For all music enthusiast, it always has this quest to discover the album that provides intense happiness and remains forever etched in his memory. For my part, after the magnificent 'The Night Siren' in 2017 (see here), the latest 'Steve Hackett', 'At The Edge Of Light' went straight into my essential collection from the first listen. We refind throughout the album, this magician of harmony who continues, at 68 years old, of exploring and mixing, for the best, various influences to make something unique that we could just call 'World Music' and this by inviting artists who bring a real authenticity with their traditional instruments. In the first 2 minutes of 'Fallen Walls and Pedestals', we embark on an exotic musical landscape with already some magic notes of Steve's guitar. Without transition, 'Beats In Our Time' which follows is very 'Gilmourian' on the beginning and unfolds a melody with a kind of quiet force : we continue the journey in this atmosphere filled with serenity that accelerates on the end with a rythmic section of bass used as a support for a new masterful guitar solo. Then with 'Under the Eyes of the Sun', it is, I quote Steve, 'a celebration of the wonder and majesty of the bright, towering rocks of desert wilderness' with a dismal central part where the instruments traditional 'Duduk' and 'DidgeriDoo' reinforce this dark atmosphere to image the passage of the sun in the shade to return to the light and continue on the starting theme and finish in a very contemporary wave of ropes. As for the 'Undeground Railroad', I continue to quote Steve, it 'beautifully express the heartfelt pain of those who suffered slavery in America's Deep South' with beautiful breaks in rhythms and alternations between tensions and relaxation to end in a joyful singing influenced by gospel. We change of decor with 'Those Golden Wings' which is a tribute to Steve's wife 'Jo' and which starts with an air worthy of the greatest romantic classics, which is built in several parts each transmitting their share of emotion and which, musically, is certainly the title that most intertwines classical music and progressive rock. With 'Shadow and Flame', the journey continues in India with typical sounds, traditional and electric instruments cohabiting for the best for an amazing blend of tradition and modernity while 'Hungry Years' changes completely with a title influenced by the 60's with beautiful vocal harmonies by Steve and ‘Amanda Lehmann’. The album ends with 3 rather different style titles but they are one, first of all, 'Descent' with its rhythmic, reminiscent of the 'Bolero' of 'Ravel' but much darker because, according to Steve, 'takes us on a powerful descent into the darkest of places where we meet our deepest fears and nightmarehe’; follows the deeply tormented and symphonic instrumental 'Conflict', on which Steve offers a virtuoso accompaniment to the guitar, and the last composition 'Peace' brings us back to the light with a 'Queenest' melody and ends the album with a magnificent positive message of hope. Note that we should mention all the people who participated in this album because Steve also has the talent to surround himself with renowned artists of the progressive scene but also artists bringing their culture and this greatly contributes to the success of this album. In summary, I would simply say that with this new album of 'Steve Hackett', I have reached this musical grail to which any music lover aspires and, even if all this remains very subjective, I also wish all those who are like me, perpetual searchers of musical nuggets, the same happiness, even if it is not for this album precisely... | |
