Steve Hackett Live Album Scheduled For October 29

More news from the Steve Hackett front as he announced that a new document of his Genesis Revisited tour will be released on October 29th.

Press:

A unique treat for music fans worldwide, world-renowned guitarist/composer Steve Hackett's critically acclaimed live production "Genesis Revisited" has so far triumphed in Europe, Japan and North America and is still going strong.

On May 10th, the sold-out London's Hammersmith Apollo show was filmed in front of an ecstatic audience to result in the new live CD/DVD package GENESIS REVISITED - LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH. The 3 CD + 2 DVD (with 5.1) box set will be released on October 29th in North America via InsideOut Music and features special guests including Nik Kershaw, John Wetton, Jakko Jakszyk, Amanda Lehmann and Steve Rothery.

Please see below for the complete track listing.

Of the new release, Hackett commented, "The 5.1 DVDs with stereo CDs is a feast for all the senses. I was blown away by the fantastic response to those May UK gigs. The autumn Genesis Revisited shows will include different Genesis material as well as all the big faves that bring the house down...See you all soon!" 

Taking the stage with Steve Hackett will be an exceptional team of top class musicians, including Roger King (Gary Moore, Snoop Doggie Dog, Jamelia) on keyboards, Gary O'Toole (Kylie Minogue, Chrissie Hynde) on drums, percussions and vocals, Rob Townsend (Eddie Henderson, Bill Bruford, Django Bates) on sax, flute and percussions, Lee Pomeroy (Take That, Rick Wakeman) on bass and Nad Sylvan (Abbas's Michael B Tretow) on vocals. Please see below for the itinerary.

In other Steve Hackett news, an exclusive VIP experience meet & greet package for the North American tour dates is now available. The package includes a pre-show meeting with Steve, a photo with him and a signed poster plus an exclusive VIP laminate and T-shirt printed especially for the VIP experience. This package is only available to existing ticket holders; click here for details.

Steve Hackett's recent double disc GENESIS REVISITED II (InsideOut Music) features reinterpreted Genesis classics from the period dearest to Hackett, the "golden era" 1971-1977, with a stellar array of guest performers; Hackett enlisted the help of 35 special guests to provide the songs with a new unique edge.

The star-studded line-up includes respected vocalists Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), Simon Collins (Phil Collins' son), Amanda Lehmann, Conrad Keely, Francis Dunnery, Neal Morse, John Wetton, Nad Sylvan and Nik Kershaw. Steve Rothery of Marillion and Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings and Transatlantic joined in to share guitar duties, while Jeremy Stacey and Gary O'Toole are amongst the chosen drummers.

In 2010, Steve Hackett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame at The 25th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony alongside his Genesis bandmates from the classic line-up: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford.

For more than three decades, Steve Hackett has been known for his innovative tone and extraordinary versatility as a guitarist and composer. He helped define Genesis' sound as lead guitarist in the classic line-up and went on to have a highly-successful career as a solo artist, and also as part of 80s supergroup GTR with Steve Howe.

STEVE HACKETT - GENESIS REVISITED - LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH track listing:

CD1
1. Watcher of the Skies
2. The Chamber of 32 Doors
3. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
4. Fly on a Windshield
5. Broadway Melody of 1974
6. The Lamia
7. The Musical Box
8. Shadow of the Hierophant
9. Blood on the Rooftops

CD2
1. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers
2. In That Quiet Earth
3. Afterglow
4. I Know What I Like
5. Dance on a Volcano
6. Entangled
7. Eleventh Earl of Mar
8. Supper's Ready

CD3
1. Firth of Fifth
2. Los Endos

DVD1 - Full live show
DVD2- Behind the scenes featurette

Former Genesis Guitarist Kicks Off Genesis Revisited Tour II

The most interesting thing to note about Steve Hackett's upcoming tour of old Genesis material is that he's got Phil Collins' son with him.

