Customer Reviews

Wild Orchids (Spec)

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I don't hand out "fives" very often but I'll give one to Hackett's latest effort. "Wild Orchids" sounds like an extension of the work he started in "To Watch The Storms." But where "Storms" sounded like Hackett had a pocketful of ideas that didn't all get fully realized, every selection on, "Orchids" sounds like one of those ideas with more polish and coherence.
Hackett indulges every one of his musical personalities here: cinematic-sounding themes (Transylvanian Express), gentle ballads (Set Your Compass), blues (Blue Child), lighthearted and silly (Down Street), solo nylon acoustic guitar (The Last Butterfly), Indian/Middle Eastern (Waters of the Wild) and so on.
Hackett's voice at its best is adequate. He uses a lot of processing to tailor his vocal sound to the selection and he does so to great effect. His guitar playing is, as always, top-shelf.
Aside from musical refinement, the presence of Hackett's "Underworld Orchestra" is the primary difference between this and "Storms." Some would call that presence a link between this album and his "Metamorpheus," but stylistically, this is a pop-rock album, not anything resembling one of his more "serious" compositional works.
It's impressive that 30 years after leaving Genesis, Hackett is still producing very listenable albums, long after some of his former colleagues have run out of steam.

Following the success of the rock-based To Watch the Storms and the classical Metamorpheus, Steve Hackett has decided to marry these two albums in order create a powerful synthesis. Mind you, Wild Orchids is no where near as cohesive and homogeneous as its two successors, but to make up for his over-eclectism, Hackett has created one of his most musically satisfying works in years.

Wild Orchids features a wide array of instruments, blending the strongest sides of classical music and rock, and also exploring bits and pieces of world music. The opening song "A Dark Night in Toytown" immediately signifies the importance of Hackett's new experiment, bringing to fore the beautifully arranged string sounds strung across enormous drum beats. The attentive listener will also notice that the song is underpinned by a vague electronic keyboard patch towards the end. Indian percussion and upbeat Eastern elements permeate "Waters of the Wild", a great song with gentle flute and electric sitar sounds. Hackett branches out even further when he injects some folk elements into the acoustic "Set Your Compass" before one of the album's weirdest songs kicks in. At over seven minutes, "Down Street" is highlighted by an ever-present narration amidst unconventional rhythms which are almost industrial sounding. A myriad of instruments collide in order to deepen the chaos: thick, pulsing drums blend into strange melodies and soaring synth lines. The piece seems to calm down during Hackett's wonderful solo, only to pick up momentum with the arrival of an insane saxophone and accordion duel. This is eventually replaced by a cool piano coda that wouldn't seem out of place on an obscure movie soundtrack.

Gary O'Toole's drumming deserves special mention. This album has a full and excellent drum sound through and through. As a matter of fact, so laser-precise is the timing on the song "Wolfwork" that it could be mistaken for a drum machine. The tone is fresh and organic and complements The Underworld Orchestra's performance brilliantly. Hackett's vocals on this piece vary from processed bits to clean, fragile segments. The slightly industrial feel makes itself audible on this track as well, and unlike the other songs, this one also contains a somewhat agile guitar solo by Hackett. One of the most unique songs on the album, it travels from one passage to another, the tranquil section when the samples are filtered through melodic threads being the most striking.

The album's most moving songs are the predominantly acoustic ballad "To a Close", where Hackett sings in a low tone as if he is whispering a lullaby into the listener's ear (and he's later joined by great female backing harmonies); and the classical instrumental "She Moves in Memories", a song track featuring cello, oboe, and enchanting acoustic guitars. Hackett plays plenty of guitar solos on the album, his work on the aforementioned "To a Close" being incredible. So few notes, yet so so much expression. Similarly, on "Man in the Long Black Coat", Hackett proves that he is out of this world. Though a Bob Dylan cover, Hackett really adds his own spin to this piece. Every note, every break, and every little nuance has an absolute purpose in this solo and gives me goosebumps. Also, his voice is sort of like Nick Cave's, but it could be just me.

