Steve Hackett - The Total Experience Live In Liverpool DVD review

Polished prog on two-CD/two-DVD or Blu-ray package.

Steve Hackett The Total Experience Live In Liverpool DVD cover

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While that title may sound like two things shoved together, it’s not as epic as the name of the 2015 tour it documents: Acolyte To Wolflight With Genesis Revisited. Those shows celebrated the 40th anniversary of former Genesis guitarist Hackett’s solo debut album Voyage Of The Acolyte, his latest album Wolflight and the fact that his fans weren’t ready to let him (and vocalist Nad Sylvan) stop doing Genesis songs yet.

While Hackett chooses some left-field selections from Genesis’s 70s catalogue for the second half, it’s the serpentine glories of Firth Of Fifth, The Cinema Show and The Musical Box which steal the show. The first half is impressive too, with Shadow Of The Hierophant hypnotic in its musical mantras. Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall resounds with pomp and circuitousness, and the filming is quietly slick.

The second DVD gathers rehearsals, videos and behind-the-scenes stuff, but it’s the first one which offers loyalists the lush languor Hackett has honed.

Chris Roberts

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.