Initially, I was worried that old Phil himself would weasel his way out of retirement and join him. But then I remembered how Collins' last "retirement" tour with his old bandmates was a complete failure and how Collins is old and decrepit now, unable to hear anything out of his left ear and unable to hold a drum stick after an injury to his vertebrae after watching long-time touring percussionist Chester Thompson play all of his drum parts for him.

It should be noted that Thompson is actually about three years older than Collins, but then again, age ain't nothin' but a number.

Just ask Aaliyah.

Oh wait...

I suppose I shouldn't be so snarky towards Collins. After all, the most recent news from his camp was that he was suicidal and suffering from a severe case of low self esteem. Maybe a nice, relaxing evening watching Brother Bear in his tax-haven compound in Switzerland is in order.

Or perhaps he could go online and check his bank statement.

That should cheer him up.

But seriously folks, Steve Hackett is still out there trying to earn a buck playing smaller venues and I bet that it ranks above any Phil Collins/Genesis tour anyway, while still far behind any stage offering by Peter Gabriel.

A little bit of advice, Steve: I would hide any evidence of your involvement with the "supergroup" GTR from any future publicity. Trust me, don't let your heart rule the mind on that one.

The press release of Hackett's tour follows:

World-renowned guitarist/composer Steve Hackett is set to tour North America in support of his latest album, Genesis Revisited II with the Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited Tour 2013. The dates will kick off in St. Charles, IL on Friday, September 20th, will run through mid-October and will boast a set list of all Genesis material including such fan favorites as "Musical Box," "Firth Of Fifth" and "Supper's Ready". The performances will also include a specially-designed light show.

Selling England by the pound and charging $50 a seat here in the states.

The Steve Hackett Genesis Revisited Tour has already broken box office records in the UK, Europe and Japan. Please see below for the full North American itinerary. Steve Hackett's recent double disc Genesis Revisited II (InsideOut Music) features reinterpreted Genesis classics from the period dearest to Hackett, the "golden era" 1971-1977, with a stellar array of guest performers; Hackett enlisted the help of 35 special guests to provide the songs with a new unique edge. The star-studded line-up includes respected vocalists Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), Simon Collins (Phil Collins' son), Amanda Lehmann, Conrad Keely, Francis Dunnery, Neal Morse, John Wetton, Nad Sylvan and Nik Kershaw. Steve Rothery of Marillion and Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings and Transatlantic joined in to share guitar duties, while Jeremy Stacey and Gary O'Toole are amongst the chosen drummers.

In 2010, Steve Hackett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame at The 25th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony alongside his Genesis bandmates from the classic line-up: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. For more than three decades, Steve Hackett has been known for his innovative tone and extraordinary versatility as a guitarist and composer. He helped define Genesis' sound as lead guitarist in the classic line-up and went on to have a highly-successful career as a solo artist, and also as part of 80s supergroup GTR with Steve Howe.

Steve Hackett North American tour dates:

SEPTEMBER

20 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
21 St. Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
22 Milwaukee, WI The Pabst Theatre
23 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
25 New York, NY Best Buy Theater
26 Lakewood, NJ The Strand Theater
27 Westbury, NY NYCB Theatre At Westbury
28 Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse
29 Albany, NY The Egg Center For The Performing Arts

OCTOBER

3 Montreal, QC Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier Place Des Arts
4 Quebec City, QC Grand Theatre De Quebec
5 Gatineau, QC Le Casino Du Lac Leamy
6 Belleville, ON Empire Theater
8 Oakville, ON Oakville Centre For Performing Arts
9 Oakville, ON Oakville Centre For Performing Arts
10 Munhall, PA Carnegie Music Hall Of Homestead
11 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
12 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
13 Collingswood, NJ Scottish Rite Auditorium

Steve Hackett Releases Solo Album Of Genesis Material

Hey listen, I'm kind of digging on Supertramp's Crime Of The Century album at the moment, so i'm not sure what to think anymore. You could get all cynical that former Genesis axe man is releasing an album of Genesis songs and one of the guest stars is not Phil Collins...but his son.

