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Hackett, Steve: The Circus and the Nightwhale
 Nobody loves Steve Hackett as much as I do. As a guitar player, he is one of my idols and inspirations. Steve has also been the one to keep the musical legacy of Genesis going with his touring band. He never fails to put on a great show, and as we have seen, is one of the most prolific artists today from the progressive rock heyday of the 70’s.
The Circus and the Nightwhale will certainly satisfy Hackett loyalists, and if you have been a fan of his solo career, you will find this slides in nicely with his other albums. Therein lies my issue, this sounds like most of his releases since 1999’s Darktown. Is that a bad thing you ask? For some, not necessarily, but I feel like I’ve been buying the same records over again and again. I also have tired of the overproduced sound that’s been used for vocals. I wish Steve would bring Nad Sylvan on board full-time for his studio albums, for me, Steve is just not a lead vocalist.
The album features all the members from his touring band; Nad Sylvan, Roger King (keys), Rob Townsend (sax), Craig Blundell (drums) and Jonas Reingold (bass). In addition, his brother John and Nick D’Virgilio make appearances. Amazingly, Steve has so much left in the tank, and I for one am thankful that he is still out there. I know many will take this review as negative, but, I don’t feel that’s the case. The Circus and the Nightwhale is a good record that features great playing, and interesting tracks. However, owning most of his catalog, will this one stand out against the others? I feel like I could put on Darktown or To Watch The Storms and it would satisfy that Hackett itch just fine.
Track List:
1. People of the Smoke
2. These Passing Clouds
3. Taking You Down
4. Found and Lost
5. Enter The Ring
6. Get Me Out
7. Ghost Moon and Living Love
8. Circo Inferno
9. Breakout
10. All at Sea
11. Into The Nightwhale
12. Wherever You Are
13. White Dove
Added: February 22nd 2024
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score: 
Related Link: Artist Website
Hits: 744
Language: english
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Hackett, Steve: The Circus and the Nightwhale
Posted by Pete Pardo, SoT Staff Writer on 2024-02-22 19:17:19
My Score:
This latest release from former Genesis guitar legend Steve Hackett on the surface doesn't sound all the different from any number of his recent albums, but when the quality is always this high, a familiar formula is easily overlooked. The Circus and the Nightwhale is basically a concept album that takes you through Steve's life, with the lead character called 'Travla', and there's your usual blend of symphonic progressive rock, lots of guitar gymnastics, and some classical leanings. For the guitar enthusiast, this one has some of Hackett's best six-string heroics in many years, and I'll go out on a limb and say Steve's playing has grown leaps and bounds over the last decade or so. "People of the Smoke", "These Passing Clouds", "Taking You Down", "Get Me Out", and "Breakout", just to name a few, feature some scorching Hackett lead playing, and I'll also say that The Circus and the Nightwhale rocks pretty damn hard in spots. With his usual cast of sidemen in tow, such as Roger King, Craig Blundell, Amanda Lehmann, Nad Sylvan, Jonas Reingold, and more, you can expect excellence in the musical arrangements and vocals. While I still find Hackett's lead vocals to be the least rewarding part of any of his albums, he has gotten better over the years, though I'd argue to say that his vocals still aren't strong enough to carry the majority of the album. More contributions from Sylvan and Lehmann certainly couldn't hurt in my opinion. Otherwise, this could be one of his strongest efforts in some time, and that's saying something considering he rarely if ever releases anything that isn't enjoyable.
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