While I've heard from many a Genesis/Hackett fan that they dislike the artwork of this album, I think Kim Poor's work is excellent. Actually I happen to think all Steve Hackett albums have incredible artwork and Wild Orchids is no exception. This is one of the most diverse albums Hackett has produced. I wonder if he can get more eclectic than this. One moment he digs deep into Irish folk and then it's a gentle classical piece and then he touches on world music. There is no way his fans will be disappointed.

In his solo career, ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett regularly jumps back and forth between rock and classical genres. His last album, "Metamorpheus," was a classical recording, but now, Steve is back in a rock state of mind with his latest release, "Wild Orchids." This is easily the best rock album Steve has made since 1993's "Guitar Noir." The material varies widely in styles, and Steve handles them all brilliantly. From the powerful instrumental "Transylvanian Express" to the gorgeous "Set Your Compass," from the menacing "Down Street" to the beautiful pop of "A Girl Called Linda," from the excellent cover of Bob Dylan's "Man In The Long Black Coat" to the short-but-sweet "Why," from the phenomenal rock of "The Fundamentals Of Brainwashing" and "Howl" (my personal favorite tracks on the album) to the lovely nylon-guitar piece that concludes the disc, "Until The Last Butterfly," and all the songs inbetween, this is truly incredible music. Steve's guitarwork is flawless, his singing and songwriting here excellent. "Wild Orchids" is a triumph for Steve Hackett, one of his very best albums. Congratulations, Steve!

Mr Hackett's arguably darkest, eeriest, most melancholy, strangest, most beautiful, most expressive (and perhaps expressionist) most uncompromizing and most eclectic work to date. Well, that just about sums it up, but I need to mention that it's Hackett through and through, and that his visionary approach to music is sure to touch his fans in a profound way.

Please do not expect another Spectral Mornings, but if you liked To Watch The Storms and Metamorpheus, your ears will be treated to a real delicacy. Some passages will bring back echoes of Genesis or early Hackett, like the gorgeous ballads Set Your Compass and To A Close. The orcherstral piece She Moves In Memories is an orchestral instrumental in the style of Metamorpheus, and provides a nice interlude. Other highlights are the monstrous mini-suite Down Street, probably the most spectacular and sophisticated piece on this CD, which contantly shifts atmospheres, styles and rhythms; the Beatlish A Girl Called Linda, which ends delicately in an improvized jazz instrumental; A Dark Night In Toytown, a playful and nightmarish speedmetal-styled piece that would put Malmsteen to shame; the gorgeous ballad The Fundamentals Of Branwashing, with some of the best guitar soloing I've ever heard, which seamlessly flows into Howl, a simple but passionate instrumental with a fabulous piano solo from Nick Magnus. The interesting surprise here is the Bob Dylan cover, but fear not, it does not sound at all like its author, but rather like an atmospheric Spaghetti-western soundtrack.

Here you will find Hackett's best guitar playing ever. I think that this album really emphasizes his ability as a player, and I must say that I've never heard such amazing soloing on his other albums. A precious few artists today continually grow and improve, and remain true to their musical vision - you can be assured that Steve Hackett is one of them.

As an avid Steve Hackett fan since the `70's, I buy every album he releases even when they don't come close to his own lofty standards set on albums like Spectral Mornings or Voyage Of The Acolyte. However, I am happy to say that this is easily his best set of progressive rock in 20 years. Wild Orchids is a very solid set with some of his best writing and playing ever. He's found a fresh approach to recording by expanding his sound with a variety of excellent musicians as well as the Underworld Orchestra and, just as importantly, sharing the song writing credits with some of his longtime collaborators.

This is the first of Steve's albums in a long while where I don't find myself hitting the fast forward button on my CD player. The music is a mish-mash and all over the map in different styles and while usually that would kill an album, it works to his benefit on this CD. It starts off with a bang with a demonic instrumental called The Transylvanian Express, moves into a very Beatlesque/George Harrison type song called Waters Of The Wild, and then into some pastoral acoustic ballads moving back into a nightmarish prog epic complete with corny narration and then into the blues as only Hackett can play it. Whew! That was only the first 6 tracks on the 17 track special version. You get the picture. And the funny thing is, it all works.