Or the entire reference to the "supergroup" GTR (who I vaguely remember).

Or you could just acknowledge that this whole thing is probably better than anything Phil Collins or Genesis has released in the past two decades.


(New York, NY) - More details have been revealed about Steve Hackett's forthcoming album Genesis Revisited II, which will be released on 22nd October via InsideOut Music. Reinterpreting Genesis classics from the period dearest to him, the "golden era" 1971-1977, Hackett is the first ex-member to re-record and tour that part of the band's material. While he made sure the spirit of the timeless originals stayed intact, he enlisted the help of 35 special guests to provide the songs with a new unique edge. The star-studded line-up includes respected vocalists Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), Simon Collins (Phil Collins' son), Amanda Lehmann, Conrad Keely, Francis Dunnery, Neal Morse, John Wetton, Nad Sylvan and Nik Kershaw. Steve Rothery of Marillion and Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings and Transatlantic join in to share guitar duties, while Jeremy Stacey and Gary O'Toole are amongst the chosen drummers.

"It's a project of Wagnerian proportions!" Hackett commented. "For the most part I've followed the arrangements we had first time around, but each vocalist has added their own character." Genesis Revisited II will be available as a 2 disc digipak. An extensive world tour in support of the new album will be announced shortly. In 2010, Steve Hackett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame at The 25th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony alongside his Genesis bandmates from the classic line-up: Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. For more than three decades, Steve Hackett has been known for his innovative tone and extraordinary versatility as a guitarist and composer. He helped define Genesis' sound as lead guitarist in the classic line-up and went on to have a highly-successful career as a solo artist, and also as part of 80s supergroup GTR with Steve Howe.

Genesis - Duke

Do you like Phil Collins? I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins' presence became more apparent.

We're Getting The Band Back Together: 2007 Reunion Tours

2007 seems to be the year of reuniting, since it feels so good, and with it comes the obligatory discussion concerning the merits of said reformation.

The awful truth about reunions is that they're often the result of greed and ego: a quick lift in the player's bank accounts and self-worth. There are examples of bands coming together again for the sake of unfinished business (Celtic Frost, Dinosaur Jr., and a few others come to mind) but Father-time typically doesn't prove to be on the side of aging rockers.

Van Halen-As discussed here.

The Stooges-Look, as much as I'm excited about this, I'm also a realist. Thirty-three fucking years have past since Raw Power and none of the surviving members are spring chickens. Hell, they're not even Popeye's Fried Chicken. But this is The Stooges we're talking about; a band so mired in destruction that we're blessed that Iggy and the Ashtons are even alive. And at the end of the day, don't we owe it to them to pay tribute for being able to wake up in the morning? The Live In Detroit dvd is riddled with equal parts tear-inducing nostalgia and ear-hurting embarassment. And "My Idea Of Fun" from their upcoming The Weirdness is a decent Iggy track but nowhere near the brilliance of The Stooges past glories. We'll see if the rest of the album is better, but time and reality are certainly against them.

The Police-This will be the moneymaker of the year….And with ticket prices ranging from $60-$225 (“packages” are even higher) this tour has got me considering a financial boycott. I’m not sure of the financial status of Stewart or Andy, but I know Sting isn’t hurting for cash, even though his last few solo efforts have stiffed. Regardless, explain to me why I’m required to get fucked up the ass so that Sting doesn’t slip into obscurity? The Police have never really qualified as a “punk” band, but it would have been very punk if they’d leveraged their reunion tour with reasonable financial restraint.
I’m secretly hoping this tour absolutely fails and the blame is placed solely on the outrageous ticket prices. Serves ‘em right. I’m also secretly hoping that a pair of tickets magically appear on my doorstep because (losing credibility here perhaps) I’d really like to see this one.

