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“Join me at full throttle on a ride from the shores of Loch Lomond to the Rings of Saturn”, Steve Hackett urges of his 24th solo album. And you’re forced to concede that you just don’t get that kind of ambition from the average Mercury-nominated indie act.

His is no idle invitation, either, because the man who is surely weary of being described as “the former Genesis guitarist” offers an extraordinarily diverse and far-reaching album which leaps between genres with vision and vitality.

That the playing is classy is a given (we may soon also have to stop referring to bassist Nick Beggs as “ex-Kajagoogoo”). The gentle surprise here is how interested and innovative the musicians remain (Yes bassist Chris Squire guests).

There’s much dewy, elegiac beauty and melancholy pomp, of course, but Prairie Angel and Catwalk brink on Roxy Music levels of glammy sass.

Defiantly impressive.

Chris Roberts has written about music, films, and art for innumerable outlets. His new book The Velvet Underground is out April 4. He has also published books on Lou Reed, Elton John, the Gothic arts, Talk Talk, Kate Moss, Scarlett Johansson, Abba, Tom Jones and others. Among his interviewees over the years have been David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, Bryan Ferry, Al Green, Tom Waits & Lou Reed. Born in North Wales, he lives in London.