And on this album he really rocks out like he hasn't in a long while. He covers John Hackett's Ego And Id with really thundering drums by Gary O'Toole and then segues into a brilliant version of Dylan's Man In The Long Black Coat with a searing guitar solo. I really love it because it's one of my favorite Dylan tracks of the past 20 years. (Interestingly enough, ELP covered this same song on their terrible In The Hot Seat CD back in the late `90s.)

I can't say enough so I'll just stop here. If you've ever been a fan of Hackett then you can't go wrong. Get it. By the way, I re-sequenced this on my CD player. Since Transylvanian Express and A Dark Night In Toy Town are essentially two parts of the same song, I play them together as tracks one and two for the full effect.

Sir Steve's recent release took a bit to warm up to. I really liked To Watch the Storms and it was easier to like those songs right away as they had more "hook" in them. Wild Orchids has a dark feel to it and requires repeated listening at which time you'll find a few gems.

I'll never forget seeing Steve at his recent acoustic tour and then actually meeting him afterwards. I feel acoustic still is his strong point and there was not evenough of it on this album. still, there are enough interesting songs to warrant a purchase.

Joe

I have been a fan of Mr. Hackett and his former band Genesis, since 1972. Steve is the true meaning of Progressive. There are many " Wow " like moments on Orchids that keep in his tradition of haunting melodies, nestled with quiet spaces and lightness. You never quite know what to expect also rides along with trademark Hackett guitar passages that are his signature and never fail to blow you away, and I love his lower octave voicings, if Death Metal can do it, why not Steve ! Also long live his trusty Optigon keyboard ...always good for a few laughs ! You can have the Phil Collins Genesis Trio Reunion ..I'll stay home and crank Steve Hackett and old Genesis albums, thats where its at for the true Progressive fan.

You can really feel the spirit of this CD when you open the booklet and view the photo of a beaming, ebullient Hackett in its centerfold. Because he was limited to the "one or two songs per album" songwriting nugget in Genesis (it was always Rutherford-Banks, and then Rutherford-Banks-Collins), it's easy to forget what a major chunk of the band's heart and soul he took with him on his departure.

There is so much texture and depth to this album that it escapes a "bucket" to place it in...yes, it's got layers of Steve's majestic guitar ("Blue Child"), echoes of the Genesis that could have been ("Ego and Id," featuring a crunching and relentless Hackett on what sounds like a great, lost, angry, agitated, Fripp-era Peter Gabriel track), plus overtones of Dire Straits, "Walrus"-era Beatles...

...He's still making music, and if this CD stands as any evidence, he's got a L-O-N-G way to go before exhausting his seemingly limitless creativity (let's take a moment to acknowledge that he left Geneis over three DECADES ago and since then has consistently issued one satisfying solo album after another).

Way to go, Steve...keep 'em coming.

This latest Steve Hackett album is another in the style of "To Watch The Storms"; that means he's got a lot of intstrumental songs on here and a number of songs on which he sings lead. What separates this from "...Storms" is the heavier use of orchestral arrangements. It sounds quite nice, but it results in less focus on guitar playing, and isn't that what Steve hangs his hat on?

That said, this is a pretty enjoyable album to listen to, though I'm a much bigger fan of "To Watch The Storms". He seems to take pride in variety, and as much as ever he lets his dorky sense of humor shine through. Despite his prog rock cred he's not too proud to yield to some more emotional moments. Most notably there is the Indian-style "Waters Of The Wild", with some nice electric sitar-playing. I don't like the bluesy stuff like on "Man In The Long Black Coat", but you might if you like simple blues rock. For my money, the best song on here is "Set Your Compass" with its lush vocals. I also get a kick out of the peculiarly meandering rhapsody, "Down Street".

I really like 'To Watch The Storm' album in parts. He started returning to the old Hackett albums I use to know. I'm a big Steve Hackett fan but he's goes off in tangents into tangents lately. You forget how the song started or even if it had a memorable melody. The songs from this album don't take-off like previous ones. They're fun to listen to when they hit their moments. K.I.S.S. aka "Keep It Simple Steve" and I won't skip to the next track. The vocal harmonies are thick and lush. This is not always a bad thing and it is done very well on the last two albums. Keep it up. Hackett seems to be at his best at straight songwriting these days. I hope to hear more of it. By the way, the sound quality is just fine...