Published on Jul 8, 1999
“Welcome to my nightmare,” says ex-Genesis guitarist Steve
Hackett with
Darktown, the most “autobiographical and revealing” of the
virtuoso’s seventeen solo albums. True to its title,
Darktown is a stirring romp through Hackett’s dreams and
experiences – a carnival of memories ranging from the social
minefields of school days to rain-drenched hypnotic car rides to
young love to death.
All this, punctuated by some of the most stirring guitar
instrumentals this side of King Crimson, clear and pristine
production values, and an uncanny ability to mix the gorgeous
timbres of ’70s prog-rock with a more modern sensibility, adds up
to Hackett’s best record since 1975’s
Voyage Of The Acolyte and the best progressive album of the
year. In a just world,
Darktown sells four million copies and Hackett is given his
rightful recognition as one of the most exciting and emotive
guitarists in history. In this world, it sells fifty thousand
(maybe) and everyone still thinks Eddie Van Halen invented tapping
and Genesis began with “Follow You Follow Me.”
Beautifully packaged and painstakingly produced,
Darktown is the culmination of eight years of work for
Hackett. It shows. In stark contrast to retro-prog abortions like
Rick Wakeman’s
Return To The Centre Of The Earth, Genesis’
Calling All Stations, and Yes’
Open Your Eyes,
Darktown is a well-produced, modern album that proves a
fusion of the classic progressive musical vein with ’90s technology
is possible, and, more importantly, that the results can be both
interesting and demanding on the ear and at the same time a
pleasant listen.
You want churning, speedfreak guitar-torture? You’ll find it
here, but more interestingly, just listen to some of the sounds
Hackett coaxes from his six-string. He makes the guitar sound like
a violin, a distorted organ, a synthesizer, and a drumkit. Hackett
is willing to mix up his sounds as well, there’s distortion,
sustain, growling, purring, whirring–guitar as beautiful pastoral
instrument or brutal industrial electric monster.
On his landmark 70s solo releases –
Voyage Of The Acolyte and
Spectral Mornings – Hackett was clearly more comfortable
composing from an instrumental point of view. Although his
gravelly, wavering voice was not wholly unpleasant, Hackett
preferred to bring in guest singers (Phil Collins, Sally Oldfield,
Richie Havens, etc.) to cover the vocals. On
Darktown, Hackett eschews this approach and handles them all
(with the exception of the ballad “Days Of Long Ago”, sung by Jim
Diamond). While personally I wouldn’t mind if someone hid that damn
vocal processor that Hackett uses for his voiceovers somewhere far
far away, the effects are not nearly as jarring as they were on
some of the cuts on earlier albums, notably
Genesis Revisited. The instrumentals – notably “Twice Around
the Sun” and “Darktown Riot” are fantastic and fascinating musical
explorations.
Darktown is a mood album. Playing it at a party would be
unwise, but alone on headphones on a rainy day brings out the
record’s sonic clarity and beautiful timbres. The range of musical
styles encompassed here is breathtaking – “Omega Metallicus” opens
up with a pounding drum/bass rhythm and rips into a guitar-driven
dervish instrumental. Contrast this with the tender ballad “Days Of
Long Ago”, the gentle surrealism of “Jane Austen’s Door”, or the
acoustic opening of “Rise Again.” While musically it is definitely
the oddest track on the album, “The Golden Age Of Steam” is an easy
highlight, quite poignant and powerful. The title track, with its
crashing heavy metal vamps under Ian McDonald’s squealing,
discordant saxophone, hits the mark as well, although the processed
vocals can grate.
This album sounds nothing like Genesis, nothing like any of
Hackett’s earlier works, and certainly zip like the crap being
churned out by “prog-rockers” old and new. Adventurous, by turns
majestic and schizophrenic,
Darktown truly is a triumph. For more information, please
visit the artist’s
website. Although only
available now as an import,
Darktown is worth the inflated price – and stands as a
reminder to jaded progressive rock fans that great, challenging new
music is still being made (and occasionally by the fellas who
brought you the first batch 25 years ago).