Stereo Embers The Podcast 0195: Steve Hackett (Genesis)

“The Journey Isn’t Finished Yet" Steve Hackett is indeed one of the true musical masters. The London born guitarist got his start in two short lived bands—Canterbury Glass and Quiet World, but his tenure in Genesis is what catapulted him into the spotlight. Hackett played on six of the legendary bands’ albums, including Nursery Cryme and Selling England By The Pound. He left Genesis in 1977 and from there, Hackett put out a series of adventurous, innovative and dazzling solo albums, including Spectral Mornings and Bay Of Kings. Hackett’s influence is vast and just to give you an idea of who his playing inspired—Queen’s Brian May Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Eddie Van Halen have all name-checked Hackett as a massive influence. As for his playing, getting into the technical brilliance of his revelatory use of two handed tapping and sweep picking might be the subject of its own podcast. The fact is, Steve Hackett plays with dexterity, depth and finesse--his precision is almost supernatural and his command of his instrument is peerless. He’s a big fan of Bach and would probably think we're overdoing it by saying he’s like Bach, but he is. He’s a master, he’s an innovator and he’s one of the great composers not only of our time, but of any time. Bach-like, for sure. His new album Under a Mediterranean sky is an all acoustic affair and it’s a straight up stunner— elegant, lush and utterly riveting. In this conversation Hackett talks to Alex about the brilliance of Jimi Hendrix, his admiration of Mark Knopfler and how working with Peter Gabriel affected his playing. He also talks about what area he feels least comfortable in as a guitar player, how rehearsal and performance differ and why it’s important to take chances.