Smashing Pumpkins-Note to Billy Corgan: nobody gives a shit. If the Pumpkins were your “dreams” then why did you form Zwan? I doubt that anyone would have noticed James or D’Arcy missing from the Pumpkins line-up if you chose to carry on the moniker. In Totale’s world, you released two great albums (Gish and Siamese Dream) before succumbing to a pattern of elitism and pretentiousness. Keep your ego in check, Corgan: you may sell out a few theatres but don’t expect a lot of hero worship to upgrade your reunion to the arenas.

Rage Against The Machine-Not a fan, so no real excitement here. I will say that we really could’ve used a ton more lefty-leaning rock outfits during the Bush II Evil Empire (get it?) instead of fucking Audioslave.

Genesis-My dick might get a little hard if Gabriel were in the line-up, but no, it’s Phil Fucking Collins Genesis, to which I’m reminded of some truly horrible shit from the 80’s and into the 90’s. To be honest, by 1988 I couldn’t tell what was Phil Collins solo and a Genesis track, so I’m not the dude to ask if these fuckers could fill a state fair stadium. The last Genesis album I bought was Duke and I remember liking Abacab and a few tracks from their ’83 eponymous album. None of those albums mean that I would be caught dead at a Genesis concert.

Dinosaur Jr.-I’d totally see this one. When I missed them in the original line-up tours, I heard that they were loud as fuck and very inconsistent. I’d like to believe that getting older would help out in the latter department, but would hate to see a reduction in the volume. After all, that’s part of the thing that made You’re Living All Over Me and Bug so enjoyable: Mascis’ amplifier meltings were a thing of beauty. From reviews I’ve read about the reunion so far (which includes an album), they haven’t lost much.

Sebadoh-Really? I didn’t even know they broke up. I’m willing to bet that other people didn’t know this either.

Did I get ‘em all?

Now for the list of dream reunions. These are the bands that I would definitely consider seeing if they ever decided to reunite.

Spacemen 3-I’m sure that Jason Pierce is the only thing that’s holding this one up. And I’m sure that he’s making enough from Spiritualized to not even consider re-teaming with Sonic Boom again. But if he did, and even if they only played one chord together for 45 minutes, I’d want to be at the foot of the stage paying homage to these dudes. Check it:

The Smiths-Rumor has it that they were offered millions for a one-off that was systematically rejected. Hell, I’d even salivate if Morrissey/Marr teamed up under a different moniker. A full-fledged reunion seems unlikely since bassist Andy Rourke really hosed them in court for back royalties.

Husker Du-Saw ‘em in ’87 when they were on the downward spiral, and the show was so intense that I’d gladly see ‘em again. From what I understand, Grant Hart and Bob Mould dislike each other so much that the idea of a reunion would never get off the ground. I also don’t think the band has enough notable legacy to pay them what they’re deserved. And what they deserve is a hundred times more than what fucking Genesis will make from their reunion shenanigans.

The Stone Roses-Betcha these guys could absolutely kill in their heyday. Like that quote from the movie "Shaun Of The Dead" says: Second Coming wasn’t that bad of an album. I think they only substantially toured the states in support of that album (which I missed) and time has made me miss them immensely. I guess I’m not the only one since there are two Stone Roses tribute bands currently cashing in around England: The Complete Stone Roses and The Clone Roses.

Pink Floyd-It’s cheesy, I know, but I’d totally be psyched for a reunited Waters/Gilmour thing. I saw the Floyd Water-less and it was painfully apparent that he was gone. Live 8 fueled the fire that they were on better terms, but I don’t see this happening. First of all, Waters is completely book for a solo tour throughout this summer and none of the members really need the cash. Gilmour has hinted that working with Waters is like pulling teeth and that Gilmour already has more money than a hundred dentists. Which is funny, especially if you’ve ever seen pictures of Rodger Waters’ teeth circa ’73.

Feel free to comment on what bands you’d like to see reunite.