once uses a pick or plectrum. It's complete finger technique and nothing more.
"Hungarian Horizons" is also available as a DVD/CD set which includes the audio portion of the DVD reproduced onto two audio CDs. I recommend the DVD/CD set over the separate DVD.
After performing and playing for over 30 years, Steve Hackett still has his spark. "Hungarian Horizons" is the solid proof of this. Just Watch, Look and Listen.

It is impossible to be objective in naming the "world's greatest" at anything and when it comes to music there are many fine guitarists but I can't think of anyone besides Steve Hackett who is as comfortable and often so brilliant on both electric and acoustic guitar. He is also blessed with inexhaustable melodic invention. This is not a concert of pleasant, background music; the songs are richly inventive with arresting arrangements. Steve is joined by his brother John on flute and keyboardist Roger King, who also plays on Steve's other video, the excellent, rocking "Somewhere in South America." The music here shimmers, and the sound is warm and lively. Video quality is sharp and colorful. Even the stage design and lights are beautifully done.

There are three DVDs to date form Steve. They are all excellent and they are all different.

It goes like this:

Tokyo:
Progressive rock, less focus on Steve, more vocals, great classic gennesis tunes with vocals intact.

South America:
Progressive jazz/rock/classical, more focus on Steve, and as Steve says and I agree on of the most precise bands he has ever played with.

Hungary:
Classical trio, with just three musicians, it's hard not to focus on Steve who is just as talented classically, if not more, as he is talented with other styles. There is some mind numbing classical technique here.

The fact that these three DVDs are so different allowed me to buy all three without having to see the same concert with different musicians.

Such a good live record, for a remarkable DVD dated 2003 (the live concert was recorded on 2002). It was an important music event perfomed in Hungary and its peculiarity is the combination of classical music (played by means of a tasteful acoustic guitar) along with different features regarding the old symphonic tracks by Genesis (from "The Lamb.." and "Selling England..." Era of the Seventies). Well Steve Hackett performed all those unforgettable tunes with the support of interesting keyboards by Roger King...especially some important composers like Vivaldi, Satie or Giuliani are the classical main covers by S. Hackett at his classical guitar; but you cannot forget other modern tunes like "Jacuzzi" or the melodic and commercial composition by GTR....Obviously I prefer his classical approach here (think of the famous tune "Bourée" by J.S. Bach), but the relaxing mood is often replaced and you can find this way the aggressive style of his solo albums, in a "hot" dialogue with the careful Hungarian listener. For me the most balanced track is "Ace Of Wands", another ever-green and perhaps one of his best performances ever...but of course you won't forget the fantastic guitar solo within "Firth of Fifth" in the version equal to "Genesis revisited", even though I would have appreciated the execution of an immortal song like "Fountain of Salmacis", whose best arrangement is right inside the previous mentioned "Genesis Revisited". Nevermind, the present DVD could be an important "Testament" regarding the long live career of the famous British guitarist.
Recommended!

This is the most beautiful music DVD. If you love classical guitar played by a modern composer, or wish to hear Steve Hackett in a different musical setting than you're used to (and previously only heard on record), you need to get this. I think of this as a perfect companion to the set on his DVD, Once Above a Time (2004). Same filmmaker, same venue, just a year apart! Roger King and John Hackett are equally stars of the show. They nail it. "Lost Time In Cordoba" is strangely absent here, but the setlist is satisfying nonetheless. And in 5.1, what's not to like?

All I can say is that if you already enjoy Steve Hackett's work, you probably already have it. If you don't: SHAME ON YOU!!!

This is some of his best accoustic work, and there are some nice surprizes also. (Firth of Fifth, Hands of the Priestess)

I cannot say enough about this dvd.

The album invokes the spirit of hungarian history.Mr. Hackett play the guitar like a small orchestra housing other instruments : cellos, pianos and harps. Hackett's performance is impeccable.
Para una completa vision de la obra de Hackett en DVD, seria importante agregar la produccion que unicamente salió en video laser (japon) denominada STEVE HACKETT LIVE (en CD se llamó TIME LAPSE).
La importancia es que en esta produccion se ofrece mas de la musica de HACKETT SOLISTA, a diferencia de las que han salido en DVD como TOKIO TAPES, IN SOMEWHERE IN SOUTH AMERICA, donde hay muchas canciones de la epoca de GENESIS y pocas canciones de Hackett solista.

I slipped in this DVD last night and watched it in it beginning to end. There were several moments I was amazed on Steve's wizardry. He is an accomplished guitarist. The band is precise. But so much of this sounds the same one song to the next.