| Description: | Steve Hackett has earned the reputation of being one of Britain's finest composers and guitarists. Peter Gabriel invited him to join Genesis in 1970 and his involvement led to 8 albums. His complex and distinctive playing contributed heavily to their early success, developing an elegance and sophistication which have become his trademark and he has since achieved consistent solo success internationally. Over that time Steve has discovered an equal talent for composing for the classical guitar.
This is an artist who has retained his integrity and yet has enjoyed sales in the millions worldwide through his various band and solo projects, who delivers not only as a brilliant rock guitarist and songwriter but as a sensitive composer in the classical vein. As a musician, it is his undertaking of the instrument as a whole, be it acoustic, electric or digital; as a craftsman, it is the attention to detail within his music that has inspired so many others; as an individual, it is music alone that is his motivation and always will be.
Hackett's first solo album was recorded in 1975 and has been followed by a further fifteen releases including three collections of exquisite acoustic guitar work. 1983's "Bay Of Kings " was the first expression of his growing philosophy of 'music without props' and, accompanied by his brother, John, on flute he recorded an album of seamless simplicity which was for him a natural progression. Steve went on to enjoy a hugely successful 'acoustic' tour during which the Financial Times reported that the only two artistes who had sold out London's prestigous Barbican Concert Hall that year were the London Symphony Orchestra and Steve Hackett! Although not originally a classical player, Steve endeavours to enlarge the existing repertoire by writing timeless pieces for acoustic guitar and one of these was given the seal of approval by Yehudi Menuhin when he used it as the theme to his television documentary From Kew To The Findhorn Foundation. |