Much like Yes’ masterwork Close to the Edge, Voyage
of the Acolyte begins with the eruption of sound from silence. Waves and
blobs of prog magnificence crash on the beach of your eardrums, Hackett playing
his precision acoustic underlay while synths and laser-like lead guitar build
to a big finish. Track two, “Hands Of The Priestess (part 1)” takes the music
in a more pastoral direction with Hackett’s brother John’s flute line leading
the song into a memorable place where prog rock, English folk and classical
music blend easily and beautifully.
Coming from one of the pillars of early 70’s English prog,
Genesis, Steve Hackett had much to prove with his first solo album from 1975.
Peter Gabriel had delivered his masterpiece (The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)
and left the band to find a new direction and lead singer. Remarkably, Phil
Collins stepped out from behind the drums, opened his mouth and made Genesis
one of the most popular bands of the late 70’s and on through the 90’s. An
incredible second act for an eccentric band that had absolutely no business
going anywhere near the pop charts. However, on the song “Star Of Sirius” we
can hear exactly where Genesis was coming from and where it was going. Hackett
gently brings forth billowy textures of melody with synths, Mellotron, all
manner of guitar and percussion while Phil Collins, literally, finds his legs
as a vocalist. Historically speaking it is an important moment in a lot of
musicians’ careers. As the song stretches to seven minutes with a sublime
acoustic guitar and synthesizer duet before bursting back to the central theme,
it feels like the grand summing up of early 70’s prog-rock, while
simultaneously pulling the curtain back on the next ten years of popular music.
The album concludes with its boldest statement, the
11-minute epic “Shadow Of The Hierophant” (all the song titles are references
to cards in the Tarot deck). Sally Oldfield sings a beautiful set of lyrics
over Hackett’s carefully unwinding musical story. Like the best of Genesis’
early music this piece is musically complex, with long passages showcasing
various aspects of Hackett’s musical strong suits. About five minutes in, his
guitar is swirling around with Zeppelin-esque bravado and then suddenly gives
way to a soft harmonium-led interlude, once again building into an epic
tour-de-force to restate the main theme with an orchestra of modern
instrumentation. And make no mistake about it: Voyage of the Acolyte
is a prog album, not a pop album. These are long songs, carefully crafted into
moody movements, large swaths of musical inspiration. This is recommended for
fans of bands like Yes, Renaissance, Pink Floyd and, of course Gabriel-era
Genesis.
Steve Hackett went on to make many good records after this
one, and his contribution to Genesis’ greatest works is undeniable, but he
truly found his sweet spot with Voyage of the Acolyte. From the
evocative cover art, to the ambitious and ever-changing soundscapes he creates,
to his restrained but masterful musicianship this is his greatest achievement
and most personal album.
- Paul Epstein
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